"One" IS Significant

Sorry I haven't been posting as often as I would like, but I haven't had much time on the internet lately. I will continue to make more of an effort to come online to blog. I love it!

I stuck to my plan this past week, journaling my food consumption and being aware of what I was eating. I definitely felt like I was overeating and would feel hungry before I thought I should. I really thought I gained weight since my last appointment, but when I got on the scale today, I was happy to see that I lost one pound! I know it's only one pound in two weeks, but that pound was so precious and I was so grateful to see it go. More so because I was afraid I had gained weight. Phew!

Gaspar (the NP from NYU) saw me today and did my adjustment for me. We spoke for a bit, and basically, as I already knew, but am now actually living it, everyone is different. Some people only need one adjustment and they're good to go, while it may take others three, four or six adjustments before they find their "sweet spot" and are living in the "Green Zone". Gaspar said he went a little easy on me (since I told him about my stuck chicken today) and gave me an extra 1.5cc's of saline. I am grateful for this since I am going away to western PA to visit Kristen, Scott and the boys, and won't have access to the doctors should I find myself too tight. For dinner I had some broccoli cheddar soup from Panera's (didn't feel like cooking), took my time, was able to get it down and felt satisfied after about 5oz. This is good. Once I start eating some solids, I'll be able to feel the restriction and know better where I stand.

Well, I'm off to bed. Have to get up early for my road trip tomorrow. Yay!

Yay... Warmth!

Could it be? Spring is finally here? No more snow? It is deliciously warm outside, and the sun is shining bright today, which always helps one's mood. :)

Today is one week since my first fill. I've been doing pretty well, able to eat and not feeling hungry. I am noticing, however, that at times, I need to eat a little more than 4-5oz of food to feel satisfied. Hence, I feel like I'm "overeating". Now, obviously the sense of the word has a completely different meaning than before Weight Loss Surgery (WLS). Before, when I "overate", it meant, that I consumed enough food for two people, and felt like I was going to explode. Now, after WLS, I never eat to the point of explosion, and "overeating" simply means I might eat 6-8oz of food instead of 4-5oz. Not the end of the world, but not the most optimal for maximum effectiveness of the Band.

So, here's my plan... my next appointment is next Friday, the 25th. I will just wait and see, not only the scale results, but find out what the doctor thinks, at that time. That will be 2 weeks after the adjustment. In the meantime, I will keep noting when I feel hungry and pay attention to the amount of food I am consuming. I am trying very hard to be cognizant of all factors while eating...

• what I'm eating (protein, veg, complex carb, etc); 
• the amount of time it takes me to eat (putting fork down after each bite and taking a long breath helps slow things down);
• making sure food is well chewed, and bite not too big; and
• how much food I am actually eating! (measuring out beforehand helps a lot)

We'll see how things go next week.

Tomorrow I'm going w/ my family to a few wineries in western Jersey to celebrate my aunt's birthday. Looking forward to the family time! Then tomorrow night, I am going bowling w/ several other WLS patients from NJLA. I am really looking forward to this! I get to meet other people who are going through the same things I am, in a fun and active setting. Who doesn't love to bowl, right?!?

Well, I'm off to enjoy the rest of this gorgeous day. Think I'll get my car washed! Soak up the sun, people, soak it up!

First Fill

Hi All... Got my first adjustment on Friday, the 11th. So far, so good. They recommend you go on a liquid and soft food diet for the first two days after, to help you adjust. I've had no problems w/ any of the foods I've tried so far, which is good. Then again, I am being extra careful, taking small bites, chewing the hell out of the food and eating super slow. Don't want anything getting stuck!

I am just about fully recovered from the strep, which is wonderful.

It's really amazing how my life has changed so much since the surgery. They tell you that the surgery changes you, and you start seeing the world through different eyes. I thought I was prepared for this. I am now realizing that I was not completely prepared. However, I am taking things as they come and slowly learning to accept myself and the circumstances around me. If something good is happening, embrace it! Don't question it. That is the new philosophy I am trying to live by. We'll see.

Today was a nice surprise... my school district was closed due to flooding! I did go in for a little bit though to help serve lunch, since the building was still open. But, I only had to go in for a few hours. No complaints here! :) Let's see if tomorrow's the same!

If the Sweater Fits!

Quick post, because I don't have much time, but am excited to share some non-scale successes with you all!

Last summer I bought a very classic, cute white dress w/ stylish black polka dots for a cocktail party. However, the dress was quite snug, and I felt like a stuffed sausage, so I opted w/ another, more comfortable dress instead. I again tried the polka dress on for Halloween. It was even tighter and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Back on the hanger and into the closet it went. Then yesterday I had the notion to give it another go, since I have lost a good amount of weight. And wouldn't you know... that sucker zipped right up, no sucking in on my part, and was actually LOOSE on me! Even in the bust area (Gasp! I know! haha). It was one of the most amazing feelings ever. Like a natural high.

This then inspired me to try on a few more items that were stored away at the bottom of my drawers. And low and behold... they fit! Today, I am wearing a beautiful sweater that I have not worn in TWO years, because it's fitted and every time I put it on reminded me of how heavy I had become, because it would emphasize everything. Not today though. It fits me perfectly, and I actually got several comments at work at how great I look and to keep doing what I'm doing. Someone even told me I had a cute little "cinched" waist! Seriously?! How uplifting to hear!

I know I still have a long way to go, but I will take these little victories any day, any time! :) Happy Monday, All!

Strep, Agh!

Sorry again for the lag in posts. This time it's due to the evil monster, Strep Throat, who came to visit me Thursday afternoon, and decided to stick around for awhile. I finally went to the hospital yesterday, where they gave a miracle shot of steroids (my throat was that bad and fever 102.8), a bunch of meds and started me on antibiotics. When I tell you that after an hour I already started feeling better, it was amazing. AND I was in and out of Holy Name ER faster than I would've at Emergimed. Unbelievable. While my throat is still kind of sore today, the swelling has reduced immensely and I am on my way to full recovery!

