I expected big things from 2011...just not me! I was banded on September 30th, 2010. It has been a long, but quick process, if that makes sense. I have gone from 325-327 (by my at home scale) to 293.6 , as of this morning. It seemed so daunting when I first started the insurance process, seminars, etc, in April of last year. But, it truly went by quickly. Before I knew it, I was banded. If anyone is reading this and is overwhelmed by insurance hoops, don't be discouraged. Just take it one step at a time because the payoff is HUGE!
My last fill, # 3, they put in a little more in my band. That was 3 weeks ago and I've lost about 6 pounds since then. Slowly, but surely! Fill 1 was okay...no real restriction, though, fill 2 was an overfill---followed by some being taken out, then fill 3, I feel, is my sweet spot. I feel like I eat too much (i'm so paranoid about overeating), but my husband says I hardly eat anything. In comparing what I ate before, he's probably right. I still keep track of everything on sparkpeople and really am trying to watch everything. It certainly something that isn't easy and is something that we all have to continually work at. Each day, I still argue with my body about what to put in it. I think it will get easier and easier, but it has hard not to stop at McDonalds in the morning for a breakfast sandwich (not that I can really eat it without getting stuck anyway!), but my mouth would still try.
I have just started really trying to get serious about working out. I don't really have time for an actual gym between my kids and my husband's crazy work hours. I have picked up Zumba and also love working out to my Wii! My doctor's office has a program they refer to as 'Bootcamp'. It is 3 nights a week for 6 weeks. Of all of the places in my city, it happens to be held just a few miles from my house, which is great. You work out with a personal trainer those 3 nights, meet with a counselor for a few minutes on 2 of those nights and meet with a nutritionist the other night after your workout. And, as long as you don't miss more than 3 sessions, it is all free. So, I will be beginning that on their next session start next month. I really can't wait!
I am starting to have loose clothing, which is great, and my knees are already feeling better when I go upstairs. I love that. When I met my husband, I was hovering around 270. Still fat, but nothing as to what I turned into over 5 years! I guess my happiness was directly correlated with my weight gain, which, ironically, caused unhappiness. But, one the road to being a better me feels good! I recognize I will never, realistically, be 135 pounds ever, but I'm okay with that as long as I can get down to a healthy weight of maybe 170. I really can't wait to to do things with my kids this summer! I can already tell I'm getting more energy and can't wait to see how that goes up, too.
Anyway, those are the thought that are in my head today. I hope everyone is doing well after the holidays!
Feeling pretty good, so far. I have been doing a lot of walking and being up and around...I hope I'm not overdoing it! But, I'm not really having any gas pains at all, so I guess that is good. I have also been sipping a lot of water and G2. The only real complaint that I have is my throat! I called the doctor's office this morning and spoke with a nurse who told me it is normal to have throat pain after surgery, due to the tube. As long as there isn't a temperature, I should be better in a few days. thank goodness for pain meds! My incisions are doing okay, too. It doesn't hurt as bad to go to the bathroom or get up from a chair. Or, sleep, for that matter. last night was MUCH better sleepwise!
I do miss food, though. I don't really have hunger pangs, to speak of. When I get a little hunger feeling, I have a thin protein shake and I am better for awhile. Thankfully, the doctor said I can have those and soups in addition to the clear liquids. That is nice.
I went to the store today to pick up some food with my husband that I can puree this next week. I am so excited for that! I miss actual flavors! haha!
How is everyone else doing who has been banded recently?
Wow! What a week this has been! A week ago, I was celebrating getting down to 302 (losing 23 pounds since I started my liquid diet with almost no hunger after being banded 9/30/10). Welllll, my husband went back to the hospital on Wednesday morning and got discharged for good last night. It was an extremely stressful time and I wasn't home very much. Needless to say, I didn't have my protein routine to keep me in line. I tried to eat good and include plenty of protein in my "hospital cafeteria" diet. But, some nights, after driving home, only fast food was open (I didn't get a chance to replenish the fridge until last night). After being so exhausted, I gave in a couple of times. Now, here I am, determined to jump on the bandwagon and get back to losing again! My doctor cleared me last week for all foods again, so I stocked up last night again on all my "good food".
I have gained back pounds (eeeeek!), but I think I can work that down pretty steadily with my mind put to it. I've had hardly any sodium prior to my husband's hospital stay and with the eating out several times, I'm sure I took in a LOT. Blech.
