oyukjkoczk

This last month has been a wild ride.
 
I started off with the goal of working out daily and eating no more than 1200 calories a day no matter what. The first two weeks I did well and stuck to it even though the scales really didn't move much.
 
Then my grandmother passed away. Not only was I faced with lots of emotion (we were extremely close- she was my friend as well as grandma) and tons of food that wasn't the best foods for me. Being that I was away from home for 5 days in the deep country- finding better food options really weren't possible. I attempted to make the best choices of what I had, but still felt like I was going way over my 1200 allowed calories even though I wasn't counting (no access to my apps).
 
When I returned home from the services, I had a sore throat which balloned into a horrible head cold and then broncitis.
 
So 2 weeks of no excercise and not eating the best in the world, but drinking water and SF hot tea like crazy. I thought for sure that when I went in for my fill my weight would be up and they wouldn't give me a fill. Low and behold - I had the best month since month 1. I lost 8 lbs!
 
My weight is at 202, just 3 lbs from my first major goal- onederland! I did get another fill and an agressive one at that. My doctor is super excited and said for where I started most patients don't hit this point until month 6-8, so she is very happy.
 
Maybe I could increase my weight loss more by cutting out carbs and such, but what I am doing now is sustainable. I am still eating the foods I love (pizza and pasta's) just eating far less of it than I did at one point. I use to think my metabolism was really low because I didn't eat that much so it had to be screwed up for me to weight that much- well I was in denial. I was gorging at times. Food consumed my life rather than fueling it. That has changed - I eat what I like, I am just mindful about how much and how bad it is.
 
I choose to make better choices and that has made all the difference!!

Ladies…Ladies …Ladies, I can’t stress enough how important it Is or will be to have a bra fitting done and get new underwear when you have dropped a significant amount of weight. 80 percent of Women don’t wear the correct bra size and trust me it makes a big difference in how you will look and feel in your new clothes. Now that we are smaller don’t be afraid to check out your local Victoria’s Secret (they even have clearance racks for those of us on budgets lol) . My point is SAGGY UNDERGARMENTS is not a cute look on anyone.
 
Amanda Out!

“November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.
 
With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.
 
The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring.”
Clyde Watson

You can look great in no matter what you wear as long as you dress for your body shape, Having this information is the key to the key to looking great no matter what size or weight you are. The four basic bady shapes are;
 
Ruler (Rectangle/Banana Shape)
Shoulders, hips, waist are almost the same size.
Very little indentation at the waist (<10) inches
Well-proportioned upper and lower body

Hourglass
Well-proportioned upper and lower body
Shoulders and hips almost the same size
Dramatic indentation (>10) inches at the waistline

Spoon (Pear Shape)
Larger lower body and smaller upper body
Shoulders narrower than the hips
Tend to gain weight below your waist.

Cone (Apple Shape)
Bigger on the top half of their bodies than on the bottom half.
Slim hips and legs
Tend to gain waist above the waist.

This is just a general overview of the basic body types. You can take your measurements and find tons of calculators online that will not only tell you your body shape, but give you amazing tips on how to dress for your shape so that you look great everyday.
 
 
 
 
FYI I'm a (RULER) Do you know yours?
 
Amanda Out!!!

Have you ever gone into your closet and said " I have nothing to wear"? If you are a woman I'm sure you have lol. Anyway I had this great idea that I wanted to share with all of you. If you have a phone with a camera on it, take a picture of yourself everyday in a different outfit everyday try to only include your favorite ones. (The ones where you say "hey I really look great in this") before you know it you will have a outfit catalog to go to on the days you just don't know what to wear :-)
 
 
Amanda Out!!!!

I took my husband to Longhorn Steakhouse today for his birthday. I knew exactly what I was going to order (plan ahead is the best advice for eating out). I ordered a 6oz Renegade Sirloin Steak with fresh veggies and a mix salad, raspberry vinaigrette on the side. I also knew I would be taking over ½ of it home with me (part of the plan).
 
Salad comes and I have 2 or 3 bites and stopped, I wanted my steak so I wasn’t going to get full on salad. Waiter comes up and says, “Is everything alright with your salad?”
 
“Yes, everything is fine.”
 
I push my salad aside (wouldn’t let them take it away…..my chickens would never forgive me if I did).
My steak arrives; I eat about 2oz of the steak, 1 small crown of broccoli & 2 small carrot bites. I’m full.
 
The waiter comes up and says again, “Is everything alright with your steak?”
 
“Oh yes, it’s delicious.”
 
He walks away with the most confusing look on his face. Meanwhile my husband is sitting beside me trying to not laugh at this guy. I notice the smirk on my husband’s face and ask, “What?”
 
To which he replies, “You are enjoying this aren’t you?”
 
“I don’t know what you mean. I’m enjoying a nice steak here.”
 
The waiter returns and I ask for 2 to go boxes, one for our food and one for the food for my chickens (yes, I spoil them). He brings me 2 small boxes and I say “Do you have any bigger boxes; I have a lot of leftover food here?”
 
