Another surgeon visit

And I don't have to go back for 3 months!! Yay! I weighed in at 102kg there, but at home I'm 101.6kg, so we only have a 400gm discrepancy, which isn't too bad. But this morning I was at my lowest ever of 100.6kg! SO SO close to double figures, under the elusive 100kg!

Anyway they (being the surgeon and his wife/assistant/dietician) asked how I was going, if I was happy, and I answered YEP. That last fill was the one, it hit the sweet spot, and I don't need any more filling up now. I only PB a little and that's usually when I'm not concentrating properly and don't chew properly. My meals are keeping the hunger at bay for a good period of time, and my portions aren't too big. All good!

I thought they might think my weight loss was a bit slow, but they are happy (as I am) with a lifestyle that is slow and steady and sustainable.

Yay for today!

A huge thank you to Emma over at My so-called lapband life for passing on some more clothes from the sisterhood. I got them today, and.... THE DRESS FITS!!!! It's a size 18 dress, super cool (zebra print) and I'm THRILLED that a dress in that size fits!! The top also *just* fits. Well it fits fine, but shows my love handles a little more than I'd like, but still fits. And the best news.... the size 18 jeans she sent JUST ABOUT FIT!! The only thing stopping me from getting into the jeans is my belly. And after 2 kids and 2 caesareans, I'm ok with that!! It will get there! So thank you for the clothes and for making me happy Em!!

Another awesome thing... last weigh in I was 101kg!!!!!! How damn close to under 100kg is that (don't answer, that's a rhetorical question LOL)???? SO SO HAPPY.

Today I did a huge workout at the gym, have started doing some weight training as well as cardio which is nice, I like it.

I have an appointment with the surgeon next week but I think I'll skip a fill, for the first time, I think I found the sweet spot. :)

TODAY IS GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!

*gasp*

or

That's right...

HOLY COW!!

I just weighed myself and the scales said.................................

102.4kg!!!! That is so close to 100, so close to UNDER 100!! Man!! That's made my day!

That means I've lost 25kg, or 55lb, in 4 months!! Yep, here comes another fish picture!!

That's a 25kg fish. He can have it, I don't need that much weight anymore!

I was thinking that this latest fill has been "the one", and yep, I think so. I think it's SWEET readers, I think it is...

w00t!!!

I love Bob. And a fill.

Bob. What a lovely man. He's my parcel man. He saw me today and asked if I was "in training". I giggled and said no, but I was trying to lose lots of weight, and had been banded. He said "I noticed you had lost weight, you're half the woman you were!" Not quite half Bob, more like a quarter, but wow, I felt good. It always feels good when someone who doesn't know about the band makes a comment.

It felt good for ages until one of my daughter's classmates asked if I was pregnant. LOL! Luckily he's only 5 so it didn't hurt my feelings. ;)

Anyway I went to the surgeon today. I got weighed in and annoyingly weighed about 1.7kg more than this morning at home. Hurrumph. Oh well. They did say they're less concerned about the fluctuations on the scale and more about eating small portions and clothes changing in the way they fit. Which is good, coz that's all happening They were still happy with the 2.5kg in the 6 weeks I'd lost according to their scales (it's more like 4kg according to mine, as I was 103.4kg this morning on mine but 105.1kg this afternoon on theirs - I need a morning appointment LOL!).

I told them (when asked) that I wasn't at my sweet spot, and I got 0.25ml in, which takes me up to a total of 6ml in a 10ml band. Hopefully that makes it sweet!

We did discuss being "full". They (being the surgeon and his wife, his assistant) said I wouldn't ever feel "full" unless I'd eaten way too much. I must just look to feel "satisfied". Hmm, I don't think I've been doing that very well. I must retrain the brain (yet again).

Time for a blog!

I thought I'd better come in and have a chat.

I have one NSV to tell you that I'm NOT happy about. I have to take my wedding and engagement ring off. :( They're no slipping off my finger but they're slipping around too much, and they'll wear together too much. I haven't lost enough for them to go on another finger yet, so for now, it's off. I won't get them resized until I've got to goal. So a good thing, but a bad thing all at once.

I went out for dinner last night for the first time since being banded (not counting trips to fast food with the family etc). I got what I thought would be a small meal, and it was STILL way too much for me to eat. Sitting there I realised that I'd have EASILY polished it all off pre-band, so this band... it's a good thing.

I have restriction. I'm not super super restricted but I'm also not super super hungry either. Does the "sweet spot" come with bells and whistles? I always thought that the way people spoke about it I'd just *know* (like that magical feeling when you're in love LOL), but this has seemed a very boring "oh yep, I think this is a good fill" type feeling. Doesn't really matter, as long as it's working. It was just a bit of a let down, that's all. LOL!

