LoseIt!

I'm glad you mentioned photography, because I was a little concerned about the poor lady in the vintage dress that you are going to shoot! Keep up the great work!

It is so hard to be patient with this process, but the truth is that you are doing well. I know there are people out there that have lost twice as much, but there are also people out there that have lost half as much. Everyone has a different pace. Keep your head up and keep doing what you are doing. At your pace, you are still losing around 60 pounds a year and there is nothing wrong with that. Chin up! You are doing well. (Your doc on the other hand doesn't seem to be all that great with the bedside manner.)

You probably aren't letting yourself see it. I know that as I gained weight, I never really saw it when I looked in the mirror. However, when I would see a picture it would almost kill me! Try taking progress pictures. I do that once a month. It is hard to ignore it when you are looking at visual evidence!!

This morning a stranger in the elevator told me that my outfit was cute. Today I'm wearing a denim dress that I bought in 2006 when I was thinner. I think it is cute too, so I kept it. It is kind of short, so I paired it with some brown leggings and some brown beaded sandals. When I left the house I felt cute, but I was also nervous because I was taking a risk. I normally dress in jeans or pants and a shirt...quite conservative. The outfit I have on today says "I'm trying to look cute" and there was a piece of me that was afraid that I had failed. One little comment from a stranger and I feel great! I did try to look cute today and I succeeded. :bored: I hope you all have a great day too!

I hear ya, sister! Sometimes I just need my Hagendaas. I have some very skinny friends and they eat ice cream too. In fact, I eat WAY better than most of them. Good for those who can eat perfectly all the time. Truly! Kudos! For the rest of us...we can lift each other up and keep each other going. Sometimes the "superwomen" as Butterfly called them are inspiring and sometimes they are annoying. I really think it depends more on OUR mood. Just keep on YOUR journey and you will do just great!

You are such an inspiration, BG!!

I completely understand being excited about no longer being Morbidly Obese. I hit that milestone in May and I think it is a very big deal! Think how awesome you are going to feel when you are overweight!! Keep up the good work.

You are so right, the anticipation is indeed the worst! If you can stick to the liquid pre-op, I have no doubt you will be able to kill the post op. Once you start getting fills, you will go to town! Kick butt, Preppy!! Ha!

One thing I have learned is that with the Band, you have to be patient. You have to follow the fill protocol in order to make the Band work for you. If you are falling off the wagon because you are hungry, then go get a fill! If you are falling off the wagon because of emotional issues, a fill is probably not going to help. You will need to look inside and figure out what is driving you to eat. I was banded 5 months ago and have gotten frustrated at least once a month. But when I break it down and do what I'm supposed to do, it is all working out. Good luck to you!!

I have such a love/hate relationship with fill week. I love it because it never fails to jump start my weight loss. Looking back at the last 5 months, most of my biggest weight loss weeks have come on fill weeks. To me it is so motivating to look at the scale on Monday and be several pounds down! However, I also hate fill weeks. I do liquids the first couple of days and no matter how much I drink, I can never just quite quash my hunger. I'm not horrificly hungry, but just that nagging little hunger that never fully goes away. Plus, it is hard for me to get good exercise during that time. I just don't have quite the same amount of energy as usual. So, typically I don't do as much. Today I plan to work out on the elliptical for a half hour at lunch so that is something! Bottom line, the negative part of fill week that I hate is temporary and fades after a few days. The positive part...the weight loss and the better restriction...is much more lasting. So, all in all, yay for fills!!

I was at my parents' house last weekend and I was showing my mom some excersises in the pool. I think a cheap pair of water weights are really helpful! You can use them for bicep & tricep curls. Also, one of my favorites is to put the water weights in my hands and float them out to the side with my legs spread apart. I turn using my core so that one weight is in front of me and the other is in back. I then tighten my core and legs and push the weights through the water the other way so that the opposite weight is in front of me and the other is in back. Also, not sure how much of a ledge you have, but you can do pull ups. Also, hanging onto the side and kicking is good for the legs. Have fun!!

That is super! I agree with tesa that you are very inspiring! You are awesome!

Hormones are such a pain!! I'm glad you are coming out of your funk. I find that exercise helps me every time!!

I think you sound completely normal!! Keep up the great work!

I found that as soon as I had cleansed my body of carbs, I got a bunch of energy too. Way to use it for good!! Good luck on your upcoming surgery!

