Nathalie

Waldo.... *HOWLING* His old floppy sack just kills me. KILLS.... *wiping tear* I just came in to tell you guys that I am full off of a bottle of water. Helloooooooooooo Restriction! More later! Nathalie

My fill is working like a mug! (remember when people used to say "like a mug?") Anyhow, I have to sip slowly, otherwise liquids get backed up. JUST LIKE WHEN I WAS FIRST BANDED! I'm hoping that this was the tightening I needed. No more gobbling steaks and other junk. I went for a walk yesterday w/my little one. I felt really good about myself, too. We'll do it again today - except I'll put his little busy butt in the stroller instead of letting him walk, too. Yesterday was SUCH a stressful day. I'll have to tell you about it in Yahoo, since I don't like to post work details on the open net. Needless to say, people have lost their damn minds. I'm most proud of myself for not self-soothing with chocolate. (laugh) It's MAY you guys! Shit. By month's end I better be closer to 230 than to 235. And I better be one size smaller. Claudia - how are you doing, baby girl? I'm so sorry your friend wasn't honest with you. I have been there. It's heartbreaking and hurtful and so incredibly unnecessary. I hope you're feeling better. JillyJill - how's your little diva? I was thinking about her yesterday as I was walking with the little man. How are YOU doing? Has she healed up? Steph - That email made me howl. I'm not kidding - I had tears in my eyes! I'm going to send that to my girlfriend at work, but not through work email servers. Way to go on the NSV. No one has said "you look skinny" to me in a while. That's cuz I haven't lost shit and am looking fat again. LOL Annie - I love your May goal. I'm right there with you. I have to be a bit more stringent with my May goal. No sugar, no alcohol. And yes, I'd love to exercise 20 or more times this month. Additionally, I have GOT to get back to journaling my food intake, Water intake and exercise output, planning EVERYTHING ahead of time. VaB - I'll get one of my people to scan these articles for me today/tomorrow. Posting them in the FILES section of the Yahoo group is a good idea. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU" made me giggle. YES WE ARE! ((laughing)) bk's boy had the b'day. My DS's b'day is in June. And no, we'll not be celebrating here at my place! LOL bk my love - how are you doing? How's the tummy? How's the job? How's the hubby? What are you doing for the boy's b'day? I was thinking of themes for my son's b'day in June, but have no idea. Personally I thought Happy Feet would be cute, but.... we'll see. B'Man - Ooooh, honeybunch. I wish I could make it all better for you. Purge that mofo from your life, and take time to heal and cry and mourn and believe that you won't always be affected by his memory. One day he'll mean nothing to you. Way to go on running a full mile - you can run farther than I can! Last week at the hotel, I ran on the treadmill - 3 minutes. I thought I was going to pass the fuggout. ((laughing)) I also decided not to join a gym yet. I am going to kick my own butt on this elliptical and get back into the swing of exercise. Sassy - Glad you got your fill! Can you tell a difference? How do you feel? What did the doctor say? I have also found that it helps to lie... er, exaggerate when you talk to your surgeon about needing a fill. "I'm hungry ALL THE TIME." "I Can eat a full loaf of bread." LOL "I sucked down a filet for dinner." I hope this one helps you! Okay - it's 6:30 and it's definitely time for me to get up and get moving. UGH gotta work again today. I feel like I have to put on a suit of armor to go to work now. It's like a warzone. Hope I didn't miss anyone - love you guys! Stay tuned for articles! N.

"You can change your life for the rest of your live, starting today, if you really want to." That's how it starts. I went in for my fill today and the doc gave me this article. Kind of ... shook me up. I've lost a lot for 4 months into this thing, but he said he's disappointed because I seem to have lost some of the energy I had when I first came to his office. I almost cried. It's true though - I have been promoted, am traveling with work, busting my ass at the job, not to mention being a single mother. I gotta do better though. I want to scan this article for you guys - it's just about recentering yourself and getting back to basics regarding exercise. I see a few of us are struggling a bit now. I also found the band exercises and the stability ball exercises - I'll scan and post those, too. I just need to figure out how to do it... My May goal is to lose 15 pounds. That puts me down around 230. I need to focus and get on the good foot. *sigh* Heading to bed. It's gonna be an early morning tomorrow! later, gators! Nat

