I guess I should be glad that it only took me 30 minutes to figure out the new format today. Whew! I'm not so good with change. It's funny, because I have spent the last few days contemplating my band and my next steps. I had no idea the site was down!
Many wonderful people I have met since being banded have talked about how great it is that they no longer have to diet. They just work with the band and the pounds melt away. I'm truly so glad for them and wish everyone had the same success! However, not everyone does. I, for instance, have had WONDERFUL success, but I have had to work at it.
I have come to the realization that I'm tired of dieting. Now, dont' get me wrong, dieting this year has been SO MUCH BETTER than dieting in previous years. It was easiER than in previous years and I was able to be PRODUCTIVE. If I do my normal routine...which does include exercise...I can MAINTAIN steady with the band. But in order to lose, I have to watch my food intake just like any other DIET I have ever been on and I have to actively increase my exercise.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint. Quite the contrary! I have never been able to stick to a weight loss plan for 10 months in the past. I have never been able to lose 75 pounds before. These are all gifts in my mind!
But a diet is a diet and I'm tired of working at it. Soooo...y'all know me and my never ending need for a plan. And, I'm not just going to "stop". But I need to stop this frustrating water treading.
So, I have 2 weeks and 2 days until my throat is (literally) cut. When it is time for my tonsilectomy, I know that Band or no Band, I will not be able to eat normally for 10-14 days. Until then, I plan to live normally. I plan to exercise. I plan to not eat like a crazy person. I plan to use all of the good habits that I have developed over the last year. Additionally, I will continue to log my exercise time and my daily weight.
But Jax is going to take a vacation. I'm NOT going log my calories or any Bodybugg information. What I hope this does is to take the HYPERfocus off my diet and just let me chill for a bit.
Two weeks until the surgery, then three weeks after. By then, it will be 2011 and like any NORMAL person with weight issues, I will have New Year's resolutions and I will be excited. Even with this break, I should be in Onederland by my bandiversary. I had hoped to LOSE 100 pounds by then, but I'm flexible and I refuse to be disappointed.
Tomorrow I leave for Thanksgiving vacation. My parents, brother's family and I are renting a cabin in the mountains in North Carolina. It is going to be so much fun!! I will check in when I get back and let you all know how it goes. Have a happy and wonderful Thanksgiving! I certainly have much to be thankful for this year and you all are among my blessings.
Thank you.
Beth
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 feeling very "ho hum" today. Not great, not bad...just a little bored. I know that once I can go back to Jazzercise (two more weeks) that will get me revved up again. I am just not a walker so right now, it is hard to get motivated to "work out".
So, I'm trying to do other things. Tonight I decided to have my first massage post-banding. I don't think it will be an issue since I have no problem lying on my stomach. I guess if it bothers me I will just ask them to let me do it on my back.
On a completely random note, I started using cocoa butter on my stretch marks. That stuff really works. I'm quite impressed!
Do you all have anything good you used on your scars? I'm in the market. My incisions still have some healing to do, so I have some time to shop around. :tongue_smilie:
It is hard to believe that another month has gone by. It is interesting because I struggled a bit this month and felt like I was at a plateau. However, I lost 7.4 lbs this month which is around (albeit the low side) of what I tend to lose monthly. So, no plateau. I was very happy that I hit the 50 pound mark this month!
I read a book last week called Thin is the New Happy. Although the author didn't have the exact same issues I do, reading about how someone overcame similar struggles is interesting to me. So I bought a few more books in the same genre. Now I'm reading The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl. I haven't gotten that far, but so far, it is great!
She isn't a LAP-BAND® patient. She is dieting...but some of the thoughts are the same. Plus, haven't we ALL been through times like this???
Quote #1: "...I worried that it just wouldn't work. I've been fat for so many years-what if my body isn't capable of shrinking? What if the blubber plain refuses to budge? What if my fat cells have mutated into a strain of super evil fat cells that laugh in the face of celery sticks and lean protein? What will I do then? Hack at my belly rolls with a chain saw?"
Quote #2: "I'm getting obsessed with points. It's not enough just to count my own, now I'm snooping at my colleagues' lunches and mentally calculating the damage. At the supermarket yesterday i was peeking in people's shopping trolleys and crunching their numbers."
Oh Lordy, I was SO that way. In fact, I still have thoughts about the first quote. I've only been below 200 lbs once in my adult life. Can I even weigh 185? Or 165 like my nutritionist thinks? Or , 145 like my surgeon predicts?? I can't imagine that, so it is hard to have the faith that it can happen.
One thing I do know is that I am starting to have a more normal (or healthy anyway) relationship with food. I went out to dinner with some friends and I had the Lobster Ravioli, in fact I split it with one of my friends. I would have NEVER ordered that because it is so rich and high in calories. All my life, I have either been on a diet or totally not dieting. But when I was off the wagon, I tended to hide my hoarding. If no one saw it, it didn't really happen, right? But now, when I'm out for something special, I order what I want. I just don't eat much. At my dinner, I had 2 1/2 raviolis and 1/2 bowl of soup. It was absolutely DELICIOUS! But the best part was that it was SATISFYING!!
Not sure if I will get another post done before I leave on vacation tomorrow. So, I hope you all have a WONDERFUL holiday!!
I'm not sure why I haven't blogged much this week. I don't feel bad or down, just not motivated to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard.)
Jax & I have reconciled, so that's good. I have taken a one week hiatus from exercise (which might be a very good reason I'm so blah right now.) I've decided to completely focus on food intake this week. I have done great! My goal is to keep it up next week when I layer in exercise, but to add a 150-200 calorie snack on big work out days (like Jazzercise.) I don't think I need additional calories for my small 20-30 minute lunch work outs.
Next week I will hit it hard, I actually start on Saturday with an hour of Jazzercise. I have more Jazz on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & the following Saturday. That alone would be great! But I will also layer in at least one lunch work out on Tuesday and go from there.
Saturday I'm also getting my hair cut. I think I'm going to continue with the length. However, I'm thinking I might go shorter and sassier next time. But for right now, I like how my long hair is framing my thinning face. Plus, I wear it up most days because it is SO DARN HOT!!
I can't believe that tomorrow is Friday. This week has flown by! I hope you are all having a fabulous one!
After reading many stories on this site, I thought all weekend about what exactly caused me to choose this path now.
At the beginning of this year, my doctor put me on Topomax as a weight-loss drug. That isn't its standard intention, but there has been some good results with it. Unfortunately, I had a bad reaction to the drug and that combined with stress made my anxiety shoot through the roof. February-April is kind of a haze for me. By June, although I had gained 15 pounds, the doctors had determined that I was quite healty (for an obese person) and that made my anxiety go away.
Now what? I went on a trip with my friend and the airplane ride was so uncomfortable. During the trip she also mentioned that my CPAP mask was making noise through the night. I think I had gained enough weight that my CPAP was no longer effective. It did explain why I was so tired all the time. That was when I started thinking about LB. Although I still felt that I wasn't "that fat".
My friends and I have a monthly dinner group that has been meeting regularly since 2004. Each month we take a picture of the group at whichever restaurant we choose. At this particular dinner, I knew with the way we were seated, it wouldn't be very flattering of me. When I looked at the picture I could hardly control the sob. I excused myself and went to the restroom before I made a scene. Once composed, I came back out and my wonderful friends had figured it out and suggested a new picture without making me feel horrible. I love my friends. But I knew now that I was indeed "that fat".
My friend & I scored free tickets to the Mavericks game. They were excellent tickets and I was on the end of the row. However, the end wasn't open, it was at a fence-like wall. I was so cramped and uncomfortable. I didn't want to be there and I knew that I would probably not do it again. There it was. I was making decisions about what to do because of my weight.
I never wanted to be the person that sits at home because I'm more comfortable there than getting out into the world. But that is exactly what I am becoming.
I struggle EVERYday with my weight. My feet hurt, I don't sleep well, and my blood pressure & cholesterol are rising. I MUST lose weight. If I am going to struggle this way, I should do it in a way that is going to get some results. That is why for me.
First, let me tell you about my AWESOME vacation! Thursday night we landed in New Orleans and made our way to our hotel in the Quarter. After we checked in, we walked the 2.5 blocks (great location!) to Cafe du Monde for some decaf Cafe au Lait and beignets. When I was there in July, I was able to eat one beignet VERY SLOWLY and it was uncomfortable. After I was able to wolf down one super quick this time, I knew I was in trouble! :confused: Then we headed over to Pat O's and the dueling pianos for a Hurricane. One Hurricane is PLENTY for this girl! After a quick walk down Bourbon, we settled in for the night.
