ObesityHelp

Happy days as the stall, plateau, cruelty, or whatever you want to call what my body did for 3 wks, ended!  The scale finally started moving down again Friday 6/6 (my bday!).  As of today I am down 47 lbs. 

It was a Wii birthday!  I got Wii Fit a week early & it is FUN!!  I’ve got a long way to go before I can do a lot of the yoga or strength stuff, but I’m having a blast w/ the balance & aerobic parts.  For those who haven’t played, as you spend more time playing Fit, you unlock more activities.  It tracks your time with the Fit Bank (shaped like a digital piggy), & also tracks your weight & BMI.  The best/worst part is every time you step onto the Balance Board it either says “GREAT!” or it groans!!  The groaning cracks me up – just what I need – now the da*n game is telling me I’m fat! J 

Mom, dad, DP & I spent a long wknd in Tahoe for my bday.  We had a wonderful time!  We enjoyed the beautiful weather & took a cruise around the lake Saturday .  Other than that we walked around & spent a good deal of time & money in the casinos (luckily we didn’t lose anything).  M&D gave me a Flip video camera I’d wanted, & I had fun playing w/ it all wknd.  If you haven’t seen it, check it out – it’s small, inexpensive, & easy to use.  

Eating is going well.  I’m trying many new foods as long as they’re somewhat soft & moist.  Fish seems to be working best, and scallops in particular are very good. We ate out @ restaurants & buffets all wknd in Tahoe which gave me a chance to try small bites of several foods.  I still haven’t tried any starches, sweets, raw veggies, or anything w/ a tough skin (& no alcohol for a year).  All in due time!   

As of a wk ago my surgery restrictions are lifted so I’m  back at the gym w/ my trainer. Hopefully the strength training will help me avoid another stall!  Is this really me talking?  Words like gym, trainer, strength training, small bites, no sweets?  All so new to my vocabulary!  My dinner Saturday night was enough for my lunch Sunday & today – 3 meals from 1 dinner!!  Are you kidding me??  It really is a whole new world!!!

So far I'm very happy with my decision to have WLS & with the choice of VSG.  I'm able to eat more than I'd expected, so I'll need to be careful & not slack on my responsibility to make good choices!  

I can bend over & tie my shoes.  I can fold my arms.  I can spend 30 minutes on the elliptical! I can fit into clothes I haven't worn in years. All small things, but pretty cool to me!

I’ve lost 36 lbs. However the scale hasn’t moved since a week ago Saturday & I’m not happy about it.  Apparently it’s normal to hit a “stall” around this time (according to my dr & many who have had this surgery), but it is still frustrating!  It doesn’t seem possible w/ the calories I’m consuming & expending that I am not losing daily!  

I’m eating “soft” foods.  I still do protein shakes, at least 1/day, usually adding a 1/3 of a small banana or a handful of strawberries.  My favorite food find has been powdered peanut butter, called PB2 by Bell Plantation.  It has 75% less fat than regular PB & is 27 calories/Tablespoon.  It’s helped flavor many of my shakes.  Decaf espresso/coffee & sugar free syrups (like Torani) are also good. 

I have been experimenting with other sources of protein: cottage cheese, refried beans, tuna w/ some light mayo, eggs, Stringster cheese (sticks of soft cheese), creamy peanut butter & shaved lunch meats.  Soups are still good, though they get cold too fast.   

Typical meal size is between 2 & 4 oz depending on what it is.  For soup I can do more as liquids are going down just fine.  Most other things are around ½ cup.  My daily guidelines are 600-800 calories, 70-90 g protein, < 40 g carbs, < 30 g fat.  The calories, protein, & fat are no problem.  The carbs are really tough.  I have to plan everything I’m going to eat to stay under 40.  And I’m not even talking about trying anything starchy like rice, pasta, potatoes, oatmeal, etc.  A small banana has nearly 30.  8 strawberries have 10.  ½ cup of refried beans – 20.  I was amazed!  

I saw my PCP last week & she was very happy.  I’m off all medications other than an acid reducer (required post-op for 3 mos or more) & my allergy stuff.  My only restriction on activity is I can’t lift more than 5 lbs until 6 wks post-op.  So, I’m going to the gym nearly every day & either walking on the treadmill or riding the recumbent bike.  

I’ve weaned myself off of naps (darn!).  Since I go back to work tomorrow, I figured I needed to be able to stay awake thru the day!  It’s been fine.  My energy level is higher!