216.4
In one week, I've lost 0.6 lbs. Normally, I'd find that frustrating. But really, today, I don't. Because I haven't really been trying at all. I've been eating whatever I can and whatever I feel like, and in a normal week, that would translate to Big Spankings From Scale.
Why am I not trying right now? I should be super-motivated by the wedding and the fact that the band is now working. I should be stoked to eat 300-calorie meals and still be able to glide effortlessly through my day. Excuses/justifications/reasons:
1. Drank alot on Saturday night.
2. I have been eating a lot of cheese, because its protein, and it doesn't make me PB like anything bready.
3. I have been PBing a lot. And then much later, eating things that are easy to eat as a result. See #2.
4. I haven't been working out, as I've been working too much.
Turkey Day is tomorrow. I'm hosting about 10 people. Should be fun, but its lots of work and I'm starting to sweat the small stuff. I don't plan on a gorge-fest, of course, but I am looking forward to a few bites of yummies.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
slowly but surely
217.0
Yup.
I seem to swing wildly from extreme-to-extreme. Tuesday was a three-bite lunch of fairly innocuous food, followed by a hearty PB. Last night, the same at supper time. Today at lunch? I managed 90% of a shredded chicken barbeque sandwich (eaten with a fork inside-out) and a peanut butter cookie (awful, I know).
What the heck?
But, I am still losing. I am definitely cutting down on total intake so I'm not complaining, just wondering, how my tolerance for the exact same foods-- for example, chicken breast-- can vary day by day and sometimes hour by hour.
It seems like lunch is my big meal now. I can manage more at lunch than I can at breakfast and supper combined, it seems. Oatmeal has become my standard morning meal: I like the Quaker low-sugar maple and brown sugar packets. 120 calories, not too shabby. I need to concentrate more on protein than I have been, but I'm not naturally inclined to a sit down to a plate of meat, so I am still working on that aspect.
I don't think I'll make it under 200 by the end of the year though; the end of November is creeping up awful fast.
Yup.
I seem to swing wildly from extreme-to-extreme. Tuesday was a three-bite lunch of fairly innocuous food, followed by a hearty PB. Last night, the same at supper time. Today at lunch? I managed 90% of a shredded chicken barbeque sandwich (eaten with a fork inside-out) and a peanut butter cookie (awful, I know).
What the heck?
But, I am still losing. I am definitely cutting down on total intake so I'm not complaining, just wondering, how my tolerance for the exact same foods-- for example, chicken breast-- can vary day by day and sometimes hour by hour.
It seems like lunch is my big meal now. I can manage more at lunch than I can at breakfast and supper combined, it seems. Oatmeal has become my standard morning meal: I like the Quaker low-sugar maple and brown sugar packets. 120 calories, not too shabby. I need to concentrate more on protein than I have been, but I'm not naturally inclined to a sit down to a plate of meat, so I am still working on that aspect.
I don't think I'll make it under 200 by the end of the year though; the end of November is creeping up awful fast.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
218.8
Well, I had my second fill just over a week ago now, and it has worked! I mostly am eating about half or a third of what I could normally manage. Sunday night for supper we went to Mellow Mushroom Pizza and I managed slightly less than one piece of pizza! Seriously!
Today for lunch we went to Whole Foods and I got a big spoonful of veggie lasagna, a garlic bread knot, five brussel sprouts, and a piece of lemon chicken. I ate three small bites of chicken, two small bites of lasagna, one brussel sprout and I was full.
Lest you think it is easy, I am still hungry between meals. Sometimes it is minor and I hardly notice, and sometimes my tummy gurgles, growls and snarls audibly, and it embarasses me.
I'm not allowed to drink with my meals, which is harder than you'd think. The longer I wait to start drinking (water, tea, coffee) after a meal, the longer I can go before getting hungry again. So I'm really thirsty alot and haven't quite licked that problem-- I tend to try to pound 4 cups of water a half hour or so before I eat, but sometimes I'm busy and its hard to remember or get it all down.
Also, the naughtiest foods go down the easiest and sometimes I get tired of everything being hard to eat-- I have to chew alot-- and just want full-sugar latte or milkshake that will just slide on down with no complaints. Chocolate still melts in my mouth and has no trouble sneaking past the band like a burglar in the night.
Last night we had a Girl's Night Out, we went to a salsa dance class and then to a local tapas restaurant, Eclipse di Luna. The other girls ordered a pitcher of sangria for the table, knowing that I would, as usualy, dive right in. And damned if I didn't want that sangria so badly that I drank it with my meal-- meaning I ate more than I could have if I hadn't been drinking. But I still ate less than normal.
