Little Green

Had an interesting experience at Patient First... went in with symptoms of a UTI and discovered I'm extremely dehydrated, with protein in my urine, and I also might have gallstones. Frustrated but glad I ended up getting tested so I could be aware of this stuff.

Well, I hit the gym for the first time post-op today, nothing too strenuous, just 30 min on the treadmill. And that's all it took for me to feel my first real hunger pangs since surgery. I'm hoping they will be isolated to post-workout because I'm just NOT ready to give up my blissful lack of hunger yet. I know it will go away eventually but I was hoping for several more months! 

Cooked refried beans in the Instant Pot and got some 2-ounce containers ready for pureed phase on Friday! Pics in my personal thread  

Cooked refried beans in the Instant Pot and got some 2-ounce containers ready for pureed phase on Friday! Pics in my personal thread  

When I got dressed this morning, I realized I was wrong about the size of the jeans I got at Walmart the other day. They're not 26/28s; they're 24/26s! Which is even better, but also ridiculous because a pair of size 26 pants from the same brand were too small. The jeans have stretch, though, and the pants did not.

Been feeling pretty bummed all day since it was supposed to be my surgery date. Trying to stay positive and think about the big picture!

Despite the cruddy overcast weather, I’m feeling oh so good. I was in beast mode at the gym. Did a ten min warmup, my weights (went heavier today), then a 30 min intense interval training on the bike. My sweat was literally dripping all over the machine. Lol. Out of consideration for others, I did wipe it down with the cleaner they have available. Just wish others would do the same. Anyway, feeling pretty good here, and healthy. Just finished a 3oz snack of a Greek Quinoa Salad. Yum. Full of nutritious goodies. Y’all have yourself a blessed day. Off to the mall....

Just had my 7th and final nutrition appointment this morning -- 5 weeks to go!!  Paperwork goes in for approval next week.  Pre-op diet starts on Feb 27th.  Excited!!!  

Desperately craving peanut butter & banana on toast. This is the first time on the liquid diet I've been truly hungry - had my last protein shake around 9:30, so 4+ hours ago. My stomach is rumbling and gurgling and I can't get the thought of the PB&B toast out of my mind!!! AHHH!!!!!! Not tired enough to sleep yet, but hopefully soon!

Day 3 of my liquid diet. Somehow I managed to sleep until 1:45pm today and it's AMAZING what it's done for me! I have no headache for the first time in almost 48 hours. I feel much more stable and clear-headed. Woot woot! I have also lost 6 lbs in the first two days LOL. Wow!

I'm doing so well on the new plant-based way of eating! It's been 1 month since my final diet visit, where I found out I had gained about four pounds since my previous visit in November. That meant I had only lost 3 pounds overall from March-December 2017. Ugh, sad trombone. However, in the last 3 weeks of eating a plant-based diet I've lost 13 pounds from my December visit weight! And that includes Christmas and a vacation! So definitely not a "perfect" month by any means. I'm really hoping this way of eating will support my goal of reaching and maintaining 100% of excess weight lost. 

I was APPROVED!!!! for surgery today! I will find out the date tomorrow or Friday. It feels SO real now and I think I need some Xanax for my twisting, squeezing, anxious insides. 

I am mentally preparing for the Thanksgiving weekend in the US - dealing with everything from changing my routine (bus trip, staying at my sister's house which is a snacker's heaven - or hell - not sure which).

I am less concerned about the big Thursday feast which I know I can manage than I am about the constant exposure to processed carbs.
I had gotten out of the habit of tracking everything in my mouth the past several weeks and am now back into that habit which supports me in being very conscious about what I eat.
I have also planned various exercise/working out and other activities to support me in staying active and out of the kitchen and away from the TV.
This will be my first non work-related trip since surgery 6 months ago - wish me luck!

School has started and my fitness class on M/W has proved to be very difficult so far. When working out by myself I used to back off if my heart rate got around 140 but this class gets it up to 160+ and it stays there. It's a whole different reality to push myself to do something that's extremely difficult. It's caused some low self-esteem and low confidence, so I talked to my therapist about it. I realized that I have never really done anything, ever, that I wasn't really good at. Singing, violin, school, learning languages, even work stuff, etc. are all things that come naturally to me and I was good at them right away. This fitness class is something I am not good at, at all, and will need to continue pushing and working in order to improve. So it's natural for me to feel uncertain and strange, and my confidence will grow as I continue working. I'm glad I have realized that and it's made me feel better and more excited about continuing. My husband and I have been walking more frequently and today we went to the gym to use the weights. So I'm making good strides with fitness! Food is pretty stable, I've eaten some "bad" choices here and there but I've been able to come right back to nutritious food without feeling like I failed, which is an improvement in my mental state. I have my 3rd diet visit on Tuesday and I think I will have a 5-lb loss for the month. I'm starting to feel eager about getting to surgery and it doesn't seem so far off as it used to. Just about 3-4 months now! 

School has started and my fitness class on M/W has proved to be very difficult so far. When working out by myself I used to back off if my heart rate got around 140 but this class gets it up to 160+ and it stays there. It's a whole different reality to push myself to do something that's extremely difficult. It's caused some low self-esteem and low confidence, so I talked to my therapist about it. I realized that I have never really done anything, ever, that I wasn't really good at. Singing, violin, school, learning languages, even work stuff, etc. are all things that come naturally to me and I was good at them right away. This fitness class is something I am not good at, at all, and will need to continue pushing and working in order to improve. So it's natural for me to feel uncertain and strange, and my confidence will grow as I continue working. I'm glad I have realized that and it's made me feel better and more excited about continuing. My husband and I have been walking more frequently and today we went to the gym to use the weights. So I'm making good strides with fitness! Food is pretty stable, I've eaten some "bad" choices here and there but I've been able to come right back to nutritious food without feeling like I failed, which is an improvement in my mental state. I have my 3rd diet visit on Tuesday and I think I will have a 5-lb loss for the month. I'm starting to feel eager about getting to surgery and it doesn't seem so far off as it used to. Just about 3-4 months now! 

