luckyknickers57

Hello!!
 
As I said in my last blog post, my stall is now over. How did I break it? By doing a few things that are working for me (that means they may, but may not work for you!!)
 
I limit myself to no more than 1400 calories a day. That might seem really high, but I also REALLLLY exercise and my body seems to be handling that well because I'm losing weight. I feel good.
 
I found a diet - really just a great eating plan that works for me, although I modify it for myself. I focus on how food feels inside my body and while I'm exercising I focus on repeating several mantras. There are some things I don't eat - tofu is one of them and I don't handle beef well now that my band is in place. I eat chicken and fish and I have veggies and fruits. I was never a good salad eater and I'm still not, but I insert veggies into omelet's, into stir fry, into anything. I also can't handle bread, but I can eat crackers and I love my Wasa crackers.
 
I'm using less and less in the way of shakes because I'm aware that they don't keep me full for a lengthy period of time. Shakes and liquids pass through the bad relatively quickly, whereas 'real' food has to process through the band, through the stomach.
 
So I had only my 2nd fill scheduled for this Tuesday, but I'm also in this groove, and I don't want to play with that at all. After speaking to the nursing team at the clinic where I had surgery, they agreed. I'm pushing out on having another fill in another three weeks. I can move that up if I need to.
 
After reading a lot, I decided that it was a possibility that I wasn't eating enough, and for me, that turned out to be true. I felt there was little harm in experimenting. Just like not that long ago I discovered that I can push my body with exercise. Believe me when I say that I barter with myself constantly. "Maybe I'll only do 20 minutes", "maybe I don't have to exercise today", "maybe it's too hot/cold/windy/early/late to exercise", "maybe I can eat that entire box of cookies"...UGH! It goes on and on and I ignore it all. I feel so good when I have promised myself that I'll eat well and exercise that day and I actually do that. Upon occasion I allow myself some treat. I feel like I could go on a bender at any time and I try to keep vigilant.
 
All is good right now, and I know that can change, but I have my band to help me and an outstanding medical team at my disposal.
 
I wish everyone success!
 
Nancy
 

yesss finally that stall is over. I'm losing so painfully slowly but it's still losing. The best news is that I feel great, I'm learning every day about what I can and can't eat, how my body tolerates change and when and if I'm hungry or bored, or thirsty. It's struck me how out of touch with my own body I've been.
 
I am obsessing about how much food I need for me. For my body type, how much protein, how much carbohydrate, etc. I'm looking for help with that issue. My sister in law is a nutritionist, and while I don't need help with what to eat, just how much. I have a theory that one reason my stall was so long is that I wasn't eating enough.
 
I've been on a roll, eating properly, exercising, devoting part of every day to health.
 
Best wishes
 
Nancy

Hello everyone
 
I'm a fit bit user and I've just signed up for my first 5k walk happening near the end of this month. yesterday I decided that it would be good if I tried to walk further. I've gone just over 10,000 steps only one time.
 
I had to drop my car at the shop and I thought that rather than taking the shuttle, that I'd walk home. I mapped things out using something called "google pedometer". I have zero idea if it's accurate. But after fiddling with this I decided on a route that I thought I knew.
 
Turns out I didn't know, and I got lost, and I ended up walking for an hour and 44 minutes before I finally found my way home.
 
Later yesterday I found a 4 week course upcoming on Power Walking (different from Race Walking) that started last night. It was pouring here with rain, and I figured I go as it being the first course was likely just going to be examples or videos or diagrams...noooooooooooo
 
Out we went into the driving rain. An hour and 1/2 later all totaled, I'd walked over 22,000 steps. And I lived which inspires me because it tells me that I can do much more than I think I can, that I work against rather than with my brain at times.
 
Now today I'm taking it easy. Despite an epsom salt soak, I'm still sore. I did take the doggie out for her walk, but we didn't hurry.
 
Power Walking is about walking quickly but with precision so that you are efficient. Race walking requires a gait that I'm not comfy with at all. I'm excited for this class as I want to improve my form, my distance, and my time.
 
Push yourself. What can you do that you think you can't?
 
Nancy
 

*sigh*
 
Not a good day yesterday. I had been invited to a lunch thing with girlfriends and went. I had checked out the menu online in advance and discovered that there was very very little in the way of healthy foods. It turns out it's not a buffet, but you choose food from the menu and for one price they bring as much as you can eat.
 
Suffice to say, I ate. And not well. I ate a piece of beef that threatened to stick but fortunately didn't. I was able to eat a stunning amount of food. To make matters worse, I decided I needed a dessert on the way home. And in my attempt to gobble it down, I had pain like nothing I've felt before in my life.
 
I'm upset because, EVEN AFTER PAIN, I still wanted that 'treat'. Even after feeling sick from eating so much, even after so much pain, I WANTED it and I kept the remainder and ate it very slowly late last night. I'm glad it's gone. Today I am very sore, really sore and need to return to a liquid diet today.
 
How can that be - to want something so bad, that has no nutrition, that I'm willing to hurt myself to eat crap. What does that say about my self esteem? I was banded only two weeks and two days ago. It's disgusting.and I'm hell bent on getting to the reason why that was acceptable previous to surgery and still is.
 
I'm pleased that I'm at least aware of this, and I know that this is an issue, but I swear, until I figure out how to unravel it all, it will continue to be a problem for me.
 
More than anything - I'm disappointed. I'd love to say that my upcoming first fill will take care of this, but that's bull*hit*. That doesn't address the why, and that I'm likely to still find a way to eat around the band.
 
I wish myself peace and kindness to myself today.

I'm tired, really tired and pretty weak. On the other hand, I'm soooooooooo glad to be on this pre-op because it's helping me so much in gaining control.
 
