mdrai

You guys!! I didn't even know you all still posted to this thread!! Laura -- You are SO DEFINITELY going, don't even think otherwise. Where there's a will, there's a way! It's not 'til MAY!! I was thinking I'd wait 'til Feb 1 to re-open the expedition planning... to give folks a chance to catch their breath & catch up on finances after the holidays (see, Laura??). But all variables will remain the same... same weekend, same location, etc. Everybody ok w/that??

Laura -- You've passed me, now! I was 256 this a.m. & you're @ 251!! You're doing great!

Hey Gals~~ Just a quick pop in, as I've been gone all day so far (fill & shopping) and my in-laws will be here in about 2 hrs or less & I've got to clean/vac, etc!! Ack!! BUT... want to tell you my fill story... I asked her (PA) how much I had in there already & she checks the chart & says "6.4 ccs in a 10cc band." so she said she'd put in .4. OK. So then I'm on the table, doing the "press up w/your stomach muscles thing" (hate that!) and she pulls out the fluid that's in there & it's over 8ccs! WTF? So she decides to put in just .2, and says that if I think I need more fill next month, she'll order it under flouroscope so she can check it out. So now I'm all freaked out that I'm getting too full!! I guess I'll see... my biggest fear w/this whole thing is slippage or erosion from being too tight... so I hope this takes me to my sweet spot! I've got to go clean... I'll check back later!! Love the inspirational quotes & h20 reminders -- thanks, Vi's!!

Announcement: No protein powder was harmed in the making of my dinner tonight! Dinner went a little something like this... "Ring, Ring!" "Hello?" "Hi Honey! I'm almost home! Grab the kids & meet me @ Carrabba's!" "Ok!" <Drive to Carrabba's...> <Order & EAT: 2 slices bread in EVOO w/spices, fried calamari (part of it), ceasar salad (split w/DD), almost ALL of a Rigatoni Martini chicken pasta in a HUGE bowl.> <Drive home & confess to Violets> <Find willpower under the couch w/the dust bunnies; dust it off; put it on table where I can find it easily tomorrow morning, when I "try, try again"> G'night!

Hi Vi's!~~ Just back from my lovely lunch w/my college roommate... I ate grilled salmon & balsamic grilled veggies... yum!... but I ate the whole thing!... think I def need a fill tomorrow. It's pro shake for dinner again! ((Judy)) I think we're all in the post-holiday doldrums, Judy. Even tho I "indulged" for the week from Christmas - Jan 1, I know I didn't eat nearly as much as I have in the past. Even so, I am up... really up... so much that I wasn't even going to tell you all how much... but, ok... 12 lbs!!! Seems impossible, doesn't it?? It's amazing how quickly the carbs & sugars add up. Yesterday I was back 110% on the Vi-wagon & today the scale was down 3.4 lbs... so I know it's mostly water weight, but still... yikes! My personal goal was -75 by 12/31... well, I obviously didn't make THAT! I made it to -71 tho... then added... so I can either mope about it, or do something, and I'm opting for the "do something" route! I'm now so motivated to get to at least -75 by the end of January... etc. & so on... Today's my 2nd day w/the bodybugg... I am really loving it, girls! I've always been ok w/willpower & eating, but the exercise part of the equation usually eludes me... but just wearing it makes me want to move... and then seeing the numbers... it's definitely a motivator! My aqua core class begins again next week, so that will help, too. Judy... you are not alone!! You've lost 71%!! Amazing!! And it will come of slower from here 'til goal, darn it... so maybe upping the exercise w/your fun machines will help... look into the bugg, too... I think you'd like it!... We're all in this together! Love you all!!

5:45am & still up @ the 'puter... I've made some lists for the upcoming *surprise* trip in Feb... did some Ebay surfing... etc... DH just left for work... maybe I can doze off now?? But ds wakes me up @ 6:30am... bleh. Today I'm meeting my college roommate for lunch! That will be fun. It's in VA, tho... so it's 1 hr drive each way, + 2+ hours to eat & chat & catch-up... so it'll be the main chunk of my day! Otherwise, it's just a regular day... work, laundry, etc... Ok then! Can't think of anything else to say! Make it a great one, Vi's!!

Hey Vi's... Anybody else awake @ 5am Eastern time?? I've been up since 3am! I got up to pee & haven't been able to fall asleep again! Between thoughts swirling in my head & dh's snoring (w/ a cold -- yuck!)... no zzzzz's. So I gave up & came down & got on the computer! This is the second night in a row that I've been awake @ 3am & can't fall back to sleep... I love me my sleep... this drives me crazy... which then makes it harder to fall back to sleep... a bad cycle... Wah.

It's now 4:57 am eastern time... I've got up to pee @ 3am & haven't been able to fall asleep again! Between thoughts swirling in my head & dh's snoring (w/ a cold -- yuck!)... no zzzzz's. So I gave up & came down & got on the computer!

Here are my Bodybugg Day 1 results as of 9:44pm... Cals consumed: 800 (it was a pro shake day... 800 total cals but 130 of them were protein!!) Cals burned: 2080 (I was in front of the computer for most of it! It was definitely a low-moving day) Cal deficit: 1280! Kewl!! Tomorrow will be a different type of day, more out-&-about, so it'll be interesting to see what that breaks out to be! Lovin' it!

Congratulations, Amanda Panda!! That's GREAT news!! I'm so happy for you!!

