tonya66

You are so right! I thought about ordering nutirsystem myself, mainly because of the convenience. I do think 80% of weightloss with the band is us....our mind....our determination. Don't get me wrong, the 20% the band helps me, I could not have done it without it. The band has helped me control my hunger, to control the portion sizes. The part the band doesn't help me with is my choices. Thats all me. I'm the one that has to choose chicken breast over chocolate cream pie. Sula - sounds like your back in control! Good-luck on the colonoscopy.

tat858 - I love fitday! I've been using it for years. I really like to see my weight charts. When I get down and think I'm not doing that great, I can go to fitday and compare my weight for the past 12 months and it I can see I am making some changes. Sounds like you are heading in the right direction for sure!

Okay, how is everyone doing? Me, eating is good and I'm trying to make exercise a more consistant part of my life. I did great last week, but this week, not so good. I'm setting my alarm to get up in the morning, I've packed my lunch, so I have a plan and will stay on my plan. How is everyone else? Confused - are you out of the walking boot yet? Debbie - how are you doing with the "slider" foods? Sula - how are you? Back from Canada? Susie - where are you? How are you doing? Juno - Whats up girl?

Good plan! Sounds like you are on the right track, the band will be your tool to help you - you can do it! Keep us posted how your doing.

Okay - didn't make it to the gym.....too much going on last night. I will say, last night was a beneficial meeting and I think we can progress form here. I plan on going to the gym tonight, ABSOLUTELY NO exceptions!!!! I stepped on the scale this morning and saw another drop so I was quite pleased by that. Menu today: Weight Wise Oatmeal snack a few pretzles TBSP hummus Lunch Slice of my Low Fat Meatloaf green beans Snack Low Carb yogurt a handfull of granola thrown in Dinner grilled talapia baby spinach WT - 163.8

Okay - didn't make it to the gym.....too much going on last night. I will say, last night was a beneficial meeting and I think we can progress form here. I plan on going to the gym tonight, ABSOLUTELY NO exceptions!!!! I stepped on the scale this morning and saw another drop so I was quite pleased by that. Menu today: Weight Wise Oatmeal snack a few pretzles TBSP hummus Lunch Slice of my Low Fat Meatloaf green beans Snack Low Carb yogurt a handfull of granola thrown in Dinner grilled talapia baby spinach WT - 163.8

Thanks guys, I'm glad to know I'm not alone in problems with my kids!!!! Imaluckydog - Its about 31 g of protein per serving

Thanks BG - you know, reading all her text she was telling her BF how much she "hated" me, and how I was horrible and blah blah blah....my husband asked how I felt about all the cruel things she said about me, I told him "I don't need a 16 year old best friend" - My thought is, I will not be her friend right now, I'm her mother first, friendship will come later in life. I plan on making her life very miserable right now, she will not be able to go outside without supervision from either her dad or myself. I just found out all the lies she's been telling us, so she has lost all of our trust....I told her we will start from ground zero - she has to earn any trust back now.

