Doweegirl

I have not been able to eat salmon without puking since I had the surgery. That is until today. Dr. Jones instructed me to eat my salmon and grilled chicken, even tho everytime I did so, I would get that awful mucus build up, it would hurt and I would eventually "toss" some back out. So I've been working on eating very very slow, chewing a whole lot (which is all the basis of the band which we tend to ignore until it gets to this), and waiting 2-3 minutes, sometimes 5 between the very small bites. This morning I decided the salmon I cooked 3 days ago was not going in the trash. I tried it yesterday morning and it was pain and mucus. This morning, I took it even slower and guess what? It stayed down, no pain, no mucus and I ate my salmon! every piece of the 2oz piece of fish I paid so much for. It wasn't easy as I literally took one bite, and started chewing as I made my way to the shower. After the shower I took another bite and chewed as I put on some clothes, and etc etc etc...I took me over 30 minutes to eat it, but it stayed down and I ate slow which are the most important aspects of this band. Am I ready to tackle my grilled chicken? Let me get comfy with my salmon routine first:)
 
Cheers~

In just a couple of hours I will have my band. Wish me luck

So I went in today, and I'm down to 138. I'm just glad to still be below 240!
 
My blood pressure, which was a problem post-op, was high, but is never high when I check it at home. Nurse said to just keep an eye on it. Could be "white coat" syndrome (lol) = doctor visit induced anxiety.
 
So my doctor, who is fabulous by the way, said no fill. he wanted to know what I was eating---we went through the list.....beans....rice....tabouli.....salads....veggies...protein drinks....my list is pretty general.
Yes, sometimes I have ice cream. He was concerned about puking and band slippage. He was iinclined to remove some fluid...
 
He suggested I take out the carbs and focus on eating the things I've been complaining about.....grilled chicken that I probably don't chew enough before swallowing=vomiting; fish=ditto; eggs=ditto
His suggestion is that I take more time to chew and eat these foods that absorb the fat in my body....to speed up weight loss. I was avoiding these foods because they get stuck and cause mucus buildup and puking. So now, I'm going to try it his way. Nutrionist didn't agree with the negative carbs and told me all about how carbs fuel the brain but I've also done enough reading to know that I won't die from not eating carbs. I kind of trust the surgeon more than the nutrionists on this one.....
 
So I have a new eating guideline....that includes breakfast which for me is normally a cup of coffee because I'm never hungry in the morning. Then I'm going to try some pure protein....vegetarian protein where I can as I'm not a big meat person anyhow.
 
So, we shall see how this works. I wasn't too disappointed about not having the fill. Wasn't looking forwards to liquids and mushies for 3 weeks:)
 
Be well friends. We are here and there is no turning back~

So, I haven't posted in a while. I am crazy busy with Nursing school, and would normally blame it on that. ( I really should be studying right now) But I think I need to look deeper inside to the truth. I had nothing to report. I was BUMMED. I was at a stand still for a month or so. I lost 40 pounds in first two months then nothing for almost 2 more. Hovering at 212 forever. I had my 3rd fill a few weeks ago again and it has start to come off again, Slowly, but still going downward. I'm at 203 now, teasingly close to under 200, for the last week or two. So I was a bit down that nothing was happening. I want to be under 200 so bad. I am so stressed with school and kids and life. I was stressing over not lossing more recently. Stressing over the scale, I not suppose to get on everyday, and really not suppose get on every few hours, just to check...the numbers were not being nice to me. Then I got some great news today. New numbers that were dropping...
 
So this morning, I had a doctors appointment, I only wrote my doctor's name in my calander so when i showed up for my annual physical with my 8 year old in tow, after we just had breakfast, they were surprised, but saw me anyway, just need to go back for blood work now. I thought it was an appointment for my blood pressure screening for my hypertension-I been going every few months to recheck see if more medication was needed or if it was still working ok at controlling my Blood Pressure.
 
I started on Blood pressure meds only this past fall. Prior to this my blood pressure was alway low. My blood pressue shot up the day after my 41st birthday. : 164/94. I was really scared. I had chest pain and could feel my heart beating out of my chest- ended up in ER and they kept me over night.- no heart attack- just the starft of hypertension. After a lot of tests they put me on blood pressure mediacitons to lower my BP to a normal level. So when My doctor started me on meds, in september I was 256 pounds and had a average BP of 150/85. I was all ready in the process of getting my preop stuff for my lapband surgery completed. I was scared, I waited too long to get a hold of my weight and I wasn't going to be around for my kids whe they got older if I kept on this heavy path.
 
Today I saw my primary care doctor for the first time since my surgery. He was very excited over how well I was doing, my BP was 124/70, my EKG was normal, my weight was 53 pounds lighter. SInce I didn't know I was having a full physical today I ate breakfast, so I going back in a few weeks to recheck my BP after being off medications, and do my blood panel. I am so excited to be off my Blood Pressure medication.
 
So remember, just because the scale is not moving in the right direction all the time, doesn't mean you not getting healthier everyday.
 
Let look at our non scale victories: I was banded the Dec 16 2011. In four mouths I have gone down 53 pounds, am now free of BP medications, my four year old can get on my back for piggyback ride and his little legs fit around to front, I wearing a size 14 not a size 22 anymore, ( I actually got a pair of 12's on, they were on and zipped but it really wasn't pretty.- I bought them of course- they with fit better soon enough!), and my feet got smaller, had to go down a size. who knew my feet were fat too? I can shop at victoria secrets now.
 
So celebrate they little things in your life that are really HUGE. STOP getting so upset if we stall in our scale numbers, it happens to everyone. Usually at about 3 -4 months from what I have notices and been told from others who gone throught it all ready. It normal. Your body is going through some big changes and sometime needs to take a break and caught up on the inside to how your looking on the outisde, and vice versa, before it starts lossing again. So don't stress. These non scale successes are what it all about!!!! ( You of course know I will so be posting when I get under 200, however long it takes-still a big milestone for me)
 
What non scale victory do you have to share? Here's my other new one...my husband's can't accidently put on my jeans...too small now, His are too big for me.

I'm near the end of my prep program. I have 1 nutrition appointment on the 24th then a stress test on the 19th. I'm very excited. I can't wait to be at the hospital. I'm not looking forward to the 2wk liquid diet but if it's what I have to do then I will get it done. I have a great support system who knows the process and great friends in my corner. The time out of my job is also something i am looking forward to. Wish me luck the surgery is just around the corner.