That Much Sodium??

199.8

Gained 2 lbs overnight?! Can only be the sodium in the 3/4 cup of baked potato soup I had for dinner!! Couldn't even get a ring on that I was so thrilled to be able to slip right on and off over the weekend ~ this is why I will go with the results of one weigh in per week ~ it all averages out that way!

Rainy Days and Mondays....

always get me .... nope, not going there!! I'm up, I'm up!! ;-)

I got the skunk line taken care of and a fresh cut this afternoon so I'm feeling up!

Scale said 197.8 again this morning. Need to make it move downward this week, some way some how!

No exercise yesterday but shopping! Got some new hiking boots that have ankle support and are waterproof ~ never had a high top shoe like that before so need to wear it around the house to make sure I'm not taking them back. After that "rollover" a week ago and hurting my ankle I was afraid to go back out there on Saturday (see other post about the walking stick I used for support). I just want to make sure I don't put too much confidence in a pair of shoes!

NSV!!

197.8 this morning....thinking I will have an official weigh in day since it fluctuates daily ~ maybe Thursday mornings will be my new official weigh in!

Anyways NSV ~ went on a hike this afternoon and decided to wear my running fanny bag thing to hold my water bottle and a few other items in the side pockets and I haven't worn this since sometime in the spring maybe?! So I throw it in the trunk of the car and when we get to the park I put it on and guess what it's about 2 inches too big for my waist so I have to do an adjustment to it!! Yeah!! Made me smile! ;-) That's my NSV!

The hike was over 3 1/4 miles long ~ @ some point the man candy thought we might be off the trail and was concerned about it getting dark and not being able to see the trail but we made it out of the woods just fine and before dark. I did have my ankle wrapped for support and picked up walking stick @ the trailhead that helped out a couple of times on the rough terrain. The ankle continues to heal so that's a good thing!

Onward and downward........

Pants Look Too Small But....

...I got them on!! size 14 non stretch type jeans and I could breathe but they are not comfortable yet. Gotta work it!! The 14's from the Avenue are stretch and fit great.

Which brings me to the subject of exercise. After a long stretch of rain rain rain and no exercise we got some sunshine this past weekend!!

On Saturday night we went bowling with some friends, it was fun and a little calorie burn went on.

Sunday we hiked a new to us park ~ I read later the trail we took was 2.2 miles, it was fun and interesting.

Then we went to a park we've been to once before...

and I took a little spill @ the top of the trailhead, not far into the hike @ all. (Now Mom don't get all excited over this post or worry about me I am totally fine!) I was walking along normal and my foot slipped on the rocky path, my ankle twisted a way it shouldn't and down I went. After I caught my mind up to my heavily flowing tears ~ yes, I am a whimp ~ I allowed the hubby to check out my ankle. The doctor in the house said I needed to ice it and rest it so back to the car we headed. Sat down in my seat and checked things out for myself and decided I wanted to do the hike to the scenic view and I could ice it later. So that's exactly what we did. Hubby gave me a score of an "8" for my fall and I didn't damage the camera that was around my neck and today I am wrap and ice free so all is well.

I'm gonna post some pics from the hike...not sure where they will show up in this post so that's your warning!! ;-)




there were stairs...



there were pretty colors and scenic views...



and horses..



and there was me ~ with my eyes closed?? LOL.

Reviewing Some Scale Success...

197 today! ;-)

I felt the need to review some scale success to put a smile on my face this morning so here I go!

I started Weight Watchers on 12/6/05 @ 258.2 that's minus 61.2 lbs total to today.

I had lapband surgery on 6/18/09 @ 232.2 that's minus 35.2 lbs since surgery. That's about 8.8 lbs per month with my gizmo.

Just throwing that out there...slowly but surely onward and downward.

About 4 Months out...

198.2 (not my lowest but I've been up a little this week).

took my measurements today:

waist 38 3/4 (was 39 1/2 on 7-3-09)
hips 45 1/2 (was 48)
chest 44 1/2 (was 47)
wrist 6 1/2 (was 7 3/8)
forearm 11 (was 12 1/4)
thigh 23 3/4 (was 25)
calf 17 (was 19)
ankle 8 1/2 (was 9 1/2)
upper arm 14 3/4 (was 15 1/2)
neck 15 (was 15 1/2)

So feeling good @ seeing some NSV in the measurement department!! Loving my gizmo...onward and downward.......

A Little More About Me....

198.4


just in case you were wondering....

I was born and raised in Michigan ~ moved all over the lower part of the state.

After graduation and wedding day I moved with the Navy man...to CT, SC, and back again.

After Navy days were over we settled in SC where we raised our two boys until 2004.

Then we up and moved to MO for the hubster to attend college.

We currently are in MO and looking @ moving back south ~ hopefully soon!

I am married to my high school sweet heart, have two teenage boys, my baby turns 18 this weekend ~ makes me feel old.

This blog is about my weight loss journey with the installation of the lap band but thought I'd give a little more info about me!

onward and downward.......... ;-)

My New Outfit

199.2


Need I write more?! I was feeling a little sassy in my new outfit! LOL ~ wearing it to work tomorrow. ;-)

....loving my gizmo even if a bite of dried papaya got hung up yesterday afternoon!....cured my papaya craving for now!!

Welcome Amanda ~ thanks for following me onward and downward!! ;-)

NEW yes NEW clothes for me!!

I bought two NEW pairs of pants, a new turtle neck type shirt and a new vest over the past two days!! Was surprised to be able to fit into a "L" size business type jacket @ that something something Banks store ~ the small size store not the plus size part of that chain. Nice surprise!! Now if I could only find some boots.....tall boots will not fit over my fat calf area and zip up....totally stinks but finding a short boot would be a "happy" for me.

On another subject weekends remain to be my weakend....sleeping is off, schedule is off, food intake is off, big girl drink consumption is @ a prime.... Dr Minkin says no alcohol for 6 months following surgery but I really like a glass of wine here and there!

We had sushi for dinner (we roll our own) and I have no problems eating it but did spit out the seaweed wrap stuff tonight as it just didn't want to chew chew chew very well. I just bought the wraps so they shouldn't be old....maybe they were too fresh to chew well?? who knows ~ it was all good anyways!

Hello to my new followers too!! Glad to have ya follow me!! Onward and downward.....

Eyes Still Bigger Than My Stomach? Or Just Worried About Being Watched?

198.2

or pouch should I say?! Anyways...

I use the same type of plate nightly for dinner now. It's a salad plate with circles. I put my food into the smallest circle and am comfortable after eating that amount of food. Last night my 1/2 of a chicken breast was a little over the circle, I had a dab each of mac salad, potato salad and creamy Cole slaw all within the circle. I thought once I peeled off the skin, took out the cartilage bone thing my chicken would be smaller so a little over the circle was OK. I worked on my chicken first (protein) with a bite of creamy style Cole slaw here and there to get some wetness in there. Slowly I chewed, ate, enjoyed my food. Yes, I was enjoying my food and had every intention of eating it all. Hubby was next to me and kept looking @ my plate while he was eating his salad ~ I saw him look at least 3 times @ my plate. At about the 4th glance @ my plate I had a small amount of all my side salads left. Since I knew I was being watched I asked the hubster if he wanted the rest of my food. And he takes my plate and says "I was wondering how you were gonna fit all that into your pouch." ??!!

On another note today is Post Op Day 112. My weight this morning was slightly up from 2 days ago. Today was 198.2, two days ago it was 197.6 ~ maybe I shouldn't weigh every day and just go with once a week since it does fluctuate daily.

We did our hike last night, stairs X's 2 ~ I felt rather weak last night after conquering the 804 steps on the stairs ~ not the muscle shaky stuff but just weak. The hubby and I went over my diet driving home ~ enough proteins? enough carbs? ~ my diet hasn't changed so I'm thinking it was just a weak kind of moment.

On the hike I saw a walking stick crossing the path ~ haven't seen or heard of one of those in years. Better than the snake I saw the last trip!

Comments, following, etc....

Why can't I leave comments on some blogs? I type the post, it asks for what profile or something to use and no matter what I pick ~ google account, URL, etc the comment post goes off into cyberspace...any help gang??

Sally ~ thanks for your comment but I couldn't leave one for your blog on the little black dress....

Peeps that say they are following me don't show up on my blog list of followers ~ what's up with that?!

And where do you peeps get those cute backgrounds and where do you post the computer language on your blog settings to get them to show up?

