Happy Bandiversary, April 2006 Bandits!!!

also...Welcome to our '07 Newbies!

Can you believe it has been a year already? (How things have changed!) Usually, Julie starts this thread, but she is recovering from her TT and so I will substitute for her this month. We are adding a few new elements to our challenge so that it can accommodate everyone (go Newbies!)

CHALLENGE:

Bronze Medalists: 14 Exercise Sessions for 35-40 minutes

Silver Medalists: 17 Exercise Sessions for 40+ minutes

Gold Medalists: 20 Exercise Sessions for 45 minutes

RULES:

1. Count only one session per day.

2. Exercise the specified number of minutes.

You are allowed to split your time, if needed.

20 morning minutes + 20 evening minutes = 1 session

SO HERE WE GO!!!

Any questions?

Got to the gym today again for my NIA class...............yeah, I'm on a roll!

Then I was off playing Mah Jongg.............the day is almost over......need to find something for dinner!

Tracy, you are doing great!! Going into surgery, you will be healthier and will have already dropped quite a few pounds. WTG!

Alan, I'm so sorry about the dizziness! That is not fun! Hold tight and it will hopefully get better soon.

KAT: I WOULD TOTALLY PRESS CHARGES!! They will hurt someone else and need to be stopped. Even if you drop charges later, at least their parents will know what they are up to. There might be one nice kid in that car that will see it as a wake-up call and change friends. It is horrific to think of what might have happened. I can't believe the police shrugged it off.

Hi all---Betty I am sorry to hear of Alans problem, but they can take care of it---I'm just glad they caught it now! Keep up posted!

I have very mixed feelings regarding the whole issue of pressing charges. I feel like I just finished this with the whole fence thing! But also I don't know if I want to make known "enemies" out of several teens. It feels like I might be making more of a problem for myself, and maybe my property by doing it. I don't know. I did speak to the chief of police here today, and he said it might be difficult to locate more than the driver of the car, and that if the car is registered to say his parents---then unless he confesses, there is no way to prove it, the officer did not see it. It sucks---but I just wonder if I am not going to set myself up if I follow up with it.

Today I went to lunch with a friend, and after we ate, we were sitting and visiting, and I said I was miserably full, I should be up walking instead of sitting. We kinda looked at each other, and off we went...we went to the college, and hit the track, we walked and talked for the next hour and a half!!! We watched people, and talked about everything under the sun. The track runs around the upper perimeter of the gym, so you look down on the machines, and weight room---it give us a good supply of people watching! And I got my time in as well!!!

Well it is kinda wierd around here with all the changes, but I suppose it was a necessary evil, the ads I mean. We will adjust I am sure!

Y'all take care, and will check in with ya soon!!!

Kat

Just want to let you all know that I have been going to the gym every day since I joined...and lovin' it!! Right now all I can do is treadmill, cycling and elliptical but I'm workin' up a sweat!!

I'm just getting home from a looong day and read what's going on with everyone and look forward to responding more substantively tomorrow.

In the interim, I was wondering if any of you would like to do a mini-challenge for about a week (here on this thread), as a lot of us seem to be having food challenges at the moment. I was thinking we could commit to do something for just a week -- whatever it is that makes us feel like successful food bandsters (for me that's counting calories and eating under 1000/day -- for some it might be promising not to drink with meals, or commiting to eating protein with every meal and finishing the protein before eating carbs -- whatever works for you). We could check in with each other -- just for a week -- to see if that would help us get back on track and inspire us to get the lbs rolling off again.

Anyone interested?

I'm in for no fricken, flippen chocolate----I think I have lost my ever lovin' mind!!!! Why am I eating this?????

Kat

Julie - sounds good to me - that is exactly what I started on Tues - tracking my food on FitDay to keep it under 1000 calories! I'm in - want to start tomorrow everyone/anyone?

Alan is feeling better today - so his problems seem to have gone away - at least for the moment...............he's on his new meds and hopefully it will do the trick. He went out driving on his own today for the first time and I went off with the girlfriends............so our lives are getting back to "normal".

I'm in on the food challenge. I avoided the grocery store today because I was craving doritos so badly (I will have to go tomorrow). Lucky for me I just had a fill so despite my head hunger I can't eat yet, still very swollen, applesauce is almost too much! In a few more days though it will be perfect and hopefully my head hunger will be gone. It's like this evil monster I can't get out of my head right now! I started logging my food several days ago again and yesterday and today I'm well below 1000, heck I'm well below 800 thanks to only having protien shakes before the fill I was up to 1800:omg: but the extra restriction from swelling won't last more than another day or two, so a challenge it is to stay below 1000 calories everyday this week. I got no excersise in today thanks to a sick child at home. I didn't want to leave him home alone. So tomorrow I've got to get moving again.

I'm going to start my official calorie count (1000 or below) on Monday and run for a week. I'm going to track as much as possible between now and then, but I have out of town guests this weekend and a big DATE on Sunday, which means a lot of eating out and guesswork as to calories at restaurants. When I do my week of reporting, I want to do it 100% accurately. In the interim, I promise to do my best!

Hi Everyone,

No, I didn't fall off the planet, just too darn busy at work these days!!!

Betty... I just wanted to say thanks for all the little compliments you pay me! You are such an inspiration.

Boo... oh my God!!! 30:48 is amazing and a trophy to boot!! You just rock!!!

Efika... I know it is tough some days, but I really believe you can do it.

Julie... glad your home. hope you feel well soon!!!

I have been working hard, and the results are coming, albeit slowly these days. I weigh in tomorrow, so I'll let you know!!!!

I had a great run today!!! (Yeah spring has finally hit the Arctic)

Dawn

banded April 4, 2006

Montreal

358/185/179

Exercise sessions this month = 13

Sorry I've been away. Dealing with family stuff, new job and the reality that I AM actually banded has kept my head full. Guys I have not been doing well. I'm a week out from being banded and I'm already back to eating crappy foods. I'm supposed to be on mushies for another week. I'm so disappointed with myself. I'm still eating significantly less than I used to.... but snacking? I can't believe that I just gave up going back to school for another year for this band and I can't seem to only eat three meals a day?! Ugh!! I am thoroughly disgusted with myself. I know it's all head hunger but I don't know what to do. I have NO willpower... just like before surgery!

I am so sorry to hear about Alan's problems. I hope that those resolve within the next few months. We're all sending positive thoughts your way.

Tracy take loads of Airborne and Zycam. That combo always does the trick for me.

A food challenge sounds like a really good idea. I haven't been keeping track of my exercise but I have been doing it every other day. Doc said no biking til after my first fill so I've been doing lots of walking with my ipod.

You guys have been so supportive. Hope everyone is doing well.

Sheila

Sheila, take a deep breath.... ok you are healing right now, don't worry about head hunger or calories right now. Concentrate on eating only mushies and getting enough protien and water, that is all that matters right now! The head hunger will lesson tremendously with good restriction until then just focus on what you can control, mushies only and enough protien and water. If you want the pudding have it! Anything is better than eating solids too soon. If necessary resort to ice cream, I know it sounds bad but the most important thing is to heal properly, weight loss will come later. Don't beat yourself up over what you have already eaten just get back onto mushies and everything will be fine. I think most of us fell off the post-op diet at least once and we survived and so will you. So take another deep breath and post here as much as you need to, we are all here for you.

Sheila, I am echoing Molly. Please don't jeopardize the healing process. It is normal to crave the same old junk and to be tempted to cheat. It is crucial that you stop and think it through instead of indulging. Remind yourself how badly you wanted this surgery, how much it cost, and how much pain you will be in if you need another one. It truly is a critical time that will effect the longevity and usefulness of the band.

This is not the time to expect weight loss or restriction. Drink milkshakes rather than solids, if you need to! When your restriction comes, then you will understand how this process works.

Now for me, I'm with Kat! That darn chocolate has a hold of me. I'm not sure about counting calories. I was never good at it. But maybe I can learn.

Well we were out running errands most of the day so we stopped at Taco Bell for lunch and I tried my best to suck out the chili of a chili cheese burrito but I didn't get very far so I just handed it over to DH, I am still too swollen to eat very much, fortunately I am getting over my head hunger thank goodness, but still sometimes I hate being so swollen after a fill. By next Tuesday my restriction level should be perfect, until then I am dropping weight like crazy!

Hey there Julie - Did I hear BIG DATE? Know what you mean when you say - it's hard to get a real count on those calories when eating out. I eat out often - with friends and with Alan............I just try my best to make wise choices and try my best to estimate the calories (not always exact, but close).

Boo - I don't want to count calories - I hate doing that, but I'm at the point that I think it's the only way I'm going to loose the next batch of lbs...........I haven't been counting the whole time until now, but I know I have to go lower than what I've been doing.....and I think at this stage for me, it's the only way I'll be able to keep myself in check. If not, I'll have to be happy where I'm at - I don't think that's the case - yet!

Sheila - I also want to urge you to get back to your liquids/mushies for the duration that your doc has instructed - very important to let yourself heal. We all know how hard it is until those fills kick in - just try to "act as if it's working" until it does.............and if you can't, don't beat yourself up..............but, do follow those instructions for the first few weeks!

Today, I kicked back - not a bit of exercise! Just had fun with some girl friends shopping - I bought some new clothes for our trip to New Jersey, NYC and Washington (Alan could not complain, because it was so he could show off his "hottie" to all his old frat bro's and dormates that we'll be with at his 50th reuinion).

My fill is tight - might be too tight............going to give it another week or so................have trouble with solids and have to resort mostly to soft foods..................we shall see.