Considering a Liquid Diet for 1 Week

I am still lingering around the same weight for months on end....I am fed up, tired of it, frustrated, sad....  

I read about a 5 Day Pouch Test. What the heck is that - I don't have to buy anything to do it. What is the test exactly?

Is it worth doing something along that line or doing strictly liquid proteins?

Anyone have any suggestions?

I don't go in for a fill until the week of Christmas. I really want to be down 10 pounds and get out of this rut! I am struggling and I need to do more than what I am currently doing.

Help :(

I Made It

... Thru thanksgiving that is!
My first year of cooking a turkey day dinner was a success. I take my bow.

The best part was knowing that I made awesome tasting food and every single person at the table loved everything I made. Sometimes it is hard to please everyone but I actually did it. I am very proud of myself. It was my first try at cooking turkey. I totally stressed about making dinner for my boyfriend's family weeks in advance. Normally his brother's girlfriend cooks... but since she doesn't live there anymore it kinda fell into my lap. His mother doesn't like to cook so between 3 sons and myself ... I was the lucky winner. The good thing about that was I got to make what I like and as healthy as I could. For example using low calorie milk, butter and little to no salt. Still managed to make a brined turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, yams and veggies. I enjoyed every bit but since I had cooked all day I really wasn't as hungry as I could of been. Maybe too many taste tests prior. Plus the meal I cooked ended up being an early dinner, then off to my own family's house for another dinner with the works. At that point I just wanted to skip to dessert or just have tea while everyone else ate. Luckily I sat at the smaller table with less people so I didn't get asked why I didn't really eat. This part of my family doesn't know I had banding done. So stating I was full really helps avoid such subjects.

The best part of Thanksgiving is the left overs. I think I have ate t-day for 3 days afterwards. Which isn't the best for a diet but I am over my comfort food fix and onto healthy eating this week.

I also didn't gain any weight this holiday. Sweet! I did go up a bit mid week to 200. Not sure why- maybe my period of salty food intake.  I even made it to spin and the gym by myself last week. I think the excess of sleep I got this past weekend helped burn a lot of calories JK

Hope it was a memorable one for everyone! Now on to Christmas....

Does anyone else feel like they are looking older now that their faces are thinner? I looked at myself in the mirror andI think I am looking a little older now my face is;t as round. Maybe my imagination run a muck!

Goal for this week: Water

Weight for today: 198 lbs.   okay fine... 200.2 But that is what I did weight in last week - every single day

Take That Sucka!

Last Year I went to my first college football game. When I was in college, my school didn't have a team. So my boyfriend was so excited for me to go since he used to work for the athletic program while he was in college here is SD and loves football. They gave away a football jersey that stated it was an adult XL. I knew it wouldn't fit and there was no way it was really an XL since it looked like a Medium. I was disappointed I couldn't fit into it plus he kept stating I should just give the shirt away. I never put it on since when I held it up, it just looked way too small. I was sad that I couldn't wear it since I knew my boyfriend really wished I could and kept talking about how cute I would of looked in it. Talk about disappointment.

Well I held onto the jersey and it was time again to go to another football game. Granted I am not a big football person, honestly I don't know much about the game and rules... but I wanted to wear the damn jersey! I hadn't even tried to put it on this whole past year. I not only wore it, I wore it over a tank top, long sleeve shirt and a thick fleece sweater! It felt so damn good. Take that Sucka! Plus my boyfriend thought I looked adorable in it. That is what felt the best.

Goal for this week: Eat small portions for Turkey day. Go to spin tonight.

Weight for today: Next week

Shopping High

I love that I keep reading about people Spinning lately. It is great to see everyone going outside of their comfort zone and trying something new. Even though Spin isn't new to me since I have been going for almost a year... I am just feeling re-charged after my last week of going twice. I hope to do the same this week... WAIT! I WILL do the same this week! (sigh) Seeing how many calories it does burn makes me want to keep it up. Even though I didn't see a pound gone - I am still feeling motivated with it and have to keep going. Thanks for all of your kind words last week.

