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?

Eficka - This is just an added bonus for us on this thread (the calorie challenge) - what ever calorie range you'd like to give yourself - that Julie suggested - great suggestion for me. Don't know what it is about this group that keeps me so on my toes...............bring it all on - bandits - to date just a week at a time! The extra challenge does not have to be calorie intake - you can make up your own (like no chocolate for a week!!!).

I'm off to the gym this morning and will make this months exercise challenge.................. now going for 25! Then off to my weekly Mah Jongg game - going to bring along a couple of 140 cal protein bars just in case the hostess (we take turns hosting) has bad stuff for lunch (they are usually accomodating for me and make band friendly food - such good friends).

I'm having a hard morning. I'm HUNGRY and I have 2 hours until lunch! I could go eat a snack, but I feel like I should hold out for lunch to keep my calories where I want them and I know the hunger is temporary. As soon as I have the first bite of lunch I'll be satisfied again (thank you, band). I was hungry last night when I went to bed too. The thing is, I sleep better when I don't eat for about 4 hours before laying down, but if I get the timing wrong and am hungry, that's no good either. I guess I'm just adjusting to dieting again, which is ok too.

Betty, the date was a dud. He's a guy I've known for 6 years and always had a crush on, but I guess it's just not meant to be. We always connect so well in terms of wonderful conversation/similar likes and dislikes, but he's just not interested in me (I guess, at least, as he won't elevate it beyond friendship despite me being as fetching as I know how to be - LOL).

Happy bandiversary Eficka

Well yesterday I was way over on my calories, 1600! I got on the scale yesterday morning and it said I gained 3lbs! overnight! Then I just was craving chocolate like crazy. I snacked on popcorn ate peanut butter mixed with hershey's syrup and yeah, those are the 2 things that pushed my calories way beyond where they should have been. The only thing I can figure is that I am retaining water or AF is gearing up. There is no way that it's possible that I gained weight. I count my calories meticulously and it's just not possible. So now I'm frustrated, sigh. So today back to sticking to my guns.

Oh Molly, I know how that feels. When the scale goes up and it was a perfect diet day, it's bad enough, but if you ate something you already felt wasn't on your plan and you gain from it, it's so hard emotionally. And it's ridiculous -- like you said, you only ate 1600 cals! That's still well within range to lose weight, not to gain it! The scale's just having problems. I bet it straightens out in a day or two and rewards you with a few lbs to boot. Hang in there.

867 calories for me today and no cheese. I did eat some peanutbutter pretzels (250 cals) that weren't the best choice. I was in a meeting past snack time and was hungry and that was all that was there, so I caved. I still met my caloric and protein goals for the day, so it's fine. It's a good thing I didn't have that morning snack that I wanted.

Betty, your invitation is quite tempting! I will definitely try to work it into my schedule. That would be good motivation, too!

My calorie count for today is 1020. I do stay very active the entire day, so this is not high for me. Let's see how many calories I will burn on the elliptical!

Eficka and Molly, don't feel too bad about the chocolate. I actually believe a little chocolate is good for you. And we are all going to fall sometimes. It is not possible to be perfect every single day. While I was unfilled I ate everthing that would normally get stuck. Healthy, stringy vegetables were glorious, but so was bread! Being bad reminded me of my past. I was reminded of the misery attached to out-of-control eating. Luckily, we can get help here, from each other. And we can adjust the band to a more comfortable size, and then go on with life.

I've lost two pounds since my fill last week. I still have a few more (5) to drop just to get back down to 167 listed on my signature. I am trusting that it will happen very soon. Then, a new low will bring me great joy!

Ugh. I got hungry and ate some cheese, so my total is now 970 for the day. Better go to bed....

817 calories for today. I'm back to drinking lots of water inbetween meals - it really does help. Don't know if I can keep up the 800 calories for more than a week tho - it sure is not much is it? It seems tho, that I really have to go low at this stage of my "journey" to loose. Julie, I'm very close to being a vegetarian - I do eat fish tho..........and once in a while make a pot of turkey/chicken chili. How long have you been veggie? I've really thought about going full veggie lately! No wonder you have cheese around..............see, I would never think to have a piece of fish/chicken as a snack - cheese - now that's a different story!

Sorry to hear about the date - thought it might be the "friend" you had talked earlier about - maybe it's time to "move on" and open yourself up to seeing what/who else is lurking about the vicinity - put out that bright, outgoing, gorgeous Julie to some lucky guy!

OK all - in a couple of months, when we know what's happening in our lives in the fall - we'll plan your trips to the NW. We'll see the sights, and go to all my NIA classes. Start saving for the air - all else provided by the Betty/Alan Bed and Breakfast.

Thanks for the encouragement I came in at 845 calories for the day and all my protien. Julie when I am at my max for calories I often go to bed at that point to. Can't be tempted to eat when you're sleeping Sadly I haven't been to the gym all week, I have been super tired and giving in to oversleeping in the morning and afternoon naps! I need to get my heiny in gear the end of the month is almost here. LOL I made a rhyme

Oh, I wish I could go to bed right now! There are just never enough minutes in the day, so I borrow from the sleep time (I'm in deep debt!) I'm just like a little kid when it comes to bedtime, anyway.

Well, 60 minutes on the eliptical burned 560 calories. So I am definitely at a deficit for today.

Does anyone know how many grams of protein are the minimum we should have?

Thanks for all the eating tips!

Well, I should have gone to bed also! Just felt I needed a 'bit' more.....so, just ate a 140 calorie protein bar........so up to 959 for the day.

Boo, I think approx 40 grams of protein..........I just looked up the formula and it's .8 grams per 2.2 lbs of ideal body weight.

my surgeon says 56g minimum for life and that it's ok for a few days here and there to be under but that's what I use as my min. He doesn't base it on weight at all.

hey Boo what I was told that I should have 1g per evry kilo (2,2lb) I weight so 94g for me, but Im not able to do that I would be eating only meat and I wouldnt be able to get down anything else. I must admit that I rather dont count the protein otherwise I would be depressed cause Im around 30-40g each day and sometimes even lower.

Kat - where are you? Happy Bandanniversary! Miss all your stories about what you do each day - I "use up" at least 500 calories just reading about all your activities!!!!!

The "protein" thing is very controversial (sp??? - don't know how to use the spell checker on here)................I have read/heard so many different #'s/%'s......................I just went over my last few days of food and have been coming in between 50 - 60 each day (without even trying) and I eat no read meat/very little fish/chicken................I've never felt it a problem and I'm "old" and feel great even at around 800 - 1000 calories and am the Grammy exercise queen!

Speaking of - going to wake up Alan, get dressed and walk to breakfast - yeah, can start my calorie count once again! Maybe if the weather holds out (we've been promised no rain here in the Portland area thru the week-end) - we'll later walk to the movies and back..............oh, my goodness - if all my old friends from CA could hear me now - they'd faint - couch potatoe grammy B loves to move.

With Molly, Jenny and I here in the NW Porland area (Molly you're really close) we already have 3 for our NWBand @ Betty'sBash - With Julie and Boo(I'm RSVPing for you both) - we now have 5..............any other takers? Kat - you have to come also..........Efficka, Amourette????? Susan, Roberta, Blue - where are you all??? I promise - great accomodations, I'll starve you enough so you'll go home skinnier, move you to exhaustion, show you all the beautiful sights...................what more can you ask?

Oh my, oh my! Check out my ticker - I did it, this is it - Thank you, thank you Julie for suggesting this new challenge to go along with the old!

I was not supposed to weigh until tomorrow - but I just had to this morning.................had this feeling in my empty tummy (you all know what a "big one" I did this morning - TMI) that a "great miracle happend here"...............and I was correct.................first time to waver past the 170 mark................oh what a great feeling...........I'm such a happy/healthy/no longer "obese" grammy..............isn't it grand........just "overweight".

Thanks for all of the advice on the protein. I'll check what I get. I rarely eat meat.

Betty: "Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful day. I've got a wonderful feeling, everythings going my way-"

:sing: :note2: :note2: :note2: :note2: :note2: :note2: :note2: :note2: :note2: :note2: :note2: :note2:

I just sang for you!

I dropped a pound, too! Finally, the weight is going down.