Its been three months since I made a blog post. Not much of a blogger because I dont do much of anything that is all that interesting. But I am happy to report that I am maintaining my weight loss without too much difficulty. I reached my surgeon's goal in September of 2010 but wanted to lose a couple more pounds which he approved. Then I found it was harder to stop losing than I thought and lost about 10 more than I planned to. Still it puts me at a bmi of 20.5 or so which is normal and which my surgeon says is fine. Seems to work for me even though my husband thinks I am too thin. I probably would look better with a few more pounds just to fill out some of the wrinkles but I suspect a few pounds will return soon enough and I am not going to try to do it on purpose except in the unlikely event I drop more weight unexpectedly.

  So I got to my final weight in December of 2010.  I decided to be able to maintain I needed to keep tracking to make sure I got the protein in that doctor says I will need forever. I am afraid to stop tracking as I fear I will just slide into bad habits. I see nothing wrong with doing this indefinatey if needed. My surgeon at one time thought this was kind of obsessive but last support group he said he thought tracking long term was a good idea for a variety of reasons. Told you so, Dr. C.

I also decided I needed to set maintenance goals just like weight loss goals. So they are basically every six months i will not weigh more than 125. I met the first six month goal in May. I have it set up in my goals on my health tracker or start page or somewhere. So I have another one coming up for December. I plan to keep doing this indefinitely. Maintenance is just like being on the weight loss program except you eat twice as many calories. Still keep the protein at 70 g, carbs might be 50 or 50 instead of 20 and calories are about 1200 and not 600. This sounds pretty meager but its what it takes for me - an oldish person who has always had a slow metabolism confirmed by tests. But with the sleeve on my side and the ghrelin mostly out the window, I can manage it. I really don't eat carbs - no bread, rice, potatoes, crackers or pasta. None. its just the way it has to be. Maybe a low carb flatbread or low carb tortilla once in a while. The good news is I can eat a glob of peanut butter and that is very satisfying and makes me feel full. The right kind of fats such as nuts seem to do that.

Haven't done much with exercise. Had to defer the Aikibojitsu do to injury to my hands which was miserable and is still in recovery. Made it really hard to do art for awhile. Also thwarted my other plan which was to get really serious in the garden. I just cant grasp things well with my right hand and it hurts at times so I save it for art work. Still hoping for full recovery in a few more weeks so I can finish that up.

Then there is the Great Dog Chippie and his shows. He only needs one major win to finish his championship but his grooming must be perfect and the hand injury makes that rough. Doing a little at a time as I can.  Thats about it. Later.  D.

Have had some requests for this recipe so i will post it here and refer you to it. Was a hit at los gatos and a good thing to get through christmas when you want a holiday goodie. kept me out of the cookies.    The brown sugar splenda adds some calories but the amount is pretty low in the whole scheme.  Diane



Cinnamon Almonds

3-4 cups raw almonds
one egg white
2 or more heaping tsp cinnamon
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar Splenda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 to 1 tsp salt

Whisk all ingredients except almonds together. I use a big pyrex 8 cup thing. stir in almonds until well coated. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam. Spread the sticky almonds on the cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir the almonds around with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and stir almonds again. They will seem still sticky but will crisp up as they cool. They can cool on the cookie sheet. Store in an air tight jar when cool.

This could probably be adjusted for savory or hot spices or used with cardamom or other interesting spices. the egg white binds the spices to the almonds and adds no calories. The brown sugar splenda does have part real sugar so someone might try making this with a lesser amount of regular splenda or another sweetener that takes heat. cinammon coco might be good too.

Diane

Three months have passed since I wrote on this blog. I am still down at the weight I was in December which is below doctor's goal. However, my bmi is 20.8 and my surgeon thinks my weight is fine as it is even though its below when he told me I was done. I think he just thought that was as far as I would get because I was a slow loser. Anyway, I feel good at this weight and while I am definately trying not to lose any more, I am also not trying to gain. I probably would look a little less wrinkly with a couple more pounds and my husband thinks I am too skinny, but I just have this block about intentionally trying to gain weight. Plus, so many have posted that at two or three years out they regained 10 pounds or so and I am fully expecting that to happen.

So these days things seem pretty normal. I can go to a restaurant and find something to eat even if there are only a few choices I am happy with that. I really don't mind that others are eating a lot more than me. I know if I overdo it I can still get the slimies and will feel uncomfortable and eating slowly and in moderate amounts has become second nature. I go around throughout my day with no awareness that I have had surgery except boy the lack of back and joint pain is wonderful!! Really love that part. Used to have to plan all physical chores before 3 pm as after that I hurt too much.

