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Wls University

Remember starting a new school? Having to make new friends? Trying to find your way around? Everything was so different and you hated it….   Remember moving to a new town? Not knowing anyone? Having to leave all your friends behind? Everything was so different and you hated it….   Well here we are, starting a new school…..   Alex has built WLS University (BariatricPal) and within that university are the specialty colleges (Lapband, Sleeve, Bypass). It is all new and SCARY! We don’t know where to go, we don’t know where our friends are…… and we are expressing feelings of dislike.   What if we meet some new friends? Learn about their struggles with their WLS? What if we gave them support? We all know the one similarity we share is that WE have a problem with our weight and WE had to do something about it. That problem didn’t go away when we had surgery. We just started a new journey of healing. A journey that is for life. The same journey for all of us.   Let’s embrace what Alex has provided us, a place to go for support, for help and for education. I know it is scary right now, we are only 2 weeks into the new school. (Don’t know about you but I keep getting lost.)   But, in time this new university will be our old familiar stomping ground. We will be running into all our friends all the time. We will know the layout like the back of our hands…..If only we give it a chance.   Thank you Alex for building us this beautiful WLS University called BariatricPal.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

2
 

Too tight or is it just me?

Is my band too tight? How many times do we see this question? A lot so let’s talk about it.   How tight you have your band is a personal preference. No one (including your doctor) can tell you how tight it has to be. This is something you have to decide for yourself. Personally my band is loose. The last time I had an x-ray my doctor commented that I didn’t have very much restriction. Oh well, it is what works for me.   I have had 2 unfills because I felt my band was too tight, but I know now that it wasn’t. So how do I know if my band is too tight? I ask myself these questions:   1. Can I get water/liquids down okay? If YES not too tight   2. Are my bites the size of a nickel or smaller? If NO not too tight   3. Do I chew my food at least 30 times before swallowing? If NO not too tight   4. Do I wait 1 minute between bites? If No not too tight   It appears that my eating habits cause me to think my band is too tight. When I eat correctly I have no problems.   My advice to anyone wondering if their band is too tight is, evaluate your eating by asking yourself my four questions.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

Bit by bit... or is it Bite by bite?

They say we didn’t gain all our weight overnight and therefore we shouldn’t expect to lose all the weight overnight. And as we get closer to our goal it gets harder and harder. It becomes a very frustrating thing.   Then when we finally reach our idea weight, we have to maintain that weight FOR LIFE! No relaxing allowed. Because it will creep back on bit by bit.   That is where I am at, I let my eyes do my measuring and bit by bit the sizes kept getting bigger…..   Then I let myself make some not so good choices. Oh I can have a little of this and a little of that, I’m not trying to lose weight, just maintaining so it won’t hurt…..   Guess what, I am pushing that five pound threshold that my doctor said I should keep. Yep up five pounds from my goal.   Oh, I could sit here and say I don’t understand. I haven’t changed my eating or my exercise. But I did change things (slightly). A little bigger size of this and that. Extra treat here and there. Skipping on this exercise or that. It all adds up and at the end of the day I have gained five pounds over the last month.   Now what, cry in my Wheaties? Nope, I get my a s s back on track. Weigh my food, eat my protein first, drink my water and exercise every day. And guess what, I will have to do this for the rest of my life.   So for anyone thinking that the Band (or any WLS for that matter) is a quick fix, guess again! It takes change and lots of it, and it takes a lifetime commitment.   I’m in it for life and bit by bit I will get these five pounds back off.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

I?M Allergic To Exercise?.

No really I am. I have to be otherwise I would enjoy it, right?   I truly hate exercising! I’ve never liked going to the gym, it’s boring. I don’t like getting all hot and sweaty, out of breath; heart beating like it will explode out of my chest. Hated PE in school, I was always the last kid picked for the team….   But one of the necessities for successful weight loss is exercise regularly. How do I accomplish this?   I started simple by: Parking at the back of the parking lots
Turning on some music and dancing around my house. (Dogs got a kick out of this; they thought it was play time.)
Took my dogs for walks around our property. (We live on acreage in the country.)
Then I bought an inexpensive exercise bike that folds up and sits in the corner of my living room (This way I see it every day). When I watch TV in the evenings I get on the bike and ride. I started doing 10 minutes and worked up to 30 minutes. Now I’m working on increasing the intensity (ride faster).   Next, I started moving more at work. I started using the bathroom on different floors (walking the stairs to the floors); and getting up from my desk a couple of times a day just to walk the stairs.   So here I am still don’t like exercising but I do move! I no longer use the elevator at work (and I’m on the 8th floor!) and I ride my bike 30 minutes 3-5 times a week.   It’s not a lot but as long as I’m doing something I’m seeing results.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

