JosieK

spinning and cardio kickboxing....i'm addicted

hi actually i believe the tuesday night meetings are only for dr spivak's patients. that was a big point they made when we went to the initial seminar.

hi everyone, checking in....i've been good so far with journalling my food. i'm using sparkpeople.com. i find it a little easier then fitday. i went to my first PRIDE (parenting class) class last night. i am working on certifying to become a foster/adoptive parent. i'm still not 100 pct sure i can commit for life but i figure if i get my license, foster and then fall in love with a child...i have options. i always wanted 12 kids but it wasnt in the cards for me. the people at CPS are some of the most caring people for the children that i've ever seen. they work very hard to advocate for the kids i'm going to NY for 3 days on thursday. my mother's sister is terminally ill with the same cancer my mother had. 3 out of 8 sisters had the same cancer. anyway my brother and i are going to see her probably for the last time.....i start to think about when we were young. she was very good to us. she happens to be my godmother but she was nice to all of us. thickchick: it's funny but the face is the first place that i can see gains and losses. i guess thats good. it's weird to feel the port....i agree juli: i agree about calories creeping up. yesterday if i didnt post my food on the sparkpeople web...i would have told you i hardly ate anything....well that wasnt the case. and i had too many carbs. i just stocked up on sugar free ICEE's. they are delicious and dont taste sugar free. jmcambra: re: 5 lbs for 6 weeks. it all depends on how much you have to lose. if you have 20 lbs to lose i would say that is good. if you have 200 (i'm exaggerating)...then i wouldnt say it's good.... purplemonkey: great about your 87 lbs. you really are working the program completely and the results are showing. i love to hear stories like yours. it gives me motivation trina: i bought these Protein test tubes. they are high protein (it comes in 42 and 25 gms) no carbs; i had a similar issue last month not being able to eat and i was worried about losing my hair. great news about your clothes size going down, down, down:clap2: momlambert: i can totally relate about being good and not losing. i've seen on other threads where this happened and all of a sudden they dropped weight. so i am hoping that happens to us. it seems like alot of us marchies are in the same boat. good luck with your daughters.... ok gotta sign off now. i managed to find a bandster to give my sz 22's to. i hate just leaving them in a bin and hoping they go to good use. have a terrific tuesday!

hi tammy: thanks for the welcome back. i was keeping up with everyone by reading posts but i wasnt posting. i dont know why? but maybe posting and getting to know everyone....you sort of have to commit. and/or you have a responsibility to the group. i think i'm past those issues..... i'm not sure how old you are but i have the cutest trainer. he lives in houston. he's 28....and a really good guy. he's really good too..he trains some professional football players here... if you are ever here in houston ...he's single....i can introduce you ha! juli, can i tell you...the NSV's really mean more...even tho' we tend to focus on the scale. the airplane seat and the movie seat victories are HUGE! it's so nice to not have to worry about our butts spilling over. the USA airlines are usually discreet about extensions. one time i was on a plane in india and the flight attendant shouted from the front asking if i needed one. needless to say...i wanted to open the door and throw her out. ot better yet...ask her for 2 extensions so i could strangle her with one ha! also your daughter probably liked being "babysat" . i remember when i was a kid i always felt it was special. i'm going to use my clothing size as my indicator.....i'm trying to anyway..lets see how i do staying off the scale. i was in a rehab for eating disorder at one time and they wouldnt let me see the scale. i had to face backwards...it was such a mood changer for me. anyway...i just spent a few hours weeding. (i hate gardening) this is my day off from exercise but i feel i got a little in with this. for july....i'm commiting to 5 days of exercise per week. right now i'm doing 6 but need a little wiggle room anyway have a splendid sunday!

hi dj, when i was researching someone suggested i look up the various doctor's names in the search mode on this site and it helped alot. there are reams of info on here as was suggested below...you may want to go to other seminars to compare doctors. 1 correction in regards to "most experienced"...spivak was the only doctor in texas in the FDA trials before it was an approved surgery in the USA. so he taught many of the doctors doing the surgery today in texas including spiegel. also it's not a matter if you want to be "overmanaged". if you get into trouble after the surgery.....the lapband doctor must be involved or it could mess up your system. i did encounter a problem -asperation pneumonia (i caused it by eating too fast, too big bites) and thank god i had great support to solve the problem anyway....there's lot of info on the website that can help in your search good luck

whats seroquel?

