JanetC

Hey Stacey, does your surgeon have a nutritionist as a part of your program? Sorry about your gain! Hope your fill does the trick! Let us know how much you've got now! It's really interesting hearing how restriction comes & goes. I know I feel it for myself, but it's good to hear that I'm not the only one!

LOL, I love it, Tammy! I get chocolate for your time! And that's about now, right? So I've gotta go to the store... fast! Yeah, our surgeon asks that we take a chewable multi-vitamin. (I got a teen one from GNC, but we were taking Centrum chewable before that -- I don't like the flavor, lol.) AND we're supposed to supplement calcium -- high protein diets have been found to leech calcium from bones. We take a generic form of Viativ calcium chews. They're YUMMY!!! (The chocolate tastes like Tootsie Rolls & the caramel rocks!! Spring Valley, I think.) We take chewable glucosamine from GNC (peanut butter) as well... but that's just because we have bad joints. The doc doesn't ask about it, heh, but we LIKE them! All told, we get almost 100 calories just from supplements, lol, sad! They didn't really say we had to count calories, just protein grams. But they keep asking about how much we're eating, so I just started tracking. That way I can just hand them a report & they can see for themselves! The nutritionist was worried when my calories went below 1000. She hasn't seen the 3000 from last week yet, lol. Can't wait for that one! As long as you're losing, I think they're happy. It's when the weight loss slows down that they'll start examining things. At 275, you need approx 2750 calories a day to maintain. Cut 1000 off of that to lose 2 pounds a week (more or less). So you can have 1700'ish calories & still lose. Or at least that's the theory. I'm a numbers geek, so I'm always crunching them.

I was just reading Nataly's post about starvation mode & got to wondering. So I've got some questions: How tall are you? How much do you weigh? How many calories do you need to maintain at your current weight? What's your average calorie intake for the last week? What's your average calorie output for the last week? What's your net difference? Multiply your average per day by 7 (7 days in a week) and divide that by 3500 (calories in a pound)... how many pounds could you expect to lose (if our bodies worked like calculators)? The first 2 only matter to put things in perspective (Mikey needs a LOT more calories to maintain at 495 then I do at 277). The last 3 will change. For me: 5'5" 277 pounds At 10 calories per pounds (rough estimate), 2770 calories / day to maintain Ugh, do we HAVE to do last week? 2210 / day average 2812 / day average I burned 602 calories / day average more then I needed to maintain. 602 x 7 days = 4214 / 3500 = 1.2 pounds (Wow, can't believe I should still lose! I used to eat a TON!! Who knew?!) For the previous week (when I was better, lol): 4. 1192 / day average 5. 2810 / day average 6. 1618 extra / day 7. 1618 x 7 = 11,326 / 3500 = 3.2 pounds!!!! An interesting experiment... thanks for tagging along!

If you teach at a school where they change rooms every so often, keep a protein bar in your desk & eat 1 bite every room change. I know it's "snacking", but I'd never be able to get enough inside me in 30 min!

I don't know anyone, but come to the lunch on 5/27 & we'll set you straight! (j/k, but there's going to be booze! That's on your diet plan, right? )

Heh, we're going to ignore the weekend (3000 cal a day **shudder!!**). Yesterday was 1st day of Boot Camp, woohooo!! 80 oz Water, woohoo! B: AchievOne coffee/protein drink L: 3 oz beef D: Lasagna with meat Sauce (Michelina's) (320) 2nd D (LOL): Ziti Parmesano (260) S: Fruit & yogurt parfait (160) sugar-free ice cream bar (90) Total for the day: 1270 That's more like it! Still not picture perfect from my nutritionist's standpoint (not enough protein), but better then 3000 calories! Thanks for letting me embarrass myself!

