4 Month Update

Hello, its been about 4 months since my surgery. I have lost 110 lbs since I started my journey. 40 before surgery and 80 since surgery. I am thinking that I am very close to my goal at this point, so I am not sure how much more I want to lose. I am basing it off of my clothes for the most part, not really what the scale says.

Valentine’s day was yesterday, and I found that it was way easier than I thought it would be. I had some cake, but it wasn’t horrible in terms of calories, it had about 180 calories total. I took a box of red velvet cake mix and just used a can of Diet Dr. Pepper in place of all the other ingredients, put it in a 13×9 inch pan that I sprayed with Pam. Bake it for about 25 mins (or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean) at 350 degrees. Then, I poked holes all throughout the cake and poured in sugar free instant cheesecake pudding, which I prepared with almond milk. To make it with almond milk you have to use cornstarch in the pudding (1 TSP per cup of Almond milk), otherwise it won’t set, and you will be left with a liquid mess.

After it was cooled down, I topped it with fat free whipped cream. You can add crushed Oreos if you want, but I didn’t add it to mine. I had them on the side if my hubby or son wanted to add it to their piece. This cake yields 15 servings total. The cake is tasty and you cut out a bunch of calories just by not adding the eggs and oil to the cake mix. I bet there are sugar free boxed cake mixes that could lessen the calories if I had planned this in advance I would have been able to track something down. I will let you know if I find one, and the calorie breakdown once I try it.

As far as everything else goes, I am on track and still happily losing weight and not having any issues with feeling like I am missing out on foods. I also found a great product to use in place of Greek yogurt if you don’t like it. Its called Quark, and its actually German style Cheese, the company I found is Elli Quark. They are based here in California, so I can generally find it in stores near me, but they do ship if you cant find it. I like it because it has more protein in it and the same amount of calories as the light and fit Greek does, 80 calories with less sugar and more protein. So it is worth looking into if you want an alternative: https://www.elliquark.com/

Thanks for reading!

3 Month Update

So its been a little over 3 months, and I had not expected that things would go the way they did. Obviously, we can start with the major events- losing my younger brother. Before the surgery I would have definitely eaten my feelings away. Now, it is not only something I wouldn’t do, but physically it is painful to even try. So there is some changes that are very noticeable. This surgery has forced me to actually deal with my feelings in a more productive way.  Although not all of my weight gain came from poor eating, I did have the pituitary tumor as well. I can’t blame it all on the tumor, nor can I blame it all on overeating. I can simply say that I have made many behavioral changes in addition to getting healthier from the tumor removal. So I am still trying to discover my happy medium.

I just recently had my 3 month lab work, and the results were okay. I was worried because after my brother passed away I stayed at my mom’s house for several days, and didn’t have any of my vitamins with me. Definitely glad to find out that they were okay.

Little issues: GUM, STRAWS, NOT DRINKING WITH MEALS. Yikes! So I am not sure why the gum is not allowed…they say because you will get air in your pouch. Well, I am going to tell you that I still chew, I guess I shouldn’t say chew, I stick it between my cheek and gums. I haven’t noticed any air or discomfort from gum. Straws…well this is definitely something that I will not be able to give up. I am mindful when I use them, I usually take a small sip, and let it sit in my mouth as I breathe first then swallow. Drinking while eating. I guess I am just not compliant about things, because I am guilty of this as well. Not too much, but I just use enough liquid to clear my mouth, or cleanse my pallet. I try to be compliant with these things, but even my nutritionist had said, if it doesn’t irritate you, then just don’t tell anyone else that you do it. So I guess it isn’t terrible.

Foods: I have been experimenting with different foods and textures. The verdict is still the same with eggs- no matter how they are cooked, or how they taste, I can’t tolerate them. I have tried different textures and consistencies, and had a good amount of success. I am able to tolerate a bunch of different foods, although with caution. I really like pickles, I don’t know why. I went to Knott’s Berry Farm and was able to try a bite of funnel cake. I only had one bite, and that was enough. I found that no matter how hard I am going to try, I still need to supplement with protein shakes during the day. It doesn’t bother me too much to have to do protein drinks, I find them convenient for my busy day. If you haven’t tried the Isopure, they are okay. They are fruity flavored, so when you get tired of protein that is chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla, this can be a nice alternative. The only thing with the Isopure, it takes me forever to drink one, because they are 20 oz, it takes a pretty long time. Other than that, I am eating many different textures at this point, I am really working hard to create recipes that are both satisfying and actually taste good. I am in the works of posting some of my favorite recipes. I promise you won’t sacrifice taste when you try some of these.

