Brenda Nutt
02/08/09 Progress Report
Feb 07, 2009
I am down 90 pounds now, so help me the scales go up and down everyday...this last 10 pounds is driving me crazy! At this point I am doing water aerobics from 10 to 11:00 4 to 5 days a week (that burns the most calories) and working out 3 days a week with weights, then on Tues and Thurs evenings Randy and I use a personal trainer for a hour session. Surely-eventually- I'll start losing again and stop this up and down on the scales every morning. I'm working so hard...boredom eating is a battle to go along with this, but I know to just be consistent and it will come off!
I went to see a plastic's guy this past week about getting my tummy tuck. Insurance will have to ok it, the nurse said give it 6 weeks to process. That seems like a long time for a yes or no.... but I'll stay on top of it and call in about 4 weeks from the appointment date. I'm excited about this, my hanging belly skin is a real problem to deal with. Clothes fit great until I sit down and it all spreads out... Jeans are tight in the belly and way too loose in the legs... I just need to get my body in better portion in other words. Sure hope I don't have to pay cash for this....
I can not stop reminding myself how very blessed I am that The Lord has given me this blessing of good health. I almost feel guilty when talking to my LAM friends that I am doing so very well. This gastric bypass surgery was the tool I needed and it is so hard to get insurance to pay for.... God has seen me through it all.
019/14/08 Down 66 pounds
Sep 16, 2008
I have nothing but great things to note.
I am down 66 pounds so far and feeling the best I have felt in many years!!! I am spending a hour a day exercising at the gym and then straight into the 1 hour water aerobics class. It is amazing how much I'm enjoying exercising...ME, actually enjoying exercising.... somehow that just does not seem right! I am not having to use oxygen either! Praise The Good Lord!!!
Food does not make me sick or dump. Eating too fast will make me throw-up. I am very careful eating sweets, but so far no particular food bothers me. It is unreal how I can now leave food on my plate.
My only battle is boredom eating, snacking too often. When I catch myself doing that, I must get out of the house and get away from the food. An addiction is an addiction...and for me, food is still an addiction. I never say or think I've 'cheated on my diet' because I am not on a 'diet' I'm finished forever with guilt feelings about my food.
It is amazing to have the power to stop with that one or two bites! Its feels sooo good to have control over my eating again!! Thank you Lord!
07/19/08 Just Catching UP
Jul 19, 2008
So far, nothing I've ate has made me sick. I have ate too fast a couple times and thrown-up, but it was not the food that did it, it was that I ate it too fast. I have now tried milk, bread, and sweets. Nothing has made me sick. However, I am so careful not to eat more than a bite or two of anything I know I should not. This way, I do not feel deprived of anything. I am getting to the phase that nothing sounds good to eat. I've ate so much chicken and fish and soup..... Now I understand what the others were saying at the support group meetings when they talked about being in this phase. I wish I could think of something that sounded really good to eat...other than ice cream!
Physically - I've gone to Silver Dollar City and walked the park, and rode the rides (major wow moment) and worked staining the deck with Randy. Plus being able to exercise for 2 hours straight is huge. These things make me feel like I'm making progress in a bigger way than the weight loss. I want to be physically fit...lots of skinny people can't hold out to do those things...so it's the physical things I crave more than the to be a size 2 someday...
My goal right now is to lhave lost a total of 100 pounds by the time I go back to NIH in November. To do this, I need to looe 15 pounds per month to attain this goal. I am not counting anything in my food, but I am depending on exercise to pull this weight off me.
07/11/08 The First Fifty
Jul 19, 2008
Oh man! I thought I'd better post on here that I'd lost my first 50 lbs! Seems life is moving so fast. I do Physical Therapy 3 days a week, and then go right into Water Aerobics class 5 days a week. So I'm working my fat off, it's not just 'falling off' like others seem to think sometimes. Life is good, a lot of work, but none-the-less, good. I've gone from a size 26-28 to a 18-20. If it were not for my big belly, I could wear 16's. I can't wait to get that belly fat gone!
