AlanaH

All I can tell you is that it is so very important to drink water! I drink 2 - 3 (sometimes 4 if i'm really ambitious) liters a day. It flushes out your body keeps you hydrated. I ended up last week being very dehyrdated. I missed a day of not drinking enough water and was sick for an entire week - almost ended up in Emeg because of it. I do it also because it makes me go pee lots and then I don't have to work kidding ... well kinda ... hahahah But its not only good for flushing out your system, it makes you full and it makes your skin look good when its hydrated! I'm sure everyone else will let you know that its important to drink, drink and drink some more! And yes, I find that when I drink that much water I am a little heavier, but the next morning I'm down a couple of pounds from the morning before -- If you don't like plain water, drink some Crystal Light, or put a lemon in the water to drink. Sometimes I drink thru a straw to make it 1) go down faster and 2) makes it fun cause I have a cool straw in the shape of a frog (you have to manipulate the mind sometimes!) Good luck with the water -- you can do it! Alana

Yay Cathy!!! Wait to go! And .... like Julie said, its people like you that lose that are an inspiration to us ..... I'm only just starting and can't wait to get to 40 pounds ... or even 20 Alana

hey thanks for the advice!!! I think I'll just stay away from the drinks for the wedding, I'm already what I like call a "cheap drunk" and after one am already feeling it so .... to save myself some embarassment, I think I'll just avoid it. Plus, I already told my husband I'd be the designated driver that night ..... I'm going to learn how to chew small pieces .... I think this could be one of the hardest tasks to learn! Thanks again for the advice - and from everyone too - its all appreciated! Alana

I was able to stay away for the first few weeks that I signed up..... only on it at night time until just the other day ... I found out that I have free access to the site at work! WOOOHOOO!!! Hahahaha.... at my work (I work in a hospital, they either restrict all your access or give you access and you have to use "quota time" - 60 minuets a day at 10 minute intervals) ..... well I guess cause this is considered a "medical" site I have free access - no quota time needed! heheeheh.... snicker snicker... I won't be telling anyone around here about this! So now my addiction has been carried from not just at night at home but to the day time too .... but I limit myself to come on here -- every hour or so! hahahahah But in all honesty if I didn't have access to this board I wouldn't be able to really do this on my own -- so its an addiction I can handle. Hope everyone is having a good day! Its Friday!!!!

which means ...... I'M GETTING BANDED IN A WEEK!!!!! Ok, so I'm a little happy - as much as I enjoy my Ensure in the AM and Lunch and Lean Cuisine in the evening, I just want this stage over and done with so I can move on and start my new life! I'm sure you've all been here! I know that the next couple of weeks afterwards won't be easy either but I figure if I've survived the pre-op diet from h*ll then I can do the post-op diet too! I've got a wedding on September 13th and that puts me at 22 days post op .... so I can have solids that day! But I think to play it safe I'll just have some broths and stuff - last thing I want is to learn how to eat solids again at the wedding and be sick all over the place! :bad: Its going to be hard enough that I can't drink when we go too But thats alright, I'm willing to sacrifice many things for this surgery to make it happen. On a happy note though - we've booked our Whale Watching tour for Nova Scotia so that'll take away my sadness for not being able to have ham and turkey at the wedding... heheheheh Things here have been so hectic at work for the last 3 weeks. My co-worker has been away and back on Monday (thank goodness) .... I'm really looking forward to going away next week. In a week I'll be banded, I can't believe it! Wooohooo!!! Alana

I just sent mine in too --- it should be hilarious to see what I'll look like! I submitted my wedding photo too ...... hehehehehe

Hey everyone --- you're all doing great!!!!!! I'm so excited to be getting banded later this month! I have a question -- do any of you exercise along with being banded? Does this help with losing the weight? Alana

Hey all - glad I read your replies - I'm up in Fort Mac and am debating on going to either Edmonton or Calgary. Edmonton 4 hours, Calgary 8 --- but I have more things to do and see and friends to visit in Calgary so I'm going to take your advice and go to one of those Dr's. Hope everyone is having a good evening!

..... and me too!!! I'm not trying to hide it from anyone, but really this is something I just want to do with my family and couple of close friends -- and of course everyone here. Once I am a few months after being banded, I'll share my secret with them all. Alana (Alana Holmstrom on Facebook - Winnipeg, MB network)

I am too ---- Alana Holmstrom (Winnipeg, MB network)

My husband and I are going to wait until next year before we start trying again. I want to be at a "safe" weight and 2 miscarriages in 5 months is really too much for me to handle so I'm alright with waiting. I know they say to wait a year, but I was thinking while we were in Mexico next year would be a nice time to start trying ..... Thanks for the information & links ... and everyone else's personal input. It helps me alot!

