Good Bye Grandpa

Today my grandpa passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was dearly loved and will be greatly missed.

My favorite memory of grandpa involves popcorn and chicken coffee.

When I was a little girl, my sister and I would get to stay overnight at Grandpa and Grandma's house sometimes. We would play with the toys and watch movies on TV. Grandpa always liked to watch the same types of things on TV. Western movies, Bonanza or Little House on the Prairie -- if there was a western movie made, I've probably seen it at Grandpa's house.

So while watching a movie, Grandpa would make a pot of popcorn and Grandma would make some coffee for Grandpa. Of course, Shelly and I wanted to be just like Grandpa and have some coffee too. But little girls weren't allowed to have coffee, of course. So Grandma would let us make "chicken coffee." A mug of hot (lukewarm) water with a chicken bullion cube dissolved in it. Chicken Coffee. I remember being so proud to be old enough to have my own type of coffee just like Grandpa. And even now, when I see someone using those little chicken bullion cubes wrapped in gold foil, I think of my childhood and spending time with Grandpa and Grandma.

What I'll remember most about Grandpa is the huge love he had for Grandma. Every time Grandpa would leave the house for an errand or anything, he'd kiss Grandma good bye - then he'd kiss her again when he got home. Before and after each meal, before bed, upon waking ... I think they invented reasons to kiss. No, not just a little peck either ... a big ol' sloppy kiss that showed the passion they had for each other. The kind of kiss you'd tease someone to "get a room" - the kind of kiss that showed their huge love for each other.

Whenever they were sitting next to each other, they'd be holding hands or Grandpa's hand would be on Grandma's shoulder. They would want to be touching in some way. Their love for each other was always evident throughout the years. I look to them to know that true love can endure the years and can give a person happiness right up until the very last breath you take.

My family asked me to write Grandpa's obituary. I'm including it here:

Beloved husband, father and grandfather, Willard “Buck” Phillips, passed away peacefully on April 27, 2009 at his home in Standish, Michigan at age 85. Buck was born on February 29, 1924 to parents Wilma and Ralph Phillips in Clare, Michigan. On April 2, 1946 he married his sweetheart, Florence Marie Wolfe and they spent 63 happy years together. Buck served from 1943-1946 in the 29th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in the European Theater during World War II where he earned a CIB Badge, Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He has been an active member of VFW Post 3724, American Legion Post 104, Military Purple Heart Post 2000 and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Buck spent his working years in Two State Oil Fields, Hachelt Stock Yards and L.E. Myers Construction before retiring from the Bay City Chevrolet plant in 1980. Buck is survived by his wife, Florence, and their three daughters: Nancy (Dale) Sanders; Gloria (Neil) Frost and Penny (Lester) Tremble. He is proceeded in death by daughter Sally Kay. He was much adored grandfather to: Pamela Tremble; Shelly (Eric) Grider; Brad (Destiny) Sanders; Neil (Cindy) Frost; Lisa (John) Lacy; Allen (Melissa) Tremble; Brian Frost, Becky Frost and Daniel Tremble (deceased). Great-Grandchildren include: Joshua, Makayla, Austin, Tyler, Aaron, Christian, Alexis, Dakota, Devin, Krista and Jacob. Buck was the oldest of his siblings, who include: Doris Kile (deceased), Larry Siel, Fern Deveneaux, Wilfred Siel, Wilber Siel (deceased), Donna Young, Donald Siel (deceased), Dennis Phillips, Irene Taylor, Ilene Ream, Ronald Phillips, Virgil Phillips (deceased), Betty Watson, Ralph Phillips and Jeanette Phillips (deceased). 

Funeral services will be held at R.O. Savage Funeral Home in Standish on Friday, May 1, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 30th.

Exercise and Being Busy

I'm busy. My calendar is jam packed and there is no relief in sight. My busy life is starting to infringe on my workout time. And it's starting to worry me. I started really using my Google Calendar and putting everything on my schedule ... it was eye-opening to realize how much stuff I have going on and how few days there are when there are no obligations at all. One thing I haven't put on my calendar is my non-scheduled workouts. Meaning the times when I'm just exercising on my own and not meeting a group or an exercise class. One side of me thinks I need to start putting those workouts on my calendar, but then I also think that I want to avoid doing that because I don't want my workouts to feel like an obligation that I'll come to dread and resent. I did have my workouts on my calendar for a while, but then whenever I couldn't hit the gym or keep that scheduled appointment with myself, I'd be riddled with guilt for missing it and it became a point of disappointment and failure in my life. And I've made the commitment to myself that I will never set goals for myself that I don't 100% believe I can acheive... Here's a sampling of a typical week for me. Monday through Friday I work ... leaving the house at 7:00 a.m. and (on a good day) getting home at about 7:00 p.m. If I stop on the way home for a workout, I get home around 8:30 p.m. I try to get to bed around 11:00 p.m. most evenings but sometimes don't even make it that late. So on a good night, I have about 2.5 hours of "Pam Time" to get stuff done like cook and eat dinner, do homework, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, getting in a workout (yoga or Shimmy) with a DVD, deal with family obligations, do any leisure activities like crafts or surf the net or watch TV. But its rare that I actually come straight home after work. In addition to this typical schedule, here's what else is on my calendar: Monday -- three Mondays a month is my WLS support group meetings Tuesday -- I'm trying to dedicate Tuesdays to homework, but soon it'll be Crim Training to meet my walking group each week for a long workout. Wednesday -- right now I'm doing class on Wednesdays from 6pm to 10pm then driving home (40 minutes) and usually straight to bed Thursdays -- meeting my support group for walking training night Fridays -- after working a 60-hour week I'm exhausted and try to save Friday nights to do "nothing" but usually am so tired I am in bed before 10:00 p.m. Sometimes I meet my girlfriends-group for an appetizer party or dinner Weekends -- usually booked with family obligations or other stuff. I still try to reserve at least one day of the weekend for absolutely nothing, but that hasn't been happening lately. Technically I'm still able to fit about 4 workouts in per week. So really, that's not horrible. But I really want to be doing more. And once Crim training starts I need to do more to keep up with my groups training schedule (which is 6 days per week). I know I'm rambling. I guess I'm just trying to figure out how to fit everything I want to do, everything I have to do and everything I need to do ... into an already packed calendar. Something has got to give and I don't want it to be exercise. I've got some thinking to do, huh? ~Pam

Race Day

I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to find a second race for April.  But earlier this week I discovered a little race in my hometown to be held today.  There were about 40 racers total with only 5 walkers (me being one of them).  The weather was gorgeous and sunny -- definitely a perfect spring day!

So a couple observations about today.  

First, when I am part of a race where there are very few walkers I usually end up at the end.  Today I finished last.  It is so discouraging to finish last even when your brain is telling you it doesn't matter.  

Second, I need to learn some techniques for walking faster.  I was booking today and I can't figure out how to get faster.  Hopefully the pace training that is a part of the Crim Training Program will help me figure this out.

The good news is I got a medal today for 1st place in my age group for walkers.  The bad news is that I was the only person in my age group, male or female.  Still kinda cool to get a medal.

ALSO --- today's time was my best ever.  Felt good to beat myself, at least.

Distance:  3.1 miles

Time: 49:38

Pace: 16:01

Weather:  58, sunny and beautiful

Proud and Inspired

Last night I met about 15-20 members of my support group, their friends and family members and a couple folks from my surgeon's office. Last night was the second week in our walking training -- we're working toward the goal of finishing a 10-mile race together. Each week we'll increase our distance by 1/2 mile until we are all ready to walk 10 miles in August. This is the same race I did last August -- and also signed up for the race's official training program that meets on Tuesdays. But our support group training program is being lead by our leader, Jim, and it's not a part of the official training program.... just a bunch of highly motivated people working together to accomplish a major goal as a group. This group of people are amazing! We have people who had WLS and are fairly athletic already. We have people who never had WLS but are there because a friend or family member invited them. We have kids and a dog. We have the director of the bariatric center where most of us had surgery and also a nurse from the center too. And there's also Nancy. She is why I'm writing this message today. She inspires me and makes me so proud! Nancy has been fighting the insurance company and fighting for medical clearance for her WLS for months. Her surgery was scheduled but cancelled because of a last minute medical issue that needed to be fixed first. She just got clearance and is now back on track to have her WLS soon. While waiting for her RNY she's lost 45 pounds on her own. WooHoo!! She walks with a cane and needs two knee replacements... but needs to lose the weight before her doctor will do those surgeries. But still she walks. And she walked last night with a smile on her face and a brilliant positive attitude. I'm so proud of her! She inspires me to be more faithful with my own exercising program. So next time you think about giving up or wimping out on a workout. Think of Nancy, happily trekking along with her cane, sore knees and a smile on her face. If she can do it, so can I! ~Pam

WLS Wisdom from a Photographer?

