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?

I am going to Tiauna, and Dr. Kuri is doing my surgery.

I've heard lots of good things about Dr. Kuri.

There seem to be a lot of people up here in the Pacific NW who have used him. They seem to have a very supportive staff. I've corresponded with them just to get general information and to ask questions, get referrals for plastic surgery.

Dang, lost my post...

Short version.

Have to work today, quilting friends going to quilt show without me, bummed.

May not get to have our quilting week at the lake this year, cabin needs rewired.

Stuggling with being hungry, need to eat solid protein.

Steph have fun..

Hey Phyl

The same thought crossed my mind when I read Karla's post. Brad would kill me if I did though.

Hey Phyl

The same thought crossed my mind when I read Karla's post. Brad would kill me if I did though.

Yeah, there wouldn't be a good response here either, but I don't really care at the moment!!

Would serve him right for not going with me!

LOL

Candice, I don't know if you will get this, but have you had Twig checked out by the vet? Maybe he has something going on health wise. I know that kidney failure can cause unusual behavior. just a thought.

Linda, yep, I'm a teacher of 7th & 8th graders, science and math. Next year I will be teaching 6th & 7th grade science, not real thrilled that I don't have the math, but it will work out. I have 5 daughters, 32 to 19. The 'baby' graduated this year so I will have an empty nest next year. DD #1 is a lawyer in Syracuse and is married to a personal trainer, DD#2 is a PA at the Heart Institute in Idaho Falls and her 'significant other' since 8th grade (do you think they will EVER get married?) is a soil conservationist for BLM, DD#3 is a computer graphic designer working at Block Buster in Chicago, who's husband decided he was too young to be married, so they are in the middle of deciding what to do, DD#4 is going to school for ultrasound, and DD#5 is going to go into computer game design. I have been divorced for 15 years. So Linda i think that about covers it, except the 3 doxies, Jordan, Simon, & Molly, and the cat Bailey.

Janet, food was good today, BF-protein smoothie, L-chicken salad with lots of celery, D-probably more chicken salad, snack-FF fudge bar. Water good as well!!! Lubed & cleaned up my bike and went for a ride, not real long since it has been about 10 years since I really road it. I'm amazed I remembered how to do it, and I forgot how much I enjoyed it. I am taking my bike to my workshop next week, so I will be able to go for a ride after sitting all day. My principal also is bringing her bike so I will have someone to ride with.

Iced coffee...my favorite any season. I have a fabulous ice spiced coffe recipe that I need to figure out a low cal version. But I do indulge in a skinny, SF hazelnug latte at Starbucks about once a month, medium!! It is a splurge.

Trying to get laundry done for next week. Elyse is doing well after her wisdom teeth. But even with the ice packs, the cheeks are starting enlarge greatly, poor thing.

Well ladies, I made a decision...I am getting a tattoo when I finish loosing weight. I know that is a long way away, but figured I need to make a statement to myself. I know, I would be better off doing something else, but damn, I'm doing it!!

Karla - sounds like you are doing great... I have a tattoo - sun on my right ankle and my nose is pierced - I wear a little tiny diamond - did it all before banding though...

Well you know what they say about bike riding you never forget - I haven't been on one in years either - wanted to get one - but the window to actually ride it is to short - either it's too hot even at 5 a.m. or to dark when I get home from work -

Yeah, I a psyched about the possibility of surgery this summer. Does that make me a sicko???? Looking forward to improved MOBILITY!! Zero gravity lounge chair... like one of those outdoor chaise lounges??? I have a Pride recliner.. an electric one. A lift chair, really... not that I needed it.. but arthritis issues in my hands, plus short arms.... we could not find a recliner that I could operate... Pathetic, huh? Plus this was the only one we could find that is specifically designed for short people. headrest is too high on most and I can't get comfortable.

All this talk about shopping in downtown Palm Springs is making me homesick for my winter retreat! I love it there! I was thinking today... if it wasn't for my girls, I'd move down there in a heartbeat. I don't think I'd mind the summer heat because I am always COLD!

First steroid injection I had... quite a few years ago, gave me many MONTHS of relief. One I had lost month gave me a couple of DAYS of relief. Hope yours lasts a long time!

I used to drink the iced coffees once in a while, but now they taste bitter to me. I like my coffee drinks hot even in hot weather. Always SF, FF, quad shot, 16 oz. New favorite: 1/2 SF white chocolate, 1/2 SF raspberry.

You're probably well on your way by now. Hope you have a GREAT time and we'll be waiting to hear from you.

Enjoyed your introduction! I'm sure you've said all that before, but I'm old and forgetful!

