I'm still here. I went for a fill the end of October. 5 days later I went back for an unfill. 385.00 for the first visit. $365.00 for the unfill visit. I have insurance, but we have this stupid high deductible savings account plan. yeah.. not fun. And missing work to go get the unfill... its a half hour away. So.. I took all these things in to consideration and I made the decision to switch to a closer doctor. I loved my band surgeon, the office, everything, except the distance and the cost. But with rising gas prices, those things are becoming more important. I've been going to a Bariatric Support group thats run by the hospital in my town for the past 2 years. The nutrionist and the counselor both work for the surgeon that I've just switched to. I like their office so far. I saw him for the first time the end of February thinking I'd go in there and he'd give me a fill. He wouldn't touch my band without first doing a Barium Swallow, and was suprised to learn that I never had one following surgery to check the position of the Lapband. But I've asked around on message boards, and not all docs do them routinely following WLS. So I had it.. and it was cool to see my band and that its there doing what its supposed to do. I mentioned my left shoulder pain I get occasionally, and the radiologist showed me that my tubing touches my diaphragm, which is likely what causes that. Interesting. I am thankful it's rare that it hurts anymore, but occasionaly if I forget to eat and stomach acids start churning, I will get the pain. Ok.. so anyways.. I did eventually get a fill with the new doctor. Immediately my stomach gurgled when I drank water, but it went down okay, so he let me go. The first 5 days were okay.. I proceeded very cautiously. As I started to expand my food choices and resume trying to eat normally with my family I started noticing I was getting stuck. Often. Ok.. admittedly sometimes it was my fault(irish soda BREAD).. but sometimes I was genuinely following rules and doing everything I was supposed to and bam.. stuck. Stuck at home. Stuck at work. Stuck on yogurt. coffee. meats. salad. vitamins. And at work.. I played it safe and had soup for lunch not wanting to get stuck again at work.. and guess what? stuck on soup.. must have been tiny little bite of chicken or something.. I dont really know.. but I slimed for over an hour at work. How fun. So finally when I got stuck again at work and thought.. I just can't live like this anymore.. I called my new band doc and went right over to get an unfill. It is literally across the street from where I work. So back to the drawing board.. the elusive 'sweet spot' that I hear bandsters talk about seems to be beyond my reach. The good news is that I'm getting to the gym more often. The new job is finally calming down and I'm finding a gym routine that works. And I've learned to drink tea without sugar. That's all I got.. . Current weight: 167

Plan Ahead

Hi. Been a while. Been a bad blogger. I've still been reading.. just don't feel I have anything earth shattering to report. I have a new job, same company, different department. It's going well, but I'm having a hard time with meal prep. I am out the door by 7:30 and just don't have the time to eat breakfast in the morning. And well, with how tight my band is in the morning, eating on the fly is not an option. Sometimes at work things calm down enough for me to grab some oatmeal from the cafeteria, sometimes they don't. And then lunch, well.. I get 1/2 an hour to navigate that caf line and find a table and get my food cut into small enough pieces so I won't chew forever and end up stuck. Oh wait.. how will I talk to coworkers if all I'm doing is focusing on chewing a million times in my few brief alotted minutes to inhale my lunch. Ah, see the problem? So this week I am setting goals. I have a new lunch bag that I got at the Bariatric Support group this week. Yay, I love free stuff. So I simply must use it! I'm going to pack it full of stuff I can eat. Yogurt. cottage Cheese. Maybe some protein powder in case nothing else sounds good or I'm having a particularly tight day. Plan ahead. Thats my new mantra.
I finally made an appointment to see my Band surgeon. I'm way overdue for a checkup. I want to check my blood labs and make sure I'm getting enough of the important stuff. I'm 2 years out. The novelty of going to see him has worn off. I'm not losing weight anymore, although I'm hoping my new "plan ahead" mantra will kick things up again. I'm still torn about whether to get a fill or not, but I'm leaing towards yes. I do get stuck occasionally but I'm not staying satisfied with 1/2 cup of food. If I'm honest.. its really about a cup and a half. Unless its meat.. then it's 3-4 oz, which is optimum. But life isn't always just meat. So I think I'm going for that fill. I know my husband will fuss about it, but that scale is just not budging despite my best effort. I have a lapband for a reason.. I need to fill it if I want it to work. Heading out with the family. Will try to be a better blogger. Promise.

Frustrated

The scale is up. 5 lbs to be exact. I had been weighing less and it had been staying the same.. and THAT was frustrating me.. but to step on and see a gain... okay.. now I wish I could go back to the staying the same frustration. I know I need to exercise. Twice a week Zumba is not cutting it. And honestly, I've not been able to go on several occasions over the past weeks. Daughter missed the bus. Sick child. Sick me. Just stuff that happens sometimes.. but when you only go twice a week.. well.. then you're down to once. And moving this body once a week is not enough to keep the pounds from creeping back on. I saw the scale. Its not. I'm really torn about whether to get a fill or not. I don't vomit, but I slime quite often. I'm tight at breakfast, the only food options are really protein shake, water-y cream of wheat, or yogurt. I miss cereal. My son had McD's hotcakes the other day that smelled wonderful, I was cutting them up for him.. I snuck a bite. And got stuck.. had to go lay flat on my back and hope it passed. Eventually it did. But geeze, how stupid do I feel that I even tried. Why do I try, why do I take that risk when I know better? Sometimes I just feel like I am the world's stupidest lapbandster. If I get a fill will I just get stuck more often or will I feel full longer and eat less? That's the million dollar question. :: sigh::

Staying the same

I just got back from Michigan, for the second time this month. The first time I drove out with my daughter to see my Grandmother, as she had just been diagnosed with small-cell lung Cancer. I knew it would be the last time I'd see her, and I'm so glad now that I made the trip, and that I took my daughter. At first, I was going to go alone, thinking it was not a trip for children. But she pleaded to come along, sure that she was mature enough to handle the very adult task of saying goodbye to a loved one, knowing you'd never see them again. She handled it all very well. We had a nice time together with family. The second time I flew out alone, for the funeral. It was a beautiful ceremony. It was nice to see relatives, although a sad occasion. Many had not seen me since I'd lost weight. It was nice to get alot of compliments, though some were a bit odd. My well-meaning Uncle commented that now my sister and I look "like sisters again" . Ummm.. when I was 50lbs heavier I didn't look related?? Well alrighty then. Thanks?

I had an NSV while I was there. I had forgotten to get my dress slacks pressed when I got there, so I ran out to dressbarn the morning of the visitation to buy new ones. I ran around the store finding a few outfits and headed into the dressing room. 3 out of the 4 outfits fit. How cool is that? It used to be such a challenge finding clothes to cover my big butt.. or my hips.. or my boobs. Now.. I know my size.. grab the clothes.. and they fit. And there are so many more choices when you are on the regular size side of the store vs. the plus size side. clothes have more shape, and accent your good parts rather than just cover up fat. I was back home within an hour with new size 12 pants, and a beautiful black/white jacket tailored jacket in tow.

I'm not gaining weight.. but not losing either. I'd like to lose 20 more lbs... but I know its going to require me moving my body more. Next week is my 5k.. and I'm going to do it , but it is not likely I will run it. With the trips to MI and all the stress of losing my grandmother, I've just not been exercising like I should. I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I'm so pleased with the progress I've made, and that my band keeps me from doing too much damage even in times of stress. I've been reading alot more blogs and inspired by how dedicated so many are to working their bands. I want to be one of them. I'm going to try to blog more. um. er. I will blog more. there is no try, only do or not do. I'll try to add a picture of the jacket if I can remember how to add photos to a blog post.

