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7/14/09 158.2  -100.5 since surgery

I finally hit the century mark from surgery. :- )  Woohooo!
Still a few more to go but I’m very happy with where I am in mind and body.
I can do so many things that I couldn’t a year ago. 

B Protein shake with 1.5 scoops protein powder, Hood Calorie countdown milk
L Low carb cheese bread, liverwurst, swiss cheese, mayo YUM
S low carb brownie muffin (recipe below)
D Protein shake and Flax-z-snax Strawberry hot cereal with 3 walnuts
Water: 91 oz
Protein: 93g
Vitamins: calcium, multi, Iron, Vitamin D, Omega-3 with DHA, Dulcolax

Life is good!

Low Carb Cheese Bread Recipe:
1/3 C CarbQuik
1 T ground flaxseed
1/8 C shredded cheese
1 egg
1/8 tsp italian seasoning herbs
2 shakes garlic powder
1/8 C water

Mix well and put in a large bowl.
Nuke 80-90 seconds

Protein 8.7, Calories 130, Fat 9.4, Carbs 9.48, Fiber 8, Net Carbs 1.48

7/13/09 159.6

I blew through my surgiversary busy as a bee.  We’ve been out fishing a lot, playing with a ship plotting program, at a neighbor's, that shows where all ships over a certain size are, and dealing with hubby's medical issues.

After 2 months in the 160s I finally broke through to 159.6 today!  Woohooo!  I went back to basics and am able to exercise again.  It was a royal pain with my knee out so I’m happy to have it working again.
High:       330.0   -170.4
Consult:  282.8   -121.5
Surgery:  258.7   - 99.1

B Protein shake with 1.5 scoops protein powder, Hood Calorie countdown milk (Thank you Raley’s for carying Hood!  The chocolate is awesome)
L Shrimp, chream cheese and salsa
S low carb brownie muffin (recipe below)
D Protein shake and Flax-z-snax blueberry hot cereal
S 2 squares SF Guilain milk chocolate

Walked to the bluff and back for 2.05 miles.

My annual visit with Dr J is the 7/24.  I’m ready for that and anything else that comes my way.  I hope your journey is/has been as exciting and rewarding as mine. :-)

Brownie Muffin (2 servings)

1/4c almond meal
1 T ground flax seed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 heaping tbsp pure cocoa powder
1/4c cream
2 T SF Davinci Caramel syrup

Mix dry ingredients.  Mix wet ingredients. Combine both in a large bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap, slit top, nuke for 86 seconds.
Protein 8.4, Calories 183, Fat 15, Carbs 7, Fiber 3.5, Net Carbs 3.55

4/19/09 177

We’re still in Virginia and I’m playing catch up with my journal.  We got to Vrginia the 9th, spent the day visiting with my folks then drove to my sister’s the 10th.  We shopped and talked and played Wii bowling, looked at her antique booth and went to Natural Bridge and caverns.  We had a great time and sampled many ethnic foods.  Somehow I managed to lose weight...maybe the Leslie Sansone Walk Away The Pounds 4 miles had somehting to do with that!  My sister and I did it every day. 

We drove back to my folks on 4/15, stopping at Lurray Caverns on the way.  I’ve forgotten how amazing it is there!  Absolutely stunning.  If you ever have a chance to go, don’t pass it up.

We’ve somehow managed to go through the days quickly and have 2 days left.  Mom and I are getting pedicures tomorrow, going though old photos and trying on clothes.  That’s my big WOW moment.  I fit into my mom’s clothes!  I never would have believed that would happen.  I’m taking several outfits home with me.  : - )  Thanks mom!

We fly back Wednesday and I have my 9 month post op with Dr. J.  It’s been a slow 3 months weight-wise.  I stalled out for 2 months and finally started down again just before we left for vacation.  Stressors took their toll but I’m back on track and eating more carbs.  I had a bout with low glucose levels that were causing my vision to blur.  After talking with Dr. J’s office I added some carbs and my weight started slowly coming off again. Yay!  I hve to tell you, anyone near SF should have their surgery done at LAPSF.  Dr. J is always available and supportive. 

