Woah did I re(learn) a basic band lesson today!!
Do. Not. Rush. Eating.
No matter how soft/easy I think a food may be, it can still get stuck if I eat it too fast.
This semester I have 10 minutes between my classes. I rushed out the door this morning with only time for a quick protein shake, so by the time my first class was out, I was RAVENOUS. I had packed a healthy little lunch : 3oz shredded moroccan chicken, some cooked summer squash, and some mushy cooked cauliflower. I knew I didn't have time to safely eat the squash or chicken, but I figured the cauliflower was a safe bet. Oh, no.
I spent most of my 1.5 hour Trig class sliming and in pain. Gross TMI, but I couldn't leave class (I am in WAY over my head and can't miss ANY of the building blocks in this class), so I pretended to drink my water and just slimed into it instead. UGH.
Suffice it to say I WILL be *making* time to make something slightly more substantial to eat on (my) school mornings, and I will include a greek yogurt in case I absolutely have to eat between classes.
This old dog will eventually learn these new tricks, right?? ;)
weight loss tracker
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Feeling it again
The motivation and the band both.
I'm still not sure if I damaged myself this summer with the overeating, but I guess time will tell. My best girl, who was banded the same day I was, recently found out that she has what our surgeon is calling a hernia of her stomach, but which sounds like a prolapse from her description. I hope against hope that it can be repaired and she doesn't lose her band. Her progress has been slow, but very good, and she's so very, very close to Onederland!
I would so take her place on this if I could. The band for her has been a great weight loss tool, whereas for me it seems to be a better tool for keeping me from binging too much, but not so much a good losing tool. I *hate* the way it works when it does for me -- by making me terrified of pain rather than satisfied with small portions. LOL
It is what it is, though, and I made this choice.... so I've got to make it work for me and not against me.
Being back in school and having my elder daughter back in school really helps my motivation. The schedule just seems to keep me targeted better. My spouse is out of town for 3 weeks to his first Burning Man excursion. I've been 7 times, and we've both been to the local regional Burn multiple times, but this is his first jaunt to the big Burn in the desert. I hope he's having fun!
Oddly enough, him not being here is making everything run more smoothly for the kids and for me. We get into our own groove pretty easily, and me knowing that I have to keep up with the schedule, cooking, and the house on my own means it all gets done. Our relationship is sort of weird, and one aspect of it being weird is that we're honestly better at getting things done separately than together. He's missed, by this household and the extended households as well, but we'll have to figure out how to keep the works running smoothly when he returns! hehe
My muscles are all sore from my return to exercise, but it's a good sort of pain. I'm only at 3 days/week right now, but I'm working on fitting more into the schedule.
Let's hope I can keep up the new pace and edge my way closer to goal this semester!!
I'm still not sure if I damaged myself this summer with the overeating, but I guess time will tell. My best girl, who was banded the same day I was, recently found out that she has what our surgeon is calling a hernia of her stomach, but which sounds like a prolapse from her description. I hope against hope that it can be repaired and she doesn't lose her band. Her progress has been slow, but very good, and she's so very, very close to Onederland!
I would so take her place on this if I could. The band for her has been a great weight loss tool, whereas for me it seems to be a better tool for keeping me from binging too much, but not so much a good losing tool. I *hate* the way it works when it does for me -- by making me terrified of pain rather than satisfied with small portions. LOL
It is what it is, though, and I made this choice.... so I've got to make it work for me and not against me.
Being back in school and having my elder daughter back in school really helps my motivation. The schedule just seems to keep me targeted better. My spouse is out of town for 3 weeks to his first Burning Man excursion. I've been 7 times, and we've both been to the local regional Burn multiple times, but this is his first jaunt to the big Burn in the desert. I hope he's having fun!
Oddly enough, him not being here is making everything run more smoothly for the kids and for me. We get into our own groove pretty easily, and me knowing that I have to keep up with the schedule, cooking, and the house on my own means it all gets done. Our relationship is sort of weird, and one aspect of it being weird is that we're honestly better at getting things done separately than together. He's missed, by this household and the extended households as well, but we'll have to figure out how to keep the works running smoothly when he returns! hehe
My muscles are all sore from my return to exercise, but it's a good sort of pain. I'm only at 3 days/week right now, but I'm working on fitting more into the schedule.
Let's hope I can keep up the new pace and edge my way closer to goal this semester!!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Body, forgive me, for I have sinned...
... it has been 4 months since my last confession.
And boy howdy, I definitely didn't treat myself right this summer at all.
I lost my momentum back in May, but hadn't blogged since April, so I should have known it was coming. Around the third week in May, I twisted the heck outta my ankle/foot and even though it recovered by mid-June, I didn't set foot inside the gym again until yesterday.
As I've watched the scale creep ever closer back towards 200, I kept telling myself I needed to get back on track. But never quite managed to do so. Lots of summer treats and no exercise made gaining inevitable.
I made the discovery that my band gets really freakin' tight when I'm stressed out, and when I'm stressed I'm not likely to want to put up with being stuck all the time --- so can we say sliiiiiiiiiiider foods?? *sigh*
I learned exactly how to eat "around" my band, and I got very, very good at it. Gained 16 pounds, though it could be worse. At least the band kept me from binging as badly as I used to do before I got it. I can still binge, but it takes me a while, and my lower stomach does have time to register feeling full before I can consume as much as I could pre-band.
Anyways, it seems that I'm finally coming out of the emotional/mental downward spiral in which I spent the summer. This is good for a variety of reasons, but the one that applies here is that it means I'm more likely to stick with the rules and enforce structure in my life in general. When I'm in this mode, I can focus (good for the upcoming school semester), I have energy for working out, getting our new digs unpacked and set up, and for meal prep -- my kids have suffered this summer from my ennui too.
I'll be back-reading a little bit on your blogs too, though I doubt I'll make it through 4 months of posts. ;)
And boy howdy, I definitely didn't treat myself right this summer at all.
I lost my momentum back in May, but hadn't blogged since April, so I should have known it was coming. Around the third week in May, I twisted the heck outta my ankle/foot and even though it recovered by mid-June, I didn't set foot inside the gym again until yesterday.
As I've watched the scale creep ever closer back towards 200, I kept telling myself I needed to get back on track. But never quite managed to do so. Lots of summer treats and no exercise made gaining inevitable.
I made the discovery that my band gets really freakin' tight when I'm stressed out, and when I'm stressed I'm not likely to want to put up with being stuck all the time --- so can we say sliiiiiiiiiiider foods?? *sigh*
I learned exactly how to eat "around" my band, and I got very, very good at it. Gained 16 pounds, though it could be worse. At least the band kept me from binging as badly as I used to do before I got it. I can still binge, but it takes me a while, and my lower stomach does have time to register feeling full before I can consume as much as I could pre-band.
Anyways, it seems that I'm finally coming out of the emotional/mental downward spiral in which I spent the summer. This is good for a variety of reasons, but the one that applies here is that it means I'm more likely to stick with the rules and enforce structure in my life in general. When I'm in this mode, I can focus (good for the upcoming school semester), I have energy for working out, getting our new digs unpacked and set up, and for meal prep -- my kids have suffered this summer from my ennui too.
I'll be back-reading a little bit on your blogs too, though I doubt I'll make it through 4 months of posts. ;)
Monday, April 11, 2011
Bounceback boo! And "Cheesy" pic
Week 2 of my 6-on-1-off sprint didn't go as well on the scale. Had a 1# bounceback from the previous week's loss. But I wasn't quite as rigorous with the tracking and I didn't get in all my workout days. So I won't bitch too much. The mirror IS showing a difference so I'm going to be extra good about tracking on all days. I think it will go the other direction again this week.
