My meeting with the dietician

Wednesday’s meeting with the dietician went well. She praised the food choices I’ve been making and had suggestions on how to improve. Here are the paraphrased highlights with some of my thoughts included:

Eat every 3 hours - Important to keep the internal fires burning. She sees this as a must so I am going to have to make some adjustments. It will probably help with the hunger pangs as I tend to stretch the gap between meals to 4 ½ to 5 hours.

No soups, it’s a liquid that just slides through the pouch. My first reaction was Noooo! It makes sense, but soup is my go to at work. I like having something warm at lunch and it hits the spot. I am going to make a couple of chili variations as it’s a better option and add some salads with protein to the mix.

Eat protein first, then veg, then starch. I think many of us are familiar with the protein first rule, but her explanation really helped to make it click for me. Protein is the most complex and takes the longest to break down. If you eat it first it sits at the bottom of the pouch, the veg and starch (like sweet potato) then fall in after (not that simple but helps to paint the picture). It helps with satiety, falls through the pouch slowly and your body uses it bits at a time for energy.

Snacks should always include protein as well as complex carbs.

She mentioned that my surgeon recently attended a gastric band conference and it was mentioned that each bite should be chewed for one minute! It was found that those that followed this rule had little or no problems with stuck episodes or pb’ing. She did say that I didn’t have go to that far, but it’s really important to chew each bite at least 12 -15 times. This is one area that I need to work on.

Finally, my first fill is booked for next Tuesday. Yay! It feels like I have no restriction, I try to stick to the one cup rule and may stretch it to another ½ cup but even then I’m by no means full. And because I have no restriction I know that I haven't been chewing each bite thoroughly. I am going to concentrate on this for the next few days as I don't want to be suffering the consequences after the fill.

A friend and I are going to the National Home Show today. There will be lots of dream spaces including kitchens for me to ogle and I may spot some of the HGTV Canada hosts.

Have a great weekend!

Looks like I won’t have to resort to violence after all…

Last week I was complaining about the scale and I not being on friendly terms, in fact I was up 1.5 pounds. I haven’t been tracking calories, but did for a few days and on average I was consuming between 800 & 900; no wonder I was so darned hungry! I added a couple of snacks and some nuts increasing my calories to an average of between 1200 & 1400. Over the weekend I saw some movement down on the scale and as of this morning, the scale and I are friends again. Today is my official weigh-in day and I am down 3.5 pounds from last week!

I have an appointment with the dietician this week and part of that will be to determine how much of a first fill I’ll need. It will also be interesting to find out how many calories she thinks I should be consuming.

Beautiful Blogger Awards

Justine, author of  Adventures in Bandland nominated me for an award, thank-you Justine! We had surgery within a week of each other and I enjoy reading her blog.

Now, this is going to be a long post so you've been forewarned.

Here are the  instructions:
• Thank the person who nominated you for this award
• Copy the award and post it in your blog
• Link to the blog of the person who nominated you
• Tell seven interesting things about yourself
• Nominate seven bloggers
• Post links to the blogs of your nominees

Seven things about me

1) About 8 years ago I took a six week leave of absence from work and spent it living with a local family in Guatemala.  I attended Spanish School in the morning and did volunteer work in the afternoon. It was a great experience. By the time I left, my Spanish was pretty good, but I haven’t had the opportunity to use it much and although I still understand it, I have a hard time speaking it.

2) My degree is in Political Science with a focus on International Development which is part of the reason I wanted to learn Spanish. At some point in my life I intend to do longer term volunteer work in a developing country. I especially like the micro loans that many women have been able to receive. They’re doing amazing things all around the globe.

3) I love to travel. Last year M and I spent 3 weeks in Italy. Two days before we were to leave, the airline we had booked with declared bankruptcy and grounded all flights. It was a frantic 48 hours trying to make alternative arrangements, we ended up leaving a day later and coming back a day earlier. I think we enjoyed the trip even more as it almost didn’t happen.

