Happy New Year bandsters! A new thread start for a new year?

For those struggling, this is a great time to recommit!

Melody

Yum, that potato leek soup sounds very good. It's been pretty cold here too and I don't like it one bit! We have not had as much snow as we normally do, but could get dumped on quite a bit in the next 3 months. This area is known for getting a couple feet of heavy wet snow at a time when the spring storms hit.

We're off to the movies later today and then maybe I will finish with the quilt top.

Well, I "joined" this thread and I think I have only posted once or twice, but I do keep up with it! Melody - I am also in the midwest...it's soooo cold here! I walked out the other day and thought, "what...do we live in Minnesota now?" Been hard to get my runs in this week. I really need to join a gym with an indoor track. It is amazing though, how I wake up everyday so cold and then I go for a nice sweaty run (hard to believe you can sweat outside with these temps!) and I am "warmed up" the rest of the day. Exercise is like a happy pill for me. I HATE to do it, right before I do it, then I LOVE the way I feel afterwards. I always remember Oprah's line..."I have exercise, but I love what it does for me." I hit a new low today...189. First time I've seen the 180's in 7 years. I actually found a pair of size 12 jeans that fit great at Ann Taylor (of course I had to buy them!). I cleaned out my closet over Christmas and got rid of all my size 18s and 16s. I had plenty of size 14 stuff in there too and now all of it fits. It's unbelievable. I am 39 pounds from goal as of today. What??? My internal dialogue has not caught up with my weightloss yet. I'm so accustomed to thinking that I am 70, 80, 90 pounds overweight. I think I actually feel like a normal person again. My husband is so thrilled for me. Our recent trip to Miami may as well have been a second honeymoon. I can't believe how much better I feel. You know how you hear people say who were sick, really didn't know they were sick until they felt better? That's how I feel My husband is already telling me I will be way too skinny if I lose another 40 pounds. HA! For my height, I could actually lose a lot more than that. I have set my goal @ 150 and I'm 5'4.5". It's a little on the heavier side for my height, but it's a weight I look good at . Been there before, many moons ago, and I will be a size 10 and medium or large tops. I'm 47...I think getting to a size 4 or something make me look too old. You need a little something to keep the wrinkles from taking over Have a good week everyone, stay warm, and stay positive!

Hey everyone! I'm here, buried under paperwork, you would not believe how much paperwork is required in the car business in January. There are so many regulating agency's that require so many reports! 10 more days. I can, do it....

Shad-- Congrats on the port move, I hope its super easy for you to get your fills now.

HB-- I was wondering how you were doing with the snow, it seems everyone else is snowed in. It actually snowed here again this year, 2 years in a row! BTW, I loved your quilt, I finally figured out how to find it.

Melody-- Just boil a couple of chicken breasts for the cats, they will love you for it. Remember on the movie Poltergeist, and they would say "STAY AWAY FROM THE LIGHT"? Well (in the same tone of voice)"STAY AWAY FROM THE WHEAT!"

Skinny-- Congrats on the size 12! I don't know why but in my mind, I consider myself in a size 12 as "chubby" but in a size 14 I was "fat" so a return to the 12 was a major (mental) accomplishment for me.

Bobbie and Karen-- Hey Girls!

Hey Deb-- Drop in more often and join us!

Not much news on the weightloss/ maintenance front, I didn't even think to step on the scales today. I haven't been exercising at all, and sometimes I am too lazy to eat right but I seem to be staying around 133. Maybe in the spring I will feel like working out again. I cant even pretend its going to happen, you know, the telling yourself, I'm going to start working out next week! I cant even lie to myself about it. Oh well...

Elfie, I live in San Diego and am an ice cube since losing weight! I cannot imgagine being in subzero weather.

I used to always be freezing, then my throid whacked out and I went hyperthyroid. I was always hot. And I was one of the lucky few who gained weight while hyper rather than lost. After radiation treatment for that I am now on thyroid hormones and back to freezing land. When I moved into my current office I was still heavy and adjusting to life with no thyroid. My cubicle mate and I agreed 68-70 was a good temerature. Then I had my surgery. Now I like it at 76 which is no fair to him. So I suffer and bundle up and try not to complain about being cold.

I see my thyriod doc at the end of the month, but I don't think he will kick my dose up any higher. I try to tell him how hard it is to work at a computer with gloves on to keep my fingers from getting frost bite, but he just doesn't get it!

Hello !!!

Ok, I woke up and it was -24 , and -47 with the wind chill !!! Holy!!

So, my weight hasn't shifted at all... up or down!! WTH? I've really cut back on "crappy" nibbles, and eating more balanced meals. I hate this. It came off fairly easily the first 1.5 years. Now its been over 2 and my body seems to be fighting it.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend planned!! I'll be working ... lol

We went to see Tron in 3D at the IMAX. Very cool and even better when you go with the 9 year old birthday boy

Hang in their Bobbi. It will start coming off again.

Leigha--I think you are just living a normal a life, not a lazy one. I think it is good to get to the point where your life is not consumed with calories, portions, burning calories, etc. everyday.

2be: great job on the 12. My goal is way higher than it should be for my height, but I already know now that below a 12, I will not Plook good. Everybody now don't even realize that I am still obese. They think I much smaller than I really am. They can't believe I still have 80lbs to go to reach my goal

Denise: I cannot ever seem to get warm since surgery. My office is drafty which makes it worst. Maybe the doctor will be more understanding.

Just turned cold again here and predicting snow for the neighboring counties. HB: wish I could do quilting. I am getting a little bored

Well anyway, it turns out maybe my husband was right--I will never let him know this. Maybe I did not get an unfill. I half of the strawberry cheesecake shake I made, some potato soup pureed and I realized I was not really hungry for any of it, but ate just to get calories in. I think this morning was head hunger because I have not quite hit 600 calories yet and still not hungry. I guess sleepy dwarf should woke her behind up and gotten some info on her own status after surgery. Lol. I guess I need to ask my new surgeon a bunch of questions.

