KatW

PS What was your time overall? breakdown of sports times? Kat

I have found a great deal of support from attending overeaters Anonymous. They do not endorse any particular eating plan. The purpose of the meetings is to address the reasons that drive us to overeat in the first place. I plan attending them even after surgery. My stomach may have changed, but my emotions are the same. I have found them to be invaluable in this process. Good luck to you! Kat W

Congrats on your tri! You rock! Whens the next one? Quick story- sort of related to tri. I went to my pre-op appointment the other day and the nurse in the Bariatric clinic put me on the Tanita scale to measure body fat and lean body mass to establish my Protein needs. The scale runs off of algorythms. There is a setting for Athletic and Regular. I said to the nurse,"You need to put mine on athletic." Her response was, "OOOOH, are you one of those smartasses?". I kept it in check and said,"Why yes, as a matter of fact I am, but in this case I am serious, I complete in Olympic length triathlons. She laughed like it was a joke and so I just stood there waiting. After a minute she says," Oh, you are serious!" I didn't say anything else, but it really pissed me off! Even athletic people can be fat, and I was so disapointed to experience that bias at my DOCTOR's office. Very rude and insensitive. Funny thing is, I know SHE can't do what I can. Kat W

Love mine too. I just zone out with it on.

Spanking works. It stops the child from repeating an unwanted behavior. It also makes them more likely to hit others, become bullies, and use aggression as a way to get what they want from others. That is what the research published out of the APA shows. For me, I am only speaking for myself, the long term cost of the lesson I would teach to my child about dominance far outweighs the the short term gain of obedience. A person of wisdom once told me that "spare the rod, spoil the child." refers to the use of a rod by the shepherd to guide the sheep, not beat the sheep. I choose this interpretation. KatW

Where do you get your podcasts from? That would rock! I have a SwimP3 and listen to music while I swim. KatW

lipo in a box has a full bodysuit.

PS I thinkf there are plenty of shallow women out there too. I didn't mean to imply that only men suffer from this ailment. I had a few more thought about this. Your original post hit really close to home. I would like to share a little of my own experience with men and I hope some of it will resonate with you. I grew up heavy with a sister who was always thinner, more beautiful. I felt like the ugly girl. I never had a date or boyfriend in high school, or college. I thought it was because I was so fat and ugly. I lost a great deal of weight in my 20's- got thinner than my sister. I still didn't have dates, male attention. I couldn't understand why not. I thought, well, it must be me! There is something wrong with me! It made me feel horrible. I thought that my problem would be solved once I was thin, and it wasn't. It hadn't changed at all. I was still me- different package. I would love to tell you that i had some huge epiphany, but I didn't. What really happened is that I stopped looking and stopped blaming myself. Looking back, I can see that while I thought I was ready to have a relationship-I wasn't. The weight loss was the least of the changing I needed to do. Fat is one way of telling people to stay away, but it is not the only one. Whether I was aware of it or not, I was teaching those around me how to treat me and I was saying "Don't go there!" For a long time, nothing changed, but eventually I stopped worrying about it. I was happy with who I was and confident in myself. Suddenly, I had a boyfriend. How did that happen? And it was nice, but it was not as extraordinary, mindblowing as I had imagined it would be. I wasn't a different person, I wasn't changed in any grand way. I could handle what was going on and it didn't scare me, freak me out, or make me feel like more of a woman. I just liked the guy and I could accept that he liked me. He is not the man I married, but he holds a special place in my heart as the first man I was fearless enough to open myself up to. The gist of this post is that it isn't about the men- at least it wasn't for me. You are doing just fine. KatW

Are you kidding? It doesn't sound sexist to me so much as shallow! I know that MANY men think this way, but why would a woman want one of them? There are plenty of great guys out there who so transcend this kind of mentality. ( I am married to one of them- they are real. My husband is a hottie endurance racer with a six pack and he loves me now- thinks i'm sexy- fat or thin. Girl, I hope you don't THINK to pander to this kind of man. He will never make you happy. Find you own bliss first. The man that is right for you will show up. It won't be on your timeline, however. You gotta let go worrying about the men. Confidence, happiness, and self-acceptance radiate to people of character and integrity, regardless or their weight or yours! KatW

