Weigh-In Saturday

Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 207
Today's weight: 205
Total loss: 96 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013

Hey everyone....happy last weekend of April to you!

Another two pounds gone this week. REALLY happy about that. I'm feelin' that BIG number coming around the bend. You know the one I'm talking about...and I just cannot wait for it to get here. All in good time.

My mentality this week can best be described as "in the trenches". Making my plan, and working that plan. Grocery shoppin'. Meal prep. Workouts. Resisting temptation. Daily focus. Self-care. Stress management. Seriously...can I get an assistant?

Anyone who has weight loss surgery and doesn't think they aren't going to have to work hard EVERY day is in for a rude awakening. Do you hear me? Every. Day.

Work. WERK.

And I've been workin' it like the rent's due TONIGHT!

How have I lost 96 pounds in 10 and a half months? Hard work.

I hope you all have a great week. Thanks for reading.

Weigh-In Saturday (Non-Scale Victory Edition)

Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 207.5
Today's weight: 207
Total loss: 94 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013

Hey everyone! Happy Saturday. So the weight loss this week was just half a pound. Kind of what I was expecting. After losing 4 1/2 pounds in the last two weeks, which is a lot for me, I knew that the number would be small.  Also… this is not the time of the month when I usually lose weight. Do you feel me, ladies? I think you do. :)

So this week… I thought I would take the focus off the numbers just a little bit. I will be the first to admit that I have a giant tendency to get so wrapped up in those damn numbers. Especially now that I'm so close to seeing a 1 in front of my weight...the first time in over a decade that I've seen that number. It is close and it has made me a little bit crazy. It's very easy to get so laser-focused in on the numbers, that you lose sight of why you're doing all of this in the first place. You know? For me, it's to lead a healthier, more productive life. A life where I am not limited by my weight. A life where I actually have energy left over to do the things I want to do. So let's hear it for the non-scale victories, y'all. These are the things that make all of this so worth it.

The first one is just a little one, but something that struck me out of the blue this week at one of my very favorite places. Target! I've mentioned to you guys before that Target is right by my gym, and it's super convenient for me to run in there after I work out to get anything I need. And let's face it...sometimes I like to look at shoes while I'm there. I'm only human, people. This week, I saw a pair of sandals that I liked a lot, and I needed to try them on. You already know I like a heel, but this heel looked too high even for me. I had to find out! I had tennis shoes and socks on and I wasn't too keen on plopping down right there on the floor. So what did I do? I balanced on one foot and changed shoes. Like it was no big deal. A hundred pounds ago, I wouldn't of been able to do anything like that. I used to have to sit down to even tie my shoes, and much huffing and puffing followed. If you've ever been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I didn't end up buying the shoes, but I did find out I can now do this neat little trick. Hot damn.

The second one is a little more important. Last fall I posted about being able to fit into the desks at school again. I told you guys that we have a lot of impromptu faculty meetings around school, and how it was always awkward for me to have to pull up a chair and use the desktop as a tabletop. Well guess what. We had another faculty meeting this week, and I found out that not only do I fit, there's a lot of room to spare! I've been enjoying it so much that now I'm looking for excuses to sit in student desks. I'm sittin' in desks all over the place. Oh…"You need help conjugating that Spanish verb? Well let me pull up a desk and help you!" I cannot be stopped.  :)

And the third one…it's just sort of fun. This afternoon I'm going to a clothing party at Rachel's grandmother's house. I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about. Kind of like a Pampered Chef or a Tupperware party, but with clothes. I've only been to one clothing party before, and guess what… I couldn't wear one thing they offered. I remember feeling extremely self-conscious...standing around looking at the handbags and accessories. This time, it will actually be fun. I previewed the items online, and even if I don't buy anything, I know that I could. That I have the option. And that the clothes would fit me. Cool.

We are headed to my sister's house tomorrow for Easter and I'm so excited about it. After I get home tonight I'm making my special green beans and Cheese Grits Soufflé. Easter food is my favorite food of all. There will be Honey Baked Ham, Deviled Eggs, homemade rolls....all the good stuff. I'm going to have a little bit of everything and enjoy my time with my family. I hope you all get to do the same.

Here's to ignoring the numbers. Sometimes!

Thanks for reading.

Weigh-In Saturday

Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 209.5
Today's weight: 207.5
Total loss: 93.5 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013

Down another 2 pounds! Woo hoo! Thrilled with that.

This was a whirlwind of a week. It seemed to go by really fast because I was so very busy. Nothing major, just a lot of different stuff. It was standardized test week at school, so that was kind of blehhhh, but there was plenty of fun stuff too. I went to get my hair done on Monday and it was MUCH needed. There's just something about fresh, new highlights that make a girl feel like a million bucks. Not to mention my stylist Jeanna is the absolute best. We always manage to solve the world's problems, discuss fashion at length, talk about travel plans...she just got back from Tulum...and of course celebrity gossip. Gywneth and Chris....why?

