Just call me Little foot!

Ok so not only have I been losing lot's of weight, but along with that I have to buy new shoes!!! I used to wear a size 8 1/2 or 9 depending on the shoe and now I am a size 7 1/2. I have a ton of cute shoes and now they are too big for me? =(

I love the fact that I can wear heels for much longer periods of time without feeling the loss of circulation, but now I have to keep buying new shoes. Love the NSV, but my wallet does not seem to like it.

On another note I want to wish my Hubby a Happy Anniversary...14 years of being together through literally thick and thin! lol! Love you Babe!♥

until next time! ♥XOXO♥

What have I really been up to?

Ok, so I guess I always tend to come in here and talk about all my wonderful accomplishments, but I don't think I have really talked about all that has really happened in between and what it took to get to where I am at.

Now that my before and after pictures are super noticeable everyone wants to know how really easy or difficult my journey has been. I have to say that just like I have read with many of you it has been the best roller coaster I have been on! No matter how many downs I have had, it always has an loop that keeps me going.

I have to say that having Lap band surgery is not just about having the surgery and the lbs just dropping on their own. When I came into this I was so ready and committed to sticking to this no matter what. I was sure scared as hell, but I wanted to lose the weight because I was miserable. I had no energy and I felt like I was trapped. My health was taking a dive and I just didn't want to be like many in my family with so many issues because of making bad choices and being inactive.

My husband had such a hard time dealing with the fact that I was going to have surgery. He was adamant that it was the worst decision ever, but I opted to not listen to anyone and do this for me. For once in my life I was going to be selfish because I knew that if I didn't try this I was going to live the rest of my life miserable.

I also opted to be vocal to everyone around me I was having surgery because I knew that I was going to need that extra push. I needed to know that I could not be seen as a failure. I didn't want to be the poster child for gastric surgery failures... I was determined to succeed and nothing could stop me. So If I put it out there then that would hold me accountable for what I was putting in my mouth. I knew the food police would also be lingering and not that I like them, but I sure wasn't going to slip in front of them.

When I started my post op diet, I hated having to drink those shakes. I could have done anything not have to drink them, but all throughout this time I made sure to tell myself that this was only temporary and I think that is was made me not ever cheat once. I knew that one day I would be able to eat Pizza, burgers, fries in moderation of course, but I knew that it was something that was not going to be off limits to me. I just needed to stick to it for the time being, so that I could lose the weight. If I ever did really want to have a bite of that birthday cake or some M&M's, I would have a slither of the cake, just to get that taste in my mouth and a couple M&M's just to not feel so deprived. Honestly, if it would have not been for that, I swear I would have failed long ago. You also need to know when to say stop. I know some of us struggle with just a slither, but you have to have major self control.

With my 85 lb loss, I have been slacking a bit with really watching what I eat. I have about 15 more lbs to my goal weight but I have a feeling it's going to be a bit harder to lose. I'm almost there and it feels great. I absolutely recommend this surgery 100%, but you have to also be 100% ready for the commitment. Otherwise, It will not work like it should. If I would have done this maybe a year or 2 ago, I don't think I would have been as successful as I am today. I was able to get on my Wii fit the other day and I am proud to say that it no longer calls me Obese...I am just overweight. LOL..

I'm a work in progress and will always be in this life long journey! I love it!

Until next time...♥XOXO♥

SOME OLD FAT PICTURES...OH BOY!

Family X-mas picture 2007


Thanksgiving 2009


Happy Hour


Halloween 2009


Company X-Mas Party 2009

80 lb loss pictures

Here they are!

Hit 80 lbs loss this morning!!

Happy Dance Please!!!!!
Yay, I finally hit my 80 lb loss. I am definately getting back on track now....
I needed to get back on my working out and definately with the new fill it looks like it is much better. pics to come.

♥xoxo♥

4th fill today!

Hello all! I went in today for my 8 month check up. Since June I was able to lose according to my doctor 20lbs...which he says is great! I did get a slight fill today of 0.5cc's. Now I am at a total of 2cc's. I can't get much of a fill because I tighten up real quick. I was actually impressed with the way they started doing fills. They have changed to a new method of x-ray, so they can see the band to make sure there is no slippage and also to make sure that when he does the fill he can see the liquid actually passing so that I am not too tight.

I was back on track and then I fell off the band wagon. Not that I was doing horribly on my diet, but I am sure that I could have helped it a bit more. The reason for my fill request is that I know that I was eating more than a fist full of food and if I tried to limit my intake, I would be hungry in the next 2 hours. I was also snacking a lot in between meals which I knew was not good. So now I am on my 2 days of liquids and 2 of soft foods. I hope this helps me getting back on track. I need 22 more lbs to go to hit my 100lb weight loss goal!

