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Weight Loss Journey from Start to Finish

Entries in this blog

 

Week 12 (2 Months) - Post Op

Last week’s weight – 211.4 This week’s weight – 209.2 or 207.6 Total weight lost this week – 2.2 or 3.8   Total weight loss since surgery – 36.8 or 38.4   I had a weird weigh-in today. I got up early and weighed myself and was happy to see that I was at 209.2. I’ve been consistently losing about a pound or so each week so I thought I would be in the 210’s this week so when I saw I was at 209.2 I was doing the happy dance because that means that I am out of the 210’s all together (and fingers crossed…FOREVER).   Then I went walking this morning (3 miles) and came home and immediately cleaned the bathrooms (which I hate but wanted to get them out of the way). I had nothing to eat or drink and when I went to take a shower after all that was done I decided to weigh myself again (surely I had lost some weight doing all that!). I stepped on the scale expecting to see the .2 of a pound gone after the 209 but the scale read 207.6!!!! I stepped off and on several times and it read the same each time. That would mean that I lost 1.6 lbs since getting up (which seems unlikely). I recorded both scores on my weigh-in calendar and decided I would let the chips fly where they would next week.   Either way the celebratory thing this week is that I am out of the 210’s. I also walked pretty consistently this week. Since summer break started I have walked a total of 27 miles.   Food Diary for the last two days –   Breakfast – yougert (4 oz) and granola Snack – Diet Green Tea Lunch – McDonalds kids 4 pieces chicken nugget meal with milk Dinner – Ramikin size chicken, rice and crunchy onions, tomato mix with cream of mushroom soup. Snack – Melon and a glass of the diet green tea   Breakfast – 1% skim milk (8 oz), 1 medium banana, slimfast high protein shake mix (chocolate) Snack – Atkins bar Lunch – Chicken salad (no bread), ½ a small bag of chips, 2 bites of pound cake Snack – Mints (I was trapped in a very long training class and that was all I had in my purse J) Dinner – Bag of edamame   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

5
 

Unauthorized Weigh-In And Picture

Normally I only announce my weight every Wednesday (which is the day I had my surgery) and I TRY not to weigh myself inbetween weigh ins. I did an unauthorized weigh-in this morning (Saturday) after walking 3 miles and I was at 211 lbs which makes my weight loss EXACTLY 35 lbs in approximately two months (happy to have hit the 35 lb mark).   I also went to my neices graduation today and I had a full length body shot of me taken with her. I cropped out my neice and husband and attached a "beginning" picture next to today's picture to see if I could see a huge (or at least a 35 lb) difference. I see it somewhat in my face and I know my clothes are smaller in each picture (jeans are a size 22W in one and my white capris are an 18W in the other). I am hoping to add more pictures to these two as I gradually get smaller.   Some other changes I have made is that I am consistantly wearing makeup now (you can tell in the second picture - I love Bare Essential products). Before I was wearing it for "special occasions" only (and in the first picture I was at a Girl Scout chili cookoff event - so no makeup). I am also growing out and styling my hair differently (no hair loss here). I've been making those changes since January of this year to add to my year of self improvement and to make it less "shocking" as I began to loose weight (around family and coworkers).
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

5
 

Week 11

Last week’s weight – 212.8 This week’s weight – 211.4 Total weight lost this week – 1.4 lbs   Total weight loss since surgery – 34.6 lbs   Average weight loss per week - 3.15 lbs     I’m glad that I experienced a loss this week. This week my battle was with and inconsistent schedule, farewell parties, and alcohol. We finished school and I celebrated by buying the ingredients for a white Russian (vodka and kaluah mixed with milk). I think I would have been fine with one but, even buying the smallest bottles of each, I had enough for two/three each night (for several nights!). Clearly this is a “red light” food that I don’t need to purchase AGAIN. I don’t normally drink a lot of alcohol and definitely not a lot since surgery (I have three quarters of a bottle of wine sitting in my cabinet that has been there for quite awhile). At the time it seemed like a good summer’y idea.   Since I am out for the summer (for the most part) I have tried to get in some deliberate and sustained exercise each day. So far I have hit 4 out of the 5 days (mostly walking…3 miles in our neighborhood. This week I walked a total of 12 miles). I am waiting for my summer schedule to level out and then I will join the Y and take advantage of their indoor lap pool and some of their programs (bought a waterproof MP3 player on amazon that I hope will help motivate me – can you tell I am not in love with working out?).   For any people wondering a “normal life” still continues after surgery. You just learn to adapt to a new normal. This week I ate at the Golden Corral (small portions of items, i.e. mac n’ cheese). I ate out at a local restaurant with out-of-town guests (ate off the appetizer menu and took some home). Tonight I am eating out again with my husband and a friend of his and I already know that I am either going to stick to an appetizer or bring three quarters of my meal as leftovers. My surgery has not stopped me from doing anything. I do think more than twice about the food offerings/options and then decide if I can make it work.   I do want to note that I got sleeved with two other people while I was in Mexico. We have stayed in touch on this forum and I am the slowest loser of our group. One person (as of last week) has lost 39 lbs and the other an impressive 55 lbs. I'm not too stressed about it since I am consistantly losing. I would have loved to have been one of those "I lost 75 lbs in 2 months" kind of gal but I am happy how the sleeve is working for me.   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

Week 10 Postop

Last week’s weight – 213.8 This week’s weight – 212.8 Total loss for the week – 1 pound   Total loss since starting – 33.2 Average loss per week since starting – 3.2 lbs   My challenges this week included a two night camping trip with 18 girl scouts. I think all the work we did to set up and take down the campsite off set any extra calories I might have taken in. I also went bowling and had three small pieces of cheese pizza, a beer, and a glass of wine (over a 2 hour period). The beer was the only thing that bothered me (mainly because I was obsessing about the carbonation).   A look at my food (today and yesterday):   Today   Breakfast - A ramikin size bowl of Go Lean Crunch with skim milk Snack - Atkins meal replacement bar Lunch - Yougert (4 oz) with go lean crunch cereal mixed in, 4 oz container of Lloyd's BBQ (ate seperately over some time) Snack - 3 Altoids mints (I didn't have anything else with me) Dinner (if you want to call it that at 3 p.m.)- 4 Burger King chicken nuggets and their hot fudge sundae (was stressed at work and that was how I dealt with it - I really wanted four yummy krispie kreme donuts!!!!!). Stomach felt icky and I laid down to take a nap. It is currently 7:40 p.m. and I am not really hungry but am super thirsty so I am drinking water and diet green tea. Might make a small meat and cheese plate with olives.     Yesterday   Breakfast – SlimFast high protein chocolate protein powder with 8 oz of skim milk. 8 oz of minute maid lemonaid at Sonic. Snack – Almonds (15) Lunch – To go individual peanut butter packet and a 1 oz bag of cool ranch Doritos (I forgot to pack my lunch and that was all I had at school) Dinner – 1 pint 1% milk, cut up boneless porkchop – thin (probably one and a half), bag of edemami (individual serving steamed). Dessert – 2 small scoops of orange sherbet at my school’s ice cream social   School is finished for the year this week so I am hoping to get into a regular early morning walking routine starting next week.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

Week 9 (Or 10 Depending On How You Look At It) - Postop

I weighed in this morning and was at 213.8 (down from a high of 246). That means I lost 1.6 lbs this week (which I am totally fine with).   My average weight loss is about 3.6 if you look at it from a 9 week perspective but I lost 10 lbs the week of preop so if I factor 10 weeks working on it then I am averaging a weekly weight loss of 3.24 (not too bad!).   I am currently down 32.4 lbs.   Memorial Day weekend was definitely a food challenge. I had 3 wine coolers before the sugar got to me (and the fact that I hadn't factored in the carbonation). I had 2 glasses of wine, a bunch of cheese its, 2 servings of lemon merange pie (not back to back), and decent amount of doritos. Everything else was pretty much within moderation. If I eat too fast I get very hot quickly and feel like crude. It is sometimes a chore to slow down the eating when everyone around you is eating so fast. Got compliments from my neices whom I hadn't see in awhile and got some random "Are you losing weight" comments at work.   I don't get super hunger and I fill up fast. I ate out twice this week. Once I had edamane and a hamburger with sauteed mushrooms and melted cheese (no bun and I didn't finish all the hamburger). I also went to McDonalds and had the kids meal with 4 chicken nuggets, small fries, and 1/2 a milk (I drank the other half of the milk the next day and had the apple slices in my lunch the next day as well).   Today I ate   Breakfast - one piece of deli salami and one piece of deli roast beef plus a 1/2 a cup of milk   Snack - Ensure high protein shake   Lunch - green sugar free jello, 1 oz plain almonds, diced turkey cubes and a diced cheese stick (spread out over an hour an a half)   Snack - cut up strawberries and blueberries, 5 peices of deli salami, and 2 jalepeno stuffed olives (plus 2 sugar free breath mints)   Dinner - Single serving of Lloyds BBQ (bought them in 4 oz individual packets)   I didn't do any exercise (and I feel kind of bad about that considering I had 3 days off where I could have at least walked). I did go on a field trip with students where I walked up a giant lighthouse but that was about it.   Until next week!   Goal next week - Get more water in!!!!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

5
 

Two Months Postop (Week 8)

I lost 1.2 lbs this week. This puts my current weight at 215.4 (from a high of 246). My total weight loss since starting this journey has been 30.6 lbs (average weight loss per week is 2.5….which does not include the 10 lbs I lost post op).   I am two months PostOp and I am pretty much eating whatever I want – except in smaller amounts (examples of things I am eating – watermelon, spaghetti, cereal, small salads, asparagus, etc.). If it can fit into one of my 4 oz containers that is how much I eat.   Best meal this week was a tomato, mozzarella, basil salad with left over fresh tuna my husband caught (ate separately…drizzled wasabi, soy, ginger dressing on the tuna..yum!). The day before I had the tuna on a small bed of lettuce with the dressing and sliced up cucumbers.   Please note that I don’t enjoy cooking at all. I did make the tomato/mozzarella salad but my husband cooked the tuna. I’ve been looking up “make ahead” salads so I have more healthy “go to” items in the fridge (this weekend I want to try a black bean confetti salad and a Texas caviar salad – found easy recipes through pinterest). I thought those would be good with some pre-cooked chicken.   I made the mistake of watching the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead this week. Now I want a juicer and started obsessing about getting in micro nutrients (I liked parts of the documentary but not all of it. It is about juice fasting.). I also made the mistake of weighing myself every day (which has not helped me mentally and has me questioning everything I am eating when I am eating below 1200 calories as it is). I am close enough to being under 200 to “taste” it. We bought plane tickets to go home this summer and I would love to be under 200 when I go. I am feeling some “self pressure” to drop those pounds in the coming month which I think is contributing to my recent blah mood (mainly because I know I should probably join the Y and get on a regular exercise program if I want to lose that weight in the next month).   I had a moment yesterday where everything was ticking me off and all I wanted to do was go and eat and eat and eat. I went to McDonalds and got a hot fudge sundae and that made my stomach feel horrible and I pretty much didn’t eat for the rest of the night. I was mad that I couldn’t eat like I wanted but got over that (I’m normally a pretty happy person so I am going to blame my recent mood on PMS).   My exercise is still hit or miss and not really planned. I walked 3 miles on Saturday and did some hiking and a lot of walking around on Sunday.   I am not counting calories or weighing my food (too much “work” for me). I am eating in 1, 2 or 4 oz increments (these are the mini containers I purchased so my meals are measured with that).   Here is an idea of what I am eating:   Breakfast – High Protein Slimfast Chocolate Shake with Skim Milk (sometimes with strawberries or bananas blended in). Sometimes Go Lean Crunch cereal with skim milk served in a ramekin. Sometimes a ready to drink shake that I have on hand in case I am running late. Sometimes an Atkins bar.   Snack (around 10 a.m.) – Atkins bar or 4 oz flavored greek yogurt with 1 oz of Go Lean Crunch mixed in or applesauce or jello.   Lunch (I usually start eating from 11:30 to 1 p.m. in little increments) 4 oz applesauce
4 oz of left over dinner (i.e. spaghetti, grilled tuna, sliced ham and cheese, usually something with protein, etc.)
4 oz watermelon (this is a recent thing but I have also had sliced cucumbers too)
Sugar Free Jello snack pack
  Mid Snack (around 3 p.m.) – Almonds, Atkins bar, yogurt, cheese stick (any of those)   Dinner (around 5:30) 4 oz of dinner
4 oz of veggies with dinner (I usually don’t eat the carbs that go with the dinner)
  Desert – SF popsicle, cut up fruit, or SF gelatin
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

6
 

Nice Picture

I was super excited to fit into this shirt I haven't been able to wear for awhile and these size 18 (no W after it!) pants from Walmart (those I had to stretch out last night by doing the fun lunging and squatting   I was working with some young kids releasing butterflies and one of the other teachers took this nice shot. If you compare it to my profile picture you can see I've lost weight in the face.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

7
 

Week 7 Postop - Weigh In

Today is week 7 for me postop. I've been losing at a fairly slow (but steady) pace so I was surprised to see that the scale read a 3.8 weight loss for the week (yay!).   My total weight loss is now at 29.4 lbs lost. I'm happy to write that I am out of the 240's, 230's, and now the 220's. Now to steadily lose out of the 210's   This puts my average weekly weight loss at - 4.2 lbs (I've decided to factor in the 10 lbs I lost pre op).   Not sure why the scale jumped so dramatically this week. I've only exercised once this week (deliberately).   My best meal this week came from the Outback. I had their seared Ahi Tuna appetizer (small plate) and a cup of their baked potato soup (Yum! My new Outback favorite).   Now to see what the next week brings!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

5
 

Week 6 Postop - Weigh In

Today I weighed in at 220.4. So I lost 1.6 lbs this week. My total weight loss is at 25.6 lbs. I'm glad I hit the 25 lb mark and now my goal is to be out of the 220's (FOREVER!). On average (since surgery) I am losing 2.6 lbs a week.   I am in a 1x comfortably in tops (I have a NSV - non scale victory - of fitting into several tops that I kept but I could barely get into on the 1x side). My pants are probably an 18 and a half (but since they don't make that size I am wearing 20's and some 18's). I bought a pair of 18W white jean capri yesterday at Kohols that i will have to "strech out" before wearing and I bought the CUTEST linen tops in XL from the women's section and I think I can get away with them if I wear a compression tank underneath (or strech them). If not I'll wear them when I start to go down to the XL size (they were that cute   The only planned exersize I got this week was dancing in a Zumba flash mob this past Saturday (fun but boy do I look HUGE on the video).   I've collected quite a bit of small containers and make my Bento lunch each day. I like that I can snack all day by just grabbing one (I usually have four containers). The other day I had greek vanilla yogurt in one 4 oz container. Go lean crunch cereal in a 1 oz container to mix into the yogert, a 4 oz container of cottage cheese, a 4 oz container of hamburger with mac and cheese, a 4 oz container of marinated cucumber, onion, green pepper mix. It was an eclectic mix but I ate them so spaced out that it didn't bother me.   I am currently contemplating joining the Y for $50 a month to go to the aerobics classes and to use the pool for lap swimming. Part of me wants to start a walking program first at home using my zillion Walk Away the Pounds tapes first and then join the Y when school gets out and I have a more flexible schedule.   I still need to work on remembering that I have had the surgery so that I stop grabbing larger portions of food that I can't eat AND remembering to eat on a pretty regular schedule. Yesterday I had breakfast and didn't eat again until 3:00 p.m. I was STARVING (I was shaking and the start of a headache was kicking in) and wolfed down some rolls at a restarant and was so sick until I walked around until I felt better (thank goodness...the person I was with was worried about me.). My lesson learned from that experience was to pack a protein bar when I know I am not going to be eating for awhile and to not start with the bread basket!   Attached is a picture of me in my Zumba Flash Mob tshirt.   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Bento Box Quest

In my last post I wrote how I was looking for bento boxes (inexpensive - which is the key word) in order to portion control my lunches. I've actually become a little obsessed. I've recruited my son and daughter-in-law who are stationed in Japan to look for them for me as well.   I'm actually applying my "redneck" smarts (I do live in the South y'all) to make my own compartmentalized lunch system.   At Walmart I bought the smallest containers I could find in the food storage area - Rubbermaid 4 oz. They come 2 to a pack and are approxmately $3.50. I bought six packs (so right now I have 12 containers total - the goal is to get through a five day work week without having to wash the compartments every day).   I still want some smaller sizes and was able to find 2 oz containers on Amazon - in their baby food section http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YQQQJW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=A1FFW6CJ14WSRU . I want those for smaller items like dressing, nuts, granola.   While I was looking around on Amazon I also found these water bottles which I loved - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005447K7S/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER. I liked them because they will fit in my lunch box and you get five of them, plus a tray, to put in the fridge so you can just grab it and go for the week.   I tried out my redneck bento box yesterday and I LOVED IT! Portions were perfect and it allowed me to "snack" throughout the day.   My four containers yesterday held -   Hummus (which would have been better in a 2 oz container but they haven't come in yet) Crackers for the hummus (we only had the long butter crackers so I had to cut them in half to fit in the container but that worked well). Turkey cubes with a cut up cheese stick (I love that I can buy the turkey already cubed up at the grocery store) Yogurt   Today my containers hold -   Tuna fish Crackers again A mix of cut up cherry tomatoes and olives jello   Making lunch has become more enjoyable and definitely less of a chore.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

3
 

Week 5 Postop Weigh-In

I weighed myself this morning and I am at 222 lbs (from 246). That puts my total weight loss at 24 lbs (was sort of hoping to hit 25 lbs this week...oh well, maybe next week).   I lost 10 lbs during my preop diet so that means I have been losing (after surgery) an average of 2.8 lbs a week.   I've been experimenting with food this week (different types and different amounts). Glad to report that I get full very fast on solid food. The easiest on my stomach are still liquids (protein drinks but adding frozen fruit and sugar free syrups) and cream soups.   I've been eating the Atkins peanut butter and chocolate bars (from Walmart) and those go down well (happy they have 19 grams of protein).   I'm currently obsessed with finding small containers to make a bento box type lunch box. The smallest I've found so far has been 4 oz at Walmart.   I ordered some Quest bars online (high protein bars) that were recommended by the blogger "The World According to Egg Face." If you type in sample in the code box you get free shipping. I'll report back on how they tasted.   Clothes - I can wear 1x shirts with no problem (starting from 2x). I am in 18W pants (lots of my pants are super baggie now...yesterday I wore a 20W I got from Belks and they were distractingly baggie). I am probably an 18 1/2 (but they don't make that size!).   Exercise - I walked two miles during Relay for Life on Friday and went to Zumba Flashmob practice on Sunday. I'm waiting until the 6 week mark to get into a regular exercise routine.   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Week 4 Weigh In (One Month Postop)

Lost 2.4 lbs this week putting my total loss at 22.4 lbs. I am losing at approximately 3 lbs per week after surgery (I lost 10 lbs before surgery).   Happy with my weight loss even though at times I wish I could lose a more impressive amount (i.e. 7-10 pounds per week). I was the same way when I was dieting prior to the sleeve so I know that is unrealistic (but it doesn’t stop me from dreaming my weight loss fantasy!).   The last time I when I lost a significant amount of weight – 30 lbs – I basically stopped and gained it all back and then some. I don’t feel like that will happen this time with the sleeve (so for that I am grateful).   I’m still not exercising regularly. I am doing a Flash Mob performance with the local YMCA on May 5th and went to practice last week and that kicked my butt (I looked like a sweaty drowned rat after practice…but I felt good). I know serious exercise isn’t supposed to be introduced until week 6 but I don’t consider Zumba too serious (at least not the way I do it) and I kept my impact low during practice (less jumping more fake jumping). My problem is that I wanted to chug water like no tomorrow and it was really hard to slow myself down. I am finding the same problem with eating. I was technically allowed to start adding mushies this week but I had pretty much been eating mushies since my DC trip. The problem is I haven’t really got the slow eating down yet (working on it).   To give you an idea of what I am eating (and I am not hungry, just trying to get into a routine)…   Early AM – 8 oz of water and my gummy vitamins (fiber, regular, and dissolvable Biotin tablet) Breakfast – Generally is a protein drink. Something with 15 to 20 grams of protein. Midmorning – more water Lunch – Soup (although today I am trying some tuna and crackers thing I purchased at Walmart) Midafternoon – Water Snack – Peanut butter portable cup that I got at Walmart More water or another protein drink (I like OJ with vanilla protein powder) Dinner – Not sure what I am having tonight but the last night two nights I had a Taco Bell fresco chicken soft shell taco (just took the filling out and ate it..GOOD!) and refried beans (not the whole cup but pretty much the top layer with the cheese and beans). Water after dinner   Yesterday I had an Atkins chocolate/peanut butter bar with 19 grams of protein to see how I would tolerate it (it is 2.4 oz) and it was fine so I might be adding those into my meal/snack roation.   I am suffering from really bad dry mouth during the night so I keep a water bottle by the bed (seems to be a side effect of surgery for me).   The “bad” things I have had this week (lest anyone think I am some giant role model J. Saturday I had a class where they had a bunch of muffins and donuts. I took a Boston cream donut and ate the chocolate off the top and then ate the cream in the middle (none of the breading part).
Saturday after class I went to a hibatchi grill with a girlfriend and I ordered miso soup, edamame (which we split) and an order of gyozas. I did ok with the soup (I had about ¼ of a cup). The half order of edamame was good. I probably should have stopped at 2 gyozas and taken the remaining four home instead of forcing all six gyozas (I felt HORRIBLE and had the burpies).
Sunday went to my SIL’s house for dinner (which was fine – fish and steamed squash) it was the raspberry cream cupcake that made me a bit ill (again I would have been ok with just half instead of the full cupcake).
Monday went out to lunch and had half a small cup of tomato basil soup (good), half a tuna salad sandwich (just eating the tuna out of it – no bread) and then I got a child’s cup of lemon custard ice cream (which didn’t make me sick or ill but probably wasn’t the best choice…thank good there was a lot of walking afterward to move it through)
Tuesday was picture day at school and our photographer brought a ton of donuts. Did the chocolate and cream thing again but tried to eat the breading part. Got about a ¼ of it down and I could feel it sitting in my chest so I stopped.
  I’m not too worried about the bad things. I think a lot of it was a learning lesson for me and it was WAY less than what I would have eaten prior to the sleeve (normally I could have a full hibachi meal, four donuts and a waffle cone of ice cream…so I am considering this progress J).   Friday I have Relay for Life with my school so I plan to be trekking around that track quite a few times. Sunday I have my Zumba practice. Looking forward to both for the exercise.   People are noticing the weight loss in my face (my weight loss usually starts showing in the face, then boobs, stomach, and finally thighs). Nobody knows about the surgery.   I am a solid 20W in clothes size now. My 22’s feel/look baggie. I nearly bought a pair of white capris at Dillards the other day ONLY because I fit into the 16W (they were cut pretty big) but I had to buy a pair of jeans (Levis size 20 and a bit snug but figure they will stretch out normally) and both were around $40 so I opted for the jeans only (which I needed).   I think that is pretty much my week-in-review. Until next week….
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

3
 

Cotton Mouth And Snoring

A couple of things I have noticed that I am experiencing since surgery on March 28th.   - My mouth dries out HORRIBLY at night. I wake up and my mouth is completely dry and I can't get the saliva to moisten it up. I've been keeping a water bottle by my bed. This has never happened before. I did look it up on line and dehydration is one of the possible causes. I am going to try drinking water closer to bed time (normally I avoid because of the bathroom issue) and see if that helps. Wondering if anyone has experienced that?   - My husband stopped wearing earplugs to bed. He said since I have been back that I haven't been snoring as badly. He asked if they took out my "snoring glands" This is a happy side effect of surgery for me.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Washington Dc Challenge At 2 Weeks Out

I was given the opportunity to escort a group of fifth graders to Washington, DC this past week. I almost turned it down because I was only 2 weeks postop and I wasn't sure how I could mange the eating on the trip. My husband convinced me to go (it is not everyday I get an opportunity like that...I was replacing a sick teacher who couldn't make it.).   My diet at this point is only clear liquids and protein. Dr. Kelly recommends not adding mushies until day 20. Lots of other people report eating food earlier so I wasn't hyper stressed. I was trying to keeping the operation quiet so I was trying to not draw too much attention to myself!   I brought protein powder to add to OJ every morning and that is what I had for breakfast each morning.   Lunch and dinner was a little tricky. Lunch the first day was provided by the bus company and I just took the turkey off the sandwich and chewed that up into mush and ate it. That went down fine but the cheese stick did not (harder to chew into mush). Our first dinner stop was a buffet. . I ate barely anything (enough to make it look like I was eating). My stomach did not do well with that. It just felt uncomfortably tight. Luckily we did a lot of walking that night through some monuments and it loosed up. The second lunch was really late (2 p.m.) and I ordered hummus at a greek place. It came with warm flat bread (red light food!). The hummus went down fine the bread not so much so. Dinner was at Medieval Times. I did the soup (and attempted a couple bites of the bread) and ate maybe a tablespoon of chicken (did pretty good with that). The next day we did lunch at the Smithsonian and I was really disappointed at my options. In hindsight I probably should have eaten a McD's smoothy. I ordered chicken nugget happy meal. When I say "ate it" I had four french fries and peeled the breading off the chicken nuggets (4 of them) and attempted to eat it. Those did not sit well in my tummy. Turns out that upstairs in the dining area I could have had a yogurt parfait (not advertised downstairs). Dinner that night was a the Pentagon Mall. I had wild mushroom soup (outstanding) and a bit of frozen yogert. Lunch on our last day was at the Golden Corral. Barely ate anything and stopped before feeling uncomfortable.   I'd give myself a grade of "C" on my eating on the trip. I don't think anyone thought I was too odd for not eating more. Most people know that I have been trying to lose weight since the beginning of the year. We walked a ton on the trip. I am going to weigh myself tomorrow morning to see if there was any weight loss on the trip due to the exercise.   I am happy to report that I barely felt hungry at all!!!!   I'm going to back to liquids until my 20th day and then I'll stay with mushies.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

3
 

Week 2 - Weigh In And Musings

(Weighing in a day early because I am leaving for a trip tomorrow)   Just finished week two. We were allowed to add in milk and protein drinks in at days eight and ten so that was the big “diet change” this week.   Glad I worked those three days I got home from surgery. It kept me busy. I don't do well when I'm bored (I would say that 9 times out of 10 I eat because I am bored). I had a long Easter weekend and found myself battling head hunger which stemmed from being bored (watched tv, read a book, and took up knitting again to try and keep boredom at bay).   I had to lie to my sister-in-law who invited us over for Easter brunch. Which is highly unusual (as in we never get invited to Easter brunch). I didn't tell anyone and I think she might notice if I didn't eat anything she cooked at the brunch! I've also been avoiding a friend who likes to eat out a lot. I've used lots of excuses from "I have to work" to "I just started my period". It will be easier when we both go back to work on Monday and stay busy with the school schedule.   I told another friend that I've eaten out and spent too much money the last couple of months and I have made a vow not to eat out for one month. Most people can relate to that!   My stomach still looks heavily bruised and I need to pull out some nail polish remover to get rid of the nasty tape residue on my tummy.   I've not found any drop in energy. I used to be able to come home from work and take a nap easily but I'm not even tired.   Bowel movements are still watery. Husband and I carefully got "jiggy with it". My enjoyment was slightly marred by being paranoid. His enjoyment not marred at all .   I’ve been collecting South Beach diet recipes on Pinterest and had to stop at one point because it wasn’t helping my head hunger! I like the general South Beach diet better then Atkins because it allows for healthy carbs.   I can easily swallow pills (have been able to since two days after surgery). Currently finishing up antibiotics from surgery and taking two stomach pills he gave us each evening. I also take my celexa in the am. I take a chewable multivitamin gummy, a fiber gummy, and dissolvable biotin pill (hair growth). I like the gummies because it gives me a sense of chewing.   I weighed in this morning at: 227 which puts my total weight loss at approximately 18 lbs. (10 of it preop so 8 of it post op).
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

