Today, I went to a day-long augmented reality convention. My flight was at 6:45, so it was an early morning rushing to the airport. I didn't have time for a proper "egg" breakfast, so I decided to eat at the airport. By the time I got through security, I only had 15 minutes till boarding. What to eat? What to eat? I opted for a Greek Yogurt for $2 and a bottle of water. I needed to get some work done before boarding, so I actually only ate 1/2 the yogurt before getting on the plane.
During the flight, peanuts were passed out. Since I only had 1/2 a "just in case" protein bar stashed in my purse, I saved these for my "lunch". The convention was packed with so much to do in the short day I was there. I talked to various people working in the AR industry and felt really comfortable in my skin. Having lost almost half the weight I want to lose, I had a renewed sense of confidence. The day went by so fast. I didn't notice that I skipped lunch. At about 2pm I finally realized I should eat something. So out came the 1/2 protein bar and the peanuts. I didn't get really truly hungry (where you feel it in your gut) until about 5 when I had to head back to the airport. Once there, I looked around for something small, but filling. Finally, I opted for one taco from a Mexican Restaurant. The server clarified, "Just one taco?" Yes! I ordered a chicken, bean and cheese taco with salsa and it was just the perfect size and tasted so delicious. And it was only $3. So not only did I get to spend my time interacting with interesting developers and making connections without spending precious time chowing down, I only spent $5 "eating out" on my trip. I've lost 30 pounds post-op for a total of 46 pounds gone from the start of the journey. I am feeling really good, still eating small portions. I'm trying to find my favorite jeans in one size smaller (14). I'm getting more exercise in with the bike riding. For instance, yesterday we were invited to a BBQ at a neighbors house about 1/2 a mile away. Normally, we would just drive over. But, we decided to bike ride over and it was GREAT!
I really want to get to 50 pounds down so I can buy myself a new bike! In January 2013, I weighed 245 lbs. I lost about ten pounds that year, so when I started my Lap-Band journey in February of 2014, I weighed 237. Back in 2013, my friends got really into recreational bike riding. I tried to join them in riding around the city. It was hard! I was always winded! I couldn't make it up the hills. I stopped riding with them. Friday: Casual 2 miles around the park Last week, Russ bought a new black Electra cruiser. On Friday, I got my old cruiser down from hanging on the garage wall and dusted it off. Russ checked the tires and oiled up the squeaky seat. We loaded the bikes in the truck and drove to the park. The park is really flat, so it was a nice bike ride. I felt really good, and it was fun! Today: 12.8 Miles for Breakfast The real challenge was today. We woke up early and decided to bike into our old town district for breakfast. I knew there were hills, and it was 5 miles out. But, since I have lots of energy, I mentally said, "You can do it!". We made it to Ruby's for breakfast with no problem! 5 miles through our streets. Once we ate, we also rode around old town for quite a while. We even stopped into our local cycle shop. I found a great new Electra cruiser bike in a sea foam green that I identified will be a "1/2 way point gift to myself". I'm 4 pounds away of being 1/2 way to goal. Once I hit it, this is mine! On the way back, we took the bike trail. This is where I had the most problems pre Lap-Band. There are steep dips under the streets as you take the trail. Going down is no problem "Wheeeeee!" but getting back up was always a challenge. Even though my bike has gears, I could never do it without getting off and walking the bike up.
But today, I did all of it with no problem!!! It felt great! Of course at about mile 10 of our whole trip, I started losing steam. But finally, we got back to our house and spent the rest of the day watching movies. It was a great NSV for me and I loved how much easier it was! I'm excited for summer. And to get my new bike! It was a hot weekend. Russ suggested we go get some ice cream. Yes it's a slider food, but sounded delicious! We went to Cold Stone. I used to avoid Cold Stone like the plague because of what ever diet I was on at the time. I knew that type of ice cream full of sugar and fat and calories was just trouble! But with my band working well, I ordered a small vanilla and strawberries. I ate about 5-6 bites and felt satisfied. I ended up throwing out the rest feeling really good that I got a little treat. I also was super happy that I didn't feel guilty or longing for my trashed ice cream.
