ObesityHelp

5-3-03 I haven't lost any weight since 4-5. I am still at 198. I haven't been good either. I haven't eaten poorly enough to gain weight, but, I haven't eaten well enough to lose. When I was home this past week, my sister pointed out to me that I was "complaining about this being hard yet easy" and that I need to get serious and stop making excuses. Now, although I haven't lost anything this month (other than the weight I re-gained while traveling), I am smaller. I am into a solid 14 now and feeling good. A real 14, not a 14W. I am also a little laxed on my exercise this week. I worked out 5X HARD last week and only once this week. Well, I start my new job in Philly on Monday. I am going to be living with my mom in West Chester M-F and coming up to NYC on the weekends. We rented out our co-op and got a place in Queens Village , Philly. I am anxious to start the job for several reasons. Particularly b/c my eating will get back on track. I find it very easy to be consistent and eat well when I am living a "normal life" (i.e. going to work, etc). Starting Monday, I will be exercising again, drinking my Isopure Drinks and I am going to cut out all carbs for at least a week to jump start things. I am also going to start my vitamins again for the first time in 4 mos. I have been very bad about this. Another reason I am excited about this job is b/c it is the opportunity to move back home. I have been in NYC since 97 and I LOVE IT HERE, However, I want to have a baby next summer (2004), I will be 18 mos out in Feb and then I can start trying to get pregnant. I think In August, I will switch to pre-natals for 6 mos then start trying to get pregnant. That’s the plan. The last reason I am anxious about this job is that I will be seen by my co-workers as "normal, or a bit overweight". They will see my on day 1 as who I am now, not as the 300+ lb girl that went through WLS. It will be nice to forgo all the questions and inquiries and comments. It will be nice to be me and not "me under a microscope".

5-10-03 (194)Well, I am back in NYC with my hubby and bully. I survived the first week of my new job in Philadelphia . I am working in Center City and BOY is Philly a disgusting, dirty, filthy city. YUCK. In NYC when you don't give money to the homeless they say "God Bless" in Philly, they call you a bunch of names (usually ones that begin with "c"). Anyway, I ate really good all week till Friday. I ate like ZERO carbs all week. I also drank at least 1 Zero Carb Isopure. And unless my scale is BROKEN (which I hope it is not), I am down to 194. That’s 111 lbs. I will be 9 mos out on the 15th and got my monthly a few days ago, so, it looks like no more weight loss before the 9 mos aniv! Oh well. I am happy with myself and also VERY DISAPPOINTED. Although I ate quite well last week, I haven't gone to the gym since Tuesday, the 30th of April. I will go this week a minimum of 4X. Also, on a positive note, I took my vitamins everyday this week (multi & B12). Still haven't gotten into the swing of the calcium yet, but, that is forthcoming (once I am back at my desk all day and can drink it in my water). Things are crazy here, we have so much to do before we move on the 31st. My little Bulldog is in HEAT (not by choice, she caught pneumonia when she was supposed to get fixed, now we have to wait) and she is running all over the apt in her little pair of hot pants (think doggy diaper)! They don't stay in place too well though as there is a whole for the tail to hold them in place and bulldogs have no tail! SHE LOOKS CUTE THOUGH BUT MISERABLE! Well, I am off to shop, after one week at my new job, I have like no presentable clothes, so, I need to get some things!

5-15-03 (9mos) 9 mos ago, I had surgery. I really thought I would be closer to goal at this point, I have lost 11l Lbs WHICH IS AWESOME, but, not good enough! I have no one to blame up myself. So, tonight, I started running. I need to make exercise a major commitment. I have become soooo complacent lately and didn't go to the gym for 2 full wks. I have been 3 consecutive nights now, and today I started running. RUNNING I SAID! I can't believe I ran. 10X around the track is 1mile. I ran a lap, walked a lap. So, in total, I ran 5 laps and walked 6. What a start. I was able to run the whole lap without a problem. In NYC, every block equals a 1/20 of a mile, so, 20 blks = 1mile. That being said, I always got winded after 1 blk. So, 1 lap on the track = 2 blocks, PROGRESS! I am so proud of myself. Starting next week, I am going to try to mix it up. I like running, and would like to run a marathon one day, but, lets not get to far ahead of myself!

5-18-03 As you all know, I have a new job in Philadelphia . I work in Sales and I work in a dept of almost all men. I am one of three in like 40 or so. Well, on my desk is my wedding picture. I got married Nov of 2001. I was close to 300lbs then. Well, since starting this job, I have been drinking my Isopure Zero Carb every morning and, eating my turkey & cheese rollups and burgers no buns, well, on Friday a few of the guys where like "when do you get married" and I was like "1 1/2 years ago, Nov '01, WHY?" They were all kind beating around the bush and I answered "why b/c I was really FAT in that wedding pic", they were like "well, uh, yes, but you did look beautiful"...I laughed, they were like "you're not fat anymore". Well, as much as I am not ashamed of what I have done, I love the fat that NO ONE at this new job knows that I had a gastric bypass. The only reason why, SO NO ONE IS IN MY BUSINESS! Everyone and I MEAN EVERYONE @ my old job new and I got everyone's 2cent opinion. So, they (all my new co-workers) think I am the Atkins CHAMP! They all know I have lost 111 Lbs, however, they don't know I did it since August or exactly who. ONE LITTLE WHY LIE ain't going to hurt anyone. And, actually, I am not lying b/c I do Atkins, all I eat is protein and less than 20g of carbs a day! So, I do Atkins and I am aided by the Gastric Bypass!

5-20-03 Well, Day 2 of running. I ate soooo well yesterday until I came home from work. I was famished! I ate a slice of Walnut/Raisin Pumpernickel bread from this local Upper East Side Bakery! It was slathered in butter! I also had a spoonful of Chunky PB. Up until that point, my food for the day consisted of: Isospure Zero Carb Sport (breakfast), mushroom & mozzarella burger w/ no bun and some ceaser salad (no croutons) and a Zone protein bar late afternoon. For dinner I ended up having ceaser salad (no croutons AGAIN) with grilled chicken. After I ate, I headed to Kirkwood Fitness and once again, start to RUN! I still can't believe I am running. 1 mile=10 laps around the track. So, I did my routine, 1 lap running, 1 lap walking! I ran 10 laps and walked 10 laps and then did an addt'l 5 laps of brisk walking for a cool down (= 1 mile jogging, 1.5 miles walking). NOT BAD! It wiped me out, I was asleep around 9:15! I did stop @ Diary Queen for my

brother-in-law. Had to get him some ice cream as he just got his wisdom teeth out! I had a Sugar-Free Choc/Vanilla Bar, it was 60 calories, 15g of carbs and 4g of protein, YUMMY! Hoping to be able to run 2 consecutive laps by next week, want to make sure I do the interval training right, don't want to hurt myself!

5-21-03 Just got back from the gym, Day 3 of running. Did another 10 laps running and 15 laps walking. ALMOST stopped completely after the 5th lap running, my legs were hurting and I was huffing and puffing my way around the track. There was a gal who was walking and she was SO HEAVY! Her little legs barely held her up! I so wanted to say something to her about WLS, however, I couldn't. If someone had said something to me a yr. ago I would have clocked them. I did give her props on being out their exercising as heavy as she was! I couldn't have done it. I would have given up and gone home and snacked on something (I know its stereotypical, but, TRUE in my case)!

5-23-03 While driving back to NYC today, my girlfriend, Gabriela, called me on my cell! SHE GOT APPROVED! She has Aetna and they approved her. After a week of a lot of faxing, re-faxing, making Excel Spreadsheets for her weight loss history (she had to LEARN EXCEL!), they approved her. Thanks JOAN! So, now, once again, I have an ANGEL-ETTE! My first Angelette, was Berta, then Nancy and now Gab. I have known Gab since June of 2002 when she emailed me b/c she had the same "concerns" pre-op about dieing that I did. I AM SO GLAD FOR HER, She is scheduled with my dtr, our dtr, the WONDERFUL, AMAZING Dr Leitman on July 2nd. I will figure out how to be there for her even though I no longer live in NYC. I PROMISE I

