Watch Me Shrink!

I saw Ravenna on Wife Swap last night. Did you? She was great! I just had to look her up online and ask her what kind of weight loss surgery she had. Sure enough, she has the band! Here’s an excerpt of the email she wrote back

“Yes Kathy, I have a band! I went to France before it was FDA approved and got a MID band - but they’re all basically the same.”

Ravenna, I want to be like you when I grow up. You look fabulous!

WifeSwap cracks me up! These poor women; the show producers always put them the worst situation they can. Ravenna swapped with a lumberjill/lumberjack family! Both of the moms were way out of their element, which makes for lots of laughs and a few tears.

My favorite part was when the lumberjack dad was drawing with his son– thanks to Sarina aka Ravenna. I was also glad Sarina’s hubby broke the rule and refused to sell all of her burlesque stuff. Way to go Dan!!! This was one of the better episodes because both families seemed to learn something that made their lives better and the moms didn’t claw each other’s eyes out at the end (some of those meetings get pretty heated).

When I went looking for Ravenna online, I came across a series of articles about her at 360 Digest. I was very surprised to find out she had been fired from her Real Estate firm. Are you kidding me? In this day and age?!?! Well, long story short, a better firm hired her and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I’m glad things worked out in the end.

Be sure to stop by RavennaBlack.com and vote for her! She’s competing for Miss Viva Las Vegas.(keep in mind this is her burlesque site and may not be suitable for children)

What was your favorite part of the show?

12/365: Out sickOriginally uploaded by Blueeyes24

I caught this cold and flu junk that’s going around and I’m feeling a bit under the weather this week. Every cold or flu seems to be a little different and this is the first one I’ve had that affected my band. My stomach is tighter than usual so I have to be careful of what I eat.

I had a Salmon patty for lunch today that wasn’t sitting well and was a bit annoying as I waited for it to pass. (It’s amazing how I feel my stomach so much now and can tell exactly what it’s doing.) So, I took it easy for dinner. The family had stew and I took the potatoes and carrots out and mashed them. I took half a bite of soft beef and it struggled to go down. Oops!

This also means I will have to reschedule my fill this Thursday. Not only because my lap band and stomach are feeling tighter but also because I hate driving that far when I feel this crummy with flu and cold. Yuck!

I hope I’m not grossing you out. I just want to share for those out there are are curious about what daily life is like with the lap band. Moments like this it is an additional insult to injury, so to speak, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

Prayers, well wishes and chicken soup gladly welcomed. Have a great week everybody!

Update: 1/30/08

Thank you for all the well wishes! I had to delay my fill but I am feeling great again. I can tell I’ve lost more. I love my band!

Prior to my lap band surgery it helped me a lot to watch video diaries of people who had already been through the procedure. This was one of my favorite videos because they followed her up to pre-op and right after surgery. Mine ended up being almost exactly like this and was really as simple as it looked in the video. It wasn’t as fun as a party or anything but not too bad

This gal is young and has some “colorful” language here and there but kudos to her for having the guts to video diary every detail and share it with us. “Thanks!”

There are a lot of videos in this series, capturing every last detail. I put up three main ones from surgery day that I thought you might enjoy.
You can see all of her videos here:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=thebandinme

(Sorry, I couldn’t get the videos to work right. So I just made these links to the videos.)

Cheking in

The lap band totally changes your life. Thank God! The way you think about food and deal with it every single day is completely different. Some days are better than others, but when you slip into bad habits the band is there to remind you.

The band is a TOOL. The better you follow the rules, the better the results. The great thing is that the band makes it so much easier to do than ever before. I’m only 6 months out and learning more and more every day.

Without further ado, here are the “Ten Important Rules for Living with the LAP-BAND®” from the manufacturer at LapBand.com:

Ten Important Rules for Living with the LAP-BAND®
Following the food choices covered in detail in the previous section and the general guidelines below is critical to your success. These ten important rules for eating, drinking, and exercise below will help you get the best results with the LAP-BAND® System:

1. Eat only three small meals a day.
2. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
3. Stop eating as soon as you feel full.
4. Do not drink while eating.
5. Do not eat between meals.
6. Eat only good quality food.
7. Avoid fibrous food.
8. Drink enough fluids during the day.
9. Drink only low-calorie liquids.
10. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

Rule 1: Eat only three small meals a day.
Your new small stomach pouch can hold only about one-fourth of a cup of food. If you try to eat more than this at one time, you may become nauseated or vomit. If you routinely eat too much, the small stomach pouch may stretch. Frequent vomiting will cancel the effect of the operation and can also cause certain complications, such as stomach slippage. To avoid this, you need to learn to listen to your body.