4) In my late teens/early 20’s I had an eyebrow piercing. That was a decade ago and it was not at all common. I wasn’t prepared for the reaction many people had; lots of stares and comments. It made me feel very conspicuous which wasn’t my intention; I did it simply because I liked it. I eventually had to remove it as it started to keloid and I now have scar. To this day my mother laments the fact that I’ve “ruined” my face (the scar is very small). I also had my tongue pierced soon after the brow piercing and removed it during the interviews for my current job. I forgot to put it back in and that ended my affair with piercings.

5) My blog is the first time I’ve shared my real weight with anyone outside of my family physician. Even when I weighed 127 pounds I didn't feel thin and would fudge the numbers. If only I knew then what I know now. *sigh*

6) I love, love, love to read. I cannot resist buying books and my taste runs the gamut. I have a special love for the classics with Thomas Hardy as one of my forever favourites. While in the UK a few years ago, M and I spent a week in the town of Dorchester in Dorset (even lovelier than I had imagined) which Hardy refers to as Wessex in “The Mayor of Casterbridge”. That book was my introduction at 12 and I’ve read everything of his since.

7) I’m an intensely private person. Creating a blog was a big step for me and I’m glad that I did, I really enjoy being part of this community. Only M knows about my surgery, I may eventually let my immediate family and close friends know, but I’m nowhere near ready.

Now for seven blogs in no particular order:
Cara: She always provides encouragement and is a wonderful cheerleader for all of us and she's getting really close to goal.
Catherine: Was the first blog I found via LBT and I love reading about her shopping/dining/dating experiences.
Amy W: I think Amy's was the second blog I found. She's a ray of sunshine and has done an amazing job in just over a year.
Tully: Again, one of the first blogs I found (sensing a theme here?) and I love how open and honest she is. She's also done really well with the band and recently got her driver's license.
Nicole: Works the band and looks amazing.
Ashley: One of my first followers and was recently banded.
Tessie: Still awaiting a surgery date. She's remained positive while dealing with her insurance company but I'm frustrated for her. Give her a date already!

A BIG thank-you to all of the other bloggers out there. This journey is made easier travelling with all of you.

Have a great weekend!

Dear B., holding your breath while you step on me doesn’t make you weigh any less. Sincerely, scale.

How many of you do the same? It wasn’t even a conscious thing until I realized the other day that I do it every time I weigh myself.

Dear scale, please stop moving in the wrong direction. Sincerely, B.

Monday is weigh-in day and I was up a pound. Stepped on the scale this morning and I'm up another 1/2 a pound!! I don't like seeing the numbers go up instead of down. I've been getting hungrier every day but have been working hard to stick to 3 meals and one small protein snack.

I know that it's normal for weight fluctuations but it's frustrating nevertheless. I'm following the rules, measuring my portions, drinking lots of water and and yet I've gained. I've made the mental adjustment and am eating consistently better than I have in a long time, I would just like my body to keep up with my brain. I'm trying to be patient and I know that the scale will start moving in the right direction eventually but it's hard.

In six weeks I've saved how much?

Approximately $300 dollars!! This calculation is based on no longer buying breakfast and lunch at work everyday. On average I would spend $10/day, doesn't seem like a lot, but it adds up quickly. If I inlcude the take-out meals I used to have on the weekend it's probably double that.

Since the start of pre-op diet and continuing post surgery I've had breakfast at home every morning and taken my lunch to work. There's a deli in the building at work which is certainly convenient but it's nice being in control of what I eat and know exactly what's in it.

With the money I've been saving I've started a clothing fund for the things I'll need as I lose weight. Fortunately for me and much to M's chagrin I have a hard time parting with clothing. At one point I did donate many of the smaller sizes because I had given up hope of ever being able to fit into them again. I did hang on to things that I really loved in a range of sizes, but will still need to supplement.

It will be nice to have lots of shopping choices again. I've been limited to just a handful of stores that carry plus-sizes and it has been a challenge. There are more options in the US, but in Canada not so much. On many  shopping expeditions I often walk away empty handed. Who the heck designs that stuff anyway? Why can't they make more stylish, quality things in larger sizes? and no thanks, my pants do not need to be bedazzled.

Have a great weekend!

First Meal Out and The First 10%

First meal out was a success!