Today is my birthday and it has just been the best birthday in a very long time! This time last year, I was beyond miserable. I did not like myself, I was sick and I was probably close to depressed. This year, I have lost 47 pounds since 1/14, I'm starting to fit into my "skinny" clothes, and I'm starting to feel like I'm actually in some kind of shape! I have no regrets. Part of me wishes that I would have started this process last year. By now I would be at my goal! But I realize that I had a journey to go through to come to this decision and if I would have done it too soon, I may have not been successful. In April & May, I worked out 18 hours and 17 hours, respectively. Assuming roughly 4 weeks in the month, that is over four hours a week. I'm feeling pretty good about that! Let's see if I can top both months in June! My favorite achievement so far is that I have made it out of the Morbidly Obese category! I'm now merely Super Obese. Regular Obese...here I come!!! :thumbup: At my current rate, I would be in spitting distance of Overweight! However, I will not be dissatisfied with any result as long as I'm doing the best I can and I'm going in the right direction. As I believe I have mentioned before, I plan to jog a 5K in September. My progress is not as I would hope. I did jog 1.25 miles on Thursday, but I was unable to do so either Saturday or Sunday. I just couldn't seem to go longer than 3 or 4 minutes. Hmmm... Tomorrow I'm getting a fill. I had hoped that I wouldn't need one but I get hungry after about 2-3 hours and I seem to want to eat quite a bit more than the prescribed amount. I feel sure I haven't stretched my pouch or anything, so I probably just need a tweak. I'm always cranky the day of my fill, so I decided to just take the day off. It will be a good day to go get my drivers license renewed. Nothing like being cranky at the DMV! Every 4th of July weekend, I visit my friend's family in Louisiana. Right now, I'm about 25 pounds lighter than I was last year. I would love to lose about 10 pounds in June so I would be about 35 pounds lighter. I think that is quite doable. A. I have my fill tomorrow which always jump starts my progress. B. The last 3 weeks in June I'm scheduled to Jazzercise twice and be with my trainer twice each week. C. After 5 months, I'm still motivated!! I feel quite sure that has never been the case for me. Next Monday it will be time for picture updates and that is always fun!! Hope you all have a great week!

I totally know what you mean! I get frustrated with how slow it is going sometimes too. A. I have the same issues you do in that I could do better and B. I know without a doubt that I could not have done what I have done without the band. I tried and I couldn't budge. Yay for you and your new jeans!!

You are almost 1/4 to your goal. Way to go!

Good for you! I found that the more I go to my trainer, the less difficult it becomes. It becomes more exhilerating! Good luck to you!!

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! I went to Florida last Wednesday to see my parents. We had such a great time! My mom & I shopped and shopped. I have 4 new dresses, 4 new pairs of shoes, several new tops and a new pair of shorts. Oh, and a new beautiful purse! It was interesting to shop for snug clothes. I just hate to buy something that will be too big soon. I'm not complaining, just trying to be smart. Except for the nightly ice cream, I was able to eat well and exercise. My parents have a pool and I was in it almost every day. Plus, they have a mile circle around their neighborhood. One day I did a Couch to 5K (week 2) program and another day I jogged one loop. That is the first time I have jogged a mile since high school!!! My dad was (good naturedly) skeptical that I will be able to jog a 5K by Labor Day, but I know I will be able to do it! A month ago, I could barely jog 30 seconds. I just need to work at it! Weekly progress: I lost 3.2 pounds this week. On vacation?? That just seems crazy. I think I tend to follow my rules better away from home. Monthly progress: I lost 8 pounds in May. Woo hoo! The best part is that I'm no longer Morbidly Obese!! That makes me very happy. Tonight I'm going to see Wicked! Yay! I've seen it 3 times before, but it is one of my very favorites, so I'm looking forward to it. I will try to measure tomorrow night to get my monthly measurements tracked. Next week...possibly a fill & new pics!!

So, my profile picture is officially updated. Maybe after another 40 lbs., I will update it again!! So, this will be the last time I have to look at this picture unless I choose too. [/url] I gained 1/2 lb last week and nothing seems to be coming off this week, but I'm still feeling pretty good. I have a plan. Log food, go on vacation, have birthday, get fill. Ha! If I can maintain through all of that, I should probably consider it a victory! I'm looking forward to vacation. I'm visiting my parents and they are watching their diet right now so we should be good influences on each other. Plus, I plan to buy a couple new outfits. YAY!! The good thing about not being tight is that I'm definitely getting in my water. Plus, I'm keeping up my exercise. I did 1/2 hour on the elliptical at lunch today. Tonight I'm meeting a friend for dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse. I'm sure I can find a good choice there!! Have a great week everyone!

Great attitude, Joanne!! You have to live your life and sometimes it doesn't work out well with the band. But doing the right things whenever you can is a big deal. Go you!

Girl, you are going to have so much fun on that cruise!! Most cruises offer some sort of exercise program. For example, I remember a cruise I went on had a "Ship Shape" program where you got up and walked or did some exercise as a group. That might be something that would help keep you focused. Also, not sure if you are a drinker, but try and stay away from the fru-fru drinks. They are tasty, but FULL of calories! Last, protein first! If you focus on the yummy meat choices and then have some veggies, you should be super. Good luck and have a wonderful time!!

You can do it! I think a mile swimming is hard work, so good for you!!

I'm so sorry you are having so much trouble. It is not an easy process under the best of circumstances. Try talking to your surgeon or find a support group. I've found both have helped me immensely. Also, make sure you are taking small bites and not taking another until the first one has passed. If you aren't able to keep ANYTHING down, speak with your fill provider immediately. If you can keep down liquids, make sure you are getting the proper nutrition. If several days have passed and you still can't eat solid food, contact your fill provider. Being too tight will not help you! But make sure you are following the rules about small bites and slow eating before you make any changes. Good luck to you!