carmarie

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Tomorrow I will be 11 weeks post-op. Wow, the time has gone by so fast, I can't even begin to explain! Next week will be 12 weeks! 3 months!! I'll take pictures next week for my monthly update. This may sound stupid, but exercising really does do the trick!! I'll have to remember that myself. :)

I finally FINALLY found...well, realized, there really IS something that I can't/shouldn't eat! Well...that my pouch can't tolerate, really. Since the surgery I have been able to eat various foods like a champ and haven't dumped yet (or so I thought!). It's CARBS! I've always been horrible at reading my body and listening to it. But I finally noticed that when I eat certain things, afterwards, I sweat and my heart starts racing a little. Well finally I started to pay attention and keep note of what I eat and my reaction. I realized after last night after I made a home-made pizza (just goat cheese and carmelized onions..nothing grand or heavy)...that I had this reaction. Then I realized that I had the same reaction the night before when I had some potato. It's the carbs! I'm so excited to know that physically I can't have them! I'm kinda relieved. :) I have beaten my enemy.

Also, and I know this is bad, but I weighed myself today. I told myself that I would ONLY weigh myself on Mondays. Well..it's not Monday, it's Friday...and yesterday wasn't Monday, it was Thursday. Luckily, these past two days I've lost weight, but I know I'm gonna be PISSED the Tuesday or Thursday or Sunday that I weigh myself and I've gained. So that's my own fault. But I just can't help it when that scale looks up at me with those two digital zero's just waiting for me to hop on and change them to meangful numbers.  *sigh* But at least for now, the numbers are going in the right direction. : ) Today's weight--246lbs.

Okay, so today I feel alot better about things and am eating a lot better today. I just have to face my demons and say "hell no". I finally weighed myself this morning and I am down 6lbs since the last weigh-in (254 sometime last week). I realize that I need to think positive and tell myself I can do these things! I mean...hello it's been 9 weeks since surgery and I'm down 41lbs. That's a lot! I think looking at other people's progress compared to mine I get a little bummed, but we're all different, right? I am me. I need to get my head on straight and battle this thing! AHHHH!!!!

I feel like I'm going to be a failure. I know if I keep thinking that way, it's probably bound to happen, but I just can't help it. All of those "rules" down below I am not obeying. I don't know why. I think my brain is having a really hard time grasping all of this and I just want to eat eat eat in my mind. I feel like I'm going to be one of those people who in 5 years have gained all the weight back and that scares the shite outta me. How do turn this around? I find myself at resaturants drinking a little water so I can eat juuust a little more. Why? My eyes are still bigger than my stomache. At work we are provided food a lot and while I make okay choices on the items I eat, I just want to try everything. My plate looks like it did pre-op. Then I end up grazing on it for a while until almost everything is gone. I don't know what to do. I know everyone is different but I really envy those people who come out of surgery never hungry. I don't dump, I can tolerate pretty much everything and it's driving me crazy. I know this sounds silly, but this is a lot harder than I ever thought it was going to be. Nevermind the physical strains, but it's the mental and emotional ones are the real challenge. I need to find motovation. I don't know where to find it! It should be right inside me, my pouch...THAT should be my motivation, right? Right. Maybe I'll start slow...write goals for myself, avoid restaurants and ONLY portion myself for what I should eat in 15 minutes. That's it. I need to turn this around or I would have done all of this for nothing.

10 mistakes people make post RNY

1st Mistake: Not Taking Vitamins, Supplements, or Minerals

Every WLS patient has specific nutritional needs depending on the type of surgery you have had. Not only is it a good idea to ask your surgeon for guidelines, but also consult with an experienced WLS nutritionist. Understand there is not a standard practice that all surgeons and nutritionists follow in guiding WLS patients. So, it is important to do your own research, get your lab tests done regularly, and learn how to read the results. Some conditions and symptoms that can occur when you are deficient in vitamins, supplements, or minerals include:

Osteoporosis; pernicious anemia; muscle spasms; high blood pressure; burning tongue; fatigue; loss of appetite; weakness; constipation and diarrhea; numbness and tingling in the hands and feet; being tired, lethargic, or dizzy; forgetfulness, and lowered immune functioning.

Keep in mind, too, that some conditions caused by not taking your vitamins, supplements, or minerals are irreversible.

2nd Mistake: Assuming You Have Been Cured of Your Obesity

A "pink cloud" or honeymoon experience is common following WLS. When you are feeling better than you have in years, and the weight is coming off easily, it's hard to imagine you will ever struggle again. But unfortunately, it is very common for WLS patients to not lose to their goal weight or to regain some of their weight back.

