Funny post

Merry Christmas!  As of today, almost 6 months since pre-op diet began, I have lost 83 lb.  I am happy with that loss.  I have 4 important goals that I would like to achieve, especially within the next year (or less):

• when I lose just over 2 more lb, and I will be under 200 lb.
• 5.2 lb loss would mean I lost 70% of what my doctor and  I want me to lose
• 11 lb loss would change my classification from "obese" to "overweight"
• 17 lb loss would put me at 100 lb lost

So... I have a lot to look forward to!  This is the weird part of the post.  This week I bought new underwear.  My underwear before was size 12 or 13.  Some of my smaller underwear still fit, but some were just completely unwearable.  So anyway, what I bought ended up being a size 9.  I know this is not the typical thing that people share about themselves, but for me it was pretty exciting!  :-)

Ugh...

Tuesday is my weekly weigh-in day (since I had surgery on a Tuesday).  I am showing a minor weight gain this week.  This could be for a variety of reasons.  I have been eating a little more junk lately, but with the small amount I still eat, I'd be really surprised if it's causing the gain.  But I've probably had too much salt and so perhaps there's some water retention, but in any case I don't want to take any chances, so I am going back to counting calories and not having any junk.  I can do that on Christmas, but I need to lay off for now.  So today I had a protein drink, 5 almonds, and here is a great salad that's fast, easy, filling and under 200 calories total.  Not sure whether I posted this, or a variation of before, but it's soooo good, it's worth repeating.

1 T. light mayo (15 cal per T.)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
dash of Stevia or Splenda
celery salt
pepper
1 3-oz can of chicken, drained
1/2 T. slivered almonds
2 oz. cut-up apple
25 calories of dried cranberries (maybe 1 T.?)
romaine lettuce, sliced thin

Combine the first five ingredients to make dressing.  Add the next four ingredients and mix well.  Serve on a bed of romaine lettuce.  Serves 1.  For other variety, you can add grapes, celery, walnuts instead of almonds, or different dried fruit.


I have been having too much Tim Hortons coffee (with cream, no sugar), so I am cutting way back and sticking with my Keurig and low-fat cream.  I am upping my water intake also, which has not been stellar lately.  Also cutting out eating late at night, which I have been doing lately because I don't eat enough calories during the day, and I end up eating some chips or something like that.  I am going to check my weight the next two days and see if it makes a difference. 

Update

I haven't posted in awhile.  So far I have lost 81.2 pounds.  Soon I will be reaching a very important milestone, and when I do, everyone will hear about it.  But in the meantime, I want to talk about two things...

The other day we were talking about buying clothes.  Somebody thought it wasn't a good idea to spend a lot of money buying a winter coat.  I am not mad at that person, I know exactly where they are coming from.  It is hard to spend a lot of money on anything when you know your size is constantly changing.  But there are many reasons why I did this.

First, I am either buying all of my regular clothes at Salvation Army, or spending $15 or less per piece at a regular store.  I also gladly accept any hand-me-over clothes that people are willing to give me.  I have not bought any new undergarments, and I only bought one pair of new pajamas.  So needless to say, I have been very frugal. 

I love buying at thrift stores, but my own quirk is that I don't like to buy coats at thrift stores.  If I don't know how they've been stored at the previous owner's home, it could have been stored still damp from the wash or in a musty basement.  This could also be true for clothes, but clothes are thin and mold cannot be "buried deep" inside it.  So I just personally choose not to buy a winter coat there.

The coat that I got is FABULOUS.  It is either suede or faux suede (I never checked, but I'm guessing faux with the price it was) with a fur collar.  It is a beautiful color.  I purposely bought it small so that it could last this whole winter.  It is both casual and dressy, so I only needed to buy one, so it is very versatile.  I would just not go sledding in it.  If I go sledding, I'll wear one of Glen's coats.  So I put a lot of thought into buying it.  It was regularly $110, and with 40% off and a $10 coupon, I got it for just over $60. 

Most importantly that people need to know and understand, is the coat I had before was the ugliest, pukiest brown 3x plain most disgusting coat you ever saw.  I don't even want to donate it because I don't want to place that coat into anyone's hands.  I would really like to ceremoniously  burn it, except for the fact that the coat could warm a homeless person's body and that could give it its one redeeming quality.  I wore it year after year for maybe even ten years (I'm not sure), always hoping to lose weight before the next winter, never wanting to spend the money on another big ugly coat.  And year after year, I walked around with that sad looking coat on.  So you see, I NEEDED to buy a fabulous coat.  It needed to be the one splurge in all of this. 


Okay, here's the other thing I want and need to talk about.   People regularly say boneheaded insensitive things.  I am okay with it.  I have said my share of boneheaded insensitive things, thinking I was being helpful or because I didn't have anything to say, or perhaps out of jealousy or lack of understanding for a person's situation.  And, one thing that I think is boneheaded, somebody else might think is helpful or funny or poignant.  Well... this person said "Look, you lost all this weight and you gave it to Glen."  Ugh.  Men are thick-skinned, but still... ouch.  As soon as the person said it, I think they realized it was insensitive, but we just all kind of moved on, and I wish I could go back and say something, not to yell at them or anything, but something.  So let me say something here.  Glen just visited the doctor, and while it's true that he needs to lose weight, guess what?  His BMI is still lower than mine is right now.  And it's never a good idea to compliment someone at someone else's expense.  As Forrest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that."

Two more good photos

These are from a Tigers game in September and our Cedar Point trip in October.

Updated photo

Here is a recent photo of me with my girls.  I wanted to update since my original photo.  This is at Julie's 1st communion celebration in early November 2011.

More milestones

Today I lost just over 60% of the weight I want to lose.  I also have lost just over 75 pounds.  Lastly, I have a zero in the tens digit (I weigh 209).  Soon I will weigh under 200 pounds, I am hoping by January.  I has been so long!  In January 2009, I stepped on the scale and saw the biggest number ever, 300.  I lost 30 lb, but then gained 15 back, so when I started the pre-op diet I weighed 285.  It will just be so great to see 200 (or less) by this January.  :-)  :-)  :-)

My two cents

I get so frustrated hearing people blaming genetics for their problems in life (mental, physical, etc.). We ALL probably have several "hardships" in our genes. But to use it as an excuse to not do anything about it, I don't get. And, isn't it more likely not just genetic, but also some of it bad habits and traditions that you were exposed to growing up?

 

CELEBRATE the good things that have been passed down in the genes and traditions, and DO SOMETHING about the bad (prevention is always the best). I knew addiction ran high in our genes, so I did not EVER try smoking, and I was exposed to so much smoking that I had dreams that I was a smoker too! However, I was not as successful with food addiction, but I don't blame my ancestors. I am trying to change things for my descendants.

One more recipe

Chicken salad

by Jackie Madacki on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 8:33am

Great lunch!
1 3-oz can of chicken (sold in 3-packs usually)
Cut up apple (I use half of a small snack-size apple)
Grapes, whole or cut in half (I might use 6-8 grapes)
1 T. sliced almonds
Chopped celery (or celery salt if you don't have celery)
1 heaping tablespoon of Hellman's low-fat mayo
1 T. of apple cider vinegar
dash of Stevia
dash of pepper
dash of salt (if you don't use the celery salt)
Mix dressing items and seasonings with a whisk.  Drain chicken, and add it and the other items to the dressing.  There are probably all kinds of variations you can do with this, walnuts instead of almonds, add a little carrot, add pineapple, etc.  But this is what I like.  :-)

Great recipes

I may have posted some of these before (and they are all on my Facebook page) but I put them together to send to my dietician, so I decided to share them all together here too.

Jackie's awesome chicken tacos

·        6-8 individually frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts ("tender" sized)

·        around 6 individually frozen boneless/skinless thigh pieces

·        1 cup water

·        1 can petite diced tomatoes

·        Garlic garlic seasoning from Tastefully Simple (not really needed, but I put this in EVERY crockpot meat dish, mmm delish!!!)

·        1/4 cup taco seasoning (more or less to taste)

·        shells, garnishes, etc.

Put all the chicken in the crockpot, add the water and seasonings, put the whole can of tomatoes on top.  Put it on high for 30 minutes or so, then mix it around.  Turn to low, cook all day, 6-8 hours.  Mash up chicken before serving, already tender so this is easy to do. 

I bought Old El Paso kit with 6 flour tortillas and 6 corn hard shells.  I put 2 cans of fat-free refried beans in a microwave container and heated those about 4 minutes.  You can also serve canned corn on the side.  Garnish with lettuce, sliced black olives, light sour cream, shredded cheese.  You could also do onions, green peppers (either cooked with the meat or served as a garnish), avocados, tomatoes or anything else that sounds good to you. 

This is really delicious, and everyone makes their taco the way they like it.  :-)

Cream of Chicken

• 6 frozen chicken breasts
• frozen or fresh veggies (I used frozen green beans, fresh baby carrots, a couple cut-up potatoes, and I may throw in a can of corn at the end)
• 1 can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
• 1 can reduced-fat cream of mushroom & garlic
• 1 can chicken broth
• Garlic garlic (or other garlic seasoning)
• Egg noodles

I put in the chicken, then the veggies on top, then garlic seasoning.  I mixed the two soups and the broth together before pouring it into the crockpot.  We are serving it over egg noodles, but you could add the noodles in, or instead of putting in potatoes you could make mashed potatoes.  You can leave the chicken breasts whole, or shred them. 

Mom's Turkey Breast Dinner

This is taken from Gooseberry Patch Super-Fast Slow Cooking, but then I'll tell you how I modified it.

·        4 potatoes, peeled and sliced

·        4 carrots, peeled and sliced

·        2 to 3 lb. turkey tenderloins

·        10.5 oz. can of french onion soup

Place vegetables in slow cooker, then add turkey breast.  Pour soup over top.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serves 6. 

Modified:  I used 5-6 potatoes. I used bagged baby carrots (just threw a bunch in). I had two 20 oz. packages of turkey tenderloins, but made a decision at the last minute to only use one. Trying to cut back on leftovers. Thought I had the soup, but didn't, so I used Campbell's Golden Mushroom, but also put in a package of Lipton Onion Soup mix combined with one can of water. I like extra liquid in the crockpot, just to make sure that it doesn't burn. I added pepper and Garlic Garlic seasoning. We ate it with a little light sour cream on the side, for the potatoes.  My daughter said it tasted like roast.ut didn't, so I used Campbell's Golden Mushroom, but also put in a package of Lipton Onion Soup mix combined with one can of water. I like extra liquid, just to make sure that it doesn't burn. I added pepper and Garlic Garlic seasoning. It came out really good, and once again Julie said "This crockpot is magic, it tastes like roast!" We ate it with a little sour cream on the side, for the potatoes.

Stuffed Cabbage soup

·        1.5 lb lean ground beef (more or less to your liking)

·        1 can tomato soup

·        1 can tomato sauce

·        1 can diced tomatoes

·        1 head of cabbage

·        1/2 cup water or beef broth

·        Garlic Garlic (or other garlic seasoning)

·        Pepper

·        Ketchup

·        Uncle Ben's Ready Rice

Brown and drain ground beef, putting some garlic seasoning and pepper in.  I also rinse it to remove extra fat and cool it off.  Cut up cabbage into 1-inch squares (or maybe a little bigger).  I put all the tomato products (except ketchup), some more garlic seasoning, and the water in crockpot, then the meat, then the cabbage.  In my large crockpot, it fills it to the top.  I stir it around a bit to mix the tomato mixture around everything.  Then I squirt a bunch of ketchup on top, and stir that around.  I am not sure how much, and I suppose the ketchup could go in at the beginning with the other stuff.  Cook on low all day.  Make Uncle Ben's Ready Rice and add it before serving.  I do not add it to the crockpot since I am unable to have rice, so my family just adds it to their bowl and mixes it around.

Taco Soup

*Super lean hamburger (94/6)
*Taco seasoning
*2 cans northern beans
*1 can diced tomatoes
*1/2 cup chopped onion
*1/2 cup chopped green pepper
*1 can corn
*1 can beef broth
*garlic seasoning
*shredded cheese and sour cream

Saute the onion and green pepper with Pam, then cook/drain/rinse the meat. (I sometimes use leftover taco meat from a previous meal, so I measure out 1 cup). I put all of the ingredients in the crockpot. Serve with crushed up baked tortilla chips, reduced-fat shredded cheese, and light sour cream.  You can add more meat and/or beans to make it heartier. You can also serve it with macaroni noodles or rice.

Tortilla Soup 

*1-2 cups chopped cooked chicken
*2 cans of northern beans
*1 can of corn
*1 can Campbell’s Tomato Soup
*1 can diced tomatoes
*1 really large can of chicken broth
*1 small can of salsa verde
*Garlic garlic (from Tastefully Simple) or other garlic seasoning
*Pepper
*1 package of Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice
*Baked tortilla chips, light shredded cheese and sour cream for toppings

Put the first 9 ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low all day. Just before eating, make the Ready Rice in the microwave (90 seconds). Put out the rice, chips, cheese and sour cream and people can add them to their soup. You can use other beans; my husband doesn't like black beans so we used northern beans.

Jackie's Stock-up List

Jackie's Stock-Up List

Ideally, these are the things that I would always have in my cupboard and fridge so that I don't have any excuses for not having a good breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  You can make many great crockpot meals from these too.

Breakfast:

·        Protein powder

·        ½% milk

·        Hard-boiled eggs

·        I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray

·        Pepperidge farm mini whole-wheat bagels (toasted)

·        Low fat cream cheese

·        Banana

·        Bag of small snack-size apples

·        Turkey bacon (occasionally) or the small thin bacon from Sam's Club that you can just do a couple of pieces at a time in the microwave (I keep it in my freezer).  I like having one piece occasionally, or having a small "decadent" garnish on some potato or green beans.

·        Land O' Lakes Light Cream (made with cream and milk, no fake stuff

Lunch:

·        3 oz. cans of tuna or chicken (3 pack)

·        Hellman's Low Fat Mayo (15 calories per serving)

·        sliced almonds

·        Laughing Cow Light Cheese (garlic and herb)

·        Wheat Thins Fiber Selects crackers (I eat 5 crackers with one Laughing Cow cheese)

·        Light string cheese

·        Mini round sandwich breads (50 calories each) (Arnold or Pepperidge Farms?)

·        Markets of Meijer smoked turkey (at the deli)

·        Steve's Backroom hummus (half the fat of most store-bought hummus) with cauliflower or celery

·        Homemade ranch dip, made with low-fat greek yogurt, the above low-fat mayo (equal parts of each), ranch powder

·        Ken's Light dressings (ranch, Asian, etc.)

·        Healthy Choice Split Pea or Bean with Ham soup

      Dinner (or lunch):

·        Any beans (garbanzo, northern, kidney beans, fat-free refried (La Preferida or Rosarita in the ethnic section are the best).  When they are on sale, buy a whole case.

·        Beef and chicken broth (buy a case of each)

·        Campbell's reduced-fat cream soups (buy a case when on sale and use coupons)

·        Canned diced tomatoes (Buy a case)

·        Hunts spaghetti sauce (not as sweet as most store-bought sauces)

·        Bags of all kinds of frozen veggies, Meijers has some really cool varieties of mixed veggies

·        Bags of individually frozen chicken breasts, chicken breast tenders, and boneless/skinless thighs

·        Super lean hamburger (94/6)

·        Romaine lettuce - fast and easy to cut, lasts a long time, holds up really well when cut thin for a garnish, super nutritious

·        Baby spinach

·        Bags of baby carrots, match-stick carrots for salads

·        Cauliflower and celery

·        Plastic fruit cups of mandarin oranges, great for Asian salad or on a stirfry

·        Bags of broccoli slaw (good for stirfry, but watch expiration date, comes fast)

·        Water chestnuts - great crunch in stirfry

·        Fresh mushrooms - adds fuller taste in a stirfry or raw on a salad without the calories

·        Reduced fat shredded cheese (not fat-free)

·        Garlic garlic - from Tastefully Simple

·        Large container of taco seasoning from Sam's Club

·        Onion soup packets

·        Other spices

Snacks:

·        Weight Watcher Chocolate Fudge "snack size" frozen bars (only 45 calories, has fiber, and really delicious, no fake sugar)

·        Almonds - Sam's Club has natural no-salt ones that are great.  I keep these in my car and eat 10 when I am on the road, instead of a fast-food burger like I used to do.

·        Small apple - cut up with a little bit of crunchy peanut butter

Drinks:

·        Flavored coffee: I love my Keurig coffee maker for one cup at a time.  Favorite flavors: pumpkin spice, Jamaican Me Crazy, Hazelnut

·        Tim Hortons flavor shots have NO sweeteners in them, so you can add your own stevia or Splenda to taste, and bring your own light cream.  My 2 favorites are pumpkin spice and hazelnut.  Their decaf coffee is phenomenal if you are trying to break the caffeine habit. 

·        Lemon or limeade made with lemons, limes, water and stevia

·        Lipton Cold-Brew tea bags - regular or decaf

Fast food (if I must eat a meal while in the car):

• McDonald's Grilled Chicken snack wrap, light on the honey mustard or ranch, and I rip off as much extra tortilla as I can with an unsweetened iced tea, with Splenda and two lemons

November is here

It's been awhile since I have written.  I am at almost 20 weeks post-op, and I have lost about 73 pounds, almost 60% of what I want to lose.  Just 2-3 lb. more reach that mark.  They say you lose 60% with surgery alone, the rest is based on the time and effort I want to put in to lose the rest.  It is definitely going slower, but with spurts of still losing.  I am wearing a generous size 18 or a small 20.  I bought some 16's but they are generally small.  Lots more people are noticing my weight loss.  I told one of my classes that I had the surgery (we were talking about re-sale shops, I mentioned my weight loss, and a girl asked me how I did it, so I told them).  They were very cool about it. 

I am eating all kinds of normal foods, just really small amounts.  I am choosing low-fat options.  I ate some candy around Halloween, but nothing like I used to.  Absolutely no pop.  As always, I need to put in more exercise.  I know that it will really speed things up and boost my metabolism.  Life is busy but overall, all is well.

Things I have realized, learned, or confirmed

I am sure I will add more to this list as time goes on. 

1.  Pants get too long before they get too big.  But then I don't sew, and by the time I'd get them hemmed, they'd probably then be too big on me.

2.  At a smaller size, clothes that are more snug are more forgiving.  At my original weight, I wore everything baggy to cover the bumps and try to, I guess, "hide" the weight.   Now when I try a shirt on and it feels tight going over my head and through my arms, most of the time still fit when I do put it on all the way.

3.  People do treat me differently (better).  We can have an argument, and you may say that it's only because I am now a happier person and I have changed, but I don't think I was unhappy before, and it doesn't explain attitudes of strangers and new people I meet.  It's fine.  Truthfully, people can't help but get impressions based on people's looks.  You try not to, but it's just human nature.  When I make a suggestion (same suggestions presented in the same way I have always done), more students try them rather than blow me off.

4.  Even though I'm still tired (because I don't get enough sleep) I still get more accomplished.

5.  My mind is sharper.  I usually always have a comeback for my sassy students that "shuts them down" without alienating.  I have better answers to quick questions. 

6.   However, my center of gravity is changing, and I often feel wobbly/out-of-balance.  It's weird.

7.   Most important, I know that I would have NEVER lost this weight without the surgery.  Let me explain.  This surgery cut my stomach by 75%.  I have 25% of my original stomach, which holds 3-4 oz of food.  That means it held up to 16 oz before (2 cups).  Programs like Weight Watchers encourage you to eat high volume, low calorie food; thus, always "filling up" your stomach.  I don't think it ever gives your stomach a chance to shrink.  I think if you have a small amount of weight to lose (50 lb. or less), your stomach isn't as stretched out, and these programs can work.  But I think for a person like me to truly lose it and keep it off, they would have to eat small volume, high density food (high protein, low fat, low carb...like I am eating now).  But, that means that your stomach never gets filled, and then your brain kicks in, whispering or screaming "Fill the void, fill the void, fill the void."  And then you fail.  Now with this smaller stomach, I can be satisfied with a small amount, and better quality food, and be done.

8.  With that being said, every month I still crave chocolate.  But I can eat 4 hershey kisses (100 calories) and be done and fine.  Not 12 mini peanut butter cups like I used to have. 

9.  Junk food around the house does not bother me AT ALL.  I can eat one chip and be fine, or no junk at all.  What bothers me is not being able to finish a cup of soup and a salad at Big Boy without getting overfilled.

10.  I can be hungry on my whole way home from work, and still survive. 

11.  People say "Oh, I can think of lots of worse problems than having to buy new clothes."  I love buying new work clothes and cute things.  But consider this.  I bought stuff in September that's now too big already.  I may have to buy all new clothes 5 more times before this school year is up, which means time AND money.  AND having to buy new underwear, bras, pajamas, bathing suits, coats, jackets, sweat shirts, sweatpants, and even shoes.  And resizing my wedding ring.  It really adds up to a lot of time and money.  Which is why I hit Salvation Army.  But I wouldn't buy a bathing suit, undergarments, or pajamas there. 

12.  Obvious things, but what I have experienced:  I don't have to pee as often.  My feet don't hurt as much.  I don't really get stomachaches.

13.  I do miss pop.  But I wouldn't drink diet, and regular is not an option.  So I will not indulge.  I drink water, iced tea, coffee (with cream), milk (with protein powder), and sometimes Crystal Light type drinks.

14.  Most people have been very supportive or cordial about my decision to go with surgery.  Nobody has said anything totally ridiculous to me.  :-)  Probably the only wary-looking people are the ones that are in the category of needing to lose 20-60 pounds.  Not a candidate for the surgery, but still dealing with issues of choosing the right method and sticking with it.  So perhaps they feel like they wish there was an easy option for them.  Trust me, this is not easy.  It's still a lot of work, decision-making, and takes time and effort. 

Many milestones

Today, at 15.5 weeks since the start of the two-week pre-surgery prep, I have lost 50% of what I want to lose.  Yeah, halfway there!  Also, my "classification" just moved from "Class II Obese" to "Class I Obese."  All of the clothes that I bought at the start of the school year are getting too big on me.  I just made another big purchase at Salvation Army.  I got almost 20 things for around $75.  I bought all size 18, maybe a couple 16's, and 1x.  Some of the things are too small, but I also noticed that when you are smaller, things that are a little snug are more forgiving.  I would have never worn anything classified as "snug" at my starting weight.  Now I can, and it doesn't look that bad. 

