Today I'm wearing a size 10 jean, my shirt is tucked in and people can't quit complimenting me. Its really almost embarrasing.
I'm so happy with my weightloss - I just cannot wait to get to 155 so I can be considered HEALTHY. Only 16 lbs to be healthy, wow, thats hard to believe.
Now, that my weightloss is back on track, its time to get to the gym!
Wt - didn't weigh this morning, running behind and forgot. But I doubt I am down any, had a lot of sodium yesterday so probably holding water.
Exercise - 15 min on elliptical machine (so far today) plan on doing more this evening
Went shopping today (spent way too much money) but it sure felt good to pull a size 10 and 12 off the rack and they fit.
I bought me two new pairs of jeans, very cool jeans I might add, at a hip store in the mall. I felt like a million dollars when I was able to wear a pair. I loved buying them and walking out of the store with a bag in my hand. In makes me feell like I've finally made it. Even though I'm not were I want to be, I'm moving closer and closer every day.
I am sooooo close to getting out of the 170's, I just cannot wait!
Anyhow, gotta run.
Wt this morning 172.7:thumbup:
The next point is chewing. It is very important that food is completely chewed. Before swallowing ensure the food is a liquid. As the weight loss progresses the opening from the pouch to the lower stomach will be getting smaller. Therefore the food needs to be chewed more thoroughly. If a piece of food is too big to go through the stoma, or opening, it will get "stuck". This can be very painful.
Slower eating becomes inevitable. Eating too fast encourages bigger bites. The bigger bite means the food isn’t chewed properly and it can get stuck. As a Bandster with over 18 months in, I still find myself falling into this trap. I get excited, chatting with friends and just forget to pay attention.
A Bandster’s Eating Order
Lap Band patients have a specific order in which to eat their food. It is important that there is enough protein in the diet to keep the bodies moving properly. Therefore, the protein should be eaten first. WLS patients need 40-60 grams of protein every day. This can come in a variety of ways. Protein shakes, cheese, fish, beef, chicken, soy. The challenge comes when only certain foods can be tolerated. Also, it is important that the protein is a “hard” protein (chicken, beef, and fish) if possible. It shouldn’t all come from protein shakes and cheese.
The vegetables should be eaten second, and carbohydrates/starches last (if there is room). Proteins last longer in the pouch and take longer to process through the band allowing you to feel full sooner and maintain satiety longer.
Hard proteins are the most difficult for a Bandster to consume. The hard proteins need to be more moist, more tender and chewed more completely than any other type of food. Generally speaking, proteins are the foods that get “stuck” most often and cause spit ups. This happens because the bite isn’t small enough and/or, because the protein hasn’t been chewed sufficiently before swallowing.
For the record, beef is generally the most difficult food for Bandsters to eat. Beef is one of the most difficult foods for humans to digest. It can take several days for a piece of steak to actually work its way through the digestive track. And that’s on an un-banded person! So, if you eat a piece of steak and it isn’t chewed it up completely, it can sit in the pouch for an extended amount of time. Further, the stomach acids that help an un-banded person process beef are not present in the pouch and therefore are not there to help the body break the beef down.
Remember each and every person is different so you will have to test your own waters. Some Bandsters have no trouble with beef whatsoever; others won’t go near it. From personal experience I know that each Bandster will figure out what he or she can or cannot tolerate through trial and error. Trust me when I say that tolerances change; one day ground beef is fine and the next you realize it isn’t any longer. You must be willing and able to adapt to sudden changes in your body’s ability to process certain foods.
What you need to know about living with the band
By Robin McCoy
When you begin the decision-making process to have Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), and specifically Lap Band® Surgery, it is vital that you fully understand the changes you must make in your lifestyle. WLS is not a magic pill. Weight loss is something that you must work at to be successful. There are several rules and circumstances that someone who has undergone Lap Band® Surgery, a “Bandster,” must follow and understand to see success and have a high quality banded life.
Drinking Before and After Meals
Not drinking during meals is, by far, one of the most important things to learn and is vital to your weight loss success. It is also one of the most challenging.
Stop drinking all liquids at least 30 minutes before your meal. This allows all that is in your pouch to drain through to the lower stomach. Therefore your pouch is empty when you eat allowing the food to fill you up properly.
