Cheryl W.

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Friday evening was my first 5K race (in a long, long, time).  It was breezy and hot (78 degrees).  It was all uphill.  It was heart pounding, sweaty and fun.  There was beer at the end (I took 2 sips and handed the rest to my DH).  

I am very proud of myself, I met my goal.  I finished in under 40 minutes (just).  That gives me a 12:24 minute mile pace, a PR (personal record) as I hadn't done any of my training runs that fast.  I wasn't last. I was 9th out of 13 in my age group.  Not bad for a formerly morbidly obese person (I'm still in the obese range, closing in on overweight).

My new goal is a 12 minute mile and I'm already signed up for my next race, at Jekyll Island GA in May.  My DH is doing the sprint triathlon at the beach, so I'm going to run (then swim for pleasure, skip the bike thank you).  I'm aiming for a race every month.  Now I need to work up a new training program to increase my time and distance.  I'm hoping by summer's end to work up to a 10K.  

My DIL also ran, but she's faster and I didn't see her after the start.  She was cheering me on at the end!  So was DH, who actually finished 3rd in his age group.  He was so pumped at an 8:32 pace.  Of course the guy who won the age group finished with a 7 minute mile pace.  

I started walking on the treadmill the day I got home from surgery (I had been walking and bit of jogging before surgery).  I kept upping the pace and distance on the treadmill, then 8 weeks before the race I started a couch to 5 K training program (that I got off Runkeeper.com).  That was in February.  I did most of my runs outside at that  point, because the treadmill just isn't the same as street running.  The training was hard, I only skipped one session, on a cold rainy day in WI when I was up there.  The training started off at a 1.5 mile walk/run, then progressed gradually to a 3 mile run.  It varied with intervals (going fast for a minute, then slow for a minute) and long runs (50 minute runs rather than a specific distance).  Now I need to find a 10K program and follow it.  

Hey, if a 51 year old fat lady (I can't sing so I run) can do this, anyone can.

Hello Spring!  I have escaped Wisconsin once again, and am so damn glad to be home in the SOUTH! where the trees are leafing out, the sun is shining, and it's supposed to get to 68 degrees.  To me, after two weeks in Milwaukee, where the high temps were about 40, this feels like heaven.

I feel pretty ready for my 5K race on Friday.  I've kept to the couch to 5 K training program, and only skipped one workout, because it was really rainy and cold in WI.  Today, I'm going for a long jog and I'm going to jog the race route, so I'll know what I'm getting into on Friday!.   I'm looking forward to the race, maybe too much.  I find the more I anticipate an event, the more disappointed I am when it happens.  My DH's favorite saying is:  "Lower expectations results in greater happiness."  So I'm trying to temper my hopefulness, excitement, anticipation.  OH HECK!  I can't wait, it's springtime and the sun is shining and I'm going to run!

The drive from Milwaukee to Charlotte is about 17 hours, so I broke it up into two days, staying overnight near Indianapolis (where it was cold and rainy).  I slept poorly, due to a snoring dog, a barking dog, and a strange beeping noise at the hotel (both the snoring dog, and barking dog were mine).  So yesterday's drive was very tiresome.  I was alone and listened to an audio book, and fought to stay awake and in my lane on the interstate.  

Unfortunately, I resorted to one of my pre-weight loss surgery tactics to stay awake while driving...  Food.  I hate to admit it, since this was really my first major break from the program of following healthy, sensible eating guidelines, but I have to be honest.  I munched on baked lays, peanut butter crackers, and a even had a jamocha shake from Arby's.  What's worse.  I got rid of the evidence at the last gas stop before home.  Why do I eat in secret?  Is it a rebellion?  It's not like it's fooling anyone, especially not myself.  And I'm the only one that cares or suffers for these behaviors anyways!  It's not like I was that hungry.  Why oh why do I act this way?

