Ezma

I'm so jealous! Fresh veggies! I tried to grow a few things this year but it's so hard to keep them alive here. The heat just beats em down.

We kind of hit on this a bit on another thread but I thought it would be good to have one just for our 6-month goals. So if you have a specific goal or just a general one, let us all know. I'll post mine again - I want to lose 100 pounds total by 8-18-08. There's also a pair of pants that I'd like to fit into. It's close so hopefully they will go on. :wub:

Congrats on the restriction! And yep, that's what mine feels like. Like a lump in my throat but it's the upper part of my stomach.

Hope you can get on the exercise band wagon soon. I'd say it is one of the top two things that have made the weight fly off for me. Of course, the band at restriction helps, healthy foods that nourish you and keep you full of energy and exercise. It was so hard for me to get started but I'm so very glad I did.

You can do it Ready! Anyone with your spunk can do anything they want. Just forget last month, forget last week, forget yesterday. Today is the start. Yay Ready!!!!! You rock!

Keep in mind that some of us are counting more than just since we were banded. Mine is from the time I first visited my surgeon. I've lost 90 total and 54 of that is since the band. You're right there in the ballpark with many of the VVs. You're doing great!

Me too Jaime. I really, really want to hit 100 total gone by my 6 month with is 8-18. Have 10 to go and I think it's do-able. Yippee!!

Well I have 90 reasons I love my band. The pounds I will never see again. I actually turned down a fill yesterday. I'm just barely starting to have some slight sticking sensations and can't still eat most things but I'm losing weight at a really nice rate and don't want to lose that by not being able to get enough calories in a day. It has been really quiet around this board. Makes me sad too. But I realized that we are all getting to a point where band life is becoming just life. It's not new, very few surprises and most of us aren't to the next stage of reaching our goals and possible plastic surgery. Pretty sure many of us still check every day and would love a chance to post.

Queen - You're such a sweetie. Thank you. It's great to see your posts again. Rhapsody. you too. Welcome back. I've missed all of you guys. This place is the one place I know everyone really understands what I'm going through right now. Addjoy - I can send you a few days of my meals but they aren't perfect. They are working well for me right now though. Seems if I stay between 1000-1100 and keep it pretty balanced between Protein, carbs and fats I do well. I am really trying to eat healthy and the carbs and fats are mostly from healthy sources. Though I do admit to splurging on a dessert every day. I can't seem to break my ice cream habit. I keep it a small amount and try to make sure I balance the calories out. If I've been bad it has to be a low cal skinny cow kind of thing. If I've been really low on calories it's Tiramisu - mmmmmm. Check out the Clean eating threads here or Clean Eating Magazine and Eat Clean Diet stuff. I love that magazine so much I should get paid for advertising it - lmao. Basics of my diet - Breakfast - 4oz lite yogurt or Fage Total 0% with a few berries -during the week I also have a large sf vanilla iced coffee from McDonalds Snack - 1/2 to 1 cup fruit or 2 tablespoons of hummus with about 5 soy crisps or mini rice cakes lunch - pouch of tuna or some of the meat left over from dinner and some kind of veggie thing Might snack of a few pieces of dried veggies or fruit, soy chips or something like that during the afternoon if I'm hungry Dinner is usually meat, veggies and good starch but in much smaller portion size than the rest of the family. Dessert later on. Keep in mind this isn't what my nutritionist recommends or the program from my doctor's office but my doctor is good with it since I'm doing well and it's healthy. Only part he wants me to get rid of is the dessert and wants no food after dinner. We'll see.

We went for the first gym visit yesterday. Met with the guy, did the weigh in and measurements, then did a bit of cardio. Two things happened that pleasantly surprised me. First off it took 8 minutes of walking at a moderate speed and a 5.5 incline to get my heart rate to 138. That is fantastic for me since I used to get to 140-150 in about a minute at 2.0 speed with 1.5 incline. Those cardio workouts I've been doing must be helping - well, that and losing 90 pounds. The next thing was when the guy was measuring me he said "Wow! You have a skinny person's legs." I know, kinda of backhanded compliment but he said it nicely. And since I have always felt really embarrassed in shorts it made my day. In fact, I had hubby take me to Trader Joes in my shorts on the way home. :party: I also found two new workouts that I downloaded. One is a kick-boxing workout and the other is belly dancing. They both look real fun.

My favorites by far are the apple/melon and the blue raspberry. Next would be the punch and grape. The others are not so nice particularly the teas - ewwwww.

I was looking for those old Richard Simmons ones but haven't found them at the secondhand bookstores or garage sales yet. I sure I will one day. They look like they'd be the perfect level for me. And definately something I'd hide away while doing. Sorry to hear you guys are at one of those spots. Ewwwwww. I get the icky shivers just thinking about it. Hang in there though and it will pass. I'll be wishing it goes away for you soon.