Forgo all beverages during your meals. Drinking during a meal flushes the food through your band and the band is unable to function properly. Most people will have 2, 3 or even 4 glasses of liquid with meals. Servers in restaurants, trained to keep customers happy, will keep beverage glasses full throughout the meal. This is unhealthy for bandsters and sabotages their success. State firmly and clearly that you do not want a beverage. From personal experience, I know the often bewildered looks that follow the statement: “nothing to drink for me,” but diligence is the key. Like most changes required after the Lap Band® procedure, not drinking with meals gets much easier with time. Having now lost over 100 pounds, I no longer have difficulty asking my server not to bring me a beverage!
Do not drink for an hour after a meal.The main reason is the same as drinking during your meal. Liquids wash the food through the band defeating its purpose. Another reason not to drink after a meal is if your pouch is full the beverage might not have anywhere to go…except backwards resulting in a spit-up. Suffice it to say that food and liquids making a return visit is not satisfying.
By starting this practice immediately, at the next meal, you will be well on your way to a successful banding experience.
Smaller Bites. More Chewing. Slower Eating.
Begin to recognize and understand what a Bandster Bite is. At your next meal look at your bite size. Look at the amount of food on your fork and remember it. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the Bandster bite size after surgery. Now, cut that bite in half. This is the size of a Bandster bite after the first fill or adjustment. After each fill the bite size will get smaller until the bandster is eating toddler-sized bites. The reason for this is so the bite can be chewed completely to a liquid before swallowing.
I think I'm finally curred. I figured out, don't eat past 7pm and I'll be okay as far as my reflux goes. YAY.
I am so excited, I really have finally hit the sweet spot. I have to eat slower now, and I have to sip on my water! I feel my band working!
Now, that I finally have hit the "sweet" spot, it is time to get back to exercise. I have really just blown it off for several weeks now and I need to get back to it. Its time to kick some butt and get to my goal!
wt - 175.9
Okay, last night I didn't eat past 7:30, I drank a little warm tea before bed to loosen the band and guess what - I SLEPT last night. Yay! I can handle it now. I was so worried that I had a slip because of the horrible reflux I had - it was so bad, that the liquid even came out my nose - yes gross, but the truth.
Anyhow, I don't think I will get an unfill, or a fill, I think I really am at my sweet spot, FINALLY after 20 months of banding. I'm so happy I could cry!
wt 178.7
After researching a lot about my sudden restriction, I fear that I may have a slipped band. I am scheduled for a fill next week on the 17th. I will go ahead and go, I DO NOT NEED A FILL, however, I want him to look and make sure my band is in the right place.
IF it is, then I will have him do a slight, very slight unfill. Hopefully it has not slipped and my unfill will cure my acid reflux I am having in the evening. I have not gotten any sleep in days..............
Wt this morning ----177.1
Okay, so I get a fill on 8/6 or 5th, can't remember the exact date....My doc fills me up to 4 cc's in a 4cc band, I have to go back that same day and he takes he said a little over .2cc's out, he said I'm somewhere between 3.6 to 3.8 cc's.
Everything was going great, matter of fact, I felt like I needed a tad more. Well, not anymore! I cannot hardly eat or drink anything. It seems I get tighter at night, so weired! If its cold, I have to barely sip on my drink, for the first time EVER, I actually have to take small bits and put my fork down between bites, is this what they call RESTRICTION? I thought I had restriction before, but never like this.
The weird thing is it came on all of a sudden, Saturday night, 4 weeks after my fill, I start feeling tight and I actually PB'd on some chineese food. I NEVER EVER EVER pb. Seriously, I've only PB'd once in my entire Banded life. I'm a bit worried, and I'm a bit happy. I hope this restriciton last, and I hope its not a sign of band slippage.
I will keep documenting how it goes, man, I love this feeling of NEVER HUNGRY, and actually having to slow down to eat.:thumbup:
I need my mojo back to make it to the gym. I want to be like I used to be, where I got up at 5am and went to the gym, everyday! I've lost that "loving feeling" since my knee surgery last August. I really need to get it back!
My eating has been good, if I could just make it to the gym.
I have a busy night tonight, we have our bible/book study tonight and its at my house and its goody night, so everyone will stay late to eat, so by the time everyone leaves, it will be after 9 or 9:30. I will be too tired to make it to they gym. I am going to focus on going Thursday. I really wish I could get up in the am. I just can't seem to drag my butt out of bed in the mornings. I really need to work on this!
Here is my menu today
Bfast - Light Frapacino from Starbucks (200 cal), 1/2 cup of watermellon.
