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Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt is Da Bomb

Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars

This past weekend I went to New York to visit my brother and when we were in the grocery store I spotted Yasso Greek Frozen Yogurt so I picked up a box to try since I never saw them before.

I truly miss NY grocery stores, well any huge grocery store since here in PA we seem to be missing all the good stuff. Having grown up in New York and then moving away the one thing I miss more than anything is the food choices. So while we were shopping for dinner and dessert I spotted these in the freezer section and knew I had to try them.

The best part was they had 6 grams of protein each – Oh yeah !!! For some reason I am not a huge fan of the Greek Yogurts , but I was still willing to give these a try and boy was I glad I did – it was DELISH !!

Of course after I fell in love I went to their website to see if they were sold in stores by me and I do see one I have local listed so I am going to check it out to see if they are sold here.

The Frozen Greek Yogurts come in 3 flavors – Blueberry (flavor I tried), Strawberry and Raspberry and here are some deets:

They are only only 70 calories each and contain 6 grams of protein !!!

  • all natural & fat-free
  • 6g of protein
  • gluten-free
  • made with rBST-free milk
  • good source of calcium
  • no corn syrup (oh yeah !!)
  • kosher certified

Oh and I did say it was delicious right?

In addition to those they also have Frozen Greek Yogurt Smoothies in Strawberry Banana, Mango Pineapple, and Mixed Berry. When blended with one cup of skim milk, each 8 oz. serving is fat-free, low in sugar and has 8 grams of protein as well as 4 grams of fiber. Now I did not try any of those, but if I can find them in the store you know I will.

Visit their website Team Yasso and see if they are available in a store near you because these are great for anyone on the liquid stage of Gastric Bypass, Pureed or after and they wee soooo good. If they are not in my store I am calling the company to see if they can be. I did make these Frozen Yogurt Protein Poppers once, but these were so much better.

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My twenty first week after Gastric Bypass

21

Monday started week 21 and all of that procrastination I had been doing about getting things I needed to get done was over. It was crunch time – I had 2 days to get rid of years of crap so we could have our Central AC/Heat put in the house.

This is the time I whine about why I whined for so many days and left myself hardly any time to get a million things done – sound familiar? Gosh I cannot be the only one right?

I had a busy couple days ahead of me, but I had to shut up and get it done if I wanted to stay cool this summer and warm this winter. I had to look on the bright side – I would DEFINITELY get in a lot of exercise this week that was for sure.

Here is what I ate so you can see each day for the twenty first week:

(I am not gonna add the times on – just the order in which I ate)

June 11th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • Egg Roll
  • 2 Crab Ragoons
  • 1 cupish Left over Chicken Divan

Today was the day I had to get started with all of this cleaning – first I had to do the closet in my daughter’s room so the guys could get into the crawl space in the attic which happens to be in there. URGH !!! This closet happened to be mine because my daughter and us switched rooms last year and I have not switched them over due to some other renovations upcoming. What a mess. So as I reached the back of the closet I was on the phone with my sister in law and asked her “Do I need the dress I wore to your sister’s wedding?” now this wedding happened about 15 years or so ago. She is like “uh no”. Really I asked I may fit back into one day – do you think shoulder pads will be back in style? lmao. She was like just toss it already. So those are the things I had to deal with – you know the back of the closet where we keep things we will never touch in our lifetime again.

Once the closet was done, which took what seemed like a million hours, it was time to venture into the attic. I have a walk up attic, but this was full of over 7 years of storage and a lot of it. In addition to that it was filled with bins of baby clothes from both my son and daughter because I was originally planning on having another baby. That is not the plan anymore since the shop has been torn down a couple years ago. I knew it had to be cleaned at some point and probably would have never gotten done if it were not for the fact these guys had to run ducts up there so in I went and it was hot and I sweat like crazy. BUT Sweat equals weight loss – BONUS !!

June 12th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • Big Salad with Feta Cheese, Cucumbers, Tomato, Red Onion and Honey Mustard
  • Small piece of Pound Cake
  • A few chips in dip

Today was D day – I have to get it all done the guys were coming first thing tomorrow morning – ahhhhhh !!! Thank god for the rain and not wanting to be outside instead and it helped cool down the attic a bit. So bin after bin and sorting and going through, tossing and making donate piles I ventured through it. I think the hardest part was going through the bins of baby clothes. My son made fun of me as I cried going through his – he says “Mom I am not dead I am right here”. Someday he will understand the tears, but for now I let him make fun of me as I touched every article of clothing and remembered when they wore it in my mind and smelled it as well – I know I am NUTSO. I think he just shook his head when I dressed a Teddy Bear that sits on my bed he gave me in one of his old outfits.

