Christmas pictures

Just uploading some pictures to be printed so I thought I would share one.

This is my daughter, my grandaughter and me. We had so much fun this Christmas!

(My daughter and I didnt plan on matching it just turned out that way. )

No appointment tomorrow.

I had a fill appointment scheduled for tomorrow, but the dr.'s office called today to reschedule. So now, I don't go in till January 26th. I am not sure I really need a fill and I will be traveling quite a bit in January so it may be good that I wont be getting a fill till then.

I had a great Christmas. Had a great time with the family and did some shopping the day after Christmas. I got a great deal on decorations...75% off!

On the eating front, I have done pretty well and I have managed to see the scale go down a smidgen. The hard part for me in the holidays has typically been after Christmas till the end of January. I usually gain during that time. So I am hoping this year will be different. It would really be nice to be down a couple more pounds by the time I go back to the doctor.

Hot Stone Massage

I had a Hot Stone Massage this weekend and I just have to WOW! This was the best thing ever. So relaxing and warm - definitely pampering too. I cant wait to have this again. If you have not suggested it, I would highly recommend it. It was a great treat!

Finished up my shopping this weekend, and did a little baking with my daughter. I only ate two of the candies we made so that is a miracle within itself. I am sure I will eat more over then next week or so. But that's ok, it is the holidays and I am not too terribly worried about it. Mainly because I dont have the interest in "food fest" eating like I did before the band. One or two treats is plently and I feel satisfied, and guilt free - which for me is a big deal because in the past that guilt would eventually lead to more eating and a vicious cycle. I am thankful that will not be part of my holidays this year!!

Have a great day!
Natalia

NSV - shopping

I stopped by Victoria's secret the other day to pick up a new bra and decide to try some of their panties. I havent worn ones from their in YEARS! I started looking at different options and came across these. I love the way they look but wasnt sure about the size. I ended up buying a Medium. A MEDIUM!!! I dont even remember the last time I wore a medium in anything, much less panties. They fit absolutely perfect and they are definitely my new favorites. (Not sure if I did the link correctly - but they are called Angel's by Victoria's Secret - Super Soft Hiphugger).

Cant Sleep!!!

The last three nights I have not slept much. I have gone to bed around 11pm then I wake up around 4am and cant go back to sleep. I lay there and toss around and just get frustrated so I end up getting up. You would think I would be super exhausted and really sleep well the next night but so far that hasn't happened. I am not super stressed about anything and have had any major life changes lately. I don't really think this could be band related - could it???? But I am not sure what is going on. I just want to sleep through the night!! Anyone else have problems with interrupted sleep?

Random Thoughts

So, I haven't had a fill since Sept 8th. And that was only .3cc. I definitely don’t feel like I need a fill. I actually still have quite a bit of restriction and do not get hungry very often. However, I am still not losing weight - or least not any significant amount of weight. In the last month I have not really lost anything (-.4)!! I did manage to take off the 3 lbs I gained on the cruise, but no other loss on top of that. I am still taking the phentermine. I just went up to a full pill today, so hopefully that will get things started. I have had 2 chicken strips from sonic kids meal and 2 cups of coffee with protein so far today (its 4:30 pm now) and I am not hungry. I know I need to drink more water and be more active. I am sure that would help things too. I am going to look into getting personal training at the Y with my Christmas bonus. Maybe that will at least get me back into the exercise routine. Even if that doesn't make the weight loss start I know it will be good for me.

I cleaned out my closet the other day. Turns out everything I have to pass along is summer clothes. So I think I will wait till it gets a little warmer to post those items on here.


I haven't posted any pictures of myself really. Not sure why. But this one with my hubby is from the cruise and I actually like it!

We put our Christmas tree up over the weekend. I really scaled back on the decorations this year, and I kinda like it! Seems more simple but yet still very festive. Now I just need to get my Christmas shopping done. I really haven't even started - except for a few items for my grand daughter.

Ok, enough random-ness from me today. Ciao!

Bandster Quiz

Ok, so I am a little behind...but I thought I would take the Quiz that has been passed around lately. : )