6
 

Water Bottle

I bought myself a new water bottle this weekend. My previous bottles were inexpensive bottles. Never really liked any of them.   I have been looking for a water bottle that had a few features that seem to be hard to find.   1. No straw – a bottle that you pour the water out of (or sip into your mouth). 2. Double lined – I don’t like ice in my water but I like it cold. 3. Cap that doesn’t leak – I want to be able to put the bottle in a bag and not worry if it will tip over and leak over everything. 4. Holds a good amount of water – about 20 – 24 ounces preferred.   Well hubby & I were at Academy Sports this weekend and I found this water bottle. It meets all the elements I was looking for. It holds 24 ounces of liquid, double lined, nice mouth piece and the lid snaps closed (no leaks).   Today was the first day of full use and I filled it 7 times (7 x 24 = 168 ounces). Holly Toledo I must be floating. I drank 168 ounces of water today. Ok, I know the newness will wear off and I’ll be back to my 80-100 ounces, but hey I like my new tool (& you know my thoughts on tools).   There have been a few threads recently about water & dehydration that make me want to say I hated water when I got the band almost 18 months ago, never thought I could get in 68 ounces a day. Not possible. And today I drank that twice!   How? By not giving up, by getting a tool that I like (Yea, the Longhorn encourages me!). By mixing up my water with lemons, limes or flavor packages. I go through phases, some days its plain water others I want my water flavored. I’m currently on a fruit punch kick. Really like the Tropical Punch flavor packs by HEB. Could be something totally different tomorrow. Point is when I’m bored with something I change it.   Water can be so darn boring alone, but when you have a great tool like my UT bottle anything is possible.   PS - yes it was over the budget but WTF I’m worth it! I get an awesome bottle and show my UT spirit all in one tool!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

2
 

Towanda, The Avenger!

I love the movie Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) with Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, it’s a must see so rent it if you've never seen it. This is one of my favorite scenes…… Just wanted to share it with everyone.   I never get mad, Mrs. Threadgoode. Never! The way I was raised it was bad manners. Well, I got mad and it felt terrific. I felt like I could beat the sh*t outta all those punks! Excuse my language. Just beat 'em to a pulp! Beat 'em till they begged for mercy. Towanda, the avenger! After I wipe out all the punks of this world, I'll take on the wife beaters, like Frank Bennett, and machine gun their genitals. Towanda will go on the rampage. I'll put tiny bombs in Penthouse and Playboy... so they'll explode when you open 'em. I'll ban all fashion models who weigh less than 130 pounds. I'll give half the military budget to people over 65... and declare wrinkles sexually desirable. Towanda, righter of wrongs, queen beyond compare! How many of them hormones you takin', honey
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

3
 

Struggling

Do you admit when you are struggling?   Or eat wrong?   Or over eat?   Or do you just hide it??   I feel like I have been successful at my weight loss, I’ve lost 75 pounds in 10 months and I’m at goal. But, was I an A student the whole time? NO!   I slipped more than once during my journey. I had nights where I munched on peanuts and chocolate chips, didn’t measure them out so I have no idea how much I truly ate. I also had times when I ate more carbohydrates than protein and times when I ate so fast that I was PBing my food back up.   What I did do was be honest with myself. I tried to log everything in my food journal (I had to estimate some things). And I got back on the saddle as soon as possible.   Perfection is not required for success; my doctor told me if I could give 80% I would see results. And I did see results.   So to all of you struggling know that for every success story you read there are behind the scenes struggles, too.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

3
 

Do Grammar & Spelling Matter?

