Comfy in the 230's

Well,  I went in last Tuesday to see a lady about a fill.  Carol said no this time.  I had lost six pounds in two weeks so she was happy with that and wouldn't give me any more of the sweet juice.  I left feeling a little fearful.  It's like the training wheels are coming off and now I am on my own!  I've dropped from a solid size 24 to a mostly everything is tucked in size 20.

I'm not ready to be on my own!  My meal sizes are still a bit too big and my biggest problem is snacking while I am cooking dinner for the family.  ugh.  I am not supposed to snack at all.  I had an okay day today...coffee and a protein shake for breakfast and then yogurt and cottage cheese for lunch and ritz crackers and cheeseball for dinner.  geesh.   My saving grace was that I didn't eat the dinner I made because I ate so many snacks and I walked a nice six miles in 1 hour 24 minutes.  Booyah!  Then I came home and I had two small Chobani greek yogurt cups.

I am hoping to rebound from the bit of weight I put on this week.  I got down to 137 and then it has been wavering every day.  I am hoping the scale starts moving again this week after my fabulous period.  That is usually when more weight comes off.  After my trip to the restroom this afternoon....I was sure I'd be down at least five!  Speaking of...I'm noticing some constipation lately.  I'm not eating as many vegetables and fruits as I used to because I am worried about the protein and the time it takes me to eat during my twenty minute lunch break.  I need to find a way to get the veggies in - at least I am taking my multi every day.

My September walking ended as follows:

 Hello PEOPLE!  I was trying to walk 50 miles in September but thanks to a friendly competition and my new addiction to walking, I have walked 71.48 miles this month.   This literally blows my mind.  My husband told me tonight how proud of me he was and he put it in perspective by saying it was like I was walking two 5K's back to back with my new 6 mile routine.

I really need to take some more before and after pictures. I am having a hard time locating that red shirt.   Maybe I should do it October 9th - that will be my three month bandiversary.  It's hard to believe that's all it's been.  It's seems like it's been a part of me forever.

This picture on the left is my school picture this year.  It was taken in August.  I like it - but mostly because I compared it to my last year's picture.  It's a big difference.  I will need to post the comparison.

That's about it for me.  I'm just chugging along.  I'm trying my hardest not to eat when I am not hungry.  It's tough.

The exercise has become a part of me.  I love my walks now and I plan my week around when I will be able to go.  Give me some sneakers, my Runtastic, my music, and headphones...I am good to go.

Did I REALLY just say that?  SERIOUSLY!??

230's!

Guess who hopped on the scale this weekend and was 238.3?!  That's right....this girl!!  I can't remember the last time I was this low.  I saw my family this weekend and it was so nice to hear all the positive comments from my family.

I've been slacking in the walking this week since I won the challenge last weekend.  This week I am back in attack mode!

I also have another fill appointment this week to see about getting one.  I'm not sure how I feel about whether I need one or not.  I am losing weight, but I've had to start eating a soft lunch because I simply don't have enough time on my teacher lunch schedule to eat like I am supposed to with the lap band.  It feels like if I don't get a fill, I am not moving forward.  I know my thinking is wrong, it's just what it is.  I guess we will talk it out and decide together on Tuesday.

This week has been tough with the allergies and stuff.  I was super stressed on Friday and I wanted to come home and EAT!  I tried some chicken strips and it was a no go.  It is nice that when I can't do it mentally, my band has me covered to keep me on track.  I was sick and it was painful.  Sometimes I love it, and sometimes I am frustrated by it.  I've never liked being told "no".  

I will try to get some new before/after on the journey pictures this week.

Ouch!

My allergies have been driving me crazy this week and so has my band.  I have been stuck a few times on things that I normally don't have a problem with.  I put two and two together and I think my problem is the allergies are causing digestion problems with my band.  I've heard of a mucus plug that makes swallowing difficult in times of cold and allergies.  So...I am dealing.  This has been my most uncomfortable week.  Lots of painful eating.  Ouch!  It's enough to break me of it altogether!

I've had a lot of stress lately with work.  I have taken on more than I can handle this year.  People keep asking me to do extra things and I keep agreeing.  Duh.   I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed on the career front.  I feel like I am always behind on something and I'm not doing the best I can at anything because I am spread so thin.  I keep thinking that things will look good on a resume when I decide to move on.

On a positive note...I talked a lot about it on Facebook but I don't remember if I mentioned it on my blog but my friend and I were doing a competition to see who could walk 50 miles in September first.  This challenge was supposed to last all month.  Instead, we finished it in two weeks.  It was a fight to the finish.  We kept pushing each other harder and harder to do more and more often just to keep up.  Did I mention that she lives in California and I live in Texas?!  Now I am wondering if I should just go for 100 for this month.  My body is worn out, but I think I can pick it back up before I lose my momentum.