Friday, we slept in a little then went to Mother's for a late breakfast. I had the special which is two eggs, biscuit, meat (I had debris & gravy) and grits. I only ate half the biscuit and barely any of the meat. The eggs, grits & gravy were AWESOME! I didn't think I even liked grits. Ha! After we took the ferry over to Algiers. We had some coffee at a cute little coffee house then visited a glass blowing place. That was REALLY neat and I picked up a super cute hand blown perfume bottle.
After we headed back to the French Quarter and went to Yo Mama's. This, my fellow Bandsters, is where you put your hands over your eyes and shriek! My friend & I shared a Peanut Butter and Bacon Burger. I will let that sink in... Now, I will say that I was only able to eat half and I was quite satisfied. So, if I were in my maintenance stage, I'm actually in a very good place. But I still have 50 or so pounds to lose! And I know that I would not be able to keep my hunger in check at this restriction (well, at least not enough to continue to lose weight.) So, duly noted.
I will say though that was the MOST DELICIOUS burger I have ever had. My friend agreed. Anyway, after lunch we went to the casino where we both lost $40 in less than an hour. Nice. By then it was time to make our way back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.
We met my friend's brother and sister-in-law for dinner on Frenchman Street. It was delcious! I had grillades and grits...grits twice in one day! Crazy. Then we went to a couple of different bars to listen to some live music.
Saturday, we grabbed some coffee and headed to the Mardi Gras World museum. It is at the company which makes all the floats and it was a really neat thing to see! After, we had lunch at an authentic Po Boy place. It didn't even have a sign, but the line was out the door! I had half of a catfish Po Boy and again...this is the first time since my surgery in January that I have had real bread.
After lunch, we walked around Magazine Street for a few hours then headed back to the hotel to freshen up. We had dinner at the Gumbo Shop and it was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I would STRONGLY recommend the place! After dinner we took a Haunted History tour which was a lot of fun. After that, we walked around Bourbon for a while taking in the "sights".
Sunday we got up and went with brother & SIL to tailgate for the Saints game. I will say that New Orleans has some of the most dedicated fans I have ever seen. The place is COVERED with Saints colors and signs and you can't get a block without hearing "Who Dat?" or "Geax Saints!" As a Colts fan, I can appreciate it, but I had enough!! :thumbup: The pregame was fun though! We watched the game from the airport bar. Darryl Johnston was at our gate when we left! But I don't think he was able to make it on the plane.
It was very nice to be home! Since my doctor wouldn't allow a fill for another week, I can't regret not getting one before I went. And quite honestly, I think the vacation was worth the small amount I was up this morning. I have no doubt it will be gone soon enough. It did make me realize that I still need a lot of help to get to my goal! But it also made me realize that I have a life to live in the meantime and I HAD FUN!
I have another vacation to Indianapolis this coming weekend. In the past, I would have used this as an excuse to continue my vacation through the week and get back on it when I return. But I'm a different person now! It is back to the routine for 4.5 days. 4.5 days of focus and work, then I can enjoy another vacation with NO GUILT!!
I hope you all had wonderful weekends as well!!
So, it hasn't been quite as bad as I expected. Knowing that I only have 9 more days...there is a definitive end...makes all the difference. I obviously couldn't keep this up indefinitely. If I could, I wouldn't be in this situation!
My liquid diet consists of protein shakes twice a day and a bowl of soup once a day. I can fill in with sugar-free jello, pudding and popsicles. I have to say that I'm quite tired of jello, pudding and popsicles. :thumbup:
I'm still not very good at making my own protein shakes, so I tend to drink ready made or Smoothie King. I love Smoothie King's Chocolate Gladiator with berries, but I can't seem to replicate it yet.
I have lost 7.3 lbs. and I'm excited by that. I had gained around 15 lbs. over the holidays, so it would be nice to get at least most of that off before surgery. I have no doubt that the loss will slow way down now, but I still have 9 days. I plan to update my ticker once a week, so official weigh in will be Wed. morning.
I am so proud of myself for not cheating. Not even a little!! I have diet coke in my fridge and I don't even really miss it. What I do miss is Chipotle. Mmmm...Chipotle. I actually blame Chipotle for 30 of the 40 pounds I have gained this year. I love the stuff and I could never content myself with just a little bit. I'm hoping the band with help with that, but I know it might be something I have to stay away from for good. Only time will tell.
