Guest Post ~ This is Fay’s Gastric Bypass Story

Selfie

I have decided to feature Guest Posts on my Blog which will feature stories of others who have had Weight Loss Surgery. While I love that you all follow MyStory I thought it would be fun to hear others as well.

Everyone has their own story to tell and their own experiences when it comes to Weight Loss Surgery – both good and bad. I think reading all about what others have experienced will help you either make the choice to have the surgery yourself or help you through if you already have.

So I put together a list of questions for my guests to answer and asked them to be completely honest with their answers. I am hoping to have many Guest Posts featured here on my blog and it will be so much fun to read each and everyone of them. So are you ready? Ok lets go…

This is Fay’s Story…

1. WHAT TYPE OF WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY DID YOU HAVE AND WHAT DATE WAS IT?

I had RNY Gastric Bypass on August 25, 2008.

2. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT SURGERY OVER ANOTHER SURGERY – LIKE GASTRIC BYPASS VS. LAP BAND

I chose this surgery because of the amount of weight I felt I needed to lose.

3. WHAT WAS YOUR HIGHEST WEIGHT PRIOR TO SURGERY AND WHAT WAS YOUR WEIGHT THE DAY OF SURGERY? WHAT IS YOUR WEIGHT RIGHT NOW?

My top weight before surgery was 375lbs.  My weight the day of surgery was (to the best of my recollection) 357lbs.

4. HOW DID YOU COME TO MAKING THE DECISION TO UNDERGO WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY?

My husband and I had come to this decision together for each of us. We have both had this same surgery.  My biggest struggle with deciding for myself was that I feared I would somehow fail yet again to actually lose weight.  I didn’t want to have some big, drastic surgery, and still end up being huge.  I wasn’t sure I could survive another failure.

5. WHAT DO YOU THINK CAUSED YOU TO GAIN SO MUCH WEIGHT— ARE YOU A COMFORT FOOD EATER? HAVE YOU STRUGGLED WITH WEIGHT ALL YOUR LIFE? HOW MANY DIFFERENT DIETING PLANS HAVE YOU TRIED OVER THE YEARS? CAN YOU NAME THEM?

You name a diet, I had probably tried it at some point.  I had struggled with my weight my entire life.  I began using food as a distraction when I was in first grade.  I can actually remember being bored while watching TV and going to get whatever I had seen advertised.  Probably didn’t help that I grew up in a family owned grocery store and could just go get whatever I wanted off the shelf!  My parents didn’t realize the habits I was developing until I had already gotten used to eating for entertainment.  Later, my eating turned into comfort eating for multiple reasons.  Mostly, however, it was from depression.  By the time I was out of college I was experiencing major depression and in my mid-twenties I was hospitalized for it.  I was also mis-diagnosed as bi-polar a couple of years before surgery.  I have classified myself as a food addict.  It was my drug in almost every way.  I thought obsessively about junk food and drive-thrus, and before surgery it was not uncommon for me to stop at least once for a “snack” on my way home from work.  I would often cry as I ate junk food, because I knew that if I didn’t stop, I’d never lose weight, but I had no idea how I could ever stop.  Finally, I found a counselor who was a substance abuse counselor, and she treated my like any other addict.  Until then, nothing had ever worked.  I began intense counseling with her about 8 months prior to surgery.

6. DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY APPROVING YOUR SURGERY OR DID YOU SELF PAY FOR IT?

My insurance was excellent.  We met our deductible and never got another bill.

7. WHAT WAS THE PROCESS YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY MADE YOU GO THROUGH TO GET TO THE POINT OF SURGERY? EXAMPLE: HOW MANY MONTHS OF NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING, HOW MUCH WEIGHT IF ANY DID THEY REQUIRE YOU TO LOSE… WERE YOU DENIED AT ALL THE FIRST TIME ETC..

I had to have several tests leading up to surgery, such as Upper GI, EKG, blood work, helicobacter pylori and a brief psych exam.  I passed all those just fine.  (Yes, even the psych exam! lol)  My surgery required nutritional counseling with his staff, as well as a physical assessment and routine consultation with his exercise physiologist.  Once all that was done, I was approved within a few days of insurance submission.  My insurance required a certain BMI which I more than exceeded, and co-morbidities, which I had.  (sleep apnea, depression, joint problem)

8. HOW DID OTHERS REACT TO YOUR DECISION TO HAVE WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY? DID YOU HAVE SUPPORT? DID YOU KEEP YOUR CHOICE A SECRET FROM YOUR CO WORKERS OR ANY OTHERS?

I had amazing support.  My husband had surgery first so he knew what to expect with me.  I didn’t keep anything a secret, I believe secrets keep us sick.  I have since had a couple of people react badly, but I didn’t do it for them, I did it for me!

9. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR SURGERY — DID IT ALL GO WELL OR DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS AND IF SO WHAT WERE THEY.

My surgeon has said I’m his “poster-patient” for how surgery should go.  I didn’t have ANY physical complications during surgery, the hospital stay or my at home recovery.  I had a few rough days prior to surgery with the liquid phase, but who doesn’t?  At the hospital I was doing laps in the hall a few hours after getting to my room.  Yeah, it hurt, but I was determined not to get blood clots or a lung infection from being there.  My days in nursing paid off for me in that respect.  Sure, I had the gas pains and such, but I just considered that part of the process.

The only concern for me came 30 days after surgery when I was trying to re-start all of my psych meds.  My body just could not tolerate them at all.  I tried everything anyone could think of short of IV to get those drugs back into my system, but my body would just not have it.  Finally, after 3 months of trying and careful monitoring with my surgeon and psychiatrist, I was told to stop trying to take these meds.  I haven’t needed them since.

* PLEASE READ THIS

If you have been prescribed any medication, please do not stop it without talking to your doctor.  My case is unique to me and very rare in general.  I was lucky to have doctors who listened to me, but I had years long relationships with them and had earned their trust.  Please, don’t play around with any drug therapy on your own.  This is especially true with psychiatric drugs.  Changing these drugs can be very tricky and cause major harm if not carefully monitored with a professional.  Please, PLEASE, follow your physicians’ advice.

10. HOW WAS YOUR PAIN AFTER SURGERY — HOW LONG WAS IT BEFORE YOU FELT GOOD ENOUGH TO RETURN TO YOUR NORMAL ACTIVITIES/WORK?

My pain control was great in the hospital and at home.  My surgeon was familiar with my tolerance for pain medication as he had operated on me before for a different issue.  After going home I continued to walk daily as my strength and endurance returned and in a couple of weeks I was back to a mostly normal routine.  A month later I felt no lingering effects from surgery aside from the fact that I was NEVER hungry.

11. DID YOU HAVE A HARD TIME FOLLOWING THE EATING RULES AFTER SURGERY? IF SO WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST RULE FOR YOU?

I didn’t have trouble with the rules.  I was very compliant and worked hard on getting my protein intake up as quickly as I could. As for eating, I think seeing my husband do it and helping him had prepared me for what I needed to do.  I was really bad about taking my pepcid and my vitamins, though.  Five years later I am just now getting mostly consistent with vitamins.

12. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NOW HAVE TROUBLE EATING OR CANNOT TOLERATE SINCE THE SURGERY?

I can’t eat hardly any kind of cereal with milk.  Even just Special K will make me dump.  I am pretty sensitive to any kind of sugar, so I have to try to be careful with that.  I also cannot eat country sausage.  I’m a mountain girl and grew up on homemade sausage gravy and biscuits.  I do miss that from time to time.  I can eat a piece of two of bacon, just not sausage. Goes right through me if you know what I mean, lol.  Other than that, I can eat a little of almost anything else I want.

I remember my first time trying Cereal after surgery – I dumped as well – I did a post all about it here: Cereal is NOT my friend. I think it is the liquid combo – drinking and eating at the same time. I can report I have had cereal since that time and have had no issues, but I used a lot less milk.

13. DID YOU EXPERIENCE ANY AFTER SURGERY DEPRESSION FROM YOUR HORMONES GOING CRAZY?

Yep!  I was a crazy person for a little bit.  A day here or there would just be really hard.  Then my cycle started getting evened out and my PMS became PMDD, other wise known as “stay outta my way day”!  Actually, the only thing that really got worse for me after surgery was my cycle. I developed endometriosis and have a hard time with my periods, they’re VERY painful.  No way to tell if surgery had anything to do with it.  However, it’s not an issue that makes me regret my surgery.

14. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED DUMPING SYNDROME AND IF SO WHAT CAUSED IT AND WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO YOU. EXPLAIN YOUR SYMPTOMS.

Yes, I know all about dumping syndrome.  The first time it happened I swore I was dying.  I felt as though every ounce of energy was pouring out of my body, my heart raced, and I was very nauseous. That was a pretty severe case and it was from eating cereal.  Evidently I’m a slow learner because I manage to have a episode of it every few months at least, lol.  Usually because I had too much sugar and wasn’t paying enough attention.  Junk food has done it a couple of times, though.  I’m scared of anything from Taco Bell now, lol.

Even though Dumping is horrible for us Bypassers it is also a blessing in disguise – it helps keeps us in check.

15. DO YOU DRINK PROTEIN SHAKES? IF SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR AND BRAND AND DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL WAY YOU PREFER IT? COLD/HOT, MIXED WITH SOMETHING ELSE ETC…

I don’t drink them now.  When I did, I used New Whey vials from GNC.  I mixed mine with ice water and would sip on them all day long.

