Happy August 1st everyone!!

This will be our home for the Gone For Good Club – August Challenge.

For any newbies out there, the gone for good Club is our way of “banding” together for support and encouragement as we take off those pounds…(I know, cheap pun)

…Once each pound is lost, we consider it Gone For Good!!!

Weigh ins are on Wednesday in this format: current weight (total loss, this weeks loss) like so: C-350 (-36, -2) This person’s current weight is 350, they have lost 36 lbs so far and they have lost 2 lbs this week.

Feel free to join at any time, by posting a brief introduction for yourself and let us know what you are challenging yourself to. Whether you are banded or not, we are very happy to have your company!

This is not a competition, but just for a little added incentive to each of us, FunnyDuddies has promised a gift to the biggest “loser”, and I will be awarding a prize to the participant with the most creative exercise idea during the challenge.

This month’s challenge will involve keeping a close eye on our BMI’s (Body Mass Index) Here is a link to a BMI calculator so that we can make sure we are all using the same one:

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.htm

So here’s the challenge: Let’s see how much we can lower our BMI’s over the next few weeks. I want to hear that we are all guzzling our Water, eating healthy, and moving, moving, moving. The more creative the exercise the better! Share your ideas…

And we are all going to try to fight those demons who lurk in closets and cupboards…the one’s that make us crave no-no foods and try to convince us to slip into our old habits and negative patterns. We are united, we are strong and these pounds will soon be GONE FOR GOOD!

Welcome to the club for August, and good luck!!:clap2:

Sunshine

PS

Just a reminder, when posting on this thread, please remember to take out the check mark on "show signatures". This can be such a long thread, that it gets hard for those on dial up to participate. Let's try to keep it as "clean" as possible.

Thanks!!!

Thanks Dawg.

Yeah, I am adjusting my goals, and don't really believe 189 is the place to be. I just wanna shoot for 200-199.

I do have the skin, but remarkably, only on my stomach, in the front, my skin has been remarkably resiliant otherwise. Maybe this are will return eventually too!

yeah, I went on the clothes from tight 3xl, to just L, and even medium size in my under drawers!... 58 waist to a 36... if I can just get to a 34, I can say I lost 2 FEET in my waistline... that would be cool!

Thanks for the good thoughts!

Paul, and anyone else interested...here's a great thread with interesting perspectives from "older" bandsters regarding restriction.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=22437

I think sometimes we get to relying too much on good restriction, and not enough on the fact that our bands keep us form eating too much too fast, and our good sense needs to direct our intake, not our tight bands. We look for our bands to tell us when to stop, in the beginning, but it's important to learn how much food is "normal" (since we obviously have a skewed view of this) and simply allow our bands to keep our heads in check.

Whether or not to get another fill has been a big question for me lately (okay, for the last 6 months!) and I have resolved NOT to get another fill. EVER. Since logging my food for the past month on sparkpeople, losing a mere 3.5 pounds but 4.5 inches with virtually no real exercise...I think it's time for me to grab this bull by the horns and do this without any more saline. I have 33 pounds to go. I'm only 10 pounds from wedding weight.

Hope the link helps you. I have found it helpful, especially since I want to avoid long-term problems, as I'm sure you do as well. You look GREAT. Looking forward to your unfill update.

Thanks. That is a good thread.

As for my update...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... relief!

Welcome to the club Diva Girl! and congratulations on your success so far :biggrin1: If you have any questions about the challenge, please feel free to private message me anytime.

Paul, I'm so glad to hear you are feeling better. *whew*!

and how's Dawg holding up... You still out there Dawg? I hope you are feeling better soon. :cry My mouth hurts just thinking about it.

So how's everyone's exercise efforts coming along? What have we been doing to shake those pounds? (Ha ha, I say "we" as though I haven't been eating cheezies and smokies and sitting around on my holidays this week.):cool:

Sunshine

Geesh Paul, its not good for you to hold it that long ya know. So um, when are you going in for that unfill?

Hiya Sunshine! :wave:

Let's see.. what have I been doing to shake those pounds. You're talking about the same 5 pounds that have gone away and come back again for the last two months? Hm.. Nothing.. absolutely nothing. Maybe I need a fill. :cool:

I am here :cool:

I'm starting to feel a bit better. I managed to avoid pain medication for the first time yesterday (other than the 600mg Ibuprofen for inflamation).

My infections are starting to clear up.

Another week I'll be right as rain

Thanks for asking

Dawg, did ya try the whiskey? A little whiskey, and who the hell needs pain meds... hic... hic

I've only been banded since last Wednesday and I'm already stressed out my first fill.

Education is best defense, though. Thanks for the info and the links.

And thanks too for the warm welcome!

I'm doing fine...one day up, one day tired, one day fine, next day crampy...I'm happy, tho. 21 pounds down since I first started liquids. Yay.

Lyn

Wow Diva, I didnt realize you were JUST banded girl! Welcome to Bandland! (If I did realize and have already said that, it's the wine *laughs*)

Walk when you can, sip sip sip that water, keep yourself hydrated. And stop worrying about the fill. Until the swelling is down and you can eat good solid proteins, you wont know if you even need one or not. Right now, just focus on healing and let the rest come naturally. Fills are not painful, nor are they bad. They are reversible, adjustable, and a good thing when you find just the right amount. Meaning, working your band as a tool.. not as a vice. Right Paul? hehe

Hic...

Sorry, was testing the whiskey for dawg... hic

Wazzat?

Welcome Diva. Glad you are equipped for the battle. I got your back!

Wait... she got equipment? I didn't get equipment. Why wasn't I told about this. Do I get to pick my colors and styles? I want a Madonna breast plate with deadly pointy boobs and knee high boots with silver shin guards and spikes on the tips of the toes!

Dawg, did ya try the whiskey? A little whiskey, and who the hell needs pain meds... hic... hic

Stupid anti-biotics don't mix well with whiskey.

But rest assured, as soon as I'm off the meds for the infection... I'll begin self medicating!

Huzzah!

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

P'Nut, your imagery cracks me up. God I love it.

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

P'Nut, your imagery cracks me up. God I love it.

It's the wine!