Pictures say 1000 words

I'm letting this one talk, since I'm speechless!

I can't stop looking at this picture. I don't recognize myself anymore. This picture was taken last Thursday. My husband and I were on vacation in Minnesota, and we went out to a dinner theatre. Our 10 year anniversary is next month, and I wanted to wear a dress and heels. Poor guy. I towered over him, but I felt fantastic.  Current weight is 256.0. It is my new lowest.

I had an unfill about 3 weeks ago, and it was the best decision ever. Initially, I gained about 7 pounds after that week, but now I can actually eat normal food again (Still struggle with lettuce and big chunks of bread and red meat) but everything else is fine. Today, I am back down at my lowest weight again. woohoo!

I ate salmon over the weekend, and jumbo shrimp. I ate out every single day, but made wise choices and lost a total of 3 pounds on vacation.  I enjoyed myself tremendously, and it was actually nice that I didn't have to have a good time centered around food. I felt comfortable, and the people that were dining with me felt comfortable. It was a good time.


Ohhhh, also, I finally had my tattoo finished. I had it shaded in at this little mom and pop tattoo shop in Minnesota. I just love it!

That's about all the news there is for now! I hope everyone has a happy week!
Meg

Weigh-In Wednesday (Week 36 Post-op)

I am officially in the 250's! I have lost a total of 120 pounds now, and 100 since surgery on January 12th, 2011. That is a 32% weight loss! I'm thrilled with the results.

My fickle little band has decided to tighten itself up again. It was fine as could be after my fill in early August and just recently, it has been nearly impossible to get any sort of solid down...even chunky soup is a challenge. I can chug water, but anything with substance, forget it. Ohh unless you count chips and crackers and all of the other things that easily break down! I have had a few PB's lately, and decided enough is enough! I'm going in tomorrow to have .5cc's taken out. That will allow me to eat solids and still feel like I have control.

The highest amount of fluid I have ever had in my band was 7cc's and that was extremely too tight to the point that I could not even get water down. I'm at 6.75 now and some days it's good and after a PB episode, I just can't seem to get back to norm.  From April to May, I was at 6.5ccs and I want to be at 6.25.

I am very content with my weight loss so far and am in the 250's. My height lets me get away with it. I'm in XL scrubs. Clothes look cute on me. No double chins in photos anymore. I can live with a much slower weight loss.

Wish I was going to Boobs, but instead I have to work :(  Have a great week everyone!

Weigh-in Wednesday Week 34 post-op

Oops! I didn't do an "official weigh-in" last week. This week's weight is 261.1. Total loss 117.4 pounds!

It seems my band has tightened up on me again. I had a tiny fill in the beginning of August and was fine for the first two weeks. My monthly cycle started and I tightened up, and it has stayed tight. I've been doing a lot of protein shakes and bars to get my protein in, but other than that and Greek Yogurt and tuna salad, there hasn't been too much I have been able to eat.  I haven't had any PB episodes in the past few days, so hoping things will go back to normal. If not, another tiny unfill is in order.

Vacation is exactly a month away. I'm excited! I am 11 pounds away from my goal of weighing 250. I'm not sure if I will make it by then, but we shall see! I would be happy to be in the 50's! I couldn't even tell you the last time I weighed 250...I must have been 12. (Again, I'm 5'11")

Anyways, hope everyone has a happy weight loss week!
Megan

weigh-in Wednesday Week 32 post-op

Today's weight is 267.2
I can't remember what I weighed last week...I want to say about 273? Big loss this week, but it has also been a fill week, so I'm sure it will stabalize out.
That brings me down 111 pounds. Loving it! I feel good. No more dizzy spells this week..so far. I'm feeling good. Food is staying down. I'm getting in all of my liquids, etc. Although it is doubtful, I may actually make my goal of 250 by October 5th! Craziness!

I can't believe this summer is coming to an end already. It seems like it only has begun. School starts up on Monday, and I already have been studying to prepare. It will be a challenging semester, but I'm ready for it. I love having a normal routine again. I love studying with my friends. I love learning new things and competing for the best grade in the class. I'm such a nerd that way!

I saw a cute quote that I thought I would share. "But excuses..will lead to a BIGGER BUTT!" Isn't that the truth?

I met up with a friend today for coffee. I haven't seen her since May. Her mouth dropped and she said, "OH MY GOD, YOU LOOK AWESOME!" I feel awesome!

EDIT:
I went shopping after I blogged and tried on some clothes...I resisted the urge to buy anything, but here is an outfit I tried on!
size XL top and 20W bottoms

Happy weight loss week everyone!
Megan

Dizziness again!

Well this week was pretty uneventful until Thursday morning. I hadn't slept very well Wednesday night. I averaged about 4 or 5 hours. I was scheduled for a 9am dentist appointment, and figured I could catch some sleep after, since I was only getting a permanent crown adhered.

I got up around 7:30am and proceeded to the shower. I love my hot showers. I had just finished brushing my teeth in the shower, and grabbed the mouthwash. For some strange reason, I started getting extremely nauseous, warm, heard ringing in my ears, the lights were dimming, and I thought, "Oh, shit, I'm going to pass out." I  turned off the water, grabbed a towel, stepped out of the tub and crashed into the wall. I was able to stumble through the kitchen into the bedroom, where I yelled at my husband to move and I flopped on the bed. After laying flat for about 15 minutes and some deep breathing, I felt ok. It was scary.

This is the THIRD time this has happend to me now. Once was pre-op, and two times post-op. I immediately saw my doctor and he is sending me to see an electrophysiologist. My blood pressure has been low, and we need to figure out why. My electrolytes have been fine. My eating has been fine, but this is scaring me and I want to get to the bottom of this.

I am definitely getting in at least 1200 calories a day, and getting in at a minimum my 60 grams of protein, if not more. I drink water constantly throughout the day. I am anxiously awaiting to see what this Cardiologist has to say. My appointment is scheduled for September 12th.

I have been very present in my eating this past week, and really watching and making healthy choices. I saw 269 on the scale today, which puts me at 110 pounds down. Prior to my weight gain, my lowest was 271. I am in completely uncharted waters. I am frustrated that the clothes I bought recently are all now too baggy. It just stinks because clothes are expensive, and until I can fit into the huge stash of size 18 jeans that I got from a friend, I'm stuck in my 20/22s

I really wish we could all rent clothes for a month at a time! That would be so nice!
Take care everybody!
Megan

My weight-loss hiatus is OVER! (Weigh-in Wednesday Week 31 Post-op)

273.2!
That's a five pound loss since last Wednesday! I have been journalling everything, and really went back to bandster basics.

I had a small fill on Monday, and it has been perfect. My hunger is in control, I'm eating without getting stuck. Life is good.

Thank you for all the supportive comments! I have a lot of blogs to catch up on. When I am not doing so great, I tend to avoid blogger all together.

Ohhhh, just wanted to mention a HUGE NSV for me! Yesterday, I went to school to get my books, and retake a student ID (since my other one was stolen when my wallet was snatched) and this is the FIRST plastic ID card I have that does not display a DOUBLE CHIN! WOOOOOOT! :)  That made my day!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weight-loss/maintenance week!

so I updated my ticker...

to account for the five pound weigh gain over the past month.

I'm not a dog, but yet, I'm constantly finding ways to reward myself with food. Once I hit the 100 pound lost mark, I felt okay. I can do so many things that I wasn't able to do a few months ago. At work, I can take the stairs from the ground floor to the 5th floor and  can run up two flights of stairs without getting winded. These may sound trivial, but for me, it's huge.

I can cross my legs. I can wear a seat belt without an extender. My husband bought me my first Brewers baseball t-shirt yesterday, in a woman's cut style. That was huge for me! My 5x scrubs have been replaced by XLs. These are all fantastic, but it's not enough.

My motivation is slowly coming back. School starts back up in 2 weeks, and I will have a busy active life again. Thinking back a year ago, I was just starting the process of weight loss surgery, and so proud that I had lost 10 pounds. I have to find some sort of exercise that I like, because I really don't like to exercise.
I mean I REALLY don't like to exercise!

But in other news...I did get a fill today. I was at 6.5ccs and went up to 7ccs last month. The 7ccs was too much and I was so tight that I couldn't keep water down. I ended up going down to 6.25ccs. Today, I got a .5 fill and now I'm at 6.75. So far, all water and my protein shake I have been sipping on, has been going down fine.

I still really would like to get down to 250 by October 5th. I'm not sure how doable that is, but I'm going to do my best to get there!

Can we really train our brains to crave healthy food?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/04/ep.brain.crave.cohen/index.html?hpt=he_c1

I'm exercising my right to bare arms!

 hehe...just not in public!

Did a little bit of shopping today! It's always an instant pick-me-up!
My weight has bounced up a few pounds since the unfill, but have been going through the "Ohhh, I can eat that now" phase...Starting to buckle down again and refocus.

I must say, the loose skin fairy has been kind to me...minus my stomach..that's a WHOLE 'nother story, but overall, I'm very pleased with the results! :)

I had my Un-fill!

Monday, I had .5cc's added to my band. Today I had .75cc's taken out!

I feel deliriously WONDERFUL right now!

Never, ever, ever, ever think being too tight is the way to go!

It's no fun!

My weigh in at the surgeon's office on Monday was 277, my weigh-in this afternoon with them, was 271!  That's way too much to lose in 2 days!

On another note, My BMI is under 40, so goodbye morbid obesity.

That is all. I think I may go an actually EAT now! :)

Weigh-in Wednesday Week 26 post-op

The scale read 271.2.
A significant drop.

The fill has worked, but it will be short lived. Sometimes in our heart of hearts, we know we are doing the wrong thing, but desperation leads us to stupidity.

I am tight. I am beyond tight. I haven't been able to drink water without gurgling, and forget about foods. I have been sipping tiny amounts of broth through a straw, and it is no fun to live like that, no matter how much weight you lose.

I will be seeing the surgeon today for an unfill. I had .5ccs added, and I'm asking them to take out .75. I honestly believe I was too tight before I had this fill, but yet I opted for another one simply because I haven't been losing weight. After reading about the red zone, I fit into a lot of the things in that category. I was relying on slider foods. Any healthy food, such as a green been would make me slime.

I'm being totally honest here, and I'm sure you all think I'm crazy. My friend helped me realize that I had the lap band to get healthy and how I'm using it, is not good, and I'm changing today, before permanent damage is done.

That is all folks
Megan

Fill Day Today

I saw the surgeon's office today for my 6 month post-op appointment. I have lost 41 pounds since my last visit on April 15th. I feel great. I received a small .5cc fill today. I now have a total of 7ccs in my band.

 I have been sipping my water and it's going down fine. Liquids today.

Nothing much else to report. I hate that I'm having problems commenting on blogs. There is so much I would like to say!

-Megan

A trip down memory lane

Well, my 6-month bandiversary will be here in 4 days. I met with my dietitian today, and she is very pleased with my progress, but we are working on a more scheduled meal plan that will allow me adequate time to eat, and try to add more variety such as fruits and vegetables.

I have an appointment scheduled with my surgeon on Monday for a very very conservative fill. I have been able to eat a lot more and am starting to feel hungry all the time again.

Anyways, as I am waiting for my husband to get home from work, I thought I would snap an updated photo of my surgery incisions. I didn't apply any fancy oils, or do anything but let them heal on their own. Some are darker than others, but I don't think they are bad at all.

This was taken the day of surgery, on January 12, 2011.

This was taken today, July 8, 2011. ( I would give anything to get rid of my "smiley face" as my husband calls it!)

Another one on the day of surgery.

And...
This past weekend, with my husband! :)

Weigh-in Wednesday Week 25 post-op

The scale is not budging, but it will in time.  Let's see what is new to report..

Well, for starters, a friend of mine decided to clean out her closet, and I received about 8 boxes of clothes. Tons of size XL shirts and size 16/18 jeans. Now, tell me if that isn't motivation to start losing again, or what?

I have decided that I am ready for a small fill again. I haven't had a fill in 3 months, but I am starting to get hungry more frequently. I can eat way more than a cup of food. ( I can eat an entire 10 piece mc donald chicken nugget package, mc flurry, and smoothie) oops..did I say that out loud..no problem in a small amount of time.

I'm feeling really badly about my food choices lately and my lack of exercise. I have become lazy with food choices and exercise. I have been eating emotionally.

It's time to get back to basics.

In other news. Today I received a motivational card from my cousin. She sent me a gift card for $100 to Kohls to celebrate every pound I have lost. She is AMAZING! I am so touched. I took a picture of the card and the gift card, and texted it to my friend...not to brag..but to show how touched..and how amazing she is... He replied back. NO COMMENT.

I am fuming! I shouldn't let it get me upset, but it does. Why? Because he is overweight and he exercises regularly (makes poor food choices) but isn't losing weight. According to him, I wake up and breathe and lose a pound no matter what. We just don't see eye to eye on this issue. I took the easy way out. I don't deserve to be looked at as an inspiration because I am not killing myself in the gym to lose this weight. This is all according to him...of course..no offense meant. UGH!

In the beginning, after my 2nd fill, the weight loss just happened with minimal effort. It doesn't work like that anymore. I'm no longer melting but at the same time I'm not doing anything to increase my weight loss either. I feel badly for him, that he can't lose his weight but I'm just ticked off about this.

Anyways, I'm taking this all as fuel for motivation! Time to get back on track. Vacation is over!

Weigh-in Wednesday (Week 24 Post-op)

Today's weight was 277.6
Another slow loss week, but it wasn't a gain.

Thank you for all of the support and the new followers.  I can't see who follows me. It comes up blank. I wish I knew what the issue was!

A few things for this week. Yes, I am still struggling. I was chatting with my friend the other day, and of course talking about weight loss. I am so happy that I have lost just over 100 pounds. Tickled pink, but now that I am fitting into smaller sizes, I think I am getting complacent.

Yes losing 100 pounds in a HUGE accomplishment, but I'm still 277 pounds, and I still have a long way to go, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I could not do this on my own without my band. My eyes are always bigger than my pouch!

I started out good today. I had a scrambled egg and a glass of milk for breakfast. I was scheduled for a root canal, and knew my mouth was going to be sore, so I tried to eat as much protein as possible.

For lunch, I attempted spaghetti, the same left over spaghetti that I had the other night. Yeah, 2 bites, and it all came up. Not fun. My band is a fickle creature and time of month will be here tomorrow or the next day, so I'm super tight because of it.

Oh, and afterwards since the spaghetti wasn't going down, I attempted fun size M&Ms, well one bag isn't so fun, so I had 5. Yeah, 350 calories worth of M&Ms. On a brighter note, my chocolate craving is full filled.

My mouth is sore, and it is time for bed. I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend. My inlaws decided last minute to visit. I have a lot of cleaning to do!

I'm struggling

I'm no longer melting. I am up and down the same three pounds. It's not like I can go in for a fill again. I am at good restriction.  I have all the motivation in the world, but I'm just struggling.

.....and I'm frustrated!

My work schedule has been screwy the last 3 weeks. I have no normal routine. Getting to the gym has been difficult with my schedule, but I plan on going tonight. I feel bloated and yucky.

In other news this week, I decide to lighten my hair...It's a bit too light for me, but it's growing on me. In fall, I will go back to my red hair!

And lastly, I'm not sure if I ever updated you guys on my first tattoo. It isn't finished quite yet, but here is a good first look at it. I got it done in Milwaukee a few weeks ago. It is symbolic for my parents and myself.

The bottom butterfly needs to be finished. (the one that represents me) and I'm sort of okay that it isn't complete yet, because that is how I feel. I also will need the shading completed, which I plan on getting later this fall.

Weigh-in Wednesday (Week 23 Post-op)

Hi Everyone. The scale read 278.0. I'll take it.

I have been exercising, but not since Sunday. I plan on going tomorrow after work.  I have been bouncing around different shifts lately because we are very short staffed, so my schedule is all out of whack. Nothing too much new to report. I hope everyone has a great weight loss week!
Megan

ONE HUNDRED FRICKN POUNDS DOWN BABY! YEAH!

I did it! The scale finally budged! I have been waiting for this day for 3 weeks now. I think I jumped on and off about 10 times!

Weigh-in Wednesday (Week 22 Post-op)

So it has been another week and no weight loss to report. I haven't even felt like blogging. I'm in such a funk lately and can't seem to get focused.

Today, I decided that I need to refocus and set some goals. I'm driving up to the Twin Cities in October with my husband to visit some friends, and I have a 30lb weight loss goal set for October 8th. That's 16 weeks away, and an average of just under 2 pounds per week until then. My eating hasn't been an issue, but the lack of movement is catching up with me.  While I was in school, I was busy all day and all night. Now that school is out for summer, I am eating out of boredom.  After stepping on the scale this morning and not seeing another loss, I decided to sign up at the gym.

My gym is one of those fancy ones, but it has nice equipment and a private Woman's only area--which I love--and they have a pool and are open 24 hours. I get a nice discount through work and it comes with 2 hours of personal training.  I scheduled my first appointment today with Andy. He is wonderful. Andy put a plan together for me and showed me what to do, and said he would be checking to see if I am coming in to follow it!

I'm excited about this. I need some motivation and this sounds like a good method.

Hope everyone has a productive week!
Megan :)

Weigh-in Wednesday (Week 21 Post-op)

No scale pic, as I forgot all about it yesterday. My weight is hanging in at 280.6. I will be 5 months post-op in 3 days, and I really want to hit that 100lb mark, but the scale keeps moving up and down and up and down.

I have been very stressed this week. I haven't been moving as much. It is what it is. Today is the start of a new week. The local YMCA has a 3 month summer membership special, so I'm pretty sure I am going to sign up tomorrow, pending our finances after I pay bills.

My band is loosening enough where I can eat bigger amounts again. I am not looking for a fill anytime soon. As long as I eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and stick to small bites. I can eat. It's time to work more on exercise for sure.

That's my quick update for this week.  Have a great week everyone!

Weekend in Michigan

The hubs and I were in Michigan this past weekend. We attended a wedding of my sister-in-law's baby sister. It was a beautiful ceremony. We had chicken, asparagus, and some mashed potatoes. I had a little bit of everything, and it was delicious.

I stayed pretty active with my nephews this weekend. All in all we had a very fun time. I have been working on staying a lot more hydrated and eating more.  My friend is concerned that I am so addicted to the weight loss, that I'm doing more harm to myself. Yes, I am addicted to the weight loss, but I AM eating. I'm making good choices too.

I'm hoping to hit my 100 pounds down by Wednesday. It's that time of the month already, so I have been retaining water, so not sure how Wednesday's weigh-in will go. I'm not sweating it. I have had a lot of good weeks recently, and if I have a smaller loss week, that's ok by me.

Here are some pics from the wedding!

 The lovely bride and groom, Amber and Jon

1.  My sister-in-law, Stephanie and Brother-in-law Adam

 My dress

 My husband and I

 My 9-yr old Nephew, Kegan

 My almost 4yr old Nephew, Kaleb

 Kegan and Kaleb, looking so handsome!

 My hubby, Tom and his Brother, Adam

Grilling out the next day, Beer can chicken and wild mushroom Risotto--Delicious!

Weigh-in Wednesday (Week 20 Post-op)

Current weight as of this morning: 280.2
Last week's weight: 283.2
Total loss: 78 pounds since surgery and 20 prior!

Height: 5'10"
Size 22/24 Kohl's
Status: Happy :)

Yes, I'm eating. I am so sick of people asking me if I'm eating, or eating wisely.  I guess it is a touchy subject. I'm not able to eat a lot, and I make sure that what I CAN eat is healthy, protein rich foods. I don't eat crap. Period.

As much as I would love a slice of pizza. I just don't. It doesn't agree with me anymore anyways. Breads, burgers, all the old foods I loved are a thing of the past.

So, I saw my doctor yesterday for dizziness. I blacked out last Wednesday. I landed on my face. I chipped my front tooth, and had a nice little shiner. The verdict--dehydration. Since I saw my Doctor on April 15th, I have lost 28 pounds. He was concerned. I'm always toting around a bottle of gatorade and drinking water.

I don't get it.

I'm never hungry, and I'm forcing myself to eat. I pretty much stick to tuna salad, chicken salad, with a few bran crackers, yogurt, or soups to get the majority of my nutrition. I can eat other solids, but it takes so long to eat, that I don't feel as I'm getting enough in. I'm not sure if that makes sense.

I feel good though, and I'm losing pretty steadily. I don't feel tired or sickly. I am just so fed up about people asking me if I'm eating enough. There is a little waif I work with and she eats less than I do, and no one ever questions her.

Sorry to vent, but it has been bugging me.
Megan

A summary of the last week of hell

Yay! School is out for summer. Grades came back with an A in Biochem and an A- in Anatomy and Physiology.

So I mentioned that my wallet was stolen over a week ago. Everything was replaced, and I was able to salvage my vacation. I left a day later, but I still had fun.

My cousin and I went to the casino on Friday night, and didn't have much luck. The weather was rainy pretty much the whole time we were there. Saturday, he had an appointment in Uptown, so I tagged along. I found a small little coffee shop and grabbed myself an iced drink while sitting outside in the sunshine. It was nice. I enjoyed the people watching.

Later on that night, Joe and I took a drive downtown. We went out to Burnsville and watched the planes fly overhead.  It was getting chilly so we headed back to his place. Since we were up so early, we were both pretty tired, and called it an early night.

Around midnight I was woken up by severe thunderstorms. I was scared that I would have bad hail damage on my car like Joe did a few weeks earlier. The storms settled down, and I drifted off to sleep.

Sunday rolled around, and the weather was still pretty bad.  We loafed around Joe's condo debating on what to do today. My plans for the zoo were out of the question.  We decided to head out to the mall. I think we were both in such a funk from the weather, that neither of us were really into shopping. We stopped in Marshalls, and Joe got some chocolate at Godiva. (I didn't) and then we decided to leave to rent some movies.

After returning to Joe's house, we noticed that there were police everywhere blocking all of the entrances to the road and the surrounding neighborhood roads to access his condo. We stopped and asked the policeman what happened, and he had said a TORNADO had touched down.  Everything went into a big blur as we looked around and saw all of the debris laying all over, and the roof of the Nestle corporation building was partly missing.  We parked the car. Joe bolted from the car and ran towards his condo. The skies were pouring rain. I stayed put, scared. I texted a friend who told me not to worry and toughen up. I called Joe's mom who said that she had talked to him and a giant tree had crashed through his living room. He was in his condo and that the ceiling was about to collapse. No one knew he was inside.

I hung up with her and was about to run out into the rain, when Joe was making his way back. It was bad. The whole roof of his condo had collapsed from the giant tree. There was no warning, no sirens, nothing. We must have missed the tornado by minutes. Where my air mattress laid in his living room, with my laptop and digital camera on top, is where the tree penetrated. All my belongings were saturated. My suitcase was wet and my clothes were covered with insulation. I'm glad we were not there when it happened and I am glad we are alive. Joe will be out of a place to live for the next 2 months or so, but insurance will cover it. His mom came up that night and put us up in a hotel and helped Joe figure out a game plan. We were tired, hungry and wet, and smelly. We did so much walking that day and in the rain. I was out cold, once my head hit the pillow

I decided to leave on Monday afternoon as I felt like a fifth wheel, and head home a day early. There was a lot of business to take care of, and I just felt in the way. The six hour drive home was uneventful. Glad to be home and relax, for sure.

I had mentioned in a few posts back that I have been getting dizzy lately. Well, I had my first scary episode on Tuesday. I had eaten breakfast, and I was sipping on gatorade as I usually do, and I started feeling light headed, then started sweating. Next thing you know, I'm on the floor, but it felt like I was just waking up from a nap. I had blacked out. I don't even remember going down. My face broke my fall. My lip is busted up, and my front tooth is chipped. My cheekbone and eye socket on the left side are all black and blue.  Granted I can't eat a lot at once, but I am eating. I don't eat fast food, or junk. I get my protein in and always make sure I get my water in, but I think this may have been some low blood sugar. I have a follow up appointment with the doctor scheduled.

So, now today is back to work, off tomorrow, and then another 4 day stretch over the weekend.  It certainly has been the most memorable vacation of my life!

New Blogger, needs support!

My real life friend is in the process of being banded and could use some support!
Melissa's Weight loss Journey

Weigh-in Wednesday (Week 19 Post-op)

Last week: 287.0
This week 283.2 (Plus I was on vacation) I will take it!

So much to blog about, but I'm tired and it has been a long day! Will update soon!
Megan

Dizziness

Well, I made it to Minneapolis, and I'm having a great time with my cousin. I'm a little concerned because I noticed yesterday, that when going from sitting to standing or laying down to standing, I have been getting dizzy. It hasn't been to the point where I feel like I am going to black out or anything, but I am concerned. I can't eat a lot, but I am making sure that I am eating and drinking to keep my blood sugar up and making sure I get my protein in.

Anyone else experience this or have any advice? I'm almost wondering if my blood pressure is low.
Megan

OMG, this is really me! What a difference 92 pounds make, hey?

Weigh-in Wednesday (Week 18 Post-op)

287.0

That is a 10 pound loss for this week.

What did I do to lose 10 pounds this week?
#1 Time of month is over--big factor
#2 Stuck to 3 small meals each day this week.
#3 Drank adequate amounts of water
#4 Stayed active, and stayed away from boredom triggers!

Hope you have a great weight loss week too!
Megan

It's fun being picky!

I did some dreaded clothes shopping today. I literally did not have 5 outfits to wear for my trip, and since I got another gift card from my cousin, and and $10 off certificate, I headed over to Kohls.

Being the bargain hunter I am, I went over to the clearance racks. I found three stylish pairs of jeans, picked them up, and grabbed a pair of capris.  The jeans fit. They were 24w, and I loved them all! Being in a size 24 is blowing my mind. It was less than 6 months ago and I was in 32's, granted they weren't tight, but still!

It was fun to be picky. I didn't just purchase the items because I could squeeze into them. I had selection and choices, and that felt great, and they made my Badonka-donk look good!

Less than a week until vacation and school is out for the summer. I can't wait!

Also, my dear cousin and I are going to try to hold each other accountable for weight loss each week by taking photos of our weigh-in number and recording it on a spreadsheet. Other than logging my weight in on myfitnesspal, I couldn't tell you how much I have lost each week, and I really want to start keeping track.

Lastly, I am waiting for some nice weather. I have this beautiful mountain bike, and it has been raining! Ugh!

Praying for some nice weather soon!
Megan

Inspirational Thanks and a New NSV

My lap-band is everything I hoped for. I really was totally prepared and had realistic expectations prior to surgery. I knew my food intake would be restricted by my brain and lips would not be. I had Googled lap-band blogs and came across Amy W.'s, and soon was swept away into her life like characters in a great novel. I laughed. I cried. I cheered her on! (I totally think her life, would be a great movie, don't you?) I loved that she was/is so honest and helpful, and here is a happy girl who was still happy at her highest weight, and here she was over 300 pounds herself and now is below goal, Amazing! Truly an inspiration!

It was through her blog, I found Grace, as a follower, who I was able to read up from almost the time of her surgery, or slightly after. Again over 300 and is now at 215. This blows my mind.