16. WHEN YOU WERE ON THE PUREED PART OF THE DIET— WHAT WAS YOUR GO TO FOOD?

Mashed potatoes and refried beans!  And, I got so sick of jello that to this day just the thought of it turns my stomach!

OMG me too – I loved my Mashed Potatoes and Refried Beans with some Sour Cream and Salsa – yummy!!! I also got sick from Jell-O in the hospital and the sugar free gave me such a headache.

17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE AFTER WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY ALLOWED SNACK NOW?

I snack on cheese a good bit, since it has protein.  It’s still cool to me how a normal serving size is enough, sometimes more than enough.

18. WHAT VITAMINS DO YOU TAKE ON A DAILY BASIS SINCE THE SURGERY?

I take pur-absorb iron every day with a little apple juice, a pre-natal multi with iron, and a b-complex.  No, I’m not pregnant, but it’s one my body can absorb well.  I have a very hard time with iron, but was usually borderline anemic prior to surgery, so it’s not a surprise.

19. HAVE YOU HAD ANY COMPLICATIONS SINCE HAVING THE SURGERY? ANY ADDITIONAL SURGERIES OR ULCERS?

I have had two more surgeries since gastric bypass, but they weren’t related to it in any way.  I’ve not had trouble with ulcers or anything else.  It’s all been pretty smooth sailing.

20. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY HAIR LOSS SINCE HAVING THE SURGERY? IF SO EXPLAIN AND IF YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ON HOW YOU DEAL WITH IT.

Oh yeah, I thought for sure I was going to be bald, lol.  I would panic in the shower, but the major hair loss only lasted about 6 months for me and, no one else was ever really able to tell I’d lost hair except for my hair stylist.  The b-complex helps with this issue.

21. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST WOW MOMENT AFTER YOU LOST SOME WEIGHT FROM THE SURGERY — LIKE SOMEONE NOTICING, BEING ABLE TO FIT IN A SEAT WITH ROOM TO SPARE, DROPPING A CLOTHING SIZE ETC…

My first wow moment was a family member who didn’t recognize me.  It was a cousin’s wife and we went to high school together, so, it’s not like she barely knew me.  I watched her walk by me twice before I finally called her name. She was thrilled for me.  It was awesome!

I still have wow moments almost 5 years later.  Sitting in one of my rockers on my front porch is cool, I used to overflow them.  Getting back on an airplane and not needing the seat belt extender.  Going in Lane Bryant and trying on the smallest size and realizing that literally everything in the entire store was too big for me now.  I now shop at thrift stores and find awesome deals.  I’m way better dressed now for a fraction of the cost!

Those are all awesome!!! I am also a big thrift store shopper – before when I would go I was so limited to what I could buy. When you only got to shop the plus sizes and the selection was so small – now I love being able to shop the entire store and I come home with a giant bag every time I go.

22. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE AFTER SURGERY RECIPE THAT YOU LOVE AND WANT TO SHARE?

Brussel Sprouts!  I’m crazy for them, lol.  I cook them all kinds of ways, never get tired of them.  And roasted broccoli. This is a food I often crave.  I toss it in a little olive oil with some spices and roast it on 450 until it looks good to me.  Way better than eating french fries!

Hmmm I never even thought to roast Broccoli – I do that all the time with Asparagus – now I am going t have to try that out myself. Sounds Delish!!

23. IS THERE ANY THING FOODWISE YOU MISS THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE NOW?

Aside from sausage, not really.  I thought that I missed regular coke, but I had a sip a while back and it doesn’t taste anything like I remembered it, and it was nasty, so, I guess I’m over that!

24. WHAT PANT SIZE WERE YOU PRIOR TO SURGERY AND WHAT SIZE ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW?

Prior to surgery I was a size 34 & 4x shirts.  Today I’m a size 12 pants, 10 or 12 dress, and a medium or large top, depending on who makes it.

WoW, just Wow!!

25. DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS ABOUT HAVING WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY? WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN IF YOU HAD TO?

Not one time have I regretted this decision.  I have been scared that I would mess up, scared I wouldn’t lose any more when I was stalled, but I have never regretted it.  I would do it again in a second.

Me 2!!

26. TELL US THREE GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF OR WANT TO MEET WHEN YOU HAVE LOST THE WEIGHT YOU WANT OR MAYBE YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THEM ALREADY:

I wanted to weigh less than 200 lbs.  And now I do.  I have lost that much, in fact!  My weight stays between 165-175, and the BMI chart says I walk the line between “normal” weight and overweight.  I prayed that surgery would keep me from needing a knee replacement before I was 35.  I’m now 36 and haven’t had knee pain in almost 4 years, so I don’t really think about it.  I take no medication and am no longer required to sleep with a mask on my face.  I can keep up with most anyone and am able to enjoy exercise and any kind of recreation I want to.

That is so great – way to go!!

27. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT HAVING WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY?

Whatever you do, make sure you get LOTS of good counseling before and after surgery.  For me, the counseling was the key to my success.  Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself about how you got to where you are.  Address all that stuff because trust me, it’ll come out later.  The other big thing is don’t listen to everyone else.  Talk to your doctor, your supportive friends, but don’t believe everything you read on the message boards.  Most importantly, trust yourself.  Deep down inside you there’s a voice that knows whether or not this is the right path for you.  Each person has within themselves everything they need to be whole and healthy.  It’s nice to get help on hearing it, but ultimately, it’s up to each individual to LISTEN.

Great Advice.

Thank You Fay for sharing your story and your photos with my readers. You look A-Mazing and your story will be a big inspiration to many I am sure.

Want to share your story?

If you would be willing to share your story and answer the same questions Contact Me and I will send you what you need. We would love to hear all about you!!

Guest Post ~ This is Dana’s Gastric Bypass Story

Weight Loss Before After

I have decided to feature Guest Posts on my Blog which will feature stories of others who have had Weight Loss Surgery. While I love that you all follow My Story I thought it would be fun to hear others as well.

Everyone has their own story to tell and their own experiences when it comes to Weight Loss Surgery – both good and bad. I think reading all about what others have experienced will help you either make the choice to have the surgery yourself or help you through if you already have.

So I put together a list of questions for my guests to answer and asked them to be completely honest with their answers. I am hoping to have many Guest Posts featured here on my blog and it will be so much fun to read each and everyone of them. So are you ready? Ok lets go…

This is Dana’s Story…

1. WHAT TYPE OF WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY DID YOU HAVE AND WHAT DATE WAS IT?

I had bypass surgery on July 24th 2012

2. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT SURGERY OVER ANOTHER SURGERY – LIKE GASTRIC BYPASS VS. LAP BAND

I went to my Dr’s office wanting the lap-band. My husband wanted me to have bypass surgery as it seemed more effective. I was afraid it was riskier. I spoke with my surgeon about what was best for me. He said that people who have lap-band tend to not lose as much and that I might do better with controlling my sugar and carb urges with the bypass since it won’t let you eat certain things in excess like the band will. So, I went with the bypass.

3. WHAT WAS YOUR HIGHEST WEIGHT PRIOR TO SURGERY AND WHAT WAS YOUR WEIGHT THE DAY OF SURGERY? WHAT IS YOUR WEIGHT RIGHT NOW?

My highest weight pre-surgery that I actually weighed myself for was 285 lbs. After that I just put the scale away and refused to look. Even at the Drs office, I would get on the scale backwards! Talk above refusing to face your reality!

4. HOW DID YOU COME TO MAKING THE DECISION TO UNDERGO WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY?

My father became very ill with cancer. He had already had a triple bypass heart surgery and a cardiac arrest. My mother has several medical conditions related to her weight and my grandparents died from several health related issues. I have three young kids and decided that with my weight the way it was and the lack of ability to do anything slowly creeping up, I was on my way to becoming my parents very quickly. When my dad became very sick his wish was to see me take better care of myself. I began to look into the surgery and working on what I needed to do to get ready for it.

5. WHAT DO YOU THINK CAUSED YOU TO GAIN SO MUCH WEIGHT— ARE YOU A COMFORT FOOD EATER? HAVE YOU STRUGGLED WITH WEIGHT ALL YOUR LIFE? HOW MANY DIFFERENT DIETING PLANS HAVE YOU TRIED OVER THE YEARS? CAN YOU NAME THEM?

My weight started creeping up with the birth of my girls. I was a stay at home mom with little to do so I would snack with my kids. Once the house was picked up, I just sat around all day. We did not have a second car and I was stuck at home, so I just sat around. When my other two were born I had bad depression, so I just ate, that became a habit and ten years later I had gained about 150 lbs. that I just could not seem to get rid of. I did not struggle with weight as a child, so it really was something that just kinda happened to me. I tried to do some dieting on my own, but always gave up fast because it was too hard, or I would just desire crap food and give up on caring. The worst was when I would lose 20 or 30 lbs and think it was good enough and give up.

6. DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY APPROVING YOUR SURGERY OR DID YOU SELF PAY FOR IT?

My insurance was great through the whole thing. We have blue cross through my husbands company. They did not have any exclusions for our policy, so I was able to get everything approved. I had to complete a few medical tests such as an EKG, A Psych consult, An upper GI and an extensive blood work up to make sure there was not an underlying condition causing my weight problems. It took about a month and half to get all the apts done. My surgeons office actually took the longest as they were very busy. Once I had all the paperwork and tests done. My information was submitted to the insurance. I had a notification in about 4 days that it had been approved. I was called a week later and given a date 4 weeks away for my surgery. It all went pretty quick.

