Hello everybody - it's been a while! As I sit here wondering what to type, I look back on the past few months and ask myself what has happened? Why have I deserted my blog? It's not just the blog, I have also rarely visited the UKGastricBand forum in the last couple of months - which previously I had visited several times a day. I also kept a food diary - yes, that book in the kitchen that hasn't been touched for a couple of months now. I religiously weighed myself every morning - and now it's once or twice a week - if I dare. If I look through my cupboards in the kitchen, I notice some old favourites have crept back in - bottles of Diet Coke, and the dreaded chocolate. And yes, I know it's Easter, and we can all be forgiven a little luxuriating in the brown stuff at this time of year - but I've hardly stopped eating the stuff for weeks now.
So I ask again - what's going on? I think it's a combination of things - there's no straightforward answer. Here's a few stabs at what is going wrong:
1. The 'light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel' blues. Looking at the UKGB forum, it's clear that this doesn't only apply to me. As we get closer to our goal weight - that elusive target that for the first time actually appears reachable - it somehow remains just out of our grasp. I've lost nearly eight stone and have a relatively paltry one-and-a-half left to go - yet it's the hardest few pounds of the lot. I've made all of the major changes to portion sizes, exercise, bad habits (though some have crept back in) - so every ounce now needs a monumental effort to lose. The result is, frustration begins to set in - and in my case - that leads to stress - which is relieved through eating. Back to the vicious circle.
2. Workaholicism (is that a new word I've invented?!). I know I can't blame everything on work - but this really has been the hardest extended period at work I've ever experienced. Since late August 2009 until the beginning of March this year - it has just been bedlam. I've literally done nothing but work, work, and work. Exercise has all but disappeared from my life, as has any social life, family life and relaxation. Don't get me wrong - I still manage to watch the goggle box from time to time - but it's not so much relaxation as complete collapse! On the bright side, work has definitely got better in the last three or four weeks and should remain so until the real pressure begins all over again in September (!). But I'm making the most of it and have already begun getting back on the exercise treadmill (not literally).
3. Chocaholicism (another new word). Mmm, yes, not sure how to lick this one (another awful pun!). I am clearly addicted to chocolate. Apparently it's not possible to be physiologically addicted to chocolate in the way that you can be addicted to drugs, caffeine, nicotine etc. But it IS possible to be emotionally addicted to chocolate - and I am. I actually booked an appointment with a hypnotherapist some weeks back, but then bottled out at the last minute and cancelled it! Having re-thought this - I'm going to have another go in the next few weeks definitely - what's the worst it can do? And it might actually help.
4. No longer a newbie. Sometimes I look on the UKGB forum and see the same old questions being posed by newbies - the questions I posed myself when I first started out on this journey. I answer questions occasionally but I'm not really sure what I can offer anymore. It's the same with this blog. I've probably said all of the really important things and I sometimes think can I really add anything useful anymore? However, one thing that strikes me, is that there is relatively little written on the web by long term bandits. I'd love to know what it's like to be bandit three or five or ten years on. It's also clear to me that the struggles I'm going through now are not the same as those I experienced earlier in my journey. That probably makes it worthwhile continuing to write. However, I'm aware that new bandits, or people thinking about getting banded, don't necessarily want to read about longer term bandits who are struggling and facing all sorts of problems. I'd hate to put anyone off - because whatever struggles I am facing now - I would not change one step of my band journey. If I time-travelled back to the start of my journey, knowing what I know now - I couldn't change a thing. It's been the best thing I ever did in my life.
So, there are several reasons why I will begin to write again - because I now have more time back to myself, because I still think it may help longer term bandits (and help newbies to better informed about the ups and downs of banding), and because I need to give myself some therapy. What's that last point I hear you ask? Well, I know that many of you have enjoyed reading my blog because you've told me so - and that's great. But it's also therapy for me. It's when I'm writing, or thinking about what to write, that I often make important breakthroughs in my own thinking, planning and behaviour analysis. Even as I write this, it has been brought home to me that I have drifted away from some of the cornerstones of my weight loss success so far - my food diary, daily blogging, daily trips to UKGB forum, and generally immersing myself in day-to-day thoughts, facts, ideas about weight loss, exercise, environmental control, habits, portion sizes, calorie counting and the rest. It's as though I've forgotten all of this - it has been put to one side for more important things to take its place. But what is more important than feeling good about oneself, being healthy and fit, looking good, having a respectable level of self esteem, and being able to wear great clothes?!
So, there are lots of reasons why I've been silent for a while but probably as many reasons why I need to get back on the case and start to get serious about my band, my eating, my exercise, and above all - sharing again. Thank you for staying with me.
Oh, and I'm seriously thinking about 'coming out' - watch this space.
Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Ups and downs
Hello people! This has been the longest I've ever left it between posts - I'm writing a Masters thesis so working every waking hour. It'll be done in a week so I can get back to blogging more often. Anyway, what have I been up to? Well in terms of physical activity - absolutely nothing. I've been sitting on my backside most of the time and not got my heart pumping for ages. My eating habits have been all over the place. Some days I've managed to put away 3000 calories or more, and other days I've got by on a third of that! One recent development which is helping things is that I've given up chocolate for Lent! Lent only began this Wednesday so I've gone without the brown stuff for just four days so far - another 36 to go....
