Bea1128

Beef Lentil Soup 4 c beef broth 1/4 c dry lentils 1/4 c dry brown rice 1 can Italian diced tomatoes ** 2 c chopped fresh spinach 4 oz left over roast beef 1 T Italian seasoning Bring broth to a boil. Add lentils and brown rice. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until tender (If you like your lentils a little firmer, wait about 10 min before adding them to the broth). Add other ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes or so. I like this soup made with left over beef, but it's also good vegetarian. I also add a few garlic flavored croutons to my bowl. **I don't like chunks of tomatoes, so after I add them I run the hand-held blender through the soup before adding everything else. It makes the soup thicker also. According to dailyplate per 1 c serving: 146 cals; 4 g fat; 11 g Protein. I think it's probably a little lower as I use very lean roast beef. If it's vegetarian, it would definately be lower.

I'm getting a lot more attention as well. From strangers it's a nice compliment. I feel pretty and I enjoy the attention, mostly. However, I'm finding it a littler harder to deal with from friends I've known for years. Yes, it's nice to get noticed and I have worked hard, but my friends make such a fuss at times that it becomes embarrassing. Also, I'm the same person I've always been. I've always been outgoing and fun and I've always loved to laugh. I don't want to be the "girl who has lost a bunch of weight". I just want to be me, only improved. I know they are doing it because they are proud of me, but when we are all together they tend to tell people who don't know me my whole story. Why? Why does someone I just met need to know that I've lost x-amount of pounds? I'm not ashamed or embarrassed or anything, I just don't need to talk about it constantly. I don't want it to define me. It also causes some problems with my female friends and I totally understand. No one likes it rubbed in their faces especially if they need to loose a few pounds too. I never talk about my weight loss or anything related to it unless I'm asked because I know how hard it is. I would never want to make them feel bad. Some of my girlfriends are now saying stuff like "here comes skinny minny" or "I know you are all skinny now, but..." It hurts my feelings because I'm not trying to get attention, it just happens. The other thing is that I don't want to be "skinny". That's not what I'm trying to accomplish. I just want to be healthy. It doesn't matter to them that I still need to loose another 40 pounds either. They also allude to the fact that I've done it the "easy way". Never mind that I eat healthy and that I run almost every day. Sorry, sort of got off topic. It's just an issue that I've been thinking a lot about the last few weeks and I don't know what to do about it.

You are not a failure, you are human just like the rest of us. I know you feel guilty and bad about gaining, but it's only 5 pounds. Remember the days pre-band when it would have been 10, 15, or....? No one wants to gain, but we've all been there. And yes go in and get a fill. That's what it's for. That's why we were banded because it's adjustable and it will get you back on track. And of course you deserve to get a fill. Don't punish yourself. Get in, get the fill, and get back on track. Until then, yes of course do the best you can, but stop beating yourself up. I know it sounds corny, but negative self talk can sabbotage our efforts. And believe me, I'm not lecturing. I'm my own worst enemy as well. No one could ever be as hard on me as I am. That's why I can understand what you are doing to yourself. STOP!! :thumbup: You've done an amazing job and will continue to do so. Try the pouch test diet if you can and want to. I myself can't seem to stay on it. It feels too much like a punishment to me, but if it helps you, then go for it. Otherwise, just try to eat more healthy foods even if you can eat more than usual. At least you'll be getting your nutrients in and that will make you feel better. Now, what's done is done. It's over and you can't go back. It's a new day and you get to start over. Go back to the "bandster rules" and act like you are a newbie. Chew well, take small bites, drink your Water, etc. You already did something very positive during the holidays, you continued to exercise. Excellent!! Try eating more lean Protein to curb your hunger and break your craving for sugar/bad carbs. Add whole grains and veggies to fill you up. You're going to be fine. You are doing great!!!! :wink_smile:

Congrats!! It's an awesome feeling isn't it?!? I think I'm more proud of the inches lost than the pounds. I have measured myself fairly regularly since I started this journey. I find it helps my motivation especially when the scale won't budge. It's always a nice surprise to learn that I am actually loosing something. IMHO, inches lost are a better measure of what's going on with your body anyway. Weight can fluctuate from day to day, even hour to hour. Inches lost are inches lost! Way to go!! Keep up the great work!!

