Over the last two and a half weeks my weight has only dropped by a few hundred grams. This has been a bit frustrating and a bit disheartening.
But I am not actually surprised when I think of what has been going on over the last few weeks. And I think I know what the problem is. Sugar. Good old empty calories.
For the past few weeks I have been craving sugar and I have have been satisfying this craving with all sorts of sweet treats. Now for me this is quite unusual as I do not have a sweet tooth. In fact I am all about the savoury foods.
But none the less I have been snacking on sweet biscuits, cake, and the odd bit of chocolate. And all those empty calories is what I think has halted my weight loss. That and the fact that I have not done any exercise for the past few weeks.
This just goes to show that the sleeve is a tool for weight loss not the ultimate solution. If you eat junk and do no exercise then you will not loose weight. Full stop.
So tomorrow is a new day and I am determined to make sure I am not filling up on empty calories or sugary foods.
Now doesn't that sound just like something you would say when on a diet....
Well the reality is that even with a sleeve it matters what you put in your mouth.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Friday 16 May 2014
Tuesday 13 May 2014
Week 12 Weigh In
So it is week 12 and I am now 98 kg I am now below 100 kg for the first time in nearly 4 years.
Woo Hoo!
My weight has stagnated a bit this past week and I have been feeling a bit despondent about it. I feel like I should be loosing weight quicker but none the less it is still a great feeling to be nearly 20 kg lighter that when I started this journey.
I think that I need to remind myself that if I had lost that much weight any other way I would be over the moon. Plus I know that it is not always healthy to loose weight really fast.
Anyway here are some up to date photos of where I am at.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Woo Hoo!
My weight has stagnated a bit this past week and I have been feeling a bit despondent about it. I feel like I should be loosing weight quicker but none the less it is still a great feeling to be nearly 20 kg lighter that when I started this journey.
I think that I need to remind myself that if I had lost that much weight any other way I would be over the moon. Plus I know that it is not always healthy to loose weight really fast.
Anyway here are some up to date photos of where I am at.
 |
| There is even a glimmer of light between those thighs |
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Thursday 8 May 2014
Downsizing My Clothes
This week I had to face the fact that there are some things I can no longer wear.
Not that this is a bad thing. In fact it is something to be celebrated.
Thankfully I have clothes in a range of sizes that I can downsize into as I have put on weight gradually over the last 5 years. So I have been trying on things that are in my wardrobe trying to work out what I can no longer wear, what I can wear a bit longer, what I can wear that looks good and what I will be able to wear in the near future.
I have a pile of clothes that are destined for the op shop and the pile is not very big at this stage but it is growing as I go through each draw and cupboard. When going through my clothes I kept thinking I should keep some of these clothes in case I need them again in the future. But then I realised that I will never be this size again and by the time next summer rolls around there is no way I will be able to wear anything I was wearing in the summer just gone. So I really need to be more ruthless and just get rid of all my summer things.
I work from home but go into the office once a month and during my last visit to the office my boss commented that my clothes were looking way too big for me. She was right. I had found that my work pants were really baggy and my shirt was billowing.
The benefit of working from home is that I am not having to go out and buy lots of new clothes as I loose weight. I can get away with wearing baggy things that are too big most of the time and then the few things I have that do fit well are worn when I go out and work in the office.
So far I have not had to buy anything new and I hope to keep this up as long as I can since it will be a waste of money to buy things I may not wear very long. The few things I think I will have to buy before anything else are new underwear and bras. Having my knickers fall down or having breasts going unsupported are not experiences that I fancy inflicting on myself or the world at large.
I am looking forward to buying new clothes in the future and I cannot wait to have a much greater range to choose from. Something tells me this is one of those things that all fat people look forward too when they loose weight.
I will hold out as long as possible but I am excited about shopping in the future.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Not that this is a bad thing. In fact it is something to be celebrated.
Thankfully I have clothes in a range of sizes that I can downsize into as I have put on weight gradually over the last 5 years. So I have been trying on things that are in my wardrobe trying to work out what I can no longer wear, what I can wear a bit longer, what I can wear that looks good and what I will be able to wear in the near future.
I have a pile of clothes that are destined for the op shop and the pile is not very big at this stage but it is growing as I go through each draw and cupboard. When going through my clothes I kept thinking I should keep some of these clothes in case I need them again in the future. But then I realised that I will never be this size again and by the time next summer rolls around there is no way I will be able to wear anything I was wearing in the summer just gone. So I really need to be more ruthless and just get rid of all my summer things.
I work from home but go into the office once a month and during my last visit to the office my boss commented that my clothes were looking way too big for me. She was right. I had found that my work pants were really baggy and my shirt was billowing.
The benefit of working from home is that I am not having to go out and buy lots of new clothes as I loose weight. I can get away with wearing baggy things that are too big most of the time and then the few things I have that do fit well are worn when I go out and work in the office.
So far I have not had to buy anything new and I hope to keep this up as long as I can since it will be a waste of money to buy things I may not wear very long. The few things I think I will have to buy before anything else are new underwear and bras. Having my knickers fall down or having breasts going unsupported are not experiences that I fancy inflicting on myself or the world at large.
I am looking forward to buying new clothes in the future and I cannot wait to have a much greater range to choose from. Something tells me this is one of those things that all fat people look forward too when they loose weight.
I will hold out as long as possible but I am excited about shopping in the future.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Saturday 22 March 2014
Back On Real Food
This week I started back on a full range of foods following my final dietitian appointment.
It has been quite an adjustment and I have discovered there are some foods that just do not sit well in my stomach.
Things that are really starchy and soft like soft bread and cake like texture go in to my stomach and seem to set like a big lump making me feel really uncomfortable. Then there are things like protein that make me feel full really fast.
Everyday is a new food experience and I am just taking things one day at a time trying to work out what works and what does not.
I am struggling to eat enough and remembering to eat my snacks if proving to be a bit of challenge.
Hopefully things will get easier over time.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
It has been quite an adjustment and I have discovered there are some foods that just do not sit well in my stomach.
Things that are really starchy and soft like soft bread and cake like texture go in to my stomach and seem to set like a big lump making me feel really uncomfortable. Then there are things like protein that make me feel full really fast.
Everyday is a new food experience and I am just taking things one day at a time trying to work out what works and what does not.
I am struggling to eat enough and remembering to eat my snacks if proving to be a bit of challenge.
Hopefully things will get easier over time.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Thursday 13 March 2014
Learning To Chew
Tonight I discovered what happens when you try and progress though the post op phases too fast and do not follow the rules about chewing your food properly.
I made Hubby some spaghetti bolognese and I made sure it was full of veggies so that when I pureed it I would be getting some veg rater than just meat and carbs.
I included zucchini, carrot, mushrooms, capsicum, spinach and eggplant along with onion, garlic, mince and tomatoes.
Once it was cooked I dished up my portion into a Pyrex jug and blended it with a stick blender.
When we sat down to eat I got a few mouthfuls in and discovered a piece of mushroom that was still whole. I figured that since it was just a piece of mushroom I could just chew it up until it was a puree texture. But even though I knew what I needed to do my mouth just had a mind of it's own. All those years of just gulping down food ad taught my mouth to just chew chew swallow and my new stomach was having none of it.
I felt like I had swallowed an entire mushroom whole not just a small piece that had been partly chewed. It was really uncomfortable and felt like it was sitting on top of the opening of my stomach. I won't say that I was in pain but it was close. I walked around a bit pleading with my body to just accept the mushroom but my body was having none of it. When my mouth started to fill with saliva I knew it was time to rush to the bathroom sink.
I made it in time to promptly bring up the 3 mouthfuls and the offending mushroom. With such a little stomach there was not much to get rid of so it was over pretty quickly. It did not however stop the tears that always happen to accompany an episode of vomiting for me.
So if you have had just had your sleeve or are thinking of getting one done then just remember that at this stage you need to make sure your food is well pureed. Then when you are ready to eat solids again you need to follow the rule your mother used to tell you of "chew each mouthful 20 times" (or was that just my mum?) and then and only then should you swallow your food..
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
I made Hubby some spaghetti bolognese and I made sure it was full of veggies so that when I pureed it I would be getting some veg rater than just meat and carbs.
I included zucchini, carrot, mushrooms, capsicum, spinach and eggplant along with onion, garlic, mince and tomatoes.
Once it was cooked I dished up my portion into a Pyrex jug and blended it with a stick blender.
When we sat down to eat I got a few mouthfuls in and discovered a piece of mushroom that was still whole. I figured that since it was just a piece of mushroom I could just chew it up until it was a puree texture. But even though I knew what I needed to do my mouth just had a mind of it's own. All those years of just gulping down food ad taught my mouth to just chew chew swallow and my new stomach was having none of it.
I felt like I had swallowed an entire mushroom whole not just a small piece that had been partly chewed. It was really uncomfortable and felt like it was sitting on top of the opening of my stomach. I won't say that I was in pain but it was close. I walked around a bit pleading with my body to just accept the mushroom but my body was having none of it. When my mouth started to fill with saliva I knew it was time to rush to the bathroom sink.
I made it in time to promptly bring up the 3 mouthfuls and the offending mushroom. With such a little stomach there was not much to get rid of so it was over pretty quickly. It did not however stop the tears that always happen to accompany an episode of vomiting for me.
So if you have had just had your sleeve or are thinking of getting one done then just remember that at this stage you need to make sure your food is well pureed. Then when you are ready to eat solids again you need to follow the rule your mother used to tell you of "chew each mouthful 20 times" (or was that just my mum?) and then and only then should you swallow your food..
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Saturday 8 March 2014
Crunchy Crunchy Mmmmmm
Today I was allowed cruskits and oh how nice it was to bite into something.
It seems really strange that one of the things I missed the most was texture. But what I have missed the most is variety of flavour. Having to eat or in my case drink the same thing day after day at every meal really made me think about how lucky we are to have the ability to eat a huge range of food to choose from every day. It made me really think about people in those countries where eating the same thing day after day is a way of life.
Everything tastes so good right now but I am still over estimating how much I can eat. I only managed 1 and a bit of the cruskits above. Hubby is loving all the bits I don't eat.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
It seems really strange that one of the things I missed the most was texture. But what I have missed the most is variety of flavour. Having to eat or in my case drink the same thing day after day at every meal really made me think about how lucky we are to have the ability to eat a huge range of food to choose from every day. It made me really think about people in those countries where eating the same thing day after day is a way of life.
Everything tastes so good right now but I am still over estimating how much I can eat. I only managed 1 and a bit of the cruskits above. Hubby is loving all the bits I don't eat.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Friday 7 March 2014
First Week Back At Work
This week has been pretty uneventful but I have been back at work and I seem to be coping ok.
I was worried that I would not have enough mental stamina to get me through the day this first week back.
I have noticed that my brain seems to be a bit slow off the mark but I get there in the end.
My boss knows what I have had done but no one else knows and I plan to keep it that way. She has been really supportive and has been checking in with me each day to see how I am doing which is nice.
I have been taking a multi vitamin for the last few days so I hope that will give me a bit more pep in my step. I know I should have been taking then all along but I kind of forgot. Oh well better late than never.
I have been sleeping a lot more than normal but I know this is pretty normal for when you are recovering from surgery.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
I was worried that I would not have enough mental stamina to get me through the day this first week back.
I have noticed that my brain seems to be a bit slow off the mark but I get there in the end.
My boss knows what I have had done but no one else knows and I plan to keep it that way. She has been really supportive and has been checking in with me each day to see how I am doing which is nice.
I have been taking a multi vitamin for the last few days so I hope that will give me a bit more pep in my step. I know I should have been taking then all along but I kind of forgot. Oh well better late than never.
I have been sleeping a lot more than normal but I know this is pretty normal for when you are recovering from surgery.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Wednesday 5 March 2014
Real Food Oh How I Missed You
Oh My Goodness. I never knew baby food could be so good.
After what seems like an eternity on sweet shakes it was so good to be eating savoury foods again.
It took me ages to drink my 1/2 cup of soup but this is what my dietitian had told me to expect. It took me over half an hour to get it down and I had to reheat it a couple of times. Tomorrow I am going to heat it up an then put it in a thermos flask to keep it warm.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
After what seems like an eternity on sweet shakes it was so good to be eating savoury foods again.
It took me ages to drink my 1/2 cup of soup but this is what my dietitian had told me to expect. It took me over half an hour to get it down and I had to reheat it a couple of times. Tomorrow I am going to heat it up an then put it in a thermos flask to keep it warm.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Friday 28 February 2014
Puree Preparation
So I went shopping and cooked up a whole lot of food for my 2 weeks on pureed food.
I cooked up some savoury meals and I also stewed some fruit to have with yogurt.
I know that I will be having mushed up wheatbix with milk for breakfast and fruit and yogurt for morning and afternoon tea and supper and then I just need to have 2 other meals which will be made up of meat and vegetables.
I cooked up some apples and some peaches and pureed them. Then when the mix had cooled I measured it in a 1/4 cup measure and then put each 1/4 cup of puree in a freezer bag and tied the top. These all went in the freezer and I know they will not take long to defrost since they are such small bags
Then I cooked up a leek, potato and bacon soup which again was pureed, cooled and bagged this time in 1/2 cup amounts.
And finally I cooked some beef in red wine sauce in the slow cooker and repeated the process for the soup.
I really wanted to have these meals cooked ahead of time as it is much easier to cook a larger amount and puree it that try and cook 1/2 cup portions. Plus I did not want to have the hassle of cooing every day when I was possibly a bit tired due to being back at work and on low nutrition.
I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to eating savoury food after all these sweet shakes and when the day rolls around I can have cruskits as well that will be so good. Texture in my food has been something I have really missed and it was not something I had thought about missing.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
I cooked up some savoury meals and I also stewed some fruit to have with yogurt.
I know that I will be having mushed up wheatbix with milk for breakfast and fruit and yogurt for morning and afternoon tea and supper and then I just need to have 2 other meals which will be made up of meat and vegetables.
I cooked up some apples and some peaches and pureed them. Then when the mix had cooled I measured it in a 1/4 cup measure and then put each 1/4 cup of puree in a freezer bag and tied the top. These all went in the freezer and I know they will not take long to defrost since they are such small bags
Then I cooked up a leek, potato and bacon soup which again was pureed, cooled and bagged this time in 1/2 cup amounts.
And finally I cooked some beef in red wine sauce in the slow cooker and repeated the process for the soup.
I really wanted to have these meals cooked ahead of time as it is much easier to cook a larger amount and puree it that try and cook 1/2 cup portions. Plus I did not want to have the hassle of cooing every day when I was possibly a bit tired due to being back at work and on low nutrition.
I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to eating savoury food after all these sweet shakes and when the day rolls around I can have cruskits as well that will be so good. Texture in my food has been something I have really missed and it was not something I had thought about missing.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Wednesday 26 February 2014
Dietitian Appointments
Before I went in for my surgery I had 2 appointments with my dietitian. The first covered my pre op diet and the second covered what to expect in hospital and the first 2 weeks post op.
One of the things my dietitian drilled into me was the fact that my surgeon Michael Hatzafotis was very strict in the post op liquid phase compared to other surgeons as he likes everything to be as low risk to the patient as possible. I have to say that as that patient that is a very reassuring thought and I am sure is what contributes to his zero complication rate.
I did not realise quite how different the process could be but now I understand that every surgeon has very different perspectives on the post op phases.
Michael keeps you nil by mouth for 3 days in hospital before getting you to do your barrium swallow test and then keeps you on very small and measured amounts for the next 10 days. Some surgeons get you to do your barrium the day after your surgery and if all goes well you are straight on to liquids. Then once you are on liquids every surgeon differs as to how much and what they want you to be drinking.
My third dietitian appointment today was all about moving on to the puree food stage. He really pressed apon me the need to take it slowly and not force it. He explained to me that it was important to start off with food that was more watery and over the two weeks move to thicker and thicker consistency. He explained that if the puree was too thick I would end up feeling too full too quickly and this would prevent me from getting enough food in to get enough nutrients.
He has given me some examples of food that I should be trying to eat in a pureed form and I have asked about some other meals that might work as well.
Now that I have the go ahead and I know when I can stat on the puree I am really excited. I am so looking forward to something other than shakes. In fact today I got a bit desperate and ate a piece of cheese. well actually I sucked on it until it dissolved in my mouth and it tasted sooooo good. But then I had a big panic that I was going to hurt myself so I have vowed not to do it again.
I am going shopping tomorrow to get some supplies to cook up meals and freeze it into portions to cover me for the period I am on puree food.
And the most exciting thing the dietitian told me today was that for the second week of my 2 week puree phase I can eat Cruskits. Cruskits are allowed as they dissolve in your mouth when you eat them. But it will still be exciting to eat something with some texture.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
One of the things my dietitian drilled into me was the fact that my surgeon Michael Hatzafotis was very strict in the post op liquid phase compared to other surgeons as he likes everything to be as low risk to the patient as possible. I have to say that as that patient that is a very reassuring thought and I am sure is what contributes to his zero complication rate.
I did not realise quite how different the process could be but now I understand that every surgeon has very different perspectives on the post op phases.
Michael keeps you nil by mouth for 3 days in hospital before getting you to do your barrium swallow test and then keeps you on very small and measured amounts for the next 10 days. Some surgeons get you to do your barrium the day after your surgery and if all goes well you are straight on to liquids. Then once you are on liquids every surgeon differs as to how much and what they want you to be drinking.
My third dietitian appointment today was all about moving on to the puree food stage. He really pressed apon me the need to take it slowly and not force it. He explained to me that it was important to start off with food that was more watery and over the two weeks move to thicker and thicker consistency. He explained that if the puree was too thick I would end up feeling too full too quickly and this would prevent me from getting enough food in to get enough nutrients.
He has given me some examples of food that I should be trying to eat in a pureed form and I have asked about some other meals that might work as well.
Now that I have the go ahead and I know when I can stat on the puree I am really excited. I am so looking forward to something other than shakes. In fact today I got a bit desperate and ate a piece of cheese. well actually I sucked on it until it dissolved in my mouth and it tasted sooooo good. But then I had a big panic that I was going to hurt myself so I have vowed not to do it again.
I am going shopping tomorrow to get some supplies to cook up meals and freeze it into portions to cover me for the period I am on puree food.
And the most exciting thing the dietitian told me today was that for the second week of my 2 week puree phase I can eat Cruskits. Cruskits are allowed as they dissolve in your mouth when you eat them. But it will still be exciting to eat something with some texture.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Tuesday 25 February 2014
Recovery Phase Liquids Only
For the past week I have been recovering from my operation at my in-laws and I will be here until the end of the week. I am staying here as we live an hour an a half away from the hospital and my surgeon wanted me to be a bit closer for the first week and a half in case there were any issues.
For the most part my day has involved reading, snoozing and watching a few movies and tv series that friends downloaded for me. I have not been in any real pain just a bit of discomfort. I am taking panadol 4 times a day and that is all I have needed. All of this interrupted by my alarm going off every 15 minutes reminding me to drink my 15mls/30mls of shake. When I first went on to liquids it was 15 mls every 15 minutes but for the last 4 days it has been 30mls every 15 minutes.
I know that this seems like the most ridiculously small amount to be consuming but I have not felt at all hungry and at times it has been a bit of an effort to get it all down without being turned off the taste. Following surgery the inside of your stomach is swollen and until the swelling goes down the internal capacity is about the size of a drinking straw. This slowly goes down over the 2 weeks following surgery but this is why you have to pace your self with the liquids.
I am really missing real food and every night when dinner is being cooked my mouth waters. The shakes are starting to taste really yuck but I know it is important to be drinking them to get my full nutrient intake. As well as my shakes I am managing to drink a bit of fruit juice and some water but it is a strange feeling to never feel hungry when you are consuming so little.
I tried a cup of tea today, well I should say half a cup of tea, but I could not drink it all before it went cold and I ended up reheating it in the microwave. But a reheated cup of tea is not really the same.
Every day I have been for a walk and gradually I am feeling up to walking a bit further. The first day I was only up to walking to the end of the street and back (about 800m) but today my mother in law and I walked around the suburb which was about 2km.
I am feeling quite low in energy but I think this is more to do with my body healing than how much I am consuming. I am sure it will improve over time and hopefully when I go back to work next week I will have enough energy to not need to take any more time off.
One thing I have noticed is that I need to have a few sips of water as soon as I wake in the morning before I even get out of bed. My stomach kind of feels like it is all dry and needs some lubrication. Only once I have done this do I feel well enough to get up. I think I must be quite dehydrated when I wake up.
I am sure this will not last but I do not remember anyone else mentioning this.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
For the most part my day has involved reading, snoozing and watching a few movies and tv series that friends downloaded for me. I have not been in any real pain just a bit of discomfort. I am taking panadol 4 times a day and that is all I have needed. All of this interrupted by my alarm going off every 15 minutes reminding me to drink my 15mls/30mls of shake. When I first went on to liquids it was 15 mls every 15 minutes but for the last 4 days it has been 30mls every 15 minutes.
I know that this seems like the most ridiculously small amount to be consuming but I have not felt at all hungry and at times it has been a bit of an effort to get it all down without being turned off the taste. Following surgery the inside of your stomach is swollen and until the swelling goes down the internal capacity is about the size of a drinking straw. This slowly goes down over the 2 weeks following surgery but this is why you have to pace your self with the liquids.
I am really missing real food and every night when dinner is being cooked my mouth waters. The shakes are starting to taste really yuck but I know it is important to be drinking them to get my full nutrient intake. As well as my shakes I am managing to drink a bit of fruit juice and some water but it is a strange feeling to never feel hungry when you are consuming so little.
I tried a cup of tea today, well I should say half a cup of tea, but I could not drink it all before it went cold and I ended up reheating it in the microwave. But a reheated cup of tea is not really the same.
Every day I have been for a walk and gradually I am feeling up to walking a bit further. The first day I was only up to walking to the end of the street and back (about 800m) but today my mother in law and I walked around the suburb which was about 2km.
I am feeling quite low in energy but I think this is more to do with my body healing than how much I am consuming. I am sure it will improve over time and hopefully when I go back to work next week I will have enough energy to not need to take any more time off.
One thing I have noticed is that I need to have a few sips of water as soon as I wake in the morning before I even get out of bed. My stomach kind of feels like it is all dry and needs some lubrication. Only once I have done this do I feel well enough to get up. I think I must be quite dehydrated when I wake up.
I am sure this will not last but I do not remember anyone else mentioning this.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Tuesday 18 February 2014
Leaving Hospital
Well today I got to leave hospital and I was really looking forward to getting out. Not that the staff had not been wonderful it was more that I wanted to feel like I was on the path to getting back to normal.
When I got up in the morning my IV was beeping telling me that the fluid was not going into a vein but into my arm again. I called the nurse and she decided that since I was going home today and I was able to drink they would not put another one in.
This was great because it allowed me to have my first shower without an IV in my arm. Because of where my canula was in my arm I could not bend my arm enough to brush my hair let alone wash it. So it was great to be able to have a shower and wash my hair. After that I felt like a new woman.
Normal check out time was 10 am but I was not discharged until 1pm. I had to prove that I could drink a shake drink not just water and then I was given the all clear to go home.
Here is a photo of my stomach 5 days post surgery. Most of the bruising is from where the base of each of the instruments sits and was not really that sore.
Now it is just time to sit back and relax and let my body heal. That plus my 15 minute alarms for drinking will be my life for a while.
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When I got up in the morning my IV was beeping telling me that the fluid was not going into a vein but into my arm again. I called the nurse and she decided that since I was going home today and I was able to drink they would not put another one in.
This was great because it allowed me to have my first shower without an IV in my arm. Because of where my canula was in my arm I could not bend my arm enough to brush my hair let alone wash it. So it was great to be able to have a shower and wash my hair. After that I felt like a new woman.
Normal check out time was 10 am but I was not discharged until 1pm. I had to prove that I could drink a shake drink not just water and then I was given the all clear to go home.
Here is a photo of my stomach 5 days post surgery. Most of the bruising is from where the base of each of the instruments sits and was not really that sore.
Now it is just time to sit back and relax and let my body heal. That plus my 15 minute alarms for drinking will be my life for a while.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Monday 17 February 2014
Swallow Test and Finally Getting to Drink (If you can call it that)
During the night my canular tissued which basically meant that my IV fluids were going into the tissue of my arm not into the vein. I woke up in the middle of the night with a very swollen arm and a nurse had to come and put a new one in my other arm. My body will reabsorb all of the excess fluid over the next few days but I sure am glad I did not have m wedding ring on.
So today is the day we get to test out the holding ability of my new stomach and make sure there is nothing leaking out. All going well and the X-Rays not showing any leaks I would be able to start drinking water later in the day.
At about 8am a nurse came with a wheelchair to get me and we set off for the X-Ray department. I was still feeling a bit unwell from the anesthetic but it was definitely better than the past few days.
When we got to X-Ray i waited for a few minutes in the wheel chair in the waiting room before being wheeled into the actual X-Ray room.
Once there I had to stand in front of the X-Ray machine and the X-Rays were taken on 3 different angles. The Barium solution was given to me in a plastic glass and the instructions were that I had to take a small sip, hold it in my mouth until the radiologist told me to swallow. I did this 3 times so they could get the 3 different angle X-rays.
I had heard that the barium solution tasted awful but that does not even begin to explain it. It is some really foul tasting liquid that they try and disguise the taste of with a super sweet glucose solution type stuff.
After 4 days of not being able to drink anything at all it was a pretty awful first drink. After the X-Ray they asked if I wanted to wash my mouth out with water. YES PLEASE.
Thankfully the taste did not linger too long and was gone by the time I was wheeled back to my room. I was starting to feel much better and so I chilled out watching TV until the nurses came and told me my X-Ray results were back and I was fine to start drinking.
At this stage I am allowed to drink 15mls of water every 15 minutes, which is basically half a shot glass so you can imagine that this is hardly quenching your thirst. Because of how little you are able to drink I still had an IV in my arm but at a reduced rate. To make sure I was remembering to drink every 15 minutes I used the timer on my mobile phone.
It was so good to be able to swallow liquid again and refresh my mouth but I know I am going to get sick of hearing that beep every 15 minutes.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
So today is the day we get to test out the holding ability of my new stomach and make sure there is nothing leaking out. All going well and the X-Rays not showing any leaks I would be able to start drinking water later in the day.
At about 8am a nurse came with a wheelchair to get me and we set off for the X-Ray department. I was still feeling a bit unwell from the anesthetic but it was definitely better than the past few days.
When we got to X-Ray i waited for a few minutes in the wheel chair in the waiting room before being wheeled into the actual X-Ray room.
Once there I had to stand in front of the X-Ray machine and the X-Rays were taken on 3 different angles. The Barium solution was given to me in a plastic glass and the instructions were that I had to take a small sip, hold it in my mouth until the radiologist told me to swallow. I did this 3 times so they could get the 3 different angle X-rays.
I had heard that the barium solution tasted awful but that does not even begin to explain it. It is some really foul tasting liquid that they try and disguise the taste of with a super sweet glucose solution type stuff.
After 4 days of not being able to drink anything at all it was a pretty awful first drink. After the X-Ray they asked if I wanted to wash my mouth out with water. YES PLEASE.
Thankfully the taste did not linger too long and was gone by the time I was wheeled back to my room. I was starting to feel much better and so I chilled out watching TV until the nurses came and told me my X-Ray results were back and I was fine to start drinking.
At this stage I am allowed to drink 15mls of water every 15 minutes, which is basically half a shot glass so you can imagine that this is hardly quenching your thirst. Because of how little you are able to drink I still had an IV in my arm but at a reduced rate. To make sure I was remembering to drink every 15 minutes I used the timer on my mobile phone.
It was so good to be able to swallow liquid again and refresh my mouth but I know I am going to get sick of hearing that beep every 15 minutes.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Sunday 16 February 2014
Hospital Stay
Let me tell you about the my hospital stay. I had my own room with bathroom, visitors chair and TV with all the free to air channels as well as some pay TV channels too.
The day of my operation and the next 2 days were not the most fun times. I am not someone who copes well with the after effects of anesthetic and it makes me very very nauseous. My surgeon was aware of this and so were all of the nurses so they kept me well topped up with anti nausea medication. Even still I felt really sick each time I got up to go to the bathroom and a coupe of times I started heaving. This was something I was really worried about as I was concerned that I would damage the staple line on my stomach. Thankfully my stomach only heaved a couple of times and by the time I got back to bed it settled down.
The nurses were great and they made sure I always had my pain in check and was comfortable. They encouraged me to get up and walk as often as I could and were always happy for a chat as they did their observations. Dr Hatzafotis visited each day to check on my healing and to see how I was going. I was happy to just rest since I was not feeling well and other than having a shower I did nothing at all for the first 3 days. I stayed in a hospital gown for my entire stay as it was so much easier with the IV in my arm. Plus I was not having visitors other than Hubby so I was not worried about how I looked.
I had my surgery on Friday morning and I was not having my swallow test (more about that in another post) until Monday so that entire time I was was nil by mouth. So that means I was not even allowed to sip water. I had to be really careful when brushing my teeth as the temptation was there. I never felt thirsty and I guess that is because the IV fluids were quite high.
Overall I was really happy with my hospital stay and all of the doctors and nurses were great. I will tell you about the last 2 days of my stay next time.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
The day of my operation and the next 2 days were not the most fun times. I am not someone who copes well with the after effects of anesthetic and it makes me very very nauseous. My surgeon was aware of this and so were all of the nurses so they kept me well topped up with anti nausea medication. Even still I felt really sick each time I got up to go to the bathroom and a coupe of times I started heaving. This was something I was really worried about as I was concerned that I would damage the staple line on my stomach. Thankfully my stomach only heaved a couple of times and by the time I got back to bed it settled down.
The nurses were great and they made sure I always had my pain in check and was comfortable. They encouraged me to get up and walk as often as I could and were always happy for a chat as they did their observations. Dr Hatzafotis visited each day to check on my healing and to see how I was going. I was happy to just rest since I was not feeling well and other than having a shower I did nothing at all for the first 3 days. I stayed in a hospital gown for my entire stay as it was so much easier with the IV in my arm. Plus I was not having visitors other than Hubby so I was not worried about how I looked.
I had my surgery on Friday morning and I was not having my swallow test (more about that in another post) until Monday so that entire time I was was nil by mouth. So that means I was not even allowed to sip water. I had to be really careful when brushing my teeth as the temptation was there. I never felt thirsty and I guess that is because the IV fluids were quite high.
Overall I was really happy with my hospital stay and all of the doctors and nurses were great. I will tell you about the last 2 days of my stay next time.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Friday 14 February 2014
Operation Day
So was time to head off to hospital and this is how the day progressed.
I was first surgery of the day (8am) which means I had to be at the hospital at 6.30 am. Because we live out in the country Hubby and I stayed at his parents the night before. I was told that all I need to do before coming in was to have a shower and wash myself well with soap and water.
On arrival at the hospital I filled in some paperwork and paid my excess then there was a short wait in the surgical admissions area. A nurse then came and got me and I was weighed and asked a series of questions. From there I was taken to a cubicle with a bed where I was provided with a hospital gown and some undies for surgery. Thankfully these were not the paper undies that you may have hear of. They were more like a pair of very stretchy hot pants made of what I can only describe as thick pantyhose material.
They were really comfy and meanwhile I was provided with a green bag like you would get at the supermarket, to put all of my clothes in.
I relaxed on the bed for about 15 minutes in which time a nurse came and did an ECG and another came and helped me get some pressure stockings on. I was then visited by the anesthetist where I explained to him that I always felt very ill after anesthetic and he assured me they were all aware of it and would look after me. A bit more of a rest and it was time to kiss Hubby goodbye as I was wheeled off to surgery.
Once in the surgical outer room I was met but a lovely nurse and the anesthetist again and I had a canular put in my arm. I do remember lying there wondering if I was making the right decision but by then it was really too late and I knew that I had waited an entire year so I had thought this through and it was the right thing to do. I was given an oxygen mask to put on and was wheeled into the operating theatre. I was transferred to the operating table and slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next thing I know I was waking up and my oxygen mask was being replaced with a nose plug. The rest of the day is a bit of a blur but I do remember being woken every few hours for obs where I was required to provide my name and date of birth. My pain medication and anti nausea medication we kept up to date and I was not in much pain at all, just a little uncomfortable.
From what I know my experience is pretty typical and all went smoothly for which I am glad.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
I was first surgery of the day (8am) which means I had to be at the hospital at 6.30 am. Because we live out in the country Hubby and I stayed at his parents the night before. I was told that all I need to do before coming in was to have a shower and wash myself well with soap and water.
On arrival at the hospital I filled in some paperwork and paid my excess then there was a short wait in the surgical admissions area. A nurse then came and got me and I was weighed and asked a series of questions. From there I was taken to a cubicle with a bed where I was provided with a hospital gown and some undies for surgery. Thankfully these were not the paper undies that you may have hear of. They were more like a pair of very stretchy hot pants made of what I can only describe as thick pantyhose material.
They were really comfy and meanwhile I was provided with a green bag like you would get at the supermarket, to put all of my clothes in.
I relaxed on the bed for about 15 minutes in which time a nurse came and did an ECG and another came and helped me get some pressure stockings on. I was then visited by the anesthetist where I explained to him that I always felt very ill after anesthetic and he assured me they were all aware of it and would look after me. A bit more of a rest and it was time to kiss Hubby goodbye as I was wheeled off to surgery.
Once in the surgical outer room I was met but a lovely nurse and the anesthetist again and I had a canular put in my arm. I do remember lying there wondering if I was making the right decision but by then it was really too late and I knew that I had waited an entire year so I had thought this through and it was the right thing to do. I was given an oxygen mask to put on and was wheeled into the operating theatre. I was transferred to the operating table and slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next thing I know I was waking up and my oxygen mask was being replaced with a nose plug. The rest of the day is a bit of a blur but I do remember being woken every few hours for obs where I was required to provide my name and date of birth. My pain medication and anti nausea medication we kept up to date and I was not in much pain at all, just a little uncomfortable.
From what I know my experience is pretty typical and all went smoothly for which I am glad.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Tuesday 11 February 2014
Nearly There - 2 days To Go
So here we are with only 2 days to go and I can't wait to get this op done.
So how has it been? Well I am well and truly sick of diet jelly (I hate artificial sweeteners) but other than that not too bad. I have not been hungry but you never feel satisfied from just shakes, jelly and veggies.
I have really missed meat and cheese and a few days ago I had a piece of cheese about the size of matchbox and it was divine. On Sunday I had to go to my brother sister in laws baby shower where they were having a BBQ. My dietitian suggested I stick to a small piece of steak and salad which I did. I also took along a zuccini and grilled it on the BBQ. All in all it was a good option. But ohhhh the smell of BBQ sausages, potato bake and then there were bread rolls and real butter. I had to look away. But I have been good other than that.
But the best thing is that I have lost 6kg which is great according to my dietitian. He tells me that it is a sure sign my liver is shrinking.
My meeting with him today was to discuss my post op plan and this is how it goes:
14th Feb - Operation Day, no drinking allowed IV only
15th Feb - no drinking allowed IV only
16th Feb -no drinking allowed IV only
17th Feb - allowed to drink shakes and water @ a rate of 60ml per hour that is 1 teaspoon every 5 minutes
18th Feb - Time to go home still drinking as above.
After 7 days I can increase my liquid intake to a rate of 100ml per hour.
Apparently it will take me about 3 hours to get through 1 protein shake... crazy.
Well that is it for now and I am not sure if I will blog again till after my op.
So see ya on the other side... maybe.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
So how has it been? Well I am well and truly sick of diet jelly (I hate artificial sweeteners) but other than that not too bad. I have not been hungry but you never feel satisfied from just shakes, jelly and veggies.
I have really missed meat and cheese and a few days ago I had a piece of cheese about the size of matchbox and it was divine. On Sunday I had to go to my brother sister in laws baby shower where they were having a BBQ. My dietitian suggested I stick to a small piece of steak and salad which I did. I also took along a zuccini and grilled it on the BBQ. All in all it was a good option. But ohhhh the smell of BBQ sausages, potato bake and then there were bread rolls and real butter. I had to look away. But I have been good other than that.
But the best thing is that I have lost 6kg which is great according to my dietitian. He tells me that it is a sure sign my liver is shrinking.
My meeting with him today was to discuss my post op plan and this is how it goes:
14th Feb - Operation Day, no drinking allowed IV only
15th Feb - no drinking allowed IV only
16th Feb -no drinking allowed IV only
17th Feb - allowed to drink shakes and water @ a rate of 60ml per hour that is 1 teaspoon every 5 minutes
18th Feb - Time to go home still drinking as above.
After 7 days I can increase my liquid intake to a rate of 100ml per hour.
Apparently it will take me about 3 hours to get through 1 protein shake... crazy.
Well that is it for now and I am not sure if I will blog again till after my op.
So see ya on the other side... maybe.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Wednesday 5 February 2014
4 Days Into Pre Op Diet
So here we are 4 days in and so far so good.
I have not been as hungry as I thought I would be but I have been filling up on jelly and cucumbers. I have found that I am having a cup of tea when I get up and my breakfast shake at about 9.30. This means I am not starving when it gets to lunchtime. I think the Metamucil helps fill you up too.
One of the other things that my dietitian told me is that you cannot drink anything within 30 minutes before eating or up to 45 minutes after eating. Apparently this flushes your food through more quickly and leaves you feeling hungry sooner. In all my years no one has ever told me that but I can see how it makes sense.
This drinking habit is something I will be stuck with for the rest of my life as after my op there will not be enough room in my stomach for both food and drink.
So for dinner so far I have had stir fry twice and salad twice in addition to my shake which I had 30 minutes before.
At this stage I can say that I am missing meat and cheese, but I'll get over it.
Anyway I have some ideas for a dip for veggies and I might try a veggie juice too in the mornings which will help give me extra energy but not count towards my 2 cups since all the pulp is taken out.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
I have not been as hungry as I thought I would be but I have been filling up on jelly and cucumbers. I have found that I am having a cup of tea when I get up and my breakfast shake at about 9.30. This means I am not starving when it gets to lunchtime. I think the Metamucil helps fill you up too.
One of the other things that my dietitian told me is that you cannot drink anything within 30 minutes before eating or up to 45 minutes after eating. Apparently this flushes your food through more quickly and leaves you feeling hungry sooner. In all my years no one has ever told me that but I can see how it makes sense.
This drinking habit is something I will be stuck with for the rest of my life as after my op there will not be enough room in my stomach for both food and drink.
So for dinner so far I have had stir fry twice and salad twice in addition to my shake which I had 30 minutes before.
At this stage I can say that I am missing meat and cheese, but I'll get over it.
Anyway I have some ideas for a dip for veggies and I might try a veggie juice too in the mornings which will help give me extra energy but not count towards my 2 cups since all the pulp is taken out.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Thursday 30 January 2014
Pre Op Diet Starts
So the time has come for me to start my 2 week pre op diet. The purpose of the pre op diet is to shrink the liver by stripping away the excess fat and glycogen. A big fatty liver is a fragile thing so a smaller liver makes the surgery much safer.
To be honest this is the stage I have been dreading the most. I am worried I will be hungry and won't be able to stick to it and then my surgery will be cancelled because my liver has not shrunk.
So the idea of the diet is to replace all of your meals with shakes and you can also have some green veggies and diet jelly. The idea is to send you body into a state of Ketosis which reduces your hunger. The dietitian explained it to me like this: After 3 days of very limited carbohydrate intake and very low calorie intake your body thinks there is a famine so it shuts of your hunger signals and starts to convert the fat stores in your body to fuel.
So for the next 2 weeks I will be on 3 Optislim shakes a day, as much diet jelly as I want (the dietitian said it will not matter if I use this as a stomach filler as there is no calories or carbs) and I can have 2 cups of green veggies (no potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, corn, parsnip, legumes or any starchy veggies) a day as well 1 cup of berries (blueberries, raspberries or strawberries) and water, black tea, coffee and herbal tea. You also need too take a fiber supplement like Metamucil.
I can use as many herbs and spices as I want so I think stir fry will be a regular meal. I plan on having a shake for breakfast, my berries for morning tea, another shake for lunch, a late afternoon shake and then veggies for dinner. The dietitian also said that if I was ever hungry I should eat, celery sticks, cucumber and carrots as these would not impact my weight loss.
So here goes.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Wednesday 22 January 2014
Dietitian Appointments
Over the next 6 months I will have 5 appointments with a dietitian to make sure I am aware of everything I need to do at each stage of this journey.
Appointment Schedule
1. A week before starting my 2 week pre-op diet to discuss the do's and don'ts over the 2 weeks.
2. 2 days before surgery to discuss the 2 weeks of liquid only post op.
3. Last day of liquid only diet to discuss moving on to blended phase
4. 4 weeks post op discussing moving back to all foods
5. 3 months post op discussing how to keep loosing weight until you reach your goal weight.
Next week if my first appointment which will be conducted over the phone because of where I live. The Dietitian I am seeing is Andrew McNeill and he works with my surgeon a lot.
He has been really nice so far and took the time to explain all of the stages that we will discuss and what I have to look forward to. He also reassured me that I have a great surgeon who takes no risks and will really look after me.
It was great to hear that from him, not that I had any concerns but at the back of my mind I know there are real risks associated with any surgery.
I will post about the details of each appointment as they happen.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Appointment Schedule
1. A week before starting my 2 week pre-op diet to discuss the do's and don'ts over the 2 weeks.
2. 2 days before surgery to discuss the 2 weeks of liquid only post op.
3. Last day of liquid only diet to discuss moving on to blended phase
4. 4 weeks post op discussing moving back to all foods
5. 3 months post op discussing how to keep loosing weight until you reach your goal weight.
Next week if my first appointment which will be conducted over the phone because of where I live. The Dietitian I am seeing is Andrew McNeill and he works with my surgeon a lot.
He has been really nice so far and took the time to explain all of the stages that we will discuss and what I have to look forward to. He also reassured me that I have a great surgeon who takes no risks and will really look after me.
It was great to hear that from him, not that I had any concerns but at the back of my mind I know there are real risks associated with any surgery.
I will post about the details of each appointment as they happen.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Monday 20 January 2014
Can You Be Fat And Healthy?
I guess that is a pretty loaded question.
If you are young, active, have no health conditions and are only a little overweight then maybe yes you can still be healthy. But the chances of your health not being affected in the future I think are slim, something that, if you are heavy when you are young, you are unlikely to be as you age.
Since I hit puberty I have always been overweight but from when I was 18 until when I was 30 my weight hovered around 85kg. I was active, went to the gym 4 times a week, played sports, and generally ate healthily.
But then age kicked in and the weight slowly crept on.
As my weight increased I also found exercise less enjoyable and therefore did less of it. And so the vicious cycle began.
I think that you can be fat and healthy in the short term but in the long term I think that you body is less able to deal with the extra weight. I for one know that my joints ache now and they never used to and they will be glad for me to shed this extra weight.
I sure am looking forward to a healthy future and that is one of the biggest reasons for having the surgery. Looking good will just be an added bonus.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Since I hit puberty I have always been overweight but from when I was 18 until when I was 30 my weight hovered around 85kg. I was active, went to the gym 4 times a week, played sports, and generally ate healthily.
But then age kicked in and the weight slowly crept on.
As my weight increased I also found exercise less enjoyable and therefore did less of it. And so the vicious cycle began.
I think that you can be fat and healthy in the short term but in the long term I think that you body is less able to deal with the extra weight. I for one know that my joints ache now and they never used to and they will be glad for me to shed this extra weight.
I sure am looking forward to a healthy future and that is one of the biggest reasons for having the surgery. Looking good will just be an added bonus.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Saturday 18 January 2014
The Scales Don't Lie - The Before Photos
So I am starting this journey at 116kg and that is my heaviest weight ever.
In my 20's I hovered around 85 - 90kg but over the last few years the weight has crept on. Bloody 30's.
For me it is really hard to see myself as I really am and apparently I have been fooling others too. The other day I was discussing with a good friend my surgery and the fact that I wanted to loose nearly 50kg and he just about choked on his coffee. He was shocked and told me there was no way I needed to loose that much weight and he was having trouble understanding why I was doing something so drastic.. I asked him why he thought that and he said that I did not over eat or eat bad foods. He is correct that I don't over eat that much and I eat really healthy food but my hormones really affect me. Then he says "plus you are not really that big", guess I had him fooled.
He got me to stand up and he said he still couldn't see it. So I laughed at him and told him how much I weighed. Then he got it.
He got up and hugged me and said "now I understand". Until that moment when I put it in numbers he had now idea.
So I have taken my before photos so that I can track my progress. Even with thedusty mirror soft focus on you can still see that I carry all my weight around my middle, the worst place to be fat due to the organ damage it can do.
Anyway this is the starting point and I will never again be this big.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
In my 20's I hovered around 85 - 90kg but over the last few years the weight has crept on. Bloody 30's.
For me it is really hard to see myself as I really am and apparently I have been fooling others too. The other day I was discussing with a good friend my surgery and the fact that I wanted to loose nearly 50kg and he just about choked on his coffee. He was shocked and told me there was no way I needed to loose that much weight and he was having trouble understanding why I was doing something so drastic.. I asked him why he thought that and he said that I did not over eat or eat bad foods. He is correct that I don't over eat that much and I eat really healthy food but my hormones really affect me. Then he says "plus you are not really that big", guess I had him fooled.
He got me to stand up and he said he still couldn't see it. So I laughed at him and told him how much I weighed. Then he got it.
He got up and hugged me and said "now I understand". Until that moment when I put it in numbers he had now idea.
So I have taken my before photos so that I can track my progress. Even with the
Anyway this is the starting point and I will never again be this big.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Thursday 16 January 2014
Staying Motivated
I know that there are going to be some tough times ahead and I am trying to put some strategies in place to give me the very best chance of success.
Many people will think that this surgery is the easy way out and that it does not require as much effort as traditional dieting but I know there are hard times ahead.
The times I see being the hardest are:
The last week before starting my Pre Op Diet
The Pre Op Diet (the first few days in particular)
Immediately Post Op
The first 2 weeks Post Op
And Here's Why:
I will be looking at this every day as I have it on my office wall and I will be using it to remind me of all the good times to come.
Hopefully these images and words will get me through the hard times.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Many people will think that this surgery is the easy way out and that it does not require as much effort as traditional dieting but I know there are hard times ahead.
The times I see being the hardest are:
The last week before starting my Pre Op Diet
The Pre Op Diet (the first few days in particular)
Immediately Post Op
The first 2 weeks Post Op
And Here's Why:
- The last week before starting my Pre Op Diet - I think this will be my time of doubt. Am I doing the right thing, OMG I might never eat this again, I am not sure if this is what I want, and many more negative thoughts.
- The Pre Op Diet (the first few days in particular) - Diet shakes and rabbit food, hunger (I think this will be mainly the first few days but I worry that it will last the full 2 weeks)
- Immediately Post Op - I do not cope well with the anesthetic and I know I will feel really rotten and nauseous for at least 24 hours. I worry that the hospital staff will not be able to get this under control and I will end up retching and tear my staple line.
- The first 2 weeks Post Op - This is where I think I will be thinking what have I done, will I ever get my energy back, and I can't wait to get rid of these shakes and eat some real food.
So I have made myself a vision board. Something to remind me that these are all short term issues to overcome and I have so much to look forward to.
I will be looking at this every day as I have it on my office wall and I will be using it to remind me of all the good times to come.
Hopefully these images and words will get me through the hard times.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Tuesday 14 January 2014
Dealing With A 12 Month Wait
I had my first appointment with my surgeon 12 months ago and at the time I weighed 113 kg.
Because I needed to upgrade my level of private health insurance to cover my operation I had to wait 12 months before I could have the surgery.
At the time my surgeon warned me not to just go out and eat like I would never eat again. He said it was quite normal for people to put on weight once they knew they were having bariatric surgery. But for most people the damage they can do is relatively minor as their surgery is in the not to distant future.
So with 12 months up my sleeve I had to be very careful.
For the first half of my 12 month wait it felt like it was so far in the future that I didn't think about it that much and life went on as per normal. But as the day has gotten closer the reality has started to set in and with 4 weeks to go my mind is consumed with thoughts about the operation and my future eating habits.
I had read about people having last suppers and going on massive binges before their operation. It was something I could not really understand. I mean if you are having a gastric sleeve you will be able to go back to eating most things just in smaller amounts.
But you know what? I have been thinking about foods as I eat them wondering if this will be the last time I eat them. I am not someone who eats junk food on a regular basis and I would say that it would be less than once per month that I ate chocolate, chips, burgers or any other type of take away. But the other day I went and had a burger from those big golden arches. It is not somewhere I eat that often but for some reason I felt I needed to go.
And since then it is like my subconscious has taken over because all I can think of are the things I want to eat before I have my op. And the things I want to eat are not take away foods. On the list is steak and roast lamb. And I also want to go out for a really fancy 3 course meal. There is nothing else at this stage but I am sure there will be in the weeks to come as I count down.
The main thing with only 4 weeks to go is that I have managed to limit my weight gain to just 3 kg. I plan to do some cutting back before I go on my shakes so hopefully I will get rid of that 3 kg.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Because I needed to upgrade my level of private health insurance to cover my operation I had to wait 12 months before I could have the surgery.
At the time my surgeon warned me not to just go out and eat like I would never eat again. He said it was quite normal for people to put on weight once they knew they were having bariatric surgery. But for most people the damage they can do is relatively minor as their surgery is in the not to distant future.
So with 12 months up my sleeve I had to be very careful.
For the first half of my 12 month wait it felt like it was so far in the future that I didn't think about it that much and life went on as per normal. But as the day has gotten closer the reality has started to set in and with 4 weeks to go my mind is consumed with thoughts about the operation and my future eating habits.
I had read about people having last suppers and going on massive binges before their operation. It was something I could not really understand. I mean if you are having a gastric sleeve you will be able to go back to eating most things just in smaller amounts.
But you know what? I have been thinking about foods as I eat them wondering if this will be the last time I eat them. I am not someone who eats junk food on a regular basis and I would say that it would be less than once per month that I ate chocolate, chips, burgers or any other type of take away. But the other day I went and had a burger from those big golden arches. It is not somewhere I eat that often but for some reason I felt I needed to go.
And since then it is like my subconscious has taken over because all I can think of are the things I want to eat before I have my op. And the things I want to eat are not take away foods. On the list is steak and roast lamb. And I also want to go out for a really fancy 3 course meal. There is nothing else at this stage but I am sure there will be in the weeks to come as I count down.
The main thing with only 4 weeks to go is that I have managed to limit my weight gain to just 3 kg. I plan to do some cutting back before I go on my shakes so hopefully I will get rid of that 3 kg.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Sunday 12 January 2014
Why Now?
As I said in my overview my weight has not really caused me any issues or held me back in the past but things have changed and in the last 2 years my body has started giving me different signals.
I feel like I am at a crossroads with two options "business as usual" and "make a significant change".
If I head down the "business as usual" path there is a future that I never thought would be part of my destiny. A future that includes type 2 diabetes, joint pain, feet problems, back problems, continued fertility issues and more weight gain.
Already I am seeing the signs that these things are on the cards. I have noticed that I am hauling myself up from the sofa and when I get up and my knees often crack. My back is often sore and my podiatrist (who I see for non weight related issues) has said my feet problems will be significantly improved with weight loss and/or significantly worse with weight gain.
Exercise of any description is also becoming a chore, a real chore and this is making me avoid it, which lets face it is the opposite of what any overweight person needs.
I am someone who has always been active and in the past I have done kickboxing and been someone who goes to the gym on a regular basis. These days I like to ride my bike, I ski every winter, I love swimming and this is the first summer I have not been at the local pool swimming laps 4 mornings a week. We also have a dog that needs a lot of exercise and even that has become a chore. It is also over a year since I went to yoga and I feel tight and wound up all over.
For the first time ever I can see how it is possible to reach a certain weight (for me it was 105kg) and then to just have your weight and health start to spiral out of control. For me it just felt like I had reached a point where my weight was close to spiraling out of control.
In the past I have lost weight though diet and exercise but it has never stayed off. And after more than 20 years of this battle I have decided to go down the path of surgery.
It was not a decision I came to easily and anyone who knows me will tell you I am some one who is very detail orientated and I research all the big decisions I make.
I don't think it is the easy way out or a stand alone solution. I am looking at it as a tool to help me loose enough weight so that exercise is much more enjoyable.
And the big kicker here is my fertility. Hubby and I have been struggling to fall pregnant for the past 2 years and it is due to my PCOS and that is directly impacted by my weight. So it is now or never. If I put this off any longer I may be too old to have a baby at all.
So that is where things stand. 5 weeks until surgery and my brain is in overload. There are so many things I have to get out in this forum, hopefully it will help me clear my head space.
My mind is also still telling me that my weight has not impacted to greatly on how I have lived my life. (although this is a self belief that I am going to challenge as this journey progresses)
Does any of this sound familiar?
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
I feel like I am at a crossroads with two options "business as usual" and "make a significant change".
If I head down the "business as usual" path there is a future that I never thought would be part of my destiny. A future that includes type 2 diabetes, joint pain, feet problems, back problems, continued fertility issues and more weight gain.
Already I am seeing the signs that these things are on the cards. I have noticed that I am hauling myself up from the sofa and when I get up and my knees often crack. My back is often sore and my podiatrist (who I see for non weight related issues) has said my feet problems will be significantly improved with weight loss and/or significantly worse with weight gain.
Exercise of any description is also becoming a chore, a real chore and this is making me avoid it, which lets face it is the opposite of what any overweight person needs.
I am someone who has always been active and in the past I have done kickboxing and been someone who goes to the gym on a regular basis. These days I like to ride my bike, I ski every winter, I love swimming and this is the first summer I have not been at the local pool swimming laps 4 mornings a week. We also have a dog that needs a lot of exercise and even that has become a chore. It is also over a year since I went to yoga and I feel tight and wound up all over.
For the first time ever I can see how it is possible to reach a certain weight (for me it was 105kg) and then to just have your weight and health start to spiral out of control. For me it just felt like I had reached a point where my weight was close to spiraling out of control.
In the past I have lost weight though diet and exercise but it has never stayed off. And after more than 20 years of this battle I have decided to go down the path of surgery.
It was not a decision I came to easily and anyone who knows me will tell you I am some one who is very detail orientated and I research all the big decisions I make.
I don't think it is the easy way out or a stand alone solution. I am looking at it as a tool to help me loose enough weight so that exercise is much more enjoyable.
And the big kicker here is my fertility. Hubby and I have been struggling to fall pregnant for the past 2 years and it is due to my PCOS and that is directly impacted by my weight. So it is now or never. If I put this off any longer I may be too old to have a baby at all.
So that is where things stand. 5 weeks until surgery and my brain is in overload. There are so many things I have to get out in this forum, hopefully it will help me clear my head space.
My mind is also still telling me that my weight has not impacted to greatly on how I have lived my life. (although this is a self belief that I am going to challenge as this journey progresses)
Does any of this sound familiar?
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
Saturday 11 January 2014
A Brief Overview
I am at a bit of a loss as to how to start this, so I have decided to give a brief overview of where I am now and some basic details of my situation.
I am 35 years old and have battled my weight since I hit puberty when I was 11. This is partly to do with the fact that I have PCOS (poly cycistic ovarian syndrome) but the reality is that I also over eat. Not a good combination.
My weight has not been much of a barrier for most of my life and I have always done some sort of exercise, although not enough to ever shift a significant amount of weight or keep it off.
But over the last few year there have been signs that my weight is now starting to have an impact on my health and I can feel myself at the start of a downward spiral.
So just over 12 months ago I started investigating bariatric surgery and decided that a gastric sleeve might be the way to go. I got a referral from my GP and started investigating surgeons. I ended up going to see Dr Michael Hatzifotis .
After putting him through his passes with an exhaustive list of questions I had decided to book in to have a gastric sleeve in just over 12 months time. The reason for the wait is that I needed to upgrade my private health insurance.
So for the last 12 months I have been in a holding pattern waiting for my surgery. But now it is only 5 weeks away on February 14 and there are so many thoughts running through I really needed somewhere to get them all out. I have been looking on line to try and get answers to some of these questions/thoughts and while there is lots of information out there I feel like there are details missing.
So I hope through writing this blog about my experience it will help other people.
I have only touched on some subjects very lightly here and will expand on them in future posts but for now you know a little bit about a few things.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
I am 35 years old and have battled my weight since I hit puberty when I was 11. This is partly to do with the fact that I have PCOS (poly cycistic ovarian syndrome) but the reality is that I also over eat. Not a good combination.
My weight has not been much of a barrier for most of my life and I have always done some sort of exercise, although not enough to ever shift a significant amount of weight or keep it off.
But over the last few year there have been signs that my weight is now starting to have an impact on my health and I can feel myself at the start of a downward spiral.
So just over 12 months ago I started investigating bariatric surgery and decided that a gastric sleeve might be the way to go. I got a referral from my GP and started investigating surgeons. I ended up going to see Dr Michael Hatzifotis .
After putting him through his passes with an exhaustive list of questions I had decided to book in to have a gastric sleeve in just over 12 months time. The reason for the wait is that I needed to upgrade my private health insurance.
So for the last 12 months I have been in a holding pattern waiting for my surgery. But now it is only 5 weeks away on February 14 and there are so many thoughts running through I really needed somewhere to get them all out. I have been looking on line to try and get answers to some of these questions/thoughts and while there is lots of information out there I feel like there are details missing.
So I hope through writing this blog about my experience it will help other people.
I have only touched on some subjects very lightly here and will expand on them in future posts but for now you know a little bit about a few things.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
I really appreciate any comments you take the time to leave. Feel free to ask questions.
If you are on this journey too or any other type of weight loss journey feel free to say hello and share your story.
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