I'm on track so far for all I wish to achieve this week. Today, I reached a total of 60 lbs lost. I could fluctuate back up tomorrow of course, but I am happy to have finished something for the week.
I did do my first extra exercise of the week. So yay for me. Hopefully that will prevent my weight from going up tomorrow. But in any case, I know it will help in the long term.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
Weekly Goals for 7/27 - 8/02
- This week I expect that I will reach a total weight loss of 60 lbs. I am only a tenth of a pound away from reaching that, so should be totally doable.
- This week I expect that I will reach my next goal of 299.0 lbs. That means I need to lose 2.1 lbs this week. I have had some weeks where I have lost less weight; but, I am going to set my hopes high.
- This week I expect that I will walk everyday, even if it means driving to a store or the YMCA to do so. I can not afford to miss a day if I want to reach my next goal. To that end...
- This week I expect that I will get up between 5:30 AM - 6 AM every weekday this week. I will be much more productive overall if I get up early and get a walk in right after breakfast.
- This week I expect that I will finish the quilt I am working on. It will be donated to Project Linus.
- This week I expect to make muffins or cookies to take to Church Sunday, since it is my day to bring an after-service snack. I will not eat any.
- This week I expect I will use my Walk Away The Pounds (1 mile) DVD to get in two extra work-outs. I want to get in some extra exercise. Starting with two extra workouts a week seems like a good place to begin.
- This week I expect to make and decorate a cake for my Mom's birthday. I asked her if I could make something other than white or chocolate and she gave me to go ahead. In fact, she told me to get creative and anything other than eggplant and avocado. (In other words, nothing that could be gross as a cake.) So now I have to come up with something to "different" make. I have some ideas, just need to settle on one. I will not eat, or even taste, any of it. Cake is very tempting.
So I want to meet my expectations for myself. I already walked this morning, so I am off to a good start! I don't know what my body is doing regarding exercise. When I do exercise, my legs get random pains throughout the day. I also seem to lose less weight when I exercise. Maybe there is a point that I am not reaching where I would lose more weight due to exercise. Science and anyone who promotes exercise seems to think so. So perhaps I am just not doing enough. But why the random leg pains? It is not muscle soreness.
Anyway, good luck to me. I'll see how this week goes.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Review: Sugar-free Popsicles
In our efforts to have a tasty guilt free evening snack, we have tried just about every sugar-free popsicle available in our area. Here is what we think.
Sundae Shoppe's Sugar Free junior pops sold at Aldi: They come in 4 flavors: watermelon, raspberry, cherry and lime. The raspberry and cherry were edible if you are in a fix for a sweet. The lime is not very flavorful at all. Then there is the watermelon. It is only lightly flavored, but it leaves a nasty after taste in your mouth. Yuck! These are our very least favorite. We are never going to buy them again even if they were the cheapest, which I cannot verify as true. But since we bought them at Aldi's it is likely.
Kroger's Sugar Free iCE PiX sold at Kroger: These come in 4 flavors: orange, raspberry, strawberry, strawberry-banana. The orange is the best. Definitely my pick over the other flavors. I felt the raspberry was just okay. I do not like the strawberry or the strawberry-banana. My husband liked all the flavors except for the strawberry-banana. These are a bit softer. Not that they fall apart, but rather you can pretty much starting biting the pops off without licking them. If I had my druthers, we won't be buying these again either.
Budget $aver Sugar Free Twin Pops sold at Walmart and Meijer: These come in 6 flavors: Cherry, Grape, Banana, Blue Raspberry, Orange, and Pina Colada. The blue raspberry is amazing! Followed by orange, cherry, and grape. I definitely like these popsicles the best so far. I don't like banana or Pina Colada, but my husband does and says he likes both flavors a lot as well as all other flavors. But he rarely gets a blue raspberry. These are also a softer popsicle and the highest in carb so far. Go figure. The package is a clear plastic bag with the following print on the front.
The Original Brand Popsicle Sugar Free sold at most grocery stores. They come in Orange, Cherry, Grape, Tropical Orange, Caribbean Fruit Punch, Hawaiian Pineapple. These popsicles are the hardest, least sweet in my opinion. They are my second favorite brand. They are probably the healthiest choice of all of these. I do not like the grape as I think it has a funny, ungrape-like flavor. I am not a fan of pineapple, but my husband is. They sell the basic flavors in a separate box from the tropical flavors.
