Calling all April Bandsters!!!!

[Guest Leslie2Lose]

NeNe - I know you feel. I'm stuck too

I weighed in yesterday - up .5 - I gained three weeks ago too. I haven't had a loss in a month. I've yo-yo'd the same two pounds it seems like forever. I'm so frustrated. I need advice as well.

I'm going to try changing my diet up. I seem to get in a food rut. My exercise has been great though. I've started going in the mornings. Maybe that'll boost my metabolism? Maybe I'm doing too much and not eating enough? I think I need a change. This sucks though. I was really expecting the scales to move after three weeks of nothing...I guess they did move - just in the wrong direction.

[momof5 0]

NeNe-I found my sweet spot after 4 fills and it was like night and day...I would usually come home from fills and eat with no problem. Not after this one. For the first couple of days, I had to take things really slow. Even drinking gave me problems. I never threw up but did PB until I started really paying attention to eating and drinking.

Now I no longer eat 1 & 1/2 cups of food but eat only about 1/2 per meal. I do still get hungry and know that I haven't eaten enough Protein and up that when the feeling hits. Water still gives me issues. I have to drink either warm tea or coffee or thicker drinks, like juice (which I don't do often). But hang in there. I was going crazy till I found it, but it is a relief when you do and believe me, you'l know!

[momof5 0]

Leslie - I notice you said that you were worried you were maybe exercising too much and not eating enough...I've seen others say this as well. What is the thought behind this? I'm just wondering if that may be my issue as well.

[Guest Leslie2Lose]

The way it was explained to me is your body needs energy to burn fat and lose weight. We get "quick" energy from high Protein and high carb foods. I have been getting in 60 grams of protein a day (most days), but as much as I have been exercising I was told I need to be getting more than that. I need to increase my food intake to make up what my body is burning off (in both calories and protein). I have been cutting back on carbs lately too - still watching those in moderation. When you exercise more you have to eat more for your body to keep up. It goes into depravation mode if you don't. Does that make sense?

[momof5 0]

That's what I thought. Makes perfect sense. I have a trainer friend who said go for 80-90 grams Protein and stay around 1000 calories a day and things should be fine. That is what I have been going for. I hope that now that I am back to excercising regularly, I'll see the weight come off. But she also reminded me that fat may be coming off but muscle will be going on. So, go by how your clothes are fitting rather than making yourself crazy on the scale...a leaner, toned body with good muscle tone will weigh more but look better.

[Guest Leslie2Lose]

I know I'm burning fat. The scale at the doctors office two weeks ago said 44% BF - this week 42%. I know I'm putting muscle on too. Does it have to take six weeks for it to show on the scale? I'd like a little sychnorization please. :-) I know it'll take time - I'm getting smaller and am a lot more toned...I just have a scale obsession I need to get over. Sorry for my whining. LOL

[momof5 0]

Don't worry about your scale obsession...I have to weigh everyday:(

just to make sure I don't gain anymore....we'll get through it though!

[Bea1128 1]

Hey all! I have another suggestion to try to break the plateau. Many years ago, I lost almost 80 pounds. At the 50 pound mark, I hit a huge plateau. For months, nothing. So in order to change things up, I started eating my biggest meals early in the day. For example instead of having a light Breakfast and then regular meals at lunch and dinner, I would eat a bigger breakfast with a lot of Protein, regular meal at lunch and then just a smoothie or something very light at dinner. That did the trick. It felt weird at first especially since I wasn't eating what the family was, but we all got used to it. I just sat down with a glass instead of a plate. Anyway, that's my two cents. Good luck!!

[momof5 0]

Thanks Bea...I will give that a try this week!!! My husband loves big breakfasts so he'll be happy to have me eating one with him instead of drinking a Protein shake!

[Guest Leslie2Lose]

Bea - oh How I'd love to do that. I'm so tight in the mornings I have to drink coffee or something warm to loosen me up a bit (but not every morning - it fluctuates). Most mornings I can get in about 1/4 cup. I loosen as the day goes on. I'm going to start drinking a Protein Shake before working out every morning to help boost me. Maybe that'll help?

[Bea1128 1]

I hope you guys don't mind, but I need to vent a little. My hubby has had to be out of town a lot this summer and when it's all over he will have been gone for 4 weeks (two weeks gone, one week home, two weeks gone). Anyway, my life has been hell. Here's the story:

The first week he was gone my washing machine cratered and I had to go to the laundry mat for two weeks. Which is almost, IMHO, a fate worse than death. Then the second week he was gone the city's sewer line backed up in my house and ruined the carpet in my oldest DD's room. I had to move all of her furniture and rip up the carpeting myself. She is currently still sleeping on the couch or with me since there's no point in putting her room back together until the carpet is replaced. Now the carpet people tell me it'll be at least 3 more weeks! WTH?!? I'm going to have to at least put her bed back on the concrete slab because school starts in a week. That same week I also passed a kidney stone and broke a tooth!! I know, crazy!!

