ajoneen

Now for what you don't want to hear, eat less and exercise more. Identify the most high calorie thing you put in your mouth. Eliminate it or cut back by half. If you are doing cardio 3 days bump it to four or start interval training to boost the intensity. You've lost a great amount. So you obviously know what you're doing. Now it is just time to re-energize the process. Ps- have you heard about the 5-day pouch test? Google it and have a look. Good Luck on your journey, Amanda

Good for you finding something you enjoy doing!! That will really help keep you motivated.

3/20 aJoneen........................-3 75 pounds LOST! Bandana....................... 0 95 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000..................-3 50 pounds Lost Desdemona...................0 Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl..................0 85 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril................. - 3.8 50 pounds lost! Kpodski........................0 Lynnt1215................. 0 NurseNiki...................0 Nycm00.......................0 Potatie.........................-3 100 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend....-5 150 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK...................0 Sugarbean..................-2 110 POUNDS LOST !! Sharona......................-4 stellabella...............0 HALFWAY TO GOAL! Tess415......................0 Thin2bme............... 0 100 POUNDS LOST !! WestCoastMom........0 Wishin4......................0 73 pounds gone!! I just saw a number on the scale I haven't seen in about 12 years!!! 3 more pounds and Im down to my wedding weight.

I woke up this morning wondering why, again I lay there like a slug. My mind trying to figure out the motivation question and wasting time. This is a pool morning. I LOVE swimming. Where is my MoJo? Then I read my Horoscope today: Why worry about what is holding you back from reaching your goals when there seems to be no way to determine what exactly it is? You're fretting and stressing over a mystery that might never be solved -- and it's a huge waste of your precious energy. So today, just get moving forward and focus more on doing things rather than on all the subliminal stuff that you'll never be able to pin down. You just need to get stuff done. Happily I did get to the pool and I do feel invigorated. I just have to stop thinking so much and just get stuff done.

I woke up this morning wondering why, again I lay there like a slug. My mind trying to figure out the motivation question and wasting time. This is a pool morning. I LOVE swimming. Where is my MoJo? Then I read my Horoscope today: Why worry about what is holding you back from reaching your goals when there seems to be no way to determine what exactly it is? You're fretting and stressing over a mystery that might never be solved -- and it's a huge waste of your precious energy. So today, just get moving forward and focus more on doing things rather than on all the subliminal stuff that you'll never be able to pin down. You just need to get stuff done. Happily I did get to the pool and I do feel invigorated. I just have to stop thinking so much and just get stuff done.

Welcome Andrew. Nice car. Ya and nice progress pictures too. I don't have veins sticking out, but I do love seeing the muscle definition.

I think if you find someone who says they didn't- they are lying.

Kathy- Love the pictures!!! What a change.

A pat on the back to all you St. Patty's Day Banders!! I think Jonathan is on the slippery slope. He tends to stay away when he is doing poorly. I hope he finds his second (fifth?) wind and pops back in soon. Interesting NSV for me. I was looking though some old pictures (circa 2004) and was commenting aloud about how good I looked them. My husband asked what I weighted back in then. I said about 217. He then asked how much I weighted today. 208 I said. Then it hit me. With the exception of a few more wrinkles, I look that good- now. One of the reasons I knew I needed to do something about my weight was because I saw a picture of myself (at 284) and was disgusted. Sometimes when I look in the mirror I don't see what is really there. It works both ways.

Im very interested in this. I know I need to have the talk with my Dr. These pellets look like a good choice. I would like to hear more about how you choose them and how it is working for you. Care to share?

Gloves might help if you really have soft hands. Try reducing the weight a bit and go slow. You will have a good workout if you make the movement last longer. Good form is very important. Some movements need a locked wrist, others need to flex. Do you have a trainer? Ask him. If not it would be a good idea to have at least one session to learn the proper form for each machine or piece of equipment. Good luck. Just don't stop.

You are not alone. You are probably correct about the food choices. Why not start a food log? At lease you will know if that is the trouble spot. Plus your Dr will want to know what you have been eating- so might as well log it. Also I have been having a mug of hot water/tea first thing in the morning. Seems to help with the tightness. That is because you were in the honeymoon phase. Now is real life. Pick one thing to focus on each week(or month). Baby steps. Put some energy back into this battle. Hope some of this helps. Keep your chin up.

