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Saturday, May 28, 2011

Only a Bandster Knows What It's Like to Celebrate Being Overweight

Had my third fill on Thursday. I've been stuck with no weight loss for about a month, which was fine, but I was hungry and thinking about food all of the time so decided a fill was in order. Crossing my fingers, but I think it might do the trick. He has me at about 4.5 cc's now. I'll tell you, this fill actually hurt a little only because my port is so much more sensitive now without the extra fat padding (not that it still doesn't have plenty) and his prodding around to find the right spot before he needled me was youchy! I was a bit of a baby.

I am, as we speak, trying to eat my first solid post-fill (my protein bar). It seems to be going down well, so yay!

I'm down to 177, a 4 lb loss in two days from the liquid diet post-fill. I know it's water weight but I have a new low nonetheless. And I've finally reached my next mini-goal: I'm overweight, not obese!!!

Now I just need to set my next goal. I'm 27 lbs away from my initial goal weight (150), though I've decided I might want to adjust my ultimate goal weight to 140 instead. That's still a little far off to be used as my next weight-loss goal though. Maybe I'll work in 10 lb increments from here out? That seems more achievable.

Energy is a Good Thing

One of the best NSV's that I take for granted a lot is the increased energy I've had since surgery. My baseline is just so much more active than it used to be and I love it. I'm taking fewer naps, I'm getting up earlier in the morning and feeling rested, and I'm just generally getting more done. It's little things. It's actually not being too lazy to water the plants on my porch, because it's so hard to fill up the watering can and take it out there. It's actually planting *more* plants, both outside an in that require maintenance. It's staining my pool deck, it's repainting my outdoor dining furniture. It's making phone calls! Man, this is a big one. I generally hate calling people and I will put it off and put it off-- well, having more energy means that I don't put it off quite as long and get things done. In fact, yesterday I called the handyman who I'd paid to tear down and haul off the wood play structure in our yard to remind him that he needed to get his butt back here and actually haul it off as promised because I didn't want it in my yard anymore. Now that it's gone, I plan to go out today and start raking up the pebbles. I plan to use the area for a raised vegetable garden, so the plan is to get it ready this year for planting next spring as I imagine it is really a little late to try to start something in June/July.

It's funny that with that increased energy, I seem to have a drive to take care of my nest and do maintenance things that I've been putting off for a couple of years. What don't I have? Any real spark to exercise. Cozy Coconut asked me how I'm doing on exercise recently. The fact is, I'm not doing any. I was for a while, but after my trip to Vegas in April I've not done a single thing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. I have two dogs that love to take walks. I have a really nice treadmill and a spin bike in my basement. I really enjoy Zumba and Yoga. Yet I do nothing. My goal for this summer is to start some kind of exercise routine, even if it is a laughable amount. I just need to get some habit going.

One thing that isn't a victory: my body is not used to sleeping without 100 extra pounds. I bought a very nice, moderately expensive mattress set two years ago to help with my bad back. It was amazing. Yet now that I'm over 100 lbs down, I ache and hurt when I wake up and can't seem to get comfortable at night. This is particularly true of sleeping on my stomach, which seems to contort my shoulders into a weird position that leaves me really in pain when I first get up. Also, my back is almost worse in terms of sleeping. My body hasn't quite figured out how to sleep without the extra padding. Do you all think a body pillow would help?

Monday, May 23, 2011

I hate the 180's

The 180's-- specifically, the space between 180 and 182 is my nemesis. I am 2 pounds from hitting my next goal (overweight, not obese on BMI charts) and I am not making a bit of progress.

I've been stuck here for a month. I now completely understand how people who plateau lose all motivation because at this point I feel like giving up.

I go in for a fill on Thursday-- here's hoping it gives me back some mojo.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Inaugural B.Y.O.C.


Oh my gosh, I am a B.Y.O.C. virgin no-more. Sort of. I don't have anything interesting to say for 3 of the 4 questions, but I do have a picture of my cute shoes I wore Saturday to my sis-in-law's graduation.



Aren't they cute? I wore them with a white skirt and a black blouse. They are surprisingly comfortable.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Band Status Update- Just More for the Chronicle






Well folks, it is time for fill #3 for this bandster. I have been chowing down like a crazy woman, and a lot of it is because of hunger (not all of it-- I'm not gonna lie). I think I must have hit that crazy point where I've lost enough weight that my band has loosened, and I just want a little top off to help with the hunger some more. I'm not done losing yet!

