It's been almost 3 weeks and I'm still stuck bouncing around between 214 and 215. I knew this would happen eventually. My frustration level is still getting higher. This week, I am trying to consume more calories to see if that will get things moving.
This morning, I had my usual chocolate Premier protein shake. That comes in at 160 calories and 30 grams of protein.
I packed a cute bento box for lunch today. It has 2.5 ounces turkey breast from the deli, 0.5 ounces sharp cheddar from the deli, 3 lettuce leaves and a boiled egg. That nets me around 200 calories and 25 grams of protein.
I have half of a QUEST protein bar for a snack for 90 calories and 10 grams of protein. Sidebar about these Quest protein bars, they are pretty awesome. I tried them before surgery and thought they were just okay. Now, I think they taste pretty good. I have tried cookies and cream, chocolate chip cookie dough, and s'mores so far. All 3 have been tasty. I have seen that you can cut them up and bake them, so they are more like cookies. Sounds like something great to try to me!
Today is a weight lifting day, but I plan to work on my 5k training as well. I have not been doing as well with that as I hoped. I don't want to disappoint my sister since she's training for it as well. I know I will be able to finish the whole thing, its just a matter of how long it will take. I am trying to convince my cousin to sign up to do another one with me in November.
Hopefully my stall will break soon. If the increased calories don't do it this week, I will try something different next week. I would still like to get under 200 before my next nutritionist appointment, but it's starting to seem less likely.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Couch to 5K (C25K)
I mentioned this in my last blog, but didn't really explain it. Doh!
So, what is it? It's a program to take you from couch potato to running a 5k in 8 weeks. I don't think it really works exactly like that, but that's how it's pitched. You can download any number of applications for your smart phone that guide you through the process. There are 8 weeks of training, each with 3 days. In theory, that means with 24 training sessions, you will be able to complete a 5k.
A 5k is 3.1 miles. The program doesn't say how quickly you will complete this distance, just that you should be able to do it. I attempted this program at 335 pounds and it was too hard for me to complete. Week 1, Day 1 about killed me. I couldn't run for 60 seconds without feeling like my heart was going to implode. But now, I can do that and will be using a program similar to the one below to help with the training.
It gradually builds up your endurance and speed both. Should be awesome. Look for more posts as I progress.
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
So, what is it? It's a program to take you from couch potato to running a 5k in 8 weeks. I don't think it really works exactly like that, but that's how it's pitched. You can download any number of applications for your smart phone that guide you through the process. There are 8 weeks of training, each with 3 days. In theory, that means with 24 training sessions, you will be able to complete a 5k.
A 5k is 3.1 miles. The program doesn't say how quickly you will complete this distance, just that you should be able to do it. I attempted this program at 335 pounds and it was too hard for me to complete. Week 1, Day 1 about killed me. I couldn't run for 60 seconds without feeling like my heart was going to implode. But now, I can do that and will be using a program similar to the one below to help with the training.
It gradually builds up your endurance and speed both. Should be awesome. Look for more posts as I progress.
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
| Week | Workout 1 | Workout 2 | Workout 3 |
| 1 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. |
| 2 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. |
| 3 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
|
| 4 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
|
| 5 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking. |
| 6 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 22 minutes) with no walking. |
| 7 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). |
| 8 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). |
| 9 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). | The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). |
Back to the Gym
So, I got back to the gym yesterday. I am trying to get into a routine of going and having certain days for certain exercises. My plan is below:
Monday: Back and shoulders
Tuesday: Cardio only
Wednesday: Legs and Core
Thursday: Cardio only
Friday: Arms
On days that I do strength training, I do it circuit style. I start off with a good 15 minute cardio warm-up, then hit the weights. I've been using the weight machines at my gym. They have them arranged by body part in rows, so I work on one row per day. It's kinda awesome. Yesterday was Tuesday, so I worked on 5k training. I did about 25 minutes on the treadmill, alternating fast walking and running. I planned to go longer, but I started getting cramps like I needed to go to the bathroom. Maybe running is a cure for constipation?
I downloaded the handy C25k app for on my phone for training. The 5k is about 7 weeks away and the program is 8 weeks, but that should get me pretty close. The app breaks each week down into 3 days of training. Today, I will do Week 1, Day 1. That consists of a 5 minute warm-up, then alternating 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes. Sounds doable-ish. I've been working on alternating jogging and walking already, so I think I can do it.
My next follow-up appointment is on October 13th. I'd really, really like to be under 200 by then. I know it's pushing it, but I think with the amount of training I am going to be doing that I can make it. I am 214 right now, so that means losing 15 pounds in just over a month. It's ambitious! Goals are supposed to be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, timed). So there it is, I plan to be under 200 pounds by October 13th. When I first started this, I didn't think I'd get there before Christmas!
I just need to stick to my work-out plan and maintain the low-carb diet. I got this!
Monday: Back and shoulders
Tuesday: Cardio only
Wednesday: Legs and Core
Thursday: Cardio only
Friday: Arms
On days that I do strength training, I do it circuit style. I start off with a good 15 minute cardio warm-up, then hit the weights. I've been using the weight machines at my gym. They have them arranged by body part in rows, so I work on one row per day. It's kinda awesome. Yesterday was Tuesday, so I worked on 5k training. I did about 25 minutes on the treadmill, alternating fast walking and running. I planned to go longer, but I started getting cramps like I needed to go to the bathroom. Maybe running is a cure for constipation?
I downloaded the handy C25k app for on my phone for training. The 5k is about 7 weeks away and the program is 8 weeks, but that should get me pretty close. The app breaks each week down into 3 days of training. Today, I will do Week 1, Day 1. That consists of a 5 minute warm-up, then alternating 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes. Sounds doable-ish. I've been working on alternating jogging and walking already, so I think I can do it.
My next follow-up appointment is on October 13th. I'd really, really like to be under 200 by then. I know it's pushing it, but I think with the amount of training I am going to be doing that I can make it. I am 214 right now, so that means losing 15 pounds in just over a month. It's ambitious! Goals are supposed to be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, timed). So there it is, I plan to be under 200 pounds by October 13th. When I first started this, I didn't think I'd get there before Christmas!
I just need to stick to my work-out plan and maintain the low-carb diet. I got this!
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Slowly becoming human again
Life has really been something lately. Mostly, its not been that great for me. After my enthusiastic post about clothes 2 weeks ago, we got a phone call that my mother-in-law had passed away. For the most part, this was a huge relief. I know that sounds terrible to say, but she'd been sick for a long time with no hope of getting better. It was a release for her and for my father-in-law, who was her primary care giver.
We spent 17 hours in the car that night and into the next day to get to MN for her funeral. Eating while there was a challenge because my sister-in-law was not very accepting of my new diet. She kept wanting to cook these frozen pasta meals that I can't eat. I volunteered to cook every night and made enough for everyone, but it still made her mad. Maybe I could have just eaten deli meat for every meal, but that didn't seem very appealing.
I think stressful situations really bring out the worst in people and I did my best to be helpful, but it all really blew up in my face in the end. It's just a sad situation really. I don't want to get into details of it all, but things didn't go well when we left to come home.
On the car ride home, I could NOT stay awake, which is unusual for me. I slept most of the way home, unpacked when we got back, and went to bed. I woke up the next morning feeling like death. I figured maybe it was just the trip and a little virus or something. No... of course not. Two days later I hacked up blood and green gunk. One trip to the doctor later and yay, I have tonsillitis. Ugh!!
So, last week, I lost a grand total of 11 pounds because I really couldn't eat for the majority of the week. Today, I feel decent and am planning to get back into the gym. I know the lack of protein for a week has to have caused some muscle loss and we can't have too much of that going on.
Yesterday, I was feeling pretty much human. So, I went out for lunch and shopping with my cousin. Pre-shopping selfie :)
We spent 17 hours in the car that night and into the next day to get to MN for her funeral. Eating while there was a challenge because my sister-in-law was not very accepting of my new diet. She kept wanting to cook these frozen pasta meals that I can't eat. I volunteered to cook every night and made enough for everyone, but it still made her mad. Maybe I could have just eaten deli meat for every meal, but that didn't seem very appealing.
I think stressful situations really bring out the worst in people and I did my best to be helpful, but it all really blew up in my face in the end. It's just a sad situation really. I don't want to get into details of it all, but things didn't go well when we left to come home.
On the car ride home, I could NOT stay awake, which is unusual for me. I slept most of the way home, unpacked when we got back, and went to bed. I woke up the next morning feeling like death. I figured maybe it was just the trip and a little virus or something. No... of course not. Two days later I hacked up blood and green gunk. One trip to the doctor later and yay, I have tonsillitis. Ugh!!
So, last week, I lost a grand total of 11 pounds because I really couldn't eat for the majority of the week. Today, I feel decent and am planning to get back into the gym. I know the lack of protein for a week has to have caused some muscle loss and we can't have too much of that going on.
Yesterday, I was feeling pretty much human. So, I went out for lunch and shopping with my cousin. Pre-shopping selfie :)
Monday, August 24, 2015
Life...
Has been busy lately and I've not been making the time to blog properly. Lots has been going on. My mother-in-law is terminally ill. I injured my foot. School has started for my step-daughter. And so on and so on. I have kept myself on track pretty well and am down to 225 pounds. That's down 125 pounds from my highest weight of 350.
And I feel amazing!! I cleaned out my closet this weekend and got rid of tons of clothes that were too big. I needed to buy a dress for a visitation this weekend, so off to the store I went. I ended up buying a plus size dress still because the selection in the misses dresses was pitiful. The dress is a 14W and I feel amazing in it. I also got a suit because I'm job hunting. The suit came from the misses department and is an XL. I haven't worn clothes from the misses department since middle school!!
I am including some pictures below for comparison. Me and my hubby yesterday (dressed up for a visitation) versus our wedding last year. I don't look like the same person!! (I can't get the pics to line up side by side for some reason, but you get the idea.)
 |
| Aug 23,2015 |
 |
| Sep 27, 2014 |
I can honestly say my husband and step-daughter have both been awesome through this whole journey. My husband is super supportive and has changed his cooking to meet my new needs. I see lots of people complain about not having supportive families and I always think how blessed I am to have the family I do. Once I made the decision to go through with this, my husband said okay and jumped right on board. He loved me at 350 and he loves me now. What a blessing he really is.
Well, after all the closet cleaning, I needed to go shopping. So, mom and I headed to the mall yesterday. I really needed pants that weren't jeans. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE jeans. But I am tired of wearing them ever single day. Plus I only have 2 pairs that fit. One pair that fits really well and one pair that's getting too big.
We got to the store and the first pair of pants I put on fit. WTH!??!?! Usually, shopping for pants takes hours and hours and multiple stores and lots of crying. These pants were a 14W, so I went to the misses department and found the same pants for $10 less per pair. Hmmm, sounds like I should try on the misses ones. I tried on the 16 and they were a no, but the 18s were a yes. So, I bought PANTS from the regular department.
At home, I put all my clothes away and was so excited that I spent 45 minutes in my closet making outfits and planning what to wear today. Picture below of the outfit I picked. I feel amazing! Plus someone at work said I look thinner. Awesome, right?!?!
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Labs are Back.... Finally
Okay, so I just downloaded my lab results and reviewing them. Overall, things look pretty good. CBC with Differential all are in range, meaning no infections or anything along those lines. I knew that already, but they always test this for some reason.
On to the more important things, The Metabolic Panel. This is where the mal-absorption issues could start to rear their heads. I have a couple of flags on that for being below the normal range and one was high. I'm going to start with the low flags, Potassium and Chloride. My sodium was close to low, but not there.
Potassium is pretty important in regulating your heart and keeping your body going, so being low on it can cause some major issues. A deficiency in potassium can cause fatigue, insomnia, depression, muscular weakness, and many cardiovascular issues. Oh, hmmm... I am experiencing those highlighted symptoms right now! *insert light bulb here*
I am supposed to be increasing the variety of foods I eat, so I did some research on foods that are high in potassium. Beans, spinach, yogurt, salmon, and avocado were all on the list and are things I can eat.
Chloride works with potassium and helps regulate the Ph balance in your system. Being low on this is pretty darn rare. Basically, I need to eat more salt and saltier foods. Odd, isn't it?
I was high on the BUN/Creatinine Ratio basically meaning I was dehydrated. My level was 21, normal range is 8 to 20. This could be the reason for the low Potassium and Chloride or the the low Potassium and Chloride could be causing the dehydration. The 3 flags are definitely linked. So, time for some beans and spinach with a good pinch of salt!
Only one more flag on the report and I suspected this was coming. My Iron saturation is at 14. Normal range is 15 to 55. All my other Iron measurements were in range, but on the lower side. I think I just need to eat some more iron rich foods to bump things up a bit and everything should be fine. Fortunately, many of the foods that are high in potassium are also high in Iron. So, adding some beans, spinach, and more seafood to my diet should help balance everything out.
Not a bad report at all!
On to the more important things, The Metabolic Panel. This is where the mal-absorption issues could start to rear their heads. I have a couple of flags on that for being below the normal range and one was high. I'm going to start with the low flags, Potassium and Chloride. My sodium was close to low, but not there.
Potassium is pretty important in regulating your heart and keeping your body going, so being low on it can cause some major issues. A deficiency in potassium can cause fatigue, insomnia, depression, muscular weakness, and many cardiovascular issues. Oh, hmmm... I am experiencing those highlighted symptoms right now! *insert light bulb here*
I am supposed to be increasing the variety of foods I eat, so I did some research on foods that are high in potassium. Beans, spinach, yogurt, salmon, and avocado were all on the list and are things I can eat.
Chloride works with potassium and helps regulate the Ph balance in your system. Being low on this is pretty darn rare. Basically, I need to eat more salt and saltier foods. Odd, isn't it?
I was high on the BUN/Creatinine Ratio basically meaning I was dehydrated. My level was 21, normal range is 8 to 20. This could be the reason for the low Potassium and Chloride or the the low Potassium and Chloride could be causing the dehydration. The 3 flags are definitely linked. So, time for some beans and spinach with a good pinch of salt!
Only one more flag on the report and I suspected this was coming. My Iron saturation is at 14. Normal range is 15 to 55. All my other Iron measurements were in range, but on the lower side. I think I just need to eat some more iron rich foods to bump things up a bit and everything should be fine. Fortunately, many of the foods that are high in potassium are also high in Iron. So, adding some beans, spinach, and more seafood to my diet should help balance everything out.
Not a bad report at all!
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Nutritionist Visit
So, yesterday was my first time seeing the nutritionist since surgery. Let me start by saying I LOVE my nutritionist. She is 100% awesome, very encouraging and very knowledgeable. She has talked me out of crazy expectations via e-mail a couple of times since surgery. She's taught me about plateaus and how to deal with them. She's taught me how to eat low carb and she's taught me how to exercise. So, yes, she's amazing. Her support and guidance have made this journey happen for me.
They have this super fancy scale there that tells you not only how much you weigh, but what your body composition is. Now, I have no idea how it works, but it's pretty cool. So, I hop on the scale as instructed and wait for the beep. Then this handy little receipt prints out. It has a lot of information on it about your total weight, your fat mass, your fat free mass, etc.
Drum roll please..... I am down 60 pounds since my pre-op visit on 4/1/2015. And ALL of it was fat!! Since I first started seeing her, I have lost 96 pounds of FAT. Shocking! That's a person. That's amazing, stupendous, and more adjectives that I can't think of right now. It's hard to put that in perspective. I know I'm smaller, but I still feel big. So, I found some images to put it into perspective. First up, 100 pounds of fat on a table. Odd, I know, but it puts it in perspective to think I was carrying that around with me.
And then there's this cute web page where you can go put in your weight loss and it compares it to standard objects. So I put in 96 since that is the amount of fat I have lost since February. (I would put in my total weight loss of 120, but it only goes to 100.) I can't begin to imagine almost 19,000 beer caps. Can you?
She told me I was doing very well with my diet, but that I need to get more consistent with the working out part of it. She said that if I continue being inconsistent, I will start to see muscle loss and other issues. I don't want that, so it's off to the gym I go. I went on Monday and plan to go today, tomorrow, and Friday. I feel better when I go and I sleep better when I go. I know I need to do it, so it's just a matter of making it a habit now.
So, all in all, I got a very good report. The labs on my vitamin levels will be back on Thursday and I will update everyone on those when I get the reports.
They have this super fancy scale there that tells you not only how much you weigh, but what your body composition is. Now, I have no idea how it works, but it's pretty cool. So, I hop on the scale as instructed and wait for the beep. Then this handy little receipt prints out. It has a lot of information on it about your total weight, your fat mass, your fat free mass, etc.
Drum roll please..... I am down 60 pounds since my pre-op visit on 4/1/2015. And ALL of it was fat!! Since I first started seeing her, I have lost 96 pounds of FAT. Shocking! That's a person. That's amazing, stupendous, and more adjectives that I can't think of right now. It's hard to put that in perspective. I know I'm smaller, but I still feel big. So, I found some images to put it into perspective. First up, 100 pounds of fat on a table. Odd, I know, but it puts it in perspective to think I was carrying that around with me.
She told me I was doing very well with my diet, but that I need to get more consistent with the working out part of it. She said that if I continue being inconsistent, I will start to see muscle loss and other issues. I don't want that, so it's off to the gym I go. I went on Monday and plan to go today, tomorrow, and Friday. I feel better when I go and I sleep better when I go. I know I need to do it, so it's just a matter of making it a habit now.
So, all in all, I got a very good report. The labs on my vitamin levels will be back on Thursday and I will update everyone on those when I get the reports.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Coloring as Therapy
Lately, I've been coloring. It sounds childish, I know. And my husband makes fun of me for it, but I don't really care. It's doing really good things for me. It relieves stress and anxiety, it keeps me from mindlessly snacking, its a relatively inexpensive hobby.
Here's an articles from the Huffington Post about it:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10/07/colouring-books-for-adults-stress_n_5944298.html
And another one from the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2015/03/24/coloring-books-for-grown-ups-can-ease-stress-and-calm-the-inner-child/
For me, it allows me to unwind from my day and be calm. It gives me something to do to occupy my mind and my hands. It allows me to be creative in a way that I loved when I was younger. Is it odd to do the same things now that I enjoyed when I was younger? Maybe, but who the hell cares.
I am thrilled to have a hobby that makes me feel better. It's helping big time with my anxiety issues. Sometimes, I color Mandalas. What's a mandala? They are very, very relaxing to me. Some people believe that coloring them and hanging them around you can bring good vibes in. I'm not sure about that, but I do smile when I see mine hanging at my desk. The colors make me feel more cheerful.
Sometimes I color other sheets. So far, I've been finding free sheets and printing them off the internet, but I have ordered some books from Amazon. I'll review them when they arrive and let you know what I think. I use a set of Prismacolor colored pencils that I've had for years. They were expensive when I bought them, but the quality is stellar in my opinion. I am considering markers for coloring as well, but haven't ordered any as of yet.
Here's an articles from the Huffington Post about it:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10/07/colouring-books-for-adults-stress_n_5944298.html
And another one from the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2015/03/24/coloring-books-for-grown-ups-can-ease-stress-and-calm-the-inner-child/
For me, it allows me to unwind from my day and be calm. It gives me something to do to occupy my mind and my hands. It allows me to be creative in a way that I loved when I was younger. Is it odd to do the same things now that I enjoyed when I was younger? Maybe, but who the hell cares.
I am thrilled to have a hobby that makes me feel better. It's helping big time with my anxiety issues. Sometimes, I color Mandalas. What's a mandala? They are very, very relaxing to me. Some people believe that coloring them and hanging them around you can bring good vibes in. I'm not sure about that, but I do smile when I see mine hanging at my desk. The colors make me feel more cheerful.
I am far from a perfect colorist as can be seen above, but it's not about trying to achieve perfection. It's about doing something that brings me joy. So, if you're really stressing out... try breaking out some crayons and do some coloring :)
Oh no.... It's a Plateau
Anyone who has ever tried to lose a significant amount of weight is familiar with the dreaded plateau. Part of me was hoping that having weight loss surgery would mean no more plateaus. Nope, not even close. I hit them ALL the time. I hit my first one three weeks out from surgery and freaked out. I e-mailed my wonderful nutritionist who told me I was doing everything right and that this was normal.
Her exact words were "Moving forward you will have periods of weight loss for about 3 weeks and a weight plateau for a week to week and half. The average weight loss after 6 weeks post-op will be anything from 8-12 lbs a month".
This is another one of those things that no one mentioned before surgery. I like having all my facts beforehand, but I'm glad to have this information now. It's saved me a lot of stressing out. And she was right, I lose for around 3 weeks then plateau (or stall) for about a week. Then the weight starts coming off again.
The surgeon gave me a goal of 10 pounds per month of loss, which I am mostly meeting. So how do I get the scale moving again? It depends on the situation. The first thing I do is check to see if I'm still in ketosis. What's ketosis? It's a state in which your body burns stored fat for energy rather than carbohydrates. How do I test for it? I pee on a little stick first thing in the morning and if it turns purple, I'm in ketosis. If it doesn't change, I'm not.
If I'm not in ketosis, I spend 2 days on a slightly different diet and test again. The special diet is a protein shake for breakfast, another protein shake for lunch, and 4 ounces of plain meat for dinner. Sounds hard and the first day is, but by the 2nd day it's not bad at all. I check for ketosis again and if I'm still not in it, I repeat the special diet again the next day and repeat the test again the next morning.
If I test and I'm in ketosis and still on the plateau, I maintain my normal diet and change up my activity level a bit. Maybe I'll do a different cardio at the gym or I'll add more weight to my sets. Right now, it all balances out in a week or so and I'm back to losing. Sometimes, I will try having a day where I consume a few more calories to try giving my body a jolt.
I know that as I progress, the weight is going to be harder and harder to lose. I haven't been below 220 since middle school (I think) and I am approaching that zone. Sitting at 232 right now. I see the nutritionist today and am interested to hear what she has to say about my diet. Diet is only one component of this journey and I am working on getting more active. I actually RAN yesterday. Yes, me... I ran. Well, maybe it was more of a jog.
And I SLEPT!!! Okay, so if going to the gym is the cure for my insomnia... I'm going there every damn day!
Her exact words were "Moving forward you will have periods of weight loss for about 3 weeks and a weight plateau for a week to week and half. The average weight loss after 6 weeks post-op will be anything from 8-12 lbs a month".
This is another one of those things that no one mentioned before surgery. I like having all my facts beforehand, but I'm glad to have this information now. It's saved me a lot of stressing out. And she was right, I lose for around 3 weeks then plateau (or stall) for about a week. Then the weight starts coming off again.
The surgeon gave me a goal of 10 pounds per month of loss, which I am mostly meeting. So how do I get the scale moving again? It depends on the situation. The first thing I do is check to see if I'm still in ketosis. What's ketosis? It's a state in which your body burns stored fat for energy rather than carbohydrates. How do I test for it? I pee on a little stick first thing in the morning and if it turns purple, I'm in ketosis. If it doesn't change, I'm not.
If I'm not in ketosis, I spend 2 days on a slightly different diet and test again. The special diet is a protein shake for breakfast, another protein shake for lunch, and 4 ounces of plain meat for dinner. Sounds hard and the first day is, but by the 2nd day it's not bad at all. I check for ketosis again and if I'm still not in it, I repeat the special diet again the next day and repeat the test again the next morning.
If I test and I'm in ketosis and still on the plateau, I maintain my normal diet and change up my activity level a bit. Maybe I'll do a different cardio at the gym or I'll add more weight to my sets. Right now, it all balances out in a week or so and I'm back to losing. Sometimes, I will try having a day where I consume a few more calories to try giving my body a jolt.
I know that as I progress, the weight is going to be harder and harder to lose. I haven't been below 220 since middle school (I think) and I am approaching that zone. Sitting at 232 right now. I see the nutritionist today and am interested to hear what she has to say about my diet. Diet is only one component of this journey and I am working on getting more active. I actually RAN yesterday. Yes, me... I ran. Well, maybe it was more of a jog.
And I SLEPT!!! Okay, so if going to the gym is the cure for my insomnia... I'm going there every damn day!
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
What Low Carb Really Means for Me
There are two approaches to eating after surgery:
#1 - Eat whatever you want, just in smaller amounts
#2 - Eat a high quality low carb, high protein diet
My doctor recommends #2 and I wholeheartedly believe in it. I am sure there are lots of people out there who can eat whatever they want in smaller amounts and lose the weight. For me, I am battling internal demons that if I let them loose to have 1 cookie will maniacally take over and make me eat the whole bag.
It works best for me to keep those little demons (otherwise known as emotions) in the box. That means, I eat a low carb, high protein diet. I still get to eat things I enjoy... steak, cheese, almonds, vegetables, yogurt, etc. What I avoid are super processed foods like chips, cookies, and ice cream. It is best for me to avoid them because I know they are a trigger for me. What do I mean by a trigger? It's something that once I start eating, I have a very hard time stopping. It's like I turn into a zombie almost.
So what do I really mean when I say low carb, high protein? I mean I always eat my protein first at every meal. It's weighed beforehand so I know how much I'm putting on my plate. If I have room left, I eat vegetables. Lately, I have had very little room left for the vegetables, but that's okay. Protein is my number one goal right now. I eat anywhere from 60 to 80 grams of protein per day. A typical day right now plays out like this:
Breakfast: Premier Protein Shake for 30 grams of protein
Lunch: 3 oz of whatever protein we had the night before, some veggies for around 20 grams of protein
Dinner: 4 oz of whatever protein we have planned (chicken breast, steak, pork chops, sausage, ground beef, shrimp, etc) and a few bites of veggies for around 30 grams of protein
Bam! That's 80 grams of protein easy. Some days I don't feel hungry at all and other days I'm a ravenous beast. I don't know what causes the differences. If I'm super hungry I'll eat 1 oz of lunch meat with 1 slice of ultra thin cheese or a handful of almonds.
It is not unusual for me to end up under 20 grams of net carbs for a given day. I never go over 40 grams of net carbs per day. My grams of sugar per day stay under 10. I've found that products with sugar alcohol don't bother my stomach, but they STOP my weight loss, so they are off the table right now.
