I was having a "fat" day, so I wanted to look at my progress pictures and remember how far I've come. Seeing my "before" photo from mid-January, right next to my current picture from a couple of weeks ago definitely helps me to put today in perspective!
Tomorrow I'm participating in a local Arthritis Walk. I have no idea how long it is. Perhaps I should have checked! Ha!
I'm looking forward to going on vacation next week. I think I have late Spring fever!!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Weekends sure do seem to fly by, don't they? Friday was such a great day. Work was busy until around 3:00, then we all took out our new iPads and played. We showed each other which apps we had purchased and "ichatted". Ha! We are spoiled.
After work, I went home and freshened up, then Cori & I went to Ft. Worth. She had a gift card to PF Changs from her birthday. We did the meal for two which was a ridiculous amount of food for the two of us. I ate about 1/2 my hot and sour soup cup, 1 chicken lettuce wrap, then about 7 small pieces of chicken/shrimp from the two entrees. I did manage to have a few bites of dessert too. :scared2: Then we headed to the Bowling for Soup concert which was super fun. I LOVE them!!
We didn't get home until almost 2am, so I slept in instead of going to Jazzercise. In fact, except for a Tupperware party at 2pm and church at 6pm, I lazed around most of the day.
Sunday was a different story. While I didn't get up until 9:30, I was busy after that. I met some friends for breakfast. I LOVE EGGS! I went to the grocery store then came home and attacked both my laundry and the spare bedroom. I worked for about 4 hours around the house and really burned some calories! I completely finished my laundry and the spare room is about 90% ready for visitors.
I spent the evening catching up on the last season of WEEDS. That is such a crazy, but awesome show. Next thing I knew, it was time for bed and a new week!
Tomorrow is the end of the month and time for my monthly weigh in. Stay tuned. :sleep:
Hi all! Today was a busy day, but quite productive.
I had my post op appointment this morning. I felt a TON better today and feel like I'm well on the road to recovery. I still didn't understand why my gas was so freaking bad, but other than that, all was well.
I told the nurse about the gas and as we discussed it she got a look on her face. She said that they weren't gas pains that they were spasms in my esophogus. She said that is what happens when your band is too tight. Hmm...interesting. How anybody could ever live with that, I have no idea. She said that if it is to continue that they will take the fluid out that was put in at the beginning until I fully heal. I think that the swelling is going down quickly enough that I won't have to do that. If it continues though, I will fix it. Living with it is not an option!!
She also gave me my diet progression. I can eat most canned foods now..fruits, veggies, tuna, etc. I can also have eggs, refried beans & innards of a baked potato. Soft cheeses are okay too. This diet is for one week. The next week I can add all veggies and all chicken and fish along with a few other things. The following week (after my first fill appointment routine), I go to my full post op diet. YAY!
I still have a lot of swelling so I'm not hungry at all. Not good for the spasms, but since they are lessening now, at least it is a positive by product. For lunch, I had one scrambled egg and I dipped my bites in salsa. For dinner, I had a baked potato with cheese, sour cream, and butter. I only ate about half of it.
So far, I have had absolutely no issues with food going down. I have high hopes that will continue! :drool:
I spent my first afternoon at work. I was exhausted after about 3 hours so I was really glad I only did a half day. We will see how tomorrow goes.
Have a great day, fellow bandsters!!
I talk to my mom during my daily commute to work. This morning she told me I was perky. Ha! I guess after two weeks, I'm finally getting back to myself.
I guess I was feeling a little psyched up today. Once I started eating solid food, I gained a couple of pounds. Today I had lost those plus another tenth. I feel like I'm getting started again!
Also, today is the first day I'm wearing jeans. I sit a lot and the waistband hits right at my incision. I have put off wearing them because I didn't want to irritate it. Today I put on a tank top to tuck in under my sweater and it seems to have made a nice protective barrier. Plus, the jeans fit well...almost loose! Since they were getting very snug before surgery, I'm feeling pretty good.
Today is also the first day I can have real (non-canned) chicken, fish, & vegetables. I'm going to Rockfish for lunch so YUM!
I don't eat my breakfast until 9:00 AM and we leave for lunch around 11:30 AM. So, lately I have been drinking half of my protein shake for breakfast and then drinking the rest around 3:30 when I'm starting to get a little hungry. It really seems to be working well and it is the same amount of calories, etc., they are just spread out!
My perky self better get back to work. Have a bandtastic day!
I've been having trouble posting my blog entries and have lost about three. Supposedly things are fixed, so here I go!
