Less of Me - The Metamorphosis

Has it really been THAT long?

2011-06-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

So, since I posted last I had a BEAUTIFUL baby girl. She is amazing and adorable and I love her dearly. Isn't she gorgeous?!?!

Miss Embry Aaryn

I am now 4.5 months post partum and I'm doing well on my weight loss. I'm still not quite back to where I was before I got pregnant, but I'm getting there. At my first weigh-in 2 weeks after the baby, I had gained 32 pounds. So, now 4 months after that I'm back within 9 pounds of where I was before the pregnancy. I still haven't started exercising regularly. I AM nursing and chasing three children, 3 & under. That counts right? No, but seriously, I do want to start working out. I just have to find the time when I'm not cleaning something, diapering someone, feeding someone, or napping. It's hard work being a mom of three. I miss riding my bike both indoors and out. I guess I need to just get down in the basement, jump on my stationary recumbent bike and peddle those pounds away!

I didn't have many problems with the lap band and my pregnancy. My bariatric docs took out all of my saline and I was able to eat a normal diet full of all the things a pregnant woman wants. ALL OF IT. Good or bad, I still maintain that I only had gained 30 pounds after I gave birth. Granted with my other two I weighed less after giving birth than I did before getting pregnant, but this was #3. I get a little slack. I had a bit of site soreness right where the port is as I got bigger, further along into the pregnancy. At one point you could almost see the port under the skin. It gave me and my husband the heebie geebies to touch it. LOL! Other than that I had no problem. We did have a little issue filling after the baby. My doc told me to come in 2 weeks after having her and get refilled. I still had quite a bit of fat around the port, and the nurse practitioner had a hard time finding it. We had to have a second NP come in and do the fill... but it eventually got done.

Currently I am back to 6.1 ccs of fill. It's working well. I'm easily satiated and I'm comfortable. I consume around 1 cup of food per meal. Give or take. Once in a while I do get "stuck" or I have what they call "first bite syndrome" (where the pouch seems to close up and not allow food to pass - usually followed by vomiting), but I'm learning to deal with it and I'm not feeling starved or too hungry. I eat three meals a day and maybe one snack when I need it. I talked to the dietitian at my last fill appointment and she reminded me that high protein snacks like Baby Bell Light cheese, string cheese, wheat thins, and other high bulk, low fat, low cal foods are good snacks. They keep you from grazing and yet satisfy a craving. I also budget each day for a sweet at night. My favorite is sugar free chocolate pudding with whipped cream and pecans. Just enough to kill the craving.

I've also discovered the wonders of instant espresso!!! God be praised for instant espresso! It's wonderful. I put a heaping teaspoon in my protein shakes in the morning and I'm set. Not only am I satisfied, and I stay that way until lunch time, but I get some caffeen that really does give me a little boost. There for a while I was quite addicted to McDonald's Caramel Frappes. Lord have mercy! A medium has 550 calories and 24 grams of fat! Hard to believe isn't it? (http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/nutrition_choices.html) My protein shakes have about 300 calories, 5 grams of fat, 26 grams of sugar, and 30 grams of protein. Most of the calories, fat and sugar come from the 1% milk I put in it. I could put in skim milk, but I buy 1% so the whole family can drink it. PLUS my shakes are HUGE! I blend them with ice and it's supper yummy. Here is the one I like - http://mydietshopz.com/newyochpumix.html

I'm glad to be back in the world of Bandsters.

Cheers, and I hope you will see Less of Me soon!

Not much progress

2010-07-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't had much progress with my weight loss because we found out a few weeks ago that I'm pregnant! Yea!

More on that later!

Losing inches and a few pounds

2010-05-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

What a difference a few months have made!

40 Pounds

2010-04-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Finally after being on this plateau for what seemed like four years (in actuality about 4 weeks), I have lost another two pounds and I'm down 40 over-all. Maybe the bike riding and being much more conscientious about what I'm eating is FINALLY paying off. Hopefully I'll get a bit more down the line before I hit another road block. They are so discouraging.

Little by little I'm realizing why it was so difficult for me to lose any weight before WLS. I would hit a small roadblock after only losing a few pounds and get discouraged. I'd figure "well, I'm not making any progress, might as well just give up". Thankfully now I have a built-in anti-discouragement device. Even if I wanted to over eat or do something silly, the band kicks my tush and makes me realize how dumb it was.

