Hey everyone! I hope you guys don't mind that I've started a new thread. I've been talking to Terri from Dr. B's office, and she wants to email all of Dr. Bagnato's patients about this website and this support chat that all of us Bagnato Bandsters have going on. She was really impressed by how we've been supporting each other and wants all of Dr. B's patients to be able to come here and get support.

I wanted the title of the thread to be clear and make sure everyone who was banded by Dr. Bagnato knows that they are welcome here, even if they don't live in Albany.

For anyone who is interested, we have formed a support group and have decided to meet once a month.

Our first group meeting will be Feb. 7th at Ruby Tuesday in Tifton, Ga at 6:00 pm. This meeting is basically just a "get to know each other" meeting. I hope to see all of you there!

I'm right there with you Sheryl! That's my goal too - 199 by the end of the year. We can and will do this.

Well, I just got back from the Galleria Mall. I walked around it 6 times with my husband (Mr. Skinny) then sat and drank unsweetened iced tea while he ate lunch from Chen's Wok. I ate 2 hard boiled eggs for lunch when we got home. Good for me!! Of, course, he'll probably lose 5 lbs. by the end of the week.........but, I feel better...I do, really I do.

Good for you RosieJo! I'm glad you enjoyed your walk.

I will Leslie. Also, where do you workout? I have a membership at Tony's and would love a partner. Let me know.

I'm working out at the Y. I used to be a member at Tony's, but never felt comfortable there. Of course that was at my highest and it seemed everyone was there to socialize. I ended up asking Tony for a refund and went somewhere else. I really like the Y - there's lots to do and there are programs there for my kids. That reminds me, my eldest wants to take Karate...I need to call them today.

Hello Everyone:

I am not the inspiration guru by no means. Nor will I pretend to be that one friend that no matter how bad things get seems to have the enthusiasm of a blonde cheerleader during a halftime show.

I am however one who believes in getting inspiration from where she can..even if it means stealing it from the famous words of other smarty pants people. :tt1:

If anyone has read my posts, you will know that I have been suffering from bouts of dizziness and severe leg pain. Not to mention that i am in season 2 of "The Bold, The Black, and The Beautiful" <-- the name that I have given to the soap opera that is my life. This season will focus on familly issues and all of the Jerry Springer drama that comes with my family.

I should elbow my way to the front of the room becasue I am definitely going trough some bander purgatory right now. Matter of fact, I expect the boils and locusts to arrive anytime now.

Yay team Brina! LO-custs!! Woohoo!! <--daily sarcasm.

Here are some words of wisdom stolen by various smarty pants people(and my comments on them) that sometimes help me through my funks.

Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. ~Author Unknown (ps. this also counts if those "pebbles" are M&Ms or Skittles)

Fall seven times, stand up eight. ~Japanese Proverb (This even applies if you were PUSHED down. I do consider a 170lb 5'10" (who just had twins) friend inviting me to her home for a decadentt soulfood dinner a PUSH. That skinny, collar bone showing, flat stomach having, just had twins without a stretchmark, hussy. I love her, but if there was a process called REVERSE lipo suction.....she'd get two shots to the hips and one one shot to the belly.)

Setbacks are like knives: They either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle. (I am not perfect and I won't always be able to grab my setback by the handle. I will try to. However, I need the occasional cut to remind me that this knife will still cut me in the end if I continue to sugar coat it and make excuses for myself. )

When confronted with a Goliath-sized problem, which way do you respond:

"He's too big to hit" or like David, "He's to big to miss"? (I wave this one around when I start on one of my "pity parties" or when I launch a full out "I-can't-do" campaign).

Anyway, you guys are still my number one source of inspiration. I know for a fact that I would be an absolute mess if I had not stumbled across this board. Thanks again for being my (s)heroes.

Leslie

Get off the pitty party and get your butt back to the gym! You are not a third wheel at all, I need your support or i piddle out as well. I didn't go today at all but expect to see your happy face there in the morning! Right?? I am counting on you, I need you to help keep me accountable! Call me if you need to talk you know i can listen.