Sundae Shoppe's Sugar Free junior pops sold at Aldi: They come in 4 flavors: watermelon, raspberry, cherry and lime. The raspberry and cherry were edible if you are in a fix for a sweet. The lime is not very flavorful at all. Then there is the watermelon. It is only lightly flavored, but it leaves a nasty after taste in your mouth. Yuck! These are our very least favorite. We are never going to buy them again even if they were the cheapest, which I cannot verify as true. But since we bought them at Aldi's it is likely.
 |
| Calories: 20, Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 5 g, Sugar: 0 g, Protein: 0 g |
Kroger's Sugar Free iCE PiX sold at Kroger: These come in 4 flavors: orange, raspberry, strawberry, strawberry-banana. The orange is the best. Definitely my pick over the other flavors. I felt the raspberry was just okay. I do not like the strawberry or the strawberry-banana. My husband liked all the flavors except for the strawberry-banana. These are a bit softer. Not that they fall apart, but rather you can pretty much starting biting the pops off without licking them. If I had my druthers, we won't be buying these again either.
 |
| Calories: 30, Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 7 g, Sugar: 0 g, Sugar Alcohol: 3 g, Protein: 0 g |
Budget $aver Sugar Free Twin Pops sold at Walmart and Meijer: These come in 6 flavors: Cherry, Grape, Banana, Blue Raspberry, Orange, and Pina Colada. The blue raspberry is amazing! Followed by orange, cherry, and grape. I definitely like these popsicles the best so far. I don't like banana or Pina Colada, but my husband does and says he likes both flavors a lot as well as all other flavors. But he rarely gets a blue raspberry. These are also a softer popsicle and the highest in carb so far. Go figure. The package is a clear plastic bag with the following print on the front.
 |
| Calories: 30, Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 8 g, Sugar Alcohol: 4 g, Protein: 0 g |
The Original Brand Popsicle Sugar Free sold at most grocery stores. They come in Orange, Cherry, Grape, Tropical Orange, Caribbean Fruit Punch, Hawaiian Pineapple. These popsicles are the hardest, least sweet in my opinion. They are my second favorite brand. They are probably the healthiest choice of all of these. I do not like the grape as I think it has a funny, ungrape-like flavor. I am not a fan of pineapple, but my husband is. They sell the basic flavors in a separate box from the tropical flavors.
 |
| Calories: 15, Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 4 g, Protein: 0 g |
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Slacker
I have been a complete and utter failure at walking for the past... 5 days! It has been horrible of me.
I took Friday as a day of rest, totally legitimate; I had not had one for 4 days. I try to get one in every 4-5 days, so it was time.
Saturday, we had plans that included leaving the house very early. Then, in the later afternoon when I could have walked, I reasoned with myself that it was over 90 degrees out. And I pretty much didn't think about it again all day.
Sunday, We had another busy morning, but I had some downtime starting in early afternoon. Again... too hot, didn't want to think about it, then our A/C busted and we focused on trying to keep the house cool via windows and fans.
Monday I could have walked in the morning. I just didn't. I didn't go to any store to walk, although I did venture out to stores.
Tuesday, I told myself that I had to be home for when the a/c people arrived. So I stayed home in the house the entire time.
Which brings me to today. Today, I walked and rocked it by being over 2000 steps above goal. Thank goodness! I have to get back into the swing of things. I admit that it was nice resting so much. At the same time though, I miss the walking. I can tell in my legs too. Plus, I worry that my back will start to hurt if I slack off any longer. So while I am not fond of exercise, I do want to do it. Hopefully one day I will like it. Perhaps even become addicted to it. That would be nice for a change.
I took Friday as a day of rest, totally legitimate; I had not had one for 4 days. I try to get one in every 4-5 days, so it was time.
Saturday, we had plans that included leaving the house very early. Then, in the later afternoon when I could have walked, I reasoned with myself that it was over 90 degrees out. And I pretty much didn't think about it again all day.
Sunday, We had another busy morning, but I had some downtime starting in early afternoon. Again... too hot, didn't want to think about it, then our A/C busted and we focused on trying to keep the house cool via windows and fans.
Monday I could have walked in the morning. I just didn't. I didn't go to any store to walk, although I did venture out to stores.
Tuesday, I told myself that I had to be home for when the a/c people arrived. So I stayed home in the house the entire time.
Which brings me to today. Today, I walked and rocked it by being over 2000 steps above goal. Thank goodness! I have to get back into the swing of things. I admit that it was nice resting so much. At the same time though, I miss the walking. I can tell in my legs too. Plus, I worry that my back will start to hurt if I slack off any longer. So while I am not fond of exercise, I do want to do it. Hopefully one day I will like it. Perhaps even become addicted to it. That would be nice for a change.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
First Goal Accomplished!
I was so excited yesterday about dropping a clothing size that I completely forgot to say anything else weight loss related.
I have met my first goal! I reached 306 lbs and am no longer categorized as "Super Obese" per my BMI. I expected it to take another week at the rate I had been going, so I am doubly happy that it was this week.
For my reward, I bought a bed frame! Totally not what I expected I would buy.
Our home has three bedrooms. The master bedroom, the craft room, and what we call "the second bedroom." It currently has some storage in it, but over the past few months I have gotten it sorted out and some what cleaned out. This was in the hope that we would actually turn it into a bedroom. I have been wanting to decorate it. It is a very small bedroom, but I thought it would be nice to have a place guests or even a couple of nephews could sleep.
