Jan K.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

I have been spending the last several days trying to pack up my stuff for my move to NY.  I hate that I have so much stuff!  Seriously, I have way too many clothes, shoes, books, momentos!  Yikes, I am going to need  a moving van if I don't get my butt in gear and weed out some of my junk.  

I started going through letters and cards I saved for some unknown sentimental reason.  Well, didn't I get re-reading them all!  What a distraction and denial of the job a head of me.  I lost about an hour and a half when I should have been tossing and clearing out!  

My clothes, well I have been so many different sizes over the course of years that I have way too many.  I love to shop and I love bargains the best.  I would pick something up for a couple of bucks in the hopes of it fitting me sometime or it did fit when I got.  The trouble was, I would lose and have a short window to wear it and then I would gain back my weight and think I shouldn't toss it because I will lose weight again and get into it someday.  Okay so that has paid off to certain degree now since I am losing.  I figure I am wearing about the same size clothes as I fit into about 6 years ago.  Six years ago is when I ended my Novitiate and made my first vows.  I wore sizes 16 or 18 depending on the cut.  It was the 'smallest' I had been in years and years.  

My best weight ever was during my Junior year in high school.  I went on a doctor supervised diet, was prescribed weight loss meds and lost 45 pounds.  My weight at my peak was 143!  I'm only 5'4" and according to the medical reference, my ideal weight is 134.  Yeah right, like that is ever going to happen or that I would want to weigh that.  Hey, I know I am big boned 'girl' and to weigh that amount I would look like skin hanging from bone.  I am a very muscular person so even thinking about getting there is unrealistic.  My personal goal is somewhere between 160-150.  I think that is totally doable and that I would look healthy and fit into so-called normal size clothes. 

I can't believe at just under 3 months, I am close to the 199 mark!  So, that means my personal goal is certainly realistic and within reach.  Guess I am glad I saved those clothes!

I am realizing I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks. Not too much to report except I think my stall has finally broken.  Yippee!  Seemed I hung around the same weight within a couple of  pounds for weeks and now I am on the losing slope again.  

As much as I like getting my protein in using the Profect, the little 2.9 ounce drink, I think having a double whammy powder protein shake in the morning has really jump started me.  Now that I am not travelling and can get my wonderful Slender Soy milk, I am mixing a shake every morning.  I am also on a much better and consistant schedule so that helps tremendously too.  

I guess you call this a WOW moment, but I have been faithful not to buy clothes or anything since I am losing (I like to bargain shop!), but the other day on a clearance rack, I picked up a nice linen dress that I thought I might be able to wear down the road.  I didn't try it on but held it up to me and it seemed like it would be snug right now but hey, I was losing again.  Well I got it home and tried it on just to see how tight it is and discovered it wasn't tight at all!  Actually I am thinking about returning it and getting a smaller size but I don't think there was a smaller size.  It's a nicely cut and fitted size 18W and I have been used to wearing 24W regular cut dress!  So yes, I guess it really was a wow moment for me.  Now if I can get into regular misses sizes, that would truly be a wow.

I am now back from a week long workshop in Baltimore and am looking at travel again this week.  I need to be in NY on Wednesday for a couple of meetings and will stay over to make an appoinment on Thursday as well.  From there I am going to travel home to attend my high school class reunion.  It's our 31st but we never celebrated our 30th, so that's what we are celebrating.  

I have mixed emotions about going home for my reunion, it will be fun to see people yet on the other hand, it's a 5 hour drive one way.  I am still taking a course right now and I have assignments and reading to do for this class.  And here's the big issue:  I am moving.  Yes, that's right I am moving and I need to start packing and all to be ready to move and begin working by the end of August.  

Even though I am moving I have no plans to change doctors and I hope to be able to attend the support groups here.  It's a bit of a ride, but once a month I feel it's worth it for the support and the connection to others.  I definitely plan on keeping my follow up care here.  It's too important to me.

Lots of changes in my life . . . surgery, a new way to be and eat, a new look, a new place to live and people to live with, a new job - totally new since it is a change of career for me.  I need to stay focused and not stress about of all these transitions and can't let it put me in a pattern of unhealthy eating.   

Didn't lose any weight during the week I was away but I didn't get a lot of exercise while I was there either.  I am really going to have to find time and ways to get it in when I travel.

Oh well ~ this is my blah, blah blog for now.

I had my 6 week check-up at 7 weeks today.   I'm down to 218.? pounds according to the scales at Barix .  Not too bad considering that at my top weight in March I was 270 pounds when I went to a consult at another WLS program!  I weighed 262 at my consult at Barix, 256 at my PATs and 244 the day of surgery.  I went home from surgery weighing 255 and at my first follow-up appointment 1 week later, I weighed 237.  As I said above, today I weigh 218.?  down 26 pounds since surgery, 44 since my consult and 51 pounds since my highest weight in the beginning of March of this year, 2007.  

I asked Dr. Pupkova if she had a goal in mind for me and she said I am the one who should set a goal.  I said I would be happy weighing 150 since I have never been thin and would look weird if I ever got that small.  She agreed and said I would look skeletal if I hit my ideal weight of 134.  So, since my ideal weight is 134 and my starting weight at consult was 262, and figuring a high goal of 80% loss of excess weight, I would need to lose 102 pounds.  (262 - 134 ideal = 128 excess at 80% then equals 102 pounds).  I have lost 44 using those numbers which is 43% of excess weight (the 102 at 80%).  I am just realizing that I am less than 3 months out and almost half way there!  Yea haa!~~~

Besides losing pounds I have lost inches.  I can't believe how clothes I could not wear last year are actually too big for me now.  I spent about an hour and half last night trying on clothes I had put away as too small from last year and the prior two years.  I can button, zip and throw on each and every article of clothing!  I am so psyched about this.  I'm also psyched that I kept so many of my clothes LOL at least I don't have to go out and waste money on new things that hopefully will be too big in another couple of months!  This is so awesome!  This is the part of the ride you don't want to get off of.  Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Well the last few weeks have been interesting.  I have been in Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Lake George, NY; and Queens, NY.  During that time I went from pureed foods to soft foods to regular foods.  As I updated my food log, I was pleased to see I made my protein goal but not so luckly since I fell short a few times with my fluid goal.  It was during that same time (not enough fliuds), I really didn't see or feel much (if any) weight loss either.  I guess it is true that you have to flush the excess throughout your body out, if not enough fluids, not enough need to flush!  

This week I go for my 6 week follow up which is really my 7 week follow up.  I am curious to see what the scale will say.  I have jumped on the scale but know the one I used is not in line with the one at Barix.  According to the one I used yesterday, I haven't really lost that much weight, about 20 pounds I think since my last visit.  I just hope it is all because of muscle versus fat.  

I am down 2 full pant sizes since surgery and 3 sizes in tops and blouses.  This weekend I tried on clothes for an event I was going to and was surprised to find the clothes too big to wear!  My dresses hung on me and looked ridiculous as did the jackets that go with them.  I am now starting to separate the things that no longer fit and will either pass them along to my sisters, St. Vincent De Paul or see if anyone else might be interested.  I have a few larger, full figured friends who actually put "dibs" on some of my things!  I came to community later in life and brought a pretty large wardrobe that I have yet to divest myself from, needless to say, I have some things others would like.

While out and about over the weeks, I stopped at a LL Bean Outlet Store and bought bathing suits for $7.74 each.  I bought 3 actually in different sizes.  I figure there is one I can wear now, one I will probably able to wear at the end of the summer or during the year, and one I hope to fit into next year.  Not bad for less than the cost of a typical bathing suit!

Oh well, I guess that's enough catching up!  Oh yeah, I will be leaving again on Friday.  This time I am going to Baltimore for a week. So, I guess I better pick up more Profect drinks to take for emergencies and times when I can't find foods that fall in line with my program!

I haven't been on the scale except for times when I am at Barix.  Well I was there yesterday for the support group meeting and jumped on the scale only to learn that I am slowing down the pace of my losing.  I was there last week also for the pre-op meeting and I had lost 7 pounds ( losing about a pound a day).  Well. . .  this time I was only down 4.75 pounds in a week.

I know I am losing since my clothes are comfy and big and the pants and shirts I had from days when I weighed les now fit.  I am down almost 2 full sizes in both pants and tops.  I feel the difference in my back and in my knees.  I am not in as much pain with my back as I was and my knees, well they still need a little more work.  Besides, I have been walking more now so I have been pounding on them.  

I will be busy over the next few weeks with conference, workshops and visits with friends and family.  I will be moving to soft foods and then 'real' foods while I am travelling but I am bringing with me PROFECT protein drinks.  Nice little 2.5 oz in fruit flavors and all in a small tube.  Great for packing and throwing into a bag when I am wandering around convention centers.

I'm not going to try a scale again until my follow up appointment in July.  Hopefully, it will be a nice number then.

I grilled a lean Turkey Burger tonight and added a piece of american no fat cheese.  My mouth has been watering for a burger since Memorial Day weekend which was the weekend following my surgery.  Anyway, I took my 4 oz Turkey Burger and cut it into pieces and dropped it into the blender, set the puree button in and watched this delious looking cheese burger become pate`.  I also added a bit of beef broth in the blender, just a very little bit.  I thought it was going to be aweful but it actually tasted quite good.  I am not sure how much I ate exactly, maybe 1/4 or 1/2 and then I needed to stop and put the rest into a food container.  It took me a while to eat that much and I didn't drink anything with it but I definitely felt full.  It was so nice not to have to drink a meal tonight.  Perhaps tomorrow I will see about pureed veggies just to see what they will taste like.

Moral of the story . . .  never say never.  I never thought I would like any of the pureed foods and yet here I am delighting in a pureed Turkey Burger!

I am feeling great and I was able to move to pureed foods today.  Sounds dull but not for someone who has been on liquids for three weeks, LOL.  

This morning I lightly scrambled some egg beaters (1/4 cup) and added a piece of fat free cheddar cheese in.  Oh my, it was sooo good.  I couldn't figure out what to have for lunch so I made a protein drink.  I am big into mixing stuff so a nice chocolate rasberry shake was quite good.  My snack was sugar free jello carmel pudding with a crushed up URSO pill that made me gag.  They are so horrible.  I am not sure I can make 5 months taking that pill.  It is huge and it has such a nasty taste and aftertaste, oh well beats gall stones I guess.

I am going to see about getting some pictures taken to compare to before and now.  I have lost about 40 pounds in total from consult until now, 20 pre-sugery and 20 post.  It took almost 2 months to lose pre-surgery and only 3 weeks post!  Now that's gotta tell you something.  

I need to get in a walk before it rains and then I plan to cook a turkeyburger on the grill and then puree it.  I am so curious about how it will taste and I am so happy to be able to try foods other than protein drinks.  

I saw my PCP (primary care physician) yesterday and I am off my blood pressure meds.  Yeah!  She also indicated that my weight loss will probably slow down now that the initial water weight and all has come off.  I knew it was going to slow down, and I think she wanted to prepare me not to get disappointed or to be unrealistic about losing a pound a day like I had been experiencing.  It's good to be realistic and I appreciate her concern for me.  If I increase my exercise I should see inches go down before weight, so that's what I am working on now.  Need to strengthen my back (past surgeries and arthritis) and abs.  

Not sure how much I will be able to post in the next few weeks.  I am going to Atlanta and Boston for conferences and then to see my family.  Will check in as I can.

I cannot believe I have not posted since surgery!   Well I have already had my 2 week follow-up a week early.  I am doing well.  My incision sites are all healing quickly and nicely, I am  losing about a a pound a day since surgery  and have lost more than 30 pounds since my consult.  

During my first week, I won the battle of fluid intake and began getting in some proteins.  Once I moved to the full liquids I played around with flavors, and mixtures and ound some nice drinks that worked for me in meeting my daily goal of 72 grams of  proteins.  I discovered I liked brooth more than I evern imagined I could!   I was so happy to move into the full liquid stage.  I have been playing around with all sort of mixtures and haven't felt hungry.  I have been bored a bit but I figure one more week won't kill me.

Actually, because my 2 week appoint was a week early, I kind of got mixed up.  I thought I would be moving to puree foods this week but once I grabbed my Barix Bible, I came to my senses and realized I still have another full week!  Oh well, I will make it and it gives me even more to look forward to.

I still feel like my stomach is swollen in a way and I am sure that is only because I wasn't holding it in after the surgery.  I am going to start working on my abs, and also my core muscles.  That should help.

I have the all clear to swim so perhaps I can get some of that in as well.

More to come. . . .

It is 12 midnight so now I can say my surgery is tomorrow.  Today is my clear liquids only and I think my nerves will take care of anything I might have left in me if that is even possible.

The two months from consult to surgery seemed to drag in the beginning and then the last three weeks flew by in a whirlwind of activity.  

I'm not experiencing any real fear, regret or second thoughts, I think I am experiencing ~nerviousitement~ a little nervious and a lot of excitement.  

Over the last few days I have hardly wanted to eat anything.  I don't know if that is because I have been so good at watching my diet as preparation or if I have been so pre-occupied with school & graduation as well as this surgery that I just haven't had the time to consider food.  Regardless of the why, I haven't had any great meal to celebrate with or cry over, or even say good bye to.  I hope I can carry this with me into the future.  It would be good to psyche myself out with thoughts that I can do anything for a short while and when I am able to eat regular foods again, I can have some of that food I forgot to have before the liquid load of post-op.  

Today I need to take care of some housekeeping things and pack the stuff I need to bring with me.  Of course I will probably be hanging around just waiting for the phone to ring to learn what time my surgery is scheduled for.  

Well, this is my last post as a pre-op, all future posts will be of my WLS success.

Bye old me!