SpecialK

Well this has been an emotional week since January started. I had to announce to my project team last Thursday at 11am that I was being pulled off my project as the project manager and that I wasn't at liberty to discuss the full reasons behind it for now with them but that it was best for me. I received so many reassurances via different people that the jerk I have been working with, who has chewed me up and spit me out many many times in the last year, has not "Won", to hold my head up high and go on to something better, that I deserved better. This is good to hear but even after a week that has passed, each day of transition Friday, Monday, and Tuesday was stressful moment by moment, accepting internally I'm handing off my "baby" to a pair of folks who will hopefully do well but who have no clue how hard this has been. At least I am only leaving them with the last 25% of the project, I successfully delivered into production the system setup and changes for the other 75% before I realized I just couldn't keep going with the abuse I was taking from this one manager who thought he could control me. NOT!!! The more I resisted, the more intense the controlling behavior got. Yesterday "the jerk" had me totally pulled off the project at 8am without any further transitioning of my duties to the other 2 people. I felt this gaping hole in my purpose at work because my boss didn't have another project lined up to give me. Got to be kind of weird as the day went by, packing personal belongings and moving from the project team area on 14 back to the 15th floor which is my normal home base but I haven't sat there in probably 8 months or so. So, fighting the flu a bit and felt I deserved a sick day today, ha ha! Getting some rest and time to post and check the internet on the company's dime from home. I truly believe this kind of stress is what put a stop to my weight loss since last August. I was trying to eat right, trying to exercise, but was just stuck on a plateau at about -122 lbs and I need to lose 200 total lbs so I knew in my mind and heart I am not done, not to goal, but couldn't get the scale to give me any lovin! Last Friday, after 1 week of very dedicated band eating, a week of good exercise, I lost 1 lb! Got to -123 lbs! I am promising myself to only weigh once a week so tomorrow is my next weigh in. So hoping once again to see some progress. I am using www.mydailyplate.com now and I really do love it for tracking my net calories from what I ate and what exercise I did. If I hit a plateau, I think this is very good info I can take to Mt. Carmel's bariatric nutrition lady (Andrea and/or Missy) and get some help what to change. I hope to hear how the new year is going for others. I am hopeful this will be a better year but I am celebrating the -42 lbs I did lose last year given the stress I went through. God Bless to all!

JenPen -- yes I believe Gastric Bypass or RNY would have a better reputation if doctors had done more advance nutritional and psychological counseling on patients and had follow ups for nutritional and psychological and not just for the physical healing of post WLS. I think they learned that from the kinds of complications they saw - people who were not compliant to the diet because they couldn't get their head in the right place, and then they had medical complications. I am with you that those I have met through my hospital's support group at Mt. Carmel, are happy they made their RNY decision as I am happy I made my Lapband decision. The RNY folks seem to be more accepting as time goes of the Lapband patients too, they don't think its a way of taking the easy road because they know we have to also have our head and diet compliance and emotional struggles just as they do. It is a good thing we all have respect and support for each other. So, if you find that there isn't enough Lapband support at your sessions at OSU, stay in touch with the Columbus informal support group via our monthly Mall meetings and I think it will help, it has for me.

Ky -- you are so strong to be able to stand up to so much. God Bless You as you start back upward and forward to get to where you know you want to be -- Healthy. Just a step at a time. Getting your Water in each day, some kind of exercise, writing down your foods even if you just track the major things, but start holding yourself accountable because like you, I have had bad times but I realized in the end after regaining 100 lbs two other times after losing it, that this time, every bite I put in my mouth doesn't hurt the person who hurt me, it just hurts me for my long term goal to get healthy. Take care!

I say Amen! to the poster above who encouraged you. Yes, we are all human and fall flat on our faces. I have lost and regained over 100 lbs about 2 other times before this and now that I am on this journey again, I am so hopeful that if I just keep sticking with it, asking for help from the support groups like this one, and seeing my surgeon for regular checks and fills if needed, I will get there. You are doing the right thing admitting you need to put the brakes on and get going the other direction for a healthier life. If you have access to a hospital support group or other local support group where you can meet people in person, get connected. That has helped me alot. Also, I just started using www.mydailyplate.com as a food and exercise logging and tracking tool and I am loving it. It makes me accountable for what I am eating and burning with exercise. My surgeon insists that regular exercise must be part of my life for the rest of my life. Start small, 2lb hand weights while you watch TV, exercise DVD, or whatever you can do. I live in an area with lots of snow, so outdoor walking is out, and I joined a gym last year to be sure I had options for exercise indoors if the weather is bad. P.S. I had a 4-5 month plateau last year that was so frustrating that I wanted to kick myself but I keep on trying every day and I now see some progress, lost 1 lb. last week.