I'm not very computer savvy.....but I try!! ;-)

Note To Self

197.6
Post Op Day 110
Good day yesterday ~ must focus on only eating when hungry or I will quickly & easily fall back into my old eating habits ~ go figure ~ just when I thought it was ALL about the band!! (like I didn't know it would require work on my part ... you know eating right and exercising!!)

..I Got Some Tonight!!...

Exercise that is!! (what were YOU thinking?!) Did the hike @ the state park 1 hour and 10 mins ~ we haven't been out there in two weeks. Did the stairs twice 201 down, 201 up, 201 down, 201 up @ the bottom of the stairs both times I did 10 push ups on the park bench. Go me! Feeling good about my day today...ate right, journaled my food intake and got some exercise! ;-)

Squeeze If You Can....

...into 16 jeans! I did and I wore them out in public tonight. They are definitely snugger than the 18's I've been wearing but they feel good. Moving onward and downward with the help of my gizmo.........

btw got an EOB today for the date of my last "fill" ~ $900.00 unpaid by ins co so I will have to call them Monday to get it straightened out. But $900 for a little poke with a needle and some saline solution? Glad I am not a self pay!

and welcome new follower today!! ;-)

WeLcOmE !!

I see 2 new followers today! How exciting. 15 of my 50 goal!! Thanks for following me on my weight loss journey! onward and downward I go......... ;-)

No More For Me Thanks!! ;-)

No more Lane Bryant ~ that's right........no more "fat girl" stores for me! I called up Lane Bryant yesterday and cancelled my credit card with them ~ figured I won't be needing it and I've only used it once back in 2007 to get the % off discount if you opened a line of credit ~ so why have it on my credit report?! It was a good feeling knowing I will never go back that way again ~ loving my gizmo ~ moving "onward and downward"! ;-)

Eating Out ~ To Tell or Not To Tell...

I say don't tell, not everyone has the need to know about my gizmo...

It is a hard choice to make. To tell or not to tell. While on vacation there were "food pushers" now don't get me wrong I know they were just looking out for me...but here's an example or two.

Outback was an easy one ~ the appetizer crab stuffed shrimp dish worked out very well and I had enough to share with the eye candy. I skipped the fresh baked wonderful smelling bread. These peeps did not know about my gizmo and were just fine with what we ordered/ate.

The local place the next night....I opted for a CUP of minestrone soup over the bowl. The person treating us to dinner said something about "are you sure that's all you want?". I felt bad thinking he was thinking I was pinching pennies and that was not the case. The waitress brings my bowl of soup and says the chef thought a CUP wasn't enough. (OK, is this a compliment that the chef was concerned about his portion size or was this a "fat girl needs more than a CUP of soup" side ways insult?!") Either way, I couldn't finish the soup, I had one bite of the man candy's fish and I was more than satisfied. We both skipped the bread brought to the table. This person did not know about my gizmo and it all worked out with just a little fuss over my order.

The other local place was very expensive but an appetizer had already been suggested before we got to the place so I was all set on it regardless of the 16 dollar price tag. I ate less than half of it and gave the rest to the man candy ~ the thing was absolutely wonderful!! Kind of a stacked sushi dish with tuna, then avocado then rice. I would have taken the leftovers home but I knew the man candy was still hungry (I could see it in his eyes). These peeps already know about my gizmo and they don't worry about what I eat or don't eat and that's the way I like it ~ no fuss!!

Our last night in town the peeps we stayed with cooked for us ~ a huge couple of chunks of steak (it was wonderful) and we had picked up fresh shrimp right off the shrimp boat (too good), there were beans, corn on the cob, rice and wine. I asked for a bite of man candy's corn on the cob, I had my own strip of steak, shrimp, rice and beans but just wanted to taste the corn. The host told me I could have my own corn there was plenty, I explained I only wanted a taste. He then said if you don't mind me asking is there anything on the menu you can't eat? I said steak and wine ~ we toasted and went about our meal LOL. He said he wouldn't ask me questions if he didn't know me so well ~ I say ask away but don't change the menu or anything for me....no fuss please!!

My butt hurts..........

LOL ~ went horse back riding yesterday morning for 1 1/2 hours ~ now you know the reason for the pain! It was a beautiful ride, weather was perfect, horse was a good girl for me the inexperienced rider! Her name is Cody. Here's some pics:

Business trip/vacation...

Not sure what my weight is. I know I haven't taken in many food calories over the last couple of days ~ I'm not hungry with my gizmo ~ guess that's a good thing. This last "fill" has really made a difference. Last night I ordered a cup of she crab soup and a house salad. I got the soup down but the house salad came home with us after only a couple of bites. My eyes and brain are bigger than my pouch!

Here's a recent picture:




or two:








I've been walking the dog (she belongs to our friends that we are staying with) every night but it's just a little horse shoe neighborhood walk ~ nothing real exhausting for sure. So last night walking out to the ocean and light house was the most exercise I've gotten since we've been here.

Closet Cleaning 101

1. be in the mood.
2. don't be sentimental.
3. if you haven't worn it throw it.
4. if you can't wear it throw it.
5. if the material makes you feel yucky throw it.
6. if the item looks 30 years old it probable is, throw it.
7. if you are preparing for a household move....throw lots!!

Three closets, 12 huge garbage bags to the goodwill, I'm sure I'll review this list and go for it again over the next few months!

First new outfit in ONEderland!

wt 199.4

Shopped today ~ how exciting to be able to shop in the normal sizes! No plus size, no big W and the stuff fit! I bought a size 16 pant and XL shirt. Here's some blurry not good snapshots the hubster took....and they look better in the small size.....

ONEderland or WONderland or WONDERland?!

ONEderland because I'm officially under 200 lbs ~ 199.4 but still under 200!!

WONderland because I win ~ so take that fat girl!

WONDERland because I've been wondering what it would be like to be there again!! It's been a long time...........too long!!

Love me some gizmo!! ;-)

Lap-band Surgery The Miracle And Talk Of The Town...

OK, so maybe just the office...

I just walked out of my office into the warehouse and a co worker I haven't seen in awhile says to the co worker she was standing with something about "she's lost a lot of weight." Other co worker says something about "she had that weight loss surgery like so and so did." As if I couldn't hear them.......as if it was necessary to tell about my gizmo ~ my little tool and partner in weight loss. So anyways I guess it's not my hard work of trying to eat right, journal my food intake, exercise and take charge of my health. It's just the surgery ~ miracle cure for obesity ~ not a tool ~ it's just magic ~ you just wake up almost 32 pounds lighter one day....get a clue peeps.

so the gossip moves forward once again...but my motto is "if they are talking about me they are leaving someone else alone"

Surgery Anniversary Day!

Banded 6/18/09.
Started 3 day liquid Pre Op diet @ 232.2
Weighed in this morning @ 200.6
That's minus 31.6 pounds in 3 months.

I'm thinking that's pretty good considering I have not starved, I have not denied myself bites of things I like, I have not killed somebody, I have not over exercised, I have had big girl drinks, I am back to 2 cups of coffee a day (morning and afternoon), and I have not made myself unhappy about my decision to have the surgery! ;-)

Real Food Today! Post Op Day 90...

wt: 202.2

The scale moved slightly this morning!! ;-)

OK, it's back to regular food today after my "second fill" on Monday. Normally I've been eating a whole lunchable for breakfast. That's 8 crackers, 8 circles of lunchmeat and 8 little squares of cheese. I only got half of it in this morning. I'm not saying I felt full cuz I honestly do not know what full feels like. I know what over full feels like (that feeling after a huge Thanksgiving meal) but not what "full" or "satisfied" feels like. I just felt like I couldn't eat another bite of it. Now maybe it's all in my head thinking I have more restriction now or maybe it really was the stomach sending a message to the brain (like I have a brain) saying enough already, you are full, let this satisfy you and I'll send you another signal when I'm needing more food! I am a slave to my stomach......

onward and downward....

Second Fill ...

wt: 202.4

I've been holding steady on the weight for about 3 weeks now ~ hovering just above ONEderland ~ ugh!

Had my second "fill" yesterday. Here's the questions and answers:

Type of band? LAP-BAND AP System

How many CCs in? 8 1/2 now (was 8 CCs before yesterday)

How close can I have fills? in about 8 weeks maybe get another fill but if the band only holds 9 CCs how much more can one band take?

So my next appt is in Nov 16th.

Doctor asked if I was drinking with meals, if I was exercising and how often, if I'd had any problems with food.

I know for myself I need to focus on eating only when hungry, not grazing, not eating something just because it's there and cut back on the big girl drinks.

onward and downward!

RoAd tRip....

