Hell Month - Week 1

As promised, I am posting some information on my progress. This was a bad week for me. I found out my former roommate ran up a $713 cable bill on me, in addition to him leaving without paying the rent. I am also covering two jobs (for seven weeks) while my co-worker is out having surgery. So like everyone else I am having the money and family issues. I think despite all of this crap, I will succeed. I did not get out and exercise as much as I wanted due to the rains, but I will do better this week. Plus, I need to budget my time correctly so I don’t have to get milkshakes for lunch due to lake of time. It is odd because I never really cared for them before the surgery. BTW…thanks Paula for sharing your quotes. Mine at the moment makes me laugh and helps keep me grounded. My favorite quote: Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most!" Listed below is how I did this week:

Monday – 03/03/08

Food (895 calories)
Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (90 calories)
Altoids – 5 total (15 calories)
York Mints – 3 total (10 calories)
Weight Watchers: Smart Ones – Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (310 calories)
Chocolate Milk – 2 cups (240 calories)
Weight Watchers: Smart Ones – Slow Roasted Turkey Breast (210 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend – (20 calories)

Exercise
3 miles walking
25 jumping jacks
50 crunches
30 reps - Pectoral Fly
30 reps – Flat Bench Press
30 reps – Leg Extensions


Tuesday – 03/04/08

Food (1100 calories)
Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (90 calories)
Lean Cuisine Chicken & Vegetables (230 calories)
York Mints – 6 total (20 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend – (20 calories)
Pizza – (740 calories) (NOT GOOD)

Exercise - None


Wednesday – 03/05/08

Food (1070 calories)
Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (90 calories)
Lean Cuisine Beef Portabella (220 calories)
York Mints – 3 total (10 calories)
Altoids – 3 total (10 calories)
Chocolate Milk – 2 cups (240 calories)
Lean Cuisine Roasted Turkey Breast – (260 calories)
Campbell’s Select – Chicken with Egg Noodles – (220)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend – (20 calories)

Exercise - 3 miles walking


Thursday – 03/06/08

Food (1600 calories)
Two Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (180 calories)
Milkshake (1110 calories) (VERY BAD)
Weight Watchers: Smart Ones – Lasagna (300 calories)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend – (10 calories)

Exercise - None


Friday – 03/07/08

Food (1336 calories)
Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (90 calories)
Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad (337 calories)
Milkshake (889 calories) (VERY BAD)
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend – (20 calories)
Greek Salad (calories – Not Sure)

Exercise - None


Saturday – 03/08/08

Food (Too many calories)
I had to go to my parents, which is where I eats tons of bad stuff. I am not every going to list what I did on this day.

Exercise - None


Sunday – 03/09/08

Food (Not Sure calories)
Smoked Sausage with Bar-B-Q sauce
Diet V8 Splash Berry Blend – (20 calories)
Greek Salad (calories – Not Sure)

Exercise - None

Hell Month

I would like to take the time to say thank-you to everyone who has read my blogs!

This has not been an easy process for me. I would advise anyone thinking of having lap-band surgery to have a very good support system in place. At times, I do regret not having this support system. My lack of a support system has made it harder to get over some of the bumps in the road and there is not as much encouragement. However, because of this I feel I have had to push myself harder to get where I need to be today and I am really determined to reach my goals. It may take me longer then someone with a support system, but I will do it. I do not encourage this approach on anyone; I can deal with it because I have had some really bad stuff happen to me in the past that I would not wish on anyone and I think that it has helped prepare me for this new journey.

I would also like to apologize for not posting more often. I will try to do more in the future, but it seems about once a month is average for me. I think this month will be different for me because I am calling it Hell Month! What is Hell Month; well it is just another test to see if I can reach another one of my goals. As you may know, my goal for the end of February was to lose 10 pounds, which should have been easy, but I had a lot of unusual drama occur that distracted me from my goal. It appears I only lost 5 pounds, which honestly is not bad and I am happy to have a loss.

So, let me tell you about Hell Month. What does Hell Month mean to me? It is a test to see if I can lose at least 10 pounds this month and reach the 240’s, something I don’t remember ever being in my life. I don’t know about you, but for me, I really don’t remember the phase from skinny to fat, all I remember is being heavy, so if I reach this goal I will not know what to think. If I do reach the goal, I plan on buying an annual pass to Busch Gardens and riding the roller coasters as much as I want without having to even think about if I will fit or not. I think it might be a really nice escape and a good reward. It is always good to set goals and reward yourself during any process.

What is going to happen during Hell Month? Well, it is called “Hell Month” because I am going to start writing down what I eat and watching the calories (at least the best I can) and I will be increasing my exercises almost 100 percent. I have no clue if I will succeed since I already know there are road blocks ahead of me, but I sure in the hell am going to try. I hope you will follow me during my journey and gives comments. In fact, I would love it if you send me one (or more) of your quotes that help give you encouragement. I will write some down too and post them to remind me of my goal.

