Being Sick with a Lap Band

Ok while no one likes being sick, I have learned being sick with a Lap Band is really a pain.

Chest congestion is not fun with a band. Then if you are not used to taking meds with the band, you sometimes forget you can't take the horse size pills even if they are cut in half!

I go into my primary care doctor yesterday. He was pleased at the amount of weight I have lost. Puts me on some meds to get me to feeling well and wants me to take Vitamin D again. Saying that Vitamin D is why I am sick because I don't have enough! ugh.

Today, I went to see my band doctor. I did this because last night I got part of that horse size pill stuck! It was not a petty site at all. It would not go down and it did come back up at least but that hurt! Then when I got up today from a rough sleep last night my chest hurt right where my band sits! After a UGI in his office the band is fine and I am just irritated and the Dr. wants me on fluids only for a few days to calm things down. So glad that everything is still fine.

I need to get better before the 4th. I go out of town for my Young Women of my church and we are going to camp for the week! It was this very Young Women camp and serving them that made me want to change my life. You could say they saved my life in a way!

So down another 6.5 lbs today. Great weight loss since the 3rd of June so all and all I am doing great with that...just now I got to get over this summer time cold!

Gynmast launches new fitness program

Gynmast launches new fitness program

Today was my 15 seconds of Fame! Follow the link to read and hear about Shannon Millers new Walk Fit program. Today was the first of an 8 week program each week.

I first met Shannon Miller back in September for the Walk from Obesity and then I could only walk if I was lucky one lap which was not even a mile around St. Luke's Hospital. Since then with the help of my wonderful Dr. I now have done two 5ks (walking them) and now I am doing this program to encourage others that walking at least 30mins a day is really a great form of exercise.

Who is that Woman in the Mirror?

Phil (that wonderful man of mine) and I were out at Wally World yesterday doing a bit of shopping. They are moving departments around again in the store and I found myself waiting on Phil while he was looking at a book. As I was waiting, for what ever reason, they had a few boxes of mirrors in middle of the aisle. You know the full body ones that you might hang on the back of the door. This is when I saw "THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR........

This mirror was in one of the boxes, it could not show my feet, and I am so tall it did not show my head in the reflex of the mirror. So only my shins to my shoulders I could see. I did a double take! Who was that woman there? She was looking of normal size. I looked around for a moment to make sure there was not someone standing beside me that would be in the mirror. Nope it was me and only me. I even found myself doing a little turn around to check out my backside! And it was then I found myself saying to myself...Dang! I look good anymore! Even if I am in workout clothes.

I really don't know the woman in the mirror. I see the old me, I even feel it at times. But I do know this is really all in my head. Yes, I have a mirror at home and see myself each day, but I think those who have taken this journey to loose weight need these unexpected times to make us realize that yes, I really have lost at least 125lbs! I hear it from my family and friends but it has been a long journey for me to come to know that I am really not obese anymore. I can shop in normal stores and find something new to wear! It is such a great feeling!

So, I just might have to go back to Wally World and buy that mirror. It was the mirror I saw my future in.

Yesterday was our 20th Wedding Anniversary

Phil and I have been married 20 years! Oh my what a ride! Looking at this picture we were young and thin! Phil is my MAJOR supporter in this journey to loose weight and always says I can do it! I love him so much.

In this picture taken the day we were married at the Washington DC Temple is my sons (now our sons) Adam and Justin. They were so young! Adam was taller then Justin at this time!

Justin is also a great supporter for me and he may not even know it. Every time he see me he says "WOW" you lost more weight! He now kids me because I am weighing less then he does!

Adam is also a supporter. He careful to ask where I would like to go if we go out for lunch. He might know this but I really started this blog to cover my journey for him. I worry about my Adam. Adam if you read this know I love you and would want you to find the freedom that I have.

As for the rest of my family who is not picture above and came later in our lifetime together. Chris is a wonderful huger AND supporter! Each day he loves to put his arms around me and see just how far he can go around now. One of my goals was to be of normal size weight by the time he graduated from High School. I am well on my way! Thank you Chris for your hugs!

My beautiful daughter Kaitlynn. She is my carb counter! She reads the labels as much as I do now. She says "Madre you can't eat that" or "That is like your whole carb count for the day". She did my first 5k with me. Likes to walk with me. Thank you Kaitlynn for doing all this with me! While we been on this journey, and I say we as my family been right there with me, we all have lost weight, toned up because of the way I now eat and the family most times eats the same way or just not as much.

So that is my family. We are there for each other and I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a wonderful family. I do not know where I might be today if I had not be blessed in finding such a wonderful husband and father. WE may not have it all together, but together we have it ALL!

They said the day would come......

My support group said the day will come...sooner or later I would FAIL in my good eating habits. And then they said when it does what are you going to do about it? Ok that day has come! Blasted Animal Cookies that Phil brought home. They are really kind of low in carbs and I don't eat many but they are there and they are calling my name! Cookies I know is my weakness so why oh why does he need to bring cookies home so often anymore? Last night he and Chris went to the store and what did they bring home? Cookies!

So the weight seems to be going down in spite of my fail to not eat these cookies in the big jar. I know I am not eating them like I used to. Handful at a time and maybe go back for a 2nd handful. I also noticed that it has been a bit stressful in my life over the last few weeks. I find myself wanting to look for food. I never thought of myself as an stressful eater but I discover I really am! Now that I know, I can work on this when I am stressed.

I wanted to have this blog to help others. I wonder at times if that is what it can do. I am human with a tool that I am still learning to use. So far so good for the most part. I just hope I can continue on.....in spite of the cookies of life!

