woohoooo Just 10 pounds away from 100

I cannot believe it but I hit 90 pounds lost today. woohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... SO exciting. Not exactly the best time of year to shoot for the 10 pounds I have left until 100. but if this does not light a fire under me nothing will.

I went into the band doctor's office today. It has been three weeks since my last fill and of course I did a big tighten up yesterday. He discussed my tightness. I told him that yogurt and smooth foods like protein smoothies seem to be more difficult to get down than bread these days-I can eat 1/2 a sandwich. He said that time of day probably had something to do with the difference but also they do not know how long it takes for my upper stomach to completely empty and putting the yogurt or smoothie on top of food still in my band might be part of the reason I have more trouble with yogurts than other foods. He also informed me that I should expect my food to pass through my band in about 1/2 an hour (I think he meant begin to empty).

After this information and the fact I have lost about 6 pounds in the last 3 weeks made me agree with him about not getting another fill. I made another appointment for the first part of Jan.. Hopefully this fill will last until then and get me the last 10 pounds to the 100 pound mark.

In light of this new milestone I am going to take this space to write my top tips for working your band:

Be patient-the weight does not always come off fast. Your scale may go up and down but focusing on the down and ignoring upward wiggles helps.

Stay on top of your fills-I took a look at my weightloss record today and you can tell when I get a fill (I think you can see it if you click on my ticker above). The little downward moving bubbles show up right after a fill and then nothing until I make another appointment for a fill.

Do not drink while you eat!!-I cannot really do this without barfing these days (just flat out not enough room) but if you are not completely tight yet it will just wash your food more quickly.

Eat pouch sticking foods-Figure out what types of foods last the longest in your pouch and help you stay full feeling longer. Mine are carbs (bread, crackers). I make sure and eat them with protein. When your fill is waning these can help you wring a little more weight loss out of it.

ZIPLOCK BAGS-Carry them!! Even if you do not live in the USA there are ziptop bags in your country. They are worth the purchase and the damage to our environment. You can PB in your car, a toilet stall, or with spousal cover but you will not have spit dribble down on your shoes (as when you use a napkin) or have to run for a toilette back and forth until a stuck item is released. These come in handy for car or air sickness in children too!

Build in walking breaks- AS my weight has shifted so has my butt. I have now boniness in places where a person should not have it. My butt has a bone that sticks out like a tail. I cannot sit through a 2 hour meeting at work or even on the couch like I once could. This is good. Get up and take a walk to give your new bony butt a break. I now also need a fluffy blanket to tuck between my knees (bony knees too).

Protein-your little stomach is not very big anymore. My blood work came back and all of my stats were great except for protein. I am not a big shake drinker but I am a big cheese eater. I do not think the cheese provides enough protein and I have gotten a little skittish with chicken and beef. Keep trying to eat meat. Fish is fine....eat it. I hated fish before my band. Now I love it. Try new things as your taste buds might change. My doctor suggested sprinkling powdered milk or protein powder on my food..sounds disgusting but I might be forced to.

Take pictures-When you are in the middle of this whole weight loss thing you do not feel like you are making progress. It is only after you take pics wearing similar clothes and in similar positions that you can see your progress. I took them at 25 pounds lost, 50, and 75. I will get another set at 100 pounds lost. I did not always like what I saw but I did see progress.


Rethink how you think about dieting-I used to ride the roller coaster weight loss train. I would diet, then when the scale didn't provide the feedback I wanted I would go off on a bender and undo any gain I had made. Well duh...90 pounds into this I have finally figured out that it is the turtle that wins the race. The weight does not come off (like I said above) fast or even only downward but if you only pay attention to the good news and ignore the rest you can weigh everyday and keep your sanity. If you develop new dieting grooves (I do not treat my day of hard work by stopping at McDonalds for a treat on my way home anymore) the race can be won.

You can cheat your band, Don't!-Ice cream slips through. You can snack your evening away by putting high calorie tidbits next to your chair and eating them over time. You can eat chocolate or drink your calories in wine or booze. I am by no means perfect at this game. I fail sometimes I stop for an ice cream when I am feeling sorry for myself or I drink at parties and snack off the snacky table. Be aware of this slippery slope and avoid it.