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

Chica, thanks for the reply. I usually try to drink a protein shake for lunch while at work. My problem is while eating everything within reach, I have not excercised in awhile and have fallen back into my old routine of coming home to tired to go out and walk. Now since the weather has changed, it is dark when I get home, dark when I leave for work, and I am too lazy to get onto the treadmill.

Busy, it's hard. It is not easy. I did not expect it to be nearly this hard. I hope you find some peace in your life soon. Until then, maybe a fill small would help. My band is what keeps me from turning to carbs. My trouble with gastritis is what keeps me from chocolate and an oreo would put me in pain for 2-3 days. I would not recommend it to anyone.

Maybe a fill would put you back in control. If that is not possible, I hope you can just hold steady at least until the stress clears. (Does that ever really happen?)

Here's a (((hug)))...sorry things ae so stressful.

Christine

Chica, I know what you mean about that fine line between too full and full enough. My band fluctuates so much over time, I think it would be dangerous to get another fill. There are days I can eat anything...am hungry all day. Then other days just drinking Water is tough. To think until my unfill the beginning of Oct, I had 2 more cc's in my band.

I hope you find some balance.

Christine

Hi Shamrocks!

Long time no chat......mosty a bad sign for me!

Christine - I am so very glad you are reaching out. Sometimes that is the best thing to do. I will keep you in my prayers.

Teri - How awesome! one underland is the best place to be. And to buy size 16 jeans.....what a great thing.

I always laugh at the size thing. Right now I have clothes that mostly fit (some are a little loose) in three different sizes! But, it would be nice to be in a teen size. Right now I wear 20, 22, 24. Not bad, but I still have a ways to go.

I did struggle some in the last month or so. I actually have an appointment with my doctor at 4. I plan on getting a small fill. I am scared though. Not of the fill, but the scale. I don't remember my last weight at the doctor's office and am afraid I may have actually gained some weight in the past 6 weeks. Yikes!

I just have to keep reminding myself that the band is only a tool. Only I can make the correct choices to loose more weight. I'd like to loose 60 pounds by my one year anniversary. That is really only about 20 pounds. I figure it is a realistic goal.

Anyway, the new look is interesting. I haven't had the time to see if anything really has changed or if it is just new colors!

Thanks for all the kind words everyone has left me in regards to reaching Onederland. I'm holding steady at just under 200 at 197.8. I've found if I don't get at least 48 oz of water per day I tend to retain fluid so it's been a struggle to keep under the 200 mark, but I'm working on it. I'd feel a lot better if I could get down another pound or two to give me some cushion, but it's slow getting there. I too seem to be struggling with wanting to eat everything in sight, but the last few days I've been trying to get a handle on it and haven't done too bad. We have dinner theater tonite, so that will be a challenge, but I'm sure I'll be fine, they always have salad and some kind of chicken and a variety of vegetables. I still have enough restriction that I shouldn't be able to overeat, thankfully. Talk to you all later, hang in there.

All, thanks for the understanding words and support. My major stress will go away the 1st week of December and then we will see if I can find other stress to replace it:smile:, isn't that the way it usually goes. Things will calm down and I WILL get my head on straight. Time to get positive and motivated. 1 yr band anniversary is March and I plan on being closer to 200 than I currently am. Maybe not lucky enought to be in onderland, but I can see the borders of wonderland and will get there one day. Keep up the good work all and keep positive! PA

Im feeling pretty good.

For the most part I have a handle on my eating. I've been experimenting with more 'color' on my plate. Veggies and fruit.

I just wish my husband didn't like nuts so much. I want the nuts out of the house!!! I could just munch away while reading a book all afternoon.

Im working with a Health and Wellness Coach. Trying to get to the root of some of my unhealthy issues. Like why I regained every time I have dieted in the past. Setting some goals for diet and exercise. Learning to Love and Accept myself. Learning I am worth the hard work and the resulting 'body of my dreams'. It could be all a bunch of gobbley-gook but I want to give myself the best chance for success. I'm focusing alot of time, energy and $$ on this effort (the band and all).

I gave yoga another shot this morning. I'm glad I did it in my home. That sticky mat is, well sticky. I either had a wedgie or flashing a butt crack the whole time. I don't think I'm ready for a class yet.

Take care Shamrocks!! :thumbup: (((BIG HUGS)))

Amanda- I still see my life coach once a month. I think it is money well spent. I am hoping to go to an as needed basis after the first of the year. It has been over a year since I started seeing her and she is just a great source of support for me. I think I am finally settling into my band. Quite a few people at work noticed how much I've lost and are in awe so far. It feels good to get compliments and encouragement from co-workers. I had a few rough weeks but no weight gain (thank goodness).

Where the heck is Jonathan???? Shall we go to New York and hunt him down?

Amanda...great mental picture I have of you doing yoga! LOL! I tired it and found my boobs were suffocating me in many of the poses.

Christine

I had to laugh with you on the visuals of the yoga exercises!!!:thumbup:

I am going to start with a trainer in about a month. I have to finish PT for my knee first and get clearance. I am looking forward to getting my body toned and into better appreanace... I feel great and look great in clothes,....( I am not modest, lol), ut naked my body is a mess..

