Week 16 Post-op Update

I know I haven't posted in forever but I am still getting along pretty well. My weight today was 242.6. I have kinda stalled for a few weeks but last week I started exercising 30 minutes each weekday. I didn't exercise over the weekend - my weekends are usually extremely busy between work and church and being Mommy, etc, etc, etc. I have so much to post about...I have a huge list of non-scale victories (NSV) that I'll tell you about soon!

God Bless You!
Becky <><

12 Week Update

I haven't posted in a while. Not too much to say. My weight today was 246.0. I am supposed to go for a fill on a couple weeks but I am considering cancelling my appointment. I get full on a small amount of food (3/4 - 1 cup of food) and I stay full for several hours. My doctor had told me that was the criteria for knowing if I am restricted enough. I am not really having problems with any particular foods although I do shy away from breads. True confessions - I need to exercise more. But between homeschooling, working, chasing after the baby, keeping the house reasonably picked-up, and putting food on the table exercise seems to fall by the way-side. Oh well, I'll keep trying.

God bless!

10 Weeks Post-op Update

Howdy! I finally got to see the 240's!!! Things are about the same around here. I still am getting full pretty quickly and stay that way for several hours. The only problem is that I seem to go from "full and not even thinking about food" to "starving and got to have something right now" in a heartbeat. I try and keep some items handy for those times. Still eating lots of roast beef roll-ups (see previous post). I haven't had any episodes of PBing (productive burping) that I have heard about from other bandsters. I have had an uncomfortable feeling after eating certain foods (usually foods I shouldn't have been eating anyway). I also have noticed that I get that uncomfortable feeling sometimes when I eat popscicles to fast (duh! what was I thinking!). It's like having brain-freeze in your chest/stomach/esophogus. I hope you can use some of the info I have shared.

God bless!
Becky <><

Weigh-in - 9 weeks post-op

Today's weigh-in was 250.4 pounds. Darn scale can't give me the satisfation of seeing the 240's yet :-) I am doing well since my 2nd fill last week. I feel some restriction and am feeling full longer.

Have a great week!
God bless!
Becky <><

2nd Fill - 8 Weeks Post-op

I am 8 weeks post-op now. Feeling pretty good. I saw the scale move in the wrong direction since my last post but when I went to the doctor yesterday for my 2 month post-op I weighed 255.0 pounds. That was a 10 pound weight loss in the 4 weeks since my 1st fill. He was very please. My totals are 40 pound weight loss altogether - 30 of those pounds have been lost since my lap-band surgery on 7/27. I have been doing ok. My hunger varies alot. Some days I actully could "forget to eat", I just am not hungry at all and then other days it's all I can do to not graze all day, I am very hungry all day. I try and roll with the punches, regardless of my hunger level. Either way, I still am following my doctor's instructions. I try to eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Also, I let my hunger dictate how much I am eating.

Here's an example:
Breakfast (8am) - Roast beef roll-up (1 low-carb whole wheat tortila, a slice of cheese, 1/2 serving deli roast beef, and some horseradish sauce), coffee with milk and splenda
Snack - yogurt (sometimes I don't eat a snack now)
Lunch - Roast beef roll-up, fruit or veggies
Snack - Few bites of chicken salad; If I can get out of the house between 2-4 I like to go to Sonic and get an unsweet peach or raspberry flavored tea - I love that stuff
Dinner - very small serving of whatever I cook for my family - I now put my food on a tiny dessert plate
Snack - varies, depends on how hungry I am and whats available; yogurt, roast beef, chicken salad

In the beginning I was really into eating homemade chicken salad. Now I can't get enough of those roast beef roll-ups.

God bless!
Becky <><

Week 6 Weigh-in and Update

Today's weight was 254.8 pounds. That was 1.6 pound gain. Of course it's always disappointing when I have to post a gain but I know, in regard to eating, I can't eat much less than I already am. I am eating 3 small meals a day plus 2-3 snacks each day. All meals and snacks are mostly protein. My carb intake is so much less than before surgery! I find that the most amazing part because is that I don't crave pasta, breads, cookies, etc. That has always been a stumbling block for me since I really don't like a lot of meats. A few observations this week have been that I have more hungry (probably related to TOM) and, although it doesn't require a lot of food to satisfy my hunger, I am not staying full very long, maybe 2 hours or so. I haven't had much trouble yet with getting food "stuck". I have been chewing, chewing, and chewing every bite of food though. I thought to myself that it is more like chewing gum than eating food sometimes :-)

Some food I have enjoyed this week (each in small quantities):
Deli roast beef dipped in horsey sauce
Sugar free, fat free pudding with lite cool whip
Homemade chili
Homemade chicken salad
Homemade egg salad
Lettuce salad (chew, chew, chew)
Grilled hamburgers (need lots of condiments to dip in and no roll)

I have been doing better with getting fluids in but not so good with exercise. I need to remember to turn my OCD tendencies off and remember that I am a work in progress.

Becky <><

Weigh-in 5 weeks Post-op

Since I had my fill last Wednesday the weight has virtually "melted" off. My weigh-in today was 253.2 pounds! I followed my doctor's diet regime for after each fill: on the day of your fill you have clear liquids the rest of the day and the next day then gradually advance to full liquids (don't have to be clear liquids), on the 4th day after your fill you start on soft foods for a couple days then you go back to eating your regular food.

Probably 95% of the time I am still not hungry and I end up eating just because I know I have to at some point. I am eating 3 small meals and 2-3 snacks if I need them. OK, true confession: I have been practically living on homemade chicken salad. I am not a big meat or egg eater. My mom lives nearby and she makes the best chicken salad. During the soft food stage of post-op and post-fill I ate about 1/3 cup of chicken salad for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Whenever possibly I try to eat some of whatever I make for my family for supper. I have been eating yogurt and drinking V8 juice and crystal light while I am at work. I really liked the greek yogurt - it tastes great and it's high in protein.

My favorite treat is: Sonic's unsweet flavored (iced) tea with either peach or raspberry flavor added. If I can get there during "Happy Hour" (2-4pm) they are 1/2 price and I sip on that all day. According to the Sonic website, the peach and raspberry flavor are both sugar-free.

I haven't done much in the way of exercise since my fill. The day after my fill I developed an absess on my upper arm that has been extremely painful. It is very slowly improving and now the pain is much less. Praise God!

I know this is getting to be a very long post but: I need to tell you about the mental/emotional "awakening" I have been going through in the last week. Now that I am feeling better and feeling much better, I am having to face the fact of how much I have let things fall to the wayside. Not only housework wise but mainly in taking care of myself. I am seeing that I have stopped wearing makeup, wearing jewelry (except my wedding and mother's rings), buying new clothes (even bras and underwear), or doing anything else that women usually do. Many of my clothes had stains, small holes, and/or were shapeless (stretchy, put it on cause it's loose and is comfy type stuff). My husband joked the other day that I am becoming more like I used to be early on in our relationship (we have been together 20 years and married for 17 of those). I have started caring about myself again gradually.

Well, I hope something here will help/inspire/Bless you!

To God be the glory in all things!
Becky <><