I am one month out. I have lost 22 lbs and 8.75 inches. YAY!! Most of that was during my pre-op diet, but I'm still down in total since the surgery. I understand this is bandster hell and I'm trying! I've found that I'm less obsessed which is good, but since I didn't lose anything last week...maybe it isn't too good.
I analyzed what I ate last week and found that I'm spending too many calories on carbs and fat. So my goal for this week is to really focus on high protein and low carb meals. My scale goal is to get on a downward, losing trend. I'm trying not to be too selfish and impatient, but I just want to go in the right direction!
Working out again feels really good. I think it will take about 6 weeks for me to get in the habit of going to class 3-4 times a week, but that is my goal. I used to do that without a problem, but it is amazing what you can get used to when you are being lazy! I know that without a doubt, the exercise makes me feel better and it will help me get off those pounds.
I am definitely feeling more restriction since my first fill. I have had trouble when I eat too fast or take too big of bites, so that has helped me to slow down. I have also had some trouble with heated up chicken no matter the size of the bites, so that has helped me modify my meal plan.
Right now I'm having a protein shake for breakfast, my "big" meal at lunch (today was some chicken on a baked potato), an afternoon snack of pita chips and laughing cow cheese, and dinner (grilled chicken salad with boiled egg.) My breakfast, snack & dinner don't see much diversity, so I really try to mix it up at lunch. For instance, yesterday I had grilled catfish with a small amount (2 T?) of broccoli rice casserole.
I eat lunch out almost every day. If anyone has any meal ideas for restaurants, please send them my way!!
Have a great week!!
So far, so good. I woke up this morning and, as usual, weighed first thing. All but 2 tenths of the vacation weight gain had melted away...yay!! I was able to get up a little later than normal because I'm staying home this morning while I wait for my new chair. I attached a picture. It is a little wild, but the rest of my room is kind of plain so I'm hoping it looks good!
Anyway, I went for my run. It took me 27 minutes to run 1.75 miles. Since I would like to run my 5K on Saturday in 45 minutes, I'm off the pace. This morning's pace is more like my Labor Day run pace. So, yay for doing it, but boo for not improving much.
The whole first mile, I kept thinking that there would be no way I could do this tomorrow. I just hurt too much. But as soon as I was done, I was totally planning to do it again. Ha! No pain, no gain! :thumbup:
I have just over 9 pounds to lose by Thanksgiving, so I have to keep at it. Yesterday, I did well with my calories and I was proud of my choices. I really wanted some ice cream last night, but I refrained! It's the little things that make me happy.
So, my run is Saturday and it is Halloween weekend. I have a Halloween shirt and some devil horns, but I was hoping to find something more. I bought a pair of "one size fits most" halloween tights last weekend, but they were too small. I will keep them for next year! I would like to find something like that though.
Have a great day everyone!!
I absolutely LOVE the Olympics!! I know a lot of folks don't, but I do. I love the competition, the pageantry, the patriotism, the cute guys...I love it all. It just makes me happy. Although while I was typing this, I got a CNN Breaking News about one of the races. That is just mean. I don't want to know! I want to watch and enjoy it. Sigh. Oh well, I LOVE the OLYMPICS!
Today is Ash Wednesday and as a Catholic, I practice fasting as defined by the Church. That means no meat today or on Fridays during Lent. It also means only one "large" meal with two smaller meals, but I already only have three small meals because of the band! I went to church during my lunch break and picked up lunch when I got back at the deli in my office building. Typically I would get a sandwich, but since I can't have bread yet for a while (surgeon's orders) and I can't have meat (Ash Wed), it created a mini-challenge for a high-protein diet. I settled for a scoop of egg salad on tossed greens which ended up being quite good.
Tonight is my monthly dinner with my girlfriends. We are going to Jaxx Steakhouse which offers a nice choice of seafood. Yummy!
When I visited my surgeon, he said that he felt that with hard work, I shoud get to around 145 lbs. I laughed out loud...with disbelief and delight.
I currently weigh around 275 which is more than my dad. And my dad is a hefty dude! I gained quite a few pounds this year, about 15-20 from quitting smoking and 5-10 from being lazy. My "normal" weight is around 250.
My lowest point which I hovered around for a few months two different times (once in 2000 and the other in 2006) was 200. I felt downright hot at those points! I was wearing clothes from "normal" stores. I really felt that I looked good, but I just couldn't stay there.
In college, I was right around the 200 mark as well. In high school, I remember lying on my driver's license that I was 155, but I was really 165-170. By the time I graduated, I think I was around 180. I found some high school sennior pics the other night that I have posted to this entry. I remember thinking that I was SO fat, but at this age, I think I look great!
