Okay so we have been having a hard time and the thought has crossed many minds wondering if we are a dying breed. I say no way! I need you all, and I need to keep chatting away if I'm going to get anywhere near that finish line.

In one of the threads here it was suggested by another that we just create one master thread where we can communicate. Make it easier to stay in touch, and is something many of the other monthly groups do to stay in touch.

I know for me that is really important, and something we have never done before.

Please don't leave guys... check in! It doesn't even always have to be about losing weight or whatever. Just tell us all what's going on, whatever it is.

Morning everyone!

Not a lot posted this weekend, so I am guessing everyone was outside having fun...that's what the summer is for!

As for me, it was raining again (:cursing:) and so no playing in the dirt. My brother arrived with boxes and boxes of books that my aunt decided I should have. So I spent hours sorting and skimming them. What a collection: from Colin Powell biography, to her elementary school latin books, to Heidi (guesstimate 1930's edition), mysteries, the history of buddhism, etc. She certainly is a well-read woman! Lots of interesting things in them: one book had on the flyleaf a notice that due to war-time rationing, the cover was made from a new paper product rather than the usual leather. Other books had the photo plates that old books used to have, rather than the photographs on the printed pages (anyone know what I mean?).

On the weight front - I'm very disappointed in myself. According to the scales I use MONTHLY, I have gained 3 pounds. ARGHHHH!!! And I know why - the lure of peanuts and the newfound addiction to All-Bran cereal bars. So, once again, I have to go 'cold turkey' on these things. I just CANNOT have nuts in the house. The cereal bars have become my snack of choice (trying to avoid the higher fat cheese - my usual snack). They have 130 calories, and I rarely stop at 1. So, no more.

Now on to the postings:

whenever) any items remaining will be free.

I saw 188 on the scale this morning! :thumbup:

That makes my loss so far 115 pounds. Now if I can just keep it down here and not end up back in the 190s.

Yeah on the scale number!!! Way to go!

13.1 miles in a half :tt2:

Now that's just SICK!

I was doing the right thing all along! hehe. :skep:

sounds like you are getting things well organized. Shiny had some great ideas.

Lori,

I also made cinnamon rolls and let my girls sell them for $1 each at a snack table. One guy bought ten of them. They sold chocolate milk for 75 cents a cup too. We made about 25-30 dollars on that table. Not bad and it gave them something to do.

Another excellent idea - how many cinnamon rolls did you have made? I'd probably do them plus maybe some date squares or something quick and easy with minimal mess.

Anyway, I really have to get to work now. OK ladies, time to check in....

Hi guys. Sounds like everyone is busy, busy, busy. Yay! Active lives sound so much better now. I remember when my ideal was to lie on the bed and watch movies or sit in front of my computer. I still do both of those but much less often and my activities are so much more varied. Remember where we were 1 and 1/2 years ago? Hard to believe how different I am now. I may have put some weight back on but I look at life so differently now. I think about health so much of the time, try to remain active and exercising, am aware of what is in the things I put in my mouth and have a good idea of the calorie, protein, carb and fat counts. I look at life as a much broader and more open way. The world is full of opportunities and things to do, places to go, people to meet. Holy crap, I'm me again! Well, almost. The head is there but the body still needs some work. This was a very enlightening post for me. Didn't even know what I was gonna say and it just spewed out. LOL Are you guys feeling the same way?

By the way, I'm feeling really pampered right now. I can hear the women cleaning my house while I sit here and eat grapes and hummus. Just need a pool boy and another to fan me and feed me the grapes. :crying:

Ezma,

Your post made me smile. So much insight. And I'm glad to hear you're pampering yourself.

Tap,

I made 5.5 dozen rolls, and didn't come close to selling them all.

I went to the pool with the family today. I had a peaceful moment of floating on my back and looking at the clouds and being so grateful to have lost weight. Sometimes I almost want to cry I am so happy to not be obese anymore. Has it really been almost a year and a half? Wow. I am a new person and I love it!

I'm the same way. When I think about how far I've come, I actually DO cry. From 100lbs overweight to running EIGHT MILES. Like.. wow. Ya know?

My new mantra is: You don't know what you are capable of until you try.

Remember where we were 1 and 1/2 years ago? Hard to believe how different I am now.

