Good Thursday Morning Everybody!

Good Morning Everybody! How is everyone today? I hope everyone's doing well. I'm doing pretty good. I've been working the "early bird" shift this week and today is the final day before having tomorrow off for my bi-weekly 3 day weekend...woohoo!! I'm on track with food/supplements/protein/water and yes, exercise! I've been going to the gym M-W-F and doing weights for an hour to hour and fifteen minutes and then doing 20-30 minutes of cardio. On the days I don't go to the gym, I do 35 minutes on my elliptical trainer at home. I'm not discouraged but I'm kind of puzzled by the fact that my scale is not moving at all. I feel more flexible and limber and I believe I'm losing inches around my abdomen/waist. Just puzzled as to why the scale isn't moving at all. I'm not eating junk and my caloric intake is maybe 1,200-1,500 per day. I'm going to start journaling again and try to nail down why it isn't moving. I'm guessing I'm eating too many carbs, we'll see. So what's up with everyone else? Anything new? Any plans for the weekend? I'm having a family dinner on Sunday for my Aunt's 80th Birthday. I'm making stuffed porkchops (not sure what's going with it, but probably a few veggies) and strawberry shortcake for dessert. I'll indulge and have a very small piece (3 bites) if the mood strikes. That's one thing I notice, stuff like that doesn't have a hold on me like it used to (for the most part). There was a time I could not turn down dessert/carbs and I would eat such huge portions. Now I can take or leave it most of the time. Most of the time I have 1 or 2 bites and I'm totally satisfied. It's a taste thing - all about the taste and enjoyment of food. I told myself when I had this surgery that it was a possibility I may not ever be able to eat some things again (although I had hoped to lose my excess weight and be able to have a bite or two of these bad foods every once in a great while). Well I haven't lost all of my excess weight (yet ) , but I hav achieved the other part of what I had hoped for - when the occasion arises, I have a few bites and then that's it. This is a major victory for me. Well, it's another busy, busy day at the salt mines here, so I better get cracking. Have a great day! Take Care, Terry

Hi Terry, How's it going. Just curious are you at your personal goal, or the goal the Dr. A set? I am schedule for surgery in Oct with Dr. Averbach for RNY. He had removed my gall bladder back in the day. He's so quite, you really have to make him talk. Carol, Cathy and Arlene are angles also. How long did you stay in the hospital after surgery? I read on this message board one lady was released the next day after having RNY.

Hi Victoria, The paperwork that Dr. A's office provided immediately after surgery indicated that in order to be not considered overweight/obese, I needed to be at 164lbs (BMI of 24.9 with no excess weight). At my original consult, he said I would be considered a success if I got to 200lbs in 12 months. When I went to see him at the end of July I weighed 207lbs (according to his scale) and he told me I was doing great and that I should try to lose 10 more lbs (to get under 200). Cathy said I'm ahead of what the average person has lost in excess body weight % at 12 months. I just want to lose the rest of it. I'm beginning to think about surgical consults with a plastic surgeon. I need a lower body lift, abdomenoplasty, breast lift (and possible augmentation) and my arms done. Yes, Dr. A is quiet, but I actually got him to crack a smile a few times. I like and respect him I told him when I went for my original consult that I wanted to be a model patient. His response was that it's easy to stick with this program for six months, the hard work would start after that. I have to admit that until here recently, I was kind of spotty when it came to exercising. I'd do great for a week and then not so great for 1-2 weeks. Once I hit 12 months, I decided that my focus for this next year would be the big "E", exercise. It took me about a month to get my act together and make the switch from Curves to Gold's Gym. I had to make this change because my heart rate wasn't going high enough at Curves and I was working as hard as I could. I joined Gold's on September 5th and I've been going pretty much every other day since then. My surgery was on a Thursday Morning and I came home on Saturday Afternoon. I was so ready to go home. They were great at St. Agnes, but I just couldn't get comfortable. After surgery, I was shocked because I expected them to get me up and walking around on Thursday, but I kept hitting that morphine pump, and I was so out of it. They didn't try to get me out of bed until Friday morning when I went down for the leak test. What day is your surgery? Keep us posted Take Care, Terry

Hi Terry, Carol didn't give me my date yet, but it will be sometime in October. Yes, exercise is the key. I have a few girl friends that are 3 years post op and they exercise at least 2-3 times a week. hour-hour/half cardio and very light weights for 30-45 minutes. You have to be carefully about building muscle, also they told me the scale will not be your friend because muscle weight more than fat and you are losing inches not pounds, use clothing or weight once a week.

