Tastebud Transplant?

One thing I've noticed about myself over the last 10 months is how my tastes have changed.  Dramatically.  I don't know if it's a result of how my body has changed since the surgery or if it's just part of getting older, but I don't crave the things I used to and in fact crave things I never dreamed I would.  If I didn't know any better, I'd swear I had a tastebud transplant when I had my bypass. (By the way, spell check tells me "tastebud" is two words, but it just looks weird that way.  Bite it, spell check!)

This one-time chocoholic couldn't care less about chocolate.  If it's there, fine.  If not, that's fine too.  I rarely crave it.  At Easter time, I had a severe jelly bean habit.  Never in my life have I cared a bit about jelly beans.  My absolute favorite candy is the Cadbury creme egg.  Not this year.

I crave salad.  Isn't that bizarre?  Who, besides my mother, craves salad?  Or any vegetable, for that matter.  Me, that's who.  Weird. 

Cheese used to be a non-issue with me.  I liked it, but it wasn't all that exciting.  Throw in a cracker and some pepperoni and it was a fine little treat.  If we didn't have any in the house, I really didn't care.  Now?  I can't get enough.  I inhale string cheese sticks like it's the last bag on the planet and someone might steal it from me.  If the husband dare has one, I have to bite my tongue not to say "that's mine!".  If the kids ask for one, then don't eat it all?  A little bit of me dies inside.  What, too dramatic?

Perhaps you will recall about oh, 9 1/2 months or so ago I was standing in my kitchen sucking on a piece of steak that I wasn't allowed to eat yet, but needed that meat fix.  Today I can take it or leave it.  The only reason I make some kind of meat every night is basically for my husband.  My 6-year-old daughter has decided most meat is too fatty for her (a nightly battle, as she won't let any fat pass her lips and dissects her dinner with the precision of a surgeon).  My 2-year-old son is going through a phase where he eats two or three bites of whatever is on his plate that is not a vegetable, then proclaims he's "all done, get down!"  The only meatless meal I can think of that I make is some kind of pasta and sauce.

Last night Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard (or more accurately, freezer) was fairly empty, and I had no idea what meat to make.  It's grilling season, but it was a cold, cloudy day here.  So I begrudgingly took out a package of hot dogs, which I hate feeding my family and think are only acceptable on occasion, in the summer only.  Before they were all the way thawed I decided, "no, we're not having those", and put them in the refrigerator.  We had a meatless dinner.  Granted, none of it particularly went together (homemade home fries, roasted carrots and garlic, a frozen veg medley, and leftover mac salad) but the point was it was meat free.  And no one died.  Imagine that.  I've decided we're going to go meatless at least once a week, but I'll plan better for it next time so it's not just a mish-mash of whatever I throw onto a plate.  I'm thinking a quinoa dish or risotto primavera for next time.  I'll have to let you know how it goes.

We're getting ready to plant our garden.  Well, actually, the husband is presently doing the prep work as I sit here on the sunny deck and glance over there from time to time.  But when The Girl gets home from school--she wants to help--we're gonna plant that baby like it's 1999.  (That song doesn't really work anymore, but you get my point.  I think Prince should have chosen a more realistic date to party, like December 21, 2012?  Hmm?)  I'm so excited to get my veggies in the ground.  I can't wait for them to start to produce.  Having just gotten back from the grocery store and seeing the prices rise again, walking out to my backyard for my veggies is going to be such a treat to our wallet. We didn't have a garden last year, and I missed it, not just for the money saving aspect of it, but because of the satisfaction of watching it grow and saying "hey, I did that!"  This year we got the usual tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli and whatnot, but I also grabbed a few different things that we've never grown before, like sweet potatoes, cabbage and watermelon.  Nothing exotic, but new to us anyway.  And of course we'll do pumpkins.  The kids love that.  And it's nice not to have to spend upwards of $10 on a scrawny little pumpkin for them to carve come Halloween time.

So I guess that's it for now.  I'm going to sit here for the next hour, finish my iced coffee and read my book, and watch the pool boy gardener get things set up for the big gardening extravaganza.

Then I'll go take some pork out of the freezer for dinner.  I do so love the grill this time of year.

Shocking Comparison...To Me, at Least

I was going through some of my older pictures I saved on my computer (I really need to get an external drive!)  I came across some pictures of myself and my jaw dropped.  Why didn't anyone tell me I was so fat??  I mean, ok, that's not something you go around saying to people, but still.  It was a bit shocking.  Let me share:



3 months before surgery



10 months after surgery





















(I cropped the one picture of me to protect the innocent.)  Not the best pictures, I admit, but I think the difference is glaringly obvious.  Now what would happen if I actually tried to get off this plateau I'm on?  Hmmm...the world may never know.

Or maybe it will.

10 Months and Counting!

First let me just say I am so completely furious...I had an entire (long) post written, and due to "Conflicting Edits"--whatever the hell that means--it's gone.  Poof.  Sayonara.  Start again, sista.  So, here we go, attempt #2.

10 months in and I'm still discovering how this new stomach of mine works.  Well, not how it works necessarily, but what it likes and dislikes.  Apparently, it dislikes something in a recent stir fry I made, and apparently I'm a glutton for punishment  a slow learner determined because it took me three attempts at eating it to throw in the towel (it is simply delicious).  It is the Crispy Honey Chicken that I recently found, and you can find the recipe for it here on my food blog.  I'm not sure what the problem was, as I've eaten all of these foods separately before without issue, but whatever it was, it was not welcome in my stomach and was quickly evicted with little notice.  All I can figure is the dredging and subsequent pan-frying of the chicken...?  I don't usually don't do any sort of "fry" other than stir-fry, so maybe that was it.

Let's talk a little bit about summer clothes.  I am so excited to be able to wear them this year.  I recently bought a pair of denim shorts for the first time in years.  I mean years.  They look really good on me.  They feel really weird though.  I feel half naked.  Not because they are Daisy Duke short.  They're modestly mid-thigh.  It is because for said amount of multiple years I was a sweaty capri wearing girl, even in the dead heat of summer.  No more!  These (temporarily) mayonnaise-white legs are being shown to the world!  So what if they jiggle a little.  I'll pretend I don't see you noticing if you quickly avert your eyes.  Look away, look away!

Speaking of taboo clothes for this formerly hefty chick, how about tank tops?  My sister and I are heading to a concert in July, and I'm so excited I'm already planning what I'm going to wear.  Definitely wearing a tank top.  My only reservation is what I call my "wings", which will be merrily flapping in the breeze as I give Poison and/or Motley Crue my "rock on" fist (or what I think you crazy kids nowadays call the "Jersey Shore fist pump"...I abhor all things Jersey Shore, just for the record).  If anyone has any upper arm toning exercises that don't require a gym membership, feel free to share them with me!

Oh, and by the way?  Yeah, I said Poison and Motley Crue.  You can go ahead and be jealous.  This is a lifelong dream realized for me...at least the Poison part (although seeing the Crue ain't too shabby either!)  I have been a fan since I was 7 years old, and haven't looked back since.  Back in the day I had Bret Michaels (in various degrees of half-nakedness) posters plastered all over my bedroom walls, much to the chagrin of my very understanding mother. I remember my grandmother visiting and being absolutely appalled over a huge poster of Bret lounging poolside in nothing but a banana hammock.  I'll never forget that as long as I live!  You're looking at a hardcore 80s metal hair band chick right here.  Some days I even miss my stone-washed jean jacket with the white leather fringe...ok, maybe not, but I just gave myself a good chuckle remembering how much I loved that jacket!

So until I can regal you with stories of my experience at the concert, you can get your Poison fix here and your Crue fix here .  Big Aqua Net hair and leather boots optional.

Fatty McButterpants

I'm having one of those days where I just feel like Fatty McButterpants.  Know what I mean?  This seemed appropriate.

(bluntcard.com is delightfully rude, if you're into that kind of humor)



Sounds Like More Excuses to Me

It has come to my attention that it's been a month since I've posted.  A MONTH.  I continually find myself in the state of "where is the time going?"

My weight loss is at a plateau.  Now it's time to actually work on it.  I bought a pair of Sketchers Tone Ups (the store I was at didn't have the Shape Ups in my size).  I love these sneakers.  I've never worn a more comfortable, light-weight sneaker.  They even have little holes near the toes for what I call the "air conditioning effect".  They allow your cooling air into your shoes while you walk.

That being said....I have to actually go for a walk.  I'm not talking about wearing them shopping or for whatever other errands I need to run.  I mean an actual "I'm exercising on purpose" walk.  Last time I talked about wanting to go for a run.  I still want to.  But I have to get the proper clothes to do that.  Scoff if you will, but when I ran across the yard with my daughter and my pants literally ended up around my calves (you're welcome for that image), I knew I couldn't go for a run until I go clothes shopping.  Ditto for a good sports bra.  I don't mean my bra ended up around my calves (how's that for an image?!)  I mean I have to get one.  Even though the girls have shrunk, they still have that uncomfortable bounce action going on.  Again, you're welcome.  No one said this was gonna be pretty!

One other obstacle to overcome is seasonal allergies.  I'm dying over here.  I took the kids outside to play yesterday and ended up in the house a half hour later.  And that's with allergy medicine.  Money is tight, as with everyone these days.  A gym membership is just not a realistic expense at this time.  I love spring, but I hate the allergies that come with it. 

The Little Things

It's the little things that tickle me.

Little things that I notice about myself since losing weight.

I have one chin.

I have a collarbone.  I have bones in my shoulders.  I have tendons behind my knees (noticed while shaving my legs in the shower) and it's hard to shave around my ankle because there's an indentation behind the ankle bone.

I have knuckles.  I am wearing rings on fingers I never thought I would.  I have bones in my wrists.  Hip bones?  I have them.  Prominant rib cage...when I'm laying down, but it's there.

I'm not short-winded.  It takes a lot more to wear me out, my endurance and stamina are high.  I can shop all day without blinking an eye.  My feet get tired before I do.

I love the way my husband looks at me, and calls me "Skinny Lady" or his tiny woman, and when he hugs me his arms wrap all the way around me.  He commented the other day on my "chicken legs" with his trademark smirk.  He can pick me up now, and we surprised the kids when he walked into the kitchen with him giving me a piggy-back ride.  He even asked me if I'm wearing a bikini this summer.  HA!!  Yeah, right...NOT happening!  I may be thinner, but I'm certainly not bikini thin!  But the thought behind it makes me pretty happy.

I also have noticed little things that don't tickle me so much, and that's mostly about flabby skin.  Namely my wings.  However, these lovely flappy wings of mine are not going to stop me from wearing sleeveless shirts this summer.  I haven't gone sleeveless in public since high school, and I thought I was a cow then so I rarely did it then either.

You always hear how it's about the little things in life...it's true.

Good Enough to Eat

Last week I bought a book from amazon.com that I was really looking forward to reading.  Bonus, it was on sale.

  It came yesterday.  I started reading it last night before I went to bed, and I haven't wanted to put it down since.  It's called "Good Enough to Eat" by Stacey Ballis.  It is about a woman who sheds 145 lbs., starts leading a healthier life, has her husband leave her for a fat woman, and has to rebuild her life.  This character thinks almost exactly like I do.  Obsessions with food, relationships with other people....

As my son is taking his nap, I'm reading more of the book.  I came upon this part, and feel I have to share because in a nutshell, it's how I feel.

"I run a hot bath for myself, and as it fills, I let my robe drop to the floor and look at myself in the mirror.  I have a good face, not beautiful, at least not to me, but reasonably attractively put together, handsome.  But my body bears the scars of a lifetime of obesity.  White stretch marks line the front of my stomach, my thighs, striate my breasts, which were once a lush 42DDD and are now a 36D, hanging deflated, defeated.  The skin of my upper arms, my inner thighs, and over my abdomen is loose, and while there is excellent muscle tone underneath, the skin, which once was taut over soft pillows of fat, now slides in waves over the space I worked so long to create...My butt, which once loomed in a massive shelf jutting out over my lower back like the stern of a proud sailing vessel, has somehow dropped into a sad double teardrop.  ...With the right bra, I have a great rack.  But naked, naked I look like a newborn bird without feathers; something is not quite finished about me.  I never wanted to get the excess skin removal surgery; it is costly and debilitating.  But I also never really thought about being here.  In this place.....But I feel like a fraud.  Because however good I look dressed, however normal I appear to be in public, once you strip me down, I have essentially the body of an old woman."

I can't wait to finish this book, yet I don't want it to end.

You can find it here:  http://www.amazon.com/Good-Enough-Eat-Stacey-Ballis/dp/B004LQ0EFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302106851&sr=1-1

The Demise of Badonka Butt

I'm not a fan of country music, but I am familiar with that song "Honky Tonk Badonka Donk".  I'm also aware that this song is an appreciation of some woman's shapely behind. 

That song "Fat Bottom Girls" by Queen?  I love it.  I love it even more because of the title.

"Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot?  "I like big butts and I cannot lie..."  Yep, Baby does have back.

Or...she did.

My butt is gone.  Gone.  The space in my jeans where it used to be is just that--space.  Baggy, saggy and unflattering.  What's left of my tush has gone to mush.  I used to jokingly say that I had a shelf back there that my husband could rest his drink on.  There are pictures of us dancing with his hands resting on that very shelf.

Gone.  Red beans and rice did miss me.

I'm a little upset about this.  Don't get me wrong.  When my weight was at it's peak, my ass was huge.  Broad-side-of-a-barn huge.  But I would like a little junk in my trunk.  Just a little.

Around the corner from the flat and sagging behind is what I have been referring to as The Mom Belly.  It won't go away.  If it wasn't for that I'd be wearing at least a size 12.  It's basically skin (yeah, there's still fat there, but mostly it's just skin).  I can--brace yourself here--pretty much pull it up and smush it so that there's nothing there.  It's pretty cool to see, actually.  But then I put my hands back to my sides and voila.  Mom Belly.  I think if the human body can stretch like it does to accomodate the growth of a child, it sure as hell should shrink back to it's original state when it's done.

Now I guess I'm going to have to go onto youtube and watch "Baby Got Back" since it's now running through my head the way I used to run for the buffet line.

Hey, fellas!
Yeah?
Fellas!
Yeah?
Has your girlfriend got the butt?
Hell, yeah!
Shake it!
Shake it!
Shake it!
Shake it!
Shake that healthy butt!
Baby got back.

Yep, now you're singing it.  You're welcome!

Wake-Up Call

I follow another blog about life post weight loss surgery.  The woman, Susan Maria, had surgery 10 years ago, and in the last 10 years has made her living helping us with recipes and support, and giving us the tools (vitamins, protein drinks, sugar-free foods) to live successfully post-op.  The website is http://www.bariatriceating.com/.

Why am I telling you this?  Because I just read her latest blog, and it hit me square in the face.  I'm attaching this link so you can read it too.  If you've been following my blog at all, you'll know why I got sucker punched.  And by the way, I'm at the seven month mark...you'll know why that's significant if you click this link:

http://bariatriceating.com/SMblog/?p=1663

So now that you've read that and you know what I'm talking about, guess it's about time to buckle down and quit taking this for granted.

Sweets and Stuff

Boy, do I stink at staying regular at this blogging stuff.  So much for my resolution.  I'm still going to try harder, I promise!

I'm not sure if I've lost any more weight since my last post.  My scale isn't working right after repeatedly being abused by my son, so I can't get an accurate read.  I don't feel any smaller, so I guess that's my answer. 

I've realized something this month.  Sweets don't really agree with me.  My father's birthday was this past weekend, and I made this awesome cake that looked like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.  Devil's food cake, white frosting and strawberry jam for the "sauce".  Oh, and white chocolate shavings to simulate the Parmesan cheese.  Delicious.  And hell on my system.  This is the second time I've had cake and had the lightheaded/shaky/sweaty/nauseous feeling.  I have to wonder if it is because I have had these two desserts after eating dinner, because it is not the first time I've had sweets period.  Cookies, candies, even an occasional "fun size" candy bar with no ill effects.  As a matter of fact, I just had one of the cookies I made for my daughter's class snack.  Yeah yeah, I know, bad me, blah blah blah.  I know all about how bad it is.  If I deprive myself of these things, this is never going to work.  Anyway, I'm going to avoid the dinner-then-dessert combination and see what happens.

I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen, and adding some recipes to my recipe blog.  I don't think many of you look at it, but I use it as a kind of cookbook for myself.  Already I've gone back to it to see how I made something.  I'm really enjoying doing it, even if it is only for me and my mother.

Spring is just around the corner, and I know we're all looking forward to it.  I'm looking forward to it not only for the nicer weather, but also because that's when the grill comes out of storage.  I don't have a covered deck and I'm not opening the sliding glass doors in the living room to let in the cold and track snow in onto the carpet.  No thanks.  But it is something else to look forward to!  Most of my cooking gets done on the grill in the summer.  Meats, pizzas, corn on the cob, potatoes...you name it, I'll try it.  It helps to have the side burner as well.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how grilled food works for me.  Now if this snow would just melt...

Shopping. Who Knew It Could Be So FUN?

I am finally beginning to really enjoy my new body.  Yesterday I went shopping...clothes shopping.  I used to hate shopping with a passion.  I had a great time!  Thanks to a bunch of unused gift cards, I got two new bras and 3 new shirts, and still have money left for next time.  I was giddy in the dressing room.  Every time I looked in the mirror I had this stupid grin on my face.  I took an armload of shirts in with me to try on.  It's a good thing I did.  They were all the same size, but one was too small, and two were too big.  Too big.  Imagine that!  I ended up with only two shirts in that store.  Also, I purchased my very first....wait for it...Victoria's Secret bra.  Finally! Up until now the only thing that fit me in that store was the perfume/lotion!  Unfortunately, I didn't try that bra on, and it's just a smidge to small.  No one likes boob spillage in the front.  So I'm taking it back, and will try on either a larger cup size or a different bra altogether.  Turns out it is a demi bra, and let's face it, I'm not a demi bra kind of figure.

By the way, I heart Kohl's.  I found a Chaps sweater for $15 (originally $50) and a Chaps long-sleeve shirt for $30 (originally $60).  My other shirt came from Burlington Coat Factory, and was another good deal.  $9.99 when it was originally $35.  I didn't buy anything that wasn't on sale, with the exception of the Victoria's Secret bra.

I didn't do any shopping for jeans.  I have been getting them used on ebay, due to my ever-shrinking waistline.  I have two pair en route currently, and can't wait to get them.

Now I'm off to the kitchen.  I'm going to do my first-ever brisket, as well as some baking.  I'm in the mood for cookies.  You?

Happy Birthday to Me, I'm as Old as Can Be...

OK, not really, but I started singing that the other night on our way to my birthday dinner, and it's been stuck in my head ever since.  I have a tendency to make up my own songs a lot, especially for the kids' benefit.

Since my birthday has just passed, I've been eating out a lot.  Birthday lunches, birthday dinners, birthday cake (did someone say cake?!)  We celebrate birthday weeks around here, not just days.  My birthday fell on a Thursday, and I was taken to lunch by my mother and sister.  French onion soup and a chicken quesadilla.  Mmmm.  Worked for me!  Saturday brought another lunch with my mom, on our way to go grocery shopping.  I had breakfast...an egg and a piece of raisin toast with a smidge of bacon.  No troubles!  Saturday night my husband and I went to dinner.  I had the seafood dinner special, which consisted of 1/2 lb. of snow crab legs, a piece of broiled haddock, and 2 (yes, 2) deep fried shrimp with red-skinned mashed potatoes.  That was ok, because deep fried doesn't work for me but I think I can eat it anyway.  I did end up having to stop on the side of the road and throw up, but I don't know if it was the crab, the deep fried shrimp, or the fact that I just ate too much.  Maybe it was the combo of food and 1/2 a glass of wine.  Regardless, lesson learned!

Sunday was the last day of my birthday week.  We went to my parents' house and had chili (we all pretty much love Mom's chili) with corn bread and garlic bread, and at my request my sister brought an ice cream cake.  A Snickers ice cream cake, to be exact.  Boy was it good!  After I had it though, I started to get sweaty and a little nauseous.  Too much sugar.  But that feeling quickly passed, and it was worth it anyway.

Now, back to reality.  Healthy, homecooked meals.  Not to say Mom's chili wasn't healthy, but the ice cream cake that followed sure wasn't!  But before all that good home cooking, I have to clean this place.  It never fails to amaze me how the less time we spend at home, the messier the house is.  How does it get messy when there is no one here to mess it up?  Party gnomes?  Regardless, the little stinkers don't clean up after themselves, so that's what I'll be doing today.  There is no school this week, so maybe I can get my girl to help....hey, miracles happen every day, right?

My Snickers ice cream cake...yum!

Another Revelation (or "Food I Can't Eat #23")

The Italian in me is crying.  She has her fists raised to the sky, moaning "Why, God? Why?"  The voice she is hearing probably isn't God though.  It is saying, "Because up until recently, your large ass could have been mistaken for the broad side of a barn."  I'm thinking God isn't quite that truthful.

Why the drama?  Because today I discovered one more food I can't eat.  Spaghetti.  Angel hair, to be exact.  I'm going to add it to the list, to include all pastas that are similiar:  linguini, vermicelli, etc. etc.  We had dinner at my parent's house tonight, and my mom made an amazing seafood dish with a light tomato and wine sauce that she served over angel hair.  Shortly after finishing, I made my first trip to the bathroom.  It was all angel hair that came up.  Same with trip number two.  The third time occurred on the way home, and it too was all angel hair.  So.  Enough of that.  It was physically painful to have in my stomach.  Once I finally got rid of it all, I was good to go.

Sorry you had to find out this way, Mom.  I didn't want you upset while I was there.  What is it they say?  "It's not you, it's me."  In this case, totally true.

Luckily, the Italian whiner inside can find solace in the fact that other pastas work out just fine.  So bring it on, I'm ready.

Six Months

Six months post-op.  Life is good.  I had my six month check up recently.  I have lost 58% of my excess body fat.  I'm down 83 lbs. and from a size 26 to a 16.  I still have a little ways to go, but all in all I'm happy with my success so far.  My blood pressure blew me away at that visit.  This is the first time in over 10 years without medication, and it was borderline low: 106/68.  My pulse was 64.  It used to run in the 80s-90s, sometimes higher.  I did get my hand slapped though, because my iron level is low and I'm borderline anemic.  Why the hand slapping, you ask?  Well, because it's my own fault.  I started having a hard time taking my vitamins (they are HUGE), so I stopped.  I don't know, I guess I thought I was going to be able to maintain my levels without the vitamins.  Clearly not.  So I got an order for bloodwork in another 3 months, to make sure my iron is back where it should be.  Also, I have to drink more fluids.  My labs showed that my kidney function is a little down.  I don't have to go back for 6 months though, and that is ok with me!

Buyers beware

I feel the need to air my disappointment in a couple of companies.  In these times, we need to wisely spend every penny we have, and these two companies have let me down recently.

Polar, you are on notice.  I recently purchased a few cans of shittake mushrooms.  I was pretty excited about it, seeing as though I prefer canned mushrooms over fresh, and you usually only see the one type of canned mushroom.  At least around here. 

I was making soup and thought the shittakes would be really good added to it.  For whatever reason, I stood at the stove after opening the can and read the label.  One of the ingredients?  MSG.  Really, Polar?  MSG?  Why?  With all that we know about MSG, and all the alternatives (if such an item belongs in a can of mushrooms in the first place) why not pick a healthier one?  I will not be purchasing these again, and will take a hard look at any Polar cans I may be contemplating in the future, if at all.

Second.  Hanes.  I'm a big fan of their long sleeved t-shirts.  I like to layer them under my clothes (as I'm cold all the time now) and sometimes even sleep in them.  They are cheap ($6) at the local Walmart, too.  My complaint?  If they accidentally find their way into the dryer, they shrink 1 to 2 sizes.  Not just in tightness, which I can deal with, but also in length in both the torso and arms.  You know that scene in "Tommy Boy" where Chris Farley tried on David Spade's coat?  "Fat guy in a little coat..."  That's what I felt like.  I like these shirts so much, I considered buying up a size.  But wait a minute...I lost off of this weight, and I have to buy a size up?  NOT. HAPPENING.

So while this may seem like small potatoes in the scheme of things, I'm trying to be a thrifty(er) shopper, and when situations like these arise, it makes me feel like my efforts are fruitless.  What's the point of clipping coupons if you're going to waste $6?  Know what I mean, Vern?

Hip Hip...

...Hooray!

OK, that's cheesy.  But that's how I feel, because I finally got on the scale after weeks of avoidance.  I figured, why bother, the number never changes.

But it did!

Not only did it change, it went down...6 pounds!  Who loses weight over the holidays?  Me, apparently.  This is the first time in over 10 years that I am under 200 lbs.  Am I happy?  You betcha!  Does the recent vomiting pale in comparison?  Yup!

I'm now 24 lbs. away from the goal the surgeon has set for me.  This brings my total weight loss to 82 lbs.  Pretty awesome for (almost) 6 months time!

Cocky No More

Turns out I've been kind of cocky about not throwing up anything recently.  I've been patting myself on the back and being rather smug about the fact that I must have finally figured this thing out.

Not so much.

I've had my ass handed to me twice this week, figuratively speaking.  Earlier in the week I made Shake N Bake sirloin pork chops (an absolute favorite of mine from childhood) with lightly buttered pasta, peas and corn.  It wasn't long after I pushed my plate away with that sickish feeling that I was in the bathroom.  I was in and out of there a grand total of 6 times over the course of a half hour.  Not fun.  I thought maybe I ate too much.  As I was telling the gruesome tale to my mother, she suggested maybe it was the combination of peas and corn, as those with diverticulitis (a stomach condition that makes digestion difficult) can't eat any vegetable with any sort of a skin.  I did stop the throwing up once the peas and corn were out...so I won't be eating them in combination again.

Yesterday I went to lunch with my mother at the Boonville Hotel.  We usually have a good lunch there...not so much yesterday.  We both were unhappy with the quality of our meals, and mine proceeded to make me sick.  I had something I knew I could eat--hot sliced pork sandwich with gravy and mashed potatoes.  Yes, it's a caloric nightmare, I know.  It doesn't matter though, because I ended up in their bathroom twice.  After we left there we went to the grocery store, and I ended up hunting down an employee to find out where their bathroom was. 

Today we're doing lunch again, as I have to take the dog to the vet (we don't go galivanting and living the life of leisure all the time!).  I hope today is more successful.  I'm going to stick with something safe, like soup.  As a post-op bariatric surgery patient, we're not "supposed" to eat soup, as their theory is the liquid in the soup pushes the food faster through your pouch, thereby causing you to eat more.  I put oyster crackers in mine, so that's really not an issue for me (that's my argument, and I'm sticking to it).

A small update:  my hair loss has slowed down.  I'm still losing it steadily, but not in huge gobs any more.  It is waaaaay thinner than I thought it would ever be, but nothing a good trip to my hairdresser (who is also post-op) won't fix.  Now if it would just start coming back in...

The first post of 2011

1/1/11...New Year's Day 2011.  Hard to believe another year has come and gone.  A monumental year for me, a year that found me losing 76 lbs.  I have another 30 or so to go, so now's the time to buckle down and get serious.  The first 76 fell off...this last 30 is going to have to be worked off.  Nothing good comes easy, right?

I went grocery shopping today--by myself.  That rarely happens, and from the looks of my purchases, it should happen more often.  As I was loading the groceries onto the belt, it hit me how different I shop from when I first moved out onto my own, from a few years ago, and especially from 6 months ago.  It's been a fun challenge to cook even healthier than I used to, and to make it something my family (especially my finicky daughter) will at least try.  The downside to all the healthier groceries?  A heftier grocery bill.  By almost $100.  That did not impress me.  I suppose that's to be expected in this area, where you find your run-of-the-mill foods, and anything exotic you either don't find or pay through the nose for.  My main mission was to find quinoa.  I have never tried it, but I have read nothing but great things about it.  Unfortunately, I had to scour the shelves in the grain aisle at Walmart, and when I did find the rather small box, it was almost $6.  I bought it anyway, as well as a small package of all natural wild and brown rice for $5.  I love these types of rice, but it pains me to buy the fast cook packages with their high sodium seasoning packets and preservatives.  We had the rice for supper tonight, and it was amazing, if I do say so myself.

My husband's cousin has gone through her own lifestyle change, and has lost 90 lbs. just by changing her diet and exercising.  I'm so thrilled for her!  She posted this recipe on Facebook, and I'm totally going to try it:

Sweet Potato Smoothie
1/2 c skim milk
1/2 c baked sweet potato
1/4 c reduced fat vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Combine in a blender all of the ingredients.  Blend until smooth and foamy.

Sounds like a holiday in a glass, doesn't it?  Of course, I saw this after I got home, after not buying any damn sweet potatoes.  Oh well.  Next time.

For Christmas this year, we finally gave in and bought our daughter a puppy, a mini dachshund we named Oscar (Because he's a weiner dog, get it? Yeah, I'm hilarious.).  I'm excited to take him for walks in the coming months.  He's almost 3 months old, so walks around the yard are what we're doing at this point.  But any time not spent sitting on my ass I consider exercise, so yay me.

My friend Kim just started a blog of her own.  We met about 10 or 11 years ago...my God Kim, has it been that long??...while working at a video store while we were both in college.  I don't know if you could call it work, as we spent most of our time laughing.  We are the kind of friends who don't see each other or speak for long periods of time, but when we do, it's like no time has passed.  Kim had the surgery in Oct. 2009, and has lost 160 lbs. since then.  I'm so proud of her!  So this blog she started, it is called Kim's 30 to 30.  It's her 30 things to do before she turns 30.  It got me thinking.  I should have a list like this, things I want to accomplish by a certain date.  I may do this, don't be surprised if you see me post something similar.  Of course, mine will be more like 34 to 34, as my 33rd birthday is next month.  I need more than a month!  I'm such a procrastinator, it would probably be 5 to 34!

Anyway...I hope this new year brings you all the happiness you deserve.  Thanks for caring enough about me to follow my blog!  Make sure you take the new poll I've posted at the top left of this page.