A small weight regain may be normal, but huge gains usually can be avoided with support, education, effort, and careful attention to living a healthy WLS lifestyle. For most WLSers, if you don't change what you've always done, you're going to keep getting what you've always gotten -- even after weight loss surgery.

3rd Mistake: Drinking with Meals

Yes, it's hard for some people to avoid drinking with meals, but the tool of not drinking with meals is a critical key to long-term success. If you drink while you eat, your food washes out of your stomach much more quickly, you can eat more, you get hungry sooner, and you are at more risk for snacking. Being too hungry is much more likely to lead to poor food choices and/or overeating.

4th Mistake: Not Eating Right

Of course everyone should eat right, but in this society eating right is a challenge. You have to make it as easy on yourself as possible. Eat all your meals--don't skip. Don't keep unhealthy food in sight where it will call to you all the time. Try to feed yourself at regular intervals so that you aren't as tempted to make a poor choice. And consider having a couple of absolutes: for example, avoid fried foods completely, avoid sugary foods, always use low-fat options, or only eat in a restaurant once a week. Choose your "absolutes" based on your trigger foods and your self knowledge about what foods and/or situations are problematic for you.

5th Mistake: Not Drinking Enough Water

Most WLS patients are at risk for dehydration. Drinking a minimum of 64 oz. of water per day will help you avoid this risk. Adequate water intake will also help you flush out your system as you lose weight and avoid kidney stones. Drinking enough water helps with your weight loss, too.

6th Mistake: Grazing

Many people who have had WLS regret that they ever started grazing, which is nibbling small amounts here and there over the course of the day. It's one thing to eat the three to five small meals you and your doctor agree you need. It's something else altogether when you start to graze, eating any number of unplanned snacks. Grazing can easily make your weight creep up. Eating enough at meal time, and eating planned snacks when necessary, will help you resist grazing. Make a plan for what you will do when you crave food, but are not truly hungry. For example, take up a hobby to keep your hands busy or call on someone in your support group for encouragement.

7th Mistake: Not Exercising Regularly

Exercise is one of the best weapons a WLS patient has to fight weight regain. Not only does exercise boost your spirits, it is a great way to keep your metabolism running strong. When you exercise, you build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn, even at rest!

8th Mistake: Eating the Wrong Carbs (or Eating Too Much)

Let's face it, refined carbohydrates are addictive. If you eat refined carbohydrates they will make you crave more refined carbohydrates. There are plenty of complex carbohydrates to choose from, which have beneficial vitamins. For example, if you can handle pastas, try whole grain Kamut pasta--in moderation, of course. (Kamut pasta doesn't have the flavor some people find unpleasant in the whole wheat pastas.) Try using your complex carbohydrates as "condiments," rather than as the center point of your meal. Try sprinkling a tablespoon of brown rice on your stir-fried meat and veggies.

9th Mistake: Going Back to Drinking Soda

Drinking soda is controversial in WLS circles. Some people claim soda stretches your stomach or pouch. What we know it does is keep you from getting the hydration your body requires after WLS--because when you're drinking soda, you're not drinking water! In addition, diet soda has been connected to weight gain in the general population. The best thing you can do is find other, healthier drinks to fall in love with. They are out there.

10th Mistake: Drinking Alcohol

If you drank alcohol before surgery, you are likely to want to resume drinking alcohol following surgery. Most surgeons recommend waiting one year after surgery. And it is in your best interest to understand the consequences of drinking alcohol before you do it.

Alcohol is connected with weight regain, because alcohol has 7 calories per gram, while protein and vegetables have 4 calories per gram. Also, some people develop an addiction to alcohol after WLS, so be very cautious. Depending on your type of WLS, you may get drunker, quicker after surgery, which can cause health problems and put you in dangerous situations.

If you think you have a drinking problem, get help right away. Putting off stopping drinking doesn't make it any easier, and could make you a lot sicker.

5-11-08

Happy Mother's day! But more importantly (to me anyway) this is the day before the big day. This morning at about 8:30am I had a light breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast with grape fruit juice.

It's 12:30pm now and I've been drinking juice and water. Being that it's Mother's Day, I hope it's not too hard today to drink liquids! I think I can do it!

Right now I'm pretty nervous...actually, really nervous and scared. I think I made the mistake of watching a youtube video of the operation! I know I'm going to be "out" when that happens to me, but just knowing the procedure and the seeing the organs and intestines and what-not just freaked me out! I think I'm just scared that  I won't be able to handle this. The psychological aspect of eating is what I'm afraid of. I don't want to sabotage myself. I've vowed to really and finally help myself. I will do what it takes to be the woman I want to be!