Another 5k down

This past Saturday 30 April 2011 I did another 5k with these ladies! We had a great time that day. Did better this time then in the Gate River 5k. I had put out the link on Facebook and this is the group that said "Lets Do It" Some are from my weight loss center and two are really close friends of mine. Thank you for joining me!

If you told me that I would be looking for 5ks to do this time last year that I would be doing this I would have laugh at you. I would have NEVER gone for the 3mile walk for the joy of it let alone for the work out! I come a long way since the days of being a log on the couch!

Later in the week I head back to my Doctor for my monthly check on my weight loss. It seems it is slowing down a bit, but I keep telling myself I don't have as much to loose anymore. At any rate I hope I loss at least 7-10lbs over the last month. When I went shopping this weekend for some things to wear to church I marvel at the ideal that I was able to shop really any where I want to and I bought a size Large. That right it was not in the plus size section and I am often amazed that I get a size and I am swimming in it! I learned not to buy to big now but even maybe a bit smaller as I am still loosing weight. I can't replace everything I have stacked in a corner of my bedroom all at once but I can buy a few basics and go from there and hope I will be able to wear them for a little while. (And for those wondering if I am ever going to get rid of the FAT clothes they are going today or tomorrow! I promise!)

I am looking for things to do now. On Thursday May 5th I am going to volunteer to help the USO at MOE's in Jacksonville Beach for a few hours at Lunch time. Supporting our troops! I want to go and do like I have not done in years! This is simply because I have felt better and don't mind as much being out.

Before I close, I have to send a shout out to my Husband and Son and all those from my church that will be heading over to Alabama to help with the storm clean up on over Mothers Day weekend. It will be a long trip over a short weekend with much work to be done. When you are in service of your fellow men and the Lord you will be blessed as well as your families. It is a wonderful Mothers day present to have a husband and son in service for the Lord!

Have a great week everyone!

It has been a while

I know it has been a while since I have added anything significant to my blog (and I have been feeling a little guilty about that too!), so I thought it was time for an update and some thoughts that have been running through my head recently. I have been spending a great deal more time on myself lately And re-discovering "me", plus the enjoyment of actually having a life again. It might be a bit selfish...but feels really good!

Please forgive me if you find this long winded but I feel I need to share.

During the process of this life changing weight loss I have rediscovered some things about myself and about others I am going to share. I am going to be extremely honest. I know some who reads my blog may have already felt these things…there are others who will never know the feelings and those who might one day experience the very same things.

I recently have experienced a personal weight loss victory. There was a time I seriously wondered if it would ever happen for me. I am now officially down a total of 109 pounds from my top weight, and 99 pounds since my first appointment with my Weight Loss Doctor. I guess that is would be the equivalent of a smaller sized person or child. I still need to loose I would say about 50 pounds but I am well on my way to the smaller me. Now this is a MAJOR LANDMARK for me! It has taken me a few days to really sit down and think about all of this and pray that this is permanent because at times I sit and think the “What If”, What if I get rid of the clothes I can’t wear and I gain the weight back. What if my band fails or I fail my band? The list can go on but those are the big ones. I have gone and done things in the last few weeks that I have enjoyed and not done so in years without pain or the simple fact of being out of shape and get tired. I love the fact that I can go and do things that not to long ago could not.

The joys of the last few weeks include going down to Universal Studios and enjoying any rollercoaster I wanted to! AND not have to sit in the modify seating. I kept up the pace for the most part until I learned that I still need energy to get though the day and there really is not much to eat for someone like me in a park. Oh sure there is the $9 Turkey Leg that I would eat maybe 10 bites of but that is about it. So lesson learned here is I will take some beef jerky in with me to help hold me over.

I also went fishing. I got myself a fishing license and pole and went fishing. This is something I been wanting to go and do this for so long now but my weight held me back. Just didn’t feel like getting up and going you could say.

The energy I have now amazes me! I just want to go and do. Yeah, sometimes I fall back to my old self, but then I get to thinking that was the old me and I get up and go! Maybe this is why my blog is not updated as often now.

Loosing this much weight and therefore changing the way I look seems to get interesting responses from people. My close friends tell me how great I look. Some who I have not seen for over a year or so is amazed. I had one person not even recognize me when I went up to him to say hi and talk. I also get different responses from total strangers too. It feels really good to be smiled at again by passing strangers...but a little confusing too. After all, back then at 345 lbs I was still the same person inside...wasn't I? So why am I being treated so differently now? I haven't changed. Or have I? So I guess I am of a more acceptable weight even though I am still over weight? That makes wonder how have I might have made others feel when they might not have been of the acceptable realms of what we think? This has made me stop and think how I look at people and what I think.

Clothing. The one thing I really didn’t think about when I started this journey. That I would have to shop for new clothes and do something with the old ones. Don’t mind shopping if I have the money, but doing something with the old ones seems to be a problem. It goes back to the what ifs ; what if I fail or the band fails and I gain the weight back? I am in the mind set that I NEVER want to go back to being over 300 pounds. I know with the tool that I have and the lessons I have learned about eating, I won’t. So why is it so hard to get rid of the clothes that are my FAT clothes? I can’t wear them that is for sure!

This is getting long so I will end here for now. Sorry this was long. A lot on my mind and Life is really good when you feel better I guess you feel more when you feel better. In closing I will leave you with my quote of late. "When we have a vision of what we can BECOME, our power to act increases dramatically." Elder Oaks