A New Low

This latest fill is working wonders with the weightloss - another 1lb down this morning, taking me to a new low of

16st 1lb - 225lbs - BMI 37.4
(a total loss so far of 37lbs)

I'm absolutely chuffed at being so close to the next stone down - another 2lbs and I'll be able to think to myself (but not to say out loud, oh no sirreee!) "I'm 15st-something" which, when you consider I started back in January at just 4lbs away from 19 stone, is going to feel sooooooo good!

This also means

1) I'm just 5lbs away from having lost 3st

2) I'm just 5lbs away from my next set of comparison photos

3) I'm just 3lbs away from losing 40lbs, which is the amount at which many bloggers have said people really begin to notice the weightloss

My wardrobe is throwing NSVs at me left, right and centre - so many of my clothes are too big now but I'm still wearing them because I can't afford to go out and replace everything! I'm scouring eBay for clothes in a size UK20 (or maybe even an 18 if the cut is right!)

When Mum & I were in Oxford the other day I tried on some 20s and 18s in good old M&S; the 20s fitted well, the 18s also fitted in some looser cut items and it felt so wonderful to not even have to pick up the size 22s. The smallest of the trousers that Tina sent me from Macy's in Portland, Oregon are even getting to be a little big; hopefully hubby and I will be paying a visit to the USA in the not-too-distant future so I can buy a smaller size before this pair fall off in a public place... That would be an NSV to blog about (as long as I don't get incarcerated for indecent exposure.)

8.5 out of 10

Not my score in the annual biscuit eating competition, but the number of mls in my band. I had another fill on Wednesday afternoon (my sixth, I think, or possibly my fifth - how easily we forget these things!); a 0.5ml fill, taking me up to 8.5mls in a 10ml band. There's not much more room for improvement, is there?! What if this one isn't 'it'? That only leaves me with three more fills before the band is at bursting point! What if I can still shovel in the Jammy Dodgers and KitKat Pop Chocs like they're going out of fashion?!

Having said that, I woke up yesterday morning to find that I'd lost another 1lb, taking me to a new lowest low of

16st 2lb - 226lbs - BMI 37.6

(a total loss so far of 36lbs)

Very pleased! I am definitely noticing the difference with this latest fill, but the old problem of head hunger is still there. To all those experienced bandsters out there - how long does it take for your head to catch up with your stomach?!

Yesterday, Mum and I made the most of the little boy being in nursery and went on a day trip to Oxford. We decided to catch the bus there rather than driving as the bus goes from literally outside the front door; what fun to toddle along on a double decker with the chance to nosey into people's gardens! Oxford was enjoyable, as always, although the tourists (into which group we do not fall, of course!) can be a little trying - there are just sooooo many of them!

I wonder if the slice of carrot cake (which I couldn't eat all of) and the peanut butter cookie (which I could, over two sessions) devoured during our visit had anything to do with the fact that the scales registered 16.3 this morning?! And if what I've eaten so far today is anything to go by, 16.4 will be blinking back at me tomorrow.

I'm a Lazy So-and-So

I've written a blog post on my other blog all about the house we are in the process of buying, and the village in which it is situated. Instead of copying/retyping/whatever it would take to get it on this blog, I'm just going to include this link. That way, if you are interested in having a nosey you can, and if you're not then you don't have to!

News from (non) weightloss land: I'm weighing in at 16st 4lbs (228lbs), which is 1lb heavier than my lowest weight. I have a fill booked for Wednesday afternoon. I think I just need a really itty bitty little one, but will see what the surgeon thinks.

Hope you are all well. Happy weekend!

Six Month Bandiversary

Wow; I can hardly believe it's been six whole months since I was banded. The time has flown by. I think I'm pretty much at the 'sweet spot' as far as restriction goes, although if you'd seen me filling my face the other evening, you might beg to differ. But some days it's like that - I feel as if I'm eating my bodyweight in this, that and the other, then the next day I can be full on a cracker.

Things I have learnt, six months down the line:

1) I can't eat much in one go (unless it's chocolate, which seems to slip right on through...)

2) I can only eat a very small amount of regular white bread; toast is fine, so are crumpets, flatbread and tortillas

3) I like losing weight

4) I like getting slimmer

5) If I get stuck, it's best to get rid of the offending item ASAP, rather than hoping it will pass through. It never does; and why bother going through 20 minutes of discomfort in the hope that it will?!

6) Blogland and my fellow banded bloggers are funny, smart, helpful, kind

7) There's no exact science to the whole band 'thing'

Things I still haven't learnt:

1) Chew slowly

2) Take small mouthfuls

3) The band is a tool to help with the weightloss, not a magic wand that works without any input from yours truly

4) Related to 3 above, to stop eating chocolate, biscuits and cake like there's about to be a worldwide shortage and I need to bulk up

5) Drink more water

Anyhoo, in six months I've lost 35lbs (two-and-a-half stone) and dropped two or three (depending on the outfit) dress sizes. Without the band I know there is absolutely no way I would have done that. If I'd played the game properly and could just stop eating the sweet stuff, I think I would probably have lost a fair bit more, but I can't, so I haven't!

Hello Brain, This Is Your Mistress Speaking

How many stucky episodes and how many visits to the porcelain throne is it going to take before I realise that bread + band = not a good mixture?

This morning I took small boy for a walk. When we got back hubby said 'I boiled up some eggs so we could have them for lunch. I thought I might make you a rocket, chicken and hard boiled egg salad.' Not being a mahoosive fan of the old salad leaf in general and knowing that chicken and I aren't the best of friends anymore, I turned down this kind offer. Then hubby offered egg mayo on crackers; again, I said no. Then came the offer of an egg mayo sandwich; my eyes lit up, my brain switched off, my tummy gurgled and it was all systems go.