7. WHAT WAS THE PROCESS YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY MADE YOU GO THROUGH TO GET TO THE POINT OF SURGERY? EXAMPLE: HOW MANY MONTHS OF NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING, HOW MUCH WEIGHT IF ANY DID THEY REQUIRE YOU TO LOSE… WERE YOU DENIED AT ALL THE FIRST TIME ETC..

As I stated above, it was pretty straight forward. I did not have to have any pre-surgical counseling or weight restrictions. My BMI had to be above 40 or I had to have co-morbids. I was perfectly healthy so I had to have a high BMI (Over 40) mine was 43.6 when I started and 41.8 the day of surgery.

8. HOW DID OTHERS REACT TO YOUR DECISION TO HAVE WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY? DID YOU HAVE SUPPORT? DID YOU KEEP YOUR CHOICE A SECRET FROM YOUR CO WORKERS OR ANY OTHERS?

My husband and girls were very supportive from the start. My husband of course worried about the surgery, but he wanted me to finally be happy and healthy and able to do fun things again. My mom started the process with me to have the surgery too, though she had to have a 6 month weigh in for her insurance. So she has not had hers yet. My dad-was scared for me. He said, “well if that is what you want to do and it’s going to help, then do it” he passed away 2 months before my surgery, so he never got to see the changes I have made or how happy I am about them now, but I know that he would be so proud of how well I have done and how much better I look and feel. I have a couple of friends who have had the surgery and they have helped me a lot in dealing with some of the bumps that having the surgery can cause. My other friends-most did not know until a few months after my surgery that I had it done. When I posted it on FB all of my friends were very supportive and love getting updated pictures now. It’s nice to have a cheering section on days where I feel like I’m not doing as well.

9. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR SURGERY — DID IT ALL GO WELL OR DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS AND IF SO WHAT WERE THEY.

My surgery went very well. They gave me a nice sedative that morning since I was so anxious, but after that it went great. It took just over 3 hours for my surgery and my liver was in great shape. It’s so important to have that liquid diet even though it sucks beyond belief. It does make the surgery so much easier! I had a terrible case of the hiccups that were so painful every time I laid on my back, so I tried to stay on my left side. They said it was due to the sedation. I had a low potassium count after and I had to have some given to me. Other than that, it went great. I had a wonderful nursing staff. I did stay in the hospital an extra day (2 days total) because I was not walking around as well as they wanted me to be =) This was mostly because of how much the sedations effects me. It takes a very long time to recover from sedation for me.

10. HOW WAS YOUR PAIN AFTER SURGERY — HOW LONG WAS IT BEFORE YOU FELT GOOD ENOUGH TO RETURN TO YOUR NORMAL ACTIVITIES/WORK?

It took about a week and a half to feel “normal” again. I had a good deal of pain after I got home. Nothing I could not handle or the vicodin didn’t help with, but I was pretty uncomfortable most of the first 4 days. A lot of gassy issues and some reactions to the stuff they use to clean your skin for surgery. Once that went away I was tender in my stitches for about another week then I was pretty fine.

11. DID YOU HAVE A HARD TIME FOLLOWING THE EATING RULES AFTER SURGERY? IF SO WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST RULE FOR YOU?

I had a hard time during the pre-op liquid that was terrible. Hard to cook for your family and drink crappy protein shakes for two weeks. It sucked I’m not going to lie! After surgery I developed an awful intolerance to protein in the form of Whey-I puked it up everytime no matter how it was taken or in what amounts. After a week of trying to keep it down and having nothing but water, they moved me onto pureed food so I could eat! Its been easy peasy since.

I had a hard time during pre-op too – locked myself in my bedroom – lol

12. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NOW HAVE TROUBLE EATING OR CANNOT TOLERATE SINCE THE SURGERY?

I have trouble with pasta and anything too sweet. I have to say I had trouble with plain water for about 3 months and anything cold for about 2. Now I can drink anything cold or hot, water is fine. I don’t like drinking milk anymore, though I have had no problems with dairy or intolerances of any kind with food. I can not- not, repeat NOT eat pulled pork or shredded pork. It gets stuck almost every time. The exceptions to this is on the borders pork they put in there fajitas, its like magic that melts in your mouth. Shredded pork is evil and can not be trusted!

13. DID YOU EXPERIENCE ANY AFTER SURGERY DEPRESSION FROM YOUR HORMONES GOING CRAZY?

I would have to defer to my husband on this one. I have to say no with the exception that I did have buyers remorse during the ease back or what I call the torture period of liquid to purred to soft foods that lasted a month. I was pretty grumpy then! I cried a lot thinking I had done something awful, but you have to understand that 2 months before I had lost my father whom I was so close too and the week before my surgery my beloved grandmother (his mom) was diagnosed with cancer and was sent home terminal. So, I was an emotional wreck at the time anyway.

I am so sorry – that all must have been very hard for you.

 14. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED DUMPING SYNDROME AND IF SO WHAT CAUSED IT AND WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO YOU. EXPLAIN YOUR SYMPTOMS.

Not full on, I don’t think. If I eat too much sugar I get where I don’t feel well. I get sleepy, my tummy is upset some and I just feel very blah. I keep my sugars in the single digits per serving and do pretty well with them.

15. DO YOU DRINK PROTEIN SHAKES? IF SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR AND BRAND AND DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL WAY YOU PREFER IT? COLD/HOT, MIXED WITH SOMETHING ELSE ETC…

I stay far, far away from protein shakes. I have tried several and they all make me sick. I can tolerate bolthouse farms protein-coffee blend in small amounts. It makes me a little queasy now and then, but it stays down.

16. WHEN YOU WERE ON THE PUREED PART OF THE DIET— WHAT WAS YOUR GO TO FOOD?

Progressive chicken enchilada soup! I pureed the hell out of it, but it had a bit of a spice so it was not bland. Plus it was hot and salty so it was not the same sweet same old as my shakes. I was a little worried about it on my diet, but my surgeon said my liver looked amazing, so it must have been fine.

17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE AFTER WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY ALLOWED SNACK NOW?

Hummus! I make it myself and keep it in the fridge at all times. It’s a perfect quick snack and I love how easy it is. I also like caprese salad. Mozzarella and tomatoes with olive oil and basil. Its my go to lunch.

18. WHAT VITAMINS DO YOU TAKE ON A DAILY BASIS SINCE THE SURGERY?

I use vitafusion gummies in everything. A multi-b complex- D- I also take iron and b12

19. HAVE YOU HAD ANY COMPLICATIONS SINCE HAVING THE SURGERY? ANY ADDITIONAL SURGERIES OR ULCERS?

Yes. I have an ulcer that took a couple of months to figure out. It is NOT my friend but it IS my fault. I was NOT good about taking my acid reducer, add this to my stress and other factors and whamo and nice ulcer. But I have cool pics from the scope they did of the inside of my stomach!

Ouch – that does not sound like it was fun, but hey at least u got good photos – lol

20. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY HAIR LOSS SINCE HAVING THE SURGERY? IF SO EXPLAIN AND IF YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ON HOW YOU DEAL WITH IT.

How I am not BALD I do not understand!!! My hair comes out in handfuls and has for MONTHS. I am not a fan of the amount that comes out. It’s a great thing my hair was so thick when I started this journey! My hair is very thin now.. not like see to my scalp or anything, but I can feel how much lighter it is. I have no idea how to make it stop.. I just keep dealing with it and hope that my lack of protein and attempts to increase that will help.

Have you tried adding in Biotin to your Vitamins?

21. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST WOW MOMENT AFTER YOU LOST SOME WEIGHT FROM THE SURGERY — LIKE SOMEONE NOTICING, BEING ABLE TO FIT IN A SEAT WITH ROOM TO SPARE, DROPPING A CLOTHING SIZE ETC…

My first wow moment that stopped me was actually not long ago. I know I have lost weight, I know my clothes are all way smaller, but in my head I am still that big girl. My husband takes pictures of me from time to time so I can compare. My biggest wow moment was when he took some a few weeks ago and I stitched them together online with my pre liquid diet photos. I was shocked by how big I really was. I started going through old pictures and couldn’t believe it. My girls are always losing me in the store now! My daughter and I fit into one of my old pairs of pants last week, they were not even my biggest ones but she was in one leg and I was in the other. I almost cried.

22. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE AFTER SURGERY RECIPE THAT YOU LOVE AND WANT TO SHARE?

Nope, sorry. I am still working on yummy foods. PINTEREST is my friend! Look up a favorite Hummus recipe, try a few out and find one you like. I hear ya, I have a slogan- I fear change- I hated to try new foods before surgery, but since I have to find better ways of eating, I have branched out and let me tell you, there is world of food out there beyond fast food or frozen freezer meals that is wonderful, full of flavor and healthy.

Amen!!

23. IS THERE ANY THING FOODWISE YOU MISS THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE NOW?

Ice cream-but I am glad I can’t eat it. I would go through a container by myself. I would eat a couple of shakes a week. I KNOW without needing to have any, it would make me sick, so I just don’t have any. I also miss bread and pasta, but I know the same thing about those. SO, I just don’t eat them or I eat, very, very little!! Like a bite of pasta or the top of garlic bread that is VERY toasted.

Oh I miss Ice Cream, Pasta and Breads too, but if I need some I just have a taste or very little just so I do not feel deprived.