If I were to get to 175 (100 lbs. lost) and maintain it for the rest of my life, I think I could be quite content.
But before I make that goal, I'm going to make the goal of the doctor's goal of 145. Maybe with the right help, confidence and focused work, I can get to that weight and maintain it.
I'm willing to keep my mind open and set small goals as I go. I don't want to frustrate myself or set too lofty goals, but I also don't want to close my mind to an amazing possibilities.
Shortterm goals for now...but the mind stays firmly open!!
Thank you all for helping me celebrate Fat Day yesterday!! Thankfully that is past and I feel much better today. :cool:
On Monday, the elevators broke in my office building. Since the service elevator takes so long, I took the stairs. I work on the 18th floor so that is a lot of stairs. I was very sore (especially my calves!) yesterday so I decided to walk down the stairs every day until they don't hurt anymore. I'm not sure if that is genius or nuts!
I did it Monday right before leaving work and going to Jazzercise which I don't think was the best plan. Last night I did it after work too which was fine since I didn't do much in the evening. Although this morning I could hardly get out of bed!! Tonight I'm planning to work out so I thought it would be better to do the stairs in the morning. It only takes 5 minutes which is crazy since it can cause SO MUCH PAIN. Ha! So, I did it and it's done for the day.
During Fat Day, I decided that I needed to vary up my exercising. I have a membership to 24 Hour Fitness but only go for my (very sporadic) personal training sessions. One of my good friends is also a member so I challenged her to go to some classes. We are supposed to be doing the aqua aerobic class this evening, so that should be fun!
Have a great day everybody!!
First and foremost (ripping off the bandaid), the bad news is that I only lost one pound in October. Yikes! I know you are not supposed to say "only" because a pound lost is a pound lost. And for that, I am thankful. If I had worked hard for this pound, then I would be thrilled! But you all know with all of my vacations and Halloween, etc., I have spent a lot of time off the wagon this month. That's okay and I'm not beating myself up about it, but that is why I am only one pound down. Time to pay the piper!!
HOWEVER, there is a lot of good news too. That one pound took me out of Class 2 obesity and into Class 1. That is a nice goal to reach! Also, I lost 7 inches on my body this month, including 2.5" on my bust, 1.5" on my waist and over a half inch on each upper arm. So, I'm tightening up and getting smaller which is the real goal anyway. Also...2nd 5K! I attached a picture from the race. I'm getting stronger and increasing my stamina, so that's great!
November, here I come!!
November is off with a bang! Last night was my standard Jazzercise and it felt good. We did a lot of jumping which my feet grumbled about, but I was able to do most all of it! We did a move called a reverse plank where you are sitting with your feet straight out and you lift your body off the floor using your arms. That wasn't so bad. But then we had to take turns raising each leg in the air...that was hard! And I'm quite sure I wouldn't have been able to do it 50 pounds ago, much less 75!
Last night I sadly watched the Texas Rangers finish their spectalcular season. They were SO fun to watch and they truly made a fan of me. Once the game was over, I switched to MNF to watch my beloved Colts. It was nice to have a win to offset some of the World Series sadness. :-) Thank goodness I'm not a Cowboys fan!!! HAHA!
This morning I got up extra early and went for a 1.75 mile run. It is still really hard, but I feel better when it is done. I got ready and went to vote.
Cori & I usually ride together on election days, but we have different schedules today so I headed to the polling place alone this morning. Once I got there to check in, my name wasn't on the list. As they were calling it in, Cori walked in and she wasn't on the list either. Luckily, Cori had her voting card and it turns out that our precinct moved. Excellent! So off to the next polling place. I did my civic duty and STILL made it to work early.
Happy Election Day! If nothing else, all the negative ads will be behind us for a few months.
Two weeks from Saturday I'm getting my hair cut and I think I want to go with a whole new style. I have been growing it long for over a year now and I think I need something new for my new body. I have used a virtual hairstyler and I want to get your feedback. See the attached pictures and let me know what you think!!
The first long bob is the most "me". It is what I will probably get unless I'm convinced otherwise. :smile: I think the short flippy 'do makes me look a little too matronly (or soccor mom anyway). Plus, I think it might be too high maintanence. The one labeled "Choppy" is my favorite short cut and then one I think I might be able to be talked into. It seems super fun! The "short crazy" one will be the one my stylist wants to do!! I'm an accountant, I don't know if I could keep it that "messy". There is another long bob picture in there that is slightly different...again, because that is the kind of cut I usually go for.