I still journal my food - calories, carbs and protein. Mainly I am trying to make sure I get the protein in as doc says 70 g a day is for the rest of my life. Ok with that. And I also want to make sure the calories stay in line but its not too much of a problem. The carbs seem to take care of themselves. Ideally I should be learning to do all this without journaling but have seen so many posts from people who have stopped and gotten off track that I am going to just keep it up. Maybe forever.

I have started a martial arts program - Aikibojitsu; the Art of the Staff. It involves some Aikido but uses a long stick and is very Zen and artsy. Fun.

Last fall I started the vsg maintenance group as so many of us were reaching goal and trying to figure out what to do next. I liken it to getting off the tour bus in a foreign country and having to find your way with a dictionary and your wits. The group has been very helpful and is open to all. Its really a lifeline so that those of us who have reached goal are not adrift and therefore prone to regain. I lived in terror of regain and still fear it but every week that goes by that I maintain my weight I feel a little better about it. I am using my OH goals section to set maintenance goals of not weighing above a certain amount at various numbers of months after reaching goal. I think maintaining needs goals, encouragement, victories and things similar to the losing phase.

Still need to work on exercising regularly. Spotty about this. The story of my life. There is a ton of gardening to do when the rains stop and I will sure be doing that.

Well thats about it. Hope in a few more months I can report that I am maintaining.     Diane

Haven't added to this blog for awhile and its about time. The journey continues and the past three months have been interesting. Dr. told me in September I was done and could stop losing and to slowly increase calories. Well I have been trying to do that and surprised to find its easier said than done. I am down acutally 12 more pounds from where he said to stop. A few people have commented. I haven't been too concerned as I figure it will all straighten out, but my cool new jeans are kinda baggy so i gotta address this. Interestingly, while i have tasted a few sweets, I really don't want to dive head first into them both because I think it would be a bad habit that I worked hard to get rid of and because I am really not that interested. Trying to increase the calories but I find I am just not that hungry earlier in the day and later in the day I just don't have the room to make up the difference. So I really gotta eat a little more earlier in the day. Talked to the dietician and she said add back an extra protein drink each day (blech but I guess I can do a warm coco as I have figured out how to make it taste decent) and to change milk from skim to 1 percent. Love cheese and just bought a big hunk of my favorite - Dubliner White Irish Cheddar. Will do more of that. And I think I am going to turn into an almond I eat so many. The thing is, when I try to eat some extra calories with lowcarb flat bread and almond butter or oatmeal and blueberries, what gets left out is the protein. So I gotta find both protein and a few calories but keep it healthy and not suggary and carby. Thats a no no in my opinion. So here I am for the first time in my entire life being told to eat more and maybe get a pound or two back. Very strange indeed for someone who was fat in the third grade and can't remember not being fat. Gotta admit I really LOVE not being fat. It rocks.

Well, off to the art studio to do a million things that used to hurt my back to do. Gotta remember to pack a lunch. But I repeat, being at goal rocks. Anyone reading this keep at it. Its so worth it.   Skinny D

I already posted on the forum about my recent follow up with the revered Dr. Cirangle on Monday, but it was so important to me I thought it was worth a blog item. I weighed 137 at home naked on a syntech scale (same as at doc office) but weighed 140 at office with clothes and 2 cups coffee in me. I was aprehensive because though I felt I had done well, i thought Dr. C might want me to lose a few more pounds. He is a perfectionist and likes people to get a few extra pounds off since he says a little regain is normal. Well, the first thing he said was "you look great" Wow, what an upper!. He told me i didn't need to lose any more as i had bmi of 24. Actually its 23.3 since i am now down another pound and I have regained a quarter inch of lost height due to not being compressed by extra weight. I don't think he believes that as he says i am just walking taller and prouder but I got measured professionally at the pcp and I KNOW  I have that extra quarter inch. So I was thrilled beyond measure to be told i was at normal goal weight. We talked about maintenance and he said increase 100 calories per day gradually until i get to where i am maintaining. May end up at 1200 t0 1500. Sounds like a major pig out to me after 10 months of less than 800. And I am not sure what I am going to be able to eat as i fill up on the protein and not room for much else. He says the 70 g protein rule is for the rest of my life. fine with me. Guess i could go eat some sweets but i am not going to as that could be the road to hell. Guess I will talk to the dietician for guidance. Lapsf gives years of follow up so thats really nice.

This has been my project for the last year. Now I gotta find a new one since I always need goals and challenges. Maybe getting some muscle tone for my  saggy a$$ or some aerobic fitness. Or getting the garden into shape and making some super art work. I gave dr. C a piece of barriatric art work which i will post on the forum if I can figure out how to get it on there.

Anyway, life is good for this former fatty. Feel so good it ought to be illegal. Now on to enjoying the rest of my skinny life! Diane