Where's Your Water?

It's 11:46 a.m. and I haven't drank a single drop of water today. I should have 20oz in already. And where is my water bottle? It's right here... on my desk... empty. Bad, bad, bad!

Heading to the breakroom to get me some water right now.

~Pam

Being Proud of Myself

Three and a half weeks ago I finished a half-marathon. My post on the day of the race didn't have a lot of fanfare or excitement in it. I didn't want to go into the details of the race at that time because it was a pretty disappointing experience and very difficult for me to talk about. BUT now that the disappointment is fading I am finally able to look back at the whole picture and be proud of myself. I walked 13.1 miles!!! Dang! That's pretty impressive! I worked my butt off to achieve that and I will not let the last 17 minutes of the race overshadow the huge goal I reached. I AM proud. I totally rock! Let me back up.... I want to share with you an email that I sent to the race director about my experience in the last mile of the race. I wasn't going to write about it here, but now that the emotions have worn off some, I feel it's important for me to have a record of my own thoughts on race day -- this is not meant to bash the race or the organizers -- it's meant to be a snapshot of that point in my life when I accomplished a goal I set out to achieve. -------------------- Everything was great on Sunday during the race. Our group was making good time and we all felt strong and healthy as we walked hill after hill after hill. The entertainment was fun and we all especially loved the elementary school kids who were out rooting us on with homemade noise makers, signs and cheering at one of the entertainment points. When I hit the 10 mile mark I realized I had already beat my Crim time by 7 minutes, so we were making good time! All was good until we hit the 12-mile mark....I want to share with you my disappointing experience in the last mile of the race. I am a walker and my training group and several other walkers were at the back of the race. In my sight line there were about 15 walkers and we stayed within a few blocks of each other throughout the last half of the race. There were more walkers up ahead, but they eventually pulled ahead far enough that they were out of our sight around mile 10 or so. We were spread out in small groups of 2 or 4, but we could all see each other in front of or behind us for the last several miles of the race. After looking at the time stats online last night, I realize now that there were another 4 walkers about 3 minutes behind us somewhere that I didn't see and I'm sorry I didn't wait for them at the finish line to cheer them on. Just after the 12-mile marker on Adams Road a police officer drove up alongside us and asked that we move off the street and use the sidewalk. It was about 11:45 a.m., I think, so we were surprised they wanted us off the road so early. (I later found out that roads should have been kept open until noon.) As soon as we were cleared from the road they opened up traffic flow and we were on our own. About 11 of the walkers in front of us got across Adams before it was opened up to traffic. But 4 of us got caught at the light and had to wait for traffic to pass. We stood at the Adams/Walton intersection waiting for the light to change for 2 to 3 minutes - although there were police officers nearby and staffers across the street taking down the arch from the start line, none of them attempted to assist us across the intersection. Once we crossed Walton and headed up the sidewalk onto the campus, our way was blocked by the folks at the Citizens Bank water station who were breaking down equipment. There were boxes and tables spread out across the sidewalk and we had to walk around them and down the hill a bit to get by. Once we turned into the Music Festival entrance we were bombarded with cars and we were not certain which way to go to get to the finish line. There were no signs to direct us, no volunteers to show the way. Luckily other racers were heading to their cars and told us which road to walk on. On this last leg of the race the roads were all open and we had to dodge cars and golf carts coming at us or behind us ... runners who finished early were all walking back to their cars so we had to dodge the foot traffic in our way too ... traffic cones were being removed and we saw people carrying signs that had been taken down already .... our group of 15 racers continued to walked in confusion because we didn't know which way to go. As we approached the finish line there were staffers along the fence taking down signs and the race timing crew was packing up the timer mats (3 originally were set up, 1 was already packed up and the other was being disassembled) so we were confused as to the exact location of the finish line and if we were even still being timed. Once we crossed the finish line there was nothing. The first part of our group of 15 walkers were there to cheer us on and there were 2 volunteers to hand out medals. Otherwise it was virtually deserted in the circle in front of the mansion. There was no water, no fruit, no hotdogs ... everything had been packed up and tables were being broken down and carried away. One of our walkers had injured her leg in the last mile of the race, but we didn't see any medical staff around to look at it. So we just headed back to get to our cars to leave. As we were walking through the arch and to the parking lot we saw that the band was still playing in the far lot and we went out to listen.... but as soon as the song they were singing finished, they said good bye and started packing up too. The tears I shed at the finish line weren't because I was proud of myself and happy for my accomplishment or the achievements of the rest of my training group. It was because I felt demoralized over the last mile of the race. I felt like because we walked "too slow" and finished at the back of the race that we didn't matter anymore. The end of the race was more of an obstacle course than a real race course with a clearly marked finish. It felt like we weren't important enough to be included in any type of celebration at the finish line and even though we had just walked 13 miles, we didn't even rate high enough for a bottle of water. It was a pretty somber finish line experience for all of us. After 20 weeks of training for this race, I'm sad that we had to finish the last mile like we did. I know that all this was just a result of the first year race learning experience and that details like this will be fixed in coming years. I know we were not slighted on purpose and it wasn't intentional in any way. I just want to make sure that you are aware of the situation so that next year the walkers who finish last feel just as special as the runners who finish first.