I bought myself some super yummy grilled chicken yesterday from KFC. Just one single grilled fillet. I took a bite, and obviously didn't chew it well enough. OY! Did I suffer! Felt like I had a rock right under my sternum. Such horrible pain. I had to get up walk around the house and practice my Lamaze breathing techniques. It finally eased up, but I was done. One bite into a small palm sized piece of boneless chicken and I was finished. Couldn't eat any more. The band totally disagreed with what I was doing and let me know about it.

Much later on, I took smaller bites, chewed like there was no tomorrow and it was much, much more pleasant. KFC's grilled chicken was really good. Eating it reminded me of cook-outs with our dear family friends growing up. I could smell the grill at Mayeux's home. It made me very happy to be flooded with such good memories.

Isn't it funny how food, a substance that is supposed to fuel our bodies, can bring back memories, make us happy, sad, or bring us comfort?

I'm comforted by the thought of seeing less of me next time!
cheers,
shan

Plateaus

2010-04-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

I've hit a bit of a plateau the past few weeks. Meaning I've not had any significant weight loss, which is a real bummer! Some say it's because I've hit the wall until the band fill "kicks in". Some say it's my body building muscle while I amp up my cardio. Hopefully after I get my body in better shape it will be more efficient at burning fat and it will just DRIP off of me! LOL!

One of the amazing fellas on my favorite forum - BARIATRICTV.COM said this:

Shannon what's happening to you is perfectly normal for post WLS patients - Your body has just gone through major surgery and needs time to adjust.

We like to call them WTF moments. Because basically that's what your body is doing.... it's taking a timeout and thus putting things on hold.

Every single patient gets the feeling that they're the one that this surgery won't work for. As long as you follow the rules YOU CAN NOT FAIL!

Here's some other info to digest regarding stalls:

***
Pull back from your ‘daily’ charting, and look at a weekly or even monthly. There are up and down spikes each day, But if you ‘graph’ the highest to the lowest, I’d bet there is still A downward slope over the course of the month.

There’s an 8 to 10lb. volume of "wiggle room" due to water alone. And it comes into play a lot. This has to do with our bodies using glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, But it is stored in our muscles for quick energy – One pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, And the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs.

So, when you are not getting in enough food, (Like when you drop down to your calorie intake) Your body turns first to stored glycogen, Which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, You also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it Voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of any diet.

As you stay in caloric deficit, however, Your body starts to ‘realize’ that this is not a short term problem.

You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue And burning fat for energy. But your body also ‘realizes’---- (by way of your liver releasing hormones signaling low Cal intake) ---That fat can't be used for short bursts of energy – Like, to outrun a saber-tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, And rebuilding the glycogen stores.

And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, (Thus showing negative Calorie load overall) Your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while As you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Yes? The whole ‘weight-loss’ process is not a straight "Slide" down the scale. More like "Stair-Steps," (Down then forward, then down, then forward, etc... As your body cycles fat out of "deep storage" and through the Liver Into the muscles as Glycogen.

The muscles and Liver can hold about a 3 weeks supply. This is why many people find that their "Stall" or "Plateau" Breaks when adding a bit of exercise And upping their water intake, or in the case of an "extreme exerciser," The total Calorie or Protein Intake, To signal the liver to let go of more Glycogen.

Hope this helps some. You are doing Great! Keep it Up
***

Ian

Fantastic eh? The good news is that even thought I'm not loosing pounds right now, I've lost a total of 6 inches in the past month alone (I didn't take measurements in the beginning - yeah, kicking myself for that now), and I've lost 3% of my body fat!!! Only 9,999 more to go! :)

Thanks for all of your support!
Hope you will see less of me next time!

2 Month's Progress

2010-04-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

January 26, 2010

Feb 26, 2010

April 1, 2010

Pumped!

2010-03-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

I'm pumped up now. Literally. I got my first band fill today and It went very well and I'm surprised at how it works.

Here is an illustration of the band/port. The goldish part of the device is the port. It has a silicone bulb on top that allows the doctor to inject saline in it to inflate the band.

