JayeJaye

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We just got back a few days ago from Seaworld.  Woohoo!!! I fit on all the rides.....which is great!!!  I just can't wait to get to an average size.  You know like to wear a 12 or 14 even will feel magical. 

I am doing good on my weight loss....it was 311 and now I am at 245.  That is 66 pounds.  I know that is great....I guess I am pretty much on track with the norm for weight loss after RNY.  

I just wish it would come off quicker.  It is a great start and I am going to go full force ahead to my goal of 150.  I only have 95 pounds to go!!! 

To everyone out there who has had or wants to have WLS ; good luck to you!!! Don't give up....and we are all important ; with a lot to give back to this world!!

Till next time

Does my pouch still work?
Have I broken my pouch?
Have I ruined my tool?

These are questions many weight loss surgery post-ops find themselves asking occasionally during their journey. Perhaps it feels like we can eat more food or we know that we are eating more food. Sometimes these questions are asked when there has been a weight regain.

Today I present a 5-day plan that I have developed and used to determine if my pouch is working and go back to that tight newbie feeling. And a bonus to this plan, it helps one get back to the basics of the weight loss surgery diet and it triggers weight loss. Also, it is not difficult to follow and if you are in a stage of carb-cycling it will break this pattern. Sounds pretty good, right? Here we go!

Days One & Two: Liquid Protein
The first two days are all liquids. You can have as many low-carb protein shakes as you like to satisfy hunger or cravings. In addition drink at least six 8-ounce glasses of water each day. The purpose of all liquids is to break any snacking, grazing or processed carbohydrate habits. In addition the liquids will work to cleanse your system and prepare you for the following three days. Try to reduce your caffeine intake as well, but do not stop caffeine cold turkey or you will feel sick and frustrated potentially losing the desire to continue with the pouch test.

If you notice symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal you can eat a small piece of melon or an orange. You can also try a dose of Emergen-C which should reduce headache, dizziness or cramping from carbohydrate withdrawal.

The next three days you get to eat as much as you want as often as you want! Ahhh, but there's a catch: it has to be solid protein and you only get 15 minutes each time you sit down to eat.

Day 3: Soft Protein
Protein Recommendations: canned fish (tuna or salmon) mixed with lemon and seasoned with salt and pepper, eggs cooked as desired seasoned with salt pepper and/or salsa, fresh soft fish (tilapia, sole, orange roughy), baked or grilled, and lightly seasoned. This starts your program with "soft" protein. Measure your portion (1 cup volume or 4-6 ounces weight) and eat only until you feel full, not overfull. Remember, no water for 30 minutes before or after you meal, and no fluids with your meal. We are going back to the beginning and fluids will prevent you from feeling the pouch. If you need to add a bit of Miracle Whip or mayonnaise to the canned fish I understand, but keep it to a minimum so the meat is not too moist. One reason we lose the sense of tightness in our pouch is that we eat "slider foods" - foods that are too moist and do not stay in the pouch very long, they slide right through the stoma.

Day 4: Firm Protein
Protein Recommendations: ground meat (beef, turkey, lamb) cooked dry and lightly seasoned, shellfish, scallops, lobster steamed and seasoned only with lemon, salmon or halibut steaks, grilled and lightly seasoned. By now you should be experiencing that familiar tightness that will reassure you that your pouch is working. Remember to drink plenty of water between meals. Take some time to meditate and rediscover the wonder of your pouch. Often we don't like that uncomfortable tightness of the pouch, which is why we gradually move toward slider foods that don't make us uncomfortable. It is always my preference to eat moist protein so I don't get uncomfortable, but this allows me to consume more than I should. Rediscovering the pouch with this 5-day plan reminds me of how the tool really works. I hope by now you are rediscovering your tool and enjoying the hope and excitement because your pouch still works.

A word about constipation: A shift to high protein diet often results in constipation. To relieve this you may try adding a fibrous fruit snack to your morning and a fibrous vegetable snack in the afternoon. Fruit suggestions are apples, berries, apricots, cantaloupe or oranges. For vegetables try leafy greens, zucchini, cucumbers, spinach, summer squash or string beans.


Day 5: Solid Protein
Protein Recommendations: white meat poultry cooked dry and lightly seasoned, beef steak (if tolerated) grilled or broiled. Remember to chew chew chew. Measure your portion (4-6 ounces) and eat only until you feel your pouch tighten. Remember, only 15 minutes per meal, so you'll have to work fast to chew your food completely. By now you should be out of any carb cycle you were in and perhaps you have lost a pound or two. You will have new confidence in your pouch and your ability to work the tool for your health and emotional well being.