I was able to give my daughter lots of new outfits for her favorite baby doll and boy did I have tons to donate. I had 15+ bags of clothing to bring for donation – holy crap !!! OH and these were hefty bags. Did I mention how much garbage I had as well? So much from cleaning the garage, the attic, my craft room and 2 closets that I had to pay extra for a huge pick up.

BUT in the end after all that whining, back pain, reminiscing and sweating my ass off it got done. Now everything that was going back into the attic was now stored in my bedroom until they would be done. It felt so good to be rid of so much stuff and I am beginning to feel a little organized. Oh what a great feeling that is !!!

June 13th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • Whole Ham Sandwich with mayo
  • Burrito

So today I am exhausted and sore and up at 7am to let the contractors in to start working. So excited to be getting central air and heat u have no idea. I HATE window units and I am so done with them. It is a big investment, but worth every penny we will spend. While the guys worked I continued to clean and add to my garbage pile that was being picked up tomorrow. Wooo Hooo love seeing all that garbage at the curb – bye bye crap !!!

June 14th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • 2 Slices American Cheese
  • 1 cupish Left over Chicken Divan
  • Handful of Frosted Mini Wheats
  • 1/2 Ham Steak, Small Salad and Green Beans
  • McDonald’s Ice Cream Cone
  • Handful of Potato Chips
  • Snack sized bag of M&M’s

Today I was up early again – contractors start so darn early -urgh !!! After a lot of thinking today hubby and I decided we would get chickens – well chicks at first for pets. This is something we had been thinking about for a few years after falling in love with these Silkie Chickens at our local nursery. Needless to say the kids are so excited by the thought. We would get them next Monday, but today we ran to the local feed store to pick up the things we would need for them when we got them. We also passed the nursery so of course I had to stop and buy some more plants for the yard – hee hee.

Later in the evening I took the kids to McDonald’s for ice cream and I was so craving one myself, but so nervous – I said the heck with it and got myself an Ice Cream Cone – you can read my post about it HERE. Later that evening I had a sweet tooth still and grabbed a tiny snack sized bag of M&Ms and ate them – I had no issues and it hit the spot. It is not often I get a sweet tooth, but when I do I usually go for fruit, BUT I really wanted those M&Ms – so I did not deprive myself.

June 15th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • 1 Egg, Bacon & Toast Muffin
  • McDonald’s Hamburger
  • Handful of Cherries
  • 1/2 Delmonico Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Carrots

Today I hung around the house doing yardwork, went to the nursery yet again for more flowers – I ended up creating a new flower bed in the yard. Later in the day I took a much needed nap – this getting up and ready by 7am with the contractors is catching up on me. I made breakfast for the family and I did a post sharing it here: Eggs, Bacon & Toast Muffins.

For dinner I was craving a good steak – so hubby went up to our local butcher (where the good stuff is fresh) and got some Delmonico Steaks. He grilled them and I swear it was the best piece of steak I have had ever – melted in your mouth delish !!

June 16th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day)
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Beef BBQ sampling
  • 1/2 Subway Veggie Delite
  • Handful of Pretzels
  • 1 Slice of Pizza
  • A few bites of a French Toast Dessert
  • Small piece of left over steak with ketchup

Today we were headed to my mother in laws to do some work at her house – on our way there we stopped at the local butcher who was having a sampling of their meats for their customers. I tried a homemade hotdog (well 1/2), a piece of brisket, small rib and some smoked pit beef & chicken – OMG it was all amazing !!! It was a pure protein start to my day !!

While at my mother in laws she got us Subways for lunch and we had Pizza for dinner. She also made this amazing dessert my hubby loves that is a french toast casserole – I had a few bites of that too and it was soooo good. We worked hard while there – so plenty of exercise and later in the evening the kids swam in my sister in laws pool – it was along day, but fun to be with the family. When I got home I was a little hungry so I had a piece of left over steak – yum yum yum.