Another new development is that in the past month, on days when I've over-eaten, I have had bad acid reflux at night. I've had to lay propped up on pillows and I've been taking Zantac pills to help. Of course when I eat more sensibly the acid disappears - so it's my body's natural warning to do just that. Makes sense really!
Today, somewhat out of the blue, I had one slime episode, and another slimy regurgitation episode. The first was triggered by nothing more than drinking some cold Ribena a little too fast, and the second was triggered by eating half a small yoghurt after my lunch.....?! Anyway, since then I've been eating somewhat cautiously the rest of the day.
Something else happened today which I found surprising. I was talking to a complete stranger at work. She'd obviously seen a head and shoulders photograph of me on the staff noticeboard and commented that I'd lost a lot of weight. I find this surprising because:
1. It was very observant on her part
2. I wasn't aware that it was so obvious - just from a head and shoulders shot
3. She asked how I'd lost the weight and I immediately blurted out 'I've got a gastric band!' - to a complete stranger! Oh well, I'm obviously getting a lot more relaxed about it!
I'll be back posting again soon. All the best.
Another new development is that in the past month, on days when I've over-eaten, I have had bad acid reflux at night. I've had to lay propped up on pillows and I've been taking Zantac pills to help. Of course when I eat more sensibly the acid disappears - so it's my body's natural warning to do just that. Makes sense really!
Today, somewhat out of the blue, I had one slime episode, and another slimy regurgitation episode. The first was triggered by nothing more than drinking some cold Ribena a little too fast, and the second was triggered by eating half a small yoghurt after my lunch.....?! Anyway, since then I've been eating somewhat cautiously the rest of the day.
Something else happened today which I found surprising. I was talking to a complete stranger at work. She'd obviously seen a head and shoulders photograph of me on the staff noticeboard and commented that I'd lost a lot of weight. I find this surprising because:
1. It was very observant on her part
2. I wasn't aware that it was so obvious - just from a head and shoulders shot
3. She asked how I'd lost the weight and I immediately blurted out 'I've got a gastric band!' - to a complete stranger! Oh well, I'm obviously getting a lot more relaxed about it!
I'll be back posting again soon. All the best.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Some advice to a potential bandit
After a previous post, a reader posted some questions to help her decide whether to go ahead and have gastric band surgery. I posted my answer as a 'comment' but I know some of you may not read the comments section - so here it is:
I'm pleased that you find the blog useful and helpful. I will try to answer each of your queries - but do remember that (a) this is only based on my experience - the experiences of others may vary, and (b) I'm not a doctor (well, not a medical one anyway!)!.
Loose skin: Yes, I have loose skin and it was one of my greatest fears before I got the band. However, it is much less of a problem than the health problems, humiliation and lack of fitness that go with being obese. I will need to have a tummy tuck and am considering other cosmetic surgery too. However, you are only 22 years old and your skin will be much more elastic than mine (I'm 45 years old). That means it is more likely to 'spring' back into position after you have lost weight. Therefore, you should have a very good chance of not getting excess skin after weight loss. You can do lots of exercise and muscle toning activities,and there are also lotions you can apply to help keep your skin taut. I'm not sure how much these are effectve. The main factors are how overweight you are, your age, and how rapidly you lose weight. You are young, you're not as heavy as I was when I started out, and people don't tend to lose weight too rapidly with the band (compared with a bypass, for example).
Diet: In theory, it shouldn't be necessary to 'diet' with the band. It is not about following a special diet; more about healthy eating, good nutrition and portion control. However, I find that my willpower is so weak that I need to count calories and keep a rigorous food diary to keep me on the straight and narrow most of the time. Most of my meals are healthy and portion-controlled. I also tend to have healthy snacks most of the time. However, I also slip up on a regular basis - yesterday, for example, I managed to fit in two bars of chocolate and a mince pie....!
Multivitamins: I take a daily multivitamin - just a common off-the-shelf variety from Tesco. I use a chewable one. I can swallow small tablets but prefer the chewable ones anyway - they are much like eating a sweet! As a bandit, you should find that after the initial liquids only phase, you can eat a fairly normal diet - albeit with much smaller portions. Therefore, it is not usually necesary to take any other supplements as it is if you have a bypass. I don't use any effervescent tablets but I could if I needed to - I am still a regular drinker of Diet Coke. As long as you pour it into a glass to allow the worst of the gas bubbles to escape, and drink it slowly and carefully, - I've never had any real problem.
Thank you for your kind words. I do hope that your surgery goes well. Do make sure that you get a good aftercare package that includes follow-up appointments, fills and an emergency number just in case you need it. I've never needed to use the emergency number given me - but it's a great comfort knowing that there are people available should anything go wrong. I've just read about a lady who had her op done in Belgium and her surgeon os only over in the UK once a month. She urgently needs a de-fill but has to wait a month for it - I, and some other bandits have advised her to get a de-fill from somewhere else and not wait. So - make sure you get a good aftercare package included with your surgery!!
All the best, Trees x
I'm pleased that you find the blog useful and helpful. I will try to answer each of your queries - but do remember that (a) this is only based on my experience - the experiences of others may vary, and (b) I'm not a doctor (well, not a medical one anyway!)!.
Loose skin: Yes, I have loose skin and it was one of my greatest fears before I got the band. However, it is much less of a problem than the health problems, humiliation and lack of fitness that go with being obese. I will need to have a tummy tuck and am considering other cosmetic surgery too. However, you are only 22 years old and your skin will be much more elastic than mine (I'm 45 years old). That means it is more likely to 'spring' back into position after you have lost weight. Therefore, you should have a very good chance of not getting excess skin after weight loss. You can do lots of exercise and muscle toning activities,and there are also lotions you can apply to help keep your skin taut. I'm not sure how much these are effectve. The main factors are how overweight you are, your age, and how rapidly you lose weight. You are young, you're not as heavy as I was when I started out, and people don't tend to lose weight too rapidly with the band (compared with a bypass, for example).
Diet: In theory, it shouldn't be necessary to 'diet' with the band. It is not about following a special diet; more about healthy eating, good nutrition and portion control. However, I find that my willpower is so weak that I need to count calories and keep a rigorous food diary to keep me on the straight and narrow most of the time. Most of my meals are healthy and portion-controlled. I also tend to have healthy snacks most of the time. However, I also slip up on a regular basis - yesterday, for example, I managed to fit in two bars of chocolate and a mince pie....!
Multivitamins: I take a daily multivitamin - just a common off-the-shelf variety from Tesco. I use a chewable one. I can swallow small tablets but prefer the chewable ones anyway - they are much like eating a sweet! As a bandit, you should find that after the initial liquids only phase, you can eat a fairly normal diet - albeit with much smaller portions. Therefore, it is not usually necesary to take any other supplements as it is if you have a bypass. I don't use any effervescent tablets but I could if I needed to - I am still a regular drinker of Diet Coke. As long as you pour it into a glass to allow the worst of the gas bubbles to escape, and drink it slowly and carefully, - I've never had any real problem.
Thank you for your kind words. I do hope that your surgery goes well. Do make sure that you get a good aftercare package that includes follow-up appointments, fills and an emergency number just in case you need it. I've never needed to use the emergency number given me - but it's a great comfort knowing that there are people available should anything go wrong. I've just read about a lady who had her op done in Belgium and her surgeon os only over in the UK once a month. She urgently needs a de-fill but has to wait a month for it - I, and some other bandits have advised her to get a de-fill from somewhere else and not wait. So - make sure you get a good aftercare package included with your surgery!!
All the best, Trees x
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Many meetings in Manchester
Hello again! It's been nearly a week since I last posted - the longest it's ever been apart from when I've been on holiday. I've been working very long hours this past week and just too tired to post. I had a very interesting weekend. On Saturday, I travelled into Manchester for a meet-up with others I've 'met' through the UKGastricBand forum. It's been arranged for months and I'd been looking forward to it. Anyway, I arrived at the agreed location, but due to a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, some on my part, I didn't find the group! I was really gutted and decided to drown my sorrows in a pizza lunch! I ordered a really small, thin based veggie pizza and struggled to eat it all. In fact, I'd had enough by the time I got half way through - but I still have a 'fat' brain so pressed on till the end! I went to work for a few hours and then headed home to work some more!
As well as meeting the guys I've been chatting with online for so long, I was really looking forward to eating with some other bandits! I know it might sound daft, but I've never sat down and eaten with someone else who has a band. I'd love to just see some other bandits eat - how much, how quickly, what etc. Still, it was not to be - maybe another time.
On Sunday I headed back into Manchester for the regular Healthier Weight support group. I don't find the presentations as useful as I once did because I've heard them all before. But it's still good reinforcement. However, I really value the opportunity to discuss progress, problems, concerns and successes with other bandits. It's equally great to see long term bandits looking positively skinny, as it is being able to offer advice and encouragement to newbies. There is strong evidence that bandits who maintain contact with a support network gave more success than those who don't. So, come rain or shine, it is my intention to keep going fir the foreseeable future.
As well as meeting the guys I've been chatting with online for so long, I was really looking forward to eating with some other bandits! I know it might sound daft, but I've never sat down and eaten with someone else who has a band. I'd love to just see some other bandits eat - how much, how quickly, what etc. Still, it was not to be - maybe another time.
On Sunday I headed back into Manchester for the regular Healthier Weight support group. I don't find the presentations as useful as I once did because I've heard them all before. But it's still good reinforcement. However, I really value the opportunity to discuss progress, problems, concerns and successes with other bandits. It's equally great to see long term bandits looking positively skinny, as it is being able to offer advice and encouragement to newbies. There is strong evidence that bandits who maintain contact with a support network gave more success than those who don't. So, come rain or shine, it is my intention to keep going fir the foreseeable future.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
ONE YEAR TODAY!
It's my bandiversary today! One year ago I was recovering in hospital after my early morning surgery. In fact, at this precise time, I was sitting in the chair watching TV and trying to take my mind off the discomfort and general fuzziness that was my head. Reading back over my blog post the day after surgery, I am reminded that on the evening of my surgery I watched the X Factor before getting a nurse to help me back into bed for the night. Well nothing new there a year on then, because I'll be glued to it again this evening!So how has the last year been? Well, on the plus side, I am 110 pounds lighter than I was a year ago, I am MUCH fitter and healthier, and can now fit into size 16 clothes. I still have 25 pounds to lose and a couple more clothes sizes to drop, but even if I don't lose another pound, I would still consider my band journey to be a success. On the minus side, it hasn't been easy. There have been some low points as well as highs and it has been a complete pain the bum having to keep a daily food diary! That said, it will be the last habit I break becuase it has been enormously valuable and I wouldn't have achieved what I have had I not kept it religously. I've had a long route to finding my sweet spot, including seven fills and two de-fills. I've spent 48 days of the last year on fluids and a further 48 on mush!
