Well, we knew it had to happen at some point. I mean you can only play it safe for so long right? Up til now, I've only had things at work that I knew were ok, and haven't eaten anything out or questionable.
I'll just set the scene. Gorgeous spring day, 76 degrees, all set to have some seafood outside at Joes on the water. We get there and the lure of crab nachos calls to us, so we order that to share. Then I order a fish/shrimp combo. I know I won't be able to eat a tenth of it, but figure great...I'll just take it home..won't have to cook dinner! The crab is amazing. I probably eat about 5 chips with the dip on them total. By the time my meal comes I only have enough room left for a couple of the shrimp and I feel absolutely like explodesville...so I stop. I'm sitting there talking away...and I just start to feel bad. I can't describe it in terms of my old body, because it's something absolutely new. My heart starts beating faster and faster, and my friend says I'm looking flushed. I feel like maybe you'd feel before an abdominal attack...so I decide..best place to be no matter what is the bathroom. Head there, and I just feel dizzy and nothing happens from well...either end...no puke...nothing. So I head back to the table...and I just feel so bad...like I need to lie down. We amble slowly back to the office...but by the time I get to my desk, I realize there's no way in Hell I'm going to make it through the rest of the day. So I head home.
I get home, and I still dont feel like doing anything but lyign down. I'm still dizzy and nauseous. So I lay down...and finally in about two hours...I begin to feel normal. So, I'm thinking I ate too much fat...that's all I can imagine. Because I have had both crab and shrimp before...but not fried...gotta weed out the common denominators. Now my friend Michelle is permanently scared off eating out with me...haha...a minor drawback to these experiments.
Other than that...my weight loss is back on track. I dropped about 4 lbs last week, and am getting ready to pass a critical mark. I feel really good, and if I can just eat better and not screw up too much I think this whole thing will be worth it...haha. I went for my month check up with the surgeon, and he was thrilled with my progress, stating I'm already at 20% of my goal. Sometimes it takes a trip to the surgeon to make you see the bigger picture....not on the diabetes drugs, peeing, doing all that normal, and I've lost a ton of weight...so gotta count those blessings!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Plateauville
Well, last week I blamed it on hormones, but I'm into my second week of plateau. Since my scale adjusted...it hasn't gone down:-( I decided, maybe the problem is I'm not eating enough. I remember when I was on weight watchers, if you ate at the low end of your points scale, your body sometimes fights you on the weight loss because it's not getting enough. So now my strategy is to eat at least 2 meals a day, and do a protein supplement for the third meal. I'm hoping this works...we'll see. It also means I have to eat at work, which was a scary prospect. But I'm taking "safe" foods, and so far so good.
Today was a red letter day for me...first lunch out with friends. We chose Mexican, and I did FINE!!! Whoopee! Here was my strategy. I ordered a beef burrito with beans. I immediately cut off 1/3 of it and put the rest in a box to take home for my son for dinner (oh joy no cooking!). Then I removed questionable items that still give me issues...like lettuce...etc. I dissected the tortilla, and ate the ground beef along with the beans. I left the tortilla. I also let myself have one chip dipped in white ranch sauce...my old favorite (which would have been a basket or so of chips with the white sauce). I drank a little ice tea at the beginning and end...yes breaking the rules a bit there, but I find with beans you do need something to wash them down a bit. I stopped early and felt just fine....hallelujah!!
I've also started getting up at 5am to exercise. I'm doing every other day this week. On Monday I did 30 minute walk on the treat just fine, skipped Tues, and today I did 25 minutes of belly dancing on dvd...that stuff takes it out of you!
The plateau sucks, but one friend did remind me that 30 lbs almost 25% to my goal...so I can't be too upset. It's just weird when you know you're consuming only like 500 calories a day and not losing...sucks. I suspect my body is fighting getting below a certain point. I haven't been this small in over 4 years...so I'm thinking the old body is fighting to stay at it's setpoint. I'm hoping the shake up in my meals will get it back on track.
I posted on the weight loss support site about telling people about your Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) or not...here's what I wrote:
http://www.beforeandafterhelp.com/index.php?showtopic=38521
So I'm 5 weeks and counting. I go to the surgeon next week. I'm hoping I drop some more weight before I see him...would be great to be below that "number".
