First big goal achieved

I finally broke 200 pounds. Next big goal, the doctors goal...

Birthday party photos

I am finally as old as the rest of my HS classmates...

A new picture...

I am starting to really feel stronger.  There is some drama wrapped up in my like and I hate it, but this is a slow process.

1/2 A HAMBURGER!

WOW, I got to try a hamburger (I feel a little like Whimpy).  I managed to eat half of it.  I loved every juicy bite!  I only managed 1/2 of it, but it was still wonderful!

10 pounds from a MAJOR goal!

I am rapidly approaching a MAJOR goal during my weight loss.  I am 10 pounds from a huge goal!  I am so excited.  I will be even more excited once I reach the first MAJOR goal!

Top is 10/2008

Below is 2006

Update on weight loss

So to date 75 pounds.
WOW!!!
Hair loss has started, I am upping my B12

Soup, soup, soup...

Ok well I managed to get a move in, in the middle of all of this. I cooked up a batch of Matzah Ball soup, without the matzah balls. Wow it was wonderful!

There is a recipe that I want to try once I get everything unpacked and undone. So far I haven't vomitted in over a week. THANK GOD!!!

A few more discoveries

Ok I am missing cooking terribly. I realized today it was 100% relaxing to make a mess in my kitchen! I had some creamed chipped beef this morning/afternoon. It was yummy....and it stayed down. Of course I didn't have breakfast so that helped.

Whew a week

Where to start? I ate a chocolate covered oranged piece that didn't work. Yeah I threw that up, oh and I was at work! Natch! Then a going a party (drama included) I was really good and careful. Tried a "4 seasons" meal from my favorite Chinese food place here and the first night it was fine, however the next day--lunch, wow it was very bad. So I have discovered homemade tomato soup, that helps. I am looking forward to making more and trying to morph it into bisque.

Otherwise, I am feeling good, more energy.

Weight loss to date

To date post op:
61.5 pounds gone!
AMAZING!!!!

I am finally getting in a little more at each meal....
Trying to focus on the protien....

Meat, meat, meat

For all the folks out there that are anti-meat...not for you....

So I managed to eat and keep down:
Chicken and gravy
Ham and gravy
Brisket and bbq sauce

Pretty impressive. I am impressed.

My younger sister says I look old now since I am loosing weight. I am not sure how to take this other than she is pissed off at my life right now.

On a personal note:
I said good-bye to Dad and little sister this past weekend, it was emotionally charged and well it went as expected.

I had chicken....

Finally--I managed chicken 2x's. I had to have a lot of "sauce" with it, but OH YEAH, I managed it and I kept it down.

Can say that about a recipe from my Eatting well after weight loss surgery book, but I passed the leftovers to a co-worker and she loved it. Wants the recipe.

I managed to embarass my self at church Wed. night, had to go run and get sick. Lovely. My friend Alli walked in as I was pulling myself together. UGH!

I tried and failed...

I tried to have some pesto sauce with ???? and then there is the avacado dip....last week...I got sick from the avacdo dip. Sucks, I love it. The pesto was great, I made the PERFECT batch, but had nothing to put it on...

Does it ever get easier....?

Leap of faith that ended in a success

Uh what? Ok not a big deal for most, but I tried chicken again last night. I was at the mall and needed new glasses, which I think are giving me a headache, but anyhow. I went through my exam, picked out frames and walked the mall to wait. I got a little bit of sweet & sour chicken from the local chinese dive and some extra sauce. That is the big secret of eatting food, you have to slather it in whatever~~4 pieces went down. I threw out the rest, didn't want any more. I was really happy.

Now if I can get my insides back on track all will be right with the world....ha ha ha

Tried talipia.

Ok so tried some white fish....talipia. Worked! Was easy on me. Good thing! It's friday!!

Dr. visit

6 more pounds off. 26% of my goal off. BMI-down 7 points.
Good day.

Dr. visit

6 more pounds off. 26% of my goal off. BMI-down 7 points.
Good day.

2 1/2 days of pain

Oh yeah, wasn't ready for pain again. Not fun. Felt it 100% at church on Sunday. I am not sure what "it" is, but it is at the lower left incision site. Called the Dr yesterday. Got asked tons of questions, they are not worried, so I am not worried. I just hurt. I go in tomorrow for a 1 month post op appointment, we are checking everything then.

Just threw up dinner, nice! So I have no idea what to do. I need to go back to the grocery store. It is sort of a waste of time. I bought some Mu Shi Pork and ate on it for about 4 days. Seems so much more logical. Just not always feesable.

I am tired, have been getting a lot of compliments along with tears about how "different" I look. I am happy and sad!!

Emotionally I am all over the place, they said that is exactly what would happen. Hooray I am on track with something. Maybe I will go backwards to soup. Tomato didn't taste very good, so that doesn't leave many options for me, I am fincky.

Happy 4th and SUCCESS story

Thursday night I managed to keep 1.5 ounces of spaghetti and meatballs down. I cut everything up very very small. I didn't finish, I felt full so I stopped eatting. Friday night I stopped at our local chinese food place, so far won-ton soup has been good to me, got a small and some Mu-shi-pork. So far so good. I am sleepy of course, but I feel great about actually eatting SOMETHING and it stays where it is supposed too. 2 successes in one weekend. Now I do have LOTS of leftovers, but I will deal with it. The Mu-shi provided meat and veggies, I guess so did the spaghetti and meatballs, so I got a win-win. Carbs are bad and I get that, but just to get some real food down was wonderful.