In my last post I mentioned that I was meeting up with a friend for lunch on Saturday and was a bit nervous about it as it was my first meal out since surgery. I checked out the menu online and selected my meal. I went with grilled portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers and crumbled goat cheese on a bed of baby spinach with balsamic vinegar dressing on the side. It was yummy and easy to eat and because we were talking so much I could have small forkfuls and take my time between bites. It was great to see her and catch-up, we had a great time and have planned to try and see each other at least once a month.

I’m still fighting hunger in between meals and know that this will be the case for the next couple of weeks until my first fill. I’ve primarily stuck with either water or a hot mug of green tea. I try to avoid snacking because if I did I would end up grazing all day. I stick with 3 meals and have a bit of added protein in between if I’m really hungry. I usually have either ½ - ¾ cup of yogurt or cottage cheese or a couple of rye crisps with a bit of cream/goat cheese spread.

I think what has helped me the most is eliminating sugar. I have found that my cravings for sweets have been significantly diminished since pre-op. I try to stick with complex carbs and still haven’t had any bread. There were many bandsters that mentioned staying away from bread and I thought that was just not humanly possible for me. Six weeks later and can’t say that I really miss it. Strange, and maybe that will change but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

I’m less than 2 pounds away from losing 10% of my body weight. I didn’t set it as a written goal as I prefer to stick with 10 pound increments, but I know it is an important number. Studies have shown that losing 10% is enough to see changes in certain health indicators such as blood pressure, diabetes risk, and heart disease. Although I didn’t have any of the co-morbidities that others with over 100 pounds to lose may have, I was certainly on the road there if I didn’t make changes. I’m hoping to hit the 10% loss by this time next week.

Solids Part II and First Meal Out

Following my last post, I had my first solid meal for dinner Wednesday night. I ate slowly, had a small portion, chewed really well and it was delicious. I had to stop after my first couple of bites and tell myself to relax though, as it felt like I was going to get stuck. I think a big part of it was just me being nervous. Thank-you for your suggestions and encouragement on moving on to solids.

Since then I've had more solid meals and it is helping with the hunger but definitely not keeping me full for 4 hours. After dinner last night I was still hungry, but waited an hour and had 2 pieces of dried apricots. I had to work hard not to eat anything else. I chatted with my parents on the phone and M came home early, both were great distractions and before I knew it, it was too late to eat anything else.  I don't get my first fill for another 2 weeks so it's going to be tough going, but if I could survive the pre-op diet I can deal with this. It will have to be my mantra until fill.

I am meeting up with a good friend of mine that I haven't seen in well over a year for lunch today. I've known her since we were freshmen at university (when I was still relatively thin). Over the years as my weight kept creeping up I would make excuses not to see her and after awhile she stopped trying. She has never had to worry about her weight and I just don't think she can relate to the struggle. One of my goals for this year is to reconnect with friends and I'm doing just that. I still have lots to lose but I don't have the hopeless feeling I  used to have about it,  I finally feel that I'm gaining control. I am going to check out the restaurant menu online and make my choices before we meet, she doesn't know about my band and I'm not ready to tell her.

Happy Saturday!

Solids

I am now technically in the solid phase post-op and have been allowed since the start of this week, but given my pb’ing experience last week I’m a bit nervous to move into that phase. I have a protein shake for breakfast because it’s what keeps me full until lunch and doesn’t require much prep time. I have some kind of home-made soup or chili for lunch and dinner and am careful to stick to one cup. Snacks are either yogurt or cottage cheese. I know that I need to relax and expand my eating horizons but I’m scared. Arggh!

I’m also getting hungry between meals and have been drinking lots of water to curb my hunger but that doesn’t quite hit the spot. My first fill appointment isn’t for another few weeks so I really should start eating more solid foods.

M is planning to make a French meal tonight with Poulet à la Basquaise (Basque Chicken) as the main course. He knows that I can eat solids and wants to make a nice meal to celebrate. Such a sweetie! I am just going to suck it up, eat slowly and enjoy a small portion.

Monday was my weigh-in day and I am now down 25 pounds since the start of pre-op on Jan 1. No way could I have done it on my own – thank you band! I know that I may gain a bit once I’m fully entrenched in solids so maybe that’s part of my reluctance to move on?