Today was a red letter day for me...first lunch out with friends. We chose Mexican, and I did FINE!!! Whoopee! Here was my strategy. I ordered a beef burrito with beans. I immediately cut off 1/3 of it and put the rest in a box to take home for my son for dinner (oh joy no cooking!). Then I removed questionable items that still give me issues...like lettuce...etc. I dissected the tortilla, and ate the ground beef along with the beans. I left the tortilla. I also let myself have one chip dipped in white ranch sauce...my old favorite (which would have been a basket or so of chips with the white sauce). I drank a little ice tea at the beginning and end...yes breaking the rules a bit there, but I find with beans you do need something to wash them down a bit. I stopped early and felt just fine....hallelujah!!
I've also started getting up at 5am to exercise. I'm doing every other day this week. On Monday I did 30 minute walk on the treat just fine, skipped Tues, and today I did 25 minutes of belly dancing on dvd...that stuff takes it out of you!
The plateau sucks, but one friend did remind me that 30 lbs almost 25% to my goal...so I can't be too upset. It's just weird when you know you're consuming only like 500 calories a day and not losing...sucks. I suspect my body is fighting getting below a certain point. I haven't been this small in over 4 years...so I'm thinking the old body is fighting to stay at it's setpoint. I'm hoping the shake up in my meals will get it back on track.
I posted on the weight loss support site about telling people about your Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) or not...here's what I wrote:
http://www.beforeandafterhelp.com/index.php?showtopic=38521
So I'm 5 weeks and counting. I go to the surgeon next week. I'm hoping I drop some more weight before I see him...would be great to be below that "number".
Friday, March 14, 2008
One Month
Well, this is a bit depressing...because at first glace...you probably can't tell much difference...but if you look closely....i've got less tummy, less chin...haha and sadly less boobs! This is me after about 30lbs of loss. My scale decided to "adjust" itself the other day, so I'm in a bit of a plateau this week. Hormones and other things are affecting my weight too...so today is a good day to focus on those wonderful things called NSV's, or Non-Scale Victories. So far the biggest NSV's for me are:
1. No longer have to take diabetes meds..yippee!
2. My knees don't hurt as much when climbing stairs.
3. I was able to walk outside for 30 minutes in flat dress shoes and not feel like my feet were going to fall off when i got home.
4. Making a meal last for 3 days...can we say saving $!
I wouldnt be me though if I didn't list some of the down sides...to balance things out...
1. Getting sick and throwing up after I eat a favorite meal. This sucks big time. It has to do with eating too fast...and i should be able to control it, but so far, it's a struggle.
2. Scabs...sutures...itchy scars...yuck.
3. It's just not possible for me to drink 64 oz of anything in a day.
4. People asking you "what's the number", especially on a week where you've only lost a pound or two.
Okay, but I have to end things on a positive note...I have to say it really made me feel good when one of my friends said I was "disappearing in front of his eyes"...even though an exaggeration...it made me feel better in a week where my scale decided to adjust upwards, making it harder for me to lose..haha...and it was an added boost. Also, my clothes are getting very baggy, and that's kind of cool too. I still have about 120 lbs to go, but at the end of the day...it's a good start!!
Food-wise...I think I need to eat more. My body has become used to the daily 2 protein supplements then dinner. It probably would be better if I ate my big meal at lunch...but that is at work...and I hate surprises or puking at work. I think next month I will go to the support group meeting and talk about it. In the mean time, I think I'm going to try to have real food for breakfast and dinner and see how things shake out:-)
So all in all, it's been a great month...a fast recovery without complications, thank God.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Back to Work...oh my
When I first thought about how long I'd have to be off work, I figured...I'll be back to work in two weeks easy. After all, I'm a web product developer...all I do is sit in a chair, write on a computer, and meet with people all day. How hard is that right?
Well after two weeks, and a trip to the doctor...I realized...just moving through your day in normal activity takes a lot out of you. When you first start eating, you're lucky if you're getting 300-400 calories a day. So your body which may be used to running on a few thousand calories does an about face...like what the f$ck are you trying to do to me!!! So my doc gave me a third week to face reality. I decided in my third week, I was going to "train" for going back to work.
