Great Online Sale - Tuesday Only!

Hi all!

Just came across a great sale to share with you all.  No-Nonsense is having a great sale online today (extending cyberMonday).  50% off everything and free shipping.  There isn't a ton of plus sized stuff....but there is some XL stuff.  I didn't look at hose and tights...not sure what the size situation is there.  But PJs, scarfs, undies, socks....all sorts of stuff that we all hate to pay a lot for, but that we might go through fairly fast these days as we change sizes.

Or if you are doing shopping for others you might find some deals.

Here's the link

Thanksgiving loss???

This is something new for me.  It appears that I might have lost  weight over the Thanksgiving weekend.  I weighed in for the challenge this morning at 256.8.  I have been hanging on in the 257ish range for the last 36 hours or so...so 250s might finally be here.

I love my band!

I really didn't overdo it much.  I had 1/2 of a slice of 2 different pies.  I had spoonfuls of green bean casserole and mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts.  I had like an ounce or 2 of turkey and a roll that my husband couldn't eat because he was getting stuck.  He is really officially done with bread.  considering my past years of Thanksgiving, I think what I ate wasn't too bad.  I am now dealing with leftovers.  Turkey and ham....lots of it.  I have to figure out what I am going to make with it all.  I think I'm going to do a ham and cheese and broccoli quiche - protein and veg.  I made some little ham and swiss sammies.  Tonight we are mixing things up and having sloppy joes made with ground turkey that DH just bought before he made me a ham and cheese omelet this morning.  My cranberry and cherry sauce was yummy and I've been snacking on a spoonful at a time of that when I need a little something sweet.

I have really just sat around for the last 2 days.  MIL left on Friday at noon and I just have been taking in some peace and quiet.  I like having her around.  I like having a little peace too.  So, it's been good.  Today, we hope to finish putting away our lawn furniture and such for the winter.  I also plan on going for a walk.  I think I am even going to start again with C25K and see if I can at least start moving through it.  I don't mind if I even have to do each week twice....  I just need a goal.

Enough rambling.

Have a wonderful end to your weekends!!

Until later....

Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who is celebrating!  I hope you all have wonderful, fun-filled days full of good decisions and knowing what is best to chose to eat and not getting stuck.

DH and I went yesterday for fills.  I'm up to 4ccs and he is up to 7.  He is feeling a ton of restriction.  I'm not so much yet - but I'm still on liquids.  I've actually been really hungry since then, but am trying to stick to liquids until dinner tonight when I'll have mostly mushies and a taste of turkey.  I hope he finds more comfort in drinking liquids over the course of the day - or else it's going to be a long day/weekend!!

I am thankful for so many things.  Getting healthier, having a warm home and so much food that it's ridiculous, having a wonderful husband and a great family - and even for being able to have both my family and my in-laws for Thanksgiving at the same time.

May you also know all the ways in which you are blessed today as well!!

Something's got to give.

I'm back up .8.  Seriously.

Tired of it.

Hoping for the fill to work a miracle.  Also, going to work even harder on eating the right things for the next 6 days leading up to the fill.  Just looking for a little 250s love.  Good news - I have a whole history from my weigh in book to show them at the doctor.  They didn't officially weigh me the day of my first fill - just took my word for the weight. So I have proof that I've been in the same 3 pounds since one week after surgery.

I'm feeling inspiration by reading what everyone typically eats.  I even decided to set up "appointments" in outlook calendar at work to remind me to go for a walk and get some steps - and drink some water.  Hoping that helps a little with that side of things.

You are all so sweet with your comments.  LOL at my boobs getting smaller - DH has already noticed that.  I'm ready for that, truth be told.  I did wear a pair of jeans today that have always been a little big, but now really are falling down.  Time to focus on other pairs.  I'm kinda in between with other clothes though, having not lost enough to move out of them.  So, we'll keep hanging on.

Thanksgiving dinner count - up to 18 people.  Not sure where everyone will sit.

You are all wonderful.  Thanks again for the encouragement and comments on the pictures!  I'm so lucky.

2 months post-op

So, I thought I'd share a some before and now pictures for my 2 month bandiversary, which was yesterday.  Better late than never.  I actually had my DH home tonight to try and take pics in the same place we took them the night before the surgery.  In some ways I can see differences and in some I can't.  I will preface with the fact that clearly we were dealing with the night before surgery and I had worked long hours leading up to that as I didn't know how long I'd be out.  They are true "before" pics!  Also, I have had a good haircut and color with a shade lighter since then.  I notice it as a huge difference but can now see why most people just know "something is different" but aren't quite sure.  I think the darker, new color might be the one to stick with when I am not tan.

Ok...enough pointing out the flaws.

I'm clearly happier.  : )  However, I can also tell the shirt is looser.  When I put on my shorts tonight, I could also feel a difference.

Not quite as pregnant.  Not quite as pulling, although I think I have a different bra on.  : )

Here is where I see the most difference.  First with the hair.  Then also with my cheeks a little.  We'll see.  I know as I lose, it will be more dramatic.

Tomorrow is weigh in day.  I have walked 4 times.  I have been trying with the water.  Today I had a huge NSV.  We have quarterly meetings that I have to attend.  The person running them always orders from a great pizza place.  This morning I asked him to get me a salad, as they also have great salads.  I had a salad and just 1 piece of pizza.  Huge difference from months ago when I'd be going for 4 -5 pieces over the course of the meeting.  This morning's peak had me below 260, we'll see if it holds out.  I am going to down a ton of water before I go to bed in about 2 hours so hopefully by morning I am flushing the rest of the salt from the pizza out of the system.

MIL comes next week for Thanksgiving.  She and I get along.  I don't always agree with her ways.  I don't believe she takes care of herself.  But...for the most part, it's fine.  She is bringing so much flippin' food to make for Thanksgiving.  Here is the problem.  I am hosting both DH's mother and sister and nieces, but also my parents, sister and BIL and nieces and nephew.  14 people total.  Both sides have their own traditional foods - so we'll be making basically 2 dinners worth of food.  For all of these people.  I love love love cooking.  I'm not sure how I'm going to do a ham and a turkey and all of the other stuff in my kitchen though.  Eeek...good planning, good planning.

: )

And I'm having a fill the day before Thanksgiving, so hopefully that helps with the whole control piece.

How are you all anticipating Thanksgiving and handling it?

peek-a-boo

My daily peek on the scale this morning showed 257.something.

*knocking on wood* hope it stays!!

Already went for a walk this morning - and now some intense house cleaning!!

It's beautiful here - supposed to get up to 72.  I have the windows open and am enjoying what willmost likely be my last taste of warmer weather for a few months!

Have great Saturdays, everyone!!

Update - and incredible protein shake!!

Thank you again for the encouragement.  It's really just amazing - as you all know!

- I called the dr office.  I have a fill scheduled the day before Thanksgiving.  I will take myself off of mushies about 30 hours later.  But, will probably eat a saucer full of food.

- Really, turkey is about the only non-mushy we will have, I think, that I care about.

- I saw 259 on my scale this morning.  Shhh - don't tell anyone.  I don't want to jinx it.

- In my attempt to plan meals, I have decided to alternate breakfast between a protein shake and oatmeal with some protein powder added.  This morning I made this shake - apple pie protein shake!!!  Soooo good.  Definitely a good fall flavor!  I am using the splurge Starbux Cinnamon Dolce SF syrup I bought and have been hoarding.  Tasty!!

- Happy Friday all!!

Weigh in...and support.

Thank you to those who have commented so far on my morning post.  I am going to call shortly and see if I can get in for the week of the 29th.  That will be almost 5 weeks out.  I am guessing they might not do one Thanksgiving Week because they are pretty particular about wanting to be open after you get your fill so you don't end up in an ER with people who don't know what they are doing.  And they only do fills on Tues and Wed for that reason.  We'll see!!

I weighed in.  I ate some chili before I weighed in, even.  My boss was eating, my other eating partners were in a different meeting.  So I decided to just do it.  I don't think in 25 years of dieting that I have eaten right before a weigh in.  :)  Anyways....I was down 1.2!  Glad to see 260.2 - my lowest yet.  However, I am freaking tired of the 260s.  Sooo soo ready for the next decade.

I put together my meal plan for the next week while in my weight w@tchers meeting.  So, now to just follow along and do this. 

One day and one week at a time.

until later!

My next fill?

OK...so it's been a little over 2 weeks since my first fill.  I'm not feeling tons of restriction - at least not anything more than I felt when I had just had my surgery.  My weight loss is holding steady - not lost more than I had since the surgery.

At what point do I just call and get another fill?

Next Tuesday will be 2 months banded.  I think I set myself up to think that this whole process would be moving along faster.  I read other blogs and think - they are losing and doing this.  I see the post from Amy yesterday and think, yup, I'm going to be one of the ones this isn't going to work for.  I look at WHAT I am eating and think - the amount is certainly less, but the quality is certainly not 100% there.  I am walking - which I never did before.  But I'm not walking everyday or even every other day.  Somewhere around 2 -3 times a week.  I am not drinking enough water.

I need to kick it into gear.  I have had this great opportunity handed to me to get it together and do what needs to happen.  I read and saw and knew it wasn't the magic pill - but somehow hoped for a little longer honeymoon period.

I weigh in later at work.  I know - looking at my home scale - that I'm not down.  I might be able to flush a little more out, but doubtful in 3 hours.

