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AnaA

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Blog Entries posted by AnaA

  1. AnaA
    OK, I went out of town so couldn't post my week 6 results for this past Friday, August 31st, so here's week 6:
    I lost 1.8 lbs during week 6!! Yea!
    It's true, I want those 3 lbs lost weeks back, but compared to gaining 4 ozs, i'm elated the scale is going the right way and hopeful I will get more 3lb losses soon.
    My constipation (Thank you Dolittle for the MOM recommend!) is now a thing of the past thank GOODNESS! Dolittle recommended milk of mag and WOW is it fantastic! It did not make me diarrhetic and it did not cramp my stomach, ich, a terrible experience, it let me go regularly. It worked in 2 hours so didn't happen instantly and I appreciated that. Aahh, my stomach was regular and not distended for week 6. Relief!
    Also, I had a small big victory! I was in whole foods, which I LOVE and I was looking at gluten free cookies, because for the first time I felt like having one, and I was looking at my options, yummy choc chip, sugar cookies, oatmeal, nila and choc wafers, it's amazing how the GF (gluten free) market has expanded! But the cookies were 120 calories for a 50 cent piece sized cookie. I stood there for a moment with the bag in my hand just letting that twirl around in my mind. 120 calories for 1 cookie. Hmmm. Most of my breakfasts have been at an average of 237 calories and I am COMPLETELY full and satisfied. 237 calories. That is less than 2 cookies... At that moment I realized that a moment of wanting a cookie was outweighed by the price of what it would cost. It just wasn't enough. Two cookies would not be satisfying to me. Not the way my 237 calorie breakfasts are, not with my sugar craving past. And these calories could be better spent on other satisfying, filling food I really enjoy. So with that, I put the cookies down, and walked away!
    I felt so victorious!! I WON!! I WON!! I still feel victorious!! I WIN.
  2. AnaA
    Ok. Last week was pretty frustrating. I gained 4 ozs., went from 190.2 to 190.6
    That was frustrating in itself because it meant that I not only gained 4 ozs, (it's not the amount I gained but the fact it went the WRONG way) but that I did not lose anything all week long, and believe me it felt loooooong.
    I was super constipated all last week and right up to yesterday *sigh* and OUCH!!!. Very! And I know it was the culprit that contributed to this set back. Still its hard getting over the psychological aspect of it. Not having lost anything all week, having adhered to everything exactly, and the distention of my stomach which omits my concentration on just feeling good about feeling thinner. Frustrating. I tried to get around that by just focusing on how I have lost 31 lbs. and that i'm sure this can't go on for long... grrr
    I called the OCC and received advice from Dr. M so here's to hoping that this week is better! I weighed in this morning, and I was at 189.2, so I have lot a pound this week so far, here's to hoping its a better week!
  3. AnaA
    I am not sure if I will post my results at the end of every week, but I wanted to post at the end of my first week which this is and then I will post if something notable happens or I need advice or want to give tips, and barring that, I will update montly. I feel compelled to update monthly because when I was going through my decision making process what I wanted and didn't feel I got was someone who updated regularly. Peeps eventually dropped off the radar.
    Kay. Today is my 1 week post plication procedure anniversary and I weighed in at 199! I am sooo excited to be in the 19's! Wow. It is a great feeling to leave those 20's behind.
    Today I also started the full liquids so it was the first day I had soup and a protein drink, met the 64 oz. consumption of liquid intake and the 30g of protein intake Boy! Did I feel water logged! lol I was sloshing in my shoes. So much to keep track of! Until it becomes autonomic and I am sure it will, I am on myself to monitor the proper intakes to make sure that I don't get dehydrated because I had some baby signs of that. My 64ozs consisted of 1 liter of water, 10 ozs of ensure clear peach (I love this drink: tasty and protein!), a protein shake that recommends mixing with 1 cup of water, i changed that and made the protein powder scoop with 16 ozs of water, it was perfect! Not too thick, nice and watery which is how I prefer intake at this time. (I use GNC's Spiru-Tein High Protein Energy Meal protein shake, vanilla & chocolate because they are soy based and not made with milk) The soup I had was gluten free clam chowder. I have a couple of food issues pre surgery, I am gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant so I don't eat bread or drink milk products. I put the clam chowder in the blender. Wow, it was superb. The brand was progresso. They do nice soups. And for my probiotic because I can not drink yogurt I drank yakult which was pretty pleasing. I had an otter pop too.
    After I finished eating/drinking all that throughout the day I felt stuffed. I kinda had to push myself to get all that in. I am curious as to how this is going to go tomorrow because I have events to attend all day. Hmm. My gas/burping is still present but lessoning all the time. All in all I am very pleased with my procedure and my healing.
  4. AnaA
    OK! Today is end of week 2 for me. I have lost 2 lbs. for a total of 24 lbs! This week was a challenge. I was already taking in 8 ozs of pedialyte daily when I showed signs of dehydration. This week I noticed some slight signs again and determined to stay ahead of it I upped my pedialyte intake to 16 ozs now. Still showing some signs, and have upped my liquid intake. I have seen some positive changes this week. I notice that my favorite jeans, jeans that I could NOT fit into before pre-op diet are now loose! I can pull them 2 inches away from me easily and that makes me feel good. I definitely feel like I have gone down in inches, and can see this in the mirror. I opted not to measure that stuff so no specifics, but it is notable. My energy level has been pretty good and that is saying a lot considering that before I even heard of the OCC my energy level was a constant struggle and low! I have been increasing my walking and am looking forward to resistant training and exercise which I can begin at the end of week 3, next Friday. I feel proud of myself that I have been on liquids for 17 days and feel good. I would have never thought it possible for ME? to stick to something like this for this length of time and I just feel very proud of myself.
  5. AnaA
    (again just transfering the first months weekly updates from the forum to my blog)
    OK!
    Today there is A LOT going on! It is the end of week 3 and I have lost a total of 4 lbs this week! I am so excited about this! So far in the last 3 weeks since my procedure I have lost a total of 13 lbs! I've never used so many exclamation marks!! lol And over all including pre op weight loss I have lost a noteworthy 28lbs, over 12% of my body weight! BMI going down.
    There's a lot for me to report on. Today was/is my first day of soft foods and THIS transition has been an experience in itself let me tell you. I have a lot to say about this part of the experience so I am going to blog that so as not to suck up too much forum space haha.
    Carry on. That is all.

