Just a Tool

I really have to keep reminding myself that the Lapband is just a tool to weight loss.  Diet seems to be the main key to this whole thing.  The last few weeks I have been really focusing on what I have been eating.  I got a another fill about a week ago, and seem to finally have a bit of restriction which has been fantastic and helping with the diet.  I have been trying to eat "clean"  protein, veggies and small amounts of carbs.  This last week I have lost almost 8lb which is really exciting.  Football season is right around the corner and want to be down some more poundage before I see old friends.

I am still exercising 6 days a week.  Body Trac on MWF and swimming on T, TH and Sat. 

Here's to hopefully another week of weightloss.

4th of July

Well I have finished my first week of Body Trac...woo hoo... Although I was unable to move my arms at all yesterday because my triceps were hurting so bad.. Seriously I couldnt even brush my hair. 

Yesterday was the 4th of July, coincidentily it was also my Birthday.  I had a horrible eating today and drank a giant frozen margarita with lunch.  Hopefully  this week is much better on the diet.  I still dont feel a lot of restriciton with the lap band, hoping as I get more fills I will be able to eat less.  Apparantly finding your "sweet spot" as they refer to it in lapband world is the main goal..as of now I definetly have not found it.

Side note..my husband had his first day of Body Trac today.. Let's just say, he can no longer laugh at me ;)

Adding exercise to my lap band adventure

Well yeterday I started Body Trac..which is a gym that only does small group training sessions.  I did 30 min on the treadmill and then 30 min intense circuit training...and man am I sore today!  Hoping to see the weight really start to fall off with the addition of exercise.

Today I started swimming...for all of those who don't know me, I swam my entire life all the way through college and then stopped once I finished my schooling.  I swam a 1500 which is 60 laps, and I was pretty proud of myself..It felt great to get back in the pool again after so many years.  Really considering investing in a ipod that I can take in the pool?  Pretty cool how swimming technology has even changed over the last decade.  Googles, Caps are so different and even swimming Ipods... so wish they had that stuff when I was younger.  One thing that hasnt changed is the smell of chlorine..lol.

I think the fill really is helping, I have noticed not being as hungry as I had been leading up to this week.  Yesterday I ate a piece of toast with a small amount of peanut butter before the gym.. A cup of soup for lunch and three small squares of thin crust pizza for dinner.  I didnt seem to have much hunger yesterday.. Hoping today is just as good.

Bonus...since monday i have lost 3lb...crazy right?

First Lapband Fill

Today was my first fill, and man am I ready for it..I have been able to eat anything in site the last week or so.  I was scared before I went for the fill because I wasn't sure what to expect.  It was a piece of cake(mmm cake..lol).    The doctor found my port on the sonogram machine, numbed with a needle and then filled with 5 cc of fluid.  Took 10 minutes total.

Official weigh in..down 14 lb.  Have 6 more to go to meet my June 30 goal of 20lb... On a liquid diet for two days per the doc and starting personal training on wed..so fingers crossed!

First Vacation with Lapband

Well I survived my first vacation with the lapband, and did not gain any weight...considering it was a cruise and there was food EVERYWHERE, I look at it as a huge success.  I find that I am hungrier a lot more than I was a few weeks ago, and that I can eat pretty much whatever I want.  So all the weight I lose until my first fill is pretty much on my self control(scary thought)..I am counting down the days until my first fill, which will be in two weeks.

Hardest Part

The hardest part about this adventure so far is the reality that "Rome was not built overnight".  When you hear weight loss surgery, you think man I will be skinny in no time flat.  The reality is, just like anything it takes time to lose.  I have officially lost 10lb, but in my head it does not seem like enough.  I have been walking daily and eating much much less, I guess I need to just keep on keeping on and keep doing what I have been doing. 

Today I started the Biggest Loser Exercise DVD.  I did the low impact cardio, as I am not totally cleared to begin strenuous exercise.  I tell you what, that 25 minute exercise video was a killer... 10 minutes of squats and lunges....wowsers.

We have booked our first vacation for the summer!  We are going on a 3 day Disney Cruise- and we leave next Thursday!  That will be a challenge, my goal to go to the gym and eat small portions!

Official Weigh In

I went to the doctor today for my follow up appointment.  Officially down 9lb.  I am on my way!  I have received clearance to swim, but no gym for 2 more weeks. 

11 Days Post Op

I feel great...completely back to "normal".  I go to the doctor tomorrow for my follow up visit.   I have been eating pretty much normal food, but small amounts.  Trying to stay under 1000 calories.  It is crazy how full i am after eating small amounts of food.  Hope this continues. 

On  a side note, yesterday I went to Jax for my citizenship interview.  After 25 years of living in the United States, figured it was time to make it official.

