healthy-me-in-Az

Hi everyone! I have had some odd things happen to me since I have lost weight. 1. I am COLD all the time. I live in Phoenix. It is NOT cold here. I am cold at temperatures I would normally not be. Almost like my body is having trouble adjusting to temperature changes. 2. My breast bone 'pops' every now and then. It feels tight and then if I twist, it gives a gentle 'pop' Funny thing about this is previously when I have lost significant weight, the same thing happened. Weird. 3. Another 'popping' and this one is a bit troublesome. On my right leg where the leg meets the hip bone... sometimes when I am walking, it pops VIOLENTLY. Very painful but only for a step or so. I almost feel like my body is adjusting. Almost like it is changing faster than it can adapt. Weird stuff. Anyone else have strange things happening???

Hi all.. Yesterday was a weird day. Out, running errands. Did NOT plan well at all. B: skipped sat with friends and had a grande chai latte L: skipped by 3pm my stomach was growling soooo loudly! I stopped at JITB and got a steak and egg burrito. I ate about a third of it. D: wasn't hungry because I ate that burrito so late so I skipped

Today: B: usual shake L: taco bell- a fourth of a mexican pizza and about 10 nachos S: 12 cashews D: 1 slice thin crust pizza, 1 chocolate chip cookie hmmm.. think this menu can be improved? :thumbup:

Hi everyone! Been gone a while... computer issues! Actually, having issues all over the place! I have an appointment for the 21st. I think I will get my 1st fill. I thought my 'restriction' with no fill was in my head all these months. I was thinking I had just psyched myself into thinking I had restriction. WRONG!!! I can tell a MAJOR difference the last two weeks. As in, I have nothing. I have been actually HUNGRY. I have been snacking like crazy. Just a bite here... bite there. Man does that sh*t sneak up on you!!!! Not gaining, not losing. Just holding steady. Which I suppose is good. This is just the weight I always get stuck at so I just want to push past it. Don't want to pause... just keep moving! Part of me is stubborn and I don't want to get a fill. But the logical part of me knows that I got the tool... USE IT! Duh!!! So I have an appointment. I am looking forward to it. I know I have done very well and I am proud of what I have accomplished so far. I have accomplished changing my thinking which, for me, is the hardest part. Today: B: usual shake L: half cup turkey chili with cheese and sour cream S: two chocolate chip cookies Other Snack: grande caramel macchiato iced D: a third cup of stuffing with diced chicken in it and gravy, a third cup of mashed potatoes and about a quarter cup of carrots Definately NOT a great dinner choice! Looking over my menu for the last week or so, it seems I am eating better than I think I am. At least I am controlling my portions... I guess in my head I am eating worse because I THINK about food now. I didn't before. Anyway.. moving on!

Hey Bobbie... thinking of you! Post when you can!

No advice really but wanted to say HEY! I was banded by Dr Blackstone on July 10th!!!

Hi all... hope everyone had a great holiday! I lost 1.6 lbs this week. Weight loss has really slowed down. Thinking maybe I need my first fill.....

Hi everyone... just updated the spreadsheet. I lost 1.6 lbs this week!!!

Hi everyone... Today: B: usual shake L: 3 crackers with chicken salad, 1 cookie D: half cup total of stuffing, gravy and diced chicken, 1 reeses pb cup Gotta purge the house of all these sweets!

Whew! I had a great Christmas but I am glad it is over! Will be nice to get back to a regular schedule! I work tomorrow but then I am off for 6 days! So today I went through my dresser and closet. I am in a solid 14 now. So the 18's went bye-bye. I kept the 16's. The still fit even though they are baggy. Once I get in the 12's, the 16's go. I am pretty vigilant about getting rid of clothes. Every 'diet' I have ever done, I keep my clothes 'just in case' Well, there is NO 'just in case' I refuse to think that way. So, out they go! Anyway... not great choices today but here they are: B: a third cup stuffing and a couple bites of hash brown casserole. L: 3 club crackers with chicken salad Snacked all day on chocolate.... bite here.. bite there D: 10 nachos, half a soft taco The scale seems to be on the move.... so we shall see what it says on Monday!

btrieger, I do like vegetables. I just don't really have room for adequate intake. I can only eat 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of food at a meal. Once I get my protein requirement in, doesn't leave very much room. I would be willing to take the calories that come with juicing for the nutrients. And I don't believe we get all we should have from the supplements. They help but I want to up my intake a little.

Hi everyone!!! Does anyone here do any juicing? It has occurred to me that I don't get enough fruits and veggies. I am considering starting to juice. It is a battle for me to not snack in the afternoon after work. I just want to eat... not because I am hungry. But anyway, I am thinking this would be a good time to juice some veggies. I would be getting something to 'snack' and some nutrients that I am missing. I keep watching the infomercial for the Health Master by Montel Williams. And of course, I have seen the VitaMix but that is waaaaay too expensive. I like that those machines make drinks without losing the pulp part which has a lot of nutrients. I have a juicer and I have a ninja so I won't be buying anything else for now. I will try to use those two appliance to see if I even like the juice. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with juicing or any thoughts on it.

Thanks for the responses! Yes, I am mostly looking at things like greens and veggies. Those things I am not eating. When I do eat them, it certainly is not in adequate quantities. I am looking at the vitamix so that I can have the whole fruit. I have a juicer but then you lose the fiber benefit. I think I will start with my juicer since I already have it. Then when I can afford it, I will get the vitamix. Hmmmm... I do have a birthday coming up....

