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About this blog

The things I learned pre and post surgery

Entries in this blog

 

My Favorite Mexican Food

One of my favorite Mexican foods. I've been eating this stuff for about 4 weeks straight.   I got all the ingredients at Walmart. It cost about $4 for 2 days worth of meals (4 - 6 meals in my case). It's very filling and sticks with me.   1 lb of chicken breast. 1 pkg of Taco Bell Taco seasoning. (I tried other name brand taco mixes and the store brands, Taco Bell tastes the best and is just as cheap. There is a Taco Bell chipolte version as well, but I liked the regular version the best. )   1 can of gebhardt refried beans w/fat. (I tried the non-fat version and I like the fat version better. It only has 2grams of fat per serving.)   Salsa or Picante or Taco sauce to taste 1 pkg of your favorite shredded cheese.     I grill the chicken breast and run it through my food processor. Mix the taco seasoning with about 1/2 cup of water and mix it thoroughly. I mix it in my protein shake shaker. Toss the chicken into a pot or pan and add the taco seasoning. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.   Mix the chicken and beans in a bowl. Add some salsa if it's too thick for your taste.     Spoon some of the mixture into a bowl and top with cheese and salsa.  
joatsaint

joatsaint

6
 

Monster Poos - The Smelly Secret Behind Stalls or What can Brown Doodoo for you?

Update: 4-26-3013: It's still amazing to see what and how much comes out of me, considering how little I am eating. Most of the time, it feels like I am passing jagged rocks and it comes out looking like a pile of marbles. Then there are times like today, where this monstrous poo python emerges. And I'm thinking, "Where the hell did that come from? I just pooped yesterday and I haven't changed my eating habits or eaten extra food."   Is there some storage area in the intestines I don't know about? Are my guts becoming some kind of Dooms Day Prepper? Some kind of "just in case we need it" secret poo stash?   Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?         I was visited by the infamous 3rd week stall. I didn't lose any more weight for about 5 days. Hit a 2nd wall on week 5, same thing. It takes me 4 - 6 days to start losing again. It helps speed up the process when I walk a little more than normal.   But I've learned that part of the stall is tied to bowel movements. Post-Op, I only go every other day or every 3rd day depending on how much fiber/carbs I take in.   You might want to consider how much waste your body is holding onto. My bathroom visits aren't steady at this point, sometimes I'll go twice on the same day. I'll be thinking, "Where the hell did that come from? I know I haven't eaten that much!"   Sometimes I'll be over a pound lighter after a monster poop! My record is 2 lbs.
joatsaint

joatsaint

7
 

Messed Up Bad

At work on Wednesday they fed us lunch and I couldn't resist the free food. I had a single serving of pototo chips (160 calories) and 1/2 of a big cookie that came with the meal. If I hadn't already eaten earlier I wouldn't have felt so bad about it.   So I tried to make up for it by walking an extra mile the same day.   Sometimes the temptation is there, it's hard to make the best food choices, but I don't think I went too far overboard. I woke up 2 lbs lighter this morning.   You have any tips to avoid temptation?
joatsaint

joatsaint

7
 

Like Throwing Bricks Into The Grand Canyon or One Of Those Days – My Stomach Is A Bottomless Pit

Today was one of those scary days were it seemed like I just never got enough to eat. I have days like this on occasion and don’t really know what triggers them. I haven’t strayed from eating “good” foods, so I don’t think it has anything to do with the foods that trigger my hunger monster.   But, the amount of food I have been able to eat is really starting to scare me. With everything I’ve eaten, I definitely feel full, but the feeling doesn't seem to last but an hour or so.   So to combat those feeling of “I’m going to obsess about eating until I’ve eaten something,” I keep plenty of lean protein in the house. Grilled chicken breast, grilled pork loin and plenty of low sugar sauces. I don’t keep any temptations in the house to ward against days like this. Maybe I need a WLS voodoo doll with pictures of bad food and pins stuck through them.   I really started thinking about how and what I've been eating. And I have read the warning stories about people regaining their weight after surgery and it is a really scary feeling. I would never forgive myself for having gone through all this just to gain all the weight back.   So, I've set some limits on myself. Not so strict as to feel deprived, but not so loose as to let myself get out of control.   I will eat healthy food first. Protein/vegs/fiber every day.   I will let myself try a dessert, but never eat more than a bite or two. (And by bite, I don’t mean “as much of the cookie as will fit into my mouth at one time” bite. :-P)   I will not bring unhealthy food into the house. If I want something that bad, I’ll have to get off my butt and drive to the store. Most times, the craving does not overrule my need to stay camped out in front of the TV in my underwear or by the time I DO get there, the “craving” has worn off.   I will make my own lunches to bring to work. That way, I can’t rationalize going out to eat and making food bad choices, convincing myself that eating healthy food costs too much.   I’m trying to be realistic and know that I’m not always going to be faithful. But having the rules reminds me to stop and think before making a food choice. It’s a tool, just like WLS.   Knowing that I am allowed to eat SOME bad stuff removes the stress of “I can’t ever have that again!”   Knowing that I CAN eat a little of anything puts the power back in my hands and puts the responsibility on my shoulders to CHOOSE to eat the right way. It is empowering to feel like I am allowed to eat anything I want, but it’s my CHOICE to pick a different food option.   I like this new lifestyle and after 5 months of hating to get out and walk, I am beginning to WANT to go on daily walks. Although I don’t necessarily like them, I do like seeing the scale drop and my energy level go up!   Keep Pimpin that Sleeve!
joatsaint

joatsaint

1
 

Junk Food Companies Are Engineering Foods That Create Cravings!

