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About this blog

My journey from 22 to 6...

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Protein! Where to get it...

Hi all...I am almost 5 weeks post op! Wow the time has flown by!   Sorry I have not been on here in a while giving an update or posting about something I have kinda been in what some people call a "stall" for the past two weeks. Kinda puts a damper on things. The first week I was really pretty ok with it. I had just lost 40lb in 2 months and was just stoked to start seeing the changes in my body and in my attitude/personality. Then by the 2nd week it just started to get depressing, I even gained 1 pound... I started getting a little mad and was trying to figure out how to amp up my loss again.   I had just started adding solid foods back into my diet but I was not getting over 600-700 cal a day. (which I thought was good) I was having a little bit of a hard time with my protein and liquid intake. So I figured that must be the problem. Last Tuesday I had my first WLS support group meeting with my supper awesome friend Tina. By some amazing divine appointment God had them focusing on PROTEIN! She had a ton of samples to try from different products and gave us a bunch of ideas on how to add bits of protein to our diets through out the day. Apparently just about everyone in the group had been struggling with some kind of stall recently and so that was the topic of focus! How perfect for me   And because I know how common it is for us new VSG'ers to have a hard time with proper protein levels I thought I would share what I learned, my new favorite products, and a few new ideas on how to use protein.   First, my new best friend is "Big Train". I have always loved this brand but had no idea that they had a bariatric friendly line of protein powders. So now I can have my love of coffee and drink it too I do live in Seattle... Its almost against the law to not like coffee over here... lol Here is the link for the Big Train drinks. I love them! The cool thing is, I can not taste the protein in them at all! I have tried the vanilla and the espresso (both are fantastic) and have just ordered the sampler pac to try the rest before purchasing in bulk... http://www.bigtrain.com/coffee-protein-drink-mix-powder-fit-frappe-c-143.aspx   My 2nd new brand of protein is Chike... I had never heard of this brand till my meeting this week. I tried the coffee flavor and again it was really good! I ordered the sample pac of this brand also. I really like being able to take a little packet of powder with me rather than mixing up a whole days worth at once. I need to find some kind of little container that holds one serving though, because it is so much cheaper to buy the tub rather than the packets... Anyway, here is the link for Chike. http://www.chikenutrition.com/buy-chike.html   Third... I know most of you guys know about Unjury. But recently I have made a few friends who had never heard of it. For all of you newbies out there here is an awesome product! Unjury is said to be one of the best forms of protein. One of the best on the market. Its protein has really good absorption into the body. I have been told some of the cheaper proteins don't benefit the body as well as others. I totally get that, most food now a days dose not benefit the body at all so I am sure they cheat on this kind of stuff also... Anyway, Unjury makes a "non-flavored" powder that you can put in just about anything from soup to pudding, to drinks. I have been adding it to my Crystal Light or Mio drinks. When you add it to a fruity drink it kinda turns it into a cream cycle taste. Not bad when it is giving you 20+ grams of protein in each scoop... I also put some strawberry lemon-aid into a vanilla powder and it was pretty good too.. http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/   I also found this website http://www.bariatricchoice.com/bariatric-protein-shakes-smoothies-drinks-12.html It looks like it has a ton of different high protein options including Nectar (which I have ordered the sample pack but have not tried yet) It might be a cool place to get some extra ideas from.   (And by the way I just started loosing weight again! I dropped 1 pound yesterday. I really believe its because I am drinking more and added more protein)   So, to give you an idea on how I get my protein and liquids in... In the morning I start out with either a mixed fruit and veggie shake with a scoop of Unjury in it. Or, I have a coffee drink with either the Big Train or the Chike. Rite there in that morning drink I have just got 20 grams of protein in...   As a snack I will have a cheese stick or cup of Greek yogurt. (6-12 g protein)   Then for lunch I make sure to have some kind of meat, eggs or cheese. All of which are low in carbs. (remember we like low carbs   During the day I will have a "snack" by putting one scoop of protein powder in with a beverage. There is another 20 grams.   For dinner I have been trying to get in some veggies with my meat. So weather I have 1/2 a hamburger patty or a few ounces of fish, I try to get in either salad or another green vegetable.   If I work it good like that, I am over 70 grams of protein. Plus the shakes alone have given me about 30 ounces of water so I only have to concentrate on another 30 through out the day. To tell you the truth, its the liquids I am still having trouble with. It is really hard to drink that much through out the day. But I am trying...   I hope I was able to help some of you guys... I know I was really struggling with ideas on how to get enough every day... Good luck to you all! And let me know what you think of my ideas. Also, If any of you have some products or mix ideas for me please let me know! I am always looking for something new to try.   Later all!!! "HUGS" Amber
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