I read a post today that irked me, no it pissed me off. This Texas gal was ready to put her boots on and find her gun….. Hunt her some grammar and spelling police.   A fellow bandster said they read a thread where bandsters were criticizing the grammar and spelling of other bandster’s posts. It hurt this bandster so bad that she had steered away from LBT. REALLY…….why?????   Does it matter if we don’t use complete sentences or if we spell words wrong?????? Those of you who have a problem with bad grammar and spelling please comment and tell me why it’s so important to you. Cause (oh wait I should say because) I don’t get it.   We are all fighting a terrible disease called obesity and one of the side effects of this disease is low self-esteem. We don’t need our brothers & sisters pointing out more of our faults….. We do just fine doing that ourselves.   You are wondering why this bothers me….. So many times I hit that POST button and watch my written words appear on a thread and think SH** I spelt that wrong or that doesn’t make any sense hope they get my point. We are here for support in our weight loss journey. We consist of all different people, different education levels, different languages, different everything and we need support.   What we don’t need is the grammar and spelling police after us!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

13
 

Either paranoid or something isn?t right

I have been having difficulties with my eating for about a week, I blogged about my lunch episode on Friday. When I say difficulties I mean, I’ve been getting acid reflex (first time since being banded) and I get a lump in my throat from time to time. I have been able to eat and drink, but it’s been more challenging.   Over the weekend I decided I needed to see my doctor and find out what was going on. Either I am being paranoid or something isn’t right.   So, I was on the phone to my doctor’s office first thing this morning and fortunately they could squeeze me in this morning.   Upon arriving I was escorted to the x-ray room. Martha (the x-ray tech and support group leader, who is also banded) said, “What are you doing here girl?” “I’m either paranoid or something isn’t right”, she laughed and said let’s find out.   We did a barium swallow and as my doctor said, “It looks perfect.”   “So, I am paranoid?”   “No, you are aware of your band and something changed.”   “So what am I doing wrong? Why the acid reflex now?”   “Could be you irritated your band in some way or it could be that you need a fresher on the basics. Size of your bit, how much you chew, time between bits. Maybe you need to get that egg timer back out that we gave you at your first post op visit.”   “Funny, just last night at dinner my husband had to tell me to slow down on my bits.”   We talked a little more and I was on my way feeling so much better. End result is something wasn’t right and that something was me. I was slipping back into old habits.   It’s time to dust off that egg timer, cut my bits smaller and chew, chew, chew. Everything I tell newbies to do.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

10
 

Maintenance a walk in the park?

As you know I reached my goal a couple of months ago and am now in the maintenance stage of my journey. Simple, all I have to do is maintain my weight.   I still check in with my doctor every four weeks (my choice not his).   This last month has been full of ups and downs with a lot of changes, basically life has been happening. I had to battle the head hunger on more than one occasion.   Then about a week and a half ago I started noticing that my daily calorie intake was creeping up. 10 calories more, then 20, then 30, etc… I was starting to get hungry (physical hunger) in between breakfast and lunch, this hasn't happened since bandster hell.   That was the deciding factor for me, I needed a fill.   I went for my four week checkup today and to no surprise I was up two pounds. After discussing things with my doctor I got the fill I wanted (just a small one .2cc).   My point here is that once you reach your goal you’re not done. In fact, It’s harder to maintain your weight that to loose, in my opinion.   Guess I need to change my ticker now.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

3
 

She Is Always Bragging About It?

At work today I overheard two coworkers talking. They were talking about ME and my weight loss. Now these two ladies are quite overweight themselves. Just saying so you get the picture…   “I can’t believe her” “She is always bragging about it to everyone who walks by”   I casually walk over to them.   “Ladies I couldn't help but hear you talking about my weight loss. I have lost a lot of weight over the last 9 months and people notice that. Often people will ask me what’s your secrete? or How did you do it? When they ask I tell them my story, and if telling my story is bragging then guilty as charged!”   I then turned and walked away with my head held high and a big huge smile on my face.   Now I happened to be wearing my new fuchsia pink skinny pants and my grey high heal boots that hubby said made me look sexy! (Fashion note)   I though should I be pissed? Nah, I’m happy!!!   If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap) If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap) If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

14
 

We Are Family!