I thought this was another great article on how on one hand, we're being scolded and treated as outcasts for being fat, and at the same time, food companies are engineering foods that are designed to create cravings and make us fatter.

I am all for taking personal responsibility, but at some point you have to realize they are targeting us and creating products that overwhelm our natural eating stopping point and creating a craving for unhealthy foods. The only way to strike back at these companies is to quit buying their products!


According to Michael Moss, the Pulitzer prizing-winning reporter and author of the new book Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, (Check out the video below) executives at the major food behemoths – Kraft, General Mills, and Nestle – have known for years that the sugar, salt and fat added to their cereals, soups, tomato sauces and hundreds of other food products have put millions of individuals’ health at risk. But the quest for bigger profits and a larger share of the consumer market has compelled the processed food industry to turn a blind eye to the dangers and consequences of eating those very products.

How do the food giants trick consumers? Moss gives several examples: “At Cargill, scientists are altering the physical shape of salt, pulverizing it into a fine powder to hit the taste buds faster and harder, improving what the company calls its ‘flavor burst.’”“Scientists at Nestle are currently fiddling with the distribution and shape of fat globules to affect their absorption rate and, as it’s known in the industry, ‘their mouthfeel.’” “To make a new soda guaranteed to create a craving requires the high math of regression analysis and intricate charts to plot what industry insiders call the “bliss point,” or the precise amount of sugar or fat that will send consumers over the moon.” http://finance.yahoo...-132949611.html
   
 
 
joatsaint

joatsaint

0
 

I Need A New Grocery Store :-(

Ahh, progress. We have a new supermarket in my neighborhood. It is beautiful, brightly lit, with almost anything you could want, from artisan bread to flat screen TVs.   And as with all businesses, they are doing everything they can to make the shopping experience as awesome as possible.   But they may have jumped the shark on this one:   There is automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh and pretty. Just before it goes on, you hear distant thunder and smell fresh rain.   When you pass the fruits, you smell fresh cut apples and peaches.   When you pass the vegetables, you smell hot buttered corn on the cob.   When you pass the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and you experience the scent of fresh mown hay.   In the meat department there is the aroma of charcoal grilled steaks and sausages.   When you approach the egg case, you hear hens cluck and cackle, and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of bacon and eggs frying.   The bread department features the tantalizing smell of fresh baked bread and cookies.   I don't buy toilet paper there any more.
joatsaint

joatsaint

3
 

I Got My Head Shrunk

Visiting the psychiatrist was on of my pre-requs for getting Sleeve surgery. I was pretty nervous about the interview. Who wouldn't be? Knowing that the whole approval process could come to a screeching halt based on the opinion of one guy who only spends 15 - 20 minutes with me.   From talking to a fellow sleever, I knew that there was going to be a 500 question multiple choice questionnaire. I could tell right off that it was a personality test. The questions covered the whole gambit - from how did you feel about childhood, how do you feel about being an adult, do you have depressed thoughts, have you ever stolen anything, how do you feel about being in crowded situations ... ect.   The kicker is that each type of question is repeated 4 or more times throughout the questionnaire - only it's asked in a different way each time. I can only assume the point is to see if you answer the same way each time - to get your true feelings.   It took over an hour to complete everything.   The most annoying part was - THERE WERE NO TABLES!   Maybe it is part of the test to see how you react, but have you ever tried to hold a clipboard and mark answers with one hand and hold a list of test questions in the other????????????   Now this wasn't their first rodeo. They do these tests for $400 a pop. You'd think they would be a little more considerate.   I felt like I was Will Smith in the 1st "Men in Black." The part where all the candidates were sitting in the egg chairs trying to take a test. And Will is the only one smart or brave enough to pull the table over to his chair.   So I pulled the same thing. I spun one of the other chairs sideways and used the arm to hold the clip board. The other 2 poor schmucks in the room doggedly mustered on, trying to finish their questions the hard way.
joatsaint

joatsaint

5
 

I Feel Pretty…Oh So Pretty…or HONEST, Those Aren't Mine!

Ok, I might get blackballed and lose my MAN CARD for admitting this, but here goes. I was cleaning out the closet, looking for smaller pants to wear. I started rummaging for something that would fit, found a nice pair to try on. They were a PERFECT fit, better than any pants I've put on. Looked good in the mirror too! All that walking is shaping my butt up! Did I really say that last line?   Up till recently, you could lean me up against a flat wall and there’d be no gaps anywhere from the top of my back to my calves. My butt was so flat… How flat was it? It was often mistaken for an end table when I lay on the floor.   I looked at the tags only to find that they weren’t men’s pants at all - but a ladies size 16 that got left behind from a previous girlfriend! They must’ve mistakenly gotten mixed in with the tons of other pants and shirts that were put in the “I’ll be able to wear that again someday,” wishful thinking pile.   For the MAN Committee, I know you have no knowledge of this, but, a 16 is the 1X Women's Plus Size according to Overstock.com. And I DID have to look that up; it didn’t come from memory or previous experience wearing women’s clothing! (So MAN Committee, please take that into account when voting.)   This means that I now have the body of a woman with voluptuous hips!   P.S. Blackball or not, I'm KEEPING the pants!!   Keep Pimpin that sleeve!
joatsaint

joatsaint

13
 

I Don’t Have To Finish My Plate or How I’m Fighting With Old Habits

For the past few weeks or so, I have been trying to get my protein from solid pieces of food like chicken or pork loin. Up until now, I’ve been eating ground chicken or ground turkey – meats that were partially broken down by the grinding process. But now that I’ve switched to whole pieces, the switch brings up new issues.   When I was eating the ground meat plus vegetables, it was all mixed up like a casserole and keeping track of portions was as easy as spooning some into my half cup container. No muss no fuss no leftovers. Now it’s more difficult to judge just how much I can eat at one meal and I often wind up with a few bites leftover.   Enter the problem. I’m a kid of the “clean your plate club.” I was always encouraged to clean my plate (I think I got a merit badge, I was so gifted) and now that old habit is coming back to haunt me. Even when Frankensleeve (Yes, I named him!) is telling me I’m full and if I eat any more, he’s going to put the stomach in reverse gear, I still feel compelled to eat the last two or three bites.   Frankie: "Hey were full up down here, turn off the chewing machine." Me: "But I still have 2 bites of meat left." Frankie: "Okay guys, send up a burp as a warning." Me: Burp. "Oooh, that one feels like it squeezed past some food to get out. But I'll go ahead and eat those last 2 bites." Frankie: "Okay guys, put it in reverse!" Me: "Uh oh."   Now, I am training myself to put the fork down and walk away. I really want this compulsion out of my life. It’s like having to go through the first few weeks post-surgery all over again. Learning when to stop and not take just one more bite – especially when it’s something extra yummy! Frankie and I will just have to build a new relationship I guess.   P.S. Frankie really doesn't like freshly dug, boiled new potatoes!   Leave me a comment and let us know what issues you struggle with. It helps everyone to know they aren't alone.   Keep Pimpin that sleeve!
joatsaint

joatsaint

7
 

How To Protect Your Food From Co-workers

I don't know about you, but the 2 most important work rules I know of are:   1. Don't take another man's tools without asking first. 2. Don't F with another man's food.   Violating either rule can put you in dire jeopardy of losing blood, skin, hair or at the very least, finding a nasty surprise in your lunch kit the next day.   But my current workplace is a bit looser about those rules - being that it's mainly ladies and has more of a community atmosphere compared to the construction sites I worked in the past. So it's not uncommon to find that your friends have raided the fridge and at least part of your lunch was donated to the cause.   It was one of those serendipitous moments yesterday that I learned exactly how to protect my food in the community fridge. My director had stashed a piece of Italian Cream cake in the fridge - leftover from the previous day's birthday celebrations - in between two balloon print paper plates.   The top plate had a simple message printed in bold black Sharpie on it,   "Please do not eat me." "P.S. I already licked it!" - Kyle   Pure genius!   Have you any tips on how to protect your food/stuff/things from being "borrowed"?
joatsaint

joatsaint

8
 

How To Explain Weight Loss Surgery Scars

My 1st Vlog entry "How To Explain Weight Loss Surgery Scars" or "Girl! You Ain't Gonna Believe This!" Many people have asked this question, it must come up a least once a week. In this video, I have some creative ways to explain away your weight loss surgery scars. Like the famous man said, "If you can't dazzle'em with brilliance, baffle'em with B.S!" I think my favorite weight loss surgery scar explanation is, "knifed by an exotic dancer, they're nasty that way!"   If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-)   Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!   Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311   Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve   Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311   Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve   My Favorite Youtubers: VSGKirk - https://www.youtube.com/user/vsgkirk/videos 7Bites cooking show - https://www.youtube.com/user/SevenBitesShow/videos
joatsaint

joatsaint

0
 

How My Feelings About Food Have Changed

Just a few notes on some of the changes I've noticed in myself over the last 9 weeks post-op.   1. I eat when I'm hungry now, don't really look forward to the "full" feeling or have a "taste" for anything in particular anymore - lovin' it. I use to get these overwhelming cravings for a certain taste (especially Whataburgers), they're gone now.   2. I do enjoy what I eat and sometimes I still catch myself trying to eat just one more bite, but I know I'll be feeling sick if I do. It takes time to learn the new "full" signals.   3. I feel satisfied and I get a small thrill seeing how little I actually eat now. Although sometimes, I catch myself trying to finish that last bite - even though I'm full. I've learned to leave it on the plate.   4. Once my staple line swelling went down, I was able to increase my eating to about 4oz per meal, and did start feeling more "normal" after the 2nd week, but it wasn't until about week 6 that I was back at my old energy levels.   5. I can eat pretty much what I want and walk away without gorging myself. I have always been able to take or leave stuff like cakes and cookies. Rice, pasta and potatoes were (I almost wrote "are") my thing. But I can easily pass up most starches now. Although pasta triggers my hunger cravings and I have to stop myself from overeating and making myself sick.   6. My feelings or attitudes has changed incredibly about food. Don't really care about food anymore. I have no "flavors" I desire. So I eat my own concoction of shredded grilled chicken, re-fried beans, cheese and salsa almost every meal - for the past month.   7. There isn't anything that I "want" to eat anymore. I am so happy with my restriction and I don't miss anything, no food cravings, nothing I miss. And there is no food that I couldn't eat at the 3rd or 4th week. It may cause some stomach upset, but if I eat it slowly, I can eat it if I want. However, I do miss being able to chug 16oz of icy cold Crystal Light.   8. I can still eat spicy foods (curries, peppers, etc). I eat salsa almost daily and I found this sweet/spicy dip made with Greek yogurt that I like - very warm. I find it weird that the thing that bothers my stomach the most is healthy fibrous foods, like grape skins, bananas, apple peels, and pineapple.
joatsaint

