Lazy Sunday

Hello all! Things are chugging along merrily here, have been super busy and also away for work. I will update with a real post soon, until then here are some pictures to tide you over until I return. I bought a couple of new dresses while I was away, from a proper department store! And they are a designer brand! And a size 14!!!!!
Edited to add; please ignore the batwings! Note to self, arms DOWN when taking self portraits!

An Unwelcome First.

I have felt the pain of the monster called PB, and I am not impressed.

Warning for possible TMI ahead!

Tuesday morning I went to visit my surgeon for an assessment, and he decided to up my fill level as the last top up had not really done much. He added 1.25ml, which took me to a nice round 7ml all up (in a 10ml band). I had a glass of water, went down fine, everything was hunky-dory. He mentioned that a was "a small person" so it could take as much as 9ml before I was at my sweet spot.

I played it safe with quiche for lunch, chewed the bejeebus out of it, and had no troubles at all. Fast forward to dinner however- we have a friend staying will us for the next 2 weeks before she goes on a big holiday, and she does not know about my surgery. Hubby picked up yummy Indian food for dinner, and I served myself half a bowl just of the meat (chicken) and sauce (no rice). I ate what I thought was slowly and with (apparently) small bites. Everything seemed to be going so well! After a while, I got a strange feeling at the back of my throat, and in my chest. I excused myself to the bathroom and proceeded to feel the most uncomfortable I have ever been. I knew something must be stuck, but couldn't lodge it. Long story short (too late!), after a good 15-20 minutes of sliming and walking around the bathroom trying to get comfortable, my dinner came up. Twice.

I tell you what, that is not something I want to repeat in a hurry! I had some leftovers tonight, and I was so careful! I took the teeniest tiny bites and chewed like my life depended on it! It took quite a long time to eat, but at least it stayed down!

So there you have it, my first - and hopefully last - PB experience!

Living in the 70s

Ahhh, skyhooks. For those who don't know them, they were an awesome Aussie band back in the day. Well, my parents day! I'm sure there would be some YouTube lying around. Anywhoozle, one of their songs was "living in the 70's".

I can cautiously and optimistically say that this is now me! Woohoo! Two days in a row at 79.0kg (174.1 lb ), I'll take it thank you very much! I was very excited when my scales did that biggest loser jump around this morning and briefly showed. 78.5, maybe this will follow soon.

Nothing else to report today, sorry peeps, but it is 1am and I'm blogging on my phone while laying in bed, so epic posts are a little difficult!

Hope you are having a lovely day, wherever you are!

Forgive me blogland...

For it has been three weeks since my last post! I have no idea where the time has gone, but I couldn't believe it. I have been reading everyone elses blogs, but barely commenting. I have been a bandster in hiding. My sincere apologies. To catch up, I think this will be a bullet point post.

• I have been Biz-zee! Yes, with a capital B. Trading all my shifts around so that I can be in my new department for training, going in on my days off to train, and trying to keep on top of friendships/home/life is exhausting. I will be so glad to finally be off the shift rotation for good, and officially a day-shifter. When this will actually happen, I have no idea. 

• Yesterday I downloaded myfitnesspal on my phone and I am loving it already. Did you know you can scan in the barcode for items and it will look them up? Awesome! I think instant tracking like that is going to really help me keep accountable for my choices. Then I don't have to remember it and log it later, conveniently forgetting things I have eaten during the day. Is there anyone else using it? I have vague memories of some blogland people talking about it, but can't find any of the relevant posts! If you want to add me as a friend, my username is redridinghoodbandland (original, I know!). 

• Things have been ok, weight wise, however not great. I'm still sitting around 80.0kg - 176.4 lb (some days up a bit, some days down a bit). The first few days after my last fill I could feel a small difference, however after a week or so I couldn't tell at all. I had an appointment with my dietitian about 2 weeks after the fill, and we had a really interesting discussing about weight loss surgery and eating disorders. She said it is very common for people to have an unknown eating disorder before surgery, and for it to show its ugly head when they are trying to lose weight. This is another way to look at head hunger. She says that we need to not let the disorder win, and if we feel like we are getting out of control, to hotfoot it back to the dietitian or counsellor and get it sorted quick smart. I told her about some posts I had read on a forum where one lady said she had thrown up EVERY DAY since her surgery 2 years ago. TWO YEARS! We discussed how this is essentially bulimia, except you can blame it on the band. Please, people, if you are throwing up every single day, please go and see someone. It is not necessary, and certainly not good for you. (PS this is not meant to sound judgemental, I am just really bad at getting across information I have received elsewhere!). 

• I went for another fill on Tuesday morning. My surgeon put in 2mls, so I now have 5.75ml in my 10ml band. I stuck to mushy food for the first few days, and didn't really think that there was much difference. However, last night I was eating the lemon out of my drink (I know, I'm odd), and when I swallowed the pulpy bit, it seemed to get stuck. It was the strangest feeling! I went into the bathroom incase it decided to return to sender, but then I felt it pass. I actually think I felt it go through the band! It was weird! Hopefully I won't have that too much, as it freaked me out. I have been really concentrating on chewing a lot today, and I'm hoping this latest fill will help curb some of the hunger I have been getting and help move my weight down some more. As the nurse at my surgeons office said, we don't really want to waste any time before Christmas. Indeed.

Goodness, I think that might be enough for now. I will try to blog more often, as I usually have a bank of things I want to say, and then promptly forget them when I sit down to write. Hope everyone has a lovely day!

Red xo

A trip down memory lane

In other words, I have started going through my wardrobe (closet) full of clothes. Like most fat people, I have accumulated over the years enough clothes to fit out several people of several different sizes. I have a whole bunch of "these will fit eventually" things, and some "if I have a limb cut off" things too. Now that I am down a bit, I have been making it back into a couple of my favourite items. However, I am noticing something odd. It seems that this time (yes, I have lost these same 10kgs several times), I am losing my weight in different ways.

For example. I needed to find a new pair of jeans, as I wore through the thigh area of my trusty fat jeans, and they were getting quite baggy too. I went into the wardrobe to go "shopping" (I have so many pairs of jeans, it is quite embarrassing) and tried on the jeans I know I was wearing when I was this weight previously. And they don't fit! What the? I appear to have lost more around my top and a little at my middle, but my legs and butt don't seem to be joining the party. So, long story short (too late, sorry), none of my jeans fit me right now.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it is rapidly heading into summer and it is almost too hot to wear full length jeans already, but I'm left wondering whether my legs and derrière will get with the program and drop off a bit more. I would really like to fit back into the clothes I grew out of on the way up, and also the ones I bought as "just in case" jobs. I am currently in either (Australian) size 18 or 20 jeans (depending on the style), and I have a pair of 15's in the wardrobe waiting.  Fifteens! What the heck was I thinking? They are more likely to disintegrate and fall off the hanger before I get into them! They have already been there for 4 years! Thinking back, I am pretty sure I bought them as a 2for1 deal, and bought a pair that fit, and a pair that were too small for some motivation. Yeah, that worked. Obviously.

Does anyone else remember what weight they were when they wore things? I was looking through all the things on hangers thinking back to the last time I wore them, and automatically figuring out when it was by how much I weighed! For example.... oh, that red top there, I bought that when I was visiting Hubby in Small Town where he was working, I was my skinniest ever (approx 73kg) and was so excited that it fit. Must have been August 2007 (We had been together about 2 weeks).