Maybe we should all get a tattoo in Canada... are you coming, Karla??? I forget who all is coming.

Phyl - I love the idea of Lucky #7 Tattoo... I'm up for it..

Canada is You, Me, Linda, Peaches of course she since she's our hostess - and Kari... I think that's it this yr.

Hopefully next yr we will do the cruise out of New Orleans and then Denise will come and Karri said she might do that one cuz she would like to see if she likes cruising....

So Next yr - you me linda peaches denise karla steph karri kari that would make 9 of us - I hope I'm not forgetting anyone - I'm old too.. That would be just too much fricking fun !!!!

Ya I figured that since your kid's lived in your area that's why you were living there and not here in the Desert..

Heck when it's hot you just stay in doors - no biggie

Phyl - I loved my zero gravity recliner. It is what I used after my plastic surgery.

Karla - I don't believe people NEED to get married. The only reason me and my DH are married are because we needed the tax break and the insurance. So if your daughter doesn't want to get married... more power to her. I didn't need a piece of paper to tell me that I loved my DH. Good for you on the tattoo. I was going to get mine right after the marathon but now I am waiting and getting it with some friends after a run in Dallas in December.

So I am very glad that we are are moving soon...our neighbors are SO loud and annoying. At the new place we don't have neigbors on one side and the other side will be empty for months as it was destroyed by the last tenents. Ahhh...peace and quiet. Plus it is in a residential area so there will be no damn street sweeper at 4AM.

Karri - Monday when I hear the street sweeper - I will think of you ;0) but ours comes around 7 a.m. - Yep never thought about living in a residential area opposed to living in a commercial area that those things (sweeping trash) would be any diff..

I am going to Tiauna, and Dr. Kuri is doing my surgery.[/quote

What's your date?? I forgot already :0)

Well good morning gang - it's almost afternoon - got up 5:30 went to the gym burned 300 calories came home took babies to the vet for their shots and angle blood test - and omg shocked at the bill - then to pet store for food and appointment for grooming next Sat at 10 and now home don't know what I am going to do with myself today...

Don't need to shop - need just a few things from the grocery store - but am hungry so not a good time to go...

Kaitlin will be up in a bit and want me to take her to gf house...

May just make some popcorn and watch tv - which really means take a nap :biggrin:

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH, a lucky 7 tattoo sounds fabulous!!! We will have to work on the design. Alexa & Elyse, DD#5, #4 are great artists, so I will have them get to work on it. Then we can personalize it with out dates and and what ever else we want. I know I want something with my 5 girls, I was thinking 5 little ladybugs, and possibly a rose, since I grow roses, and maybe a koi since I have akoi pond. Food good today, worked my tail off at work. Had trouble eating because I was tight. So, Protein smoothie, 100 cal yogurt, chicken salad, and now salmon for dinner, will have a FF fudgesicle later. I haven't weighted in almost 2 weeks, I'm afraid to get on the scale. I think I might have gained and I know it will depress me, and you all know I am a depression eater. So, I need to get the guts to weigh in the morning. :biggrin:

I guess I could just get a 7 added somewhere to my turtle. I am getting my running turtle in Dec and then when I complete a half marathon in each state I am going to get one with a shoe looking like it is running across the US. I think that will be my limit on tattoos (MAYBE one when I finish the Goofy run in Orlando...Run a half marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday). But I could definetly get a 7 added to my turtle.

Karla - sounds like you are doing great... I have a tattoo - sun on my right ankle and my nose is pierced - I wear a little tiny diamond - did it all before banding though...

Well you know what they say about bike riding you never forget - I haven't been on one in years either - wanted to get one - but the window to actually ride it is to short - either it's too hot even at 5 a.m. or to dark when I get home from work -

Phyl - I love the idea of Lucky #7 Tattoo... I'm up for it..

Canada is You, Me, Linda, Peaches of course she since she's our hostess - and Kari... I think that's it this yr.

Hopefully next yr we will do the cruise out of New Orleans and then Denise will come and Karri said she might do that one cuz she would like to see if she likes cruising....

So Next yr - you me linda peaches denise karla steph karri kari that would make 9 of us - I hope I'm not forgetting anyone - I'm old too.. That would be just too much fricking fun !!!!

Ya I figured that since your kid's lived in your area that's why you were living there and not here in the Desert..

Heck when it's hot you just stay in doors - no biggie

Karri - Monday when I hear the street sweeper - I will think of you ;0) but ours comes around 7 a.m. - Yep never thought about living in a residential area opposed to living in a commercial area that those things (sweeping trash) would be any diff..