joatsaint

4
 

Girl! You Ain't Gonna Believe This! or How to Explain Your VSG Scars

How To explain away my scars?   OK, this is awful so don't read if you are easily offended and do not appreciate a sick sense of humor.         Warning! Don't read if you are easily offended!                 Last Warning! Sick Humor below!!!!!         Shanked in prison... Shuts them up every time! - VSGKirk   Some idiot: What happened? You: I had abdominal surgery. Idiot: What kind? You: The kind that involves the abdominal area. - newat52   Tijuana knife fight. - Kristina J.   I had some "woman issues " - chell1978   Texas mosquito bites   I was knifed by an exotic dancer in TJ.   Full contact scrapbooking injury... When you get the weird look, you can fill in that scrapbooking is getting really intense now that scrappers are trying to make the hobby "athletic enough" for the Olympics.   Bears. But never mind my scar, you should check out my awesome new rug!   My wife said somtimes I don't know my place.   Tell them you are trying to avenge your father and ask if they have six fingers on their right hand.   Two words, "Satin sheets"   I don't want to go into details, but suffice to say, I won't be allowed in that Benihana for a while.   The first rule of Fight Club is 'don't talk about Fight Club'   They say you can't get blood from a stone - well, the IRS tried!   Remember when your mom told you not to run with scissors?   I was watching the DIY network and they did a show on bodylifts...   A zombie tried to eat my brains and missed.   Tell them as much as you'd love to talk about it you just can't because your defense attorney and parole officer advised you to keep your mouth shut until after the trial.   I got this in a bar fight when I used to ride with Hells Angels.   That's where the aliens probed me   Don't worry about it. Because of me, they now have a to put on warning labels!   Well, let me just tell you this: You should NEVER EVER, under ANY circumstances, go out with a guy/girl that you met on the internet.   "I was oyster hunting." They give me a blank stare. Then I say, with a wink, "You've obviously never been oyster hunting before."   I was at this party with Marilyn Manson and everyone was giving out hugs.   I lost a fight with a can of tuna fish.   I slipped while making a salad.   I fell asleep, and the clown got me.   I'll just put it this way: when they tell you not to feed the bears, it's for a damned good reason.   I'm a blade sharpness tester   "I had an accident with a scalpel." [person asks why] "Well, you know that guy who woke up in an ice bath and his kidney was gone? Er... this had nothing to do with it. Honest."   You know how dogs chase their tails? Well it has nothing to do with that. Nor does it have anything to do with cat scratches. Or the faeries that visit me nightly *ramble on*... What was I talking about?   I thought those security tags on pants just sprayed ink, but apparently they spray shards of broken glass, too.   "Oh, these?" *embarrassed face* "I know they look horrible, but the sex was INCREDIBLE!"   "...Are you consipring aginast me? What's with all the questions? Who wants to know the answers?" *and upon interrupting "I'm doing the talking here" and then continue to ramble until they back away. "...They'll come and get you too. Run while you still can"   Knifed by an exotic dancer. Terrible. Yes, they're nasty that way.   I had unprotected sex with a porcupine.   I took my lizards for a walk and they held on for dear life.   The neighborhood cat and I had a disagreement about the paw prints on my truck.   The police didn't comply with the terrorists' demands fast enough, so they took it out on us hostages.   I keep falling off of cliffs trying to catch that damned roadrunner.   The voices told me to do it.   I did this as a sacramental offering to my dark lord, you prick. ::Smile::   In my past life I was a ninja.   It sucks having parents who are sadists.   My boyfriend and I accidentally went overboard during our last S & M session.   I moon light as a stunt-woman who dives through glass windows.   Look at your scars and frown You mean you don’t have any?   Well, last time it was an alien baby. I’m actually kind of relieved.   I had a narrow escape from a firing squad.   Now that is an interesting question; it all ties in with the eternal enigma: why are we here, for what purpose does life on earth exist? go on about the meaning of life until everyone gets bored and goes away   Carving a turkey is harder than it looks   You want me to show you? smile evily   Don’t EVER give blood abroad!   Well, I tend to get a little violent with the computer when it doesn’t cooperate.   Oh those? Bad juggling accident. I don’t like to talk about it. I’m much better now   Oh these? Hmm, I dunno, they’ve just always been there. Well, I mean, ever since I took over this body, anyway. Strange, don’t you think?   Ozzy Osborne is my uncle and we have some kick butt family reunions!   Those psychology experiments are soooo not worth the extra credit…   Oh my god! Never, EVER try taking candy from a baby!   A reminder of my Pirating days....   My trained attack dragon did before I got him trained...   I had a duel.   Did you know chickens aren't all soft and fluffy?   Playing Slug Bug with a cat is a reaaally bad idea.   Oh this? *point at scar* That's where my twin used to be attached.   Lightsaber battle   I kicked Chuck Norris' ass all I got was this lousy scar!   Tell them you had to help Jack Bauer escape from the Russians and that's the last time you'll cover his pansy ass.   Narrowly escaped a zombie attack   Fell on the runway-it's Fashion Week   Rachel Ray's dog attacked me.   I just tell people it's a "sex wound."   My husband is ... just ... a WILD MAN, what can I say?             That's all folks!                   Really, that's all there is.                   No hablo the english? There isn't anymore. Stop scrolling!                   Ok, okay, one last one.   It's where the alien burst out. What, you think they only come out of chests?         Satisfied!??????????
joatsaint

joatsaint

18
 

Gastric Sleeve Surgery - What My Doc Told Me to Expect

I was really happily surprised to find out that my gastric sleeve surgery is expected to last less than an hour. Apparently my doc has done A LOT of theses and can pretty much knock them out like an assembly line.   I'm to check in at 7am, surgery is at 9:30am, expected to be back in my room by 10:30am. Spend the day recovering and walking. Next day drink the barium for the leak test and be released late in the afternoon.   He said not to expect any internal pain, the only pain should be at the incision points and very little gas discomfort. So we'll see.   Some of the unexpected things that I didn't find out until the last minute:   Had to go to the hospital for several tests - blood, ultra sound, chest xrays and EDG (camera down the throat to check out the stomach).   Have to go to the hospital with 72 hours of the surgery to get blood typed (in case of the need for a transfusion) and urine test.   So the only things I have left is the per surgery blood/urine test and then the surgery. Very excited.   My copay for the doctor has been about $2000 so far (office visits/surgery cost) My hospital costs so far, $1000 (blood, ultra sound, chest xrays and EDG)   Costs still to be determined: pre-op blood/urine test and hospital costs for the 2 days pre and post surgery.
joatsaint