Hey Cindy! Congrats on your weight loss and BMI. I too did well even though I indulged quite a bit. I haven't checked my BMI in a while, but I'm so short I'm sure I'm still in the bad range. It's getting better though. Of course according to my BMI I should weigh around 116. LOL!! Too funny. I don't think I've ever weighed 116. Well, maybe in Junior High! :biggrin: I'd like to get down to 145, that would be 100 lost, but not sure if that's even realistic. That's the very high end of "healthy" weight range for me. We'll see. Nice to hear from you! Keep up the great work!

Glad you don't have a leak Amy. That's good news! Seems like everyong had a great New Year! I certainly did; however, I must admit that I did not stick to my promise to stay away from the margaritas, but I didn't have too many. Oh well! New year's eve night was great. Went to our friend's house. They hauled out a few pics from last year and wow, what a difference one year can make: Last Year - Wearing a size 22/24 This Year - Size 14 jeans!! Last Year - Hid in the corner hoping no one would notice me This Year - Took a ride on a Harley!! Last Year - Ate my weight in appetizers and felt bad after This Year - Nibbled here and there and didn't sweat it!!! Last Year - Surprise, no one did notice me This Year - Got hit on and flirted with!! (Eye opener for Hubby, I think!! :tongue:) Lovin' the band and my new life! Can't wait to see what the new year holds! Hey Carol! I don't think, actually I know I won't hit 100 pounds gone by my bandiversary either. It's just coming off too slow now. I'm okay with that though. In my opinion, I'm in such a better place now than last year any additional weight that comes off is just gravy, so to speak!! LOL! Of course I want to loose more, but I'm not going to stress. Don't worry, you will loose yours too!! I can't do the liquid diet either. Just can't seem to make myself do it. I am however back on healthy foods and more water. I'm trying to eat more broth based soups and that's almost like liquids only. :confused: Besides my blender cratered after making two big batches of margaritas the other night, so I can't make the protein drinks right now. LOL! That's a good excuse, right?!? :biggrin: Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

I didn't make goal, but I'm okay with it. This is the first time in my life I didn't gain over the holidays!! Losing 3 is a bonus!! The closer I get to goal, the slower it's coming off. It's all good! Congrats to you all!! Happy New Year! NAME*************START WGHT.*****CURRENT WGHT.*********GOAL**********LBS. LOST ***:mad: **************************:eek:***************:laugh:**********:tt1:*** 1000words..........237............220..............220.........17 1dayatime..........259............247..............239.........12 aJoneen............213............210..............199..........3 alliemorris73......229............229..............199..........0 Ariel..............193............193..............183..........0 Barb12590..........207............185..............187.........17 Bea1129............198.5..........191..............183........7.5 Brandy.............208............198..............198..........10 CQQlgirl...........188............186..............170..........2 crzytchr...........265............250..............250.........15 JasonR.............366............366..............351..........0 Jodi_620...........174............161..............159.........13 KikiVal315.........229............220.5............215........8.5 Kirsty39...........237............234..............217..........3 laurigee...........170............162..............158..........8 Leslie2Lose........215............214..............199..........1 LilMissDiva........244............244..............225..........0 lindar172 .........257.8..........249.8............240........7.8 LisaB..............189............181..............170..........8 mamanmidwife.......275............268..............255..........7 MegMegs13..........266............260..............250..........6 mominlv13..........282.4..........271.4............270.........11 noosagirl..........138............138..............124..........0 Renee74............198............188..............185.........10 renewedhope........162............161..............150..........1 SailorChristy......251.5..........248..............230........3.5 southernmissy......209............198..............195.........11

Well, well...wonders never cease. Evidently the booze and chocolate diet works, I'm down 3 pounds since before Christmas. I don't deserve it, but I'll take it. I drank a ton of water yesterday, maybe I flushed it all out? Anyway, I'm sure it's a fluke. Happy New Year everyone! Have a fun, safe night!!! Tomorrow we're back on the wagon and on our way....again! :laugh:

Okay, I ran...feel much better. Sweating is good. I only did 30 minutes, but it's a start! I've already gotten 1 L of water down, at least another Liter to go! I've never been to Carrabbas. We don't have one here, but it sounds good. Hubby and I went to Chili's the other night (we got gift cards for Christmas) and I ordered the Kickin Chicken Crisper tacos. OMG! So good. It worked out great because it came with three and I ate 1/2 of one and gave the rest to my hubby. He ordered nachos and I had a couple of those and it was perfect and delicious! I'm in the same boat with ya Brandy. I'll be lucky to make it to midnight! Pathetic, I know! LOL!

