Okay gang, I need some inspiration and I know all of you do as well. LBT is such a great place for support, accountability and fresh new thinking. So what new habit is helping you? Is it a habit to add or avoid? Post it here and let us know how it's working. Are you giving up chocolate for a week? Are you adding in a mile on the treadmill 3 days a week for a month? Are you taking a walk everyday after work? Are you refusing to allow chips into your home for 2 weeks? Anything! What is it and how will it help you?

Okay, I'll go first. I started this one this morning.

I got up and got dressed then went into the kitchen and cranked up the CD player. This weekend I had raided my sister's CD collection and rumaged up a few "Best Of" collections...Dazz Band, Kool and the Gang, 70's Funk, and Barry White. Oh yeah baby!

So I started my day dancing around the kitchen to the Dazz Band...Let it Whip, Joystick, Swoop (I'm Yours). 3 great booty-shaking songs from my teen years. My 2yo was looking at me funny at first, but by the time Joystick came on, he was shakin' his little booty, too!! I figure a little sheen of sweat on my upper lip first thing in the morning will help bust my new 199 pound plateau (3 weeks now!!! augghhh!) It was very "Ellen-esque" but you won't find me boogying on national TV. Some moves were NOT meant for viewing! But it was fun.

Then came Barry White. "Can't get enough of your love, babe" That's when I got out my little exercise cards. I got them out of an Oprah magazine last year, and even got 3 sets of hand weights for Christmas this past year that haven't really been put to good use yet. So I grab my 5 pounders and do the monday exercises on the card. 4 sets of 12 each of chest presses and shoulder pulls. It was quick!!! With the right music, anything is more fun and a bit easier. It took the time of a few songs to do, not too bad!

This is one habit I'm hoping will last. I'm sure I'll need to change up the music occasionally, but whatever gets the blood pumping for a few minutes will help.

What are you doing? or not doing?

Not sure exactly what you are looking for Kathy.

I find that following the Bandster Guides really helps me with my weight loss. But those are all physical, and I am convinced that a majority of this journey is about fixing our heads as well as our bodies, right? I mean, we have tons of people who have lost tons on diets, but it always comes back with a vengence. Why? Why does it come back? Because our head, for what ever reason, needs us to be fat. Not in every case surely, but in many cases. Look at the trouble of Body Dysmorphia--when we are fat in the head, we are fat in the body. Our minds will work very hard to make our reality real.

Right now, I feel like I am a slow looser. I know that according to some I'm a zoomer, while compaired to others I'm practicly standing still. But I try to not compair my journy to any other's. Of course, I do, but I try not to.

One of the thing I am trying do is to change the picture I have of me. Change my mind's picture. I have a pix of when Spud was a baby. Of course I thought I was gi-normous, but looking at the pix, I can now see that I wasn't. I know that I will never look exactly like that, I'll never look that young, but I figure I can get that pointy chin again.

One of the other things I'm doing is teaching myself to draw. It keeps my hands and my mind occupied. When I have a real bad snack attack I try to pick up one of my sketch books and my pencil pod. If I'm engaged in something else, I don't/won't think about food.

That's EXACTLY the stuff that inspires me! Thanks! Right now I have some fat pics hanging on the side of the fridge of me. I'm going to switch them out with some more pleasant pics of me and use them for inspiration! Change my head about me. I might even put them on the front of the fridge! Hey, I had a skinny dream the other night! I figure that's a step in the right direction.

Now, drawing is not my thang. But that idea is in my head now, and maybe I'll be able to come up with a good hand and mind occupying thing to do...housework? Nah...

GIRL! you have waaaay too much energy this morning.

I just thought about this one. And the only thing that came to my mind has NOTHING to do with my physical self, but has to do with my inner self......

so, my new habit that I will strive to do for 1 full week is NOT hollar at my kids and hug each kid 3 x's a day. Thats 9 hugs a day for me and NO sore thoat.

And Ill even throw in a little something for Mike *wink wink* .