My surgeon is amazed that I am consistently losing 2+ pounds a week. It seems I am in green zone with only one adjustment back in March. No adjustment for me today, just some pats on the back for a job well done. I have secretly thought I was in the green zone ever since my 3 week 4.5cc fill. I have had all the traits of being in the green. I didn't know if there was an "official" measurement to verify before I could be sure. I guess its all just a combination of things. One thing is for sure...I love being green!
Yesterday was a two protein shake kind of day.
If you remember in previous posts, I had tried pizza, it went down fine, but left me with low energy. I lost my "zip" after eating it. So I vowed to not eat pizza. And it has been easy. Until yesterday. Yesterday, we had an agency lunch-time meeting. And RoundTable pizza was brought in. And it smelled soooooo good! And it looked sooooo good! It was gooey and cheesy and meaty and had the crust that was crunchy on the outside, but soft in the middle. I really had to use my will-power and a couple of protein shakes to not give into temptation. I was definitely craving it! But I succeeded in not eating the pizza, and this morning was rewarded with another pound down (194!). Yay for me! Well it's been 10 weeks post surgery. Here is a recap of my journey: Weight Loss: So far I have lost a total of 42 pounds. 16 of that was on the pre-surgery liquid diet. 26 is post-op which is a combination of liquid, mushies and regular food. I lost 15 pounds the first 5 weeks post surgery and 11 pounds the second 5 weeks post surgery. My weight loss has slowed down, but is still steadily headed in the right direction. Foods: I still have not gotten "stuck", but I really do listen to my Lap-Band. I pick proteins first like egg, meat, cheese and beans. My carbs might be corn tortilla chips or mashed potatoes. But, I eat no more than 1/2 a cup, and even that is risking feeling the ultimate "full" feeling. Energy: My energy is great. I am always ready for anything and do not want to just sit watching TV. Once my energy came back after surgery, it's been insane! NSVs: I have had SOOOO many! I am wearing size 14 in shorts. A Large in T-shirts. I get so many remarks on the weight loss from various people. I can walk faster, play longer and am looking forward to buying a new bathing suit! Incisions: I barely notice them. I can see them, but they don't give me any issue. They are smooth to the touch. My port area is not sore any more. I really don't feel it like I did in the past. Here's a look at them: Progress Photos: Okay, here it is from Week 5 to Week 10. I don't see a lot of difference, except in my butt! I do feel a lot different in my clothes, so it doesn't matter if it is not super obvious in these photos.
Happy Mother's Day! Today I am going out to breakfast with my son. But last night, I had an interesting dream.
Let me tell you that when I had previously yo-yo dieted, I would dream of eating food. I would eat cookies, cakes, ice cream, you name it. All in my dreams. I would wake up feeling guilty, but then realizing it was a dream, didn't feel too bad and went on with trying to diet. Well last night I had a food eating dream. I was at a breakfast buffet. Lots of pancakes, french toast, hashbrowns... all the yummy items. The funny thing about this dream is... I ate only one sunny side up egg. I was excited to find the egg options and happily took one egg. I think this proves that band-life is not a diet, it's a lifestyle change. It really does fundamentally change the way I think about food. Even in my subconscious, I am choosing the right portions and the right foods. It's not a diet, I am just winning the battle over mental dependency on food! Today was date day with my boyfriend. Our schedules only allow us one full day off together, so we try to maximize our time. But instead of our usual working on the house day, we decided to go people watch at our local outdoor mall. We found parking and walked around the mall for a while. Then we went to Cafe Tu Tu Tango which is a really cool eclectic airy restaurant bar. The best thing is that the whole menu is "appetizer style". Russ and I were able to split the steak skewer appetizer and it was perfect for me! As we were chatting about friends, family and our life together, he mentions to me that I am walking a lot faster. He doesn't have to slow down for me as we are walking around. Wow! I said it's probably because I have a lot more energy, not to mention the weight loss. Definitely a great NSV! When your office building auto detailer says, "You've been losing weight. Like 40 pounds?", you know it's going to be a great day!