Dr. M found the port, around the middle of my belly on my right side. He numbed the area where the port is located then had me do a mini crunch (hands behind my head tensing abdominal muscles) to bring the port closer to the surface. He injected 4 CCs of saline solution then drew it back out. This is his way of checking to make sure he hit the right spot. Saline came back out into the syringe and he knew he was in the right spot. He re-injected the saline and said I was done. Easy Money.

He had me drink a few ounces of water to make sure the band wasn't too tight and food and liquids would pass through. So far so good.

I'm back on a full liquid diet for 48 hours. This means soups, sugar free pudding, light yogurt, sugar free, caffeine free, carbonation free drinks, and grits/cream of wheat. Not too bad.

He said it could take up to 4 weeks for the fill to take effect. Hopefully with excersize and watching my intake I'll be back on the losing side again. I've only got a few pounds left until I hit 40 lost. Hopefully it will slide right off easily.

Hope you will see less of me soon!

First Fill

2010-03-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my first band fill. I'm excited and kinda nervous.

My band is called a Realize band - it has a deflated cushion, similar to a inflatable pillow, around the inside of the band.

The doctor will take saline solution and inject it into my band port which I think is located just under the skin on my right side just below my ribs. This will fill in the cushion and restrict my pouch even more.

After this procedure I should stay fuller longer and that's a very good thing.

Up until this point I've been just healing from the surgery and waiting for the swelling to go down. Now that the healing is all finished I basically just have a band that is not restricted, hanging out around the top part of my stomach. My weight loss up to this point has been just portion control and exercise. That's a good thing, but I can feel the munchies sneaking up on me. Hopefully with the band fill, the munchies will go away and I'll be back on track to losing again.

So far I've lost a total of 38 pounds (according to the doc's scales). I can't believe I'm almost at 40!! Whooo hooo!

Hope you will be seeing less of me soon!

Slowly but surely

2010-03-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since I've had any changes in my weight. This morning I did see a little jump in the scales, but then again the batteries are dying so I'm not sure if it is accurate! If it IS accurate, I've lost 38 pounds. Only a few away from 40. That's hard to believe.

I'm feeling good, I'm exercising and I'm enjoying myself. Now if only someone would cook and clean for me life would be great!

3 sizes smaller

2010-03-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it already I'm (squeezing) fitting into jeans that are 3 sizes smaller than what I was wearing only 2 months ago! Whooo hoooo!

Thanks Jen for the hand-me-downs!

Snack Time

2010-03-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Ugh, this past weekend was such a challenge. I've had a snack-attack.

I munched much more than I should have. In all reality it wasn't that much, but I felt like it was too much (ugh food guilt strikes again). I ate nuts and good things, but my mind was wanting more, and more, and more. At least I'm able to ride my exercise bike - helps me burn some of the calories from my transgressions.

Guess that's one bad thing about the gastric banding vs. the gastric bypass I CAN actually digest sugar and fats. I haven't pushed it mind you, but it's been a temptation. It's not good for me, it's just as bad as it always has been, but my body doesn't reject it like someone that has had gastric bypass. My mind still sees a chocolate bar and thinks.... mmmm.... chocolate. But my conscience usually kicks in and says NO!

My tummy still growls and I still get hungry, but I've learned to ignore these signals that I normally would have ran to the fridge for. But, this week it has been harder than the previous month and a half to say NO. I've learned to make my protein shakes more enticing with nuts, 1% milk, and ice. I can make a plain vanilla protein shake into something like a butter pecan ice cream shake. YUUUUM! This helps with my cravings and fills my pouch in-between my meals.

So, like one of my support divas reminded me "Get back up, dust yourself off and start all over again". Time to start a fresh week.

We did have a fantastic weekend with new friends. We even went to the National Aquarium and I never once got tired, winded or needed to sit and rest. In the past I would have been searching for the seats to rest my legs & or feet. I was good to go and didn't even mind chasing our 2 year old daughter down the ramp when she decided to make a run for it!

Maya and I at the Nat. Aquarium Rain Forest.

That's all for now, hope you will see less of me next week!

I learn only to be contented

2010-03-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

I can't believe this is true. I, Shannon Housley Davis, have lost a total of 35 pounds in 44 days! I'm in total shock. I am so very happy. I feel great, my clothes are falling off of me, and I can see the changes in my face, body and on the scale!