~Pam

Ok, I admit it...

Sometimes, spider monkeys are kind of cute.  But only sometimes...

Happy Birthday M!

(You're a dear friend to me.  Thank you for being so great.)

  

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Since I've been sick, I've been craving chicken soup.  I finally got around to making it today and figured I'd share my made-up recipe with ya'll here (before I forget it).  

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into chunks)

• 6oz mini carrots (I used the petite ones already cleaned and ready to eat)

• 8oz white mushrooms (sliced)

• 3 stalks celery (diced)

• 1/2 c. onion (diced)

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I'm too lazy to chop it, so I buy jarred)

• 1 quart low sodium chicken broth

• 6oz noodles (I used Amish Hand Made dried noodles)

• 6 cups water

Spices to taste:

salt

pepper

parsley

oregano

Put the water on to boil, season with salt, pepper and spices.  Cut up the chicken and add it to the pot.  Chop celery and add onion (I keep diced onion in the freezer). Add the bag of carrots.

By now the pot should be boiling, reduce heat to simmer. Taste the broth to see if seasoning needs to be adjusted. Add the quart of chicken broth to give the soup more volume. Let things simmer for about 30 minutes or so.

Slice/chop mushrooms and add to frying pan with a little bit of canola oil until brown and soft.  Add mushrooms to the pot. Let things simmer for another 30 minutes. Add the noodles and let them get soft.  


Yeah, yeah, yeah.... I know noodles aren't part of the WLS-friendly plan.  But I really wanted them and they taste really good.  Exclude them if you want.  Because I picked the brand I did -- the homemade amish variety -- they are not packed with preservatives and have a fair amount of fiber. 

Enjoy!

~Pam

PS -- It's Sunday afternoon and I'm feeling much better.  The cough has settled into my chest and I'm still hacking, but I'm feeling pretty good overall.

Sick

Yep, I'm full-blown sick.  Went to the doc yesterday so I could get drugs ... just wanted to nip it in the bud before it got too bad.  I was running a temp of 102, have an ear infection, sinus infection and the beginnings of bronchitis.  Yuck!  

So I got some antibiotics and an inhaler and order to max out my doses of Tylenol to keep the fever in check.  I'm pushing the fluids and protein and staying on top of my vitamins.  

I'm definitely not eating all the crap and volume that I mention in the last post - thankfully that only lasted a day.  Now I'm actually having to force myself to eat 3 meals a day because I just don't feel like doing anything.  

I've been sneezing and coughing so much that I'm getting a great workout for my abs.  Definitely sore muscles all around.  And the Tylenol sucks.  With as much as I'm taking you'd think this headache would go away, but no!  

The one thing I miss the most since my surgery is Excederin.  That stuff works like magic.  I wish I could take some now, but no NSAIDs for me.  

Gonna go make another cup of hot tea.  

~Pam

Feed a Cold ...

I'm getting sick and I can't seem to stop eating.  

Since my surgery 11 months ago I have not been sick for a single day.  No sniffles and no fever and no flu... nothing.  This past week while my furnace was out my house was very cold and I ended up with a sore throat from sleeping in a cold bedroom.  Then today I woke up with a crazy allergy day and couldn't stop sneezing (even with Benedryl).  So combine those two and today wasn't fun.  Sneezing, running nose, sore throat and now a hacking cough.

There's a sinus and flu thing going around the office -- my boss was out 3 days last week and brought it back with him on Monday.  I think he passed it along to me and others.  Thanks Bob!