06/02/08 First Regular Doctors Visit (post)
Jun 02, 2008
Today I went to see Dr. Chitsey. His office was so swamped we did not really have time to talk. I got my first B-12 shot, man I hope that gives me the energy that other people talk about getting from it! I had a HA1C test for my diabetes, and the results came back a NORMAL 6.2 reading! In just 5 weeks I've gone from a diabetic, to a non-diabetic! And I've been eating watermelon too!!! That used to send my blood sugars through the roof! Wow is all I can say and Thank You My Good Lord is All I Can Think!!!!! I also went to join the gym today. So it has been a red-letter day for me!
I must get my computer projects finished and do not start anymore. I need to work on getting me into a more limber form by exercise - sitting at the desk all day is not going to get me through that phase.
Randy and I went to an OH picnic to meet the other couples last Sunday. Then as a group we went to Dr. Hornbostels bariatric Seminal, then the later Support Group Meeting he holds. It was very interesting and I learned a lot. At the picnic I also saw how other people move at their own pace though learning to eat after this surgery. We stopped and got KFC for the 'non WLS' family members. I ate my first chicken leg (well, half of it) and it was good, but tasted greasy. But, it was sure better than a protein shake for a change! It was good, but not something I'd want to eat often. I have sooo enjoyed eating raw fruit and not having to worry about my blood sugar readings. To me, fresh fruit is as good as candy- it represents summertime to me.
One thing I have learned, I can not eat when tense. It will come back up, like eating too fast. Twice I've done this and now I see the trigger and what causes it. If I'm tense, I'd just better pull back, relax, and try again later so I can enjoy my food.
I cleaned out my closet and packed a way the clothes that were too big for me this past weekend. I am now into my size 22 clothes. I have a wardrobe down to a size 18, then I'll get to buy new things!!! I wonder how long it will take me to get there?
I hope to loose an average 17 pounds a month, that would put me about goal when James and Marcy's baby comes, or Christmas. Wow, that is not far off!
One thing I do know and I've made my mind up about this... I am NOT counting things in my food ...nothing...... If I wanted to live that way, I would have never had this surgery - and I would have just kept on doing what I was doing all those years.... trying and failing. Now, I know to be mindful of what I eat, to eat protein first, watch how much I eat and how often. I'll keep on the two protein shakes a day so I don't have to count things, they will keep me up to my protein levels etc. If I start counting, I am setting myself up to fail. The saying 'If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get the same results you always got' comes to mind...
It has been an awesome day...
05/28/08 One Month 'POST' Check-In
May 30, 2008
Finally, my size has changed! Yesterday I emptied my closet and had Randy bring my stored clothes up from the basement. I put as many clothes back into the closet as I took out! I am now into my size 22's, and have one little section of 18-20's that I went ahead and hung up while I was re-organizing the closet. I can't wait to get past all of these clothes and buy myself something new! But, for now, these are fine. I've been in and out of this size so many times I've about worn my stash out! haha
It was been hard to not loose pounds as fast as I'd like. I just want to take a sledgehammer to the scales. But the inches seem to be coming off and really that is just as important. I had lost 25 pounds before surgery, and in the three days in the hospital gained it all back. I know it was fluids, but still, it was not fair! But now thankfully the scales are going down and I'm down 34 pounds so far. I'm one month and two days post surgery today.
The only medicine I seem to need to stay on has been Lasix. For some reason my body still wants to hang on to fluid. My left ankle or lower leg, swells so bad by evening every night. I have not been on any diabetes medicines, but my sugar was high this morning, I'm sure from the watermelon I ate before bedtime. It is so nice to be off that diabetes medicine! I need to go to my regular dr. and get a B-12 shot; I'm to get those every month.
Sunday there is an OH picnic in Sedalia, MO that we are going to. Then after visiting and eating, there is a Dr. Hornbostel support meeting that we are all going to attend. Doc. will count this as my follow-up visit to save us another 2½hr trip back to Sedalia. (That’s nice of him.) It will be nice to see how he runs a meeting and what he discusses.
I need to exercise more, the story of my life. This is a hard area for me to work on, always has been. But I know it's a part of the game... like it or not...
Brenda
04/30/08 I made it through surgery!