Week 1 - Weigh In

I can't believe that it has been 7 days since I have been sleeved! Time is moving FAST. Like one of my sleeve sisters I am going to weigh in on the day that I got sleeved (Wednesday) to avoid the "weighing in everyday" syndrome.   The day I left for surgery I was an even 236 lbs. This morning I am at 230.6. So that puts my first week loss at 5.6 lbs. Woo Hoo!   Granted I am not surprised because I have only had clear liquids from the point I had surgery but I will take it   So total loss since preop diet is: 15.6
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

10
 

Home (At Last)

I am home at last. I crawled into bed at approximately 1 a.m. I don't feel any pain or discomfort and I worked hard to get in liquids the whole day flying. I should have kept the compression socks they put on me for surgery and worn them as it was definitly uncomfortable sitting for so long. I got an aisle seat and got up at least once during each flight but I kept thinking of those darn blood clots!   I'm alive so I think I am good to go   My liquids yesterday included an 8 oz bottle of water, a 15 oz bottle of apple juice, a 16 oz bottle of apple juice, 2 oz of water on one plane and about 4 oz on the other plane. I wasn't hungry at all.   I had to go back to work today but I kept to a desk most of time and got up here and there. Had normal energy levels. Didn't feel like I was dragging (in fact if it weren't for the bandages still on my stomach and my inability to consume large sips of liquids I wouldn't even feel like I had a procedure). I keep waiting for an energy crash of some kind with the level of calories I am consuming but apparently my stored fat is keeping everything in check for now.   I am making my husband do my "heavy lifting" which included getting my luggage out of the car and bringing the full dirty laundry basket into the laundry room.   So far today I have had 8 oz of water, 16 oz of light cranberry juice, 8 oz beef broth, and 2 popsicles. I'm going for some light apple juice next and more beef broth for dinner.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Leaving Mexico And The Airport

We left Mexico this morning about 6:30 a.m. It took us 2 hours to cross the border. Ana said that on Sunday's it can take upward of 4 hours. The only thing I regret is not taking my water bottle out of my backpack in the back and drink it while we were waiting in line. I'm sure I could have go an extra 8 oz in that way.   I've had one 8 oz bottle of water and a popsicle so far. I'm in the middle of getting down an apple juice I bought at the airport (a little too sweet for me but I will plug away at it....that will give me an 15 additional ounces of liquid). I want to try the fresh squeezed OJ (if no pulp) to see if the acidic nature of it "bothers" my tummy.   I was super cheesed that I had to throw out my perfect 8 oz water bottle going through security. It felt less overwhelming then the regular 16 oz bottles.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Teeth Whitening Part 2, Shopping In Mexico And General Health 5 Days Postop

In my last post I wrote that I had to go back to the dentist for another round of the teeth whitening. Again, I found it harder then the WLS in terms of nerves (nothing like being trapped in a dentist chair with mouth guards in not speaking the language in essential a "foreign country."). He was definitely recommending a good teeth cleaning because I had some tarter buildup (which was probably true since I generally avoid the dentist office but do brush and floss on a regular basis). He offered to do it but I just wanted out of the chair!   I would most definitely not recommend doing the teeth whitening (the dentist himself was very nice but I did wonder about the general cleanliness of the office and procedure...I won't go into details but some of the stuff made me go ewwwww and wish for tons of hand sanitizer!) . I did it because I thought it would be cheaper then the Zoom treatment (which is was) but I didn't get the piece of mind that I think having it done in the States would have provided.   Afterward Ana took me shopping. She offered yesterday and I should have said, "No thank you." I don't like shopping in the States and I don't need any more clutter in the house so it wasn't like I was dying for anything in the souvenir end of things. Geni, the other sleever in the hotel, was smart and opted out. She has children at home and is taking back Mexican convenience store candy/chips for her kids. We did that with our son when we traveled because he thought the different flavored candy and chips were cool (and makes for a nice cheap souvenir for the children...he took items to school in his lunch and his friends thought it was "cool").   Ana took me to Revolution Road, which is a main shopping street for tourists coming into Tijuana. This meant lots of sombrero, poncho, and knick kacky things and worse the haggling that comes with it (haggling is up there with dentists for me I liked the jewelry but the rings I were eyeing up were priced at $123 and he came down as much as $75 but I could get them for $40 in the States (sure not genuine silver or handcrafted but I am not that picky about my jewelry as a whole). I couldn't eat or drink (and there were lots of those places as well) so the appeal of walking around was lost on me and I asked Ana to take me back (I think she was doing it as a courtesy for me which is awfully sweet but was unnecessary).   I never like going shopping on vacation. It isn't something I am ever dying to do. I prefer to do spa like things on my vacation as a whole (plus eating and drinking). I know this isn't a vacation "per se" but it is a bit for me (and I saved up some spending money for the trip).   Dr. Kelly did come to see the two of us today to answer any questions and generally check on our well being before we leave tomorrow. I wish I'd know he was coming up to the room or I would have picked up a little.   I wanted to know about the bandages on the incisions. Mine are still covered up and she said just to wait until the bandages come off on their own. I wanted to know exactly how important the stomach pills he gave us to which the answer was, VERY IMPORTANT. (Yikes! I have not been taking them just because it seems overwhelming to take the two at night but I will start tonight!). He didn't seem concerned about my lack of getting fluids in. He said the stomach will expand making it easier to get the fluids in (Geni managed to drink an entire bottle of Gatorade last night and I was seriously impressed!...not at one time just to clarify). I asked him if I could skip the Gatorade (too sweet for me) and he said that was fine. Geni said she thought that they put a breathing tube in while we were under in the operation (she said she felt it being removed). I didn't feel it so I asked and Geni was correct...they did put a breathing tube in which explains my somewhat sore throat. I asked what was the best way to remove the surgical adhesive residue that is currently very unattractive on my stomach (think peeling off a label on something you have bought and the residue that is left behind...which is pretty much how it feels and looks). He said it will come off in time during bathing.   Health wise I have plenty of energy (no more, no less then before). I am working on getting more water in today. Getting my period sucked a bit and I am a bit sluggish as a result (happily going down for a nap in a few minutes) but no pain to speak up (still some gurgling and I have to count to at least 20 before taking back to back sips of the water). The food smells delicious downstairs but I am happy to write that I am not hungry.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