Anyhoo, husband is doing great after 2 surgeries and will be out of work for several weeks recuperating. I have tried not to beat myself up too hard.....just climbing back on the saddle and WILL watch that scale go down again.
This waiting for restriction is not fun, but I just have to be my own restriction :-)
Today's word: HUNGRY!
I woke up, had a protein shake around 5:30, and was hungry at 7:30. So, I had some sugar free jello to help tie me over until lunch time (when I can have another protein shake). I can have coffee, so I just poured myself a bit of that.
I am not loving being hungry, but I am loving the thought of a brand new me. I am determined to follow this pre op diet to a T! I weighed myself last night and felt soooo discouraged. i want it to be the last time I feel that way. I actually lost 6 pounds the last two weeks of my doctor supervised diet, but gained 12 back in just a month and a half!
I am ready to get my body where it needs to be: healthy. I refuse to let my body be a dumping site for all things bad. So, while I am fighting this hungry feeling, this, too, shall pass.
So, after I had Panera this afternoon at lunch (instead of my normal soup, I got a sandwich...kind of as a goodbye to white breads!), I started to think about this liquid diet coming up next week :wink:. When I go to the store this weekend, I need to start picking up some items. My surgeon's office is mailing me a packet with pre op instructions, but I want to know from all of you what are the best things you had during this time to get you through it.
Was there a particular broth, sugar free jello, or something like that that you enjoyed having? Also, how did you get through this time without actual FOOD?! Did your body go into shock :eek: ? I figure it'll be a mental game that I can play and just try to get through each day. Truly, the thought of no physical food is scary.
Okay, last question, what are some good sugar free treats that you enjoy either before or after the surgery?
It's a little after midnight here. I just got up and my throat is killing me! Anyone else have this problem after surgery? I'm really wondering if I should go in to have it swabbed or if it is just maybe normal to have this. I have a lot of drainage, too (although, I had drainage on surgery day,too). Also, I was on antibiotics a few days before surgery. Ouch, help!:confused:
I'm having a rotten day. So, I got back from vacation a couple of weeks ago. I managed to gain 7 pounds while I was there. 7 pounds!! I know it is my own fault....splurging in the high calorie drinks and zero protein shakes. I stepped on the scale and I was 284. I almost cried. At the end of this month, I will have had this band for 10 months. I remember, at the end of November, weighing around 297. That is so freaking discouraging. It's like I had to give EVERYTHING I had in me to lose the 50 lbs (which I am proud of). But, can not seem to go lower.
I have 7.7 in my band right now. The only food I can not tolerate is some chicken. It comes right back up. Everything else, with the exception of breads (which I don't eat at all), is okay. I portion out what I eat and am hungry 1 1/2-2 hours later. You might say, "Well, get a fill." Which, is what I think, too. I go to the dr. in a couple weeks. But, when they had 7.9 in my band, I was throwing up everything. I can not seem to find that spot. When I think I do, I get all excited then it seems like once the swelling goes down, I'm not there. I just feel like I am on an eternal diet. I stock my house with protein, greek yogurt, veggies, etc, but I can still eat portions that are bigger than what I should be. It doesn't help when I eat the proper portion and am hungry again in a couple of hours.
To make matters worse, I saw a friend who had the sleeve done 3 1/2 years ago. She went from 280 and is at a slim 130 right now. She just had a tummy tuck and boob job. She at 3 bites of a hamburger (with bread), a couple bites of fruit, and proclaimed, "Wow! I am STUFFED!" I didn't know whether I wanted to cry or strangle her! Meanwhile, I sitting across the table, with tiny bits of my half brat (I don't do the skin of it because it doesn't agree with me) and my tomato salad.......finishing it, feeling satisfied, then hungry again in a couple hours. My friend is never hungry and forgets to even eat. I. am. having. a. SUCKY. day.
This process seems to be soooo slow. I had to cancel my doctor's appointment yesterday because of all the snow we got here. I can't go in until a week from Thursday and know I need a little something in my band. I can eat more and I"m not thinking I like it very much. Everything seems to go down with ease. And, on top of that, it takes more to make me feel full. Also, I don't like feeling hungry after a couple of hours. Grrrrrrr! I have lost a whole pound in 8 days. I am down about 33 pounds total. About 15 of that after I got banded. I feel good about the weight I have lost so far, but also look at crazy envy at those banded around the time I was who have lost 50 or 60 pounds. Eeeek!