I'm pretty sure I went overboard on Friday, calorie-wise. And my "off" day can't be quite so off. I don't think that reflected on the scale so much as on my energy levels. Reintroducing complex carbs one day a week just means I'm groggy and dumb for the whole latter half of that day. So, this Sunday I'm going to minimize that, but say OK to some fruit and more veggies. Obviously this sprint needs some tweaking. heheheh
Here's a pic from a couple of weeks ago, taken at Austin's Grilled Cheese Invitational. Yeah, this banded girl went to a grilled cheese cookoff, hosted and organized by my best girl and fellow bandster, oddly enough. I ate some sammiches, more than I ought to have done, but far less than I would have in my pre-band days. :D
I wish I had gotten a pic without the apron... I think I was actually looking pretty good in my fitted tank top and tee that day! My "wings" are getting more noticeable, but they could be worse. ;)
I'm pretty sure I went overboard on Friday, calorie-wise. And my "off" day can't be quite so off. I don't think that reflected on the scale so much as on my energy levels. Reintroducing complex carbs one day a week just means I'm groggy and dumb for the whole latter half of that day. So, this Sunday I'm going to minimize that, but say OK to some fruit and more veggies. Obviously this sprint needs some tweaking. heheheh
Here's a pic from a couple of weeks ago, taken at Austin's Grilled Cheese Invitational. Yeah, this banded girl went to a grilled cheese cookoff, hosted and organized by my best girl and fellow bandster, oddly enough. I ate some sammiches, more than I ought to have done, but far less than I would have in my pre-band days. :D
I wish I had gotten a pic without the apron... I think I was actually looking pretty good in my fitted tank top and tee that day! My "wings" are getting more noticeable, but they could be worse. ;)
Friday, April 8, 2011
Daily intake and psuedo-pouch-test-sprint
So, I had to go out and watch the Dr. Oz segment after hearing about it all over the place. So not representative of most bandsters, but I know there are a few who are so tight that this is close to how they eat.
I'm slogging along with week 2 of my 6 day "not quite the pouch test" sprint. Monday/Tuesday have been the hardest, both weeks, for obvious reasons. Liquids are so NOT satisfying, especially when you're at a low fill point. But the promise of solids has gotten me through, and then the promise of my "off" day is getting me through the rest of the week.
I am averageing about 1000 calories per day, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. I try to get in at least 100g of protein, and minimize my net carbs.
This week, I did add more veggies starting Wed/Thurs, mostly because we do local farm delivery every two weeks and all four of us have to eat on it or it goes bad. My spouse won't eat cooked leafy greens, and this time of year that's a huge portion of the delivery. So yeah.... kale and chard got added to my intake this week.
I can SEE this working, which is so weird. I looked in the mirror today and saw a slightly older version of my 22-year-old self looking back at me. I haven't been this weight since my spouse and I were dating, back almost 15 years ago. I'm still above my lowest weight ever as an adult, but not far from it.
Anyways.... what I eat in a typical day (or Fri/Sat of this sprint) when I'm staying on-track and losing:
Breakfast
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg white
- .5 oz shredded fat-free cheddar, or 1/2 turkey sausage, or 1 oz meat
- 1 to 2 tbls salsa
(all in an omelette or scramble)
OR, if I'm feeling very tight
- 1 scoop Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Vanilla Ice Cream protein powder
- 1 cup Soy Slender Vanilla soy milk
Snack
- 4 to 6 oz plain greek yogurt, maybe with a tiny bit of flavor added or splenda/flavor extract
OR
- 20 almonds
OR
- light string cheese
OR
- Atkins bar or protein shake
OR
- .5 cup of lowfat cottage cheese
OR
- .5 cup of fruit (sometimes I just gotta!)
