Holiday Success

I saw Fuzz yesterday for a check up and a fill. I'm finally back to the fill level I was at before my Italy trip unfill. I needed it, because I was eating waaaayyy too much, and alot of the wrong foods. But, here's the great news...I made it through a 10-day trip to Italy, Thanksgiving and Christmas, with a less than perfect fill-level and LOST 1/2 pound! God is good!

I'm back on track now. This past Monday, I started a very restricted three-week diet (no meat, dairy, sugars or processed foods of any kind--basically vegetables and whole grains only) in order to purge my body of all the junk I've been putting in it for the past few months. And, I'm feeling really good about that. Anytime I've been on a diet in the past and gotten off track, I've gained a bunch of weight and then, a year or two later would go on another diet and repeat the same thing all over again. Ahhhh....the world of yo-yo dieting, I know it all too well. With the band, I feel empowered and equipped to stick with it, even if I slip up from time to time. Actually, it was nice to enjoy the Holidays and eating, knowing that I wasn't ruining the progress that I've made.

Yes, I'm still loving my band. Even though I've had a couple of small bumps in the road ( a flipped port that had to be surgically repositioned and then an infection at the incision site), I have no regrets whatsoever.

Please pray for a good friend of mine who is having her band surgery on February 3rd. I'm excited for her and I hope that the procedure is as successful for her as it has been for me.

Plateau

I've hit my first real plateau. I can't seem to bust through the 50 pound mark. But, it's really to be expected...I've had an unfill, travelled to Italy, and been through one Holiday with another one on the way. So, I'm not too bummed. About 3 weeks ago I saw Fuzz and had a partial refill, but I'm still not filled back to where I was before I went to Italy. Apparently, refills have to be done gradually or you risk being too tight. I won't see Fuzz again until January 4th.

So, I've decide that my goal is to make it through Christmas without gaining any weight. That will be a success. I'm going to have to start walking more regularly in order to do that. I'm really struggling to find the time, energy and motivation to get my rear-end in gear and exercise! Please join me in praying that I'll get my act together and get moving. I really don't want to gain any of this weight back. I've come too far to lose ground now.

On a positive note, I bought a pair of jeans at Goodwill the other day. I bought them a size smaller than I am wearing now, thinking I could wear them when I lost a little more weight. I tried them on when I got home and they FIT! I was so happy! When I started this journey 6 months ago I was wearing a size 26, the new jeans are a 20. How cool is that?

Port Revision Update

Yesterday's procedure to flip and re-attach my port went just fine. I am back at work today and, other than a little tired and sore, I am no worse for the wear. Fuzz emptied most of the fluid from my band so I'm ready to go to Italy now...Woo-Hoo! Now, I'm just praying that the port stays put this time!

My Flipping Port

I went to see Fuzz on Friday to have my band unfilled so I'd be ready to go to Italy. Apparently the altitude and cabin pressure affects the tightness of the band, so they like folks to be unfilled before air travel. Fuzz couldn't access my port. It's the little, roundish thingie located just under the skin on my abdomen that the Dr. injects the saline into in order to fill and unfill the band. You can see it on the picture. Turns out, my port has flipped completely over. This is a rare complication, but it does happen to band patients from time to time. I had no idea that it had flipped, I never even felt it. When he put the port in, Fuzz stitched it into my abdominal muscle, so it's hard to imagine how it came loose.

Fuzz tried and tried to manipulate it through my skin hoping he could get it to flip back over so he could do the unfill, but no luck. So, this Wednesday I have to go in for some out-patient surgery to have the port re-positioned and stitched back in. He'll unfill me then, too. He's going to access the port by opening the same incision he used during the 1st surgery, so no new scars. They don't have to put me completely under this time, it's done under IV sedation with a local anesthesia.

I'm trying to stay positive about the whole thing. So, here are the positives. First of all, my unfill appointment was originally scheduled for next Friday, 10/24-just 3 days before I leave for Italy. For some reason the hospital rescheduled that appointment for November 14. I called Fuzz's office and told them that I needed the appointment before I left for Italy because of my unfill. So, they squeezed me in for this past Friday. That's good because Fuzz discovered the problem and now has enough time to repair it before I leave. If the appointment had stayed where it was originally was, there'd be no way for him to fix it. I don't know what would have happened.

Secondly, I've already met my out of pocket maximum with my insurance for the year, so any costs connected with this procedure won't be my responsibility. So, if this was going to happen, I'm glad it happened now.

This doesn't change at all how I feel about the band. When I chose the band, I knew that some complications could arise. This one is pretty minor and easily corrected, just a little bump on my road to success!

5 Months and 50 lbs. Down

My 5-month "surgiversary" was a couple of days ago. I am still loving life with the lap band. I've lost 50 pounds and 2 pant sizes. I've only had to have 2 fills since my surgery and have had a wonderful level of restriction...not too tight, not too loose.

Next Friday, I see Fuzz for a complete unfill because I'm heading to Italy in a couple of weeks for a 10-day vacation. Apparently, the lap-band gets tighter for some reason when you fly, so he likes to loosen it up before a long flight. That's just FINE with me because I want to fuly enjoy the Italian food while I'm there. I'm not too worried about gaining weight, because we'll also be doing alot of walking on the trip. Plus, even with an unfilled band, I doubt I'll be able to eat as much as I could before surgery.

Here are some before and after shots. This is what 50 pounds less of me looks like.

Fast Food Fat Attack

A breakfast with 1,220 calories, a 900 calorie salad, and a burger packing over a days worth of fat grams and 1,200 calories are just a few of the menu items lurking at your neighborhood fast food restaurant.

Find out more about these drive-thru diet disasters here: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cholesterol/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100214450&gt1=31007

This Stinks!

A recent study shows that people with the so-called "Fat Gene" can combat their tendency to gain weight with physical activity...6 TO 7 HOURS PER DAY!! Chek out this article from msnbc.com.

Quick Update

Man! It's been a long time since an update. Sorry! Life has been crazy...but what else is new, really? My last fill on July 25th (see talky blog below) seems to be doing the trick. I am able to eat much less. That's good. I get stuck more often. Not so good. But, I am learning! I have to slow down, take small bites and chew very well. Now, I knew all of this good and well before I had surgery, but I have to learn things the hard way. Like this morning , I got stuck on a banana! I waited too long to eat, was really hungry and took two or 3 big bites and didn't chew well enough. This was the worst episode I've had...it lasted about 45 minutes. So, to give my tummy a break, I think I'll do liquids for the rest of the day. Mmmmm, chicken broth! If you want to know some of the more graphic details of what happens during a stuck epispode, send me an email (tami@wbfj.fm). It's not horrible, but it may involve TMI for some.

On a positive note, I've now lost around 40 pounds. I'm very happy with that. 28 of those pounds are since surgery (14 Weeks Ago) , which works out to 2 pounds per week, which is what I'm shooting for.

I'm down about 2 clothing sizes as well. I bought some new clothes the other day at Wal-Mart and was THRILLED with the way clothes were fitting. If Fuzz had been there, I am sure I would have kissed him! This is the first time in my whole life that I have ever had to buy new clothes in a smaller size. I cannot begin to explain how that feels.

I got a new hair cut. It's shorter, but not drastically different. Kudos to Mike Todd at Mike Todd Serenity Salon and Spa for another great cut! No lie, I brought in a picture of Jenny McCarthy with her new do to give Mike an idea about what I wanted. When Alton saw my hair cut later that day he said, "I like it...it reminds me of whatshername....you know, Jim Carey's girlfriend." If you don't know, Jim Carey's girlfriend is Jenny McCarthy. Of course, I can't style it as well as Mike, but here's a recent pic to give you an idea.

Talky Blog on a Fill Day

The Power of Writing it Down

Here's a link to a study that proves what dieters have known for years...keeping a food diary is important when you are trying to lose weight!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080708/hl_nm/diet_diary_dc

Weight Loss Tips...With or Without the Lap-band

On this lap band journey, and during the 20 years of trying to lose weight leading up to it, I have found that there are a number of factors that lead to success in weight loss. Certainly, the lap-band is a huge factor for me, but that is only part of the equation. The lap band is a tool that helps me with portion control, but the rest is really up to me. Band or no band...here is a list of things that anyone wanting to lose weight should do.

1. Calorie Restriction- Bottom line...it is all about the calories you consume compared to the calories you burn. A deficit of roughly 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat loss. A surplus of 3500 calories = 1 pound of weight gain.

In order to figure out how many calories you should consume in order to lose weight, you must first determine how many calories your body burns each day (this is called your basal metabolic rate or BMR). Here's a link to a BMR on the Mayo Clinic website http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598

Then, you must reduce your calorie intake and/or increase your activity level to create a calorie deficit. For example, lets say you want to lose 1 pound per week. You would need to create a 500 pound calorie deficit per day: 500 (calories) x 7 (days in a week) = 3500 (calories in a pound). If your body uses 2,000 calories each day with little or no activity, then you would have to eat no more than 1,500 calories per day or increase your activity level by 500 calories or do some combination of both diet and exercise to create that calorie deficit. Here is a list of activities and the calories burned doing each one based on your body weight...http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598

Just a note...you should consume at least 1200 calories per day unless you are under a doctor's supervision. If you eat too few calories, your body will go into starvation mode and your metabolism will slow WAY down.

2. Protein and Fiber are Important- Consuming fewer calories will leave you hungry. Protein and fiber help to fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied longer. Think about the old joke about eating Chinese food and feeling hungry 30 minutes later. The typical Chinese restaurant meal consists mostly of noodles or white rice, then some veggies and meat. You fill up quickly because of the bulk of the noodles and rice, but they are easily digested and pass through your stomach quickly, leaving you hungry. There is also a connection between simple starches and increased insulin levels which add to hunger. For explanation about how this works visit: http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/riskfactors/a/lofatlocarb_2.htm

3. Keep a Food Journal Every Day- It is so easy to eat too many calories! The only way to keep stay on track is to write down everything that you put in your mouth. There are some awesome free websites where you can easily track your daily calories. http://www.sparkpeople.com/ and http://www.thedailyplate.com/ are two of the best. Personally, I use the daily plate, because it has a bigger database of foods to choose from. There are lots of other tools on the daily plate as well. It offers a calorie calculator and you can even tell it how much you want to lose and how quickly you want to lose it and it will calculate how many calories you should consume each day to reach your goal. You can also enter your daily exercise and it will adjust your calories for the day. It is awesome!

4. Stay Hydrated- Drinking plenty of fluid each day is helpful for lots of reasons, but mainly because it helps prevent hunger. I've heard lots of different theories about how much water one should consume each day. However, 64 ounces is a widely accepted rule. And, you are not limited to water...any sugar and caffeine free beverage is suitable. If you drink coffee or any other caffeinated beverages, you need to increase your daily fluid intake because of the diuretic effects of caffeine. I try to add one cup (8 oz) of water for each cup of coffee I drink.

5. Exercise (aka-"The E Word")- I HATE exercising. I am a low energy, non-athletic person and exercising comes about as naturally to me as eating nails. However, there is no denying how important daily activity is to weight loss.

First of all, exercise burns calories, which gives you some leeway in the calories you consume. As hard as you try, sticking to a restricted calorie diet is tough and there are days you'll exceed your allotted intake. However, if you took a 30 minute walk you could cancel out 200-300 (more or less depending on your weight) of those excess calories.

Secondly, exercise builds muscle. Strength training is best, but any exercise will add some muscle. Muscle tissue requires more calories to exist than fat tissue and increases your basal metabolic rate (BMR). In other words, the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn each day. Here's an excellent explanation of how this works from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolism/WT00006

6. Eat Slowly and Consciously- Lap Band patients have to take small bites and chew very thoroughly so that our food doesn't get stuck in the small opening created by the band. However, everyone should consider learning to eat this way. We live our lives at a frantic pace and the way we eat is no different. Watch the way people around you eat...it's like we are all in a race to see who can finish first. By the time our brain gets the signal from our stomach and intestines that we are full, which takes about 20 minutes, we've eaten way more than we need to. http://health.howstuffworks.com/eat-slower.htm

Here are a few tips: take smaller bites, chew very thoroughly, put your fork down between bites and every 3-5 minutes stop eating altogether for a minute or so. Also, avoid multi-tasking (i.e. driving, watching TV, reading, etc) while you are eating. This will help you focus on how and what you are eating and when your body tells you it's had enough.

7. Avoid "Portion Distortion"- A big part of limiting calories is portion control. Using a food scale and measuring cups at every meal is pretty impractical. It's better to learn to "eyeball" portion sizes. This website provides a guide using everyday items as a way to estimate portion sizes: http://education.wichita.edu/caduceus/examples/servings/visual_estimates.htm

Restaurants are notorious for serving excessive portions. We tend to eat what is put in front of us, so it is common to overeat at restaurants. One good way to combat this is to ask for a to-go box when your meal arrives. Put those extra servings in the box and you'll avoid overeating plus you'll have two or three more meals to enjoy later. You've saved calories and money!

8. Develop a Strategy for Eating Out- In addition to the to-go box tip mentioned above, it is important to be prepared when you eat out. Most restaurants have on-line nutrition information Consult the guide to decide what you'll order before you head to the restaurant . These guides are also often available at the restaurant if you did not have a chance to check beforehand. Check out this article from the Washington Post with links to some of the most common chain restaurants: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/06/AR2007030600589.html .

For example, I have narrowed down the menus at the fast food restaurants where I eat regularly to just a few choices that I know are the healthiest. By the time I get to the drive thru lane, I already know what I'm going to order...I don't even have to look at the menu. At Wendy's, its a small chili, a baked potato, a grilled snack wrap or a salad with low-fat dressing. At McDonald's it's a grilled chicken salad with light dressing, the fruit and walnut salad, a fruit and yogurt parfait, a grilled chicken snack wrap, or a Chicken McNugget Mighty Kids Meal with apple dippers and 1% white milk. Keep in mind, the last option still has 480 calories and 20 grams of fat...but it is still healthier than a lot of other options on the menu.

Here is an article that offers great advice about eating healthy when you're away from home: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/usda-diet-strategies-for-dining-out-ga.htm

9. Don't Skip Meals...Especially Breakfast- Eating throughout the day keeps your metabolism higher and prevents a hunger-driven binge that can sabotage a healthy diet. Breakfast is so important! A breakfast that is high in protein, fiber and even has a little fat will help you eat properly throughout the day.

Most people don't have time to prepare a meal every morning, so here are a few weekday breakfast ideas. Mix 1 cup of light yogurt or 1 cup of skimmed milk with 2/3 cup of high-fiber cereal (Kashi Go-Lean and Special K Protein Plus are great choices because they are high in fiber and protein). Quaker makes a Weight Control Oatmeal that is high in both fiber and protein. Or, eat a serving (1/2 c) of light Cottage Cheese and a serving of high fiber fruit, such as: Apples, Bananas, Berries, Dried Fruits (Figs, Raisins, Apricots, Dates, etc.) Kiwi, Oranges, Pears or Prunes.

Also, a good-quality meal replacement bar or protein shake made with skimmed milk are good breakfast choices. Choose a protein powder that has at least 20 grams of protein and is low in sugar. I'm a fan of Revival Soy protein shakes, although they are expensive. Slim Fast makes a lower carb, ready-to drink shake, great for those of us on-the-run in the morning.

10. Limit Sugar- This is a big weakness for me because I love sweets and I'm not a big fan of any of the artificial sweeteners on the market. But, sugar only adds empty calories to your diet. Here are a few tips to cut back on your sugar intake:

-Change the way you drink coffee. I used to put about a tablespoon (3 tsp) of sugar in each cup of coffee. Now, I use Fit and Active (Aldi) French Vanilla creamer. It has no fat and is very low in sugar.

-Eliminate other Sugary Drinks. Soda, sweet tea, fruit juice and other sugary drinks have lots of calories, have little or no nutritional value and do nothing to help you feel full.

-Limit Sweets

-Read Food Labels- Avoid items that have sugar as one of the first 3 ingredients. Remember, sugar has lots of other names...corn syrup, fructose, glucose, lactose, dextrose and maltose are all forms of sugar.

Check out this article for other tips about how to cut the sugar: http://www.ehow.com/how_2043524_reduce-sugar-intake.html

11. Take a Daily Vitamin- In a perfect world, you'd get all of your daily nutrition from your food. However, it is next to impossible to get all of your required nutrients each day, even on a healthy diet. Also, make sure to get plenty of calcium and vitamin D every day, this is especially important for women.

12. Track Your Progress With a Scale, a Measuring Tape and a Camera-Keeping track of your weight provides accountability and motivation. However, weighing yourself too often can lead to frustration as your weight tends to fluctuate day to day for reasons including water retention and muscle development. There are different schools of thought on how often to weigh. I recommend weighing at least once a month, but no more often than once per week. Keep a record of each weigh-in so you can track your progress over time. http://www.thedailyplate.com/ also has a weight tracking tool.

Since the scale can be a bit fickle, it is also a good idea to keep track of your measurements. At a minimum keep track of your waist measurement. You may also want to track your hip, bust, forearms and thighs. It's not unusual to have periods when you haven't lost pounds, but you have lost inches. This is especially true when you are exercising. Muscle weighs more than fat...so you could lose fat while gaining muscle and have your body weight stay the same. Here's a link to a website that has additional tips about weighing yourself and will show you how to properly take your measurements:
http://www.weight-loss-program.com/art13-taking-measurements.html

Finally, it's not a bad idea to take a few full-length pictures of yourself (front, profile and back)when you first start a weight loss program. Periodically, retake the pictures and compare before and after. It's a good idea to stand in front of the same door in your home and wear the same or similar clothes each time. Hopefully, within a few months you'll begin to see a noticeable difference in yourself.

13. Don't Go It Alone-Studies show that people who are most successful at lifestyle change have a strong support system. This is one of the benefits of Weight Watchers...weekly support and accountability are very important. Overeaters Anonymous and First Place are other excellent weight loss support groups. If you can't attend a structured group, at least try to connect with friends, family members and co-workers who are trying to lose weight. There are also some really good on-line networking sites to try... http://www.obesityhelp.com/ , http://www.sparkpeople.com/ and http://www.thedailyplate.com/ are a few of the best.


14. Be Patient-There is no such thing as quick, easy weight loss. Lasting weight loss takes work and time. I have given up on so many diets because I wasn't losing quickly enough. However, I have come to accept that in order to achieve long-term weight loss I must commit myself to a lifetime of healthy lifestyle choices.

Make your changes gradually. We've probably all heard that it takes 21 days to break a bad habit or make a new, good one. So, instead of trying to change all of your diet and exercise habits at once...why not try changing one or two new things every 3-4 weeks? In a year you'd be well on your way to a healthier life and you'd be much more likely to stick with the changes.

Try this 9-month plan, adding each new activity to the already established activities from previous months:

Month 1- Track everything you eat and drink, plus your daily exercise in a journal or online. This is also a good time to join an on-line support group.

Month 2- Drink at least 8 ounces of water per day. Start a daily multi-vitamin.

Month 3- Begin exercising a minimum of 30 minutes per day, or add to the exercise you are already doing.

Month 4-If you aren't already eating a good breakfast, start this month. Make sure breakfast includes at least 15 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

Month 5- Start eating slowly and consciously as described in number 6 above.

Month 6-Increase exercise again (this is a good time to start strength training 2-3 days per week if you haven't already).

Month 7-This month, work on cutting excess sugar and other simple or "white" carbohydrates from your diet. Instead eat whole grains and complex carbohydrates. Need more info about this? Check out this website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002469.htm

Month 8-Start a restricted calorie diet. See number 1 at the beginning of this blog for info.

Month 9-Increase exercise again. By this point, you should be doing at least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days per week and 30 minutes of strength training 3 times per week.

This plan may take you more or less than 9 months. If you feel you have not mastered a particular step, take longer than one month to work on it before you move on. If you are already doing one of the steps, skip ahead to the next month. However, give yourself at least 3 weeks to master one step before you move on to the next.

Getting "Stuck"

I have encountered one of the least pleasant side-effects of the band a few times now that I've been eating solid food for a while. Getting Stuck. Uck.

If I eat too fast and/or don't chew my food well enough, it can get stuck in my stoma-the small opening created by the band between the small pouch (upper part of the stomach) and the rest of my stomach. This results in a very uncomfortable sensation of extreme pressure in my chest which lasts for 10-15 minutes until the food works its way through, or comes back up...also known as a "PB" or productive burp (this has not happened to me yet). It is annoying, and painful, but it is a very powerful reminder to chew, chew, chew and slow down...which I should be doing anyway!

On another note...lots of folks are curious about how much weight I've lost..I think I am down around 25 pounds now, but I like to go by my doctor's scale for my official weight. The last time I saw him was on June 11 and I had lost a total of 20 pounds. My next appointment is on July 25th. I will definitely let you know the "official" new total then.

Free Yourself Portion Distortion

I'm always one to look for the easier way to do things. This holds true to trying to figure out serving sizes. Sorry, I'm just not too likely to pull out a food scale or measuring cups everytime I eat. Here is a "handy" guide to portion sizes put together by Witchita State University.

http://education.wichita.edu/caduceus/examples/servings/handy_reminders.htm
One of the easiest ways to visually estimate portion sizes is to use an everyday item that you carry around with you all the time, your hand.

-1 ounce of cheese is about the size of your thumb
-A teaspoon of margarine is about the size of your thumb tip
-1 cup of milk, yogurt or chopped fresh greens is about the size of a small hand holding a tennis ball
-1 oz nuts or small candies:About one handful
-2 oz chips or pretzels:About two handfuls
-1 cup: About the size of a man's fist
-A ½ cup of cut fruit, cooked vegetables, pasta, rice is about the size of a rounded handful
-3 ounces of meat, poultry, or fish are about the size of a women's palm
-1/2 cup of cut fruit, vegetables, or pasta is about the size of a small fist
-One ounce of snack foods--pretzels, etc. equals a large handful

Because hand sizes vary according to body, size, gender, and age, it may be easier to estimate portion sizes using some common household items.

-One piece fruit or potato: About the size of a regular (60 watt) light bulb
-One-half cup of vegetables is about the size of a light bulb
-1/2 cup: about the size of a racquet ball
-One cup of pasta is the size of a tennis ball
-3/4 cup: about the size of a tennis ball
-1 fruit serving = ½ cup canned or 1 medium fruit: is about the size of a tennis ball
-1 1/2 - 2 oz cheese: About the size of a 3.5" computer disk or a tube of lipstick or three dominos
-3 oz. meat/poultry/fish: About the size of a deck of cards or cassette tape
-2 TB peanut butter: About the size of a golf ball
-One bagel is the size of a hockey puck
-A medium potato should be the size of a computer mouse
-One teaspoon of peanut butter equals one dice.

Inspiration

http://www.stvhs.com/east/services/weightloss_testimonial.asp

The above link is to a testimonial page from patients at St. Vincents Hospital's (Alabama) Weight Loss Surgery Program. Their stories are amazing and wait until you see how wonderful, healthy and happy they all look now!

Just a Quick Post

I am exhausted! It is 10:30 PM and for the 3rd night in a row I'll be getting to bed waaaay too late. I love my job, but early mornings are really hard for me. As the week goes on and the sleep deficit accumulates, it gets harder and harder to get going in the morning. All that to say...this will be a short post.

I know that many people are following my progress. I find this to be such a great honor and source of encouragement. And, I don't want to leave you hanging! So, here is the latest.

As I already mentioned, my first fill was last Thursday. I had to go back to full liquids for a couple of days to give my stomach a chance to adjust. Now that I've been back on regular food for a few days, I can definitely feel a difference in the amount of restriction. Before the fill I had gotten to where I could pretty much eat as much as I wanted and I was having to really work hard not to over eat. But now, the band is starting to do some of that work for me. If I eat too much, too fast or if I take too big of a bite or don't chew well enough, I get an uncomfortable sensation in my upper chest. The food just kind of hangs there until it can start working it's way through my stoma and into the bottom portion of my stomach.

My head has not really caught on to the idea of my smaller stomach, however, and I still try to eat more than I can. For example, today's crazy schedule had me hitting Wendy's for lunch. I ordered one of their new "Go Wraps" which is basically a chicken tender, cheese, lettuce and ranch dressing wrapped in a tortilla. It's pretty small and I thought I would still be hungry, so I also ordered a small chili. Needless to say, the snack wrap was all I needed to be completely satisfied. But, I didn't want to waste the chili (duh!) so I tried to eat it. I got a few spoonfulls down, but that was it. I let Andrew have part of it and then ate the rest a couple of hours later.

This is a learning process, so I am trying to be patient with myself. I still feel that I am making really good progress and I am very happy with the way things are going. I am also confident that when my head, my stomach and the band all start working together, it's gonna be great.

First Fill

Today I saw Fuzz and had my first "fill". This is when he injects saline to tighten my band. I was ready because my hunger had really kicked back in. I was able to eat more than a cup of food at a meal and was hungry just a couple of hours later. All signs that I needed more restriction.

The fill was quick and relatively painless. Fuzz located the port by pressing on my belly in the area where he placed it. Once he found it he used a needle to access the port and then injected about1.5 cc's of saline solution into the band. The port and the band are connected by a thin tube. He had already put in 3 cc's when he placed the band so now I have about 4.5 cc's of saline. I'm on full liquids again for 2 days until my stomach adjusts to the new level of restriction. Then I can start back on regular food and see what kind of restriction I have.

After my fill, Jeff the Psychologist met with me for a few minutes. He said I seem to be doing really well and was pleased with my progress and my outlook. He reminded me about the June Support group meeting. I am hoping to attend this one.

So far I have lost a total of 20 pounds. That didn't seem like a whole lot to me until I picked up a 20 pound bag of dog food the other night. WOW! That put into perspective how much weight that really is! No wonder I already feel so much better. I am hoping lose around 120 ponds total, I am now 1/6th of the way there. 1 bag of dog chow down, 5 more to go!

BEWARE THE SONIC SMOOTHIE!!

I took the kids to Sonic after school today for some frozen concoctions as a last day of school treat. I scanned the menu for something that looked good but healthy. I decided to have a one of their real fruit smoothies. According to the menu, it's made from real fruit, skim milk and fat free yogurt. So, I figured it was a smart choice.

NOT!

For starters, the consistency was more like a slush than a smoothie. It had big chunks of fruit in it. It wasn't well blended like a smoothie and it was less creamy. It was pretty good, but I had wished it was more smoothie-esque.

Anyhow, tonight when I logged in my calories on thedailyplate.com I was shocked to discover that the smoothie (regular size) has 500 calories and 98 grams of sugar!!! So, guess how many calories I went over by on my diet today? 500!! On a stupid smoothie! I could have had a large order of cheesecake bites, a large root beer float or a hot fudge sundae for less calories!

On the bright side, the smoothie does have a lot of vitamins A & C and calcium. But, so do my daily vitamins and they are calorie free!

So, after looking at their on-line nutritional guide (after the fact of course) I now realize that the best choice, if I should find my self at the Sonic Drive-In looking for something frozen again, would be the vanilla ice cream cone...180 cals, 6 grams fat and 20 grams of sugar. Certainly, it's not health food, but it's not too bad as a treat.

An Easy, Yummy, Filling Dinner --Bean Burrito

Tonight I wanted something heavy to eat...that would stay with me for a while. I also looked over my food diary at www.thedailyplate.com and realized that I haven't been getting much fiber at all. So I threw this together and it was SOOOO good. It would have been better if i had fat free refried beans and whole wheat tortillas. But I had to work with what I had on hand. The best part is that I bought everything at Aldi...making this a cheap dinner, too!

1 Flour Tortilla
1/4 cup refried beans
1/4 cup shredded Colby and Monterrey Jack Cheese
2 Tblsp. Sweet Onion Salsa

Place tortilla on plate. Spread beans on tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Microwave for 30 - 45 seconds, just until cheese mostly melted. Spoon salsa over cheese. Wrap up and enjoy!

390 Calories; 14 g Fat; 6g Sat. Fat, 39g Carbs, 3g Sugar; 9g Fiber; 15g Protien, 916 mg Sodium

Food Wars...The Return of the Appetite

WOW! I have been really hungry today! My appetite is definitely returning and I am going to have to be careful! I see Fuzz next Thursday for my first follow-up appointment and possible band adjustment and I think I am definitely ready for a fill. Each day, I have been able to eat a little bit more and today, eating is all I've wanted to do. Some of it has been "head hunger" (wanting to eat even though I'm not physically hungry) and some of it has been real, physical hunger.

My food choices today haven't been great either. Someone brought Krispy Kremes by the station and of course I had to indulge. So, I took a small piece of several different kinds...the total was probably slightly less than a whole donut. I also ate about 10 cheetos today.

But, I am not going to beat myself up. I need to focus on the positive, right? So, here is the good stuff. First of all, the old me would have eaten two or three donuts. Secondly, at my daughter's class picnic today, I steered clear of the chips and cookies and all of the goodies. I ate a hot dog with no bun, some hot dog chili and some fresh melon. Those were good choices. Then, for a snack I had some light string cheese and 2 slices of of low-fat turkey breast. I also had a small dinner. So, even with a few bad choices, I managed to eat just a little over 1400 calories. My daily goal is 1200. I'll walk a mile tonight and burn off those extra ones. Not the end of the world.

More than anything, I just worry that I will, once again, slip right back into old habits. Those cheetos tasted SO GOOD today! Even with the the band there is still that part of me that so easily loses control around food. Yes, I stopped at 10 today...but I worry about tomorrow and the next day. I just do not want to lose control and I really felt myself slipping today. I'll be praying about that! Hopefully, having a tighter band will help, too.

Another positive, I have been faithfully logging my food and exercise on a cool website called www.thedailyplate.com . It is so important to write down everything you eat when you are trying to lose weight and this website makes it easy to do so. Check it out!

What a Great Day!

Today was my first day back in the world of REAL FOOD. To celebrate, my sweet hubby got up extra early (which means about 4:30 AM at our house) and made me scrambled eggs with cheese and toast. He brought me breakfast in bed. What a guy! I ate the eggs like a champ. I nibbled the toast a little, but I'm supposed to be eating mostly soft things, so I left most of the toast on the plate. I did scrape the butter and jelly off the top with a spoon and eat that. What?!?! It was my first meal...gimme a break!

I have truly enjoyed eating again, but it takes a loooooong time. I have to chew everything to a pulp and eat very small bites. I didn't have dinner tonight because I simply did not have time to eat. I went grocery shopping at Aldi and then had about 15 minutes to get to my friend Jane's house for a walk. So, I made a protein shake and had that on the way to Janes. Believe it or not, it hit the spot.

Jane and I walked 3 miles in her neighborhood. I felt great the whole time. I love walking with her. We talk and laugh the whole time and I forget that I'm exercising. It's a great way to catch up with a friend and burn calories.

Jane is the first person who is close to me that I've seen since the surgery but that I don't see every day. The last time she saw me was the day I came home from the hospital. Tonight, she said couldn't believe the difference in me already. She made her husband come in and look at me. He also seemed amazed by how much weight it looks like I've lost. According to my scale I've lost about 20 pounds, so I was really surprised by their reaction. She said my face looked a lot thinner. In fact, her exact words were, "Oh my gosh Tami, you've lost a whole chin!" (to get the full effect you have to imagine her saying that in her beautiful British accent). I loved it! She and Dave made me feel SO GOOD!

It is so great to have friends who are happy when you succeed. I thank God for people like Jane, my husband, my mom, my kids, my co-workers, my good friend Terrie and everyone else who continues to be my cheerleaders through this. Because of them I feel so special and so loved.