So we got a bunch of stuff taken care of the week DH was home, new washing machine, picked out the carpet, etc. Of course now I'm broke on top of it all. :thumbup:

So DH left again this past Sunday and on Wed night leaving church, my oldest DD fell all the way down a flight of stairs and broke her arm. She's 8. I had to drive to BFE today (okay, not really just a part of town that has really bad traffic) for her to be casted. She is now sporting a hot pink cast and I paid extra to make it waterproof. I figure my sanity was worth every penny. So at least she can swim and shower with no probs. And last night I had a bad Migraine from all the stress no doubt!!

So, we have a week left. I'm afraid to say the words, "what else can happen?". :sad: My youngest DD's b-day is tomorrow and I've been trying to get things done for her. We're waiting until hubby returns to have her party, but you know all the stuff you gotta do to get ready. I'm exhausted, stressed, and ready to just be done. I'm usually not a superstitious person, but I almost don't want to let my kids out of my sight. It seems that everything that has happened gets worse as the weeks progress. LOL! Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. Sorry this is so long, but I'm about to loose my mind!!!

[Bea1128 1]

Mom - I hope it works for you!! Keep us posted.

Leslie - I know, I wouldn't be able to do it either now that I'm banded. I have trouble getting anything but liquids down until about 1 p.m. And I can't even get anything but coffee down until 10 or 11 a.m. So, that really makes me a night eater out of necessity. What about lowering your refined carb intake? Supposedly, fluctuating your calorie intake from day to day also helps boost a plateau, but I really don't know how I feel about that. And of course our old stand-by, going back to liquids for a couple of days. I really don't like that idea either. Sorry, I couldn't be more help. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

[Guest Leslie2Lose]

I'd rather be drawn and quartered than have to go on liquid hell purposely for two days - LOL. I'm trying to alter some things. TOM hit today so I think that's why I'm so emotional and complaining. My last loss at all was TOM - so I'm crossing my fingers Thursday it'll do be the same.

Bea - Lots of Hugs being sent your way. Do you feel like a cloud is following you around? Break a mirror lately? - LOL Bad things usually come in threes (I'm really not superstitious), but it is strange that's how it works. Looks like you've had your three for a while.

Look at it this way - hey you have a new washing machine and I'm sure got to socialize with lots of fabulous people you'd never meet in a dark alley while at the cleaners. It could be worse - DD could have broken a leg - BAD when it is lower limbs. They want to be carried. My DD that is 8 weighs two tons...then again you could be working on upper body weight. DD may have had allergies to that old carpet - you may be saving a ton in medical bills (oops - got new ones with the cast). You could practice roller blading - I hear that is great exercise...maybe get a cast to match DD's :-)...she'd love that. For the tooth - sorry hun...want some pretty vaniers? For the migrane (truly sorry - I get those too) - personal alone time in the dark...hmmm.

Hopefully that cloud has a silver lining. Hang in there! Come and vent!

[momof5 0]

Bea-there must be something in the water!!! Over the last two weeks, I've had 4 out of 5 sick kids, lawn mower broke, ice maker in fridge broke, husband out of town, and found out the insulation in the unfinished basement is what's making kids so sick so they can't play down there until it's completed!!! We all need to take a mommy break and run for the hills!

Good luck with everything. Hope it all calms down.

By the way - tried to eat breakfast this morning. It was a joke...got down 1 bite of bacon and three bites of egg:( Back to liquids in the morning!

Have any of you had issues drinking Water? I can't drink it but in very small sips. I LOVE water but now I'm worried that I'll have to try drinking other stuff as to not get dehydrated and don't want the additional calories! Any suggestions?

[nurse7263 0]

Just checking in - now that I'm actually losing weight,I feel more like a bandster! :thumbup: Before I felt like I just was inching along...but woohoo watch me now!

So, tonight I have to work a 12 hour night shift, and I always end up getting off on my eating schedule when it changes nights/days. Tonight I'll be eating my dinner at about 3 a.m., and breakfast in the "morning", lunch around 5 p.m., you get the picture. Tonight is the first of three nights in a row! Yuck!

I find now that I am also scale obsessed! I guess I need to step on it at least once a day to keep myself in check. When it's the same weight as the day before, I know I just have to work harder. (My scale goes by .1's) Plus, it's always a little bonus knowing that I'm doing well.

Just as an added bonus - I just started doing Yoga Booty Ballet. For anyone who wants to switch up their toning routine - try it! I did it last year and was too out of shape to do it, now I feel like I'm actually doing something good for my body! It kicks my butt though, so I do the first two sections (cardio and yoga/ballet), and then lift weight for extra toning in my arms. I've been struck with a nasty upper respiratory infection/bronchitis this week, so I'm trying to stay off the treadmill, that is, unless I want to fall over dead from an asthma attack!

Bea; I hope things start looking up! The good news is that little kids arms' heal faster than older kids. Just make sure you check her fingers and circulation every six hours or so!

Off to work, all...wish me luck, I have a feeling it's going to be a crazy night!