This morning I was running late and didn't take the time to mix up a protein shake and I also discovered that I was out of my Pure Protein bars that I use when I'm late.  So I was already off my routine from the get-go.  

I have eaten so many times today.  I've also drank so much tea and water I'm going to float away!  I don't really get hungry ... but I get a feeling that I call "empty."  Basically my body feels empty and needs nutrition.  That's how I've felt all day today.  

So is the eating a result of not getting my protein in this morning or a result of getting sick?  I don't know.  But whatever it is... it's driving me nuts!

I'm going to take a hot shower, pop some Vitamin C and Benedryl and head to bed early tonight.  Hope I feel better tomorrow. 

~Pam

$465

So help me if my furnace ever breaks down again I'm throwing it out the window.  Today's repair cost $465.  For the past 4 winters I've averaged two repairs per year.  This thing is a piece of crap!

Good thing I don't eat when I'm stress or pissed off -- otherwise I'd be stuffing my face right now!

~Pam

Hair loss after WLS

Below I've copied an article that I found at Bariatric Times. This is outstanding information about the hair loss we often experience after WLS.

My hair loss started at 3 months post-op, stopped at 6 months and new hair start sprouting around 9 months. Much of this information was explained to me by my PCP and I did some other research on my own, but it's great to see all this information gathered in one place and have to tied back to how it relates to bariatric patients.

Click on the link below to take you to the webpage where the article is posted -- they have a wealth of other information there too.

The Latest on Nutrition and Hair Loss in the Bariatric Patient

by Jacqueline Jacques, NDNutrition and Hair Loss

A common fear and complaint of bariatric surgery patients is postoperative hair loss.

Hair loss has many causes. The most common type of hair loss after weight loss surgery is a diffuse loss known medically as telogen effluvium, which can have both nutritional and non-nutritional causes.

Author Correspondence: Jacqueline Jacques, ND; Phone: 800-898-6888 x22; Email: dr.jacques@bariatricadvantage.com.

Read the rest of the article here...

How was your weekend?

Did you do anything fun this weekend? Did you stay on track with your eating and exercise program? Did you get enough rest?

My weekend was good. Mostly. I enjoyed some family time, a couple Wow moments and was able to do some fun stuff. But my eating was too sporadic and I wasn't faithful with my vitamins and supplements. And as you probably gathered from my post last night ... I didn't make the smartest food choices over the weekend.

Saturday my whole family (parents, brother & his family, sister and her family) all loaded up in cars and headed to Sandusky, Ohio to spend the day at Cedar Point. It's an amusement part with a ton of roller coasters and rides and food and since it's Fall, they had the whole park decorated for Halloween complete with several haunted houses. I rode roller coasters and other rides without a single problem of fitting into the seats. Great Wow moments! I walked a ton without issues. It was pretty cold and I had 3 layers of clothes on and froze my butt off... I never used to get cold but when I lost all my insulation and padding I tend to get cold now. We had a great time together at the park!

We packed food for the day at the park to help save money (who wants a wimpy $10 burger anyway?). I packed good, healthy food. Mom and Sis didn't. So along with my healthy food of turkey, cheese and grapes I snatched a few Oreos and Doritos and Chex Mix. I had a planned snack while in the park of some trail mix so that kept me away from bad choices (like the fresh homemade french fries that kept screaming to me from concession stands which I resisted.) I didn't drink enough water and spent the day in search of water fountains that didn't seem to be very plentiful. I should have carried a bottle of water with me like I'd planned. I took my morning dose of vitamins, but didn't do my evening dose. I took 2 doses of calcium on the drive to and from the park... but missed the other 2 doses. We stopped at Burger King on the way home and I did pretty good there. Ate a hamburger patty and sliced apple. So I guess seeing all this in writing I really didn't do all that bad with food afterall. It just felt like we were eating all day long, but I guess we really weren't. By the time we got home at 2:30 a.m. I was just ready to crash into bed and I forgot to take my bedtime vitamins. Oops.

Sunday I slept until noon so I missed my morning ritual of a protein shake and went straight to lunch which was just some soy chips and a handful of grapes. I was out and about in town and realized I hadn't eaten anything around 3pm and stopped at Taco Bell for pintos-n-cheese. Hit a mid-afternoon movie and had popcorn. Stopped at the grocery store and didn't say no to the package of cookies that found their way into my cart. Ate too many of those. Then my brilliant idea for dinner was spaghetti and we know how that turned out. So I was way short on protein, way high on sugar and carbs and again didn't do well with vitamins or water on Sunday.

