They are noticing..

I was banded on June 12th and have lost almost 40 pounds since the pre-op liquid diet...I am just 6 pounds away from ONEDERLAND!!  I am so happy with my progress and my overall choice of getting the band, I feel so much better both physically and mentally!  I'm so blessed!

Like many others, I have only told a handful of people about my surgery (family and a few close friends), people that are supportive of my decision, people that want to see me succeed.  No one beyond this circle has really noticed my weight loss until recently.  Isn't it weird that you have to lose almost 40 pounds for people to be able to see it?  Maybe it's just my body shape.  Anyway, I've had several people at work notice this past week, and it's a little uncomfortable for me to talk about it without telling the entire truth.  I've just been saying "I'm working really hard eating healthy and exercising".  Of course this is true, but it's not the whole story.  I can only imagine that it will get harder as time goes on, but I'm not going to let that deter me.  

Who knows, maybe someday I will feel free to tell everyone about my little Bella Bandella and how happy I am to have this amazing tool.  Until then..I'm going to keep working hard until I reach my goal, and I'm almost halfway there!  AMAZING!

Too hard on myself?

After my first fill, I had an appointment with my nutritionist.  I look forward to these visits so I can ask all of the questions that have been on my mind.  She gives great advice and tips.

The last visit was a little different.  It began with my nutritionist saying "Wow, we typically don't see this much weight loss so quickly with the band.  I can tell you are working very hard".  I of course was excited by this news, however the discussion quickly led to a talk about perfection - an all or nothing approach that I seem to have adopted throughout my life. 

We talked about how I've stuck to a very rigid diet since surgery and how I've exercised every day as well.  We discussed my fear of not being able to exercise every single day or not eating exactly according to plan.  It was a very eye opening conversation...one that I'm still dealing with, and it scares the hell out of me.

Obviously, I'm not perfect and that's what got me overweight and out of shape in the first place.  If I keep expecting perfection, I will fail, and I refuse to fail.  So with that being said, I'm going to ease up on myself just a tiny bit because I can do this! 

My FIRST fill!

Well, I had my first fill today, and guess what?  It wasn't that bad!  The anticipation of the needle and the fill are far worse than the actual process that's for sure!

So here's how it went...
I met with the RN, and she was very happy with my progress - a 30 pound loss since my pre-op liquid diet.  She said that a lot of people either maintain or gain weight during this phase because of the lack of restriction.  SO I guess all of the self-restriction and exercise paid off!

What else was great about the RN, Candace?  She was a former lap band patient as well and lost tons of weight using this amazing tool.  Unfortunately, she had some complications and had a revision to the sleeve at three years post-op..but she LOVED her band.  It was great talking to someone who has been through this!

Next, I met with the Physician Assistant, Amy.  Wow..she was a pro!  She distracted me through conversation and I barely even noticed when she put the needle in..now that's good!  Once the needle was in, she removed the 1cc of fluid that was in my band and then put in 3cc which she said is quite normal.  I then sat up (with the needle still in - kinda weird) and drank some water which went down fine.  She pulled the needle out, and voila!

Overall, it was much much better than I was expecting.  A+ from me!

Feeling FAB!

Tuesday marks one month since my surgery, and I'm feeling FABULOUS!  It's really amazing what eating right, exercising and of course feeling full can do for your body.  I feel great and am so thankful for my band, I KNOW I can do this and am excited for the amazing journey ahead.

So what's next? In the next couple of days, I can move into regular foods as I can tolerate them.  So far, I've just been having soft foods, so this next step is a little scary.  I also have my first fill on Thursday, so it's gonna be a big week but I'm ready!

A few fabulous things:

• I'm feeling full even though there isn't any restriction in my band.
• Eating right hasn't been difficult at all - there are lots of yummy foods that are good for you!
• I've lost 30 pounds since starting the liquid diet before surgery.
• My energy is back, clothes are fitting better and I feel GREAT!

Happy weekend!

I survived!

I did it!  I survived the bachelorette without alcohol all while eating band-friendly food!  It was a fantastic day/evening sharing laughs and fun memories with some of my dearest friends from high school.  We had an absolute blast, but I just wasn't ready to tell them all about my band..YET!

So here's how I did it:

• Ate breakfast and lunch before everyone arrived - egg whites, fresh fruit, re-fried beans and cottage cheese.
• Cleared plates and replenished snacks while everyone else had lunch (a little tough)
• I was the designated driver, so no cocktails or shots for me!
• At dinner, I had fish and a few mashed potatoes - not too shabby!
• Iced tea and lots of water throughout the day!

So...I really had nothing to be worried about, at least at this stage in the game.  Since my band is empty, I'm guessing I can eat a little more and have a bit more leniency.  I doubt it will stay this way after my first fill, but it helped me through this weekend - HOORAY!

Now on to the 4th of July festivities!  Feeling great and hoping to be 80 pounds lighter by this time next year!  Let the fireworks begin!