jhawkchick75

B: Apple juice L: Beef ravioli and chips and salsa S: Lots of vodka and cranberry - St. Pats day festivities D: Applebees fettucini alfredo w/ shrimp S: More vodka and cranberry (you get the idea!) Calories so far: Not sure due to the drinks Exercise: Ran in the St Pats Day Run - 5 miles! Plus walked about 2-3 miles at the festivities there

B: 1 small sugar cookie (bad!!) L: Chips and salsa, baked potato soup and a little bit of salad D: Turkey w/ light miracle whip and tortillia chips S: Glass of white wine Calories so far: 1,000

It's been a long time coming but I finally have another NSV!! This weekend I ran in the St. Patrick's Day run in Saint Louis. It was a 5 mile run and I did it w/o stopping and actually bettered my time from the 4 mile run I did in Sept. Legs are a little sore today, but otherwise feel great! As we ran we talked about all i've been through and laughed that a year or two ago this wouldn't have even been a thought for me. I used to joke the only way i'd run is if someone was chasing me with a knife! We are also going to look into seeing if there are any runs this summer up north like in Milwaukee or Minneapolis where it won't be so hot. Hoping to find a 10k. This weather getting nicer is helping me get more motivated to work out and hopefully it will do the same for you all. I am so close to 70lbs lost I can taste it which will also put me in the 130's so i'm aiming for that in the next couple weeks. Hope you all had a great weekend!!

So glad to see you back!!! I know for me this board really keeps me in check so I don't care how long it's been I need to come in here. I see it's that time of year - our excitement of the new years resolution is wearing off and there are a lot of us that are starting to slack. I think the weather turning nice will give me some extra motivation to get back in gear. Lent is helping me since I gave up dairy by at least 80% and that is keeping me on task for the most part, but not as good as I should be on my working out. But getting an extra hour after work before it gets dark will help too. We can do it!!!!!

Totally agree on the solid foods - with the cottage cheese and peaches you are not utilizing your band and are eating slider foods. For me, I stay full longest when I do protein - tuna and cubed ham are the best for me. I also utilize the fiber choice tablets in the afternoon when I get hungry. I know you and your mom aren't around each other a lot, but you can still keep each other accountable and keep up on each other. I have a friend that is an hour from me and we email each other each week and talk about what workouts we did and how we did each week. Also, journaling each day on this board also helps to keep me accountable. The only other thing I can say is just to go back and try to act like you are on your first day of solids. Get back to basics and start all over. That really helps me get motivated. Like my doctor told me, the band does 30% of the work and the rest is up to us. It's tough, but you can do it!!! Keep your chin up!!!

I never felt unsafe there and would do it all over again! The only thing I did not like was going to Revolution Ave. They harassed you to buy stuff and I was just not having it. I was in more pain that most people describe and I snapped on a guy that would not leave me alone and told him his sunglasses were ugly and I didn't want any! I would have just chilled @ the hotel and I also would have taken a heating pad. I had no issues our trip across the border was super easy. OCC had plenty of English speaking TV stations but the hotel only had like 2 or 3 so had to watch a Sunset Tan marathon. But it was fun watching my Notre Dame Fighting Irish football in Spanish!

Hi there! You know most of the time my hunger is in check as long as i'm eating the right things. When I have my food I try to do mostly protein first. So for instance at lunch I try to eat mostly the lunchmeat first then if i'm still hungry I start on the carrots or applesauce then the chips. That helps a ton! Now i'm not gonna lie some days I feel like an open pit and could eat anything, but those aren't all the time luckily. I also have issues with head hunger and you all would laugh if you could hear me. I seriously have an out loud conversation with myself asking self...are you really hungry or do you think you are? I had a horrible habit of eating in the car so now when i'm driving my head hunger gets really bad. Perfect example was tonight I got off work at 10 and I thought I was hungry and wanted Taco Bell - even drove there and was sitting in the drive through and had the conversation with myself. Told myself to go home and if I was still hungry when I got there that I could have something. So when i got home I realized I was not. It's such a mental thing! The biggest trick is after each fill figuring out what amount not only fills you up but keeps you full. It takes me about 2 weeks after a fill to figure that out. But I tell you protein is key! If I eat tuna for lunch I am full for hours! You just need to play w/ it and see what keeps you full. If I do get hungry it is usually around 3pm and I have benefiber tabs in my desk at work. I also have some baby carrots always in the fridge which help. For lent I cut my dairy intake by about 90 percent and that helped quite a bit too. Best of luck!

