Feeling Great

I have been off work for the last two days and have been very active today just not so much yesterday....wow what a difference exercise and activity make on a body and mind.  I went to the gym and burned 300 cals on the elliptical and then worked my arms and legs on weight machines.  I also found a Zumba class near me and will try my first one tonight.  I really hope I like it.

I found some really good veggies at the produce stand today.  The strawberries are amazing. I made Shelly's(from theworldaccordingtoeggface blog) recipe of strawberry cannolis.  They are awesome.  I have been slacking on my protein the two days and I can feel it, or maybe I am just nuts......either way I need to do better.

Til later......

BTW the strawberry recipe is the easiest.  Thanks Shelly

Weigh In Day

I am now down 39 lbs and weighing in at 241.  I am so close to my May goal of another 10 lbs to put me at 240 and total lose of 40lbs. 

I have a goal set for 10lbs a month and to be down 50lbs by the first of July for my trip to HI on the 6th.

Off to the gym after work.....

Making Better Decisions

As the end of the month is rolling around, so is my mini goal for May which is lose ten pounds.  Actually I have set that goal for myself every month.  Last night a friend suggested we go for sushi so I can give it the "test" as I have not had sushi since my surgery.  I quickly agreed.  As the day progressed and I thought of getting off work and going to the gym and how close I am to my mini May goal, I decided that the sushi wasn't worth it at this time and I really wanted to make my goal.  So I canceled on the sushi and today when I got on the scale it paid off.  Down another pound!  What a smart girl I can be sometimes.  I know that having this band isn't going to keep me from putting ice cream in my mouth everyday and it isn't going to make me stop at the gym and have a good workout....that is all me and I am determined to keep my goals.

Here's to your goals and hoping they are met!!!!!!!

Gurtrude vs Mr. Hyde

Today I was having lunch and had finished eating and was satisfied with what I had eaten which was a healthy amount.  As I was sitting there I just looked at my plate and began to think about what I used to eat before my Gerty came into my life, and realized I still wanted to eat another plate of food.  I knew in my belly that I was full and wanted nothing more to eat, but my head wanted more and I came to a realization.  I remembered another person in history that was conflicted in this same way, well kinda.  I thought of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.  Dr Jekyll was the voice of reason, but Mr Hyde was the run wild and be dangerous voice inside of Dr Jekyll and no matter how hard Dr Jekyll tried to control Mr Hyde physically he just couldn't control his thoughts or feelings.  Gertrude is the Dr Jekyll and my brain is Mr Hyde .  Gertrude trys to control my eating by helping me feel full and satisfied while Mr. Hyde (my brain) tells me you know that food tastes good and you want more.

Alas Mr. Hyde didn't win today and Gerty is still helping me stay in control......Thanks Gerty.

Once again this is a daily fight and no matter what names we give them our bands are a big tool, but our brains are our biggest tools and need to be in step with the rest of our body in this fight...

good luck to all....

I Couldn't Believe It

I had pizza for dinner tonight for dinner and I didn't blow my calorie count for today and yes the pizza was delicious.  I have recently discovered Flat Out Bread.  I  brushed a little olive oil over the bread then added leftover caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and garlic and herb goat cheese dotted over them.  Baked it at 350 for 7-10 mins.  The crust was crispy and the topping perfect.  Yummy.

Old recipe redone......

Yesterday I was on the Healthy Cheap blog and they had chicken Marsala redone recipe so I bought some chicken and mushrooms and went to town.  I didn't have any Marsala so I used a white wine for the sauce and chicken broth.  It was awesome.  I caramelized onions without the sugar and they just added another great flavor to the dish.  Instead of serving pasta (which is what I love with this chicken) I boiled cauliflower and made moch mashed potatoes with a little Mexican creama, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  This was the perfect side to the chicken and I never missed the pasta.  I am not positive of the calorie factor but I know that my serving was under 300 calories and I am loving that.  See we banders can still eat gourmet (or in my case something like it). 

Tomorrow is weigh in day......not sure this week will be as pretty as last week, but the big loss last week was due to the fill. 

The gym isn't calling me yet, but my mind knows that the gym is the best which kinda makes me want to go.....I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but we take what we can get.

Until next time .........

Blowing Off Steam

No I am not blowing off any steam in the blog I don't think that would help anyone.  However I was canceled today from work which means my pay will be short this week, but no worries I will be fine.  I bring this issue up because that is the steam I was needing to blow off.  So I went the gym and was there for around 2 hours.  Thirty minutes on the treadmill, thirty on the elliptical, and just under an hour on weight machines.  Now while on the treadmill and elliptical I did get bored some I guess my steam wasn't that hot...lol, but when I got to the weight machines I thought about nothing but doing the weight machines properly.  Today is the longest workout I have had in years, which I think was in part to my determination to get the machines right and not the steam blowing.  I know that exercise is suppose to be freeing and an outlet, but I am not so sure it will ever be that for me, or maybe I just need to grow up.......