Done with another road trip....went to MI ~ saw my Aunt Vivian and got on her computer and pulled up my blog so now she can read it too!! She couldn't get here from the link I emailed her but she's here now.... So let me back up about a month:

Aug 23rd ~ "it's my Aunt Vivian's Birthday today!! HaPpY BiRtHdAy Aunt Vivian!!" ;-)

OK, now that my butt is covered with that post let me go on... haha

Friday was a long day and I didn't eat anything until late into the afternoon and I was about sick to my stomach and had a headache ~ not good.

Saturday I started my day off with breakfast ~ egg and a piece of cheese...after that it was a handful of chips, 4 almond M&Ms, a few mixed nuts, and more snack "road trip" foods but this morning the scale was down!

Today (Sunday) I'm sticking to liquid type foods because tomorrow I go for my second fill. This is not required just decided I'd do it today and tomorrow ~ give my stomach a rest from road trip foods?!

I'll post about my second fill ASAP!

I see new followers!! How exciting!! Welcome! ;-)

Since Amy confessed....

I did too in a comment to her ~ read on my followers (btw I'm up to 10 followers now ~ only 40 more to go!):

AmY aMy AmY ~ I'm in the same boat!! It's been a rough go of it since my b'day blowout weekend ~ so hard to get back on track. I too thought since I was banded almost 3 months ago it would be easy to crawl back on and sail away but NO I'm standing on shore eating when I'm not even hungry! I was so close to ONEderland(201.2) and this week I've slipped further and further away pound by pound ~ now I know PMS is a contributing factor but geez.....I need to get a grip and pull hard to get back onboard where I belong! Maybe my second fill on Monday will help?! ;-)

wt this morning: 205.8

09/09/09

Sorry just felt the need to post the date! ;-)

Saturday Thoughts ~ Ramblings

Wt: 204

The weight is hanging up there the past few days ~ not sure why but that I usually get "off track" on the weekends?! I wonder how it will be after my second fill? Will more restriction keep me on track better?

The man candy worked this morning ~ I stayed home and cleaned FINALLY!! College son is not coming home this weekend and younger son is staying w/a friend for the weekend. That leaves the man candy and me to entertain ourselves.... due to rain we opted to walk the mall this evening.

Hope my blog friends have a great Labor Day weekend!

Did The Stairs Again This Morning

This morning my niece who is in town visiting went with us ~ here's some snapshots:

A view from the top:


Jennifer:



Me after two times on the stairs:

"The Stairs"

<----doing the happy dance!! I did "the stairs" two times tonight w/o stopping!! That's right folks 201 down, 201 up, 201 down, 201 up ~ no wonder my legs feel like noodles!! On the second trip up I said to my man candy "if I die, know I love you and I died doing something I wanted to do to reach my goal!" My heart kept beating the whole hour long hike from top to bottom so all is well!

Seems to be more..........

hair in the sink the last few days when I comb it out in the AM. Not good. The nutritionist told me that if I didn't keep up with 50g of protein a day about 3 months from surgery my hair would fall out. And guess what it's almost been 3 months since surgery! Now I was very careful to hit that 50g a day so what is going on?!

Since I spent last weekend wine-ing this week I have been whine-ing cuz the scale went up all the way to 204!! But after just a few days of eating right, journaling and getting some exercise added back in there it's down to 203.6 this morning. That's a good thing! Now to get it to move some more the next few days in the downward motion!

Today is my step Mom's bithday! She is no longer married to my Dad and hasn't been for years but she'll always have a special place in my heart! Happy Birthday Mom aka Sharon! ;-)

We did the park last night ~ I counted the steps again ~ still got 201 and didn't stop again this trip on the way back up so next time I'm seriously thinking of doing the steps twice!!

If you are reading my blog and have not done so yet ~ please sign up to "follow me"! I'd like 50 followers by my next birthday!

(thanks Sarah for becoming a follower today!)

It's My Birthday and I Can Wine If I Want To, Wine If I Want To...

That's right my birthday weekend was spent wine~ing! ;-)

I decided I wanted to do the local wine trail and stop @ the wineries we had not been to, take pictures, take notes, decide if we'd ever go back to any of them, that kind of thing.

Before I go any further let me just say the winery tour is not all about the wine, drinking and getting drunk. It's a cultural thing, meeting new peeps, seeing beautiful scenery, learning how wine is made, how the grapes are harvested, etc.

On Friday we toured 7 wineries, on Saturday we toured 3 wineries, on Sunday we toured 2 and repeated 2 that we've been to before. Overall good time!

1. Stone Hill (www.stonehillwinery.com):
Very historic, very friendly peeps, great guided tour (about an hour long), wine tasting @ end of tour for only tour peeps and it was only 2.50 per adult! Meant two men from Michigan and chatted for awhile. Also chatted with "Ray" as he stocked the bottles of wine. He told us where to get great pizza near our home! Bring your camera! Bought Kick'n Berry and Cream Sherry (Cream Sherry was wonderful!)

2. Adam Puchta (www.adampuchtawine.com): OK place, outside bathrooms, signature port pretty good ~ gold medal quality. (Traminette)

3. Hermannhof (www.hermannhof.com): pretend self guided tour, won't let you taste the port wines ~ didn't buy anything from them as we know we like the Spring Blush and can buy it anywhere.

4. OakGlenn (www.oakglenn.com): The road in was a pretty drive. Well off the road (dirty car road LOL), beautiful view @ winery, coolers OK, don't tell anybody about this place LOL, port wine tasting, indoor bathrooms but dark, Patriots own the place! Port/White was yummy!

5. Bias (www.biaswinery.com): train = twice! Bad road.

6. Bommarito (www.Bommaritoestatewinery.com):
Nick was great! Very personalbe. Came in off his tractor to pour us a little wine. Great guy to talk to, would go back and take a group of peeps with us! Very laid back, relaxing atmosphere. Coolers allowed. Wood fired pizza sounded yummy!

7. Robller (I don't know how to do that funny thing over the letter o) (www.robllerwines.com): OK, nice taste guy but only part time hehe, on hill over looking vineyard. Liked VILLA ROUGE (semi dry) red wine ~ fruity, chill-able red. A great "getting to know you" wine. Grapes: Chambourcin and Villard Noir. Also liked KASSELFEST (sweet) ~ chilled, sweet red, with rich, berry flavors. Great with dark chocolate (now you're talking my language) Grapes: Steuben, St Vincent and Chambourcin.


Saturday we hit 3 more:

1. Blumenhof (www.blumenhof.com): can bring cooler, OK view, dusty road.

2. Augusta (www.augustawinery.com):

3. Sugar Creek (www.sugarcreekwines.com): Sunset Red was good and we bought LaRustica Red!

Sunday we hit 2 new and 2 old ones:

1. Chandler Hill (www.chandlerhillvineyard.com):
Made me think that this must be what the California wineries are like. Pretty pricey in my opinion. Small taste glass was 5 bucks for 5 tastes. Big (ugly) taste glass was 8 tastes for 10 bucks and you get to keep the ugly glass. They didn't have their own wines ~ mostly CA wines and some MO wines but not made there. They are in the process of growing grapes/making wines/etc. The food we saw peeps eating looked pretty good, view was nice, lower parking lot was gravel and that meant dust on the freshly washed car, shuttle bus to the top. I would go back, planning to eat lunch there, and enjoy but today we had our picnic basket and wanted to go to a winery that would allow it in.

2. Yellow Farmhouse Vineyard & Winery (www.yellowfarhousewines.com):
I almost blew it on this one as it was not on the map and I was thinking they wouldn't have their own wines so when hubby asked me did I want to stop I almost said no but quickly changed to sure why not?! Good change of mind! Paige was our server. You can sample as much as you want for 5 bucks and you get to keep the cute little glass. If you buy a bottle of wine the 5 bucks is waived on the tasting. She talked us right into a bottle of wine haha. She was very informative about wines, grapes, etc. While we were there, a newspaper reporter asked if he could photograph us ~ why of course! When we were ready to leave he asked for our names, address, etc and told us the article would be in the business section of the paper on Sept 4th ~ so we'll see, maybe we will be in there! This winery allows coolers, dogs, etc ~ has bright colored chairs hill side, picnic tables, a covered area and a one man band. I'd repeat this one.

3. (repeat) Balducci (www.balduccivineyards.com): friendly servers, nice winery to sit and relax, enjoy the view and eat from your picnic basket! Liked the SONATA ~ a blend of white varietals Vidal, Rayon and Chardonel. Aged in stainless steel with a sugar level of 3.25%. Also liked: CHIARETTO ~ Light bodied semi-dry red aged in stainless steel. A blend of Chambourcina and St. Vincent grapes, with a sugar level of 2.8%.

