When coffee fell from heaven...

Some days it takes having too much of a bad thing for your body to finally let your brain know how bad it is for you. It's a well known secret by many of my friends that I struggle with sugar. I love it. It is probably one of the main reasons I gained so much weight in the first place. When I made the choice to have bariatric surgery I was told that there was a good chance my body wouldn't tolerate sugar anymore. After praying and praying for that it be the case it had seemed like my wish didn't come true. I seemed like I had a sleeve (my post surgical stomach) of steel that could tolerate whatever I put into it (as demonstrated by my last post where I ate tons of holiday treats). Today I learned otherwise. Sugar in a liquid form is the devil....

I have been enjoying my expensive coffee drinks quite frequently lately but I go for the sugar-free version. I did this to avoid the large amounts of calories that usually go along with these types of drinks. Well today when Micah and I went out for coffee I saw that the 'special' was an eggnog latte. Sounds amazing right!! Goodness that tasted like a piece of holiday heaven. However about 15 minutes after the cup was drained the nausea started to settle in.  I became dizzy, my heart started racing and I just felt sick sick sick. Turns out sugar in the liquid form moves through your system much faster which gave me minor case of dumping syndrome.

With all the talk about how artificial sugars are horrible for you I had been considering turning away from them. After today my body made it perfectly clear what it prefers.

Sugar-free for me!

Shame

Today was rough. Really rough. It started out well. I woke up, had my shake, then went to work. They were having a holiday party and I had a brilliant plan to only pick out one treat to have.

Before I knew it I had a full plate, and kept going back for more during the 3+ hours I was there. It's like that old fat person just came right back out and decided that stuffing my face was worth any consequences that it may have...

The rest of the day just spiraled down from there. I felt sick, depressed, and lost all motivation that I had for the day. I was ashamed. After all the hard work that I've done over the last year it's scary how quickly the old me can come back. The head games are real.

Sorry for the negative post but I am so sick of hearing how if you have weight loss surgery weight loss will be so easy and it will just fall right off. I've worked my butt off in the gym, refused my favorite foods countless times, and it's not like that is easy. I have the ability to stuff my face like today all the time. I CAN eat crap and I can eat plates full of it. If I give up today I could easily gain back all of the weight I've lost in the next few months.

It's days like this where I have to pick myself back up and start again tomorrow. I've come too far to give up.

Tomorrow is a new day.

How many calories?! Learning from my mistakes

I'm sure you've all be there at some point. You sit down to a nice meal and thoroughly enjoy the whole thing thinking you've made a healthy choice. A couple of hours later you finally get around logging your meal in MyFitnessPal and your jaw hits the floor. I ate WHAT?!? To be honest I've had this happen quite a few times lately. I now know better, but here are some 'healthy' foods that I will think twice about ordering again!

**I was planning on adding some sweet pics of these meals, but I wasn't able to go out and take them all myself and I'm pretty sure it's illegal to post the pics from google, so I apologize about the lack of images! Time to start busting out my DSL ! 

1. Jimmy John's #12 Beach club unwich

You're skipping the bread so this should be good right? This unwich actually contains 470 calories, 37.5 grams of fat, 90mg of cholesterol, and HALF your daily value of sodium!


2. Applebees green bean crispers (appetizer) 

Sure they're deep fried, but they're mostly green beans right? They can't be THAT bad!? To most peoples credit, you probably wouldn't eat the whole appetizer yourself, but would you guess that a plate of these crispers has 900 calories, 86 grams of fat, 65 carbs and 1550mg of sodium?! Yeah, it surprised me too! If you're planning on eating the whole plate, you're better off going to the mozzarella sticks! 

3. Caesar salad with grilled chicken (applebees) 

Can you tell I like applebees? There aren't many restaurant options up north so we tend to visit the same few frequently. I've always heard that Caesar dressing was a huge calorie tank but I figured it wouldn't be too bad of a choice. The chicken was even grilled and not fried ! Lone be hold it came out to 800 calories and 56 grams of fat. Don't automatically think your salads are safe! If you went for the pecan crusted chicken salad you would have found yourself 1340 calories in the hole for the day! 

4. Vitamin Water 

The description just sounds healthy! Most flavors carry 120 calories and 31 grams of sugar! the Vitamin water now has a 'zero' brand that is much better if you're craving a sweet drink with less calories. 

5. Apple cider

It's that time of year! Apple and pumpkin everything. I've never thought twice about getting cider before, but this year when I checked into it I found it to be around 117 calories and 27 grams of sugar for one cup. As someone who is trying to limit my sugar intake this seasonal favorite is going to turn into a very RARE treat. (aka stealing sips from my husband's glass)


Yep, I've made all the above choices but now it is so nice to know better :-) My weight loss has been SLOW lately but I'm trying to keep my head up and push through. Time to plan a workout for tonight and get motivated!

