Leaderboard

At least for a little while. Went out to breakfast with a friend, ordered off of the menu with no substitutions (scrambled eggs with veggies and feta), enjoyed a nice conversation, took small bites, ate slowly, sipped my coffee a couple of times and when I was no longer hungry piled my plates up and pushed them away. I ate about 2/3 of my eggs, 1/4 of my potatoes and half a slice of dry toast. AND I WAS FINE WITH THAT! Now, that wasn't say that the head hunger voices weren't screaming in the background about wasting food, about how good it tasted, about taking just one more bite. They weren't as loud as they usually are, I just checked and made sure that I wasn't hungry (Satiated), and dismissed them. There is hope...

...the kind in the old saying: swimming serenely on the surface and paddling like a lunatic underneath. Actually, I've been doing fairly well ever since I got back on board with my band (3/8). The additional fills have made a difference and at 9.25cc, I've decided to consider myself I the green zone. I stay not hungry for about 4 hrs after a meal. I never experience stuck episodes or PBs, thank goodness, but I am a pretty conscientious chewer, which is good because my bite size varies depending on the texture of the food I'm eating. I make sure to get my minimum 50g of protein per day and I keep track of my calories, but other than that I don't stress abut counting anything else (fat or carbs). I still eat "bad" foods occasionally (like chips) but only in moderation, in premeasured servings, and I always count the calories and try to make sure that at the end of the week I average out around 1200 calories per day. I can eat bread, rice, pasta, asparagus, steak ... there is nothing I have ever tried to eat that I was unable to eat. I also don't ever feel like my band "stops" me from eating. My portions are usually 1 cup at a time, sometimes 1.5 cups, but I never feel stuffed after eating or that my band is telling me to stop. My mind tells me to stop because it remembers the rules given to me by my doctor. In reality, I'm learning to be okay with that. Part of me wonders if I'm missing some vital part of the bandster experience by not having a band that bosses me around, but I think this way is honestly probably less painful. I also hope that it is teaching me more than if I had a vocal band. This way, I know that what I'm doing is a choice and since I'm going to have to do this for the rest of my life if I want to lose and maintain a loss, getting into the habit of choosing right is probably a good thing in the long term. Sure, there are times when I wish I was one of those people whose band made them forget about food completely. When I read about someone who never has cravings any more, or who forgets to eat, or who loses interest in food--even really yummy food--after a few bites, I wish that were me, but I'm doing okay with the me I've got, so I get over it. The bottom line is that I am losing weight. Not huge quantities and not as fast as I would like, but since I would LIKE to be losing 10lbs per week, I'm focusing on being realistic instead. My 1-2 lb per week loss (really does usually fall around 1.5!) is exactly on track. All I need to do is to remember to stay the course and I will get where I want to be eventually. Better to get there slowly than to stay where I am. So, like the duck, I just keep paddling.

Moving right along! Went and got my EKG, chest X-ray, and h.pylori tests done yesterday. The offices were right across the hall from each other, so Efficient Me got in and out in 45 minutes (don't tell my work! I took the whole afternoon off!) All 3 tests were uneventful. The chest xray involved stripping from the waist up and wearing a stylish paper gown. The guy tech was a cutie! One pic while I faced a white board, and one pic while I faced the side with my arms up. The EKG -- remove shirt only, kept bra on. Before hand, the female tech asked "are you wearing a regular bra?" and I said yes, so she said ok to leave it on. But I can't help but wonder what is a not regular bra inasmuch as what kind of bra would I be wearing if it wasn't ok to leave it on? LOL. But I digress......she had me lie on a table (too short! My toes were on a cart at the end of the table!) and then she stuck stickers all over my front. Then she attached these wires with clampy-things to each of the stickers. Then she asked me to lay still and breathe deeply for like a minute, maybe two. Then she unhooked the wires, peeled of the stickers, and I was good to go. Then I went and got my blood drawn for h. pylori and my thyroid panel. Yes! Moving right along! Also am beginning to figure out accommodations and car while we are on Oahu for the week around surgery. And lining up sending my dog to "camp" for that week My RN emailed me to ask if I've gone to any of the local support group meetings.....I have to say that I've decided NOT to go. Several reasons. I live on an island, and it is a very small-town atmosphere. I have chosen not to shout from the rooftops about my surgery. I have a friend/ coworker who had WLS several years ago, and she is excellent support for me. Additionally, she went to the support group meeting -- once --- and someone there, who clearly didn't value privacy the way my friend does, went and told a bunch of my friend's in-laws who she had chosen not to tell. Then she was bombarded with phone calls. Not cool. VST has been and will be, I believe, just the right amount of support for me with a greater collection of people experienced with the sleeve than what I could find here in an in-person meeting. Diversity rocks, ya? And... I know myself well enough to know that if I get into an in-person support group environment, I could easily try to help everyone but myself. Denial is easier with distractions! Yes, I think VST is just the right amount of support giving and receiving..... at least for now. I would never say never, but this is how it seems best to me for now....

Yesterday was my pre-op visit. 7:30am - 4:00pm. What a long day!! Met with my patient advisor, paid my deductible, met with the exercise physiologist (can't spell at all -sorry), finally met with my surgeon! Had a 3 hour seminar with the nutritionist. That was informative but there were a few people in the class that kept asking the same questions over & over. Damn, I hate that! But there's always one or two in every group! Maybe if they were paying attention... The office gave me Calcium supplements, Iron & Vitamin C and Multivitamins plus a sample of their protein powder. The protein powder was decent so I bought some more. Lord knows I'm going to be drinking a lot of it post op! My dr's orders are: clear liquids only day of surgery then day 2 after the barium scan, just liquids for the next week. Week 2 we're onto purreed foods. Yum yum... I'm much less nervous about what I'm going to go through now. I'm not liking the 5:30am arrival time for the hospital on Monday, but oh well. Better to be first than last, I guess