It had been awhile that I had gone shopping so we set aside time this weekend to go. We hit up Carlsbad Outlet Mall. Its such a nice mall. All the right stores and not overwhelming too many. I might of went a little crazy but I really needed some new stuff. It makes me feel better about myself seeing all the clothes I can now fit into BUT it makes me want to buy everything! I really held back and purchased items I 'loved' versus 'want'. I really wanted to break the bank and BUY BUY BUY! I think I got a new wardrobe from Target, Gap, Roxy and Banana Republic, American Eagle. All within reason with clearance, holiday discounts and in-store sale coupons.

Tell me if I have a problem: flannel pajama bottoms, grey jean pencil skirt, red plaid long sleeve shirt, matching top and bottom purple fleece outfit, black kimono striped shirt, grey v-neck sweater, grey sweater short sleeve, two simple long sleeve shirts, red mini striped shirt, B Makowsky black heels.

The heels are my favorite purchase since I have been searching and searching for black heals that are comfortable and I can actually walk in. I tried to find a photo of them online but I couldn't find any. They are pretty RAD! I love the fact that with weight loss comes balance... LITERALLY!

I am feeling pretty damn good. Larger people are told not to wear stripes - but I look pretty good in stripes so I want everything to have stripes on it now. I have to control myself. Plus I was never a brand type of person since I could only fit into generic brands from Torid. But now I am fitting into brands that I never thought I would be wearing. I feel very much like a girl, okay a woman... dressing age appropriate but fashionable. And this is coming from a person who only use to wear dark colors, jeans and sweatshirts EVERY DAY. I think I have broken that pattern ;-)

Goal for this week: more spin and more water

Weight for today: 199 lbs.

Trying for Results

I spun my ass away this week! I went twice to two spin classes. I was so burnt out after the second class. I went to one on Tuesday which is the one I usually go to. Lately it is with an instructor who I am not to fond of her instruction and how little she pushes her class. Then Wednesday.... I did tell you I was going to finally go to my coworkers' Spin class since she teaches it at the gym near work. I went and she is a little spit fire. She totally raises her voice, listens to fast pace music and takes very little breaks. The endurance in the class is amazing. I loved it. it kicked my ass but I loved it. I sweat so much I was dripping. She told me about a few of her repeat class members that all excel and train professionally for marathons, swim races, triathlons ... some of the women have accomplished a lot of great things in their fitness life. The girl who I sat next to on the bike swam 8 levels in a particular swim race recently and BEAT all the men in the race and placed first! AMAZING! Well guess who kept up with her pace.... ME! I kicked ass in the class and didn't look as if I was suffering like some of the other so-called fit girls. Talk about being motivated from my last post. Whoo hoo Yey me!


I notice a lot of blogs mention their doctors and I was curious how they chose them.  I chose my surgeon because he had a website about his clinic at a well know hospital. Honestly YES I DID!  Plus my insurance had listed him as an option. He is known as the father of laparoscopic gastric bypass: he performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass in the world as primary surgeon in 1993. This was performed right here in San Diego, California. He is a great doctor and is very helpful.  I just wish he had been more aggressive with my fills, he is mainly a bypass surgeon and very little patients with gastric banding. Maybe that is why he was less aggressive with the fills. I think if I had this restriction sooner, my weight loss would of been more my first year. I am not blaming him at all - I just think being on the same level as the doctor is a must. So looking back and advise for future bandsters is that they need to do the research on the doctor and make sure their skills match your new planned life. This doctor will be your best friend for the following years, not just your surgeon on surgery day. Choose wisely. Do research on the doctor. Find a recommendation. Shop around.


I know I haven't been perfect everyday with what I eat but since my last post I have been REALLY trying to eat less thru the day and stopping myself from bringing more than what I need to eat to work with me. If I bring it - I will eat it. Trying to get away from eating less and making it thru the day. I have been drinking protein waters again in the afternoons. It has given me that little boost to not feel so starved before dinner. If I feel way hungry for dinner I end up eating too much and having a hard time sleeping since I ate too much. The food just sits in my stomach and it is hard for me to sleep after I eat. I am just reminding myself that we all did a whole month of liquids and we were fine - I can do better since I did that before.


I have to be accountable for my journey!
I can not push blame onto the band for the lack of weight loss!
I have to work with the band and eat less and drink more water!


I haven't weighted myself since Monday so maybe next week's main post I will see a little reward on the scale. Fingers crossed. 

Lets Get Motivated

Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks. - Johann Gottfried Von Herder

Spinning: I have gone back to spin class at least once each week for the last few weeks. It feels so good to burn all of those calories! I didn't realize at a moderate pace you can burn 300-600 calories.   Even thought it wasn't my favorite instructor last week... She does a lot of going back and forth of standing and sitting which hurts my knees. I guess she thinks her class will get bored with longer cycles. Not too sure. Well I shared my frustrations about this instructor with my coworker who also teaches Spin class, she has suggested I go to her class this week. She teaches at a different gym a few times a week. So now I can't get out of it because I have pushed the invite off every single time she wants me to go. I know the class will be great since she is always doing her own music mixes each week - she never has a repeat class. I also hear a lot of positive feed back from her class. She absolutely loves teaching spin. I never work out in front of coworkers so I hope I kick ass as much as she thinks I will. This means I will have to do 2 Spin classes this week and I will forever compare her awesomeness of a spin class to the ones at my gym. Spin will never be the same! Let's go motivation!


Running: I have never been really big on running. I am more of a fast jogger. I also envy those who can run a long distance. Since I haven't been on the treadmill for awhile I went on it and 'tried' to run. My lungs were so tight. I felt so weak but I kept on pushing myself. I wanted to catch up with my boyfriend who was running next to me. I kept checking his distance and ran full speed to get to the same distance. I ended up 1/10 th of a mile behind him. I can easily do 1 mile within 20 minutes of warm up. I guess I have to get back to my Couch to 5k workout. Let's go motivation!


Restriction: I am still feeling restricted after a week. It feels really good to know it is tight again. I just have to be careful about what I am consuming. I have been reading that a lot of people when they loose restriction they tend to make unhealthy food choices since they know it will easily pass thru. Our minds are so wrapped around cheating the band when this happens. I know I do this as well. Like it is okay to still eat it since I know it will be pass. But for me, I have not PB'd before so I need to get away from thinking that the little extra room is linked to bad choices. I have to eat good no matter what, right? The Protein shakes I purchased at Costco the other week and also blogged about have really came in handy. I know it is a liquid that will pass thru but it really keeps me full. It has 30 grams of protein per container and very little sugar. I have drank it a few times when I am really hungry and end up eating a lot less later in the day. Let's go motivation!


I have been on a bean kick too. Gotta get all that protein! Try my 3 Bean salad. It will be great to get you thru the work week. Make it at the beginning of the week and have a bit each day since it makes a large amount.


AM's 3 Bean Salad

1 can of Garbonzo Beans (water no oil)

1 can of Black Eyed Peas (water no oil)

1 can of Pinto Beans (water no oil)

1/2 cup of Red Vinegrette Dressing

parsley chopped (1/2 cup) or dried (1/3 cup)

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder - few shakes

mix together

Goal for this week: Kick ass in Spin

Weight for today: 198 lbs.

A few little NSV to list

1. My butt fit into the seat for the roller coaster I went on this past weekend. I had so much room that my butt was moving back and forth - even up and down. I screamed like a big baby!

2. My size 14 jeans are getting a little baggy in the butt. My 16s I can't wear anymore. My muffin top in the jeans is definitely going away.

3. I have this Moroccan style shirt that I got a Banana Republic before surgery. It is now so big that the length of it goes way over my butt and isn't tight in the boobs or waist. Might not be able to wear it unless I get it hemmed. 