Hi all. just thought I would share a good thing (as Martha would say). There is an application for I-Phone and I-Touch called Lose It. It is a calorie tracking thing like DailyPlate. It works for me because I can take it with me and log what I eat not waiting to get to a computer and internet. It has over 5000 listed foods. But if it doesn't have my food I can enter the counts in a custom foods listing. It also has a place to log exercise and set goals. So far it is working for me. I NEED to be accountable, but in a fun and interesting way. 2 lbs down this week. Woot!! Happy Friday the 13th. Pretty good day so far.

3/13 aJoneen........................2 75 pounds LOST! Bandana....................... 0 95 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000..................-3 50 pounds Lost Desdemona...................0 Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl..................0 85 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril................. - 3.8 50 pounds lost! Kpodski........................0 Lynnt1215................. 0 NurseNiki...................0 Nycm00.......................0 Potatie.........................-3 100 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend....+1 150 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK...................0 Sugarbean..................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! Sharona......................0 stellabella...............0 HALFWAY TO GOAL! Tess415......................0 Thin2bme............... 0 100 POUNDS LOST !! WestCoastMom........0 Wishin4......................0 73 pounds gone!! Losing again- back to 75lbs lost

FGinNY- congratulations on your surgery date. Everyone's lose is different. Just do your best and follow you Drs guidelines. My Dr has everyone do a week of liquids. It is a good show of faith that you are ready to make the correct choices. Good luck on your journey!!

I sorry you're struggling so much. When things are working well we take it for granted it will continue. When things suck it's hard to see a way out. Try to acknowledge all the good you have done. You're a better person for all the choices you have made. Even the putzy ones for eating the ice cream. Try to figure out what you are good at; Walking the dog? Motivating new bandsters? Setting small term goals (for a day) not long term ones? Expand on the positive. Let go of the negative self talk. We are all struggling. We have to be kinder to ourselves. [[HUGS]] Amanda

HI all. Im hearing alot of self bashing going on. Believe me I'm just as hard on myself. I think there is something happening that needs to be looked into. It is a vicious cycle. Scale stops moving, "I must be a failure". Didn't exercise for a few days "I must be a failure". Shouldn't have eaten that cookie "I'm a failure". Im not at goal "I failed" I'm a failure so I might as well; -eat all the other cookies - just lay in bed - sit and watch another mind numbing TV show -look back and beat myself up for all my short comings. Yep the motivation isn't as strong as when we first started this journey. Im not sure I will ever be that motivated again. But to say I'm a failure is just not correct. These last few weeks I've been trying to find my MoJo again. When I have a particularity good day I try to see what made it so good. Why did I bounce out of bed, work so hard with my trainer, take the dog for a walk and go to yoga class? Plus I made good food choices. So what gives? Is there a way to bottle this and reproduce it on the days Im just not getting it in gear? Because when Im at that place where I don't want to move my body or the peanut butter is looking really good willpower is out the door. It is really easy to say F it I'm just not meant to lose another 10lbs (or 1lb). So Im left to try to acknowledge what works. Really mindfully acknowledge that something is going right. Maybe even write myself notes of encouragement to the sorry self I might be the next day. Focus on the good. We all know what we are bad at. What is hard. Directing your energy to trying to figure out a negative will just keep you in that negative place. So why not find what you're good at and build on that. Do you work out more consistently with another person? Well make it your business to get a buddy or join a group. Do you need to make a commitment to something? Do a charity walk where they have training help. Like the Avon 3 Day Walk. Does telling your story about the band and your decision to get it remind you why you did this in the first place? Than offer to talk at your Drs support group or informational meeting. Be a mentor here on LBT. Do you do well with a list or goals? Than write a few and support them with an action plan of how you will succeed. Do you struggle with food choices? Start using The Daily Plate/Calorie King or whatever. Set yourself up with a menu for the next day or the whole week. Make a list before you go shopping, and stick to it. You get the idea. Find what works. Baby steps. Stop beating yourself up about what you haven't done. Be kind to yourself. -Since I choose not to have another cookie I feel empowered. -That walk yesterday really energized me, how can I fit in another one tomorrow? -I have come so far on my journey and Im still committed to a more healthy lifestyle. We all slip up. Sometimes for a day sometimes for a few weeks. Main thing is you have it within yourself to make the change. For Gods sake at some point you were motivated enough to get the band. Pat yourself on the back and shout "WooHoo!" Move forward. Tomorrow is a new day. I think you're doing a great job!!