24. WHAT PANT SIZE WERE YOU PRIOR TO SURGERY AND WHAT SIZE ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW?

Okay well I was “wearing” a 22- I needed a 24, but refused to let myself believe that is what I needed to be wearing. Today I am sitting in a loose 12. I can wear 12/13 juniors. I was a tight 2x shirt before with my arms hurting under the sleeves and the shirt needing to be stretchy. I can easily and comfortable fit into a Medium. By the way- juniors lie! They are smaller.. you know they are juniors because they are odd number and go from 15 down. They are snugger in the hips and thighs. So, don’t freak out like I did when you buy 13s thinking they are going to be great and they are way tighter than your 12’s.

25. DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS ABOUT HAVING WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY? WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN IF YOU HAD TO?

My only regret is that I find it hard to get all my protein in. I thought it would be easier and I could not understand when people complained about it before. I now get it. It’s hard to eat 80 grams of protein when I don’t eat much per serving and to eat that much without my calories going to high. It’s a struggle, but yes, I would do it all again tomorrow. I would do it again knowing that I would end up with an ulcer or that I had to be harrased my natzi husband following me around with water and food saying what have you eaten today?? There is nothing to compare running up a flight of stairs, getting to the top before realizing I had just had to run up a flight of stairs. No stopping, no stopping and lack or air before I reached the top to. Nothing to compare being able to shower or shave areas below my belly button that I can actually see without a mirror. Nothing that even though I still feel heavy, and I am afraid I am going to hurt him..nothing that compares to my husband picking me and carrying me out of the kitchen-cause for the first time in 15 years, I weigh less than him and he can.

Great answer!!!

26. TELL US THREE GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF OR WANT TO MEET WHEN YOU HAVE LOST THE WEIGHT YOU WANT OR MAYBE YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THEM ALREADY:

  1. I wanted to be healthy- A BMI in the normal range, a weight in the healthy range and my risk factors for heart disease and diabetes to be cut in half.
  2. I wanted to be happy- I wanted to be okay with how I saw in the mirror. I wanted to be okay with who was looking back at me. I wanted to be able to put on a dress and my thighs not have a rash by the end of the day. I wanted to not be an embarrassment to my husband at work events or to my kids out in public.
  3. I wanted to enjoy life- I wanted to run, to sit in seats and not care where they were. I wanted to not have to worry about not fitting into a ride, or holding my breath to tie my shoe because it hurt to bend over. I wanted to SCUBA dive and not die from running out of air because when you are heavy you go through O2 faster. I wanted to be noticed because I am laughing too loud or having too much fun, not because I could not squeeze between the chairs or fit in a booth or have to sit down all the time because my knees hurt. I have accomplished all of those things mostly. My BMI is 29.2, I am just overweight. not super morbidly obese! I am 25 lbs from reaching my weight goals of being 145 lbs which is the healthy rage for my height. I have officially cut my risk factors in half. I am happy, truly happy. I still have places when I look in the mirror that I will always be unhappy with, but I challenge you to find me one person who has not had cosmetic surgery that is 100% happy with their body. ( so I can kick them). I have some looser skin though it seems to be still tightening up some. I have to work out more which I ACTUALLY ENJOY! who knew! I am getting remarried in July to my amazing husband of 12 years and I had my bridal shower over the weekend. I wore a cute summer dress with nothing for support, I was not sweating, I was not dying, there was no rubbing, no rash, nothing. I felt so comfortable and so pretty. My oldest daughter and I have been asked where our mom was when browsing for corsets. (OMG) she’s almost as tall as me, so I guess I look younger too! BONUS. I don’t feel like an embarrassment to my family anymore. I can fit anywhere, even in booths I have room in front of me. I am hoping to take SCUBA classes in the Fall after our wedding plans are finally done!

That is truly amazing and I cabn realate in every way. You should be so proud of yourself!!! Keep reaching your goals!!!

27. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT HAVING WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY?

I would foremost say take a breath and calm down! If you are this far chances are you are either about to have surgery or just had it. The information is overwhelming and contradictory. Don’t read too much! Don’t read the post from the downers. Almost every post I read before surgery that was about the persons surgery not working for them, was almost always a person who did not follow the rules. Follow the rules! You chose your surgeon for a reason, don’t go off his/her plan because someone elses surgeon has a better/easier rule for what you want at the time!! Find someone who has been there. Your family can be as helpful and reassuring as a sainted nun, but unless you know what gas pain after surgery is, what its like to have a two week liquid diet or have something stuck for an hour… you will feel alone or at the very least like your lost or going crazy. Find a support group of a buddy you can call who can tell you, yes its normal and no your not actually dying-you just ate something you should not have! You are GOING to panic and have doubts the last couple of days before surgery. It’s okay, it’s normal and it will pass!! Obesity help is a wealth of information-just don’t obsess.

Your life is going to change and that’s okay. How you look at life will change and that’s exciting. It’s scary, it’s intimidating and YOU CAN DO THIS! I would also like to add this little bit of extra opinion:

My dear good friend has had the surgery, my mom is about to and of course I have. I have also done a great amount of reading over the past year. I had read a lot about this and in the past month my friend, mom and I had lunch and the subject came up once more: Will he still find me attractive after I lose all this weight? After all- he always says he likes bigger girls or likes me the way I am. I felt this SAME way. When I met my husband 15 years ago, I was a cute size 14 who thought I was HUGE (I could slap the old me now) My husband at that time said he loved thicker girls.

Years go by and I yo-yo in my weight eventually ending up to my near 300 lbs. Each time I would be concerned with my weight he would tell me, I love big girls, I love your big butt, I love how soft you are to cuddle. He always loved me no matter what. I was scared when I started to lose the weight that he would not love me or at the very least, not find me attractive anymore. After all, that big butt he loved so much was quickly going, I have bones sticking out in places that are not always funny. I wanted to be a better person but I was nervous he was not going to like the end changes.

Then one day he and I talked about it. He said, as you have changed, my perceptions of what I am into has changed. That got me thinking about why that would be. I mean for 15 years he has always liked a bigger, thicker girl. Everyone knows it, the guys at work, his family, not in a give him a hard time kind of way, just a he likes that type of girl kind of way. He obviously still loves me and finds me attractive, our love life is better than ever. He obviously loved me and found me attractive all these years. How could be attracted to and love me both as big as I was and now with all the changes?

Then one day, I had this thought: He likes and loves ME- not who I look like, not what I look like, not what I feel like… me. So, as I change, his perception of ME has not changed. He still sees me for me just as he always has, he still sees the woman he loves, who he laughs with, enjoys life with and talks with. Of course he fell in love with me and the way I looked all those years ago, but even as I changed, his love never did. He loves that I have confidence now and that is attractive to him. He loves that he can pick me and move me around, he always says that every couple of months its like getting a new wife because he has to learn what I feel like all over again. My curves are there, they are just different and some in new places! He actually did not recognize me in a store one day from behind! LOL It’s actually been kind of fun with the two of us seeing each other and me in a new way. This is true for my friend who has lost over 200 lbs and her husband of 10 years. I bet it will be true of my mom and her husband of 15 years when she has surgery.

I would wager it will be true for you and your loved ones as well. Love is not tied to your physical body, lust and desire are sure, but love is tied to you, your heart and your soul. I believe that in true love, desire and lust are tied to your inner self as well. Don’t be afraid of the changes and make sure you talk to your spouse. Many spouses of those who have surgery have the same exact fear. Will my wife/husband still want me after they lose all that weight and get sexy and able to do more?

Wow – That was really great advice and I am so sure so many will be able to relate to that. I have read that over and over on many forum sites. The fear of losing your spouse after having surgery – if you are loved it is for you and not what you look like. So well said!!

Thank you Dana for sharing your story and your great advice with all of my readers. I have no doubt all of it will be very helpful for those thinking of having or who have had the surgery. You truly look amazing and I hope your reach all of the goals you have set forth for yourself!!!

Want to share your story?

If you would be willing to share your story and answer the same questions Contact Me and I will send you what you need. We would love to hear all about you!!

My sixtieth week after Gastric Bypass

Celebration

Finally Spring is here and as the weather is warm and there is no rain I am outside playing all day long. And just as my hubby said that as soon as that happened my weight would start to come off again and I would break my stall – Guess what he was right!!!

After being stalled and pretty much at a stand still for over 8 weeks I lost 3 pounds this week. I did lose 1 pound last week, but losing another 3 this week I am so excited!!! I weighed in at 181 lbs – that is a total loss of 105 lbs !! My next goal is to lose another 2 pounds by my next weigh in (next Monday) and get into the 170’s – OMG I cannot even imagine – last time I was in the 170’s was over 16 years ago, maybe even longer.

I would like to thank Mother Nature for getting her shit together and finally letting it be warm and sunny out so I can be outside moving my ass.

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

(I am gonna add the times on as well)

April 1st

  • 9:00 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:30 pm – 1/2 Oscar Mayer Bologna Sandwich with Mayo – 1 slice of Bologna
  • 3:00 pm – 5 Twizzlers
  • 6:00 pm – Went to Longhorn Steakhouse for Dinner – 2 small pieces of Honey Wheat Bread, a Few chips dipped in Shrimp and Lobster Dip, A small Salad and then 1/2 of a NY Strip Steak and some grilled Asparagus
  • 10:30 pm – 1 small Apple and too many Doritos

Today hubby and the kids went shopping to pick out our new kitchen appliances. We went store to store as I touched them all before finally making my final decision. After that we went out to dinner. We went the Longhorn Steakhouse – we had never eaten there before. Let me say the food was A-Mazing!!! The service was not the best, but the food made up for all of that.