Exercise: I am not at all restricted in what I can do, I have no more pain at all. I have been doing the TRX Trainer, along with running, swimming, cycling, and figure skating. I really enjoy all of these activities, and am very dedicated to my workout routine. I also got a Nike Fuel Band SE. This little thing is pretty cool, being that I am pretty competitive, I find myself trying to beat my goal and previous day’s record. It can be helpful to to give you an idea of how much you move and when you move the most. There are other bands, Fitbit, Jawbone, and others. If you are digital and like that kind of data, then a band might be a good option for you.

Weight: I am currently down to 173 lbs. I hit a plateau and the scale just wouldn’t budge, no matter what amount of exercise I would do. So I just had to patiently wait it out. I would weigh in every morning, and have no changes at all! Then one day, I just started losing again. I still log food every day using Loseit. I thought I liked it, they just did a new update, so it will take some getting used to. I will report back once I get their new layout down.

Calories: I am eating right around 550 calories per day. My nutritionist told me I need to bump it up to at least 600 per day. She told me to add juice to my water to get a few added calories here an there.

Hair Loss: I have not noticed a significant loss of hair yet. I am taking 10,000 MCG Biotin per day, as well as red krill oil. I don’t know that these are even helping, but why not just give it a try because if there is a slight chance- why not?

Freezing: I have noticed that I am freezing way more often than before. Not just because it is ‘winter’, which for us San Diegans, that is in the 70’s usually. I mean, it is 75 outside, and I am cold. My body temperature is having to regulate differently, or work harder now that I don’t have ‘insulation’ as I like to call it. So I do notice this as quite a problem, I am always cold, even when it’s nice outside.

Thanks for reading everyone! If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments, I will give you the best answer that I can, if I don’t know the answer, I will try to find out. Have a great day!

Sorry for the Lack of Posts

Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of an update for about the last month, or so. I am dealing with the loss of my younger brother. He fell ill early in December and since then it has been a horrible battle for him. His passing was very unexpected and a tragic loss to a long hard fight. He was very sick, not with cancer or anything. He was born with spina bifida and ultimately developed many conditions throughout his life as a result. He succumbed to complications from an infection that spread to his heart. There were no viable surgical options, he would have likely died during the surgery. He was surrounded by many people who love him dearly, and he did not die alone in an operating room. This is a very difficult time, as he was only 25 years old. All I can say is he was such a fighter, and his spirit will carry me through the hard times. He leaves behind many people who loved him, especially my son, and my sister’s two sons. My brother’s proudest moments were when he became an uncle, not just once, but three times. He stayed with me in the hospital from the time I went into labor until I went home. My husband was deployed at the time, so he didn’t want me to be alone. I am honored to have been able to give him his first nephew, and my sister 2 more. I will update more later this week. As far as emotional eating- there is none. Even when I think that I want to be ‘bad’, I am still good with my choices. I can only say, I love you Michael Rest in Peace baby brother – October 24, 1989 – December 19, 2014, you will be missed, but never forgotten.

2 Month Update

So Thanksgiving just passed last week week. I got to try some new products that are lower calorie and fat, and even lower sugar. I was able to get stuffing, flour, bread crumbs, and baking mix, all of which are low carb, which can sometimes mean less calories. Read the labels of any product claiming to be low anything!

Dixie Diner’s Club if you click the link it will take you to all their low carb foods.

I am not a fan of margarine, but I found Brummel and Brown’s spread to be okay. It is made with a yogurt and margarine blend. So it adds some creamy texture to it, and it doesn’t have the really weird oily texture and after feel in your mouth. I found this spread at Target, and that is the only place I have been able to find it in California. Here’s the link for the Target site so you can see what the product looks like

Brummel and Brown at Target

or you can look at their company’s website: Here

I have also found that when making cheese cakes and stuff requiring cream cheese, that I can use a cream cheese and Greek yogurt blend, I found one at Von’s or I think it is Safeway in other areas. There are other brands as well, this one you will just have to search for. What I usually do is this: say a recipe calls for 10 oz of cream cheese, I will do 5 oz of fat free cream cheese, and 5 oz of the Greek yogurt blend cream cheese. This way you get the richness with less calories.

