Well Hello There!

First off, I want to say "Hiiiiiii" to all of my new followers, and also give Amy W. a big thank you for sending some love my way =)

So, to catch all of the newbies up to speed, I will tell you a tiny bit about myself.  I have deemed Sundays to be my official weigh in day, so I always try to post my progress shortly thereafter.  I am 23 years old, and I live in Charlotte, North Carolina.  I am getting married in March 2012 to the most wonderful man in the world!  My starting weight was 352 lbs in November 2010 (I am 5'7), and I was banded on May 16th, 2011.  My ultimate goal number is 170, but I will honestly be happy with whatever my body decides.  Anything is better and much more healthy than where I began.

Now on to the fun stuff!  I weighed in yesterday at 301.8 =)  Finally over that 50 pound mark!!!  So... I treated myself with a little shopping (in my opinion, any excuse to go shopping is a good one, but losing 50 pounds is one of the best excuses I have ever heard).  I got some really cute shoes and a few new tops.  It's hard to restrain myself when I go shopping... especially now.  I am so excited about all of the things that fit me and actually look good, it's hard to remember that I *hopefully* won't be needing them very long... so I try to stick with the basics and things that I can mix and match.

I did get a fill last week, and let me just say... I love my new doctor!  He really takes the time to listen to what's going on with me, and he is very up front and honest.  My band will hold 11 CC's of fluid, and after last weeks fill I am at 6.5 CC's.  I definitely have some restriction back, which I am happy for.  For the last few weeks I was feeling like nothing had ever changed.  I could eat whatever, whenever without a second though.  It was hard the first few days after the fill, though.  After being unrestricted for a few weeks, I had to reteach myself to CHEW my food and SLOW DOWN.  Tonight jumpstarts my Zumba craze.  Daniel (my fiance) bought me Zumba for Wii at Christmas, and it has been sitting in a drawer collecting dust ever since.  Well, I decided that I am going to get down into the 200's, and the sooner I can get there, the better!  I want to be a sexy mamacita for my wedding!  

I am going to put a few pix of last weeks' shopping expedition... Let me know what you think!

New shirt!  (Same size 24 pants as last time, but I am starting to get boy crotch, so I think it may be time to move on to some 22's!)

New shoes!  All of my others make it sound like I am wearing flip flops bc they are TOO BIG =)  I bought 2 other pairs, but I thought these were the cutest =)

What is it Lassie? Timmy Fell in the Well?!

No.... I didn't fall in a well, I've just been so crazy busy at work lately that all I want to do when I come home is sleep... not blog~haha.

So, it's been  two whole weeks since I posted!  A LOT has happened since then, so I will pick out the important parts and try not to bore you to death =)  I am currently at 303 (as of this morning)... just one measly pound from the first major goal I set for myself... FIFTY POUNDS DOWN!!!  I am down to a 24 in pants (and could possibly get a 22) and in a 22/24 in tops (some I can even get an 18/20!).  I am so very proud of myself.  I haven't been in a size 22 since 2005, when I started college, so this has made me feel really good!  I mentioned last time that my surgeon was leaving and that they had an ungodly wait time for appointments.  I had an appointment scheduled for August 14th, then another for September something-or-other.  Well, yesterday I got a call saying that they had accidentally scheduled my August appointment during the surgeons vacation, and that they would need to reschedule.  My first thought was "HELL NO I'M NOT WAITING TIL SEPTEMBER TO SEE MY DOCTOR!!!"  Then, before I could verbalize my disappointment, the sweet little voice on the other end of the line says "We have an appointment on Wednesday at 1, how does that sound?"  Uhhh... it sounds FABULOUS!  So, I will be seeing the other surgeon in the practice tomorrow for a check-up and *hopefully* a fill.  I will let you guys know how that goes. 