It's time to kick up the exercise in high gear while I wait, I guess. Does anyone have any good items to soothe your sweet tooth? I can't do any jello or sugar free bars for a long time. If you have any suggestions of something to curb it, while tasting sinful (yet lower in calories), please let me know. I usually do pretty well, but today I have a crazy ice cream craving and can't seem to overcome it :-( What's funny, I'm not really even an ice cream person!
Thank you if you are still reading me spew negativity. I am just having one of those days :-(
Wow! What a new world that I am about to embark on! I have joined (and started) this blog so that I can keep record of my thoughts, feelings, weight, etc, during this journey to a healthy me. I want to be able to look back and say, "Look how far I have COME!"
I am a mother of 4 children (2 of the them are natural; 2 are 'bonus children' from my husband). I love them all and love spending time with them. My husband has two boys, 12 and 13. I have a son who is 11. And, our daughter together is 10 months old. I am 30 years old and have my hands full, for sure!
All of my life, I have been overweight. I have often joked that I was the sister who was slapped with "the fat stick". Both of my parents are of normal weight, as is my sister. However, if you look closely at the women on my father's side of the family, all of us are of size. Weight is something that I have always seemed to struggle with. When I was 9, I remember at the health fair at school, hiding my card because my weight showed 104 pounds. I remember when I was 12, going to a chiropracter for the first time with my Mom. There were no health issues--I just wanted to go because she was going. They weighed me and I was 184 pounds! I can't believe how that number has stuck with me all of these years! Over the years, my weight has crept up.
For the longest time, I refused to step on scales. When I was 18 (1998), I got pregnant with my son. I was probably around 215 at that time. I have no idea how high I was for sure on the scale. I gained 70 pounds with him, but lost most of the weight after I had him. The next time I stepped on a scale, it was 2005. It said 270 and I almost fainted! I couldn't believe how high my weight had gotten. It seemed like overnight, but it really wasn't. After, that, I tried various diets (and failed) and swore off scales again.
Around that time, I met my incredibly supportive husband. He has always loved me the way I am and never misses an opportunity to tell me how beautiful I am. He is amazing. Needless to say, being in love and happy prompted me to put on even more weight. My weight crept up to 309 when I found out I was pregnant with our daughter. Can you believe one of my first thoughts was,"Wow! I can't gain anymore weight while I am pregnant with this one."? Well, I topped out around 332. That was my heighest point and my most miserable point. My ankles were swollen and it was horrifying carrying around that extra weight on my already loaded down frame. After I had my daughter, I lost 40 pounds. But, like clockwork, it came back up.
Today, I am sitting at 320 and have beat myself up time and time again. I look at pictures and want to cry sometimes. There are very few pictures of me with my family and most of those are waist up. I guess there have been times that I have been an emotional eater, but I don't really see that as my main problem. My issue is being full. I always seem to be hungry and love the full sensation. Embarassing, yes.
I made the decision to explore weight loss surgery and am very proud of my decision. I know I need to do something for my health and my family. I want to be around for my children and grandchildren. I want their memories to be doing things with them and not being tired from lugging around extra weight. I want to be able to sleep well at night (I haven't woken up well rested in at least 5 years). I am so motivated and this point and can't wait to sail straight forward.
I attended my first seminar last night with another scheduled for this Saturday. Gastric bypass is just too invasive for my liking. I toyed around with the sleeve for a bit. A friend of mine went from 270 to 135 in a mere year using that tool. Of course, my insurance won't pay for that. I did, however, find out that my insurance will cover LAP-BAND® at 100%. I am quite certain I will be headed in that direction. I do know i will have to work at it hard, but I am sooooo ready.
After my seminar this weekend, I will be equipped to make a surgeon decision and plan on making it quickly. I can't wait to get this ball rolling!
I am going on a cruise to the Bahamas with my family this June and plan on it being the last trip I take that I have to worry about fitting in an airplane seat...haha!! I would really love to get the surgery done after that. I would actually do it beforehand, if given the choice, but being out of the country so soon afterwards probably isn't the smartest decision!
If any of you "bandsters" have any comments, suggestions, or supportive thoughts, please let me know! I have a supportive family but is would be so helpful to have others in my same boat to share this experience with. I am ready to do this...and ready to do this RIGHT!
