Embracing Onederland

Another bout of the grumbling tummy over the weekend led to me lose another pound. Very odd that two weekends in a row hubby & I have both had tummy trouble. Still, I'm not going to complain at another pound lost, even if it was an uncomfortable one!

14st 2lbs - 198lbs - BMI 32.9

(a total loss so far of 64lbs; 30lbs to go)

Look at that little BMI number! I'm into the 32s. Still another 19lbs to lose before I'm in the 'overweight' category. That seems crazy to me - I feel so much better having lost 64lbs, but I'm still considered to be obese; and even when I've lost 83lbs and will be at the lowest weight I can almost ever remember being, I'll still be overweight! Oh well, onwards and downwards.

365 Days, 63lbs: Compare and Contrast!

Today is my one year 'bandiversary'! In some ways it doesn't feel right that it's an entire year ago that I had the gastric band fitted, but in other ways it feels much longer ago.

So, what has changed in the past 365 days since I had the band fitted? Well, I've lost 63lbs - that's quite a big change! And the amount I can eat has been drastically reduced - that's a big change too. It took me quite a long time to get what might be considered to be 'proper' restriction; I have 9ccs in my 10cc band, so that gives you some idea of how much it took to get me there. In many ways though, I'm glad it took that long as it meant that the amount of food I was able to consume in one sitting was reduced gradually so it didn't come as a massive shock whereby I went from eating a huge platter of deep-fried goodness one day to a tiny egg cup full of yoghurt the next. There was a gradual downward slope, and that suited me really well.

Those are two things that have decreased. But what has increased are my energy levels so I can cope with having a 22 month old toddler, a part-time job and a full-time life, and my confidence. I feel soooooooo much happier in myself and that reflects in the way I interact with other people. I don't feel the need to hide away or apologise for my presence any more. Compared to the old me, I feel like a million dollars! And I have the band to thank for that. Yes, I have to work at it too, but so far I've not had to work at it too much; I think to lose the rest of the weight it'll require a little more (a lot more?!) input from me, but so far the band really does get to take most of the credit.

And, in time honoured fashion, here are the comparison photos:

One year and 63lbs ago: 18st 10lbs (262lbs)

Today: 14st 3lbs (199lbs). Apologies for the REALLY poor photo quality - I forgot to turn the flash onNot sure this photo does my side view any justice really!

A big thank you to everyone who has commented on my blog in the past year and to everyone who reads my witterings, whether you comment or not. Here's to year two and more pounds gone.

Well, How Do You Do, Onederland?!

I DID IT!!!! I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!!

With a day to spare!

There is no photographic evidence because, as is the tradition in these situations (I've read enough other blogs to know that this happens with alarming regularity), the action of me skip-hopping downstairs to fetch my camera and back upstairs again and on to the scale meant that I'd gained weight and no matter how many times I stepped on and off the scales, Onederland was being camera shy.

But I know I saw it, twice.

And that is good enough for me.

14st 3lbs - 199lbs - BMI 33.1
(a total loss so far of 63lbs; 31lbs to go!)

At the moment I'm still in my pyjamas but later, once I've been to the gym (oh, did I mention I've been going three times a week for the last month or so?! let me just shine my halo a little), showered and dressed, I'll get hubby to take a photo so I can do a comparison post. Must do measurements too.

Fa la la. Onederland is looking like a lovely place to be.

Oh, and to add to all the goodness around here at the moment, we accepted an offer on our house yesterday evening and it's only been on the market for two weeks!

Two Hunderland With a Little Help from Norovirus

Hubby was in Munich for a business meeting from Wednesday to Friday last week; while there he had a delightful bout of sickness and diarrhoea, also known as Norovirus, or the winter vomiting bug. Now, while I never want any member of my family to be ill, I was glad he had it while he was away as I thought it meant myself and small boy would be safe. I was wrong. Yesterday lunchtime I started feeling a bit odd, tired, irritable; it came and went and I didn't think much of it because, to be honest, I'm quite often a bit odd, tired and irritable...

However by the early evening I was feeling much worse until I ended up dashing to the loo several times, sometimes not knowing which end should face the bowl first (sorry if that's TMI!) Luckily I was only sick twice. Vomiting (properly, not just to get rid of something 'stuck') with the band isn't fun, is it? I'm guessing whatever it is that you are vomiting has to come from the 'bottom' stomach, through the band the wrong way, into the 'top' stomach, and then out. Yuck. I just hope I haven't done any damage to the band. Luckily I have an appointment with my surgeon on Wednesday, so I'll mention it to him.

By about 9pm I was feeling much, much better - well enough to drink a few glasses of water and eat two pieces of Terry's Chocolate Orange... Considering that hubby suffered for a full 24 hours, I think I came off lightly. Now I'm just hoping the small boy doesn't come down with it.

Anyhoozles, the really, really good thing about a short bout of sickness and diarrhoea is that it leads to dehydration which leads to weightloss. (I am saying that all with my tongue firmly in my cheek, in case you're all sitting there thinking 'What? Is she crazy? She thinks being sick and dehydrated is a good thing?') This morning the scales recorded my lowest weight yet:

14st 4lbs - 200lbs - BMI 33.3

(a total loss so far of 62lbs; 32lbs to go!)

Yes, 200lbs, on the nose.

That's just 1lb to go til Onederland.

And 3 days til my one year bandiversary.

Will I make it??????

These Boots Were Made For...

...tucking my jeans into! This is a huuuuuge NSV for me.

