As for my Pug......his name is Bugg and is a TOTAL trip. He just turned 15 weeks and has the energy of a 2 year old kid. He is sooo much fun though and worth every 'pumped-up puppy' moment. His buddy is my 6 year old white Boxer named Polar that has been totally deaf since he was born. They are both great dogs.

oh, doncha love the insurance game...
I too looked into the surgery, many people I know had it and are the head cheerleaders for it. One had to as her weight was getting into the 'Jerry Springer" zone, over 500 The other was a young girl, maybe 22...
here is my problem, they program they went to, did nothing to teach them about healthy eating, just snip, cut, zip, and pay. One had serious problems busting through the stitches. But still I wanted the magic bullet. After finding out my insurance company wouldn't pay, I abandoned that idea.
By hanging out with the 'chick~force' here on the web, I found a place that I could get the support. Thin friends never understand (just stop eating, duh!) and heavy friends always felt guilty (what is she saying about me???) so, we find our own way to this place and *****, whine, rant, rave, fail, and succeed...no guilt, all glory.
I am on the medication Maridia, and having great success...33 pounds since Jan 20th, but I have a looooooooog way to go. Not sure why the Dr. wouldn't even consider that, but as everyone else is telling you, you may want to shop arround. You have some very positive things going for you, a body frame that will carry your weight well, and a history of weight lifting, that is great. Keep us posted on all phases of your progress!

Well thanks everyone! Such optimism I LOVE IT!
You all game for Friday updates on everyone? I plan on using my journal too for any daily issues or obstacles. We could make Friday weigh day and make another challenge towards our goals. I already know what next weeks will be for me.........give up Nesquick in my milk.
I soo can't resist that stuff.

And Ellis...you are where i haven't seen in years.....oh to bee 193. My ulitmate goal is to get to the 160's but the last time I was there was when I was 16, 2 inches shorter and a size 10. Maybe at 33 180's is more a realistic goal and I would gladly wear a 14 any day instead of the 20 (22 on bloated days) I do now!!!!! I just want to feel good and be healthier again no matter what the weight.

Friday is a good weigh day for me. And not to sound obnoxiously OP, but I don't have anything food wise to give up or work on except keep doing what I have been doing. And that is my challenge every day!

Weight Goals

Current Weight--133 lbs
Weight Goals--To lose at least 5 lbs by Easter(I only have one more lb to go for 5 lbs lost since our Easter Challenge)
Ultimate Weight Goal--to weigh 125

Exercise Goals

Current--Going to the gym 3-5 times a week for an hour of exercise class.
Exercise Goal--To go the the gym 5 times a week every week.
Ultimate Exercise Goal--Continue going to the gym 5 times a week doing an hour exercise class

Food Goals

Current--I eat 70% good and 30% bad
Food Goal--To eat more fruits and veggies and to get more water in.
Ultimate Food Goal--To start a journal and write down everything I eat to track my success.

Rubens
do you follow any sort of plan or programme for weight loss? I know there are MANY different things out there, but I personally am a firm believer in Weight Watchers.

The problem with diets is that they feel retrictive and tell our subconcious just that. So we do really well for a while, and then BAM a binge strikes, we undo all our hard work.

The reason (and no I'm not paid by WW) I love WW is because I can eat WHAT I want, WHEN I want, I only have to be accountable to myself. It's really down to you. There are no special pills or even procedures that is really going to do it for you in the long run.

I would be MORE than happy to take a look at your food journals (providing you have them or would do them for about a week) and we could go from there to see how we can actually help you lose weight. I'm not a professional or an expert and personally I'm even going through a bit of a slump, so it would also motivate ME as well as hopefully you to help you along.

I haven't been around very long here, but these gals are great and I'm sure you will get ALL the support you need right here!!!

Rockette
No I am not really following anything exactly. I have been on the Zone before, but found it too restrictive though I did have good results. I have done the WW thing several times (many years ago) and, not to offend, but didn't find much happiness with the particular group I was with. I found them preachy and a bit patronizing. I am NOT saying that is the case with WW as whole, but that particular experience left a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth. (pardon the pun).

However, YOU seem to have benefited, so congrats!!! My own personal experience was ugly enough to mar the little weight loss I did have while with WW, but I am sure a better group would have provided me a better outlook and provided the proper knowledge on my weight and food. Since you obviously have had such a positive outcome, and definantly gave me a boost....I would love to have you help and give support so I will post my food diary on my journal (I will start tomorrow). Plus knowing you are looking at it, kinds gives me that incentive to chose better. I need that!!!

I am happy that helping me will help you too...thats what friends are for!~

please forgive me...

i will read each and every post [i promise!], but i'm about ready to leave work and i wanted to say something. and please accept my apologies if this has already been raised...

the diet your doc had you on... what was it? here's what i'm thinking: insulin resistance can be related to syndrome x/metabolic syndrome, and the major diet for that one is a diabetic diet with extra protein and whole grains [which means nothing white].

does this sound reasonable to you? i'm getting this information from a dietician who's a diabetes educator, and is associated with the obesity center i go to. i've had the bypass surgery, but they also take care of people who haven't had it and aren't planning it.

will try to post more later... but it's time to go home...

