Ezma

Yeah, I tried upping the calories a bit a couple weeks ago and I thought it worked, then I had a hard time stopping and gained 3 pounds back. Hoping a day like this and it will snap it back to losing again. So far so good.

OMG! You had a horrible week there. Glad to hear you're home now. Feeling any better yet? Bet you're glad it wasn't the band after all. Hope they get your fill back in soon so you don't have to fight that too. Take care of yourself. You deserve some rest.

Ready, you look great! You look so happy and vivacious. And I can definately see the lost weight in your face. And a PhD in Biochemistry! Damn she's a smart one. Congrats to you both.

Really looking great there. Dang it! I want progress pictures that look like that.

DahYam!!!!! You look fantastic. I think you should be on that show 10 Years Younger or whatever it's called. I swear you look about 10-15 years younger.

Woo hoo Lil! You're rockin' that band.

Thought I'd share this too. It's from a chef on Discovery Channel. 88 Calorie Brownies November 30, 2007 Yes, these are for real! They are the creation of Chef Devin Alexander, a master at turning sinful treats into healthier fare. The bestselling author is also a host of her own show on Discovery Healthy Channel. Devin’s 88 Calorie Brownies Ingredients 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 egg whites 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet) Butter-flavored cooking spray Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 inch non-stick cake pan with spray. In a medium mixing bowl, using a sturdy whisk or spatula, mix the applesauce, vanilla, egg whites and sugar until they are well combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir the mixture until it is just combined and no lumps remain. Pour it into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chips evenly over the top. Bake the brownies for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry (a few crumbs are okay). Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow them to cool 5 minutes. Cut into 12 equal brownies. Makes 12 (1 brownie) servings. Each brownie has: 88 calories, 2 g Protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, less than 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g Fiber, 133 mg sodium Traditional Double Chocolate Brownies have: 260 calories, 3 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 165 mg sodium

You're very welcome. I haven't even had a chance to try it out yet myself but judging by the ingrediants it should be just like a regular brownie. I've been trying to cook up a healthy storm so I'm trying all kinds of new recipes.

Me too. And it really pisses me off too. Even on my bad days I'm at about half of what I should be eating to lose 2 pounds a week at a completely inactive activity level. And I excercise almost daily - maybe not a lot but I burn usually 150-400 calories. Whaaaaaahhhh! Okay, whine sequence completed, moving on to productive/happy day cycle.

Okay, I'm in again. I'm gonna shoot for 2.5 hours this week. Lord help me. I'm aching from the aerobics and shoulder work outs. LOL

Yay Gibson! Glad you're joining us. I bought some 2lb weights today, we'll see how that goes. What is Walk Away the Pounds?

Ouch! You feeling better? Wishing you lots of health.

I'm right there with most of you. I'm trying to get rid of processed and pre-made foods from our house. Lots of fresh and organic fruits and veggies, lean meats and whole grains. Even though we have some real nice healthy grocery stores here I'm still paying about the same. I feel like it's much better for all of us though. We're not all the way there but we've definately made a lot of changes for the better. I do crave those crappy snack items at times but now I also find myself craving a mango or roasted veggies or grilled seafood and chicken.

I'm sure your doctor will give you a fill. If you are losing weight slower and are hungry more often, that's a good indicator that you need a fill. 6-8 weeks post op seems to be the norm for a first fill. If he doesn't want to fill you, I'd ask why and what the port is for then. It's an adjustable band meant to be adjusted as needed. LOL

Now, more than ever, I'd think you'd want to be good to yourself and do things to make you happy and healthy. The answer would be easy for me. Just 4 days after my surgery, my husband of 14 years was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. The stress didn't seem to effect me much except for a slightly longer healing time. Plus I was too distracted to think about food, another plus. Hope you feel better soon. Life is full of wonderful opportunities - this just might be one for you.

Yay! I finished my 120 minutes with two extra minutes and the day isn't over yet. I've been doing aerobic and strength workouts from National Body Challenge. If you had asked me to do it 4 months ago I would have said no way can I do that. It's exciting to be getting back into shape even though I have a ways to go.

Mariem - I had the exact same problem as you with them, only one doctor covered by my United Health Care insurance. I ended up using Banner Gateway Bariatrics. They did a great job of coordinating everything I needed to get the insurance approval. I know they have monthly information seminars but I'm not sure when the next one is. Their phone number is 480-543-2606 if you want to check them out.

Bet that put a huge smile on your face. I know it put one on mine. Another NSV, congrats!

I'm really having a hard time getting a hang of this band. When I first had my surgery I was full easily and it seemed like I barely had time to eat the little bit of food I got on the full liquid stage. I was at about 600-800 calories then. Then I got my first fill even though I wasn't sure I needed one. I lost for about 3 weeks, then hit a plateau and even gained 3 back over a three week period. At that time my calories slowly crept from 800 to about 1200. Last Tuesday I got my second fill and had 1072 calories that day then went down to 660-950 most recent right in the 700-800 range. I lost weight fast again. Took off the 3 I gained plus another 6 but over the last two days I've stalled again. Also, I don't feel quite as tight though I know I still have restriction because I almost threw up the last two nights at dinner. I'm also hungry fairly often. Okay, now the questions. Do I just need a fill, even if just a small one? Is this just a normal body fluctuation or cycle? Am I hungry more often because I've boosted my metabolism? Should I kick up the calories for a couple days then drop them way down for a couple to shock my system? Do I need to change the kind of food I eat? I'm trying to stay low carb but I've been getting around 50-60g, couple days I was down to 40ish. Sorry for all the questions but I'm really worried and don't want to gain any back. I love when I'm losing fast and want to do my best to keep that going. Also, I'm doing about the same amount of excercise for the last 3 weeks though I added aerobics one day. And my next fill is on 6-10. Anybody have any ideas on my million and one questions or ideas I might try?

Have to admit I was thrown too. I did google spag bol and it was spaghetti bolognese. Hope it was right. LOL I guessed the same as you on the other stuff too. Our metric conversion didn't go too well in the 70s.

Holy moly. 720 minutes? I can't wait until that doesn't seem like a complete impossibility to me. Bet that's why you're doing so well with the weight loss too.

WOO HOO! Water weight gone for good! That's so great to hear that it happened so fast.

I'm going slow so far this week. I still need 53 mins to finish up my 2 hours. Should be able to do it this weekend though. How are you doing Ready?

My fill is on June 10th too Peek. I'll be crossing my fingers for you too.

I hear ya. I've been beating myself up fierce and then apologizing to myself profusely. Think I should send myself flowers? If I kill myself is battered woman syndrome still a defense. LOL sorry, got carried away there. And Lil, you're the one that got me to see that my drinking with my meals was probably my problem. I waited today, not perfectly but much better than before. And guess what? I was much less hungry today and so far it looks like I'll end the day at about 800-900 calories which is down from 1100-1200. Thank you!