What a great post! It is true Ezma. Life is very different for me now. Although I have yet to embrace being active (other than gardening and cleaning) I feel better about me.

I went to the pool with the family today. I had a peaceful moment of floating on my back and looking at the clouds and being so grateful to have lost weight. I am a new person and I love it!

That sounds wonderful - both the time in the pool and the appreciation of your new you!

I'm the same way. When I think about how far I've come, I actually DO cry. From 100lbs overweight to running EIGHT MILES. Like.. wow. Ya know?

My new mantra is: You don't know what you are capable of until you try.

Absolutely!!!

Way to go ladies and congratulations to all of us - whether we have reached our goal yet or not!

I just wanted to say a quick good morning to you all. I'm off to walk with my parents and then my grandma is coming over to spend the day with me and my son. She's visiting for a month from Florida and it's so great to have time with her. Hope I'm still as healthy and active as she is at 91. She just started slowing down a bit in the last year. Now that's some inspiration. Have a great day!

I also made cinnamon rolls and let my girls sell them for $1 each at a snack table. One guy bought ten of them. They sold chocolate milk for 75 cents a cup too. We made about 25-30 dollars on that table. Not bad and it gave them something to do.

That's a great idea SHM, I appreciate all your help and suggestions. I spent most of the day today making signs, plus we have an ad in the paper (starting on Thursday), so I hope we did enough advertising. I'm looking forward to it! I think having a bake sale as part of it would be fun, as long as I don't eat any of it - which I probably would, lol.

I'm not feeling great lately. Tap, you're not alone, I've gained weight too. But I've gained a lot more. I don't know why I get so close to my goal, then blow it and gain back. This up and down is getting to me. I have to see my surgeon tomorrow, and this is the first time I've gained this much weight. The band isn't working for me right now. If my surgeon puts any fluid into it, I get heartburn and reflux. I'm starting to feel like this has all been another big diet, and everything I've lost is gonna come back. I am scared I'm gonna fail once again. It's why I went and had this stupid band, I need it. I just hope my doctor will have some words of wisdom tomorrow, instead of giving me a lecture.

Plus I know I've been emotional eating. My cat "Aesop" had to be put to sleep on Monday. My hubby and I have had him 18 years, the same number of years we've been married. I've never known a moment in this home without my kitty. It was his time, and I know it was the right thing to do - he was nothing but skin and bones, and suffering. I know it's silly, and some say it's "just a cat", but I've been so upset for the past few days, crying off and on. Then overeating - why do we turn to food for comfort? Would my doctor understand this was part of my weight gain? Somehow I doubt it. :w00t: Or am I just making excuses? :thumbup:

Ok, I'm rambling and venting here. Sorry girlfriends. I'm still gonna keep swimming, things are just moving very slowly right now. I hope I can get back into my grove of weight loss. I'm actually looking forward to the garage sale, maybe it will perk me up a bit.

I'm putting my ticker back to where my weight is truly at, I can't keep lying to myself. I hope I can get back where I was.

Talk to all again soon, hopfully I'll have more positive things to share.

((((warm hugs )))) to all

Lori,

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost a dear cat when I was 14. I think He was hit by a car Halloween night. I cried for a week. It can be very devastating to lose a loved pet. I have not really attached myself to any animals since then. Maybe someday I'll learn to love an animal again. Right now life is all about the kids.

I ate very poorly today. I ate like a fat person. I can't do that and stay thin. Tomorrow will be a better day. It has to be!

It seems like a lot of us are struggling with not losing or gaining at this point. I've said before that this is probably going to be a life long battle. I think we can win, though. I really do.

And now I have to drag my sorry butt to bed! My hubby is working overnight shift this week and it's so hard to make myself go to bed when he's not home. (Saying that makes me painfully aware of what you must be going through, Ezma. I'm so sorry. I hope things are getting a little easier.)

Talk to you all soon.

Oh Lori, I am so sorry for your loss! AS someone who has loved many cats and dogs, and had to have them put down at the end of their time, I know how you feel. And after each time, I swear no more animals- it's just too hard to go through. But, they sorta just end up in my life - 2 of the 3 cats I have now were found in my backyard. I must have an invisible flashing light on my house that says - lost or abandoned or abused pets welcome here. And so they come! Even after decades of having pets, I still miss the ones who have died; I don't regret the mercy in putting them down, but I still miss them!