Last night, Russ and I went out for Cinco de Mayo. We went to our favorite mexican restaurant, Don Jose's. I love Don Jose's. In my liquid phase I would suck the broth out of a Chicken Tortilla Soup. In my mushies, I ordered their refried beans. Even on solids now, I opt for a side of beans with some lettuce. They have a delicious skinny pomegranate margarita. It's a great place to go for good food, and good conversation. It was crowded because of Cinco de Mayo. There was also an Angels' baseball game AND a Ducks' hockey game - so the place was very active. I found myself staring at all the large portions and people stuffing their faces. I chatted with Russ and he said, "Well, I'm getting the big burrito, so don't judge." That's when I realized I am becoming a "portion snob". I don't mean to judge, it's just that when you eat so little, these large plate portions seem so unreal to me. I just can't imagine all that food fitting in ANYONE's stomach, let alone mine. I am happy to see people enjoying food, but WOW people eat A LOT! I am starting to shrink out of most of my clothes. As far as sizes go, I started my journey 40 pounds ago in the size 20 pants and XXL shirt range. I lost a good bit early on and was able to go shopping at 4 weeks post-surgery and bought size 16 to 18 pants and some XL shirts. I added these to my size 20s and XXLs. Now, I am 9 weeks post surgery and really needed to refresh my whole wardrobe. I'm talking undergarments, pants, shirts, the whole thing! First, I went to my favorite store, New York and Company. I bought size 16 pants. I love that their largest size is 18 and I don't have to buy the largest anymore. I got a lot of summer work shirts in cute colors in size XL and L depending on the cut. Then I went to Macy's. And It was a whole new world. Prior to being banded, I would shop in the Women's area of Macy's. At my store, the Women's area is segregated from the regular clothes and is on the 3rd floor next to childrens and housewares. I always felt like a second class citizen having to go all the way up there, and it made me sad and angry. But today... Today I shopped on the 2nd Floor. Where everyone else shops! And the selection is AMAZING! I must have tried on a million shorts and tops. I couldn't decide what to get. It's amazing how freeing it feels to be able to buy almost anything in the store. Macy's sizes runs a little larger so I got to buy size 14 shorts and some L shirts! When I got home, the real work began. I went through my whole closet and took out all clothes that I knew I would not want to wear again. Not only is the weather heating up, most are really too big. Even though I still like them, out went some very cute XXL sweaters. 3 large bags of clothes later, I hung up all my new treasures and marveled at the variety of fun colors I had chosen. So many more colors are available to me now. No longer do I need to choose black because it's slimming!
I know I will have to shop again in another month or so, but that's ok. I left the tags on all my new clothes, just in case I don't get to wearing them, I can exchange them for a smaller size! Woo Hoo! 40lbs down from when I started this journey almost eleven weeks ago! I've lost 16lbs pre-surgery and 24lbs post-surgery. I am happy to continue to make progress. This week I learned that even though food is so delicious, and I haven't gotten stuck so far (knock on wood), I still have to stay true to my portion sizes. Twice this week I went to bed extremely full. It's almost painful when I'm full. It feels like pressure at the top of my stomach. Last night we went to the Angels baseball game. And NSV: I wore a tank top!!! Rad! I decided I would not have a traditional hot-dog to eat. I have heard that having to chew the hot-dog so much makes them not as tasty as they were pre-band. So I opted for nachos. Even the small nachos was huge to me. I ate 4 chips with some cheese and that was enough. I didn't over eat. I didn't keep eating just because it was there and it was baseball. My goal was to not feel that uncomfortable pressure in my band. And it worked. Believe me, it was hard to be at a baseball game and not snack. But I did it. And I was happy to sleep well and wake up ready for breakfast. This week I have been fighting off a sinus issue. With our wind in Southern California, it has not been easy. I have gone out to eat a couple of times this week. Each time I over ate. I could tell because my band was tight (full) all night and into the morning. I'm still eating way less than everyone else, but more than the 3/4 cup I should be eating. So I need to work on that. Food is so delicious (especially meat) but I need to remember my portions. At least the band is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. I haven't lost any pounds this week, yet. Still at 198. One pound shy of 40lb weight loss.
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