With love,
Sarah 

A week without the scale

So every year my family goes out to Lake Ann, Michigan for a camping trip and it's always an amazing time! My dad is an incredible cook and is famous for his grilling. One of the food highlights this year was making homemade tomato sauce over the fire! The tomatoes came straight from my dad's garden and the results were SO GOOD!

During the 8 hour drive downstate I made the decision that I wasn't going to track my food for the week. I also knew that there wasn't a scale in the middle of the woods, so I had to focus on making good choices, but not obsessing over them.

My relationship with the scale has never been the healthiest. I weigh at least once daily and often allow that morning number to dictate my mood for the rest of the day. This is something I have been working on, but still have lots of room for improvement. So yes, camping! The week was amazing :-) It was so freeing not to be tracking my food at every meal! I tried my best to focus on healthy choices and had lots of fun teaching my mom about high protein foods. I followed my plan for the most part, but did have a 'treat' almost every evening (these indulgences included s'mores, icecream, and hard cider)!

For the most part I felt I was doing pretty good! I went with quest bars in the morning instead of the doughnuts and made sure to have protein at every meal. I even got some exercise in! Mentally I was in a good spot.

Then the last day came around and I started to have some serious anxiety. What if I gained weight? I didn't track, how many calories were in those s'mores? Did I get enough 'intense' exercise? All these questions seemed to hit me all at once until I had convinced myself I had gained 10 lbs over my trip and it would take weeks to undo all my bad choices. I was dreading getting back on that scale when I got home!

We packed up and went home. P.S isn't my puppy adorable! She didn't want us to leave!

So I got home and guess what? No weight gain! I even lost a little... So what did I learn?

• I have a lot of work to do mentally on this journey. The scale can't make or break me. I need to focus on how I feel, my energy levels, and my overall health! 
• I can actually lose weight even if I don't track my food! (I still will but won't freak out if I miss a day) 
• Little treats (on special occasions) will not undo all the hard work I have done
• I have the best support group ever :) Thanks guys for telling me to relax and just enjoy my trip! 

It was such an amazing trip and I already am looking forward to next year!

God Bless,
Sarah 

Talking about my (not so tiny) tummy - 9mth post-op

For the most part I haven't focused my blog posts specifically on my surgery because I knew going into this that the surgery could only get me so far. I knew I needed to focus on the total lifestyle change and not just my tiny tummy. Sometimes I do get the occasional person who misses that fact when just glancing through my posts and I find myself feeling really guilty. I mean besides the posts titled "Why I have decided to go through with bariatric surgery" or "Day of Surgery" I can totally see how my other references could be subtle enough to miss. I hope that everyone understands that I was in no way trying to hide that piece of information from you all. It just hasn't been my primary focus when moving towards my goals of achieving true health and fitness... vs just getting skinny.

With that being said I'm going to talk about my tummy for a bit. At this point I just need to get these fears and concerns out there because I know nothing good will come from holding them in.

My tiny tummy is not so tiny... 

I'm afraid that I have somehow either stretched out my stomach, it was made too large to start with, or I have something else going on. I know the comparison game is a dangerous one, but I can eat a whole heck of a lot more than other sleevers. Like a lot.  I brought this up with my doctor and got a lot of great advice and information. I'm going to share this information as it applies to my personal situation. My hope is that if you are also concerned about your capacity that this post can help you gain the confidence (and give you some questions) to bring up the subject with your own doctor. I am not a professional, so please make sure to consult one before making any major changes to your plan.

An interesting fact:

As many of us know the gastric sleeve is a fairly new surgery in the bariatric world and new research is coming in every day. According to my doctor (I wish I asked for the article he was citing) they are finding that even though the sleeve patient has a much smaller stomach post surgery, it can empty much faster than it used to. This doesn't happen to everybody, but can be a big problem with others and can cause increased hunger along with an apparent larger capacity.

Because it is difficult to stretch the sleeve, this could potentially be what is going on with me. Here are some things that he suggested to try for that.

• Stopping eating before feeling 'full' - This one is very difficult for me. I have almost always used full as my signal to stop eating. Now I have to learn to slow down, listen to my body, and stop eating when I no longer feel hungry. 

• Drink ice water - The cold of the ice water can cause the stomach to temporarily tighten up given you slightly more restriction 

In addition to doing the above things, I was also told to become much more consistent with eating. I am now supposed to eat 4 meals a day, around the same times each day with around the same number of calories and protein in each meal. My eating was all over the map and my NUT wants to avoid confusing my metabolism too much, which makes sense. I am also supposed to be more consistent with exercise, working out 5 days a week. Three of the days with 40 minutes cardio, and the other two days 20 minutes cardio and 20 minutes strength training. This more consistent exercise is preferred to what I was doing where I would go super hard and long for a few days then take a 4-5 days completely off. 

Hopefully you've found something useful or interesting above! I'm looking forward to taking all the above advice and continuing on in my journey. :-) As of now I have lost 62% of my excess weight. I have come SO far but still have a ways to go. Keep on keeping on!

With love,
Sarah 

Hydration

The benefits (and necessity!) of staying hydrated are almost too many to count! To be honest I was never the best at drinking water and almost never reached the recommended 64oz a day.  Now that I've been focusing on my health water has become a priority and it's crazy how much better I feel! Now that I've actually been keeping myself hydrated I noticed the effects of dehydration so much more... Headaches, fatigue, grumpiness... even increased hunger! Did you know that your brain easily mixes up the signals for hunger and thirst? So if you're feeling hungry when you know you shouldn't be chug some of that lovely H20! You may be surprised :)

Everybody is different, but if you struggle with getting enough water (like I did) here are the tips that I used in order to increase my intake.

1. Find a water bottle that you LOVE! For me I found that I drink so much more water when I drink through a straw. I love not having to worry about spilling all over my face at the gym or tipping the bottle in front of my face while driving. My personal favorite is the Camelbak Eddy Bottle <--- Amazon link here! I love that mine is completely leak proof! This allows me to take it everywhere *hint next tip!

2. Take it everywhere! My doctor hit this nail on the head at my three month post-op appointment. I was explaining to her how I was struggling to hit my water goals when she asked me "So where is your water bottle?" I didn't bring it with me into the doctor's office! Silly me! I literally take it everywhere now. In the shower, the car, my bed.... The leak-proof design makes it perfect for all of those things.

3. Measure out your water at the beginning of the day. I use a Pur water filter pitcher to fill up my Nalgene (yay race swag) . My Camelbak doesn't have good measurement markings on it, but I know I have to have at least two full bottles of Nalgene a day to hit my goal of 64oz. Here is a not so amazing pic of my set-up. I guess I'm a fan of the color blue.

I try to keep the pitcher full all the time and leave it in the fridge. Some days I'll throw some lemon slices in the bottom for some flavoring. Even though my tap water tastes fine I'm a fan of the filter pitcher because it make the water feel more fancy. (does that make any sense?) However there are definitely some days where I skip right to the Nalgene. I'll usually leave the Nalgene in the fridge as well and fill my Camelbak up from that. I could make things a lot simpler for myself and just mark my 64oz right on the pitcher, but I want to make sure that is available if we have any guests over and I don't want other people messing with my measurements :) 

4. Don't count anything with caffeine towards your intake. Caffeine has a diuretic effect which can actually dehydrate you!

5. Flavor it! Try out the sugar free powders and flavor squirt bottles. This is seriously the only way I can get my husband to drink anything. They also make some sweet water bottles these days where you can infuse your own flavors with real lemon or fruit. I haven't tried it yet myself but I am planning on getting one soon! 

6. Lastly, always have one cup of water before having any other type of beverage. I find that even if I'm craving that diet soda, if I have the water first I generally find I'm satisfied having just that. It's saved me lots of money going out to eat which is an awesome bonus! Plus, even if you are still craving that other drink afterwards, your one step closer to your hydration goal for the day so you don't have to feel as guilty about it! 

Hope you all have an amazing weekend and don't forget to drink up! You may be surprised how much better you feel with even just a little bit more of the good ole stuff! 

God Bless! 

WIAW (What I ate Wednesday) #2

Hello!

I'm happy to share another WIAW with you! I've been doing better with the sugar which is great but it's still a work in progress :)

Breakfast: Mocha Frappe Protein Shake (totally reused last week's picture) However this week I did add some chia seeds -high protein, low carb, low sugar 

• One Cup Unsweetened Almond milk
• One Scoop Chocolate Unjury 
• One tablespoon instant coffee
• One tablespoon unsweetened coco powder 
• Half tablespoon chia seeds soaked overnight in one tablespoon water 
• Three ice cubes 

Lunch: Leftover grilled chicken panini & homemade potato chips from last night's date & green beans from my garden! -high protein, fresh home-grown veggies, probably too many carbs

Dinner: Taco salad with lettuce from the garden & skinnytaste zucchini tots - I ate about 1/2 of what's pictured 

In the salad:

• 3 cups romaine lettuce
• one ounce shredded cheese
• one tablespoon salsa
• 1/4 cup ground beef with taco seasoning 

Dessert: Leftover fruit and yogurt smoothie turned into a popsicle (so tasty!)

Hope you all are having a great week! My 5-mile race went excellent :-) more details to come! 

WIAW (What I ate Wednesday) #1

Hello All!

I've been asked by a few people to share my food logs, and while I think what you eat is a very personal thing I know that I benefited when other people have shared theirs with me. Not only did they give me some great healthy meal  ideas, but I was encouraged by their honesty and willingness to put that out there. Since one of my goals this month is track my food intake honestly and accurately, I figured I would start sharing my WIAW or 'What I ate Wednesday'. Heck, at least it will help motivate me to make better choices on Wednesday's right? :-)

I would like everybody to keep in mind that I am a bariatric surgery patient, and that my diet is under constant doctor supervision. Remember to talk to your doctor before making any major changes in your diet. Even among bariatric patients there is a ton of variance over the amount of food we are able to eat. Instead of including the calorie/macro information for my WIAW, I be making comments on why or why not it was a good food choice (Example: High protein, low sugar, etc...) If you are interested in my specific calorie or other diet restrictions please feel free to private message me over on my facebook page, or follow me on myfitnesspal

Breakfast: Mocha Frappe Protein Shake  - high protein, low carb, low sugar 

• One Cup Unsweetened Almond milk
• One Scoop Chocolate Unjury 
• One tablespoon instant coffee
• One tablespoon unsweetened coco powder 
• Three ice cubes 

Morning Snack: 1/2 serving Fiber One Chocolate Cereal - low sugar, high fiber

Lunch: Mix the tasty things together: Fresh fruit, high protein, high fiber

• One serving Fiber One cereal
• One serving Fage 0% plain greek yogurt sweetened with one squirt liquid stevia
• 1/2 cup local strawberries 

Dinner: So yummy  - Low carb, high protein, fresh veggies 

• Salad with feta cheese, grape tomatoes, lettuce from my garden and low cal dressing
• Hillshire Farm - Rotisserie Seasoned Chicken Breast, 2 oz.
• One garlic herb Laughing Cow cheese wedge

Dessert: One serving Praline Pumpkin Seeds - Higher fat, higher sugar, difficult to only eat one serving

Evening Snack(s): Wasabi peas and Quest Bar
Peas - fulfilled crunchy snack craving, higher carb
Quest - fulfilled sweet tooth, high protein, high fiber, low carb, high calories for a snack

Well I hope you enjoyed my first WIAW :)

What are you thoughts? Would you prefer to see specific macro information or does putting this this way help to avoid the comparison game/over analyzing? I just want to encourage people to make food choices based on what is good for their bodies instead of pure calorie intake. I'm open for suggestions :)

with love,
Sarah

July food and fitness goals

Hello! It's so hard to believe that it's July already! I'm loving the 60 and 70 degree weather that we've been having lately :) This has to be the most comfortable summer I've ever experienced! July also marks the 1/2 way point for our 2014 New Years resolution goals. I recently updated mine here, and am proud to say I have completed about 37% of my goals. I consider this a victory because I don't think I've met ANY resolutions in the past.

Here are my food and fitness goals that I hope to accomplish this July

Food:

1. Track all my food intake honestly and accurately! This month I have started to slack with my food logs. Tracking is really important for me not only so I can see what is and isn't working, but so I can share the information with my nutritionist as well. No more 'accidentally' forgetting to track those late night treats or my grazing snacks during the day. Those calories add up! If anybody is interested in friending me on MyFitnessPal my username is skuiper317  

2. Continue to experiment with lower carb intake. So far I have been able to cut back on my carbs slightly, but they are still heavy in my diet. This month I am going to experiment a lot more with low carb options and continue to listen to my body. I plan on putting my new spiralizer to good use! 

3. Be mindful of portion sizes. For a gastric sleeve patient I have a much larger capacity than most. In some instances I find that I can eat almost double of other sleevers. (yes I'm guilty of the comparison game) I tend to get really stressed out about this and worried that I messed up my tiny tummy. This month instead of focusing on how much I CAN eat, I am going to focus on how much I NEED to eat. I don't need to leave every meal feeling super full. 

4. Find at least one healthy meal that my husband enjoys enough to eat regularly. I'm married to a super picky eater who is NOT a fan of salads or vegetables. He is no where near overweight and while he is supportive of me eating healthier, it has been difficult to find healthy meals we both can enjoy together. Traditionally, he does most of the cooking, but this month I hope to do a lot more in attempt to find healthy meals for the both of us! 

Fitness:

1. Run 3 days a week. I've been slacking on my running lately but I have a 5-mile race coming up! Time to continue with my Couch-to-10K program! 

2. Attend a bootcamp class. I purchased a punch-card for this class early this summer but have yet to attend one. Time to get my butt out of bed super early and get a great workout!

3. 10,000 steps a day! I track my steps on my Garmin Vivofit. 

4. Plan my workouts, put them in my calender, and do them! I love planning :-) time to treat my workouts as appointments and become more consistent! 

Also, I have made a Facebook page dedicated to this blog! Please feel free to stop by, check it out and give it a 'like'. On Facebook I'm a lot better at updating about my day-to-day journey and I also share a lot of great things from other sources such as recipes and motivation :)

https://www.facebook.com/projecthealthandfitnessblog 

What are your short term food and fitness goals? 

With love,

Sarah 

Recognizing a problem

To be honest for the last week or so I've been struggling. I've stayed pretty consistent with my exercise, but my eating had gotten out of control. I was CONSTANTLY craving more food and even though  I wasn't hungry my head told me to have more. My will power also seemed to be lacking. Another thing that got me really discouraged is that I had gotten really close to breaking out of the 200's only to climb back up again. In my mind 200 seemed like a huge barrier and I started seriously doubting my ability to break through it.
I reached out to my FB support group and got some wonderful advice. They told me to take a serious and honest look at my food logs. It didn't take me long to recognize the problem.

Carbs. Unlike most bariatric patents I have never really jumped on the low-carb bandwagon. Following the advice of my nutritionist, I just focused on having balanced meals and avoiding the processed and 'white' carbs. She told me that if I focused on my protein and veggies I shouldn't need to restrict that carbs that much. I completely agree with her balanced eating program, but when looking at my food diary I noticed that I had moved away from those 'good' carbs a lot more than I should, and the result was never good. When I ate these refined carbohydrates and sugar it was always more than one serving. In addition to that the trend for the day was even more carbs! I have come to realize that for me personally, eating carbs means craving carbs.

So now what? I have decided that it is time to start carb counting, at least for a few weeks. I haven't decided on a number yet besides 'considerably' lower. I'm going to try to do this by adjusting things slowly, paying attention to my energy levels and cravings, and hoping my body will tell me where I need to be. Many of my other friends who do eat lower carb report less cravings and better weight loss which sounds amazing to me right about now. I can tell you I am looking forward to KILLING that 200lb wall! I'll for sure be checking in and reporting how this diet change is going for me.

I leave you with this bit of motivation that has truly helped me get through the last few days.

God Bless!

6th month surgiversary

Yesterday marked the half-year mark since my surgery. These last 6 months have been some of the most frustrating, rewarding, and hardest months of my life. I've worked my butt off (quite literally!) I could probably go on and on for hours about the qazillion emotions, struggles, and successes of the last 6 months, but instead I am just going to share a few pictures.

I have come so far and I can't stop now. Thank you all so much for supporting me in my journey. This hasn't been easy and all you all have helped me so much!

With love,
Sarah

When life isn't in your favor

When I am at home I have the ability to be in complete control of what I eat. As a control freak I thrive in my own environment. I can plan out all my meals, weigh and measure all my portions, and know that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. The reality of the situation is that I can't always be at home and there will be times where I am put into a situation where the world isn't about me and my weight loss journey.

This week I found myself in one of those situations. I went out to a camp for a few days to serve as the waterfront director for a local school. It was a BEAUTIFUL location and I welcomed the opportunity to get out of town for a few days. I honestly had a great time; everyone stayed safe the the kids really had a lot of fun.

What I did not prepare for when I was out at camp was the food choices. There was one lady in the kitchen that was responsible for cooking for about 75 people, so as you can imagine we weren't given many (if any) alternative options. Our meals consisted of things like hot-dogs, french fries, french toast, sausage smothered with grease... almost no healthy options. There were a few meals where they did put out some celery and carrots, but for the most part I was struggling. On top of the meals they had a ton of cookies and candies that they served as snacks, and of course what's camp without s'mores! They even had a special cabinet of 'goodies' for the counselors and staff. I have a major sugar addiction and at home I am able to fight it some by keeping 'treats' out of the house, but at camp.... things didn't go so well on that front. To make matters worse I didn't have service on my phone so I couldn't even use MyFitnessPal app to see how bad things actually were.

I think was surprised me the most was how my body felt. Even though I was eating more than I had in months, I was constantly hungry. My energy levels were super low, so even when I tried to get moving and do some light exercise the motivation dwindled quickly. I stopped craving my yogurt and protein shakes while my mind turned toward that next cookie or candy bar. Bluntly, I felt like s***. I have can't believe I used to live like that all the time with that much sugar in my body. It was truly a wake up call and a great reinforcement that I am moving in the right direction with my health.

At camp, life was not in my favor. It wasn't the ideal environment that I had set up for myself at home and I struggled. I gained weight, felt like crap, and I've moved on. It's time to put all of that behind me and continue with my journey towards health and fitness.

So what have I learned from this whole experience? First of all I need to think ahead. I need to remember that most places I go will not be set up for WLS patients. I had the ability to pack and bring food from home if I would have thought about it. Also reflecting back I realized that exercise was always an option. No matter where you are all you have to do is keep moving. I am confident that next time adventure strikes I will be prepared with better food and exercise options. :-)

NSV (non-scale victory) of the week: I now fit in my husbands jacket!

I hope all of you are doing well! Enjoy your memorial day weekend!