This morning I made some homemade oatmeal, a half-serving of a recipe I used to use a lot. It went down fine and kept me happy until lunch.
3/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
2 Tbsp finely diced dried apple*
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 and 1/2 to 2 Tbsp Splenda
1/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/4 cup to 1 and 1/2 cup water
1. Combine dry ingredients and store in a Ziploc or other air-tight container if using later.
2. When ready to prepare oatmeal, measure out water into a cereal bowl or extra-large mug. For thicker oatmeal, I use about 1 and 1/4 cup of water.
3. Add well-mixed dry ingredients to water and stir in.
4. Microwave on high for 90 seconds. Stir and eat!
* My local Farmer’s Market sells bags of these, cut into little cubes, for way cheaper than the regular grocery store. I stock up when I go there.
M and I really need to go grocery shopping, maybe tonight. I will get some eggs and try to make myself eat them. Really.
Well, I had my second fill just over a week ago now, and it has worked! I mostly am eating about half or a third of what I could normally manage. Sunday night for supper we went to Mellow Mushroom Pizza and I managed slightly less than one piece of pizza! Seriously!
Today for lunch we went to Whole Foods and I got a big spoonful of veggie lasagna, a garlic bread knot, five brussel sprouts, and a piece of lemon chicken. I ate three small bites of chicken, two small bites of lasagna, one brussel sprout and I was full.
Lest you think it is easy, I am still hungry between meals. Sometimes it is minor and I hardly notice, and sometimes my tummy gurgles, growls and snarls audibly, and it embarasses me.
I'm not allowed to drink with my meals, which is harder than you'd think. The longer I wait to start drinking (water, tea, coffee) after a meal, the longer I can go before getting hungry again. So I'm really thirsty alot and haven't quite licked that problem-- I tend to try to pound 4 cups of water a half hour or so before I eat, but sometimes I'm busy and its hard to remember or get it all down.
Also, the naughtiest foods go down the easiest and sometimes I get tired of everything being hard to eat-- I have to chew alot-- and just want full-sugar latte or milkshake that will just slide on down with no complaints. Chocolate still melts in my mouth and has no trouble sneaking past the band like a burglar in the night.
Last night we had a Girl's Night Out, we went to a salsa dance class and then to a local tapas restaurant, Eclipse di Luna. The other girls ordered a pitcher of sangria for the table, knowing that I would, as usualy, dive right in. And damned if I didn't want that sangria so badly that I drank it with my meal-- meaning I ate more than I could have if I hadn't been drinking. But I still ate less than normal.
This morning I made some homemade oatmeal, a half-serving of a recipe I used to use a lot. It went down fine and kept me happy until lunch.
3/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
2 Tbsp finely diced dried apple*
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 and 1/2 to 2 Tbsp Splenda
1/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/4 cup to 1 and 1/2 cup water
1. Combine dry ingredients and store in a Ziploc or other air-tight container if using later.
2. When ready to prepare oatmeal, measure out water into a cereal bowl or extra-large mug. For thicker oatmeal, I use about 1 and 1/4 cup of water.
3. Add well-mixed dry ingredients to water and stir in.
4. Microwave on high for 90 seconds. Stir and eat!
* My local Farmer’s Market sells bags of these, cut into little cubes, for way cheaper than the regular grocery store. I stock up when I go there.
M and I really need to go grocery shopping, maybe tonight. I will get some eggs and try to make myself eat them. Really.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
i am feeling optimistic
219.6
Could things really be happening now? Could my fills be working, could the scale start going in a happy direction?
Please, please, let it be so.
Last night I broiled a big piece of salmon for my fiancee M and myself. It was about a pound, and I cut off one wee tiny strip for myself, what I thought would amount to 4 oz. (one quarter of a pound). I also made some cous-cous from a box mix (lazy, as I often make my own and its hardly any trouble at all) and some "steamed" broccoli and carrots from a frozen bag mixture. I was hungry, too. Imagine my amazement when I was only able to get down half of that teensy strip of salmon, two spoonfuls of cous-cous, and one bite of the veggie mix!
M is a champion speedeater. His job requires him to eat alot of meals in an industrial mess hall kind of setting where space is limited and he can only steal a few minutes to eat in between tasks. So as a matter of habit (not a good one), he bolts his food down. It took me longer to eat those 8 or 9 little bites than it did for him to eat the other 12 oz. of salmon, and several cups of couscous and veggies!
He watched me push back my plate and almost didn't believe me: "You're sure you're done? You don't want to try to finish that salmon?" (He knows I'm supposed to maximize the protein and was trying to look out for me in that sense.)
