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Every week (thanks to my wonderful husband) I go get a massage. It helps my stress, helps me unwind and believe it or not has helped with water weight loss. So you're thinking it's only water weight, well yes it is only water weight but weight is weight. The first day I ever got a massage, I seriously think I peed a river and that is no lie. The next morning I was 5lbs less. I thought maybe this was just something crazy I was imagining but the next time I got a massage the same thing happened. I started researching about massage and weight loss and asked my massage therapist and doctor the same thing "how does massage help with weight loss"? Metabolism is the furnace that keeps your engine running. After a certain age your metabolism can slow down. This sometimes results in weight gain. Regular massage sessions can boost your metabolic rate–jolting it to burn fat faster and help utilize your food intake turning it to energy rather than fat. If you are young, then massage can maintain your fast moving metabolism before it gets sluggish. This does not mean that you do not have to watch your diet but that a combination of healthy food, daily exercise and a weekly massage can be an excellent recipe for losing weight. So now not only is my massage helping me to feel better but its helping me with my weight loss journey also. I got a membership at massage envy which only cost me 39 a week to get a massage so I am helping myself and it helps me to feel great. Most of my pain is gone and I feel wonderful. You owe it to yourself to be your best and to feel your best. Do what makes you happy. But definitely massage has been a wonderful adventure for me.

Ahh, progress. We have a new supermarket in my neighborhood. It is beautiful, brightly lit, with almost anything you could want, from artisan bread to flat screen TVs. And as with all businesses, they are doing everything they can to make the shopping experience as awesome as possible. But they may have jumped the shark on this one: There is automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh and pretty. Just before it goes on, you hear distant thunder and smell fresh rain. When you pass the fruits, you smell fresh cut apples and peaches. When you pass the vegetables, you smell hot buttered corn on the cob. When you pass the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and you experience the scent of fresh mown hay. In the meat department there is the aroma of charcoal grilled steaks and sausages. When you approach the egg case, you hear hens cluck and cackle, and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of bacon and eggs frying. The bread department features the tantalizing smell of fresh baked bread and cookies. I don't buy toilet paper there any more.

We spend a lot of our time focusing on eating the right foods, finding healthy recipes, and taking the right vitamins. These are very important parts of the weight loss process, but we also need to make sure we are incorporating the right exercise program into our lives. While some people already have an exercise program that works well for them, if you are one of those people who does not, hopefully this will provide some helpful information about starting a program or improving an existing exercise program. One of the questions that I am frequently asked is “what kind of exercises should I be doing?” In picking the right exercise routine it is important to remember that while the same exercise plan may not be appropriate for everyone, there are some fundamental principles that everyone should be working on in order to get the most out of their workouts. Principle 1: Set aside some dedicated time for exercise. Many of us do a lot of walking as part of our job or part of our daily routine. While being active is great, there is a difference between exercising and being active. In order to get the most out of your exercise time you need to set aside some sacred time designed just for your exercise. As a general rule of thumb this should be 30 minutes a day, 3 to 4 times a week. If you can do more than that, fantastic, but everyone should be aiming for at least 30 minutes every other day. You can choose to exercise alone, or with a group. Some people love to exercise with their family, some with a good friend, or some prefer to use their exercise time as personal time. Whatever your preference, make sure it is a regular routine that you can count on as part of your life. Principle 2: Mix it up Great athletes have repeatedly shown that the key to a successful exercise program is variety. The body adapts over time to the same exercises and routines. Over time muscle memory kicks in, and the body gets less out of a repeated exercise unless you mix up your workouts and introduce some new work outs as well. A good routine should incorporate some cardiovascular exercises, and some weight exercises. Make sure you work all your major muscle groups. Your cardiovascular exercises can be as simple as strenuous walking, jogging, running, elliptical training, swimming, dancing, or bicycling. The weight exercises can involve weight lifting, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups or crunches, or resistance bands. Find the combination that works for you. You can choose to do both cardio and weights in the same workout, or you can separate them to different days. If you are just starting out I recommend a day of cardio followed by a day of weights. When you do weights, don’t make the mistake of working every muscle group in the same work out. Do chest and shoulders one day, thighs and buttocks another. The one exception I recommend to this would be to incorporate a short abdominal routine with most of your workouts. The body’s core muscles which include the abs and back muscles are able to recover quicker than other muscle groups, and once you have gotten use to exercising them on a regular basis you will notice less back pain, and improved performance in your other exercises. Principle 3: Keep track of your progress As you get used to your exercise routine, you will notice it becomes easier, and may become too easy. That is the time to bump it up to the next level. That can involve increasing your time or distance if you are working on cardio, or increasing your weight if you are working on weights. Keeping a record of your progress will not only motivate you, but will also help you identify the workouts that work best for you. By keeping track of your progress you will be more likely to try to continually improve your workouts rather than fall into the rut of continuing an exercise that is not sufficiently challenging your body. Principle 4: Have fun Find a routine that you enjoy. Exercise does not have to be a painful or dreaded part of your day; on the contrary it should be a part of the day you look forward to. If you are not enjoying the exercise you are doing, look for a different one. It is very difficult to maintain a program long term if you do not enjoy it. We have a lot of resources available to help if you need suggestions or examples of routines. Come by the gym at Foundation and talk with the trainers to get some additional workout ideas. We can also help you arrange a fitness evaluation to help determine your ideal heart rate during your exercise. While this isn’t a comprehensive guide to fitness, I hope it helps if you are looking for some direction on getting started.

