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LaVerne's Journey
 

Feeling BLAH

I don't want to be a downer, but I promised myself I would document how I feel through this process, so I'm going to be honest.   Last night, after work, I thought it'd be a good idea to "reward" myself since I've spent all week seriously trying to eat smaller portions and better foods - and lots of protein! I talked my husband into going out for dinner. Nothing awesome, just some chicken wings. Not even the worst choice we could make. We usually share a platter of 20 assorted flavors & a big order of fries. We opted for fried mushrooms as an appetizer last night & did not order fries.   My body must have been getting used to smaller portions. I know I felt full, but my head hunger got the best of me. I really wanted those wings! I did end up bringing 2 home, but I should have stopped sooner. I felt completely awful, not just mentally, but physically. I shouldn't have thought of a bigger meal as a reward. That's not the kind of reward I need. It's not even a reward - it's just another hurdle.   Another thing I'm worried about...am I obsessing on things a little too early in my process? I think I'm going to take it a bit easier for a little while. My first appointment is still 17 days away and it feels like FOREVER. I'm going to drive myself nuts! Don't get me wrong - I WON'T give up. I won't eat everything in sight, I won't stop trying to get some exercise in. I just won't be so obsessive until I know what my doctors really want me to do.   So there - I'm not perfect. I'm never going to be perfect, but I'm not going to stop striving for the best me that I can be.
<3 Carolina Girl <3

<3 Carolina Girl <3

1
I am reclaiming my success!
 

I was a beast back!

Crossfit was a beast today. And I was a beast back!!!! Me and my 236lbs!!! Hehehe. Needless to say I have lost some weight and I am feeling accomplished. Big smiles!!! Yay yay yay!!! :-) intermittent fasting actually works for me. Keeps hunger pangs at bat. I started taking psyllium seed husk and I feel hungrier. Could they expand the stomach? The fiber pills? Took bcaa pre workout and post per doc recommendation. Yay today!!!
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
Traci's Blog
 

My head is spinning

I am having such a difficult time thinking about much else today. I mean, I did sit through 2 appointments and had a lab draw this afternoon. I have my vitamins. I have a pill packet to help keep me on track with the vitamins each day. I am not only going through the motions, but I'm also researching and learning. Yesterday, the behaviorist told me to think about short-, mid-, and long-term goals to help me get through the tougher moments.   My target weight is 150 lbs, based on the composition analysis done by my bariatric doc. I haven't seen that weight on the scale since I was a teen. I accept I will never be the small, petite size of several other members of my family, but I'm good with 150. I keep trying to imagine what it will be like to be able to shop in a "normal" clothing store or to find cute things at thrift shops, instead of the clothing I've had to wear all of these years. As I hit the milestones post-op, I want to be able to go into stores and try on clothing. I really dislike this, but as I'm losing the mass, it will be exciting to see these changes. I look forward to cleaning out my closet and donating everything that is too big.     One thing I have promised myself is that once I'm approaching my goal, I won't continue to hide myself under baggy clothing. I will work with a wardrobe person to get clothing fitted properly. For too many years, I have been hiding myself underneath tents.     Beyond clothing, I REALLY want to be able to do the things I enjoyed when I was younger. I have a snowboard that has been in storage, waiting for me to return to the slopes. One trip I want to make is to Colorado to hit the slopes.
I have a camera that really wants to go out hiking with me again soon. My hope was to go backpacking through glacier national park once I finished my graduate degree. I still haven't gone.
To be able to sit in the roller coaster seat at Cedar Point again will be amazing. I was so disappointed the last time I went there and we couldn't get the restraint around my hips/belly. Of course, there will be a lot of work between now and then. I have several nieces and nephews who are finally big enough to ride the roller coasters at Cedar Point, so, next year, I want to plan a trip with my family to go spend the day there.
The other thing I really want to do in the next year or so is hike the San Pedro Volcano in Guatemala. I was there in 2012/2013, and that mountain laughed at me. I really want to get myself into shape enough to hike to the top.
Once I've lost some weight, I want to try out for a roller derby team. Everyone has to try it at least once, right?
Once I'm under 300 lbs, I want to join a zumba class.
Once I'm under 250 lbs, I want to join a kick-boxing class.
Once I'm under 200 lbs, I want to join a parkour gym. I did gymnastics as a kid, I loved it and was disappointed that my parents stopped taking me.
I want to bike the Dalmac.
I want to do a warrior dash.
I want to go sky diving.
I want to go spelunking.
I want to learn to rock climb.
I want to be the cool aunt who teaches my nieces and nephews the fun of running. I used to run 10 miles at a time when I was in high school. Well, more of a jog, but I still went the distance. I want them to join me for 5k runs, 10k runs... and maybe even work up to half-marathons.
I want to take the kids who are old enough out white water rafting.
I want to go on canoeing and kayaking trips.
I've missed out on so much for the last 6-8 years. In 2004, I went white water rafting, it was such a rush. I really want to go again. In 2006, I went zip-lining 100' in the air through a jungle, and I hiked a volcano that had erupted the week before and there was still molten rock flowing down the side. I haven't done much since then. I'm hoping that this will all help to keep me motivated. In the meantime, I will continue to take the small steps.
Trace Lynne

Trace Lynne

0
Traci's Blog
 

SO Close!

Today I met with the nutritionist again. She said I'm progressing very well, but I'm not quite there yet. She wants me hitting 12-14g of protein 5-6 times a day consistently before she signs off on moving forward with my surgery. My next appointment with her is in 2 weeks. She is the last person I'm waiting on to sign off before I can talk with the surgeon and get the surgery schedule.   She told me to email my food report to her next week, and I've hit it everyday, then she will sign off.   The changes I've been making in my diet seem to be helping, though. I mean, last night, after my shower last night, when I wrapped my towel around me, it touched end to end instead of there being a 3+ inch gap between the ends. I know it is a little thing, but I was so excited to see that. Then I got on the dreaded scale at the doc's office to have it tell us I've lost 12 lbs since my initial consultation. (Jumping up and down for joy!!!) 12 lbs in 6 weeks, that's probably better than any weight loss program I've done in the last decade.
Trace Lynne

Trace Lynne

0
LaVerne's Journey
 

Just the beginning

Not really sure where to start. I want to document my journey and become a part of this community. So I guess I'll start with what brought me here.   I have been large my entire life. I have very few pictures from my childhood where I thought I was normal size. I'd say that stopped by the time I reached first or second grade. I'm 35 years old now. I topped out at 360lbs in 2011. Until that point, I had not kept up with my health at all. No yearly doctor visits, I hadn't even seen an OBGYN since 1999 when my daughter was born. An occasional trip to the urgent care center for a horrible migraine that I couldn't get rid of would always result in my promising to see my PCP (didn't even have one) and taking care of my HBP.   My breakdown came in 2012. I had always had unpredictable monthly cycles, but this one was off the charts! (TMI warning) I bled for a straight 4 months with no breaks! I finally had to break down and find an OBGYN to see. A month of trying different drugs stopped it for a few days, but it came back with a vengeance, ultimately leading to a D&C to reset my body. This scared me. I found a PCP and started to try and get myself together. I was lucky to find a PCP that I love on the first try. I would have given up if I'd had to "shop" for a doctor.   So we got my BP stabilized with meds, I started on cholesterol meds as well and added in an antidepressant to help me through this. After more testing, she warned me that I was on the diabetic borderline. We started talking weight loss & she suggested phentermine. I started it and loved it! the weight was coming off, slowly, but surely. I did 3-4 months on and 1-2 months off. Things were looking up. I got down to about 320 or so, and I thought I was doing great. Then I decided I could do it on my own - without the phentermine. I seemed to be building a tolerance to it anyway, so I stopped taking it. Yeah, that didn't work out too well. I gained back every single pound! Not to mention, in the interim, I had a heart scare (another long story) that now prevents me from having the phentermine option again.   So now, here I am. I'm at 333lbs. I finally had the courage to ask my PCP about surgical options. She was happy that I asked. She thought it was the right option for me, but was not going to push it. (I had mentioned it before & we decided to try phentermine first) I've been to the info session & have an appointment on the 28th for my first surgical consultation. It's been a few weeks since the info session & I'm trying to experiment with upping my protein, downing my carbs, etc. I even tried my first protein shake today...UGH, that's gonna be tough!   Right now, I have a lot of confidence in my ability to get this done - with the help of a surgical tool. I'm excited at the thought of getting down to a size that I have literally never been before! I'm excited at the thought of cleaning my closet out because everything is too big! I'm excited to be able to walk for more than 10 minutes without pain. I'm excited to be able to ride bikes with my daughter - something she always wants to do, but I can barely make it down our street before feeling like I have to turn around, or I won't make it back home. I've been reading so many success stories in this and other forums and I want to be there too!   Oh, and I can't forget! While it might not be good news that my husband was put on insulin this week for his diabetes, it's great news that he has decide to "seriously consider" having surgery as well because of it. I certainly hope he does. It would be great to have each other to lean on and to actually know what the other is going through. It will be a different journey for him - I think he leans more towards a lap-band procedure, while I am pretty much convinced I want to do the sleeve - but we could take this journey together. I sure hope he goes all in!   I'm ready to start my journey. I hope that I will find friends here to support me along the way. I look forward to being able to learn and experience all that comes with WLS so that I can share my knowledge in the future to those who are just starting out. I'm ready for a healthier me. I'm ready to be a healthier wife & mom. I want to LIVE - not watch my life go by as only a spectator. I guess that means it's time for a change.   Let's get this party started!
<3 Carolina Girl <3

<3 Carolina Girl <3

1
Traci's Blog
 

Jumping Through the Hoops

This journey started the day I decided to go to the Sparrow Weight Management information session (5/6/14). The bariatric physician stood up and talked about how being obese, or morbidly obese, as in my case, isn't just about eating too much food. He spoke of how over the last 10 years, the medical community have started to realize over 150 things can go wrong and impact a person's normal system. My past experiences with doctors were about them blaming me for a lack of control and will power. But it never matter how much i ate or didn't eat... how much I exercised or didn't... I always put on the weight, an average of 10 lbs a year. I tried so hard, and nothing seemed to work, and I gave up. Now I'm about 200 lbs overweight, and that's when I decided to go to that information session. I about cried to hear this.   They gave us a packet, told us to contact our insurance to ask the questions needed to see what is covered, and if we were interested, give the weight management office a call to set up our first consultation. I have over 200 of sick leave that I could use if needed, now was the time for me to move on this. I called my insurance office during break the next morning and got all of the answers to the questionnaire. I then called the weight management office to get my appointment with them. Ugh, I had to wait until May 30th for the initial consultation. So, I decided to set up an appointment with my primary care doc to just let them know I'm moving forward with this.   May 30th rolls around. In addition to meeting with the doctor, I spoke with the surgical coordinator, the person who helped set up all of my appointments and tests. Chest x-ray
Lab work, where they took 10-11 viles from me
EKG
Sleep test
Appt with my hemo specialist
Outside psych eval
Exercise readiness
dietitian consultation
... just to name a few...   I guess it could be worse... I mean, its not like I have tons of ailments with more specialists who have to sign off on this procedure.   My insurance approved my moving forward with the surgery over a month ago, but the weight management office has their process. I've received sign off from everyone except the dietitian as of today. I see her a little later this morning, and I go talk to my hemo specialist to get the blood clot prevention strategy in place, since have a genetic blood disorder, increasing my chances of getting a blood clot (which was discovered a few years ago after my knee surgery and I was admitted to the ICU with massive clotting post-surgery).   I spoke with the behaviorist yesterday... and asked her what happens once I get final sign-off from the dietitian. She said that's when I go to stage 2 of hoop jumping... yeah! I switch to the liquid diet for 2-4 weeks, meet with the dietitian, behaviorist, exercise specialist weekly, go to pre-op educational classes, and do the surgical consultation. She said I will also get my surgery date at that time.   I am approaching 6 weeks of this process beginning with my initial consultation. The summer if flying by. The first part, waiting for the initial consultation felt like I was climbing the first hill of a roller coaster. I've been averaging 2-3 appointments/tests a week and it feels like the pedal is to the metal. Based on what I was told, the earliest I can go in for surgery is the last week of July (and my educational sessions would be condensed into 2-4 hours for the next couple weeks). However, the way appointments seem to be happening, It will more likely be mid-August. Unfortunately, this makes it really difficult for me to plan my schedule at work for the rest of the summer.   I am excited about how quickly things are going, but it also feels like the unspecified surgery in the near future is forever away.
Trace Lynne

Trace Lynne

2
I am reclaiming my success!
 

I feel alive!

Did my fasted workout today. Holy moly!!!! I kicked bootie!!!! On row machine when going to 100% for 30 Seconds I hit 1.37. Rowing hard that even David, coach, was impressed. Whoa whoa whoa. I was dead after but so proud. Lowest number I have seen. I am really loving working out. Feel aliiiive feel aliiiive!!! :-)
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
I am reclaiming my success!
 

Keep sculpting!

Worked out - Crossfit this am. Fasted workout and took bcaas. Really made a different. It was tough but I rocked it. Completed guided meditation yesterday. Check!! Yay. Feeling on track. I am sculpting my body to be what I want it to be. Everyday!!! Did my 16 hours of fast as part of intermittent fasting. Meals all day were good. Dinner I had to so weetabix and almond milk cos no other cooked food. Yikes. But I added a scoop of protein to help add to it. :-) great day. Gnite all!!!   Tomorrow I wake up and do all body at row studios. Keep sculpting ladybug, keep sculpting!!!
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
4me4them's Blog
 

First Nutrition Appointment

So yesterday I had my first nutrition appointment and my initial consult with the surgeon (Dr. Galvani). I thought I was going to have to do 3 months supervised diet, but apparently I wouldn't have to (because of my BMI). However I want to do my surgery in early December (good time to be off work) and so I'll do 4 months with the NUT. Dr. seemed agreeable to my timeline, and the insurance coordinator was not concerned about my approval.   The NUT was a hoot...enough energy for all of us! My husband went with me and so she included his calories/targets as well...he only gets 300 more calories than I do...I was surprised. So here is what it turns out my first month targets are: 1. 1500 Calories a day 2. between 125-150 grams of Carbohydrates (will go down in the following months but she figured out pretty quickly I'm a carb-a-holic) 3. between 80-90 grams protein 4. minimum 30 minutes daily moving 5. lose weight (no target pounds given)   It was very liberating for me to get some guidelines to follow. I know that may not make sense, but I've been winging it for so long, actually having a target to shoot for that I know will ultimately result in weight loss is kind of cool. I'm using my fitness pal to log my food and we will call it up at my next NUT visit on 04 August.   For the first time in a very long time....I believe I can do this! Beth
4me4them

4me4them

0
I am reclaiming my success!
 

Back in control

Ok! The weekend was kinda wild. I agree. But I'm back on track as of today. Back on intermittent fasting. Didn't eat until 2pm. No workout. Goal for this week is 4 workouts and intermittent fasting through Saturday. The real stretch is the guided meditation twice this week. I can do it. Yay!
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
4me4them's Blog
 

Yay Me!

So my 19 month old granddaughter has been here since 30 July. She is awesome, fearless and a perpetual ball of motion. I tried to keep up and with granny naps I did pretty good. One thing my daughter wanted to do was take her swimming for the first time. This posed a huge problem for me in that I haven't worn a bathing suit in public in many many years. I had resigned myself to sitting in the chairs watching and consoled myself with the thoughts that "NEXT year (after surgery and losing weight) I would be able to get in the water and play. And then it hit me....Callie will only have ONE FIRST TIME! So I did what grandma's everywhere do and put the bathing suit on, jumped in the water and played with my granddaughter attachment=46130:Callie at the pool 5.jpg] And yes, that is my arm!   I have my first consult with the surgeon and nutritionist today...am excited to get started.
4me4them

4me4them

0
Justification for the Justified
 

Enduring Napalm and other physical changes

So it's day 5 of the liquid diet, surgery is Tuesday morning. If you read everything there is to read on this site for everyone that has gone through this process you'll learn one undisputable fact, this is different for each person, although somethings are universally true. I'm learning about one of them right now.   Expect to have issues in the bathroom. Just keep it in mind, stock up on toilet paper. It's not gonna kill you but I can guarantee it's going to annoy the crap out of you, no pun intended. Urination is the biggest annoyance. I sincerely cannot pass by a bathroom without needing to use it. I went to town with my friend the other day, I was out there for less than 3 hours and was in the restroom 3 separate times. It seems to be hourly but sometimes it's just half an hour between visits.   I'm struggling with bouts of unexplained nausea and a lingering headache that I can only assume is the start of serious sugar withdrawl but I can't be certain. I'm also on my period so it might be the start of some shifts in hormone levels. Only time will tell. For some reason I feel short of breath on occasion, I'm assuming that might be a bit psychological and perhaps I'm a little more anxious about this process than my mind is ready to admit. We will take this one day at a time, one moment at a time. I think my stomach acid levels are little warped, I suppose grabbing some antiacids might be a good thing to do some time soon since this is extremely uncomfortable.   I'll be boarding a flight for Dallas TX tomorrow afternoon. I'll meet up with my parents and head to the hotel for the evening. I suppose we will probably grab something for dinner, I hope the soup is edible. Then up early tuesday morning to be checked in at the hospital by 8:30am. I'm already emotional, I'm can only imagine how I'll be then. But I trust that God has big things planned for my life, I feel his hand guiding me through this whole process. I need only be ready for the journey that will come.   If you are reading this and are a believer please say a quick prayer for me, for my parents, for my family.   Thank you and God Bless!
dsdesigna

dsdesigna

3
Forsythia's Blog
 

The purge

Last night my husband went to a concert, so I had a rare evening to myself. I went through my clothes. I threw out a bunch of clothes that were both too big and had issues (ripped seams, holes, stains, cheap construction). I took two more bags and designated those as donateable. One dresses, one pants and suits. I have a bunch of really cute dresses that I am lamenting that I had to let go for being too big. Goodbye navy blue silk bubble hem coctail dress. Fairwell, strapless satin dress with the rhinestone belt detail. Hasta Luego emerald green v-neck with applique detail. I'm just bummed because those dresses were hard to come by and were perfect for what they were for. But I can buy new dresses, in smaller sizes. I like dresses because they make me feel fancy. Ha ha.   The bag of suits, one of which I bought and never wore I won't miss as much. I had them just in case I got a job interview. Let's hope no one calls me for a job interview any time soon - I am completely and utterly professional clothes free (my last two jobs in advertising and telecom have been casual - jeans, t-shirts).   I also reorganized my bookshelves and added a bunch of music to my iTunes. Most of it from the 90s and early 2000s. Brings me back to high school and college.   Today I went to the gym. Still didn't get in the pool. But I did wear a tank top instead of an oversized t-shirt. Baby steps. Did an hour of cardio on the treadmill and recumbent bike. I also did a crap ton of squats, among other exercises. My ass is going to complain about that tomorrow. LOL!
Forsythia

Forsythia

2
Forsythia's Blog
 

Swimming...

I've always loved swimming. Living on Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana, one of the first things my parents did was make sure that all three of us kids knew how to swim. My mother almost drowned when she was a teenager in Pennsylvania, and she made sure that since we lived in a town on the lake that the same thing would not happen to her babies. We took swim lession at Rogers High school. I always enjoyed floating and swimming and diving under the water, like a fish. The smell of the chlorine and the humid air. At the beach it was always fun to feel the sand sift through my toes as I waded out to the sandbar. What I don't like is swimming in front of other people. Not anymore. I've always felt like the beached whale, the fattest fat person on the beach or at the pool. Like everyone is looking at me and judging.   My gym has a pool. A three lane lap pool. Not olympic sized, but a good size for fitness. I'm just so intimidated about using it. I still have my issues. I don't have problems going to the weight room and lifting weights anymore. I know no one cares what I am doing on the treadmill or elliptical. And I'm sure if I ever got to the gym in time for a class after work no one would bat an eye. I know that I am no longer the fattest fat person at the gym (and I never was really, but again, that's my own issue). But in my mind, I still see myself as a size 26W. That's all mental. But there is something about putting yourself in a baththing suit that exposes all of your flaws. Not just those external flaws. The rolls, the jiggling flesh, but the emotional imperfections too. The doubts, the fears, the years of heartache. It is like the act of wearing a skin tight suit puts all of your emotional issues out there on display as well, red and raw for the world to see. I can conceal issues in clothes, but not in a bathing suit. But I know that this is all in my head. But this is one time when it is really hard for me to get out of my own head. I should use the pool and get my $30 per month's worth out of my gym membership.
Forsythia

Forsythia

2
Male Sleever Blog
 

24 hours to go...am scared

My name is Roger, I am 45 years old, happily married with 4 young kids. I am starting to write this blog from a hotel room, where I'm waiting for my surgery on Monday. I am here alone, never told anyone around me as i know what their reaction could be.   I want to write about everything, my questions, my concerns, the background for my decision, my pre-op preparations, my cheats on the pre-op preparations, and everything else.   To start, my journey as started on the left foot. I was supposed to have my surgery last week with Dr. Aceves, who died tragically in a car accident. I got the news 4 days before my surgery - what do I do now, I said to myself. I selected Dr. Aceves after very careful consideration and months of mental preparation. The two weeks prior to the original date of the surgery were a nightmare. I couldn't sleep, eat or think. How could I cut a perfectly working organ voluntarily, I asked myself. What is I discover a few years down the road the I have made a terrible mistake? I couldn't come to terms with my decision, and bhaaammm, after all my thinking and endless self-debating, after convincing myself I'm doing the right thing...he died. What a mental turbulence that had cause me. worse than my own nightmares.   Why surgery? I am successful in life, I have a great job, great wife, great kids, but I hated the way my body looks back at me from the mirror. I am tall, 6'4", but my belly was big. Over the years, I have tried every single diet on this planet...pills, liquid diet, starvation diet, prepared food, voodoo stuff and all the Atkins variations. nada - lose some gain some. I started just feeling heavy - no impact on health yet, but I knew this will come unless I lose weight. Just thinking about it, I gained 20 more pounds, peaking at 275 pounds.   This is it - no more. Two friends went with sleeve and one of them asked me that I simply need to choose - a sleeve surgery or heart bypass surgery - my call.   Questions questions questions This is an elective surgery and to me...I had to be completely nuts to voluntarily cut my stomach. I had tons of questions - will I have normal life after this? Will I enjoy going out; will I be able to drink water fast enough when I run or play basketball, are there any major side effect...sorry for the bluntness but I heard of people who frat unexpectedly after the surgery. I asked and asked and asked on all wed sites, got the help of other sleevers, and heard their stories. the answer of most people was that yes...my life will absolutely change, but the change will be for the better...   How did I select my surgeon? After months of research, I short listed three surgeons based on all the feedback I collected from sleevers. I am a new-age patient. I need to see YouTube videos and asses the skills of the surgeon. I could not make the decision based on word-to-mouth. I had to actually assess the skills myself. One Doctor for example demonstrated his technique and the liver always covered the stomach, he didn't lift it like the others, and half of the time I thought he is simply guessing where he makes the cuts of the stomach. That was a no-go. Right from the beginning I knew that Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Alvarez were two leading surgeons. I didn't go to Dr. Ortiz because his place was not a hospital, and initially I selected Dr. Aceves due to his superior success rates. But after his tragic accident, I had to quickly select a new surgeon. I went back to my original list, and added a few more, like Dr. Illan and two others - but I couldn't find any video of a live surgery. Dr. Alvarez however, made the best impression. He is articulate, knows the material, explains things very clearly and generally made the best impression. He knows his stuff.   Hotel alone... Yes, I didn't tell my wife. She loses sleep over our cat's irregular bowel, i just can't think what would go inside her mind, if she knew I'm about to cut my stomach. I waited for her to go on a trip to her parents in Boston and went to a "business trip". I wish she was here....but I also know I made the right choice I actually haven’t told anyone. I don't need anyone getting into my belly - we have a huge social friend, and I do not want to become the talk of the neighborhood. I am doing this for myself, and want to do this journey alone. Don't get me wrong, my wife knows I am planning this, as I shared it with her, I just never shared the exact date. I will tell her when I am back, after it's all said and done.   Pre-Op Diet....arrr. I am not a huge person. My BMI is 34. I couldn't get insurance approval, so I went with the self-pay option. The first Doctor (Dr. Aceves) told me that I do not need any pre-op diet. The second one, asked for a 5 day liquid diet. I had no problems doing it for three days, but I just had to have a food funeral and ordered today chicken wings. Good bye wings, good bye spicy food...perhaps I will meet you again in one year, but I am opting for something different for now. I will not tell my doctor that I cheated :-)     I am finishing my first entry of the blog here. I will continue to update.
LighterSmarter

LighterSmarter

2
I am reclaiming my success!
 

Swimsuit purchased

Went to row class at 9am tomorrow. Felt great. Also went and bought my swimsuit today. :-) so now I have one day tomorrow and I need to get 2 workouts in to hit my goal. Wondering how I will get that done. :-) yesterday evening I had serious cravings. I think it had to do with the alcohol the night before. Tonight I am going out again so I need to figure out how I will handle this. Today my cravings are in check. I fasted for 16 hours so that definitely helps with the cravings I believe. Purposely kept myself busy. After workout shopping, pedicure, manicure and brows!! here is to tomorrow!!! :-)
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
Justification for the Justified
 

Surviving with Assistance

4th day of all liquids and so far so good. I've had hunger on occasion and just drank more liquid to curb the desire to cheat and eat something solid. I'm looking forward to eating normal food again but I've learned that this is a great training time of how it's gonna be after surgery. Not that I'll be drinking liquids forever but for a time it will be a good go to.   I have to thank my new friends I've made here on this site for being a huge encourgment to me. Their stories of success and struggle help paint a more accurate picture of post op life. You can read dozens of blogs and forums but until you've made a few vets your friends you'll be missing out on that special indepth knowledge that only experience can afford.   I want to put my whole experience out there, warning to guys this is about to become about ladies stuff. Namely menstruation.   So I was worried that I'd start my period just a day or two before surgery and have risk of bleeding out while on the table or worse (ok bleeding out is worse but it's all in how you look at it) them post poning the surgery. Luckily it started early but it's strange. I'm guessing because of the drastic eating change it's affecting my entire system but I'm not sure. The good thing it so far it's the lightest, least painful period I've had in a long time.   I have one more day at work before I go on this adventure. I'm blessed to have encredible support from family, friends, a church congregation, and online support friends. I'm grateful to be an inspiration and to be inspired by those around me.
dsdesigna

dsdesigna

0
I am reclaiming my success!
 

Fun!