But worse, if it can get worse, is that I felt I could continue eating that junk, and I really didn't feel full, or uncomfortable from it at all.  Will this surgery ultimately help me reign in my binge eating tendencies?  I didn't feel that my pouch held me in check that much.  Yes, I can see by making bad choices, I could easily eat myself back to morbid obesity.  That's scary!

Today, is all about honoring my commitment to myself and getting on the right track.  That said, I'm hungry right now, but resisting the urge to mindlessly snack, and sticking to my pre-scheduled meals and snacks.  I know this is not a diet, but damn, I so want to reach goal and stay there.  So if it does take willpower, then that's what I'll exercise.  

Time to go run!  I'll blog on Saturday and let ya'll know how my race went.  I'm hoping for under a 13 minute mile.  

Happy Springtime!

Cheryl  

I'm a bit overdue in writing my weekly blog, as I've been out of town.  Last week I decided drive up north to visit my mother-in-law and help her out with some household projects.  I'm still at her house using a computer with dubious functionality.  It's cold, cold, cold, and has snowed every morning since I arrived.  This is why I chose to move south.

That said, I have not been enthusiastic about my running program.  The first day I arrived, I did a 3 mile jog in the sleet.  My time was terrible and I felt miserable, stopping every quarter mile to blow my nose.  The second training run was worse.  Dry but much colder.  I'm avoiding training run number 3 right now by writing my blog instead.  Ach... What a wimp.  No wonder I was a fat child growing up here.

I have been active doing household projects, painting, striping wallpaper, cleaning basement, etc.  I thought I'd be less bored with all these types of activities, but in fact I am more bored than I was at home.  I am testing my patience working at the slow pace of the elderly, and I find myself lacking.  I don't know how to slow down and take things at a relaxed pace.  I want to get things done NOW, and move ahead.  Alas, it's not my stuff, not my house and not my decisions to make.  It's like watching the Hoarders programs on TV, but in slow motion.

OK, enough complaining, I'm going out to run and burn off this energy.

I got the Lettuce Wraps recipe from a post on the RNY forum, and the Pot Pies recipe from BariatricFoodie.com
PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps           

              3 tablespoons oil

            2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

            1 cup water chestnuts

            2/3 cup mushrooms

            3 tablespoons chopped onions

            1 teaspoon minced garlic

            4-5 leaves lettuce

           

            Special Sauce

            1/4 cup sugar (keep in mind this is for 6 servings) - Use your favorite sugar substitute though!

            1/2 cup water

            2 tablespoons soy sauce

            2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

            2 tablespoons ketchup

            1 tablespoon lemon juice

            1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

            1 tablespoon hot mustard

            2 teaspoons water

            1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

           

            Stir Fry Sauce

            2 tablespoons soy sauce

            2 tablespoons brown sugar

            1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.

Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.

Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.

Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.

Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.

Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.

Remove chicken from the pan and cool.

Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.

As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.

With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.

Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.

Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".

Top with"Special Sauce". 

 

Nik’s “Lil’ Baby” Pot Pies

Crust (makes more than you need but freezes well):

 1 c. Carbquik

¼ tsp salt

1 stick of reduced calorie baking spread or butter, chilled and cubed

Ice cold water (get 1 cup but you won’t use it all)

Optional: a dash of garlic powder and ¼ c. shredded cheddar cheese

Filling:

  1 large chicken breast filet, cooked and shredded (or you can use a can of chicken breast meat)

 1 can of mixed vegetables, drained and rinsed

1 can of light cream of chicken soup

¼ - ½ c. skim milk

 

Optional: a few scoops of 

Any Whey unflavored protein powder

 

Equipment: If you're looking to use all your filling, you'll need either, eight

2 oz. ramekins, six 4 ounce ramekins. Or you might also invest in larger ones(8 oz.)

 for the fam (in which case, depending on the size of your family, you might double both the crust and filling recipe!

 

Directions:

 Making the Crust

  Step One: Combine the Carbquik, salt and any other seasonings.

