Current weight: 208 lbs.
Total Weight Loss: 152 lbs.
It took some time but I'm able to eat more proteins in my diet, it's just a matter of slowly building up to those foods but I can now eat about a cup of soup at a time without getting sick. According to the nutritionist I can now eat up to 6 oz. of food at a time which is actually around a standard meal, maybe a little on the small side, but the proportion on her little fake food plate looked about average for what most people are supposed to eat. You notice I emphasized the supposed to because while we all know the amount of food that is supposed to satisfy us we never seem to stick to that when loading up our plates.
I'm not pushing myself on the 6 oz. thing though because I still have 60 pounds left to lose to reach my goal so I stick to the smaller 3-4 oz proportions on food. A friend of mine asked me recently when I would be able to go back to eating normally and I told her that I would be able to start eating normally again when I had lost the last 60 lbs. and I don't mean that in the sense that I can return to eating tons of unhealthy food all the time but in the sense that I can eat my 6 oz. of food but the 30-60-60 restriction will become a little more flexible. For instance I think that in celebration of reaching my 150 lb. goal I will treat myself to six ounces of Chinese food! Yep, that's right I will FINALLY be able to have Chinese and Japanese again. I can have a little sushi right now but I really really miss Hibachi and Mixed Vegetables with Rice..Oh, and Chicken Fried Rice, now my mouth is salivating. But as I told my friend, this is a one time surgery for me, I've heard of other people regaining the weight later on and having it again and that is not an option for me. One surgery, that's it, so no matter what from here on out I have to make absolutely certain that I NEVER go back to the way I was with food. I'll have to continue tracking my calories at least twice a week for the foreseeable future (as in years) and working out five days a week FOREVER which I will have to stay particularly vigilant about because over the years I have come to the conclusion that I am NEVER going to be one of those people that misses the gym. I hate working out, always have, always will, but I do it because it's necessary...I was tempted to call it a necessary evil but felt that was exaggerating just a little.
On another note, I'm ashamed to admit that the first thing I ate after my six month marker was mashed potatoes...for two weeks. In my defense I believe I was very honest about my love of the potato early on, =D as I told anyone within hearing on those tough days when I was grumbling about no carbs and no starchy vegetables, "If they would just let me eat mashed potatoes I could live on those alone!" So I went a little overboard when I could finally have them but no worries, I'm ok now, I've restricted my potato consumption to once or twice a week and am trying to concentrate on proteins and non-starchy vegetables once again.
As for exercise, for the last couple of days instead of going to the gym I was babysitting my niece so I put in my Self exercise video, which I haven't done in a couple of months because I've been going to the gym, and am proud to say that I was able to complete the entire 40 minutes doing the high level moves! You know, all those jumping things: jumping jacks, jumping squats, jump rope, bunny hops, (which is exactly like what it sounds like) etc. and I feel fantastic! I am so proud of myself for finally being in good enough shape to complete all those high energy moves! I'm going to continue going to the gym to run because I really want to build up to running a 5k but I still don't think that any of the machines there can give you as good a workout as aerobics does so I'm going to start doing my aerobics videos again 3 or 4 times a week too.
I've only got 2 weeks left until the police exam and I'm hopeful, but while I've come a long way I don't know if I'm in the physical condition I need to be in to rock the obstacle course portion of the test but I am going to give it my all! It's a timed event so even if I don't have the best time out of everyone who is trying out this time I will definitely try again next time. I know I just need 2 or 3 more months to reach my goal and I'll be stronger than ever when I get there!
LOL, you know there's something else that's been on my mind a lot lately, something that I told myself I would do if I ever got the weight off to celebrate the dedication it took to get there. Getting a tattoo covering my back, I have a little tiger cub on my left shoulder and it's almost time to give her a friend! But what kind of design? I know it will be of a tiger but a lot of thought has to go into the kind of design because when you're going to have something on your body for the rest of your life then it better be something you love!
Anyways, that's enough for now. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
12/4/12- 8 Month Anniversary since the Surgery!
I am so happy today! Today is the 8 month anniversary since I had Gastric Bypass and I am ecstatic to say that I have a total weight loss to date of 150 pounds! How amazing is that!
I have been released to resume all exercise activities since the gallbladder surgery and cannot wait to go to the gym tomorrow and really hit it hard because now I only have 60 pounds left to lose to reach my goal weight!
In these past few weeks since the gallbladder surgery I have strangely been suffering with an even harder time keeping my food to stay down than I was before and I'm not sure if that's because I was eating mainly soft foods before the surgery but changed my diet to include mostly soups once I realized that I had passed the 6 month marker and could begin including starchy vegetables and carbs as long as I stayed within the 30-60-60 guidelines. That is 30 grams of fat or less a day, 60 grams of carbs or less and day and 60-75 grams of protein a day.
I am active and so so happy!
I have been released to resume all exercise activities since the gallbladder surgery and cannot wait to go to the gym tomorrow and really hit it hard because now I only have 60 pounds left to lose to reach my goal weight!
In these past few weeks since the gallbladder surgery I have strangely been suffering with an even harder time keeping my food to stay down than I was before and I'm not sure if that's because I was eating mainly soft foods before the surgery but changed my diet to include mostly soups once I realized that I had passed the 6 month marker and could begin including starchy vegetables and carbs as long as I stayed within the 30-60-60 guidelines. That is 30 grams of fat or less a day, 60 grams of carbs or less and day and 60-75 grams of protein a day.
I am active and so so happy!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
10-28-12
A couple of months before Gastric Bypass Weight: 360 lbs.
Pre-Gastric Bypass Weight: 345 lbs. (April 4th, 2012)
Current Weight: 223 lbs. (October 28, 2012)
Total Weight Loss: 137 lbs
Goal Weight: 150 lbs.
Remaining weight to lose: 73 lbs!
How wonderful is that! 8 months ago I had 210 lbs. to lose to reach my goal weight but now I only have 73 lbs. left to lose! Yay!
It's been 3 days since the gallbladder removal and I feel okay. I've been sleeping a lot and eating a lot of Jell-O when not sleeping! =)Thankfully this one hasn't been nearly as painful as the Gastric Bypass, I needed the pain meds the first couple of days but haven't needed them today. Unfortunately, I can't do any strenuous exercise for 2-3 weeks according to my doctor and am restricted to just walking every day so I'm not happy about that but it's understandable. I haven't posted an updated picture in a while so I'm going to do that today. I can eat more carbs since I passed the 6 month marker but I try not to because the more you let yourself eat the slower the weight loss becomes and I don't know it it's possible to reach my goal weight by the end of the year but I'm going to give it my best try! =) So wish me luck!
...and I know I'm not smiling in the picture =P LOL, I always feel like I have a bad smile so I'm not smiling in it. Plus, I'm sure that when I've met my goal weight I'll love to have my picture taken but right now I absolutely do not like having my picture taken at all! So no smiles today...don't worry, I'm super happy and smiling on the inside!
Pre-Gastric Bypass Weight: 345 lbs. (April 4th, 2012)
Current Weight: 223 lbs. (October 28, 2012)
Total Weight Loss: 137 lbs
Goal Weight: 150 lbs.
Remaining weight to lose: 73 lbs!
How wonderful is that! 8 months ago I had 210 lbs. to lose to reach my goal weight but now I only have 73 lbs. left to lose! Yay!
It's been 3 days since the gallbladder removal and I feel okay. I've been sleeping a lot and eating a lot of Jell-O when not sleeping! =)Thankfully this one hasn't been nearly as painful as the Gastric Bypass, I needed the pain meds the first couple of days but haven't needed them today. Unfortunately, I can't do any strenuous exercise for 2-3 weeks according to my doctor and am restricted to just walking every day so I'm not happy about that but it's understandable. I haven't posted an updated picture in a while so I'm going to do that today. I can eat more carbs since I passed the 6 month marker but I try not to because the more you let yourself eat the slower the weight loss becomes and I don't know it it's possible to reach my goal weight by the end of the year but I'm going to give it my best try! =) So wish me luck!
...and I know I'm not smiling in the picture =P LOL, I always feel like I have a bad smile so I'm not smiling in it. Plus, I'm sure that when I've met my goal weight I'll love to have my picture taken but right now I absolutely do not like having my picture taken at all! So no smiles today...don't worry, I'm super happy and smiling on the inside!
Monday, October 15, 2012
10/15/12 Bucket Lists
I wonder how many people have bucket lists these day. Goals that they want to achieve or places that they want to visit. Something tangible that you can look at when you're having a bad day and the extra energy you need to 'be good' on your diet or get that 30 minutes of aerobics in is just not there. But a list is a tangible object that you can look at and say "This is why I'm doing this! These are the things I want in life and what I'm doing now is how I'm going to achieve them." It doesn't have to be a list made out of extraordinary deeds and in fact it shouldn't but instead a list of goals that you want to achieve. Here's one I've started:
Sonya's Bucket List:
Finishing a 5k is another challenging sport that requires endurance and dedication to accomplish. All of these items involve sticking to my weight loss plan and persistently working out 5 to 6 days a week. And once I've succeeded I get my reward! Since the reward involves finances I've already started saving for it but if I don't meet my goal then no trip! This looks like a pretty good start to a bucket list to me. :)
Sonya's Bucket List:
- Learn to snowboard!
- Finish a 5k!
- Wear a pair of size 10 pants!
- Wear a medium shirt!
- Start dating again!
- Treat yourself to a trip to Europe!
Finishing a 5k is another challenging sport that requires endurance and dedication to accomplish. All of these items involve sticking to my weight loss plan and persistently working out 5 to 6 days a week. And once I've succeeded I get my reward! Since the reward involves finances I've already started saving for it but if I don't meet my goal then no trip! This looks like a pretty good start to a bucket list to me. :)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
9/30/12 Sunday
I love that I've reached the point where instead of focusing on how much weight I've lost I now focus on how much I have left to lose to meet my goal!
When I started this whole process I needed to lose 210 lbs. to meet my goal weight of 150 lbs. but now I only need to lose 84 lbs to reach my goal! How amazing is that!
And in 4 more days I can slowly start assimilating starchy vegetables and carbs back into my diet! I have missed pasta and rice so much, it's ridiculous how much I used to eat those foods over everything else. I know I'll have to be careful of how much of them I can eat but it'll still be a nice change. As much as I used to drink sodas, and we're talking 4 to 5 cans of soda A DAY being consumed, I still have had an easier time staying away from the sodas over the past 6 months than I have the carbs. While my diet plan says that I can also start drinking caffeine and carbonated beverages again after 6 months I think I'll reserve soda for special occasions for the next couple of years at least...no promises on the coffee though!
When I started this whole process I needed to lose 210 lbs. to meet my goal weight of 150 lbs. but now I only need to lose 84 lbs to reach my goal! How amazing is that!
And in 4 more days I can slowly start assimilating starchy vegetables and carbs back into my diet! I have missed pasta and rice so much, it's ridiculous how much I used to eat those foods over everything else. I know I'll have to be careful of how much of them I can eat but it'll still be a nice change. As much as I used to drink sodas, and we're talking 4 to 5 cans of soda A DAY being consumed, I still have had an easier time staying away from the sodas over the past 6 months than I have the carbs. While my diet plan says that I can also start drinking caffeine and carbonated beverages again after 6 months I think I'll reserve soda for special occasions for the next couple of years at least...no promises on the coffee though!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Monday, 9/24/12
Total weight loss: 123lbs.
That's a whole other person! According to the the height chart/ weight reference I looked up on the web the weight of someone who's 5'7 should fall between the 133lb-163lb weight range so I'm shooting for 150lbs. Which means as of today I have 87 lbs. left to lose! How fantastic is that!
Today I finished week 5 of the couch to 10k program and it was such a great feeling! Knowing that I ran for 20 minutes, which is something I could never do a year ago! I'll admit that I had to walk a couple of times in the middle but I MADE IT TO THE END! And that's what matters!
They've scheduled the surgery for October 25th to remove my gallbladder so I'll miss the 5K Runs that I had planned to participate in in October but the donations still went to a good cause and they have running events all year long in Knoxville so I'm sure I'll be able to find another one after I recover from the surgery! =)
Wish me luck!
That's a whole other person! According to the the height chart/ weight reference I looked up on the web the weight of someone who's 5'7 should fall between the 133lb-163lb weight range so I'm shooting for 150lbs. Which means as of today I have 87 lbs. left to lose! How fantastic is that!
Today I finished week 5 of the couch to 10k program and it was such a great feeling! Knowing that I ran for 20 minutes, which is something I could never do a year ago! I'll admit that I had to walk a couple of times in the middle but I MADE IT TO THE END! And that's what matters!
They've scheduled the surgery for October 25th to remove my gallbladder so I'll miss the 5K Runs that I had planned to participate in in October but the donations still went to a good cause and they have running events all year long in Knoxville so I'm sure I'll be able to find another one after I recover from the surgery! =)
Wish me luck!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sunday 9/23/12 Update
Total Weight Loss: 120 lbs.
How fantastic is that!
Oh boy, so much going on lately makes me wonder where the time goes! I decided to go back to school so not only am I working a full time job but now every minute spent outside of work has to be focused on studying. Geeze, what made me decide to go back to school at 30?! Oh, right, because all the technical jobs in television are being replaced by computers! Besides the school/work time issue I've also signed up for 2x5k Runs in October. The Rad Run on October 6 and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on October 27th. So when I haven't been at work or studying I've been at the gym. :)
To get ready for the 5k's I've been doing the Couch to 10K workout, it's a neat little app that you download to your phone and it has you doing interval training to eventually get up to running a 10k (or for 60 minutes anyways). I was so proud of myself on Friday, I had just finished doing 2 intervals of an 8 minute run with a walking segment in the middle and I was feeling great because I was almost done with the week 5 running routine and I had done it! When I glanced at Sundays workout...oh boy, 20 minute jog today without stopping! I've got to be careful not to psych myself out and just keep telling myself that I can do it!
So that's the good news. Life has been busy but good. I've been active, I'm working towards my future, I'm losing weight. It's been a good month overall.
Now for the bad news, it's not tragic news, just a little bump in the road. It seems that I'll have to have another surgery in the next couple of months. Apparently, when you have rapid weight loss you can develop gallstones and then they want to take your gallbladder out. Gallstones are painful, luckily I'm still in the beginning stages of it so the pain still just comes and goes instead of being 24/7 and it's still more of an irritation (for the most part, some days are worse than others) than debilitating. But my Doctor said if I decide to wait, due to school, work, etc. then to not wait past December because he doesn't want to see me in the Emergency Room. All about the tough love my Doc! =P But he's right, I need to get it done, so I'm going to call on Monday and see if we can work out a good time to do it. On the plus side it's easier than the Gastric Bypass, I was in the hospital for 3 days that time and in pain 5 weeks afterwards but this one is just supposed to be a 1 days stay at the hospital and 1 week off from work.
I hope I don't miss out on the 5k Runs since I've been working so hard to get there but running when you're in pain isn't the smartest thing to do anyways. Besides the Knoxville Track Club has races all year long so there will be others. =)
How fantastic is that!
Oh boy, so much going on lately makes me wonder where the time goes! I decided to go back to school so not only am I working a full time job but now every minute spent outside of work has to be focused on studying. Geeze, what made me decide to go back to school at 30?! Oh, right, because all the technical jobs in television are being replaced by computers! Besides the school/work time issue I've also signed up for 2x5k Runs in October. The Rad Run on October 6 and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on October 27th. So when I haven't been at work or studying I've been at the gym. :)
To get ready for the 5k's I've been doing the Couch to 10K workout, it's a neat little app that you download to your phone and it has you doing interval training to eventually get up to running a 10k (or for 60 minutes anyways). I was so proud of myself on Friday, I had just finished doing 2 intervals of an 8 minute run with a walking segment in the middle and I was feeling great because I was almost done with the week 5 running routine and I had done it! When I glanced at Sundays workout...oh boy, 20 minute jog today without stopping! I've got to be careful not to psych myself out and just keep telling myself that I can do it!
So that's the good news. Life has been busy but good. I've been active, I'm working towards my future, I'm losing weight. It's been a good month overall.
Now for the bad news, it's not tragic news, just a little bump in the road. It seems that I'll have to have another surgery in the next couple of months. Apparently, when you have rapid weight loss you can develop gallstones and then they want to take your gallbladder out. Gallstones are painful, luckily I'm still in the beginning stages of it so the pain still just comes and goes instead of being 24/7 and it's still more of an irritation (for the most part, some days are worse than others) than debilitating. But my Doctor said if I decide to wait, due to school, work, etc. then to not wait past December because he doesn't want to see me in the Emergency Room. All about the tough love my Doc! =P But he's right, I need to get it done, so I'm going to call on Monday and see if we can work out a good time to do it. On the plus side it's easier than the Gastric Bypass, I was in the hospital for 3 days that time and in pain 5 weeks afterwards but this one is just supposed to be a 1 days stay at the hospital and 1 week off from work.
I hope I don't miss out on the 5k Runs since I've been working so hard to get there but running when you're in pain isn't the smartest thing to do anyways. Besides the Knoxville Track Club has races all year long so there will be others. =)
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday, 8/20/12 On My Way
I finished week 1 of the Couch to 10K plan and feel great! Today I'll be doing Day 1 of Week 2 of the plan which includes a 3 minute jog (twice) so wish me luck! I went ahead and signed up for the 5K so I'm committed now and can't flake out. I've found that it's good to do things that really make you accountable for your actions so that you have to stick to the plan. I also finally broke down and bought some new clothes, not much, just a couple of pairs of pants and shirts...and a much needed belt! As you can see I'm seriously trying not to spend money on clothes when I'm just going to lose more weight but you just can't go from a size 28 to a 20 without everything being really big on you and can you imagine tryine to wear size 28 pants when I'm a size 16? At least I can wear a belt to hold the pants up but I suppose I'll have to buy a few pairs of pants when I get down to a size 16 but at least I'll be able to do something good with all of my too big clothes when this is over such as donating them to Goodwill. Oh boy, 90 pounds down now and just 10 more to go before my first 100 lbs. lost! That'll make me less than 100 lbs. away from my goal weight of 150 lbs!
Pre-Weight Watchers Weight: 360 lbs.
Pre-Surgery Weight: 344 lbs.
Current Weight: 254 lbs.
Goal Weight: 150 lbs.
Remaining Weight to Lose: 104 lbs.
How could you not be happy with that! I was just talking to a friend of mine who said that just losing 10 lbs. makes them happy but 90 is unreal! ...which is why I'm always in such a good mood these days. =P
Pre-Weight Watchers Weight: 360 lbs.
Pre-Surgery Weight: 344 lbs.
Current Weight: 254 lbs.
Goal Weight: 150 lbs.
Remaining Weight to Lose: 104 lbs.
How could you not be happy with that! I was just talking to a friend of mine who said that just losing 10 lbs. makes them happy but 90 is unreal! ...which is why I'm always in such a good mood these days. =P
Friday, August 17, 2012
Friday, 8/17/12 4 1/2 months after Gastric Bypass
This has been such a great week! I've had my ups and downs over the past few months but overall I'm thrilled with the progress I've made after The Surgery. It wasn't an easy decision to hire a personal trainer since I have very little extra cash at the end of the month but I'm happy with the decision. I'm the kind of person that thrives on positive reinforcement but needs the Drill Sargent attitude when working out and am very glad that I found a trainer, within my price range, who channels Jillian Michaels while also being very supportive.
We went outside on Wednesday and alternated walking and jogging and strength activites using the city park benches for 30 minutes and she told me about a 5k coming up in October called the Color Me Rad Run, the proceeds of this 5k benefit the East Tennessee Children's Hospital, and the website describes the 5k by saying "The color starts flying at 9 am with waves of runners getting plastered with paint every 5 minutes after. You'll end up looking like a kindergarten art class gone wrong... but the Art of Running will make you feel oh so right." and also "You’ll start off with a shirt as pure and white as your grandpa's dentures and you'll soak up enough color while running to change your skin tone forever. You'll wind up looking like a pack of skittles – just make sure not to “taste the rainbow.”" Check to see if the Color Me Rad Run is coming to a city near you by visiting their website: http://www.colormerad.com/
Personally, I think it sounds like a blast and have requested the day off from work so that I can do it. Oh boy, can you believe that someone weighing 256 lbs is considering signing up for a 5k? After I got home on Wednesday I downloaded the 14 week Couch to 10k App on my Android and completed Day 1 of Week 1 yesterday! It consisted of a 5 minute Brisk Walk Warmup, followed by alternating a 60 sec. Jog/90 sec Brisk Walk for 20 minutes followed by a 5 minute cooldown and I finished it! My legs were so sore last night after 2 days of Run/Walking I even had trouble sleeping. But isn't that a good thing? When you've pushed yourself and managed to accomplish something that you never thought you would be able too! Even the pain is a good pain then. I just hope it doesn't keep me from working out after work today...although after working an 11 hour shift today it will be a accomplishment if I can force myself to workout at all, sore legs or no.
The Couch to 10k App has you ready to complete a 5k at 8 weeks which works out perfectly with the race date, October 6 and it isn't as daunting a task to complete the runs as you would imagine. The plan calls for you to workout 3 days a week where you just alternate Jogging and Walking according to the little stop watch that shows up on your screen and personally I found it easier to use the app than doing it on my own because each time I got to the point where I was gasping for breath and thinking to myself, "I can't do this," I would look down and out of the 60 seconds I had started with I would be down to just 20 seconds or 10 seconds more before switching to the 90 second walk and the thought then became, "What's 20 seconds? That's nothing! You can do this." and then it was over.
I've always wanted to be able to run like the people you see in the park or along the road while driving home and I can finally say that I'm on my way!
Hopefully, taking up running will also help my body shed a few more pounds this week too since my body is hanging onto the 12 pounds I have left before reaching my 100 lb. goal like you wouldn't believe!
We went outside on Wednesday and alternated walking and jogging and strength activites using the city park benches for 30 minutes and she told me about a 5k coming up in October called the Color Me Rad Run, the proceeds of this 5k benefit the East Tennessee Children's Hospital, and the website describes the 5k by saying "The color starts flying at 9 am with waves of runners getting plastered with paint every 5 minutes after. You'll end up looking like a kindergarten art class gone wrong... but the Art of Running will make you feel oh so right." and also "You’ll start off with a shirt as pure and white as your grandpa's dentures and you'll soak up enough color while running to change your skin tone forever. You'll wind up looking like a pack of skittles – just make sure not to “taste the rainbow.”" Check to see if the Color Me Rad Run is coming to a city near you by visiting their website: http://www.colormerad.com/
Personally, I think it sounds like a blast and have requested the day off from work so that I can do it. Oh boy, can you believe that someone weighing 256 lbs is considering signing up for a 5k? After I got home on Wednesday I downloaded the 14 week Couch to 10k App on my Android and completed Day 1 of Week 1 yesterday! It consisted of a 5 minute Brisk Walk Warmup, followed by alternating a 60 sec. Jog/90 sec Brisk Walk for 20 minutes followed by a 5 minute cooldown and I finished it! My legs were so sore last night after 2 days of Run/Walking I even had trouble sleeping. But isn't that a good thing? When you've pushed yourself and managed to accomplish something that you never thought you would be able too! Even the pain is a good pain then. I just hope it doesn't keep me from working out after work today...although after working an 11 hour shift today it will be a accomplishment if I can force myself to workout at all, sore legs or no.
The Couch to 10k App has you ready to complete a 5k at 8 weeks which works out perfectly with the race date, October 6 and it isn't as daunting a task to complete the runs as you would imagine. The plan calls for you to workout 3 days a week where you just alternate Jogging and Walking according to the little stop watch that shows up on your screen and personally I found it easier to use the app than doing it on my own because each time I got to the point where I was gasping for breath and thinking to myself, "I can't do this," I would look down and out of the 60 seconds I had started with I would be down to just 20 seconds or 10 seconds more before switching to the 90 second walk and the thought then became, "What's 20 seconds? That's nothing! You can do this." and then it was over.
I've always wanted to be able to run like the people you see in the park or along the road while driving home and I can finally say that I'm on my way!
Hopefully, taking up running will also help my body shed a few more pounds this week too since my body is hanging onto the 12 pounds I have left before reaching my 100 lb. goal like you wouldn't believe!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Updated Pictures
The top picture was taken today and the bottom picture was taken Pre-Gastric Bypass. Personally I think I look a whole lot better even with a 100 pounds left to lose!
I'm really looking forward to my personal training appointment tomorrow! Just looking at the two pictures above is so inspiring, funnily enough, it makes me want to jump up and do some aerobics right now! Really puts it all in perspective!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Sunday, 8/12/12 88 lbs. Down
Oh Boy, my thighs are on fire today! I just completed Amy Dixons 56 minute Breathless Body workout and I have a new favorite! I told myself when I started that I would feel as if I had accomplished a lot if I could only finish 20 minutes of it and that 20 minutes was hard! But then when I was 20 minutes in I asked myself; wouldn't 10 more minutes make you feel so much better? And so on and so on until I made it the entire 56 minutes! I'm very proud of myself right now and can't wait to weigh myself in the morning. The workout consists of 8 drills plus a warm up and cool down. Each drill lasts for 20 seconds with a rest in between and is repeated 8 times. So during that 20 seconds you go all out with whatever the drill is, be it jumping jacks, skaters, punches w/ squats, etc. and then repeat that 20 second drill 8 times before moving on to the next drill. Plus there are 3 different levels to choose from, which I like because if you're like me and starting on the beginner level then you still have a ways to go before getting to level 3 as you get in better shape.
Can you believe that I only have 12 lbs. left before I'm at my first 100 lbs. lost by my Pre-Surgery Weight? Here are my stats again:
Beginning Weight: 360 lbs. (this is the weight I was before my 6 month weightloss plan)
Pre-Surgery Weight: 344 lbs.
Current Weight: 256 lbs.
Goal Weight: 150 lbs.
Days Since Surgery: 130
I've lost 88 pounds in a little over 4 months. Sometimes I wonder if I'm where I'm supposed to be with the weight loss because you always hear those stories about people who lose 100 pounds in the first month! But I'm sure they'll tell me at the end of the month when I go back to see the doctor if I'm not. I think I am so I don't worry about it too much and try to keep things in perspective. I'm just 12 lbs. away from 100. (Pre-Surgery weight is the one that I normally count when blogging) That's amazing! After I get down to 244 lbs. I'll only have 94 lbs. to lose to reach my goal weight of 150 lbs. I honestly can't wrap my head around what I'll look like when I meet my goal, it seems so unreal to me. The last time I weighed 150 lbs. I was in middle school. That's right, I admit it, by the time I was in 8th grade I weighed 180 lbs. That year I spent a month just trying to find a dress big enough to fit someone my age for my eighth grade end of the year dance. I remember wanting to cry so badly as the ladies at the dress boutiques brought out dress after dress that wouldn't fit until we finally found a green empire waist dress that was really snug but at least the zipper would go up and the high waist kept it from looking too small.
So the thought of seeing what I 'really' look like without all of the fat as an adult is something that I am so looking forward too. And clothes! I can't wait to go shopping when I get to goal! I love fall and winter clothes so I'm hoping that I'll be able to do some shopping by the end of the year.
I try to just work on 10 pounds at a time as I go but still keep my eye on the ultimate prize, especially when I'm feeling down, to stay motivated. Ahh well, that's all for now.
Can you believe that I only have 12 lbs. left before I'm at my first 100 lbs. lost by my Pre-Surgery Weight? Here are my stats again:
Beginning Weight: 360 lbs. (this is the weight I was before my 6 month weightloss plan)
Pre-Surgery Weight: 344 lbs.
Current Weight: 256 lbs.
Goal Weight: 150 lbs.
Days Since Surgery: 130
I've lost 88 pounds in a little over 4 months. Sometimes I wonder if I'm where I'm supposed to be with the weight loss because you always hear those stories about people who lose 100 pounds in the first month! But I'm sure they'll tell me at the end of the month when I go back to see the doctor if I'm not. I think I am so I don't worry about it too much and try to keep things in perspective. I'm just 12 lbs. away from 100. (Pre-Surgery weight is the one that I normally count when blogging) That's amazing! After I get down to 244 lbs. I'll only have 94 lbs. to lose to reach my goal weight of 150 lbs. I honestly can't wrap my head around what I'll look like when I meet my goal, it seems so unreal to me. The last time I weighed 150 lbs. I was in middle school. That's right, I admit it, by the time I was in 8th grade I weighed 180 lbs. That year I spent a month just trying to find a dress big enough to fit someone my age for my eighth grade end of the year dance. I remember wanting to cry so badly as the ladies at the dress boutiques brought out dress after dress that wouldn't fit until we finally found a green empire waist dress that was really snug but at least the zipper would go up and the high waist kept it from looking too small.
So the thought of seeing what I 'really' look like without all of the fat as an adult is something that I am so looking forward too. And clothes! I can't wait to go shopping when I get to goal! I love fall and winter clothes so I'm hoping that I'll be able to do some shopping by the end of the year.
I try to just work on 10 pounds at a time as I go but still keep my eye on the ultimate prize, especially when I'm feeling down, to stay motivated. Ahh well, that's all for now.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
August 4, 2012
Ok, I admit it, I've been lazy for the past 2 weeks since I've been back from vacation. I was staring at the scale this morning and thinking, the gastric bypass has brought me this far. Down to 261 pounds! 261 pounds! I can't express how wonderful that feels! I was 300+ pounds for so many years that looking at those three numbers 2-6-1 is absolutely amazing to me. But the surgery isn't a magical cure all for everything, I still have to do some work myself. Which includes following the diet plan to the letter and E-X-E-R-C-I-S-E. Not that I've been blowing exercising off completely but instead of the five days a week that I was doing I've only been working out at most twice a week so I am determined to step it up this week. The most that I was working out was 30 minutes those five days a week and I really need to start working out 60 minutes a day for 6 days a week. Yes, aerobics is hard but, in my opinion, is the best cardio activity that you can do next to running. I have a kickboxing video ready and waiting to go as soon as I get off of work today and I will complete it! (Gurh) I am woman, here me roar! =P
Thursday, August 2, 2012
August 2, 2012
Sheesh, I can't update my weight because my scale broke about a week ago. It was old and for some reason my niece was jumping up and down on it when it happened so I can be relieved that it wasn't because of my weight that it broke! =P
I'm going to stop and pick up a new one in the next couple of days so hopefully I'll have good news to report then! =)
I'm going to stop and pick up a new one in the next couple of days so hopefully I'll have good news to report then! =)
Monday, July 23, 2012
Gastric Bypass- Day 110 After Surgery!
Can you believe it hasn't even been 4 months now and I've already lost 80 pounds! I pulled on a pair of size 20 pants today for the first time in years! I can't tell you how happy just the sound of the zipper easily sliding up made me this morning. Or the fact that my shirts are so big that I have to constantly pull the shoulders up in order to keep people from getting to see my bra strap all day.
I KNOW that I need to buy new clothes but I keep holding back because clothes are expensive and I still have 100 pounds to lose and I'm losing it so fast that who knows how long it'll be before I would need to go shopping again. At least it's cold enough in the building that I work in to make wearing a jacket necessary pretty much all the time which makes it easier to hide the fact that my clothes are falling off of me! :-P
The only downside to life right now is the continued struggle with eating food. Remember the rule, no carbs and no starchy vegetables...you know, the good foods. And while they've said that we can have the 97% lean ground beef (no other kind of red meats please) I've tried to stay away from it because of how ridiculously often that I used to eat cheeseburgers, hamburgers, meat and potatoes, meatloaf, etc.
I've been wondering recently if the rule includes pork too. I'm going to have to pull out my After Gastric Bypass Manual to check because I honestly can't remember if that's off limits too or not...I think I've been assuming that it is but it never hurts to double check.
The pork question came up over the weekend because I was finally so fed up with being fed up with the foods that I can eat that I decided to buy two Chinese Cookbooks. Why Chinese Cookbooks? Because that's one of my most favorite kinds of food and one that I've been sorely missing since the surgery! I know I can't eat rice right now :'( but there are still so many recipes in the books that I CAN eat even if you just focus on the poultry, fish, and vegetarian recipes...that is, as long as I'm not afraid to brave the wilds of our local Asian food store.
I decided when I sat down and thought about it, before buying the books, that my problem was that the recipes I had been making were just too boring. I needed SAUCES! Sauces to make my chicken more appetising! And since I used to be able to eat Chinese food 2 or 3 or 4 times a week that seemed like the best idea for me!
I never understood why people would think it odd to eat a certain type of food so consistently. All I can say is that usually when people get tired of something it's because they choose the same meal off the menu every time they eat it. I, on the other hand, want to taste EVERYTHING on the menu! One day I would order Shrimp Fried Rice, the next day I would order Lo Mien, the next day I might order Chicken and Mixed Vegetables or any number of other meals available. When I was looking at cookbooks though I resolved to find ones with more authentic Asian cuisine than the Americanised meals found in most Chinese Restaurants. This wasn't as easy as you might think, although I did find a couple that I definitely liked, but if anyone out there sees this and can suggest some great Chinese Cookbooks or just cooking tips then please leave me a comment. :-)
On a completely different note I walked out to the trash cans and found 2 baby raccoons sitting in the trash just staring up at me. Really wish I'd gotten a picture of that! I thought they might be stuck since they were so young so I tipped the trash can over on it's side, expecting them to scamper out and run off but nope they just stayed in the trash can. After work I'll have to check again tonight to see if they ever got out.
I KNOW that I need to buy new clothes but I keep holding back because clothes are expensive and I still have 100 pounds to lose and I'm losing it so fast that who knows how long it'll be before I would need to go shopping again. At least it's cold enough in the building that I work in to make wearing a jacket necessary pretty much all the time which makes it easier to hide the fact that my clothes are falling off of me! :-P
The only downside to life right now is the continued struggle with eating food. Remember the rule, no carbs and no starchy vegetables...you know, the good foods. And while they've said that we can have the 97% lean ground beef (no other kind of red meats please) I've tried to stay away from it because of how ridiculously often that I used to eat cheeseburgers, hamburgers, meat and potatoes, meatloaf, etc.
I've been wondering recently if the rule includes pork too. I'm going to have to pull out my After Gastric Bypass Manual to check because I honestly can't remember if that's off limits too or not...I think I've been assuming that it is but it never hurts to double check.
The pork question came up over the weekend because I was finally so fed up with being fed up with the foods that I can eat that I decided to buy two Chinese Cookbooks. Why Chinese Cookbooks? Because that's one of my most favorite kinds of food and one that I've been sorely missing since the surgery! I know I can't eat rice right now :'( but there are still so many recipes in the books that I CAN eat even if you just focus on the poultry, fish, and vegetarian recipes...that is, as long as I'm not afraid to brave the wilds of our local Asian food store.
I decided when I sat down and thought about it, before buying the books, that my problem was that the recipes I had been making were just too boring. I needed SAUCES! Sauces to make my chicken more appetising! And since I used to be able to eat Chinese food 2 or 3 or 4 times a week that seemed like the best idea for me!
I never understood why people would think it odd to eat a certain type of food so consistently. All I can say is that usually when people get tired of something it's because they choose the same meal off the menu every time they eat it. I, on the other hand, want to taste EVERYTHING on the menu! One day I would order Shrimp Fried Rice, the next day I would order Lo Mien, the next day I might order Chicken and Mixed Vegetables or any number of other meals available. When I was looking at cookbooks though I resolved to find ones with more authentic Asian cuisine than the Americanised meals found in most Chinese Restaurants. This wasn't as easy as you might think, although I did find a couple that I definitely liked, but if anyone out there sees this and can suggest some great Chinese Cookbooks or just cooking tips then please leave me a comment. :-)
On a completely different note I walked out to the trash cans and found 2 baby raccoons sitting in the trash just staring up at me. Really wish I'd gotten a picture of that! I thought they might be stuck since they were so young so I tipped the trash can over on it's side, expecting them to scamper out and run off but nope they just stayed in the trash can. After work I'll have to check again tonight to see if they ever got out.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Back from vacation!
Oh boy, now I want to move to the beach! I'm telling you, 4 days was just not enough time! That was the most fun I've had on a vacation in years! ....and...I kept up with everyone!!!! I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to not be the one who stayed at the hotel 75% of the trip because all that walking was just too much! And happily I can share that the weight loss is at 80 pounds now! Just 20 more and I'll have lost 100 pounds! Right now I still have a 114 pounds to lose to get down to my goal weight of 150 but in a short time I'll be able to think, 'well, I have less than a hundred pounds to lose now!'
My face is thinner! How funny is that and completely wonderful! I have a neck now instead of rows of chins. I still have a ways to go but I'm feeling so great about everything right now! For the first time in years I didn't hide or grin and bear it but I smiled and enjoyed myself, camera or no camera!
My face is thinner! How funny is that and completely wonderful! I have a neck now instead of rows of chins. I still have a ways to go but I'm feeling so great about everything right now! For the first time in years I didn't hide or grin and bear it but I smiled and enjoyed myself, camera or no camera!
Monday, July 2, 2012
July 2nd, 2012- 69 Pounds down and still going strong!
Pre-Weight Watchers Weight(6 months before Surgery): 360 lbs
Beginning Weight:(Day of Gastric Bypass): 344 lbs.
Current Weight: 275 lbs.
Weight Loss(after Surgery): 69 lbs.
Total Weight Loss: 85 lbs.
***I wanted to take a second and go through all of the numbers, including the weight I was at the beginning of the whole weight loss journey, just so that everyone could see how far I've come in around 9 months.***
Can you imagine it? S-I-X-T-Y-N-I-N-E!!!! I felt so great when I saw that number this morning! It makes all the sacrifices worth it. The pain after the surgery, the food restrictions, everything! I have weighed over 300 pounds for so many years that it's unreal to me to be at 275 pounds. If I'm counting right this Wednesday will be week 13 after Gastric Bypass and I can't wait for the next few months to see the changes that my body will continue to go through. I have more energy, I'm more positive, I'm no longer afraid of looking at the number on the scale or grabbing a random pair of jeans in my closet and hoping they're not too tight. I no longer lie about my weight and I know that it's only going to get better.
The food is still restrictive and I still long for a turkey burger on a real bun with a side of mashed potatoes but I know that eventually I'll get there and in the meantime losing this weight more than makes up for it. I had a discussion with a friend over the weekend about the restrictions and pointed out to her during a point in the discussion that giving up soda was not nearly as hard as giving up carbs which is surprising to me because I was equally addicted to both, and it really is an addiction for those of us with this problem. For so many years I would hear that the difference between someone who's thin and someone who's overweight could be put down to one simple sentence. The difference between those who eat to live and those who live to eat. And it's true, my constant focus was on what I was eating or what I would be eating next. I would barely go a couple of hours between meals without thinking about food. I loved food, with a little more emphasis, loved loved loved food. It was my best friend, it was there whenever I was down, it never criticized me, it never called me names. It was delicious and comforting and always around when I needed it. Food is an addiction, I quit smoking 3 years ago but could never quit overeating. It took a drastic measure, gastric surgery, to finally make it possible for me to take a step back and really see the sickness that I had let food become. I am so grateful that I went though with the procedure, as scary as the thought of surgery was at the time, I knew that I had to make a change and if I couldn't do it myself then I would have to be willing to accept the help that my body needed to succeed in the form of gastric bypass.
I won't pretend that I haven't marked the day on my calendar when I can have that turkey burger and mashed potatoes, October 4th is the 6 month mark, but I also know that I will always have to watch what I eat to insure that I'll keep the weight off. No more 2 bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits from McDonalds for breakfast, no more footlong Subway for lunch AND dinner. My sister would point out a multitude of times in the past that I was stuck on 2 of everything. 2 biscuits for breakfast, 2 sandwhiches all the time, 2 griled cheeses, 2 six inch subs, etc. and she was always right even though I always ignored her. I knew she was right at the time but I told myself that I didn't care. I'm determined not to fall back into this pattern and plan to join weight watchers again when I get to the point that I can start eating normally again so that I don't start overeating again. It really wa s a great program and I would recommend weight watchers to anyone. It just wasn't enough for the massive amount of weight loss I need, at least that's my opinion.
That's all for now, when I get some new outfits this weekend for the coming vacation I'll have to post an updated photo
Beginning Weight:(Day of Gastric Bypass): 344 lbs.
Current Weight: 275 lbs.
Weight Loss(after Surgery): 69 lbs.
Total Weight Loss: 85 lbs.
***I wanted to take a second and go through all of the numbers, including the weight I was at the beginning of the whole weight loss journey, just so that everyone could see how far I've come in around 9 months.***
Can you imagine it? S-I-X-T-Y-N-I-N-E!!!! I felt so great when I saw that number this morning! It makes all the sacrifices worth it. The pain after the surgery, the food restrictions, everything! I have weighed over 300 pounds for so many years that it's unreal to me to be at 275 pounds. If I'm counting right this Wednesday will be week 13 after Gastric Bypass and I can't wait for the next few months to see the changes that my body will continue to go through. I have more energy, I'm more positive, I'm no longer afraid of looking at the number on the scale or grabbing a random pair of jeans in my closet and hoping they're not too tight. I no longer lie about my weight and I know that it's only going to get better.
The food is still restrictive and I still long for a turkey burger on a real bun with a side of mashed potatoes but I know that eventually I'll get there and in the meantime losing this weight more than makes up for it. I had a discussion with a friend over the weekend about the restrictions and pointed out to her during a point in the discussion that giving up soda was not nearly as hard as giving up carbs which is surprising to me because I was equally addicted to both, and it really is an addiction for those of us with this problem. For so many years I would hear that the difference between someone who's thin and someone who's overweight could be put down to one simple sentence. The difference between those who eat to live and those who live to eat. And it's true, my constant focus was on what I was eating or what I would be eating next. I would barely go a couple of hours between meals without thinking about food. I loved food, with a little more emphasis, loved loved loved food. It was my best friend, it was there whenever I was down, it never criticized me, it never called me names. It was delicious and comforting and always around when I needed it. Food is an addiction, I quit smoking 3 years ago but could never quit overeating. It took a drastic measure, gastric surgery, to finally make it possible for me to take a step back and really see the sickness that I had let food become. I am so grateful that I went though with the procedure, as scary as the thought of surgery was at the time, I knew that I had to make a change and if I couldn't do it myself then I would have to be willing to accept the help that my body needed to succeed in the form of gastric bypass.
I won't pretend that I haven't marked the day on my calendar when I can have that turkey burger and mashed potatoes, October 4th is the 6 month mark, but I also know that I will always have to watch what I eat to insure that I'll keep the weight off. No more 2 bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits from McDonalds for breakfast, no more footlong Subway for lunch AND dinner. My sister would point out a multitude of times in the past that I was stuck on 2 of everything. 2 biscuits for breakfast, 2 sandwhiches all the time, 2 griled cheeses, 2 six inch subs, etc. and she was always right even though I always ignored her. I knew she was right at the time but I told myself that I didn't care. I'm determined not to fall back into this pattern and plan to join weight watchers again when I get to the point that I can start eating normally again so that I don't start overeating again. It really wa s a great program and I would recommend weight watchers to anyone. It just wasn't enough for the massive amount of weight loss I need, at least that's my opinion.
That's all for now, when I get some new outfits this weekend for the coming vacation I'll have to post an updated photo
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Wednesday, 6/27/12
Days Since Surgery: 84
Weight: 280 lbs.
Total Weight Loss: 64 lbs.
This has been such a wonderful week! The other day I finally went through my closet, you know, searching through the deep deep recesses of it in order to find those almost forgotten size 24's from years ago that I hadn't been able to wear for so long I was afraid they'd be falling apart by now!
Before Gastric Bypass Surgery I was in a size 28 pant and now the 24's that I've been wearing for the past 2 days are loose on me! I'm finally over the weightloss plateau that was frustrating me to no end for almost 2 weeks and entering into my 12 week marker today! 64 pounds in just under 3 months is fantastic!
I can already feel that I'm getting in better shape from all the working out and can't wait until next Saturday when I'm going to do a little SHOPPING for my vacation. I'm excited to see what size I'll be in when I go. I popped in to Lany Bryants the other day for a little look see and I loved the Summer line they have out. The colors are so vybrant and tropical and I'm looking forward to trying the outfits on.
I am adamant about not letting the beach defeat me this time as well, so I've really been trying to push hard when I'm working out. My 2 Self Workout videos are big into jumping jacks, jump rope, and just all around jumping period! So I've been trying to keep up as much as I can. Plus, I've been alternating a video that focuses on free weights every other day or every couple of days because I know that muscles burn calories. I also know that being a woman I do not have the physical make up to bulk up alot but instead will earn nice toned muscles from all the hard work. I feel that while the videos I have are great at working most of my body I need to start including a video that really focuses on the tummy since that is definitely a big problem area for me so I'll probably pick one up next week to include with the others.
The last time I went to the beach was on an excursion on a cruise my family and I took around 3 years ago. The beach was about 1 mile to maybe 2 miles, and that's stretching it, from the port and even with such a small walk by the time we reached the chairs that had so nicely been set up I was gasping for breath, trying not to fall down, and the last little stretch going from the sidewalk to actually walking in the sand had my calves screaming. By the time I reached the chairs I was so far behind everyone else it was enough to make me want to scream out my frustration because I felt absolutely awful about myself, my body, my endurance, everything. And by the time I finally reached the others, I was already done for the day; I didn't play in the ocean or build sand castles with my niece. I just sat there until it was time to go. It was an awful confirmation of the terrible shape that I had let myself get in.
Which is why I refuse to let it happen again.
Weight: 280 lbs.
Total Weight Loss: 64 lbs.
This has been such a wonderful week! The other day I finally went through my closet, you know, searching through the deep deep recesses of it in order to find those almost forgotten size 24's from years ago that I hadn't been able to wear for so long I was afraid they'd be falling apart by now!
Before Gastric Bypass Surgery I was in a size 28 pant and now the 24's that I've been wearing for the past 2 days are loose on me! I'm finally over the weightloss plateau that was frustrating me to no end for almost 2 weeks and entering into my 12 week marker today! 64 pounds in just under 3 months is fantastic!
I can already feel that I'm getting in better shape from all the working out and can't wait until next Saturday when I'm going to do a little SHOPPING for my vacation. I'm excited to see what size I'll be in when I go. I popped in to Lany Bryants the other day for a little look see and I loved the Summer line they have out. The colors are so vybrant and tropical and I'm looking forward to trying the outfits on.
I am adamant about not letting the beach defeat me this time as well, so I've really been trying to push hard when I'm working out. My 2 Self Workout videos are big into jumping jacks, jump rope, and just all around jumping period! So I've been trying to keep up as much as I can. Plus, I've been alternating a video that focuses on free weights every other day or every couple of days because I know that muscles burn calories. I also know that being a woman I do not have the physical make up to bulk up alot but instead will earn nice toned muscles from all the hard work. I feel that while the videos I have are great at working most of my body I need to start including a video that really focuses on the tummy since that is definitely a big problem area for me so I'll probably pick one up next week to include with the others.
The last time I went to the beach was on an excursion on a cruise my family and I took around 3 years ago. The beach was about 1 mile to maybe 2 miles, and that's stretching it, from the port and even with such a small walk by the time we reached the chairs that had so nicely been set up I was gasping for breath, trying not to fall down, and the last little stretch going from the sidewalk to actually walking in the sand had my calves screaming. By the time I reached the chairs I was so far behind everyone else it was enough to make me want to scream out my frustration because I felt absolutely awful about myself, my body, my endurance, everything. And by the time I finally reached the others, I was already done for the day; I didn't play in the ocean or build sand castles with my niece. I just sat there until it was time to go. It was an awful confirmation of the terrible shape that I had let myself get in.
Which is why I refuse to let it happen again.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday, 6/25/12 Finally Over The Plateau!
I am so excited that I'm back to losing weight again. That was a really frustrating week and a half. After all, when one of the reasons that you've been working out so hard is because you're seeing results it can be discouraging to stop seeing the same results for awhile. I'm about 11 1/2 weeks in now and still feeling fantastic! I've been eating Turkey Bacon and Green Beans lately and some days I can eat almost 3 ounces and other days I can only eat around 2 ounces. The hardest part is on the weekends when I work the 5am-3pm shift at work because I have to get up at 3:30am; when you eat breakfast that early you naturally get hungry earlier and so I eat lunch around 9am or 10am and then try to make myself wait until after I get off of work to eat dinner since we can't snack between meals. Sometimes that can be a little challenging!
I've also been trying out a couple of martial arts classes around where I live. I live in a smaller city so there are only a couple of local ones to choose from so I signed up for the trial on both to figure out which one I like the best. It's difficult to sign up for classes like that because part of the week I work nights and most of these classes are held at night so even when they offer a class three nights a week I'm usually only off one of those nights which makes it frustrating to pay when you can't follow the whole program, but I digress. I've tried out the local mixed martial arts class and this Thursday I've got my second class at the local Karate branch. Martial Arts has always been something I'm interested in but to put it bluntly when you feel like a cow you don't exactly want to 'put yourself out there'...specially not in a huge white gi. I swear even though I'm feeling better about myself I still felt like I looked like a Sumo Wrestler when I stared at myself in the mirror wall!
Personally, I liked the Karate a little better but it's the one that only has night classes where as I can afford to do the private class at MMA for around the same price and the instructor will meet me in the mornings so I'm leaning towards that class just for the fact that I'm the one at work with the lowest seniority which means when someone is off I usually have to fill in and I've already been scheduled to work one of the trial weeks I signed up for at Karate and since this school has just been around a couple of years, even though the teacher has studied martial arts for 20+ years the school is new and doesn't have a lot of students yet so he doesn't give free first lessons or trials and if you miss it you lose it. On the other hand the MMA has been around a little over 10 years, I believe I'm remembering that correctly, and did the first lesson free. I'm going to talk to the instructor and see if part of the lessons involve teaching people how to do self defense to get out of and away from attackers. Such as, if someone walks up and starts choking you or grabs your wrist and won't let go. They do grappling and ground fighting from the Brazillion Jiu-Jitsu influence but I don't want to hold an attacker down, I want to get out of his hold, put the f***-er down and get away if I'm ever in a bad situation. I've lived 30 years now with just one confrontation that could have turned bad and hopefully I won't ever have to use self-defense in a real situation but I think all women should have a basic knowledge of self-defense.
I've taken self-defense classes before but like everything in life if you don't practice then your body will forget it. I remember some of what I learned but I would like to continue with the training too.
Ah well, that's all for today. I've lost 61-62 pounds now (the scale couldn't make up it's mind!) and am actually looking forward to going to the doctor next week to see if I'm where I'm supposed to be or better!
I've also been trying out a couple of martial arts classes around where I live. I live in a smaller city so there are only a couple of local ones to choose from so I signed up for the trial on both to figure out which one I like the best. It's difficult to sign up for classes like that because part of the week I work nights and most of these classes are held at night so even when they offer a class three nights a week I'm usually only off one of those nights which makes it frustrating to pay when you can't follow the whole program, but I digress. I've tried out the local mixed martial arts class and this Thursday I've got my second class at the local Karate branch. Martial Arts has always been something I'm interested in but to put it bluntly when you feel like a cow you don't exactly want to 'put yourself out there'...specially not in a huge white gi. I swear even though I'm feeling better about myself I still felt like I looked like a Sumo Wrestler when I stared at myself in the mirror wall!
Personally, I liked the Karate a little better but it's the one that only has night classes where as I can afford to do the private class at MMA for around the same price and the instructor will meet me in the mornings so I'm leaning towards that class just for the fact that I'm the one at work with the lowest seniority which means when someone is off I usually have to fill in and I've already been scheduled to work one of the trial weeks I signed up for at Karate and since this school has just been around a couple of years, even though the teacher has studied martial arts for 20+ years the school is new and doesn't have a lot of students yet so he doesn't give free first lessons or trials and if you miss it you lose it. On the other hand the MMA has been around a little over 10 years, I believe I'm remembering that correctly, and did the first lesson free. I'm going to talk to the instructor and see if part of the lessons involve teaching people how to do self defense to get out of and away from attackers. Such as, if someone walks up and starts choking you or grabs your wrist and won't let go. They do grappling and ground fighting from the Brazillion Jiu-Jitsu influence but I don't want to hold an attacker down, I want to get out of his hold, put the f***-er down and get away if I'm ever in a bad situation. I've lived 30 years now with just one confrontation that could have turned bad and hopefully I won't ever have to use self-defense in a real situation but I think all women should have a basic knowledge of self-defense.
I've taken self-defense classes before but like everything in life if you don't practice then your body will forget it. I remember some of what I learned but I would like to continue with the training too.
Ah well, that's all for today. I've lost 61-62 pounds now (the scale couldn't make up it's mind!) and am actually looking forward to going to the doctor next week to see if I'm where I'm supposed to be or better!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Tuesday, 6/19/12
I just wanted to take a second and point out 2 products that have made my food limitations so much easier to deal with.
Popsicle Brand Sugar Free Orange, Cherry, and Grape pops
Popsicle Brand Sugar Free Fudgesicle pops
I don't know how they make the Fudgesicle pops taste so go but they are delicious!
You still have to count the calories, fat, carbs, to make sure that you don't go overboard but these two treats are wonderful to have after a long day at work.
Sugar Free Popsicle Nutrition Facts:
Calories- 15
Fat- 0
Carbs- 4
Protein- 0
Sugar Free Fudgesicle Pop Nutrition Facts:
Calories- 40
Fat- 0.75
Carbs- 9
Protein- 1.5
Today I saw on the website that there are also Sugar Free Creamsicle Pops which I'll be excited to try soon!
You have to be more careful when eating the fudgesicles due to the more calories and carbs that they have over the regular popsicles but at the end of the day I usually find that I have more than enough calories left over to have one. For example, the total calories that I've had today, which includes dinner because I decided to eat dinner early today, is 284.75; the carbs I've consumed are 35.5 of the allowed 60 that I can have and the fat is 9.8 of the allowed 30 that I can have. So having my end of the day fudgesicle is not going to be a problem today. =)
Even now, I usually can't eat the full three ounces allotted to me per meal. I usually stick to around 2 ounces. It just depends on how filling the food is. I can eat more yogurt that I can turkey burger for obvious reasons. I'm counting this as a liquid though since I know that I'm only allowed to have 3 meals a day besides my fluids so I'm going to double check that it's ok with the nutritionist when I see her the first week of July. I know that jello and regular popsicles are counted as a liquid but the fudgesicle is a relatively new discovery on my part and I haven't seen the nutritionist yet to ask her.
Popsicle Brand Sugar Free Orange, Cherry, and Grape pops
Popsicle Brand Sugar Free Fudgesicle pops
I don't know how they make the Fudgesicle pops taste so go but they are delicious!
You still have to count the calories, fat, carbs, to make sure that you don't go overboard but these two treats are wonderful to have after a long day at work.
Sugar Free Popsicle Nutrition Facts:
Calories- 15
Fat- 0
Carbs- 4
Protein- 0
Sugar Free Fudgesicle Pop Nutrition Facts:
Calories- 40
Fat- 0.75
Carbs- 9
Protein- 1.5
Today I saw on the website that there are also Sugar Free Creamsicle Pops which I'll be excited to try soon!
You have to be more careful when eating the fudgesicles due to the more calories and carbs that they have over the regular popsicles but at the end of the day I usually find that I have more than enough calories left over to have one. For example, the total calories that I've had today, which includes dinner because I decided to eat dinner early today, is 284.75; the carbs I've consumed are 35.5 of the allowed 60 that I can have and the fat is 9.8 of the allowed 30 that I can have. So having my end of the day fudgesicle is not going to be a problem today. =)
Even now, I usually can't eat the full three ounces allotted to me per meal. I usually stick to around 2 ounces. It just depends on how filling the food is. I can eat more yogurt that I can turkey burger for obvious reasons. I'm counting this as a liquid though since I know that I'm only allowed to have 3 meals a day besides my fluids so I'm going to double check that it's ok with the nutritionist when I see her the first week of July. I know that jello and regular popsicles are counted as a liquid but the fudgesicle is a relatively new discovery on my part and I haven't seen the nutritionist yet to ask her.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Monday, 6/18/12
My new workout videos came over the weekend and I did the Self Magazine: Your Best Butt Fast! (Really, that's what it's called, I didn't insert the exclamation point for emphasis on my own =P ) and feel fantastic! <--That one was me =) It's a 40 minute video and I admit that I didn't do the last 10 minutes of it for the sole reason that the end was Yoga inspired and I need a little build up to attempt Yoga again. Really, really hard for people with bad balance and who are also overweight. I'm standing there trying to do downward dog or whatever it's called and my big ole butt is pulling me down to the ground oh no!
Tomorrow I will try to do the whole 40 minute workout though because I know that nothing gets easier until you do it and do it and do it some more!
On a more humorous note I have a story to tell.
Last night my cousins decided to have a grill out at our house to celebrate fathers day. My uncle lives next door but we have a larger backyard so it was held at our house. Not a lot of fun for me because those mouth watering burgers made me try to convince myself that I could have a bite. I sat there for a good 10 minutes eyeing everyone around me to figure out who might let me have a bite of their burger since I couldn't very well make one just to waste it. Thankfully, I managed to reign myself in before doing something I'm not supposed to...well, kind of
You may notice that I don't say it would have been a decision that I would have regretted or that I shouldn't because it would be bad for my body or what not. Nope, I'm just not supposed to because the Doctors said so. =P I've been at this long enough to know that a couple of bites of burger on a wonderful bun will not kill me. In fact I would probably L-O-V-E-I-T! But it's against the rules and if you go against the rules then you don't lose as much weight so no hamburger for me...instead I ate 3 bites of potato salad. ...for those of you not paying attention that is also on the NO list under No Starches but I rationalized that it was better than a hamburger since the salad was made with low fat mayo and splenda and really, I was doing everyone a service because my mother was the one who made it and she needed a taste tester. So it's actually her fault! There, completely rationalized so there's no next day guilt to contend with. =)
As for the funny part? I can only be thankful that this happened toward the end of the night so that only a handful of our cousins were still around to see. Basically what happened was that I found out one of our cousins and her family would be in Myrtle Beach the same dates that we would be and was talking on the phone with her as I walked through the living room when my pants fell! On the plus side, this only happened because I've lost so much weight, YAY!, but on the other hand it wasn't a lot of fun to stand there for a second as everyone paused in what they were doing to process what had just happened before bursting into gales of laughter! My 2 little cousins, ages 8 and 10, laughed so hard they were sitting on the floor holding there stomachs.
Did I laugh too? Bet your life I did! People who can't laugh at themselves are just no fun after all.
Tomorrow I will try to do the whole 40 minute workout though because I know that nothing gets easier until you do it and do it and do it some more!
On a more humorous note I have a story to tell.
Last night my cousins decided to have a grill out at our house to celebrate fathers day. My uncle lives next door but we have a larger backyard so it was held at our house. Not a lot of fun for me because those mouth watering burgers made me try to convince myself that I could have a bite. I sat there for a good 10 minutes eyeing everyone around me to figure out who might let me have a bite of their burger since I couldn't very well make one just to waste it. Thankfully, I managed to reign myself in before doing something I'm not supposed to...well, kind of
You may notice that I don't say it would have been a decision that I would have regretted or that I shouldn't because it would be bad for my body or what not. Nope, I'm just not supposed to because the Doctors said so. =P I've been at this long enough to know that a couple of bites of burger on a wonderful bun will not kill me. In fact I would probably L-O-V-E-I-T! But it's against the rules and if you go against the rules then you don't lose as much weight so no hamburger for me...instead I ate 3 bites of potato salad. ...for those of you not paying attention that is also on the NO list under No Starches but I rationalized that it was better than a hamburger since the salad was made with low fat mayo and splenda and really, I was doing everyone a service because my mother was the one who made it and she needed a taste tester. So it's actually her fault! There, completely rationalized so there's no next day guilt to contend with. =)
As for the funny part? I can only be thankful that this happened toward the end of the night so that only a handful of our cousins were still around to see. Basically what happened was that I found out one of our cousins and her family would be in Myrtle Beach the same dates that we would be and was talking on the phone with her as I walked through the living room when my pants fell! On the plus side, this only happened because I've lost so much weight, YAY!, but on the other hand it wasn't a lot of fun to stand there for a second as everyone paused in what they were doing to process what had just happened before bursting into gales of laughter! My 2 little cousins, ages 8 and 10, laughed so hard they were sitting on the floor holding there stomachs.
Did I laugh too? Bet your life I did! People who can't laugh at themselves are just no fun after all.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Tuesday, 6/12/12
Woohoo! 1 can of green beans is enough for 3 meals a day. I just got through measuring out breakfast, lunch, and dinner on my handy dandy food scale and green beans are a really nice change from turkey patties. I've been a little disappointed this past week because I seem to be stalled on the weight loss even though I'm eating the same and working out but I realized last night that I had been conveniently 'forgetting' my vitamin powder for around 5 days so today I'm back on the vitamins. Tomorrow will be the start of my 10 weeks since the surgery and I need to concentrate on making sure that I'm taking all the supplements that I'm supposed to be taking so that my weight loss stays on track! =)
FYI, here's the nutrition facts for 1 can of French Style Green Beans:
Calories- 70
Fat- 0
Carbs- 14
Dietary Fiber- 7
Protein- 3.5
Just 4 weeks left 'til vacation! Can I lost at least 20 more pounds by then? You can bet I'm going to try! I ordered two more workout videos today and when they arrive I'm going to workout to two videos a day to take my daily workout from 37 minutes to 67 or 77 minutes a day!
The video I've been working out to is Self Magazines: Slim and Sleek Fast! and I just ordered Self Magazines: Bikini Ready Fast! and Self Magazines: Your Best Butt Fast!
There are thousands of different workout videos out there and trust me, I've tried my fair share of them over the years but there's just something about seeing the ocean in the background and hearing the waves break against the surf that really inspires me to keep going no matter how hard it gets compared to the more staid environments of working out to people stuck in a room. *Shrug* It does it for me, and everyone has to find the best workouts for them to do in order to keep going. Lately I've just been trying to find more videos with the same background, ambiance, whatever you want to call it but alas there just don't seem to be that many out there.
On another note I've realized lately that I don't hate working out as much as I used too! LOL, when you can see the weight falling away almost daily it is definitely inspiring! I've started wearing belts with my pants now so that I don't have to keep pulling them up all day. I've got my date to go shopping all planned out a few days before my vacation next month. I'm not going to do too much shopping because I still have a long way to go but I plan on getting a few new outfits that fit me and hopefully will be pleasantly surprised at my new pant size by then! =)
FYI, here's the nutrition facts for 1 can of French Style Green Beans:
Calories- 70
Fat- 0
Carbs- 14
Dietary Fiber- 7
Protein- 3.5
Just 4 weeks left 'til vacation! Can I lost at least 20 more pounds by then? You can bet I'm going to try! I ordered two more workout videos today and when they arrive I'm going to workout to two videos a day to take my daily workout from 37 minutes to 67 or 77 minutes a day!
The video I've been working out to is Self Magazines: Slim and Sleek Fast! and I just ordered Self Magazines: Bikini Ready Fast! and Self Magazines: Your Best Butt Fast!
There are thousands of different workout videos out there and trust me, I've tried my fair share of them over the years but there's just something about seeing the ocean in the background and hearing the waves break against the surf that really inspires me to keep going no matter how hard it gets compared to the more staid environments of working out to people stuck in a room. *Shrug* It does it for me, and everyone has to find the best workouts for them to do in order to keep going. Lately I've just been trying to find more videos with the same background, ambiance, whatever you want to call it but alas there just don't seem to be that many out there.
On another note I've realized lately that I don't hate working out as much as I used too! LOL, when you can see the weight falling away almost daily it is definitely inspiring! I've started wearing belts with my pants now so that I don't have to keep pulling them up all day. I've got my date to go shopping all planned out a few days before my vacation next month. I'm not going to do too much shopping because I still have a long way to go but I plan on getting a few new outfits that fit me and hopefully will be pleasantly surprised at my new pant size by then! =)
Monday, June 11, 2012
Monday, 6/11/12
Struggling with the diet more this week. I just threw part of my dinner away because I couldn't stomach any more turkey burger! I'm sick of chicken and turkey now and I won't even look at eggs anymore because they only taste good with toast or biscuits after awhile and I can't have that! =(
I've been so tired of the no carb/no starch diet over the last couple of days! Tomorrow I'm switching to vegetables from the no starch list and will probably end up living off of green beans, brussel sprouts, etc. for a few days. I'll have to make sure that I'm drinking my protein supplements though since I won't be getting any from meat.
I'm still happy because I've lost 57 pounds but getting frustrated on the limited food choices and I so so just want a dang cracker or something....and soup, that's what I want, crackers and soup!
I've been so tired of the no carb/no starch diet over the last couple of days! Tomorrow I'm switching to vegetables from the no starch list and will probably end up living off of green beans, brussel sprouts, etc. for a few days. I'll have to make sure that I'm drinking my protein supplements though since I won't be getting any from meat.
I'm still happy because I've lost 57 pounds but getting frustrated on the limited food choices and I so so just want a dang cracker or something....and soup, that's what I want, crackers and soup!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Monday, June 4th, 2012
Good Morning! I hit the scale today and currently weigh 289 pounds! I've lost 55 pounds now in almost 8 1/2 weeks and feel fantastic! I forgot to post a new picture last week to show off my weight loss but I will definitely do that soon. =)
I've got my routine down now but still long for the day when I can have a sandwich! ...and that grilled cheese bacon burger that Hardees has been advertising is making me drool a little, truth be known. =P
I'm going to be in trouble when I go back to the Doctor in July because I'm not getting the protein that they want us to get but right now I'm just sick of protein shakes. I'll try to start drinking them again in a couple of days.
I also have to make sure that I'm extra diligent with taking the iron supplements, vitamin D, and multivitamin this month because if I don't get my iron and D up they'll send me for weekly shots for them and I absolutely do not want to do that. I have enough trouble fitting all my obligations in every week without adding more to my schedule.
On another note I had a dream the other night about eating a cheeseburger and had to laugh when I woke up! ...the dream cheeseburger tasted great by the way!
I've got my routine down now but still long for the day when I can have a sandwich! ...and that grilled cheese bacon burger that Hardees has been advertising is making me drool a little, truth be known. =P
I'm going to be in trouble when I go back to the Doctor in July because I'm not getting the protein that they want us to get but right now I'm just sick of protein shakes. I'll try to start drinking them again in a couple of days.
I also have to make sure that I'm extra diligent with taking the iron supplements, vitamin D, and multivitamin this month because if I don't get my iron and D up they'll send me for weekly shots for them and I absolutely do not want to do that. I have enough trouble fitting all my obligations in every week without adding more to my schedule.
On another note I had a dream the other night about eating a cheeseburger and had to laugh when I woke up! ...the dream cheeseburger tasted great by the way!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Happy Memorial Day! (little belated I know)
I know, I know, Memorial Day was yesterday but I was working all day and didn't post so better late than never! It's been a good week so far, I didn't exercise over the weekend so when I popped the DVD in yesterday I felt like it was 10 times harder than last week! Funny how quickly your body forgets things. This week I am resolved to exercise 6 days a week and hopefully by the end of the week I won't have to rest my arms between weight workouts. How the mighty have fallen! Now I'm struggling to keep up with the weights part of the video with 5 pounds weights! Just reminds me how long it's been since I've seriously worked out and that I need to stick with it. Of course you should always remember to not workout the same body parts with weights 2 days in a row because your muscles need a day to recover. So on alternate days I'll put the weights down and follow the motions without them.
Just keep repeating:
Beach Trip! Beach Trip! Beach Trip!
I so hope I can continue losing a pound a day before the trip. That would be 43 pounds lost and I would weigh 250! So keep your fingers crossed for me! ...lol, I would definitely have to go shopping a little then!
I hope we all took a second out of our busy lives to remember those who have fallen while defending this wonderful country yesterday. Even a second matters if appreciating the great sacrifices others have made for our freedom.
Have a beautiful day!
Just keep repeating:
Beach Trip! Beach Trip! Beach Trip!
I so hope I can continue losing a pound a day before the trip. That would be 43 pounds lost and I would weigh 250! So keep your fingers crossed for me! ...lol, I would definitely have to go shopping a little then!
I hope we all took a second out of our busy lives to remember those who have fallen while defending this wonderful country yesterday. Even a second matters if appreciating the great sacrifices others have made for our freedom.
Have a beautiful day!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Military Deny Gastric Bypass Enlistees
I found out yesterday that the military denies enlistment to people who have undergone gastric bypass or lapband surgeries and I find this maddening. I read forum posts stating that this is because those who have undergone the surgeries lack discipline and posts stating that it's because the meals provided by the military do not comply with the diet requirements after gastric bypass. Neither of these reasons hold water as far as I'm concerned.
How can you view one event in a persons life and say that it means they lack discipline! How about people who hold down full time jobs. Does that take discipline? It takes discipline to study for tests. To graduate from college. Or in my case to finally quit smoking 3 years ago.
How about admiring the fact that these people had the COURAGE to realize that they needed help and got it.
Not everything in life can be solved by saying you should have more self-control.
Is it the persons responsibility that they let their weight get out of control to begin with. Yes. But that doesn't mean that they should be punished for trying to rectify the situation.
I don't understand how people can judge those who are obese for this reason:
How many people in the world want to lose 20 pounds? 30 pounds? How difficult is that to do? I would say the answer to that would be an emphatic ALOT! The problem with most obese people isn't that they can't lose the 20 or 30 pounds. Personally, I could lose 50 pounds in less than 6 months. The problem was never the lack of trying. The problem was losing that 50 pounds 4 times over! It's hard to stay on a diet for an extended period. Real life isn't like the Biggest Loser or Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. You don't go away and have personal trainers to help you lose the weight. Instead you have to work 40 hours a week on top of keeping up with family obligations which can be just as exhausting and find time to work your butt off in the gym on top of that. I don't believe that you can just put obesity in a box labeled "lack of self control" and be done with it.
As for the other statement about the food. This one I could understand having a rule that those who had undergone weight loss surgery would have to wait 1 year before joining the military because the first year there are a lot of food restrictions. But after the first year those who have undergone gastric bypass can eat normally again, only they eat smaller amounts and try to eat healthier. But doesn't everyone try to eat healthier. Does the military serve chili cheese fries and double cheeseburgers for every meal? So we have to take a multi-vitamin every day. Big deal. I'm sure there are people in the military who have to take medications every day.
I read posts stating that people had the surgery for the ultimate goal of joining the military and couldn't.
Personally, I had the surgery because of my diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver. My diabetes has already been reversed and I have no doubt that by the end of the year the fatty liver will be cured as well.
My grandfather was in the Army and served in WW2 and my father served in the Army as well. Not being able to lose the weight on my own to join the Navy is one of the biggest regrets in my life.
Joining the military is not a decision that people make lightly. Not only are you signing on the represent the country you love but to put your life on the line defending it too. I have the highest respect for those in the armed forces and for anyone who would be willing to take that oath of service. Which is why I find it sad and disheartening that people are rejected from joining and serving this wonderful country because of gastric bypass surgery.
How can you view one event in a persons life and say that it means they lack discipline! How about people who hold down full time jobs. Does that take discipline? It takes discipline to study for tests. To graduate from college. Or in my case to finally quit smoking 3 years ago.
How about admiring the fact that these people had the COURAGE to realize that they needed help and got it.
Not everything in life can be solved by saying you should have more self-control.
Is it the persons responsibility that they let their weight get out of control to begin with. Yes. But that doesn't mean that they should be punished for trying to rectify the situation.
I don't understand how people can judge those who are obese for this reason:
How many people in the world want to lose 20 pounds? 30 pounds? How difficult is that to do? I would say the answer to that would be an emphatic ALOT! The problem with most obese people isn't that they can't lose the 20 or 30 pounds. Personally, I could lose 50 pounds in less than 6 months. The problem was never the lack of trying. The problem was losing that 50 pounds 4 times over! It's hard to stay on a diet for an extended period. Real life isn't like the Biggest Loser or Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. You don't go away and have personal trainers to help you lose the weight. Instead you have to work 40 hours a week on top of keeping up with family obligations which can be just as exhausting and find time to work your butt off in the gym on top of that. I don't believe that you can just put obesity in a box labeled "lack of self control" and be done with it.
As for the other statement about the food. This one I could understand having a rule that those who had undergone weight loss surgery would have to wait 1 year before joining the military because the first year there are a lot of food restrictions. But after the first year those who have undergone gastric bypass can eat normally again, only they eat smaller amounts and try to eat healthier. But doesn't everyone try to eat healthier. Does the military serve chili cheese fries and double cheeseburgers for every meal? So we have to take a multi-vitamin every day. Big deal. I'm sure there are people in the military who have to take medications every day.
I read posts stating that people had the surgery for the ultimate goal of joining the military and couldn't.
Personally, I had the surgery because of my diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver. My diabetes has already been reversed and I have no doubt that by the end of the year the fatty liver will be cured as well.
My grandfather was in the Army and served in WW2 and my father served in the Army as well. Not being able to lose the weight on my own to join the Navy is one of the biggest regrets in my life.
Joining the military is not a decision that people make lightly. Not only are you signing on the represent the country you love but to put your life on the line defending it too. I have the highest respect for those in the armed forces and for anyone who would be willing to take that oath of service. Which is why I find it sad and disheartening that people are rejected from joining and serving this wonderful country because of gastric bypass surgery.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Friday, 5/25/12
I just finished doing this great workout video! It's called Self Magazines: Slim and Sleek Fast!
I first did the video yesterday and today found that I was 3-4 pounds lighter today! Of course I barely eat anything since the gastric bypass surgery so I wouldn't say that those are typical results but this really is a fantastic video.
It's set at the beach which I love because whenever I think that I want to give up I imagine my beach trip in July and how I want to lose as much weight as possible before then. The instructor does a very good job of combining toning and plyometrics throughout the video as well. I also like that she has one of the other ladies in the video doing the lower impact moves to her high impact. I know that now days you often see this in workout videos but it's been my experience that part of the time the person who is supposed to do the lower impact moves 'forgets' and keeps pace with the instructor but the lady during Self Magazines: Slim and Sleek Fast! stays at the lower level the entire time.
Personally, I can't keep up with the higher impact moves all the time but I do what I can and then switch to the lower impacts ones to rest before trying again.
I can tell that my stomach is going down this week and I'm really happy about that. I've also gone down 2 pants sizes and my face has lost some weight too. All of these things are very inspiring. I know I have a long way to go and considering I weighed 344 when this started it takes awhile to really see the differences because you are so heavily obese that when you finally start losing weight it just comes off a little over different areas at a time. Still, losing 53 pounds in less than 2 months is nothing to sneeze at and if I can keep losing the weight at that rate then I may be able to reach my goal by the end of Summer which is to exchange my Swim Dress for a SwimSuit! I have a feeling that I'm really going to enjoy shopping for clothes this fall for the first time!