I am getting banded on June 13th and I have been doing a great deal of self examination in order to prepare myself. What are my expectations? Am I prepared? How will this change my life? I have read so many posts on this website- the good, the bad, and the ugly. Thank God for all of them because they have given me a range of experiences, outcomes, and expectations. What keeps coming to mind as a metaphor is that the surgery is the wedding, not the marrige. Lapband is the beginning, not the solution. Everything that come afterwards- my commitment to the eating plan, visits to my doctor, my exercise program- all these things are what make the Lapband succeed. I am not passive in this process. I am the single most responsible person for my success or failure. My wedding did not guarantee a happy marriage. I have to work at it every day, give it my time attention, and love. It has to be a commitment I make every day over and over again. It would be so nice to have my battle with my body end in a "and they all lived happily ever after....fade to black." My wedding was lovely. My husband is my best friend and lover, but we didn't sail into the sunset. We have had ups and downs, illness, and the near death of a child, fights and misunderstandings. I love and cherish our marriage now more than the day we were married because of all the trials and joys. Lapband is life-altering and I will have to give of myself, give up old habits and behaviors, hopes, expectations and preconceptions. That sounds like a tall order! I am willing to try, however. My marriage has been hard, too, and the most rewarding effort I have ever made. Nothing worth achieving has ever been easy. KatW

I am using Provost. I am getting banded on June 13th. So far, so good. I have not liked their insurance specialist Camille, or his nurse. Both have been brusque and rude on the phone when I have called for information. Dr. Provost, I liked for his direct manner. He was recommended to me by my GP as having a good track record within the medical community, whch was the most important thing for me. KatW

Dr. Provost at UT Southwestern in Dallas is who I am using.

I put this webpage on another thread. It is a website for anyone thinking about tri-ing. BeginnerTriathlete.com - Athena & Clydesdale Triathletes. The forum page is for Clydsdale/Athena athletes- ie heavier athletes- and their particular concerns! Anyone can do tri with the proper training! KatW

Ok. One more June Bandster. My surgery is scheduled for the 13th!

Geez, beginning to feel like the resident know-it-all but here goes. I am currently weighing in at 260 lbs and I compete in triathlons! Sometimes I even manage to place. The point is you can totally do this! THere is a website that I am leaving here that might help you get started BeginnerTriathlete.com - Athena & Clydesdale Triathletes. This is the page to the clydesdale/athena forum, but the site itself has great training info as well as free basic programs that you can use. As a fatty, the run will never be your friend, but the swim- you can rock on (sometimes I compete on a team of normal sized athletes and I am there because I am the fastest swimmer they got! So far, this season, we have come in 1st and 2nd in our division.- I am seriuosly proud of us! Let me brag a little!) Swim is all technique and stamina- the Water removes the weight as an issue. Even on the bike, you can do well- tri with hilly courses excluded. The weight counts there! I think ti have alot of support and acceptance for all kinds. Perhaps because everyone there has a problem with one of the disciplines. Good swimmer-bad runner- you get my point! I hope you plow forward! KatW

Don't worry if you have to switch to BS during the race! I have seen people swim on their back, sidestroke, paddle....There is no rule that it must be entirely FS. I like to be able to swim an easy 2000 meters in a WO before I feel like I have enough endurance to really race during the swim. The thing that I have found about the swim is that adrenaline plays a huge role in the Water. Most people go out at a much faster pace than they can maintain and the consequences to the rest of the race are huge! In addition, you will find that the water is not so much the issue as the other swimmers who may kick you, run in to you, run you over, etc. Also, new open water swimmers forget to sight enough and they will swim off course, and that can really add to the distance. One last note, if you will allow me to give some words from my experience. When you get out of the water be prepared to be very disoriented. You will be dizzy and surprisingly confused. You will get to your bike and forget to put on your socks before your bike shoes. Practicing your transitions from the swim to the bike and the bike to the run can really help. Some people just want to think it through, but I recommend actually doing it more than a few times. Plan it out and it will go much smoother. When is your 1st event? KatW

That was the gist of my original post. I am worried as well about how the band is going to affect the way I drink. From reading in alot of other areas- not sport specific- I get the idea that the problem will resolve itself when I find the right fill level. Fingers crossed it is so! Kat