Later that night hubby and I watched TV and I snacked on an Apple and too many Doritos – I went to bed having to take a couple Gas X and not feeling so good at all.

April 2nd

  • 11:00 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 1:00 pm – Small piece of my left over steak from dinner last night
  • 3:30 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 7:30 pm – Lunchable – Light Bologna & Cheese
  • 9:30 pm – Cup of Tea

Oh my day started crappy and I felt horrible all day long. I wrote a post explaining my “Crappy Day” HERE. Those Doritos late the night before was not a good idea at all and I paid the price for that choice!!

April 3rd

  • 8:30 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:00 pm – Sausage and Peppers on a Hot Dog Roll and a bite of my daughter’s Fried Chicken
  • 1:30 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein
  • 4:30 pm – 1 Slice of American Cheese and Provolone Cheese
  • 6:00 pm – Meatloaf, mashed Potatoes and Italian Green Beans
  • 7:00 pm – Rice Krispy Treat (90 Calories)
  • 8:00 pm – Cup of Tea
  • 9:30 pm – Chocolate Rice Cake Snacks
  • 10:15 pm – 2 Slices of American Cheese with Mustard

Today I had my doctors appointment to get my cortisone shot in my arm and to talk about the MRI results of my back. I wrote a post about it HERE. Then after I got home I did some food shopping with my sister and then worked on the computer until late.

April 4th

  • 9:30 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 4:00 pm – Bites of left over Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
  • 4:30 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 7:00 pm – 4 pieces of Sushi Rolls
  • 7:30 pm – Frozen Freschetta Market Veggie Pizza – Ate 3/4 of it. 450 Calories, 20.5 Grams Fat and 19.5 Grams of Protein for what I ate.
  • 8:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 10:30 pm – 4 Slices of American Cheese with Mustard

Hubby let me sleep in this morning and got my son off to school – love days like that. I was so comfy in bed because the cortisone shot in my shoulder kicked in and I was able to sleep on it with no pain – love that. Then I went with my BFF to Sears to order my kitchen appliances which I am beyond excited to come – they will be delivered on the 22nd and it cannot come soon enough. Then later I stayed up late working on the computer.

April 5th

  • 9:30 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 1:00 pm – 2 small pieces of Rye Bread with I cannot believe it is butter
  • 2:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 4:30 pm – 2 Handfuls of Baked Cheese Doodles
  • 6:00 pm – 4 Sushi Rolls
  • 8:00 pm – Couple bites of Ham
  • 8:15 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein
  • 9:00 pm – 1 White Castle Cheeseburger
  • 11:00 pm – Handful of Pistachios

Today I spent my entire day outside doing yard work – woo hooo. Then I finished off the night doing facials with my daughter and then watching our girl shows together in bed.

April 6th

  • 11:15 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 4:15 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein
  • 5:30 pm – Sauteed Zucchini and Onions
  • 7:30 pm – Maple Baked Chicken, Baked Asparagus and Sauteed Zucchini and Onions
  • 8:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 11:30 pm – Oscar Mayer Bologna Sandwich with Mayo

Today I slept in again and then had a busy day filled with visitors. I was suppose to be doing yard work, but had a few of my friends stop by and I mostly just sat on the patio and chatted – lol. My hubby did relocate the Chicken Coop to its permanent spot in the yard and we took measurements for the new chicken run he will build. So the day was not entirely lost.

April 7th

  • 10:00 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:30 pm – 1 Slice of American Cheese
  • 2:45 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein
  • 6:30 pm – 1 Large Antipasto Salad with Oil and Vinegar Dressing
  • 7:00 pm – 1 piece of Strawberry Upside Down Cake
  • 11:00 pm – 1 SF Ice Pop and 2 handfuls of Pistachios

I caught up on the phone with an old friend who will actually be having surgery in July. Then I Spent the day cleaning the garage with my hubby to make way for all our upcoming Spring projects – gotta start with the hub of it all right? For dinner we had take out and I got a nice big Salad which was soooo yummy!!!

So that was my week – not bad. I did something right because I lost that 3 pounds!!!

As I have noticed before I may not be eating enough on a lot of days. I rarely eat breakfast – not my thing and I really never had. Probably not the best thing, but I am just not hungry or I forget. I tend to pick here and there throughout the day vs. having a meal. I try to have a protein coffee in the afternoon as my lunch and then I usually have dinner and some snacks at night.

My new goal as I stated above is to lose another 2 pounds this coming week to make it into the 170’s – I am going to kick things up a notch and see if I can do it.

STAY TUNED….

My Second Easter since my Gastric Bypass Surgery

Easter Bunny

Today was my second Easter since my Gastric Bypass Surgery – my first Easter I was only 11 weeks post op. I tell ya the time has just flown by so fast.

Since last Easter I am down another 64 pounds – Holy Jelly Beans!!! We spent the day at my Mother in Laws and she cooked up a great dinner for all of us. I did not eat much last year at Easter due to being only 11 weeks out from surgery and this year I did my best to keep myself in control.

Holidays are always so hard because there is lots of yummy food to eat. When we arrived I picked at some of the appetizers – my sister in law makes this awesome bean dip and I ate some of that with Tortilla Chips. I had to eventually walk away from that because I am a dip hog and just love dips. My sister made this great Zucchini Appetizer (will be sharing recipe) and I had a couple of those as well. Again I had to walk away from the appetizers because I knew I would over do it and dinner was in the oven.

So I enjoyed a cup of coffee in between and stayed away from the table with the finger foods. When it was time to sit down for dinner I filled my plate with a little of everything. I never deprive myself of what I want to eat I just take less of it. I normally however try and stay away from the breads and biscuits, but my mother in law made the ones I love – Buttermilk. So of course I grabbed one, buttered that baby up and ate that first. I probably should have ate my Ham (protein first), but could not resist that biscuit.

So as you can see in my before and after of my meal what I was able to finish. Honestly I should not have even eaten that much. I had my sister in law quickly take my plate away from me because I knew if it sat in front of me I would have continued eating even though I was full. My hubby made fun of me (in a funny way) when I had to get up and go lay down on the couch. He was all like she is dumping cause I ate too much. I told him I was not dumping just very very full. Ok shhhh maybe I had some mild dumping from too many carbs. I did go grab and eat 3 of my Papaya Enzymes to help move things along.

The mild dumping did not last long, maybe an hour or so – I just had that extremely full feeling, sweating and tiredness.

After I was feeling better I had another cup of coffee and it was time for Dessert. Of course Dessert was the last thing on my mind, but I had a tiny taste of my sister’s Carrot Cake – when I say tiny I mean a taste. I also had a tiny taste of a Coconut Macaroon and that is it. I could not fit anything more than a taste of each in me.

We came home around 9:30 tonight and I had yet another cup of coffee – Duh how the heck do u think I am still up at this hour typing this post silly!!!

So as with any holiday and being a Gastric Bypass post oper it is always a struggle, but I got through another one. I ate a tiny bit too much, but I lived.

So another Easter is past – we will see how I do on the next Holiday Celebration!!!

Stay Tuned…

My Latest Obsession ~ Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil

Yes I have a new Obsession and I have to share it with all of you. Have you ever used Coconut Oil? If not you better go get some and be prepared to become obsessed with it as I have.

So here is how this new obsession of mine got started. I adopted the newest member of my family in December – an adorable Hairless Chinese Crested Puppy we named “Cupcake”. Being she is a hairless breed her skin needs extra care with moisturizers. One day while I was in Petsmart shopping for goodies for my huge furry family I stopped in to talk to the groomer for a product recommendation for Cupcake’s skin. She told me a great product to use for her skin would be Organic Virgin Coconut Oil.

So on my way home I stopped at the local Vitamin Store and picked up a jar. I have never heard of this before. I opened the jar because I had to smell it and it smelt like the beach to me – a nice Coconut scent and I LOVE Coconut. It says on the jar some of the uses for it such as cooking and using as a moisturizer just to name a couple. The consistency reminded me of Crisco Oil – solid like that and just like Crisco when it heats up it turns to oil. So I had to try some out on my hands and afterwards my hands were soft and smelled yummy!!!

I ended up chatting with the breeder of Cupcake and asked her about using Coconut Oil for her skin and she told me it was not a great idea for her because the oil can clog her pours and told me of other products I should use. So I could not waste the jar of it and so I started using it myself as a moisturizer for my face, hands, legs and everywhere else. Since I started using the Coconut Oil My skin has never looked so good – especially my face. I am truly amazed at how smooth my face and skin looks and I am not lying when I say this – the wrinkles around my eyes are a lot less noticeable.

One night I decided to try it as a hair conditioner, because you can use it for that too. So before bed I applied a bunch (probably more than u should use) to my hair.I put my hair up and left it on while I slept to let it really do its magic. Oh I did cover my pillow with a towel so it would not get all greasy. So the next morning I washed my hair as normal and I was amazed at how super soft the Coconut Oil made it. I am tellin’ ya I LOVE this stuff.

My daughter has made fun of me because everyone I talk to I tell about it now – I am like a live infomercial, but I think everyone needs to know about how A-Mazing it is. My skin is so soft and I smell yummy all the time now – well if you like the smell of Coconuts of course.