4. My comfy black cotton dress which was my default dress to 'look nice but cozy' in.... no longer fits. It is the most comfortable dress - its like pajamas. It use to hit right above my knee - now it hangs on me and hits mid shin. I am drowning in it. 

5. I went to a party this weekend and I got so many complements on how I looked, what I was wearing and how nice my hair looked. Everyone had something nice to say. It is such an odd feeling just to say "thank you" without having to explain or deny the complement.

6. I only ate two pieces of Halloween candy and didn't want any more.

7. When I was a child my grandmother gave me jewelry as gifts growing up. I haven't worn any of it maybe since high school since none of it fit as I got older. I am wearing one of the rings today. 

8. There was a heavy set woman in front of my in line for a ride, we had to squeeze in between a thinner area and between decorations, she barely fit... and I walked thru with no problem - not even touching the sides or having to walk thru sideways. It is amazing to realize the perspective we have as fat versus thin(ner).

9. I am almost done paying off a credit card since I have more money instead of spending it on food everyday. Its a big deal to not have any pending credit built up.

10. Since my fill last week - I actually feel full thru the whole day. Maybe this is my special spot I have been longing for? I am very much enjoying it. It feels like a sense of power and control.

Goal for this week: I missed the spin classes last week - so I have to go this week for sure.

Weight for today: 198

30grams of Protein

Yep you read that right! On a quest to rid my habit of Starbucks, I went to Costco last night and purchased a few new items to help me on my new goal. They typical surplus of great things because I love Costco so much, but one I wanted to share with everyone since it is new to me.


Premier Nutrition High Protein Shakes
Nutrition Details:
1 serving is a container (11 fl. oz.)
Calories 160
Sugars 1g
Total Carb 5g
Protein 30g

Costco sells it for about $25.00 per case
Milk and Whey Protein
Serve cold

... my boss actually recommended it to me. He is loving it. I figured I would try it. So I bought a bulk box of it and today is my first try. Can you believe it has 30grams of protein in one container! That is one serving of 30grams.Wholly Protein! That is amazing. It even tastes great too. I am not even half way thru and I am feeling semi full. I really think that this new shake could really give me that extra push that I need to get me thru my day and down a few pounds.

Now What - 1 year and 1 week

I am officially working on year 2 now, no more 1 year mark to look forward too. I am past it and moving on with life. I have to. Today I stepped on the scale at my house and it still said 200.1. Dammit! And I got dressed and headed to the 1 year check up with my surgeon. I wasn't sure if he would be disappointed I was still in the 200s or if I would get a 'little talk' about 'rights and wrongs'. What was I thinking! My surgeon is the nicest man. He would never do such a thing. He has such grace and care with every word that comes out of his mouth. And a NP that is his partner in support. She reminds us of the day to day and motivation to keep working at the successes. Staying healthy and making the right choices, to not focus so much on the number but how I feel in my clothes. I always feel recharged after a visit with them. Granted I have got a fill every time I have been there. But it also is a little mental slap on the arse to keep working hard. When the NP weighted me I was 198! Love it!

With that said I did get a little fill since I don't feel as restricted as I did 6 weeks ago when I had my last appointment. I think it will be just what I need on this guessing game of finding the right restriction.

"Remember dense proteins and no liquid calories" he says.

In my head I am thinking, "I have to break my addiction to Starbucks since I have been going there a bit more lately. I hate how it is so close to my office." And what did I do when I got out of the appointment? Yep, I went and picked up a soy chai. EVIL it tell you just EVIL.

Here are my stats from the Tanita Body Composition Analyzer that were taken 1 year ago and today. Pretty interesting comparison.
OCT 2009 (the week before surgery)
Weight: 227.0lbs
BMI: 39.6
BMR 7518 kJ - 1797kcal
Impedance: 519
Fat %: 49.9%
Fat Mass: 113.5lbs
FFM: 113.5lbs
TBW: 83lbs

OCT 2010 (the year mark)

Weight: 198.0lbs

BMI: 35.1

BMR 6960 kJ - 1664kcal

Impedance: 451

Fat %: 42.8%

Fat Mass: 84.5lbs

FFM: 113.5lbs

TBW: 83lbs

Something that motivates you is seeing your own ass look so small. I LOOK NORMAL- WOW!

