Attention NYC bandits..anyone wanna join me for a hardcore ass kicking workout ?

I had heard great reviews about this boot camp at Hype gym from several people and just today I got an email with this offer for $10 a class...so I signed up for 4 classes in september and I was wondering if any of the fab city bandits want in ?

You must register for lifebooker loot, a totally free and awesome hidden deals website, in order to purchase.

Throwing it down...stubborn 16 lbs, I'm coming for you !! ROAR !!!!!

16 is the magic number

So my one year mark is fast approaching and as I sat down to think of everything that has happened and my transformation both physically and mentally it dawned on me that ...holy crap I only have 16 more pounds to hit my magic number that I had set way back when !!!. And the funny thing about it is that when I set that number it seem so far away and almost unreachable. I set it like " okay yeah let's say 100 lbs loss..why the hell not?" But here I am and it's like "OMG it's only 16 lbs away!!"

So here I am putting it down in writing...my FINAL goal is 16 lbs by Oct 31st. I'm giving myself enough time to do it slowly and the right way, while still focusing on working the rest of me as well, which for me is reinforcing the behavioral modification of the whole thing and the emotional ties that this is actually truly happening, but most importantly why it's actually happening !!! The way that I see it, it's happening because somewhere along the line I learned that it was about focusing on the little things within me and celebrating the little victories and setting the mini-goals. I think that if I would have looked at from day # 1 that I MUST lose 100 lbs, I would have defeated myself before I even started, but because I set these little achievable goals that gave my spirit the opportunity to celebrate and thrive on reaching them is what has worked the best !!

So that would be my biggest advice to all those that are just starting. It is very easy to get frustrated on this journey, cause we all know it's not fun and giggles, but actually many times, frustration, sweat and tears but if you do it a little bit at a time and let yourself learn and celebrate and be happy at just those 2 lbs this week...pretty soon you'll see that it's good !!!

Emotional eating...what are you tricks?

Let's face it we all do it...some of us like me, I cushion it with a million excuse and try to rationalize the shit out of it, but it doesnt change the reality that the french fry that I am sticking in my mouth is a result of my emotions and not of a nutrional or wise food choice !! This ofcourse is compacted with the feelings of failure and remorse after 1) running to the bathroom after almost having an incident in the mall food court or 2) realizing that all the progress I made this week with the excerise just went out the window.

But alas there is a differnce this time around !!!!

Last year had I become victim to an episode of emotional eating I would have thrown in the towel and called it quits on another attempt to diet. "after all I minus will have the choclate cheese cake from cheese cake factory if I already ate the plate of fries right ??" But what is different this time around is that I have learned to recognize what you would call isolated incidents, as my bodies "check engine light" Really if I expect to never have a french fry or to never have more than one godiva choclate then I'm really just setting myself up for disaster. So i have chosen to look at these episodes of weak eating caused by my emotions as disaster preventors.... that something is going on and I need to pay more attnetion to me and work it out.

I would love to hear how you guys deal with your emotional eating and what tricks you've found that work for you ?

In the meantime I am posting the latest article from Katie Jay, focusing on just this topic...enjoy !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to Get Your Brain to Work With You
(Not Against You)
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com

(This is the second article in my series on
psychological considerations after WLS)

When my son was four he threw a big tantrum at a
pool party. My husband and I were ready to go home;
our son was not. So he went into a rage. As the 100
or so people at the party stared at us (probably
feeling grateful it wasn't their child screaming)
we attempted to subdue our monster.

It was our own fault. Our son had not eaten
dinner, only junk food. And I realized too late
that his blood sugar was crashing. You see, like
his mother, when he didn't eat on time, and get
enough protein in, he became very agitated.

If we had lined up everyone at the pool, we would
have gotten many different opinions about what
was wrong with my son:

He has overindulgent parents
He's a brat
He doesn't have any manners
He can't control himself
He is tired
He's trying to get attention
He is sick
He is bad

(And we judge ourselves this way, too, when
we feel out of control, etc.!)

Very few people would have guessed low blood
sugar. Very few people would have made the food/mood
connection. The only reason I did was because after
years of depression and a bad temper, I was diagnosed
with type II diabetes. (The doctor didn't make the
food/mood connection, either. My husband was the
first to notice that improvement :o).

When I began to eat protein at regular intervals,
and cut back on sugar and refined carbs, my mood
improved. When we began feeding out son protein
at regular intervals, the tantrums stopped.

After WLS, it is more important than ever for us
to understand and acknowledge the food/mood
connection.

We often call it "emotional eating" and tell
ourselves we are weak willed. But it's not that
simple.

Kathleen Des Maisons, in her book, "The Sugar
Addict's Total Recovery Program, and Anne
Katherine, in her book, "The Anatomy of a Food
Addiction," both discuss at length what happens
in the brain when we eat certain foods. (And how
eating certain foods can help brain chemistry
that is out of whack.)

Here's one scientific example from Des Maisons:

"Sugar-activated beta-endorphin [a chemical in
the brain that is released when a person eats
sugar or refined carbs] changes emotions as
well as physical feelings. Not only does sugar
reduce physical pain in [a certain type of
mouse]; it also reduces the pain of loss or
social isolation.

"When baby mice are taken from
their mothers, they cry. Scientists measured the
number of times the babies cried in a specified
number of minutes. They gave the babies sugar
water, and, no surprise, they stopped crying.
"The 'isolation distress' was significantly
lessened by sugar. Sugar creates a temporary
flood of beta-endorphins, thus numbing the
emotional pain of separation."

Some people can drastically reduce their low
mood by choosing a more effective food plan
(and regular, moderate exercise helps, too).

While others, will also need medication and/or
therapy (I use both).

Depression and anxiety are common among WLS
patients. So, no matter what the cause of the
mood issue, treating it will help you keep
your weight in check.

Let's face it, when your brain chemistry is
working against you, your WLS journey will be
longer and more challenging, if not impossible.

You can have good intentions, and know what
you're supposed to do, but this knowledge won't
help if you're too depressed to get up in the
morning, or too anxious to move forward.

Sometimes medication and/or therapy are needed
to help you stay focused and to give you the
mental and emotional strength you need to stay
on your path.

My son is 17 now, and we both know that when
we're feeling irritable or irrationally angry,
it's time for a healthy, protein-based snack.

Once we knew what the problem was, we were able
to take steps to solve it.

You have that ability, too.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on these
important issues.

Laughs with the lovely NYC ladies and a picture of me in shorts !! LOL

Hola my wonderful people...
Just wanted to jump in with a couple of quick words and a scandalous picture of my first public appearance in shorts ( LOL!!) .
I got to meet the lovely NYC bandster ladies for brunch today at Dos Caminos. How can some totally candid conversation accompained by a prickly pear margarita not be great??. Along with seeing how incredibly outrageous Jen looks, sporting a flat belly ( YOU GO GIRL!!) and va-va voom Colls ( I think that's your new nickname girlfriend!) I got to meet 3 more awesome ladies..Carla from Lovinglucylapband, Megan from bandedtolose and Morgan who we're all hoping to see her blogging soon. Great ladies doing just wonderful. Carla is rocking it as a sexy momma to be and Megan has a nice solid start on her journey. For all those vets Megan is going through bandster hell right now and I know would benefit from our support so stop on by her blog when you get the chance. I also got a chance to meet Katherine which I have been following from the start of my journey a year ago but never got the chance to meet her at the other brunches...she looks fantastic !!!

As for me my projects keep getting more involved at work so I'm still being some what delinquent on my blogging but I haven't forgotten about all of you my banded beauties !! I've decided that I'm gonna put my blogging updates on my outlook to remind myself ( Sick isn't it ??!!!)