Hey all! Nice to hear from you Leslie and Carol. I'm doing okay, but I've eaten crap for an entire week. I've eaten so much candy it's not even funny! I've managed to not gain any weight (only by the Grace of God), but I feel like poo! I haven't run in over a week. My face and hands are swollen from all the sugar and salt. YUCK! I'm so ready to get back into a routine. I think I'll do the the 5 day pouch test too, but I'm not gonna start it until Thursday. I know I'll have a few drinks tomorrow night, so I don't see the point. I started yesterday eating better, but I had the last Hershey santa last night. Thank God!! The last one! LOL! I've decided to not feel guilty. The way I look at it it was the holiday, I had a great time, took a break and now it's time to get back on program. Last year I gained at least 10 pounds, so I figure this year was a success! Way to go on drinking the water. I've got to start that today. I know I'm dehydrated. My skin is dry and I've been getting leg cramps at night. My vow to you all is not to drink margaritas tomorrow night. I have to keep myself accountable. They are too high in sugar and I've had quite a few over the holidays. No more. My surgeon is having a patient appreciation party tonight. I was planning to go, but not sure if I want to now. I feel yucky. It would probably be good for me to get out of the house. I think I'm getting cabin fever! I'm going to run in a few so hopefully that will make me feel better! Sorry for the long post, just trying to catch up. I'm glad we are all getting back on the "wagon" together! I want to rock 2009!!! :party:

Congrats Brandy! Way to go!! I'm sorry your daughter is going through this. I know how disappointed she is, but hopefully she'll get to have the surgery soon. I went in for a fill on Monday. I haven't had a fill since August and all the sudden could eat anything. So the doc was very conservative putting in only 1/4 cc, but I'm very sensitive to fills and I had to go back in the next day. I only needed a small unfill to get it right. I sometimes have to do that; however, the doc wasn't in so the nurse took out the entire fill. I tried to tell her that I do that when I get a fill and it takes a time or two to get it right. She wouldn't listen and said she wasn't comfortable leaving the fill in there. I was so mad, so now I have to go back in four weeks and try again. I won't go back again if it's her doing the fills. She doesn't listen to the patient. I know more about it than she does when it comes to my band. She didn't even know what the doc had put in. I had to tell her. If I'd know she was going to take the entire thing out I would have told her less. Oh well, I guess I'll live. :tongue2: I didn't overdo too bad. I hope everyone had happy holidays! I'm ready to get back into a routine and back on the "wagon" so to speak. I haven't exercised in a week and I feel gross. Happy New Year Everyone!!

Uuugggghhh!! Toys are the worst! Not only do they tape it in, they also put these little twist ties every inch or so and then they tape those down in the back. Then they sew the hair down with a plastic thing. By the time we finish getting all the toys out of the packaging my kids have lost interest and DH and I are sweating and cussing. The moment is over by that time!! I mean really. I think they do that just to torment us. We already spend a small fortune on that crap! Heaven forbid it might slide around a little in the packaging. The kids don't give a damn what it looks like in the package, they just want to play with it. I've often said that we need to take a stand and boycott! Sheesh!!! Phew! Okay, rant over. Christmas is coming up and I know how it will go on Christmas morning. No wonder my mom started drinking wine by 10 a.m. when I was growing up! LOL!

Hey All! Brandy - Congrats on the losses! Excellent, you'll be in Onderland any minute now!! CC - Congrats on your daughter's wedding! Aren't you glad you did this 8 months ago? I find myself feeling that way a lot! Your pics are gorgeous and I can definately see a difference. Brandy is right, you'll make a beautiful mother of the bride! Cubs - I'm glad you are going to give the C25K a try. I know quite a few people who have been really successful with it. I'm glad I could help. Who knows? Maybe you'll find that you do really love running after all! You've got a great attitude and I know you'll do well. I finally ran today after....umm, well I can't remember how long. I know 5-6 days for sure! YIKES! Last week I had finals and then I was running crazy all weekend long. I did play a very intense game of Ultimate Ping Pong! LOL! I'm glad to read everyone is doing well. And cubs, you are not the only one who looks forward immediately after achieving a goal. I couldn't wait to get to Onderland and now that I'm at 194, all I can do is dream of the day I get to 189! Although, I have to say I am really enjoying life these days. I want to loose the rest of my weight, but I'm okay right now just enjoying the journey! Hope you all have a great week!!