Let me know what you think! I will try to keep a thick skin... :ohmy:
Now, onto other things. I was another full pound up on the scale today. That is a stumper. However, I don't "feel" like I'm gaining and Jax tells me I shouldn't be...so, I'm going to continue to be patient. Today is a running day (lunch workout, 2 miles with 2 sets of hils and speed drills) which always makes for a good weigh in the next morning. We will see if that remains true.
I'm not wearing anything new today, but I feel GREAT!! I have on an Old Navy wool grey skirt with black leggings and grey short boots. I have on a black T-shirt and a denim jacket on top. It feels very current without being TOO trendy. I would have preferred tights instead of leggings, but there is no way I would have been able to get tights on after working out at lunch!!
SIDE NOTE: I just had an awesome moment. I was in my colleague's office and I noticed a couple of our staff members looking in but didn't think much of it. As I walked out, one of them (a girl who has been GREAT support this year) said that she pulled the other guy out of his cubicle to look at me. She said that she turned the corner and saw me in the office and didn't know who I was. When she realized it, she had to get someone else to see.
::Pause:: ::Blink, Blink::
SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
::Deep breath:: Now back to work! Happy day everyone!!
Today is 11 weeks post op and 13 weeks from the start of my pre op diet. At times, I can't believe how much my life has changed in that short time. I almost don't believe it is me making these good choices and sticking to my committments. Throughout my life, when it has come to diet and exercise, that hasn't traditionally been the case. :thumbup: So when I get home at 8:30 on a weeknight and I choose to walk a mile before plopping down in front of the TV, I am still surprised.
I do wish I could have the same focus/committment/success with food that I have with exercise. Now that I am into my 6th week of my Jumpstart exercise program, it is becoming more of a habit and a craving. I feel that now is the time to move my focus to food. ::gulp:: Up to this point, I eat what I want trying to keep in mind band rules. As long as I am losing, regardless of how little or how much, I don't do anything different. If I gain, I make myself log my nutrition until I start losing again. I think that is a good plan for me for the most part. However, I find that I make silly choices sometimes. Like last night, instead of having the 1-2 chocolate squares I would like to allow myself when I'm having a craving (it is that time of the month)...I had 4. Yikes! I also had fried popcorn shrimp for dinner. I didn't eat all of it, of course, but there was obviously an alternative I didn't choose. It is time to focus on making those better choices. I have one week before my next fill. I would so love to lose another 2-3 pound before then. I think by putting this in writing, it might help me commit!
I read someone's blog entry yesterday and she was talking about a book by Dr. Oz (I think) comparing life and the LB journey to a GPS system. If you take a wrong turn when you are following a GPS, it corrects you. It may take you a little longer to get where you are going, but really is no big deal. The LAP-BAND® is my (our) GPS. Before when I would make a bad decision (like eating a bunch of chocolate), I would spiral out of control for days or weeks eating whatever I wanted. Now, I just get back on track. I loved reading that analogy and have adopted it as my new attitude!
Have a great day!!
Y'all know how much I HATE to feel feel down. This week, I have not been losing and this morning on my official weigh in day, I was up .6. (At first I thought I was up a whole pound, so I'm not going to get too upset about just over a half!) Anyway, when I think back to why...
Exercise: I exercised for a total of 3 hours last week. One hour of Jazzercise, 2 - 30 minute treadmill sessions (couch to 5k), & 60 minutes with my trainer. Not bad, but far from my best.
Food: If I am honest with myself, I know that I did not make good food choices this week. I don't think it is about stress or comfort. I think that I'm hungry and I have no will power. The doctor had said that he thought I was close to my sweet spot and might not need another fill for a while, but I think that might not be the case. Typically, I'm not hungry in the mornings. I will usually drink a protein shake in the morning (around 9:30-10:00), not because I'm hungry, but to make sure I'm getting good protein. Today, my stomach was growling (with hunger) by 7:30 AM. I don't want to be so tight that I can't eat, but I do need to be tight enough to curb my hunger more.
Punishment: because I have gained weight this week, my punishment is to log my caloric intake. I HATE DOING THIS! I know some people are completely focused on this and I know that it is probably extremely helpful. But I HATE IT. So, it is an effective punishment and motivator to not have to do it again. Interestingly, I seem to do better when I'm away from home. Pre-band, vacations were weight gain guarantees! However, now, it seems to have the opposite effect. I don't snack much and I find time to work out. So...I will track my calories Mon-Wed. If I'm on the right track by end of Wednesday, I won't track my vacation (Thurs-Tues). When I get back, I will have one week until my fill. Now that week includes my birthday...so wish me luck!! Ha!