And there are others, many others, but these ladies are the first two blogs I found that I have followed religiously, and I really attribute some of my success to their words of wisdom, so thank you ladies!

Without further adieu, my new NSV....
Around that time of the month, I CRAVE chocolate.  Any other time, I could care less.  Well, I went to TJMaxx yesterday and of course when you check out, they have all the little fancy popcorns and  random doo-dads and fancy little chocolates between the candles and the mp3 player head phones. I bought a bag..err two bags of fancy gourmet chocolate. Prior to my lap-band, I would have eaten the ENTIRE bag. I had a single serving of 3 small pieces for 150 calories. I was satisfied and put it away.

The lap-band has really helped my relationship with food. I don't over indulge anymore, but I treat myself every once in awhile. I make great, healthy choices 99% of the time, and it is working for me. I no longer desire to eat an entire pizza, but I do enjoy having a slice every once in awhile. This is HUGE for me!

With that, time to get back to studying!
Until later,
Megan

Weigh-in Wednesday (Week 17 Post-op)

I just realized after I uploaded this pic, that is is Tuesday! Haha oh well!

297.0

 I am up like 2/10 of a pound (TOM)  Not sweatin' it!
Yes-I know I have hideous feet!

Happy Wednesday  Tuesday everybody!

Progress pics

The end of the semester is in sight! I have 3 more tests and the last day of school is May 19th. I am headed up to visit my cousin in Minneapolis for a long weekend.  My original goal was to lose 80 pounds and be 299 by the time I saw him.

I am holding steady at about 296.  I am going to make Wednesdays my official weigh-in day.  It's that Time of the Month, so I am expecting a small gain tomorrow.

My husband won me a mountain bike, and we finally got it assembled. I can't wait to take it for a spin.  The weather has been cold and rainy, but when the weather is nice, I'm in class or I'm working.  My cousin told me to bring my bike up with me to Minneapolis, so that we can take some rides. He is on a mission to lose weight himself, and is doing awesomely!

I am in serious need of clothing. Everything is tooo big!  I HATE clothes shopping, but I will have to pick up a few things prior to vacation.

Without further wait, here are some new photos:

The one on the left is at 360. I am 5'11. The one on the right is the day I hit 299!

 I know this shirt is a little snug yet, but I plan on wearing it with a jacket or a sweater. Gotta love back rolls!

These were taken today! I'm down 83 pounds!

My hips are still wide and my lower stomach is pooling into my pants. I hate it. One day I will have plastics on  it, but that is still a long ways away. I'm glad for push-up bras and shapewear for sure!

A quick recap--my background story

Since my previous blog is gone, I will do a quick recap.

August 7th, 2010, I attended a Weight Loss Seminar by Dr. Chua. It was my second time attending, but this time I was serious about following through. My heaviest recorded weight was 379 pounds. At the time of the seminar, I was hovering around 368-374.

I had pre-booked my primary physician's appointment for August 9th. My primary doctor was in total agreement about the band, and filled out all the necessary forms.

Fast forward 3 months of supervised diets, a psych eval, pre-op testing, waiting for approval, the surgery date, and that takes me to January 12th. The day my life changed forever!

The first week post-op, I lost 17 pounds. The "before picture" of me in the Green Bay Packer's sweatshirt was taken 4 days after surgery. I don't have very many before pictures. I weighed about 350 in that photo, give or take. On the day of surgery, I weighed in at 359.9 pounds. The picture on the right is me weighing in at 298 pounds!

How I got to 379 pounds is another story in itself for another day.

I have lost a total of 82 pounds so far as of today's date (62 since surgery 4 months ago). My cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and all other labs are in normal range.  I am currently weighing in at 297 pounds, and I feel great!

Although my blog was deleted, I hope some of you will rejoin me on my journey!
Megan

Devastated!

My blog was accidentally deleted! I cried and cried. I had two google accounts, one was associated with blogger and the other with school. I went to delete the old google account, but instead I deleted the one associated with blogger. UGH :(

I'm starting over.
Megan