jillybean1969

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I can hardly believe that it's been 7 months since surgery.  I've stalled out lately and am sitting at an 88 pound loss (215).  As Stacey points out to me every time we talk, I need to eat more!  Also, I haven't been exercising like I was ... so time to get back in the saddle again.  Check out my new avatar!  Quite a difference from the original picture which wasn't even at my highest weight.  I'm wearing mostly XL tops and 16 bottoms which is a far cry from 3x tops and 26 bottoms 7 months ago!!!!    WOW, It's been 20 years since I was a 16!  

Take care!
Jillybean

Things are going great today on my 5 month surgeriversary!  I'm 225 this morning, so I'm 2 pounds away from an 80 pound loss in just a short time.  I'm thrilled!  I still love my surgeon and his staff and have monthly appointments.  There really isn't anything I can't eat.  I just focus on protein and such and not eating too fast.  I've gotten into a regular exercise routine at the YMCA.  I'm grateful for the weight loss that I don't feel as out of place as I once did.  I just wish I'd started back sooner.  Having started in 24/26 size and am wearing 18's now which are getting loose.  I know every one is different .. different body shapes, etc...  I am blessed to have an athletic build and am proportioned well.  I used to say "fat all over", but it's going away.  I'm no longer embarrassed to wear sleeveless shirts - even though I have some small wings ... 
I could go on and on ... but I'm off to the park for a nature walk with my boys.  :o)  What a great day it is!

Hugs to all.....

Jillybean

My 2 month visit (actually 9 weeks) went well.  Stephanie (Dr. Costers P.A. who ROCKS!)  just told me to keep doing what I’m doing and she is thrilled with my weight loss.  The thing I have to work on the most is consistent exercise!  It is sporadic at best these days between t-ball practices and soccer with Cody (5).  But I did go home a couple days this week and do the elliptical watching my soap.  I’m grateful I live about 10 minutes from work and can do this.  After I exercise, I typically nuke a Boca Burger with a slice of cheese and take it back to work with me.  I can only eat about ½ of one, but it’s awesome protein! 

 

 

Please keep praying for Amanda that she gets her surgery date soon!!!!

 

 

Later …..

 

 
Jillybean

My "WOW" moment today when I actually got on the scale and it was 249.  It's been 2 1/2 years since I've been that weight!  I'm so excited to be getting into my post-Optifast clothes (18/20's).  I really need to go shopping - mostly for work skirts.  I have a size 20 on today.  Compared to my 24/26's 9 weeks ago, I am still amazed everyday at this process.  I am blessed to have had no complications at all and grateful for all the friends I've made online and in person (Stacey).  

Anyway, I have my  Dr. appt on Thursday this week, so I'll let you know how it goes.  

Ciao~

Jillybean

Once again, Amanda slapped my wrist for not updating my blog.  No excuses, just busy!  Well I hit 8 weeks yesterday and I am down 50 pounds. I weighed in at 253 today.  (I am down 41 from day of surgery + 9 pounds I lost in the two week pre-op slim down).  

 

I know my body well enough now that I stall the week before and week during my monthly cycle.  It sucks not to see the scale move … but I know it will move again soon.   

 

I haven’t been exercising other than running around with my boys and walking the dogs … most definitely not a vigorous pace with a 3 and 5 year old, so I started yesterday going home over my lunch-hour and doing my elliptical (Gazelle) while I watched the Bold and the Beautiful.   

 

For anyone on this journey who is struggling … OH is a great website.  I also would like to add www.sparkpeople.com as an awesome tool.  I use it everyday to log my food and now exercise.  I don’t have a profile set up, I just use it to log my daily items in.  It’s great because you can customize your own food list.  Like a protein shake made with milk.  Instead of logging in two items, you create one of your own.  It’s awesome.  It’s so nice to have this to track protein and fluids!  I haven’t been as good on water lately, so I’m working on it.  The only thing is it won’t let you put in anything less than 1000 calories as your goal.  Don’t worry about it.  Remember, protein and water are the goals … not calories.  I’m lucky if I get 500 to 600 calories a day.

 

 I really haven’t gotten creative with foods yet.  Still on the soft foods stage, I did try a Boca Burger yesterday after my workout.  It was awesome and 14 g of protein!!!  I put a slice of cheese on it which added another 4 g of protein.  The texture of these is so much softer than a regular hamburger and better for you.  I am still scared to try meat.  I tried chicken one night and was sick the entire next day.  I do ok with fish.  I do have problems eating too fast sometimes (maybe 1x a week)  My pouch advised me of that a couple nights ago with my veggies and I yakked them back up. 

 

 I take a can of condensed vegetable soup, add the can of water to it and, then add one or two cans of additional veggies to it (green beans, diced carrots or peas).  I can still only eat 1/4^th cup to 1/3^rd cup at a time.  I don’t push my pouch. 

 

 Well, I have my 2 month check up next week (4/12 – actually 9+ weeks), so I’ll update then.  I’d love to have a few more pounds off by then to be under 250 at my weigh in.  I’m at my “off stall” time so should drop at least 5 pounds …

 

 Take care and Happy Easter everyone.

 

 Jillybean

I know, I know, I haven't posted forever!  Oy Vey.  Since going back to  work the end of February, time just seems to get away from me.  