The other day I was catching up on my blog reading (a never ending battle). As you know, I love photography and subscribe to many photo blogs. Ed Z Studios had an interesting post the other day that included some "words of wisdom" from a professional photographer to people just starting out in the photography business. I was struck by how easily the advice given could translate to us after WLS ... not just as it relates to losing weight, but also how we live our lives and make the changes we want to see in our character, habits and lifestyle. Here's a few of my favorite points (I've added my personal comments in parenthesis after some of the points):

• Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward. (Define “style” any way you’d like … is it your personality, character or fashion sense?)

• Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. (Makes me think of being educated about nutrition, our new anatomy and what to expect with life after WLS.)

• Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically.

• Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself. … You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.

• Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either. (Replace the word “photographer” with whatever term you want to be identified as.)

• You cannot specialize in everything.

• Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work (life). Implement only what makes sense to implement.

• Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve.

• Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated. (This makes me think of all the fad diets we tried before WLS – now the “honest photography” to use is a healthy lifestyle of moderation and good food and exercise choices.)

• Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place… Never let your technique upstage your subject. (Sometimes we get bogged down in the daily calorie counting, exercise logging and protein gram tracking … and we forget why we had WLS in the first place. To be healthy.)

• Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.

• Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacence.

Be on the look out for inspiration all around you. You never know where the next words of wisdom will come from.

~Pam

Protein - A single scoop of vanilla

So often I hear new WLS patients complain that they've "tried all the protein and hate them all." (And they are only 2 or 3 weeks post-op.) Unfortunately, I don't believe them. I know - that's harsh. Be honestly, if you try something once and never try it again, or never try it a different way how can you say that you hate them ALL unless you've exhausted every possible option? One example I use when replying to forum posts is how different a single scoop of vanilla protein powder can taste if only you mix it a different way each time. So I thought I'd make a list of all the ways I can think of to make a single scoop of protein into a variety of different concoctions.

1. Mix it with water
2. Mix it with milk
3. Mix it with soy milk
4. Mix it with flavored soy milk (chocolate?)
5. Mix it with crystal light or sugar free Kool-aid
6. Mix it with diet juice (V8 Splash!)
7. Mix it with coffee
8. Mix it with tea
9. Mix it with hot cocoa
10. Make it hot
11. Make it cold
12. Make it frozen (protein ice cream)
13. Make it thick like a milk shake
14. Make it thicker like pudding
15. Make it thin and serve it over ice
16. Mix in some fruit
17. Mix it into yogurt
18. Mix in some spices (cinnamon, chai spice)
19. Mix in some flavored sugar free coffee syrups
20. Mix in some sugar free pudding mix (pistachio, cheesecake, banana??)
21. Mix it into pudding (1 sf pudding cup, 1/2 scoop protein)
22. Mix it into oatmeal
23. Mix it into protein bars or balls or these bars
24. Make it aromatic (like my protein hot chai tea recipe)
25. Use your imagine..... the sky is the limit!

The recipes are endless. Obviously I have some here on my blog, but if you do a search on Google, you'll find millions. Bodybuilders are very creative with recipes for protein shakes - you might need to adjust the ingredients to make them more WLS friendly, but at least the ideas are often unique.


And of course, there's always my "Protein Book" with a ton of recipes. So next time you are stumped for a way to mix your protein powder. Just pick something new off the list above and see how it goes. It's all a big game of experimentation -- a game that you can't give up on after the first try. 


 ~Pam

Latest Pic

My friend Kelly got a new iPhone. I was the first person she took a picture of on Thursday last week. Definitely a bad hair day and feeling like I have dark circles under my eyes. And someone ought to clean off my desk. But otherwise, not a bad shot, huh?

My Opinion of New Whey Protein Bullets

A lot of people swear by the New Whey Protein Bullets. But from my own research I am not thrilled with the quality of the protein it provides for WLS patients. (It's great for bodybuilders, but not for people with altered digestive systems.)

Here's what I know:

Ingredients in New Whey Protein 42g
67.4% pure deionized water, 31.5% Actinase (patent pending blend of enzymatically hydrolyzed collagenic protein isolate, whey protein isolate and casein protein isolate), less that 2% of malic acid, vitamin c,b3,b5,b2, b1, folic acid, biotin, and b12, natural flavors, sucralose, blue-1 and red 40.