So, I bought a daybed frame, I thought that having storage under it would be the most economical use of the space. It is a very small room (7ft x 10ft) and I have the closet stuffed to the gills already with storage. The frame should be delivered tomorrow. It looks like this:
I have met my first goal! I reached 306 lbs and am no longer categorized as "Super Obese" per my BMI. I expected it to take another week at the rate I had been going, so I am doubly happy that it was this week.
For my reward, I bought a bed frame! Totally not what I expected I would buy.
Our home has three bedrooms. The master bedroom, the craft room, and what we call "the second bedroom." It currently has some storage in it, but over the past few months I have gotten it sorted out and some what cleaned out. This was in the hope that we would actually turn it into a bedroom. I have been wanting to decorate it. It is a very small bedroom, but I thought it would be nice to have a place guests or even a couple of nephews could sleep.
So, I bought a daybed frame, I thought that having storage under it would be the most economical use of the space. It is a very small room (7ft x 10ft) and I have the closet stuffed to the gills already with storage. The frame should be delivered tomorrow. It looks like this:
Maybe next, I will buy the mattress. Then there is the skirt to hide the storage. It will also need pillows and sheets. I plan on making the bed spread myself, probably the pillow covers too. I've asked my husband to build a bookcase for the room which will hold all of our games. I was thinking about painting the room first, but decided not to waste the money on paint, I can deal with white walls.
I am really excited about the whole thing!! I will try to post a picture of the room when it is done... though that may be a few months.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Dropping a Size
It took two months, but I have dropped a size in my jeans and bra. I don't own any size 34 jeans, but I do have two pairs of size 32. I tried them on this morning and there are about 1.5-2 inches until they will close comfortably. I could squeeze now, but I want to be accurate. Besides, who really enjoys wearing tight pants? So I feel safe saying I am now a size 34 in jeans. I had two sizes of bras in my drawer, and I can easily wear the smaller size now without discomfort. The larger size I have to use the tightest hooks.
The only thing that hasn't changed at all is the circumference of my arms. I am going to have the biggest bat wings! But I will deal with that. It feels so good knowing I've gone down a size. My shirt size is all over the place, which is why I am going by the jeans. It really depends on the material, how long the shirt it, and even the manufacturer. I wish there was standard sizing, it make it so much easier to buy clothes.
On a side note: Our Central Air died yesterday. Hopefully, someone can come out this afternoon, otherwise I was told it would be tomorrow morning. If we can go by yesterday's temperatures, it is going to get well over 85 degrees in the house today. It got up to 83 in here yesterday, and that was with the a/c on for half the day. I can't even leave because the A/C place is supposed to call me later. Maybe I'll sweat some pounds away!
The only thing that hasn't changed at all is the circumference of my arms. I am going to have the biggest bat wings! But I will deal with that. It feels so good knowing I've gone down a size. My shirt size is all over the place, which is why I am going by the jeans. It really depends on the material, how long the shirt it, and even the manufacturer. I wish there was standard sizing, it make it so much easier to buy clothes.
On a side note: Our Central Air died yesterday. Hopefully, someone can come out this afternoon, otherwise I was told it would be tomorrow morning. If we can go by yesterday's temperatures, it is going to get well over 85 degrees in the house today. It got up to 83 in here yesterday, and that was with the a/c on for half the day. I can't even leave because the A/C place is supposed to call me later. Maybe I'll sweat some pounds away!
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Recipe: Tuna Salad
This is really easy and just like my Mom used to make for the family when I was a kid, except she used full strength Miracle Whip.
Tuna Salad
3 hard boiled eggs
1 (7 oz) can light tuna in water
5 tablespoons of Light Miracle Whip
1. Diced eggs and put in a 4 cup or larger bowl.
2. Add tuna and Miracle Whip; mix well.
3. Cover with an air tight lid and allow to mellow overnight.
4. Makes about 4 - 1/3 cup servings or 3 - 1/2 cup servings.
You can add pepper if desired or any other seasoning really. When I can have vegetables I like to put a little celery in it for some crunch.
Tuna Salad
3 hard boiled eggs
1 (7 oz) can light tuna in water
5 tablespoons of Light Miracle Whip
1. Diced eggs and put in a 4 cup or larger bowl.
2. Add tuna and Miracle Whip; mix well.
3. Cover with an air tight lid and allow to mellow overnight.
4. Makes about 4 - 1/3 cup servings or 3 - 1/2 cup servings.
You can add pepper if desired or any other seasoning really. When I can have vegetables I like to put a little celery in it for some crunch.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 4.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 126 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 6 g | 10 % |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 7 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 2 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 158 mg | 53 % |
| Sodium 325 mg | 14 % |
| Potassium 136 mg | 4 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 3 g | 1 % |
| Dietary Fiber 0 g | 0 % |
| Sugars 1 g | |
| Protein 14 g | 29 % |
| Vitamin A | 4 % |
| Vitamin C | 0 % |
| Calcium | 3 % |
| Iron | 7 % |
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Yesterday in detail
6:25 AM: Woken to cat meowing, she was trapped in the bedroom and couldn't get to her breakfast.
