Highs and lows of December

Well, it's been a while hasn't it? I'd love to say that I've been busy b/c of work but that hasn't been the case. The job market/losses seem to be coming left and right at my family. Last month we learned that my wife's company is letting go of several hundred employees and she unfortunately will be one of the several hundred. My job search has entered it's 9 month. 9 months.....we could have had a 2nd child by then. and WOW on the whole 2nd child thing. Seems like everyone we know is on their 2nd too. We're not there yet. Not when the job front is so messed up. The only bright spot was been Nando. He's a year and a half now and gets bigger every day and is such a smart little man. We're potty training him and he's done pretty well. I get him to go pee-pee but still keep mistiming the poo-poo. I'll try my best to be more upto date with posts. Weight wise, I've hit a plateau but holding on to the 80 pound loss. I'll break this plateau I know I will. Gonna be one year in January 27 with the surgery.

HOLYSCHNIKES! It's been a while....

So where's the Summer going,right? Beats me. It's been a pretty normal summer. We went to NH for July 4th weekend. Nando threw up a couple of times. He gets car sick sometimes now so I'm not enjoying that. I feel bad when he gets sick. What're you gonna do? Poor guy. Still don't have a job. So this would be me entering my 5th month on the Obama dime. Hoping that my extension takes me through to the following year/March 2011. And hoping that the Fall brings better news. Thought I'd include my newest vanity pix. LOL I'm about 268 from 350. ALL my big clothes have been given away. And it's nice to be able to shop off the rack and know it'll fit. Watching Nando is rewarding BUT HARD. Sorry I've slacked on blogging. I really have no excuse outside of the fact that I forgot. But hey, life gets in the way. I'm upset no job but happy that I'm healthier than I was when 2010 started.

Milestones

On June 4 we celebrated the first birthday of my son, Nando (Fernando Manuel). Words can't describe how awesome it feels to see him turn 1. How old is he? a couple of months...4 months...8 months...NO. He's 1 now. It sounds nice when you say it out loud. Weighed in at 275 on Saturday too. so that's a 75 pound loss since having surgery in January. almost 5 months. I feel good. I'm not diabetic from what my doc says and my cholesterol looks good. Still need to up my exercise but now that I'm the proud dad of a 1 year old who's almost THERE in the walking department, I think it'll be okay. Still job hunting. It's hard. Get a little sad about it sometimes. We took him out of day care so i'm watching him now. Hopefully something will come along. Can't believe it's been 3 months on "govt paid vacation". But I won't dwell on that. Today, my son is 1.

Lap Day 3 Months

I think the smartest thing we ever did was take a picture of Nando with the same bear every month till he reaches 1 year of age. it's a good way to show progress. The same blue shorts. Practically tore up the bedroom trying to find them. Here I am at 280 pounds from 350 (far left photo if you didn't know). Pretty cool. I have my good days and bad days, don't get me wrong. Protein shakes are still a bitch and thus I haven't had any in a while. Trying to be more active. Last week I walked 6 miles out of the blue. I have a wedding on Saturday and I can't wait to see how I look in the tux all dressed to the nines. Is it vain? a little. But I haven't seen THIS face in a long time apparently. It feels good.

Lap Day: 2 months plus 18: Filling in

today I weigh in at 285. From 350. that's a 65 pound weight loss since my surgery on January 27. I fit COMFORTABLY in a 2x shirt again. i haven't let go of my big guy mentality and still hold onto some of my 3x clothing/shirts. Pants are getting very loose. I'm wearing a wasit 44 now. the picture there shows me in my size 48 jeans which at times were too tight but right now are so loose, the extra slack on my belt practically goes around my waist. How do I feel? good. My physical self is fine. Energy level is good. Just still unemployed. That's the only downside. Right now, hunger wise, i've been doing okay. Dinner for me is usually by 4pm and the rest of the day ( i am up early b/c of Nando) is fluids and if the hunger strikes, a yogurt. Haven't had the protein shakes in a while. I know I should but bleh. I just eat my chicken for my protein and my eggs.

Lap Day-2 mos +9 (Weighing In)

After a nice Easter weekend and all the food that was around me, I did okay. Sciatica has been acting up and that's been a real bitch. Hoping it'll go away like it usually does and come back another day. Today, weighed in this morning at 292. From 350. 58 pounds. I can't believe it. I'm wearing 2x shirts again. Comfortably. I still wear my 3x shirts b/c part of me just can't let it go that i'm this small again after a long long time. I'm happy. Hell, sometimes I want to cry b/c i'm so happy. I even gave a friend of mine all my 4x shirts to give to her husband. It's nice.