As we know, the highest percentage of ingredients are listed first, with lesser amounts listed last. So we know that of that 31.5% of protein mixture the highest amount of protein would be Collagen Protein. Next is Whey Protein Isolate, then Casein Protein Isolate. Let's look at each one:

Collagen Protein:
This is the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% of the whole-body protein content. When broken down, collagen becomes a gelatin used in many foods such as Jell-O type desserts. It’s also used in cosmetics, pharmacology and photography industry for the production of various products. Collagen and gelatin are poor-quality protein sources since they do not contain all the essential amino acids that the human body requires - they are not complete proteins.

Whey Protein Isolate
This is the highest quality protein currently available. The BV rating is often shown at 110-159 because the BV scale was devised before Whey Protein Isolate was developed and the scale is based on the perfect protein of an egg. This form of protein has the highest bioavailability of any other form of protein.

Casein Protein Isolate
Casein is a slow-digesting protein source that actually forms a "gel" in the stomach and slowly releases it's amino acid components over several hours after ingestion. This slow release can last up to 7 hours (for comparison: Whey is released within 40 minutes). Casein is derived from milk - same protein source as if you drink a glass of milk. My concern though with this source is because it is concentrated and process to be slow-digesting, the Casein Protein Isolate may actually leave our altered/shorter digestive track before it has a chance to release all of the amino acids it contains.

And just a side note: The words "enzymatically hydrolyzed" don't really mean much. Enzymatically just means it's a "variety of protein enzyme sources" and hydrolyzed just means that the protein has been "broken down" into it's basic amino acid component.

So basically with those $3.50+ protein bullets you're paying for 68% water and 32% of a low quality combination of protein (with a little bit of good whey protein thrown in for good measure).

I personally would rather feed my body the high quality Whey Protein Isolate that is proven to be the best for my body, will be processed in less than an hour in my shorter intestines and allow me to use every single bit of what I'm drinking and not waste any protein.


EDITED 2/21/10 -- Andrea U. (all around science geek and vitamin/supplement guru) made the following comment about collagen protein.  "Collagen by itself has a PDCAAS score of .08.  I put ProteinEx (a "medical grade collagen" through a PDCAAS filter) and it had a score of 0.25"  NOTE: PDCAAS scores range from 0 to 1.0 with 1.0 being a perfect score (i.e.: whey protein, eggs).  Thanks Andrea!

HTH
Pam

Protein -- Trying Samples

I had to try about four dozen different flavors/brands of protein before I found two or three that worked for me. Imagine if I had bought big jars of protein powder for those 4 dozen samples. I'd be broke! Thankfully I used single-scoop samples of protein and could quickly eliminate the ones I didn't like.

After surgery our tastes buds change. So the flavors of protein that we liked before surgery we might not like after. That's why it isn't really a good idea to test out protein beforehand. In fact, my taste buds changed twice. During the first two weeks after surgery nothing tasted right ... I later found out it was because of the anesthesia in my system, it can give everything a metallic flavor. Then things mellowed out a bit after 2 weeks. But then at the 2 month mark things changed again .. suddenly stuff that I didn't like the taste of was much better. So be patient with your body and expect things to change along the way.

So where do you get samples? There are online and local resources ... so do some digging to find as many as you can.

ONLINE SOURCES - here's a list of the most common sources for buying variety packs or individual flavors ... getting several different brands and flavors all in one place.

• Enjoy Health -- I started my experimentation with the big sampler pack
• Netrition -- They also have a variety pack of samples
• Bariatric Eating -- Susan Marie sells individual flavors ala carte or a protein starter kit
• Vitalady -- Michelle sells individual flavors ala carte
• Nashua Nutrition -- Many different brands available ala carte

INDIVIDUAL MANUFACTURERS - some companies MAY give free samples or offer them for a nominal fee, but you have to contact each brand individually. Here are a few that I know of:

• Chike
• Click
• Unjury
• Syntrax
• EAS

LOCAL SOURCES -- sometimes you just want to have easier access to protein than having to order online. Here are some local sources for getting samples:

• GNC -- they sell a couple different flavors of their most popular brands. They also sometimes have free samples under the counter, just have to ask.
• Health Food Stores -- if you've got a large health food store in your area, they may have samples of generic whey or soy protein. Many people say they have found unflavored whey protein in bulk at their health food store.
• Support Group Members -- ask each member of your support group to bring a scoop of their favorite flavor to share.
• Body Fortress Protein -- this is the brand I've settled on - not because it is all that much better tasting than anything else - but because it's convenient to pick up at Walmart or Target. And it's cheap. They don't sell samples either. But a whole 2lb jar is only around $15 (about half what others usually run). So I'm listing this here because it's the one big jar of protein that you can buy and try and not be out a lot of money.

