tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31199045986173223272024-03-12T16:05:03.856-07:00Karla's Losing ItA Journey through my adventures of having Lap Band surgery,<br>
and a day by day update on how I'm doing.<br>
Must keep myself accountable.<br>
Thank you for all of your support!Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-11508058571866636522011-04-28T00:43:00.001-07:002011-04-28T00:43:27.139-07:00<a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3526326/Personal_Confessions" <br /> title="Wordle: Personal Confessions"><img<br /> src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/3526326/Personal_Confessions"<br /> alt="Wordle: Personal Confessions"<br /> style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-77726656100976915792011-04-27T22:11:00.001-07:002011-04-27T22:11:48.051-07:00<a title="Wordle: Smith/Mashburn Family" href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3526107/Smith-Mashburn_Family"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ddd 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; BORDER-TOP: #ddd 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; BORDER-LEFT: #ddd 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ddd 1px solid" alt="Wordle: Smith/Mashburn Family" src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/3526107/Smith-Mashburn_Family" /></a>Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-27027248777404428442011-04-26T00:38:00.000-07:002011-04-26T00:39:59.845-07:00COnfessions.... (warning.. some adult language uesd)Sorry about a little bit of language, but if your going to say what you are going to say, then sometimes you just have to say it..... I was thinking these thoughts and just had to write them down...<br /><br />Lately I have been wondering what would happen if I had an eating disorder. I know that I have an over-eating disorder, but I don’t know how to fix it. I have considered starving myself, but I love food so much that I can’t make that stick. I have considered bulimia, but because of my band, I already throw up half of my food and it doesn’t seem to be doing anything. I only seem to gain 1 or 2 pounds, and then loose 1 or 2 pounds. I keep thinking.. I’m going to become obsessed with working out. I’ll start tomorrow. Then when tomorrow gets here, I completely forget about it. I am constantly thinking about food. At night I’m thinking about what I can snack on or what will I have to eat in the morning, or what will I make for dinner the next day. When getting ready for work each day, I think about what I will have during my lunch break to eat. If I know that I don’t have any money or possibly anything to take to eat, I get worried. I know this is not a good behavior to have, but I can’t seem to control it. I don’t want to be fat. I don’t want to always eat. I have tried so many different things. Hobbies tend to keep me busy so I don’t think about eating. And it works for a little while, but in the long run I don’t stick with it. I feel as though my boyfriend doesn’t want me, because I’m not skinny enough to have comfortable sex with, or because he want’s to have sex in certain positions that I simply can’t do because of my weight. I feel rejected. I feel as though I'm just not good enough. I have been blaming him for my weight gain lately, but even as I am writing this, I realize that, he isn’t the problem. He may be the source of my hurt feelings and my low self esteem, but there has to be something else that is wrong with me, to make me think the way that I do. I have tried inner soul searching, I have prayed. Prayer makes me feel good inside, until the next day then I don’t thing about it and start feeling down again. I need real help. I don’t know where to go, to find help. I blame my financial situation for not finding resources, yet I know that is also just another excuse. If I really wanted to do it I would. Sometimes I think we need to just talk to ourselves and find out what is really wrong. I still don’t know what is wrong with me, but I do know this… I don’t have to wonder what would happen if I had an eating disorder, I have one. I have been letting it control me for too long. I want to take charge and be in control. I hope I can find a way to do it, before I don’t have a chance at all.Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-91015725489600567082011-03-20T01:39:00.001-07:002011-03-20T01:43:41.440-07:00Day Something...... Food AddictionI am a food addict... I know this. Trying to find some real answers to help. After doing much research online, I have found there are groups to help with food addiction. In Los Angeles, and other major cities. Not practical for me. Ugh... We need something here. In the mean time, I found this article about food addiction.. There is a yes/no quiz. I'll be honest, I got 17 Yes' (Out of 20).... I'm adding it, because I found it to be helping in determining if I am a food addict. I am constantly thinkging about food. Whether it be, What am I making for dinner tonight, or as I'm making dinner, thinking about what I can make for breakfast or lunch the next day, and worried if I don't think I'm going to be able to fix something for lunch to take with me, and I may not have enough money to buy something. I know what's wrong with me.. But how do I fix it? Anyways... Another day another struggle.... Love everyone...... Thank you for keeping up with me.<br /><br />Living to Eat: Do You Have a Food Addiction?<br />By Meghan Vivo<br /><br />Jane sneaks out of the house at midnight and drives six miles to the local 7-Eleven to get a chocolate bar. This has become a nightly ritual. She's gaining weight and feels profoundly ashamed of her lack of self-control. Though she vows to stop this behavior, she can't seem to shake the craving night after night.<br />Jane is a food addict.In many ways, food can closely resemble a drug - caffeine and sugar offer a quick pick-me-up while carbohydrates and comfort foods can help soothe and relax the mind. Some people use food, like drugs, to feel at ease in social situations or to unwind after a long day. If you think about food constantly throughout the day, have compulsive cravings for certain types of foods, or waste more than half of your daily calories binging on unhealthy snacks, you may be one of the 18 million Americans who suffer from food addiction.<br />What Is Food Addiction?Food addiction, like any other addiction, is a loss of control. Food addicts are preoccupied with thoughts of food, body weight, and body image, and compulsively consume abnormally large amounts of food. Even though they understand the harm caused by their behavior, they just can't stop. Food addicts tend to crave and eat foods that are harmful to their bodies. For example, people with food allergies may crave the foods they are allergic to, while diabetics may crave and overindulge in sugar, despite the adverse effects.<br />Food-aholics generally gorge on fat, salt, and sugar in the form of junk food and sweets. If they are feeling depressed, lonely, or disappointed, they consume large amounts of chips, chocolate, or other comfort foods for a "high." As with most addictions, the high wears off, leaving the person feeling sick, guilty, and even more depressed. Because the addict is out of control, she will repeat the same eating patterns over and over again in an effort to feel better.<br />Compulsive overeaters often eat much more rapidly than normal and hide their shame by eating in secret. Most overeaters are moderately to severely obese, with an average binge eater being 60% overweight. Individuals with binge eating disorders often find that their eating or weight interferes with their relationships, their work, and their self-esteem. Although compulsive overeaters or binge dieters often struggle with food addiction, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are also considered types of food addictions.<br />Addiction or Bad Habit?Unlike <a class="crc" title="drug rehab" href="http://www.drugrehabtreatment.com/drug-treatment.html" jquery1300566727579="2">drug and alcohol addiction</a>, which have been recognized by the medical profession for years, addiction specialists still question whether food can be genuinely addictive. Is the obsession with eating a true addiction, or just a bad habit?<br />Some experts are quite skeptical of putting food in the same category as drugs or alcohol. They argue that people like junk food because it tastes good, not because they are physically incapable of controlling their behavior. Others contend that individuals who abuse substances in excess of need, despite the harm it can cause, are addicts, whether the substance is alcohol, drugs, or food.<br />In some cases, food addicts trying to break the habit claim to experience both physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, mood changes, tremors, cramps, and depression. In an animal study at Princeton University, researchers found that after rats binged on sugar, they showed classic signs of withdrawal when the sweets were removed from their diet, which suggests foods like sugar can be addictive.<br />Brain imaging studies conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found that food affects the brain's dopamine systems in much the same way as drugs and alcohol. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and reward. When psychiatrist Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and her colleagues compared brain images of methamphetamine users with obese people, they found both groups had significantly fewer dopamine receptors than healthy people. Moreover, the higher the body mass index, the fewer the dopamine receptors, which may explain why it is so difficult for some people to lose weight and keep it off.<br />Are You a Food Addict?Whether the obsession with food is a true addiction or simply a bad habit, one thing is clear: Your health is on the line. Obesity, psychological disorders, and diabetes are just a few of the health risks associated with compulsive eating.<br />If you're worried that you may have a food addiction, FoodAddicts.org recommends that you answer the following questions:<br />Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't?<br />Do you think about food or your weight constantly?<br />Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success?<br />Do you binge and then "get rid of the binge" through vomiting, exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging?<br />Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people?<br />Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight?<br />Do you eat large quantities of food at one time?<br />Is your weight problem due to your "nibbling" all day long?<br />Do you eat to escape from your feelings?<br />Do you eat when you're not hungry?<br />Have you ever discarded food, only to retrieve it and eat it later?<br />Do you eat in secret?<br />Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake?<br />Have you ever stolen other people's food?<br />Have you ever hidden food to make sure you have "enough?"<br />Do you feel driven to exercise excessively to control your weight?<br />Do you obsessively calculate the calories you've burned against the calories you've eaten?<br />Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you've eaten?<br />Are you waiting for your life to begin "when you lose the weight?"<br />Do you feel hopeless about your relationship with food? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have, or be in danger of developing, a food addiction or eating disorder. Although food addiction is not nearly as intense as alcohol and drug addictions, you may need help regaining control of your life.<br />Treating Food AddictionChange is never easy, and overcoming food addiction is no exception. It will require a combination of discipline, healthy eating habits, and exercise. In many ways, treatment of food addiction is similar to drug and alcohol addiction. The first step to recovery is recognizing and accepting the problem, and identifying which foods cause allergic symptoms and cravings. However, unlike drug and alcohol addiction, food addicts can't quit cold turkey. Everyone has to eat. Instead of taking drastic measures, make the following changes gradually, one small step at a time.<br />Reprogram your taste buds. If you eat tons of sugar-laden foods, your taste buds get used to the flavor and you will start craving sweeter and sweeter foods. When buying foods that aren't supposed to be sweet, like pasta sauce, bread, and crackers, make sure they don't have added sweeteners like fructose, dextrose, and corn syrup. Slowly try to limit sweet or salty foods in favor of fruits and vegetables to restore the sensitivity in your taste buds.<br />Plan your meals. Food addicts often hide food or binge when they are alone. One way around this is to avoid hiding a stash of food in your car, desk, or nightstand. Also, plan out healthy meals in advance, portion out single servings on smaller plates, and eat scheduled meals at the dinner table. If you eat in front of the TV or while talking on the phone, you're more likely to eat large amounts of food without realizing it. Though it may take a few weeks to change your eating patterns, your brain will eventually get used to smaller portions of healthy foods and generate fewer snack-food cravings.<br />Moderate your hunger. People with food addiction tend to take an all-or-nothing approach to dieting, bouncing from ravenous to overstuffed. A useful tool to moderate food consumption is to rate your hunger on a scale of zero to ten, zero being starving and ten being overstuffed, then try to stay between three and five. If you wait until you hit zero, you may not stop eating until you reach ten.<br />Know your weaknesses. Everyone has a list of foods that are hard to turn down. If you can't resist a fine loaf of bread at a restaurant, ask the waiter not to bring the bread basket to your table. If you can't walk past an ice cream parlor without stopping for a scoop or two, take a different route. If you have a habit of eating cookies or popcorn while watching TV at night, read a book or walk the dog instead. If these tricks don't work, stop buying unhealthy foods at the grocery store. If it's in your kitchen, you're probably going to eat it.<br />Deal with the real issues. Typically a food addict will numb unpleasant feelings with food. If you stop relying on food, you can learn to tackle problems head-on and let yourself feel the sadness, anger, or boredom without using food as a crutch.<br />Find healthy ways to cope. For food addicts, the next salt or sugar fix becomes the dominating force in their life. The best treatment is to find other ways to fill the void, like working out, hiking, going out with friends, or talking to a therapist. Exercise sparks the same pleasure centers of the brain as food, and offers a similar high without the guilt. If you're not physically hungry but you're struggling to resist a craving, brush your teeth, drink water, leave the house for a few minutes, or choose a healthy substitute like yogurt instead of ice cream or baked chips instead of potato chips.<br />Give yourself a break. The guilt people feel after overeating perpetuates the addiction. They're sad because they ate too much, so they turn to food for solace. Learn to forgive yourself and don't get discouraged by minor setbacks.<br />Food addiction can be a serious problem. Just ask the people who habitually visit the drive-thru at midnight or load up on candy bars on a daily basis. To beat the addiction, sometimes all you need is motivation to change and a few lifestyle modifications. In more severe cases, you may need to seek help from a food addiction group like Overeaters Anonymous, a mental health professional, or an addiction treatment center. In either case, a shift in outlook must occur: Eat to live, don't live to eat.<br />Other resources and articles:Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-17951947617965729272011-03-01T14:03:00.000-08:002011-03-01T15:01:14.932-08:00Day 170Well... 5 Months and 13 days later (Sorry, I got distracted)<br /><br />Anyways... Here I am. I have officially lost 41.4 pounds. Not alot. And not where I should be at this point, but still I am loosing. It has been a really slow process. But, I recently bought a really good cook book. It's a post Lap Band surgery cook book. Most diet cookbooks, or low calorie cook books, focus on seafood, or salads. With the lap band, I can't eat lettuce, so finding recipies in them was virtually impossible. But with this new book, it has 140 recipies, and I found that I would actually eat 80 to 85% of them. (Still having a hard time with seafood).<br /><br />OK. so I'm not going to list all the food I've eaten since my last post.lol<br /><br />Today, I had 1/2 bowl of chilli, with some crackers.<br />And an Ice tea. I didn't log the calories, but I still have half the day to go.<br /><br />Hope everyone has a good week.... ByeKarlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-52382827390737822702010-09-16T22:45:00.000-07:002010-09-16T22:54:14.848-07:00Day 7Happy Birthday to me! Yes I skipped yesterday. I didn't mean to, but I got caught up watching my shows online. Nothing too special to report. Today was a typical day.. Went to work... Not much happened at work. Received flowers from Pammi.. Soooo sweet.. Went to dinner with Gary. So yes, I probably went over in calories. But it was a special occaision. Although I should have no excuses.<br /><br /><br /><br />Calorie Goal: 1500<br /><br /><u>Breakfast:</u><br />Coffee: 5<br /><br /><u>Lunch:</u><br />Subway, sweet onion Chicken Teriayki Salad with bacon: 230<br />Ice Tea :0<br /><br />Snack: Hershey Bar:210<br /><br /><u>Dinner:</u><br />Chicken Cordon Bleu:400<br />Mashed Potatoes:150<br />Broccoli:5<br /><br /><br />Total Calories:1000<br /><br />Calories burned:1450<br /><br />I can definitely tell the difference on days that I dont go to the gym, I feel groggy. Of course I stayed up till 430 this morning.. bad me.. Nighty night allKarlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-80473778694769247662010-09-14T18:56:00.000-07:002010-09-14T22:46:57.053-07:00Day 5Wow, has it really been 5 days? I've been weighing myself, to keep track of how it's going. I haven't lost any weight... Is my food affecting me that much? It seems like before as long as I was moving around, I would lose weight. Now, it seems like no matter what I do, nothing is happening. I don't expect to lose it all right away, but I figured I would see something by now. Anyways, I gotta keep it going. I won't give up yet.....<br /><br />Calorie Goal:1500<br /><br /><u>Breakfast:</u> 0<br /><br /><u>Lunch:</u><br />Sweet Onion Teriaki Chicken Salad - 230<br /><br />Coffee (Regular) - 5<br /><br /><u>Dinner-</u><br />Chicken Fried Steak - 370<br />Mashed Potatoes- 100<br />Peach (3/4) - 50<br /><br />Coffee - 5<br /><br />Total: 760<br /><br />Calories burned today: 1363<br /><br />If you haven't been to livestrong.com you should check it out.. It lets you enter your activites for the day and calculates the number of calories burned, as well as finding the nutritional information for tons of food, including fast foods.Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-57346864250836615472010-09-13T23:13:00.000-07:002010-09-13T23:24:19.298-07:00Day 4Any time you feel the pain, Hey Jude refrain, don't carry the world upon your shoulder. For well you know its a fool, who's plays it cool, by making his world alittle colder......Hey Jude, don't let me down, You have found her, now go and get her,. Remember to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better.<br /><br />This part, may be about something completely different, but to me it's talking to my inner me. I need to find her and make the world better for her....<br /><br /><br />Calorie Goal: 1500<br /><br />Breakfast:<br /> Mini Chocolate donuts (2) - 140<br /> Coffee - 200<br /><br />Lunch:<br /> Sweet Onion Teriaki Chicken Salad - 380<br />Ice Tea - 0<br /><br />Dinner:<br />Pizza, Pepperoni, canadian bacon and pineapple (3 slices) - 1200<br />Ice Tea - 0<br /><br />Total Calories - 1720<br /><br />Excersize : Total Calories burned:1494<br />20 minutes Treadmill- 1422<br />9 minutes Bike - 72Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-81378831170168676372010-09-12T23:48:00.000-07:002010-09-13T00:07:47.305-07:00Day 3They say that sleep can affect a persons weight. By not getting enough it messes up something. Maybe I should google it and try to figure that out. All I know is I don't sleep as much as I should and it's definitely catching up with me.<br /><br />Today, wasn't too bad of a day. Worked, came home, made dinner. The usual. Finally made it back to the gym, after a week of being sick and not going. Still I wasn't completely up to speed, didn't do as much as I should have. But I can work on that again tomorrow.<br /><br /><strong>Today's calorie goal: 1500</strong><br /><br />Breakfast:<br />Cream & Berries Danish (3/4) - 500<br />Coffee (20oz.) - 296<br /><br />Snack:<br />Take 5 Candy Bar - 200<br />Small handful of BBQ chips - 150<br /><br />Dinner:<br />Skinless chicken w/almond crust - 200<br />Mashed Potatos - 171<br />Green Beans - 25<br />Ice Tea - 0<br /><br />Snack:<br />Peach - 66<br />Mixed nuts (10 pieces) - 125<br /><br />Todays total calories: 1733<br /><br />Calories burned (Per Livestrong.com) - 1939<br /><br />Not too bad. I'm still trying to stay as honest as I can about what I am eating. I have to hold myself accountable. Now, I just need to work on my quantities. I think that is going to play a major part in how I do. Goodnight for now, until tomorrow.<br /><br />On a side note: I still haven't had a soda since July 21st, 2009... (Just thought I would add that in.Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-54722156770720226262010-09-11T23:27:00.000-07:002010-09-11T23:42:31.628-07:00Day 2Another day another dollar.<br /><br />I have to admit I didn't try very hard today. I didn't sleep well last night, and found myself in a "I don't care" attitude today. I really have to find a way to break that habit. I'm very interested in finding an Overeaters Anonymus group to join. I know I have a food addiction. I love food. I did try to eat a better dinner tonight, and I started of with the right idea, but then added the extras and killed it. So here is the prognosis for today.<br /><br /><strong>Goal for today: 1500</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Breakfast:<br /> Cheese & Berries Danish (1/4) - 130<br /> White chocolate caramel coffee (20oz.) - 296<br /><br />Lunch:<br />Chillis, Trio Fajitas - 870<br />Ice Tea - 0<br /><br />Snack:<br />Hersheys Bar - 210<br /><br />Dinner:<br />Skinless chicken - 120<br />Medium baked potatoe with butter/cheese - 283<br />Ice tea - 0<br /><br />Snack:<br />Mixed nuts (.05 oz.) - 174<br /><br />Todays Total: 2083<br /><br />Excersize: I did not make it to the gym today.<br /><br />Well it looks like today didn't go so well. But I did learn how quickly the calories can add up. All the different foods that I normally thought would be ok, really aren't. Time to down size my portions I think.Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-24794729451351269212010-09-10T13:26:00.000-07:002010-09-10T20:41:10.913-07:00Day One (again)Well here I am, over a year since I have had my surgery, and nothing much to show for it. I was reading an article about a man who lost over 200lbs, just dieting and excersize. It actually depressed me more than anything, because here, I have had weight loss surgery and I still can't sem to get it together. Anyways. After reading his story, I decided, it's time to take it seriously again.<br /><br />So, I don't know if I will even let anyone know that I am doing this again, but doing it for my own personal benefit. SO here goes...... ( I will be updating throughout the day...)<br /><br /><strong>Today: Goal: 1500 calories......<br /></strong><u>Lunch</u><br />Tuna Casserole total calories:145<br />Breakdown: Tuna (1.4) - 20<br />Cream of Mushroom soup (1/4) - 50<br />Egg Noodles (1/8 bag) - 75<br /><br />Cup of Coffee: 5<br /><u>Dinner</u><br />10 Piece Chicken Nuggets: 470<br />Medium French Fries: 380<br />Ice Tea: 0<br /><br />Snack:<br />Puppy Chow Candy: 150<br /><br />Todays Total:1150<br /><br />Excersize: None yet, but its earlyKarlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-9080610503522916282010-01-29T12:50:00.000-08:002010-01-29T14:27:23.761-08:002nd Adjustment<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiritR6h34Nfk4ElpOPHLM45QP02PpfHr2ptuzHzUbR9WqF9pKiedJqsj4-NzSmbRv2zTS6QG-U44nZln3a_HCweYvf7qOlCD10UC5sF3bbG1fBPeh1u0qShbW5vW2tMsEe9N3sb-k2efO/s1600-h/me2.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432291832224141938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiritR6h34Nfk4ElpOPHLM45QP02PpfHr2ptuzHzUbR9WqF9pKiedJqsj4-NzSmbRv2zTS6QG-U44nZln3a_HCweYvf7qOlCD10UC5sF3bbG1fBPeh1u0qShbW5vW2tMsEe9N3sb-k2efO/s200/me2.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>On Wednesday I went in for my 2nd adjustment. Had 2 more cc's put in... I got to watch it on the monitor again. Its pretty tight.<br /><br />He had a student doctor with him this time. The student tried several times to get the needle in, but couldnt seem to get it right. Eventually my doctor got annoyed and just did it himself. It went right in.<br /><br />As of the visit, I have 11 lbs since my last adjustment on December 16th.<br /><br />Which makes a total of 19lbs since the surgery. (I have had alot of ups and downs since the surgery)<br /><br />I have finally joined a gym and starting to work out more regularly.<br /><br />I have so much more energy and Im feeling good.<br /><br />Last night I threw up for the very first time. I thought I was hungry when I came home from work, so I had a piece of ham. It wasnt a very big piece. I dont know if I didnt chew it up enough or it was just too much. But it came back up.<br /><br />It hurt. I could feel my band and it felt like it was being yanked around (probably was)... I learned my lesson, now Im worried about throwing up and not wanting to eat at all...<br /><br />Its going to get better and Im gonna keep at it...<br /><br />Hope everyone is doing great....</div><br /><p>I posted a current pic, some people say that they can tell Im loosing weight in my face. I cant, but anyways..... </p>Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-32599306613398576352009-12-20T00:13:00.000-08:002009-12-20T00:15:57.520-08:00Todays meal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FK2Aerbz8nUIQYZEIytvCVQygNwOk_54Biehl9qFcEPIV-B_J9s7VbWTxi3SVmO9KkekbEKfY9hZL7K3OHPyoOUgrSu48BVrCGYYBWQywD4no3mjAXxFqQO-ofyDovNMF2iWkjG1waic/s1600-h/food.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417228880236041234" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 303px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FK2Aerbz8nUIQYZEIytvCVQygNwOk_54Biehl9qFcEPIV-B_J9s7VbWTxi3SVmO9KkekbEKfY9hZL7K3OHPyoOUgrSu48BVrCGYYBWQywD4no3mjAXxFqQO-ofyDovNMF2iWkjG1waic/s320/food.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Yeah, so here is a sample of the size of a meal I am having. This was a splurge.. I had made Jaron some steak and it looked so good. Im really not supposed to be doing red meats yet.. but yumm... I chew chew chewed my way through it.</div><br /><br /><div></div>Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-69835875935946820092009-12-16T15:58:00.000-08:002009-12-16T16:10:35.092-08:00Finally an adjustmentSo I havent been keeping up very well, sorry. It's now December and I just got my first adjustment today. A few things had happened over the last few months to cause me to have to delay and reschedule my appointments....<br /><br />Today wasnt too bad. I had to go to the regular office to get my vitals checked. And then I headed downstairs to the radiology department. There the nice lady gave me 2 regular size gowns and said.. here you can use these... I couldnt figure out how to make it work, so I stepped outside of my little cubby and luckily a nice gentleman was walking by and went to find me a larger size.<br /><br />Then I went to the xray room... Their floroscopy table was actually made for larger people and I was able to get on it comfortably. They took a pic of my stomach with the xray... that was neat to see.. It looked just like the pictures from the book.<br /><br />Then he came in and gave me a local anesthetic.... (those burn)..... Then inserted the needle for the saline to be put in.. that was a nice pinch (so much for anesthetics)..... All this was done with the xray on, so I got to watch it on the monitor.... It was very fascinating.... He put in 5 cc of saline. He said peoples stomach walls are all different thicknesses, so that number doesnt mean too much. Then they brought the table I was laying on up, to a diagonal position and I got to drink some wonderful Berillium (liquid chalk)...... so they could make sure it wasnt too tight and I could still swallow.... It was a bit tight so he took a little out (to total the 5 cc)..... after that, they brought the table back down..... and undid everything they had done.. it wasnt too bad at all.... Except then I kept burping up a yummy chalky taste.. ew..... I had some questions about... whether in the amount of time since my surgery I had stretched out my stomach from eating regularly.. He said I didnt that everything looked good........ so that is how it went today.<br /><br />Now Im going to really get started... as Dr. Cunneen said this morning.. now the real dieting begins.....<br /><br />Food portions are going way down. Ive already noticed a difference... I had lunch once we got home and definitely couldn't eat very much of it. So I need to get back on the walking and it will all come together.<br /><br />Hope everyone has a wonderful and joyful Christmas!!!<br /><br />KarlaKarlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-84763320851925752752009-09-10T12:33:00.000-07:002009-09-10T12:39:48.611-07:00One Month LaterWell its now been a month. All is going well as far as how I feel. I can pretty much each all types of foods. I just cant eat large amounts. I have found if I take too big of bites, it hurts. It seems to get stuck in my chest... ouch.... <br /><br />I have been trying to do my walking... Im not doing as good as I would like, but I am trying.<br /><br />I go in for my first "fill" on Sept 22nd. Thats when the real stuff starts kicking in, as I wont be able to eat very much at all. Thats when they will be tightening my band. Right now its just on there, with a slight restriction.<br /><br />Anyways.. Im doing ok... keep me in your thoughts, I need all the help I can get with will power. I go in for my first support group meeting tonight.. Hopefully that will help.<br /><br />:-)Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-4679080552906000452009-08-25T10:45:00.000-07:002009-08-25T10:49:21.013-07:00On my wayWell, its officially been 2 weeks since my surgery.<br /><br />Things are going well... I only lost another 5 pounds this week, although she said I seem to be retaining water.<br /><br />Saw the dietitian today. She said everything looks good. I gave her a copy of the meal plan I have been using and she approved it. Yay.<br /><br />Im feeling good. My appetight is back, but I have been able to keep my portion sizes down, so that is really good. No more than a cup at a meal.<br /><br />So Im still going on...<br /><br />Till next timeKarlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-30223633909409913192009-08-19T11:59:00.000-07:002009-08-19T20:54:56.929-07:0010 days later<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WOznAHO2R1d6BmPoHlvy9y4qH0xYV_JlI0G1ybqcg2DAViUp7xLuQ1ppi_CJW1pEGIS62OMYCzHg95fEcASMpf1pG3YtLKR6jqPmcLPLeCpnsFzFzJEBCtFnMPpEyqeHSj67uznar13A/s1600-h/karla+update2.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371836631752170146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 265px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WOznAHO2R1d6BmPoHlvy9y4qH0xYV_JlI0G1ybqcg2DAViUp7xLuQ1ppi_CJW1pEGIS62OMYCzHg95fEcASMpf1pG3YtLKR6jqPmcLPLeCpnsFzFzJEBCtFnMPpEyqeHSj67uznar13A/s320/karla+update2.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Hello.. I had my first Dr. Appt since surgery today.... It has been 10 days since surgery..<br /><br />Get ready for this...<br /><br />I have lost 20lbs since my las appt approx 2 weeks ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />It was so nice to see that all the effort and the surgery actually meant something.<br /><br />I am soo happy. </div><div> </div><div>The pic above is a current one. Several people were telling me that they can see a difference in my face.<br /><br />Anyways, untill next time... Love ya'all</div>Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-72680008124561440822009-08-15T22:54:00.001-07:002009-08-15T23:31:08.686-07:00OK I hope I remember everything....OK, so, its a little late, but I'm finally feeling well enough to sit here at the computer and not whimper. And Im sorry but its really long....<br /><br />Sunday night, Gary, Jaron and I went down and stayed the night at the Hilton Garden Inn Valencia (Thats six flags for you Cali people). I had to arrive at the airport at 5am so we wanted to be as close as possible, but the prices in LA were rediculous. The hotel was awesome, the beds were the most comfortable ever, I totally recommend it to anyone (being that I used to work for that chain of hotels, I would anyways... lol)<br /><br /> Got up at 330am woohoo, after a night of not much sleep, (with Jaron being excited about the hotel, and my nerves) and headed to the hospital. It didnt take us very long since there was hardly any traffic. Got inside, took care of registering. I was very surprised at the price. With my insurance Im only responsible for up to $4000.00. And apparently I have already paid over $2000. I dont remember doing that but hey, I'll take it. Anyways. They sent us upstairs to the surgery waiting area. When it was time to go back to the pre-op area, I said goodbye to Jaron and Gary, with great big hugs. They went to have breakfast and then spent the day at magic mountain. (Jaron was really worried about mommy, so Gary was so sweet and took him to help him relax). From there they took the group of us (there were about 6) to the pre op, and assigned us each our beds. We undressed (behind a curtain of course), and got a lovely robe on. Then I got weighed. I was a little excited because I had already lost 4 pounds since the previous Thursday. So I was already on a head start. OK, so I get in bed, and they start the tests and questions. Blood pressure, Heart rate, etc, any allergies, etc. Got my IV inserted, didnt even feel it. Then layed there and waited. Being that it is a learning hospital, Several Dr.'s came by to say hi and that they were working with Dr. Cunneen. My anesthesiologist (who was surprisingly a woman), came by. And then finally my Dr. showed up. He asked how I was doing and if I was ready, and the we went on our way.<br /><br />My bed had a motor so the girl drove it over to the operating room. We get to the OR, I get scooted over onto the table, and then the anesthe. lady said she was gonna give me some oxygen to get ready. I was looking up at the overhead lights and they started swaying and looking all cool so I laughed and told her, either we are having an earth quake or there is more than oxygen in there. ..........<br /><br />Next thing I remember, is that I was having a really good dream and somebody was saying "Karla, its time to wake up". I was kinda annoyed cause I was really enjoying my dream. lol.<br /><br />But I gave in and decided to wake up. I was very very groggy, and couldnt talk. My mouth was extremely dry, and my chest hurt really bad. She asked me if I was in alot of pain and I shook my head yes so they gave me some medicine. I still couldnt talk tho, and a nice guy came up and rubbed some water on my lips. Yay, it was like heaven. haha. So after a while they decide its time to take me to my room. In my mind I was thinking, I need my bag so I can text everyone and let them know that I am ok... (And I was really concerned about it), but I kept my mouth shut.<br /><br />I dont know if they switched beds while I was in there, but the guy who took me back to my room had more trouble driving or steering my bed and kept rubbing against corners.. ugh.... anways.<br /><br />We get to my room, and as Im getting off my bed to switch to the one in the room, they asked if I needed to use the restroom. I then realized I didnt get a catheter (yay). I needed to go. So I slowly made it over, and then somehow made it back to my bed.<br /><br />So I get into bed and then, I see my bag on a chair nearby. I asked for it. They got me all situated and I finally get to text everyone. It was close to noon at this time. Im not sure where the time went, since the surgery was only supposed to be an hour, and it started around 715am. So I figure I must have been in recovery for a while.<br />They had me on some good medication for a while, everytime I would try and stay awake, I would fall asleep. <br /><br />Finally, After a couple of hours I was able to stay awake for a while. They said I needed to get up and walk , but my chest was still hurting. The nurse said it was the gas and that the only way to get rid of it, would be to walk around. Im not sure what time, but later in the day, I finally felt like getting up. I was able to walk about half way down the halls and back before it really started to hurt. I was very nauscious for a while. But once that subsided, they decided that I could have alittle food. Some broth, apple juice, jello, and tea. I wasnt hungry, but I felt like I wanted something. So I smelled the broth.. ew... It was not for me. I decided on the Jello. It was Orange. It was the most wonderful thing I have ever eaten... lol. I had about 2 or 3 tiny bites and was done.<br /><br />I had to breath into this breathing machine thing to keep my lungs strong. That was really hard to do with the gas in my chest. Painful.<br /><br />That night they got me all fixed up in bed. I didnt realize as I fell to sleep that there was an arch in my back and it wasnt supported. I was feeling really week so I didnt fix it myself, but by 5 or so in the morning, it was feeling really painful. The nurse was kind enough to put a pillow on my back.<br /><br />When I woke up all the way. My back was in a horrible pain, and my legs were killing me. But I knew if I didnt get up and walk, they wouldnt let me go home. So I did. I forced myself around the hallways.<br /><br />Then it was time to go home.<br /><br />Yay, Gary and Jaron came to pick me up and we drove home. It was a bit longer from there being that there was alot of traffic.<br /><br />Anyways, So now Im home. Im feeling much better, The initial gas is basically gone. Im living on clear liquids for a while. It took a couple of days but my appetite is back. Well at least my want for food. I cant eat much. Jello is good. but I cant finish a cup. And hat I do eat takes about an hour. Im getting pretty tired of soup broth. hehe.<br /><br />I want to say thank you so much to those of you that were there for me.<br /><br /><br />Brittney, you took me to my first appointment.. THank YOU.... IF not for you I may never have officially made that first step.<br /><br />Gary, Thank you for taking care of me.. Taking me there and bringing me home.. I hope you know I really truly do appreciate it. And taking care of Jaron for me.......<br /><br />Merri, Thank you for being there for me. You are such a huge help...<br /><br />And to ALL of my friends. Your support is what helped me get to where I needed to be.....<br /><br /><br />Soooo.....................THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!!!!!Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-15454633376062758612009-08-11T18:32:00.000-07:002009-08-11T18:39:43.149-07:00Surgery CompleteOk, Its done.<br /><br />Im in alot of pain right now, but, Ive got some medicine that is supposed to help with it. I would like to give you more details about it.