I am the worlds worst blogger!

But when I go back and read my old posts, it makes me so sad that I don't post more often. Wow! I've come a long way! I weighed this morning and I am 215.2.  That's a total of 84.2 lbs in a little less than a year. I am SOOO happy with that. Last year at this time I had no idea what this journey was going to feel like. I have learned so much and I have changed a lot. Some things I don't think will ever change. Like my love for food. It is still very much there and very real. I am constantly counting calories and trying my best to make good choices.

I had an appointment in July and I decided I wanted a fill. I thought I was doing pretty well, but I wanted to be a little tighter. Dr B put .2 cc's in and sent me on my way. I can tell you, by the time I drove to SAMs club, I knew I was too tight. I ignored myself and went about my way.  The next month proceeded to be the most miserable I think I have ever been. I lost a lot of weight for about 2 weeks and then it came to a screeching halt! I didn't loose anything from the middle of July to September 5, 2014. I would lose a few pounds and then the next day, be right back up. That was so very frustrating. I had another appointment about mid August. I had .2 taken out and he told me I should feel better. I did, so I think I started eating too much, that is why I didn't loose. I'm not sure the exact reason. I didn't feel like I was eating too much, but maybe. So then I just went and saw him again on Wednesday. I told him more about my stall or plateau, and he didn't want to put more in.  He started me on thyroid med and a diet pill. He said often times when you've lost half of your excess weight, your metabolism slows way down. I'm thinking that could very well be the problem.  I've lost 5 lbs since Wednesday!! He also put me on a VERY low calorie diet, 700-800/ day, but with the diet pills, it's not a problem at all. I was starting to jog a little, but he said I needed to wait because my bmi is not under 35 yet. It will be in about 5 more lbs. :) I've got this.  This has been a tough journey, but I Can do hard things! My journey is not over. It's just begin. My journey is a life long journey. I'm excited. I love wearing littler clothes! I bought a new workout shirt and it is a size 14/16. I bought capris in a size 16. I love it! That is still big, but it is a lot smaller than the 24's I just took out of the closet cause they fall off of me! I can't wait to be under 200. A little over 15 lbs and I'll be there! I can do this!

Cecil is still doing amazing too! He is down 55-60 lbs. He is going to start at it hard and strong again on Monday. His birthday is on Sunday and he wants to enjoy some yummy food. :)

Nothing too exciting

I don't know why it's hard to post every Friday, but it seems like it slips my mind. Saturday I hit a low in weight and that made me so happy! I weighed in at 252.0.  I'm up today but I know why. I'm pmsing and for the next week and a half I won't loose an ounce. It is really frustrating! I've learned in the past two months that that is how my body works, though. Then I'll loose 6-7 lbs the 2 1/2 weeks after my period. I love those few weeks lol. I guess there isn't a thing I can do about the monthly cycle thing. I continue to work out and I do my very best to keep my cravings in check. It's a tough thing though.

I've been trying to switch my workouts up a bit. I'll go to the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now that the weather is warming up I've been doing our loop of 2.5 miles on the other days. The kids are on spring break right now so I took the four youngest ones with me plus the dog. I wasn't able to go as fast, but I really want to get my family involved in getting healthy as well. It was a nice walk. I also signed the boys up for soccer and they start next week the girls didn't want to play. I really want to get the 2 younger girls in dance or gymnastics. I think they'd love it. And that would be great exercise.

Other then that, I'm still just learning how to adjust to this major life change. I've learned that I can't drink anything ice cold. If its been in the fridge, I can't drink it. It can be kinda cool, but room temperature goes down the best. If its too cold, I tighten up so tight that the liquid gets stuck and comes back up. I'm ok with this most of the time. Sometimes I want a really cold drink, or a little milk or something, but I'm learning to deal with it. I have a dr appointment on Monday and I'll bring that up with him. My assumption is this is normal.

The lap band and antibiotics

It's been a long week. I was sick all last weekend with what I thought was strep throat.  I didn't feel good at all. I did decide to get a fill for my band on Monday and when I got to the clinic I was running a tempature. I even took ibuprofen to try and mask it. They did the fill anyway but I only was able to get .2 cc's put in. I think I'm pretty happy with where I'm at right now. Im right at 4 cc's. But by Tuesday I couldn't take the sore throat anymore. I went to the dr and good thing I did. I have influenza b. The dr put me on four antibiotics and I'm happy to say they are working. I'm not 100% better, but I think I can start to work out again tomorrow. It's been a tough week at our house. Hubby got it, the littlest one got it, and I finally got antibiotics for the middle one whose been fighting crud since Thanksgiving. But hopefully we're all on the mend.

The problem is the antibiotics. 2 are liquid and of course go down fine. However, 2 are pills. I've had a really hard time with them. I will absolutely request liquid form from now on. I have such a hard time swallowing them. And I have to eat with them so that's been really hard too. I can't wait to be done with them. Only 10 more days to go. Ugh!

On the upside, Saturday mornings weigh in was 255.8. I'm really happy with that! I love seeing the scale go down!

To fill or not to fill...?

That is the question.  I have a dr. Appointment on Monday and I really can't decide if I want to get a fill or not. Some days, like today, everything I eat gets stuck. I end up pbing and it is not fun.  Days like yesterday, nothing got stuck. So I am really torn. Yes, I am losing weight, but I am seriously exercising my butt off! I had a goal to have a 1000 calorie workout this week and it happened! I did it! That was a great feeling for me.  I love my heart rate monitor!


I exercised a lot this week and the lowest I got down to was 257.8. I was hoping for a little more, and that's why I want a fill.  But getting stuck on a bite of banana isn't my idea of fun either. That's why I am so torn. If any of you readers want to leave a comment, some advice, or personal experiences, I'd really appreciate it! I know exercise is a huge part of weight loss and I actually am learning to love my exercise.  I just want a little more help from my band in addition to the exercise. I don't know if any of that makes an ounce of sense at all...

Long time! Weigh in.

So it's been forever since I have blogged. To be honest,the reason is because I stalled. Big time! I didn't lose anything for 2 months. I stated between 267 and 265 until Christmas. Then we went on vacation to Utah and Wyoming to see family. With 5 kids, my hubby and I all in one vehicle, you only take the bare minimums. My scale was not going to come.  There wasn't an ounce of spare room in our Honda pilot. We were gone for 11 days. I managed to weigh one morning on my sisters scale, about 8 days into our vacation, and to my surprise, I was down. Maybe there is something to this "not weighing everyday" thing. When we got back home I was very anxious to weigh myself. Really? I LOST weight on vacation?!? It was true.  I was down to 264 when we got home. Not perfect, but I didn't gain. I went to the Dr. On January 13 and with my clothes on I weighed 264 on their scale. That was a -4 loss from my last appointment. They were happy with that. So was I. I had told my hubby I wanted a personal trainer for Christmas. Not at all realistic. As a compromise he got me a gym membership.  As an added bonus, he joined too! I was so happy! I now go every Tues and Thursday while the little one is at preschool and hubby and I try to go at least Monday and Fridays. Sometimes he goes with me on Saturdays, sometimes I go alone. But I am really trying to work my booty off. And I am seeing results! Today I weighed 258.8!!! I have officially lost 40 lbs. It is not melting off of me, but it is coming off and for that I am so grateful! I am happy with my results.

Here are anew things I've learned since introducing real food:
   * YES, I do have to weigh everything I eat! I can't guess because I will eat too much!
   * Feeling full is not the same feeling as before the band. When I'm full, it isn't down in my regular stomach. It's a lot higher. Makes perfect sense, but sometimes I forget that. And I very rarely feel "full". That's ok!
   * I have to listen to my body's real needs. That is so new to me. It's so different than my body's "wants".  I need protein. I don't need sugary treats. I will feel satisfied after 2-3 ounces of protein and the desire for a treat will be gone if I eat the right thing first!
   * Getting stuck is very real and as of yesterday, I think I can tell when it is starting and I can fix it before I throw up. This is huge for me. I have been pbing a lot lately.

That's just a few things. I am learning a lot every day and I am working very hard! Hubby bought me a heart rate monitor for Christmas and I love it! I don't leave the gym until I've burned 600 calories. It usually takes me an hour. It's a great workout routine and I love it when I go. I'm really starting to like this healthy lifestyle routine. It's pretty empowering.