So if you are having problems finding a protein powder that tastes good to you, get some samples. And even if a flavor doesn't sound good to you, try it anyway. One of my favorite flavors right after surgery was cookies-n-cream -- which was not something I would have picked pre-op. You never know what will taste good to you after surgery, so try 'em all.

Edited to add: I just found another great list from Miss Mary Mac's blog on finding protein samples. Some of our information overlaps, but she's also got more that I hadn't heard of before. Check out her list here.

~Pam

Protein -- Do some research

I want to share some online resources with you regarding protein, protein supplements and why protein is so important to our bodies after WLS. Nearly all the knowlege I've amassed about protein (and everything else related to WLS) has been found on the Internet, in medical journals, through books at the library and in talking to other patients.

I've often said that I have done more research and study about biology, anatomy and nutrition since I had WLS than I ever have in all my years in high school or college. And as you all know... once I do the research I like to put it up here on my blog so I have it all in one central location that I can refer back to often.

For those who are not familiar with del.icio.us -- it is a website where you can organize and share your internet bookmarks and access them from any computer (not just a favorites list on your home computer). I have an account and my bookmarks are open for anyone to see. I have a ton. Way too many. And they need to be organized. But there's still a lot of information if you want to sift through my mess. LOL! There's a link in the right navigation bar to access my del.icio.us account and all the categories I have created.

Here's the direct link for my protein bookmarks.

Some specific resources about protein that I have found helpful:

• Protein and the Bariatric Patient
• ASMBS Bariatric Nutrition (starting on page 20 of this report is detailed information about protein as it relates to the WLS patient)
• Understanding Essential Amino Acids
• Debunking the myth that we can only absorb 30g protein at a time Understanding Whey Isolate Protein vs. Whey Concentrate Protein
• Tom Venuto's series on Protein and the Body Builder (not directed at WLS folks, but still a wealth of information about protein supplementing in general - Tom Venuto is an excellent source for people who want to lose fat and build muscle without all the typical advertising hype and "paid advertising" nonsense that most bodybuilder websites have.)

I may add to this list over time... but for now, these are good places to start your own research.

~Pam

Protein - The Different Types of Supplements

Understanding the different types of protein supplements is essential in choosing the right one for you. Here I go through the main types of protein supplements used by weight loss surgery patients. Yes, there are others... but this basic outline will get you started with what you need to know.

WHEY ISOLATE PROTEIN -- this is the highest quality form of protein powder. All the fat and lactose (sugar) has been removed from the original milk product and you're left with just the protein. When you look at the label you'll see about 25g of protein per "scoop" (usually about 28g) with 0g carb and 0g fat. Because Whey Isolate is the highest quality, you're also going to pay more for it.

WHEY CONCENTRATE PROTEIN -- although still a high quality form of protein powder, it has not been processed down as far as Isolate and you'll find that some fat and carbohydrates still remain in the product. Not much, but still some. Typically you'll see Whey Concentrate containing about 1g-9g of fat and 1g-9g of carb (lactose) per serving. Check the labels carefully to see how the numbers come out... some forms of Concentrate are higher quality than others. Because it's not as high a quality of blend, it's usually priced much cheaper. However, if you are lactose intolerant, you want to stick with Isolate instead.

PROTEIN QUALITY -- Whey Isolate Protein and Whey Concentrate Protein are EXACTLY the same protein. The protein itself has the exact same quality, digestibility, bioavailability, whatever-ability. The PROTEIN is the same. The only difference is that Whey Concentrate has a few extra "things" mixed in with the protein. So don't be fooled by those who say you can only use Whey Isolate Protein. That's a myth. You can use either form - they are exactly the same protein. However, if you have a lactose or fat intolerance, then stick with Isolate.

COMBINED WHEY ISOLATE & CONCENTRATE -- A common way to achieve a high quality protein supplement while still maintaining an economical price point is to use a combination of both Whey Isolate and Concentrate in the mix. Make sure that Isolate is listed first on the ingredient list to ensure you're getting more of the higher quality protein. This is the type of protein I use and each scoop of protein has 1.8g fat and 2g carb.

