No Skinny Minnie

Each day that passes I become more comfortable with me. I find myself talking more candidly about my weight. Which I NEVER would have done before.I'm not as hesitant to take full body pictures anymore. I'm by far no Skinny Minnie, but I'm feeling good. Yes, Cornelius is a tool that has helped but it was me too. I make the conscious decisions about what to eat. I am the one putting in the work. I repeat to myself daily. "My body is a temple, treat it with respect it deserves. Rome was built in a day and neither will the perfect body be." I try not to get discouraged if the scale doesn't move. That's why now I only weigh in on Thursdays. It feels good not to have food rule my life.

I was watching a YouTube video about a woman trying to get to her goal weight. She said " I can eat anything,any time I want,  or I can be thin" I find this statement at times conflicting. I'm from the camp of finding healthier options. In my experience I  think it's better to not deny yourself, but to find an alternative. Now thats not n oink pass to eat a whole box of 100 calorie snacks but you know what I mean.

 It's like telling an artistic kid not to draw on white walls, he's going to do when you're not looking anyways. It's better to buy chalk board paint, designate  place on his wall and let him have at it.

It's all about compromise!

For instance this morning I wanted something sweet but I knew I needed something nutritious and filling to hold me until lunch. I cracked and egg ditched the yolk, added a little cinnamon and skim milk, and dropped in a slice of bread, and Voila! Low-fat French Toast!

I've had my great days and not not so great ones but over all I'm adjusting to this new lifestyle. I've had days when the scale didn't move and I got a little down. But thats to be expected. The key is to look at the weight you have lost, and and how far you've come. I'm a work in progress. Constantly under construction. 

In the spirit of change I leave you with Tracey Chapman's Change

Until next time...

All the cards

9/22/11 : 341 lbs and 10/16/11: 302 lbs

Last Thursday was my third follow up visit with Dr. K. I'm finally stitch-free! Woohoo!
The removal was a little painful. I also asked a few questions about this irritating pain below my port incision. After thinking about how to translate it into English, Dr. K's resident took out her trusty post-it pad and wrote. " Port will irritate soft abdomen tissue. Okay? ^^" I gave her the thumbs up and she added "sore maybe 2 more weeks" and smiled. So I guess the adjeoshi from my train debacle last week didn't unhinge anything.
As thy were cleaning incisions Dr. K said they were looking good and I probably will have minimal scarring if any at all! SWEET! I was nervous about my fill so I asked Dr. K how many CCs he was going to put in today. He said  " Why dont you hop on the scale so we can see" . Reluctant to hop on the scale because I figured I'd been on soft foods for little under a week and I thought that I wouldn't see much change from last visit. Down 1.5 kgs. Woop woop!  I smiled . The doc and his assistant put my new weight into the comp.  "Om my got!" the nurse said. "Ship pal kilo" I heard . I've lost 18kgs since surgery? My Korean isn't flawless, but did I hear her right? I did the math in my head 39lbs. Say what????? The nurses told me they weighed me the day of surgery ad I was a whopping 155kgs which is roughly 341lbs.  So I started thinking back to the weight I'd already lost coming to Korea. The number baffles me. So I put my clothes back on and as I came back into the room the whole surgical staff applauded me. Talk about a supportive surgical team! Koreans love for others to be skinny. As I went to pay my $7 co-pay my nurse told the staff at the front desk about my weight loss and they grabbed my hands saying congratulations and began to clap. Geesh! This is better than the Biggest Loser.  I thought to myself.  I made an appointment to get my first fill the following week under Dr. K's advice. The staff wished me luck this week in getting under 300lbs and waved goodbye. Feeling pretty good, I stepped into the elevator where I saw a surgical tech from my surgery day. " Oh you are looking to good these days! Your shape will be very GOOD in some months I think!" I smiled and said thank you as a nosey purple haired adjumma  tapped me on my shoulder and told me how very pretty I was. When it rains, it pours people! If I had been having a bad day my trip to Dr. K's surely turned it around.


I walked down the street in disbelief. Had I really lost 39 lbs? And why didn't I see what everyone else saw? I mean sure a few of my clothes felt a little loose but 39 lbs? I thought I should see a more significant change. I went home shrugged off the feeling and went about my day trying not to think about it. Why was I disappointed? I had lost the weight  of a small toddler in a mater of mere weeks. I guess those are some of the WLS emotional ups and downs.
 Today I looked at a smaller pair of jeggings I'd bought when I was stateside 10 months back gauging whether or not I could shimmy into them. I figured What the hell! Couldn't hurt to try. I put on my jeggings with ease and with room to spare!  I smiled and took out my favorite teal tank top. As I looked in to the mirror, my once snug tank top had become something like a tunic. So I tired a rope belt under my breast, gave myself one good look in the mirror and thought Now I see it! My first NSV ( Non-scale Victory) Fitting into my skinny jeans!

Doing the cabbage patch Muffin Top, Cornelius, and I are sharing Gwen Stefani's "Yummy:

Until next time...

The beginning of something beautiful...

My Dearest Cornelius,



I imagine this is Cornelius

 I'd like to take a moment to tell you, how much I appreciate you. I know this thing between us was sudden and yet out if it is blossoming a beautiful relationship. These past 13 days have been a rollercoaster of emotions.

when I stepped on the scale the other day and saw I had lost 20.3lbs. I thought IMPOSSIBLE!  I did the cabbage patch (backwards and forwards)! With you in my life I feel like my weightloss goals are now acheiveable. You're not some magic muffin top band aid. You make me want to be a better me. To treat my body as the temple it was built to be.

So for these things I say thank you. For your support and companionship.

This is the beginning of something beautiful.

Love,

Moxy

Ok so a little update. Cornelius, Muffin top and I have found a way to peacefully coexist. For the time being at least. My students and co workers have noticed my weightl loss, more so than I have. " Oh teacher you are looking slimmer these days" or " Wow the diet is making you more beautiful"
Only is Korea is this acceptable. I'm going to miss Soko . LOL
 In other news, I went to a follow up with Dr. K. My incisions are healing nicely. However I still have pain around my port incision, which I ve heard is quite normal. While braving the Korean subway after my last appointment where my stitches were removed, I was elbowed in the stomach by a rude adjeoshi. This might have had everything or nothing to do with the pain I felt an hour later. However after arriving home I felt an absolutely terrible pain when I walked, sat up, breathed! Ugh! Laying down was the only thing that made it feel better. I checked http://www.lapbandtalk.com/ ( my go to for LB questions)  I found out that fellow newbie  post-op bandsters were experiencing similiar pain.  Similar or not it was a bit much to endure at work. So with a bottle of Tylenol and my comfy desk chair I made it work this week. 
I've graduated to soft foods.  Yay! I go through eggs like I'm getting paid for it. If any of you are at a loss for recipes check out the Apps for All Recipes.com  especially the  DinnerSpinner!  I'm excited for Monday! Solid foods!!! Woop woop!  I'd have to say Im pretty proud of myself for sticking to the diet and making healthy food choices. I'm a calorie counting hoe. I dont want to become obsessed with the scale so I've decided to weigh myself  once a week. Thurdays are now Weigh-in Days! With my impending trip back state side I have to say, I'm excited to go back if for nothing more that the food options. One of the draw back of being banded in South Korea is a  lack of of options. What I wouldnt give for a Jello pudding cup  and Tex Mex Chicken Chowder :)
Tomorrow I go for my 2nd follow up appointment with Dr. K.He'll be removing the last of my stitches and giving me a fill. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I'm feeling good and ready for my fill!
Today Muffin Top, Cornelius and I are sharing :Use Somebody by the Kings of Leon


 

 Until next time...

And then there was Cornelius

So I've thought about what to name my band. At first I thought to name it "Felicia" but pronounced Fa-lish-a a sassy black woman with an obvious attitude problem. Who doesn't love sassy black women. But then I thought I'm sassy enough for the both of us. For inspiration I took a minute an listened to Lou Bega's Mambo #5 Song, *shame* on YouTube.  Monica, Erica, Rita, Tina, Sandra, Mary, Jessica... Nope!
Right after that the Ting Tings'  That's not my Name  loaded. So I took it as a sign and I did some real soul searching... then I thought wouldn't it be funny if my band was male. Not just any male, but an ornery,cranky, old, no nonsense fella named Cornelius and it just seemed to fit.
Henceforth I will refer to my band by the name Cornelius.
So it's me, my muffin top and Cornelius against the world! The three Musketeers of Weightloss. * i know Im taking it a bit far but what the hell!

To all of subscribed my muffin top lovers and by ALL, I mean my only one, don't think I've started dating a a cranky octagenarian named Cornelius when you see future posts entitled "My fight with Corni "or " My weightloss love letters to Corni". It's just my band!  Until next time..

On lockdown

Just wanted to drop a quick post to talk about the "lockdown".
I didn't quite fully understand when people said their bands were tight in the AM. Seeing how I hadn't experienced the constriction phenomena in the first 5 days,I figured I was an exception to the rule. Well let me tell you I woke up  this morning with the exception in my chest. Ugh! My band was tighter than a nun's knees during spring break at  co-ed Vatican camp.  My band was on lockdown and I was a little freaked out. So my smoothie breakfast was a no go until I got to work and made myself a mug of Jasmine tea which coaxed Cornelius ( that's my band's name by the way) out of restriction. Then it was smooth sailing the rest of the day. On wards to my delicious Strawberry protein smoothie from Smoothie King ( I know... I have a problem). Some days I don't even notice Corni. He works with me and I work with him. But today he was being a tight lipped old fart. Hopefully tomorrow Cornelius and I will have a nice sit down in the AM over a nice hot cup of Hazelnut coffee.