There are so many uses for Coconut Oil it will blow your mind – who knew? I feel like I discovered gold. I have to get another jar for my kitchen so I can cook with it and also add it my dogs food – yes it is great for the pets as well for so many different things. Here let me share some more info and uses you can use this for:

What exactly is Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm.

What are some of the uses for Coconut Oil?

There are so many, but I will give you some of the best ones….

  • Moisturizer – Makes skin so soft and will help with those wrinkles
  • Hair Conditioner – Use for a deep condition or put on your dried or split ends when you hair is dry – also helps those fly aways
  • Make-Up Remover – Yes it is AWESOME to use to remove Mascara and Make-Up
  • Before and after Shaving – This is great to use to shave your legs instead of shaving cream and will keep your legs super soft and give you an awesome close shave – then finish off with some more to keep those legs looking soft and sexy.
  • Burns and Scars – Coconut Oil is great on burns for relief and it also is great on scars to lesson the appearance of them.
  • Toothpaste – Yes you read that right – just combine some of the Coconut Oil with equal parts of Baking Soda and say hello clean and sparkly teeth. You can mix up a batch and store it in the fridge.
  • Cooking – Fry with it, bake with it and so much more. It replaces your Vegetable Oil for a great tasting addition and a lot more healthy – you can Google lots of ways to cook with it.
  • Massage Oil – Get your spouse or loved one to slather some of this on your back and work those muscles – you will get a massage and moisturized at the same time!!! Woo Hooo
  • Lips – Use it as a natural Chap Stick – loves this and it tastes good when you lick your lips.
  • Pets – I have read it is great for the dogs to get rid of bad breath, their coat, arthritis, diabetes and help aid in their digestion.

I can go on and on and on – Just Google all the uses and benefits of Coconut Oil and it will blow your mind as it has mine.

All I can say from here is go buy some and see for yourself – just make sure to get the Virgin Coconut Oil. Let me know what you think, but be prepared to become addicted like I have and I warned you!!!

This concludes my Blog Post Infomercial – LMAO !!

My fifty eighth week after Gastric Bypass

58

So I continued my Food Journal for another week due to my weight gain and my weight loss stall. I was able to get off the 3 pounds I went up last week, but that puts me right back to the same weight I have been stuck at for about 8 weeks now.

The warm weather has still not come our way even though it is Spring now. Mother Nature must have some kind of bug up her ass because she thinks it is ok to create a snow storm when it should be warm and sunny. I am ready to be done with this winter depression and be outside playing in my garden and working on my yard. I know one of the main reasons I have been in this weight loss stall is due to the lack of exercise and I pray once I getting moving the scale will as well.

By starting up my Food Journal again has been a good eye opener for me and has helped me try and figure out what it is I may be doing wrong. Although I have yet to figure it out exactly there are some things that I see I need to change. Honestly I think the biggest one that always come back to bite me is the “E” word – Exercise – I talk about this a lot, but yet avoid it like the plague.

As I look at the things I am eating and my daily food intake I do not think it is absolutely horrible by any means, but not the best either. I am not eating a lot (which could be an issue in itself), I am not making the best choices at times (such as the sweets and chips from time to time), I have definitely not been getting in 64 ounces of liquid daily and worst of all not getting in as much exercise as I should be.

I miss the days of stepping on the scale and having it just go down each week. I hope and pray that will happen again, but when you are stalled for so long it terrifies me in a BIG way. I am not at my goal weight yet and still have 35 more pounds before I get there. Now even though I know I should be exercising and that will help get my metabolism back in gear I still have not done it. What the hell is wrong with me? Why is it I avoid the “E” word like I do. UGH!! Anyway here is what I ate all week for you to see….

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

(I am gonna add the times on as well)

March 18th

  • 7:30 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:00 pm – A few bites of left over Roasted Potatoes and Corned Beef
  • 12:30 pm – 1 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie
  • 1:00 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein
  • 3:00 pm – A few bites of leftover roasted potatoes
  • 4:30 pm – A few bites of Corned Beef and 1 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie
  • 8:00 pm – A piece of Corned Beef, Cabbage and Roasted Potatoes

Today was a boring day for me I worked for a bit on the computer and then totally cleaned my Bedroom and my upstairs Bathroom. Oh how I hate cleaning bathrooms, but it had to be done – god knows no one else in my family will do it. We also had a small snow storm – ugh – dumb mother nature!!! I seemed to pick a lot today because I was busy and never really sat down for a meal until 8:00 pm.

March 19th

  • 9:00 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 10:00 am – 2 Slices of Salami
  • 11:45 am – 2 Slices of Salami
  • 1:00 pm – Roasted Chicken – I ate a thigh and drumstick
  • 1:30 pm – 1 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie
  • 2:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 3:15 pm – 1 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie
  • 4:00 pm – A small bowl of Baked Cheese Doodles
  • 8:30 pm – 2 Chicken, Rice and Bean Burritos – small frozen ones
  • 9:30 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 10:30 pm – 1 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie

Today my son had a 2 hour delay due to yesterdays snow so I was able to stay in bed a bit longer – wooo hooo. Then later in the day I had a bunch of stuff to drop off at the local consignment store – love that – nothing like purging!!! Then after that I took my friend to go shopping at Walmart to get all the stuff she needed for her upcoming Gastric Bypass Surgery.

After I got home from Walmart I had to move my hen chicks into a larger cage/brooder because they are growing like crazy and needed more room. My daughter and I added sides to it using poster board and put lots of sparkly flower stickers on the inside for them.

March 20th – First day of SPRING

  • 7:30 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:00 pm – 2 Spoonfuls of Mashed Potatoes
  • 2:00 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein
  • 3:00 pm – 2 Slices of Salami
  • 5:30 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 7:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 8:15 pm – Lean Cuisine Beef with Broccoli – 350 Calories, 7 grams of Fat, 20 grams of Protein
  • 9:00 pm – Cup of Tea
  • 10:00 pm – Handful of Salt & Vinegar Chips and 1 slice of Salami

So it’s the first day of Spring and I wondered all day where it was because it was not in PA. It was freezing outside with lingering snow on the ground. I am not happy about that and for some reason woke up had some coffee sat down in the recliner and feel asleep until 10:30 – I guess maybe I was hoping when I woke up it would be warm out, but NOPE no such luck. After my little nap I worked a bit and then tackled all the laundry – I even folded it all and put it away – Crazy right?

March 21st

  • 7:30 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 10:30 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein
  • 12:30 pm – 1 slice of American Cheese
  • 1:15 pm – Healthy Choice Steamer Sesame Glazed Chicken – 330 Calories, 5 grams of Fat, 14 grams of Protein
  • 6:00 pm – 2 Chicken Patty Sandwiches on rolls with Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato and Pickles
  • 7:30 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 8:45 pm – Rice Krispy Treat – 90 Calories

Today I ran some errands and then packed up my hubby and son for a trip they were taking to Boston – a nice father and son getaway. I also got a bit crazy and actually cleaned my oven – yeah totally nuts right? Then after my hubby and son hit the road I got my daughter and took her into her room to clean that. I am working hard with her to get her to part with some of her stuff – I swear she is a young hoarder – lol. She did good and I was able to get her to part with a nice amount of stuff to donate and also bring to consignment. Kids have such a hard time parting with their stuff, but if she doesn’t she will end up being on one of those shows one day – lol.

March 22nd

  • 9:40 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 10:20am – 1 slice of American Cheese
  • 12:00 pm – 3 Dove Chocolates
  • 1:00 pm – 1 7 Layer Burrito from Taco Bell
  • 3:30 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 5:30 pm – 1 piece of Baked Flounder, 1 small Crab Cake dipped in Tarter Sauce and Asparagus
  • 7:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 10:00 pm – 1 Black Bean and Rice Burrito from Taco Bell and a handful of Chips

Today my daughter and I went out shopping with my sister. Then my daughter had her friend sleep over and it was just us girls since the boys were away in Boston.

March 23rd

  • 9:30 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 2:00 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein
  • 5:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 7:00 pm – Chinese Food – 1 Cup of Egg Drop Wonton Soup and some Garlic Chicken with White Rice
  • 9:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 11:00 pm – 1 Ice Cream Cone

Today was a fun long day. I cleaned in the morning as always. Then I had a nice visit from my mother and sister in law – they know I get lonely when my hubby is not home, I know pathetic but true. Then my daughter and I got Chinese take out for our special girls night dinner and later in the evening my friends and her daughter came over to watch The kids choice awards with us.

March 24th

  • 9:30 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 1:00 pm – 4 forkfuls of Italian Pasta Salad
  • 2:00 pm – My leftover Chinese Food – Garlic Chicken with White Rice
  • 3:30 pm – Rice Krispy Treat – 90 Calories
  • 5:00 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein
  • 7:00 pm – Eggroll
  • 7:30 pm – 2 Peanut Butter with Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • 8:30 pm – 1 Small Bag of Popcorn
  • 9:30 pm – 5 Sour Patch Kid Candies

This morning my neighbor came over for a visit with me. Then in the afternoon I spent some quality time with my daughter and we drew and then made some cookies for my hubby and son who wee coming home from their trip today. In the evening I played with my chicks and then caught up on some shows with my hubby.

