I can actually say I’m beginning to look “normal”. A “tight” size 12 now. 177.6 lbs. Yeahhh!!! Photos taken 3 days ago (on July 3rd).

and a video of erik doing a little dance…just because!

Now that my BMI is 29.7 I’m out of the “obese” category and into the “overweight” category!!! Yeahhh - who would have thought I would be soooo happy to be overweight! Check it out:

Down a total of 45.4 lbs (yes, that .4 does matter!). It’s been 3 months and 14 days since my surgery. Weight loss has slowed down in the past few weeks but I have a feeling it’s going to slow down considerably going forward. Here is my updated weight loss chart and stats:

• Minimum Weight: 183.6 lb
• Maximum Weight: 230 lb
• Beginning Weight: 229 lb
• Ending Weight: 183.6 lb
• Average Weight: 203.47 lb
• Average Weekly Change: -2.89 lb

Lately I’ve had an obsession with beans…chili, baked beans…you name it. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m too tight and beans are easier eat since they are “mushier”..but where you find beans, you’ll find me. My typical day has consisted of the following:

• Breakfast: tall non-fat mocha from Starbucks
• Lunch: about 2-3 oz of baked beans
• Dinner: 1/4 of a chicken breast with barbecue sauce
• Desert: 1/2 of a slimfast shake (frappucino style, of course)

And there you have it. Nothing fancy…nothing exciting. But it works.

Just returned from a trip to Target…and boy was I shocked to fit into a size 14 pants! Especially when I was a size 22 just 3 months ago. Wow. Wow. Wow!

I purchased the following items for just over $100:

Xhilaration® Sigrid Buckle Flats - Black ($19.99)

Mossimo® Deirdre Jet-Heel Pumps - Black ($24.99)

Merona® Printed Cardigan - Big Money Green/ White ($22.99)

Merona® Shirtdress - Blue/ White Stripe ($6.98…gotta love clearance!)

Merona® Chino Trousers - Bonjour Brown ($22.99)

Mossimo® Black: Sheer Print Square-Neck Tee - Brown ($12.99)

and one other tee that I couldn’t find on the Target site to show you a picture of. And - a current photo of yours truly!

So sorry I’ve been missing in action lately. Been super busy with work, Whidbey Island, etc. No excuses, though. Weight has been coming off at a fantastic rate - no slowing down yet. I’m still at about 2.5 lbs loss per week…give or take.

We have Erik’s 20 year reunion coming up in a little under two months so I’m looking forward to wearing something nice to that.

How is the weight loss coming with all of you???

I went in to NWWLS today for a small fill. It’s been 11 lbs since my last fill (about a month) and I was starting to feel more hunger than I had in the past month. I had them put in 0.4 of a cc. But - I think that may have been too much. I just kacked up steak for dinner. Ugh. I’ll give it another day to see if it “settles” but if not, I’ll be having my first “unfill”. Right now I’m at 8.0 cc’s and down 38.6 lbs.

Not only did we relax in Langley, but we also took day-trips to Coupeville and Port Townsend! Coupeville is a town about 30 minutes north on Whidbey Island. Very cute with a lot of fun stores.

We went to the Dog House Tavern in Langley and Erik had chili while I had baked beans. Notice how much I could eat. Plus, see how much of my iced tea I could drink before I ate (and you know the rules, no drinking after you start eating)!

Erik’s Chili

My Beans

My Tea

Me waiting in the car for Erik to come out

Roasting dogs & mushrooms on the beach

Ms Robbie - this is for you!

On the way to Port Townsend (a 35 minute ferry ride from Whidbey)

Port Townsend

Back at the cabin…

Page chewing on her “Flossie”

My feet

A wonderful 4 day weekend!

From the New Jersey Bariatric Center

1. Learn About the Surgical Procedure: Just as patients research and learn about what changes their bodies will undergo, it’s important for family members to do the same. Understanding the journey your family member is about to take will help you guide, coach and offer support throughout the process.
2. Respect Patients New Eating Habits: Your family member’s eating habits are going to change drastically immediately after weight loss surgery. Be respectful of their weight loss goal, don’t bring “treats” to the hospital after surgery, don’t encourage them to finish their plate when their full and try to refrain from tempting them with food - “a little bite won’t hurt you” - or inadvertently sabotaging their efforts, i.e. giving them a box of chocolates as a gift.
3. Don’t Blame the Patient: Over and over again patients remark that many of the toughest times during weight loss is when the family sits together at the dinner table. In many cases, the person who’s in charge of feeding the family is the patient, and the family overall sees a difference in the type of food now served that can be frustrating for family members. Fried chicken becomes grilled chicken, an ice cream treat is not a fruit treat. These little changes can cause bickering, squabbling and even heated debates at the dinner table. Try to stay away from responses such as “You chose this not me” or ‘Don’t punish me for your decisions,” stay calm, count to 10 before you respond, and find a solution that works for both parties.
4. Prepare for the Dynamics of the Relationship to Change: Was this your friend who you always went out for ice cream sundaes with when times got tough? Was your family member always a little shy due to her/his weight causing them to shrink from attention? As the weight comes off, prepare for the dynamics of the relationship to change. Instead of bonding over food or taking your joint frustrations out with food, find a new activity to enjoy together that doesn’t involve food – join a gym, take a class or start a book club. And understand your family member is still the person you’ve always known and loved, they’re not changing on you – you’re seeing a new confident side of them that’s always been there but that they were uncomfortable expressing when they were carrying the extra weight.
5. Compliment Success, Offer Encouragement During Setbacks: And finally, don’t forget to compliment your family member on the successes they’ve achieved, and offer encouragement during the more challenging times.

Lots of fun - and boy was it HOT! Well, hot for the Seattle area…about 80 degrees! We had an amazing time in the little beach cabin. To see all of the pictures from the weekend, click here.

Some highlights were…

Photos from our private beach in front of the cabin

Puzzles, puzzles and more puzzles

We forgot the dogs “doggie prozac” (don’t ask) so we had to stop at the Whidbey vet and have a temporary prescription filled…and while at the vet I saw on the wall a weight loss program for animals! Which included a BMI calculation for cats…and healthy recipes for animal treats…and a sad article about a dog that was fed a diet of beer and donuts.

At the dog park

Goodbye double chin!

Campfires on the beach

And - I’m leaving Thursday night for a 4 day weekend at the cabin. Ahhh - life is too good!

Since the lap-band my bmi has dropped from 37.5 to 31.9.  Once I hit below 30 I’ll be out of obesity and into the “overweight” category. Who would have thought someone would be so excited to be overweight!

Last night I ate some beans with no problem. For some reason I thought beans would give me trouble but nope - mushy and good and lost 0.4 lb today. I’ll post photos from my weekend tonight - lots of fun!

Health: Weight Loss Journey With Famous Daughter
CBS Broadcasting Inc

In health, a life changing transformation — for people who lose a dramatic amount of weight, it can be just the beginning of the journey. Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl takes you through the process with a famous daughter.

For Khaliah Ali, the 34-year-old daughter of Muhammad Ali, her struggles with weight have been a very public battle.

Four years ago, Khaliah lost 175 pounds after getting a lap band to reduce the size of her stomach. Even though she exercises, Khaliah still has a common problem for people who lose a dramatic amount of weight excess skin and tissue.

Caitlin Van Zandt’s Lap-Band Surgery
CBS Studios Inc.

Art is imitating life on “Guiding Light” these days because CAITLIN VAN ZANDT, who plays Ashlee on the CBS soap, had lap-band surgery — and there is no way the actress, who weighs more than 200 pounds, can shed the weight without her character doing the same.

ET was with the 22-year-old soap star as she began the process and we are with her two-and-a-half months later to show you her 30 pounds lighter.

Doctors Encourage Insurers to Cover Diabetes-Curing Bariatric Surgery
redOrbit.com

The diabetes-eliminating potential of bariatric surgery is gaining more attention, and doctors are emphasizing the benefit to encourage more insurance companies to pay for the surgery. In Wisconsin, few health plans do.

