DivaStyleCoach

Mornin' Bandsters! Still can't kick my addiction to Biggest Loser - even when I say I'm not going to watch, I do... Really enthused with Dan's progress, and like most of you, mad as he** at his "partner" and friend. WTF??? Hoping that the Silver team gets their act together - I just can't take another screw-up by that pair. Joelle seriously needs therapy - whoever said that, I agree 100% - and I hope Carla coming back is the kick in the a** that she needs. She'll be able to say things to Joelle that Bob can't... Watching the show has made me and my family behave better - in fact, we decided to skip the usual thousands of calories in honey BBQ wings that we would eat during the Super Bowl and to make the Rosemary chicken dish that they made on the show. It looked good, we can make different sauces to dip them in, and it'll be a WHOLE lot less calories than the crap we USED to eat. I've got my favorites this time as well - and I agree that Felipe will be a hottie when he's done. Gotta love Polynesian / Samoan men - they are generally just gorgeous! Off to work - gotta keep my bills paid!

PJTP that it's cold here in CT - no not cold like where Ceradad lives, but then, I couldn't take that! I lived in Detroit most of my life, and it gets cold there, but not THAT cold. CT is a walk in the park next to that! Got my first fill - doing well. Down the nearly 5 pounds I gained when feeding my face was all I could think about and now I'm back under 240 and very happy. Missed y'all - had 7 pages to read through when I checked in today! Have a terrific night all - and for those of us in the snow: keep it safe and on the road!

Whazzup y'all! Watched TBL like the rest of ya - was wishing and hoping that Joelle would go home (silver team). What a lazy butt! I laughed so hard when Bob lost it, and then said he was "possessed by Jillian" at the weigh-in. She deserved every word of it! So sorry to see Jerry go home - but proud of his results so far...he and his wife are looking MUCH better. Unfortunately, I didn't see the piece about orange's roommate - WTF? Yes, housing prices in Detroit are just that bad! I grew up there and know some of the neighborhoods well. My mom told me she and my father spent just under $7k for the house I grew up in: 4 bedrooms, full attic and basement, front parlor, good sized kitchen, foyer, living room. When we sold the house to my nephew over 20 years later when I married and moved to CT, she sold it to him for the same exact price. Family love, yes, but the assessed value of the house wasn't much higher - even AFTER we added two additional lots to the property when other homes were torn down. It's a big mess, but an investor's market. I know of people who have bought several houses for dirt cheap prices, done the cosmetic fixes (paint, wallpaper, updated floors) and turned them over for modest profits. Not huge profits, but definately enough to keep them doing it. Here's hoping for NO DRAMA this season - I had enough last season, as most of you have. On a personal note, I'm doing well after my first fill. Good restriction, and the scale is moving in a positive direction. Now if only I could get back into my workouts, I'd be very happy! I'm still walking, but my gym time has been severely impacted by the busy season at work...

Gotta admit that I LOVE TBL. I even named my band 'Jillian' because I love her psycho approach so much. Loved the new show intro - and love the positive attitudes I see so far. My heart stopped with the gentleman on the White team collapsed. I was crying at some of their stories and why they are on the show. I can say this - I wanted to KICK half of the grey team off - and I think you can all guess who I am talking about. Single digit weight loss? WTF? I know if I were working out with either Bob or Jillian for a week, for multiple hours a day, and eating nothing but good food, I'd lose double digits the first week... I was so shocked at the contestant who had WLS - I felt bad for him...but then, it could be said that he brought his situation on himself...he must be eating nothing but 'sliders'...my goodness! Addicted immediately and will watch every single week...they inspire me to do better. I don't know how I'd be able to function with 200 more pounds that I have on me right now, like some of these folks are doing. I wish them nothing but the best and hope that the kicked off players can come back in better shape than when they left. They shouldn't just depend on their teammate to get them back on and help them be healthy - they should work their butts off while at home!

PJTP...I'm sitting in my office, wishing I were at home with my DD and my dog (school cancelled today). I had to come to work in a sleet / ice / rain storm because today is an application deadline for our MBA program... I had my first fill yesterday...noticing a little more restriction, but still not as much as I'd like. Though - I must say that reading on the forum lets me know that it might be a few days before I feel "optimum" restriction. I do notice I'm not as hungry as before the fill. On mushies for the next two days (all liquid yesterday) and feeling okay. Wish the weight would come off faster, but I have to remember that I'm just a short ways past my post-op healing period. The real work began today to control not only my head hunger, but to get in my workouts and eat better. I did start measuring my portions more accurately, and I believe that will help. Sometimes I hate winter...I want to go someplace where snow is but a distant, beautiful memory!

