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Here's an idea of 1 days' eating :

Breakfast - 1 x protein shake
Lunch - 1.5 oz chicken, 1 tbs salsa, 1 tsp sour cream
Snack - 3 x tiger prawn
Dinner - 100 g savoury mince with veggies
Snack - 3 x cheese triangles

Pictures are in my Photo Album

Just had to post this - I hit 2 goals today - firstly I've lost 50 lbs loss (40lbs since surgery) and secondly I'm now only Obese not morbidly obese ! so hit my BMI target of 39.

I had my BMI calculations done on an official machine the other day and was pleased when it read 39 - and gave out a whoop of joy - much to the amusement of the lady taking the measurements as I am sure she thought I would be disappointed - but I started this journey at 47 so anything less than that is great !

According to my plan, I have 99 lbs to go to reach my target and am feeling positive that I can do this.

Doing well on the exercise front - this week I have been in the gym for 1 1/2 hours - 30 mins cardio then the rest weights and stability ball, I've done a 30 minute curve workout (not challenging enough), played my first game of squash (boy that was a good workout) done some more weights and did a 45 minute workout on the Wii with the Virgin Active programme.

So today is a day of rest as I have aches in places I didn't know existed, and bruises in all sorts of places as I'm still learning how to use the gym equipment.

Anyway, have a great weekend (our started today). 

Onwards and downwards everyone.
Take Care

Debbie
VSG 9th March 2010 & Gall Bladder Removal

Wow, doesn't time fly - it's exactly 8 weeks since my op and I'm doing good.

I'm 49 lbs down so far - have stalled for the last week or so which is a bit frustrating, but it's to be expected given the amount that I have lost quickly.

Exercise
I'm going to the gym 3 times per week at least - just doing the X Trainer, Bike and Treadmill plus 30 mins of weights.  Plus I've also been roller-blading a few times and am thinking of getting a personal trainer and also going to group Boxing classes which are outside which should be fun (if not hot - it's already in the high 80's here and it's gonna get a whole lot hotter yet).

Drinks
Having no problems keeping hydrated, I can take really big sips of water and easily drink 2-3 litres per day - mostly water, occassionally with some NA squash.  If I'm out then I chose an iced coffee (skinny of course) which is great as I get my protein in as well as being social !

Have found that I can't drink sweet drinks - a low fat chocolate milk shake gave me a bad sugar rush - clammy, sweaty, feeling sick etc so am leaving them well alone.

I'm also having 1-2 protein shakes per day depending on how my food is going - found a really lovely cookies & cream one which is my absolute favourite.  I also drink protein water when I'm at the gym - it doesn't taste too great - but it's an easy way to get it down whilst I'm distracted !

Food
I'm eating most things in small quantities - I can do most meats but not yet tried steak - there's plenty of time to do that.  My favourite food is chicken which is an easy choice to eat in or out. Am going to try fish on the weekend.  I tried salmon recently and tuna - neither of them agreed with me - although they were firm favourites not so long ago.

Am really enjoying simple food - scrambled eggs, omelettes, chicken and gravy, soups etc - it all tastes soo good.

Still not figured out what the connection is between my stomach and my nose - as soon as I eat enough my nose starts running ! - I can't believe how little I am eating - 1/4 cup of chicken is more than enough as is 1 scrambled egg (mind you that's progress I was only able to eat 1/2 of it to begin with !)

Nutrition
I'm somewhat puzzled about nutrition - should I be counting protein, calories, carbs etc.  In Dubai you don't get any nutrition support - so I've been searching this website for info - and am trying to put it together myself.  I am going to find a nutritionalist - but am not too hopeful - I talked to one the other day and she didnt' really understand what I had had done and sent me a sheet telling me to soak bread in milk to get it down which left me feeling less than confident !

Clothes
My clothes are falling off me, so I have invested in a sewing machine so that I can alter my clothes rather than have to keep buying new - particularly as I'm only in some things for a couple of weeks or so.  What a great challenge to have !

TIRED
I'm still quite tired, which I think means that I've not got my nutrition sorted out properly - I've started logging my food on myfitnesspal.com and sometimes I only get in 400 cals - others up to 800 cals.  Am sure I will be able to work this out soon - it's difficult when you don't feel hungry - at all !

So far, this sleeve rocks ! Will keep on blogging

PS - am trying to set up a UAE support Group - if any of you reading are living in the UAE - it should be on-line here soon.

Take Care All

Onwards & Downwards

Debbie
VSG 9th March 2010 & Gall Bladder Removal

So today is the first day I'm going to start logging my food online.  I've used the website - myfitnesspal - as a trial.  I'm goig to keep this up so that I can see how close I am to what I am hoping to keep to which is shown below.

Unfortunately I'm a bit up on cals, and carbs today so will have to remedy this tomorrow.  A good lesson learned.

Breakfast  - 7oz skimmed milk & half a banana
Snack       - LF Skinny Latte - Tall
Lunch       - 1/8th corned beef quich (home made so no pastry)
Snack      - 20oz berry protein drink
Dinnner    - Roast Chicken (1/2 cup max) + chicken gravy

ACTUAL
Protein - 72 g
Cals  - 604
Fat - 23g
Carbs 44g

TARGET :
Cals : 500
Protein : 70 g
Fat : 30g
Carbs 40g per day

1 Month Figures :                                

Starting Weight :  299 lbs
Surgery Weight :   289 lbs
Current Weight :   259 lbs

Loss Since Surgery 30 lbs
Total Loss               40 lbs

For the Brit in me !                            
21 stone 5 lbs     BMI 46.8
20 stone 7 lbs     BMI 45.3                                                                 
18 stone 7 lbs.     BMI 40.6

TO GO :                        109 LBS              

Thanks to everyone here for your support.

So here's my tracker - tracked against 100% EWL, 80% EWL and 65% EWL.

I've been thinking about what I want to achieve from this WLS surgery and want to aim high so I've changed my goal weight to take me to 147lbs.  

Using the tool on this website this should take 18 months to achieve and I'm going to log my weight against the tracker each month to see how I do.

I've also got info on 65% of my EWL and 80% EWL as well to see how I am progressing.

It won't be the end of the world if I don't get to 100% EWL - but I'm the kind of person who likes to have targets which are visual to me and aim high.

Wish me Luck

Onwards and Downwards
Debbie
VSG 9th March 2010 & Gall Bladder Removal

So - I will be 4 weeks post op tomorrow and am feeling good - my scales say I'm down to 260 from 299 which is awesome ! Am going to the gym 5 days a week, getting in my water and protein on most days and feeling like I have some more energy - though I still need a nap in the daytime.

I went out for a drink with hubbie on the weekend and chose a LF chocolate shake - I only drank about 1 inch of the drink which tasted great - but soon after I was regretting it as I had what I think was a sugar rush.  OMG - I was so ill - I went white, got hot and clammy, felt like I was going to pass out and was all sweaty.  I only just made it home before having to lie down til I felt better.  Guess I will pass on that next time !

Am beginning to feel like I can do normal things with my pals now - I can go out for a coffee and manage a small weak latte, I can go out for breakfast (ok I only have 3 forkfuls of scrambled egg - but that's ok), I can go out for lunch or dinner and enjoy soup.  I know this will get easier once I get onto real food rather than mushies !

Nutrition wise - I'm thinking more along the lines of food as fuel, which is new for me.  I'm making better choices - always thinking about what would give me more protein as my first option and as I was always a big fan of Atkins then I don't think this will be an issue going forward.

Have just discovered BariatricTV.com as well which is a fun way of learning new hints and tips.

Onwards and Downwards
Debbie
VSG 9 March 2010 plus gall bladder removal

Saw my surgeon today for my 3 week post-op appointment - all is fine and progressing well. 

From his scales I'm down 12 kgs in 3 weeks which is awesome.  I also lost 6 kgs the month before surgery when my gall bladder was playing up so in total am 18 kgs down.

My surgeon has cleared me for cardio exercise - (which is good as I went to the gym yesterday !) - spent 30 minutes on the bike then 10 on the X Trainer.  No weights for another 3 weeks.  Guess then I can get my new roller blades out and give them a try.

This is my last appointment with the surgeon, here in Dubai that's the end of the follow up.  However I am planning to find a nutritionist who can help me plan out the next stage of my journey and will continue to use this board for inspiration and encouragement.

Am on pureed food now - loving the taste of things much more than I did before. 

So here's a typical day at the moment :

7.30 am - 4 oz LF milk
9.00 am 1/2 egg scrambled with some milk and some shredded cheese
11.00 am - 4oz LF Milk or a probiotic drink or some LF plain yogurt with honey
2.00 pm - 4 oz pureed soup  (protein & veg)
5.00 pm - 5 oz Protein Shake with some fruit blended in (1/2 of a portion)
8.00 pm - 3 oz pureed mince beef/turkey & Veg & Gravy - plus 1 oz mash potato and cheese
10.30 pm - 5 oz Protein Shake wth some fruit blended in (1/2 of a portion)

Plus 1 1/2 litres - 2 litres of water/sugar free squash - sipped over the day

Think this takes me to about 40-50 g's of protein each day - but will need to add this up properly sometime.

Still not feeling hungry which is great - can also drink plenty of water which is good as it was one of my worries particularly as it gets so hot here.

Have bought some little pots which hold 1 scoop of protein powder - plan to leave some in the car with some drinking cups so that I always have a protein drink with me when I am out.

Had my hair coloured today, I went prepared with some protein powder, a small bottle of LF milk and my shaker - so was able to make my drink in the salon and make sure that I got some good protein even though my appointment was over lunch.    Must make sure I keep prepared and always have some portable snacks in the fridge.

Am feeling that I have more energy - though still need a nap in the afternoon.

That's it for now.
Debbie

VSG & Gall Bladder Removal 9th March 2010
12 KG's Down in 3 weeks

I just found this in an email I sent and thought that I would post it here it gives information about my surgery experience:

I arrived at hospital at 6 am - spent 30 mins doing paperwork another 30 checking into my room then another 30 minutes changing into my gown and getting my bloods taken -  before I knew it I was on a bed in the pre surgical area chatting to a work colleague who was also there for surgery unbeknown to me (very surreal) ! 

My surgery was at 8 am on the dot.  My husband came with me to the hospital but I sent him away as I went down for surgery and then he came back at about 3.30pm which was when I was taken back to my room from the recovery room.  

I was given a relaxing tablet about 7.30 am but honestly don't think this had time to kick in before they took me into the surgery room.  I had to move onto the bed in the OR and apart from a warm blanket being put over me, that's all i remember of theatre !  I seem to remember someone telling me it was all over in the recovery room but that's about it.

I had a long surgery - the gall bladder removal was quick - but then the sleeve was long as my stomach was stuck to my spleen and it took them a long time to separate things.  In total my surgery was 6 hours and it then took a further 2 hours to get me from recovery and back into my room.  As the surgery was difficult I had some additional incisions to help the surgeon with access.   As my surgery took so long the surgeon decided to close me up with staples, he would normally use stiches.  I have 4 staples per incision plus a small incision closed with steri strips which was for the drain.

The hospital was good, I got a VIP room (free upgrade) which gave me a bedroom and also a private lounge area - not that I got to use the lounge but my husband did !

The nurses were great - I was up walking (albeit slowly and painfully) within 3 hours of surgery - nothing too much as I had a catheter and drain in and also they don't like giving out pain meds here in Dubai - compared to the UK where they keep on top of the pain.  Here I had to keep asking for them and I felt that I shouldn't have to do this.  Had to wear the funny inflatable leg things to keep pumping my legs, but have to say they are heaps better than surgical stockings so no complaints there.

Was attached to a drip, which gave me IV fluid, IV pain meds (very weak), IV anti nausea relief and something to stop acid in my stomach.  This was in my hand and blew once making my hand swell massively so they had to go in through the other hand (I have tiny veins so I always have to have IV's etc in my hand).

Struggled to get my oxygen levels high enough so spent 2 days on oxygen - even needing a portable source when I went for my leak test and walked around.

Had a fitful first night - the nurses were in most of the evening doing observations and the leg things were inflating plus the BP machine so between all of that I didn't get too much rest.

I was woken at 6 am the next morning and my catheter removed before changes of nurses - thankfully I had it for the night as I would have struggled to get in and out of bed otherwise.

I was covered in bruises - not from the incisions - they are fine, but from a clumsy anaesthetist - so have bruises  inside both wrists, elbows and on both hands - plus a massive bruise on my arm where the BP cuff was during the op.  I also had a really sore throat as he had managed to lacerate my throat too.

My surgeon was good - but got quiet annoyed with me as I was in bed too much - he seemed to have a knack of only coming in after I had done my walking and hence I was often asleep !! 

I had a leak test at 10 am the morning after surgery - had to drink this horrible fluid whilst standing in front of an upright X-Ray machine, I was wheeled down in a wheelchair so not too bad.  An hour after the initial leak test I had to go down for a second X-Ray this time lying down which was very painful as my weak pain meds were wearing out - all was ok - and the liquid seemed to drain out very quickly.  I was able to see this all on the XRay machine which was interesting.

Had a terrible claggy mouth on the day of surgery and first day so the lipsalve was a godsend.  Drank nothing but small sips of water late on the first day after surgery, and then thin chicken broth on the second day.

I was discharged after 2 nights which at the time felt too early, but now seems ok.  

The journey home was ok, was discharged with no pain meds at all or any real guidance about post op recovery, so have relied on this website heavily.

Since being home I have sleeping lots, sipping water and milk and juice and Bovril - struggling with thick fluids such as cup a soup so will leave that for a few more days or so.  I'm not feeling hungry at all - a bit weak but think that's through lack of nutrition and the anaesethic rather than anything else.  This is a breeze compared to my hysterectomy - as that was an open incision and not done laprascopically - I was in hospital 4 nights for that - but with tons of pain meds whilst I was in and at home.

Sleeping at home has been a challenge, spent 2 nights on the sofa propped up, but did spend my third night in bed which was good - I can just about sleep on my side if I am very careful.  Showering is ok as I have waterproof dressings on - I needed some help the first time, but have been ok after that - just have to take it slowly and carefully.  Am still covered in iodine and sticky plaster residue - it doesn't want to come off !!!

Have to go back 1 week after surgery to get the staples removed (hurray) and for a follow up appointment.