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Lyra's Canto
 

Vikings, Fairies, And....bowling?

So today I felt very much like a Viking. I have those days. I would say only occassionally, but seriously, who am I kidding? Sometimes you roll out of bed to the thunderous sound of the alarm clock and think to yourself, "Self, today is a Viking day". I knew it was going to be a glorious Viking day when I got out of bed, strutted into the bathroom and found that I had lost more weight! Yeah, broken stall! I have conquered thee! Thus I then gained an appropriate Viking attitude that says "Arg! I shall plunder and pillage the countryside! Beer wench, bring me more mead!" (On a side note, occassionally I also feel like a pirate, but thats a different blog. *wink*). So, my fellow Norse Men, The Stall Hath Ended! I knew I was totally rockin' my innter Viking warrior when people kept commenting on how awesome I looked today! Which, let me tell you, it's hard to look fabulous in a white chef's jacket. I pretty much pretend that the chef jacket is battle armor against the hordes of rampaging customers, but even MY imagination can only go so far!   Speaking of Vikings, my bffs went to Iceland and asked what I wanted them to bring back to me. I said (of course!) "A Viking". Translation: A 6'4 HUNK of virility whose only desire is to...er *blush*....play scrabble with me. Yeah...um...scrabble. *rolls eyes*. Did anybody believe that, 'cause not even I did. Anyway, I figured they could FedEx me a Viking. Hell, if it fits it ships, right? Instead I got Erikir The Red who is about 4 inches tall, very rotund, and looks like he would rather be protecting his rack o' sheep ribs instead of other things. *wink wink, nudge nudge*. Still, he's kinda cute. Although not quite what I was looking for....   Work was nuts, as usual, and now I'm researching bowling alleys because a bunch of us are going bowling and I am, apparently, She Who Organizes The Who, What, When And Where. Sometimes I swear getting everybody to the correct place at the correct time is like herding cats. So, research. Thank god for google and smart phones.   I have about 1.5 weeks until my sixth month surgiversary doctor's appointment. I need to lose 4lbs to get to 90 total lost. I'm kinda hoping that the Chub Fairy will come and suction about 14lbs from me overnight (and leave me money under my pillow), but it seems that the Chub Fairy is having beer with the Laundry Fairy, Vaccuum Fairy, and the Cleans The Litterbox Fairy as they are all AWOL and not visiting MY house. *sigh* It's so hard to find good help these days....
Lyra

Lyra

1
Blog 42354
 

Back - But A Little Late

Well, I did the unthinkable. I gained. I went from 180 to 245. YES, all that hard work down the toilet. Battling depression, migraine headaches and cereal addiction. Yes, you can be addicted to the carbs in cereal.   Went back to my surgeon, he did not beat me up as I had imagined. Everyone was so nice. The do fills in the office so it is so much more convenient.   I thought I needed to be filled tight, but after she put 1 cc in she had me drink. YIKES - PAIN!!!, so 1/2 cc out and I have that wonderful feeling of restriction. Actually after speaking to the nutritionist I lost 10 pounds before the fill. How is that for an attitude change.   Now back down to 227. The weight is coming off fast, but I know I am thick. My port use to bulge and I just noticed it doesn't anymore. It is tucked away under a layer of fat.   But the important thing is I am back. I had headaches after stopping the cereal. What a mess. But I feel better and I am satisfied with that 1/2 cup. How amazing is that???   So if you too have lost your way, let me know. The support I received from the nutritionist made me realize that I was wrong. I CANNOT DO THIS ON MY OWN.
debbieperez55

debbieperez55

3
sheila2050's Blog
 

Ok . . . Well, I'm Eating.

I haven't had any trouble at all with anything except once when I ate too much too fast and well, you know.   I am still drinking my Juven, my protein shakes, Powerade. But I've started solids, too. I feel so much better with some food that sticks with me for a bit. Right now it seems impossible that I wouldn't lose weight no matter what I do (almost) because I am able to eat so little.   I won't be bingeing, that's for sure. I don't have cravings, except possibly for meat. That goes with my cycle, I think, with ovulation and menses.   I had some cheese on Triscuits last night without difficulty. I do notice that if I wait to stop until I feel "full" then I become overfull. Not sure how to check that. Once I start eating I want to keep going. I have been doing really well with throwing out food I don't finish. Before the sleeve, for most of my life, I felt all food served had to be eaten or saved for later. It's a little funny that my kids won't eat leftovers. They know it's ok to leave food on their plates once they're finished eating.   Well, I am keeping up with my 10 minute walks twice daily, pretty much. I can't really see the benefit, but this is something I "decided" to do and I am going to stick with it.   I'm still getting bouts of extreme tiredness; but I had that before surgery. I have intentionally foregone relying on caffeine. It is a last resort now, not a daily necessity. Somehow, I just don't want to have to have it and I guess I'm hoping that eventually I'll be all right on my own. I don't know why this dogged thought persists, but it does.   I've had no trouble whatsoever letting go of soft drinks. I drink coffee occasionally and then only one cup.   I'm definitely losing from the top. lol oh well.
sheila2050

sheila2050

2
Jim1967's Blog
 

One Year Later....