I’m continuing to enjoy and learn chain maille.  I’m on my 5th pattern and and have orders for them.  Imagine that, having fun and making money doing it!  I’m hoping to take a class with spiderchain.com the end of this month.

On Friday, 4.15.09 we went to a Concert at Music Center At Strathmore and heard the Tokyo String Quartet + Lynn Harrell
Hayden: String Quartet in G Opus 76 No 1
Beethoven: String Quartet in C minor Opus 18 No 4
Shubert string Quintet in C Major Opus 163 Deutsch No 956

On Sunday we went to the Patriot Center in Fairfax and saw Ringling Brothers & Barnum Bailey Circus.  I forgot my camera but asked someone in front of me to send me copies of their’s.  They did!  

It was a good trip and I lost 5 lbs.

4/24/09  174.4

I had my 9 month post op with Dr. J today.  We’re both happy with my progress even though it’s a little slow.  We settled on 145ish as a target weight.  I may not make it by my surgiversary, but that’s ok with me.  I’m content where I am so the rest is gravy.

4/25/09 174 I’ve reached overweight status!  I’m no longer obese.  Woohoooo!
It’s been a long haul but I finally made it.  Not far to go now. 

Today I am no longer Obese, I'm merely overweight!!
calcium  2 hours before or after iron
multi
b-12 5ml/1 tsp
green tea
Whey protein powder, choc, Jay Robb's, SF Hazelnut DaVinci, BSN Cinnamon Protein Powder, skim milk, heated
run 10 minutes  ped = 2529
blueberry water
iron
Omega-3 with DHA Rhino Gummy, 100mg
blueberry water
run 10 min ped = 4337
Lunch: chili Con Carne 1/3 C
Vit D
2 SF Coastal Bay Coffee Flavored Hard Candy  French Vanilla
Power Crunch Bar Tripple Chocolate, ½ bar
multi
calcium
4 Dulcolax
run 10 min  ped = 6887
Omega-3 with DHA Rhino Gummy, 100mg
run 10 min  ped = 8323
blueberry water
Whey protein powder, choc, Jay Robb's,  BSN Cinnamon Protein Powder, skim milk
10 min run  ped = 10,043

Daily Totals:
calcium
Total water should be  weight * .55Steps = 10,223  cstep = 8174  kcal = 280  miles = 3.23
Water 111 oz
Protein 90.5g
Calories 756.5
fat 19.5g
Sat Fat 9.5g
Carbs 57

4/26/09 173.4
We’re cleaning and packing the RV for the next part of our journey.  Lookout bats, here we come!  We’re also heading for South Dakota for lots of tourism and visiting friends in Nebraska and Missouri.  We leave Wednesday. 

Drum roll please!  I finally made it to 170's!  woo hooooooo!  Turns out my glucose was too low!  I have permission to add carbs. LOL  I did and the weight started dropping again.  Who knew?!?  I've lost 5 lbs in 8 days.

I can't believe it's been so long since my last update.  We've been busy with the Coast Guard and did a county wide emergency drill with our ham radios, relaying messages from the medical center to the county emergency operations center.  We have another drill in July trying to get everyone prepared in case of an emergency. 

We did our first racewalk race and Chris took the bronze in his age group.  We continue to enjoy racewalking.  I did a PR but I'm still pretty slow compared to others.  At least I didn't come in last this time.

I’ve been having fun learning chain maille.  I’ve even had someone request a bracelet in gold.  I’m ordering the links tomorrow to be delivered to my folks so they’ll be there when we get there. 

I’ve also been planning our trip in the RV.  We’re heading for Tombstone, AZ to have a new photo done (hopefully in the same costume as my original one here) then to Carlsbad Caverns to see the bats flying out of the caves at night (I’ve always wanted to see that).  We’ll head north east to Kansas and Nebraska to see friends then on to South Dakots to see Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse monument, a wild mustang ranch, a mammoth dig, Toadstool Park in the badlands (where rocks look like mushrooms from erosion), Fort Robinson Park to see buffalo, then wind our way home.

Have a great spring!  I probably won’t have internet very often until June.

into the future.  -Steve Miller Band "Fly Like An Eagle"
Life keeps taking over and keeping me away from the computer so here are a couple updates.

1/29/09 186.7

Daily Topic:
What is the one book (or website) that has helped you the most with life after WLS?

My Response:
One will never do.  It depends on what kind of information I'm seeking.  Happy Reading.
The Beck Diet Solution
The Success Habits Of Weight Loss Surgery Patients
Recipes for Life After Weight-Loss Surgery  by Margaret Furtado
The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery
    by Cynthia L. Alexander
Exodus from Obesity: The Guide to Long-Term Success After Weight Loss Surgery
    by Paula F. Peck
Before And After: Living and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery
    by Susan Maria Leach
Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery  by Pat Levine

Websites:
www.sparkpeople.com
www.obesityhelp.com
http://www.thinnerself.com/files/calculator.htm
www.thinnertimes.com
www.lifebeforeandafterwls.com
www.bariatriceating.com WLS products, protein, and vitamins. 
www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/gastric-bypass Web Med
www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric-bypass/HQ01465
http://www.theschedule.com
www.obesityhelp.com/forums/recipe/
http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/
http://livingafterwls.blogspot.com
http://lowcarbeating.com
http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com
http://cleochatra.blogspot.com
http://lovinlifewithlea.blogspot.com
www.cookinglight.com
http://www.controlledcarbgourmet.com
http://www.nashuanutrition.com
http://www.skinnierandsaner.blogspot.com
www.netrition.com
wlsrecipe4life.com
http://www.jayrobb.com/products.asp#
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/resistance-band-exercises.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC9jkkEjlLI'
www.bulkfoods.com
http://features.prevention.com/walking/calendar
http://www.jerkysupermarket.com
http://www.spanalaskasales.com/shop/basic-cvegetables.html
http://www.changeofpace.com
http://www.beachjumps.com/
http://www.justadrop.net/productpage1.html
http://www.aubergines.org


2/1/09 186.0

Daily Topic:
Do you still "dump", and if so, do you know the triggers? How far out are you?
My Response:
I've dumped 3 times and all 3 had nothing to do with food.

The first 2 times I took my Dulcolax at the same time as my Tylenol PM.  Big mistake.  Nausea, heart palpitations, sweating, the pain in my stomach was so bad, DH though we'd have to go to the emergency room.  Anxiety?  Through the roof. I sat in the bathroom for 35 minutes wishing I could throw up or SOMETHING.  I curled up in a ball and once my stomach quit hurting I fell asleep.   The second night I was just testing to see if that's what caused the dumping.  Yep, exact same symptoms.  All I could think is the pills took up too much room in my pouch.  I switched back to taking my Dulcolax in the afternoon.

The third time I was looking for a cheaper way to take my calcium. HA!  I took 2 Citracal Calcium Citrate caplets.  I had the same symptoms without the stomach pain, but in place of that, I threw up.  Delightful!  Needless to say, I'm back to taking my more expensive chewables.

So far I haven't had a problem with food.  But I'm so militant with myself I've only tried two candies.  One was used for diabetics after WWII because of it's low carb/higher protein aspects.  Niederegger Martzipan.  I got 3 bars at Cost Plus World Market over Christmas and had 1/3 bar each day. (It's something my grandmother used to send every Christmas.)  I counted it as part of my calories/carb/protein for the day and I didn't have a bad reaction.  The other is Guylian belgian No SUgar Added chocolate.  They use Malitol and so long as I don't have much, I don't get the gassy/runny stomach issues.  They'r eboth expensive so I'm not tempted to buy it often.