Good luck! I believe you are going to like the results when you give this plan an honest try. Tomorrow I'll write about re-entry into a healthy eating plan that will allow you to take advantage of this pouch test and return to a weight loss surgery way of life.

Wow, it's been awhile since I have updated.  Well, Christmas went well.  As far as my weight ...it is going down.  Seems like I loose between 3 to 5 pounds every week and a half or so.  I am down to 250.  I have lost 61 pounds since my gastric bypass on November 1, 2007.(it has been nearly three months)  I know that that is an amazing amount of weight...it just seems like it trickles off slowly.  I am so ready to say goodbye to the 200 and actually get to like even 190.  I have got to do better at my water intake and exercise.  That is going to be my kind of late New Year's Resolution.

Wow it has been awhile since I have posted.  Things are going good...it's just a slow process.  I know that the weight didn't jump on over night and it is just going to take some time.  Right now my weight is 270...since my highest weigh in of 311 I have lost 41 pounds. It is really weird. I will be pretty much the same weight for several days and it seems like BAM I will be down 5 pounds.  I am leaving Friday night to go to my parents house for Christmas.  My husband, I , my son, and my stepdaughter will be there for two weeks.  This is the first Christmas since my operation.  I am a little nervous about it.  With my family food has always been a way to celebrate anything.  I am not hungry like I use to be..I am just curious to how other people around me will react to my eatting differently.  I still get tired really easy; but I am beginning to have more energy.  There are times that I question why on earth I did this (gastric bypass); but honestly I am happy that I chose this.  I am happier with each passing day.  To all those who haven't had their surgery I wish you the very best, and to the ones that have already had their surgery I wish you continued success.  I'll post again after the holidays . 

highest weight before surgery 311
November 1,2007 weight day of surgery 306
November 8,2007 weight 290 (-16 pounds) (20 pound loss total)

I know it has been awhile since I have updated.  I have felt very, very tired.  I guess it is my body trying to heal from the surgery.  

I met with the doctor today and he said everything looked great , no infections or anything.  I am 16 pounds down from my surgery date.
I am very happy; but I know that this will not be a typical weight loss in the weeks to come.  It is a terrific start.

I told the doctor that my only complaint was being tired all the time.  He said that this is normal.  My body is getting prob. about 300 calories total a day and it has to adjust to the change.  So I am anxiously awaiting getting my energy back.

I had my RNY on November 1st and I was released to come home from the hospital on November 3rd.  I am going to write about my experience, and maybe it will help someone else going through the process to know sort of what to expect.

I had to be at the hospital at 5am.  My husband and I got up about 3:30.  I took a shower and used the antibacterial soap to wash off that the anithesiologist had given me when I preregistered at the hospital.  Once I got there everything went pretty quickly.  They gave me my arm band and took me back to a small waiting room in outpatient care.  I had to give a urine sample and change in to a hospital gown.  Next they gave me a shot to help calm my nerves.  It helped immediately ....I was still fully aware of everyone and everything around me.  The nurses couldn't have been nicer at the outpatient care unit.  There was this really thin one that gave me the shot.  She told me good luck and she hoped I had as much luck with the surgery as she had.  I couldn't believe it.  I asked her had she had RNY.  She said she had had it two years ago.  She said that she was twice my size when she had the surgery.  She looked amazing.

An orderly then came to bring me to the anithisiologist.  They told my husband and kids they could wait for me in my room in the hospital and they would call and give them updates.  They would call as soon as the surgery began.  I gave everyone a kiss goodbye and told them I loved them.  Then I was on my way.  I was then handed off to my head nurse.  He was really  nice and told me he would be with me throughout my operation.  He put these tight stockings on my feet that came up to my knee.  He said that they would help with circulation during surgery.  He checked all the normal things like blood pressure, and my temperature.  I was then taken to the surgery room where my anithisiologist and a few other nurses were at.  They put in an IV and started putting on some other monitors.  They strapped me to the table..because part of the surgery is actually done with the table in an upright position.  I was then given the IV to put me to sleep.  The last thing I remember was the anithisiologist saying that I was in good hands and my doctor was on his way.

I don't remember waking up in the recovery room.  My first memory is being in my room .  I was in a fair amount of pain.  It sort of felt like I had been ran over by a truck.  The nurses showed me how to use the morphine pump and within an hour I felt alot better.  I would have to say the worst part of the surgery was not being able to drink anything until after I had the pouch test the next morning.  My mouth was so dry it felt like cotton and the stuff they have you drink is really, really awful.  After everything was found to be good with my pouch I was able to go to my room and eat some ice chips.  Oh yeah, I was walking by the night of my surgery day.  The only problem is your energy level is really low.  Even as I am typing now.  I am feeling pretty run down.  I am going to go and rest.  I might add more later.