Tomorrow marks 1 year since I started my journey. Oct 12, 2011 was the day I walked into my Surgeon's office and introduced myself and told him I was ready to make a change and a life long commitment to myself. I had at this point been researching the band for about 6 months off and on and had attended an informational seminar a month earlier. That day I was weighed in at 488lbs and they took all sorts of measurements and pictures along with a thorough physical. They sent me on my way with no promises of surgery until I met all the requirements and criteria. One of those requirements was to lose minimum 5% of my weight. They explained the need to shrink the liver for a safe surgery.   I hit that 5% goal which was 24lbs in less then two months. Weight Center was surprised and impressed but I told them that losing is not hard. Keeping it off is hard.   I was also given a laundry list of testing that had to be done along with meeting a 3rd party Doctor who had to clear me for the surgery. Also on that day I met with the in-house Nutritionist and was given a pre-op diet to follow along with a schedule for Nutrition classes. It was at that appointment they confirmed I needed to complete a 6 month mandatory monitored diet due to insurance policy.   November 28, 2011 the first Monday after Thanksgiving I spent a good chunk of the day at the hospital for the following tests Upper GI
Abdominal ultrasound
Cardiac Echo
Chest X-ray
EKG
Blood work
On December 1, 2011 I returned to the office for a Psychological Evaluation and another follow up with the Nutritionist.   Between January 9, 2012 and February 13 I attended a 6 session (we met once a week) class called the Hungry Head. Hungry Head program is to help one distinguish the differences between head hunger and real hunger and to develop skills to manage urges to over-eat. This class also allowed me to meet my mandatory requirement of attending 6 pro-op Support Meetings. I found this class to be an eye opening experience and it really allowed me to take a long honest look at myself. I was a binge eater. I would plan binges. I would go to the store on the way home from work and buy soda, cheese its and ice cream. I would finish a meal and wonder when and what my next meal would be. Eating in front of t.v. was just plain bad for me.     I am the one in the Patriots shirt standing with my Dad. We were just wrapping up a fishing trip. This picture was taken in August of 2011. I have no real idea how much I weighed in this picture but it was taken two months before my consult appointment in October. So if I wasn't 488 here I was darn close.   This is a more recent picture. Weighing 364lbs down 124lbs.   I seems like it took forever to get to Surgery day but wow what a fast year it has been. It was well worth it..wait strike that! I am worth it and I would do this again in heartbeat. Even at 364lbs I have a new lease on life and it can only get better from here.   If you read this far I thank you i know I tend to ramble. I will close with a quote posted by Chris Powell from ABC's Extreme Makeover: Weight loss Edition   "You will never change your life until you change something you do daily". - John Maxwell   Words to live by and I'm still trying....
Jim1967

Jim1967

5
DStanchich's Blog
 

Two Weeks Left!

So I am ecstatic.....I am a new member to this site and just yesterday found out that my surgery has been approved so we are moving forward with my surgery date of 10/25. I have been overweight my entire life. I have lost and gained so many times I lost count. I had recently (within the past year) come up with some health issues that can be eradicated by losing a large amount of weight. I would lose 30-40 lbs, feel great and then life punches me and I end up gaining it back.   I have never felt more determined or motivated regarding my weight before this time in my life. I want to see my daughter marry, see my granchildren, my son off to college. And spend a long life with my amazing husband.   I want to be able to get up in the morning and go running without feeling like I am going to pass out. I want to bike ride with my son.   So happy to be getting a second chance at living healthier.   Deidre :wub: :wub: :wub:
DStanchich

DStanchich

4
Kime-lou's Blog
 

A Healthy Kinda Feeling

Despite my current cold I seem to have I am feeling healthy. I am not sure if it's the weight loss, my state of mind, the vitamins I am on or what, but I am looking and feeling healthier.   I've lost 37 lbs in 3.5 months I am working out more, taking vitamins and eating better.   My hair is shiny and soft - my curls are fluffy and pretty. My skin is clearning up, obviously I am smaller because I am wearing smaller clothes. My nails look healthier. All in all I look different not just in size. It's nice to start feeling better about myself again.   I am only about half way to my goal, but seeing these signs of health are motivating. I want to be healthy and I would like to be pretty to.   I have always been the big girl who wanted to fade into the back ground in my personal life, in work I am more of a go getter. I do a lot of traning and talking in front of large groups and that doesn't bother me because I am talking about something I know well. Now work is changing we are switching up databases so I must learn an entire new system and train my staff on it. While I am nervous, I am always up for a challenge at work, so why was I so worried about the challenge in my personal life.   This weightloss is a challange. I am having to say no to things I would have once said yes to. I am having to choose to eat better things and less of it. I have finally gotten it through my thick skull that a calorie is a calorie no matter if it's from salad or steak.   I am becoming more of a balanced person, I feel accountable and in control of my work life and my personal life and what a great feeling that is. There are days and even weeks where I get discouraged and down, but I have great friends and family who are ready to pick me up and cheer me foward until I can get the wind back in my sail again.   Thanks to those of you out there who have been the wind in my sail a few times when I've been down. I hope I can return the favor one day.
Kime-lou