I went shopping with my Mum the other day and had to stop myself from the old habit of buying something because it fits. My purchase of 4 items in one shop was taken down to one nice, white shirt. I put back the two pairs of pants and the one casual hooded top that I was going to get even though they weren't *perfect* but that they fit. I don't need to do that anymore. Oh and the shirt was a size 20 - pre-band to get into a shirt (not just a "top" if you know what I mean) I'd have had to be a 26 for sure, so that's awesome! I wore it with my denim jeans (another thing I've only just started wearing again, I was never comfy in them when super fat) when we went out to dinner (was a pub meal before our school trivia night, not a really flash restaurant or anything).

Saturday I went to the gym (I'd missed Friday as I shopped instead) and I cannot believe how much exercise mojo I had! Instead of 30 minutes on the treadmill with 1 minute jog every 4 minutes, I did only 20 minutes on the treadmill but just under HALF of that was jogging!!! I can't believe I was able to! Maximum jog was about 3 minutes at once I think. Then I went pretty darn hard on the exercise bike and went 6km!! I've never been that far before. I was very proud of myself I have to say. And rightly so!

Anyway that's my story this week. I'm not sure there will be much movement on the scales this week (I wasn't all that well behaved with the table snacks at the trivia night) but I will be happy nonetheless, I am telling myself that. LOL!

A fill, a book, someone named TOM and a quote

Today was surgeon visit day. I went in and not surprisingly didn't have the best weigh in ever. I was 107.6kg. Still down from my last visit to him but up a kg from my weight earlier on. Probably (hopefully) because TOM arrived (damn him, he's such an annoying visitor!), so even they noted I could have excess fluid on board.

We talked about how I'd been going, if I was able to eat "everything". I told her the only thing I'd had a little trouble with (besides when I ate too quickly and didn't chew properly) was steak, that it went down but I certainly felt it. She said I clearly have restriction but not quite enough. So I have a fill of 0.25ml which puts me up to 5.75ml in a 10 ml band. Lets hope this takes me to the sweet spot! No more visits for 6 weeks this time, so they must be fairly happy still.

I bought this book there (they bought them in bulk so I got it heaps cheaper).

What's great about it for me is that it's written for us Aussies, and has our products in it. Basically it has a lot of dietary advice specifically for bandits and sleevits (do people with sleeves have a name?), with LOTS of pictures. The pictures are good because you can see what they're talking about clearer when they talk of portions etc.

I haven't read it properly yet, just flicked through. I'll blog fascinating things I find.

And it had a great quote in it:

"Reaching your destination is not the end of your 'journey'. Finding a way to comfortably live in this new place determines whether you stay."

There is a lot of truth to that. I am well on my way on the journey, but as I go I find different things that I need to learn to STAY on the journey. I'm learning the difference between stomach hunger and mental/emotional hunger. I'm learning which foods fill me up longest, I'm learning which foods just make me want to eat more and more of them (damn you Salt & Vinegar chips!!), I'm learning eating is an addiction, I'm learning that exercise can be fun, and I'm learning that the band helps, it does not do it all for you.

There is lots more to learn. I have to create a whole new lifestyle if I want to stop this struggle I've had for so many years. Weight is the symptom. When the weight comes off, you still have the same issues if you don't deal with them and heal. No matter how hard this journey is though, I'm glad I'm on it.

Today is bought to you by the number...

106.6

106.6kg that is. My weight seems very up and down lately. It is TOM now (just about) so that will probably have an impact), but I also know I need another fill. That will be Thursday afternoon. The last fill had an effect for sure, but not enough - not worth the AU$11,000 I paid for the surgery yet! I hope to get some more in, I want that sweet spot.

I'm getting the drift of eating when I'm actually hungry rather than at meal times though - some habits are hard to break, and I have to admit that's taken a while. I'm having trouble with craving those bad snacks, in particular salt & vinegar chips (or crisps wherever you are). I don't eat them because I'm hungry, I eat them because I'm bored and they taste good (the old food addiction problem)! I'm eating far less of them than I did before but if I'm honest in the last few weeks I've had a smallish serving maybe 3 times a week. I just really shouldn't be. Eyes on the prize though, it's all about changing my bad habits for a new healthy lifestyle, and, after all, I've only been doing this for just under 3 months!!!

Sweet spot, wherefore art thou sweet spot?

Why can't I find this sweet spot? I'm at 5.5 ml in a 10ml band, and I can STILL eat too much, and not be full on my small portion size. I have had a couple of instances where things got stuck but to be honest that was because I ate too quickly and didn't chew properly. The band is certainly doing something for me, I'd never be losing weight like this without it, but it just doesn't feel like it's right yet. *sigh*