I need to get my motivation in gear again. I'm sure that these last 20lbs is going to be a challenge and probably harder to lose, but I shall succeed!

Until next time!! xoxoxo

New Beginnings...

Here I am again! I am really trying to get used to my new body. I feel like everything is happening so quickly that my brain does not have time to catch up with my body. Although I feel great and I can see that obviously 73 lbs have shed from my body, I do still feel fat and at times feel like people are watching me for even daring to look at size large or medium. I know I may sound ridiculous with this, but it is the truth. I'm sure it will all catch up, but it's gonna take time. Here is a new picture of my hubby and I. He has also lost in total 40 lbs. He has been a huge motivator and my band has not only helped me, but him as well! Just compare this picture to the one on my profile.

Until next time!!! ♥xoxoxo♥

Here are the updated pictures to mark the 70 lbs!!

SEVENTY LBS DOWN!!!!


BEFORE SURGERY IN FEBRUARY

70 LBS DOWN!!!!!

S-E-V-E-N-T-Y, Yes people SEVENTY POUNDS! I DID IT!~ AND I'M LOVING IT!

Although I knew I had it in myself to do this, I just never pictured that I would actually be able to say that I have lost 70 lbs. It's like one of those too good to be true stories. I am out of words, but I feel great! now that means 30 lbs more to get to my goal weight and that to me my friends looks like a piece of cake!!

I finally was able to get back on track and that Zumba 10 day accelerator, so made this possible!

Picture to come.....

until next time ♥xoxoxo♥

Wiiiiiillllll!!!!! Where are you?????

I have been in a rut and as I have been reading aparently there are quite a few of us out there with this same issue. I just cannot get myself out of this vacation mode! I have not eaten horrible, but I know I can do better and of course get back to EXERSIZING! I think that would really help me back in gear. I do want to say that staying off the exersize has helped with my heel feeling much better, but now I just need to focus. I have been yo-yoing the same 2 lbs for over 2 weeks now.

OK MARIA.>>>>STOP AND FOCUS!!!!

On the positive side, now having lost 65 lbs I can honestly say that my sensuality is definitely coming back....I feel much better about myself. Losing 65 lbs is a huge accomplishment for me as I have not been this size or weight in over 12 years! It is an amazing feeling.

But I need to keep going...45 more lbs to my goal weight!

Back from Cancun!!!

OMG I had a wonderful vacation in paradise with my family. Stayed at an all inclusive resort and ate everything in sight...well what I could actually consume and only gained 2 lbs!!!! I had 2 stuck episodes, but nothing of major concern, just me again trying to shovel all my food and not chew properly.

Now, I just need to get my mind off the vacation mode, so that I can get back on track and continue on my journey! Follow the link below to see the fun in the sun!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74525&id=1437467084&l=1edf2e2df6

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=75170&id=1437467084&l=259a8f7178

Until next time!!

Here is my 60 lbs weight loss picture comparison!

Hit my 60 and Onederland!!!! Wooohoo!

I finally hit my 60lbs. It is unbelievable that I have actually lost 60 lbs. I would have never thought this would be possible without the help of my band for sure. It's a really hard process, but it is definitely something that can be done. At the same time I hit Onederland! OMG I have not seen that number in more than 12 years.

I have another 39 lbs to reach my goal. Anything is possible now! I go on vacation next Saturday to Cancun, I am 52% packed according to my Ipod packing app. I am so ready to go. I will post pictures as I can. Shopping for clothes has gotten so much fun. I find things with much ease! Maybe a little too much, but I am so happy! And the sales.....are the best!

All right all!! I'll just keep floating in Onederland while it sinks in!
Until next time ♥xoxo♥

3rd Fills a charm! Maybe?

I went to my Dr's appt for a 4 month check up. In 2 months I have lost a total of 18 lbs. So, that puts me at a total of 53.5 lbs in 4 months and 1 week. He says I am doing great! Then he asked if I felt I needed a fill. I have been noticing that I get hungry about 2 hours after I eat and that I can easily chug my water down and I talked to him about going on vacation to an all inclusive resort and he said "OK, I will give you a small fill". So he gave me a 0.5cc fill.

Let me tell you that 0.5cc fill I can feel it. I drink my water it hits my tummy and drains. It just feels different than my other fills, so I hope this one will give me my green zone. I was on liquids yesterday and soft foods today, so we'll see how that goes once I start eating more solids.

I also saw a podiatrist yesterday at the center...Talk about a one stop shop for everything. I had talked about in my last post about having heel pain and exercising was making it worst, so I had my foot checked out and I was told it's not Plantar Fasciitis, but something similar to it...too long to pronounce and to actually remember. Bottom line the irony was that I was instructed to not exercise for 4 months until my heel would heal. I was like ummmm I'm coming here because I need to loose weight and usually exercise helps...well not in my case. I was told, no Sandals, no flats, no moccasins, slipper or BAREFOOT!! That is my life at home right there! Sandals and barefoot! NO WAY! So he suggested that I get a cortisone shot, but I don't know if that is what I really want. That just sounds way to scary to me. I have an appointment for Monday, but I may just cancel it. I am worried of side effect and such. Not that the needle scares me...after all every fill I see a 5" needle..haha!

We'll see what happens..keep you posted until next time ♥xoxo♥

***Mini Shopping Spree***

I went today for the first time in 4 months since my surgery on a mini shopping spree. I had been trying to put off on buying new clothes until I really, really had to and that day has come. I went shopping in my own closet for a minute. You know those pants and shirts that you said..."One day I will fit into them" Yeah, well I did it and now they are too big. Yesterday we went out to a family function and my pants where just too big..I officially have the sagging butt syndrome. I don't care typically when I go to work. I don't have to impress anyone, but on the weekend I need something a little more decent to wear.

In February I was a size 24 going on probably 26. Now I am a size 18 or 16 depending on the style and cut. I can now shop in normal people stores and OMG, the clothes are a lot cheaper! I bought some new slacks, 1 pair of skinny jeans..haha, never thought I would actually ever wear those and a couple summer dresses in size Large....a LARGE!!!!! I could not believe it. It all depends on the clothes some I am still an extra large, but it's exciting to be out of the multiple X's.

I went to my Dr last Wednesday and it turned out that my appt had been moved to this upcoming Wednesday, but no one cared to tell me. The Dr was not in, so I could not be seen at all. I was a bit annoyed but what else could I do? I have been contemplating on getting a fill since I am going on vacation, I did not want to get one, but this past week I have been eating quite a bit and now I have been fluctuating 1-2 lbs all week! I may need to get just a little adjustment. I am starting to feel like I am losing the momentum because I eat more and haven't seen the scale go down and I don't want to get in that rut that is going to stall my weight loss after so much that I have accomplished. I need to keep it going.

I am planning to start my Zumba 10 day challenge. It guarantees 1 pant size down in 10 days if you follow it. I am really going to try it out if my foot permits it of course. Before my surgery I had issues with my foot. I have terrible heel pain and I used to say that it was because of my weight that it hurt so bad. Well now 50 lbs down and it still hurts really bad. My Dr had sent me to do x-rays on my foot to rule out a heel spurt. We know it definitely is not that. But it still hurts, especially when I work out. I have the sensation of when you have a pulled muscle, but who knows.

When I first started my blog I had talked about one of the things I wanted to accomplish was being able to cross my legs. Well guess what!!!!! I can now cross my legs. I can't do it for very long, but I can do it! YAY!

That is all I have for today..until next time! ♥xoxoxo♥

To fill or not to fill?...That is the question!

So, I have my Dr's appt tomorrow for my 4 month check up. I feel like I am eating a bit more that when I first got my fill, but I have had quite a bit of stuck episodes during this time as well. Let's just say that I could help that by chewing a little bit more and eating a little slower. Even shutting my pie hole while eating may even do the trick, but I am social butterfly and talk all the time. My hesitation comes because I will be going on my vacation to Cancun next month and will be staying at an all inclusive resort. I don't want to be too tight or uncomfortable if I will not be able to indulge a little bit of all the stuff that will be out there. Come on...I'm going to be on vacation! I just don't want to be in the middle of a restaurant having a stuck episode since I know that usually the fill takes effect a couple weeks after you actually get the fill. At least right now I know what I can and cannot eat.

So what do you all suggest? I would like to hear from fellow bandsters while on vacation...

Below is a picture from my 2008 Cancun trip

Hit my 50

Hello all! I have been waiting a couple days just to make sure that my scale was not playing tricks on me, but yes the number is finally in and I am down 50lbs! ok if you want to get technical I am maybe points away from it, but I am at the round number I am there!

My journey still continues and I am now half way to my goal! 50 more lbs. I hope to keep the motivation going as I have on these first 50 lbs

until next time ♥xoxo♥

It's been a long time.

I know, I know it's been a while since I have posted. I don't have a lot of time anymore to be online. I am proud to say that since my last post I have lost 7 lbs and I am really now seeing a difference. I have found a favorite place to indulge on something sweet. I am going to this place that sells frozen YogurtCherry on Top. Very low in Sugar and I have noticed that when I eat my Yogurt that I lose weight faster since it has a lot of benefits like:

Excellent Source of Protein
Aids in Healing Infections
Contributes Digestive Health
Improves Bioavailability of Other Nutrients
Can Boost Immunity
Rich source of Calcium
Easy to Digest
Can Lower Cholesterol
Stimulates the Memory
Healthy Alternative to other Desserts

I LOVE THIS PLACE and I feel like I'm kinda cheating, but in a good way. Sugar content is less than 7 grams per serving and I usually only have a little bit and eat it through the week.

Hope everyone else is doing good. Will try to post new pictures soon!

40 lb weigh loss picture comparison

The first 2 are after losing 40lbs and the other 2 are before surgery.

Hit my 40 lb loss today!

I am so excited to report today that even after a busy, busy weekend and lots of food I still managed to drop 2 lbs and hit my 40 lb weight loss! It's just such a huge motivator when you hit these milestones. I have 62 more lbs to reach my ultimate goal, but taking baby steps to get there is a lot more rewarding!

I cleaned out my closet and I am happy to report that ALL my clothes now fit! They are either perfect or getting big. In the past I had a lot of clothes that I kept for just in case when they did fit. I did take some stuff out that were just way to big, but I am trying to prolong buying new clothes if I am going to leave those soon too.

I just can't say enough how happy I am for having made the decision to take on this journey. It is such a great feeling of accomplishment. It's a hard road, but when you have will power and determination it sure can be done!

Thank you to all my supporters. I don't blog often, but it's great to see when other bansters read my accomplishments!

until next time!!! ♥xoxo♥

2nd Fill!

Here is a recent picture of my family!

Hi all! I went in yesterday for my second fill. I was weighed in and so in total in one month I lost 12 lbs. My Dr then told me that I was losing the max as to what they considered healthy weight loss. With that said he was hesitant to give me another fill. He said that I was doing so well and therefore did not need another fill. I was like..."BUT I WANT ONE!!!" I mean I felt like an addict, what the hell is going on with me? He asked why was it that I thought I needed one and so then I told him that my weight loss had slowed down towards the end of the month and I was eating larger portions and wanted to have the restriction. He then said ok he would give me a .5cc fill, but if I continued to lose weight like I was there were no fills for me. Umm is that fair? O well, we will see what happens with this fill.

I did also mention to him that I was feeling very, very tired all the time. Even though I have been working out and eating healthy, taking my vitamins and all I was still tired. He said that it was normal due to my body losing weight so quickly. Has anyone else experienced that? If so what have you done to feel more energy? I am seriously dragging!!!


I found these really cool buttons that I have been using on my pants. They are called Perfect Fit Buttons. You just place them where you need to so that you don't have to buy new pants so soon and they have been working wonders. The backings easily remove and you can re-use on all pants and they come in different colors too. I bought mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Thought I would share that with my fellow bloggers. I am really trying not to buy clothes until I really, really have to and this is helping me wear my clothes longer. I love them!!!!

Until next time!!! ♥xoxo♥

Hit my 1st personal goal!!!

Hello all! It's been a while since I have posted anything. I have been really busy and have not had time to sit down and post my progress, but here I am today to tell you a bit of what has been going on with me.

I finally hit my 1st personal goal at 35 lbs! This is the weight that I was when I first started working at my current job at Allergan. I have yo-yo'd up and down from here, but once I go past this it will be major accomplishment, as I have never been past this number. Now I can really feel like I am losing weight. Not like 35 lbs is not a lot, but now it really feels like I will be losing more than I have been able to in the last 7 years.

I have been trying to keep my workouts interesting, so they don't become a routine. I weight train and tone one day and do Zumba another. I walk on my breaks to split up my cardio and then do my Wii Active and Wii Fit also on other days. This way I don't feel like I am doing the same thing everyday.

I've been doing good with my food. It has become like second nature now, that I know what I can and cannot eat. Although those times when I PMS are definitely my hardest. I have noticed that during that time I am also becoming very emotional and according to my hubby...very bitchy!! lol My surgical coordinator did warn both my hubby and me that I would become like that after a significant amount of weight loss as your body is going crazy trying to figure out what is going on.

This Saturday, I had my first PB with chicken! Well I think it was a bit of skin I did not completely take off and yes it was stuck! I will do almost anything to not have to throw up, but there was no way around this one. It had to come back up! Other than that I survived the cake from my son's birthday dinner on Friday which was a big once considering it was my favorite!!! CHOCOLATE!!!

I have a much needed appointment on Wednesday for my 2nd fill and I am looking forward to that!

Until next time!! ♥xoxo♥

Hit my 30 lbs!

Hope Everyone had a Great Easter!

So besides the fact that we had a major jolt here in Southern California that measured 7.2 in Baja where all my relatives live. By the way they are all fine. Could not get a hold of anyone for a couple hours, but when we finally did it was a great relief! Some structural damage, but the family is ok! THANK GOD and showed us Jesus has risen!

The other big news is that I finally hit my 30 lb mark on Saturday! WOOHOO!

It was a long awaited milestone, but I've hit it. My conclusions were that I was not eating enough veggies and fruits, so that may have helped my jolt!

Have a great week everyone!

What the heck!

Ok, so I am sure that I am probably over exaggerating on the fact that I am 2 lbs from hitting my 30lb weigh loss and I just can't seem to get there. I had my fill on the 17th and have lost 10 lbs in about 1 week and a half. On Sunday, I actually did lose the 2 lbs and then by Monday I gained them back and all week I can honestly say I have been following religiously and no more weight has come down! I have figured out that I need a bit of a fill as I tend to eat and then get hungry about 2 hours later, but my Dr. does not want to give me a fill more than once a month unless it is absolutely necessary and based on the fact that I have lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks he will not want to give me a fill just yet.

I think that since I had been dropping at least 1 lb a day it was making me feel so good, but now it's frustrating me that almost a whole week and nothing!! It's stressing me out! Is it normal? I'm sure others have experienced. Is there anything I can do to jump start again? or am I just worrying over nothing?

Random thoughts and questions!

Hello everyone! I have been so busy that I have been lagging on writing on my blog, but I have a lot of things going on that I would like to hear from my fellow bandsters to see if it is normal and also since I am documenting my journey, so that others can see what I'm going through and may be of help if they experience the same. As of Today my 5 week anniversary I am down 26 lbs!!!

First off, I don't know the meaning of full. I have not PB'd or anything, but I just can't seem to get to the point where I can tell if I am full or not. I have always been a super fast eater. When you are only given 30 minutes of lunch and half the time I used to go out to get something and come back and eat at my desk it makes old habits hard to die. So, I have been trying to pace myself with the eating and there are times that when I eat I feel like I may have swallowed wrong or maybe just went down too fast and captured air. I feel like I am full and then I start burping. I could continue eating, but then I feel like wait, maybe if I keep going I am going to over do it, so I stop. I am eating about a cup of food. I want to make sure that I am only eating 1 cup of food and no snacks, but honestly by the time my next meal is here I'm hungry, no I'm starving!! I can't eat more than a cup of food at a time though, so I would not think I need a fill, unless I am wrong?

Exercise!!!! I'm starting to do that a little more, but I'm no where near where I should. I have all the equipment to do it, but I just don't know what to do! I know I could easily go to the gym and get a personal trainer, but I have it all at home, I just need orientation. I want to make sure that I am working out for my body! I need to lose more weight before my Cancun vacation this July. I want to make sure that if I am not bikini ready, that my Tankini is only the ini part minus the TANK!!!

I don't know if anyone else has gone through this, but seems like food is a bore to me..I don't seem to savor my foods the same as I did before. i know they are good and I enjoy them, but not like before for some reason. I think I now may be eating to live, not living to eat! lol..

any info will greatly be appreciated!

First Fill!!!

So I had my first fill today. I was a bit nervous as I really didn't know what to expect. I get to the my Dr's office and he is explaining to me what he will be doing. Then he starts preparing everything to do the fill. All of a sudden my hands started getting really sweaty after I see the 5" needle he starts preparing. He then says "Don't worry about the needle" so I take a deep breath and he makes me stand for the procedure. My hubby was with me but I think he had wider eyes than me and turned away. I didn't want to look either. As he started poking it wasn't that bad, but I guess he was not able to find the access right away so he poked around. He mentioned that I had quite a bit of scar tissue around the port. I finally told him I was feeling some pain, so he asked me to lay down and find the port that way.

He finds the port and inserts 4cc's. He made me drink a couple sips of water and it came right back up! It was way too tight. He then proceeds to poke me again this time it was so bad to remove the saline and I ended up with 1cc. I was kinda disappointed that I only had a 1cc fill, but he told met that everyone was different and that really didn't mean that it was a bad thing. He said I was doing so well that I should have no problems with losing more weight. I'm feeling a bit tired. I wonder if that is just the time change or this fill.

I was getting ready to make my fish tacos that I love and had been craving for weeks. I now go back to 2 days of liquids, 2 days of mushies and then on to my solid foods. All for the sake of being skinny!!! lol! and the journey continues....

Let's get this Lap band to work for Summer!!!!

I'm so excited, we just booked our summer trip. We are going back to Cancun! I Lo-lo-love that place! Now I really need to get on the ball and work harder, so I look good on the beach! I have 4 months to work at it what a great motivation. The picture I posted was from my 2008 trip, I'm hoping this years picture is going to have a skinnier me!

I think I'm now ready for a fill. I can eat more that a cup of food! I have been trying to still make good choices and limit my intake, but then I get hungry in a couple hours. Not good. The good thing is that I have my next Dr's appt on Wednesday, so I can hopefully get a fill.

All else has been well. I just can't seem to find the motivation to get myself up and workout! Hopefully now with the time change it helps me. I have Cancun to look forward to so that should motivate my butt up! LOL.....

20 lbs lose picture (face shot)

working on the body shot

I Hit 20 LBS!!!!!

So I have started my mushie stage! I am so excited to have reached this stage. I was so tired of of the liquids. I went grocery shopping and I stocked up on the allowable stuff. I'm enjoying this a bit more. I just seem to be running out of ideas to cook...I need to research a little more...any ideas, please send my way!

I Finally hit my 20 lbs over the weekend. I haven't lost 20 lbs in about 4 years. It's actually 21, but It sure hit that milestone and it feels GREAT! Although I keep saying most of it came from my big toe and my ears I'm so glad they are gone!!! My clothes all fit the same, some minor changes in the way they fit, but I'm still the same size.

I had a birthday party to go to and was able to eat grilled chicken, beans, salsa and guacamole from their variety of foods and that made me feel like I was not missing out on anything. It was quite nice!

I'm looking forward to starting my Zumba videos this week to give me a little boost and alternating with weights so that I can tone as well. I tried to clean up my garage again this weekend and boy was that alone a workout! I feel like I'm mining through all the crap in there to get to the machines...lol!

Back to work!

Yesterday was my first day back to work. It was exciting to come back and see my friends here. I have lost a total of 19 lbs now, so it's nice to see when others see the loss as I cannot really tell. I thought it would be really hard because of having to intake only liquids, while everyone else eats real food but it was not that bad. I think the only bad part was having to sit for such a long time. My port area was hurting a bit from that, but I would get up periodically to relax my stomach a bit. By the end of the day I was feeling the exhaustion though...I did come home and lay on the bed for a while!

I have also been getting myself on the treadmill everyday for about 30min to get myself moving. I just plug in my Ipod and on I go. I'm getting ready to have my sister and my cousin come over as workout buddies for extra motivation. I have my 2 week post-op appt tomorrow. I can't wait to at least jump into the smushie stage! I'm so done with my protein shakes.

1 week 1 day post op

I posted a pic of America Ferrera..I've been told by a few people that I have a resemblence to her and I love her in this dress. I would love to see me like her one day.

It's been one week after surgery and I am feeling really good. I decided to go to the mall today with my mom and I think it was a little too much walking. I did have to take a break because I started getting some discomfort around my incisions, like tightness. I got home and took a nap because I was exhausted.

As we were at Mall it was hard for me to not feel tempted to shop, but I just don't want to buy any clothes if I am going to shrink out of it soon. So, I mainly window shopped. I did see that there where a lot of clothes that once I lose weight I would love to have. Before I wasn't even able to imagine myself in any of those clothes. Now I can dare dream of wearing skinny peoples clothes, because I know that with my new handy dandy tool it is definitely a possibility. I'm so excited to see the change.

I did stop by my Dr's office to have some paperwork filled out and they asked me if I wanted to be weighed there. I weighed 242.8 lbs. That is about 17 lbs down from my starting point!! It's exciting.

Last night, my husband had a friend come over for dinner and he wanted to make fish tacos...my favorite! So, I decided to help him make the food and it was hard. You don't know how many times I almost grabbed a piece of fish and bit it...I still have a week of liquids and I am dying. Not because I am hungry, but because I'm tired of drinking the shakes and the soups. I need some texture on my palate! I still have soreness where my port is at. But all seems to be healing nicely! I'm thinking of taking my kids to Disneyland as we have annual passes, just to get them out of the house and some more walking for me. I hope it's not too much or that it rains!

Day 5!

Today I am feeling much better. I have been able to intake more ounces. I have not gotten to where I need to be, but I have tried to sip, sip, sip all day long on both my shakes and water. My mom made me some more veggie soup and that has been wonderful! I had a really bad episode a couple days ago, where I drank about 2 ounces of shake like really quickly and ummm well that didn't go well. I felt like I was going to die!!! For about an hour I felt a big tight knot in my chest and I thought it was never going to go away....all I could do was walk around the house like crazy hoping it would go down. So now I have been more careful with the intake...I now know why it's a big deal to sip, sip, sip!!!!

I weighed my self today and I am down 14 lbs! Yay!! I am now officially 246 lbs. I do feel like The little engine that could as my recovery is coming in slowly and I can see progress. I just need to get myself to that hill so that I can then go on that exciting ride! I have been reading Laura Keys blog on Lapbandtalk.com and she has been a huge inspiration to me. I can see how this can be a great tool for you if you know how to use it appropriately. I identified myself with her because we are close in weight loss and in body shape as well. I can't wait to have my day where I too post I have reached 115 lbs lost. I don't know if I will go for that much, but pretty close. I'm pumped, motivated and ready...

Day 2

I was able to sleep a bit more last night. Gas has subsided a lot. I have kept walking around the house. I still have a hard time taking down all my fluids. I just am not hungry,but I keep trying to force myself to take some down. I finally was able to take a shower! It felt so refreshing and was aliviating. I have a slight of a headache wonder if it is because of the low calorie intake? I had this massive cough attack out of nowhere. It was so painful to my stomach. Ugh not a nice feeling. I miss sleeping on my side so bad! I hope I feel better soon! I hate being in bed and can't sit for so long! Ugh! I just think to myself this is temporary.

Surgery day

Surgery day was yesterday. I arrived at the Center at 12:30pm my husband drove me. Filled out some paperwork and then was sent in to change into my hospital gown, hat and socks. Placed all my belongings into a locker and went to my bed. Patty my nurse came in and prepped me up for the IV and then my anesthesiologist came in and talked over what was going to happen. Dr Pham came in an told me he would prescribe some Tylenol 3 for pain if I needed it, but didn't think I would need any. I was taken into the surgery room. I was tied down from both arms and my legs and then they placed the mask on my face and last thing I remember is telling my nurse Alma to make sure I got the Lap band and I hear the Dr say "Yes thank you for reminding me" and that was it..next I remember was me getting placed into the bed and feeling this massive pressure trying to breath and just discomfort in my stomach area. I never felt pain. Then I started to feel real nauseous and they gave me something for that and for pain, as later on I was feeling a little bit. Procedure took less than an hour and recovery was also about an hour. I was home by 5:30pm.

Once at home I was so uncomfortable with the gas pain. I would walk every hour around the house to hopefully get them out but they just would not budge. I was up all night until finally I fell asleep in the couch. Felt like sitting up would help me a bit more. I took Gas-x and even resorted to childrens Mylecon but nothing helped. Walking is the only thing that really helps.

Every time I pee I smell the anesthesia coming out and that smell makes me nauseous. I just try to drink as much fluids as possible to get it out of my system. Today has been harder to get out of bed due to the soreness, but I have managed with the help of my hubby to get up and walk around. The gas pains have subsided a bit, but I still feel a lot of pain in my left shoulder. Most of the soreness too is around the port area. Will keep you posted on the progress.

Day two pre-op.

Today has been a pretty easy day...I'm sure that it's just me and the fact that I can't eat solids, that watching TV has been pretty hard. I don't think I ever noticed how many delicious food commercials are out there! Every other dang commercial is FOOD! So I decided to get everything ready for the kids for the next couple days and I did some last loads of laundry just to leave everything neat and clean.

Once I got going I was ok, I had some broths and Jello and that is holding me up pretty well. I was able to make spaghetti for the kids and the hubby to eat when they got home.

I took out that blanket that I started about 2 years ago and knitted away. I also got a call from the surgery center that my surgery was moved up to 12pm and then about an hour later another call to advise, no it was moved to 2pm!!?? Apparently my surgeon has meetings to attend on surgery day. O well 1 hour is not going to kill me to wait. Until next post!

Day one pre-op!

So, Today I had to make sure I did some last minute errands. I went and got a Pedicure. I figured I am not going to be doing much in the next couple of days at least I can have nice feet to look at! I took the kids out to In N Out, so this actually was my official last, naughty meal.

I got home and made sure I chilled my Magnesium Citrate. At about 2pm pst, I took the bottle and chugged it all down. My friend and supporter Jasmin also took it at the same time. It is now 7:50pm and still nothing for me!!....I hope this works soon..otherwise, what do I do? I have been having liquids and I am home not going anywhere, because I know that when it comes...oh boy! Jasmine had her effect about 2hours later! I have been having broths and Poweraid Zero. Will update when the time comes....


UPDATE: Here's the scoop on the poop. 02/16/09
It finally came at about 8:30pm and it went on a couple times and this morning.

Official before pictures!!!