1. How long have you been banded? 6 months (today).
2. What was your highest pre-band weight? / Current weight now? / Total lost to date?
233 (highest ever) 200 (right before surgery)/176/24
3. What is your best "go-to" food to get in your protein? Unjury Vanilla Protein powder - I add it to my coffee every morning - 2 cups coffee = 20g protein!
4. What is your favorite protein brand/shake? I don't really drink shakes. I do like the Unjury Vanilla and Chicken Soup flavors.
5. What food do you miss the most now being post-band? Buns. I do manage to eat a 1/2 a bagel every now and then.
6. What is your favorite "mushy" food? Not really a mushy - but I love Creamy Chicken Soup at Hand. I have it whenever things are going down so well and I want something warm and creamy.
7. What was your worst PB experience? I haven't had one yet. I have come really close a couple times, but thankfully nothing has ever come back up.
8. What has been the hardest part of this journey so far for you? Being patient with my EXTREMELY slow weight loss, and finding other ways to measure my success.
9. What is your best NSV to date? Being able to wear some of the smaller clothes from the back of my closet that haven't been out in a long time.
10. What is your top non-weight goal for your band? (top NSV maybe?) Being willing to go to an event and NOT cancelling because I have "nothing to wear" or just feel horrible about the way I look - which has happened way too many times in the past.
11. What is your goal weight or size? Goal weight = 140, but maintain between 140-145.
12. What band "rule" do you live by (i.e. don't cheat on)? Not drinking with meals.
13. What band "rule" do you not follow as much or aren't so good at? Regular exercise. Haven't been able to get a good routine and stick to it.
14. What is your goal "reward"? Tummy tuck for sure! I have wanted one for a long time. I even got the low profile port in hopes that a tummy tuck would follow once I have reached maintenance stage.
15. In the spirit of Thanksgiving being right around the corner (US), what are you most thankful for, post-band? I am thankful that I don't have the desire to have a "food-fest" like I used to. No more eating constantly and mindlessly.

I am not sure who started this quiz - but thanks for making me take a look back at some of the things that have changed and also look forward to what is to come!

Hello Again

You were probably thinking I dropped off the face of the earth. But no, alas I am still here. I have been lurking, reading, keeping up with everyone's progress - but just not posting or commenting. Part of the reason was that I forgot my login password. I know, pretty weak excuse since I can just click on password help and get back in (like I just did now), but I just didn't. I hope to be more regular with posting even if it brief, just to keep up with things.

I just got back from a 5 day cruise with my family. We went to Cozumel last week and were actually on the ship for Thanksgiving. It was a nice trip. My three kids and their significant others went, along with my parents and my hubby. 10 of us in all. It was great spending time with them, but by the end of the 5 days I was ready to be home and have a little less "family time". We did have some difficult moments trying to make 10 people happy all at the same time, but for the most part it was lots of fun. :) It was really great being on the cruise and being able to eat what I wanted and not have to worry too much - cause I knew I wouldn't be able to eat much of it. I did go to the gym 2 days on the ship but, I did manage to gain 3 lbs, but I think that will come off soon. I did wear a swimsuit and tank tops (sleeveless is a big deal for me cause I don't like the looks of my arms!) and actually felt pretty comfortable. I will try to post some pictures later today.

As for a banding update, I had another fill on October 30th (fill #3), which I believe was about .5cc. So, I think that puts me at 4 cc total - but I am not real sure. Of course, the weight loss is still really slow, so I am focusing on the % of excess weight lost more than the pounds each week. I just hit 40% on the day I left for my cruise - so technically I need to get these 3 lbs back off to be at 40%, but I am happy about where I am at so far. I still have a fair amount of restriction and have days where is seems like everything is difficult to get down. So, I don't think I need another fill just yet. My next appointment with the Dr is Dec 30th, so the restriction that I do have will have to last me through Christmas. Which is good because I don't want to be miserable through the holidays.

I wouldn't say that I have noticed a huge difference in the way that I look, but thankfully my clothes are fitting differently. I have started shopping in the back of my closet (clothes that have been too small for a while but I wouldn't get rid of). Some of my favorite jeans are now fitting nicely (size 10). The smallest size I have in my closet is a pair of size 8 pants - which I never actually wore. They fit when I bought them and then I started gaining weight and I never got to wear them. I would love to fit into them again. I cant say that I am in love with them any more, but I would love to know that I could wear them if I wanted to! Maybe by the first of the year. I really need to clean out my closet again. So, there may be things that I could pass along if anyone is interested. They will probably be size 14's and some 12's? I will check it out in the next few days and post some pictures. I did buy a new pair of jeans recently at a store I have never shopped in - not for myself anyway. My daughter (21) shops at Buckle, and she always has the cutest jeans. I thought I would splurge, jeans are not cheap there! I went in and was a little nervous cause I thought they wouldn't have jeans in my size or I would feel like I was trying to dress too young....but the girl that helped us was actually very nice, and pulled lots of things for me to try on. It was really a great experience. There were people of all ages in there and I was not at the high end of the size range for the store. I was so excited with my pair of jeans that I bought!! I bought a size 31 - which I have no idea what that means in regular sizes (like 8,10, 12, etc) but I do know they are only one size bigger than my daughter's and I consider her to be skinny! So overall - very happy with that.

I should go now, since I have been rambling for a while :)