The last few weeks I have seen several threaded where members have gotten heated with topics and each other…   It made me realize that we are a family, a big huge family. We fight just like brothers & sisters, we have those annoying aunts and uncles (you know the ones) but most important is we love each other and support each other to the hill.   We all have one goal and that is to be thin. We are very passionate about our goal; we fight and defend it to all ends. And I for one love that!!!!   I love reading the tough love, slap on the hand, you know better posts. I also love reading the cheering you on, you can do it; I believe in you, you got this posts. I also love being able to post these types of posts to my brothers and sisters.   I thank each and every one of you for your words…every word! I would not be where I am at today if it wasn’t for those words and the support I have received from everyone here.   P.S. If the Sister Sledge song is stuck in your head…..my job is done. lol
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

9
 

Standing Tall

Today at work I had to give a presentation to over 100 staff members, the majority being managers & directors.   Before I was banded I would get so nervous fearing all they would see was this talking whale….   Today, I felt confident in myself. I knew the subject matter, I was dressed professionally and I was ready. The presentation went off without any hicks and after it was over my coworker said to me, “Wow, you were so confident up there. How do you do that?”   It made me think. I am confident, I am in control, I like myself…. No I love myself. I stand tall!   All because in February 2012 I decided to put myself first, to change my lifestyle, to eat right & exercise. I got a tool to help me accomplish this, my band, and together we have done incredible stuff.   I have changed and improved myself and today I do stand tall.   I thank the band for that!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

Food Stages

I see a lot of newbies asking what they can have during this or that stage of the pre/post op diet. Doctors give different diets to different patients; however the foods on the different stages are often very similar. Here are the 4 stages I had during my post op diet (straight from my post op paperwork):   Stage 1: Clear Liquids · Water · Broth or the clear liquid poured off of soup (strain out solids, no creamy soup) · Black coffee (may be sweetened with artificial sweetener; preferably decaf) · Clear juices (not OJ ~ it’s not clear); 100% juice (not from concentrate) · Crystal Light · Sugar-free Jello (with no solid fruit) · Sugar-free Popsicles · Gatorade/Powerade · Herbal teas (caffeine-free)   Stage 2: Liquids · All clear liquids · Protein shakes (low-fat, low-carb) · Fat-free milk · Orange Juice · Low-fat instant breakfast mixes · V8 juice   Stage 3: Full Liquids · All clear liquids · All liquids · Apple sauce · Oatmeal/cream of wheat (thinned) · Smoothies · Low-fat creamy soups (strained out solids) · Puréed soups/vegetables · Low-fat, low-sugar pudding · Low-fat, low-sugar yogurt · Puréed fruit · Low-fat ice cream/frozen yogurt   Stage 4: Soft food (aka Mushy) · All of the items on the liquid food list · Tuna/egg/chicken salad · Well-cooked mushy vegetables (no stalk or crunchy vegetable) · Thinned scrambled eggs (if tolerated) · Baby food · Soft, over-cooked pasta · Soft canned fruit (in natural juice) · Thinned mashed potatoes · Soft sweet potatoes/yams · Thinned oatmeal · Greek yogurt · Thinned low-fat refried beans · Low-fat cottage cheese · Soft/rip bananas   This is just what MY doctor had for ME. Your doctor will have different orders. I wanted to post this list to give an idea of some of the things on each list.   I hope this helps.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

1
 

How To Become A Banded B*****

First you have to be willing to jump in anytime   Then take the thread completely off topic and talk about pretty nails, dragons & princesses .   And finally you have to kiss the pink princess’s butt.   Once you have been accepted by the princess you must protect the princess from all evil (especially VD).   Are you up for the job?  
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

6
 

I Can't

I can’t exercise at work. I can park in a parking structure that is a block from my building I can give the elevators the day off and climb the stairs (my office building has 11 floors, my office is on the 8th floor) I can go to the bathroom on the 11th floor instead of my floor (& take the stairs, of course) I can take a break & go for a walk (it’s amazing how refreshing it is to get away from my desk for 10 minutes)   I can’t drink that much water in a day. I can add lemon/lime wedges or crystal light mixes to the water for variety. I can carry a bottle of water with me everywhere I go. I can take a drink of water every 5 minutes.   I can’t stop snacking. I can stock my pantry with healthy snacks I can pre-portion my health snacks. I can drink 8 ozs of water before having the snack I think I want. I can go for a walk instead of having the snack I think I want.   As long as “I can” I will maintain my weight and I know I CAN!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

5
 

What a difference a year makes.