This blog was started on day one of my pre-op diet, on 10th Novemeber 2008. Since that time there have been more than 6,000 visits to the site and about 350 posts. I have communicated with hundreds of fellow bandits through the blog and through the UKGastricBand forum (and other similar sites) and feel I have made some firm friends, albeit virtually, for life. In fact I will be meeting up with a group of bandits in Manchester next weekend - we've never met before but have all shared the ups and downs of band-life on a regular basis and Im sooo looking forward to it.
My daily life isn't hugely different from what it was. I don't eat breakfast before I leave for work any more - I eat it later in the morning. I also don't eat in the staff canteen any more. I don't eat 'on the go' any more - my daily eating is carefully planned out, prepared in advance, weighed, measured and written down! The contents of the food cupboards in our house are different - there's no chocolate, very rarely any cheese in the fridge (except Rosemary Conley's low fat cheese sometimes), and no biscuits or cakes. I still eat out occasionally, but I'm always the last person to finish now. I can still eat anything. I very rarely take the lift at work and can now take the stairs up to my fourth floor office two at a time. I do a bit of jogging, visit the gym, swim and do lots of walking. I get much less sweaty than I used to!
My wardrobe is completely different. There is now nothing left in my wardrobe that I wore before getting banded. There are relatively few clothes in there because I don't want to buy too many before I reach my final target weight. What has surprised me is the fact that most of my shoes are now too big and my wedding ring now fits!
Looking back to the days before I had surgery, I know that I had a number of concerns - not least of which was 'would the band work?'. But there were other things too, like, would I still be able to eat out? I had visions that I would never again be able to go out for a meal with my family. Anyway, to celebrate my 'coming of age' today, I have decided to start a short series of posts (starting later this week) where I will explore some of these pre-op qualms and look at how they have panned out, how I have dealt with them, was I right to be anxious about x, y and z, or were they empty fears?
If you have any pre-op fears that you'd like me to focus on, please leave a comment and I'll do my best!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Three hundred posts!
Sorry people, but this is a somewhat pointless post - just to say that it's my three hundredth!! Doesn't time fly when you're having fun! When I started this blog I don't think I ever dreamed I would find so much to write about. But every day is a new experience with the band so I think there's lots more to come.......
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Four grand!
Just spotted that there have been FOUR THOUSAND visitors to this blog!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for visiting, for your loyalty and for your comments. Please do leave a comment if there is anything you'd like me to post about.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Is dieting necessary?
A couple of days ago a reader posted a comment which posed some important questions. In my attempt to answer these I somehow almost deleted the original post and comment and couldn't get it back again - as a comment. However, I did have a copy on my clipboard (phew!). So, since there were some important questions in there anyway I've posted the original comment and my response below. I do hope this was OK by you Amy - thanks so much for your contribution:
Hi Theresa,
I am an avid reader of your blog - has been marked under favorites forever! I have only commented once, though....I love reading about your progress - you are a very approachable writer, if that makes any sense. Anyway, I am wondering if you could be your eloquent self and answer this question....I was banded on June 22 and had my first fill on August 12 - 7ml in a 10 ml band. Before the surgery, I asked my consultant, if he had to use percentages, what percentage of my weight loss struggle would be my own burden, and how much of the struggle would the band take care of? I hope that makes sense to you...he answered he thought the band would do about 75 percent of the work. My question to you is....since you have lost SO much in 9 months, how much of the work did you do, and how much was the band? Your loss has been amazing, and it is early days for me yet, but I am having to overtly and actively "diet" to lose....Your weight seems to have come off very steadily and consistently ...I just had to ask you to try and see your success formula. Again, how much effort was you, and how much the band? Thanks for trying to make sense of the question for me....Amy
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your kind comments and for being such an avid and loyal reader - it's nice to be reminded from time to time that there are actually people out there reading this labour of love! To your question:
My provider, Healthier Weight (Dr David Ashton), liken weight loss with the band to a three-legged stool - remove one of the legs and the stool falls over (ie the band 'fails'). The three 'legs' are (a) the band and the restriction it provides, (b) the calories that go in - what WE put in our mouths, and (c) the calories that go out - through exercise. Using this analogy the band does one third of the work and we have control over the other two thirds. David Ashton told me at my consultation that I would have to do 70% of the work and the band would do the other 30%. These percentages are regularly cited on the UKGastricBand forum.
I think I put in very little of the effort during the first two months post-op because I was swollen and bloated and dealing with healing rather than weight loss. Nevertheless I lost quite a bit of weight during that time. The next five months were the toughest for me because it took a long time to get restriction (many people get it early on but I was not lucky in this respect). I complained a lot that the band wasn't keeping up it's end of the bargain and doing its 30%. I felt I was having to do most of the work by sticking to the band rules, doing lots of exercise and being disciplined. Just as I began to run out of steam I started to get some restriction at last. The last couple of months have been a bit up and down because the band is definitely providing some restriction now, though I am clearly nowhere near as tight as some others, but holidays, celebrations and meals out have disrupted my flow somewhat.