joatsaint

10
 

Gastric Sleeve Surgery - Pre-Op Psychological Evaluation

I had planned on documenting my gastric sleeve surgery experience in the order it occurred, but I forgot about the psych evaluation. Once again luck was on my side as I knew what to expect before arriving. I had a chance to talk with a post-op gastric sleeve patient during my 1st appointment with my doctor.   The test itself was about 451 questions. Really though, you could say it was about 150 questions asked 3 different ways. My best guess is it is done in that format to measure how consistent and true you are answering. I guess that they believe that if you are trying to manipulate the test for whatever reason, by asking the same question 3 different ways mixed in with 450 questions, you won't be able to remember how you answered previously and your true feelings will be revealed.   I can't remember the exact answer selections, but I think there were 6 choices - ranging from Always True to Never True. So they might ask, "Have you consistently missed work because of drinking?" and you choose among the 6 answers as to how true the question applies to your situation. 50 or so questions later, it is asked again differently, "I never drink so much alcohol that I have called in sick at work." And they mix in questions about how alcohol has played a part in your family and social life. Your feelings about stealing, is it better to be a child or an adult, how you behave in social situations, how you bad/good feel most people behave, which is the better part of life - being a child or being an adult. I think you get the general idea.   The psych interview was pretty brief - about 15 minutes. The questions mainly center around my eating habits and what I knew about diet and nutrition. That I realized that surgery was only a tool and not the solution. That I needed to exercise before and after surgery. And what I thought my ideal body weight should be. I told him that I didn't want to fixate on a specific number and just wanted to look "normal", whatever that weight turned out to be. I had been following a guy on youtube who started out at my weight 350 and was down to 235 and I thought I'd be very happy to look like him. I haven't been down below 270 since 1997! My doctor later told me that my ideal weight is 200 and seem to take it in stride that I'd have no problem getting to that weight. So we'll see. My plan is to set small goals and not get too hung up on reaching a specific weight.   Expenses so far:   My copay for the doctor has been about $2000 so far ($500 office visits, nutritionist counseling / $1500 surgery cost) My hospital costs so far, $3000 ($1000 blood, ultra sound, chest xrays and EDG / $2000 surgery cost)   I had a bit of a panic yesterday. The hospital called to confirm my surgery date and collect payment. They told me the surgery cost was $19,000 and in my mind I'm thinking "NINETEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!" I wasn't expecting to have to pay out of pocket that much! And then they said,"Your copay is $2000." Fortunately, I hadn't completely stroked out after hearing the first part and was able to get my heart out of my mouth after I realized I wasn't responsible for the full 19k. :-) I fumbled my Discover card out and gave them the digits.   Still to be paid (and as far as I know, the last):   Pre-op blood typing/urine testing (must be done within 72 hours of surgery)   - I'm scheduled to be tested on 12/26 / surgery 12/27 / expected to return home 12/28.
joatsaint

joatsaint

4
 

Free Atkins Bars and Quick Start Kit

Hey guys,   Atkins is still giving away their Quick Start Kit, which includes 3 Atkins bars - completely free. I did an Unboxing and review video of the contents, it's posted below. The link to the Atkins free offer is below the video.     http://goo.gl/1mAv8A - This is the link I promised to the sign up page for the free Atkins Quick Start Kit. There's no catch, they need your email and shipping address, they even pay shipping and handling.   The kit included 3 different Atkins bars - one small, one medium, and full size meal replacement bar. All 3 were delicious, it was hard not to eat all three of them.   Just a word of caution, the bars are sweetened with sugar alcohols, so those of you that can't tolerate sugar alcohols might not want to eat the bars.   The kit also includes some literature: 2 coupons for $1 discounts on Atkins bars, snacks, and meals. An Atkins approved food booklet and the Atkins Quick Start guide that explains the Atkins diet and the phases. As well, there are links to the Atkins support community and where you can download the Atkins app.   The Atkins app will help you: *search for nutritional info, *keep track of your carb intake, your weight and how close you are to reaching your goal, *provides a daily meal plan or help you design your own, *has a database of the foods considered acceptable for each phase, *and has a restaurant guide to help you make Atkins friendly food choices when dining out.
joatsaint

joatsaint

0
 

Escape from Temptation Island or How I Survived the Monthly Office Birthday Party

My office has an official celebration for everyone having a birthday each month. And they bring out the goodies. Lots of cookies, dips, chocolate gooey thingies and of course cake.   For reasons unknown to me the thought of all those goodies lined up for the taking triggers something in my brain. I get a ravenous hunger that almost compels me to eat stuff that normally I don't even think about. I just want to bury my face in the cake and go, "Nom nom nom. Oh, you're a dirty cake aren't you! Nom nom nom."   I was able to restrain myself to just one piece of coated popcorn. I thought it was a coated nut. Honest! AND it was yucky! (That's my story and I'm stickin to it!) I am not looking for applause or a pat on the back, since I only did what I was suppose to do - for the past 35 years. Just wanted to share that we all have our weak moments and demons to fight.   Keep Pimpin That Sleeve!
joatsaint

joatsaint

5
 

EGD - Swallow, Don't Bite

The pain! Oh God, the pain! - no, just kidding. They put me under and I woke up with a scratchy throat. I wouldn't even have noticed my throat if I hadn't been warned that it might be sore.   I was under for about 20 minutes, woke up and was back in the car headed home within the hour. If they haven't told you, they won't let you drive yourself home, but I felt alert and had no after effects of the anesthesia.   They gave me the same stuff used on Micheal Jackson, to put him to sleep.   It was funny, they put a mouth guard in so I wouldn't bite the scope, said they were about the put me under.   Next thing I know, I'm waking up (thinking that I had just blinked my eyes) and I put the mouth guard back in because I thought I had let it slip out. The staff was laughing at me, cause I didn't realize the procedure was over.
joatsaint

joatsaint

4
 

Eating Out Post-Op

My best friend asked my how eating out was going to change post-op. We had been eating out every Sat. night for years and we always went to buffet type places.   I told him that nothing was going to change as far as I was concerned. I went out to eat with him for the company, not for the food. And as far as I was concerned, the $12 - $20 bucks I spent each week was nothing that would change my quality of life, so I didn't care about getting my money's worth.   I wish I had taken a picture of my plate the 1st time I went to a restaurant post-op. I think I had 1 fajita chicken strip, 1 tablespoon of guacamole, 1 tablespoon of refried beans... and I couldn't finish all of it.   Here's a before and after photo from last weeks trip to the buffet. . BEFORE:   AFTER:
joatsaint

joatsaint

1
 

Down Scale Down! or The Fear of Seeing the Scale Move Up Instead of Down

One of the scariest or infuriating things I encounter is when I've made a new low on the scale and then gain back 3 or 5 pounds in the next few days. And then it takes a week to get back where I was. I know it's just my body getting adjusted to my new lifestyle, but it is infuriating to see it happen.   After reading so many success stories about losing 20 plus pounds per month in the 1st 6 months, I WANT IT TOO! Not 10, not 15, I want my 20+ pound loss, just like clockwork - gimme, gimme, gimme! But that isn't the way my body wants to do it. So I'll just have to get used to the way it works.   In fact, the gains are my fault. I allow myself a "cheat" meal on Saturday nights and one more on Sundays when I visit my parents (twice a month). It's not that I eat more food, it's just less healthy.   For example:   Friday morning weight in: 296.8   Saturday night was Golden Corral buffet night. Over the hour I was there, I had about 4oz of meatloaf, 1 fried chicken strip, 1 big cauliflower floret w/cheese, about 2 tablespoons of Shepard's pie and about 1/2 of some kind of pecan gooey thing. I didn't stuff myself, just ate until I was full, waited while my friend hit the buffet again, and I ate a little here and there as my stomach emptied.   The following Sunday happened to be one of the 2 days a month I visit my parents. At lunch we had Churches fried chicken. I had 1 fried breast, 1 single serving of mashed potatoes, and 1 biscuit. This is not the normal fare, usually mom cooks meat and vegetables.   I wasn't able to eat the whole thing in one sitting. I broke it into 2 meals, one at 11am, the 2nd at 2pm.   The rest of my meals for the weekend were my normal fare: turkey hamburger w/cheese and spaghetti sauce or turkey hamburger w/gravy and chopped cauliflower. In a 4oz bowl.   Monday morning weigh in: 302.4 - almost a 6 pound gain!   I can only assume that all the salt and sodium caused quite a bit of water retention. I don't believe I really over did it too much on the calories.   Now it's Thursday - 4 days later - and I'm back down to 298.4 - 4 pounds. Not surprising really, it's happened more than once. That doesn't mean I have to like it!   I think it might be a good thing to switch up foods this way, my body won't get accustomed to a certain calorie count/protein/carb/fat intake. I just won't go overboard on the bad stuff and eat it more than 6 meals a month. Now if only I can get over my fear of seeing the scale move up instead of down!   And I'll watch and see how my body reacts long term. If turns out that it's causing stalls or long term weight gain, I'll have to go back to the basic diet and cut out the bad stuff.   NSV! Now, where's my light saber? I have to punch a new hole in my belt.
joatsaint

joatsaint

3
 

Does This Taste Funny?

It's been 7 weeks and my taste buds have been outta whack ever since surgery.   Today I noticed that things are getting back to normal. Up until today every flavor had to be very intense or it was bland.   I was mixing my Crystal Light 3 packs to a gallon, instead of the normal 2. But today, it just tasted too sweet and I had to water it down.   When I went out to eat tonight, I noticed the subtle flavors of my food - it actually tasted good. Normally I just bury it in salsa for the intense taste of salsa, what's under it didn't really matter.   So I think things are getting back to normal.   And one else experience something similar with flavors, smell, or touch?
joatsaint

joatsaint

4
 

Dealing With Setbacks or Climb Down Off The Cross, Build a Bridge With The Wood and Get Over It!