While my weight is still at a rock solid 188 ( ARRGHH!!) I am delighted that it seems like the rest of my body seems to be cooperating. This past weekend I walked into Banana Republic ( something I wouldnt dream of doing 6 months ago) and I bodly walked up picked out a pair of pants from the rack and headed to the fitting room. Put them on, zipped them up and almost squeeled like a mad pig on the run when I realized that I just put on my first pair of size 12 pants in 10 years !!!!!! Can you freaking beleive it !!! A SIZE 12 !! OH MY FREAKING GOD !!! that is a whole 10 SIZES then I was at this time last year !!! I tell you that I ran out of the fitting room to the register so dam quick that I almost forgot to button my pants back on !!!
I've actually noticed more and more that I've reached a point in my journey that it's not about a number anymore but it's about appreciating and working with my body. While I still have an ultimate goal in mind, and I would love to hit the triple digit loss number, I have actually content at how my body looks and feels and I think this continues to fuel me psychologically in not beting myself up when I do have a slip up. It allows me to realize that I am human but that ultimately I am in control of my body and that it is me who has gotten it to this point and I never have to fear about letting it regain control over me.

So along with my victory at Banana republic ( sounds like a campaign) I also recently over came another fear and actually ventured out in shorts...in public !!! Now you have to understand that prior to this I would never be caught dead in shorts outside the safe confines of my apartment, but I'm out and I'm proud to be a renewed short wearer !!!

I cant believe that it's almost been a year...

Today is my 11 monthaversary ( a term my hubby coined when we were dating) since a little piece of silicone came into my life and gave it back to me. You know I've been getting compliments from people on how completely different I look, on how I am unrecognizable and mostly how my face has totally changed...but the funny thing is that it's only recently that I have started making those same comments to my mirror twin. I saw it on the scale and I saw the numbers shrinking in my clothes tags but it is just recently that I, very narcissistically btw, have been admiring myself in the mirror and caught my self saying..."damn girl you look good!" LOL I know silly isn't it but I guess the whole new me, meaning physically, emotionally, eating habits, working out and psychologically is all starting to come together...do you know what I mean ??? Has anyone else experienced this ??

I am posting a comparison pic of me with my niece.This before pic was one of the ones that brought me to tears when I first saw it. I couldnt beleive that I had allowed myself to get that big....it's nice to see that things can most definitely be changed...



Barbara had posted a question earlier as to whether the band had actually made a behavioral modification or was the weight loss just a result of not being able to eat as much?? I thought it was a very intresting topic and I'm sure she got answers as varied as a bag of M&M's but in my case, especially given what I've seen lately I think it has changed the way I think and the way I feel about my body. I can remember how before if I wanted something I ate it and if I wanted more I ate it as well and when I felt bad about the 2nd serving I said.."so what damage is already done!" and ate a 3rd or 4th just because I was try to quell the pitty party. I also remember that before if I was hungry I needed to EAT NOW !!! and that meant pulling into the nearest Mc'Ds and ordering some french fries...funny to think that I actually treated those 22g of saturated fat sticks as a snack !! It's a totally different ball game now!! I see the changes in my mirror twin and I see how good I look in whatever I pull out of my closet, I hear the compliments and feel the strength in my legs as I push myself to jog that extra block and there is NO WAY that I wanna ever insult and desecrate my body the way that I use to !!!! Today if I want a piece of godiva I eat a piece of godiva and that's it cause I AM MORE IMPORTANT that a piece of choclate !! If I am hungry, I will find a sensible 100 calorie option to snack on because I AM WORTH MORE than a convinient excuse !! I guess what I am trying to say is that I have finally realized that I AM WORTH IT !!! and I AM PROUD OF MYSELF !!!

All of you ladies should be proud of yourself whether you are 10,20 or 100 lbs from your goal because you are here blogging and reading and investing in yourself. It's about GD time we all give a BIG FU to all those things that try to control our lives and keep us down and say I DONT THINK SO...bcuz I AM WORTH IT !!!

XOXOXXO

I'm back on the "band" wagon...I think !!

Well it goes without saying, as some of you have probably figured by my abscence that I've had a serious problem with my time management lately ! This "problem" has spilled to all parts including my weight loss efforts !!! Arrgghhh!! As you can tell by my ticker my weight has not budge a fuddlewagging inch!!! Still at good'ole 188. Yes granted I can look at the positive side of things, which Ive been relying on alot and say that "at least" I haven't gained...but really for how long can I drag that out?? So I looked at myself in the mirror this morning and said " Jacquie cut the crap!! and get your ass back on track!!!" So here I am back to my blogging and the much needed support as well as back in the gym. Dont get me wrong I did do "some" exercise but nothing like I was prior. But today I went back to the gym and did my good'ole step class. How did I fare you ask? well...I'm gonna be hurting BAD tomorrow..as a matter fact probably in about 30 mins...but I made it through, didn't take the short cuts, pumped up the intensity and sweated like a pig in the sauna..but all in all I feel good !! ( thank heavens for those endorphins!!!)

the one thing that is obviously a clear lesson learned from my hiatus is that it's much easier to cut corners and talk yourself out of doing the things you should be doing when you aren't accountable for them to someone...hence while our community here is a blessing and a must on the journey to healthy bodies, minds and successful weight loss !!

BTW thanks to my wonderful Jen !! Message received hun and it gave me that push I needed so XOXOXOXO !!!!

I'm including below a very appropriate article by Katie Jay which was timed just right for what I am going through and I hope it can be of help to others !!

TTYL !!!
XOXOX

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Right Ingredients for WLS Success
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com

In my upcoming retreat in Ocean Isle, NC (which is sold
out), we will be focusing on the "right recipe" for long-
term WLS success. So, I have been thinking. What do WLS
patients need to include in their "recipe" to get their
best possible WLS outcome?

In last week's article, I talked about the things Dr.
Cynthia Buffington recommends -- the physical things.

This week, I want to remind us all about the psycho-
logical fare we require on our journey. Because no
matter how well we know what we are supposed to do
physically, if we can't get ourselves to do it, we
aren't going to get very far.

Deep down, most of us know these things need to be
addressed, but sometimes we avoid them out of fear or
a dislike for discomfort. Still, if we don't consider
the truth about long-term recovery, if we don't know
what the target looks like from a "mindset" perspective,
how can we get there?

Many of the world's great faiths and philosophies teach
us that mindset matters. Most of us have heard the verse
from the Bible, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is
he."

So, here is my top five list of psychological
considerations that most of us will need to face
on our journeys to peace with food and our bodies:

1. On a long, arduous journey, getting help is not
optional -- it's essential.

You'll need a good map, provisions, an emergency kit,
a safe place to rest, sustenance, help overcoming
obstacles, and insight and encouragement from those
who have already made the journey.

2. When your brain chemistry is working against you,
your journey will be longer and more challenging, if
not impossible.

Knowing where you're going, and having your provisions,
won't help if you're too depressed to get up in the
morning, or too anxious to move forward. Sometimes
medication and/or therapy are needed to help you stay
focused and to give you the mental and emotional
strength you need to stay on your path.

3. You harbor beliefs that will hold you back, so you'll
need to take responsibility for rethinking and replacing
the beliefs that don't serve your highest good.

Old beliefs can keep you locked in a story you tell
yourself about the journey. Beliefs like, "I can't
control my eating," "If I lose too much weight, I will
become promiscuous," "Your time and needs are more
important than mine," "You are an adult, but I can't
trust you to take care of yourself -- so, I am doing
it for you," "Exercise is too much work," "I can't
live without chocolate," "I don't deserve to succeed,"
"If I lose too much weight, I'll lose my friends."

