Hey are you losing weight?

I am getting a lot of comments now about my appearance and it feels good that people are now noticing. I feel like I am continuously buying clothes. I AM ENJOYING THIS! I can buy clothes now that I like and not from the fat shops. I feel good!!!! My hair is falling out quite a bit - I am taking my vitamins but I am glad that I had very thick hair in the first place.

Getting the hang of this!

There is a lot of food that I cannot eat. The carb foods (there is a lot out there) do not go down very well. Maccas is no longer a place where I could eat anything and everything. Nope - those days have gone. I drink their coffee. Full stop, that's it. Everything else is carbs and/or fried and so these are the days of my life!

I ate a chicken kiev for tea tonight.  It was delicious and I ate too much and am now regretting it but oh yum!

My day now looks like the following:

Breakfast - 1/3 cup of muesli with skim milk
Morning tea - 1/2 crisp bread with 1 slice of light cheese
Lunch - 3 slices of ham with hommus
Afternoon tea - 1/2 crisp bread with 1 slice of light cheese
Tea - whatever meat 1/3 cup
Dessert - milo and 1 tablespoon almonds

I feel better now that I am into a routine - and hey the weight is falling off. No regrets!

When does someone say enough is enough? Does everyone get to that point?

When does someone look in the mirror and think 'ok, enough is enough. I have to do something about my weight.' Are there people who honestly live in ignorant bliss for their entire lives and cannot see that their body is simply too big?

I have been watching a show on YouTube called SUPER SKINNY VS SUPER SIZE. It is about the extreme eating habits of large and small people and then getting 2 people from each size to swap diets for 5 days. It amazes me how the super size person is happily eating HUGE amounts of food per meal and yet they cannot understand why they are the size they are.

I know of someone who is extremely large (and getting bigger) and yet this person eats absolute rubbish and eats foods that even as a large person, I would never have eaten as they are so high in fat and sugar that you would need a medical team to sit beside you whilst you ate it. And yet, this person thinks they look great. Petite even. Weight related health problems have already started and yet this is not been taken seriously.

Everyone who is on the blog has gone through or is going to go through WLS. However it still amazes me how some people have no self confidence at all and yet there are some enormous people who appear to be ok.

I think we need to lack of self confidence to get going in the right direction. As the person I know will only get larger and sicker. Self confidence seems to have a good side and a bad side.

A PROBLEM - WHO CAN HELP?

So my dilemma is this. How do I keep my meal warm, since I am taking so long to eat it? Others must have this problems too and so I was hoping if there is any little plate warming gadget etc. that someone has discovered - please share!

I am not eating much. This is causing my mother some concern but I am eating as much as I can. For breakfast I will have about 3/4 of a scrambled egg. Morning tea might be half a glass of skim milk. Lunch might be 3/4 cup of porridge. Afternoon tea is 3/4 cup (sometimes I will eat half of it) of pureed pear. Dinner is 3/4 cup of something and for a drink just before bed it is a cup of milo made with skim milk. Plus water throughout the day.

I find pureeing food - even though it tastes the same - the appearance is a turn off. I'll get there. But I look forward to chewing something!

I'M PUREEING BABY!

Today I am progressing to pureed foods. No, no don't be jealous, I can understand the envy. Who wouldn't want to blend their food to the point where it resembled clag glue?

So I had Greek yoghurt, porridge, and I scooped out the middle from a quiche and blended it till it looked like green mud - but it was delicious.

Tomorrow I thought I would roast a chicken and puree it.  It is amazing that once the food hits the food processor it basically disappears! Anyway ... by the end of the 2 weeks I will be an expert. 

The weight is coming off so all is happy. Bought a dress online and it arrived today and WOW I was thrilled. Things are looking up (except the weight!)

Gastric Sleeve Update

It is the weirdest feeling - not to be hungry. I look at the amount I eat in a day and I am not hungry. For those who did not know, when they are removing your stomach, the hunger sensors are also removed. therefore you do not get hungry. My family was a bit worried about this. Their main concern was that this could be dangerous. However although I do not feel hungry there is a funny sort of 'empty/hollow' feeling around meal time. Although I can easily get past this and simply grab a glass of water, it is a good little alarm bell to tell me that it is time to snack on something.

I have now lost 13.9 kg (30.65 pounds) in approx. 4 weeks. I feel great. My jeans no longer fit me and I am looking for clothes to get me through this, without looking completely daggy. What a terrible problem to have! LOL

Pumpkin Soup - Oh it was ammmmaaaazzzing!

Yes today I had pumpkin soup - YUM! Not much granted, but it was enough to kick start the taste buds again. I went to see the Dietician yesterday and she said for the next week I can have anything that I can suck up a straw.

 So.... off to the supermarket to find straw suckable food.

It is not far off winter here in Sydney so all of the soups are filling the shelves and there it was glowing - pumpkin soup, my favourite. I had about 100ml and I was full but at least it was not one of those horrible diet drinks.

So my day consisted of - 8 days post-op

• Breakfast - 1/2 glass skim milk

• Lunch - 100 ml of pumpkin soup (approx)

• Tea - 100 ml of pumpkin soup (approx)

Drinks throughout day - water and diet ice tea.

I'm building it up. I just find I get full so quickly. Luckily with the sleeve I do not feel hungry, I just have to work on building up each meal.

Who would have thought - before the surgery I would have eaten a large bowl of soup and 1 roll for lunch. That would keep me going for a week now!

WHY I CHOSE THE SLEEVE

Before I begin, I just want to say that what I am about to write is not to say one method is better than the other. Far from it. I am simply saying when choosing a weight loss method, I choose the sleeve. Everyone is different. Families, recovery times, reversible or not, etc. etc. factors into the decision made for everyone. 

But having said that ... phew! ... This is why I chose the sleeve.

I was given a choice between the band and the sleeve. These are the SOME of the points the doctor put forward.

The sleeve is not reversible - I was fine with that. I did not want to reverse it. I have had problems with my weight my entire life and now was the time to find a suitable method and live with it. I was not sure in myself (crystal ball time) if when the time came and I had the band removed, that I would be able to stick with the proper choices or that I would slip back into my old ways.

Recovery time is longer - Yep I am going through that now. True it is not a walk in the park BUT I am getting through it. I'll live and I know that every day becomes easier and what I am going through now is just that - only going to be now. I can't go through it again! (Gee what a whimp!)

It is major surgery and that can bring some terrible complications - True. The doctor went over all of the things that could go wrong BUT the idea of staying fat and getting fatter as I got older was also dangerous.

It is not an ongoing concern - I have to see the doctor and his staff at least once a month for a year but after that I am a free woman. With kids, work and not living close to the clinic I did not want ongoing trips.

When I was in pre-op, a lady was having the band and she was talking about her reasons for that choice and it was totally understandable in her position. You only have to look on the net to see peoples fantastic results from various types of surgery.

It is serious surgery, there is no denying that and when a piece of paper is put down in front of you with all of the complications that can arise - mmmmmm it looks a little daunting. However I have gone though with it and so far have no regrets. I now have to adjust to my new life and that is what it will be as all prior eating habits are out the window - for life. Let's just hope it made the life a bit longer!

I HAVE BEEN SLICED AND DICED!

I AM BACK! I MADE IT! ...... just

Wow I cannot believe the surgery is done and I am at home with a feast of medications before me - what a glamorous life I lead.

So I had the gastric sleeve and was in hospital for 3 nights. It was a private hospital and it was all very cushy and the staff were fantastic HOWEVER the indigestion was horrendous!

The doctor pumps gas into you so that he can see what he is doing - why the hell he cannot stick that blower onto suck and suck it all out again is beyond me. The pain was terrible for the entire time and I am still getting bouts of it now.

The hospital stay was interesting. There was 2 sleeve patients and 1 band patient for the same doctor on the same ward and we became quite chatty and did our walks through the hospital together pushing our IV poles with our excess blood bags swaying in the wind. Victoria Secret models look out!

He said that he wants me to drink my pre-op diet drinks (200+ mls) every meal and 600 mls of water on top of that in a day. Oh I think not! I can barely take 10 mls of panadol without feeling I have had eaten a Christmas dinner. But like a trooper I try....

The meal replacement drinks are tasting worse now than they ever have but I had a drink of apple juice today - oh the taste! It was like nothing I had ever experienced before - yum.

My family are a bit worried at how little I am consuming. I am trying and there are still a lot of meds running through my system that don't make you feel too great. But as time goes on I will get there.

Would I do it over again? To be honest - the way I felt in the hospital, absolutely not. I thought I was going to die. In fact the clock in front of me at one stage read 2.14pm and so I declared "and time of death is 2.14" - BUT as time goes on and the weight comes off I will be happy. Sort of like childbirth you forget the pain when you see the result. Mind you, at least with the sleeve it is a one off never to be repeated experience - huge relief!

JOKE

Someone told me this joke the other day and so I thought I would share.

A married lady found a bottle washed up on the beach and so closed her eyes and rubbed it.
WHOSH! A genie appeared and granted her three wishes.


The lady asked for the genie to make her the most beautiful woman on earth. "Certainly" said the genie "but please know this, whatever you ask for will also be given to you husband - ten fold. So be aware, that your husband will be the most handsome man on earth."


"That is ok" said the woman. "I will still be the most beautiful woman on earth and so he will still want me."


WHOSH - her wish was granted


For her second wish the lady asked to be the richest person. "Well" said the genie. "I can make you the richest woman but your husband will be the richest person, as he will receive 10 times the amount of money you do."


"That's ok" said the woman. "I don't mind".


WHOSH - her wish was granted


"Well" said the genie. "What would you like for your final wish?"


The lady replied "A small heart attack"

COUNT DOWN AND MORE ..

O.K ooooooo it is getting close now! Went to the surgeon on Friday and he was really happy with my pre-op weight loss (8 kg in 2 weeks).

I filled in the huge amount of hospital forms and I am ready to roll........

The surgeon was explaining the surgery and mentioned that I will be the lucky recipient of 2 surgical stockings! Oh that is high fashion. So unimpressed I wanted to know where the fairness was in that. After all I was giving him 90% of my wonderful stomach and what do I get in return --- 2 surgical stockings. He just laughed!

I will be in the hospital for 3 nights. My friends think that would be like a holiday and I should just lie back and relax. So I will take my laptop and do my blogging from the beside. Photos too!

He said that he would expect me to lose about 10kg in the first 2 weeks. Just wondering how much 90% of your stomach would weigh?????

Next time .... will be via the hospital bed ....

Tomorrow I am off to see the surgeon for the last time before the surgery! YAH! I have to fill out hospital forms, go over blood test results, and pay. Let's just say that unless you have private health insurance this would be extremely difficult to be able to go through. Your bank account would lose weight much faster than you!

Feeling good!

HANDS UP - WHO CHEATED ON THE PRE-OP DIET?

I was talking to a lady today and she said she cheated on the pre-op diet. She had Chinese about 1 week before surgery. Has anyone else done this?

THEY LIED ABOUT THE BANANA!

I cannot tolerate diet bars first thing in the morning. I cannot eat chocolate first thing in the morning (Easter excluded - Hey I will eat chocolate for religion!). SO .. I looked up the calorie content in the bars and then the calories in 2 boiled eggs - the eggs are over 100 calories less. So I headed to the kitchen and boiled 2 eggs and had that for brekky. YUM! I love eggs so that was great with me. I only had the eggs, nothing else. I understand that the bars have other nutritious stuff in them, however I needed something else and eggs ended up being lower in calories anyway.

I also bought the banana diet shake. It does not taste like banana. It takes like .............pancake mixture. I was not impressed but these things are $30 for 8 sachets - so I will finish them.

I am not weighing myself at the moment. It is that time of the month and nothing seems to be moving. I know I am not gaining so I thought it was best to wait a week. Some days I barely eat anything. By the time I finished my scans and blood tests etc., I skip breakfast and wait for lunch, by that time I grab a bar and head out the door to do other bits and pieces and dinner is a bar and a cup of vegetables. Plus water water water water.

Getting there. Bring on surgery. Even if it is just to get off these diet bars!

X-Ray - Check, Ultrasound - Check

So today  I waddled off to the hospital for my ultrasound and x-ray. It started well - I found a car spot! As many of you know, finding a car spot in a hospital car park is like winning lotto. Well, I found one. Then I continued to waddle (notice at this point we waddle, it will turn to a run/glide/slide/float when the weight comes off) into diagnostics and all went well. That stuff they make you drink - yuk. Tastes like chalk and is the consistency of mud. Then the x-ray machine tipped me upside down to see if I had any reflux from the chalk mud. I could feel myself sliding off. But hey - 1 hour and 10 minutes and I was out of there. Not bad considering these places can often leave you till you have watched every morning talk show that is on the large plasma in the waiting room.

As for those &$%#* diet bars! I am sick to death of them. There is no way I am coming off this diet - but oh blimey! SO next Friday 23rd I see the surgeon one last time before surgery to go through all of my test results and fill out hospital admission forms.

So while I was youtubing last night I came across a show called 'Big Meets Bigger' - OMG! This show is a great one to watch if you need encouragement to lose weight.

It had two ladies from the U.S in the South. One weighed about 38 stone. It showed how her weight has taken over her life - not that she is helping herself now - but it shows just how bad things can get.

I hate diet bars and water!

Yes the weight is coming off , and this is only pre-surgery - Hooray! BUT I have come to hate diet bars and water. Some days are better than others, but I look at my bottle of water and think - Blah! I drink it because I have to and it is good for you and blah, blah, blah but ...

One thing I have noticed is that I am not craving any other type of food. This is a shock but I am ok getting my kids their meals and I don't pick at anything.

I am off to the hospital tomorrow for scans and x-rays.  Got new p.j's for hospital and getting bits and pieces ready.

I have not once thought 'what the hell am I doing?' - I know that this is the right way to go!

Blood Tests and ECG

  Got on the scales this morning and have lost 4.2 kg over 3 days. Pretty happy with this. SO off for some blood tests this morning in preparation for the big day (28th March). They took 9 test tubes of blood then did an ECG. I was a bit worried when she got nine tubes out. My veins often die during a blood test and so they usually have to dig for my blood. However with all the water I am now drinking I was ok - I flowed like the Nile :)

It was about 10am when I got home and I was not hungry as I had to fast for the blood tests. The water had filled me up so I just hung on till lunch time to eat my first bar. Friday is my x-ray and Ultrasound.

I am surviving and feeling better than I thought. Thank you so much to everyone who has written in - you are all so supportive - I really do appreciate it.

DAY 3 PRE-OP DIET AND FEELING OK

Today is the third day on my pre-op diet. I weighed myself this morning, after having had 5 meals replaced by diet bars and I have lost 1 kg (2.2lbs).

I feel really good. Yes there are times when I am starving but now I know to just drink water and having to drink a minimum of 2 litres a day definitely helps. So far, so good - fingers crossed, touch wood, and all that stuff!

I COULD EAT A HORSE AND CHASE THE JOCKEY!

I am starving! I am on the pre-op diet and it is killing me. My cat is lying on the floor in front of me and I am thinking 'that is a nice juicy looking leg' - just kidding - but it is not far off. Apparently if you don't die from hunger whilst on the diet, it is possible to lose up to 6kg in the first week. For this amount of torture I think it should be minimum 10.

I am venting. I am hungry and I am venting. I think I will go for a walk - might help to move away from the cat!

I'M BOOKED IN! 28th MARCH HERE I COME!!!

I went for THE talk today about weight loss and surgery and all the other lovely stuff that comes with being ... well fat! My doctor gave me 2 choices the LapBand or Gastric Sleeve. He gave all pros and cons and everything that goes with both procedures and I opted for Gastric Sleeve. I am booked in for the 28th March, which is really close and am on the Opti diet to shrink the liver at the moment.

By the time I got home from the doctor it was 5pm and I didn't get the shake mixture because it was peak hour and the roads are chaotic. I just wanted to go home. So I will get the shakes tomorrow morning after dropping off the kids and I think I might buy a new digital scale too!

The doctor was great and he explained to me that most people who lose weight without surgery often regain and often add a few kilos too. I need to have this surgery and so I will say this over and over to myself when I have a meltdown about everything.  I have seen other bloggers photos and you all look fabulous! So say bye to the fat! The journey has begun.

THE TIME HAS COME!

I am off to the doctor tomorrow. I am so excited (not usually how you feel about a doctors appointment). I am shocked at how much happier I have been since making the decision to have the surgery. I only wish I had done this earlier - but hey can't go back only forward. I will put up a post after my consultation.

Ahh Clothes! Ahh damn a wedding!

When at the shops I may have glimpsed once or twice at the clothes section - the 'non-fat' department. The stuff in the front of the shop and not the fat gear hidden in the back corner! Which when you see the news and they say "we are all getting fatter" - why do they hide the bigger clothes? You would think that the stores would make a bit of money out of that section. Anyway ... I was thinking thin thoughts and then it came. A wedding invitation. NOOOOO!!!! I want to be thin and attend. I want to spend the money on a nice dress not a car cover with arm holes. Bugger! So I have to spend money on a dress that I don't want in order to go to this wedding. I can't get out of the wedding - it's family! One of those weddings where there will be relatives that you would just love to walk past, having dropped a lot of weight and look great. Having been the victim of their little snide remarks that are said 'because they love you'. Yeah right!
I know - I am venting. But I thought if anyone would understand it is my fellow bloggers and if they don't then I might look at some serious psychiatric help! Oh dear!

WHY LAPBAND? WHY NOT GASTRIC SLEEVE?

Why did you all decide to go with the lapband? Was there a particular reason as to why you did not chose the gastric sleeve? Was it an option?

When I see the surgeon on the 8th March, he does both procedures and I have been reading about both and just want some insight as to what both procedures offer. I was hoping that people could tell me what they have heard and if you did have a choice, are you happy with what you finally decided?

I HAVE A QUESTION

Would everyone please let me know what do you do when you are craving for something sweet? Is there one particular thing that you have or is it whatever is around? I was wondering, since most of you have had the band surgery and many seem to know the calorie content in everything, what you do when you get 'the urge'?

Bought a bike - Just looking at it is exhausting!

I have bought an exercise bike. My problem is going to be the exercising as I have a broken foot and both legs have torn achilles. So even swimming is impossible due the broken foot HOWEVER I have decided that at least on an exercise bike I am sitting and not all of my weight are on my legs. 

It is summer here in Australia and it is HOT! We have had days in the 30's (late 80's early 90's for those in the USA) with humidity around 93% - not pleasant. And rain - lots and lots of rain. We are expecting around 130 mm in one day alone. Plus every day of March is expected to rain. Why have a lap band? I could go outside and have it melt off me. Bring on winter!

Admiration

I failed - I have had coffee and feel good. I need the coffee. My kids need me to have my coffee. As the saying goes 'If Mum is happy, then everybody is happy' - oh so true!

I have been reading everyones blogs - hi everyone! - and I think you are all amazing with your strength and determination. I am so glad I am blogging. I have never been a blogger but I think that when it comes to such a dramatic life changing procedure, it helps to be able to chat to people who have been through it.

The time passing until my appointment to see the surgeon (8th March) is only making me more determined to do this.

Please pass around the word ...

Hi 


Can I get off the track today and ask that people visit a new blog site


www.specialneedsdirectory.blogspot.com.au


A friend of mine has started a blog about resources and activities for kids with special needs. I realise that a lot of people here are from the U.S and that the site is Australian but a lot of online shops (as you all know) send anywhere in the world. So if you know of people with kids who have special needs, will you please pass on the blog address. It's for the kids! Thanks

I saw a coffee commercial! Aaaggghhhh

Thanks to everyone for their comments. A lot of people said that they did not have to let go of their coffee. That is good to hear. But I am in day 2 now so what the heck lets see how far we can go - cold turkey off the caffeine. I was good this morning - hey how hard can kicking caffeine be. Then I saw a Nescafe commercial - the large mug with steaming hot coffee - mmmmmm! How pathetic am I.

My family wants to catch a plane to do a family reunion. I hate flying. It is not natural. This is a typical flight for me.

• The attendant is showing everyone where the safety vests are located - I am eyeing everyones safety vest. Darlin' if this baby is going down I am not taking just one vest I am building myself a raft of vests!
• I count the rows to the exit door (don't pretend you don't all do it too!) and how many people I have to throw out of my way to get to the door.
• The attendant smiles, even when she is terrified - don't let the smile fool you!
• I hate flying over water. I don't like option B to be 'eaten by shark'.

So me flying and no coffee - gee people will be queuing up to sit next to me. Just hold to your vest!

I am trying to get off caffeine - oh dear!


I have a problem. I love coffee. I love STRONG coffee. Every morning first thing I plunge a very strong coffee and because of this, the world seems nicer. However, I have been reading that you cannot have caffeine after the surgery so I have decided that it would be a good idea to kick the habit now. I have experienced extreme tiredness and headaches. I want my caffeine! I'll be ok - I just have to keep thinking - 'I will be thin, I will be thin' - I better be thin after this painful day! Ok - rant over.

I need the band - I AM HUNGRY!

I can stick with good food. I can keep to nutritious stuff BUT I am hungry! Here is hoping that the little band (a friend calls it 'my stomach stationery') takes the hunger side away.

I have no idea what to puree or blend - but hey I now can (apparently!)

Ok I have gone out today and bought a rocket blender thingy. Now I have read many a blog and information site, that say these can be handy for protein drinks and other bits and pieces - SO armed with this knowledge I went to Go-Lo and there they were for under $40. I thought the price was pretty good - and it looked so pretty! Another gadget to put on the kitchen bench. I hate kitchen things that have so many pieces. I have watched infomercials and I am instantly turned off when they show a thousand pieces. But, considering this was so cheap and will only take a small amount of room on the bench  - I went for it. 

I still have to wait till the 8th March to see the doctor but I feel so much better for making the decision. 

Tips and Bits
If anyone out there has any tips or bits of information (or if you have any questions yourself) about going through the Lap Band journey that they would like to share then please do! Sometimes it is the tricks you pick up along the way that really help you. 

  

GeekPhilosopher: Instant download of free stock photos, images, backgrounds, and desktop wallpapers. Pictures can be used for personal and commercial web sites.

My daily diet - kinda, sort of, o.k o.k on a good day!

Breakfast
2 slices of rye toast
2 poached eggs
1 cup of coffee

Lunch
1 chicken sandwich on rye

Dinner
Piece of meat (steak, chicken, pork, lamb)
Steamed vegetables

Snacks (these are not all in one day, but I will choose something from this)
Bananas
Yoghurt (max. 1 day)
Glass of milk
Licorice (max. 2 pieces a day)
Glass of Metamucil (this fills me up and yes it does keep one regular!)

I saw a dress I loved today at David Jones. I am determined to get into it. It costs $300 but I love it. I will probably think twice about that when (note the optimism) it comes time to buy that size but hey one must have one's fantasies!

Wow - I cannot believe I am going to do this!
I am in shock that I have finally got the courage to say 'I am going to do this". My life has always been fat. For a long time I felt fine. Nothing slowed me down but my feelings were always being hurt. 'Friends' and relatives would always have jabs at my weight and I would come crashing down to earth. I would always be angry. How dare people think that just because you are overweight that they have the right to comment! Do I say 'well you are ugly, small, sound like a man, have a lisp ...'. Do I say that - NO and the reason - because you just don't. It's rude. But when it comes to being overweight, well that seems to be a free ticket to insults.

Then the biggest hurt of all came - a photo. I saw myself. AAHHHHHH! I was shocked, disgusted, hurt, and sad. What had I become. I want to live my life to the fullest. I want to look and feel good. I want to live to an old age.

I have a thyroid disorder and have battled the extra bulge that goes along with that for the last 15 years. Now I am looking to the future with some excitement. Clothes - just imagine shopping for clothes in a section that does not resemble car covers! OH YES!!!

So it is off the to the clinic on the 8th March. My first consultation. Excited - YES. Nervous - YES. Going to succeed - YES.