None of my 8th grade students that had me last year have said anything to me, though a few have looked me up and down.  I think they don't want to be rude by asking, or some of them (especially boys) just don't really notice, or maybe care about it, and that's totally okay with me.  I noticed with my 7th graders, I am getting more compliments on clothes, earrings, hair, etc, than I used to.

That's about it for now...

So sweet...

Two of my sister-in-law Rochelle's friends from work also had my surgery and have been really successful with it.  The other day Glen's dad came by to drop off some stuff, and one of the things he gave me was a decorated box.  It was from these two sweet women, and it was filled with some of their favorite things that helped them to be successful - a journal for logging calories (which I have not been doing since I generally just watch to make sure I am having four 200 calorie meals a day), small spoons, drink powders, gas strips, protein bars, tuna packet, almonds, and a fat/carb counter book.  I was overwhelmed with gratitude at their kindness, when we haven't even met before. 

We are still having crockpot days.  We have had the stuffed cabbage soup, chicken in creamy sauce, spaghetti, and tortilla soup.  It's great to make two a week, then set out the leftovers and everyone can choose what they want (and microwave it) on some other day.  Also, the girls have been really getting into salad, which is great.  Sometimes we just have a salad bar, and I cut up lunchmeat, and we also have garbanzo beans, lowfat cheese, and sunflower seeds, for good protein.

I am on the search for a good protein bar.  I am going to try to get as picky as I can.  This is everything that I want from it.  I would like it to be around 200 calories or less.  I would like it to be high protein (perhaps > 15 g?), and I would like the protein source to NOT be soy.  I have read from different sources a lot of bad things about soy , especially the soy that we use here in the US.  I would like it to be low or moderate in fat.  I would like it to have a couple of grams of fiber (not the super high fiber bars).  I would like it to have real sugar and/or stevia as the sweetener source, not splenda (sucralose) or high-fructose corn syrup.  Then of course I would love for it to taste good, and if there are a couple of different flavors, even better.  I do love almonds and peanut butter.  I do not like marshmallow-flavored bars.  I would not mind if it costs a little more, since it would be one of my four meals, maybe up to $3 per bar.  If anyone reading this has any ideas of a great bar, let me know.  I have done some internet searching, but it's hard to do a search with all the components that I want so it takes some investigation time.  I found one on Mercola's website with high-quality ingredients, but it's 300 calories per bar, and is super high in fat (although it is coconut oil, one of the best fats for you).  AND you have to buy a case for $65.  It works out to less than $2 per bar, but I would want to see if they'd send me a sample because I don't want to buy a whole case and discover that I do not like them.  Oh, and I don't want to make my own homemade bars.

Exercise is still my struggle.  And I am eating fast.  I hate cold food.  I am also not supposed to be drinking while I eat, but that is really difficult to comply with.  I am doing well with eating low fat and high protein.  The other day, I ate a protein bar on my break, got busy at lunch so I didn't eat.  Stayed at work till 4:30 and was really hungry.  So I tried a plain cheeseburger at McDonald's, minus one bun.  It was nasty.  I ate about a third of it.  It was so greasy.  I don't ever get sick, but it took the whole ride home just to feel normal again.  If there is a next time, I am going to try the grilled snack wrap, no sauce, and rip off some tortilla.  I didn't get that this time because it doesn't seem to have much chicken on it, and I felt like I needed more protein.

We went to the Outback last night after Cami's Nutcracker tryouts (she didn't make it into the production, but we are SO proud of her for trying, and being willing to try again next year).  I did have a small piece of bread, and two small pieces of the bloomin' onion.  I had half of a salad, but then after all that, I only had room for 2-3 small bites of grilled chicken (from the kids' menu) and a bite of broccoli.  Not a lot of protein, but I felt okay, and it was kind of fun having a little of several things. 

Oh!  And another first...I picked the girls up from school at 1:00, and I ordered Domino's Pizza (new by the dance studio).  I ordered a medium, thin-crust ham and pineapple pizza for me, and a usual large for everyone else.  I told the guy that I had the surgery, and I don't know if he did it special for me, but he cut my pizza into smaller squares.  Anyway, I tried it with great success.  I had two small pieces, which would probably not even equal to a regular piece of pizza, especially with the thin crust, but it was really good.  It's great being able to have some modified lower-fat and lower-carb versions of regular foods, in small amounts.  I hear of people who tried to find ways to be able to eat MORE by eating "slippery" foods and I know that I do not fall into that category.  I do not want to be that person who is always saying "Whoa is me, I can't have that because I had surgery."  The Bible talks about if you are going to do acts of service, do them cheerfully, not always making a face, and that's kind of how I feel about this.  So I just try to have small amounts or modified versions so that it fits well within my plan.

It's Crockpot Monday

I am making food in the crockpot every Monday.  Today I am making spaghetti, which is basically hamburger, Hunts sauce, Garlic Garlic, and some green peppers, so I am not posting the recipe on facebook.  Any recipes that are interesting will be posted in my notes.  I am not sure how I will do with the spaghetti, since it's not particularly high in protein, and I will be eating some noodles, but I will give it a whirl. 

Right now I have lost almost 53 pounds.  I have bought two things that are size 20, one mismarked 16/18 (but I had to get it anyway for the number, LOL), and a 1x.  The rest have been 22's and 2x, though the are getting looser on me.  We went to Partridge Creek yesterday and I looked at Lane Bryant for a jean jacket.  They had one for $60 so I didn't buy it.  I found a clearance blazer for 9.99 that was originally 79.99.  It was a 20 and fit nicely so I got it.  I love sales! 

We had the dance competition bowling fundraiser.  They had pizza and pop, but I brought my iced tea and they had a turkey wrap at the snack bar, and I had less than half of it.  A few people that didn't know about my surgery noticed that I had lost weight, so that was cool. 

Gotta fly to work.  Today is my crazy day.  Crockpot, work, staff meeting, feed/visit Dad, get Cami to dance, grocery shop, eat dinner, go to pool, go to sleep, the end.  :-) 

Let the school year begin

So far everything is going splendidly with the new school year.  Having a cup of coffee and a protein drink in the morning is just enough, and it takes me just about the whole car trip to drink the protein, probably mostly because I am on the phone with Glen and/or one of my sisters during half the trip!  :-)  Then I take a frozen meal or a salad for lunch.  Ken's has a great low-fat Asian dressing.  One person told me they can't tolerate lettuce, and I was worried about that, but I have had no problems.  The only thing I had a weird reaction to was something I knew I shouldn't have, rice.  I had had a little rice in the stuffed cabbage Lean Cuisine meal, and I thought maybe, unlike my sister Patti, I could tolerate a little rice.  One day I made a Lipton rice side dish, and took about a teaspoon.  As soon as I ate one bite of it, I didn't really feel like I was going to get sick, but it felt more like I was having a heart attack (great).  I got up and walked around, and eventually it subsided.  I have been able to have some crackers and also toasted bread.  I have not tried noodles.  I try to find high fiber things.  I got some of those flatbreads and circle breads, and will eat just half at a time.  I am able to tolerate a tortilla, but I eat a half or less.

So far I am just making regular dinners but I just have a smaller amount, and I eat more protein and veggies and just a small amount of the carbs.  I am buying a book called "Really Fast Slow Cooker Meals" which I am REALLY excited about.  I don't want to do a lot of prep.  We are going to have a slow cooker dinner for sure every Monday.  Julie, Cami, and their friend Alyssa will eat as soon as they get home from school, then after my staff meeting and going to my dad's to take him dinner, I will grab a snack and take Cami and Alyssa to dance.  Julie and I will walk while Cami is dancing.  Then I will come home and eat dinner, and we'll go to the pool later. 

A couple of times I have used my "Please let this bariatric patient order a kids meal" card.  I used it at Outback and got the kids' grilled chicken with a side of broccoli, and ordered a salad - yum!!!  I got kids' turkey at Bob Evans.  Yesterday I got a chicken taco (not puffy) at El Charro with a side of beans, though the dork waiter charged me the a la carte price, not the kid price, but I wasn't going to argue - it was delish, and I couldn't eat all of it (which was true at all three restaurants). 

My weight lately was moving down reeeeeeally slowly, but still moving down.  Then this morning it was a bigger jump.  I am just a touch under the 50 pound mark, and very close to the 40% mark.  I am really happy about that.  Dr. Hawasli said I could lose 100 by Christmas.  I'm not sure about that, but it would be so cool. 

I went to Salvation Army and bought a bunch of stuff for $47.  Got some things at 5 for $5, but then when I found other cute stuff at full price, still $2.99 to $6.99, I bought it all.  Then I got two pairs of pants for work, black and brown, at Sears, and a few other things here and there.  I try not to spend over $15 per item, but I do think the pants were a little more, but still on sale and in the low 20's.  I bought a shirt that was a 16/18 that fit me, plain black and not exciting, but a good basic staple to my wardrobe and the size was fun to see.  What I really want is a pair of jeans and a jean jacket.  I probably would not even wear them together (as Michael Kors would say "too matchy-matchy", LOL).  I have not found a jean jacket yet, and I keep waiting on the jeans because I want to buy the smallest size possible.

Right now I am wearing a 22 or 24, 2x or 3x.  I started at a 26/28, pretty much 4x with occasional 3x.  I am not BUYING anything that has a number above 22 or 2x.  I still own some bigger numbers that fit me and I wear them.  Some clothes are big, but not falling off, so I wear them.  I have some 4x capris that ran small and couldn't wear them before, and now I can wear them and they are just the right size.  I am not hung up on the number, but will not spend time buying any more of them!  If anybody reading this has any clothes, anything size 12 through 22 that you don't want any more, I will gladly take them!  The higher numbers would need to be in fall/winter stuff, not summer.   I would especially love things I hate spending money on: coats, bathing suits, dressy clothes.  If you have any REALLY good stuff that you wanted to sell instead of giving away, I would come look at them.

As for exercise......my nemesis.  When I don't have another obligation, I will be at the pool Monday and Wednesday for water aerobics.  Please join me because it's so much fun, and even better with a friend there.  It's cheap, only $2.50 with a punch card AND older kids can come if they are actually exercising too and not kicking water on the older ladies' hair.  If walking is your thing, and you need a walking buddy, I will be walking Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays while my girls are at dance, up and down Utica Road, starting at the corner of 15 and Utica at the dance studio.  If you're interested in coming, let me know and I'll give you the times I will be there. 

Well...I think that's about it.  No other new news in my world that I can think of right now.  

You know you've had bariatric surgery when...

...you make a 210 calorie frozen entree, and you cannot eat the whole thing! 

It seems like it's been awhile since I wrote, but I guess it's been only a week.  I have lost just about 40 pounds.  I am exercising more.  Glen and I walked 2 miles the other night, after I spent the day cleaning the house.  Yesterday, the girls and I walked to Fort Fraser AND we did water aerobics last night.   I saw Dr. Hawasli last week and he was happy with my progress. 

My clothes are getting big on me, but I can still wear a lot of things.  I am literally going to wait till Labor Day weekend to shop for school.  I am wishing I had Stacy and Clinton to help me put together 20 outfits from 7 pieces of clothing!  :-)  I went on-line to look for some hints on how to do this.  I do not want to buy a lot, and then have to turn around and buy more.  Okay, so I'd be thrilled to have to do that, but I don't want to pay for it!  Yes, yes, yes, I know about going to thrift stores, but I am still plus-sized, and often the selection is pretty bad.  I definitely want to buy 2-3 pairs of pants, some tops, a jean jacket, and I'm not sure what else yet. 

I am now at the "soft foods phase", so NO MORE PUREE!!!  Yeah!  Not that I ate much puree...I really ate a lot of soft foods (eggs, beans, turkey lunchmeat, etc) and just chewed a lot. 

Oh, and I went with Teri to her seminar...and I actually got to be a guest speaker.  I talked about how in Jan 2010 I weighed 300 pounds, lost 30, and gained over half of it back.  That I knew HOW to lose weight, but with the large size of my stomach, I could not SUSTAIN it.  I told them about my fatigue and some of the pureed things that I ate.  It was great for me to be a "success story" and I think they appreciated seeing someone who had it recently and is surviving and making it work. 

School's starting soon...

It has been 5.5 weeks since surgery.  I have lost 30% of what I want to lose.  I am still eating pureed foods, though I will admit that I am eating some soft food too without pureeing it.  As I mentioned before, I made the 3 pureed recipes that were suggested in the book.  Other things I have pureed are roast beef (made by Teri), chicken with lowfat mushroom soup and non-fat gravy, and chili.  Almost every day I scramble one egg.  Sometimes I put cheese on it, and I have tried broccoli, mushrooms, and spinach.  I have also eaten hummus (sometimes with fat-free feta cheese sprinkled on it), guacamole, refried beans, baked beans, watermelon, and about a teaspoon of potato casserole.  The last three items were at the Guzik family reunion.  We went to the Armada Fair, which was going to be a challenge.  I did not want to take food with me.  I did end up packing an applesauce and two string cheeses.  I was hoping they'd have baked beans and watermelon at one of the little stands.  I couldn't find anything, but then finally one new vendor was selling barbecued pork and stuff like that (like Famous Dave's), and they had baked beans for only $1!  They were good because it wasn't a lot, but it did have some meat in it too.  I also bought some turkey lunchmeat and I roll up one piece with some light Laughing Cow cheese as a roll-up.  I do not miss desserts at all, but I am craving eating something crunchy and salty.  For some reason, drinking plain water makes me queasy now, but I drink as much other things as I can:  K20 protein water, Crystal Light, kool-aid made with Stevia, diet cranberry juice (surprisingly good!), and occasionally iced tea and decaf coffee.

I started going back to the pool for water aerobics, but I will admit that exercising every day has not been happening for me.  Sometimes I clean a lot and that feels like a workout, but specifically "working out," no.  I do need to continue to go to water aerobics, then also walk outside or on the treadmill other days. 

I will be working again soon and I am curious if it's going to make things harder or easier.  I am hoping I'll be less tired, and I will get on an eating routine and a plan for making lunches and dinners during the week.  We also have to save money because we are doing a 3-day Cedar Point trip in October, and also Disney World in June.  I am really excited about the Disney trip, and am hoping my health is good and that I will have reached my goals by then to have a really enjoyable, comfortable trip!

Finally awake

Yesterday began my official time that I can move away from protein drinks and yogurt and start having some "real" food, albeit pureed.  So I made the couple of recipes that they offered in the guideline book: deviled eggs, tuna salad, and chicken supreme.  They are all pretty good.  I started just eating a spoonful or two, but then I found I wanted to eat too often, so yesterday I tried having bigger portions and I did okay.  I still had one protein drink.  Yesterday, I took my iron with eggs instead of dairy, and it felt pretty good.  Dairy can block iron absorption (and vitamin C can help absorption as well).  As of yesterday, my abdomen felt better, and I stayed awake all day, and had enough energy to do a mile on the treadmill AND go to water aerobics last night.  AND in the past two days I lost 1.8 pounds.  So now I am going to work on other blended recipes.  We went out two nights ago and got a set similar to the magic bullet, but it has larger cups and it also has a bigger blender.  Our blender doesn't work that great, so hopefully this one will work out. 

Milestone

Today marks the completion of week 4 since surgery, and 6 weeks since I started the pre-op diet (which is my starting point).  I have lost 30 pounds, and as of today I am no longer MORBIDLY obese (ugly word).  My BMI is 39.9, and I am now under the classification of "Class II Obese". 

The other day I guess I did a really stupid thing.  I was feeling pretty good and wanted some exercise, so I went out front to trim down the bushes in our front yard.  It was just the soft branches that had overgrown.  Well... I ended up injuring something because under one of my incisions it was really painful.  It was on the weekend and I wasn't sure whether I should call my doctor.  I had no other symptoms, no fever, problems consuming anything, etc.  So I just iced it, took my Vicodin two nights in a row, Tylenol as needed during the day.  It mainly only hurts when I cough, sneeze, or breathe deeply. 

I saw my regular doctor yesterday, and he kind of made it sound like it was stupid for me to do, but seriously, I got a list of good exercise, but no list on what not to do, and it just really seemed like an easy, wimpy job.  I still did not call Dr. Hawasli's office; it still hurts, but it's getting better.  Dr. Carion thinks that I injured muscle in the area. 

Today I start the "puree" phase of my diet.  Actually for a couple of days I have been have some things here and there, like refried beans (on the list).  On Sunday, Glen grilled chicken.  I pureed it with some of the marinade, and it looked nasty, but it tasted pretty good, and I ate it with some soft potatoes.  It was so small, like 1.5 oz of chicken and prob 2 tbsp of potatoes, if that.  And I have had a few bites of scrambled egg and some cheese, chewed really well.  I just get so tired of the sweetness of protein drinks and yogurt.  I really just want other protein, but not sweet.  I am not craving junk food, other than I would love to have one crunchy, salty potato chip...but I won't.    So... I do the pureed phase for two weeks. 

