4 Year Wedding Anniversary!
by Christine on May 7th, 2012
filed under Christine's Life Updates, Diet, Food, Nutrition, Exercise
In celebration of four years of wedding bliss together, hubby and I decided to head down to the New Jersey shore for the weekend.
I’ve been living in Upstate New York for 10 years now, and although I’ve been to Atlantic City before, I’ve never explored the shoreline. In fact, I’ve always had a very poor opinion of New Jersey, since my first experience there was finding myself in Elizabeth and Newark. I realize this makes me sound a little bit ignorant, but my opinion was surely reversed after this weekend.
First we drove way down south to Cape May. I LOVED CAPE MAY! It’s fantastically beautiful and laid back and relaxing. I would love to stay there sometime during the summer and use the beaches. We passed about 6 couples getting married on the beach there….just perfect! I had the most delicious Manhattan Clam Chowder I’ve ever had!
Beautiful Victorian houses all throughout the town. So much to see and admire!
This is the Inn of Cape May. We randomly chose this spot for lunch. The dining room overlooks the ocean, and they had the best Manhattan Clam Chowder! Yum!
After we were done exploring Cape May, we drove slowly up the coast and stopped to look at all the cute towns. We stopped in Wildwoods, which has a huge boardwalk with lots of carnival rides, tshirt shops, etc. A fun place for kids and a fun place to visit (but I personally wouldn’t want to stay there).
They deep fry EVERYTHING there! Every 2 feet you ran into a little shop that will deep fry anything you can think of. I had never had a deep fried Oreo, and hubby loves Oreos so we had to give that a try…
MEH. Disappointing. Maybe a triple-stuffed oreo would be good, but I just found it lacking in flavor overall. Very dry. Fun to try, but I definitely won’t be doing that again.
We stayed the night at Bally’s in Atlantic City. We got an upgrade to our room since they screwed up our reservation, and our room was very spacious. The best part by far was the use of the pool facilities ($10 per room, per day). Sunday we spent all morning swimming, sitting in the hot tub, using the saunas, etc. It was fantastic!
Dinner on Saturday was at Rainforest Cafe. I got fish tacos, but for some reason my gastric band wouldn’t allow me to keep a single bite down. It’s frustrating to waste money like that.
Lunch on Sunday we found a real gem — the Red Square, a Russian restaurant. It has walls (well, columns) made of ice! They have a bajillion types of vodkas, and a freezer where you can put on a bunch of russian furs and wrap up and go into the freezer to do a shot of your choice of vodka. Very swanky and fun! I ordered the shrimp cocktail, and it was divine! HUGE shrimps and a delicious mango salsa. So yummy. The Caesar salad was amazing too. Yummy all around.
I drank my face off, got lots of walking in (and climbing on rocks on the beach), gambled a little (and came home with money in my wallet!) and had a brilliant time!
Happy Anniversary Honey!
Weight-wise, I’m hanging in there constantly at 130 pounds. I shouldn’t be annoyed at that, but to be honest I’d be a lot more happy at 125. All my clothes fit, but I feel like my body shape is kind of changing somehow. My butt and legs just feel bigger to me, and I feel like my pants are tighter in those areas. It could very well be all in my head, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m gaining weight. I get really panicky about it, but when I step on the scale it’s still within the maintenance zone. I’m finding it hard to rectify how I feel and the number on the scale. Since I know I have disordered eating issues and self-perception problems, it’s safer to rely on the number on the scale rather than how I feel, but it’s hard to ignore the feelings entirely.
Gastric Band and Belly Button Piercings (Navel Rings)
by Christine on April 9th, 2012
filed under Christine's Life Updates, Exercise, Gastric Banding Surgery
It turns out that getting a belly button ring affects the gastric band. I wouldn’t have guessed that, so it has been a bit of a learning experience for me.
Here are some pictures. Please note that I think my belly button ring is infected. It’s a little red, and it hurts pretty solidly when I bend over and whatnot. I believe this is affecting my band even more than normal.
The main difference is that my band is HELLA TIGHT since getting pierced. This is because the band is absorptive, and I’m most likely retaining water due to a small infection in the band. (Read more about the band being absorptive here.) I can barely keep any food down…been barfing up nearly every meal I try to eat. Fortunately I can still sip liquids, so I’m holding out on getting an un-fill to see if this will pass.
The second way the piercing affects the band is because the piercing is located very close to my gastric banding port! I’m fortunate that my piercer didn’t actually puncture the port hose or anything like that (note to you: if you’re going to get a piercing, you may want to mention the port and hose to your piercer so you don’t get punctured!) but I realize now that it could have happened pretty easily. The hose comes very close to my belly button, and so when I bend over or move in a certain way, I can feel the hose rub against the piercing. No bueno, and I may have to lose the piercing because of it. I need to talk to my doctor about it.