Random question: do you all update your avatar pictures? I know that picture is how people here know me, but it isn't me anymore. Do you all leave them or update them??
I had an interesting and meaningful experience this morning. It is a little outside my normal blog feel, so I’m posting separately. But it meant a lot to me and I wanted to share.
As a child, I looked up to my older cousin Tammy. In a big family, she was the oldest girl and hung out with all the older boys. There were 13 of us cousins and growing up we spent a lot of time together on my grandparent’s farm. We were so blessed to have that time together. I remember idolizing Tammy when I was in elementary school…she was probably in high school around that time. I thought she was so beautiful. I caught the bouquet at her wedding to handsome Mike. She was radiant that day.
Several years later, Tammy was attacked at her job. I was somewhat young and wasn’t privy to the details, but I know it wasn’t good. From that point on, she was never able to pull out of the spiral that began. She was in unsuccessful therapy, on too many pills and lived with her enabling mother. She lost her husband, her job, her friends, and her happiness. She was terribly obese. At our family get-togethers, she would eat and eat and eat. It was devastating to watch. I understand now that Tammy always had an eating problem…just like everyone else in my family, including me. I honestly believe it is hereditary. We all have weight issues, although some have a better handle on it than others. She had just gotten to the point where she couldn’t or didn’t want (or didn’t have the energy) to control it. Several years ago, Tammy passed away in her sleep. I’m not sure if they every actually figured out the true cause. But in my heart, Tammy just gave up on life.
This morning, I was dreaming about Tammy. I was having a conversation with her and her two sisters (sisters that do not exist in reality and I’m not sure what/who they symbolize). I don’t really remember that conversation, but I do know that it was a positive and happy one. Still in the dream, I called my mom. I told her about the conversation and although she didn’t mention the sisters she did remind me that Tammy had died so it couldn’t have been her. I told her that I forgot Tammy had died, but I KNEW it was her. Of that I was sure. The conversation ended.
Still in the dream, I was standing at a bathroom mirror. I laid my hands flat on the counter and bowed my head. I said to Tammy that I know it was you and I know you are here with me now. I asked her to give me a sign that she was with me. I looked up into the mirror with my hands firmly on the counter. My reflection was there pointing straight at me. It startled me, but then my body became warm and I started to wake up. Before I completely let go, I told her that “I knew it.”
Whether I believe that Tammy’s spirit was truly with me or whether I believe it was simply a dream is irrelevant. I know that Tammy would be behind me and appreciate what I am doing to change my life. It also helps reaffirm what I am fighting for. Although I am not Tammy, I do think that we share many similarities. I could very easily follow her path. But I’m choosing something different. I’m forging my own way and I WILL be successful. I love you Tammy and I promise that you will always be in my heart.
Beth
It is unbelievable how busy I am at work this week, so this blog entry will have to be quick. :-) I hope to get caught up on all my blog reading tonight!!
I'm meeting my sorority little sis for dinner tonight. It will be the first time we have seen each other in almost 15 years!! We reconnected through Facebook and figured out that we both live in the DFW area. That was over a year ago!! But we are finally getting together and I'm so excited. I can tell through her FB posts that she has lost a lot of weight this year and she has really been working at it. She's been an inspiration to me! Her pictures now look like the same Shannon I knew in college. :-)
As promised I'm attaching my spandex progress pics. The changes are definitely more subtle, but I can tell that the once "sausage casing-like" shirt is now getting baggy. Yay! Plus, I'm starting to have a break between my chest and belly, so that's nice.
Have a great day everyone! Hope to catch up more tomorrow.
Another month gone by! In some ways, it is hard to believe that it has been over 7 months since my surgery. In other ways, it just seems like it could've been a few weeks ago!
I was only slightly dissappointed when I realized that my loss for the month was 4.8 pounds. I mean pre-surgery, that would have been a really big deal! It is 60% of my monthly average. So the irritating portion of my brain says that isn't enough, but the other portion (the one that I CHOOSE to listen to) says that I should be proud of myself. I hit a plateau this month and instead of quitting in discouragement, I hit it head on. I learned a lot about myself and my body and I got myself back on track. THAT is the difference between me NOW and me BEFORE. I like it!!