“More people should have this option,” said Dr. Michael Garren, a UW Health bariatric surgeon who operated on Graber. “At the very least, they should cover it for diabetics.”

Don’t you love those days when you lose a pound overnight and you don’t really know why? I mean you haven’t eaten any differently…and then you step on the scale and whooosh - a pound down! That’s what happened to me today. It’s like a wonderful way to start the day. Puts a smile on your face. Here’s my updated weight loss tracking graph - starting on my surgery date of 3/4 through today. Down a total of 32.8 pounds. 56.2 to go!

Guess what I got in the mail today??? My very own Lap-Band pedometer! Yes - remember way back during my post-op doctor visit when they gave me that “goodie” bag? Well, one item in it was a survey I could mail back to the Lap-Band folks and as a “thank you” for doing so, they would mail me a “free pedometer”. Well, about 2 months later it has finally arrived. I’m very excited to start using it. I’ll need Erik to set it up for me - but when he does I’ll be counting my steps! What fun!!!

Click on the images below to see the Lap-Band branded pedometer in it’s full glory!

Ahhhhh - another fantastic weekend in Whidbey Island. We stayed at the wonderful waterfront cabin for the first time. It’s super cute and in the perfect location. The weather wasn’t too great…but we still have a couple of months left so fingers crossed it will brighten up soon! For the full set go here.

Here are some photos of the cabin…click to enlarge!

It just so happens that one of the partners of the agency I work at (HL2) has a house on Whidbey and he was there with his wife and two kids so Erik and I stopped by at their place for a glass of wine. Their house is GORGEOUS! It was so much fun chatting with Don and his beautiful family! Afterwards, Erik & I went to dinner at our favorite restaurant, The Fishbowl…Erik had the Fillet Minot and I had the Thai Seafood Stew…you MUST click on the full size image of the stew - it’s BEAUTIFUL.

Again, another shot of what I didn’t have any of.

One of the things I love about Whidbey is all of the second hand shops. During our last trip we got a set of vintage tins for the kitchen. So cute. I took a couple of photos of the inside of one of the stores.

And a photo of downtown Langley…including the Dog House Tavern:

The trip would not have been complete without a trip to Whidbey Coffee!

And how could I forget some photos of my family!

Before I sign off for the night, remember how Erik & I were re-doing the floor downstairs? Well, it’s complete (except for the molding) … but check it out - pretty nice, eh?

Old Floor

New Floor

I have chicken stuck in my throat/band/whatever you want to call it and it does not feel good. I kacked a little but all that came up was saliva. It feels like a golf ball is in my throat. Oowwwwww. This is not fun.

Some recent articles on the Lap-Band…

What to do when obesity surgery fails
ABC Local

The number of people getting obesity surgery has more than doubled in the past eight years. But the highly popular and risky procedure doesn’t always work for everyone. So can these patients be helped? One local doctor offers a high-tech solution.

Lap-Band offers additional weight-loss tool, but support plays vital role
Spokane Journal Of Business

Trotter says use of the Lap-Band is gaining momentum as a tool in treating obese patients. It’s employed along with a highly restrictive and specialized diet that Trotter says patients would be too hungry to withstand without the surgery. Patients who have the so-called bariatric surgery can eat only about 1,000 calories a day, he says.

Our long weekend in Langley, WA on Whidbey Island was nothing short of amazing. From the gorgeous cottage we stayed at to the long days at the dog park to the beautiful beaches and delicious restaurants. I wouldn’t have changed one single thing. For the full set of photos, click here.

The cottage where we stayed was so cute - it’s about 800 square feet and like a log cabin. It has a loft where you sleep and it’s like sleeping in a tree house - waking up to the sound of birds … and that’s it - no noise!

[note: click on any of the photos to see them in full size]

We went to breakfast at a local diner called Mikes. Guess which meal was mine (and I only ate half of it).

We would stop at the Whidbey Island Coffee drive-through every day before going to the dog park.

Dogs waiting while we got newspapers before going to the dog park.

Speaking of the dog park…it’s amazing. And Betty & Page had so much fun!

Note: me wearing a belt…yes - my pants would fall down without them!

