A New Beginning

Things are chaning for me at work. There is a job at work, QA Application Tester, that I have applied for twice already and each time it was down to me and one other person. Obviously the other person got it each time and the last time I was told I had it and didn't get it. I was absolutely bummed and was determined NEVER to apply again. And I didn't. That was 2 years ago. Friday they posted this job again for the 2nd time in a week. I was sending that manager some issues we had with software and hinted that she needed to hire a tester for our client. She responded back asking me to interview for the tester job. I pointed out that I had before and got screwed over. Well not in those terms but I let her know I was not happy. She said she would have her manager interview me and if she gives the okay then its mine. That was fair. Now my current job is a grade level 30. This new job is a grade 32. I would be stupid not to try. I told her I would think about it over the weekend and let her know on Monday. Monday I came into work and had an email from her asking if I had thought it over. I said sure I would like to interview. I met with her Manager on Tuesday afternoon. It only lasted 10 min. I had the sinking feeling it didn't go well. About 15 minutes later I was offered the job. WOO HOO!! We discussed salary and I told her I would talk about it with my husband and let her know on Wednesday(today). Now, I really didn't need to think about it. I was taking it.
I accepted the job today and start on June 6th. I am going from a stressful job that has a monthly/quarterly monetary goal, handling 800 files, negotiating with attorneys and adjusters and being team leader of a unit of 13 examiners and now will be testing software. Wow big difference. I will have new challenges and new things to learn. I am about 6 months away from my associates degree in Computer Technology. I hope to continue that and get my degree.
One of the reasons I got this job over the other person, yeah it was down to me and another person, was because of my outgoing personality. Me? This is my tribute to the band. I have a new found self esteem that I have not had in the last 20 something years. I attribute this to my weightloss.
Today was a little extra stressful. I bring this up only due to the weightloss. A while back I had my 1st mammogram since I turned 40. I had to go back for an ultrasound and 2nd mammogram. I have many cysts but they couldn't feel them and  they were just going to watch them and I was to go back in 6 months. A week ago last Sunday, I was getting dressed and looked down and saw a bulge on my right breast. It was a large lump, several inches in size. I called my doctor the next day and they scheduled me an appointment to go back for an ultrasound and aspiration. That was today. Needless to say I have been very nervous. They removed 10cc of fluid from the cyst. They said it was okay and no need to send it off for labs. Thankfully. No cancer.
On with my new life...I am so excited. I have been in my current job for 10 years. This is like starting over but I am very excited.

MY ONE YEAR BANDAVERSARY

On this day, one year ago, I was embarking on the biggest adventure of my life. Little did I know just how much it would change my life. I hoped it would but really had no idea of what I would accomplish.

So many things have changed in my life since that day. No more soft drinks for me. Anyone who knows me knew that Big Red and grape soda were my passions.
I can now sit in a seat at the movie theater and not be wedged in there plus I don't have to sit a seat apart from people because of my size. I can sit in a booth at any restaurant and not have my stomach sitting on top of the table or it being shoved up in my throat.
I can get in and out of my car with ease. I can walk from far out in the parking lot into work without stopping to breathe heavy.
My feet don't swell everyday like before. I can wear cute shoes and not have pudgy feet. Hey, some things are important.
As I have said before, I can use the regular stalls in the bathroom at work instead of the "luxury suite" or handicapped stall.
The biggest thrill for me is being able to cross my legs. I can sit like a lady again.
I have dropped a multitude of sizes. Gone from a tight size 28/30 possibly larger(30/32 in some things), to 18/20. More 18 than 20. I can buy off the racks now at regular stores and of course Old Navy is my favorite right now. I haven't taken my measurements in a long long while so I will update that on a later date as soon as I find my measuring tape.
My health has dramatically improved. Blood pressure is no longer high. Cholesterol is normal again. Was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes December 2009 and no longer take any medications and blood sugar is normal. I had a mini stroke in 2008 but now my risks are lowered for a full blown stroke. I have APS(antiphospholipid antibody syndrome) but my clotting risks are lower due to the drastic weight loss. Edema is mostly gone now. Reflux is mainly gone. I rarely take meds for it.

This has been a hard journey. It takes a lot of work and effort. It's not the miracle cure some people hope for and others (non banders) think it is. I have a lot of sacrafices with the band. I still have bumps and curves in my journey because of the band. Things get stuck even a year later when I am an expert on what I can and cannot eat. It's always a learning experience every single day.