I just started using www.mydailyplate.com and I really am liking it. I can track my food, exercise, and it has a good database of foods with all the nutrition info so I can keep an eye on my protein, carbs, sugar, etc. If you haven't tried it, give it a try. They have a free version where your info can be stored online for 45 days and you can upgrade to keep your info longer but I didn't need that. You can export/download your results into an MS Excel or PDF file to keep for yourself or print it if you want to keep more than 45 days history.

Okay, yes I do work out at the gym on fill days, something like cardio on the treadmill maybe instead of heavy weights but I have never had a problem. I specifically asked my surgeon if there were any exercise things I could do that could dislodge or impact my band or port and he said No, you'd have to take a direct hit in the abdominal area (e.g. boxing) and I don't recommend that. Otherwise, cardio and weight training are no problem. My fills are pretty painless. At worst, I've taken a Tylenol for mild soreness but usually don't need anything.

I'll post a sample day here and you can see what I am eating. Yesterday was a pretty good day except for the Caramel Dip experiment gone wrong. Calories were fine, good protein level. Still can't seem to get really low on carbs if I add in fruit as a healthy snack so I guess if my carbs are "good carbs" from vegetables or fruit, I can live with that. I am trying to be careful about cereal, rice, potatoes, and pasta for carb avoidance. Have them in small portions or occasionally. I find them to be slider foods - things easier to eat than the protein so I find myself eating a bite of meat, a bite of potato, a bite of meat, .... back to my meat & potatoes mindset of pre-band. Need to be more like bite of meat, bite of vegetable, bite of meat, bite of vegetable. 2010-01-10-detailed.pdf

Desdemona -- I followed through and threw out the Fat Free Caramel Dip -- another good lesson that FF isn't Calorie Free. I am looking at a written out food plan daily now before I decide what to eat and I'm keeping variety going. I threw in some Boca Burgers as something different for this week. I like them with my George Foreman grill when I can't grill outside and I put lots of ketschup on it and eat it without a bun and find it pretty satisfying for the one that is grilled burger. Has a good smoky flavor. Zeke, glad you are finding your way. We all have to find what will get us on track, each person is so different but I am finding more and more of us 2+ year bandsters really wanting to recommit including those I met through my hospital support group and those in my local area that get together once a month. We all decided we were letting ourselves get a little too comfortable at part-way to goal. Logging food -- www.dailyplate.com is a good site. I just registered on it yesterday myself. I have tried others that were part of my plans in the past but this one is pretty good and its Free! It has the capability to export out into Excel or file to keep it. The web site only keeps your food log for 45 days for free but that is okay with me because I can export it out and save it on my own computer so I don't lose it.

I have had 5 fills and have gone right on in and worked at my desk job with no problems at all.

Thanks Desdemona -- yes isn't it crazy how much of our life and self-esteem gets wrapped up in our work. I guess for me its about being single my whole life so far and my career was so important to me. Its getting less so as the years go by. Now its a good paycheck to pay the bills and do the other things in life I enjoy. I cooked up some chicken breasts in the crockpot today and then pulled the meat off the bone, portioned it out into small containers and now I'll have the basic meat I need for anything from a chicken stir fry or whatever. I thought I could buy this container of Fat Free Caramel Apple Dip and be reasonable but today I was dipping big hunks out with each bite of apple. I had a rude awakening when I logged in 4 servings of that on dailyplate.com and found it was 400 calories and like 100 grams of carbs and 76g of sugar!! Yikes. Okay, sad to say but I am throwing the rest of that container out because it just aint worth it. I think I was using the caramel dip as a slider food so now I know to watch that. I should buy only the individual serving thing size next time.

Instructions are copy the line from the prior post, add or update your line, and repost back on this thread so we don't drop anyone off that wants to stay in this accountability loop. If you are new to the list, copy a line from another person to help keep the numbers aligned for readability please. Name -Starting Wt .......Goal/End Wt 2010 ..CurrentWeight- SpecialK.............232.2.........155...................231.2 Scrappy_friend....149.............135...................147 LadyRoz.............149.............135...................147

LadyRoz -- do you know how to cut/paste from the last thread posting above? Copy the lines and add your own numbers I'll try to get you going but you'll have to cut and paste and put in your own numbers. Then each time one of us updates, I'm doing my weigh in on a Friday, then you copy the latest posting, to make the new one.