I managed this much (and even that was a struggle, but I soldiered on valiantly.)

Then I had to pay a visit to the littlest room.

We Survived! (not WLS related, so feel free to skip!)

Ok, ok, so I suppose I could mention weightloss, or the lack thereof. Today the pesky scales registered 16st 6lbs; but they will not get me down because I know the reason - Aunt Flo will soon be paying me a visit. I am sitting here twiddling my thumbs and waiting for her to call; I do wish she'd get a move on so we can all just get on with things (aka losing weight.)

Moving on to non-band related stuff. Feel free to stop reading and move on to a more interesting blog where the blogger/bandster tells you motivating and inspirational tales of weightloss, NSVs, SVs and other skinny stuff. For here I am about to slip into parent mode, which I am sure some of you find less than riveting (I know it's true cos before I had a bambino of my own, I thought there was almost nothing on earth less interesting/more boring than other people's children.)


Anyway, today was small boy's first full day at nursery (preschool) and we all survived! I actually think hubby missed him more than me (he's a bit of a sopster that hubby of mine.)

We kept saying to each other 'Oh, I wonder what he's doing now? Oh, I expect he's having his lunch. Oh, I hope he's not sad. Do you think he's missing us?' And at the end of the day, when I went to pick him up I was getting those butterflies in my tummy like you get when you're really excited about seeing someone. Did I say hubby was a sopster? Hey, maybe I am too!

I've Lost a Follower!

Did I offend you?

Or, more likely, bore you?!

Sorry :(


I'm sure, just yesterday, there were 63 lovely people who were "interested' in my witterings; but now there are only 62. Anyway, in an attempt to appeal to as many people as possible, here are some photos, not all of which are band related.


Firstly, here is the small boy wondering what on earth to do with a rice cake:


And here he is, demonstrating to us how to enjoy such healthy fare!


Next, here's me wearing my new size 18 (yes, 18! yeehaw. I think that's a US 14) top from Laura Ashley. I only managed to get into a size 18 because of the cut of this particular top - ie, it's very generous - because I tried on plenty of others in sz 18 and even 20 which didn't fit. I'm also wearing the size 18 (US 18 this time, UK 22) trousers which Tina so very, very kindly made a trip to Macy's to get for me. When I started this weightloss journey nearly 6 months ago I was wearing the same trousers, but in US size 22. I have real trouble finding trousers that I feel fit me well, so I was so grateful that Tina got these for me and posted them over! (please excuse laundry which looks like it's floating in mid air, but it actually perched on bannister)


And finally, here's a photo of Will Young from the Henley Festival concert my friend Liz & I attended the other evening. We were in seats just four rows from the stage and, in fact, had the chance to sit even closer but talked ourselves out of it, cos sometimes 'close' can be too close.

Down Again!

Wow, I've dropped another pound to a new all-time low of

16st 3lb - 227lbs - BMI 37.8
(a total loss so far of 35lbs)

And that's a grand total of two-and-a-half stone! I'm so very pleased, not to mention surprised since I feel, at the moment, that my dear, dear band is doing this all for me and I'm just tagging along for the ride. I don't feel hungry in between meals so much any more; when I get hungry, I eat one of my three main meals. I still have a terrible habit of snacking on unhealthy stuff, most especially chocolate, but I am starting to cut out the mid-afternoon cake with my coffee. I know full well that when I go to a coffee shop, as I do most days (it's my only vice!), I buy a cake with my coffee purely out of habit. But, this may finally be coming to an end because the last three or four times I've bought a cake, I really haven't enjoyed it. Yes, it took me three or four attempts to realise this, but it might finally have sunk in!

On a sort of unrelated note, last night I went with my friend Liz to see Will Young at the Henley Festival. Dearest hubby had bought me the tickets as a surprise, bless him. We had the most fantastic evening - the people-watching was top notch, and Will Young was absolutely fabulous. Needless to say we stayed away from all of the eateries serving very high class meals, but we did indulge in an ice cream each. Before I set off for the evening, I got hubby to take a photo of me for comparison purposes. This is me (and hubby) in May 2009. I thought I looked quite nice at this wedding; the photos tells me otherwise!

and here I am in the same outfit last night (July 2010) weighing 35lbs less (possibly more, as the above photos were 10 weeks after I'd given birth, so I may have been carrying some baby weight - now, there's an excuse if ever there was one!)

Feeling Low

But not in a bad way!

The scales have been oh so kind to me over the last couple of days. I was going to write a post yesterday about how I was down to a new lowest weight of

16st 5lb - 229lbs - BMI 38.1

(a total loss so far of 33lbs)

but somehow the day ran away with me. I had a bit of a rough evening food-wise; it now seems that pork (in the form of pork chops or loins) may have to be off the menu as I had nothing but trouble trying to eat a chop for my dinner last night. Once my band had revolted against the pork, it also gave me a hard time with the courgettes, broccoli and red cabbage accompaniments, and even with the lovely slice of warm bakewell tart afterwards :(

Needless to say after the up-'heave'-al of yesterday evening I wasn't at all surprised to see an even lower all time low on the scales this morning:

16st 4lb - 228lbs - BMI 37.9

(total loss of 34lbs)

Wow! I'm fully expecting not to see 16.4 again for a while as I'm pretty sure that was more a result of dehydration than anything else, but I'm still really happy with 16.5 as it takes me into a new 'decade' of pounds - I'm now in the 220s, which is so wonderful when you consider I started in the 260s.

And on a totally different note: Happy 4th of July to all the US bandsters! I hope your bands are good to you over the holiday weekend.