Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!
$99 Yearly Supply Alert! 🌈 "1 per Day!" Bariatric Multivitamins

Blogs

Forsythia's Blog
 

As American as Apple Pie...

OMG.. did you guys know that Yoplait makes apple pie flavored Greek yogurt? It totes tastes like apple freakin pie. My mouth was rocked accordingly. If you like apple pie, yours will be too. Why was I not made aware of apple pie flavored yogurt sooner?? I like coconut, and they make a coconut flavor, but I suggest - why not coconut cream pie flavored? Come on Yoplait, you can do it. For me. (Honestly, I like coconut everything. Coconut water, coconut scented shampoo and conditioner, lotion... toasted coconut candles. Coconut lime reed diffusers.. I could go on).   I've officially lost more than 40 lbs in the 8 weeks since my surgery. 40.5 to be exact. Last night I told my Dad that. They he had the nerve to ask me what I used to weigh. I'm a classy broad, and a classy broad never reveals her weight to people she knows, lest she have to kill them. Frankly murder is so messy what with all the blood and cleaning up afterward (For the record, I AM TOTALLY KIDDING AND AM NOT A KILLER). My husband doesn't even know my weight. I know my Dad is a big guy too but I'm pretty sure I'm fatter than him and I just cannot have him knowing that I am THAT heavy. I told him I would let him know once I was below 200 lbs what my weight is.
Forsythia

Forsythia

0
sectrusts' Blog
 

pcp visit

Well....I visited my primary care physician this morning. He is thrilled with my progress. That was encouraging because it feels like it is going slowly. Slight infection from where the drain was but otherwise everything is looking good. I am thankful for that. I am feeling depressed still, but as the doc said, anyone who gets to drink protein 6 times a day and call it food is bound to feel depressed, so know that even that is going to get better. So, am feeling more hopeful today than yesterday. One day at a time....one right decision at a time....one pound at a time. I've got this!
sectrusts

sectrusts

1
I am reclaiming my success!
 

Thanks extreme weight loss!

I didn't want to go today but I really went. I went for Crossfit and did well in the wod. Yay yay yay. Thanks to extreme weightloss (the show) and my goals for helping to make this happen   My goal for the next one week starting Monday is to write in my blog daily, buy swimming gear and swim at least once. Total workout goal for this week including swimming is 5 times. A bit of a stretch but a good stretch!!! :-) finally do my guided meditation twice this week! :-)
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
Ready For My Next Chapter
 

The Date is Set!

My surgery date is July 10th!!! After visiting the surgeon's office, I am excited and scared.      I started my liquid diet.  Yesterday was the first full day.  It was not so bad during the day.  I stayed active in my normal routine.  The evening was the worst.  I do not know why but it simply was.  I want to avoid the kitchen altogether but that is unrealistic, so I have been running in there fixing my shakes and running out.  Trying to make sure that I do not slip up and eat something.  Yesterday I was fixing my mother some cheerios and popped one in my mouth.  I spit that thing out so fast you would have thought it was a fly.  "oops!! Can't have that."  We will see how it goes.
Shawnna1275

Shawnna1275

0
Justification for the Justified
 

Dipping toes in the water

so it's 10 days away... the count down has begun. Tuesday starts the liquid diet for real, although I have been testing things out this last week to see if I like any sugar free, fat free stuff. I'm pumped and terrified!   So most of you reading this are on this journey with me, so you've been standing in front of the protein aisle at any number of stores staring at protein levels and prices and flavors and the bars etc. I started to twitch in KMart, although it didn't have much in the way of variety. Then I decided perhaps GNC would be better. Some of those tubs you could fit a small child in. Who eats this stuff on such a regular basis that they need a 6 month supply at a time?   In the vitamin aisle I nearly had a nervous breakdown. How many kinds of chewable vitamins do we need? Really?   I'm happy and proud to say that I'm all stocked up for at least a month or more. I looked at a number of web sites that specialize in bariatric stuff and it just seems like such a racket. The prices seemed so over inflated. I know they need to make a profit but aren't we already going through enough learning how to work our new digestive tracks? Should we also go broke trying to maintain it?
dsdesigna

