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About this blog

:thumbup:My journey with the band - On my way to the 2nd part of my life!

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I'm really a little scared

After researching a lot about my sudden restriction, I fear that I may have a slipped band. I am scheduled for a fill next week on the 17th. I will go ahead and go, I DO NOT NEED A FILL, however, I want him to look and make sure my band is in the right place.   IF it is, then I will have him do a slight, very slight unfill. Hopefully it has not slipped and my unfill will cure my acid reflux I am having in the evening. I have not gotten any sleep in days..............   Wt this morning ----177.1
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Exercise Update

Things have been hectic, so I haven't been keeping track of my exercise & eating in my journal, my bad. I haven't missed an exercise session one - matter of fact, my butt really hurts today. I did lunges last night on my lower body workout, and I'm feeling it this morning.   I actually had THREE exercise sessions yesterday, 2 cardio and 1 weight training. I ate too much yesterday and I know I'm ready for a fill. I go tomorrow - yay!   I'll try and get better regarding updating my journal, just so busy, no time to for anything.   Next week will be 1/2 way mark (June 3). Then I will have 6 weeks to go to complete this challenge. I will be so proud of myself if I can complete this challenge, or should I say, WHEN I complete the challenge. I have tried so many times to complete it but never do, so my focus is to complete it!
tonya66

tonya66

2
 

11/15/07

I managed to stay of the scales this morning. TOM is around the corner, but I don't feel bloated, but I can tell I'm a little looser.   My knee is really hurting, not sure why so much pain. It only hurts when I walk, or put any pressure on it. I have therapy tomorrow, will have to ask about it.   I am also swollen again in my knee area, so back to putting the ice packs on it.   Menu today:   Bfast - Coffee w/cream   Lunch - ground beefe, salsa, broccoli   Dinner - grilled salmon, salad   Suppliments - 2 flinstone vitamins, 1 quickslim 30,   Exercise - just doing some stretches since my knee is killing me. Man this sucks.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Tomorrow is my Day! My Band Birthday!

Tomorrow is my day! I'm so excited, I'm nervous a bit, and I'm anxious. I'm anxious to get it over with!   I will have to be at the hospital at 11:00 am, my surgery time is not until 1:00. The only thing I am worried about is my low profile port. I hope they ordered it!
tonya66

tonya66

4
 

5/15/08

Life is good - The scale is steadily moving down, although the 2nd time around trying to lose this is a lot SLOWER. I'm losing a steady 1 pound per week, I wish it was more, but I am just glad the scale is moving down!   I had a great workout last night, was in the gym about an hour and 1/2. I did 45 min cardio and about 3o to 45 min on the weights, worked my biceps, triceps, shoulders, back, and chest. Did a total of 45 on the elliptical. I am doing circuit training these days. Below is about how I do my circuit training:   15 min - Elliptical (I get my heartbeat up) Jump off Elliptical - did some Pectorial Flys (works the chest) 3 sets and then jumped on the tricep machine and did another 3 sets.   Jumped back on the Elliptical machine - for another 10 minutes - to get my heartbeat back up   Jumped off and worked my biceps (did curls) and shoulders (a killer workout)   Jumped back on my elliptical, this time I did 20 minutes = a total of 45 minutes   Finished the evening working my back.........   I figured out I burned around 550 to 600 calories last night - 450 just on the elliptical machine - I love the elliptical machine!   Todays Menu   Bfast 1 serving of mini wheat ceral/skim milk, 1 sliced strawberry & some blueberries mixed in   Lunch Grilled chicken breast   Dinner ground beef salad   Exercise Circuit training - lower body/abs   wt - 176.1
tonya66

tonya66

3
 

The Biggist Loser Show

Watched the Biggest Loser last night, I love that show! Anyhow, it always motivates me to get my butt to the gym. I've been sick, so I didn't make it this morning. I will try and go down at lunch and do a little something.   My lasik is tomorrow and I'm excited!   Oh, I started a flkr account for my pictures, I still have a lot to upload but I did get it started. My link is http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyaslife/   I might share the link with my family, and they don't know I had the lapband so I am just calling my experience "a Diet".   Eating was good yesterday, I think my sweet tooth is leaving me, or I'm just sick of eating sweets because I didn't crave them at all!   2 more days until my fill! I cannot wait, I'm just hoping it works!
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

2/28/07 menu

Bfast - Sweet Freedon Yogurt, with granola   Lunch - Cancun salad - dressing on the side, ate about 1/3 of it. It had grilled chicken on it, black olives and 1/2 avacodo. I ate two slice of avacodo.   Snack - 10 almonds   Dinner - sting cheese, 4 oz of baked fish with salsa on top   Exercise - 15 min brisk walk during break, 33 min on treadmill at 3.1 mph, 3.0 incline, 240 calories, 1.63 miles   Supplements - Viactiv Vitamin   Water - 60 oz   Notes - Went to the gym again last night. Ate good all day yesterday, stepped on the scales this morning and it read 209 - just not losing like I was, but I'm still not worried, I know my body is changing. I think its time to hide the scales again.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

11/30/07

Thank Gawd its Friday!!!!!!!!! I love Friday and today is even Payday, its my year end at work, I made my goal which means I get a 10% of my yearly salary bonus!! Yehaw!!!! I won't get it until February 22nd, but thats okay, I am spending it on our next cruise that leaves June 29th, 2008 to the Virgin Islands. I'm hoping to be at goal by then.   Wt this morning 168.6 - starting to drop the water weight!
tonya66

tonya66

2
 

12/4/07

Wt - 169.8   Menu - Master Cleanse Diet   Not much to report except I'm really mad at myself for not getting up this morning to exercise. I know getting back to the gym is so hard, it took me a long time to get there before, but once I really commited to it, I was hooked, addicted to it. Now I'm starting all over again.   I set the alarm for 5 am, I went to bed early. I woke up at 5 am, I was awake, but did I get up. NOOOO. I just laid there and finally fell back asleep. So, I'm going to keep working at it and hopefully something will click inside me and I will get my butt out of bed!   I was planning on going last night, but I knew if I did, I would be up late and then it would be hard to get up this morning. So I decided I would not work out last night and just get up this AM. Neither plan worked!
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

12/7/07

wt - 171.4   Well, I finally figured out why my weight is bouncing! Woke up this morning and had my visit from TOM, EARLY! He was not due to visit until another 10 days! Weird, I've always been late, not early, especailly not 10 days early! I woke up in a bad mood. I feel bad yelling at my daughter and DH, they were both walking around on egg shells this morning.   I've finally calmed down, but I hate that I acted so bad toward them this morning.   I think I will just sit in my office today and not talk to anyone at work, just not in the mood to deal with people today, not sure why I'm in such a fowl mood, but I suppose it must be PMS. Man, somtimes I hate being a woman!
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

5/14/08

Things going about the same....I had another accident this weekend with my poor body. lol. I was moving a huge branch from my neighbors yard, and well, it was heavy and fell on my foot. Now my foot is so swollen and black and blue, I can't wear any shoes except very loose flip flops. grrrrr.   I had to sit the gym out, but last night, I couldn't take it anymore and went to the gym. I did 45 min on the elliptical and worked my lower body out. Had a great abs workout! My foot paid the price later, and I'm still paying for it today, very swollen.   Menu today   Bfast oatmeal   Lunch chicken breast - grilled grilled veggies   Dinner protein shake   Oh - I took my measurements last night too - I'm going to start tracking them as well again. Since the scale is not moving, maybe my inches are - trying to not get discouraged.   Waist - 36" Hips - 44" - scary thighs 23 1/2" - calves - 15 3/4" chest - 39 1/2 arms (biceps) - 13" forearm - 9" neck - 14 1/2"   according to my measurements, my body fat is 41% - I'm in poor range, and I'm 24 lbs over the ideal - the most fat I should have is 36% - so, I still have a long way to go. :thumbup:
tonya66

tonya66

2
 

It hurts, but it has to be done!