Mornin' Notorious Novembers! Just got back from my first fill appointment. Dr. Duffy is wonderful - very no nonsense, but still easy to talk to. I forgot to ask how much he put in, but he did tell me I have a "size 10" band, which I'm guessing is a 10cc capacity. He said they designate by the length of the band and not the volume capacity, so that might not be right. Anyway, I was thrilled to learn that I've actually lost 2 pounds over the holidays according to their office scale. I'm happy about that, but even happier that I've gotten a fill. He did not numb the area around the port, but I only felt a needle stick (pricking sort of pain) so it wasn't bad. After he put the fluid in, he told me about the low-profile port and said I might want one after I lose some weight - I can feel my port very clearly, and he initially thought it might have twisted, but turned out it was okay. I didn't feel the fluid go in, I was still concentrating on breathing through the needle stick. Now that I'm back in my office I do think I feel something, but I'm not really sure what. He was happy about the 2 lb loss, but said that meant my loss had essentially stalled, so he encouraged me to keep up my gym workouts. I'm on one day of liquids, then mushies for a couple of days, then easing back to solids over the next few days. I'm planning to follow the 5-Day pouch test eating plan to ensure I don't overdo it. I'm really going to concentrate on how I'm feeling so that I don't over eat and so that I get to know what feeling 'full' feels like. I'm not really good at that (which is why I needed the band!). I named my band "Jillian" - guess it's time to do what Jillian says and watch my eating!:wub:

Bandfan1 - they are on the first Wednesday of each month, at the offices - 60 Temple Street. There's a lower level auditorium where we meet - it starts at 6 pm. The facilitator's name is Lisa Fall - she was "Patient Zero" as we have nicknamed her. She's knowledgable and a nice person - though sometimes she's a bit 'behind the times' since she was banded a while back and so much has changed since then. She's had awesome results and is in the process of planning her plastic surgery. The meetings are very participatory - not much 'lecturing' and the nutritionist and the surgeons come out to the meetings as well. I'm looking forward to this month, and to getting my fill tomorrow morning!:wink_smile:

Holy freaking cow, people!:wink_smile: I'm gone for a few days over the holiday and I come back and have to read sooooo many posts! I missed y'all! Doing okay - the holidays got me a bit - gained a few pounds, but I'm scheduled for my first fill tomorrow, so I'm hoping for big things. NSV's - smaller jeans, swing dancing with hubby and no I'm-so-out-of-breath-I'm-going-to-die feeling, and hit a couple of personal bests at the gym during my time off. Back to work after a 10-day holiday recess (bless my employer) and having a tough time concentrating... Nice to see everyone - Happy New Year!:thumbup:

Good morning (nearly afternoon) Everyone! Y'all have definately inspired me...I'm going to incorporate the 5 day pouch test into my fill appt tomorrow. I will do liquids tomorrow (fill is at 10:30) and follow the rest of the test plan for the days after the fill. I haven't had a fill yet, but I definately ate TOO MUCH over the holidays!I think I've gained 3 - 5 pounds, and I'm definately NOT happy about it. Thanks for posting all your stories and encouragement - I know that whenever I hit a plateau (yep, I know, I'm a newbie so I shouldn't be too hard on myself right now) I'll have LBT'ers to help me get back on track. Keep up the good work, folks!:wink_smile:

Good morning Notorious Novembers and soon-to-be banded folks! Have my first fill appt tomorrow morning (can't wait!) and I'm glad because I don't feel any restriction right now. I've rebounded a few pounds because of the holidays and eating solid food, so I'm looking forward to losing again. Have had some NSV's - smaller clothes, more energy, etc. Went swing dancing with my hubby on Friday night and was able to keep up most of the night. We don't do the really fast or athletic moves, but had a great time anyway...looking forward to taking classes this year so next January we can really show off! Love my band, who I've named "Jillian" after my favorite psycho trainer on "Biggest Loser". Will report in tomorrow after my fill - hoping for great restriction! Was off work from Dec 23 through Jan 5 because of the holiday shutdown - went to the gym 6 times and worked out during the time period (more than I would have before my band). Feeling very good about my activity level - just want the scale to move!:wink_smile:

Happy New Year to all CT Lapbanders! Bandfan1 - I was banded by Dr. Duffy, who is a colleague of Dr. Roberts...small world! Do you attend the support group meetings in New Haven on the first Wednesday of the month? If so - hope to see you there!:wink_smile: Not too bad over the holidays - I think I've picked up a few pounds, but a lot less than I would have without my band, "Jillian". Lots of NSV's - smaller clothes, more stamina and strength, and even went swing dancing with my hubby on Friday and didn't huff and puff at the end of the night! We took it easy, but still - I'm thrilled with the difference the few pounds I've lost are making, and I can't wait to lose the rest. First fill appt scheduled for tomorrow morning - will check in afterwards.:thumbup:

BBK - You look totally AWESOME as always! You do such a nice job with the photos - and I know some will give credit to the photographer, but he can't make you look THAT GORGEOUS without great material to work with. You go girl - you are totally my inspiration!:wink_smile:

Good morning and Happy New Year, My Sistas!:wink_smile: Not the easiest Christmas season I've ever had, but...I didn't gain my usual 10 pounds over the holiday. I think I'm up a few (perhaps 3) but will know for sure when I go to the doc for my first fill tomorrow morning. Did get in quite a few workouts - I was off work from Dec 23 through Jan 5th, so I went to the gym 6 times. My daughter came along as well, and I know now why I love the gym. I feel so much stronger and healthier when I go! Went dancing for First Friday in January (terrific swing band at a local theatre) and for the first time in a long time, my knees didn't hurt even after wearing higher-than-recommended heels and dancing!:thumbup: Gotta love the band...will check in after my fill tomorrow to let everyone know how it went.

Merry Christmas Sistas!:sad: Just came on to post that I have had a great holiday so far. I've been walking, and went to the gym Christmas Eve. Had a bit too much to eat after Christmas Eve service at church (no pain, just a little too full for comfort) and I'm back on the "stick" today. My hubby has to go to the gym tonight to do some maintenance on a couple of the exercise machines, so I'm going to go with him and sneak in a workout. Not losing much on the scale, but the clothes are fitting nicely. I put on a dress last night that I couldn't get into before I was banded, so I'm thrilled! Gave away the last strawberry swirl cheesecake I made, so there's none of that left in the house to tempt me.:tt2: Have a wonderful holiday, and don't hurt yaself with all that holiday food!:thumbup:

Checking in before the holidays... Have been walking every day, but the holiday rush and end of the year processing at work has kept me out of the gym except for last week when I made it 3 days! I'm not too upset...the scale hasn't moved much, but I'm close to dropping another clothing size. My size 20's are falling off of me, the 18's are getting loose, and I'm looking hard at a 16 before the new year!:thumbup: I have a nice long vacation from work - we shut down the office from Dec 23rd through Jan 2nd, and I'm planning to be in the gym every day except Sunday. If they are closed on the holidays, I'll do something else, but I am a woman on a mission: I want to fit into a size 16 before I go back to work in January. I'd love to lose it off my tummy - it's my 'trouble spot' right now. My boobs are a little smaller - but when you start at a 42JJ (K), you can stand to drop down to an H cup!:cool2: Hope all my sistas have a very merry and blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy and fabulous New Year!:eek:

Happy Pre-Holiday, Warriors! Keeping up with my walking, but not much else. Did have "fun" shoveling snow over the weekend, but not much else going on. scale is kinda stuck, but clothes are getting looser so I'm semi-happy. :thumbup: Looking forward to a loooong vacation from work - from Christmas Eve (tomorrow) through Jan 4th (Sunday after New Year's). I don't have to go back to work until Jan 5th, so I'm planning a mini-challenge for myself. I plan to work out EVERY day, with only Sundays off. :thumbup: Yep, I plan to be at the gym on Christmas Day and New Year's Day if they are open, if not, I'll do something at home. Goal? I want to finish migrating from a size 18 to a size 16 before I come back to work in 2009. My size 20's are falling off and the 18's are getting loose, so I think I can make it. :eek: Concentration areas? Mostly upper body and abs. I'm okay with my legs for now (nothing some squats couldn't fix) and my abs are really my WORST bodypart right now. :cool2: I also am noticing a little loss of size and fullness with the "girls" so I need to pump up my pecs to keep them up high and perky (or as perky as a 40J can be). :wink2: Looking forward to a new year and starting a January exercise challenge. Many kudos to all of you dedicated exercisers that give me inspiration and challenge me to keep on going. :tt2::wub::smile: Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year to all!:w00t:

PJTP that it's MY last day of work until January 5th! WooHoo!:w00t::w00t::tt2::wink2::smile::w00t: Adventures in train commuting this morning: train sitting in station, announcement comes that we are changing tracks. Train backs up nearly to previous station, then pulls forward again to pick up (one) person and a cute little purse dog. :huh2: Off we go...get to station #3 of 5 on the trip, announcement comes that we're having engine trouble and the engineer will try to fix it. Train goes back and forth, back and forth while conductor announces - "Please do not try to leave the train"...DOH! :thumbup: Going again, cheers for the engineer who walks through and bows (too funny). We pull into my station and announcement comes "All the doors except for two are frozen shut - we couldn't get them open even with crowbars - please exit as directed by a member of the train crew"...Hilarity ensues with lots of jokes and laughing among the passengers and the train crew. :wink2: Off the train, looking for my shuttle to the office...no shuttle. Second shuttle driver (different route) lets us sit on his bus until ours arrives so we won't 'freeze our buns off'. :eek: Regular shuttle driver arrives and joins us, we all laugh, then depart. Gave the friendly security guard in my building a Dunkin' Donuts card for holidays - she always has a smile for everyone and a GREAT attitude, so I think she deserves to be rewarded. I get a monster hug before 9 am and all is well. :cool2: Didn't lose anything on the scale this week, but all my clothes are getting loose and I'm about to drop another pants size...HOORAY!!!! :thumbup: Have a wonderful holiday everyone, just in case I don't check in for a few days...but then I must, 'cause otherwise y'all will have posted 20 pages by the time I get back!

PJTP that I'm jealous of those who can indulge in an occasional glass of wine... As a type II diabetic, my medication prevents me from EVER indulging. Even when I could, I was not a big wine drinker, but knowing I can't EVER have a glass of anything alcoholic is occasionally a super-bummer. Especially during the holidays when everyone seems to have a glass in their hands. I can do sparkling cider, but only in moderation because the sugar content is so high...:biggrin: *deep sad sigh* Somebody have a glass of something for me, please...but not too much - I don't want ya to get into any trouble! :scared2:

PJTP...WOW! I'm away for a few days and look what happens! Music - LOVE Kem - definately baby-making music. Agree with the other singers posted - love me some singers! My DH has a really nice voice, so he sings a lot around the house. Some R & B, but funnily enough, he's really into country music. Says its one of the few genres he can sing without being embarassed by the words...so if we run into each other in a country-western bar and you hear me singing 'Redneck Woman' don't be surprised...I love me some Gretchen Wilson! :eek: Glad the tension is gone...I love this thread for all the giggles I get! Welcome, BamBam - nice to have another guy around. SMS -love the 'cop groupie' tag...too funny! :scared2: Ceradad - bet you're looking forward to Christmas...just don't abuse the bod too much with all that food - we gotta keep the hard bodies hard! Pretty good snowstorm the past couple of days in NE - snow on Friday, sleet and freezing rain on Sunday, and I'm at work today...YUK! :biggrin: Slim-in-tn - nice to meet another person of the chocolate persuasion on the boards... I think Michelle Obama is gorgeous - and I think RuPaul is just stunning! Would love to have one quarter of his sense of style...he's a head-turner no matter what persona he shows up in! Now I'm actually going to do some homework - yes, it's a slow week at work, so I can get last-minute homework done...very few people in the office, so I can play on LBT all day as well...

PJTP that I had a really good *but busy* day yesterday and made it through with my sanity... Admissions committee at work - normally we get 5 days to recover and prepare for the next one, but because of the holiday, we had to turn it around in 3 days!:ohmy: At-work Christmas party - gift exchanges, lots and lots of food. I got a Home Depot gift card from a co-worker :w00t: and didn't eat myself into a coma :cursing: Committee ended early, had to do all the post-meeting stuff, get organized to send out admission decisions, and generally clean up the files so when we come back in January we can start round 2...:eek: Left work exhausted, so I didn't even go to the Department party that night...actually got home a little early and curled up in front of the fire with my DDog...nice end to a frantic day...:bored:

Mornin' Folks! Loved the results show...SO happy with everyone there (except Vicki, but I digress)... All the former contestants looked great - I was especially proud of the father-son grey team...they really worried me at the beginning. Proud of the father-daughter Yellow team (having a brain fart - can't remember names this morning). Amy from the red team look very good...so did her hubby! Laughing hysterically at Heba - why doesn't that woman know she needs a bra?:glare: You would think after all she's lost, she'd realize that the 'girls' aren't going to stand up by themselves! When she came out for the weigh-in, she must have put one on, because she looked SO much better. Agree with Glou about Vicki - I didn't like her one bit, but to wish actual HARM on her? WTF? Get a life, people...I had to laugh when she nearly fell, and she was trying SO HARD to get extra camera time, standing on the stairs like she did. Ali had to tell her to get down...:glare::biggrin: The preview for the next season looks amazing...all those poor folks - this seems truly life-or-death for them, and that woman who they said is the heaviest woman ever, the young man who's the heaviest man ever...there but for the grace of God and my band go I... Hope there's more emphasis on exercise than drama next season, and I am so glad we finally KNOW that Ali is pregnant...my DH and DD were speculating that she was, but it's one of those things - thought maybe she was just gaining weight... Michelle looked SO AWESOME! I nearly cried - she looks SO GOOD...I didn't know she was so short! I really thought she was taller than that. All in all, great show.:smile2:

PJTP...I missed you, too, Ceradad - just don't tell my hubby!:tongue2: Don't get me started on your "talents" bub...and you are definately big enuf to miss...gotta love the big fellas! Always been a fan of big men...skinny little dudes that I can break in two need not apply...:thumbup: Now that I've started THAT...time to go!:frown:

Mornin' Everyone! I am a "frequent" exerciser...every day, rain, shine or snow, I have to walk our DDog. He doesn't care what the weather is, that's HIS exercise time (and his poop time). If I don't want a mess in my house, he has to get walked. My entire family goes...our route is one mile. On the weekends, I take longer walks with him - 2 - 3 miles. I go to the gym at least 3 days a week - because I have classes on Monday and Tuesday evenings, I go Wed - Fri and try to get in a Saturday morning. This is above and beyond the dog walking. I do try to stay active during the week at work - depending on my schedule, I get in a lunchtime walk as well. I know the exercise is good for me - right now, I'm just at 1 month post-op and the scale is still moving downward (though slowly). I have to keep reminding myself that 1 - 2 lbs a week is good, especially since I couldn't sustain that kind of loss before getting "Jillian" (I've named my band after the Biggest Loser's psycho trainer - I :mad2: her!). I've got to be patient with myself and will continue to work out. As I get stronger, I'll increase the intensity of the aerobics I do (treadmill or elliptical 30 min) and up the weights I'm using (right now upper / lower body circuit). I believe strongly that consistency is the key - I was in the best shape of my life when I worked as a lifeguard...why? Because I swam a mile a day, 5 - 6 days per week. It wasn't that I was the strongest or the fastest swimmer, but I was definately consistent.:blushing:

Mornin' Sistas! I'm posting to say I worked out three days last week - missed Friday (forgot my shoes) but went to the gym with DD on Saturday morning and did 30 min on the elliptical and a full circuit through the weight machines. Felt tired but good at the end. Down one more pound, putting me at 239 - territory I haven't seen in I don't know when! Now if I could just get my 'fat mind' to shut up and stop asking for food - I ate Breakfast this morning and I already want something else to eat! I'm going to wait a few more minutes and then I have a yogurt in the work fridge. If nothing else, I've learned how powerful our minds can be! I've called my surgeon to try and get a fill before the holidays, otherwise I'll have to wait until January 6th...I'm on the waiting list right now...

PJTP that I'm really happy I'm out of the 240's!:mad2::w00t::crying: I hope never to see 240 lbs again...with the help of "Jillian" my band, who is named after the psycho trainer on Biggest Loser! I am so happy that I made the decision to be banded - I have so much hope for my future now...had an appointment with my PCP yesterday...he says that I was the "best results" he'd seen all day!:crying: I am gunning for the day when I can leave all my diabetes meds behind...initially after surgery my sugar was down really low, but it's rebounded. I'm back on the Lantus insulin, but still only taking one pill, and my goal is to be off the insulin by my birthday in February. My PCP says another 20 - 30 lbs should do the trick, so I'm revising my goal to get me to 210 by my birthday. That's another 20 lbs lost the rest of this month and in January. Love reading all of you guys' posts!:blushing: