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My forty second week after Gastric Bypass

42

Finally I am back to keeping my Weekly Food Journal!! The last time I posted one was at 22 weeks post op and now here I am 42 weeks post op. That is just crazy – where does the time go?

So for 25 weeks I was very good at making sure to write everything down I ate and keeping a food journal. Then the nice weather came and I kinda got lazy and went on a hiatus as I call it. Well just last week on my 41st week Weigh In the scale went in the wrong direction and I gained 2 pounds. While I did not totally freak about about it because it happens I knew I had to reign myself back in and see if I was doing anything wrong.

I find when I keep a food journal and write everything down that goes in my mouth it stops me from being bad. I just did a this post on When Bad Habits Creep Back because for me I am finding that I am getting a bit to comfortable with my eating. So with that said here is what I ate my 42nd week post op.

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

(I am gonna add the times on – I did this for the firs time)

November 12th

  • Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:45 pm – Bite of leftover pasta, Lean Cuisine – Meatloaf (22 grams protein) and 3 Cookies
  • 3:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 6:00 pm – 1/2 Ham Steak, 1/2 Cup Cheesy Rice and Green Beans
  • Later in the evening – 1 Twizzler and 2 Starburst Candies
  • 1 Ice Cream Sandwich

Today was beautiful out – sunny and warm for fall. I worked, watched a movie while I ate lunch and then hubby and I washed our trucks.

November 13th

  • Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:00 pm – 1 Cupish Split Pea Soup my mother in law made, handful of Potato Chips (Rut Roh) and 1 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • 3:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 6:45 pm – Piece of London Broil, 3 Crab Rangoons (my sister made), 2 Fried Cauliflower Patties (my sister made)
  • 8:00 pm – Handful of Pretzels dipped into Sour Cream (very bad snack)

Today I had a horrible sinus headache and I just bummed around and also took an afternoon nap. My sister came over for dinner and made some yummy new recipes. After dinner I worked for a few online and then went to bed after watching TV and eating pretzels that did not agree with me. Pay Back for a crappy snack. I should have known better.

November 14th

  • Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 11:00 am – Small piece of Cheddar Cheese
  • 1:00 pm – Piece of left over London Broil and 2 Fried Cauliflower Patties and 4 Nutter Butter Cookies
  • 3:30 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 6:00 pm – 1 Fried Cauliflower Pattie
  • 7:30 pm – 6″ Veggie Delite Sub from Subway and a few Twizzlers

Today we had some windows installed and while they did that I cleaned the house and watched TV – darn sinus headache yet again. Later at night hubby and I went to Walmart and had Subway. As soon as we got home it was to bed for me due to my headache and my snot eyes – lol.

November 15th

  • Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:00 pm – Piece of left over London Broil and 1 pkg of Green Giant Steamed Veggies – Carrots, Beans and Spinach in an Herb Sauce
  • A Few Twizzlers
  • 3:30 pm – 2 Chocolates – I received samples of Ghirardelli Chocolate for my business and had to try a couple – so worth the taste.
  • 4:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 7:00 pm – 2 Boneless Rib Sandwiches on Hamburger Rolls (26 grams protein)
  • 2 Tiny Whopper Candies
  • Handful of Smoked Almonds

Today I just worked and dealt with that sinus headache yet again. I watched more TV and it was off to bed early for yet another night. What an exciting life huh?

November 16th

  • Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 10:00 am – 2 Cheddar Cheese Cubes
  • 12:00 pm – A few bites of London Broil with Ketchup
  • 3:15 pm – 6″ Italian Sub
  • 5:00 pm – 1/2 Entemanns Donut
  • 5:15 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 8:00 pm – Salad
  • 10:00 pm – Small slice of Blueberry Pie

Today I worked and then went out shopping with my sister. That late night Blueberry Pie – again not a good choice and made me nauseous. URGH – what is wrong with me???

November 17th

  • Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 12:15 pm – 2 Salami and Provolone Rolls
  • 1:00 pm – Banana
  • 3:00 pm – 1/2 Soft Pretzel
  • 4:00 pm – Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer
  • 6:00 pm – 1 Hot Dog with Kraut, A Few Cocktail Meatballs and Baked Beans
  • 11:00 pm – 1 Hot Dog with Kraut

Today I was busy cleaning and making food and cupcakes and pumpkin pie for my son and his friends that were coming over for the night. Yes when my kids have friends over I always go above and beyond and they also become taste testers for my business treats – lol. I stayed up late working and then it was off to bed to be up to make the kids breakfast.

November 18th

  • Coffee with Hazlenut Creamer – First thing every day when I wake up
  • 10:30 am – 1 small cinnamon roll, bite of scrambled eggs and 2 small sausage links
  • 2:00 pm – 1 small Popcorn at the movies
  • 6:00 pm – Chinese Food – 1 small bowl of Egg Drop Wonton Soup and some Chicken and Garlic Sauce with White Rice
  • 8:30 pm – 1 small cinnamon roll

Today I slept until 10am – crazy for me I am always up early. Good thing the boys were up really late and were still sleeping when I got up so I still had time to make breakfast. I also had to bring one of my chickens in the house because she is sick – it is my hen Nugget – hoping I can nurse her back to health. I also took my daughter and a couple of her friends to see Twilight Breaking Dawn 2 – OMG it was sooo good. I even ate a popcorn and did just fine with it. I ended up going to bead early cause I was still exhausted from staying up so late the night before – I am such a light weight. Or maybe just old.

So being this was my first time in a very long time logging my food I can see some patterns. To start I do not eat breakfast – I knew that and I know it is not good, but again I have never been a breakfast person. I drink coffee almost until lunch time.

I have always said I do not have a sweet tooth – well that seems to be changing. I seem to need something sweet here and there time to time. As longs as I dot over do it I seem to be ok with the sugar.

I always drink more coffee in the afternoon – I gotta do it or I am a walking zombie, trust me.

Other than that I do not think I did too bad. I am still not eating anything like I did prior to surgery and that 2lbs I had gained the week prior – well I am happy to report that is gone again and plus another. Wooo Hooo. Of this weeks Weigh In I am now down exactly 90 lbs. I am only 10 pounds from losing 100 pounds which is my next goal and I want to do that by my Surgiversary Jan 23rd – which is sooo doable. I am so excited!!

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Friday Night Q and A fun with me

Questions And Answer

It is Friday night and I thought I would have a little fun with a Q&A in case anyone wants to know a bit more about me. Yup this is what happens when you get old and have nothing better to do on a Friday night I guess. lol

Feel free to copy and paste the questions I answer in the comment section at the bottom and let me get to know you as well – They are fun questions so what the heck right? Unless of course I am the only one that sits around and does this – lmao. Just be sure to fill it in with your answers.

Ok so here we go….

If you had it to do over again what would you study in school?

If I could go back to school I would go to be a hairdresser. I love to do hair and wish I would have taken advantage of VoTech in High School and learned how to cut and all that fun stuff.

What is your favorite thing about fall?

I love all the colors of Fall. Fall colors is the color palette throughout my whole house. The warm colors make me happy!!! My hubby and kids got me a Sugar Maple Tree one year for mothers day because I love the colors on that tree when they change in the fall – it is my favorite.

What is the best food on a hot summer day?

Cherry Italian Ice – That is a food right?

What is your favorite color?

My very most favorite is Purple and second is Orange. If they sparkle that is even better – I love anything that sparkles. I am all about the BLING.

What grown-up job did you want to have when you were a child?

I always wanted to be a Cartoonist.

What do you believe will last forever?

The love I share with my hubby, and my kids of course.

What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?

I would have to say Frog Legs and they really do taste like Chicken.

What is your favorite condiment?

Mayonnaise and it can only be Hellman’s. I know not the best choice, but I gotta have it full fat and all.

If you had to act your age what behavior would you change?

None – I hate acting my age, being old sucks!!!

What is your favorite thing about winter?

Being at home in the warmth with my blinds up watching the snow fall like I am in a big snowglobe as I sip my Hot Cocoa.

Have you ever been mentioned in the newspaper?

Yes for interviews about my business and I use to write a column for a local paper answering party related questions from parents – that was fun!!

What are you afraid of?

Wow – So many things really. I would say death being number one or losing someone close to me.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I can flare my nostrils like a bull going for the big red flag. Sounds attractive doesn’t it?

What do you love the sound of?

Birds singing outside and the sound of my kids when they are quiet and get along.

What was your favorite childhood toy?

Hands down my Fisher Price Farm.

What was your favorite TV show growing up?

The Smurfs and Little House on the Prairie.

If you had 10 minutes on a popular TV talk show, what would you talk about?

Duh, Myself of course.

What restaurant do you love even though you know you shouldn’t?

The Jumbo Chinese Buffet – it is truly the best food ever!!!

What poem do you have committed to memory?

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, you look like a Monkey and smell like one too. OK so many I am not to proud of that, nah come on that is funny.

What was your first car?

Sad to say it but it was a 1972 Plymouth Valiant and it was butt ugly.

What do you have an irrational fear of?

Peoples Eyes. Eyes scare me. Like psycho eyes – hard to explain – it is irrational!!

What movie scares you?

There are two – Carrie and The Exorcist. I can watch them over and over and they still freak me out.

What food have you eaten too much of in your life?

Easy one – Bagels!!!

What do you hate the sound of?

When frozen food rubs together – hate that!!!

What song makes you want to dance?

Baby got Back – cause this baby has it!!

What do you think makes a person good-looking?

A great smile and a personality that can get a joke and sarcasm.

What book can you read over and over again?

50 Shades of Grey baby!!!

When did your mouth get you into trouble?

The question should be when doesn’t it.  I have issues speaking before I think every day of my life, but those close to me are now use to it. Oh well – screw em’ lmao.

What candy reminds you most of your youth?

Razzles and Candy Cigarettes – now that is a combo!!

What topic of conversation do you consider boring?

Politics and History – Zzzzzzzzz

What do you love the smell of?

Garlic frying in a pan on a Sunday morning and knowing it will turn into a sauce for a nice Italian dinner.

Have you ever been on tv?

Yes, but just on the news again for my business. I should be on TV regularly – I would make for great entertainment, just sayin’

Do you believe everything happens for a reason?

100% I do!!

So that is the end of my random questions and answers, that was fun!! Now you give it a go below i the comments. Just copy and paste and change my answers to yours!!

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When Bad Habits Creep Back

Bad Habits

When Bad Habits Creep Back ~ Sounds like the title of a movie doesn’t it? Well for most of us who battle with weight loss it is one that plays over and over regardless if you are on a diet or have had Gastric Bypass Surgery like me.

It has been about 10 months since my Gastric Bypass Surgery and I have noticed myself getting a bit too comfortable in the way I am eating. This is something that would happen to me prior when I was just doing regular diets and one of the causes of all the Yo Yoing. I would get to the point of working so hard to lose the weight and then start to feel really good about myself and say “Hey I can have a second helping of that or that one donut is not gonna kill me”.

For those who think having Gastric Bypass is the cure to all of that are so wrong!! Gastric Bypass is just a tool to help get you started on the weight loss journey and not a fix it all and those who are contemplated the choice of going under the knife need to be aware of that. Bariatric Surgery may make your stomach smaller, but no one is operating on your brain.

The good thing for me is that I noticed the Bad Habits starting to slowly creep their way back into my life and I am going to take control before I go backwards. This past Monday my scale went up 2 pounds on my Weigh In day and it was like a big hand came and smacked me in the face saying “Get control”. Now weight can fluctuate from many things and it may not even be from me over indulging at times, BUT I feel it was something telling me to make some changes. So I will take that as a sign to do just that!!

Some of my recent Bad Habits have been eating Entenmann’s Donuts (not the whole box, but maybe 1 a day here are there), Potato Chips, eating a Bologna Sandwich before bed, and not watching my portion sizes. So not good at all!! I think the worst of all of them has been my portion sizes. I find I usually do not eat breakfast ever (I have never been a breakfast person), I have lunch and it is at Dinner where I usually eat too much.

Now that the cold weather is here I am inside working and not as active as I was when it was warm out. Being stuck in the house makes me depressed and with that comes the big battle of Head Hunger vs. Physical Hunger and that battle just sucks!! Sometimes I wish they did work on my brain when they did the surgery, but they did not and this is where things get tricky.

I have so many more goals to achieve and WILL NOT fail myself. God knows it was such an agonizing decision to have this surgery in the first place – failing is not an option. Could I be immaturely freaking out over just a 2 pound weight gain for no reason? I don’t think so because I can see myself getting overly confident and I am thankful for that weight gain because it is making me reevaluate and refocus on my goals.

So here are some of the changes I am making to make sure I continue on the right road. For one I started up My Weekly Food Journal once again. This way I can see what I am actually eating and trust me having to write it down really keeps you accountable. I stopped journaling over the summer due to being so busy and also a little bit of laziness (yup I am honest).

When I am going to eat or looking for a snack I STOP and ask “Am I really Hungry or just Bored?” – scary thing is more times than not I am bored. This is one of the things that got me to this point in the first place and I know you know where I am coming from if you are reading this.

Since my surgery I have always been able to eat more than others who have had the surgery and I am so nervous I may have stretched my pouch (I may not have, but just cautious). So after Thanksgiving I am going to the 5 Day Pouch Test – this is basically when you feel you may have overdone it and want to shrink your pouch back to the days of that fullness we felt right after.

It goes like this:

  • Days 1 & 2 – Liquid Protein
  • Day 3 – Soft Protein
  • Day 4 – Firm Protein
  • Day 5 – Solid Protein

It is said to work really well and I am willing to give it a try, but I have to get through Turkey Day first and will start it up hopefully the Monday following and post all about it here so you all can follow along and hear my results. To learn all about it you can read about it here: 5 Day Pouch Test. Am I excited to have to do this? Hell no!!! It will not be easy, but going through Gastric Bypass Surgery has not been a walk in the park either so what is 5 days right?

So in conclusion I am only human and do not sugar coat any part of this process EVER. Gastric Bypass Surgery for me has been a life changer and as I always say I have no regrets besides not doing it sooner, BUT as with anything in life there are obstacles. When you hit one and get thrown off course the only thing you can do is stop and work to get back on or you will end up back to the start. I have done that way too many times in life and will not allow that to happen again – the only road I want to travel now is the one that will lead me to the finish line and in cruise control.

Stay Tuned as I continue on my journey…

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The scale went in the wrong direction

Values

So for the first time the scale moved in the wrong direction more than 1 pound since my surgery. Yes I confess I gained 2 pounds as of my last Weigh In.

I was kinda shocked when I stepped on the scale this past Monday for my weekly weigh in and saw I went up 2 pounds. Since my Gastric Bypass Surgery there was only one week back in July when my scale went the wrong way and that was only a pound.

I was a little upset with myself considering I just had a party the Saturday before celebrating my weight loss success. Hmmmm maybe I did over indulge at my party and that was the cause of the gain. Well I quickly told myself to not get all in a depression over it because it happens and could be from anything. One thing I did do was start my Food Journal back up to keep a check on what I am eating to reign myself back in. I cannot allow myself to go off course – I have too many more goals to achieve.

I have noticed that I am getting a bit more comfortable with eating and see how easy it can be to slip back into old habits. BUT no way in hell will I let that happen and go back to square one after going through all of this – NO WAY!!! The good thing is that I can see it and have been battling with that damn Head Hunger again that really wants to work its way back in.

Stay Tuned for my next post where I will talk all about it…

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The Best Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken And Rice Soup

I love nothing more than a warm bowl of soup once the cooler weather starts in the fall and this Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup truly hits the spot.

I cannot take credit for this bowl of yumminess I enjoyed the other night because once again my sister was the one who cooked it up. BUT it was one of the most amazing Chicken Soups I think I have ever eaten and just had to make sure it was shared with all of you to try as well.

Again as I stated above I Love Soups in the cooler weather, but I am a big fan of Cream Soups, Bisques and Chowders the most vs. Broth based soups. When my sister said she was making a Chicken and Rice Soup for dinner last week I did not have high hopes until I saw how creamy it was and actually tasted it. OMG is was A-Mazing!!! The worst part about this soup was that I was not the only one who loved it – Hubby and the kids did too and because of that leftovers were out of the question – it was gone that night – UGH!!!

So if you are looking for a new soup recipe to try that is packed with Protein and flavor this one is it – Trust Me.

Here is what you will need to make this Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup:

  • 1 tsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Sweet Yellow Onion
  • 2-3 Carrots Diced
  • 2-3 Stalks of Celery Diced
  • 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 5 Cups of Chicken Stock
  • 1 tsp Chicken Bouillon
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Basil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 Cup Diced Cooked Chicken (My sister used a Rotisserie Chicken from the store and added in more than the recipe called for – extra protein!!)
  • 1/2 Cup Long Grain Rice
  • 2 Tbsp Corn Starch
  • 1 (12 ounce) Can Evaporated Milk

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

You can also add in a 1/2 Cup of Corn to the soup if you like, but my sister left this out this time.

Now are ready for how EASY this is to prepare? OK then here we go….

Start by heating your Olive Oil in a nice size pot, then add in your Onions, Carrot and Celery and cook until they are tender. Next add in your Minced Garlic stirring constantly and cook for about 1 minute. Now add in your Chicken Stock, Diced Chicken, Rice, Bouillon, Basil, Salt, Pepper and Bay Leaf. Cover your pot and cook your soup on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes.

Next turn up the heat and bring your soup to a boil. In a separate bowl mix together your Cornstarch and Evaporated Milk and add it to the boiling soup and stir it in. Lower the heat and you can add your Corn in now if you wish to have some in there. Let it cook for a couple more minutes. The soup will get thicker as it sits and then you are ready to enjoy.

So who is cooking up some Soup Tonight????

Enjoy !!

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Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with a Creamy Sauce

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas

On my birthday my sister cooked me dinner and made this delicious recipe for Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas in a Creamy Sauce. It was so good that I had to share it with all of you.

I should have taken a picture of the entire meal in the casserole dish, but forgot because I was not feeling the best on my birthday. Today I had some for lunch and remembered to get a picture before I ate for you all to see.

Here is what you need to create this tasty dish:

For the Chicken and White Bean Filling:

  • 1 tsp Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Cup Minced White Onion
  • 2 Cloves Minced Garlic
  • 1 Can (4.5 ounce) Chopped Green Chiles
  • 1 Can Cannellini Beans
  • 8 Ounces of Cooked Shredded Chicken (my sister bought the roasted chicken from the grocery store and cheated-lol)
  • 1/3 Cup of Water
  • 1 Chicken Bullion
  • 1 tsp Cumin

For the Green Chili Enchilada Sauce:

  • 1 tsp Butter
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped White Onion
  • 2 Tbsp Flour
  • 1 Cup Chicken Broth
  • 1 Can (4.5 ounce) Chopped Green Chiles
  • Dash of Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
  • 3/4 Cup Shredded Mexican Cheese
  • 8 Medium Tortillas
  • Fresh Scallions or Cilantro for Top (Optional) My sister did not use this

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

Preheat your oven to 350

For the Filling:

In a medium pan heat your Olive Oil on low and then add in your Onion and Garlic and saute that up until soft. Then add in your Green Chilies, Beans, Water, Bullion and Cumin. Mix it up good and then cover and let simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Then add in your Chicken and cook about 5 more minutes until it thickens and water boils down a bit. Have a taste (lol) and set aside.

For the Sauce:

In a nonstick pan melt your Butter over medium heat and then add in your Onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add in the Flour and stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Then slowly whisk in the Chicken Broth until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook that on medium until the sauce boils and thickens. Next add in your Green Chilies and remove from the heat. Now stir in your Sour Cream. Lick spoon now (lol).

Assembly time!!!

Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Then fill each Tortilla with about 1/3 Cup of the Chicken and Bean Filling. Roll then up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Keep doing that until you have filled them all. Then pour the remaining sauce all over the top. Then sprinkle with your Cheese (we always put on extra Cheese, just sayin’). Cover the dish with Aluminum Foil and stick that baby into the oven for about 20-30 minutes and prepare for awesomeness!!! If you want Scallions of Cilantro on top do it when it comes out.

Of course you can always make it less calories by changing the recipe and using Low Fat Sour Cream, Fat Free Chicken Broth and Low Carb Tortillas, but for me I go full throttle since I can only have a small portion anyways.

I also ended my birthday dinner with a NY Cheesecake I requested my sister make because she makes it the best. I figured Cheesecake has protein so it was all good and it was. My sister RULES!!!

Hope you will give this a try, trust me it was Delish!!

Enjoy !!

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My New Truck for the New Me

2001 Ford Expedition

Bye Bye Mommy Van this girl has a new ride. A few weeks ago I bought myself a new Truck that suits the new me much better than my old Mommy Van.

Well it is not exactly new in the way of the year, but it is new to me and it is HOT. It is a 2001 Ford Expedition with tons of upgrades such as the 22″ chrome rims that sparkle just like I do now. I absolutely love it and it is the funny thing is it is so big and I am much smaller now and actually have to climb to get in – that makes me giggle.

My hubby got a Suburban this past summer to pull our boat and I never thought I would be able to handle driving such a big truck, but after I did I fell in love with driving it. In addition to that I felt very safe and being a nervous driver to begin with it really helps. So with that in mind I decided I would get a truck too.

Yes it is not the most efficient when it comes to gas, but being I work from home and not traveling back to forth daily to work that did not matter much to me. My son actually found it for me being sold locally on Craigslist. Funny how he knew exactly what I was looking for – Those big shiny rims sealed the deal for me in addition to all the other extras such as the kick ass aftermarket stereo/navigation system, Halo lights front and back, pristine interior and exterior, how great it ran and of course the price after my hubby did his amazing haggling.

So this chick shed the Mommy Van and now has a hot set of wheels to climb in too. The fun part is now accessories to really make it mine. On my list… Purple running lights. OH yeah Baby – watch out!!!

So many changes for me…Life is Good!!!

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Drawers were dropping at the support group this week

Support Group

So for the first time since I have had Gastric Bypass Surgery I attended one of the group support meetings. This meeting was extra special though..it was their annual “Drop your Drawers Fashion Show”.

A friend of mine is now in the early steps of having the surgery herself and thought it would be fun to attend the meeting and asked me to go with her. She was excited for this meeting and to be honest so was I. The “Drop your Drawers Fashion Show” is where others who have gone through Bariatric Surgery get to strut their stuff on stage wearing their old clothing on top of their new smaller size clothing and when every one says – Drop your Drawers they do just that and they get to show off their success.

It is a great motivator for both the pre surgery guests as well as post surgery guests to see how great they look, but also how great they feel. The participants in the show ranged from 8 years post op to just a few months and the transformations were very inspiring. I love to see before and afters just like everyone else and let me tell you each and everyone was amazing to see.

It is funny how everyone in the room has a different story to tell, but in the end we are all there for the same reasons – to be healthy!! One thing all of them said is the best thing since going through the Weight Loss surgeries is how much energy they now have and how great they feel and I can vouch for that as well.

Having Weight Loss Surgery is not an easy fix and everyone has to work hard to have success. It was great to hear their stories and to see that success at the meeting last night and hopefully next year I can be on that stage and strut my stuff. I missed out this year because I learned about it too late, but I did sign up to share my story and talk at the next meeting in October.

So a shout out thank you goes out to The Reading Weight Management Center and all of those involved with putting together the meeting last night – it truly was inspiring and will hopefully keep me on track to be up there next year. My friend was also given a look into what could be her future and how good she will feel afterwards as well.

When was the last time you attended a Support Group? Just sayin’

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Photos ~ Before and After Gastric Bypass Week 33

Week 33

has been quite some time since I updated my photos with a full length set and I have finally done it for you all to see. I cannot believe that I am almost 8 months out already – best part is that I feel great !!

My weight has dropped off slowly, but it has been steady and I am very happy about that. I cannot even imagine the thought of how much heavier I could have gotten in these 8 months if I did not make the choice to have the Gastric Bypass Surgery. I still have a bit to go but I feel as though my cocoon is coming off and that butterfly is starting to spread its wings again.

I cannot even begin to tell you how great it feels when you start to feel the old you start to come back. One thing I have loved is not worrying so much about what I will be wearing as I did before. I feel as though I blend in now vs stand out due to being so heavy. I am no skinny minnie yet, but I now feel so much more confident in my appearance unlike before. It has made a world of difference in my entire life, energy level and attitude. When I am happy – everyone in my family unit is happy.

I had one of the best summers this year then I have had in a very long time just due to my energy level and feeling lighter on my feet – I cannot wait until next summer when I am hopefully at my personal weight goal of 150 lbs which now, as I am writing this post, so much closer and only from today 58 lbs away – holy crap !!!

So here are some photos taken of me yesterday along with photos of me from 6 days prior to surgery for comparison

Before and After Gastric Bypass Week 33

In the photos prior to surgery my jean size was a 26 – I am now proud to say the ones I had on yesterday are a size 18. I have not bought to many new shirts so they are very big and baggy on me and the one I had on yesterday was no exception. I am trying to hold out going clothes shopping until I can be in a size 16 pant. I know I will have no choice as the cold weather hits to get shopping since I have nothing in my smaller size for winter.

The only thing I have bought recently are the jeans I had on and a my first pair of capris ever – in a size 18. I look forward to buying a winter coat this year because I had not found one I ever liked in years prior due to feeling like a giant whale wearing one. I always just ended up wearing a sweat jacket in the cold.

I am planning to have a party when I get back into the 100’s – yup at 199 lbs the planning begins – my ONEderland Party. It will be a huge thing for me to get there and hopefully my guests will bring me gifts of gift cards so I can get myself some new digs. As of this morning I am only 9 pounds away so I am hoping by next month. I am gonna freak out when I get there, just sayin’.

So there you have it, my photo update.

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Gastric Bypass via Hypnosis ???

Hypnotic Watch

If you have not heard about Gastric Bypass Hypnosis do not worry because it was not something I knew about until the other day.

I was chatting it up with one of my good friends the other night when she told me about this news story she had seen about Gastric Bypass Hypnosis. This is my friend who was a big inspiration for me to have Gastric Bypass Surgery as she had had it done herself with great results. She said her significant other was looking into it so of course I had to search it up and share it with all of you to see what your opinion is on this.

I am a believer for the most part in Hypnosis therapy, but have never had it done myself. Of course when I think of hypnosis I get the pictures of people on a stage with the clock going back and forth in front of their faces being told you’re getting sleepy, sleepy, sleepy – you’re asleep. Then they wake up and are told to do weird things like bark like a dog. We all know that is probably bogus, but it is what I think. I know I have issues – lol.

Anyway I do know that there are plenty of successful hypnotherapists out there that use hypnosis for many things other than getting people to bark like dogs. Actually I have even looked into it myself to try and help me with remembering my childhood (long story – but to make it short – I lost my mother at a young age to cancer and have blocked out childhood memories). I never looked very hard for someone but may at some point.

When I heard about this Gastric Bypass Hypnosis, also known as Gastric Hypnotic Band,  it peaked my curiosity – I have already had the surgery so it means nothing to me at this point, but could it for someone else?

I am a bit skeptical, but yet again I have never tried hypnosis. Maybe it would not work for everyone, but could it be a non surgical option for someone who is terrified to under go the knife or just has too many other medical issues to do so? Or even a less expensive option for those who have to pay for weight loss surgery due to sucky insurance or none at all. God knows I have laid out more than $1200 bucks in diet plans over the years – probably quadruple that.

Or is this just another way for these doctors to pray on the desperate to fatten their wallets.

I would love to hear your thoughts and what you think… Feel free to add your comments below.