HI all. Im hearing alot of self bashing going on. Believe me I'm just as hard on myself. I think there is something happening that needs to be looked into. It is a vicious cycle. Scale stops moving, "I must be a failure". Didn't exercise for a few days "I must be a failure". Shouldn't have eaten that cookie "I'm a failure". Im not at goal "I failed" I'm a failure so I might as well; -eat all the other cookies - just lay in bed - sit and watch another mind numbing TV show -look back and beat myself up for all my short comings. Yep the motivation isn't as strong as when we first started this journey. Im not sure I will ever be that motivated again. But to say I'm a failure is just not correct. These last few weeks I've been trying to find my MoJo again. When I have a particularity good day I try to see what made it so good. Why did I bounce out of bed, work so hard with my trainer, take the dog for a walk and go to yoga class? Plus I made good food choices. So what gives? Is there a way to bottle this and reproduce it on the days Im just not getting it in gear? Because when Im at that place where I don't want to move my body or the peanut butter is looking really good willpower is out the door. It is really easy to say F it I'm just not meant to lose another 10lbs (or 1lb). So Im left to try to acknowledge what works. Really mindfully acknowledge that something is going right. Maybe even write myself notes of encouragement to the sorry self I might be the next day. Focus on the good. We all know what we are bad at. What is hard. Directing your energy to trying to figure out a negative will just keep you in that negative place. So why not find what you're good at and build on that. Do you work out more consistently with another person? Well make it your business to get a buddy or join a group. Do you need to make a commitment to something? Do a charity walk where they have training help. Like the Avon 3 Day Walk. Does telling your story about the band and your decision to get it remind you why you did this in the first place? Than offer to talk at your Drs support group or informational meeting. Be a mentor here on LBT. Do you do well with a list or goals? Than write a few and support them with an action plan of how you will succeed. Do you struggle with food choices? Start using The Daily Plate/Calorie King or whatever. Set yourself up with a menu for the next day or the whole week. Make a list before you go shopping, and stick to it. You get the idea. Find what works. Baby steps. Stop beating yourself up about what you haven't done. Be kind to yourself. -Since I choose not to have another cookie I feel empowered. -That walk yesterday really energized me, how can I fit in another one tomorrow? -I have come so far on my journey and Im still committed to a more healthy lifestyle. We all slip up. Sometimes for a day sometimes for a few weeks. Main thing is you have it within yourself to make the change. For Gods sake at some point you were motivated enough to get the band. Pat yourself on the back and shout "WooHoo!" Move forward. Tomorrow is a new day. I think you're doing a great job!!

