Lying to Be Perfect

As I was flipping through the TV channels, I came across the new made-for-tv movie "Lying to be Perfect" on Lifetime. (yes, AKA "The Tampon Channel") LOL

One of the characters decides to get banded and the way surgery is portrayed is actually pretty good, compared with some ways the band is shown in the media.

Anyways, check it out, time to set those tivos/dvrs! It's a great makeover movie with a bit of cinderella mixed in!

What to wear on upcoming cruise?

I am going on a cruise to Mexico at the end of February (yay!) and really don't want to buy any new dresses for the formal nights on the cruise. It just doesn't make sense since the new dress will most likely only fit me for this cruise.

Therefore, I have been scrounging in the back of my closet for anything that may possibly be appropriate for the formal nights on this cruise. I have cruised many times and I have a feeling that some of these are not fancy enough....

So I created a poll for you on the upper right of my blog. Please vote for your choice and let me know if any of these will work. Thanks!

Weigh-In Day!

Today's weigh-in revealed a loss of 3.2lbs! That's a total of 53.2lbs lost so far! yay!

Back from Support Group!

Tonight was support group. I saw Jen and Melissa there! yay!

They are doing great on their weight-loss journeys! Melissa will be posting a photo of us three on her blog.

How did I get here?

I have seen a few comments from my followers about how fast I have progressed to 50lbs lost at about 3 months post op. I don't think I have done anything too interesting or unique to achieve that goal. However, I thought that I would share what I have done to make it happen, especially for those newbie bandsters out there who may need a few tips in regards to eating. Warning: I'm an overly structured person who plans everything (in life and otherwise)...don't say I didn't warn you!

1> MEASURE and WEIGH!

I weigh pretty much everything I eat...down to the gram. On the nutrition facts label on all foods it will usually tell you how many grams makes up a serving. So you know exactly the number of calories, protein, etc you have eaten. Here's my trusty food scale...which I think cost $10 at target...a GREAT investment!

2> Small dishes/containers!

Here is the bottom shelf of one of my kitchen cabinets. See how all the dishes are tiny? They are anywhere from 1/3 Cup to 1 Cup sizes. I also use 1/2 Cup disposable containers with lids to take lunches to work.

When I serve myself food in these small containers and take the food to the kitchen table (not TV/couch!), I eat what's in the dish and no second helpings. This usually fills me up and I feel satisfied, but I never get to the point of being overly full...this was key to succeeding through the hunger of "bandster hell" (when the fills are not giving you good restriction yet). I found most of these small dishes at Target or Ross.

3> Small utensils!

See that middle row with the tiny forks and spoons? Those are "cocktail forks" or "appetizer forks". The spoons are "Espresso spoons". Perfect tools to remind me to eat small bites and eat slow. Most of these I found at Ross...cheap!

4> WRITE IT DOWN!

I write down what I eat so that I know how many calories and protein grams I have eaten. I only count Calories and Protein. Here's an example day from early January. I got this little notebook from the dollar store.

I would love to hear what tips and tools have made you a successful bandster.

My batteries are officially RECHARGED!

I just got back from my awesome spa day (reward for hitting the 50lb lost mark). It was so relaxing...

First I had a 85 minute massage, very de-stressing!

Then I had a steam bath in a huge soaker jacuzzi tub.

Then I had a scrub/wrap.

Ahhhhh..........

Doing the Happy Dance!!!!

Today is my weigh-in day. I stepped on the scale this morning and hoped that I had broken through my plateau.

And there it was.....50 pounds lost! That's a loss of 3.8 lbs from last week's weigh-in.

YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

I will go have my spa day tomorrow (my reward for hitting this goal) and I will report back soon on how it went.

PS: I have now lost 43.4% of my excess body weight.

I LOVE MY BAND.

Taboo!

No, I'm not talking about that awesome/fun board game where you try to get your team mates to say certain words....

I'm talking about that TV documentary series on the National Geographic Channel, "Taboo". They had a new episode tonight that was titled "Fat".

Check it out...very thought provoking on how larger than average people are portrayed and stereotyped in different cultures. Go set those Tivos!!!

3 Month Bandiversary and a very unscientific theory!

It has been exactly 3 months since my surgery on October 20. Wow, the time has really flown by.

Anyways, I have a theory about low barometric pressure and the band. Yes, I know, how silly....

Today I noticed the band was extra tight, no issues eating my usuals, just a bit snug. The tightness was so sudden that I racked my brain all day of my known tighteners of my band....stress...nope....time of the month...nope. I even rescheduled my fill I had scheduled for this Friday to two weeks later (early Feb).

Then my assistant at work announced this afternoon that today we hit a record low in barometric pressure in our town. (Random, I know, she's into the weather).

So that's my theory. Any local bandsters notice their band is tighter?

Low Barometric Pressure = Tighter Band ??

A Great Birthday!

Today is my 31st bday.

How different (and healthier!) I feel on this birthday than last year.

My dept at work did a surprise chocolate cake and sang happy bday today. How embarrassing...just like Office Space! hah! I did have a half of a sliver of cake...just a few tastes is all I needed. How weird....I remember having a big piece of last year's cake and taking the leftovers home....hmmm....food for thought.

I am so lucky to have received a Wii and Wii Fit plus from my family! yay! Thank you! I especially love the Tennis and the bike riding. What are your faves on the Wii? Any tips? My cat sure likes it!

PS: Off to Zumba tonight!