New food to try:
Tofu Fingers from SparkPeople.  Their’s was a little plain so I used a premarinated version of tofu.
I had some pete's2go Sesame Ginger tofu in the refrigerator and tried it with and without almond flour coating. They're equally good! I liked the crispier ones better so I baked the second batch longer. I sliced them 1/4 " and baked them 20-30 minutes, turning half way through. These are so good!

Exercise: 30 minutes running on the rebounder
Weight lifting: Bench Press 12lbs 12 reps, Rowing 10 lbs 10 reps, Shoulder Press 12 lbs 10 reps, Squats 12 lbs 10 reps, Dead Lift 12 lbs 10 reps, Tricep Extension 15 lbs 12 reps, Bicep Curls 12 lbs 10

I haven’t been home much so food charts and exercise are chaotic the last few days.  No surprise that I’m up a pound.  I hope to get more sleep tonight and get back on the beam tomorrow.

1/23/09 186.6

I had my 6 month checkup with Dr. J today.  It went great.  He's happy with the results and thinks I'll be one of his successes.  I love that.  It gives me confidence to keep on truckin' down the road. :-)  He didn't lift my calorie restriction though! LOL

I did a little shopping afterwards and bought myself at pink hat  and pink jacket at a seconds store in Santa Rosa.  I haven’t worn pink in a while.  It really appealed to me.  I’m loving my hat!  I feel so special in it I smile all the time. lol

1/24/09  186.8

We had a Coast Guard Fotilla meeting in Fort Bragg and went grocery shopping afterwards then had dinner with friends.

OH Challenger Daily Topic:
Do you find yourself comparing your body to others, and do you find that you still think you look much bigger than you really are?
My response:
I don't compare myself to others when I walk in a room.  I'm not sure I did before I lost.  I crossed some invisible boundary into feeling thinner.  I bought a hat Friday after my 6 month checkup and I've been strutting it around.  I went to my coast guard flotilla meeting yesterday and one of the guys hadn't seen me for 4 months.  He didn't recognize me until I started talking about the job that I do.  He said, Jan, I didn't know who you were! That's good enough for me. I wore my hat to dinner last night and another couple said I looked fabulous.  I feel fabulous and I'm happy about it.  Maybe that shows. 

I asked DH for his input on this.  He said, you never acted like being fat stopped you from doing things.  You were 300 lbs when we started taking dance lessons and it was your idea.   There were a lot of people in there to look at you.

I never thought of it that way.  I was more concerned whether I was getting the dance steps right.  Maybe those 2 years of counseling after my divorce helped in more ways than I thought...  I'm counting my blessings.

1/25/09 186.4

Another OH Challenger question today:
Ok i have a question. I dont buy low carb versions of ketchup or bbq
sauce or anything like that, no low carb bread either. Should I be
using this stuff? i was at the store looking for that carb bisquick
stuff and of course i dont live near any stores that go beyond your
basics.... I have a hard time finding corn tortillas here for crying
out loud! So does this stuff actually make a difference in your diet?

My Response:
For me the answer is yes.  My weight stalls out if my carb count is too high (more than 20-30g if I'm exercising 30 min a day, 50g if I'm exercising 90 minutes a day, 30 min on the rebounder and 60 min on the exercycle).  My doctor recommends 40g per day if you're not exercising much.

Have you tracked your carbs VS weight loss?  I'm anal about spreadsheets and watch everything.  I noticed when my carbs went up, my weight loss went down so I monitor them closely.  

I tried the CarbQuik Cheddar Cheese Muffins today.  Not Red Lobster, but not bad.  Make sure to use salted butter.  All I had was unsalted and they tasted a little sweet.  I made half a recipe and got 6 muffins to the Nutritional information per muffin is as follows:
Protein    Calories    Fat    Sat Fat    Carb    Fiber  Net Carb
4.08        104.33    9.08      4.33      8.33      7     1.3

For bread I stick with Alvarado Street Sprouted Sourdough (Safeway, 2 hours away lol).  It's lower in carbs and higher in protein and works better for me.

I hope others chime in.  I'm not sure if I'm an anomaly or not.

B: Chocolate Soy Mocca Protein shake
S: Fage yogurt with Torani Peach SF Syrup and 2 walnuts
L:  turkey salad
S: Power Crunch Bar Triple Chocolate
D: Silk Soymilk Nog Protein Shake
Water:  99 oz
Vitamins:  Multi; B-12; iron, D, calcium
Protein 86g, cal 687, carbs 22g
Exercise:
60 minutes on the exercycle

Today’s OH Challengers Daily Topic:
What have you done to break a stall if you have experienced one?
My response:
First I look at how much I’ve lost in the past few weeks.  If it’s a lot I don’t worry much.  I know my body needs a rest after I lose a lot in a short time.  If the plateau stretches more than 2 weeks then I take action.

Research shows that chronic stress can affect your metabolism, promoting fat storage, and increasing cravings for sugary, high-fat “comfort foods.”  I try hard not to stress about it.  I stressed during month 3, added lots of exercise, ate less and I gained weight.  I read then that bumping your exercise too much at once when you don’t have enough carbs in your system causes the body to produce glycogen.  When you do that, you gain weight because the glycogen needs extra water to support it so you retain water.  How nice! LOL

Now I take it a little more in stride.  Lea once described it in a way that made sense to me. Think of weight loss as a stair case.  You take a few steps and there’s a landing.  That made sense to me.

Up my music beats per minute when I exercise.  I downloaded a free program to tell me what the BPM is of the songs I have.  You can find it at: http://www.download.com/MixMeister-BPM-Analyzer/3000-2169_4-10290906.html

I change my exercise routine around.  I usually run 30 minutes on the rebounder then pedal slowly on the recumbent bike during the day while watching tv.  Some day’s I’ll skip the running and walk on the treadmill with a 3% grade (3% is supposed to be easier on the joints then flat walking) at a slow pace (under 3 mph) for an hour.  I’ll add in a weight lifting segment.  I look at SparkPeople.com for new exercise ideas when I’m stuck.

This one may come as a surprise.  I up my carbs.  I generally keep my carbs low (20-30g).  When I exercise more, I add more carbs (40-50g).  No way I’m going to encourage glycogen production!  I add more Fage yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, veggies, a protein bar, FLAX Z SNAX hot cereal (lots of fiber).

I exercise longer, not harder.  I increase protein and water.  I make sure I’m getting my snacks in.  I don’t want my body to kick into starvation mode and stay there so I encourage it to think I’m ok and will be able to support it.

That’s what seems to work for me.  I’m looking forward to other ideas.  :-)

B: Chocolate Soy Mocca Protein shake
L: Caribbean Black Bean Turkey Burger, with hot sauce
S: Power Crunch Bar Tripple Chocolate
D: Silk Soymilk Nog Protein Shake

Exercise:   None
Vitamins:  Multi; 1200mg Calcium; B-12, iron, Zicam
Water 99 oz
Protein 81
Calories 648
Carbs 31

B: Chocolate Soy Mocca Protein shake
L: Caribbean Black Bean Turkey Burger, with hot sauce
S: Fage with SF Davinci Peach & Smuckers Splenda Strawberry Jam
D: Silk Soymilk Nog Protein Shake

Exercise: 
Run 30 min on rebounder
Recumbent bike: Level 1, 40 minutes, 338 calories, 7.54 miles
Recumbent bike: Level 1, 20 minutes, 213 calories, 4.75 miles
Recumbent bike: Level 1, 30 minutes, 247 calories, 5.52 miles
Squats 10
Vitamins:  Multi; 1200mg Calcium; B-12, D, iron, Zicam
Water 99 oz
Protein 89
Calories 659
Carbs 49


Today’s OH Challengers Daily Topic:  How do/did you determine what is the best weight for you?

My response:
My doctor chose mine, 150.  I'll see how I feel when I get there.  I'm thinking more like 135ish.  The range for my height is 107 - 137.  We'll see when I get closer.

