Weigh-in & SORE!

Today's weigh-in: 203.0lbs
down 1.8lbs since last week.  I'm really pretty happy with that considering my business trip.  Onederland is now in sight & looming just around the corner!  I'm not going shopping until I'm officially less than 200lbs - but then I'm hitting the mall!

I officially joined a gym last week and now I am SORE.  ugh! but ugh in a good way.  I always knew that calorie restriction wasn't going to be enough for me to lose all the weight I want to lose.  I want be to slim & tone and that is only going to happen in the gym.

The thing is I don't know what I'm doing.  My gym offers tons of great classes & lots of options - I just don't know where to start.  I'm starting with a focus on strength training rather than just a bunch of cardio.  And adding in some flexibility & stretching into the mix.  I'm just not sure how much of each I need or what my weekly workout schedule should look like.

Suggestions?

cheers,
chloe

Tales from the road

Ok, so traveling is hard.  sigh.
Travel is a big part of my job.  Most of my trips last year were international & long; 2-3+ weeks in Asia, Europe, South America each.  Its critical for me to learn to manage this lifestyle on the road.

So I am currently on my first trip since surgery.  Just a short trial run out to the Bay Area for a few days.  I was up yesterday at 3:30am to make a 6am flight then I was in meetings pretty much all day up until the exec dinner last night.  At a steakhouse - always at a steakhouse.  Finally got to hotel around 10pm & up doing emails til midnight.  Today: rinse & repeat.  Tomorrow: rinse, repeat & fly home in the afternoon.

Needless to say, yesterday was not a typical foodie day for me.  I did manage to still track calories & I came in around 1600 for the day.  That is most I have consumed since banding over 5 weeks ago.   On one hand seems like so much but I know it was waaaaay less than what I consumed just a few short weeks ago.

I focused on getting protein:  sausage omelet for breakfast, disassembled the chicken sandwich at lunch & just ate the meat, passed over the brownies in favor of a handle of nuts in the afternoon and then just steak without any of the evil side like mashed potatoes & onion sides.  My first red meat - it was dense.

A few other tricks for this trip:  I packed a couple servings of my most favorite protein powder that I can mix up in my room.  Did that this morning - worked well.  I packed my vitamins - that's gone well.  Brought a water bottle - thats working, too.  I also packed my new, shining ASICS & some workout gear.  i booked a hotel with a gym & plan on some treadmill time this afternoon before dinner.

What's not working:  no snacks - so hard to nosh every 3 hours which means I'm starving at meal time.  Any suggestions on working around that one?

Time to sign-off.  I'm going to go grab some sushi & then head out to my next meeting. sigh.

cheers,
chloe

I weigh less than my husband

Official weigh-in today:  204.8lbs
Down 3.6lbs from last week.  :)
This is a major milestone for me, my friends!  For the first time in better than 5 years, I now weigh less than my DH.

A few other milestones last week, too.  I Zumba'd for the first time & it was a blast!!!  A good friend of mine took me to her gym & I have to say I really liked it.  The place was huge, open, bright, airy and it did not smell like a gym.  I went back for a "Chisel" strength training class Sunday & I believe I'm going to join.  who'da thunk it??

In fact, there is a whole list of things I did not have as a fat girl but I've been amassing since surgery: gym membership, scale and athletic shoes.   Still no full length mirror but I think my hubs is working on something.....

A few notes from the cooking front..
I made this Curried Shrimp & Mango Soup last night.  Hubs really liked it.  I think I'll make a few tweaks next time...chop the shrimp into bite size pieces & (not a huge fan of mango) sub in some pineapple.  Definitely a repeater.

Also, made this Slow-Roasted-Halibut-with-Shaved-Asparagus-and-Fennel-Salad.  It was ok.  Not my fav & probably not worthy of a spot in the recipe rotation.

Looking ahead, this week brings new challenges.  I go back out on the road this week.  I travelled a bunch last year & its one thing I'm quite concerned about is how to manage eating well & following the rules when I'm far from home.  First test this week - I'll let you know how it goes.

cheers,
chloe

1 Month Band-iversary!

One month ago today I got banded.  Doesn't sound like much time at all but surgery day already feels like ancient history.  I can certainly see the changes - I was 206.4 at my weigh-in this morning.  That's 19lbs lost in just one month.  :)  I took my jeans off last night without having to unbutton or unzip them - they just slide off over my butt.  !big grin!

The funny thing is that my husband doesn't think this weight loss has anything to do with the band itself. He sees it as a result of changing eating & exercising habits.  He's probably right.  I'm really trying to use this time between surgery & fill as a "bootcamp" to adjust to this new tool.  Being a newbie, I'm following the rules - no bread/pasta/rice, no carbonated or high calorie liquids, lots of protein & water, eating 5 small meals, etc.