I was behind my mom in the weekly Fitbit challenge so I went to the gym tonight and pulled out 5k+ steps to beat her! I'm more competitive than I thought!

I was behind my mom in the weekly Fitbit challenge so I went to the gym tonight and pulled out 5k+ steps to beat her! I'm more competitive than I thought!

I was behind my mom in the weekly Fitbit challenge so I went to the gym tonight and pulled out 5k+ steps to beat her! I'm more competitive than I thought!

The Fitbit is on sale on Amazon today! $129 instead of $149! So we finally took the plunge and ordered them. Alta HR for me and Charge 2 for my husband. I'm excited for info about my heart rate and calorie burn but I'm really interested in the sleep tracking aspects. We'll see!

Hit my step goal today and made healthier, protein-focused choices at a Mexican restaurant! Woohoo!

Post op Day 15....
For dinner last night I nibbled on some very mushy broccoli with a hint of lemon and pepper and a touch of salt. It was DELISH! I probably had 2 bites of that and then I had paired it with my Ricotta Bake. I maybe had 3 bites of that. I am still learning the feeling of what is "full". The DS is not like the gastric bypass. Things seem to go down much easier as opposed to the gastric bypass it was coming up regardless if I liked it or not. I am thankful for that experience only because I will not over eat. I am scared to throw up especially with my wounds still very much present and hurting occasionally. ( I think the nerves are reconnecting) But on that same point I am scared I may not eat enough. Today I still brought a protein drink and I had half left over from work. So now I have had thus far 1 full protein premier protein and a half and 3 bites of my ricotta bake that I brought. I also brought some non fat yogurt but I doubt I will open that. I know I cannot live in fear but I do not want to not make my protein intake for the day. I have been getting the water in but I noticed my urine not as clear as prior to surgery. Oh well....I will keep trucking.

Had my 3rd diet visit today (which is a restart in the process since I missed 2 appts) and it went very well. I lost 10.58 pounds (4.8 kg) since my last visit of April 28, about 10 weeks ago. They were very proud and encouraging. I talked a long time with the NP (bless her patience!) about some of my fears and anxieties about getting surgery and besides giving me lots of good info she reminded me that since I still have five visits to go before we can submit for approval, I have plenty of time to make decisions.
I am enjoying the new protein-focused diet which I find easy to stick to at the moment, and I am swimming every day which is also helping! Between the nutrition changes, therapy, and sleeping a bit better I am feeling pretty positive about my chances for success.
It looks like December is totally out for surgery since my final visit with the surgeon is 12/15 and the NP said it's 3-4 weeks for approval usually. So looking at the middle or end of January at the earliest. That will change some of my plans for school, but thankfully I planned ahead and I already have all the classes I need to transfer in the fall, so I can just take online or half-semester courses to allow for some downtime in Jan & Feb. I do need to be enrolled in at least 6 credits to keep some of my merit-related things in place, but I think I'll find something that works.
So once I get approved, they schedule a pre-op visit with anesthesia to get cleared for surgery and I will attend a class that gives all the nitty gritty about post-op care and diet. That will also be the start of the 2-week liquid diet which will continue for 2 weeks after surgery (or 3 weeks if I change to the VSG). I'm really looking forward to getting to this stage! I'm at 362.75 pounds at the moment and between the liquid diet and my pre-op diet changes, I would love to hit the operating table at 299. Can I do it in six months??????
Sorry for the rambling update! Hope everyone has a great weekend, and stay cool out there!!!!

Had my 3rd diet visit today (which is a restart in the process since I missed 2 appts) and it went very well. I lost 10.58 pounds (4.8 kg) since my last visit of April 28, about 10 weeks ago. They were very proud and encouraging. I talked a long time with the NP (bless her patience!) about some of my fears and anxieties about getting surgery and besides giving me lots of good info she reminded me that since I still have five visits to go before we can submit for approval, I have plenty of time to make decisions.
I am enjoying the new protein-focused diet which I find easy to stick to at the moment, and I am swimming every day which is also helping! Between the nutrition changes, therapy, and sleeping a bit better I am feeling pretty positive about my chances for success.
It looks like December is totally out for surgery since my final visit with the surgeon is 12/15 and the NP said it's 3-4 weeks for approval usually. So looking at the middle or end of January at the earliest. That will change some of my plans for school, but thankfully I planned ahead and I already have all the classes I need to transfer in the fall, so I can just take online or half-semester courses to allow for some downtime in Jan & Feb. I do need to be enrolled in at least 6 credits to keep some of my merit-related things in place, but I think I'll find something that works.
So once I get approved, they schedule a pre-op visit with anesthesia to get cleared for surgery and I will attend a class that gives all the nitty gritty about post-op care and diet. That will also be the start of the 2-week liquid diet which will continue for 2 weeks after surgery (or 3 weeks if I change to the VSG). I'm really looking forward to getting to this stage! I'm at 362.75 pounds at the moment and between the liquid diet and my pre-op diet changes, I would love to hit the operating table at 299. Can I do it in six months??????
Sorry for the rambling update! Hope everyone has a great weekend, and stay cool out there!!!!