My battle of the mind continues: last night, DH suggested bacon and tomato sandwiches for supper - something he had been craving. OK, says I, make mine without the bread. So, he did...and I ate almost the entire 1/2 pound pack of bacon by myself. I don't even LIKE bacon, and yet, once I started, I just didn't stop. I'm incredibly thirsty this morning, and was up during the night drinking water and my mouth feels all shrivelled...salt, and too much of it. But the question remains, why did I eat so much bacon?? I have restriction - there is no doubt about that normally. But for some reason, the bacon just slid through and I didn't do my part and stop eating it. Even DH commented that it is the most he has seen me eat since banding...and sadly, I could have continued eating more but it was all gone. an entire 1/2 pound package of the real bacon (not the low salt, trimmed stuff)...I'm sure I'll be paying for that meal for the next week!

Lori - make sure your signs are big...really big! Lots of signs I see get posted on poles but passing cars would NEVER be able to read them. Use bright colored paint and BIG letters. BIG BIG BIG.

Morning everyone!

Oh my dear VV's!! My are we struggling??? It's such a great heartache for all of us.

Lori, never feel like you are being silly because you lost your cat. I've been through that before - and I see it again on my horizon. My little buddy is getting up there, and is definitely slowing down lately. I try to ignore it, but in my heart I know it's looming. Probably not in the too near future I hope, but it's coming. Ugh, I even feel tears just thinking about it.

We have for the many of us been dealing with weight gain. I know for a fact now its much more common than many might think. So many have this false hope that once they have the band that they will lose weight "forever". Well I really try to stress that, that is a false hope. Not in a bad way, but to make sure they understand that no matter what you do - YOU HAVE TO DO THIS ON YOUR OWN. The band is not some magical wizard that is going to do this for you. It helps, sure - but its more like - 10% Band - 90% Willpower.

It still beats the 100% willpower though, no?

My vacation was super! I just re-charged and I feel great. Now I have to get back to getting up early again. I feel sleepy! Only got about 5 hours sleep!!

Anyway, back to what I was mentioning... I am seriously going to get back my weight loss mojo. I am going to be super strick for the month of August. I'm only going to have my 3 square meals - and my lunch and dinner will be strictly portion controlled. My only Snacks allowed are fruit or beef jerkey. No sliders, ie yogurt or whatever. I need to eat things that I know wont leave me hungry again too soon.

Good luck and as always - KEEP SWIMMING!! This truly is a life long battle. The good thing is there is no limit on how many times we can try again. :biggrin:

Lil Miss is back - yay! Glad your holiday was a good one; now, get that weight loss mojo!

Yesterday was a better one - no over-indulgences. More calories then I needed, but way better than scarfing down 1/2 pound of bacon!

Wish I could get the physical activity thrill that you all do; I guess I am and will always be a blob...I just have to force myself to do things 4X a week for the rest of my life. sigh. Oh well, better that then obese.

Hope everyone is still swimming.

Good morning everyone. Doing okay here. Fighting the cookie demon still. It seems I am not able to even enter the Frys grocery store without giving in to the cookie temptation. At least I only buy 1 pack now and I don't go to that grocery store very often. I'm glad I'm not gaining but I sure would like to go to the doctor and lose some for a change.

Anyone have exciting plans for the weekend. Lori's garage sale made me wonder what you all are doing. :juggle:

I'm traveling to Utah for a family reunion. We'll be gone about a week. I'm going with my sister and her 6 boys. She will come pick me up and we'll travel together. It should be really fun. Hubby has to work, so he can't come.

I'm also taking both of our families to the county fair which starts on Saturday. It's fun to be able to ride the rides if I want to without worrying about whether I will fit or not.

Have fun Melissa!

BTW, OMG you are only 28 Lbs from goal. That is so fantastic!

Oh... and my weekend? Not much to report.

I'm going to Walmart tonight to buy an elliptical machine. I need to do some changes to my workout to get back into it. I think I just staled and it wasn't fun anymore. So... I'm spending my weeking putting it together and playing on it. Of course can't forget the Farm Town now!!

I posted this in another thread but I bought some Skechers Shape-Ups shoes. They are freakin awesome shoes, no lie! I did one mile in them and felt like I would after doing 3 in normal athletic shoes. I will always love them! Can you hear the tune playing in your head?

LOL