Diminishing Dawn
My Best Pieces of Advice For Pre-Ops
Apr 05, 2008
I recently had a few emails with people asking what advice I'd give out to pre-ops so I thought I would take a few minutes and write down my thoughts on what I've learned and what I would tell others to make the most of their surgery.
1) Make exercise a part of your life. I cannot overemphasize how important it is to make the most of your year long window. The first year you will lose the most amount of weight that you ever will and it is important to use that time to your advantage as it will get harder over time to lose. I would tell anyone who is having any form of weight loss surgery to start exercising the minute they get home. It begins by a walk down the block and then by the time you are a few months out, you should be doing at least 30-60 minutes most days of the week. Again, this goes for any surgery, as being physically active prevents so many medical problems as well. *Make exercise a part of your daily life*
2) Eat clean. Focus on eating healthfully early out. You've become fat probably because you admit, you ate many of the wrong things. After surgery you will not be focused on eating, eating will be a chore and it will not be a pleasant experience. It is easy very early out to say NO to your temptations. Whatever your triggers are, don't eat a bite of them for a long, long time. Once you get back your taste for your triggers, it will be A LOT harder to say no to them. Focus on the foods that you'll find at the perimeter of the grocery store: dairy, fruits and veggies, protein and whole grains. Don't worry about the stuff in the middle aisles - all the processed garbage will just hinder your weight loss. Think about eating things only that have a nutritional benefit. Pass on those candies, cookies, bars, chips... those things you ate BEFORE surgery will do nothing nutritionally for you and will again, only hinder your weight loss. Snacks should be things like string cheese, yogurt, fruit, veggies and nuts. Avoid the processed garbage with soybean oil and enriched flours.
3) Invest in a good water bottle. I love the SIGG water bottles. They are awesome. I bought mine online at reusablebags. It keeps the water cool and I no longer waste my money on cases of water. I no longer harm the environment.
4) Buy yourself a mini photo album. This will be your book about you. Begin by taking a picture of yourself the week before surgery. On the page next to it, record your measurements and weight. Keep the same outfit and once a month take a new photo in those clothes and record your weight and measurements. This mini photo album serves many purposes - first, it will be something that you can look at when the scale stops moving. EXPECT PLATEAUS. This will help motivate you when you see the inches you've lost in lieu of the scale. Number two, it will help you psychologically keep abreast of the changes in your body. Number three, you can see how far you've come over the long haul.
5) Strength training is essential. Buy yourself some weights girl. Buy some 2-3 lb weights, a pair of 5 lbs and 10 too. Buy a book or video that has a program you can follow. Strength training has been my one regret - I wish I started it earlier. Strength training will help to basically "compact" your body so that things look tighter. You will fit into smaller clothes than without doing it. You should be doing strength training at least 3 times a week. As well, doing it regularly raises up your metabolism so that your body will burn more calories doing nothing! If you are into your 30s or older, your metabolism is naturally slowing down. This is the only way to combat that.
6) Be religious on supplementation. I cannot emphasize how important it is to take care of your body. I highly suggest supplementing calcium even if your surgeon has not recommended it. Naturally as we get older our bodies begin to lose bone.
7) Buy a nice journal. Use this journal to write down everything you eat on a given day including your protein totals, exercise totals and water intake. You can record your weight if you feel the need to record it every day. Writing things down is the number one habit of successful weight loss people. It will help keep you accountable for what you put in your mouth. You will see possible patterns of perhaps why you are up/down on the scale. You can also go back to a successful week and repeat all the great things you did that week in order to move the scale.
8) Realize that plateaus are normal. Yes they are and every day I see someone on obesityhelp post a big post crying about the scale not moving. I'm not trying to be mean here but if you researched this surgery you should have read many times over that plateaus are normal and to expect them. Yes, they totally suck..but your body needs time to adjust to everything. Don't drive yourself crazy over it. Just whip out that photo album and take your new measurements at the time that your scale doesn't move so that you can evaluate things another way.
