sandradee0124

Somehow you have to work around hating the place and deciding to love how the place makes you feel after you've been there. You've lost a lot of weight already and I'm sure you feel lighter and brighter :-). I try to self-talk myself into the fact that an hour after I've left I'll feel great, and my pants are baggy! I'm taking little steps..... If you find some music you like, put it on the MP3 player and dance with it while you are lifting or on a cardio machine. And tell your trainer you hate the gym. A good trainer will work with you to mix it up a little? They won't go easier on you they can just change it up a bit.

Thank you so much, Janet! I printed this to go on the refrigerator. God's peace :-)

Yesterday we did 45 minutes on the elliptical in the morning. All good. Last night I stayed at a local hotel to go to a Zumba class with my workout buddy, do some swimming afterwards, and enjoy our night without having to drive 90 minutes each way to get there. I'm in the hotel, unpacking my suitcase and I realize my tennis shoes are in my trunk. I go downstairs with my workout clothes on and no shoes and we have a little earthquake, rendering the elevators inoperable. I walk up four flights of stairs (should be no problem after 4 weeks of ellipcial right?). NO. Winded and tired big time. OK, learned I might not be working as hard as I could be on the elliptical, or maybe need to do some stairmaster here and there? We go to the Zumba class last night. Somewhere over the last 20 years I lost any ability to follow an instructor's moves, and any hope of coordination I had. I stood in the back and moved my feet and arms a lot and hoped no one on the street was watching. I worked up a big sweat and we left 5 minutes before the class was over as my friend was really warm. But I'm going again next week, or even some time at my home gym this weekend. I'll never learn it if I don't keep trying! I feel great this morning. Slept in instead of working out, and will go to water aerobics at the home gym at 6pm tonight instead. I'd love to be able to follow the instructor, but I'm happy just with hanging around and getting exercise to music, so its all good. Happy Thursday everybody!

Absolutely agreed, and thank you for the link and the research! I told people for years (and still sometimes feel) that I see a young, skinny me. When I go by a mirror I think "Who is that person?". SERIOUSLY. The primary reason I won't let people take pictures, I'm sure. Thanks for the info!

Congrats on the changes, and enjoy the soup! You are doing all the right things and making all the right choices. Enjoy the process and keep up the great work! The life changes are a good focus, and you will be amazed at how many changes and how drastic the changes are without even noticing at first!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I travel a lot for business and honestly the seat belt and fitting in the seat comfortably on a plane are probably my biggest challenges I'll be happy to overcome. I have had to use extenders a couple times over the last two years, and I can't remember not having the arm rest ride up, so Im very excited for this victory! I had surgery 6 weeks ago today and haven't been on a plane since. Its a great life, isn't it? :thumbup:

I love New Orleans. Your post was a great trip down memory lane for me! Welcome back, and I'm glad you had a great trip!

I have to cut up my food pretty fine because I'm not a good chewer. I forget, and even though I get pain when too big a piece goes down, I've done it enough to know I've got to start with smaller bites. In my old life I must have INHALED food. I can remember eating an entire meal in about 5 minutes, so I'm sure I didn't chew well!. I know I'm doing better with chewing and its still not that great! Waiting 10 minutes between bites seems kind of ridiculous. That would be over an hour to eat? I can't imagine! I was told to put my utensil down, let the food get down before I take another bite. Even that is a lot for me. I can say that if I wait a little longer I get a better "full" signal and I'm eating less than I did before the first fill. If I don't wait I get the full signal too late and the signal is MUCH harder to ignore and sometimes generates unpleasant side effects. Still learning. It took 50 years to make these habits it will take a little while to make new ones :-).

Orange County (Irvine) here, banded 5/26 by Dr. David Oliak. Welcome!

Its hard. I have a 24-year old daughter and I do the same thing -- pay for expensive hair appointments, send her gift certificates -- and then she turns around and buys a new car! OK, I'm starting to get it -- spend some time and money on myself for a change and get healthier so I can help her later in life :-).

Congratulations on your date!!! LOL at the lastmealitis -- I had a last lunch and a last dinner (sushi and pizza). Its a mindset :-). Take care and welcome to the club!

Hi Sara! Thanks for checking in. Glad to hear you are doing so well, congratulations!

I'm sorry about the comments from your dad. Sometimes its the people closest to us who hurt us the most without even thinking about it. The responses above are heartwarming. Hopefully you can find some peace and direction from people who are going through what you are, and will gain strength and confidence in yourself and your lifestyle changes. Try not to let anyone else take "you" from "you". You made the decision to get the band, you are making decisions along the way to get healthier. Be strong and don't waiver from those decisions no matter what someone else says. Take care of you today! You've done fantastic, revel in that!