15
 

4 Months Post Op

Hey there everyone. I know I have not been keeping up on my blogs... I guess its because I am now out living life and discovering who I am as a normal person. Finding out I like to hang out, I like to go to the gym, I don't mind being in front of a crowd now... As for normal life its kinda hard rite now, I just started a new job and its not really paying out what I hoped, so the bills are a bit tight rite now. But I can tell you that my cloths are not! I am having to sew and alter many of my cloths because I am loosing so fast! Thank god I can sew! Or I would be in cloths that looked like sacks and togas...lol   This sleeve is proving to be the most wonderful "tool"! And yes, everyone was right to say its a tool for weight loss! Its the thing that helps keep me on track. The reminder that I have a goal and that I don't want to stray from my mission.   As of this week I am 14 weeks post op. I have lost 71 pounds and almost 45 inches! (9 inches off my waist alone!) I have gone from a size 22 pants to a size 16! Everything looks and feels different. I can cross my legs when I sit, I can run up and down stairs, I can be on my feet for longer periods of time, I am starting to be able to ware high heals again! And when I pass by a shop window, I don't recognize the person I see in the reflection... The little changes and victories are endless! I am so happy I made this decision.   There are a few things for me that I have noticed are a little different than some of my other sleever friends. One is I am hungry regularly. I don't really know if it is what they call head hunger, or if my body is just telling me to eat more. I know that I am satisfied rather quickly, but I do feel hungry often. I am able to eat most anything I want (in moderation) I have a little bit of a hard time with fried foods. I try to stay away from them in general, but sometimes my will gets the best of me... I am normally sorry in the end because my tummy dose not really like it... In general I am at about 1000-1100 cal a day... And I loose about 2 or maybe 3 pounds a week rite now...   I have been on the low end of my protein the past couple weeks. I have been making it a priority over the past couple days so I hope to see my loss pick up again. I have noticed it slow down a little. Im sure this will help. My other problem area is water ( I know, I am preaching to the choir on this one...lol every one has a hard time with water) I have been trying to drink allot more! I keep a glass full at work now and a bottle in my car. What ever it takes rite?   Well, I think I have covered most of the things that are going on with me. I want to be able to keep a record not only for myself but for all of you who might find a little help or hope in following my story. I know I am not supper interesting, or amazingly charismatic, but its my story... and maybe it will help someone... All I got is my experiences and my personal victories...   To all my supper awesome friends out there... Thank you for your support! You guys are awesome! Sarahr and TTL you girls are the best! I am always able to talk to you guys... and especially my friend VSGkirk ... You have been so wonderful, and such a great friend... Thank you! I am so glad we live close.   Until next time. Keep up the good work!
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

6
 

None Scale Victories of the week :)

Hey guys   I just had to post a little entry about all of my little (or not so little) NSV of the week! (Sorry in advance for all the colors..lol Made me think of being in middle school again. hahaha)   So the first thing I noticed this last week was that my rings are getting loose. I have this one ring my sister got for me, and I just love it. It used to fit on my ring finger but I have had to move it to my pointer finger because it was about to fall off the other day... (It used to be tight)   Second... I went down a full pant Size!!! Ya know how jeans can vary in size? Well I was in a size 22 when I started and about a week ago I was able to fit into my big 20's... But today I got into my small 20's Oh ya.. And they fit and look good So excited! That is one step closer to being back in the teen digest   Third... I can tie my shoes so much easier! I used to have to sit down try to reach for my feet across my huge tummy. Now its no problem   Forth... I have noticed that my libido has just launched to a whole new level..lol It seems like every other thought is about sex... ha ha ha...   AND!!! to top it off... I have lost 19 inches over my whole body !!!!   Yay for me   I hope all of you out there are having as much success as I am. I hope your finding the little things that encourage you and push you through each day. Keep your eyes out for the little details that make you smile. Cloths that fit different, The fact that moving is easier, You feel different, You sleep better, your off some meds... etc...     What are your none scale victories of the week? Please share!!!!
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

9
 

Skin... what can we do to help our skin?

Hi guys...   As you are starting to see, I really like to find natural ways to help my body. I really don't like all the chemicals and unnatural things people put in and on their body's. Over the past few weeks before surgery I have wanted to start taking care of my skin. Mainly because I am worried about the loose skin thing after I start loosing weight. I am sure I can't escape it all, but I figure if I start now I can at least get a jump start on it. I can make it better than it might have been without the effort.   So through my research, I stumbled upon "dry skin brushing" It is said to help with ~ Removes toxins from your body ~Tighten your skin ~Help exfoliate dead skin cells ~Help with aging and half a dozen other benefits... I am adding a link to one of the main articles I found helpful.   http://www.pureinsideout.com/detox-skin-brushing.html#   I figure if I add this into my daily life of keeping my skin hydrated, taking skin helping vitamins and staying fully hydrated, maybe I can get some of the elasticity back in my skin. Give it a try or at the least look into it. I know I am going to try it. It can't hurt
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

5
 

Thrush after antibiotics

Ok guys...   I am normally a VERY private person. But I just had a recent problem that really freaked me out and I know that if it happened to me, it will happen to someone else, so I am going to post about it in hopes that you guys will be helped by my experience.   During my surgery my doctor prescribed me a liquid antibiotic that I was supposed to take for 5 days. Because I was in Mexico the bottle was all in Spanish but I think it was called Cefixima. It was this overly sweet strawberry flavor. Yuck... Way too sweet...   Any way on day 6 when I was finished taking it, while I was brushing my teeth I noticed that my whole tongue had turned white and felt as if I had scalded it with hot coffee. It was really sore and really gross and like I said before, I am not used to sharing this kind of thing with anyone much less everyone...lol I scrubbed off as much as I could without really hurting myself and started to ask around and read up on it. Basically Thrush is a candida yeast infection that you can get when the good bacteria balance in your mouth is way off (because of the liquid antibiotics I had to take orally) It is not serious and is easily fixed. There are a number of ways you can get rid of it on your own in just a couple days.   (Also, remember I am not a doctor, if for some reason it dose not go away, call your doctor!)   My most preferred way to treat it is with plain yogurt. Have a spoon of PLAIN yogurt and press it to your tongue and hold it there for a while. Do this several times a day for a couple days and the good bacteria cultures in the yogurt will help bring your mouth back into proper balance.   Another way I have heard is to dilute apple cider vinegar (2 or 3 tablespoons in a small glass of water) and try to wash out your mouth a few times a day... Yuck... I did do this the fist night before I got any yogurt...   Another thing that I have been using in junction with these other two is acidophilus. Acidophilus is a healthy bacteria you should put back into your body any time you have been on antibiotics. Because antibiotics kill all bacteria in your body you need to replace the good stuff or you have a chance of getting sick again. I take this after any round of antibiotics...   There are a number of other remedies that you can search up on line for yourself, but this is what I have found to work for me.   As of now I am almost 24 hours out from my self diagnosis and I can already see that it is clearing up. I will try to remember to post a comment letting you know how it worked out in the end and how long it took to go away...   Good luck everyone...
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

5
 

My surgery in Mexico!