 Step Two: Cut in the butter. It is IMPORTANT that the butter be cold. I usually freeze my stick of butter  and cut it into cubes. I use a biscuit cutter but you can also use a food processor. Mix the flour mixture and butter until it is the consistency of small peas (although mine look more like dandruff...just sayin..)

 Step Three: Add cold water (again, the cold is important), tablespoon by tablespoon until you are able to get the mixture into a dough ball. For me, this took about 4 tablespoons of water, but it really does depend on a lot of factors INCLUDING the humidity where you are.

 Step Four: Wrap your little dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to put it all together.

 Making the Filling

  To make the filling you’d combine your chicken, veggies and soup in a sauce pan.

Then add as much milk as you need to just slightly thin it out. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat..  Add protein powder after removing from heat and make sure it is thoroughly mixed in.

 Cut your dough ball in half (it takes half the dough ball to make the crusts for four pies). Using a rolling pin, roll your dough out to the desired thickness. Use the appropriate size biscuit cutter to form a round disc.

 Fill your ramekin to the top with the chicken mixture. If you want to add additional protein, you'd add 1/2 a scoop of unflavored protein powder directly into the ramekin with the chicken mixture and stir well.

Using your finger, put a layer of water around the rim of the ramekin and then top with the disc of dough. There should be a slight overhang. Pinch down the sides and then cut a small slit in the top for ventilation.

 Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. If you use the cheese keep an especially good eye on the crust as the cheese will brown quickly.

  

Today is the three month surgiversary of my RNY (12/15/10).  I also had my 3 month check up with my surgeon.  I've lost 42 pounds since surgery and 62 pounds since I started this journey on October 27th.  I'm just over half way to my goal.   OK, that said, I've marked my spot, now the real news...

To mark the occasion, and as my reward for being such a model patient, I bought myself THE BAG.  Actually, it's the cutest Dooney & Bourke bag that I have been coveting for weeks at Marshalls.  But alas, each week as I stopped in, the price was still a little too rich.  Seems my tipping point is a hundred bucks, because today I saw it on clearance and it was marked down to $99.  Snatched that baby up.  

I've been itching to buy clothes, to fit my new silhouette, but, know it's not a good idea as I will keep shrinking out of them.  AND I have some of my old skinny clothes that I still haven't fit into.  AND, I'm a cheapskate, and want deep, deep discounts.  So in addition to new eating habits, I'm trying on new discernment shopping habits.  See when you're big, you settle for anything that fits.  My philosophy is going to be, no more settling, and no more paying full price.  I wanted that bag, and for once, I waited until it was on sale and got myself a bargain.  Lesson learned, be patient.

Today was also a great workout day.  Training day 16 of my couch to 5K program.  Intervals of 1 minute fast, 1 minute slow, repeat 13 times.  The weather outside was frightful, so I did them inside on the treadmill.  In order to challenge myself, I did the slow intervals at a jog pace instead of a walk.   Holy Cow, was I dripping wet when done.  Quite a challenge.  I'm almost afraid to look ahead at the next training session.  Each one seems almost impossible, and then somehow I do it.

Nothing much is happening on the job front.  I had a couple of recruiters call, and sent out a few resumes.  Got back a definite NO on one, and don't know about the other two.  We'll see.  I'm still not at a point where I'm ready to present myself in interviews, but could do so if pressed I guess.  I really have nothing to wear (really an excuse).

So made a few bariatric recipes this week already.  Did the PF Chang's lettuce wraps!  Fantastic.  My DH loved the special sauce and asked me to make more so he can use it as a salad dressing.  Then I made Nik's chicken pot pies today.  I haven't tasted them yet, but they look absolutely gorgeous.  I love using those ramekins, they look so cute.  Little dish food.

So that's life at 3 months post op.  I'm happy, healthy, and losing weight slowly but surely.  A few more weeks to my 5K race and the start of summer weather.  Let the good times come.

I decided to paste a recent musing on a forum topic here, because I wanted to remember it, and acknowledge that I still have some serious issues to address.

