Updates

Apr 10, 2009

I haven't posted in a while since I've been busy getting ready for our move to Alaska and starting up our homestead. It's amazing how much time and energy completely changing your life can take!  Ironic that radically simplifying your life takes so much planning and strategy to do right.

I'm still maintaining around 140. My PCP got a little worried when I started getting close to 135 and threatened to put me on TPN fluids if I lost anymore. So I've been really careful to keep my calories above 1200 a day (closer to 1600 if I'm doing a lot of physical activity). Luckily, I'm able to eat again now that I'm back on the Nexium. Looks like I'm going to be one of those people who have to take a PPI forever. Oh well, my stomach was a mess before surgery, so that's nothing new... at least I'm healthy now!

I'm a member of an Organic CSA and get a bin of organic produce every week. It's been a bit of a challenge finding recipes for some of the veggies that I can eat, but it's been kind of fun. It would probably be much easier if I tolerated leafy greens a little better (they give me the foamies) and I didn't have a few food aversions (eggplant - yuck!!).  I definitely feel better eating organic and hubby is happy that I'm finally cooking again. The first year after surgery just smelling food could make me feel sick, so it's nice to be able have some fun in the kitchen again. Thank goodness I don't dump on fat anymore because a lot of the recipes I've found to make the more "icky" veggies tolerable have lots of butter, cream and cheese in them... but oh well, it helps keep the protein and calories high enough for maintenance.

I'm still keeping my carbs fairly low because I feel horrible when I overindulge. Having gluten allergy/sensitivity makes it a bit easier not to munch on bread and pasta, but finding gluten-free varieties for the occasional treat has been interesting. It's nearly impossible to find any packaged foods or things in restaurants that don't have wheat or gluten in them so eating fresh from home is beginning to be my best option. I'm not too worried about that because I never really was one to eat out a lot or go in for microwave dinners, but sometimes you just don't feel like cooking ya know?!

But overall, I'm really happy that I had my RNY and my PS. I reached goal in my first year, and am still maintaining 6 months afterwards. I feel sooooooo much better and do soooooo much more now. Sometimes it's hard to remember that I can easily walk a few miles, or don't have to squeeze into seats or down aisles anymore, or can buy "real" clothes now. The other day after we bought our pickup truck someone said it was funny seeing such a "tiny" woman getting in and out of such a huge truck.... wow -- I'm TINY. It's hard to wrap my brain around :)

Only two months or so before the big move... eeek!  Hopefully we'll be able to get the cabin built and the gardens going so we can get our livestock and be mostly self-sufficient soon.

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