I'm at -123 lbs now and I lost 1 lb last week after months of a plateau where I kept maintaining. Now that I look back, on the stress I was under, and some sloppy but not terrible eating, I am thankful to be starting the new year off. I wrote out 2 full weeks of food plans of what fruit, veg, meat and snacks I would allow myself and what exercise I planned to commit to each day. Its on the refrigerator and I am checking off as I do it. I sometimes switch something different out from what I planned but its been pretty helpful to eat what I planned to eat versus eat what is available or what my fancy strikes me...too easy to find "easy" food to eat instead of solid protein, veg, fruit that are better. So wish me luck, and I will do the same for you that we all buckle down and keep going on our lapband journey. Welcome back Rockin Robyn -- never too late to do the right thing. Work that tool!

Ha! Ha! So it is good to have written down accountability..... funny thing was I wrote my own weigh in down wrong and I'll fix it here. I lost 1 lb and I'm happy about that. Name -Starting Wt .......Goal/End Wt 2010 ..CurrentWeight- SpecialK.............232.2.........155...................231.2 Scrappy_friend....149.............135...................147

Candy, we have 2 people who attend our Saturday Polaris mall gathering of lapbanders who went to Dr. Curry and they were both there yesterday. Both still doing great and both were very happy with Dr. Curry and how they are doing.

Cross post here to some thoughts and plans for a future lapband friends fun day. See the link. JenPen-- so glad you joined us at the Polaris mall gathering. I hope it helped and we answered questions you needed. I loved your comment about us being "normal" people -- yes, we're trying to lose weight in a healthy way and it shows! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/central-ohio-get-together-january-9-2010-a-107116/#post1393375

Cross post here. Check this out for info about something fun to do as lapband friends Feb 20. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/central-ohio-get-together-january-9-2010-a-107116/#post1393375

It was so nice to see old friends and to welcome a new friend to our Saturday mall gathering. Welcome Jenny! I hope we helped answer lots of your questions to help you along your pre-surgery path. Our dear Brenda looks fabulous post surgery on her tummy tuck and arms! I can't wait to hopefully do the same someday. I mentioned that I had found this neat poster that you can buy off the internet that is kind of a positive messages/positive attitude kind of thing. I'll attach the image of it here. The website I found it on was www.cafepress.com and you can buy one if you'd like. They had 2 sizes larger and smaller. I also mentioned that I am going to be doing my own version of this and was willing to host a crafting party/session at my house on February 20 in the Sunbury/Westerville area. If you'd be interested, send me a Private Message here on this board and I'll give out details to those interested. By the time we all meet at the Feb 13 mall gathering in Polaris, I'd be thankful for anyone who can donate magazines that I might be able to cut out word snippets or heathy images of getting thin or being thin would represent so that the crafters would have material to use to make their posters Feb 20. I'm game to just have those of you who want to watch the crafting process and join in the conversation join us if you don't want want to actually make a poster yourself that day. The only supplies you'd need that day would be: 1. Posterboard - size and color you want to use 2. Scissors - nothing special 3. Glue stick I'll supply the rest! Don't want anybody thinking they need to have scrapbooking supplies to participate.

I am checking in here at 8:30am on Saturday and definitely plan to be at the Mall food court at 2pm today. The roads were not so bad - I drove from Westerville to Pataskala/Newark last night to visit my Mom with no problem and I'm getting ready to head out and get my hair done in Reynoldsburg. Doesn't look like the snow did much blowing or drifting last night and the road crews have been doing a good job with plowing and salting. Polaris Mall did a good job last winter with plowing the parking lot so that should be fine. I'll be bringing my before/after scrapbook and anyone else who can share pictures or any new motivation ideas, I'm looking forward to seeing you all. Kathy

