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

i cant believe fenton has been gone this whole time.....we don't have any men to talk with.....

Kerri....how did you do today with your attempt to jump start things? I did OK.

I actually got up at 5 this AM instead of 5:30 and got on the treadmill for 30 minutes. This is HUGE for me. I will do the same tomorrow. Taking this to a new level.

Christine

By the way...I have to admit that I really miss Fenton.

Christine

Hi Ladies! (I notice we are still Fenton-less),

I'm mostly just hovering on the board at the moment, work and uni are VERY busy so I haven't had much time.

Our weight loss numbers are still going up and up, or should I say our weights are going down and down! Excellent work shamrocks!

And yes, we have the occasional slip. We are, after all, human. This many years of bad habits are not easy to break -- and we shouldn't torture ourselves if we take a little step back. Just remember how far we have already run forward, and how much track is left in front of us. We need to try and smash our rear-vision mirrors -- we don't need them any more.

Me? I'm on a bit of a plateau. I weigh once a week (thursdays) and the last 2 weeks the scale has not budged. So this week I've been extra vigilant about exercise as well as making sure that little things like chocolate don't start slipping in. All things considered, I SHOULD be set up for a good week on the scales this week. But sometimes you can never tell!

Even if I am plateauing, I still find it amazing that only 4 and a half months after surgery, I am half way to goal. Just got to keep that wonderful feeling in mind every time i think about how good some chocolate would be right now.

So I will keep you updated on what the scale tells me this week, and anything else newsworthy.

Keep on rocking, Shamrocks!

Annie xoxox

Hi everyone!

BNL - I am glad you post your failures. I try to as well. I think that if we just post the good, that will not be as helpful in the long run. We are here to support each other, right? I see many times that there are lurkers that never post. I think they need to see the good and bad. I believe some of them do not post because of the extraordinary weight loss that many of our wonderful shamrocks have to date!

Christine: Congrats on the wonderful start! I stay pretty close to Atkins. I have little self control with carbs, so I restrict them pretty hard. It is one of the things I keep track of. (Along with Protein and liquid intake)

Protein - the dieticians that I have seen have given me 60-64 as a MINIMUM!

Good stuff - I have been sticking very close to the "rules" for the past 2 weeks. As a result, I have started to lose weight again. I'm thrilled! I am also looking forward to my fill next week. I am hoping that it will put me at my sweet spot. I kind of thing it will. I don't really have any restriction problems, with the exception of eating lean ground beef or very dry chicken. I am not satisified with 4 ounces of food. But, I have to admit that I am thrilled the scale is moving again.

3 more pounds till I hit the 100 pounds loss. I started around July or August of last year to lose weight. I lost 55 before surgery and so far 42 since. Was banded March 17

I have a dr. appointment on thursday but don't think I'm gonna get a fill. I eat around 1 cup of food at a time a little more than the dr would like but I don't want to make it harder to eat. I am slowly losing so right now I feel satified.

I think Fenton could at least find a few minutes to post and let us know how he is doing.

Hello ! I went to the Dr.'s yesterday and I lost 5.5 lbs. The dr. said he wants me to lose just 20 -25 lbs more but thats not my goal my goal is at lease another 34-35 lbs . I don't want to quit losing just when I get close to my goal I want to reach it .

I had my 3rd fill today and its liquids day for me. He took me up to 8.5 cc's in my 14 cc band. I've had no problems with liquids at all so I'm very encouraged. I treated myself to a chocolate Peanut Butter Protein shake for my dinner - using my PB2 in with the chocolate Protein powder and it was yummy.

BNL -- I had a goof up this week too - thought ordering the Johnsonville brats appetizer would be a good protein lunch when a big group all went out on Tuesday and it was tasty - it turned out to be 2.5 brats sliced lengthwise, and I didn't realize they'd be batter dipped and deep fried. I ate 1.5 and was full and then ate the rest as a snack later in the afternoon. When I looked up the calories for 2.5 brats it was like 600 calories and I didn't even look at the fat grams at that point. So, here's to my fill #3 and more self control!!!

Congrats Scrappy! That's really, really awesome. Today has been a good day for me. I've done pretty good with my eating and I walked 4 miles. Hurricane Dolly has provided us with some lower temps and a nice breeze. It was still in the 90s today but nothing like it has been.