A bariatric pill case

Since starting this whole process I have been instructed to take a whole plethora vitamin and nutrient supplements. It makes sense, because the less food that you take in, the less nutrients. So far my blood work has turned out great so I know that my program is working! Here is a glimpse into what I have have been taking on a daily basis. Please keep in mind that my program is personalized for me, and that you shouldn't add or subtract anything without first consulting your doctor. :-) 

Celebrate Complete Chewable Multivitamin + Iron (twice daily) 

Calcium Citrate + D3  or Calcet Creamy Bites (twice daily but not at the same time as the multi)

D3 (once daily) 

Biotin (once daily)

Prilosec (twice daily for the prevention of ulcers)

B12 (for the first 3 months after surgery - discontinued based on blood tests) 

 

 I will get another set of blood work done at my 6 month appointment to see if all my levels are still holding where they need to be. I also try to be very intentional about making sure I am making good food choices with lots of nutrition. :-)

Nothing much else to report, but I am thoroughly enjoying my spring break! Have a great day everybody :-) God Bless! 

Month 3 updates: Blood tests and a new diet!

I'd like to start by saying re-commitment week was a real success! The biggest thing that I got out of this week was consistent exercise. I am really starting to enjoy my time at the gym and have started to fall into a semi-consistent routine. Though I didn't quite reach my 300 minute goal I think that it will be a great number to keep striving for! My weight loss had been stalling for a while but it is amazing how much getting back on track with your plan can get that scale moving again! I also recently had my 3 month check-up with the doctor and nutritionist! Here are the updates!

Weight Update:
I'm down about 54lbs from my highest weight and have put some distance between me and that morbidly obese category. I'm continuing to feel great. I am over half way to 100 and about 44% of the way to my (potential) ultimate goal weight of 150. At this point I'm shooting for around 10lbs a month and have started dreaming of Onederland!

Nutrition Update:
As part of my 3 month appointment I got some blood work done. They checked things like my cholesterol, iron, vitamin levels, and glucose. This was to check how I have been doing with my nutrition and to see if my vitamin supplements need to be adjusted. My doc told me that it is pretty typical to see deficiencies in B12, Vitamin D, and Iron so he was more than pleased when my results showed everything in the normal levels! My B12 was actually creeping into the above normal category. Long story short, I'm doing well with my nutrition!

My diet was also advanced to my 'lifelong' diet. This means I can pretty much eat anything now but I am expected to make smart choices. The additions of breads and pastas back into my diet has sure been a welcome change!

Fitness Update:
Since the start of student teaching I have been struggling a lot more with getting to the gym. I've been averaging around 2-3x a week but would like to get that up to around 5x. I have been continuing with my zombies C25K program and have just started week 4. This week included a 15 minute run and I was able to complete the whole segment without walking! I also am able to do some strength training once a week and am really starting to feel myself getting stronger! Looking forward to finding a 5K race to sign up for and getting back into the pool!

God Bless!

Getting back on track

I have to admit I have been struggling lately with sticking to my program. Many people after weight loss surgery acquire a strong intolerance/aversion to high sugar foods. This was something that I had actually hoped to get because sweets have always been a huge struggle for me. Up until last week I hadn't really tested my limits with sweets because I had been doing so well at following my prescribed diet. Well last Wednesday night advertising finally got to me and I just had to try McDonald's chocolate covered strawberry frappe. I didn't check any nutrition facts because I thought after 3 months I deserved a treat.

So I drank ALL 570 calories of process sugar, fat, and chemicals...

It was wonderful. My body did feel crappy for about 10 minutes (At this point I hadn't allowed myself ANY added sugar) but I quickly faded into my blissful sugar high. No aversions, no nausea, and now I was sucked back in. Those 79 grams of sugar are still affecting me. I basically feel like I've fallen off the wagon. I am now having a much harder time staying on my diet, and have continued to indulge on a few sweets such as chocolate covered pretzels and some puppy chow. My cravings for unhealthy foods are back in full force and it's not just sweets. I literally will KILL for carbs! I have also noticed a change in my mood and energy now that my food choices haven't been the best. I haven't been killing it in gym as much as I should, and even my water consumption has decreased. Welp, it's time for me to commit to getting back on track. Monday is my 're-commitment' day! Here are the specific goals and benchmarks that I am going to commit to for next week! 

1. 2 days liquid diet, 3 days soft food diet, last two days on my current diet
2. Take ALL my vitamin supplements each day
3. 300 minutes of exercise
4. Hit 64 oz of fluid each day
5. No added sugar! 
6. No weighing myself until the end of the week (This is going to be HARD!) 
7. At lease 70g protein everyday! 

I plan to check in daily for one week to keep myself accountable! The hope is that after this week I will re-establish my good habits and get back on track toward health and fitness! With that, I have a few victories to share. 

NSV: I am no longer morbidly obese! This is HUGE for me!  I now also fit into some pants from high-school :-D 

SV: I have hit 50lbs lost! Half way to 100!

God Bless! 

