Weigh In Day

Today is weigh in day, I wasn't really expecting a loss - as a scale whore I kinda have an idea when I'm doing good and not so good but this morning the scale was down another 1.2 lbs. I'll take it! I am now officially in the 180's, 188.8  to be exact- 27pounds down since surgery!
I really need to remember that if I don't move it I won't lose it.

 

Thanks for reading- have a great Tuesday

Motivational Monday

Happy Monday- I know, that's a bit of a stretch, but It's a brand new day to make better choices than I did yesterday. It's a fresh start that happens everyday. I stumbled a bit a lot this weekend with food and lack of exercise but instead of getting mad and throwing in the towel and deciding that being healthy and skinny isn't worth all the effort I have decided that I can and will do this because I AM WORTH IT!

October 19, 2012 (one month before surgery)

January 26, 2013 (2 months post op)

 

I am really starting to notice how my body is changing and in order to keep seeing positive changes happen I need to keep moving and eating better. Still working on the whole Head hunger issues. I used to not be a snacker but once you tell me I can't or shouldn't do something that's all I want to do.



 

 I think I am going to print this one out and post it on my fridge as a reminder- what do you think.

Not as young as I once was

For the first time since surgery I went out with friends to have some drinks and do some dancing. We met up at Stoney's country bar, not really my choice... I am a self admitted gay man stuck in a straight woman's body and prefer gay bars and drag queens but it was still pretty fun. I had my first beer since before the surgery and I nursed that for almost two hours. It was pretty packed so we ended up finding a spot over by the Bull and I spent most of the evening watching very intoxicated people try to maneuver the bull ride- very funny to watch even when sober.
But as the night grew later I found myself getting more and more bored, not sure if it was the atmosphere, wrong choice in music, lack or beer on my part but I was pretty bored. My friends went out and danced a few times and I just didn't feel the want to participate. So I sat there keeping myself amused with my phone- where would we be without technology? At 1am I decided I was done and ready to go home... There were nights in my past when I wouldn't crawl back home until well after 4 even 5 in the morning but last night I was ready to go home at 11 but lasted till 1am.... when did I get so old? On my way home, as is tradition I stopped and grabbed something to eat, a southern style chicken sandwich- i only ate the meat but then when I got home I found myself face to face with a slice of chocolate cake my mother in law sent over- I intended on only having a bite just to get the taste and do in with the craving, well that didn't work out so well - I ended up devouring the entire piece and then sent myself to bed to where I slept blissfully until noon. It is now just about 3pm and I am planning on getting back into bed and enjoying a nap. I am very fond of my sleep, that and the fact that I woke up with a crick in my neck and a massive headache (honest, I only had one beer so it wasn't a hang over). I know I should get my butt on the treadmill and get my sweat on, but I know it's not gonna happen today, but It WILL happen tomorrow.
Ok enough of my ramblings, I'm off to rest and relax. Thanks for reading - hope you're having a great weekend.

TTT

Ten things Thursday

1. I got my second fill today bringing me to 5.5 cc in my 10cc band.

2. It was McTeacher night for my boys school, got the family their dinner there while I sipped on my protein shake- so glad I'm not a big fan of MickeyDs

3. According to my doctors scale I have lost 6 lbs since my last visit 2 weeks ago- he was impressed.

4. My husband has been sick with the flu this week, thankfully not a full out stomach flu, and I have yet to get it... quick knock on wood.

5. Last night in an effort to avoid eating mindlessly I cleaned my boys bathroom- ewww

6. Tomorrow is grocery day, should be fun after not eating real food today

7. getting tired of hearing about Beyonce lip syncing for the inauguration,.... seriously, how is this news.

8. Thinking that I may need to get a new pair of jeans, my "ol reliable" pair are getting pretty loose.

9. Looking into getting a heart rate monitor to help keep track of my calories burned- any suggestions?

10. Thats all folks. as always thanks for reading. And if you're new to my blog drop me a line with a link to your blog so I can follow you.

Pain in the port...

This past Tuesday was my 8 week bandaversary. The past 2 weeks I have been doing more and more when it comes to exercising, walking at least 3 miles on the treadmill and then doing arms, abs and leg work. The past few days I have felt tenderness at my port site and it feels swollen. I didn't get a workout in today for a few different reasons but I think it's probably a good thing. I go in for my second fill tomorrow so hopefully I will find out what I did or didn't do to aggravate it.

