OH Juli

Tammy You are looking great! Tia and Gwen Keep us informed with what your doc says.

I rode 14.6 miles yesterday and I FELL!!!!!! We were at a stop and I had one foot on the ground, but then I lost my balance...I said, "Falling!" I landed on my hand and bruised it badly, but my bike land on me...I was still attached with my left foot, so I didn't scratch the bike, so there's a bonus. But that was half way through the ride. We ended with a couple a big hills. WOO HOO!!!! I rode my bike!

JC Thank you for your kind words. They mean very much to me. As for you struggling with your lapband, there is a light at the end. You'll be getting fill and moving forward with your weight loss. You've had a great year. You know, new toys, new relationship...sorry the band hasn't been perfect, you are in my thoughts... Keep talkin' to us!!!

I hear what you mean about squats and curls. I'm an avid exerciser. I do dead lifts, burpees, thrusters, renigade rows, some serious stuff...and I've got nice hard muscles under this skin... I stand tall and look good in my clothing and it has everything to do with weight training. Foolish are the people who do not pick up weights. But to go from 338, or maybe even higher to about 200 where I'm at right now there's no escaping the loose skin. But now I see it as progress. I see it as par for the course. I see it as it's going to get worse before it gets better so I love what I can about it...I tanned nicely, I feel soft, it feels nice to be touched...and let the rest go. When I was big, I had a, "this is what a fat woman looks like" attitude. Now I have a, "this is what a woman who has lost lots of weight looks like." Look or don't look...Often I chose not to look! LOL!

On a random note, this is one of my favorite sites on the web: bunnyshop shopping fashion blog And what's cool is that I have always loved fashion. Always. But it was kind of out of reach for a poor chubby girl and then really out of reach for a super morbidly obese woman, but now...now aside from the panic of dressing this body I've never had before I'm in love with clothing and all things bright and shiney. Now, eventhough I won't spends gobs of money because of the transition between sizes, I'm sucking up all the fashion stuff I can! I love this site too because they are Etsy :: Your place to buy and sell all things handmade fans and review make-up!!! Thought I'd share.

Hi my little vegetarian buddies. I made a risotto tonight for my wheat allergic friend and her vegetarian daughter. It was sooooooooooo good. But yeah, straight up carbohydrates for me...Peas and green onions with thyme and parmesan. ZZ, One thing you can do is get a friend to hold up your back wheel and pedal the bike with their hands while you shift your gears. And see what you are doing and where the chain is moving. Most people have three on the front and most people do flat riding with the chain on the middle gear. You move to the littlest ones for going up hill (I'm pretty sure, unless I'm backward, which could be the case.) You move to big one for going faster but it takes more effort. Mostly however, you don't play with the front ones much. The back ones the rules are the same about using the littles for going up hill. I typically ride with it on the biggest one in the back, then as I hit inclines I pop one or two to help get up the hills, (or seven, then move to the little one up front, also known as the granny gear) then I pop them back down as I'm going down hill so I can pedal out of the decline and bust ass...but that's not what you need to be doing just yet. So the idea is figure out where the shifters sit when the chain is way high and way low in the back. Feel for the resistence. Also, only shift gears while pedaling. Never while you are stopped. Now, while riding the goal is to pedal consistently (cadence) and to do that quickish, not to push, grunt with each rotation of your legs. You get overly tired that way, you are giving it too much effort. But that's like cycling 207, not 102. 101, you've got down. You know what a bike is! I love that pic you posted, btw. Hope this wasn't too much information. Hope I was right too. How To Shift Your Bicycle's Gears

We used to be way more chatty! I guess it comes and goes... Hope everyone is well.

ZZ I think you are a car abuser. And my change oil light comes on a 5000 miles, for which I'm pleased!

HP Look at skinny YOU!!!! Too cute.

