Pass the Cookies Please!

Once again, it's official weigh in day.  I am at 311.3... the same as last week.  I blame this on my period, or maybe the copious amounts of cookies and junk food I have eaten this week.  But hey, I can blame that on my period, too.  I have found that I am now able to eat MORE than I could before I got a fill.  I am not sure if this is thanks to my little visitor (because I have always been like a vacuum cleaner during that time of the month, sucking up any piece of chocolate or sugar in sight), or because I might need another fill.  I have an appointment in 2 weeks to check my progress and possibly get another fill, but I may call and see if I can't move that forward a little.  I don't want Mr. Scale to get back into his old habit of moving up instead of down.

On a side note, I have spoken about my cupcake business before.  There is an artsy neighborhood nearby (we are actually having our wedding reception there in March).  The first and third Friday of every month, all of the art galleries in this neighborhood open up their doors to everyone to come in and see what they have.  People also set up little tables on the sidewalks to sell their homemade goodies (soaps, jewelry, hairbows, etc).  There is also live music and things like that.  I will be setting up a table to sell my cupcakes this coming Friday.  This will be my first time trying this out, so I will let you guys know how that goes.  Fingers crossed, it will bring me a little business.  I am trying to build up some regular customers.

I am hoping next week at work will be calm and easy going.  My manager is leaving to go elsewhere after Friday, so this is the beginning of a big transition period for me.  Hopefully it won't be too stressful.  In the last month, we have hired FIVE new tellers.  This sounds great, it means we have more staff and less stress, right?  Wrong.  This means that we have five new people that pretty much need constant supervision .  After a few weeks this will be a positive thing.  I will only have to work 1 or 2 Saturdays per month, unlike July where I am scheduled for 4 out of 5 Saturdays.  That is the thing I am really looking forward to.  

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!  In the last week or so I have had SEVERAL people tell me that they can really tell a difference with my weight loss.  This is a good feeling when I am having a down week.  Makes me smile from the inside out =)

NOT What I Signed Up For

I went to Virginia this weekend to spend Father's Day with my Dad =)  I had a three day weekend, and took full advantage.  I got to spend the entire day on Monday with one of my two best friends.  I love it when you can go months without seeing someone, but the second you are back together, it's like you haven't missed any time at all.  

I bought some cute new clothes at Cato.  I haven't been in one of those stores in a while because the sizes are always irregular and a lot of the clothes are poor quality.  Well, Lane Bryant seems to have the same issue on the quality issue, and quite frankly, I am tired of paying $60 for a pair of pants that I now will only be able to wear for a month or so.  The cute outfit I got at LB last week cost as much as a really nice dress (nice enough to wear as a guest to a wedding, but I could also wear it to work), 3 shirts for work, a skirt for work, and a sundress for lounging around the house in all from Cato.  Maybe I will add some pix soon... we'll see~haha.

Also, because I was in VA, I didn't have a chance to do my official Sunday weigh in.  However, I was 311.1 on Tuesday, which is down 3.9 pounds from last Sunday!  I was very pleased with that, especially since this week my "monthly visitor" decided to move in.  I have always had ridiculously irregular periods, sometimes going 6 months or more without having one at all (which is what happened this time - I haven't had one since Christmas).  So, when my visitor finally decides to show up, she brings the wrath of her six month absence with her.  I actually had to leave work today to come home and sleep because I was cramping so badly and I was having to "change" about once an hour... this is NOT what I signed up for when I decided to have surgery-haha!  They said that one of the many positive things that come from LapBand is that it will help you get on a more regular schedule if you have previously been irregular.  It also allows people who were previously unable to conceive to be able to have children.  I guess the excess weight puts too much stress on the female organs, so losing the excess weight and the raging hormones that come with weight loss kind of put your body in baby-makin' overdrive.  No thanks.  The only thing I have found so far in life that I like about children is the fact that I can give them back to whomever they belong to when I get annoyed with them.  That may change as I get older, but for right now, that's not on my immediate agenda.

It Hurts So Good!

This week has flown by!  Some really good things happened, though =)  I finally broke down and went shopping for clothes.  I was to the point where I was so busy trying to hold my pants up all day that I couldn't get anything else done~haha.  I know this is a good problem to have, but slightly annoying (and expensive).  So... I went to my trusty Lane Bryant for some new work pants and bras (this part I was more sad than happy about, but eh... such is life).  I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I am a 26/28 on the top and bottom, though usually more of a 28.  So, I decided to get some 26 pants and give them a try.  TOO BIG!  Baggy in my crotch, butt, legs, waist... etc etc.  It looked like I was smuggling a small child in my pants or something.  So, on to the 24.  PERFECT =)  I haven't been able to wear a 24 in about 3 or 4 years.  I just stood there in the dressing room, grinning from ear to ear and staring at myself in the mirror.  I was also able to get into a 22/24 top, and even in some cases an 18/20 top!  This one, however, is both good and bad.  Good because I can tell a HUGE (no pun intended) difference in my back rolls - most of them have packed up and moved back to the bakery they came from!  Bad because my ladies have been shrinking along with the rest of my body.  I was a 46DD before, now I am a 44D.  Still more than enough, but I don't want this lady losing to become a trend!  I bought one pair of black dress pants, one cute shirt, and a couple of bras.  I tried on my new outfit for Daniel (my fiance) last night, and he proceeded to dry hump my leg.  It was flattering =) 

This weekend I am heading to Virginia to visit my wonderful family!  I haven't been up since Easter, so I am really looking forward to seeing everyone (and for everyone to see me).  Most of them haven't seen me since before I started the liquid diet, and I have lost a little more than 20 pounds since then.  Not that I will be fishing for compliments, but it's always nice when someone notices a difference in you, right?  