B: Chocolate Soy Mocca Protein shake
L: Jeni-O Lean Turkey Roast, 3 oz
S: Fage with SF Davinci Peach and ½ apricot
D: Silk Soymilk Nog Protein Shake
S: Mock Danish, low carb

Exercise:  I was a maniac today lol.
Run 30 min on rebounder
Recumbent bike: Level 1, 40 minutes, 363 calories, 8.11 miles
Recumbent bike: Level 1, 20 minutes, 213 calories, 4.75 miles
Recumbent bike: Level 1, 30 minutes, 301 calories, 6.73 miles
Weight lifting: Rowing 12 lbs 1o reps, Shoulder Press 12 lbs 9 reps, Squats 12 lbs 10 reps, lunges 12lbs 10 reps, Dead Lift 12 lbs 10 reps, Tricep Extension 15 lbs 9 reps, Bicep Curls 9 lbs 11 reps, leg raises 10
Vitamins:  Multi; 1200mg Calcium; B-12, D, iron, Zicam
Water 83 oz
Protein 102
Calories 746
Carbs 34

Today’s Daily Topic:  Today, I challenge you to submit daily topic suggestions.
My response:

What’s your favorite exercise?  Do you play music, watch TV or just slug it out?

Do you have a set exercise time?  How many days a week do you make it?

What songs do you listen to while exercising?  We have’t done this in a while and my list has changed.

What do you think contributes to post WLS weight gain?

What is your most destructive behavoir with regard to WLS?

Is something keeping you from getting to your goal?  If so, do you know what it is?

Have you ever considered a bypass reversal?  If so, why?

Do you ever wish you hadn’t had WLS?  If so, why?

If you got preganant after WLS how long did you wait?

Have you had any dumping symptoms after combining medications (OTC or prescription)?

How long did it take for you to start feeling hungry after WLS?  Real hunger and head hunger.

How far out are you and what is yout typical day like with regard to vitamins, prescriptions, food, water?

Do you still follow the eating protein containing foods first, vegetables second, and carbs third?  If not, why?  If so, why?

Did you choose your surgery or did your insurance company choose for you?

How did you choose your goal weight?

Do you/did you have IBS?  What did you do to resolve it ot make it better?

What do you do to remember your vitamins?

At then end of the day do you know how much protein, water, carbs, calories you’ve consumed?  How do you keep track?

How many meals a day do you eat, includng snacks?  Do you count your snacks as a meal?

What do you carry in your purse or car to ensure you get your protein in?

What is/was your favorite protein shake?  This can be a brand of powder or ready made. How many grams of Protein, Carbs, Calories, and fat does it have?

What is your favorite protein bar?  How many grams of Protein, Carbs, Calories, and fat does it have?

Did your taste of food change dramatically after WLS?  Was it immediately, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months,  year out?

Did you lose a little or a lot of hair post WLS?  What did you do to prevent it?  How long after WLS did it start falling out?  Did you embrace scarfs, hats or wigs?

Do you have an exercise buddy?  If not, do you think it would help if you did?

How many times a year do you have bloodwork done?  If more than once a year, is there a particular reason?

What is your favorite post WLS meal at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and a year?

What is your favorite snack food?

What new exercise have you tried since WLS?  Is it something you never thought you’d do?  Do you care if someone else thinks it looks silly?

What makes you dump?  Be specific.

What brand of vitamins do you take?  Are you happy with them?

How much of the folowing vitamins do you take per day?
Iron
Calcium
B-12
Multi
D
Do you take any others?  If so, why?

List the ways one can be a WLS success story.

What do you crave post WLS?  This can be food, attention, whatever.

Did you eat slowly today/yesterday, chewing thoroughly and leaving enough time between bites? How long does it take you to eat a meal now compared to before WLS?

Do you give yourself credit/a pat on the back, atta girl/ good job, when you practice mindful eating?

Do you park farther away from stores, take the stairs or any other exercise boosting methods?

Did you do your planned exercise today?  What was it?

Do you plan your meals or hope something in the freezer strikes your fancy?  Is this difference from your first month post op?