Well, I am officially a little over 6 months out. I have lost a total of 46 pounds total, including preop. It is coming off slowly, but surely. I have been at a plateau the past couple of months and need to make better food choices and definitely work out more. Overall, though, I am very happy being 46 pounds down. It is 46 less of me that I have to lug around. I am going to Cozumel in just a couple months and my goal is to get down even further and finally invest in some new clothes! Right now, they are hanging on to me for dear life (YES!). I may not have lost as much weight as my friend who had RNY at the same time, but I still feel great and feel this choice is a "for life" commitment. And, on days I feel sad I haven't lost as much, I look at my before pictures and take notice of the weight that IS gone.....forever!
So, I completed the psych evaluation yesterday and boyyyyyy was that a lot of questions! I am curious to see what it will say :-) I don't talk to ghosts or hear voices, so hopefully I will be alright :-) If you have to go in to take one of these, prepare to do 1 1/2-2 hours for the testing phase of it. I did two tests. One was over 500 questions and the second one was somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 questions.....all true/false.
I go in to talk over the results next Wednesday. At that time, he will be writing a report to send to the surgeon's office and I can finally submit for insurance approval. I am so excited, yet a little nervous at the same time.
Some people say, "Wow, you are going to have the surgery done right before the holidays?" But, as I look at myself in the mirror, I don't even care if it's before the holidays. I don't want to eat as much anymore. I want to get the weight off and be full with smaller portions! The sooner I can get there, the better off I will feel.
Hopefully everyone is doing well in their weight loss journey. I am curious, though. If you are reading this, where are you at in your journey?
Today was the day of my first fill. I was a little nervous, not knowing what to expect, but it was all good. I ate pretty light today. Coffee and a bagel (eeeek!) this morning. Pineapple and a piece of grilled chicken for lunch. Then, this afternoon, the fill!
They brought me in, weighed me, checked my incision sites, then had me lay back on this table. The doctor explained that I would feel a sting, then said I wouldn't feel anything but maybe a bit of pressure. He cleaned of the area then I felt something like a little sting. After that, I didn't feel pressure at all. I felt, while he was putting the fluid in, a little tickle or maybe even butterflies. It was such a weird sensation! They then had me drink a small amount of water to make sure everything was going down just fine. He ended up putting 3 cc's in. I go back in another two weeks and will most likely have another fill. I am back to soft foods for 3 days, but that is okay. I'm finally on my way!
So, for the first time since being banded, I am having a fat day. I haven't lost anymore weight since my last posting and I know I need to work out more and add protein. I am leaving for vacation in a week and a half and having been busting my butt trying to get everything done. I make tutu princess dresses for babies and toddlers on the side, so I have been furiously constructing them to get them completed before I leave.....oy! A year ago, I stressed out for at least three months...at least...about the plane ride and being able to buckle my seatbelt. It was horrible. Everything buckled, thank goodness. One of the 4 planes barely buckled. This year, I am 50 pounds lighter but I started to freak out a week ago about the stupid seatbelts again.....yes, really, I did. It should be fine. While my body has changed, sometimes I still have the mentality that I originally started with. Strange, huh?
....was TODAY! I arrived at the surgery center at 6:30 am. They had me changed, did the last minute testing, started my IV, and got me all hooked up. After a blood thinner shot and some Pepcid in the IV, I was almost ready to go. They put these things on my legs, too, that fill with air and release to keep the risk of blood clots down.
About 8:20, they gave me some medicine to relax me (loved it) then wheeled me into the OR. As they were hooking me up, they put an oxygen mask on and told me to take deep breaths. After about 5, I was OUT. Next thing I remember is the nurse pulling something out of my throat and thinking I must have thrown up...lol. but, the nurse just said, "You are just waking up...it is all done with." They gave me some pain meds and let me relax.
I must say, the next two hours, I was miserable. Not because I was hurting, but because I was hooked up to everything and couldn't get comfortable..plus, trying to wake up. Once that passed, i was fine. And, it really wasn't bad. The woman in the room next to me I could hear was having a hard time, saying she couldn't breathe over and over. yikes! what a feeling! My dad said he had the same feeling after being put under for his heart surgery so I'm guessing it's a side effect from being put under. But, even now, as I sit here typing, I am only a bit sore, not sleepy, and just going about my 'relaxation schedule', as the kids are with parents! It's actually a mini vaca....lol
When I did my barium swallow at 11:30, it was soooo cool to see it go down the tube! I'm a geek :-) Even cooler was the Gatorade G2 they gave me after. I was soooooo thirsty! By noon, I was given my breathing apparatus and discharged.