My Thanksgiving Dinner included:

Turkey

Stuffing

Yukon Gold Baby Potatoes (cooked whole, and served as 1 per serving)

Cranberry Sauce (homemade with sugar free ingredients) and whole cranberries (yum)

Candied sweet potatoes (lower in calories than yams) with sugar free marshmallows (which I made myself)

Low carb biscuits (They turned out horrible)

Squash Au Gratin with low carb bread crumbs (pretty good)

Crust-less pumpkin cheesecake (this was really good)

So the ingredients were pretty good, but the biscuits were absolutely terrible. I made 7 up ones, never again. Everything else was good. I felt satisfied and I didn’t feel left out while everyone else was enjoying delicious food, and dessert. One of my main goals has been to make sure that I can still have GOOD food that is healthy. So far I have been successful in this, and was even able to tolerate more food than I had been. Everything was cooked to a very soft consistency.

For everything listed above, with the modifications and substitutions for lower calorie/carb ingredients, my whole meal was only 175 calories.

I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving with their loved ones . Please post any comments and other suggestions or ideas for way to cut calories from foods. I am trying to compile a great post soon of recipes that taste like junk food, but aren’t really all that bad for you. Thank for reading, until next time.

7 Week Update

Has it really been 7 weeks already? Wow! I am noticing huge changes in myself, and I am definitely getting more attention from people that didn’t notice me before. I have lost 75 lbs, 40 before surgery and 35 since surgery on October 1st. I am currently averaging 5 lbs per week. I met up with one of my longtime friends, and she hadn’t seen me since September. She didn’t even recognize me! I feel good about it. My friend asked me about surgery and if it hurt. Honestly, I didn’t have an unbearable amount of pain, so it isn’t even memorable enough to be something worth talking about. I obviously had the pain from the CO2 gas during surgery, but outside of that, nothing really. My friend asked me if I regret it since I can’t really eat anything, and have such restrictions. My response, is hell no, I would do it again. I feel so good about it. For anyone who is considering it, I can say it has been life changing for me.

I am planning to go and give the support group another try, I hope that it turns out better than the first one. We shall see. I have been really happy and at peace with not going to the meetings, but my nutritionist has called me and made me promise to go. So I will see, I told her no promises on regular attendance.

Other updates this week: I can eat new food groups, but I am proceeding with caution. I have not been reacting very well to new foods yet, so I am still taking it very slow, and my main source of nutrition is my protein. Vitamins!! I have discovered that I am really bad about remembering to take my vitamins, so I have set alarms on my phone to remind me. Additionally, I have also realized I was forgetting how many times a day I was taking my vitamins, so I got a pill case to put all my vitamins in to keep track of each day’s required amounts.

I have been coming up with a bunch of recipes that I will share as I have tried them and gotten opinions from other people. If they taste like booty I don’t want to post them, but I will definitely be putting a few up here once in a while. Some of the cool places I have found recipes is the world according to egg face and Pinterist. Both places have some great tasting recipes for all stages. So please check them out if you need some ideas.

Lastly, pictures!! I have decided to post a few pictures of before and where I am now! Sorry for the quality, they are impromptu pictures.
          

6 Week Update

Hello! Today is my 6 week update. I am feeling 1000% at this point. I am still not tolerating many solid foods well, so mostly just protein right now. I am pleased to say that I am steadily dropping weight, little by little. I am almost down 75 lbs since August 1st. I had my surgery on October 1st, since surgery I have lost 31.6 lbs. That is a pretty exciting feeling.

I don’t totally have a goal in mind for how much more I would like to lose, I am thinking maybe 40 or so lbs. I am going to base it off of my clothes and how they are fitting, I for sure want to lose at least 35 more lbs. Once I reach that point I will be able to decide how much more I need to lose. My ideal weight, according to the nutritionist is about 137 lbs. I ended up going to do a water displacement test, and was told that I should weigh between 140-155, due to my muscle mass. So I am not entirely sure yet.

I didn’t have any comorbidities before surgery, so there are no considerations to look at there. Before surgery and removing the tumor, I was worried that I would have serious issues with diabetes or high blood pressure. Thankfully, I got to the issue before there were serious medical issues to worry about. I think that has been to my benefit, in terms of recovery.

I was able to eat at a restaurant since I had my surgery. In fact, it was at Disneyland! We went to the Blue Bayou and they let me order off the kid’s menu. The portion was still way too big, but at least I didn’t spend a fortune on food that I didn’t even eat 1/3 of. I have found there are some places that are willing to work hard to work within your dietary restrictions, where others don’t give a crap.

Anyhow, the issue with the old friends is still the same, however, I can tell that because I am not engaging into their childish behavior that they are bothered. So I get plenty of joy in knowing that I am above their BS, and still maintaining my cool. The best feeling of all: that I know they are jealous, and I didn’t have to do anything different. My personality is still the same, and that is what is bothering them so much.

The other thing that I have noticed recently, is people are noticing that I am losing weight, and I am always thinking…duh! I lost almost 75 lbs, and you just now notice?? But I politely thank them for noticing, and smile when they tell me how good I look. It feels good to get some acknowledgement. I think I will post some photos soon. I have a bunch of pictures, I just need to upload them. Maybe by my 2 month I will have them up. Also, you can check out my youtube channel if you want to watch my Vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONspSKcXYbA

Thanks for reading! Until next time-

Sarah

1 Month Post Op

One month out and things are going well. I am exercising again, without any limitations. I have noticed that my back hurts more often now, I think because my stomach muscles have not been engaged, and my body is readjusting to not having to carry the weight anymore. So I have found that compression garments work wonders to help relieve the back pain. I tried spankx, but they weren’t as good as the little corset things that they sell in department stores. They clasp with bra hook things, and are elastic, but strong. They work miracles. I suggest buying one if you start getting back pain.

Clothes! I have now dropped down from a size 16 to a size 11. I am currently weighing in at 199.10! I am officially in ‘ONEderland”. Since surgery I have lost a total of 25.9 lbs. That is on track, and the doctor says I am doing well. Woo Hoo!! I am very excited about my progress.

Some of the things I have noticed and been experiencing since surgery are: constipation. Really bad! So I suggest taking a stool softener in you need one. My regular schedule is not daily now, usually every 2-3 days. Sorry kinda gross, but nobody told me about this before my surgery. So be prepared for that.

Food tolerances have changed, and I have difficulty with foods I could normally tolerate. I am having to just stick to mostly protein drinks and pureed foods. I found the Gogo Applesauce pouches are a great size and low calories. Just get the unsweetened ones. The baby food pouches with fruit and veggies are good, I feel bad not getting any veggies at all right now.

Anyhow, definitely still the best thing I could have ever done for myself. Still no hunger, and eating is still a chore. I have noticed that if I don’t eat I get really bad heartburn, so I am now having to take heartburn medication every day now. Annoying since most people who had heartburn before surgery are cured. I had NO heartburn before surgery, and now I have it really bad. So be on the lookout for that.

I had to set alarms on my phone because I forget to take my vitamins if I don’t. It’s okay to hyper-organize some things, like scheduling your vitamins. If you have any questions, feel free to post them. I would love to be of any help to anyone that needs it.

3 Week Update

Surgery has been the best thing I could have done for myself. I felt great after I left the hospital, and my pain level was minimal after discharge. I didn’t even take any of my pain medication after I discharged, the entire bottle is just sitting there. The gas was bad for a few days. But not even bad. My birthday was on the 10th, and it went well. I had sugar free pudding, and it was nice.

Don’t eat too fast, or even drink too fast. This is killer, you feel like you are going to die! Just don’t do it. I know I wan’t getting enough fluids at first, but I have really concentrated on getting enough. Meals are a burden now, so get used to that.

Vitamins are a hassle, but necessary. Get a pill box so you can bring them with you. I always put mine in the pill box even at home, I forget how many times I have taken a specific pill if I don’t. The heating pad still is a wonderful soothing tool.

Fluids. Fluids. Fluids.

Still be careful about lame friends. The PTA meeting went with issues, as I expected. I run the website for the PTA, and this ex-friend opposed reimbursement for hosting and domain name of the website…even though I paid for it already. She is doing crap purposefully to be a you know what. I usually plan the mother and son event at the school, but she worked her evil bitch magic and made it so that she could. Going behind my back to tell people that I must have too much on my plate, after having surgery an all. Soo thoughtful of her, isn’t it?? All I can say is this- she is crossing a line into the direction of no return. I mean really, she is telling people things about my marriage, and about me having weight loss surgery, and who knows what else. She is definitely doing things in a purposeful manner to intentionally hurt me. Well, thing is I know where all the skeletons are buried…especially the one where she works for the school district, and she uses drugs. I sure wouldn’t want other parents at the school knowing that this woman who works around their kids uses drugs. To be clear, I am referring to pot..which isn’t bad, but as a school employee, not okay.  Guess we will see how this progresses, I really don’t want to have a war going on, but if she continues to provoke me, I can’t say that I won’t push back.

What They Don’t Tell You

So surgery and weight loss surgery has lots of unexpected things happen. First- the gas pain, they fill your stomach with CO2 so they have room to work during a laproscopic surgery. Holy crap! The gas pain is very uncomfortable. I was up walking within an hour of waking up from surgery, so I did all the walking that I could possibly do. Bring a heating pad, this is very soothing! Buy all the things that you will need after surgery, before you have surgery. It is very stressful trying to go into the store and shop, people don’t really get it. Restaurants are off the list for at least 2 months. I tried going out with the family, it totally didn’t work out. The waitress just couldn’t get it together with my food, so I ended up not eating.