Rule 2: Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
Food can pass through the new stomach only if it has been chewed into very small pieces. Always remember to take more time for your meals and chew your food very well.

Rule 3: Stop eating as soon as you feel full.
Once your stomach is full, your body receives a signal that you have eaten enough. It takes time, though, for you to become aware of this signal. If you rush through your meal, you may eat more than you need. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. Take time to eat your meal. Try to recognize the feeling of fullness—then stop eating at once.

Rule 4: Do not drink while you are eating.
The LAP-BAND® can work only if you eat solid food during your three meals. You should not drink anything for one to two hours after a meal. This allows you to keep the feeling of fullness as long as possible.

Rule 5: Do not eat between meals.
After a meal, do not eat anything else until the next meal. Eating snacks between meals is one of the major reasons for weight-loss failure. It is very important to break this habit. Patients with proper “fill” levels do not feel hungry in between meals. If you are feeling hungry, this may be a sign that your band is too loose and you should tell your clinician.

Rule 6: Eat only good quality food.
With the LAP-BAND® System in place, you should be able to eat only a small amount so the food you eat should be as nutritious as possible. Follow the nutrition guidelines in the previous section and specific instructions from your surgeon and/or dietitian. Also, ask your doctor or dietitian before you take any vitamin supplements.

Rule 7: Avoid fibrous food.
Food that contains many fibers, such as asparagus, can block the stoma. That’s because you can’t chew this food well enough to break it up into small pieces and your saliva can’t break it down. Fibrous food should be avoided. If you would like to eat asparagus or other fibrous foods once in a while, then be sure to cook them well, cut them into very small pieces first, and then chew thoroughly.

Rule 8: Drink enough fluids during the day.
Drinking enough fluids is essential for staying hydrated and for flushing waste products out of your body. Individual needs will vary, but you should drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day. Remember: You should only drink water, tea, or coffee (without milk, cream, or sugar). Also, keep your food and drinks completely separate during the day.

Rule 9: Drink only low-calorie liquids.
Drinks, including those containing calories, simply run through the narrow outlet created by the band. If you drink liquids high in calories, you will lose little weight, even if you follow all of the other dietary guidelines.

Rule 10: Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
Since physical exercise consumes energy and burns calories, it is a very important component in any successful weight-loss program. Exercise can also help improve your general health. In addition to adopting a routine exercise program, you can increase your activity level in the course of daily living. For example, stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, be outside rather than inside, walk rather than drive, climb the stairs rather than use the elevator. Remember that you should always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you.

Cheese Cake Pudding

1 cup Fat free plain yogurt
1 cup skim milk
1/2 pkg sugar free jello cheese cake pudding
1/2 pkg sugar free strawberry jello
1 tbsp Unjury unflavored protein powder
Mix well in blender and chill.
Makes four 1/2 cup servings; 94 cal./0.25g fat/6g pro. per serving.
Tastes just like strawberry cheese cake without the crust! Perfect for the mushie phase, after a fill or for taking crushed pills. Enjoy!

The first priority for the Lap Band diet or recipes is PROTEIN. Here is a short list that I keep handy listing the protein values of common foods that our family (and probably yours) has in the kitchen.

1. Chicken Breast - 3.5 oz., 30 grams of protein
2. Turkey - About 7 grams of protein per ounce
3. Tuna - 6 oz. can, 40 grams of protein
4. Salmon - 3.5 oz., 27 grams of protein
5. Eggs - 1 large, 7 grams of protein
6. Milk - 1 cup, 8 grams of protein (1%)
7. Cottage Cheese - 1/2 cup, 15 grams of protein
8. Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews - 1/4 cup, 8grams, 9 grams, 5 grams of protein
9. Peanut Butter - 2 Tablespoons, 8 grams of protein (high cal and fat)
10. Yogurt - 8-12 grams of protein per cup

This year I came up with the PERFECT Christmas gift for Jessica. Karen Kingsbury, her favorite author, was guest speaking at a women’s conference near by. So I got two tickets and contacted Karen to ask if she would specially autograph a book for the occasion. She and her mother, Anne Kingsbury, were so wonderful in helping me to pull this off. I bought the Red Gloves book and Karen signed it with a message saying “Christmas, 2007 Jessica, See you soon! Love and Joy! Karen Heb 12:2 Jer 29:11″. She always has the perfect words!