The husband stopped, filled my anti nausea and Lortab meds, picked me up some Gatorade G2 (the ONLY thing I failed to get at the store pre surgery), and stayed with me.
All afternoon, I have been taking my meds, drinking (albeit slowly) lots of Gatorade and water. My surgeon said I am good to have water, protein shakes, Crystal Light, Gatorade, Water, Juice, Popsicles, Soup (any kind without "chunks"), Jello, etc. While not real hungry at all, I did take in some yummy tomato soup. Looking at the soup that has sat in my pantry forever looked far more appealing than my protein shakes...lol. However, tomorrow, I will force some protein shakes down so I can get some real nourishment. On Monday, I can move up to pureed food, pudding, etc until I meet with the doc again on Friday.
I can not say enough about Dr. Malley (KC area), New Hope Bariatrics, and the WONDERFUL nurses and staff. They are greater than I ever thought possible. I received the best treatment from there than I have ever had anywhere.
I do have one question for you bansters, though, if you are somehow still reading this novel.....when does gas pain start?
I was so sad the last post...and frustrated. Since I am not a person who normally gets down, I try to LIFT myself back up :-) i am almost down the weight I gained on vacation. The scale is slowly dropping again. And, that is positive. Hope everything else is going great for other in band land!
So, I am on soft foods for the next couple of days. I decided I will try sushi...Having read that some people have trouble with it and some don't, I decided I would take smaller bites of it. My train of thought was,"Well, might as well nibble now because if it doesn't agree with me, that will be the end of that."
Fast forward to opening my yummy sushi roll. I split a piece in half, eat a bite, then remind myself I need to chew better. I eat the remaining piece.....wow...weird feeling. I proceed to the half of piece of sushi piece #2. WOW!!! Oh no! I'm gonna get sick! I felt a huge wave of nausea and got the watery mouth. It last for about 5 minutes and I'm so glad I was able to hold on to everything. Getting sick in front of my coworkers was not #1 on my priority list today. I was able to finish the sushi roll....eventually. I cut it up into 1/4's and chewed it forever.
The learning how to eat continues....will keep you posted!
One more pound and I will have hit the 40 pound weight loss in my (almost) 5 months of being banded. I am now down to 287. It is incredibly sllllooowwww, but so worth it. I can tell a little difference (mainly in how my clothes fit-----or, not really fit anymore, I should say), but other people say they can tell a big difference. I am to the point where I really need to go out and get some new clothes.
After my last fill, my band keeps me in CHECK! If I eat too fast or take too big of bites, i get stuck, feel miserable, and eating time is o-v-e-r. I really have to remember to chew chew chew. And, sometimes (with dry chicken, steak, etc) that is not enough. And, some days are different than others. My husband make steak on our anniversary last Thursday. I took a few bites of the 4 oz steak, felt sick, and dinner was done (even though I took small bites and chewed). I brought the leftover steak for lunch the next day and got it down fine. However, when I tried to eat my small baked potato afterwards, I got two bites in and that was it.
My husband and I just shared our 4 year anniversary this past week. I went out to dinner with him Saturday evening to McCormick and Schmicks. It was sooooo good! They brought huge chuncks of fresh bread out (my heart really sank), but I did clip off a tiny smidge (and I do mean TINY!) and dipped it in butter just to try it. And, I did order a tuna tartare appetizer, salad, and stuffed salmon for dinner. Yes, I still think sometimes like the fat girl I became over the years, but this time, I ordered knowing I'd have left overs for a couple meals and could take it home :-) It's a fantastic restaurant, why not have leftovers? I ate the appetizer and some of the side salad. I ended up bringing home my full entree. And, how nice was it to actually slow down and enjoy the flavors. REALLLLLL NICCCCCE!!!!
The next day, we had lunch with friends. I ordered a tuna appetizer and a side salad. I ate the side salad, felt full, and brought the tuna home. I must say, I like leftovers!
I really like the restriction and tightness that I have now. I would definitely rather be a little too tight than not enough. Sometimes I am not as wise as I should be and the band now seems to "smack my hand" if I have something I shouldn't. I love that!
