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Ten months ago

I was banded on February 7, 2012, ten months ago. So what has changed?   Ten Months Ago Today Weight 250lbs Weight 175lbs BMI 37 BMI 25 Pant size 22 Pant size 10 3 different meds for high blood pressure Don’t take any meds for high blood pressure Diagnosed pre-diabetic All blood work is NORMAL Hated myself, depressed Very happy with myself! Isolated myself, no friends Love all my new friends (especially the Banded Bs) Couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath Walk up 8 floors of stairs to my office every morning   When I started this journey I knew I would have to change a lot of things (food I ate, volume I ate, exercise, etc…), I knew it would be a long hard journey and I hoped I would have the strength to be successful.   Now here I am ten months later, at goal and starting the next chapter of my journey (maintaining).   I make it sound easy, but I have to say IT’S NOT! I struggled many times. I got frustrated and wished I didn’t have to follow the rules. I had weight gains and plateaus. BUT, I didn’t give up. I kept plugging along and it worked. Here I am happier than I have been in 30 years.   Now, I am focused on maintaining my weight and hopefully saving enough money for a tummy tuck next year. Lol To all the newly banded or about to be banded, success is a wonderful thing. It takes hard work, dedication and wantpower (CG I love your term).   I love my band!!!!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

6
 

How To Become A Banded B*****

First you have to be willing to jump in anytime   Then take the thread completely off topic and talk about pretty nails, dragons & princesses .   And finally you have to kiss the pink princess’s butt.   Once you have been accepted by the princess you must protect the princess from all evil (especially VD).   Are you up for the job?  
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

6
 

Note to self: MOVE IT!!!!

Get your ass moving AJ! You have been slacking on this. The Fitbit doesn't lie. It shows that your daily steps are way down, no where near the 10,000 step per day goal. And what happened to taking the stairs at work???? Slacking there too!   Vacation is over! First tine tomorrow you will get moving. Tomorrow, hell, what is wrong with right now?   Stop typing and get moving! NOW!!!!   Will do, just as soon as this video is over. OK, as long as you dance during the video!!!  
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
 

A Dogs Life

These are my babies!   Atticus, Black Mouth Cur. He is the biggest baby in town.   Hank, Blue Healer. Gill's dog, follows her around the whole time she is here.   Sophie, Dachshund. Daddy's baby (but he won't admit it) and the BOSS of all the dogs!   Bugsy, Rat Terrier and Dachsund mix. My baby, he is with his best friend Smokey the cat.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
 

Monthly Check-in

Today was my monthly appointment at True Results. They always have the patients fill out a questionnaire prior to seeing the NP. It asks what your typical meals are, the size (1/2 cup, 1 cup, 1 ½ cups, etc), what exercise you are doing, and so forth. I answered the questions honestly. I am eating 1 to 1 ½ cups per meal and getting hungry between meals.   I am happy to say that I am maintaining my weight of 169 pounds. So I don’t know if it is the head or not.   When I met with the NP we discussed this and she told me a story about how the head messes with us. She had a transfer patient come in (they always pull all the fluid out of the band to verify the amount on transfer patients). She pulls out the fluid and puts it right back in (doesn’t add or remove any of the fluid). Two days later the patient calls her saying “I don’t know what you did but I have not restriction.” She has the patient come back in (concerned of a leak), pulls out all the fluid out again (the amount was exactly as it was 2 days earlier) and puts it back (again not adding or removing any fluid). Two days later the patient calls her saying “I am so tight I can’t eat anything” Nothing changed as far as the amount of fluid in her band; it was all in the head. lol   I did get a small fill and instructions to get my timer back out and time my bits, put a dime next to my plate for a visual on the size of my bits, and most important, come to the support group on Thursday to help get a hold of this head game I got going on.   Maintains is not a walk in the park!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
 