Now I look forward to walking and doing some form of exercise, although full out aerobics still are pretty hard for me. Hopefully once I get a little more off and become more and more fit, aerobics will be easier. I'm trying to do everything right. I'm not perfect, but I'm doing pretty darn well.

While all these physical changes are taking place, I'm doing a lot of soul searching. My mind is changing and evolving as well. Like I said in my last post, I am realizing why I am addicted to food and how I was abusing it. I'm not cured, I'm not reformed, but I'm on the path to recovery. I've learned so much in the past 44 days.

For the first time in my life, I'm more concerned about what I'm going to feed my husband and children than I am myself. I usually just throw together something for myself at the last moment. As long as I have my protein and a little something veggie-ish I'm good. I drink my protein shakes and I'm content.

Speaking of contentment... Several years ago I was in Kyoto, Japan and we went to the Ryoanji Temple - it is a beautiful Zen Buddist temple with the most amazing Zen garden. At most of the Japanese temples they have these beautiful stone basins with running water and bamboo cups for you to wash your hands and mouth before entering the temples. Towards the back of the Ryoanji Temple there is a small basin in the shape of a Japanese coin that is inscribed with 吾, 唯, 足, 知. In Japanese it is pronounced "ware tada taru (wo) shiru" and it means "I learn only to be contented".

When I read that, it changed my life. I know it sounds horribly trite, but it's true. I want to learn what is important in my life so that I may be content. I'm learning now how to be content with my appetite, hunger and soon my body.

If we all could "learn to be contented" in so many facets of our lives I think the world would be a better place.

Here's to seeing less of me next time!

Food Guilt

2010-03-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

I'm very proud today to say I'm 34 pounds down. Hitting that 34th pound was quite a milestone. I've never lost more than 33 pounds so that 34th one was a happy happy day!

I've had some time to do a little soul searching while I've been on this journey. I've realized some things. One of my biggest hangups and part of the reason I got as big as I did, is because I have an enormous amount of food guilt. I had the feeling that I blew it already I might as well just blow it more. It was a never ending cycle. It lead to more and more weight gain and less and less self confidence.

No matter what I eat, or when I eat it, I feel guilty. Even now, I can play it by the rules, only have three tiny meals, protein with a veggie, drink my two protein shakes, no snacks, get all my water in and I STILL feel guilty. I always think, I could have been even BETTER today with what I ate.

Just like this afternoon, my two toddlers and I were at Chick-fil-a and the THREE of us shared one bun-free grilled chicken club sandwich. The kids ate the fries, and I had sugar free lemon aide well past 30 min later. BUT I still feel guilty. I had less chicken than my kids, and I only ate the lettuce with it, but I still feel guilt. UGH!

All my teen and adult life I suppose I've dealt with this. I've always kicked myself after and before every meal. I've never been able to indulge without hating myself for it afterwords. Where does this come from? Where does a young girl start to have these kinds of feelings? Is it peer pressure? Is it from our parents? Is it the reverse of "clean your plate, there are starving kids in Africa"? Is it the fat kid's curse to always have anxiety after a meal?

I'm slowly learning how to enjoy eating my healthy meals, and then move on. I've got to be proud of what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. I'm losing day by day. I'm happier than I've been in years, and I'm in love with life. I have nothing to be guilty about now. I am getting healthier and that's all that matters in the end!

Here's to seeing less of me next time!

New favorite websites

2010-03-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

For all of my WLS friends out there I have some new websites that I LOVE! I thought I would share them along with some of my favorite protein supplements.

First off my new best friend is http://bariatrictv.com/. They have fantastically funny podcast that I love to watch. I'm a member of their forum and have found such amazing support with this group. Even in my short time as a "banster" I've learned so much from this group and already depend on them for ideas, recipes and inspiration.

As for protein I can't stand the standard chocolate, vanilla or strawberry shakes, but I've found a few things I do like. Here's a list.