I am going to Tiauna, and Dr. Kuri is doing my surgery.[/quote

What's your date?? I forgot already :0)

Well good morning gang - it's almost afternoon - got up 5:30 went to the gym burned 300 calories came home took babies to the vet for their shots and angle blood test - and omg shocked at the bill - then to pet store for food and appointment for grooming next Sat at 10 and now home don't know what I am going to do with myself today...

Don't need to shop - need just a few things from the grocery store - but am hungry so not a good time to go...

Kaitlin will be up in a bit and want me to take her to gf house...

May just make some popcorn and watch tv - which really means take a nap :biggrin:

I am going for surgery July 14. Less than a month now.

Late night and not much done. Got most of the bills paid, and working on laundry. The friends who I pay bills for while they teach in China, dropped by at about 9:30. So I didn't get much else done, Tomorrow is going to be crazy. Need to finish paying bills, do laundry, pack, work until 3pm then run home, shower, and be on the road by 5pm. Right now I don't know how I am going to get it all done...

Yard work will have to wait until I'm back from Bozeman. I'm fried AND hungry, so I best get going to bed.

Well, I finally stepped on the scale, need I remind you that I hate scales? Anyway, good news, I didn't gain, bad news, I didn't lose. So somehow I need to get it together. I am hoping that I actually gained and then lost, otherwise it means that I am in a holding pattern. I don't think I can eat much less, which means I need to get more exercise. Janet, when & what is our next challenge? Five pounds for those of us who need to lose and holding for those at maintenance? I will probably be out of touch for today and possibly tomorrow. If the university doesn't have wi-fi, it will be until Friday. Catchya later.

Well, best get busy, I have a little time before going to work, can I get packed for a week in 1 hour? Good question? Would appreciate any imput on the weight loss 'holding pattern'? Too tight? probably, Ate the wrong foods at Canyon Ferry? Schmirnoff, Not exerciseing enough? Walked 13.5 mi with Steph. So is this it??? Destined to be fat all my life?

OK It's official: I regained the whole pound that I lost during the 2-week challenge So now I'm back to square one. I'm going to have to redouble my efforts. I can do better than this. I know what I have to do. I just have to do it! Why is this so difficlut? I'm pretty sure I'm tight enough--I still have reflux sometimes and can't sleep if I eat after 6 pm. I know I need to be more disciplined. Get tough. Just do it!

Time to leave for church. Then it's the Dad's day pig-out and Bible Study tonight. I know it sounds selfish, but I'd rather just stay in bed all day than have to deal with all the people and food.

Good morning ladies.

Had a great bike rally. So much fun but way too many malibu diets.

Today I have to drive back across the state, but it's cloudy and cool so it will probably be a good drive. Tomorrow I will be in a hotel room in the evening so plan on hearing from me then.

I'm out on the tattoo. I still remember the pain of getting mine. I'm a huge pain wimp. I'll stick with that one and let you all have the fun.

While I was gone, I lost .7 pounds. Not bad for as horrible as I was with food. Gotta get more exercise and stop letting life take over and let me make excuses for it.

Still very very tight. Keeping my protein up with shakes. Not much more in than that. I think I'll be able to get to Bismarck the first week of July. It will be the first week that I'm back in this area. Until then, shakes, cottage cheese, and yogurt....mmm mmm good!

Have a great Sunday ladies.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH, a lucky 7 tattoo sounds fabulous!!! We will have to work on the design. Alexa & Elyse, DD#5, #4 are great artists, so I will have them get to work on it. Then we can personalize it with out dates and and what ever else we want. I know I want something with my 5 girls, I was thinking 5 little ladybugs, and possibly a rose, since I grow roses, and maybe a koi since I have akoi pond. Food good today, worked my tail off at work. Had trouble eating because I was tight. So, Protein smoothie, 100 cal yogurt, chicken salad, and now salmon for dinner, will have a FF fudgesicle later. I haven't weighted in almost 2 weeks, I'm afraid to get on the scale. I think I might have gained and I know it will depress me, and you all know I am a depression eater. So, I need to get the guts to weigh in the morning.

Karla - yep have them design one small though - and I have to figure a place to put it.. I have one on my ankle already - I just don't know where I would put it -

I guess I could just get a 7 added somewhere to my turtle. I am getting my running turtle in Dec and then when I complete a half marathon in each state I am going to get one with a shoe looking like it is running across the US. I think that will be my limit on tattoos (MAYBE one when I finish the Goofy run in Orlando...Run a half marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday). But I could definetly get a 7 added to my turtle.

Yes darlling you have to add a #7 to your turtle !!!!!

I am going for surgery July 14. Less than a month now.

Connie - it will be here before you know it....

Well, I finally stepped on the scale, need I remind you that I hate scales? Anyway, good news, I didn't gain, bad news, I didn't lose. So somehow I need to get it together. I am hoping that I actually gained and then lost, otherwise it means that I am in a holding pattern. I don't think I can eat much less, which means I need to get more exercise. Janet, when & what is our next challenge? Five pounds for those of us who need to lose and holding for those at maintenance? I will probably be out of touch for today and possibly tomorrow. If the university doesn't have wi-fi, it will be until Friday. Catchya later.

Karla - that's the problem you didn't weigh in when you got back so you don't know how much you actually gained while away - so you don't know if you had a loss this week - since the scales are the same... So hiding your head in the sand didn't help - it just made things worse..

You have to deal with a gain - not getting on the scales after a bad weekend - is denial... Denial is what got us fat in the 1st place. So after a bad weekend of food you have to learn to deal with what the scales says - most of it's usually just water weight but depending on what you ate it can be real pounds - remember it take 3500 extra food to gain a pound..

And it could be when you got on the scales today - you are retaining water - scales are fickled things and our weight can vary from hour to hour by as much as a pound..

So after I scolded you for not weighing in after your weekend - you can't take that weight as an absoult but you do have to deal with what it said..

You need to start counting calories - you give us what you eat but not the calories - how is your restriction are you still to tight??

As for the July Challenge - I think that 1 lbs a week is a good starting point - as most of us #7 are 2 yrs out and we aren't going to lose quickly - and pple like Phyl will lose 3 -4 lbs in a week and not lose for the rest of the month -

That's really up to you guys - Karri & I would be strickly maintance...

Candice is gone for 15 days and I assume that she will have a bit of a weight gain as she is on vacation and food choice along with adult beverages

And then at the end of the month we 5 of us are going to Canada - so again our mini vacations we won't the perfert banders - but again since we are all together it will be an all or none kind of thing - we will all choose to eat good - or bad which ever the case may be..

So I don't know how good a challenge would be - those of you who want to participate can - challenge each other - Maybe you and Steph can have a challenge - See me and my DD had challenges without even posting that we were - I wanted to keep up with her and she didn't want me to get a head of her - we talked about that when she was here - it was never a public challenge and never really spoken between us - it's just the way we were - one time I got a couple of lbs to her and that made her focuse to get the 10 lbs that she usually was infront of me :0)

OK It's official: I regained the whole pound that I lost during the 2-week challenge So now I'm back to square one. I'm going to have to redouble my efforts. I can do better than this. I know what I have to do. I just have to do it! Why is this so difficlut? I'm pretty sure I'm tight enough--I still have reflux sometimes and can't sleep if I eat after 6 pm. I know I need to be more disciplined. Get tough. Just do it!

Time to leave for church. Then it's the Dad's day pig-out and Bible Study tonight. I know it sounds selfish, but I'd rather just stay in bed all day than have to deal with all the people and food.

Cuz Gf we are food addicts - cuz everything we do with others centers around food - we don't want to feel deprived - it's a b to find the happy medium...

You are even - so that's better than being up !!!

I know you are not an exercise girl - but if you would I bet you would see a difference - just a suggestion - try it you may like it :0)

and gf it's ok to be selfish !!!! I think it's a good thing... I do it all the time !!!

Good morning ladies.

Had a great bike rally. So much fun but way too many malibu diets.

Today I have to drive back across the state, but it's cloudy and cool so it will probably be a good drive. Tomorrow I will be in a hotel room in the evening so plan on hearing from me then.

I'm out on the tattoo. I still remember the pain of getting mine. I'm a huge pain wimp. I'll stick with that one and let you all have the fun.

While I was gone, I lost .7 pounds. Not bad for as horrible as I was with food. Gotta get more exercise and stop letting life take over and let me make excuses for it.

Still very very tight. Keeping my protein up with shakes. Not much more in than that. I think I'll be able to get to Bismarck the first week of July. It will be the first week that I'm back in this area. Until then, shakes, cottage cheese, and yogurt....mmm mmm good!

Have a great Sunday ladies.

Steph

Happy that you are .7 lighter have a safe trip..

Well gang - napped yesterday afternoon - went to bed at 9 and up at six - have been on the computer ever since and it's almost 9....

It takes along time to reply to post..... My mentor thread which I didn't post to yesterday - had a poster on my Dr Bobby thread - the 50's thread - and here and then emails ..

I still haven't gotten to my paper yet !!!

