TheGh0st

It was good to see you all as well. Looks like things have flipped around at work again and I'll be taking the new job. At this point I just want it all to be over with which ever way it falls. Sorry I don't have anyone to recommend. Infact if you find one you like and they are reasonably priced I have work we need to be getting to as well. What I'd actually like to find is an individual who would be interested in doing the work on the side and using my dh as an extra pair of hands where ever possible to save on the costs. Maybe someone recently retired that could be more of a paid on the job instructor with Ben as the laborer.

Aye Captain - See you there. My type "A" says with us all arriving at potentially different times how about telling them at the front that the table is under the name Chica's so the waiters can show us late arrivers where to go

OK Gals its Wednesday - Are we going to get together tomorrow?

Wheets - Love the story about Naperville. Hate it when you get that unnerving feeling that you must have wore your shirt inside out or have something else amis. But you also gotta love the affirmation that people really are noticing the change. It is so easy to feel that things really haven't changed much when we look in the mirror of our minds eye. Robyn - :hungry:Cheesecake Factory sounds fine with me after all Cheesecake is a protein dish is it not? Wherever you all decide is good with me.

Thursday works for me as well, though if we are just meeting for drinks and chat, I might not show up until around 7 or 8pm so I can help put the munchkin to bed first.

Thanks will do

Angela - Are you online? Anychance you mind adding me to your AOL IM buddies. Promise I won't abuse it. I personally don't like IM much as its hard to work and IM at the same time. But I'd like to talk to you in private for a minute.

Congrats Robyn!!! SIZE 12!!!! Tight or not that is such an accomplishment. I just bought my first pair of size 12 jeans last week. They are a stretch fabric and too tight to wear with any top other than a loose sweater to hide the roll coming out over the top of the waist but still it was such a good feeling. Unfortunately the scales hasn't just stopped its swung near 6 pounds back the wrong direction over the last 2 weeks. And I've completley fallen off any and all wagons. The last few weeks have seen my Birthday as well as my sisters, sons, nephew, mother, and brother in-law. Even the smallest meals if poorly chosen can hurt the weight loss. Though considering the time of month I do think some of it is more retention than gain. ONE MORE THING ROBYN - I think it's safe to say that its time for you to update your little exercising diva. She no longer even remotely represents you.

Sorry I missed you Dpingl. But I'll catch you next month. I am also interested in trying the Heartland group now that KCBandsters disbanded. Assuming my DH is willing to watch our son twice a month

Yes, I'll be there. I'm dragging my husband along as well. Thursday is my Birthday and it his attendance is a command performance present. Billie called me about a prescription I was trying to get insurance to cover and when she called I asked her about group. She said that it will be discussing a book she likes that talks about weight loss surgery. Written by Coleen Cook, I believe she had the bypass surgery not the band so I'm a bit wary of its relavance. Still should be interesting.

20 weeks - I can't believe I was so close to right on the timing. 3.3 POUNDS PER WEEK !!!! :hail: I may be farther along time wise than you but you are still one of my hero's and give me inspiration to keep on with the struggle when it gets tough. At 20 weeks I had only lost 30 pounds or 1.5 pounds per week. Right now my average for the last 53 weeks is 1.47 pounds.

OFF TOPIC Hey all. Sorry I haven't been posting much. Seems we all have been a bit absent lately. Things have been very hectic for me lately at home and office. The office remodel is finally done but we are still left with trying to put everything back in their new homes. As most of you know I've also been lazily searching for a new job. My husband finally kicked me in the butt and made me get a resume posted on careerbuilder.com as well as putting in that application to NFM. In one week I had 4 calls for interview. The last one I went to was actually one that didn't even know if I was still looking for a new job. He had heard of me through the grapevine from a business associate that had known I was contemplating a move last year but had no idea if I was still interested in leaving my company. The first time I got to speak to the gentleman we talked for over an hour on the phone. Then I met him off site for an interview this morning that last 3+ hours and another 2 hour talk later that afternoon at his business. He practically gave me the job on the spot at nearly $1/hr more than I make now. The job would be 80% accounting 20% customer service/sales. Right now I do the opposite 20% accounting 80% sales. So I'm just a bit nervous that he might not be getting someone as able to jump into the job and run with less training than I might need. But I'm still pretty confident I could pick it up. We left it that we would schedule a few hours over a day or two next week for me to be shown a little more of the job maybe even try to work a half day for him. Then we could both decide if it was as good a fit as it seemed in the interview. I've been at my current job for almost 9 years so changing is a bit scary for me. Positives: 0.95/hr better pay 401K with first 3% matched at 100% (vs. NO 401K) A year end bonus that takes work performance into acct (vs. bonus that is ALWAYS the same every year) More flexible rules on taking time off <10 min from home (vs. 25-40min depending on traffic) Negatives: Fairfax - Not the best neighborhood (vs. heart of Jo Co) Older (circa 1960's) Style Office Decor (vs. newly remodeled) Fear of failure to learn new duties all sick or personal days though allowed are unpaid. Strange rule about how personal calls and e-mails are allowed but only if done from a phone/computer other than your own. I really did get a good vibe from the guy and when I added up the monetary value of wages/benefits of each job (even taking into account the loss of paid sick days it still came out to a $1.43/hr better pay. But I'm still nervous. I'd be replacing a gal that he fired after 4 months because she wasn't working out. He says she was taken on at a much lower wage with the knowledge she was a novice. He said that to calm my fears but that only makes me feel more nervous about his expectations with taking me on at the higher wage he is willing to offer me. BACK TO TOPIC My last fill has made me very tight. I can only eat and drink very small amounts at a time. Though I still don't seem to have any new foods that I plain can't eat. And I haven't PB'd but I have been having terrible acid reflux when I drink Water. As a result I've lost another 4 pounds since my fill last Wednesday! That makes 2 weeks in the last month that I've lost more than 1 to 1-1/2 pounds. The only 2 times outside of the liquid phase that ever happened! LAST NOTE I also wanted to say I had a great time at the Blue Nile. Hope we can do it again soon. Someone else can pick the next restaurant though .