Kime-lou

4
lilbrigy's Blog
 

Week One Down !!!!

wooohooo week one down,,, still feeling like this is all pretty daydreamish,, suppose massive change sometime can feel rather serial.   this week wasnt as hard as I had imagined, i wasnt really hungry much, i did crave food a little bit but my fear of food getting stuck kinda over ruled that LOL. Im finding already i have lots more energy and determination to do this.   Im struggling to find enuthsiasm about finding recipes and being overly organised about food and stuff,, which is something i will have to fix if im going to succeed at this,, which I AM GOING TO DO,, i started walking today it was actually really good I found it much easier even with the little amount of weight i have lots YESSS   my port side incision is start to get hard and lumpy but apparently that is normal..... FREAK OUT !!!! oh and sneezing OUCHHIES ,,,, but it will heal and it will be worth it   so yea all in all this week very little pain,, a bit of an emotional roller coaster but i expected that,, and still just adjusting   will keep you posted during the week,, im very new at this whole keeping a blog this so hopefully i will get better as i go alone   tata for now
lilbrigy

lilbrigy

0
Sleeved by Dr. Kelly in Mexico
 

Week 28 (7 Months)

Week 28 (7 months)   Last week’s weight – 195.8 This week’s weight – 195.8 Total weight gained/lost this week – 0   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 50.4 lbs   I need to have a serious “talk” with myself. I am not happy with this yo-yoing I am going through. Currently my weight is fluctuating between 197 – 195.8. I know this is due to a lack of focus. I hit the 50 lb mark and now I am not as motivated or as focused as I was.   My worst time is after work. I am bored or avoiding house work. That is when I munch and drink.   This is what I ate yesterday – 16 oz of water
Slimfast ready made drink with 20 grams of protein
Walked into a training where the trainer had Halloween candy. I ate 6 small twix and 3 whoppers (not hungry it was just there).
Cream of Chicken soup at hand
Crystal Light Lemonaid with 20 grams of protein (added strawberry protein stuff from Unjury)
Dinner with friend at Outback
Firefly Lemonaid Drink (had a few sips and then took home and finished later)
Ceaser Salad
Chicken Flatbread Pizza Appetizer (ate one slice and then took the rest home which I ate later)
[*]Finished rest of flatbread pizza (shared 3 slices with husband) and drink [*]Ate a bunch of pistachio nuts (not hungry – bored while watching TV – avoiding laundry) [*]Ate a bunch of dried mangos (not hungry – bored while watching TV – avoiding laundry)   I did work out in the morning – Crossfit.   In hindsight I should have not ordered the drink. I should have avoided the Halloween candy. I should have had the croutons taken off my salad. I should have drunk more water. I should have avoided the pistachio and dried mangos. Ugh….I stepped on the scale this morning and yup I was up from 195.8 to 197.2 (not counting it because I only record weight on Wednesday).   Need to be more mindful about my eating and drinking this week.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
desertmom's Blog
 

Under 90Kg's

today I weighed under 90kg's for the first time in many years.For people that weigh in pounds 200 seems to be the big number to break through but in kilos being less than 90 is the ultimate YES!   Interesting stat from my dr this morning.In 4 months I have lost 20kg's which translates into 44 pounds.It averages out to 11 pounds per month in the last 4 months.Which is not something that I could see for some reason.   Of course my first thought was to celebrate with food.This is something I will have to really work on.I dont mean bad food,just more food.I've been eating really little lately and I do miss eating tasty meals.   Because of the protein struggle (and to keep my cals below 800 when eating dense protein) I've been eating protein pancakes made with egg white and protein powder,too often.   If I could cut the amount of milk I use per day it would be easier but I like my tea and coffee with milk and 4 cups (3 tea) translates into to much milk.   Anyhoo,awaiting the blood results now but the dr isnt too worried about the petechiae as it is already clearing up a little.I did have a B12 and D injection again as well.And I have been wondering how do people get off their blood pressure meds.My blood pressure is now 120 over 80 which is normal but with the very strong meds I am taking.How does the dr decide to stop it?Do they just stop it or go on lower dosage or what?I forgot to ask.   Still,it is not normal and only bloods would tell if it is something to worry about.The dr wasnt to sure about the blood work needed so I kind of told him a few I thought was important.Will read up on it a little and maybe have the rest done with my GP.   Beach weather here in Dubai so this weekend,starting today will be spend working on the Vit D
desertmom

desertmom

2
CM4HandinSD's Blog
 

This Is My Story... And I'm Sticking To It :)