Lunch - 3 oz of tuna, 3 crackers
Dinner - grilled chicken 3 oz, spinach salad.
snack - No sugar added yogurt with a handfull of granola.
wt 177.9 - I know I said I wasn't going to get on the scales, but I did weigh this morning. I will continue to try and not get on them daily -
Fill #1 - 3/6/07 - 2.2cc's
Fill #2 - 4/17/07 - 3.0cc's
Fill #3 - 7/6/07 - 3.5 cc's (I think it was only 2.5cc's because when I went back for fill #4, he could only w/draw 1.8 cc's)
Fill #4 - 7/20/07 - filled me back to 3.0 ccs - He should have filled me more!
Fill #5 - 8/17/07 - 3.4cc's
Fill #6 - 10/08/07 - filled me to 3.8cc's - the restriction I've ever had,but still could eat big bites of food, so I figured I needed to be tighter.
Fill #7 - 11/21/07 filled to 4.0 cc's. By the evening could not hold anything down, not even my saliva. PBing all night - horrilble experieince
11/23/07 - Unfill - Got unfill and because of the swelling and all the PBing, doc took my fill down to 3.0cc's. NO RESTRICTION AGAIN
Fill #8 - 1/18/08 Went in and the doc filled me back up to just right under 4.0, according to Flouro, it was perfect. Well, by next morning, could not hold down saliva again, ended up back in hospital and the Doc had to take me back down to 3.0. grrrr. Now I'm back where I was in November, barely restriction again.
Fill #9 - 3.5 cc's - was tight for about a week, now feel lose again. grrrr, still have "some" restriction, just not quite enough! Next fill scheduled for 4/7/08 - I hate that it takes sooooooo long to get in to see the fill doc.
FILL #10 - 4/7/08 The doc just added .4cc's, making me at 3.9cc's. I think this might be the one!
FILL #11 - Was scheduled on 6/25/08 - but the doc did not fill me up, I was leaving for a cruise on 6/27 so he didn't want to risk me being too tight, so did not get a fill.
FILL #11 - 8/5/08 Went for a fill, this time the doc took all my fill out and all he could get out was 2.4 cc's. Filled me up to 4.0 cc's, I left, had to go right back because I could not drink, he took out a little over .2 cc's, he said I'm somewhere between 3.5 to 3.7 cc's. - I had great restriction for 2 weeks, but It has now loosened some. I feel I might need a tad more. I'm worried I have a very slow leak.
FILL #12 - SCHEDULED FOR 8/17/08
I did not make it to the gym last week, bad me! I just had too much going on, however, I'm back at it this week.
Today's menu so far
Bfast - iced mocha from mcD's with skim milk - bad, liquid calories. And 1 jal pepper baked with LF cream cheese - co-worker brought it to me this morning, very good.
Lunch - Logans Steak House - I had 8 oz steak - but only ate about 2 to 3 oz of it, grilled veggies and steamed mushrooms. Did pretty good, I did not eat the bread!
Dinner - 2 oz of ground lean beef, LC tortillia, salsa.
Exercise - 10:00 am - 16 min on elliptical
3:00 pm - 15 min on elliptical
9:00 pm - 40 min on elliptical
Total calories burned - approximately 550 to 600 - You would think those darned scales would move! Those bastards!
Wt - staying off the scales, tired of watching them not move. this is so hard for me! I weigh 2 to 3 times a day and it is so depressing to me when they go up and not down. I am either weighing once a week or I will weigh when I feel like I've lost. I have such a love/hate relationship with those darned scales.:party:
Yay - its my Friday at work - I'm off tomorrow.
I plan on going to the gym tonight and tomorrow when I'm off, I'll go during the day.
I have had very very good restriction lately, its been about 2 weeks since my fill, and I have another appointment in September for another fill, but at this point I might cancel it if I still have this good restriction.
Menu today
Bfast
weight wise oatmeal
Lunch
smoked turkey, green beans
Dinner
Grilled Talapia topped with homemade salsa and a spoonful of brown rice.
Wt - Didn't weigh this morning, was running way behind in getting ready for work and simply "forgot" - wow?
Highest weight - November - 2007 248
Banded 1/18/07
1 mo post op (Feb 18)- 206.8
2 mo post op (March 18) - 198
3 mo post op (April 18th)- 193
4 mo post op (May 18th)- 184.2
5 mo post op (June 18th(- 178
6 mo post op (July 18th)– 174
7 mo post op (Aug 18th)- 178 - went on vacation and ate big (7 day cruise)
8 mo post op (Sept 18th)- 174
9 mo post op (Oct 18th)- 170
10 mo post op (Nov 18th) - 167
11 mo post op (Dec 18th) - 170 - haven’t even been trying
12 mo post op (Jan 18th 2008)- 174 - again, not trying. But finally refocused - exactly where I was at 6 mos post op – so basically no weight loss in the past 6 mos
13 mo post op (Feb 18th) - 183 - Ouch! started taking steroids and made my weight go up, along with not eating right and no exercise!