I'll post a new picture next week to show my progress. =)
As for today:
It's been a little over 7 weeks
Weight: 291 Pounds
Weight Lost: 53 pounds
I first did the video yesterday and today found that I was 3-4 pounds lighter today! Of course I barely eat anything since the gastric bypass surgery so I wouldn't say that those are typical results but this really is a fantastic video.
It's set at the beach which I love because whenever I think that I want to give up I imagine my beach trip in July and how I want to lose as much weight as possible before then. The instructor does a very good job of combining toning and plyometrics throughout the video as well. I also like that she has one of the other ladies in the video doing the lower impact moves to her high impact. I know that now days you often see this in workout videos but it's been my experience that part of the time the person who is supposed to do the lower impact moves 'forgets' and keeps pace with the instructor but the lady during Self Magazines: Slim and Sleek Fast! stays at the lower level the entire time.
Personally, I can't keep up with the higher impact moves all the time but I do what I can and then switch to the lower impacts ones to rest before trying again.
I can tell that my stomach is going down this week and I'm really happy about that. I've also gone down 2 pants sizes and my face has lost some weight too. All of these things are very inspiring. I know I have a long way to go and considering I weighed 344 when this started it takes awhile to really see the differences because you are so heavily obese that when you finally start losing weight it just comes off a little over different areas at a time. Still, losing 53 pounds in less than 2 months is nothing to sneeze at and if I can keep losing the weight at that rate then I may be able to reach my goal by the end of Summer which is to exchange my Swim Dress for a SwimSuit! I have a feeling that I'm really going to enjoy shopping for clothes this fall for the first time!
I'll post a new picture next week to show my progress. =)
As for today:
It's been a little over 7 weeks
Weight: 291 Pounds
Weight Lost: 53 pounds
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
This has been a good week! I know I haven't been posting as much but that's mainly because after you enter Phase 3 it becomes basically the same thing over and over. The first couple weeks of Phase 3 I stayed sick most of the time because while they said that I could start solid foods, up to 3 ounces per meal, I still needed to focus on eating proteins and stay away from starches and carbs. I kept getting sick because even when I measured out 1.5 ounces it was still too much. So the first couple of weeks I could eat 1 ounce per meal and it was only this past weekend that I was able to keep down 2 ounces of food. So basically it's a learning process, what your body can take and eventually you can eat more as you go.
I have now lost 46 pounds and am below 300 pounds for the first time in 8 years!!!!
On top of that I saw my Doctor yesterday and my blood sugar level was at 83! I can't even remember the last time that was true! It's stayed at 140 and above for many years now! My Doctor said that I didn't have to start taking the Diabetic pills or shots anymore too! *doing a happy dance* This is so fantastic!
It's completely unreal to me that less than 2 months after surgery my diabetes seems to be cured but he said that he sees that happen post-gastric bypass surgeries.
I still miss breads and pasta and potatoes. Oh goodness, if I could have mashed potatoes I would have no problems eating for the next six months because I could live off them. I used to love having a turkey burger with mashed potatoes on the side and the combination was so much better than fries with it.
I'll be honest and say that when you're limited in the foods that you can choose from you get sick of things after awhile. Right now I'm tired of eggs and chicken so I've basically been eating a Turkey Patty made out of ground turkey and a piece of cheese melted on top most of the time. I have made a meatloaf (with ground chicken) this week and omitted the bread crumbs from the recipe and that tastes OK. So I'm eating that today but honestly I prefer the Turkey Patties.
I think I'm going to buy some Tofu and Turkey Bacon the next time I go to the store. Who knows, maybe adding a little turkey bacon on the side of an egg will bring the flavor back for me.
I have now lost 46 pounds and am below 300 pounds for the first time in 8 years!!!!
On top of that I saw my Doctor yesterday and my blood sugar level was at 83! I can't even remember the last time that was true! It's stayed at 140 and above for many years now! My Doctor said that I didn't have to start taking the Diabetic pills or shots anymore too! *doing a happy dance* This is so fantastic!
It's completely unreal to me that less than 2 months after surgery my diabetes seems to be cured but he said that he sees that happen post-gastric bypass surgeries.
I still miss breads and pasta and potatoes. Oh goodness, if I could have mashed potatoes I would have no problems eating for the next six months because I could live off them. I used to love having a turkey burger with mashed potatoes on the side and the combination was so much better than fries with it.
I'll be honest and say that when you're limited in the foods that you can choose from you get sick of things after awhile. Right now I'm tired of eggs and chicken so I've basically been eating a Turkey Patty made out of ground turkey and a piece of cheese melted on top most of the time. I have made a meatloaf (with ground chicken) this week and omitted the bread crumbs from the recipe and that tastes OK. So I'm eating that today but honestly I prefer the Turkey Patties.
I think I'm going to buy some Tofu and Turkey Bacon the next time I go to the store. Who knows, maybe adding a little turkey bacon on the side of an egg will bring the flavor back for me.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
May, 9 2012
Starting Weight: 344 pounds
Weight Lost: 39 pounds
I've lost 39 pounds now and am so excited to be 5 pounds away from officially weighing under 300 pounds!!!! It has to have been 8 years since I've been under 300 pounds! Last week for my 1 month follow up with the nutritionist they also told me to start on Phase 3 of the Diet Plan so now I don't have to puree my foods anymore and can eat up to 3 ounces per meal. So far though, even though I measure 3 ounces of food out on my little food scale I haven't been able to eat a whole 3 ounces yet...which I'm viewing as a good thing.
I still have to concentrate on eating proteins first and taking all of my medications throughout the day which gets kind of old. I went into this knowing that I would be required to take a multi-vitamin for the rest of my life but multi-vitamin plus 3 other supplements plus prilosec plus a couple of other medications I take! Oh well, since I'm loving the results I just have to suck it up!
On another note I cannot find a water substitute that I like. I've tried Crystal Light, Vitamin Water, G2 and so far I'm just stuck with drinking water and a glass a day of diluted apple juice. Oh well, water is one of the best things you can drink...that reminds me, I still need to look into Slimfast Light. So far my local grocery stores don't carry it but I'm sure the website will.
I spoke to a Co-Worker yesterday who said that his Step-Mother had Gastric Bypass around a year and a half ago and when I asked him how much she had lost he said around 250 pounds! Can you imagine losing that much weight in such a short amount of time. I only need to lose 200 pounds over all and since I'm 30 and still pretty active (or at least I force myself to be) I'm hoping to lose the weight just as quickly if not quicker.
I should point out that way back when I started this whole process with the insurance and my six month supervised diet and such I weighed a whopping 360 pounds so my grand total weight loss at this point is actually: 55 pounds!
Weight Lost: 39 pounds
I've lost 39 pounds now and am so excited to be 5 pounds away from officially weighing under 300 pounds!!!! It has to have been 8 years since I've been under 300 pounds! Last week for my 1 month follow up with the nutritionist they also told me to start on Phase 3 of the Diet Plan so now I don't have to puree my foods anymore and can eat up to 3 ounces per meal. So far though, even though I measure 3 ounces of food out on my little food scale I haven't been able to eat a whole 3 ounces yet...which I'm viewing as a good thing.
I still have to concentrate on eating proteins first and taking all of my medications throughout the day which gets kind of old. I went into this knowing that I would be required to take a multi-vitamin for the rest of my life but multi-vitamin plus 3 other supplements plus prilosec plus a couple of other medications I take! Oh well, since I'm loving the results I just have to suck it up!
On another note I cannot find a water substitute that I like. I've tried Crystal Light, Vitamin Water, G2 and so far I'm just stuck with drinking water and a glass a day of diluted apple juice. Oh well, water is one of the best things you can drink...that reminds me, I still need to look into Slimfast Light. So far my local grocery stores don't carry it but I'm sure the website will.
I spoke to a Co-Worker yesterday who said that his Step-Mother had Gastric Bypass around a year and a half ago and when I asked him how much she had lost he said around 250 pounds! Can you imagine losing that much weight in such a short amount of time. I only need to lose 200 pounds over all and since I'm 30 and still pretty active (or at least I force myself to be) I'm hoping to lose the weight just as quickly if not quicker.
I should point out that way back when I started this whole process with the insurance and my six month supervised diet and such I weighed a whopping 360 pounds so my grand total weight loss at this point is actually: 55 pounds!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday, 4/27/12
So I've been looking at bathing suits today and longing for a swim in a nice cool pool on this hot day! Unfortunately, my stomach isn't completely healed yet so it'll probably be a couple more weeks before I can go swimming but that doesn't stop me from looking at bathing suits. And while I was looking I realized that if I do well with the weight loss this Summer I may be able to actually but a SwimSUIT instead of a SwimDress for the first time in...let me think, at least 10 years and I think it's more like 15!!! This is so exciting! I can't wait! I think I'm going to go and download the Gyms May Aerobics Schedule! We're planning a vacation at the end of July and it would be so nice if I could keep losing a pound a day until then (which is what I have been doing for the past 3 weeks) then I would be down to 242 pounds by the time we go on vacation! Oh boy, I'm definitely going to work hard!
I won't say that the past few weeks have been easy because they have most definitely not been and the next few months aren't going to be fun either but if I lose the weight that has plagued me since I was a child then it will be worth it! I have around 3 1/2 more weeks of Phase 2 before I can finally start eating soft foods in Phase 3 so I'm looking forward to that. =)
Right now my 3 meals a day that I can have consist of 1 1/2 ounces of either:
Cottage Cheese (small curd)
Scrambled Egg w/ Sprinkle Cheese and a Tbs. of Skim Milk to make it moist
Egg Salad with Low Fat Mayo or Miracle Whip and a little Mustard
Dried Beans boiled down and drained and of course, mashed
This would be so much easier if I could eat mashed potatoes!
It says that I can have pureed chicken and turkey and such but when I tried the chicken a couple of times I just didn't care for it pureed so I tend to stick to the above. You could also have creamy peanut butter but I've never been a fan.
I am going to get some of that fake Crab they have at the supermarket next time I go and a spritz bottle of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and see if that tastes good pureed though. I've always loved that stuff with melted butter over it! YUM!
I won't say that the past few weeks have been easy because they have most definitely not been and the next few months aren't going to be fun either but if I lose the weight that has plagued me since I was a child then it will be worth it! I have around 3 1/2 more weeks of Phase 2 before I can finally start eating soft foods in Phase 3 so I'm looking forward to that. =)
Right now my 3 meals a day that I can have consist of 1 1/2 ounces of either:
Cottage Cheese (small curd)
Scrambled Egg w/ Sprinkle Cheese and a Tbs. of Skim Milk to make it moist
Egg Salad with Low Fat Mayo or Miracle Whip and a little Mustard
Dried Beans boiled down and drained and of course, mashed
This would be so much easier if I could eat mashed potatoes!
It says that I can have pureed chicken and turkey and such but when I tried the chicken a couple of times I just didn't care for it pureed so I tend to stick to the above. You could also have creamy peanut butter but I've never been a fan.
I am going to get some of that fake Crab they have at the supermarket next time I go and a spritz bottle of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and see if that tastes good pureed though. I've always loved that stuff with melted butter over it! YUM!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Starting Weight: 344 Pounds
Pounds Lost: 27
Today it has been officially 3 weeks since my surgery and I've almost lost 30 pounds! I can't wait to reach 300 pounds and I'm looking forward to my 1 month follow up this coming Tuesday. I'm sick of walking and hopefully they'll say that I can start aerobics again or at least some type of walk/run program. One of my goals for when I lose weight is to run a marathon or triathlon so I need to be able to do more than walk to get started on fulfilling that goal!
This is the first time I've weighed less than 320 in a long time and I've very excited about it!
Pounds Lost: 27
Today it has been officially 3 weeks since my surgery and I've almost lost 30 pounds! I can't wait to reach 300 pounds and I'm looking forward to my 1 month follow up this coming Tuesday. I'm sick of walking and hopefully they'll say that I can start aerobics again or at least some type of walk/run program. One of my goals for when I lose weight is to run a marathon or triathlon so I need to be able to do more than walk to get started on fulfilling that goal!
This is the first time I've weighed less than 320 in a long time and I've very excited about it!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Monday, 4/23/12
Starting Weight: 344 Pounds
Pounds Lost: 25 Pounds
So I tried to go back to work yesterday. I talked to my Doctor last week and I knew that they needed help at work so I told him that I was ready to go back...big mistake. I was in so much pain by 8:00pm I was in tears. My right side hurt, my lower, and upper back hurt; It got to where I couldn't even bend over. Standing relieved the pressure but I couldn't stand the entire time. Yes, I know people do but not normally the 300 pound people.