I have pretty much kissed goodbye all bread products, pizza, donuts, etc, but I am totally okay with that. Stringy fruits (oranges, grapefruits, pineapples) seem like ages ago since I haven't been able to eat those for awhile now. I can still get down all veggies (I love asparagus and thank the Banding Gods for allowing me to still eat that), but potatoes pose a problem unless they are mashed. Thankfully, too, chicken wings don't go down good anymore. I really needed my band to help me with those as they are my weakness. I do miss regular chicken and steak sometimes (as it seems to be 50/50 if I can even eat a little bit). But, really, I have found that fish goes down perfectly and is much better for me than red meat.
If I could completely rid myself of my Starbucks addiction, I would be doing even better. Starbucks is sabotaging me...even when I ask for nonfat milk with my white chocolate mocha. I have made an agreement with myself to treat myself on Fridays, but NO other time. It is amazing on how many calories that actually adds to my day. Seriously, I would be nailing my caloric goal everyday if it wasn't for those days I got Starbucks. Thank you sparkpeople.com for showing me how ugly this coffee can be In the art of compromising, so I don't sabotage myself, I iron out 100 calories everyday for my cups of coffee and creamer. I love it to much to completely let it go, but 100 sure beats 500!
I still haven't joined the gym but AM planning to. I just need to narrow down which one. I would like to do Curves, but I don't think it will be feasible for me to get to considering where I live, kids, and the fact my husband has a completely different work schedule than me. I think a 24 hour place will work good. I do like my Zumba video but would LOVE to do it at a gym. I find when I work out, I feel better and I drop a pound here and there like no one's business. I can definitely improve on the working out! Fortunately, a friend of mine has created a facebook group to help address this with everyone. It's sort of an online support page where we can become accountable to others. I really am looking forward to working this page for all it's worth :-)
Whew, how therapeutic it was to write!
My second fill comes tomorrow....maybe...most likely. I currently have 3 cc's in my band. The first four days were extremely hard to get anything down without getting stuck (after my first fill). Now, I see that I can still eat breads (small bites....thanks to Thanksgiving!). I don't have anything in the way of restriction, so I really have to watch my portion sizes. I have also been doing awesome with not drinking for a half an hour after I eat. That has been so hard! I am currently down to 301.8, after being stalled for a month. Thanksgiving also went pretty well. I grabbed a salad plate and just put a small portion on it of foods. I don't think I allowed myself alot of food at all. Yesterday, I took my son and daughter to lunch with my parents. Lunch was a bowl of steak soup. I was only able to eat about half of it and my daughter ate the other half. I do find I feel tighter in the mornings. I would love to feel restriction, but it is not so bad where I'm at right now. i can tell the band is helping. While I don't feel restriction, I do find the food stays with me longer, which I love. We'll see what the doctor says tomorrow. Until next time....hopefully, I can soon report that I am under 300!
I feel so much better since that last fill! I have restriction back. YAY! No more bread eating or too many carbs...I love how my band helps keep me in line when I go off track. I hit 279 this morning....which, I think is great considering this is normally my highest time of the month (if you know what I mean). I have officially lost 48 pounds and am now 8 months out. Sometimes I sit and think about how slow the process is and how I should have lost more. Other times, I think what a big accomplishment this is.....considering I have had a couple missed appts and overfill recoveries :-) So, I continue plugging right along......
I think I have a sinus infection and this drainage is making me feel stuck. I haven't been able to keep anything (non liquid) down in two days. Anyone have any suggestions or experiences?
I am at the one week mark....yay! Now that I am getting over this cold I got post-op (thanks to my sweet children at home), I am feeling much better. I had some pain at my port site for a few days, but even that has subsided. Overall, I feel fantastic.
Last night, I cooked dinner for the rest of the family, did some cleaning and then relaxed. At work, I just get up and move around throughout the day. I took just two days off (Thursday and Friday). I had a lot of work to come back to, so I'm glad I didn't have to take off more time! The only rough day was the first day back. It was not fun being sore, having a cold, and just wanting to be back at home.
I am still living on my instant potatoes, protein shakes, natural applesauce, and light yogurt. And, I"m okay with that. The scale really hasn't moved much the past couple days, but I'm okay with that. Now, if only I could stop jumping on it 4 times a day!
How is everyone else doing?