Thanks J. I need a good butt kicking! Tis ashamed you didn't want to join the pity-party. There's plenty of room for more. I'm feeling better tonight than I was this morning.

I've got to find my gym stuff and wash it. I'll call you in a bit. I've got to find my cell - you know how I am about that phone. I need a new one that actually holds a charge!

Hello everyone! I know all about the plateau's from hell. I went through a 3 month plateau not too long ago. Sure, I lost a couple of pounds here and there, then gained them and lost them again. Sooooo frustrating!!

I am finally losing again!!! Hallelujah! I have been doing low carb. It's really hard, but it's just about the only way I lose. I've tried eating a balanced diet, even became a lacto ovo vegetarian for a while....none of it worked. I am going to try my best to stick with low carb until I get to goal and then add in healthy carbs to maintain.

I have also upped my water intake and that seems to be helping too. Oh, and running my butt off, lol. Running has been a bigger issue for me than the food. I am determined to run that 5k in October. I am finally starting to feel healthy again. It's great!

This is probably going to sound weird, but I'm kinda glad I had that long plateau. Why? I noticed that during my plateau, my loose skin got tighter. I don't know how, but it did. Maybe I was losing inches or maybe my body just needed to catch up with the weight loss. Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot of skin and I know I will need plastic surgery afterwards, but it's nice that is has tightened up some for now. Strange, right?

Anyway, for all you who are on a plateau right now....don't give up!! It will eventually start coming off again. You may need to change up your diet and exercise to get it jumpstarted. Good luck everyone and have a wonderful week!!

Georgia Girl - I just noticed your ticker, you're only 2 pounds to the century mark! Way to go!!! It's so nice to hear that your weight loss has kicked back in. Keep up the great work.

Georgia Girl - I just noticed your ticker, you're only 2 pounds to the century mark! Way to go!!! It's so nice to hear that your weight loss has kicked back in. Keep up the great work.

Thanks nip! I am so determined to lose 2 more pounds by Saturday (my bandiversary)! Although I was hoping to have lost more, I always said that I wanted to lose at least 100 lbs by my one year bandiversary.

BTW, I think you are the Queen of the Bandits, lol! Your weight loss success has encouraged me when I felt like giving up. Congrats!!

Hello everyone! It has been a long time since I posted, so I don't know if anybody remembers me, but I was banded by Dr. B in April. I was off to a great start, then floundered there for a while, but I am gearing back up and getting off the pity pot.

Reading the recent posts today has been an inspiration and helped me feel even better about doing what I know I need to do- so thanks to all of you for being so uplifting!

Hey girl! I've been wondering where you have been! PM me when you can :-)...I don't know if you remember me either - but we were banded a few weeks apart. I need to go to lunch - I'll post/catch up later.

slow weekend here on LBT - I hope everybody has been out enjoying a great weekend! L2L - you've got mail!

Argh! I am a stupid, stupid, stupid woman.

I had a fill last week. I really haven't been hungry at all, but when I eat I am able to eat much more than I would like. So, Leslie gave me .5 cc, thinking we were getting close to where I want to be.

I also confessed that I had been eating very little and my weight loss was less than what is normal for me (losing weight has not been my problem in the past, just falling off whatever program I was on and gaining it back). We discussed my eating pattern, and I'm embarrassed to tell y'all what I had been doing: not eating until supper time each day. I know, I know - dumb! So Leslie told me what I really already knew, which was that I have to EAT to lose. Specifically, I have to eat breakfast and lunch and keep my metabolism going all day.

So I am doing that, feel better, healthier, all that except now I am getting hungry - really hungry. It has always been true for me that I am more hungry for lunch if I eat breakfast, more hungry for supper if I eat lunch. I am losing weight, but thru sheer force of willpower and major calorie counting only. I feel like I have less restriction now than I did before.

I feel so dumb. I mean, duh, of course

eating ---> metabolism working ----> hunger, when you are being healthy and not piggy.

So I called and talked to Leslie, and she said give it another week to 'kick in,' add a snack, and we'll see.

Opinions, similar experiences appreciated.

Edited September 30, 200817 yr by oneder_woman
to make my post coherent