Nothing much to report at the moment. It's been pretty quiet on the lap band front. All is well with the restriction - confusing at times. Sometimes I can eat heaps, other times I'm just as restricted. Like last night I had Rice Noodles and was only able to eat around half a cup, where as yesterday afternoon I was starving and searching for food cos I couldn't get full! Weird!
Went shopping yesterday evening. I wanted to get some sucking-in underwear cos I'm getting "floppy" in my mid-drift area and want to "tighten" up the whole look. I have one pair, but need more at the moment and they're on special at Target at the moment. Ended up trying on some tops and pants in Size 14's. The tops fit perfectly, and they looked great, and flattering. The pants were a little tight around the waist hips (muffin top and camel toe action happening... not pretty) ... so I think I'm half way between a 16/14 in bottoms and a 14 in tops... which is still pretty cool!
I didn't end up buying anything cos I didn't have the money... but it was nice to try on some "normal" sized stuff. Heart was still racing a little as I was slipping on the clothes, but they fit!
Just maintaining my weight at the moment, which is a little frustrating. I'm 86kg and stable. Due for TTOM next week, so that could be a reason why my weight hasn't changed. I was at the gym 4 times this week, and going tomorrow morning as well... food intake has been so so... I've had a few temptations this week which I just haven't been able to look past - namely the cream filled biscuits in the tin at work - thank goodness only the plain ones are left now!!! Water intake has been good - I've found a great Diet Rite Cordial in Peach iced tea flavour. I love iced tea and now I can have it in a cordial with no calories! Sweet!
Looking forward to seeing my wonderful fill doctor next month to get re-filled again. I miss the restriction and the control that the band gave me... even after 1.5 years, I'm still not there yet!
Have a great Friday!
LBG xx
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Getting into a Groove
I'm really enjoying being able to eat more at the moment. It's a liberating feeling being able to choose anything to eat and knowing that you can eat it AND have some restriction there as well!!
I am having the most amazing salads for lunch at the moment - Pumpkin, Pecans, Fetta, Rocket, Cucumber, tomato and smoked salmon is my fave. I'm eating around 1-1.5cups, but it takes me a good 20-30 mins and I'm soooooooo full afterwards. I am getting the munchies alot earlier I'm finding after I eat, so I have a handful of nuts or a fruit cup handy to keep the hunger at bay.
I'm looking forward to going out for a Thai Meal on Saturday, knowing that I won't be limited to the soups or the juice of curries. That I can have one of their amazing king prawns.. YUM!
Tonight I'm having a rissole with salad, and tomorrow night will be Nachos (although I grate carrot, zucchini, tomato and capsicum to make it a little healthier!!).
Exercise is going really well this week. I've managed to get to the gym before work every single day so far. I plan on going tomorrow and Saturday as well. Which will make it 6 times this week.
OK, thats all from me for today... Happy Thursday!
LBG xx
I am having the most amazing salads for lunch at the moment - Pumpkin, Pecans, Fetta, Rocket, Cucumber, tomato and smoked salmon is my fave. I'm eating around 1-1.5cups, but it takes me a good 20-30 mins and I'm soooooooo full afterwards. I am getting the munchies alot earlier I'm finding after I eat, so I have a handful of nuts or a fruit cup handy to keep the hunger at bay.
I'm looking forward to going out for a Thai Meal on Saturday, knowing that I won't be limited to the soups or the juice of curries. That I can have one of their amazing king prawns.. YUM!
Tonight I'm having a rissole with salad, and tomorrow night will be Nachos (although I grate carrot, zucchini, tomato and capsicum to make it a little healthier!!).
Exercise is going really well this week. I've managed to get to the gym before work every single day so far. I plan on going tomorrow and Saturday as well. Which will make it 6 times this week.
OK, thats all from me for today... Happy Thursday!
LBG xx
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
You've got to do it for yourself!
I have an awesome gym buddy, who happens to be one of my besties and also happens to be a bandit. Actually, she's one of the reasons why I got a band myself (cos I saw that it was doable and real!).. And we confirmed yesterday that we were going to hit the gym at 6am for a spin session. Now, as some of you may be aware... spin classes are one of the hardest sweatiest classes to do... they never get any better and they never get any easier. Knowing that someone else is doing it just as tough as you kinda almost makes the class a little more bareable...
So, I turned up at Spin this morning... gym buddy didn't! Turned out she had a conference call at work early in the morning so will be doing the afternoon class instead. This was all in a text message to me on my phone last night, but I didn't check my phone until after I got back from the gym this morning!!
So no gym buddy... OK, I got on with it and did the class, no worries... except that I didn't set my HR Monitor correctly and it only captured around 20 mins of my workout!!! You might think, why such a big deal... but one of the goals I have for myself is to reach my target on my HR monitor so that each monday I get a little trophy that is the wall paper on my HRM for the rest of the week. It also then confirms that I have done at least 4 classes and have burnt over 2000 cals during the week (which is approx 250g of fat). So while I know I've burnt over 600cal this morning, my HRM only says 300cals!!! Noooooooo!!
Anyhoo, the point of this blog is to say that you can't rely on anyone else to get your butt exercising.. Sure it helps, it really does.. but at the end of the day, you have to do it for yourself! I'm glad I went this morning :)
Happy exercising everyone!
LBG xx
So, I turned up at Spin this morning... gym buddy didn't! Turned out she had a conference call at work early in the morning so will be doing the afternoon class instead. This was all in a text message to me on my phone last night, but I didn't check my phone until after I got back from the gym this morning!!
So no gym buddy... OK, I got on with it and did the class, no worries... except that I didn't set my HR Monitor correctly and it only captured around 20 mins of my workout!!! You might think, why such a big deal... but one of the goals I have for myself is to reach my target on my HR monitor so that each monday I get a little trophy that is the wall paper on my HRM for the rest of the week. It also then confirms that I have done at least 4 classes and have burnt over 2000 cals during the week (which is approx 250g of fat). So while I know I've burnt over 600cal this morning, my HRM only says 300cals!!! Noooooooo!!
Anyhoo, the point of this blog is to say that you can't rely on anyone else to get your butt exercising.. Sure it helps, it really does.. but at the end of the day, you have to do it for yourself! I'm glad I went this morning :)
Happy exercising everyone!
LBG xx
Monday, September 22, 2008
A brand new week!
Starting a new week for anyone who has been dieting knows that you can almost wash the sins of the past few days (ie the weekend) away and start afresh. Well, I didn't do too badly, other than popcorn and a frozen coke at the movies, I did manage to hit the gym on Sunday for an hour for a massive sweat-a-thon. But today, being Monday, is the start of a new week, and the start of new food and exercise goals. So this week is going to be a week of getting back to basics. My goals include (but are not limted to):
4-5 Gym Sessions this week (1 down already!)
Yoghurt and Frozen berries for breakfast every morning
2 bottles of water drunk at work every day
Fruit or Nuts for a Snack
Low Carbs at night
Protein with Lunch and Dinner
If I think of any more, I'll post them up.
Have a happy Monday!
LBG xx
4-5 Gym Sessions this week (1 down already!)
Yoghurt and Frozen berries for breakfast every morning
2 bottles of water drunk at work every day
Fruit or Nuts for a Snack
Low Carbs at night
Protein with Lunch and Dinner
If I think of any more, I'll post them up.
Have a happy Monday!
LBG xx
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Size 14 pants!
A momentous NSV for me today. I went to the shops to run a few errands and Husband and I were walking through target (in my size 18 target jeans mind you). We passed the women's clothes section and I saw these cute cargo army style pants. Husband suggested I try a pair on (he's into military stuff and has the same type of pants). So I instinctively reach for the size 16 (only cos there were no size 18 pants on the rack). Husband put is arm out to stop me and took the size 14 off the shelf. I immediately cringed at the thought of trying to squeeze my big butt into a 14, knowing that it would be too tight. I tried to take both the 16 and the 14 in, but Husband convinced me otherwise and I toddled off to the change rooms to try these pants on, with the sinking feeling in my heart that they weren't going to fit.
One leg went in, fit well around the thigh... other leg slid in and managed to pull the pants up over my hips... second hurdle crossed with success. Then came doing up the buttons!.. Low and behold there was enough material there to do up the pants! They are snug... but I can still sit down in them, and they are not that stretchy jean material either. I ran out of the change room to show hubby, who was equally as pleased for me. I took off the pants and looked at the waist band, thinking that the size 16 had been accidentally put on a size 14 hanger... not so! I was well and truely wearing a size 14.
A HUGE occassion especially because I have a very vivid memory of me going into target and not even being able to fit into a stretch size 18 pair of jeans and having to cross over to the plus size section to buy jeans with elastic in the waist.
You could have left me at the shopping centre all day and I would have been more than happy walking from shop to shop trying things on!! *lol*
Here is a photo of my first size 14 pants (and at $23, they were a bargain too!).
Love LBG xx
Friday, September 19, 2008
Support.. and a question..
You guys are amazing! Thanks to Diz, Nola, Cat, Bridget, MYF, Christa, Suzie, Tracey and the rest of you amazing bandits (or soon to be bandits!!!) for providing wonderful support to someone you've never met!! :) *hugs* go out to all of you!!
I don't think Anon was ever personally attacking me.. I agree that he/she has the right to her own opinion.. however, I have asked her/him not to comment on my blog if she is going to comment negative nasty things, and it has been continuing (as you know). He/She left yet another comment, which I've decided not to put on here...
Question: Do you think that losing 56kg in 8 months is healthy? that would be around 7kg/month or just under 1.5kg/week. Anon seems to think that losing that much weight that quickly is the way it should be done if you have a lapband... He/She said she read it in another blog. While I'm in awe that people can lose weight that quickly, I am a bit concerned by the fact that this person is losing so quick!
1. Surely this person is not getting all the vitamin and minerals necessary and would be feeling quite lethargic and ill?
2. The quicker you take the weight off, the quicker you can put it back on...
3. This person might have their band way to tight and just can't eat anything?
3. This person is 200kg and has lost about as much weight as would be expected for someone of their size in that amount of time... MYF would you agree here?
One thing that was different about me when I got my lapband was that I already had a fairly high exercise level. I wasn't exercising to the same intensity as I do now, because I carry around less weight, but I was still working hard. When I went to my Physiotherapy session after getting my lapband, the point of the session was to "start" teaching people how to move with alot of weight to carry so that they didn't injur themselves. The physio asked me what exercises I did... I told her, and she basically had nothing to teach me that I didn't already know!! So I sat there while morbidly obese people around me learnt how to do sit-ups and star jumps!! I was also quite a "small" obese person. My BMI was around 39 which puts me up there, but not as high as some..
I've been having a think about my current food intake and since it's slowly coming up to summer, I've decided I'm going to shake it up a little. Instead of having smaller portions of foods that I normally eat, I'm going to start to eat whole and minimally processed foods.
For example:
Breakfast, instead of having cereal and milk or a protein shake, I will have fruit and yoghurt (I want to look into getting a flaxseed nut/museli mix that I can sprinkle over to get some extra protein and good fats)
For lunch, instead of having canned soup or leftovers or half a sandwhich, I'm going to have salads with BBQ chicken, or cottage cheese and tabouleh and whole grain vita wheat, or vege sticks with tzatsiki
snacks will be the whole fruit, rather than the diced fruit in the cups - especially with the summer fruits coming back in season this should be easy to do!! Or some raw nuts (they reaaaaaaally fill me up and I only need a few grams!), or vege sticks with a home made Hommus or Guacamole
Dinner will be alot more fresh fish, chicken and steamed vege without the carbs like rice and potato (which at the moment I can still eat - pasta and bread are still out).
I'm also trying to have more green tea which I am getting back in to, and trying to cut back on the coffee which I'm finding difficult.
I also want to get out of the post-dinner sweet funk that I'm currently in. I keep fun size chocolates in the freezer for when I feel like something sweet, but I want to get out of the habit of wanting something sweet around 1 hour after I eat dinner. I think it's a matter of going cold turkey..
OK, enough from me again today! What a lot of reading..
Night night!!
LBG xx
I don't think Anon was ever personally attacking me.. I agree that he/she has the right to her own opinion.. however, I have asked her/him not to comment on my blog if she is going to comment negative nasty things, and it has been continuing (as you know). He/She left yet another comment, which I've decided not to put on here...
Question: Do you think that losing 56kg in 8 months is healthy? that would be around 7kg/month or just under 1.5kg/week. Anon seems to think that losing that much weight that quickly is the way it should be done if you have a lapband... He/She said she read it in another blog. While I'm in awe that people can lose weight that quickly, I am a bit concerned by the fact that this person is losing so quick!
1. Surely this person is not getting all the vitamin and minerals necessary and would be feeling quite lethargic and ill?
2. The quicker you take the weight off, the quicker you can put it back on...
3. This person might have their band way to tight and just can't eat anything?
3. This person is 200kg and has lost about as much weight as would be expected for someone of their size in that amount of time... MYF would you agree here?
One thing that was different about me when I got my lapband was that I already had a fairly high exercise level. I wasn't exercising to the same intensity as I do now, because I carry around less weight, but I was still working hard. When I went to my Physiotherapy session after getting my lapband, the point of the session was to "start" teaching people how to move with alot of weight to carry so that they didn't injur themselves. The physio asked me what exercises I did... I told her, and she basically had nothing to teach me that I didn't already know!! So I sat there while morbidly obese people around me learnt how to do sit-ups and star jumps!! I was also quite a "small" obese person. My BMI was around 39 which puts me up there, but not as high as some..
I've been having a think about my current food intake and since it's slowly coming up to summer, I've decided I'm going to shake it up a little. Instead of having smaller portions of foods that I normally eat, I'm going to start to eat whole and minimally processed foods.
For example:
Breakfast, instead of having cereal and milk or a protein shake, I will have fruit and yoghurt (I want to look into getting a flaxseed nut/museli mix that I can sprinkle over to get some extra protein and good fats)
For lunch, instead of having canned soup or leftovers or half a sandwhich, I'm going to have salads with BBQ chicken, or cottage cheese and tabouleh and whole grain vita wheat, or vege sticks with tzatsiki
snacks will be the whole fruit, rather than the diced fruit in the cups - especially with the summer fruits coming back in season this should be easy to do!! Or some raw nuts (they reaaaaaaally fill me up and I only need a few grams!), or vege sticks with a home made Hommus or Guacamole
Dinner will be alot more fresh fish, chicken and steamed vege without the carbs like rice and potato (which at the moment I can still eat - pasta and bread are still out).
I'm also trying to have more green tea which I am getting back in to, and trying to cut back on the coffee which I'm finding difficult.
I also want to get out of the post-dinner sweet funk that I'm currently in. I keep fun size chocolates in the freezer for when I feel like something sweet, but I want to get out of the habit of wanting something sweet around 1 hour after I eat dinner. I think it's a matter of going cold turkey..
OK, enough from me again today! What a lot of reading..
Night night!!
LBG xx
Care Factor..
I'm going to start moderating my comments so that I can delete the comments left by Anon..
My care factor is zero... If anything, it is sad to think that someone feels they have to dampen down the energy and happiness that one trys to portray when they blog to the world their thoughts and feelings. I'm not sure if it makes you feel better Anon, blurting out facts about some scientist somewhere shrinking a stomach to the size of a tomato, or that a 700lb man died of malnutrition.... I figure that you have either NEVER had a weight problem and therefore are ignorant of everything to do with the mental, emotional and physical sides of weight loss... or you've had a lap band and you have failed to lose the weight on it and are all bitter and twisted about the whole experience.. or you are overweight yourself and don't have the guts to really make the change and lose the weight. Either way.. it really does suck to be you!!
So enough about that... on to more exciting things...
Tomorrow will be my 6 year anniversary with my Husband from the day that we first started dating. Hubby and I met off the internet (interestingly enough when I was 86kg!!). Who would of thought that after 6 years we would have been married and bought our own home! I am so excited about our future together now... We're talking about buying a second property (a house!!) so that in the not so distant future, we can grow our family. We will be celebrating by going to our favourite restaraunt (we went there alot when we were dating).. and then on Sunday we plan on seeing WALL-E the movie.
Yesterday I managed to drag my butt to the gym after work.. I knew I had to get there and just "do it". I'm so glad I did. Once I got on the treadmill an hour passed by real quick and I could have stayed for longer. I felt tops! I'm looking forward to going again tonight. Dinner last night was a home made vegetable soup and a crumpet. The soup went down fine, it was nice and thick and filling. The crumpet I had to work on, but with small bites and lots of chewing, I managed to get it down.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!
LBG xx
P.S. Anon - Just so I can put my weight loss in perspective for you.... I've now lost 27% if me... relatively speaking.. I'd say I was pretty much on track.
My care factor is zero... If anything, it is sad to think that someone feels they have to dampen down the energy and happiness that one trys to portray when they blog to the world their thoughts and feelings. I'm not sure if it makes you feel better Anon, blurting out facts about some scientist somewhere shrinking a stomach to the size of a tomato, or that a 700lb man died of malnutrition.... I figure that you have either NEVER had a weight problem and therefore are ignorant of everything to do with the mental, emotional and physical sides of weight loss... or you've had a lap band and you have failed to lose the weight on it and are all bitter and twisted about the whole experience.. or you are overweight yourself and don't have the guts to really make the change and lose the weight. Either way.. it really does suck to be you!!
So enough about that... on to more exciting things...
Tomorrow will be my 6 year anniversary with my Husband from the day that we first started dating. Hubby and I met off the internet (interestingly enough when I was 86kg!!). Who would of thought that after 6 years we would have been married and bought our own home! I am so excited about our future together now... We're talking about buying a second property (a house!!) so that in the not so distant future, we can grow our family. We will be celebrating by going to our favourite restaraunt (we went there alot when we were dating).. and then on Sunday we plan on seeing WALL-E the movie.
Yesterday I managed to drag my butt to the gym after work.. I knew I had to get there and just "do it". I'm so glad I did. Once I got on the treadmill an hour passed by real quick and I could have stayed for longer. I felt tops! I'm looking forward to going again tonight. Dinner last night was a home made vegetable soup and a crumpet. The soup went down fine, it was nice and thick and filling. The crumpet I had to work on, but with small bites and lots of chewing, I managed to get it down.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!
LBG xx
P.S. Anon - Just so I can put my weight loss in perspective for you.... I've now lost 27% if me... relatively speaking.. I'd say I was pretty much on track.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
30kg lost says I've learnt a thing or two!!!
Yeah Cat.. I totally agree with you about Anonymous and his/her comment. He/She comes back occasionally to post his/her comments... He/She has obviously never had a weight problem.. and yeah, they never like to leave a name.. I'm used to it. Quite frankly it amuses me! There are so many amazing people who read my blog, and I get such positive feedback. So when Anon leaves me nasty comments, I enjoy reading them... because it just affirms how ignorant some people are about weight loss, gastric banding surgery and all that other stuff.
So to respond to Anonymous....
I will always love food, not just fatty foods, but all types of foods. And I know that I will always need help, and I know I will never be free of dieting. I accept that. My band is my tool, my help and will be with me forever. I will constantly be struggling with my weight for the rest of my life.
I must have learnt something over the past 1.5 years... - I have lost over 30kg !!! From going to a morbidly obese couch potato that was on the boarder of diabetes, in a size 24, at the ripe old age of 27, to being 30kg lighter, happily married to a wonderful man, jogging on the treadmill and on the street for over 20 mins and in a size 14... I think something has definitely changed don't you??
And just so you know Anonymous, I don't care what other people think of me, and I always had a full and enriched life, regardless of my weight.. so while I know that there are some people out there who don't judge overweight people... the majority do..
So Anonymous, unless you have never made a mistake, never put a foot wrong, never given into a craving, never had junk food because you felt like it, never eaten a little too much at christmas dinner... I suggest you shut the fuck up and stop leaving your pointless and nasty comments on my blog.
To all my other readers who "get" what's happening with me and my band... Thank you for stopping by!!!
Love love
LBG xx
So to respond to Anonymous....
I will always love food, not just fatty foods, but all types of foods. And I know that I will always need help, and I know I will never be free of dieting. I accept that. My band is my tool, my help and will be with me forever. I will constantly be struggling with my weight for the rest of my life.
I must have learnt something over the past 1.5 years... - I have lost over 30kg !!! From going to a morbidly obese couch potato that was on the boarder of diabetes, in a size 24, at the ripe old age of 27, to being 30kg lighter, happily married to a wonderful man, jogging on the treadmill and on the street for over 20 mins and in a size 14... I think something has definitely changed don't you??
And just so you know Anonymous, I don't care what other people think of me, and I always had a full and enriched life, regardless of my weight.. so while I know that there are some people out there who don't judge overweight people... the majority do..
So Anonymous, unless you have never made a mistake, never put a foot wrong, never given into a craving, never had junk food because you felt like it, never eaten a little too much at christmas dinner... I suggest you shut the fuck up and stop leaving your pointless and nasty comments on my blog.
To all my other readers who "get" what's happening with me and my band... Thank you for stopping by!!!
Love love
LBG xx
Monday, September 15, 2008
Realization..
I have been banded for 1.5 years!!! Holy Moly! I was reading Bridget's blog on being banded for 6 months and I started to think about the fact that I had been banded for 1.5 years.
I really don't know what I expected I would be like in 1.5 years. Did I expect to be at my goal weight by then? Hell no!! I still don't think I'll ever get to my goal weight.. it's so far out there in the relms of my imagination right now... it's slowly becoming a little more realistic but I know I've got a ways to go yet.. and I'm kinda enjoying the ride.
What else has changed? My appreciation for good quality food. Gone are the days where I'll just have a big bowl of pesto pasta, heaped with cheese and butter for dinner.. I crave small portions of delicious fresh food - gorgeous fish and other seafoods, well cooked veges, salads with tangy home made dressings, gourmet cheeses, dips and anti pastos (not corn chips and salsa if you know what I mean!!). Having McDonalds last week really affirmed the fact that I really do look at food a different way now.. I would have preferred a salmon or tuna sushi roll or some gorgeous fresh sashimi with some wasabi and soy sauce than a big mac and fries.. that still blows me away.
Another thing which I love that has changed about me is my energy levels. I may still be 15kg over weight, but damn it, I'm super fit right now. It doesn't bother me that I do two exercise session in 1 day, where as before, 30 mins would poop me out! Like today, for example, I'm going to hit the gym at lunch time for some cardio action, then I'm looking forward to doing an hour long walk with my husband this evening (the weather in Sydney today is supposed to be devine!). Yes peoples, I am LOOKING FORWARD to it!! I LOVE getting hot and sweaty. I LOVE feeling that burning sensation in my thighs and butt when I go to spin classes. I LOVE getting into this amazing zone when I jog. I LOVE the fact that I can JOG! hehe
What else? hrmmmmm... I love looking at myself in the mirror. Especially my face and shoulders. I have features.. not fat cheeks and double chin, but collar bones! I love looking at old photos of me now, because I know that I have changed so much. I've started to wish that I had taken more photos of me when I was fatter!!! *lol* My body is changing, I'm getting saggier, and I accept this. There are some great knickers that you can wear that sucks everything in so you look flat. I've got a couple of pairs of these and wear them when I go out for special occasions. But I think I need to start wearing them more often, they make me feel good. Husband calls them my granny knickers, but once you put clothes over them.... totally different!
Another thing I've noticed is that I don't hold back as much... I really do live life to the fullest.... like trying scuba diving for the first time. Fat me wouldn't have dreamed of getting into a wet suit (because I wouldn't have been able to fit it!!) and then get in the water.. but now I know I can pretty much do anything. When I do stuff, people don't look at me with the pity they used to. I used to hear them thinking "Poor fat girl, look at her trying so hard... well at least she's trying". Those voices have definitely stopped!
I've got a ways to go yet. But I know this isn't going to be a short term thing. This is for life. This band is for life, this way of eating is for life. Having the fill out has made me realise just how much I depended on my little silicone friend to stop me from overeating! Now that I can eat more (although I'm still way down on pre-banding amounts), I've noticed the old habits creeping back in. I'm definitely looking forward to getting that fill put back in!! October 22nd is over 5 weeks away!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!
Thanks to all for reading for the past 1.5 years!!! You guys help me so much with your comments and suggestions.
Much Love xxx
I really don't know what I expected I would be like in 1.5 years. Did I expect to be at my goal weight by then? Hell no!! I still don't think I'll ever get to my goal weight.. it's so far out there in the relms of my imagination right now... it's slowly becoming a little more realistic but I know I've got a ways to go yet.. and I'm kinda enjoying the ride.
What else has changed? My appreciation for good quality food. Gone are the days where I'll just have a big bowl of pesto pasta, heaped with cheese and butter for dinner.. I crave small portions of delicious fresh food - gorgeous fish and other seafoods, well cooked veges, salads with tangy home made dressings, gourmet cheeses, dips and anti pastos (not corn chips and salsa if you know what I mean!!). Having McDonalds last week really affirmed the fact that I really do look at food a different way now.. I would have preferred a salmon or tuna sushi roll or some gorgeous fresh sashimi with some wasabi and soy sauce than a big mac and fries.. that still blows me away.
Another thing which I love that has changed about me is my energy levels. I may still be 15kg over weight, but damn it, I'm super fit right now. It doesn't bother me that I do two exercise session in 1 day, where as before, 30 mins would poop me out! Like today, for example, I'm going to hit the gym at lunch time for some cardio action, then I'm looking forward to doing an hour long walk with my husband this evening (the weather in Sydney today is supposed to be devine!). Yes peoples, I am LOOKING FORWARD to it!! I LOVE getting hot and sweaty. I LOVE feeling that burning sensation in my thighs and butt when I go to spin classes. I LOVE getting into this amazing zone when I jog. I LOVE the fact that I can JOG! hehe
What else? hrmmmmm... I love looking at myself in the mirror. Especially my face and shoulders. I have features.. not fat cheeks and double chin, but collar bones! I love looking at old photos of me now, because I know that I have changed so much. I've started to wish that I had taken more photos of me when I was fatter!!! *lol* My body is changing, I'm getting saggier, and I accept this. There are some great knickers that you can wear that sucks everything in so you look flat. I've got a couple of pairs of these and wear them when I go out for special occasions. But I think I need to start wearing them more often, they make me feel good. Husband calls them my granny knickers, but once you put clothes over them.... totally different!
Another thing I've noticed is that I don't hold back as much... I really do live life to the fullest.... like trying scuba diving for the first time. Fat me wouldn't have dreamed of getting into a wet suit (because I wouldn't have been able to fit it!!) and then get in the water.. but now I know I can pretty much do anything. When I do stuff, people don't look at me with the pity they used to. I used to hear them thinking "Poor fat girl, look at her trying so hard... well at least she's trying". Those voices have definitely stopped!
I've got a ways to go yet. But I know this isn't going to be a short term thing. This is for life. This band is for life, this way of eating is for life. Having the fill out has made me realise just how much I depended on my little silicone friend to stop me from overeating! Now that I can eat more (although I'm still way down on pre-banding amounts), I've noticed the old habits creeping back in. I'm definitely looking forward to getting that fill put back in!! October 22nd is over 5 weeks away!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!
Thanks to all for reading for the past 1.5 years!!! You guys help me so much with your comments and suggestions.
Much Love xxx
Friday, September 12, 2008
Still some restriction!! YAY!
Yesterday, after writing about how I was going to eat well and blah blah blah, I had McDonalds for lunch... I haven't had Maccas in probably over a year!! I got a McChicken and a small fries and a diet coke. I only ate 1/2 of the fries and maybe 1/3 of the burger. Man, I was real full! It was great! But you know what else? I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I was going to. I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed, and kinda wished I'd had a salmon sushi roll instead as it would have been so much tastier! I won't be getting Maccas any time soon I can tell you! Amazing how your taste buds change eh?
Last night for dinner I thought I'd give pasta a go. I made a delish onion, capsicum and spinach sauce to go with the spinach and ricotta tortellini. I made myself a small bowl (bandit size), a couple of mouthfuls later I was in the bathroom puking it up! My band still doesn't like pasta.
There is definitely restriction there!
I'm going to have some yoghurt and strawberries for breakky now.
Have a wonderful Friday!
LBG xx
Last night for dinner I thought I'd give pasta a go. I made a delish onion, capsicum and spinach sauce to go with the spinach and ricotta tortellini. I made myself a small bowl (bandit size), a couple of mouthfuls later I was in the bathroom puking it up! My band still doesn't like pasta.
There is definitely restriction there!
I'm going to have some yoghurt and strawberries for breakky now.
Have a wonderful Friday!
LBG xx
Thursday, September 11, 2008
I'm such a guts!!
I can't believe how much I have been eating since I had that fill taken out. Granted, I can still feel some restriction, it's nowhere near as much as before! Yesterday I got home from work, got out the camembert and rice crackers (bad move!), and before I knew it, half the cheese and two rows of the crackers was gone!! 2 hours later I was having curry and rice at a local nepalese resteraunt. It is nice to go out for a meal knowing that you don't have to position where you sit so you can make a quick and some what subtle exit to the bathroom, or your choice of resterant is determined by whether or not they have soup on the menu, or when you get your meal and you start to hyperventilate because you realise you can only eat 2 mouthfuls and your dining partners are going to wonder why you're not eating!! That's why I like going to places where you share food - we shared a whole heap of curry and rice last night, then there is tapas and thai where you just pick off the plates. No-one else is really watching what you are eating because they're too busy trying to feed their own faces!! But when you've ordered your own meal and everyone else has cleaned their plates and you're trying to hide food under your napkin...
I digress, I figured that if I'm going to be able to eat more (and enjoy the fact that I can eat more) then I was going to have to put some safe guards in place to ensure that I don't put on any weight.
1. I must go to the gym (or do some form of exercise) 5 days per week (4 at the minimum). I have a polar F11 heart monitor which tracks my calories, session numbers, time spent exercising etc. If I make my target each week I get a trophy as my wall paper. if I don't make the target, the wall paper goes back to a swirl and it takes a whole week to try and get that trophy back again.
2. I will drink more water! Something I haven't been doing since my unfill. I have been drinking more coffee though ( I can't seem to function without a good coffee in the morning these days!!). I have a water bottle at my desk at work, and I will aim to drink two of these per day.
3. The food that I do eat will be quality foods (not rice crackers and cheese!!). So things like Fruit (I've got strawberries and madarins for lunch today, YUM) and vegetables will grace my plate every day. I will make an effort to eat well, fuel my body and enjoy it!
4. I will track what I eat on Calorie King so that I am accountable.
OK, that's all from me today. I'm off to fill my water bottle!
LBG xx
I digress, I figured that if I'm going to be able to eat more (and enjoy the fact that I can eat more) then I was going to have to put some safe guards in place to ensure that I don't put on any weight.
1. I must go to the gym (or do some form of exercise) 5 days per week (4 at the minimum). I have a polar F11 heart monitor which tracks my calories, session numbers, time spent exercising etc. If I make my target each week I get a trophy as my wall paper. if I don't make the target, the wall paper goes back to a swirl and it takes a whole week to try and get that trophy back again.
2. I will drink more water! Something I haven't been doing since my unfill. I have been drinking more coffee though ( I can't seem to function without a good coffee in the morning these days!!). I have a water bottle at my desk at work, and I will aim to drink two of these per day.
3. The food that I do eat will be quality foods (not rice crackers and cheese!!). So things like Fruit (I've got strawberries and madarins for lunch today, YUM) and vegetables will grace my plate every day. I will make an effort to eat well, fuel my body and enjoy it!
4. I will track what I eat on Calorie King so that I am accountable.
OK, that's all from me today. I'm off to fill my water bottle!
LBG xx
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Dealing with the hunger!!
I'm not used to being hungry... I mean that gnawing hunger that doesn't allow you to concentrate on anything else until it is satisfied.. and I don't like it! Yesterday I had a coffee and tea in the morning (still some restriction so don't feel like eating), then I had a cup a soup with noodles for morning tea (160 cals), then I had a cup a soup and 2 crumpets with marg for lunch (350 cals), then for afternoon tea I had an apple puree, a mandarin and some vita wheat snacks (200 cal), then I went to the gym and did a spin class (600cals burnt), and then had left over beef stroganoff, mashed potatos, some green beans and steamed cauliflower for dinner. The plate I served my dinner on was still a bread and butter plate, but it was practically spilling over the side. I've realised that my food intake yesterday was quite "soft and sloppy", ie, I should be having more solid foods to make me fuller! So today I'm having vita wheats with ham, cheese, tomato, baby spinach, strawberries, yoghurt. And for dinner tonight I'm making individual Lasagne with Salad. YUM!
I should also mention that this morning I felt like a danish, but instead I went to Woolies and picked up a yoghurt to have with my strawberries instead! That took a massive amount of will power because I was starving from my spin class this morning and knew that I was going to be able to eat it! Having more restriction meant that I used to walk past Baker's Delight and not even bat an eyelid... now I have to find another way to walk so that I avoid this devil bakery at all costs!!!
Have an awesome day!
LBG xx
I should also mention that this morning I felt like a danish, but instead I went to Woolies and picked up a yoghurt to have with my strawberries instead! That took a massive amount of will power because I was starving from my spin class this morning and knew that I was going to be able to eat it! Having more restriction meant that I used to walk past Baker's Delight and not even bat an eyelid... now I have to find another way to walk so that I avoid this devil bakery at all costs!!!
Have an awesome day!
LBG xx
Monday, September 8, 2008
Yum Cha = deliciousness
Diz asked what Yum Cha is... why are you asking this question? How can you not know what Yum Cha is?!?!?!
I have taken the liberty of googling Yum Cha and you can find the answer here. My fave dish is prawn wrapped in rice noodles with soy sauce... and this time I could eat it!!! Actually, I could eat all 3 portions of them.. and the prawns went down easy.. but I was still amazingly full afterwards (still some restriction there!!)
All I can say... Yum Cha = Deliciousness!
I have taken the liberty of googling Yum Cha and you can find the answer here. My fave dish is prawn wrapped in rice noodles with soy sauce... and this time I could eat it!!! Actually, I could eat all 3 portions of them.. and the prawns went down easy.. but I was still amazingly full afterwards (still some restriction there!!)
All I can say... Yum Cha = Deliciousness!
Happy Monday!
Ok not really... since when are Monday's anything but suicidal... struggled to get out of bed this morning... too scared to weigh myself today... kind of ignoring the scales at the moment!!! The weekend goes way too quickly, one minute you're doing your saturday morning spin class and the next you're making lunch for work on Sunday night... *sigh*
MJW asked a question which I thought was interesting: Do you sit at the hairdresser looking at the person in the mirror wondering who they are, or have you moved on from that?
Actually, it doesn't have to be at the hairdresser, it's pretty much every time I get in front of a mirror. I'll be cleansing my face and look up after patting it dry and look at myself. Or I'll be walking past a shop front and catch a glimpse of my reflection and not recognise that it is me for a split second... it's a lovely feeling!
Eating this weekend has been mixed. I've started the day off soooooo healthy - half bran muffins after my Gym session... then it went down hill and on Saturday evening I finished off a whole packet of Maltesers (100g!!!) *eek*. I did redeem myself a little by having a chicken wrap with heaps of salad which I only ate a little bit of. Sunday was a vege omlette (yum), then Yum Cha for lunch for fathers day (can't say that was too healthy!!) and then off to the movies where I had a small frozen coke, pop corn and some jelly snakes. Dinner was a small plate of beef stroganoff, 2 tbls rice and some steamed veges.. Loving the fact that I can eat again (and I must say, so are my bowels!!), but not loving the fact that I'm getting hungrier sooner and can eat more. So this week I'm going to be tracking everything I eat on calorie king and get into the exercise this week. Plans for Exercise are as follows:
Monday 8/9 - Spin Class 5:45pm
Tuesday 9/9 - Spin Class 6:15am
Wednesday 10/9 - Lunch Time Cardio
Thursday 11/9 - Spin Class 6:15am
Friday 12/9 - Lunch Time Cardio
Saturday 13/9 - Core 7:45am, Spin 8:30am
Sunday 14/9 - Rest
Have a good week!
LBG xx
MJW asked a question which I thought was interesting: Do you sit at the hairdresser looking at the person in the mirror wondering who they are, or have you moved on from that?
Actually, it doesn't have to be at the hairdresser, it's pretty much every time I get in front of a mirror. I'll be cleansing my face and look up after patting it dry and look at myself. Or I'll be walking past a shop front and catch a glimpse of my reflection and not recognise that it is me for a split second... it's a lovely feeling!
Eating this weekend has been mixed. I've started the day off soooooo healthy - half bran muffins after my Gym session... then it went down hill and on Saturday evening I finished off a whole packet of Maltesers (100g!!!) *eek*. I did redeem myself a little by having a chicken wrap with heaps of salad which I only ate a little bit of. Sunday was a vege omlette (yum), then Yum Cha for lunch for fathers day (can't say that was too healthy!!) and then off to the movies where I had a small frozen coke, pop corn and some jelly snakes. Dinner was a small plate of beef stroganoff, 2 tbls rice and some steamed veges.. Loving the fact that I can eat again (and I must say, so are my bowels!!), but not loving the fact that I'm getting hungrier sooner and can eat more. So this week I'm going to be tracking everything I eat on calorie king and get into the exercise this week. Plans for Exercise are as follows:
Monday 8/9 - Spin Class 5:45pm
Tuesday 9/9 - Spin Class 6:15am
Wednesday 10/9 - Lunch Time Cardio
Thursday 11/9 - Spin Class 6:15am
Friday 12/9 - Lunch Time Cardio
Saturday 13/9 - Core 7:45am, Spin 8:30am
Sunday 14/9 - Rest
Have a good week!
LBG xx
Friday, September 5, 2008
New Do and Subway
I got my hair cut last night. I was going for something a little shorter, a little more edgy and something that suited my face (that seems to have gone from round to oval since my weight loss). Well I came out feeling cute, sophisticated and stylish! Loving my new do! Husband thinks it makes me look older... I think it makes me look sophisticated and professional.
Anyhoo... the eating front has been so much fun over the past couple of days. Yesterday I had subway for lunch. I got a wrap with turkey, ham, cheese and loads of salad... took me around 1 hour to eat, but DAMN it was so freaking tasty! Then for dinner I had a small bowl of Beef with vege and rice noodles. Even though I've had heaps of fill out, I can still feel some restriction, which is awesome.
On the exercise front, I was at the gym before my hair appointment. I jogged on the T-mill for 16 minutes. The bra I was wearing really wasn't suitable, so I was feeling a bit self conscious. Burnt 550Kcal and exercised for 45 mins. I'm off to the gym again tonight for another similar work out, and then tomorrow morning I'll do Core and Spin Classes. 5 times this week, which is great.
Scales showed me at 85.8kg. Not entirely happy with this, but I really do think I was quite dehydrated. I've eaten a load of carbs over the past few days, which attracts a bit of water as well... I'm just going to keep up with the exercise and hopefully that will minimise any damage!!
MYF - have a great time on your holiday! Can't wait to see piccies!!!
Much love xxx
LBG xx
Anyhoo... the eating front has been so much fun over the past couple of days. Yesterday I had subway for lunch. I got a wrap with turkey, ham, cheese and loads of salad... took me around 1 hour to eat, but DAMN it was so freaking tasty! Then for dinner I had a small bowl of Beef with vege and rice noodles. Even though I've had heaps of fill out, I can still feel some restriction, which is awesome.
On the exercise front, I was at the gym before my hair appointment. I jogged on the T-mill for 16 minutes. The bra I was wearing really wasn't suitable, so I was feeling a bit self conscious. Burnt 550Kcal and exercised for 45 mins. I'm off to the gym again tonight for another similar work out, and then tomorrow morning I'll do Core and Spin Classes. 5 times this week, which is great.
Scales showed me at 85.8kg. Not entirely happy with this, but I really do think I was quite dehydrated. I've eaten a load of carbs over the past few days, which attracts a bit of water as well... I'm just going to keep up with the exercise and hopefully that will minimise any damage!!
MYF - have a great time on your holiday! Can't wait to see piccies!!!
Much love xxx
LBG xx
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Quad Burger
Have you guys seen the new Hungry Jacks Quad Burger that has just been released? It contains 4 beef patties, 4 slices of cheese, BBQ sauce, 2 rashers of bacon on sugared buns. Where is the salad, you may ask. Well there is none. Now I'm a big big fan of the whopper, because of the fact that the salad is REAL - real chunks of tomato, onion and lettuce, not like the shrivelled variety that graces the burgers of Macdonalds. But I am dissapointed by this latest creation. The calorie intake of this monstrosity equates to half a females average daily energy requirement, not to mention the 70g of fat! At over 1000kcal, eating this burger would be all I would be allowed to eat all day, and I wouldn't be getting any nutrition. Funnily enough, this buger has been selling in the US since 2006!!!! The first time I saw this burger on TV, I must admit, I did salivate at the thought of biting into the soft bun, feeling the meat juice flow onto my tongue, chew slowly through the layers of meat and cheese and taste the tang of the BBQ sauce. But the more I look at it, the sicker I feel. I would much prefer a wrap with crunchy salad and meat, with maybe some fetta, low fat bacon, low fat beef patty, loads of salad stuff like lettuce, tomato, spanish onions, capsicum, cucumber with a delish dressing of some sort... DELISH!!! Give me subway anyway over that poor excuse for a burger!!
What amuses me the most about this Quad burger (or Stacker Burger as it's known in the US)... is that there is actually a Wikipedia page for this thing!!! Hilarious!
Anyhoo, on the lap band front. My hunger has returned, but not as much as I thought it would. I'm able to drink properly now so have been enjoying Berocca in the morning as well as tea (I love tea!). I ate some baked beans at lunch yesterday (you know, the mini cans) and I was able to eat it slowly over 20 mins and I was filled to the brim. Best thing was that I still felt the restriction a little. I have been drinking a whole lot more since the unfil, and I've put on a bit of fluid weight (which is totally fine cos I knew I was really dehydrated). Yesterday for dinner I had half a baked potato and a chicken cordon bleu. Took me ages to eat, but felt very comfortable and felt restricted and full after the meal.
I went for a run/walk this morning. I jogged/walked 10 laps around the oval near my home. Burnt 550cal and exercised for 40 mins. Did some squats and lunges before heading home. Feel good! Tomorrow I'm going to do a 6:15spin class.
That's all from me today. Have a good one!
LBG xx
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
I will NOT go backwards!
I've worked too damn hard to get down to this weight to see it go back up again!! Next appointment is October 22nd, and I know I'm going to need some fill put in. Even this morning I've got some massive funky tummy rumbles going on, which feel rather foreign to me!! I know I could probably go and have a cheese and ham scroll from Bakers delight right now without any problems, but I've got to keep on top of my food intake if I don't want to see those scales go up!!
It was so bizarre, last night I was thinking (and salivating) about what food I'd be able to eat now... Fried Rice, Stir Fry, Chunky Salads, Meat, Thai food.... and guess what... most of it was healthy! *lol* Macdonalds did cross my mind a few times. I've been craving eating a burger or a kebab or something really fulfilling recently, and then when I eat the craving goes away!! I think while I'm less restricted I'm actually going to have a kebab (which is probably better than a burger!!) and really really really enjoy it! Oh, and SUBWAY... I'm craving a 6 inch with chicken, loads of salad and ranch dressing... YUM!
Another thing I told myself I would do is start up the exercise again. So this morning I was back at the gym at the 6:15am spin class. OMG, I almost passed out / threw up, but damn I feel awesome right now. Husband and I are going to start going for evening walks as well, cos it's getting lighter in the evening now.
Feels so good to be able to drink without the pressure I was getting in my chest. I guzzled a 600mL bottle of water at the gym this morning with no problems.
Anyhoo, hope everyone has a fab day!
LBG xx
It was so bizarre, last night I was thinking (and salivating) about what food I'd be able to eat now... Fried Rice, Stir Fry, Chunky Salads, Meat, Thai food.... and guess what... most of it was healthy! *lol* Macdonalds did cross my mind a few times. I've been craving eating a burger or a kebab or something really fulfilling recently, and then when I eat the craving goes away!! I think while I'm less restricted I'm actually going to have a kebab (which is probably better than a burger!!) and really really really enjoy it! Oh, and SUBWAY... I'm craving a 6 inch with chicken, loads of salad and ranch dressing... YUM!
Another thing I told myself I would do is start up the exercise again. So this morning I was back at the gym at the 6:15am spin class. OMG, I almost passed out / threw up, but damn I feel awesome right now. Husband and I are going to start going for evening walks as well, cos it's getting lighter in the evening now.
Feels so good to be able to drink without the pressure I was getting in my chest. I guzzled a 600mL bottle of water at the gym this morning with no problems.
Anyhoo, hope everyone has a fab day!
LBG xx
Monday, September 1, 2008
3.5ml OUT!
So last night I made a delish vege soup for dinner.... did I get to eat any of it? Well yes, but then it all came back up again... and again.. and 5 times later I thought stuff this, and I didn't eat any more. Soup peoples! I was vomiting on SOUP! I was extremely sore in my chest during the night and it was even difficult to get water down. So today I rang up my gorgeous surgeon and got an emergency appointment with him to get some fill taken out. He said that by the sounds of it I'd set up an inflammatory process that had proceeded to make the stomach around the band extremely swollen. He took 3.5mL out (which is alot for a bandster!) and as soon as I had my first sip of water, I felt nothing.... that is... INSTANT RELIEF!!! I'm on opti-yuk/fluids for a couple of days to settle my stomach. For lunch I had cup a soup... and it went down a treat, in 15-20 mins. I've had some diet lemonade and a cup of coffee and some water and I feel sooooooooo much better already.
Now the challenge is, how am I going to cope with having less restriction!?!?!
Oh yeah, I also weighed myself at the doctors surgery.... and I was 83.6kg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOTALLY STOKED! It almost made the fact that I couldn't eat anything worth it!!! *lol* Just kidding!!
Really want to count that weigh in, but I think I'll stick to my own scales which read 84.1kg this morning (which is still pretty excellent!).
Now the challenge really begins! I'm going to up the exercise and keep a close eye on what I am eating... but at least I know I can eat again!!!
Much Love..
LBG xx
Now the challenge is, how am I going to cope with having less restriction!?!?!
Oh yeah, I also weighed myself at the doctors surgery.... and I was 83.6kg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOTALLY STOKED! It almost made the fact that I couldn't eat anything worth it!!! *lol* Just kidding!!
Really want to count that weigh in, but I think I'll stick to my own scales which read 84.1kg this morning (which is still pretty excellent!).
Now the challenge really begins! I'm going to up the exercise and keep a close eye on what I am eating... but at least I know I can eat again!!!
Much Love..
LBG xx
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