ZZ Car trouble stinks. But I love how your recognize the irony of both modes being out at the same time. Cute. TX Cool about fueling. I might need to learn more...Seems like there's always something new to learn. Most times that's exciting. Now with school it's exhausting...but I'm saving those links you posted! HP You're a riot! Blood to show for it! Funny, but I can appreciate a nice scrape or something that proves I'm a tough chica who got it doing something athletic. Not like a cut from shaving my legs. W, New fill? Awesome. BG, Did you ride today? I wanted to but the piles of melting snow don't instill the feeling of riding weather. Also time is tight on Kiddo night. XO

What BG said. I run colder now than I used to when I was heavier, but I'm not always COLD. I think I'm more regular now and before I was always hot. I too eat more than the typical bandster, but I exercise more than one too. Well all of us here do, that's why we are in the exercise forum. And cycling is a huge calorie burner. But this is where know what you burn per hour (or guessing really well) and what you eat come into play. You can go super low calorie and not die while exercising, you do have fat stores to live off of, but that seems like misery that's not neccessary to get to your goals. Eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose. Last year I went to my doctor in a panic about the enormous amounts of food I was eating. The example I gave was 3 full ounces of grilled chicken, 1/4 cup of rice and three broccoli spears...all of it was able to go in and I WANTED it all. And then a few hours later I was able to eat a banana and 6 ounces of yogurt and OMG, I was going to burst my pouch...he told me to calm the fuck down. Okay, not his words, but he said you're paranoid, you are losing 10# a month and your body needs that nurtrition. He cautioned me against filling myself with easy fattening foods, but it made sense that I was hungrier and that if I wasn't hurting when I ate I was fine. C, I hate to say it but you're going to have filter what your doc and his people tell you and apply some group knowledge gathered on sites like LBT.

Just ran. Sprinted the last 3 minutes. OMFG. I'm sweaty! Going to pick up the kid, going to Whole Foods for dinner party food and dinner. Kiddo loves to eat there...who'd a thunk. Kisses all.

We do take pot shots at you dude. You just make yourself such an easy target. I'll be more kind in the future. XO J

Can't add to that..........

I don't know that there's a new favorite thread. We are just not as easily seen as we used to be, like all the other special interest groups. I'm well. Just had my year anniversary. Posted before and after pics on that forum. Hope everyone is well!

ZZ, There are many adjustments to the gears the LBS can do for you too. If I may suggest, borrow a bike for mountain biking to see if you dig it or not. It bumps you around a lot. I'm prissy and don't care for mud and ticks or the jostling you get. But it might be the perfect fit for you. However, like other sports the cost of gear can add up quickly. So see if you like it first... I'm really impressed with you btw, for putting yourself out there. You're amazing!

ZZ, 1.5 miles is fantastic! It truly is, I'm not just making that up. When I went for my first ride last year that was about the same that I did. The next time I went out I did about 2 miles, then 3, then 5 and slowly more and more. I was just talking with Alison yesterday about how we nearly died on our first 14 mile ride last summer! What's cool about cycling is that you can improve quickly!!!!! Don't give up! You'll be surprised at how well you do!

Awesome BG! You are a freaking trooper!

My5, you look fantastic! Thanks for posting and saying all those nice things. We really do support each other, don't we?

Simming is the best cross training activity because it helps you regulate your breathing for the other areas. Cool huh. I'm no triathlete...but I'm in awe of anyone who is!

Mary, By my calculations 51 pounds in a year is darn near to a pound a week. That's very typical. And we bandsters take up to three years to get to goal, so that nurse stinks. You are only 19.5 pounds away from your goal which is amazing. And EVERYONE, EVERYONE has a hard time losing weight in the winter. Normal people gain 10-15 pounds in the winter. I'm indignant for you.:tongue:

there are 15 dozen fresh baked chocolate chip cookies outside my office door. working in a kitchen is really hard sometimes!

If there isn't ice, I'll be riding. Even if I only get in 5 miles. Actually there's a 10 mile loop we like. It's on the road, nice and flat. I'm packing my cold weather gear...

Hi Central Ohio LBTers. I'm sticking a note on here so I get subscribed...I should be there on the 12th. A LBT friend from MI is coming down that weekend for a big bike ride, so she'll be joining us! Babygrl1234 was banded in February 07 and works at a bariatric center so she is full of great information and is really inspiring! See you then!

My stats live in my ticker, but I didn't make it onto the original list. My date was 3-8-07. Highest Known 338 January 07, met nutritionist 313 March 07, surgery 290 March 08, anniversary 201 Projected Goal Attaining: October 1st 2008!