Hey all...   Well, I am home safe and sound and SLEEVED!!! I promised all of you a detailed update of how everything went for me in Mexico. From as much as I can tell, everything is going great. I am progressing normally for post surgery and am working through all the crazy feelings and thoughts..lol   So to start off I chose to schedule my surgery with Dr Ortiz at the Obesity Control Center in Tijuana Mexico. I got to meet Dr Ortiz before my surgery and he was very nice. He spoke to me allot of what dietary changes I would be making post op and he talked to me about what to eat to have long term success with the surgery. Because as all of us know it is a tool to use to help us achieve our goal. Its not going to do it for us   PS. This is going to be kinda long, I have a few friends who wanted to know EVERYTHING that happened.   I flew in a day early (on Sunday) because I didn't want to deal with travel and surgery all in one day. When we got to the airport I got a text from my driver Joel (very nice guy). He told me where to wait for him, that he was driving a gold colored van and that my name was in the window. He unfortunately was running a little late because the boarder was backed up (which is understandable) but he would be there soon. After he picked me and my sister up we drove around to pick up another lady. Loren (Ren) my new bestie and her husband Tom were waiting at another airline. We were all driven to the border together and had a great time talking to each other about ourselves and our goals for after surgery.   At the border we had to get out of the van and walk through customs. Piece of cake... They didn't even want to see our passports. Just X-ray the bags and we were through (not sure if this is how it is all the time but it was really easy for us) Once we walked out the door on the other side our driver was waiting for us and drove us the rest of the way to our hotel. Apparently they don't care who comes into Mexico, just who leaves...lol We had a nice night just relaxing by the pool, having dinner in the restaurant. Yes... I had soup, but I did splurge and have the last piece of bread I will probably have for quite a while...   Monday morning we were up by 5:30am. Showered, dressed and fasting for a 6:40am pick up. We drove to the hospital and were there by 7am. There were a total of 5 people having surgery that day and we all just waited in the waiting room. One by one we were brought back to start our pre op testing. I unfortunately got to go last... yay! Oh well... Pre op testing included; blood work, ekg, dental check up (not kidding... i even got a tooth fixed before surgery! awesome!) and a interview with the nutritionist Dr. Miranda (who is supper nice! ).   I went in for surgery at about 3:30pm The different thing about the OCC is that you walk into surgery yourself and lay down on the table. Kinda strange and just a little scary, but I was knocked out pretty quick after that. I woke up in my hospital bed with my sisters there. Between 4pm-6pm all visitors have to leave and go back to the hotel for the night,. The night nurse was really great and got me extra pillows and more pain meds when ever I needed them. I did have a rather unnerving drain hanging from my side when I woke up. I hear that it is quite common. Its dose not hurt at all, its just really disturbing to think about..lol.. I was up and down all night not sleeping very well, but I guess its good to keep walking. It helps move the gas around and out. I didn't have any bad gas pain till day 3.   Tuesday morning we were up and discharged by 9am. We got some prescriptions to take with us. I would suggest bringing some extra pain pills like extra strength Tylenol or something stronger if you have it, just for back up. We were driven back to the hotel for the day. I laid out by the pool for just about an hour and got the perfect sun burn. (You know, the kind that looks bad and red but never hurts and turns into a good tan Then at dinner time I had a couple ounces of chicken broth. The hotel makes if fresh, but it seemed to be really strong (salty) so i diluted it in half with water. I think I might have had about 2 oz and was done. I drank the rest an hour later... The hotel also has something called "green juice" its so great! It is fresh juiced fruit and veggies and tastes great!   Wednesday; We were all picked up again at about 9am and taken back to the hospital for a check up. We again waited in the lobby till they were ready for each of us. Loren and I both hopped that they would take out the drain but no luck. That was for tomorrow. When I was called back in for my check up. The nurse weighed me, I had gained 7lbs after surgery because of all the fluids they pump into you during surgery. I think its a good thing too because you really don't drink allot the first couple days. She took me and checked all my incisions changed the bandage around my drain tube, emptied out what had collected in the drain (SO GROSS!) and took my blood pressure.   After my appointment I took a short nap and felt good enough to take a walk so my sisters and I went shopping. We took a cab over to Revolution Ave and got some cool things to take home. After that I was exhausted and went back to the hotel.   Later that night a friend of mine Kasey (from the forum) had just gotten back from her surgery and was ready for a visit, so we spent the evening chatting in her room till we were both to tired to keep talking... Love you Kasey   Thursday morning I was back to the hospital again about 9am for my last check up. They took out the drain (which didn't hurt, it just felt like something moving inside me for a moment, totally nasty) Changed my bandage again and took my vitals. After that I was on my way.   We (Me my sisters, Loren and her husband) were picked up and drove to the border where we had to get out again to walk across. The only difference is on this side of the border, there are like 1000-2000 people in line waiting to get into the states. It takes hours! So our very smart driver pulled out a wheal chair and said... One of you in the chair and look very sick. The rest of you go with and help push and carry the bags. You can go all the way to the front of the line and get through stay together!. Well apparently this worked EVERY time, except for us. We somehow got Mr Ass Hat patrol guard who who was on some power testosterone trip and made us split up and only Me (i was in the chair) and one person pushing me was allowed to go through... He was a major jerk! Well, once we were on the other side we were able to find a higher ranking guard and he was very kind and helped us get everyone else across.   From there it was smooth sailing to the airport and home! I really hope this helps some of you. I know that another lady laid out all the details for me before I left and it helped me so much!!! Thank you Shelley And I wanted to pass it on for those of you who were going after me. You are welcome to ask me any questions. I would be happy to share anything else that I may have left out.   Also, I am proud to say that 5 days out I have lost all the water weight from surgery and am down 1lb from pre surgery weight! Oh ya... I am on my way   Love you guys! Best of luck to you all on your journey. Remember! You deserve it!
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

