Portion Control

One of the first things I had to force myself to do was work on my portion control.  Obviously having a gastric band, I am forced to do this but it works for people that do not have a band as well.  I previously posted about changing your plate size and never putting food on the table in pans or bowls.  These methods help but you have to get it in your head to stop eating before you are stuffed.  Thirty minutes before a meal, drink a glass of water.  This will help decrease your food intake.  Do not drink with your meal and wait until about 30 minutes after you eat to drink anything.  This helps your body to absorb the proteins and vitamins from your food instead of flushing them out of your system.

As for the portion control...  Start searching for bariatric recipes and this will help.  Invest in mini muffin pans.  They are amazing for portion control and can be used for many wonderful recipes.  I am going to post a few recipes that I really enjoy and once you get used to the portion control, you will get full faster, feel full longer (good food does this) and will help with weight reduction and an all-around healthier you.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ON MY BLOG.  :-)

And the journey continues....

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/03/broccoli-and-cheese-mini-egg-omelets-2.html#_a5y_p=1315692

http://www.fatgirltrappedinaskinnybody.com/2011/09/baked-spiced-chickpeas-secret-recipe-club/

http://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2011/03/meatloaf-muffins.html

Motivation

Water Intake

One of the most important things to remember in the weight loss journey is your water intake.

There are currently no proven studies that water actually causes weight loss but there is evidence that water consumption can be associated with appetite reduction (for middle-aged and older people), consuming fewer calories, and burning slightly more calories.  Increased water consumption or eating more water-rich foods (fruits and vegetables) with lower energy density, may help in weight loss/management.

As adults, we are told to drink 8 - 10, 8 ounce glasses of water a day.  Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.  Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.  Hence the need for water in your weight loss journey.

I drink as much water as I possibly can but be prepared, you will be going back and forth to the bathroom much more often.  

And the journey continues...

Gastric Banding

For those interested, this is what I had done on 7/31/12.

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (Lap Band®, Realize® Band)

The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band procedure (Lap Band®, Realize® Band) creates a small gastric pouch by encircling the upper part of the stomach with a silicone band. The band creates a narrow opening for food to empty from the pouch to the lower part of the stomach. There is no cutting or re-connecting of the stomach or intestines.

Adjustment of Band Based on Diet Tolerance and Weight Loss

The band is connected by tubing to a reservoir placed under the skin of the upper abdomen. You cannot see the reservoir, but can feel it by pushing on your abdomen. The band can be adjusted and the opening from the pouch made smaller or larger based on diet tolerance and weight loss. 

This is done by inflating or deflating the band with saline, which enters the reservoir through the skin with a fine needle. On average, six –10 adjustments may be needed during the first year the band is placed.

As with the Roux en Y gastric bypass, after a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band is placed, patients are satisfied after eating a small amount of food and do not feel hungry. 

Weight Loss After Procedure

Weight loss after this procedure is slower than with the Roux en Y gastric bypass. Most people lose weight up to three years after band placement and can expect to lose 50 percent of their excess body weight over the first three years.

Picture Log Version 2

I wanted to add a few things in regard to the picture log.  Some simple points about your picture log:

1. Have someone else take the pictures (selfies do not get all of you and you want to see your entire body from head to toe).

2. Always take the pictures in the same place.  

3. Always use the same poses (take both front and side views).

4. Wear tight but not overly tight clothes so you actually see your figure (baggy clothes hide everything).

5. Wear the least amount of clothing that you are comfortable with in the pictures.  This will give a true picture of your body.


As I stated before, I have always hated having my picture taken and I'm still not a fan but I am trying to do better.  The pictures I am posting below may be a little revealing (no nakedness) but I felt it was necessary for reference.  The first two pictures were taken toward the beginning of my journey.  The one in the red dress was August 1, 2013 and the last one in the gray bra was in January 2014.

And the journey continues....

Picture Log

As with most overweight people, I've always hated having my picture taken.  They always say "the camera adds 10 pounds," but when you weigh 293 pounds you can't really determine what an extra 10 pounds looks like.  One thing my bariatric physician told me when I started this journey was to document everything via pictures.  It's unbelievable the changes you will notice in just a few short weeks.  Taking a picture is a good thing to do on every "weigh day."  Make the pictures a part of your weight chart or start a picture log.  Make sure to take a "before" pic when you start your journey, so you will have something to look back at and compare.   Knowing where you were, where you are and where you are going is a wonderful feeling.

And the journey continues...

My wonderful husband and me in Jamaica, January 2012.  I was 293 pounds and this was when my journey began.

Me now...  178 pounds and 18 pounds away from my goal.

Transition Clothes & Where to Get them

Clothing is a difficult and costly thing during the weight loss process.  The Echo Shop for Gals (http://www.echoshops.com/) at 5926 S. Lewis in Tulsa has become my new best friend when it comes to finding transition clothes (This is not a paid advertisement for Echo, it's just where I like to shop).

When I first started losing weight, I would wear clothes for a couple of sizes before I would look for smaller sizes.  I was so used to wearing big clothing that covered my large size that having clothes too big wasn't much of an issue.  As I started getting smaller, the big clothes would just hang off of me and look horrible. I have found that I have had to pick up a few more things now.  I am still not at my goal weight and should go down at least a couple of more sizes, I will have to transition again.  I didn't want to go out and purchase a lot of new clothing that I would not get to wear for a very long period of time, so consignment and stores like Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Stein Mart have been my saving grace.  I have shopped a few other consignment stores around Tulsa, but I always come back to Echo as they have wonderful quality clothing, good brands and their sales are amazing.

http://www.rossstores.com/
Ross - Tulsa Hills Shopping Center 7348 S Olympia Ave Tulsa, OK 74132
(918) 447-7781
Ross - Southroads Shopping Center 4919 E 41st St Tulsa, OK 74135
(918) 664-9776 16.50
Ross - Crossing Oaks Shopping Center 7136 S Memorial Dr Tulsa, OK 74133
(918) 294-0081
Ross - Town Centre 3612 S Elm Pl Broken Arrow, OK 74011
(918) 449-9323

http://www.marshallsonline.com/
Marshalls - Tulsa Hills Shopping Center 7362 South Olympia Avenue Tulsa , OK 74132
(918) 445-4162
Marshalls - Shops at Broken Arrow 1400 East Hillside Dr Broken Arrow, OK 74012
(918) 355-2886

http://tjmaxx.tjx.com/store/index.jsp
TJ MAXX - Manchester Sq Shopping Center 8228 East 61st St, Tulsa, OK 74133
(918) 250-1093
TJ MAXX - Smith Farms Marketplace 9018 N 121st East Ave Ste 400, Owasso, OK 74055
(918) 274-9822

http://www.steinmart.com/
Stein Mart - 5112 S. Harvard Avenue Tulsa, OK US 74135
(918) 749-1926
Stein Mart - 7827 East 91st Tulsa, OK US 74133
(918) 461-8088

And the journey continues...

Cleaning Out the Closet

One major thing I have learned is "when it's too big, get rid of it."  I'm never going back to those sizes, so I want them gone.  Since I have started this journey, I have cleaned out my closet at least five times and I am in the process of doing it again.  As I mentioned before, when I started on this journey I was wearing a women's size 28.  As I began cleaning things out I tried to decide if I wanted the hassle of dealing with a consignment store or if I wanted to take them to Goodwill.  I started thinking and decided I wanted to pay it forward and contact a friend that might get some use out of them instead of donating them to Goodwill.  I made a phone call and was met with tears of joy as she was going through a hard time and was dealing with some weight gain.  So, she was excited to have anything I gave her, which has been everything I have cleaned out so far.  I could have taken those clothes to a consignment store and used the money to buy "transition clothes" for myself but I felt a need to help someone else.

Take the time and clean out those closets.  If it's too big, get rid of it.  If you have not seen it or worn it for at least six months (other than seasonal clothing), toss it.  Make room for the good stuff.

And the journey continues....

Researching Surgeons

As I get closer to my goal weight, the question of what to do with the excess skin on my abdomen, my thighs and the lovely bat wings that have developed on my upper arms, becomes the next step on my journey.  A few months ago I started researching cosmetic surgery.  Do to the fact my insurance will not pay for such a surgery as it is completely elective (I have chose to do it and it's not medically necessary) and the fact that this surgery is extremely expensive in the United States, I have been researching other options.  My initial research started with Google.  I would find an article on this site or another but I never could find a majority of information all in one website that would give hospital information, physician information, surgery information, patient stories, and pictures.  I felt that if I was trying to find this information and I was wanting to have some of these procedures, other people were as well.  So, I decided that a website where people could go and find all of this information was a necessity.  Hence, http://internationalmedicaldestinations.com/ came to life.  I have been looking at physicians in Mexico, Costa Rica, and even Brazil.  There are so many options and the reduced cost plays a major part for someone having to pay out of pocket.

As I continue to research, I will add new information to the site.  I want to make it easier for others to find safe, quality surgeons at reasonable prices without having to search as deeply as I had to when I started.

And the journey continues....

Weigh Day

The scales are like a minion from hell for anyone that is trying to lose weight.  You lose two pounds and then gain three.  You get so frustrated and for many this leads to giving up on losing weight all together.  What I have found, and it really boosts the ego, is to pick a "weigh day" and stay away from the scales on other days.  Always weigh first thing in the morning on your weigh day and document it.  The best way to document is a chart on a wall, somewhere you can see it each and every day.  Do not get frustrated if you gain a pound or two, just work harder the next week and drop four pounds.  The closer I get to my goal weight, the more excited I get when I see my number on weigh day.  Today is my weigh day and I am now only 18 pounds away from my goal.  I officially weigh 178 pounds today and I am so happy.  My hubby just grins now when I come skipping down the hall to tell him my newest number.  I am so lucky to have such an amazing support system.  My husband, my boys, my friends and family have been wonderful and I could not make it through this journey without them.

And the journey continues....

"Hand-checkers"

I have experienced so many changes with weight loss. One thing that I never thought of or expected is my wedding rings are now so big that they fall off and I am afraid to wear them because I do not want to lose them.  It amazes me to see how many people are "hand-checkers."  My husband and I love to go out dancing whether alone or with friends.  The last couple of times I have gone without my rings as I would be devastated if I lost them.  The male "hand-checkers" at clubs seem to spot an empty wedding ring finger the minute you walk in the door.  I have been hit on so many times that I have quit counting.  Luckily, the hubby takes it as a compliment and later teases me about it.

Just a reminder that I need to go ahead and schedule to have my rings re-sized.  And the journey continues....

Taking Compliments

Taking compliments has never been an easy task for me. For the majority of my life I have always taken "compliments" with a grain of salt.  I've always questioned people's sincerity when "compliments" came my way.  This is a new learning process for me and I am trying to graciously accept all of the positive feedback that I am receiving these days.  I have been told several times in the last couple of months that my weight loss has been inspiring for this person or that.  I set out on this journey for myself (that sounds really selfish but it's completely honest) and when I realized that I am bettering myself not only for me but for my boys, my husband, my friends, my family, fellow employees, and even acquaintances, my journey has taken on even more meaning.  The compliments have now become amazing to me.  Each and every one of them touch my heart in a special way.  So, always try to take a compliment and enjoy it:

Compliments are meant to make us feel better about ourselves, so share the love!

Always remember:

The healthy weight for a 42 year old woman that is 5'8" is 126-167 pounds, depending on her body frame. This number doesn't take muscle mass into consideration.  Portion control and eating healthy foods plays a huge part in that as well.  Foods high in protein, low in carbohydrates (skip the pasta, bread and potatoes) and low in refined sugars are what you should be looking for to help with weight reduction.  The two huge things that helped me with the portion control are to NEVER put food on the table.  Put your food on your plate and take the plate to the table but not having the food there in bowls or pans prevents you from taking out more.  The other thing is change the size of your plate.  So many of us are used to eating off of large dinner plates.  Most dish sets come with either salad plates or what used to be considered "saucers."  Start using the smaller plate.  You will get used to portion control much easier when you reduce your plate size.

I used to eat off the dinner plate.  Now I use the salad plate.

As with most things in life, there are pros and cons.  The only con that I can truly say that I have had issues with so far with my weight loss is that I freeze constantly.  I know that I have gotten rid of most of my natural insulation but I am always cold.  Bundling up to go outside takes on an entirely different meaning for me.  Putting on 3 or 4 layers of clothing and still being cold is almost ridiculous.  I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, bring on summer.  This snow and cold air are killing me.

Brrrrrrrr!!!!

For those of you that do not know me or have not known me for very long, there is something else that you may not know about me.  A little over 4 years ago, I was very close to being totally crippled.  My weight had played a huge part in destroying my hips and I had battled severe pain, MRIs, steroid injections, physical therapy and multiple doctor visits before they realized that my hips were crumbled into thousands of pieces.  I was told on August 25, 2009 (at the age of 38) that I needed both of my hips replaced.  This is not something easy to handle at a young age.  This is something that happens to people in their 70's or 80's, not someone in their 30's.  I cried for days.  I was scared to death and was trying to deal with all the possibilities of what could go wrong and the thought of leaving my two little boys without a Mom.  I was dealing with so much pain that my family was already suffering.  I had no choice.  The surgeries were the best thing that ever happened to me (medically).  I had my left hip replaced in October 2009.  Surgery was on Monday morning.  Monday evening I was up walking, Wednesday I was home and Friday I was at physical therapy.  I had my left hip replaced in January 2010.   Surgery was on Monday morning.  Monday evening I was up walking, Wednesday I was home and Friday I was at physical therapy.

I was a new woman with a new lease on life.  I was able to walk, I was able to do things with my kids, I was able to be more active.  This did not make me realize the need for weight loss at that time.  I'm not sure why but I didn't have that mental break-through at that time but the journey continued...


My youngest son calls me the bionic woman.  These are my hips.  They are titanium steel and yes, I set off the metal detectors across the world.

Winter blues (freaking cold weather) make it very difficult to stick to an exercise routine.  I admit that I have been horrible this winter about exercising and I have to get back into a routine to lose this last 20 pounds.  So, back on the elliptical and a date with Shaun T. plus lots of water!!!!!  Let's do this!

A little more about my journey.  As I stated, I've battled obesity almost my entire life but my true journey (mental break-through) began in January 2012.  I got involved with the New Beginnings Program at Bailey Medical Center in Owasso, Oklahoma http://www.baileybariatrics.com/.  Dr. Joe Bob Kirk and his staff are wonderful.  They made my transition from obesity to healthier and happier so much easier.  On July 31, 2012, after all of the pre-surgery requirements (tests, psych eval, liquid diet, etc) I had gastric banding.  My surgeon, Dr. Steven Katsis http://www.satulsa.com/main/physicians/steven-katsis-md/, has been an amazing part of my journey as well.  So, I am 1 1/2 years post procedure and have lost 110 pounds so far.

As I began to lose large amounts of weight, I realized that there was no way that I was going to be able to tone the skin that had been stretched for so many years.  So, the research began for what I was going to do once I reached my goal weight.  This brought about the development of my website:  www.internationalmds.com


The journey continues....

Oh what a feeling to go into a dressing room and put on clothing that is too big.  This is not something that I'm sure I will ever get used to doing.  As I mentioned before, I was wearing a women's size 28 (3XL) when I started this journey.  Yesterday I put on a medium top, size 12 pants and a size 12 dress.  People tend to look at you very funny when you walk out of a dressing room crying, but I did.  You never know someone's story or what they may be going through.

As with most overweight or obese people, my weight loss journey started at a young age. I was a rather small child (my grandfather called me "Cricket" because of my small size) and at some point I started gaining weight and getting heavier and heavier. I have joked about having the "fat gene" but poor eating habits. over-eating and lack of regular exercise were my downfall. Yes, I was an active person but I was not getting the exercise needed for weight loss and becoming a healthy individual. This is me in kindergarten:

This is second grade:

This is fifth grade:

And it continued from there.

I am a 42-year old mother of two boys.  I have spent the majority of my life as a skinny person trapped in an obese body.  Two years ago, after years and years of yo-yo dieting and frustration, I finally had a mental break-through and decided that I no longer wanted to be the fat person that I was.  There was a skinny, energetic, fun person person buried deep inside and she wanted out.