June 18th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • Arby’s Chicken Sandwich – Did not eat the bread
  • Smart Ones Meat Lasagna
  • Handful of Frosted Mini Wheats

Today was Father’s Day so I pampered my hubby and let him relax the day. It was a quiet day enjoyed wit the kids.

So I had a very busy week of cleaning, getting up early with the contractors and lots of exercise !!

I was guilty the entire week not paying attention to getting in my protein and eating enough each day – I was just too busy. So yes I slacked – hey it happens.

The contractors will be back again on Monday and should be done with the installation by Tuesday – just in time for the heat wave coming our way. Oh and tomorrow we are getting our chicks !!! Of course I will be sharing them so stay tuned !!!

Check out My Weigh In for this week – I hit another goal of mine – so all this hard work paid off !!!

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My First Ice Cream Cone since Surgery

Ice Cream Cone

I did it I had my first Ice Cream Cone since my Gastric Bypass Surgery !! I have heard so many times that Ice Cream will throw you over the edge and make you have dumping, but I ate it and survived !!!

This is kinda a funny story…My daughter and her BFF had a fight at the end school – you know 11 year old drama. The drama to me was so silly and not something I wanted to see end a friendship built over so many years, but they were both being so stubborn and not wanting to be the one to give in. That is girls for ya right?

So me and my daughter’s BFF’s mom were trying to think of how we could end this – sooo I called her and said meet me at McDonald’s because I was going to take my kids for ice cream – I would go first and then they would show up like it was a coincidence. I know sneaky of me right?

So we did just that – and of course when the girls saw each other they hugged as if nothing happened. Mission accomplished !! But then my daughter said to me “You set this up didn’t you?” Rut Roh – she was on to me. I denied it, but later confessed and was happy she was not mad at me. High Fives for me !!!

So anyways I was really craving an Ice Cream Cone and toyed with the idea of getting one. I have read over and over that Ice Cream is one of those foods that will cause dumping syndrome, but how would I know if I was going to be one of those who have it if I did not try. So I decided to take my chances.

So I was handed my Ice Cream Cone and the workers were looking at me funny when I scrapped 1/2 of the ice cream into the garbage. They asked me if something was wrong with it – ha ha. It shocked me that I even did that, but I did not want to over do it. So I ate my ice cream cone as I chatted it up with my friend and my daughter and her BFF hung out like nothing ever happened between them – it was so nice to see and made us very happy.

Now after I finished my cone I did feel a little hot flashes, but could not figure out if it was from the ice cream or the heat outside. I had no other major symptoms of dumping at all. I am not sure if McDonald’s Ice cream is filled with the same amount of sugar as regular ice cream from the store, but all in all I enjoyed it and was happy I had no bad reactions.

The thing is that if I never tried it I would have never known if I could handle it – so sometimes you just have to take the plunge – think the worst will happen and be happy when it does not.

So far as I get brave and try things with sugar I seem to be lucky that I have had no reaction or dumping,. BUT that does not mean it will never happen. I hope it never does – but I may not have encountered the food that does not agree with me totally.

It seems for me that when I have heavy carbs that is the thing that makes me feel sick and I am happy about that because carbs have always been the thing that I would eat the most – sugar for me is a treat and I am thankful I am not one of those who is a sweet freak.

So my Ice Cream was a success as well as reuniting Best Friends. The next day they went to the town pool and spent the day together !!

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EASY Eggs, Bacon & Toast Muffins

Bacon Egg Toast Cups

Bacon Egg Toast CupsHere is a fun recipe I love to make for the family that is an excellent source of protein for us Gastric Bypassers. These are so EASY to make and yummy to eat.

I made a batch of these the other day and had to share them with all of you because they are a great way to get some protein in for breakfast, lunch or dinner – when ever you want to eat them.

My favorite part is how EASY they are to make, that is always a bonus and I am going to share how it is done.

Here is what you need to make these:

  • Eggs
  • Bacon
  • Toast (I butter mine, but u do not need to)
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or any cheese u like) – optional
  • Salt Pepper
  • Muffin Pan

Are you ready for how EASY this is? Ok here we go….

Preheat your oven to 350

First Toast your bread. I used White, but of course Wheat would work. Then I buttered the toast – again you do not need to do that – my family likes it that way. I have made it both ways and it is good either.

Then I just found a cup from my cabinet that I used to cut a piece of the toast into a circle that would fit in the bottom of my muffin pan once cut. If you have a round cookie cutter that works too – I just grab what is handy. You can save the extra toast for the family, give it to the dogs or toss.