3
 

5 Months post op.... Numbers and victories...

Hi there fellow sleevers...   I am updating you with my 5 months post op information... I don't think I have put my measurements on here before so I wanted to put that out there today. I thought my weight numbers were drastic, but once I re did my body measurements it really put things into perspective!   So My starting weight pre op was 293lb I am currently just over 5 months post op and am at 208 this morning...How awesome is that? I am almost to ONEderland!!! So excited! I hope to get under 200 by August. We shall see if I an make that goal... I got 2 weeks, I can do it!   Ok as for measurements.   Pre op 293lb.......NOW 208lb Size 22 Size 14/16   Arms 18 in....................14.25 in - 3.75 in Thigh 32 in....... ............25 in -7 in Neck 18.75 in ...............16 in -1.25 in Tummy 51 in.....................40 in -9 in Bust 46.5.....................41.5 in -5 in Boobs 55 in .....................47 in - 8 in Hips 55 in .....................45 in -9 in Calf 21.5......................17.5 - 4 in     So that is a total overall loss of 47 inches!!! Totally awesome....   A few Non Scale Victories include... Being able to cross my legs (I am really stoked about that one) Don't feel gross in a bathing suit I have gotten rid of about 5 trash bags full of cloths.. all different sizes.. Everything is too big for me now I can go up stairs and hills without a problem. I get compliments from everyone My Ex thinks I look good... (don't worry, hi is still an Ex) Guys are starting to stare at me for the first time ever... I could just keep going, but I think I will leave the rest for my next post...   Thanks to all of you for all the support! Your amazing!
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

4
 

Goals for post op! What I am looking forward to :)

I first want to give a shout out to JennJitters for inspiring me to write this blog. I saw a blog she put out where she listed all the things she wanted to do when she lost the weight and I wanted to do the same thing. I am one week post op today and I wanted a list of things that I could look back on in 9 months or a year and say "yes! I did that"   You don't have to read all the way through, It will probably be a fairly long list because there are allot of things I want to be able to do. This is mostly just for me but I am willing to share it because I know that you all probably feel the same way about most of these things... Learn how to rock climb
Hike and summit any mountain I feel like (I love the Olympics)
Go horseback riding and not feel like I'm killing the horse
Have children and be able to play with them
Be in shape for the first time in my life
Walk into a room and not think everyone is staring at me because I'm big
Have my first ever Valentines Day date
Take the stairs not wishing there was an elevator
Be able to get cloths at any store without wondering if they have my size
Ware cloths in the single digits
Be confident in myself
Fit in the rides at the fair.. I love rides!
Ware a bikini and feel good about it
Learn how to snowboard
Be able to buy shews that are not "wide"
Be able to ware high heal shoes for more than 20 minutes without being in pain
Sky dive! Oh yes I really want to do this! lol
Have a man pick me up
Not be controlled by food
Eat to live not live to eat
Buy longerie and feel good wearing it
Be able to have pretty panties that are not hidden under a roll
Be able to share cloths with my sister (she has the coolest cloths!)
Take full body pictures and not hate them
Have only one size of cloths in my closet (not 5 different sizes depending on what diet I am on this week)
Be comfortable in a normal size sleeping bag
Go to the gym and not be self conscious
To be able to fit comfortably on an airplane
To be able to do a hand stand... why not?
To be able to do advanced yoga
Get a tattoo
Fit in a playground swing without hurting my hips
To feel sexy
Now lets see how long it takes to mark off a few of these
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

4
 

Choosing my doctor and the huge road block I faced.