I am seeing my family this weekend and I am really looking forward to it.  I'm anxious to see what they see.

I got my new school picture back today and I got to compare it to last years picture.  It's a nice difference.  I will post it next time.  I miss reading all my friend's blogs.  I miss seeing what they are up to.  I must catch up with all of you this week.

Love to all,

Your exhausted friend, Jen  :)

Third Fill

Hello Loves!!

It's been more than a week since my last blog (confessional booth).  I have been lacking in the blog cracking.  I don't want you to stop reading because I love all of the comments and feedback so therefore I must keep blogging so you will not get bored with me and move on to other chicks.

Speaking of other chicks...I haven't made LapBandGal's blog list of recommended blogs.  :(  My feelings are a little hurt but I won't let her see me crying.  (sniffle)  SOMEONE loves me (hi Mom) even if it isn't the lap band guru.  Maybe I will stop reading HER blog! That will show her I mean business.  Oh wait...I have 14 that follow me - she has like a thousand or something.  Yeah...she won't miss me.  But then I won't have to hear about how she is spending all of this time with these other blogs. I had big dreams of us being together but now I guess I should delete her from FB too.

Feeling so silly - the endorphins are flowing from my walk tonight.

I had my third fill today.  I love Carol.  I actually love the whole True Results office staff.  They are starting to recognize me and I talk to them.   I love trying to make Carol laugh.  I told her how nervous I was about this fill because it felt like she did the last one with her teeth.  She said she had never heard that before and ...she laughed. I also told her how I thought she turned her head last time to laugh a little when I said "holy crap".  She denied it, but I know.... I am so less nervous about things when I can make people laugh.  I handle stress with laughter.  It's my thing.

So I had .4cc added (or is it ml).  I was down just 3 pounds from the four weeks since my last fill.  Ugh.  I have been just maintaining. I knew my eating was not to par.  I have been hungry again.  I've been exercising like a beast.  I am glad for that or I would have been gaining.  I was hungry when I went into my appointment.   One sweet, smooth stick from Carol and suddenly not hungry.  It always amazes me when I get a new fill how instantaneous the results are.  All the worry about pain was for nothing.  It was smooth like the first fill.

I am looking forward to this new phase of weight loss.  230's here I come!  I need to blog more, but I smell funky from my 4.5 mile walk and I am zonked.

Love to all!!

forehead deodorant?

Hello Bloggers and Readers!

I am irritated.  I need to post about it because I can idly sit by no more.  I sweat when I exercise.  I sweat a lot.  It seems to come mostly from my forehead and work it's way down.  The sweat rolls down my forehead and into my eyes.  It burns a lot!!!  Yes, I know there are headbands for just such a thing...but I just don't dig this look.

 And I can definitely tell you that this look does NOT dig me.  Sooo...what is a girl left to do?  I need some sort of forehead deodorant that won't sting your eyes.  Future invention?  I think yes!!!

Things in lap band world have really stagnated for me.  I missed my last fill appt and I suppose I really needed that fill.  Despite my more intense exercise routine - I am routinely walking four miles in an hour, about 3-4 times a week- I am not losing any more weight.  I am snacking more often (bad...I know), and it's showing in the lack of loss.

My sister in law is trying to convince me that I should walk in the morning (like at 4am).  The rationale is that nothing can get in the way (except for my big lazy butt staying in bed at 4am).  Often times our evenings are taken up by various things that are out of our control - but nothing gets in the way at 4am. I am interested...but not convinced.  If I can't maintain a good exercise schedule this week, I will have no other choice but to 4am it.  I'd like to avoid it though.  I did my four miles this morning pushing the baby (35 pound toddler) in his stroller. This is me on the right looking super fabulous with no makeup and sweating it up.   It was much more difficult taking the baby with me.  At first I was energized, but then I was dragging all afternoon.  I can't afford to drag at work in the afternoon.  Those kids would eat me alive!  Sooo...I'm tossing the idea around in my head.

I am starting a competition to walk 50 miles in the month of September with my friend who lives in San Francisco.  We are friends through Runtastic, so we can check each other's progress. I think it's going to be fun.  Next month I think we should do straight up how many can you walk in the month.  I think we are on to something here.

I found these pictures below that I wanted to share.  You can see where I was before I started Weight Watchers and before I was banded.  Not pretty...  In fact, I looked kind of manly.  Ugh.

Here is a more recent one.  I like it a lot better.  I need to get back to losing.  I need to lose, with or without a fill.  My grandfather is coming to visit in October.  I would like to be in the 230's before he gets here.  He hasn't seen me at a "reasonable" size in so long.  With him in his 90's, I'm not sure how many opportunities I will have to show him that I am changing my life.  

Love to all!  Thank you for reading and keeping me posting!  It's going to be a great week!