So many thoughts!

Ahhh, I feel like I have so much to talk about with everyone!

First off, I get my 2nd fill tomorrow and am super excited. I am hoping to get 1.5 cc's I got 2 on my first so that would put me @ 3.5!

Second, sometimes I think how horrible it is living in Boston and having such a crappy commute. Well today is one of those days when I love Boston. Every once in awhile I get a phone call to do a focus group. For those of you who don't know what focus groups are, its when marketers of various products have an agency get a group of random people together to ask questions to about the product and pay the people for their time and opinions. I've done them for razors, blackberry's, computers etc. Well today I got a phone call to do one, and guess what it was for?!? LAP-BAND! How cool will that be?? This one is a little different then ones I have done in the past though, it is a telephone interview and will last about an hr. I will get paid $100 for it though, which is the best part!

Third, I got my lap band ID card. For those of you who aren't banded yet or haven't gotten your ID card I've attached pics! When I went for my first fill, the nurse gave me the information kit to send away for the card. I guess it's just an ID card to keep with you in case of emergency so that dr's know you have the band. You can also use it at restaurants to order smaller portions or off the kids's menu. woo hoo!

Fourth, I have done such an awesome job getting my ass out of bed every morning and to the gym! I am so proud of myself. For the past 3 weeks I have gone 4 days a week before work! This is huge for me! I'm just hoping I can keep it up!

I think that's about it....sorry for such a random post!

Allergy Question

I have a question, and am hoping someone can help! I have wicked bad allergies and have always taken Claritin for them. This weekend when I was about to take my pill, Rick mentioned that they were time released and asked if that was OK for the band. It made me think, is it OK to take with the band? I take the Claritin D 24 hr, the ones behind the pharmacy counter. Does anyone know anything about this? Thanks so much

Inspiration for surgery

I wanted to share with everyone, the picture that made me realize

how out of control my weight had become. This picture was taken on New Year's Eve of this year, Rick and I were invited to a "gold party" the only gold shirt I could find on short notice was this silk, shiny one. I had thought I looked great that night. A few days later pictures were posted from the night, and all I could do was cry. I was so embarrassed that I had let myself go out of the house looking like this, thinking I looked good. After I got over the initial shock, I decided to print the picture out and post it on my desk as my "inspiration picture". Everytime that I didn't want to go to the gym, or wanted to eat something horrible for me, I would look at this picture and it would help me to make the right decision. It was April when I finally decided that going to the gym wasn't enough, I needed more. I made my appointment with my lap band surgeon, and the rest is history.

I just wanted to share this with everyone, because I think it's important everyone has a picture that they can look back to when they get discouraged. There are days when I feel I look huge and disgusting, and all I have to do is look back to this picture and realize how far I have come this year.

Watch out Michael Phelps!

Bright and early this morning @ 6am I woke up and went to the GYM! I am soooo excited and proud of myself. I always wanted to be one of those people who could get up in the morning and work out, and I did it. I did this because tonight Rick and I are going to check out a wedding venue and I knew I wouldn't have time to go afterwards. I swam a mile, then got out and showered and did my hair and makeup and off to work I went. I am feeling really good so far, not too tired yet.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but about 3 times a month I host speed dating as a part-time job. It is sooo much fun and I absolutely love doing it. If anyone has ever thought of doing it but is too nervous to try, feel free to ask me questions about it. If I was single I think I would definitely be a regular lol. The company I work for is Date and Dash, google them and see if there is one in your area. Good times, I swear!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Tuesday! xxoo

Down 31 and our 2 yr anniversary

I have FINALLY broken my plateau, and boy did I break it! Yesterday morning when I stepped on the scale I was down 5lbs!! I went to the gym 4 days this week, and swam a mile each time. I found out this week that a mile swimming equals 32 laps in a 50 meter pool. I mixed it up by swimming a few laps with a kick board and some freestyle. I went and bought some hot new pink goggles this morning.

On another note when Rick and I started dating 2 years ago, I weighed 217lbs, when I went for surgery I was 248lbs. This means that on our 2 year anniversary I am finally back down to the weight I was when we met. My goal is 199 by Thanksgiving, this is a very aggressive goal but if I can keep up my exercise routine I'm hoping it's achievable.

This pic was taken last night before we went out to celebrate. I'm wearing a new dress I bought @ Target, in a size 1! Apparently it's the new trend to size plus sized clothing in sizes 1-7 lol. It does make me feel pretty good to be able to buy a size 1 though!

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Getting my butt in gear

So I am still at my lovely plateau, although it is my TOM I am not happy and want the scale to keep moving. Yesterday my friend and I went to the gym, this was my first time going since surgery. I did the cybex (the elliptical type machine but with the moving arms) for 15 minutes, and then walked a 17 minute mile on the track. I was happy with this, for it being my first time back. It's going to take a while to build up some endurance, and that's fine.

Today we're going to go swimming, they have an indoor pool with open swim @ nights. I will try to swim for 45 minutes. I wish I was a morning person and could work out in the mornings rather then at night. It sucks not getting home till 7:30ish.

What is everyone else doing for exercise? I don't want to get bored so I am trying to think of way's to mix up my routine. My gym offers a bunch of classes, I just don't know which ones I want to try.

Also, they have personal trainers, I want to know my body fat %, do you think I need to make a personal trainer appointment for this, or they would just do it? Thanks in advance for the help! xxoo

*YAY* I did it!!

I just had my first fill this morning and it went great! She gave me 2 cc's which was fine with me. So in case anyone wants to know the whole process I'll fill you in. When I first got to the hospital I had to fill out a form, it asked questions about how much water I've been drinking, how many protein shakes, what my diet consisted of, how many snacks a day, my hunger level, and exercise routine. I didn't lie, and said that I had been eating small amount of chicken and beef. After this form was complete the nurse called me in and weighed me, down 25lbs on their scale! wahooo! I then sat in the procedure room for 15 minutes waiting for the nurse practitioner. She finally came in and asked how I had been feeling, any pain etc. She noticed that I had written chicken on the form, and questioned me about it. I told her that I was really good the first 2 weeks post-op, but after that I started to get really hungry so I introduced the chicken gradually into my diet. She just told me to be careful. I then laid down on the table and she felt around my tummy, she said she wanted to get a good idea of where the port was. She took a marker and made a few marks around the edges of the port, and then got the cleaning stuff and wiped down my stomach. She then got the needle, (i didn't watch any of this) and put into my stomach about a half inch below my incision. Once in she wiggled around a lot, and kept saying things like hmm and ahhhh, this took about 4 minutes, which I think is a lot longer then normal and then she finally hit the spot and filled me up.

She told me I could come back in 4-6 weeks for my next fill, and that they will need to do some routine blood work @ this visit and to make an appt on my way out. When I got to the scheduling person I asked for it to be closer to 4 weeks if possible. She said how about October 1st? In my head I'm thinking hmm I think that's only 3 weeks away, SWEET! So my 2nd fill is in 20 days, wahoooo!

First Fill tomorrow!

So tomorrow is my big day, my first fill! I am very anxious/nervous. I have read everyone's stories, but I feel like it's one of those things you don't fully understand until you go through it. I am excited to see what the hospital scale reads, this week has been really hard. I have hit a plateau and have been gaining and loosing the same 2 lbs. I am OK with this though because I know it is to be expected until I feel some restriction. I have been doing great with getting my water in, it has been between 60-75 ounces each day! I keep a 24oz water bottle next to my desk @ work and try to finish 2-2.5 bottles before going home each day.

Not much else is new...my fiancee and I went out to eat the other night, we went to a Mexican restaurant. It was really hard to make a good choice...I decided on chicken and cheese enchiladas. Definitely not the best choice, but it came with 3 enchiladas, and I only ate 1, and made 2 meals out of the other 2. Before the band I would have eaten all 3 no problem, but after eating just 1 I felt completely satisfied. That was a good feeling to know that I will not always make the best food choices, but as long as I can control my portion size it won't be too bad.

Tonight I am going to visit my little cousin who just started her first year of college. She is about 3 hrs away from home and is really homesick, I am just about an hour away from her so I'm hoping I can cheer her up a bit. We are going to go out to dinner....lots of tough choices again! I'll try and make the best decision. I will let everyone know how the fill goes tomorrow, wish me luck!

Drum Roll Please......

I am officially down 26 lbs, and have lost 12 inch's overall! This feels frigen fantastic!

I will post my measurements and maybe a pic real soon, I am at work and don't have them handy. My fill is only 8 days way, wahooo!

I have been eating really yummy food lately, I feel good so I have been testing the limits a little bit. Yesterday for lunch I had half of a cheese quesadilla, and for dinner I had 3oz of turkey and about 3 spoon fulls of mashed potatoes. Everything went down really well and I was completely satisfied.