All my experience there was great! The only thing I can even come up with and it's really not that big of a deal is that I never heard from them once I left. But really if there were any issues I could have called them, but I guess a quick follow up email/phone call would have been nice. But they knew I had someone lined up at home for aftercare so not a big deal. I would recommend anyone there and was quite frankly cleaner and more efficient than many hospitals/drs offices i've been to in the US. My mom was in the medical profession for a very long time and is very picky and she still raves about it!

B: Chicken and potatoes L: Sliced ham w/ light miracle whip, chips and salsa w/ bean dip D: WW tuna noodle casserole (about 2/3 of it) and a few light club crackers S: 1 Vodka and light cranberry juice Calories so far: 1,000

Malley Surgical and Weight Loss Surgical Center will both see you. If you go to Malley call and schedule before you even have your surgery - they can take two months to get into for your first appt. Good luck!

Ugh Red Lobster how I miss the cheddar bay biscuits!!! At least I can still do the seafood fine. Sometimes I wish I lived in the middle of nowhere - nothing to distract me. When I eat at home i'm really good, but when I go out I don't make good decisions.

Congrats!!!! You have done a great job and it is great to see you on here again!!!! I love to hear from folks that have been banded longer than me to hear how they are doing!!!

I do, but I had those issues before so i'm not much help. I try all kinds of stuff but so far nothing has worked.

So glad you are doing OK!!! Can't wait to hear all about it!!!

Today has been a bad one but posting anyway. I feel like i'm being run ragged and the day was so nice I just had to get some ice cream! Failed on my lent give up, but i'm getting right back on track. B: V8 Vusion S: 5 light crackers L: Sliced ham dipped in light miracle whip, tortillia chips dipped in bean dip. S: 1/2 sonic blast - m&m's no whipped cream D: WW salisbury steak and some chips and dip Calories so far: 1,000 Exercise: Got about 1 hr of water aerobics in

That is sooo awesome!! I have a friend that after talking to me about it is going through the pre op stuff right now and another one that is going to look into her insurance on it! I love being able to talk to others about it and I can't wait to see them do well!

Only down .2 this week - slowly inching my way there. Been having some issues in the bathroom dept so that doesn't help. My goal was to be in the 130s by St. Pats Day. Not sure I will hit that but i'll keep trying! About 2 1/2 lbs to go!

Angie, you sound exactly where I am right now! My tighness is hit and miss, but I don't feel like i'm where others are. However my fill nurse is really ancy to give me any more she was really freaky about what she gave me last time and kept telling me to call her ASAP if I was too full but I haven't ever felt that way. I'm also right down to the end so I think that even with the exercise I still need just a tad more, but I worry about being too tight I never want to be there.

B: Kashi cinna raisin crunch cereal (dry) L: Cubed ham, carrots and tortillia chips and bean dip D: Chicken, green beans and potatoes - was so busy at work though barely got to touch it and ended up throwing it away. S: Beef and bean burrito Calories so far: 1,100

So glad you brought this up! I have been pondering a slight fill but I really need to try to focus on more filling foods first and see if that will help. I do eat more than I should, but if I would focus on the type of foods i'm eating I think i'll be OK. Glad you got it taken care of!!!

I know right! I was all set to go on a run tonight but i've been asked to stay late at work. Booo! Means I can't do my workout like I planned (have another appt @ 7) but I might have to do a quick workout through a DVD I have and then open a bottle!

B: Kashi cinna raisin crunch cereal (dry) L: Cubed ham & carrots w/ light ranch S: Campbells soup at hand chicken noodle and a few light club crackers D: About 5 medium sized shrimp marinated in a Ms. Dash thingie. Very good! Also had a few bites of leftover corn. Was bad and had a few bites of chips and dip too. Calories so far: 950

Love it! Definitely a time to get really creative! I am hitting up Trader Joe's this weekend when I go out of town to visit friends. Gonna see what fun things I can come up with, but I mostly go to hit up the wine section! I try to avoid liquids a lot since i'm farther along, but for those times I get tight it's nice to have some options. Great job encouraging them along! I remember being in that stage it sucks! But if I could do it anyone can!

Exciting stuff!!! Totally understand on the pics. I have some I took a while back so I could see if my workouts are working on my arms and it makes me sick to look at them. I am at that point where not much else is coming off w/o PS, but I am beyond broke and can't ask my family for any more loaners so i'm just gonna have to deal. Can't wait to hear how it goes!!

B: None, had a little too much fun Sat night and slept in. S: Chips and dip L: hamburger and fries - got only a few bites in and was full. D: beef and bean burrito S: wine Calories: 900