I FINALLY got in for the fill that I seem like I have been waiting forever for! YAY! I had a little fluid taken out in March, due to me having a cold and the drainage was miserable! I couldn't hold anything down. I made an appointment for April, but I couldn't get off work to make the appointment as our owners were in town. So, I finally got to go yesterday. They had taken .5 out of my band and put .3 in this time around. I should be around 7.7 in my band. Up until yesterday, I felt like I was eating more than I should and definitely hungrier. No fun. I could eat biscuits (even though I know I shouldn't) with no problem...I didn't get stuck on anything! Amazingly, i still lost a pound during that time. Now that I have a nice bump, I'm ready to get on the weight loss train fully. I have been trying to get my daily workout in and also trying to keep track of myself on sparkpeople.com. When I weighed this morning, I am 282, still up from my lowest of 280, but I know water weight can fluctuate, so whatever. Goal for next weight in: 272. Full steam ahead!
Thursday is the day and it is coming quick. I will be soooo glad to be banded and get eased back on to food for meals again, although, I think I will keep up with the protein shakes for breakfasts.
I had a class I had to take at my surgeon's office Friday. They have such great support up there! They went over everything with the lap band, why they want you to shrink the liver (I had no idea those with 'apple' body shapes seem to have larger livers compared to 'pear' shapes--thus the difference in pre op diets!), what you can have/when you can have it, etc. The nurses are all on call 24/7 and encourage phone calls for anything. The nurse who gave the presentation said sometimes, when you get 'stuck' for the first time, it can be scary and they want to be there to reassure and give tips. It was nice to hear nurses who are actually wanting to be there for you. My surgeon's office also does a support group once/month, meetings with a dietician in a group setting once/month. They even offer bootcamp--which is 2 hours, 3x/week, for 6 weeks where you meet with a personal trainer at the gym, workout, and then meet with a nutritionist....all free. I can't wait to be healed up and do that!
Anyhoo, I am getting more nervous the closer that it gets but really wanting to get this done and over with.
It's amazing how much I miss just having even healthy food. I would have killed something over the peaches sitting in my fridge for the kids! The sugars and carbs are very much missed. I do pretty well with the protein shakes in the morning and for lunch. I haven't had any soup and have cut out the jello now, too. For dinner, I usually have a Lean Cuisine or another small, healthy meal. The other night, I made hobo stew with lean hamburger, sliced carrots, onion, potatoes, mushrooms, corn, basil, and V8. It was actually very good. A cup of that and a small side salad with mushrooms and a small amount of fat free dressing made a good meal.
Well, onward I go towards the countdown. I truly can't wait.
Eeeeeek, next Wednesday can't come soon enough. I need a fill SOOOO bad. I am joining a gym this week, but there are no aerobics classes, etc....Just the basic with circuits, weights, etc. What is your favorite thing to do at the gym. I wanna get the most out of my workout :-)
So, I went in for my second fill on Monday. It was 2 months to the day of my surgery. When I stepped on the scale at the doctor's office, I was happy to learn I had dropped 4 pounds over the past two weeks without really trying. I was ultra bad on Thanksgiving, caved in, and had 2 rolls....eek! Those went down fine, so when i went to the doctor's office, with 3 cc's in my band, of course I told him I could use another fill. He filled me with another 1.25 cc's and sent me on my way. I had a few sips of water in the office that really went down okay. However, by the time I got home, I felt soooo nauscous! Luckily, since the rest of the family has the stomach bug, I had some anti nausea meds on hand that I took. I did try to eat mashed potatoes and those came back up. I had a sinking feeling I was overfilled. But, I blew it off as swelling and tried to get liquid down in small sips. It was crazy. I would take a sip of water and feel stuck for 20 minutes. Since my baby girl came down with the stomach bug really bad Monday night and Tuesday, I couldn't get away. But, after waking today with an incredibly thirsty body and not being able to even drink, I knew I had to go today. The husband stayed with the baby while I made the 40 minute trek to the doctor. He wasn't in, but his nurse practitioner was. She took me back to unfill under the big fluero machine. She first unfilled me completely. We were both shocked to find that I wasn't at 4.25 cc's...I was at 7.5 cc's! My band must have been partially filled at surgery and there was no record of it. So, she took out 1 cc, leaving me with 6.5 cc's. I can get water down now, FINALLY! And, did I mention I lost 5.5 pounds since Monday? Probably from being so dehydrated! So, I think I should be good here for awhile. I felt a little restriction before and, once I add full foods again, I'm hoping I will be at my sweet spot. Word to the wise------if you think you might be overfilled, go see your doctor ASAP! On a plus side, I'm now under 300 **applause** Have a great day, everyone!