Dawn
1) Make exercise a part of your life. I cannot overemphasize how important it is to make the most of your year long window. The first year you will lose the most amount of weight that you ever will and it is important to use that time to your advantage as it will get harder over time to lose. I would tell anyone who is having any form of weight loss surgery to start exercising the minute they get home. It begins by a walk down the block and then by the time you are a few months out, you should be doing at least 30-60 minutes most days of the week. Again, this goes for any surgery, as being physically active prevents so many medical problems as well. *Make exercise a part of your daily life*
2) Eat clean. Focus on eating healthfully early out. You've become fat probably because you admit, you ate many of the wrong things. After surgery you will not be focused on eating, eating will be a chore and it will not be a pleasant experience. It is easy very early out to say NO to your temptations. Whatever your triggers are, don't eat a bite of them for a long, long time. Once you get back your taste for your triggers, it will be A LOT harder to say no to them. Focus on the foods that you'll find at the perimeter of the grocery store: dairy, fruits and veggies, protein and whole grains. Don't worry about the stuff in the middle aisles - all the processed garbage will just hinder your weight loss. Think about eating things only that have a nutritional benefit. Pass on those candies, cookies, bars, chips... those things you ate BEFORE surgery will do nothing nutritionally for you and will again, only hinder your weight loss. Snacks should be things like string cheese, yogurt, fruit, veggies and nuts. Avoid the processed garbage with soybean oil and enriched flours.
3) Invest in a good water bottle. I love the SIGG water bottles. They are awesome. I bought mine online at reusablebags. It keeps the water cool and I no longer waste my money on cases of water. I no longer harm the environment.
4) Buy yourself a mini photo album. This will be your book about you. Begin by taking a picture of yourself the week before surgery. On the page next to it, record your measurements and weight. Keep the same outfit and once a month take a new photo in those clothes and record your weight and measurements. This mini photo album serves many purposes - first, it will be something that you can look at when the scale stops moving. EXPECT PLATEAUS. This will help motivate you when you see the inches you've lost in lieu of the scale. Number two, it will help you psychologically keep abreast of the changes in your body. Number three, you can see how far you've come over the long haul.
5) Strength training is essential. Buy yourself some weights girl. Buy some 2-3 lb weights, a pair of 5 lbs and 10 too. Buy a book or video that has a program you can follow. Strength training has been my one regret - I wish I started it earlier. Strength training will help to basically "compact" your body so that things look tighter. You will fit into smaller clothes than without doing it. You should be doing strength training at least 3 times a week. As well, doing it regularly raises up your metabolism so that your body will burn more calories doing nothing! If you are into your 30s or older, your metabolism is naturally slowing down. This is the only way to combat that.
6) Be religious on supplementation. I cannot emphasize how important it is to take care of your body. I highly suggest supplementing calcium even if your surgeon has not recommended it. Naturally as we get older our bodies begin to lose bone.
7) Buy a nice journal. Use this journal to write down everything you eat on a given day including your protein totals, exercise totals and water intake. You can record your weight if you feel the need to record it every day. Writing things down is the number one habit of successful weight loss people. It will help keep you accountable for what you put in your mouth. You will see possible patterns of perhaps why you are up/down on the scale. You can also go back to a successful week and repeat all the great things you did that week in order to move the scale.
8) Realize that plateaus are normal. Yes they are and every day I see someone on obesityhelp post a big post crying about the scale not moving. I'm not trying to be mean here but if you researched this surgery you should have read many times over that plateaus are normal and to expect them. Yes, they totally suck..but your body needs time to adjust to everything. Don't drive yourself crazy over it. Just whip out that photo album and take your new measurements at the time that your scale doesn't move so that you can evaluate things another way.
Dawn
Doing Well...
Feb 22, 2008
Doing well lately. We started a Biggest Loser contest at work and it has really helped to keep me motivated and on track with my eating. I've struggled too much with binging lately. Again, the surgery cures the body but it doesn't cure the head. I won't be the Biggest Loser by far as there are people with many more pounds to lose than myself but it's fun anyway to make a little competition and all - especially before spring when we'll be taking off the bulky sweaters that hide us in the Winter. Speaking of sweaters, I'm always sooo cold that I constantly wear big bulky sweaters. That must not make me look very svelte I imagine! LOL!
During the holidays I struggled with the binging and put on a few pounds and I'm just a few pounds of being back at goal. I feel so much better when I'm doing the things I should be doing - eating mindfully, eating healthfully and exercising. Exercising really helps boost my spirits and moods - the whole endorphin thing, you know? I'm glad that I chose to make exercise a part of my life! I'm glad that this surgery helps keep me in check - it helps me correct my bad habits when I gain a pound or two! I must not to back to my old habits of constantly grazing and stuffing myself to the point of feeling sick. That's the old me and I can't go back there!
When I talk about regrets, the only one I have is that I didn't start strength training sooner. I wish I was more disciplined with that. My goal is to continue to work on this and to do more crunches to help tighten my abdominals. I'm just not happy with my stomach. I suppose that most of that is because of the skin however. It just irritates me more than anything else!
During the holidays I struggled with the binging and put on a few pounds and I'm just a few pounds of being back at goal. I feel so much better when I'm doing the things I should be doing - eating mindfully, eating healthfully and exercising. Exercising really helps boost my spirits and moods - the whole endorphin thing, you know? I'm glad that I chose to make exercise a part of my life! I'm glad that this surgery helps keep me in check - it helps me correct my bad habits when I gain a pound or two! I must not to back to my old habits of constantly grazing and stuffing myself to the point of feeling sick. That's the old me and I can't go back there!
When I talk about regrets, the only one I have is that I didn't start strength training sooner. I wish I was more disciplined with that. My goal is to continue to work on this and to do more crunches to help tighten my abdominals. I'm just not happy with my stomach. I suppose that most of that is because of the skin however. It just irritates me more than anything else!
Protein Bar Review: OH YEAH!
Jan 20, 2008
So I went to nutrition house at the mall looking for protein samples today and some bars. Not a ton of protein sample so I do ask that any of you who have found some new proteins to tell me about them. Lots of protein bars of course, but also lots of $. I spent about $50 on samples and bars! It certainly adds up.
I bought the ISS Oh Yeah bar - Chocolate and Caramel protein bar. It is amazing! It takes almost identical to an OH Henry chocolate bar.
As with many of these bigger bars, it certainly packs some calories so I would use it more as a meal replacement or perhaps half of a bar for a snack. It's a huge bar.
Calories: 380 grams
Fat: 19 grams
Protein: 26 grams
Sugars: 8 grams
Sugar Alcohol: 15 grams
Dawn
I bought the ISS Oh Yeah bar - Chocolate and Caramel protein bar. It is amazing! It takes almost identical to an OH Henry chocolate bar.
As with many of these bigger bars, it certainly packs some calories so I would use it more as a meal replacement or perhaps half of a bar for a snack. It's a huge bar.
Calories: 380 grams
Fat: 19 grams
Protein: 26 grams
Sugars: 8 grams
Sugar Alcohol: 15 grams
Dawn
Scale Won't Budge
Jan 20, 2008
I had a big realization this week. I've been busting my butt to lose some pounds and they have not seemed to want to come off. I wondered if my body was perhaps plateauing which is a possibility, but then I also examined my eating patterns and habits since of course, I journal them.
I've come to realize that I have been eating so many fruits and vegetables and things that I've really slacked on the protein. So now I'm going to really try to bust through that plateau with some protein.
Looking at my eating pattern, lately for breakfast, I have a cereal or half a bagel. Then for lunch I have a tomato sandwich or leftovers, some laughing cow cheese on crackers...and I can see that most of my protein intake has been coming from dinner.
For snacks, it's been fruit and veggies or yogurt or crackers - again not enough protein. I need to get back to basics!!
I've bought some protein samples and some protein bars to help with this goal.
Dawn
I've come to realize that I have been eating so many fruits and vegetables and things that I've really slacked on the protein. So now I'm going to really try to bust through that plateau with some protein.
Looking at my eating pattern, lately for breakfast, I have a cereal or half a bagel. Then for lunch I have a tomato sandwich or leftovers, some laughing cow cheese on crackers...and I can see that most of my protein intake has been coming from dinner.
For snacks, it's been fruit and veggies or yogurt or crackers - again not enough protein. I need to get back to basics!!
I've bought some protein samples and some protein bars to help with this goal.
Dawn
Terrible Loss
Jan 03, 2008
We just had a terrible loss today on the Ontario board of a woman named Lucie. I did not really talk to or know Lucie, but the loss of Lucie has hit the board very hard. She had DS (Duodenal Switch) in the Fall and basically had a freak incidence of her wound getting infected and the infection spreading to all different organs in her body. As well, her bowels perforated. Just terrible stuff and she was so young and has two small children to boot.
Whenever we have a loss in our community, we most certainly grieve. But then it inevitably causes pre-ops to start panicking like crazy and basically abandon ship. It's so hard to not get emotional when it comes to life and death situations. Inevitably, she probably would have been more likely to get hit by a car than to die by a superbug infection of this sort. But it's terribly horrific and sad.
In the Fall of 2006 or so, we had two other deaths on our Ontario board that hit the board really hard as well. One died of a clot I believe and the other, a leak. Ironically both were with the same surgeon. Many people started to abandon ship and I remember one lady in particular who I was very excited for to have surgery - and I have not seen her since. I often wonder how she is doing.
When it comes to surgery, we know about the possiblities and complications but the difference is that these people are merely a statistic to us. It is easy to imagine the person as a number, a statistic merely. It makes it easier to say, "Well there is only a .05% chance of this happening, and that. But when someone you know directly or indirectly passes away because they become victim of that complication, it really plays on our emotion and our "head". I'm not saying that Lucie was not importan - that she is only a "statistic". Instead what I want to suggest is that we have to sort of measure what the percentages are and the possiblitiy of being morbidly obese and getting heavier and what complications arise from that in itself. When we look at the "big picture" then we may be more willing or unwilling to take the chance to "roll the dice" on weight loss surgery.
For me, that impetus was my mother having a massive heart attack at age 59. Statistically that put me at twice the risk for the same thing nevermind the fact that I was far heavier than my mother and twenty years younger.
Dawn
Whenever we have a loss in our community, we most certainly grieve. But then it inevitably causes pre-ops to start panicking like crazy and basically abandon ship. It's so hard to not get emotional when it comes to life and death situations. Inevitably, she probably would have been more likely to get hit by a car than to die by a superbug infection of this sort. But it's terribly horrific and sad.
In the Fall of 2006 or so, we had two other deaths on our Ontario board that hit the board really hard as well. One died of a clot I believe and the other, a leak. Ironically both were with the same surgeon. Many people started to abandon ship and I remember one lady in particular who I was very excited for to have surgery - and I have not seen her since. I often wonder how she is doing.
When it comes to surgery, we know about the possiblities and complications but the difference is that these people are merely a statistic to us. It is easy to imagine the person as a number, a statistic merely. It makes it easier to say, "Well there is only a .05% chance of this happening, and that. But when someone you know directly or indirectly passes away because they become victim of that complication, it really plays on our emotion and our "head". I'm not saying that Lucie was not importan - that she is only a "statistic". Instead what I want to suggest is that we have to sort of measure what the percentages are and the possiblitiy of being morbidly obese and getting heavier and what complications arise from that in itself. When we look at the "big picture" then we may be more willing or unwilling to take the chance to "roll the dice" on weight loss surgery.
For me, that impetus was my mother having a massive heart attack at age 59. Statistically that put me at twice the risk for the same thing nevermind the fact that I was far heavier than my mother and twenty years younger.
Dawn
5 Day Pouch Test
Dec 30, 2007
About a month ago I decided to try the 5 day pouch test. I really only tried it basically out of curiosity as I heard so many people talk about it on the wls grads board on obesityhelp. So I thought "what could it hurt?" if I tried on it and reported on it.
Right away, I should say really it is a misnomer as it is not really a "test" at all. There's no sure and final results or interpretations. Basically it's more of an eating approach that is supposed to "tighten" up the pouch. Some call it getting "back to basics" because it almost mimics the eating plan after surgery, albeit in the span of 5 days.
Here's a synopsis:
Day 1 and 2 - liquids.
Day 3 - eggs and fish
Day 4 - loose proteins (ground beef etc)
Day 5 - firm proteins
Well, days 1 and 2 were hard. Having only liquids was tough and I subsisted on protein shakes and soups. I even ate in my classroom as I couldn't stand to see people eating actual food. I was surprised that I made it through although I didn't quite feel up to par. Wasn't headachey but didn't feel all that great either.
Day 3 was the egg and fish day. I had eggs for breakfast, tuna for lunch and by the time it came to eat dinner, I honestly felt sick to death of fish and tuna and the feeling that I would vomit if I had fish, tuna, soup, eggs or another protein shake. I was MAJORLY nauseous and by the end of the night, I'd had it with the 5 day pouch test.