Next on the agenda.... 80% of my clothes are now officially too big!  I have spent more mornings than not just standing in my closet, staring at all of the things that I can no longer wear without looking like I got dressed in a Hefty trash bag factory, and getting mad at myself for not going shopping yet.  So, since I am off for the entire day tomorrow (thanks to my having to work this Saturday =| ), I have decided to devote at least a portion of the day to buying a few new items.  Even my shoes are too big, and I have grown tired of feeling like I am wearing flip flops even when I'm wearing dressy pumps.  I do know how to sew, therefore I have put my sewing machine to good use and taken in a few dresses and skirts (since those are the easiest to do), so at least I was able to save those.  The majority of my other clothes I am considering taking to a consignment shop.  Lots of them have been worn less than a dozen times... and there are still tags on more pieces than I'd like to admit!  So, maybe I can get some cash to fund my shopping expedition tomorrow =)

Sewing and Cash... that brings me to my next topic.  I am sure that I have mentioned to you all before that I am getting married in March.  We got engaged in February this year, and decided to give ourselves plenty of time to get things together.  That being said, I am definitely the DIY type.  I love anything crafty!  So, I have decided to try to do/make a lot of the elements for our wedding and/or reception myself.  It will save us a ton of money, and it's something that I LOVE doing, anyway =)  I made my ring bearer pillow last weekend, and it looks pretty darn awesome, if I do say so myself.  I found a picture of one that was selling at Michaels Craft Store for $22... then I bought the supplies and made it myself to fit my color scheme.  I think I spent about... $5 over all?  I also have TONS of fabric left over, which I will be using in other projects, so really the cost was maybe $3.  No too shabby, eh?

So, with that, I will bid you all a good night and pleasant dreams.  I won't promise, but I will definitely TRY to post more often, rather than overwhelming you with 2 weeks packed into 2 paragraphs~haha.  

This is me during my last shopping extravaganza!  The new 22/24 me!

Ring bearer pillow for my wedding, hand crafted by yours truly. Don't fight ladies, I am taking orders now! =)

Cupcakes and Cameras

I know I am a little late, but hey, I'm late for everything... you guys should be used to it by now haha.  Weigh in day was Sunday: 309.2 =)  Considering all of the ridiculous things that have gone into my mouth this weekend, I will be eternally grateful for that!  My Dad came down to spend the weekend with us, and we decided (very last minute) to have a cookout for the 4th (even though it was on the 2nd... but hey, who's counting?)  I made a delicious and not-so-terrible-for-me angel food cake topped with fat free cool whip, reduced sugar crushed pineapple and yummy fresh strawberries.  It was sooo good!  I had a really good time with all of the people that came over.  It's a nice change for us to have people over rather than us going to them.  My Dad is an EXCELLENT cook (you can ask anyone.... I don't think you will find a single person to disagree).  He made some homemade chili and slaw- both of which were awesome, and we had hamburgers, hot dogs, and grilled chicken.  My friend also made an amazing fruit salad - I was in Heaven!


I know that I mentioned to you guys last week that I was heading to NoDa (the artsy neighborhood nearby) on Friday to sell my cupcakes.  I was really hoping that things would go well, but they didn't.  They were AMAZING!!  I sold EIGHT DOZEN cupcakes in just 4 hours.  When you're selling one or two per customer, that's a lot of cupcakes!  I made a good amount of money and gave out tons of business cards.  I will definitely be doing that again!  I also bought a new camera this weekend so I can take pictures of my little beauties =) 

Now, on to a more serious note.  I called my Band Doc today to make an appointment.  I am right at 2 months, so it's time for a check up, and probably a fill, too.  My dreams came crashing to the floor!  I was informed that my surgeon is leaving the practice and that there are no openings with the other surgeon until MID AUGUST.  Ummm.... no sir.  This does NOT work for me.  I have started learning my body, and I have learned that it's time for a fill.  A month from now I am afraid that I will be back to my pre-surgery weight.  Now, I know that's not a logical thought, but I just don't like the feeling of not being able to schedule an appointment for over a month.  This is especially irritating considering how they stress the importance of keeping good communication with your surgeon and keeping your check up appointments, especially in the first year after surgery.  I will try calling to see if they may have some cancellations here and there, and maybe be on the look out for a new fill doctor.  :-/