I Can't

I can’t exercise at work. I can park in a parking structure that is a block from my building I can give the elevators the day off and climb the stairs (my office building has 11 floors, my office is on the 8th floor) I can go to the bathroom on the 11th floor instead of my floor (& take the stairs, of course) I can take a break & go for a walk (it’s amazing how refreshing it is to get away from my desk for 10 minutes)   I can’t drink that much water in a day. I can add lemon/lime wedges or crystal light mixes to the water for variety. I can carry a bottle of water with me everywhere I go. I can take a drink of water every 5 minutes.   I can’t stop snacking. I can stock my pantry with healthy snacks I can pre-portion my health snacks. I can drink 8 ozs of water before having the snack I think I want. I can go for a walk instead of having the snack I think I want.   As long as “I can” I will maintain my weight and I know I CAN!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
 

Is It Worth It?

Yesterday my husband & I were at an extended family gathering and a few of the relatives commented on my weight loss (they had not seen me since my surgery).   I was sitting at a table with one of the cousins and she was asking me about it. I told her I had the Lap Band surgery and she said her daughter was thinking about doing that. Her daughter was also at the table and said either that or the sleeve. We started talking about WLS and I expressed that it didn’t matter which WLS a person does, they have to change their eating habits in order to be successful. They have to eat a lot of protein and veggies, no junk food, etc. She said oh I don’t know if weight loss is worth all that……. WHAT??????   Is losing almost 75 pounds in 9 months’ worth it? YES   Is going down 6 pant sizes worth it? YES   Is being off all prescription medicines for high blood pressure worth it? YES   Is not being pre-diabetic worth it? YES   Is being able to walk up the stairs to the 8th floor of my office building every morning worth it? YES   Is being able to push the lawn mower around my house worth it? YES   Is hearing friends & family say how wonderful I look worth it? YES   IS IT WORTH IT? HELL YES!!!!!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
 

Lunch anyone?

If my day is really busy I will eat lunch at my desk and continue to work. This was the case today.   My lunch was meat & cheese rolled up and baby carrots, had this many times. So I’m eating and working….about half way into lunch I get the soft stop feeling. Okay, I stop. I then get the heavy chest feeling, something is trying to go down. This feeling stayed with me most of the afternoon.   At 4pm I made myself a cup of hot tea, black tea with cream & splenda (It’s the English in me). I’m sipping my tea and I get the soft stop feeling….hummm, never got that with liquids before. I wait a few minutes and take another sip, get the soft stop feeling again. This time it’s followed up with saliva building in my mouth.   TO THE BATHROOM I GO!   Yep, I pb’d that tea right up along with carrots (sorry if TMI). Well, I guess I got stuck at lunch and finally got it out 4 hours later…..   My Yellow Rose (my band) started talking to me after that & this is what she said, “See what happens when you don’t chew your food enough. See what happens when you don’t pay attention to what you are eating. See what happens when you eat too fast.”   Wow, wasn’t expecting that. But, hay it happens. Sorry Yellow Rose, guess I won’t be eating that Mahi Mahi I planned for dinner. ..   “Nope, I want liquids. I’ll teach you not to chew your food!”   So, I am having a protein shake for dinner.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
 

My Banded Brain Tool

My Lap-band is a great tool for my weight loss journey, if only I could band my head. How many times have we thought that? I read it on threads all the time. Well, we can band our head. In fact I have a Banded Brain Tool and it’s called SUPPORT. It comes in all different shapes and sizes. My Banded Brain Tool consists of five things: Cheerleaders – these are my family and friends who from the sidelines are cheering me on. It’s my hubby seeing me struggle and walking up to me whispering in my ear, “You are doing so incredible on this journey, I’m so proud of you.” Or my friends saying, “You look great!”
Support Group – My support group meets once a month. Seeing fellow bandster, exchanging stories and ideas gets me from month to month.
LapBandTalk – I log on every day, check in with my friends, help and support other bandsters as well as get help and support.
MyFItnessPal – Keeps me honest with my food intake and my friends offer help and ideas here too.
FitBit – My pedometer on steroids! I never though one little electronic devise would get me climbing stairs every day. It sends me emails when I earn a new badge (never forget the first day I climbed 50 flights – I was a dancing fool). I compete with my friends to see who can walk the most steps and we encourage each other one.
Between my Lap-band and Banded Brain Tool I have been able to succeed with my weight loss.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