Things I still have to do before surgery: get my blood test, get my allergy shot, pick up meds at pharmacy, and grocery shop for the necessary post op diet. But I have a lot to keep me busy this week, like a NASCAR dinner at Texas Motor Speedway (that's right...I said it), "dinner" with friends, a couple of movies and some training at church. Plus, a couple of friends are going to get pedicures with me on the Monday before surgery to help keep my mind off it. Then mom comes in Tuesday night and Wednesday is surgery. It is going to be over and done with before I know it!
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!!
What a productive weekend!! So far, Jax (my new Body Bugg) is having quite an effect on my life. I can tell that I'm making better choices, especially regarding activity to make sure I reach my target numbers. Color me surprised!
Friday I chose to go to Jazzercise which is something I don't usually do. Especially when I get up and go on Saturday morning, which I also did! YAY me! :closedeyes: After class on Saturday, I ran some errands. I had a quck lunch then got started working around home. I had gone through all of the clothes in my closet last week, so this weekend I decided to tackle my drawers. Dresser and chest of drawers...well, other kinds of drawers too, I guess.
I got rid of two bathing suits, a ton of pajamas and some work out pants. The happiest thing I found is that there are only 3 items left in my "too small" drawer...one pair of Old Navy jeans and two tank tops. I feel sure they will fit next month!
I kept myself busy most of the day and only sat down for a little while in the late afternoon. Then I got ready and went to my BFFs birthday party. It was at a pizza place and I'm entirely to tight to eat pizza. Luckily they has some delicious lasagna which I was able to eat. It was a LOVELY evening with friends. And I don't think I thought about being fat all night!
Sunday I went to church then continued my productivity around the house. I wanted to burn more calories!
This morning I got up and did yoga. I HATE mornings and honestly can't believe I did it. I'm a sucker for a challenge though. I'm a part of a Facebook group that has a bunch of friends from high school where we encourage each other to exercise. One of the guys (which honestly I feel sure I never spoke to in high school) has become quite inspiring to me. He battles weight too and works very hard. He threw down a challenge that if I got up to do yoga, he would do sit ups. Well...okay then. I did my 22 minutes of easy going yoga. It is mostly stretching, but I notice that when I do it, I have more energy throughout the day.
We are having a celebration today at work and there will be cupcakes. I may eat one, but I will also log it so Jax can tell me what I need to do to work it off. Tonight is Jazzercise and I'm up to 10 pound hand weights! The only move that gives me trouble is an over the head tricep dip. Everything else I can do well. I don't think I will ever go over 10 pounds though...it seems like a good weight.
Not to bury the lead, but I lost 8.4 pounds & 8.75 inches this month. Most excitingly, 2 inches off my hips! I would love to lose 10 more pounds before my trip to Louisville. If I listen to Jax, I just might!!
I'm booking my surgery today and I'm looking for some advice. I am planning to schedule my surgery for Wed, Jan 27th or Thurs, Jan 28th. I just realized that my theater season tickets are for Jan 27th. So...should I go to the show on Wednesday night and have the surgery on Thursday? I guess that is really my only option. I started to think that maybe I could have the surgery on Wednesday and change my tickets to the Sunday show, but now I think that I would probably not be up to it. The show only runs Wed-Sun.
Anybody have thoughts?
It's Monday! Jax and I are starting to live in harmony again. Last week was a real eye opener as I discussed in my Friday post. I typically gain weight over the weekend, so I'm proud that I was able to lose a little bit this weekend. Maybe I'm actually learning!
I have a lot of fun things coming up! I'm visiting my brother and his family Labor Day weekend, my parents are coming to visit in mid-September, I'm going to New Orleans the first weekend in October, I'm going to visit a friend in NC mid-October, I'm going to the NASCAR race the first weekend in November, then next thing I know the holidays will be here!! That doesn't take into account all the local things I have going on.
Speaking of visiting my brother...my SIL emailed me yesterday and asked if I wanted to enter a 5k that weekend with her and my nephew. I had mentioned when I visited them in May that I wanted to do it and made it my goal. I have been slacking off on the running though because of my aching feet. I said yes, so I better get on the stick! I've never gone more than 1.85 miles at once. I still think I will be able to do it though. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment!! :mad:
In preperation, I'm not going to do a ton of running because I don't want to mess up my feet. So, I'm going to do A LOT of cardio. I plan to do Jazzercise 4 times this week. I also plan to run twice. We will see how that goes then make a plan for next week.
I feel detoxed and ready to go!! Happy Monday, my friends!
Although my CPAP is not yet completely effective (it will take another 20 pounds for that, I think), I'm feeling really great! Tomorrow morning is my one week weigh in and I know that I have done great, so far. I was thinking this morning that I wish this diet was only one week, but I know that if I can do one week...I can do two weeks!