So enough playing around for this girl. I'm back on track today and have my meals already planned out. I'm on track to get 90g protein in for today and as soon as I publish this post I'm going to get my water bottle filled so I can stay on track with liquids today too.

Still need to figure out what to do with that super yummy spaghetti sauce I made last night. Since it's got ground beef in it, maybe I just need to eat it plain without pasta. Or maybe I could pick up a spaghetti squash and give that a try. Someone also suggested a recipe from Eggface's blog for Eggplant Lasagna. I'm not a huge lasagna fan or an eggplant fan so I'll probably pass on that option.

Ok... off to get some water.

~Pam

I'm an idiot

I found some spaghetti that has a ton of protein in it.  14g per serving.  So I figured it'd be a brilliant idea to make some of my famous homemade pasta sauce and have some spaghetti.

I ate some.  It was delicious.   Now I'm sick.  

I deserve what I got, huh?  I knew pasta wasn't a good idea, why would I do this?  Feels like it's stuck, but it's not.. just too full in my tummy even though I only had a tiny bit.  If only I could vomit, life would be better.  

Yuck.  I hate this.  I'm an idiot.

EDITED:  Ok, I puked and I feel much better now.  Learned me lesson on that one.  Now I need to figure out what to do with this big pot of spaghetti sauce.  Mmm....

~Pam

Will I change after surgery?

Someone on OH expressed their fear of persoality changes after surgery. She was afraid she'd change and become a person she didn't want to be once she lost the weight. I'm copying my response to her thread here because it really sums up how I feel about the changes I've seen in my own life since my surgery.


------------------


Yep, you're going to change. It's part of the process. Part of the journey. 


But.... HOW you change is completely up to you. 


Having WLS is your opportunity to make the changes you WANT to see in your life. Are you tired of hiding under your weight? Now is the chance to change that. Do you want to be more outgoing and adventurous? Do you want to be more involved in your community and make new friends? Do you want to feel more secure financially and spiritually and intellectually? Do you want to be more confident in the person you are and embrace the attitude and personality you've been hiding for too long? Do you want your relationships to be stronger and happier and more fun? 


When in your life have you ever had the opportunity or excuse to make the changes in your life that you've been resisting all along?


Nothing is holding you back now... not your weight, not your self esteem, not your fears. You have made the decision to have WLS. You've decided to change your relationship with food. You've decided to be more active and learn to love exercise and make it a part of your life. You've made the decision to improve the wonderful person you already are. This is a time for celebration and excitement.


Right after my surgery I joined a 10-week group therapy program offered by the psychologist who works with my bariatric center. Together we each developed our own Comprehensive Holistic Wellness Plan. We were able to set goals for every area of our lives as well as WLS specific things.  It allowed me to set goals for my spiritual health, financial health, vocational health, intellectul health, emotional health and the health of my relationships. 


This journey is NOT all about some silly number on a scale or the size jeans we wear -- it's about becoming a healthy person from every angle of our lives. 


By setting specific goals for what you want to change, you have control over the changes that will take place in your life. Share your goals with loved ones and keep a journal to track your progress. 


Embrace the change you want to see in your life. It's a good thing. Really.


I'm a happier person than I was 11 months ago. I'm happy. And I didn't even know that I wasn't happy before. Change is fantastic. You're going to love the person you become.


~Pam

Breakfast Ideas

My pouch does not like solid food first thing in the morning. I always start my day with a protein shake around 7:00 a.m. then have a normal breakfast around 10:00 a.m. It took me a while to figure out the attitudes of my pouch, but now that he and I are on the same wavelength, things are better.

I just posted a list of breakfast ideas on an OH thread and wanted to make a list here as well. So here's some of the things I've enjoyed for breakfast over the past several months. Because I normally eat breakfast at my desk at work, most of this stuff is portable and easy to prepare "on the go." Also remember that I don't do eggs ... well, I actually like eggs just fine, but my pouch doesn't so we've come to an understanding that I just won't eat plain eggs anymore. In a recipe, eggs are fine though. And just because it's called breakfast, doesn't mean you actually have to eat breakfast food for that meal... do whatever works for you and your pouch. 

