Kathi_B

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I know it's been a while since I've posted. I haven't been on the website for a long time. It seems that since I've lost weight, I've been busier. I can do more. And I've been running around!

I'm coming up on my one-year surgiversary! OMGss, can you believe it?!?!? One Year! I go to my one-year check up this Thursday. In September 2008 I reached my first goal of 150. I was so psyched! Then this month I hit 140! Right now I'm at 139 and I just want to lose 4 more lbs. I think 135 would be good for me.

My son bought me a Wii Fit/Active with Balance Board for my birthday. It includes a 30-day challenge. I absolutely love it! I love being active and energetic. I still have problems with my lower back, but it seems more manageable.

I never thought that I would lose this much weight. I really thought I would get to about 175 and size 16 and be happy! Now I'm in a size 8 and wear a medium shirt! In some cases, I can wear a size 6! Oh, my!

So, why do I feel bad when I feel good about myself? Why do I feel guilty when I compare myself to other people?  It's like I'm scared to feel good - like maybe I'll gain my weight back if I'm too conceded. I just had to put that out there. Does anyone else feel bad when you find yourself looking in the mirror too much?

Well, I'm off to Step n' Sculpt tonight. Gotta firm up my "speghetti" arms!! Thanks for reading/listening!

~kat

So, I've been exercising for years now. Of course, with hardly no results. Since I was released to exercise after the surgery, I have been able to do so much. I've worked out on the ellipticle. I've taken spin classes, kick boxing classes, and pilates. Today was my "light" workout day, and since my mother just joined my gym, I decided to do the treadmill with her. I started myself out on an incline of "1" and walked at a 2.0. Every five minutes I would jack it up to a 3.0 and run for one minute. I did this for 30 minutes then the last five minutes I walked really fast before cool down.

Do you want to know when the last time I could run was? Never! I was so excited about being able to run, I was on a high all night. I am down to 189 and am so grateful and happy that I had this surgery. I have more energy and my daughter thinks that I'm happier and in a good mood a lot! I can't wait until my back east family sees me. I love to hear how good I look. I'm not narcicistic, just that it's been so long since I've felt and looked good. I haven't lost all the weight I want to yet, but I like the way I look, too! My husband said that he feels guilty because it's like sleeping with another woman. He says he can wrap his arms around me 3x!

Have a great experience, ya'll! I am!

~k

So, I got down to 196 three weeks ago. I was so happy. But then it happened. I stalled and even gained a few pounds. Ugh! I know it happens. I know it's part of the process. But it is so disheartening. I wasn't getting depressed or anything, but it was on my mind all the time. So tonight, my husband suggested that I take my measurements. Good news! Yeah! I lost inches since my last measurement!

Thigh: -1" (-2.25" all together)
Bust: -.5" (-4.5" all together)
Waist: -1.5" (-5.5" all together)
Belly: -.5" (-8" all together)

Good numbers for two weeks, huh? Made me feel a heck of a lot better. I'm hoping that the weight will start coming off again soon. I've been exercising my butt off, too! Which I am very proud of myself for.

So, now I feel better and go on with my life until the weight loss starts again. So for all the stalled people out there, have faith. Take measurements and do everything your doctor tells you to. It'll happen!

Take care,
~k

So, I grew up with IBS. I would get diarrhea at the drop of a dime. Sometimes just from being upset. Since starting my pre-op diet, I've been constipated so was relieved from diarrhea for the time. I was officially moved to Stage III on Friday the 13th ! Saturday, I tried to eat something right out of the book I was given. 2oz tuna; 2 crackers; light mayo. About an hour later I was walking my baby (Cara the pug) around the block when all of a sudden I had the worst pain in my lower intestines. OMG! I had forgotten what pain that was. Not just pain, but urgent pain. I didn't think I was going to make it around the block. There I was imagining having to walk the rest of the way home with pootie running down my legs. Not a great image! I made it home with no time to spare! Whew! I'm very, very happy that I didn't throw up; although, it felt like it for a minute. I'm thinking that it the light mayo still might have had to much fat in it. So, I'm going to try again next weekend, but I'm buying fat free mayo. That was not fun  and it was exhausting. I slept for like two-hours afterwards. Lesson learned? No fat. Not at all. No "lite" just fat free!