It became the three day pouch test. LOL!
So was it worth it? No, not in the least. Sure I lost 5 lbs in 3 days but they came back quickly as one would expect. Did it tighten up my pouch? I would almost say yes because for the following week I had a lot of stomachaches...but the nausea stuck around for a while so this was definitely the factor that makes me say that the 5 day pouch test sucked!
Dawn
Right away, I should say really it is a misnomer as it is not really a "test" at all. There's no sure and final results or interpretations. Basically it's more of an eating approach that is supposed to "tighten" up the pouch. Some call it getting "back to basics" because it almost mimics the eating plan after surgery, albeit in the span of 5 days.
Here's a synopsis:
Day 1 and 2 - liquids.
Day 3 - eggs and fish
Day 4 - loose proteins (ground beef etc)
Day 5 - firm proteins
Well, days 1 and 2 were hard. Having only liquids was tough and I subsisted on protein shakes and soups. I even ate in my classroom as I couldn't stand to see people eating actual food. I was surprised that I made it through although I didn't quite feel up to par. Wasn't headachey but didn't feel all that great either.
Day 3 was the egg and fish day. I had eggs for breakfast, tuna for lunch and by the time it came to eat dinner, I honestly felt sick to death of fish and tuna and the feeling that I would vomit if I had fish, tuna, soup, eggs or another protein shake. I was MAJORLY nauseous and by the end of the night, I'd had it with the 5 day pouch test.
It became the three day pouch test. LOL!
So was it worth it? No, not in the least. Sure I lost 5 lbs in 3 days but they came back quickly as one would expect. Did it tighten up my pouch? I would almost say yes because for the following week I had a lot of stomachaches...but the nausea stuck around for a while so this was definitely the factor that makes me say that the 5 day pouch test sucked!
Dawn
Happy Holidays!
Dec 29, 2007
First of all, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone! The holidays have been really rough on me. Let's just say that the month of December was really challenging with my eating. I gave in way too much to the old temptations of the past, and started that binging behaviour again. That's the hard part of the surgery really - once you get to goal it's like "is that all there is?" and you don't magically get your head on track. It was much easier to stay focused when I was losing. Once I got to goal, it became more of a struggle because you just want to say "screw it all". When you are so focused on that goal, it's easy. When you get to goal, it's a challenge to maintain. I am still trying to find the "balance" of treating myself to junk food but not too often. This surgery is all about balance for me.
I ate a lot during the month of December and I even binged out. Well, not all binging really more like grazing nonstop. I can easily put down enough food and calories to gain weight if I graze. I managed to eat a whole box of turtles in three days. Yep, bad habits creep up again but this time I can't binge in one sitting, but do so in the manner of a day or two or three. I ate everything and anything. I really ate crap - cookies, chocolates, chips - anything just for the sake of eating and consequently I am up on the scale. The scale was not the only repercussion - when I eat crap I feel like crap, and I felt awful much of the time with stomachaches too numerous to mention.
Am I bummed about being up on the scale? Yes and No. Of course, I'm having my "fat days" mentally right now where I see myself as only fat. I'm embarrassed, feeling sorry for myself and going through a spell of "why did I do this to myself?". But at the same time, I'm actually GLAD that I'm up on the scale. It is my WAKE UP CALL to get back to healthful eating. The fact that I'm up is actually a good thing because it shows me that I need to get back to eating healthfully and pull myself out of this rut. I would hate to eat like that and not have a consequence you know? I do not want to be rewarded for what I've done so I'm glad that the scale is up! The whole point of this surgery is to get myself on track with healthy eating and exercise and not to eat garbage as I have in the last month. That's another reason I'm glad that I chose roux en y.
So I got back on track on Thursday, December 27th and have had three great days of eating/exercising and I can't tell you how much better I feel. I don't feel like I am dragging myself around, no stomachaches (just some nasty headaches to go with the withdrawl) and I have that I FEEL IN CONTROL feeling again. I'm already down 3 lbs on the scale at 148 lbs. (I am aiming for 135 in the new year). And while, I still loathe getting started with exercise again (it's hard to get back on the horse...) I feel great when I do! So time to get back to basics!