More tomorrow after the doctor visit and my "official" weigh in...FINGERS CROSSED :)

Hard Day

Today I was a little down...I think I realized that I have not chewed food in about a week.. that plus the fact I was watching The Big Bang Theory last night and Sheldon was eating a burger.... Man how I could eat a big fat juicy burger topped with hot wing sauce and blue cheese...  I keep reminding myself that, that is the reason I am in the position I am in today.  So I ate a cookies and cream protein shake with extra ice.

Day 5 Post Lapband Surgery

Feel great today!  Only took pain meds last night(to help me sleep..shh).

Ate Muscle Milk Lite Cookies and Cream Shake this am
Drank Half of a vitamin water
Drank Regular Water
Half a bowl of broth from the chinese restauant around the corner

I feel stuffed!  I seriously can't believe it.

Oh and I finished my first "Real" Walk.. 1.5 miles :)

Thiking about posting some Before pics...scary...

Shout Out

Just wanted to give a shout out to my husband.  He has been sooooo wonderful in this whole process. I really could not have gotten through it without him.  He woke up every four hours to give me my pain meds, ran around like a monkey to get me everything I needed. I know he is so worried about me.

My parents have also been a huge help as well.  They are in Tallahassee for 10 days to help with our son and they are even cleaning my house today!
How lucky am I :)

Other Side

Well I survived surgery...woot woot... 

My husband and I went into TMH at 10am and just have to say that the hospital staff were amazing from the second I checked in.  Was prepped and wheeled down to operating prep a little after noon.  By this time although i was still terrified of surgery was doing pretty good with the nerves.  I met the anesthesiologist(sp?) and he calmed me down by explaining how fast the surgery would be and that not waking up from anesthesia is so rare.  Last thing I remember was being wheeled into the operating room. Don't remember anything after that...how weird... Don't remember seeing the doctor, the anesthesiologist or even the operating room.

Next thing i knew i was up and in recovery.  Although the nurse told me i had a panic attack when waking up from the surgery...don't remember but she said I cried a lot..hmm....  Worst part was waiting for my room to be ready...think it was 4 hrs before i could see my husband....

That first night...Iam not going to lie...was awful..  I was in a lot of pain and had horrific nausea.  The nurses were wonderful and kept me pumped with morphine and anti nausea medicine.  I wasn't sure if I was hungry, nauseous or what was going on.

Friday Morning.. Day after Surgery:

Dr Sieloff came into the room and told me how great the surgery went, and that I would be leaving that day after radiology.... What did radiology do you may ask.. It was actually kind of cool.. I drank two liquids(tasted horrible..one was liquid metal).  I could see the lap band inside of me on the TV screens and watched the liquid go down..was pretty fascinating.  The radiologist said there were no leaks and everything looked great.

About 6 hours later we were released from the hospital.  


The next few days were still a bit painful.  They gave me some medication to take at home.  It took every four hours. I wasn't really hungry till about Saturday afternoon.  I ate some chicken broth, drank Gatorade and seemed a bit better.  Hard to figure out what to eat, when to eat it and how much of it to eat. 

Sunday night... I was doing the best so far... my parents came over and we ordered Chinese food.  I got the chicken noodle soup and basically just strained out the broth.. Was actually really tasty.  I ate about a cup of it and a half of an apple juice juice box and was stuffed. Seriously felt like i ate a 10 course meal!  I made my first walk around the neighborhood as well.. So looking good and on the road to recovery!

T-Minus one day

Hopefully by tomorrow this time I will be banded.  Went for my pre op this morning, not to scary(except for the payment part).  I am a self pay, so that took a big chunk out of the old savings plan.  Other than that, a nurse took some blood, vitals and thats about it.  I have to call back this afternoon to find out my surgery time.

Have everything purchased for my liquid diet.  Protein shakes, chicken broth, sugar free jello and sugar free popsicles.

Wish me luck :)

Getting Closer to Lap Banding

Almost one week to go before my lapband will pe put in... So many thoughts... Scared, excited..but at the current moment terrified.  Just hope all goes well and no complications arise.

This weekend I am going to Disneyworld with my son, a good friend and her son.  Hoping that the trip will distract me from the upcoming surgery.

Will post some before pictures next week before the big day.

Random thought..since the lap band will become a part of me...I think i will have to name it.  Hmm...will have to get back on that one.

2 weeks from today...

Wow.. 2 weeks from today I will be in the hospital getting lapbanded. Its hard to believe that my struggle with weight loss has come to this, but i am ready to tackle it head on.

Growing up I swam competitively from the time i was six years old through college. Although i had to watch my weight because i swam so much, it wasnt an "issue". My eating habits growing up were atrocious..two orders of chicken fingers and fries was a regular. Once college ended, swimming stopped and the "real world" set in. Sitting at a desk 9 hours a day, eating junk and not exercising lead to a 100lb weight gain.

I have decided on Lap Band and will be banded May 9th at Tallahassee Memorial Hopsital by Dr. Eliot Sieloff. In preparing for surgery, I have read blogs and books and searched the internet...man is there a lot of stuff out there...funny how the things that stick are the scary parts..