Just keep on going! You have solved so many of the issues that you battle! Not to sound cheesy but everyone gets lost, frustrated, down on themselves, and angry at the world. I would be discouraged if I thought that the "one thing" that would help me didn't work as I assumed it would. I am sorry for that loss. I can tell you feel really betrayed, let down, and exhausted by the struggle. You are helping your kids right now and every day that you keep on going and making the best choices you have to make. Good luck! KatW

Wow! All I can think is that when you struggle for so long to find a solution to a a major monkey on your back and it isn't working as you imagined it would- it must be devastating. I have tried everything to keep my weight off. And I have not succeeded, but along the way, I have become a triathlete, learned to cook healthy, become a trainer, lowered my cholesterol and BP, make a plethera of new friends and had a wealth of experiences that I never would have had without this problem of mine weight. Now, I am having the Lapband. I am working to remember that life is a process, not an event. So is Lapband. I also will say that I am grateful for the negative posts about the surgery as well as the positive-For someone like me, I need to hear the good and the bad. That my journey doesn't end at the surgeon's doorstep, but rather that it takes work- like everything worth having in life. I feel better prepared for the bad moments from reading about other experiences. I hope that I will have an easy surgery and loose gobs of weight with little effort, but I am preparing to accept a harder process where I struggle. I don't know about the rest of you, but my weight creeps up every year- to hold steady, or loose 12 lbs in a year- that is still progress! KatW

Jeez, I would be more worried about tennis than a tri! The movements are relatively contained in tri-swim, bike, run. Tennis is all over the place! I hope you do a tri! I love them! The community is great and very inclusive. Favorite joke- What do you call the last person across the finish line at a triathlon? A triathlete. Good luck!

Wow! Lucky you to work with such a great group! If they are afraid to comment, and you welcome them to do so, make a joke about it! My sister loves her birthday and she always wears a tiara to work and a pin that says "Thanks for wishing me Happy BD! Gifts accepted until midnight." Something like that to break the ice? KatW

Also meant to say> I would not like it people that I have a professional relationship made comments about my appearance either positive or negative. Different strokes for different folks! Kat W

Perhaps in the workplace, men feel uncomfortable commenting on a woman's appearance. It could be perceived as an inappropriate comment in a work environment. Do you feel like the men NEED to compliment you? What is in it for you if they do/don't? Congrats on your weight loss- we all need cheerleaders in our corner, but why is it so important that male coworkers comment on it? Perhaps it would be more meaningful coming from friends and family?

I can really relate to what you are saying. When you are not in shape, exercise doesn't feel that great! I think our bodies are a little sneaky and they complain alot when you first start working out. On top of that our brain tries to tell us that we are too tired, don't want to etc! You are not a failure! Exercise is just like any new thing. When it is not a habit and you have not yet experienced its rewards- creating a new habit is hard! The key is just to keep getting back on the horse. Failure would be to say I am never going to exercise, so get off my back- and you are not doing that! I work as a personal trainer with alot of people in your boat- Heck, I became a trainer because I built your boat! My experience is that if you start to be regularly active at a low intensity at first- you will be more likely to succeed. The regular HABIT is more important than worrying about how hard you are working. That can come later. Still, I think that the first 3 weeks are the hardest. You will feel more tired, not more energetic. After that.... I think it gets easier. Keep pluggin. You can do it! Think of everything you have already accomplished. KatW

THe swim can be cold! I just did one last weekend and the temp in the Water was 61 F. EEK! The common wisdom is wetsuit if the temp is under 68- at least that is what I have been told. I think I had an advantage over some of the other swimmers with my extra bodyfat. I would have loved to have had a wetsuit, but it is almost impossible to find one that fits me correctly at my weight. As a man, you should be able to find one. They give you a HUGE ergonomic advantage in the water- just make sure that you get a tri wetsuit. The scuba or surf kind is constructed differently and would be a real pain to swim in. I wish you the best! Tri is so much fun! My husband is an extreme endurance cyclist snob (joke) and he likes to say that triathlon is for athletes who want to suck in 3 sports! He cheers me every race and loves to be my support! I would love to talk with yo more about tri- KatW