Check out http://bariatriceating.com/. You can order a sample pack from them and try several flavors of protein drinks. I'm still stuck on my fruity ones, but you might find something you like better.

http://mydietshopz.com/grteaandcrbd.html
It's a liquid that you put in your bottled water. 15 grams of protien, but should not be your only source of protein supplements! And there are several flavors.

http://mydietshopz.com/wibespdrmixb.html
Yummy blended with frozen cherries.

http://mydietshopz.com/piordrmixbby.html
I blend this one with a few cubes of frozen pineapple and it taste like an Orange Julius (if anyone else knows what that is!)

http://mydietshopz.com/vapaclcoremo.html
SUPER Yummy hot cocoa - doesn't taste like a protein at all. This is a variety pack, but my favorite was the Amaretto and the regular. I add a little cinnamon to mine or maybe a little vanilla. Super good!

I'm 31 pounds down now, and hoping the next 97 (oh did I type that?!?!) will come off easily and healthfully.

Here's to seeing less of me next time!

1 month's progress

2010-02-28T17:38:00.000-08:00

One month ago today I started this new way of life. I have since lost 30 pounds!!!!
Here's my photos showing what a month can do:

Gladly seeing less of me more and more!

Ah ha moment!

2010-02-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I had an appointment with my surgeon for my 1st post-op. The nurse weighed me and congratulated me on my (then) 24 pounds lost. I was thrilled. She then took me into the exam room to wait for the doctor. As I was waiting there, realizing that her scale matched mine and it wasn't just in my head that I had lost 24 pounds, I got a little teary eyed. It finally hit me that it WAS going to happen.

I had my AH HA moment. I was finally going to get rid of the fat Shanny shell. I'm going to have to work hard and exercise and eat correctly, follow the rules and make lots of compromises, but I can do it now. I have the tools to finally do it! I was so happy that the endless tunnel of pudge was finally being diverted.

I've finally learned how to eat in a sensible way. I've learned how to make better choices and I know the ramifications of my bad choices. I CAN do it now and I couldn't be happier.

As of yesterday I weigh 28 pounds less than I did one month ago. I'm seeing the changes in my face, body and mind. Here's some photos to show the difference in one month. The first one was taken on January 29th the day I started the liquid diet two weeks prior to the banding. The second photo was taken yesterday Feburary 26th two weeks and two days after the surgery.

Have a great weekend.... here's to seeing less of me next time!

Twenty Seven & a few recipies

2010-02-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

I like to spell it out because it makes it seem sooooo much bigger than just the number 27.

So, I'm down twenty seven pounds now and I'm just so happy. My clothes are getting baggy and my face has changed so much in the past month. Hard to believe that I started this weight loss adventure one month ago this coming Friday and I've already lost an average of one pound per day! That's just CRAZY! Considering all of the other times I've tried and failed at weight loss I'm so thrilled about the way the scale is looking to me, but I'm also thrilled with my will power. I'm having to work, exercise, stick strictly to the rules and put forth a lot of effort. It's hard work but the results are right there in front of me every morning! YEA!

I've found some new recipes that I'm totally in love with as well. I thought I'd share with you! These are in WLS (weight loss surgery) portions, but they are both so filling and tasty, anyone can enjoy them!

My newest breakfast love is what I call Peanut Butter Cheesefake.

2T Fat Free Ricotta Cheese
2T Smooth peanut butter
1 packet of Splenda

Mix together well.

Totals -
213 calories
16 grams of fat (all peanut butter)
3.5 grams sugar
6.5 grams of protein

Taste like peanut butter cheesecake! I guess you could spread it on crackers (or a banana!), but I just eat it by it's self and it is super YUMMY! High protein packed stick-to-your-ribs consistency breakfast. Seems a little high on the fat and calories, but you could use a lower fat peanut butter to reduce some of this.

My second recipie is one I made up the other night and have eaten it for lunch three days in a row!

I call this one - Turkey meat ball pasta-less lasagna

Meatballs -
1 pound of ground turkey
1/4 large onion
Italian seasoning (McCormick) to taste
1 tsp Fennel seeds (ground up for WLS folks)
Salt & Pepper

Caramelize the onion in a pan with Pam then set aside. Mix onion, turkey and herbs together and use a mini scooper to make small 1 inch round balls. Sear on stove top until browned (using Pam) then place in baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 20 min @ 375.

I made my own tomato sauce as well. Our son is allergic to garlic, so I've had to modify a few recipes. Feel free to add garlic with the onions if you like it! We LOVE garlic, but because of my son, we've had to change things up.

Tomato Sauce -
1/4 large onion
2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
Italian seasoning (McCormick) & extra dried basil
1 T brown sugar

Caramelize the onion in a pan with Pam then add 2 cans crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil and sugar. Simmer on low for a few hours stirring occasionally (this takes the bitterness out of the tomatoes according to our Italian land lady back in the 70's). About an hour before you are ready to serve add in the meatballs and let them simmer in the sauce for the rest of the cooking time.

Ok, here's the yummy part. Microwave 2 T of fat free Ricotta cheese for about 30 seconds, spoon in 2 meatballs and a table spoon of sauce, top with a PINCH of Parmesan cheese or your favorite Italian style cheese. ENJOY!

I have attempted to break down the calories and such, the closest I could get is this for one serving-
175 calories + Pam (?!?!)
8 grams of fat
4 grams sugar
20 grams of protein!!
It's not exact, I'm not a nutritionist or dietitian, but I think it's pretty close give or take 30 calories.

It re-heats like a charm and gets better after the second day!

Hope you enjoy the recipes. I know I've enjoyed making them!

Here's to seeing less of me next time. Cheers!

The big TWO-FIVE

2010-02-21T08:23:00.001-08:00

I'm down twenty five big ole' pounds and quite proud of it!
Whoooo hooooo!

20 down - New favorite food

2010-02-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

As of yesterday I am down 20 pounds! Whoo hooo! That's the equivalent of one and a half of our dogs! (mini dachshunds) I'm tickled. It is the first of many, MANY goals I have set for myself. The next goal - 35 lbs. It will mark a historic wight loss for me. In all the years, and all the diets I've done, I've never, ever lost more than 30 lbs. Only 15 to go!

I've found a new favorite food now. I've always been a huge fan of sweet potatoes, and now since I'm very limited in my menu I'm trying new flavors. So, tonight I made the family baked sweet potatoes and I took about 1/4 cup of potato, blended it with a tea spoon full of Brummel and Brown yogurt butter, a dash of skim milk a dash of salt and a packet of Spenda. It was FANTASTIC! I was in heaven. I highly recommend it if you are in need a VERY low fat, low cal veggie alternative!

Here's to seeing less of me next time!

18 pounds gone!

2010-02-15T14:50:00.001-08:00

I'm 6 days post-surgery and I'm so excited to say I've lost 18 lbs since I started the liquid diet almost three weeks ago! Keep on coming buddy! I'm tickled about the progress so far. It's hard, and I'm hungry, but my appetite isn't what it used to be. I'm feeling great. We've been trying to walk every day (Mall walking because of the CRAZY amount of snow) and it's going very well. I'm not consuming as much protein as I should, so I'm going to have to up my game on that one. I'm also not getting my fluids in like I should. Definitely need to start drinking more, more, more.

I've been looking at different sources of protein and so far it's not too bad. We bought a Oster hand blender so I can make lots of smoothies and hopefully I'll have a little variety in my protein supplements every day. At this moment I'm drinking a very nice "Creamy Cappuccino" with 12 grams of protein and only 60 calories! Yummy! Looking through the catalog at a local "Protein Store" to see what strikes my fancy. They gave me lots of samples to try and most were good and some were just down right bad! If you have a need for protein here's the website - http://mydietshopz.com I've also heard that http://bariatriceating.com has a great variety as well.

Here's to seeing less of me tomorrow!

More and more liquids

2010-02-13T14:12:00.001-08:00

I'm four days post surgery now. Four days of getting used to my new tummy and new way of life. So far, so good.

I was talking to John last night about perspective. Since the surgery most of what I've been eating has been on the sweeter side of foods. Sugar free/fat free pudding, sugar free Jell-o, sugar free/fat free yogurt and sugar free protein drinks. You get the picture. As long as it's sugar free, fat free and is completely smooth I might be able to have it. Last night I wanted something savory. I haven't had salty in a few weeks, so I was searching my brain to find something legal to eat that would satisfy my wants. I'm allowed to have Cream of Wheat, so I thought that grits might also be legal. Just the thought of it made me sooo happy. I ran to the cupboard, found some instant grits, made it nice and thin, added a very small pat of Brummel and Brown yogurt butter and it was fantastic. I was in heaven. I ate the entire package (just one serving) and I was completely content. Here's where the perspective comes in. Before the surgery or even before the 2 week liquid diet, a single pack of grits would have just made me more hungry, but last night it was a feast. It hit the spot and I didn't need or want anything more for quite a while. I almost felt guilty for eating the whole package.... now that's a different perspective on food!