I know myself and how enthusiastic I get at the beginning of a project.  When the project is done, I get complacent and lose interest.  That's why I've failed at maintenance on several diets before.   And that failure happened for me well before the 3-5 year point in maintenance, which is the typical point where RNY patients regain.

I don't even see getting to goal as my goal.  Rather, the point at which I reach goal is going to be the starting point for the real work to be done.  And I suspect that the results of that work won't be as rich in rewards as the downward journey has been.  I really have no idea how to cope with day to day maintenance without sabotaging my progress and reverting to my old comfortable habits.  I'm going to need a therapist or coach to help me through that phase for sure. 

I know already, since I'm a slow loser, that the weight won't stay off without serious effort on my part.  I believe that I will need to maintain a lifestyle of food vigilance and rigorous exercise.  The pouch I have is only a small part of my mind/body equation and the WLS sure isn't the magic pill that miraculously changed me from a fat person to a thin person.

Well I passed the half way point in my weight loss journey this week.  So I'm on the downward path now.  Actually I wish that were really true, because it sure feels like an uphill journey.  Maybe that's because I'm tired and achy from all the exercise.   In relation to where I've come from, I know the tough road is ahead of me.  I dropped about 15 pounds very easily right after surgery, and now I'm losing about 1.5 to 2 pounds per week.  That's 28 weeks to go at 2 pounds per week.  I had wanted to reach goal by my birthday on September 2, but it looks like baring a miracle, that's not going to happen at this rate of loss.

So, what's going on this week?  I had three recruiters call me for potential job opportunities.  We'll see if any pan out.  I'm still only half hearted looking, as I still don't feel presentable for interviewing yet.  I'm getting close, but I still feel grossly fat and I know that reflects in my demeanor and can't help but project less confidence.  Some of the opportunities would require relocation.  I don't really want to move from Charlotte.  We just moved here 18 months ago, and I like this city.   

My project, aside from procrastinating doing the taxes, has been closet clean-out.  I took 6 bags of clothes to Goodwill.  I didn't feel any of them were good enough to consign.  I got rid of most everything that had an "X" in the size.  I kept some "X" stuff that I really like and I'm going to try and take some of them in, if it just requires a simple seam.  I got out my bins of skinny clothes (14's and 16's) and hung them in the closet.  It's still jam packed, and I really can't justify going shopping.  I'm in size 18 pants now (I have 4 pair of those that fit), but it won't be long until the 16's are in use.  I'm trying to keep on top of it, so I don't miss a window of opportunity to wear the stuff I'd been saving, because I'm betting I land at a size 8-10 when I hit goal.  Then I get to go shopping!

Hunger does hit me if I let it go too long between meals/snacks.  Then I tend to eat too fast or the wrong things.  I discovered almonds go down real easy.  But wait, do you know the calories in one ounce?  162 calories and 14 g fat, 6 g carbs, and 6 g protein.  A little too rich for my purposes right now.  So I'm trying to bypass the almonds.  I'd bought a huge bag at Costco.  I broke them down into snack size bags of 1 oz each.  DH is eating them as a snack at work.  I'm thinking of asking him to take them all to work with him, so they're out of the house.  As a replacement snack, I'm eating turkey pepperoni.  Yum, in the microwave for 1 minute between paper towels, they get crispy, like sausage crackers without the cracker.  They're 70 calories for one ounce, with 4 g fat, 0 carb, and 9g protein.  A much better choice.

Exercise is still my big focus.  I'm almost halfway through my couch to 5K training program and holding my own.  I'm also exercising every day aside from the c25k, doing weights on alternate days, bike and elliptical.  I took my first Yoga class this week at the apartment complex rec center.  Loved it.  I felt energized and limber afterward.  I'm going to keep up with that class because it makes me feel good and is a good accompaniment to jogging.  One dilemma, is that the yoga class is Monday night, and the third Monday is also my support group.  Which to do???  I'm leaning towards the support group.  Balance you know, the body, mind and spirit all need to be addressed.  