4. To create a new you (a you who can withstand the
challenges of the journey), you have to be fully
present for the planning and implementation process.

When you engage in escapist activities; i.e., overeating,
drinking alcohol, gossiping, staying too busy, people
pleasing (focusing always on others); you are not
present with your own thoughts and feelings -- you're
not available to support and encourage your new self.

Learning to tolerate being present with your
uncomfortable thoughts and feelings is the only way
you can learn to shift away from discouraging or
counterproductive thoughts and become more accepting
of your entire emotional palette.

5. To find your truth, your success, your peace ...
you have to head toward Reality. Anything else you
desire, you'll seek, but never find.

I've heard it put many ways, but the bottom line is
the truth WILL set you free -- it is the key ingredient
in your recipe for WLS success. You just can't solve a
problem if you don't know what it really is.

Counting calories doesn't cure depression and eating
protein will not keep you from over-focusing on other
people's needs. When we refuse to see the truth, we
stumble in the darkness.

Many of us tell ourselves a story about why we are the
way we are, but those stories may or may not be based
on reality. The process of finding your truth is a
critical part of your journey.

WLS is not the easy way out. But there are many
ingredients you can add to your WLS recipe to gently
move through the psychological, emotional, and social
issues that arise as you cook up your yummy life.

Over the next five weeks, I'll discuss each of these
five psychological considerations in greater depth.

Still catching up......

WOW I cant believe how freaking fab everyone is doing !! I STILL have a ton of catching up to do but just wanted to say how proud of y'all I am...just for starters... Jen is looking so totally bootylicious in her new dresses...Cara has hit the one year mark and is just a super fantastic role model both inside and out...Angie just continues to rock it...etc etc I still have so many of you to be amazed by! The one thing that I've realized throughout my self inflicted exile is that support is the name of the game. For me while I haven't gained weight I haven't loss weight either there past 4 months...maybe it was all the stress...maybe it was the not having the time or discipline that I was so rigorously following before...maybe it was this or that but I do know that the one thing that is a definite no brainer in being successful is that kick in the butt that you ladies so lovingly and readily give to keep the line moving down...which is a very welcomed kick in the butt if I do say !!

So as I try to regain my momentum I am sadistically requesting some extra kick in the butts to get me moving again...he he !!!

On another note here are some pics from graduation.. the hubby didn't get any pics of my super rocking size 14 Calvin Kline little number under the gown but I'll just have to take another one...I'm proud as hell of fitting into that little beauty !!!

I'm back and with some great news !!!

WOW !!! These last couple of months have most certainly been a roller coaster full of incredible high's and some pretty deep low's !! But at last I have emerged from my most thrilling ride and along with me is a little piece of paper that I am so glad to have and that sure as freaking hell gave me a hell of a headache this past semester to get my hands on !!! While my weight has remained in a solid 188 ( no budging even with a fill) I feel great and so pleased with my accomplishments that I really have no reason to bitch. I loved every minute of my graduation that took place this past monday in Pennsylvania and I mostly loved that I rocked it in a size 14 Calvin Kline little white dress ( yay baby!!)

So I promise to try to catch up with the goings on that I've missed...it feels like I've been living outside the city walls. I am sure that you all have made tremendous strides in your journeys and cant wait to read all about it....so I guess I better get to reading and typing !!!

MUAH :-*

Sorry...sorry...sorry !!!!

It seems like I'm doing alot of apologizing lately for my lack of time management but I promise that I will return to my diligent blogging self soon !! My last EVER final is on Cinco de Mayo ( May 5th... how appropriate right??!!!!) so after that I will be free to post and catch up with all of my dear bloggers that I have truly been missing !!

Hey Jen isn't that a soo appropriate weekend for some prickly pear margaritas ??? LOL !!

See you soon !!! and WISH ME LUCK !!!!

I've been a bad bad blogger !!!

If this isn't proof that it takes a village to slim a woman I don't know what is !!! I stop blogging for a week or two because midterms were just driving me nuts and what do I get for that...up 2..down 1...up 1..down 2...up 2 and it goes bouncing all around. WHY ? well dud maybe cause I'm sitting here eating a freaking chocolate chip cookie while I'm writing this !!! Silly Jacquie cookies make you fat !!!! So I will make my pledge to never abandon my life line cause I now know that TEMPTATIOn and stress are in cohoots with one another and they are the masters of disguise !!!!

So now that mid-terms are over it's time to get my ass in the gym and catch up on the blogs !!! I feel like I've been stranded on flashcard island and my exit visa just came through !!! FINALLY !!!!

I've missed you all so much !!!!

And the winner is....

Hola people !! i apologize for my late posting with the challenge winners but WOW things are REALLY picking up at work and especially with school so I am on a TIGHT time crunch !!! So I want to apologize ahead of time if I'm a little flaky the next couple of weeks with my blogging and catching up with your blogs but promise as soon as things settle down I'll be back on track !!

Given my time situation last week I asked for volunteers to take over these weight challenges. I think they are a wonderful resource and a hell of a motivator and would hate to see them fall by the way side due to my hectic schedule !! Happily Kristen has volunteered to take these challenges over and we should be hearing of a spring one soon !! So stay tuned to her blog for details !!

I want to congratulate all the ladies to took on this 6 week challenge to focus on learning to love ourselves, our new bodies, minds and selves !!! We all did a fantastic job and loss a combined weight on 161 lbs !! ( LOL that's my goal weight !!!) and the weight of a full grown adult..can you believe that ??!!! Nicole did a super duper job and lead the pack with a final loss of over 7% of her body weight !! Great job girl !!!!

One more week on the love me challenge !!

Here you go ladies another great week with some amazing numbers !! We got one more week to go on the challenge so lets give it what we got to get to that amazing 200 lbs loss !!!

I'm also calling out for a new challenge keeper !! I love what these challenges do not only for motivation and to help keep us accountable but I think they're a great way to share our successes !! I would love to keep these going but lately I am in a total time crunch between school and work! So I would really appreciate if some were willing to take torch and keep these going for our community. I'll gladly pass on the spreadsheet ! Just please leave me a comment or email me mrscutecuban@gmail.com

The Won Ton treaty

Some of you might remember my post last month about the The Chinese Food Incident and how I lost total control over my portions resulting in a not so happy tummy ache. It was simply a result of eating with my eyes over my brain !! I think this is still one of the hardest things that I have to face almost on a daily basis when contemplating my portions. It was much easier to deal with this issue pre-band because I just ate and ate and then when I thought I was done but had just 2 spoonfuls of yummy goodness left on the plate I ate that too !!!
Fast forward to post band and this dilemma isn't as easily resolved and it is a constant mental struggle that I need to reteach myself everyday !!! I guess it is part of making peace with the idea that food while its okay to enjoy is still just a means of sustenance. The old adage that we eat to live not live to eat rings as true as ever !!
If I examine many of the things that I had to reteach myself to do properly post-band this is my area of hardest work ahead. While it is true that I am not running rampant like a kid through a candy store I must still learn to take a breath and really ask myself if that extra tablespoon of rice is truly what I want ? This nowadays more important than ever considering my fill level. that extra spoon of rice while heaven in my mouth can translate into awful pains later that night.
So the point to this post is that what I am doing to mindfully watch my portions is simply going back to the basics and yes pulling out the measuring cups until I get this right. So my Won Ton Treaty simply is that I will allow myself to have my oh-so-delicious chinese food but will measure out a 1/2 cup of rice, and a dumpling and 2 shrimps to make up the other half. I will chew thoroughly and put down the chop sticks in between. But most importantly I will listen to my band and shut out the jealous fat girl that still lives in my brain !! ( I think I should name her...any ideas?)

