DynamoMini

:dance: :dance: Margi - Wow! What a loss, good for you! I am steering away from sweets and gooey treats for my health, but I think a bite or two once in a while is more realistic for me. :hungry: What power I feel when I eat something "sweet" and "desserty" and have two or three bites - chewing....chewing....chewing. I don't miss ice cream because I make my own protein shakes with soy, EAS powder and fruit, or whatever recipe I dream up. Cold and creamy - yum. And it is good for me..... To all of you who remember I was discouraged about my slow weight loss, I have kicked up my cardio to 5 days a week for 45 minutes, whew and tracked calories, protein etc. Following all the bandster rules. I keep reminding myself - This is a 2 year process and I have a lot of retraining to do. We all deserve a healthy life!:angel: Hugs, Michelle

Sooverit - I agree that life shouldn't have to be so painful, but consider that I have numbed out over the years not to feel to the point that when feelings break through, not using food for comfort, it is a great thing for me to feel, even the old stuff. I am NOT on a pity party, this is just part of my healing process (that i am working out in therapy). It has been really helpful and I only shared it in case there are others out there who have followed the numbing path in response to life dramas. I agree that healthy foods, exercise and positive thinking will take me closer to the person I deserve to be. It has taken me a while to want to live, be healthy, want to move, and to feel I deserve those things. I appreciate your support and interest. Best to you, Michelle

Hi Everyone, I was wondering what a resting metabolic rate was and how they measure it. So Denise822 could you enlighten me and tell me how yours went? Best wishes, Michelle

Okay - so the naked :behindsofa:truth was I weighed 202.8 this am. But dare I hope? My official weigh in on Monday with workout clothes, perhaps shorts instead of pants??? Nay, just the same old. I can do this. :whoo:I deserve a healthy life. I will be in the 100's within the next two weeks. I can smell it.............. Love you guys........

Ok - I am very frustrated, I can't get the pictures onto this message. That said, it was wonderful meeting many of you last night. It takes lots of special energy to come together and share face to face. The meeting was a little different than I expected, oh well. I'm sure it helped me affirm what I am doing and I loved meeting you. Next time, let's go out for ice tea, the room was damn hot! Mal - sorry about the mouth, I have great sympathy for pain. :sick Drews - you are so fun to look at. I wonder if I will look as good as you next year. Wow! Impressive! Plus, what a beautiful spirit! Woofay - I'm sorry we didn't get more time to talk, perhaps next time. I can imagine you emerging - you are so pretty. Angie - I hope you can come to the next meeting or we can arrange a submeeting. Hee hee. So, if someone can tell me how to transfer the jpeg file onto this website, I have two pics to share. Sorry to be so incompetent, the pictures are good, they are really big. Hugs to you all, l Michelle

Thanks for the support Dwarden - but the "official" thing helps me stay honest, which has been a problem in the past for me. Pretending I was doing better than I was. Holding the wall, so I don't weigh as much. I hope I have grown up from that point - but I have organized a place where I officially weigh in before I exercise (so I am wearing the same clothes - sans shoes) each week on Monday morning. Kinda like a big girl. Obviously my weight has been a lifelong issue. chuckles.... Michelle

Angie - I think it was a recipe, but I have been really limiting what I eat. I think it would be cool to do a roster and share phone numbers if we want would be better for me. I'll hang with you if the meeting gets over, maybe we (all) could go get some decaf or something. Hugs - and I'm psyched! I get to meet Drews!!! Michelle

Gosh _ posted this morning and then come back to find three more pages of important stuff to catch up on. TerriDoodle - I like your questions about acid reflux. I am burping more now since banding, does that indicate it? Kat - you are an inspiration, I can understand how the last 35 aren't as big an issue, your BMI is so much better, you look and move better - maybe a goal to see the weight gone during the next year is more reasonable, especially going through the emotionally difficult stuff with your man. Hugs!! Lauraj23 - I hate when the medical community starts up with the nickel and diming thing. My doc said without insurance he can do the surgery and everything for $10000, with insurance the rates go up to around $30000. Our system is crazy. Good for you fighting for your rights - and a good reminder to make sure everyone checks those bills. TracyInks - what a heart. You are a beautiful person to put yourself in someone else's shoes. I liked the Pay it Forward Sista! Hugs to all you Violets out there - enjoy your day, Michelle

