I just have to reiterate how NOT HUNGRY I am throughout the day. Eating the six mini meals with a high amount of protein makes it so I'm not hungry at all. If I try to eat more than I should, I really FEEL it. And I don't really like it.
Also, I just got my first shipment of Premier Protein bars and boy are they dense and satisfying! And each bar has 30 grams of protein. 30 GRAMS!! That's some serious protein! My favorite so far is the dark chocolate mint. I have a feeling I'm going to be living on these things sometime in the near future. Maybe I'll just start now.
I occasionally get to thinking, "Weeeelllllll.....I could just keep eating like this and maybe the weight will come off without having the surgery...." because I have lost a few pounds.
But then I remember that I don't stick with things. I'd like to say I would, but ... I know better. I'm done lying to myself. And I was only thinking along those lines because I was trying to find a way around having to give up eating large quantities of food...which would completely defeat the purpose. And that alone confirms I need to stay on course with all of this.
My surgery is the answer for me. I know it's my only option at this point. I know this. I do.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Friday, September 22, 2017
Gotta get me some exercise!
Today is the first day of fall, or autumn if you prefer. It's my FAVORITE season! I love the sights and smells and I especially love the cooler temps. I do not like to be hot. I do not like sweating. And I especially don't like moving around when the heat and humidity are high. This probably has
contributed to becoming the size I am, but there it is. I don't like heat.
However, I must start exercising with a focus on building muscle. As my nutritionist tells me, after surgery my body is going to be burning up fat like crazy, but it's also going to start consuming muscle for energy. It's really important that I begin to build up as much muscle as I possibly can NOW so that when I start to lose it post-surgery, I have some to lose. Plus, as I begin to become a smaller person, I will need to be constantly working to build more muscle and will have to make sure I'm consuming between 60-80 grams of protein each day. I'm going to probably feel weak after surgery because I'll be losing muscle, so again...the more I can build now, the better.
Taking advantage of the cooler temps and the fall scenery, I'm going to push myself to get out and enjoy the beauty of nature in autumn as much as possible. My nutritionist also recommended an app for my phone which really is pretty cool. It's call Daily Workout and it's a free app you can get. It has 5 minute workouts for abs, arms, butt, cardio, legs and also a full workout option, which I think touches all of those things. (I haven't actually used the full workout yet!) If you're looking for it, the app looks like this:
I'm trying to utilize this at least twice a week so far. I mean, really...I can come up with all the excuses in the world, but even I can spare FIVE MINUTES to do these workouts. I have no excuse.
So this is my challenge to me! Get busy! Get exercising! Build that muscle, girl, because you'll be a lot better off after surgery if you work it now!
Want to join me?
However, I must start exercising with a focus on building muscle. As my nutritionist tells me, after surgery my body is going to be burning up fat like crazy, but it's also going to start consuming muscle for energy. It's really important that I begin to build up as much muscle as I possibly can NOW so that when I start to lose it post-surgery, I have some to lose. Plus, as I begin to become a smaller person, I will need to be constantly working to build more muscle and will have to make sure I'm consuming between 60-80 grams of protein each day. I'm going to probably feel weak after surgery because I'll be losing muscle, so again...the more I can build now, the better.
Taking advantage of the cooler temps and the fall scenery, I'm going to push myself to get out and enjoy the beauty of nature in autumn as much as possible. My nutritionist also recommended an app for my phone which really is pretty cool. It's call Daily Workout and it's a free app you can get. It has 5 minute workouts for abs, arms, butt, cardio, legs and also a full workout option, which I think touches all of those things. (I haven't actually used the full workout yet!) If you're looking for it, the app looks like this:
So this is my challenge to me! Get busy! Get exercising! Build that muscle, girl, because you'll be a lot better off after surgery if you work it now!
Want to join me?
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Changes that are working
It seems like it's taken me forever to start really succeeding in the changes the nutritionist has challenged me to make. I've already met with her three times and I am required to meet with her six times minimum per insurance requirements. So I'm half way through it...but only just now REALLY starting to achieve the changes I've set out to make.
Before your surgery, there's a whole list of things you MUST change prior to your surgery. Making these changes ahead of time will make your post-surgery adjustments so much easier.
For my program, I have to change the following:
Things to note:
Make sure your multivitamin has sufficient ZINC and MAGNESIUM. This will help keep you from losing your hair, which is a sometimes side effect after having bariatric surgery.
Completing the food records are really helpful, and you have to get good at being HONEST about what you're eating. Sometimes it's really hard to record what you ate, because...YIKES! I ate all that?? But this allows you to take a good look and see where you can make positive changes, do it differently.
The six mini meals take a bit of getting used to, but now that I'm doing well with it, it's really good! Don't think of it as eating breakfast lunch and dinner with 3 snacks thrown in. At least for me, that caused me to eat BIG meal, little snack, BIG meal, little snack.... when what you actually want to do is get used to eating small amount of food filled with lots of protein and some fiber. You don't want to eat carbs alone...always pair it with protein. Retraining your mind as to what is an appropriate size of a meal is a big change that takes some getting used to! But I have been pleasantly surprised by the small amount of food that is actually satisfying. It really doesn't take much at all. What a concept!
