MBDavis

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It's been a while since I have checked in.  My band is working well, but my weight loss has slowed to almost nothingness.  I am about 51.5 pounds right now and fluctuate back and forth about 2 pounds.  I feel really good about what I have done, but I am not finished and I am feeling a little frustrated.  But, to be perfectly honest, I have been eating between meals a little bit.  This is something that I completely quit doing after my surgery.  So, today, I am forcing myself to not eat ANYTHING after lunch.  I am drinking a green tea right now and my stomach feels very full.  I have been eating even while feeling full - I must get back to listening to my body instead of eating just because I don't have anything to do!  This is what got me here in the first place.  I have good restriction, but it's hard to tell if this is as good as I want it.  I think it may be, just because I do get things stuck from time to time.  I cancelled my appointment 5 weeks ago because I didn't need a fill, but I have another appointment scheduled for next week.  I am going to keep it regardless.  I hate not going in and talking to them every month or so.  I feel like I'm kind of out here by myself.  I have decided to come back to this board when I can and I am going to go see the NP at Dr. Miles next week even if I don't think they will give me another fill.  I believe I am at 3.5 cc's in my 4 cc band - she says that this is about as tight as any of their patients with this size band.  But...I will see what she says.

I have been exercising like crazy.  I have started running and am actually kind of enjoying it.  It is amazing how much easier exercise is when you have 50 less pounds to haul around with you!  I feel really good about my exercise - I am going to start working on some core strengthening exercising in addition to everything else I am doing.  I have been watching some people at the gym and they are doing some cool stuff.  I am going to add that into my schedule!  I guess I will eventually end up just exercising all day long!!

It's good to be back!!

Things are going really well right now with my band (other than the unmentional PB episode the other day!)  I think I am at a great restriction right now and the scales are starting to move again.  I can sure see why this thing works - when you are restricted you have to really think about what you are putting in your mouth.  I can't imagine eating a hamburger or a piece of pizza right now.  I made some white chili last night and laughed at myself as I "chewed" my soup!!  I am going to do whatever I have to do to not go through another PB moment!  I know it sounds weird, but even though that was painful and scary, it was nice knowing that my band was there and working!  But I sure don't want to test it again anytime soon.  I think leftovers may be kind of tricky - they are just too dry.  It wasn't like I was eating anything bad - I was having leftover tuna from the night before!!  Lesson learned.

I have been exercising really hard.  I feel wonderful.  I have added swimming into my routine.  It is very hard!  My heart rate was sky high the other day from just a few laps.  I'm thinking about working toward a mini-triathlon.  I have a long way to go to get ready - but it sure would be a mountain-top moment to finish one.  If someone had told me a year ago that I would thinking about a triathlon I would have fallen on the floor laughing at them.  I love my band!!

My eating is going well.  I am trying to branch out some and not eat the very same thing every day.  I really want to get this last pound off so I can get to 50 pounds, so I am going to stick close this weekend.  Nothing crazy for me!

I thank God every day that He gave me this opportunity.  It has truly changed my life.  I am a completely different person than I was before my surgery.  I didn't realize how much my weight was affecting every thing in my life.  I just have to keep up the good work and get these last 21 pounds off.  It's hard to believe that I am that close to goal.  LIFE IS GOOD!!

Had my first PB today at work.  Not fun at all.  I had to leave work and go home and throw up some more!!  With this new fill I have GOT to learn to slow down when I eat.  what a  lesson to learn the hard way!!

Sorry I haven't posted lately.  We have been out of town so much this summer that I haven't been on the board much.  It's good to be back!  I went in for my 4th fill today.  I am now up to 3 cc's in my 4 cc band.  The Nurse Pract. thinks this should do me for awhile.  I have been at sort of a standstill for most of the summer.  I am down 45 pounds now.  I am VERY happy with this loss, but it's hard when the scale isn't moving.  But I have gone down another dress size over the summer.  I am now wearing a 12.  While I was in B'ham today I went to Ann Taylor Loft and actually bought a dress!  I haven't been able to wear a dress (unless it was a tent dress) for many years.  I am excited and can't wait to wear it.  The 12's just slid right on today.  I talked with the nurse at Dr. Mile's and she feels like my level of exercise is why the scale isn't moving but the sizes are.  She says this is normal and GOOD.  I am gaining muscle while losing fat.  I know I am doing right - I just have to keep it up and reach my goal.  I will not settle for less!!  We talked about what my goal is today and both agreed on 150 pounds.  I have about 24 pounds to go.  I know I can do this - it would be a life-changing moment for me to actually reach my goal.  I have never done that.  It may take awhile, but I am going to stick this thing out!  I feel great and love who I am again.  I can't let the scale dictate if I am happy or not!  I will be happy to hit that 50 pounds, though - I won't lie.  Maybe this fill will help me a little bit.

I love my band!

Happy Friday the 13th!!  I haven't been posting enough lately.  Working, kids and gym time is keeping me hopping.  I am in the midst of my first plateau, I do believe.  I am stuck at around 42.5 pounds.  I go up a pound, I go down a pound.  It is making me crazy.  I talked with a nice lady named Bette on the board the other day.  She has lost buckets of weight.  She helped me feel better.  She says these things happen - she had one that lasted a month once!  Yikes!  Anyway, I am trying to stay strong and work out like a mad-man.  One good thing happened this morning.  I bought a pair of size 12 pants at J. Crew the other day.  They were really too tight in the waist, but I bought them anyway.  Well...I put them on this morning and they pit perfectly!  So, even though the scale isn't moving, I know that I am losing inches.  I guess that's what really matters.  It has been many a year since I have put on size 12 anything.  My goal is to be a size 10 when this is all said and done.  My weight loss has loomed so large and unatainable to me for the last few years.  It is hard to wrap my mind around that I am actually within 30 pounds of being where I want to be.  Mentally, it is hard to take it all in.  Being in this plateau has really made me see how hard I need to keep working.  It has shown me that I am NOT  happy where I am.  I am NOT going to be one of those people that the doctor tells about that loses around 50% of the weight they want to lose.  I have come too far, I am working too hard.  I will not stop now!!!!