9 Months Down!

I had my surgery 9 months ago, February 7, 2012. It seems like just yesterday, but no its 9 months ago. Wow, time has flown and wow things sure have changed. In celebration of being 9 months reborn I made a list of 9 things that have changed (excluding the weight & inches lost): No more medication – When I started this journey I had to take 3 different medications to control my high blood pressure. Today my blood pressure is normal without medication.
Giving the elevator the day off – I work on the 8th floor, every morning I walk up the stairs to my office and in the evening I walk down. Plus during the day I go up and down at least 3 floors, several times.
Sex – Sex is definitely better. I’ll skip the details…
How my skin feels – I like rubbing my hand up and down my arm, my skin feels thinner (Don’t know if this makes sense to you)
Wearing heels – When I was at my heavies my ankles couldn’t handle heels. Now I’m back to wearing heels again!
My confidence – I walk taller, I smile all the time, I really like being me now!
I like looking at myself in the mirror – dressed or naked, I like what I see. It’s not perfect but I like it!
Finding my extravert self – When I was in high school I was very outgoing; I had no fear of talking to strangers. When I was at my heaviest I was so shy, I wouldn’t look people in the eyes, afraid to talk to them. Now, I’m back to looking people in the eyes and talking to strangers.
The way others look at me – I love seeing guys take a second look; the expression on my friends faces when they see me and how the family responds to me.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

I am not a squirrel

Have you ever taken a bit of something and as you are chewing it you think “this is way too big of a bit” so you stuff half the bit in your cheek and swallow the other half? And a few seconds later you swallow the half in your cheek… How did that work out for you?   It has never worked out successfully for me. Usually within minutes I am at the sink or toilet watching the bits go down the drain… sorry if this is TMI.   I hate it when this happens and often it happens when I an overly hungry or the meal is really tasty. That makes it even worse because it ends the meal completely for me.   So, I have to remember to take small bits, even when it is really really good and chew them completely, otherwise my yellow rose will reject them and I will not enjoy my meal.   Lesson learned; I am not a squirrel!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

Zucchini Mama!

This weekend brought an end to the preserving of my spring/summer garden (except for the okra which will produce thru September). It was a good year:   137 pounds of Zucchini (15 plants) 104 pounds of Yellow Squash (15 plants) 30 ½ pounds of Patty Pan Squash (5 plants) 43 ½ pounds of cucumbers (5 plants) 73 pounds of Tomatoes (10 plants) 4 bushels of pears (2 trees)   I spent the summer preserving all this every way I could: pickles, relishes, preserves, marmalades, minced meat, pie fillings, canned tomatoes, canned pears, frozen roasted tomatoes, frozen squash, casseroles, zucchini bread, zucchini cake, zucchini hummus, zucchini cobbler (tastes like apple!)… You name it! It’s been nonstop!!   What does this have to do with the band? You wonder…… EVERYTHING!   Pre band I could not have done a fourth of what I did this summer. I couldn’t cook dinner in the summer without sweating like a pig. I would have a towel around my neck wiping the sweat off my face before it dripped into the pan (for reals!). I would have to sit down every five minutes because my back was hurting. I hated working in the kitchen and doing anything outside forget it.   My husband use to do all the work on the land, I couldn’t physically help him…..   I don’t exercise, I hate the gym and any formal exercise routine. It’s never worked for me….. but I move. I move all the time. I walk and take the stairs as much as I can at work. Every day when I get home I have to feed the chickens, pick produce from the garden, pull weeds, etc. And the weekends are full of chores too, cleaning chicken coops, mowing lawns, pulling more weeds, building goat shelters….   I have so much energy now that all this work is nothing, just life on my farm. Just last night my husband asked me…   “So what is my zucchini mama gonna do next?”…….hummmmm
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

Standing Tall

Today at work I had to give a presentation to over 100 staff members, the majority being managers & directors.   Before I was banded I would get so nervous fearing all they would see was this talking whale….   Today, I felt confident in myself. I knew the subject matter, I was dressed professionally and I was ready. The presentation went off without any hicks and after it was over my coworker said to me, “Wow, you were so confident up there. How do you do that?”   It made me think. I am confident, I am in control, I like myself…. No I love myself. I stand tall!   All because in February 2012 I decided to put myself first, to change my lifestyle, to eat right & exercise. I got a tool to help me accomplish this, my band, and together we have done incredible stuff.   I have changed and improved myself and today I do stand tall.   I thank the band for that!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

Too tight or is it just me?

Is my band too tight? How many times do we see this question? A lot so let’s talk about it.   How tight you have your band is a personal preference. No one (including your doctor) can tell you how tight it has to be. This is something you have to decide for yourself. Personally my band is loose. The last time I had an x-ray my doctor commented that I didn’t have very much restriction. Oh well, it is what works for me.   I have had 2 unfills because I felt my band was too tight, but I know now that it wasn’t. So how do I know if my band is too tight? I ask myself these questions:   1. Can I get water/liquids down okay? If YES not too tight   2. Are my bites the size of a nickel or smaller? If NO not too tight   3. Do I chew my food at least 30 times before swallowing? If NO not too tight   4. Do I wait 1 minute between bites? If No not too tight   It appears that my eating habits cause me to think my band is too tight. When I eat correctly I have no problems.   My advice to anyone wondering if their band is too tight is, evaluate your eating by asking yourself my four questions.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

What a difference a year makes.

I was banded one year ago today and boy what a year it has been.   One year ago I weighed 250 pounds.   One year ago I wore a size 22.   One year ago I was pre-diabetic.   One year ago my blood pressure was out of control high ( I was taking 3 different meds trying to stabilize it).   One year ago I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air.   One year ago I hated myself.   Today I weigh 171 pounds. (lost 79 pounds)   Today I wear size 10.   Today my blood sugar is normal.   Today my blood pressure is stable with only 1 mild medication.   Today I walk up the stairs to the eight floor of my office building.   Today I love myself.   I achieved this success by following my doctor’s orders, eating a 1200 calorie diet that is high protein (60-70g), and moving everyday one step at a time. Most important with a great support system; my family, friends, doctor, support group and LBT have all supported me every step of the way. I thank and love each and every one of you.   Happy first birthday yellow rose!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

What Is Maintenance?

So my doctor wants me to change my mindset, think maintenance instead of weight loss…   What does that mean?   I am finally comfortable with my portion sizes and my band. I don’t get stuck or pb, I can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, I can eat any foods, I eat 1200 calories a day and I don’t feel hungry between meals.   For me, it means nothing changes. I lost my weight with my band more on the loose side than the tight side and therefore my body will settle and I’ll stop loosing (that’s what my doctor says). Probably around the weight of 170-175 lbs.   That’s the physical part, but what about the mental part? How does the head handle maintenance?? What if I can’t keep the weight off? What if I fail and gain weight back? I can’t fail; I've worked too hard to get here. But, what if??? Man, the head is my biggest obstacle.   I have to get a hold of my thoughts. I know I can do this. Per my doctor, nothing has changed. I still have the same fill; I still eat my cup of food, 3-4 ozs protein, ½ cup veggies. I still drink my water. I still exercise. I am at goal and it’s just another number on the scale.   I'm just at the next chapter in my banded lifestyle.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

Bit by bit... or is it Bite by bite?