What I am missing most

Well this weekend is the 4th, everyone is having bbq's, I am feeling rather left out, but it is up to me to make it work. I am missing:
BBQ chicken
Steak
Hamburger
Hotdog

Meat in general. I have yet to figure out HOW they want me to get in 70 ounces of water and 70 ounces of protien, my "pouch" is now the size of my thumb. I would like some grilled bbq chicken, a thigh...a ribeye steak done med. rare, mexican food, chinese food (although won-ton soup is working out great), a hotdog left on the grill too long. Yeah I miss it all.

Gastric Bypass (update 7)

Hey all:

So I went yesterday for my post-op ed class. Got weighed. Not so great and I cried, but they (the Dr.’s ) were not 1 bit concerned. They said weight gain happens in the beginning, you are female and you have to think about water retention as well. Ok I buy that. So did a little shopping, got a few thing to wear to work that won’t fall off. Didn’t spend much and the clothes will get me through my transition times.

On the food front: Wow this is so hard, but I have found a couple things that work out really well. Cucumber and onion salad. Just little bits, but it tasted so good. Deviled eggs. Anything egg is great and stayed down. Crab salad, just don’t use imitation crab meat like I did, bleh!

I am still throwing up pretty regularly, but I am doing better. Today was the first day back at work, whew. Long day and I am really tired. I have grazed on and off, it is a struggle. Yogurt for lunch, wheat thins to snack, breakfast didn’t go down so well. I will learn...



Overall, it is the hardest thing I have tried to accomplish thus far, but I am making it and I am trying and that is the most important thing.

Food discovery

Found it was easy to handle sauteed mushrooms and onions, I am looking forward to having more of them.

Solids

I could learn easily to have an eating disorder....
I want to gulp something to drink, just to quinch my thrist....

Dinner last night

I managed real food last night and kept it down. Small amount, but it was tasty. Marinated chicken, pasta salad, roll and baked beans. Now I used a small plate and didn't finish what was on mine. Just really tasting and feeling out the waters and I didn't want to throw up again.

Digestion was miserable, but it has been. It hurts to have the food move through the "Y" area now. That will heal with time.

My brusing from the Hepron is finally fading away. My incesions are healing nicely. I think the scaring will be minimual.

Today is kind of an off day, I have a headache and feel very sleepy. Not the first time I have felt like this but, it isn't as often. Just hard to get motivated...

Re-learning about food

Stage 1- is your both, clear liquids, maybe even jello and yogurt.
Stage 2- is your soft pallet, purreed foods, yogurt, cheese.
This is where I am stage 2, however being stubborn I think I can push the envelope and see what my new little stomache can handle. I am very stupid. They didn't make the rules for everyone BUT me, it was to include me. So Saturday night I resumed my evening of movie and dinner with my friend Dee Dee, who has been my champion throughout this whole process....we go out for chinese food, my suggestion, I was craving it. There is a reason they tell you don't do X before this date or that date. So I had just a tablespoon and it got stuck. I couldn't throw up, it hurt, I was miserable. And lile the stubborn girl I am--I tried it again on Sunday evening. Again it was stuck and I was miserable. Wow, lesson learned. Back to stage 2 pureed food.

Gastric Bypass--Post Op

Well I have officially begun my journey to my "new life". I am over a week post-op from gastric bypass surgery. Let me back up. I went for my weigh in when I first got made the decision to do this in December 2007. I was at my peak weight (289). So once the paperwork was finalized and fees paid, I began the program. My Doctor (Glembot) worked solely from the "289" weight, however when I weighed in for my "final consult" I was down to 273. Doing nothing, just stress. Then I joined a gym, walking on the treadmill, riding the bike (it has a funny name I can never remember). doing the upper body/arm circut of weights. So the "big day", surgery, arrives...I have a weigh in--265...I wanted to scream with joy, I was doing this! So at that point 5/29/2009 - I was down 24 pounds, quit smoking, stopped caffeine, and was working out 4 nights a week for about an hour. I was amazed and proud of ME! I 100% did this without anyone else. Post op day 1, 4am. They put my ass on a scale, full of air, fluids, and gases all from surgery. How stupid and devastating. I was back up to 277. WTF, but I paid no mind to it, I felt like I was so bloated. So I spent 3 1/2 days in the hospital, an extra day and a half because of a low blood count. Anyhow this past Friday was my first post-op visit. I got vitals taken. All good and weight 255!!!! 10 pounds in one week, 10 pounds!!!! I am totally excited! I am noticing my boobs are already smaller. So long double d's. I am also learning what I can and can't eat, 2 night 100% miserable. I tried beef lo-mein. STUPID! So I have learned scratch that, I will go back to soft pallet foods for the time being.

I will keep updating my progress here. I was elsewhere--and well I just don't feel comfortable anymore, so I will go to a new blog.

Thanks for reading. I have a long way to go.