Ok Tammy... I cannot believe I'm doing this! I will give up chocolate for you!! Ok, so I'll have to specify. We have these sugar-free ice cream bars that are made with Splenda (90 cals). I just can't give those up, lol. But their chocolate doesn't even taste like chocolate, it just keeps the ice cream from falling off the stick, lol. But no more Hershey's Special Dark for me! AUGH!!!! Can we really do this? I gave up Diet Coke, but NOT CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!! **gulp!** Woooohooooo!!! Go Nanster! That's awesome news! Congrats on that pound! I do feel "pain" in my port now & then... sometimes stingy, sometimes achy. I like to rub my stomach over it. And I'm still not brave enough to do sit-ups, lol. Gonna have to bite the bullet sometime! But I feel it "pull" when I twist the right way. Tammy, girl, you crack me up! LOL, bathing the blackberry! I'm with ya, though, I NEVER need reminding about weight stuff! You're getting in your water? Awesome!! Make sure you're taking your vitamins too! That way you can check off 2 things! (Our doctor always asks us 4 things: Are you drinking enough water? Are you taking your vitamins? Are you getting in your protein? Are you exercising? And then the kicker... how many calories a day are you eating? HOW MANY? Um, are those liquid calories? Heh, love my doctor's staff! )

Where'd you go, Penni? I thought I'd come over here & poke you with a stick! Plus, I've been looking for a home for my checklist. It was inspired by you, lol, so you're getting stuck with it! I don't weigh myself (no scale)... so I HAVE to work my plan to make a difference. I'm really trying to focus on things I CAN control & not stuff I can't (water weight, plateaus, etc). 10-APR-2006 Vitamins — check Water — check (First time in 4 days!) Protein — check! Exercise — no check (This is per plan.) food journal — check! Good choices — semi-check (Better then last week, but not where it needs to be.) Calorie difference 1000+ — check! (1381, first time in a week!) Daily affirmations 3 times — semi-check (2 of 3)

How'd we do yesterday? Penni? How was your NutriSystem food yesterday? Yummy? Brenda? You stick to your liquids? Did everyone get their Water in? ** Happy dance!! ** I did!! (For the first time in 4 days, lol.) Privates banding together for the win! Now, since the water is in... on to the movement! Get that body trucking! See you on the street!

Hi Babs! Thanks for reading it all! I do think it may be the Protein shakes, or just overall hunger issues. I, um, went nuts last week & overate a ton... really, really, really bad choices. BUT... the pain went away, lol. So either it was the lack of Protein drinks or it was the lack of hunger. I'm trying to get my head back under control this week & figure out which thing is causing the pain. I thought I'd beaten the pain, but as soon as I cut back the calories, it popped right back up. I do still have my gall bladder. I was wondering about it as well. My doc suggested I take my temp regularly, lol. I'd never even considered it! It's been normal so far, so he doesn't think it's the gall bladder. We see him again next Monday, so I should have another update. Hope you get your pain figured out Leener! How on earth do you get all your protein in as a vegetarian? I don't think I could eat enough tofu!

Oh my word, Brenda! You poor thing! Hang in there! Baby yourself & be kind to your tummy! And get a new doc quick! No one needs to hear "I told you so" or "You should know better" from a skinny unsympathetic man!!

Welcome back, Jamie & congrats on your bandiversary & 96 pounds (!!!)... you're rockin'!

Heh, going a week without a PB? At this point, I'd be happy to make it a day! I know what I have to do... I just don't seem to be willing to do it. **sigh** I've done the Water... and a sip of flat diet coke. (For some reason, watching me pour coke from cup to cup in desperation makes Mikey laugh, lol.) Both liquids hurt like nobody's business to start with, but they seem to force it either up or down. Like the salt water my mom used to make me drink when I was feeling ill. In 15 min you're either better or have thrown up. Either way, it shut me up!

Wow!!! You're looking awesome!! Congrats!

