Week 24 Weigh-In (-55)

Hi All,

I know, I know. It has been forever since I have written. Its been crazy and busy and everything! Well, I am down 55 pounds! Why am I not satisfied with that? If you could see my face you would probably wonder why I am not jumping up and down. Well, I have gotten a taste of heaven so to speak and I am not satisfied with where I am. I am ready to do more to get down to the size I want to be. Ok...so let me back up. When it comes to losing the weight, I tend to lose a bunch then stay at that weight for a while and then drop more. It has been my patter throughout my weight loss. I am so anxious to be in the 100's (36 more pounds) that I have taken up jogging avidly and have been steady now for 4 weeks! But alas, the weight remains the same. Stuck at 235. I don't mean to sound ungrateful just really really eager.

I just recently bought some new clothes. Buying new clothing is tricky because I am not sure what I will be down to but I can't look like a bag lady in the interim. It's almost like growing your hair out! I finally bought some normal clothing that isn't cinched with a belt or falling off my shoulders. I bought 5 outfits for each day for work and hopefully I can mix and match. May the fashion gods forgive me as I start my wardrobe all over again. Right now I am in the "medium hair length stage", so to speak! It's good to have that problem. I actually took some time to reflect on how great this all was. 6 months ago I was at 290 pounds. Even with this accomplishment, I tend to look up other people's progress and compare it to mine. Did she lose more? At what month? How old is she? How big was she? It goes on and on. I am basically driving myself crazy. I am trying to bask in my own glory while leaving my competitive spirit out of this!

I still have great restriction with 2.00cc's in my 4.00 cc band. I think thats great. I still have head hunger and mourn the food I have to leave on my plate. I can't help it. I am mad that I can't eat it all. I am not hungry, I just love the taste and want more....but the ole stomach will not allow it!

Well, guys wanted to check in and let you know I am still in the race.

Hope all is well!

WEIGH-IN (-50 pounds) Week 19

Hi All,

It seems that I have lost 50 pounds!!! Whoopee! Whhoooooheeee! Your girl is weighing in at 240 pounds. Still got a lot of ground to cover but not as far as I had to go!

When I started this journey, I would have never thought I would actually write that I lost 50 pounds. I was actually scared that it wouldnt work for me. I think I have been lucky on several planes. One, I took a chance and went to a doctor out of the country and he was great! Two, I have had 2 fills and I think I am at my sweet spot already. My band was smaller so that might have something to do with it. Three, I have met so many great people who are supportive and interested in what I am going through! Wow! I am feeling mightly special here lately.

I have gotten back on the exercise train and have faithfully worked out this week. I started back with my jog/walk routine for 55 minutes. My legs are so tired and sore but Ihave kept at it and I am doing a 16 minute mile. I know, I know....that might be mighty horrible but it is a vast improvement from my past times! I am really pushing myself because I really want to see the 230's soon. I am just a pound away to seeing it and I am excited about it! I still have to tell myself it is actually happening! Wow! The more I lose, the more I am motivated to lose.

I have finally gotten to where I can eat food. Not a lot of it but food is food. I don't think I need to have a fill for a while. I am not looking forward to going through this again you know! I feel lucky though that I havent had to have a whole bunch of fills to get to a nice even level.

I am thinking that I want to go and get brachioplasty in a few months for my arms. They have a lot of extra skin but they were always big. I talked about it in my video below.

AS usual, thanks to everyone who is following this journey and I hope your personal lap band journey is successful.

Week 17 Weigh-In (-46 pounds)

Hi ladies and gents. Week 17 and I am checking in with my update. Food consumption much,much better. Man how food can affect a mood. Well, I can not eat like I had before but I can eat better. I had one heck of a fill don't you think. I don't see myself going back until two more months maybe. This might actually be my sweet spot. Now that I have that all straightened out, I need to get my exercise routine going again. I think I was just so disgustedwith the eating situation that I was being rebellious and anti-exercise. But now, I am super-psyched because the weight is coming off again and I am so happy about it! Now I want to go exercise to speed this thing along and get to MARRIED Stephanie!! Anyone who follows my blog regular knows what that means! 230's here I come!!! I feel good. Blood Pressure good! Clothes are loose and I think even my feet have lost weight. I have decided to get an arm lift in May of this year. Anyone have any ideas or advise on that? I have been measuring my arms and suprisingly, they have not gone down. I have these dreadful arms that I inherited from my lovely mother and her mother before her and I refuse to go down without plastic surgery...LOLOLOLOL! I am really excited. I think that my arms are big and no matter how much weight I lose, it will be like a flag waving around that makes me look big regardless. I plan on a tummy tuck later on in the year if I can afford it. My arms are a MUST. I can live with my tummy!

Anyway, people, my video is below....enjoy and hope everyone is ok.

WEIGH-IN (- 44pounds) Week 15

Greetings People!

I am still tightly restricted and not able to eat much solid food and to be quite honest miserable. I am healthy though. My doctor says that if I have not acid reflux, heartburn, etc. I am ok and should take advantage of the weight loss. Great right? I am missing food. Missing chewing. Missing eating period. I know that people crave restriction but come on! I think I am leaning towards the "Lets lose weight slowly" crowd. If I could eat a cup full of food a sitting I would be the happiest camper.

In other news.....I have had to think about getting some smaller clothes. My bigger clothes look really crappy and I am a little sad about it. Isnt that crazy. I am skipping over sizes. Its crazy. I did empty out my closet to send my clothes to some friends but I am upset that the Michael Kors pants I bought last year didnt get to touch my rear end. I have great clothes and I am going to hate to depart with some of them. I know, I can get them taken in and I have but it seems to be never ending. I picked a couple of dresses up that I had taken in and they had to be taken in again. How do you handle the whole clothes part of the deal? It seems pointless to buy much. I do need to look professional every day and my failsafe dresses look dumpy!

The picture though is of me now in a dress I couldnt wear for the past three years. Some might think its still a little tight but I think its PERFECT!!!

Anywho, everyone have a great week.

WEIGH-IN (-40 pounds) Week 13

Hello all. I am attempting to get back on track. You will not beleive that I have lost 10 pounds in one week. Why? How? Well I had my second fill....1 cc to total 3cc in a 4.75 cc band and today is the full 1 week liquids phase my doctor recommended I do. Of course, I have attempted to eat real food but I can not keep it down. I have eaten soup however, I cant eat anything else...another soup, until 8 hours later. I am not panicking yet though. If it lasts much longer I think I may have to have some taken out. I don't feel very hungry or anything after I eat the soup but I don't want to be stuck eating soup for 3 weeks you know? Anyone out there have this experience? If so, please chime in. It is very important. Does this thing loosen up or what? The loss is so unbeleivable that I think that if I start eating again I will gain it back. From all my research of this particular situation, I won't but still. Happy with the results but not too happy with how I had to get here.

I can not beleive that I am just a pound a way to being INTERNSHIP STEPHANIE. Hahahahahah!!!!!! I am still exercising every day but it is much harder when you don't have a lot of calories in your system to energize yourself. I can tell a huge difference in the last week but I do what I can tolerate and then stop when I have to. I hope it loosens up a little bit more. This is torture. Funny how your tortured if you can eat and tortured if you can't. My PBing episodes have increased quite a bit though and that worries me.

My clothes are bags! Happy about that but unhappy that I now have minimal clothing options. As all of you can see I am a bit of a clothes horse so I am sad and happy at the same time.

Hope everyone is doing well!

My youtube post link is below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o59Ky1UbuAs

Week 12 Weigh-In (-34 pounds)

Hi All,

I think I have been thrown off my weeks but after counting twice, this past week is week 12. I had my 2nd fill yesterday. I weighed in at 257 at the doctors office. Today I weighed in at 256. I am sure that is partly due to my having to be on liquids for a week. I did find out that my band only holds 4.75 so now I am up to three. I can tell that the restriction is kicking in because I went and bought a smoothie from smoothie king and I took one sip and up it came. I think I may have gulped it down instead of sipping slowly. After that episode I waited 10 minutes and tried again...MUCH slower this time and it was fine. I am so very happy to be able to report more on the loss front. I was truly getting very frustrated at the stand still. I did take some time to think about how far I have come and not to beat myself up so much. I was 290 lbs. only 3 months ago. Today I have on a suit that I could not have put on then back in November and had been sitting in my closet for a year. I notice that everything is shrinking and it feels great! I keep making short term goals for myself to keep myself motivated.

Let me share my list:

• DOExercise at least three times a week for 45 minutes or longer




• DO Reduce the sweet intake to once a week




• DO Always eat a protein breakfast




• Don't wait until I am starving to eat...(I always eat too fast).




• Remember to drink water




• Remember that weight is lost in inches AND pounds.




• DO lose 10 pounds at a time.




• DO Start taking measurements




• DO keep blogging....It is therapy.

One other thing I try to associate with losing weight is what I was doing at what weight, which I can miraculously remember. For instance, When I did my internship in D.C. I was 240 pounds. When I got married, I was 238 pounds. When I was Miss Spanish Club, I was 217 pounds. Don't laugh! This system works for me!!! LOL! So, after I reach 250 (which incidentally was my trigger weight to tell me to start losing weight!), my next goal will be INTERNSHIP STEPHANIE!

Thanks to Jennifer who keeps me on my toes and in good spirits.

Have a great week gang!

WEIGH-IN (-30 pounds) Week 10

Hola comrades. I am checking in one day before Week 11. It has been a crazy couple of weeks and I am late in my blogs. Thank Jennifer who reminded me that I am behind and need to get on the ball. Thanks Jen!

Anyway...I am down only 30 pounds in 11 weeks. I had my first fill last month on the 12th and will have another one on the 16th of February. I am a little discouraged because it seems that I struggle with the same 3 pounds all the time. Now I am fighting 259 - 262. Go figure. My first fill had 2 cc's saline and I am hoping for more restriction after this second one. I am really trying to get to 250 in the next month.

Part of it is my fault. I have been remiss in my exercise routine and have dropped the ball for the past two weeks. This weather has me down. It has been so cold and miserable and I am so ready for some hot weather. It is funny how weather affects my mood. I am a Floridian and I NEED sunshine and warmth because I love being outside. I know that I will do better when the weather changes so I am trying not to stress about it. I know I am ok because I havent GAINED any weight....right??

Anyway, I went skiing this past weekend to celebrate my birthday so I will include a picture. I am pretty bundled up so don't hold it against me.

I will get back on track with the posts and hope all of you are doing well. Please send some words or experiences of encouragement. I need them!