BlessedBeyondMeasure2012

Thanks y'all. I'm sticking with this it is just a little hard to keep my head up at the moment. I konw things are going to turn around and that it is just a matter of time. I just have to wait it out. I'm trying my best to follow everything to the "T". I'm getting in around 100 gm of protein a day and I'm pretty proud of that. At least maybe my hair wont fall out! LOL!

I use MyFitnessPal and pair it with my FitBit too. I have also used LoseIt! before and I really like it too but now I pretty much stick with MFP.

I'm not sure about the Yes Whey shots but I tried some New Whey protein shots that I got from The Vitamin Shoppe. They were NASTY!!! They were just under 4 oz with 42 gms of protein in each. I would drink a 1/2 one twice a day. Presleeve I could stomach just about anything and still pretty much can but those were too much. After I drank the last half that I did I really thought I would throw it back up. I took them back and exchanged them for some Gold Standard whey protein powder that I can mix with only 6 oz of water or skim milk. Much much better.

So I had surgery on 3/25, 16 days ago. This past Friday I was started on soft foods. My MD doesn't have a puree stage. I was told that for protein I could add soft cooked eggs, cheese, and cottage cheese. I called back that afternoon to ask if I could have refried or black beans as long as they were soft/pureed and was told that I could but not to use it as a stand alone protein source. They want me drinking 1 hour and eating the next and alternating pretty much the whole day while I'm awake. The MD, NP nor the NUT will tell me how many calories I am supposed to be taking in a day. I went ahead and planned what I will have tomorrow with all of my protein shakes, meals and snacks (I do a protein shake for breakfast) and when I put it all in MFP it was just over 900 calories. NINE HUNDRED!?!?! Does that seem right? I was told to eat at least two oz at a time but if I could eat more that was fine. I can handle 3-3.5 with no problem. I have not had any nausea and haven't thrown up at all since surgery so I don't think I am over eating. Last night was the only time that I have gotten even remotely uncomfortable after eating but not even that bad. I just figured, okay, this is what too full feels like. I get in at least 72 oz of water a day and I have been averaging 5000 steps/day per my FitBit this week. The scale has been stalled since Friday when I added soft foods. I have not cheated, not once. I haven't even licked a spoon that had anything on it that wasn't on my diet. I am so afraid that I am doing something wrong and am sabotaging myself unknowingly. I had this surgery to change my life, I don't want to mess it up. I know stalls can happen at any time, and I told myself I was prepared for it. I thought I was, I guess I just didn't expect to have one before I hit two weeks out. Please someone help me out here...

They are the kid ones but he has us taking two of them at a time to make sure and get everything in.

My MD has all of his patients on 1000-2000 mg of calcium, 1000-2000 mg of vitamin D, and two flintstones chewable vitamins daily, for women the flintstones with iron. He also has us split them and take anything with iron separate from the calcium and vit D.

I did this as soon as I could have yogurt and I thought it tasted AMAZING!

I haven't measured myself for height but standing next to my husband I keep telling him I feel like I am getting shorter. Maybe there is something to it?? Now my curosity is peaked, I'm gonna have to go measure...

I'm still in my soft foods stage, lots of people have a pureed stage which I do not get per my NUT. I eat soft scrambled eggs. I usually add some cottage cheese and scramble it with the cottage cheese for a little added protein and "fluff" of my eggs. I top with a little reduced fat cheese and it is really yummy. It stays with me for a while too. I also like refried beans, again with some cottage cheese added in for the extra protein and topped with low fat cheese. That usually keeps me full for a while too. I can't wait to actually get to eat some protein that I really have to chew again though. I am ready for fish, chicken, beef, what ever! I get some baked fish in another two and a half weeks or so and I'm super pumped about that!

My mom was there with me too at night while my husband and kiddos were there during the day. It meant so much to me for her to be there with me, I know your mom appreciates you!

That is so great! When I started this process both my parents didn't want me to do it. My mom has just about made a 180 turn. Don't get me wrong, I wont be sitting by her side watching her sleep after her sleeve (she doesn't need it anyway) but she is so supportive now. It is great to have wonderful relationship with your momma! It is great that you are such an inspiration to so many!

My stall started this past Friday. I've been bouncing around on this same stupid pound/half pound since adding soft foods. My Dr and NUT have some really different guidelines for weeks three and four. I was sleeved on 3/25, was on clear liquids for a week and full liquids until this past Thursday. I know my body is just saying that it finally got some food so its holding on to what it gets right now but still, it sure is frustrating. I have to keep in mind that I have lost 16 pounds since I got sleeved and in no other "life" have a consistently averaged a loss of 8 pounds a week. I have just gotten spoiled to watching the scale moving on down and now that it is stopped I feel like a brat getting all irritated cause the scale isn't doing what I want it to. It isn't the scale's fault. It isn't mine either, I'm doing my part, such is life This too shall pass and it will feel GREAT when it does!

Thanks y'all! Sarahboy I told my husband about you making your husband roll the window down in the car and he thought that was hilarious! I would bet he has had the same thought but just never made me! HA HA HA!