My BIGGEST accomplishment?? I have lost....DRUMROLL PLEASE....112.5 LBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Am I happy with the surgery? You bet I am! Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! Do I have any regrets? Not a one! Would I do anything different? Yes, I would have done this sooner. Do I recommend it for others? No. Now I know you are thinking what do you mean No? I could never recommend a surgery for someone. This is such a personal decision to make. It is a huge investment not only for you but your family. This isn't for everyone. You have to be in the right frame of mind to do this because there are some psychological stresses on you when you have this surgery. It's not like a diet that at some point you can give up and go back to what and how you were eating. This surgery is adjustable so you can "give up" to a point but it's not going to fully go back unless you have it removed. You can control just how restrictive the band is by getting adjustments. Could it work for you? Yes it could. Would it work the same for you as me? Absolutely NOT! We are all different and unique so is our weightloss journey.

I had hoped to have pictures ready to post today but of course I don't. I will get those together soon and get my one year pic posted.

Thank you everyone for your love and support as I continue my journey.

I look forward to the next year. I am excited to see how my life continues to change.

Avocado, the perfect fruit. My new obsession

My new obsession is guacamole. A very simplistic yet yummy recipe.

Mashed avocado, 1 large or 2 small
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp garlic powder
Mix well, put the seed in the guac and enjoy.Yes the seed keeps it from turning as quickly. Check my recipes for one with minced garlic instead. I use Baked scoops to "scoop" it up. I seem to crave it daily. Of course you can add chopped tomatoes, minced onion, jalapenos, cilantro etc. I personally don't like that in my guac.

So, I did a little research online. Did you know that avocados are a complete fruit? It is very useful for lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, regulating blood sugar. It helps with blood clotting among other things. What a wonderful little fruit! I am addicted.

Yes they are high in fat but it's the good fat, monounsaturated. High in fiber, 9.2g. It is very filling too. Even though it is a "mushie" food, with regards to my band, I still feel full after eating my guac. Yummy stuff.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1844/2 

107 lbs bye bye

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to weigh and have lost a few pounds. I have been sitting at the same weight for a bit. I was even more surprised given what I have been eating lately.

I was so happy yesterday. I ate a piece of pizza like normal. As in, I didn't scrape off the toppings. I ate the whole piece. It was a extra thin crispy pepperoni pizza. Frozen from Kroger's. Dang was it good. I had 2 little slices, that was dinner. I got up late so no breakfast. I had a 1/2 a chimichanga, a tablespoon of re fried beans, a tablespoon of Spanish rice, some guacamole for lunch. I had 8 pepperoni/cream cheese snacks and a few pringles. Top that off with water and vitamin water zero and that was the extent of my day. Not a good food day but very satisfying none the less.

I have also started a little exercising too which I think helps considering I have not exercised hardly since the surgery. May 12th will be my one year bandaversary. I am so excited. I won't be at my goal. Meaning the 3 year goal my doctor set for me. He said he expected me to lose 120 lbs over 3 years. I am already at 107 lbs down. 13 lbs more to hit goal. I don't think that will happen in less than 2 weeks. I am happy anyway.
I didn't get to go to my exercise class on Thursday. My boss had me doing some work so I had to skip it. I was bummed a bit but not after I heard how hard it was. LOL. I have to do a demo at work on Tuesday but I am hoping it will be before my class otherwise I will have to skip that day too. I can't be red and sweaty for a demo with a client.

Today I had eggs for breakfast. We are having burgers for dinner. Not sure what I am doing for lunch yet. I will probably have my pepperoni snacks today too. Love them little buggers.

Stress is a key factor on what I can eat. I have found that the presence of my kids makes everything get stuck. Isn't that horrible? They always pick with each other at meals so I am constantly getting on them. It causes me to tense up and the food gets stuck. I have found I need complete peace to get through a meal without trouble. Even water gets stuck if I am stressed.

It has been almost a year and I am proud to say I have kept some new habits. I have not had a soft drink since March 25, 2010. I don't drink with my meals other than a sip if it is spicy. I only drink vitamin water zero or water. Occasionally I may have some lemonade, not sugar free though, or hot chocolate or hot cider if I am stuck. Again I don't do sugar free because I am allergic to artificial sweeteners. Breads, pasta and rice are not usual with me. Most of the time they get stuck so it isn't worth the trouble. I can, however, eat Jimmy John's sandwiches. That bread does not get stuck. It is french bread and just perfect for me when I have a hankering for a sandwich. Mac and cheese, my all time fave is no longer on the menu. Rice is occasional. Muffins, bagels, toast not an option at all. So that also means no cake or doughnuts or biscuits.
The meats haven't changed much. I can't eat pot roast, steak or pork chops. It's too tough or stringy. Ham if it is thin or very tender. Ground beef, chicken and turkey is the best for me. I HATE fish if it isn't fried so that's a problem too. I won't eat any other seafood. I lost my tolerance for tuna when I was pregnant with my 2nd child and to this day I can't stand it. It gags me. I am a very picky eater when it comes to veggies so I pretty much eat the same foods over and over.

Anyway, my life is pretty much the same food wise as before surgery other than some off limits foods. That's okay though. It was well worth everything. I only wish I had done this sooner but everything happens for a reason and I believe this was just my time to do it. I had to hit rock bottom health-wise in order for me to make this choice and work at it.

I have come a long way from a year ago where at this time I was on my pre-op diet. YUCK!! I was starving back then just so my liver would not be so fatty. By the time surgery came around I had a "bikini-ready" liver. It was skinny.

Hips Don't Lie

I'm not referring to Shakira either. I went to exercise class yesterday and all last night my hips kept locking up. I had to get up and take ibuprofen to get a little relief. A hot shower did nothing for me. My knees hurt, my butt hurt too. This is supposed to be a good thing? Exercise is a dangerous thing. I still swear that is why I had strep and an ear infection. LOL!!

Obviously we worked on legs and hips mostly. A little arm/shoulder/chest work but not so much that I was hurting there too bad. Here is something sad. We did jumping jacks. Now I know after having 4 kids my bladder muscle is not very good. If  I sneeze or cough too hard I lose control of my bladder. I had gone to the bathroom before class. During the jumping jacks I learned I evidently do not empty my bladder completely. Fortunately no visible accident but it was embarrassing just the same because I knew it. Tomorrow is class #2 this week. I am dreading it but I will go to it.

We had food day today at work. It was my boss' birthday and we had a fine spread. Meatballs, BBQ wieners, buffalo chicken dip(so spicy it made my nose run), derby city chicken salad on croissants, Mexican roll ups, salad, veggies/dip, Mark's feed store potato salad, breakfast casserole, cheese ball, chocolate pie, chocolate cake and lemon pudding cake and pepperoni appetizers. I had a little of this and a little of that. I had a few meatballs, buffalo chicken dip, cheese ball, salad,  potato salad, and pepperoni appetizers. I only had a smidgen of each and a nice salad. I did however eat the heck out of the pepperoni thingy. So simple yet delish. Sliced pepperoni and you spread garden herb cream cheese on one and top with another pepperoni making a little sandwich. Protein and pops right in your mouth. Didn't get stuck at all. Tasty little buggers and I couldn't stop eating them. Needless to say that was all I ate all day. I didn't have any desserts.

I guess it will be a good thing that I have exercise class tomorrow. I'm gonna need it.

Happy Easter Everyone

Each holiday for me is a new experience. It is a new test of trials and temptations. Good or bad the choice is mine to make. Do I give in to temptation or rise above it? Hmm...what to do?

Candy, candy and more candy. Easter isn't as a big a candy day as Halloween but pretty darn close. I am usually not a candy person but I LOVE Twix and at this time of year they have Sweet Tart jelly beans. I am addicted to them and I bought 3 bags. Yeah I know, not a good choice. I have only eat 4 little beans so far. Not too shabby as far as I am concerned. I got my fix.

I bought exercise tubes yesterday. I think I get more of a workout from the tubes than I do from hand weights. I worked out with them today and my arms are sore already. It's a good thing.

I am going back to classes on Tuesday/Thursday this week. I am now back to normal. No longer sick and ready to get back on the horse so to speak. I need to keep this momentum going.

Weight loss is still really slow and at a standstill right now. I gained a few pounds last week but I was swelling quite a bit. Both my legs swelled. Now they are back down and my weight is back down where it was. I have to keep an eye on my water weight too. I am still trying to figure ou what caused it. The only difference is I took my lunch all week and didn't eat out once. The only other difference was that I wore dress shoes/sandals all week. I usually buy casual day stickers and wear jeans and my Nike's. I tend to swell when I wear dress shoes. Go figure.

Oh well, a new week. We are having food day on Wednesday so I am a little concerned on that. There is going to be a lot of snack foods. Buffalo chicken dip, sausage cups, cake, chicken salad, taco dip, veggies and dip etc. I don't have a lot of restriction right now so I don't want to overeat. I can eat comfortably and don't want to over do it. Whatever happens, if I am able to eat tons of food I will go back for a fill otherwise I need to learn to back away.

Wish me luck...

It has been a long week...

So, last Friday I get my daughter off to school, took a shower, laid down for a second and woke up 4 hours later. Evidently I really needed the sleep because on Saturday evening I started getting a headache on one side of my head. I instantly thought of a stroke since I had a mini stroke 2 years ago. It kept going away and coming back and then I had shooting, stabbing pain in my ear on that same side.