Lunch
- 3 to 4 oz meat or fish
- a little bit of some sort of veggie
- low-carb dressing or marinade, or more salsa, or some sort of healthy sauce (to make the meat less likely to get stuck),
Snack
- another selection from the above list, usually
Dinner
- very similar to lunch. Lunch is usually made with leftover dinner, so that makes sense. ;)
Sometimes I will have dessert
- sugar-free pudding made with greek yogurt, skim milk, and protein powder (if I'm hungrier)
OR
- sugar free popsicle
This breakdown results in an average 1.5 pound per week loss for me. My maintenance levels are not quite double this amount -- about 1800 calories and more balanced, including some whole grains. My final maintenance levels will probably be a little less than that, maybe 1500-1600 calories.
I can't wait to see how this week has treated me -- Sunday morning weigh-in, here I come!
I'm also looking forward to the Challenge results from last week being posted. I think there are several of us who kicked it into gear big time last week! :D
I'm slogging along with week 2 of my 6 day "not quite the pouch test" sprint. Monday/Tuesday have been the hardest, both weeks, for obvious reasons. Liquids are so NOT satisfying, especially when you're at a low fill point. But the promise of solids has gotten me through, and then the promise of my "off" day is getting me through the rest of the week.
I am averageing about 1000 calories per day, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. I try to get in at least 100g of protein, and minimize my net carbs.
This week, I did add more veggies starting Wed/Thurs, mostly because we do local farm delivery every two weeks and all four of us have to eat on it or it goes bad. My spouse won't eat cooked leafy greens, and this time of year that's a huge portion of the delivery. So yeah.... kale and chard got added to my intake this week.
I can SEE this working, which is so weird. I looked in the mirror today and saw a slightly older version of my 22-year-old self looking back at me. I haven't been this weight since my spouse and I were dating, back almost 15 years ago. I'm still above my lowest weight ever as an adult, but not far from it.
Anyways.... what I eat in a typical day (or Fri/Sat of this sprint) when I'm staying on-track and losing:
Breakfast
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg white
- .5 oz shredded fat-free cheddar, or 1/2 turkey sausage, or 1 oz meat
- 1 to 2 tbls salsa
(all in an omelette or scramble)
OR, if I'm feeling very tight
- 1 scoop Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Vanilla Ice Cream protein powder
- 1 cup Soy Slender Vanilla soy milk
Snack
- 4 to 6 oz plain greek yogurt, maybe with a tiny bit of flavor added or splenda/flavor extract
OR
- 20 almonds
OR
- light string cheese
OR
- Atkins bar or protein shake
OR
- .5 cup of lowfat cottage cheese
OR
- .5 cup of fruit (sometimes I just gotta!)
Lunch
- 3 to 4 oz meat or fish
- a little bit of some sort of veggie
- low-carb dressing or marinade, or more salsa, or some sort of healthy sauce (to make the meat less likely to get stuck),
Snack
- another selection from the above list, usually
Dinner
- very similar to lunch. Lunch is usually made with leftover dinner, so that makes sense. ;)
Sometimes I will have dessert
- sugar-free pudding made with greek yogurt, skim milk, and protein powder (if I'm hungrier)
OR
- sugar free popsicle
This breakdown results in an average 1.5 pound per week loss for me. My maintenance levels are not quite double this amount -- about 1800 calories and more balanced, including some whole grains. My final maintenance levels will probably be a little less than that, maybe 1500-1600 calories.
I can't wait to see how this week has treated me -- Sunday morning weigh-in, here I come!
I'm also looking forward to the Challenge results from last week being posted. I think there are several of us who kicked it into gear big time last week! :D
Sunday, April 3, 2011
That seals the deal...
... I am definitely going to continue for a while with the SIX-day version of the pouch test, plus one day "off" weekly.
Today's weigh-in put me in at a whopping 5.5 pounds down, well into the 170s (FINALLY), and at 91 pounds down total. YAY!!!!!!
This week was hard, but not unmanageable. I need to adjust my timing with meals so I don't end up with one big stretch in the afternoon/evening when I'm freaking ravenous, or light-headed. I definitely feel banded again, even though my fill level is so minimal. Before seeing Sucker Punch last night, we stopped off at the BBQ place across the street. I couldn't measure it, of course, but I doubt I managed 5 ounces of meat off my plate. Yum, leftovers!