Of course, none of this means that YOU will be so affected by your belly button ring, but you may want to give it another thought before rewarding yourself for your weight loss, like me!
Here are some pictures. I know, my belly is hideous, especially with those stretch marks. I don’t intend on SHOWING OFF the belly button ring–I got it more for myself, so I know it’s there, as a reward for losing 100 pounds. That being said, you can see a few things from this picture (ignore the stretch marks, please!):
- You can see my stomach area since my port re-attachment surgery. You can see a little bump off to the side of my tummy where the port is, but it’s not TOO noticeable.
- Surgery scars: you can see two or three of my surgery scars on my tummy. These don’t bother me at all, but they are there.
In other news, I’m finally getting some exercise again, now that the weather is turning warmer. This weekend I went hiking in the Berkshires. It’s a path that I’ve done before, and I previously deemed the trail to be “easy” but this time I declared it to be “moderate.” In fact, the hike kicked my ass and I was sore for a day afterwards! OY! Must exercise more!!
End of March Update!
by Christine on March 30th, 2012
filed under Christine's Life Updates, Gastric Banding Surgery
Hi everyone! Sorry I’ve been a bit AWOL lately. I’ve been just enjoying life, doing the same-ol same-ol. I kind of feel like a broken record sometimes with the weight loss tips and updates on my life. Still, I hate to neglect my blog entirely, so I’ll give a few updates now!
Post-surgery follow-up
I received a comment from my blog a few weeks ago mentioning that I never updated how my port-reattachment surgery went. Well, it went very well! My healing time was much quicker than the original banding surgery. Within a week I was feeling as good as new. They used previous incision areas to access the port, so I don’t have any more scars than I had before. The port is still attached, 8 months later, with no problems to report. Can you see the port through the skin? Not really. I have some droopy stomach skin from the weight loss, so that pretty much obscures the port. That being said, you can feel it really easily through the skin, even through the clothes. I hardly notice it anymore; you just get used to it. Overall, I’m pleased with my decision to re-attach the port in the same place. (And, for the record, my surgeon over at Ellis Bariatric once again did a fabulous job!)
Weight & More NSVs!
My weight is fluctuating a little bit more than I would like; today I was at 131.0, which is six pounds above my “goal weight” and just barely outside of my “maintenance range.” Now that it’s getting warmer I will exercise more, which will help. My eating still fluctuates between crappy eating and healthy eating.
My goal FOREVER has been that if I reached my goal weight, I would get a navel (belly button) ring. When I reached my goal weight, I didn’t get the navel ring because I was self-conscious about the saggy skin. Well, I finally did it! I got the navel ring! Sure, I still have the saggy skin and it’s not like I’m going to be walking around with a crop top or anything like that. But *I* know it’s there, and it’s a wonderful, constant reminder of what I achieved. Hooray!
Another NSV: As I’m getting more confident in my own skin, I’m meeting more people, making more friends, and getting hit on a lot more. I get hit on regularly these days, and it’s such a great ego boost! The other day I was out dancing with some girlfriends and some (quasi-creepy) dude bought our drinks all night long just for the chance to chat with me! What a compliment! Believe me, this stuff does not happen at all when you’re overweight.
Another NSV: I got my first tattoo!! I never would have considered it 3 years ago, when I was at my heaviest or with the low self esteem that I was suffering from. I don’t consider a tattoo in any way related to my weight loss per se, but it’s another confidence-builder and a reminder of how far I’ve come mentally and emotionally in the last three years! I am not really a fan of tattoos. Oh, I mean, I like them on other people, but I’ve never really cared to get one for myself. However, I really liked the idea of getting one at this time because it’s a reminder to myself to Stop Taking Myself So Fucking Seriously All The Time. It’s just skin. It’s just a tattoo. Life will not come to a crashing halt if you get one. I haven’t been fired from my job. And you know what? I rather like it, actually!
A weight loss challenge???
I signed up for a motorcycle rider class. I’ve always wanted to ride a motorcycle, and so I decided to take the plunge and get my license! The class is over Memorial Day Weekend. During that time I will get to actually sit on a motorcycle and ride it around and determine whether I am comfortable on a bike or, more importantly, whether I am strong enough to be able to ride it. I’m worried that, having lost so much weight, that the bike will overpower me and I will not be able to hold it up or maneuver it properly. A strange weight-loss challenge!! (Which will be answered in May.) I can’t wait though! Another dream on my life’s “Bucket List” that I can check off!
Counseling
I’ve started to see a counselor recently. The jury is still out whether it’ll be helpful to me in the long-term or not, but he’s an interesting guy, and I’m interested in his “process,” so I’m sticking with it. I have all kinds of things that I want to work with him about, and among those topics are my distorted relationship with food (who knew? Fucked up food relationships don’t just disappear after surgery. Gasp!), my ongoing struggles with body image and self esteem, and also friendship and relationship changes since losing 100 pounds.