Tomorrow I meet one of my OH friends in person.  I'm really excited.  She has the same surgeon I have and is coming into town for her 3 month check-up.  She had surgery 5 days after me.  Should be interesting.  We're going to Starbucks for coffee.  She lives about 45 minutes from town, so she doesn't get down this way very often.  I have my three month check-up next week on my surgery anniversary date.

Regarding food again.  I tend to shy away from dense proteins.  I like soups and saucy foods the best.  But I'm trying to eat some dense food at least once per day.  My theory is it will stick with me longer (as long as it doesn't get stuck) and practice makes perfect.  So far the most dense thing I've eaten is deli turkey and grilled chicken.  Even then I need to use mustard or mayo to get it down and keep it down.  My tastes have changed a lot and I really do crave variety.  We've only gone out to eat once since my surgery.  But I bought a 1/2 price coupon for one of my favorite Cajun restaurants and I want to go there next week.  

Well that's about it for this week.  Next week I'll blog after my Doctor appointment.  Give you the official info.

It's official, I've seen the '1' in front of my scale weight for two days straight, so it must be true.  I didn't even have to shift most of my weight to my left foot to see it.  LOL the stupid things I do really amaze me sometimes.  I'm feeling good, maybe a bit sore from the intense jogging workouts, and a bit tired (maybe need more B-12).

My focus lately is all about the running.  I bought a new pair of shoes with orthotic inserts and a new work out outfit.  So I'm feeling pretty stylish with my jogging attire, not that anyone can see me.  I've figured out the optimum time to run, after my morning protein coffee, but before lunch or a solid snack.  I'm running in the fancy neighborhood near my apartment.  The grounds of these multi million dollar homes even smell different than the other side of the creek where I live.  The course I've developed is fairly flat, and the streets are off the beaten track, so no real traffic.  I'm up to 2 miles on my training runs and my pace is now 13:10.  I'm hoping for a pace under 13:00 by race day (April 8).  

Richard (my DH) signed up for the Jekyll Island Turtle Crawl sprint triathalon, so I signed up for the 5K race.  We're going to make a weekend of it, leaving on Thursday and coming back Sunday.  May 21 is the date for those races.  I love the beach, and Jekyll island is one of my favorite spots.  I actually ran the Turtle Crawl back in the mid 90's and won my age group (there were only 4 in my age group that day, it was a new race).  Should be interesting to see how I place today, 15 years later.  Bet the field is much larger, and the runners much more fit.  In any case, having these races ahead of me really keeps me motivated.  Plus it's fun to go out of town.  I love small towns in the South and bed and breakfast hotels.  I'd really like to do a 5K race each month up until the Turkey Trot, which is my ultimate goal race (on Thanksgiving).  We'll see how I feel once the heat of summer is upon us.  I might just chicken out.  

This last week my car was in the shop for repairs.  Good thing I requested a loaner, because I couldn't imagine being housebound for a week without a car.  I'm going to try and sell the darn machine, as it's warranty is up April 6th.  Something is always going wrong with it, and it will be too expensive to maintain when not under warranty.

OK, time to go shopping.  Looks like Target to buy a new tupperware type salad bowl and a bottle brush to clean out my shaker bottle.  Excitement!

Continuing to feel Fantastic! 

Had hoped to pass into onerderland today, as yesterday I was flirting with 200.5.  But NOOOO, instead went up to 201.  That's OK, that's still a 3 pound loss for the week and I'm happy with that. 