4. (repeat) Montelle (www.montelle.com): server very friendly, they stopped giving out chocolate with the Raspberry wine tasting so hubby bought us a little piece of chocolate to enjoy! We've been here several times with friends, great view from the deck area. No coolers allowed here. They were parking peeps into the overflow lower parking area, they asked if we were handycapped and I said "no, but I'm retarded does that count?" and I scrunched my shoulder kind of funny, he smiled and sent us on up the hill into the regular parking lot. Sometimes it pays to cut up with the hired help! ;-) Always like the CHAMBOURCIN, CYNTHIANA, RED RASPBERRY and the FRAMBOISE is really good as a dessert wine.

I will post some more info and pics @ a later date so make sure you check back! ;-)

BTW ~ have no doubt my weekend pushed me away from ONEderland a wee little so this week is journal, exercise, and move the scale down!

Thanks for....

the new followers!! 2 in one day!! ;-)

Thanks for....

all the b'day wishes I got today!

scale went up a wee bit this morning to 201.4 such is life.

Here's a snapshot of me from today (if you click on it it gets bigger ~ oh joy!):



I must learn to suck the gut in!! ;-)

Calling All Lurkers ~ Calling All Lurkers....

During our hike/walk/jog/step experience tonight the man candy in my life wanted to know how many followers I have for my blog ~ I replied FIVE! Then I was thinking it would be great if the "lurkers" signed up to follow my blog too!! So come on peeps ~ join me in blogspot and follow me ~ maybe I could have 50 followers before my next b'day?! ;-)

Post Op Day 70

wt: 201.2 (31 lbs gone as of this morning!)

Happy Birthday to "the girls" ~ they are a year old today and if I had it do over again I'd have that surgery again only earlier in my life!! My plastic surgeon was great and the results I'm pleased with for sure!

Now my real birthday is tomorrow and I'd love to drop that 1.2 pounds over night but I'm thinking that won't happen but by the end of the weekend I plan to be in ONEderland!

If by some miracle when I weigh tomorrow morning I'm in ONEderland ~ you will hear me screaming and feel me doing the happy dance just so ya know it's not an earthquake!! ;-)

I've had 3 co workers say something to me today about losing weight. Is 31 lbs gone the key number for someone to notice? Who knows ~ who cares ~ it's not about being noticed, it's not about being proud, it's not about who says something, it's ALL ABOUT ME ~ THE NEW ME ~ MY NEW SELF!!

Hump Day and Post Op Day 69

wt: 202

This evening we went for a hike for the second day in a row @ Castlewood State Park. It tried to kick my butt tonight but I conquered it. It is hilly up and down and over a ridge then there are the steps........down goes fast ~ back up NOT so much!!

2 lbs to ONEderland.......will I make by my birthday on Friday AM? ;-)

Here's a shot of "the killer stairs" but only part of them....



count them... 201 steps if I counted right! We did the park again tonight (8/27) for the 3rd night in a row...this time I did not stop coming back up the steps for a rest just slow and steady ~ like Dorie in Nemo...just keep swimming...just keep swimming...sorry had to add to the blog ~ I do that from time to time just to keep my peeps coming back ~ LOL!

How Does the Lap Band Work?!

copy/paste for your info (the pictures didn't copy/paste so will try to add them later):

Lap band surgery is a procedure aimed to promote weight loss for people struggling to cope with obesity. Overall, the lap band surgery is a simple procedure where, in short, a small implant (aka my gizmo) is placed around the top portion of the stomach to form a “gastric pouch”.



Here’s how it works:

A ‘gastric band‘ with a small balloon inside is attached around the top portion of your stomach, forming a smaller “gastric pouch”. The placement of the band creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach that holds up to approximately 30 ml, which works out to about 1/8 cup. (I was told 3/4 of a cup to 1 cup of food per meal). You are inclined (key word here?!) to eat less because the pouch holds less food than the whole stomach. As the upper part of the stomach registers itself as being full, it sends a message to the brain (this is only if you have a brain lol) saying that the entire stomach is full. This is the main principle behind the lap band procedure; this tightening of the stomach feeling or sensation helps the person to:

1. be hungry less often
2. to eat smaller portions
3. lose weight over time

This balloon is filled with a saline solution or a Radiopaque isotonic solution which is injected into the band via a port. Via the port, the surgeon has control over the amount of saline solution that is inserted into the band. When fluid is injected, the lap band expands and places pressure around the outside of the stomach. This causes a decrease in the size of the passage between the pouch and the lower stomach; restricting the movement of food.

The gastric band is adjusted or inflated via a small port inserted just under the surface of the skin. When adjusting the lap band (same as gastric band) a specialized needle must be used as to avoid causing any damage to the port or the port membrane. These ports come in many different styles and designs and may be placed based on the surgeon’s recommendations.

Once the procedure is done, (usually takes about 45 minutes) the next stage is the post operative follow-up adjustments, support, and lifestyle changes (hello). The patient will need to visit their doctor every few weeks in order to receive their saline injections. Over this time the band is filled to the point where the patient feels they’ve hit a “sweet spot” where optimal restriction has been achieved. This is just based on personal preference and each person will be different.

Interestingly enough, the entire lap band operation is fully reversible! The lap band surgery is the ONLY weight loss surgery that is reversible. That’s because gastric band placement, unlike other procedures like malabsorptive weight loss surgery (an example would be Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery), doesn’t cut or remove any part of the stomach or the digestive system. It’s usually easy to remove the band and reverse the surgery, requiring only a laparoscopic procedure, after which point the stomach should return back to its normal pre-banded state.

So that’s how the entire lap-band procedure works, but we still haven’t touched upon post-surgery support, diet plans, proper nutrition, healthy lifestyle, the list goes on and on....

My Mom's Birthday!! Post-Op Day 68

wt: 202.8

First ~ HaPpY BiRtHdAy MoM!! ;-) (she's my biggest fan on my blog LOL)

Second ~ I have been cutting up for about a week now and playing with the same pound up and down the scale. Time to knuckle down and get to ONEderland!! Haven't exercised in days (since last week w/the personal trainer), haven't journaled properly either, eating not completely under control, NOT good!! Must get focused again and press on towards the prize!

Today I started a new journal as the old one was filled up. Now to keep it going all day until bedtime......writing what you eat really opens your eyes! I need to eat only when hungry and no snacking "just because". For those of you that are still thinking that the lap band surgery is the easy way out ~ I'm here to remind you "it's NOT!" you still have to do the right thing in order to take weight off and keep it off ~ the lap band is just a tool to help you out.

I had an issue with a bite of potato last night that resulted in "sliming" but no where near as bad as the first episode! I spit up twice and was over it. Why don't I remember to chew chew chew?! Especially that first bite?!

Personal Trainer Workout

Another week of up and down morning weigh ins. Guess that's life in my lane! Weight this morning was 202.6 ~ so close to ONEderland yet so far away hehe.

I had my free session with a personal trainer last night. A first for me unless of course you count hubbies personal training! She showed me no more than he has shown me over the past couple of years. She even had her hand on my back when I was using the row type weight machine to make sure I was squeezing my shoulder blades together properly @ the end of the row exercise just like the hubby does. I knew all along he knew what he was doing and telling me but working out @ the same time as him has been an issue for us. We remain on different schedules but now we have our evenings together so we can pull it off if we really wanted to. Why would I pay 45 bucks for a workout session when hubby is basically free?! LOL

Maybe A First......

If my brain is engaged (might not be) I did a "first" today!! We had an ice cream social @ work and first off I ordered the No Sugar Added stawberry flavor so my container was marked with my name and NSA strawberry. I ate some of it, slowly, pushing it away here and there until I had ate about half of it and then (drum roll please) for the first time I threw the remainder away!! I know, I know, there are starving children in _____ but I knew if I carried that container back to my desk "for later" that I would eat on it until it was gone so I boldly walked to the garbage can and threw it away right there in the cafeteria where other peeps trash was (I have been known to pick something out of my own garbage and eat it if nothing else had touched it). Yes, I am addicted to food and yes I am breaking that addiction!! Gotta love it.........my gizmo saves the day once again! ;-)


Today is 2 months since surgery ~ when I started the liquid diet before surgery I weighed 232.2, this morning I weighed 202.6 so that's minus 29.6 lbs and I'm 2.6 lbs away from ONEderland (just a weight update for ya)!