Sunday morning I woke up and felt horrible. My ear was throbbing. My tonsil on that same side hurt and it had white spots on it. No fever though. I went to the Little Clinic at the pharmacy and I had strep throat, an ear infection and tonsillitis. Really? Geez, I am 40 years old. So needless to say, I got a Z-Pak and proceeded to be sick to my stomach among other things.

Due to my ear infection I didn't go to exercise classes this week. My balance was way off.

Eating has been going well. I don't get stuck too often but I'm not overeating either. At times I can't barely eat more than a 1/2 cup and other times I can eat a salad plate size portion. Go figure. I think stress plays a big role in that. I am happy though that I don't get stuck like I have been. That just makes eating miserable. I shouldn't dread eating so I am in sweet spot for me.

I haven't really been losing any weight lately though. Just hanging around the same weight for the last week. Better than a gain I guess.

I am off work for a long weekend. I don't go back until Tuesday which is a nice break.

Well, it's short today. I am trying to still recover. Still have headaches and hope my sore throat doesn't come back.

Another exercise class down

WOW~~ Can I once again say there is nothing "beginner" about this beginner class? We went outside yesterday because it was beautiful out. Michele decided we should power walk. Ok so let's get this in perspective here. Walking is not my forte. I do it because it gets me from point A to point B but that's it. Fast walking? Are you kidding me? I was breathing so hard I thought I was going to start seeing stars. Our parking lot is major huge so we walked from one end to the other and back, power walking pumping the arms. Then we worked out using bands. Then we power walked again up the parking lot and back while holding our hand weights. On the way back while holding the hand weights above our heads.

I was breathing hard and praying I would not fall or pass out. We get back to the starting point and had to run up a steep hill and back down. Class dismissed. I brought up the extreme rear each and every time but by golly I finished that damn class. My throat and mouth were so dry when I swallowed I tasted blood. I know gross but I swear that is what it tasted like. I was extremely red for about an hour. Sweated profusely.
The class was ONLY 30 minutes. Beginner class? I don't think so.

Class again Tuesday. Looking forward to it. Really I am. They are supposed to weigh and measure us too.
This is the 1st real effort at exercise I have done since the surgery other than Zumba on the Wii. The best part...the class is free. The company I work for built us a fitness center and has 2 full time fitness coordinators on staff who have a week's worth of classes for free. Zumba, insanity, full circuit, muscle conditioning, walking club, beginner's class, yoga, ropes & bands etc. I had wanted to try Zumba before but didn't make it. I may give it a whirl but right now I am just trying to make it through the beginner's class.

Gotta do something to get rid of the bat wings under my arms. LOL!!

Well it's been an interesting week

My eating is more relaxed now so I can enjoy my meals. I am not overeating so I will not be getting a fill  anytime soon.

I started an exercise class this week. It was called a beginner's class. Yeah right~~ I could barely walk when we were done and the next morning I was dying!! BUT I am glad I did it. It was a good feeling to be able to finish the class. The class is on Tues/Thurs so tomorrow is another class. Wish me luck.

All in all, things are going pretty darn good. No real problems. Eating is easier which is a plus. I feel like I am in the green zone.

I am hooked on cereal now. I eat Super Crisp every day. It's sweet and crunchy. I don't know what made be buy it but I am on my 3rd box in a week.

Life is good....

Restriction lifted

Well, my restriction has finally loosened up a bit. I can eat with minimal tightness. I believe it when my surgeon's office tells me that eating less doesn't mean I will lose weight. They told me I need to eat a certain amount, salad plate size portion, and I will lose more weight. True, true, true. I have been tight since my last fill. Almost every meal I get stuck. It was horrible and I wasn't losing hardly any weight. I had the same 5 lbs up and down since then. It started to loosen up and I finally hit the 101 lbs loss. I can now eat a meal with very little tightness and can eat just a tad more at my meals. I had lost the 101 then went back up a few pounds. Yesterday I was able to eat comfortably and the excess pounds melted off. I am back at 101 lbs loss.

I am supposed to get a fill this week but I am going to put that off for a bit and see how the weight goes. I will, however, get a fill if I start to eat everything that isn't nailed down. That's my cue.

Stress is a terrible thing and horrible for my band. It causes all sorts of problems with eating. But who doesn't have stress in their lives? The key is be relaxed at meal time. Again, who isn't stressed at meal time? It's rare for me. I eat on the go at work, meaning I eat at my desk while working because of all of the work I have to do. I eat breakfast at home now every morning but that of course is the tightest meal of the day. Dinner is usually late night since I get off work at 8pm and that is the time I catch up with my kid's and hubby's day and get them ready for the next school day.

I am looking for some good recipes. Feel free to add them or email them to me. angela.lovato7@gmail.com

Thanks everyone!!