Drama, drama, drama......story of my life these days with two teenagers in the house. My 16 year old got grounded, so I took her phone away from her, well, she thinks she is smarter than me so she sneaks around and buys herself a "trackphone" or "pay as you go phone" so I wouldn't know about it. I'm not stupid, everytime in the past I have taken her phone, she beggs me for it back, does extra chores etc. This time, she didn't say a word, I could tell it didn't even bother her so I figured she snuck around and got her a phone. Last night I found it hidden under her pillow. SCORE 1 for me! Well, being the concerned mother, I find a lot of text to this one boy that we have forbid her to see, and let me tell you, IT WAS NOT PRETTY AT OUR HOUSE LAST NIGHT! I don't think my daughter will be leaving the house until she is about 20 years old now. I've pretty much grounded her for the rest of her teenage years. Needless to say, with all this drama, I didn't make it to the gym tonight which even made me more mad! Tonight we are having a meeting with our daughter and our Elders from church to finish up our little discussion, so I doubt I will make it tonight, but I might.....depends on how long it last and how emotionally drained I am afterwards. Kids are wonderful, but teenagers........can we shoot them? lol. Wt - 164.8 Menu: Bfast Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf - (I know, but I was hungry and this sounded good) Lunch Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf - (I can't help it, I love it....and I made it last night so I have leftovers......yum yum) Snack yogurt granola Dinner Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf green beans Below is the recipe for my Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf: Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf – 4 pts per serving 1/2 lb raw extra lean ground beef 1/2 lb raw lean ground turkey breast 2 large egg whites 2 ounces cornbread stuffing mix (about 1 cup) You could also substitute with oatmeal too – I usually do half stuffing and half oatmeal 1 medium onion ½ diced bell pepper 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 4 ounces canned green chili peppers, diced 8 ounces red enchilada sauce Directions Preheat oven to 375 Spray broiler pan with fat free cooking spray. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except 4 oz of the enchilada sauce. Form into a loaf shape with your hands Place on broiler pan. Cook 1 hour Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce. Cook 5 minutes longer Slice and serve. Serving Size 1 (171g) Recipe makes 6 servings Calories 185 Calories from Fat 56 (30%) Amount Per Serving %DV Total Fat 6.3g 9% Saturated Fat 1.9g 9% Monounsaturated Fat 2.4g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 53mg 17% Sodium 301mg 12% Potassium 458mg 13% Total Carbohydrate 13.7g 4% Dietary Fiber 2.4g 9% Sugars 2.5g I will for sure get my protein in for today!

Drama, drama, drama......story of my life these days with two teenagers in the house. My 16 year old got grounded, so I took her phone away from her, well, she thinks she is smarter than me so she sneaks around and buys herself a "trackphone" or "pay as you go phone" so I wouldn't know about it. I'm not stupid, everytime in the past I have taken her phone, she beggs me for it back, does extra chores etc. This time, she didn't say a word, I could tell it didn't even bother her so I figured she snuck around and got her a phone. Last night I found it hidden under her pillow. SCORE 1 for me! Well, being the concerned mother, I find a lot of text to this one boy that we have forbid her to see, and let me tell you, IT WAS NOT PRETTY AT OUR HOUSE LAST NIGHT! I don't think my daughter will be leaving the house until she is about 20 years old now. I've pretty much grounded her for the rest of her teenage years. Needless to say, with all this drama, I didn't make it to the gym tonight which even made me more mad! Tonight we are having a meeting with our daughter and our Elders from church to finish up our little discussion, so I doubt I will make it tonight, but I might.....depends on how long it last and how emotionally drained I am afterwards. Kids are wonderful, but teenagers........can we shoot them? lol. Wt - 164.8 Menu: Bfast Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf - (I know, but I was hungry and this sounded good) Lunch Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf - (I can't help it, I love it....and I made it last night so I have leftovers......yum yum) Snack yogurt granola Dinner Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf green beans Below is the recipe for my Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf: Weight Watchers Mexican Meatloaf – 4 pts per serving 1/2 lb raw extra lean ground beef 1/2 lb raw lean ground turkey breast 2 large egg whites 2 ounces cornbread stuffing mix (about 1 cup) You could also substitute with oatmeal too – I usually do half stuffing and half oatmeal 1 medium onion ½ diced bell pepper 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 4 ounces canned green chili peppers, diced 8 ounces red enchilada sauce Directions Preheat oven to 375 Spray broiler pan with fat free cooking spray. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except 4 oz of the enchilada sauce. Form into a loaf shape with your hands Place on broiler pan. Cook 1 hour Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce. Cook 5 minutes longer Slice and serve. Serving Size 1 (171g) Recipe makes 6 servings Calories 185 Calories from Fat 56 (30%) Amount Per Serving %DV Total Fat 6.3g 9% Saturated Fat 1.9g 9% Monounsaturated Fat 2.4g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 53mg 17% Sodium 301mg 12% Potassium 458mg 13% Total Carbohydrate 13.7g 4% Dietary Fiber 2.4g 9% Sugars 2.5g I will for sure get my protein in for today!