WLS Friendly Flatbread Pizza

Pizza. What a wonderful food! I mean seriously, who doesn't like pizza! Since the beginning of my diet starting in early November this food had been torturous to me. It is often a go to food for any college hangout so I found myself in many situations where I had to practice some serious self-control. No matter how many times I tried I just couldn't justify the 19 grams of fat for one slice. (Like I'd only eat one slice...) Worried that this beloved food may be out of my diet forever, I was very intrigued when someone posted in a FB group about a skinny 'flatbread pizza' that was safe for WLS (weight loss surgery) post-ops. I experimented around the other day and was able to come up with something super delish and simple! The best part is that it only takes 14 minutes to make and contains a whopping 22 grams of protein!

WLS Friendly Flatbread Pizza 

Ingredients

1 flatbread - I used flatout multi-grain w/flax

1 TBS olive oil

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Turkey pepperoni

4 TBS natural pizza sauce


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Brush flatbread with olive oil and place directly on the oven rack for 7 minutes. At this point the flatbread gets crispy. Top with pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni and place back in the oven for another 7 minutes. Enjoy!

Per one pizza: 239cals, 13carbs, 22g protein,13g fat, 3g sugar 

Muscle Recovery & a Product Review

Lately I've been trying very hard to listen to my body, particularly in the areas of exercise and muscle recovery. It's really easy to get caught up in your goal of exercising 6X a week and forget to give your body some rest. I still haven't learned exactly what my body needs as far as recovery yet, but I am getting much closer to figuring it out. So far I've learned that I better plan on at least two easy days after a Jillian Michaels workout, and one for weight lifting. If I'm to sore to walk down my stairs I take that as a resting day. It's all about listening to your body. Once I've started doing this I've noticed a huge improvement in my workouts. I feel like I get much more out of them and they are much more enjoyable.

Many people who go through rapid weight loss have the unfortunate side effect of muscle atrophy. This is why protein is SO important in a weight loss diet. When your body is starved for protein it can start to breakdown your muscles as a last resort. I have been told to try to get in 75 grams of protein each day. It's a difficult task but I know that not only will it prevent atrophy, but it will help promote the rebuilding of muscles after exercise and strength training. The only way I come close to getting my recommended amount of protein in is by supplementing with protein shakes. I have been using UNJURY medical quality protein powders.

 They have a few flavors to choose from which include chocolate splendor, strawberry sorbet, vanilla, and unflavored. I have tried all the flavors and by far my favorite is chocolate splendor. When mixed with 8oz of milk it really tastes just like chocolate milk! It really doesn't have that proteiny taste and blends very well in my blenderball shaker. I try to get in at least one of these shakes a day, especially if I've had a good workout. The unflavored is actually pretty unflavored. I've added it to things like pudding, mashed potatoes, and milk for my cereal. You can tell it's there, but barely. The strawberry and vanilla are ok, but I love my chocolate. :-)

Here are some nutrition facts: One scoop + 8oz skim milk (IGA brand)

Calories: 190

Carbs: 17

Fat: 0

Protein: 29

Sodium: 185

Sugar: 15

Also here is the breakdown. You could cut down a lot of the sugar and calories by replacing the milk with something like unsweetened almond or soymilk. 

In other news, I'm seriously considering getting a Fitbit. I'm leaning toward the Fibit Flex but i'm not so sure. Does anybody have experience with one? Do you love it? Also are there any other fitness trackers that I should consider? 

Happy Monday! 

Week 6 updates

Weight Update:
I went to the doctor's Wednesday for my 6 week check-up. Apparently they couldn't be happier with my progress! I'm about 35lbs down from my high weight and am feeling great. I have more energy and my joints are feeling better. Also I am now cleared to workout as much and as hard as I want. As excited as I am to get back in the pool I'm still feeling pretty self-conscious about getting in a bathing suit (if it even fits!)

Nutrition Update:
My appointment with my nutritionist went great as well! She is such an amazing woman and I honestly love meeting with her. She is SO supportive and is really invested in her patients. Since I have been doing so well she has advanced my diet early! The stage 3 diet which I have been on for the last few weeks has consisted of foods that are soft enough to be squished with a fork. It also included a minimal amount of crackers and toast. When I told her that I hadn't had any problems and that I felt like I was eating too many crackers (what my husband now calls the world's longest lasting box of wheat thins) she asked me if I felt like I was ready to  semi-advance to stage 4! The stage 4 diet is what is considered to be the 'life-long' bariatric diet. On it you can basically test any food, but need to make smart choices and stay away from things with super high fat and sugar. I'm not completely on this stage yet because she wants me to stay away from pasta, bread, and other starchy carbohydrates, but it means I can have raw fruits, veggies, and nuts! I have to be careful how many veggies I eat though because if I filled my tummy with them all day I would never meet my protein goals. The order of importance goes hydration first (64oz), protein (75-80g), then everything else. I am still struggling a bit with my hydration goals but it has been much easier to hit my protein now that I am off the all liquid diet.

