Thought I would update you all on what has been going on in my life in the last month or so. I have been very MIA on my blog! So here is a quick snapshot of my life and my banding life over the last month or so.

* I had a fill 3 weeks ago. He put 3mls on top of the 2.5mls I already had, I was told this was a lot in one hit and I was struggling a little to keep water down. But went away and decided to give it a few days. I ended up back at the surgeons office 3 days later because it was painful to eat and I was vomiting from just having built up saliva! So he removed 0.5mls and it’s been great!

* I am still not at that perfect point of fill. I have 5mls in my band now but feel I still need more. I am eating more than I would like to be eating. It’s really not a lot compared to what I used to eat but I feel it is more than I should be eating.

* I am due for another fill next week, but we are going away at the end of the month and I am worried something will happen while we are overseas. So I am not sure what to do … going to call today and talk to them about it.

* I turned 28 years old a few weeks ago! I hate getting older, the closer to 30 I get the more I hate birthdays. But they are a part of life and there is nothing we can do about them!

* I guess the biggest news is hitting 95kg! Which makes my total weight loss 20kg. I was 115kg at my heaviest. I am super happy to be at 95kg and I am amazed at the difference in the way I feel and how my clothes fit. When we went out for dinner on my birthday I was shocked to see how much skinnier my face is! It was a nice surprise and I actually liked the photos for the first time in a very long time!

* Only 2.5 weeks until our trip. We are off to the USA and Canada for 3 weeks and I can’t wait!

I guess that is really it, thought I would have more news than that but turns out I am pretty boring!

Jen xx

P.S. One more piece of news! My Mum had her banding operation 3 weeks ago and is doing really well! That makes 3 in our family - My mum, her twin sister and myself! YAY!

Ok so part of my new lease on life means getting serious abotu diet and most of all exercise! We have 2 weeks and 4 days until our holiday and I need to lose a dress size. In order to do that I have decided to do shakes for 2 weeks and exercise my butt off! I am also going to see if I can get another fill this week.

So here’s the plan ….

* 2 weeks of shakes, twice per day

* Exercise daily - treadmil, walking, skipping etc.

* Walk with ankle weights around the house

If I can stick to these things for 2 weeks I am hoping with all my might I can lose 5kg … maybe I am dreaming but I really hope  can do it! I want to go overseas feeling great and being under 90kg!

So wish me luck and kick my arse!

Jen xx

It’s a new life for me …. and i’m feelin’ good! - Ok so I love Michael Buble, bet you didn’t know that! LOL So this is my theme song.

So I am sure from those few lyrics you can tell I have been bad … but it’s a new dawn …. it’s a new day …. and I am going to get myself on track!

I am not going to ramble on about what I have done, because there is nothing new to report. food demons and bad food habits are always there. Food and overeating is an addiction. It is something you never get over, you battle it everyday.

I used to think “addicts” of any kind - drug, cigerettes etc were weak people. I always said “well no one is holding them down and forcing them they are choosing to do this”. The more I understand my addiction the more respect and appreciation I have for other addicts. The worst thing about my addiction is it is food, one of they key pieces you need to sustain life. It is something I can’t avoid or go cold turkey. I am faced with it everyday. So I need to work on my demons everyday and battle through.

So as I said this is a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me …. and I really am feelin’ good!

Jen xx

So I have been pretty careful to not eat anything too hard and chew chew chew! But 10 minutes ago I saw a piece of turkey roast and decided to grab a piece, I don’t think I chewed good enough and I felt it get stuck. So I had a drink of water hoping to push it through, but it had the opposite effect!! I vomited the water back up!! It was so quick I didn’t even have time to run to the bathroom. I literally swallowed the water, it hit my stomach and shot straight back up again!

That was scary! Wont be doing that again in a hurry that’s for sure!

Front

Back

Side

So last Thursday was week 8 and I weighed in at under 100kg!! But I did another weigh in today so will record the results from this morning. I also took new photos!

Starting weight - 110.5kg
Current Weight - 99kg
Total lost - 11.5kg
Only 30kg to go!!

BMI Starting - 39.6
BMI Now - 35.5

I am a little late with this update (week 7 was last Thursday). But here is is anyway!

Starting weight - 110.5kg
Current Weight - 100.9kg
Total lost - 9.6kg
Only 31.9kg to go!!

BMI Starting - 39.6
BMI Now - 36.2

Starting Hips - 132cm - Now 121cm <11cm
Starting Waist - 118cm - Now 111.5cm <6.5cm - Same
Starting Thighs - 71cm - Now 63cm <8cm - Same
Starting Calves - 44.5cm - Now 42 <2.5cm
Starting Arms - 41cm - Now 39cm <2cm - Same
Starting Chest -117cm - Now 112cm <5cm

I am sitting here eating cheese, dip and wine. Why am I doing this? I have had surgery to help with my weight loss yet I am still eating crap!! Well the wine and cheese are really nice … but you know what I mean.

Hubby and I have made a pact, to start Monday. Yes, yes I know I hear myself, the classic “diet starts on Monday” speech. But really it does. Marc and I both need to get our eating in order.

The funny thing is I wonder how many partners end up needing a band after their other half has lost all there weight. Marc has a bad habit of eating his dinner and then eating what’s left of mine.

So as of Monday we are on a healthy eating and exercise binge! I want to get down to 85kg before my holiday! I know it sounds like a lot but it’s 2kg a week over the next 8 weeks. Lets see if I can do it! I would love to be even at least under 90kg before we go away in November. To be able to fit comfortably in the seat, to not have a double chin in our holiday snaps and just to feel better in my clothes!!

So I am going to sit here and enjoy my wine and dinner, I am doing to savour every mouthful because as of Monday I am knuckling down and taking advantage of this awesome tool I have!

I was actually thinking today that there must be an advantage to paying for your surgery, not having your health fund or superannuation pay but you actually physically removing your savings and paying for it. I wonder if people who do that respect it more and do better? Or maybe it is how we are programmed and it takes a lot more than a band around our stomachs to get through the psychological part of being an over eater?

So until Monday …..

We decided to go out for dinner tonight, just down to the local tavern. We used to go there quiet a lot. I love a really nice steak and prefer to eat steak at a restaurant rather than at home … always tastes nicer! So tonight I ordered what I would normally order - eye fillet (300gram), topped with garlic prawns with a side of chunky chips and salad. Normally I would get through the entire meal, I would be full but I would eat it all. Tonight I took my time eating and kind of cheated a little by drinking water with my meal. I managed to get through 1/3 of the steak, 4 garlic prawns and 2 fork fulls of salad. I didn’t touch any of the chips!

How times have changed, for the better obviously. I am so full and I only ate 1/4 of what was on my plate which meals that even though the garlic prawns weren’t that healthy my total calorie intake is much less than what it would have been if I had have eaten all of the steak and chips too.

Another thing I notice when at restaurants now is the overweight people. I really wish I could run up to them and tell them … “I can change your life!!!”. But sadly I can’t so I see them and hope one day they will discover a way to be happy and lose the weight.

Eating is definitely a who new experience and I have to learn to order half serves and also to take things home for the next day …. or even for the dog! LOL

My friend Nicole and I have created a banding forum http://www.australianbandits.com.au

It is completely free to join! How can you put a price on support and advice! Come and join and help us create the best banding community in Australia!

http://www.AustralianBandits.com.au