Holy Restriction!!!

Wow so I went from 6cc and NO RESTRICTION to 6.5cc and LOTS OF IT!!! I can't believe it. I think that 6.5 is going to give me good restriction for a long time. I don't see any need for another fill in the near future. As I loose weight I know that 6.5 may start to loose some of its "tightness" and then I may need more but from where I am at now I am ready to start loosing again baby!!!!

I had one egg for breakfast with a little ham and a little cheese and I cannot believe how full I was. It's incredible. I finally feel like I am a bandster again. Also I have gone to the gym everyday this week. This morning I am having a really hard time convincing myself to go but I think I'll just do some house cleaning and then push myself. I feel strong and I feel more energetic just after one week of consistency at the gym and I definitely don't want to loose that feeling again. Plus my Florida Vacation is only 3 months away and I want to loose 30lbs by then!! Right now my goal is 6lbs by Valentines Day which is 2 week so I think I can do that!!! So that would be 211lbs I want to be by V-Day!! Anyone else out there have any V-Day goals?? I'd love to hear them so we can all keep each other accountable!!!

Lots of Good, a little Bad

With my new job starting I was not sure if I was going to make my fill appointment next week so in a panic I called and scheduled an additional one today. When I realized I could make my appointment next week I called to cancel my adjustment for today. However, come to find out that they mistakenly cancelled my appointment next week and I was stuck with my appointment today. So on a good note I had a fill today, +.5 cc bring me up to 6.5cc. On a bad note, because of this mix up I will not get to see Corrine!! My appointment today was with Pam, who is also WONDERFUL!!! So I just asked Pam to give her a big hug for me and tell her thanks for being so wonderful to me. I'm sad though!!!

Well I have more good notes than bad, now that I am on a new work schedule I can go to the Lahey Lap Band Support Groups on the last Tuesday night of each month! I am soooo excited!!! I have never had the chance to go to one because of work. On another good note I have gone the gym everyday this week!! I am trying so hard to be consistant. I know it will pay off. Also I expressed my concerns to Pam about my new job and not knowing when on earth I will be able to get another fill. You know I don't want to be asking to take a half day every 4 weeks to go get an adjustment. She said that everytime there is a holiday that I have off, that they are working and that if I call her and let her know I can come in early for support gruop and she will give me one because she stays late for support group anyway.

So I just had a bunch of good news to throw at you all!! Thanks for listening, I know I'm not always that interesting lol.

Juggling

I finally got a new job!! For those of you who didn't know for the past 2 years I have been a Receptionist for Lincoln Technical Institute part time and the hours were Mon-Thurs 4pm-8pm and Saturdays 9am-1am. YUCK! So sick of those hours, especially seeing me and my husband are on totally different schedules. We see each other on the weekends that is about it. So after a long time looking I found a new job, that is FULL TIME and with much better hours, 8:30-5:30 Monday through Friday. I am still going to be a Receptionist (gotta do what I love) and it is only 30 minutes from where I live. I am so excited!!!

I am a little concerned with work out time. Right now I am going to the gym for 1 hour per day. 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of 5 Weight Machines. I do get 1 hour for lunch which I could not possibly use a whole hour!! I was thinking perhaps I could walk for 30 minutes and then hit the gym when I get home for 30 minutes to do my machines. I don't know yet, I guess I will take one step at a time and try to figure it out. If anything, even if I don't get to work out as much I will be eating a lot less!!! Being home all day right now I eat a lot more out of boredom and what not so I am excited that I full time job will have me out of the house and preoccupied!!

I would LOVE any advice from any of you who are advanced in the act of juggling work and weight loss!!!

Oh and did I mention I love you guys!!!! You always say such nice things!! =)

Not Hungry!

It is just a few minutes past Noon time right now, typically I would be eating lunch but today I am not. As most of you know, last October I was at 7cc's and got soybeans stuck and therefore I had to have 6cc's removed for them to pass through. However, before this happened I was feeling on top of the world, loosing weight and feeling so good. When I had all the fluid taken out, I felt like food was taking control over my life again and honestly it was so depressing but it made me realize just how much having the band really helps.

I am not eating lunch yet, because I am not hungry. I am back up to 6cc's now and the band is once again helping me control my head hunger. This is the best feeling in the entire world. I am the first to admit that I am 100% a food addict. I'm not just one of those people who eat all the wrong things and doesn't exercise. I am like a food hider, eat in your car, and late at night when everyone is in bed kind of addict. Before the band I was controlled by food. I guess in a way I still am because food is on my mind constantly but now it's in a different kind of way.

There is no feeling in the world like eating a meal and just feeling plain old satisfied, not stuffed, just satisfied. Ironically I'm a control freak who is addicted to food which makes me out of control haha. I am a mess. I am just so thankful that I was presented with all the right circumstances to get this band. It's the best thing I've ever done and I can't imagine life without it. Imagine what I'll be saying once I've hit my goal haha?

If you are still thinking about getting banded, my advice is do it do it do it, you won't regret it!!!!

FULL

I made scrambled eggs this morning. I actually didn't want breakfast at all but since I've been banded I've been really trying hard to break my 22 year old habit of no breakfast. So I made the eggs but I feel sooooo nauseous this morning I just could not eat them, I had one small little bit.

By Noon I was hungry so I made a chicken salad. It was probably a medium size salad but by bandsters standards it was LARGE! Well I was able to eat the whole thing no problem but I am sssssssoooooooooooooooo stuffed from it. Food couldn't be farther from my mind right now which is actually a great feeling for once, it has been so long since food has actually satisfied me!

Well that is it, I just wanted to give you a little update to say that my fill from last week seems to be helping, yay!!!

The Good & The Bad

My fill went great today. The needle prick hurt a little more than usual but I think it is because it has been 4 weeks since my last and I was use to going every 2 weeks. It is fine now though. I had been wondering why I was so hungry at 5.5 because I don't recall being this hungry back in Sept. when I was at 5.5 (before my ER Unfill). I talked to Corinne (my fill doctor), and she said that back in Sept. I weighed more and a fill feels different when you gain/loose weight, so I guess it makes sense as to why I don't feel the same this time around. So anyway, she said that because I've been so hungry and could eat an entire meal at a restaurant if I wanted to lol, she would give me .5cc. So I am up to 6cc now and am on liquids today, hopefully for once I can actually stand not to eat for an entire day. I usually do have something small even ont he day of my fill because I feel so sick from not eating that I just can't take it. I got like a good Starbucks drink in order to put something of substance in my tummy. Seems to be working so far! I will let you all know what I am feeling at 6cc in a couple days when I am back on normal foods.

I have a little bad news though, well not really for any of you except for Kristen because she has the same fill doctor as me, but Corinne is leaving Lahey Clinic!!! It seems silly to be sad over my Nurse Practitioner leaving but she has been giving me my fills all along and has sort of been a cheerleader for me. Honestly we talk more about life when I see her verses the Lap Band. She got an amazing position offered to her at another Hospital and is leaving the beginning of February. I see her on February 3rd, right before she leaves and I really want to get her something in appreciation for this "new life" I feel that her and all the doctors have given me. Does anyone have an suggestions because I have no idea what to get for her?

At Last!!!

Yay finally tomorrow is the day for my next adjustment I feel like I have been waiting forever for this! I have been fluctuating like crazy over the holidays and I have finally gotten myself back down to my 217lbs, thank you Jesus! I was feeling so gross and bloated. I have been eating small amounts every 2 hours starting at 8am and eating the last of my food for the day at 6pm. It seems to be working well for me and I am ranging anywhere from 1200-1600 calories. I seem not to be too starving because of this. Hopefully tomorrows fill will also help with the hungry horrors I am having. I have no idea how much of a fill to get, I am just going to tell the doctor how I am feeling and let her decided. I'm all about going slow now, but I also want to actually feel something. Right now I am still feeling absolutely nothing, like I have no band at all and this is frustrating. Ahh but at last I feel hope on the horizon, I love fills haha.

Try try again

So I had to wait a couple days before I could attempt the 30 Day Shred DVD again. I could hardly flip a light switch on lol. Today I felt much better so I attempted it yet again. I still didn't get through it all but I feel much stronger and I am confident that I will soon be able to accomplish the whole workout soon.

My fill is coming up this Wednesday. I am very very excited. I am use to getting it done every 2 weeks and here it has been four. I feel overdue. I can't believe how little I feel since my last fill. I feel like I felt more at 5cc's than I am feeling at 5.5cc's. Isn't it funny how that happens.

I made this Southwestern style almond encrusted chicken today. It was really yummy! I pounded out the chicken and marinated it with a seasoning that is a little spicy and added about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the marinade as well. Then I ground up almonds, dipped my chicken in egg whites and then coated with almonds. I baked them for 30 minutes at 400 degrees (flipping them over at 15 minutes) and I thought it was rather tasty! Often I make things I don't end up liking but I am really trying hard now to make a sort of collection of recipes that I can pull from and I know they are good for me. If you have any recipes you would like to share with me I am all ears!!

Jillian Michaels & Maltese

I want to start out by wishing you all a very Happy New Year! For the first time in my whole life I did not make a resolution to loose weight. I was thinking about it and I decided that it didn't make any sense seeing on June 19, 2009 I decided to make an entire life resolution. I googled the definition of "Resolution" and my favorite one was "Firm Determination". Who needs to make a New Years Resolution every year when I made one that will last the rest of my life? Certainly not me!! =)

Now, on to the title of this post "Jillian Michaels & Maltese." How could the 2 be related right? Well let's just start with Jillian Michaels. I bought her new DVD called 30 Day Shred, I had heard really great things about it. It's a 20 minute workout and the DVD includes levels 1, 2, & 3. Jillian has created a system called 3-2-1 and what it is, is 3 minutes of Strength Training, 2 minutes of Cardio, and 1 minute of Abs. This is done 3 times in a row, a total of 18 minutes and then the other 2 minutes include stretching and cooling down.

I first watched level 1 to listen to all the instructions and "be prepared" for the butt kicking I was going to get. You know Jillian. Okay well watching it didn't prepare me because I about died half way through lol. She was not kidding in the video when she said "If you only want to work out for 20 minutes it has to be INTENSE." I was going to count today as Day 1 on the 30 Day Shred but I am going to have to let tomorrow be Day 1 because now I really feel prepared! I know what is coming to me.

Now I bet you all are wondering where on earth Maltese come into this equation? Well I have 4 of them, don't think I ave ever told you that. 1 Boy, Chaz, and 3 Girls, Chloe, Candi, and Chelsee. They are the cutest darn things you have ever seen.

Left: Chaz Right: Chelsee Middle: Candi Front: Chloe

Come on now Breanne tell us how they relate to Jillian Michaels. Well as I was attempting to do the Level 1 workout today, during the Abs portion while I am lying on the floor my Maltese see that as an open invitation to jump on my chest. Now they are super cute and all but have you ever tried to do crunches with 4 little dogs on your stomach lol, it is hard. Not only do they want to sit on my chest but they practically mawl my face with kisses and keep hitting me with their paws so that I will pat them lol. They are really hard not to love but they make it really hard to exercise. haha They will be locked out of the room tomorrow.

So tell me has anyone tried Jillians Shred or any other DVD's from her?