OTHER GOOD TYPES OF PROTEIN -- some people find that they are actually "whey intolerant" and have to search for other types of protein supplements. There are definitely other options, but the variety is much more limited. Soy protein, rice protein, egg protein -- all these powders can be purchased in the same way as whey protein. I personally haven't tried any of these, but have heard from others that they do not mix as smoothly with liquid as whey, so you have to deal with grittiness and sometimes lumpiness.

PROTEIN TO AVOID – stay away from the types that are low quality proteins and those designed for body builders or people with normal digestive systems. Specifically… collagen protein and hydrolyzed protein and those that do not contain all eight essential amino acids.


~Pam

Race Day

Well, technically yesterday was race day... but I'm just getting around to posting about it today.  BTW - Happy Easter all!

Saturday was the Tax Trot in Flushing.  After I signed up I found out my friend Kristy was also registered, so we rode down together for the race.  It was pretty chilly and we were bundled up in sweatshirts and coats, mittens and head bands.  It was fun though.  

I used my Sansa media player to listen to Podrunner.  I used a mix that kept me on pace with 139 beats per minute.  These really help me keep up my speed all throughout the race. 

I still need to find a second race for April.  Because my next two Saturdays are already booked, I'm having a difficult time finding something that fits into my crazy schedule.  I have some new race lists from yesterday's race, so I'll look through that this afternoon.

Distance:  3.1 miles

Time: 51:09

Pace: 16:30

Weather:  34-degrees, very windy on parts of the course

Pictures Last Night

Last night I got home from work and only had about 30 minutes to change my clothes, fix a quick dinner and head back out the door to meet my photography group. I also knew I needed to start thinking about what I was going to wear for Easter Sunday and knew I didn't have many dressy options. So in the middle of changing my clothese I decided try on the 1 dress and 1 skirt I own. The dress fit, but think I need some Spanx under it and a little sweater over the sleeveless top. The skirt was still too tight. While in my closet, spotted a cool sweater I'd forgotten about buying at Goodwill, so decided to try that on too. The sweater was super cute on. And I rushed out to the living room to check the full length mirror in the hallway (yes, I know, strange place for it). I was awestruck at how hot I looked. Slim and happy. So I rushed to set up my camera and tripod in the (messy) living room to take some full length pictures. I know a lot of people actually do these full length shots every month, but I haven't been as faithful with doing them. I've done the face picture project, but neglected the full length pictures mostly. So this was a rare event indeed. The clock was ticking and I still needed to fix dinner yet! LOL After taking the pictures I rushed to throw on jeans and a sweatshirt and grab food on the way out the door. I ate dinner in the car with a grin on my face. I'm a nut! I'll get those pictures off my camera and post them here in the next couple days. I'm anxious to check out the side-by-side shots of my before surgery pictures with these ones. ~Pam

Let's talk about protein

Right after RNY surgery our tiny new pouch of a stomach can only hold about 2 ounces of food or full liquids. It is nearly impossible for us to get all of our daily protein needs through food alone -- so we must supplement that little amount of food with additional protein supplements. One of the most common questions or the most common complaint I see on the WLS forums is about protein. Confusion about what kind to use. Confusion about why it tastes so horrible. Confusion about recipes and how to prepare shakes. Lots of questions. And I answer as many questions as I can. But for those of you who know me, I tend to be lazy. I like to write stuff once and just refer back to that information over and over again. Ya know... copy and paste! It seems like I've been typing a lot about protein lately, so I'm going to evoke my right to be lazy and write a bunch of stuff here on my blog that I can later use in my copy/paste escapades. I'd like to do a short series of posts here on my blog about protein.

• What are the different types of protein supplements?
• How do I find the right protein supplement for me and my tastes?
• How can a single scoop of vanilla protein be transformed a hundred different way?
• What are some sources for recipes for protein shakes?
• Besides protein supplements, what are some good sources of protein from food?