Didn't have a chance to sign in last night - I was busy sleeping. I'm at work right now, but am leaving at 2:30, I think. I'm on the phone right now joining a gym. I need some external motivation. I scheduled a fill for 5.14 but I'm trying to get in sooner. they called and said they have an opening today - I can beat it over there right friggin NOW if I can. I am so sick of my fat, jiggly ass! I can't get below 244 - and was up at 249 this morning. Dang period. More later - I've only skimmed posts. Personals tonight, I promise! Love youz guyz! Nat

Hi All - I'm back. I was in Cincinnati last week, Charlotte over the weekend. B'man - sorry I missed you while in Cinci. I had absolutely NO downtime at all. I'll sign on later today to check in. I'm on my cycle and am a raging maniac! I'm also calling for a fill today, as I gobbled a steak over the weekend with no restriction. I need to tighten up. Love you guys! Can't wait to see what you've all been up to! Big Hugs, Nathalie

Also tried to edit, and got those dumbass smilies between every letter. The "upgrade" sucks. bk - EXCELLENT GIRL! Don't you love to see your numbers going lower and lower and lower? The scale may not move, but your tape measure will never fail you! I'm happy for you , momma! Where do you measure? You know, the more body parts you measure, the more inches you lose. ahaha I do: neck, chest, ribs, waist, hips thighs, calves and upper arms. I need to measure on the 1st. *waving at StephC!* I see ya girlfriend! Nat

nikki - don't beat yourself up. It's easy to slip back into old eating habits when we feel disappointed. speaking for myself, that's how I got fat in the first place. Sad, angry, disappointed, depressed - it was all the same. I'd stuff food down my throat to make myself feel better. Set baby goals for yourself, and stick to it. Tell yourself you're worth it. You can do it, girl! YOU CAN DO IT! sassy - why didn't the lady give you a fill? WHy did she say it was too early? Just curious. I'd call back and speak to a surgeon, not "some lady." I assume she was a nurse? My surgeon gives fills according to what the patient says. I don't think I need a fill, but I need to start eating more hunks of meat and fewer protein shakes. What have you been eating lately? kaydoll - yes, we were outside all day yesterday. I took lovebuns to the zoo and we had a nice time (even though the local zoo is incredibly crappy). Then we went to Costco. We both came home and napped. HA! We had planned to watch Happy Feet last night, but didn't make it. Today we're going to see my Mom and take lovebuns to the park to feed the ducks and swing and ... stuff. maurdan - I am very proud of you for sharing your band with your friends and being so open about it. Isn't it funny how we have each approached out banding differently in terms of how open we are about it? I still say fuggem. LOL I think I'm going to suck it up and put that bicycle on my AmEx. I want to get a good bike and a trailer for lovebuns. I just imagine I'll be on that thing ALL. THE. TIME. It would be an ordeal getting the bike/trailer up and down the stairs though. We'll see. Anyhow, it sounds like lovebuns is awake, so let me get in here before he breaks out of his crib again today. He made an escape yesterday and busted a knot onto his forehead. HA! I imagine he climbed out head first. Silly kid. BTW, I have no idea what I am going to wear to this wedding next week. Right now it looks like I'm wearing a black sundress with spaghetti straps. *sigh* Hate that I'm still too fat to wear the super cute stuff in my closet. I could also just wear black slacks and a pretty blouse. We'll see. Decisions, decisions. Have a great day ladies! Enjoy the weather! It's supposed to be 81 here today!!!! Nathalie

No kidding. I am having a total shittacular day. TGIF.

I live in Michigtan. Anthem BCBS covered me at 100%, save my $250 hospital co-pay. Fills are covered at my $15 office visit co-pay. I was denied 2x before getting my approval, but all in all it only took 2 months to get approved. I don't have any co-morbidities to speak of. If you need letter samples, let me know. I'm more than happy to share. N.