So that was my week – It looks much better than my one prior as far as eating wise, but still not the best. While I lost the 3 pounds I went up it still just puts me back at that number that won’t budge at all. It is even possible I am not eating enough – I seem to pick all day long and takes bites of food here and there and just tend to eat one meal per day. I do however try and make sure to get protein in each day in my way of the Protein Coffee – this way I know I am getting in at least 40 grams of protein with that anything else I have just adds to it.

I will continue my Food Journal and pray that I can break this damn stall because it truly is driving me crazy now!!!

Stay Tuned!!!

My fifty seventh week after Gastric Bypass

57

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

So I decided to start up my Food Journal again after being on a 7 week weight loss stall. I finally broke my stall this week, BUT the scale went the wrong way – talk about frustrating!!!

While having a weight gain after being stalled after 7 weeks is horrible and depressing – having kept my Food Journal and being completely honest writing down what I ate may help explain what I am doing wrong. To start off I have posted about my winter depression in a previous post here: Seasonal Affective Disorder – Do you have it too? Dealing with this I know has been a big reason why I have not lost any additional weight for so long as well as my now weight gain.

I know my eating habits have gone down hill and I have been choosing foods and snacks that are more for comfort vs being a healthy choice for me. It is easy to know what I am doing wrong and a lot harder to stop and take action, but with summer around the corner and the fear of gaining more back I must take action now. It is a new week and I owe it to all the hard work I have done to make changes and get that scale moving in the direction in needs to go. I am NOT at my goal weight yet and I promised myself I would get there.

Having Gastric Bypass as I always say is NOT magic. Again it is just a tool to help get you started, but it does not fix your brain and how you think. Those who are thinking of going through it must know this going in. The chances of gaining weight back after having surgery are there because it is not a cure to why we got so heavy in the first place – that is the scariest part of it all. Now that I am past the Gastric Bypass honeymoon stage – which they say is at about a year and I am now past that – it is more up to me vs. the surgery to finish and get to my goal. It is not easy as you can read as I write and I am truly terrified right now.

Honestly I feel like all the other times I have dieted and succeeded then got to the point of feeling good and thinking – hey it is ok if I eat this cookie, oh a handful of chips won’t hurt and then it is a downward spiral from there – if you are reading this I know you know what I am talking about. Right now sharing my story and struggles on this blog I am hoping will be a lifesaver and get me back on track. Writing about my feelings and where I am at this point helps me become more accountable for my actions. With this weight gain and keeping my Food Journal this past week and being honest with what I put in my mouth and writing it down also shows me where I am going wrong.

I truly miss the weeks of losing weight no matter what I did after the surgery and the happiness I had to see the scale going down week after week. Again I am so scared that the rest is in my hands more so than before because obviously I had no self control and that is why I ended up to the point of surgery in the first place. I keep blaming my winter depression, but I have to stop with my pity party and get control back or I will find myself where I started and NO WAY do I ever want to be there again.

So let me share with you my Food Journal from this past week so you can also see what I am doing wrong and the changes I have to make!!!

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

(I am gonna add the times on as well)

Let me also add in I decided to start my Food Journal again mid week because I stepped on the scale on a non weigh in day and saw the scale go up 3 pounds.

March 13th

  • 7:00 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 9:30 am – Bite of leftover Chicken from my dinner the night before
  • 12:45 pm – 1 Piece of Chicken (small cutlet) and about 1/4 Cup Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • 1:10 pm – Rice Krispy Treat – 90 calories
  • 3:15 pm – 2 Dove Chocolates
  • 4:00 pm – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein (took me 3 hours to drink)
  • 7:30 pm – Medium Greek Salad with a piece of bread (take out)
  • 9:00 pm – Cup of Tea
  • 10:00 pm – Snacked on Pistachios while watching TV
  • 10:30 pm – 5 Candy Sour Gumdrops

As I stated I stepped on the scale this morning and saw I was up 3 pounds and immediately started keeping my Food Journal again. What I ate on this day was not that bad, but as you can see there were some things I could have done without such as the Rice Krispy Treat and the Candies.

March 14th

  • 7:00 am – 1 Oreo Cookie
  • 7:15 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 10:20 am – I slice of Bread with Mayo
  • 10:30 am – Protein Coffee – Contains 40.5 grams of protein (took me 3 hours to drink)
  • 2:30 pm – 2 Slices of Provolone Cheese & Salami Rolled Up
  • 3:15 pm – Finished my Greek Salad and a few bites of Bread
  • 4:00 pm – 4 Sour Patch Candies
  • 7:20 pm – 6 Meat Tortellinis I picked from my daughter’s dinner
  • 8:10 pm – Cup of Tea
  • 9:45 pm – Frozen Freschetta Market Veggie Pizza – Ate 3/4 of it. 450 Calories, 20.5 Grams Fat and 19.5 Grams of Protein for what I ate.

Today I was sooo bored and not feeling the best – I believe I have a sinus infection. I ventured out to do some food shopping, tried to relax with a sewing project and basically just laid around.

You may be wondering about the Bread with Mayo right? Well that is an old habit of mine – to me it is like bread and butter, but with mayo. I ate that because I needed something in my belly that was quick before I took a pain med. Not the best choice, but I had nothing else to grab at the moment. The rest of the day was not so bad until the Pizza. Yes I ate 3/4 of it, BUT it is a thin crust pizza and not heavy at all like a regular pizza – should I have eaten that much – NOPE, but I did. Shhh I enjoyed every bite too – it is yummy.

So I took a picture of the pizza to show you if you wonder how I ate so much – the crust is extremely thin and then it is pretty much a small amount of cheese with lots of veggies on top. Normally I cannot handle a lot of carbs and this pizzas crust is thin enough that I had no issues. Problem is that I should have not eaten 3/4s of it. What I ate totaled 450 Calories, 20.5 Grams Fat and 19.5 Grams of Protein.

March 15th

  • 7:30 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 9:00 am – 4 Slices of Provolone Cheese & Salami Rolled Up
  • 9:30 am – 3 Oreos
  • 1:15 pm – Handful of Baby Back Rib Chips
  • 2:30 pm – Frozen Freschetta Market Veggie Pizza – Ate 3/4 of it. 450 Calories, 20.5 Grams Fat and 19.5 Grams of Protein for what I ate. (yes I did it again)
  • 5:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 6:00 pm – Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and pickles on a bun with a handful of baked French Fries
  • 8:12 pm – 1 Oreo
  • 9:30 pm – 4 Sour Patch Candies
  • 10:30 pm – 2 Oreos
  • 10:40 pm – Cup of Tea
  • 11:00 pm – Handful of Baby Back Rib Chips

Wow now that I type this up – I had a horrible day and ate WAY too much – or just made some bad choices. Today my sinus infection kicked my ass and I felt like total crap. In between my eating binges I laid around all day watching TV and having a cat nap from 3-5pm. I am not a good sick person and when I have sinuses and stuffed in the head I am miserable and I was. Obviously it did not stop me from eating bad things, but I think it was more comfort for me. And yes I ate another one of those pizzas again – thank god I only bought 2 and now they are gone so that will not happen anymore.

March 16th

  • 10:35 am – 1 Oreo
  • 10:40 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:00 pm – 1 Slice of Provolone Cheese & Salami Rolled Up
  • 1:30 pm – 2 Leftover Cheeseburgers – No Bun, just dipped in ketchup
  • 2:45 pm – Rice Krispy Treat – 90 calories
  • 6:30 pm – Bowl of Baked Cheese Doodles
  • 10:00 pm – A couple pieces of Broccoli and Cauliflower dipped in Ranch Dressing, 3 Slices of Provolone Cheese & Salami Rolled Up and 3 Oreos

Slept in until 10:30 today due to feeling like complete garbage. On top of that it is snowing – really? Mother Nature is not helping the situation at all. Today was another day laying on the couch watching TV and Movies. I ended up watching The Green Mile and then Forest Gump with my daughter. Those Cheese Doodles were a movie snack. I did not eat much today, but again not the best choices for what I did.

March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day

  • 10:45 am – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:00 pm – 2 Slices of Provolone Cheese & Salami Rolled Up
  • 1:30 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 6:00 pm – 2 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • 7:30 pm – Corned Beef, Roasted Potatoes with Onions and Cabbage
  • 8:15 pm – 1 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie
  • 9:30 pm – Cup of Tea
  • 10:00 pm – 2 Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Woke up late again today at 10:00 am, but I was finally feeling better. After a hot shower which I did not take for 2 days I felt new life in me again and my sinuses started to clear up a bit – thank god!! I put 3 Corned Beefs in my crock pots and could not wait until dinner – I love Corned Beef and Cabbage!! I pretty much saved myself for dinner, but those Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies were a secret sabotage from my sister I think.

This is me and my BFF who stopped by earlier in the day with her kids to come visit me. I am so happy to be feeling better and almost sinus free – now to deal with my bad eating habits and this darn weight gain!!

So that was my week – well almost week since I started journaling mid week. As you can see from what I had eaten there were lots of things I should not have had such as Oreo Cookies, Chips, Candies and too much of that Pizza.

Ya know what is really strange??? Prior to my Gastric Bypass Surgery I was never one for sweets – or at least candy. For some weird reason I crave candy now. It started with Twizzlers and now I love the gummy Sour Candies. I do not eat tons of them, but as you can see from my week at times I just need a few. Honestly I should 86 this new habit right away before it gets really bad.