Yes the crayon remark was funny, loved it. I'm sure the producers want to keep Tracy around, she adds to the drama of the house. Still not sure of a favorite yet, but I was finally glad Shay put up some big numbers. At her size, she she be putting up some big numbers. The show did pick up a little bit last night, didn't find it as boring as I think it will probably pick up even more as the game picks up. I think they are all realizing "this is a game". I don't really care for the game stradegies, I like to watch it for the weightloss, but it is a reality show game and If they want to win it I think they have to play it as a game. I was shocked how many people took the chance to win the right to control the game, and how they ousted Tracy last week for doing it. I still don't like Tracy, something about her just rubs me wrong.....but Manatee is right, she didn't do anything that the others wouldn't have done either. I'm looking foward to next week already!

Keep following the plan and you can do it!

Yes, talk to your doctor. Also keep in mind if you are eating when you are full, your are at serious risk of stretching your pouch, doing this over and over again will eventulayy stretch your pouch out. Throwing up over and over, can eventually cause a slip. Just think of the reasons you had the surgery, try and focus on your goals. Also, eat - eat at work, don't let yourself get too hungry, I seem to binge too when I let myself get too hungry. You can read my experience I just typed out today in my journal - it talks about this very thing. Best wishes, let us know what the doc says.

I learned a lesson last night - don't let yourself get too hungry! Here is the story: I get home and just wasn't hungry, we were headed out the door by 6:30 to go to a meeting, our meeting was over at 9:00, we get home at 9:15 pm and I'm starvin'. So, I make myself a few shrimp, that didn't help, I grab some chips and make myself about 5 or 6 chips with some cheese on it and it kepts going from there, I don't even remember everything I ate. I just remember grabbing different things trying to satisfy my hunger. I just felt like anything I ate was not filling me up. Moral of the story - eat something if you know it will be awhile before you can eat. I should have had something small before I left for the meeting. Some almonds perhaps, maybe a protein bar, something instead of letting myself get too hungry. I learned my lesson! I didn't get to exercise last night because of the metting so I took last night off. But......Tonight - It's on! Right after my "Biggest Loser" show, I will be headed to the gym for an hour of circuit training/working the upper body and cardio at the same time. Weight - didn't weigh this morning - just didn't want to face the scales after my late night eating. I was surprised that I didn't have any reflux. Usually if I eat that late, I'm up all night with reflux. I think I've losened up quite a bit again. But my band flucuates so much, I think I will monitor it the next few weeks and see if it gets tighter again. I really thought this last fill would last me - but now, once again, I'm wondering? I'm thinking also that I will never have that tight restriction everyone talks about. Don't get me wrong, I've got restriction, I can feel it, its just not as tight as I would like it. I would like the band to FORCE me to take small bites, to FORCE me not to eat bread, to FORCE me to chew, chew and chew. However, none of this happens for me. I eat regular bites of food, I can eat bread (but I chose to stay away from it), and I chew like I did before the band. I will say every now and then the band gives me a reminder that it is there and I think, Oh, I better slow down. But for the most part, I forget its there. I have found there is only one thing I can't eat - Hamburgers! No matter how small of bites, no matter, how slow, no matter what, it gets stuck. I have given up on ever eating a hamburger again, and I'm fine with that - they are loaded with fat and calories, so thank you my little silacone buddy for forcing me NOT to eat Hamburgers! If this is it for me, if this is the most restriction I can get, then I'm okay with that too. I know that this restriction will keep me from gaining all my weight back. I do get full on a lot less food than I used to eat, so for that, I'm thankful. I just read about so many bandsters talking about how they can't eat this, or that, and how they have to slow down and chew chew chew or they PB.....I've only experienced this a limited amount of time, and that is usually right after a fill. It last a day, sometimes 2 weeks, and it has lasted a month before, but it always leaves. PBing is something I rarely, if ever do. I can't even remember the last time I PB'd. I'm losing count on how many fills I've had. I keep it updated in my journal so I can remember, but I thinks it like 16 now, or maybe even 17. It makes me wonder if I really do have a leak? My doc has tested it and says I don't. Speaking of doc, I go see my band doc tomorrow. He just wants to see how I'm doing after almost 3 years with the band. I think I will talk to him about this and see what he thinks. Okay, I guess I've written enough in my book now, so I better get to work.........:confused:

I learned a lesson last night - don't let yourself get too hungry! Here is the story: I get home and just wasn't hungry, we were headed out the door by 6:30 to go to a meeting, our meeting was over at 9:00, we get home at 9:15 pm and I'm starvin'. So, I make myself a few shrimp, that didn't help, I grab some chips and make myself about 5 or 6 chips with some cheese on it and it kepts going from there, I don't even remember everything I ate. I just remember grabbing different things trying to satisfy my hunger. I just felt like anything I ate was not filling me up. Moral of the story - eat something if you know it will be awhile before you can eat. I should have had something small before I left for the meeting. Some almonds perhaps, maybe a protein bar, something instead of letting myself get too hungry. I learned my lesson! I didn't get to exercise last night because of the metting so I took last night off. But......Tonight - It's on! Right after my "Biggest Loser" show, I will be headed to the gym for an hour of circuit training/working the upper body and cardio at the same time. Weight - didn't weigh this morning - just didn't want to face the scales after my late night eating. I was surprised that I didn't have any reflux. Usually if I eat that late, I'm up all night with reflux. I think I've losened up quite a bit again. But my band flucuates so much, I think I will monitor it the next few weeks and see if it gets tighter again. I really thought this last fill would last me - but now, once again, I'm wondering? I'm thinking also that I will never have that tight restriction everyone talks about. Don't get me wrong, I've got restriction, I can feel it, its just not as tight as I would like it. I would like the band to FORCE me to take small bites, to FORCE me not to eat bread, to FORCE me to chew, chew and chew. However, none of this happens for me. I eat regular bites of food, I can eat bread (but I chose to stay away from it), and I chew like I did before the band. I will say every now and then the band gives me a reminder that it is there and I think, Oh, I better slow down. But for the most part, I forget its there. I have found there is only one thing I can't eat - Hamburgers! No matter how small of bites, no matter, how slow, no matter what, it gets stuck. I have given up on ever eating a hamburger again, and I'm fine with that - they are loaded with fat and calories, so thank you my little silacone buddy for forcing me NOT to eat Hamburgers! If this is it for me, if this is the most restriction I can get, then I'm okay with that too. I know that this restriction will keep me from gaining all my weight back. I do get full on a lot less food than I used to eat, so for that, I'm thankful. I just read about so many bandsters talking about how they can't eat this, or that, and how they have to slow down and chew chew chew or they PB.....I've only experienced this a limited amount of time, and that is usually right after a fill. It last a day, sometimes 2 weeks, and it has lasted a month before, but it always leaves. PBing is something I rarely, if ever do. I can't even remember the last time I PB'd. I'm losing count on how many fills I've had. I keep it updated in my journal so I can remember, but I thinks it like 16 now, or maybe even 17. It makes me wonder if I really do have a leak? My doc has tested it and says I don't. Speaking of doc, I go see my band doc tomorrow. He just wants to see how I'm doing after almost 3 years with the band. I think I will talk to him about this and see what he thinks. Okay, I guess I've written enough in my book now, so I better get to work.........:thumbup:

Well, wonder what tonight's show will bring? I agree it is a game, but I'm more interested in the nutrition aspect of it, and the training. I wish they would show more of the meal plans, the routines they do etc. They show some, but I am wondering exactly HOW much exercise they do? How many hours? How much cardio vs strength training? I still enjoy the show, but I do agree, this season is just a little boring....but it might pick up some as the season goes on.