Hi Kathy

Thought I should respond to you're thread as you've always been very helpful If I've had any problems in the past.

For me it has been increased physical activity, I walk every day twice a day for about 45 minutes (I look after dogs so I always have lots of company), I also have worked out my own little exercise plan that I do in the mornings. I have to say If I had not lost my weight I would not have had the energy to exercise, that for me is a really big plus. I do agree that we need to sort our heads out, I am finding that now I have lost 56 pounds all of a sudden people are starting to notice, I find it very hard to accept compliments and still feel as big as ever, does that change after a while?? One of the bad habbits I need to break is I still find myself snacking in the evening, not on anything too wicked but I still wish I did'nt do it.

Vinesqueen,

May I ask for some additional info on what you wrote above? What and where is the 'bandsters guide?' I'm new to the board, and newly banded - one week ago today. I'm feeling very discouraged as thus far I've only experienced soreness (still) and NO weight loss. Is there an area of this website that chronicles what to expect and when after being banded? Thanks to all who reply.

And Ill even throw in a little something for Mike *wink wink* .

Oh yeah! Keep him happy, Girl! AND burn some calories!!

Paula, I hollared at the kids this morning and thought of you...so I stopped! Changed my attitude, much better. Thanks!!!!!

Vinesqueen,

May I ask for some additional info on what you wrote above? What and where is the 'bandsters guide?' I'm new to the board, and newly banded - one week ago today. I'm feeling very discouraged as thus far I've only experienced soreness (still) and NO weight loss. Is there an area of this website that chronicles what to expect and when after being banded? Thanks to all who reply.

The basic guides are:

1. eat your solid protien fisrt, then your veggies, then your less complex carbs if room, about a cup of food, more or less.

2. chew the heck out of everything

3. Drink about 60ish oz of Water everyday.

4. don't drink with meals, or for 30-60 minutes after meals (it will wash out the food from our pouch so we will be hungry sooner.)

5. avoid caloric beverages

6. excersize! Get active and get moving, get your groove thing on!

7. get enough sleep!

Welcome to Bandlandia, and you've only been banded ONE week! Give it time! and be kind to yourself!

Kathy burn that fat pix! Burn it, Destroy it! That fat pix is one of the things holding you back. You see that pix, you internalize it. You say, man, I really am that fat. That becomes your image of you. Do you really think you can fight easily against that???

Put up a thin pix! If you don't have a pix of you near your goal, find someone who looks like what you want to achieve, and paste your head on that body!!!!!

I do agree that we need to sort our heads out, I am finding that now I have lost 56 pounds all of a sudden people are starting to notice, I find it very hard to accept compliments and still feel as big as ever, does that change after a while?? One of the bad habbits I need to break is I still find myself snacking in the evening, not on anything too wicked but I still wish I did'nt do it.

Here's some practice. I think you are nice and smart. There. Now, say thank you and smile!!! Practice that accepting compliments.. Now, if you will just post your picture, we can ALL tell you how pretty you are!!!! Wouldn't that be wild?! I don't think you should be concerned about non-wicked Snacks. Make a deal to only eat half of what you want. You get your snack, and less of it! Deal!

Okay Crystal...I did it! I took the fat pics down, tucked them away (okay, I didn't burn them but I need a reminder of how far I have come!) and I hung up a cute skinny pic of me I like. On the FRONT of the Fridge!!

Okay, ya'll got me going now. I'm not hollaring at my kids, I'm dancing and doing a few weights in the mornings, I'm looking at skinny pics now. That's enough for now.

But keep posting inspiration folks!

Kathy

You always bring a smile to my face. More good advice. You all keep me going.

thankyou thankyou thankyou

Gaynor

Kathy - The thing I do is make sure I get exercise in every day. It makes me feel so much better. My scale stands still all the time, but yesterday I noticed that I am gaining a lot of muscle. My body is starting to tone up in a lot of places, and I can do a lot more things that I couldn't do before I started the exercising.