My food choices have undergone *major* changes.  Here's what I'm eating now:
              Breakfast(8am):  protein shake with 2/3c light soy milk & 1/3c frozen berries
              Snack(10:30am):  greek yogurt with honey.  my fav is plain Oikos because I get 4packs of 4oz cups - easy to throw in my lunch bag

I know the morning routine sounds boring but its easy & doesn't require much thought - perfect for me in the a.m.  And way better than stopping at McD's or grabbing a huge breakfast burrito at work which is what  I used to do.

              Lunch (1:30pm) is leftovers.  I used to go out everyday for lunch. not anymore
              Snack (4:30pm):  string cheese, apple with peanut butter, etc
              Dinner (7:30-8): now requires thought.  I am now doing a lot of meal planning & cooking.  Last night I made Baja Chicken with Avocado Crema recipe from the Bariatric Eating lady with Cumin Carrots.  Both cook at the same temperature for the same time with super easy prep.  It was a HUGE hit!!! DH declared it the best meal yet - this one will definitely enter the family rotation.

Yesterday's calories only added up to about 775 so I had a glass of soy milk (with Benefiber) before I went to bed....after watching "I Used to Be Fat" on MTV.  just file that one under guilty pleasure.

Unfortunately, I was counting on having leftovers for lunch but it didn't work out that way so I'm eating this for lunch today: Turkey Wrap with Lentils.  One wrap is surprisingly filling & the lentils were leftover from Tuesday night's dinner of Eggs over Warm Lentil Salad.  I totally loved this meal - not my husband's cup o' tea but absolutely a new comfort food for me.  Next time, I'll tweak it a bit - lower lentil to veggie ratio & wilt the spinach.  yum!

Happy band-iversary to me!
cheers,
Chloe

Weigh-in & Protein shake reviews

Yesterday was my weekly weigh-in: -0.8lbs.

another loss - yeah!  yet it seems so slight after those heady days post-op. dumb to think that tho'!  I am grateful for another losing week.  I am beginning to up the exercise - taking the dog for a walk around the lake, hiking with friends in the foothills, etc.  All lovely but I really want to get back to yoga.

This seems like a great time to do a little protein product review.  Disclaimer:  I have no past experience with protein shakes or powders.  Consider this the sole opinions of one protein virgin.  I had no pre-op diet so all my experiences are post-op (which I've heard can affect one's taste buds).  Tubs of protein powder can be very pricey so before buying a big vat of something I wanted to make sure that I'd actually like it so I'm taking the "sample far & wide" approach - these are my notes.

I initially ordered the Sample Kit from Bariatric Eating & whole bunch of random samples from VitaLady.  I mixed everything with 6-8oz water & occasionally ice in my Magic Bullet.  

Sample Kit: easy, one price kit 

         Good:  nice mix of powders, RTD & vitamins plus her book.  I liked the book the best!  I've tried several of her recipes & they were all really good.  Definitely a winner.  I also liked the different supplement samples.  Settled on the Vitaband Mixed Berry.  Its chewable & a bit chalky but no fears about getting stuck on a pill.

         Bad:  did not like *any* of the powders.  Inspire Dutch Choc Cake was ok but not good enough to order a whole vat.  Caramel Latte was also ok but I'm not a coffee drinker so that's out.  The rest were just icky.  The ready-to-drink bottles were passable but had a strange aftertaste I don't get with the powders.  Not my favorite but I can see where it could be convenient.  I plan on ordering powders online but I really don't want to pay for shipping liquids so I'll just be sampling locally available RTDs.  Look for reviews later.

Vitalady:  offers 1 scoop samples on everything she carries.  So many choices can be daunting! I ordered a mix of choc, vanilla plus some fruit flavors.

         Good:  absolute fav was BSN Syntha-6 Chocolate.   mmmm!  not the best numbers: 200 cals/15gr carbs/22gr protein but so oh good with just water. no extras required.  I also liked IDS Multi-pro Belgian Choc.  good numbers: 125cal/5gr carb/24gr protein.  Another keeper is her "Special Combo or Mixing Warm or Cold" with half Champion Pure Whey Choc & half IDS Vanilla Cinnamon.  I added hot water & whipped cream.  it was fantastic!!!!

         Bad:  did not like any of the fruit flavors. 4 Ever Fit - Lemon Iced Tea, Strawberry Kiwi, Cranrazz are all OUT!  Also not a fan of Lean Dessert Cinnamon Roll, ISO Pure Creamy Vanilla, All Max All Whey Choc or Champion Pure Whey Strawberry.

From this sampling, I can tell I don't like any of the fruit or specialty flavors.  I'll just stick to the basics.  I  did order a vat of Syntha-6 Choc & IDS Belgian Choc plus a bunch of special combo packets and whole new round of samples.  More reviews to come....


While I am waiting for my order to arrive, I did pick up a vat of Jay Robb vanilla protein at the grocery store.  Its an ok base - right now I am mixing it with 2/3c light soy milk & 1/3c frozen berries.  Nice way to start my day!


cheers,
chloe

1st dinner out!

