Monday, September 17, 2012

Update: Finally Losing Weight


My Mom reminded me last week that I really needed to write a post for this blog, because the last time I posted, I was in a very negative space, hating the surgeon who preformed my surgery (I'm still not a fan) and declaring my regret for doing this in the first place. Since the last post, I've gotten a better grip on how to eat with the lapband and have actually been losing some weight. 

What to Eat?
A month ago I was completely confused on what to eat, what not to eat, whether to count calories or just focus on smaller portions. After doing an online webinar with the dietitian at my surgeon's office, I think I finally have a grasp on the food portion of my weight loss. Basically, I need to be having three small meals a day, as well as a couple of snacks if needed. The minimum amount of time time between meals should be 2 hours, and the maximum should be 4. I am supposed to eat about a cup of food total per meal and that cup should be filled with high protein and high fibre foods. To give you a small example of what I am eating, here is a sample menu. 

Breakfast
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup of blueberries
1/4 cup of high protein and fibre granola

Lunch
1 whole grain tortilla
1 tbsp peanut butter

Snack
3 whole grain crackers
light marble cheese

Dinner
1 veggie burger (without the bun)
1/4 cup cottage cheese
20 whole grain 'chips'

Snack
non-fat frozen yogurt

Getting a fill? 
While I was definitely eating properly, the weight just didn't seem to be coming off and I was stuck at 19lbs  for a good 3 or so weeks. One day I would go down, the next I would go up, and I was getting really frustrated. I called the surgeon's office and decided to book an appointment to get a fill (they would tighten my band so I would be more restricted and have to eat less). However, a few days before my appointment, I found myself  eating more food and actually losing more weight. It seems that I wasn't eating enough,and so my body was stuck in 'starvation mode'.  I called the office, spoke with a nurse, and while she didn't seem to like the idea of me eating more (although she never asked what I had been eating), she agreed that I should hold off on the fill for the time being. 

My weight loss to date. 
I am happy to say that as of today, I have lost 26lbs since my surgery and it is really starting to show. My face is much thinner (hallelujah!), my clothes are getting pretty big and I seem to be able to move, walk, etc. more easily. My first goal was to lose 25lbs and,because I did, I will be getting a new tattoo in the next couple of weeks. My next goal is 50lbs, which I hope to be at by Christmas. 

Thanks for all of your support and I promise to update this blog more frequently than I have been. 

xx
Alicia