Sliming....Oh No!! Post Op Day 59

wt: 203.4

(it's still been a roller coaster week with my weight ~ ONEderland is so close!!)


My first experience with "sliming". Now before you even ask...here's the best I can explain it as copied from another source.

Sliming ~ is usually when something gets stuck or can be because you've eaten too much. But it's your body producing saliva to get the food through your stomach (to lubricate it) sometimes it will bubble up and you have to spit it out.

Now sliming is probable a made up word in lapband land I don't know but I do know I NEVER want this to happen to me again!! The experience was horrible so let me explain what happened.

I ate a breakfast with a small piece of leftover grilled fish (we ate out Saturday night) and an egg with a bite of portabella mushroom. Very good, all went down fine......well I asked hubby for a bite of his leftover fried fish and of course he gave me a bite. I apparently ate it without chewing it up. BIG MISTAKE cuz it got stuck, wouldn't move, I paced, I took deep breathes, I paced, I took deep breathes, I paced some more (I so wanted to cry, I was in such pain and so upset but I held back knowing that would make everything worse)......then the sliming began. The stuff just bubbled up and out, not like nausea vomiting, just up and out smooth and easy. This went on for about 20 to 30 mins. Over and over again the stuff just kept coming up and out. OK so back to basics 101 on lapband life chew stupid chew to the consistency of toothpaste......

Life goes on...

Review Keys To Success ~ Post Op Day 55

wt 205 (it's been up and down this week)

A good day to review why I had this surgery, where I came from, where I'm going to, how I'm gonna get there and the keys to success. My eating has been off for 2 days now ~ time to get control. I must only eat when hungry. I must weigh and measure all foods (been estimating). I must stop this grazing mode I've been in. I need to go back to the small salad plates ~ I noticed I used a paper plate last night...not needed!! Should I look @ carbs too or is that just gonna be way too much for me to focus on?! I track time, ounces of fluids, proteins and calories so adding carb counts in too might be a little much for me! Decisions, decisions.

keys to success ~ some tidbits I noted:

~ get a support network. (have it!)

~ commit to staying exactly on the pre-op diet. (did!)

~ commit to post-op diet fully. (did but been slacking a couple of days)

~ find ways to celebrate events that aren't food related. (can you say shopping?!)

~ keep good correct foods in the house and at work. (done)

~ avoid alcohol to the extent possible. (hhhhhhmmmmmmmm)

~ commit to taking small bites and chewing until food is dissolved. (if I don't I have troubles!)

~ commit to small sips. (done)

~ journal/blog regularly; chronicle success. (admit if I mess up like I did above)

~ measure myself monthly; log; take pictures. (doing it)

~ note NSV's as they happen. (I think I do!)

~ focus on hobbies; other interests. (been going to gym is that a hobby?)

Sunday Post-Op Day 52

wt: 203.4

Since peeps have asked if I can feel a difference after getting my first fill on the lap band I have to say yes. Food gets caught very easily if I do not chew (chew chew chew and chew some more) it into a toothpaste type consistency and it gives chest pressure. I think this is where "Productive Burping" talk comes from on the forums that I read. I just have to remember to chew, eat slow and all should be well in lap band land!

Hubby took my pic today and took my measurements as well. See below.

DS came home from college to see me ~ that's what he said!! He took a few things back with him but I think he just wanted to see his loving mama!

Here's the pic (if you click it gets larger ~ not that I need to be larger and why my teeth have a couple of shiny spots I have no clue ~ in real life they aren't like that!):



Here's my measurements:

waist 39 1/2 (no change in waist)
hips 46 (minus 2 inches)
chest 45 3/4 (down from 47)
wrist 6 5/8 (was 7 3/8)
forearm 11 (minus 1 1/4)
thigh 24 (minus 1 inch)
calf 17 1/2 (minus 1 1/2 inches)
ankle 8 3/4 (down from 9 1/2)
upper arm 15 1/2 (the size of a normal persons thigh! geez....no change!)
neck 15 (down 1/2 inch)

so gut and upper arms need lots of work!! well all over needs lots of work but I would have liked to have seen some change in the gut and arms....

Saturday!!

wt: 204

Not sure what post op day it is w/o my journal on hand but anyways I've been cleaning out my closet again this morning. I could use some hand me downs about now because my 16Ws are getting too big and that's as small as my totes go. I'm going to go shopping this morning and see if I can find a few things on sale to carry me through. My oldest son has cleaned his closet before he went off to college and left a stack of clothes behind to go out of the house. My youngest son has cleaned his closet and also has a stack of clothes to go away. The clothes from the boys will be dropped off to a friend and my clothes will go to goodwill. It's been a productive week around this house!!

Besides sorting out clothes my youngest son has been cleaning the basement ~ we will be listing a bunch of stuff on craig's list to sell and a few things on ebay.

9 months is not a long time to purge a home ~ believe me I know!!

Off to shop.......

back from a little shopping.......do you know how good it felt to be able to put on pants without a big "W" next to the number on the size tag?! Let me just say I was doing the happy dance in the fitting room....

Plan to shop some more in a little while ~ looking for a HOT dress to wear to the class reunion next weekend!

Post-Op Day 49

wt: 204.8 (that's minus 27.4 since I started the liquid diet before surgery)

Had friends over for dinner last night ~ all went well. When writing down what I ate last night I felt like I had "cut up" a little but since it was spaced out I'm thinking I was OK. I had to find some clothes to wear before they got to our home cuz the ones I wore to work were falling off me. I ironed a shirt that has been hanging in my closet ~ after ironing it I cut out the shoulder pads (now that's showing it's age!) it was really too big but it will do for now. Don't want to buy a bunch of new clothes @ this point in time. I have more to go to goodwill now also. I guess I need to weed through them again and make a big donation to goodwill. ;-)

Made it to the gym tonight ~ 14 day free trial period so might as well use it up! I did some arm weight workouts and 30 mins on the tread climber. If I can't walk tomorrow I hope someone will help me out!

Oldest son left for college today, he's going early to help work in the frat house. I will miss him but I'm happy he is moving on to his next step in life. I will not think about it cuz it will make me cry!

Post-Op Day 48

wt: 205.4

I got my first fill on Monday and it's now Wednesday so I can go back to regular diet today. I have had no complications with the fill. I did feel some chest pressure when I was woofing down my lunchable today like the old me. But after that first cracker/meat/cheese combo said hello slow down and chew chew chew all went well. Oh how easily we can slip back into our old patterns and life styles....

We have not got back into the regular exercise routine since vacation but we will work on that tomorrow.

Hit The Big 25 Pound Mark!! Post-Op Day 46

wt 206.6

I ("we" actually ~ me and my gizmo) did it!! 25lbs gone!!

It's Monday and reality is here ~ It was get up and get back to work this morning.

No journal or weighing myself the whole vacation time. I was down .8 this morning from my last weigh in. First vacation in my life I went on and didn't gain 10 lbs!! That brings my thinking "this is a permanent weight loss journey" into a true light for me.

I go for my first "fill" this afternoon ~ I'll post again after that and add a picture for my 25 mark!

Added the photo and back to write that the fill wasn't that bad. I felt a little pain when the doctor was pushing on my stomach in that area and a little stinging when the fill was being done and a little tugging when he pulled the needle back out. He said it was about 1.5 ccs. Today I finish with liquids and tomorrow is soft foods then back to normal foods.

We went to sign up for our 14 day trial @ the gym today. I'd like to be trained on core exercises that I can do @ home on my balance ball. We'll see how all that works out!!

On another note I got in my head this morning "9 months" ~ that's my time line for moving out of STL and setting up a practice. Long enough to birth a baby?! Guess that's what it will be like and I'm sure there will be birthing pains!

Last Day of Vacation...

my last day to enjoy it ~ so sad!!

I've been a little off track w/eating, drinking and exercise. I have not had my journal out in several days. I have been sticking to small portions and sometimes only one meal a day ~ just haven't been hungry.

I had my first fried foods since surgery last night. I didn't normally eat fried foods to begin with because they really don't agree with me. I did fine with them.

I also told hubby I could think of a reason NOT to tell friends and family about the lap band surgery. I don't have a problem telling peeps ~ if they think I'm weak ~ so be it ~ if they think I took the easy way out ~ so be it. My flesh is weak I know that and it hasn't been the easy way out so far! Anyways the reason I don't like to tell peeps is....they feel bad about not cooking something more healthy for me and they worry about making sure I have foods I can eat when invited for dinner. Now we don't get invited for dinner much so this isn't usually an eye opener for me but last night after dinner I explained to the couple why I wasn't eating more of the wonderful fried fish they had prepared and the man said to me something like "well I wish I had of known I would have cooked you something else" so I explained it's not about the food itself it's about the portion size ~ I can eat almost anything now but steak. I did pick up a celery stick w/pimento cheese in it w/o thinking and after chewing and chewing and chewing I had to spit the stringy stuff into my napkin but it was before dinner and we were just outside chatting so nobody noticed......well if they did notice they didn't say anything LOL.