I truly think that not only did the surgery change the way my body physically needs/responds to food, but doing the two week liquid diet changed so much about the way I thought about food. I realize now I do not need much in the way of calories to sustain a healthy life. As long as I am getting the nutrients that I need, the vitamins I need, and enough calories to allow my body to function well - I am fine. I was living off of 960 calories a day during the pre-op liquid diet and I lost 16 pounds doing that. 16 pounds in 12 days!!! It's drastic, yes, but it shows me that obviously I was allowing the "pain" of hunger rule my life. I had always allowed hunger to determine so much of what I did during the day, where I went and what I did. Now I realize that it's OK to feel hungry. I'm not going to fall over dead if I don't satisfy the hunger. I just want to know why did I take 30+ years fo figure that one out???

I will tell you I'm looking forward to being able to eat a more varied diet. I have one more week with the full liquid diet then I can move on to the "MUSHY" phase. Oh, how I am looking forward to that one - hummus, soft beans, eggs, oatmeal, peanut butter, fish, scallops, crab, moist chicken, veggies and fruits! BUT then again there is sacrifice when there is reward. For now I am able to eat any time I'm hungry as long as it's on the approved list. When I start the mushy phase I will only be allowed the three TINY little meals (1/4 c. each) a day with protein supplement drinks. No snacking. Here is where the discipline and the new prospective will hopefully help me win over this battle of my bulges!

Wish me luck!

Day after surgery!

2010-02-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

Because of the blizzard they moved up my surgery to Tuesday. I was thrilled. We got me here and settled in before the snow started.

I'm doing well and the surgery went well. My upper GI this morning looked great and they say I'm medically able to leave BUT the blizzard says otherwise. Unless this snow stops and they plow this evening I'm stuck here.

They have me on a "full liquid diet" meaning clear liquids, milk, jell-o and plain yogurt (bleh!). Fun stuff. They told us about a thing that will happen with gastric banding (LapBand) and the gastric bypass surgeries - the food gets "stuck" if it goes into your egg sized pouch too quickly and it can't pass into the main stomach quick enough. I've already felt this a bit. I am only allowed to sip liquids and I drank some crystal light a bit to quickly and it HURT! The only way to describe it is when you eat pancakes too fast. Know how it hurts right under your sternum? Yep that's it! Ouch!!

When I'm cleared for the next stage of food, in about a week, I will be able to have "mushy" foods. Mushed beans, potatoes, turkey meatballs, unsweetened applesauce and anything that can be chewed into an applesauce constancy. I will do this for about 4 weeks before I can get to a full diet. The biggest issue is to only eat 1/4 cup meals 3X a day. 2T of protein and 2T veggies. I'm also required to eat protein shakes/supplements to consume 50g of protein every day.

So that's it for now. Hope you see less of me soon!
-shan

Surgery Day!

2010-02-08T16:59:00.001-08:00

Surgery day was moved up to tomorrow! Prayers and positive thoughts please!

CT scan

2010-02-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a very stressful day. Everything was going very well. I had my last pre-op appointment with my surgeon. I seem to have connected well with him and we were having a nice conversation about the surgery then the dreaded finger point happened. The "one moment" finger. He needed to read something more thoroughly from my test results. There was a little something wrong with my abdominal sonogram. Apparently I have two lesions on the left lobe of my liver. He and I started a mad dash to get me into a radiologist as soon as possible. I spent the rest of the day trying to schedule a CT scan for today. It had to be today, because we are expecting a major snow storm and I knew Monday was going to be a disaster. So, after fighting with the radiology book keepers I finally got it all approved. I went and picked up a LITER of barium and was set for the CT today.