Leigha: I figured you must be buried under paperwork since the videos of Sugarbaby have slowed. I miss them! And yes, I'm staying away from the wheat.

Shads: Glad to hear things are going well. After all you've been through with this band, it must be some relief to actually not be hungry, yes?

Bobbie: I can so relate on the frustration of weight not coming off. I lose about 1 lb per week. Doing this same thing 10 years ago, I dropped several pounds per week without even being as strict as I am now.

Denise: I find thick socks helps me stay warm better than anything. My surgeon actually suggested it. He said the body will try to protect its core temperature (internal organs) first and will draw the warm from the limbs. So I have a couple pair of 'winter' socks now that go to my knees and that helps quite a bit...although I still find myself wearing a sweater or sweatshirt in the house.

2b: You run outside in the the midwest winters? <BRRRRR> No thank! I do agree that exercising warms you up and I have an Oprah attitude to exercise as well. I've been doing Tae Bo and it does warm me up for hours.

So how do y'all like my new avatar. I 'borrowed' it from a non-band friend. It gave me such a giggle but I'm a long way from being a 'skeleton'!

I think, in spite of the fact that my band seems a bit tighter (back to protein shakes for breakfast), I'm dealing with a lot of hunger again...even 5 minutes after drinking the shake. Normally I can go 3-4 hours on just a shake. So I think I'm going to see if I can get a slight tweak...even .1cc or so...and get back to the sweet spot. I am white knuckling it right now with decaf tea and cups of broth because I absolutely refuse to put on any weight as a result of the hunger. At a 1 lb per week weight loss, I could easily set myself back a month. I swear, if they started doing a WLS that cuts the vagus nerve, I'd be front of the line and cleaning out my savings to do it.

Ok...time to Tae Bo. Stay warm!

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I love the new pic.... it's fun. You know how people complain about what they look like without their clothes on. You just took it a few layers deeper. You look great without your clothes or flesh on! Love the pose!

So how do y'all like my new avatar. I 'borrowed' it from a non-band friend. It gave me such a giggle but I'm a long way from being a 'skeleton'!

I think, in spite of the fact that my band seems a bit tighter (back to protein shakes for breakfast), I'm dealing with a lot of hunger again...even 5 minutes after drinking the shake. Normally I can go 3-4 hours on just a shake. So I think I'm going to see if I can get a slight tweak...even .1cc or so...and get back to the sweet spot. I am white knuckling it right now with decaf tea and cups of broth because I absolutely refuse to put on any weight as a result of the hunger. At a 1 lb per week weight loss, I could easily set myself back a month. I swear, if they started doing a WLS that cuts the vagus nerve, I'd be front of the line and cleaning out my savings to do it.

Ok...time to Tae Bo. Stay warm!

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Love the avatar. Your making my incisions move from laughter.

It is the weirdest battle not to have an appetite, but your mind being ticked off and feeling like you should be eating. The body is trying to curse the mind out and telling it you be grateful it doesn't want to eat. Well my mind is like, you will not make it on the calories and your stuck in the house, and missing out on some good food. I said I am just going to relax and take easy and stay out of it!

Hi world! I've missed ya

Hi world! I've missed ya

Hey there stranger. How are you and Steve doing?

Morning folks! You notice the 'good' is missing? Yep...only another pound down *despite* doing Tae Bo for 30 minutes every day...some days twice. No I'm not building muscle. *Despite* being consistently good. I think I'm going to try and shake things up this week. Since 1200 only gets me 1 lb a week, I'm going to 'speriment and see what 800 calories gets me.

I seem to be hungry most days now and I'd love to go in for a fill tomorrow, but hate driving in winter weather and it's over an hours drive one way. Some days the hunger is there but not enough to bother me too much. Others, like yesterday, I was ready to chew my arm off. So maybe I'll go another week.

Ahhh...the joys of having food issues. I know some people actively work at staying slender by working out a few times each week, or jogging, etc...but I know *many* people who are just as inactive as I am and who seem to eat more than I do who've *never* had a weight issue! So much for calories in = calories out. Yeah...that's a bit of grumpy whining.

Oh well, at least today I won't have time to think about being hungry. I have 3 clients to see so that's 3 hours and a bunch of orders to take care of for my other business...and maybe a nap. That usually takes up an hour or two.

Have a good one y'all!

Melody

Morning folks! Y'all must have more interesting lives than I do since I'm here every day.

Today is a test of my willpower. My son asked if I would make some fried chicken (dipped in ranch dressing and then breadcrumbs and fried, then finished off in the oven) as he likes to slice it up and wrap it in a small tortilla. Two chicken breasts lasts him for lunch all week...which is cheaper than his usual method of dropping in at burger king, so how could I say no? Plus I bought a couple turkey legs the other day to make the filling for the tamales my sister and I will be making this weekend. We're having a 'tamalada' and freezing bunches of them. My house will be smelling yummy and very 'Viva la Mexico'...quite funny since we that's one ethnic group we don't have in our family history. My genes may be Scots Irish and Central European, but my taste buds are multi-ethnic! Not that I'm going to get to eat any of the chicken or tamales.

I managed my 800 calories yesterday and feel pretty good. I was a bit hungry but then I've been dealing with a bit of hunger even when I was eating 1200 calories. I'm just shutting it up with warm homemade chicken broth and hot decaf tea and going with the belief that a 'little' hunger is good for the soul...or so my grandmother used to tell me.

Lots to do today and I've promised myself another mid-day nap if I get at least half the things done, so better get moving.

Hope you're all doing well!

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