I'm going to go have a popsicle. Have a great day everyone!
Oh - can anyone tell me how to make my ticker automatically insert itself when I post something? I'm not sure how to do that. Thanks!!
I missed you all while I was on vacation! I had a wonderful time.
We left at lunchtime on Thursday. The drive to my friend's small town Louisiana home is about 6 hours, so we made it in time for dinner. Her brother and his family met us at her parents' house and we all had some EXCELLENT smothered chicken. I was a little concerned about the rice since I have had some trouble with it, but with the Cajun gravy, it all went down fine.
Friday we went to New Orleans. I couldn't resist cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe du Monde, but I limited myself to one. I still don't understand why I can't eat bread, but the fried doughs, cakes and such all go down fine. Ha! We spent some time walking around the French Quarter. I was looking to buy a painting, but I didn't find anything that particularly caught my attention. We went to lunch at 1179 which is an Italian restaurant closer to the WWII museum. It was on the expensive side for lunch, but it was very good. After lunch we went to the WWII museum and I have to say that it exceeded every expectation. The movie is a MUST SEE. If you are ever in NOLA, you should visit and if you are a hard core war buff, you should make the trip. We left around 5 and made it back home in time for my friend's dad's Cajun Shrimp Stew. Oh my God. It was unbelievably delicious. If I haven't mentioned it yet, my friend's dad is an incredible Cajun cook. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to eat his food, but I could...just in moderation like a "normal" person.
Saturday we spent with my friend's brother's family. He has two little girls that are both adorable and exhausting! We went to a 4th of July celebration and watched fireworks. On Sunday, my friend's extended family gathered at her parents' house for a potluck lunch. Heavenly!! Her dad BBQ'd Boston butt (hee, I'm 12) and there was macaroni and cheese, eggplant/rice dressing, carrot casserole (which tasted like the best sweet potato casserole ever!) and baked beans. I had a little of everything and I was satisfied with one trip. I did have a couple pieces of PB fudge for dessert. :frown:
Monday was our annual casino trip. I was down almost $100 bucks in 3 hours!! Yikes!!! But I made an incredible comeback in the last 45 minutes and made it out only down $40. Whew!
We came back to town yesterday. We are working today and tomorrow, then leaving for Wichita Friday. We are going to see the Mens USA Volleyball team compete in World Cup pool play. We are big fans!
I'm happy to say that while I was on vacation, with NO exercise whatsoever, I'm down almost a pound. Woo hoo! I plan to jog during lunch today and go to Jazzercise tomorrow night. That's about all I'm going to get this week. But I figured it will at least keep me a little more prepared when I get back to normal next week.
A fun NSV: neither my friend nor I usually fit into "normal" size bracelets. They are usually too big for her and too small for me. She got one from her aunt for Christmas and she gave it to me because it was too big for her. It didn't fit me, but I held on to it. I'm wearing it today. YAY!!
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'm SO glad that I made the fill appointment. Yesterday, I really focused on what I was eating and my hunger. Morning was okay. I had my normal coffee then smoothie which generally gets me to lunchtime. I drink my coffee when I get to work and usually start my smoothie around 9:30. So, I'm not finished with it until 10:15 typically, and sometimes I'm not finished with it until 11:15 which is when we go to lunch.
Yesterday, I had lunch in and gave up working out as I mentioned in my blog. I had some soup (which isn't a good choice for staying power) along with a few tortilla chips and hummus. In retrospect, something solid would have helped keep the hunger at bay longer. In this case, I was hungry by 3:00. I had some greek yogurt and was fine until dinner.
By the time we got to the restaurant, I was starving. I did have a drink. It was called Between the Sheets. I asked the waiter (who I'm pretty sure was gay) how he liked Between the Sheets. Honest to goodness, I wasn't trying to be flirty, but it came out that way and my girlfriends thought it was hilarious. For the record, it was delicious! I was proud of myself because even though I'm able to eat bread, I passed on the deliciously-smelling rosemary bread that was delivered to our table. I ordered the tilapia dish which was grilled fish with the tastiest citrus caper sauce. It came with super thin cut fingerling potates and blanched arugula. I ate about half my fish and all of the potatoes. The problem came when my new waiter boyfriend gave me a complimentary red velvet cupcake. The place was known for their pastries, so who was I to say no?? I took my leftover fish (and the extra 2 cupcakes to my BFF who couldn't make it to dinner.) I stayed up to watch the disappointing Rangers game and by the time I went to bed, my stomach was growling. :-(
Jax tells me that between my calories consumed and calories burned (I didn't work out at all yesterday), I should have broke even. I was up 2 tenths on the scale this morning, so that make sense. I fluctuate 2-4 tenths with bloating, easy.
