Hey all.

So there's a bunch of us in this group, all split up into our different banding days. I was thinking that it might be a good idea to have one master thread as we move through the month, in which all of us could post as we go, from the pioneers going on March 1st to the finalists on March 31st.

I'd love to talk about our anticipation and any worries as we approach our banding date, for people to talk about exactly what happened from the moment they walked into the hospital door until the second they walked out, about how recovery is going, about weight loss and plateaus, about non-scale victories and challenges.

I was thinking that if we all contribute to one thread, it'll form a more substantial channel for information and support. At the moment, I was thinking that we might be too spread out into individual date, and that a central thread would be a really good backbone for the group, in addition to the date-specific threads.

What do you think?

Fenton

From the videogame site Kotaku.com comes this news:

Jillian Michaels Going After Wii's Biggest Losers

If you're finding Wii Fit to a less strenuous workout than the one required to help you shed your flab, perhaps the prospect of training with fitness guru Jillian Michaels will help. Majesco is publishing Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 which—surprise!—uses the Wii Balance Board to integrate "a tiered fitness regimen, expert advice and exercise techniques from the charismatic Jillian Michaels, the game delivers a focused workout that will help players reach their own personal fitness goals."

We expect to see nothing but six-pack abs and ripped shoulders in close proximity to Wiis by this time next year.

Sounds great! I'd do it!

Especially if they promise 6-pack abs and ripped shoulders close to the Wii.... does it come with a hot personal trainer or something?

Charity, just think how much you have already lost and this time it's gone forever! The numbers will keep going down. I know it's frustrating that it's not a pound a day loss instead of a pound a week.

I have lost 20 lbs since surgery....17 in the pre-op time. Let's see, that's 17lbs in about a month before surgery and 20 lbs in the 2.5 months since surgery. I just keep telling myself that since I'm doing it slowly, I have no hanging skin, and the earlier pounds are the easiest to lose.

You will get better restriction and your band will work for you. In the mean time, keep up the great work you are doing!

Chrsitine

I don't know if I'd call it a "stall", but my weight has plateau'd.

The reason I wont' call it a stall is because I KNOW why it's plateau'd - I've been eating too much this weak, and I've been too busy or too hot to exercise. SO, remedial exercise today, and dieting again...

While I think six pack abs are an admirable goal, I think that for most of us they're unreachable without superhuman effort: it's not just about the amount of muscle in the abdomen, it's more about the total percent of body fat, which has to be EXTREMELY low for the muscular development to be visible.

Coincidentally, a couple weeks back I discovered that my best friend, a woman in her mid-40's, has washboard abs. I was terribly impressed! But she spanks naughty men for a living, so she spends three hours a day in the gym keeping herself in good shape. Plus she has a physically demanding job, and is burning calories all day what with various floggings and whatnot. And lives on horrible spirulina Protein drinks and the like.

So she looks great, but at what cost?

While I think six pack abs are an admirable goal, I think that for most of us they're unreachable without superhuman effort: it's not just about the amount of muscle in the abdomen, it's more about the total percent of body fat, which has to be EXTREMELY low for the muscular development to be visible.

Coincidentally, a couple weeks back I discovered that my best friend, a woman in her mid-40's, has washboard abs. I was terribly impressed! But she spanks naughty men for a living, so she spends three hours a day in the gym keeping herself in good shape. Plus she has a physically demanding job, and is burning calories all day what with various floggings and whatnot. And lives on horrible spirulina Protein drinks and the like.

So she looks great, but at what cost?

True true. I don't think I will ever have a six pack of abs (they're harder for women than for men as we tend to naturally carry more abdomen fat in order to maintain a regular "cycle") but it's nice to dream.

She spanks naughty men for a living. For reals?? :biggrin:

Yes, for reals.

As it turns out, NYC is filled with lawyers crying out for chastisement.

Also, A-Dub, I can't help but point out that I have just as many friends as you do...

Fenton-- I know you have a goal of waiting to be banded but the increased eating could be a sign that you need a fill. It started for me with an increased appetite and then it got worse. I don't think I even realized how quickly my appetite had increased until this board really got me to reflect on it.

Also---I meant to ask you earlier about taking the low dose aspirin that you mentioned a several pages back. My post-op instructions say no aspirin for the rest of my life. Did anyone else here get those instructions? it may well be that their are different views on this and it could also be a different need depending on individual medical conditions -- but I just want to mention it so people will remember to check with their MDs before using aspirin.

Fenton -- I tip my hat to your friend! More---errr---power to her (sos to speak)! It's at times like this that I wonder if I wasted money on an education.

She probably makes more than I do and ---quite frankly---it sounds like she has a lot of fun.

It's not my appetite - partly it's been social obligations, partly it's been because I'm in love with the Chinese-spiced duck currently on offer at my favourite restaurant (a mere two blocks from my loft, but expensive enough that it's a once a week treat, unless someone else is buyin'). Hunger isn't my problem - I've not had anything today, and I'm really not hungry.

ALSO! Yesterday it was my old friend boredom. I was too lethargic to make plans and so ended up hanging around at home, not getting any exercise, playing video games and intermittently nibbling. I probably broke 2000 calories, but they were all fairly healthy.

I'm not TOO worried about days with large numbers of calories, although I don't like that it interferes with my zippy weight loss goals.

As far as the aspirin goes, my docs are very aggressive on insisting that everyone get back on their aspirin regimen the day after surgery. At least, I'm pretty sure it was the day after surgery - although it may have been later. IN medicine, things tend to get politicized quickly - some fields are as sectarian as any religion - but my guys are real believers in that.

And personally, I think the aspirin does me more good than it creates risk of stomach ulcers. I'm careful to take the "safer" enteric coated aspirin, and I take it after a meal, but I acknowledge the risk.

I think a lot depends upon the individual doctors' experience. Your guy might have had problems with bleeding ulcers, I believe that at my place in their 20,000 or so case experience, they've had two deaths, one from a heart attack, another from a clot developing on the leg; since both heart attacks and leg clots are potentially less likely in someone taking aspirin, I think its likely that that would explain their enthusiasm for getting people back on blood-thinners ASAP.

But I agree: the best thing to do is to consult your own physician, absolutely.

My friend the Stern Mistress of Pain is a wonderful, wonderful person, honestly the sweetest and kindest person I've ever known. Her job is lucrative and exotic - she's frequently flown around the world to punish rich neerdowells - but, at the end of the day, I wish she weren't in that line of work. She enjoys her work, and its proceeds, but I think it eats away at her self-esteem. And who has enough of THAT?

Edited June 16, 200818 yr by Fenton

Wow! I was at the lake all weekend and expected to find myself pages behind on here. There were only 9 posts all weekend! I guess everyone was out getting active!!!

I had sort of an NSV this weekend... I WAS out getting active, and kayaked 7.5 miles of beautiful river near my house.. But that's not the NSV..

For my birthday my Mom bought me a new bathing suit that I had fallen in love with. I haven't been comfortable in a bathing suit in years, but once I tried this particular suit on, I knew it was "the one". I have always worn a t-shirt and shorts over my bathing suit, but still felt like crawling under a rock in public.. I decided it was time to change that. Since this time last year, I am down 51lbs, and I am determined to change my ways.

So- This weekend while out with my peeps kayaking, I decided to leave the t-shirt and shorts behind. And I wore JUST my new suit... confidently! I felt totally empowered by this! I also wanted to share a couple of pics.. Hope you enjoy!

~Kerri

Me:

The crystal clear water:)

Some of the peeps:

Yay K-Pod! I love your swimsuit - let's see a close-up of your ink!

I want to try kayaking. Not quite yet, but eventually!

I bet it gives you a pretty good work-out...?

Thanks, Fenton.. Kayaking is a blast! It is def a great workout! My arms are still killing me, but it was so worth it.

Here is an old "before" and a "current" of my tatt.. It is a cover up of my old prison-ish looking tattoos that I got years ago. It is a work in progress. It is only black ink for now, but I get colors in 3 weeks, or once it's totally healed:)

Before:

Currents:

Edited June 16, 200818 yr by k_podski