OK, Vi's!~~ Here are my Bodybugg Day 1 results as of 9:44pm... Cals consumed: 800 (it was a pro shake day... 800 total cals but 130 of them were protein!!) Cals burned: 2080 (I was in front of the computer for most of it! It was definitely a low-moving day) Cal deficit: 1280! Kewl!! Tomorrow will be a different type of day, more out-&-about, so it'll be interesting to see what that breaks out to be! Lovin' it!

Ok... I'm on my 4th 16.9 oz bottle now! The first 3 were water; this one is lemonade crystal light!

Oh crap... just got an e-mail reminder from my college roommate (whom I haven't seen in YEARS) that we're on for lunch tomorrow (we scheduled it a long time ago). So that means I'll have to EAT! I vow to get a chicken ceasar salad or some such thing, and eat only half of it! Such is life!!

Just finished my 2nd 16.9 oz bottle, so 33.8 oz of h20 so far today!

"Santa" brought me a Bugg for Christmas! I activated it yesterday, and today is the first day I'm wearing it! Just having it on makes me want to move more! Technology is really amazing!! I keep downloading the info every couple hours, even tho I'm mostly doing deskwork... it's just too fun!!

Me, again! (I'm doing lots of "deskwork" today, so I'll be popping in a lot!) Rockin' out to my new Bruce Springsteen cd, Magic... 1st time listening to it... ok so far... Cat sleeping w/her head on my left arm... makes typing interesting!... Bodybugg check-in! -- What fun! Just having it on makes me want to move more!! Just completed my first "download" of info (cuz' I couldn't wait!)... I've "consumed" 240 cals so far and I've "burned" 868, for a deficit of 628 so far!! This is so cool! I just pressed the button & the info was wireslessly downloaded -- technology rocks! I figure the first week or so will be setting my "baseline" averages... I may go for a walk at lunch today (which I usually don't, but should)... but otherwise today's a "regular" day of sitting in front of the 'puter + household tasks (laundry, vaccuming, etc...)... so it'll be interesting to see the results at the end of the day. Would it be true that the faster I type, the more cals expended???

Tracy!! Look at your progress pics!! Amazing!! Great work, girlie!!

Oops, frozen fingers up there. It should read: "... shouldN'T walk it 'til Spring!" that makes it a completely different sentence, huh?

Ack! I made it back up the hill! In the frigid wind... I'm heaving breaths like you wouldn't believe! DD said we should walk it 'til Spring! Ha ha! She's her momma's girl!

Good Wednesday Morn, Vi's!~~ I love December and the holidays, but... TODAY IS THE DAY to get back on track!! Kids go back to school! Hubby goes back to work! Routine returns! Can I get an "Amen"?! Good Habits I am starting OR re-starting today: #1: I'm right w/you on the water, Suzie... I've got my first 16.9 oz right here! #2: I'm committing to LIQUID PRE-OP rules today - Friday to see what holiday lbs I can jumpstart off... will re-evaluate after Fill on Friday. #3: Today is Day 1 of using my Bodybugg! I set it all up yesterday, so I'm ready to go today!! #4: Starting today, I will WALK DD TO THE BUS STOP EVERY MORNING (unless it is bad weather). (I drive her down there every day because it is FAR and DOWN HILL, which means I have to crawl back up the hill after the bus comes!) First goal of 2008: Get to -75 as quickly as possible!!! Make it a great one, Vi's!!

Happy New Year, my Beautiful, Wonderful Violets!!! It's a brand-spankin' new year full of hope & promise... I'm so glad I met you all last year... and will spend the WHOLE year this year w/you all... through the good, the bad, the ugly... whatever comes our way... I'm here w/you all through it all!!! AND... I get to meet my Vi's this year!!!!!!!!!!!! AND... This is the LAST year in my life that "LOSE WEIGHT" will be a resolution!! :party: We had a fabulous time last night... really, really great! DH & I haven't had fun like that in YEARS -- I kid you not! We went to the hotel around 3pm, napped, got ready... then were picked up by a stretch SUV limo!... & whisked off to the party. So much fun... the time flew by... drank cranberry & vodkas, too, Pam!... several!... was fun to be "tipsy" (but no hang over!)... noshed on yummy appetizers... just the right size for being banded!... and mostly played Blackjack w/our "funny money" in the Monte Carlo area... DH won, I lost... you got raffle tix w/your chips & I got only 4! ha ha! but it was fun & took most of the night... danced after that... champagne toast... then another limo back to the hotel and... well... let's just say we "rang" in the new year, shall we?? :party: Here are a couple pics...

Hello again! Tracy... you look great in the suit!! Terri... love the necklace, but I already have the jewelry for tom. night... it's a set of ruby & amethyst (sp?) bracelet, earrings & necklace that dh got for me in India ages ago that I rarely wear -- like maybe 1x/year... so he's happy that I'm wearing that. Just got back from a mani/pedi/brow wax! I'm all pampered & relaxed now!! & can't clean! too bad! ha haha!

Good Sunday Morn, Vi's~~ Another day of lounging around w/no specific plans... this is almost getting old!! (remind me I said that when I'm back to "crazy" regular life!)... Thank you all again for the wonderful comments... Laura -- I checked out the B&A thread and WOWZA -- you're looking fabulous!! Love that sweater, too! Someone is calling for me... bbl...

I knew I loved you gals -- you're making my day w/all the compliments!! Thank you!! :kiss2:

OMG Kat!! You REALLY made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!! & blush!! No panties... but SPANX holding it all in & keeping it from jiggling all over the place!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ba Ha Ha!!