They say we didn’t gain all our weight overnight and therefore we shouldn’t expect to lose all the weight overnight. And as we get closer to our goal it gets harder and harder. It becomes a very frustrating thing.   Then when we finally reach our idea weight, we have to maintain that weight FOR LIFE! No relaxing allowed. Because it will creep back on bit by bit.   That is where I am at, I let my eyes do my measuring and bit by bit the sizes kept getting bigger…..   Then I let myself make some not so good choices. Oh I can have a little of this and a little of that, I’m not trying to lose weight, just maintaining so it won’t hurt…..   Guess what, I am pushing that five pound threshold that my doctor said I should keep. Yep up five pounds from my goal.   Oh, I could sit here and say I don’t understand. I haven’t changed my eating or my exercise. But I did change things (slightly). A little bigger size of this and that. Extra treat here and there. Skipping on this exercise or that. It all adds up and at the end of the day I have gained five pounds over the last month.   Now what, cry in my Wheaties? Nope, I get my a s s back on track. Weigh my food, eat my protein first, drink my water and exercise every day. And guess what, I will have to do this for the rest of my life.   So for anyone thinking that the Band (or any WLS for that matter) is a quick fix, guess again! It takes change and lots of it, and it takes a lifetime commitment.   I’m in it for life and bit by bit I will get these five pounds back off.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

He Said I Glow With Happiness

I ran into my patient advocate, Paul, at True Results today. The patient advocate is the first person you meet with and they walk you through all the pre-op stuff. Once you have the surgery you don’t see the patient advocate. Anyway, I ran into Paul and he about fell over when he saw me. (btw, Paul has been banded for 7 years – lost 120lbs)   We sat down and chatted a bit. He said he remembers our first meeting and how I cried because I was so unhappy. And now I glow (his words). He said not only do I look great from the weight loss but my face glows with happiness. He said I was a walking Lap-band billboard. Me? Wow.   It was so cool hearing that. I just had to share it. Now I just have to figure out how I’m going to get this big head through the doorway. lol
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

My Green Zone

Everyone has a different idea as to what the ‘Green Zone’ should be like, how it should feel. How tight do you need to be in order to be in the zone? Some like to be really tight where as other like their band a little looser.   I have experienced my band being ‘nice and tight’ so to speak. I never felt physical hunger, but there was food I couldn’t eat like chicken breasts and vegetables. I would cook a wonderful meal for the family and then find I couldn’t eat it. I also found that it would take me over 30 minutes to eat. I hated meals; I would get frustrated and found myself turning to slider foods like cheese and crackers or peanuts. I struggled to maintain my weight from week to week and I was miserable.   This was not the lifestyle I wanted so I had my doctor take out half a cc of fluid from my band. The result is I can eat any and all foods without problems, I go 3-4 hours without feeling physical hunger and most important is being able to enjoy mealtime with my family. This is my ‘Green Zone’.   This experience makes me understand why so many posts say they are gaining weight and they might be too tight. It is very easy to gain weight when the foods you eat slides right down (they can be healthy foods too – mine was cheese & peanuts).   I cannot manage my band when it is too tight, I would rather manage my lifestyle and use my band to complement that style.   I am a loosey goosey! (Yep I made up a new term)
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

Lap Band Success

Love yourself again A cup of food per meal Protein first   Beginning of a healthy life Abide by your doctor’s orders No vomiting Don’t deprive yourself   Satisfied Unfill when too tight! Clothes are too big! Confidence increases Exercise regularly Stay in contact with your doctor Support from family and friends
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

