Airport Temptations!

As I walked to my gate on the rather quiet and deserted airport terminal concourse this morning, I cruised passed so many tempting yummies.

There was the friendly See's Candy guy asking if I wanted a free sample of chocolate. Replying with a "No, thanks" took every ounce of will power that I could muster up.



Then I walked really slowly passed the Chili's. Those photos of the Nachos that were proudly displayed at the entrance were calling my name.

But I kept on walking.


Good thing too. I later checked my fast food app on my iPhone and saw these scary nutrition facts:


After walking THAT gauntlet, I arrived at Starbucks.

My fave go-to airport restaurant.

I ordered my usual. A non fat strawberry banana smoothie with double protein. About 300 cals and 24 proteins. I forgot to take a pic before drinking it. YUM!


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Weigh-in Day!

Goal weight: 145 lbs

Today's weight: 142.2 lbs

Happy Friday!

How Easily I Forget

The parental units visited me this weekend.

Here's a pic of Mom and me at lunch on Sunday:

Having house guests reminded me how I do NOT keep the usual, everyday-type of foods in my kitchen anymore:

• Peanut Butter

• Breakfast Cereal

• Bread

• Butter

• Rice

• Cookies

• Sugar

• Jam

• Crackers

• Juice

• Pasta

• Frozen pizza

I suppose that list could be the average American's grocery shopping list.

If those foods are in my kitchen, THEN I EAT THEM.

So I don't buy them.

Maybe living on my own is one of the secrets to my success?

Many times I've heard peeps at weight loss surgery support group use their kids/spouse as an excuse of why they ate a certain food: "Because it was in the house. They bought it" they say.

Then usually someone else in the group will say something like, "it's your house too, you deserve to have a 'safe' food environment too."

What do they mean by 'deserve'?

What do they mean by 'safe' food?

Just in case you were wondering, here's what's usually on my grocery shopping list and in my kitchen:

• Eggs

• Fage 2% Greek yogurt

• Spinach

• Arugula

• Carrots

• Onions

• Chicken

• Turkey burgers

• Cheeses (shredded, crumbled, cottage)

• 1% Milk

• Nuts (soy, almonds, etc)

• Canned beans (refried, whole)

• Protein bars

• Soups

• etc

Of course, a random pint of ice cream or Snicker's bar does sometimes make it home with me. 

It happens.

But do you know what's even more fun to bring home from a shopping trip?

A new pair of skinny jeans.

Weigh-in Day

In case you missed it on Facebook:

Goal weight: 145 lbs

Today's weight:  142.2 lbs

Happy Friday!

The Reset Button for Weight Loss?

On that rare occasion when my computer completely freezes up, I usually want to throw it out the window.

Or take it out into a field and smash it to bits with a baseball bat.

That would be fun.

But I don't.

Of course.

Instead I use that all important combo of keys: "Ctrl +Alt + Delete"

There's something kinda magical about those keys.

It's like a reset.

A do over.

An opportunity to start over.

That's how I view what the Lap-Band has been for me and my weight loss.

My band has been my one chance to push the reset button for my health and weight.

To start fresh.

The chance to begin a weight loss plan that I could ultimately stick to.

For life.

My only regret?

That I didn't get my Lap-Band earlier.

Everyone is Welcome

I found another new-to-me weight loss support group in my area this past weekend.

All weight loss surgery peeps were there: RNY, VSG, DS, Bands, etc.

About 50+ people all together.

Very cool.

There was a guest speaker (a VSG'er who is also a therapist) who talked about battling our "inner critic."  She said that she specializes in "Psycho-Drama" which I have no idea what that is, but sounds like a really cool name for a reality TV show. Right? I would watch it.

But wait, I digress.

Anywhoozle, then there was a 20 minute Q&A session with the local bariatric surgeon who hosts the support group. People asked awesome questions about the whether there was any usefulness to a medical alert bracelet and what foods are best to eat to build muscle.  All very informative.

There was also a table that had a lending library of weight loss surgery books and people also brought in protein items that maybe they didn't like the taste of but thought others might like to try:

At the end of the meeting, people could "shop" and check out all these plastic tubs full of used/free  clothes that people could borrow and bring back as they shrunk out of their clothes:

Have you found a support group near you?  Tell me about it.

The Tightest That My Lap-Band Has Ever Felt

Welcome to the party Lap-Band.

I'm glad you're here.

I've been patiently practicing and getting ready for you to show up.

I've been chewing, chewing, chewing.

Not drinking (usually) with my meals.

I've been choosing protein first.

But, seriously, you sure have been rather quiet for about...THREE YEARS!

I always knew you were here with me, but to be honest, I feel like I've been doing most of the "heavy lifting", most of the time, for the last three years.

What do I mean by the "heavy lifting"?

I've been doing most of the work of making good food choices and portion control.

And that's been totally OK.

It's been good practice.

I'm talking about ME making good protein choices (i.e. 3 oz of chicken) when I know that I could easily eat an entire container of Panda Express Orange Chicken with no problem.

Because I've inhaled that Orange chicken. A bunch if times.  Tasty!

I'm talking about ME making good protein choices (i.e. 5-6 oz of shredded pork, black beans, cheese) when I know that I could easily eat an In-N-Out Cheeseburger with no problem.

Because I've eaten that burger...many times.  Yum!

I'm talking about measuring most foods on the food scale.

Using those measuring cups.

My Lap-Band has never limited my food choices.

I have never had a mental list of foods that I can't eat.

You know, those foods that get stuck and come back up.

I've never had food come back up AKA "PB'd."

I don't walk into a restaurant and wonder quietly to myself before I sit down, "Where's the bathroom just in case I need to PB?"

Now, with this latest 0.7 cc band fill, things have changed.

Each and every morning I've always taken that tiny HCTZ pill (for high blood pressure), and the last two mornings that pill has just kinda sat there in my throat and took about 20 minutes to finally go down.

Maybe I should consider taking the pill later in the day?

This fill has also slowed down my eating dramatically. Eating a small meatball last night took about five minutes. A tiny meatball!

Good thing I've been practicing chewing all these years.

For me, the Lap-Band has always been about not being hungry.

That's it.

This band is now showing me what else it can do.

Things just got REAL up in here.

Weigh-in Day & a Big Girl Fill

Today was my 184th weekly weigh-in since I began my weight loss journey in August 2009.

Goal weight: 145 lbs

Today's weight: 142.8 lbs

********************

Today I went for an adjustment (fill) to my band.

This was my first ever adjustment by an actual surgeon.

But the nurse came in to the room hold my belly/port firmly while he stuck the needle in.

One stick with the needle.

That was it.

No lidacain to numb the area.

No band-aid.

What bam, thank you Ma'am.

He added 0.7ccs which brings me up to 7.5 ccs in my 10 cc Lap-Band.

It feels pretty good.

If you remember, I was feeling pretty good at 7.8 ccs before my last adjustment (a 1 cc unfill in September - which I chose to do in preparation for the stress that would be coming from the move from Oregon and starting a new job.)

So now at 7.5 ccs... is pretty near my maximum.

He did not have any post-fill requirements or rules on what I should eat/not eat right after the fill.

But we jokingly agreed that I shouldn't eat any donuts this weekend.

I Smell Sex & Candy

That was the song playing on the massive sound system when I walked into my local pole dance fitness studio on Monday night. 

I was there to check out the "Chair Tease" fitness workout class.

If you remember, I've already tried out pole dance fitness classes and the bruises on my legs just weren't worth trying that again.  

And it's probably better if this klutz keeps her two feet firmly planted on the floor.

Anyways, I was told that in just 30 minutes I would learn a new chair dance routine. 

Each week a completely new routine is taught.

For $10 per class.

I didn't take any pics on Monday night, but it looked kinda like this in the dance studio (I  stole  borrowed this image off of the interwebs):

The instructor broke down the routine into smaller learn-able chunks.  

Then we added up all the small chunks into a an approximate three minute dance routine all around and on a folding chair.

We picked up the chair. 

We flipped the chair around.

We actually hardly ever sat on the chair.

I barely broke a sweat and it was more of a basic workout.

Not as intense as Zumba.

What song was this week's routine set to?

"House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals.

A slow song that turned out to be a sexy routine!

And guess what?  I'm going back for more fun next week!

I'm going to make chair tease fitness class part of my weekly exercise routine.

Sheep In Lamb's Wool

OMG.

I totally forgot to tell you about my recent $12 bargain that I found at Target!

A sparkly sequin dress on the clearance rack.

Size Small.

I plan to wear with my black high-heel boots.  But, with what color tights/leggings?

Because these legs need to be covered up.

And because if I didn't wear leggings with this short of a dress, my mother's voice would pop into my head saying "that's sheep in lamb's wool."

Weigh-in & Flashback Friday

Goal weight: 145 lbs

Last week's weight: 142.0 lbs

Today's weight: 143.6 lbs

Today's flashback Friday is from my sister's pre-wedding partying in Las Vegas in 2005.

I was approximately 255 lbs.

I remember those jean capris well. Size 22W/24W. They were my fave.

Why do those panties look ginormous?