Note To Self...

1. Never tell anyone that you "never" have a problem with a particular food. You will have the second worst PB of your life on said food that very evening. (Chicken thighs...I'm looking at you.)

2. It was finally cool enough here to go for a walk outside instead of in the stinky old gym. Cool breezes and sunshine and good tunes are better for my mood than I imagine a pile of Prozac would be.

3. THIS is my new favorite breakfast - homemade baked oatmeal with Greek yogurt. Tons of fiber and protein, not too sweet, and it keeps me going for HOURS. This batch has raspberries, cranberries, and blueberries in it. I'm going to make some today with pumpkin and lots of pumpkin pie spice. Mmmm.

4. My friend Maria sent me this pic of us from the end of the 5K a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to share.

5. And just for fun, I LOVE this pic of Zachary and ALL of his aunties in the same place at the same time. On the left is Laura, my brother-in-law's sister who (shameless plug) has a Kickstarter to raise money for her farm if you want to check it out. She's the one with whom I planted garlic at her farm last year. The woman makes some gorgeous veggies. Kate, my brother-in-law's twin brother's wife, is on the right. I really enjoy hanging out with her. I love having such great "co-aunts" for my beautiful nephew!

Ten Things Thursday

1. My request for time off for the entire Thanksgiving weekend was approved. Thank goodness! My 10th wedding anniversary is the Friday after Thanksgiving and that would have really sucked if I had to work.

2. I picked up over 8 hours of overtime last weekend. I really like my job and I am SO grateful for the extra money, but man...I'm tired. I'm glad I had yesterday and today off to recover.

3. My husband has had a bunch of dental work lately and is on a soft diet until his permanent crown is done in a few weeks. I'm putting my mushy cooking skills to work and I made shepherd's pie for dinner. I made one batch as usual, with ground beef, full-fat cheese and mashed potatoes for Scott, and another for myself where I used a little bit of ground beef along with red beans, carrots, onions, cauliflower, spinach, and corn for the base, a sprinkle of 2% milk cheese, and a very thin layer of mashed potatoes on top. It was tasty!

4. One of my favorite authors, Jennifer Weiner, wrote this article about the day her daughter used "the 'F' word" (FAT) for the first time. Very interesting read.

5. Today I was contacted by the Rachael Ray Show to fly to New York to be on the show and have a makeover...for free! I was so excited until I found out what the catch is...they're looking for couples who are having a "milestone anniversary" this year where BOTH people have a makeover. My husband really doesn't want to be on TV. Boooooo. I understand completely, but am still disappointed, of course. If you know of anyone having a "milestone anniversary" let me know and I'll pass it along to the producer I was speaking with.

6. I am obsessed...obsessed with The Hunger Games. I'm "reading" (via audiobook) the first in the series and it's totally not the kind of book I usually read, but it's fantastic. My "niece" Keara recommended it and I can't stop listening. I've already reserved book 2 and 3 from the library.

7. This new fill is treating me nicely. I lost 6 pounds the week after the fill. I feel great. Eating very little but not hungry.

8. I'm glad everyone had such a nice time in Chicago! I've really enjoyed seeing the pictures.

9. Scott is amazing. Truly. We needed to have some repairs done on our old house because our insurance policy needed to be renewed. Scott (along with our very helpful neighbor for a little assistance) did all of the work himself and completed a job that was quoted at over $2000 for under $500. Incredible. He seriously busted ass and we passed our inspection with flying colors. He researched how to do it and got it all done. I'm really impressed with him.

10. I have to work a 12 hour shift tomorrow, so I have to go wind down for bed. Goodnight!

Heart Walk 5K

Yesterday morning I did the Heart Walk 5K with some women who have been very important to my band journey.

Maria is on the left. She works at the front desk at my bariatric surgeon's office. She is also banded, and she has also become a good friend. We meet up often for lunch or to go for a walk, and she's been an amazing support when I am struggling. She's fantastic.

On my other side is Gwen, the band nurse. She is learning how to do fills and I told her she can practice on me if she'll do it for free. :-)

Jody is on the right. She's the registered dietician. She ran the 5K in about 30 minutes. Awesome. She's such an inspiration.

Our team was called "The Shrinking Population".  :-)

Still Purple

Thank you for all of the awesome comments on my purple belly post. For everyone who suggested sending it to my doctor, thank you. I did just that by posting it on his Facebook page. He said that it's nothing to worry about and it will go away. I feel fine, so I'm not worrying about it. It's definitely getting better. I do tend to bruise easily, so he probably just hit a blood vessel on the way in.

I don't know if this fill is doing anything for my weight (I'll jump on the scale at support group tonight) but it's definitely decreased my appetite. I ate a Lean Cuisine for lunch yesterday and the day before, and it kept me full for HOURS. I'm definitely not as hungry and eating way less.

Violet, you're turning violet, Violet

Bonus points if you caught the movie reference.

I had my fill 4 days ago and this is what my belly looks like...

I have never bruised like this after a fill! What the heck? Has anyone ever seen anything like this? It's crazy. It doesn't hurt or anything (just a little sore like the port site always is after a fill).

5K Today

My pace was pathetic (about an hour) but I managed a full 5k on the treadmill today for the first time in months...

And I even managed to keep smiling afterwards, red-faced, sweaty and all...

All Filled Up

I had my fill today - a little over one more cc added, making about 7 cc's total in my band. I am up about 14 pounds from my lowest weight (gulp) and the doc said he wasn't surprised...I didn't realize it had been this long but I hadn't had a fill in A YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS. He said he's not the least bit surprised that I have gained a bit and is surprised I haven't gained more.

The fill was uneventful as always - a quick needle in the belly, added 2 cc's, water wouldn't go down at all, removed 0.5 cc, water still in my throat, another 0.25 cc out and the water started trickling down nicely. No pain. Easy peasy. Doc and I had a nice talk too. I really like him.

I've been sipping my clear liquids all afternoon with no problem - I may try some strained homemade broccoli soup for dinner in a little while.

I hope this will get me back on the losing track!