So.....this is me and my journey of what brought me to where I am today.... This blog may make you laugh, smile and even cry.. but I just want everyone to see who I am and what brought me to this amazing experience...   As of today I am 29 years old and 35 pounds lighter than I was a month ago... but what got me to the point of having to have the sleeve? Well let me lay it out for you...   I have always been fat...from the day I was came into this world I always had more padding than was needed! My parents and sisters are both extra fluffy as well so growing up I didn't realize how different I was or what I was missing out on or not doing because of my weight because being around my family I seemed normal...I never really got teased in school for my weight, there were occasional times where kids would tease me..one time I walked past a girls desk and she started shaking like there was an earthquake. I grew up in Arizona where there aren't earthquakes, the thing is she was the same size as me so I tried not to let it bother me.   Then there was the time when I wore a red shirt and kids called me the kool-aid man. After that I started wearing blacks, grays, browns, darker colors that never really brought attention to myself.. wow I just realized as I wrote that why I tend to still to this day wear those colors and shy away from anything bright!   In middle school my mom had me do weight watchers in the summer, I lost a good amount of weight, but I was still chunky, by the end of the school year I had gained it all back and then some. The thing is, I still wasn't bothered by my weight. Boys were interested in me and had been since the 4th grade, but that probably was because I was the only 4th grade girl that was already a full B cup..   In high school I always had a boyfriend, it seemed that was not an issue that my weight let get in the way. There were even times when I had a few boys interested in me at once, by the end of high school I was already in a size 18/20. But that didn't seem to bother me or stop me from doing anything. My weight was something I felt would never stop me from doing what I wanted. I was happy and that is all that mattered.   I started college and the same thing, still had boys interested in me. Met boys in classes and made me feel like there wasn't anything wrong with my weight. I always heard people say oh boys won't like you because of your weight, but to me it wasn't an issue. I seemed to be the serial fat girl dater. After a few years of the college life I decided to move away from my family and all I knew in Arizona. It was time to branch out and I felt as though I was going no where in this town...   So I packed up my car and moved to San Diego at the age of 21. A city that I loved, though didn't know a single soul in. A big move for this girl who actually was shy! You wouldn't have guessed that with all that you've read so far, I bet So I started a new job, had my own place and that's when I realized that being fat, was being fat and there was nothing good about it. Living in California and a beach city to top it off there were beautiful girls everywhere.   Going to the beach I felt like a beached whale and that everyone stared at me... but then again I started meeting men.. they were interested in me and I thought wow if they are interested in me and there are those barbie girls out there then I am doing ok. I did start to work out and eat a little healthier, tried to get into the California lifestyle.. But even working out and eating right didn't seem to matter my weight stayed the same and eventually I gained more and more.   I had a few serious relationships, one right after another and they all loved me for me and thought I was beautiful no matter what size I was. I was always told I had such a pretty face, so again never let my weight get to me. I've done walks and the more weight I gained the more the simple things became harder...   I would determine if I would go somewhere based on how far I had to walk, if there were stairs, how crowded it was. I wouldn't go to a restaurant unless I knew there were tables instead of booths for the fear of not being able to fit into a booth.. Now I mention that the men I date were not fat, they were in good shape some in great shape with six packs!   I really started to become self conscious of who I was, what I looked like and who I had let myself become. My older sister had the lapband, lost a lot of weight but then had issues with the band and is slowly gaining the weight back. I started doing boxing and kickboxing at a boxing gym and loved it. I struggled but made it through every single hour long class!   Weight loss surgery has been something that I've thought about, but always thought I know I can lose the weight without it.. it will be my last resort! Then I met this new guy,... and we fell in love and got married! Going on just over a year right now. He is amazing, but he is fit, very active and health minded. That didn't seem to bother him, he always told me I was beautiful and loved me no matter what..   Then we decided we wanted to have children.. the thing is I hadn't had a period in years... I mean probably since I was in high school and college... and now I was 27 years old. I know what needs to happen to have babies... I was scared to tell him that I didn't have one and that I knew right now I would not be able to get pregnant. I so went to my OBGYN and started talking to her. She put me on medication to force me to have periods every 3 months... it worked, but still I was not ovulating. So she sent me to an endocrinologist.. and there is where I realized for one of the very first times in my life being fat is taking something from my life that I wanted so badly.   So they found out I had PCOS, a condition you get being overweight that causes you to resist insulin, you don't ovulate you don't get your monthly cycle. I felt like I was the only woman in the world who wanted to have regular periods every month! So they put me on medication for it to help me lose weight and get my cycles back.. well I never happened. I was thinking about weight loss surgery again, after all it would get me in the best position to have children the fastest. But I was worried too.. what if it doesn't work? Then I have tried every option possible and I am still left fat and childless... then will my husband still love me?   Then the true nightmare began... as I mentioned my entire family was over weight. Well as the years went on my mother was extremely overweight. She was 55 and struggling so much she was in a scooter..... my mother became very ill very fast.. she went to work on A thursday and became so ill that Saturday my dad took her to the ER. By the time I got into town, I knew I was going to lose my mother. Sunday morning at about 5 am my mother passed away. Her weight was the factor, they thought she had arthritis, which is why her back hurt and she had a scooter. Turns out it was kidney failure, and my mother had an infection and became septic. There was nothing that they could do for her in the hospital.   My sister and I lost our mother, our father lost his wife, my grandmother lost her daughter and her siblings lost their sister.. because of weight. That scared me because I was heading down the same path.. was that could to be me in 30 years? This happened June of 2012..   Then I had a dream a few night later... We were all back at the hospital and my mom was laying on the bed, she suddenly woke up and said, " Now that I'm ok, we all need to work on getting healthy". That was my breaking point, my vow to do whatever I had to do to live a long healthy life.   So I went to my Dr and said I want to do surgery, I went to the seminars and decided that I wanted to do the vertical sleeve. It was the best option and I have a little over 200 pounds to loose.. I was ready and willing to sacrifice anything to get my life on track. Being that I had already been going to the weight loss center I only had 2 more months until I could qualify through insurance since they required 6 months of visits..   So two months later my surgery date was set for Sept 14th, 2012. And I was ready. Insurance approval went through easy and I was set! Surgery day came and I still didn't feel like it was going to happen. My surgery went amazing, no complications I was on the table an hour. My recovery was just as great, I was discharged the next day by noon. I was at one of the best hospitals possible so I knew the care I was getting was what I needed.   Now here I am almost 4 weeks later and 35 pounds lighter. THis was the best decision of my life and I don't regret it. The only thing I regret is not doing it sooner. Maybe even sooner so maybe my mom would get to see how life changing it was and maybe make the decision to do something about it herself.. then maybe just maybe I would still have a mom... As today marks 4 months from the day she was taken from us all too soon..   So next time I think that being fat doesn't mean anything, I will think again because to me fat is no longer an option or a lifestyle.. it is going to be the old me, the me who really didn't think about what it was doing to me or my family.. Fat made me who I am today and without being this way I probably wouldn't have met my husband, but it also took my mother from me...   So here is to the start of the new non-fat me... seeing where this journey takes me. I know that wherever it does I will not be needing to ask for a seatbelt extender any longer
Carly4HandinSD