“I’m sorry, was there something wrong with the food, you didn’t eat very much?”
 
At this point my husband couldn’t hold it in anymore and started laughing. I replied, “The food was wonderful, I just can’t eat the volume you serve.”
 
“We do serve a lot of food here, but you would be surprised how many people can eat it all.”
 
He brought me the larger containers and we left, both happy with our meal.
 
Plus, my hubby gets steak and eggs for breakfast as well as a baked potato with everything on it (He ordered but didn’t touch) for lunch. To top it off my chickens were so very happy with their treat tonight!!

I read a post today that irked me, no it pissed me off. This Texas gal was ready to put her boots on and find her gun….. Hunt her some grammar and spelling police.
 
A fellow bandster said they read a thread where bandsters were criticizing the grammar and spelling of other bandster’s posts. It hurt this bandster so bad that she had steered away from LBT. REALLY…….why?????
 
Does it matter if we don’t use complete sentences or if we spell words wrong?????? Those of you who have a problem with bad grammar and spelling please comment and tell me why it’s so important to you. Cause (oh wait I should say because) I don’t get it.
 
We are all fighting a terrible disease called obesity and one of the side effects of this disease is low self-esteem. We don’t need our brothers & sisters pointing out more of our faults….. We do just fine doing that ourselves.
 
You are wondering why this bothers me….. So many times I hit that POST button and watch my written words appear on a thread and think SH** I spelt that wrong or that doesn’t make any sense hope they get my point. We are here for support in our weight loss journey. We consist of all different people, different education levels, different languages, different everything and we need support.
 
What we don’t need is the grammar and spelling police after us!

First you have to be willing to jump in anytime
 
Then take the thread completely off topic and talk about pretty nails, dragons & princesses .
 
And finally you have to kiss the pink princess’s butt.
 
Once you have been accepted by the princess you must protect the princess from all evil (especially VD).
 
Are you up for the job?
 

My Lap-band is a great tool for my weight loss journey, if only I could band my head. How many times have we thought that? I read it on threads all the time. Well, we can band our head. In fact I have a Banded Brain Tool and it’s called SUPPORT. It comes in all different shapes and sizes. My Banded Brain Tool consists of five things:

Cheerleaders – these are my family and friends who from the sidelines are cheering me on. It’s my hubby seeing me struggle and walking up to me whispering in my ear, “You are doing so incredible on this journey, I’m so proud of you.” Or my friends saying, “You look great!”


Support Group – My support group meets once a month. Seeing fellow bandster, exchanging stories and ideas gets me from month to month.


LapBandTalk – I log on every day, check in with my friends, help and support other bandsters as well as get help and support.


MyFItnessPal – Keeps me honest with my food intake and my friends offer help and ideas here too.


FitBit – My pedometer on steroids! I never though one little electronic devise would get me climbing stairs every day. It sends me emails when I earn a new badge (never forget the first day I climbed 50 flights – I was a dancing fool). I compete with my friends to see who can walk the most steps and we encourage each other one.

Between my Lap-band and Banded Brain Tool I have been able to succeed with my weight loss.

Create Curves on Top
 
Wear anything that visually adds more weight to your shoulder and bust area and brings attention to your upper body. This makes your body figure look more proportional like an Hourglass, as well as de-emphasizing your hips and thighs.
 
Details that accentuate your upper body:
 
 

Necklines stretching horizontally (boat neck, straight, etc.). Although a wrap neckline is slimming on your torso, it adds interest to your bust
Light (white, light pink, etc)
Bright & bold colors (reds, orange, electric blue, etc.)
Details such as stripes, polkadots, sequins, zippers, large collar/lapels, other eye catching embellishments
Bell and kimono sleeves
Bust-enhancing necklines such as bustier and sweetheart
A good push-up bra
Scarves, scarves, scarves

Also make sure to wear a top that fits properly on the shoulders. If your shoulder line is sloppy the outfit (and your upper body!) won't look good. Work with structured shoulders, shoulders pads and ruched sleeves - they are your pear body shape's essentials.
 
 
Tips from: http://www.thechicfa...body-shape.html
 
Amanda Out!

I don't know if any of you have had this, but I just realized I am scared to go out shopping for new clothes.
 
I had surgery in June and have lost 41 lbs, I feel good and many of my clothes are way to big, but some fit really great now. I have gotten to the point I only have 1 pair of jean that don't fall off and I need to go shopping, but I am scared. I have never had a problem going out in public or shopping before- I love to go out and about.
 
What scares me is trying on clothes. I know some of my clothes I have had to take to good will, but others still fit well. I am scared I will go pick up a pair of jeans and go try them on and they won't fit. I haven't purchased jeans in 2 years. I am scared the ones I had stretched and I will find I am not down as many sizes as I would like to be and that it will discourage me. When I had surgery I had gotten to the point that all the clothes in my closet were getting snug and I refused to go up a size. It's such a mental thing. I want some new things, but I HATE trying on clothes.
 
I know I am smaller, my husband tells me everyday that I am doing great and he is loving my new hour glass shape minus the bumps and lumps. But I still have a long ways to go. 41 lbs down, but 60 plus to go to be at goal. It's not that I am afraid I'm not going to get there, it's just that I don't want to shop yet and see myself in those 360 mirrors. I know I have to, it's getting cold and I must get some long pants that don't sag.
 
Hopefully, I will get the courage this weekend to make the trek.

My weight is still going down, it was up this weekend a bit, but I was taking a lot of cold meds and drinking liquids constantly. This morning I was back down to my 203. I know I am doing well and the weight is still trending down. Up until the last couple weeks I was an avid calorie counter and exercised 3-5 days a week. Since my Grandmother passed away on the 17th and life has been crazy with the services, family from other states visiting and then my catching a killer cold that lead to Bronchitis, I have been in a funk and totally not into counting calories and can't work out because of the bronchits (can barely breath).
 
Being like this scares me. I am afraid that if I become lax now my weight will go back up and I will lose what I have worked so hard for. Yeah, I know my Grandma wouldn't want me to do that. But, it's not just losing her it's everything that has happened in the last 2 weeks. I am exhausted all I want to do is sleep. I don't believe I am depressed (already on Paxil) I think it's just the being sick and not getting enough oxygen from clogged airways. I can't afford to miss work so I am working every day and going home to the couch. I am eating basically whatever is fast and easy to fix because I am to tired to do much else.
 
I gotta get out of this, I want don't want to fail myself or my band.

I almost feel like I have been living in an alternate reality since I began my journey in May. Once I decided I wanted to have lapband surgery I jumped in with both feet and committed myself to doing it. I got a doctors appointment, set up all the pre-op appointments, got scheduled for sugery and had it done June 22nd.
 
Since surgery I have been busy with work and home stuff and then my Grandmother passed away. I feel like time has flown by. I thought I did terrible when my Grandmother died because I ate food that I don't normally eat (fried chicken), granted I didn't eat 3 pieces like I would have at one time, I ate one and didn't eat desert because my band wouldn't allow me to over eat. I still figured I had gained a couple of pounds over that weekend. The day before I left to go up to meet with the family I was 206 that was on a Wed. I returned home on the next week and on Wed of the next week I was at 203 - WOW- I didn't gain I lost! The only thing I can figure is I was drinking water all the time, rather than snacking I was walking around with a cup of water in my hand so I drank that instead of picking at the endless amount of food.
 
I can't believe I have lost 40 lbs in 4 months. In 4 months life has changed a lot. I am eating differently, I am feeling better, I am more focused, I wear smaller clothes, I think differently- I could go on. I know with out surgery I would likely be sitting about 250-260 right now and miserable, instead I am close to Onederland and feeling good. Even though I lost a dear loved one, I am handling it better because of the band. I was down for a little me and ate some things I shouldn't have, but I got back on the wagon, started counting calories again and moving forward.
 
I feel like fat clouded my life for years- it put my mind in a haze and I am coming out now. I hope my drive and clear mind continue and I can get to my goal of losing 100 lbs or a little more I want to know what life is like on the other side- the healthy side.

I am 100% Southern Girl. Being that I was born, raised and still live in the south, certain things are a given.
 
My Grandmother passed away last Wed night at 88 years old. She was a wonderfully awesoem little lady that was not only Grandma, but one of my best friends. I spent many hours with her through the years and loved her dearly. On Thursday I went to my mother's and was there through Monday morning. Neighbors, friends, family and church family brought tons of food. Bringing food to the those who just lost a loved one is a huge part of southern culture as is the large amount of fried chicken we had. A healthy food was hard to come by.
 
My parents live in the middle of no where, so going to pick something better up wasn't really an option. So I made the best of what I had trying to make good choices. Well, I learned reheated chicken and my lapband do not mix. I had a horrible stuck episode. The pain was horrible after about 20 min I finally got it up and banded chicken from my diet for sometime to come. This took place Saturday and since I fear eating anything because anything with much consistancy causes pressure. Water and liquid goes down fine as does cereal and yogurt, but anything else causes pressure.
 
Due to the slim pickins of healthy foods I have gained 2 lbs. This is the only gain in weight I have had in the 4 months since surgery. Part of me, the depressed down part, wants to say forget it eat what I want and whatever goes down easy and the other part says jump back on the horse and get back to eating right and that 2 lbs will come off.
 
It is easier to stick to what we are suppose to do when thing are going ok, but hit a bumpy patch and it's hard to stick to it. I know that I must get back on the horse or I will gain back every one of the 40 I lost and I do not want to do that. It is just hard.
 
I am so tired and emotionally exhauseted I am having a hard time doing what I know I need to. Right now I just want to sleep. I am back at work and have done ok with eating today (soft only) and I think I will just have a scrambled egg for dinner so my calorie count is fine or even low for the day.
 
Any one have some encouragement to get me back on the horse? I need a swift kick in the butt- CG come one girl I know you got something !!