Another pound lost and a shout out of public thanks to LB Gal!

I lost another 1.5 lbs and I'm on TOM!  I account my recent losses on the education I received from Lap Band Gal's challenge to post our actual eating habits.

Ever since Lap Band Gap encouraged us to post our typical diet results, I've modified my diet.  I realized that although I was eating less than my previous overeating self,  it was not enough to realize actual weight loss.   And  I realize that I was not drinking enough or intaking enough protein.  Also I learned the value of patience and consistency.  I'll go through a week or two of no loss and then a week of 4-5 lbs.  I think its my body chemistry adjusting.  But I went through a period of never being able to lose any weight so I'm very happy about this.

For all those people who hate the shakes, try chugging a shake while you drink your am coffee. I realized that several of you do this.  It makes the shake a lot more palatable.  I imagine that I'm drinking a high calorie 4 bucks drink from Starbucks.

Have a healthy eating day.

It wasn't that bad! I feel encouraged!!!

I actually got on the scale and it reflected a two lb loss from last week!  WOW.  I had eaten out of control Thursday/Friday but Saturday/Sunday were much better.  I realize I just need to be more consistent, especially when I'm under stress.   I go to the MD Friday for my 2nd fill.  I want to show more results to show them and especially myself my level of commitment.   After the surgery & all.  I don't want this to be another failed diet attempt.

Considering that today/tomorrow is TOM and last week was Thanskgiving...this loss ain't shabby!
 It is definitely an encouragement and more motivation to stick with it.

Eating Today - Mapping it Out
-Breakfast protein shake and a cup of coffee with non fat milk (120kcals)
-Lunch - salad  (300 kcals)
-Dinner - Lean Cuisine (260 kcals)

Rachel

http://rachelthinwitin.blogspot.com/

Trying to get rid of bad habits.

I ate horribly on Thursday/Friday.

And today the band was very self correcting; everything I ate, stuck.  I PBd in a big way for lunch.  This is humbling, I started with the best intentions but life got in the way.  And I'm starting to feel that unless I change a lot of things, the band will not work for me.  Thursday/Friday I just had so much pent up work and family stress:


 WORK STRESS- Except for Thursday, I was working mad hours.  Work stress got in the way of good nutrition.  My whole team went on vacation and we have a big project due Tuesday.  My lead comes back Friday into town and says the document we put together was not what she expected before she left on vacation.  She was super displeased.  I have a hard time with people being upset with me even at the age of 46.  The rest of the team was on vacation...two people didn't even turn in their stuff.

FAMILY STUFF-My in laws are nice but my nephew's family drives me bonkers at times.  They are fundamental Christian.  They have 5 kids.  Sometimes its just overwhelming to be around them.

Probate and Will.  I asked my niece and her husband if they would be legal guardians for our kids if anything happened to us. I'm really close to my niece and her family has the same value system as me and my husband.  I'm writing my will because I'm just getting around to it and I want things addressed before my thyroidectomy.  Not a life threatening procedure but surgery none the less.  And it was a good excuse to get it done.  They said no because they are the guardians for their siblings.  That seemed reasonable but I just felt as though they don't really care about our kids.  I know there excuse is very legitmate but I felt weird. 
Thyroid Surgery-I think I'm getting nervous about it.

I could not stop eating Thursday/Friday; it was scary.  I need to channel my anxieties into more constructive ways.

Forgive Me Bandster Gods I've Sinned!

Hi,

Thanksgiving came and I actually could miraculously eat: sausage stuffing, macaroni and cheese,  chicken wings and ... It is like the parting of the red sea...my fill opened up!  Before then I thought my first fill had kicked in.  I think its OK to indulge but I had 3 meals of this bad food and then I had Chinese Food and then I read Christine's Blog entry on gaining all her 100 + lbs back.  It scared me silly that I could still have the potential to revert back to bad habits so easily.  It started when I had to work late the days before and after Thanksgiving.  Whenever things are stressful or don't go well, I go to food.  I had been so good....

I'm glad I"m going for a 2nd fill this coming Friday.  And I have a week to eat cleanly so I don't embarrass myself at my surgeon's office.  I get so scared when things like this happen!!!

I hope you fared better.

How will you survive Thanksgiving with Minimal Damage?

I'm going to survive this day of feasting/overeating by:

1)  Treadmilling/walking/meditating in the am before the "dinner"

2) Having a Lean Cuisine an hour before going to the "dinner"

3)  Drinking lots of H20 (32 oz)before the "dinner"

4)  Spend time/enjoy time with my kids (boys 8,9) and nieces/nephews (10 under the age of 10) versus grazing with the adults.

5)  Giving myself permission to have a "delicious sampling taste" of the desserts.

6)  Giving myself permission to sample the "delicious food"

7)  Not grazing

8)  Letting my band do the talking and listening to the talking band.

What is your daily caloric intake?