Carly4HandinSD

4
A funny thing happend while I was loosing weight
 

New Non-Scale Goal

My husband works IT for Comcast. He loves his job and the thing I love is that he comes home with random swag. He's brought home new DVDs, shirts, coasters, even a "Rome" robe. The other day, he came home with a typical Comcast tee-shirt. It's nothing exciting...just another shirt. But then I looked at it. It looked REALLY small. According to the tag its' a large but I promise you, it looks more like a medium than any large I've ever seen. I tried it on and to my surprise, it's not that tight on me. That doesn't mean I would wear it out in public or even take a photo of myself in for the blog. What it does mean is that I now have a new non-scale goal to achieve.   It couldn't have come at a better time as I had already met my other non scale goals and now they were all too big on me. I'm not complaining at all but it is nice to have that one thing you strive for other than a number on a scale. Then, I read the shirt. It was more than just an Xfinity shirt...it had a message just for me...."The Future Of Awesome"!!! Isn't that just the perfect goal shirt? Then, to make it even more "awesome, I lightened my hair (a reward for meeting a goal). So, even though I am already awesome....it's nice to strive for something that makes me even more so!!!! Oh, and before I forget. I did meet a REALLY big non scale goal today. I was able to dry my sweatshirt and still have it fit. LOL It hasn't been dried since I've owned it and now it's all nice and soft and a little smaller but still baggy on me. Love that feeling!!!!   The Shirt   LOL           The New Hair  
tmorgan813

tmorgan813

3
Fat in Kentucky
 

Destiny Or Luck!

