My decision to have the Lap-Band®

I received an email this week and it has inspired me to write this post. I wanted to explain why I decided to have the Lap-Band® Surgery verses just trying to eat healthier and becoming more active.

My whole life I yoyo dieted as I am sure many of you have done as well. They usually work great, but who can do it forever? Not many of us. I have an emotional addiction to food and I was not really aware of this until after I graduated high school. As a child and through my teen years I just equated my chubbiness to boredom eating, which it was but as I got older I saw that I ate for every emotion and all my thoughts revolved around food. These feelings got stronger and I began to feel like a prisoner to food and my weight and when I reached that feeling of hopelessness that is when I looked for help.

Some people might think, but why surgery? Why didn’t I just go to the gym? I don’t know how to explain it to you other than that just was not going to work long-term. I decided that I really truly needed surgical help to help me create a new lifestyle for myself, one that I could maintain for the rest of my life. No more yo-yoing.

This was 100% the right decision for me and I would not take it back, ever! I think that if what I have posted about here reminds you of yourself at all, then you would probably not regret the decision to have the Lap-Band® either. =)

I hope that it helps at least 1 person.

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Check out this new blog!!

http://littleredridingbandland.blogspot.com/

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P.S. THANKS FOR HELPING ME REACH 200 FOLLOWERS!!!! Here’s hoping for 300!!!!

Cruise Pics & Wednesday Weigh In

I hope you enjoy my cruise slide show!!!

Last Wednesday's Weight: 167lbs

This Wednesday’s Weight: 167lbs

The rise of the plateau again! Muahahahaha. lol No seriously it is that time of the month so you know how that goes. I feel wonderful though and I have this new found sense of....what is the word I am looking for? Self belief....that is what it is! I don't know I just feel like I can do it, I can hit my goal. Maybe it was the finale of biggest loser last night that is making me feel this way! Did you guys see Olivia? She looks AMAZING, she was my fave all season!! =)

On another wicked cool note.....I only need 4 more people to have 200 followers!!! That would be awesome if I acquired those within the next month because next month marks my 2yr Bandiverary and it would just be neat to have 200 followers in 2 years! =)

My mom has been following a 1200 calorie "diet" but its more of a lifestyle change since like mid March and it's really working for her! She isn't even exercising much and she is dropping like a couple lbs every few days. I need to start watching my caloric intake as well. I find that every once in a while I need to count points just to realize all the little things I am eating here and there that really add up,so I am going to do that this week!

I hope you are all starting to enjoy some nice weather! Last week all we had was rain day after day in MA, but yesterday and today are beautiful!! =)

Wednesday Weigh In.....On Thursday!

Last Weigh In Weight: 167lbs (5/6)

This Wednesday’s Weight: 167

Sorry for the delay! I actually wrote the entire thing yesterday but had not finished yet so I didn't post and then the day got away from me!

My trip was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! I will definitely be a cruiser for life; it is absolutely the way to vacation! The cruise ship was HUGE and there were like 14 flights of stairs so I decided to take advantage and so I basically took the stairs everywhere I went. Once or twice I took the elevator but that was about it. They also have a track on like the 11th floor outside that if you walk around it 7 times it equals a mile so I did that once. I got lost a lot on the ship lol so I walked the entire length of the ship countless times just trying to find my way around lol. I never went to the gym itself but I definitely stayed active.

Nassau, Bahamas was beautiful. We had a nice tour and spend the day on the Sandyport Beach and swam around with Sea Turtles. =) 

St. Thomas easily had the most gorgeous Landscape with all the hills. It rained a bit and was a little scary going up the HUGE hills and taking hairpin turns although. The beach, Magen’s Bay was really awesome. It was like in between to huge hills so you were in a valley basically and because it was a bay, there were no waves. It was the most clam water, really pretty. 

St. Maarten had really pretty landscape as well but not as beautiful as St. Thomas. We had a really nice tour in St. Maarten, spent a little time shopping and an hour or so at a nice beach. It definitely had the best shopping out of all three places I went to. I can’t really say which I liked best; I liked them all for very different reasons.

The ship itself was one of the best parts of the trip. There were endless things to do for entertainment. Big productions every night in what they call the “Encore Theater”, comedy shows, live music in several areas, karaoke, trivia games. Then there are the pools and Jacuzzi’s and the huge water slide. I would definitely suggest never go on a cruise that has more port days than days at sea, you want them equal at least so you can really enjoy the ship.

I have not gotten around to sorting my pictures yet, there are a lot of them! I will go through them and post them all in a couple of days! =) Glad to be back to the blogging world! 

Check out these new blogs!

Amanda is being banded on 5/27/11 hopefulbandster.blogspot.com
Yvette is being banded on 6/10/11 lapbandhelpme.blogspot.com

Update Before I Take Off!