Pack-n-Go Breakfast Ideas

• Kroger brand Carb Master Yogurt w/ granola or fiber cereal 12g protein
• Grapes and cheesestick 8g protein
• Deli sliced turkey and grapes (can you tell I love grapes?) 10-15g protein
• Quaker Weight Control instant oatmeal 7g protein
• Protein Bar 10-20g protein (depending on brand)

Cook-n-Go Breakfast Ideas - cook stuff ahead of time and have it all week.

• Vanilla Egg Custard -- Yes it has eggs in it, but it's sweet and yummy like custard so it's not really "eggs". I lived on this stuff for the first couple months after surgery. So yummy! 
• Eggface has a TON of recipes that would be great for breakfast foods.
• Protein Ice Cream - yes, I was on a huge kick this summer and ate ice cream nearly every morning for breakfast for about 3 months... I haven't had any in a month or so though because there's no room in my freezer to freeze my ice cream machine cynlinder at the moment.
• Bars -- this recipe is for an apple oat bar, but if you check her other posts around the time of this one you'll find several different variations of this same recipe.
• Strawberry Apple Crumble -- these things are fantastic! You can use any type of fruit and when you add protein powder to the crumble topping, it turns into a fruit "pie" that is WLS friendly. Again, check for other variations of this same recipe - there are a ton.
• Protein Souffle -- This link of for the pumpkin one, but the banana bread one looks great too.

It's 9:55 a.m. and I'm about to go have a yogurt for breakfast. But I kind of wish I'd cooked some of those souffles instead. LOL!

~Pam

Crazy Beef Casserole Recipe

So I actually cooked this week. It's been a while since I've done my weekly ritual of making a big pot or pan of something and eating it all week for lunches. Normally I make some variation of an Eggface casserole with chicken and veggies and cheese. I kinda did that this week too. But instead of chicken, I had found a sale on beef roast and used that instead and threw in whatever I could find in the fridge or freezer or cupboard. Here's what ended up going into the pot:

Crazy Beef Casserole

1 lb beef roast -- cut into cubes
1/2 c. Italian salad dressing
1/2 c. water

In a large skillet with a cover, slowly cook the beef in the dressing and water. Let it cook slowly to ensure the meet is tender.

In the meantime, do some chopping...

3 baby summer squash and/or baby zucchini (I used 2 zucchini and 1 summer squash)
1 small onion
8oz. sliced mushrooms (I used baby bella's)
1/2 c. frozen edamame beans (beans only, without pod)
1 can diced tomatoes - drained
1/2 can black beans - drained and rinsed (these were left over in the fridge from salad fixings)
1 package TGIFriday's frozen spinach and artichoke dip - thawed
1 small package cheddar cheese (I think it was 8oz)
1 capful Italian Mixed Seasoning (spice mix includes basil, oragano, parsley, etc.)

Once the beef is cooked and tender, set it aside. Add all veggies and spices and dip to the skillet and let it warm through. Add the beef to the pan and mix through. Dump the whole thing into a 9x12 baking pan and top mixture with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. It's a colorful concoction but is sure is delicious!

 ~Pam

Labwork Recommendations after WLS

** UPDATED WITH NEWEST LAB RECOMMENDATIONS **

After bariatric surgery we have to keep a close eye on our blood levels of various vitamins and nutrient levels. Most patients have their labs drawn every 3 months for the first year. After the 1 year mark it's recommended to have labs drawn every 6 months although some insurance companies won't pay for it that often and many only get checked once a year after that first year. A common question is "which labs?" And "how can I get my insurance company to pay for the lab draws?"

Here's a list of the labs that are recommended after RNY Gastric Bypass and possible diagnostic codes that can be used to help with insurance coverage. This list is not my own - it is based on the recommendation of Michelle at Vitalady, who is a RNY herself and assists thousands of patients in tracking and understanding their post-op nutrient levels. It is very similar to the list my own surgeon's office recommends, but the list below is more comprehensive than my surgeon's... so I'll be using this one for future labwork.

The 1^st Group – every 3 to 6 months for life, as we are able. 

The 2^nd Group – annually, as long as the first year results were comfortably within normal limits.

1^st Group

• 80053    Comprehensive Metabolic profile: (sodium, potassium, chloride, glucose, BUN, creatinine, calcium, total                       protein, albumin, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase)  (10231)
• 84134    Pre-albumin:
• 7600       Lipid profile: (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, chol/HDL ratio)
• 10256    Hep panel: includes ALT (SPGT) & GGT)
• 84100    Phosphorous – Inorganic:  (718)
• 83735    Magnesium:
• 84550    Uric Acid:  (905)
• 7444       Thyroid panel: (T3U, T4, FTI, TSH)  (84437; 84443; 84479; 84480)
• 85025    Hemogram with platelets:  (1759)
• 7573       Iron: TIBC, % sat
• 83550    Ferritin:  (457)
• 84630    Zinc:  (945)

• POSSIBLE DIAGNOSIS CODES 269.2              Hypovitaminosis 268                 Vitamin D deficiency 275.40            Calcium deficiency 266.2              Cyanocobalamin deficiency  (B12) 281.1             other B12 deficiency anemia 281.0              Pernicious anemia 280.9              Iron-deficiency anemia 281.2              Folate deficiency anemia 285.9              Anemia, unspecified  269.3              Zinc deficiency 244.9              Hypothryoidism 250.0              Diabetes  401.9              Hypertension 276.9              Electrolyte and fluid disorders 272.0              Hypercholesterolemia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  *579.3             Surgical malabsorption*  *579.8             Intestinal malabsorption  * *Bands or sleeves should not use these codes as they are not accurate. *Some insurance companies will not pay for any procedure that uses these codes.

  84446    Vitamin A:  (921)
• 82306    Vitamin D: (25-hydroxy)   (680)
• 84052    Vitamin B-1: (Thiamin)  (4052)
• 84207    Vitamin B-6: (Pyridoxine)
• 7065       Vitamin B-12 & Folate:  (82607; 82746)
• 83970    Serum intact: PTH
• 83937    Osteocalcin:
• 84597    Vitamin K:
• 85610    PT:
• 85730    PTT:

2^ND GROUP

• 593         LDH:
• 31789    Homocysteine, Cardio:
• 83921    MMA:
• 367         Cortisol:
• 84255    Selenium:
• 84590    Vitamin E:
• 82525    Copper:

For diabetics: *496 - HEMOGLOBIN A1C    






To download a printable version of these lab recommendations - click here.

TRACKING

I think it is essential for every bariatric patient to keep track of their own lab results. Get a copy of the full report from your doctor, review the results with your doctor and study them on your own. If you don't understand something, ask questions, do research and figure stuff out... learn. Nobody cares more for your health than YOU do.



Here's a spreadsheet I use to keep track of my own lab results. Before you start using it, check the normal range values on your own lab report to make sure it matches what is in the spreadsheet. Some labs have different values than others, so be sure this section is accurate for you.


Download the Lab Tracking Spreadsheet Here


Have a great day!
~Pam

11 Months Out

Wow! I can hardly believe I'm almost at the 1 year mark. It seems like I just had surgery a couple weeks ago -- how can it be 11 months already? I spent most of the past 7 weeks in a stall, so it sure feels great to see the scale moving again. As of this morning's weigh-in, I'm down an official 105.6 pounds. I feel great and I am looking great too -- if I may be so humble. LOL! In the past week I've just fit into a new pair of dress slacks that make my butt look really hot! (I knew you wanted to know that.) It's fun to wear clothes that fit me and feel comfortable to wear unlike before surgery when everything was tight and nothing ever looks great on me. Another trip to GoodWill is probably in order since I've been retiring some clothes that are too big again. I haven't walked since The Brooksie Way -- just letting my ankle heal fully. But I've been feeling restless lately and need to get back out on the road soon. I'm looking at a gym membership for the winter so I can start some other types of exercise. I know I won't go outside in the snow to walk cuz I'm a total wimp and hate winter -- so I need a solution for the winter months and have no excuse not to workout. The family is planning a day trip to Cedar Point this weekend which will involve a lot of walking around the amusement park. It'll also include riding roller coasters and various rides all day. Many WLS folks after surgery have goals to ride roller coasters after losing weight. I never really set that as a specific goal for myself (I actually didn't set goals pre-op, but that's another blog post). But the last time I was at Cedar Point I rode a roller coaster and was scared out of my mind because I didn't really fit and the safety bar wasn't secure enough. So I never rode again. It'll be fun to fit easily into rides this time around... and also be able to walk all day long without being tired or sore. I have made so many fantastic friends throughout this journey. I'm excited to see many of them tomorrow night at the support group meeting and have a chance to catch up with everyone over dinner. I love those gals! I never expected to make so many new friends as part of this WLS journey ... it's an amazing side benefit that has been a happy surprise for me. Enough rambling for now. I'm thrilled I've made it to 11 months post-op with no complications and only joy in my wake. I can't wait to see what the future holds for me. ~Pam

My Vitamin Ritual

Every weekday morning as I leave the house for work, I have a protein shake in my hand (which includes a dose of calcium) and I grab my day's dose of Vitamins out of their 7-day pill organizer and throw them in my pocket.