However, through these various ups and downs, I think what has helped me achieve fairly consistent weight loss has been that I decided, right from the beginning, that I was going to change some critical eating habits. These include:
1. Always eat off a side plate and use small cutlery
2. Eat slowly, avoid distractions, chew chew chew!
3. Don't drink for at least one hour after eating
4. Don't put gravy, sauces, mayonnaise etc on anything - keep it all low fat and dry
5. Eat carbs, proteins and veg/fruit in approx equal proportions
6. Practice environmental control - remove from the house anything that isn't nutritious and healthy
7. Aim to walk 10,000 steps per day (don't go anywhere without a pedometer)
8. Keep a food diary - weigh everything, count calories, write it down
Some of this has been a right pain (!), but it's been worth it. It is said that if you do something (whatever it is) for six weeks it will become a habit. It's true. For example, I no longer have to even think about eating slowly it just comes naturally.
I understand that you, indeed I, don't want to diet now we have a band. But I think there is a transitional period between the op and reaching that ideal restriction. If this period is short then lucky you! If it's longer, as it has been for me, then there is a choice - either maintain weight (or even gain) until you get restriction, or use that time to get into good habits and 'do your best'. If like me you continue to lose weight during that time then that's fantastic - but it may mean semi-dieting to some extent.
Gosh I've rambled on (hardly eloquently either!) - I hope that goes some way to answering your question. If it doesn't or you want to ask other questions, PLEASE ask away! I wish you all the best. Just remember this is no quick fix, it's a long haul (I have to keep reminding myself of that), and a key success factor, in my opinion, is getting into good habits early, and putting these good habits into practice most of the time (probably about 80% of the time in my case - I'm no angel!).
Theresa x x
Hi Theresa,
I am an avid reader of your blog - has been marked under favorites forever! I have only commented once, though....I love reading about your progress - you are a very approachable writer, if that makes any sense. Anyway, I am wondering if you could be your eloquent self and answer this question....I was banded on June 22 and had my first fill on August 12 - 7ml in a 10 ml band. Before the surgery, I asked my consultant, if he had to use percentages, what percentage of my weight loss struggle would be my own burden, and how much of the struggle would the band take care of? I hope that makes sense to you...he answered he thought the band would do about 75 percent of the work. My question to you is....since you have lost SO much in 9 months, how much of the work did you do, and how much was the band? Your loss has been amazing, and it is early days for me yet, but I am having to overtly and actively "diet" to lose....Your weight seems to have come off very steadily and consistently ...I just had to ask you to try and see your success formula. Again, how much effort was you, and how much the band? Thanks for trying to make sense of the question for me....Amy
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your kind comments and for being such an avid and loyal reader - it's nice to be reminded from time to time that there are actually people out there reading this labour of love! To your question:
My provider, Healthier Weight (Dr David Ashton), liken weight loss with the band to a three-legged stool - remove one of the legs and the stool falls over (ie the band 'fails'). The three 'legs' are (a) the band and the restriction it provides, (b) the calories that go in - what WE put in our mouths, and (c) the calories that go out - through exercise. Using this analogy the band does one third of the work and we have control over the other two thirds. David Ashton told me at my consultation that I would have to do 70% of the work and the band would do the other 30%. These percentages are regularly cited on the UKGastricBand forum.
I think I put in very little of the effort during the first two months post-op because I was swollen and bloated and dealing with healing rather than weight loss. Nevertheless I lost quite a bit of weight during that time. The next five months were the toughest for me because it took a long time to get restriction (many people get it early on but I was not lucky in this respect). I complained a lot that the band wasn't keeping up it's end of the bargain and doing its 30%. I felt I was having to do most of the work by sticking to the band rules, doing lots of exercise and being disciplined. Just as I began to run out of steam I started to get some restriction at last. The last couple of months have been a bit up and down because the band is definitely providing some restriction now, though I am clearly nowhere near as tight as some others, but holidays, celebrations and meals out have disrupted my flow somewhat.
However, through these various ups and downs, I think what has helped me achieve fairly consistent weight loss has been that I decided, right from the beginning, that I was going to change some critical eating habits. These include:
1. Always eat off a side plate and use small cutlery
2. Eat slowly, avoid distractions, chew chew chew!
3. Don't drink for at least one hour after eating
4. Don't put gravy, sauces, mayonnaise etc on anything - keep it all low fat and dry
5. Eat carbs, proteins and veg/fruit in approx equal proportions
6. Practice environmental control - remove from the house anything that isn't nutritious and healthy
7. Aim to walk 10,000 steps per day (don't go anywhere without a pedometer)
8. Keep a food diary - weigh everything, count calories, write it down
Some of this has been a right pain (!), but it's been worth it. It is said that if you do something (whatever it is) for six weeks it will become a habit. It's true. For example, I no longer have to even think about eating slowly it just comes naturally.