dsdesigna

4
4me4them's Blog
 

Traffic School and Weight

So a couple of Saturday's ago I had to go to traffic school. I was not a happy camper. I have had exactly one ticket in the over 34 years I have been driving... a speeding ticket in 1983 coming back from a Barry Manilow concert (and yes I was a party animal in college ). So imagine my surprise when I got a ticket through the mail. My town has invested a lot of money in red light cameras, speed cameras and such. They even have a van that they park unattended in sneaky places. My picture from three angles, not coming to a full stop before making a right on red. $171.00 for the ticket and $185.00 for Defensive Driving School later I found myself sitting in a small conference room at a local hotel I thought had closed, with 15 other folks to take an 8 hour class.   So here's what I learned about my weight that Saturday...I am the worlds champion at rationalizing my behavior away. As folks were coming in we were all like "what did YOU do". So I spin a tale of being sick (we had had the flu for 3 days and I was on a ginger ale run), it being really early in the morning (yep, 0525) and there being no one else on the road (true, just look at the picture). And as I told the story for the 3rd time I had my epiphany...I was telling all that extra information to somehow justify that I had indeed broken the law instead of just saying, I ran a red light and owning up to it.   I do that All The Time with eating. Have you ever thought (or even told someone): I really didn't eat lunch, so this pizza is lunch and dinner I worked out really hard this morning, so this donut is not so bad I'm starting fresh on Monday, so the Dairy Queen Sunday night is just a last treat I forgot my lunch, am pressed for time, so of course I had to get the fried fish sandwich through the drive through   I could go on but I think you see the pattern. I have developed a great ability to rationalize because it is easier than taking responsibility for my eating actions. Last week, there was a thread in the forums about logging your food intake. I have never been very good at that, because I didn't want to see what reality was...can you say denial. But here's the thing, if I don't get over this mental speed hump, I lessen my chances of having a successful outcome. I go see the NUT for the first time in just over a week and will begin my 3 month supervised weight loss at that time. That doesn't leave much time!   So this week I'm going to log everything I eat...in my blog...for realsies! This should be an interesting experiment because my daughter and granddaughter are coming in on Monday and we have the 4th coming up of course so that means I have to fix BBQ Ribs right?
4me4them

4me4them

6
I am reclaiming my success!
 

Row row row your boat

Went to row class today. Endurance row. Wow I gave it my all. It was tough. Row 500 meters each within 3 minutes twice. If you row too slow you won't rest in between so you have to sprint. Then row 1000 meters 2 x each within 6 minutes at a strong steady pace then row another 500 meters 2x at a sprint each within 3 minutes at a sprint. Even the super fit people were panting. But it felt awesome to finish especially because I really wanted to quit halfway. lol. Didn't think I could do it Yay 1 more workout tomorrow and I will have met this week's goal of blogging daily and working out 4x this week. I wonder what I will do for my goal next week. Ideas welcome. :-)
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
I am reclaiming my success!
 

I went today!

After a highly stressful day yesterday I wasn't able to sleep. But somehow I managed to go workout today and workout. As a result I feel better. Glad I went. And it helped with my stress level and emotional rollercoaster. 2 more workouts this week and I will have met my goal. I can do it!!! :-)
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
sectrusts' Blog
 

Just Wierd!

Today is the first day that I can add something to my diet (beside protein shakes). I made drinkable oatmeal this morning. My tummy didn't love that, but maybe 1/2 cup is too much. Then for dinner I just had 1/4 cup of pudding. That wasn't so bad. Still feel pretty full though. Isn't it weird that 1/4 cup of ANYTHING makes me feel full. CRAZY! Oh well..... I have been sitting here thinking about what it will be like to buy clothes in a small size. I am really looking forward to that.
sectrusts

sectrusts

1
sectrusts' Blog
 

What I will gain when I lose

I woke up this morning thinking of all the things that I can't have. Not the greatest, most positive thinking, but that is where I was. So I decided to go off a thread here and focus today on what I will gain. 1. freedom from food 2. smaller clothes 3. the ability to buy cute clothes anywhere for MUCH LESS MONEY 4. more room in my suit case (fat clothes take a lot of space!) 5. getting in and out of the bathtub without getting stuck. 6. sitting at a booth in a restaurant without getting stuck or feeling my gut hang over the table 7. more comfortable in movie theatre seating 8. better sex 9. look better 10. feel better I will have to continue adding to this list in the days ahead to keep my mind on the positive things rather than the negative. YOU CAN DO THIS, SHARI!!!! REMEMBER YOU ARE STUBBORN - LET THAT WORK FOR YOU!
sectrusts