During....

After....

On Wednesday I got to spend time with Rachel and sweet baby Shepherd. School has been such a drag with Rachel on maternity leave. I'm literally going through withdrawals. But...she is right where she needs to be. She is a complete natural at motherhood and is head over heels in love with her boy. I'm completely smitten with him myself.

Friday night, I had dinner with my friend Jordan. She is a world traveler extraordinaire and has just returned from a trip to London and Paris with 29 kids!!! The very thought of taking that many teenagers to Europe makes me break out in hives, but Jordan is the perfect person for it. She is an unstoppable force of nature. We caught up over dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and I'm sure you can imagine that she had PLENTY to tell me. 

I did manage to get to the gym for three killer workouts though, and I was proud of that.

My eating this week has been pretty repetitive and streamlined. You guys know that I begin every single morning with my Unjury coffee. Cannot. Live. Without. It. Now that it's getting warmer, I'm getting ready to make the switch to iced. I'm pretty damn excited about that. I use the Pioneer Woman method to make my iced coffee, and it has never let me down. I have been having the same breakfast every day for about the past month...a hard-boiled egg and my beloved Greek yogurt.

Lunch has been a chicken pita from Sam's Club. I used to be able to find these at Walmart, but no more. There are several different varieties of these pita sandwiches....hamburger, cheeseburger, gyro. They are great for Bandsters. If you can find them, that is.

Dinner has been a little varied. Homemade chili a couple of nights, chicken sausage another night, and some Chick-fil-A nuggets one night when I was on the go. And I cannot forget snacks. VitaTops, of course. But...hold onto your hats, because we've got a new contender. Have you guys tried Skinny Pop??? It is sooooo good.

It tastes like Target popcorn. If you've never had Target popcorn, know that I mean that as a huge compliment. It comes in three flavors, butter, white cheddar, and black pepper. I've only had the butter flavor, but I will eventually try all three, I'm sure.

This weekend I'm just enjoying NOT having anywhere to go. I'm catching up on stuff around the house, doing tons of laundry, and a little bit of meal prep for the coming week. John had a gig tonight, but he'll be home a little later and we're going to catch up on some shows and just relax.

What are you guys up to now that Spring is finally here? Tell me!

I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for reading. :)

Weigh-In Saturday

Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 212
Today's weight: 209.5
Total loss: 91.5 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013

Surprising? Yes! Welcome? Very. It's been a long, long time since I've had a 2 and a half pound week. I like it!

One thing that is helping tremendously...I'm pretty sure I'm firmly ensconced in the Green Zone. I mean...at almost ten months I should be, right? I love it here.

For me the Green Zone means...

• I can still eat bread, but not an awful lot. You all know how I feel about bread. :)
• I'm not hungry for about 3 hours after waking, but I try to eat a little something as soon as I can just to get the metabolism going
• I don't obsess over when I'm going to eat next. I live my life and then after a few hours get the "oh...I'm getting kind of hungry now" feeling
• And the hallmark of the GZ....being satisfied with a small amount of protein dense food. My band is finally "speaking up" a little bit louder when it's time for me to stop eating. This is HUGE. For so long I've felt that I could eat more than I was "supposed to".

And speaking about that last one...my nurse Greg (he does my fills) says that you will never really experience a month of "perfect band days". Those awesome days when our bands speak up and keep us in check. I'm not talking about sliming, PBing, or throwing up. I'm talking about satiety. I love those days. Unfortunately there are also the other days...days when I've wondered "do I even have a lap band in there?" Those are the days where my lifetime of professional dieting skills have served me well. I guess being the only 5th grader at Weight Watchers did end up serving a purpose. :)

About Greg...he's awesome. We talk about all kinds of stuff and I ALWAYS learn something from him. He lost 150 pounds with the lap band and has maintained his loss for a number of years. The last time I was there he said something that has resonated with me literally EVERY day since. It may be one of the most important things I've learned so far and it's this:

When you're in the Green Zone, you will not experience perfect restriction every day. There will be days when you have to work harder. However, the good days should outnumber the bad, and if they don't, then you probably need a little fill.

So simple. I keep this in mind on the days when I AM having to work a little harder and it helps my  perspective. I hope it helps some of you too.

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading. :)

Haiku Review: Michael Angelo's Parmesan Crusted Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ahem....is this mic on?

 

"Crispy chicken parm

Hot, cheesy, deliciousness

Get it at Sam's Club"

 

 

I also need to tell you that John and I did NOT like the sauce packets that come with this. The tomato sauce wasn't all that great, and there is just SO much. It's all you end up tasting. Which is not good, because the chicken and cheese is so delicious. We topped ours off with some Bertoli Light Garlic Alfredo and it was REALLY tasty.

 

Thumbs up and Beatnik snaps all around. :)