My greatest challenges are getting away from too much CHEESE. I am most definitely addicted to cheese and have been eating far too much cheese for decades. It's my favorite food and it's my biggest trigger to overeating. Cheese addiction is real in the sense that it triggers the "rewards" section of one's brain, much like chocolate does. Cheddar cheese has been a most coveted comfort food for me for far too long. Breaking that cycle has been challenging, but I'm getting there!
Also learning to drink slowly. I'm a guzzler! Plus I love to sit and drink flavored water and crunch ice all evening, consuming large quantities of liquid.
As I adjust how I'm doing things, I have already lost around 10 lbs. I have so much to lose that you can't really tell (maybe a little in my face), but the fact that I'm down is ... I don't know... like a miracle! These things are working! And it will only get better as I continue to make changes.
Before your surgery, there's a whole list of things you MUST change prior to your surgery. Making these changes ahead of time will make your post-surgery adjustments so much easier.
For my program, I have to change the following:
- start eating 6 mini meals (and they do mean MINI)
- reduce portion sizes (again...MINI)
- consume adequate fruits and veggies (easy on the fruit)
- reduce intake of sugar and fat
- consume adequate protein and fiber (these two will become your whole life!)
- reduce (or eliminate) pasta, rice, thick/soft breads (think "gummy"... you don't want gummy)
- eliminate caffeine (and avoid for 6 mos after surgery)
- eliminate carbonated beverages - permanently
- eliminate alcohol (and avoid for 6 mos after surgery)
- drink adequate fluids - 64 oz+ daily (and start practicing sipping slowly and small drinks. Stop guzzling or drinking quickly.)
- avoid liquids at meals - no liquids 15 mins before or 30 mins after eating
- start taking multivitamin, mineral supplements and Vitamin D
- increase physical activity
- quit smoking!
- start completing food records for daily consumption
Things to note:
Make sure your multivitamin has sufficient ZINC and MAGNESIUM. This will help keep you from losing your hair, which is a sometimes side effect after having bariatric surgery.
Completing the food records are really helpful, and you have to get good at being HONEST about what you're eating. Sometimes it's really hard to record what you ate, because...YIKES! I ate all that?? But this allows you to take a good look and see where you can make positive changes, do it differently.
The six mini meals take a bit of getting used to, but now that I'm doing well with it, it's really good! Don't think of it as eating breakfast lunch and dinner with 3 snacks thrown in. At least for me, that caused me to eat BIG meal, little snack, BIG meal, little snack.... when what you actually want to do is get used to eating small amount of food filled with lots of protein and some fiber. You don't want to eat carbs alone...always pair it with protein. Retraining your mind as to what is an appropriate size of a meal is a big change that takes some getting used to! But I have been pleasantly surprised by the small amount of food that is actually satisfying. It really doesn't take much at all. What a concept!
Also learning to drink slowly. I'm a guzzler! Plus I love to sit and drink flavored water and crunch ice all evening, consuming large quantities of liquid.
As I adjust how I'm doing things, I have already lost around 10 lbs. I have so much to lose that you can't really tell (maybe a little in my face), but the fact that I'm down is ... I don't know... like a miracle! These things are working! And it will only get better as I continue to make changes.
Friday, September 15, 2017
Drastic or Die
Drastic or Die. Seems a little theatrical doesn't it? But it's really just where I am in my life.
About 9 months ago, I started thinking. I mean....not for the very first time...but about this topic in particular. We were having a difficult school year with our youngest son. I'll call him E. E deals with autism and several other disorders and the start of high school was rough on him, and therefore on my husband and me. I had started seeing a counselor to help me deal with the stress of it all and that's what got me thinking.
Something needs to change. No. Not something. LOTS of somethings need to change. In addition to the stress of everything, my weight is out of control. My health is being affected. I'm on seven different medications daily for high blood pressure, cholesterol, depression, acid reflux, and diabetes. I'm tired. I'm unhappy. I don't want to see people or leave the house. My self-esteem has never been great, but I'm at an all time low. I feel like an embarrassment to my family.
And to top it all off, I have to turn 50 this year! Isn't that just the icing on the cake?
Actually the thought of turning 50 doesn't really bother me that much. I mean, on the inside, I'm still in my 30's! But I feel like 50 will be a turning point. Like the BP will continue to climb, as well as the cholesterol, and do damage to my heart. I've already turned the corner from being pre-diabetic to being diabetic for real. I'm pretty sure if I don't make changes now, I'm going to cross a line and there will be no going back.
I have my elderly mother who needs me. I have a son on the autism spectrum who needs me. I have a nephew who is almost 3 and he needs me. Ok, he doesn't need me, but he wants me. (I might need him though.) There are all sorts of people who need me! I can't die or anything. Like....ever.