Hi All You Dr. K Beauties or Handsom Dudes, I hope to see you there tonight! I hope to get a picture of all of us to post. Maybe we can do it monthly as another encouragement. I had my "official" weigh in and I have lost 2 3/4 pounds in the last week. Now, it doesn't match the first couple of weeks, but I'll take it. Angie38 - I exercise 40 - 50 minutes aerobically 3 - 5 days per week. I have to at my age to get the metabolism moving. I am eating almost total protein, I cut the beans out because they seemed to hold on to the weight. So far, meat, eggs, protein shakes and Benefiber Chewables are part of my day. At lunch sometimes a salad with a protein and very little FF dressing. I am also drinking a lot of water. Last night I had a South Beach dinner 230 calories. Not great on taste, but easy. I threw part of it away, the green beans were gross. Hope to see whoever can get there tonight! Michelle

Nitty - So many of us use food for comfort from emotional pain. It works somehow, but it is a double edged sword. I am trying to thank the system that has helped me cope with the rough road of my life, but telling the "fat seeker" that there is a new healthier me here right now. I want to feel my pain not hide from it. I feel ready. That is part of my journey. I wish you well. I have always had to use food for comfort, and the health issues have become so apparent there isn't another choice for me. I want to change so I can live. Which means I will have have to feel my pain, depression, and perhaps feel more joys, I hope. Best wishes. Michelle

I had my official weigh-in on Monday morning I weighed 207, at home this morning I was 203 (before clothes and food). So I am slowly winding down to the magical number 199. I lost 2 3/4 pounds last week, so I have to believe I am on the right path. Thanks for the description Dwarden. Sorry you had to go through that. Good luck to the rest of you on the journey to ONDERLAND!

Kat - thanks for the info. I think I will try and switch the training session to either the morning or to Friday. I am not concerned with on the tummy exercises, don't do those, I am concerned with being able to hydrate enough to workout hard. After this first fill then I will see how I react. You sound like it is great fun. I like the whole diversion thing you do. Good luck with your hubby. Tekymom - sorry about the port incision. That ususally happens to me, but I was fortunate that I wasn't allergic or reactive to the glue the doc used. In fact many other surgeries I have had to have wound care nursing. Good luck with the healing. Have a great night all you beautiful violets! Michelle

Laura - what an exciting journey you and a house. Wow! You will be so proud of both. You are young and beautiful. Best wishes! I weighed in today and am at 207. I lost 2 3/4 pounds last week. I think that is a decent loss. My desire is to see it immediately gone. But I am making other short term goals, like working out 5 times this week. So far, I have gone to the gym two days. I have a question for people who have had a fill - does it knock you over or could I have a scheduled appt with my trainer in the afternoon of the fill? I'm clueless. Christy - good going on the weight loss. So sorry to hear about your father-in-law. It is upsetting to watch another's decline. Hugs amd a prayer for him. Teach lady - you are doing really well in the weight loss area. I have now officially lost 19 pounds and working hard at it. I thought it would be faster, but on the upside, maybe my skin will adjust and I won't need the TT surgery. Hugs and all the best to the Violets, Michelle

Best wishes Crabcake and Shar! This is a great place to get advice from middle bandsters. I am losing slowly too. I am going to get a fill on the 17th. But I don't think that I am eating many calories and I exercise too. I do have Type II diabetes and take meds for it. I was hoping that getting the weight off will help. Hugs and good luck! Michelle

dwarden - how did you know your port was flipped? What were the symptoms? I am impressed that you are back on your feet and thinking about coffee. Best wishes,

Woofay (anita) - Hi, you know there are moments that I have felt like you - where is the band? But other times (described above) the golfball is there. So I think I will go ahead with the fill on the 17th. I think by then I will be going crazy if I haven't lost any weight. I am making a commitment to exercise 5 days this week. I started today. I think the metabolism needs a revving up. Hugs all and hope to see whoever can show on Tuesday, Michelle

Mal - you are doing a really good job. I haven't posted my before pictures either. On May 16 I will take my one month pictures and see if there is any noticeable changes. I think I look better. Maybe I'm just proud of myself. Lap Dancer - Thanks for sharing your food. You are kinda of doing Optifast, with all the protein shakes. I admire you. You are doing really well, keep it up. I got hungry reading the pizza ingredients, I've been eating a salad for lunch with 1/2 white beans, 2 oz chicken, 1 oz turkey bacon and chopping it up with a drizzle of FF Honey Dijon. Yum I have to go have a shake. I only have one a day because I am eating food for my meals. Maybe I am just eating too many calories. But it is so much less than before. I think I will schedule a meeting with the nutritionist. Hugs and enjoy your Sunday evening, Michelle

Teach lady - I can really relate. Habits from the past ooze when I don't think about it. I have found eating has to be a conscious act. Sitting, chewing............, swallowing. None of the the grab and swallow of the past. Amazing and a good thing. Think how many times the bread was passed and you took, what a habit to break. Altho' I think that it won't hurt you if you chew, chew, chew...... I still can't get over snarfing Costco Chicken that I had smelled all the way home. Wolf. Pow! Golfball to beat the band. No barfing as of yet, but the golfball and fizzy saliva are plenty indicators that encourage me to RETRAIN my brain (notice what's in caps). I also am not losing. Tomorrow is the official weigh in day for me. I was hoping for more movement, but will settle for not gaining. I look better anyway. Hugs and have a great Sunday, Michelle