There are many, many more things available to me on the diet, but I have found an eating pattern that I'm comfortable with for right now. So, in answer to the question... what DO you eat on a low carb diet? A lot of meat and vegetables (no, potatoes are not a vegetable... they are a starch). So, that's what low carb means for me
#1 - Eat whatever you want, just in smaller amounts
#2 - Eat a high quality low carb, high protein diet
My doctor recommends #2 and I wholeheartedly believe in it. I am sure there are lots of people out there who can eat whatever they want in smaller amounts and lose the weight. For me, I am battling internal demons that if I let them loose to have 1 cookie will maniacally take over and make me eat the whole bag.
It works best for me to keep those little demons (otherwise known as emotions) in the box. That means, I eat a low carb, high protein diet. I still get to eat things I enjoy... steak, cheese, almonds, vegetables, yogurt, etc. What I avoid are super processed foods like chips, cookies, and ice cream. It is best for me to avoid them because I know they are a trigger for me. What do I mean by a trigger? It's something that once I start eating, I have a very hard time stopping. It's like I turn into a zombie almost.
So what do I really mean when I say low carb, high protein? I mean I always eat my protein first at every meal. It's weighed beforehand so I know how much I'm putting on my plate. If I have room left, I eat vegetables. Lately, I have had very little room left for the vegetables, but that's okay. Protein is my number one goal right now. I eat anywhere from 60 to 80 grams of protein per day. A typical day right now plays out like this:
Breakfast: Premier Protein Shake for 30 grams of protein
Lunch: 3 oz of whatever protein we had the night before, some veggies for around 20 grams of protein
Dinner: 4 oz of whatever protein we have planned (chicken breast, steak, pork chops, sausage, ground beef, shrimp, etc) and a few bites of veggies for around 30 grams of protein
Bam! That's 80 grams of protein easy. Some days I don't feel hungry at all and other days I'm a ravenous beast. I don't know what causes the differences. If I'm super hungry I'll eat 1 oz of lunch meat with 1 slice of ultra thin cheese or a handful of almonds.
It is not unusual for me to end up under 20 grams of net carbs for a given day. I never go over 40 grams of net carbs per day. My grams of sugar per day stay under 10. I've found that products with sugar alcohol don't bother my stomach, but they STOP my weight loss, so they are off the table right now.
There are many, many more things available to me on the diet, but I have found an eating pattern that I'm comfortable with for right now. So, in answer to the question... what DO you eat on a low carb diet? A lot of meat and vegetables (no, potatoes are not a vegetable... they are a starch). So, that's what low carb means for me
Let's Talk Stage 1
I will preface this by saying I am not a medical professional and every doctor has different recommendations for the stages to follow after surgery. Please follow what YOUR doctor says.
For me, Stage 1 was Clear Liquids.
Clear Liquids include:
Broth (beef, chicken, etc)
Sugar Free Jell-O
Sugar Free Popsicles
Low sugar juice mixed with water (good luck finding that one)
Water
Mmmmm! I know you're drooling just thinking about it. Here's how I got through that lovely stage. It really, really helps that I wasn't hungry at all. I drank everything other than water out of duty. I probably didn't drink non-water things as often as I was supposed to, but my doctor didn't really have a schedule or time frame listed on anything.
#1 White Miso Soup - It comes in little envelopes that are powder and some dehydrated mushrooms. Mix with 1 cup of warm water and voila... salty, pretty tasty Miso soup. I ran mine through the strainer to remove the mushrooms and spices. It took me all day to finish the one cup this made. I ate around 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup those first couple of days.
#2 Swansons Flavored Broth- After 2 days of White Miso Soup, my store was out of the packets and I was burnt out on the taste. So, we journeyed to Wal-Mart in search of the flavored broths I had heard about. I got the Tortilla Chicken infused broth and it was yummy! It tasted so different than the Miso soup and my mouth was ready for a change. They have more flavors that I haven't tried yet. As the week progressed, I slowly ate more at a time. By the end of the week, I could do 1/2 cup of broth at a meal (Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner). As my ability to drink more at a time increased, I decreased the frequency of my broth intake.
#3- By Saturday, I was sick of being at home and getting pretty tired of soup. So, my mom and I went to the movies. We saw a cute, but predictable movie called "Age of Adeline". Afterwards, we went to the local Chinese restaurant and picked up some egg drop soup. I ran in through my strainer to drain out the eggs and chicken chunks, etc. It was heaven in my mouth! I know many doctors will say this isn't technically a clear liquid, but I didn't care. Since it was thicker than broth, I stepped back to 1/4 cup at a time. With the new thicker liquid, I also took a few sips then waited 10 minutes to see if it would agree with my stomach. It did!
Yes, sugar free Jell-O and sugar free Popsicles are on the list you see above. I tried. they were gross. The sweet taste made me want to gag. It just wasn't working for me. Your taste buds change after surgery for awhile. I don't know why, but they do. Though, I will say I still find sugar free jell-o and popsicles to be nasty, vile things that one should never be required to eat.
Yes, I could have made my own broth, but I'll be honest I was too damn tired to care about it. My husband says he doesn't know how I survived that week on nothing but that little bit of broth here and there. I just wasn't hungry and drank enough to get through it. Lots of people end up with a lot of nausea after surgery. I was blessed to not have that during the clear liquid stage.
I absolutely did not count calories or protein or anything during this phase. For me, it was about healing and following the instructions from my doctor to the best of my ability.
For me, Stage 1 was Clear Liquids.
Clear Liquids include:
Broth (beef, chicken, etc)
Sugar Free Jell-O
Sugar Free Popsicles
Low sugar juice mixed with water (good luck finding that one)
Water
Mmmmm! I know you're drooling just thinking about it. Here's how I got through that lovely stage. It really, really helps that I wasn't hungry at all. I drank everything other than water out of duty. I probably didn't drink non-water things as often as I was supposed to, but my doctor didn't really have a schedule or time frame listed on anything.
#1 White Miso Soup - It comes in little envelopes that are powder and some dehydrated mushrooms. Mix with 1 cup of warm water and voila... salty, pretty tasty Miso soup. I ran mine through the strainer to remove the mushrooms and spices. It took me all day to finish the one cup this made. I ate around 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup those first couple of days.#2 Swansons Flavored Broth- After 2 days of White Miso Soup, my store was out of the packets and I was burnt out on the taste. So, we journeyed to Wal-Mart in search of the flavored broths I had heard about. I got the Tortilla Chicken infused broth and it was yummy! It tasted so different than the Miso soup and my mouth was ready for a change. They have more flavors that I haven't tried yet. As the week progressed, I slowly ate more at a time. By the end of the week, I could do 1/2 cup of broth at a meal (Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner). As my ability to drink more at a time increased, I decreased the frequency of my broth intake.
Yes, sugar free Jell-O and sugar free Popsicles are on the list you see above. I tried. they were gross. The sweet taste made me want to gag. It just wasn't working for me. Your taste buds change after surgery for awhile. I don't know why, but they do. Though, I will say I still find sugar free jell-o and popsicles to be nasty, vile things that one should never be required to eat.
Yes, I could have made my own broth, but I'll be honest I was too damn tired to care about it. My husband says he doesn't know how I survived that week on nothing but that little bit of broth here and there. I just wasn't hungry and drank enough to get through it. Lots of people end up with a lot of nausea after surgery. I was blessed to not have that during the clear liquid stage.
I absolutely did not count calories or protein or anything during this phase. For me, it was about healing and following the instructions from my doctor to the best of my ability.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Surgery Day Flashback
Okay, so I left off at my last weigh-in before surgery.
The day of surgery is pretty much a blur. There's a good 6 to 8 hours of time that I don't remember at all. I remember them taking me to my room and me saying that I hurt and I wanted to walk. Everyone thought I was insane. They gave me more drugs and I slept for another 3 or 4 hours. At that time, the nurse came in and I asked to get up and walk. So, she took out my catheter and I took my first walk.
Ahhh! It felt good to get up. When you have laprascopic surgery, they fill your abdomen up with air. They try to push it all back out, but it doesn't all come out. You end up with the air trapped in some places like up by your shoulders. Walking is the only thing that makes it move and eventually go away. That first night all I could have was a couple of ounces of ice chips every few hours. My mouth was very dry, so that ice felt like heaven every time they brought it in.
My room was right over the helicopter pad and there were 8 life flights that night. Every time one came or left, it woke me up. So, I got up and walked some more. Next morning they told me I'd have to stay in the hospital another night due to an elevated white cell count. I wanted to cry, but it was for the best. My husband hung around with me part of the day, then headed home before traffic got bad.
Day 2 meant I was able to have something other than ice. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all the same. You know those little containers they put salad dressing in at some restaurants? They brought me three of those for each meal. One of chicken broth, one of unsweet tea, and one of sugar free orange jello. I sipped the broth for each meal. I wasn't hungry, but they wanted me to eat to see if I would get nausea. Nope! I was fine.
The most heavenly thing on the tray was a bottle of water! I was very excited to see that after nothing but ice chips. Day 3 rolled around and I was good to go home. Woohoo!!! I asked for a dose of pain medicine before I left because I was concerned about a bumpy car ride home. I probably didn't have to have it, but I figured better safe than sorry.
Really, the physical pain of the surgery and recovery was pretty minimal. I only took pain medicine in the hospital once and then once again for the car ride home. After I got home, I took one dose the first two nights to make sure I could sleep. Then, I was good with liquid Tylenol maybe once or twice per day.
Tomorrow... the clear liquid diet, otherwise known as I will never eat chicken broth again.
The day of surgery is pretty much a blur. There's a good 6 to 8 hours of time that I don't remember at all. I remember them taking me to my room and me saying that I hurt and I wanted to walk. Everyone thought I was insane. They gave me more drugs and I slept for another 3 or 4 hours. At that time, the nurse came in and I asked to get up and walk. So, she took out my catheter and I took my first walk.
Ahhh! It felt good to get up. When you have laprascopic surgery, they fill your abdomen up with air. They try to push it all back out, but it doesn't all come out. You end up with the air trapped in some places like up by your shoulders. Walking is the only thing that makes it move and eventually go away. That first night all I could have was a couple of ounces of ice chips every few hours. My mouth was very dry, so that ice felt like heaven every time they brought it in.
My room was right over the helicopter pad and there were 8 life flights that night. Every time one came or left, it woke me up. So, I got up and walked some more. Next morning they told me I'd have to stay in the hospital another night due to an elevated white cell count. I wanted to cry, but it was for the best. My husband hung around with me part of the day, then headed home before traffic got bad.
Day 2 meant I was able to have something other than ice. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all the same. You know those little containers they put salad dressing in at some restaurants? They brought me three of those for each meal. One of chicken broth, one of unsweet tea, and one of sugar free orange jello. I sipped the broth for each meal. I wasn't hungry, but they wanted me to eat to see if I would get nausea. Nope! I was fine.
The most heavenly thing on the tray was a bottle of water! I was very excited to see that after nothing but ice chips. Day 3 rolled around and I was good to go home. Woohoo!!! I asked for a dose of pain medicine before I left because I was concerned about a bumpy car ride home. I probably didn't have to have it, but I figured better safe than sorry.
Really, the physical pain of the surgery and recovery was pretty minimal. I only took pain medicine in the hospital once and then once again for the car ride home. After I got home, I took one dose the first two nights to make sure I could sleep. Then, I was good with liquid Tylenol maybe once or twice per day.
Tomorrow... the clear liquid diet, otherwise known as I will never eat chicken broth again.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Non-Scale Victories (Otherwise known as NSV's)
Part of this journey has lead me to become a bit obsessed with my weight. By obsessed, I mean weighing myself once a day and letting the results set my mood for the day. Big loss, I'm in a great mood. No loss or a small gain, thunderclouds form over my head and I want to cry. Needless to say, even though I'm going to say it, that's not healthy at all.
If the point of this whole journey is to be healthy, then maybe the scale doesn't matter as much as I think it does. It is simply one way to measure my success. The number on the scale does not change who I am as a person or my self-worth or my contributions to society. The number on the scale is simply a calculation of how much gravity is affecting me. Those are the things I try to tell myself as I psych myself up to step on the scale every day.
I decided to TRY to focus on other things for awhile. Does this mean I'm going to stop weighing myself daily? Let's be honest here, probably not. But I can work to change my mindset and the way I handle the numbers that appear.
This weekend, I got comfortably into a pair of jeans I have never worn that are smaller than I was in high school. That was NSV #1!
NSV #2 - I was able to buy a bra without having to order it. Apparently, when you are as big as I was you are expected to have very large breasts, which I do not. I walked into a department store and tried on a 38B. Lo and behold, it fit! Comfortably!!
NSV #3- I bought size 10 shoes! I was wearing an 11. Now, I can comfortably wear some 10s. That's pretty awesome! Plus, the shoes have a bit of a wedge heel and I'm comfortable in them. I wouldn't have even tried to wear them pre-surgery, as anything not flat hurt my feet very badly. Shoe pics below!
NSV #4- I was able to paint my own toenails without thinking I was going to pass out. I can actually reach my own feet comfortably now! Not that I do anywhere near as good a job as the nail salon, but it was free :)
Sometimes, I think it helps to change my focus a bit. To take a step back and look at how far I've come and all the changes that are positive that aren't just my weight. I have so many NSV's when I think about it that it's amazing. I can walk up a flight of stairs easily now, I can fit in most chairs comfortably now, I no longer wonder if a chair will support my weight. It's really a long list and I am finding joy in those small things as well as in the bigger things.
