Jaffa

Well, I am down to 179. It has been slow going as I approach my goal. Which is to be at the top of the normal bmi range.

I'm going to push the exercise really hard for the next 8 weeks and try to make goal on my one year anniversery?????

I will also plan to post a thread on my one year anniversery on everything I have learned and done to get where I'm at.

My 10th wedding anniversery is in feb and we are going on a cruise....already ordered new wetsuits for both of us.

I eat about 3/4 to 1 cup of food.

I pretty much always eat yogurt for breakfast with one scoop of protein added.

Lunch could be just about anything, but it won't be much, maybe 3/4 cup of food.

Dinner is usually more loose and I eat a cup of food or even more. But, I eat very slow....it takes a half an hour, because I'm eating such small bites and chewing well. I watch for any signal that I'm not hungry and stop. If you go past this point it will start to hurt. Not a full feeling, that will never really happen again....but not hungry. This is life with a band. Anything else someone says is misleading or wrong. You just have to accept that the full feeling is gone forever.

If I can eat too much or too fast and not have to chew my food well enough, I know I need a fill. In the beginning when I was losing a lot, it was like clock work, every three weeks I needed a fill, but now I'm losing slower and closer to goal I don't need a fill.

Well, I'm at the 6 month point.

I have really achieved the sweet spot for me.

I got really busy at work, and pretty much quit working out, but I'm still able to lose 1lb every 10 days.

I'm now down to 184.

I decided to revise my final goal. I'm actually, pretty happy with the 66lbs lost, and I think if I just lose another 14lbs, I will just try to maintain that point. That would put me just above the normal weight range, and at the same time, allow me to keep my band a little bit on the loose side. I want to keep this thing as long as possible, and I believe most people get into trouble with too much restriction, so I'm trying to avoid that.

Everything else is going great, and I actually skipped a fill this month, because my restriction didn't change all that much and I did lose the right amount for what I was doing.

Well, I'm all caught up on my yard work for the spring, and I actually have a little bit lighter work week coming up.

So I'm hoping to get 15 hours of, stationary bike, walking, and weights in this week.

I am also wanting to do a marathon on the threadmill. So the first time I get an entire day off, and don't have anything I have to do, I'm going to hop on the treadmill and walk. I figure I can walk at about 3 miles per hour for 10 hours straight and be done.

I was inspired by by the biggest loser and the old RNY guy making it with a bad knee and shoulder. I have a bad knee also, but not as bad as his.

I know I can do it!!!!! I think it will be fun, but I will report my findings when I get done doing it.

Ooops, it should have read 199.5

I left the 200's at about 4 months.

I started at 250.

I have 40 to go, to reach the top of the "normal weight" category.

Well, I finally, broke my Plateau, and went to 195.5.

WOW, being at 202 then 203 for two weeks was a terrible time for a plateau. It seemed like I was just waiting and waiting to go below 200.

Now I can quit obsessing about the scale again.

Yes it is, but I'm doing really good again now!!!

Well, yesterday, the tightness just got worse. I couldn't even swallow something that was half the size of a pea. I got stuck and it down right hurt.

I went in today, and got some of my fluid taken out. They removed .5cc, to take me back to 5.8 total.

I am on liquids right now, in hopes that I can get rid of any swelling and with the unfill, be just about right.

We shall know in a couple of days. I know I will be happier this way, but I'm guessing I will be needing to execute some more self control at night again. That's ok with me, I don't want to be stuck again!!!! Not that kind of stuck.

Were thinking I probably scratched my inside when I ate some grilled hamburger last week, and with the inflamation that occured afterward it just kept getting worse.

Well, this the longest I have gone without any weight loss. In fact I'm up a pound. I am trying to up my calories a bit for awhile and then bring them back down, just to fool my body.

This is so frustrating....I was losing 2 or more lbs a week for a long time, and now in the last 10 days, I have gained 1lb.

I'm tighter then the past, so, I'm going to use a little hot water to help in the morning. I am thinking about just changing my food routines as much as possible to get things going.

I'm going to pretend like the 1lb gain is muscle this week. There now I feel much better.