Jachut, I agree with you totally. I don't do the "band diet" either. I eat good, wholesome foods in all food groups. I don't do protein overload and I'm doing just fine; however, I am in no way suggesting anyone should deviate from their surgeon's advice, this is my choice. I'm loosing at a rate that I'm happy with, but more importantly I feel great! I'm exercising and am very active. My skin and hair are healthy too. I did give up all white foods except for the occasional indulgence. I eat whole grains, fruits, veggies, and lean protein. I decided when I got my band that I wasn't going to diet anymore. I eat what I want, but I have it in moderation. I do log my food most days, but that's just something I like to do so I can see what I've been doing. Especially around the holidays as there is so much mindless eating. Also I tend to get very busy and believe it or not I sometimes forget to eat and tracking allows me to make sure I'm getting in enough veggies, etc. The good news is that I don't stress about food anymore. This past Thanksgiving was the first holiday I can remember not feeling guilt. I had what I wanted in small amounts and had a great day. No guilt!!! That, IMHO, is the best thing about the band. I eat like a normal person and I don't worry about it every day, all day. And also, I haven't had a fill in about 4 months. I have good restriction, but am not overly tight. I know everyone is different. And just like Jachut, there is no judgement in my comments. This is just my experience and my preference. I'm enjoying life like never before and the band is the tool I use to do that.

Hey Everyone! Hope you are all well. kcmagu - what kind of nursing do you do? I start nursing school in January and I just hope I can stay away from the junk food! My plan is to be prepared with healthy Snacks and such, but you know how that can go.

Cubs, I know how you feel. I was always self conscious about working out in front of people, especially men. I finally had to just tell myself it doesn't matter. I'm the only one who will suffer if I don't go. And like mom and your husband said, no one is probably even looking. I took two phys ed classes this semester and one was weight lifting. I was in there with all of these young, cute guys. I just finally sucked it up and did what I needed to do and you know what, they ended up being really nice and respectful. I also gained their respect by playing ultimate frisbee and the like. If I hadn't of done it, I would have missed out. Also, the fire academy cadets are on my campus, so it was a bonus going outside and running behind them! LOL!! I didn't care what they thought because the view was spectacular! I've now begun running 5Ks, yesterday I did 5 1/2 miles. You are my age, so if I can do it, so can you!!! Just start somewhere. You might want to look into the couch potato to 5K (and I'm not insinuating that you are a couch potato, that's just the name of the program :thumbup:). It lets you build your endurance a little at a time. I could barely do a couple of minutes at a time when I started running again, now I can do 40+. I love running and I miss it if I skip a day or two. I used to dream (literally) about running again, and now I am. If I can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to PM me or leave a message here. Good luck!!

Hello all! Glad to see this thread active again. I'm doing well and enjoying life. I've got finals this week and have been busy getting ready for those. I don't think I'm going to make my year end goal of 183, fairly certain I can't loose 10 pounds in three weeks , but that's okay. I'm happier now than I've been in a long time. I start nursing school in January so I'm just thankful that I'm in decent shape so I can keep up and have the energy I'm gonna need just to get through it. Congrats on everyone's weight loss. I haven't weighed this week yet, so hopefully I'm down another pound at least. My weight loss has slowed down to a crawl. I knew that would happen. I was hoping to be down 100 pounds by my bandiversary, but I'll be happy if I can get off 75 by then. Keep up the good work everyone! Every ounce adds up! :thumbup: Happy Holidays!