Ah oh!!! I didn't blog yesterday. So update is I didn't workout yesterday or today. Went out last night from 8pm through 4am. I surprise myself sometimes and drank alcohol too which is the first time in a while so it got to me. So I spent most of today sleeping off the alcohol. I'm working out tomorrow. Row endurance class. No workout today either.   Wins: went to grocery store and resisted the urge to buy icecream. It isn't good for my body. Second win is I did my guided meditation on Wednesday night. Yay
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
Switching it Up
 

Big Day #1 - Initial Consult with the Surgeon

I had my consult with Dr. Srikanth today and overall it went as I expected. No, actually, it went exactly as I expected. He definitely recommends the DS as the best surgery for my situation. I don't have to jump through a bunch of hoops with my insurance company, meaning no 6 month supervised diet (as of yet). I just have to get my Psych evaluation done and provide proof of past, failed weight-loss attempts. I've got logs from SparkPeople, Weight Watchers and doctor's records that should suffice. I do have to lose 10% prior to surgery, which at this point is going to be somewhere in the range of 35lbs. To do that, Dr. Srikanth has me following his 'sandwich diet' - which looks o-so-fun!   Starting next week I get to eat high protein, low carb for a week. Breakfast is protein and more protein, lunch is protein plus some veggies if I'm still hungry and dinner is a salad with added protein. That doesn't worry me too much - it's a lot like the Whole30 I did last year prior to getting pregnant and I loved how I felt on it.   The week after, however - not such a fan! For the next 2 weeks (yes, 2 weeks) I get to do a clear liquid diet that consists of 80oz of water/liquids, clear broths and 3 protein shakes per day. I can have all of the sugar-free jello and popsicles I want - well I could if I could stomach the taste. I can't stand fake sugar, so unless I get really desperate I'm going to be skipping those. I know that'll be challenging when it comes to the protein shake, but I'm going to do my best to find one that doesn't taste like total crap thanks to the nasty sucralose. Yes - I can taste the difference.   After that, I get to go back to Week 1 and rinse and repeat until I've lost enough weight for him to schedule me for surgery. My goal is to have my surgery by the beginning of September, so I've got my work cut out for me but I also have a lot of motivation to stick to the rules.   I also have to find a way to fit in 90min of exercise every day and, I have to be honest, I'm stuck on that one. I work from home and take care of my kids, so it's not like I can just go for a quick jaunt on my lunch break and then again before I get home at night. It's going to take some creative scheduling - okay, a lot of creative scheduling considering my schedule. Don't get me wrong, I know I need to make exercise a part of my daily life, even after surgery, it's just hard to figure out where it'll fit in and still allow me time to eat, sleep and spend time with my husband.   There's also a long list of tests and appointments I have to schedule. I already have my EGD and Nutritionist appointments scheduled for the end of this month. I still have to get a bunch of blood work, an electrocardiogram, a psych evaluation, a consultation with a cardiologist, a pulmonary function test, an EKG and I think 1 or two other tests. My head is spinning just thinking about it all.   I decided to use the weekend to take a breath, get my food in order and then start scheduling everything on Monday.   Here we go again! Here's hoping I can make it to the end this time.
Lexibelle

Lexibelle

0
Momonanomo's Blog
 

finally posting pictures

Just....feeling a bit blue in regards to my progress, and the stall I've been in. So I created a "before and after" and yes, it does make me feel better to see a side by side comparison! I've been stalled for a while. I've lost 110 lbs since May 2013 and want to lose roughly 25-30 lbs more. But AT LEAST I want to lose another 15 so I can be at a"healthy" weight. I feel so very much better now than I did before surgery! Went from size 24+ to size 10-12. Onward!
Momonanomo

Momonanomo

1
I am reclaiming my success!
 

Who's that voice!

I woke up early today, at 5am for no reason. Usual wake up time is 7:30am. So I asked myself. Do I go back to sleep? But some crazy voice in me said - go to the gym!!! Whoa!!! Who's that voice!! :-) needless to say I heeded the advice. Showered real quick, registered for the class, made some coffee and was out of the house in 20 mins barely skidding into row class for "all body." And I kicked ass in the class. Powerful and energetic. Glad I went. Knocking down my weekly goals one day at a time. Yeah!!!!   Now I need to find a way to buy a swimsuit and go swimming this week since that was part of my goal. I'll go shopping today. I forgot this is a short week but I can't make any excuses. Gotta get my 5 workouts in, one being swimming!!! :-)
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

2

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