Today's day "off" includes Dim Sum brunch with friends and my kids, and maybe taking the girls for a small frozen yogurt. Then, on Monday, it's back to liquids for two days to start off week 2 of this sprint towards my Memorial Day/pre-bandiversary mini-goal.
I just realized yesterday that if this works, I am going to be up the proverbial creek for clothes for summer, and we have NO room in the budget for clothes shopping. Last night's dinner/movie was a real splurge for us. We almost never see first-run movies (Kick Ass was the last first-run film we saw), but it was at a theater on the UT campus, so I got a decent student discount.
I think I'm going to have to sort through both the stuff that came back from the consignment shop and the new bins that have been filled with too-big clothes and start listing them on Ebay. Then have a garage sale too. Bleh, the Ebay thing can be lucrative, but it's a lot of hours of work to put in, especially when my plate is so full of homework/work/kids. Ah well, it's that or wear huge Ts and jeans all summer, I guess. heheh
Today's weigh-in put me in at a whopping 5.5 pounds down, well into the 170s (FINALLY), and at 91 pounds down total. YAY!!!!!!
This week was hard, but not unmanageable. I need to adjust my timing with meals so I don't end up with one big stretch in the afternoon/evening when I'm freaking ravenous, or light-headed. I definitely feel banded again, even though my fill level is so minimal. Before seeing Sucker Punch last night, we stopped off at the BBQ place across the street. I couldn't measure it, of course, but I doubt I managed 5 ounces of meat off my plate. Yum, leftovers!
Today's day "off" includes Dim Sum brunch with friends and my kids, and maybe taking the girls for a small frozen yogurt. Then, on Monday, it's back to liquids for two days to start off week 2 of this sprint towards my Memorial Day/pre-bandiversary mini-goal.
I just realized yesterday that if this works, I am going to be up the proverbial creek for clothes for summer, and we have NO room in the budget for clothes shopping. Last night's dinner/movie was a real splurge for us. We almost never see first-run movies (Kick Ass was the last first-run film we saw), but it was at a theater on the UT campus, so I got a decent student discount.
I think I'm going to have to sort through both the stuff that came back from the consignment shop and the new bins that have been filled with too-big clothes and start listing them on Ebay. Then have a garage sale too. Bleh, the Ebay thing can be lucrative, but it's a lot of hours of work to put in, especially when my plate is so full of homework/work/kids. Ah well, it's that or wear huge Ts and jeans all summer, I guess. heheh
Thursday, March 31, 2011
5-day pouch test, again.....
... and this time I'm working it HARD. I'm on day 4 right now, and it's going pretty well. http://www.5daypouchtest.com/
I'd like to see some serious progress before my annual Memorial Day campout (and my bandiversary in June), so I think I'm going to spend the time between now and May 25th cycling a SIX day pouch test, plus one day off, every week.
So, that would be:
Monday, Tuesday -- liquid protein
Wednesday, Thursday -- soft protein (Wed: eggs and fish, cottage cheese, Thurs : ground meat, shrimp options too)
Friday, Saturday -- firm protein (all other meats, tofu - which acts like a firm meat for me, pouch-wise)
Sunday -- off, variety of healthy choices
I'm hoping this will yield some forward motion on the scale, and I think I can stick with it given the "off" day, at least for a few weeks. The weekend of April 14-17 will have to be somewhat "off" too, because I'll be at a campout where the food is all prepped as part of the cost of the event. The woman that does the food for it has a RNY bypass, though, so she always prepares some options that are WLS-friendly.
For now, I am going to switch my weigh-in day from Thursday to Sunday. This will let me weigh only once per week, instead of weighing on Thursday and then again for the Challenge on Sunday.
I might change my mind on this whole diet sprint, depending on if my energy levels balance out or not. I had a rough time this morning at the gym. I did get in an hour of cardio, but it wasn't particularly enthusiastic cardio. hehehe ;)
But for now, this is the tenative plan! Rar!!
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