***NAME***********START WGHT.*****CURRENT WGHT.********GOAL**********LBS. LOST ***:wub: *************:thumbup:*************:tt2: ***********:cursing:**********:cool2:* 1000words..........237............229............220............8 1dayatime..........259............250............239............9 aJoneen............213............210............199............3 alliemorris73......229............229............199............0 Ariel..............193............193............183............0 Barb12590..........207............197............187...........10 Bea1129............198.5..........194............183...........4.5 Brandy.............208............203............198............5 CQQlgirl...........188............186............170............2 crzytchr...........265............257............250............8 JasonR.............366............366............351............0 Jodi_620...........174............166............159............8 KikiVal315.........229............223.5..........215..........5.5 Kirsty39...........237............234............217............3 laurigee...........170............162............158............8 Leslie2Lose........215............214............199............1 LilMissDiva........244............244............225............0 lindar172 .........257.8..........250.6..........240..........7.2 LisaB..............189............182............170............7 mamanmidwife.......275............268............255............7 MegMegs13..........266............260............250............6 mominlv13..........282.4..........274.6..........270..........7.8 noosagirl..........138............138............124............0 Renee74............198............195............185............3 renewedhope........162............161............150............1 SailorChristy......251.5..........248............230..........3.5 southernmissy......209............203............195............6

Hey Mom! Glad to hear from you. I had been wondering how you were doing. Sorry to hear about the issues with the band, etc. I know you'll get back on track soon. You are in my thoughts and prayers. My weight loss has certainly slowed to a crawl, but I'm still doing okay with inches. Even though I haven't lost much more weight, all of the sudden people are noticing. It's perfectly normal to go through periods of plateau and the closer you get to goal, generally it will be harder to loose. Everyone is doing so well. I hope everyone will be inclined to add pics to the April Avenger's pic site. I don't feel I'm ready to add them to the main photo gallery, but I feel comfortable sharing with you guys. I hope everyone will continue to post. We all go through rough periods, but hopefully we can all help each other. Good to hear from you all!

Carrie - congrats on nursing school too! I know what you mean about all white. I have so much more energy now, and I know I'm gonna need it! Firedad - Starting to measure yourself, excellent! Also, you look great! I just looked at your pics and I can totally see a difference! Now as far as you being tired and gaining, you work third shift my friend! Now it all makes sense! That's a hard shift to work and function normally. Don't beat yourself up. That's probably something you can't always control. The hubby works that shift and he's tired all the time. The best time for him to workout is right before he goes in, but most of the time it doesn't happen. Just do the best you can. Hope everyone else is doing well. My allergies are killing me which causes me to have trouble keeping most foods down except liquids and Soups. I'm out of Mucinex, gotta get some tomorrow! I just really want a piece of chicken or a salad. Tired of soup!

Hi! 196/ -50.5 Thanks for the update!

Hey everyone! I haven't been over here in a while, so I thought I'd drop in and say hi! I'm doing well, love my band! Congrats Pete! You are going to be banded on my b-day, so it's gotta be a good day! LOL! Good luck! Only 4 more days! Firedad - Hang in there. The first few months can be tough because you probably don't have adequate restriction yet; however, you have lost 60 pounds and that's awesome! I didn't get good restriction until my 3rd fill which was probably 4 months post-op. And it wasn't until then that I saw really good weight loss. I also recommend measuring yourself. I started measuring and taking pics from the very beginning. That way if I hit a plateau, I can see the difference in those numbers. As a matter of fact, I've lost more inches than weight. You are doing great, keep it up! I'm starting nursing school in January and I'm so glad I had the surgery. I can't imagine being 50 pounds heavier than I am now and trying to juggle school and home. Hope you all have a great day!!

I loved this thread. I was banded in April and have lost 50 pounds, which is great, but I really need to loose another 50. I had someone the other day ask me how much I've lost and I told her and she said "really, that's all? I figured you were down at least 80 if not 100". I'm never really sure if I should be offended or if that's a compliment. I feel like I need to constantly defend my weight loss because everyone expects me to just drop 100 pounds overnight. Then a good friend of mine saying "you're not going to try to loose any more are you?" And then still someone else talking about this girl she knew who was really fat, "she must weigh like 160 or something". WTH?!?

Finally was able to post pics. These are from last week. Down 50!

I didn't go completely overboard, but I did have one last cheeseburger and a Quizno's sandwich (not at the same time) because I knew I'd probably have to give up bread. However, I did go ahead and give up sodas before I had to so I feel like it evened out. LOL! I was mentally prepared and ready to make a change, so I didn't really have the desire to do that. Of course I was kicking myself the first week after surgery with nothing but liquids. I got over it though and I've never looked back.