Good Restriction

Feeling good about my last fill. It took a few days to get used to the new normal, but I am feeling very good about it. I can still eat normally when out with a group, but only 1/2 of a meal or less. So I feel good about that. Scale today said 225. Woohoo! It's slow, but at least is steadily heading downward. I know that exercise would help a lot, but I am having trouble squeezing it in--which is a good thing right now, as I found a new friend, via Match.com and he and I have been spending a good amount of time together. Life is getting better all the time. I feel content. :)

Slow is the Way to Go

Eating is a very slow process these days, and I need to get used to that again. I also need to get out of the habit of "finishing my plate". When I feel full, I need to stop. But sometime I feel like I didn't get enough, nutrition wise. Such a fine line of just enough and not too much.

Been trying to exercise when I can, I wish that my schedule was a little more forgiving sometimes but again, it is all about finding a balance. Scale says 226--but TOM is here, so I am just fine with that number. I just need to keep working on it. Steady is a good thing.

Saw a Glimpse of 225

It was a very short, fleeting moment that could not be repeated, but for just one moment this morning I saw a new number of 225. Thankfully the scale is headed downward. I am having a littel trouble eating this morning, feeling a little stuck after about half of my fruit and yogurt parfait. I must not have chewed my first bites well enough. It is also TOM this week, so perhaps my hormones are wreaking havoc on me too. At any rate, things are looking better for the moment.

Oh How Fickle!

Part of me says I am to tight, part of me says this is just going to take a little adjustment after having been so loose for so long. It's iffy right now. I have been trying to listen to my body and when I feel a soft stop, I stop. I don't want to abuse my band. But I am back to VERY small portions. Guess I need to give it a little time and if I still feel too tight in a week or two, then it's back to my doc's office for a tweak. Be smart, don't tolerate being too tight.

On a good note the scale is down again, today it said 226. Making slow progress. My schedule is wreaking havoc with my exercise right now though. Gotta find a way to squeeze that in.

Restriction...I Forgot What You Felt Like

Oh my, lunch today was a bit of a surprise. I had just gotten my fill yesterday--I thought it was rather non-aggressive, so I was surprised to day when scrambled eggs for lunch just did not agree with me. Vomit and sliming is not good. Guess I better think twice about my foods choices this week. This morning yogurt and granola went down OK, but I did feel a little tightness at the end. Don't want to make my newly tight band angry. Must behave myself until I am used to this new restriction level. Getting filled is always a new adventure in eating!

Keeping Up to Keep Weight Off

Keeping up to keep weight off

Very interesting (and frustrating) article that my bariatric clinic shared with us this morning. Ugh, no wonder I struggle. It is a constantly moving target.

No Loss, But No Gain...That's a Victory!

I had a fill appointment today and I was so pleased to see that the scale was exactly the same as my last visit about a month ago on July 3rd. There is a lot to be said for maintaining for me right now. So I think I have a good exercise plan in place, but I need to curb my snacking. I also think I need to just chose better, more nutritious food. I have been choosing crap and have been feeling empty and unsatisfied so I go looking for more food. I didn't lose like I had hoped to, but at this point, maintaining is an awesome thing. Hope I can get my act together soon. Willpower, determination and choice are the only things that will work. I am glad for a new restriction level again. Small steps.

Interesting Theory About Pouch Size

This was information that was on my hospital's baratric Facebook page today. Interesting reading!

Are you curious about how big (or how much) your pouch holds? A simple way to check is the cottage cheese test created by Dr. Flanagan.

1.  Buy a small container of cottage cheese (or something with similar consistency if you don't eat cottage cheese).
2. Begin with a full container in the morning before eating anything else. (This will be your breakfast).
3. Eat faster than usual, about 10 minutes until you feel satisfied. The curds don't take much chewing and you are eating faster than usual to fill your pouch before there is any time for food to move out of it.
4. After eating your fill of cottage cheese, you will be left with a partially eaten container that has empty space where the cottage cheese used to be. 
5. Measure the volume of cottage cheese you have eating by filling a 2 cup (16 oz) measuring cup with water. Pour water into the cottage cheese container until the water leve rises to the original top level of the cottage cheese.
6. The amount of water you pour in the container is the functional size of your pouch.

Dr. Flanagan's research shows the average volume of a GB patient is about 5 1/2 oz. Per his research, even pouches that hold up to 9 oz have no impact on a person's success with weight loss.

Hope this answers your questions, if not, please comment!

Have a great day, ~Stephanie

My Band Hurts When I am Hungry

My band hurts when I am hungry! It starts to ache about 11:30 AM as I am nearing dinner. It only stops aching after I eat. Anybody else experience this?