6:35 AM: Managed to get myself out of bed.
6:45 AM - 8:10 AM: Drank breakfast shake.
8:15 AM - 9:05 AM: Walked two miles.
9:05 AM - 9:10 AM: Pulled weeds from the front flower box, let dog outside, and then washed hands.
9:12 AM 9:15 AM: Typed out this post so far.
9:15 AM - Pill.
9:16 AM - 10:05 AM - Iced ankles, watched last two episodes of the anime Soul Eater, and worked on one of the scarves I'm knitting, took a pill at 9:45 AM.
10:08 AM 10:15 AM: Discovered I had missed a call from the mechanic while walking, who could have guessed they would call me back so early? Called them back and got the news that a butterfly clip on the left front brake was rubbing on the rotor causing the squealing sound I had been hearing. The brakes themselves still 40%-50% left on them. The loud engine sound was because the a central muffler under the car had a huge dent and crack in it. Mostly likely from hit a bump or pot hole hard. He said it would be 200.00 to fix the muffler and he would replace the butterfly clip on the brake for free. I gave him the okay to make the repair.
10:15 AM: Pill and called my husband to let him, he will be stopping there after work to pay for it and pick up the key.
10:20 AM - 10:50 AM: Cleaned up around the house, cleaned myself, took at pill at 10:45 AM.
10:50 AM - 11:25 AM: Researched steps to take to be able to sell crafts at crafts shows/fairs.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM: Folded the laundry. I have to do laundry so often!! There are only so many big people clothing items you can fit in the washer, am I right? Also, checked the weather because I thought I heard thunder. Yes, it was thunder, though it is not particularly dark out yet.
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM: Eating a lunch I do not feel remotely ready to eat after the shake I had for breakfast. Also, watching an episode of House.M.D.
12:15 PM - 12: 35 PM: Made Tuna Salad and finished listening to the episode from the kitchen.
12:45 PM: Walked to get the mail.
1:10 PM - 1:25 PM: Went through the mail and took a pill at 1:25 PM.
1:25 PM - 1:35 PM: Paid some bills, balanced check book, finished 3rd cup of water for the day.
1:35 PM - 1:50 PM: Hemmed a pair of pants for my Grandma and mended something for my husband.
1:50 PM - 1:55 PM: Got the call that my car was ready, called my husband so he would go after work to pay for it and pick up the keys.
1:55 PM - 2:03 PM: Went back to sewing.
2:03 PM: Realized I had forgotten to set the timer for for pill I should have taken at 1:55 PM, took a pill. Went back to sewing and found a big ole pucker in my Grandma's pants. Started seam ripping.
2:33 PM: Took a pill, still seam ripping.
2:43 PM - 2:48 PM: Realized I needed to marinate the chicken we are grilling for our 4th meal. Marinated Chicken (teriyaki) and updated blog. Now going back to seam ripping, almost done.
2:50 PM - 4:11 PM: Finished seam ripping, resewed hem, twice. It can't believe it gave me so much trouble, took a pill.
4:11 PM - 4:32 PM: Let dog outside to do her business. Fed dog and cat. Washed a pan that had been soaking in the sink for 2 days. I hate dishes. Loaded the dishwasher, scavenged the house for any last minute dishes to add. I didn't find any so I put all the animal food dishes in instead. Updated blog.
4:33 PM - 5:20 PM: Ate dinner while watching an episode of House, M.D.
5:20 PM - 5:30 PM: Changed clothes, let dog outside again. Saw a monstrous spider hanging out just below the frame on the door before the first step. Got Raid and fried it.
5:30 PM - 5:37 PM: Checked email, updated food on myfitnesspal.com
5:45 PM - 9:00 PM: Husband got home, we left in his car. Went to Library, Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreen's, Hancock Fabrics, pick-up my car, took two pills.
9:05 PM: Arrived home and started dinner.
9:15 PM - 10:38 PM: Ate dinner and watched two episodes of House, M.D., also watched and heard my husband dump for the first time. Now, going to bed.
That was a lot to keep track of, I can't do this again, it took too much time.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
6 Week WLS Follow-up Appt
Yesterday was my follow-up appointment with the Nutritionist. The week before I had had blood drawn for labs, so she went over those results with me as well. The way the 6 week appointment is setup is as a group appointment, so that if we have questions perhaps it will help someone else too.
There were seven of us there I think, maybe it was eight. For everyone who arrived early, which I did, she takes you back pre-class to weigh you and discuss the lab results with you. Anyone arriving on time, gets that info after the class.
So after arriving and taking a seat, I was called back shortly for my weigh-in. According to them, I have lost 27 pounds. They are going from my post-surgery weight when I weighed an extra 5 pounds due to the IV fluids. I don't count that extra five pounds, so I say I have only lost 23 pounds by my home scale's calculations.