It's embarrassing to reveal this, but I feel that I need to be honest with myself and need to show others that this surgery does not fix the brain. I'm almost a year and a half out and I struggle with this too.
Dawn
I ate a lot during the month of December and I even binged out. Well, not all binging really more like grazing nonstop. I can easily put down enough food and calories to gain weight if I graze. I managed to eat a whole box of turtles in three days. Yep, bad habits creep up again but this time I can't binge in one sitting, but do so in the manner of a day or two or three. I ate everything and anything. I really ate crap - cookies, chocolates, chips - anything just for the sake of eating and consequently I am up on the scale. The scale was not the only repercussion - when I eat crap I feel like crap, and I felt awful much of the time with stomachaches too numerous to mention.
Am I bummed about being up on the scale? Yes and No. Of course, I'm having my "fat days" mentally right now where I see myself as only fat. I'm embarrassed, feeling sorry for myself and going through a spell of "why did I do this to myself?". But at the same time, I'm actually GLAD that I'm up on the scale. It is my WAKE UP CALL to get back to healthful eating. The fact that I'm up is actually a good thing because it shows me that I need to get back to eating healthfully and pull myself out of this rut. I would hate to eat like that and not have a consequence you know? I do not want to be rewarded for what I've done so I'm glad that the scale is up! The whole point of this surgery is to get myself on track with healthy eating and exercise and not to eat garbage as I have in the last month. That's another reason I'm glad that I chose roux en y.
So I got back on track on Thursday, December 27th and have had three great days of eating/exercising and I can't tell you how much better I feel. I don't feel like I am dragging myself around, no stomachaches (just some nasty headaches to go with the withdrawl) and I have that I FEEL IN CONTROL feeling again. I'm already down 3 lbs on the scale at 148 lbs. (I am aiming for 135 in the new year). And while, I still loathe getting started with exercise again (it's hard to get back on the horse...) I feel great when I do! So time to get back to basics!
It's embarrassing to reveal this, but I feel that I need to be honest with myself and need to show others that this surgery does not fix the brain. I'm almost a year and a half out and I struggle with this too.
Dawn
New Pic - Sept. 7/07
Sep 08, 2007
Here's the picture of my outfit on the first day of school.
The shock of the week: A person on my friends list on Facebook called me "tiny". LOL!!
Dawn
Up and Down..
Aug 15, 2007
It seems like for the rest of the summer, I'll continue to play with the same five pounds. I seem to be bouncing around alot on the scale. I'm not worried about it really. I *know* that I'm eating more crap then I should...so after the scale gets a little up, I hunker back down on being strict with myself and lose the pounds in a jiffy. As long as I keep weighing myself every day to keep myself honest, I'll be okay. I look forward to going back to work next week as it will keep my mind off food. I'm thinking way too much of food lately and doing mindless eating again. I know how to refocus though so it doesn't really alarm me. I just can't wait til I get busy again and then won't be so consumed with what is in the fridge! My relationship with food is so much healthier when I'm busy. Too easy to get back into bad habits sometimes.
I FINALLY DID IT!!! I finally for the first time did my strength training exercises. I have th book Strong Women Stay Slim and am going to start doing those exercises every other day. I need to tone. I've been focusing on cardio so much that I've lost tone and strength. I am such a weakling now. Last night, I couldn't even open a bloody mayo jar on the first try. It took me three tries! When I was very large, I'd just put all my weight into it, and would have no problem opening anything. Now I've definitely lost some muscle and need to get working on that again. When you lose weight with any form of gastric bypass, you WILL lose muscle - it's just a result of losing so much so soon.
So I'm starting the weight training. The great thing about weight training is that the more muscle you get, the more calories your body needs every day. Another reason to eat more down the line.
Why is this the case?
When you work out with weights, your muscles basically physically "rip". You know the expression about "getting ripped". It is true. Your muscles get all ripped, and your body has to repair them together. That's where all those extra calories burned come in. Your body uses up calories repairing the ripped muscle. The next day, you have to take a day off from weight training so the repair can continue. When the muscle is repaired, it is my understanding that they grow in bigger and tighter. The next day you work out with weights, the pattern continues. I've always found that fascinating.