Good Morning - I have one word - BRRRRRR! I am freezing! Which is a major accomplishment for me - 138 pounds ago, I'd still be sweating, but today, I wore a light jacket in the car, had the heater on and now that I'm in the office, I have my little heater on!! Amazing!! Gary calls me a sissy, and wants to know what I've done with his real sister! BTW, if anyone sees a letter carrier rolling naked in the grass today, it'll be him! He LOVES the cold weather!!! I do, too, I guess, but this was a shock. I am in serious trouble when real cold weather hits!! My little purple friend, try not to worry too much - DVR told me that once you change your habits and start exercising, it could take a month or two before you notice a numbers change. I know it's frustrating, but you have my undying admiration for your success and your willingness to change so much in your life. Sappy today, aren't I? But you're right, carbs definitely could be the culprit. It's hard to get rid of them, isn't it? Looks like Mom's not going on her trip. First, she's still not feeling 100%, and secondly, she goes with my aunt and their cousin. About 2 weeks ago, my cousin's brother took a bad, 1 story fall, landing on his head. We flew him to the Trauma Center, and things were looking optimistic, but now, they're saying he has extensive brain damage. What a shame - he's only in his mid-50's. So we don't yet know the outcome, so say a prayer for him and his family. Not that I believe that God is vengeful, but I do believe in karma. After the cousin's other brother died about two years ago, the cousin who took the fall and his wife saw to it that the other cousin, the one who's going on the trip with Mom, received nothing from their brother's estate. Not that she needed it, but she was their sister, too, so my feeling is that she deserved something, anyway. What goes around, comes around, unfortunately. I had a mini-WOW this a.m. Up until now, all of my necklaces were long. 18" chains were like dog collars, so I usually stuck with jewelry in the 22-36" range. This a.m., my 22" chain was too long for the sweater I was wearing, so just for grins & giggles, I tried on the 18" - IT FIT!!!! So I got to wear it and new (fake) purple gemstone pendant!! YAY!!! Ya gotta take what you can get!!! Hope everyone's okay!!!! Kid-weekend coming up, so it looks like we'll be bowling on Saturday - if anyone's extremely bored and wants to see the comedic antics of K&B bowling, give me a shout!!! You're welcome to join us - we'll probably do lunch somewhere, too!! Take care, Tia

Morning Tia Sorry Mom is going to miss her trip but maybe there will be another opportunity. I wish I had time in October I would scoop you and Mom both up and take you to CT because I know that is the trip you had originally planned. Oh .. BOWLING !!!! When I find out what Mr Mo is up to on Saturday I might just do that. My nephew is bowling again on Saturday a.m.'s and the last time he was bowling on Saturdays I would drive to Fairfax (yes I am NUTS) every other week to bowl with my sister while he was bowling. I realize that you are a hike from me too .. but geeeez .. not as far as Fairfax and the Key Bridge is a piece of cake compared to the DC Beltway. Oh, and for the November get together .. I'll vote for the 11th or the 18th. I am hoping to head to CT for the 11th, but not sure how that will play out. Our software deal at work has been rescheduled for the 4th. Hugs, Mo

Hey Moie - Yep, Mom's always free to travel, and my aunt is retired, so they'll plan another trip, I'm sure. This one's not off for sure, but it doesn't look promising. I would LOVE to go to CT this time of year - I've never been up north. On my Life List is a cruise to New England. We'll see. I'm not much of a bowler - don't want to break the nails, but I have such a blas****ching K&B - they do duckpin bumper bowling. One time, B's bowling ball rolled so sloooowwly that it started rolling back to him! He was soooo excited because he thought it meant an extra turn!! Jumping up and down and squealing, "Look!! It's coming back!!!" They crack me up!!! We usually go to the AMF Lanes in Dundalk, off to the side of Eastpoint Mall, so it's not toooo far from the Key Bridge. I'll try to post Saturday a.m. what time we're going - Kaity doesn't do early, so I'll let you know. Yes, definitely not the DC Beltway - I'd have to hurl myself off a bridge if I had to drive that every day!!!! Yep, the 11th sounds good for me, too! We'll see what everyone else has to say, too!!! Death to software deals!!!!! Have a good one! Tia

DUCKPINS ????? I'll be watching too and a news update ... the 4th is off for the upgrade .. now it will be the 10th or 11th Maybe we should just skip to the NEXT version Hugs, Mo

Aw, c'mon Mo, think about it - B weighs about 42 pounds soaking wet! Even those little big 6 pound balls are too much for him! Poor little thing!!! Um...hello? Sounds like somebody needs to make up their minds!!!!! Pinuter people are a different breed, aren't they? Tia

I know exactly what you mean about being cold. ME, the one who was always sweating, wore a tshirt and jacket to work today and I had the heat and seat heater on. I have to admit, I still like cooler weather better than hot though! I hope Gary doesn't pick up anything while he's rolling around naked I'm sorry to hear about your Mom's cousin and the fact that she won't be able to make her trip. I totally agree about the what goes around comes around thingy...you reap what you sow. That's great news about the chain! After I had gained weight, I never wanted to wear any jewelry (except for my diamond stud earrings), now I'm wearing rings and stuff - although I still don't think about necklaces. Bowling huh? I haven't been bowling in ages. I'd probably do a Fred Flintstone and go down the lane with the ball...hehe..now THAT would be a sight! I'm still working on the dates for By the Docks...hey, how about tomorrow evening or is that too soon? Or possibly one night next week? Tues is best for me. Gym rat (oh yeah..HAHAHA) that I've become, I don't think you want me on M or W after I've been to the gym. Have a great day! T