Hi guys..   So, My doctor... Well, I started this crazy journey in September 2012. My sister had suggested I look into wsl and I really liked what I was researching. So as you can see, I chose to do the sleeve. Well my first thought in choosing a doctor was NOT going to Mexico.. haha.. That thought had never even crossed my mind.   I had chosen a very nice doctor who I loved, up here in Seattle WA near where I live. He was at the Puget sound surgery center and I just fell in love with them all! Everyone from my coordinator to my doctor to the beautiful lady who's seminar I attended. I just knew that that was where I wanted to have my surgery!   BUT!.... This is not what happened. After doing all of my pre op testing. The sleep study screening, psychological evaluation, the blood work, EKG, upper gi etc... I lost my job... Yes my wonderful 50K a year carer just fell out from under me. All of my financing went out the window. I was back to square one. So after a few months of brooding and being pissed that my dreams were never going to come true. A friend I had made on this wonderful chat room told me about Mexico. There are actually qualified well trained wonderful doctors in Mexico that cost less than half of the price. So I started my research all over again. The "too good to believe price was the first thing I had to look into. Then I had to find the doctor that I wanted, and I had to make sure he was legit.   As I started looking I found Dr Ortiz at the Obesity Control Center in Tijuana Mexico. The price was right, he was legit, he had references from other patients that I had meet and he was the one I chose to go with. I am sure there are many other wonderful doctors in and around Mexico, but this is the one I chose.   I know I have other friends who want to know how everything goes so I will be sure to post play by play events as they happen. I totally understand wanting to know exactly what is expected and what to plan.   So stay tuned for more information on how everything is going Amber
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

3
 

10 Week Update...

Hey all...   Wow time has really flown by! I can't believe how long it has been since i have updated my little blog here. I am sorry I have been so busy and distracted.   Well for my numbers! I am 10 weeks out and have lost 62lb! I have gone from a 47BMI to a 37BMI. I am very happy with my results. I don't think I would call my self a supper fast looser, but I am keeping it steady. Other thank a 3 weeks stall somewhere in the middle, I have been loosing about 3lb a week. That I can live with I have gone from a size 22/2X to a size 18/XL I am so happy! And everyone is really starting to notice the changes. I think that is one of the most encouraging things...   I have also begun to really like exercise! I have started going to Zumba once or twice a week depending on my schedule... I just love it! For all of you girls out there who hate exercise but love to dance, this is for you! The friends you make at these classes are supper awesome! They keep you motivated, and wanting to come back. Its like a little support group all its own. At least that is how mine is, I really hope they are all like that...   I know My Fitness Pall is my life saver and best friend lately... All of my friends who are on there supporting me every day are just wonderful! Thanks so much! You keep me going! If any of you want to follow me or need a little extra support of your own you can friend me on MFP my screen name is the same. amberlydw8   I have some new NSV's over the past few weeks... I can cross my legs!!! It has been forever since I have been able to cross my legs! Awesome!
I can run for and not feel like I am going to die! (not very far, but its so much better than before!)
My knees, feet and back don't hurt anymore!
I don't feel like the "fat girl" in the room anymore! I know I have a ways to go yet, but its amazing the change in my confidence levels...
I can walk miles with out getting tired!
I have a waist line! Its awesome!
Well, That is what I got so far... Everyone keep up the good work... Let me know if you have any questions I am an open book or if any NSV's of your own you want to share!
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

5
 

2 Week update

Hi all... So, I am now 2 weeks out from surgery! I am down 13lb since surgery and 33lb total. I am really starting to feel good. I have become addicted to watching The Biggest Looser,on hulu and it is motivating me to work out more. I have a feeling that I have the potential to become one of those work out obsessed people. I am so excited about that! I have always wanted to be like that. I want to start lifting weights and toning up in the next week or two.   So far I am walking about 3 miles 5 times a week. I have a personal goal of doing a 5K in a few months so I going to start training for that soon. I figure, If i can walk a 5K just fine I can run it by the end of summer!   As for what I am eating, I think I am doing really well. I have been mostly drinking shakes, eating greek yogurt and cottage cheese. I am starting to work in scrambled eggs, cream of wheat and little bits of chicken. I noticed that even though I can do a full 9-11 oz shake in about 1/2 hour I can only get in a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and only about 2 oz of chicken. Its crazy how the more dense the food the less you can eat. I am going to try the cream of wheat this morning and see how that works out   I want to give a little shout out to my friend TTL... Way to go with surgery this week! I'm glad everything is going so well for you! Keep up the good work   Have a great week everyone! Happy Passover to everyone, (or Happy Easter ) Amber
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

1
 

Goodbye antacids! Hello Peppermint!