This is part of the process, I know. I will have to by hyper aware of what I'm eating. I will have to eat healthier because I'm requiring bigger portions to keep me full. That...and exercise...is what I will have to do until I can get some help with my fill. i will NOT let this set me back.
As frustrating as it is, I will probably not realistically reach Onederland by Thanksgiving. But that's okay. As long as I don't gain anything until my fill, I will consider it a success. After that, I will reevaluate. :-)
On a final note...I saw a friend last night that I hadn't seen in two months (actually, more like 10 weeks) because she was unable to make it to our last monthly dinner. She went on and on about how much weight I had lost and how good I looked. I've lost 12 pounds in that time which is more that I realized. I told my mom that I had only lost about 7 pounds since I had seen her. Ha! Anyway, 12 pounds is still less than 20% of my total weightloss. But I think those 12 pounds really made a substantial difference.
Okay, really the final note...today I'm wearing some skinny jeans. I've never worn skinny jeans before because they make my butt and thighs look to big. But I bought these and paired them with a black shirt and longish black and white cardigan. I have on tall black leather boots outside of the jeans. This is a real fashion risk for me, people! :-) I feel myself ready to make some bolder choices. Maybe it is the hair!
We are almost to the weekend, everybody! Hang on!!
Okay, first the bad news for the week. I gained a 1/2 pound this week. Ugh. That is made even worse by the fact that it is only the 2nd week after a fill and I had a two pound loss going into the holiday weekend. Double ugh. Whatever possessed me to eat a bunch of ice cream, candy and cookies? What's up with that?
On a positive note, I have been very true to my exercise committment. I've been thinking that that I have done well with a fitness goal and started to think about what I will do after my 8 week committment is over. I think that I am leaning toward a "Couch to 5K" program. I hate running, but it isn't THAT far and with a goal to achieve...I just might be able to do it.
Monday-10 min on the treadmill.
Tuesday-30 min on the elliptical.
Wednesday-hour with personal trainer.
Thursday-30 min on the elliptical.
Friday-hour with personal trainer.
Saturday-hour of Jazzercise.
Sunday-25 min on the treadmill.
I'm pleased that I worked out 7 times (every day!), but I'm disappointed that it only adds up to 3 1/2 hours. I would really like to be more at the 5-6 hour range. There is work to be done! :thumbup:
I have four more weeks in my exercise program. So, I will focus on putting in as much time as possible!
I feel better and truly that is the most important thing!!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! Have a great week!!
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!!
Hi everybody! Yesterday I was scheduled for my next fill. I think that makes my 5th. I hadn't been sure what I was going to do because I have had some sticking issues, but the last week I have been VERY hungry a lot of the time. Tuesday night I got some very good advice from a fellow bandster that if I was in doubt, I should wait. So I decided that I would cancel my appointment first thing in the morning.
Interestingly, I woke up at 2:00 AM and I was STARVING. Tummy growling, I could eat a horse type hungry! I had eaten a perfectly fine dinner, so I felt it was a sign. I decided to keep the appointment and see what my AWESOME (not to mention dreamy looking) doctor had to say.
I got to the office quite early. I spent the time reading Diet Girl...(I'm almost done!) When it was time, I found out I had lost 11 pounds since my last visit 6 weeks prior, so that was great! In the back waiting room, there was a lovely lady there who had gone to a different doctor the day before to be filled (someone closer to home) and she couldn't even hold down water. Yikes! She looked utterly miserable. That made me stop and think a little bit. I NEVER want to be like that. She said the other doctor described himself as "aggressive". Hmmm...interesting. Anyway, she went first and looked SO relieved when she was done.
When it was my turn, I told my doc my feelings. He took a look under the fluoro and said that he thought I looked really close. He only added one tenth of one cc. He said that some people are very sensitive to it and just a couple drops can make a difference. He cautioned me to come back right away if I can't hold things down. I'm glad he such a great doctor! He actually seems to care. I have heard so many horror stories of surgeons and fill docs not listening to their patients, so I'm quite thankful.
