JulieNYC

I've been coasting for about 2 months. I've not been putting any effort into my diet whatsoever, with the exception of about 5 days during our calorie counting challenge. I don't regret this coasting -- I has PS, changed jobs, started dating -- basically had a lot going on that needed my attention maybe more than my diet did. And, when I think about it, it's been pretty nice in some ways to focus on something other than food. The best part? I haven't gained weight! Here I sit at exactly the same weight I was when I turned my attention away from dieting. All that said, I'd really like to get my focus back and lose about 15 lbs (then I can take another break if I need it). So, I'm going back to basics. Protein first, paying attention to when I'm no longer hungry (as opposed to full), and never ever drinking with meals. I can't say that I'll count calories (I eat out a lot) at this juncture, but I'll make really good choices and eat appropriate quantities, starting now. OK, so here's my goal: I'm going to be at 165 by July 4th. WOOHOO, here we go!

I took a pilates lesson today -- there was a free intro lesson with my gym. I could definitely benefit from it. Great strength training. Anyway, we'll see if I can walk tomorrow!

Betty, you deserved a day off. Thee cheers for Alan being on the mend! I'm so happy for you both. Your unfill is the right call too. Don't worry a bit about it. They won't take much out and you'll be back to solid foods, which is where you need to be. It's going to be perfect. Ivonea and April21, welcome! My date was ok, but not super. The problem with internet dating is that even if you have interests in common, your worlds have nothing in common. Unlike, for example, if you meed through friends or work, where your worlds necessarily already have commonality. Anyway, it's a struggle.

I'm glad you're doing a little better Fiona. Tracy, YOU ROCK on the exercise -- woohoo! As for me, I have a date tonight. I'm actually excited about this one. He's a bit older than me, divorced, 2 kids, really funny and relaxed. I hope there's chemistry in person because on paper he looks pretty darn good! I walked the 3 miles to work this morning, through Central Park in glorious 70 degree weather, since I can't get to the gym tonight. It was LOVELY. Have a good day, all.

IMO, you MUST have two weeks off and it's best if you have 3. I'm a quick recoverer and I could have gone back at 2, but I was really glad to have the extra week. It was a full 6 weeks before my energy level was 100% back. I took SHORT walks (less than 1/2 mile and SLOW just to get out of the house) at about 10 days. You still have to walk a little crunched at that point. By 4 weeks, I could walk any distance comfortably. At week 5, I was released to walk for exercise. At week 6, I was released to run. Hope that helps! PS: for anyone who was worried, my scale has rebounded after 3 days of in control eating. I'm back to 178 and looking forward to getting even lower....

Got in a 4 mile run today. No time to talk. Too tired from the first day of work -- but to say that things went well overall. Nite,

My favorite thing about exercising is feeling in control. Even if I've eaten the wrong things, which I can't always control for myself, if I exercise, I'm still in control of what's going on with my body. I'll never weight 358 again if I run 20+ miles a week.

Amourette, I don't know you at all and I probably don't know the situation either, but I want to throw something out to you, which you can totally take or leave as you see fit -- no response is even necessary. Here goes -- do you think you might benefit from antidepressant medication (or a change in it, if you're on some already)? All I can tell you is that twice in my life I've taken them for short periods and it made ALL the difference in me being able to come out of the depression haze. I see you as being in that haze, though, I admit, I could be completely wrong as I only know you on the internet. All, Well, I'm back on track. I think this job change just has me really freaked out and I was trying to use food as my source of comfort again, when, as we all know, it doesn't really work anymore. I've not only seen the light, but come out of the food tunnel and am SO EXCITED to get it together and lose these last 40 lbs. Training for my 1/2 marathon is the perfect motivator and my official training starts in a week. This week, I'm speed training low miles (trying to run 3 ten minute miles). My goal is to consistently run 10 minute miles, so I'm trying to get the speed there before I add on the extra miles. I'm pretty close. I ran 10.5 minute miles very comfortably tonight with the last 1/3 mile at the 10 minute flat pace. While I was running, I couldn't help but think about where I was this time last year and how far I've come. This minor setback over the last week is NOTHING and I'm feeling good and strong going into my first day of work at the new job tomorrow. And, I WILL meet the challenge this month. I'm looking forward to June. It's going to be a good weight loss month for me, I just know it, with all the training. Hope yall had as nice of a weekend as I did. I was in the country with friends from my old job, which was cathartic and relaxing. Have a good week, Julie