Dawn
I FINALLY DID IT!!! I finally for the first time did my strength training exercises. I have th book Strong Women Stay Slim and am going to start doing those exercises every other day. I need to tone. I've been focusing on cardio so much that I've lost tone and strength. I am such a weakling now. Last night, I couldn't even open a bloody mayo jar on the first try. It took me three tries! When I was very large, I'd just put all my weight into it, and would have no problem opening anything. Now I've definitely lost some muscle and need to get working on that again. When you lose weight with any form of gastric bypass, you WILL lose muscle - it's just a result of losing so much so soon.
So I'm starting the weight training. The great thing about weight training is that the more muscle you get, the more calories your body needs every day. Another reason to eat more down the line.
Why is this the case?
When you work out with weights, your muscles basically physically "rip". You know the expression about "getting ripped". It is true. Your muscles get all ripped, and your body has to repair them together. That's where all those extra calories burned come in. Your body uses up calories repairing the ripped muscle. The next day, you have to take a day off from weight training so the repair can continue. When the muscle is repaired, it is my understanding that they grow in bigger and tighter. The next day you work out with weights, the pattern continues. I've always found that fascinating.
Dawn
1 Year Out Bloodwork Results
Aug 07, 2007
So I went to the doctor's today to get the results of my bloodwork done last week at just over a year out and everything is in the completely normal range except for one thing - my cholesterol.
At first it freaked me out a little but when the doctor went over it, it made sense to me. Even at my heaviest of 288 lbs, my cholesterol was never THAT bad. While I had high cholesterol, for some reason my body has a high amount of the good cholesterol naturally that combats the bad cholesterol. So that accounts for the higher cholesterol reading (mind you it is only a *smidge* above average) because again, my high cholesterol is SOOO good that my cholesterol is a little higher because of the good cholesterol.
Whew! Good nothing to worry about! My triglycerides are no longer lower than normal so again, this is the best bloodwork yet.
I went to my classroom today to start moving furniture. I'm completely rearranging my classroom physically and my program too. All the new philosophy stuff.... I am going to go back on Thursday to CLEAN. I'm dirty gross just from moving things with all the dust bunnies. Yuck!
I went for a bone mass density test today as well. Doctor figured that would be good at a year out to make sure I don't have any bone loss. I should get those results next week.
That's about it. Oh, can I just say that the Six Star Body Fuel peanut butter protein bars are the best bars ever. I have totally bought my one Shoppers Drug Mart out of them - bought a whole box of 12 and another 8. Yum! I would have bought more if they had more. Will have to check another Shoppers sometime. I highly recommend them. While they are not super high in protein, if you need a little "bump" they are great with 12 grams. But the best part is they are yummy almost like a cookie. I eat them slowly pulling out the peanut butter chips in them. Delish!
Anyway, that's my thought for the day! LOL!
Dawn
At first it freaked me out a little but when the doctor went over it, it made sense to me. Even at my heaviest of 288 lbs, my cholesterol was never THAT bad. While I had high cholesterol, for some reason my body has a high amount of the good cholesterol naturally that combats the bad cholesterol. So that accounts for the higher cholesterol reading (mind you it is only a *smidge* above average) because again, my high cholesterol is SOOO good that my cholesterol is a little higher because of the good cholesterol.
Whew! Good nothing to worry about! My triglycerides are no longer lower than normal so again, this is the best bloodwork yet.
I went to my classroom today to start moving furniture. I'm completely rearranging my classroom physically and my program too. All the new philosophy stuff.... I am going to go back on Thursday to CLEAN. I'm dirty gross just from moving things with all the dust bunnies. Yuck!
I went for a bone mass density test today as well. Doctor figured that would be good at a year out to make sure I don't have any bone loss. I should get those results next week.
That's about it. Oh, can I just say that the Six Star Body Fuel peanut butter protein bars are the best bars ever. I have totally bought my one Shoppers Drug Mart out of them - bought a whole box of 12 and another 8. Yum! I would have bought more if they had more. Will have to check another Shoppers sometime. I highly recommend them. While they are not super high in protein, if you need a little "bump" they are great with 12 grams. But the best part is they are yummy almost like a cookie. I eat them slowly pulling out the peanut butter chips in them. Delish!
Anyway, that's my thought for the day! LOL!
Dawn
About Me
Windsor, XX
Location
24.6
BMI
Surgery
07/05/2006
Surgery Date
Jan 17, 2005
Member Since
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
me
265lbs