Hi Christine:)

Things are going good here. How are things going for you? Are you doing Induction, or your own thing? I pretty much stick with the Atkins outlines, except for the no coffee bit at the beginning. I have to have my morning coffee! I only have one cup with a little 1/2+1/2 and sweet n low, so it can't be too bad. I guess the theory is that it is a stimulant and can make you crave things.. It doesn't me, so I think it's ok..

I haven't weighed myself while I've been having a hard time.. I weighed in yesterday morning and was pleased to see that I have lost the 3lbs I gained while in MA, and another 2 to boot. Phew! It was really helpful to see good numbers. I'm now at 196. I have lost 46 since pre op and have 46 to go. So I am exactly half way there. Woot! I have a total loss of 56 since January. Holy moly, is it true?? It seems so weird. I really can't see much of a difference, but my jeans sure show it.. I'm in a (kind of tight) 14 now, down from a 22 in January?!

The induction has really helped give me the kick in the butt that I've needed. Carbs are my worst enemy, and I really think that was part of my emotional "funk".. I was drinking slushies, eating potatoes, Pasta, and bread like they were going out of style. I've always tried to keep my carbs to a minimum, but I let them get the best of me over the last few weeks. Carbs totally throw me out of whack and have me craving all the bad stuff.

So there it is. Things are going well, and I am feeling lots better already. I just need to keep on keepin' on. I know I can do it:) Hope all is well with you!

~Kerri

Congrats Rhonda! What an achievement! You'll be there in no time:)

And...

Wow, Fenton will surely have a head swelling moment when he sees all the withdrawals he's caused!

Hi everyone!

Rhonda - 100 pounds in a year, that is awesome! I think you are doing just great. It sounds like you are at a good spot with your restriction also. I look forward to the day when you reach 100.

Special K - maybe this is the on! I love the Protein drinks with pb. It is the treat I allow myself once I am on liquids again. Yikes on the brats! Sometimes we try and still get a little sidetracked!

Still too stinking hot for me to go outside and take a walk. On the good side, I don't feel like eating much either!

How is everyone doing?

3 more pounds till I hit the 100 pounds loss. I started around July or August of last year to lose weight. I lost 55 before surgery and so far 42 since. Was banded March 17

You can do it!!!! How impressive, soon to be 100 pounds gone forever!!!!

OK fellow shamrockers... I had a mental thing go on these past few weeks, and I am going to share... It will probably be lengthy and I apologize ahead of time.

As I posted before, I went on vacation to Gatlinburg and had a fantastic time. However I made some really poor choices for food pretty much the entire time we were gone. When I came back, I went to the gym and had gained 4 pounds!!! I felt like a complete failure, and I was beating myself up ever since.

I did get back on track, making better choices and back into the gym 1hr of cardio, etc.etc.etc. I couldn't bring myself to get back on the scale, and I have spent the last 2 weeks pissed off at myself for being weak and starting to fail again... just like every other diet I ever did...I even called the doctors office and told them ahead of time I will need an adjustment and wanted to know if they could arrange it at that time. (My DR makes me see him once a month for the first year-studies show better compliance with monthly follow-ups) I wanted them to know ahead of time I wasn't doing well this past month.

I had my doctors appt today and when I weighed in I had lost 5 pounds since last month. I am very happy with that...don't get me wrong, but I was just so sure I screwed up again...I was really not in a good place mentally!!!!

I wanted to share this with all of you so hopefully you won't torture yourselves over a bad week or two. I wonder if I don't trust the band as much as I should. Even though I had poor choices, I ate much less than I would've ever been able to limit myself to before the band. If this would have been 2 years ago on WW, I would be up even more weight by now and really spinning out of control with the food choices.

This Lap Band Does Work!!!!!!!!

It's great to see everyone doing so well. I have to admit I have an ice-cream addiction. The first step to recovery is admitting the problem, so there it is.

This week I've been doing vry well with excersize. I have been on the treadmill each morning. I am down 2 more pounds and have been doing weel with the eating except the ice-cream business. I will not have anymore, because apparently I can't just eat a little bit of it.

I have an appt with my MD tomorrow, but my DH had to go the California, his mom fell into a coma yesterday and is not doing well. So I may have to reschedule in order to be home with my kids after work.

Rhonda....WAY TO GO!!!!!!!

Keri and Tess, isn't it nice to see the numbers going down even when we are being so hard on ourselves.

Christine