3
 

My New Blog

So I'm a little slow......just figured out how to create a blog. That's what I get when I only access LBT from my phone & tablet. There are a lot of features that you don't see on the mobile app. Alex we need to be able to update our status, reply to other statuses and access blogs on the mobile app. (Don't think he heard me.) I don't do Facebook or twitter so I'm not sure how stuff like this works, oh well I'll wing it.   I am amazed at how far I have come this year. January I was in the biggest depression, I hated my job, I hated myself, honestly I disliked my stepdaughter greatly. The only thing I liked/loved was my dear husband. I went to the doctor for my annual physical and got a huge slap in the face. I was on 3 different high blood pressure meds and my blood pressure was still high and on top of that I was diagnosed pre diabetic. I was so upset after that appointment that I stopped at Starbucks for a large Java chip Frappuccino. That solves everything.   The next morning driving to work I heard a radio commercial for True Results and the Lap Band, I started doing some internet research as to what the Lap Band was. Talked with my parents about it (my dad is a retired MD so his advice is gold when it comes to medical stuff). My dad researched some and gave me his blessing on doing the Band. My initial appointment with True Results was the second week in January, my surgery was February 7, 2012. Basically three weeks and it was done. I had no time to reconsider. (That’s the difference between self-pay and insurance)   It’s funny I didn’t know about LBT or that different doctors had different diets all I knew was what my doctor had me doing, so I did it. I followed the doctor’s orders; I was losing weight and really knew nothing about the band lifestyle. Then in June I found LBT and started reading. Wow there was so much I didn’t know. I read every post I could find, quickly got Jean’s book and read it. Within the month I felt I had a much better understanding of what I had and how it would work for me.   Now here it is October, 9 months later, and I’ve lost 65 pounds. Wow I can’t believe I have done so well. I look in the mirror and often don’t recognize myself. I have no regrets at all, even if the future brings complications with the Band. I love this little tool, my Yellow Rose of Texas.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

3
 

Towanda, The Avenger!

I love the movie Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) with Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, it’s a must see so rent it if you've never seen it. This is one of my favorite scenes…… Just wanted to share it with everyone.   I never get mad, Mrs. Threadgoode. Never! The way I was raised it was bad manners. Well, I got mad and it felt terrific. I felt like I could beat the sh*t outta all those punks! Excuse my language. Just beat 'em to a pulp! Beat 'em till they begged for mercy. Towanda, the avenger! After I wipe out all the punks of this world, I'll take on the wife beaters, like Frank Bennett, and machine gun their genitals. Towanda will go on the rampage. I'll put tiny bombs in Penthouse and Playboy... so they'll explode when you open 'em. I'll ban all fashion models who weigh less than 130 pounds. I'll give half the military budget to people over 65... and declare wrinkles sexually desirable. Towanda, righter of wrongs, queen beyond compare! How many of them hormones you takin', honey
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

3
 

I'm Thankful

Today I look at my life and I am thankful. I am thankful for my loving family. I am thankful for a good job and a steady income. I am thankful for my Lapband and for getting my life back.   I look at who I was 18 months ago, 250 pounds of misery. I didn’t care about myself or how I looked. I would wear potato sack clothes, I never wore make-up or jewelry, I looked like a tired old lady and I didn’t care. I couldn’t exercise, just walking up the 4 steps into my house would put me out of breath. I really hated myself!   Thankfully I did something about it. I got the Lapband and lost 80 pounds. I went from size 22 to size 10 and have never felt better. I take pride in the clothes I wear (no more potato sacks for me ~ I hate baggy clothes now, lol), I love to wear jewelry and make-up. I want to look good, my smile is from ear to ear. Life is so enjoyable now.   So many things have opened up to me since my band. My husband and I have doubled the amount of land we use for gardening because I can physically help manage it. We increased our flock of chickens to 30 birds because I can physically help manage them. I find myself always on the go, moving doing this & that because I can physically do it. I even got my concealed handgun license (Never shot a gun before 6 months ago).   All this because I decided to change. Yes, I changed everything….. No more fast food, soda, junk food, midnight bowls of cereal, or gallons of ice cream and no more sitting on my ass watching TV all day. Do I miss these things? Sometimes. But if I have cravings I have a small portion of whatever I’m craving. Day to day I don’t miss a thing.   Life is too precious to waste it away on pizza and greasy burgers or cake and candy. I am thankful for my rebirth on February 6, 2012 and I promise to live a health happy life. I deserve nothing less.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

3

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