Has anyone else had this happen to them or know what I did?

Thanks for reading

Weigh in day

Today is weigh in day and I'm excited... I lost 3 pounds last week making me 190 exactly- I have lost 25 pounds since surgery!!!
I am actually starting to notice my loss more and more- my jeans, the one pair that I actually wear are getting too loose and baggy making me look heavier than I am I also wore a shirt yesterday that I hadn't worn in years. The last time I wore it I swear I looked like a giant sausage but yesterday it was baggy on me- yeah!! It's the little NSV's that help keep me going.
I have been better at getting off my butt and getting on my treadmill but I have switched it up, instead of waiting till everyone is in bed I am taking my "nap" time and making it my exercise time. An hour on the tread mill followed but crunches, arms and leg work then a nice hot shower. I did have to take it easy 3 days, 2 for my back and one for my ankle (but i still did everything but the tread mill)
I go in Thursday for another fill, I am currently at 4.5cc's in a 10 cc band. I eat my 4 oz and focus on protein but less than 2 hours later I am starved so when I get to my next meal I have to keep from stuffing my face and and my band.  I am too focused on eating to pay attention to portion but somehow I manage but its a vicious cycle. Hoping a fill will help keep me satisfied longer and keep me from snacking.

As always, thank you for reading and for your comments.

Family dinner

We had my mother and grandmother in law over for dinner tonight. I cooked which is a big switch, usually my husband does the cooking. I made roast chicken with roasted red potatoes and carrots and biscuits. My mother in law brought garlic bread and her potato salad- I LOVE her potato salad! Lets just say we had the carbs covered.
I measured out my food, keeping as close to the 4 oz my doctor recommends but that was only AFTER eating a piece of french bread ( I hadn't had bread since before my surgery). After I was done eating what was on my plate I picked at the potato salad and the roasted potatoes and carrots... ok not really picking but serving up more. Then to add insult to injury I had a slice of chocolate cream pie, a small slice - at first, then I went back for more. It was like an outer body experience, I couldn't stop myself.
I am just glad that I have been working out and hopeful that my excessive food consumption doesn't hurt me when I have my weigh in on Tuesday.
I had my first fill a little over a week ago but I am still hungry after my 4 oz portions- I have another fill scheduled for this coming Thursday, very hopeful to get back to better portion sizes. I guess it doesn't help that TOM is still around and has controlled my cravings and hunger. I really need to learn to handle this better for future months to come.

That's all for now, thanks for reading. Have a great weekend.

I came out!

Yesterday I took a big step and posted on FB that I had been banded. I wasn't expecting anyone to judge me or criticize me or anything, I'm not really sure what I was expecting but I wasn't expecting my friends and family to be so supportive, saying that they were proud of me and that I was an inspiration and motivation for them. I have never thought of myself to be motivation for anyone or to be an inspiration - talk about pressure.
It got me thinking about what my motivation is- I don't have a goal weight in mind or a dress size or anything like that- what motivates me is my husband and kids. I want to make sure that I am around for a very long time. I am also motivated by the thought of not having to take medications.
Lap Band Gal motivated me to blog my journey and through her blog I have found other blogs to follow, all of which motivate and inspire me to keep going- we are all in this game we call life and it makes it a little easier if we have friends who are playing along with the same rules that we are playing with.
So who or what is your motivation/inspiration?

feeling bunches better

I woke up feeling bunches better today. I was able to get out of bed without wincing in pain or grunting so that is a good sign. However I still have a dull throbbing pain in my lower back so I'm going to take it easy today.
on top of all that  pain TOM showed his ugly, bloated head which isn't helping with the back pain. I'm thinking that the cramps and the spasm may be related but I really don't care- pain is pain and I don't like it. I also made a stop at the dreaded taco hell and have eaten crap yet again this week - a soft taco and a bean burrito- i hate hormones, they run the show and my cravings. But to concur my sweet tooth I bought some sugar free pudding and sugar free jello, now just to keep my kids away from it.
anyways, thanks for your concern and comments yesterday. I should be back on the treadmill tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.

not workin it today

Pain is the bodys way of saying 'don't do that' and i didn't listen. I posted yesterday that my back was hurting but did I listen to my body? of course not. but it's not like I wnt out an ran a marathon or anything- i pushed in my daughters chair at dinner sendinngg my bback into a spasm so my husband has told me to take a hot shower, he has massged icyhot onto my back and has sent me to bed. I guess I'll keep him around a little longer ;) please forgive the typos and spelling errors, i'm doing this off my phone and my keys have a tendancy to stick and for some reason the spell check icon is not on right now. bbut anyways, thanks for reading and hopfully i will bbe bback walking and shreddingg soon.

