Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!
Sign in to follow this  
  • entries
    57
  • comments
    173
  • views
    13,030

About this blog

My Lap Band Journey

Entries in this blog

 

My new Addiction

:tt2:I am addicted to Vitamin Water ZERO. I love this stuff! I had one of these about 2 weeks ago and haven't had a soda since. Grape and Lemonade are great. Berry Berry is okay. I wish my stores had the Essential one. It is like Tang. It is made with Stevia. It seems real sweet at first but then it grows on you. I really love it.

anglov

anglov

 

Must make time to prepare and Pain is not my friend

I have found that if I don't prepare food and portion it out for the week for lunch I don't do so well. I end up having a long period of time between meals and feel sick. I am in training this week and didn't prepare my meals like I would normally. Don't get me wrong. I bring my food from home, I am just not bringing something satisfying. So then, I am hungry after a few hours and end up stretching that time out until dinner because I didn't bring a good protein snack with me. I do this it seems every other week. Next topic. Pain. My knees, hips, back, legs. For years I have felt twinges, dull aches, sharp stabbing pains. I was always told, LOSE WEIGHT. Well I have started to do that and well, it hurts even worse. Go figure. Turns out I have arthritis in my knee and I have been advised no treadmill or walking long distances. Stationary bike or water exercises until the knee is better then try the elliptical. Not a good prognosis.

anglov

anglov

 

Measuring Success

I have lost 44 lbs so far and I don't see a difference when I look in the mirror and I don't see a big difference when I put on clothes. Why? Because 44 lbs, while a huge loss, is only a drop in the bucket for what I NEED to lose so the clothes difference is not happening all that fast. It is a little discouraging when no one notices that I have lost weight too. I wonder if they don't notice or they feel since I had weight loss surgery I don't deserve to hear it since it was surgery and not dieting. That would be the ignorant ones who think this surgery is an automatic fix all. But that is another blog topic all together. To combat that, I take notice of small differences other than the scale or clothes. My blog at http://anglovato.blogspot.com/ gives my accounts of small differences I am noticing that, well, give me the boost I need when the scale or clothes aren't. Start keeping track and you will be surprised at just how well you are actually doing when other measuring means do show it. :mad:

anglov

anglov

 

Lordy Lordy I turned 40

Isn't it nifty? I've lost 50. 50 lbs that is! July 31 I turned 40. Today I hit the 50 lbs mark. 80 more to go and for the first time in my life it doesn't seem impossilble. Oh Happy Days!! Banded 5-12-10 Hit my 50 lb mark 8-06-10   I would love to have you follow my blog!:tt2:   http://anglovato.blogspot.com/

anglov

anglov

 

Just don't have the time

Wow, I find now that I just don't have the time to be on this site as much as before the surgery. It may be because I now have my own "surgery life" to live and no longer need to research what may or may not happen.   There's nothing exciting going on. Just day to day living. As I have said before I have no restriction so I can eat pretty much EVERYTHING and I am only 2 1/2 weeks post op. Kind of sad really. Occasionally I feel foods get a little stuck and that is probably the only clue I have a band right now.   I am mainly watching what I eat and making a point to stop when I no longer have the hunger feeling. That is the hardest part for me. I am so used to equating no longer hungry with the full/bloated feeling. That is not what I have to listen for. Yesterday I did and ended up eating a 1/2 a burrito from Taco bell. It was delicious and I was satisfied but didn't have the full bloated feeling. I was comfortably not hungry any more. It was a good feeling.   Well, I haven't lost a ton of weight. Not much really but I have noticed a difference in my clothes. Mainly in my hips, thighs and calfs so I will take that for sure. Just keep remembering that you can't measure your success but the scale alone. Other accomplishments are just as important. For instance, I am no longer taking reflux meds. I have been on them for 20 years. Not anymore! My blood sugar is coming down. As I said I notice the clothes fit differently. I got into shirts I haven't worn in over a year. There are other things for sure besides the scale.   For the record my scale is down 9 lbs since surgery on May 12th. It's just the beginning...

anglov

anglov

 

