Yes I am avoiding...

Well hello,




I hope everyone had a great holiday! Mine was fun. I did not eat as much as I normally would, but I did eat too much and I enjoyed a few glasses of wine. Bad band girl, I know. I did have my first fill yesterday. All the waiting...all the delayed excitement....all the fanaticizing about little clothes....I get 3.5 cc's. That's not even the half of it. I feel almost no restriction and I do not get filled again until the January 18th!!! Why dear band gods do you make me suffer so!!!!! I told my surgeon that my appetite was pretty much back to the way it was before surgery and there is no way I can eat 1/2 a cup of food for a meal, even if I have five meals like the nutritionist told me to, and be remotely satisfied. He then replies "You will still be able to eat as much as you did before surgery right now, you will not feel the restriction until after my 3rd fill." If I follow this stupid schedule my third fill will be in February. This is so not cool. The he tells me, "I told you that in the beginning, don't you remember?" "If you wanted fast results we did discuss the bypass." Ok, I do really like my doctor a lot, but he is very matter of fact and at an emotional time such as this, it made me want to jam the hubber needle in not such a nice place. So my plan of action is to call the office on Friday and beg them for the love of Pete to give me another fill!!!!!! On top of that lovely pile o' crap, I was up 1.2 lbs since the last time I was there. Sorry this was not a very uplifting rant but I needed to share.

Meal on the go

Hello there,

I want to share with you a cute little meal on the go I found over the weekend that is tasty. Bumble Bee chicken and fat free tuna salad. Its so darn cute, tiny spoon included. If you do not like relish or sweet pickels you will probably not like this. But I do, so yay! I think this would be the perfect meal size once I get my fill. Since I do not have a fill yet, i had it as an inbetween snack. The chicken has 140 cal and 9 gram of protein total and 8 sugars for 3.5 oz. I think this is perfect for my desk draw at work. I am gathering a goodie bag for when I return to work on Dec 2nd. I am filling it with protein bars, these little meals, and I tried the fullbar today, that was also yummy. I am on the hunt for other desk draw, purse friendly foods so if you have any suggestions I would appreciate it. ttfn

Crazy Town

Ok, I am making some not so great choices and eating a little too much. I think I am a little more hungy than usual. I am not sure if this is because I am eight days late for my . butI usually get like think when I pms. Being 8 days late kind of freaked me out so I called the doctor, the nurse said that this is normal and I may completely miss this month due to the stress on my body from surgery. I did not exercise today, tomorrow is a new day and I am going to tryy to curb my snacking and exercise. Getting a little nervious for my weekly weigh in on Sunday...I will keep my fingers crossed.

Food blog- a little late anf a little naughty

Ok, the past few days...

yeaterday, i do nto know if i can remember everything but here goes.
Meal 1- carrot cake made with protein from clean eating recipe, with supper yummy lite cream cheese and greek yogurt with a little lemon zest.
Meal 2 - chicken salad with lite mayo and greek yogurt and melba toast
Meal 3- six inch subway turkey sandwhich with 1/2 of the bread removed- drank it with milk- got stuck
Meal 4- zuchinni pasta with sauce and a few shrimp
Meal 5- protein shake
Crazy Stuff- sugar free coco with a few baby marshmellows, 1 pack of 100 caloire lorna dune cookies, and some rice dream
3 mile walk

Today-
Meal 1 - sugar free carnation instant breakfast, melba toast
Meal 2- chicken salad with melba toast
Meal 3- zuchinni pasta with sauce and shrimp
Meal 4- soy joy bar
Meal 5- green baens, sweet potato, pork, small piece of bread

Amy

Amy,



Thanks for the comment. Reids response is if you want to go then come. He knows how I feel about these events. I think the dress is just nice party dress not too formal. I am about a 16ish. My body looks more like a 20 I think, you have a small back and from your last vanishing back fat pic, you have a tiny waist. I on the other hand am built like a football player. Big back, big waist and my upper arms are the size of a skinny girls thigh...well so I think. I can not wait for the day I look cute in a sleeveless dress. But your right, I am going to give my selve time and re assess how I feel at the end of Jan. :)


xoxo

Food Blog 11/16/2009

two bites of Matts left over pancakes ...bad Erika

10:30- 2oz of lox on whole grain small slice toast, whipped cream cheese about 1 1/2 tbsp and some red onion. Ok I crave lox sometimes but then I eat them and find that I do not like them,like this morning, other times I love them...weird.

1:30pm- carrots and greek yogurt dip, 3 chicken and rice mini meatballs

3:30- short 1 pump no whip pepermint mocha....this has to stop

5:45- claen eating chicken tetrazini- did not go down well, got stuck three times, chicken breast not so moist.

9:30- protein shake

10:30- tried to eat cheese stick with sliced turkey breast, maybe it was too close in time to shake, not sure but I got stuck and pb'ed three times and then I threw up. This is the first time that happened. Think I may do mushies and broth tomorrow :(

No exercise today- I did claen for 4 hours though. My ankels hurt a little from walking on the beach for 40 min in sneakers I think.

Robyn

Thanks for the comment Robyn. It is hard and I have been down on my self because I do not have double digit weight loss numbers yet, but I averaged it out and its a little over 2 lbs a week since surgery. That is not so bad, right? So funny, I was thinking about makeing a clean eating recipe for carrot cake today but I was also thinking am I going to have the will power not to keep picking at it!!! Kind of like your fudge situation. I can tell you right now, if I made fugde there would be no hope. Maybe if your intent is to give it away as a gift, package it up all pretty in a box with wrapping paper, then its still on hand for company and to bring to frinds but its wrapped so you do not have real access to it. Just a thought. As for why my posts are delayed, I have no ideal, I am new at this blog stuff and am still trying to get the hang of it myself. Keep me updated on your progress:)- erika

Food Blog 11/15/2009

11:30am - low fat cheese stick with trukey breast

3:00pm- 1/2 salmon burger wraqpped in philo, apple, carrot, ginger celery juice (we went out for lunch) got stuck three times :(

5:30pm- short one pump perpermint mocha no whip

8:30pm- 1/2 cabbage roll, 2 chicken and rice balls
so far 40oz water, going to drink another 20 right now,

Exercise- 1 hour cardio at the gym= 30min arch trainer and 30min treadmill at 2.5-3.0, walk on the beach at leaserly pace about 40min

Recipe

Zucchini Pasta




1 zucchini – use vegetable peeler to make ribbons


3 vine ripe tomatoes diced


1 small can hunts tomato sauce- no salt


3 cloves garlic minced


2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil


¼ cup sweet onion diced


1 tsp oregano


Salt and pepper to taste


1/4 cup part skim ricotta


2 tsp grated parm cheese


In first pan heat one table spoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 2/3 garlic and onion sauté three minutes. Add diced tomatoes, cook another 2 minutes, and add sauce and ¼ cup water. Simmer for 15 min.


In separate sauce pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil and remaining garlic. Sauté for two minutes, add ribbons. Cook until edges are bright green about 4 minutes, season with salt and pepper.


Place ribbons on a plate, add sauce (you will have some left over, if you use 2-3 zucchini that should use all the sauce) Top with grated cheese and ricotta. Enjoy. Totally taste like you’re eating pasta.

Food Blog 11/14/2009

7:30am- 1 low fat cheese stick wrapped in turkey.


11:00am-  short 1 pump pepermint mocha no whip from starbucks....(not so bad right? this is my new weakness, like I needed a new one.)


12:30- half hand full nuts and dried fruit.


2:30- cabbage roll...yummy


5:00- some crackers


8:30- zuchinni pasta with fresh sauce, grated parm and 1/4 cup part skim ricotta

11/13/2009- Food Blog

9:30am- Meal 1: Whole grain cream of wheat made with skim milk, olivio, table sp real syurp.
11:15 - Hungry- going to the gym :)
1:00pm- Meal 2: 1 lowfat cheese stick wrapped in whole foods tutkey breast, some glutin free crackers.
4:15pm- Meal 3: 1/2 cup special k protien w/ 2% milk
 So far 60oz of water, well 40 crystal light and 20 plain water.
7:15pm- Meal 4: 1/2 stuffed cabbage roll mde with 99% lean turkey and brown rice, 2 chicken and rice nuggets.
8:30pm- sugar free jello pudding cup

EXERCISE - 1.5 hours of cardio :)
9:30PM-Meal 5: Protien shake

The Good Fight

Well Good Morning!!!! I hope you all like my new Christmas theme, I do. I love the holiday season. Ok, so I need to get better at my food journal and I can't seem to get on the ball with this in the traditional way so I am going to blog my food log every day (seriously, I am going to try). This is a big commitment, but as I take a bite of this and an extra snack I know I am not doing myself justice. So after this post I will start my food blog. I am going stir crazy and feeling restless so I am going to go to the gym as soon as I finish. I am suppose to go to the gym with Ried (bf) at four as well. Since I did not go yesterday I guess this will make up for it. My goal was to lose 2 lbs by Sunday. I really need to up the water and really think if I am truly hungry or if I just want to eat.....that sounds so easy but it is really so very hard to make that distinction for me. I am going to really try my best. I am kind of freaking out, and I know Amy would be all snap snap with me, but I am super duper scared because Reid has a company event at the end of January and I am almost considering not going because I do not feel like I will have lost enough wait to buy something cute to wear. (ok, my I eye is squinted and my face is slightly turned, I am bracing for the blog slap from Amy) Some people have that confidence like her and some do not, I am the do not. I was once skinny and I remember how I had that confidence then but it has slipped away. I do not want to be this way. I which I could be like I am big, fabulous and beautiful and I do not care what anyone else thinks. I am working on this, really I am. I think once I see some real progress on the scale then I will feel positive and just keep going. I really need that 10-15 pound loss to get myself in gear. Any who, off to the gym and my food blog. :) Have a fabulous day!

Amy, Amy, you are my inspiration for all of this. I look at you and see how far you have come and how drop dead beautiful you look and I refocus. I have been eating string cheese with turkey wrapped around it, protein smoothies made with Greek fat free yogurt, chicken salad with light may on melba toast, veggies with ff Greek yogurt dip, and crock pot dinners like chicken curry or chicken with veggies or shrimp. I am hungry and 1/2 a cup of food per meal is not doing it. Should it be without a fill? I know have not been drinking enough, the whole no drinking 15 min before eating and 30 min after has me all messed up. I did start to pick up on my exercise this week. I really need to start opening my food journal, I am sooo bad at it. On a bright note, I have discovered that a very nice girl in my statistics class is also a bandster! We are both siked to met someone that can relate. She was banded in July. Any who, thanks for the comment you rock!

:(

Ok, it's been three weeks and I have only lost about 8 lbs. What is going on???? I have not blogged because I am really disappointed. I feel like I am failing and I have not even really begun yet. I am walking about every other day. I know I need to exercise every day. I went to the Gym for the first time and did 60 min of cardio, that felt good, but I was exhausted after. I am hungry and I feel like I am eating way less than I use too. So why is the weight not just melting off? I read other peoples blogs and in their first month they lost between 15-30 lbs, like Kristen (yes the green eyed monster rears its ugly head). Why not me??? I have not been good with my food log, I admit. Yesterday was not a good eating dat. Everything was getting stuck but I was so hungry. I think I over ate at night. I am disgusted is all. My first fill is December first, I really would like to have lost at least 15 lbs by then and that's not even unrealistic. It's like not even 2 lbs per week until then. Ok, enough feeling sorry for myself!!! Today is a new day and I am going to keep my journal, go to the gym, drink lots of water and only eat when I am hungry and make good choices! Ta ta for now, wish me luck.

First Week Post-Op

I am soar, swollen and slightly bruised. The pain has been bearable for the most part. I do feel a slight tugging when I sit up under the port sight..that kind of freaks me out. My surgery took a little over 4 hours, which is not the norm. I had a hiatel hernia that was stubborn to repair. Coming out of surgery in post op the nurses and staff were awesome, as soon as my eyes were open, they had me walk a few laps around recovery. They day went a little like this, at the hospital for admission at 9:15am, checked in by 10am, surgery was scheduled for 11am but I sat in pre-op until 1:15, the surgery before me ran long. I was in recovery by 5pm, then in my room at about 7:30pm. My hospital stay was extended a day do to a rapid heart rate. Surgery was on Monday I was sent home on Wednesday around 2:30pm. I was doing fine with the full fluids until yesterday, I actually was feeling slightly hungry!!!! This freaked me out a little. I was also craving tuna, chicken and vegetables!! Seeing as thou I have not eaten an actual solid in seven days, I guess that's to be expected. Better than craving cheetos! I am getting sick of full solids, baby prunes are the only thing I am suppose to have other than liquids. I did mash up a couple of table table spoons of plain baked green squash last night, as my boyfriend almost grabbed my mouth and made me spit it out!!! I also had what is comparable to a cheezit. I had an awful taste in my mouth from the last sip of a protein shake, I placed the cracker in and took a sip of water and let it dissolve...gross I know but I tasted a whole lot better than the protein sludge. I attempted to step foot on the scale this morning in hopes that liquids had inched me at least ten pounds down.....not even one pound down!!!!! Ok, I am majorly depressed at this point, not a pound lighter and my belly is bigger now than before surgery from all the swelling!!! Ugh!!! This is not what I expected, I am sure my expectations are unrealistic but come on, not even one pound!!!!WTF! On a positive note, I have been walking three to four times a day for about ten minutes, with the exception of yesterday because it was pouring. I have my first pre-op doctor's appointment on Tuesday, I have my list of questions ready. I will let you guys know how I make out then and will post some lovely pics of my swollen belly:)