On another note..I hit a major goal this week thanks to my latest fill and the extra day on liquids. I have officially reached 75 lbs lost !!! I have now lost over a 1/4 of the body weight that I started with at 27.6% gone. SO EXCITED !!!

Eating your feelings away...

Many of you already know that I am a big fan of katie jay's articles...this one especially !! Like many of you reading this post I struggled and still am struggling with understanding how to feel my feelings and how to deal with them instead of eating through them !!! This article is great in putting these issues into perspective. It helped me and I hope it helps you as well !!

later chicas !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Would You Rather Eat than Feel?
How to Make Friends with Your Feelings
By Katie Jay, MSW
Director, National Association for WLS
www.nawls.com

One of the common phrases we hear when it comes to
weight-loss-surgery stumbling blocks is "Emotional
Eating."

Emotional eating involves using food to manage your
mood. Many of us have been known to eat to calm down,
diminish anxiety, soothe ourselves, and to relieve
many other non-hunger-related feelings.

Sometimes people can be very hard on themselves
about emotional eating. They use it as another bit
of evidence they are doomed to fail at weight loss.

When you don't allow yourself to feel uncomfortable
feelings, you can derail your pursuit to better
health. But remember that choosing not to feel your
feelings is a choice, not a handicap. You do not
have to be a victim of emotional eating.

Your emotions, and your desire to avoid them, do
not have to run your life. You can run your life.

In fact, you are the captain in charge of the ship
known as your life.

As the captain of your ship, you can choose to
learn how to identify uncomfortable feelings, how
to sit with them, how to analyze them, and how to
use the information you glean to get you where you
want to go in life.

One of the best tools you can use to achieve your
goals and dreams in life is to embrace your feelings
-- to allow yourself to *feel* them, study them, and
learn from them.

Sounds simple enough -- but a lot of us hate feeling
our feelings. Even the feelings that are positive
may scare us.

Some people use food to stay in a low-grade stupor,
safe from emotions on either extreme, and detached
from the world just a little bit.

It's safer that way, but I found my world of gray
to be a little depressing, do you?

I love this quote by John A. Shedd (Salt from My
Attic, 1928):

A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what
ships are built for.

When I am living in the gray area, numb, I am not
living the life I was designed to live.

Human beings have this amazing capacity for emotion,
it's truly a gift. But emotions are more than a gift,
they also are clues to our deepest needs -- clues we
are not always taught to examine and use to help us
better understand ourselves and our world.

We also have the gift of choice. As captain, we can
choose how we approach our emotional lives.

So how does one take command of her relationship
with her feelings?

Here are some things you can do to get started:

1. Line up a safe person you can talk to as you
begin to allow yourself to feel things. You may
need to vent or get reassurance. You may need help
identifying your feelings. You may be afraid of what
will come up. The process of learning to feel your
feelings can be easier if you know you have someone
safe to turn to when you need to talk. And if they
agree ahead of time to support you, you will not
feel so reluctant to call on them.

2. Build tolerance over time. You don't have to
suddenly force yourself to feel all of your feelings
right away. You can build up a tolerance by allowing
yourself short periods of time when you are consciously
tuning into your feelings and working on identifying
them and understanding what they are telling you.
Over time, it will get easier.

3. Be gentle with yourself. You may get frustrated
as you realize you will not be able to pinpoint
what each feeling is. Even though we understand
what feelings are, most of us haven't had a lot
of practice identifying which specific ones we're
feeling. Find a list of feelings online, print it
out, and use it to help you sort out what you are
feeling.

4. Get curious. Once you are identifying your
feelings, you can look at them as clues to your
inner desires and needs. Every emotion you experience
is a clue you can follow. You can ask yourself, for
example, what is my anger telling me? Some people
like to write out their questions and answers in a
journal, so they can refer back to old entries and
make connections.

5. Stick with it. The decision to take charge of
how you respond to your feelings is a big one. The
task can feel daunting, but stick with it. While it's
a challenging journey, you will travel to amazing
places you never could have imagined.

What a pain in the...band !!!

Looking back I really have to super thankful that I never really had any "issues" with my band...till tuesday night and that last fill !!

It was a freakishly small fill 0.1cc in fact .
Next to nothing in the history of the fills that have been happily plunged into you my band.
So why is it oh dear band that a 1/4 cup of pea soup upsetted you so ??
Why is it that you screamed at me with such ferosity as to have me double over in "holy moly" pain ??
Pain that made me reach for the phone in sincere worry that I had damaged you in some way?
Had you slipped? Were you stuck and couldnt get out? I thought I had done everything that you demand?

I'm glad my fears were relieved and that it was you being mad and screaming at me, so liquids for 4 days it will be !
I will do what you ask in hopes that our friendship remains and that a reward on the scale this week is not too much to ask ?!!

Because of you

I got a very touching surprise yesterday when I checked up on Colls blog that I had been nominated for a beautiful blogger award !! That in itself was so incredibly touching and sweet but doubly so were her words about why she had nominated me. So THANK YOU my sweet Colleen !!!

So here I proudly display my badge :




The rules of the nomination are :

* Thank the person who nominated you for the award
* Copy the award and post in in your blog
* Link to the blog of the person who nominated you
* Tell seven interesting things about yourself
* Nominate seven bloggers
* Post links to the blogs of your nominees

Okay so here we go with my 7 things that you probably would never guess:

1- I practiced gymnastics from the age of 3 till 15 and broke my first bone ( my clavicle) on the balance bean at my first competition
2- I danced flamenco competitively for 15 years and was actually on local TV several times even on the spanish show Sabado Gigante when I was 11.
3- I gave my sister a mohawk when she was 3 years old
4_-i was a total band geek in junior and high school
5- I am a huge civil was buff and actually go to battle reenactments ( gettysburg here I come)
6- Online dating actually worked for me and thank it for my wonderful hubby ( love you baby!!)
7- i am completely obsessed with collecting Cabbage patch kids and currently have 17 of them and still counting !!!

Now that you are questioning why you still are reading my ramblings after those confessions here are my list of ladies that are just beyond spectacular !! I wish i could list more than 7 !!!

Jen - What can i say about Jen ?? This is an incredible Chick !! We were banded almost at the same time and have just not only really found an incredible person and friend in her but just a source of positive energy !! Like others have mentioned she is just such a breath of fresh air and always has the best outlook on things !!

Roo- Lady on the move ! I completely admire Roo for her bravery and determination. Not only is she doing this on her own in a foreign country but she doesnt let her slip ups slow her down. She kicks them in the ass and keeps on going

Angie- Her blog was one of the first veteran blogs that I came across when I started blogging and she was always such a source of inspiration to me in knowing that it was doable to have such great success !!

Sarah- I love that Sarah just puts all of her issues out there good and bad so that they can help others. She was really my inspiration in getting me into running and I would love reading about her 5k post and imagining that one day that could be me.

Nicole- I just took to Nicole so easily and love that someone understands my miami-isms !! Her nurturing and caring nature is not only a comfort and a strength but an infectious pick me up !! She is just doing so great and looking so fabulous. I hope to have her stick around in my life for a long time she is just so awesome !!

Elliana- Her post just crack me up and they're always SO entertaining and truly inspiring ! I love how she always blogs about other things going on but always has a great take home message in there somewhere !!

