Well this morning I celebrated one of the little things in life. But to be honest, it's not little, it's BIG BIG BIG, well for me at least.
I FINALLY BROKE THE 300's!!!!!!!!!!!
And here is the photo to prove it!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Little things....
It's the little things in life that mean the most. Like cuddling with your precious dogs. Having a late night conversation with your husband. Your mom posting cute photos she finds on your facebook. Coworkers who are your friend.
Well this morning I celebrated one of the little things in life. But to be honest, it's not little, it's BIG BIG BIG, well for me at least.
I FINALLY BROKE THE 300's!!!!!!!!!!!
And here is the photo to prove it!
Well this morning I celebrated one of the little things in life. But to be honest, it's not little, it's BIG BIG BIG, well for me at least.
I FINALLY BROKE THE 300's!!!!!!!!!!!
And here is the photo to prove it!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
weight loss
Well we must be doing something right because I have lost 11 pounds and charlie has lost 13. This is awesome! We have 4 more days of this liquid diet. It's actually not to bad. Last night we bought a scale. I don't think I have ever bought one. I stepped on it and it said 301.4 This morning is said 301.4 so when I got to work I checked it on that scale, in disbelief, and it said 301.4 Well when I got home charlie told me he had lost another 3 pounds and I didn't believe it so I stepped on the scale again tonight. I was down to 300.8 Just another pound and I will be under 300. I haven't see the 300's in well over a year. This is pretty exciting!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Today
Saw my primary care provider this morning for some warts on my leg. I mentioned to her that I was in the process of getting cleared for weight loss surgery. She wasn't too keen on the idea since she isn't pro surgery, but she is willing to support me. She weighed me this morning and I have lost about 3 pounds since I met with the surgeon last week. I don't care if it was water weight or what, all I care about is I am making a start and 3 pounds is 3 pounds.
Today we started the liquid diet. It wasn't too bad while I was at work. Once I got home though I became really hungry. I am so used to eating dinner almost as soon as I get home from work. I had some sugar free pudding and in a little while we will make a protein shake and have that for dinner.
Charlie had his psych eval today. He said he just sat there and listened to the guy talk for a bit then he had to do this test that had over 300 questions. He said he almost fell asleep while doing it because he was in a room that was so quiet. I have my psych eval on October 12.
I have found a few support groups on facebook and on obesityhelp.com. I am going to a support group here in my area on October 15. 6 months will go by fast, I just know it.
Today we started the liquid diet. It wasn't too bad while I was at work. Once I got home though I became really hungry. I am so used to eating dinner almost as soon as I get home from work. I had some sugar free pudding and in a little while we will make a protein shake and have that for dinner.
Charlie had his psych eval today. He said he just sat there and listened to the guy talk for a bit then he had to do this test that had over 300 questions. He said he almost fell asleep while doing it because he was in a room that was so quiet. I have my psych eval on October 12.
I have found a few support groups on facebook and on obesityhelp.com. I am going to a support group here in my area on October 15. 6 months will go by fast, I just know it.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Trial....
So tomorrow we are going to start a 2 week trial of a liquid diet. Here is our plan:
Breakfast: A protein meal replacement
Snack: Jello or Broth
Lunch: A protein meal replacement
Snack: Jello or Broth
Dinner: A protein meal replacement
Snack: Jello or Broth
This seems to be what the diet will be like right before the surgery and we wanted to see what it would be like so we decided to do a 2 week trial. I think it will be hard, but interesting. I also have joined a site called obesityhelp.com and have found some very inspiring stories and photos. You tube has also been a great source of inspiration and useful information.
On another note, I have a secret that not many people know. I don't look in mirrors. I have never actually figured out why, but I try my hardest not to look in them. When I go clothes shopping I look at how I look by looking down or having someone else tell me how I look. I very rarely wear makeup as you have to look in the mirror to put it on. In public restrooms I will wash my hands without looking up. I guess I feel if I don't look in the mirror I won't see just how out of control my weight has gotten. I try to trick myself into believing I am only a certain size if I don't look at it. Besides, why is it really necessary to look in a mirror???
Breakfast: A protein meal replacement
Snack: Jello or Broth
Lunch: A protein meal replacement
Snack: Jello or Broth
Dinner: A protein meal replacement
Snack: Jello or Broth
This seems to be what the diet will be like right before the surgery and we wanted to see what it would be like so we decided to do a 2 week trial. I think it will be hard, but interesting. I also have joined a site called obesityhelp.com and have found some very inspiring stories and photos. You tube has also been a great source of inspiration and useful information.
On another note, I have a secret that not many people know. I don't look in mirrors. I have never actually figured out why, but I try my hardest not to look in them. When I go clothes shopping I look at how I look by looking down or having someone else tell me how I look. I very rarely wear makeup as you have to look in the mirror to put it on. In public restrooms I will wash my hands without looking up. I guess I feel if I don't look in the mirror I won't see just how out of control my weight has gotten. I try to trick myself into believing I am only a certain size if I don't look at it. Besides, why is it really necessary to look in a mirror???
Saturday, September 29, 2012
First Call....
I had my first call with Carewise. Carewise is a program the company I work for uses to help people get healthy. They have a lot of different healthy living plans. I talked with a registered dietician by the name of LeAnne. She will work with me for the next six months to help me get prepared for weight loss surgery. She said there will be several phone calls between myself and her, also other phone calls with a registered nurse. They are going to be sending out a kit in the mail to help with the next six months. I asked her if there was a required amount of weight to lose before surgery and she said they would like you to lose 5-10% of the total amount you have to lose, which equates to about 10 pounds. I am hoping to be able to lose a little more than that before the surgery. I think it would be nice to go in to the surgery weighing 300 or less. That means 12 pounds to lose. If I work hard at it I think I can do it. I have my psych eval on October 12. That should be an interesting appointment. LOL. My second call with LeAnne will be October 9.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
diet, the kind you have to follow after surgery
Been doing some research and I came across the site obesityhelp.com. It offers a lot of information about bariatric surgery. I have heard that for the first few weeks after surgery you have to force yourself to "eat" because you feel so lousy you don't want to eat, even though the eating consists of little bits of a liquid diet throughout the day. The joke was made that we certainly have enough shot glasses, which are 1oz, since we have a shot glass collection. I am getting more excited by the day, and I am the type of person who hates to wait. I know that these next six months will help me change my thinking and eating patterns in order to be successful after surgery. The following is an excerpt from the obesityhelp.com page that talks about the phases of diets after surgery:
Phase I: Clear Liquid Diet
1. After surgery, you will not eat any food or drink any liquids until approval by the surgeon.
2. Once approved, you will receive water, clear broth, unsweetened apple juice or decaffeinated* tea (no red fluids)**. You will only be able to drink 30mL (1 oz) every hour. If you tolerate 1 oz of liquid each hour, on day 2 you may advance to 60mL (2 oz) of liquid every hour.
3. Remember to drink liquids SLOWLY. Do not use a straw***.
4. There may be large quantities of liquids brought to you on your tray. You do not have to finish everything. When you feel full, stop!
5. It is not unusual to experience nausea and/or vomiting during the first few days following surgery. Make sure that you drink slowly. If nausea or vomiting persists, contact your nurse.
*Caffeine should be avoided after surgery because it is a diuretic. This will cause you to lose fluids and make it more difficult for you to keep yourself hydrated.
**If “red foods” are consumed after surgery and you vomit, it may be mistaken for blood. “Red foods” include foods on the clear liquid diet such as sugar-free gelatin, sugar-free popsicles or any “red” sugar-free beverages.
***If you drink from a straw after surgery you will cause air to enter into your new pouch. This will create a full feeling and you will have less room for liquids needed to keep hydrated as well as nutritious foods when you advance to those stages.
Phase II: Full Liquid Diet
1. On discharge from the hospital you will start the full liquid diet.
2. You will stay on the full liquid diet for 1-2 weeks unless directed otherwise by your surgeon and dietitian.
3. To prevent nausea and vomiting, drink liquids slowly. Sip ¼ cup (2 oz) of liquid over 30 minutes. You do not have to finish everything. When you feel full, stop!
4. Drink at least 6-8 cups of water or low-calorie drinks between high-protein beverages. Remember to avoid carbonation, caffeine and citrus.
5. Take your prescribed multi-vitamin/mineral supplements and calcium as instructed.
6. Make sure you keep track of the kind and amount of high-protein beverages you drink. Remember, you need a minimum of 60 grams of protein each day.
The following are examples of protein sources that should be included on the Full Liquid Diet:
1 cup Fat free or 1% milk = 8 g protein
1 cup Soy milk or lactose-free milk (Lactaid or Dairy Ease) = 8 g protein
No-sugar-added breakfast drink made with fat-free or 1% milk (Carnation Instant Breakfast) = 12 g protein
Strained cream soup made with milk (no tomato, mushroom or corn pieces) = 8 g protein
Commercial supplements as suggested by your surgeon or dietician
To help boost protein intake, add non-fat powdered milk to the above list of liquids.
(1 Tbsp = 3 grams of protein, 25 calories)
Phase III: Puree Diet
1. After 1-2 weeks on the Full Liquid diet, you will be able to SLOWLY add foods of a thicker consistency. All foods for the next 2 weeks will be blended to a baby-food consistency.
2. You can continue to include foods on the full liquid diet throughout this stage.
3. It is very important to chew foods thoroughly to avoid blockage or nausea. Try 1-2 Tbsp of food at a time to see if tolerated. Each meal should consist of only 2-4 Tbsp (1/8 – ¼ cup of food).
4. Remember to always include protein first at each meal. You need a minimum of 60 grams of protein each day.
5. Keep yourself hydrated! Drink 6-8 cups of water and low-calorie beverages between meals. Fat free or 1% milk can be included as part of your total fluid intake.
6. Continue to keep track of the kind and amount of protein you eat every day.
The following are examples of foods from each food group that should be included on the Puree (Blended) Diet. The meat and the milk group include food choices that are “complete” proteins. “Complete” proteins contain all the essential amino acids your body needs. Food choices from the starch, fruit, and vegetable groups are not “complete” proteins and should only be used with foods from the milk and meat group.
Phase IV: Soft Diet
1. After 2 weeks on the Puree Diet, you will no longer have to blend your foods. You can slowly add foods that are soft in consistency. Soft foods can be cut easily with a fork.
2. You will remain on the Soft Diet for 2 weeks. Remember to try one new food at a time.
3. For better portion control, use smaller plates and baby spoons and forks. Stop eating when you feel full.
4. Keep yourself hydrated! Drink 6-8 cups of water and low-calorie beverages between your meals. Don’t drink with your meals. Don’t drink 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after meals.
5. Continue to take your supplements as prescribed.
6. Continue to keep track of the kind and amount of protein you eat every day. Remember, your goal is a minimum of 60 grams of protein each day.
Phase V: Regular Diet
1. After 2 weeks on the Soft Diet, you may begin the Regular Diet if ready. You may be ready for this phase at 1 month after surgery or possibly not until 2 months after surgery. Everybody progresses differently.
2. This is the last stage of the diet progression. Continue to add new foods in slowly. Raw fruits and vegetables can be added in as tolerated. You may want to avoid the skin and membranes on fruit.
3. Follow a low-fat diet and avoid simple sugars for life. Your protein goal remains at a minimum of 60 grams each day. For successful weight loss, caloric intake may range between 800-1200 calories each day. Ask your registered dietitian how many calories are appropriate for you.
4. Continue to eat 5-6 small meals each day. As your pouch expands, 3 small meals and 1-2 high protein snacks may be more appropriate.
5. Continue to take your prescribed supplements for life.
6. Keep yourself hydrated! Always drink 6-8 cups of water and low-calorie beverages daily.
7. Continue to track your daily intake and activities. Include calories, protein, fluids, supplements and exercise.
Phase I: Clear Liquid Diet
1. After surgery, you will not eat any food or drink any liquids until approval by the surgeon.
2. Once approved, you will receive water, clear broth, unsweetened apple juice or decaffeinated* tea (no red fluids)**. You will only be able to drink 30mL (1 oz) every hour. If you tolerate 1 oz of liquid each hour, on day 2 you may advance to 60mL (2 oz) of liquid every hour.
3. Remember to drink liquids SLOWLY. Do not use a straw***.
4. There may be large quantities of liquids brought to you on your tray. You do not have to finish everything. When you feel full, stop!
5. It is not unusual to experience nausea and/or vomiting during the first few days following surgery. Make sure that you drink slowly. If nausea or vomiting persists, contact your nurse.
*Caffeine should be avoided after surgery because it is a diuretic. This will cause you to lose fluids and make it more difficult for you to keep yourself hydrated.
**If “red foods” are consumed after surgery and you vomit, it may be mistaken for blood. “Red foods” include foods on the clear liquid diet such as sugar-free gelatin, sugar-free popsicles or any “red” sugar-free beverages.
***If you drink from a straw after surgery you will cause air to enter into your new pouch. This will create a full feeling and you will have less room for liquids needed to keep hydrated as well as nutritious foods when you advance to those stages.
Phase II: Full Liquid Diet
1. On discharge from the hospital you will start the full liquid diet.
2. You will stay on the full liquid diet for 1-2 weeks unless directed otherwise by your surgeon and dietitian.
3. To prevent nausea and vomiting, drink liquids slowly. Sip ¼ cup (2 oz) of liquid over 30 minutes. You do not have to finish everything. When you feel full, stop!
4. Drink at least 6-8 cups of water or low-calorie drinks between high-protein beverages. Remember to avoid carbonation, caffeine and citrus.
5. Take your prescribed multi-vitamin/mineral supplements and calcium as instructed.
6. Make sure you keep track of the kind and amount of high-protein beverages you drink. Remember, you need a minimum of 60 grams of protein each day.
The following are examples of protein sources that should be included on the Full Liquid Diet:
1 cup Fat free or 1% milk = 8 g protein
1 cup Soy milk or lactose-free milk (Lactaid or Dairy Ease) = 8 g protein
No-sugar-added breakfast drink made with fat-free or 1% milk (Carnation Instant Breakfast) = 12 g protein
Strained cream soup made with milk (no tomato, mushroom or corn pieces) = 8 g protein
Commercial supplements as suggested by your surgeon or dietician
To help boost protein intake, add non-fat powdered milk to the above list of liquids.
(1 Tbsp = 3 grams of protein, 25 calories)
Phase III: Puree Diet
1. After 1-2 weeks on the Full Liquid diet, you will be able to SLOWLY add foods of a thicker consistency. All foods for the next 2 weeks will be blended to a baby-food consistency.
2. You can continue to include foods on the full liquid diet throughout this stage.
3. It is very important to chew foods thoroughly to avoid blockage or nausea. Try 1-2 Tbsp of food at a time to see if tolerated. Each meal should consist of only 2-4 Tbsp (1/8 – ¼ cup of food).
4. Remember to always include protein first at each meal. You need a minimum of 60 grams of protein each day.
5. Keep yourself hydrated! Drink 6-8 cups of water and low-calorie beverages between meals. Fat free or 1% milk can be included as part of your total fluid intake.
6. Continue to keep track of the kind and amount of protein you eat every day.
The following are examples of foods from each food group that should be included on the Puree (Blended) Diet. The meat and the milk group include food choices that are “complete” proteins. “Complete” proteins contain all the essential amino acids your body needs. Food choices from the starch, fruit, and vegetable groups are not “complete” proteins and should only be used with foods from the milk and meat group.
Phase IV: Soft Diet
1. After 2 weeks on the Puree Diet, you will no longer have to blend your foods. You can slowly add foods that are soft in consistency. Soft foods can be cut easily with a fork.
2. You will remain on the Soft Diet for 2 weeks. Remember to try one new food at a time.
3. For better portion control, use smaller plates and baby spoons and forks. Stop eating when you feel full.
4. Keep yourself hydrated! Drink 6-8 cups of water and low-calorie beverages between your meals. Don’t drink with your meals. Don’t drink 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after meals.
5. Continue to take your supplements as prescribed.
6. Continue to keep track of the kind and amount of protein you eat every day. Remember, your goal is a minimum of 60 grams of protein each day.
Phase V: Regular Diet
1. After 2 weeks on the Soft Diet, you may begin the Regular Diet if ready. You may be ready for this phase at 1 month after surgery or possibly not until 2 months after surgery. Everybody progresses differently.
2. This is the last stage of the diet progression. Continue to add new foods in slowly. Raw fruits and vegetables can be added in as tolerated. You may want to avoid the skin and membranes on fruit.
3. Follow a low-fat diet and avoid simple sugars for life. Your protein goal remains at a minimum of 60 grams each day. For successful weight loss, caloric intake may range between 800-1200 calories each day. Ask your registered dietitian how many calories are appropriate for you.
4. Continue to eat 5-6 small meals each day. As your pouch expands, 3 small meals and 1-2 high protein snacks may be more appropriate.
5. Continue to take your prescribed supplements for life.
6. Keep yourself hydrated! Always drink 6-8 cups of water and low-calorie beverages daily.
7. Continue to track your daily intake and activities. Include calories, protein, fluids, supplements and exercise.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Consultation
Charlie and I went for our weight loss surgery consult today. We got a lot of information, I have made a decision about which surgery to have. I am going to do the bypass. I have a lot of trouble with acid reflux and the bypass helps with making that go away. He told us that we have to do a psych eval, a nutrition eval, an EGD and then work with the weight loss program through my work for 6 months and then we can have the surgery. We are looking at having it done in about March or April of 2013. What a great birthday present for my birthday in May!
Tomorrow we are picking up a treadmill from my parents house so we can use it at our place. I am excited because I have had results before from walking on the treadmill.
I have some fears. The fears are mainly about the pain, something happening to me or Charlie during surgery. I'm not overly concerned with not being able to eat what I want because I don't eat really bad as it is. My main eating problem is portion control. I also have a problem with habitual eating, what I mean is that I eat because I had a good day, I eat because I had a bad day, I eat to celebrate, I eat to mourn. I can find a way to eat because of any reason.
I speak with the nutritionist from my work program on Friday. Charlie has an appt with them on the 9th of October. They will work with us on all aspects of nutrition for before and after the surgery. It's kind of funny cause my mom is a retired dietician and you would think I would know how to eat properly. I need to learn portion control. I can't keep going to McDonald's and ordering a number whatever large size with two or three extra things on the side.
So for all of you that are wondering, here is a photo of me from last night. This is what I look like under all the clothes. Scary huh! Well hopefully in a year and a half I will be less of a woman, well less of a physical woman, with more knowledge than today!!!
Tomorrow we are picking up a treadmill from my parents house so we can use it at our place. I am excited because I have had results before from walking on the treadmill.
I have some fears. The fears are mainly about the pain, something happening to me or Charlie during surgery. I'm not overly concerned with not being able to eat what I want because I don't eat really bad as it is. My main eating problem is portion control. I also have a problem with habitual eating, what I mean is that I eat because I had a good day, I eat because I had a bad day, I eat to celebrate, I eat to mourn. I can find a way to eat because of any reason.
I speak with the nutritionist from my work program on Friday. Charlie has an appt with them on the 9th of October. They will work with us on all aspects of nutrition for before and after the surgery. It's kind of funny cause my mom is a retired dietician and you would think I would know how to eat properly. I need to learn portion control. I can't keep going to McDonald's and ordering a number whatever large size with two or three extra things on the side.
So for all of you that are wondering, here is a photo of me from last night. This is what I look like under all the clothes. Scary huh! Well hopefully in a year and a half I will be less of a woman, well less of a physical woman, with more knowledge than today!!!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Photos tell a story....
I think in 1999 when I came back from studying abroad in Costa Rica I weighed about 150 or less. Here is its 13 years later and I weigh double that. You can see over the last few years how much fatter my face has gotten. I am hoping to someday be as small, if not just a tad bigger, than I was in 1999.
Seminar.....
My journey to weight loss has begun. Well actually, it has been a journey for a while, but I finally made the step to do something that is permanent about my weight loss. Here is the nitty gritty about where I am at in my life. I am 5'5" and I weight 312 pounds. My BMI is 52. This is the most I have ever weighed. I have so many health problems. I have acid reflux like you wouldn't believe. It has woken me up on many occasions. Many sleepless nights. Speaking of sleep, I have to wear a mask when I sleep because I have Sleep Apnea. It sucks. I have leg swelling because I sit on my fat butt all day at work. I have stress incontinence, which means my bladder leaks. Gross huh! Yea I know, it is. I am 32 and I sometimes have to wear a diaper. So those are some of the issues I am dealing with because of my weight.
The seminar tonight really opened my eyes to the benefits of the weight loss surgery. It also helped me to realize the way things will be after the surgery. I have had two friends who have had the surgery. I want to talk to them and find out their stories and get their support. Tomorrow, September 25, 2012 is when my husband and I have our consults with the bariatric surgeon. It's exciting but scary at the same time. Also starting tomorrow, I am going to do a photo diary of my journey. I will post a photo each week. I know there will be some criticism about the way I look, and that is fine. I know how I look, which is one reason I don't look in the mirror.
So here it is, the beginning to the end of being MORBIDLY OBESE.
The seminar tonight really opened my eyes to the benefits of the weight loss surgery. It also helped me to realize the way things will be after the surgery. I have had two friends who have had the surgery. I want to talk to them and find out their stories and get their support. Tomorrow, September 25, 2012 is when my husband and I have our consults with the bariatric surgeon. It's exciting but scary at the same time. Also starting tomorrow, I am going to do a photo diary of my journey. I will post a photo each week. I know there will be some criticism about the way I look, and that is fine. I know how I look, which is one reason I don't look in the mirror.
So here it is, the beginning to the end of being MORBIDLY OBESE.
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