I'm the same girl that wanted to get up and walk 2 hours after my gastric bypass! I've always considered myself to have a high pain threshold so last night was a bad night. I even felt it necessary to ask a friend to give me a ride home and I've never done that before! I'm the type of person who hates asking others for favors, it's just my nature. I like being self-sufficient. So this morning I called the Doctor and asked them about it and they pointed out that even though I sit in an office chair most of the day that I still had surgery on my stomach and that angle puts pressure on the stomach and blah blah blah...so they faxed my work for me to stay out another week. And now, even though I feel better today I'm afraid of the same thing happening again if I tried to go back to work so I think I'll give it a couple of days and see how I feel. At this point I'm out of sick days and using my vacation pay though so I really need to go back to work if I want to take a vacation this year...and I do.
On another note I finally got around to trying New Life's Protein Hot Chocolates and Oh My Goddess they are so good! Definitely going to get a few more packs of this stuff. I've FINALLY found something good from New Life...not to say that everything else has been terrible that I've tried but it has been a little blah. The chocolate and cappuccino protein drinks were OK but so far not much else has been.
Pounds Lost: 25 Pounds
So I tried to go back to work yesterday. I talked to my Doctor last week and I knew that they needed help at work so I told him that I was ready to go back...big mistake. I was in so much pain by 8:00pm I was in tears. My right side hurt, my lower, and upper back hurt; It got to where I couldn't even bend over. Standing relieved the pressure but I couldn't stand the entire time. Yes, I know people do but not normally the 300 pound people.
I'm the same girl that wanted to get up and walk 2 hours after my gastric bypass! I've always considered myself to have a high pain threshold so last night was a bad night. I even felt it necessary to ask a friend to give me a ride home and I've never done that before! I'm the type of person who hates asking others for favors, it's just my nature. I like being self-sufficient. So this morning I called the Doctor and asked them about it and they pointed out that even though I sit in an office chair most of the day that I still had surgery on my stomach and that angle puts pressure on the stomach and blah blah blah...so they faxed my work for me to stay out another week. And now, even though I feel better today I'm afraid of the same thing happening again if I tried to go back to work so I think I'll give it a couple of days and see how I feel. At this point I'm out of sick days and using my vacation pay though so I really need to go back to work if I want to take a vacation this year...and I do.
On another note I finally got around to trying New Life's Protein Hot Chocolates and Oh My Goddess they are so good! Definitely going to get a few more packs of this stuff. I've FINALLY found something good from New Life...not to say that everything else has been terrible that I've tried but it has been a little blah. The chocolate and cappuccino protein drinks were OK but so far not much else has been.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Phase 2 continued
So I tried Pureed Chicken yesterday, I added a little cheese, some refried beans, and a drop of hot sauce to try to pretend that I was having Mexican...it didn't work. Pureed meats are just not very good...who would have thought! =P
On the other hand today, I had 1/2 a scrambled egg with a sprinkle of cheese and a little skim milk to make it moist enough that I didn't have to puree it for breakfast today and that was pretty good. For lunch I had a little low fat cottage cheese and that was good so I think I'm just going to stick to those 2 meals for the next 4 weeks...everyone likes consistancy. Right?
On another note I'm relying far to much on apple juice in between meals considering phase 2 focuses on protein. So I need to start drinking more of New Life's Protein Drinks, so far the 2 I like are the chocolate and cappuchino. I also need to look into buying a bottle of Sugar Free Chocolate DaVinci Gourmet Syrup to add to the Protein Shakes. The information packet that I received from New Life suggests that they're pretty good.
On the plus side the recipes included in the packet for tuna salad and chicken salad look pretty good so I'll have to try those for a little variety.
On the other hand today, I had 1/2 a scrambled egg with a sprinkle of cheese and a little skim milk to make it moist enough that I didn't have to puree it for breakfast today and that was pretty good. For lunch I had a little low fat cottage cheese and that was good so I think I'm just going to stick to those 2 meals for the next 4 weeks...everyone likes consistancy. Right?
On another note I'm relying far to much on apple juice in between meals considering phase 2 focuses on protein. So I need to start drinking more of New Life's Protein Drinks, so far the 2 I like are the chocolate and cappuchino. I also need to look into buying a bottle of Sugar Free Chocolate DaVinci Gourmet Syrup to add to the Protein Shakes. The information packet that I received from New Life suggests that they're pretty good.
On the plus side the recipes included in the packet for tuna salad and chicken salad look pretty good so I'll have to try those for a little variety.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Phase 2 of Gastric Bypass Diet
Weight: 324 pounds
Weight Loss: 20 pounds
Date of Surgery: April 4th, 2012
Phase 2 of the Gastric Bypass Diet started yesterday and I can already tell I'm going to have a little more difficulty with it. More because I'm lazy though than anything! LOL, pureeing foods, measuring portions, yikes, more effort than I want to spend for 4 weeks. But oh well, this is where you tell me to suck it up and get with the program! :-P
Here's the rules for Phase 2 of the Diet:
Weight Loss: 20 pounds
Date of Surgery: April 4th, 2012
Phase 2 of the Gastric Bypass Diet started yesterday and I can already tell I'm going to have a little more difficulty with it. More because I'm lazy though than anything! LOL, pureeing foods, measuring portions, yikes, more effort than I want to spend for 4 weeks. But oh well, this is where you tell me to suck it up and get with the program! :-P
Here's the rules for Phase 2 of the Diet:
Week 2 post-op – Week 6 post-op
You may
advance yourself at your 2 week anniversary.
Food List
This phase contains protein sources only. It does not include vegetables, fruit
or pudding. Your primary focus is to eat
protein. Puree everything to a cottage
cheese consistency.
(No Veggies! *GASP*)
1. All
Phase I foods allowed
2. Pureed
moist protein – any meat (excluding red meat)
- chicken, fish, shrimp, crab, other seafood,
pork, ham, turkey (including ground turkey)
3. tofu*
and soy products, such as Morning Star Farms and Bocca Burgers
4. Scrambled
eggs (make sure eggs are moist)
5. Refried
beans and dried beans* (pinto, garbanzo, white, northern, etc) (well, at least there's this. I'm thinking about pureeing some chicken and refried beans for dinner tonight)
6. Small
curd cottage cheese*
7.
Low carb yogurt*: choose a brand with less than 12g of carbohydrates
8.
Creamy peanut butter*
- Protein
puddings from Premier Surgical Associate’s store*. Sugar-free or reduced fat pudding is not
recommended due to low protein content.
* You do not have to puree these
foods, but ensure they are moist.
Eating Rules
- Serving
size for this phase: 1 ½ oz. (volume) three times per day. Measure your food using 3 tablespoons.
- Eat
3 meals per day, no snacking.
Protein shakes count as a liquid, not a snack.
- Avoid
high carbohydrate foods (especially starches)
- Do
not drink liquids 30 minutes before a meal or 30 minutes after a meal
- Meal
time should not exceed 20 minutes to avoid overeating. Only eat to the point of fullness. If you are full before you eat 1 ½ oz,
do not continue to eat or finish the meal at another time. This will only create bad habits.
- Soups
are considered having liquid with your meals. High protein soups (bean soup, lentil
soup) are allowed on phase II if you drain the liquid and process through
a food processor. Avoid vegetable
soup and soups with beef and noodles/pasta.
TIPS
ü Be
creative! Any recipe is acceptable as
long as it does not contain starches, fruits, or vegetables.
ü Puree
meals in advance and freeze leftovers in ice cube trays. (this is an awesome idea!)
3. Start
keeping a food journal on phase 2 (you will get one in the starter pack).
4. Record
all food and beverage intake and the amount of protein, carbs, calories, etc
within these foods and beverages. This
will help you identify the amount of nutrients you are getting through your
food so you will become less reliant on protein shakes, etc.
5. Record anytime you experience
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or other symptom.
6.
Bring your
journal to your 1 month follow-up appointment to review with the dietitian.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Current Weight:328 pounds
Weight Lost: 16 pounds
Needless to say I am feeling pretty happy about losing 16 pounds in a week. My routine has pretty much continued with the addition of a banana flavored sugar free Popsicle today. It's odd though, I would have imagined that I would be craving Steak with A1 Sauce and Potatoes, or Chicken Alfredo, or a Hot Fudge Cake for that matter but instead the thing I found myself lying in bed last night wanting more than anything was a Market Fresh Turkey and Bacon Sandwich from Arby's! Except for the bacon those aren't even that high in calories! But boy oh boy, I want one! Just gotta think happy thoughts I guess. :-P
Weight Lost: 16 pounds
Needless to say I am feeling pretty happy about losing 16 pounds in a week. My routine has pretty much continued with the addition of a banana flavored sugar free Popsicle today. It's odd though, I would have imagined that I would be craving Steak with A1 Sauce and Potatoes, or Chicken Alfredo, or a Hot Fudge Cake for that matter but instead the thing I found myself lying in bed last night wanting more than anything was a Market Fresh Turkey and Bacon Sandwich from Arby's! Except for the bacon those aren't even that high in calories! But boy oh boy, I want one! Just gotta think happy thoughts I guess. :-P
Monday, April 9, 2012
Starchy Food List
One of the food types that we have to limit after Gastric Bypass Surgery is Starchy Foods for several months (can't remember the exact amount of time right now but I think it's at least a year) and I found a couple of wonderful lists of starchy foods on these websites today.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/starchy-foods-list.html
http://nutritiondata.self.com/
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/HG72/hg72_2002.pdf
The other big one is Sugary Foods but I don't think we need a list for that one. =D
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/starchy-foods-list.html
http://nutritiondata.self.com/
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/HG72/hg72_2002.pdf
The other big one is Sugary Foods but I don't think we need a list for that one. =D
April 4, 2012
Weight: 331 pounds
Weight Loss: 13 pounds
Today has been a difficult day for me. I'm afraid I did too much over the weekend so I'm hurting more today than I was which means even more bed rest! =) With the occasional walk around the house because my butt goes numb. =P I seem to have found a good combination of fluids now so I don't feel weak like I did the first day I was out of the hospital. So my fluid intake is a combination of chicken broth and apple juice and water. The Doctors said I could also drink G2's and Crystal Lights but this combination works for me since I've always been a big apple juice fan. Yesterday, was Easter so of course I craved Deviled Eggs all day but luckily my fear of having the dumping or clumping after effects of eating real food has kept me on the straight and narrow. I won't say that these first few days have been easy but I keep telling myself that if I just have to get through a few days of pain before my great new life begins then it will be well worth it.
I found pretty quickly that I am more limited in movement that I thought I would be at first, even the process of bending down to pick something up from the floor, feed my pets, or take them for a walk has been trying so I'm letting my family help me out today and just trying to concentrate on recovering. =D
Oh! There goes my 15 minute alarm telling me it's time for fluids. I just had broth so I think I'll drink my apple juice diluted with water this time.
LOL, Yum, yum!
Almost forgot, today my Incentive Spirometer level has been up to 2500 and when I started in the hospital it was just around 500 so, yay! If you're wondering, they also want you to use an Incentive Spirometer every couple of hours after surgery to get your lungs working well again and lessen the risk of contracting pneumonia. Here's what it looks like:
Weight Loss: 13 pounds
Today has been a difficult day for me. I'm afraid I did too much over the weekend so I'm hurting more today than I was which means even more bed rest! =) With the occasional walk around the house because my butt goes numb. =P I seem to have found a good combination of fluids now so I don't feel weak like I did the first day I was out of the hospital. So my fluid intake is a combination of chicken broth and apple juice and water. The Doctors said I could also drink G2's and Crystal Lights but this combination works for me since I've always been a big apple juice fan. Yesterday, was Easter so of course I craved Deviled Eggs all day but luckily my fear of having the dumping or clumping after effects of eating real food has kept me on the straight and narrow. I won't say that these first few days have been easy but I keep telling myself that if I just have to get through a few days of pain before my great new life begins then it will be well worth it.
I found pretty quickly that I am more limited in movement that I thought I would be at first, even the process of bending down to pick something up from the floor, feed my pets, or take them for a walk has been trying so I'm letting my family help me out today and just trying to concentrate on recovering. =D
LOL, Yum, yum!
Almost forgot, today my Incentive Spirometer level has been up to 2500 and when I started in the hospital it was just around 500 so, yay! If you're wondering, they also want you to use an Incentive Spirometer every couple of hours after surgery to get your lungs working well again and lessen the risk of contracting pneumonia. Here's what it looks like:
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