That little lady is on the move! :tt2:
Today, I took my monthly measurements which I take in 13 places (neck, upper arms, wrists, bust, waist, belly, hips, thighs, calves). I am absolutely thrilled that I lost 11.25" this month. I have been tracking weight loss/measurements for eight months to include my preop diet. In those eight months, this is the 3rd most inches lost, but the LOWEST pounds lost. That just goes to show how important it is to measure!! It sent me from "not being disappointed" to being "absolutely thrilled." :thumbup: YAY!
I have to go sit through some boring CPE webinar. Boo! Talk to you all later!!
Another 7.6 pounds down! Yeehaw! I was concerned that my weight loss would slow down a lot after last month's lower (not bad, just lower than normal) loss. But I seemed to have bounced back which makes me VERY happy. Too reach my next goal of 199 pounds, I need to lose 12 pounds. I am going to aggressively push to reach that by Thanksgiving. I can do it!!
I worked out 681 minutes in September which works out to an average of 22.7 minutes per day. I can live with that! I also finished my first 5K which is an amazing accomplishment for me!!
I lost 7 inches this month. Most notably, I lost another .75 inches from EACH thigh. I totally believe that my thighs are as small as they have ever been as an adult. I can't imagine how they will look by Christmas!! Also, I lost 1.5 inches off my bust and 2 inches off my hips. Since January, I have lost 13.50 inches off my waist and 13 inches off my hips. Incredible! I was totally muffin-topping out of size 3 Lane Bryant jeans (that's around 22/24W) at the time of surgery and now I fit perfectly into a lovely Misses' size 16.
What a super fun and happy day!! I just can't envision what future months will bring. Thank you all for your continued support! I will catch up with you all on Monday after my trip to NOLA!
~~ Laizzes les bons temps rouler! ~~
I don't like to dwell, so I'm dealing with the hair situation. I know it isn't a bad cut because some people REALLY seem to like it. But I've figured out that it just isn't me. I think it will take about 3 or 4 months to really get it grown out enough to get the cut I want. I think there are a lot of people that look super cute with short hair, I just don't think I'm one of them.
I went and bought a few little barrettes and headbands to jazz it up a little bit. It is what it is. From here on out, I will just work it the best way I know how. :thumbup: Like several of you said, it is just hair and it will grow back. No big life change.
So, other than the hair debacle. the weekend went well. Friday, I sat at home and watched the sad, sad Rangers game. Saturday, I sat at home and watched the super fun Rangers game! It was a nice treat to cheer me up. Then we went for tacos, which is another treat!
After church and breakfast yesterday, my BFF and I went to see a show. We have season tickets to a regional theater in Dallas. They are quite a liberal group and can get a bit risque, but they always put on an excellent show. And they are never boring!! Yesterday was no exception.
Last night I finished my weekend with the Colts game. Since that ended well, I would say I had a good weekend.
Hope your Monday is a good one!
Mom & Dad are coming today! I'm looking forward to spending time with them. We haven't seen each other since Memorial Day. I have changed a bit since then. :thumbup: Tomorrow we are going shopping for recliners. I would like a pair of durable, relatively inexpensive, leather wall huggers. If anyone has a suggestion on where to try, let me know! Saturday, Mom & I are going clothes shopping to get me some winter clothes that fit!! And some bras. I really need bras that fit.
Last night my friend Liz & I went to see Blue Man Group. Super fun!! Although I wasn't really able to eat dinner. For my main course, I had creme brulee. Don't judge! :cool2:
The last couple of fills I have had, I was so tight the first week that I would debate about going in for a slight unfill. But inevitably, day 7 or 8 would come and all would be fine. It is day 2 and I'm trying to remind myself that it is like this every time. It is how my body works. I can get down water and other liquids just fine. I just can't do foods. I figure some doctors require several days of liquid diets post fill, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Plus it really gives me a good weight loss jump start! I've lost 3 pounds in the last two days. Woot woot!!
It's only day 2 and I'm so impatient. Sigh. I guess some things never change. I'm about to have my smoothie for breakfast. I got it with peanut butter today to make sure I have all my protein. I'm not the slightest bit hungry! After a week of feeling hungry all the time, it is a relief. However, I couldn't live like this all the time. Plus, my allergies are making it worse. Stupid ragweed!! I love Fall, but that's the one killer thing.
I'm not sure if I will so much posting with the parents in town...it's hard to say. So, have a great weekend!!
I have been having trouble with my internet connection and accessing this site the last few days. I just noticed that my blog entry from yesterday didn't actually make it to posting. It was brilliant too, I tell you. Brilliant! :rolleyes2:
Anyway, I lost another 1.5 lbs this week which was really good because I had GAINED 3 lbs early in the week preceding my fill. 3 lbs! That is nuts. I got my fill on Friday though and all is well. Being on liquid for two days really jumpstarts the weight loss. YAY!