I am celebrating 2 things today. First, I weighed in this morning and am now down 60 lbs! I weighed 214, down from 274. In not even 3 months! I can't believe it. Second, my doctor took me off of my blood pressure medication yesterday! This is huge! He had cut my dose in half a few weeks ago, and this visit was a follow-up to see how I was doing on the half dose. They took my blood pressure when I first got in, and it was 120/70. He was happy with that and was willing to keep me going on the half dose for now, until I mentioned that I've been getting light-headed when playing the trumpet while standing up. He had me stand up to take my blood pressure, and it was 108/70. So he told me to go ahead and stop taking it. He wants to see me again in another 3 weeks to see how I'm doing off of it.

I had the lapband just a little over 11 months ago and have lost 58 lbs. Most within the 1st 6 months. I am glad I did it, it has change how I look at food and what I put in my mouth. I do feel healthier, just wish my weight loss was more. I have made no secret about my anxiety disorder on this site. While I don't really like telling people around me about my disorder, I want this place to be my safe zone where I can discuss it. I am currently taking Paxel, which has changed my life, in the fact that I hardly have any symptoms of my disorder now- which is AWESOME!! I also, have discussed my difficulty in having a child. Prior to getting banded I had 3 miscarriages. The doctors never figured out the cause. Now, I have been given the green light from my surgeon to try for a child, I have to stop my Paxel. This worries me, the last thing I needs is my anxiety returning during pregnancy. My OB/GYN has is trying to transition me for Paxil to a different SSRI that is ok during pregnancy. Once I have been ok on that for a month or two I can go ahead and try. This being said, the hubs and I have decided to try one more time. With all the med stuff, we can't try until July or Aug, but we are going to try. I am not sure if it will take this time around or not. Honestly, I some what fear getting pregnant, in that I know I will gain weight and I don't want to gain weight, but I must for a healthy baby. So to that end I must be very careful and take good care of myself to make sure I don't gain any more weight than I need to. None the less I am excited about trying again and I know that with support and help whatever weight I do gain I can get back off once the little one is here. So please send a prayer up for me!!

I got the call that I have been waiting on. My insurance has given their blessings for me to have sleeve surgery!!! I'm so excited! I just can't hide it! On June 11, 2013, I will begin a new and exciting chapter in my life. Good bye Big Mama. Hello healthy mama.

Is this just evil or the ultimate "Man" food? OMG! Just had a piece, tastes like little bites of heaven! Little bit crunchy, but still a little chewy - call it al dente. Basically tastes like bacon. No surprise flavors! 2.5 servings per bag per serving: 130 cals 1 gram carbs 12 grams protein 9 grams fat

******************************************************************************************************************* Update:5/23/2013 Man, reading these old blog entries is strange. It's only been 5 months and I'd forgotten almost everything that happened pre-surgery. After these few months post-op, it just seems that I've "always" been living this way and my previous lifestyle never happened. I feel like I've "always" eaten such small portions and could walk away from food. I've "always" gotten out and walked around. I've "always" had a positive attitude and energy. Anyone else feel this way? ******************************************************************************************************************* Being my first blog entry, I plan on keeping it short and sweet. I'm about 3 weeks pre surgery. Had my psych eval, NUT counciling, chest x-ray, liver/kidney ultarsound, blood work and EDG. I am going in this Sat. for the pre-surgery diet counciling. Expected surgery date is 12/27/2012. I am on the "fast track" for surgery. Got the insurance approval in just 2 weeks. So far my out of pocket expences have been about $3000.00, that includes the doctor's office visit and tests at the hospital and gas going back and forth (my docotor and hospital are 2 hours away.)

Yup I cheeked it on 4 different scales okay who wants to Zumba with me now

Today was one of those scary days were it seemed like I just never got enough to eat. I have days like this on occasion and don’t really know what triggers them. I haven’t strayed from eating “good” foods, so I don’t think it has anything to do with the foods that trigger my hunger monster. But, the amount of food I have been able to eat is really starting to scare me. With everything I’ve eaten, I definitely feel full, but the feeling doesn't seem to last but an hour or so. So to combat those feeling of “I’m going to obsess about eating until I’ve eaten something,” I keep plenty of lean protein in the house. Grilled chicken breast, grilled pork loin and plenty of low sugar sauces. I don’t keep any temptations in the house to ward against days like this. Maybe I need a WLS voodoo doll with pictures of bad food and pins stuck through them. I really started thinking about how and what I've been eating. And I have read the warning stories about people regaining their weight after surgery and it is a really scary feeling. I would never forgive myself for having gone through all this just to gain all the weight back. So, I've set some limits on myself. Not so strict as to feel deprived, but not so loose as to let myself get out of control. I will eat healthy food first. Protein/vegs/fiber every day. I will let myself try a dessert, but never eat more than a bite or two. (And by bite, I don’t mean “as much of the cookie as will fit into my mouth at one time” bite. :-P) I will not bring unhealthy food into the house. If I want something that bad, I’ll have to get off my butt and drive to the store. Most times, the craving does not overrule my need to stay camped out in front of the TV in my underwear or by the time I DO get there, the “craving” has worn off. I will make my own lunches to bring to work. That way, I can’t rationalize going out to eat and making food bad choices, convincing myself that eating healthy food costs too much. I’m trying to be realistic and know that I’m not always going to be faithful. But having the rules reminds me to stop and think before making a food choice. It’s a tool, just like WLS. Knowing that I am allowed to eat SOME bad stuff removes the stress of “I can’t ever have that again!” Knowing that I CAN eat a little of anything puts the power back in my hands and puts the responsibility on my shoulders to CHOOSE to eat the right way. It is empowering to feel like I am allowed to eat anything I want, but it’s my CHOICE to pick a different food option. I like this new lifestyle and after 5 months of hating to get out and walk, I am beginning to WANT to go on daily walks. Although I don’t necessarily like them, I do like seeing the scale drop and my energy level go up! Keep Pimpin that Sleeve!