Now looking back on my week it really does not look horrible, but not as healthy and full of protein as it should be. I have also not exercised at all and if you follow me you know it is not a favorite thing to do of mine. Over the winter I do not get much and while I can be changing that and use the treadmill that sits in my house I just have not gotten on it. Once spring hits and the warm weather is among us I will be getting outside and starting my endless yard work with plenty of exercise, but that is not helping now in the moment.

So with that all said I am going to continue with my Food Journal and work on making better food choices this week. Stay Tuned and check back next week to see if I got that scale to move in the right direction.

I would love to hear from all of you and what you think of what I ate and changes I should make – leave me a comment below and be honest – I am not too sensitive.

Seasonal Affective Disorder – Do you have it too?

Light Therapy

The Spring and Sunshine cannot come soon enough for me at this point so I can beat these Winter Blues. I am tired of this depression and want to be outside already!!!

I totally have seasonal affective disorder and if you are not aware of what that is I am gonna tell you, because you may suffer from it too like me.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a kind of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter. You may not suffer from depression at all throughout the entire year and then all of a sudden Winter comes and BAM it hits you.

Infographic Seasonal Affective Disorder

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder:

  • Hopelessness
  • Increased Appetite
  • Less energy and ability to concentrate
  • Increased Sleep Patterns
  • Loss of interest in work or other activities
  • Feeling Sluggish
  • Social withdrawal
  • Unhappiness and irritability

The symptoms are pretty much the same as any depression – the only difference is they start to come on at the end of fall and last throughout the winter for most of us who suffer from this.

So how do I know I suffer from this disorder? Well for one I am a long time sufferer of depression and have been on lots of different medications throughout my lifetime. I finally had found that Celexa works for me to treat it and have been taking that now for years. My depression has been under control for a long time now and I have felt pretty good, but I have noticed a pattern. It seems once the cold months hit the depression comes back as if I am not taking my medication at all.

I have been in a funk the past couple months, hence the slow down in my postings. I have all the symptoms listed above including the increased appetite which scares the hell out of me. I looked back at my posts from last year at this time and that is exactly when I made a post all about depression. I thought it was just because of the surgery, but I think now it was a combo of this Seasonal Affective Disorder and all the changes going on with my body so I think it had made it even worse then.

I have been trying to keep myself busy with projects around the house to try and keep my mind off of it and to at least be able to say I have accomplished things over the winter. I work from home as well, but even my work has suffered because I just do not have the motivation to do that either. Depression is no fun and as hard as you try to wake up and say I am going to have a good day – sometimes that just does not happen.

On a happy note with me trying to keep myself busy with my wall of sticky to do notes I have been able to get stuff done in spurts. I have cleaned out closets, filed papers that had piled up, cleaned out cabinets and areas in my house in need etc… I try to do something every day even if I have to push myself to do so and count down the days until it is warm enough outside to get some sunshine and start all my yard work.

My weight loss has been stalled for about 5 weeks now – it is frustrating to say the least, BUT with my increased eating and less exercise I am not surprised at all. I am hopeful once Spring gets here and I start to be a lot more active outside I will see that kick back in and move in the right direction once again. I happy I have not gained anything but to be stuck kinda sucks too.

So what do you do if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Well some people will go on anti depressants for just the winter months. For me I am already on them, BUT next year I will talk to my doctor and maybe add another one for the winter or possibly up the dose of what I am currently taking to help me through – at this point being winter is just about over I will skip that this year.

They also say that light therapy also called phototherapy helps. You sit near a specialized light therapy box so that you’re exposed to bright light. Light therapy mimics outdoor light and they say it helps cause a change in brain chemicals linked to mood. I think for me I will be purchasing one of these too for next season and see if it helps.

So if anyone has been wondering where I have been, now you know. I have been dealing with the Winter Blues and counting down the days and hours until Spring. Now that I have seen the horrible pattern of Seasonal Affective Disorder I will be much more prepared next year and maybe avoid going through it again.

If you think you suffer from Depression and or Seasonal Affective Disorder be sure to see your doctor for an official diagnosis !!!

So my shout out to Mother Nature: “Can you hurry up and bring on the warm weather and sunshine already!!!!”

Avocado Hummus Dip – This is soooo good!!!

Avocado Hummus

I have been meaning to post this recipe for Avocado Hummus Dip my sista peep made a few weeks ago that was sooooo good. Better late then never right?

Not only does this dip taste so good – it s pretty good for you too and being it has beans that means it has protein – Yippee!!!

So here is what we used to make this Avocado Hummus Dip:

  • 2 Ripe Avocados (cubed)
  • 1 can of White Beans, drained and rinsed
  • Lime Juice – A couple squirts from the Fake Lime or 1/2 Juice from a Real Lime
  • 1 Tbsp EVOO -Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • A dash of Cayenne Pepper

Calculate the nutritional value of any recipe. Simply select the ingredients and amounts:
Recipe Nutrition Calculator

Now take all of that and add blend it up in a Food Processor. Now I do not own one so we did it in a blender and it worked fine. It took longer to blend, but in the end it came out delicious. We used some tortillas to dip in, but you can use whatever you like. This is now a new love of mine and I cannot wait to make up another batch of it – I am tellin’ ya you have to try it.

Enjoy !!

My One Year Gastric Bypass Post Op Appointment

1 Year

Dr. Federico CeppaHoly Crap talk about a year that flew by and pounds that melted away, life is good. Today was my Gastric Bypass One Year post op appointment.

I can hardy believe that is has been just about 1 year since my surgery – it will officially be one year on January 23rd. It truly seems like just yesterday that I was waiting and waiting for my surgery day to get here and now it was here and gone.It’s been a crazy ride that has changed my life in so many ways and I would do it again in a heart beat if I had to.

I was so excited for this appointment to show off my weight loss and what a change my surgeon has made for me and my life. It has to be such a great feeling for the surgeons to see their patients when they are happy and successful with no issues to report, don’t ya think?

Gastric Bypass BloodworkSo a few days prior to my appointment I went to visit the vampires to have my blood drawn for my post op labs. So not my favorite thing to do at all – I am NOT a fan of giving blood, but it is all part of the deal. It is very important for those of us who have had Gastric Bypass to make sure all our vitamin levels are good and in line.

So I was a big girl and I went all by myself this time without hubby there to hold my hand – lol. I was upset though when they did not have any purple wrap for my arm after they took my blood, but I got turquoise instead and that worked. They took 6 vials – yuck!!!

So I was up early for my appointment which was for 8:30 am. I kicked myself in the butt wondering why I would have made it so darn early – today I was exhausted due to being very busy with my job the past couple days, but I am happy to report I made it on time – woo hoo.

My first stop was with the nutritionist, Amanda, and to discuss my labs and well duh nutrition. First we discussed my progress – As of my very first appointment back on 1/20/2011 when I first met to discuss having the surgery and before I started losing any weight to get approved for surgery I weighed in at 290 lbs. According to their scale in the office I weighed in at 189 lbs (mine is 2 lbs less at home and what I really go by) I have lost a total of 101 lbs!!! This is the crazy part – I have lost 67% of my excess body weight – can you believe that? unreal!!

Now going by my home scale I weighed in at 286 lbs the day of my surgery and as of my last Weigh In I was 187 lbs – so that is what I go by and for me that is a weight loss of 99 lbs and my goal is to get to 100 lbs lost from my surgery day by my 1 year surgiversary on January 23rd. I have just under a week to get there and I WILL do it!!

So next we talked about my labs. I am so happy to report that all my vitamin levels are perfect, thanks to me being very good about taking all my required vitamins each and every day. My Cholesterol was great too – Good HDL 48, Total 150, LDL 93 and Tri 43 – I could not be happier. Happy Dance in action!!

She also told me now that I am 1 year post op the weight loss will dramatically slow down and this usually happens at about the 8 month post op mark – this I already know because I have experienced it. I also have a lot less to lose now so it is now my turn vs. the surgeries turn to do the work to help speed up the process of getting to my personal weight loss goal. UGH that is where the dreaded “E word” comes in:- Exercise. That darn word always creeps in and it is something I will have to work on if I want to achieve my goal and lord knows I do.

She was happy with my success and that made me happy too – now it was off to see my surgeon….

So in walks Dr. Ceppa always smiling which I love. He says I feel as though I do not have to ask you much since I read your blog and know everything already. Too funny right? Yup when he gets the chance he reads my blog and tells me he loves how open and honest I am. Yes that is me lay it all out there and tell it as it is.

He then asks are you happy you had the surgery? Uh hello – what do you think as I sit here in my blinged out skinny jeans, I thought – Of course I am happy, but as I always say my biggest regret is not doing it sooner.

We also talked about my personal goal weight of 150 lbs and how at my 3 month post op appointment him telling me he saw me leveling out at around 170-180 lbs and I was not having it. I asked him if I made my goal weight would he give me a prize and he told me yes. Now being at 187 lbs we were talking that maybe 150 really is too low for my body type and that I may look drawn if I go that low and now that I am closer I agreed. So we changed my goal to 165 lbs.

So will I still get a prize if get there – hell yeah I will !!! He told me when I make it there if it is before my 2 year follow up to call him and I can cash in on my prize. So what will my prize be? Who knows, but whatever it may be it will make me work that much harder to get there. I like prizes, just sayin’

So just like my nutritionist he was happy with progress and the next time I will see him will be 1 year from now, unless of course I get to my goal prior to that and pick up that prize.

Stay tuned for my actual 1 year Surgiversary post where I will post more pictures of me including me wearing the outfit I wore the day I went for my surgery, that will be fun.