Lap Dancer - you are doing so wonderfully. What is your daily eating plan? I seem to be waiting around for the weight to drop instead of working out to boost my metabolism. No wonder my scale isn't budging. Goal for this week - stick with the food plan and work out five times. It would be wonderful to meet you, but email is a great avenue too. Hugs and have a great day - I am going to the gym. Michelle

Shesha - let us know how it goes and this community can help you out! Maybe Dr. K will be able to manipulate the port without a lot of complicated procedures. He's a great surgeon. The rest of you - See you Tuesday if you can. Hope the cold snap is over. Re - the warrantee, I got this plastic goody bag, that I gave back with the brochure ( that I already had) so I said to please recycle, then they just told me to fill out the card and mail it in. It was no special deal. I didn't ask any questions. Dumb me. It is probably a way to track people with the band. I should have put in for the TT I will need in a year. LOL Hugs and stay dry and warm, Michelle

I just caught up on some reading and find it so interesting that besides being banded we are all involved in REAL LIFE. Birthdays, friendships, marriages, losses, all causing happiness, stresses, etc. I raised two adopted boys alone after my husband died and felt so alone with the decisions. It is wonderful that this thread supports each of us and our needs. Jennifur - I just know that this will work out one way or another. Things always do. I had to figure out that I had to pick my battles. I couldn't do it all, and sometimes I didn't look as "good" as the other mothers, but my boys at 19 are independent, helpful and very grateful for what they did have. So, I guess it was good enough. Hope that bit helps. I know you will do it right for your girl. As far a friendship goes, sometimes my friends need a lot, but if it becomes a one way road and I don't feel an exchange of support, it isn't healthy for me so I pull back and see if things balance out. Hope that helps a bit. Best wishes to you all,

Angie - I didn't mean to leave you off, sorry. I want to meet all of you. Spot - you can be our honorary bandster until it all works out. I think it is important not to give up on yourself. Just think that any weight you can drop now is weight you won't have to drop after being banded. Hugs! See as many as can make it on Tuesday. I bet we will all want to talk at once. Smiling on a rainy afternoon, Michelle

Good Late Afternoon Violets - It's raining in the Rockies. They said the mountains could have snow on Monday. Lunasa - I think you have a good point about being positive. I also think some venting is inevitable, because in the process of change there is some discomfort. I want to be here for all Violets and support whatever emotions come up. Now whining and self-pity can only be tolerated briefly. I also think wholesale saying the band doesn't work - isn't effective or accurate. However, I think people going through the process have thoughts like, "Is this going to work? I'm worried about this working for me?" Those are real and it's good they get some air time. What do you Violets think? I love the idea of aroma and calming. I also use music and deep breathing to calm down. Hugs and good Fridays to all of you,

I just reread the postings and Connie said a weekend would be better for her. Sounds great to me. I am flexible as I am retired. Lucky me. So how about Saturday or Sunday? What is central? How about a place like Red Robin? There is one right off Arapahoe Road and I25. I know we have people coming from Fort Collins (Collector) and from Pueblo (Dakota and Connie). Maybe Castle Rock would be more central? Ideas anyone. Have a great day and good weekend!

Woofay, Mal, Spot, Drews.... I hope to see you Tuesday evening. I thought it might be fun to take a group picture if everyone is okay with it. I will try to remember the camera. Sometimes my memory doesn't work. Yes, during my one week postop - they gave me this card to fill out, like a warrantee card. Now, I don't have the exact name, because I mailed it in. We can ask. I am a bit nervous about my first fill. Some days I feel like I don't need one, but other days I do. I am not losing much weight. But then I do the crazy making scale everyday, and it is fickle. I just ate a 1/2 cup of CostCo roasted chicken and am stuffed. Of course, first I forgot and didn't cut it into little pieces, the smelllll. I ate a piece like I used to and chewed five or six times, like normal, and swallowed. I thought I was gonna toss it up. i was stunned. This is really soft food. So, I just put the groceries away and walked around for 30 minutes. Crisis adverted, then I could eat, slowly chewing to mush, itty pieces. The band does remind you that life is different now. Chewing is really essential, also sitting down to eat helps me think through what I am doing. Old habits are OUT and new habits need to become NORMAL. Hugs and looking forward to Tuesday. Heard rain here, snow in the mountains. Spring time in the Rockies. I love it. Michelle