When I get to work, I dump those pills into a pretty little ceramic dish that I bought at an art show which I keep on my desk. Then I pull out my container of Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate and add two lozenges to the dish too. Having the dish in plain sight all day helps me remember to take my pills throughout the day.

Around 10:00 a.m. I eat breakfast at my desk then take my first dose of vitamins (multi-vitamin, b-complex, colace and fish oil cap). That leaves my two calcium pills for the rest of the workday. After lunch I suck on my "dessert" -- the wild cherry calcium lozenge. And after my 4:30 p.m. snack I take the other calcium pill.

By the time I leave the office at 5:00 p.m. my little ceramic dish is empty and I'm right on schedule for my vitamins and supplements for the day.

When I get home from work I make dinner and have another dose of "dessert" with a calcium lozenge. And just before bed I take the last of my vitamins and pills (multi-vitamin, vitamin D, colace, fish oil, B12 and Prevacid).

I think the key to being successful with vitamins and supplements after RNY is routine and a strict schedule. It took some getting used to right after surgery, but now that I've been doing it for 10 months it is all habit and second nature to me.

~Pam

"Chew and Spit" -- a habit you don't want to start

I hear so many people on OH asking if "chewing and spitting" is alright. Basically, instead of actually eating bad food, they want to know if they can chew it up to get the taste of it, then spit it out so it doesn't go into the stomach pouch. 


There was a recent thread on OH with this question and I posted an answer. Since I'm lazy and don't like to type stuff over and over again, I figured I'd post it here too. 


There are two issues with this. 


First, this behavior is the first steps of bulemia and getting into the habit of chewing food and spitting it out can lead to a very serious eating disorder. After WLS we are already dealing with changing the way we relate to food, so we want to instill good habits all along the way and avoid the bad ones as much as possible. 


Second, there's a biological reason not to do this too. Let me see if I can explain it as well as someone else who I originally read it from...When you smell food and when it enters your mouth and you begin to chew, the body goes into Prep Mode to receive food. Your salivary glands produce saliva, your pancreas produces insulin, your liver produces gastric acid and your brain begins to calculate how much nutrition you're about to receive from the food you eat so it can keep track of it's daily needs/calories --- the body is a well tuned machine and it knows how to deal with food when it knows it's coming. But then you spit out the food. Your body still has excess saliva, insulin, gastric acid and it can't figure out why it didn't get the nutrition it thought it was going to get so the brain accountants go nuts. 


Excess insulin in your body causes your appetite to increase so you'll eat more food to soak up all that extra hormone. Excess gastric acid in the stomach -- now released at the Y of your common channel -- can cause indigestion or heartburn or ulcers. And those brain accountants are now doing some creative math to recalculate the nutritional value of food because it thought it was going to get a certain number of calories, but none came, so next time you try to eat that same food the brain thinks you need twice as much to get the same nutrition as it thought it should have gotten last time. 


So not only is the whole "chew and spit" habit a training ground for bulemia, it's also a way to tease your body into thinking it's getting food when it really isn't. Bulemia is a very serious illness and not something you want to play around with. My cousin Teresa died from heart failure brought on by her illness of bulemia. I don't ever want a family to live through what we had to in losing a loved one so young to a disease that can be treated. 


 Please be careful. Be kind to yourself. 


~Pam

Confession Time

There was a thread on OH today offering a place to make our confessions. I had a few to add to the post... thought I'd throw it out here too. My Confessions: 1. I hate my B-Complex pill. It stinks and it's too big and makes me gag. So I've been avoiding it for a few weeks and have only taken it about 1/2 the times I should have. After work today I vow to go to the store and find an alternative that I don't hate. 2. When I'm stressed and overly busy (like I have been for the past 2 -3 weeks) I don't eat well. Actually I tend to skip meals when I'm stressed. Dinner for the past two weeks has been pathetic, but thankfully I've packed my lunches for work so at least I'm getting breakfast and lunch in. I vow to take better care of myself and not let stress get in the way or use being busy become an excuse for poor eating habits. 3. My house is a pig sty! Ok, this isn't related to WLS, but really folks... it's not like I have anyone else in the house to blame but myself since I live alone. I haven't been home enough to bother cleaning, doing laundry or dishes for 2-3 weeks ... I get home, drop my crap and go to bed. (Actually this does relate to WLS because if my kitchen is messy I have no desire to cook, so a clean kitchen promotes healthy meals.) Now that life has slowed down a bit, I vow to clean my messy house and take pride in my home. ~Pam

The plateau is broken!