My first fill was great. My surgeon has all the newbies have the first fill together. It was a little mini support group and I got to hear a lot of different experiences. The fill itself did not hurt at all. Plus, I got a Scooby Doo bandaid. Excellent!
Tonight is my first night back to Jazzercise. That should be interesting! I had excellent intentions of walking or working out on my Wii prior to getting back to Jazzercise. Didn't happen. Not even remotely. I just need structure to exercise. I hate that, but at least I have found something that works. I'm sure I will whine for the next few weeks, but in the end I will feel great!
I want to lose this weight and I think for me, exercise along with the healthier diet is the key. I want this, so I am committing myself.
I hope everyone is having a great week!
Y'all know I'm all about setting goals, making/implementing plans and rewarding myself. It is a cycle I can truly live by! :-) I have 5 pound mini goals. Today I'm officially 75 pounds down!! YAY!!!!
I'm very happy to reach this mini-goal as I feel like I have been working at it for longer than usual. So, I went to the numbers. Hold onto your hats!
It took me 30 days to lose this 5 pounds. (Regardless of anything, that is FANTASTIC and far better than I ever did pre-band...especially 8 months into a weight loss program. In fact, I don't think I ever stuck with anything for 8 months anyway.) 30 days is a little longer than usual, but I'm starting to notice a pattern.
35-26 days
40-13 days
45-27 days
50-12 days
55-30 days
60-16 days
65-28 days
70-21 days
75-30 days
It seems like it takes me longer 26-30 days to lose 5 pounds, but then a shorter time 12-21 days to lose the next 5 pounds. I lose 5 pounds on an average of every 23 days. I love numbers!
All in all, this doesn't really mean anything. Except it does tell me that I'm still doing VERY well, even if some days it feels like I'm chipping at an iceberg. :thumbup:
I have been trying to focus on things other than the scale and weight, but sometimes it is nice to see the progress made there too. 276 days ago, I weighed 75 pounds more than I do today. I have lost over a quarter of my body weight. Sometimes it takes me writing statements like that to put it all into perspective.
Another super goal reached today is that I am no longer Class II or super obese. I am just plain old obese!! YAY!! Haha! Just 30 pounds to go until I'm overweight. :-)
This weekend, while at home for the first time in a few weeks, is going to be busy. I'm going to try and relax tonight, but tomorrow I have Jazzercise then a haircut and errands to run. Sunday I have church and theater tickets. Somewhere in there I have to do all the laundry that is piling up!! Then next weekend it is yet another out of town trip. What was I thinking?? Oh well, being this busy is MUCH easier 75 pounds down.
Have a WONDERFUL weekend everyone!!
I'm back in town after visiting family since Wednesday. I'm proud to say that I lost 3.6 lbs this week...yay!!! So, I am averaging 1.95 lbs lost per week since the surgery. I'm SO happy for that!
I thought being away from home would be more of a challenge, but it wasn't bad.
Wednesday, I flew into Indianapolis and then drove to Louisville. I had a smoothie before I left and ate about 2 oz of chicen and some cheese and pita chips on the plane. For dinner we had ham steak and potato casserole. I also worked about about 40 minutes on the Wii Fit. I enjoy the Wii a lot, but I don't get my heart rate up as high as when I work out in other ways. Still, exercise!!
Thursday, I woke up VERY late (yay, vacation!) and drank a smoothie. My SIL came home from work and we had some homemade chicken salad on crackers. Then we went the YMCA to work out. I did 25 minutes on the stairmaster, then 20 minutes on the treadmill. I would walk one song (3.0 mph) then jog one song (4.0 mph). Not too bad! Dinner was smoked sausage and leftover potato casserole. I also had some ice cream before I went to bed. :smile:
Friday, I had another smoothie when I got up. There is a really cool 2.0 mile outdoor trail near my brother's house, so I went there. I walked one song/jogged one song for 1.5 miles. Then I was pooped. I walked to the 1.8 mile marker and challenged myself to jog just one more tenth. I made it! Then walked the last tenth. Excellent! I had a Deli Creation Cracker Combination for lunch, then some ground beef & bean nachos for dinner.
Saturday was my grandmother's funeral. ALL of the family was there and she looked lovely. I'm sure she would have been quite pleased.