Gen- Gen...Gen..Gen..I just totally heart her !! This lady is a true go getter ! She is what I would love to be when I grow up and become a mommy. She just manages to do it all and look great in those tankini's !!

6 month vlog update

Truly loving yourself..

Another wonderful week ladies and on such an appropriate day !!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL YOU FOXY LADIES !!!! And even though this is the day to show our love to the special people in our lives, we must not forget to show love to the most important person which is ourselves !! Remember that you are a spectacular, beautiful and strong woman. You chose to take the ultimate challenge for a reason. That reason is because you deserve it, you deserve to be the beautiful, healthy radiant woman on the outside that is a mirror of the one that lives inside. So take this moment to thank yourself for who you are and admire yourself that much more for all the work you're doing this moment to be everything you are meant to be !!!

I must say that this valentines day I am truly having to learn how to love myself considering that my weight loss has just been total crap for the past month. I know that any loss is a good loss but I guess I'm just a creature of habits and I've gotten use to posting my 10lb loss !! So my 5lb loss in a month is a little disappointing to me ! Yes If I examine my habits over the past month there is room for improvement.
My exercise regiment hasn't been what it was and yes I have snacked a lil here and there but I guess it's just the stress from work and my classes this last semester. Maybe I just need to come to terms that this last semester is really going to demand some modification of other priorities. It's almost done and come May I know that I will be walking across that stage to get my masters in a slimmer and healthier me , regardless if it's at goal early or on my way there !

I WANT TO DANCE !!!

Today was my first Bollywood dance class at Dhoonya Dance and I LOVE IT !!!! Not only was it super fun but let me tell you I got a hell of a workout so much so that my thighs are already killing me !!! and you sweat so much it minus well be Bikram Bhangara dancing for the buckets streaming down all of me !!! I'm attaching a link HERE to the music video of the song that we're doing. The choreography is added a little at a time over the 4 weeks, but we got ALOT done today and at first I thought " My God it's been over 15 years since I took a dance class..what am I doing here?" but it just flowed so easily !!

I REALLY had a great time in this class...so much so that I'm considering signing up for the 10 week course. If any NYC bandsters are interested I highly suggested you check out there site HERE.

On another note I took all your suggestions and am scheduled for a fill on tuesday. Let's see what the scale has to say tomorrow !!

okay..I overate !!

Another bandster had posted on her issues about eating the right amount of food now that she has no fluid in her band and how she usually relies on her band to tell her when to stop ! Well for me that was always my method on top of just serving myself a small portion. Lately however I realized that my portions have gotten a lil bigger so even though I didnt want to get a fill because I always thought I was at my sweet spot I guess it's time for one !

Tonight I made tacos for dinner and I guess it was just a comp mechanism form before banding when I use to pound down 4 tacos at least, that this time I around I served myself 2 when I should have had only 1...well now I'm paying for it with a bit of a very uncomfortable tummy ache !! Lesson learned I need to go back to my routine and stop eating with my eyes !! OUCHIE !!!

Better call for a fill appt tommorow, last thing I need it to see a 2 on that scale again !!

BTW I am seriously backed up on my blog catch up..school is just REALLY keeping occupied this semester !! Thank God it's my last !!

week # 3 WOW !! & some other ramblings

Another super fabulous week ladies !! I mean it's almost 100 freaking pounds gone in just 3 weeks..that's seriously like 10 bowling balls or 4 costco size bags of rice or 20 bags of sugar..I keep going but all in all its a shit load of weight and Southern Girl is head loser this week...so CONGRATS lady on a job well done !

I met up with Colls for a quick bite to eat at Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, home of the best dumplings in the city !! And let me say that she is looking so great !! I know that she probably doesnt see it but it really shows in her face and her waist is really starting to define itself..good job girly !!!

I wanted to thank you guys for all your words of encouragement today they really meant alot !! I am truly priviledge to have all you wonderfully caring ladies around..it just feels like a great giant hug..THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH !!!

A sad & emotional day ...

Last year on Feb 8th I got one of the calls that I dreaded for a long time. My heart sank as I heard my mom wailing, panicking and screaming in pain that my grandma had passed away that morning. She was 83 years old, a hell of a woman who lived, worked and raised 3 children on her own during the hardest times in Cuba. Her health had been declining during the last couple of years due to the complications from diabetes. SHe had loss most of her sight, her hearing was failing and so was her frame. While her passing maybe considered as the way we would all want to go as she passed in her sleep in a familiar bed, it was still unexpected and a very emotionally heartbreaking experience for my mom. Till this day she feels like she didn't have the opportunity to say goodbye to her since my mom lives here in the states.
For me this was not only emotionally hard to lose my grandmother but doubly as hard to see my mom in soooo much pain. But the hardest emotion I've had to deal with and am still dealing with is the feeling that I'm slowly losing my roots and my connection to my family's identity. I feel like who I am is being extinguished. I feel like the pictures and the voices of my history are being erased and silenced and am powerless to do anything about it. I guess this is why it's so hard for me to truly allow myself to grieve. At first it was because I wanted to be the strong one for my mom and then it just became that I didn't want to grieve because it would be like admitting that all these things that I was fearing are true.
Even though there are tears in my eyes and in my heart I want to remember Gloria Paneque as the incredible and strong woman that she was. I know that she is with me and that she hears my ramblings to her. I know that she is proud of the strength that she has bred into us and that she is proud of what I am accomplishing and I know that through the thick and thin she will always be with me to guide me through the tough stuff and smile with me in the good times..but most importantly I know that I am loved from inside and from above !! Te quiero Abuela y te extrano mucho !!!

Some great advice from Katie Jay

I've posted some articles previously from Katie Jay- a WLS success who has not only loss over 180 lbs but has kept it off for more than 5 years. In this latest article she made some incredible points that really rang home for me so I wanted to share it with y'all.

BTW- I know Im late with the challange posting...its been a HELL of a week!! I'll post the combined results tommorow..promise !!!
So remember to send me your weights for tommorow!

HAPPY LOSING people !!

WLS Mastery: It's NOT What you Think!
(The Eleventh Stage of WLS Transformation)
by Katie Jay, MSW
www.nawls.com

I recently had an experience that may surprise you.

I was on travel, alone, and pressed for time. I
glanced at my watch...I had just under an hour to eat,
get changed, and be ready to speak to a bariatric
support group in an unfamiliar city. Yikes! I gripped
the wheel of my rental car and pulled into the only
restaurant I could find near my hotel: Burger King.

Ironic, isn't it? Yes, I know. Although I did not
succumb to the tantalizing, French-fry fare that had
been my typical trajectory for many years, I found
myself eating the better part of a Whopper Jr. with
cheese, extra pickles, no onions.

Although I am not thrilled with my choice, and have
since rationalized it every which way under the sun,
I share this experience with you because this is the
perfect example of the Mastery stage.

"What?" you ask. "This is an example of Mastery?
Mastery of what? Cheeseburgers?"

I could have really beaten myself up over my lunch
choice that day.

And, had my decision to eat that cheeseburger
happened during almost any other stage of WLS
transformation, I might have considered this a
"might-as-well-throw-in-the-towel moment" and,
well, thrown in the towel for the rest of my trip
-- and, perhaps, beyond.

During the Mastery stage, the 11th stage of
transformation, you learn that one not-so-great
choice is survivable. You learn to trust yourself.

You learn to fall down and get right back up.

Because I was in the Mastery stage, I knew that upon
eating said cheeseburger I would immediately pick
myself up, dust myself off, and get right back on
plan. And, that's exactly what I did.

Later that evening, when I went out to dinner with
a handful of professionals from the hospital, I could
have eaten the baked potato with my meal. But, I went
with the steamed veggies.

