It's December in Colorado... Where the hell is the snow?!

Hi Everyone!

This blogger is frustrated because despite the fact it is freezing out, the snow seems to have skipped right over the Boulder area :( :( I was going to try to go skiing on Thursday for my first runs of the season, but there was no snow! This year has been devastating for ski resorts all over colorado because of the lack of snowfall... by this time of year, usually 75-80 percent of terrain is open at most resorts; right now many of them are lucky to have at least 20 percent open! Though the snow skipped over Boulder, it poured in the mountains so fingers crossed that it christened the slopes adequately. I am excited for my little cousin to come ski with me in a few weeks AND that my parents have graciously agreed to buy me a student ski pass to El Dora for the season as my holiday/early birthday gift :) HOORAY! My school schedule for the upcoming semester leaves me friday-mon each week to get away for a ski break which will be awesome. Skiing is an excellent calorie burner and is UBER fun... as much as I like swimming, I am not always like YAAY LETS GO SWIM LAPS everytime whereas I can't seem to shake the smile from my face every time I drive up to ski. I am truly hoping that now that I have lost quite a bit of weight and work out consistently that skiing will be easier/less stress and weight on my body!

My school schedule is interesting and way different than my undergraduate was... I only have class tues, weds, and thurs, and each graduate class meets once a week for 3 hours at a time! I have two of these classes back to back (groan) on wednesdays, then I have an undergrad stats class that meets tues and thurs for an hour and a half (a requirement for my masters that I did not take in undergrad and therefore have to take now). I had my first student orientation which was rather boring but allowed for me to meet my cohorts for the next three years and  has made me excited to start school again.

I am also proud to announce that I have lost 3 pounds since my last post... HOORAY! I have been making exercise a major priority and altering my work hours so that I can get it in without being exhausted from working too much. I also still have my appointment with my bariatric doc on Dec.19th where I will get a fill of saline and meet with my nutritionist as well. I am optimistic and happy for what the future and new year will bring :) That is about all my news for now, but I will update all you in another week. For those of you celebrating Hanukkah, Happy Hanukkah :)

Thanksgiving in TX

Hi there! I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving... I did :) I went home to Dallas to see my family which was really nice. Lucky for me, I have never been a huge fan of the food at Thanksgiving (with the exception of apple pie) so the meal itself was not a temptation nor did I feel any resentment that I could not gorge myself like many do on the holiday. Though thanksgiving itself was not a temptation, I did eat out alot over the week meeting up with friends and family... even though I did not always make the best choices food wise, I did not eat alot and almost always put half my food in a box at the get go. Needless to say however, I did not lose any weight over the break :( I did maintain though which is important because I exercised everyday but one. Here is a picture I took in my room in TX because I was feeling rather cute that day :)

The indoor pools were mostly closed during the week due to the holiday, but I did manage to get two days of swimming laps in. On one of the days my old diving team was practicing at the same pool I was at and I saw that a girl I used to dive with is now one of the coaches... I had not seen her since I was 13 years old and she did not recognize me at first. I told her I could still dive even at my weight and she smiled and clearly did not believe me. She told me to prove it so I got up on the 3m diving board and did a pike one and half and the entire pool cheered... I haven't felt that rush of excitement/nervousness since the last time I competed at a diving meet! Needless to say, I felt pretty damn cool.

On the days I could not swim I walked for an hour with my Mom which was really nice... the weather in TX was nice and warm (high 70s) which was perfect for walks. I got to see my sister for the first time in almost a year which was awesome and my Grandma Beth flew in for the holiday too. I am really excited because while I was home my little cousin made plans to fly and come see me in late december and learn how to ski.

Anyway, now I am just getting back in the swing of working long days again after a nice week long break. I unfortunately have a little cold and have felt kind of crummy since monday... I was actually supposed to get a fill of saline at my doc on tuesday but overslept and missed it :( They don't have another appointment available until Dec.19th, so I am just going to have to suck it up and really buckle down on my calorie budget until then. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, Ill be back on next week (and hopefully with some good weight loss news :)

Hello Again!

Hi everybody! I was just called out by both my Dad and another blogger for not posting in a while... er over a month.... OOPS. My bad. I have been busy busy busy working three nanny jobs, vacationing in Hawaii, etc, but that is NO excuse and I vow to post at least once a week from here on out. I am still here, still going strong, and still losing weight and doing great!

Before I get into the thick of it, here is an exciting announcement... I got accepted to graduate school at CU Denver for Mental Health Counseling :) I am so excited and overjoyed that I got accepted... it is a competitive program and they only accepted 25-30 people out of the 140 that applied. I currently live and work in Longmont, CO (which is about an hour away from denver), so I am actively looking for a new place to move to much closer to denver. I am sad because I will not be able to nanny for the boy I have been with 2 and a half years anymore (Cody, age 11), but I will definitely be seeing him every so often because he is like a little brother to me at this point. Lots of new and exciting changes ahead...

So since my last post in October, I sadly report that I have only lost an additional 3 pounds :( I have really hit a serious plateau that is frustrating me beyond no other. The upside is that I have maintained and am not gaining any weight however. At my 6 month check in appointment at the doc, we had discussed possibly another fill if I could not beat this plateau and that is what I am now planning on doing. Unfortunately, they cannot get me in until after I get back from Dallas (I leave on sat for a week to spend thanksgiving with my parents and family), but the tuesday when I get back I will be getting another fill which should hopefully help. I still swim everyday that I can, but there have been many days that I work 2 nanny jobs (one in the a.m. until early afternoon, then cody all afternoon/evening) and am too exhausted to workout afterwords. On these days I try to take the baby for a long walk in the stroller which helps burn some calories.

I have been staying on par as far as my eating goes, but I have finally experienced having something "get stuck" in the band and let me tell you, it is the worst feeling EVER! I was starving and made the poor choice of getting a bagel one morning when I was in a rush... I threw away half and was just going to eat the other half but I only got two or three bites in before it got stuck in my band. The bread was just much too thick and dense to push through the band comfortably and the only way to describe it is like the worst heartburn you have ever felt and something STUCK at the bottom of your throat. I was driving and had to pull over and wait for it to pass (which it did) but lesson learned... NO BAGELS!!

I have bought a few things clothing wise to tide me over for a while and I am so excited with my new changing figure... I feel better and happier in clothes and in photographs! It was recently my boyfriend's birthday and we went to Oahu, HI for 5 days which was absolutely incredible. We swam/snorkeled all over the island and had an amazing time. For those of you that do not know, sea turtles are my favorite animal in the whole world and I found/swam with them practically everyday of the trip... heaven! We rented and underwater camera so we got to capture it all too! Here are a few pics from the trip... I will probably end up making an album online somewhere then posting it here.

                                                         Snorkeling at Lanikea beach

This is me following a turtle at a beach in Waikiki

Gorgeous turtle I saw in Waikiki

Dinner in Waikiki

\

Hanging out at the North Shore

Pristine Lanikea Beach

Birthday Drinks

After swimming in Waikiki

Hanuama Bay Nature Preserve... we snorkeled here :)

We got back from the trip a week ago, and then my Grandpa from Florida came to visit for the weekend which was really nice. We went and saw the Vangough exhibit at the Denver Art Museum and saw a few movies as well. I love spending time with him and am so glad he came to visit! I am off to Dallas on Saturday, but I PROMISE to post once a week from now on. Happy November everybody!

--Caroline

Is It October Already?!

WOW does time fly... I really cannot believe it is already October!! I have once again been a very busy bee so I apologize for the lack of posts recently. Since my last post I have lost an additional 2 pounds which is a little less than my usual rate of weight loss, but after speaking with my nutritionist I am still right where I need to be. After losing a large chunk of weight (72lbs), it is apparently common for the body to go into a serious plateau mode :( However, my nutritionist gave me some great advice; change things up! I have been swimming as my main form of exercise for quite some time, so I am now going to try swimming every other day and lifting weights and doing either the elliptical machine or some kind of fitness class like Zumba on the other days. I am still doing great on my eating plan however and continue to feel better everyday! I have however been noticing that my skin is starting to look a little baggy in my arms and other places where I have shrunk which is frustrating, but I am hopeful that if I start lifting weights my skin will tighten up a bit.

In other exciting news, I got past the first round of my graduate school application and was asked to come in for a group interview this friday!! I have never been to a group interview before, but I have no problem speaking in front of a group of people and I hope I can stand out to the interviewers :) I honestly had NO nice/formal/business attire clothing that fit (because everything is too BIG woohoo), so my parents were incredibly generous and bought me a new outfit I picked out yesterday. I almost started crying tears of joy in the fitting room at Torrid because I ended up buying size 18 pants which is a BIG deal... when I started this journey I was 318lbs and a size 26 and now I am 8 sizes smaller! I have not been a size 18 since my freshman-sophomore year of college. I am so excited and couldn't be happier. I will now feel chic and confident at my interview in my gorgeous new outfit and size 18 pants. HOORAY!

As of this past weekend I also fit into a dress I used to LOVE but have not been able to wear in years... I had the dress hanging on my closet door as motivation, but now I need a new piece of motivation! Very exciting... all of this keeps me going and makes me excited to lose more. I hope everyone is well and I wish my Mom a swift recovery (she had surgery this morning... nothing major, but still will take time to recover!) and I will write more soon :)

Long Overdue Blog Post AND 70 POUNDS DOWN YAHOO

Hi Everyone!
So sorry for the lack of posts the past couple of weeks... it has been crazy for me! I was finishing up my graduate school application, getting rec letters, etc... but now I have finally officially applied to graduate school at CU Denver for Mental Health Counseling. I am nervous and excited to hear back from them in the next few months to hear if I got in or not, I can only cross my fingers! Anyway, I have finally reached a weight loss of 70 lbs which is amazing and incredibly exciting. In 14 more pounds, I will be HALFWAY to my total weight loss goal! I could not be happier.

70lbs down and feeling GREAT!

I have my 6 month check up with my bariatric doc in a few weeks and I am excited to show him the results I have had since my last fill of saline. I have been doing much better since my last post about NOT drinking when I eat, eating more protein, and taking all of my vitamins which is a relief. I have been back to swimming indoors at the rec center and finally treated myself to a brand new pair of goggles (the pair I have are tinted for outdoors and are rather scratched from this summer). The goggles work great and I am enjoying alternating between deep water aerobic classes and swimming laps.

The weather is FINALLY starting to cool down a bit (we didn't have much of a fall last year in CO and this year it has still been in the high 80s everyday!!) and I look forward to fall. However, most of my fall clothes are way too big and I need to go shopping! I bought a couple of new pairs of workout pants and am going to go to Forever 21 Plus to get some relative cheap staple clothing items to tide me over for the next 20 pounds or so. It is really exciting to see the size number in my clothing go down and my options for clothing expand :)

 Hopefully if it stays cool outside, I can hike a few more times before winter comes. However, I am also extremely excited for winter too because that can only mean one thing... SKI SEASON! I love skiing which is a huge part of why I moved to CO and have been skiing since I was a youngster. Last year was rough/less enjoyable to ski however because of how much I weighed... I got tired quickly because it was not easy to ski with all of the pressure of my weight on my legs and skis. I can't tell you how sad that made me to not be able to enjoy one of my favorite things do. I expect that this year will be quite different and hope to lose another 10-20lbs before ski season even starts! I feel so much more in shape now that I have been working out consistently as well, so I think I will feel much less tired and have more endurance on the slopes.

I am still looking for a second part time job to tide me over until graduate school, but am hopeful I will find something soon. Until then I have still been watching the 6 month old twins once a week which has been fun. I had to say goodbye to my best friend yesterday because she went home to NY to take some computer data base classes to give her an edge in the job world... she will be gone about a month or so and I will miss her terribly, but I am very happy and excited for her as well.

I think that is all for now, but I promise to keep updating more often than I have been! I hope everyone is well :)

Awareness, motivation, and... Hair loss!?

Hello friends! This week has been full of realizations and motivation for me... YES I am insanely happy I have been having such success with my band, BUT there are a few things I have not been 100 percent on all the time and I need to be! A few examples... I MUST get between 60-80 grams of protein per day, and sometimes I don't always make the cut because I making food choices that I want, not necessarily what I NEED. Also, I am not supposed to have anything to drink with food or for 30 minutes after I eat a meal, but I lately have been bad about doing that... I used to just take little sips of water with food which was OK, but now that I sometimes flat out drink when I eat, it can push food through faster and defeat the purpose of the lapband (and it's YOU ARE FULL NOW powers!). Lastly, I constantly forget to take all of my vitamins everyday... yes its a drag, but I HAVE to do it to stay healthy and get all the nutrients I need!

So, yes, it is a bummer I have been lagging on these things, but at least I  honest with myself and am aware... from now on going to make a significant effort to change these things :) I had strep throat last week and seem to have some kind of cold now, so I have not been in the pool for a while which is such a bummer :( However, I have been walking outside or going for short hikes for exercise instead. I will probably get back in in a few days once this damn cold subsides!! My boss Linda is in China this week so I am with Cody (the boy I nanny) 24/7 except for when he is in school until late friday night, so I have to work out when he is in school (or make him walk his dogs with me when he gets out of school in the afternoon:).

On another note, before surgery I was warned that significant hair loss/thinning is a pretty typical side effect of lapband surgery (and most surgeries apparently), even 5 months down the road. I have not really had an issue with this until recently I have noticed that my hair seems to be coming out alot more than normal in the shower and in my brush :( It is only temporary/will grow back (and not noticeable to anyone but me) but I thought I would put it out there for other bandsters who read my blog to read about.

Lastly, as far as weight loss goes, I have lost 1 pound this week WOOHOO! I am going to keep on trucking, and hopefully change those few things I mentioned at the top so that I can be a super bandster :) Hope everyone is well!

Strep Throat, But Another 2 pounds down :)

Hey there... sorry for the late post, I have been sick with strep throat the last week (YUCK) but am feeling much better now :) I hit a plateau last week (which is disappointing, but to be expected after such consistent weight loss for a few weeks), but THIS week I lost 2 pounds woohoo! It may also have helped that my throat was sore and I didn't each much besides soup this week, because it certainly wasn't the exercise! (I stayed out of the pool until today when I was feeling better).

Definitely time to swim inside for the season, today was certainly my last day swimming at the outdoor pool! It was chilly... refreshing, but too cold to enjoy swimming laps outside. I have been noticing some changes with food since my last fill now that it has been a few weeks as well... I have trouble eating anything with bread (such as a lean cuisine personal pizza)... it seems to sort of get "gummy" and almost hurts going down, so I am going to avoid foods like that! Not a big deal since I don't eat much with bread these days anyway. I went for a bike ride the other day and was totally spent after a mere 30 minutes and my butt was super sore... My Dad (an avid biker) says if I keep it up I will be able to go longer and my ass won't hurt as much so I am going to try to work a bike ride in a few times a week! I think I have mentioned this before, but one of my goals is to do a triathlon with my Dad in the future. I definitely have the swimming/walking(jogging?) down, but need to work on biking.

I love my new second job with the twin 6 month old babies (though I was not able to see them this week bc of my strep throat), but I am not sure that I will be able to keep it too much longer :/ I say this because when I was hired, the Mom told me she would for sure use me at least 2 days a week (about 10 hours), sometimes 3, and now it seems as though she is only going to need me 1 day a week because her Mother-in-law is helping her out more now :( 1 day a week is not really going to help me pay the bills, so I may be looking for another job.

I am almost ready to turn in my graduate school application which is exciting :) I am fine tuning my essay this weekend, then sending my essay to those that are writing me recommendation letters... once all of that is done I am ready to hit send! Cody (the boy I nanny) just started 6th grade at a new middle school and seems to really like it (though has been struggling with all of the change scenery, teachers, and new friends). I think this will be a great year for him, and hopefully this school can give him the academic help that he needs! I will write more later... have a great weekend all!

Feeling Great!

Took this picture before a date night to see "The Campaign" (which was HORRIBLE btw) with my boyfriend Steve and I FINALLY can actually see a real difference in my face... much thinner than a few months ago! It can be hard sometimes to see the difference because even though the scale says I am losing weight, I see myself in the mirror everyday... but a picture is worth a thousand words :)

I am still swimming pretty much every day but the pool is seemingly getting colder everyday and soon I will have to swim inside again instead of out in the sunshine :/ I am also going to have to pick up a few staple "fall clothing" items at Ross or somewhere else that is relatively inexpensive because nothing fits from last year or even the year before!! I am going to see the new Meryl Streep movie "Hope Springs" today with my Great Aunt which will be nice because I haven't seen her in a while... nothing much else new for now, just wanted to let everyone know that I am feeling great and looking forward to my next weigh in on tuesday :) Have a great rest of the weekend!!

Is it August Already?! Camping Trip and 4 Pounds Down

Hello! Sorry for the delay in postings... I have been a busy bee the past two weeks! I went to my bariatric doc a week and a half ago and got another fill of saline (1cc) so I now have a total of 7.2 cc in my band. It was a great doc appointment and the nurse who did my fill said I am like the "poster child" for lapband patients and was very impressed by how well I am doing with my weight loss! It doesn't come easy, and it helps tremendously that I exercise almost every day... Feeling great! This was the first time since I have been getting saline fills that I have truly felt a big difference when I eat (as far as getting full very quicklu) and I am also finally not hungry really at all in between meals which is great... this has already paid off big time because I have lost a total of 4 pounds in the last two weeks making my total weight loss 64 pounds! WOOHOO!

I went camping with my boyfriend this past week at Colorado National Monument which is in Fruita, CO (right near the border of CO and Utah), and it was truly incredible... It was only a 5 hour drive from where I live and well worth it! However, It was tremendously hot with no shade, so even though Steve and I had planned on doing a 4 mile hike, we settled for a few short hikes instead. The canyon and all of the natural formations were formed from erosion from water thousands of years ago... nature is amazing! After camping, we drove through and hung out in Pallasade, CO which is orchard/vineyard central... I tried mead for the first time! We also got some AMAZING rocky mountain peaches... YUM.

I interviewed to be a preschool teaching assistant and was anxiously awaiting to hear if I had gotten the job or not, and the woman finally emailed me yesterday to let me know that she had chosen someone else :( I am super bummed, but the email she sent me was incredibly nice... She had interviewed 14 people and it was down to me and another woman. She told me that I had a "larger than life" personality (in a good way) and that I was perfect for the job, had great experience, and impeccable references, BUT she was afraid that I would not be able to commit for more than a year because I will move on to bigger and better things (such as grad school). BUMMER. However, she did say that she would love to have me as a substitute assistant if she needed one etc...

I still need a second job, so I put up another ad on craigslist and have two interviews this week for different nanny jobs... the one I really want that would work with my current nanny schedule with Cody would be helping a new Mom with her 6 month old twin babies! I am interviewing with her tomorrow... wish me luck! I am still swimming everyday while the weather is still nice out and even though summer is almost over, I am really looking forward to fall :) It is my favorite season... the changing leaves, chilly weather, hot apple cider, PUMPKINS.. AHHH. I will have to get used to swimming laps inside again! Will write more later :) Hope everyone is doing well!

Crazy Mountain Adventures, Another Pound Down, and Fill Tomorrow!!

WHOO I have not been this physically exhausted in a LONG LONG time!! Today I did the Blue Lake Trail which was a 6 mile hike with my best friend and it was definitely challenging... it was raining off and on, it was relatively steep most of the way up, but BOY was it rewarding! I am so proud of myself that I did it and am so grateful to Keren for being patient with me (she is a super hiker and would normally hike much much faster). I have not felt this in shape in a really long time, and it feels wonderful. On the hike we saw marmots (giant rat/beaver like creatures?) which I had never seen before and many a chipmunk... Once we got to the top it was absolutely breathtaking and totally worth it. Blue Lake is certainly named that for a good reason! Though you cannot tell from the pictures below, it is the most crystal clear blue lake I have ever seen... it is the runoff straight from a glacier. I was convinced I would definitely want to swim in it after being so hot and tired, but could barely keep my hand in the water for more than ten seconds! It was the coldest water I have ever felt.. I think if one were to drink it they would probably get a major brain freeze! Everything about the hike was great until I totally fell down in a giant, slushy, gooey mud puddle on the way down :(... I was freezing and wet and grumpy and very muddy to say the least. BUT to my credit I was laughing hysterically when it happened because I was seriously covered in mud on one side, and at least I did not get hurt PHEW. If I am up to it, Keren and I might go up to the same area to hike again (on a different trail) because the $9 fee we paid to get in is good for 3 days :)

So I weighed myself this morning before the hike and I am down another pound (now weighing in at 258) which is great! I had hoped for more this week considering how much I have been hiking, but not every week can be stellar weight loss... what matters is that the scale is going in the right direction! So I am now officially 60 pounds down from where I started and it feels amazing... the more I lose the healthier I feel and more motivated I become!

I am still off of work (paid) for another week or so and have been actively looking for a second part time job for when the boy I nanny is in school... I had an interview at Le Peep (a breakfast place) to be a server, but they needed me full time immediately which I could not do because in another week I will be full time with Cody (the boy I nanny) until he goes back to school August 14 :/ However, I landed an interview at a pre-school to be a teaching assistant! My interview is on Friday morning and I would LOVE to get this job.... the hours are perfect with my schedule for when Cody is in school, and I love working with toddlers :) Wish me luck!

Lastly, I am going to my bariatric doc tomorrow to get another small saline fill in my band to restrict my food intake a bit more... hopefully he will be happy with the results I have had since my last fill, but I think I can still do better with a bit more saline! Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great week... I will write more later :)

Awesome Visit in TX, Now Back in CO, and Another 2 lbs Down!!

HOORAY! I was a bit weary about getting on the scale when I got home to Colorado on Thursday because my parent's scale messed with my head and told me I was 264! However, my Dad said this was probably because of water retention from flying/traveling etc... I guess he was right because as of this morning I weigh 259 pounds, which is a total of 59 pounds lost! YIPPEEE!

I had a great time in Florida visiting both my Grandpa in Naples then my Grandma in Boca Raton, then I made my way to Dallas to visit my parents, Uncle, and some friends :) It was really nice to spend alot of time with my parents because my Mom took some days off work and my Dad swam laps with me almost every day (when we could time it right). I also went to the Fort Worth Modern Museum of Art with them and saw a Lucian Freud exhibit which was interesting... I particularly liked his nudes and the fact that he painted people of all sizes. While in TX, I went to Forever 21's plus size section and actually bought two dresses which is awesome... I say this because even though they claim to have "plus sizes, their sizing system is crazy and not quite plus size at all! For example, a "1" at most plus sized stores is a size 14-16, where as at Forever 21, a plus size "1" is a size 10-12!!! Needless to say, their largest size is really a 18 (where most plus size places is a 26 or 28) so I have not fit into their clothing in a long time. Feels great! Here is one of the dresses :)

Although I loved my vacation, it is also really nice to be home in CO again with my kitties! Also, the pools in Florida and TX were super hot/not refreshing whatsoever (especially to swim laps in!), so it is nice to be in my cool, crisp, local pool again. I got home on Thursday, and have been a busy bee writing my essay for grad school, applying to find a second part time job, exercising, etc... Yesterday I went on a real hike for the first time since January and it felt AMAZING... Last time I hiked, I was in a lot of pain because of my slipped herniated disc in my back... however, I believe that all of the physical therapy I did a while back at the chiropractor, as well as all of the exercise I have been doing has done it wonders... my back doesn't hurt at all anymore when I hike!! I was able to do 4 miles and it was absolutely beautiful... I did a hike called "Eagle Wind Trail" which is on Rabbit Mountain about 15 minutes away from my house. It is a really cool hike for 2 reasons; 1. The trail is closed March 15- July 15 so that eagles can nest and have their babies... It had just reopened and there were eagles and other huge birds everywhere!! 2. From the hike, you can see both the Flatiron/Foothill mountains AND the Rocky Mountains and where they sort of "meet". It was a great hike and I actually felt physically comfortable doing it, though I was pooped later!! Here are two pics from my hike :)

Anyway, even though I am still doing very well with my weight loss, I think I am going to go back to my Doc and get one more fill of saline to make my band a bit tighter... if it turns out being too tight I can always have some taken out! I hope everyone is enjoying summer... I will write more soon!

3 Pounds Down AND Size 16 Swimsuit!!

I am SO STOKED! I was not going to weigh myself until I got to my parent's house, but I am now in Boca Raton at my Grandma's house and discovered that she has a very accurate/expensive glass scale... and I am 3 pounds down from last week :) WOOHOO!! My Grandma and I went shopping today and I found a new swimsuit that I totally love that just happens to be a size 16! I couldn't believe it... I am not a 16 in pants or anything yet, but the fact that I can fit into a size 16 swimsuit is pretty awesome in my book. Life is good! Anyway, Happy Fourth of July everyone... have fun and be safe!

Sun Kissed Bliss!

I arrived in Naples, FL to visit my Grandpa for a few days and have been having a total blast :) We have gone to the beach everyday which is awesome... I got spoiled last year because I found tons of cool creatures such as sting rays, crabs, etc... but this year there have been a few tropical storms so all I found were a few sea slugs in conch shells and a hermit crab or too. Today I went kayaking (BOY what a workout!!) and went through a section called "Clam Pass" which is surrounded by Mangrove trees which was really cool... I saw all kinds of birds and animals there! My Grandpa doesn't get in the ocean until its at least 90 degrees, but he has come in the pool everyday afterwards with me which has been great. Even though the pool temp says it is 91, he says he feels "chilled" when he gets in!! LOL

The first day I was here I swam laps for an hour in the pool, but the other days I have swam alot or kayaked so I have mostly done water aerobics in the pool. Needless to say I have been getting alot exercise which is great. I have also completely stuck to my calorie limit and got all of my protein in etc... which is awesome. We went out to dinner last night at this DELICIOUS Italian place called "Bravo!" and I had a fabulous meal... they don't normally do half portions of the chicken parmesan but made one special just for me. What a treat! I am excited to weigh myself when I go to TX next week because judging by how loose my pants are fitting, I think I have lost at least a pound and a half in the past few days. I would weigh myself here, but I really only trust my scale at home and the scale at my parents house because they are both incredibly accurate and digital (and expensive!).

My Grandpa is super generous and bought me a New Balance HRT slim watch which is something I have wanted for a very long time and I am excited to start using it. The watch measures how many calories I burn, my heart rate, steps, speed, distance, you name it! I am curious to see how many calories my watch says I will burn during my swimming versus what my estimates based on online calculators are.

I feel like I just got here and am sad to leave my Grandpa's tomorrow, but am also excited to get to spend some time with my Grandma in Boca Raton for a few days. Anyway, here is a picture of an awesome piece of coral I found swimming in the ocean yesterday... I am pretty tan from just a few days in Florida!! (BTW I have been using lots of sunblock at least SPF30 and if you are reading this Grandpa, I wish you would wear sunblock too!! *COUGH COUGH*)

Will write more later!! :) 

Another Pound Down, Florida Bound, Learning Curve, And the whole state of CO is on fire :(

Weighed in yesterday and am another pound day... yay. A little disappointing since I usually clock in at  least 2 pounds down a week, but as long as the scale is going in the right direction I am happy. At least I know that I am doing my best and swimming every day, so that is all I can do :) Anyway, last Friday night was a relatively new experience for me because it was the first time I truly "overate" for my band and felt very very sick for almost a day afterwards... I was lucky that I did not throw up or anything, but it was a good lesson in eating very slowly even when I am super hungry because if I eat too much (even just a bit) it is very very uncomfortable. Part of the learning curve and working on listening to my body as much as possible!

Tomorrow is my last day of nannying until August and I have the month of July off and PAID :) AWESOME! I am leaving on a red eye Thurs night to go to Florida to visit my Grandparents and am really excited to see them and hang out at the beach. My old swimsuit crapped out because I ripped a rather large hole in it going down the slide at the pool, but I luckily found a Speedo that fits and was on sale at Sports Authority for $50! Size 18! This is much smaller than a few months ago to say the least! After Florida for a week, I am going to TX to visit my parents and friends for 6 days which will be nice. I am going to swim laps with my Dad at the neighborhood pool like we used to do when I was a kid :) I always used to try to race him and never actually beat him... maybe someday!

On a sad note, the whole freaking state of Colorado is on fire and it is SUPER scary and sad... There are over 6 major fires going on all over the state and most are no where near contained. My Uncle lives in Colorado Springs and he was evacuated today because his house is only about a mile and a half from the fire :( I truly hope the fire misses his neighborhood. I have the utmost respect for all of the brave firefighters out there working around the clock to try to contain all of these fires and save people's homes from damage, especially when it is over 100 degrees every day! The conditions couldn't be worse... dry dry dry, HOT HOT HOT, and windy. A fire started in Boulder yesterday (I am SAFE, I actually live in Longmont which is 20 minutes away from Boulder) in the Flatiron Mountains from a lightening strike and I can literally see the smoke plume from my house. PLEASE send good thoughts and prayers Colorado's way because we need all we can get.

Anyway, I will post from Florida soon!

Another 2 Pounds Down :)

Alrrriggghttt! Today was weigh in day and I am another 2 pounds down from last week which is awesome. I have been swimming laps every day consistently for 10 days now which feels really great... I have also upped my swimming time to an hour of laps each day instead of 30-45 minutes :) It is amazing that a few months ago, I had a hard time swimming laps for 20 minutes straight!! I am still also swimming/splashing around with Cody at the pool almost everyday during work as well, so I am definitely not for lack of pool time. It has been RECORD high temperatures for my area in Colorado the past week, so what better way to cool off! 

Unfortunately there is a HUGE forest fire about an hour away from where I live that is still only 50 percent contained... this is so sad because the fire started June 9th! It has destroyed over 189 homes so far too :( I think I am going to drive up there are donate some of my older larger clothing to that area... maybe some of the evacuees/people who lost their homes need clothing. 

On a lighter note, I am now continuing to find clothes in my closet that I haven't fit into in almost 2 or 3 years that now fit again and it feels INCREDIBLE. I know I have a very long way to go, but I am proud of what I have achieved so far. I am excited to visit my grandparents in Florida and parents in TX in about a week and a half... I can't wait to hit the beach! I still need to find a second job, so will start looking intensely when I get back. Not much else is new for now, but I will write more soon :) 

Eventful Weekend, Another Pound Down, New Photos, and a Video of Me Diving!!

I had quite an interesting weekend! On Friday, I spent the whole day at the pool with Cody (the kiddo I nanny) which was really fun :) We created this sort of "racing" game which is really quite fun (and burns some calories too!) where we race from different points of the pool and back.

Luckily I had a great afternoon, because working later that night at Mimi's was HORRIBLE! I have been having some issues with the night manager... I have always been nothing but nice to her and she has always sort of picked on me/singled me out and made me feel like I didn't belong at Mimi's. I have never had any issues with the rest of the staff or managers and LOVED working at Mimi's in the morning, but ever since summer started and Cody has been out of school, I have had to work nights during the week which means I am stuck with the night manager :/ I was trying to ignore her antics/remarks/attitude, but Friday night she crossed an unacceptable line! I had been with Cody all day already (8am-5pm), and was only supposed to work at Mimi's 5:00pm to 8:30pm, but the night manager suddenly decided she wanted me to help close. This was a problem for me because I was scheduled to open the next day at Mimi's at 6:30 am and needed to go home and get some rest!! One of my co-workers graciously stepped in and said she would happily close because she did not have to work on Saturday and I thought I was off the hook until the night manager shot her down and said "No, I want Caroline to close". There was absolutely no reason for this!

Then she made me do all sorts of side work that is typically the ACTUAL closers' duties... I was working on it when one of the cooks asked me a question and the night manager decided to SCREAM at me for talking at all when my work wasn't "completely finished". I was appalled by her behavior (as were the customers at one of my tables!!) and could not believe the way she treated me... It is ironic as well because she ALWAYS has friends come visit her while she is working and treats them to free food and talks all night and never does anything. I laughed in her face, finished my side work, checked out, and started to head home at 11:00pm. I was still fuming and 20 minutes later the night manager called me and accused me of talking about her to other employees and not only cursed me out, but told me that everyone hates me at Mimi's. Real mature, huh?! I told her I quit and needless to say did not show up at Mimi's the next day. I was actually pretty surprised none of the other managers called me to find out where I was/why I didn't show up, but I am assuming the night manager already talked to them. I decided I am not going to let her behavior slide and am going in on Wednesday to talk to the general manager about her behavior and explain why I did not come in on Saturday. I am pretty sure I am done with Mimi's at this point, but if I could salvage my position and maybe just work weekends when the night manager is not there, maybe it could work. If not, I am not hearbroken... I refused to be treated like garbage! The extra money has been nice, but my happiness means WAY more than money ever will :)

Anyway, back to the good stuff! Saturday night Steve and I went down to Denver for the evening to celebrate my 50lb weight loss and see the movie "Moonrise Kingdom". I wore a skirt that has not fit me in almost 2 years, and it was a little BIG on me! Felt incredible :)

We ate at this awesome Mexican food place called "Bluebonnet Cafe" which was delicious, and I treated myself to a "skinny" margarita made of pure lime juice, tequila, water, and a hint of soda water. I was one happy gal! I can definitely feel more restriction with the recent fill which is nice and keeps me in control. I only ate about half a taco, but it was a delicious treat! 

We went to the movie afterwards and it was pretty good... it is a Wes Anderson film and is only playing at one theatre in the whole state of Colorado which is odd. I was hoping to possibly go camping Sunday night, but unfortunately a terrible wildfire started right in the area I was going to camp in (Cache La Poudre Canyon near Fort Collins) which still isn't contained I believe :( Very sad. I spent the day with Steve at the pool instead and he took a video of me doing a pike one and a half off the 3m (high dive) board! The quality is terrible, but you can still see me doing it :) All the little kids cheered afterwards which felt good!

Cody's Mom is flying to Paris this week so I am with him 24/7 until Thursday... it is kind of fun that it is summer though because we can hang out at the pool, catch a movie, go to the park, etc... because we don't have a schedule to keep! Since I won't be home, I weighed myself today and weighed in at 267 which makes 3 pounds since last week... yay! I didn't have to be at Cody's house until 6pm today so I spent most of it at the pool again splashing around and swimming laps... I love swimming outdoors SOO much better than swimming indoors... really makes it more fun! 

Here is a picture from the concert I went to with Keren June 1st that I finally snagged off of her phone 

Last thing I will leave everyone with is a comparison photo... The photo on the left is me at my heaviest weight ever (318lbs!!) in late January, and the photo on the right is from Saturday night (June 9th) 50lbs lighter at 268lbs. Hooray! I love seeing results... it just motivates me even more to stay on track and keep on working hard!

Great Doc Appt. and OFFICIALLY 50 POUNDS DOWN!!

YAAY! Went to the doc yesterday for my second fill and weighed in at 269.1, then weighed in at 268 this morning which means 50 POUNDS DOWN! I am so happy :) My doc said I am way ahead of schedule because on average, lapband patients lose 50 pounds in a year and I have done so in 2 and a half months woohooo. Doc put 1.2 cc more of saline in my band and it was actually really painful this time because he had a very hard time getting the needle in... apparently my port is a bit "tilted". Luckily he eventually got the needle in and it was over! Doc said that this amount (6.2 cc total) should be good in my band, but that if I wasn't feeling enough restriction that I could come back in another month and get a bit more saline added.

Also good news is that my BMI is no longer considered "Morbidly Obese"... I am now under a BMI of 40 which puts me just in the "Obese" category. Not out of the woods yet, but I am getting there! Cannot wait to have a bmi considered normal or healthy :) Anyway, I have a full day of nannying and then Mimi's tonight and tomorrow morning, but will write more later!

Fun in the Sun, Photo Update, AND another 4 pounds down!

WOOHOO... Weigh in this morning was 270 which is 4 pounds down from last week :) I could not be happier! All of my hard work, self control, and exercise is paying off and just drives me to work harder :)

 I had a great day today and spent most of it at the pool with Cody the boy I nanny... we splashed around for almost 4 hours at this awesome pool near my house. I had never been to this pool before and it was HUGE and had two fast water slides AND a 3 meter board (for those of you who don't know I was on a diving team as a child and LOVE the high dive). Amazingly enough, I can still do most of the dives I used to do when I was on the team! I did a pike one and a half, a back dive, inward tuck, etc... It was hilarious because all of these little kids kept high fiving me. It was a beautiful day out too so it was nice to be outside for most of it. I look forward to spending many afternoons there this summer.

Next week my boss will be in Paris so I will be with Cody 24/7 Monday through Thursday night, but she is going to pay for Cody and I to go to WaterWorld (this awesome HUGE waterpark) so that will be fun. I am also going to try to go camping sometime this weekend if it works out.

Took some update "biggest loser style" pictures tonight but for some reason only one is loading from my phone? Here is the picture that loaded, and I will update this post tomorrow with the other two as well as create a "comparison" pics :) Gnite!

Next Fill on Thursday

So I didn't get to go camping after all because I had to help a friend with an emergency :(, but still went to the Bassnectar concert which was a BLAST!! Keren and I were a sorry sight the next day at breakfast... we danced so hard all night we were exhausted/muscles ached/dragging ass! Great night however :) I will post pics once I get them from Keren's phone.