This post is just goes to show that even Sleeve veterans aren't perfect. The key is to look at a setback as a delay, not a permanent failure, and get back on track.   I was trying to stay low-carb till I lost about 20lbs, but I fell off the wagon this morning. Over the Thanksgiving week, I gained about 5 lbs and was up to 220 lbs in 5 days - probably from all the salt. So I went back to what's worked in the past, low-carb eating - lean protein (pork loin) and a few vegetables (squash, cauliflower).   Low-carbing worked well, I lost the excess water plus a few pounds. In 6 days I've lost 9.6 lbs. But the stress from work has been pretty overwhelming these past few days. And when I came into work this morning, there was a fresh hot box of donuts waiting in the kitchen. I started to limit myself to 1, but then though about how good I was going to feel when I ate them. So I got 2... Go BIG or Go HOME! and enjoyed every bite!!!!!   Will those 2 donuts affect my weight? Probably not, as long as I don't continue eating junk every day. Will it cause my weight loss to stall? I'll know soon enough, the scale will tell me tomorrow morning.   P.S. I'll be back on pork loin and cauliflower for lunch today.   Keep Pimpin' That Sleeve!!!!   Randy   UPDATE: 12/08/2014 Well, eating the donuts plus my "cheat" meal on Saturday night, I woke up on Sunday morning weighing 1.4lbs heavier. But I got back on my diet on Sunday and Monday (today). I lost the weight and weigh the same as I did last Friday (the day before I ate the donuts). I'm back down to 210.4 Now let's see if I can finally break 200lbs. 2nd UPDATE: 12/10/2014 Hit an all time new low today, 208.2 lbs. Still sticking to my diet.   3rd UPDATE: 12/13/2014 Still low-carbing (sorta) Hit another all time low this morning - 206 lbs.   Haven't been that low since high school (38 years ago). My diet revolves around eating pork loin and Raisin Bran (I eat Raisin Bran cause they give it to us free at work) and coffee (loaded with creamer and Splenda). And I'm taking Puritans Pride "Green Source" whole food vitamins made from whole food concentrates. I swear these vitamins make me feel so much better than any other vitamin I've taken.   I take the vitamins first thing in the morning. If I take them in the evening, I have so much energy I have a hard time sleeping.   During the day, I usually eat about 2 cups of shredded pork loin and 2 snacks - Raisin Bran (dry - I eat it straight up like trail mix in a cup - I have a 12oz cup and fill it halfway).   And 2 cups of shredded pork loin in the evening after work. (Although I did have some spaghetti I was rationing out over the week - I'd have 1 cup of pork loin and 2 cups of spaghetti).   It's Saturday, the cheat meal day. Let's see if I gain weight overnight from eating pizza.   4th UPDATE: 12/14/2014 Sunday morning update. After pigging out on Mexican food and drinking 2 16oz Mike's Harder Lemonades Sat night, I'm up 1.4 lbs. I weighted in at 207.8 this morning vs. 206.4 yesterday.   OMG!!!! I'm getting so FAT!!! (can you hear the panic in my typing or is that sarcasm? ) My old pre-surgery self only dreamed of being 207.8 lbs.   BEFORE:   AFTER:   5th Update: 12/17/2014 Wednesday and I'm at a new all time low - 205.6 lbs. I'd like to get to 199, just to see how it feels, but I may let myself cheat a little extra over Xmas and "balloon" back up to 210. Then go for 199 again, starting on the 26th.   But who knows. I never expected to get below 200. And 2 years ago, my doc said I should realistically expect to hang around 225 - 235 in the long term. So hitting 205 and staying there would be fine with me.   One side effect of eating low-carb, once I got the sugar out of my system, I no longer have the head hunger that literally drove me to overeating. And you would think that something as innocent as apples and bananas wouldn't trigger carb cravings, but they do trigger carb cravings in me.   6th Update: 12/19/2014 Friday and still holding at 204.4lbs, not going up, not going down. But the weather and sinuses haven't let me get out and walk off some extra calories. Still low-carbing, no carb cravings and eating well. Been at 204 - 205 lbs for at least 2 days in a row, so I can mark it as official, I weigh 205. - (I only count a new low in my weight if I have sustained it for at least 2 days!) :-)   7th Update: 12/28/2014 Well, after the Xmas splurge, I woke up weighing 211.4 lbs on Dec 27th. Nothing really unexpected after I ate all that salty ham and had plenty of pecan pie. So I'll see what happens when I go back to low-carbing on Monday and get all that salt out of my system.   8th Update: 12/30/2014 2nd day back on the low-carb diet. I'm was at 209.2 this morning and weighed in at 210.0 after work. So it just bolsters my feeling that all the salt from eating smoked ham was causing me to hold water weight and is now exiting my system.   If you're interested, I'm back to eating pork loin w/my low-carb bbq sauce, and (2) 1/2 cup servings of dry Raisin Bran cereal during the day. I did eat a bag of Snapea Crisps (about 400 calories/100 grams of carbs) on Sunday, but it doesn't seem to have affected my weight loss.   9th Update: 02/01/2015 Still eating my regular old routine of pork and bbq sauce, Raisin Bran and cauliflower and brussell sprouts. My weigh is staying steady at 204 - 205 since the 2nd week of Jan 2015. Just have to watch how much of the Raisin Bran I let myself eat. My new job keeps me moving all day and I tend to want to eat more because of it.
joatsaint

joatsaint

2
 

Constipation and Milk of Magnesia Or How FEMA Declared My Bathroom A National Disaster