So I ask you, what kind of experience in your head is the gym for you?  Relaxing? Steam blowing? Freeing? Alone time? A reflecting time? Or just something you have to do and get bored easily?

I am also trying to get a playlist together for my workouts and coming up a bit short, any ideas?

So that is what tight means

You know you read all about other people experiences and hope that you can get some incite into what you will go through, but I have never understood what being "tight" meant until yesterday that is.....lol.  Silly silly me thinking will I ever experience being tight.  Oh yes silly mayor you will and have.  Yesterday I had eggs for breakfast and wow those things sat what felt like Gerty for 6 hours.  There was pressure and feeling the need to stand straight up for most of the six hours.  I was burping and drinking fine so I never considered that something was stuck.  Is that what I was feeling?  I don't think so but I could be wrong.  Then at 6 hours all of a sudden the feeling was gone and I was instantly hungry.  Not starving just hungry.  I had lunch an hour later and the same feeling happened I mean I couldn't even finish my lunch and bam the pressure and the need to stand was there and this time lasted 6 more hours.  This morning I had even less eggs and have that pressure feeling but not as strong and I don't feel like I need to stand straight up and Gerty doesn't feel like she is being sat on.

Anyone with thoughts please I am all ears.......

Back home......

And FL was awesome.  I have done real well with my eating and actually got a good workout in.  According to my trusty scale here I have lost five pounds this week!!!!  I will take it.  That puts me 15 pounds away from my first goal of 50 pounds down by July 6 which is when my trip to HI starts.

I LOVE THE BEACH

I also love being home.  So when you live on the beach life is almost perfect.  This morning I went on an hour long walk on the beach ..  Nothing better than getting my exercise in at such a beautiful place.  Sundays belong to the locals here.  No screaming kids happy or sad.  No drunk crazy vacationers.  Just slow paced people that just wanna relax and enjoy their home.  Headed off to lunch with friends and then to the beach to actually get some sun and relaxation.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend as much as I am.......

Hungry Girl

This time I am not referring to me.  I just bought the new Hungry Girl Cookbook and love it.  The egg mugs are perfect in every way for a bander.  Protein, small amount, filling, satisfying, easy, fast, low on calories and fat.  I cant wait to try a few other recipes.  Just saying......lol.

Have a good day all.

Eating on the Road

This weekend I am in Florida, home for a midcontract visit. Let me just say I thought eating while away would be hard, but I am finding that my family and friends here are very supportive and loving the new weight loss on me.  When ever I am around other people when it's time to eat I usually get nerivous looks as if to say ok what can we eat since we have Bella here and I just giggle and say stop that just eat normal I know what to put in my mouth and what not to.  My protein shakes are what throw people the most.  They are unsure what they are at first or what value they bring to me.  I explain that the shakes help me to get my protien in everyday so that my hair doesn't fall out and so I stay healthy.

Since my fill on Tuesday, I have felt a gripping when I swallow.  At first it was every time I swallowed but now I don't feel it every time.  I am sure this is normal.  Which brings me to an issue, when I eat I am having to gauge with my mind what will make me feel full and hope that I don't under judge it and stop to late and feel full sick afterward.  What I am saying is that after I finish eating it takes 15-20 mins for me to feel that full feeling or the full sick feeling if I have over judged it and overeaten.  I am told by my surgeon and have read other blogs to just eat until I am full, but that feeling doesn't come for another 20 mins after I have finished.  I guess I will continue to judge what I eat.  I have gotten really good at judging it.  I hate that full sick feeling and I know its bad for Gerty and me.

I wont have a weigh in day til Tuesday as I am not at home with my trusty scale.  I have to get out and buy a sports bra as I have went off and forgotten to bring one.  And then off to the gym today and a benefit fish fry. ( We like out fish frys in the south)

Not Hungry

So I had my first fill yesterday and was not hungry most of the day and therefore didn't have much of anything to eat or should I say drink.  I woke up this morning and got on the scale....I know not the best thing to do but we all do it, anyway I had lost two pounds.  I know not eating is not the way to lose, but sometimes you just can't help it.  Today was a little better and had two protein drinks, 2 one hlf cups of soup, 1 cup fo coffee with dry creamer and half a pack of equal, 16ozs of unsweet tea, and one 10 calorie Fuze drink.  And that my friends is that.  Was busy at work today and really wasnt hungry.  I will try harder tomorrow.

I leave tomorrow for FL for a trip home.  Can't wait to see family friends and sit on the beach........

til then.....

