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journey to health through weight loss

Entries in this blog

 

Settling In...

the closer i get to onderland the further away it seems...up 3 down 3...up 4 down 2...what a roller coaster of emotions and weights...its been almost 3 months now and i am beginning to settle in...with my band. there are constant reminders of its existence, but for the most part we are one...i have learned what i can and can not eat...and i have settled into an exercise regimen...i can see subtle changes and have come to accept that this is definitely a process...a true journey...i know that i am more physically fit and i feel much better than i did before pre-band...old habits are hard to break...but i am heading for success...i hope my mind catches up soon --->rethinking things--->taking it one day at a time!       in positivity, motivation, determination, health, and weight loss
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

1
 

My Band=All Of This...4-30-12

so i am going on week ten of being banded and here is what that means:   i can see my primary care doc every 6 months instead of twice a month to check my sugars because they are now in control   i can get rid of all the pre-surgery prescribed medications in my cabinet   i can exercise for over an hour and still be alive   i can say no to breads, candies, cakes, and donuts   i can say yes to a smaller size and weight   i can have more energy   i can be supportive of others   may is here and i am ready to get busy...even though i am a little over two months banded i must say there are many days that i have come up short of the goals i have set for myself. i am feeling energized and ready to commit to a smaller set of goals for the month...i am hoping to hit onderland and get to the end of the couch to 5k routine...
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

2
 

Quick Note!

nothing really new going on with me since my last post...prom went well for my kiddo and graduation is in june! my mom who has no idea that i have had surgery will be here may 30...i have started sending her pics to prepare her for my subtle changes and she has noticed my face slimming. i have described to her my exercise routine and high protein diet as an explanation for my weight loss...i'm planning on telling her in person when she arrives...:/   i did start the couch25k treadmill version this week:) and i am finally on the upside of this cold...i'm thinking about having another small fill in the beginning of may to kick it up a notch...thinking i'll definitely make an afternoon appointment as i am tight in the mornings and probably have not been maximizing my fill potential by having my fills done in the morning...   finally i wanted to share with you all my husbands wonderful progress. he was banded on 3-13-12 and is down 45 pounds:) this includes the preop diet that he went on with me, but wasn't required for him! he is not a slave to the scale as i am, but he has been staying focused on his nsv's! yay him! the scale still rules my world:(
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

2
 

4-15-12 Two Months Out...no Weigh...

i was banded two months ago yesterday...my weight today is 211. weight loss has been much slower these past few weeks and i have been trying all the tricks to get moving...i have increased my exercise time from an hour to an hour and a half when i'm on the treadmill and i switch up my routine daily. some days i walk, some days i cycle, some days i mix it up with half walking and jogging. i have even tried the elliptical...it beat me badly. i have even altered what i eat and try to switch it up so my body doesn't get to comfy. i have had two fills so far the first being 2cc and the second being .75cc. i definitely feel like i have some restriction as i am not hungry between meals, but find that i can eat more than a cup and so usually eat 1.5 to 2 cups of food. i have found that my band is tightest in the morning, so i usually start my day with a cup of decaf or a some liquid. i am not usually hungry until after 12...i get pretty loose in the evenings and find that my head is full of hunger. i have found that the more solids that i introduce into my diet the more i want more good tasting things:/ there are times when i also feel that i am still trying to eat to a sensation of stuffed-ness. so when i eat a cup of food i really do feel satisfied, but old habits allow me to want to eat that 1/2 to cup more that i can still get down because i don't feel stuffed...i must say that i am still learning how to use this tool and it has not come with a fair amount of frustration when the scale doesn't move or when i feel deprived...today i started couch to 5k treadmill version and am hoping to get back into my weights which have been sitting idle for the past month...my goal weight for the end of April is 205...i am aiming for onderland by June:)     until next week...
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

3
 

7 Weeks Banded-What To Eat? Oh And I Got A Puppy!

today makes 7 weeks banded for me...what a journey already!   THE NUMBERS & NSVs jan 23-241-before pre-op diet feb 15-233 surgery day apr 4-212   i completed 30 minutes on the elliptical yesterday!!! it was my first time on that evil machine! it works the hell outta you! my pants are really baggy especially in the crouch and thigh areas:) tightly wearing a stretchy cotton XL shirt!   THE SCALE-so i decided that i'd weigh in weekly because i was driving myself crazy with the scale. i was banded on a wednesday so my weigh in days are wednesdays. i joined the april weight loss challenge and the weigh in days are sundays so twice a week it is for april! this has been difficult for me because i was weighing multiple times daily! pure torture!   FILL-i had my first fill last Friday and i am not sure how i feel about it (see previous post for details on the fill). there are times when i feel hungrier (real hunger) than i did before my fill...weird. i don't think i really needed a fill to begin with as i was not really feeling hungry and was still losing weight. i could only take an additional 2 cc's on top of the one that was added at surgery. i think i was expecting the fill to be some magical thing that would take over my body and create some type of change...and maybe that's what it's supposed to do, not sure yet. and maybe that's what it did, also not sure yet! i do know that the fill has made me think more about the way i am eating and i have been slowed down at least three times by my body telling me "you are eating too fast" and "that's enough". so the fill is working...i just don't understand why i feel physical hunger more now...any ideas? going to see my surgeon next week for my 2 month check-up...i'll see what he has to say about this...   FOOD-i have been super consumed with thoughts of food ever since i was given the green light to be on step 4...which is basically the step where you can eat like a normal person...but i feel that i can't really because i don't know what that is. i talked with a fellow band mate that was banded a year ago and she suggested that i go back to eating the way i did before the band as she had. you know, eat regular like we all did before the band!!! NOW WAY! my eating habits pre-band were horrible and there is no way i'm doing that again i don't care how little i can eat...there will be no fried anything, no pizza, no chips, no sweets, and no "bad carbs"...these are all my downfall...as an overweight person i KNOW what to eat, but as an overweight person in recovery i feel lost. i crave the flavor that is crammed into all the bad stuff and i am not much of cook so this has been difficult. i am also one of those folks that eats rather simply, meaning i eat the same stuff over and over and don't do much to expand my menus:/ this is a major goal for me...MAJOR...   YUM-i went to starbucks for the first time since january and ordered a skinny decaf vanilla latte--120 cals...can't become a habit, but it was good:)   PUPPY-hubby and i were walking with our 2 year old black lab miles and a family was moving and asked us of we wanted another lab...we were like "noooo". they said they couldn't take her to their new place and were going to take her to the pound...they said she was current on her shots and was house broken...so we looked at her and the next thing i know we are walking home with two dogs! she is six months and we named her daisy!!   happy spring all...until next week...in weight loss and beyond
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

1
 

First Fill...mini Update

i had my first fill this morning under fluro...it took all of 15 minutes and i was a nervous wreck prior...it proved to be all for nothing. the worst part was having to have all my piercings taken out prior to the procedure! here's what went down...   i laid on a table and had a pic taken of my belly that showed up on a small screen beside my bed   i saw my port and the how it was attached to my abdominal wall with hooks (that was weird)   i saw my band which is nowhere near the port and in between all sorts of other inside stuffs!   i was given a shot of lidocaine to the numb the area-it burned a little like the heparin shots   the NP stuck a needle in my port area and felt for the pockets on the band (which i did not feel but could seen on the screen) the needle was attached to some tubing but i could not see what was in the end of it...   the bed was placed in a standing position and i was given a cup of contrast that i watched flow freely down my esophagus   she injected some saline i think about 1 cc and i drank some more contrast...the flow was a littler slower   she injected another cc and i drank some more contrast...the flow was slower still...   she injected another cc and i drank some more contrast...i felt like it was going to come up...   she removed a 1/2 cc and i drank some more contrast...i felt like i had to burp...   she removed another 1/2 cc and i drank some more contrast and then some water...and i felt ok...   so i got a 2 cc fill today on top of the one from surgery...so 3 total in my 10cc band   i felt like a had a lump in my throat for the first hour afterward, but i feel better now...   i am now back to mushies for two days...she said it appears i am tighter in the morning and i should try to drink a shake or yogurt in the mornings...   that's it:) now the fun begins...i must remember to chew...
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

3
 

6 Weeks Post Op...reflection...

today makes 6 weeks out and i am feeling great! i am feeling great mostly because of all of the accomplishments that i have made in the past 6 weeks. i don't want to make this journey seem like it is all roses because it is not. i still have days when i feel like progress is slow or i fantasize about food...that's right fantasize about food, but i get through it. i do find that i miss food and although i have found my new thing-exercise-there is really no replacement. i am happy that i am finding pleasure in exercise and for the first time in my life it doesn't feel like a chore. it feels like something natural...it's like brushing your teeth in the morning...and for this feeling i am thankful...   the hubby and i went out to eat at real restaurant last night for the first time post-op. i must say that i was very nervous when what seemed like a platter of food was placed in front of me. we declined the sweet fresh buttery rolls that are a prelude to the main course and ordered water, which we never were able to drink...we asked for to go boxes at the beginning of our meals and put 3/4 of the food in the boxes before we began eating and shared what was left on our plates. i must say we were both truly disappointed with our meals and have vowed not to eat out again until we are much closer to our goal weights...it was a total wast of money...btw i ordered teriyaki chicken breast, veggie skewers, and a sweet potato...he ordered shrimp skewers, broccoli, and a sweet potato...   we still have difficulty trying to rearrange our lives around food because this was our life...we really need to find some new activities...as we can't work out all of the time!!!   i am going in for my first fill on friday and really don't feel like i need one, but i'm going to take it! i am not experiencing any major hunger between meals and i am consistently losing weight albeit slowly. my fill will be done under fluro so tomorrow i'll be paying my piercer a visit again to get all the metal removed from my head and then all put back in after the fill on friday:/   so my weight today is 215. my goal is to be under 200 by sometime in June...doable...right? i would love to be at my goal by my birthday which is the end of September, but i don't want to set this in stone because it seems kinda grand...   the med center where we had our surgery offers a wls support group twice a month and we attended for the first time tonight...as bandsters we were definitely the minority (there were only three of us), but we were welcomed with open arms...the struggles and psychological pieces of this journey appear to be the same...i found comfort in this meeting and plan to go again...it was like lapbandtalk.com live! it was wonderful meeting a veteran bandster in real life:) until next time...     in weight loss and beyond...
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

2
 

5 Weeks Post Op-Feeling Fine! Oh And In The 2Teens!

well today makes five weeks for me and i still can't believe that i am on this journey:) i guess it became really real for me when i went back to work this week for the first time since having surgery and everyone seemed to notice my weight loss...i was very shocked by this and a little uncomfortable i must say. when i look in the mirror it all looks the same and i really think it is. i started this journey wanting to lose 80 pounds and i am only down 27 pounds---14 pounds since surgery...not a real huge difference...but they noticed...   i am happy this week because i am finally in the 2teens which was the first goal i set for myself! i am 219, but a 2teen none-the-less:) i have been alternating my eating with the pre-op diet this week because i felt that i was stuck, meaning that i hadn't lost weight in two weeks...so M-W-F of this week are pre-op diet type days for me...my next goal is to be in the single digit 2's and then under 200 of course! i don't have dates set to meet these goals...so no pressure...right?!   i have still been eating soft meats, cooked veggies, and soft fruits and don't feel any restriction. i actually heard my stomach growling today, but i didn't feel ravished with hunger. i am still focusing on the difference between head and physical hunger...i have caught myself eating when i'm not really hungry and feel horribly guilty...i did this yesterday and was really upset with myself for finishing a whole salad when i was full after eating half:/ overeating a salad...wow! my first fill will be coming up next friday and i am nervous and ready!   i am still managing some type of cardio exercise daily and my weight regimen every other day...i have been alternating walking on the treadmill and taking the dog for a walk. there have been quite a few times before i went back to work t hat i would do both. i walk at least 3 miles a day and my best day i walked a little over 8!!! that included a slow walk with the hubby, a walk with the dog, and getting on the treadmill...this weekend i began a mission to buy bikes for me and the hubby and have been on craigslist like crazy...well we hit the jackpot today and got brand new beach cruiser type bikes for a steal. they were in perfect condition and we went riding this evening for 45 minutes and i truly felt like a kid again! it has been over 18 years since i have been on a bike and while i was a little wobbly in the beginning it all came back to me and i was soaring through my neighborhood zipping and zooming down streets that Miles (my dog) and i normally walk! i am so proud of myself (pat-pat) because last summer i barely left the house...   life is getting greater and i am feeling fine!!   btw way hubby is 8 days post-op and doing wonderful! he walked three miles today and rode bikes with me for 45 minutes:)
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

7
 

4 Weeks Or 29 Days Post Op:) Here's The Skinny...

the numbers...   lets start there because that's what matters here right!!! when i went into surgery i weighed 233# and today i am 221. i have been down on myself for these numbers mostly because it is easy to get into a comparison game with other wls folks and this is absolutely silly. i have lost 12# in a month and this is indeed spectacular! if i continued to lose at this pace i would be at my goal weight in six months! however, i know this may not be a realistic goal as my weight loss has been extremely slow over the past two weeks...according to my surgeon a 1-2# weight loss a week is what is expected with the lapband and any more than that is phenomenal. i have not been as diligent in tracking my measurements which will be key for me because let's face it, we all need some way to measure success, and if the scale is not moving it can quickly become...well, depressing. i picked up some new vocab while perusing this site and found that NSV's are also a cause for celebration! this may seem like a no-brainer, but i have never thought of doing this the past 800 billion other times i have tried to lose weight. so here are a few of   my NSV's...   doing some type of physical activity---> daily! sticking to allotted food items--->daily! logging my food, mood, and exercise-->daily! testing my blood sugars-->daily!   trying to be encouraging and supportive to at least one other person on this journey--->daily fitting into a pair of jeans that are one size smaller! needing to wear a belt with all of my other pants! improving my time and distance when walking outside finding ways to celebrate that do not include alcohol and food   my pain...   my pain is virtually non-existent and i can pretty much do everything i was doing before surgery. i still have some discomfort and pain in the area of my largest incision at times. i am still not able to sleep/lay on my stomach and i still have some swelling in this area...(anyone else have this 4 weeks out)? also, i seem to have developed a slight headache issue...this happens at least once daily and i am not sure of this is due to my sugars dropping too low, a sign that i'm not drinking enough, or that i'm letting too much time go by between meals...i'm keeping an eye on it.   a lump...   i have had what feels like a lump in my throat for the past 3-4 days...i'm also trying not to read to much into this as i have had this feeling before pre-band and it has been attributed to anxiety...anxiety! what anxiety?! i have been off work for almost a month, completed school a week ago, have been eating better for almost two months and have been exercising daily for the past month...what gives? being on this forum i have come to understand that this is sign of other things, like being stuck, being too tight, reflux, gas, and on and on...i have not had a fill yet and i am able to get down liquids and foods just fine...i'm going to see my primary care physician this friday who is also banded and i will discuss this with her.   burping...   ok...so i am finding that burping has become...weird! about half of the time when i burp instead of going out they go in and then i spend the rest of the night expelling this gas from various places or burping outwards all that i burped in several hours later...does this make sense? anyone else experience this? burping outwards is grand!   support...   my biggest supporter in this journey, my husband, was banded yesterday! i am so happy for him and happy to have him take this journey with me! he has decided to name his band "wife #2"!!! i am thankful for this site and other social media that i use and for all that have commented on anything or reached out in any way! i am on fitbit, mfp, and youtube as phatkatblue please add me if you use any of those outlets...the more support and encouragement the better:) i have also found that getting on these sites encouraging others and reading their stories has been good for me as well...   till next week in weight loss and beyond...
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

6
 

Day 21 Post Op: Appetite, Hydration, Movement

this third week of being banded has been pretty uneventful! i feel that i am continuing to heal and get stronger each day.   my eating has fluctuated and is different each day. most days i am not hungry but still try to get in small meals. there were 2-3 days last week when i ate under 600 calories and didn't feel good about that because i know that getting in all my meals helps my metabolism. the weekends, especially friday and saturday tend to be snacky days for me and i find that i have no problem eating although i feel no physical hunger.   i spoke with a nurse from my insurance company yesterday who makes calls to check on progress and offer support and advice. she reiterated the importance of me getting in all of my protein and water. i have no problem with the protein piece, but i am still having issues with the water. she suggested that i set a timer to go off every hour and drink 2-4 ounces each time the alarm dings. i tried this for the rest of the day and seemed drinking seemed more manageable. she told me that becoming dehydrated could result in a trip to the ER and slow healing...this info will be my motivator...   i started my strength training regimen last week and have been using 5lb weights every other day to work on these arms...i am so afraid that the bat wings will be with me for life. so far i'm doing about 5 different exercises targeting different areas of my arms in 3 sets of 10. i'm still walking about an hour a day, but i am thinking that i'm going to have to step it up soon to get better results...   since i last wrote, the scale has moved once...at times i feel inpatient about the process because i feel that i am eating next to nothing and moving daily. i still wonder how it's all going to work out when i start getting fills...although i do not notice a difference in the mirror, i can tell in some of my clothes...there are one pair of jeans in particular that i can now fit comfortably and it feels good!   joined mfp yesterday so please feel free to add me. i am still getting used to the site as i have been logging on fitbit...i'm phatkatblue!   hubby gets banded next week
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

4
 

Day 14 Post-Op...1St Post-Op Doc Visit

i have been waiting 14 days for today!! i have no idea why i was so excited to see my surgeon today...you would've thought i was getting a fill! my doc says that he likes to wait six weeks post-op before doing a fill so my first fill date is 3-30-12...seems like forever and a day away, but he is the doc...so 30 more days until my fill!   so my doc says all is good and all looks well. he has given me permission to continue exercising as i feel comfortable and was ok with the one hour i've been doing on the treadmill most days for the past week. he lifted my five pound weight restriction and told me that i can now lift up to 25 pounds...so that weight set i bought pre-op can finally get some use.       i went with a list of questions because after sitting around on this website for two weeks i found there were some important things that i needed to know...i found out where my port was! the place that's still tender on my belly...that's where it is! i actually thought it was somewhere else...hmmm, makes me wonder what the heck i was feeling...i found that i had a 10 cc band and that there was about 1 cc placed in my band at surgery. also there is a number on all of the lapbands, like a serial number, and if you go to the lapband website and send them your band number you can get a card to take to restaurants if you choose to eat out and they will honor you eating from the lunch menu or varying portion sizes...so i asked him about that that number and he gave it to me:) i also found out that it was ok to have sex (i know my hubby is glad)!!!   i met with the dietician again today and my diet was upgraded to step 3...no more mushies!!! i was already kinda doing this anyway...but now i can have some soft meats ( i'll just continue with my broiled fish), fruits, veggies, and even starches..like crackers...i am going to stay away from those though...but guess what i don't have to eat? the two different diabetes medications that i was on pre-surgery!!! my numbers have been in check since 2-15-12!!!! i am ecstatic!!!!   i still feel like i have no restriction at all and everything goes down pretty easily...i have been really paying attention to my body and trying to make note of real physical hunger and it is rare...i still have to try to eat six small meals a day though, which has been difficult...a huge area that i must improve ASAP is my fluid intake...i am barely getting 20fl oz down a day:(     today i feel rejuvenated!!! i saw the scale move a bit today too, which is always a good thing as it had been stuck for about 3-4 days... i also got the chance to sit with hubby while he did all of his pre-op exams as he will be getting banded on 3-13-12!!!! and to put icing on the cake, i got more time off work!!! i know i'm probably being greedy but i need it:) mental health is just as important as physical health...
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

1
 

Ramblings Of A Day 7 Post Op Bandie

day 7 post-op and i am feeling great! today is the first day that i will be home by myself since having surgery (can you say party!). my plans today include a little wii action, completing some homework, reviewing more band materials, trying to eat six small meals, drinking more fluids, and taking a short walk!     i took the time yesterday to review some of the materials in my "life after bariatric surgery" notebook that i received from my insurance mandated classes and found that it was really useful. i found a few sample menus, a proposed grocery list, and a breakdown of things that i am able to eat. i found that it was ok for me to have that chicken breast i ate a few days ago as it was pureed and i even made myself some turkey chili yesterday (yum)! i even made myself some decaf pomegranate tea and sipped it most of the day.   i found that my protein shakes can be counted in my liquid intake, so i don't feel as bad for not getting down what seems like millions of ounces of water. i still find it difficult to get all the meals in as i am just not hungry, but knowing that i am now able to get my protein from other sources besides shakes has been a great discovery. it seems much more manageable to spread it throughout the day in small meals rather than trying to drink 2-3 shakes. although i do love my shakes and have not grown tired of them yet...i just get full so quickly it takes me hours to get them down...   i went for a short walk (don't laugh probably half a mile or less) and was feeling some discomfort afterwards, but took some tylenol and was fine. i was feeling so good yesterday, i decided to do my hair and polish my nails. i am trying to get back to normal as i feel that my life has been consumed with all things band. i am sure that once i return to work my obsession with all things band and weight related will decrease! right! right?   i got busted at home yesterday by my mom who called mid-day and heard the kids in the background. it is so hard to keep this from her, but i'm just not ready to tell. i have been able to tell everyone else and feel good about it, but you just don't know my mom...she lives in cali and i'm in ohio so it's easy to conceal it at this point, but she is planning a visit possibly in May and i think i'm going to hold off till then...
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

6
 

Post-Op Day 4

i know it may be premature to be talking about bandster hell...but could i really be experiencing it 4 days after surgery?! yesterday i felt much like i did the first few days of my pre-op diet...hungry and wanting to snack. i was told at discharge that i could begin the step 2 diet as tolerated (the mushies) so i have been eating cottage cheese. but yesterday i wanted more. here is my what i consumed yesterday: 3 protein shakes, a cup of cottage cheese (2 separate servings), 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 3 sugar free popsicles, 1/4 piece grilled chicken breast, and a zero calorie vitamin water. now chicken breast is not really a mushy, but it went down fine:(   i feel like i have no restriction at all, although my doc told me the band itself is a restriction...i'm just not feeling it! at some point yesterday, probably before one of my popsicle snacks i stopped and listened to my body. i was not hungry. not one bit. i don't ever think i was hungry, but my mouth craved flavor and wanted to be filled. today i am more cognizant of what my body is telling me. and while i am not trying to starve myself i realize that i am not hungry. i have had one protein shake so far and i feel stuffed.   i have also been more active today...and by more active i mean i have been doing housework! enough to work up a sweat!! trying not to overdo it but i'm kind of tired of sitting around (wait, did i just say that?)...anyways...tell me what you all are eating and if you think i've entered bandster hell or if yesterday was a fluke!
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

5
 

Day Two Post-Op

i had written an entry yesterday...not sure where it went...so i'll briefly recap...   so i had my surgery on 2-15-12...it went great! i had to check in at 5 a.m. and after the admissions process i was taken to a pre-op room where i was given a gown, a robe, and a shot of heparin (to decrease the risks of clotting), and had to produce a urine sample...it was here that i learned that i'd be separated from my hubby and i began to cry. they directed him to the waiting area and wheeled me to the an area that was "restricted". i was met there by a team of anesthesiologists who asked me a series of questions, assured me i'd be fine, and got my iv going...i must say i was impressed. i am not usually a hard stick, but lately folks have been having a hard time finding my veins...the lidocaine was an asset as i did not feel a thing. one of the team members asked me how i was doing and i replied that i was scared and nervous. he told me they'd give me something to help me relax a bit and before i knew it, i was in recovery...i never even saw my surgeon, although he claimed he was there!!! i was reunited with my hubby in my room on the 10th floor of the gi unit where i spent the night. i was up every hour either using the bathroom or getting my vitals checked. i made sure that i received my pain meds every four hours and i never felt a thing...i did have what i'll describe as a stitch along the left side of my body around my backside...i think this must have been the gas that old bandsters speak of...by the next day it was virtually gone...or at least hidden. i am 2 days out and i have no appetite or desire to eat or drink anything. today my gas returned but was mostly in my stomach and on it's way out. i have taken pain meds once today and was able to move about the house freely even felt like loading the dishwasher:/ today i am trying to do better with my intake today. i have managed to drink 2 protein shakes, 1/4 cup of broth and a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese...that has taken me all day...i feel stuffed and my goal for the rest of the day is to get more water down. i feel so good today knowing that i was able to go through with the process and i am on my way to good health. also, my sugars have been great. i emailed my primary care physician and she has ordered me to be completely off one of the meds and to only take half of my other med if my fasting sugar is above 138! i already feel 50lbs lighter!!!
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