sectrusts

1
Forsythia's Blog
 

Workin on my fitness

Stopped in at Target after work yesterday. Got a couple of new things to work out in. A new sports bra - its reversible. Workout capris - not reversible, and a tank top with built in support - which is not enough support for my girls. LOL. The tank top is a bit snug in the tummy, but the sports bra fits perfectly and the capris fit nicely too. I'm gonna have to double up on the bra with the tank top. Both are a Target XXL, which is an 18/20. I'm much more certain I'm an 18/20 on top than I am on the bottom. Although some of my 24s are now loose. I'd be willing to bet I'm nearing 22 territory in the bum area   I also got in the mail via Amazon, a protective armband for my phone (a Galaxy S5) so that I can lift weights without sticking my phone down my sweaty gross bra (because I cannot workout without my music at the gym. Gym music is universally horrible - unless you go in the morning and then they play classic rock or 80s. Most of the time its all "EDM/technofest/I just took a Molly, yo" when I go in there after work). The armband fits around my arm (yay), and is blue with a reflective strip around it in case I ever exercise outside (which if you knew me you would know that this is laughable since I generally do not do nature because there are critters and bugs and hair frizzing humidity).   I plan on really working on my arms tonight. I am wearing this woven top today and the arms on it are tight. Everywhere else on the top fits nicely. But my arms are going to be a real challenge. It seems a disproportionate amount of fat decided to deposit itself in my tricep area. So the more I can do to firm up the muscle and tighten the skin the better. As much as I contemplate plastics in the future, in the present, I am of no financial means to afford them. So rather than worry about financing them, I am just going to hit my tris hard with kickbacks and dips and whatnot.
Forsythia

Forsythia

2
Ivowtodoit's Blog
 

I have my date!

I started my liquid diet today feeling really good about it. I can't believe July 8 is the day my life will change for the better. I do planned to go to the gym at least twice a day since the gym is next door to me( smile) I broke my weight loss down in stages   Pre stage Liquid diet June 26- July 8 lose 20lbs 1 stage- Aug. 6 - Feb 6 lose 130 lbs 2 stage Feb 7 - Feb 7 a year later lose 100 lbs 3 stage to get to my goal weight 175 lbs how ever long it takes
Ivowtodoit

Ivowtodoit

1
I am reclaiming my success!
 

What a day!

So busy at work I almost forgot to put in my entry today. Phew I remembered. Cancelled workout because of work. Put in a 14 hr day today. Yikes! Thank goodness I have no snacks but healthy snacks in the house because the head hunger is calling. Off to bed. Tomorrow is a new day. :-)
Htallgirl

Htallgirl

0
hectorduran's Blog
 

Approved! (Surgery Date)

After two weeks (15 days) of submitting all the paperwork and requirements to the insurance, I finally got the call that I have been approved for surgery! They gave me July 7th for my surgery date and tomorrow I will be meeting with my surgeon so he can give me a physical and go through my medical history.Since the surgery is coming up pretty soon, I am starting my Pre-Op Diet tomorrow. I have to say that throughout this process I haven't been nervous at all until today that I actually know when my surgery is going to be! This is going to be my first surgery ever so that doesn't help with my nerves. I am so excited to get the surgery but at the same time I am a little scared. It feels somewhat unreal because when I started this process, surgery seemed to be really far away and now its like 12 days from now and like all this different emotions are going through my head but I am taking it all in as part of this journey.   H.D.
hectorduran

hectorduran

3
Justification for the Justified
 

And the beat goes on, and on, and on

Met with the PCP today to get my pre op labs done. I had no idea they were needing all of my blood!?! Some 12 vials of blood later and I'm still here, so I guess I'll be fine.   I guess this is a good time to mention about my surgery, I'd hinted about it in the first post but this seems a more likely place to include it.   Several years ago, maybe even more than a decade ago but I've slept since then so I may be way off, my daddy's sister, Sandy, had the Roux n Y surgery. It was new to all of us back then, I think to most people. I didn't live around her so I don't know exactly what she went through after surgery. I know she lost a bunch of weight, yo-yo'd a little after my grandmother died in 2002. It was after my granny's passing that two other of my dad's sisters had the same surgery and just a couple years ago my dad's brother. Then as if that wasn't enough, my uncle's son and his wife had WLS, I don't know if they all had the same one, I'm pretty sure they did. And finally, if you are still with me, my own father bit the WLS bullet June of 2013. He is doing fabulously well.   Can I be completely honest? I'm mad at them. I'm mad at them because we were a fat, jolly family that loved to eat and have a good time. And now it's all about getting smaller. I'm excited for my own transformation but I find I have a bit of anger towards them. If they hadn't gone through this I certainly never would have. I know they all did it for health reasons certainly not due to vanity. It's just different at family gatherings now. I'll see them all in October, some 4 months following my own surgery. I want to blow them away!! And I want to shed the anger I've held onto for so long.   When I heard about my dad going through with his VSG I had a few tears of grief. My daddy has always been a big fluffy guy. I couldn't fit my arms around him when I gave him a hug and that's just the way things were. I'm gonna see him in a just under 2 weeks for the first time since he had the surgery and although I've seen pictures, it's gonna be difficult to choke back the tears of missing that big guy that I'd always known. Now I'll have to get to know him as this skinny guy, a stranger really. I know I'm sure I'm being more dramatic about it than I need to be, but darn it it's frustrating.   Oh so back to me, I am scheduled to have the Duodenal Switch on July 8th in Dallas. I've been thinking about this seriously for a year, and started with docs and prep work in March. It's been a bit of a whirl wind, but that's better for me. Less time to stress about insignificant things.   I mentioned before that I have never been thin, I doubt I'm alone in that. I don't know if there is any way to really prepare myself for how I'm going to react emotionally to the change. I already think I'm beautiful. There are so many things I like about my physical self none of which will change with weight loss. My eyes and my hair are my favorite things. I understand I should expect some hair loss after surgery, but I already have Hashimoto's so I'm used to losing a bit of hair.   I'm looking forward to shopping in the normal sized clothing section, although to be honest I'm 5'10"... normal is not really achievable. I think I might start wearing dresses. The whole idea is exciting.   Well I think that's it for now, I'm exhausted from them draining me of all my blood. Can't wait to hear back from the lab about how many deficiencies I have and the steps to improve that I'll have to go through. Thanks again for reading!
dsdesigna