So, it has been a while since I last blogged about anything. Between work and life I have just been busy. However, a recent turn of events has brought me back. I finished my 6 month insurance required diet 3 weeks ago. 1 1/2 weeks ago my insurance approved my surgery. My last test was a stress test yesterday. My WL doctor didn't even have those results (which were all fine) and they called me today and asked me to come in tomorrow morning for my final consult with the doctor. They also told me that he has an opening on October 22. WOW! Talk about fast!! When I first started this process back in March I dreaded having the wait the 6 months which actually went back pretty quickly when you are working and life is just happening. I never dreamed that the insurance would approve me in less than 2 weeks. They usually require a 2 week preop, they said don't worry about it just start it tomorrow. So, I haven't really stressed or worried about the surgery this entire time because I was trying to get everything done that needed to get done to satisfy the insurance company. BUT NOW! I don't have time to worry. Going to eat in a few with my husband and daughter at Texas Roadhouse for my LAST SUPPER and I'm not even hungry! My downfall is sugar but don't really want that either right now. Let's back up to yesterday. I am sure that all women know what the "paper vest" is. If not, I will explain. The paper vest is disposable clothing. This vest would only cover up a person weighing under 100 lbs. Maybe less. Picture if you will, a 350 lb. woman being given this paper vest to put on on the cardiologist office. It covered nothing. I tried to adjust it only to rip out the side like SHE HULK. They said no problem, we can fix it with tape. HA They hooked up the electrodes and then proceeded to take disposable hand towels and tape and cover my breasts which had all ready been seen by everyone in the room (oh yeah, I had to walk down the hallway wearing the ripped vest to the treadmill room). I also had to walk, jog and run on the treadmill with the paper vest on. Boobs flopping everywhere. All I can say is that is why I am having this surgery. In the future, anytime I go to any doctor for any reason, I am going to request a paper vest because I should finally be able to cover this stuff up with one eventually.
Kentucky Girl

Kentucky Girl

6
Blog 78170
 

3 Years On October 22Nd 2012 - Annual Checkup

It has been a while since I logged in here. But Almost 3 years later I am 6 pounds from goal weight of 140 and I have lost 100 pounds! I lost 68lbs in first year and 20 lbs each year thereafter. I have not worked out so would have been faster if I did that! But went to see Dr Rantis today and band position looks good! I have a 10cc band and it is filled to 5.25ccs and no more restriction needed! I am a size 6 and it feels great! Foods that have been eliminated from diet are Soda and Soft Bread. Everything else is eaten on strict portion control! This has been the best decision I have ever made! I have had no health or complication issues and blood work keeps coming back good. I am starting a home workout routing - Jullian Michaels Body Revolution to tone up. I have the occasional times that I eat too fast or dont chew enough and I get stuck but I have managed that pretty well by now. So for now, I am very happy and hope to reach my goal weight very soon and get back into shape!
aghealthy

aghealthy

5
desertmom's Blog
 

Seeing The Dr.

tomorrow I will see my physician.Since surgery I have had 4 episodes of petechiae.Those tiny little point bleeds that is a rash on my trunk and thighs and this time also on my back.This has scared me when it happened but I always got it after I had my B12 shot and it did go away in about 5 days.   This time it seems to be increasing and I havent had a shot.I also have bruises all over and some inplaces that you know it wasnt caused by anything.   I hope he can shed some light on this as it is quite scary to think it might be related to low B12 or low platelet count.I am a registered nurse and I know that we do not think too much of the fact that our intrinsic factor has been cut out but that this can cause some serious issues for some people.   So I will fast tonight and hopefully he will do thorough baseline bloods and vitamins bloods.It is quite difficult here to convince the dr's to do a lot of different vitamin bloods at a time as some of the tests are still send away and it is very very costly to do.I just wish I knew what bloods we need to do as a standard anyway.   O well,lts see what he says.    
desertmom

desertmom

0
The Road to the Sleeve
 

Music In Place Of Snacking

Right now, when I get bored and have the urge to snack, I'm listening to music to stimulate my brain. It seems to be working. I'm getting paid for a painting soon, and I think I'm going to invest in some new songs for my MP3 player. I've found that I really love K-Pop, and they're great songs for working out. So that's my little tidbit for today. Try it out! It might help you when you want to eat, but don't need to.
EdaW

EdaW

0
roxa's Blog
 

I Have A Date

My surgery has been scheduled for Oct 29th. FINALLY! I start my pre-op diet on the 15th. I am scared. I keep trying to talk myself out of it.
roxa