If you are going to be going through any life-changing weight loss surgery Dear Reader, I really encourage you to sign up with a counselor to discuss these topics in an ongoing manner, rather than waiting for any of them to become “issues.” I am more and more convinced that they are common topics that most weight-loss surgery patients go through, and dealing with it from the onset of the surgery, rather than later. Surgery and counseling really should go hand-in-hand. (Just my opinion.)
Again, I don’t know that I’ve seen any “results” or have “solved all my problems,” but it’s been helpful to at least attempt to articulate with some of these problems are and to begin problem-solve with an impartial bystander.
P.S. Today is my birthday, and I’m hoping to celebrate by spending time with friends and loved ones rather than with cake, food, and other unhealthy things. HOORAY!
A blip in “maintenance mode…”
by Christine on February 23rd, 2012
filed under Christine's Life Updates, Diet, Food, Nutrition, Gastric Banding Surgery
Well, I’ve been driving this “maintenance mode” gravy train for a little over a year, and I’ve noticed that my weight has gone up and down a little bit (say, 5 pounds) but it has stayed well within range.
However, I can feel the weight creeping up right now. I’m at about 8 pounds higher than my Goal Weight. Although I have actually kicked up my exercise a little bit (which isn’t really saying a lot…I was doing NOTHING before…now I’m squeezing in 2 days a week worth of exercise) I have noticed that my portion sizes are getting bigger and bigger. I’m hungry all the time. I’m eating too much. And I’m not feeling the restriction that my band gives me when it’s just right.
I’m going to give myself 2 weeks to try to get this under control on my own. That is to say, I’m going to crack down on my portion sizes, cut out the sweets that keep creeping into my diet, and eat 6 small mini-meals a day. When I was actively and successfully losing weight, my diet consisted of something like this:
8 a.m. Yogurt & coffee (150 calories worth approx.)
10 a.m.: cheese & crackers (150 calories worth approx.)
Noon: canned soup (150 calories worth approx.)
2 p.m.: fresh fruit (100 calories worth approx.)
4 p.m.: Almonds (100 cals worth), skim milk
6 p.m.: 3 oz of meat (chicken, fish, or steak) with some fresh veggies (150 calories worth approx.)
8 p.m.: 100 calories worth of chocolate for a treat.
That’s what worked for me in the past, so that’s what I’m going to try to stick to this time. 2 weeks…and if it’s not working for me, then I’ll schedule a little fill with my bariatric surgeon.
I know that the gastric band leaks very very very slowly over time, so it’s not unusual to find it more “roomy” as time goes on. Lots of gastric banders get fills once a year or so to keep it tweaked just right. I don’t mind that, but I also don’t want to rely 100% in the band and get lazy with my food. I realize that I need to put out some effort into this as well. Now is that time! Rawr!
11 Plateau Buster Ideas!
by Christine on February 7th, 2012
filed under Christine's Life Updates, Diet, Food, Nutrition
Are you stuck in a weight-loss plateau? Were you experiencing some kind of regular weight loss, and now you’ve stalled out? You’re doing everything the same, you’re being consistent, but the weight just isn’t coming off anymore? (If you’re curious about what causes a plateau, including all the hormone changes, read this article from the Mayo Clinic.)
You need a plateau buster! Here are a few plateau-busting tips that will get you into your skinny jeans by summertime!:
- Incorporate high intensity interval training. Read more about that here.
- Drink more water. (And no, caffeinated beverages don’t count!)
- Be sure that you are eating protein at each meal. Looks for choices like egg whites, turkey meat, and whey protein.
- Trade your starchy carbs in for veggies. Replace your servings of bread, rice, pasta, and potato in for dark green veggies.
- Pump some iron! Lifting weights builds muscle, and muscle burns fat more efficiently. So build your muscles up!
- Double-check your portion sizes. Maybe you’ve stalled out because your portions are getting bigger. Remember to measure and weigh everything you eat! You may want to consider recording all your food intake. I personally find this very helpful.
- Mix it up. If it’s not working for you, change it up. Switch up your exercise program and your food regiment. Sometimes your body just needs a kick in the butt when you change life on it.
- Get more sleep!
- Try “calorie cycling.” Let’s say your average calorie intake is 1200 calories. Try consuming 1000 calories one day, 1200 the next, and 1400 the third day, then repeat the cycle.
- Eat slower. You might find you eat a lot less if you just slow down a bit.
- Recharge your motivation. Write down all the reasons why you want to lose weight, buy yourself a dream pair of pants to wear, take photos of yourself, measure yourself, etc. Do whatever you need to do to reinvigorate your commitment to lose weight!