This morning my band was as tight as her pants.

                                                    Until next time....

You are what you Eat!

Do you believe that saying " you are what you eat?"
If thats the case, I'm going to turn into a bowl of soup or a Smoothie King smoothie any minute now.
So, I'm 5 days post op. Whew! How did that happen? One minute I was biting my fingernails hoping for the best with my surgery and thinking the worst. Now I'm making protein shakes,counting calories like a champ, and  getting back to my daily life.
The past 5 days haven't been so bad. Yeah of course there's the discomfort of the incisions and the port site but it isn't intolerable, for me. Every person is different, on how they heal, how they handle pain, lose weight, etc.  I was SUPER worried because stories I heard about surgical gas pain, epic heartburn, and chest pain post op. Luckily, I'm here to report I've experience non of those things. However I was finally be able to burp  post-op and it  has been the most AMAZING thing EVER! I never knew a burp could feel sooo good. Yay for flatulence!
I'm starting to feel more like myself again. Yeah a little achy, a little gas, and its hard to bend over,but other than than I'm pretty mobile. Sitting for long periods of time is a tad bit uncomfy but manageable.
I have a new ADDICTION...SMOOTHIE KING! Their protein packed smoothies are a nice respite from soup. FYI I'm a total Ipad APP geek, so if you're a tech hoe like myself get yourself a MyFitnessPal calorie counter. It's great! You can update on your mobile device or on your computer. Check it out: www.myfitnesspal.com. Trust me. I never thought I'd be that girl. Me? Recording calories ? You crazy!
But it seriously, it gives you a visual of where your calories are coming from, and keeps you on track towards your weight loss goal! I look forward to my first post-op doctor's appointment with Dr. K.
In other news, I'm proud to announce I've lost 3.3lbs! Yay! A small victory but a victory none the less.
 I used to be terrified to hop on a scale. So much, that prior to my Lap Band consult visit with Dr. K, I hadn't been on a scale in more than 2 yrs.
But now I look forward to my weekly weigh ins! It's funny how things can change with just a bit of perspective.  So with a change in perspective, and a step in the right direction I leave you with Aqualung's Something to Believe In

 Until next time...

Banded for Life

I, MuffinTop Moxy promise to love, cherish, and work with you. Through sickness and in health. In the good times, the bad times and the time in between.

So I'm one day post op. I'm here at the hospital. You've gotta love Korea for being one of the most "plugged in" countries in the world. Yay for Wifi in my room. They don't have ice chips but they have Wifi! Good to know they've got me post-op priorities in mind.

Yesterday afternoon I was given jazzy hospital issue two pieces capri set complete with surgery tights.* Don't worry I took a picture. My abdomen was shaved and I was ready for the big show.I was escorted down to the surgery suite which looked like a knock off of Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory. I was asked to lie down on a table that looked like some kind of torture table. My arms were strapped to the table while my legs we fitted with weird massaging/warming devices. This is when I started to freak out a little. The anesthesiologist put an oxygen mask on my face, told me to take deep breaths, "WAIT" I said. For what I don't know, but before I knew it I, felt my eyes roll to the back of my head and thought "Oh F*&K, here we go!" I was out for what seemed 10 minutes. I groggily woke up to a number of Koreans saying "Tippani, Tippani, loll on the bed-uh. Loll ober". After what seemed like 5 minutes later, but what was probably more like an hour I opened my eyes to see familiar faces of my friends and two of my co-workers.
Just like that it was all over.
All in all I'd have to say the process wasn't too bad. The first few hrs post-op were pretty uncomfortable. I had super cotton mouth and my stomach felt like I did 600 crunches at the gym and was subsequently roundhouse kicked in my navel. The pain meds were pretty spectacular so I got a good night's rest. After a few dixie cups of ice chips ( from Family Mart),a half cup of creamy chicken soup, and a pain killer, I've been able to walk up and down the hall and even make my way to the bathroom without help.

I'm looking forward to going home and sleeping in my own bed. But I think I will be taking these jazzy hospital Pjs with me. *They have pockets!
So my band ( she will be named shortly) and I are about to pack up my over night bag and head home. Sending lots of love to my fellow September 29th Bandsters. I hope all went well.


I look forward to the coming weeks and my journey as a banded babe.

Until next time...