Yup....the public (especially the Canuck public) want to know!!!

*shoves mike in Argon's mug (face!)*

So, Mandi....tell us....we want to know, how is NB life compared to SK life? Details please!

- job info

- living arrangement info

- people info

- shopping info

- town info (where the heck are ya livin' in NB anyways?)

- boyfriend info (most important!)

Any regrets? Happy? Content? Satisfied? DETAILS DETAILS!!!!

Sadly yes, we are a nosy bunch. (to be completely honest though, Cloe and CanadaSunshine put me up to this!). I'm merely the one who chose the short stick!!!

:scared: :)

I am pretty sure I am going to be looking at some kind of abdominoplasty at some point too. When I had lost 125lbs previously I was looking into it, but I gained the weight back so it was kinda a moot point.

I am not looking forward to the thought of such a major surgery though.

Mandi, I say go for it, you are only young once and after what you have accomplished you deserve it.

Andrew

Hey guys! Hope all of your weekends are going well! I'm soooo happy to have a long weekend!

I'm gettin' close to that crazy 169 number!! If I'm good, and stay off the scale until wednesday like I want to, I've got a good feelin' about it!

I definitely don't need any talking into getting plastic surgery. The problem will be finding the means to get it done!

I have been fantasizing lately over the BodyBugg. BODYBUGG It's this little contraption you wear on your arm, that measures through body temp, sweat, etc. how much calories you're burning. I think it works best if you keep track of your food intake. (which I really hate to do) It figures out, based on how much you've burnt, compared to how much you've eaten, what you need to the rest of the day: eat less, or exercise more, so that you've burned more than you've consumed. It's soooo expensive though, but I want it sooooo bad. I have my laptop that really isn't getting much use since I got my regular desktop computer, so... maybe if I sell the laptop, I'll treat myself to the BodyBugg! I think I'm gonna need some help with this last bit of weight.

I also want to start running. I need to find good shoes. There are stores here that sell good shoes, but I don't think have the staff that KNOW running, and how to help me pick out the best shoe for my foot and the way I run. I want to spend the money I'd spend on my gym membership on some good shoes, and RUN for my exercise. Any of you guys have any tips on good shoes? I know what I'm gonna do to START running, it's just the shoes I need. (along with sunglasses, so I can 'hide')

Mandi.....if you have the store "The Running Room" anywhere near you...check them out (not sure if they have any in NB)....their staff "knows" running and has you walk on paper and then "run" for them so they can check out your gait etc.

Good luck!

You have done (& are doing) sooooo incredibly AWESOME!

Thanks Yoda, and yeah, I looked into the Running Room. None here, but there is in Moncton... I was just trying to avoid making that trip, but that's probably what I'll end up doing.

and you too are doing AWESOME!

Hi Mandi,

The running room is a great place to shop for runners. (and all kinds of other things) I as well as a few others I know go there and for the most part the service is great. I say for the most part because problems can and do still arise even after being fitted. Last year doing the 60 k Walk for Breast Cancer I went through 2 pairs of runners until I found the third pair which was the charm. One of my team mates also had to try a couple pairs. One thing I recommend and they do it at the running rooms here in Edmonton is to wear them in the house for as long as you can and see if you can feel any issues coming up. I think you might even be able to wear them at the gym and give them a try on the treadmill running. The second pair I got I loved and they were great until I met a really long hill... going down... lol Waterdale hill for those who know Edmonton... Well we had walked about 20 k that day and Walterdale was the end of the walk. I felt great till later that night when I noticed that both my big toes felt kinda sensitive... needless to say after all the walking my feet likely were swollen and going down hill although I felt fine at the time caused a problem. A problem that resulted in the loss of both my big toenails.. They call it runners toes. Your toes bang into the end of your shoe and cause bruising and sometimes the loss of the nails.

Long story short I had to go back and find something else to wear and it was nothing that they could have forseen, just one of those things. I did find a terrific runner called the Nike Free or the barefoot runner. I am now on my second pair and I have to say they are the best runners for my feet. I did the entire 60k (wore the tread right off the first pair) and I was one of the very few who got no blisters!! Well I did get one right at the end, 2 k from the finish but it was so small that it never bothered me.