It some ways, it is sad that my memories are essentially attached (and influenced) to the weight I was at the time. It really does show that I my weight has been on my mind essentially for as long as I can remember.

Things I have learned recently..

• Night shift (and resultant jet lag) are really not conducive to blogging, commenting on blogs, or keeping up with blogs in any productive way. I fell asleep on the couch last night at 730, even though I've been finished my nights for 4 days. Forgive me readers, for it has been quite a while since my last blog. I am very much looking forward to finishing shift work, however this seems further away than ever. Although I was successful in my job application, I am being held on the shift because they need to find someone to replace me. As nice as it is to feel needed, I am also needed in my new job as two of the people who will be training me are leaving in December. Sigh. They are only able to do this because both jobs are in the same workplace. Frustrating, and I hope they will sort it out soon so that I can get out of the shift work! 

• I had 1.75ml in put in my band during the surgery. I now have 3.75ml after going for a fill during the week. I also discovered my port was nowhere near where I thought it was. It is to the left of my belly button, and I thought it was up at least 3 inches higher. Go figure. My surgeon was his usual no-nonsense self, I was in and out in 15 minutes. We had a brief chat, I told him I don't really have any foods I haven't been able to eat (although I haven't tried red meat, and don't really plan to either), and also that I have been getting hungry fairly often (about 2 hours after eating), and he decided to up my fill level. He doesn't think it will be enough for my sweet spot, but sent me on my way (once I'd had some water), and I have an appointment to go back on the 1st of November. I imagine I will get a touch more at that time. I have definitely been able to feel the difference, and I had my first kind-of-stuck experience when I ate too big a mouthful, too quickly and without chewing enough yesterday. I raced to the loo, just in case it would come back up, but it passed. I just had a bit of saliva. Not something I wish to repeat any time soon, and certainly not in public. 
• I learned what a deep dish pizza is! My goodness it looks divine! Thank you to everyone who blogged about Chicago, and those who held the fort. I am tremendously jealous of all the boobalicious action, I would have absolutely loved to be there, however I also would have needed to sell a kidney to afford it. I'm hoping that when we go on our trip next year to Europe that I will at least be able to catch up with a couple of boobs over there. I have really enjoyed reading everyone's updates and scouring the photos for familiar faces! It really came across in the blogs how lovely everyone is, and the comraderie (is that a word?) shared by so many women, most of whom had never met in person. If I win the lotto, I will do a boobs world tour, and come visit everyone individually :o)
• Weigh in! As of a couple of days ago, I weighed in at 80.1kg (176.6 lb). This is down just over 10 kg  (22 lb) from my pre-surgery diet to now, and down 15kg (33 lb) from my highest recorded weight (I'm sure I weighed more at some point, but if I didn't step on the scale, it didn't really happen). I'm happy with my progress, I am hoping to make it to 75kg (165 lb) or lower by Christmas. 
• That is about all I have time for at the moment. Many apologies to everyone whose blog I have read, but not commented on over the past 2 weeks. I am trying to be better at commenting, and a day job will certainly help with that! 

Hugs, Red xoxo

A new job for my birthday :)

What a week! So much to talk about, better get started. This may turn into a long post, but I'll try and keep it short.

Firstly, Birthday recap! We went out for dinner on Friday night with a whole bunch of people from work. It turned out to be a lovely evening, and time flew. Which means that we had to race home, yet changed, and get back to work for night shift in 15 minutes. It didn't really happen, we were a tiny bit late. However no-one complained as we took leftover birthday cake with us :) The cake was absolutely divine, and it fed many people over several days. As it was a flourless chocolate cake, it was very rich and I only needed a thin slice to feel like I had a treat (although the thin slice was probably calorie laden). I got some fabulous gifts at the dinner, encompassing my favourite things - pampering, cooking and travel! It shows that my friends know me well! I took a couple of pics of me dressed ready to go (sans shoes), and will try to put them below. I am yet to conquer the challenge of putting photos side by side without them looking silly, so they will be below each other.

Obviously, I paid no attention to the mess on the floor or bedside table so please ignore, also it was a bit dark which I didn't realise until now, sorry. To prove how short I am, these pants are actually supposed to be capri pants (3/4 length), but they go almost all the way to my ankles. I really should get them taken up. 

So after working all night, I got to come home and open pressies from my hubby and other family who had posted me things. Hubby did very well and got me a couple of CD's I had wanted, flowers, a teddy bear, and a voucher to have my car detailed. The latter does not sound romantic, however I had been dropping hints about possible presents for the last year and this was one of them. My car really needs it!

While I'm updating with some photos, this one was a couple of weeks ago when I travelled away for a friends surprise birthday party. I am still trying to get the hang of taking pics of myself, so apologies that this one is on an angle!

Same pants, but folded up a bit :) This shirt really shows off my um... Girls. 

Now moving on from the Birthday weekend, as you will have seen in my hurried post yesterday, I got the job! I am very excited, and hopefully I will be able to move into the new job very soon. I still have some night shifts I will probably need to do, but I'm so glad that I will be finishing up with shift work. It really isn't very conducive to having any kind of routine, and will hubby and I both working shift, sometimes we don't see a lot of each other. So this will be an improvement overall for our personal lives, even though it will be a drop in pay (as there are no weekends/public holiday/shift penalties). 

I've been getting increasingly jealous as this week rolls on, and everyone is posting about their plans for BOOBS! I was half serious about skyping into it! I hope that everyone has a wonderful time, travels safely and most importantly enjoys themselves! I know there will be a lack of blogging done over the weekend, so I will be waiting with anticipation for the recaps when everyone gets home. 

I better go and get ready for bed, it is getting quite late here!

xox

Doing the Happy Dance!!

Just a quick one as I'm at work and shouldn't be on my phone but......

I got the job!!!!!!!! Much happiness :D

70 Followers!

A huge welcome to my 70th follower Speck! Please drop on over and say hi :) Tell her I sent you ;)

I sat on 69 followers for quite a while, but didn't celebrate that because it sounded... Well.... Dirty. I know, I am such a teenager.

Other exciting things that are happening this week... It's my birthday on Saturday!! We are going out to dinner to celebrate tomorrow night (Friday), as the hubs and I are working night shift from tomorrow for 4 nights. Much fun. Hopefully these will be some of the last night shifts that I do (see previous posts about hopeful day job) however I am trying not to count my chickens before they hatch. Even though I know one of my referees has been contacted. I'm terribly impatient, so all this waiting is driving me NUTS!

Add to the awkwardness that a couple of the other people who applied for the job will be at dinner tomorrow, I don't know if it would be better or worse if we know who got it. It is awkward now, as we are all kind of in limbo tiptoeing around each other, but would be bad if one of us gets the job then has to socialise with the others tomorrow. Ah dilemmas. 

Speaking of dinner, I have already sussed out the menu on their website. I think I am going to have a salad, as I can pick at it without seeming like I'm not eating that much. I can also palm some off onto hubby. And I know there will be cake, so the less calories I eat before dessert, the better. I promise that I will have as small a piece as I can get away with, and any leftovers will go with us to work so that other people will eat it :o)

Back to the band. Food is going fairly well this week, I have found myself getting more hungry than I have been previously. Countdown to the fill has begun, I'm not looking for instant restriction, but at least an amount that will keep my hunger away for longer. Weight has been sitting around the 82kg mark, with a slight dip into 81 territory today, but again with the chickens :)

Hopefully I will be celebrating a different kind of 70-something really soon!

If I don't see you all beforehand, have a fantastic weekend! 

P.S. Any Oz bandits out there with an I-phone, calorie king has now released its food database as an app! You can't journal your food as yet, but I'm super excited about this as all the previous calorie trackers were only US foods and restaurants. Yay!

Six weeks and finally DOWN!

That's right people, down. I have had some encouraging numbers on the scales over the past few days, but didn't want to report it in case the scales changed their mind! So, here it is. Drumroll please......

Weight this morning 82.0kg!!!!! (180.8 lbs). Which is a loss of 1.3 kg (2.8 lbs) from the last time I reported a weigh in.

And it's about time too! I have no idea what has caused this sudden drop, but I will take it thank you very much. I am very much looking forward to my first fill in two weeks or so, I really am not feeling any kind of restriction. Hopefully by the end of next month I will be living in the 70's :)

I survived!!

Thanks so much to everyone for your comments on yesterday's post. I made it through the interview and I think I did well! Time will tell if I actually got the job or not. I probably won't know for a couple of weeks. Attached is a very crappy pic of what I ended up wearing. It is very hard to take photos of yourself without a full length mirror!

I'm so behind in my blog reading/commenting. I have this weekend off so will endeavor to catch up then.

Thanks for stopping by, you are the best xoxo

Frustration is....

• The scale still not moving (even inching a tiny bit UP) for the last 4 weeks. 
• Eating more than I should because my surgeon is on holidays and I am yet to have a fill of any kind
• Having someone over for dinner and worrying the whole meal that they are analysing how much I'm eating (they don't know about the band)
• Wanting to buy something nice to wear to my job interview tomorrow (!!!) and not being able to because none of it fit me
• Wanting to comment on lots of blogs and running out of time in the day
• Only having time to write a bullet point post because I'm busy studying for my job interview tomorrow (!!!)
• Freaking out that I will not be able to answer the questions in my job interview tomorrow (!!!) and my shift-work exit plan will be ruined
• Did I mention I have a job interview tomorrow? EEEEEEEKK!!!

No movement at the station

Indeed, I am still sitting on 83.0kg (182.9 lbs). Although this may look like the tiniest of losses, really it isn't as I've been up and down between 82.9 and 83.5 all week. I'm logging my calories and exercise, and doing fairly well in that area. Oh! Yes!

REAL FOOD!! I am so excited! For the first time in about 8 weeks yesterday, I had what might be regarded as a real day of food! My favourite meal was the salmon and salad we had for dinner. I ate off my portion control plate, to make sure I didn't have too much (as I know I would just keep eating while at this limited restriction level). I'm hoping this return to semi-normal programming might be just what my body needs to let go of the weight it's been refusing to drop.

I'm not really feeling any level of restriction when I eat, however I have noticed that I can't eat as much food in general. I feel full sooner, and if I eat too much (which is still far less that my old servings), I get a pain right in the middle of my back. I've only had this twice now, and it happens way after I finish eating. I have been wondering if it is referred pain from my band? The first time I actually went to get a massage because I thought I had a knot in my muscle! The second time I realised it was probably related to eating. Once I realised that, I have been even more conscious of eating slowly and sticking to small amounts (hence the plate).

We didn't play netball this week as we were down so many players we had to forfeit. And in the biggest shock of the week, I was actually disappointed! Who knew!? Hopefully next week we will be in better shape team-wise. That is just par for the course when 90% of your team work at a hospital!

I got my job application in on time, fingers crossed I can get be a normal person soon! With a routine!

Well, that's about all from me. Hope I haven't been too boring this week, with not much to report.

Hugs! Red xo

BOOB Envy

Indeed. Green with envy in fact. I soooo wish that I was attending BOOB's with everyone. When I first starting reading lapband blogs, and I came across posts from BOOBs 1.0, I discussed the possibility of attending with hubby. He was keen to come to Chicago with me (and do man-things while I was busy), then we starting looking into costs - it would be about $3000 just in flights. EACH! We briefly toyed with the idea of me flying over by myself, but decided that we couldn't justify it. Not when we already have 2 holidays planned for next year (Italy! and a cruise). So, unfortunately I will not be attending and won't get to meet everyone. Sad face.

Is there anyone going who will have a computer/iphone/ipad that might like to meet up on Skype? Kind of a virtual BOOBs!

In other news, I have realised that I am queen of procrastination. I am trying to finish writing a job application that is due tomorrow (same workplace, slightly different job), but here I am. Writing a blog post :p

Things have been a little bouncy on the scales so far this week. One day I actually saw 82.9kg, however it was gone the next day and I'm sitting at 83.1kg. Two days until my official weigh in, hopefully the scales will behave themselves by then. Although my TOM is due any moment now, so I don't like my luck. Eating has been really good, and I'm looking forward to graduating to "real food" this Tuesday. Can you believe it has been nearly 4 weeks since my surgery? It will be interesting to see if I can notice a change even though there isn't really any fluid in my band.

I suppose I should go and work on this job application. Gee I really hate writing these things.

Ta-ta for now!

You may not recognise me....

Because I've had a makeover! Thanks so much to Jen over at Just Foolin' Blog Designs. If you want a new look for your blog, go over and check out her page. Very reasonable rates, and a great turn around time too!

I love my new blog! I hope you love it too.

I will be back soon for a proper post!

Short, sharp and shiny.

Ok, so let's just get this out of the way up front:


Weight last week 83.5kg (184.1 lb)
Weight this week 83.1kg (183.2 lb)
Total loss of 0.4kg (0.9 lb)


Not too bad in the end, I'll take it! Funny that so many of you mentioned tracking my calories, after I had written that post I entered my food into my calorie tracking software (from Calorie King FYI), and I realised I was probably eating too little in the way of calories. WTF? I was only around the 600 calorie mark for the whole day (which is about what I had been eating all week apparently). So yesterday I upped my intake a bit, and viola, a loss on the scales today! I am going to try and stick to about 900-1000 calories. 


Netball is on again tonight! I am hoping that another week out from surgery, I'm not going to be so exhausted so quickly (my lungs were burning after 5 minutes last week!).  Day shift this week, and I have things planned for after work every day. Wow, I'm almost like a normal person!! 


Sorry for the short post, I've got so much to do before I leave for netty, then I have to get to bed early. Catchya later!


Edited to add: I'm back! And I'm not as exhausted as last week! It may have something to do with me playing in a less labour intensive position this week (ok, that sounds really rude, but I promise it isn't). And I got two goals! We only got 8 overall, so that's 25 percent my effort. Woohoo!

A definition! And a recap.

For those who asked, this is Netball! It is kind of like basketball.. but not. A very popular game here in Oz, we have been world champions several times (we tend to take turns with NZ!). Our game was nowhere near this "vigorous", we are playing in D grade after all. Essentially, I did 40 minutes of short bursts of "running" back and forth across the court. I was a little worried after reading your replies (especially Robyn - six weeks!), but then I went back to my trusty lapband bible (The lapband solution by Dr O'brien), and it states that they "want you to be as active as possible, as soon as possible. There is no exercise that will hurt the band". I'm paraphrasing here, but you get the general idea. I will be back at netball this Tuesday night, and hopefully won't feel quite so exhausted afterwards.

So after my (not-so) triumphant return to organised sports, I must admit I've had a fairly slow week in terms of physical exercise. I have, however, been much more active in general. I went back to work on Wednesday (boo hoo), and while we may do some sitting, evening shift is definitely an active one. Lots of up and down, walking around etc. I've also been more active at home, now that I'm back at work I have no excuse for neglecting the housework so I'm trying to do more to give hubby a break.

No more movement on the scales yet, which I'm not surprised about, but still disappointed. I knew that moving to semi-normal food (mushies) would stall my weight loss while my body gets used to it, but I still don't quite understand how eating such little calories I'm not losing. Hopefully when I get to my official weigh in day (Tuesday), there might be a tiny shift or two to report!

In other news, I am thinking of all the people in the path of Hurricane Irene over there. I'm not really sure who from Blogland is affected, as I'm a bit fuzzy on my American geography (and also not everyone has their location on their blogs), but I have been thinking of you all. Living over here in cyclone territory, I understand how terrifying it can be at worst, and inconvenient at the best. May you all stay safe xoxo

Whose stupid idea was it...

To play a full 40min game of indoor netball 2 weeks out from surgery? Yep, it was mine. Sort of. I was asked a month or two ago to join a team that was being assembled at work for a bit of fun. I thought, sure, I'll be recovered by then (I managed to avoid the first two weeks as I was "on leave" so no-one asked questions). However, as I go back to work tomorrow (bleh), I couldn't get out of this game so easily. I discussed it with hubby, and both agreed that I should be fine because we had more than the required 7 people, so I could sub off if needed. Um, no. We didn't have more than 7 people, so I had to play the whole game! My lungs were burning after 5 minutes, and in the second quarter the other team switched their best player to play against me (and she literally ran circles around me). Lucky for me most of the other members of our team are also 30-something unfit women, so I didn't feel too bad about not going ridiculously hard. I am feeling much better now that I have been home for an hour or so, but I'm sure that I'm really dehydrated. My incisions all feel fine, and I don't feel like I've done any damage to my port area. I will sleep very well tonight. Hopefully I am a better team member next week! Yes, this is a recurring event :S

Anyhoo, today is two weeks since my surgery! This time two weeks ago, I was dozing in and out of sleep, having the nurse wake me up for obs fairly often. Things have definitely slowed down on the scales, most likely because I have been eating a bit thicker fluids this week after re-reading the info from my dietician (yoghurt! Custard!).

Weight last week: 84.6kg (186.5 lb)
Weight this week: 83.5kg (184.1 lb)
Total loss of 1.1 kg (2.4 lb)

I started on mushy food today, so I know that the weight loss will stay slow. I boiled some eggs, mashed them with low calorie mayo and a bit of curry powder, then puréed them with the bamix till they were smooth. I split them into three small containers, had one for dinner and put the others in the fridge for later. I will have to make sure I am conscious of eating more slowly now that the food is getting thicker, the last thing I want to do is dislodge my band or stretch the pouch. 

I am inching towards the weight I was when I got married last year, and below that is the weight I was when I met my husband 4 years ago (when I had no life and spent hours at the gym every day and ate lots of lean cuisines). I would really like to be back to that weight by the end of the year, kind of a Christmas present for myself (and him!). That will also mean I can fit into some of the clothes I have in my wardrobe, as I have refused to get rid of any of my skinny clothes! I don't think I will be so kind to the fat clothes though....

Post-op check

I know, a very boring title! Sorry, it's all I could think of!

Today was my post-op follow up visit with my surgeon. I am feeling almost entirely normal, with the exception of some mild discomfort where my largest (about 4cm) incision is. Only one of my steri-strips has come off so far (my post-op instruction sheet said to let them fall off on their own), all the others are holding tight. All in all, I am very glad that I had both the accumulated sick leave, and the medical certificate to have two weeks off work. I would have been no use to anyone if I had to go back at the beginning of this week! I am still finding myself to get tired quite easily, but this is getting better.

So, back to the surgeon visit! It honestly was a bit of a non-event! Roxy (the nurse) recorded my weight (officially down 2.9kg - that's 6.4lbs - on their scales), then asked me to get up on the bed so the surgeon could check my tummy. I lay on the bed, the surgeon came in, checked my incisions were healing, asked how I was doing (was I having trouble drinking etc), then said he would see me in 6 weeks as he is going on leave! Approximately 4.5 minutes of my time. Luckily I don't feel ripped off, as my aftercare is included in the surgery fee. He said that I may or may not get a fill at the next visit, depending on how much I am eating and how much weight I have lost.

Oh, Sweet asked about protein - both my surgeon and my dietitian made a point of saying that I should be sure to get a sufficient amount of protein, hair loss was mentioned, as was protein being more filling. I think the main worry in the first few weeks with fluid diet and mushies is that we eat enough protein to minimise both muscle and hair loss. Personally, I have quick thick hair, and I like it so I'd like to avoid losing too much of it! That said, tomorrow I'm off to get a hair cut!

That's about all from me really, I hope everyone has had, or is at the beginning of a fabulous day!

Feeling Human Again!

Thanks so much to everyone for your comments on my last post! I have managed to get through the better part of 2 days without a headache or pain meds. Yay! I find it interesting that a couple of people said it was their meds that caused their headache, I am wondering if it was the same for me. To cover all the bases, I hydrated like there was no tomorrow and also avoided the meds. Success! I am actually starting to feel almost normal! I still have some discomfort where my incisions are, but it passes quickly and I just need to figure out which way to sit up etc to minimise it.

So this time last week I was sitting in the surgical waiting room, all dressed in my spectacular gear waiting for surgery! One week later, I saw 84.6kg (186.5lb) on the scales this morning. Woohoo! I'm not entirely sure what my surgery day weight was, the scales at the surgeon had me at 87.8kg (193.6lb) last Monday, but it was in the afternoon, fully clothed. I guess though as this will be my "official" weight for the surgeon, I should go with it. That means a loss of 3.2kg (7lbs) in the first week since surgery.

I am fully aware that this is an unusual loss, and it is only because I am on a fluid diet. I know it will slow down (and is safer for me if it does), but I was still over the moon to see the number today.

Speaking of the fluid diet, I am very much looking forward to mushies! I have been having trouble getting enough protein, as the protein powder I bought to mix into things, well, doesn't mix all that well! I bought some different soups yesterday, with actual meat in them, and I pulled my bamix mixer out of the cupboard to blend them. We got it as a wedding present, and yesterday was the first time I have used it. Now I am wondering why! It is so easy to use, and did a great job of smoothing out the chicken in my soup last night. Yay for new flavours! I also realised my dietitians handout says I can have runny custard and yoghurt, so that went in the shopping basket yesterday too.

Which brings me to another milestone - getting out of the house! I have been out two days in a row now! Sunday we went for a walk around the markets held not far from here. We weren't out long and I was exhausted by the time we got home. Yesterday, my hubby took me to see the 3D Glee Concert Movie (yes, I am a Gleek, yes I don't care, and yes my Husband loves me enough to be seen in public seeing the movie!), then we did some grocery shopping. I was still tired when we got home, but much better than Sunday.

So this has turned into an epic blog entry, but I wanted to update you all on how I'm doing one week out. Those playing along at home may also remember I set my first goal at 85kg, which means a new blog design from Jen at Just Fooling Blog Designs!! Stay tuned for my new look!

My Head Hurts

Did anyone else have a fairly persistent headache the week after surgery? Today marks day 4 post op and I have had this annoying headache for the last 3 days. I thought it might be dehydration, but today I have been extra careful with keeping up the fluids and it is still sticking around. I was trying to avoid painkillers today, but I think I've reached the end of my tether.

Time for drugs and a nap. Sigh.


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Parole for good behaviour

Aka, post op day 2! Coming to you live from the couch at my house. Stay tuned for a recap of the last few days.

Surgery Day!
I woke up early ( 630am) to squeeze in breakfast before my official fasting began at 7am. I was required to check in at 1030am, however I knew my surgery wasn't until the afternoon. If I had realised just how late in the afternoon my surgery would be, I would have eaten a bigger breakfast! When I had my pre-op meeting with the anesthetist, she warned me that the case before mine might take a while, so although I was second on the list, I may not get in until 3pm. 3pm came and went, and I was getting hungrier by the minute! I eventually was called in at 4, and wheeled into the theatre at 430pm. Hooray!

I woke up in recovery feeling quite groggy, and was in there for a while waking up properly. The recovery nurse said I had been a model patient and handed me over to the ward nurse who wheeled me off to my room. My Fabulous hubby was there waiting for me, sitting at the table in the corner studying (did I mention he had an exam the day after my surgery? Very bad timing). He stood next to my bed for a while, chatting away. I was still quite dopey, poor thing. Tuesday night was also census night for us here in Oz, so hubby filled out our household census form while I dozed. He eventually left about 930pm, as he needed to get some sleep before his exam.

My sleep was very interrupted, between my nurse checking my obs, giving me my antibiotics, and I also asked for painkillers a couple of times. The incisions were quite sore, and I also knew they would help me sleep. Around 6am I also asked for some anti-nausea meds, as I was really feeling unwell. Luckily they kicked in quickly.

Post op day 1

7am delivered me a new nurse (and a student nurse), more obs checking and a plan for the morning. My gastrograph and swallow was scheduled for approx 9am, and if that was ok then I was allowed to have something to drink. Yahoo! I actually needed some more anti-nausea meds about 830, as I think the lack of food was getting to me. My surgeon dropped by to check in me, and told me that the surgery went well. He said that I had a small hiatus hernia which he repaired while he was there! He asked if I had reflux, which I didn't think I did (but thinking back, I did have a bit if indigestion). He also said my stomach was tiny (!!), so he put a ml of extra fluid in my band as it seemed loose. Did anyone else have a hernia they didn't know about?

I was wheeled to xray for the gastrograph, and can I just say - BLECH!! It was disgusting. I hate everything aniseed, and this stuff was like industrial strength Sambuca (aniseed liqueur). Thank goodness I was allowed to rinse out my mouth afterwards!

When I was returned to the ward, I was happily allowed some water, and then a bit later -lunch!! Tomato soup, orange juice and a cup of tea. Heaven. Later in the afternoon, my nurse said she had been reading my notes, and the surgeon said I could go home if I tolerated my lunch! I rang my husband (he was in his way home again) and asked him to come back and get me. So long story short (too late, sorry!), my 2 night stay turned into a 1 night stay and I came home about 5pm yesterday.

Post-op Day 2
I slept much better last night than I did at the hospital, even after getting up to take painkillers (they sent me home with a liquid paracetamol/codeine concoction). This morning I am feeling ok, but still quite sore. At least today I can tell the difference between hunger pain and pain! I think though that all the codeine I have been having has blocked up the pipes (sorry Draz), so I'm trying to help out by adding some extra fibre to my shakes today. I'm also laying here with heat packs, as my TOM started last night, which has added a whole 'nother type of pain! I'm hoping that I will start to feel less pain from the incisions soon.

Can I just say, anyone who had this done as day surgery, I salute you!!


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Sexy Booty

Well, here I am waiting to be taken into theatre. Looks to be a long wait, maybe another three hours. Until then, for your amusement, here are my sexy scrub booties and pressure stockings. The height of fashion I know ;)




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Quick Check In!

Hello everyone! Just a quick check in to let you know I am still here, and still counting down. Only 4 days to go until my surgery! For me, that is one night shift, 2 nights away for our anniversary, and one nervous night at home the night before. Not long!

I went and paid my bill at the anaesthetist today (anaesthesiologist for those in the US), only the surgeon bill to go which will get paid at my pre-op appointment on Monday.

I weighed in today at 86.4 (again). I had been down to 86 even a couple of times, but rebounded to hover at 86.4. I highly doubt I will be any lower by Monday!

Anyhoo, I would love to stay and chat, but I just smashed a glass candle all over the lounge room floor and need to clean it up before I head to work.

Have a fantastic weekend! See you on the flip side!

T minus 7 days

One week to go! Weigh in this morning (and yesterday morning) at 86.4kg (190.4 lb). Getting closer to my pre surgery goal of 85kg (187.4 lb). Not sure if I will get there, as it is our first wedding anniversary this weekend and we are going away to have a hopefully romantic weekend. I will stick to shakes and bars as much as possible, and if we eat out will have vegies and protein only. No carbs (with maybe the exception of half a dessert for celebration purposes). Eyes on the prize!

Now, I am starting to plan (cos I'm a bit OCD that way) what to take to hospital with me. So far I have bought an underwire-free bra, and some gas-ex. What else should be on my list fellow bandsters?

I also have a to-do list, which will be interesting as I'm on night shift this whole week until we go away, so I'll be doing things either sleep deprived in the morning, or sleep deprived in the evening :) Should be good practice for when we eventually have kidlets. Top of my list is going to the anaesthetist and the surgeon to pay my bills. Eeek! Lucky for me I am getting a fairly hefty tax return this year (we went to the accountant yesterday), and it will pretty much cover the lot. I've been having extra tax taken out of my pay for a few years now, at first it was to cover my hecs (student loans), but when they were paid I didn't stop it. Must have known I would need it someday! kind of like a forced saving plan ;)

Anyhoo, speaking of night shift, better get moving and get ready for work. 

Cheerio!

The big (ass) reveal....

Here I am! An admittedly crap composite of my before photos, I have no idea how to get them all the same size etc. Probably getting my husband to stay in the same place when taking them would be a good start!

Yikes, you can really see my generous posterior in these pics. Not to mention the thunder thighs! And of course I'm not really headless in real life, just here in blogland. Maybe I should change my blog title to the headless bandit? Kidding. 

Weighed in this morning at 86.7kg (191.1 lbs), but I won't really believe it til I've seen it a couple of days in a row. Only 9 sleeps til surgery!

The ups, downs and roundabouts..

Hello strangers :) Sorry that I have been missing in action lately!

Let's start with the crappy stuff. I haven't really lost much more weight, considering I'm supposed to be on VLCD this last week, I have been having a shitty time of eating. Why do people feel they have to be food pushers? I ended up having pizza (yes, PIZZA!) at work one night last week. I knew I shouldn't, didn't really want to, but did anyway to keep up appearances. Argh! Some people have a hard time taking "no thanks" for an answer. One piece won't hurt (um, yes, it kinda will. Especially when it leads to more pieces). We also took an impromptu road trip to visit one of my friends for her birthday, and that was really hard to eat very well as I had little to no choice over the meals. I tried to avoid any carbs, but in general my calories would have been more than I should have been having while on VLCD.

Then there is the self-sabotage. I am working really hard to get away from my all or nothing thinking, but it crept up on me when we got back from our roadtrip. I had some really nice chocolate stashed away in the fridge, and my plan was to make it last until the end of the year. Hmm. Well, there is still some left, but I made a fairly hefty dent in the stash on Sunday night. After I had one piece, the "I've already ruined my diet, might as well enjoy it" thoughts kicked in.

So where am I? 11 days out from surgery, and currently weighing in at 87.6kg (193.1 lb). Soooo not where I wanted to be. They don't tell you that VLCD's are actually harder the second time around! Last year, leading up to the wedding, I was a model student. 2 cups of vegies and 3 meal replacements. Poster child, lost 16kg all up on the opti (over about 3 months). Here's hoping that if I am extra good for this last 11 days I can shave another couple of kgs off that for my pre-surgery weigh in at the surgeons.

Many apologies for being absent from commenting, I've only really been reading blogs in reader on my phone, which makes it a bit hard to comment. I promise when I'm off work for two weeks I will plant myself in front of my PC and comment on everyone's blogs :o)

Best go have a coffee, off to work soon. Yay night shift! (Not).

Luv and hugs to all xo

Weigh and Measure

After one week of pre-op diet, I weighed in this morning at 88.5 kg (195.1 lb) which is a loss of 2.1 kg (4.6lb). I'll take it! I'm under no illusions however, I know that the beginning of any VLCD is mainly fluid, but I'm still happy to see the number on the scale heading in the right direction.

I finally did my measurements last night. I have a file on my computer that I have used before to record my measurements and when I opened it, I realised I haven't written any down since 2007! Can we say denial? I have been up and down at least twice since then! It also coincides with the time I met my husband. Hmmmm. That could be a clue right there. I must get some photographic evidence too, for a before/during/goal comparison way down the track. We don't have a full length mirror, so I will ask the hubs to take a pic or two for me.

So I recovered fairly well from my hormonally induced meltdown on Thursday. It really was unfortunate timing for TOM to occur when I had a crappy day at work too, but I survived without any major eating incidents, which in itself is a minor miracle. I'm pleased overall with my 2.1kg loss, and I hope it will continue this week when I am trying to be much better at the eating plan. 3 weeks and one day to go until surgery, and I want to make them all count!

A big howdy and hello to my new followers! Hi! Thanks for dropping by!

Hungry, hungry, hormonal, hot-headed hippo.

Yup, that was me today. (Is me today?). 

Although I had already decided not to be too hard on myself this week, I have still been trying my best to stick to the plan (optif@st and vegies). I know from experience that the first week is hell, that I would be hungry and that I would want to murder someone. However, I didn't realise this week would also be TOM for me, so that multiplied said hunger homicidal rage by 100. I haven't done too badly on the eating front, but I have eaten more carbs than I should have (although these carbs came in the form of apples, so I don't feel that guilty), and in all honesty, I just feel FAT. My jeans are tight, my shirts are tight, and I feel like everyone is looking at my ass. But not in a good way. 

I had a bad day at work (not horrible bad, just bad enough to get me worked up), and I came home wanted to devour the entire contents of the fridge. Instead, I settled for an optislim bar and a cup of tea, followed by an apple with peanut butter. I am happy that I stopped there, as I am sure in the past I really would have gone back for whatever was hiding in the fridge. 

I know these feelings will pass, and I will return to my normal programming soon, but waiting for that to happen is frustrating. My usual coping strategy is off limits (forever!), so I am learning to deal and will need to develop other ways of doing so. On the bright side, I have another month before I have to deal with being so cranky again! Just in time for my surgery.. 

May the shrinking commence!

I survived a week with the in-laws! Just! Yay!

No really, it wasn't that bad but I was definitely glad to come home. The wedding itself went well, not my style in either the brides or bridesmaid dresses (really, really not my style), and the venue was nice but not great. I got to spend more time with people I met for the first time at our wedding last year, and I'm happy about that. I didn't get a photo of myself in the dress, but I promise more photos soon.

I tried to keep up reading peoples blogs on my phone, but when I got a message from my phone provider warning I had used a serious chunk of the months data allowance, I thought I better stop. When I got home there were over 200 in my reading list! Good grief! I worked my way through them on Friday afternoon, and am now going back to comment on some while I write this.

Tomorrow is 4 weeks to go until my surgery! I would add a counter to my blog, but I am a bit technically-challenged so I don't know how. I will add it to my list of things to ask for when I get my blog makeover when I get to 85kg (187.4 lb). As I am supposed to do 2-4 weeks of pre-op diet (seriously, who tells someone that. Do I do 2? Or 4?), I decided to start on the diet today. Sort of. I have had a reasonably good day, sticking to the plan for about 80% of the time. I realised, however, that I didn't do enough preparation shopping, so will be stopping on the way home from work tomorrow to buy some optifast bars and the flavour of shakes that I like (strawberry for anyone who is interested). I weighed in this morning at 90.6kg (199.7 lb). Eeek! This is what going away for 10 days and having little control over the meal decisions does to me (however I can't blame anyone else for what I actually chose to put in my mouth). I will do some measurements tomorrow on my "official" start day, as I keep reading how important it is to have another way to measure your progress.

I'm going to the races this weekend, and wearing the same dress that I wore to the wedding  (mostly as it is the only one of my races-appropriate dresses that fits), so there may be some pictures taken.

I should go comment on some more blogs, then get ready for bed. Early morning tomorrow for work!

Have a lovely day everyone :o)

I'm Back!

And golly, it has taken me hours to get through everyone's posts from the last 10 days!! I don't have time for a proper update as it's bed time, and I must say I am very glad to be back in my own bed! Will drop by tomorrow after work (yes, on a Saturday, stupid shiftwork!).

Good to see you all again!

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Surgeon visit - Full Recap

Hello!! I'm so excited to finally have a surgery date! And although it seems so far away, I know it isn't. The countdown is on! 42 days!

So my appointment took up most of my morning! I went in at 1015, and didn't come out until after 1230! I didn't believe my appointment letter when it told me it would take so long, silly me.

I arrived and handed over all my paperwork/xrays etc and waited to be taken in. The nurse saw me first, she weighed me (FYI in clothes, on their scale, I weigh 1.3 kilos more than stark nekked at home), and she also measured me. Hmmm. Apparently I am 2 cm shorter than I have been claiming all these years! I'm still going to say I'm 154cm, I need those 2cm. It adds 2 full points to my BMI! So unfair. I haven't shrunk, really. We had a brief chat about the surgeries, she herself has a band, so she knows what she is talking about. She told me that my Dr prefers to do the sleeve now and would probably try and talk me into it (I was prepared for this, as my referring Dr had told me the same thing). We picked a surgery date (yay!), then she sent me back to the waiting room to wait for the surgeon.

Now we get to the real reason for the appointment taking so long. He can talk! Forever! But not in a "we are having a conversation and time has passed quickly" way, it was more in a "I have said this speech so many times I can do it in my sleep so just be quiet and wait for it to be over" way. It wasn't too bad, he started with why people get fat, the history of obesity and diets, why commercial diet programs work short term, then worked his way through the history of weight loss surgery and which surgeries he does and doesn't offer. Phew.

He did wax lyrical about the sleeve and discussed why he preferred it now (more average excess weight lost, faster), but was honest about the benefits of the band (safer surgery mostly, more long term data). He said he can't predict who will do well with the band and who won't. I gave him my reasons for choosing the band and he said "ok, I'll show you what they look like", and that was the extent of trying to convert me! I was pretty pleased with that. I must say I didn't know there were so many types of bands! He had about 5 different types in his stash, but he did throw a couple out as they are no longer used. He also explained the differences and why he chooses his preferred band (allergan). He mentioned there were a couple of others he had seen at meetings and expressed interest in, but no-one followed up on it (his words - "their salespeople in Australia should be sacked).

So after all that, I asked my questions (thanks ladies), got some answers (he was very good at giving honest answers, no sugar coating), and then he sent me back out to the nurse to do some paperwork. The nurse handed over an opus of information/forms for the hospital, a band portion perfection plate/bowl/book, and sent me on my merry way. I was very glad to hear that all my follow up and fills/adjustments will be covered under medicare so my hefty surgery fee should be a once off expense as far as the band goes.

Would you believe I walked out of the nurses room straight into one of the people I work with?! She made a beeline for the toilet and then made herself busy reading a magazine, so I'm hoping this means she is also keeping a surgery secret and will keep mine too. Only time will tell, and I will wait to see when I run into her at work if she says anything.

Goodness this has turned into a novel! Congratulations to anyone who is still reading! I'm sure I have left bits out.

Oh yes I have - pre-surgery diet! I already knew most of this from my visit to the dietician so many moons ago, but it was reiterated at this appointment. I am required to do 2-4 weeks of VLCD (optifast or other of my choice). Roxy the nurse (not her real name, I'm just getting bored of calling her the nurse) said they would like to see me a couple of kilos lighter before the surgery, but there were no demands or "must be" weights, which is good. I will start on the optifast when we get back from a wedding we are driving to (leaving tomorrow, returning next friday), which will be almost 4 full weeks. However, I'm not going to be too hard on myself as it is our first wedding anniversary the weekend before my surgery so I know we will probably go out to dinner. I will just avoid carbs and stick to protein/vegies that meal.

So to wrap up, I will be stuck with reading blog posts on my phone for the next week (from tomorrow), so I may not get a chance to comment much. I will be trying to find some free wi-fi to get my fix, so I may not comment on many posts, but trust me I will be thinking of you all! Thank you so much for your support and comments!!

Better go pack!

A Date!!!

I have one!!! 9th August!!!!




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Purple People Eater

Ok so the purple people have it! I will dress my nails in "No Shrinking Violet" by Revlon. Thanks so much for helping me out!! I don't normally paint my nails, however I stumbled across THIS blog in my travels, and I am completely hooked. I went out last weekend and bought a swag of goodies, including base coat, top coat and 4 new colours (purple, aqua, gold, red). So now I am addicted! I might post photos of my nails every now and then, but I am still figuring out how to do it without making a complete mess of myself. If I am feeling brave, I may post a picture of me the outfit after the wedding (probably a headless pic - but the most you have seen of me so far is my nails!).

Onward and upward. Surgeons appointment tomorrow!!! I have a fabulous list of questions, thanks so much for your input! All your responses reminded me of other things I wanted to ask. Now I know how the appointment might go for 2 hours! This time tomorrow I will (hopefully) have a surgery date!  I have to work in the afternoon, but I promise a really quick update from my phone as soon as I know something. I'm excited!!

Speaking of phones, I just found the most interesting application for my I-phone. It is an application designed especially for people who have had bariatric surgery! It even has a tool to help figure out if you need a fill,  weight and BMI tracking, photo tracking... Here is the website: http://www.barimate.com/   I downloaded it about 10 minutes ago, and it was super easy to set up. It cost me $9.99. At first I thought it was pretty steep for an application, but then I figured I have spent more on breakfast so I should just go for it! If anyone else is fairly early (or late!) in their journey, and has an i-phone, I would have a look at the website, it has very good descriptions of all the features. I don't know about you, but I love little things like that, they help keep me motivated and also I like having all the information in one place. Obviously it is too early for me to decide if I have wasted my money, but I will keep you updated. I found it on the website Band Buddies which sells chewable vitamins, protein supplement and band friendly microwave meals. I think I will probably be spending a bit of money on there soon.

Hmmm. Anything else? I don't think so. Will see you tomorrow!

Pop Quiz!

Ok so I'm going to a wedding next weekend, and planning what to pack. If I were to wear this dress:




Should I paint my nails with this colour:




Or this colour:




And can I wear a strand of pearls with it?

Very important questions, I know :p



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Where has this month gone?

Far out. How did it get to be the end of June already? It is only FOUR DAYS until my first appointment with the surgeon! Hopefully on Monday I will have a surgery date and I can start planning the rest of my life. Dramatic, I know. However I feel like everything is on hold at the moment, waiting for the surgery to happen so I can move on and get rid of this weight once and for all.

So now that I am so close to my appointment, I am starting to make a list of questions for him. Pffft, starting, who am I kidding, I've been mentally forming questions for months now! However I plan to write them down so I can scribble the answers during my appointment. This is what I have so far:

• What brand of Band will you be using?
• What size band will be used?
• Will you put any fluid in it during surgery?
• Will you send me home with pain and anti-nausea medication? (pretty please!)
• How long will I be in hospital?
• What time off work will I need?

Hmmm, it seemed like so many more questions when they were in my head! Do you have any that I should add to my list? Is there anything that you wished you had asked or known before surgery? The paperwork I have from the surgeon says that the initial appointment can take up to 2 and half hours. Holy moly. What can we talk about for that long? I wonder if I am a typical patient with the amount of research that I have done, or if I am above average in the amount of information that I have been looking for. I don't like surprises (unless they involve gifts, preferably small sparkly ones), so I am definitely someone who does my research. 

Anywhoozle, best head off to bed. Hope everyone has a lovely day :)

Adorably Awarded!

So the Adorable Sam over at I'm with the Band has bestowed upon me the Adorable Blog Award! I am incredibly humbled and can't believe I've been given such a lovely award when I'm only a month and a half into my blog. Thanks Sam!!

Them's the rules

* Thank the person who gave you this award and link back to them in your post

* Tell us 10 things about yourself

* Nominate your bloggers

* Contact these bloggers and let them know you have nominated them

Well, I will try to be as specific as possible without giving too much away, being anonymous on here and all. 

1. I talk. A lot. I have been told that I could talk underwater. Which really wouldn't happen because...

2. I don't like to be underwater. Sure, I like swimming, but get freaked out a bit if I have to hold my breath for too long, or if I'm in a confined space where there is water. 

3. I am super organised in some aspects of my life, and completely un-organised in others. It's like selective OCD. My bedroom is usually messy, however my tupperware drawers and pantry are fabulously tidy. 

4. Very recently a close friend of mine told me she is pregnant and I am over the moon for her! But I'm also insanely jealous. I'd really love to be getting pregnant now, but have to wait til after the surgery and a couple of other real-life things that are happening. Hopefully this time next year I will be coming to you live from a downsized, incubating baby body :)

5. I'm getting excited, but nervous, that my appointment with the surgeon is on Monday! 4 days away! More on this in another post later. 

6. I have an addiction to gift wrap. I absolutely love wrapping presents and giving them to people all pretty :) If I could get a job as a professional gift wrapper I would totally do it. I have to be careful that I don't buy too much, because I will never use it all, but I did chose a few lovely papers and matching ribbons from a great website last year and I'll get more when they are used up (or I'm sick of them). 

7. If I could have a personal masseuse, I would be in heaven. I love my husband, but he is not the best at back massages (although he is getting better). It feels like an indulgence to go for a massage at a fancy salon/treatment centre, so mostly I go to those cheap places at shopping centres (but only when I'm desperate). Even a bad massage is better than no massage at all. 

8. Wow ten things is hard. I'm not sure I will make it!

9. I can procrastinate with the best of them! In fact it has taken me over 30 minutes to write this post because I keep going and looking at other blogs. I'll call it looking for inspiration... yup. That's what it is. 