So I knew, as I sat there think, think, thinking.... I have to fix this. I have to do something Drastic, or I'm going to Die. And that's how I came to the conclusion that bariatric surgery is right for me. I talked to my husband.... I'll call him Papa B. I talked to my doctor, Dr. S, who I thought would give me a hard time, but he surprised me by saying, "Yes! Let's do this!" So I started the process. Dr. S. gave me excellent advice from the get-go....he told me, "Don't be impatient. This is a loooong process and it's going to take close to a year before you get all the way through it. Just accept it." Glad he told me that, so I would be prepared, as it is definitely a journey of somewhere between 10-12 months before the surgery ever becomes a reality. But that's okay. I have a lot to learn before I get to that point and I need that time to make serious changes.
Right now I'm already 1/2 way through the process. I've given up caffeine and carbonated beverages, which I thought would be harder than it was. I was a huge Diet Pop drinker and I thought it would devastate me to give that up. But my frame of mind was spot on and where it needed to be. I'm willing to do what I need to do in order to succeed. If you're considering going this route, then you need to know this:
The way you think about things will either make you succeed, or make you fail.
I'm done with failing. That's how I ended up here in the first place. If they tell me that I need to give something up, then okay....I'm going to give that something up. Because why go through all of this if I'm not going to make permanent changes? The way I see it, this is my LAST CHANCE. I have to make it be a Win!
I can never have carbonated beverages again, but 6 months after surgery, I can actually go back to having caffeine if I want. But I don't think I will. I actually feel a lot better without the caffeine. I was always tired in the afternoons after drinking caffeine and now I'm not. Plus, I sleep a lot better at night. I didn't realize how much the caffeine was affecting me.
So, dramatic or not.... "Drastic or Die" has become my armor, my goal, my mantra. It's my new lease on life. I'll be sharing my hopes, my fears, my challenges here. It's my outlet so I don't bore people around me with all that is running through my head about bariatric surgery. Plus, if you're reading this, you probably actually have your own interest. Maybe you're considering it yourself.
I'll talk at'cha next time!
About 9 months ago, I started thinking. I mean....not for the very first time...but about this topic in particular. We were having a difficult school year with our youngest son. I'll call him E. E deals with autism and several other disorders and the start of high school was rough on him, and therefore on my husband and me. I had started seeing a counselor to help me deal with the stress of it all and that's what got me thinking.
Something needs to change. No. Not something. LOTS of somethings need to change. In addition to the stress of everything, my weight is out of control. My health is being affected. I'm on seven different medications daily for high blood pressure, cholesterol, depression, acid reflux, and diabetes. I'm tired. I'm unhappy. I don't want to see people or leave the house. My self-esteem has never been great, but I'm at an all time low. I feel like an embarrassment to my family.
And to top it all off, I have to turn 50 this year! Isn't that just the icing on the cake?
Actually the thought of turning 50 doesn't really bother me that much. I mean, on the inside, I'm still in my 30's! But I feel like 50 will be a turning point. Like the BP will continue to climb, as well as the cholesterol, and do damage to my heart. I've already turned the corner from being pre-diabetic to being diabetic for real. I'm pretty sure if I don't make changes now, I'm going to cross a line and there will be no going back.
I have my elderly mother who needs me. I have a son on the autism spectrum who needs me. I have a nephew who is almost 3 and he needs me. Ok, he doesn't need me, but he wants me. (I might need him though.) There are all sorts of people who need me! I can't die or anything. Like....ever.So I knew, as I sat there think, think, thinking.... I have to fix this. I have to do something Drastic, or I'm going to Die. And that's how I came to the conclusion that bariatric surgery is right for me. I talked to my husband.... I'll call him Papa B. I talked to my doctor, Dr. S, who I thought would give me a hard time, but he surprised me by saying, "Yes! Let's do this!" So I started the process. Dr. S. gave me excellent advice from the get-go....he told me, "Don't be impatient. This is a loooong process and it's going to take close to a year before you get all the way through it. Just accept it." Glad he told me that, so I would be prepared, as it is definitely a journey of somewhere between 10-12 months before the surgery ever becomes a reality. But that's okay. I have a lot to learn before I get to that point and I need that time to make serious changes.
Right now I'm already 1/2 way through the process. I've given up caffeine and carbonated beverages, which I thought would be harder than it was. I was a huge Diet Pop drinker and I thought it would devastate me to give that up. But my frame of mind was spot on and where it needed to be. I'm willing to do what I need to do in order to succeed. If you're considering going this route, then you need to know this:
The way you think about things will either make you succeed, or make you fail.
I'm done with failing. That's how I ended up here in the first place. If they tell me that I need to give something up, then okay....I'm going to give that something up. Because why go through all of this if I'm not going to make permanent changes? The way I see it, this is my LAST CHANCE. I have to make it be a Win!
I can never have carbonated beverages again, but 6 months after surgery, I can actually go back to having caffeine if I want. But I don't think I will. I actually feel a lot better without the caffeine. I was always tired in the afternoons after drinking caffeine and now I'm not. Plus, I sleep a lot better at night. I didn't realize how much the caffeine was affecting me.
So, dramatic or not.... "Drastic or Die" has become my armor, my goal, my mantra. It's my new lease on life. I'll be sharing my hopes, my fears, my challenges here. It's my outlet so I don't bore people around me with all that is running through my head about bariatric surgery. Plus, if you're reading this, you probably actually have your own interest. Maybe you're considering it yourself.
I'll talk at'cha next time!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)