dsdesigna

0
Forsythia's Blog
 

So many appointments, so little time

Yesterday I took a half day from work and had not one but two appointments. The first was with my nutritionist at 1:30 and the second was with my nurse practitioner at 2:30. They were not in the same building. Or even on the same complex. The nutritionist is at the main hospital. My NP is further south, down by the Dailey Center. My NUT was very pleased with my progress and happy with my eating patterns and pleased with my sugars. She approved me for a general diet again (so hello, protein bars, you and I can be friends again). She also confirmed that I should be eating between 800 and 1200 calories a day (which is right where I am on any given day).   My NP, well she had some other nurse working with her - an extern, they called her, who thought my sugars were way to high. Since when is 118 or 113 too high? Heck most of the time it is like 89 or 92. Considering that I was really out of control pre surgery I would think she would have been pleased. But no. Way to shackle my buzz, Debbie Downer. She kept trying to get me to go back on to Metformin. I was diplomatic, but basically said no. She was all like, "but it helps with weight loss". Sure does, by making me **** uncontrollably. TMI, I know, but anyone who has taken Metformin knows this is a reality of the drug. I go to the gym four days a week. Do 40 minutes of cardio and another 40 minutes of weights. I can only eat,maybe 1200 calories a day. I will do that over taking Metformin for weight loss.   After 25 minutes of Debbie Downer my actual NP comes in and, knowing my history agrees with me and does not make me start back up on Metformin.
Forsythia

Forsythia

0
sectrusts' Blog
 

Emotional Journey

I have come to the conclusion that this is going to be a highly emotional journey. Yesterday was a BAD day. Got my meds stuck! ICK. Felt nasty, and wanted to eat! I mean REALLY WANTED TO EAT. Somehow I thought that because I wouldn't be able to eat that somehow I wouldn't want to eat. Not true. I am so thankful for my dear sweet husband though. Last night at the dinner table I sat and wept over my protein drinks because I was so weary of fighting my desire for food all day. He came over and gave me a hug and then prayed over me right there that God would walk right beside me and help me overcome this temptation to eat. Such a dear man!!! And you know - it helped. I am sure that I am going to have other battles of will in the future, but then and there my desire for food was gone. I ate my protein, went and hung out with some friends and was just fine. I am not great with "the journey" things - I like instant - run and done. But I am going to have to keep in mind that this is a journey. There are going to be good and bad days. There will be days that I can't help but smile because of weight lose, progress made, smaller clothes, more energy, etc.....but there will also be days when I want food and I want it now. I do wonder if this is how an addict feels. Feel bad for them if that is the case! I CAN DO THIS ~ I WILL DO THIS ~ WITH MY MIGHTY WARRIOR I WILL BE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR!!!!!
sectrusts