I understand that you, indeed I, don't want to diet now we have a band. But I think there is a transitional period between the op and reaching that ideal restriction. If this period is short then lucky you! If it's longer, as it has been for me, then there is a choice - either maintain weight (or even gain) until you get restriction, or use that time to get into good habits and 'do your best'. If like me you continue to lose weight during that time then that's fantastic - but it may mean semi-dieting to some extent.
Gosh I've rambled on (hardly eloquently either!) - I hope that goes some way to answering your question. If it doesn't or you want to ask other questions, PLEASE ask away! I wish you all the best. Just remember this is no quick fix, it's a long haul (I have to keep reminding myself of that), and a key success factor, in my opinion, is getting into good habits early, and putting these good habits into practice most of the time (probably about 80% of the time in my case - I'm no angel!).
Theresa x x
Sunday, May 3, 2009
A couple of grand!
While I have been away the total number of visitors to this blog has passed 2000! MANY thanks to all the readers - whether you are a regular visitor or whether you just popped in as a 'one-off'. I hope you find the blog interesting, useful, helpful and entertaining. If ever there is anything you would like to see more of, or less of, or if you've any thoughts about what and when I should post - please feel free to post a comment and tell me!!
Good luck with weight loss - however you are doing it!
Good luck with weight loss - however you are doing it!
Monday, April 27, 2009
I am going away for a week
I will be off on work-related business to Scotland this morning and I will be back on Saturday. There is a Internet-connected computer at the centre I will be staying at, but it's usually in constant use, so I don't know if I will be able to post on the blog until next Saturday evening. The other thing is, the pc is in a public bar - and I don't want to risk there being people looking over my shoulder while I'm writing!!!!
So, in the event that I don't get to post again before Saturday, I wish you all a good week and will be back in touch again soon.
Theresa
So, in the event that I don't get to post again before Saturday, I wish you all a good week and will be back in touch again soon.
Theresa
Monday, April 20, 2009
Food, food, everywhere!!
As I sit here wondering what to write in my blog today, the TV is on and I cannot avoid seeing what's on. I'm watching 'The Devil Wears Prada' -about a young woman who becomes an assistant to a fashion magazine editor (played by Meryl Streep). One thing that's completely missing from this film, is food. All the people who work for this editor are a size zero (whatever that is) and none of them ever eat! They are all skin and bone and their goal in life is simply to look good (or to conform with the acceopted vision of what is looking 'good').
Then the ads come on and there's Jamie Oliver advertising for Sainsbury and making a delicious-looking couscous, red onion and cherry tomato dish - delicious enough to make my mouth water! On the other channel is Hell's Kitchen - a bunch of celebrities cooking up weird and wonderful courdon bleu dishes. I glance at the TV Guide and see that tomorrow, there will be a programme on called 'The Hospital', and it's about the proliferation of gastric band surgery among teenagers. It seems that wherever I look, someone is talking about food, or avoiding food, or dieting, or cooking it, or eating it!! Food, food everywhere - and not a drop to eat!!
Then the ads come on and there's Jamie Oliver advertising for Sainsbury and making a delicious-looking couscous, red onion and cherry tomato dish - delicious enough to make my mouth water! On the other channel is Hell's Kitchen - a bunch of celebrities cooking up weird and wonderful courdon bleu dishes. I glance at the TV Guide and see that tomorrow, there will be a programme on called 'The Hospital', and it's about the proliferation of gastric band surgery among teenagers. It seems that wherever I look, someone is talking about food, or avoiding food, or dieting, or cooking it, or eating it!! Food, food everywhere - and not a drop to eat!!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Updating labels
I have spent a little time today updating the labels attached to previous posts. I only started using them a couple of months ago so all my early posts are still label-less! However, periodically I go on a label frenzy and edit old post to add labels. I've still a lot more to do but am making steady progress. It means that the list of labels on the right hand side of the main screen can be used to search to find past posts on a wide range of topics. Rather than use a million labels - that would make the exercise a bit pointless - I have used more general labels to indicate a range of topics. So, for example, where I have discussed food, drink, what I ate etc on a particular day, I have attached the label 'Meals' or 'Food'. Or as another example, I have used the label 'Pain' whenever I have spoken about pain, discomfort, skin soreness, aching and the like.
I hope this helps readers navigate around the blog. If you have any suggestions as to how I might improve this site please let me know via a comment. All the best, Theresa.
I hope this helps readers navigate around the blog. If you have any suggestions as to how I might improve this site please let me know via a comment. All the best, Theresa.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Inpector Clouseau strikes again....
I got a phone call, out of the blue, yesterday from one of the managers at Healthier Weight. Apparently, a lady had written a letter to me about this blog and wanted to pass it on but didn't know how. This lady (who will probably be reading this) left the letter with Dr Ashton, my surgeon, who then passed it onto the practice manager and asked her to forward it to me. But of course, they don't have anyone on their books called Theresa...... let me explain.
I have never said much about my professional life. That's because I am desperate to avoid anyone I know in a professional capacity finding out about my band - rightly or wrongly - that's how I feel. As part of my job I have a web presence - in my professional name of course - including a personal web site as well as in the 'staff' pages of my employer. If I developed this blog in my proper name I imagined that one day, someone doing a search on the web for me in a professional capacity, might come across the blog. I had visions of bumping into somone at a conference and them saying "oh hello Theresa, I read all about your burping, and constipation, and saliva-pouring on your blog the other day - by the way, how's the work going?"!!!! Yuk!