Once you cut your toast circle place it in the bottom of your muffin pan at the bottom. Oh and make sure to spray the muffin pan with Cooking Spray first – that helps get them out later.

Then take some Cooked Bacon Strips about 2 (I use the pre cooked in the box or you can cook some regular bacon up to use) and wrap the inside of the muffin pan as shown in the picture. So far so easy right?

Next crack an egg into the middle – sprinkle with Salt & Pepper and if you like sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top (extra protein folks !!)

Stick them into the oven and let cook – it takes about 20 minutes or so – just check them and watch, when your egg turns white and the egg snot is gone (that is what we call the uncooked egg – ha ha) they are done.

Does that look delish or what? Just pop them out and you have a meal at your finger tips – no fork needed – well I do not use one. The egg was cooked and the yolk was still a tiny bit runny the way I like it, but you can cook it fully. Yummy !!

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An Extremely HOT day spent at Hershey Park

Hershey Park

So this past Wednesday I spent the day in Hershey Park that was for my daughter’s end of the year celebration for her school. Of course we had some unusual weather for this time of year and the day we went happened to be about 92 degrees and humid.

I am not one for hot and humid at all – I am more of a 65-70 degree girl and anything above or below that makes me miserable most of the time – especially when it is 92 degrees and humid and you have to walk a crowded park all day long. Just my luck to have this kind of weather on the one day we were spending it at the park – ahhhhh. But I sucked it up because I was there for my daughter and I wanted her to have fun, that is what it was all about right?

My daughter brought her BFF along and then it was me and my hubby. I was surprised how crowded the park was for a school day, but it seemed there were lots of school trips going on. So hubby and I just followed the girls around and let them lead the way and go on the rides they wanted. I do not do rides – not a fan at all of roller coasters or rides that spin so fast that I taste puke in my mouth afterwards.

The girls went on a few roller coasters and thank god the Boardwalk (Water Park) was opened for them on this hot day because they girls even got crabby and had headaches from the heat that they needed some time to cool off in the water. I did however go on one ride – I did the Classic Cars where you drive at 5 miles per hour on a track in a circle – yup I am a trooper – lol.

All in all it was a fun day – long and hot and I was wiped out the next day. Hershey Park is a nice smaller park and the kids love it. If you ever have the chance to visit I highly recommend it – just try and do it on a day where the weather is a lot cooler and you are not spending $3.00 per water bottle – what a rip off.

Oh and let me add – the last time I was at Hershey Park I was twice the size and extra miserable. It was not as bad being lighter on my feet this time around so that was a big plus.

Can u believe I did not even eat any chocolate while I was there either? Just crazy!!

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Eating more and dropping weight – True Story

Dropping Weight

Today I woke up and did my official weigh in and was SHOCKED to see the scale went down 2 pounds since last week. Yesterday on Mother’s Day I stepped on the scale and saw I went back down 1 pound, but was no way expecting to see another one gone this morning.

3 weeks ago on my weigh in day I hit 179 lbs which was a big goal of mine to be under 180 lbs. It was a celebration for me, but then the next week I jumped back up to 180 lbs and sat there for 2 weeks. Oh yes the wonderful Weight Loss Roller Coaster Ride like I wrote about in my last post. I was not happy about that of course, but just came to terms with it.

So this morning I went on the scale and was nervous because yesterday I snacked a lot on cookies and even had an Italian Sub for dinner (well 1/2) and thought the scale was going to be up even more. When I stepped on the scale and saw 178 lbs looking back at me I almost fell over. Instead I ran to my office downstairs naked to grab the camera so I could photograph the scale to show my hubby when he came home from dropping my son off from school. It was hysterical that I was running naked through my house to get the camera. Ok wait I lied I had on my fuzzy pink socks – lol

I never in a million years expected to see my weight drop this week because the entire week I ate more than I had in quite some time. On top of that I even had 2 instances that I ate more than my stomach could handle and got sick (I did not throw up – just that horrible stomach pain sick). I also has made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies for the kids and hubby and found myself eating a bunch of those as well.

