1 month Surgiversary

3 days past my 1 month surgiversary and I'm feeling pretty good. * doing a little dance* It's been about 10 days since my first fill. It wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined it. Locating the port was a bit tricky but after that it was smooth sailing.  Every few days the most unexpected foods get stuck. Cornelius is a very flippant. Well I'm glad to report I'm almost out of the 290's.  Muffin Top is not impressed but hanging in there. Not bad for 33 days post op. 

 Im stateside with even less of an appetite than before the fill, but I'm trying to make sure I get those three protein packed meals a day. I started a workout regiment with my sister.

 Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred.

 It has three levels and  it's 20 mins of hardcore blood, sweat and tears. At 19 minutes Jillian was saying "Change isn't free and c'mon dont quit at the finish line" and all I could think was, I hate you Jillian!

 After the woozy light headed feeling passed I felt good. Note to self: Make sure I eat a little something before I work out. So I'm going to spend the next 30 days with Jillian. I'll be sweating my life away stretching and working muscles I didn't know I had. So to date I've lost 47 pounds. Which is a pretty awesome feeling. However now my clothes fit abnormally and there's only so much you can do with a belt. As of right now I'm living in leggings and my trusty long cardi. I'm not complaining I guess I'm going to have to rock tunics and tights for a bit. I am however looking forward to seeing results from working out though.

Today I woke up made a high protein breakfast, then shrugged on a pair of leggings , a tank, and my favorite green hoodie and walked 2.7 miles towards downtown Atlanta. Me? Almost three miles at a brisk pace.. who knew. I had my Iphone strapped on my arm , and I was jamming to my " I go Hard" playlist. Now all I have to do is figure out how to calibrate my Iphone with my Nikes. As I was on the last leg of my speed walk all I could think about is Jillian saying " It doesnt come free people, don't quit at the finish line" I pushed through it and ran up the 6 flights of stairs to my apartment. I'm committed to change. One day at a time.

A little bit of love from Muffin Top,Cornelius, and I
This one goes out to our new boo Jillian:

Until next time...

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...

Inspirations

So I've found  online forums and Lap band support groups. As I begin this journey I find comfort in reading /watching the stories of others. You Tube has a whole nations of digital banders right at your fingertips.
I've been obsessed with watching people's video blogs about their Lap Band journeys.
Some have been amazing and inspirational and others have been down right terrifying!
I know no 2 journeys are alike, but in the age of the vlog it's almost an over bundance of information.
One woman I came across is Newtoy4kt. She is phenomenal!
 You can find her @ http://www.youtube.com/user/newtoy4kt . She's real about her journey, the ups, the downs and the times in between. She talks not only about her physical , but her mental and emotional journey as well. In watching her vlogs, I found myself cheering for her.
In one of her vlogs she posted two quotes I want to share with you.

"What sepereates ME from those who FAIL

 is I OWN this ! I WANT this!"

"You have to be ready for Change. You have to want it! and want it for YOURSELF!"

 I love, love,LOVE Florence and the Machine! So this will be my motivation song. It's a tune even my muffin top can get behind.

Until next time...