Lap Day 2 months (okay, it's the 28th now but whatever...)

what a difference 2 months makes. (2 mos after on the left obviously LOL)

LapDay 1 month plus 5 and The Economy

So today is a New Day. Yesterday I and my entire dept was essentially shit canned. Gioia hates that I use that terminology to describe it but that's what happend. We were all fired. let go. right sized. where to begin? Angry? haven't gotten there yet. Shock? a little bit still. Scared/Worried? Yes. already started sending out emails to friends at BMW and Mercedes and photo vendors. I got severance but it's not enough. I have a 9 month old son for crying out loud. I will find a job. And looking back now, I am so glad that I had the surgery before this all went down. On January 19th, I weighed in at 350 lbs. Today, I weigh 301.6 pounds. and my first band tightening is today. New day, new Jan Marc.

Lap Day plus 29? The Gym

tomorrow marks one month since I had surgery. I've lost a total so far of 40 lbs. The first week, understandably, was very rough. today I went to the gym by my job. did 30 minutes on the bike which was about 6 miles. Next week the band gets adjusted for the first time. so that should be interesting. but all in all, today was a good day. had my protein shake in the morning, will have my afternooner later today.

Lap Day plus 24 Milestones for Jan Marc

This past wednesday Dr. Strom took out my last remaining stitches and gave me the all clear to start becoming a gym rat. I will have my first band adjustment on March 4. So then I assume I'll start to average the 2 pound weight loss as opposed to the 6 a week I seem to drop. At work this past week, I have returned, like MacArthur. Anyway, I've made it a point to park a little further away from the front entrance and actually get up and walk during my breaks. I joined an 'active for life' work thing where basically they want us to get off our asses and be active. I'm the team captain! LOL and today, I weigh in at 310 lbs. So.....I'VE LOST 40 LBS. so that's pretty cool.

On the 27, i'll take my 1 month photo of my surgery.

Lap Day plus 15: The Weighting game

So where does the time go. On the 4th I had the bandages taken out! That was pretty cool and as of today, i'm down 33 lbs since my weigh in on the 19th of January when I came in at 350 pounds. that's a big sum'bitch. the biggest. so it's nice to see some progress. looking forward when I come in below 300. I'm on the puree/stage 2 part of the postOp. it's amazing the things you can blend. Like chicken cutlets and tofu. blended into a pate, with some Franks. it's a blended Buffalo wing.doesn't look the best but tastes almost like a buffalo wing. LOL but so it goes...so it goes.

Lap Day plus 3: Hunger and Walking

Today could have gone better. I think my siatica (spelling??) in my right leg has been acting up so it hurts like a sunuvabitch. so i didn't really walk a lot yesterday. I did attempt to walk today. just out the door, down the block, around the high school parking and then back towards the house. Think "Family Circus". Gioia met me in the car 1/2 way home and we went to Target. Probably better to walk indoors b/c it was getting cold. I'm so hungry. or rather I miss food. Is it wrong if i order a cheeseburger and just masticate it and suck the juices and spit it out? These are the thoughts that go threw my head. Can you believe it? Driving by Taco Bells and BK's is like driving down the Las Vegas strip. I don't see dancing show girls just dancing tacos and burgers. Watching the Food Network (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) is like wathching Cinemax at 3am.We bought chewable kids vitamins at Target and you'd have thought I had steak the way I savored every drop of the purple lion or orange monkey. Just to be able to chew SOMETHING, anything and even hold a bottle of water make me feel normal. But small sips. b/c air can be my enemy. Fukk'n air. LOL I'm having miso soup right now. SLOWLY. taking me probably 20 minutes to finish it. can't have the seaweed that's in it b/c that probably won't feel good. but this will hold me. and then at 8pm, hell's yes I'm having an ice pop. Orange flavor please.

Lap Day plus 2

I guess I could use this blog to document my experiences as a lap band patient. On January 27th, wednesday, 2010, I had lap band surgery. the procedure itself took 37 minutes but I was in the OR I think for an hour from start to finish. My stomach looks like I got shot 6 times. The pictures I've attached aren't of me but rather to give you an idea. I did take before pictures the morning of surgery. I weighed in (on January 19th, at my consult visit with the doctor) at 350 lbs. that's the heaviest i think that I've ever weighed. that's not cool. I had asked the doctor if I was the biggest patient they'd ever worked on, they said I'd have to weigh 450 lbs before they'd have to tell me to lose weight. So for that, I guess, I'm glad. I'm home now. Came home yesterday after an overnight stay on Wednesday. I'm on a liquid diet (and I mean ALL liquid) for one week. from then on, it's 6 weeks of puree or baby food till I can do soft, real foods. It's okay though. It's all in the mind. Don't get me wrong there are moments when i think that I can't do this. and right now, the pain comes and goes in my stomach. but I'm gonna go try and walk around for a bit. and at 2:30pm, I get to have broth! LOL but today is a brand new day.

Happy New Year!

We celebrated our 1 year anniversary on the 3rd. What a year we had in 2009. Marriage, baby and a new home. We can only hope for the best in the new decade. Happy 2010 everyone. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.