It has been a long time...Update: Down 91 lbs in 8 months

It has been forever it seems since I was on here. So much has happened since then. My blog at http://anglovato.blogspot.com/ can fill you in on the ups and downs of my journey so far. I try to post there weekly at least.   This was the best decision I have ever made in my life. This decision has made my life, literally. I have had struggles and made it through each one, learding a lesson along the ways.   To those that have the band, CONGRATS, to those thinking about the band, stop thinking and just do it!   I don't have a special diet. My band controls my food intake. My head controls the choices I make. I am so much happier with myself and my life and people are starting to take notice of me. They are now noticing my weight but I think my new attitude and the new way I carry myself with pride and self esteem has made them really step up and take notice. It's like all of sudden in the past month people are always taking note of my new look. Can't say I'm not enjoying it. I used to never want people to notice me and I still don't "want" them to but the difference is now I don't mind if they do. Before surgery it would bother me because if I was noticed it meant people saw my morbid obesity. I preferred to remain hidden. I am still obese but now I am more outgoing and enjoying life. I have a long way to go but still going strong.

anglov

anglov

 

I've said it before, I will say it again...I AM A LOSER!!

But not in the bad sense of the words. Being a loser can be a good thing if you are obese. LOL!   My weightloss has definitely slowed down and I am good with that. I have made tremendous headway in 11 months since my surgery. May 12th will be one year and I am currently down 103.5 lbs!! Something I NEVER would have thought was possible. My life is so much better and there is so much more to it now. My health has improved. If I was not to lose any more weight I couldn't be more proud of where I have come since that day nearly a year ago when I stepped into the outpatient center for my life changing LapBand surgery.   I enjoy life. I don't worry about diet or food or calories for once in my life. I eat what I like. I eat what I feel like eating. I only avoid those foods that cause issues but sometimes I try them just to see if they still bother me. Yeah I am a sadist.   My favorite food right now is Qdoba's three cheese nachos with chicken. I get the chips on the side. I put black beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce and guacamole on it. I use probably 10 chips out of the huge bag they give me. Since I have started eating that most days for lunch my weight loss has upped a little. Here's the skinny on it...well not so skinny...1350 cal., 75g fat, 27g fiber, 55g protein. Yeah it is a lot of everything good and bad but that also includes all the chips which I don't eat. Here's the thing, I eat this for lunch 3-4 times a week. Since doing so, it has kick started my weight loss again. I mean that is a lot of protein in one meal and I am addicted to it!! Like I have said before I don't eat low fat intentionally. I eat what I like and try to choose lower fat options. I don't do fat free anything. I don't like it so I am not going to force myself to eat it. What's the point? I want to enjoy life, not struggle with it.   Hey the point is, whatever works for you, GO FOR IT!! I found my niche. I can't say it would work for anyone else but you have to find what it is that makes it work for you.   Check my blog out for my recipes and thoughts. http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/

anglov

anglov

 

I write this as I sit here devouring a bowl of homemade guacamole!!

Since the surgery I have a new love of guacamole. I never did before and now I love the stuff. Crazy good!   Well, I haven't been on here in almost a month. I am down 107 lbs as of today. I had my surgery almost a year ago. One year will be May 12th. I plan on that day posting a look back at the past.   Today I thought I would share a VERY IMPORTANT TIP..............   DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF OR YOUR JOURNEY TO ANYONE ELSE'S. I know, it's easier said than done but it is so important. Everyone is different. Everyone's body responds differently. What works for me may not work for you. It doesn't hurt to try but it is very easy to get discouraged when things don't work out the same as others. It may not be that you are doing anything wrong it's just not in the cards for you at the same pace as others. I see others on here upset because they aren't advancing the same as others. I used to be one of them. I wasn't losing weight as fast in the beginning as others who had surgery around the same time. I compared myself all the time. I don't anymore. I am ME. I have tips and things that have worked for me and it is only as a suggestion to others. It may work for you too and it may not. Trial and error.   Here are few differences I have. I don't drink protein shakes anymore unless I get a fill and I only drink one for that day. I don't eat a mere few ounces at a meal. I eat a salad plate size portion at each meal. This is my surgeon's and lap band's recommendation. Lap Band has even come out with a lap band plate showing the size portion you should have. I was beating myself up over vacation last year because I thought I was overeating. I came back from vacation and had lost 12 lbs. WOW. They told me it was because I was eating more. Okay so I took that advice and ran with it. I now eat that much when I can and I incorporate high protein foods. Life is good and it works for me. Find YOUR niche and you will be so much more happy than you are when you compare how you are doing to someone else.   Much Love and Respect to everyone who is on or are about to embark on this journey!! Angie http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/

anglov

anglov

 