Sure, I wanted the potato, but I didn't let myself
linger on that thought. Instead I chose to move on
without a fuss (or self-pitying thought) and to focus
on the people.

That's what Mastery is.

You consistently work toward your goal of managing
your weight (and other areas of your life) and when
you go off plan, you come to trust that you can easily
get back on plan at the very next meal.

You don't become perfect, you become disciplined in a
way that makes you feel great about yourself and hopeful
for your future.

In my case, I knew the cheeseburger bun might trigger
some cravings for more carbs later, so I was prepared
for that possibility -- and I had a plan for how to deal
with that.

We are all going to fall from time to time, but in the
Mastery stage, we get right back up. One cheeseburger,
piece of cake, or bowl of spaghetti does not have to
signal the beginning of a long, drawn out, affair with
foods that aren't good for us.

You will know when you've entered Mastery. When your
natural trajectory -- 99% of the time -- is heading
for WLS success and not for the fast-food drive thru,
then you'll know you've made it.

And even when you do wind up in the fast-food drive
thru, you'll know you're in the Mastery stage when
one, isolated food choice doesn't become your excuse
for throwing in the towel.

Great new workout idea !!

Hola People...running to a meeting but wanted to let you know about a great new workout idea that is also REALLY fun. It's Bollywood dancing..sort of the same concept as zumba but just to bhangara music...think Slum Dog Millionaire. Anyways there is this one dance school offering a 4-week course for $30.It is normally $60 so a great deal. For those in NYC there are 3 locations in the city. Just visit this LINK to get the info on how to sign up. I've signed up for classes starting Feb 13th so I'll let you know how that goes...okay I'm almost late.

HAVE A GREAT DAY PEOPLE !!!

A quickie & a laugh !!

Yep here at work but I just had to post this quickie cause it is just too good !! Jen and I met up for brunch on sunday, as she posted on her blog and I almost fell out out my chair in total laughter when I saw her reference to me as "tiny". It's just so funny to me to be thought of as anything but a "big" girl !!! I guess it's just one of those things that I will have to get use to (LOL!!!!!). Talking about shrinking you should check out Jen...now there's a girl who has a totally thin profile. I couldnt beleive it when I saw her but when she turned sideways it was like OMG!!! And YES Jen those prickly pear magaritas were AWESOME!! Will most certainly be going there again !!

I will post the challange results later tonight if I can get to them before the LOST final season premier starts (turning off all the ringers and lights from 8-10)..OMG I cant wait !! Although I must say that I dont know what I will do come the final episode..I cant imagine life post-LOST !! But I guess that's what they have the season DVD's for right ??

Got this email from a friend and it is just piss in ur pants funny so read below for a great laugh ....

Think before you speak...

Here are six reasons why you should think before you speak -
the last one is great!
Have you ever spoken and wished that you could
immediately take the words back....
or that you could crawl into a hole?
Here are the Testimonials of a few people who did....


FIRST TESTIMONY:
I walked into a hair salon with my husband and three kids in tow
and asked loudly,
"How much do you charge for a shampoo and a bl*w j0b?"
I turned around and walked back out and never went back
My husband didn't say a word....
he knew better.


SECOND TESTIMONY:
I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls.
I was unhappy with the women's type I had been using.
After browsing for several minutes,
I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who works at the store.
He asked if he could help me.
Without thinking, I looked at him and said, "I think I like playing with mens balls"

THIRD TESTIMONY:
My sister and I were at the mall and
passed by a store that sold a
variety of candy and nuts.
As we were looking at the display case,
the boy behind the counter asked if we needed any help.
I replied, "No, I'm just looking at your nuts."
My sister started to laugh hysterically.
The boy grinned, and I turned beet-red and walked away.
To this day, my sister has never let me forget..


FOURTH TESTIMONY:
While in line at the bank one afternoon,
my toddler decided to release
some pent-up energy and ran amok.
I was finally able to grab hold of
her after receiving looks of disgust
and annoyance from other patrons.
I told her that if she did not start behaving
"right now" she would be punished.
To my horror, she looked me in the eye and said in a voice just as threatening,
"If you don't let me go right now,
I will tell Grandma that I saw you
kissing Daddy's pee-pee last night!"
The silence was deafening after this enlightening exchange.
Even the tellers stopped what they were doing.
I mustered up the last of my dignity and
walked out of the bank with my daughter in tow..
The last thing I heard when the door closed behind me, were screams of laughter.


FIFTH TESTIMONY:
Have you ever asked your child a question too many times?
My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly.
One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch, in between errands. It was very busy, with a full dining room.
While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny,
so of course I checked my seven-month-old daughter,
she was clean.
Then I realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while.
I asked him if he needed to go, and he said "No".
I kept thinking
"Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me."
Then I said,
"Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?"
"No," he replied.
I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse.
Soooooo, I asked one more time, "Danny did you have an accident ? This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants,
bent over, spread his cheeks and yelled
"SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!"
While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing,
he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down.
An old couple made me feel better,
thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!


LAST BUT NOT LEAST TESTIMONY:
This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days
and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will,
in the future, likely think before she speaks.
What happens when you predict snow but don't get any!
We had a female news anchor that,
the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't,
turned to the weatherman and asked:
"So Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?"
Not only did he have to leave the set,
but half the crew did too they were laughing so hard!

The Chinese Food Incident...

It's funny I've read more than one recent post on food cravings and eating way more than normal during the TOTM and I sit here raising my hand in a guilty as charged manner..I'll tell you why..

I consider myself to be a good band rule follower meaning no drinking with meals, eating my protein first, cutting out the excess sugar and liquid calories...ya da ya da ya da but there is always that week ( sometimes week and half) where my brain takes a detour and goes into this " OMG we need to eat that and that and ooo some of that too !!" Meaning way MORE than my allotted portion. Yesterday was such a day and it happend to be that hormonal bitch that lives in my brain chose chinese food of all things !! that of couse meant a load of healthy band friendly food like...
- a cup of house special fried rice
- 4 jumbo sized crispy ( meaning FRIED) shrimp in red sauce
- 4 FRIED pork dumplings
- 3 strips of honey roast pork

Did you notice the " Fried" theme as the common denominator in all of that ?? C'mon really Jacquie ?? But wait it gets better...guess what I had for lunch today..yep Chinese food left overs, although I did control my portions better but still it's the same crap....GD hormones !!!

I cant beleive that I'm actually hoping the (.) comes soon so i can get back to normal and get my restriction back...and stop crying at those GD commercials about the polar bears and the melting ice cap !!!

BTW of course my visa into Onderland has been temporarily suspended..I'm telling you freaking hormones..i cant imagine what would men do if they had to deal with them !! LOL

Week # 2..a smashing success !!

First of..extend your left arm up..bend it behind your back..now pat yourself proudly for a great job done this week. You ladies continue to show everyone just how determination can overcome anything !! A combined group loss the equivalent of a helathy 8 yr old 58 lbs !! AWSOME !! If I didnt get your weights in on time this week please send both of them to me to include in next weeks posting.

I wanted to give an EXTRA SPECIAL WOO HOO to Jen who also reached the much coveted 199 this weekend. Now that's a woman on a mission !! Make sure you check her out if you don't stalk her already ( LOL!).

Just remember always that YOU GALS ROCK !!!!

"ONDERFUL" news !! & my 1st Vlog

Hola People,
I bit long and alot of ramble..but just so EXCITED !! Doing the HAPPY DANCE !!!