Hi Desdemona - yes, I too agree that we have been through alot and yes, it was necessary to make hard choices and go through pain, including the pain of walking away from a relationship when you know it is not healthy for you... isn't that a great feeling to mentally know to walk away from an emotionally unhealthy situation being as important as walking away from a physically unhealthy situation. I too just made a major lifechange but it involved my job. I am a professional project manager and I have managed huge multi-million dollar projects for my company over the past 14 years and was so pleased until 1 year ago when I got paired up with an emotionally abusive co-worker who had some authority over me (i.e. the project's sponsor and person who controls the relationship to the group who is funding the project). I tried everything in my power to get this abusive relationship turned around. He would shake fingers at me, raise his voice, cuss, and ultimately once he pounded his fist on his desk so hard, his computer monitor and every piece of paper on that desk jumped up including the two of us girls who were sitting in chairs across from him. I documented with my direct boss all along what was going on but it became apparent that this guy was "protected" because he worked for someone whom he had been friends with outside our company for more than 20 years. I finally broke down and scheduled counseling in November. By early December, she had assessed that I was potentially physically at risk and had definitely been emotionally 'beaten' by this co-worker and I needed to walk into my boss' office the following day(s) and ask to be removed from the project because it is still going to last at least another 4 months. Basically, I debated once again, even with professional advice to leave an abusive relationship, to try to stick it out a while longer, there had to be something I could do to fix this. In the meantime, I ate foods to soothe my anger, frustrations as I had always done. That desire to get control of my eating, and get the remainder of this excess weight off in the New Year was one of the big reasons I went to the counselor. She said, first let's get you out of that abusive work relationship, that's easy enough to do (but hard emotionally to walk away because I'm not a "quitter") so I have been going through very stressful times all through December. The abuser finally got told on Monday afternoon that I had requested off the project and he was so glad...Ha Ha! he thinks he won this battle of wills but really, I am the winner - because I will be better off emotionally and physically and he will still be a jerk! So, I shed lots of tears this week friends, I had to tell my project team I am unexpectedly leaving them without being able to give them details that our HR Dept would not want me to share. I think they know he is a jerk. Some of them have sent me chat messages or called and said they totally support me and I did tremendous in spite of him. I have to transition things off my work plate onto others during the next week and then I am free of ever having to sit in the same room with him again. !!! So what... I LOST 1 POUND THIS WEEK! I ate healthy, exercised, and feel so triumphant today. Last, for those who are struggling whether with work, marriage, or whatever, please remember to be strong and do what is best for you. You won't regret it in the long term. Short term pain for long term gain. And I better follow my own mantra there!

Okay, its feeling kind of lonely out here, maybe this challenge isn't for everyone but I'll keep posting and see if anyone joins in. Name Goal# Current Week: Total to Date: SpecialK.........2010 Minutes..........395.............395 My 2 huge chunks of walking was pushing a snowblower up and down for two 1 hour sessions 2 days in a row when Ohio got a big dose of snow. I also did shoveling snow added with that walking and worked up quite a sweat in my clothes underneath the two coats, three pairs of socks, 2 pairs of pants protecting me outside! Okay, winter has arrived!! ACTIVITY ....................................DATE .....MINUTES Cardio - Outdoor Walking ..............1/8/2010 120 Cardio - Outdoor Walking ..............1/7/2010 120 Cardio - Stationary Bike................ 1/5/2010 35 Cardio - Elliptical Climber.............. 1/4/2010 30 Cardio - Treadmill Walk/Run.......... 1/3/2010 45 Strength - Upper Body.................. 1/2/2010 15 Strength - Lower Body.................. 1/2/2010 15 Strength - Abdominal Crunches......1/2/2010 5 Strength - Upper Body.................. 1/1/2010 10

Yippee!! Lost 1 lb. this first week of January which I am super thrilled about given I have been under extreme stress still with my job. I have been following my eating and exercise plan and it looks like its helping! Name -Starting Wt Goal End Wt 2010 CurrentWeight- SpecialK.............231.2..........155...................232.2 Scrappy_friend....149.............135...................149

Hi Harley Girl! Great to hear from you again. I have to include a picture here where I bought my mother's miniature schnauzer a Harley Davidson faux leather dog coat for Christmas.. he is so cute in it and it actually is functional to keep the little guy warm when he goes out in our snow here in Ohio. :thumbup:

We posted a note on the Local Get Together thread for this Saturday that says check there at 1pm and post if you are coming if you think the snow situation is safe enough for you. That way we won't strand someone at the mall Food Court with no bandster friends! Hopefully today is the worst of it and with good snow crews for roads by Saturday at noon, it will be okay. Tomorrow is my weigh in day for my first week since the new year. I am so hoping I have lost something! I made myself stay off the scale all week.

I did just post a note on the Saturday Columbus gathering forum link that if the snow is bad, please check and see that thread for a note on who is coming and who can't come based on weather. Be conservative and keep safe. Hopefully if the worst is today and Friday, we'll be stir crazy by Saturday and noon and just busting out with boredom to still do the get together.