I swear that I see my toilet flinch each time I walk past the bathroom door. And I can hear my toilet give off the pitiful wail of a prisoner being tortured in a Medieval dungeon when I sit on the toilet, "Nooooo, nooooo, I'll tell you what you want to know. Just make it stop!"   It all started cause I was worried. I hadn't had a decent poop in over 5 days. What little pebbles did come out of me weren't nearly enough to the amount I had consumed. So I was worried. I went online looking for a good tasting, safe, effective, and not too powerful laxative. After all, I didn't want to be like a cartoon character hanging onto hand rails to keep from launching like a rocket off the toilet. Nor did I want to wait 24 hours or more for it to work and get caught too far from the toilet.   So I spent an hour or so reading the reviews on natural health forums and it boiled my choices down to Milk of Magnesia or Epsom Salts. I didn't want to drink the salt, so that left Milk of Magnesia. To the Batbuick! I didn't have a secret shaft to slide down, so I had to take the stairs. Na na na na, na na na na. Our hero finds himself standing in Walmart, debating the merits of original flavor or cherry. I chose cherry hoping it would be the least disgusting of the two flavors. My only weakness, bad flavors. I can stop bullets (well, once anyway) but I can't handle the yucky taste of medicine.   I made my purchase and raced back to my secret bunker. A detailed analyzation of a sample (I read the label) told me the chemical components of Milk of Magnesia is composed of Magnesium Hydroxide.   The instructions said to drink at least 8 oz. per tablespoon taken. I had my trusty Batmug handy, loaded with 30 oz. of Crystal Light lemonade. The adult dosage was 3 to 4 tablespoons for constipation. So of course I took 4. It also said that it was suppose to work within 5 hours. But others had said expect immediate action and not to wander too far from the toilet. So I was prepared to stay around the house for the next 5 or so hours.   The taste wasn't quite as bad as the barium the hospital gave me for the leak test, but it was pretty disgusting. 1/2 hour later, nothing. And there I sat, broken hearted, paid 4 bucks and only farted. More or less an hour later I felt the 1st rumblings. 1/2 hour later, time to RELEASE THE KRACKEN!   So all in all, it was a smooth move. So smooth in fact that I was worried it was another failure to launch. But when I looked behind me, it was everything I had dreamed a poo could be. Call Guinness, it was a monster. I could fight crime with a poo this big. I'm still working on my superhero name. Captain Poo, Pinch e Loaf a, Sir Bag of Crap, The Brown Stain, Skid Mark, The Brown Eye? Suggestions are welcomed.   Alls well that ends well, sort of. I overdosed a little (should have stuck with 2 or 3 tablespoons instead of 4) and everything I ate for the rest of the day passed through my system rapidly. Every 4 or 5 hours, I'd get the urge. Not - EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! - kinda urge, just the sense that I needed to get to the bathroom soon. And I kept drinking as much Crystal Light as I could. Milk of Magnesia's main ingredient pulls water into the intestines and I didn't want to get dehydrated.   So if you need to go, as I did, Milk of Magnesia gets a big thumbs up from me. My colon is so clean you could eat off it or fight crime with it, your choice. Just get your own superhero name.   Comments and suggestions are welcome. I'm trying to improve my writing. If you liked this post or hated it, please leave a comment.
joatsaint

joatsaint

25
 

Confession Time: The Spaghetti Monster Almost Got ME!

I found one of my trigger foods. It's spaghetti or more specifically pasta. My mom made some homemade spaghetti on Sunday (homemade as in, homemade from a jar, you know, the same line of thought as Olive Garden treats you like family). Really, Olive Garden treats you like family, I don't recall my mom ever presenting a bill at the end of a meal. But I digress.   Any way, I took the leftovers home with me. For supper, I ate my normal portion, and a few minutes later wanted another portion - even though my stomach was telling me I was stuffed to the top. I wanted it so bad that I would have cage wrestled a bear for another bowl.   It wasn't easy, but I stopped myself. The hardest part - and I can't believe it was so difficult to do - was to throw out the spaghetti. I kept telling myself that I could space out the spaghetti into several meals during the week. But, I knew if I left it in the house, I'd find some way to convince myself to eat more that eventing. There is a dog that trots through my yard daily, so he may be going into insulin shock today!   Only 1 other time have I wanted to eat something so bad - it was a banana laying in the fruit bowl. So adios spaghetti noodles, I'll eat you at mom's house, but you won't be coming home with me anymore.
joatsaint

joatsaint

11
 

Can You Fail With The Sleeve?

I believe anyone that has 85% of their stomach removed will lose weight. You can't help but lose, if you are limited to 4oz of food every few hours.   Now the big question is, where is your hunger coming from? Only you can figure that part out. Is it from emotional eating, boredome, stress, or is it because you have hunger pangs caused by the hormone ghrelin?   From my own experience, I knew that my hunger was real (even though I had eaten 2 hours earlier, I'd be hungry again). It wasn't until I talked to my surgeon that he told me that I had an excess of the hormone ghrelin (produced by the stomach). The bigger the stomach, the more of the hormone produced.   The surgery stopped my hunger pangs. I have not had that nagging sense of hunger (other than my stomach growling) since surgery 7 weeks ago. And 4 or 5 oz of food keeps me satisfied, whereas before, I could eat 1 lb of steak and know I'd be raiding the fridge in 2 hours.   And I don't have any cravings anymore for certain flavors. Whereas before, I'd think about something that would taste good and I couldn't get the thought out of my head until I ate it - and a lot of it, not just a small portion.   Don't get me wrong, you can sabotage yourself after surgery. There are foods, called slider foods, that are calorie dense (ice cream, peanut butter) that pass through the stomach quickly, so it's possible to eat more. And it is possible to just graze all day on snacks that are high in calories.   The sleeve gave me the control over my eating that I needed. When I eat, I have full control of what I eat. I can pass on the donuts or just have 1 and be satisfied. With the exception of pasta - it triggers my sugar cravings. So I have to be real careful about eating it.   But I don't know if I'd the same success if my hunger was tied to my emotions instead of hormones.   I really believe food was an addiction - one you can't quit and never touch again.   Other addictions can be quit and never touched again. But what if a heroine addict, smoker or alcoholic knew they had to take some every day or their body would die?   What if they had 75 TV channels that ran commericals for cigarrets every 10 minutes during their favorite programs? Or had reality programs (like the best places to pig out or the food challenges) devoted to the best places to get their fix and showed people taking drugs and loving it? Could the addicts just reduce the amount they took every day and never over do it or would they give in to the nagging voice in their head telling them how good it was going to feel?   Ok, rant over. :-)
joatsaint

joatsaint

9

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