Pound for Pound Challenge..Join me

I know many of you watch the biggest loser so you may have heard of this and may have even signed up ! But I wanted to get the word out there of a wonderful challange being sponsored by The Biggest Loser..The Pound for Pound Challange. This is a challange that not only does wonders for ourselves but it also allows us to help others as well. It's easy to sign up and pledge a weight loss..up to 50 lbs and for every pound pledged and loss 14 cents will be donated to your local food bank feeding the hungry in your community.

With all the focus on helping those less fortunate and realizing how truly fortunate we are and sometimes how truly selfish we are ( Which I am TOTALLY guilty of!!) This is a great way to do something for those that go hungry everyday in our own backyards. It sometimes is so easy to forget that there are hundreds of children whose only meal sometimes comes from their school lunch.. yeah in America of all places..the land where many of us dont bat an eye about spending $5 for a chai latte ( GUILTY AS CHARGED and totally ashamed of myself!!)

So I am pledging to work my butt of not only for me...for a change..but to help others that dont have the luxury of chossing to eat less ...will you join me ??

Please visit the Pound for Pound challenge website for information on how to register ( it's free) and sign up for your local food bank.

Week # 1 and 41 lbs gone for good !!

Now that's a what I call starting off on the right foot !!!... Week # 1 and we've melted off 41 lbs already ladies !! That is freaking amazing. I say let's all continue to challange ourselves and set a goal to lose 300 lbs by challange end. That means that we are all responsible for a 2.5 lb loss per week...WE CAN DO IT !! The scales have no idea what is coming there way !! ( Insert battle cry here!!)

Beating some sense into your scale..

So you've excercised like a crazy woman...you've been meticulous about what you've been eating..got all your protein in and your water and you proudly step on the scale expecting a reward and then BAM..the scale betrays you yet again !!! I know most of us..if not all have one time or another wanted to do some serious harm to that wonderous piece of technology that's suppose to spit back the number we want to see !! Unfortunately there are times were our dear scales have a different agenda then we do. A dietician that I consult with from time to time has previsouly suggested a "shock and awe" approach when the scale just doesnt seem to move. Her approach is just change something dramatically on it for a couple of days and it should get it going again.
I found this article which has some really good tips on beating plateau's..hope it helps !

Beating the Weight-Loss Plateau
FEBRUARY 11, 2008 send this article to a friendprint this article

You have a strict diet you’ve been following for six months. You exercise 6 days a week for 45 minutes. To date, you have lost 20 pounds, but for some reason, you cannot lose any more. You have not stopped exercising, and you are stricter about your diet than ever, convinced that you must be eating something different that is preventing further weight loss. So what do you do?

The weight loss plateau is one of the most frustrating things to deal with when losing weight. The simple truth is that your body has stopped responding to your diet and exercise routine and has reached a plateau. There are several ways to deal with this problem, but the general idea is that you have to vary your routine to give your body something it isn’t used to. Variety can be done with your diet or your exercise routine, and once your body realizes something different is taking place, that weight will start to drop once again. With a constant diet plan, once the weight comes off and nothing changes with your diet, the body goes into storage mode because it senses it is not getting as much food. With an exercise routine, your body may stop responding to the same exercises day in and day out and your body will stop building muscle. Following are five diet strategies and five exercise strategies that will help you beat that plateau and lose the rest of that weight!

Diet Strategies:

1) Increase your caloric intake slightly to provide more fuel for your body to burn.

2) Drink more water to help stabilize your metabolism.

3) Add more protein and fiber to your diet to help your body’s metabolic functions.

4) Eat more frequent, smaller meals so your body’s metabolism can stay constant and burn more calories.

5) Vary one of your snacks; instead of eating a carbohydrate as a snack, eat a protein.

Exercise Strategies:

1) Add strength training to your exercise routine. Strength training builds more lean body mass, which leads to higher metabolism.

2) Vary your exercise routine. If you usually do 30 minutes on a treadmill, do 30 minutes on a stationary bike instead. Or, you can vary your routine by day. If you usually do a bike 5 days a week, do the treadmill three days a week and a stair machine two days a week.

3) Decrease your exercise time, and increase your exercise intensity. Instead of running on the treadmill for 30 minutes, do 20 minutes at a higher speed.

4) Increase the frequency of your exercising. If you are working out three days a week, add a fourth day.

5) Play a sport, rollerblade, skateboard, or just incorporate something different into your routine. Most sports you play will target different muscle groups than exercising alone does.

Weight loss plateaus are no doubt extremely frustrating, but using one or more of the above strategies should pull you out of your slump and put you back on track to achieve your target weight!

A prayer for the people of haiti..

Gen had posted this beautiful prayer on her blog and I just wanted to post it here as well and ask all who are reading this to take a minute to disconnect yourself from all of our materialistic surroundings and say this prayer with me. It matters not what your beliefs are or whether you haven't prayed in years or go to church on a frequent basis the haitian people are suffering the unimaginable who who knows what the loss of life is like. To think of children sleeping next to the bodies of their parents or mothers and fathers cradling the lifeless bodies of their babies is something that I cant even begin to grasp!! So take this second, open your hearts and say this with me..

O Lord, hear us

Our voices join the mournful songs and prayers

rising above the ruins of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince


O Lord, we believe
That you hear the cries of the trapped and the injured

You cradle the dead and the dying

You feel the pain of the grief-stricken and the searching


O Lord, we ask you
To pour comfort on your children who sorrow and sigh

Calm all panic and despair

Strengthen the weary hands of rescuers and medical workers

O Lord, forgive us
and hasten our response to the poverty and greed

that render so many helpless in the face of disaster


In Jesus' name
Amen

Thank you !!!!!!!!

Me too..I have an NSV !!

So I got such wonderful comments about the hair that I decided to make it permanent !! tomorrow I am getting the brazilian keratin straightening done and I am so excited !! I know the hair is just part of it but I cant help walking around feeling so damn sexy !! Seriously I cant remember when I felt this good about myself and you know what.... I like it...I like it ALOT !! and so does the hubby ( I know I know..TMI !! LMAO !!!)
I also cant believe that it's been 5 months and how much my life has radically changed in such a short time. I remember not wanting to read the post on LBT about how the band didn't work for this person and how they didn't lose any weight or how they had to have it removed because they were vomiting all the time because they couldn't stop eating..etc etc. I was sooo afraid that I wasn't going to be able to do this and that I was doomed forever to be the unhappy fat girl who couldn't breath after going up a flight of stairs. But yet here I am , feeling like a million bucks literally !! I am not the thinnest Ive been but I know that I am the healthiest I've ever been and the most assertive and confident about myself than ever before. My body is changing every month and yes the smaller sizes are a HELL of a reward and a make me do my happy bootie shake dance in the mirror, but I think to me the biggest reward I've gotten and the best NSV so far is that I found myself again..I found the happy Jacquie again and this time she's here to stay !!!

Let the losing begin....

WOW ! What a great turn out for this second challenge !! I am soooo excited to see how this will play out. We have a total of 15 losers all bidding for the gold. For those of you who would like to join our clan of losers there is still time since week # 2 weight ins aren t due till sunday but please get them in by tomorrow morning.
This time around we have such a wonderfully diverse group from all parts of the country ( as far as i can tell) so to try to accommodate time zone differences please just get your weights in to me by 10 pm your time and I will update and post the results monday evening. Also because we have such a wide range of weights it was suggested by several of the participants that we calculate based on percentage of weight loss instead of actual number. This will be calculated in the following manner:

(starting weight)- (current weight)
_________________________________ X 100 = % of weight loss
(Starting weight)

If no one has any objections to this than we will go with that. If you do please feel free to comment, and we will go with majority rule. So at the end of the challenge on March 1st the winner will be the loser with the biggest % of weight loss.

