German Chocolate...

No, not cake. But almost as good. One of the women on a WLS web forum I check occasionally has recipes for dozens of protein shakes. Tonight, I am enjoying a chocolate protein shake with
SF caramel syrup and a few drops of coconut extract.

German Chocolate Protein Shake German Chocolate Cake
146 calories versus 583 calories
1 g fat versus 17 g fat
10 g carbs versus 103 g carbs
24 g protein versus 7 g protein

Yippee! I'm Obese!

Obesity levels are monitored not by weight but by Body Mass Index (BMI) which is a calculation based on weight and height. A BMI over 40 indicates morbid obesity. In fact, a BMI over 40 is required for being accpeted as a candidate for bypass sugery. Yesterday, my BMI fell to 39.82 moving me out of morbidly obese, to just obese. Here is the breakdown of the levels for my height:

BMI 40+ = 232+ pounds = morbidly obese
BMI 30+ = 174-231 pounds = obese
BMI 25+ = 145-173 pounds = overweight
BMI 19+ = 110-144 pounds = healthy

What Can You Eat Now?

I've heard this question so many times in the past two weeks that I thought it time to post the basics. For now, my nutricianist wants me to focus on getting as much protein as possible and since I'm eating small amounts, you'll notice protein is the focus of each meal/snack. Here is my plan for today:

7:30 Breakfast -6 oz skim milk with a scoop chocolate protein shake

11:00 Lunch -1 cup Healthy Choice beef pot roast soup

2:30 Snack - 2.25 oz garlic herb tuna salad with three wheat crackers

6:00 Dinner - 2 oz. baked chicken breast strip

9:00 Snack - 6 oz plain yogurt with sugar-free raspberry jelly and light readi whip

(70+ ounces Crystal Light throughout the day.)


Cals 617
Fat 10.2 (15%)
Carbs 59.2 (37%)
Protein 72.6 (48%)

The Scale Does Work

I haven't posted in awhile mostly because I was frustrated with the scale. I lost so much that first week and was so excited and then nothing--the scale refused to budge. Actually, there were two days that my weight actually increased. I knew that my weight was reflecting a whole host of things not related to what I was eating: hydration level, recovery from surgery, constipation from lack of fiber, etc. I also knew that it was physically impossible to eat 500-700 calories a day and gain weight. But, all the justification in the world didn't change the fact that I wasn't losing and was frustrated. I even removed the battery to reset the scale just in case. Alas, it was just the dreaded stall!

Luckily--yippee--my body is starting to adjust to the new plan and I've seen 1.5 pound loss twice this week. Even with the stall, I've averaged almost 1 pound per day. (18.5 pounds in 19 days).

In the end, I guess stalls are good motivation to keep me vigilant about my water and protein, but boy, am I glad it is over...for now.

Water Victory

I am 11 days post-op and have really struggled with getting my water in...until today! I just managed to finish my 64th ounce of the day! Scott is out of town for the evening so I thought I'd post my little victory, but a victory no less!

My First Stall

Yesterday I felt great though and was able to get a bit more liquid in. I did make the mistake of drinking about 8 ounces of a protein drink in 10 minutes which would actually be slow to normal people, but it was too fast and I had dumping (catch-all euphemism for nausea, chills, or diarrhea) almost immediately afterward. Just need to remember to slow down! It took me 45 minutes to eat a scrambled egg this morning! Cold food is gross but eggs might be the worst! :)

I also had my first stall this morning -- no weight loss. I bit of a bummer, but since I was able to get a bit more water in yesterday, I'm probably just starting to rehydrate myself. Once I'm no longer dehydrated, I will be able to get a realistic sense of weight loss to date. In any event--I'm down 14 pounds in 7 days.

Meal Plans

I'm slowly getting used to eating soft foods. Gianna is trying to help, too. Yesterday she had crackers with peanut butter and raisins as a snack and smeared some of the peanut butter on her little finger and offered to to me saying, "Look Mom, it's smooshy. It will make your tummy feel better." It's amazing how fast kids pick up on things! Yesterday I planned to try egg salad for lunch. An egg slipped when putting it in the pan and got a slight crack, so I had scrambled egg for breakfast. The scrambled egg went pretty well. I didn't need to puree it, just chewed each pea-sized bite many many times. For lunch I did indeed have egg salad which didn't go so well. It was chopped pretty fine, so I don't know if I ate too quickly, I ate too soon after drinking, or if I just am not ready for the 1.5 tsp. of low-fat mayo I mixed in. In the end, I managed to have about half an egg for lunch and just couldn't manage another bite. Luckily, protein supplements made it possible to still get closer to my protein goal of the day. I had 48.8 grams yesterday.

The First Weigh-In

It is hard to believe, but I have lost 6.5 pounds in 4 days. Of course, at this point, it has nothing to do with my efforts, but it is still pretty exciting to know that those pounds are never coming back. Even if long term, I regain a little of my weight back, I will never see 250 again!

The weirdest part is that automatically, the desire for food just went away. It is kind like when your sick and just don't even think about eating. This morning I made a 4-oz protein shake and completely forgot about it after drinking 2 ounces! How's that for weird. The thing I really need to work on is getting in all my water. I am supposed to have at least 64 oz a day--not an easy task when I am only supposed to take a sip at a time and can't drink 30 minutes before or after "meals" or "snacks".

I finally felt like I slept last night. My pain medication make me a little nauseous so I've tried to only take it when needed and right before bed.

4/2 The Hospital

The morning of surgery was an early one. We got to the hospital by 5:30 a.m. on Thursday and started almost immediately with gowns, IVs, and the like. By 7:00 I was unconscious. I have very vague recollections of saying bye to Scott in the hallway. I don't remember coming to, being in the recovery area, or seeing Scott again. I don't even remember what I remember first. But, all went well! The only surprise of the surgery was when my surgeon discovered that I have significant gallstones which might mean a later gallbladder surgery.

Recovery was steady. I was walking by Thursday afternoon. I had a swallow test on Friday morning to check for leaks in the new pouch that is my tiny (golf-ball size) stomach. I started on liquids (1 ounces cups of grape juice). Lots of family and friends stopped by. I was still bit drugged and worn-down but it was great to have every one's support.

I graduated to thick liquids by Saturday. I was a bit stir-crazy and spent a good bit of time every hour walking the halls. I was able to shower by myself (something I was warned I might not be able to do). After a purred lunch (not a fan of purred meats!) I was discharged.

We spent the afternoon visiting with neighbors and watching basketball. (Who am I kidding? Scott watched the game, I tuned it out.)

Pre-op

On April 2, 2009 I had gastric bypass surgery. While I had been planning the surgery for well over a year, the initial date I was given was late summer (July/August). Then, the week Scott was scheduled to return from Iraq, the surgeon's office called and said they had a cancellation and could get me in in just 10 days. Even though we knew it would make the homecoming transition even more chaotic, we decided to take the early date. One benefit to doing it early was that since Scott was still technically on active duty (he earned about three weeks of leave that was tacked on to the end of the deployment), our secondary insurace through the military covered deductables. Another benefit was that Daddy was home to care for, lift, hold, and cuddle Gianna while mommy recovered.

Pre-op weight 252.5