When and how often do you work it?

I'm sitting here in a nice sweaty sheen after my workout and I was thinking who else works out this late at night (it's just now 11:30p)? I would prefer to get my sweat on earlier in the day but I have 3 kids, one that is a full time nightmare terror delight and then 2 older ones that are in school during the day. I have tried getting up before everyone but I am by no means a morning person and as much as I have tried to set my alarm for an hour before they kidlets get up I have got more exercise in hitting the snooze bar then getting in an actual workout at that hour. I have even tried during nap time, but lets face it- when she naps I nap and mama loves her sleep. So my choices are to workout while everyone is up and when I should be making dinner or refereeing my boys and trying to keep my 3 yr old from destroying the house, dogs, her brothers...ect. or to wait until I get my quiet time after everyone is in bed- I choose the latter.
But I did get my walk in earlier- tried to get my 3 miles but had to stop after just after a mile and a half because my muscle in my back was hurting too much but once it subsided I got back up there and got another mile in, not the 3 I wanted but better than not working it at all. Thankfully my boys watched after the 3 yr old after daddy went to bed so I could get that last mile in. And after everyone was in bed I got in my day 3 of the shred. I feel accomplished for getting it done but it makes for a long day.
I'm starting to think I may be pushing myself too hard. I used to work out all the time then i just got out of the habit mainly because of issues with pain; I have a bad back (muscle spasms), joint pain in the knees, and at times a bad attitude... ;)  I know, we all have our pains but should I back down a bit on the workouts? I mean honestly I just started getting back into the habit of walking everyday and working out;  I only ask this because my back is feeling as it about to lock up and spasm on me and the way I injured it was by trying to be super woman at the gym long before kids came into the picture.
Anyways....Sorry to for rambling, so here's the root of it, how do you work it, how often do you work it, and when do you work it?

thanks again for all your input. I honestly appreciate it.

Weigh In Day

Today is weigh in day and as a self admitted scale whore I had a pretty good idea where the number would land, but it doesn't count until weigh in day so here is my number for the week..............
193.0!!!! Getting so close to the 180's I can taste it.

so that brings me to the following numbers
Seminar in May: around 225
Day of surgery: 215.8 (- 9.2)
week 1 post op: 207.6 (- 8.2)
week 2 post op: 204.2 (- 3.4)
week 3 post op: 202.6 (- 1.6)
week 4 post op: 199.2 (- 3.4)
week 5 post op: 199.8 (+ .6)
week 6 post op: 196.4 (-3.4)
week 7 post op: 193.0 (-3.4)
a total loss since surgery 22.2

Also getting close to a mini goal of losing 25 pounds. I'm also noticing I have a tendency of losing 3.4 in a week span, I just hope I didn't jinx it.

and as always, thanks for reading

can yo spell PMS?

I know I'm getting close to TOM making a visit because I just made 2 pit stops, one at taco hell for a bean burrito and then to McDonald's for a fruit and yogurt parfait. Not horrible choices considering the options but the fact that I let my hormones decide what I would eat is disturbing. I don't think I would be so upset with myself if I had stuck to just having a protein shake for breakfast but no I had an actual hunger this morning and made scrambled eggs with cheese and ham in it this morning- I worked out good yesterday and this morning my body decided that I needed to eat. So if I want to stay within my calorie goal I guess I will be having tuna salad tonight- that and I need to get off my butt and get moving like I did yesterday.

that's all for now, tomorrow is weigh in day- thanks for reading.

** later the same day....
I did get off my butt and got on my treadmill for an hour getting me another 3 miles under my belt. Feeling better now about my food choices today but I don't plan to swing by any drive through any time soon but I don't know what my hormones might make me do ;)

While I'm thinking about it, do you have any suggestions for heart rate monitors or anything else to monitor how many calories are burned during a workout. I don't really trust the calorie thingy on my treadmill.