I think I've fooled ya'll! LOL. I SOOO don't have it together! Barely hanging on by the skin of my teeth. (How gross that my teeth have skin!) This weekend was unbelievable. I ate THREE THOUSAND CALORIES!!! Both Friday AND Saturday!! 3000!!!! And Sunday was better, lol, only 2000. (!!!!!) Stinkin-piece-of-junk! I knew I was out of control, but until I put it into Fitday, I didn't know just how much!! And I didn't exercise Fri through today. AUGH!!!! I'm just so depressed. All I want to do is eat chocolate! I'm SOOO with you there, Tammy! And moan about why did I do this to myself & why isn't it working & how dare certain other people (not on our thread, thank goodness, lol) lose so much so fast and rub it in. It's just not fair!! Wahhhh!!! Poor, poor me!! And then I wake up & it's Monday & I HATE Monday's... and I joined the Spring Boot Camp, so I've GOT to get motivated. And I go and PB AGAIN!!! WHEN WILL I LEARN!?! On the good side, in 14 days the DFW folks are having a lunch together & next month (5/27) we're driving to Houston to have lunch with the LBTers (because we're nuts). And Mikey & I are going to check out a TOPS meeting (http://www.tops.org/) & see if they can help me out some, lol. And so the war continues.... Nanster! Congrats on the scale moving!! We'll take every 10th of a pound we can get, let me tell you! Happy2: It's the 10th, how was your first fill? Tell us all the gory details! Stacey!! Thank goodness, you're safe!! I was really getting worried about you! I'm so glad your family is alive & safe & still has a house! (( HUGS!! )) Elisa: Welcome back!! Good to hear that you had a great time on the cruise! Color me jealous! And congrats on your NSV, woohooo!!! Tammy: LOL, be careful what you wish for indeed!! I got SOOOO angry when I actually had restriction and couldn't eat like I wanted! And now I'm crying again cuz it's gone. I'm just never happy! But we'll be here to hug you either way! So go get that fill! And no more chocolate! I'll put it down if you do! Becky: I'm so glad you're feeling something! And sorry that you felt it in the form of golf-balls & PBs. I originally stayed on liquid for the rest of the day after a PB, but after I started PBing all the time, I changed that... I do liquid for the rest of THAT meal, then I do something soft (chili normally) for the rest of the day... and just really chew well. Seriously, tiny bites, chew FOREVER, and then watch a second hand or a stop-watch. Wait 30-60 seconds after swallowing before you take another bite. Worked for me. (Well, when I let it... I still find myself sneaking in bites at 10 seconds **sigh**.)

LOL (( hugs )) Becky! Glad to hear that you'd chewed! Hope your throat's feeling better!

Hey Ethel! A wee bird here on LBT told me about TOPS... they may be a little cheaper then Weight Watchers. I haven't been yet... I'm going to my first meeting on Wed. Check them out & see if there's one near you! It seems to be $24 per year + monthly dues of about $3-5 dollars. http://www.tops.org/ Check 'em out! I can definitely understand that need for support & motivation... I've lost my drive after 20 pounds, lol! You've done GREAT for so long! You give me hope! Anyway, back to the regularly scheduled program... we won't weigh until next week, but I'm doing better today then yesterday, woohoo!!

It is a Saturday, Ms Vicki. May, not April. At least I hope I picked the right calendar! The one on my wall is still from last year, lol, so you never know! Thanks for making it the 27th! We'll bring... um... something we can buy at the grocery store once we get there! Most likely a veggie plate....

I had a cold & they didn't reschedule... and I'm plagued with worries that I'm infected & it just hasn't shown yet, lol. It did effect my breathing... I had a bronchial spasm during the surgery. Other then that, I didn't notice any side-effects. I did find it easy to cough post-op, lol. (Though OUCH!) Oh, the anesthesiologist did put an anti-biotic into my IV before he put me out... I don't know if that's standard or was because I had the sniffles.

Wow, that's awesome!! Congrats!

Heh, congrats on signs of restriction! Since it's your first fill, my advice would be to slow down & re-introduce foods slowly, to see what you can tolerate (similar to the post-op plan). I've found that soup meat almost always will go down, but "dry" meat won't without TINY bites & extreme chewing. Food lube for the win! (catsup, dressing, etc)

It takes me about as many times as extra bites, lol. If I was eating slowly, 60 secs between bites, then I might have 1 extra bite. But normally, lol, I have 3-4 extra bites, so it takes 3-4 times. I haven't stuck my finger down my throat yet, though I've considered it. But when I heave that way, it feels differently (at least in my memory). Post-op heaves feel more like hiccups/small heaves to me, so I'm scared to assist.

I can't get over your waist!!! And those pics are with swelling??? Man, I can't wait to get PS now!

OH MY!!! You look AWESOME!! I looked at your before & thought, wow, I could so live with myself at that point... she looks great! And so thin! And then I looked at the after.... WOW!!! You look like someone who's never been overweight! Your boobs! They're perfect!! Your stomach!! So flat!! Awesome, awesome, awesome! Congrats & thanks so much for sharing!

Congrats & welcome! Heal fast!!! How about "Patience"? 'Cuz she'll have some with you... she'll patiently teach you the same lesson until you learn it (!) ... and you're going to need tons with her!