I am SO DOWN right now

And I don't mean depressed. I was banded 5-12-10 and am DOWN 18.2 since surgery for a grand total of 36.5 since March.   It has been a road full of bumps and ruts. Some of the potholes were HUGE. I am making it though. I am not discouraged and I am not looking at this through "rose-colored" glasses.   I have seen some banders go into this thinking this is the miracle cure. We know better. I have seen some upset because they aren't dropping 10lbs a week. We know better. The point of WLS, well at least it should be, is to lose weight to be healthy. Now think about it, if we are told that with the lap band we should be losing about 2 lbs per week, why would we even imagine that 10lbs a week is normal? If you sent unrealistic goals or have unrealistic expectations then you are setting yourself up for a major disappointment. I have realistic goals and you know what? I AM HAPPY with my band and how I am doing and I am happy doing it.   I am to the point that I don't think band first before I eat. It is now a habit and everything just falls in place. I don't project I AM BANDED anymore. I am just me. They see me, not the girl who had band surgery. We are all successful no matter what!!

anglov

anglov

 

Happy Band day to Me!!

I was banded this morning. So far so good. I am sore and my shoulder/back hurts a little. They found a hiatal hernia and repaired it while they were in there. The doctor said my liver looked good. Weird thing is they sent home before/after pictures of my hernia repair.   My throat is REALLY sore and I am very thirsty. I recommend walking around or just get up and move around every hour. It really helps. I also have a heating pad for my back/shoulder. I have an ice pack for my stomach. It is sore where the hernia was repaired. I have a Q-ball that delivers continuous pain meds to my port site for two days and a nausea patch.   Deep breaths are hard but I force it and coughing which hurts my stomach a little.   All in all, I feel okay considering. Can't wait to see what each day brings. :smile:

anglov

anglov

 

Had a bad food day

I was really on track when I thought that I would get an April band date. Now that it is in May I have fallen off the "band wagon". Today I just wanted to eat. I don't know why after nearly a month of eating well and replacing one meal with a high protein shake, that I didn't want any of that today. I don't want to get back into this habit. I lost a few pounds and now I am afraid I will put it back on. I think mentally I know I have more time before surgery so why start now?? I can feel my motivation slipping away. All evening all keep thinking about is taco meat. Just taco meat. Weird!:thumbup:

anglov

anglov

 

Got my band date 05/12/2010

:thumbup:I went to my surgeon's consult today and got my surgery date of May 12th. They had earlier dates, as early as April 12th but it didn't work with my husband's work schedule so May it is. I think I am happier it is in May. It gives me more time to get all my ducks in a row. I can make sure everything is ready. I did find out that I have to give myself injections of Lovenox in the stomach after surgery due to a blood clotting disorder I have. I REALLY am not looking forward to that. I just hope I can do it. My family is squeemish so I can't have them help me. They can't stand to see me test my blood sugar. The good news is I lost 6 pounds. I don't have to do a two week liquid diet. Only one week. Right now I am replacing one meal with a protein shake so I think I will continue that. I am getting excited. It is really happening now. :blushing:

anglov

anglov

 

Focus

My goal now is to focus. Since I don't have restriction I need to focus on what I am eating and doing. Sometimes I wonder if the band is even there because I feel nothing. I am then reminded when I am eating meat and rush it. It gets stuck and then I feel the pressure start to ease and food slides on through. That is the ONLY time I am reminded I am banded. Everything else just glides on through.   I am simplifying what I eat. I tried to mix it up and I think that got me in trouble so I am back to basics. I have realized I am a plate grazer. When I eat, I don't eat eat thing one at a time on my plate. I take bites of everything on my plate. BIG MISTAKE! This means I don't eat all my protein first and then move on. I move on as I eat my protein. I have to have ONE thing on my plate otherwise I won't eat my protein first.   I am still hungry all the time. I am hungry about every 3 hours still. No matter what I eat I am hungry in 3 hrs sometimes less. The hardest part is at work. I have to bring lots of food, well, lots meaning several band servings since I work until 8pm. Last night at work I didn't bring enough and by 7pm my stomach was actually hurting because I was so hungry. It was painful and I have never had that happen before even during my pre-band days. And...what happens when you get that hungry? OVEREAT! I had to reign it in to keep from overeating. You also eat too fast which I did and some food did get stuck which actually is a pleasant reminder I actually have a band in there since I don't feel restriction otherwise.   I carry an insulated cooler bag with me always with ice packs in it. I have bottled water and food like chicken salad or something I grab and eat if needed. Just make sure you have enough is all I can say.