roxa

2
putasleeveonit's Blog
 

Surgery And Food Addiction

The main point I want to get across to people considering VSG is this: Regardless of your starting weight, if you are a yo-yo dieter, grazer, food addict and/or compulsive overeater with self-sabotaging tendencies, the surgery alone will not be enough. You will also need to get some form of counseling or treatment to control your compulsive overeating/grazing if you're serious about reaching your goal weight. (Read the symptoms of food addiction, compulsiver overeating here)   Now that that's out the way. Here are my stats:   Beginning weight: Approx. 193.5 Current weight: Approx. 132   Shocker right? I started this journey in the so called "lightweights" category--basically people with a BMI below 35. I only wanted to lose 68 pounds, and so far have lost 61. So what, if anything, went wrong?   Well, first let me say that I do not regret the surgery. Here's the deal: I'm a chronic yo-yo dieter and compulsive overeater. Before the sleeve, I had tried multiple diets in 2011, losing 25 lbs pretty quickly each time. The problem was, each time, I quickly regained the weight that I had lost in a period of days. Those setbacks became pretty discouraging after a while. I did a little research and decided that VSG would solve my problems.   Once I had the surgery, I fell into my normal pattern of periods of intense effort followed by periods of little or no effort towards reaching my goal. That got me to 152 lbs (approx. 41 lbs down) around 3.5 months out. From there, during periods of increased effort, I'd get down into the mid 140s. When I fell off the wagon, I would find my way back to around 152, which appeared to be my ceiling, regardless of how many bad days I had. Again, regardless of how many bad days I had. THAT's the reason why I do not regret this surgery. Were it not for the surgery, my 40 lb loss would have eventually turned into a 60 lb gain. With VSG, the worst case scenario appeared to be gaining back 5 lbs or so to end up back at 152 (I'm sure that over time, my ceiling will creep back up, but that's another issue).   Fast forward a few weeks... I stumbled on to the fact that I might have a mild form of adult attention deficit disorder. I was discouraged by all the projects that I was falling behind in, and I was very unhappy with my tendency to procrastinate and not put forth my best efforts. I met with the psychiatrist who prescribed adderall. I was aware of all the stories about adderall and weight loss, but after failing at weight loss surgery, I had pretty much moved on from thinking that I could lose weight from drugs or any other interventions. My main concern was getting my behavior under control so that I could be more effective at work and at home.   I started taking the medication around June. Within a few months, my schedule had become super busy and I had addressed the issues I had been avoiding for years head on, including home refi, ending a bad relationship, and revamping a few side businesses. But there was another side effect--while the medication was in effect, I was not a food addict. I ate when hungry. At night, when the medication wore off, I would resume grazing and eating just because. Of course, with the sleeve you can only eat so much.   With my food addiction somewhat under control during the day, I have gone on to lose an additional 20 lbs over a period of 4 months. This was with no effort, since I've been so devoted to the projects I'm working on that I haven't made time to workout or follow any particular meal plans. I recently resumed my gym membership and fully intend to start working out again and eating as healthy as possible but I'm trying to get everything else in order first.   I'm not advocating medicine to people suffering from food addiction--I'm advocating any treatment, including group meetings or counseling, that will help keep it under control. It turns out my weight issues are directly related to how much I obsess over food when I'm not hungry---no diet, fat burner, workout plan, or even surgery can solve that problem. However, it's probably not a great idea to just rely on medicine to control food addiction, because when the medication stops, the problem returns. In the end, counseling and coping tools are key to managing the disorder.
putasleeveonit

putasleeveonit

3
Linda's Blah blah blah blog
 

Emotional Food

In my earlier blog I referred to how much I love bread. And I received a response from a fellow blogger who mentioned the danger in having a relationship with bread.   I find myself wondering if it's possible that food truly became the thing I could rely on after my Mom died. It feels like a big leap to me - but it's worth inquiring with my emotions about whether bread represents something bigger to me in my food challenge. I recall that as a child there was always bread on the table at dinner. And I would go for it at EVERY opportunity during the meal. My Dad would call me on it every time!   So it's funny that I remember that Mom put the bread on the table, but Dad put the kaibash on eating it.   Then Mom died.   Hmm... I don't know... maybe there could be a relationship type of thing, but if there is I just thought about it 30 years later, so I'm not sure that gives it a legit stand.   Anyone with insight it most welcome to respond!
LinSmargiassi

LinSmargiassi

3
brownlady30's Blog
 

Brownlady30@yahoo.com

I have been concerned about my weight loss lately so I really took the time to examine myself yesterday. I was not happy with my weightloss. So I decided that walking in the evenings was not enough I need to step up my game. So I got up this morning at 4:15 am and got ready to go to the gym. I feel much better since I worked out at the gym on the treadmill with an incline for 30 minutes. I hope that 30-60 minutes of cardio will help me move from this stall. I have my 3 month follow-up with my surgeon in appro. 2 weeks. My goal is to be below 200lbs.
brownlady30

brownlady30

1
Dig it Dog
 

Tired, Kitten Cadavers And 1 Month Post Op Check Up

I'm so really really exhausted! Spent most of the day cleaning and organizing Ate a bit, 2 turkey meatballs from tj's 2oz sweat potatoe fries 2 Dino nuggets 3/4 meat sope 1 microwave Mac and cheese And lots of coffee!   Start dissecting cats tomorrow in anatomy and physiology class. Will be a vegetarian for the next 6 weeks on weds and thurs due to cadaver and related smells.   Also having my 1 months post op check up Even though its been about 7 weeks! Hopefully I wont wreak of formaldehyde and kittens.   Sad but true.  
Tanya_cotto

Tanya_cotto

4
Amanda's Rambles
 

One Month Post Op!! And First Fill!!