Yes, it hurts, but it has to be done, I'm talking about taking my measurements. Since I start my pre-op tomorrow, I had my daughter take a before pic and I took my measurements. Man, they are BAD. I'm as big as a Dallas Cowboy linebacker! I decided that the pre-op is ever bit a part of the lap band, so I am counting every pound I lose, and every inch I lose from this point on.   I also probably will count the 20 pounds I already lost, I have worked for those, and I believe I deserve them. lol.   Okay, here goes my measurements:   Waist - 41 1/2" Hips - 51" ( ) Left Thigh - 28" (this is what the waist is suppose to be) calves - 17" left arm - 15 1/2" breast - 43" under breast - 37"   OMG, I can't believe I am this fat! My before pics makes me look prego. My belly is huge! But all this is going to change!
tonya66

tonya66

4
 

Tuesday, 11/20/07

I will be glad when these holidays are over! Everyone keeps bringing all kinds of goodies to work. grrrrrrr.   I am scheduled for a fill tomorrow, and I was going to cancel it, but I think I am going to go ahead and get a very small fill. I think I only need a half of cc or .1 cc, very small amount. I have restriction, and I don't have any problems right now, but I think I might need just a tad little bit more.   My Menu today:   Bfast - Coffee, oatmeal   Lunch Turkey salad   Dinner Baked fish green beans   Supplements - 1 Quickslim30, 2 flinstones   Exercise - 20 min recumbant bike
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

9/24/09

My band has settled down quite a bit now. I stayed on liquids/mushy foods all day yesterday, didn't eat past 6pm and exercised last night, I had NO ACID REFLUX. I got to sleep a full 7 hours!!!! I woke up feeling great!   I still am a bit tight, but not too tight at all, this might be perfect.....we'll see if it continues to get looser.   Now, I just need to keep my exercising up - not to get side tracked - and continue watching my portion sizes.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

5/5/07

Exercise - 20 min of HIIT (on Elliptical machine - results said I burned 200 calories)   Wt - scales read 187.6 this morning - Yay.   I have officially finished week 2 of the BFL challenge - only 10 more weeks to go. Sunday is supposed to be my "Free Day", according to the program, I can eat whatever I want and do no exercise.   I really don't want to do that, so I will just see what happens tomorrow. I probably will go to the gym and spend 30 to 45 min on the treadmill reading a book or somthing, this to me is a great stress releaver and it is my "alone" time.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Reminders for me to remenber - Rules of the Road

What you need to know about living with the band By Robin McCoy When you begin the decision-making process to have Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), and specifically Lap Band® Surgery, it is vital that you fully understand the changes you must make in your lifestyle. WLS is not a magic pill. Weight loss is something that you must work at to be successful. There are several rules and circumstances that someone who has undergone Lap Band® Surgery, a “Bandster,” must follow and understand to see success and have a high quality banded life. Drinking Before and After Meals Not drinking during meals is, by far, one of the most important things to learn and is vital to your weight loss success. It is also one of the most challenging. Stop drinking all liquids at least 30 minutes before your meal. This allows all that is in your pouch to drain through to the lower stomach. Therefore your pouch is empty when you eat allowing the food to fill you up properly. Forgo all beverages during your meals. Drinking during a meal flushes the food through your band and the band is unable to function properly. Most people will have 2, 3 or even 4 glasses of liquid with meals. Servers in restaurants, trained to keep customers happy, will keep beverage glasses full throughout the meal. This is unhealthy for bandsters and sabotages their success. State firmly and clearly that you do not want a beverage. From personal experience, I know the often bewildered looks that follow the statement: “nothing to drink for me,” but diligence is the key. Like most changes required after the Lap Band® procedure, not drinking with meals gets much easier with time. Having now lost over 100 pounds, I no longer have difficulty asking my server not to bring me a beverage! Do not drink for an hour after a meal.The main reason is the same as drinking during your meal. Liquids wash the food through the band defeating its purpose. Another reason not to drink after a meal is if your pouch is full the beverage might not have anywhere to go…except backwards resulting in a spit-up. Suffice it to say that food and liquids making a return visit is not satisfying. By starting this practice immediately, at the next meal, you will be well on your way to a successful banding experience. Smaller Bites. More Chewing. Slower Eating. Begin to recognize and understand what a Bandster Bite is. At your next meal look at your bite size. Look at the amount of food on your fork and remember it. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the Bandster bite size after surgery. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the size of a Bandster bite after the first fill or adjustment. After each fill the bite size will get smaller until the bandster is eating toddler-sized bites. The reason for this is so the bite can be chewed completely to a liquid before swallowing.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Rules of the Road pt 2