The other "I've lost a lot of weight" symptom I'm having is all of a sudden my port site is so sore all of the time. I just think the fat padding around it has shrunk so much that it isn't as cushioned. I'm a stomach sleeper, so I wake up with it sore almost every day now. When I went in to see my regular doc about my reflux issues, she poked my stomach and hit the port twice-- youch! She said she'd never actually felt a patient's port before (she has others who've had the band), so I guess mine is really out there. Of course I've always been able to feel it if I press down, but now it's just right there! At least you can't see it-- only feel it.

My PCP put me on a trial of prescription antacid meds to see if it would alleviate the acid reflux. It has. I want to go off for the next week to see if it comes back-- I certainly don't want to be taking an expensive medication every day if the reflux is a "come and go" symptom. But, I'll be discussing it with my surgeon in any case to make sure he has the opportunity to order an endoscope if he thinks it necessary.


Ok, now on to the frustrating-- I can't seem to get a pair of jeans that fits. URGH! I have been wearing a pair of 14's that fall down (seriously-- I don't have to unbutton/unzip them and they fall off my hips if I'm not careful- ass crack city, baby). When I was in Vegas, we went to the Lucky Brand store and I tried on two pairs of size 12. One of them fit perfectly but I wasn't going to buy a $130 pair of jeans that I have every intention of shrinking out of. But, when I got home, I thought I found them on ebay for $30 and snatched them up.

Not the right ones, apparently, because they won't even button. I'm in some size 10 pants, but these 12 jeans are not gonna work.

So, I go to the thrift store to get some used jeans-- I buy two pairs that are marked 31 waist. Neither fit, both way too small. Then I went back yesterday for another try and yet again the size 12 is too small.

I know what I need to do is go into a store and try jeans on before I buy them but I'm trying to be cheap! That's not working out so well for me as I now have 4 pairs of jeans that I can't wear. But, if I lost this last 40 pounds, I'll be set in jeans at least.

Oh, but the awesome news is that my husband booked us a two night stay on the Gulf at the end of the month-- just a quick little trip to relax on the beach after his marathon work hours this month and before I start my summer classes in June. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be like a mini-beach-training before our 7 night stay in Punta Cana in July :)

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Beautiful Saturday




What a gorgeous day down my way.

My husband is on the board of a community arts council, and today was a "First Saturday" art show in the park. I took my big baby dog (all 120 lbs of him) and we went for a walk in the park, a splash in the creek, and followed it with perusing the artist booths. I came home with a dog sculpture made from recycled paper materials. His name is Chico :)



The real dog


Chico the Boxer in his new home


Oh, yeah, and I hit another goal! Today, I weighed in less than my husband! WOOT! I was at 182.2 this morning and he was around 184. I have weighed less than him maybe once before in our relationship, when we first met. Even the last time I was at 180 (the fall and winter we got married), he was less than that. Lucky for me he's picked up about 10 lbs over the past 10 years!

This is me at 182.2, front and side (size L shirt and the shorts are 12). I'm still obese for 4 more lbs. I want to lose at least another 35 lbs to put me in the normal BMI range.


Friday, May 6, 2011

The Dreaded Acid Reflux

So I'm 99% sure that I'm suddenly experiencing acid reflux at night.

This has been happening for about a week now. I wasn't sure at first, because the first symptom was really a sore throat and since I've been sick and coughing, it was hard to tell. But, it's a different kind of sore throat-- it feels more localized? I don't know. Along with that I've had some mild heartburn after dinner for at least 3 days during the week, and I found myself waking up in the night with coughing (could be cold related) and just to swallow (that isn't cold related).

I have no bile taste, and I haven't hacked anything from my stomach up, but this just feels strange.

I have an appt with my regular doc on Monday to rule out things like allergies and strep throat (because I am dealing with allergies too). Then if she thinks it's GERD, I'll call my surgeon.

I don't know what to think. I am terrified of having some kind of complication. But I am not tight at all. I still have no restrictions on the "what" of eating, and I've never gotten stuck or had to get rid of food (no PB'ing, sliming, or vomiting). Other than coughing related to my recent cold, I can't imagine how I might have slipped my band and I certainly am not having trouble with eating. Maybe I'm just anxious and making the most of symptoms that could be explained away with something else. But, better safe than sorry-- I certainly don't want to wait too long and end up damaging my esophagus.