Well, I wouldn't go *that* far... (laughing)

FUGGEM! I'm not telling anybody a damn thing. I don't care how hard they struggle or how much they speculate. It's nobody's business but MINE, and I'm not telling shit. Cuz people are HATERS. They will look at your success and hate you for it, because they aren't achieving what you're achieving in their own lives. I didn't tell my mother or my sister. I've told only seven people, 1 of whom is a part of my family. It's nobody's business but my own, and I plan to keep it that way. Now when I've achieved goal I may feel a bit more benevolent toward folk. We'll see. As for RIGHT NOW? Uh uh - I am not about to be the topic of anyone's jealousy, hateration or watercooler chat. B'man - 70 pounds since December. You are losing weight like you had RNY! I'm jealous but oh so very proud of you! You've worked so hard at that, girl - and I'm glad you're feeling so proud of yourself! Hey - did I tell you I'll be in Cincinnati next week? Only 3 days though. I rant... N.

Hi Ladies -- I'm already at work, can you believe it? WOW! Some days I amaze myself. Most mornings I'm just thinking about getting ready to leave home at this time. So Steph, I won't wear a sauna suit. I agree, I don't think they do too much aside from make you sweat a lot, and you replenish it when you drink water. I used to think they did something. Now that waist belt? I may be wrong, but I believe that one helps to just whittle your waist a little faster. The sides and back moreso than my belly (which is plumped with stuffins). I weighed this morning and am another 2 pounds down. I even went to dinner last night and had a full meal (2 small glasses of wine, tempura brie cheese, caesar salad and blackened salmon - plus bread!) so I expected to retain water and weigh heavy this morning. I agree w/the resta yaz - that scale is whack. I haven't been watching Survivor. I gave up early in the season - that loud black guy was on. my. nerves. What's going on? I heard dual immunity idols? (One guy found the real one and replaced it with a fake one?) Hmmmm, sounds tricky. Kaydoll - I think I'll try that site that tracks calories. I've never joined one before - I don't have that much dedication. But after my trip next weekend, I'll need it. I got the eye of the tiger, baby! I go on a "pre-op" diet starting today. Getting back to my roots. I'm bringin sexy back again today. I'm wearing a blouse that I've never worn before, but had in my closet for over a year. I'm also wearing some butt huggin' black slacks. I have a Farrah Faucett flip goin' on, too. I'll be taking a parade through IT later on today. LOL BBK - Sorry there was no news yesterday - but no news is good news? I hope things are clear and free for you. Congrats again on the 100lb loss. I am trying to hit that mark by m'birthday (7/14). I got a ways to go. Not much else to share right now. These people are work are loony toonz, do you hear me? I had a talk with myself this morning that went a little something like this: "Don't let them drive you crazy, don't let them make you mad. In 5 years this won't matter. In 1 year this won't matter." They make decisions and change direction along the way. UGH. I need clear decisive direction and I'm not getting it. I told my boss I was going to STFU and do whatever he tells me to do from now on. I also told him that in 2 hours I won't care about this BS anymore. Fuggit. Hope y'all are having great days! It's gorgeous and sunny here! As soon as my last meeting lets out, I'm gone! (3:30) Going to get my baby, going home and going to play outside with my boy. We may even go on our 2 mile walk today if the weather holds. Then I'll hop on that elliptical tonight, too. Remember Anne Murray... or was that Helen Reddy? (HA! Talk about a throw back memory!) She had a great rendition of "I am woman." That's how I feel lately - and it feels great! I am strong! I am invincible! I am woman! What a great message. I really missed myself these past few weeks. Glad to be back. BIG LOVE! Nathalie

Aww man, I'm sorry, Annie. I am SO sorry. I didn't even think of west coast folks when I spoiled the ending. I won't do that again, not with any show. :eek: I hate spoilers. I watched the "eviction" 3x (TiVo) and laughed hysterically each time. Just COMEDY.

I am a horrible, horrible person. I just laughed myself to TEARS when Sangina got voted off. Did you see him collapse crying on LaKisha's boobage? She stood there and just held him. Ummm, YOU SUCK! I don't think he had the least amount of votes, I think the producers decided enough is enough and axed him. His tears brought me immense joy tonight. Isn't that horrible? I could not BREATHE I was laughing so hard... On my way to bed, where I know I'll have sweet dreams! Night ladies! nathalie

Hey again - I was on that elliptical for an hour, as promised. I can't believe I went that whole time! I was on "GLUT" setting, and my butt is humming! My calves, too. I burned 560 calories. I rock! I finished watching the documentary on Jonestown tonight, then watched Entourage. I lost myself, kept my body moving and made it through. Then I drank an Isopure drink. I think I'm going back on my "Pre-Op Diet." I'm going to call the surgeon's office tomorrow and pick up some products. If I eat 6 packages of food each day, that's 600 calories, and 90g protein. I know, I'm totally on a mission. I fooled around for 2 months and now I'm desperate to get these 8 pounds offa me before next week Friday. *laughing* Insanity, I swear. Kaydoll - I agree. My ex calls Phil "The Vulture" from the Spiderman comics. HAHA see: http://image.comicvine.com/uploads/vol/3000/2127/2127-6503-1-amazing-spider-man-_400.jpg Anyhow, I dont' care for him either, and hope he's gone. Chris may have out-sucked him though. I'm also worried about LaKisha. She wasn't very good last night. Plastic suit = Sauna suit... I have one of those thermo-belts that I wear when I work out, too. It sweats my stomach and I think shrinks it a little bit. I don't know if those suits work, but I used to run in them when I was in college. Boob Boob Kitty - I AM SO ENVIOUS OF YOUR TREASURE CHEST! I'm a modest C now. I'd love to be a perky full C. You look amazing, girl! Your waist is so small! I understand now why you were complaining the other week about all the 14/16 tops you bought that were too small. Poor lil thing. Do they fit better now? Gorgeous gal, and congrats on the 100lb loss! Can't wait to get there. Sassy Sis *BIG HUGS* Stick with it. Stick with it. You'll find yourself back in the swing of things in no time! I'm not watching that American Idol "Idol Gives Back" crap. I don't want to hear all those people singing. Just give me the results and STFU. Soon as AI is over, I'm going to bed. Dang, it's an hour show tonight? WTF? Total waste. Hey - I have to go a wedding next weekend. What should I wear? I kind of want to buy a fitted dress of some kind with a fuller type of bottom. I also thought about wearing fitted black pants and a flowy blousy top. Suggestions? I feel like I'm rambling.... N.

Hey Mommaz! How was your day? Mine was great. I am telling you one thing - I was lookin mighty fine today. One of our Sr. Mgrs was in from the UK - he hasn't seen me in a while. He told me I look great and gave me a peck on the cheek. I told him he made me feel like a girl again. LOL Don't ask where THAT came from. And I know I said it before, but my butt looked phenomenal in those slacks I had on today. I really did walk around the IT folks today without my jacket. I know at least 3 of 'em looked at my booty when I passed. At LEAST 3. LOL I went to Q'Doba's for lunch - do you guys have that? I ordered a side cup of black beans and grilled chicken with salsa verde and a little cheese on top. It was so good! I think it was a whole cup of food, not more than that. I am eating a piece of "freezer fish" for dinner. What's freezer fish, you ask? It's some fish I found in a plastic baggie in my freezer - I have no idea what kind it is or how old it is. I George Foreman'd the shit out of it, and I put some hotsauce on it. It's ... edible. I won't be able to eat this whole piece, so I'll save the rest for tomorrow. I'm going to brown some ground turkey tonight with onions, green peppers and garlic. I will eat off of that for a while. Put it over cottage cheese, eat it with brown rice, eat it with steamed veggies. I think I'll portion it in 4oz cups. Sassy - I'm glad you're back. When I was feeling low, I made the mistake of cutting myself off from my girls. I will never do that again. "Busy" is not an excuse. We're here for ya. B'man - I posted in Yahoo about your friend. He's a cutie, and Steve-O is my favorite Jackass. I second the emotion regarding the plastic surgery. First thing is my boobs. I'm getting the girls lifted and plumped. I've never had great tits, and by golly, I'm gonna get some if it kills me. Tummy tuck and maybe a thigh lift will be next, if I need it. I hope my thighs don't look like deflated balloons when I reach goal. VaB - It feels good to feel good enough to want to be back. I think when I was "falling down" I didn't feel worthy of being here, cuz I was fuggin up. How are things holding up with you? Did your friend's children make it through the ordeal okay? I got caught up this morning during the Today Show and ended up crying at the father who was talking about his daughter. Just BAWLING. So so so very sad. And so pointless. Kaydoll - Congrats on the 222! Oh man, my first milestone is 240 (8 pounds away) and my next one is 223. I was 224 when I delivered my son (then I blew up) so I know what you mean by mind boggling. Stay positive, girlfriend, you'll be at 219 before you know it! LOL @ you LOL'ing @ me. I know - I was cracking myself up this morning, too. And yes, I'll be there watching AI tonight. I think either Phil or Chris are (is?) going home. So, I'm going out here to play with the boy for 45 minutes, give him his bath, and put him in bed. THEN I'm going to attack this elliptical for a solid hour. (Pray for us both...) Do any of you wear a plastic suit when you work out? After which, I'll have some kind of protein drink - probably a NECTAR tonight. I've eaten fish and chicken already. The boy is KILLING me - gotta run! nat

It's like feast or famine with me, eh? Steph - the price on Ebay is a rip. The guy is asking for $10.95 shipping, so that puts the price around $35. I think you can find it cheaper elsewhere. More later - I gotta get to work! N.

Hey SassyGirl! I was in a funk for about 6 weeks. Feeling really sorry for myself, eating poorly, crying, drinking wine, and really not giving a shit about my eating or following the band rules. While I didn't gain any weight, I also didn't lose any. I called it a sanity break. I was overwhelmed by EVERYTHING. Well, the proverbial sun is shining again, and I'm back on it. All I can tell you is go with your feelings, don't beat yourself up, and try to do what you can do for yourself each day to help yourself feel better. Take a little time to pamper yourself. Soon enough you'll feel strong enough to climb back on the LB Bandwagon. I am back to journaling and writing down every single thing I put into my mouth. I'm forcing Water down my throat. I'm talking myself up onto that elliptical again. Just remember, it's all for you. You want to be thin, you gotta put in the work. And be grateful, because if you didn't have the band, you'd probably have gained a few pounds these past few weeks. I know the band was my saving grace when I 'fell down.' We love you, girlfriend! Feel better soon. Nathalie

Hi Steph - that is an awesome price. Be sure you're getting the one with 42g protein. The old one only had like 25g, so they are usually cheaper. I think I paid $29.99 for 12. I got them from the Bariatric Eating store while I was in FL. I think that was sheer genius for you to check Ebay. I'll check, too - but let me know if you bid on an auction so I don't bid against you. (grin) I like the fruit punch flavor the best, but the orange and grape are also tasty. They are thick and sweet, but there is no fat, no sugar and only 2 carbs per shot. VERY convenient. And overall cheaper than the fruity Isopure drinks. I usually drink one immediately after I get off my elliptical, and I swear I can feel the protein shooting to my muscles. LOL I feel all tingly and cooled from the inside out. ((laughing)) I'm at work in a pair of size 18 pants and a size L shirt. I feel like Lola Falana. (Do you all know who Lola Falana is?) I have my hair flipped today, my make-up looks professionally applied, and if I do say so myself, my ass looks spectactular in these pants. Spec-Tac-U-Lar! I'm going to take off my jacket and walk around the office to let the geeks in the IT department take in and appreciate the golden globular roundness of my beautiful brown behind. I have tears from holding in laughs.... Nathalie

Just checking in before dinner. Went to lunch and had grilled buffalo chicken breast w/FF ranch dressing. I'm going to eat the other 1/2 of that chicken breast from dinner last night. And maybe a few bites of cottage cheese if I am still hungry. Steph: Here's a link to the protein shot: They call it a "bullet" but I couldn't bring myself to call it that yesterday. http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/bariatriceating_1943_1403667 The pic is too big to paste here. 42 g protein in 3oz. It's thick like melted jello, and kind of sweet, but SOOOO convenient. I got a bunch while I was in FL. I'm going to have my Dad bring me a bunch home when he finally comes. more later - gotta tend to my boy. It's SO good to be back! N. P.S. I'll go check out pics in Yahoo this evening.

B'man - ain't it the truth? I was thinking earlier "Why don't I just find a man who likes alla this?" and realized that deep down I wouldn't be happy. I've had men who appreciate my jelly, but they weren't good for me. I'd be lying if I said I was losing all this weight for myself, too. I'm primarily doing it for me, but there is a certain degree of vindication (I'll show them) and inner attention whore (Ooooh, she's gorgeous) involved as well. Men are stupid, and women fall for their BS far too easily. I think to a certain degree men do it for women, too. If they had their way, they'd be walking around in a dirty t-shirt and a pair of boxers, belching and scratching all day. LOL I should take a vacation in Mauritania though. I'd walk around there like Beyonce. BOOTYLICIOUS! :biggrin1: I didn't get up this morning. :phanvan I was up until 1am, and was just too tired at 4:45 when the alarm went off. I could have pushed it, but I went back to sleep. I'll do it when I get home. Gotta get ready for work. Nat

P.S. I know it's awful of me, but this article made me howl. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18141550/from/ET/ I been living in the wrong damn country! I would be a GODDESS in Mauritania!

Kirsten ***HUGS*** I agree. I totally agree. Those kids were trying to get an education and ended up dead. What a horrible horrible thing. I couldn't even watch the news tonight because I didn't want to hear about all that senseless destruction. Those families are definitely in my prayers. On a brighter note... I just got off my elliptical. 45 minutes. I fuggin rock. The plan is to get up at 5am and do another hour. I feel great. I took a vial of protein when I got done. 42g protein. That should boost me up over 60g for the day. If I drink a 42g protein shot when I get up, then do an hour on my elliptical, an I eat right after that? I really feel bright and cheery again. Amazing what a good night's sleep can do for a girl. HUGS! N.

Two days in a row. Gotdamn I rock! ((laughing)) So I had a good day. Well, in terms of the AMOUNT I ate, but I didn't necessarily do well with my protein. Morning 1 cup coffee. Lunch 1 cup veggie broth soup w/bread. Dinner 1/2 chicken breast. I tried to eat more for dinner, but I got full up after 1/2 the chicken breast. The GREAT thing is we had a lazy night (Wendy's) and even though I ordered a sammich, I ate no bread. The baby ate more than I did tonight. I will go back later for an Isopure drink or something. Steph - California Closet is a brand name of a company that does closet organization. I'll post a pic in Yahoo so you can see my closet. It looks amazing. You can see their work at www.californiaclosets.com I think. Annie - We are both pears and both the same size girl! I'm a 14/16 up top and an 18 (20) down below. Too much junk inna trunk, I guess. NSV. The janitor (facilities) guy told me I look good today. He's about a 55 year old white guy, but it still made me blush. I walked away thinking "Awww yeah, he wants summa my brown sugah." ahahahah I have been giggling about that all afternoon. He's right though - I did look especially hot today. Brandi - I'm convinced that your body works on momentum. So you can work out really really hard for 3-4 weeks, then slack for a while and your body will still be reacting to the work that you put in previously. I need to get busy and melt some of this ass. I could lose so much faster if I'd just moooooooooove. I suck. Claudia - have a BLAST in Chicago! It is my favorite US city, and my 2nd favorite city in the world. Paris tops the list. If you can, swing by and treat yourself to a small bag of Garrett's Popcorn. It is to DIE for. And way to go on not boozing it up the other night. That is some will power, girlfriend! bk - I hope your day has gotten better, and that you are having a wonderful evening. It sounds like such a terrible ordeal. Big picture: you weren't at Va Tech this morning. (Not to make light of your series of mishaps.) Do something special for yourself this evening. How come you think you need a fill? Are you throwing up frequently? I'm sorry, I should page back and read a bit more. I discovered today that most of the foods I'm eating are TOO SOFT. I know. You've all said it before, but I'm a hard head. I need to eat less whips and cottage cheese, and eat more solid pieces of chicken and fish. I think Ill stay fuller longer and eat WAY less. I was thinking I needed a fill, but I'm going to eat better and work my band. I may schedule a fill for after my trip to Charlotte. We'll see. Size. 12. I AM SO JEALOUS! I AM SO JEALOUS! IAMSOJEALOUS! I have to get off my ass and quit making excuses. EVERYONE is busy, right? shut up and mooooooooove, bitch. (That is me motivating myself) I think I'm going out to get on this elliptical now. Okay - more later. Big Love! Nat

I thought this was an interesting read - about how all the cardio in the world won't make you skinny. You have to lift weights to make a real difference. Interesting. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3034686&page=1