Lapband LaLa

Congrats! It's an amazing feeling isn't it. For me it was when I was walking downtown and caught a reflection of myself in the buildings! I stopped in my tracks and said...that's ME! I am sure the people around me thought I was nuts, but I was amazed and so very happy!

You guys are good. Shoot, I am 8 1/2 months out. I don't fool with bread. I've hit goal and so my nutritionist asked to start adding some things back. This week I had one slice of wheat bread and it sent me through the roof. NO THANKS. (giggle)

Make sure you add a different workout item. It shakes your body up! Belly Dance, Water Aerobics, Zumba! You can do it! And remember, always aim for the moon, if you don't make it you are still among the stars!

Thanks guys! So glad you like the music. Here's where you can get the CD: Wil Key | Satisfy My Soul | CD Baby You can even get it on iTunes! I will be working on my solo project at some point this year. We are going to Italy in March. The CD is selling like crazy overseas, so we are going to play at a few clubs over there. Our very first time overseas!

I had to share this with you all. After all you all have been a huge part of my journey. My husband and I performed at the Orion Music Festival in Utah in January 2010. We were featured on the TV show in Park City. For the first time in my life, I was happy with the way I looked. Look! I have a waist! You have to remember just the year before I refused to take photos with the band because of my weight! I hope you enjoy! Ain't no stopping me now! It's a YouTube video. Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?:frown: Surgery Date: May 21, 2009 Starting Weight: 280lbs Dr. Michael Metz - St. Luke's Hospital Denver, CO:thumbup: Follow my progress thru photos: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/5...lbums3475.html

Don't give up. You've done great but really don't give up on the band. It's worth the journey.

I am not sorry I voted for President Obama. Not one little single bit sorry!

I had a closet full of different sizes. Somethings even still had tags. What was so funny is....I dropped so fast I never got to wear them! So I took them to a consignment store. Great way to finance my new "skinny" wardrobe!

I just hit goal and now I am focusing on maintaining. I have stayed away from frozen meals and fast food, etc. But now I need to be sure of portion control. Anyone use the frozen meals in their diet. SmartOnes, Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice? I had one tonight but I could not get it all down. that's not a complaint...I just want to make sure I get all my nutrition in. It was a Smart One Lasagna.

My nutritionist gave me this great list. Thought I'd share it with everyone! Frozen Meals List.pdf

I had a good laugh at this. I recently hit my goal as well with in eight months. I am thrilled. But I find myself wanting to bite my tongue when I see other overweight people. I just want to go up to them and say hey, look at this and show them my before and after photo. I want to help them so much but have to remember they are on their own time frame. My original goal was 170. Now I think as long as I stay between 160-170 I will be fine. Congrats on your goal....how's your maintaining going?

(Feb 10, 2010) When you are in the middle of your journey and trying to hit your weight loss goal, it is on your mind all the time. That's what you focus on. Once you hit that goal you have to readjust and refocus on just maintaining. There is where I am. There are spots I need to work on to tone a bit more and now how so I eat to maintain? Do I exercise a little less each week? These are the things I have been trying to wrap my little brain around. I just came from the doctor's office to have a teeny little bit of fluid removed. I have not been very comfortable the last week. I fell back on just eating soup because I threw up a couple times since last week's unfill. This now puts me at 5.0cc's in my band. What I was finding was this....I'd go to bed and have acid reflux a lot. I'd eat solids and then the next day my tummy would hurt. So I just did not feel comfy. I was so scared to go in for this unfill today. What if they take too much and I get hungry again? What if I eat more than a cup of food? Will my cravings return? Lord....what a journey! Since I have not been able to eat much in the last few weeks I was too exhausted to exercise daily so I did what I could, but now I am feeling better and have started back on the treadmill 60 minutes each day. I want to return back to my Tony Horton 10 Minute Trainer next week. I do not want the rest of my life to be focus on food and the scale! Anybody else scared of this? OK...I am freaking out a bit but it's only because I am so happy with where I am and I'd like to stay here! On a good note, I have a photo shoot scheduled for late next week and I am super stoked about how these photos will turn out. Keep your eye out for the new me! Also....does anyone eat the frozen meals. SmartOnes, Healthy Choice, etc. If so can you get a full one down? I had one for dinner and I could not even eat half of it! I have not had one in about a year now, to be honest it was not that good. (Feb. 11, 2010)*****This note was added after original posting. I got a list of good frozen meals from my nutritionist. I have attached it for everyone. Enjoy Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?:tongue_smilie: Surgery Date: May 21, 2009 Starting Weight: 280lbs Dr. Michael Metz - St. Luke's Hospital Denver, CO:thumbup: Follow my progress thru photos: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/5...lbums3475.html

Wendy's triggers my migranes so I stay away from that at all costs. I have to say PF Changes and Pei Wei have some great choices. I have not had Mcdonalds, burger king, etc. for well over a year so I sure don't miss it!