HI all. Im hearing alot of self bashing going on. Believe me I'm just as hard on myself. I think there is something happening that needs to be looked into. It is a vicious cycle. scale stops moving, "I must be a failure". Didn't exercise for a few days "I must be a failure". Shouldn't have eaten that cookie "I'm a failure". Im not at goal "I failed" I'm a failure so I might as well; -eat all the other Cookies - just lay in bed - sit and watch another mind numbing TV show -look back and beat myself up for all my short comings. Yep the motivation isn't as strong as when we first started this journey. Im not sure I will ever be that motivated again. But to say I'm a failure is just not correct. These last few weeks I've been trying to find my MoJo again. When I have a particularity good day I try to see what made it so good. Why did I bounce out of bed, work so hard with my trainer, take the dog for a walk and go to yoga class? Plus I made good food choices. So what gives? Is there a way to bottle this and reproduce it on the days Im just not getting it in gear? Because when Im at that place where I don't want to move my body or the Peanut Butter is looking really good willpower is out the door. It is really easy to say F it I'm just not meant to lose another 10lbs (or 1lb). So Im left to try to acknowledge what works. Really mindfully acknowledge that something is going right. Maybe even write myself notes of encouragement to the sorry self I might be the next day. Focus on the good. We all know what we are bad at. What is hard. Directing your energy to trying to figure out a negative will just keep you in that negative place. So why not find what you're good at and build on that. Do you work out more consistently with another person? Well make it your business to get a buddy or join a group. Do you need to make a commitment to something? Do a charity walk where they have training help. Like the Avon 3 Day Walk. Does telling your story about the band and your decision to get it remind you why you did this in the first place? Than offer to talk at your Drs support group or informational meeting. Be a mentor here on LBT. Do you do well with a list or goals? Than write a few and support them with an action plan of how you will succeed. Do you struggle with food choices? Start using The Daily Plate/Calorie King or whatever. Set yourself up with a menu for the next day or the whole week. Make a list before you go shopping, and stick to it. You get the idea. Find what works. Baby steps. Stop beating yourself up about what you haven't done. Be kind to yourself. -Since I choose not to have another cookie I feel empowered. -That walk yesterday really energized me, how can I fit in another one tomorrow? -I have come so far on my journey and Im still committed to a more healthy lifestyle. We all slip up. Sometimes for a day sometimes for a few weeks. Main thing is you have it within yourself to make the change. For Gods sake at some point you were motivated enough to get the band. Pat yourself on the back and shout "WooHoo!" Move forward. Tomorrow is a new day. I think you're doing a great job!! End of sermon.

Jonathan I sorry you are struggling with so much right now. Been there buddy. Try to enjoy some of Hawaii while you're there. You know stop and smell the flowers. All our efforts will payoff. We all are in such a better place then a year ago. Who knows what this year will bring? Love and accept yourself.

Setting up for tomorrow March 6th aJoneen........................0 75 pounds LOST! Bandana....................... 0 95 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000..................0 Desdemona...................0 Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl..................0 85 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril.................0 Kpodski........................0 Lynnt1215................. 0 NurseNiki...................0 Nycm00.......................0 Potatie.........................0 100 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend..... 0 150 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK...................0 Sugarbean..................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! Sharona......................0 stellabella...............0 HALFWAY TO GOAL! Tess415......................0 Thin2bme............... 0 100 POUNDS LOST !! WestCoastMom........0 Wishin4......................0 73 pounds gone!!

Hello all. Today is the anniversary of getting my band. One year ago this very moment I was full of piss and vinegar, ready to take on the world. Lately I've been getting down on myself because I'm nowhere near where I thought I would be a year later. Im Ok with that. Because I am tons improved from the person I was letting myself become. Baby steps. What has happened? *Im more conscience of what I put in my mouth-less mindless eating. *Im not afraid to try new activities- like rock climbing, yoga classes and triathlons. *Im fitting in those clothes I had in the attic which were too small. My "remember when" clothes. I have just one more dress I want to wear again. *I've given away all of my too big clothes so I don't have a safety net "if I gain a few pounds" like I've done in the past. *I'm not worried about which seat I get on a plane, because now I can fit comfortably in my space. *I'm being a good role model for my overweight family members. *Im getting better at setting weight goals. What will this next year bring? *More weight loss. It might be slower then what I dreamed, but it will NOT be mindless gaining. *More consistent exercise. *Finding the joy. Not being so hard on myself. I want to thank each and everyone of my Shrinking Shamrock friends. You where there with humor and honesty. Sharing your trials and triumphs. You were there for me when I didn't believe I could do it. Thank you all.

Maria, It's good to hear you're feeling better. About the amount of fill in your band. Some Doc's put a little in at the time of surgery. Most don't. When you go for your post surgery visit ask if anything is in there. Also you won't get your first official fill until you need it. That means if you are losing just fine (1-2 lbs a week) you won't get filled. I know a guy who lost with just the band in place, never had a fill. For some folks just the restriction of the band in place does the trick.

Hi Heather, welcome. Glad to hear you are on the mend. Where do you live? What kinds of exercise are you interested in? Indoors, outdoors, weights, or just someone to be accountable to? Im in Syosset. I know the weather is not up to getting out on a regular basis but I enjoy hiking, biking and swimming. I do a bit of weight training also.

I don't know if I'm getting a cold or it's just Monday.