Quick Check In

I have logged in 4 45 minute exercise sessions this week and how does the scale thank me? By gaining 1.4 lbs!!! I know I was eating at or under my 1200 calorie daily allowance, I know I drank at least 8 mostly more glasses of water, my (.) came and WENT during the week so by all rights, I should have shown a drop! I did all cardio and no weights at the gym. Can you build muscle with cardio? Hmmm, I don't really know. In any event, this is another week and I am meeting with a personal trainer on Tuesday. Hopefully, the scale will be my friend next Sunday, yes?

Today is Fathers Day and as you all know it is the first for me without my Dad. I will be volunteering at our towns Seafood Festival so hopefully, I will be keeping busy. I miss my father so much it hurts. We had such a great relationship and having him gone so suddenly is very hard to deal with. I am at the point where I am seriously considering therapy as I am not dealing with this very well.

To those of you with Dads, have a great day honoring and loving him and to the rest, honor his memory and the great times you shared with him.

Happy Hump Day!

We had a very "good" trip to SC as we continue on our journey of healing. We met some really great people whose lives were forever touched by my Dad and Jimmy and they were able to answer some of our unanswered questions. Sure, my sister and I did some crying but I noticed for the first time that we laughed more than we cried. Its going to take a long time but I know that together, we can get through this. My Dad didn't raise two very strong women for nothing!

On the band front....I am headed to the gym in a little bit. I am aiming for 4 times this week. I am steering clear of step aerobics as I do not want to push my ankle too much. I am getting the itch to sign on with a personal trainer...thank you Miss Stephanie! Steve is gonna love you when I tell him! I actually like the idea of 1/2hour sessions though. In the past, when I did personal training I did it for an hour. Each session contained cardio and I absolutely can do that on my own. I really need the focus of the weights with a trainer.

My restriction seems to be holding up although I did notice my weight is up 1 lb today from Sunday. I didn't eat very healthy these past two days but I didn't eat very much either. I will admit, I ate a very small Moon Pie that I got at Cracker Barrel. Delish! It went right down without a problem. At dinner on Monday we had a free coupon for a Peach Cobbler at Sticky Fingers that we couldn't pass up so I also had a few spoonfulls of that! Hmmm...I better head out to the gym now!

Very emotional two days ahead...

A little later this morning, Steve and I will be going to pick up my sister at the Jacksonville, FL airport. We are then continuing to drive up to Mt. Pleasant SC right outside of Charleston, SC. This is where the accident happened that killed my Dad and Brother-in-law. What's more important to us than seeing the scene of the accident, tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. we will be meeting with a Dentist whose office is right at the accident scene. He was actually the first person on the scene and tried to give medical aid to my Dad but he was already gone. He than began CPR on Jimmy and continued until the Paramedics arrived.

We found out about him by reading the witness reports of the accident and felt a strong desire to meet him and to thank him for trying to help our family. I know it will be hard to do this as it is already stirring up our emotions but it is something that my sister and I feel we have to do.

My sister continues to take baby-steps in her healing process. She feels like she is crying more today that she was even two weeks ago. I think its because she was still in shock two weeks ago and now, the shock has worn off and reality has begun to set in. She was told that she didn't have to go back to work until September when the accident happened (she is a teacher) and while I originally thought that was wonderful in the beginning, I am now thinking she really needs to be busy and keep moving. She still has a lot of paperwork to file with Jimmy's employer for benefits and I plan on helping her with it during the car ride the next two days.

I wish I was in New York with her. I feel so helpless being the only family member in FL. We talk on the phone a few times every day. We were always close but this accident has brought us even closer if that's even possible. I lost my Dad and she lost her Dad and husband. I cannot imagine the hell she is living in. I thank God she has Eric and Elayna to keep her going. They are great kids and I love them both very much.

We will be home late tomorrow night so I will not be posting again until Wednesday.

Summer Meltdown

So, in the first week I have lost 5.6 lbs. I am sure a big part of that is the fill I had on Wed. and having to do liquids for 24 hours. I'll take it though!

We had an exhausting Open House extravaganza today and we are supposed to go to a restaurant for a cocktail party at 5. I am exhausted but figure I will get my second wind and not have to cook dinner in the process. Not a bad deal!

I will check back later! Have a great Sunday!

What is up with watermelon?

Really....watermelon? Getting stuck? I chewed it until it was water, which it practically is and the darn thing still wouldn't go down! In fact, a little sliming was the order of the day! Oh. My. God.

I went back to the gym this morning to test out my cortizone injected ankle and so far, so good. I am taking it one day at a time! I only did 2 miles on the treadmill for 30 minutes because I didn't want to strain it being the first time back in a few months. I than did a little upper body weight lifting. I felt so good! I will go back again tomorrow and do the same thing I'm thinking.

When I got home I was a little hungry so I made egg salad with one egg, greek yogurt, salt and pepper and spread it on one piece of toast. I ate 1/2 of it and was full! If this is restriction, I am in love! DH ate the other half which is a big thing because he never eats in the morning so nothing went to waste.

I'm heading to work in a bit so I will check back later. Have a great Saturday everyone!

Fill update, gross question and BYOC

So, my fill on Wednesday seems to be working but it really is too soon to tell as I was on liquids Wed, mushy on Thurs and today was day 1 of regular food. I did get the slightest bit stuck on chicken salad so I guess the saline DID go in the band! We went out to lunch with our friends today and I ordered an appetizer size order of crabcakes and ate one of the two and felt completely satisfied! So far, so good.

I do have a somewhat gross question. When I got a little stuck on the chicken salad I threw up a little. When this happens, it really is just a bunch of slime that comes up, none of the food. In fact, I have never thrown up the food that has made me stuck. Is this normal? Its also the most gentle vomiting I have ever experienced and it immediately makes the uncomfortable full feeling go away.

On to BYOC:

1. What was your first pet?

A little tan mutt we called Pebbles. She was the most prescious little thing!

2. When did you lose your virginity? (Okay – before you throw stones and break out the holy water – first of all – this is not my question. It came from a follower and I obliged cuz I like it…so there.) Obviously don’t answer if this is too personal…..but don’t hate me for putting it out there.

I was 18.

3 & 4 – I’m combining these two cuz this answer could be long. A follower (thanks Steph) asked if I could ask what a daily meal plan looks like for each of you – out of curiosity and out of possibly learning new foods to try.

b - yogurt or cottage cheese and hardboiled or scrambled egg. Occasionally oatmeal;
l - varies, tuna, chicken or egg salad are always a good standby. Sometimew on a piece of toast but most times, not. If I am going out, it can be anything;
d - protein and veggie;
s - can be fruit or cheese. I have also been known to have a Skinny Cow or other treat on more than one occasion too :)


5. Repeat question: What blog or blog comment stayed with you or stuck with you the most this week and why?

Definitely Draz's "Hide and Seek" blog.

Good (for the moment) and Great News!

First, the good for the moment news is my ankle surgery has been temporarily averted! I still don't really understand what exactly is wrong with it but the Doc showed me some "stuff" between my leg bone and my ankle bone on the MRI that should not be there. He said it is rare to have this in the area that I do. Lucky me, huh? It has to do with cartiledge and he mentioned a possibility of "dead bone" somewhere or other. Anyway, he explained I have 3 choices: 1. do nothing which is not acceptable to me or him, 2. cortisone injection which will possibly take care of the problem (very remote chance of this happening) and at the very least, give me some comfort for a little while, and 3. surgery.

I opted for the cortisone injection and both the doc and Steve agreed. If nothing else, the insurance will probably require that I try an alternative treatment to surgery. Can I tell you, that needle hurt like hell! Holy schmolly! I also received a very fashionable black ankle brace that needs to be worn with a sock. Oh yea, I will be stylin' with that look!

The GREAT news is that I lost 8.6 lbs. in 4 weeks. Now, I know some of you may be thinking that with everything going on in my life, that is not a surprise. I probably would think the same thing if I didn't know what crap I was eating for 3 of the 4 weeks. Carbs, carbs, carbs and more carbs with a little bit of fat and protein thrown in was the norm. Think about the food that people bring to your house during these times; cake, cookies, baked ziti, baked macaroni, rice cassaroles up the ying-yang and I ate it all! Thank you oh Great Band for limiting the quanity of the devils food that passed my lips. I can assure you, that was the only thing that saved me!

If nothing else positive comes out of this past month, it has confirmed for me that my band will help me to lose weight and keep it off. I mean, really, I can only imagine what I am capable of losing with Taz (my band) if I put my mind to it and add a little (or a lot) of exercise! Word! (Thats for Amy!)

On the fill front, I now have 2.6cc's in my 4cc band after a .8 fill today.