First Fill

Went to my first fill today and it went very well.  I was placed on a bed that had the head at a 30' angle.  My surgeon then had the nurse take an x-ray to be sure all was in place.  He then started feeling for my port and then ask me where my scars were, he said he couldn't find my scar and that I heal well and good skin.  I then told him compliments would get him everywhere.....lol.  He then numbed the area with lido and inserted the needle.  No pain.  He withdrew whatever saline that was in there from the surgery.  He then had me sit up enough to have a pillow tucked under my back.  The nurse then gave me the barium to drink and while I swallowed the surgeon inserted saline into Gerty until the fluid didn't pass Gerty and that felt horrible.  The saline just bubbled in the back of my throat until he removed just enough to allow the fluid to pass Gerty and that was it.  Oh one more thing the surgeon didn't tell me how much he put in my port.......so I have no idea how much saline I have in my sweet Gerty.  Doc just says he never tells.  Well no matter how much he put in there, I am tight but not to tight and no pain.  I am now on clear liquids for three days and I know that keeping only clear liquids going in is gonna be tough, but seeing the scale move is gonna be very sweet and great encouragement.

I guess I should add that I have named my band Gertrude and Gerty for short.

That's all for now!!!!


 

Weigh in....

I am doing weekly weights and this week I haven't lost or gained.  I am thinking my weekend away last weekend has a lot to do with it.  I have gotten back to proper foods and calorie count and have had really good workouts at the gym so I am looking forward to seeing the scale drop some on next Sunday.

Today is Mother's Day and I am happy to report that I worked today so that another could be home with her children.....I hope everyone is able to enjoy this day with their families.  Happy Mother's Day Mom.

Off to the gym after work.....

Oh and one other thing....Thursday I fly home to see my family and friends and sit on the beach.  I can't wait......

NSV(Non Scale Victory)

I am a travel nurse in Labor and Delivery.  What does that mean?  Well I work contracts in different cities and states as the hospitals need someone.  Usually my contracts are between 2-8 weeks and I have worked in cities all across the country from NYC to Hawaii and northern Washington State to southern FL.  I love my job.  I get to travel around see and experience different parts of our great country while getting paid for it.  Again I love my job.  All that being said I do fly a great deal.  Sitting in an airplane seat can be very very uncomfortable even not being over weight.  Being seriously over weight my flights were very uncomfortable.  Some examples of issues are.....needing to sit near the isle so I can lean in the isle as to not crowd the person next to me, or getting hit by someone passing by in the isle while I am leaning into the isle, also the need to have my own seat belt extended so I don't have to ask for one and be embarrassed, and last of my few important issues, not being able to get to my bag under the seat in front of me without standing and bending over and sticking my behind in some one's face.  So not good.
Here is my NSV.  On my trip to my spa weekend with two of my girlfriends, not only did I not need the seat belt extended, but I was able reach my bag in the floor under my seat in front of me without getting up......How exciting.

To report about my weekend away....

We had a great time and being there with two other foodies, I have to say I saw a lot of awesome food!!!  I did have wine and yes the effects were quicker. And yes I did have some foods I am not suppose to be eating yet, but I had no issues with getting it down.  When I weighed on Monday morning I was two more pounds down which makes four for the week.  I now know I was to lucky and am paying for it this week as I have not lost any weight for this week.  We shall see what the scale says tomorrow morning as I have set Sundays as my weigh in day. 

Til next time.......

In the begining.......

Much research and decision making went into how I came to the fact that I needed surgery.  I can remember when the gastric bypass was new and I researched it for a friend.  How scary the surgery looked and what it would mean for my future.  A year and a half ago I did the HCG diet and lost 30lbs in 35 days....very cool.  I kept it off for a year then I slipped into my old eating habits, not good I know.  When I tried to do it again late last year, it failed and failed bad or should I say I failed.  Two of the girls I had been working with had done the lap band.  One had done it two years ago this July and was doing awesome, the other had it done a month before I decided to do it.  I needed help and surgery seemed to be that help. 
On March 31 of this year I had the lap band placed and I have never looked back.  My pre op diet was 10 days of clear liquids, protein waters, and watery stool.  Not a pretty picture.  Half way thru the ten days I was not losing weight and I couldn't figure out why.  So I contacted my surgeon's office and that is when I was told that if I didn't loose enough weight my surgery would be canceled.  I was horrified.  I had to lose weight and it just wasn't coming off despite the fact I was following the diet to the letter.  Then on day 7 I had dropped and the scale was moving.  By surgery I had dropped 15 lbs.  The skys opened up and the angels sang.  I had surgery and all went well.  My diet for the next three days were much of the same clear liquids.  I didn't stay overnight just day surgery and was home late as my surgery didn't happen til 2:30.  My pain was minimal and the liquid loritab helped a lot.  I had dry mouth really bad and so the gas strips I bought just stuck to my tongue.....very nasty.  The gas was passing and not hard to deal with.  I slept in a recliner for the first four nights or so. 
As of yesterday I am five weeks out from my surgery and have lost 30lbs.  The weight loss was and is not easy let me just say that.  It is an everyday journey that is fraught with hunger, temptation, desire, and thankfully the support of my friends and family also from the bloggers on this site.  I have started this blog because of the wonderful information and without them knowing it, support from the blogs I have read.
As I post I hope to give to others the knowledge and support that has helped my get thru the first five weeks.
Please let me know if I can help in anyway.