***** much later the same day....
I finished day 2 of the 30 day shred and tomorrow is weigh in day, lets see how this goes.

thanks again

Workin it

I actually got off my butt today and walked on my treadmill for a good hour and got in 3 miles- the tricky part is doing this again tomorrow and then the next day and the next day... you get the idea.
And then to push me even further I got down my collection of exercise DVD's and popped in the 30 day shred and remembered why I stopped doing it before but I WILL continue doing it again. I will NOT give up. I have invested too much time and money in myself and I AM WORTH IT!
Oh and I think I'm getting the hang of this "eating thing" with an actual fill, although I know I need more. Today I had oatmeal for breakfast, tuna salad for lunch, spaghetti and meatballs (turkey) and then a protein shake and only had a few issues with actual hunger - but I distracted myself by working out... not a bad trade.

thanks again for reading and for your helpful comments and input- I really do appreciate it.

Fills and hunger

When I got my fill the other day I asked my doctor how many calories I should try to keep at and he said that because every dietitian/nutritionist is different they don't like to set a calorie goal but instead to stick to 3 meals a day with 4oz of food and no snacking and to aim for or get above 90g protein. I was put on liquids for just one day and then back to real food, small bites, nothing to drink around meal time and chew chew chew. So yesterday I had my protein shake for breakfast and that kept me pretty full for a good 4 ours then my 4 oz for lunch and then again for dinner but I got hungrier sooner after lunch, like 2 hours later but I didn't snack I didn't eat again until dinner and 2 hours later I was still hungry and ended up having a Greek yogurt with a little bit of granola. By the end of the day after inputting all the food into MFP it said that I needed to eat more, that I had only consumed a little less than 600 calories... no wonder I was still hungry. So my fellow bandsters how and what do you eat? Should I actually be eating something for breakfast along with my shake to increase my calorie intake? Should I stick to my protein shake and then the 4 oz meals and deal with the in between hunger? Do I need to add another full meal?  I'm pretty sure that when I go back to the doctor in 2 weeks I will be asking for another fill- right now I'm at 4.5cc in a 10 cc band.

thanks for reading and thanks for the comments that you leave, I do read them and appreciate that you take the time to not only red my posts but also to comment on them.

TTT

Ten Things Thursday!

1. Got my first fill today. Found out that I actually had 3cc of fluid in my band already and they added 1.5 more bringing me to 4.5ccs

2. I have been on all liquids today because of my fill and have no energy- I get to eat again tomorrow, yeah!

3. I do not get along well with my surgeons scale- it said 199 and my scale says 195.2.... I think I will stick to my scale ;)

4. My boys (11 yr old twins) have been so great helping me with the 3yr old terrorizing princess- my mood has been pretty foul and they have jumped in to help me keep from doing something drastic

5. Right now I know I'm not hungry but my head hunger is telling me different- uggh

6. Watching Big Bang right now, one of my favorite shows!

7. Thinking about going back to work, not sure if I will do it but the thought and want to be with other adults is there

8. Really needing to get off my butt more often and get my body moving- anyone have a good exercise DVD they can recommend of a kinect game

9. I am not as annoyed with my husband as I was yesterday, but still slightly irritated

10. Grocery day tomorrow, should be fun having not "eaten" today and my hunger being guided by my brain.

thanks for reading

Needing to vent, please bare with me

OK, so I am very fortunate that I have been a stay at home mom for almost 4 years now to my daughter and I was also a SAHM back when my boys were babies. I love my job though the hours and pay sucks. I don't get much "me time" or adult time and I accept this. This was my choice- I'm not complaining- yet. In a previous post I mentioned that my husband is a recovering alcoholic. He goes to work comes home and usually goes to the bedroom to relax for a while then off to a meeting he goes only to come home after his meeting to eat dinner watch some TV and then off to bed.... so all in all he is in "dad mode" for about an hour or so, whereas I am on call for 24 hours a day. But still I'm not complaining- yet. I am happy that he is going to meetings- before he would be passed out in the recliner and not an active part of our family. I know that as time goes by he will be able to cope better and will not need to attend meetings on a daily basis.
now to my complaint- I know you've been waiting on pins and needles. This evening my children were being, well for lack of a better word- children. My boys were wrestling causing the dog to bark, my daughter was running around shrieking and laughing taunting our other dog. I during this time am sitting on my couch- TV off enjoying my mindless search on the Internet trying to find peace and quiet... no luck. My husband comes home about that time, fixes himself a plate for dinner (his meeting is the same time as our normal dinner time), grabs the remote turns on the TV to a volume level that makes me cringe and then complains that its too loud in the house and that he would like to come home to a quiet house once in a while.... uh, excuse me!?!? A quiet house? Keep dreaming! To keep from starting an argument all I could do was roll my eyes and go back to my computer. He did apologize but still- does he not think I would like to have some quiet time. (my quiet time is after everyone is in bed making for a late bedtime). And to top things off I am PMS'ing with monster hunger and tomorrow I get my first fill so somewhere inside my cluttered, noisy, irritable, nervous brain I decided to eat... not a lot and nothing considered "bad" but I had already reached my calorie limit for the day and then I go and fix myself a small plate of left overs and eat a corn bread muffin along with some other grazing of sweet items that I could scrounge up. Not much to choose from since I try not to buy that stuff anymore. But still.
OK, I think I'm done- sorry about my ranting babble, it was either type it out or eat more and then feel horrible later.
thanks for reading.

