Wasabi Peas Overdose

I'm siting here eating Trader Joe's Wasabi Peas right out of the bag, and I think I've probably had three or four servings already.  In my mind, I've concocted some sort of justification....Peas are a vegetable, after all. Plus I must be burning some calories with the intense heat my body is absorbing.  Dang, these puppies are SPICY!  But, oh so good.  Must. Stop. Now.

I'm doing much better with my health issues.  We finally figured out that I had developed an abscess just above my incision, which was causing all of the discomfort and night fevers (so sick of changing the bed sheets every day). Dr. B. put me on round three of antibiotics, this time something stronger, and I'm doing much better.  He said my wound had closed prematurely, causing the abscess.  I'll spare you the gross details of how I figured this out, but am so relieved that the fluid build up is gone, and the crazy-pain is now just mild tenderness.

Being sans-port and not having any fluid in my band has been a weird adjustment.  I have none of the physical triggers of restriction when I eat, but I still get a feeling of fullness, telling me when I should stop.  I was told by two surgeons (my surgeon, and another with whom I had a phone consult) that I would most likely gain weight (about 10 lbs.), but so far, have managed to lose a couple of pounds.  I'm hoping I can keep that up, as my surgery to get a new port won't be for a couple of months, once this wound is 110% healed.  My surgeon told me that he has called in a favor with Allergan, and they are donating the port, which is a big financial relief.

Ta-ta for now!  Wishing all you mothers a blessed and relaxing day!

Missing My Chubby Cheeks

So, I know vanity kills and all but can we chat, just for a minute, about looks (specifically mine)?  Now, I certainly did not enter into this whole Lap Band experience just so I would "look better", but it definitely was a factor.  At 320 pounds, I did not feel good OR look good.  So, here we are 26 months later, and I surely FEEL better, and I do think that I LOOK better, overall.  But, can I just say that I miss my rounder face.  Not the 320 pound round face, but the 250-ish one.  I was looking at some photos from the past year, and was kind of stricken by the significant change in my face.  And I think I prefer the photos from mid-2010 to now.  I don't think I look bad in the second picture....I just think I prefer the rounder fce to the more angular one. Of course, I would not take back the 140 pounds I have lost, or even the 65 pounds that I have shed since the first photo, but I hope that my face does not get much thinner as I lose my last 25 pounds. I don't want my face to look like Skeletor.

I'll let you be the judge....The first picture was taken in October 2010, and the second one was this past New Year's Eve.  I'm thinking I look a bit gaunt. And I also think I look significantly older (I know I am a bit older, but I think I've lost my "youthful glow").  What do you think?

 October 2010

January 2012

Rewarding Myself....or Sabotage?

I do it every time....I see a new low on the scale, and I chillax with a day of "celebration eating", which always drives my weight backup.  Yesterday, I saw 182.5, and while I didn't go hog-wild with eating, I went over my calories, and was pretty "snacky".  You know, my way of saying "atta girl".  Only the result is always a jump on the scale.  Today, 184.0. TOM is here, so that may be a factor, but I don't want to make excuses.  I must break this celebration cycle.  If I had some extra money I could go shopping or get a massage, but I don't.  So I need to just buclke down and do better.

On the port front, I am doing much better.  Since my port was removed 3.5 weeks ago, I have no fluid in my band, but strangely, I still feel restriction, and the scale has moved down about five lbs.  Go figure!  My pain has decreased significantly, and my wound is healing nicely.  I see my surgeon in two weeks, and I'll pick a surgery date with him.  Ideally, he said 9-12 weeks from when my port was removed and definitely not before my wound is closed and healed (it's pretty close).

Took a recent weekend RV trip to the Grand Canyon.  Three RVs filled with family and friends. It was great fun, and the views were as great as I remembered from my childhood.  I'll leave you with a couple of shots:

Until Next Time,