Then we discussed my labs. This is where the bad news comes in, but let me start with the good news. My Vit D is well within the normal range now, so I can stop taking Vit D3 daily. She said just 15 minutes in the sun, without sunscreen, is enough for your body to produce all the Vit D you need in a day. I have definitely been doing that with all my walking. She said I will probably have to resume taking it come Fall/Winter when I am no longer spending a good amount of time outdoors. I am okay with that.
She said my iron is a little low still, but my hemoglobin is up where it is supposed to be. So this means they will not be prescribing me additional iron to take, but rather just hope that the iron in the vitamin I'll take will be enough. At this point she gave me a prescription for a once a day Prenatal Vitamin with Iron. She said I can take this, or I can take an adult multivitamin with iron twice a day. I'll go for the once a day, thank you. Meijer has a free prenatal vitamin program, so even though I do not get my other prescriptions filled there, I will be getting my prenatal vitamin there.
Now for the worse news. My blood protein level is 12. It is supposed to be at least 50. So she told me she wants me off all fruits/vegetables/starches. I am to eat protein and only protein. She said some people just need more protein than other people. This could be the reason I am losing so slowly, my body thinks it is starved for protein and is protecting itself by resisting weight loss. So I can still have dairy, beans, and meat. I am not good at saying things without thinking them through, so I just listened and nodded at this point. (Don't get me wrong, I can blurt things out with the best of them, but not when it is important stuff)
So then the class starts. The first half is about foods we should/should not be eating. With an emphasis on starting to incorporate a little fruit/vegetables into our diet. So basically it doesn't apply to me at all. The second half is about vitamins. I should be getting at least 6-8 cups of water a day by now, but I am usually at 5. I need to start taking 1500 mg Calcium Citrate daily, but it needs to be in no more than 500 mg doses at a time, two hours apart and at least two hours away from our multivitamin due to the iron. Also, I need to take B12 daily. It can be sub-lingual, nose spray (prescription only), or a shot (which would be once a month). Then she goes over the multivitamin again with everyone. There is a short question and answer period. Then class is over.
So I was previously taking nine pills a day. With these adjustments, I will now be taking eleven pills a day minimum. It could be more depending on the type of Calcium Citrate I use, for example, Meijer's Calcium Citrate Petites (because the regular are HUGE pills) offer 400 mg calcium from two pills. So to get to 1500 mg a day, I would need to have 7 petites. That would bring my pill count up to 15 pills a day. Keep in mind that I have to take each pill at least a half hour apart and certain pills have to be taken at least 2 hours apart from each other. Then there is the fact that I can't take a pill a whole hour before or after a meal, and I am suppose to eat 4 meals a day. It is rather daunting. In fact, I am not sure it is even possible without losing sleep. I think I am going to try some liquid Calcium Citrate, or maybe some chews, that should enable me to keep the pill count to eleven.
Ugh, whoever said this is the easy way to lose weight... let me be a case in point that it is not easy and in my situation not even fast.
Later in the day, as I was struggling to figure out how to get more protein in, I went to FB for help. Someone offered me the brilliant suggestion of asking my Nutritionist because that is what she is paid to do. Doh! So I emailed her. I explained that I was averaging 74 grams protein/day and had not even ventured into eating fruits or veggies yet. I told her I had been eating some starches, but I would cut those out. But I still didn't see how I could have a big increase in my protein. She emailed me back that she was surprised I had blood work that low if I was eating that much protein a day. She told me to increase my goal to 85-90 grams protein/day. Her best suggestion for increasing was to use a double scoop of protein powder when I made my daily shake, because she really didn't want me to eat more than one shake a day.
My car is in the shop today, so I can't go get any of the vitamins I am supposed to have or fill my prenatal prescription. So all this will begin tomorrow. Well, I will increase my protein today, just not my pills. Speaking of, I tried the double scoop protein shake this morning. It was so thick it made me gag and it took me an hour and a half to drink it all. Perhaps I will be drinking multiple shakes a day despite what my Nutritionist wants.
There were seven of us there I think, maybe it was eight. For everyone who arrived early, which I did, she takes you back pre-class to weigh you and discuss the lab results with you. Anyone arriving on time, gets that info after the class.
So after arriving and taking a seat, I was called back shortly for my weigh-in. According to them, I have lost 27 pounds. They are going from my post-surgery weight when I weighed an extra 5 pounds due to the IV fluids. I don't count that extra five pounds, so I say I have only lost 23 pounds by my home scale's calculations.
Then we discussed my labs. This is where the bad news comes in, but let me start with the good news. My Vit D is well within the normal range now, so I can stop taking Vit D3 daily. She said just 15 minutes in the sun, without sunscreen, is enough for your body to produce all the Vit D you need in a day. I have definitely been doing that with all my walking. She said I will probably have to resume taking it come Fall/Winter when I am no longer spending a good amount of time outdoors. I am okay with that.