Well today is nails and food shopping for the week - I need to get my butt in gear....

Weather report - next week we are suppose to hit 110 !!!

For me anything below 105 is fine - but 110 is hot....

ok going to go get paper another cup of coffee

CBL:wub:

Well, best get busy, I have a little time before going to work, can I get packed for a week in 1 hour? Good question? Would appreciate any imput on the weight loss 'holding pattern'? Too tight? probably, Ate the wrong foods at Canyon Ferry? Schmirnoff, Not exerciseing enough? Walked 13.5 mi with Steph. So is this it??? Destined to be fat all my life?

Karla,

There are some things that you can do to help ensure success and in reality they are very easy. But you have to commit to them. You can't do them here and there. At the beginning you MUST follow EVERY rule. It is later on when you get to maintenance that you can slack off a little on the following things. The following is what I did when I was in the losing phase. I was incredibly rigid (and so was Janet). I am not as rigid now...but I learned the tools so that if I needed to go back to them I could. It takes 28 days of constant use to create a habit. If you haven't been doing something consistently for 28 days it is not going to be a habit. A new lifestyle is changing the habits of the past.

1. Made a menu of all the food I was going to eat for the day and stuck to it. (If it wasn't on my menu...I didn't eat it. This allowed me to know what foods I needed in the house and made shopping and dinner planning easier).

2. Ate my protein first, followed by veggies. I didn't eat a whole lot of carbs. I was an Atkins girl so this was very easy. However, I didn't cut out carbs in total. I would have a VERY small serving of them so that I didn't feel like I was being deprived.

3. Ate 1 cup of food (most of that was protein). If I couldn't eat a cup of food or I couldn't eat much protein I knew I needed an unfill. I lost 85% of my weight completely unfilled. That doesn't mean that you can, but I think my sweet spot would probably have been right above an unfill (like 0.5) but my fill nurse kept overfilling me. If YOU CAN'T EAT YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT LOSE WEIGHT! Your body will revolt and you risk MAJOR damage to your band if you try to eat and are too filled. Even being tight when you drink protein drinks you are still going to be hungry because it goes right through...so you end up drinking more. Even the Atkins shakes have 150 calories and I have seen protein drinks upwards of 450 calories if you count all the servings that are in there.

4. You have to have a plan when you go out. Anticipate your calories. Everyone under the sun knew that I had the band so they didn't think twice when I would bring my own food with me. I am more self conscious about doing it now, but when I was losing, I didn't care. If we went to a party I would take my own food and my own drinks. My weight loss was more important to me than people thinking I was weird. I don't drink alcohol so that was never a problem for me. But if I had, I would have calculated it into my calories. I think that if you plan for that you might realize that the calories in there just aren't worth it...but then again, maybe not.

5. Exercise. Good for you on the 13.5 miles of walking...but if that isn't regular, then it isn't going to do anything. You need to do 30-60 minutes of consistent exercise 5-6 days per week. You don't need to run...walking will do just fine. Janet's main exercise is walking but as you progress you are going to have to either increase the distance, intensity (speed or incline) to keep up with the weight loss. You burn less calories as you get smaller.

I think that I read earlier that you had last 45 or so pounds. My doc said that the band will usually cause you to lose 30-40% of the weight without you doing much. But if you want to lose MORE, then it is all up to you. Yeah...it is tough. Not being able to eat foods that you want, exercising when you are tired and sore, and feeling like it is a never ending battle is a BITCH. IT IS F'ING HARD. But it is worth it. The phrase...nothing tastes as good as thin feels probably means very little to you because it didn't to me. I didn't know what thin felt like. But now I do and believe me...there is no feeling quite like it. My feeling that I can do ANYTHING now is great. I don't ever have to worry about not being able to keep up or fitting in. I can just roll out of bed and face any challenge that might come my way.

As for the holding pattern...it could be that you had gained and then lost. I weighed daily so I would always know. I am not saying you should be as obsessed with the scale as I was, but the scale is a tool and while you are losing it will help you make adjustments.

As for the challenge, we could most certainly start one, but you also need to be able to do it on your own. Make your own challenge. We don't like to let other people down so we tend to perform better on challenges with other people, but it is very important to not let ourselves down.

So I can't guarantee that what I told you will cause you to lose weight, but I didn't have a single week that I didn't lose something. My lowest week was a 1 pound loss and that was when I was overfilled. I averaged 3 pounds per week.

One last piece of advice, tinker with recipes that you like. I could usually get a 500+ calorie per serving recipe down to below 300. I would be willing to look at some of your recipes and try to help you.

Well I need to get going. I have an 8 mile run to get in today.