I did not like it... But I did it!

Yup I really must have been on drugs when I said I would do that 5k Walk/ run. I woke up Saturday morning about 6 am and saw that it was raining outside, My first thought was , Oh there is a god.. Rain means I am not going.. But at 645am the rain was past and I no longer had an excuse. So I had to get up and continue on my day.. I got to the race and of course the first thing I noticed was that I was the fatest person there, and instantly had all kinds of self-conscience thoughts running thru my head and then got even more nervous about being able to do it. At first it when I said I would do it I thought how tough can it be but as the time approached I was panicking about not being able to do it.

At the starting point my worries still did not go away. Looking all around me were all these very fit individuals who definitely looked the part of runners. There were of course many other people who were not and then I made a promise to myself that as long as I did not come in last I would be happy.. After the singing of the national anthem the race was off... I started off strong and had every intention of doing the walk 1 minute, jog 1 minute and did that about four times, then that changed to walk 2 minutes and jog 1 minute and that lasted for a VERY short time.. Then I went to a fast walk... Of course I thought I was walking very fast but people kept passing me and how upsetting that was. Specially when some of these people were very much older then me and I was being smoked.. My sister who was with me, was very supportive of me and I know I slowed her down but she stuck by me.. Thanks Sis..

After the 1st mile I already had blisters on my toes because I definitely did not have the right shoes and you can bet I will not make that mistake again. I already went out and purchased a nice pair of running shoes that are supposed to correct my feet and help me out a bit.. I asked for a pair of shoes with wings on them but they were fresh out...lol

After the first mile, I was about to die.. I never realized that a mile was so loooooong... That mile was done in 15 minutes but it went down hill after that. In the middle of the 2nd mile, the whining started... "I don't like this" was all I kept saying," I am never doing it again" was another phrase that popped out of my mouth several times. At the third mile my legs were like lead and felt like I could barely lift them, my hands had swelled up because I kept them down too much with no circulation and my massive thunder thighs burned a hole thru my pant leg and I could smell burning pork...lol but lo & behold the end was near. It was like an island oasis in the distance. Nothing every looked so good. When I got to the finish line I was done!!! I stopped immediately and of course came very close to passing out, not quite but very close. I am sure I was dehydrated as I sweating out way more water then I could put in..Finished time was 54 min and something .. So roughly just under 18 minute miles. AND I did not finish last.. Very close to it but not last ..

On the way home it hit me.. My shins were in agony I could barely lift my feet.. Apparently I was taking too long of a stride and that is why that happened. When I got home I sat on the couch for several hours before continuing on with my day. The next day I got up and boy was I hurting, my shins and calf muscles had seen better days and I was moving VERY SLOW.. Heck I am still moving very slow today also as they are still very sore.

I am signed up for another race on July 12th and you can bet I will try and get myself a tad bit better prepared for it, I do not want to go thru that hell again. I had even contemplating backing out of the race but I know my cousin healthier Chelle would beat my butt.

So I guess when I get home tonight I will try out my new shoes and see how well I will do.

Take care everyone.. Talk to you all later..

PS.. Sorry but I did not get pictures this weekend but Hopefully I will get it done tonight

Weigh Day Week 8

Well Here it is..

Last week weight loss -5lbs

This weeks weight Loss another ...-5lbs

Grand Total weight loss ....-61 lbs!!!!!!!!!!

Monthly average weight loss ...-30.5lbs

YIPPIE!!!! I am on melting away !! I am so glad and really starting to see a difference in my clothes and in my body. I have noticed that my knees are not hurting as bad as they used too, that I can actually kneel down and not need a fork lift to get me back up..lol My constant heart burn is gone and I have noticed that my complexion is getting a much healthier looking tone and the acne is diminishing since I am no longer eating such crappy food. As a matter fact I even mentioned to my sister this morning that eating has kind of become a kind of hassle...( Boy that is a definite switch) It is just that I have to chew, chew, and chew my food, take really small bites and wait between every bite if I don't do those things it balls up in my stomach pouch and creates havoc, pain, nausea and vomiting. So eating now takes forever and well me and my new body have got things to do.. So I find that I really have to force myself to remember to eat and when I do eat, I eat really high protein foods that I can eat easily like cheese sticks, & deli turkey.. You roll them up together and it is a meal on the go.

For other news, and I must be on some major drugs to do this but I am (Healthier Chell you will be proud) going to do a "Go with the Flow" 5K Fun Run or Walk for Disaster Relief. It is a race for donations only to go to the American Red Cross. This is part of the Crim Fitness Foundation and should get me motivated for the race on July 12th that I am signed up for.. I have really been slacking big time on my training for that race so this one tomorrow will probably kill me but I am hoping that it will also get me back in the swing of things.

I also finished getting my pool up last night and am now in the process of getting it filled. I have to do it in stages as I have well water and don't want to strain my pump too much but I figure it will be full by Saturday afternoon sometime and I will be able to start enjoying summer swim fun..

Everyone have a great weekend.. and on Monday I will have some updated photos for you.

Take care, MEchele

Off Track

I seem to have gotten off track a little and need to get myself back to the routine. This past week has been a busy one and I have neglected to follow some of my very important rules. It is very hard everyday to fit all my protein and water into my daily life. I can't honestly say why because you would think that it would be easy but as the day progresses time just seems to slip by you and the next thing you know you re getting ready for bed to begin a new day. The new Protein directions that the nutritionist told me to do has really thrown me off. When I was using the protein bullets (as posted before I have found out that they don't work well and was told to switch) I was able to mix them into my water and drink it through out the day.. Now I have been forced to switch to protein powders that I mix with water and drink.. These are not very good at all and hard to tolerate. The powders (dosages is 2 big scoops) are very thick, heavy, take quite awhile for me to drink and usually cause me a bit of nausea. I tried many ways to get it down but all has ended with the same results. So now it has begun to be quite a chore for me and as many of you know when you don't like something you don't do it. I have been trying very hard to make sure I eat very high protein foods but that by itself is not enough, I can't and don't eat a whole lot and because of this I think I have been getting a little sluggish and lacking in energy. I guess I just need to keep experimenting with proteins until I find something that works for me and then I can get back into a routine. NOt to mention I need to make sure I get the right amount of protein so my hair does not fall out.. So far so good on that.. knock on wood.

Last night I started to put up my swimming pool I am really looking forward to getting into it. It is just one of those plastic ones that is 16' round 48" tall but it is really one of the best things I could have bought. I got so much use out of it last year and I really enjoy doing water exercises as it is so much easier on the joints. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I will have it up and running.

Be sure to check in tomorrow as it is weigh day!! I am looking forward to this one and hope for big numbers..

talk to you soon

MEchele

2 months gone already

Can you believe it ?? 2 months have already gone by since my surgery. It seems like I waited forever for that day to come and now here it has come and gone and I have been well on my road to recovery. Looking back the past 2 months I have really come a long ways. I really feel like I am coping well with my decision and am so lucky that I have had no major set backs or side effects. My eating, of course, is so much different now then it was back when. I really feel like I made the right decision for myself, this surgery has forced me to do what I have been trying to do for years and that is too get control of my eating. As I have progressed thru the last 2 months it is amazing to me that I can live on eating 1/8th of what I used to eat. It really feels good to be the one who is the slow eater now, to be the one who does not eat as much as the next person, to get that take out container from a restaurant and end up throwing it away uneaten. For example I went out to eat today for lunch and ordered a Turkey/bacon sandwich on wheat bread, I ate 1/4 of it and was completely satisfied, I watched people eat burgers & fries and none of it really bothered me too much. I was pretty happy with my sandwich, so that leads me to believe that I am also learning to make better food choices. ( on a side note I have not had french fries in 2-1/2 months. That by itself is a miracle) But I am looking forward to when I can eat beef, as I do miss it alot.

Now that I am at the 8 week mark my food options have increased to included salads, fresh fruits and raw veggies. I still, however, have to wait another month to try out rice & pasta along with beef but being that time is going by so fast I am sure that it will be here before I know it.

Once again I would like to Thank you all for supporting me on this new journey, it does help to know that I have such a strong support system backing me up and I so look forward to sharing my continued success with you all.

Take care, MEchele

I fell off the wagon

Well I have to be honest and admit that I did a big No-No this weekend.. Well at least the doctors would say that but Everybody I know who has the surgery still does it.... .Does what, you are wondering?? Well I went out on Saturday night and had 2 alcoholic beverages. Now for those of you who know me, you would know that 2 alcoholic beverages for me is absolutely nothing, specially when I am out with my Cousin & Uncle but I probably should not have drank, at least not so soon after my surgery.. However, I have to tell you that I had no ill side effects from it. I was very sensible about it and made sure after every sip I took, I followed it up with a sip of water and like I said I only had 2 drinks and one of which I did not even finish completely.. I was very much waiting for some bad reaction but nothing happened including the fact that I did not even get the slightest bit tipsy.. SO much for being a cheap drunk..lol. However, as I lose more weight things might change. I am having a bit of trouble with my bowels this morning and am not sure why but I am pretty positive it has nothing to do with the alcohol because that would have given me problems right away and not 2 days later. I did experiment with a few more food choices then I would have normally done this weekend so that might also have something to do with my Bowel problem this morning. Usually I add one new thing at a time but this weekend I seemed to be a little bit reckless in that area

I also went riding again yesterday morning, This time I went over to Elba Equestrian Park and did a bit of a longer ride and one that had a bit more challenge. As usual I took my trusty horse TJ and we had no problems. TJ got a good work out hauling my big ole butt around but I assured him that every time I get on him I will weigh less & less. I am so looking forward to getting my seat back and being able to ride my other horses without worry.. I think that day is coming sooner then later.