6
 

So This Is My Story

i have not always been a big girl. and by big girl i mean that i am 5'2 and 1/2 and currently weigh 232 lbs...after 6 days on the pre-op diet. at my heaviest i was 250 lbs.   the first weight i remember was 110 lbs. i was 16. i weighed 110 lbs up until i got pregnant at the age of 18. yes...i was pregnant at 18! i gained 50 lbs with that pregnancy and have struggled with my weight ever since (ironically, my goal weight is 160 lbs exactly what i weighed 18 years ago after giving birth to my first child).   by age 22 i was at 175 lbs. and i know this because weight mattered as much then as it did now. when i was 23 i managed to get down to 150 something pounds to enlist in the military, where i lost another 30 lbs bringing me almost to my 16 year old weight.   another pregnancy at 23 put me back at 175 lbs. i was able to lose about 15-20 of those pounds while active in the service, but civilian life afforded me the luxury to be a slacker and the pounds found me shortly after my discharge.   i was consistently weighing in at between 175 and 185 for about two years after baby number two and then i met mr. right...now i'm not blaming him for the poundage that i've managed to pack on over the course of our 10 year relationship but a long courtship/engagement, family issues, work, school, financial woes, and just life in general did nothing but enlarge both of our waistlines. together we have gained over 200 since we met in 2002.   in 2005 i was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and was told that i could control it with diet and exercise which would lead to weight loss. i failed. i went through the first line of medication pretty quickly and was placed on a second line which was effective but i could not adjust to the side effects. i quickly learned the trickiness of this disease and failed miserably at managing it. between general life transitions, my disease, and depression i left a lot to be neglected...   by 2009 not only did i have diabetes, but i had tacked on high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, fatty liver, and morbid obesity to my list of diseases. i was prescribed over 7 medications for all of this mess and i was 34 years old...   in 2010 my employer announced that our health insurance would cover wls. i was uninterested and full of hate. i was going to lose weight on my own. with diet, exercise, and determination i was going to finally put this weight thing behind me. i got bigger and my diabetes spiraled out of control.   in 2011 my doctor warned that insulin was on the way and we had a conversation about wls. she was surprised that we had never spoke of this before and i found that she was banded. she suggested i attend an info session on wls to get more info and she made a referral. i had my first dr. consult in 6-2011 and was still not sure that this was my path...i felt like a failure. why can't i just lose stick to a plan and lose the weight. i tried bootcamps and any number of diets out there that you can think of. success was small and never-lasting. as my disease progressed i knew that i had to make a decision and i started the classes in preparation for my surgery in 9-2011. it is hard to believe that i am less than two weeks away from my surgery...
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

2
 

From: What Are You Goals With The Lap Band?

Goals...   1. get off all medications i am prescribed due to obesity related ailments-diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia-oh and get off that pesky cpap machine   2. kick all obesity related diseases to the curb   3. lose at least 80 lbs.   4. embrace an active lifestyle   5. embrace a healthy way of eating (instead of being forced!)   6. gain a healthy sense of self and being-you know-confidence etc.   7. soar...     Source: What Are You Goals With The Lap Band?
phatkatblue

phatkatblue

1
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