Off to enjoy my day ;-)

HuMp DaY??

OK, my vacation is @ hump day and it totally stinks!! I miss HOME so much! I miss my FRIENDS and CHURCH FAMILY so much (one in the same really)!! Today was a very emotional day for me and it started about the time my feet hit the floor @ 7 am! By 9 AM my make up was gone.......who needs it anyways?! I cried all the way to the ville, cried on the cell w/my friend, stopped by MY CHURCH and cried some more on my buddie's shoulders. Met a friend @ SB and cried some more with her. Went off to the spa, got lost, left the spa, got lost. Met with my other girlfriend and cried some more. Got back to our host home and cried some more with the hubby (he wasn't crying I was). Why you might ask?? I guess just because I miss my peeps, my best girls, my support system, they are here for me but I miss seeing them with my eyes ya know what I mean?! Sorry for the tear flow on the computer screen.......I need to go to bed and try to sleep. On a good note.......no emotional eating today!! And yesterday I tried on a 16W dress and it was too big!! Glory be to HIM who is so faithful to me!! ;-) I am a sinner, saved by grace, a work in progress.....need I say more?!


***side note***
I read this blog and it sounds like I have no support system, friends or best girls in MO and that's not true!! It was my emotions typing above cuz I love my friends in MO!! ;-)

On Vacation

Yes, I am MIA!! I still haven't weighed myself since my last step on the home scale and that's ok ~ doesn't feel OK but it's really OK!! I have not journaled or exercised in a couple of days ~ too busy trying to fit friends into my visit....guess that's OK too. Poor hubby....I run and run and run and I forget I have a gizmo and he doesn't!! I'm sure he is about to starve most days!! LOL ;-)

Post-Op Day 36

It's Friday and I don't know my weight!! I'm so addicted to my morning weigh in now that this is driving me crazy not knowing what I weigh!! Such is life.

We have been eating out of the cooler since we left home, I had some scrambled eggs off the breakfast bar yesterday morning but this morning the only choice was those pre boiled rubbery type eggs........no thanks. So anyways we had lunch out. I opted for a crab bisque soup ~ ate a little of it ~ wasn't anything to jump up and down with joy over....(food is becoming that to me ~ less and less important). For dinner we ate here @ our hotel restaurant in Greensboro, NC. I had a southwestern chicken wrap. I ate half of it. Bite by bite, chewing chewing chewing. I had the fruit instead of the french fries or potato chips as my side dish. Good choice huh?!

While hubby is taking his test tomorrow I can a. hang pool side, b. go to a local spa for whatever I want, c. sleep all morning so I will be well rested to get us to SC!! We'll see....

What's My Weight?? Post-Op Day 35

weight........UNKNOWN!! ;-(

Where's my scale?! I'm in scale withdrawal!! After weighing myself every morning for 34 days here I am on vacation without my ball and chain!! Freedom?! Not feeling it. Feeling like I should have stepped up on that scale this morning! This will probable be the first vacation in my life that I've gone on and not gained 10 or 15 lbs!!

On a side note I woke up in Paducah KY this morning and will sleep in Cherokee, NC tonight!

Officially A Vacation Day! Post-Op Day 34

wt: 207.4 (minus 24.8 ~ oh so close!)

First day of my vacation. We will hit the road in the morning! I have to admit to being a little off track with a few bites of things last night. (One of the success tips I read and blogged says to admit when you messed up so here I am doing just that). I had a spoonful of ice cream. And later on a couple of handfuls of popcorn. I wasn't hungry (I should only eat when hungry) it was all a mind thing, a craving struggle and I lost the battle a wee little but nothing major. Before my gizmo it would have been a major loss for me. My mind would have clicked and said why not continue with eating whatever cuz you already blew it stupid! So there's my confession in a nutshell. Moving on as I'm over it! ;-)

We will be packing some gizmo friendly foods to take on the trip. I have 6 lunchables meat and cheese packs ~ geez that's 6 whole meals for me ~ not a snack ~ that just seems so weird to me. When I think of how I use to eat and know how I eat now it just blows me away! I am packing my 1/2C and 1/4C measuring cups as I am paranoid of eating more than 3/4C of food @ any one meal. (I'm probable a little overboard with my gizmo especially since I haven't had my first fill yet but that's me!) I will pack some high protein bars as well along with my journal cuz I have to keep track of everything....again a mind game I'm sure. It's like if I don't write it down I didn't eat it?! (it's my secret sin ya know, like the Lord doesn't know anything about that food I over ate on or like it doesn't show on my obese body!)

The cost of Lap Band....

I forgot to mention the bills and EOBs are rolling in....

Hospital bill for outpatient with overnight stay (less than 24 hours) $ 30,121.55
Anesthesia Bill $ 1,479.00


There's plenty more expected....like doctor bill for surgery, the radiation bill for seeing if the gizmo was in place and if I could swallow, etc...I'll post them as they roll in.

Let the Vacation Begin!! ;-)

wt: 207.8

(minus 24.4 lbs since starting Pre-Op diet)

Packing my bags, heading south....will be a few days probable before I post again but I'm so close to the minus 25 lb mark if I get it in the AM or while on vacation (different scales so who knows) I'll just have to post it with excitement!! Stay tuned.

<---doing the happy dance for vacation!!

Post-Op Day 31

wt: 208.8 (minus 23.4) I can smell ONEderland!! ;-)

Finally some movement on the scale! 2 whole pounds! Since I couldn't believe my eyes I wiped them again and stepped on the scale 2 more times....all came out the same weight so I got over my hesitance to make it an official number on my blog!

Took my pic today:

Post-Op Day 30

I've been hanging right above 210 for a few days now. I'm thinking no scale movement because we haven't been walking daily since hubby had surgery on Tuesday. Need to get back on track with exercise! Today I cleaned my closet out again (remember I did that a few weeks before surgery when I decided to start my new self journey) ~ the 18Ws were very loose so some of them went in the Goodwill bags. I was surprised to be able to fit into some of the clothes in my closet ~ nice surprise!! I had put off trying them on because I didn't want to be disappointed. I've been disappointed too many times before.....

Post-Op Day 29

Because this journey is all about ME and my new self.....and since I am no longer the baseball Mom who needs a 4 door SUV to tote boys and gear around my hubby made a deal on some new to me wheels.....besides the FORD Escape needed new floor mats...

;-)




...hubby says now I have a "doctor's wife's car"...

Post-Op Day 25

wt: 211.2 (lowest weight since 2006!)

Tonight we had grilled shrimp! I had a little cauliflower cooked up with it! LOL

POst-Op Day 24

wt: 213.8

8:45 am... up and adam ~ weight up again a little more today ~ I'm sure it's because the 28 day mark is only 4 days away...must remember to schedule my weigh in days and fills with Dr Minkin way before or a few days after my cycle or I'll be showing monthly gains!

For dinner we had blackened tuna steak ~ I also had 1/3 c succotash, 1/8 c black eye peas ~ yummy! Look Mom real food!! ;-)

Remember...it may look like more food than it is!! I use a small salad plate now for my meals....usually measure out 3/4 Cup food TOTAL for a meal. If not available I guess @ portion size.

Post-Op Day 23

213

wt was slightly up this morning but I'm thinking it's PMS coming on....oh yippee.

10:30 am rise and shine (well maybe not shine) ~ feeling like a hot flash is over me this morning. Nose is stuffy as well. I will do a protein drink for breakfast otherwise since it's so late in the day I'm afraid I won't meet my protein goal for today.

We have continued with our nightly walks of 2 miles each day. I can see a change in my thighs ~ can you believe there is some muscle under all that flab?? Our record time has been 36:06 and that was with a few jogging spurts hence the term "jalk" for this walk/jogging combo!

I did a few hand weights for arms last night before the walk and a few SECONDS of core exercises! My stomach has a TON of room for improvement! It is still sore in one spot - the port spot - other than that it's doing fine.

Post_Op Day 21

212.4

Today's weight is the lowest so far since surgery and I hope to be @ that 211 mark soon like I was back in August of 2006 ~ that was my lowest weight on the WW program.