Until my next weigh in next week, I'd like to focus on 3 things:

Walk at least 4 times between now and then.
Drink 80 oz of water a day.
Plan meals with good choices.

You've gotta have a plan, right??  Any butt kicking and accountability is welcome.  :)

I hope you are all doing well.

The Holiday Challenge!

So today starts the Challenge!  I'm so excited.  I definitely need this little push to get me going.  I think I'm just still in a little bandster hell - not feeling much restriction, although definitely eating less than I did onceuponaTIMEBEFORETHEband.  :)  I am hoping to up the exercise a little too.

Speaking of which - so last night DH and I had our anniversary celebration, staying at a local nice hotel, dinner, and a horse drawn carriage ride.  We went and checked in and then both went to the workout room.  I did the first day of Couch to 5k.  I actually ran!  For a minute!  With a minute and a half between each bit of running!  8 cycles!!  31 minutes of this!!  So excited.  The last time I tried this, I couldn't do one time.  Mostly because (I think) I could barely walk and even just the 20 pounds or so I've lost since the beginning have made the difference!  Anyway - good times!!  The rest of the night was wonderful   Just good to spend time with DH and relax and be away and do fun things together.  I didn't do too bad with food.  One Cosmo, 5oz fillet with a little blue cheese on it.  You know - up the protein.  Salad, with dressing on the side.  half of the side of mashed potatoes.  And dessert.  But overall, not bad for a good night out.

Back to the challenge!  I weighed in heavy today - 263.8.  Not sure how I feel about that - although I'm glad it's at the beginning.  I think I'm getting ready for a period - so I am anticipating a quick loss there.  We'll see. At very least, though, I am hoping to get back on track with basics.  No pop. More good protein.  More Water.  More exercise.

Can you believe it's November???

Crazy.

Challenges and The Challenge

I know - I've been missing from these parts.  Work has been crazy - life is a little crazy.  And well, this whole band thing has me challenged.

Good news about general stuff - tomorrow night DH and I are going to a hotel downtown to stay and celebrate our 2nd anniversary.  I am looking forward to just spending some time with him away from our house and things.  It will be nice to have a good dinner and I think I'm going to surprise him with a carriage ride afterward.  Then to stay in a place I didn't have to clean before or after we are there.  I love that part of hotels.  Monday night we have tickets for the football game.  This will be my first regular season game - so, I'm excited to go!  I guess I just gave away where I live to anyone who is a football fan....  ahh well.

DH also was offered a job this week.  He was laid off about a year and a half ago, but has been going to school.  I was fine with the lay off as long as he was going to school.  We did unemployment for a while and then he started doing some teaching work for his professor.  But I know he feels better about now getting to do some of the things he's been learning about on a regular basis.  I'm proud of him.  But, I know that things will get a little crazy around here and that I will be seeing less of him for a while, until school is over.

So, in band news - I gained this week.  Only .6, but if you have been around here much, I've been going up and down for about a month now.  I know I am not doing my best.  I am eating less than I ever have.  I went to breakfast with my mom and sister and niece and nephew this morning and had only 1/2 of my omelet and 1/2 of the hash browns and 2 pieces of toast.  Once upon a time, I wouldn't have left anything.  However, I kinda feel like that's more than I should have had.  I also know I'm not drinking enough water.  I am trying...but especially on my days away from work, I'm struggling with getting even a decent amount in.  I just need to get more aware - and really start carrying some with me everywhere I go.  I have been walking more.  I am trying to keep up with everyone at work and their progress.  Have I mentioned before that the woman who is leading us all has been AVERAGING over 30k steps a day!  A DAY!!!

It is not me in the lead.

In fact, I barely do 1/6 of her work in one day, unless I am really getting after it.

But some days I do great.

So...food - needs to get healthier and more protein filled.  Water needs to be consumed more.  Exercise needs to be up-ed.

I am also going to go ahead and get the fill scheduled for the week after Thanksgiving.  Plenty of time to adjust to a fill into the holidays.  And that will be 6 weeks after my last one.

So, I also joined in the challenge that Kristen is hosting.  Today is the last day to get in, if you want to be in!!  It's a great chance to motivate and win some moolah - both things that are completely bonuses!!  Plus, I am finding new people to follow.  I need a job where all day long I read blogs.  Just saying.

Speaking of blogs - I'm going to let you all in on a little secret here in my world.  I follow blogs that focus on - and have developed a pastime for - finding good deals, mostly at grocery stores.  For instance, today, I got some free lactose free milk (for DH) and free turkey bacon - 4 packages.  So excited.  Yesterday - cheap weight w@tchers frozen meals.  cheap enough that I don't care if I don't eat the whole package.  That makes me happy.

Now, I'm off to make some homemade applesauce - chunky kind - to use up some of the apples I've been a buying.

I hope you all are doing well!!!

until later!