A major milestone for me.   A key part of my work is dinner/drinks with various muckety-mucks.  Last nite was my first corporate dinner out since I've been banded & I think I did very well.  No alcohol (rather unusual for me & probably won't last), no appetizers and ordered the pan-seared scallops with a few green beans.  It was a rather low-pressure environment because the dinner was with my staff rather than with the big bosses but still - another challenge faced.  Tonight is the dinner with some bosses - let's see how it goes.

One thing I do think the band in conjunction with a high protein/low carb/low sugar diet has done for me is take edge off my hunger.  Now that I'm back to solids, I'm averaging about 1100 calories/day but I never feel deprived or get the munchies.  It's a nice, new feeling.

I'm really starting to notice how different my clothes fit.  I had a custom-tailored suit made in Hong Kong last summer.  I carry my weight in my ass, thighs & boobs (rather than belly) & a completely custom suit enables me to get a fantastic close fit even in this body.  Well, I tried the pants on & they are definitely baggy.  Gonna have to arrange another trip to Asia so I can get it altered.....!

cheers,
chloe

Weigh-in

So, I've decided to make Mondays my official weigh-in.  As you can see from my ticker, I'm down another 1.5lbs from my post-op appt last Wednesday.  That makes a total of 16lbs lost.  yippee!  It also got me doing a little math in my head.  hmmmm.....My goal is to lose 80lbs which means I'm 20% of the way there.  Now that is starting to sound impressive.

I can start solids today.  Glad to be back to "normal" food but concerned about it, too.  Obviously, the mushies stage has been good to me (hell, I've already lost 20% of goal, people!) & I haven't had any incidents with the band either.  knock on wood.  A few feelings of fullness in the middle of my back when I eat more than about a cup but that's it.  Right now, I 'm pretty good about getting 65g+ of protein, carbs bounce around between 50 & 100g and calories average 800-900 per day.  Still struggling to get 64oz of water in, tho'.  I expect those numbers to rise now that I'm on solids and no restriction yet.  Drs goal is to maintain weight until first fill.  My first fill is scheduled for Feb 2. Groundhog Day.

While I'm in this transition, I thought it was time to put together a list of what I want from this banded journey.  16 points, of course, and in no particular order..

1. weigh less than my husband (he's 6'4" & weighs in at 206)

2. get my blood pressure down to normal

3. get my cholesterol down to normal

4. cross my knees & be able to cross my ankles

5. wear something sleeveless

6. strong enough to pick up my daughter

7. sexier clothes

8. more professional appearance

9. get snowshoes

10. not be the fattest person in the room - especially when I travel internationally

11. get my period back

12. lose the pain in ankles, knees, hips, low back

13. smaller boobs 

14. go on a bicycling tour of Europe with my husband when I'm 40

15. be able to take of my daughter for a very long time

16. food as fuel not substituted for a friend or as solace

and a bonus for the next pound....

17. re-invent myself - again!

cheers,

chloe

Jeans fresh out of the dryer

Come on, sisters, you know what I'm talking about!  Freshly laundered but here's how it goes when you pull 'em out of the dryer....first, you gotta shimmy them up your legs, jump up & down a couple of times to bounce your ass in, suck in the gut to button them up and then do a few squats to stretch them out a bit.

Well, ha! not anymore.  I had my first post-op drs visit & am deciding to make this morning's weigh-in official: I have lost 15lbs!


I'm watching all the jenny craig/weight watchers/gyms commercials on tv now & I feel so relieved.  Relieved that I don't have to do a new year's resolution this time but knowing I'm still gonna lose weight.  Relieved that come mid-Feb when most people have fallen by the wayside I know I'll just be getting into the groove.  :)  its just starting to begin to feel like I might actually be able to do this...but it mostly just feels surreal.

my blood pressure reading today was the lowest in been in a very looooog time.  surreal.

My jeans came out of the dryer this morning & slipped right on!  My first non-scale victory (NSV).  sniff, sniff.

cheers,

chloe

Back to work

I returned to work yesterday.  I have a typical office job - meetings, con calls, email, etc.  Even so, I was extremely drained yesterday.  Tired, dizzy & fuzzy.  kind of a grey/brownish feeling.  Not sure if it was the blah of being back in the office but I suspect it's my food intake.  I am tracking everything (yeah myfitnesspal) & noticed that I had eaten only about 400 calories by the time I got home at 7pm.   A quick protein shake & I perked up.

So, today I'm trying to be more deliberate with food intake & especially with a high protein lunch.  The issue is (and I have NEVER been able to say this in my life) - is that I'm not really hungry.  I know it won't last forever but I'm kinda reveling in it now.

Part of this journey for me will be to identify true hunger vs. head hunger.  Hungry because my belly is empty or hungry because I'm bored or it's just the typical time to eat/snack/graze.  I know this is a battle waiting for me when hunger returns......

I see the dr tomorrow for my first post-op checkup and a weigh-in.  I'll update my tracker tomorrow!!!

cheers,
chloe