If the point of this whole journey is to be healthy, then maybe the scale doesn't matter as much as I think it does. It is simply one way to measure my success. The number on the scale does not change who I am as a person or my self-worth or my contributions to society. The number on the scale is simply a calculation of how much gravity is affecting me. Those are the things I try to tell myself as I psych myself up to step on the scale every day.
I decided to TRY to focus on other things for awhile. Does this mean I'm going to stop weighing myself daily? Let's be honest here, probably not. But I can work to change my mindset and the way I handle the numbers that appear.
This weekend, I got comfortably into a pair of jeans I have never worn that are smaller than I was in high school. That was NSV #1!
NSV #2 - I was able to buy a bra without having to order it. Apparently, when you are as big as I was you are expected to have very large breasts, which I do not. I walked into a department store and tried on a 38B. Lo and behold, it fit! Comfortably!!
NSV #3- I bought size 10 shoes! I was wearing an 11. Now, I can comfortably wear some 10s. That's pretty awesome! Plus, the shoes have a bit of a wedge heel and I'm comfortable in them. I wouldn't have even tried to wear them pre-surgery, as anything not flat hurt my feet very badly. Shoe pics below!
NSV #4- I was able to paint my own toenails without thinking I was going to pass out. I can actually reach my own feet comfortably now! Not that I do anywhere near as good a job as the nail salon, but it was free :)
Sometimes, I think it helps to change my focus a bit. To take a step back and look at how far I've come and all the changes that are positive that aren't just my weight. I have so many NSV's when I think about it that it's amazing. I can walk up a flight of stairs easily now, I can fit in most chairs comfortably now, I no longer wonder if a chair will support my weight. It's really a long list and I am finding joy in those small things as well as in the bigger things.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Fears
My worst fear was (and still is) that I'd be a failure. That somehow I will screw this up. That I will lose my focus and determination and not see this through to the end. Because well, let's be honest here... I've never followed through on any plans related to weight loss before. I feel a lot of pressure, mostly from myself, to make this work. To break out of my fat girl shell and leave it behind permanently. But it's hard. It's really, really hard.
We all identify ourselves in some way or the other. The athletic girl, the girly girl, the gymnast, the scholar, the funny one, the fat one, the thin one, the sarcastic one. The list goes on and on and on. It's an identity that we wrap ourselves up in. It becomes part of who we are. We see the world through that and it colors everything. Now, I need to change that lens I'm looking through. And I'm not really sure I know how.
How do you change your whole mindset? How do you stop using food as a crutch to deal with emotions? I've already noticed that if I'm eating in a social setting, I'm not as careful as usual. That I let talking and socializing take over and slip back into old habits. People think having the surgery makes it easy to do this and I will swear to you it doesn't. It still requires A LOT of hard work and determination. It requires finding a way to change your entire relationship with food. Food that has always been a comfort, a pick-me up, a way to celebrate, a way to mourn has to become something different. It's a fuel source, nothing less and nothing more.
I'm still struggling with this daily. When I have a bad day, I still want to eat ice cream or chips or well, anything and lots of it. I crave pizza. I drool over soda. My body does NOT want those things, but my brain does and it wants them badly. I have to really, really think about each bite I put in mouth. Am I really hungry? Or is it "head hunger"?
The truth of things is that right now and I'm depressed and I've never, ever dealt with depression without using food to comfort myself. That's not an option for me now and it's bewildering. Emotions feel stronger now than they did before surgery. I've spent entire days in bed crying because I just can't do anything else. Are the emotions really stronger now? Probably not. I just don't have a way to numb them anymore. I'm trying to break this cycle of addiction. You know the one where you feel bad, so you eat a ton of food to feel better, then you feel worse because you ate a ton of food. Then you spiral out of control for days or weeks before you get it back together. You eat healthy for a few days or weeks, then start the spiral again. I'm tired of that cycle. I'm tired of feeling bad about myself.
So, yeah, it's hard. It's real damn hard. The emotional journey is 100 times harder than I expected. I never realized how much I was using food as a crutch. Now, I'm learning to stand on my own two feet. I can't accurately describe how hard it is or how rewarding it is. It's about so much more than losing weight at this point. It's about changing so much inside me as well. I hope that I become a better person for it. A more stable person, a more caring person, a less self-absorbed person. A happier person who isn't weighed down by the baggage of my past. The past is done and can't be changed. It's time to forgive those who have wronged me and to forgive myself for everything. I would never hold a grudge against someone the way I do against myself. It's time to embrace the future and all that it holds, whatever that may be.
We all identify ourselves in some way or the other. The athletic girl, the girly girl, the gymnast, the scholar, the funny one, the fat one, the thin one, the sarcastic one. The list goes on and on and on. It's an identity that we wrap ourselves up in. It becomes part of who we are. We see the world through that and it colors everything. Now, I need to change that lens I'm looking through. And I'm not really sure I know how.
How do you change your whole mindset? How do you stop using food as a crutch to deal with emotions? I've already noticed that if I'm eating in a social setting, I'm not as careful as usual. That I let talking and socializing take over and slip back into old habits. People think having the surgery makes it easy to do this and I will swear to you it doesn't. It still requires A LOT of hard work and determination. It requires finding a way to change your entire relationship with food. Food that has always been a comfort, a pick-me up, a way to celebrate, a way to mourn has to become something different. It's a fuel source, nothing less and nothing more.
I'm still struggling with this daily. When I have a bad day, I still want to eat ice cream or chips or well, anything and lots of it. I crave pizza. I drool over soda. My body does NOT want those things, but my brain does and it wants them badly. I have to really, really think about each bite I put in mouth. Am I really hungry? Or is it "head hunger"?
The truth of things is that right now and I'm depressed and I've never, ever dealt with depression without using food to comfort myself. That's not an option for me now and it's bewildering. Emotions feel stronger now than they did before surgery. I've spent entire days in bed crying because I just can't do anything else. Are the emotions really stronger now? Probably not. I just don't have a way to numb them anymore. I'm trying to break this cycle of addiction. You know the one where you feel bad, so you eat a ton of food to feel better, then you feel worse because you ate a ton of food. Then you spiral out of control for days or weeks before you get it back together. You eat healthy for a few days or weeks, then start the spiral again. I'm tired of that cycle. I'm tired of feeling bad about myself.