I went shopping at CostCo yesterday, and really, it's not possible to buy food there.  Since my husband cooks and eats his own stuff, I'm just responsible for myself, and everything is huge there.  I don't have but a tiny freezer in my apartment frig, so there's no freezing in bulk either.  Still spent $216.  How did that happen?  Toilet paper is expensive in bulk I guess.  I did find some Chicken Tortilla Soup, in two containers.  I froze one and had a cup of the other for dinner last night.  Delish.  I also bought a smallish Chicken Tika Marsala, says it's 6 servings, so after I crack it open I'll divide it up and freeze.  I do love Indian food, and I also love variety.  So having these two meals in my rotation will be great.  Eating the Chicken Tika without rice should be interesting.  I used to love basmati rice... Today, there's no room for rice, hooray!  Goodbye carbs and calories.

So food lately is going great.  No vomiting episodes for a couple weeks now.  I also feel that I have a larger capacity, but I'm not pushing it, and limiting my intake to 1/2 cup in volume or about 2.5 oz of protein.  I do need to work up to 3 oz of protein, but I'm going to do it slowly.  Do not like to vomit.  I am loving my morning protein coffee.  Solids don't sit with me too well first thing in the day, so this is a great tasting way to get my day started.  Thank you LW board for introducing me to protein coffee.

Exercise is going well too.  Really pushed it this last weekend as the weather outside was glorious, into the 70's.  Saturday I jogged a whole 45 minutes straight, went 3.1 miles (a 5K) then walked back.  Then on Sunday, I went with DH to the park and walked a 5K.  Boy was I beat.  But a good tired.  Today was training day 6/28 for my 5K and it was interval day.  Did the intervals on the gym treadmill, and used a 1% incline, and 9 intervals.  Very challenging.  I did 9 instead of 8 (per the program) because I was inside instead of outside, and that was my compensation.  Wish it were warm enough to swim on alternate days, but it's too expensive to go to the aquatic center, so I'll just wait until the outdoor pool opens up.  I've been doing the elliptical or recumbent bike on alternate training days and then weights and sit ups.  

Went to a great support group meeting on Monday.  It's the one at Presbyterian Hospital, sponsored by their bariatric program.  Because I had my surgery at the hospital, I'm eligible to attend.  This support group is so much better than the SEB group.  The leader is funny and teasing, and everyone gets a chance to speak.  It's great.  I'm going to ditch the SEB support meetings, they're such downers.  Plus, I don't want to do 2 nights in a month on Monday's because I really want to try the yoga class at the apartment on Monday nights.  The real surprise about the meeting is that DH volunteered to go with me.  Wow, I was shocked and touched.  He went the first meeting I was required to attend, but not since.  I was floored that he even was interested, as he hates people.  But he seemed to enjoy it and we had a very good discussion afterward about issues I face, that he faces, and how to maneuver through them.  

Still not ready to face interviews for employment just yet.  Not sure when either.  I still feel so fat and I don't want to buy interview clothes that will fit, or work clothes either, as I don't want to waste the money on something I can only wear a few weeks.  I'll think about it.  I'm sorta hoping I get into size 14's pretty quickly.  That's sort of my benchmark for something that can be tailored reasonably.  I think the rule is that they can tailor down 2 sizes, so that would be a 10, and that's where I think I'll land (or maybe an 8).  When I got down to 140 back in the mid 90's I was wearing an 8-10.  Don't have any of those clothes anymore, of course they'd be so out of style anyways.  I do have a few 12's from the Jenny Craig days in the mid 2000's where I never got to goal, but was like 160.  I kept mostly casual stuff, shorts, tanks, and such.  Nothing really for work.  I'm not sure what I'll do if a recruiter calls and I have to respond quickly.  I do have some "travelers" knits from Chico's that are stretchy and maybe could do in a pinch.  Still not very good quality stuff.  Ahhh, can't wait to go to Talbots or Ann Taylor and buy good quality fitted stuff.  

Speaking of Ann Taylor, the pants I bought there over a month ago- my mid-way goal pants, size 18 finally fit.  I took them to the tailor yesterday to shorten them.  So next week I can wear them for real.  Couldn't have them tailored beforehand, as my butt was too big and would have skewed the length.   Hope this tailor is good.  Sure seemed cheap enough, $9 for lined pants.  We'll see.