Training included...sitting in a chair at the computer in the dining room for a couple hours at a time. I gradually through the week tried to increase it. This was a noble effort. The first thing I noticed trying to sit for awhile was...twinges in my stomach muscles. You forget those surgeons cut your stomach muscles in six places...and you also forget that stomach muscles are half of the equation of keeping us upright. So as I tried to sit upright for those hours a day...I found myself leaning over...doing anything I could...not to sit up straight.
So finally the day was upon me. This past Monday...I had to face going back to work. Not only was the idea of going back and making it through the day physically a challenge, but also mentally I was wondering things like...will anyone even notice I've lost weight? Will anyone be gauche enough to ask me how much I've lost?
I got up at 5:30am...walked on the tread 20 minutes, did some pushups and some crunches...I think I was trying to be superwoman...but frankly this is the routine I'm hoping to develop in the long run. I got to work...and everyone was warm and welcomed me back...I think they were more happy just to see I was alive and actually came back to do my work. Nobody really was gauche and asked me point blank about my weight....except our marketing guy. He is known as a bit of a character...he comes up and says..."so what's the number?" Before I could stop myself I go "34 lbs!"...blurting it out like a happy kindergardner called on for the first time. Then he goes..."Stand up, let me look at you!". So like some robot I stand up...and he was very kind and said "Oh my God I can tell!". On one hand...I felt vaguely harassed by this, because it happened in front of all my guy co-workers...and i felt a bit objectified...but on the other hand...it was exactly what I needed...someone to frickin notice.
It's hard when you have 140lbs to lose...people really aren't going to notice until you've easily lost half of it or more...especially on me. I'm so tall, I pack it in all kinds of crazy places...like my feet are smaller..they aren't going to notice that really...or that when I sit down there's not much padding on my ass bones anymore...hurts to sit for a long time. But all in all...this getting back to work stuff has been good for me.
Now, coping with food at work is a whole other story. My strategy has been...protein bullet for breakfast, protein drink for lunch, and protein snack crackers for snack in morning or afternoon, then eat normal dinner. This way...no weirdness with food at work...no danger of puking...no danger of dumping...you name it. It's all well and good, but be prepared for the onslaught of smells and temptations. I sit with a bunch of skinny guys...all I ever hear them do is eat...crunch, crunch, crunch, "where we goin to lunch", crunch, crunch..."do you want a peep?"...oh yeah right "you can't eat." And then of course there are the jokes like..."what's for lunch today Mary...oh yeah...liquid lunch...again". I'm just kidding, but I will say I drastically miss the social aspect of lunches out with my friends. I have to find some safe food alternatives and try...otherwise I'm going to be depressed every lunch hour. We shall see.
I did discover that hummus is very good with Kay's Natural protein snacks...I get the parmesean and the nacho chili flavor ones. I get roasted red pepper hummus...and feel that I'm getting to eat just a little real food.
Well...the week is almost over, and I have to say with each day it get's easier to do everyday things. It's a good thing too, because next week, my husband goes to sea for two weeks, so I'm losing my cook, my housekeeper, and my babysitter all at once. I have a feeling next week is when the real trials begin. We shall see.
Foods tried this week:
Black Bean soup (from BariatricEating.com book) - awesome success...added shredded chicken and had no problems
Cajun Shrimp (from Bariatric Eating.com book)- yummy, but couldn't eat too much
Chicken Parmesean-like i do with most foods i love..ate too fast in beginning and it all came back up. Watch out for this.
Sugar Free Ice Cream- not good. Think the milk fat was too high..definitely felt nauseous after
That's it for the week. I also decided to hold off on the exercise regime til next week. The pounds lost is officially at 36 lbs. My goal is to get to 43 before my doctor's visit on the 25th...we shall see. I'm glad to be back at work...feeling productive, feeling somewhat needed...for the moment at least...hehe...and feeling like...normal.