So, yeah, it's hard. It's real damn hard. The emotional journey is 100 times harder than I expected. I never realized how much I was using food as a crutch. Now, I'm learning to stand on my own two feet. I can't accurately describe how hard it is or how rewarding it is. It's about so much more than losing weight at this point. It's about changing so much inside me as well. I hope that I become a better person for it. A more stable person, a more caring person, a less self-absorbed person. A happier person who isn't weighed down by the baggage of my past. The past is done and can't be changed. It's time to forgive those who have wronged me and to forgive myself for everything. I would never hold a grudge against someone the way I do against myself. It's time to embrace the future and all that it holds, whatever that may be.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Background Continued
So, picking up where I left off yesterday. I went to the nutritionist and she told me what I'd be eating like after surgery and told me to cut out all soda. I started on February 3rd. No soda, no bread, no pasta, no chips, no junk, no candy, no potatoes. You might be starting to wonder what I did eat. It sure seems like a very long list of NO's.
What did I eat? Low carb protein shakes for breakfast, which I wasn't to sure about to start with. I tried a few brands and found the Atkins ones to be very tasty. Caramel Cafe is probably my favorite. I love an iced caramel macchiato from Starbucks and it tastes very similar to that. I ate ALOT of salads for lunch. There's one from a restaurant close to my office that has grilled chicken, blue cheese, pecans, and craisins with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing that I loved. Dinner was mainly meat and a veggie or two. I didn't worry about portions or counting calories or counting carbs. I just ate as much as I wanted to of the low carb things and was full. Did I miss chips? Not as much as I thought I would.
In the end, I lost 40 pounds in the 2 months of monitored weight loss. It was completely awesome to lose so much weight so quickly and without really ever being super hungry.
Why did I go so much further with it than the nutritionist said? That's a really good question. Part of me wanted to see what it was like and if I could do it. I understood that she was telling me this was a lifestyle change and that the surgery wouldn't really work for me if I couldn't make these changes. I read a lot of blogs and joined support groups. I noticed that the people who really embraced the lifestyle were more successful. I felt that if I was going to put myself through the stress of surgery and recovery and cost my insurance company a ton of money (more on that later) that I better make sure I could do it. And it turns out I could!
I had a few slip-ups here and there, but overall I did extremely well. That gave me hope that surgery was a good solution for me.
What did I eat? Low carb protein shakes for breakfast, which I wasn't to sure about to start with. I tried a few brands and found the Atkins ones to be very tasty. Caramel Cafe is probably my favorite. I love an iced caramel macchiato from Starbucks and it tastes very similar to that. I ate ALOT of salads for lunch. There's one from a restaurant close to my office that has grilled chicken, blue cheese, pecans, and craisins with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing that I loved. Dinner was mainly meat and a veggie or two. I didn't worry about portions or counting calories or counting carbs. I just ate as much as I wanted to of the low carb things and was full. Did I miss chips? Not as much as I thought I would.
 |
| April 14, 2015 290 pounds |
 |
| January 17,2015... 330ish pounds |
Why did I go so much further with it than the nutritionist said? That's a really good question. Part of me wanted to see what it was like and if I could do it. I understood that she was telling me this was a lifestyle change and that the surgery wouldn't really work for me if I couldn't make these changes. I read a lot of blogs and joined support groups. I noticed that the people who really embraced the lifestyle were more successful. I felt that if I was going to put myself through the stress of surgery and recovery and cost my insurance company a ton of money (more on that later) that I better make sure I could do it. And it turns out I could!
I had a few slip-ups here and there, but overall I did extremely well. That gave me hope that surgery was a good solution for me.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Kicking the idea around and the background
I should have started this blog months ago. I thought about it frequently, but I never was sure if I had that much to say. Turns out, I do have A LOT to say! Not just about the physical part of this journey, but about the emotional side of things too.
Let's start with a few basics. I had gastric bypass on April 20th this year. It was not a decision I came to lightly. It was something I declined to do for years actually. But the sad truth of it was I was getting bigger and bigger, I was out of control. I needed help! I started using my husband's health insurance and it would pay for the surgery. I could say that I agonized over the decision for days or weeks, but that would be a lie. One day, I looked at myself in the mirror and said ENOUGH! I called and made an appointment the very next day.
That was in January. The day after my initial consult, I met with the nutritionist who laid out a plan for me. I needed 2 months of medically monitored weight loss, during which I would need to actually lose some weight. I needed to prove to the doctor and my insurance company that I could follow a diet plan. She gave me one simple task for the 1st month... to cut out all soda. I did that and more. I was so eager to prove myself that I dove into living a low carb lifestyle, which is what my surgeon says I need to follow. I started that new low carb lifestyle after the Super Bowl.
You may notice I keep using the word lifestyle. It's not a diet. It's a major lifestyle change. It's an overhaul. It requires different thinking and a different mentality. It's certainly not easy. I LOVE carbs, more accurately I LOVE chocolate and ice cream and sweets. But somewhere along the way I made the decision that those things were not as important to me as getting healthy. I was tired. Tired of taking blood pressure pills, tired of being tired all the time, tired of being the fat girl, tired of wondering if chairs could hold my weight, and so on. It was exhausting just to get through each day.
This feels like my last chance. If I don't get control of my weight now, it will kill me. At 330 pounds, with high blood pressure and a history of diabetes in my family, the decline was inevitable. I knew what was in my future without a drastic change.
Let's start with a few basics. I had gastric bypass on April 20th this year. It was not a decision I came to lightly. It was something I declined to do for years actually. But the sad truth of it was I was getting bigger and bigger, I was out of control. I needed help! I started using my husband's health insurance and it would pay for the surgery. I could say that I agonized over the decision for days or weeks, but that would be a lie. One day, I looked at myself in the mirror and said ENOUGH! I called and made an appointment the very next day.
That was in January. The day after my initial consult, I met with the nutritionist who laid out a plan for me. I needed 2 months of medically monitored weight loss, during which I would need to actually lose some weight. I needed to prove to the doctor and my insurance company that I could follow a diet plan. She gave me one simple task for the 1st month... to cut out all soda. I did that and more. I was so eager to prove myself that I dove into living a low carb lifestyle, which is what my surgeon says I need to follow. I started that new low carb lifestyle after the Super Bowl.
You may notice I keep using the word lifestyle. It's not a diet. It's a major lifestyle change. It's an overhaul. It requires different thinking and a different mentality. It's certainly not easy. I LOVE carbs, more accurately I LOVE chocolate and ice cream and sweets. But somewhere along the way I made the decision that those things were not as important to me as getting healthy. I was tired. Tired of taking blood pressure pills, tired of being tired all the time, tired of being the fat girl, tired of wondering if chairs could hold my weight, and so on. It was exhausting just to get through each day.
This feels like my last chance. If I don't get control of my weight now, it will kill me. At 330 pounds, with high blood pressure and a history of diabetes in my family, the decline was inevitable. I knew what was in my future without a drastic change.
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