Goal for this week: Steer clear of the evil Starbucks

Weight for today: 198

1 YEAR

I have been looking forward to this post since day one. I wondered where I'd be in my life a year after gastric banding. Let's just say it's way better that I could of imagined feeling. Its taken me a few days to gather what I wanted to write.

I am here to Oct 19th 2010, and I was out of words to say. Me, speechless - It does happen. How can that be, you say when I was so anxious to get here. I can't tell you why exactly ... maybe because I am back in the 200's this week after finally getting to 198.6 after many months of struggle. I am disappointed I am not where I want to be with my weight. 25 pounds came off pretty easy - I barely had to try or think much about it. The last 5 pounds have taken like 5 months or longer. I have had multiple fills, never PB'd, been up and down in my restriction, I exercise 3-4 times a week for 2 hours each time. Not really sure how to wrap all of my feelings about the last few months of struggling loosing weight, but I can tell you is how this past year has drastically changed who I am as a girlfriend, sister, daughter and friend.

I am a happier person. I smile way more, I have emotions I never knew I would feel wit my hormone levels back on track. I am not on any medication for high blood pressure, birth control to make myself have my periods, high cholesterol, migraines are gone! I have been better with my finances. I couldn't ever figure out why I lived pay check to paycheck when I was making more money than I have in the past. I ate out for breakfast, lunch and dinner majority of the week. I was eating myself into debt. How freaking crazy is that? Now I treat myself to eating out instead of making it a habit of day to day life. I could tell you what napkin went with what restaurant at the quickest glance - because that is how much I ate out. I also hid how much I ate and where I ate. I would buy a combo meal and add additional items to it. I ate enough for 2 or 3 people - just for lunch. I could of told you who worked the night shift at the drive thru of Jack In The Box. I was killing myself inside and with my own money. I was a sad person on the inside even though there was no real reason why I should be upset. I just got used to being fat and unhealthy.

Since a year ago this week, I have come so far and my journey isn't over yet. I still have weight to loose and maintain for the rest of my life. I am banded for life. This is who I am today and beyond. I don't think I have cheated or taken the easy was with my weight loss by having a band. I don't even think if I didn't have gastric bypass instead. I knew in the beginning that banding was the way for me to go. I knew it would take longer to loose weight, but knowing that there were more benefits to it for my lifestyle - it was right for me. Sometimes I think I am crazy because I have something in my stomach placed there to help me loose weight. That people loose weight every day - but for me, it never stayed away. I would always gain it back and more. Even though my weight loss has been slow- I have maintained. I haven't given up even going to the gym. It's part of who I am today.

I am most thankful this past year because I have really experienced who my friends are and who is there for me no matter what. They may think I was crazy or didn't agree with my choice... but they have stuck with me and I am forever grateful for the support that each person has given me. My parents have been the biggest supporters in all of this - from caring for me last year in the hospital and weeks following - not forcing me to eat with them and allowing me to do my own thing without judgement. My boyfriend I am also grateful for. He has been very supportive with working out. When I am not so motivated he pushes me, he motivates me just by telling me how nice I look which makes me feel like the most beautiful person to him. He wants me to be healthy for 'us' so we can live healthy and happy together. I am still working on him about eating out less. That is a work in progress which I think once our living situation changes it will work in my favor. I have slowly started to bring meals to cook for us on the weekends to his house. I am enjoying cooking and he is enjoying eating it. So with more baby steps we will get there.

This year is the first of many to come. It seems like forever but its just the beginning. So far, I have lost 32 pounds and I am a size 14 from size 22.

I don't regret anything that has happened this past year. It was a year of self discovery. I've been searching my whole life for me and I only have seen glimpses of who I am to become. I am excited to meet this person and I know that this next year will be totally unexpected but a great one indeed.

Thank you for reading along.

Weight for today: 200.2 lbs.