ggiraffe

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

I started of the day by going to my water aerobics class with my new friend and "bandster", Robin.  We also carpooled to our doctor appointment together this afternoon. When I saw Dr. S. today...I actually got a smile! Yippee!  He thought I was doing well. I kind of was hoping for a fill. I've been hungry, grazing and having a fourth meal each day. But I did lose 1.5lb in a week and he liked that. So he wants to see me in a month and check then. I'm just sad that I will have wasted 3 months getting back to where I was. So, my advice to anyone reading this....chew your food, don't eat dry food, don't overeat and don't get anything stuck! It is a pain to recover from and get your focus back while trying not to be depressed. But now I'm back on track and hopefully by the end of this month I will be back to where I was. :-)
250.0

Tonight Dr. S. talked about not being "band dependent" and how the band really works as a mental reminder, not a physical reminder to not overeat.  This should be a lifestyle change and about how little you can eat and how long it lasts.  One of the members talked about how you can cheat the band physically...like photo radar...you can still speed between the cameras. Ha-ha. I know that I have done that....that is why I had a gain. I was open and free to "speed" and not feel anything. I was also hungry all the time. We talked about making good choices and "doing the research and planning" to be successful. No excuses are good enough....you choose...you are responsible if this doesn't work. Wow....harsh words! I control what I don't eat or I gain because of what I eat. I am not a victim - I am in control. Everyone has stress, I just need to focus on something else other than eating. Deal with it!  
    It was a good meeting and I met a friend who lives close to me and will be able to carpool with me to the meetings. Praise God! It's nice to connect and have support between the meetings. We also go to the same gym, so maybe I will have a new workout partner too. I hope everyone is ready to start the next month on a good note.  I know that I will be getting refocused and back on track.
:-)

Follow up appointment with Dr. S. showed that I had a 7.5 gain! Wow! That is a whole baby! I was very disappointed in myself. Dr. S. was very nice, didn't shame me or say anything negative, like some doctors do. He just said "hop up on the table" and gave me a fill. I knew he was disappointed also. But he smiled and said see you in a week to check on how you are doing. A week! O.K. I live kinda far away and don't like to make this trip every week. I hope I feel this and it makes a difference. I will definately be down at least a few pounds in a week...I hope! Meeting is later tonight. I will get my head focused and into the right direction.
251.5

Well, I saw Dr. S. today and with all my symptoms he said.....I got something stuck! My back shoulder pain was really bad, night cough, heatburn and can't even get soft foods down and very little water. I was disappointed, but finally to be pain free was a relief. I can pin it down to a family event with lots of bread, chicken, whole fruit and desserts.  I don't know if I ate too fast, ate while talking, didn't chew big enough or drank with food - but something was stuck. After the large unfill (he took out a lot) it felt much better. Now I need to go on liquids then soft and then solids...start at the beginning. I won't do that again!
244.0

I noticed that I forgot to write about a new tightness I have felt the last two weeks. It is strange, I am now loose in the morning, but tight in the early evening? I don't understand. My last fill was in May and I was fine all of June and the beginning of July, why would it come on like this? I have heard others say that they have felt the "fill" later and not immediately. Maybe that is what I'm feeling. I'm also tighter than I have ever been, but I can still eat. The praise about feeling tighter in the evening is that I struggle the most between 8-11pm and now it isn't even an issue. I can also wake up and have an egg and some ham from breakfast. I have also noticed that I can't eat much fresh veggies and fresh fruit I have to eat without a peel - even grapes. I can eat any meat, chicken, pork, beef if very tender. Bread is too sticky unless it is toasted and pasta needs a lot of sauce. Unfortunately crackers and potato chips still go down very easy. My weaknesses. I'm sure this isn't very interesting to most of you, but maybe for someone lurking or a newbie, it might be good information as to what can happen 7 months down the line. Keep up the good work & remember that you CAN make this change!  

Tonight Dr. S. talked about accountability, choices and change. I am in control of what goes in my mouth and to exercise. He really hit a note with me. Situations and people cannot force me to eat... I choose to deal with it that way. I need to learn to "deal" another way. There aren't any excuses for my overeating or eating fatty things....there is just responsibility. If I eat unhealthy and don't lose...then I have control over that and can make a change. It's my job, not anyone else's. He also spoke on the Glycemic (sp?) index and metabolism. I will have to do more research on that. But it was very eye opening. As always he encouraged us at the end to use the band effectively, measure, eat slow and not to overeat. He said he has a new book, cook book, video and pod casts coming out soon. I love to go online and listen to him when I'm struggling and wanting to eat. Their scale is lighter than mine, but I was happy to see the numbers.
246.5lbs :-)

I've been right on my game lately and to my surprise when I woke up and weighed I was exactly 70lbs down from my highest, beginning weight! It feels wonderful and I'm wondering why I'm still not noticing alot of difference in my appearance? Not many others have even commented on my weight loss. I suppose if I bought smaller clothes and didn't still wear the baggy ones, that would make a difference, but I have no money to do that right now. Oh well, I know and now you, my friends, know. I will have to say, I did have a few potato chips this afternoon. Bad me. What was I thinking? They didn't even taste that good.
 Hmmm...that just goes to show you that I don't have a "brain-band" that stops unhealthy behavior. Since I have reached a goal, I need to replace it with one...and it would have to be consistant exercise. We will see how that one pans out!
247.5lbs

Today I hit 250.2! Yipee! I'm excited to have hit another goal and the thing that sticks in my head is that I can now have an MRI in any facility and not got to the specialized MRI for larger people! Praise the Lord! I'm very encouraged today and will have to find a new picture to post. Now, I can't wait for the support meeting and have some happy news. Thank you to all of my friends who have stood beside me and my wonderful husband who supports me unconditionally and doesn't go out and get me ice cream when I ask for it. Although if I really begged, he probably would, but may make me go with him and walk around the block eating it. I love you, Scott!
250.2lbs!

Not much to say, except I was picked for Jury Duty in a two day trial that started today. That wasn't the reason why I blogged. However, I was very happy when I stepped on the scale this morning and thought I would share with you. I can't wait to be in my next weight decade. I remember being told by my dr. that I couldn't get an MRI in their facility because of my weight and that I had to be 250 or less. Yes, I went somewhere else and got it, but it was depressing when I was 317 and 250 seemed like an eternity away. I can't believe I will be reaching that goal in days! Yeah, me!
251.0

Dr. S. is in Alaska (some of us are so envious) on vacaton, so Nancy ran the meeting. We discussed how Summer routines are different, weather effects our exercise and different types of foods that are linked to the summer months. Exercise is very important whether it is inside, outside, walking, weights, swimming etc. Whatever you like...DO!  She talked about staying active, moving more and to challenge yourself to go a bit further every day. BAND + ACTIVITY = HEALTHY! There was a new person to our group that has had some great sucess (yes, it was a man). He tracks his food/activity/weight on a Excel spreadsheet and is willing to share it with us. I'm looking forward to having a tracker that will hold me accountable and give me new totals when I enter in the food/calories etc. This is the type of support and information you get at these meetings. You never know who will have a great tip or helpful story. So my advice to anyone reading this is to go to your meetings!  Even if things are moving slow, or your are back tracking, go to a meeting and get back in the game. It will make you feel better and not alone in this process. I was very happy with my weigh-in today!
254.5lbs