10. I'll go with the number here and say that I would be absolutely over the moon to be a size 10. I can't remember the last time I wore something that small. I have no idea what size that is for the US or UK, but here it is pretty small. 

I made it! Time to nominate my bloggers! I know that a lot of people I follow have already been awarded, so I think I will stick with one nominee, a new blog that I have just started following.. 

Andrea over at Adventures in Lap Banding has just started blogging, but I am addicted already. She posts videos too, and I watched them all one after the other, which gave me the sense of getting a tour of her house! I can tell we would get along because I want her to decorate my house. 

Have I mentioned....

..... That Zumbaman is hot? Seriously hot. Working out with the DVD is like being able to perve on someone without worrying that they will catch you.



Today's exercise - 20 minute express program.

Look him up on google-images.

You're welcome :D

P.S. I will be back later for updates!


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I hope you are sitting down

I thought I better prepare you. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I actually exercised this afternoon. Voluntarily!

Here is the evidence

Well, you can't really tell, but that is the cover of my DVD, the photo is a little fuzzy as it is from my phone. It wasn't too bad in the end, I cracked open the box I had bought in... oh, January, and perused my options before deciding on this one. To be honest, I was intrigued by the stick things. They aren't actually that heavy, but after holding them up for the better part of 40 minutes, I can feel the difference. Has anyone tried doing aerobics with over-ear headphones on? I felt very strange, but didn't want to risk waking up the husband who is currently on night shift, so I did the whole thing wearing wireless headphones that we have for the TV (priceless for anyone who does shiftwork). 

I estimate that I probably worked at about 70% intensity. Aside from worrying about waking up the hubby, I was also sliding around a bit on the tiles so didn't want to get too "into" the lunges and squats in case I went belly up! I think next time I will choose shoes that grip a little more on our flooring. (Hear that? I said Next Time!). Not as good a workout as I would get at a class, but better than nothing. 

So, onward and upward. My goal for this week is to do SOME kind of exercise at least 4 times. That leaves 3 more times before I get the tick of approval (from myself). I'm working tomorrow, but I will try and do a lap of the building on one of my breaks. Will see if I can improve on my PB :)  That totally sounds wrong on a lapband blog, I really mean my Personal Best!

Anyhoo, time to make dinner. If anyone is interested, the menu tonight is a vegetable packed spaghetti. Cheerio!

Confessions from a Zombie

Not that kind of Zombie. However, I did resemble the walking dead fairly closely today, as occurs after I finish a run of night shifts. I managed to stay upright for most of the day, my mistake was to lie on the couch this afternoon to watch telly. Zzzzzzzzz....... After that it was game over, even when I forced myself to get up after um... about 3 hours? It was very hard work keeping my eyes open. I missed pivotal parts of glee, so must go back and watch the taped copy. However, this is not the point of today's post, and is probably boring the rest of you to sleep! Confessions time!!

I confess that I am a jewellery junkie. I love to buy it, however it mostly sits in my jewellery box and only really comes out on special occasions. With the exception of my engagement and wedding rings, which I absolutely adore, and a signet ring I got for my eighth birthday - I wear these all the time and catch myself admiring my shinies.

I confess that I chose my engagement ring long before there were signs of an engagement, and slipped the business card into my hubby's laptop bag. I'm a bit particular about my jewellery (see above addiction) and I wanted to guide him with a style at least. He later told me that he was very glad I did, as he would probably have bought the first thing offered to him in a store by a well meaning salesperson. I love it very much, but I love him more.

I confess that if you take my first confession and replace "jewellery" with "makeup" then you will discover another addiction of mine. I have mainly one particular brand (whose name is that of a short French dead dude - bonus points for the movie that comes from). I started with a foundation, then found myself drifting near the counter anytime I was in a shop that stocked it. Ooooh, pretty! I don't have that! So why is this such a bad thing? I rarely wear makeup. I don't wear it to work, and only really do a "full face" when going to a big event like a wedding. And even then I try to get it done by someone else. But I still love buying it and playing with it.

I confess we have been married for ten months and I only took my wedding dress in to be cleaned last week. I peeked in the bag and my lovely white dress was covered in makeup on the neck and dirt on the hem. I'm a neglectful bride.

I confess that I hibernate during my night shifts. My husband is probably the only person who sees me/talks to me outside of work. I just don't have the energy for much else. I haven't commented on anyone else's blog, although I've been reading them all on my phone. This is the first time I've turned my computer on in four days/nights. I promise that I will try and make up for it in the next few weeks.

I think that's all this Zombie has today. Hope everyone has a lovely day!

12 and a half...

Minutes is how long it took me to do a lap of the outside of the building this morning on a break from my night shift. I have no idea how far it is, judging by the time I'm guessing about 800m?? A full minute improvement on how long it took yesterday! I know it's not much, but it's better than sitting on my arse eating which is how I normally spend my breaks.




Hopefully back with another confession post later today if I can stay awake. Hooray for surviving another block of night shifts!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's still Friday somewhere in the world...

....even if it has just turned Saturday here. Time for some Bring Your Own Crazy questions from Drazil!

1. How and why did you first start blogging? And how long have you been blogging?
This is an easy one! My very first blog post here was the 2nd of May 2001. Not that long ago! I started because the lovely Nola (can I link to you N?), told me it would be like having therapy in the lead up to my probable banding. Of course she was right! I was also inspired by several blogs that kept me up all night reading them (as in every single post), namely the aforementioned Nola, Catherine and Amy. I honestly don't remember how I found the latter two, I just know that when I did I was hooked. And I keep blogging because of the lovely people who take time out of their lives to read my blog and give me feedback (ok, I know that wasn't part of the question but I just wanted to recognise how important you have all become to me).


2. Tell me about your perfect mate - if you could invent him/her?
Well I've only been married for 10 months so I am going to say I already have him. I know, a cop out.


3. Do you wear fake eyelashes? Do you want to? Do you use glue or self stick ones? Do you like how they look?
I have worn them in the past and loved them! However I find it nearly impossible to apply myself. I have only ever used them when applied by someone else (usually a make-up artist but occasionally my sister). I wore them as a bridesmaid and also at my own wedding (these were "individual" lashes applied mostly at the outside edges). If you are considering them, see if you can get a trial somewhere, or maybe get the semi-permanent ones that last for a month or two.


4. Let's say money was no object, and neither was time off to recover - are you an advocate of plastic surgery after weight loss?
I'm gonna go with yes here. I have often imagined taking off my fat like it was a suit, and I kind-of imagine plastic surgery to be like this. I know that my skin is stretched and yucky and will probably remain once I have hopefully reached my goal (especially as I've not had any kidlets yet and I'm sure that won't help matters). If by some miracle I end up with a fabulous body without it, I will be grateful. Not saying I would definitely have it done, but I'm not saying never.


5. Repeat question - Summarise your life if blog land and real life.
Real life - I had the mother of all colds this last two weeks, so I feel like I wasted a lot of time sleeping and/or resting. I am feeling better now, just a hint of a residual cough, so I'm trying to catch up on all the things I let slide. Like housework (not my favourite thing anyway).

In blog land, I am trying hard to be a better commenter as I know how excited I get by having people comment on my blog. I didn't comment too much when I was sick, as I was reading everyone else's blogs on my iphone and it makes for difficult typing. I type pretty fast on a computer, so being restricted to a teeny-tiny pretend keyboard just gives me the s*&^ts. I've also picked up a few more followers this week. Hello! The more the merrier! Bring your friends! Hmmm. People pleaser much?