Well once again I was in bed about to have a long visit with the sandman when my nagging conscious made me get up and come write my blog. Its officially been 4 weeks since surgery!! I am down a total of 25 lbs since I started my pre-op diet! And a total of 32 since I started this process in February. Woo hoo. I had two doctors appointments today (I'll get to those in a min) and was thinking to myself in the elevator on the way home after the second one, how lucky I was to be in the situation I am in. If you had told me this time last year that in a year I would have my band and be on my way to being happy and healthy I would have said yeah right. I just hope that my success continues and yes I know that I am the one who controls my destiny. As my clinician said today, I am the boss of my band not the other way around.   First visit of the day was my surgeon's office, which I have grown to not like the office staff. The nurse practitioner make a crack about all of my emails when I was going through all of that extensive gas pain. Doesn't tell me much of anything and even has the wrong information, she starts talking to me about my gastric sleeve. Then she realized oops, I have the wrong chart. She also stated again that I had 0 cc inside my band. I am just glad that I do not have to deal with that office anymore. She gave me my release that turned my care back over to True Results.   I get to True Results for my first fill and have to say that I was really pretty nervous about it. I am a big whimp when it comes to pain but I had read from several people that it wasn't anything bad. They did like any other doctor's office, weighed me, took my vitals, asked how I was feeling and then left me in the room until the clinician came in to do my fill. She walked in, her name was Linda and we got a long really well, we had each other cracking up. She asks if I want to be numbed I said heck yes. She stuck me about 5 times (which didn't hurt) to numb the area and I have to say pretty quickly I could only feel the pressure of her pushing down but not the actual feeling of it, if that makes sense.   They located my port by feeling around and I have to say it was pretty cool/yet kinda gross to be able to feel it. Once she found the top of it, she tried accessing it to test to see if any fluid was in there. I told her that the surgeon's office said there wasn't any. Another nurse had to come in and help since my port was being stubborn, she said that my port site was still pretty swollen from surgery and deeper than she thought it would be. But guess what...I had 1.5 cc in my band!! I am not really upset with that because I can't imagine how unbearable the past few weeks would have been without any restriction, I would have been eating the walls. This also means that my stomach and liver were really small when he got in there, because he said he doesn't do fills if the area is really tight around the band. So double score for all of that liver worrying. However, at the same time I am just mad at my surgeon's office for giving me wrong information. I am officially filled to a 3.5 cc in a 10 cc band. I had to wait in the waiting room and drink a cup of water to make sure it went down before I left.   I can say I could tell a change pretty quickly, and I've had some issues with gas pain tonight. I think that this is from me needing to take EVEN smaller sips of things. Part of the problem is that I am dying of thirst, or feel that way and just want to chug a bottle of water, but that would cause A LOT of pain. So I have just been taking more and more sips. According to the target track True Results put me on they would have liked for me to have lost 3 additional pounds, which would have meant 14 total from the date of surgery. But everyone was happy with what I had done. However, my next target is another 16 lbs lost by my next fill which is scheduled for 11/6. I am going to increase my working out even more and make sure I am cutting back on my carbs and making sure I behave on the weekend. I haven't been crazy with them, but going to reign them in some more.   Oh, I emailed the nurse practitioner at the surgeon's office and told her they may want to update my chart to reflect that I did in fact had 1.5 cc in my band post-op. The lady had the nerve to write back and say, "not necessary." WOW!! Am I blowing this out of proportion or am I a little justified in feeling like they have absolutely zero patient care. But on the pro side, I had 6 people tell me today that my incisions looked really good. For the record, I have no issue with the surgeon, just his office staff. I'll post a pic next week showing what they look like a month out.   Anyways, I was back to liquids for today and tomorrow, then one more day of mushies, then back to regular food on Friday. I will keep you posted on how my weight loss is going, hopefully I can continue to see the scale numbers go down and meet that goal of 16 lbs by 11/16. That would make me at 40 lbs lost!! I can't even believe I can type that let alone it be possible. I still haven't purchased any new pants, why I am not sure yet. But I desperately need too, going to be wearing burlap sacks pretty soon if I don't fix this problem. Also, non scale victory I have written and proof read the first 3 chapters of my second novel! And I think come up with a title for the first, so pretty soon I hope to be a self published author!   My final rant, I normally post on Monday nights, but couldn't bring myself to do it. I had to put my first born fur baby (I don't have any human children) to sleep last night. Taylor was my 9 year old chocolate lab who was just getting old. She went downhill fairly quickly in the past two weeks and after our best efforts to save her, she was just too far gone, so we had to put her out of her pain and misery. I literally was there right after the was born and I held her paw until the end. The pain I feel is terrible and I miss her like crazy. I was outside tonight with my other dog, Lizzie and I could have sworn I heard her bark, needless to say it brought tears to my eyes, but I know she is watching over me.   Until tomorrow,   Amanda
Duhs9919

Duhs9919

3
pcosmommyof4's Blog
 

Balance

Sometimes I just with the womens lib didnt happen. It is soo hard to balance everything and still have time to work out.   You can read more here: http://tinkrisegrind.blogspot.com/2012/10/dancing-shoes.html
pcosmommyof4

pcosmommyof4

0

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