<br /><br />I will get back on when I feel a litle better.Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-22013591339060398302009-08-08T22:20:00.000-07:002009-08-08T22:26:58.106-07:00Only 1 more dayIts soooo close... I have one more night and then my trip begins.<br /><br />Everything is in order, I have talked to the hospital and gone over all the final details.<br /><br />Jaron and Gary are taking the trip down there with me. Im so glad. It will be nice to have them close to me. Im starting to get more excited. I just packed my hospital bag of the things I need to have with me. Gonna make sure my cell phone is nice and charged up, so if you want to message me and say hi you can. 661-378-2741.<br /><br />I will arrive at the hospital on Monday at 515am, the surgery is to begin at 715am. (I am the first one of the day.. so thats good... he will probably be wired on coffee.. heheh). It is supposed to take up to about an hour. They are taking out my gall bladder also. Then from there I will be in recovery.<br /><br />Hopefully everything will go as planned and I will get to come home on Tuesday.<br /><br />Thank you again to everyone.. Love ya.... KarlitaKarlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-32465619536455629642009-08-04T13:43:00.001-07:002009-08-04T13:49:16.199-07:00Only 6 more days......I only have 6 more days left until the big day!!!<br /><br />Starting to get everything finalized. So much to do. I have to get an advanced directive written out. And decided what Im going to take with me.<br /><br />Still trying to get used to the protein drink. Its not the best meal I've ever had, but its gonna be a main one for a while, so Im gonna have to get used to it.<br /><br />I have a food journal that I input all the food that Ive eaten through the day, and it calculates all my numbers for me. I have actually been staying right around 1000 calories. Yay me.<br /><br />Gary is my ride down there for this lovely event. Thank you so much honey.... He and Jaron are going to spend the day at the beach while Im having surgery. That way Jaron is close by. He is really worried about mommy, so I figure that will be good for him to be near, it will make him feel better.<br /><br />Anyways... Its almost time.... Here comes half of me.. :-)Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-28258411273949880152009-07-29T16:26:00.000-07:002009-07-29T16:27:59.079-07:00So, my last testing was done today. Just 12 more days until my surgery.<br /><br />Im so way excited......Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-24086330857687973902009-07-21T22:01:00.000-07:002009-07-21T22:08:30.086-07:00My last soda<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFdiKE1IOuzSk-TqRmIopZ4rTLc3ynFUel2Hszk7m96If8C0-j0UQ0w6AZUTymp5R9V9pkMIhyEgpqqt_znbaitVPPU5RHF20_p5ztdHsOsQx_i-KHGqnso1hB9yXs9Icbaab148gkobk/s1600-h/my+last+soda.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361146595087832946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFdiKE1IOuzSk-TqRmIopZ4rTLc3ynFUel2Hszk7m96If8C0-j0UQ0w6AZUTymp5R9V9pkMIhyEgpqqt_znbaitVPPU5RHF20_p5ztdHsOsQx_i-KHGqnso1hB9yXs9Icbaab148gkobk/s320/my+last+soda.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Well, I have now started my pre surgery diet. That basically is consisting of having 1 meal a day, and then fluids the rest of the day. As of next Monday, the 27th, I start with the extreme diet.. yikes. That will be fluids most of the day, with a very light meal. The idea is for me to lose a significant amount of weight prior to surgery to help with getting fatty tissue off my liver. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So today, I had my last soda. It will be very hard for me to stay off, at least right at first... But, Im gonna do it. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Wish me luck.!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are getting closer, like 19 days left......</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Here is a pic of my last soda (yeah, Im a silly sentimental weirdo)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-53372699888236848712009-07-06T20:34:00.001-07:002009-07-06T20:39:44.314-07:00Its almost timeSo its getting closer to August 10th. All kinds of things are getting ready to start happening. I have received a letter from Cedars-Sinai with all the info I need.<br /><br />I am set to have Laparoscopic Vs Open Adjustable Gastric Band on 8/10/2009 at 7:15am.<br /><br />YAY (thats how its listed on my letter)<br /><br />I still have to get another EKG, Chest Xray, Lab tests..... tons, and a pregnancy test. (Im 150% sure of the results on that one)...<br /><br />Anyways, My first adjutment will be on 9/22/2009. Which is 1 day short of a week past my 35th birthday. Not much will happen before then. My stomach will need time to heal until then. But after that, its done.<br /><br />Im so excited, I cant wait. I have been a larger person for such a long time now that I cant even remember how it felt to be smaller. I know this will be a major change for me and Im so ready for it. Thank you to all my friends and family that have been there for me. You know how much this is gonna mean for me.<br /><br /><br />Until next time..........Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119904598617322327.post-61012448334145544082009-06-18T16:25:00.000-07:002009-06-18T16:26:04.211-07:00The Day My Life Will ChangeI got my surgery date!!!!!!!!!!!!! August 10th... Im so very excited, I can hardly contain myself. Of course this now means that I'm going on my diet. Wish me luck..... YYYYAAAAYYYY!!!!!!!!Karlitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13874129592984140859noreply@blogger.com4