Hi Everyone!

I got on the scale this morning and saw I dropped another 3 pounds. I had to check three times to be sure. I have lost a total of -55 in 3 1/2 months!! Woohoo! I do not have anything in my closet that fits anymore, but I found a pair of pants that I bought 10 years ago in Holland and they fit!. THis is the smallest I have been in at least 8 years. Went from a 28 to a 24 pants/22 shirt. Isn't the band the coolest invention in the universe? Well, it is to me.....

Babs in TX

334/279/180

6/23/03

Babs, that's so cool!!

What a miracle this little band of silicone is. Yahoooo!!!

Babs-

What a great weight loss. You should be sooo proud. I know that all of us lose at different rates/speeds and have different fill amounts. But I'm curious. What's your fill, and what do you eat on an average day?

Lori in PA

7/9/03

239/215/125

Lori,

I drink about 70-80 oz of Water a day. I recently upped it from 45-50. This seems to help a lot with the weight loss. My fill level is 1.75 CC. That was my second fill. The first was 1.00 and did nothing for me. I work out at the gym 3x a week, sometimes 4 if I am really ambitious. I eat twice a day and one snack in early evening. I can eat about 5-6 oz of food, sometimes more if I sit too long at the table. I have never PB'ed or vomited, but chicken seems to be the hardest thing for me to eat, so I eat it very slowly.

Breakfast: coffee with cream and a splenda

Mid morning : 32 oz of water

Lunch: Small Low carb tortilla with either tuna,chicken, or eggs with some lettuce tomato and some grated cheese and some kind of sauce like 2TB of garlic sauce or salsa to help with digesting.

Mid afternoon: 1 Fruit2O flavored water with no carbs, sugar or calories. Sometimes I will have 2 oz of cottage cheese

Dinner: 4-5 oz of fish, chicken or beef with salad, cheese or a vegetable like endive, mushroom, broccoli or asparagus.

Sometimes I will make a stir fry with pieces of beef, water chestnuts, sprouts, mushrooms, pepper and onions, broccoli.

After dinner: Another 32 oz of water along with my snack

Snack: Le Carb ice cream 4 oz, has only 120 calories, or an Atkins chocolate bar, or Jello or low carb pudding

Last night I had 2 oz of salmon with 8 small Shrimp (*Scampi) and a small salad with feta and cucumber and 1/4 of a low carb tortilla with two tablespoons of guacamole.

Once or twice a month, I go out for my cheat night with my husband where I let myself have Pasta, rice or some other high carb treat. I think you have to do this to feel good about yourself and enjoy once in a while.

Babs in

TX

334/279/180

6/23/03

You are clearly motivated and following thru with all the things that we all need to do (me included) to make this work. We all have to remember (especially me) that the band is just a tool. One spoke in the wheel!

Thanks for the info. Clearly the first thing I need to do is drink more water!

Lori in PA

Wow - what an achievement Babs, I am so happy for you! And I'm so inspired! Thanks for sharing your band-life plan - really appreciate it....... Can I ask what kind of exercise you do? I have gym membership lined up to start in january, which will give me 8 weeks to get over the surgery & christmas (during this time I plan to go to water aerobics which I think will be gentle enough yet yield results in this period of liquids and mushy food!) What do you (or anyone else out there!) recommend for someone of my weight (308lbs) to start with that won't kill me!!!!

thanks Babs - and Well Done again!!! :banana

Bright,

You have picked the two forms of exercise that will make you lose faster without making youself sick or hurting yourself. I have a swimming pool, so I swim in the summer and do Water aerobics when it is warm. I also do the 3x a week at the gym. I started 3 1/2 weeks afte surgery. My workout is a cardio workout, I go to a franchise gym for women called Curves. I know you probably dont have these in Ireland. It is a combination of cardio step aerobics and equipment combined in a 25 minute workout and 5 minutes of stretching. I started 26 pounds heavier than you, so if I can do it, so can you. It is easy, I do not sweat too much, just a little and I can do it at lunchtime and go back to work. Now the winter is coming, I will have to find something other than the water aerobics to fill in the gap. I am thinking of buying elliptical and having it upstairs inmy game room so I can watch tv and ski/walk/cycle at the same time. They are expensive, so my husband and I are researching the best one for us.

Babs

-55 and counting

6/23/03

thanks Babs, that sounds realistic and do-able!

I must ask at the gym my husband has booked me into - I presume they will have personal trainers and I can see if they will customise a Curves type workout for me! I used to love the cross trainer (elliptical) - I think they're brilliant, low impact but great for arms and legs AND butt! And thanks for the water aerobics advice - I wasn't sure if it was the best thing or not - do the scars/wounds heal up pretty quick?

Still unreasonably nervous about the surgery but feeling better now that I have a plan!!

thanks a mil

keep in touch! take care

Congrats on your great progress. I agree with you that it's important to have an occasional treat to stay sane if you are trying to make a lifelong change in eating habits. Thankfully the band lets us have an occasional indulgence without totally losing control.