~Fat Free Kat

This is such a wonderful tool to help all of us! I am feeling so grateful and blessed right now. I had my first post-op appt today. Since my journey began, I have lost a total of 42lbs. Wow! I lost my initial 23lbs that was required. Then I lost 10lbs the week before my surgery from being sick (shhhh, I didn't tell the doctor I was sick) and I've lost 9lbs since surgery. Not only that, I measured myself when I got home and here are the results:

- 1/2" upper arm
- 2 1/2" lower arm
- 1" wrist
- 1/4" thigh
- 1/2" calf
- 4" bust
- 4" waist
- 7 1/2" belly

Yeah! I'm so excited! I have this beautiful nightie that my husband bought me years ago that had never fit and now it fits, and is even a little big! I am so wound up I don't know if I can sleep tonight!

So the doctor advanced me to the Stage III diet, which I have all ready tried some things and have been okay with it. Yeah!!!! Also, I can exercise now with no restrictions. I go back to work on 3/30/2009 and I can't wait. I will be below 200lbs when I go back to work. It's been so so so so long!

I love this website and the group support we have here! It's a great place to be!

Will post more soon!
~kat

So, I'm at the two-week mark, and I really need more than soups, jellos, and pudding. I went to Red Lobster with my family Sunday for my Step-Father's birthday. I was originally just going to order soup and drink the broth, but decided I was going to order of of the children's menu. They had grilled fish and plain mashed potatoes.  I ate about a quarter of the fish and a quarter of the mashed potatoes. I had no problem! Yeah!

Today, Monday, I thought I'd try some chicken. So I had 1/4c of N/F cottage cheese and 1.6oz of chicken. I did fine! Although, I was really full. I really need a way to get in my protein. My two-week check up isn't until this Friday. I'm hoping my surgeon won't be mad at me.

My problem tho, is that I'm not walking enough. My mother takes me out almost everyday to go shopping and walks me a lot, but I still feel like I could be doing more. The problem is my back. It doesn't hurt as much as before, but it still bothers me. Once I'm released to go to the gym, I'll be able to do more. Also, I can't wait to start my stretching and yoga again.

I have a wonderful support system, my mother, mother-in-law, and my husband. So, emotionally/mentally I'm doing great!

More post regarding my post-op coming soon!

So now I'm one week and four days post op. Now I know what Ericia meant when she said they changed the rules. When we first got our packet, we were to replace a meal with a protien shake. The new paperwork wants us to get a protein shake inbetween meals. I can't do it. It's so hard for me to eat everything that I need to and drink the minimim liquids! I am doing it the old way. Replacing a meal with a protein shake. I am not feeling tired at all but still feel "weird." I can't wait to feel normal. Another thing that's wrong with me is I'm so impatient! I cook soup to eat and take only the broth, but occasionally I let a chunk of chicken sneak in. I was okay with that, but then I had Italian Wedding Soup and I let a chunk of meatball sneak in. I chewed it up until it just melted away. My stomach did not like the meatball! Yuck. No vomiting, but my lower intestines were on fire! Yuck. It was just like the commercial for the diet pills, I had gas with oily discharge. YUCK!!! Newbies: don't cheat. Stay with with plan until the doc says so. This is a nasty side effect. Anyway, surgery weight was 210, I am now 206. I didn't expect to lose weight yet. For some reason, I just thought weight would come off after recovery. So another thing for me to preach beside be prepared is be prepared and be patient! And even though they changed the rules, we have to see what works for us.

For those lightweights (and all others) who are considering bariatric surgery, please consider all options before settling down on this very serious surgery. There is a reason why Kaiser Permanente puts all bariatric patients through such an intense, rigorous, life-changing program before actually allowing them to have the surgery.   This surgery is not a walk in the park. All I’m suggesting is that more than just, “Oh, I can’t lose weight, so I’ll have surgery” thoughts happen in heads before even going for a consultation.   I might be a bad case to consider as I was actually sick the week before my surgery and started my period. So, I was not up to par to begin with. However, I was not going to let my surgery date just pass me by. I was having a lot of gallbladder pains, and it was all ready decided that they were not going to take it out. So I babied my stomach all week and took my vitamins and iron (ferrous gluconate, not the other one), by the time I stepped on the scale, I was ten pounds lighter in a week!   My surgery was not until 2pm, and while we (my husband, my mother, and I) were waiting in the surgery waiting room, I was starving. I thought for sure my blood sugar was going to plunge and I was going to go into a coma! Additionally, I was very scared that the anesthesia was going to make me nauseous.   Finally, they took me back into the surgery room and the little nurse noticed I still had my panties on. Well, I felt stupid, but I did still have my period, right? She made me take off my panties so she could put a “folie” in only after I was out. I remember talking to the anesthesiologist about his surgery hat. He had made it himself in Guatemala, I think. Then I don’t remember anything.   I was waking up to the recovery nurse saying, “Breathe, honey, breathe. When you hear that dinging noise, it means you have to breathe.” I said that I have to throw up and the nurse said, “Well, you can try. But there’s nothing in your stomach!” I started wrenching then I hear my mother. “I need to let her know I’m here for her and give her a kiss.” As I’m wrenching and trying to breathe to quiet the machine, I had terrible thoughts of Nurse Crachett escorting my mother out of the recovery room with security holding her by her arms and her feet a foot off of the floor. Not what I thought recovery would be like.   Finally, I calmed down and they cleaned me up for my family. I was laying there thinking, “Oh My Goddess! What the hell did I do to myself?” I barely remember my husband and mom coming into the recovery room and being wheeled to my room. I do remember pushing my pain relievers button every chance I could.   The second day I was able to go home. Everything in my house smelled like garlic. Not the good-smelling cooking garlic, but the left over garlic you smell on people you have been out drinking and eating the night before. OMG! Terrible smell to have stuck in your nose!   I’m four-days post op and I still feel very uncomfortable. I’m still taking the pain medication and trying to keep up with all of the requirements Kaiser asks of me. It’s been really hard to get my entire food intake in. I’m always full, and I can’t get comfortable. The third night, I could not sleep. Not a wink all night. I fell asleep about 7:00am Thursday morning and slept until 10:46am. It’s 7:35pm now and I’m still wide awake. I’m hoping I fall asleep fast tonight.   Anyway, I am not second guessing my decision. But, I think I would have prepared myself better. That’s the word I want all bariatric patients to know. PREPARE. You can never prepare enough. I do suggest a belly binder as I feel like one of those zombies in a bad horror movie with their guts hanging out of their stomach! It’s not a good feeling. And it’s still hard to get out of bed. Prepare all of these things. Prepare your food before you go in for your surgery. Exercise to keep your body up to par before you go in for your surgery. Take your vitamins daily and faithfully. Take yoga classes to learn how to relax and meditate. For the women, remember your breathing exercises from when you had your babies. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.   ~k

I only have one week to go. I am getting pretty excited. I'm supposed to be nervous, but not yet. My surgery date is on Monday, 2/23/2009. What will I feel like when I come to after the surgery? Will I feel like a made a mistake, or will I feel relieved? Will I be nauseaus? Will I be in a lot of pain? These are things I think about, but have not hit as reality yet. I will let you know how I feel when I first wake up. I appreciate the opportunity to receive such a tool as this to help me change my lifestyle. Goddess knows it needs to be changed! So unhealthy!

I have my pre-op appointment on Thursday, 2/05 and I have gained 3lbs. I've tried my hardest to lose it, and it just won't budge. I don't know what to do. Will they not let me have the surgery because of 3lbs? Ugh! My operation date is 2/23/2009. I don't want to lose the date, but want to lose the weight. What to do? What to do?