hi monica, i just threw my scale away. it was starting to become a GOD again to me. i want to get rid of this "diet mentality" that made me 100 lbs overweight. i used to obsess about working out would make me gain 2 lbs. (which isnt true in the long term) but i didnt worry about the chocolate cake i had just eaten (pre-banding) so after reading posts by many successful bandsters....i've decided to try to follow them. for one...i totally beefed up my exercise. i actually went to a "boot camp" 2 weeks ago to really push my limits. i am exercising 6 days a week (4 cardio; 2 trainer-weights) i am feeling so much better mentally and also i feel tighter. another reason to exercise early on...i want to try to avoid plastic surgery. i may or may not be able to but i want to give it my best shot by weight training. so....after reading all of the posts on your thread....i think you may have a good idea on the answer. i had a trainer once that used to say....it's easier to keep up exercise once you get in a pattern...then it is to get started and thats pretty true for me as well. joanne

hi juli, i liked your post in "marchies in june" about really focusing to get off these plateaus. i've been working my butt off at the gym for the past 2 weeks and the scale hasnt moved. i decided to get the scale out of my house (my sister-in-law is holding it for me) and focus more on my food intake. it's been sloppy of late. so i'm going to start journaling. i also havent posted in awhile but keep up reading posts. i am going to start posting again....it really helps to "commit" (i hate commitments ha!) thanks for starting the july thread. joanne

hi peggy, my first 3 days were tough. espceially the first one. i had a bad reaction to the pain meds. the key to releasing gas is to walk, walk, walk. also drink alot of Water. i didnt feel hungry for the first few weeks. but i was very emotional in the beginning. i cried alot. i was embarrassed that i had to have surgery to lose weight. alot of this was due to the after effects of anesthesia. eventually i didnt feel this way. and like Mr Downtown said...once the LBS come off.....you will forget these first few days. you will be fine

hey, i wanted to say hi! i just moved away from brooklyn (bay ridge) in october....i now live in texas. there's no place like brooklyn....i like texas but bklyn will always be home. i investigated lapband in 2002 with christine ren (she is top notch). but i guess i wasnt ready yet. so i just had the surgery this past march. my doctor down here was in the FDA trials with dr ren. so far so good....i wish i did it earlier..... anyway i just wanted to say hello and i will check back joanne

hi mcgreen, he did mine on a thursday. he told me all you have to do is ask for him. (they wont volunteer) he said he likes doing it. so i'm only going to him because i read another story where the new person was not great at doing it i'm a baby with needles

hi dj, i cant say enough good things about dr spivak and his staff. they are wonderful and very knowledgable. in my opinion the aftercare is as important as the surgery itself and spivak has a comprehensive program. i went to his seminar and had surgery 2 days later (i was self pay) good luck in your search

wasabubblebutt: what's NSAID?

hi wasabubble: yes i want to give to a banded person...thats why i posted here... metalband: i would jump up and down for sz 16. i just bought a pair of calvin kleins in that is my incentive.... o2bthin: i could do that. conniesue: yes he does. the clothing exchange is in 1 month but i will be away...so rather then wait for the following one i thought i'd try this.... i did have 1 person contact me so i will see if that can work out thks for the suggestions!

hi everyone i just cleaned out my closet i have alot of size 22 pants and jeans. does anyone have any suggestions how to give to other lapbanders? the only issue i dont want to ship them.....i'd rather just give locally. i thought i'd try here first. or else i will just give to the church. thanks ahead of time

hi everyone, i just want to share about one of the best vacations i've ever had. i wanted to jumpstart my exercise program/weightloss. i looked into an "ashram" but that was too hard core for me at this stage i went to a place called "Amansala" in tulum, Mexico (you fly into cancun). it is a program called "Bikini Bootcamp". at first the name intimidated me.....as i will probably never wear a bikini again. but it is anything but initimidating it is a rustic camp that holds up to 17 campers. the small amount of people allows it to help people develop really nice relationships within the 6 day program. the day starts with a morning walk on one of the prettiest beaches i've ever been on. meals are soooo healthy and delicious. they are prepared naturally and are fresh. the day is packed with classes, excursions, or if you want...free time to lounge on the beach. excursions include biking to the ruins, snorkeling in a cenote, shopping. it is hard to put into words how i feel today vs last saturday when i left stressed. i havent weighed myself....but i am getting ready to meet my trainer. this program gave me the push to get my exercise prorgam in gear. the website is: food, drink and laziness. yesterday i felt great and my skin is clear from not eating junk.

