Hi and Welcome!

The main purpose for starting this blog is to document my journey after weight loss surgery. As most of you know I've struggled with my weight for 15+ years. I have a love/hate relationship with food. I love it because it was the one thing that could always bring comfort. I also love to cook. I hate it because of what I've allowed it to do to me. I don't blame my weight issues on anyone else but myself. No one forced me to eat...I hold myself accountable for getting as heavy as I was. I'm 5'2" and the day I went in for my surgery I weighed 254lbs. Now that my friends is definitely NOT ok! So come along with me as I begin my journey from Fat to Fab...its bound to be one heck of a crazy wild ride!





Surgery Day 9/28/10
254lbs.

  Chapter 1...The Choice
We knew we were done having children after our last daughter was born which left me having to make a choice. No more excuses for keeping the weight on...I often used the excuse that I wasn't done having kids so why bother trying to lose the weight when it's just going to go right back on as soon as I get pregnant. Luckily with my last pregnancy I only gained 10lbs. I finally had to make a choice. Do I stay fat forever or do I decide to do something about it once and for all. Needless to say, I chose to do something about it once and for all. I have absolutely NO willpower. If I did, staying on a healthy diet and exercise routine would have been a problem I could have easily dealt with. So between no willpower, very low metabolism, and family health problems I could develop at any moment, I decided to look into having weight loss surgery. Gastric Bypass to be exact.





side view

 
Chapter 2...The Decision
Making the decision was easy. As soon as I got approval from my insurance I scheduled my surgery for Sept. 28th. Having the surgery was pretty darn easy compared to having 3 c-sections. Learning to live and love my new found lifestyle... not so much. In an instant I no longer could eat for comfort. No longer could I sit back and do nothing. The days of being lazy and unhealthy were over. The time to change was now and I was one un-happy camper to say the least. I was mad I couldn't have the foods I loved. I was mad that I didn't take control of my unhealthy lifestyle years ago. I was mourning food. Now mind you that is one of the things they talked about in my pre-surgery class. My husband and I looked at each other and kind of chuckled. Why would anyone wanting weight loss surgery mourn food? Um hello...isn't that the problem that's brought us all here. I sure and heck was not going to be mourning food! Oh little did I know. I felt like I lost my best friend. The friend that was there for me when I was happy, sad, mad, bored...you name it, I could easily find a reason to eat. Isn't that what we all do. We eat wonderful yummy food for holidays, celebrations, family gatherings, church gatherings, meetings...you name the time and the place, and the food is there! Well, and so was I!lol

Chapter 3...The Result of My Choice & Decision
So fast forward to today. I'm 5 1/2 weeks post-op and I feel terrific. I am officially down 31lbs.! I'm slowly but surely learning and getting more acquainted with my new lifestyle. I have more energy, my clothes are starting to get loose, and of course seeing the scale go down definitely helps lift my spirits at the times I'm feeling down and frustrated.


Overall I'm learning that food doesn't have to hold the same meaning to me anymore. I no longer live to eat...I am finally deciding to eat to live. I have too much to live for to do it any other way!


Chapter 4...The Plan in Action
Now here's the breakdown of what I can eat on a daily basis...


~ 2oz. of food per meal. That consists of 70%{3 Tablespoons} of protein and 30%    {1 Tablespoon} of vegetables. You measure your food by volume, not weight.
~ Drink a minimum of 64oz. of water per day.
~ I take 2 multi-vitamins, 3 calcium citrate's daily and 1 B-12 shot per month.
~ No drinking 30 minutes before my meal and I have to wait 30 minutes after my meal as well.
~ No carbs...that means no breads, pasta's, rice, cereal etc...

~ No starches...no more potatoes or corn.

~ No sweets and sodas...this has been by far the easiest to get used too.
~ No fast foods...if it's fried it's denied!

~ Only 2oz. of fruit per week.

~ Chewing my food to yogurt consistency...if not it can definitely get stuck right under my breast bone, which is absolutely awful!

~ Sip, sip, sip...no more gulping and no more straws...both of these things can allow too much air to be swallowed. Camelback water bottles work terrific!

~ No gum...don't want to run the risk of swallowing it and it can cause too much air to be swallowed.

~ No snacking...unless you feel tired, weak, or sick. In that case you can have a 1oz. protein snack.


Now those are just some of the basic rules to follow each and everyday of my life. A ton to digest in such a short amount of time, but it's my new "reality check" on life. I read all labels before I buy foods, I make a dinner menu for the week, and I am trying to develop new hobbies and habits to keep myself busy  so that I'm not getting back into my old way of life. Realizing I had an addiction to food was very hard yet very humbling. I know what I need to do now to be the healthy, happy person I've always wanted to be.



1 Month Post-Op
229lbs



side view