Wow, OK, so I got on the scale this morning and it says I gained NINE pounds on my 4 day vacation. Now, logically I know that can't be right. I did eat Mexican food at nearly every meal and I did drink a margarita or two (which isn't usually one of my vices), so it wouldn't shock me to gain maybe 2 lbs, but after all, it was only a 4 day vacation! Anyway, I'm going to drink a ton of Water, go to the gym and get back on my regular eating routine TODAY. I don't know how much of the 9 is real and how much is water retention, etc., but it's not staying on me long in either event. I came here to post about it for accountability. I ran 3 miles at an 11 minute pace last night. My half marathon training officially starts in 2 weeks. Take care, Julie

Boo, your day is coming (the plateau break). Never you worry -- it's coming. Dawn, you're very welcome and I'm glad you liked it. Kat, no one in the history of time deserved some time away like you and Rick. I'm so glad you got out on the open road. I'm home from Texas. Too much good food, too little exercise, but great times with friends and no weight gain. Tomorrow it's back to the WL grind. Emotionally, it's very hard for me to not be at work right now. I know I'll get attached to the new job once I'm there, but for the moment, I just miss my friends and the connection I felt working there. I feel unplugged. I'm trying not to eat my way through it.

Eficka, Take care and feel better soon. Exercise can wait. For me, I'm off to Texas for the weekend. I've gotten my calories back under reasonable control and have gotten to the gym 2 days in a row for good, long cardio sessions and a couple of lbs have dropped off. WOOHOO. I had a few really scary days there where I was eating junk (like chocolate and candy) from the drugstore like the old days. Of course, thanks to my band, I couldn't go home and chase it with an entire pizza, but it wasn't fun to feel out of control with the food again. I think I've adjusted to my unfill and am genuinely doing better. I'm also staying positive about my job change -- had dinner with the new group last night and it's going to be great. So, off to Texas I go. I haven't been to see my school friends since law school graduation, which was in 2002! I'm excited. Talk soon, Julie

Betty, I'm in the same boat -- other than walking to and from work, I haven't made my exercise goals (i.e. gotten to the gym) all week. It's a busy last week at work for me. I'm off next week, then I start the new job. It's very emotionally draining. Anyway, it's 2.5 miles to work, so as long as I get that in, I figure it counts toward the challenge, even if I'm not in workout gear, right?

Molly, How is your gallstone diet going? Are you feeling any better?

Kat, I'm with all the rest -- you're doing GREAT maintaining your weight under such stressful conditions and don't even think about worrying about this until Rick is safely recovered. Our thoughts and prayers are with you -- this is so stressful and exhausting and I wish we could take on just a little bit of that for you. I have to believe everything is going to work out for you and your family. Warmest thoughts, Julie

Wow Dawn -- you reached your goal. That's so amazing that even the bananas aren't dancing, they're so in awe. Congratulations. The rest is gravy. Betty, let's make plans! Can we see each other on Sunday? With my new job starting in 2 weeks, I'm not sure what my weekday nights will be like, and I'd love to see you on Sunday. We can do that walk around the park for sure, if you like!

Awesome about your walk, Molly. I definitely think you should go for it. I did an 8 mile walk today around the perimeter of Central Park (6 miles + 1 mile to and from). Can't wait to "officially" be released to run on Wed. Nite, Julie

Of course we noticed you weren't here, Amourette. Glad you're back.

Betty, How did I miss that you're under the weather? Take care of that Grammy nose and get well soon. Well, I bought a pint of icecream today. Basically, I was pissed. I told myself after my run (yeah, yeah, I'm running against doctor's orders but I promise I'm totally healed and it's only 4 days until I'd be release to run anyway) I could have a tasti-d-lite (60 calorie fake icecream, but I love it). I got to the store and they were CLOSED! I was so mad, I stomped to the corner store and bought a pint of Haagen Daaz. So I ate one serving of it and came to my senses and poured salt over it so I wouldn't eat the other 3 servings before I throw it out in the morning! I waste so much food, but at least it's not going in me, right? My doc was so right. I feel a ton better with my little unfill. The hunger is SLIGHTLY more, but I was in denial about not having symptoms of being too tight -- I was having bad burping spells and upset stomachs after almost every meal. Now I feel normal again -- as if I don't have a band, but for the fact that I get full on just a little food. La vita e bella!

Oh my gosh, Molly -- you're about to hit the 60s. Remember just last week when we were looking for you to hit the 90s? And yesterday when you were bound and determined to get to the 70s? The 70s flew by for you! WOOHOO! My doc wasn't saying I was extraordinary -- he was saying I'm compulsive. Wink. Hey guys, guess what. I have TWO dates on Saturday! One I met a long time ago (he's a lawyer too) but then met again by accident last weekend. We're going to the movies on Saturday. The other I met on match.com and we're going to a street fair and having lunch, also on Saturday. More dates than I've had in a year, all in a day.