The mornings are still difficult for me. I am often a little nauseated-- not overpoweringly so, but its nagging and uncomfortable-- and very hungry. But the biscuits I tried on Sunday and Monday mornings turned out to be Very Bad Ideas. I have been having, instead, a scoop of Unjury protein powder (100 cals and 20 g of high-quality protein) in my coffee as "breakfast." But my tummy rumbles until lunch. And I didn't get this voluptuous because its easy for me to sit around for hours and hours, hungry.
Tonight while we are out and about doing errands, I think I will stop by the market and pick up some Eggbeaters, light ham, and 2% milk shredded cheddar. I am really not a big egg fan. I can't just tuck into a *shudder* plate of sunny-side ups or anything. I maybe can get down some scrambled if its not runny. An omelet with cheese and ham might do the trick for the a.m., and Eggbeaters have 30 cals and 6 g of protein per quarter-cup serving. I'll give it a whirl.
My other option that I need to try out is oatmeal. I freakin' love oatmeal, but it has no (or little) protein. M suggested that I stir some of the unflavored Unjury into my regular oatmeal mix (plain rolled oats, Splenda, cinnamon, dried apple cubes). But I am not sure I want to mess with my favorite breakfast recipe.
breakfast
1 scoop of chocolate-flavored Unjury in 12 oz. of coffee - 100 cals, 20 g of protein
lunch
2 oz. grilled salmon with 2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce - 119 cals, 12 g of protein
1/4 cup Green Giant steamed broccoli and carrots with garlic and herbs - 10 cals, 0 g protein
1/4 cup Far East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil cous-cous - 55 cals, 2 g protein
1 Weight Watchers fat-free key lime pie yogurt - 100 cals, 6 g of protein
dinner
1/4 cup Barilla cooked gemelli pasta - 101 cals, 3 g protein
1 Tbsp Buitoni basil and olive oil pesto - 75 cals, 2 g protein
4 large shrimp, sauteed with garlic and a teapsoon of olive oil - 70 cals, 6 g of protein
1/2 oz. Athenos tomato and basil feta - 38 cals, 3 g of protein
total
668 calories, 54 g of protein
Could things really be happening now? Could my fills be working, could the scale start going in a happy direction?
Please, please, let it be so.
Last night I broiled a big piece of salmon for my fiancee M and myself. It was about a pound, and I cut off one wee tiny strip for myself, what I thought would amount to 4 oz. (one quarter of a pound). I also made some cous-cous from a box mix (lazy, as I often make my own and its hardly any trouble at all) and some "steamed" broccoli and carrots from a frozen bag mixture. I was hungry, too. Imagine my amazement when I was only able to get down half of that teensy strip of salmon, two spoonfuls of cous-cous, and one bite of the veggie mix!
M is a champion speedeater. His job requires him to eat alot of meals in an industrial mess hall kind of setting where space is limited and he can only steal a few minutes to eat in between tasks. So as a matter of habit (not a good one), he bolts his food down. It took me longer to eat those 8 or 9 little bites than it did for him to eat the other 12 oz. of salmon, and several cups of couscous and veggies!
He watched me push back my plate and almost didn't believe me: "You're sure you're done? You don't want to try to finish that salmon?" (He knows I'm supposed to maximize the protein and was trying to look out for me in that sense.)
The mornings are still difficult for me. I am often a little nauseated-- not overpoweringly so, but its nagging and uncomfortable-- and very hungry. But the biscuits I tried on Sunday and Monday mornings turned out to be Very Bad Ideas. I have been having, instead, a scoop of Unjury protein powder (100 cals and 20 g of high-quality protein) in my coffee as "breakfast." But my tummy rumbles until lunch. And I didn't get this voluptuous because its easy for me to sit around for hours and hours, hungry.
Tonight while we are out and about doing errands, I think I will stop by the market and pick up some Eggbeaters, light ham, and 2% milk shredded cheddar. I am really not a big egg fan. I can't just tuck into a *shudder* plate of sunny-side ups or anything. I maybe can get down some scrambled if its not runny. An omelet with cheese and ham might do the trick for the a.m., and Eggbeaters have 30 cals and 6 g of protein per quarter-cup serving. I'll give it a whirl.