Well, a little more then a week and I'm at the same weight. It isn't as fun as when your losing 2lbs a week.

I know, why. I haven't been doing my regular workout routine because I have been working more, and it is that time of the year when I have to do extra work in the yard.

Yard work should in theory help, but it doesn't seem to do as much as they say it does????

Well, I have to go finish planting the day lillies in the front yard.

Currently my BMR (Basal Metabolism Rate) is 1915 calories a day at 202lbs and 5'9" and an age of 42.

By the time I get to 160, I will be 43 and need to stay at 1400 calories, just to maintain my weight. Well assuming no physical activity.

This is just a complete revelation to me. My god, I could never get down to 160, and would have no chance of maintaining it without weight loss surgery.

I can't even think about people who lose their band, thinking they can go back to doing it on their own and stay in the normal BMI range. Man, if I ever lose my band, I'm going for a revision at the same time, same surgery.

After my last fill, I have found that my food intolerances have gotten a little out of control.

Before, I just couldn't eat left over dry meat. Now I'm having trouble with other things. It seems totally random. One day, I have no problems, the next, I can't seem to eat anything without getting stuck.

It is getting really annoying. I'm going back on creamy food for a day or two, and see if it clears up, if not, I think it is time of a little unfill? It is only 19 days to my normal appointment, so maybe it will get better???

Just very frustrating right now. It doesn't help that the scale hasn't moved down in the last 8 days either.

Ok, I didn't think I would ever be saying, Horray, to being overweight.

But, I have officially left the Obese category, and I'm now entering the "overweight" category.

As it turns out, I had 45lbs to lose to get from Obese to Overweight, now I have 45lbs to lose to get to normal.

This is just a repost of a thread I started. I found this to be great information for those who don't want a bodybugg to track caloric burn per day.

First let me say, I love my bodybugg.

But for those who don't want the hassle and or expense, I have found that this BMR calculator, is extremely close to what I burn according to my bodybugg.

BMR Calculator

If you use dailyplate.com and add in any physical activity for the day, you will be very very close. So close it is down right scary.

I in fact don't pay much attention to the scale for my feeling of accomplishment anymore. I just add up my calorie defecit and divide by 3500 calories. After a month, I have noted my weight loss to be exactly equal to what it should be for the amount of calories I have used over the amount I consumed.

It has really helped me get past the scale watching, which really isn't as accurate, since your water weight can change as much or more then the amount of fat you have lost.

Well, I can't believe I forgot to blog this, but my wife is getting WLS.

She has done really good, just trying to copy what I eat, and how I eat, but she has come to realize, that as usual, it is getting too tough.

I LOVE HER, more then oxygen.

She is getting the Gastric Sleeve, by Dr, Aceves.

Well, so far so good. I had my last fill 4 days ago and was back on regular foods for the last two days.

I think my band is perfect now. I tend to eat yogurt for breakfast and it goes down with just a little bit of slow down. Lunch is a tiny bit tight, and supper is perfect. I'm now down to about a cup of food at supper time....which is when I really need the help to stay on track.

It looks like I will be able to maintain 1000-1200 calories pretty easily now. I was averageing a couple of hundred more then that before the fill. It doesn't sound like much difference, but thats almost half a pound a week difference.

I have cut back to about 10 hours of excercise a week. I'm really busy at work right now, and the reduced calorie intake should make it all equal out.

I have now tracked everything I have eaten for one month. I also, tracked, via the bodybugg everything I have burned.

I'm just a little bit disappointed. The calorie defecit should have resulted in a 12lb loss for the month. I officially only lost 8lbs during this period.

It could be that I gained 4lbs of muscle??? I did maintain and average of 2 hours a day of excercise, so maybe? But I think it is most probably a combination of the bodybugg over estimating my calorie burn by 2lbs and maybe 2lbs of muscle.

Overall I'm pleased, but I was really hoping to make it to halfway to my goal this week. but maybe next week??

I did get a fill today, and I was able to take another 1cc. The last fill lasted well, and I think this one will last even better.

You would think I would be upset, but I'm really not. I had an ok week. Didn't get to exercise as much as the week before, but still got in 5 hours worth.