Well after two weeks, and a trip to the doctor...I realized...just moving through your day in normal activity takes a lot out of you. When you first start eating, you're lucky if you're getting 300-400 calories a day. So your body which may be used to running on a few thousand calories does an about face...like what the f$ck are you trying to do to me!!! So my doc gave me a third week to face reality. I decided in my third week, I was going to "train" for going back to work.
Training included...sitting in a chair at the computer in the dining room for a couple hours at a time. I gradually through the week tried to increase it. This was a noble effort. The first thing I noticed trying to sit for awhile was...twinges in my stomach muscles. You forget those surgeons cut your stomach muscles in six places...and you also forget that stomach muscles are half of the equation of keeping us upright. So as I tried to sit upright for those hours a day...I found myself leaning over...doing anything I could...not to sit up straight.
So finally the day was upon me. This past Monday...I had to face going back to work. Not only was the idea of going back and making it through the day physically a challenge, but also mentally I was wondering things like...will anyone even notice I've lost weight? Will anyone be gauche enough to ask me how much I've lost?
I got up at 5:30am...walked on the tread 20 minutes, did some pushups and some crunches...I think I was trying to be superwoman...but frankly this is the routine I'm hoping to develop in the long run. I got to work...and everyone was warm and welcomed me back...I think they were more happy just to see I was alive and actually came back to do my work. Nobody really was gauche and asked me point blank about my weight....except our marketing guy. He is known as a bit of a character...he comes up and says..."so what's the number?" Before I could stop myself I go "34 lbs!"...blurting it out like a happy kindergardner called on for the first time. Then he goes..."Stand up, let me look at you!". So like some robot I stand up...and he was very kind and said "Oh my God I can tell!". On one hand...I felt vaguely harassed by this, because it happened in front of all my guy co-workers...and i felt a bit objectified...but on the other hand...it was exactly what I needed...someone to frickin notice.
It's hard when you have 140lbs to lose...people really aren't going to notice until you've easily lost half of it or more...especially on me. I'm so tall, I pack it in all kinds of crazy places...like my feet are smaller..they aren't going to notice that really...or that when I sit down there's not much padding on my ass bones anymore...hurts to sit for a long time. But all in all...this getting back to work stuff has been good for me.
Now, coping with food at work is a whole other story. My strategy has been...protein bullet for breakfast, protein drink for lunch, and protein snack crackers for snack in morning or afternoon, then eat normal dinner. This way...no weirdness with food at work...no danger of puking...no danger of dumping...you name it. It's all well and good, but be prepared for the onslaught of smells and temptations. I sit with a bunch of skinny guys...all I ever hear them do is eat...crunch, crunch, crunch, "where we goin to lunch", crunch, crunch..."do you want a peep?"...oh yeah right "you can't eat." And then of course there are the jokes like..."what's for lunch today Mary...oh yeah...liquid lunch...again". I'm just kidding, but I will say I drastically miss the social aspect of lunches out with my friends. I have to find some safe food alternatives and try...otherwise I'm going to be depressed every lunch hour. We shall see.
I did discover that hummus is very good with Kay's Natural protein snacks...I get the parmesean and the nacho chili flavor ones. I get roasted red pepper hummus...and feel that I'm getting to eat just a little real food.
Well...the week is almost over, and I have to say with each day it get's easier to do everyday things. It's a good thing too, because next week, my husband goes to sea for two weeks, so I'm losing my cook, my housekeeper, and my babysitter all at once. I have a feeling next week is when the real trials begin. We shall see.
Foods tried this week:
Black Bean soup (from BariatricEating.com book) - awesome success...added shredded chicken and had no problems
Cajun Shrimp (from Bariatric Eating.com book)- yummy, but couldn't eat too much
Chicken Parmesean-like i do with most foods i love..ate too fast in beginning and it all came back up. Watch out for this.
Sugar Free Ice Cream- not good. Think the milk fat was too high..definitely felt nauseous after
That's it for the week. I also decided to hold off on the exercise regime til next week. The pounds lost is officially at 36 lbs. My goal is to get to 43 before my doctor's visit on the 25th...we shall see. I'm glad to be back at work...feeling productive, feeling somewhat needed...for the moment at least...hehe...and feeling like...normal.
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