I read a lot of postings and blogs this morning (took short time to get ready?), and I'm thinking a lot about support -- who gives it, who doesn't, who I think should and who suprises me. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This website is an amazing find and an incredible source of support for me every day. I can always find information and someone that has/is/was going through what I am/did/anticipate and its been a Godsend. My mom and my daughter are not supportive at all. My mom is just an anorexic old lady who said yesterday "I'm prejudiced against obese people. I can't wait until you are skinny". Jesus. I let most of her negativity roll off me and its actually taught me a lot about how I act and what I say. My daughter is just spoiled and self-centered so I let that go. My friends are mixed between semi-supportive and non-committal. I'm fine with that and I don't really need a lot of support from the group that isn't. I am my biggest supporter. When I get down I either self-talk myself into the positive, allow myself to be down for awhile, or find something on the site to bring me up. I pray a lot; I have a strong faith. Or take a walk or even work out. I can count on me to help; I'm never sure I can count on anybody else. This is my battle to save my life. My blood pressure, heart, lungs, joints, bones. All suffered under morbid obesity. I am arming myself with the tools to fight the battle. The band is a big one, exercise is another. One of those is my mind, my attitude, my ability to let the negativity slide off me and not bring me down. It won't always be good, easy, upbeat. But at the end of the day, its me and God. Hugs and peace to everybody............

Fantastic news and great enthusiasm! Congrats on your weight loss and your overall view on life! Its contagious :-)

Thanks, guys! Appreciate your support!

Congratulations on your success, and thank you for the post! It helps to "read the future" as it were.........

It sounds like you had fun! As they say, don't beat yourself up over the past just move forward. Good luck on your fill! How long was it between your first and second fills? I'm right behind you (banded 5/26, first fill 6/28, second scheduled 8/6..........

So I hurt myself Sunday morning. Really pulled something, even made a popping noise, and still have significant pain. I spent all day yesterday "laying low" and planning on not going to work today or working out. Sleeping hurt on either side, I did not imagine the pain which I still feel, by the way. But now, I feel more embarassed than anything. I called the doctor first thing this morning AFTER driving to the gym and doing 60 mins on the elliptical. It doesn't hurt when I'm on the machines, only standing up, getting up from sitting and laying on my side(s)? (Who knows). She calls me back. It has nothing to do with my band or my port at all. Probably pulled a muscle that was torn up during surgery. I felt pretty embarassed with that one. My band is in the center of my abdomen between the rib cage, about 4 inches above my belly button. My port is to the right (my right), just above the belly button on the right. The pain is on the left below my rib cage. She told me to go ahead and start core workouts by the end of the week which should strengthen some muscles and hopefully help me not do this again! I've never been so concerned with not getting hurt, or damaging a band which is far more protected by layers of fat than my wrist, or teeth, or knee! I wish I could just take back the last couple days and not have gotten so dramatic with it. I apologize to all of you as well!

Don't get discouraged, you have everything in front of you -- "the best is yet to come". I remember what that week was like -- as soon as I felt better I was starving. Try to remember what your doctor asked you to do, though. You need to let your stomach heal, and putting anything solid down there might cause you to throw up, which isn't good for the band this early. It does get better..........:thumbup:

Goals for the week: - 45 minutes of cardio six days (through Sunday) - one Water aerobics class - one Zumba class - look into buying either a WII or a body bugg to start to use by 8/1. :thumbup: Yesterday I did nothing. Hurt something and not yet recovered. Today I did 60 mins on elliptical so I'm doing ok. Don't think I can start weights on lower body and core yet because of whatever I did Sunday to myself. Find out from dr today and go from there :thumbup:

Congratulations and many good wishes :-)

You look fantastic, and from your postings you are feeling fantastic as well! Congratulations on the weight loss and continued success. Thanks for the great post!

I was struggling with liquids until I found some new ideas on sparkpeople.com: 1. Water with lemon (or line, or orange just a drop) 2. New crystal light flavors (Metabolism and Fiber are very good!) 3. Really watered down iced coffee 4. Mixing Snapple Diet Lemonade and Diet Team for Diet Arnold Palmer :-). Starting last week I wouldn't eat the next meal until I drank 20 oz of liquids between this meal and the prior one. That helps me a lot. It has also reduced between meal snacking (as previous poster think that hunger was really thirst?). I used to love water, I just can't do it right now. Good luck!

Update -- spoke with the doctor who told me my port is upper right, he had to do a lot of prodding to get everything (including hernia) done and he thought it was just muscles. He told me to go to ER if I had problems with eating, drinking, breathing and come in tomorrow just to check. Thank you for your responses and support!