Love Thursday mornings...I can move onto the next stage of foods! hehe Sad but you do get burned out on only eating certain foods. But there is hope cuz within 6 months you should be able to eat just about anything but in smaller amounts. I do like a variety of food ~ obviously!!

Today's list of new foods includes: thinly shaved deli meat, moist baked fish (includes tuna, salmon and white fish), seafood (includes shrimp, crab, and/or imitation seafood products), tofu or other soy products (none for me thanks), dried beans, peas or lentils cooked soft, soups without beef, cold cereals.

My goal is getting the protein needed in within the 4 small meals a day so I won't go for cold cereals and such foods that are not a good protein value.

I wake up thirsty every morning now and since no caffeine I opt for a 16 oz cold bottle of water to sip on the way to work now. I have had two lattes since surgery split with the hubby ~ we have them make it with skim milk and half the syrup and no whipped topping.

I do not feel deprived but wish I could eat salads, raw veggies and such cuz I do like them but I'm not so sure they would like me @ this time!

Post-Op Day 18

215

Monday thoughts:

This morning a friend @ work that's been on vacation asked to see my incisions ~ war wounds LOL ~ and there's nothing like showing your roll first thing on a Monday morning!

This afternoon I met up with a friend I worked with in SC. She was a soldier stationed in SC and is from St louis area. Her kids were with her. What a beautiful family she has! Anyways she treated me to a buffet dinner. First off it's been ages since I've been to a buffet....and I'm still on soft foods. The place took my dining out card so I got the kids rate of 7.99 (well actually she got the kids rate for me since she treated me) and that rate was much better than the $25.00 adult rate. I had a piece of fried talapia (I removed as much of the skin and breading as possible when I ate it). I got a scoop of black eyes peas, some mac & cheese and some mashed potatoes. I ate very slow, chewed well and made my focus the conversation over the food. The desserts didn't even tempt me. Overall I rate the evening a success ~ also came home and walked with hubby our normal 2 mile route! ;-) I had no stomach issues with this outing so I'm not sure what happened on the 4th of July that made such stomach pain.

Post-Op Day 16

wt: 216

It's Saturday and we slept in! ;-)

The port spot is still sore ~ tender ~ but looks fine.

Happy 4th of July!!

This afternoon we went to some friends house for a cook out. It was a fun small group of peeps. We talked chiropractic stuff and got some more information that will come in handy later on. As for food I did fine eating what was there ~ baked beans, 1 whole deviled egg and 4 pcs of pasta noodle salad stuff. I didn't bring my own special foods but I did bring a protein drink. The food went down with no problems but later on in the evening my stomach started hurting really bad. Not sure what happened there. I did have to ask to go home and was very apologetic to the hubby who told me it was ok. This was my first outing since the surgery that involved food, maybe next time I just won't eat anything so I don't have to take a chance on a painful stomach later.

Post-Op Day 15

Soft foods includes scrambled eggs.....so for the second day in a row I had them for breakfast thinned with skim milk and w/a half slice FF american cheese on them. Since they tasted like sunshine to me here's how I arranged my plate: (ssshhh don't tell mama I played with my food). Keep in mind the size/portion is smaller than it may appear ~ I no longer use a dinner plate but use the small salad plate instead ~ it's a mind game......




Hubby took my pic today:





He also took my measurements:

waist 39 1/2
hips 48 (fat butt)
chest 47
wrist 7 3/8
forearm 12 1/4
thigh 25
calf 19
ankle 9 1/2
upper arm 15 1/2 (the size of a normal persons thigh! geez....)
neck 15 1/2

my wt this morning was 216.6

Post-Op Day 14

Soft foods today!

<---doing the happy dance for the next stage of the diet program!!

I chewed and chewed and chewed my scrambled egg, 1/2 slice FF cheese and a splash of skim milk mixture so much I think I gave myself TMJ! However, it was good, it went down and it stayed down...

Lunch was 1/2 c cottage cheese.

Dinner was 1/4 c grilled salmon (about 2 oz) and 1/4 c canned cut green beans with some other little beans added in. I put this 1/2 cup of food on a small salad plate and it looked like a lot of food ~ the mind is a terrible thing and sometimes we just have to fool it!

Got the 2 mile walk in again tonight.

Now drinking my yummy NOT protein drink to get my protein in for the day.

Actually felt a little smaller in my clothes this morning. Hanging @ about 15 lbs down. Don't want to try on any smaller clothes as I don't want to be disappointed.

Post-Op Day 13

How did July get here so fast?! ;-P

I seem to be very tired this morning ~ not sure why ~ lack of calories? Lack of caffeine? Lack of real food?

I'm feeling that walk from last night ~ my hips have been screaming @ me since I went to bed. Such is life. Must move the flab.

Post-Op Day 12

4:45 AM rise and shine.

Kind of a little depressed last night. I've been w/o my vices for 2 weeks. No food, no alcohol (did I mention I like red wine?!), and no caffiene, no wonder I'm slightly irratible! The cost of beauty is high?! I guess as long as I don't bite someone's head off I'll be OK. I still don't care to even see another chocolate protein drink in my life time. I stopped @ GNC last night and bought a bag of unflavored protein mix ~ it's not much better but can be covered up! UGH!

walk: 1 mile 18.14, 1 mile 21.14 so I was a little slow on the second lap ~ just glad I could do a second lap!

Post-Op Day 11

217.2

Back to work today. Nothing really special to post about the past few days.

Todays walk was about a mile and took 21 mins. Trying to shave the time off that one mile before I add in another mile.

Went for my follow-up visit today and the doc suggested a goal of 3 miles in 45 mins. That's some butt hauling walking speed! He said my inicisions look good, explained the 3 small holes, one for the port, one for the scope and one for the retractor device.

Post-Op Day 7

219.6

7:30 AM ~ woke up and started coffee for family. Right side of body still tender. Incisions look to be healing fine. Can start next stage of foods today as long as foods so far have been tolerated.
Foods must be "creamy, smooth and pourable" per Jessie.

Today I was able to have grits and small curd cottage cheese...here's how WONDERFUL it looked and tasted!!






approx: 1 mile walk 22 mins

down about 13 lbs since starting pre-op diet. No real hunger. Yes, to cravings!! It's bad when you sniff up real food and offer to chew your hubbie's steak tips for him! Today I can have grits for breakfast?! Praying all goes down well and stays down!

totals: 64 oz, 42 proteins, 520 calories

Post-Op Day 6

5 AM ~ woke up very tense. Could not lay in the bed any longer. Got up and went to the family room to do some stretches the best I could. Can not bend in the middle too well right now. Not sure why so tense. I do have gas pressure in my chest area this morning. Walking around in the house (quietly) and stretching......

totals: 56 oz, 64 proteins, 459 calories

approx: 1 mile in 26 mins


*** Could not "stomach" another chocolate protein drink today!! Starting to feel nauseated just thinking about drinking them. *** ;-(

Post-Op Day 5

221

Not near the pain this morning upon getting up.

totals: 80 oz, 88 proteins, 750 calories.

approx: 1 mile in 28 mins

Post-Op Day 4

222

Woke up with the worst pain I've had so far. Pain mostly in the right side of stomach. Lasted awhile upon rise and shine....

totals: 72 oz, 96 proteins, 660 calories

approx: walked small circle took forever, well OK only 24 mins of forever...

Post-Op Day 3

225.0

Another good night of sleep (always does the body good). Still have gas moving around in my body. Feeling good this morning so far, oh wait I've only been up for 5 mins!!

totals: 80 oz, 87 proteins, 660 calories

Post-Op Day 2

227.2

Had a good night of sleep. Still bloated with surgery gas. Pressure is in the chest area.

totals for today: 62 oz, 64 proteins, 450 calories.

Post-Op Day 1

231.6 fluids??

Home from the hospital about noonish.

Feeling OK. A little sore. A lot gassy but surgery gassy not stomach gassy.

Hospital food this morning was:
black coffee ~ drank it
jello cubes ~ "ate" them
popcycle ~ spoon fed it to myself out of a cup since it was melting
apple juice ~ mixed it w/water and drank it
chicken broth ~ avoided....

Surgery Day

225.6 so minus 6.6lbs on pre-op liquid diet. Normally I'd gain this all back after eating one REAL meal!

4:30 AM rise and shine ~ nothing to eat or drink since before 10PM.

Still have a slight headache that started last night ~ could be caffeine withdrawal or hormonal.