Another bad PBing incident yesterday...seems to happen more often lately, guess family stress is my issue..just gonna take it easy and have soft food for a few days to relieve and imflammation it may have caused.

Everyone looks to be doing great, and welcome to wonderland anyone who has made it lately..

FROM ACROSS THE SANDS OF TIME AND DISTANCE, I HEAR YOU TESS! The mere threat of being hunted down by the March Bandsters Posse is enough to get me posting!

That and the fact that, well, I think I'm back. And this time, I think, for good.

I have been misbehaving like all get-out for the last few months (I'd like to pause here and explain to you that I think I deserve brownie points for restraint - in language. I am, by nature, a fairly profane sonuvagun, and it's a huge effort to stop myself from filling my posts with bad language, the sort of language that would be offensive to all of you. Except for the New Yorkers, who'd probably feel relieved that people were finally using that language again.)

Anyway, yes, misbehavin' in deed, if not in word. I've done some damage, how much exactly I do not know, as I've avoided the scales. Which is, in fact, part of the problem - scales have a way of keeping me honest. If I'm not weighing, and I'm not posting, I'm in trouble.

But I had another fill yesterday, and suspect I'm there. My last fill, maybe 3 weeks ago, left me a bit tighter. I could still eat anything, but was having difficulties with doughy things. STILL, I manfully persisted, and ate the doughy things anyway.

But I know it's time to get back on the wagon; I've been swinging the lead for too long. So, yesterday I popped over and had another 1.5 cc stuck in my band, for a total of 6 cc. I'm pretty sure I have restriction now, REAL restriction. Fluids go down fine, but I can feel that they're surprised that it's not as easy to get down there as it was before. Part of that might be just standard "swelling" after a fill, but I'm pretty sure that I've got restriction. We shall see!

In fact, we shall see tomorrow: a friend is taking me to lunch at an ultrahot restaurant. But there's a problem: it's a set menu, maybe 8 small courses, and I'm not sure how I'm going to manage. I've not told her about my band, and I'd really rather not. I think what I'll do is say that I'm trying to lose weight, and just eat a taste of each plate.

Part of the problem for me is that so much of my social life is centered around food - for all of us, I'm sure, but particularly for me because of my background. When people want to hang out with me, they always say, "So when are we going to dinner?" And in restaurants, enough people know me that I often get special treatment - the other day, for example, the chef sent up an extra course that was still in development, looking for feedback. And I'll usually be sent free Desserts.

I obviously can't go on like that. I just have to figure out how to negotiate the transition from answering "Yes, let's go out to dinner! Where shall we go?" to "Hey, tell you what: let's go for a walk in Central Park instead of dinner."

So now that I'm approaching restriction, I have to figure out what to eat. My standard meal until my explosion of extravagant overeating was a 1/4 pound of a fairly dry chicken salad with a small chewy roll, but I don't think that'll fly any more.

And I'm spending December in Paris, and all I'll have to cook with will be a microwave; I'm not sure what I'lm going to eat there. I guess I could get a blender to make Protein shakes, but, while the French do have bananas, I wonder whether they have things like Protein powder and freeze-dried Peanut Butter. (The French are a peculiar people, starting out with the fact that as opposed to the British and the English, who take their medicine by swallowing it, the French believe that medicine should go in the other end.) I'm sure they won't have the peanut butter powder, but I'm sure they'll have protein.

Anyway.

So, what is everyone eating? In a typical day, what do you have? If anyone cares to post their sample menus, that would be v. interesting.

And if anyone has suggestions for microwave-oriented cooking, that'd be great, too. Although I admit that I am looking forward to feasting on steak tartare...

FINALLY. I'm sorry everyone's lives have been stressful - really, I think it's been a rough year for a lot of us. I'd bet that most - if not ALL - of us are emotional eaters, and that's a hard thing to beat. Amanda's life coach sounds like he/she'll pay off very well; learning to catch those behaviours before giving in to them seems to be the trick.

Motivation is a hard thing to sustain over a long run, isn't it? Sometimes a little bit of success can be the enemy of total triumph...

Here's what I ate yesterday still a little on the too much side buy hey I'm losing weight

Breakfast: southbeach Breakfast bar with 10g of proein

Lunch: about 3 oz of left over bbq country ribs and an apple

Dinner: homemade salisbury steak about 1/2 cup of meat, 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, and 1/4 cup peas

Bedtime snack: large apple

I also ate about 5 bugles and a tootsie roll pop during the day.

I had around 1000 calories for the day.

I eat anywhere from 800-1500 carories each day. I average around 55g of Protein a day.

Today I went into a craft store that I go in pretty often and one of the workers came up to me and asked if i had a sister. I looked at her sort of strange and then she said or have you lost a lot of weight. I told her I have lost 130 pounds.

I also went to check out curves today I go back tomorrow for a trial run. I think I'm going to join. I can join for 2 months for $99. They do have cheaper rates but I want to make sure I'm going to like it before i commit for longer than that. I have been walking about 4-5 evenings a week but now its cold and raining and snowing so need to think of more options.