Mum bought me these boots for Christmas.

They come from a regular shop.

They zip up without too much effort.

And, amazingly, I can zip them up with my jeans tucked in.

I have never, ever before owned a pair of boots (from a normal shop or a shop for those of us with larger than average calves) that I can tuck my jeans into!

On the weightloss front, all I can say is boing, boing, boring, boring. Back to 14.6 today. Onederland still eludes me but I don't mind. As Tina said, I'll get there eventually, even if it's not in time for my bandiversary.

3 Down!

Yay. I'm back to my lowest weight!

14st 5lbs - 201bs - BMI 33.4
(a total loss so far of 61lbs; 33lbs to go!)

Just 2lbs to go to Onederland.

And 6 days in which to lose them...

And I've only just realised that I'm in a new BMI category - Obese Class I! Yes, look at me, I'm only a bit obese now! I actually moved into the category three months and 9lbs ago, but I've only just noticed.

And I had an NSV yesterday. My mum told me she'd shown some photos she'd taken at Christmas to her next door neighbour who had pointed to me in the photos and said 'Who's that?' and Mum had said 'That's Justine' and the neighbour had been totally amazed and said she hardly recognised me. In a good way, I think.

2 Down (Again)

Boing, boing, boing as Catherine commented. At least this time I've "boinged" in the right direction.

Back down to 14st 6lbs (202lbs).

Just 3lbs to go to Onederland.

And 8 days in which to lose them...

I have a meeting with my surgeon in 7 days to round off my year under his care. I think he'll be quite pleased with what I've acheived, even if I'm not in Onederland. And, anyway, he works in kilos, so Onederland probably doesn't mean that much to him!

1 Back

One peksy pound crept back today.

Back up to 14st 7lbs (203lbs).

4lbs to lose to reach Onederland.

11 days in which to lose them...

Darn that fluctuating scale!

2 Down

Another pesky pound has gone.

Now back down to 14st 6lbs (202lbs).

Just 3lbs to go to Onederland.

And 12 days in which to lose them.

Treat cupboard looking marginally less full...

1 Down

Phew, one of those pesky treat-cupboard-enduced pounds has bitten the dust. Back to 14st 7lbs.
I've been to the gym twice in two days now that small boy is back at nursery, so perhaps that is helping.

Exactly two weeks to go in the "Onederland in One Year" challenge, and 4lbs to lose. But don't tell my brain what the plan is because it will just lead me straight to the treat cupboard.

Naughty brain.

New Year Anti-Miracle

I've put on weight. Arrggh. Now, admittedly it is TOTM so I could blame that. Or I could blame myself for eating my body weight twice over in chocolate biscuits. How is it that I was 'good' over Christmas, but now feel the need to eat and eat and eat all the naughty stuff that's left over? Don't worry about suggesting that I throw it away because I know I just won't do it. I'll just keep eating; that's what I do. But I'll be ENJOYING it - so don't worry about me!

14st 8lbs - 204bs - BMI 33.9
(a total loss so far of 58lbs; 36lbs to go!)

That's 3lbs up from my lowest weight and now 5lbs away from Onederland. I have a feeling I might be sabotaging myself. There's something a bit odd about me that makes me think I shouldn't have set the goal of being in Onederland by 20 Jan. As soon as there's some sort of concrete goal to aim for, it's like I'm determined not to do it. Can't explain why. Think it's the awkward, only child part of my nature that refuses to do as she is told. Ho hum. Not to worry, the weight will come off just as soon as stock in the treat cupboard is running low again. Look away now if you don't want to see what the treat cupboard looks like at this very moment.

The treat cupboard can't really be blamed for the weight gain because the treat cupboard actually looks like this most of the time and I don't bother about it that much. So, it must be a combination of TOTM and sheer bloody-mindedness that is making me pile on the pounds. Perhaps I need to tell myself "There is no goal; there is no goal" and the weight will just melt away...

My Word for 2011

ENJOY

Jumping on the 'word for 2011' bandwagon, I've chosen 'enjoy'

verb (used with object)
1: to experience with joy; take pleasure in
2: to have and use with satisfaction; have the benefit of
3: to find or experience pleasure for (oneself)
4: to undergo (an improvement)

All of these definitions seem very apt for life with the band, don't you think? And in more detail, here's how they do/will/can apply to me:

No. 1 - since the amount of food I can now eat is very limited, I intend to take pleasure in the foods that I do/can eat. I refuse to feel guilty about eating a biscuit, in fact I don't even feel guilty if I eat one hundred and eleventy seven biscuits in a day, followed by a big bar of chocolate and a wash it all down with a Snowball. So what? Tomorrow I may only eat a grape.

I also intend to experience with joy shopping for clothes, playing with my son, spending time with hubby, going out in the snow, meeting friends, and all those things that were not necessarily joyous when I weighed 60lbs more.

No. 2 - I am using the band with satisfaction and I certainly have the benefit of it

No. 3 - I am finding and experiencing pleasure in many aspects of my life since being banded - see No. 1 above.

No. 4 - I think it's fair to say that I have undergone an improvement since being banded - my health has improved, I have more energy, more confidence and I am generally a much happier person.

In the words of a song written in 1949 and played as the introduction to his programme by one of my favourite DJs:

Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think

Enjoy yourself, while you're still in the pink

The years go by, as quickly as you wink

Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself,

It's later than you think

And here's my darling boy showing how easy it is to enjoy life!