I don't typically go back to work after my fills because I'm a big baby and I get REALLY grumpy when I'm hungry. Fill or no fill, a liquid diet does not make me not hungry...EVER. So, I went shopping. I need some jeans so I started a Lane Bryant. I was in a size 1 Blue Right Fit. They don't do those sizes anymore, so I took a plethora of 14s & 16s to the fitting room. One pair of 14s fit (badly) and ALL the rest were too SMALL. What up, kitty cat? That's not right. Anyway, I went back out and started over. After trying on about 20 pairs of jeans, I ended up with two pairs of size 16 straight leg. They are going to be too big in about a month, but I could barely get the 14s on, much less wear them in public. I wear jeans to work almost every day, so I decided that I needed them to fit now. I will worry about it in a month or two when they are too big. I also bought a $15 pair of black trousers that fit perfectly. SCORE! I picked up some undies while I was there. I love their old thongs...the new ones aren't very good quality, but I got them anyway. I won't fit in them for long anyway!
Then I went to Old Navy. To the fitting room I took size 18 & 20 jeans, khakis, & cargo pants. I figured that would be enough to cover the difference between "Womens" and "Misses" sizes. I also took in a XXL dress and an XL & XXL shirt. The shirts fit weirdly, but everything else was too big. WHAT?? Yeah, but sigh. I went back out and started over. I brought size 16s of everything and an XL dress. The dress looked adorable, but all of the 16s were too tight or ill-fitting. Ugh. Whatever.
It was still quite early when I got home and I didn't want to sit in front of the TV where I would think about food, but I also didn't really have enough energy to exercise, so I decided to clean out my closet. I tried on every single item in my closet that I have not worn in the last two weeks.
Holy moly! I filled up 3 stretchy garbage bags of clothes. My old jeans alone were over a half of one garbage bag!! I had a group of "a little too small, try again soon" clothes from last time. EVERYTHING in that group either fit or was too big. YAY!! I had a pile of "good luck someday cause these suckers are TIGHT" clothes and everything in that group fit or moved into the "try again soon" section. What a trip! It put the whole shopping debacle in perspective.
This morning I officially hit the 60 lb mark. WOOHOO! In 2006, I weighed about 20 pounds less than I do now, so all the clothes I have on hand (except for my prom dress) are reachable very soon. Come winter, I will have almost nothing but my jeans to wear. Although, Dallas is a good place for layers, so a lot of summer stuff can go well into Fall and be layered for Winter. I told my mom I would fly her down in late Sept/early Oct so she can shop with me. She won't let me get frustrated or stop before I've finished my mission. Ha!
Hope you all are having a great week!
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!!
Last week I was completely grumpy and in a bad mood. I had several pity parties and woke up with a lovely pity party hangover on Monday. Monday is my official weigh in day and although I lost .8 lbs, I know that without caving in to feeling sorry for myself, I would have done better.
I realize now, that journaling is what I do to motivate myself. If I write several days in a row, I'm psyching myself up. If I don't write at all, it is because I'm down in the dumps. I don't like to write when I'm sad because it makes me face my demons. Ha!
Last week, my grandmother passed away, my uncle was hospitalized, my cousin was arrested, work was tough...all which caused a lot of stress. I think exercising each day kept big emotions at bay, but I could tell that I was cranky. And that just isn't like me. I finally got over it this weekend and yesterday I started to feel better. Plus, I had my support group meeting last night and it ALWAYS inspires me.
It is nice to learn these things about myself. This process has been about MUCH more than weight loss!
AND...yesterday was picture day. I have attached two original pics and two current pics. I love these little motivators!!
I know I have already blogged today, but I thought this was funny. Today was to be the first day I would eat solid food "in public". My company has a team lunch the first Friday of each month. This month we had BBQ which will be great after I am on the full post op diet, but I'm still working up to that.
I contacted the food orderer before and asked what was being served. After I figured out I couldn't eat anything, I decided to bring a potato and just heat it up in the microwave.
So I am preparing my potato and I add some shredded havarti and some sour cream and to spice it up...some hot picante. Yum! The first delight was absolutely delicious. And then it occurred to me that I can't drink anything. Ha! And oops. I ate it and it was wonderful, but I was sweating bullets during the meeting portion of the lunch!
At least the meeting lasted long enough that I could go get a nice big glass of water as soon as it was over. I guess I will have to be a little more careful with spicy food!! :drool:
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!!