I have also been a little afraid of my family finding the blog too. They know about the band now but in the beginning I wasn't going to tell them. Somehow, I feel comfortable being really honest about my band experiences with people that I don't know, but I'd feel really embarrassed if one of my brothers read some of this stuff!
Consequently, I have always used my middle name on the blog - Theresa. Ironically, as a child and teenager I always wanted to be called Theresa rather than my given name and now I am! In fact, I have continued to use Theresa as my name at the HW support groups and it's really nice being called what you want to be called for the first time in your life!!! So, back to HW. The manager who received the letter decided to become Inspector Clouseau for the day and worked out who I really was! I imagine it wasn't too difficult - this blog has all the details of when and where I was banded, and when all my fills took place. It wouldn't have been that difficult to narrow it down and identify the real me.
Anyway, the result is that this morning, I received the most wonderful letter through the post from a lady who has read the blog and found it "inspirational" (her word, not mine!) and helpful. She is having surgery very soon and I wish her all the best and hope that some of the experiences I have relayed here will help her and others like her. I don't claim to have all the answers (or even any of them!). I don't claim to be an expert on anything, other than what I am experiencing at any given point in time. I only know that before I took the decision to have surgery I read about other people's experiences through blogs and online forums and without their input would have found the decision-making much more difficult. Every so often I re-read the guidance manual that I was given by my provider. It's an excellent source of factual information and advice and generally keeps me on the straight and narrow (generally, I said!). But what it doesn't do, and can never do, is tell me about the huge breadth of day-to-day ups and downs experienced by fellow bandits. My experiences are not unique but we are all unique and the way that the band impacts upon our lives, our bodies and our minds is very individual. So, this is just my story. There are lots of others out there and they will all be different.
I find writing about it therapeutic, I hope you find it interesting and helpful (and even inspirational, ha ha!!).
To the lady who wrote the leter (I will e-mail you privately), THANK YOU for taking the trouble, THANK YOU for reading and THANK YOU for saying such kind things. All the best with your op.
I have never said much about my professional life. That's because I am desperate to avoid anyone I know in a professional capacity finding out about my band - rightly or wrongly - that's how I feel. As part of my job I have a web presence - in my professional name of course - including a personal web site as well as in the 'staff' pages of my employer. If I developed this blog in my proper name I imagined that one day, someone doing a search on the web for me in a professional capacity, might come across the blog. I had visions of bumping into somone at a conference and them saying "oh hello Theresa, I read all about your burping, and constipation, and saliva-pouring on your blog the other day - by the way, how's the work going?"!!!! Yuk!
I have also been a little afraid of my family finding the blog too. They know about the band now but in the beginning I wasn't going to tell them. Somehow, I feel comfortable being really honest about my band experiences with people that I don't know, but I'd feel really embarrassed if one of my brothers read some of this stuff!
Consequently, I have always used my middle name on the blog - Theresa. Ironically, as a child and teenager I always wanted to be called Theresa rather than my given name and now I am! In fact, I have continued to use Theresa as my name at the HW support groups and it's really nice being called what you want to be called for the first time in your life!!! So, back to HW. The manager who received the letter decided to become Inspector Clouseau for the day and worked out who I really was! I imagine it wasn't too difficult - this blog has all the details of when and where I was banded, and when all my fills took place. It wouldn't have been that difficult to narrow it down and identify the real me.
Anyway, the result is that this morning, I received the most wonderful letter through the post from a lady who has read the blog and found it "inspirational" (her word, not mine!) and helpful. She is having surgery very soon and I wish her all the best and hope that some of the experiences I have relayed here will help her and others like her. I don't claim to have all the answers (or even any of them!). I don't claim to be an expert on anything, other than what I am experiencing at any given point in time. I only know that before I took the decision to have surgery I read about other people's experiences through blogs and online forums and without their input would have found the decision-making much more difficult. Every so often I re-read the guidance manual that I was given by my provider. It's an excellent source of factual information and advice and generally keeps me on the straight and narrow (generally, I said!). But what it doesn't do, and can never do, is tell me about the huge breadth of day-to-day ups and downs experienced by fellow bandits. My experiences are not unique but we are all unique and the way that the band impacts upon our lives, our bodies and our minds is very individual. So, this is just my story. There are lots of others out there and they will all be different.
I find writing about it therapeutic, I hope you find it interesting and helpful (and even inspirational, ha ha!!).
To the lady who wrote the leter (I will e-mail you privately), THANK YOU for taking the trouble, THANK YOU for reading and THANK YOU for saying such kind things. All the best with your op.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
It'a grand day
Today, the number of visitors to this blog has topped a thousand for the first time ( a 'grand' – get it?)! I decided to start a blog on the same day I began my pre-op diet on 9th November 2008. I spent some of that day setting it up and then posted my first entry the day after. Since that time (at the time of posting today), 1,012 people have accessed the blog which is fantastic. I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging. Yes, it has helped me 'get a few things off my chest', but has also helped clarify a few things, reflect on experiences and analyse my own thoughts. I have never been one for keeping a diary so am truly delighted that I now have this complete reccord of everything that has happened since becoming a bandit on 15th November 2008.