Going to get a mani-pedi today.  It's been a month on the pedi and 2 weeks on the mani, so I'm due.  I don't like the pedi part, my feet are sensitive.  But it's so good after its done, and I still can't bend over well enough yet to do it myself.

Well time to get it in gear.  Hoping the next week sees onederland, and good running times.

Cheryl  


 

Well I'm feeling pretty super for 2 months post op.  For the most part, the surgery has done what I could not on my own.  I've past the 210 mark, which was where I had gotten stuck in the past dieting on my own.  I'm now at 204 which is in spitting distance of 200 (a big milestone) and 198.5 which is half way to goal.  I have a hard time not setting time specific weight goals, like, I want to be 200 by 2 months out, or I need to be at goal by 6 months out.  I've talked to myself, and talked to myself about how I can't set a date on my progress, but I'm just not listening.  I'm impatient, I want it yesterday, I no longer want to be fat.  I think soon, I'll need to seek out that yoga class.  Maybe some zen yogi's can teach me some patience.

I was supposed to have my 2 month check-up yesterday, but the Doc's office either screwed up my appointment location, or the Doc decided to just have appointments up in Huntersville.  Whatever, I don't want to drive all the way up there to see him, when his in-town office is less than a mile from my house.  So I rescheduled.  First available was March 9, which is so far out I elected to skip the 2 month check up, I'm not having any problems.  I made my next appointment for March 15, which is my 3 month surgiversary.  Hopefully, I'll have insurance again by then, and they can run my 3 month labs.

Food has been fairly good for me.  I like the liquidy stuff like chili the best, but it doesn't hold me as long as denser proteins.  So I try and mix it up, depending on how grouchy my pouch feels.  I made a great recipe from Nik's pouch party website, patty melt bites.  Yum and the DH loves them too.  It's a winner recipe, and funny, no problem with the egg in it, even if the egg is pretty prominent.  Wonder why I don't do scrambled eggs well by themselves?  I bought some deli chicken and have that with cheese.  I bought shrimp, tried it this week and got hives.  I've eaten shrimp all my life.  When I was around 35 or so, I started to get hives from shrimp.  I'm not allergic to any other food.  That went away, come to think of it as I gained weight.... Ah ha maybe??  Anyway I just might continue to eat the shrimp and just follow them with a chaser of benadryl.

Re exercise, I started my c25k training program this week.  HOLY TOLEDO BATMAN!  Is that tough.  I've done only two of the sessions so far, every other day, and it really is a tough workout.  I definitely am giving it 100%.  Day one was to jog 1.5 miles.  I did it, but boy was I slow toward the end.  Day two was intervals, 1 minute fast and 1-1/2 minutes slow.  Well I did the first two fast intervals too fast and almost couldn't finish the rest.  Gotta learn to pace myself.  The weather has been glorious for February, and I'm gonna keep it up training outside.  It sure does make a difference between pavement and the treadmill.  I signed up for the 5K on April 8th.  My DH and DIL are going to do it with me.  Right now, my pace looks like a 15 minute mile... OHHHH that sounds so bad....Hope it gets better.

The latest excitement in our household is that we're now temporarily taking care of my son's cat, Ted.  DS and DIL are putting their house on the market, and puddy-tat Ted is a master escape artist.  So we've agreed to keep him until they sell and move.  He's a darling, typical cat.  The three furry butt dogs already living here alternately ignore and bark at him.  Louis, my pappillion loves to dash upstairs and eat his food.  Ted likes to saunter in front of you as you walk, so you practically trip over him.  Well not practically, actually, because DH did trip and fall the other morning in the dark and smashed up his toe, arm and chest.  I slept in, and didn't go, but he still trudged off to the gym after wiping out.  He hasn't missed a day working out this year, and I guess he wants to keep his streak going.

Well that's another week.  I'm happy my stall lasted only 2 weeks, as I'm back on the losing bench again.