I can't seem to get out of my funk this week. I just feel so tired and unmotivated. I am lax about taking my vitamins sometimes(lately) so maybe my levels of whatever it is that makes you peppy have dropped. We're leaving for the Lake this afternoon the second the kids get home from school.. which means no Zumba tonight either. And that means I missed a whole week... can't remember the last time that happened. But the sad part is, I didn't do anything else this week either. No moving up to week 5 on my C25K. No running at all ::: sigh::: Just.. blahhhhh... yesterday I had my gym clothes on.. which is usually half the battle.. but I laid down thinking it would just be for a minute.. and zzzzz I slept for an hour and a half. Not like me at all. I wish that I knew where motivation comes from, cuz if I did.. I'd buy me some.. or better yet.. I'd sell it and make a fortune.
The good news is I'm trying new foods. Foods I've disliked all my life. It started with coffee. And now here I am drinking it a few times a week and struggling to drive past Dunkin donuts without stopping for a Hazelnut Coollatta. Never drank it before in my life. Next: Tomatoes. They are good for me, I used to pick them out of my salads, sandwiches, etc. Now.. I am eating them. At first it was just toleration but.. the other day.. I actually bought a couple tomatoes. And I make my big lettuce leaf sandwich with avocado,turkey, and tomato! Who woulda thunk I'd ever be a tomater eater. Not me. Today.. right now.. I'm trying Chobani Greek yogurt. I don't like yogurt.. let alone greek yogurt. But I've loaded it up wi th my granola/nut/flax seed mixture.. and.. its not that bad. I need some more breakfast options since eggs, cereal, oatmeal all seem to get stuck in the morning. And I get tired of protein shakes. So yeah, trying some yogurt. I could like it. Stranger things have happened. Ok.. I'm off to get my son moving, and then maybe I'll find my energy... it must be here somewhere! Have a great weekend and Happy Easter in case I don't make it on here before then....

Good morning! Sitting here reading blogs and having my 1/2 cup of decaf coffee. I'm feeling sluggish and thinking after I drop kids at school I might sneak back to bed.. then again maybe I'll push myself and go hit the gym. I was in a foul mood yesterday and I realized it was because I missed my 7am Zumba class. Ry had to be @ school right in the middle of my class, so I wasn't able to go. I didn't realize how much it improves my day until yesterday. Soo.. although I feel tired right now.. I'm trying to rationalize with myself that I'll feel better afterwards if I go to the gym...
Still not weighing myself and I think it's actually working. I'm making better food choices and drinking my water. Usually I'd be looking for the payoff on the scale for these things or getting frustrated that my efforts seem fruitless. Being healthy isn't fruitless just because the scale doesn't move, and thats what I'm trying to teach myself. Life isnt all about the scale. My clothes are feeling looser.. I'm liking the me I see in the mirror, and THAT is far more important. I found a pair of jeans that I realy like too.. a nice comfy size 12. I can live with that. :)

I'm reading a book about emotional eating and I just am not convinced it fits me. I had a happy childhood, I don't feel like I have any deep dark issues that I've covered with food. I seem to just eat during any emotion and really like food, lol. I'll keep reading and doing the exercises they suggest to find the 'root' of my problems.. but.. hmm

We are going up to the lake this weekend for Easter and I'm excited. We are debating whether to take one car or 2. It's easier to take 2 cars, we each have a kid with us. But it's a long drive, and its more economical to squeeze into 1 car. I'll have to see how much Easter stuff I end up having to pack up for the weekend. I haven't even thought about dinner, but I will just shop when I get there. Luckily its just us this year, so no big fanfare. OK.. well that's about it on my end. I'm off to start my day. Thanks for reading..

I wish I could come on and say I haven't been posting because I'm doing fabulous and I'm at goal.. and blah blah blah. I'm not. I'm doing okay. I haven't given up. But I can't seem to get the scale to move no matter what I do. I work really hard for two weeks.. get on.. nothing. I get discouraged and slack off and eat junk food all week.. get on.. nothing. Which yeah, thank goodness I'm not gaining.. but its just frustrating having it not move at all. I'm at a good level of restriction with my band, any tighter and I wouldn't be able to even get a protein shake down in the morning. I get stuck about once a week from trying to eat something stupid, or just randomly. It seems to have sporatic tightness sometimes. So I've decided it is time to end my relationship with the scale for a while. I asked my daughter to hide it. gone. buh-bye. No more obsessing. No more weighing myself repeated times throughout the day. I'm going to just forget it for a month. Maybe longer if my clothes start feeling looser. I have the scale at the gym if I get desperate, but even that one I'm trying to avoid (and doing well at so far). Also.. I'm giving the Couch to 5K program another go. I was into it last summer and fell off the wagon when I started doing Zumba. But clearly the Zumba alone is not enough. So I've found a race on May 15th and I'm going to do it. I don't care whether I walk it or run it, I just want to finish it. I'm chugging through week 3. Hope you are all well... Thanks for reading!