Working at Mimi's Cafe has been great as far as the extra cash flow, but they keep messing up my schedule and scheduling me to work when I have to be nannying which is frustrating... then when I tell them I can't be there that shift (even after I have given my manager MULTIPLE copies of my availability etc) they expect me to figure it out of get it covered. Also, they have been very strict/weird about people taking days/time off... When I mentioned yesterday that I would be gone for two weeks in early July to go to florida and texas to visit family they told me they probably couldn't give me the time off! That is too bad for them because my trip is already booked... not only that but I only work part time a few days a week and am giving them plenty of notice! Also, there are certain days I need to work late nannying and cannot work at Mimi's but if there is already one person that has requested that date off at all, there is "no guarantee" I will get it off :/ We will see what happens I guess!

I am pretty stoked because my boyfriend recently found an incredible new lean pocket flavor... artichoke spinach chicken!! SOOO tasty and only 240 calories. Definitely my new favorite lunch item! I am getting my second fill on Thursday which is exciting... I am happy to show my doc how much weight I have lost since my last fill! My hunger gauge has been right on par and I can literally feel exactly when I am full now which has helped tremendously... with this second fill it will be even better :) Right now I have about 4.5 cc of saline in my band and on Thursday they will bump it up to about 7.5 cc of saline.

The weather is absolutely beautiful and I look forward to hanging out at the pool and hopefully camping soon. Will post my weight update and new pics tomorrow!!

Another 3lbs down and an Exciting Few Days Ahead :)

Hooray! I believe I finally broke through my little "plateau" I was having as when I weighed myself this morning I weighed 274lbs, 3 pounds down from last week :) I am happy to say the least! I am six pounds away from hitting the 50lbs lost mark which feels so great. I am excited because I am off this whole week from my nanny job and am going camping at Rocky Mountain National Park tomorrow with Keren, then going to see Bassnectar on Friday at Red Rocks! WOO... Very fun next few days ahead! It is pretty funny that I have lived in Colorado almost 6 years now and still haven't been to Rocky Mountain National Park... lol. We are planning on doing a fair amount of medium-hard and long hikes which will be challenging, but I know I can do it! I am very lucky that Keren is so patient with me and helps motivate me along (she is in great shape and hikes almost everyday).

I have an AWESOME sleeping bag at home in TX that I used back when I was a camp counselor, however my Dad has sort have claimed it as his own because he uses it when he goes on overnight bicycling trips... needless to say I wasn't getting it back anytime soon :) Therefore, I bought a new sleeping bag this last weekend because sports authority was having a big camping sale. It was pretty funny because I was literally "trying on" sleeping bags in the middle of the store to make sure I fit! I found one that is the perfect size AND purple which is pretty cool if you ask me.

I spent all day today deep cleaning my apartment and doing laundry and am exhausted, but at least now my apartment is nice and clean. I also booked my trip to see my Grandparents in Florida and visit my parents and sister in Texas in late June/early July which will be awesome. Well it is late and I am pooped, so I will write more when I get back from camping :) Goodnight!

Another Pound Down! And Fiber Gummies :)

Sorry for the late weight update/post, I have been a busy busy worker bee! Unfortunately, I only lost a pound last week :/ I was upset about this so I called my nutritionist for a bit and we came up with some reasons why this may be... First of all, I did not get in a lot of actual exercise last week (because I was nannying overnight all week) and even though I am on my feet waitressing, my body apparently adapts to this after a few weeks (which it has been) and I don't burn as many calories waiting tables as I did at first. Secondly, since I have recently hit the 40lb drop mark, I may be hitting a small plateau... She said to try changing up my workout routines like adding in weights a day or two a week and change up my calories more often (such as 1200 cals one day, 1400 the next, then back to 1000 etc...). Even though I am kinda bummed about only losing an additional pound this week, I am still pleased to see that the scale is moving in the right direction and I know that I am doing my best. I will push through this little hump by trying some of the things my nutritionist said and hopefully will lose more next week!

SOO I know this is a bit TMI, but I need to put it out there because this blog is not only for my friends and family, but for fellow lapbanders and those thinking about lapband in the future. Since I have had lapband, I have felt constantly "stopped up", only have a bowel movement every three days or so! I was drinking benefiber everyday, but didn't feel much of an improvement. FINALLY I found something that seems to be helping though! I found these fiber gummy supplements at Target and I am now having much more regular bowel movements (every other day). Thank goodness!

Anyway, I am enjoying the beautiful weather outside and eagerly anticipating the opening of the outdoor pool near my house. I love swimming indoors, but it is so much  better to be outside enjoying the sunshine :) I am working all weekend again but luckily have all next week off from nannying. Cody will graduate from 5th grade tomorrow (wow!) which is awesome... I am so proud of him. I am also really happy because his Mom is moving him to a public school next year for middle school! This will be great because he has been going to a charter school that has not been much help nor had the resources to help with some of his learning disabilities. I am so glad he will be able to get a fresh start and hopefully teachers that will make more of an effort to help him next year!

I worked at Mimi's today and am nannying right now, but will go to swim class tonight at 8 which I look forward to. Will post more later!!

AWESOME Weekend :)

What a whirlwind of a week/weekend! I was a busy bee working both jobs all week and nannying overnight, but all the hard work paid off :) I had a blast at the concert at Red Rocks with Keren on Friday night (even managed to get in a swim class before too!) and we danced our butts off for a solid four hours before calling it a night... My legs are still sore from it! It is the most amazing live music venue I have ever been to because it is outside literally embedded in beautiful ancient rocks, but it is quite a hike to get to the venue, your seat, and up and down to and from the bathroom etc... Great workout which was good because I didn't have much of a chance to go to swim classes all last week because of work.

Another high note is that my clothes are starting to NOT fit because they are too BIG!! It was exciting to go to Maurice's and buy a pair of jeans, shorts, and capris to tide me over for another twenty pounds. When I started my journey, I was on the larger side of a size 26 and now I am fitting into size 22. WOOHOO. I have been doing much better about tracking my protein intake etc... by using MyFitnessPal (a great online site to diet journal) and taking all my vitamins which feels good. I also recently bought Zumba Fitness 2 for the Wii and just tried it out the other night... it is basically a latin dance fitness game which is super fun and boy was I sweaty/worn out after twenty minutes! I am still terrible at the actual technicality of the dance moves, but am working on it :)

Sunday I was able to get my shift at Mimi's covered and got to go to the Rockies VS Mariners game and see my boyfriend's cousin Blake Beavan pitch which was awesome. We had amazing seats, row 5 in a section right above third base! I have never sat so close at a baseball game and I had a blast. Steve and I were hoping to get to talk to his cousin or visit for a bit, but all we got was a wave while he was warming up. Blake was the starting pitcher for the Mariners game and did amazing... they won too! Very exciting all around except for the horrible sunburn I got by carelessly forgetting to reapply sunscreen throughout the day :(

Anyway, it is off to bed for me because I work at Mimi's tomorrow morning at 7:30am! Gnite all :)

Another 2lbs Down :) 40lbs Total so Far!

YAAY! I am officially down 40 lbs from where I started and could not be happier :) I weighed myself a day early again because I am nannying overnight all week (and working at Mimi's)... I clocked in at 278. This weekend was nuts at Mimi's! Mother's Day is one of our busiest days of the year and I worked a 9 and a half hour shift where I made great tips, but was utterly exhausted and still haven't really recovered.

I finally found out about my birthright Israel trip and I was wait-listed :( I am really bummed but I guess they said that there were over 100 applicants for the July trip and that people ages 25 and 26 get first priority (because age 26 is the cutoff), then people who have been rejected 3 times or more, and so on and so on. I am going to apply again for the winter trips and 2013 summer trips, but am still super bummed because this is the second time I have been wait-listed/rejected. Oh well... I guess I can look at it as more time to lose weight and fit better on the long plane ride when I do go! I have a whole 3 weeks off from nannying in July (when I was hoping to go to Israel) so I think I will probably go visit my Grandparents in Florida!! I love the beach :) Maybe I can go home to visit my parents for a few days too which would be nice.

I have started using "My Fitness Pal" which is a really neat website where you can track your food/calories/protein/water as well as exercise. I have been using this instead of writing in my journal to hold myself accountable to protein etc... and so far so good. My boyfriend got great tickets by 3rd base to the Rockies game on Sunday so I am going to try to get my shift at Mimi's covered so I can go! They will be playing the Seattle Mariners which is cool because my boyfriend's cousin is a pitcher for them (Blake Beavon). This week is going to be rough because my nanny boss is out of town so I am with Cody 24/7 while he isn't in school as well as working at Mimi's when he is in school, but I am really looking forward to the weekend. I am going to a concert on Friday night at Red Rocks with my best friend and have Saturday off from both jobs :) Anyway, hope everyone is well!

Working Weekend

Hello everyone... hope you all had a good week :) I don't normally work Friday nights or Saturdays for my nanny job, but have to this weekend... this means lots of catching up on Cody's homework etc! I went to swim class last night and it was really cool because my teacher Deb incorporated some swim "kickboxing" and BOY was I tired/sweaty... it was a great workout! She is actually adding a whole class for swim kickboxing on wednesdays so I am definitely going to work it into my schedule. It has been really nice out for the most part, but today it is cold, rainy, and nasty... it is supposed to be this way all weekend, YUCK. I am working at Mimi's on Sunday (mother's day) which is going to be super crazy busy but hopefully people will be in good spirits/patient because of the holiday.

I had stopped writing in my journal (the one where I recorded EVERYTHING such as protein intake, liquid intake, calorie intake, exercise log, and feelings) because I had gotten so busy, but I feel like I need to start writing in it again. Even though I am still losing weight etc... I don't believe I am getting adequate protein or liquid in everyday and can never remember how much I have because I haven't been writing it down anymore! I busted out the journal today and am going to start using it everyday again for now.

I can also now "feel" the restriction in my band more than I could before... it is hard to describe but basically when I eat I now get this almost instant like BING DONE FULL feeling and immediately stop eating. It is really nice to be honest! And it will only get better with more saline. I am happy for my parents because they are going to Italy for a much deserved 2 and a half week trip to Italy, but to be honest I am a little bummed because it has been so nice to call my Dad every other day with my progress and to discuss my routine etc... He has really been a rock throughout my whole weight loss struggle (from years ago) and always supported and motivated me even when I have failed in the past... Oh well, there is still email!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a happy Mother's Day!

Another 3lbs Down!

WOW! Hard to believe I have lost almost 40 pounds already since I started my journey in March! Weighed in at 280 this morning which is great :) I am pooped from a long day and signing off early but wanted to spread the good news. More to come!

Is it Tuesday Already?!

Long weekend at Mimi's... worked Saturday, Sunday, and today. Very tired but I am making decent money so all is good :) ALSO I now fit alot more comfortably in my bathtub now that I have lost some weight so I took a nice long bubble bath after working so much which was great! My feet are still killing me at work and I am considering going back to my podiatrist and getting cortisone shots in my heels again to help... I did this a few years ago and had some success. I have only noticed a bit of a difference as far as being full very quickly now that I have had my first saline fill, but I am definitely not as hungry all the time which is awesome! Many people say they don't feel a difference at all until their second or third fill so I would say I am glad to feel some change. I am working tomorrow super early at Mimi's so I will weigh myself before work then blog my weight after my shift. Cody (the boy I nanny) has a baseball game tomorrow night that I am going to go watch... it is also his Mom's birthday (my boss) so we are going to finish making the "home made coupon" book for her. It is pretty cute I must say, and filled with things like "Cody will walk the dogs" or I will "babysit on a weekend night" etc... Anyway, I must get to bed early for work but will post my weigh in tomorrow afternoon! Goodnight all :)

Got My First Fill :)

Today I went to my doc and got my first fill of saline in my band... it really wasn't bad at all! I was super afraid of it hurting badly because it is a big scary looking needle, but surprisingly it didn't hurt a bit. It just felt super weird when my doc was poking around to find the port and then a weird pressure after the saline was injected. My doc put in 5cc of saline today and told me I was doing great... he said he doesn't expect patients to lose any weight before their first fill and was impressed by my success. He also told me all the weight I have lost up until now has been totally on my own, because the band wasn't doing anything yet. Makes me feel really good :) I am now on a liquid/pureed diet for today and tomorrow, then a soft diet for Saturday and Sunday, then back to normal on Monday. I don't really feel any different yet, but thats because I haven't ingested anything but a liquid protein shake since the fill. I am excited to see how the band will make a difference in curbing my hunger/making me feel full more quickly.

Keren and I didn't end up going to the museum before my appointment today because we didn't want to be rushed through the exhibit... we are going to go tomorrow instead. It is a gorgeous day out and I am nannying right now, then will be off to swim class at 8pm. Will be enjoying my day at the museum tomorrow because I work all weekend at Mimi's. Have a great Friday everyone!

First Fill Tomorrow

The day has finally come! I am going to my doc tomorrow at 1pm for my first saline fill... I am a bit nervous because they use a huge needle (and I HATE needles) but my best friend Keren is coming with me for moral support and to hold my hand if necessary lol. For the fill, I am on a liquid diet tomorrow and the next day, then soft foods, then back to normal by Sunday. I really hope this fill helps curb my hunger, but sometimes it takes a fill or two to really feel the restraint in my band, but we will see. I worked at Mimi's on tuesday and nannied, and today I nannied and went to swim class which was nice. I am super sleepy and having a lazy night in with my boyfriend about to watch a movie, so I will post more tomorrow after my first fill!

Long Weekend, Best Friends Birthday AND Another 4 Pounds Down!

This was a CRAZY weekend for me... I worked my first "real" weekend morning shift at Mimi's cafe on Saturday from 8am until 3:45pm, then worked again on Sunday from 8am until 4pm. Needless to say, I was absolutely exhausted and crazy tired. Saturday was really horrible and I had a group of very stuck up ladies complain about me to my manager because I didn't ring in the 99 cent off deal for the soup and salad... Once they pointed that out on the receipt to me I apologized and fixed it right away but they claimed I had a "bad attitude" about fixing it or something...they made such a fuss instead of just talking to me about it that my manager comped their whole ticket which was 141 bucks! It was so frustrating because I am super nice to all of the customers and generally pride myself on my positive upbeat attitude and I literally kissed their asses the whole time I waited on them. It didn't make any sense and really hurt my feelings... I ended up bursting into tears which was embarrassing (I was already having sort of a bad day because I got yelled at for a mistake by a cook etc...). I also received zero tip for that table which was a bummer :( Luckily, I have the best manager ever and he sat me down and told me everything was going to be OK and that he wasn't upset with me (and that those ladies were spoiled bitches!). I was so relieved he was so understanding!

Sunday was much much better though, I had a great bunch of customers and some really nice tips and people... definitely helps and makes the shift go by faster! I am still not quite used to being on my feet all day so they have been KILLING me after such long shifts, but I bought myself a little home foot spa last night and soaked my piggies in epsom salt which was heaven. I was wondering how many calories I potentially burned waitressing for that many hours and according to three different calorie calculators, even if I was waiting tables at a slow pace (which I wasn't!) I apparently burned about 3,300 calories in 6 and a half hours! That is totally nuts, but I believe it because I hopped on the scale just now and it reads 283.4 :) That is four pounds down from last tuesday which is great. I was going to post my new weigh in tomorrow morning, but I am working a super long day (7:30am to 2:45pm at Mimi's, then Nannying right after) so I figured I'd post it now.

Today was my best friend Keren's birthday and we had a blast despite ALL of our plans falling through... We planned on going to the Denver Art Museum to see a Yves Saint Lauren exhibit, but alas they are closed on Mondays (which we did not realize until we were already there!) So instead we walked around Denver for a bit then decided on getting cocktails somewhere. I don't normally drink frozen drinks or really even alcohol anymore because of the empty calories, but what the hell! It was my bestie's birthday and I worked my ass off this weekend. We then decided to go see an IMAX at the Denver Museum of Science about the Artic, but of course the last showing of that particular movie was right when we decided to go. Ultimately, we just ended up hanging out at her place watching bad tv and enjoying ourselves. I had a great day, but definitely ate way past my calorie budget today which is hard to not feel guilt ridden :/ However, I did not overeat at all this week and managed to stay in my calorie budget and exercise and/or waitress everyday, so I can't be too hard on myself! That was my treat for the week and tomorrow back on track.

Tonight is my last dose of antibiotics for my infection (which seems to have healed up) and I am scheduled for my first saline fill in my band (which will make it tighter and more restricting) on Thursday which is exciting and also a little scary because they they put it in through a giant needle through my port near my stomach... Luckily Keren said she will come with me to hold my hand if it hurts/I am scared which is nice :) We are going to try to actually catch the art exhibit earlier in Denver that day too before the appointment! I also just joined a neat forum called LapBandTalk which is a forum/chat for people who have had lapband, thinking about getting lapband, or are pre-surgery. It is actually pretty neat because I have been able to help answer questions/concerns for some people who are pre surgery as well as share and compare my current experiences with lapband and weight loss with others going through the same thing.

Anyway, I am super tired and must get to sleep for my super early shift at Mimi's... sorry for the long post, I had alot to catch up on! More later :)

Caroline VS Hunger... a constant battle

So that nice "Wow I feel super full!" after eating only about 800-1000 calories a day is WAY over... I guess it is apparently normal to feel that way for a week or two after surgery, but then it doesn't last. I am STARVING... my hunger is back in full force and I feel like I want to raid a bakery multiple times a day. It is such a horrible feeling to constantly fight. The nurse at my bariatric clinic said this is totally normal because I haven't "turned on" my lap band by having a fill yet to make it tighter. I was supposed to have my first fill this past Thursday but because I am still on antibiotics, they are making me wait one more week :( Even then I will still be hungry because they only put about 1cc of saline in at a time and it really takes 4 or 5 fills to feel the fullness after only one cup of food per meal. SIGH. I will eventually get there.

I am really proud of myself though because despite the constant hunger/urge to eat more than 1000-1400 calories a day, I have done a really great job of staying within my limit. I don't completely deprive myself and give myself little "treats" every once and a while such as a little ice cream and what not, just as long as I stay in my calorie budget. It is freaking hard though! However, my will power is stronger than ever and I love seeing the results of my hard work each week. I will never again let food have power over me because I am a strong and getting stronger each and every day. I am finally beginning to seriously feel in control of my eating habits for the first time in years.

I went to a noon swim class today which was fun and then nannied Cody for the afternoon where we played outside because it was a gorgeous day. I kept it super low key tonight because tomorrow I have my first real super long morning shift at Mimi's at 9am which is going to be CRAZY busy and packed but I will get a great workout and hopefully some great tips too! Hopefully I will survive :D Goodnight bloggers!

Comparison Pics

Looking at my pics side by side, I only notice little differences... my face looks a bit thinner and I am a little less wide. Hopefully I will notice greater changes with more weight loss :) I will post some more pics/comparison pics in 3 more weeks. Anyway, I have off from both jobs today which is nice so I am off for a walk before it storms then to swim class at 8 WOOT. Here are the comparison pics!

New Biggest Loser- Style Pics

I finally got around to taking them! Here is me in the same outfit I wore April 1st 2012 when I weighed 299 pounds... I now weigh 287 :) I will also post side by side comparison pics next!

Exhausted, but Very Good Productive Day :)

AH I can finally sit down lol. I took another little boy I sometimes nanny for to school today at 7am, then went to a water zumba class, then another swim class, then picked up Cody from school THEN worked a dinner shift at Mimi's. Needless to say, I am exhausted! It was a great day however... I made $75 in tips tonight at Mimi's... woohoo!

Another highlight of my day was finding mini whole wheat bobali breads to make mini healthy pizzas on! I bought a package from the store and found a great low-calorie high-protein pizza recipe... I used low cal pesto as a sauce, then low cal mozzarella cheese on top with sliced mushrooms and chicken. It was delicious and I ate just half which was only about 400 calories and a great high protein meal :) I will eat the other half tomorrow.

I still have not played with my Wii Fit because I have been so busy, but plan to tomorrow before I pick up Cody from school. I also plan to take my "biggest loser- style" photos tomorrow morning for comparison to 3 weeks ago... I was going to take them yesterday but by the time I had time, I had eaten and was bloated and not feeling up for it. I am too tired tonight, but will tomorrow morning for sure :) I might even put the pics from 3 weeks ago next to pics from tomorrow for side by side comparison (fancy, eh?). Anyways, goodnight for now!

2 More Pounds From Friday, 4 Pounds Down Total From Last Week!

BOOOYAH! I just hopped on the scale this morning and it read 287 lbs WOOOT! That is another 2 pounds down from Friday, and 4 pounds down total from last weeks weigh in.... they haven't even filled my band with saline to make it tighter yet either! I am super proud of myself :) That is 31lbs down total from a week before surgery (I weighed 318lbs then lost 14lb 3 days before surgery on a required sugar free liquid diet) and 17lbs down since my actual surgery date when I weighed 304! It felt great to back in the water again yesterday (where I burned about 400 calories in my class) AND I also waitressed last night at Mimi's for almost 6 hours which probably burned quite a few calories as well. Feeling super great, I love seeing results because it just makes my will to keep going even stronger. I will post pics of my body for comparison later today.

SOO in other news, I have changed my mind again about my work situation and have decided to keep my nanny job at least through the end of the summer. I thought really hard about it and realized that not only do I get a FULL paid month off in July if I keep nannying, but that I will also receive a really nice two year bonus in August. If I were to work full time at Mimi's and I end up going to Israel, that would a 12-14 unpaid break and I would not be able to afford my rent. And being with Cody 8 hours a day won't be so bad because I realized that I have a rec membership here in town and can take him to the pool everyday if we wanted! Also, after working my first "real" busy shift at Mimi's last night, I decided I would probably be miserable doing it full time because I was so entirely exhausted. Besides, when I have time off from nannying, I can always pick up more shifts at Mimi's. I have not mentioned anything to my nanny boss so she won't know the difference, but I have already told my manager at Mimi's that I would start working full time starting in three weeks. I am just going to white lie and tell him that I tried to quit at the nanny job, but she really really needs me and convinced me to stay. Hopefully he will understand and still allow me to stay on part time. He seems like a really understanding awesome guy, and I am letting him know ASAP/three weeks in advance so that should give him time to find someone else for full time and still let me do part time. SIGH. I feel much better now that I have made my decision :).

More to come later today...