Anyway, I am doing GREAT!  From day of surgery 2/5 I am down 35 pounds.  (44 from pre-op). (weigh 259) I was down 25 at my 4 week appt.  I go back on 4/12 for my 2 month, which will actually be 9 weeks.  I would love to have another 10 off, BUT my cycle is coming next week .. and PMS/bloating will get the best of me , so I'm not even going to weigh myself.   I had a stall about 1.5 weeks during my first cycle post-op.  How frustrating that was.  

Size wize, I was a tight 3x (24/26).  In my office attire, I'm wearing my 22 jackets again.  :o)  My 24 skirts literally slide down to my hips during the day ... have to keep hiking them up!  I'll wait until my 2 month appointment to try on jeans.  I have a pair of Tommy Hilfiger 22 jeans I'm wanting to get into. 

Food wise, I'm doing okay.  I graduated to "soft foods" at my 4 week appt.  I really didn't change much other than add soft cooked vegetables / veggie soup and string cheese.  I typically do 3 protein shakes a day, then eat 3 "meals" a day (sf applesauce, soup, cottage cheese) I'm supposed to be doing like 5-6 meals, but just can't get that in between water and my shakes.  

So I'm off all restrictions now for exercise!  Yeah!  I'm ready to hit the weights for strength training!!! 

I'm amazed at the results thus far from surgery.  I have had no complications at all.  Only had 2 days where my pouch was a grouch.  Other than that,  life is good.  

We are heading to Seattle in August to see my husbands family.  They know I had surgery, but they've never seen me thin.  What a shock this will be for them!!!! 

Well, that's about it for now!  

Jillybean

Well, I haven't posted lately, been busy with sick kids last week.  Seemed I didn't have time to get online much.  

I am doing GREAT.  I feel awesome.  I have boundless energy!  Doing good on water and protein, but really have a hard time getting pureeds in during the day.  When you aren't hungry at all, it's hard to force yourself to eat.  For me, it's no different than when I did Optifast 2+ years ago and was liquids only for 12 weeks (except for 1 protein bar a day).  So, I'm lucky if I get two pureed meals in a day .... I'm supposed to be doing 6. 

I guess there is a part of me that doesn't want to push it forcing pureed foods down.  I don't want to vomit or dump, so I'm being cautious.  

So at  two weeks post-op, I'm down 20 pounds from surgery day; and 36 pounds from 2 days post op with all the water retention!  Whew! 

I have my 1 month follow up on March 8th. 

I am heading back to work on the 26th.  There is a part of me that is looking forward to that ... the mental stimulation, although I have enjoyed totally relaxing these past couple weeks.  

I hope everyone is doing well ....

Jillybean

Well, I've been home for a day now and feel okay.  I'm stiff, sore, tired, but that is to be expected.  I'm doing okay on liquids and protein and tried a couple bites of applesauce which seemed to be okay.  I guess I'm a little leary of trying pureed foods so soon.  I know Grinnell is aggressive with starting pureeds right away, I guess I just need some time to get adjusted.  Naturally I have not been hungry which is so nice.  Sip sip sip, walk, walk, walk ....  I did get on my Gazelle Supra today ... I figured since it's like walking on air it wouldn't hurt.  I only did it for a couple minutes and I seemed to do fine, no pain, no straining.  
Well, gonna go take my viadin and head to bed.

I'll post again after my staple removal tomorrow.
Jillybean

Amazingly I had open RNY on Monday 2/5 and I got to come home this afternoon!!  I'm feeling pretty good, get tired quickly and am sore.  I go back on Friday to get my JP drain out and staples out. Dr. Coster said that my incision was the smallest he'd ever done!  Yeah!  It's funny looking at the incision as it looks just like a zipper ... and also just like when I had my two c-sections (just higher).  I think one reason I got to come home early is attitude.  If you go in with a positive attitude, then you'll be much better off.  Also, I walked marathons in the hospital.  They laughed at me in the ICU unit (was in there my first night as I was on CPAP for sleep apnea) because I was doing laps ... 

A special thanks goes out to Stacey (Duece1966) for coming to see me on Monday after surgery (I was still pretty out of it) and she was my ICU nurse Monday night too!  How cool is that!!  

It's been a great journey so far and I'm glad to be on the loser's bench now.  Although I'm not going to weigh myself because I know I'm still swollen, retaining water and my body is adjusting ... I don't want to be discouraged. 

I'll keep you posted!  Thanks to everyone who left me messages of caring and support.  You are all awesome!!!!

Jillybean

Well, my surgery is Monday 2/5 ... check in at 7:00 (but arrive 15 minutes before) .. why not just tell me 6:45 eh?  Ha Ha!  So, I'm in the final countdown to my re-birthday!  Yippee!  I had my educational day and pre-op interview on 2/1 and everything went great.  To my suprise at my surgeons office, I weighed in at 293.  At my consultation I was 302 (301.8), so that was a bonus.  I've really been trying to do mostly liquids, proteni and soft foods this week, even though it's not required.  That is probably most of my weight loss right there.   However, I did have chinese food for lunch yesterday (a small rice bowl of cashew chicken from Hy-Vee .. yum!) and then my best friend and I went out to dinner to PF Changs ... combo chow mein.  Yum again, but I brought home two containers of leftovers from my plate!  Loved the oolong hot tea!  

Anyway, I'm at my office today wrapping things up for the next 3 weeks until I come back, then spending all day Sunday with my husband, boys and family.  

GO COLTS!!!

I'm sure I'll post again before Monday ... but just in case, I'll see you on the losing bench shortly ...

Jillybean