Daniel and I went and had massages last night.  It's been a while since my last one, and my shoulders were in dire need!  Daniel has never had one.. until now!  He loved it, as did I.  But, oh!  I am sore this morning!  It hurts so gooood!  I don't know why, but I don't feel like I have had a successful massage unless I am sore the next day.  That tells me that my muscles were really worked.  We went to a massage school, and I don't know if any of you have ever done that, but basically it's where students are alllllmost done with their training to become massage therapists and they need a certain number of clinic or practice hours before they can become licensed.  This may not seem like a big deal to you, but to me it means paying $25 for an hour long massage vs. $60-$75 at a spa.  I know a lot of colleges have the same type of program for their cosmetology students, and you can get hair cuts or highlights, etc at a really reduced price.  I'm not sure that I am quite brave enough for that one yet.  I mean, think about it.  If the massage therapist messes up, who is going to know but you?  Someone accidentally hacks all of your hair off and colors it green... yeah, everyone knows haha.

WHAT is THAT???!

Wow, I didn't realize until just now that it has been an entire week since I posted.  Bad me!  This week has been going really well, I have moved into regular foods, I just have to remember to chew, chew, chew!  I am starting to find the foods that don't work well for me, and those that do.  For example:  I can't really handle chicken breasts anymore unless it is smothered in some kind of sauce or cheese (really healthy, right?) because people tend to cook it too long and make it too dry.  I can, however, handle chicken nuggets.  Chick-fil-a is the easiest for me.... which I am NOT going to complain about considering that it's my favorite place to eat in the entire WORLD!!!  (Ok, that might be pushing it... but it's darn close!).

Today is the official weigh in.... 315.0 =)  Alllllmost 3 pounds down from last week.  2.7 to be exact!  I am getting to the point now where I have learned for the most part how much I will be able to eat.  Great!  Just in time for my first fill up!  Now I get to start the learning process all over again!  I have my one month check up on Wednesday.  My doctor probably won't do a fill that day, be he said he would see how I am progressing and go from there.

Ok, so enough about my band... a little more about my personal life.  Daniel (my fiance) and I are getting married in March 2012.  Last night we went to the wedding of one of my co-workers.  Believer it or not, but at the age of 23, it was the first real wedding I have ever been to.  Sure, I have been to weddings before, but they have been in someones back yard or the local church, and the reception consisted of all of the guests bringing a dish of some sort (mac and cheese, potato salad, green beans, etc etc), and we just ate what they brought.  Sounds more like a family reunion or something, right?  So, you can imagine how difficult it has been trying to make wedding plans when I have never even been to a wedding where the word "venue" is used and not "Aunt Susan's back yard".  We had a really good time.  It was at a local winery, and very beautiful (hot as hell, but that's another story).  Daniel actually danced with me (I was VERY surprised), I got to see people from work outside of the norm.  It was nice.  Now I have a few realistic ideas and I'm not trying to plan my wedding based off of some TV show on the Women's Entertainment network =).  

And... my last thought for the day.  Last night when we got home from the wedding and I was in the bathroom changing my clothes for bed.  Well, I just happened to be looking in the mirror while I was putting my pants on... and all I could thing was "OMG!!! WHAT IS THAT???!!"  I don't know how I have yet to notice this.. but my inner thigh has completely DEFLATED!  On one hand, this is great news... it means I am definitely losing inches.  But, as a woman, you KNOW this was not my first though.  All I could think of was a balloon that had been blown up waaaay too much, and then someone let all of the air out.  Yes, that is correct, I am comparing my inner thigh to a used up wrinkly balloon.  After having a mini meltdown (only about 30 seconds, and I was over it- I mean, I knew this was gonna happen, just didn't know it would be so soon!), I put my PJ's on and went on about my business.  Though I am sad about my wrinkly balloons, I can't help but smile.  My first really visible weight loss.  People have been telling me that they have noticed other parts, but I couldn't see it.  Trust me, I saw this!

Sorry for the super long post, I just had a lot to get out of my system.  I will try to break it up a little more next time instead of waiting an entire week to post =)

The Lost Teenager

My two week check up was on Thursday.  According to the scale at the doctors office I was down 16lbs since May 2nd (the beginning of my 2 week liquid diet), so that was nice.  My surgeon said that my incisions were healing nicely, and he gave me some good ideas for some mushy foods to eat.  I have been having problems even eating things as mild as yogurt.  I am having a LOT of gas (burping), so I think my tummy just doesn't know what to do when food gets down there...

Anyway... today is official weigh in day.  *drum roll please*  317.7 =)  So, down 3 pounds from last week!  My surgeon said to expect/aim for 2 pounds/week... so I am very pleased with 3.  Just think... even if I did only lose 2lbs/week... that's 104 pounds in a year.  THAT'S LIKE LOSING A TEENAGER!!!!! (And let's face it... I'm sure all of us have wanted to get rid of a teenager at some point or another...)

We did some yard demolition today with a little help (okay, a LOT of help) from my Dad.  We have been wanting to get rid of some bushes and a few small trees since we bought our house last February (2010), so we finally got to it!  We are having the house painted in two weeks, and I can't wait to see it all come together!  Added bonus:  a pretty good work out for me today, picking up branches and such =)