Allergan Health Patient Executive Council! Many Pics!

You all have been so patient waiting for the big news that I hinted about on Wednesday.  

I was recently honored to be chosen by Allergan to be part of their "Health Patient Executive Council."


You may be asking yourself...who the heck is Allergan?  They're the folks that make the Lap Band (not Realize Band).


I flew to San Francisco to share what our online banded blogger support community is all about.

It was a great opportunity to meet with other organizers of online lap band support sites and share information and open the lines of communication among all the online sites.  I enjoyed meeting veteran bandsters who are 5, 6, even 9 years out in their band journeys.  Their stories and tips on weight maintenance were great! 


The Council includes:

• Obesityhelp.com
• Lapbandtalk.com
• BandedLiving.com
• Band2gether
• Banded Wendy from YouTube
• Bariatric Girl
• Obesity Action Coalition
• Yes, thee famous Amy from Once Upon a Time in the Land of Cheese and Sunkist

Now onwards to the good stuff...photos!

Flying into San Francisco, see the Golden Gate Bridge?

Picked up by a town car at the airport!

Presenting my blog!

Council dinner at A-16 (yummy Italian!)

You know who!

We also had the opportunity to sit in on a workshop that educates nurses, bariatric practice coordinators and other administrative staff on the lap band.  One of the presentations on band complications was especially eye-opening...it was reassuring to hear how much band complications have reduced in the past few years...whew!

Overall, it was a fabulous trip and I can't wait to reconnect again with the my fellow council members!

Flying = Eating

I'm not sure if I have ever shared with you that I'm a traveler..have been since a very young age.

I've climbed inside the pyramids in Egypt.

I've camped out for weeks at a time in deepest, darkest Africa.

I've seen the worshippers pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

All of these trips began in an airport and then of course on airplanes.

From as early as I can remember, flying meant treats, candy, and snacks. You know, those special treats that you don't usually have. I can still taste the M&Ms and red vines licorice given to me at the age of 3 or 4 waiting for our flight from Miami to Denver to see Grandma. To keep me occupied? Probably.

I remember thinking, "wow, this flying thing is pretty fun, we get candy!" Then on the plane, the nice flight attendant lady would bring snacks, coke, and treats...and so began a 30 year food association with flying. I remember traveling as a college student and continuing this behavior with buying candy "for the trip" or planning what snacks I would "get" to have.

I often see parents on flights using goldfish crackers, cheerios, etc to keep their kids quiet and busy. Would I do the same? Probably. A parent's sanity is important.

This is one of the last disordered food behaviors that I've been working on. I have heard from some of you that you also struggle with these situational food associations. Example: eating popcorn at the movies...because that's just what you do at the movies...duh!

I'm proud to say that as I sit here in the airport waiting for my next flight, I am enjoying a protein shake and have a protein bar in my purse just in case I get hungry later.

No licorice. No treats. Just healthy choices.

PS: small NSV (non scale victory) to report! I can cross my legs while sitting in an airplane seat with over a foot of seatbelt to spare around my waist!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Below Goal Again...and Some News!

That weight gain of 6 lbs was weird.  After a few days of eating healthily and drinking tons of water, I was at 144 lbs this morning, below my goal of 145 lbs.  Perhaps it was some water retention from all the salty foods that I ate on the cruise?

Anywhoozle, my jeans still zip up and overall, that's what's important. I went to Kohls yesterday and I still fit into size 6 petite slacks.

No, the Weight-Gain Fairy did not get a chance to waive her magic wand over me last night while I slept and make me 256 lbs again....hopefully never. I have my cat on lookout duty though :) It's an important job for a kitty...however I'm not sure how seriously she is taking her new job as watchcat:

 

Lastly, I am embarking on a new and exciting chapter with my blog and it's purpose in the blogosphere.  I can't really tell you much right now but I will tell you all about it on Friday.  Can you wait that long?  I hope so.

New Banded Blogger Alert!

Please stop by and say hello to Samantha.  Her blog is: I'm With The Band.

She will have her band surgery in 17 days!

She is looking for pre-op advice...so it's your turn...spread the BOOBs love!

Thanks

Weigh-In Day & Cruise Pics!

First of all, thank you all for your kind words and support on my last post.

Even though I do realize that a vacation is about relaxing and having fun, I still struggle with the unrealistic thought that I will gain all the weight back overnight...like the weight-gain fairy will visit one night and wave her magic wand over my sleeping body and *BAM!*, all 111 lbs are back.

I stepped onto the scale this morning....are you ready for this?

I weighed in at 146.8 lbs this morning.  That's a gain of exactly 6 lbs in 8 days.

Onwards to the gratuitous cruise pics:

Cocktail Time!

Formal night with my Sister!

Having fun on Princess Cays!

Back To Reality

Here I am, sitting in the Ft Lauderdale airport waiting for my flight. I'm thinking about what a fun time I had on the cruise. I'm also wondering how much weight I gained in the last week. I will be doing a special Sunday weigh-in tomorrow morning with photos from the cruise...maybe even a swimsuit pic! Yikes!

So, the question is....how much weight did I gain this week? Things to consider in your guess:

-I ate at least 5 large peanut butter cookies each day.

-I had dessert at every meal.

-I had some cocktails.

-I Zumba'd 3 times on the ship! Here's proof:



How much weight have I gained?

My guess is 6+ lbs.

Tomorrow's weigh-in will be eye opening.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

No Weigh-In Day Today...Because...

I think that this is the first Friday weigh-in day that I have missed since the pre-op days...approximately August 2009.

Why?

Well, it's because I am not near my scale.  I'm actually HERE.

I have so many photos to share with you when I return!

Happy Friday!

1.5 Year Bandiversary!

Wow!  Has it already been 18 months/1.5 Years since my surgery?

On October 20, 2009, I had my first and only surgery of my life.

I spent A LOT of money for that surgery.

I have done A LOT of work to get healthy because of that surgery.

I have lost A LOT of weight because of that surgery.

Was it worth it? 

ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY!!!

Stained Shirt Club -- A Non-Scale Victory

I only just realized this NSV this past week.  I used to be a member of the "Stained Shirt Club."

When I used to eat, I would sometimes end up with food dribbled down my chest on my shirt.  It didn't matter if I was at work, at home, or out to eat.  It always seemed to happen.  Food would end up on the "shelf" AKA the boobs area.

I was often in the bathroom dabbing up the latest spill that had landed on my shirt.

Well, I recently realized that this no longer happens.  Could it be because I am more conscious of taking smaller bites instead of shoveling food into my face?  Maybe it's because the "shelf" is so much smaller now?  Not sure.

But, I sure am glad to be a member of the "Clean Shirt Club" now!

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

Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Today's Weight: 140.7 lbs

Happy Friday!