Here we go...these are the before pictures at 257lbs. Not comfortable displaying, but I'm sure this will be the last time I take pictures at this size...Let the journey begin!!!!

Prep up day!

So today is ♥♥♥Valentines Day!♥♥♥ Happy V-day to you all!

Spent the day with my Husband and Family. We went out for Sushi! It was delicious!!! I eat more of the rolls, not really into the raw stuff, but do enjoy the crunch rolls and T.N.T. rolls. I have been nibling on stuff left and right. Ok not nibbling eating everything in sight. LOL! This weekend has been a free for all. I have had Carne Asada, tamales, shrimp ceviche and pizza. I figure this is going to be the last time I will be able to eat like this for a very long time. I know that I should be prepping myself for more positive ways of eating, but I am actually ready to bring on the next couple of days. I did all my shopping and bought all the stuff I will need. I have bought broths, jello, sugar free kool aid, crystal lite, my vitamin chewables, calcium chewables and my protein shakes! I will be trying some out tonight to see how they taste. Tomorrow I start my cleansing process...oh boy! Then followed by only liquids for the rest of the evening and also on Tuesday. Surgery on Wednesday!

I want to really thank all my supporters, my family and friends that are really cheering me on!

To my husband Alex who is behind me 100% in all that I am doing. I love you babe!!!♥

Yasmin!!! Who is not getting lap band but she is going to be doing the cleansing and the protein shakes with me as a form of support! Gracias!!!!

Pre-op Appt - CHECK!

My pre-op appt went well overall. I was a little annoyed at the fact that they called me to move up my appt, but didn't take me in until my regular time??? Ugh and then I saw them scrambling in the office because my chart was MIA too!!!! AND of course the girl that always handles my stuff was out of the office. Once that was all straightened out it was fine.

My nutritionist went through what would happen before and after the surgery in regards to food or lack of I should say..haha. Protein shakes will be the only thing I will be able to have.

I also met with my surgery coordinator Gideon and he was explaining to me the reasons why only protein shakes and how it all works. Very interesting! Once I am able to eat more solids, he encourages to do a lot of weights so that my skin can retract much better and to eat a lot of fish. Omega 3 really helps the skin to get back to where it needs to go!

I need to do a cleanse on Monday the 15th as my preop preparation and liquids on Tuesday. My surgery will be Wednesday the 17 at 1pm. I need to be there by 11:30am to prep up before surgery.

I'm so excited. I am not nervous about the surgery. What I am really worried about is the fact that I have to be on shakes for 2 weeks..that is what I am having a problem with. I am one that gets tired of eating the same thing for too long. I'm willing and ready to do this, but I know it's going to be hell!!!

Pre Op appt tomorrow!

I have my pre-op appointment tomorrow at 5:30pm. I'm excited, to find out what I'm going to start doing in the next week. I am assuming I will begin some sort of liquid diet? Oh boy...will keep you posted.

Surgery Date is......

I just received a call from the Dr's office that my claim was APPROVED!!!!!! and I will have my pre-op appointment on Feb 11, 2010 and my surgery date is February 17th! OMG...I was in shock when I was told the date! So many things going through my head at this time! Excited, nervous, OMG, OMG, OMG!!!

EGD (Upper GI)

Upper GI was not fun, but I guess since I was asleep while it happened, it was not that bad. I was admitted to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach and had the procedure yesterday morning. What they did is they went down my throat with a scope to look around and make sure I didn't have ulcers, Hiatel Hernias or anything that would cause issues when the Lap band is placed on my stomach. I have a soar throat, but it looks like all came out good. Nothing of major issue was found. Now just waiting for the insurance approval. I have this horrible cold to top it off, hopefully it goes away soon!

Waiting Patiently...

I haven’t heard anything yet and I don’t want to be calling every single day regarding my information being submitted to the insurance. I spoke with the office on Wednesday and was told they are waiting on my medical history from my primary doctor. If all is received in a week or so, then they will submit to the insurance and if there are no setbacks, the surgery can be as early as the end of February!
I feel like everything was happening so fast that it was so easy for me to see me already losing weight, that now that the process has died down a bit due to the paperwork, I start worrying if maybe the insurance won’t accept my claim, what if I just can’t get my surgery? I don’t want to lose the momentum, but I feel like I am setting myself up again for failure. I have been slacking with the eating and exercising. I know I am only cheating myself by not starting something myself. My husband was trying to get me to do the Wii fit yesterday, but I was still too full from dinner. I just don’t have the desire to work out, but I really just need to push myself and do it! I will be going grocery shopping tonight and I will make sure I buy my greens and fruit! I have to remember that I’m miserable this way and I need to change it. If not then I will continue to live miserable forever!