WooHoo! That stupid 7 week (or was it 8 weeks?) plateau is officially broken. I am now down 104.7 pounds and no longer stuck at the 100-pound mark. I did a happy dance in the bathroom this morning! Feeling pretty darned good still! ~Pam

3:53:42

That was my official time of the completion of the half- marathon. Yes, folks.... I finished!

The ankle is very sore. I've got it wrapped and elevated right now. My whole body aches and my butt hurts ... I know it's strange. But after being on my feet, standing on concrete for 13 hours yesterday really took a toll on my back and the back of my legs. So the muscles in the back of my thighs up to my gluteous maximus... all very sore and overworked this weekend. Fun stuff, huh?

The finisher medal is awesome! Check it out!

EDITED TO ADD: I just calculated my split times and wanted to add them here.

First half of race: 1:54.

Second half of race: 1:59.

I'm amazed that I did so well in the second half of the race because that was definitely the hardest part -- it was all uphill starting at mile 6. Plus I got stopped at a traffic light around the 12.5 mile mark and stood at that corner for about 2 to 3 minutes so the times were much closer than I would have guessed. I'm impressed with myself! LOL!

~Pam

I don't want to jinx anything....

I don't want to jinx anything, but the scale seems to be moving again. After 7 weeks of plateau, I'm definitely ready to start losing again. Keep your fingers crossed for me .... next weigh in day is Tuesday. ~Pam

Race this Weekend

I have been training since March for this weekend. I walked 10 miles in August and I'm ready to do 13.1 miles in just 3 days. I'm looking forward to achieving this goal.  The course is very challenging -- first half is downhill and then it's all uphill to the finish line.  I'm also looking forward to being a part of the inaugural year of the race.

My ankle is mostly healed ... at least for now.  I walked 5 miles this past weekend on a flat trail and did well.  But once I hit the hills of the Brooksie Way, I fully expect to reinjure those tendons.  So then I'll spend the next couple weeks babying it again until its healed again.  I know, I know, I know... not the smartest plan, but that's the plan I'm going to stick to for now. 

I have a bigger issue that's been bothering me about this weekend though.  

I am part of the organizing committee who is putting this whole race weekend together.  I am part of the sub-committee that is organizing the Health & Wellness Expo which happens on Saturday, the day before the race.  This is where all racers will need to go in order to pick up their race packets.  We've booked 52 vendors, a speaker, a musical group and several non-profit organizations who will all exhibit for racers and the general public.  So, needless to say, a huge production. 

What's that got to do with the race on Sunday?  Well... I'll be at the Expo from 6:00 am Saturday morning until 7:00pm that evening and I live about 2 hours away from the venue.  Makes for a very long day, huh?  With most of that day spent on my feet, walking around, hauling stuff and making sure everything is running smoothly.  So not only the physical exertion, but also a huge mental exercise too.  

The past couple weeks leading up to the Expo has been busy with details and planning.  This is the first year of the Expo (and race too) so there is no guidelines to follow --- we're making it all up on the fly. This week has really gotten hectic and I've worked a lot of extra house.  Most of the detail work has fallen in my lap at work, which is fine, I love it, but I've ended up exhausted as a result.  I feel like I could sleep for a week right now. 

So there you go.  I'm worried about the race.  Not because of the injury, but because I know I'm not in a good condition physically and mentally to face this huge race.  

My only plan right now is to try and leave early on Saturday from the Expo.  If tasks are covered and I have enough staffers and volunteers to handle the last few hours of the day, I'll cut out early.  If I can be home by 6:00 I feel like I'll be able to unwind from the stress of planning the event, take a hot bath and get to bed early.  I'll leave Sunday morning for the race around 5:00a.m. and do the race. 

So keep me in your thoughts and prayers this weekend. Tomorrow and Saturday will be pure craziness.  And Sunday I'm going to see the many long weeks of training result in the completion of my first half marathon.  WooHoo!

~Pam