I feel like I'm back on track and doing good. I actually feel like I have a brand new motivation again with my band. I ate good all week, and I FINALLY made it to the gym on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so basically 4 days last week. I'm forcing myself to stay within 20 weight watchers points, and weight watchers program gives you an extra 35 points to use at anytime on top of the 20 points per day. Well, I'm trying to only do the 20 points per day and not tap into the 35 points. Last week I did it, I even went out to eat 3 times and managed to stay within my points. Even went for Mexican twice last week. So needless to say, I'm proud of myself. I'm proud that I was able to maintain my control. I made it to the gym on Thursday evening and made sure I went thru the weekend. I only did cardio, but managed to do 50 minutes on Saturday and Sunday. This week my goal is to keep up my exercise, and add some strength training into it. I weighed last Monday and was up quite a bit from my low of 159, I weighed in on 9/5 at 169.7 - OUCH, today I weighed in and was down to 166.5, so I lost 3.2 lbs last week by sticking to my plan. I'm hoping to lose 2 lbs this week. I need to get to my goal and quit playing around, I'm tired of yo-yoing up and down the same 5 or 10 pounds! The only reason I go up some is I start eating slider foods, or foods that are high in calories, even though I don't eat a bunch of them, they are still high in calories and will pack on the pounds eventually. Also, I quit exercising, and sure enough, 10 pounds came piling back on! I've set a limit of 5 lbs for myself, if I go up 5 lbs then its strict, strict bandster eating until I lose the 5 lbs. I will not let myself gain 10 lbs again before I wake up and start eating right again!

I feel like I'm back on track and doing good. I actually feel like I have a brand new motivation again with my band. I ate good all week, and I FINALLY made it to the gym on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so basically 4 days last week. I'm forcing myself to stay within 20 weight watchers points, and weight watchers program gives you an extra 35 points to use at anytime on top of the 20 points per day. Well, I'm trying to only do the 20 points per day and not tap into the 35 points. Last week I did it, I even went out to eat 3 times and managed to stay within my points. Even went for Mexican twice last week. So needless to say, I'm proud of myself. I'm proud that I was able to maintain my control. I made it to the gym on Thursday evening and made sure I went thru the weekend. I only did cardio, but managed to do 50 minutes on Saturday and Sunday. This week my goal is to keep up my exercise, and add some strength training into it. I weighed last Monday and was up quite a bit from my low of 159, I weighed in on 9/5 at 169.7 - OUCH, today I weighed in and was down to 166.5, so I lost 3.2 lbs last week by sticking to my plan. I'm hoping to lose 2 lbs this week. I need to get to my goal and quit playing around, I'm tired of yo-yoing up and down the same 5 or 10 pounds! The only reason I go up some is I start eating slider foods, or foods that are high in calories, even though I don't eat a bunch of them, they are still high in calories and will pack on the pounds eventually. Also, I quit exercising, and sure enough, 10 pounds came piling back on! I've set a limit of 5 lbs for myself, if I go up 5 lbs then its strict, strict bandster eating until I lose the 5 lbs. I will not let myself gain 10 lbs again before I wake up and start eating right again!

CES - You know, this has baffled me for quite some time, but after doing a lot of research on this and reading books by people who have the lap-band, I find that this is common. I believe it to be because as a woman, we fluctuate with our water weight, during our monthly, we bloat a little more etc. I think thats why the restriction levels change. I find mine even changes from meal to meal. I'm the tightest during bfast and lose around dinner time, however, I seem to get tighter as I am heading to bed. I am not sure why. Its just something I have learned to accept and deal with, I wish it was more consistant, but for me it is not.