14 mo post op (March 18th)- 185 - grrrrr
15 mo post op (April 18th)- 180 - weight is finally going down, but inches are actually coming off faster since I've been exercising a lot.
16 mo post op (May 18th)- 178
17 mo post op (June 18th)- 175
18 mo post op (July 18th)- 179- still not focussed:sad:
19 mo post op -(Aug 18th) - 178 - focussed again - This time I am committed to getting to goal and will not stray! I do not ever want to see the 180's again!
I'm trying to watch my calories - her is yesterdays
Grams
Calories = 950
Fat = 53.4 (too much fat - it was the cookies I ate that put it this much fat!)
Carbohydrate 51.5
Protein 68.1
Wt 179.5
I have been sick since Saturday and so I haven't worked out since Friday. I am feeling better today so I will go to the gym tonight!
My menu
Bfast - coffee w/cream, handful of nuts
Lunch
low carb tortilla, 3 oz of chicken, no skin, 2 tbs salsa, 1 oz cheese. 1/2 cup cilantro - (chicken taco - yum) (320 cal)
snack - sugar free low cal chocolate pudding (60 cal)
Dinner
1/2 pork chop, salsa, low carb tortilla (330 cal)
Workout
Upper body - biceps, triceps, shoulders, back, chest
45 min on elliptical machine
Had another good workout last night. Woke up this morning and sure felt smaller, I thought I would go ahead and weigh. I was down just a bit from yesterday, but I swear I feel so much smaller. It must be the inches I'm losing.
Wt - 178.6
Tonight, I will workout my upper body and do 30 min of cardio. I am a cardio junkie these days. I love the elliptical because its so easy on my knees. It still hurts a bit, but not as much as the treadmill or even just walking around my house.
Monday will be my 19th month Band Anniversary and I'm hoping to be at 175. I'm hoping I have a 3 lbs loss thru the weekend. I know that is a long shot, but that is what I am hoping anyhow.
I'm so ready to be out of the 170's once and for good. The 160's Here I come!
As they say, third times the charm, this is my third time out of the 180's. So this time it is for good!
This last fill I got is so wonderful. I am full of a relatively small amount of food. I can still eat, meat, bread, whatever, just not that much of it. I'm still debating whether to get another fill. If it continues like this until next month, I don't think I will.
My weight this morning was 179.1. I'm just ready to get to my goal weight of 145, or even my doc's goal weight he wants me at 155lbs.
I did not exercise last night, it was a long night and I knew I had to get up this morning with the kids to get them off for their first day of school. I will go tonight for sure.
Today was my son's first day of his senior year and high school and my daughters first day of high school. They have not been in the same school since she was 7, so they are excited to be going to the same school again.
Well, off to work I go.
Well, everything is going along. Weight is just staying on, but I'm losing a little here and there.
I've been making it to the gym, last night I was so tired and almost blew it off, but I knew I needed to go. I didn't do my strength training, however, I did do over 30 min on the elliptical and burned about 325 calories. So, I was happy that I went.
My fill #11 is still going pretty good. I think I might need to be just a tad tighter but I'm afraid to go back. I fear that I will get too tight, or he'll take too much out of the fill and not fill me back up right? My band is so tricky, just a tad makes a huge difference. I'm debating on rather to just stay like I am. I am scheduled to go again in September, I believe its the 17th. However, I might just cancel it. I will wait and see how I am when the time runs around.
My eating has been going pretty good. Last night I did eat a very small peice of cheesecake my daughter made, but it was small and I was full after I ate it and didn't eat dinner.
Menu today
1/2 cup cereal with strawberries and skim milk
lunch
chicken breast (3 oz) and pinapple
snack
cottage cheese
dinner
fish/salad
wt. 181.5:unsure:
I am still going strong with exercise and RESTRICTION! I did 30 min on elliptcal yesterday and workied my upper body
Biceps, triceps, back, shoulder, chest.
Today I will only be doing cardio (Elliptical) Once I do today's exercise, i will have made it to the gym 6 days this week. Thats exciting for me!
I've been doing good with my exercise challenge and I have some restriction too. I'm so happy I could cry! Its been over 18 months, but this time, I think I might hit my sweet spot. I am sure hoping it last. Usually I get a fill and it last a bit, then it disappears! I pray this one last!