I was banded one year ago today and boy what a year it has been.   One year ago I weighed 250 pounds.   One year ago I wore a size 22.   One year ago I was pre-diabetic.   One year ago my blood pressure was out of control high ( I was taking 3 different meds trying to stabilize it).   One year ago I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air.   One year ago I hated myself.   Today I weigh 171 pounds. (lost 79 pounds)   Today I wear size 10.   Today my blood sugar is normal.   Today my blood pressure is stable with only 1 mild medication.   Today I walk up the stairs to the eight floor of my office building.   Today I love myself.   I achieved this success by following my doctor’s orders, eating a 1200 calorie diet that is high protein (60-70g), and moving everyday one step at a time. Most important with a great support system; my family, friends, doctor, support group and LBT have all supported me every step of the way. I thank and love each and every one of you.   Happy first birthday yellow rose!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

What Is Maintenance?

So my doctor wants me to change my mindset, think maintenance instead of weight loss…   What does that mean?   I am finally comfortable with my portion sizes and my band. I don’t get stuck or pb, I can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, I can eat any foods, I eat 1200 calories a day and I don’t feel hungry between meals.   For me, it means nothing changes. I lost my weight with my band more on the loose side than the tight side and therefore my body will settle and I’ll stop loosing (that’s what my doctor says). Probably around the weight of 170-175 lbs.   That’s the physical part, but what about the mental part? How does the head handle maintenance?? What if I can’t keep the weight off? What if I fail and gain weight back? I can’t fail; I've worked too hard to get here. But, what if??? Man, the head is my biggest obstacle.   I have to get a hold of my thoughts. I know I can do this. Per my doctor, nothing has changed. I still have the same fill; I still eat my cup of food, 3-4 ozs protein, ½ cup veggies. I still drink my water. I still exercise. I am at goal and it’s just another number on the scale.   I'm just at the next chapter in my banded lifestyle.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

Market Days

Yesterday my husband & I rented a craft booth at out town’s Market Days. We make several things (wood bowls & trays, bags, napkins, placemats & coasters) and we wanted to try selling them.   The day started early, we were up at 6:00am. As my husband loaded the truck I packed food for the day. We would be at our booth all day (9am to 4pm) so I needed both breakfast and lunch for both of us. Now my band had been tight the day before, probably due to stress and excitement for the upcoming event. So I wanted to bring smart food for myself…. I knew there would be lots of tempting food vendors there with not so healthy choices.   I made a protein shake to take with me for breakfast; I knew this would be safer than trying to eat something. For lunch I took 3ozs of chicken salad and a Greek yogurt, for a snack an apple cut into slices. I also packed a pre-made protein shake just in case I had problems eating and needed fuel….   I also packed 4 water bottles for myself so that I would get my water in for the day (course this meant I had to locate the closest bathroom, lol)   As it turned out our booth was downwind from the kettle popcorn vendor…..yep smelled popcorn ALL DAY LONG…. & watched people walking by with big bags of the stuff. My created husband started asking people, “Need a bowl for that popcorn?”   It was a great day. Business wise we sold a few things did some networking with the local vendors and made some good business connections. Personally it was a great success; I managed a challenging situation by planning ahead and sticking to my plan.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

7
 

No Grocery Store!

Tonight’s dinner did not come from a grocery store. I made a venison roast from a deer that was shot on my uncles ranch and roasted veggies (butternut squash, turnips, yellow was beans & snap peas) that where grown on our land.   My husband pointed out that nothing on our plate came from the grocery store. This made me think, ok the seasonings I put on the roast and the corn starch to thicken the drippings for gravy are the only items from the grocery store.   That is pretty cool! (Just had to brag)   Oh and by the way, it was delicious!!!!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

8
 

My Banded Brain Tool

My Lap-band is a great tool for my weight loss journey, if only I could band my head. How many times have we thought that? I read it on threads all the time. Well, we can band our head. In fact I have a Banded Brain Tool and it’s called SUPPORT. It comes in all different shapes and sizes. My Banded Brain Tool consists of five things: Cheerleaders – these are my family and friends who from the sidelines are cheering me on. It’s my hubby seeing me struggle and walking up to me whispering in my ear, “You are doing so incredible on this journey, I’m so proud of you.” Or my friends saying, “You look great!”
Support Group – My support group meets once a month. Seeing fellow bandster, exchanging stories and ideas gets me from month to month.
LapBandTalk – I log on every day, check in with my friends, help and support other bandsters as well as get help and support.
MyFItnessPal – Keeps me honest with my food intake and my friends offer help and ideas here too.
FitBit – My pedometer on steroids! I never though one little electronic devise would get me climbing stairs every day. It sends me emails when I earn a new badge (never forget the first day I climbed 50 flights – I was a dancing fool). I compete with my friends to see who can walk the most steps and we encourage each other one.
Between my Lap-band and Banded Brain Tool I have been able to succeed with my weight loss.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