She said my iron is a little low still, but my hemoglobin is up where it is supposed to be. So this means they will not be prescribing me additional iron to take, but rather just hope that the iron in the vitamin I'll take will be enough. At this point she gave me a prescription for a once a day Prenatal Vitamin with Iron. She said I can take this, or I can take an adult multivitamin with iron twice a day. I'll go for the once a day, thank you. Meijer has a free prenatal vitamin program, so even though I do not get my other prescriptions filled there, I will be getting my prenatal vitamin there.
Now for the worse news. My blood protein level is 12. It is supposed to be at least 50. So she told me she wants me off all fruits/vegetables/starches. I am to eat protein and only protein. She said some people just need more protein than other people. This could be the reason I am losing so slowly, my body thinks it is starved for protein and is protecting itself by resisting weight loss. So I can still have dairy, beans, and meat. I am not good at saying things without thinking them through, so I just listened and nodded at this point. (Don't get me wrong, I can blurt things out with the best of them, but not when it is important stuff)
So then the class starts. The first half is about foods we should/should not be eating. With an emphasis on starting to incorporate a little fruit/vegetables into our diet. So basically it doesn't apply to me at all. The second half is about vitamins. I should be getting at least 6-8 cups of water a day by now, but I am usually at 5. I need to start taking 1500 mg Calcium Citrate daily, but it needs to be in no more than 500 mg doses at a time, two hours apart and at least two hours away from our multivitamin due to the iron. Also, I need to take B12 daily. It can be sub-lingual, nose spray (prescription only), or a shot (which would be once a month). Then she goes over the multivitamin again with everyone. There is a short question and answer period. Then class is over.
So I was previously taking nine pills a day. With these adjustments, I will now be taking eleven pills a day minimum. It could be more depending on the type of Calcium Citrate I use, for example, Meijer's Calcium Citrate Petites (because the regular are HUGE pills) offer 400 mg calcium from two pills. So to get to 1500 mg a day, I would need to have 7 petites. That would bring my pill count up to 15 pills a day. Keep in mind that I have to take each pill at least a half hour apart and certain pills have to be taken at least 2 hours apart from each other. Then there is the fact that I can't take a pill a whole hour before or after a meal, and I am suppose to eat 4 meals a day. It is rather daunting. In fact, I am not sure it is even possible without losing sleep. I think I am going to try some liquid Calcium Citrate, or maybe some chews, that should enable me to keep the pill count to eleven.
Ugh, whoever said this is the easy way to lose weight... let me be a case in point that it is not easy and in my situation not even fast.
Later in the day, as I was struggling to figure out how to get more protein in, I went to FB for help. Someone offered me the brilliant suggestion of asking my Nutritionist because that is what she is paid to do. Doh! So I emailed her. I explained that I was averaging 74 grams protein/day and had not even ventured into eating fruits or veggies yet. I told her I had been eating some starches, but I would cut those out. But I still didn't see how I could have a big increase in my protein. She emailed me back that she was surprised I had blood work that low if I was eating that much protein a day. She told me to increase my goal to 85-90 grams protein/day. Her best suggestion for increasing was to use a double scoop of protein powder when I made my daily shake, because she really didn't want me to eat more than one shake a day.
My car is in the shop today, so I can't go get any of the vitamins I am supposed to have or fill my prenatal prescription. So all this will begin tomorrow. Well, I will increase my protein today, just not my pills. Speaking of, I tried the double scoop protein shake this morning. It was so thick it made me gag and it took me an hour and a half to drink it all. Perhaps I will be drinking multiple shakes a day despite what my Nutritionist wants.
Monday, July 13, 2015
My Day
6:51 AM - I'm having my breakfast shake now. Also, reading email, updating my Vivofit, and other activities I do pretty much every morning.
7:35 AM - Leaving for my morning walk.
8:43 AM - If I keep losing poundage at the rate I'm going, I might get to my first goal in 2 weeks. That is a little bit of excitement. Just finished my two mile walk, so I've got to go ice my ankles now.
9:37 AM - I've taken two pills so far. Now, it is time to call the bank and make some payment arrangements for our medical bills.
10:28 AM - Finally down with that! First, we had a fraud alert from our bank and my husband's card was cancelled. This was over two weeks ago, still no new card. So I had to find out what was going on with that. If you remember the problem I had with my First Medical Bill, well the HRA never cancelled the checks, and they cleared a week later. Now, the exact same thing happened with my husband's account for the same medical office. So I had to get all my ducks in a row and call the office up. I gave them all the info they wanted, check#, date issued, date cashed, etc. I spoke to a very pleasant man, named Chris, this time. So they will be searching for the HRA payments and hopefully we will be getting a refund for what we paid out of pocket. I am supposed to call back on the 31st to get an account update. I also called the hospital and made payment arrangements on both of our accounts. They wanted so much per month!! I bargained them down with my logic of I can't afford to pay over 500.00 a month on medical bills. So I got it down to 105.00 per month until the rest of the bills clear, then I will have to up my payments. Time to clean some house.