Night Before

Well, the waiting is over. I am just 7 hours away from surgery. A little nervous. I really just want to get it done and get moving with my mission. I can not beleive I posted those pics.....eeeeekkkkk! But I know it will really help me to see my progress and I love seeing other peoples before and after pics, maybe some one will be inspired by mine someday. Its 2am, I need to try to get some rest. I will take after surgery pics to show incisions in a few days.:)

before pics....

Are You Serious

I have been thinking about this, the more I think the more I want to scream. I was reading another girls post on lapbandtalk and she was explaining how excited she was about getting her surgery date. She was also explaining that she had told a few family members and there reaction was, "your taking the easy way out" and "thats cheating", (my personal fav) "Why just dont you eat right and exercise?". OMG, I feel like looking at these people and saying , "Wow, you are so right! Why didnt I think of that before??? Why dont I just try diet and exercise, that should do it!!!" People like us, who have made this life chaging decision, have not taken the easy way out!!!! We have chosen to surgically place a forgin object in our bodies, then only eat liquids then baby food, then take supplements every day for the rest of our lives and then have chose to eat foods that will not get stuck. Not to mention getting a needle stuck into our stomach each time we get a fill. Yeah, thats totally the easy way out!!! Obviously diet and exercise has not worked for us, some of us have resorted to eating disorders and even they do not work. It has been proven by doctors that for people like us , diets have a 95% fail rate. So there!!!

10 Day Count Down

This is my first post. Not really too sure how to make my page look cool, but I did my best. Ten days until I get banded. Today I had my last pre-op procedure, a lovely enoscopomy(do not know how to spell it). Now I am sore and have a burning sensation in my chest. Any who, I am getting excited. I have put the breaks on eating everthing in sight just because I was not going to be able to eat "normal" food for a while. Its kind of funny and gross at the same time. I was eating stuff I "normally" could care less for. For example, a hot pocket, frozen waffles, a low quality milk choclate bar, kfc...the list goes on and on, you get my point. I still am occasionally having a snack when I know I should not, but for the most part I am back on trck with normal eating. I have almost everything I need from my post op supply list. I ordered the best ready to drink protein shakes I could find, its the oh yeah brand very yummy. Bananna, vanilla and choclate flavors. I also ordered Isopure in grape frost and orange, I ordered my chewable vitamins,unflavored protein, a couple of protein powders in peanut butter cookie and caramel latte by Inspire. I really have to reccomend the web site www.bariatriceating.com to anyone in the pre-op phase. I first ordered their sample basket. It came with tons of sample size ready to drink shakes, powder smaples, vitamin samples, a drink shaker and the best book called before and after. The book is filled with tons recipies for ecah phase of post op eating and they are awesome!!! I made a ton of chickn stock, beef stock, mushroom stock and veg stock a few weekends ago. I froze all of it for after surgery. I stocked up on crystal light and sugar free pops. I feel like I am ready, just need my pedicure which is booked. I am lucky my mom is coming home to take care of me for the first week. The whole experience up to this point has been great. My doctors office is unbeleivable. I was approved by Cigna in less than 72 hours. I did put a lot of pre work in brfore I even met my surgeon, that helped with the speedy approval. I will post some bare all before pics once I charge up my camera. I cant beleive I am willing to post pictures of me in either undies and a bra or bathing suit. Trust me this is major, my mother has been trying for 9 years to get a picture of me fully clothed. But I think it is important to show it all to help other people. The blog that inspired me is http://cheeseandsunkist.blogspot.com/, she is amazing and I love her blog because she showed it all and updates her progress photos. Check out her blog, amy is so real and funny, I love her. Thats it for now. First blog done...check.