So I got to thinking about it all and have come to the conclusion that I must have kicked my metabolism back into gear by eating more. I have said in the past that I thought my weight loss slowed down because I was hardly eating much and that could be very true. Now don’t get me wrong I am not gonna start pigging out or anything, but I think I have to make a much better effort to remember to eat during the day vs. skipping meals or forgetting to have one. It is not that I am trying to avoid eating it is just sometimes I am busy and simply just forget because I am not hungry.

For what ever reason this week I just ate a lot more than normal – I think it may have had something to do with the horrible weather and being stuck in the house and also I was having some additional pain in my back and a little depressed for a few days. In the end it seemed to pay off.

So as of today I am down a grand total of 108 lbs since my Gastric Bypass Surgery and now only 13 lbs away to my next goal of reaching 165 lbs. Holy Crap – that seems so doable!!!

Stay Tuned….

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Stuffed Grape Leaves and I love each other

Stuffed Grape Leaves

I know I am 100% Italian, but sometimes I really think I am adopted and Greek. I love Greek food, but I love nothing more than Grape Leaves they are a true love of mine.

Have you ever had Stuffed Grape Leaves also known as Dolmas? The Grape Leaves I love are stuffed with a mixture of rice, spices and packed in a oil. I love the ones that come in a can and I eat them cold just as is. Ohhhh so good, but an acquired taste none the less.

Me and Grape Leaves go way back to when I lived in NY. There was the best Greek restaurant there I would frequent often (very often) – I am also a HUGE fan of Greek Salads as well as Gyros. Boy do I miss that place. When I moved from NY to Florida I missed my Greek food fix so much I would have my father who still lived there ship me their special dressing and cans of the Grape Leaves since they were very hard to find where I was living. Crazy right.

The worst was when I was prego with my son – of course I had to crave them of all things. My hubby found a place about 40 minutes from where we lived and would drive there to buy cans so I could get my fix and my father would also ship them to me as well. That is how much I love them.

The first time I ventured to have some was a couple weeks ago when out shopping with my son. They had them at my grocery store at the salad bar so I got a couple to see how I would handle them as a treat. I handled them well, but did not handle the fact I did not get more – they were sooo yummy.

So they other day I went out for a day of shopping with my sister and she took me to this Greek Place here in PA where I live now. I got myself a Gryo – did not eat it all at once, but boy was it tasty (not as good as NY, but tasty). On the counter they had cans of Grape Leaves, so I got one – how could I walk away from it.

I opened that can the next day and they were completely gone in just 2 days. I was in heaven – complete bliss with every bite !!! OH how I have missed eating them. While they are not high in protein I did not care one bit !! 4 Grape Leaves had 8 grams of fat, 160 calories, 20 carbs and only 2 grams of protein. Ya know what that did not matter – what mattered was that I was able to indulge on an old favorite with no issues. I am now sad because I have no more, but it was a treat and ya know what I will do it again for sure!!

So just because you have Gastric Bypass Surgery does not mean that you will never be able to eat some of your favorite foods ever again. In time you can try them while you hope and pray you have no bad reaction. I am just glad my old favorites are not sweets and chocolate or I would probably be in trouble. I have yet to have anything high in sugar and for all I know I will be able to handle it, but high sugar items scare me. I so do not want to experience the “I want to die dumping”.

Have I mentioned how much I love Grape Leaves? I really really do !!

See we can still have love affairs with our food, even after surgery.

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Smoking after Gastric Bypass Surgery – Bad Idea

Smoking Cigarette

I figured I would address the elephant in the room, well my room at least. That elephant is evil cigarette addiction it’s a bad idea, and even more so after having Gastric Bypass Surgery.

When I started this blog I promised I would share, the good, the bad and the UGLY – well this falls under the UGLY and BAD for sure. Thankfully most will not have to deal with this, but if you do you will understand this post. Smoking Sucks !!!

I have been a smoker for many many years, yup an absolute horrible habit and one I wish I never ever started. Over the years I was able to quit cold turkey with no issues, but something always made me go back and pick them up. I have quit for long periods of time and also short periods of time over the years. I am fully aware of the damage they can do and the risks involved in this stupid habit.

I have lost family members to cancer, one being my mother when I was only 8. She did not die of smoking related cancer, but she was also a smoker and cancer is cancer to me. I have lost others to the “Cancer” disease and have had some who thank god are in remission. I have watched my husband struggle with his lung issues (long story, but mainly related to work incident) and he was once a smoker as well. So what the hell is my problem? Why do cigarettes have such a hold on me?