So, now let me rewind a bit. Introducing solids back into my diet has been going pretty well so far. I have found that chicken breast can be a little troublesome as well as broccoli stems (which I'm not all that committed to anyway, ha ha). They (some people at the practice) are thinking I might not need many adjustments at all, if I'm already finding resistance without a fill. This is a good thing, I think.

And speaking of adjustments... I am definitely ready for mine. I've been measuring out my 4oz of food, and I am now at the point where I could eat more than that. I know you're all thinking, "Seriously? 4oz of food? Anyone can eat more than that, unless you're a bird!" But, that's all I should need to feel full and satisfied. And so, since I am able to eat more, and feel hungry sooner than I should, it means it's time. Today was supposed to be my appointment for my very first adjustment. Exciting isn't it?! Well, thanks to the Strep Throat, I now I have to wait until I am completely better before getting adjusted. Which, is okay with me. My health is always my number one motivating factor in this journey, and that's what this decision is about. Since I was heaving overnight on Thursday, they had me go into the office on Friday just to make sure it wasn't the Band causing any issues. Dr. V told me to drink lots of fluids, get better and wait until I was completely well again before getting adjusted. Oh, but while I was there, I got weighed (this is something they do every time you go) and to my great surprise, I lost another 7lbs! Making my total weight loss thus far (well, minus what I lost from not eating Friday and Saturday) 24lbs in less than a month! Amazing. I'm going to stick w/ this 1lb/week weight loss goal, so that anything extra feels extra good. :)

On a side note... I'm putting my job searching efforts back into full effect. Especially after my lovely little germ-breeders have infected me once again. If you know of anything, I would be so grateful for the information or heads-up.

Hope everyone is well and staying healthy... be careful out there, everyone's getting sick! Have a great week!

Enter, Solids

My first attempt at solids (Laughing Cow spreadable garlic & herb cheese, on slice of Tuscan bread, grilled) was a success! Next was a small slice of my brother's homemade veggie pizza. Also a success! Sunday was another successful day. Please note, I am being extra careful and chewing my food like 25 times before I dare to swallow it. LOL

Today I had leftovers from my Aunt's dinner last night, and had a little trouble getting the pasta and/or pork loin down. It wasn't a big issue, I just had to wait a few moments for it to pass, and it wasn't even completely stuck. The thing that stinks is, I get very thirsty while I'm eating, but since I can't drink and eat at the same time... well, this is an adjustment for me, for sure.

Saturday night I went out w/ my siblings and friends to celebrate my sister's 22nd birthday. I wanted something cold to drink, but am still afraid to try carbonation, so that ruled out beer. I instead went w/ Stoli O and Cranberry. The first bar we went to, DCs, served me my drink in a nostalgic old-fashioned Ball jar... it was a little more than 12oz. Not only was the drink quite delicious, it "magically" took effect as if I had drank 4 of them! This is going to save me OODLES of money when it comes to libations. ;)

Hope everyone stayed dry today. I hope the rest of the week is sunny, as it purports to be, w/ a few warm days in the mix too. Have a great week!

What a Week!

Sorry folks... I know I've been MIA for awhile. All is well, the days just blurred into one another and before I knew it a week had gone by.

We last left off w/ my stellar post-op appointment last week, when I got the go-ahead to switch to soft foods. That has been going well. I am enjoying eating salmon, tuna, eggs and I created this delicious chick pea dish that was still appealing once emulsified! :) Yum.

I have, however, officially discovered what it feels like to be "stuck" (when food is not able to pass through the stoma and literally gets stuck). I gotta tell ya, not so fun. My first incident happened on Monday. Totally my fault. I decided it would be okay for me to have a couple of, what I thought to be, soft hors d'oeuvres. I should not have attempted this, as my instructions are soft, mushy foods. Well, they got "stuck", and it felt like this tight feeling in my chest. So, what would be your first instinct to do? Drink something to wash it down, right? Yeah, that was my instinct too. Problem is, when you have the Band, this concept does not work. What happened? Since the water could not go down, past the food, it came right back up. I was like one of those spouting water fountains. Ha ha Eventually the food went down, all was well and I learned my lesson. Thank Goddess I didn't throw up. The other incident happened last night. I had part of an omelet left over from dinner (eggs are OK). I must've taken too big a bite, or not chewed well enough. It got stuck. I tried jumping up and down to get it to pass, but in the end just had to wait it out. Again, grateful I didn't throw up.

Now, I begin incorporating solids back into my diet. Happy day! However, I will be proceeding w/ caution. This is good though, because I am starting to feel hungry again, and can eat more than 4oz sometimes. Looks like I will be needing a little fill when I go for my first adjustment on the 6th. I'm sticking to portions though. 

I also discovered that I really do, no longer have a tolerance for alcohol. After 2 shots of tequila Saturday night I was completely drunk. Going forward, I'm going to be quite the cheap date! Ha ha

This past Sunday I got see my cousins from Indiana who I never get to see, and meet my cousin's little baby, who is adorable, by the way. It was a great day!

Lots of surprising things are already happening in my life, but I'm not ready to get into that just yet. It just feels surreal that all I did at this point was have the surgery, and my life has become a whirlwind of options and new opportunities. Is it because of the surgery, or is it in my mind? Is it just that I feel more confident? Let's see what will unfold.

I've already started using cocoa butter like crazy, in the attempt to reduce any scarring from the surgery to none. *fingers crossed*

Promise to go back to regular postings. I've really missed my blog this past week! Hope everyone is well. Happy Friday!