anglov

anglov

 

Each day is a new beginning

Right now each day is like a new beginning. I learn new things about my new "friend" every day and in turn new things about my new life. I learn what works and what doesn't. Everyone is different so what I may tolerate someone else may not and vice versa. I haven't added anything new the past few days. My "food" choices consists of: yogurt, egg salad, refried beans ( to be used sparingly), applesauce and mashed bananas. Oh and Chocolate cheesecake pudding if I need a sweet fix. Which isn't often. I am not much for sweets. I am more of a savory girl. Not much variety there. One tip to watch out for andyou may not have this problem but refried beans are delicious when thinned with taco sauce but after 2 teaspoons I start to get the full/bloated feeling. It lasts a pretty long time so all in all is a good protein choice and staying power in my pouch. Can be painful if too much is eaten.   I drove for the 1st time today. No problems. I have a van that sits a little high but I was still a little sore getting in and out. I only drove to the bookstore and back home. Which brings me to my find. I purchased the book "Eating Well after Weightloss Surgery". Intersting book/cookbook. It has 140 recipes that on each one indicates how much is a serving for Lapband, Gastric bypass etc. It breaks it down for each surgery type. It also indicates how to prepare your serving depending on how many weeks you have been banded or if not recommended in the first few weeks. I flipped through it first to make sure the recipes are something I would be interested in and found quite of few I liked and more that I could tweak to my liking. Some I thought were not worth the effort until I could eat them regular. Like an omelet. Why would I go through all the effort to make an omelet if I am going to just puree it as suggested for weeks 1-4 for lapband? Ummm....isn't that scrambled eggs? It is worth taking a look at. I haven't found many websites that have lapband friendly recipes. If anyone knows of any please share.

anglov

anglov

 

Down, Down she goes!

I went in Thursday for my 2nd fill. My 10cc band now has 4.5cc in it. I go back in 3 weeks again for another fill. I will be probably need two more tweaks she said.   I am down 41.5 lbs! I feel great!   I met with the nutritionist and she said I am a poster child for what to do right. That made me feel good. My lunch cooler is a great idea and is what keeps me on track all day long. I work four 10 hour days each week so I am there for dinner every day. I eat breakfast at home but take enough food to eat every four hours. It has been working great for me. I don't even think about eating out unless I want to. No vending machines. except when they have these cheese cubes/grapes cup. I do tend to buy those for a snack. My suggestion is to be prepared. I eat what I want when I want it. I just eat everything in moderation and yes my weight loss is not fast but it is steady and I am not suffering for it. I am not struggling at all because I am not putting too much pressure on myself and I don't set high expectations either. Be realistic in your goals otherwise you are setting yourself up for real disappointment and failure when you really didn't need to. Think about it. Did you gain all this weight overnight or even within a few months? No you didn't. This was over years and years. Why would you expect to lose it in a few months? You may WANT to lose it in a few months but that is not healthy or realistic. My doctor said I should aim to lose 40lbs a year to be within a goal range in 3 years which is right where the Lap Band should have me. I am already at the 40lb mark for this year and I am not reaching for the stars when setting my goals. Good Luck to everyone.

anglov

anglov

 

Calling all cooks!!!

CALLING ALL COOKS....I AM LOOKING FOR NEW RECIPES THAT ARE BAND FRIENDLY AND/OR JUST PLAIN EASY AND DELICIOUSLY LOW FAT/CALORIES. SEND ME AN EMAIL OR POST AS A COMMENT. I WILL COMPILE A NEW RECIPE LIST FROM ALL YOUR INPUT AND POST FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY:thumbup:!!   angela.lovato7@gmail.com or you can visit my blog and post a recipe...   http://anglovato.blogspot.com/

anglov

anglov

 

Beginning Journey...

Today I started going through my information received at intake to work on my diet. I figure I need to start making changes gradually so by the time I am forced to make changes I will be in the right frame of mind to do it. For me at this particular time I am cutting out caffeine and carbonated soft drinks. That is going to be so impossible for me. I LOVE my grape soda. Caffeine not so much of a big deal. I HATE drinking plain water, even the flavored is nasty unless it has sugar in it. That's a habit I need to work on now rather than later.   http://anglovato.blogspot.com/

anglov

anglov

 

Back again...

It has been awhile since I have been on here. My weightloss has slowed considerably. I am now down 115 lbs in 13 months. I have been struggling with getting stuck or really constricted when eating but I am supposing that it is mainly stress related. I am working on that. I don't give up and go back to mushies. I keep trying different foods to find what works. Things that worked before I have issues with now.   The key is to eat slowly which I will admit I don't do. Sometimes I wait too long to eat and then I end up eating too fast and well it gets ugly from there. Other times I eat slow but because my kids are bickering at the table I get stuck and it might be something as simple as green beans.   I am sitting here today re-evaluating what I am eating and how I am eating. I started a new job so I need to work that into the equation. My former boss ( I got a new job 3 weeks ago) and I used to eat lunch together a lot because I sat right next to her and we ate at our desks while chatting or working. The problem is I eat lunch out 4 days a week now. I don't eat bad foods persay just homemade you can control the food such as sodium and fat. Although I don't eat fat free I know that my home-made food is lesser in fat than the restaurants.   I have a few new recipes on my blog: http://thelapbandexperience.blogspot.com/ and updates on what has or has not been going on lately.   Advice, it is perfectly natural to have times where you seriously wonder if the band was the right choice. To this day, I still have those moments when food gets stuck over and over. I get so frustrated (which only adds to the stress factor) and even depressed about it if it happens for several days continuously. I am 13 months post op and still deal with those feelings. It's normal. I truly don't regret it at all. I mean who would REALLY regret losing 115 lbs in 13 months? I would have never done that without the band. I am human though and at times I get so tired of fighting myself because of the band. I make it harder than it needs to be.   So back to re-evaluting...My former boss and I still eat out. Well, we run out and grab food and bring it back to work. I go my way and she goes hers and we eat separately now. Weird, I know. I need to break that cycle. Monday is the only day that I eat my lunch brought from home. I need to start bringing it more often and just tell her no. I feel so bad though because she is struggling now that I am gone to my new job. She uses the drive to get food as her time to vent to me over her struggles. I know she needs to do that otherwise she will crack under the pressure. I have always been her sounding board. We worked together for 10 years. I will need to think on how to handle this delicate situation.   I enjoy shopping now for clothes. I can buy off the rach at most any store. I still buy some larger sizes. I wear an 18 in pants. I wear an XL or XXL in shirts. The normal XXL not the plus size 2X. There is a difference. I have a lot of loose skin around my belly and my upper arms so that is the only reason why. I see plastic surgery in my future but not for a very long time.   Well, check out my blog site. I have lots of more indepth info and recipes. As I have said before, I don't eat fat free. I usually try low fat or if it is high protein then I am not so picky. I have been successful so far so something is working for me.   Best wishes everyone and if anyone needs to chat or talk about things then give me a holler.

anglov

anglov

 