Erik looking suave at the dog park.

One of the beautiful beaches.

Dinner one night…the great thing about the band is that we only ordered an appetizer and one meal - and I just had a few tastes of both and was full!

And a bunny outside the window of the flower on our table.

What I ate NONE of.

So the great news is that on our last day we saw this for rent sign in the window of this darling waterfront beach house and as luck would have it, we decided to rent the house for the next 2 months! I will be taking Mondays off of work and spending 3 day weekends on Whidbey Island for the next couple of months…in our own private beach house with our own private beach! How amazing is that?!?!?

My first day home from vacation and wouldn’t you know it - I stepped on the scale and I was delighted to see I am in onederland! I will never see the 200’s again! At 199.4 I’ve lost a total of 29.6 lbs since March 4th. Let’s see - if I lose 2 lbs a week then I’ll be at my goal of 140 by December 1st. 180 by mid-July. Not bad!

Right now my husband is straightening my hair before I leave for work. Tonight I’ll debrief you on my fantastic weekend and our “big find”!

Until tonight!

Erik & I got the Annex Cottage reserved in Langley on Whidbey Island and we’re heading off in about an hour. Yeahhhh - but that means I won’t have access to the internet until Monday…but just imagine all of the news I’ll have when I get back…and photos! Can’t wait to update you all upon my return - have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Lise

So I had fill number 5 today - 0.4 of a cc. So far the nurse told me that according to their scale I have lost 3.1 lbs per week. I’ve been fine with the foods I’ve eaten lately … nothing very exciting going on. A bit stressed with work and such. Kind of in a grumpy mood. Erik and I are hoping to go to Langley, WA this weekend and I would take Monday off. I need a break and we adore Langley. It’s a short ferry ride from Seattle and it’s on Whidbey Island which is amazing. The place we typically stay is wonderful b/c it’s a cabin and has no television, internet, or phone so we are forced to “relax”!

Been stuck working night and day for an upcoming pitch tomorrow - but I will be back to my normal self after it’s finished. So sorry about the lack of writing…luckily (for me) these only happen every so often.

Just had dinner - shrimp cocktail and corn…don’t ask. Absolutely no problem eating it, I didn’t chew that well and I am a bit hungry still which makes me think I may need a bit of a fill so I’m going back in on Thursday. However, I don’t want to be a “fill-addict”…so I think I’ll just ask for like 0.2cc’s.

Interesting article on “medical tourism”…the new “craze”!

It’s called “medical tourism,” and a growing number of people in this country are touring a foreign country and ending their trip with a hospital stay.

Years ago it was unthinkable, but now an estimated 500,000 people a year are doing it, according to industry estimates.

For the full article, click here.

Last night Erik & I met up with our friend Scott for a night on the town in good ol’ Seattle. This was after a LONG day of Phase I of our basement remodel which started by moving all of Erik’s stereo equipment out of the room, ripping out the old disgusting carpet and tearing up all of the old lenolium which had probably been there since the 1950’s. What a workout!

After about 5 hours we were finished which left us ready for Phase II which will begin today with the installation of laminate flooring from IKEA.

Back to last night. We met up with Scott at around 6:30 at Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill in Seattle where Scott brought dinner and Erik & I brought the silverware, etc. Scott brought a great chicken, bread and drinks. Of course, I only had the chicken.

Erik and Scott

Scott opening the chicken

The chicken

From there we headed to see the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall but ended up getting there way early so we went to this ail house that had 160 beers on tap. We got some sushi, the boys got beer and I got a non-fat mocha. I only ate the “insides” of the sushi…no rice for me!

The Sushi

Erik contemplating which beer to order

The movie was absolutely hilarious - I would HIGHLY recommend it. After the movie we dropped Scott off and headed home at which time I was exhausted!

Today, my father is coming over to get a haircut from Erik and to go to IKEA with us because he has a SUV v. my Protege so it will be big enough to haul the flooring back.

In other news, I am in LOVE with Worcestershire sauce - in particular, Lea & Perrins.

I’ve been adding it to my stir-fry recipies and they have been coming out fantastic!