I'm a firm believer in journaling, here is an interesting article on that very subject. I hope this helps you with your struggles, it sure does help me. Write Your Way to Weight Loss Find out how keeping a journal can keep off those pounds. By Madeline Vann, MPH Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH Writing down what you eat can double your weight-loss success and help you keep those pounds off permanently. After all, maintaining your weight can be harder than losing it, so you need all the helpful tools you can get. Keep Your New Weight: Why Journaling Works A study of 1,700 overweight men and women showed that those who kept a regular food and exercise journal, along with eating a low-fat diet and exercising 30 minutes per day, lost 18 pounds in 20 weeks, compared to a nine-pound loss among those who did no journaling. Researchers believe food journals work because: They make you accountable. They help you identify where extra calories are sneaking back into your diet. They can act as a deterrent — if you know you have to write down that you ate a second generous wedge of double fudge chocolate chip brownie pie, you might not eat it! They provide a concrete record of your success. One of the lessons many people take from their experience of food journaling is the difference between a serving size as printed on a nutrition label and the amount of a food that they consider to be a helping. For example, a serving of Pasta is about a half a cup, so you may be surprised when you start keeping your food journal that your usual helping of spaghetti could be as many as four servings. Keep Your New Weight: Find Your Best Journal Format Be creative with your weight journal format if that also helps keep you on track. The word journal may conjure up the image of a leather-bound diary tucked under your pillow, but 21st century dieters can get the same benefit with a high-tech twist — texting. An eight-week study of 31 families showed that tech-savvy teens were nearly twice as likely to stick to a diet plan if they could text-message about their diet and exercise choices. The study's authors concluded that an immediate response from a nutritionist helped keep them motivated. You could achieve the same results by texting a diet buddy. Another option is keeping a log of your dietary choices online, which may also give you access to interactive tools such as calorie counters and weight trackers as well as personalized meal and exercise plans. Keep Your New Weight: What to Journal Whether you're a next-generation smart phone texter or a spiral notebook traditionalist, you need to keep track of specific details for the best results. Here is a general guide for what information to track in your log: Your weight at the start of maintenance and at your regular weigh-ins. Your goals and any specific guidelines for your meal plan. Specific measurements you are tracking, such as your waistline. Portion sizes of foods — remember to make it servings, not helpings — and food groups. Nutritional information associated with the servings you are eating, such as calories, salt content, fat content, Fiber, and carbohydrates. Minutes of exercise expended, plus any other exercise data you record, such as heart rate. Any other habits that you believe are relevant to your weight, such as the time you spend watching TV or playing video games. Any other details about your eating experience, such as where you ate, who you were with, and how you were feeling emotionally at that time. Write down everything that you eat or drink, including Snacks and Water. And another success tip: For greater accuracy jot down what you ate right after you eat it. By keeping a food diary, you'll be able to see if you're about to go over your allotted calories for your current weight on any given day, as well as if you're eating too many or too few calories over the course of a week. Since it's important to shake up your exercise routine periodically to keep your body challenged, your journal will also allow you to review past workouts and alert you when you’re due for a change. Journaling is a great motivator, keeping you on the straight and narrow and preventing you from slipping back into old patterns that caused your weight gain.

The beauty of the band is it is a tool there to help you when your ready to use it. The good news is you know you CAN lose the weight, you've done it before. So, you lost 170 lbs, then gained back 70, so now instead of losing 170 lbs, you only have 70 lbs to lose. You can do it, you've proven it to yourself you can do it. I try and set myself a limit of 5 lbs gain, when I'm up 5 lbs, its back to strick basics until I lose the 5 lbs. Unfortunately, I broke my own rules and let myself gain 10 lbs.......eeek. So, now its back to the strict bandster diet, lean Protein, fresh veggies and fruits, no exceptions, until I lose that 10 lbs. Start tracking what you eat, how much you eat and this will help and keep you accountable to yourself, it helps me anyhow. Best wishes! PS - I was banded in January 07 too.

Well, my restriction is staying pretty good. I have loose days, and I have tighter days. It even changes from meal to meal. Some mornings, I just stick with oatmeal, this morning, I woke up starving, so had to eggs over medium and 2 slices of bacon. Normally, I would only eat 1 egg. Last night I noticed I was hungry and very lose around 7pm, but then around 9, got very tight again. Strange. But its something I've learned to accept and deal with. Eating has been going great, sticking with my proteins first, exercise, not so good. I know what I need to do, so just need to quit making excuses and DO IT! As Nike says "Just Do It". Menu today: Bfast 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon Lunch: baked chicken - 3 oz few carrot sticks Snack: yogurt Dinner fish - baked green beans

Well, my restriction is staying pretty good. I have loose days, and I have tighter days. It even changes from meal to meal. Some mornings, I just stick with oatmeal, this morning, I woke up starving, so had to eggs over medium and 2 slices of bacon. Normally, I would only eat 1 egg. Last night I noticed I was hungry and very lose around 7pm, but then around 9, got very tight again. Strange. But its something I've learned to accept and deal with. Eating has been going great, sticking with my proteins first, exercise, not so good. I know what I need to do, so just need to quit making excuses and DO IT! As Nike says "Just Do It". Menu today: Bfast 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon Lunch: baked chicken - 3 oz few carrot sticks Snack: yogurt Dinner fish - baked green beans

Tonight will be interesting to see how everyone reacts to Tracy. Not sure if I will get to watch it tonight, I will be recording it, so if I don't get to watch it tonight, will have to tune in tomorrow night.