Some really great ideas guys - please keep em coming. I'm starting to look at things differently. I do love dancing and I want to learn to belly dance. Figure it will be good for the abs. Definately won't be doing anything outdoors until after October. It's 110+ here everyday and I don't think it drops below 90 even at night.

We have Cox Cable and On Demand sounds really familiar. Is it pay-per-view or are these free? Very curious here. :biggrin2:

Wow! You're doing fantastic, especially with no fill.

When I first started this journey I could barely walk around our small block and was wiped at the end of the day. Now I easily can walk that and regularly shop for hours. I also do a cardio workout for about 20 minutes each day. Well, I'm getting a bit burned out on it and know I need to switch it up a bit. I do start a free 1 month gym membership at our old gym on Saturday. But I know we won't be able to keep that going since funds are very short since hubby is still out of work from brain tumor and no idea when, if ever, he will go back to work. What do you guys do for your daily exercise? I just want ideas and I'm kinda curious about everyone's exercise capacity at the 4 month post-op point. Thanks.

Just wanted to let you know that her surgery was done back in February. She doesn't even need time off now, it's been over for 4 months now. They are just worried that something might happen in the future which is so highly unlikely at this point.

Congrats Karen!!! That's such great news. You've been working so hard on this and it's good to see you getting the rewards you deserve. Can't wait to hear how everything goes. I'm so curious about the plastic surgery end of it but since I have quite a ways to go I'm not even looking at it seriously yet.

Okay, you need to nip this one in the bud. It sounds like a small company but I could be wrong. You have a few choices on how to handle this discrimination. Personally I'd calm down first, maybe wait until a day or two passes just so I can remain professional. Then I'd speak privately with the manager, the one that is supposed to make it official. I'd explain that you were told that it would be 3 months and you're very happy with the job and wondering why it's been 5 months and nothing. Casually advise her that you had heard that it was due to the Lap Band but you're sure that it couldn't be that - that you know a company like this would never discriminate like that, it must just be that crazy office talk. Basically let them know you know the shit they are pulling but give them an out. Give them a way to gracefully correct the situation. The other option is to take it to HR or her boss but that could cause you more problems in the long run. Hugs to ya and hope things get better soon.

Oh Ready, you are just so wonderful. Got me a bit choked up there too and I don't even have the period thing to blame for my weepiness. This is a great group. And yes, we do have different opinions and experiences but I think that is what is so helpful for everyone. You can express yourself and see the broad range of experiences. I did have two pre-op diets - the six month for the insurance and a two week pre-op to "shrink my liver". During the 6 month is was typical couple pounds a month then gained 6 back at Christmas. Ended up losing 18 from that. Then I had the very strict 2-week with just broth, sugar free popsicles and Jello and 3 Protein shakes a day. I thought I was gonna die. I was starving all the time, going through caffeine withdrawal and wanted to kill my doctor, nutritionist and nurses. I was sure it was ridiculous to do this and knew had never suffered so. I know, a bit melodramatic there. But I lost another 16 pounds from it and it gave me some insight into myself. I knew I could do this band thing and succeed. It made me feel strong and confident. I know that the surgeons can do the operation without it but if it makes it easier for them, I'm game. I feel a bit bad when people compare their post op weight loss and feel like they aren't doing as well because they are. But I did work hard to get those pounds off too and I want to claim them. I do hope it's clear in my signature that part of it was pre-op.

I've only had 3 fills and it would be 4 if I hadn't had the kinked tubing surgery to throw me off schedule. I feel like my doctor is right in the middle as far as rate of fills. But Gibson, yours is the slowest I've seen yet. Hugs to you. Keep on working it. I know it's tough when you're getting no help from the band or your doctor.

I love this kind of stuff. Thank you! A while back I had read something about the lap band and how it seems to effect a hormone that helps the body feel full. There's a second hormone that works with Lepitin called Ghrelin. Somehow the band seems to elevate one of these hormones and that helps you to feel satisfied and less likely to have the emotional snack attack. I don't totally understand it because not much is written for the lay person. I do know that they think that these findings may very well lead to a pill for obesity someday. Another thing I wish I could figure out is why sometimes, and it's almost always at night, I get a maniacal need for food. It's like a crazed drive to find just what my body needs. Very hard to fight through that. I'm guessing it's related to Lepitin.

Welcome back! I've missed the dancin' Megan. You're sure right about this site. I have to check in about 4 times a day. It keeps me focused on the goal and how to get there. Will be nice to see your sweet face around here again.

Happy birthday Shiny!!!! Hope you have a wonderful day and even more wonderful year. And it sounds like you have the right attitude to make it happen. Congrats on 75 pounds too. Good day for you. :thumbup:

I don't think I listed this one on the thread I had with links - Healthy Recipes, Healthy Eating, Healthy Cooking - Eating Well. I had picked up the magazine back in March and forgot about it. It's not totally clean eating but you could easily adapt the recipes as they are pretty clean. Their recipes are healthy without sacrificing taste.