The next point is chewing. It is very important that food is completely chewed. Before swallowing ensure the food is a liquid. As the weight loss progresses the opening from the pouch to the lower stomach will be getting smaller. Therefore the food needs to be chewed more thoroughly. If a piece of food is too big to go through the stoma, or opening, it will get "stuck". This can be very painful. Slower eating becomes inevitable. Eating too fast encourages bigger bites. The bigger bite means the food isn’t chewed properly and it can get stuck. As a Bandster with over 18 months in, I still find myself falling into this trap. I get excited, chatting with friends and just forget to pay attention. A Bandster’s Eating Order Lap Band patients have a specific order in which to eat their food. It is important that there is enough protein in the diet to keep the bodies moving properly. Therefore, the protein should be eaten first. WLS patients need 40-60 grams of protein every day. This can come in a variety of ways. Protein shakes, cheese, fish, beef, chicken, soy. The challenge comes when only certain foods can be tolerated. Also, it is important that the protein is a “hard” protein (chicken, beef, and fish) if possible. It shouldn’t all come from protein shakes and cheese. The vegetables should be eaten second, and carbohydrates/starches last (if there is room). Proteins last longer in the pouch and take longer to process through the band allowing you to feel full sooner and maintain satiety longer. Hard proteins are the most difficult for a Bandster to consume. The hard proteins need to be more moist, more tender and chewed more completely than any other type of food. Generally speaking, proteins are the foods that get “stuck” most often and cause spit ups. This happens because the bite isn’t small enough and/or, because the protein hasn’t been chewed sufficiently before swallowing. For the record, beef is generally the most difficult food for Bandsters to eat. Beef is one of the most difficult foods for humans to digest. It can take several days for a piece of steak to actually work its way through the digestive track. And that’s on an un-banded person! So, if you eat a piece of steak and it isn’t chewed it up completely, it can sit in the pouch for an extended amount of time. Further, the stomach acids that help an un-banded person process beef are not present in the pouch and therefore are not there to help the body break the beef down. Remember each and every person is different so you will have to test your own waters. Some Bandsters have no trouble with beef whatsoever; others won’t go near it. From personal experience I know that each Bandster will figure out what he or she can or cannot tolerate through trial and error. Trust me when I say that tolerances change; one day ground beef is fine and the next you realize it isn’t any longer. You must be willing and able to adapt to sudden changes in your body’s ability to process certain foods.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

4/28/08

Well, didn't make it to the gym over the weekend, but I did get plenty of exercise working the special olympics.....I was so tired - but I had a great time.   Back on the plan today   Menu Bfast - the inside of a sausage roll - no break   Lunch 1 bag of cashews - 1/2 container of yogurt (yes I know, eating on the run)   Dinner 2 oz of roast salad - 1 cup   Exercise - 10 am - 15 min on Elliptical   Evening exercise - upper body workout - 30 min on elliptical   Wt - didn't weigh today
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

5/15/07

M1 - 4 bites of refried beans and some flavored Iced coffee from the coffee shop (fattening I'm sure - but only drank about 1/2)   M2 - grilled fish, 3 oz, 1 stalk of brocolli & a bite or two of cabbage m3 - It went downhill from here - binged, and can't even remember all the crap I ate..... M4   Exercise #1 - 20 min Elliptiacal (HIIT) - 176 calories burned   NOtes - scales are ugly these days, 188.4 this morning - i'm sure its water weight due to TOM. Hopefully when he leaves, scales will go back down.   Went to my doctor today, and I am scheduled for fill #3 on May 25th. I can't wait. I'm nervous too. I doing good with this fill and no problems PBing or anything, I just feel I need to be a little tighter, and I'm worried about PBing. So, we'll see. I go on a Friday the 25th for my fill, I hope I do okay over the weekend, so we'll see how it goes. In the meantime, I will continue eating healthy and exercising. I'm almost 1/3 of the way thru my challenge!
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

3/13/07

Weight - 201 :clap2:   Breakfast - early early cleansing tea/then had some yogurt & cottage cheese mixed   Lunch - 2 chicken strips (grilled)   Dinner - 1 cup of salad with 1 grilled chicken strip   Exercise - Well, no gym, but worked my butt off around the house and yard! I call that exercise - back is killing me   Notes - I ate more than usual today, but noticed hungrier today. I think the band is tighter some days, today, not as tight. I got several compliments at work today, telling me how good I'm looking (no one knows I had WLS).
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