Hotel, Haircut, And Teeth Whitening

Left with Ana to get my teeth whitened about noon. I was super freaked out only because I had a hair dye/cut appointment at 2 p.m. I tried to get an earlier appointment but the earliest I could get was 2 p.m. I was remaining cautiously optimistic until we sat at the dentist office for 30 minutes (I definitely could have used my Kindle at that point). So by the time I got in it was 1:00 p.m. The pressure of getting to the hair appointment minimized the "enjoyment" of getting my teeth whitened.   I actually dislike going to the dentist and as I sat there with mouth guard on I spent more time thinking "What the heck am I doing then I did with getting 85% of my stomach cut out!"   He spoke no English and I wished I had had the sense of mind to ask Ana to come back with me so that she could explain what he was doing at each stage (not knowing ratcheted up the general dislike of sitting in a dentist chair even more so!).   It wasn't the Zoom system but it was something similar with the ultra violet light. The dentist wasn't super happy with the results and I was too stressed about missing my hair appointment to care (other then I had forked over $200). He said that sometimes teeth take a couple of treatments (which I think was his passive aggressive way of saying that I had super dirty teeth????). I am going back today which was nice of him. Basically I had written off the experience as "lesson learned" but I am hopeful after another treatment today it will be more noticeable.   On the other hand I really enjoyed getting my hair dyed. I was 30 minutes late (which I HATE being late) and Rocio Ruiz (the stylist) was very nice about it. She had to finish up a client so I was left to my own devices which basically meant looking through hair cutting books and looking through non-English magazines (another moment I could have used my Kindle).   I like getting my hair done so there wasn't anything too bad she could have done to my hair. I normally dye my hair from a box so getting it colored professionally was kind of fun. I didn't pick anything insane. She cut off a little more hair then I would have liked but I am pretty laid back when it comes to my hair and I know anything I don't like will grow back (a far cry from my angst ridden teenage years where a bad hair cut equaled a bad mood for several weeks.). I like being out of the hotel for a few hours and felt it was worth it. I spent $80/american on the dye, some protective serum I got talked into, a cut, and a can of hairspray. I gave her a $20 tip and called it even at $100. They take Visa in case anyone was wondering (I tipped cash). The location is within walking distance of the hotel and I walked back safely afterward (exercise!). VISA side note - I called my credit card company to let them know that I was going to be in Mexico for the week so my card would not be declined from the card company fearing theft. I would add that to any "to do" list when coming down to Mexico.   The best thing about the salon was the bottled water. The hotel has bottled water but it is in these jumbo bottles that seem so overwhelming to attempt to drink. At the salon I got a cute 8 oz bottle that seemed much more manageable on my stomach. Since I had to wait for the hair dye to set I spent it making a drinking game out of the water. I would take a sip and count to 30 before taking another sip. I would try it with smaller numbers and bigger sips so I felt like I was using my time wisely testing out my stomach and by the time it was all said and done I had drank 8 oz of water (victory!). I got another bottle to go and I am currently working on that.   I joined up with another sleever who got to the hotel that day and went and got another popsicle at the Extra store across the street. We did laps around the pool avoiding some wedding photography along the way while we ate the popsicles. So my diet yesterday was 2 popsicles and approximately 12 oz of water/Gatorade. I'm not hungry but I am definitely thoughtful about TRYING to get liquids in.   On the subject of Gatorade. I have decided I don't like it. It is WAY too sweet for me. I had a small amount of the orange flavored the day before and I bought a new flavor that I was secretly hoping was tea flavored (which turned out to be apple flavored). In my defense I didn't like Gatorade before the surgery. I think I may need to cut it with some water to make it drinkable for me.   I experienced a lot of stomach gurgling last night. To the point it was difficult to find a good position to sleep in. I started wondering if the gurgling was gas and I let a GasX strip dissolve in my mouth (the first GasX strip I had the entire trip so far and it settled my stomach).   Sadly I woke up at 3 a.m. with a different kind of stomach pain. I started my period 4 days early! What a giant annoyance!!!! I was hoping the stress of surgery would actually push the start date out further then the 4 days I was anticipating.   Sorry for the long post but I am up early and hoping that my ramblings might help others with their planning.   Today is Sunday and so far I have packing on the schedule, a revisit to the dentist, and Ana mentioned something about going to an area that has some souvenir shopping. I actually don't need anything but it might be fun to look around.   I leave tomorrow (Monday) with the other sleever here at the hotel (who is super nice!).
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