11:56 AM - Had to stop for lunch, eating an egg.
12:20 PM - Running behind! Got to get ready for my follow-up appt with the Nutritionist and scoot out the door!
2:33 PM - Home again. Bad news, good news. More on that later. I've now taken 7 of my daily pills. I've got some laundry to get done.
4:05 PM - Laundry done, 3rd meal of the day being eaten, also had a chat with my nutritionist regarding what she told me at my appt. Now to feed the dog and get ready to go again.
4:27 PM - I have to leave in 15 minutes to go to a group weight loss meeting at a local church. It is free, unlike weight watcher's. But from what I understand there is some kind of easy aerobic exercise, with a weight-in and a discussion. So we'll see if I like it. Prior to the meeting I have to drop some food off at my sister's house and drop my car off at the mechanic. The church is right down the road from the mechanic, so I'll just walk. My husband is coming straight from work and he can take me home after.
9:04 PM - I'm home. Meeting contained exercise, discussion, no weigh-in. Which is okay because I weigh myself obsessively daily. Went to the grocery store to pick up some meat. Realized I left my phone in the cup holder of my car when I dropped it off at the mechanic. Oh Well. I need to eat my 4th meal. Then I am going to relax for the rest of the night.
7:35 AM - Leaving for my morning walk.
8:43 AM - If I keep losing poundage at the rate I'm going, I might get to my first goal in 2 weeks. That is a little bit of excitement. Just finished my two mile walk, so I've got to go ice my ankles now.
9:37 AM - I've taken two pills so far. Now, it is time to call the bank and make some payment arrangements for our medical bills.
10:28 AM - Finally down with that! First, we had a fraud alert from our bank and my husband's card was cancelled. This was over two weeks ago, still no new card. So I had to find out what was going on with that. If you remember the problem I had with my First Medical Bill, well the HRA never cancelled the checks, and they cleared a week later. Now, the exact same thing happened with my husband's account for the same medical office. So I had to get all my ducks in a row and call the office up. I gave them all the info they wanted, check#, date issued, date cashed, etc. I spoke to a very pleasant man, named Chris, this time. So they will be searching for the HRA payments and hopefully we will be getting a refund for what we paid out of pocket. I am supposed to call back on the 31st to get an account update. I also called the hospital and made payment arrangements on both of our accounts. They wanted so much per month!! I bargained them down with my logic of I can't afford to pay over 500.00 a month on medical bills. So I got it down to 105.00 per month until the rest of the bills clear, then I will have to up my payments. Time to clean some house.
11:56 AM - Had to stop for lunch, eating an egg.
12:20 PM - Running behind! Got to get ready for my follow-up appt with the Nutritionist and scoot out the door!
2:33 PM - Home again. Bad news, good news. More on that later. I've now taken 7 of my daily pills. I've got some laundry to get done.
4:05 PM - Laundry done, 3rd meal of the day being eaten, also had a chat with my nutritionist regarding what she told me at my appt. Now to feed the dog and get ready to go again.
4:27 PM - I have to leave in 15 minutes to go to a group weight loss meeting at a local church. It is free, unlike weight watcher's. But from what I understand there is some kind of easy aerobic exercise, with a weight-in and a discussion. So we'll see if I like it. Prior to the meeting I have to drop some food off at my sister's house and drop my car off at the mechanic. The church is right down the road from the mechanic, so I'll just walk. My husband is coming straight from work and he can take me home after.
9:04 PM - I'm home. Meeting contained exercise, discussion, no weigh-in. Which is okay because I weigh myself obsessively daily. Went to the grocery store to pick up some meat. Realized I left my phone in the cup holder of my car when I dropped it off at the mechanic. Oh Well. I need to eat my 4th meal. Then I am going to relax for the rest of the night.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Recipe Addiction, plus bonus meal idea that is quick, easy, and delicious
This is a place for me to be honest. With myself, even if no one else reads it. So I need to admit something.
I am depressed. I am not clinically, majorly depressed. I'm just really struggling with my feelings about slow weight loss. And I think my hormones are a little wonky, because I am tending to tear up easily. I really thought I would be off of, or at least have a reduction in, my medications at this point. That I would have reached my first weight loss goal and down a size in clothing. So much for any of that.
In the past, I would let chocolate/sugar help me cope. Obviously not an option for me now. I find I have been researching and saving recipes that I could one day soon eat. Some of them I could even eat now. In the past month and a half, I checked out over 45 cookbooks from the library. I read every one of them; well, technically not true since I have 4 left, but I will read those too. They are a variety of WLS, low-carb, paleo, diabetic, sugar-free, freezer cooking book. The freezer cooking books are because I have been a fan of freezer cooking (a.k.a once a month cooking) for quite a few years.
