flrosie

REO Speedwagon has some good lyrics in this song.....KEEP PUSHIN!

I found my speed tends to match the beat of the music I'm hearing. It has made me replace my Josh Groban & bread for CCR, CSN&Y, and Steppenwolf!

We have friends in the last ten days and I haven't had a bike ride in the last 5....I miss it. We have, however, spent a considerable amount of time fishing this week (in the Gulf of Mexico) and have landed some pretty awesome red grouper. 21 keepers this week and probably 100 undersized we threw back. I'm feeling a little like Bubba Gump - we have fried grouper, grouper oscar, broiled grouper, blackened grouper, grouper fingers, grouper tacos. . . . . I am NOT complaining!!!!

Sunday starts our new week and new goal. We are all so excited about doing 38 miles in January that it keeps us motivated to go every day. Well, almost. Yesterday afternoon we had one of those infamous Florida thunderstorms, leaving everything wet, hot, and steamy. 7 pm came - our Sunday riding time - and half of us were ready to chuck the whole deal! Nine miles was the goal. I clocked home at 9.98 miles in 56 minutes. If I had looked down at my program before I clicked "STOP" I would have dozied around my driveway for the extra 0.02 miles!!! Damn! But, we surpassed our 9 mile goal, still did 30 minutes of strength training in the gym en route, and did it in the worst heat and humidity of the week. We are warriors!!!

STOP THAT! No matter who you are, there is always someone better.

Thanks for the encouragement. I hadn't meant to sound like I was belittling our accomplishments, though I can see how it looks that way. Neither was I boasting about our workout schedule - just reporting. I have to remember I am among like-minded people when I post here and not subject to the scrutiny of ignorant people who don't understand the struggles of a fat girl and the joy in becoming "normal." Lesson learned! :wub:

Wow, I'm thrilled to see this thread!! One of my NSV goals is to ride the Pinellas Trail in St Pete, FL - 38.2 miles. I've never been an avid biker but I enjoy it immensely. A couple of friends have hitched their star on my wagon and we started training just after Mother's Day, riding 5 miles/day, adding a mile each week. Doesn't sound like much when I see all the stats above but for us - none of us in great shape - it's a thrill. We'll be at 34 miles by the second week of January, then we'll hit the P-trail. Three days of the week we bike our miles, swim 45 minutes, then do aquarobics for an hour, all before 11 am. The other days, we hit the gym for strength training. I don't ever see a day when I will love doing the gym thing but training for this ride with my friends has made it a lot of fun.

I use AllSportsGPS for tracking my rides/progress and Pandora is a MUST for the ride! I finally figured out how to make my smart phone do both at the same time!

My doc said six weeks, also. Walking every day from the beginning, but no strenuous exercise for six weeks. MyFitnessPal is a great program for tracking food intake and exercise but I know there are others out there that people like as well. It has been said over and over again and I agree: writing down every morsel you eat every day is the best food management tool you can use. Not only does it make you accountable, I believe it lessens the guilt from having so-called "forbidden" foods. No food item is verboten; quantity is key.

I'm under the impression that not being honest about lap band surgery just helps propagate the misconceptions that it's vanity surgery or an easy option.

People aren't going to appreciate how hard and necessary WLS is for some people until we stop pretending all anyone has to do is diet and exercise to lose weight. If we get WLS and then claim "all" we did was change how we ate and exercise we're just making it harder for the next person who really needs WLS.

No social change ever occurred because people kept the need for change a secret.

You make such a good point! However, not everyone can be a spokesperson, a visible champion. Reading all the different responses to this thread, most come around to the idea that it really isn't anyone else's business so it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks about our decision to have WLS. We choose to live with others' ignorance of how hard this path really is because there is no way to explain the agonies that brought us to this point or the elation we feel at having found the tool that makes our new life possible. How long we each get to that point is as personal as our reason for having WLS in the first place.

Thank you for the encouraging words!

As I said, I'll stick with it for at least 3 more weeks - I don't want to write it off just because my body isn't responding as well as all yours do, and because I have no idea where would I go next...

It's taking a toll on me, this last 25 lbs... Especially the 15 lbs I gained since my lowest last June.