So I had a rough weekend. I got to add soft food to my diet on Friday. One would think that after three weeks of not eating any "real" food that it would be great, and it was! I got up on Saturday and I was up a pound from where I was Friday morning. Now, I know that my body is saying "Hey! I finally got some food, I need to hang on to it cause I don't know when I'll get the next round," and that is why the scales haven't been really nice this weekend. I still am bouncing around the same stupid half pound since Friday and its just frustrating. In my "previous life" I would have been irritated and just eaten something that I shouldn't have to justify the increase on the scales. Now, I didn't do anything or eat anything I shouldn't have but, boy, did I have a battle with head hunger all weekend. One of my favorite places to eat used to be Moe's, my husband has never really cared for it and I think that we have eaten there together just once in the past 5 years. Yesterday I had to run across town and what does he ask me to bring him back for supper?? MOE'S!! i couldn't believe it and it just plain made me mad when I had to go in there and order his burrito. I wanted one so bad but instead, I ordered his just like he asked (with absolutely nothing that could be considered healthy on it) and brought it home to him. I fixed my supper and was satisfied with it. My dad used to say that it didn't matter if you got full off of black eyed peas or steak and potatoes either way you were still full. That is very true, steak and potatoes just taste much better, as would have Moe's last night. Anyway, I needed something to take my mind off of the negative and I figured I'd list the NSV's that I could think of to lift my spirits a little 1. I can get my wedding rings on again, I haven't been able to wear them individually since last June and it has probably been more than a year since I have been able to get both of them on at the same time. 2. I already have a pair of pants that are too big and I can no longer wear (at least my husband refuses to be seen in public with me if I do!) 3. Its easier to shave my arm pits cause they aren't so full. 4. I can bend over to paint my own toe nails again! 5. The seatbelt in my husbands truck doesn't lock just because I'm trying to put it on and pulled it out a little too far anymore. I can actually bend down and pick my purse up from the floorboard and it doesn't lock! 6. I can put on and tie my shoes with almost no effort. 7. I have bad breath. (Okay so maybe that one isn't so exciting but apparently when you are breaking down fat you get ketosis which causes halitosis aka bad breath. I must be doing good breaking it down cause even my 5 year old tells me my breath is stinky! LOL!) I know there are more but these are all I can think of right now. I'm going to keep working at it and keep working my tool. I know that I did the right thing and I know that I'll be able to eat more normally again some day. I did this for my kids and they are going to have a more amazing mom because of it.

Thanks BMBrush! It does suck! and it stinks too! lol! That was a pretty interesting article, at least we know we are doing a good job of breaking down fat! That is a plus anyway!

So since I started my preop diet I have had a horrible taste in my mouth. One morning my sweet 5 year old son son asks "Mom why is your breath so stinky?" I told him I didn't know but that I had a bad taste in my mouth. I have commented a couple of times on this bad taste and my husband will lovingly tell me that my breath is bad. I brush my teeth and use listerine mouthwash regularly but still with little improvement. WHY??? I've never had bad breath for no apparent reason and now it seems like I can't get rid of it. My NUT told me that I couldn't chew gum and I don't think hard candy to freshen my breath is necessarily a good idea. Anyone know what is causing this kickin breath or what I can do to improve it? I've started taking my calcium and vit D with breakfast and my multivitamins at supper instead of alone and that has helped a tiny bit but still... And will it ever get better???

You can change the date with those arrows on your phone to go back and look at your previous daily diaries but I don't think you can see the weight on those specific days. At least I can't figure out how to make it show me numbers from different days...

My NUT didn't start me on any protein until yesterday (I'll be two weeks post op on Monday). I'm now doing Baricare shakes that can be mixed with as little as 2 oz of water and there is 20 gm of protein in each one. I'm not sure where you can get it, I bought it from my Dr's office. You may could check on line. Also the NP told me yesterday at my appt that there are some "protein shots" that you can get from WalMart that are only like 2-3 oz and they have around 17 gm protein in each one. She recommended doing something that you have to mix with a smaller amount of liquid to make it easier to get down as opposed to having to drink 8-16 oz with still such a small stomach capacity.

WOOO HOOOO!!! YAY!!! Congratulations!

I am almost two weeks out, I'll be two weeks out on Monday. I had my two week post op visit today and was given the okay to start soft foods like eggs, cheese, etc. I had a ton of questions to ask but totally forgot to ask when I can eat beans again. I will puree them if I need to. I am craving some black beans or refried beans. When was anyone else started on them??

I go back to work Monday too. I'm telling if people ask. I have been off for the past 7 weeks, delivered my daughter 6 weeks ago and had surgery two weeks ago. I'm kinda hoping people will just think I've done amazing after having the baby but I will tell people who want to know. I think this is such an awesome tool for people like myself and I see LOTS of people on a daily basis who would benefit from it. If they want to know what I'm doing to lose weight, I'm telling! Good luck!

I'm still on full liquids and that looks so good right now! I hope it was as tasty as it looks!

I was super excited about my upcoming surgery and then the day came that I actually got a date. I almost cried in the Dr's office, not because I was excited but because I was scared out of my mind! I came home and cried off and on for a few days. All I could think of was leaving my kids without their mom, leaving my husband alone to raise the kids, and thinking of my husband remarrying and getting a new "mom" for my kids. I couldn't imagine how they would survive without my income and once the life insurance money ran out. Well, I had my sleeve on March 25. My husband and both children were at the hospital during my surgery and were there when I woke up. I have not had any complications from surgery, not even nausea from the anesthesia (and trust me, anesthesia ALWAYS makes me severely nauseated). I haven't been sick any and the pain has improved daily. I'm home with my kiddos and loving it. Everything is going to be okay. You are going to come through surgery great! Surgery will be fine. You'll probably be sore when you wake up but you'll have some good people taking care of you. The worst part of this for you, in my opinion, is that you have so long to think about it. Think positive thoughts and be confident that you have made a good decision and that you are going to get amazing results with it!

You look amazing!

You look great!!!