I'm sorry the band wasn't the right tool for you, Mary, but I'm glad you're doing what's right for you. You're not failing at your last resort -- you are just still on the journey of seeking optimal health (as are we all). Best of luck to you for all that the future holds.

Roller derby -- HOW COOL!! Tell us more. How did you discover this love? Happy bandiversary. You're doing great and your goals are just beautiful. Here's to reaching them all in year 2.

Jenny, I started trying to run when I was in te 240s. I didn't run a lot because I knew it wasn't good for my knees at that point, but I would run very short distances to get my heart rate up -- something like 60 seconds of running, then 4 minutes of walking, for about 30 or 40 minutes total. Then when I felt like my body was at a better weight to handle more consistent running, I did the "couch to runner" program that you can find under the "training" tab at coolrunning.com. If memory serves, it's a 12 week program, but I extended it by several weeks, meaning that anytime I got to a level and didn't think I could go to the next level yet, I just kept doing the level I was on until I thought I could progress. I really didn't want to get injured or push things too hard, since I was still quite heavy for my height. Anyway, by the end of the program, I could run 3 miles comfortably and I started running local races with some friends. Those took me to Onederland and now here I am about to train for a half marathon! You can do it -- check out some training programs and see which one fits you. I'm so impressed that you bike. I've never been able to. I'm a little afraid of the speed and a lot afraid of the bike seat (wink). All, I'm not technically supposed to run for 5 more days, but I couldn't stand it last night, so I did a SLLOOOWWW jog for about 10 minutes. It felt SOOOO GOOOOOODDDD! It was wild to run and not to have my stomach flopping around. Strangely though, now I feel my thighs and butt flopping around and I never noticed them before. Tradeoffs....I slept without my binder last night too and slept great. I'm really on the mend. I had my annual exam with my band doc yesterday as well. From my esophogram, he really felt my pouch wasn't emptying fast enough, so he took out .5 cc's, taking me from 10.0 to 9.5. I can't tell a difference in hunger, but I do seem to have a little less trouble in the burping arena, so he must be right. I could probably have another 1/2 cc backed out at some point to be super safe. All I want is long-term band health! I'd never had an unfill before (I'd been at the same fill level since week 7 -- last June) so it was a new, albeit uneventful, experience. At his direction, we talked a little about my goal weight as well. The goal he had on his charts for me originally (just based on average weight loss, I think) was 204! He said that he thinks I fall into a particular "type" of patient and that he saw me losing quite a bit more weight in year 2. I asked him where he thought I'd settle and -- without hesitation -- he said "I really expect you may well settle somewhere in the teens." THE TEENS?!!? He said he thinks I'll get to the 30s pretty uneventfully, then will have the thighplasty that will take off probably 15 lbs in skin, putting me in the teens. Yah, whatever. That's eeons away. I think I look pretty darn good in the 50s, so I don't even know what to say about someone thinking I could weigh in the teens. I'm going to just emotionally put that on a shelf and not worry about it. I'm eating like I plan to eat for the rest of my life and exercising like I plan to exercise for the rest of my life, so my weight will do what it wants to. Whether I lose 10 or 50 more lbs -- either is truly fine. That's it for me! Hope to hit the gym again tonight -- making up for last month.

ONE session down. My first day back at the gym was uneventful. I was SLLLOOOWWWW on the treadmill, but I got my time in and I'm not in pain, so tomorrow I'll speed up a LITTLE. Happy May to all!

I would be comfortable to travel abroad after 6 weeks. I'd be comfortable to LIVE abroad after about 6 months. Anytime I'd travel or live abroad, I'd make sure I was with someone trained to take out my fill if I needed it in an emergency and make sure I traveled with the correct needle, for emergency use only. This would be a great question to discuss at your surgical consult too! Good luck.

Woohoo! It's May! I'm going for GOLD this month, guys. I'm starting a gentle walk on the treadmill tonight and in a week I'll start slowly running short distances again. I can't wait to get with the program again. Well, I lost 4 lbs on our one week calorie count/food challenge. I can't ask for more than that, I suppose, particularly as I ate over the goal 2 of the 7 days. I had my yearly esophagram today and I go for my annual checkup with Dr. Fielding (and reading of the esophogram) tomorrow. I'm a little scared. I have no symptoms, but I fear esophageal dilation or a slip, just because they're always possibilities. I'm sure everything is fine, I'm just a worrier. The radiologist said to me -- while taking my pictures (so while he was looking at my band) "So, are you having symptoms? (pause, pause -- at least in my head) Or, is this a routine test?" Of course I took that as him seeing a problem, when it would be perfectly logical for him to ask that looking at a completely normal band. Anyway, I'll feel better when tomorrow is behind me. Happy May to all!