The calorie intake requirement that they give you at 3 weeks are unrealistic, you will usually eat less- if your doctor gave you a calorie intake goal.

Bring your own pillow with you to the hospital, and put it in a colorful pillow case, that way you know it is yours. Popsicles are a life saver, and a nice treat. Some of the foods that you loved before surgery are just not going to happen, even if they say you can have them. I can’t tolerate chicken right now- sad, but true. I vomit every time I have tried eggs- including just whites, egg beaters, or fake eggs. Something about the texture gets me every time. We will try in a few weeks and see. You will not be hungry- ever. That is lovely, but also now eating has become a chore. I am focusing on only protein shakes. Find different recipes to make your protein taste good, otherwise you will get really sick of them fast.

You will gain weight in the hospital, from all the fluids. And you will lose weight really fast for about 2-3 weeks after discharge. While you are on your period, you may not lose any weight at all, which will be frustrating. Just roll with it. If you weight yourself every day, do it in the morning, after you go potty. Track all your food with an app, or with pen and paper. Don’t be ashamed of your surgery. Most people that I have talked to have been amazed, and very receptive. I have heard negative things from some people, and their comments hurt, but screw them, because they don’t pay our bills, or put a roof over your head. If they do, then they could be the reason why you have overeating issues in the first place- evaluate who is in your life.

I have heard that this surgery is the easy way out- umm not even. I had people trying to talk me out of it- are you sure that you want to do this to yourself? Those dietary changes are really hard (thanks for the confidence in me…). Yes I want to do this, I want to avoid type 2, and I want to have a healthier take on life again. Again, I was confiding in these people not for empathy or anything, I was looking more for people to at least understand that this has been a struggle, and maybe that’s why I pass on going out to dinner. But, still don’t be embarrassed about your surgery – own it, be proud that you are taking control of your health.

Even if you are losing a lot of weight, people aren’t going to say anything right away, they will notice, but not enough to say a single word about it. Keep a great support group around you, this a valuable resource for continued success.

Really…’friends at it again’

So, as I had mentioned before, my ‘friends’ are definitely taking a turn for the worst. I had decided over the past few days that I was going to just be cautious, that maybe I was being sensitive because I just had surgery. Well, guess it wasn’t just me being sensitive. Turns out, my friend’s daughter was having a birthday, she happens to be my son’s friend. He wanted to get her a gift, and obviously I had no objections, as she was the daughter of my friend, as well my son’s friend. I sent a text to my friend to ask what the name of the game is that she wanted for her DS, and her response, which was 1.5 days later was: ‘save your money, we’re not that close anymore’. I was actually blown away, about 5 minutes later, she sent a follow up message stating that she didn’t want her daughter to be ‘confused’ by getting a gift from us. Well, call me stupid- but I don’t have any idea what is confusing about getting a gift for your birthday, especially from a friend, and a parent that she sees on a daily basis, since I volunteer at the school, every single day.

Well that morning, my son asks where the gift is we got for his friend, so I then had to explain to him (he’s 8) that we couldn’t get a gift for his friend because the mom asked us not to. To which his response was ‘why isn’t our gift good enough?’ WOW- knife right to the heart from my baby. At that point I was very transparent with him, he is actually very wise beyond his age, as he is an only child. Of course, had he not had a feeling of insignificance, I would never had told him any of the details of the story. He was definitely put into a situation that I really feel bad that he had to encounter. Obviously, he and I had the discussion that this was between us, and not to share it with his friend, because I would never want her to be collateral damage, like my ‘friend’ had made my son. Honestly, I had thought maybe I was just being too hard, but so clear.

I have come to the conclusion, I was a friend when she wanted to do the fun things with me- that I paid for. I paid for them to stay at the Disneyland hotel for my son’s birthday. Anything that was on my dime, of course I was a great friend. When I started getting tight with my money, things changed. Things changed because I started feeling a certain kind of way about her behaviors. I wasn’t going to continuing financing activities for her when she isn’t being a true friend.

Finally, I decided that what I expect out of a friend is clearly very different than what she expects out of a friend. I would give my left leg for a friend, she would take my left leg, with nothing in return. Beware of the people you surround yourself with, some will take advantage of you because you are nice.

What will make it difficult now, we are both on the executive board for the PTA at the school. Awkward is all I really have to say about this. I guess we will see how the board meeting goes this month. UGH, not looking forward to it.