Yesterday it dawned on me that the Unjury Chicken Soup wasn't discussed in any of the handouts I have. I checked with the dietician and she says it's off limits during this phase, so yesterday, it was just Slim Time for me. I tried the chocolate during lunch and used the chocolate and put in a fair amount of peppermint extract. Made me imagine that I was eating Girl Scout Thin Mints. Any trick will work for me.
 
Other than being tired I feel fine, hungry at times but I just continue to swamp myself with water. I'm glad that I drank a lot of water before I started this (it's maybe the ONE good thing I've done for a long long time), otherwise I'd struggle to get it all in.
 
Along with surgery, I'm also spending time with a therapist who specializes in obesity and family issues. I've long been convinced that my eating difficulties are related to 'stuffing' emotional issues. I can see now how I had few outlets for my emotions and that translated into me eating to sooth myself. I have to learn new behaviours.
 
I'm glad I'm doing therapy at the same time. I think my odds of relapsing will be lessened if I could just get a handle on why I do what I do (binge eating, overeating, etc.) and how to stop doing what I've always done.
 
It's not to say that I think I wouldn't relapse - god that scares me SO much. My parents were alcoholic and they never relapsed but they talked about how easy it is, and I equate this to something like alcoholism - an addiction. Once I start with the carbohydrates and the sweet stuff I am lost and reigning myself in is very very difficult.
 
I'm blessed that I can have this surgery and for now, I'm grateful for the pre-op diet.
 

So I've decided after 'testing' my news about a lap band, that I won't be sharing the information with everyone.
 
I'm lucky in that I have great girlfriends who are usually open minded about most things. Apparently though that stops at weight loss surgery. I mentioned that I was considering lap bad surgery and what an uproar that caused. No, no, just eat right and exercise (like I haven't tried that a bazillion times. Oh why would you do any such surgery like that - have another cookie. Do you know what the failure rate is?
 
BLAH BLAH BLAH
 
I try to be an independent gal. I like to do research, I like to investigate and I really like to decide for myself no matter who says what. And I did a lot of research and I question a lot. I've read posts here on this site and on other sites too. Sometimes people 'failed' for reasons beyond their control. But often it seems that people don't do well because they don't want to work. This will be work! But I welcome that type of work and remain positive that if I comply and follow the rules, the band will work for me.
 
I've decided to not share my upcoming surgery plans for now. I don't want negative energy, I don't want those that love 'hovering' and watching every move, or calling constantly to try to 'help' me. I want to remain in the sunny side focusing on my health and what is right for me in my circumstances.
 
In the world we need more support and those that see what isn't right for them may just be the right thing for others.
 

Well after 7 weeks and an already monumental transformation of both weight and body shape as well as the nagging from my wife over the past two weeks in regards to how silly I look in my old "Fat" clothes I submitted and went shopping for my first new wardrobe (I say first as I think there'll likely be another new one before this is all finished!!).
I was sleeved on the 19th Dec '13 and well there's been as many difficult moments as happy ones, it's a huge transition to make and bad habits die hard. My overriding decision to have this surgery though still holds true now because it was those choices that put me where I was, but not only the choices but the amount that I poured down my throat.................Now whether I want to or not my body simply will not tolerate it and to go against it means I actually lose a meal and those very important nutrients I need because too much now spells a trip to the toilet and a vomiting session. It's now been 2 weeks since my last session like that and i'm now both confident and comfortable in what I can eat, I've learnt to listen to my body where before I reacted through my eyes.
I began as slave to the scales as all of us overweight people do jumping on every other day looking for that high generated from declining numbers, but then had two episodes where the number actually went up yet I knew within myself I was slimmer. It's now been 2 weeks since I last stepped onto the scales and I don't care what the numbers might say I know I've lost further weight and my biggest confirmation came over the weekend shopping for some new work and casual clothes.................
At the commencement of my journey middle November '13 my clothing sizes were as follows:
 
Pants - 112-117 (44-46) waist
Shirt - 4xl (50 neck)
Pullovers - (3xl - 5xl depending on label)
 
As I said I knew and felt that I had dropped weight but us "Fat" people still look in the mirror and only see that Fat person we've known for so many years and don't register the new person emerging. So therefore I kept on wearing the big clothes, over sized t-shirts etc and would close my belt an extra loop each week or so. My wife kept telling me I needed to get some new clothes as i looked ridiculous in my old stuff. So finally I relented as I said above and cleaned out my old stuff of which I had to agree did now feel and look silly (some stuff was tight 3 mths ago and now are huge on me!!!).
It's been over 15yrs since I was able to walk into a department store and shop from the rack, years...... My wife made it clear that we would not be just selecting the size I believed I was, we would be trying everything on and purchasing what fits firmly now to cope with the additional losses still to come...................My "Fat" mind was saying sure, sure this is gonna be a shameful and fruitless exercise, but I humored her and said ok.
And here are my results.....................
 
Pants - (Jeans, dress pants & shorts) 92cm waist
Shirt - XL, dress shirt 43
Pullover - XL-XXL
 
About 3/4 through this expedition I stopped and remarked to my wife that I was struggling to believe what was happening and was actually a little emotional, of course in the back of my mind I fantasized about being that slim person but you all know the drill after trying and failing for so many years it felt just that, a fantasy. But to actually now see the changes and feel the changes and see the sizes on the labels of the clothes was simply crazy I just couldn't comprehend it...............I can now though and I am so grateful I decided to take this step and am thrilled at the man emerging from that great shadow cast by the guy that occupied my body before........................

Hi everyone, new here, so worried, been referred for WLS, consultant recommending sleeve. My worry is that I have heard that the sleeve is not so effective as the bypass. Want to be healthy, and more active, don't want to fail. Fed up been judged, and a great source of entertainment to others. Anyone have worries???