I thought this was an interesting read, speaking of “Set Point”, so I thought I would share: Change Your Weight "Set Point" By Kathleen Goodwin, RD As if it’s not hard enough to lose weight and keep it off, now we know that many of us must contend with battling our "set point" too. The set point theory was introduced by a group of researchers in 1982. The basic premise of the theory is that the body has a built in weight regulating mechanism, largely genetically determined, that will tend to keep your weight in a physiologically established comfortable range. Many dieters contend with trying to drop weight beyond their bodies’ set point after following a important healthy diet and exercise regimen for a time. Initially, for most, body weight will come off steadily and easily when following a reduced calorie diet and exercise program. However, for those of us with genetically determined set points beyond our desired weight goal, losing beyond this weight plateau can be quite challenging. How the weight set point works One premise of set point theory is that after the onset of adulthood the body will maintain a constant level of body fat. This involves a complex set of interactions between the brain, nervous system and the fat cells. This communication can cause a reduction in metabolism when the fat cells signal that too much fat has been lost during a period of dieting and/or exercising. On the converse side, the brain can also be signaled to minimize hunger and eating when the fat cell build up extends beyond the comfortable set point level. Following a weight loss diet for a period of time can also trigger the body to cling to its set point. After dieting, the body’s metabolism—or daily rate of calorie burning—can decrease, particularly when a dieter chooses the “no exercise” route. Once the body reaches this point, the same amount of calories that initially led to weight loss, can now lead to weight maintenance and/or gain. Much of this has to do with the fact that the now smaller body size (due to weight loss) requires less calories per day to maintain. With these two factors working together, it can be difficult to reach a goal weight that is lower than what our genetically inherited set point would like. 3 ways to defeat your weight set point While it’s true that many inherit some genetic predispositions that can make it more difficult to either lose weight or attain a goal weight than others, your set point is not in control of your destiny. Rather, there are many things you can do to combat and defeat your set point. 1. Keep a food record before cutting more calories First of all, do not cut more calories from your diet than the level you used to lose weight initially. Cutting back on calories too drastically can put your body in “starvation mode” and significantly reduce your metabolism even further. Try keeping a food record instead. Evaluate the nutritional value of your current diet. Even though it may be reduced in calories, you may not be eating healthily. Perhaps you need to cut back on the refined, processed foods you have in your diet. Perhaps you need to limit your fat intake or drink more Water or add more fruits and vegetables. Another good idea to give your body a metabolic boost is to try 6 light meals or Snacks daily instead of 3 large meals. Every time you eat your body increases its metabolic rate. 2. Continue to exercise regularly Secondly, you absolutely cannot omit exercise and expect to lower your set point. Exercise is the only mechanism proven to help lower set point. You must get into the habit of exercising for at least an hour several days a week in order to lower your set point. Use your large muscles as much as possible—that is, the thighs and buttocks. Try walking, jogging, swimming, and biking. Weight training using the large muscles in the legs and buttocks is a must too. The more muscle you add to your body, the higher your metabolism and calorie burning potential will become. 3. Vary and intensify your exercise routine - your body gets "used" to your workout If you are already working out regularly, you must begin to vary your routine. Perhaps your body has gotten “used” to your workout and the benefits of exercise to your metabolism have slackened. A great way to boost your metabolism is to begin to include increases in intensity to your workout. For example, if you have been running 3 miles at a steady 30 minute pace, try adding a few periods of one minute sprints in transit. If your workout has become too “easy,” it is imperative that you find ways to make it moderately difficult again if you want to drop your set point. Your weight set point can be overcome In conclusion, there is a strong body of evidence that suggests that each individual has a predetermined weight set point. Your individual set point may be difficult to overcome. However, the majority of people who continue to eat healthily, increase exercise intensity and not give up, eventually press past their set point closer to their desired weight. The actions you take and the level of persistence you demonstrate will determine whether you can conquer your set point.