Hotel Part 2

I experienced a lot of stomach gurgling yesterday. Leah, who got sleeved at the same time as me, said she did not which is another indication that everyone experiences everything differently. She experienced lots of gurgling the day before on ice chips.   I was too chicken to take my drugs last night with my stomach acting out of sorts. We got a few pain pills, which I don't need but I am keeping "just in case" (the gurgling was uncomfortable but not painful and was only accompanied with liquids I was trying to ingest). Antibiotics and something for my stomach which I believe is acid reducer. I'll try the drugs today.   Not sure why my stomach was all gurgling. Could be that I took the nasty leak test, followed by a popsicle, followed later by some broth, followed later by some super sweet apple juice (all in little amounts but my tummy was letting it all be heard).   I was pretty active yesterday once we hit the hotel. I sat by the pool just to get some sunshine and enjoy the beautiful weather (too cold for pool but nice for sitting). Then I took a cab and went to a place to get a pedicure that the hotel bell hop recommended that was close by called Soleil. It was super close to the hotel and I could have walked but because I was unfamiliar with the area I thought it best to take a cab. I'm going back today and I will most likely walk. While I was there I had my eyebrows waxed and upper legs waxed. All three things cost approximately $50 total american. Totally worth it. You get a 10% discount if you mention you are from the hotel. Leah and her friend braved the traffic walking and went to a Starbucks and a convenience store where she got some Gatorade (I'll go get some this morning at some point).   I am also getting my teeth whitened today. It is something I've always wanted to do. I'll post about that when I am finished.   I tried to be on a semi normal sleep schedule that first night just to get my body back into the routine. I went to bed at 8:30 p.m. which is a little short of my normal 10 p.m. bedtime. I am up at 5 a.m. so I would consider that pretty normal (normally I am up by 6 a.m. at home). I slept in all different positions last night without any problem. Normally I sleep on my side but I woke up in the middle of the night on my stomach. The main incision on my left is hurting a bit but nothing too horrible.   The beds don't have a fitted bottom sheet (it has a flat bottom sheet) so with all my tossing and turning at night (which is normal for me) I managed to rip off the bottom sheet and expose the mattress. That is annoying.   I wish I had thought to bring compression socks with me for the flight home. I am worried about blood clots the most. I think I would add that to any packing list people are making from this point on. Also I would have had my larger bills broken up into smaller ones. I've been running into some problems trying to make change or not having small bills for tipping.   I could have lived without a robe. The night nurse at the Florence Hospital gave me a second gown that I would use as a robe while I was there. Since I don't wear robes at home I might leave the one I purchased here at the hotel and save some packing space.   As I think of more stuff I will post.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

1
 

Leak Test And Hotel

It took us forever to get out of the hospital this morning. We thought we would be gone by 11 a.m. but it was closer to 2 p.m. Which meant some more reading and sleeping for me. I did get in a shower this morning which made me feel good. I liked the night nurse Sarah a lot and I made sure to take a shower on her shift so she could change my stomach bandages.   I told her that I had heard crying in the night and apparently a family from Russia had come in to treat their mother who had severe lung cancer and she passed away. It was a rough night for the staff and the family.   We went to the Hospital Angelos for the leak test (that was a new modern hospital!). My sleeve sister and I were happy to be out in the fresh air. Our leak tests went well. I was dreading the solution but it was only about a quarter of a cup of clear liquid which tasted like really bad cough syrup. The hotel Lucerna is very nice and we got Popsicle right away (should have had the orange one!). I have a nice room with a balcony facing the pool which is great considering I am going to be here for a few days. It is too chilly to get in the pool but it is a nice day - cool but sunny. I am trying to establish a regular sleep pattern for these next few days since I have been oversleeping the past few days (resulting in nightmares...which is typically for me when oversleeping and trying to force more sleep).   I opened up a bottle of water and been practicing sipping but I think I will go down and explore the hotel a bit. Treating the rest of the trip like a mini vacation. Dr. Kelly's assistant Ana is making teeth whitening reservations for me and I think I might hit the spa close to the hotel for a pedicure.   Overall feel good and I think getting out of the hospital and the sunshine helped lift my spirits tremendously.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

5
 

At The Hospital - Part 2

Got sleeved last night. I remember getting wheeled in and then I was put under. The next thing I know I am trying to get into the bed with some prodding from the nurses who got me from surgery. I remember being VERY nauseous. They gave me something to get sick into but I managed to get through that without getting sick. I remember the light being VERY bright (almost migraine level intolerance to the light). They got pain and nauseous medicine in me and I remember laying very still waiting for it to kick in (again like a migraine where you are afraid to move and have the searing head pain). I had no trouble sleeping on my side (either side...which is good because that is how I sleep). It seemed like the nurses were coming in every 15 minutes to take vitals.   My mouth was super dry. I was told I could suck on the ice chips but not to drink the water down. I'm guessing that was a last night thing because this morning they said I could.   I have not experienced any horrible gas pains like some people have reported. I have gotten up to walk a bit only because I don't want any blood clots to form!   They are making me do lung exercises with a breathing "toy" with balls in it. That is super annoying because they want it done for 5 minutes at a time and the deep breathing is making me light headed.   I've gone to the bathroom several times without any issues (peeing not...you know )     The on call doctor said that we would be taking our leak test tomorrow so basically I'm getting in some marathon sleeping today (which is fine with me!)
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

7
 

Leaving Tomorrow For Mexico

I am leaving tomorrow for Mexico. My bag is packed and I think I am ready. I have to make a copy of my passport and drivers license for the house (we had a friend who lost his in South Africa and it was a pain getting those things replaced when there were no copies).   I am taking the bare minimum. I don't want to spend the extra money on checking it. I may do that on the return flight but I think I can always get some kind person to help me lift and take down a bag from the overhead. I booked window seats going out and aisle seats coming back.   I am not taking makeup, hairspray, etc. I'll be "roughing it". My flight leaves very early and comes back very late so it is doubtful I will run into anyone I know.   I just finished the "just in case I die" letter to my husband (not mushy more practical...things he would need to know...like my mother's phone number
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

7

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