I loved Lap Band Gal 's open question to people about their daily food intake and I loved reading through people's responses.  It was super educational for me and I was really amazed by the caloric intake of the Stars of the Band.  It seemed like the people who have managed to lose significant amounts of weight usually keep their kcals at 1200 or less than 1000.  What is your average caloric intake?  I made an appt with my dietitian to analyze my diet.  My dietitian told me not to obsess about calories but to focus on getting my protein and 3 meals a day that are 1 cup or less in volume.  I think I need more accountability.

I have a compounding issue with my thyroid which is going to be removed 12/29.  The endocrinologist says she thinks removing my thyroid (which has 3 tumors on it) will improve my sleep and that I will be able to lose weight faster.  But I think that I'm kind of using that as an excuse for being aggressive about weight loss.  The problem with my diet attempts in the past is that I'd fail after making excuses and rationalizations to myself.  I don't want to do that this time.  This week I stayed stable but I think I should be losing more than 17 lbs by the 2nd month.

Rachel!

What I ate today...And some humble realizations!

Lap Band Gal has asked us what we eat and I've had fun reading people's blog logs of their dietary habits.  One thing I realized is that the successful losers who have lost significant amounts of weight eat much less than I do.  And they also do not graze like I do and they "plan" a lot of their food choices and they "move" a lot more than I do.  They truly deserve their losses.  So when I moan about my lack of losses, I humbly confess that that  I need to move, plan and stop grazing.  These blogs are so educational!!!! 

My surgeon's office staff is so nice but ,except for some of the support staff , I don't think any of them have ever had a weight problem.  So I get some much needed "real life" insight from your blogs...Thank you!:

64 + ounces of Water

Breakfast
1 cup of coffee with 2 TBs non fat milk
2 turkey sausages
1 scrambled egg/peppers/onion cooked together in olive oil

Lunch
1 Celeste Individual Pizza
1 MacIntosh Apple
10 almonds
1 serving dark chocolate pudding

Dinner
9 pieces of spicy shrimp sushi with avocado
1 ounce of roast chicken

Attitude of Gratitude and Thanks

I just have to say...that I'm thankful for:

1)  Blogger friends-Anonymous strangers who have bonded and supported me on my recent WLS journey.  I have experienced so much kindness and great/uplifting and edifying advice.  I'm truly a private person, I never thought I'd blog but I'm glad I did.

2)  A Husband who loves me regardless of size.   He and my kids give me unconditional support and a beautiful family structure.  I'm really thankful to God for  bringing me someone so healthy and grounded into my life.

3)  My 9 year old  Son - who started reading diet books and gave me the motivation to go do something about my weight so that I can usher him through his life transitions.

4)  My Work Health Insurance - I had to switch jobs in March and my new employer provides great health insurance which covered WLS.

5)  My New Firm and Job - I had to change firms in March because my old firm wasn't doing to well and we lost a contract.  I ended up at this firm which has opened up so many opportunities and has given me so many mentors.  I'm glad the firm doesn't have the crazy dysfunction that I experienced in other firms.

6) The Band - which prohibits me from overeating and which is re programming me to view food differently and in a healthy way.

7) My Perennially Size 4 BFF - who encouraged me to go for it in terms of weight loss surgery.   Even though obesity is not an issue she grapples with she has so much empathy for me.

8) Blogger Friends...can I say this again and again and again?  I've met such a great virtual support group.

Not Obvious Yet

I've lost 17 lbs and it is not obvious yet...to the outside world.  No on has commented on it.  I often wonder if I'm imagining it.  I even bought a higher quality scale.  I'm still wearing my old clothes...they are just more comfortable and they are not binding or cutting into my skin.

I'm too greedy.  I want the glory too early.  I have to stick with it and be consistent.

Vitamins Supplements? Advice Please

I take chewable multi vitamins now because my dietian and surgery practice recommended it.  Before surgery I used to take Vitamin D and Fatty Amino Acid supplements.  I really loved them.  My OB recommended them to counteract the effects of peri menopause.  They are gel capsules but my dietian recommended against these vitamins after surgery.  Do you know why?  Aren't gel's fast dissolving?  Are any of you taking supplements? 
I appreciate your advice!!

In your mind, what is the best way to weigh yourself????

I have tried once a week, tried avoiding the scale and only getting weighed at my surgeon's office and I've tried daily.  I've decided on the daily route except for TOM days where I'm a chemical experiment with huge weight swings.  I need daily accountability to keep me conscious of the consequences of my choices. 

I'm interested in hearing your views on weighing yourself...please weigh in!

What are your Best Practices???

When I read on your blogs, I find that a lot of you get similar and very different advice from the advice I've received from my practice.  I'm just curious about....:

1)  How much water do you drink?  

I always get in at least 64 ounces a day. 

2)  When do you drink water?

It was recommended waiting 1 hour after eating to drink water.  
I was told to stop drinking 30 minutes before eating something.


3)  How much protein do you eat?

Our group diet consult recommended 60 oz a day for everyone.  But from the blogs, it looks like a lot of you eat quite a bit more protein. 


4)  Do you still do protein shakes?

I'm 2 months post op and my PA asked me if I was still drinking two shakes a day in between meals?  Waaaah...I hate shakes!


5)  What is your favorite band friendly mushy?

I love non fat refried beans with melted cheese and taco bell salsa.  170 kcals and full of protein.


6) How many kcals do you take a day or do you not count kcals?  

I try for 1200-1400kcals a day.  My dietian told me to just try to eat 1 cup of food per meal of healthy food.  I think I need a little more accountability. 

7) What foods make you stuck?

Dense breads like pizza dough, bagels, rolls.

Fat Bias Amongst MDs

I know excess weight is harmful to one's health.  I know that carrying extra weight causes a myriad of health issues; but at the same time, I feel that when I went to most physician's appts as an overweight person; there was a lot of bias and discrimination and lectures.  I know my excess weight is bad but at the same time I don't think it should be used to explain away all my health issues.  This is not paranoia, this is fact:

1)  Thyroid- I told my GP and the Sleep Specialist that I was having a hard time sleeping.  Both said it was probably due to my excess weight and that fat was probably obstructing my breathing.  They told me to cut down on food and start moving.  During WLS pre op the tests revealed I had 3  large nodules on my thyroid that had probably been growing slowly for years and that could explain my apnea because they were bending my trachea out of alignment.  I asked to have my thyroid checked several times.  I had it checked twice and they said it was sluggish but not abnormal.  After the pre op testing, I had more sensitive blood tests done and it turns out my thyroid is not functioning properly.  The endocrinologist said while it doesn't explain all my weight gain, my thyroid issues probably contributed to them.  I've been to 3 physicians and they didn't notice the nodules, one of which is 4 cm and protrudes from my neck.  The endocrinologists says I've probably had these growths for several years.

2) Constant Coughing for 7 months-I was told that I had chronic bronchitis probably due to my excess weight which didn't allow me to heal properly.  Turns out I was allergic to the blood pressure medication I was on.  Once it was switched the coughing stopped that week.


3)  Lecture in the ER-I went to the ER one night with constant vomiting and chest pain.   The ER physician walked in and  told me immediately, "Mam, you are morbidly obese...You need to lose weight now!"  I was throwing up because of food poisoning but she thought it was a good time for a tough love lecture. 


I really felt that walking to a physician's office as an overweight person really hampered my ability to get more objective/quality health treatment.   I live in Washington DC too, not the sticks...There are a lot of really well trained/educated health professionals.  I know I deserve tough love lectures on weight...excessive weight is bad; but at the same time, I deserve the right to a fair and objective health assessment too.

Down 17 lbs and I think I can do this!

I had posted that I lost 10 lbs post surgery and that by my first fill I hadn't lost anything more.  This last week, I went down 7 lbs.  I think exercise, minimizing salt and 5 weeks of careful eating(not perfect eating but highly improved eating) just kicked in...so I'm now 17 lbs down.  This is the most I've lost in over 10 years.

Thanks for all your encouragement.  It really helped me to read through the blogs of bandster veterans to see what is normal and what is not.  The blogging community has been such a blessing.  17 is a significant number to me because this morning when I saw my weight I felt like I could succeed at weight loss.

Anger Management-I was so mad I could have eaten a pizza but didn't

I'm a management consultant, I work on teams and usually the people are pretty professional.  Today, we had a 5 hour team meeting.  My team lead just got back from vacation and when we started to meet one of my colleagues (John) starts taking credit for all the work we did together.  And to be honest, I did a majority of the work.  He even managed to put me down in the process!!!!  I was so angry and I was fuming...one of the things I struggle with addressing my emotions versus calming myself with food.  In the old days pre band 9/15; I would have eaten some junk food right away.  But this time I sought other alternatives.  After the meeting I called up my best friend and talked to a colleague during lunch.-just to calm down  When I returned to our team meeting after lunch I spoke directly to my team lead in a calm way and said, "I put a lot of effort into this work last week.."  With that opening her response was, "I know you probably did 80% if not more".  This seems like a little thing but being direct and straight forward is hard for me.  I would probably have suppressed the feelings or gotten too emotional or upset.  What I'm trying to learn how to do is get things off my chest...and not put things in my mouth!!!  I'm such an emotional eater and I know that part of my success with the band is to stop emotional triggered eating.  Part of controlling my weight, involves controlling my emotional responses without food.

On a happier note, I lost 4 lbs over the weekend after my first fill.  I had been standing still have my 10 lb post op weight loss but then over the weekend, I think some water weight disappeared.  It was nice.

Halloween was a blast with my little boys 9 and 8.  They collected 14 lbs of candy!!!  I did indulge without guilt and just got it out of my system.

Hope you are well dear friends in blogger land.