You are going to hear this over and over in this forum. The lapband is a tool. It's the truth. You must be willing to make the changes in your life to let your tool work. You have to get right in the head to make this work. You can do it. I have faith in you! Find things you love and are different, like belly dancing, water aerobics, zumba....etc. They are fun and you are dropping pounds! It's all up to you. Enjoy the journey. Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is? Surgery Date: May 21, 2009 Starting Weight: 280lbs Dr. Michael Metz - St. Luke's Hospital Denver, CO Follow my progress thru photos: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/5...lbums3475.html

(Feb 10, 2010) When you are in the middle of your journey and trying to hit your weight loss goal, it is on your mind all the time. That's what you focus on. Once you hit that goal you have to readjust and refocus on just maintaining. There is where I am. There are spots I need to work on to tone a bit more and now how so I eat to maintain? Do I exercise a little less each week? These are the things I have been trying to wrap my little brain around. I just came from the doctor's office to have a teeny little bit of fluid removed. I have not been very comfortable the last week. I fell back on just eating soup because I threw up a couple times since last week's unfill. This now puts me at 5.0cc's in my band. What I was finding was this....I'd go to bed and have acid reflux a lot. I'd eat solids and then the next day my tummy would hurt. So I just did not feel comfy. I was so scared to go in for this unfill today. What if they take too much and I get hungry again? What if I eat more than a cup of food? Will my cravings return? Lord....what a journey! Since I have not been able to eat much in the last few weeks I was too exhausted to exercise daily so I did what I could, but now I am feeling better and have started back on the treadmill 60 minutes each day. I want to return back to my Tony Horton 10 Minute Trainer next week. I do not want the rest of my life to be focus on food and the scale! Anybody else scared of this? OK...I am freaking out a bit but it's only because I am so happy with where I am and I'd like to stay here! On a good note, I have a photo shoot scheduled for late next week and I am super stoked about how these photos will turn out. Keep your eye out for the new me! Also....does anyone eat the frozen meals. SmartOnes, Healthy Choice, etc. If so can you get a full one down? I had one for dinner and I could not even eat half of it! I have not had one in about a year now, to be honest it was not that good. (Feb. 11, 2010)*****This note was added after original posting. I got a list of good frozen meals from my nutritionist. I have attached it for everyone. Enjoy Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?:thumbup: Surgery Date: May 21, 2009 Starting Weight: 280lbs Dr. Michael Metz - St. Luke's Hospital Denver, CO:thumbup: Follow my progress thru photos: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/5...lbums3475.html

(Feb 8, 2010) I hit my goal weight just last week. 165lbs. I have lost a total of 115lbs in eight months. I have done everything asked of me. Exercise, watched my diet, taken my Vitamins, etc. I got stuck a couple of times along the way. For various reasons. not chewings, food too tough, etc. But I was able to get an un-fill and then fill to get back on track. But now that I am at goal. I am happy to be at 165 and want to stay in this area. I never want to go over 170. But this morning I lost another pound! Ok, so I am not freaking out but I don't want to keep going down either. I know I have to go and get my fill tweaked for maintenance but can anyone share with me their story of this part of the journey? How long did it take for you to maintain? Did you tweak your exercise? (right now I work out five days a week) I'd love to hear from some of you.

Going to get another slight unfill tomorrow. Going to take all this advise and use it! I can't eat quite a cup of food and that's soup which I've been eating everyday. I need to get more solid foods in me. I miss my meat, but it hurts to eat it right now. I am not stuck according to my doc, just readjusting, which is fine. So I am going to have a little more removed. This week I will continue to workout five days but if I still drop, I will change it to four days next week. I'm sure I will get all this tweaked out pretty good. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and the pats on the back. I am very proud and happy! Now....balance and peace!

I'd like to stay between 160-170. I am hoping that settles naturally as well. I am not so sure about the tummy though. Now I need to focus on that! Sigh!

Naw, who said you have to tell them anything. It's a personal decision. I'm sure if you do tell them they will be cool. Maybe freak out a little bit but then calm down.

So happy for you! And the freaked out feeling is normal. I am still tripping. My husband, son and sister all said they have to keep their eyes on me when we talk because if they turn away they freak out when they look back at me. HA! I don't even recognize myself at times. It freaks me out. My husband shared our Hawaii trip photos with some of his other band members and they asked him who I was! They were serious! I think it's going to take a while for me to get use to this but it sure is FUN! Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?:thumbup: Surgery Date: May 21, 2009 Starting Weight: 280lbs Dr. Michael Metz - St. Luke's Hospital Denver, CO:thumbup: Follow my progress thru photos: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/5...lbums3475.html

I have so much faith in you! YES YOU CAN DO THIS! Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?:thumbup: Surgery Date: May 21, 2009 Starting Weight: 280lbs Dr. Michael Metz - St. Luke's Hospital Denver, CO:thumbup: Follow my progress thru photos: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/5...lbums3475.html