I don't know very much about the people, you, that read the blog, except for a few who have posted comments or mentioned the blog on the UKGastricBand forum. I truly hope that you get something from it – I guess that sometimes it may be amusing, other times informative and at other times perhaps you are just encouraged by knowing that someone else is experiencing the same as you! I don't know, but whatever you gain from it, I hope that our relationship will continue for many moons to come!
Thanks for reading and all the best, wherever you are and whatever you weigh!
I don't know very much about the people, you, that read the blog, except for a few who have posted comments or mentioned the blog on the UKGastricBand forum. I truly hope that you get something from it – I guess that sometimes it may be amusing, other times informative and at other times perhaps you are just encouraged by knowing that someone else is experiencing the same as you! I don't know, but whatever you gain from it, I hope that our relationship will continue for many moons to come!
Thanks for reading and all the best, wherever you are and whatever you weigh!
Friday, November 21, 2008
My 'Food Story' - Part 1
It's been a couple of weeks now since I started this Blog and I thought it was about time I provided some background on how I got to the point in life where I needed to become a Bandit. I'll tell the story in chronological order and split it into a few sections for easier reading.I grew up in East London, the second of four children. I am the only one of the four who became obese, and neither of my parents is/was obese. My Dad, even at 77 is, and always has been, a big eater and consumes huge meals, as well as lots of between-meal snacks. However, he has never weighed more than 12 stone! He had a very active job but he's been retired for ages now and still hasn't put on any weight! My Mum, no longer with us, was always on a diet of some sort (just to lose a few pounds usually), but never weighed more than 10 stone and was more typically 9 to 9 and-a-half stone (5ft 6ins).
I was aware of being a little overweight from an early age but this was always put down to 'puppy fat' – apparently I'd 'grow out of it'. I was extremely active as a child, and swam, danced and did gymnastics several evenings a week. I was also very involved in school sports and took up cross country running when I was about 12. Despite that, I always remained a little heavy for my age and height – and I really do mean 'a little heavy' – this is not a euphemism for fat!
I think I weighed about 10 stone when was in my mid teens and this increased to about 12 stone towards the end of my teens. I recall going on a diet for the first time in advance of my 18th birthday – there was a dress I'd worn a few years before that I was desperate to wear at my party. I think around this time I went to Weight Watchers with my Mum – a horrid experience. I was surrounded by lots of very overweight, middle-aged women (funnily enough – that's a good description of me now!) doing lots of oooing and aaaahing as people got themselves weighed in front of everyone! Soooo embarrassing. I also recall being quite sensitive about my weight, even though at this time I was 'only' about 12 stone. My Dad used to make jokes about it and made a sarcastic comment every time he spotted me putting anything in my mouth. I guess this is, in part, what led to me becoming very private about something that was, in fact, so blindingly obvious to everyone.
I can't really work out why me, of all the people in our family, took up eating as a hobby? Certainly there was always a love of food in the family, and food was usually central attraction for family gatherings, birthdays and other celebrations. My Mum used to be paranoid about anybody going hungry so would always prepare far more food than was needed – a habit I developed and still manifest today. I wonder whether Mum's attitude to food is related to her own childhood experiences – she was a war baby and evacuated to a convent during the war where food was scarce. I remember her telling stories of how her and other kids got beaten at the convent for eating too much or taking the biggest slice of cake etc. Maybe she rebelled against this by over-providing later on in life. But how came no-one else in the family over-consumed – only me?
I was aware of being a little overweight from an early age but this was always put down to 'puppy fat' – apparently I'd 'grow out of it'. I was extremely active as a child, and swam, danced and did gymnastics several evenings a week. I was also very involved in school sports and took up cross country running when I was about 12. Despite that, I always remained a little heavy for my age and height – and I really do mean 'a little heavy' – this is not a euphemism for fat!
I think I weighed about 10 stone when was in my mid teens and this increased to about 12 stone towards the end of my teens. I recall going on a diet for the first time in advance of my 18th birthday – there was a dress I'd worn a few years before that I was desperate to wear at my party. I think around this time I went to Weight Watchers with my Mum – a horrid experience. I was surrounded by lots of very overweight, middle-aged women (funnily enough – that's a good description of me now!) doing lots of oooing and aaaahing as people got themselves weighed in front of everyone! Soooo embarrassing. I also recall being quite sensitive about my weight, even though at this time I was 'only' about 12 stone. My Dad used to make jokes about it and made a sarcastic comment every time he spotted me putting anything in my mouth. I guess this is, in part, what led to me becoming very private about something that was, in fact, so blindingly obvious to everyone.
I can't really work out why me, of all the people in our family, took up eating as a hobby? Certainly there was always a love of food in the family, and food was usually central attraction for family gatherings, birthdays and other celebrations. My Mum used to be paranoid about anybody going hungry so would always prepare far more food than was needed – a habit I developed and still manifest today. I wonder whether Mum's attitude to food is related to her own childhood experiences – she was a war baby and evacuated to a convent during the war where food was scarce. I remember her telling stories of how her and other kids got beaten at the convent for eating too much or taking the biggest slice of cake etc. Maybe she rebelled against this by over-providing later on in life. But how came no-one else in the family over-consumed – only me?
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