  6. AnaA
    I keep forgetting to add my forum updates to my blog updates, so here is the post plic 1 month update from last Friday:
    It's been a busy week for me. I am happy to report though that at 1 month post plication, to date, I have lost 16 lbs! I am very happy with my progress and just continue to feel this was the best decision ever.
    I have been taking in 64 ozs of water since the required day we were to do that, week 1 of soft foods I believe it was. I enjoy my water intake. I have found it somewhat difficult to get all the calories in, so I am working on that.
    I am adhering to the Golden Rule at every meal, waiting both 1 hour before and 1 hour after meals to drink and feel good about incorporating this once intimidating aspect into my life. Even met a gal yesterday who has never had WLS but does the no drinking before and after food, she does this for 30 minutes either side and when I told her that I do this for 1 hour either side she was very impressed with my discipline. That made me feel really good, a great motivator.
    Today is Day 1 of regular foods. I had essentially the same soft food breakfast and lunch that I have been having, the only thing I did different was that I added 1 whole slice of toast to each meal, and added non butter butter. It was great and filling. For dinner I had 1 roll of sushi and a small salad with thousand island dressing. I know thousand island dressing is fatty, but because I am trying to get calories up, I had it. Won't do that again. It tasted super fatty! My palette is so cleansed that I am really sensitive to fats, disliking the amped up taste, it's like watching a movie in technocolor.. too much! So I will stick to my wish bones.
    Yep, i'm coming along nicely
  7. AnaA