Congrats on breaking through to the 40's!!! :high5: I need a reminder. When did you get your band? It feels like it was just 4-5 months ago. You seem to be tearing your way through those pounds girl. Keep up the good work.

Good for you!!

I hope you are able to speak to Billy or even better get into the office before you leave. Keep us updated.

Sounds good - See ya there

OK you are asking a Libran to make a decision but here it is. I will be at the Blue Nile Cafe tonight at 7pm (give or take 10 min) Any and all that can make it are more than welcome to come. I don't have Pat's Number either unfortunately. If the 3-4 of us like it we can always go again in the future.

Up to you. I'd love to go tonight but looks like some can't make it. We could also go next week. My cell is 913-710-3390 if you want to call. Hope I'm posting soon enough.

OOPS! Not sure what to do. The doc didn't give me my vicodin in liquid form like I told him to but was in so much pain I filled it anyways. I thought I broke up the tablet into small enough pieces but one lodged down in there and after 20 min of drooling like crazy I finally pb'd. Well more of a quick cough that came with an extra little surprise. Now I don't know if I should take another pill or maybe just a half. Crushed this time. Or go to bed and hope I can fall asleep.

I've spent many a hundred probably thousand trying to get curls like that. I've chopped it all off recently and am giving it a rest from perms. But what I'd give for your hair.

Cate - love the pics! I'm so happy for your progress. I Still can't get over how much some of your pics make us look like sisters to me. Uncanny. I'll have to post some of my pics from when I had a perm. But I bet your one of those butt-heads (Said lovingly ofcourse) that has natural curl.

Any day/time works for me. But I found out they are closed on Sundays though so how about Friday night all? Awfull short notice I know but let me know.

Sorry I've missed a couple days here. I threw my back out either from WOF or painting & moving furniture at work. Have been in a vicodin induced haze for last day or two. Can't remember what all I've ate but it hasn't been much more than what I've forced myself to eat to help avoid any nasea with the meds. Foods over last 48 hours: 3 cheese Stick 1/2 cup Protein pudding 2/3rd Protein Bar 32 oz Water 16 oz skim milk 1 cup - liquid "vicodin" style pain meds 1/2 cup Codine(sp?) laced cough syrup from someone elses Rx. (Ran out of my own) 18 - Baby chewable aspirin 14 - OTC ibuprofen 2 Vicoden (Yeah Doc gave me more of the good stuff) 1 Flexiril muscle relaxant

Well girls today was my official 1 year. Had an appt with Hoehn & I was down 10 pounds since my last visit. I was still able to get another small tweak to my band since it was my last freebie. Hope it doesn't turn out to be too tight. According to the docs office I was down to 183 or 71 pounds down from the start. Pretty pleased as that is with close on unlike my ticker weights. (I know TMI, but there you go). I also had something kind of "strange" happen this morning. We were getting some new desks installed at work and I could have swore one of the two installers did a little traveling up & down with his eyes when he first saw me walk in. If I didn't know better I would have thought he was checking be out. Hmmm... Well I'll post later. I'm beat. Need to know from all if everyone/anyone is still interested in meeting up Sat evening for dinner at the Blue Nile. Let me know.

Katt - looked a bit on the internet for the Butterfinger Cocoa. Looks like it is made by Nestle, But I've never used it myself so I'm not sure which stores carry it. Saturday food - 3 cheese Sticks 1/2 cup BBQ Beans 5 chocolate Chip Cookies at Worlds of Fun Water - Didn't keep track Activity - Walked at WOF from 10am to 6pm. Only sitting down on the rides and during lunch. No Benches!!! Sunday Food - 2/3rds bag of popcorn w/Butter at Ringling Bros. 4 - Cheese Sticks 1/4 cup of Cream Style Corn 10 - Slices of Turkey Pepperoni Water - Didn't keep track Activity - Went to Circus at Kemper and walked up & down stairs to entrance 3 times (OK pretty weak but I couldn't have done it once before without getting extremely winded.) Monday - 1/3 cup of Barbacoa meat with Black Beans, Hot Salsa & Pico. 1/2 of a tilapia filet. 2 brocoli florets Water - 20 oz (Terrible) Activity - Finished Emptying Office & Work and Painted with boss. This is a large 1500 sq foot open floor plan room. I was so sore from all the up & down that when I got home it hurt to even breathe. But I still had some liquid pain meds from my surgery last year. Overdosed on that and I'm feeling much better now.