60 Followers and away weeeeee goooooooo!

I am so blown away by this! When I first started this blog I was hoping that including my husband and two daughters I would have maybe five people who read and/or commented on it. Thank you to everyone who has stopped by! This blog community is....well there is really no words to describe what it is to me. As much as I have a support system here at home, no one has gone through what I will be going through. That is where you all come in though. I know I can jump on and ask a question and within minutes, I have answers! Unbelievable! Thank you so much for supporting me. I promise to pass it forward and hopefully I too can help others who will be following me in this journey.

I'm not sure if I will be blogging much between now and surgery on Wednesday. We are leaving tomorrow morning to catch a flight to San Diego and will be picked up and driven to our hotel in Mexico. I'll be in the hospital all day on Tues for pre-op and will be spending the night in the hospital. Surgery is Wednesday and than I will be discharged on Thursday but will not be home until Friday night. I promise to post if I can during the week but in the event I can't please know that I will be thinking of all of my fellow bloggers, Camille, Tessirose and everyone else who will be banded with me this week. We will all have to catch up when I come home and compare battle scars!

Ciao for now!

Don't want no "Pimp Daddys" looking for me!

I tried to avoid these questions yesterday for a few reasons. Ok, really I was avoiding question 5. I didn't want to answer any if I didn't answer that one but today I'm thinking, I am about to make a huge step this week getting the band and part of this whole blogging experience is to be honest with myself and everyone so here goes! God. Help. Me.

1. If you could be a weather forecast, what would you be and why? I'm not really sure what its called but you know when the eye of the hurricane goes over you, its gorgeous and sunny? Then, it passes and you get the backend of the hurricane all stormy....yeah, that's me!


2. If you could be a crayon, what color would you be and why? Royal blue. I just love this color and its so bright and I feel good when I wear it.


3. What is/was your biggest physical goal you want to do when you hit your goal weight? I want to be comfortable riding on the back of my DH's motorcycle, I want to enter a 5k race and someday do a 1/2 marathon.

4. If you could be any animal, what would it be and why? I'd want to be a panther. They are so sleek and graceful. Everything I am not at the moment!


5. Just because I’m new to some followers and I’m curious – let’s do a put it out there in black and white stat question.

What was your highest weight? 234, 6 years ago
What is your weight now? 208
What is your goal weight if you have one? 145 -155
What is your goal size if you have one? 8 - 10
What diet/program/tool do you follow/have if any? I've always followed weight watchers and Atkins and beginning this week, I will have the added help of the Lap-Band.
How did you lose the weight current to today? WW and Adkins and lots of exercise

6. What’s your best advice for people in this weight loss journey? Don't give up. Take it one day at a time....I am learning this myself. There is a saying "if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got". I am so open to change right now and I feel it in my heart that this time, I will succeed with my weightloss battle!


7. Have you ever shaved your whootananny? Yes

Thank you Drazil for putting these questions out there. Peer pressure is alive and well in blogland! I suppose its not a bad thing! :)

This is my last.....

Everything I've been doing since my official 1 week countdown began has been preceeded by "this is my last" blah, blah, blah! This is my last Friday going into the office before my band, this is my last episode on TV or whatever, before I get my band, you get the picture. You would think I am going to the electric chair instead of starting a whole new, brighter way of life! oy!

Other than that, I'm really just going through the days until we leave for Mexico on Monday for my Wednesday surgery. I haven't started packing yet but I am a list girl so it won't take me more than an hour or so. I have a very busy weekend coming up so I know Monday will be here in a blink! So exciting!!

Marie of the Unkown Bander and Sherry of Two Sticks or a Lighter will both be having their surgery today so please go on over and send them good wishes!

HI-HO, HI-HO, its off to Mexico we go!

Yes, I even feel like whistling!

Oh dear lord...the one week count-down has begun for the actual surgery but we leave for Mexico in 5 days. I am so nervous and so excited. I don't know which one more. The funny thing is that my husband seems just as or more excited than I am. He has never had a weight problem and I think on some level he has no idea what the problem is....too fat=stop eating! However, on the other hand, he knows everything I've done/do to lose and keep weight off and still, here I am. He is the most supportive and loving man and I am so blessed to have him.

I went out this morning and got a manicure and pedicure and having my hair colored on Friday. You would think I am going on vacation! I figured that I needed everything done anyway and I probably wouldn't be up to going out right away after I get home so why not? I got french on fingers and toes and hopefully it won't be an issue at the hospital. I then went to GNC to get some protein powder and vitamins..I got biotin tablets that I guess i will cut up. I am so freaked about hair loss and want to start taking these as soon as possible but probably not for a week or so after surgery. I also bought some fruit punch flavored Isopure drinks. I thought that would be good during the days immediately following surgery when I wasn't really hungry but need to get liquids in with protein.

Hubs will be getting the suitcase down tomorrow so I can start throwing stuff in. This weekend I will be busy with work and I have an open house on Sunday. Hello, don't these people know I am flying off to Mexico for my surgery on Monday? Ha, I guess not being as I am not telling anyone! Before I know it we'll be on our way to the airport on Monday!

Last but not least, a huge Thank You to BG at the Sweet Spot for nominating me for the Sugar Doll Award! I am so honored and will definitely pass the torch to others.

Questions and a huge Thank You!

First...thank you to all who have stopped by to read my blog! It means the world to me and I really do appreciate it!

Second...3/24, next Wednesday, is my date! I cannot believe it. We are leaving for Mexico on Monday and will get there late in the day and spend the first night in a hotel. Tuesday is spent at the hospital all day doing the pre-op testing and we spend the night in the hospital. (Steve gets to stay with me while in the hospital.) Wednesday is surgery day and we again spend the night in the hospital. On Thursday I will be discharged after some other tests and we will spend our last night in the hotel. I am so fricken excited!

I have some questions that I hope you can all help me with:

1. Coffee - I have one cup of coffee every morning with 2 splenda and a splash of 1/2 & 1/2. That is it all day. While I am on full liquids, if I feel like having the coffee can I with 1/2 & 1/2 (or even milk would be fine)?

2. I know by reading others posts that there really isn't hunger during the first few days but I will be traveling on a plane for 8 hours on Friday two days after my surgery and I want to be prepared. I am planning on bringing a couple of chicken boullion cubes to add to hot water on the plane but what else should I have with me? I thought tea would be fine and of course, water.

3. Protein supplements - for pre-made I can stand chocolate Atkins shakes. Is this ok? What about protein powder? I'd like to have an unflavored powder to add to things to boost my protein. Any suggestions?

4. Liquid Meds - for those of you who flew anywhere for surgery, will I have any problems carrying liquid meds (tylenor, prescription pain killers) in my carry-on?

Ok, thats it for now but please bare with me over the next week as I know I will be coming up with more questions!

Thank you!!!!

It's raining in my kitchen, I kid you not!

But its sunny outside....only in FL folks! Actually, today is the first day in 3 days that it hasn't rained. Its a beautiful sunny day here in Sunny Florida and it feels great!

We have a concrete deck above my kitchen that has leaked a few times since we've lived here. My husband thought he fixed it last time but with all the rain the other day, it quickly became apparent that it is still not fixed! Today, the sun is shining and he went up on the roof armed with a hose! Hence, it is now raining in my kitchen! However, now that he is certain where the water is coming in from, I can now sleep at night knowing that he will finally be able to fix the leak! My man is good, real good with his hands and I know that this will be one leak that's in the history books! You Rock Stephen!!!



Ok, back to me. Its Saturday morning and I'm sitting in my "rainy" kitchen looking out at my Lanai at my blue sparkling pool and thinking: "two weeks from today, I will be sitting in my kitchen, sans rain, looking out at my Lanai at my blue sparkling pool and I will have just gotten back from Mexico the night before with my little Taser installed, aka my band! How cool is that?

I have so much to look forward to. Once I get the surgery out of the way and start working towards my new, healthier lifestyle, I have so many great things going on. On April 9th I will be flying to New York to go wedding gown shopping with both my daughters for my oldest daughters wedding gown! I will be spending some quality mama/daughter time with my babies for 5 uninterrupted days! I am putting off shopping for my dress until I start losing weight but I am not stressing that because 1) I will lose the weight and 2) I have plenty of time before her 3/25/11 wedding date. Actually, I will have my 1 year Bandiversary on 3/24/11 and she'll be married on 3/25/11. Plenty of time.

The first week of June both daughters and boyfriends will be visiting us for a week. I absolutely cannot wait for that visit. Than, my husband and I will be driving up to New York in July to spend a week visiting family and friends. I am so looking forward to that trip because I am sure I will have lost weight by then.

My doctor in Mexico hosts a "Bandster Bash" each year in MX for all his patients. I would like to go this year but will have to wait a bit to see how things are going here at home with work and such. On the work front, you will all be happy to know that the real estate market in FL is picking up! Yay, finally right? Since we were the first market to tank, its only right that we lead the market the other way.

On that note, I have to go get ready for work! Its all good though, sun shining, family visits, Taser on the way! Yea, life is good!

Hot Topic!

A few people have posted today about their fears (or lack of them) of gaining weight after the band. Although I am not banded yet, 13 more days!!!, I thought I'd share my fear.

My plan is simply this: Get band, follow all rules, and with the help of God, me and all my supporters, lose this weight once and for all! Oh, and lets add KEEP IT OFF! Here is my fear. Every now and than, I mosey on over to the "Complications" section on LBT. It scares me to death when I read of people who have had complications such as a slip and have to have the band taken out forever or for a short period of time and they gain back ALL their weight in like a month! I'm exaggerating but I've read of people who gain back 40 lbs in 2 months which is just crazy!

The rationale me says if a complication arises and band removal is the only answer, I am sure that if I had been doing all the above, following rules, exercising, etc., I would be able to apply the restraint needed to at the very least maintain my weight loss. Am I right?

My assumption is the reason some of these people had problems to begin with is because they were NOT following the rules with the band in place. Please, I am not suggesting that everyone who has had a slip or an erosion is to blame. Really, I am not saying that. I'm just trying to rationalize how if someone was diligent and doing everything right, how could they gain it all back in a very short period of time unless all the good habits which should have been formed by following the rules flew out the window. No matter what, you have to take more calories in than what you expend to gain weight.

I really hope I have not insulted or offended anyone with this post, I am really only trying to understand this and hopefully learn by others who have gone before me if I have any complications. One habit I'm trying to unlearn is going to the complication thread in LBT!