I just found out my surgery will be in July (granted my pre-op testing goes okay) SOOOOOOOOO

Here's a thread for everyone getting banded in July 07!

Does anyone have any good ideas for a neat name we could call ourselves?

OH THANK YOU JANET!!! What would happen to us without you? Yes, the honeymoon is over. I feel myself thinking more and more about food now than about how good it's going to be to reach my goals. Sometimes, it's really a drag, but every one has their demons. I never realized how much overeating IS like an addiction. I have to keep reminding myself of that and behave accordingly.

Phyl--I laughed out loud at your response!

I LOVE THIS GROUP!

OH THANK YOU JANET!!! What would happen to us without you? Yes, the honeymoon is over. I feel myself thinking more and more about food now than about how good it's going to be to reach my goals. Sometimes, it's really a drag, but every one has their demons. I never realized how much overeating IS like an addiction. I have to keep reminding myself of that and behave accordingly.

Phyl--I laughed out loud at your response!

I LOVE THIS GROUP!

Thanks Linda

Do you know that I benefit from giving all this advice too - When I want to eat something or not go and exercise - I say to myself "what would you tell the girls?? You have to practice what you preach, you have to be a good example to be able to motivate"

Yep - we have been eating very good for the most part for the last 4 month - and we think - I have been so good - I can treat myself to my fav food - but that's where it starts - Let me tell you a new blouse or pair of jeans - in a smaller size is a better reward for those last 4 months of eating healthy - than a stupid candy bar imho...

Just wanted to say THANK YOU, JANET!!!! I love it that you are our food police. You always seem to inspire me to do good.

Hi Luckys,

Janet, I think we need your policing cause I want to discuss Thanksgiving strategies and menus. I know that I'm not alone with choking on chicken. Have we given any thoughts to attempting turkey? Smothered in gravy? Swimming in grease in order to get it down? It's not hard to plan a healthy menu...roasted veggies, mashed potatoes made with 1% milk, light pumpkin pie, but the turkey!! PB city!!

Any thoughts, you-all....

Ok I am totally upset and DO NOT want to confess this but today is the way in day and I have gained the 2 pounds I lost back.:think I am now BACK to 216. Next week seems so far away. :faint: I went to the grocery store tonight. Figured if I am going to be scouting the kitchen I need healthy choices for snacks. Normally I don't buy snacks for myself because it doesn't bother me when I had the proper restriction. Now.....WATCH OUT!!! First I have to tell you guys. Has anyone ever looked at the calories in those lunchables? WOW!!! I picked up a turkey breast, american cheese with wheat crackers thinking it would be a healthy snack. Hell when I looked at it it was 380 calories!!!!!!!! Yup you read it right. My gosh you know how many of those things I have bought for my kids over the years for Gods sake?!?! Put that back in a hurry and then went to the deli and bought fresh sliced roasted turkey breast and some FF cheese slices. Also picked up some SF pudding cups and some more yogurt. Came home and my son helped me get groceries out and put them away. He complained because I didn't buy any good snacks. I told him 'they are very good and someday you will thank me." LOL I have been 'breaking him in' slowly. He loves the cold meats and such but not the yogurt.

Anyway, Phyl put me back at the 2 pound lose instead of 4.

Just wanted to say THANK YOU, JANET!!!! I love it that you are our food police. You always seem to inspire me to do good.

Thanks Kirajh - I am just parroting all the lesson I have learned over the year from this program or that - I just put it in plan every day english and i think it's so much eaiser hearing it from another FAT person rather than some skinny chick standing up front telling you what to do or not to do... We all are on this journey together and here to support each other. We are ALL TIRED OF BEING FAT.. That's why we took such drastic measures by having a surgery - That in it's self was a major step forward imho... So we can't loose sight of that - we have to be reminded daily of our goals and what sacrifices we have made to have this surgery - heck some are self pays - some of us had insurance but still had to pay the bucks.. Heck for all my pre-testing & program fees I could have gone to mexico and has mine done..

Hi Luckys,

Janet, I think we need your policing cause I want to discuss Thanksgiving strategies and menus. I know that I'm not alone with choking on chicken. Have we given any thoughts to attempting turkey? Smothered in gravy? Swimming in grease in order to get it down? It's not hard to plan a healthy menu...roasted veggies, mashed potatoes made with 1% milk, light pumpkin pie, but the turkey!! PB city!!

Any thoughts, you-all....

Car I don't know what to tell you about Turkey day - I am lucky and can eat all kinds of meat as long as it's slow and chew well - I get semi stuck on my fish when i eat too fast... My Son and his family are most likely going to his MIL'S for turkey day - my gs will have his license and be out and about - he's not big on turkey anyway or ham for that fact. So I don't think i will be cooking - I have a few friends house i can go to and that's what I will most likely do. a Good thing about this is I won't have the left overs to tempt me...

IMHO a couple of bites of gravey isn't going to add 5 lbs - I will most likely eat regular turkey day meal Turkey gravey - mash tatoes - veggies , stuffing and a little pie - No bread though - but it will be in a lot smaller portions that what I have in the past and anyway - after i did all that cooking - i never want to eat anyway..

I have pretty good restriction - but for those who don't I suggest that you go get a fill if you can. And for those of you who have to cook - make it lite like Car suggested - and if there are tons of left overs send them home w/your family - your kids & hubbys don't need to eat cakes pies for the next 4 days...

My down fall will be xmas - and xmas cookies - my grandaughters come and we make sugar cookies with frosting - OMG i LOVE xmas cookies 2 here - 3 there - 6 more during the night - So here is my plan - 98% will go home with them - 1.5 % will get put in a ziplock and given to my grandson to keep in his room for when he might want one - and I will keep .5% = 5 cookies for me to eat. Thats my plan...

Oh ya we have tamales here too.. made with lard and the masa is my fav part - I love the cheese tamales with chili pepper inside - This will be another problem - but the way to solve it - I will only buy 1/2 dozen instead of 2... if it's not here then i can't eat it.

We gotta eat normal -we just can't eat the whole thanksgiving meal which is overloaded plates of food on Thursday - Friday - Saturday and Sunday -

Allow yourself to eat on Thrusday and have a little bit of everything even a piece of pie or whatever kind of dessert you serve - But on Friday - we are right back to our healthly eating ...

And since alot us will be off (guessing) - walk that extra mile to counter the food you ate on thrusday - this is what skinny people do..

It's not that one piece of cake or pie that will make you fat - it's all the pieces that follow that will...

OH YA almost forgot - for those on our mini weekly challenge - today is weigh in day - I lost 3.5 this last week - 206.5 last Thursday 203 this morning :clap2: - I have pm phyl with my update like she asked - so everyone who was in on the mini weekly challenge - it's time to own up.... :biggrin1:

Janet congrats on the 3 pound loss!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Excellent!! I owned up already...........gained my 2 pound loss back.

Ok I am totally upset and DO NOT want to confess this but today is the way in day and I have gained the 2 pounds I lost back.:think I am now BACK to 216. Next week seems so far away. :faint: I went to the grocery store tonight. Figured if I am going to be scouting the kitchen I need healthy choices for snacks. Normally I don't buy snacks for myself because it doesn't bother me when I had the proper restriction. Now.....WATCH OUT!!! First I have to tell you guys. Has anyone ever looked at the calories in those lunchables? WOW!!! I picked up a turkey breast, american cheese with wheat crackers thinking it would be a healthy snack. Hell when I looked at it it was 380 calories!!!!!!!! Yup you read it right. My gosh you know how many of those things I have bought for my kids over the years for Gods sake?!?! Put that back in a hurry and then went to the deli and bought fresh sliced roasted turkey breast and some FF cheese slices. Also picked up some SF pudding cups and some more yogurt. Came home and my son helped me get groceries out and put them away. He complained because I didn't buy any good snacks. I told him 'they are very good and someday you will thank me." LOL I have been 'breaking him in' slowly. He loves the cold meats and such but not the yogurt.

Anyway, Phyl put me back at the 2 pound lose instead of 4.

Jackie - I am sorry about the 2+ on the pounds :embarassed:

:clap2: BUT AM SO PROUD OF YOU FOR MAKING HEALTHLY SNACK CHOICES..:clap2:

Ok - Jackie just brough up a good point - are you guys reading labels??? I am so surprised when someone doesn't know how to read labels - I had 2 people in my office who didn't - one was eating a stoffers bell pepper tv dinner thingie and she said it was only 150 calorie - i told her look at the serving - it was 2 - so the whole thing was 300 calories not 150 - and then another friend didn't know that you take carb and subtract fiber to get what the total carbs really are. I guess i should be a nurtionist... I guess i have just done more dieting that they have - but yes everything you pick up at the grocery store - read the labels... See how many servings the container holds - it's usually more than just one... I don't count fat or carbs - I only count calories and protein...

I read here on this board (not our thread) where someone was eating those lunchables - so last time i was at the store i picked one up - i saw what the calories where and put it right back - OMG for those amount of calories I could get 2 meals of real food..

I am a volume eater - i alway ate the most amount of food for the least amount of calories when i was on ww - and this is what i do now - if I am still hungry after dinner - i eat extra veggies.... most amount of food for least amount of calories that's my motto - candy bar 200 calories - a sandwich made with lite bread has the same amount of calories ( i made and eggbeater egg sandwich 2 slices of lite bread - 1/4 cup egg beater 1 slice 2% cheese = 160 calories) - which is going to fill you up and stay with you longer - it's sure not the candy bar...

If you aren't doing it now - i want everyone to start today - every package you pick up read the calories per serving - go on line and look up your calorie on your fav meal - omg zuchinee from carl's junior and 1 pket of house dressing 775 calories - if you go and ck out the calories - you wll be so suprised at what you use to eat.. No wonder we were fat... 1 99cent red burritto from Del Taco 430 calories - I always ordered extra sauce & cheese so we are most likely talking 600 calories - then add a quesidilla - another 400 calories - 1000 calorie for just one meal...

Hi Everyone

I've had one h#@& of a week (or two). Nov 1st my father was diagnosed with cancer in several places, originating in his lungs. The prognosis is very bad, and we expect he won't be with us for long.

Kathy, I'm sorry to hear about your news.

I lost my dad the same way in Feb 2005. He was diagnosed just before Christmas of '04 with cancer. So we only had a few months together to say good bye. Sometimes it seemed like such a short amount of time, sometimes (especially towards the end) it seemed to drag on forever.

It was extremely difficult emotionally for all of us. But I also found it comforting, which sounds very strange. I'll explain as best I can.....

Not all of us get a chance to say good bye. Most often people die suddenly and/or unexpectedly. My dad and I didn't always have a good relationship. So this gave us time to resolve things and say all those things to one another that so many people put off because it's either too morbid or we think there's always tomorrow to say these things.

There were things that were hard to talk about. There were things that I thought of talking about, knowing it would be upsetting for one or both of us. At times they went unsaid because I discovered through this journey that some of those issues I carried around with me just weren't that important. But I DID say all the most important things to him and he to me.

We laughed together. We cried together. We laughed until we cried. I told him all the things I'd miss about him; both good and bad. And he told me the same. It's surprising how much more open you can be with one another when you know your time together is limited. I even composed my eulogy and shard that with him. My sister told me he kept a copy of it with him and would bring it out to read every day while she was with him.

As tough as some of those moments were back then, they actually helped me immensely with the grieving process after he had gone. Probably because we grieved together for those few months we had. I miss him a lot. But there are other days when I "feel" him with me. Days when something will happen and I'll think "Dad would have said this...." He still shares my life with me.

Had to go back a few days to catch up:

Distant, I am so very sorry for your loss. I watch my best friend move through this process daily and it breaks my heart. (Precious daughter died on Oct. 1 at 8. She also had a BM transplant - in December 2006.)She stays head up most of the time because she concentrates on who God is, not what is happening in her life now. I so honor and esteem those of you who have this hardest thing in your lives and do well moving through it. Some really amazing people who have also lost children have been ministering well to her family. Hugs and prayers for you.

Kirajh, I am sorry for your loss also. I love my friends parents and in-laws too. I really see how hard it is for them also. Not only have you lost your precious grandchild but you have to watch your own child grieve the hardest loss. Hugs to you too.

Indio, Thanks for you great lecture to CeCe. I will take it for me (CC) too. I have been all off this week. I keep buying and eating wrong foods. I ate candy during halloween week (I don't even like the "holiday" - just the candy). Now I reintroduced myself to potato chips. I need to just trash them. They make me slime anyway. Keep up the sensible "yelling" it actually works for me!

Kathy, I couldn't find a reference on your dad. How can I pray for him? I only saw Mangos post.

Phyl, I also need a lesson on multi quote. Can someone give a quick tutorial? Nothing happens when I click it, but I don't know what should actually happen. I am probably supposed to do something at that point.

I know how to read labels on food but not how to use most of the features on a website! Off to bed. NewCC

Hello all :wave:

I've been MIA for a little while and really don't have any excuse for it. I think I'm suffering from the-honeymoon-is-over symptoms as well. I've been stuck between 205 and 203 for the past couple of weeks. After watching biggest loser the other night I'm wondering if it's because I'm not eating enough like (can't remember his name). It makes sense that my metabolism would slow down. I struggle with Breakfast. I need to eat really, REALLY slowly or I'll slime and/or bring it all back up again. I even struggle with Protein shakes. lunch is a little easier. But then my problem time hits me. For me it's the afternoon/early evening. Once I make it to around 7-8pm I'm fine and can go the rest of the night without food. But the afternoon has always been a struggle period for me.

I've tried to stick with healthy Snacks. Most often it'll be fish crackers or a pack of those 100 calorie snacks. But this past week I've broken down and eaten two or more packs.

The other day I started drinking more Water again. I think that's another area I was slacking off in. It helped me curb my appetite a little more. Today I drank 80oz of water and still feel like I could take on more. I just hope I don't suffer from water retention because of it.

I've decided to eat more vegetables. Maybe even get some as a snack like Janet suggested. I tried strawberries for brekkie this morning and they seemed to go down okay, although I only managed to make my way through 4 of them. Maybe I should try avocado or tomato. :cry

I'm still exercising every day except Sunday. I'm thankful that I haven't fallen off that bandwagon. I'd hate to think what would happen if I did. Actually, I'm surprised that I still enjoy it. There are some days when I'd rather not have to get on the treadmill, but seeing as how I have to walk past our gym every single morning after dropping off my son at school, I really have no excuse. And anyway, Janet is not only the food angel, she's my exercise angel as well. And I really don't like to see her waggling her finger at me when I want to walk past the gym. :heh:

Oh, Kathy, I see Frustrated was posting while I was typing my question. I am sorry about you dad. I see how to pray. Hugs, NewCC

Janet--I made the 1 week challenge with 2 pounds to spare! It was a good week!

#1 Multi quote - example (you want to quote the following people)

Indio - hit mutli quote

Lindaa - Hit multi quote

Frustrated - hit multi quot

Phyl - hit quote

All will pop up in reply to box ...

Kathy - I agree with Ruby - i took care of both my parents for the last 6 months - talk to them all this helped me so much once they were gone - My last bday card from my dad - said how lucky they were for having a daughter like me - no it was me who was lucky to have parents like them and able to give back ...

Linda :clap2::clap2::clap2:

Ruby -Yes Trash the junk !!!!!

Ok gang - take my grandson for his drving test this morning - I sure hope he passes - but now i am going to go fully white from worry

I seem to be diff from most of you - by band is ok in the a.m. but i drink coffee - lunch ok - dinner ok - midnite snack - tight :clap2::clap2: Not complaining cuz this is my danger zone :speechles:wacko::phanvan

6/20 11/9

Arms 15 13

Chest 44.5 38

Waist 44 38

Hips 50 43

Thights 29 25

Found this card this a.m. with measurments - so got brave and took them..