Believe it or not, the doc didn't even really put me on anything. I had to fast when I did my 5 hour test. But nothing further was said other than 'try to lose weight and get more exercise'. I am unfamilier with the syndromes you are mentioning and will bring them up with the doctor when I see him on the 12th of April. It would be interesting to hear what he has to say. Hopefully, he will be more receptive than my GP.

Thanks for joining the thread! And curious, how have you been after your surgery?

Friday is good for me, Rubens!

Hi Rubenns and welcome!

Everyone here is great! We all struggle together and do the best we can.

I highly recommend journalling. Also WW is so good because you still eat very normally. But you are carefully not to go over board.

Have Fun! You aren't impossibly overweight. I personally think you can loose weight and be a healthy weight without surgery.

Good luck and keep going!!!

sandi

170/152/120 Easter Goal is 145!

rubens... i'm doing great. i'm a little over a year out, and i've lost more than 260 pounds, including the 97 i lost before the surgery [they corrected my sleep apnea, which apparently gave me a metabolism. i lost that 97 between september 2001 and the surgery on january 29, 2002.] i have roughly 50-60 pounds to go, and it's gotten really slow.

there's lots more info, and ramblings, in the weight loss surgery forum about 10 lines below the alternachicks.,

i don't want to bore everyone else here...

Syndrome X and Insulin Resistance (and diabetes) are in the same family as PCOS (although Syndrome X has multiple factors), which I think you mentioned in your first post. If you haven't had recent lab work done relating to these things, I would start there. The recommended diet for PCOS is similar to what Jiffypop mentioned. I haven't been following that type of diet and still have been able to lose weight since going on meds for PCOS.

Rubens
If you had a crap WW group I can see how that could effect you. One of my best friends quit her group (after I moved to a different city she went to one in her city) because she absolutely couldn't stand them, but she still slowly but surely got down to where she wanted to be.

I would love to take part in your journal!

I'd just like to mention that I eat "low-carb" but not in the sense that I eat the way that Atkins suggest. I eat lean meat in smaller portions, eggs, other proteins (beans, fish), BROWN bread and rice, potatoes, lots of fruit and lots of veg. I also eat fats but good fats, olive oil and canola oil for example and keep those at a minimum. I only figured out how to eat like this after being on WW for more than 2 years... it takes time...

I hope we can help you!

WOW Jiffypop!!!!! You go girl!!! Well I feel in your case the surgery was probably a life saver. I can truly understand having it done in extreme cases can certainly alter someones life for the better. But those that are having it done as a 'quick fix' for 50 lbs baffles me. (I've seen what you must have gone through) The only reason (as I mentioned above) that I even brought it to my doctors attention was because 1.) a little peer pressure and a bit of..ok I will admit it.. :whispering: jealousy... for the effects I see with a couple of my friends 2.) because I was asking the doc for her for help for something that I can't seem to fix on my own. I do feel now that there was a reason for her 'blow off' and perhaps it was for the better.

Sojourner.....I will mention this syndrome to my other doctor and see what he says. I looked up a bit about it and I can eliminate any heart related issues. I have low blood pressure and my triglycerides are in much better shape now, and cholesteral even lower than when I was diagnosed in 2000. My last full screen was almost a year ago, so your suggestion is a great one. The diabetic factor does play out in my family (unfortunaltey) and has always been a concern of mine, which is why I want to lose the weight and get healthier NOW before I get older and wind up like my relatives. They are all VERY heavy (300+) and are on Glucophage, Metformin, blood pressure meds, etc. They have not made efforts to lose weight outside of the 'side effect' loss from the meds. They don't exercise.

So here I am, on the cusp and looking into the future....kinda blurry up there but things have GOT to change for me. I HATE (with a passion) taking medications of any form. -- I also have epilepsy (since a baby), which I am supossed to be medicated for, but I refused and have learned to control it other ways. It's been over 2 years since my last one, and it was when I was under ALOT of stress. --

Rockette.....THANKS!!!!!! Anyone else is welcome to share in the journal too. make comments, suggestions, etc. I plan on posting my Food Diary today after dinner. Knowing I needed to prepare for your watchful eyes, I did NOT eat the yummy Rice Krispie treats my husband made last night...the bast&@! even put chocolate on the top. I kindly let him know what I was up to online and told him the Alternachicks will come kick his butt if he thwarted my efforts like this again. -- Needless to say, the Krispies are in a container and he counted everyone, so sneeking is out...cause he said he'd go online and tattle on me.
He's worth the 17 years I put into him.

Thanks Ladies!!! I'll jump online later today....I am off to school....