After the service, we gathered at a nearby hotel. The kids were playing in the pool and I notice an exercise room that overlooked the pool. I put on my workout clothes and did my first "Couch to 5K" podcast. I had tried it before a few weeks ago, but I just wasn't ready. I think I am now. My SIL challenged me to jog a 5K around Labor Day, so that is my new goal! That day my walking pace was 3.5 mph and my jogging pace was 4.6 mph. Hopefully I can increase those as I go forward. At the very beginning of my exercise commitment (almost 3 months ago), 3.0 mph WAS jogging!!
I love my family, but one thing I noticed this weekend is that we are a BIG family. My brother and one cousin are what I would call thin. Another girl cousin is "normal", but I know she REALLY has to work at it. A couple of my guy cousins are chubby. The rest (including me) of us are huge. it puts things into perspective for me. I believe that I was dealt these genes and it does make things more difficult. But I know that just means that I have to work that much harder. Did I want to eat a cream cheese danish for breakfast yesterday? Hell yes! But I know that I can't and so it made it easier.
I told most of my family about my surgery. I think that many of them could benefit from it themselves and I thought I could be proof. I hope that next time I see them, I will be one of the skinny cousins! :biggrin:
Have a great week, y'all!
I had a wonderful weekend. My mom came in town on Friday and we stayed up late talking. She is one of the only people that knows of my Lap Band decision, so we talked about that a lot. We had a nice Saturday shopping and lazing around. There was a small incident in the Kohl's restroom where we learned that fiber granola bars make you gassy. I haven't laughed that hard in a LONG time!
Sunday was my confirmation as a Catholic. Religion is deeply personal for many people as it is with me. But I'm so blessed to have had my religious journey this year as I feel that it has helped to give me the strength to make this life changing decision.
I took Monday off to spend with Mom, so I have been crazy busy at work this week. Tuesday afternoon was my first appointment with my surgeon! I just have to coordinate with my mom since she is going to come help me out and I will have it done late January. It will be such a weight lifted once the final plans are made.
Today, I finally had a chance to look at the pictures from my confirmation. HOLY COW! I know I'm fat. That is why I have made this decision. But, man, I just forget how I big I am until I see a picture. When I look in the mirror, I see a big person, but I honestly don't see how big I really am. It made me very sad for a brief moment, but then I just felt good that I have made this decision.
I look forward to the day where I LOVE to have my picture taken!! :biggrin:
Exercise. Such a dirty word. There are those who hate it and refuse to do it at all. There are those that don't like it, but use it as a means to an end. And there are those that LOVE it...although I'm guessing there aren't too many of us in that category. Although, I have heard of Bandsters that get very gungho on exercise post surgery and I have no doubt that there are some people that feel that way pre-surgery and their weight issues reside elsewhere.
I fall into the middle category. I don't like to exercise and if I didn't need it to lose weight, I wouldn't do it. Period. That is the honest to God truth. It is time consuming, it gets you all sweaty, it makes my feet, back, knees, etc. hurt. But..
Eight weeks ago, I had been banded for a few weeks and I was entering Bandster Hell and starting to gain weight. That was just not acceptable to me. After the hell of the preop liquid diet, the pain of surgery, and the cash that I laid out...I was NOT going to allow myself to gain weight, temporarily or not. I made an eight week exercise plan. I committed to workout with a trainer twice a week and work out on the elliptical machine twice a week. I also committed to being more active in general. The trainer was an expensive option but I knew that it was the only was to push myself without getting hurt.
I remember that four weeks into my committment, I wished it was over. I had the thought that it was too bad that I didn't only commit to four weeks! In retrospect, I know that if I would have only committed to four weeks, that is all I would have done.
I'm now officially done with my committment and my reward to myself as I mentioned before was a beautiful Tiffany necklace and key. So shiny!!
Today, I do not HAVE to work out. Today, I can go home and sit on my butt. However, after 8 weeks of working out, I don't want to. I lost 14 inches in April. 14 inches, people! I almost cannot believe it. Since mid-January, I have lost 33 inches. I measure my upper arms, wrists, neck, bust, waist, belly, hips, thighs & calfs. I have lost 6.5 inches around my waist! 5 inches in my upper arms! And almost 6 inches in my thighs!! I believe that so much of this is from exercise.
That kind of success breeds more success. So, I'm ready to go match that for May. I don't know if it is possible, but I'm going to try!!
Plus, I found out this morning that my grandmother passed away. I guess that is a whole different type of loss. She lived a long, good life and has been struggling with dementia in the last few years. I know she is now at peace and home with my grandfather.
Instead of wanting to go home and disappear into my sofa, I want to go work out. That is the difference 8 weeks makes.
I hope you all have a wondeful week!