Here is the list of all the LOVEly losers. I will try to link their blogs to the spreadsheet later this week.

So here we go girls...let's show the scale who's the boss !!!

Jacquie 202.4
Karen 273.6
Jenny S 216.5
Heidi 280
Linda 219.8
Nicole W 289.2
Colls 237
Concrete Rose 184.4
Gen 196.2
Kay Vee 261.4
Southern Girl 199.4
Nicole H 185.2
Kristen W 207.5
Nawlinz Lady 186.5
Jen 205.6

My own superhero

I AM MY OWN SUPERHERO !!...It started as a joke between the hubby and myself but the more I thought about it afterwards it made sense. Why the hell not ?? Dont superhero's go out and save the day ? Don't they perform acts of heroism and save those desperately in need?? Dont they face monsters and demons ?? Well I think in this journey I've accomplished all of that !! ( And I know you guys understand that this isnt self indulgence!!)
The way I see it we are all our own superheroes !! Most of us prior to this transformation sat there day after day just eating ourselves to death. Desperate for a solution to the health and emotional problems and desperate for a breath of fresh air ( for me it was literal with my asthma) from the constant digging ourseleves into a bigger hole. Low and behold we all made a decision and into the OR walked in one girl and out walked a superhero !! One who was gonna take this fight all the way and use all of her powers to beat this thing. The girl who walked out was going to stand firm against the hunger demons and to the cookie, soda etc etc monster and chase them away that is the work of a superhero..and I AM MY OWN SUPERHERO !!

So here comes the funny part..I figured that every superhero should have a theme song and to me it totally ties in with the other motivating tidbits that we've been doing with the word or phrase for the year...right? So I decided on a song that not only gets my pumping at the gym but that describes the superhero that has replaced that sad and desperate lonely girl that use to live in my mirror !! Because the girl that lives in my mirror now..man is SHE A SEXY CHICK !! click the highlighted title to see the video

Great and weird NSV, plus my "mental" restriction

First of it was butt cold here this morning !!! I had a painful laugh this morning when I looked at the forecast and it was actually warmer in SE Alaska (30 deg) then it was here this morning.. I was like are you serious !!??? So on went the thermals ( did I mention how much I hate the thermals!! ARRGH!) and off to work I went.
At the train station my company offers a shuttle service, and they usually have 2 shuttle buses running. Today we got 1 bus and a van. Now I have a history with this van !! For the longest time due to my weight I would cringe every time I saw this van because I knew that it represented a very uncomfortable and embarrassing experience. Just getting in and out of the tight rows was a total embarrassing pain. So imagine my immediate annoyance at seeing the van this morning!! Well in I went and OMG! it was a total non-issue !!! I comfortably went right in and sat in the middle of the middle row and felt totally comfortable..I had such a great smile that I think the driver thought I was flirting with him ( LOL!!) High five for me !!!
Later during lunch time I went to the gym as usual and was taking a new step class with the same aerobics instructor that does my thursday Step & Sculpt class. I don't know if it's a combination of the new hair with the more recent changes, but afterward she comes up to me and says " you did great today...is this your first time taking step?" I looked at her perplexed and said "Debbie, I been taking your other class for months !" She totally dropped her jaw and apologized and said that she hardly recognized me and that I was looking so amazing !! It was a rather awkward NSV for me, because I was so pleased that someone else had noticed my changes but not ready for the not being recognized. I know that this has happened to other bandsters and I guess its one of those side effects of a new me....not that I'm complaining !!

I guess these challenges are paying off after all !!

So about the mental restriction. I think ( knock on wood) that I'm at my ideal fill level and have actually moved my next fill appt till the 25th from this friday. ( Hey Jen BTW when is your next appt ?). I know I've had restriction for awhile but mentally it is still a struggle for me to grasp just how much of a restriction I have. Lately I've been serving myself the same portions and not finishing them, and I've been eating a little too fast with some foods ( lean ham, chicken and plantains) and have had some recent PB episodes. Dinner today was fine but only ate 3/4 cup of what I put on the plate. Just wondering if anyone else is having a "mental" issue with getting the restriction ??

Okay Ladies...here we go it's the LOVE TO LOVE MYSELF loser challenge !!

The response that I got for a new challange was excellent and I am soooo excited that I've got some many great losers
to do this with so here it is lady challange # 2 the " LOVE TO LOVE MYSELF" Losers challange. Gen has very graciously offered to host the prize for this challange...THANKS GEN !! Make sure to check out her blog and how awesome she is rocking by clicking on the link here

Okay so here are the challenge rules:

1. Challenge starts this SUNDAY Jan 11th. and ends SUNDAY FEB 28th.
2. Weight in days are SUNDAYS, please make sure to email me (mrscutecuban@gmail.com) your weeks weight by 8 pm SUNDAY night so that I can post your numbers for the week.
3. Please include a picture of you on the scale, on the FIRST and LAST week of the weight in's. PLEASE NOTE the painted toe clause...your scale pics might be posted so prepare the toes accordingly ( LOL).
4. The challenge prize will go to the biggest loser meaning the person who loses the most weight from challenge week # 1

Gen had a wonderful concept for this to be a LOVE TO LOVE ME challenge. I think that this is incredibly appropriate and a great start to this magical year. I think that it is a concept that might be foreign to many of us. I know that I had forgotten how to love myself. I was content just blending into the background where i could hide from the real world, the mirrors, the camera, social parties and situations because I was just so damn ashamed that I had let myself get to the point where I was at...Well that it the case NO LONGER !!! I have already learned that I got what it takes ! That I got the power and that I am in control and that I WILL LOVE MYSELF..ALL OF ME !!

One of the girls from the previous challenge ( She will remain anonymous) had emailed me and confessed that she felt that she really wasn't an inspiration with her loss and I want to completely DISAGREE !! She was and is a complete inspiration to many. An inspiration to those ladies and gents out there who are sitting on the couch right now, wondering how they can get there life back. She is an inspiration to that person thinking that there is no solution and that this is how it will always be from now on, so I minus will just accept it and my answer is NO !! You got up off the couch, got the courage and took a dramatic step and made the decision to say it's my time !!!

And the final results are in...

First of I want to thank all these incredible women that took this challange with me and it is because of them that it was a great success !! Yes, this band is great and wonderful and a god send with the kit and caboodle attached but the real magic happens when you meet a great group of people who accept you, understand you and are there for your every ran, rave, dissapointment and victory. You guys are the reason this works and you guys are the reason that 2010 will be a historical year for many many people who had lost all hope. So give yourselves a great big hug because you are the reason we all are the biggest losers !!!

I had commented with last weeks results that I was not counting myself in for the running of the challenge winner. I have received so much already that just having the group of you is more than I thought I was going to get from this whole journey, so the winner of the gift certificate for this first FFC biggest loser challenge is...... LINDA !!! With a total weight loss of 18.1 lbs in 10 weeks !!! Congratulations Linda you did GREAT !!! Make sure to send me an email so that I can get your gift certificate out to you soon !! I realized something when I was putting together the final numbers that as a group we did something completely spectacular....adding up all the pounds shredded during these 10 weeks, we as a group loss a combined 103.7 lbs !!!! That is just freaking amazing...ladies take a bow you did a phenomenal job !!!!

So that being said anyone up for a Valentines day challenge ?? If you'd like to participate please email me mrscutecuban@gmail.com and if I get a good response I'll post the details. Or if you have any ideas for another type of challenge please let me know I am always up for a healthy dose of competition to get my butt moving !!!