So over the next few days I'll be posting some information about protein. If you have specific questions or want me to cover anything in particular, please speak up. If you've heard it all before... I'm sorry to be repeating myself. LOL! ~Pam

One Pound

It's Tuesday. Which means it's my official weigh-in day. And I've lost 1 pound! So this morning's weight was 188.4. Because the scale has been playing games with me for the last 4 months fluctuating between 191 and 189, I would normally doubt that 188 reading. But since 188 has been holding steady for about a week now, I believe it. Yes, I've been peeking at the scale all week... but nothing counted until this morning's official weigh-in. This puts me at a total loss of 111 pounds. So was it the calorie reduction that did it? I don't know. Maybe. But I kind of doubt that was the reason because I first saw 188 only one day after beginning the 1100 calorie regimen. So I'm guess it was just a coincidence and that my body was ready to move down a pound. But for now, I'm going to stick with the 1000-1200 calorie range for another week to see how it goes. I actually took the weekend off (like normal) and didn't plan, track or count calories/food on Saturday or Sunday. I made wise, healthy choices, but I didn't plan every morsel. I probably ate more than the 1100 average I hit during the week... but I'm fine with that. One thing I've discovered about myself through this whole process is that I tend to rebel against rules unless I know exactly why I'm following them. I also can only deal with a rigid routine for so long before all I want to do it blow it off and do my own thing. So five days on a strict diet plan and 2 days of just making good choices... that's a routine I can live with. Here's to hoping that next week will show another pound loss. Keep your fingers crossed for me! ~Pam

A New Loser

One of my readers is having surgery tomorrow. Good luck Woody! Keep us posted on how it goes. Welcome to the loser's bench! ~Pam

Photog Weekend

Finally!  I spent the weekend with my camera.  I just never have enough time -- or maybe I don't actually TAKE enough time -- to get out and just relax and take pictures.  It felt good.  

Saturday I headed to Midland to Dow Gardens where they had the butterfly exhibit in the conservatory.  So surrounded by a million kids, I made my way through the crowd to find so many beautiful butterflies and flowers.  

Sunday I met a few new friends in a Meetup.com group for a photowalking event at Sloan Museum in Flint.  It was my first experience doing a group photography event like this, but it was pretty cool, actually.  I'm looking forward to more meetings with this group to do more photowalking days. 

Here's a few of my favorites from the weekend.

If you'd like to see more... here's the links:

Saturday's Favorites

Sunday's Favorites

~Pam

Researching Races Today

Things have been busy for me the last couple weeks so I haven't had a chance to do as much research for upcoming races as I'd like. But today I'm planning to find some races and get my butt registered. Need to fill the April 18-19 weekend and start work on May and June. Kristy gave me a great list to start from .... but I also need to find some "destination" races too. Ya know, places near a BEACH cuz that's my favorite spot in the world. (Can you tell I'm an Aquarius?) What are your plans for the weekend? Anything fun?! I'm meeting a new photography group on Sunday for a photowalking event -- hopefully we won't get rained/snowed out. I also need to get my taxes finished this weekend. So a balance of fun and not fun at all for me. LOL! ~Pam

Calories

I don't know if this is the right decision or if I'm completely off my mental rocker ... but I'm going to do a little experiment with my calorie intake. As you recall, back in December I had my RMR tested and was told to increase my calories up to at least 1450. (My NUT actually recommended 1500-1800, but I was too chicken to try that.) I've been doing the 1300-1400 calorie thing for about 3 months now. And I've been stalled for about 3.5 months. Coincidence? Maybe ... maybe not. But the numbers are screwing with my head and I'm finally giving in. At least for a little while. For the next week or two I'm going to drop my calorie intake down to around 1000-1200. Just to see what happens. I started it yesterday and my food plan for today will put me right in the middle of that target too. I think the key for me is to find foods that are filling but low in calories. Salad is the perfect fit for that criteria. So is Icy Treats from my new kitchen gadget and hot tea or sugar free hot apple cider. It'll take some creative meal planning to get back down to 1100 calories a day but still keep my tummy happy and satisfied. So I'll either see the scale move or watch it stay stubbornly where it has been for months. I have no set time frame that I'll do this experiment but my goal is to stick with it for at least a week or maybe two. Then I'll decide if it's the right move or if I need to go back up to my RMR rate. I guess we'll see how it goes. ~Pam

Overwhelmed By The Love

Last night I cried when I discovered a message on ObesityHelp.com entitled "Sending Love to Pam T." posted by my friend Nikki. Her words were so sweet and fully of love and compassion, she really touched my heart. And then a bunch of other amazing people jumped on the bandwagon and poured more love right on top of Nik's.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who posted on that thread. You can't know how much your words mean to me! You are all so awesome!

If you'd like to read it... here's the link.

~Pam