With that all said – when I got my first date for my Gastric Bypass Surgery I had to sign a contract saying I would quit smoking no less than 6 weeks prior to my surgery. I got myself some nicotine patches, roughed it out and did just that. Yes I was climbing up the walls, ripping my hair out, but I did it !! Then right before that surgery date I got declined by my insurance company. I went into a major depression and was losing my mind – so what do I do? I freakin’ smoke after I went crazy quitting and knew when I got approved for the surgery in a few months from then I would have to quit all over again. I should be committed right?

Well the time came when I was finally approved and I had my new date – so guess what I had to do – quit again. So I went insane all over again, but I did it and I swore that was the very last time. So I had my surgery and afterwards I was fine. I still battled the cravings, but fought those suckers tooth and nail until….. About a month after my surgery I fell into another depression (see post HERE), my hormones were going bonkers from all the changes and breaking up with my food, my comfort, was so very hard. I broke down and smoked a cigarette. I told myself I would only smoke one. Yup who was I kidding, like that was gonna happen.

So here I am back with a habit that I have yet to shake, yet again. I know I have to or I may end up with lots of possible complications that can happen from smoking after having Gastric Bypass. Even though I started taking an antacid daily (Omeprazole) since I started in hopes to stall any of them that does not mean poop.

Gastric Bypass and Smoking Complications:

  • Ulcers – This is #1
  • Slows down healing by decreasing the blood supply
  • Increases chances of leaks
  • Increases chances of incisional hernias
  • Increase chances of developing Gall Stones

Ulcers are the #1 risk of Smoking after surgery among the many others. Our new pouches are very small and having an ulcer occur would not be very good at all and could potentially be dangerous. In addition to that your doctor may want to do an Upper Endoscopy to see what kind of ulcer may have occurred. The most common is a Marginal Ulcer that is caused from smoking and it is usually treated with medications. BUT sometimes ulcers can bleed, cause scarring and or perforation with leakage of gastric contents. None of that sounds fun to me – you?

So what is wrong with me and why can I not quit this stinky habit? Habits suck they really do. If you smoke or have you know all to well just how hard this is – the hold these cigarettes have on us is crazy, let alone the money we spend to buy them. I am writing this post to help me get on the track to quit yet again, but this time truly will be the very last. I know I am not alone with this smoking after gastric bypass, but most will not fess up. I want to be open with all my readers, I am only human and I have my flaws just like the rest of you all.

Recently I started experiencing some burning in my belly and the red light went off – could I be developing an Ulcer? Even if you do not smoke you can develop one after bypass, but because I have chosen a no-no – my risks double for one. Have I stopped smoking yet? – unfortunately I have not, but I am like I said working up to quitting again. I am in tune with the feelings/burning in my belly and will discuss if it continues at my next appointment with my surgeon on May 22nd – he is gonna kill me when I confess, but I am hoping to have quit by then. Oh I just gave myself a goal I guess. Time to set that quit date it seems.

So with that being said I will keep you all up to date and let you all know when that quit date is (gonna have to be before May 22nd I know that). I will need all the support I can get and you may see some crazy posts during that time – I do get a bit looney, so that is a warning.

Wish there was some magic wand way that can help those of us with quitting smoking, but there is not. It is one of the biggest head games I have ever played and I cannot believe I am going to be taking part again. Ugh !!! I just hope this time I come out a true winner.

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First time eating at a Restaurant since my surgery

Restaurant

Can you believe I am in week 14 after my Gastric Bypass Surgery and this is my very first time eating out at a restaurant? Yes it is true and boy was I nervous about it as well.

On Tuesday I decided to go out to lunch with one of my besties for some well needed girly time. I was very nervous about it and how I would do and the first thing we had to decide was where to eat. I did not want to drive far and where I live it is pretty rural and we are limited in choices unless we travel over 20 minutes. That’s good ol’ PA Dutch Country for ya.

While she was on her way over I kept thinking about all my choices and I even went online and looked up their menus to see if anything on them would work for me. I could not believe I was looking up menus in advance, but I wanted to be prepared. In the end we decided to go to a local country buffet – OMG yes a buffet. I had never been there before, but I knew they had a bunch of meats on the buffet, fresh veggies along with a salad bar. Yes of course they had all of those starches too, but I was ok with that as long as I had good options. I thought it was a great choice other than the fact it was a buffet.

