Two Months Post-op

So, it's been a while...I'd apologize, but I've just been sooo busy and things are going really well, so not too much to report on. Y'all don't want to hear about my everyday mom life...trust me!

But, since it's been two whole months (Dec. 9 was surgery), I thought that an update and a new picture was in order. Now, I started counting my weight loss from November 22, 2013 because that's the first day that I went to the lap band surgeon, so for me that's where I start my journey. On that day, I weight 252 pounds. I can tell you all that this morning I was down to 217! That's 35 pounds! On the day of surgery I was 243 because I was a good girl and followed the diet for the two weeks before. So in two months I've lost 26 pounds.

Dec 9 2013

Dec 23 2013

Feb 9 2014

It's not all about the number on the scale, I know this... but that's one tangible way to measure my progress. I feel better about myself and my health as well. I am more confident these days and can tell that I carry myself differently. I'm down four sizes in my pants and am about a month away from not having to buy "plus" sizes anymore. I may need to get a job to pay for all the new clothes that I will be buying! I'm just happier right now than I've been in a long time...and I like the way it feels.

I'm about to jump another hurdle in this journey, however. Tomorrow I am heading to California for

  the week - half pleasure and half work. The beginning of the week I will be in Sacramento to visit with my sister-in-law and her boyfriend and my brother-in-law (people think it's weird that I am going to spend time with husband's siblings, but I've been married for more than half my life at this point, so they are like my siblings too.) and then I'll get to have lunch with my bff from high school! At the end of the week I am heading to San Francisco for the San Francisco Writers Conference where I will be taking pitches for my company.

Two things that I will have to overcome in this trip:

First, flying in and of itself can have some effects on the lap band, and truth be told, I'm kind of nervous about the whole experience. Because the band is filled with saline, there is a chance that there could be small air pockets in those pockets. This means that the altitude could cause those air pockets to expand and in turn cause the band to get tighter. I've heard stories about people who have only been able to drink water for days on vacation because of this. REALLY?? Ummmm...this would be one of those moments where I think..."Why did I think this was a good idea?". In order to hopefully avoid this, I skipped my last adjustment so there is no new saline in my band, and it seems to be in a good place right now - I haven't had any issues with eating anything since my last adjustment almost 3 weeks ago. So, I'm going to try not to think about it...and hope that when I land, I can do more than sip water! *fingers crossed*

The second issue for me will be actually eating. I mean I can eat anything I want (as long as everything is okay when I land)...and that's a problem! Right now I have a routine for the day - breakfast around 8:00am I drink a protein drink, 1:00pm I have a fried egg white (no oil or anything to fry it) with blackberries and raspberries and smoked almonds, 6:00pm dinner (whatever we are having and it varies). But, I'll be staying in hotels for a week, I don't have the ability to stay on that kind of schedule and diet. I think that being prepared and aware will definitely help me, but I'm also realistic and know that I will come back with a few extra pounds (I can't be in California without going to Round Table Pizza). I've packed some high protein nut packs and protein granola bars for those days when I need a boost.

We'll see how things end up next week! This is all new and I'll have to deal with it for the rest of my life, so why not get it out of the way now? Wish me luck!

Hope everyone has a Happy Valentine's Day!