    Practice Makes Perfect

    By AnaA,

    So WOW. How to handle this all? Right?
    It was overwhelming for me to think about going from liquids to soft/regular foods. Liquids were easy because all I had to do was to make sure that I had liquid in my hands at all times throughout the entire day. I simply finished one kind and grabbed another. Easy PZ.
    For me, in order to master something totally foreign to me, while adhearing to the golden rule of no liquids within an hour of meals requires clarity. For me, clarity means scheduling. So this example is just for those who might want to know what it looks like to track things my way:
    6-6:30 am Breakfast : usually oatmeal or cottage cheese and crackers (high fiber gluten free low calorie: Mary's Crackers)
    6:30 - 7:30 am NOTHING
    7:30 - 10:30 : Liquids: 32 ozs of water and a 16 oz protein drink w/ 23 grams of protein (syntrax nectar)
    10:30 - 11:30 NOTHING
    11:30 - 12pm Lunch: usually cottage cheese, grapes, crackers, or mashed potatoes (gluten free mashed potatoe flakes)
    12 - 1 pm NOTHING
    1pm - 5pm Liquids: 32 oz of water, 10 oz ensure w/ 9 grams protein, 2 yakults (for probiotics, zero lactose)
    5pm - 6pm NOTHING
    6 - 6:30pm Dinner: a fraction of a lean cuisine meal with mashed potatoes and veggies
    6:30 - 7:30pm NOTHING
    7:30pm - Liquids
    What I love about this plan is that the time frames are flexible. You can cut back an hour of liquids to add in a snack of fruit, etc. I also love that breakfast is a no brainer because when you wake up you already get an hour of not having had anything before, so that is a freebie!
    It should also be mentioned that I am gluten intolerant and cottage cheese aside, lactose intolerant, (cottage cheese has very small amounts of lactose so it sits ok with me), and vegetarian so my diets are based on no meat, no gluten, and no milk. Given that this is quite the speicalty I hope it can help others in the same boat
    With this way of scheduling, I get my 64 ozs of water in, at least 32 grams of protein in (plus what I can get from cottage cheese) and this is good until I can learn to incorporate more high protein foods. I'm still new to food phase so still looking up high protein low cal recipes I actually still enjoy my liquid intake more than my food intake. I do love incorporating fruit too, I believe I missed that more than anything.
    I also love that after 7pm i'm not eating anymore and having just liquids, so that sticks to another addage i'd always heard, don't eat food after 8pm.
  8. AnaA

    Inbetweeners

    By AnaA,

    So 2 weeks ago I had a really difficult week. I noticed that my emotions were going up and down like a rollercoaster. I was ranging from upset to super sensitive to hurt to mad. It wasn't happy. I read online and discovered that when you lose weight your fat cells release hormones and that can make you mood swing. Especially if you are losing weight more rapidly than usual. To remedy this, I went out and bought some Rhodiola tincture. A friend of mine put me on to these a few years back when I was going through some stressful moments. This has regulated my mood and now that roller coaster ride is a thing of the past. I feel so much better mood wise! I just wanted to blog about this in case others have similar things going on. I recognize that this is my body expeirencing this process and that it may not apply to others and the same goes for Rhodiola moderating mood. I am grateful though that it worked for me!
  9. AnaA
    This is Post Plication Day 5 for me. I had my procedure July 20th. I had to stay an additional 2 days near the OCC because my stomach swelling was slow to reduce and I was having some phenomenal gas pains. Wow, can gas really really hurt! Everyone at the OCC was fantastic and the Dr.s took good care of me, very reassuring and very thorough on follow up testing to make sure that what I was experiencing wasn't anything to be concerned about. And as it turns out, it wasn't. I got home yesterday and wow am I happy to be home. I did my first weigh in today and weighed in at 200 lbs!! OH MY GOSH! I am soo very excited. I may actually be seeing some 1's pretty soon instead of these terrible 200's! And when I say terrible 200's I want to make it absolutely clear I am referring to myself alone. All total, I started out at 221 lbs. lost 15 lbs prior to my surgery weighing in at the OCC at 206 lbs., gained 3lbs after the surgery (you gain 3-5 on average right after surgery due to gas and swelling etc.) so then weighed 209 lbs 2 days after surgery on 7/22/12 and now wow, lost that 9 lbs and am at 200 lbs. I am just so happy! Overall I feel good. Trying to adjust to drinking in as much liquids as possible. One of the benefits of the barium test is that the Dr.'s noticed that the post operative sips I was taking were too small, they said sipping that little was only going to take in more air than liquid thus adding to my gassiness! Yikes! Like I need help with that! So they had me continue taking bigger swallows until I was where they wanted me to be and so I know what that means. It's essentially a 1/2 oz. of liquid. I was probably taking in 1/8 of an oz. with my sips... So every day I take in more liquids. The first day post surgery I maybe took in 3 oz.s all day. I just was not hungry or thirsty. For me, post op, smells were really strong too! I smelled food and I felt nauseated. ew. Today so far, it's 3pm I've taken in 16 ozs of water and 5 oz. of half apple juice half water. I haven't been hungry really. Tomorrow I get to start on full liquids meaning protein shakes and blended soups so that is going to be nice. I also started taking my 1500 mgs of calcium today and added in B12 and 800 mg of D Vitamin for good measure. My bariatric vitamins are on order and I will start those as soon as they arrive. All in all, I am feeling very excited about having had the procedure and what wonderful things will come of it health wise. Having now lost 21 lbs. I have 51 lbs. to go! WEEEEEE!
  10. AnaA
    Good Evening Fellow PLay Cats (Plicators) & WLS-ers:
    I wanted to share my story with you here.
    My decision to be a PLay Cat (be plicated) came out of a need to be healthy. My health. I'm 41 and I had this super candid conversation with my mom not long ago. She's had a mild stroke (10 or so years ago) and a major heart attack all fairly recently. But her health decline? That started when she was 47 (20 years ago). That's the age she became diabetic. The big bad D. As a result, her health took a slow and steady decline. Well I went to the Doctor 4 months ago, and he told me that I was just a few points away from being Diabetic and that if I didn't start to lose weight I would have big problems.Nearly diabetic? At 41? Six years ahead of my mom?? And what's worse? What triggered my visit to the Dr.'s was this hot numbing pain in my upper right thigh. The Dr. said that was because my weight was pushing down on that vein, and while the vein is regenerative (thankfully!) the fact that my weight was triggering pain in me delivered a pretty tough message very quickly. I looked at this unfolding total health picture: being over weight, potential diabetes, the talk with my mom, potential strokes, arriving in a world of heart disease ahead of schedule vs. possibly not at all. All this happened within 3 days. And I thought, do something now while the warning is mild. It became brutally clear that at the rate I was going, I would get diabetes younger than my mom. I have seen my mom suffer through those life shocking diseases, it's pretty bad. And wasn't I the one who said to my mom as I held her hand in the cardiac room before heart (bypass) surgery that I knew it would be hard to change her way of life, but that it was now a matter of life? And wasn't I also the one who used to think, "I would rather change my habbits of my own accord, however rough, versus being told I had to?" Yes. That was me.
    I need to be healthy.
    RIght now, I feel good about having reached my "lose 5%" goal, and know that for the next 10 days I will add to that weight loss, especially with the pre-op liquid diet and fast.. And that is me. That is my story. I honor you all and I want to take this moment in time to honor the courage you have for even coming here. Please feel free to email me here or reply if you'd like to share the ride. PLay Cats, Bandsters and all walks of WLS Life Welcome.
    Inner Peace,
    PLay Cat Ana
  11. AnaA