5-24-03 Hubby & I went to the gym together today! It makes going so much easier when he is with me, also keeps me honest! Wanted to lift weights, had NO DESIRE WHATSOEVER! I really need to though, my arms are a disaster! Rode the recumbent bike for 45 min, 12 miles a ton of calories, then walked (there & back = 1 mile). Oh, scale at the gym says I way 189. This is the scale I have used religiously since Oct. However, scale at home floats between 194-196. The 2 @ at my mom's (she has 2, both broken) say I weight 180 and 210! Not really sure what I weigh at this point. My hubby, who is ALWAYS 198 Lbs, thinks the scale at home is too heavy as he has been weighing in everywhere around 190-192 lately. If that is true, I maybe less than 194 as the scale at the gym indicated! LETS HOPE SO! Also went out for Italian for dinner, first time I had pasta (other than gnocchi) since surgery. I had bowtie pasta with scallops, chicken and shrimp in a cream sauce. The bowl was HUGE! Pre-op I would have eaten it ALL! Instead, I ate a 1/4 of it and my hubby ate another 1/4, leaving me with 1/2. I also ate some tartufo for desert (yes it was bad but delicious). I have been having such a sweet tooth and Carb craving lately!

5-25-03 Did I mention I am trying to find a dtr & support group in Philly. I called so many dtrs, all gave me ATTITUDE and the "we aren't taking any new patients", I tried to explain that I already HAD surgery and just needed to see someone ONCE and get them my files JUST IN CASE I HAD AN EMERGENCY and NYC was to far to go to see Leitman! Well, all of them seemed to have like NO EXPERIENCE (along with the nasty attitudes and rude office staff). I finally got an appointment in Sept with Meilhan (sp?) BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, HE HAS ONLY BEEN DOING THIS RNY SURGERY FOR 2 YEARS! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, NO WAY! I also spoke with his Nutrionist. She didn't impress me at all. She didn't even know that you could get the Nutrional consultations reimbursed from insurance. She didn't even know there were cpc codes you could use (I think the term is "cpc"). Anyway, I made an appt with her, but, I am going to cancel it. I already see Nicole Segal in NYC (even though I accidentally stood her up for my last appt), she is great, very knowledgeable and I already paid $200 for the year. I can still use her via phone or email! I will need to call/email her soon and apologize! Anyway, oh, and Support Group, they charge like $500 per year. What a joke!

5-26-03 Well, its Memorial Day, and yesterday was "Carbs Day", I have NEVER (since surgery) eaten so many carbs as I did yesterday. Ok, lets figure this all out: Leftover bowtie pasta with chicken, shrimp & scallops for 6 am breakfast.

Omelet with sausage & wheat bread for brunch (noonish),

Chicken Tika and Naan bread with rice (for dinner @ local Indian Place)...not much though as I wasn't very hungry, protein bar around 9:00 b/c I was hungry then and then in the middle of the night around 2am, I had like 4-5 slices of cinnamon (sp?) walnut raisin bread form this local bakery (slices were very thin and 4 inches in diameter)! WHAT IS UP WITH THIS DIET OF MINE! NO MORE! Well, its now Monday and I Memorial Day, no longer "Carb day"...Oh, I forgot, I drank like 3 glasses of skim milk also!

5-28-03 I think my stomach has strunk! I am starting to getting REALLY FULL VERY FAST! I think I like this. However, I don't think I am losing any weight though!

5-29-03 Went to Bed, Bath & Beyond tonight to. Went to buy a pot rack and maybe a scale. Wanted a scale that measured weight and body fat! I tried about a dozen scales and NOT ONE weighed me the same. I weighed anywhere from 180 to 210. No, I would have bought any scale that said I way 180, but, if it ain't true, what good is it! I finally decided against the weight/body fat scale as I don't need anything else to worry about on a daily basis. OH, LAST THING, I BOUGHT A SIZE 14 PETITE PAIR OR JEANS FROM ANN TAYLOR LAST NIGHT, MY BUTT LOOKS TINY!

5-30-03 Oh, last update for a few days...I am in NYC right now sitting in my window sill. My hubby & his 2 friends are packing up the moving truck! I AM GONNA MISS NYC SO MUCH! This city has done so much for me and made me who I am! When I moved here in 1997, I didn't know a sole. A lot of you I am now is a direct result of my time living here. I never thought I would make it that first summer of 1997 (when I knew NO ONE and didn't make a single girl-friend from April of 97 to Nov of 97)...Gosh, it was hard, then there was 9/11, the single worst day of my life. NYC, I will miss you so!

5-31-03 Next time I post, I will no longer be a New Yorker. I will be living and working (once again) in Philly. I am moving to the Society Hill/Queens Village area! Catch y’all in a few days!