Since I am going away tomorrow and will not be around the do my Weigh In Wednesday I thought I would update you today. Actually I was going to post regardless not specifically a weight update as it has only been two days since my last BUT......I felt different when I woke up this morning. I know that sounds super corny but I did. However, I didn't step on the scale because I've seen the same stinkin number for so long I couldn't bare to look down and be disappointed AGAIN!!!

As the day progressed I slowly convinced myself to weigh, and when I did........167lbs!!!!! Holy Smokes! I am in total shock. I have seen 168 once or twice before only for it to go right back up before my weigh in but I have NEVER seen 167! It's funny how your body just lets you know "hey you feel different" lol, and it was right! =)

So I officially 85lbs lost! Wow that is such a huge number I cannot believe it. I obviously didn't make my cruise goal but at this point I am just happy to see the scale move at all before I go! =) I just want to make sure you all know (sometimes I feel like I don't say it enough) that I really appreciate all your comments of support and encouragement, they truly mean so much to me! =)

You will hear from my next week and I'll be posting lots of pics!!!

Oh and one last thing, I updated my "Who Am I" page if anyone is interested!

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Send Melissa an email at

heymelissawolf@gmail.com

for an invitation to read her new Lap Band Blog!! 

weightlosswakeupcall.blogspot.com

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Wednesday Weigh In

Last Wednesday's Weight: 170lbs

This Wednesday’s Weight: 169lbs

 

Well I am back to where I was so I am happy about that! I've been hitting the gym a lot and doing a lot of running but I know I am eating too much. Though I have cut back significantly on my Starbucks Macchiato consumption, I'm on a sugar high I think. I'm drawn to junk food lately. It's weird because I crave good food and am eating good food but then can't say no to the junk in addition. Blah! Just because I've lost 80+lbs doesn't mean my food addiction struggles have disappeared!

I’ve been contemplating going to OA (over eaters anonymous) for sometime now but have not got up the courage to actual go. Perhaps when I get home from the cruise I should look into it, or at the very least finally get my butt to the once a month Lap Band Support Group at my Hospital! Yeah, maybe I should start there before OA.

I went to the gym last night for 30 minutes…..I did 1.9 miles. I can feel my stamina getting a lot better. I break up the walking and running by doing intervals. This is what I did last night…

Walked for .10 mile

Ran for .40 mile

Walked for .25 mile

Ran for .25 mile

Walked for .50 mile

Ran for .20 mile

Walked for .20 mile

You can see as the workout progresses that I get more tired and so I walk more. I put the long intervals of running at the start when I have a lot more energy. I’ve just been upping that long interval of running by like .10 mile whenever I feel like I can do more and then I don’t allow myself to go backwards the next day. Like now that I am running .40 I won’t go back to .30. In the past I have pushed myself too hard and was not able to keep it up long term so this time I am trying to go slower so that I can maintain this. I hope it works, I really enjoy running.

I can’t imagine even trying to run like this any heavier, it would have seemed hopeless. I don’t suggest that anyone try any crazy running until they hit a plateau. Plateau…..that is becoming an evil word. lol

The countdown is on!

My cruise is coming up this Saturday! I’m in a little bit of disbelief that I really wasn’t able to conquer my plateau before leaving but hey plateaus have a mind of their own and they start moving again when they want to start moving again. So it’s all good because regardless I feel awesome, the best I have felt in years! =)

I’ve been running a lot lately. I spent a little $$ on some really nice running shoes…..these are the ones I got…..Asics Women's GT-2160 Running Shoe.

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11130865&cp=4413987.4417990

I really like them, they are very very comfortable. If you want to start running I really suggest buying a pair of sneakers that are specifically for running. These are really nice and make running easier than just an ordinary shoe.

I'm still working up my stamina. I'm going slowly. I'm on my own program that I'm sort of creating as I am going along.......

Week 1: 

Walked @ 3.0 for .25 miles

Ran @ 5.0 for .25 miles

Walked @ 3.0 for .25 miles

Ran @ 5.0 for .25 miles

Total of 1 Mile

Week 2:

Walked @ 3.5 for .20 miles

Ran @ 5.2 for .30 miles

Walked @ 3.5 for .20 miles

Ran @ 5.2 for .30 miles

Total of 1 Mile

Week 3:

Walked @ 3.5 for .20 miles

Ran @ 5.5 for .30 miles

Walked @ 3.5 for .20 miles

Ran @ 5.5 for .30 miles

Total of 2 Miles

So week 3 is where I am at right now.......where I am at the end of the week
seems to be determining how I will up the workout the following week. My over all goal is to first run 3 miles and second be able to run the 3 miles in 30 minutes. Hopefully by the end of the Summer I can do a 5k, that would be fun!!

Check out this New Blog!! 

Samantha who's surgery is May 12th!!!

http://alapbandblog.blogspot.com