Ignore the Exit Signs

I heart analogies. They make me happy.  Analogies help me wrap my mind around the "whys" behind why I do what I do each day with making good food choices and making exercise a priority.

Remember the recent CHOCOLATE CAKE analogy? Oh, and the GAS TANK analogy from my one year bandiversary post?

Are you ready for another analogy?  Don't you roll your eyes at me! :)  Keep reading...a cheesy analogy is forthcoming.

I think of the road to weight loss and healthy living as a huge freeway..."The Freeway of Health". 

I know where I am headed and how to get there.  "Just stay on the freeway", I think to myself. 

I'm zipping along in my imaginary car and I get to stay on the freeway as long as I eat well and exercise.  Great and wonderful things happen on the freeway of health: fitting into tiny cute clothes, having tons of energy, no dependence on medications...I could go on and on of the fabulousness that happens on the freeway of health.

Sometimes on the freeway, there is major traffic and things slow down, but I still know that I am headed in the right direction.

But unfortunately, every couple of miles their are exit ramps with signs that say:

• "Baskin Robbins Ice Cream"
• "Sleep in this morning and skip Zumba class...won't that be nice?"
• "Yummy candy and snacks in the break room, stop by and eat some before they're all gone!"

Which exit will I get off at?  Do I have to get off at any of these exits?  Sometimes, getting off at one exit (ie: Girl Scout Cookies) can lead to more distractions and delays in the land of "No Exercise"....it's a slippery slope.

Sure, these exits provide me with a quick fix, but I know that the more exits that I get off at, the longer it will take for me to find my way back to the freeway, and even more time that it will take me to get to my final destination.  We all know that backtracking is NOT fun.

I may not always stay on my freeway of health as it is a constant challenge.  But I am proud to announce that about 10 minutes ago I successfully passed by the "Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappaccino" exit.

Weigh-in Day...and some confessions!

Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Today's Weight: 144.4 lbs.

Confessions:

• I didn't write down what I ate this week.  I just kept a "mental" tally in my head each day.  I think it has to do with the fact that I am eating familiar foods/portions.  But I still measured and used my food scale...and four sessions of Zumba this week.
• Ate an entire box of girl scout cookies in one evening...yeah, it happened...boy did I workout extra the next day.

Happy Friday!

It's Worth It.

I have noticed that the phrase "it's worth it" has escaped my lips a few times this week.  Both times it was after people ask me what I've been eating lately or what exercise I've been doing.  I tell them and then I say "it's worth it"

What do I mean by "it's worth it"?

EVERY damn day, I:

• Make time for Zumba or Jazzercise class or some kind of exercise.
• Measure/weigh my food intake.
• Writing down the food intake.

I never really used to understand that phrase "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

I used to roll my eyes when people would say that.

I always wondered if the person who first said that phrase had never enjoyed a Double-Double Burger at In-N-Out Burger or understood the joy that is eating an entire box of Samoas Girl Scout Cookies in one sitting.  Didn't they understand that those foods taste REALLY good?!

Well, lately I am noticing that being able to fit into clothes that I NEVER thought I would fit into is worth it and perhaps there is some truth to that phrase.  Feeling "thin" (which I know can be achieved at any size with a good dose of confidence) is still a novelty to me.

As you may remember, I went into my weightloss journey with health goals in mind, not being able to fit into certain size clothes.  This is just a bonus to the whole process, I guess.

But if you say "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" to me,  I am still going to roll my eyes at you. :)

Here's my latest clearance find (Size 6) at TJMaxx for $20....proof that IT IS WORTH IT.  Keep on fighting the good fight!

Because Everyone Else is Doing It...

Yep, check out these posts HERE, HERE, and HERE....


My turn!


(A) Age: 32
(B) Bed Size: Queen
(C) Chore You Hate: Cleaning the toilet...blech.
(D) Dogs? Nope, dogs are slobbery and jumpy...I'm a cat person
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: COFFEE
(F) Favorite Color: Pink
(G) Gold or Silver? White Gold
(H) Height: 5'4"
(I) Instruments You Play: Piano and a little bit of Violin
(J) Job Title: Import Logistics Manager
(K) Kids: are to be seen and not heard.
(L) Live: OREGON!
(M) Mom's Name: Not telling...'cause it's my middle name...and I like to be mysterious...heheh.
(N) Nicknames: Lap Band Gal (duh)
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? yes, twice in 2006, then once for LB surgery
(P) Pet Peeve: people who are late
(Q) Quote from a Movie: I have two: "Nobody puts Baby in the corner"  ~Dirty Dancing  and "Well, you know what they say: if you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me!"  ~ Steel Magnolias
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right
(S) Siblings:  one older Sister
(T) Time You Wake Up?  5:30am
(U) Underwear: bikini-cut
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Way too many to list....Broccoli, Mushrooms, Green Beans...I could go on and on.
(W) What Makes You Run Late: Actually, I am never late...usually early...it's a curse
(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: can't remember
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: Lasagna and Cinnamon Rolls
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Tigers/Lions

Looky What I Got!

Have you heard of Jen over at PriorFatGirl.com?

In my quest to find those rare bloggers who are successful in maintaining their weightloss, I came across Jen and her great website.

She has lost 90+ lbs (using the traditional methods i.e. eat less, move more).  She continues to blog about her weight maintenance.

She created a FABULOUS bracelet that has the simple message "One bite at a time.  One decision at a time."  How great is that?  Anyways, I ordered the bracelet awhile back and it arrived today.

I think I will put it on my desk at work as a constant reminder for me about making good food choices....or maybe on my key chain.

PS: Thank you for all your kind comments on the dress in the previous post....still not sure what shoes I could wear with it?

Shopping! Pics! Opinions Needed!

OK, so I was perusing my local Fred Meyer (think Wal Mart for us Pacific North Westerners)...anyways, I ended up in the Juniors section and found this dress in the clearance section for $6.

I think I am short enough to pull off the short length of the dress....it hits just above the knees....but what do you think?  Too "young" for this 32 year old?  Thoughts?  Hopefully the phrase "sheep in lamb's wool" does not come to mind?  LOL

Size: Juniors Large

Of course my cat had to snoopervise the photo session...

Gotta Have a Back Up Plan

I woke up this morning and it was snowing.  Kinda a cool thing for this California girl.

My plan was to drive 10 minutes to my usual Saturday morning Zumba class.  It was cold...the roads were slushy...What if it really was unsafe to go out due to the weather? (which it wasn't).

I always try to have a back up plan for exercise:  This morning, my back up plan was 45+ minutes of Just Dance 2 on the Wii and 15+ minutes of Zumba on the Wii.

But I didn't do the Wii, I ended up going to my usual Zumba class this morning...here's proof...a red-faced/sweaty mess:

What's your back up plan when your planned exercise can't happen?

Yeah, I ate it.

the...whole...thing.

all 770 calories of it....

just keeping myself accountable...

and proving that nobody's perfect...

Taco Bell's Nachos Bell Grande:  770 calories and 20 g protein.  Yep, it's going on the post-it note.

YUM

Weigh-in Day...and the results are...

Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Today's Weight: 144.8 lbs

Happy Friday!

Great News from the FDA!

FDA has just approved the expanded use of the Lap Band to people with BMIs 30-35 (with one or more obesity related co-morbid conditions).

More specifically, The LAP-BAND® System is now the first and only FDA-approved device for bariatric surgery in patients with a BMI of 30-35 with one or more obesity related co-morbid conditions.

Adding the BMI 30-35 patient segment, allows lap band to be a weight reduction option to over 26 million new patients that previously could not qualify for surgery.

For example, someone my height (5' 4") could now qualify for surgery at a weight as low as 175 lbs (BMI 30) with co-morbid conditions.

Thanks to this new approval, more people than ever before will be able to manage their weight with gastric banding and can look forward to a healthier life.

Exactly TWO months into Maintenance

Today is the two month mark for me - I still have to do the work that I did during the loosing phase: exercise and making good food choices.

I am noticing the weight fluctuate each day and I am learning to be OK with it.  For example, I've been doing more strength training and seeing the scale go up a little, yet my size 6 petite jeans fit a little looser lately and my muscles are becoming more defined (never thought in a million years that sentence would ever be in my head!)

...it's not all about the scale I guess.  Something to ponder, indeed!

Anyways, I am looking forward to Oregon/NorCal bandster meet up on March 5th in Eugene.  Should be FUN!

PS: Weigh-in day tomorrow

New Blog Alert!

Melissa (from Rockin With the Band) has made a fresh start with her new blog: http://metamorphosis-melissa.blogspot.com/

Please stop by and say "hi" as I know she would like to see all your smiling faces :)

Thanks!

It's OFFICIAL! **edited to add more attendees**

The bandster meet-up lunch for NorCal/Oregonians is set for Saturday March 5 in Eugene, Oregon.

So far, those attending are:

• me (duh)!
• Jen from Jen is Gonna Lose It!
• Tina from Losing It!
• Amanda from Amanda's Waning
• Melissa from http://metamorphosis-melissa.blogspot.com/

If you are interested in joining us, please email me at:  lapbandgal@yahoo.com.  The more the merrier!

PS: Zumba class is cancelled tonight so I am going to Jazzercise.  My jazz hands and sparkle fingers are ready!  What are you doing to get your exercise in for today?

Mini-BOOBs Oregon/Nor Cal Meet Up!

There's lots of talk and planning about the fabulous upcoming trip to Chicago for BOOBs (Band of Outrageous Babes) in October. I can't wait!  We are so lucky to have such a great group of ladies organizing this fun event.

Anyways, this got me and Jen over at Jen is Gonna Lose It! chatting....and we decided that we are long overdue for a meet up for us bandsters here in Oregon and Northern California.

We were thinking of a lunch meet up at a restaurant probably in Eugene or Medford on either Saturday Feb 26 or Saturday March 5.

Are you interested in joining in?  I hope so.  The more the merrier!

If so, please email me at lapbandgal@yahoo.com with:

• Name and blog
• Your date preference
• thoughts on location

See you soon!

ALL SKATE! (NSV)

I went roller skating last night...like as in a roller rink with strobe lights and music.  I felt like I was back in third grade at a classmate's birthday party.

I think that was probably the last time I stepped foot in a rink....no one wants to see the fat chubby girl on skates, right?

Anyways...it turned out that I haven't forgotten how to skate...gotta love the old school quad skates!  Didn't fall once.  My feet only hurt a little bit after skating for over an hour...in the fatty days I would have had to sit down after 10 minutes.

AND it turned out to be a decent workout!  BONUS!!!!

Weigh-in Day...and the results are...

Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Today's Weight: 144.6 lbs

Happy Friday!

Keeping It Real

For any newbie bandsters and followers, I thought that I would post a quick photo of my daily food intake.

I only track calories and protein.

I do not use a fancy spreadsheet or online program.

I use a post-it note.  Very low-tech.

I start a new post-it each day.  It's portable and fits in my purse/wallet easily.  I try to remember to throw it away at the end of the day, but I sometimes find old post-its in the most random places...under the car seats...in my office desk drawers....pants pockets....you name it.

I write down everything I eat except vitamins.

On past past post-its, I have been known to write down all kinds of things like:

• "Cookies" = 5 g protein and 400 calories (yikes)

OR

• "Chocolate Moose Munch" = 2 g protein and 200 calories.

Yep.  It all gets written down.  Here's my mid-day post-it for today....

**edited to add**  I sometimes use calorieking.com to look foods up for their calorie and protein contents or usually the food labels.

I know that some of you don't keep track and are able to lose or maintain your weight with out writing it down.  That's great! :)

Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. 

Maybe one day I will be...but for now...I will keep on post-it noting.

Meet Up With Chris From Magic Cat Purrs!

It was great to see Chris today!

We met up at Starbucks and chatted about everything and anything band related.  She's dong great at 50lbs down! wow!

Find Your NTTs! (Non Triggering Treats)

One of my newest and favoritetest (I love inventing new words) blogs is Refuse To Regain. 

It is awesome. 

It is fabulous. 

It is written by two ladies:

• Dr. Barbara Berkeley, M.D., an obesity specialist and runs an obesity clinic.
• Lynn Haraldson, who has lost 168 pounds and has kept it off.

A recent POST by Dr. Berkeley was about how to eat after weight loss and recommended that we find our NTTs.  (Non Triggering Treats)

Dr. Berkeley says:
"NTTs are foods that are sweet, savory or even a bit salty that feel like fun but don’t throw you under the bus.  A regular ice cream bar might send you off on a binge, but a Weight Watcher’s ice cream sandwich might not.  You might concoct your own NTT (one of my patients loves smooshing frozen blueberries in low fat creamer and splenda) and discover that it does the trick when you simply have to eat something during American Idol.  Every long term eating plan needs some NTTs."

Here are a few NTTs on my list:

• Two No Sugar Added Fudgecicles
• 25 calorie Swiss Miss hot cocoa with sugar free syrups (mint, hazelnut, or others/etc)
• Yogurt
• String Cheese

Here are a few things that will NEVER be NTTs for me:

• Anything that is in individual servings like the 100 calorie snack packs (pretzels, mini-cookies, all of 'em).  All 6 packets in the box will be gone in one evening.
• Skinny Cow Ice Cream Bars/Sandwiches
• Chips
• Cookies
• Cakes
• Oh...I could go on and on and on...

Anyways, even when I was in the weight loss mode, I always had a few NTTs in the house.

What are your go-to Non Triggering Treats?

Spicy Turkey Meatballs Recipe

I found this recipe at Gina's Skinny Recipes.

I modified the spices a bit, but pretty much stuck to the recipe.   I also did not make the recommended sauce and made my own ketchup/ranch sauce.

I got about 25 meatballs from the recipe.  So I made it 5 servings of 5 meatballs each.

160 calories

30 grams of protein (wow!)

PS: be sure to flip them over half way through baking!

YUM!

Four more servings ready for the freezer!

Mysterious Banded Blogger Meetup Revealed!

Did anyone guess who the mysterious banded blogger is yet? 

Any more guesses......?

Well, here the scoop: I am planning on meeting up with Christine from Magic Cat Purrs tomorrow for coffee. 

We originally met about this time last year at our surgeon's support group when she was researching the band.

She ended up even having the same surgeon (the practice has three or four (i think) surgeons who install bands).  So, the pre-op and post-op care/program has been pretty much the same.  As you know, as soon as you start chatting with other bandsters, you realize how different the surgeons' practices are in regards to post-fill diet, rules, etc.

Anyways, Christine has recently hit the 50 lbs lost goal!  Wow!  If you haven't been to her blog, please go over and say "hi".  She is a superstar with her band!

Would You Like a Gooey, Fudgy, Chocolatey Cake?

Yeah, me too.  But I don't have one.

But I do have a great analogy for you in regards to weight loss surgery.

So here goes: weight loss surgery is like baking a cake with a cake mix, not from scratch.

Whether you make a cake from scratch or with a box mix, you still have to do the following:

• Turn on the oven
• Grease/flour the cake pans
• Take out the mixing bowl
• Measure the ingredients
• Crack open the eggs
• Mix up the ingredients
• Put the cake in the oven
• Wait for the cake to bake
• Wait for the cake to cool
• Wash all the dishes/bowl/pans

Does the mix make it easier? Yes, perhaps, but there's still a lot of steps to make that cake.

Whether one is loosing weight in the traditional method or with a weight loss surgery,  we all still have to:

• Keep track of food intake
• Make good food choices
• Make exercise a priority each day.

So the next time someone says that "you took the easy way out with your weight loss surgery", tell them to EAT CAKE!

Move it!

I'm back from Zumba class...all sweaty and gross....but feeling good that I have fit in 60 mins of exercise today.

Here's proof...!  Yikes!

What did you do or will you do today to fit in some exercise?

“Really Good” Excuses For Not Exercising Quiz

You know that I am a firm believer in daily exercise....just gotta do it.


So I cam across this “Really Good” Excuses For Not Exercising Quiz.  Yes, it's a bit funny, but I hope it makes everyone see how there is no good excuse for not exercising.

Feel free to leave a comment with your score.

1. I absolutely cannot exercise because:

• I have an I.Q. of 175, and it wouldn’t be fair to have brains and beauty
• I don’t want to look like Gwen Stafani or Jessica Biel
• I don’t want to encourage the Hollywood stereotype that young girls have to live up to
• I want to look like a “real” man

2. I don’t have to exercise because:

• I’m already thin and if I exercise there won’t be anything left of me
• I have superior metabolism
• I barely consume enough calories in a day
• I already have lots of energy

3. My idea of “Warming Up” before a workout is to:

• Go lie under an electric blanket for 15 minutes
• Go sit in front of a fireplace with a good book for 15 minutes
• Go down to the local bar and order a “Boilermaker” and nurse it for 15 minutes
• Go into the kitchen and make a cup of hot chocolate topped off with marshmallows and 15 different kinds of cookies

4. My favorite weight-loss reality tv show is:

• The Biggest Loser
• Celebrity Fit Club
• Survivor
• The Simple Life starring Paris Hilton & Nicole Ritchie

5. I exercise everyday by:

• Walking 12 feet to my mailbox to retrieve the mail
• Skipping 3 blocks down to the local Dunkin’ Donuts
• Jumping up to use the bathroom or grab something to drink during the commercial breaks
• Twirling round and round in my swivel chair for 30 seconds at work

6. Healthy foods:

• like carrots make me fart
• taste like cardboard
• Aren’t for those who have tastebuds
• Taste bland and aren’t

7. I can’t afford to exercise because:

• the Air Jordan tennis shoes I need cost $150
• I have to pay for my kid’s college education in 18 years, so I have to start saving up NOW
• I already went out to eat 3 times this week
• Let’s face it, workout clothes aren’t attractive

Scoring: For each answer selected subtract 5 points. Negative points means a negative attitude.

TRUE OR FALSE QUESTIONS:

8. All of the above answers are not only incredibly ridiculous but they are the worst excuses in the world for not exercising and eating properly?

• True
• False

9. Excuses will help you lose weight and support your family, mentally and financially, when you drop dead from coronary heart disease?

• True
• False

Fill Appointment Recap

I went for a fill this afternoon.  The magic scale said I was 144.8 lbs (which is what my scale at home said this morning too)...which proves that my scale at home might be a little high in comparison.

Here are the magic scale findings comparing last appt (11/18/10) with this appt (2/4/11):

                                                                11/18/10            2/4/11
Weight                                                      149.9                 144.8
Pounds of Body Fat                                    53.8                   48.9
Pounds of Lean Body Mass (Muscles!)       96.1                   95.9  (very small loss = 0.2, which is good)
Body Fat Percent                                        35.8%               33.7%  (getting less!)

My fill was 0.3 ccs which brings me up to 6.7 ccs in a 10 cc Lap Band....using the "stand up" method, of course.

I was a little relieved the get an answer to something that's been confusing me lately:  Every time I lie under my electric blanket or have my laptop on my belly (or both) my port always seems to have some discomfort.  I asked the NP about this and she says that there is a very small amount of metal in the base/back of the port and it is probably just heating up a bit which is giving me the discomfort.  I guess that makes sense since the pain always goes away within a minute of removing the blanket or laptop.  Go figure!

PS: nobody guessed who the mysterious banded blogger is that I will be meeting for coffee next week...I will let the suspense continue to build... {{evil laugh}}

Weigh-in Day...and the Results Are...

Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Today's Weight: 144.8 lbs

Happy Friday!

Jazzercise Review and a Few Other Things...

I am back from Jazzercise class.  Oh my!  Fun!  It is pretty much like Zumba with out the Latin flare and sexy moves.

• There were no leg warmers.
• There were no sweat bands.
• There were no Jazz hands or Sparkle fingers.  :(
• But there were old ladies...and young ladies too.  No men.
• We danced to everything from Beyonce to Michael Jackson to some random songs from the 70s that I consider "easy listening for the over 50 crowd".

I don't really enjoy the floor workout at the end of the class wear one lays (lies?) on the floor and does abdominal work and weight lifting.  I am so used to having my "padding" AKA fat, so now with out my padding, laying on the floor hurts...even with that mat.  sigh...

**********
A few other things...

1. I have a fill scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.  My last fill was 4+ months ago and it was a "big girl fill".  I notice that I can eat alot more lately and get hungry more often between meals. I am snarfing down a turkey/egg white 6" sub from Subway while I type this....see? I need a fill.  Anyways, I think I will ask for a smidge of a fill..maybe .2 or .3 ccs.  This also means that I get to stand on their magic scale that will tell me my body fat percent and other random info like body impedence (whatever that is).  I have a goal to be (one day) 25% body fat or less.  Pretty doable in my opinion.  I started at 52% body fat before surgery. yikes.
2. I will be meeting up with a local bandster and blogger next week!  Betcha can't guess who?  You will have to be in suspense until next time.
3. Weigh-in day tomorrow!

Guess what I'm going to do today?

I am going to a Jazzercise class.  I've never been.  Have you?

Here are the thoughts and questions swirling around in my head:

• Will there be lots of leg warmers and sweat bands circa 1984?
• Should I start practicing my "jazz hands" so that I can fit in during class?
• What's a kickball change?
• Will there be a bunch of old ladies wearing the previously mentioned leg warmers and sweat bands?
• Will I get to work out to cool 80s tunes?

I will report back and let you know!

Get those water bottles ready!

Ms. M over at fatscapades of a red headed chick is hosting a water drinking challenge called "Sip & Gulp Challenge."

Its a simple challenge to drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water each day during the month of February.

So, please stop on over at Ms. M's blog and sign up.  You can do it!