7/14/08

Well, I'm trying to refocuss again on eating the bandster way since my cruise. So far today, its been good, planning on hitting the gym tonight.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

Notes to myself

Went to Seminar on 11/11/06 Attended support meeting 11/13/06 Met wtih Doctor on 11/22/06 (weighed in at 247.7) Was approved from insurance on 12/11/06 (2 1/2 weeks) Scheduled surgery on 12/12/06 to be on 1/18/07 (my choice to wait unitl January) 1/4/07 - Deposit needs to be paid to doctors office for surgery 1/4/07 - Upper GI at 9:30 am - Must fast before 1/4/07 - Begin liquid diet - Protein shakes, broth, jello (sf). 1/4/07 - Psych Eval 5:30 pm 1/8/07 - 8:30 am pre-op with Hospital (3 hr appt) 1/8/07 - 2:00 pm Surgery Education class Docs office 1/8/07 - 3:00 Dietician meeting (hospital) 1/8/07 - 4:30 pm pre-surgery consultation with doc 1/9/07 - 11:30 am Sleep study appointment with doctor. 1/9/07 - 9:30 pm, Sleep study test (91st & Yale, Sleep Centers) 1/12/07 - Docs office to call me and let me know what time surgery will be on the 18th. 1/18/07 - SURGERY (no time yet)
tonya66

tonya66

2
 

June 12 -

Okay - time to get focussed and get this challenge finished. I've been over at the BFL tracker website, looking all the before and after pics of the 12 week progress photos, WOW is all I can say.   Its got me pumped to finish the 12 week challenge and start another one! I finish in July, and I leave for vacation August 4th, so I probably won't start the next challenge until I get back. I will just continue to exercise in between the challenges.
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

11/21/08

Scales are movimg down again! Yay!   I have eaten clean all week, now if I could just make it to the gym, I would be a lot better!   We're going out to eat tonight, and I've already decided what I'm going to eat, so I can be good and eat clean. Its hard too when your going to go eat Mexican. I have decided I will eat 5 chips and salsa, and order the chicken fahitas - which I will split with my hubby or daughter. And I'll get double beans. No flour tortias.   wt - 169.1
tonya66

tonya66

1
 

28 days until banding

Wow, just 28 more looooong days before I am banded.   My eating has been okay, last night we went out to eat, and it was kinda weired. Usually I can eat the entire plate and am licking the the juices off the plate, but I only ate about 1/2 of it. My DH said, "your not eating much", and I said, "I'm full". I think he about fell out of his chair. lol. I don't know if I have ever stopped eating when I was full.   Ever since that I found out I was approved for the band. I've tried to eat the banster way, not always succeeding, but it is on my mind, take small bites, eat slow, and chew chew chew. Proteins first then veggies. So, even without the band, I'm making some changes.   I have taken this surgery very serious and not looking at it as a quick fix, but as a tool. I am going to have to do my part in order to lose this weight.   The last few days, exercise has been zippo. I didn't go last night because my mother came over and she lives out of town, so I couldn't just leave her and run to work out. So my DH & I took my mother out for a nice dinner. My mother & I were a bit depressed so DH thought dinner out would be good (what a sweet guy I have :kiss2: ).   My Grandmother (who I love like no other) is slowly dying and it is really depressing for my mother & I. My Gma had a very bad stroke April 9, 2004 so because she was crippled, my mother could not take care of her anylonger. She needed 24/7 care and my mom could not lift my grandmother due to my mothers own health problems. So, since I am power of attorney over my Gma, I placed her in a nursing home. My mother & I visit her almost daily and have since she was placed there. But lately, her eating has gone down to about 25% of her food. Hospice informed us yesterday this is the first stages of death. I know my grandmother is in pain and I hate seeing her suffer daily, its just hard knowing that this woman I loved more than anythig in the entire world is about to leave me. And my mom is a big moma's baby too, and she always cared for my gma thru the years, so its hard on my mom too. Anyhow, its just a tough time for my mother & I to endure but I know it has to happen and I know in the long run, death will be so much better for my Grandmother than living like she is. I know she WOULD NOT want to live like this and she has told me that many of times that she never wants to dwindle away in a nursing home, which is exactly what she is doing. I wish I could change it, but I can't.   Anyhow, just expressing my emotions today.
tonya66

tonya66

3

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