What a lazy day!!! Devin had to go to work today so its just Beans & I .... we're having a lazy day on the couch drinking water, watching A&E and thinking of having a nap ... oh yeah, and peeing out that water I'm drinking! At least today I get to watch Matlock, Perry Mason and Murder She Wrote. hehehehe.... I'm booking my hotel room for San Diego tonight - for the night before we leave to head back up to Edmonton. We originally found one hotel that gave us an airport shuttle for $121US but when I searched a website from Minneapolis that always has good deals .... I found one for mucho cheaper (and still includes a shuttle)! Not that I'm a cheap person, I just think that my $30 I'm saving can go to say something at Bath & Body Works or Target for myself.... or the outlet malls! hehehehe.... Oh how I miss over the border shopping! I can't bring myself to stand on the scale this morning --- with all this water, I know that I'll be up. I find weekends to be my hardest in regards to wanting to snack. I think its just because I'm bored. I've done really good - still eating what I'm suppose to -- but last night I had one package of those 100 calories crackers. I "needed" something -- whether it be salt or whatever, I needed it. Yes, I hate myself for having it -- but such is life. Today I'm back on what I need to be doing .... Ensure, Ensure, Lean Cuisine and water. I have the discipline to do this.... but last night I just needed something. I figure it was safer to have that than a chocolate bar or chips or anything else I could find in the house. Anyway, I won't be having them anymore. And we went grocery shopping yesterday - our usual trip is a cart filled with food - but this time it only had Lean Cuisine's and a loaf of bread for Devin. The LC's were on sale for 3/$9 so we bought 12 (plus there were extra air miles -- woohoo!) and I'll only need to buy a few more before I head down. We have cut waaaaaaay down on our grocery bill, we'll probably save $300 a month. yippee!! I'm going to save my Wii workout for this afternoon .... for now ... I'm going to have a nap!

I love, love my Wii Fit --- infact I was on it this morning doing my 30 minute step - it gives you the option of watching tv when you do it that long so I put it on some mindless tv and .... stepped to almost 3000. I would recommend it to anyone --- its alot of fun, keeps track of your weight loss (my Mii won't be chubby for long I tell ya!) and..... I sweat alot on it! hahahahaha

So my Wii Age was 33 the beginning of this morning - not far from the 30 that I am. I decided that while Devin was sleeping with the dog and our roommates were out, I would hop on board and get my workout done. Holy cow --- I'm sweatin' like a pig! But it was good! I did the 30 minute step and it worked out to 2950 steps at a really steady pace. The best thing about the 30 minute free step --- you can watch tv while its going - so I put on the Family Channel for some mindless entertainment and stepped away! I've had Wii fit since it came out -- and have made a effort to do it every day --- except the yoga -- I suck at yoga! I did a few more activities afterwards for about 45 minutes on it today and went and re-did my fitness test and I'm down to 32.... one whole year down! hahahah.... Some days I am 29 or 30 .... others a little older. If I don't do it on a daily basis, I slack too much and my age goes up. So here's to doing step every day! At least its some activity! I'm down a couple more pounds and finally saw the 250's ..... hopefully this work out will get the pounds off more before I head down later this month! I have to lose 13 and I'm almost there but I'd like to lose more if I can. I've never really been one to at first lose lbs.... inches usually come first and I noticed it yesterday when I changed at work. Because I work in the OR (as a booking clerk) I have to change into scrubs because I'm in a sterile environment. The size that I wear, when I first started, were a little tight but yesterday I noticed I have about an inch on each side of my thigh and the waist is getting looser. I hope that this will amount to lbs lost soon. Either way, inches are good for me too --- Its the long weekend this weekend and sadly --- its raining. Although I never hold out for beautiful weather on any of the long weekends here! And Devin found out he has to work on Monday. Which sucks! We had planned on heading to Calgary for the weekend but not now Oh well - its better that we don't cause its too tempting to go to our favorite Italian restaurant there. He wants to go to a movie so thats probably what we'll do. I am going to do another 30 minutes on the Wii later tonight .... I actually enjoy it and any type of exercise that is enjoyable -- is good exercise! :-h

So I just got back from a long walk with my husband and my dog, Beans. Nice night out but the mosquitoes are out to getcha! That they did, guess I forgot to spray on the arms! Oh well, it was nice and long and we kept up a good pace. I talked to my mom today and she's told me that her & dad are going to give me the money for Tijuana to pay for and that we'll pay them back. This is such a huge relief for Devin and I..... Of course we won't be paying them back in the next few months but we can do it so that we aren't eating Kraft Dinner for the rest of the year as we can't afford anything else! So its a load of stress off me -- and the fact that our renter is leaving .... wooohooo!! Things are looking up! I've only lost 5 pounds on this stinking pre-op diet and hope that the long walks will help. I was going to get on the bike this morning but .... I just couldn't get myself out of bed! So tomorrow ..... I hope! We had a rough day at work today and I didn't have a chance to take a lunch. Power went out in town and at the hospital and we were stuck with patients sitting in the dark and worring about our back up generators that weren't working ..... by the time that everything calmed down, I missed my breaks and lunch .... and my lovely Ensure! Surely this weight must be coming off - however I've never been one to lose pounds first, its always been inches .... and I'm noticing some of my clothes are fitting looser, so maybe something is still happening? Either way, I'm still focusing and staying strong --- I don't know why people knock Ensure .... I quite enjoy it. Granted, if its the only thin you can drink ..... you're kind of forced to like it! Well ..... its almost bedtime and I should probably hit the sack. I've got to figure out where we're going to go camping this weekend -- we're thinking Banff but it being a long weekend .... who knows if we can find a site for our tent. Either way, I must get out of Fort McMurray! :-h

Oh my goodness --- YOU ROCK!!! Thanks so much for that information!! I've had to sit on a plane and wait for customs to open before and that sucked too! Well at least I know I can show up later than planned.... a little later I think we're now going to stay in Leduc or Nisku and thats only a few minutes away rather than do the highway driving for 40 minutes, risk getting a flat tire or hitting a deer or something else happen that would prevent me from getting to my flight heheheh.... Went for a long walk again tonight, the only war wounds to prove it though are the trillions of mosquito bites on me and the blister on my foot, but I'm lovin' it ......