I love Peppermint Oil !!!!   So I know allot of us have had problems with our tummies post-op. I wanted to share how I found relief. That acid reflex or what ever i am supposed to call it is a pain! I am 18 months out from surgery. I don't get it every day anymore, but there are some things that really set it off... Coffee is one of them... No I have not given it up yet, maybe someday but not today...lol And then there are some days that I don't even know what triggered my discomfort.   I don't know about all of you but I really don't like over the counter meds... They seem to cause more problems and adverse side effects than the things they are trying to fix. So I started looking for more natural remedies and came across Essential Oils! Now, be aware... You must be careful not to get just any oil from the store or even the health food store. Many "essential oils" are not meant for internal use, and they will say so on the bottle. I get mine through Young Living. They are guaranteed pure therapeutic grade essential oils and have been distilled very carefully!   Anyway... Back to the awesomeness... Peppermint oil is what I was getting too... I can take one drop of peppermint oil under my tongue and within moments... I mean less than a minute! I feel fine! My tummy is back to normal and I can go on with the rest of my day! I am so sold on the stuff! I ran out the other day and almost cried...lol Not to mention, peppermint oil can also be used for headaches, to bring down fevers, help with pain and even help with allergies!   I know that many of us have had a hard time with our tummies after surgery. I hope I have been able to help even one person. If you want more info on getting these oils just let me know
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

2
 

Awesome Detox Tea!

Hi guys...   So, I am the person who if I can find a natural, fresh way to make something I will do it... I know everyone is told drink Chrystal Light... Well, its not bad for me, but what if I can make something that tastes better that is even good for me and adding to my health not just my fluid intake...   I put together two different detox drink recopies and it tastes great! And its great for you! Not only would it be good for pre op when we are trying to shrink our livers, but its good for after surgery too because of all the toxins that are released in our system when the storage cell (fat cells) are being burned. I just had to share this with you all...   2 gallons of water 3 or 4 bags of dandelion tea (or liver detox tea) 1 lemon sliced up 1/2 a fresh mango sliced up 2 oz fresh ginger sliced 1/2 cup pure cranberry juice (no sugar added)   I added 3 or 4 little packs of Splenda for taste Let it all sit in a pitcher for an hour or two and drink away! I leave all the fruit in it the whole time and just keep adding more water with a litle more juice and splenda till all the flavor is gone from the fruit. It should stay good in the fridge for about 2 or 3 days   Its pretty good stuff!!!
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

0
 

8 Months Post Op... Oh Yeah! God Is Good...

Hi all... It has been a while since I have been on here. I can honestly say life is sooooo different!!! I can't imagine ever going back to where I was before. I know you all understand what I am talking about! Well My biggest NSV to date is my new man! As most of you know, I mentioned in older blogs that one thing my weight hindered was my love life. I was single for over 5 years during my biggest years. I have recently found the love of my life! He is amazing and he is everything I prayed to find in a man. He thinks I am beautiful even though i am no where near my goal weight. He is so good to me and has added 2 wonderful children to my life. I don't remember a time when I was this happy. I thank God every day for the changes in my life over the last year. I am down 110lb since surgery. I am at 182lb and a size 12 at the moment. I have not been very good about sticking to my high protein diet but I have been holding steady for about 2 months now. Its nice to know I can eat normal and maintain a steady weight. I do want to get down another 20+ pounds but I have time. I hope you are all doing as wonderful! That your prayers are coming to pass and that your joy is as great as mine.... Love you all... Amber
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