My other option that I need to try out is oatmeal. I freakin' love oatmeal, but it has no (or little) protein. M suggested that I stir some of the unflavored Unjury into my regular oatmeal mix (plain rolled oats, Splenda, cinnamon, dried apple cubes). But I am not sure I want to mess with my favorite breakfast recipe.
breakfast
1 scoop of chocolate-flavored Unjury in 12 oz. of coffee - 100 cals, 20 g of protein
lunch
2 oz. grilled salmon with 2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce - 119 cals, 12 g of protein
1/4 cup Green Giant steamed broccoli and carrots with garlic and herbs - 10 cals, 0 g protein
1/4 cup Far East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil cous-cous - 55 cals, 2 g protein
1 Weight Watchers fat-free key lime pie yogurt - 100 cals, 6 g of protein
dinner
1/4 cup Barilla cooked gemelli pasta - 101 cals, 3 g protein
1 Tbsp Buitoni basil and olive oil pesto - 75 cals, 2 g protein
4 large shrimp, sauteed with garlic and a teapsoon of olive oil - 70 cals, 6 g of protein
1/2 oz. Athenos tomato and basil feta - 38 cals, 3 g of protein
total
668 calories, 54 g of protein
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
welcome to my life, restriction
I can't believe it, I am really, actually feeling restriction!
Last night I was super-hungry, since I had to work late and didn't sit down to eat until 8:00 p.m. I met my fiancee at a casual restaurant we both love and patronize regularly. Normally I can eat half a basket of chips with guacamole or cheese dip (I know, horrifying, right?-- but I don't always get the chips) and then two fish tacos. The fish taco is two strips of lightly breaded tilapia in a soft taco shell, with a little bit of jalapeno dressing on it. Well, last night we skipped the chips for both our sakes', and I ordered my two tacos per usual.
I could only manage, even with small bites, thorough chewing, and deliberate slowness, to eat one! And I was very full! And thrilled!
I am so excited. This makes me really happy.
Yesterday morning I had a really gross sliming episode with half a biscuit, so this morning I stuck to my Unjury and coffee. Now that I am really, truly restricted, I will spend more time focusing on getting lots of protein in.
breakfast
1 scoop of chocolate-flavored Unjury in 12 oz. of coffee - 100 cals, 20 g of protein
lunch
8 small pieces California roll sushi - 300 cals, 8 g of protein
snack
1 Weight Watchers fat-free yogurt - 100 cals, 6 g of protein
dinner
2 oz. grilled salmon with 2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce - 119 cals, 12 g of protein
1/4 cup Green Giant steamed broccoli and carrots with garlic and herbs - 10 cals, 0 g protein
1/4 cup Far East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil couscous - 55 cals, 2 g protein
total
684 calories
48 grams of protein
Last night I was super-hungry, since I had to work late and didn't sit down to eat until 8:00 p.m. I met my fiancee at a casual restaurant we both love and patronize regularly. Normally I can eat half a basket of chips with guacamole or cheese dip (I know, horrifying, right?-- but I don't always get the chips) and then two fish tacos. The fish taco is two strips of lightly breaded tilapia in a soft taco shell, with a little bit of jalapeno dressing on it. Well, last night we skipped the chips for both our sakes', and I ordered my two tacos per usual.
I could only manage, even with small bites, thorough chewing, and deliberate slowness, to eat one! And I was very full! And thrilled!
I am so excited. This makes me really happy.
Yesterday morning I had a really gross sliming episode with half a biscuit, so this morning I stuck to my Unjury and coffee. Now that I am really, truly restricted, I will spend more time focusing on getting lots of protein in.
breakfast
1 scoop of chocolate-flavored Unjury in 12 oz. of coffee - 100 cals, 20 g of protein
lunch
8 small pieces California roll sushi - 300 cals, 8 g of protein
snack
1 Weight Watchers fat-free yogurt - 100 cals, 6 g of protein
dinner
2 oz. grilled salmon with 2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce - 119 cals, 12 g of protein
1/4 cup Green Giant steamed broccoli and carrots with garlic and herbs - 10 cals, 0 g protein
1/4 cup Far East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil couscous - 55 cals, 2 g protein
total
684 calories
48 grams of protein
Monday, November 5, 2007
second fill
221.6
Hate that number, don't want to talk about that number.
However, I got my second fill on Saturday (two days ago). My first fill was 2.4 cc's in my 4 cc band. This one was 0.8 cc's additional. 3.2 cc's in my 4 cc band! Of course, it might not actually be that much, as I might have worked some air bubbles out of my band during the last couple weeks.
(I love Darlene Zebley with Fill Centers USA. Her, her son, and her daughter run the Atlanta branch every other Saturday. They are terrific, caring people.)
I am, finally, feeling some restriction. I can eat about half of what I'd normally eat at a meal, which is great. Its not quite where I'd like to be (I'd like to be at the 1/4 - 1/3 cup range), but I'll deal with this for now. I am also getting better about the bandster rules: no liquids at meal time is actually alot harder than I thought. Lately I've been just pounding the water 30 - 60 minutes before a meal to try to stave off the inevitable thirst.