Again this was my first time there – this restaurant has been there forever, but I had never gone before. Maybe it is because it is all PA Dutch food and that is normally not my thing, I did not grow up here and some of the food is strange to me. But I was willing to give it a try and maybe just maybe I would like something new, I am a country girl now ya know.

First I went up to the buffet and scouted out all my choices. Now here is a funny story… While I was looking at what was there I had asked my friend what something was being I did not recognize it, she was born and raised here. I pointed to what happen to be Ham Balls in a Pineapple sauce. It looked pretty interesting and I said “Hmmm not sure all that sugar would be good for me” after I said it this over weight guy says – “Are you a Diabetic like me?” I said no I just recently has weight loss surgery.

He then began to tell me he wants to have it done as well and his doctor is trying to discourage him from it. So there I was at a buffet talking to him about all the pros and cons and answering all his questions. I also told him how Gastric Bypass Surgery is known to be a Cure for Type 2 Diabetes and that he should get a new doctor or pursue it on his own. Can you believe it? I was talking it up at the buffet about my Gastric Bypass Surgery, ironic or what? lol. Hey I am willing to tell my story anywhere in hopes maybe it can help someone else.

So anyway once that was over I proceeded to make up my plate which you see in the photo above. (yup I took my phone out in the middle of the restaurant a snapped a picture of my meal – yes I got some looks, but I am a blogger and I have no shame – lol). I picked some Meatloaf, a 1/4 of one of those Ham Balls, some Turkey with gravy, a regular Meatball, some Carrots, Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes. I know you are probably saying – Holy Crap did she eat all of that?

The answer is NO I did not. I had fun tasting it all – protein first of course. Ya know what that Ham Ball with the pineapple sauce was amazing and one of my favorites of it all. After I tasted a bunch from that plate I went up for another tasting and that time I took some more Turkey, a small Salad and I tried some Corn Pie for the first time.

My friend had gone up for dessert and I was full, but not sickly full as I would have been at a buffet prior to my surgery. I was very proud of myself – I could have kept going because the food was sooo good, but I kept myself in check.

Before I left I actually wrote down this blog address on one of my business cards and handed it to the guy I spoke with earlier and told him to stop by and read about my journey. I really hope he does and makes the choice that is right for him. I sit and think why the heck would a doctor tell someone who would clearly benefit from WLS not to have it. He said his doctor said to him just diet and exercise and you will be fine. I hope he gets a new doctor for he also has a baby son who would love to has his father happy and healthy to grow up with. Makes me so mad.

So in conclusion my eating out at a restaurant went much better than I expected. Oh well I did cheat and sip some water less than a 1/2 hour after finishing. That is hard for me sometimes and I just have to have a drink. It’s not like drinking is gonna kill me right?

So I have conquered the eating out, what is next? Bring it on !!!

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My thirteenth week after Gastric Bypass

Lavender Garden

Week number 13 – sounds scary right? If your superstitious I guess. Well this week was not too bad at all, hubby was finally home from the hospital and it was beautiful out and I started doing my yard work.

Yes this week started my job of Yard Slave. We have a nice bit of property and as soon as it gets warm out the outside work begins At the beginning of my week I had 4 yards of Mulch delivered and was ready to go.

The weather could not have been more beautiful – just the right temperature. I like to get my mulch done when it is cooler because I hate to sweat too much – so it was perfect and it meant I would be getting in lots of exercise which I normally hate doing. So it was really a win win – yard starts to look great and I get in a work out.

Oh and that is a photo of my new Lilac Bush I planted in the yard – so excited !!!

Here is what I ate so you can see each day for the thirteenth week:

(I am not gonna add the times on – just the order in which I ate)

April 16th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Bite of my daughter’s Bagel (I could not resist)
  • 1 Cube Steak with Ketchup
  • 2 Slices of American Cheese
  • SF Ice Pop
  • Omelet with American Cheese
  • 2 SF Ice Pops

Today was so nice out that I ordered 4 yards of mulch and had it delivered. It was time to start getting some yard work done. I was outside almost all day working my butt off (oh how I wish it worked that way – lol). I was so proud that today was the first day I was able to get in over 64 ounces of fluids – thank you hard work !!