When Jessica opened the book, and red gloves I included, it took her a while to put it all together and figure out that she would be meeting her hero, Karen Kingsbury on January 5, 2008. She was so excited and the present was a hit!

We went to the conference yesterday and had a blast! The break out sessions on improving relationships with men, children and ourselves were good. The lunch was delicious– I had chicken, jess had fish. We even sat with a friend of Karen’s who shared some very touching personal stories about how truly sweet and down to earth Karen and her family are. But the very best part of all was Karen’s presentation.

She told us some very funny stories from her own life and shared pearls of wisdom about living our best every day. There were two main points that stuck with me in particular: “life is all about how we live our lives between Sundays” (the title of her latest book) and a letter a father sent to his estranged daughter simply said “I’m sorry. I love you. Let’s start again.”

“I’m sorry. I love you. Let’s start again.” This is my letter to myself and my mantra for the year. I haven’t been very nice to myself over the years. I have neglected my body, health and personal needs for the people and things I mistakenly thought were more important. “Dear body, I’m sorry. I love you. Lets start again.”

We were able to meet up with Karen and her mother, Anne, at the end of the conference. They were even nicer in person! Karen had wonderful words of encouragement for Jessica’s aspirations of a career as an author. She said “My father used to always tell me ‘Somebody has to be the next bestselling author. That’s going to be you.’ Now I say that to you. You’re going to be the next bestselling author.” Isn’t that just the sweetest thing ever! Thank you, Karen. You are such a great role model for young aspiring Christian authors!

I was even more touched when her 15 year old son pulled a handicapped woman out of the book signing line and brought her straight to his mom. What a genuinely kind family!

It was a great day and a great memory to have with my daughter! If you have a blog post with a similar story or would like to share your 2008 mantra please post a link or comment below.

(This may have been a little long for a post, but trust me it’s the short version. LOL!)

Happy New Year! 2008 is going to be a fabulous year!

I just got home from my first fill of the new year. I now have 7.8cc in my 14cc band. I’m on liquids for the next couple of days– which is fine with me after all the holiday eating I did. No weight loss to report, unfortunately.

I plan to get serious about my weight loss with my band in 2008! My number 1 focus is my body. I need to exercise, eat nutritious foods, use healthy eating habits, spend more time pampering myself and just loving and appreciating the marvelous body that God gave me.

What are your plans for the new year?

As I look back over 2007 the one thing that sticks out most in my mind is getting my lap band. I started looking into what it was and how it worked in late winter and decided by mid-spring that this was the answer for me. I’m glad, now, that it was such a tough journey to get information, find the right doctor and get the surgery. In having to fight for this I knew without a shadow of a doubt this was for me.

The pre-op and first month was really tough. Not because of the pain, but it messes with you emotionally. I’m not sure how to adequately put it into words, except that it brings up every food issue you have and even creates some new ones. I had a lot of prayer chats with God. I’m just so grateful I had a few hundred online friends to go through it with and a wonderfully supportive family.

I’m healed and I’ve had 4 small fills. I still haven’t hit my sweet spot but I’m losing slow and steady. So far I’m down 30lbs and due for my next fill in a few days.

I’m still learning how to use my lap band for all it’s worth. I’m improving my eating habits and exercise more and more each day. I LOVE my band!!! It was the best thing I have ever done for myself. 2007 was a great year, but it was just the start!

I made the yummiest recipe today! I just had to share.

Easy Crustless Pumpkin Pie
1 can Libby’s Pumpkin Pie mix
6 Eggs
1 cup 1% Milk

Mix ingredients and pour into a casserole dish (no need for grease or non-stick spray). Bake for 60 min. at 325 degrees. Knife inserted in the middle should come out clean. Let cool 30 min. before serving.
Makes ten 1/2 cup servings
Calories: 140, Fat: 3g, Carbs: 21g, Protein: 5g

Next, I’m going to try this with eggbeaters and maybe even add more egg or unflavored protein powder. I’ll keep you posted.

I’m always looking for new ways to get my daily protein in. Please share any recipies you have!