After I finally had a few seconds to sit and relax...it hit me. There might be something wrong with my liver. Wow. It could be one of a hundred things, but then it could be the worst case scenario. What's next? What do I do if there is something wrong? How do we handle this? I mean, I know we handle is one day at a time. But wow. That's a tough one. It's not the first time the "C" word has been a possibility in my life. Back 14 years ago I had a bit of a scare with a benign tumor in one of my breast, but even having gone through that whole experience doesn't make this any easier.

So, today I wake up and start chugging. UGH. I fought constantly to not vomit. I had woken up at 5:30 with reflux again and nothing I did would ease it completely. So I was still fighting a bit of reflux and drinking a liter or barium. Not my best morning. I finally got it all down and left for the radiologist. I made it there and they were able to take me in a bit earlier than I was scheduled (Thank you God!) and I was able to get back home so that John could make it to work.

We are hoping the CT will show it's nothing and the surgery will go on as scheduled, but if it is something I guess we have to figure out what plan "B" is. Boo hisss....to plan "B"!

It started snowing in the middle of my appointment and has come down steadily since then. There is such a relaxing quality to snow. I love watching it fall. I don't like driving in it, but I love to watch it fall.

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Lord, I don't ask much very often, but I do have a small request. Please let this be nothing. Just a little blip, nothing to worry about. Let's get on with the surgery and on with life. Thank you. Love, shan

Dietitian Seminar - 3/4 for a whole day?!?!

2010-02-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I spent 1/2 the day at the hospital. I saw the anesthesiologist and went to the dietitian seminar. It was interesting. I learned what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat it and when NOT to eat it. Lots of rules, lots of reasons not to stray from the program. The good news is that about a week after the surgery I will be able to start the "mushy" foods. I'm happy because most of the things I enjoy will be included in this part of the process. That includes peanut butter, beans, eventually meatballs (turkey) and other mushable type foods.

The crazy part of all of this is I will only be consuming 1/4 cup of food at each meal. ONE FOURTH OF A CUP! I keep asking how can I sustain my life on 3/4 cup of food each day, but I guess that is why the supplements and protein shakes are so important!

I'm really looking forward to moving on and starting this journey. I'm ready to loose the shell. Good by Shanny shell... hope to never see you again!

11 lbs down!

2010-01-31T09:45:00.001-08:00

Day 5 of my liquid fast. I'm doing well. Much better than I expected. Im not going to lie, I'm HUNGRY, but I'm making it. I desperately would love to have something big and crunchy and full of protein, but I'm being really good.

So far I'm down a total of 11 lbs. Wow. I lost 3 before I started the fast then since Wednesday, the first day of the fast, I've lost 8 lbs. No visible change so far, but I'm sure that will come.

I've also decided that the Optisfast chicken soup it's right out. Absolutely terrible and torturous to eat. I'd much rather have another "shake" than that stuff! I have to go to the doctors on Tuesday for a dietitian seminar, and I'm going to try my best to switch it out. BLEH!

7 lbs down

2010-01-29T07:26:00.001-08:00

Day two of the liquid fast was a little tougher than the first. I felt horribly hungry the entire day. I kept pumping myself with tea hoping to fool my stomach into thinking it was full of the good stuff. No luck.

My daily diet for the next week and a half is:
Breakfast - Optifast shake
Snack - Optifast shake
Lunch - Optifast shake
Snack - Optifast shake
Dinner - Optifast shake or Optifast soup
Snack - Optifast nutrition bar
I can also have a total of three sugar free Jell-o cups or sugar free Popsicles per day.

At around 3am this morning I had the WORST case of reflux I've ever had. I really hope it was an isolated incident.

The Good News is - I've already lost a total of 7 (!) pounds since Wednesday. This is a total of 10 pounds overall so far. WOW!

Optifast!

2010-01-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

Day 1 of Optifast. First impression of Strawberry Optifast - It's somewhat like Slimfast, but not as much of mineral after taste. Not bad, not great. I'm drinking it slowly because I know I'll be hungry in a very short while.
I spent all day yesterday at the hospital and my doctor's office. I had chest x-rays, abdominal ultrasound, upper G.I., pulmonary tests, EKG, 10 vials of blood drawn and a physical exam. Whew. It was exhausting, but it brings me one step closer to surgery on the 10th of February.