I will check back later!

I can't believe that I have had my band over 4 months now.  I am down 41 pounds.  I think that's pretty good.  I go for my 4th fill tomorrow - I am really wanting to get a little more agressive with this fill business.  The nurse practitioner will laugh at me when I say that, though.  I'm not going to wait 4-5 weeks to get another fill if this one isn't doing the trick.  I do feel like I am close to having a good restriction, though.  I have been exercising alot since I got back from Europe.  But my appetite has been pretty big.  Maybe tomorow will help all of that.  I am so happy that I had this surgery, though.  What a blessing it has been.  I love my doctor and his staff.  I love the way I can live a very normal life with the band - really more normal than I was living BEFORE the band!  I am eating like a normal, healthy person now.  I was so afraid that I would be "crippled" by this thing, but it has been the opposite.  I am freer now than I have been in a long time.

Today's menu:
b-Kashi Go-Lean Crunch w/ skim milk
l-white chicken chili w/ LF mozz. cheese
d-fish w/ green beans

Exercise:
50 minutes - elliptical
1 mile treadmill
(I love my new I-Pod!!)

We made it home from Europe!  What a great trip.  Katie and I had a ball along with all of our dancing friends.  The cruise was great as well as all of the great ports that we stopped at along the way.  Surely a trip to remember always.  I am happy to say that I came home exactly the same weight as when I left.  I am also happy that I have been able to get right back to my regular eating/exercise pattern since my return on Sunday.  I have a doctor's appt. next Tuesday, so I have got to get it in gear.  I am just so glad that I don't have 5 or 10 pounds to lose from the cruise.  I fell really good about that.  The jet lag is pretty tough, but I feel  wonderful and am glad to be home.

Katie and I are leaving on our European adventure tomorrow.  I have been frantically working and packing.  But, tomorrow we will be leaving if we're ready or not!  I can't wait to get there.  I went and worked out really hard today - I wish I could bank workout minutes!  It doesn't work that way though, does it?  I am taking my workout clothes and tennis shoes.  The ship has a gym, a running track, Spinning classes and such.  I hope to exercise at least a little bit!  And we will be walking a bunch on our excursions.  I just hope I can somewhat maintain my loss over the trip.  I would hate to have lots of ground to make up when I get home. I know that seafood will be aplenty and I will just have to control myself with the rest of it.  I am looking forward to a glass of wine now and again!  I will write again when I return!  Bon Voyage!

Today's Menu:
b-Kashi Go-Lean Crunch w/ skim milk
l-talapia and green beans, leftover from last night (got really stuck)
d-not sure yet - maybe a crab cake

Exercise:
45 minutes - elliptical machine
20 minutes - weight lifting

I have been crazy with dance recital and getting ready to go to Greece on Thursday.  My exercise suffered a little last week during recital, but I still found a way to get there more than I used to.  I have become addicted to exercising.  It makes me feel bad if I don't go!  I plan to use the gym and the running track on the cruise ship - I can't just eat and drink the whole time!!  That would be bad and I really don't WANT to do that.  It will be nice to get on the elliptical or spinning class and be able to look out at the ocean!  I haven't lost much in the last week (makes sense with the lack of exercise).  I got up this morning and got back on my normal food and activities.  It is so easy to get off track when life sneaks up on you!  I will be getting another fill about a week or so after my trip.  I think that will be perfect.  I can get home and get back on track and THEN go get my 4th fill.  I have a little bit of restriction now, but I look forward to having a little more.

Today's menu:
b-Kashi Go-Lean Crunch w/ skim milk
l-turkey chili w/ 2% cheese and LF sour cream
s-2 pieces of turkey and LF swiss cheese (got a little stuck)
d-talapia and green beans

It's been a few days since I checked in.  What a crazy time of year.  Katie went to cheerleading camp last week, has dance recital this week and then next week we leave for Europe.  Whew!!  This is a crazy week with recital, but I have been keeping up my exercise and eating well.  We ordered Steak Out last night before recital started (kind of a dance tradition).  I have not had Steak Out since my surgery.  I didn't know if I would be able to eat steak.  I ate slow and didn't eat very much of my salad, but it went down fine.  I used to eat every bite of that big ole salad, with dressing and crackers.  Yesterday, I probably ate less than 1/2 of it with no crackers.  This is when I can tell that I have restriction.  My restriction happens more with feeling full than from things having a hard time going down.  I guess that's good!!  But the steak tips were cold on the salad and they still went down fine.  This tells me that there is still room for more restriction.  I will see to that when I get home from Greece.  I am coming up on my 40 lb. mark.  As always, I am fluctuating back and forth about a pound trying to get to the spot.  My body is so perverse.  It loves to make me suffer.  But, I am extremely happy with where I am right now.

I wore my new blue jeans to recital yesterday.  Everyone that saw me commented on my weight loss.  I guess it took smaller jeans to make everyone finally notice!!  But, it felt really good.  I feel great!  Life is good!!