But I'm not willing to say "this is it, that's the weight I stuck for the rest of my life"! I believe that we must be able to determine how much we need to weight - within reasonable limits; and that trying to get under 170lbs (around 160 is my final goal) is NOT unreasonable for a healthy, 5'9" woman in her late 30s...

I'm stuck at 185 lbs for ever, regardless of what I'm eating: this included a very "unrestricted" Christmas, a two week foodie holiday in Mauritius, existing on 600 calories a day for two weeks (desperate times...), eating with all the band rules observed religiously for weeks, and now a week of carb cycling... I'm firmly stuck on 185... I've even changed the batteries in my scale because I couldn't believe that NOTHING makes an impact.

So I'm thinking: what's next? This MUST work or I'm out of ideas.

(BTW: my fill level is perfect for me: it makes me aware of my portion sizes, and although I sometimes get hungry quicker, any more fill would trigger my reflux problem (this is how the whole thing started last June: partial unfill due to awful night refluxes).)

Onwards onto cheat day!

Sent from my KFTT using LapBandTalk

Kris, have you had your hormone levels tested? Being in your late 30's would SEEM to be too early but it is possible a hormone imbalance is preventing continued weight loss. Just a suggestion but I speak from experience. Might be worth the needle-prick to see your levels and make adjustments as needed.

Good luck!

Probably not a great thing to eat chili (pureed' date=' but chili nonetheless) 3 days after my first fill. I never had gas pains post-op, and now I understand what everyone was talking about. [/quote']

I am sorry you've learned about gas pains. As you know, I was just miserable with them post surgery. Since my first fill I continue to eat a variety of Beans -retried, kidney, cannelloni, whatever- lots of Protein and a great addition for the Fiber. I hope I don't experience what others are describing after my next fill.

Watching someone play golf is like watching someone fish... not any fun unless you do it too.

Hence the reason I let HIM go golfing and I go fishing!!!! LOL

I did go to Golf course for the first time and loved it. I only made it the first nine holes and hit a bucket of balls but it was a good workout. Anybody that thinks golf is just walking is wrong.

Please don't tell my husband! He golfs regularly and wishes I would join him. I just don't have an interest and this would give him the ammunition he needs. . . .

I'm in Tampa and was banded by Dr. Jesse in St. Pete at Palms of Pasadena. I'd love to change doctors and have one in Tampa that is closer. Recommendations???

I don't know of any Tampa doctors. I was at Palms of Pasadena, too. Great hospital, really loved it. My surgeon, Dr. Rehnke, not so much. I don't DISlike him, I just don't feel very warm and fuzzy about him. I was spoiled by the primary care doc I had for 20 years before I moved. Now I can't find anyone who measures up.

When I had my psych eval and the Doc asked me if I used any recreational drugs I said, "Yes, about once a month, if that." She said, "I appreciate your honesty but I'm not going to put that in my report. I consider once a month use to be medicinal, not recreational. And I'm telling you this so you don't mention it to anyone else." I had to laugh at that! I was glad to be honest and happier that I was rewarded for it!

Rosie - good to see you! I haven't seen any posts from you in awhile

It's the time of year in Florida when we get a lot of company. Spring breaks up north drive them down here. Others just come down because they are sick of the cold! Also, I just finished finals from one semester, had a quick week of time off, and now back into another semester. So my time has not been my own as of late. I pop in once in a while but don't have time to keep up with the conversations. Think of everyone here often during the day - like between meals when I'm struggling with hunger pangs and I imagine the encouragement each of you would give me or when I accomplish a NSV.

I have a friend with the same problem. She doesn't seem to realize the impact the munchies have on her daily food goals (wonder why!). Everything in moderation in life.

In Florida, if you want to exercise outside you have to be flexible (and I'm not referring to limber limbs!) I have been riding my bike a lot lately. A couple of friends and I are training to ride the Pinellas Trail in January - all 37 miles of it! We have started at 5 mile a day and will increase one mile each week. That will put us to the date we wanted to shoot for - mid-January - riding 34 miles. We have found the 7 pm hour is usually pretty nice for riding in May. By July we'll have to switch to early mornings when it isn't so hot. We have a gym in our community, albeit a very small on, and we have started going on off-cycle days. Need to train the upper body as well.

I was banded yesterday morning at Blake Medical Center. I work there so it was the only option I had, My insurance covered the hospital 100% It was a great experience. My stomach feels like I was doing pushups all night, but other than that I am doing well. Just lying around and reading

How are you doing now?

Oh man! You mean she wasn't interested in just me???? LOL. I knew as soon as I began reading it this was another of those scam emails. Her grammar gave her away.

I am waiting now to receive my first fill ... Little nervous

HOw'd you do? Easy, right? Thinking about you!

Just back from my first fill. Piece of cake....ehm, that may not be the best example here, huh? NO pain, a LITTLE pressure, but quick and easy.

Now, let the games begin. . . .

Yes but under sedation rather than full anesthesia. They go into the large port incision and literally pull at the tubing until it unkinks itself. Blech....trying to keep positive. I know these things can happen......they just seem to happen to me.

Sorry, they would have to knock my ass OUT for that!!!

The other day I had the strangest sensation. I don't know if I had gas rumbling around in my stomach or what but it was reminiscent of when I was pregnant and the baby was kicking inside my stomach. I could feel the port moving around a bit. VERY uncomfortable. I can feel that port right under my skin and at times it protrudes a little, too. I go for my first fill tomorrow and am hoping it's all normal. Scary, all these new things....

That's good math and good advice. I searched for 'how many calories to maintain weight.' I found a million sites, I went to the first ten:

Site 1: Fit Magazine, 2294

Site 2: Calorie Control, 2171

Site 3: WebMD, 1600

Site 4: Free Dieting, 1914

Site 5: Cancer.org, 1500

Site 6: Calorie King, 1850

Site 7: Walking.com, 2150

Site 8: Fat Burning Furnace Reviews, 1911

Site 9: WL for Women >40, 1992

Site 10: mayo Clinic, 1650

So the range is 2294 - 1500 calories each day. That's the difference of a meal a day. Mind you, I used 'sedentary' as the lifestyle, assuming I would not get much exercise in each day. More logical to assume none than to estimate (over-estimate?) a level of activity.

So using the formula for losing 1 lb = a 3500 calorie deficit each week (I just LOVE math word problems, can you tell?), the range for me would be:

(2294 x 7) - 3500 / 7 = 1794 to (1500 x 7) - 3500 / 7 = 1000

Wow, talk about an inexact science. That's enough to drive me right to the cookie jar! I think I lost a pound just working my brain that hard!

You need a good relationship with your surgeon as much as you need a medically superior one.

I absolutely adore my surgeon, Dr. Bhesania. Not only is he an extremely gifted surgeon but he is a wonderful man. He talks with me and makes me feel like an important person not just another patient. His compassion and support have been just as crucial to my success as his skill as a surgeon.

You need both in a bariatric surgeon- a brain and a heart.

I so agree! I do not particularly care for my surgeon. He is not warm and fuzzy, seems to not understand sarcasm or satire, and I always feel he's rushed to get out of my room and into the next so he can squeeze in as many patients as possible that day. I looked for others in my area but didn't find but a few - and after meeting with them, all they wanted to recommend was a sleeve. I felt stuck with this guy but resolved that I could do this without the kind of support I thought would be available from my surgeon and his office.

Then I found lapbandtalk.com. All of YOU have been what I needed to get through the ordeal of waiting, healing, and losing. Yes, you need a qualified surgeon. Find the support where you can (and where it doesn't cost you by the hour - )

My Dr. uses some "freezy spray" to numb the area before injection, so no pain.

I like that!

I, too, had my surgery on 3/19, with nothing in the band at placement. My first fill is 4/29 (and I'm nervous about it). I am able to eat anything I want but I am not able to eat the volume of food my brain will try to tell me is okay. I eat the Protein first, always, then take a nibble or two of whatever else is there. I have found that I am extremely picky about what I put on my plate. Since I know I'm only going to be eating a little of anything, whatever it is had better be something I am really going to enjoy. I get to savor every bite. Last night, for instance, my husband made chicken livers and grilled onions with rice. He doesn't make rice properly so that wasn't too hard to pass up , but the livers and onions were DIVINE!!!! I had room for 2 1/2 chicken livers and a few forks of onions and I was DONE. And felt very satisfied, too, both volume-wise and taste-wise. I am just so impressed with how this is all working. Already I know it is the best thing I have ever done for myself.