On a sad note my friends father passed away on Friday afternoon, I was there when it happened and am very thankful (for lack of better word) that I was able to be there for her and her mother in their trying time and that he passed very peacefully. I know from experience that this is not an easy thing to deal with and any support is always a blessing.

Take care everyone, and I will talk to you all again soon.

MEchele

Weigh day week 7

Sorry guys bit this post today is gonna be very short.. I am working another job this morning and time is tight. But I am am very pleased to announce that my weight loss for the weeks is ....

-5 lbs
Grand total lost as of week 7 is -56lbs since 4/29/08

Things are going pretty good right at least as far as the surgery goes. I did however receive a phone call yesterday from the clinic regarding my blood work. Everything is normal with the exception of my Protein & b12 counts. They are a little low and they are having me switch the way I am taking my vitamins and proteins. They however, were not too concerned with it as they were just border line low. Me, on the other hand, am very concerned about it as they are the 2 major things that keep your hair from falling out so this makes me very paranoid. I really, really do not want to lose my hair.. So I will make the changes they told me and see what happens. I have to get my blood work done in another 5 weeks so hopefully it will be better.

Well unfortunately I have to run right now.. Check back later and I will try to post more.

Take care everyone and have a great weekend.

I really am 6 sizes smaller

Well if you all remember from my post the other day "Back in the saddle" I had made mention that I was able to get into some older jeans of mine in a smaller size. I also had stated though I thought something might be up with that specially since they were the stretchy jeans. But Guess what??? Last night I was thinking about what I was gonna wear to work today(a 2nd job of mine) and started to get a little panicky as I really have no decent clothes that fit. I had very few nice fat clothes left and allot of my other nice clothes are too small still, so while I was frantically searching through my closet. I then realized I had allot of different jeans in the same size as the ones from Sunday so I thought I might as well give them a try.. and Holy Crap was I thrilled to find that they all fit too. I was just so surprised!!!! but boy what a nice surprise. I still however have the muffin top thing going on but that can be somewhat disguised with the proper shirt but then again when you go out to the stores or whatever I constantly see people who have the muffin top and don't seem to care so maybe it is the new trend and I am just in style now...LoL

SO now along with my weight countdown I will now begin a size countdown but this time I will actually admit what size I am wearing. I am still not comfortable about admitting my weight so I am going to hold off on that until I get to the 100 lbs weight loss mark like I said (Which if you will notice I am 1/2 way there already) but here goes the size thing

Pre-surgery Start Size - Pant Size -28
Shirt Size -24/26

Current Size - Pant size - 22
Shirt Size - 20/22

Goal size Pants - 10/12
Shirt - 8/10

Now my neighbor the other day told me that she sees a health specialist/nutritionist, who told her that with every 7lbs that you lose you drop one size in clothing. Which is pretty darn close to what I have done. (I am sure that there is some slight variations depending on the persons body) So by my calculations I should be at my goal size in another 70-80lbs and for once that goal does not seem like it is unreachable and I can see it happening in the near future.

So I am gonna drop a challenge on you all. Why not test the theory, everyone try to lose 7lbs ( no time limit on it) and see if you drop 1 size. I will be anxious to hear the results..

Good luck !!

Roll Reversal.

Yesterday, I met with my friend in the afternoon and she asked if I wanted to go for a drink and to get something to eat. I said that was fine but told her that I was unable to drink, which of course was no problem to her. My friend, whom I love to death, has always been the skinny one and when we would go out it would always be I who ate the most and I who usually drank the most. This time, however, it was the complete opposite. We went to Mr. B's Pub and I ordered a water while she had a rum & coke, when looking at the menu I told her if she wanted to share something that would be fine as I can't eat much anyways. Then it hit me, I actually went to a restaurant and wanted to share a meal.. I NEVER would have done that before.. I used to be very much protective over my food for lack of better explanation. I never wanted to share anything, unless it was appetizers before the meal. For some reason, no matter what the circumstances I always was scared that there would not be enough food to go around if I had to share it with anyone, even growing up up and living at home I would buy food and hide it, or on the way home I would stop at Burger King and get a bunch of stuff, hide it in other bags or my purse and eat it in secret in my bedroom. I have no idea why it is that I did that stuff and really it is kinda stupid on my part but that is just how I thought, I am sure there is some sort of physcological explanation but I really don't want to spend the money on a shrink to find out..I am hoping to do it on my own so I guess I will start now. .... Hi, my name is MEchele, and I am a food Hoard and a closet eater.

But anyways I seem to have gotten off track with my original thought. At the restaurant she & I ended up splitting a chicken Quesadeas(SP?), It was me who only ate 1 small piece and she had the rest and it was her who had the alcoholic beverages while I had none and sipped on some water. My friend has always been a very lite eater and for the very first time in the roughly 35 years that I have known her I was the one who was eating & drinking less. Not because I was trying to pretend that I was not a pig but because I actually did NOT want to eat much and that I was full when I ate the small amount that I did. ... talk about role reversal and this is one roll I hope to continue to play.

On a side note, my friends father is very ill and if you could say a prayer to offer comfort to him & his family I am sure it would be greatly appreciated..

Take care everyone and talk to you soon..

Back in the Saddle Again!!

Happy Monday everyone, As you can tell by my opening Title I had had a major triumph over the weekend.. Sunday Morning I got a call from a Friend Of mine Kelly, her and her friend Lucy were going to come riding in my neck of the woods and invited me along. After trying to think of some good excuse while I couldn't go I decided to suck it up and get over it. So I hooked up my trailer, grabbed my gear, and loaded up my trusty horse TJ and off we went. I have to admit I was just a tad bit scared when it came to getting on my horse but once I was mounted and we got going it was no problem.. Tj is the best horse a person can ask for, he is totally bomb proof and you never have to worry about him giving you a hard time on the trail.. He could not have treated his mom any better!!!!! I am sure he knew that there was a little bit of tension on my part but was very sensitive to it and slow and easy was the way we went...Of course, I don't think TJ can be anything but slow and easy (except for when it comes to food..lol) My friend Kelly could not have been any more supportive to me then she was. THANK YOU Kelly for helping me back in the saddle !! I truly had a great time, specially when we all got to take our horses for a swim at the beach and we certainly couldn't have asked for a better weather day..

The second exciting thing that happened this weekend was that I got into a pair of my smaller jeans. That were 6 sizes smaller then what I was wearing.. Imagine my shock when they actually fit.. of course they were the stretchy kinda jeans but I will take it anyways. Any boost to the ego is a good one.

On Saturday I went to two open houses. It seems like every time I go to a social function it seems easier and easier to deal with the amount of foods that are there and the fact that I don't have to eat and if I do eat I don't have to eat so much and it is OK if I don't eat everything on my plate. I am hoping that this means that I am slowly but surely getting over the "clean your plate syndrome." I think that as the more time goes by my mind will slowly change its attitude toward what used to be considered normal for me and what is normal now.

I hope all of you had a great weekend and and a stress free Monday!!

PS.. Say a little prayer for me this afternoon as I have to go to court on an issue with a former tenant. Say a prayer that the judge has the wisdom to see who is telling the truth and who is just being vindictive..

Weigh Day Week 6

Well Weigh Day arrived again today

Here are the results.

Last week - 48 lbs gone
This week another loss of - 3lbs
Total Weight Loss so far - 51lbs Since April 29,2008

Well Not bad I guess, I was hoping for a big dramatic number but I will take it anyways. I mean as my sister pointed out at 3lbs a week I could be at the 100lbs mark by my birthday.(Sept 20th) Would that not be a great a birthday present or what..

Last night I went to the Gym and did Water aerobics for the first time since my surgery..I actually had a fun time doing it and seemed to get a much better work out then I did before. I noticed that my movements were much easier then they were before my surgery. For example: you have to reach behind you and grab your ankle and hold it behind your back for a stretch on your upper thigh, I was not able to do that before and it was very easy for me to do yesterday. Also, it was much easier to do everything that involved my abs as it seems most of the 50lbs I have lost must be from around my middle..

Well here it is 4 hours later since I started this post... My morning has just not gone very well and right now I am just feeling sick & tired about allot of things.. I know, I know I am just feeling sorry for myself. It is just sometimes I think that there are allot of injustice in this world and that the people who are deserving get nothing and people who are the scum of the earth seem to never have to face any consequences for there actions...At least here on this earth... Obviously, there is a story behind this but it is just too long to tell you all and well would probably bore you too.

But Anyways I am very glad of my weight loss and that I am starting to see some changes in my body as the weight drops off.

Sorry this post is just short and to the point today my mind seems to be scattered right now and I am having trouble concentrating on this.. Everyone have a great weekend and I will talk to yo on Monday..

Cowgirl UP!!