Throughout this month (probably each weekend), I will post the information I collect so you can see my ups and downs and where I slip (which also adds to the pressure of it being “Hell Month”). Hell, I will even post some of the “bumps in the road” I have to faced too, which might help me figure out a way to eliminate some of it. This test might be interesting because if I don’t eat enough the body could hold weight and if I eat too much then I might gain or in some cases loses (the body is funny like that sometimes). Also, if I don’t work out enough I might not have a loss, but if I work out too much I might have a gain (muscle weighs more the fat). I guess this month will be very interesting, let me know what you think and we will all find out if I succeed when I go in to see the doctor on April 2nd for my next weigh-in. Keep those fingers crossed that I reach the 240’s!

Until next weekend – STAY HEALTHY AND THINK POSITIVE! ~Edd~

GAIN + ER = MOTIVATION

Since my last blog a lot has happened. As you know, I had an appointment scheduled with my doctor for January 16, 2008. I was not looking forward to it because I knew I was not losing weight and I would have to get a fill. I will be honest and tell you I am not crazy about getting fills. I just don’t care to think about getting a big ass needle jammed into my belly to put even more into it, sounds funny when you think about it that way. I bit the bullet and decided to keep my appointment.

I arrived at the doctor’s office and I was nervous. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. The nurse called me in and I stepped on the scale. DAMN THE SCALE…, sorry, my bad. It said I gained 6 pounds. In that very moment I was so disgusted with myself. I couldn’t believe it. I knew I was depressed and felt alone, but I didn’t realize those feelings kept me from watching what I was eating.

Side Note: A friend from another site provided me with this little bit of knowledge:

There is a physical reason for the depression, in addition to all of the emotional changes that losing weight, losing favorite foods, and sometimes friends (eating buddies) brings about. Our bodies store hormones (and lots of other nasty things) in our fat tissue and as we start to lose weight that all gets released. If there is enough junk or you lose fast enough, your mind and body get flooded with chemical rushes it doesn't know what to do with. Then the tide may suddenly shift and the levels may fall dramatically, it's like being pregnant or menopausal (regardless of you sex).

My doctor gave me “the lap-band is only a tool” lecture, which is so true. If you decided to have this surgery done, please, please don’t do it alone and make sure you have some people there to help support you (and I don’t mean in just giving you compliments). The doctor decided I needed a fill. During the process we learned I have a low threshold (which means I will never be able to get my band filled past a certain point). My first fill was 4.00 cc. The doctor was only able to add an additional 0.20 cc to the band because I was having pain.

I left the office and headed home. I felt a little weird, but that happens when you get a fill. When I arrived home, I started to get a pain in my back. I figured it was just gas and the band adjusting. As time went on the pain started to get worse and within 5 hours my body was in shock. It felt like I had a large kitchen knife stuck in my back. I could not sleep, I was turning very pale, getting a fever and nausea and beginning to shake. I called the doctor and he told me to meet him at the ER. When he arrived he took out 2.00 cc of fill from my band (leaving me with 2.20 cc of fill).

It sucked because the hospital didn’t have the right equipment and he had nothing to numb my belly with before he stuck me twice with that needle. He kept asking me if I was okay because I wouldn’t stop shaking. It was the most horrible experience with pain I have ever had (even more so then my gall bladder). However, it all ended once he removed some fill. He told me the band can be a little touchy sometimes and it is hard to tell if you get them just right. He told me to come back to the office in two weeks (January 30, 2008) and he would do the fill with floro so he could make sure the water was passing through my band.

I decided in that moment that I never wanted to be in that much pain again. I began thinking positive, eating right and walking after work (usually 2 miles). It was my goal to try and lose the 6 pounds I gain before I returned to him. Plus, if I did well then I was not getting another fill until I had to!! I knew that the odds were against me since now that I had less fill then I originally started with before this second fill. If you don’t know by now, I can be a bit stubborn and do what is necessary to get what I want to be happy (which meant no fill).

I took the whole day off to prepare for my appointment. I had worked hard these past two weeks and didn’t know what to expect. As the nurse called my name, I got really nervous, but already decided I was not going to get a fill. I knew that mentally I was not ready for a fill at this point. As we walked to that DAMN SCALE…I stepped on it and asked it for forgiveness, I love that scale! All the hard work and changes I had made paid off because I lost 14 pounds in two weeks. YEP, I am back on track. I lost the 6 pounds I gained, plus an additional 8 pounds. I was so excited and the doctor was happy with the loss too. He told me I didn’t have to get a fill if I keep on losing weight.

I have lost 48 pounds since my surgery on September 4, 2007. It has been an interesting journey and it is only in the beginning stages. I hope by reading these blogs you will learn that with the good comes some bad, but the good will always out weigh the bad. The lap-band is only a tool and it helps you feel full, but it is up to you to stop eating when that happens. Plus, you need to have a good support group, think positive, prepare for bumps in the road, and always tell your doctor if you are in pain or uncomfortable. As for the scale, it will always be our frienemy (friend + enemy). I go back to the doctor on March 5, 2008 and my goal is to lose 10 more pounds. Wish me luck!