Apr 30, 2008
OK- If I'm posting on my blog...I MADE IT! hahahaha
God has been soo good to me, the surgery went text book perfect and I have made it just perfect. My only pain was a gas bubble from that stuff they blow your belly up with during surgery. A heating pad took care of that for me. The most annoying thing was not getting anything to drink the day of surgery, my mouth got soooo dry-even my teeth were dry! It was hard to talk going through that, but after that passed and I got to sip on things I was just fine as frogs hair! No worries! I am able to get up and down good and everything. I am walking the hallsand just getting along fine.
The last thing the Doctor did was take me off ALL my medicines! I am on several vitamins now, but the diabetes meds are gone, the other medicines are gone too. He did say I might have to use Lasix some maybe, but to crush it if I do. No swallowing whole pills for a solid month. I use lasix for swelling, hopefully the new diet will stop that, but if it does not completely do the job, then I may have to take it occasionally. I won't miss taking 160 mg per day - every day!
I am drinking 1 ounce of fluid every 15 minutes, in a week I'll do 2 ounces every 30 minutes. After a few weeks I will progress on to foods in the blender, then start things like soft eggs etc. Right now it is important that I only do liquids because all the staple lines need to heal. I have 7 scope wounds - each about a inch long on my upper abdomen. There's some brusing naturally. But it will all heald over relatively fast.
We are staying in the Comfort Inn in Sedalia, MO until about Fri. or Sat. Just to be sure I'm ok before driving the 3.5 hours home back to Harrison.
Now, the next step is learning to take care of my new self. I've heard it's like having a part time job, that it takes a lot of care and attention to learn the new lifestyle and get things to feel normal and natural to you again. Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed I'd have to re-learn how to eat... (I thought I pretty much had that covered pretty good!) ha!
I have had more prayers said for me lately, no way could I ever express how much that has meant to me. I will do my best to return the prayers for my friends and family and extended family, particulary the LAM listserv and the OH site that I'm new too, & the Windstream folks where Randy works. This has truly been an adventure of a life-time.
I will blog more when I get home and start testing the waters!
04/25/08 It's getting closer and closer!
Apr 25, 2008
If I can just survive this liquid diet one more day...then I get to progress on to a clear liquid diet for one day with a special treat toward evening- the dreaded bowel prep juice - yuck! I bet Randy or I either one don't sleep all night Sunday night .... But then, Monday will arrive and when I wake up all this will be over and my journey will finally begin!
At this point, I just want this over with; I'd rather be hungry than drink another Nectar protein shake made with water. Yuck! At least Slim Fast was good...
I have had a bad cough and cold this past week, thank the Good Lord that it has really gotten better fast. Today was a much better day for my chest. Medicine is good, but prayer works better!
I just can't wait to be on the loser’s bench with every one else. I'll be a hybrid after Monday!
Lets hear it for better health!
04/18/08 I'm next in line!
Apr 18, 2008
04/18/08
Apr 18, 2008
Well- the liquid diet is hard. I have survived 5 days of it now...9 more to go. I could eat the house down! But, I'm keeping my eye on the prize as my friend tells me.
I had to call Margie today. Bothwell pre-op visit took me off my diabetes meds, and my blood sugar readings are not going down at all. I just can not drink another slimy Boost shake. Slim Fast is OK. So Margie said I could move over to the 100% Gold Standard Whey as long as it was lower in sugar. It is a much better reading label than anything else I've taken and not bad tasting. So maybe I can make it now. It had got to the point I would rather not eat than drink the Boost Glucose Control shake.
Randy has been taking me walking for 2 days now. I do just great walking with my oxygen on 6L. But my lungs still can not keep up a steady pace. If I could breathe I could walk at a good pace. But I know I should be able to walk and talk at the same time, so I just make myself slow down. We walk at Maplewood Cemetery, so I tell Randy I'm walking with the dead so I can keep up! ha!
It is sooo hard not to plant plants. But if I start them now, someone will have to water them while I'm in the hospital, so it's best to just lay low and let all the cool nights pass by. It is so tempting though.....
I just want this over with. Time is moving sooo slow for me and so fast for everyone else. Wish I could just wake up and be about 6 weeks post-op and skip the hard part.