Hello All, Yesterday I went in for my 6 week check up and all is well. The nurses and dietitian said I was right on track with my weight loss and that I was doing great!! I have been officially told that I no longer have to adhere to any physical restrictions.... Thank God!!!.. I can now lift more then 5 lbs,I don't have to crush my medicine anymore and I can start to ride my horses... I am very excited to be able to do more things and tonight I am going to the gym to work out for the first time..However, and I am gonna be very honest here,I am kinda scared to ride my horses. It has really been quite a while since I have rode, since last Fall and even before. I pretty much quit riding because of my weight or for that matter I have not ever enjoyed my horses to there fullest potential because of my weight. It always felt unfair to them to be hauling my fat butt around and it was very embarrassing for me to see the looks on allot of peoples faces when they saw such a fat person on a horse. Kinda like they were saying the horse should be on my back rather then the other way around. When I went riding I always felt a little apprehensive as because of my weight riding was more difficult specially once I got on the horse , if I got off or thrown off(which has happened many times) I was stuck without having some sort of help to mount back up. Also, riding a horse takes balance and when you have so much more extra to balance it takes much more work and concentration and in my opinion very much hinders your ability to ride good, its starts to make you panic and become fearful as you know if the tide of fat flows too far in one direction you are gonna fall off. So as my weight got even further out of control my dream of being that cool cowgirl running on my horse, running barrels or just doing that leisure trail ride was becoming less & less a reality and that made me extremely sad, disappointed, mad, and depressed and of course all directed at myself. I had that feeling that how could I want to do something so much yet not have enough strength and will power to maintain weight loss to fulfill that dream..

But anyways sorry to get off on such a downer there but it has been something on my mind for a very long time and just did not want to admit my fears aloud but I thought maybe since I am now on the downward weight slide if I got it out in the open and wrote about it, rather then let it fester as my own private shame it would make me per say "Get back in the saddle again". I am sure some of my horse friends will read this and offer suggestions and words of encouragements and I am even more sure that by the end of this year I will fulfill my dream of being that confident cowgirl and enjoy my horses to the fullest.

Thanks for listening ... MEchele

New Pictures

Hello All, I got the part for my camera and downloaded a few new current pictures of me. Remember though I have a ton ( well not quite a ton) of weight to lose so the difference is not all too dramatic yet but there is a slight difference and the more time that goes by the weight loss will be more obvious.

I really don't have a whole lot to talk about today nothing too much going on. However, my mom has been spending a couple of days with me. Yesterday she was nagging at me quite a bit because (this is the interesting part) she did not think I was eating enough!!. That is another first..No one has ever accused me of not eating enough. But wasn't that the goal of this whole surgery, too help me control my eating and that is definitely what it does. It has completely controlled my appetite and the amount of food that I can eat.

I have lots of people asking me 2 questions repeatedly. So I thought today would be a good day to address those questions.

The 1st question I hear allot is whether or not I feel hungry anymore -- The answer to that is yes but it is a very different feeling then what you are used to and it takes along time before you feel that way, I would say at least 8 hours. Before when I was hungry I would get that rumbling, grumbling stomach that you could really feel and hear telling you that you are hungry, now it is just a very hollow feeling that is hard to describe. There is no rumbling or growling it just feels very hollow or empty inside. It is not painful at all but it is a very strange feeling and I don't like it usually I feel like that most often in the mornings. Which in some ways that is good because I was never a breakfast eater before and now it basically makes me eat breakfast so I can make the feeling go away. And we all know that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day specially now that I have had this surgery. The other hunger feeling that I have is strictly in my head which has to do with the food addiction. My mind tries to tell me to eat even when I am not hungry but that feeling is strictly based on addiction, emotions or just boredom and one that I am working on reversing.

The 2nd Question that I hear often is whether or not I feel full and the answer to that it also yes but it is again a different feeling that what you are used to. There are also allot of rules to follow that insures that you do not stretch out your stomach pouch dramatically so that you can continue to feel full. When I eat you can feel the food in your stomach pouch and when the pouch is full you can feel the food starting to kinda go up your throat, This is a major sign to stop eating, however you can still continue to eat but that is when you start stretching things out and that can become a way of sabotaging your weight loss tool. One of the other tricks is not to drink anything for 30 minutes before/after you eat and not to drink while eating.. This assures that my stomach pouch fills up quicker then it would if I was drinking with my meals. Drinking with your meals allows the food to pass through quicker and that of course allows you to eat more.. This is a good diet tip for everyone. So give it a try and see if you feel any difference.

Well I hope that answers some of your questions or at least gives you more of an idea of just what this surgery is about and how it helps you. There, of course, is way more to the surgery but that can be another lesson on another day..

Be sure to check out my pictures on my link listed below or click on an ad or two and help me earn a few extra pennies.

As always have a great day, MEchele

a weekend of firsts

Hello all, I hope you had a great weekend. I had a pretty decent weekend and had a weekend of some firsts since my surgery.. Saturday I had to take my mom to Lansing for a wedding and spent the rest of the day doing stuff by myself in Lansing while she was at the wedding. In the past I would have just spent my day treating myself to every snack and restaurant treat I could find but that was not the case this time.. I spent the afternoon at the mall, I treated myself to a manicure and pedicure and even bought myself a couple of cute shirts in a couple of sizes smaller to give myself something to shoot for. I then went to a movie by myself and for a first time I did not have any soda, popcorn, candy or smuggled in fast food. The only thing I did have was a bottle of water and believe it or not I did not miss the other stuff. Afterwards I was feeling hungry and found that my favorite restaurant had a location where I was.. (Olgas Kitchen) So I decided that I might as well have my very first restaurant experience. I was actually very nervous about it.. and even asked for a booth close to the bathroom in case I had to vomit. I told the waitress my circumstances and she was very cool about it and told me to take my time.. In the past when I went to Olgas I would order a Gyro(or an Olga as they refer to it) with cheese and extra meat, fries, spinach pie, Olga snackers, and Cheese ball appetizers.. this time I ordered an Olga, which technically was cheating, and a spinach Pie. I ate maybe 1/8th of the Olga and 1/2 of the spinach pie(maybe a 2"x3" piece) and that was just the filling not the crust stuff, so in other words not that much. I ended up getting a take out box and bringing the rest home.. This was the first time I ever took a take out box home because I could actually NOT finish eating my meal..Any other time I took food home it was usually because I was with other people and was embarrassed to be such a pig so I took it home with me giving the illusion that I did not eat that much, usually when I got home I would just eat the rest. This time I am happy to say that the take out container is still in the frig and most likely will get thrown out uneaten. After eating I went to pick up my mom, I went into the reception and the first thing that was offered to me was a drink and I had to say NO.. This another first... me at a wedding and not drinking!! lol... I ordered an ice water.

Now that I am going on my 6 weeks I am now allowed a much bigger variety of foods. Pretty much every thing except, white flour stuff, stuff with sugar in it, raw veggies, some fruits, no greasy or fatty foods and no beef. Hummm I guess that means I can't eat pretty much everything..lol ..But I can try more variety slowly and in moderation and no more then 4 oz each meal. I did try actual chicken breast for the 1st time yesterday and I had a bit of problem but nothing major. I just think that was because I am a bad cook and the chicken was too dry...lol Today I am gonna try again today cooked in a different way and see what happens.

Well I guess that is all for first this weekend. Hope you all stay cool and healthy this week ..

Take Care, MEchele

Weigh day week 5

Well today is weigh day and I am plugging away slowly but surely

Week 5 Weight loss -3lbs
Total weight loss to date -48lbs

Not bad I guess, it is definitely not 3lbs gained so I am not complaining, I have a personal goal of wanting to be down 60lbs by the 14th but I think I might be kinda shy of that mark but who knows I have little over a week yet so we shall see. I might have a little water retention right now so next week could see some big numbers. I kinda feel like I am on an episode of the biggest loser, this weeks weigh in.. who will have big numbers???.. and on almost every episode it is the men who drop big numbers while the women just whittle it a way a few pounds at a time.

Last night was kinda exciting for me, I actually made myself a real meal or close to it. My tastes since the surgery have been changing a bit, lots of things just don't seem to have any flavor anymore. So I thought I would spice it up a little bit, at least as much as I am allowed. I went and got some more ground turkey although the thought of it was not to appealing, it seems to me that ground Turkey is just too dry but I found some that had just a little more fat content then the last batch I bought and tried that ,I have to say it tasted sooooo much better and yet was still in the guidelines of what I am allowed to have. So with that I added some Prego , some extra spice and used whole wheat pasta. A spaghetti dinner I had!!!! and it sure tasted good. Of course remember I can only eat 3-4 oz but since I have to wait 2-3 minutes between bites that 3-4 oz lasts a long time !!! and best of all I had no issues with eating it, no dumping, no vomiting nothing. Yippee!!!

This weekend I am gonna start doing a little more physical activity as I am coming up on my 6 weeks mark this Tuesday so all limitations should be lifted. Of course I am supposed to wait till I go to the doctors but I feel good, no pain at all and well quite frankly I feel ready to start doing all the stuff I normally would be doing. I will, of course, not go too crazy but summers is here and I am ready to enjoy it, my first project is too cut the grass and then get my pool up and running. The weather is supposed to get pretty hot so I wold love to be able to take a swim ..

Oh yesterday I also had my first appt with my laser hair removal. It was pretty cool and there was no pain at all. They have this little suction like tool, stick it on the area that needs done and blast a bit of laser on it. It gets a little bit warm but nothing bad at all, after the initial consultation part it took all of 5 minutes to do. I have to have at least 6-8 treatments before all the hair follicles are killed but it will be worth it in the long run..

Well I hope everyone has a great weekend!! Take care

PS. Still only 5 baby chicks but all doing well, I think the other eggs are duds..

I need to vent a little

I need to vent just a little. Now mind you it will probably seem like I am complaining and really that is not the case because I chose the surgery and even knowing what I do now I would still do it all over again but I want to vent anyways. You would think that having the surgery would save you some money since you are no longer eating out at fast food or any other type of restaurant, no longer spending money on crap food at the grocery store and you would think because you eat so little that the food you did buy would last you way longer then it would have before the surgery , I mean for example a can of soup is like 4-5 meals for me. But the reality is that I am spending about the same amount as I was before because of all the supplements that I have to buy and boy who knew that vitamins and proteins were so expensive. I guess what really got me ticked off was that I went to GNC last night to see about what other kind of protein options were available for me and of course the salesperson was a big ole bulked up young 20 something year old, hot stud, the kind of guy I looked at from a far at that age because he would have never even gave me a 2nd glance. But anyways, I told him what I was looking for and he proceeded to tell me everything different from what the clinic tells me to do so he was basically no help. So I looked around some and found one of the things on my list. It is a bottle of a juice that has 40g of protein in it and would you believe that this one bottle cost $4.89 and technically I would need to drink 2 of them a day. But that is not even what really bother me so much, it was when I went to pay for the 2 bottles (each a different flavor to try out) and the guy proceeds to tell me that if I spend $15.00 on a discount card that I can use it to get 20% off my products now and in the future that by having the card, the 1st 7 days of the month I can get 20% off any product in the store.. WHY is it that stores can't just lower the darn prices, you know that they are making money even with the 20% discount... Now let's talk about my medicine, I had to get a refill on some prescriptions that I need for my stomach and my mental health. $89.00 later (after my insurance paid 50%) I got my drugs.. a 30 day supply of my stomach pill alone were $2.30 each for one pill ( previcid) .. Now tell me that someone ain't making some serious money on this. Boy I really feel for people who don't have insurance specially the senior citizens who just can't afford to pay for there drugs..

OK enough about that I just had to spout off for a minute. Thankfully the prescriptions I will hopefully not need in the future anyways. My nausea is still here but it is just something that comes on quickly now and leave just as quickly, I am learning how to deal with it when it happens, a couple of deep breaths and mind over matter and it goes away, so this is a good thing but I will be happy when it goes away for good. My sleep is getting some what better then it was, some nights I do really well and sleep most all the way thru the night and other nights not so well. But it is getting better then it was so I am thankful for that.

Porter & I went again for a very long walk in the park yesterday, I decided last night that next week I am gonna start my water aerobics classes again and I look forward to doing that, I have always like the water and it is much easier on the joints. I figure that it will be a good way to start working my way up to more strenuous exercise as my weight decreases. When I get my pool put up this year I will be able to do my water exercises right at home.. not to mention that I will be able to start riding my horses again very soon and believe it or not that is very good exercise for me and for my horses, and they need it bad since they have been so lazy the past winter months and this spring since I have not been able to ride.

Well tomorrow is weigh day once again and I am not sure what to expect, I don't feel any bigger or smaller this week and lord knows I don't want to get my hopes up for a big weight loss and then have there be nothing so I will just go with the flow because no matter what it says tomorrow this weight will come off eventually I just have to have patience. So be sure to check back in tomorrow.

See you then..

PS. I have 5 baby chicks now and maybe 4 more to come...

I found a support group

Well Monday night I went to my first bariatric support group meeting and it was exactly what I was looking for.. There was about 15 or so people and everyone really helped each other out. It was basically an open forum and everyone just bounced information back and forth. I also found out about several other groups that met privately and am looking forward to joining those groups also. The one in particular that I am excited about is a group called a "Finishing Group" it is limited to 8 people and there is an actual doctor that runs it. It is geared to help you realize what it is that actually made you get fat in the first place and help you to not repeat the past. I guess they even give you self help home work assignments every week. I am really looking forward to this group, the starting date has not yet been finalized but I am on the list for when they do.

One of the topics that was brought up at the meeting was a form of Protein that I have been using it is called a Whey Protein Bullet that has 45 grams of protein in it. There are conflicting reports as to what the actual bodies absorption rate is on this product and they are saying that the protein from these may not be good enough for what I need. This scared me as this is my main source of protein and if you remember from my other posts protein is very important for my nutrition as well as keeping my hair from falling out. So I am at a quandary as to what to do now. My hair has not yet started falling out yet but that does not mean it won't, people last night were telling me it might not start falling out till month 3 or 4. But anyways I did decide that I will go to my local GNC store and see what they have to offer just in case. I figure it can't hurt at all and they have a policy that if you don't like a product you can bring it back and who knows maybe I will find something I like better anyways.

I am still having waves of nauseousness and not quite understanding it. I can be absolutely fine and then all of sudden, out of the blue I am starting to gag, dry heave whatever you want to call it. I have no food in my stomach when this happens so I know that it is not related to anything I eat. I mentioned it last night and everyone thought it sounded normal, some people just have it more then others, everyone is different but they say it will eventually go away. I guess I was just lucky to only start having this feeling now rather then right off the bat.

I have had recently had a request for updated photos and I am sorry that I have not gotten any new ones to you all ,I really wanted to post monthly photos of me and my progress so I will get it done eventually. I have even already have taken the pictures but dummy me has misplaced the cord that goes from my camera to the computer and no one sells SONY accessories so I had to order it directly from Sony... SO the whole moral of this story is new pictures will not be posted till my order comes in 7-10 days. Sorry about that .. but well even though I have lost 45 lbs there really is not a dramatic difference in me yet.

and for some off the wall news I am a new mom today of some brand new baby chickens....lol.. I have had a hen sitting on a nest of eggs for the past 3 weeks and the eggs started hatching today. So far I have 3 and there is about 6 more to go yet ( I hope). I have tried doing this in the past with no success so for me this is exciting news. I know, I know I am a tad weird but for some reason I really like having chickens I just think it is so cool to go out an collect eggs everyday.

Well I guess that is my news for today... Talk to you all soon

Food, food, It is everywhere!!!

Well my weekend started off pretty darn busy. My cousin had a graduation Party and I helped them out a bit on Friday Night and Saturday Morning. I don't know why I do it to myself but it seems like as much as I try to avoid food situations I always be seem to put myself in the middle of it. I think I am sub-conscientiously trying to get food out of my system by being around it and realizing just because it is in front of me does not mean I have to eat it, but it is so, so hard... While helping my cousins with her party I spent most of the time around the food preparations. I spent most of Friday night rolling turkey and Ham for trays. I was soooooo wanting to eat some it was driving me nuts, I mean I was actually salivating and quite surprised that I did not start drooling like a dog. But my willpower prevailed and I rolled all 20lbs of meat without cheating.. Talk about a test!!!!!! The next morning was just as hard but I do have to admit I licked my fingers few times but nothing was on them that I was not allowed to eat anyways. However, that morning I had said to myself that I was gonna cheat later in the day and eat a meatball ( I am not supposed to have beef for 3 months) but I am proud to say that I did go to the party and even though I did put a meatball on my plate I ended up leaving it on my plate. It was very hard thing for me to do but I told myself a long time ago that if I had this surgery I was gonna do what the doctors told me and well to be honest If I am gonna cheat I would rather do it eating a Halo Burger.

It is really crazy if you stop and think about it. Food seems to be everywhere!! It is all around you, and there is no hiding from it. Whether or not you are driving by a fast food joint, or stopping to get gas or just visiting a friend, most everything either has food or revolves around food. There is no hiding from it!!! No wonder the average American is overweight to some degree and for those of us who are addicted to food it makes thing extremely hard for us to deal with.

But anyways I guess enough about that, I have had some real problems with nausea the last 2 days. I am not exactly sure why, Saturday night I came in from outside and was feeling fine but then all of a sudden I was in the bathroom heaving. I had not ate anything so all that was coming out was foam ( I have heard of that happening after WLS Surgery but this was a first time for me ) and it continued to happen again.. I went to bed hoping the next morning I would feel better but I was still very nauseated the next day and spent most of my time laying around dozing. This morning while I am able to function normally I still have that nauseated feeling. I sure I hope that this goes away soon and am almost wondering if it ties in with my monthly cycle and hormones as things are not normal right now with that. But whatever it is I hope it goes away soon as no one want to feel this way all the time.

Today, I have my first bariatric center support group. I am very much looking forward to it and am sure that this will be a much better meeting then the last one that I tried to attend. I have a list of questions to talk about and am looking forward to getting some answers and maybe finding a friend or two to buddy up with that might have had the surgery around the same time as me. I will let you know How it all goes.

Thanks for reading today and I hope everyone has a Happy Monday !