Random thoughts...

I am just at such a standstill in losing...or so says the *$!% scales!! Clothes continue to feel looser, forearms and thighs are shrinking. I can even get in and out of the car without having to move the steering wheel out of the way. I can bend over when sitting down. I'm trying to stay focused.

Last Saturday was Kari's birthday, so Jake and I flew down to spend the weekend--we stopped by the fish market and bought fresh large shrimp. I made fresh roasted veggies and Kari grilled the shrimp---yummmy!! I made the birthday cake and Warren frosted and decorated it (I had 2 bites--that's all!) We had a beautifully perfect-weather morning walk on the beach Sunday. Kari could tell I'd lost more weight---and thought the front part of my anatomy was shrinking!! Yea!!!

10 random things about me:

1. My favorite brands of shoes are Mudd and Born. (and if they come in two different colors, I'll get them both!)
2. My favorite jello flavor is black cherry.
3. I very, very seldom like to watch a movie a second time. (As a result, I have an extremely small video/DVD collection...probably less than a dozen.)
4. I think lamb fries are yummy, yummy!!! Squeeze some lemon juice on them....ummm...tastes just like chicken!
5. I wish I could play the piano really well.
6. On average, I read about 2 books a week.
7. Cleaning house is one of my least favorite things to do!
8. I love watching a lot of reality tv shows (but not all of them!).
9. Flirting is still lots of fun...especially with someone else who is good at it, too!
10. I've got 3 drawers full of p.j.'s!!!

Standing still...

After having the 2nd fill, I've been especially attentive to what I eat all in the effort to get the next 6 lbs. off. After one week.....no change.....what is the deal?!! I've even noticed additional subtle changes--the puffy fat look is leaving my hands, my whole abdominal area is shrinking, my legs are shrinking---why isn't the weight coming off??

On the bright side, I ordered a beginning yoga DVD (which I have not yet looked at!!) and I think I'm ready to try Curves again although I may have to wear an ankle brace. I think I need to intense exercise on a regular basis to jump-start the weight-loss again. I've lost 1/3 of the excess weight--the size of a small child...and I need to lose about 2 more of them!!

I'm trying to add salad on a more frequent basis. This is one of my favs:

Kim's Basic Spinach Salad

organic baby spinch leaves
1/2 small can of pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 packet of tuna
spoonful of sunflower seeds
1/2 c. sliced, fresh mushrooms
grated carrot (to your liking)
grape tomatoes (optional)
any other veggies, nuts, or fruits that you might like to add or substitute--

Toss and serve with your favorite dressing. A few that I've found that work well with this are: bleu cheese, sesame ginger, or basalmic vinegarette. Note: all measurements are approximate.

Fill No. 2

Only one other person was getting a fill yesterday, so no drama to report! lol She had her surgery two months before me and has lost six pounds more than I have. It's reassuring to find these kinds of things out. It provides some reassurance that I'm doing well--although, I could have done better over the Christmas holidays.

When Dr. Green filled my band, he had to take out some because the white liquid I swallowed wasn't going through. He said, "I don't want you to not be able to swallow your own spit." !!!!!!!! Well isn't that a scary thought?!

I'm looking forward to losing 6 more lbs.....so I can say that I've lost 50 lbs.!!

Vitamins to the rescue!!

Today my VistaVitamins arrived! I looked at the comparison between the Flintstones and the VistaVitamins and it is a pretty amazing difference.

Flinstones VistaVitamins
A 2,500 IU A 10,000 IU
C 60 mg C 240 mg
D 400 IU D 800 IU
E 15 IU E 100 IU
Thiamin 1.05 mg 24 mg
Riboflavin 1.2 mg 26 mg
Niacin 13.5 mg 32 mg
B6 1.05 mg 28 mg
Folic Acid 300 mg 800 mg
B12 4.5 mg 240 mcg

VistaVitamins also include mineral supplements (with calcium and potassium in this group) in addition to vitamin K.

I may become turbo-charged!!!! ....let's hope with a full head of hair!! LOL

Procrastination is just another word for mind games

I've been asked at least four times the past 2 weeks if I'd have the lapband surgery all over again---

Yes!!

Why?

1. It has already improved my health---I feel better, sleep better, and look better (except for the hair thing going on! but I ordered some super-duper turbo-charged vitamins that will supposedly rectify the problem. Whose idea was it anyway to "prescribe" children's Flintstones?)
2. It has been easier than I thought it would be---I don't wake up with instantaneous thoughts about what all I am going to eat that day---because I've made a food routine for myself with food that tastes good, I'm satisfied and not hungry and can focus on other things.
3. It has been a type of mental "surgery"---it was time to quit playing mind games with myself about "someday" I'll get serious about a diet..."someday" I'll start eating healthy..."someday" I'll lose the weight. I was out of control and had been for a very long time.

I know I don't have a family to cook for on a daily basis. Honestly, I don't think it would matter. I've made some of my foods for my family and they've loved it. Ashley was wild about a Chicken and Wild Rice soup I made and Mother liked it, too. Lisa, Lori, Mother, Kari, and Warren loved the Quick Chili I made. Kari and Warren were crazy about the Chicken with Tomato Feta Sauce. Salads always help round out a meal or steamed/roasted veggies. See? They can eat the same things I can eat!

Friday's on my way home from school has become my time to stop and get groceries. Saturdays and Sundays have become my days for getting food prepared for the next week---something to take for lunch and something to eat for supper. Sometimes I do it all in one day and sometimes I spread it out over both days. Just depends on how busy I am doing other work over the weekend. I always keep shaved turkey and ham on hand so I can take a quick half sandwich in an emergency. I've started making a little jug of Crystal Lite lemonade and keeping it in the fridge. I always have protein bars with me (except for the one time I needed it with Nurse Vampire!). I always have a bottle of water with me. Yes, more thought and effort goes in to making sure I have the right kinds of food on hand (I'm never without tomatoes or o.j., for example), but the payoff is that it keeps temptation at bay.

...and, yes, there are things I need to improve: more water daily and exercise!!!...but I'm aware and make conscious efforts such as parking further away from the front door of someplace I need to shop....filling my water bottle up immediately after I empty it when I'm at school....making sure I've got a glass of water with lime out at home...stopping and using the rubber band thing when I walk by it at home.

To those of you considering and thinking about....quit playing the mind games with yourself. Go have a consultation with a bariatric doctor/surgeon. Get the insurance paperwork started. Excuses are just a cover-up....and procrastination is just another word for mind games that you play with yourself to avoid doing what is right for you. It is a selfish thing to not make yourself as healthy as possible for your children and grandchildren.

50 is the new 40....or how to not look old

An article caught my eye recently about a book that is titled "How Not to Look Old." Considering my hair is a mess (this is due to hair loss---which is freaking me out!!!), my eyeglasses look dated, I just wear the bare minimum of makeup to school (which gives that aged look), my eyelashes no longer curl (they just stick out straight---which gives that aged look, too! could be that I'm not wearing mascara on a daily basis like I used to), sagging eyelids (I so need some plastic surgery for this!)---wondering what else I was missing in the "aged look" department, I figured I'd better read the article.

Don't do this or you'll look like an OLD LADY:

1. Don't wear lipliner (omgosh!!! I love wearing lipliner!! So much that when my favorite, perfect color, Aria, was "retired" from BeautiControl, I bought all that Vickie could track down for me--about 7 or so.)
2. Don't wear dark lipstick (well, I just ordered TWO lipsticks in my new favorite color: raisinberry--and it's not on the light color side!)
3. Don't wear eyeglass chains (you'll never catch me using those things!!! Mainly because they scream "Marian the Librarian"!!!!)
4. Don't wear heavy foundation (I think I'm ok here, but I probably need to look for that "light-reflecting" makeup.)
5. Don't wear granny pants (polyester knit with elastic waist!) or mommy jeans (high rise?) (**rolling my eyes**)
6. Don't wear your hair parted down the middle (hey...I'm kinda sensitive about the hair thing right now---it's parting on the side, but I'm feeling more and more like it's a female comb-over!!! God help me!! What did I do to deserve this?? I don't see anything on the list that says I can't wear a wig.)
7. Don't have gray or white eyebrows (oh, lord! I've notice that mine are fading away!!!! Luckily they have makeup for that and I use it---just not on a daily basis)
8. Don't wear dragon-lady nails (are you kidding me?? I'm too attached to my laptops!!)
9. Don't wear hair too long (define too long---past the ears? past the shoulders?)
10. Don't wear helmet hair (God forbid...I'll never!)
11. Don't wear red fingernail polish (I used to! I try to keep it very neutral/pastel WHEN I actually take the time to wear nail polish--which is about once a year!)
12. Don't wear ballet flats or Uggs (don't own a pair of either, so I guess I'm good)
13. Don't wear too matchy-matchy clothes (you know---those sweater-shell sets...ugh!)
14. Don't wear metallic shimmery colors (I try to stick to neutral colors that enhance the blue eyes---I know better than to slather on the blue eye shadow! Ugh...crepey eyelids...)
15. Don't wear black eyeliner (I don't...I have a soft grey color)

Do this to give that YOUNGER look
1. Wear bangs (ok...Gwen cut me some a few weeks ago...and this was before I'd read the article. Was she subtly telling me I was looking old??)
2. Wear sexy heals (Good lord....I'd love to, BUT I'd probably fall down and break the not-yet-healed ankle!)
3. Wear a bra that lifts the girls up between your shoulders and your elbows (Got 'em....now if they'll just shrink about two sizes---ok, realistically, is that going to happen?? Hmmm....may need to consider surgery in that area, too!)
4. Whiten your teeth (Anyone recommend the at-home whitening products that work?)
5. Wear skirts just a tad below the knee (I don't have a skirt in my closets. I do have two new dresses that I haven't worn yet....and, thankfully, they are the "appropriate" length! I must have subconsciously known they'd make me younger! ha)
6. Eat right (I am--but I'm at a stand-still on losing. I've got another fill scheduled for the 5th)
7. Exercise (I'm not---but I was--well, a tiny bit now, but not enough to count cause it's just with the rubber band thing for upper body resistance. I hope to get back to Curves soon.)
8. Wear fashionable plastic eyeglass frames (I bought TWO pair on Monday!! I love 'em! Black with zebra stripes on the inside and a pewter metallic design with split ear pieces---cause my old pair were rimless wires and that means OLD LADY looking!)
9. Lighten hair a shade or two (this is easy for those who don't have black hair...can you imagine if I lightened my hair??)
10. Wear pink lipstick (I did....before I ordered the raisinberry! I don't remember it making me look young and hip! btw...she says Clinique Bamboo Pink is the shade to wear...I'll be ordering some off E-bay ASAP!)
11. Wear SPANX (I intend to...one of these days....after more weight loss...only it won't be the bras because Lisa had an "experience" with one and I want to avoid THAT! I won't go in to details, but needless to say it wasn't a pretty sight! LOL)

so...all of my age 35+ friends....now I'm just a few years older than you! ;)

Protein

I mentioned needing to up the daily protein. I was told that hair loss is a sign that one isn't getting enough. Considering that protein is a basic for a healthy body, building muscle, blood, skin, nails, immune system, not to mention internal organs, I've got to really pay attention that I'm not "taking the easy way out" by eating low-cal things that aren't providing protein.

Of course, meats, eggs and milk provide a lot of protein. Here are some things you can eat(without having to visit some speciality store or order online) to add a significant amount of protein to your daily diet without adding very many calories:

• Yoplait Thick & Creamy Lowfat Yogurt 7g (my fav is strawberry or strawberry/banana or crème caramel)
• Kellog’s Special K Protein Meal Bar 10 g (I love the chocolate and peanut butter)
• Breakstone’s 2% Milkfat Small Curd Lowfat Cottage Cheese Snack Size (4 oz. or ½ c.) 11 g (mix it with ½ c. of your fav. flavor of sugar-free jello—I like black cherry)