For those of you that read my blogs, you know that when I started my exercise "jumpstart" a few months ago, I had to completely psych myself up for it. Every day I focused on the challenge I had made for myself and "winning".
I started exercising somewhat regularly about 6 or 7 years ago when I joined Jazzercise. I would go sporadically, sometimes 6 or 7 times a week and other times not at all. It was the first time I remotely enjoyed exercise since the days of intermural sports in school. Jazzercise helped me keep somewhat on track until I just lost it in January 2009. I still Jazzercised, but I was not watching my food intake at all. Well, I was watching, but I wasn't doing anything about it! I gained 30 pounds in 2009. By the time December 2009 came around, I weighed 285 pounds (from a "normal" or 225-255). My feet hurt so bad that I wore Crocs to work every day. My knees and other joints would hurt when I worked out. So, I didn't work out in December or January. I just couldn't. I had my surgery on 1/27 and by the end of February, I was ready to start moving.
Once I started exercising in earnest (Jazzercise, Personal Trainer, elliptical at lunch), I started feeling much better. As the weight came off, my feet didn't feel quite as bad and the other aches and pains started to subside. I noticed that about one month in, I stopped "making" myself go exercise. At that point, I wanted to go. There were a lot of times, that I could've talked myself out of it, but I KNEW that I would feel better when it was over.
About a month ago, I decided to start jogging. I thought it would be fun to make a goal of jogging a 5k. Let me make sure you understand...while I had started to feel better exercising, I hate to run. I HATE TO RUN! I don't understand the point of it, it is boring and I can't do it. A month ago, I said something to that effect to my sister-in-law and she responded in a way that said I was proving that I could do a lot of things I didn't like and that I thought I couldn't do. The challenge was on!
I started with a mile a month ago and yesterday I went 1.71 miles. It occurred to me last night on the way home from Support Group, that I am craving it. WHAT?? When the heck did that happen? I realized last night that I had no plans to work out today. I have two work outs scheduled on Wednesday, but not for today. I kind of panicked. Then I was confused. Ha!
I guess it is a new phase. I'm not sure how long it will last, but I'm grabbing on with both hands!
Funny hazard of working out: I was jogging on my home treadmill. I don't have a small MP3 player, just my bulky iPod Classic. When I'm running outside, I carry it in my hand, but when I'm on a treadmill, I put it in the cup holder or on the tray. I was going along and a song came on that I like. I threw my hands in the air (not sure if I was dancing or just excited...heh) and my iPod flew off the tray and down to my feet. I promptly stepped on it and jumped up because I didn't want to break it. I knew that was a bad idea as I started to come down on the (still moving) treadmill and flew off of it and into the desk set up behind it in my office. As I sat there, I thought that "death by treadmill" was just kind of sad and wondered how long it would take my friends to find me. Fortunately, I was totally fine but a little embarrassed. A few days later, I was jogging at the gym and had another iPod flying incident. This time I let it go and calmly got off the treadmill, picked up my iPod and got moving. The next day I smartly invested in a tiny iPod Shuffle. I guess I finally learn!! :tt1:
Have a great day everyone!
I am truly getting excited about this process. I am a planner though, so I have been holding back somewhat because I haven't known what kind of pre-op diet I will have. Normally, I would have had a day-by-day menu already prepared. :w00t:
That's how it happens for me. I join WW or Jenny Craig and I meticulously plan my meals. And I do great!! I lose weight and everything is groovy. Until, of course, I can't plan that one week. And then everything starts to crumble. So my new goal is to be more flexible and "go with the flow".
My other nagging feeling is the guilt I feel for gaining weight since my initial mid-November appointment. The surgeon didn't put me on a diet, nor did they say "don't gain weight", although I'm guessing it was implied. Through Thanksgiving and Christmas, I gained around 15 pounds. Although I'm a little embarrassed by that, mostly I just want to move forward. I feel confident that I can go on any pre-op diet that I am given and be successful. I just don't want to be judged and get a lecture. Sigh. I'm 12.
Tonight is my last support group meeting pre-band. I'm going to have someone take my "before" pictures, so (even though they will be icky to look at) that will give me some turbo-incentive!
To me, 1/12 has always been the date I was waiting for even though my surgery date isn't until 1/27. Tomorrow it starts! YAY! I have decided that even if my my pre-op diet is less than two weeks, I'm going to make it two weeks.
I'm getting fired up now just thinking about it!! I will post my before pictures tomorrow. Try not to lose any sleep in anticipation, y'all! Hee!