I am not a squirrel

Have you ever taken a bit of something and as you are chewing it you think “this is way too big of a bit” so you stuff half the bit in your cheek and swallow the other half? And a few seconds later you swallow the half in your cheek… How did that work out for you?   It has never worked out successfully for me. Usually within minutes I am at the sink or toilet watching the bits go down the drain… sorry if this is TMI.   I hate it when this happens and often it happens when I an overly hungry or the meal is really tasty. That makes it even worse because it ends the meal completely for me.   So, I have to remember to take small bits, even when it is really really good and chew them completely, otherwise my yellow rose will reject them and I will not enjoy my meal.   Lesson learned; I am not a squirrel!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

4
 

No more sand in my sandbox!

Cause I kicked it all out!   I went to my PCP today for a follow up on my high blood pressure. When I was banded I was on 3 different medicines to control it. About 3 months ago my PCP took me off the last one and said we will monitor your pressure and see how you do.   I was so proud of myself, for the last three months I have posted how I went from 3 meds to no meds…   Well, today my doctor put me back on one of the meds at half the dosage. I was so disappointed in myself. I felt like I had failed, that NSV pulled right out from under me. I wanted to cry. I pouted all the way home.   I know this is something that is not in my control. Everyone in my family has high blood pressure (the skinny ones too) and I know this could be genetic. But, dang it feels like I went backwards.   To make myself feel better I went shopping for new pajamas. Mine where too big and the pants would fall off me as I slept (hubby didn’t mine this). Anyway, I got me some cute new PJs. See!   Now time to put all my sand back in my sandbox. Thanks for listening.
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

8
 

How I exercise without exercising

I live on a good size piece of land in central Texas. Most of the land is zoned agricultural and therefore we have to make sure that land is used accordingly.   I have always loved gardening and since Texas has two growing seasons we have fresh veggies growing almost year round. We have an orchard with fruit trees (pears, plums, peaches, nectarines & pomegranates) and two years ago we got a flock of chickens. This next year we plan to expand into livestock with rabbits and goats.   Having all these agricultural items require a lot of maintains (chores). I have chores to do everyday whether it’s tending to the chickens, picking or planting veggies and let’s not forget the never ending task of pulling weeds. This is my exercise. When I get home from work I spend the first hour tending to these chores and the weekends are always filled with projects.   Just this last weekend my husband and I removed an old barbwire fence that ran along the front of the property. It was a full eight hour job. First we had to clear all the dead weeds from the fence, pull the barbwire down and then roll it up and finally pull up all the posts. I walked over 6 miles that day and found muscles in my shoulder and arms that I didn’t know I had.   Me rolling up the barbwire.   Me using our tractor to pull up the posts.     This is my exercise plan and it works for me!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

7
 

Ten months ago

I was banded on February 7, 2012, ten months ago. So what has changed?   Ten Months Ago Today Weight 250lbs Weight 175lbs BMI 37 BMI 25 Pant size 22 Pant size 10 3 different meds for high blood pressure Don’t take any meds for high blood pressure Diagnosed pre-diabetic All blood work is NORMAL Hated myself, depressed Very happy with myself! Isolated myself, no friends Love all my new friends (especially the Banded Bs) Couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath Walk up 8 floors of stairs to my office every morning   When I started this journey I knew I would have to change a lot of things (food I ate, volume I ate, exercise, etc…), I knew it would be a long hard journey and I hoped I would have the strength to be successful.   Now here I am ten months later, at goal and starting the next chapter of my journey (maintaining).   I make it sound easy, but I have to say IT’S NOT! I struggled many times. I got frustrated and wished I didn’t have to follow the rules. I had weight gains and plateaus. BUT, I didn’t give up. I kept plugging along and it worked. Here I am happier than I have been in 30 years.   Now, I am focused on maintaining my weight and hopefully saving enough money for a tummy tuck next year. Lol To all the newly banded or about to be banded, success is a wonderful thing. It takes hard work, dedication and wantpower (CG I love your term).   I love my band!!!!
♕ajtexas♕

♕ajtexas♕

6

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Bariatric Surgeons: Want to research a weight loss surgery surgeon? Enter their last name below to start!

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