April 18th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Gyro – Small
  • Protein Shake
  • Piece of a Tuna Sub
  • Piece of a Tuna Sub
  • SF Ice Pop

Once again I was outside all day working on the yard and mulching. Today we ordered out for lunch and I decided to get a Gyro. It was not a large one, but I was able to eat the whole thing. Yes I did have a small belly ache, but I ate 2 Papaya Enzymes afterwards and that helped. It was so damn good. My daughter had gotten a Tuna Sub for her dinner and I ended up eating a piece of that at two different times – not a huge amount, but that was also delish !!

April 18th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Piece of Tuna Sub
  • Cheese Its
  • 4 Corn Nuggets
  • Salad with Feta Cheese & Blue Cheese with Italian Dressing

So once again I was out doing yard work all day and then some food shopping. It seems I did not eat too much today now that I am typing it up. I did snack on a bit too many Cheese Its while taking a break from my work and guess what? I think I had mild dumping. I felt my heart race a bit – no sweating, but I felt like crap. I had to sit and rest a bit until it went away. I guess that is what I get huh? Not a good food day for me at all.

April 19th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Handful of Cheese Its
  • 1/2 Chicken Sandwich with 1/4 Pickle
  • Few French Fries
  • 1/2 Hot Dog in a Roll
  • Handful of Smoked Almonds

It was yard work all day yet again and also a conference at school for my daughter. Yup I went for those Cheese Its again even though I felt like crap the day before eating them, but I only had a few this time. I made Hot Dogs for dinner and decided to eat 1/2 of one which I did and I seemed to handle it. Again – not the best food day and it seems I did not eat enough yet again.

April 20th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • 4 Small snack sized Turkey Sausages
  • Protein Coffee
  • 1/4 Pickle
  • Cheese Its
  • 1 Slice Swiss Cheese
  • A couple fork fulls Green Beans
  • 1/4 Pickle
  • 2 Slices of Salami
  • 1/2 Chicken Sandwich with 1/2 Pickle

More yard work today and some consignment shopping. I had lots of stuff to drop off (fat clothes – woo hoo) and I bought some treasures as well. Gosh as I keep typing in what I have eaten I am seeing I am not eating enough at all. Ugh !!!

April 21st

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • 2 Slices of American Cheese
  • Fresh Veggies – Broccoli, Tomatoes, Celery & Carrots with Ranch Dip
  • 1/2 Chicken Sandwich with 1/2 Pickle
  • Grapes
  • Spicy Shrimp Dinner with some White Rice
  • Handful of Smoked Almonds

And the yard work continues on… I am working hard. For dinner hubby made this Sweet Chili Spicy Shrimp dish which I loved even if my mouth was on fire. I was very nervous my stomach was not going to be able to handle it, but all was good. By this day my body was starting to really feel all the yard work exercise and I was so sore. I knew it was going to rain tomorrow so I was looking forward to a nice break.

April 22nd

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • 3/4 cupish Corned Beef Hash topped with a Fried Egg
  • Handful of Smoked Almonds
  • Grapes
  • Protein Coffee
  • 2 Slices Muenster Cheese
  • Handful of Cheese Its

Thank God for rain – today I got to be lazy. I slept until 10:30 and played on the computer and laid back in bed and caught up on some of my shows. Even with a lazy day I still did not eat enough – seems to be an evil pattern forming.

I was so busy this week working outside and enjoying the great weather that it seems I forgot to eat. Funny thing is that I feel like I am pigging out all day, but when I sit and type in my food journal I notice that I am really hardly eating at all. I tried hard to get in a protein shake as much as possible – which I now mix with my coffee for that extra kick – it still does not seem to be enough.

On the plus side I had gotten in all my fluids almost each day I was out doing yard work and I got lots of exercise. That is good right?

So how did my Weigh In go? Not at all like I thought it would with all that moving I did. I only lost 1 lb. Am I happy about that? Heck no – I am pissed !! I worked like crazy all week and to see only 1 lb on the scale is depressing I am not gonna lie.

I am going to contact my nutritionist to look over my food journals and tell me what I am doing wrong. I have a good feeling I know what she is gonna say – I am not eating enough at all. I will let you all know if I am right. For now I just have to try and re focus on Week 14. Sadly it is freezing and rainy out – so my yard work is on hold. I guess I may have to use the treadmill this week.

I hope my nutritionist can shed some light on this slow weight loss, because I am really getting frustrated – it is going on too long now.

Stay Tuned….