Embrace

Hi everyone, Sorry about going silent for so long. Grad school is winding down and I've been making a push to finish. Husband also had back surgery and I've been caregiving. I hope life will soon get back to normal (whatever that means!). I'm still stuck at the 20 lb. plateau. I've been walking three miles every morning too. My 5th fill finally got me close to the restriction that most of you must be feeling so I'm hoping that my next trip to the doctor produces some weight loss. Surprisingly, I'm not too discouraged. Keeping my commitment to walking really helps my outlook. I'd just like to see some downward movement on the scale and some looser clothes and things would be pretty darn good. Linda, I hope that you're doing well. How's the weight loss? Any mental battles? I sure appreciate you reaching out. I think I'll be back here regularly now. :biggrin:

What a wonderful achievement. I hope you're doing a happy dance! :thumbup:

Hi Linda and all New Year Hotties, I didn't realize how long I've been away from the boards until I logged on. I will do better. Been slammed at work and trying to graduate so I fell behind on food logs, exercising, rule-following, you name it. It shows too. I'm still stuck at 20 lbs. down. I got really discouraged when I realized that I was going to hit my mini-goals (down another 10 by graduation). Ordinarily, I would have eaten my way through that but I've had two more fills since then and I'm FINALLY getting the restriction that I expected from the beginning. Seriously, my band holds 9mm and I'm at 6 and I can still hold about 1.25-1.5 cups of food per meal. Some food is getting stuck now (rarely happened before) so I think 1-2 more fills should do the trick. I hope, hope, hope it triggers some fat loss. The increasing restriction tells me that I'm headed the right direction. I'm trying to practice patience and self-acceptance. That's tough for me but I didn't get this way in five months so I shouldn't expect it to just melt off. I scrolled posts today and it seems like several Hotties are doing well and some are struggling. Just like real life, I guess. :tt2: I've got my eye on a Wii and that new EA Active exercise software at costco. Don't know if I'd be a good home exerciser now since I never was before. I just know that I've got to incorporate some exercise into my daily routine. Anyone else using a Wii? :thumbup: :party: Linda, it's thunderstorm season (a whole two weeks) right now. There's been a downpour the last two days and today it hailed the size of pencil erasers for several minutes. It really piled up on cars, the grass, and sidewalks. The Water came down so hard our street flooded. Just another day in the high desert!

It's funny. I haven't taken a single calcium pill - I completely forgot about it. I've been having some arthritis-like stiffness in my hands now that you mention it. Thank you for posting. You've probably helped a lot of people.

What a remarkable accomplishment. I hope you high five yourself for days - you've earned it. Thanks for sharing your success. It's inspiring.

You're making me jealous. It's snowing this morning in Reno and I had to change into winter clothes again to keep from freezing. Have a great time on your vacation. You've got band support so you'll come back in better shape that you left. Isn't that terrific?

Hi, I was feeling a bit scared too because I can eat anything as long as it's moist. Dry food comes right back up. :drool: There are a couple of things to consider. It's great that you can eat most food. No particular food should hurt your band but you'll want to nourish your body by choosing and eating healthier options. That's important since you're not eating as much as you did before and your body needs the nutrients. Several other patients have posted about the hunger feelings. Usually this means that you need another fill to find your "sweet" spot that balances hunger and food volume. Good luck.

I thought that fitting into smaller clothes would be the most exciting part about losing weight right up until Lena posted her experience with the guy who flirted with her. :drool: Way to go, Lena.

Wow. It's great that you're having such a great experience. I continue to gain/lose the same two pounds, which has become extremely frustrating. I got the band on Jan. 27 and go for my second fill in two weeks. I hope that will kick my weight loss into overdrive. Even without continuing weight loss, I'm so much happier now. I don't feel completely betrayed by food or appetite. I can tie a coat belt and see waist definition again, and I have enough energy to get through a whole day.

How exciting! Sometimes you have to look through someone else's eyes to appreciate how much progress you've made.

It was wonderful. Sacramento was 77 degrees! Thanks.

Jodi, That's a great idea about not ordering a drink. I admit that I sip something when I order my food so I don't get too thirsty while I'm eating or after. Then I just hope it takes 10 minutes before the food gets to the table. Not very scientific or compliant. Your strategy is much better at following the rules. Your ticker shows that you're being very successful so I'm following your advice. Thanks and congratulations on your weight loss.

Hi again, I just got home from a trip. I ate less -- much less -- while I was away. Not typical for me. In the past, I've used trips as an excuse to eat anything I wanted. Usually, it wasn't good for me. Of course, the band helps with portion control but the way that I traveled will help me in the future at home and away. I planned ahead and packed sugar snap peas and mini carrots in snack-sized baggies. I bought a small container of hummus and I packed single serving packages of Meal Replacement and a small Blender Bottle. I kept everything cool in an insulated cooler in my hotel room and I ate just fine. I stayed out of the hotel coffee shop and nearby restaurants. I felt terrific the whole time. I'm going to adopt a couple of these practices now at home by upping the servings of veggies every day, getting some Protein with hummus instead of all the meat, and drinking more Water. It was just the boost I needed. Hope you're all doing well. Have a great week.

Congratulations on your loss. The band does seem to help - the effect (for me) has been subtle but I know it's working and I feel so much better. Good luck on your journey.

Linda, You're doing fantastic. I'm stuck at 20. Still I'm very happy with the changes that I'm making. Smaller portions. Much more control since I've stopped fantasizing about the next meal. I feel so much better in my own skin too. I don't dread going to social functions. I'm amazed at the difference that 20 pounds made to my head and self esteem. Plenty more to go but I know it's doable now.