-=big smiles=- you will love running I am sure, and if you can test drive your runners a bit first it might just make your running even more fun for you!!

lol Another book!! sorry about the long post... I don't always go on and on! ... honest.... really..... I can be quit quiet...lol -=rolls eyes=-

I will blame it on being at day 6 of my pre-op and trying to find things to do...lol -=winks=- yeahhhh that's it! Keeping busy!

Thanks Leslie I will actually get the chance to go to the Running Room this weekend, as it happens. I'm going to get the tiniest waste of money/time defill on Saturday, I think. I guess it's not a waste if it makes stops what my problem is (same as Lila, aspirating into my lungs whilst sleeping).... cause that ain't fun. I've been tight since my last fill, and I've been hoping that it would stop, but I no longer think its a good thing to wait out, and am just gonna go get it taken care of. I figure..... if I start this crazy running like I plan, that should help me lose, I hope. AND I think if I'm a super crazy insane runner I wanna be, I'll want/need to eat more also. Right?!

So yeah, defill, but check out the ticker! I broke into the 160's! (hopefully I stay there!)

WOW MANDI!!!!! 160s!!!!

That is soooooooo incredibly AWESOME!!!

Well done, girl!

That seems soooooooooo freakin' far out of my reach..............I haven't moved downwards in 3 weeks (& in fact have gained)..... grrrrrr....it just may be beyond my reach.....the 160s. Hell, I'd settle for the 180s now!!!

Anyways, tis not about meeeeee!! (LOL)....

Yay you!

:clap2:

Fantastic Mandi. Sorry about your fill not working out. Do you pay for the fill and then pay again for defill? What was that feeling you were having in the nite?

Mandi, I love reading your posts because you give such a well rounded representation of what living with a band is all about.

Your weight loss is fabulous!

160s!!!!!! Running!!!!!! What's up with that??? Mandi, you are doing so great. I can't beleive how much you have changed since the band.

WTG.

-=HUGE SMILES=-

Way to go Mandi!! I can't wait to see what happens when you start your new adventure in the world of Running!! You are going to love it!! Good luck with the Running Room!! Remember to ask about the return policy!

It really is about living the best life you can right now and you sure are!

Hi!

Oh Yoda: I was stuck for a looong long time too. Don't you fret. You *were* a light weight after all. hehe

Donna: I'm not too sure. I think if I'd gone back sooner, like a week or so, I might have got the defill for free, but I'm going there expecting to pay Maybe I'll get a pleasant surprise? The problem I was having at night, which I was trying to aleviate by stopping eating earlier and earlier, was stomach fluids creeping back up my esophagus while I was sleeping, which led to me inhaling and choking on it. Not a nice thing to wake up with. I hoped things would loosen up, and it would stop, but, it hasn't, and it's not a good thing to try to live with, so... I'm bitin' the bullet and going for the defill. Honestly guys, if it were easier, I would be Dr. Cobourns MOST annoying patient. I'd be getting the tinnnniest fills, and defills (if needed) all the time, til I got to a good place. But since it's so difficult, I try to live with less than optimal conditions. Don't be like me!

susan: hehe, I'm glad you enjoy hearing the good AND the bad! Really, the bad hasn't been all that bad, and nothing that makes me regret anything.

Wheezy: I KNOW! It IS crazy. I have always hated running. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but I think I can love it! Things HAVE changed... dresses, the 160's, running, capri pants.... it's a whole new world! :confused:

Leslie: Thank you! I hope I DO love it! I sent an email to the Running Room I'll be going to, and asked some silly questions, and about the return policy was one of 'em! Thanks for lookin' out for me!!

Bad news: I discovered the most amazing fudge at a local bookstore/coffee shop. Vanilla Skor?! Ahhhhhh... someone hold me back! :faint:

lol Stay away from the fudge!!! -=attaches a 20 pound weight to Argon's ankle and smiles=- try running with that!!! lol cause if you eat too much fudge that is what will happen and there go those new capri pants!!!

You'll be runnin in a circle! -=winks=-

Mandi you are doing fantastic.Stay away from the fudge . You will have too run a few extra miles. lol

Hey Mandi

Happy to hear of your continued success!! You are an inspiration to all!

Good decision on the de-fill. I was worried that I would be able to overeat but not so. I am actually enjoying eating, before I had to be so careful.

Good luck with the de-fill.