An End to Day 4 of my new Banded life

WOW!! What a rollercoaster day I had! I guess the swelling in my band went down ALOT because I was hungry every 3-4 hours and I ate every 3-4 hours. I was full each time after 2 oz. I had yogurt, egg salad(I pureed the heck out of it and then thinned it with relish juice), cream of broccoli soup, chocolate cheesecake pudding(lap band recipe).   What I found really strange was when I am full at some point I hear gurgling in my belly and it sounds and feels like a clogged drain draining down. Then the full, bloated feeling goes away and I am just comfortable. It was a very interesting day as I had to listen to my stomach to find out what to do next.   Oh big problem today. I was cooking dinner for the family and absentmindedly I take a spoon of the food and pop it in my mouth. I was suddenly going OH CRAP and spit it out. It was fettucini alfredo with diced chicken. I am going to have to break out of thiat nasty habit cause that could have turned ugly real fast.   Here's the recipe for the chocolate cheesecake pudding from lapband.com   Serving size: 1/2 cup Recipe makes: 10   Ingredients   1 small box instant sugar-free chocolate pudding mix 2 cups milk, skim or 1% 1 small package of low-fat soft cream cheese 1 (8 ounce) tub of low-fat cool whip Directions   1. In a medium bowl, beat pudding mix with 2 cups milk according to package directions. 2. Mix remaining ingredients until all are well blended. 3. Let stand in refrigerator for one hour.   Nutrition Facts   Serving Size 1/2 cup Recipe makes 10 servings   Amount Per Serving   Calories 130 Calories from Fat 60 Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gCholesterol 15gSodium 125gTotal Carbohydrate 13gDietary Fiber 0gSugars 5gProtein 4g

anglov

anglov

 

A good day...down 2

I weighed myself today and I am down another 2 lbs. for a total of 10 lbs. I feel good about that. The biggest change has been no soft drinks. I drink flavored water only. I am making more healthy choices. Not always but mostly. I was really craving tacos. Well taco meat that I put on baked scoops. I finally made it tonight and it was ALOT. I am stuffed and miserable but my craving is gone. I had a protein shake for breakfast and smoked chicken for lunch. I still haven't gotten this whole eating without drinking. That I guess is my next task to master. It's hard to imagine not drinking while I eat. I get so thirsty. I try to have one protein shake per day instead of a meal. Breakfast is the easiest for me. I do trade off and occasionally have an egg for breakfast. Protein, protein, protein. Protein and low carb. Got to get into the habit now. I found a food journal on bariatriceating.com and a few good recipes but was confused. Some of the recipes had 12g of FAT per serving. I expected it to be less fattening. I started a binder for my food journals and recipes collections. Getting it together a little a time. BAND DATE 5-12-10:thumbup:

anglov

anglov

 

A couple of concerns...

:scared2:I really need to stop going on You Tube and looking up Lap band. I have come across a lot on complications and I can't help but check them out. I keep telling myself that the majority are patient error not the band itself but I am still very concerned. I am especially concerned because I have to pay for this surgery out of my pocket. I wonder if my insurance will cover any complications, other than actually have to do more surgery on me. I mean like if I get an infection or something like that. I am worried. I can't afford that. Another issue, is more being pissed off than a concern. I have seen postings where they say don't tell anyone. It is personal. Yes that is true that it is personal and it is your choice whether to tell people or not that you got banded but at the very least DON'T LIE about it. I know of someone who never let on that she had the band. She lost a lot of weight fast and when people asked her she said she was working out and dieting. They ooh'd and aah'd over her and bragged about her determination and success. Well then she ends up having plastic surgery for her arms because of all the hanging skin and a tummy tuck. Well it was weird because usually if you are dieting and working out then you would not lose weight so fast that your skin would hang to the point that you needed plastic surgery. Her closest friend spilled the beans last week during one of her usual ramblings that I tune out but this caught my ear and she suddenly was like well ummm she didn't want anyone to know. You LIAR!! After people started noticing her weight loss she started giving updates on her progress but all the while saying it was the workouts she did. We have a gym at work and she attended for a while but not after her plastic surgery. I am not saying who she is or repeating this to anyone else at work. I wasn't the only one there when she spilled the beans either. It is not my place to tell others her story but it just rubs me wrong that she pretended to be something she's not. There are several people at work that have either been banded or had gastric so it's not big news. Sorry just frustrated...

anglov

anglov

 

46 Days and counting--Advice welcome

Ok, if I counted correct I am 46 days out from my day of destiny. I am looking for advice on how to prepare. I am getting together a list of "To Do". So here is what I have so far. 1. Get exercise room ready. I am painting a spare bedroom and turning it into my exercise room because let's face it, this bod is not going out to sweat in public. Treadmill and ellipitcal awaits me. 2. Trying different protein flavors and concoctions to find what I like and stock up. I already replace one meal a day with a protein shake. 3. Make and freeze homemade broth. 4. Stock up on Vitamin Water Zero   Please help me finish my list.

anglov

anglov

Sign in to follow this  

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

×