Using my calories in and calories burned record I should have lost 2-3lbs, but the scale shows nothing. I would be really frustrated, but since I know exactly where I'm at, I know it is just water weight changes making the scale not move.

I can tell, I'm now starting to need a little fill again. I'm doing good, but my daily calorie intake is up about 100-200. Next week will be one month since my last fill, so it will be time for a fill anyway.

I hope to get 10-15 hours of exercise in again next week, and see a nice loss for the week.

This weekend was another birthday party. While I am careful to never exceed what I burn for the day, it is difficult. I only burned about 400 calories more then I ate.

Not a good start to the week, but I'm still hoping for the 3lb loss that gets me to the halfway point!!!!

I'm going to really have to bust some ass this week, hopefully work doesn't get in my way.

Well, I have been tracking my weight loss from the beginning, and it is amazing to see how much the exercise is paying off.

I can see where I was losing about 1.5lbs average per week, and then when I started the extra exercise I have consistently started losing more like 2.5 and even 3.0lbs per week. I am trying to do double of what they recommend.

I am also very please with my restriction. This last fill has stayed with me so much better then the previous ones. I think I will need less on the next fill, but if I keep losing at this rate, maybe I will still need 1.0cc??

This week, I have a huge victory goal that may be achieved. If I can lose 3.0lbs this week, I will be halfway to my goal. It really all depends on getting the excercise in. I am now running a really consistant 1200 calories a day, and about 2800 calories of burn. That equals 10,000 calories of defecit a week....or about 3lbs of fat.

So here is hoping for a great week at the gym. I'm planning to keep doing the 1 hour of biking, 1 hour of walking, and 1 hour of weights. Sometimes I just can't get it in with my work schedule. I'm limited by my need to get done by 7pm. If I don't, I can't get to sleep by 9pm. This is a must for me, as I get up at 4am a lot.

Yesterday, I was able to burn 3900 calories and only eat about 1300....a 2600 defecit!!!!

That is a new one day record for me.

Today, I am eating out twice, first the Long John Silvers grilled salmon and baked potato, and tonight I'm having Papa Murphy's Med. delite pizza.....so I can eat out, if I just make the right choices and the band helps me not eat too much!!!

I'm going to get another day of 3 hours of light walking and biking and then 45 minutes of moderate swimming, so it should be another big defecit day!!!!

I'm down to 213.....I would really like to make it to 205 at the end of this month....that will put me half way to goal in 4 months and keep me right on schedule.

Yesterday was the first time I had to drink a little hot water before I could eat my chicken for lunch, but that was pretty ideal really, it kept me full much longer, and made dinner so much easier to control myself.

I definitely have more restriction again, after my fill on the 26th. But I still can eat about 2 cups of food before getting the full signals.

For me the full signal is one little hiccup. I stop eating at this point, and sure enough I'm full. For me if I eat too much it will become uncomfortable with a kind of tiny bit of pain.

I still can eat way too fast. I eat the Sam's club stuffed chicken breast and 10 sweet potato fries in about 20 minutes. If I was at ideal restriction, I think that I not only wouldn't be able to eat that much, but it would take me the full half hour to eat.

My last fill was another 1.0cc, and I'm hoping to keep this restriction through the entire month. We will see how it goes.

The new "fat burn" type of exercise is working much better for me then the "cardio training" programs. It doesn't bother my knee so much and it burns more total calories. The disadvantage is it takes 3 times as much time to burn the same calories, but since I have the time....thats what I'm going to do.

Well, we should know soon? My body bug says I am burning 3200-3400 calories now that I'm doing the fat burning exercise for 3 hours a day and the weights for 1 hour.

I just got a fill today of 1cc, so I should be able to easily stay at 1200 calories of intake. That's a 2000 calorie defecit per day average. At that rate I should be able to maintain my 2.5lbs pers week goal. Thats what I need to do right now to make my 160lbs on October 1st.

My knee is a little sore, but I'm actually holding up great. I can do this, I can feel it!!!!!!!!

Update....got in 2 hours of walking and 2 hours of peddling, with 1 hour of weights.

It has to show up in the scale eventually.