sectrusts

0
Justification for the Justified
 

Justification

Hey there welcome to my blog. I'm so happy that you have chosen to read a few thoughts that I have about the world. I pray you find this entertaining, enlightening, and encouraging.   A little about me. I am 40, just turned the big 40... I don't know how I feel about that quite yet. It seems to have snuck up on me. I am a California native living in West Texas where they could seriously use a mountain or two, if only in the distance.   I have always been heavy for as long as I can remember. I've been the chubby child who grew up into the plus sized teen, and then to become the obese woman I am today. I don't know any other life. But I will very soon, in less than 2 weeks to be exact. But I'll get into that more later, that's not what I'm here to discuss with this intro blog.   I am a Christian, I know for many of you it has been Christians that have been the most condemning of you for where ever you are in your life. Christians seem to be the harshest critics in most things. I'm not saying all of them, but it's tough to find one that will just accept you where you are. In fact it took people outside a church building to show me what unconditional really meant. And I still fail at it, daily. I fail at it most of all with myself, but certainly others. I've learned to be prejudiced about so many things, and it's a difficult habit to break. I'm gonna confess something right here that I've not told any one;I can't help myself from judging someone I see that is obese, whether they appear larger or smaller than me. I am guilty of having those same judgmental thoughts in regards to how lazy they must be, or how they shouldn't be eating or doing whatever they are eating or doing at that moment.   Who am I to judge those people? I don't know them. I haven't a clue where their life has lead them, what health conditions they are plagued with or what mean, awful things they tell themselves that are so much more harsh than what anyone else says to them.   Truth is I do know them... I am them. I am everyone of them. I am the person at the donut drive through picking up a dozen for myself or the one in the drive through pick up a double decker bacon cheese burger with a diet coke of course. I am the non exercising, every excuse not to do something or go somewhere just because it might make me sweat. I am the one that avoids sitting in a chair that looks sketchy cause I have broken several in my day. I'm the one that hates flying because the seats are PHYSICALLY painful and the judgmental stares from other passengers can't even compare to the humiliation of having to ask for a seat belt extender or being handed one without asking.   I'm not judging them and their behavior, I'm judging myself and those things that remind me of my own short comings.   I'm also a judge for those that are considerably thinner. I judge them because I just know the thoughts they have in their head about me. I know they see me as ugly, gross, unworthy of acknowledgment, lazy... scum of the earth. I'm much more harsh on men than women. Although I have had the company and attention of some incredibly handsome guys, but they would never show me off. I was never their arm candy. I wasn't paraded in front of their friends and family. So I judge them all with the darkness in my heart that scares me. I'm not a naturally hateful person.   I am no different than anyone else. You may argue that you don't do these things, but we are all carved from the same piece of wood. Your slice may look different, it may have different rings, but in the end, deep down, we all are searching for meaning, purpose and most of all validation that we are important. I feel sorry for younger generations as they grow up in a very visually stimulating, instant gratification, money centric society. They don't know the joy of hanging out on the street with friends just enjoying the day. Bravo to the parents who get their kids to play outside. I digress...   Bottom line, I am an evil awful person, who would want to be my friend? I have the most disturbing thoughts about strangers, and even harsher thoughts about people that I call friends. The ironic thing is that the people who know me the best would tell you I am the sweetest, kindest, most generous person they have met... that I am willing to go that extra mile for others, that I'm full of rare wisdom and way too much knowledge.   I'm sharing this with you because if you are going to read my blog, then you should know me deep down as I don't want you to waste your time with false ideas about who I am or what I am about. I'm not here to impress anyone, but I hope by sharing my story that I can encourage others that they are not alone, and compared to me they just might be sane!
dsdesigna

dsdesigna

1
pcosmommyof4's Blog
 

Two years and Two weeks

Some say fills aren't important. Other say you have to control what you eat...That is why you get the band! My weight is only 10 pounds less than it was when I had my lapband. I do think the sleeve or placation would have been an easier route, but the Band is what God gave me. I have not had true restriction until this week and most likely will have another in three more weeks. For the first time I am at 9.5ccs in my 14 cc band. I am loosing, just very slowly. In previous posts people have commented that I was to blame for not controlling my cravings. However, I am told the Lapband is supposed to help with the cravings. When I spoke with the person that gave me my fills, I have been told that my cravings are there because I am not at restriction and according to the x-ray that was finally done I have never had true restriction. What I lost in the beginning (75 pounds) was my will power and not the lapband (other than the first few weeks after surgery when I didn't feel like eating.) I keep having weird snags along the way with getting my band up to the true green zone. It is hard to find what you haven't experienced and I am scared of hitting the red zone. The biggest thing happened two years ago is that I stopped drinking pop. Don't get me wrong, I still have one about once a week. However I use to have about 6 a day.   Today I am super excited to finally REALLY be starting this journey! Even better, I have been told to not do curl ups or other repetitive motions similar so my port doesn't flip again. Here is to a better me!
pcosmommyof4

pcosmommyof4

0

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

Bariatric Forums

For Patients

Health Professionals

Search Surgeons

Bariatric Surgeons: Want to research a weight loss surgery surgeon? Enter their last name below to start!

×