Hi everyone. TOM left and took 1.2 lbs with him! I hit the big 6-0 this week!!!! WOOT!!!! Wearing a size 14 pants and a size Medium work polo (work polo is a big deal.. I was wearing a 2x) Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

Great question! Yes, I absolutely stick to a cup of food. Eating better? Well, no, not really. I eat normal foods. I tend to eat a lot of fattier foods like chicken salad etc. The only thing I am not happy with is my intake of fruits and veggies. I think I am going to start juicing to get some of those in. Other than that, I am so extremely happy with how I am able to eat. I know I can maintain how I am eating now. I am not on some 'diet' that once I do off, I will gain the weight back. Been there, done that... got MANY size 2X tshirts to show for it!!! LOL!

I am not sure how I want to word this response, so bear with me while I figure it out! LOL! I was banded in 7/10. I have not gotten a fill yet. I have lost, as of today, 60 lbs. I can eat anything. There isn't one food I have tried that I cannot tolerate. I was a very successful dieter in the past. I could lose 50 lbs on any program I tried, only to gain it back nearly immediately. I think my 'two week wall' is about 3 months or 50lbs, whichever came first. I have been successful so far because everything in my head changed. Honestly, it boils down to that. I think part of me is so mortified that I had to resort to weight loss surgery. I mean, I could lose weight. I was a great dieter. I could do it. I just couldn't keep it off. And, to me, I always felt like I shouldn't need weight loss surgery when I could get the weight off on my own. But alas, I decided I needed to actually KEEP it off so... anyway... I visualize my pouch as I think it looks. I imagine it holds 1 cup of food. I don't eat more than that at a meal. Ever. Am I full after a meal? No. Am I satisfied? Yes. I love that I don't ever have that full, heavy feeling after a meal. I have been so surprised how little food it takes to feel satisfied. And I think that is a big, important lesson. The difference between 'full' and 'satisfied'. My surgeon's program spent a lot of time on this. Luckily for me, it stuck. Here is a funny for you. I went to my regular doctor about two years ago. She, of course, said I needed to lose weight (DUH!) and recommended the book I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna. I read it. I listened to the hynotic induction CD that came with it. It was a good, sound program. The CD was relaxing. I liked it. The principles while very simple, were a lot of effort. I didn't try very hard. Flash forward to my surgery. I took several classes pre and post surgery. Many of the eating principles my surgeon follows were very similar to this book. So I am hoping somewhere in my rambling I made the point I wanted to make. The changes start in your head in your thinking. I will never diet again. This is the way I eat. I eat small portions of delicious food that I enjoy. I chew it VERY well, I stop eating after 30 minutes or until I am 'satisfied' (whichever comes first). The surgeon takes care of the physical part of the band. Your part is the mental part. Good luck to you!

Hi everyone! Still here... still plugging along. Been sooooooooooo busy with the holidays. I had a total maintain this week. Everyone keeps bringing in goodies. I am not going crazy.. bite here, bite there. TOM also showed up so that didn't help at all. I did notice the scale moved a bit today but it isn't official until Monday, then I will update my ticker. There is one thing I have been thinking about though. I am hardly getting fruits and veggies. I know even when I eat them it is in such small quantities that I need more. I am thinking about juicing. I usually want something in the afternoon. Not necessarily hungry, but want something. Thinking that may be an ideal time to have a fruit/veggie drink combo. I am sure my doctor wouldn't like it. She doesn't want me to 'drink calories'. She advocates no protein shakes but I drink one every day and it works for me. So I think I will try it. Will post food intake later today!

Hi everyone! I weighed in on Monday. No change... maintained this week.

Hi everyone... Today B: usual shake L: grilled hot dog (was surprised I ate the whole thing) with a couple bites of a bun but then took the bun off snack before gym: one cracker with chicken salad and sliver of fresh pear D: gonna have half a slice of meatloaf walked/ran on the treadmill at the gym for 45 minutes with an incline of 6.0! woot!

Hi everyone.. Made bad choices today. Snacking. Too much snacking. Will stop the snacking immediately. B: usual shake L: a quarter cup each of meatloaf, gravy and mashed potatoes S: 2 reeses pb cups dark Also had a cup of cafe mocha D: slice of garlic bread and half a meatball

Hi everyone... I lost 0.6 lbs this week. Need to focus and STOP SNACKING!!! NO MORE SNACKING!!! ok... I am all better now.. :thumbup:

Hi Bobbie... I am so sorry this has happened to you. You have been so frustrated with this process that I hope you are at least a little relieved that it is nothing you have been doing wrong. I hope they get this fixed for you quickly! good luck!!

Hello, hello.... Kind of a bad day today... Woke up had a cup of coffee in my new machine- YUM B: (at 1030am!) a third cup stuffing with chicken and gravy Threw the rest of the stuffing away! Bad, bad, bad! Anytime I eat it, I make bad choices the rest of the day L: none really... picked on chicken salad while I made it and ate a few bites of my roasted sweet potatoes while I made that D: was overly hungry! had maybe a third cup of meatloaf and a third cup of mashed potatoes. I wasn't sick or anything but I really felt like I ate too much. Almost feels like the food is in your throat...no pain just a weird feeling. Went away after a few minutes. Today I made meatloaf, mashed potatoes, chicken salad, roasted sweet potatoes with apples. Tomorrow I am going to make a pot of meatballs and some chili. That way I am stocked and ready to go for the week!

Congratulations on getting to onederland! It is soooooo awesome to see that first number be a '1'!!!

Hi everyone! Today: B: usual shake L: two crackers with turkey salad D: half a tostada (made with beans, ground beef, cheese, sour cream and cilantro) and 2 tablespoons refried beans YUM! I should be getting my new Keurig coffee maker from UPS shortly.... will be making myself a cup of something to enjoy! :wink2: