Lucky

So, this past Saturday I went to my monthly Nutrition Support meeting. As we were going around the room doing the standard intros of when we had our surgery, how much we've lost, etc... something another woman there said really rubbed me the wrong way. I've lost more weight than she has in less time, and she said "You're so lucky!" I told her right then and there that luck had absolutely nothing to do with it. I've busted my butt and fought for every pound I've lost in the past six months, and I'm still a long way from my goal. I track every calorie that goes in my mouth, and I work hard at being active. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it, but I feel like attributing any of my success to luck sells all of my hard work short.

The success I've had is the result of a lot of discipline and will power. The fact is, if I want to, I can eat just about anything I want, especially if I take my time, whether it's steak, bread, Cheetos, or ice cream. Some days, all I want to do is lay on the couch eating a mountain of chocolate. Most of the time, I can resist those temptations, but sometimes I give in and I deal with the setbacks they cause.  The issues I have with food didn't magically go away just because I got some restriction in my band. The band helps me eat less, but most of the time, I can still overeat if I choose to. I still have to push myself to get off my ass and go to the gym (which is something I'm working hard at doing more consistently.) I'm building up to four days a week, and my stamina and strength are seeing real improvements. I've lost a total of 41 pounds, and I'm down to 243, which is the lowest I've been in four years. The 230s are on the horizon and I want in! So it's more of tracking on My Fitness Pal, pushing myself harder and harder on the recumbent bike, and climbing uphill on the treadmill. The only way to get there is dedication and hard work. I still doubt myself, and I still wonder if I can really pull this off, but I'm committed to proving to myself that I can do it, one day at a time.

Current weight: 243 lbs, BMI 35.9

 

Starting weight: 284 lbs, BMI 41.9

How Lap Band works

In case you're not familiar with it, here's a short video about how the band works:

Back on the Band Wagon with LapBand

Hey folks, it's been a good while since I've posted here, and some things have changed with my situation. In the year or so since I was last active on my blog, I allowed my weight to creep back up to about 273 by the beginning of the year. This was due in part to slipping back into bad eating habits, but also because I stopped working out after all of the foot problems I had from overtraining. My feet have gotten better than they were, but the problems are still there. I deal with it as best I can, but it's a constant annoyance. Back in February of this year, I had a very painful incident where I pulled a muscle in my back in such an ugly way that I was laid out for a week. I've never experienced pain like that in my life! My doctor put me on a steroid to help me heal, and in a week, I'd gained ten pounds and landed on the scale at 284lbs.

OH.HELL.NO!!!

I called Surgical Weight Control Center up that very day and made an appointment to get a lapband adjustment. I'd been without restriction for more than a year and a half at that point. By the time I got my fill, I'd lost most of the weight I gained from the steroids, and started back on the LapBand Wagon at 275. It's been a learning experience, and I've had to spend some time re-acquainting myself with how to eat as a bandster. I've been working hard at learning how to do things right this time around. In the time I'd been gone, SWCC had stepped their support game and are now offerring weekend support seminars in addition to their weekday evening meetings (which I can't attend due to my schedule.)
I went to a bariatric nutrition 101 seminar in March to get the ball rolling, and I feel like I'm doing things better this time around with a solid nutritional base. I've also attended two of the monthly Nutrition Support meetings, which I enjoy, and I feel like it helps me to stay on track. I'm focusing on lots of protein, 90+ grams a day, veggies, complex carbs, and staying away from junk food. I've been using the MyFitnessPal iPhone app to track my food and excercise, and I've been working on getting active again. I've been doing a recumbant bike for my cardio because my feet are still jacked, and my podiatrist told me to stay away from weight bearing excercise. A little over a week ago, I had a trainer at the gym set me up with a weight routine, and I've been trying to get on program with that. My back and knees have been twingy, so I'm taking things slow and not pushing too hard.

I had a number of band adjustments between February and April, until I got to what feels like a good level of restriction. My last adjustment was on April 8th. Hopefully I won't need to get another one for a few months until I lose substantially more weight. I've had some bumps in the road along the way, but I've been doing pretty well for the most part. I've lost about thirty pounds since I started, and currently weigh less than I have in about three years. A stretchy pair of size 22 jeans that I could barely fasten three months ago are starting to get baggy. In another ten pounds or so, they'll probably be too big to wear. I have a huge pile of clothes, including jeans and capris going down to about a size 18. I don't expect I'll have to buy any pants until the fall, though I'm in desperate need of some new bras now.

My weight loss is slower than I've liked, and I've plateaud here and there, but at least I'm losing. I'd really like to be losing a steady 2 lbs a week, but it's been half that. Still, if I can keep this pace up I'd be in the 220's by my birthday in late October. I've been changing up my routine, after a friend pointed out that I'm probably not eating enough calories. I've bumped them up to about 1400 net calories a day including exercise. Previously, I'd been doing anywhere from 750-1300 net, depending on the day, and not eating back what I'd burned through excercise. We'll see how it goes.

Anyhow, I'll try to keep the updates coming. I'm planning on keeping my posts less formal than before. As fun as those multimedia posts are, they take a lot of time to write, and it's just not as much fun for me if I feel like I'm under the gun.

TTFN,

Stephanie



Current weight: 253 lbs, BMI 37.3

 

Starting weight: 284 lbs, BMI 41.9

Week 14 Review: Limping along, but still losing!

So this week, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I lost another 1.5 lbs this week! (Cue crowd cheering and fanfare.) The bad news is that my feet are not happy and I'm limping even worse than I was a couple of weeks ago.

I went to the podiatrist for a follow up on Monday, and they made me another pair of temporary supports, only this time, instead of making a removable half sandal that I could slip on and off, the doc's assistant attached the neuroma padding and arch supports directly into the insole on my sneakers. Seems like a good idea, right? Unfortunately, the arch supports are a little too high, and it was making my foot roll to the outside when I walked,  which has caused me additional soreness and really pissed off my left ankle (where I have a sprain/strain in addition to neuromas and plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, and metatarsalgia which is in both feet. Apparently, I also have bone spurs in both heels according to the doc's dictation notes from my last visit.)  I spent about three or four hours on my feet while window shopping Saturday, and I'm really paying for it today. (Whaaa whaaa... whine...okay, I'll stop. But it really sucks and I'm tired of being in pain with every step I take.)

What it comes down to, is that I need really good orthotic inserts to wear while things are healing up and recovering. I have really high arches, and none of the pre-fabricated inserts have a high enough arch to be beneficial to me, so they're going to cast my feet in plaster and create custom orthotics just as soon as I get the go-ahead from my insurance. Have I mentioned that this has been an expensive process? *sigh* I just hope they can fix me up. As long as the treatments work, it will have been worth it.

I really like this one, and it's "Make Every Day
Count" Can-Do attitude.

In happier news, I was able to get to the gym twice this week, and I'm having pretty good results on the bike. I also have a new addiction: Pinterest. Have you been on pinterest yet? It's sort of a virtual memo board where you can create collections virtual memo boards of pictures, links, blogs, as well as browse through other people's topic boards, and add the ones that strike your fancy to your own collection. It's been both a boone and a curse for me, because I have found so many amazing recipes, nerdy humor things, art, decorating and gardening ideas... the list goes on and on. The downside is, it's super easy to waste vast amounts of time perusing the goodies. The good part is that they have an iphone app, and I've been spending my gym time on the bike finding some really great recipes and "fitspiration" photos, which I've been adding to my personal motivation board.

You can see what I have so far here, if you like: http://pinterest.com/thecurvymermaid/fitspiration/
Overall, I've found some great stuff, and I figure every little bit of motivation and support that helps me stay on track is a good thing.

As for fun stuff this week, on Friday night, I went to see Titanic in 3D with good friends, and for three hours, I was 17 again. Saturday, I ventured out to Town Square to meet a friend for traditional tea at English's "Quintessentially British" gastropub. It was a fun experience! We were seated on the patio on the second floor of the building with a view of a sort of village green where there was an Easter egg hunt going on. It was a fun to watch the kids go wild while we enjoyed a variety of scones, finger sandwiches, and sweets. With the exception of the little strawberry, chocolate, and tiramisu bites on the top tier of the tray which were AMAZING, the food didn't blow my mind, but it was tasty, resonably priced, and the day was beautiful. I'll likely be back, if I can get down there again before the summer heat really kicks in.



Later that afternoon we ventured downstairs to Double Helix for more outdoor patio fun. My friend had some lovely wines (I was being good and stuck to water) and eventually, we ordered a charcuterie platter with a couple of different kinds of sausage, duck, gruyere, brie, truffled goat cheese, fresh fruit and quince preserves. After all the carbs at tea, we skipped the bread. Beyond that, all I can say is YUM! I'll definitely be back to try them again sometime!

I did pretty well at staying on track with points, tracking, and excercise, and I've lost another 1.5 lbs to prove it. (Yay!) I was able to budget for the weekend's indulgences (Everything from movie popcorn to the tea, and all the rest) by saving up all of my weekly points and the activity points I earned at the gym for the weekend. I'll be sticking to my points this week, and taking the foot stuff day by day. I'm hoping that I'll feel up to riding the bike in another day or two, but I'll have to see how things go.. I suspect that returning to an excercise routine is what's gotten my weight loss in gear again, and I don't want to mess up my mojo in that department.

I'm SO CLOSE to my 20lb mark that I can taste it, and I'm really ready to be out of the 260's. Only a little farther to go!  There are eight months to go in 2012, and I have just over 40 lbs to lose in order to meet my goal for the year. I'm hoping to catch up to my 2012 1 lb a week minimum goal within the next few weeks.





Weeks down: 14
Weeks to go: 38
Starting weight: 271.5 lbs
Current weight: 262 lbs
This week's loss 1.5 lbs
2012 weight loss: 9.5 lb

2012 goal: 219.5 lbs

Starting BMI 40.00

Current BMI 38.7

Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs

Total loss: 19.5 lbs

A quick bit of pasta and veggie goodness

photo borrowed from:
http://www.tastespotting.com

A little something I whipped up on my lunch hour that turned out REALLY well. Thought I'd share. =)

2 oz Whole Wheat pasta (5 points)
1/2 cup serving marinara (2 points)
4 meatballs (Target Market pantry brand), Sliced, 5 points
2 handfulls of baby orange and yellow bell peppers, sliced
1 cup fresh spinach
1 Tbsp basalmic vinegar
garlic powder
1 small handful fresh basil, finely chopped
A couple of squirts of sriracha
1 TBSP parmesean (1 point)


Lightly Sautee bell peppers and spinach in a small pan while pasta cooks. Add sauce, garlic, sritacha, and meatballs. Toss with pasta and fresh basil. Top with a little parmesean.

12 points of pure crunchy, basily, spicy, meaty, carby yumminess, and hearty enough to see you through the rest of your work day!

Let me know what you think, and enjoy!

Food for Thought: Study links Junk food with Depression

Reposting from Huffington Post.

This is nuts! I'm so glad that I've cut most of this crap out of my diet. I didn't actually take blood tests before I turned over my new leaf back in November, but I'm positive that my cholesterol and blood pressure numbers are way better than they were. I was eating a ton of butter and salt, and comparatively use very little now.

Check out the video at the Huff Post link below too! 


A new study shows that junk food may have effects beyond expanding your waistline and upping your sodium levels -- it might also be sabotaging your mental health.
A new study in the journal Public Health Nutrition shows that regularly eating commercial baked goods -- including doughnuts and croissants -- as well as fast food -- pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs -- is linked with an increased depression risk.
Researchers from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Granada found that the people who regularly eat these foods are also more likely to be more sedentary, smoke, eat other not-so-nutritious foods and work 45 or more hours a week.
"Although more studies are necessary, the intake of this type of food should be controlled because of its implications on both health (obesity, cardiovascular diseases) and mental well-being," study researcher Almudena Sánchez-Villegas said in a statement.
The study included 8,964 people who didn't have depression (and weren't taking any antidepressant drugs) at the start of the study. Their depression statuses and diets were tracked for an average of six months.
At the end of the study period, 493 people were depressed or were taking antidepressants. The researchers found that the ones who ate the most junk food were 51 percent more likely to develop depression, compared with people who ate the least of these foods.
The Mayo Clinic reported on a previous study also showing a similar link. That study showed that people whose diets are high in fried foods, processed meats, desserts and high-fat dairy had an increased risk of depression symptoms, compared with people who eat lots of fruits, veggies and fish.

And earlier this year, a study in the journal PLoS ONE showed that there may be a link between eating trans fats -- common in a lot of junk foods -- and being irritable and aggressive.
The researchers of that study, from the University of California, San Diego, found that greater trans fats intake seemed to predict whether a person was more aggressive. The finding held true even after taking into account factors like sex, age and ethnicity.




http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/31/junk-food-depression_n_1392093.html?ref=mostpopular

Week 13 update: I broke my plateau!

Tasty eats at Hachi

Amen and Hallelujah! I FINALLY broke through my plateau and lost 2.5 lbs this week. I attribute that success in part to getting back to the gym. I've been doing the recumbant bike, which seemed the safest way to get some cardio in without pissing off my feet. The temporary inserts the foot doc gave me have really been helping, and I've finally got hope that we might be able to get things in that department under control soon.

This week saw me staying close to home, with the exception of getting to the gym a few times, and an excursion out for dinner and a movie on Wednesday. We hit up Hachi at Red Rock for some pre-Hunger Games sushi, and appetizers,  which were tasty, though a bit overpriced for my tastes. (Have I mentioned I absolutely live for a bargain, and knowing good places to score cheap eats is something I take pride in. Still, the atmoshere was fun, and the service was attentive but not overbearing.

Coconut ginger curry soup... OMG!

After the movie, which was EPIC AWESOME, we decided to continue the Japanese theme and hit up Ichiza in China Town. The service was bad and we waited for a table forever. Still, their food is fun, with lots of variety, and tons of off-menu specialty items printed on cards which cover the walls. Many of them aren't even in English. We joked that the chef was in the back indulging in various substances to come up with some of the seriously off the wall creations. For instance, for desert, we ordered one of their house specialties which is simply called "Honey butter." Which was basicly half a loaf of freshly baked bread which had been partially hollowed out, drizzled with honey and butter, and then topped with a big gob of ice cream. It was... an experience. Good, but I don't feel the need for an  encore. (and before you think that I completely blew out my diet on this thing, between three of us, we ate maybe half of it.

"Honey Butter" after we killed it.

I took the day off work on Friday so that I could attend a friend's wedding, and consequently, I was able to check out an aqua-aerobics class at the gym which turned out to be super fun. I can't say that I feel like I got a real cardio workout, but it got me moving, and my body felt great after: relaxed and loose. If there were classes at times that I could actually attend, I'd definitely go more often. Unfortunately, most of them are mid day during the week (when I'm at work) or very early on Saturdays (which isn't happening.)

The wedding was fun, and I'm proud of myself for staying away from the buffet table all together. It was a dry wedding, so not having cocktails to contend with also made staying on track easy.

When it comes down to it, I actually went over my points for the week, which I Never do, but it was only by 15 points (which is maybe 400-600 calories) and I still lost 2.5 lbs. All's well that ends well, right?

So once again, goals for this week are to actually stay within my points, go to the gym if my feet continue to cooperate, and hopefully continue the downward trend on the scale. See ya next time!

Weeks down: 13

Weeks to go: 39
Starting weight: 271.5 lbs
Current weight: 263.5 lbs
This week's loss 2.5 lbs
2012 weight loss: 8 lb

2012 goal: 219.5 lbs

Starting BMI 40.00

Current BMI 38.9

Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs

Total loss: 18 lbs