Exercise today:
30 min on Elliptical (352 calories burned)
Lower body workout -
Quads, hamstrings, calves, abs, inner and outer thighs)
Wt - 181.9 (Monday it was 186 lbs!) And TOM came today so I'm happy to show a loss.
I just went for fill #11, He took out my previous stuff, and I only had 2.4cc's instead of 3.9, so not sure why I had so much less?
He filled me up to 4.0 cc's, this is where I usually have problems, so I'm trying to stick it out, but I think I am too tight. I PB'd on some liquid and some soft peaches.
I am so tired of trying to get this restriction, I think I will ride it out for the rest of the day and barely sip on liquids and see how that goes.
I'm not doing a good job at keeping up with my journal, i'm falling behind.
Well, lets see, where do I start. Oh yes, two weeks ago I started the BFL challenge. Well, it was miss & go for the first two weeks, but I think I'm finally with it!
I exercised 5 times the first and 2nd week, and this week, my goal it to do it 6 times as the BFL program indicates.
I've actually started over, this week, (yesterday) so today is day 2 of the 84 day challenge.
My menu
Bfast -
lf yogurt with a handfull of granola
1 small bag of rice cakes - yum (90 calories)
snack
1 small back of rice cakes (90 calories)
Lunch
Fish taco on a whole wheat tortilla, cilantro and pace picanta sauce, 2 strawberries
snack
1/2 apple with peanut butter
dinner
fish taco on a whole wheat tortilla (yes, I love these things)
Monday exercise - UBWO - worked everything on the upper body - HARD. 30 min of elliptical
Tuesday - 60 min of elliptical
On 7/18 it was m7 18 mo anniversary. I'm keeping track of my weight month by month. As bad as it is, I want to see where I've come from and how far I need to go, and how my eating is effecting my weight. Although I haven't lost weight in awhile, and keep yo yoing around the same 10 lbs. I'm overall happy with the lap band.
I don't blame the lap band for my no weightloss lately, I blame myself - I have to try a little harder than I have been doing, exercising is needed and eating lean proteins.
Even though I've been stuck for months, I'm happy that I'm not over 200 lbs. My history before lap band, If I wasnt trying, I gained like crazy, could gain 20 lbs in 1 month. So for that, I love the lap band. I'm not giving up and I'm going to hit goal by my 2 year anniversary, this is something that I am determined to do!
Highest weight - 248
1 mo post op - 206.8
2 mo post op - 198
3 mo post op - 193
4 mo post op - 184.2
5 mo post op - 178
6 mo post op – 174
7 mo post op - 178 - went on vacation and ate big (7 day cruise)
8 mo post op - 174
9 mo post op - 170
10 mo post op- 167
11 mo post op - 170 - haven’t even been trying
12 mo post op - 174 - again, not trying. But finally refocused - exactly where I was at 6 mos post op – so basically no weight loss in the past 6 mos
13 mo post op - 183 - Ouch! started taking steroids and made my weight go up, along with not eating right and no exercise!
14 mo post op - 185 - grrrrr
15 mo post op - 180 - weight is finally going down, but inches are actually coming off faster since I've been exercising a lot.
16 mo post op - 178
17 mo post op - 175
18 mo post op - 179- still not focussed:sad:
My activities for Wednesday 7/23/08
I started another BFL challenge on Monday, it is 84 days and I'm hoping it will get me back in the grove of exercising.
Today was the lower body workout, I went to the gym and gave it my all. My knee just wouldn't let me do some of the stuff, and when I felt pain, I had to stop because I didn't want to damage it further. I was afraid pushing myself/my knee/ would cause a set back, so I held off on some of the stuff I wanted to do
Quads - leg presses
Hamstrings - lying leg extentions, straight leg dead lifts
Calfs - calf raises
Abs - ab crunches with 10 lb weights, and inclined sit ups
Menu
bfast - cottage cheese mixed with yogurt
snack - 3 strawberries
lunch - whole wheat tortia, 3 oz chicken breast and hot pace picante sauce
snack - necterine
dinner - 3/4 cup of pinto beans
wt - didn't weigh, trying not to focus on the scales for the next couple of weeks and really focus on feeling better and exercise.
Well, I finally made it back to the gym last night. I did about 35 minutes on the elliptical machine and burned over 300 calories.
I'm trying to get back to where I was before, when I was losing my weight, I was exercising and planning my meals out.
Today's menu
Bfast - coffee/southbeach protein bar
Lunch - salad with chicken
Dinner - turkey and tomatoe with mozerella cheese (1 oz)
Exercise:
