MaggieGT

I'm with you no more dilly dallying! The last 15 # I lost put me lower than I've been in 25 years. I'm not sure if I was resting on my laurels or just trying to get comfortable with the changes. Everyone began to notice. I had to retire the majority of my clothes. My rings and shoes are too big. My knees can do a lot more before they start hurting. So for the last month I have been bouncing back and forth around the same 5 #. To stop Dilly dallying, I've set a SMART goal Goals that are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Specific: Reach the milestone of overweight category from obese. Measureable: 17 # weight loss Attainable: lose 3#/week Realistic: Burn 1550 calories per day more than I eat Timely: Deadline 6/15/2015

This was my ticker from my first blog entry. I'm happy to say that I am now 17 lb to go. It's good to look back and see how far I've come! 60 lbs has taken me down 4 dress sizes, improved my knees and led me on a journey of self discovery and forgiveness. I never thought my weight lost would take so many years. I think God had many lessons I needed to learn along the way. With help, I've come to understand why I made some of the choices I have in life. I have truly forgiven myself and with this understanding helps me not to repeat that same pattern again. God is Good! Good Journey All, MaggieGT

Hello Lapbanders, Well my weight is finally lower than its been since the 1990's. My journey has not been a straight line but instead a total focus or not :-(. This last total focus period started in October 2014 when I did a Meltdown Challenge to lose 6% in 6 weeks. It had daily activities that you had to do to earn the points you needed plus losing the 6%. I was one of about 20 out of 150 that reached the points and weight loss goal. I was able to maintain that loss through the holidays. Then in February I joined a group Danny Cahill had. He gave us a grocery list and diet to follow. Lots of fresh foods and healthy cooking. With this I have lost even more and have found I enjoy shopping for and preparing my own food. I'm not sure how to move to the next stage now. I'm getting bored with the same menu each week since February. I would love to find a healthy cooking class to teach me more simple, nutritious and low calorie recipes. There is lots of recipes on the internet but I'm overwhelmed with all that. Any suggestions? Good Journey all! MaggieGT ~Psalms 23:1-6~ The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Hello Fellow Banders, I'm in Colorado for a much needed vacation. I have been getting 12,000 to 16,000 steps in. I'm loving hiking in the mountains and along the alpine lake. I even have gotten some tennis in. I'm not sure how I'm doing on my weight since this is a different scale than at home or the doctor's. It weighted me 3 lbs more than at home, So I just adjusted everything to that and set my goals accordingly. I weight-in 12 days from now and my best guess is that I need to lose 7 lbs or 2000 cal deficit per day. With this level of activity, I'm burning 3000 to 3500 cal/day. I just need to keep it up and keep my calories at the 800 to 1200 range. I think this is very doable. I am so thankful to God for my continued good health. I would like to honor him and myself by for once and for all get my weight to normal. Good Journey, MaggieGT

Hello Banders, Things are getting fixed now. I was using my Bodymedia fit with a target of 8000 steps and a calorie consumed with MyFitnesspal of 1250. I lost a few pounds, gained a few over the last 3 weeks. Weight in with my doctor is Monday, July 1st. He wanted me down to 245. I was at 250 last Sunday, UGHHHH. So I changed my calorie consumed target to 800 and my steps to 12500. It has done the trick. I am losing each day. At 246.8 # this morning. I am confident I can get to 245 by Monday. I guess I do well with deadlines LOL! :wub: I haven't felt much restriction since the swelling was gone after the surgery. So eating only 800 calories is happening only by shear desperation. I'm looking forward to getting a fill on Monday for help in limiting my intake. Hopefully it will enable me to continue 800 calories and 12500 steps/day.

Hello Fellow Banders, I commented on my flipped port a year ago. The good news is that I got serious on my diet and exercise and lost 25#, Even better news, a new doctor moved to my town. I had put off getting my port fixed because I didn't want to go to mexico again and I couldn't find a local doctor to fix it and then do the fills. I love my new doctor :-). He replaced my port today and removed the scar tissue from my ugly looking original surgery scars. I guess nothing worth doing is easy though. ,,,, Things didn't go as planned. 1.The taxi couldn't find my house, so he was 20 minutes late. But he showed me a cool short cut and still got me there only 5 minutes late. 2.The doctor got delayed with something else and so my surgery started an hour later than planned. But the time gave me time to pray and I sang to myself Amazing Love a bunch. I felt very close to God by the time I went into surgery. 3. We were just doing a local and flipping the port. So it was kinda cool to be awake and be aware of the surgery. 4. Just when I thought he was about done, he showed me the port and said it needed replacing. So they had to put me under. But the next thing I know, I'm waking up in recovery feeling good and my wonderful Son-in-Law is there to take care of me. So each setback seemed to be offset with a gift, God is always showing me his love. Good Journey All, MaggieGT Amazing Love :-) I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken I'm accepted, you were condemned I'm alive and well Your spirit is within me Because you died and rose again Chorus: Amazing Love How can it be That you my King Would die for me Amazing Love I know it's true It's my joy to honor You In all I do I honor you Coda: You are my King Jesus, You are my King You are my King Jesus, You are my King **************************************************************************

Hello Fellow banders, I am having to let my foot heal for the next few days, ICE(ice, compression, elevate) lol. I rolled my ankle playing tennis so it was way worth it. I love being active, tennis, Zumba, line dancing, bicycling. It's going to to tough to be sedentary. I average 8000 steps per day with top days of the week being 12500 steps and 3500 calories burned. I need to do sitting exercises or something. Anyone have suggestions??? Good Journey, MaggieGT

Hello All, I hope your journey is going well. I have stubbled a bit in my cheerfulness. I was sitting on the patio, enjoying God's creation, trees, birds, the gentle breeze. Then I started crying, missing what I had. I want to close my eyes and open them and be thin and fit. I want to have my close friends and love ones around me. I rail against the changes, the losses that seem to continue to march forth in life. I once again must let go and let God. He has a plan for me, I just need to be still and listen. MaggieGT Blessed is the man (who walketh with the lord)..he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, bringeth forth fruit..whose leaf doth not wither..whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Hi Noturningback11, Yes sugar is my challenge also. I found that in the car and in front of the TV are where I eat it. At meals, I don't have that problem. It reminds me of when my Mom was quitting smoking. She found it very hard to drink her morning coffee or evening cocktail without a cigarette. Do you have a certain place or time that goes with your sugar habits?

Thank you Lovethenewme. I think I am coming out of the fog. I feel happier and am playing Tennis and bicycling. The eating habits are also getting better. I'll weight in Sunday and see if there's progress on the scales. Whether there is or not I am going to just focus on the good habits I'm adding and the bad habits I'm breaking. Good Journey, MaggieGT

Hello Friends, Life has been good but very busy. I have been able to reach out to the people around me more and build relationships. After my breakup I hid away, like an injured animal back in her cave. I got to work each day but not much else. Now I am planning each day after work and the weekend activities ahead of time. Asking people I want to spend time with to join me in those activites. This is hard for me to do. Childhood things........ But I am facing it. I think about who would enjoy that activity and ask them. If they decline, I still don't like that feeling I get. But I just think of someone else or go anyway. Probably no big deal for many people, but a big step for me. I'm doing good on: eating healthy breakfast eating fruits and vege's Bad habits I'm working on: Not eating in front of TV Not eating in car Good Journey all, MaggieGT When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord in near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Ps 34:17-18

Well I'd like to say that I met all my goals yesterday. I didn't. But it was a good start. Good habits I did: Ate breakfast Had 4 serving of vege's Had whole grains Bad habits I worked on: Eating in front of TV ( This is going to be a hard one to break ..Any suggestions?????) Bonus Habits: Logged all I ate Wore my bodybugg to record my activtiy Writing in this Blog. Results: Down 4 pounds Thank you Lord, MaggieGT Psalms 61:Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I; for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

I posted on Ghia79's page since she has one of the local doctors to see what she thought of him and his office people. I think your right. I think local so I go regularly and with people I get along with well and with a councilor to deal with my underlying issues that lead to the emotional eating. Thank you for your support :-) MaggieGT