Fitness Update:
I have started another couch to 5K program! I actually ran my first 5k last fall but it was a mixture of pride and disappointment. I was able to run the whole thing but was so far behind that they started taking the signs down before I finished. I am really looking forward to doing another 5k with less weight on my body and more consistent training before hand! I have already found a race in April that I would like to sign up for. Maybe I can convince my husband to run too?! I have been tracking all my running on http://www.dailymile.com . If anybody else uses this site I would love to friend you!

On top of the C25K program I have started to do some light weights and have signed up for a 'core and more' fitness class. The class seems pretty intimidating, but I really think I can learn a lot. I can figure out my arms and legs but the core is still a mystery to me. Also, with my history of back problems I feel like my body can really benefit from it! I have read countless articles about how important weight training can be with weight loss. This could have been one of the main things I was missing in all my past attempts! Not only can lean muscle mass help you burn more calories just sitting around, but it could help fill in any potential lose skin that can result from dramatic weight loss. (I'm terrified of lose skin!) Plus, strong is the new sexy right? ;-)

God Bless!

Why I have decided to go though with bariatric surgery

I am going to start of by saying I am terrified to blog about this. Bariatric surgery can be a very sensitive topic, especially around fitness blogs. So many of you have chosen to go through your journey a different way, and surgery has a huge stigma of being the 'easy way out'. I'm going to start by explaining why this surgery is just another tool, and not an easy solution to a tough problem.

First of all, I'd like to explain that this idea was actually proposed to me by my primary care physician. I had no idea that I would be a candidate for bariatric surgery. I used to watch a lot of discovery health, and they always featured people well over 500lbs having the surgery. So when my doctor suggested it as an option, I was intrigued.

To even be considered for surgery I had to have 6 months of documented weight loss attempts with my PCP. After this, I had to go to an information session, a preliminary visit with the surgeon (a 2 hour drive one way), multiple blood tests, and EKG, and a psych evaluation. After all those things were cleared, I had 3 more appointments with the doctor and a nutritionist (another 12 hours of driving) and then I was stuck waiting for my insurance pre-authorization. The nutritionist right away started my on B12, vitamin D, and iron, in addition to my daily multivitamin. I was also placed on a 1200 calorie limit and asked to consume 100-135 grams of protein a day. I don't know if any of you guys have tried it, but consuming that much protein on that few calories is VERY difficult. I continued this while still waiting to see if insurance would cover the cost of the operation.

This surgery is in no way easy. It took so much courage for me to admit that I had a problem and couldn't do this on my own. I needed help. I have over 12 years of failed weight loss attempts, each one eventually ending in gaining all the weight back, and plus some. For me, because of genetics and metabolic reasons, by itself simple willpower, discipline and exercise just weren't enough. I wanted more than anything to lose weight and be healthy, but no matter how hard I tried I always seemed to end in failure, and subsequently, depression. Because of my years of obesity and over eating, my appetite regulators simply don't work the way they are supposed to. I know that I will be looked down upon, and I know that a lot of people won't agree with my decision, but I need another tool to be successful. I need help.

That's all this surgery is, a tool. 90% of the effort will be on my part. Plenty of people that have this procedure done gain all the weight back by making poor health choices and not being active. It is in no way a solution. I am devoting myself to a lifelong journey.  I am devoting myself to weeks of all liquid diets, exercising many times a week, and a lifetime of taking vitamin and mineral supplements. This is not something that will end when I reach my goals. If I default back to my old habits this will all be for nothing. This is for life. Do I think it's worth it? Absolutely, and let me tell you why.

I am 22 years old, and am in constant pain. Often when I try to keep up with friends or try a new activity, my back goes into horrible spasms, and I can barely move for days. Even when I am able to be active, my body doesn't respond the way I would like it too. Last summer I ran a 5K, and I also spent many years on a swim team. The whole time, I still consistently gained weight. I live in one of the most beautiful locations and I love to hike, bike and swim. The only problem is I end up alone. I can't keep up with the others, so they end up waiting for me and not having as much fun as they would like. This again leads to more depression from burdening my friends, and I start to opt to stay at home while they all go out and enjoy the things I love. Secondly, I want a family. I want to be the best wife and mother that I can be. I am in married to the love of my life and can't wait until the day we can have children. (after school of course! ) But honestly, I am not in a position where I can justify bringing another human into this world. I have morbid obesity. I would not be able to play and care for them in a way that they deserve. I have nightmares of having one of my children walk toward oncoming traffic, and me not being able to get there fast enough to save them.

Lastly, I want to do this for me.  I deserve a chance to live my dreams. I deserve a chance to not be judged by uninformed people about my character and lack of self-control. I deserve a chance for equal job opportunity advancement. I deserve a second chance at life.

I have made this decision, and it was not an easy one. But I am at the point of my life now where I don't want to waste another moment, and I need support. Please feel free to ask any questions. I plan to continue blogging about this journey and experiences. Wish me luck!