Feel good other than the headache and being tired ~ rough night of trying to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Not sure what time my surgery actually was. I know I was in the holding area for a very long time w/o any good drugs to calm my nerves but I really wasn't nervous, I had a peace about the surgery and I just wanted it DONE @ this point in time.

In my room I have my own self activating pain pump for pain meds (I love pushing buttons). My pain is less than I expected and I am walking as much as possible to get the gas pumped into me during the operation out of me! I only have 3 incisions and they don't look very big, especially the one for the liver retractor ~ about the size of the tip of my pinky finger.

So anyways it's a done deal ~ no turning back now!! No going back to my old bad eating habits, no overeating, no eating just because ~ must focus on keeping my meals small from this day forward....and so my banded life begins...

Started my cycle late into the night after surgery this morning ~ oh joy ~ let's just compound my issues!

Day 3 Pre-Op Diet

227.0

16 oz, 112 proteins, 1000 calories

woman can not live on liquids alone LOL

Day Two Pre-Op Diet

230.2

91 oz, 49 proteins, 570 calories

(am I dead yet?!)

Nutritional Counseling

This counseling was basically going over the program diet stages, the need for vitamins, proteins, etc. Very informative and Jessie was a sweetheart.

Day One Pre-Op Diet....

Day 1 of liquids....focus grasshopper focus!! ;-) I'm thinking of the 3 day Pre-Op clear liquid diet as a fast ~ piece of cake right?! Use to do 3 day fasts all the time with our old church. I can do this...

home wt: 232.2

I have packed chicken broth and 4 SF jello cups for today....hope that's enough...

Overall totals for today: 62 oz fluids, 30 proteins, 410 calories.

I wasn't really hungry today ~ it was hard to be around others who were eating but I'm thinking it was just cravings messing with my head.

Saturday Ramblings

Got my surgery date scheduled for next Thursday 6/18. I'm excited. Weighed myself this morning and I'm up about 5 lbs since last week. My cycle is coming so that never helps the scale move in the downward direction.

Heading to O'Fallon, IL in a few minutes to meet up with my friend. My oldest son is riding with me. We'll eat out someplace and catch up. Yeah for transportation. I'm taking my laptop with me to show her some pics & my camera to take some more pics today. This friend has been in my life since my boys were babies. She called them my "real boys" through the years. I have missed our daily work lunches, our afternoon chats and our outside of work get togethers over the last 5 years of living in different states.

Here's some snapshots taken by my son during our visit:

Can't Wait Any Longer....

Today is a Rolla, MO day with oldest son @ the college of his choice. The day should be all about him.....but ya know I just can't wait any longer....I have to call the doctor's office cuz I want my surgery done!! So I call with baited breath....

Oh yes, they have the ins approval letter...

"When would you like surgery?"

my reply "yesterday"

She laughs and says how about 6/18/09?

"I'll take it"

Look out below here we go...........

Start Pre Op liquid diet on Monday, nutritional counseling on Tuesday, surgery on Thursday....

Got Insurance Approval Letter Today!

The ins co has approved my surgery! So I call the doctor's office. They don't have a copy of the letter yet call back on Monday.

Monday ~ I call back, still no copy, so I go home and fax my copy to them but they are closed for the day.

Wait all week ~ no calls....to call them or not to call them AGAIN? I don't want to be put on the "bad list" ya know?!

What To Measure

waist

hips

chest

wrist

forearm

thigh

calf

ankle

upper arm

Time To Make The Tea (Pros and Cons of lap band)

PROS:

~ thin for the rest of my life.
~ sexier clothes.
~ more attractive.
~ less risk of other medical issues.
~ no more berating myself about weight. (my fat jokes will be all gone - will my personality change?!)
~ more comfortable in my clothes.


CONS:

~ no popcorn or nuts. (may not be a true CON ~ will have to try to eat them)
~ surgery & related pain.
~ having to radically change how I eat & drink.
~ small risks of complications from surgery.
~ no more carbonated beverages. (I already cut way back on diet soda)



The PROS outweigh the CONS and I've really already made the decision in my mind...

A Plan For Success:

some tidbits I noted:

~ get a support network.

~ commit to staying exactly on the pre-op diet.

~ commit to post-op diet fully.

~ find ways to celebrate events that aren't food related.

~ keep good correct foods in the house and at work.

~ avoid alcohol to the extent possible. (did I mention I like a glass or two of red wine?!)

~ commit to taking small bites and chewing until food is dissolved.

~ commit to small sips.

~ journal/blog regularly & chronicle success. (admit if I mess up)

~ measure myself monthly & log & take pictures.

~ note NSV's as they happen.

~ focus on hobbies & other interests.

Saturday Ramblings

down 3.6 lbs since last weigh in two weeks ago.

Focusing on only eating when hungry. When I do eat I try to eat very small portions of foods that I like. Eating off smaller plate as well. (the mind is a terrible thing)

Bought myself two new shirts yesterday. Grant it they were on sale but still they are new!! ;-)

Memorial Day 2009 Thoughts...

Today I begin my life!! ;-)

I've spent 19 + years making sure others were taken care of, needs met, new clothes when needed, new shoes, etc. Today I start to put me first (behind the Lord) from this day forward. I will buy myself new things, new clothes, new shoes, no more hand me downs for me (unless I really like them of course)...



As my "baby" graduated yesterday from high school I stepped into a new unknown territory of not being needed anymore. And so I must need, like and love myself ~ my new self.

Off to finish cleaning out my closet...

Tests Are In and I'm On "A List"

yes, there is a list and when my name comes up they will gather all my paperwork and submit it to my insurance company. Again, hurry up and wait ~ geez I wanted to be skinny already!

Psycho Doctor

Today was my pre op visit with the Psycho Doctor as I like to refer to him...
The 10 AM visit went well I guess.
Basically he asked me medical history questions (hello I thought this had already been done)...
Then came depression questions, sibling questions, how long had I been overweight, am I suicidal? Be for real the FAT is killing me not my emotions. Why do I want this surgery? Well don't you think the reason for weight loss surgery is pretty self explanatory?? Are my friends and family supportive of the surgery ~ does it really matter? ~ they aren't the fat ones ~ I am and I'm doing this for ME!

Required Tests

Today I show up for all my required tests ~ they kind of "round robin" you through the various test spots. Only issue is .... Psycho Doc is a no show this morning.

So I spent most of my day being tested ~ chest xray, treadmill walking, nutritional counseling, etc etc.

Hurry up and wait.

Initial Office Visit w/Dr Minkin

11:30 AM is my appointment time and hubby and I are going together to this initial visit.

I bring with me:
~ 5 year weight history from medical doctors (this was fun to get since I had so many different doctors the last 5 years)
~ 20 pages all filled out that were given to me @ the seminar. (can you say writer's cramps?)
~ my sleep apnea study report from 2003. (it was fun to call "hotel hell" and get info that was 6 years old)
~ my complaints. (depression, sleep apnea, hip pain, etc etc ~ it's no fun being obese incase you didn't know)

After listening to the doctor's blurb, hubby and I asked a few questions and about our business we went.

Getting The Ball Rolling....

I have selected the facility (mynewselfbariactics.com) and the doctor (Darin M. Minkin, D.O.) all over the internet.

I have reserved a spot for the hubby and I @ the upcoming seminar (yes, I need hubbie's support) on 4/14/09. The doctor I selected is conducting the Educational Seminar. This seminar is required before surgery. (The seminar was very informative btw). When I set up for the seminar I also made my initial appointmet with Dr. Minkin.....

Doctor Visit

Today I go see my primary physician and I ask him about weight loss surgery for me. He tells me I am not that much overweight (God love him) and am not the normal candidate for this surgery but says it may be an option for me ~ he gives me two places to check out and tells me what two places to avoid. So begins the inquiry journey.

Thoughts Running Through My Head...

Today I started considering the Lap Band weight loss surgery. Is it an option for me? I'm so tired of the weight roller coaster. Take some off, put some back on, take some more off, put some more back on. Never ending cycle. Yes, I CAN take weight off ~ I can diet and I can exercise and the scale reflects my success. Then along comes the enemy....celebration! And I celebrate with a little of this and a little of that and before I know it I've gained 5 lbs AGAIN! So today is the day I decide to check into this possibility for ME.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blogspot ~ it's a new one ~ made especially for me and my gizmo blogs ~ gizmo being my new lap band tool for weight loss and the journey I am on.....

This blog is a work in progress...like me so I will be adding pictures, quotes, whatever I want to as I go along ~ did I mention this is my blog spot so I can do what I want with it?! ;-)

snapshot

June 2007
maybe 230ish??