I have been super-restricted in the mornings. I've also been having nausea problems on and off. This morning, for example, I'd planned a protein shake and coffee breakfast, but I was so nauseated on my morning walk and drive in to work, that I decided to cheat a little and have a little wee biscuit first to try to settle my stomach. Well, I got about half of it down but then I sat in my chair at work and slimed like mad for about 30 minutes. Its the most uncomfortable I've been yet, and I've had a couple other slimes. (No real PBs yet.) It passed, and about an hour later I was able to get my coffee and protein shake down.
Okay, the nausea problem. If any of you other bandsters are reading, could you tell me if you've experienced this or heard of it? I had problems with nausea immediately after the surgery, caused by the anasthesia. I thought that was it. But since then, I have had bouts of nausea on and off, several times a week usually. It happens most often in the mornings, but not exclusively. I thought at first it was from the protein shakes I was doing in the mornings, but it happens some mornings even without those. It happens occasionally in the mid-day or evenings, too. I can't seem to pin it down to a certain food, but it does happen alot when I'm really hungry.
I should say that I know for sure I'm not pregnant, and I really have never been one to have a sensitive stomach. I've never had, as far as I know, even one single episode of heartburn. People talk about it and I just can't say I've ever had it. I rarely have stomach problems of any kind, including with any type of food (e.g. lactose-intolerance). I'm not even one of those people that gets gaggy at baby diapers. That's why all this nausea seems so unusual. I don't want to complain too loudly because, well, its not all that bothersome. It hasn't caused me to throw up (only to dry-heave only a handful of times), and for the most part hasn't prevented me from going about my life.
I wonder if my band doesn't irritate the inside of my stomach in just a certain place or near a certain nerve that is causing this? I don't really know, and I am not really even concerned enough to call my surgeon. It doesn't seem like a big enough deal.
I need to start losing weight!
Hate that number, don't want to talk about that number.
However, I got my second fill on Saturday (two days ago). My first fill was 2.4 cc's in my 4 cc band. This one was 0.8 cc's additional. 3.2 cc's in my 4 cc band! Of course, it might not actually be that much, as I might have worked some air bubbles out of my band during the last couple weeks.
(I love Darlene Zebley with Fill Centers USA. Her, her son, and her daughter run the Atlanta branch every other Saturday. They are terrific, caring people.)
I am, finally, feeling some restriction. I can eat about half of what I'd normally eat at a meal, which is great. Its not quite where I'd like to be (I'd like to be at the 1/4 - 1/3 cup range), but I'll deal with this for now. I am also getting better about the bandster rules: no liquids at meal time is actually alot harder than I thought. Lately I've been just pounding the water 30 - 60 minutes before a meal to try to stave off the inevitable thirst.
I have been super-restricted in the mornings. I've also been having nausea problems on and off. This morning, for example, I'd planned a protein shake and coffee breakfast, but I was so nauseated on my morning walk and drive in to work, that I decided to cheat a little and have a little wee biscuit first to try to settle my stomach. Well, I got about half of it down but then I sat in my chair at work and slimed like mad for about 30 minutes. Its the most uncomfortable I've been yet, and I've had a couple other slimes. (No real PBs yet.) It passed, and about an hour later I was able to get my coffee and protein shake down.
Okay, the nausea problem. If any of you other bandsters are reading, could you tell me if you've experienced this or heard of it? I had problems with nausea immediately after the surgery, caused by the anasthesia. I thought that was it. But since then, I have had bouts of nausea on and off, several times a week usually. It happens most often in the mornings, but not exclusively. I thought at first it was from the protein shakes I was doing in the mornings, but it happens some mornings even without those. It happens occasionally in the mid-day or evenings, too. I can't seem to pin it down to a certain food, but it does happen alot when I'm really hungry.
I should say that I know for sure I'm not pregnant, and I really have never been one to have a sensitive stomach. I've never had, as far as I know, even one single episode of heartburn. People talk about it and I just can't say I've ever had it. I rarely have stomach problems of any kind, including with any type of food (e.g. lactose-intolerance). I'm not even one of those people that gets gaggy at baby diapers. That's why all this nausea seems so unusual. I don't want to complain too loudly because, well, its not all that bothersome. It hasn't caused me to throw up (only to dry-heave only a handful of times), and for the most part hasn't prevented me from going about my life.
I wonder if my band doesn't irritate the inside of my stomach in just a certain place or near a certain nerve that is causing this? I don't really know, and I am not really even concerned enough to call my surgeon. It doesn't seem like a big enough deal.
I need to start losing weight!
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