Last night I made their three suggested recipes.  One is for deviled eggs.  EVERYTHING, including egg whites and some cottage cheese, gets blended together.  I tried some and it's actually pretty good.  Then I made tuna salad.  It looks nasty, and I didn't taste it yet, but I will give it a whirl.  Lastly, is "chicken supreme."  I cooked a chicken breast, broth, and 3 cups of veggies for an hour, then blended it with low fat cream of chicken soups, then mixed in a cup of potato flakes.  So it's like a really thick soup.  I tried it last night and it's pretty good.

I have some other ideas, but I need to eat these things first.  I probably shouldn't have made three things at once, but I was anxious to put some variety into my diet.  :)

Back from vacation

We returned from our vacation.  We had a lovely time, but Glen got a cold starting Saturday night, and now all of us have it in varying degrees.  I did fine with eating and drinking on the vacation, and took several walks on the beach.  I reached the next milestone which is that I lost 20% of my excess weight.  I am excited about that, but my weight loss right now is kind of pretty slow, almost non-existent.  I need to start exercising more, but one thing is that I am really, really, really tired.  I can't remember if I talked about it before.  There could be a variety of reasons.  Could be the loss of blood/low hemoglobin still, it could be the low calories, and it could be the lack of caffeine.  I am like a zombie.  I don't sleep a lot, but I just feel really weak.  I did talk to my dietician/coordinator about it.  I see my PCP, Dr. Carion, on Monday, and will see Dr. Hawasli toward the end of the month and at that time they are supposed to do more bloodwork.  I talked to several people who had some form of bariatric surgery, and I have heard of people being tired anywhere from 2-6 weeks.  So for now I am just going to hang in there, get enough water, protein, calories, and iron, and will talk a walk every day, even if it's not super strenuous.  I just feel like I could sit and watch TV all day, and I hate that feeling!

Posting a comment

Some people have been saying that they have come and read my blog and wanted to post a comment but couldn't.  Truthfully I don't know much about blogs, so I don't know the answer to the problem, but one person did say that the only way they could comment is by joining Google or something like that.  If anyone is more well-versed about these things, and knows a better answer, please leave me a comment, or send me a message on Facebook, email, or my phone.  Thanks!

Yesterday and today I have been pretty diligent about my intake of everything that I need.  I am supposed to have a goal of 48-64 oz of liquid a day, and up till a couple days ago, I was only taking in 30-some ounces, my urine was peach-colored, and I was a little concerned.  I have been experimenting with taking bigger sips, and find that I can, and I'm not sure if that is good or bad.  So I am just carrying an about 20-oz water bottle, and keep it filled with ice water, or flavored water, or Special K protein water.  I like the flavored waters, because then I can sneak in a few extra vitamins.  I like the protein water, partially because it has 5g of protein, but I also like that it has 5g of fiber.  Can't get fiber from too many other sources right now, and I don't want my digestive system to get too use to no fiber, then have problems later.  All of these flavored drinks are a little dull in flavor, so sometimes I do add a couple squirts of real lemon and some Stevia (my FAVORITE sweetener, and my favorite brand is KAL, which you can order on-line).  I am not sure if I am supposed to have the lemon yet, but I thought about the fact that it has no calories, some vitamin c, and is printed on the next stage of my plan, so it can't be too bad for me to have.

In this phase, they suggest me having my protein drink and yogurt in 3-4 oz. increments.  I am finding that I can have about 6 oz., in small bites, over about a half hour.  Again, I am not sure if this is bad or not, so I have to ask my dietician, but I find that if I have smaller amounts, it's kind of like I run out of time during the day to eat, and I don't get enough calories.  They want me to have 600-800 calories a day, and I'm not sure I even want to figure out how few calories I had in the first week.  Yesterday I was able to reach over 600, and between that, reaching my hydration goals, and my visit to the chiropractor today, I feel a lot better today.  I am not so much tired, as weak.  I don't necessarily sleep very much (in fact, probably not enough), but I found that I was too tired to hold myself up well, sitting a lot, schlumping in a chair. leaning over with elbows on my legs to read something rather than holding it up. 

As for protein, Dr. Hawasli suggested that until I can have a full 8-oz glass of milk (and I think I could if I tried), that I still put a full scoop of protein in with a 4 or 6-oz glass, so that is what I do.  Plus his protein powder (called Rutein) is full of great vitamins.  Between the milk, protein powder, the Special K protein, and the yogurt, I am able to reach my protein goals. 

For vitamins, I take 2 kids chewable vitamins.  I have some from Vitamin World that my girls don't care for, so I am using them.  The vitamins I am keeping an eye on are vitamin D, iron, biotin, calcium, folic acid, and sometimes I log vitamin C if that's all a particular product has (flavored waters and fruit juice popsicles).  I know that there are all kinds of other key nutrients, but between the vitamins and protein powder, I think I am pretty well set.  I am low on vitamin D, and I have a really small pill.  I took it yesterday with no problem, but I just took one recently and I am kind of concerned because this may be my first experience with something sitting in my esophagus and not going down.  I can kind of feel it, but it's not bothering me, so I am just drinking a lot and hoping that eventually it will go down.

So with that chart I made (mentioned in a previous post), I am hoping that by reaching my hydration, calories, and protein goals, and being mindful of what kind and how much vitamins I am taking in, that I will have more energy, my hemoglobin will be normal when it's checked in a month, I will be able to safely exercise in the coming days, and prevent HAIR LOSS.