    12 Days and Counting

    By AnaA,

    Twelve days to go until plication. (why did the 12 days of Christmas just pop into my head?? ...12 pounds before op, 11 lbs the next week, 10 lbs week after.. ok i'm stopping now ) Today I went out dancing with friends at this really hip inclusive club. The music was fantastic, the ambient was perfect and there was the sweetest breeze. Every one had a drink in hand. This was my first "2 weeks to go until procedure" temptation challenge. I am not a major drinker, but I do like to social drink. All my friends and my sweetie had that vibe going. But I put some thought into this. I thought, no, no alcohal from the day I began to cleanse 3 weeks ago, and that means even at social outings. I figured, i'm going to have to learn how to deal with this kinda thing anyway for awhile so might as well start now. I ordered a cranberry on ice with lime. It was put in the same kinda vessel everyone else had so no one even knew the diference! When I was asked what I was drinking I said cran and everyone was cool with that, and 15 minutes later they'd forgotten anyway lol I felt really super proud conquering that. It seems simple. DUH, just say you're not drinking. But we all know what peer pressure is like. Permitting myself to not drink and feel content with that made a big diference in my choices and those who asked me why I wasn't drinking we're supportive when I said I was on a cleansing and needed to drop some lbs. for my health. It was very important for me to work everything out like I did totally acknowledging what I was feeling and why and then allowing myself to be who I was in that moment, a woman in process of losing weight. And as it turned out, it only heightened the ambiant.
  12. AnaA

    24 Days and Counting!

    By AnaA,

    Day 24
    I am counting down until I have my plication procedure. This is the first day of my blog. I feel very excited/nervous [excervous??] about everything. I find myself catching sight of my body in the mirror as I walk by it. I wonder. . . what ME will emerge post plication? How Exciting! I can not wait to find out! I am happy about my decision to take control of my health.
    I began my pre-op dietary instructions 2 weeks ago. I chose the protein shakes and the low fat frozen dinner with ample greens: salad and soup. I started 1 month early because the 5% body weight that I had to lose came up to 11 lbs. and I wanted to make sure that I met it! So far I have lost 10 lbs and need to lose 1.5 more in 24 days. I know that this is no problem and feel good about being on task.
    This fantastic thought just occurred to me yesterday. For the last 12 days I have begun a permanent weight loss journey. My weight from here on out will only go down. As I sit here smiling with this thought in mind, visions of great looking clothes dance in my brain.

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