hi kitty, your question is a very VALID question. it doesnt mean you arent ready for the band....we all have thoughts like this... something "wasabubblebutt" said in her inital reply has been very true for me. with the band....many foods i never thought i could give up...i've lost total interest in . i never thought this would happen. the day before i was banded i went around target saying goodbye to my "peeps" "twizzlers" etc. i dont really think about them. what i've found....before the band....my eating was not only emotional (which i always blamed myself for it). there was actual physical hunger way beyond other people i know. the band has helped to control that. the only thing i'm sorry about with the band is that i didnt do it earlier... good luck joanne

hi, it's funny before i was banded and in the investigation phase (and didnt know j#@k-s*&t) it scared me when i saw people banded for over a year with high amount of weight to lose and they werent getting anywhere. i noticed this group didnt mention exercise, they ate at taco bell regularly and like chickie said...they talked about getting more restriction . then i saw another group....they were getting to goal in a nice way. they talked about exercising regularly during the week (many did extraordinary things like get up at 5:00am to fit it in). they talked about their food plans as suggested by their doctors, etc. i decided early on i wanted to be in this group. about 8 weeks after being banded i started falling into the 1st group. i started to get depressed, etc. it scared the you-know-what out of me. so i made an appt with my trainer (who i cut off) and started spin classes. i have more energy, i'm feeling more in control, etc. right now i do 2-3mile walks, 2 spin classes and 2 weight training per week. i want to bring this up to 3spin and 3 weight training (i'm trying to avoid plastic surgery-this is what i'm using to motivate me here). i'm actually going on a boot camp vacation this saturday for 1 week. i'm in a 12 step program and there's a motto that says.."stick with the winners" and the exercisers are definitely in that group in my book. anyway....now i have to run to the gym ha!!!

hi tx kimmie i just had my first fill yesterday. dr spivak actually thought i didnt need it (he was probably right) so we agreed upon a small fill. i started to get hungry and gained 4 lbs. which is why i wanted it. i couldnt eat for about 8 wks after surgery. i just started eating over memorial day. i still cant eat meat. so i'm a little tighter but not as bad as when i first had surgery. i caused my earlier problems by not eating slowly or small bites i also started to increase exercise......

good luck anni.....let us know when you get your date

hi ginger, there are these test tubes called: whey Liquid Protein-42 they have 42 gms of Protein. there is also ones with 25 gms of protein they come in grape, fruit punch, orange, blue raspberry i buy them on a website called A1supplements.com they have low calories and low carbs. i put them in a glass of ice and pretty much this fills alot of my protein requirements without the calories. hope this helps

hi sky, not sure where you live but i belong to lifetime fitness in texas. the club itself is beautiful. they keep it really clean. in texas...the quality of the staff is mediocre. i just moved from NY where the staff members at my club up there (equinox) were the ultimate professionals. this could be just my club ...i'm not sure. but i have written to the corporate office without any reply. if you dont need any service....this is the club for you. the equipment is great. it's hit or miss on the classes. we happen to have a few really good teachers. location....for me...location is key. it needs to be accessible. how far away is the club? it's funny this question is all relative. in NYC if something is more then 3 blocks away...it's too far. here in texas if it's within 10 miles...."it's just down the road a piece" ha!! overall i'm staying with the club as there are more positives then negatives. good luck.

hi i just saw info on a weight loss surgery conference in austin on june 23rd. has anyone attended one of these? are they worth it? thanks

hey laura, maybe you should give your future in-laws the wrong date...the old date... ha! actually i was just in vegas and i think a vegas wedding could be cool... good luck

hi sleepyjean, you are totally NOT being selfish......but your sister is... there are 2 possible ways to handle in my mind: 1. be totally upfront: say "hey sis...we havent seen or spoken to each other in 5 yrs....so while i'm happy you are coming to california....i think it is best if you sleep at a hotel and we can play in the day" or 2. "hey sis....while i would love for your and your tribe to stay with me....my apartment is way too small for all of us. i've found a few hotels that are reasonably priced"...and then give her the list stand strong.... when i lived in a 1 bedroom in NYC...i would get stressed and hate being backed into a corner....makes me an animal... the week would go much better if you stand your ground. she is overstepping hers by asking you when you already told her to stay at a hotel good luck and let us know how you make out