1
 

My story... Why I chose WLS

Hi everyone   I have never had a blog before and until now never thought I would ever want to. So bare with me because I am not the most eloquent person, nor am I supper entertaining.   I am writing this first of all for me; I want to be able to go back over the months or years and see where I started. Remember how I felt and what I thought during this time of my life. I also want a reminder for myself on why I am never going back.   I am also writing this for you, my readers. I want others to be able to hear my story, maybe relate to it themselves or just understand where I came from. I want to be able to help others in their journey just like so many of you helped me through mine. I want to be encouraging for those of you who are just thinking about weight loss surgery, or helpful to those of you who are just getting started.   I don't really know where to start with this so I guess I will just start at the beginning A little about me and my history to give you a back ground of who I am. First my name is Amber; I am starting my weight loss journey at 293 pounds. I am 5.6 feet tall and am a size 22 / 3X. I have never known myself as a small person. Even as a kid I was over weight. Through high school I went from over weight to fat. High school was rough, I was a band geek because I was not comfortable in gym class (with the exception of one non optional 9th grade PE class). I didn't date and had few friends.   After high school I went on the wonderfully exhausting spiral of fad diets... One after another... After each new diet (Atkins, Low call, Eat right for your blood type, Weight Watchers) I would loose about 10-30lb and then gain it all back plus some. You all know that story and have probably lived it.   Now I am 30, still single after relationships that were few and far between, Very low self esteem, low energy and tired of always feeling like the odd one out because I just don't "fit" into the image that all of society expects.   Well I am tired of it! I am done not living my life, done not being healthy, done not feeling attractive. I am ready to make a change and start living. So after much research, encouragement from my wonderful sisters, and a lot of prayer I am going to have weight loss surgery or WLS...   I chose to have the gastric sleeve, and have part of my stomach removed. You all have done the research and I am sure I don't need to go into all the details. But now you know. I choose to be thin. I choose to have energy, and be physically able to hike mountains, and run a marathon, and have children. I will be confident enough to feel attractive and pretty. Its a whole new life ahead of me, and my only regret is I didn't choose do do this sooner.   I hope you all follow along; learn and sweat and cry with me.. I know I have a long journey ahead of me and that there is going to be allot of hard work. We have all heard it time and time again, "the sleeve is a tool to weight loss, not a magic pill that will do it for you". I am going to use this tool, and make myself into the person I want to be.   I hope you join me Amber
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

0
 

Almost on my way...

Well. I have two days till I leave and only 3 days till surgery! Wow, you were all right when you said time would fly by... Except for this last week, which has crawled by and an absurdly slow pace!!! OMG could a day get any longer? This last few days seem to stretch on forever... But I know that I am almost there so I am trying to just stay buys. Busy really helps.   So this pre op diet has been a little tough at times. I think by starting my diet so early and working my way into it I have really helped my body not go into the shock of "no food". When I first got my surgery date scheduled last month I started rite away on a low carb diet. I knew I had to loose at least 15lb before surgery and I was not going to play around with my time. I had 4 weeks to go before surgery and i was going to make the best of it.   I started the first week by replacing one meal a day with a protein shake. This was easy. I was never really hungry and I eat when I wanted. I just made sure it was all very low carb. The 2nd week I replaced 2 meals a day with protein shakes. Again, not too hard for me. I was a little deprived but I still felt good and I always had dinner to look forward to. By the end of the first two weeks I was already down 12lb. Yay for me! I was very happy with myself. Then to the hard part. 2 weeks of full liquids only... Oh boy   By starting off slow I think I really helped myself be acclimated to not eating much. Even though it was hard the first few days (well most days were hard) I don't think it was as hard as it could have been. I had already found a couple shakes I liked, I was able to keep myself busy enough to keep my mind off of things and I was loosing weight. Which we all know is a huge boost of motivation!   Yes, I did cheat... But I cheated with things that I knew were not going to mess up my weight loss. During those times that I "JUST HAD TO EAT SOMETHING!" I would choose a pure protein. I had a few ounces of chicken one night. I had a grilled hamburger patty one evening, and last night I had 1/2 a can of tuna. The crazy thing! Even now without surgery those little tiny meals made me feel satisfied. That made me supper happy   So now, I have 2 days of liquid left before surgery. I can totally do this! I am a little nervous, but I am so much more excited that I hardly notice the nervous side of me. Maybe I will break down the day before or the morning of surgery, but I really don't think so. Only time will tell. But I know for a fact that this is what God wants for my life. There is no other way things would have fallen into place so effortlessly. Between, the money being there, to the timing of my scheduling and even two of my sisters being able to come with me. Its just amazing...   So stay tuned Ill keep you all updated. I know I have many friends who are waiting to see how everything goes and I have promised a detailed account of my time at OCC and the care I receive from Dr Ortiz and his staff.   Later
Amberlydw8

Amberlydw8

0

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