Q & A with Lap Band Gal Video!

It's That Day Already?!

These Friday weigh-ins help me stay on track, so a BIG thank you to you all for checking-in on me and encouraging me along the way.

Last week's weight: 154.8 lbs

This week's weight: 153.8 lbs

That's a loss of -1.0 lbs.

Sweet.

Until next week's weigh-in, I will see you over on my Facebook page.

Friday Weigh-In Day & Some Love

Last week's weight: 155.2 lbs

Today's weight: 154.8 lbs

This week's weight loss: -0.4 lbs

Captain Obvious Alert! I am learning that I can be more successful if I plan ahead of what I will eat before it becomes time to actually eat. This is especially crucial for eating out at restaurants and at events. Looking at online menus before I get to the restaurant is a habit I need to get into. Otherwise, I go on "fat girl automatic pilot" and make not-so-great food choices when that menu is handed to me by the waitress. Pasta? Biscuits with honey butter? Sure, why not!  Sigh.

I've been keeping up with my workouts of High-Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.). This is usually 30 mins of cardio mixed with push-ups, planks, jumping jacks, squats, lifting weights. It's usually one of Jillian's Free Videos or Jeff & Stu's Free Videos.

I keep track of my workouts on my wall calendar at my desk at work. I put an X if I workout that day. I may be slightly obsessed with those little pink X's

Before I run, here's a quick photo from Wednesday night. The Husband and I at a local winery event.

Until next week... I will see you over on my Facebook page.

Friday Weigh-In Day Results?

I've been super duper focused on my food choices, portion sizes (weighing food on my food scale), and of course tracking (writing down my calories and proteins) since August 1.

I began on August 1 at: 158.2 lbs
Friday weigh-in on August 5: 157.0 lbs
Friday weigh-in (today) on August 12: 155.2 lbs

That's a loss of 1.8 lbs this past week. Yay!

I am also updating my tracker at the top of this page as more accountability for myself.

That's all for now. Until next time, I'll see you all over on the facebook page.

Friday Weigh-in and Why Don't I Just Go Get a Lap-Band Adjustment?

Let's recap, shall we?

So, the sh*t got real and I weighed in this past Monday, Aug 1: 158.2 lbs.

Today, I weighed-in at 157.0 lbs.

That's a loss of -1.2 lbs. 

Sweet! I'll take it.

How did I make this weight loss happen?

• I wrote down my calories and proteins on a post-it note. Old school style. I stayed at about 1200 calories and 70+ proteins each day.
• I am using my food scale. I'm back in the habit of measuring my food more often.
• I am continuing to do all my usuals: Five HIIT workouts this week, taking my vitamins, drinking buckets of water, etc.

I will weigh-in next Friday and report back here. Friday weigh-ins are back!

Now let's talk about a question that I received from one of you on the Facebook page:

"If you've gained weight, why don't you just go get a fill?"

I dig this question.

A lot.

My answer:

My weight gain has nothing to do with my Lap-Band.

That weight gain was ME.

Me eating too much of the high calorie foods.

So, no fill for me. (Lap-Band adjustment).

My Lap-Band is not here to restrict my eating.

My Lap-Band is not here to say what I can or cannot eat.

What does my Lap-Band do: reduces the volume on my physical hunger signals.

Let's take a look at my physical hunger levels these past five days while eating 1200 calories each day:

Was I hungry? No.

I'm pretty much never hungry.

I eat about 2-3 oz protein and small portion of veggies at a meal AND I AM NOT HUNGRY for about 5 hours.

This lack of hunger helps me choose better food options and portion sizes.

From my own very subjective research of hearing lots of band patient stories and talking with Bariatric surgeons, the quickest way to lose my band would to have my Lap-Band too tight.

That freaks me out.

I paid $16,500 for my Lap-Band.

I am keeping this Lap-Band as long as possible.

I usually think long and hard about getting a fill.

Also, the first little touch of heartburn or discomfort with my Lap-Band, I am quick to get an UNfill appointment scheduled.

For me: The Lap-Band is not about restriction.


That's more than enough on that topic.

Lastly, you guys have been asking me lately for a video, so I will do a little Q&A video soon. You've been posting great questions for me on the Facebook page  Stay tuned...and Molly will probably want to say "hi" too. She's sassy like that:

Let's Get Really Clear Here For One Hot Minute

I've been kind of quiet here on the blog and using my facebook page for updates and shares.

Have you gone to Facebook to "like" my page yet? You'd see this pic there:

Fourth of July Weekend - Vegas!

I've been rockin' my intense workouts.

I've been taking my vitamins every day.

I've been drinking my buckets of water.

I've been going to support group meetings.

But what I have I not been doing?

Since about Christmas time, I have not been consistent with my weekly weigh-ins.

My weekly weigh-ins are my most helpful tool of how I lost weight and how I continue to maintain my weight loss.

Weekly weigh-ins are my accountability.

Somehow my brain got ridiculous.

I started thinking that I could track my success with how I felt and the scale wasn't as important as I had always made it out to be. Indeed. Ridiculous.

So I stopped weighing in every week.

I also have not been tracking my food choices and portions.

I've noticed that my pants and shirts are getting a little tight.

I've realized that my lower back is hurting a little bit.

My daily workouts are just a tad more difficult.

Why?

'Cuz I am carrying around EXTRA weight.


So I stepped on the scale this morning. I am officially 13lbs above my goal weight.

Here's proof (and accountability):

Sure, 13 lbs.  Big Whoop-dee-doo-da, right?  No biggie, right?

Do I still fit into my size 6/8 pants? Yeah, just barely.

But.

No.

IT. IS. A. BIG. DEAL.

This 13 lbs gain can turn into 15 lbs gain, that can then turn into 25 lbs gain, and then 35lbs gain, and then, and then. 

Yikes.

I am turning this freight train around.

This train is headed for 145lbs goal weight station.

I've been there before and I will be there again.

Not doing my weekly weigh-ins was my BIG MISTAKE and my biggest learning lesson so far in my journey.

I have been eating off plan.

Portions are too big.

Food choices are not healthy.

I am owning these choices I have made these 6+ months.

No matter how hard and often I workout, it will never make up for too many calories in my diet.

Sure, I could make all kinds of lovely excuses of why this happened, like: I have no money, no time, too much work stress, blah, blah, blah.

But no way Jose.  No excuses for me.

I made all of those food choices.

I am back to weekly weigh-ins and also tracking my food on old school post-it notes.

I'll be back on Friday for my weekly weigh-in.

 

Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

Friday Weigh-in Day.

Last friday's weight: 148.8 lbs

Today's weight: 148.2 lbs

It's a loss. -0.6 lbs....and I'll take it! Onwards.

PS: for Christmas, the Husband gave me tickets to "Dirty Dancing The Musical" in San Francisco.
So this past weekend, the day had finally arrived of the big show.  OMG. I think I had way too much fun in front of that photo wall.

How I Lose Weight With My Lap-Band

Thank you for your extra love notes and encouragement here on the blog and also on Facebook after my last post about my weight gain.

Let's recap shall we?

What's been going on these past three months or so:

• I made craptastic food choices. No one chose these foods for me. I own these choices I made.
• I ate way too big of portions of those craptastic food choices. I chose these portions.
• I didn't do my weekly Friday weigh-ins for about 5 weeks (lost my accountability).
• I weighed in Monday 3/21/16 (five days ago) and the sh*t got real: 153.4 lbs.
• A weight gain of 8.4 lbs above my goal weight of 145 lbs.
• I am back on the accountability train with weekly weigh-ins and writing down my food choices each day (I track only calories and proteins). 
• I am staying accountable to my goal of getting back to 145 lbs.
• My daily goal is 1200 calories and at least 70 proteins. I eat real foods and chew a lot. It's been over a year since I've had a protein shake.

So it's my usual Friday weigh-in today.

The results?

Drum roll please.....

 

Bam.

There ya go.

A weight loss of 4.6 lbs!

I have always been someone who can lose and gain weight fast.

What have I  learned  REMINDED myself of these past 5 days?

If I do the work, I get the results.

If I track my food, I see the results on the scale.

Was I hungry this past week eating 1200 calories each day?

NO. Nope. Nada.

Thank you very much Lap-Band.  My band keeps my physical hunger under control so I can do the work of making food choices and portion sizes.

If you'd like to see what I am up to daily, go check out my Facebook page. I share what I am eating, recipes, workouts, etc.

Let's get real here for a hot minute

Those of you who follow me on Facebook may have noticed something.

I have not been keeping up with my weekly Friday weigh-ins.

My last Friday weigh-in on Facebook was February 5, 2016.   146.6 lbs.  Here's the official photo of that weigh-in:

I've been telling myself these tall tales in my head and thinking that I could do this weight loss maintenance thing without stepping on the scale.  

You know, that thing called "accountability."

I've been joking with myself into thinking I could do weight maintenance using the "how I feel" and "see how my clothes fit" methods.

But no.

No way, Jose.

I have learned these past few months that I cannot do that. 

Those non-scale methods of accountability do not work for me.

 

I could tell you that I have not been doing my weekly weigh-ins for all kind of  excuses  reasons.  

But it doesn't matter what those reasons are because here's what's gone down these past few months:

Food choices that were not always protein-focused. 

Food choices that were too large of portions.

Food choices that were ridiculous and it's time for me to slow my roll.

It is all about my food choices.

It ends here.

I am owning this.

So I stepped on the scale this morning.

Yep, 153.4 lbs.

That's 8.4 lbs above my goal weight of 145 lbs.

I am catching this slippery slope now.

Here's what I am doing to stop this ridiculous weight-gain:

Tracking my food choices by WRITING THEM DOWN

Stay tuned for Friday's weigh-in.

It'll be off the hook.

We said "I Do"!

Surprise!

Bonus Non-Scale Victory alert: the husband picked me up!

If you would like to see a video and photos from our wedding, click here.

We had a fun-in-the-sun honeymoon Caribbean cruise:

Love is Sweet

The fiance and I were so honored this weekend.

A BIG thank you goes out to my parents hosting such a fun engagement party for us!

It was a dessert bar with the theme: "Love is Sweet"

  

 

Mom, Sister, and I