weigh in day

For the past week I have been fighting off the crud that my husband so generously shared with me and our kids. I think that I am finally over the worst part and have just a bit of congestion in my chest. But he and I did manage to duck out of the house on Saturday to enjoy a nice dinner to celebrate our anniversary- it's actually today (16 years). We normally get all dressed up and head to our favorite steak house (Vegas is loaded with them) but this year we kept it low key and headed to our favorite coffee shop that serves some of the best prime rib-  (aside from the fancy steak house).  It came with salad (got the dressing on the side and gave hubby all the croutons) served with choice of potato- I asked for steamed veggies instead but of course- no substitutions, so baked potato it was with just a pat of butter and choice of bread (gave that to hubby too). It was soo good. I enjoyed every bite until I realized I had eaten EVERY BITE- ughh, apparently I am still a member of the clean plate club. And the to add to the gluttony hubby and I enjoyed a wonderfully decadent chocolate eclair. It was soo good and though I felt like a stuffed pig I did not guilt myself. I enjoyed a nice dinner with my husband.
The next day I slept most of the day in an attempt to rid myself of the crud that was taking over my body- It did help that I had no real appetite so the calorie onslaught from the previous night was used for what little energy I had.
That brings me to today- weigh in day. I was a bit nervous to step on the scale for my official weigh in because I am a self admitted scale whore and step on that evil device multiple times a day and was sure I would see a gain but to my surprise and wonder i saw a loss- 196.4 YES!!!! I'll take it.
that brings my numbers to...... drum roll please......
Seminar in May: around 225
Day of surgery: 215.8 (- 9.2)
week 1 post op: 207.6 (- 8.2)
week 2 post op: 204.2 (- 3.4)
week 3 post op: 202.6 (- 1.6)
week 4 post op: 199.2 (- 3.4)
week 5 post op: 199.8 (+ .6)
week 6 post op: 196.4 (-3.4)
a total loss since surgery 19.4

I love my band!
Thanks for reading, I hope you have a great day.

Happy 2013, word for the year and weigh in day

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone brought in the new year safely with family and/or friends. I live in Las Vegas and celebrated in our usual style, snuggle up on the couch waiting for the clock to strike midnight so we could send the kids to bed and get some sleep ourselves.
2012 was a year of highs and lows, good and bad for me and I'm sure that 2013will be no different. But instead of heading to food to get me through as I have always done in the past I will find different ways to handle these situations and will persevere to my goal.

That brings me to my word for the year:

To keep with what seems to be a banded blogging tradition I have picked my word for the year:
Perseverance-
per·se·ver·ance
/ˌpɜr səˈvɪər əns/ Show Spelled [pur-suh-veer-uh ns]   

noun

1. steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

 

Meaning that no matter what the world throws at me I will continue in my course of action to become healthier. I know and accept that I will stumble and fall and even want to give up but I am worth this and I CAN do this.

And with today being Tuesday it is weigh in day- today I weighed in at 199.8 a small gain (+.6) but after all the food I indulged in over the Christmas I'm surprised it wasn't more.
So here are my numbers since surgery:
Seminar in May: around 225
Day of surgery: 215.8 (- 9.2)
week 1 post op: 207.6 (- 8.2)
week 2 post op: 204.2 (- 3.4)
week 3 post op: 202.6 (- 1.6)
week 4 post op: 199.2 (- 3.4)
week 5 post op: 199.8 (+ .6)
total loss since surgery 16