Think about all the time that took, now add hours on Pinterest and my favorite recipe site Food.com. I would say it has become a bit of an obsession. But I guess if it helps me cope, right? It is not a new thing for me really, just intensified now. Prior to surgery, or even the idea of surgery, I had (and still have) about 110 cookbooks. I can't get rid of them despite not being able to use them. I love them.
I need to post some recipes. Oh and the next phase: Creamy foods. And other things as I think of them. I determined that I will not post any new photos of myself until 3 months post-op. And it is purely because I want to be able to see a difference. I have no confidence that losing 22.5 lbs (as of today) would make any great difference in my appearance. And how many inches can you lose before you start losing weight anyway? I measure myself in one more week, will there be a big drop like the first month? Is it possible to lose that many inches and not much weight? Seriously, if someone could explain where those inches are going and why they aren't taking pounds with them, I would appreciate it. And poo-poo on the gaining muscle idea because all I am doing is walking.
At the bottom is my food for the day. I am being pretty successful at reducing my carbs. And I reduced my sodium too, because the other day I had way too much. But I slept through a meal today, that kind of made it easy to do well. I will have to post my Meatball Ricotta Bake recipe.
The supper I had: easy and delicious! It posts weird in myfitnesspal. To Simplify it: 2 oz boiled and diced boneless skinless chicken breast, 1/2 oz Sargento reduced-fat colby-jack shredded cheese, 2 Tbs Great Value fat-free ranch dressing. Mix and Eat.
I am depressed. I am not clinically, majorly depressed. I'm just really struggling with my feelings about slow weight loss. And I think my hormones are a little wonky, because I am tending to tear up easily. I really thought I would be off of, or at least have a reduction in, my medications at this point. That I would have reached my first weight loss goal and down a size in clothing. So much for any of that.
In the past, I would let chocolate/sugar help me cope. Obviously not an option for me now. I find I have been researching and saving recipes that I could one day soon eat. Some of them I could even eat now. In the past month and a half, I checked out over 45 cookbooks from the library. I read every one of them; well, technically not true since I have 4 left, but I will read those too. They are a variety of WLS, low-carb, paleo, diabetic, sugar-free, freezer cooking book. The freezer cooking books are because I have been a fan of freezer cooking (a.k.a once a month cooking) for quite a few years.
Think about all the time that took, now add hours on Pinterest and my favorite recipe site Food.com. I would say it has become a bit of an obsession. But I guess if it helps me cope, right? It is not a new thing for me really, just intensified now. Prior to surgery, or even the idea of surgery, I had (and still have) about 110 cookbooks. I can't get rid of them despite not being able to use them. I love them.
I need to post some recipes. Oh and the next phase: Creamy foods. And other things as I think of them. I determined that I will not post any new photos of myself until 3 months post-op. And it is purely because I want to be able to see a difference. I have no confidence that losing 22.5 lbs (as of today) would make any great difference in my appearance. And how many inches can you lose before you start losing weight anyway? I measure myself in one more week, will there be a big drop like the first month? Is it possible to lose that many inches and not much weight? Seriously, if someone could explain where those inches are going and why they aren't taking pounds with them, I would appreciate it. And poo-poo on the gaining muscle idea because all I am doing is walking.
At the bottom is my food for the day. I am being pretty successful at reducing my carbs. And I reduced my sodium too, because the other day I had way too much. But I slept through a meal today, that kind of made it easy to do well. I will have to post my Meatball Ricotta Bake recipe.
The supper I had: easy and delicious! It posts weird in myfitnesspal. To Simplify it: 2 oz boiled and diced boneless skinless chicken breast, 1/2 oz Sargento reduced-fat colby-jack shredded cheese, 2 Tbs Great Value fat-free ranch dressing. Mix and Eat.
Your Food Diary For:
| Breakfast | Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Sodium | Sugar | |
| Fair Life - Fat Free Milk, 1 cup | 80 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 120 | 6 | |
| Gold Standard - 100% Whey Protein French Vanilla Creme (From Label), 1 rounded scoop (31g) | 110 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 130 | 2 | |
| Add Food | 190 | 8 | 1 | 37 | 250 | 8 | |
| Lunch | |||||||
| Meatball Ricotta Bake, 1 serving(s) | 161 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 470 | 3 | |
| Add Food | 161 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 470 | 3 | |
| Dinner | |||||||
| Add Food | |||||||
| Supper | |||||||
| Tyson - 4oz Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast, Boiled, 2 oz | 55 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 100 | 0 | |
| Sargentos - Colby-jack Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese, 0.13 cup | 45 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 85 | 0 | |
| Great Value - Classic Ranch Dressing, Fat Free, 2 tbs | 30 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 280 | 2 | |
| Add Food | 130 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 465 | 2 | |
| Totals | 481 | 21 | 14 | 69 | 1,185 | 13 | |
| Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Sodium | Sugar | ||
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