Waddling around...

I went for a "run" yesterday. It may have looked more like a jog or a waddle, but it actually went pretty well. I ran just over a mile and walked 2 miles. Not too shabby for my first time out. I'd love to be able to run 3 miles without stopping by Christmas. It's a tough goal, but I must have something to shoot for.

When I woke up this morning I was pretty sore. I only walked 3 miles today. I hope go for another run by the end of the week.

I'm in the final stretch of my soft proteins only stage. Zucchini, tomatoes, and green beans sound so amazing right now. It's been a month since I've had any vegetables. It wasn't easy because they're my favorite! Just 1 more day of this and then I'll get my best food friends back. I won't be able to eat more than a few small nibbles, but that's alright. I just have to remember to eat protein first!!! Yes, 2/3 of my meal will be a lean protein and the other 1/3 will be a veggie. At least I'll finally be able to eat shrimp, lean ground turkey, chicken breast, sirloin steak, etc. It's about time!

Flounder

I tried a little bit of baked flounder for lunch today. It was so delicious that I decided I'd eat some for dinner if I was hungry. Yep, I was hungry and had it again for dinner. It was really wonderful. Unfortunately, I think I went overboard. I struggled to keep it down. I kept telling Bones that I was gonna go yack in the toilet, but he said I better keep it down because I don't want to perforate my stomach. I kept feeling my fish creep up and was burping, but I managed. What a relief!

Pretty sure I ate too much because I've been feeling lousy. I don't think I've been getting in enough protein so I was trying to compensate. You know those pics of Africans with the big round belly? Well, that's kinda happening to me. My stomach is filling with fluid because I'm protein malnourished. My word... I never ever thought I'd say I was malnourished. Ha!

Getting my fluids in started out rough today, but I treated myself to some Fuze at the store. That stuff tastes so much better than Crystal Light and other flavored drinks. The blueberry raspberry is my favorite.

I spent several hours going through more clothes today. The clothes in my closet will get me by for a while. I'm really excited about getting some use out of the stuff I've had stored away for years.

I have a personal goal. I've been wanting to start running again around Christmas time. The reason I've been waiting is so I have a chance to lose more weight. Being down many more pounds should make running a little less painful. Well, I don't think I can wait any longer. I'm ready to start now! My current weight is the same as when I started running a few years back. It was awful then because I was basically a couch potato before and didn't have the lung strength or anything else. This time I've been working out regularly in the gym and my body is a little more conditioned. So, I'm ready to give it a whirl. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can start tomorrow. I'll keep ya posted on how it goes. Wish me luck!

Dress-up

I played dress-up by modeling some coats and jackets for my husband, "Bones", today. So many of them were way too big. I am getting rid of about 6 coats and 2 jackets.

Being a pack-rat tends to come in handy sometimes. I have a couple of jackets from Old Navy that now fit. They're my favorites and I'm so happy I can wear them again. I also have a big down coat from the Gap. It always makes me feel like a marshmallow or the Michelin Man. Oh, well! At least I'll be warm this winter..... well, that's unless I out-shrink everything and need to purchase new ones. That's looking very possible at this point.

EGG-static!

I've been sipping on my liquids all morning. I was feeling hungry and kept drinking with the attempt to curve my appetite. I finally gave in and had a boiled egg with salt and pepper. I was able to eat the entire thing and keep it down. I'm not too sure I'll be hungry for dinner, but that's okay. I'm egg-static that I ate an entire boiled egg! = )

I walked with my hubby to our local QT today and I bought some 5 Rain gum and a big cup of ice. Yum! It was pretty hot out there. I think I'm ready for a nap now. Zzzz's......

3 Week Surgiversary!

I'm officially 3 weeks post-op. Things have been a little crazy. I don't know what happened, but things started going downhill a few days ago. I've felt really nauseous and nothing sounds good. Everything has been tasting bad, from water to crystal light to eggs and deli meat. Ugh!

It's been tough getting in my minimum 64oz. liquids a day, but I'm doing it anyway.

I've been taking my nausea medication about every day now. I should probably get a refill soon just so I'm prepared.

I seemed to turn a corner for today, but I don't know if it will last. I was able to get down ice water, which hasn't been easy. I did a "no-no" and had egg drop soup for dinner. I figured I'll just count it as being a protein shake or something. It's really just water and egg, so it probably counts towards my liquids too.

A few hours later I seemed to be hungry again. I had some chicken thigh pieces that I had baked in a cream of chicken soup and water. It was really moist and I had no problem getting it down or keeping it down.

I've heard many stories about people overeating, not chewing well enough, taking too big of bites, etc. These people usually end up worshipping the porcelain gods, but I haven't experienced that. I'm so thankful!

My wounds are still healing up nicely. A couple of them still have some Dermabond on them and I can definitely feel my internal stitches.

I think I'm going to back off the scale for a while. Since I watch it every day, it's not moving. I hate that and get frustrated. I'm stuck at -56 lbs. and I'm ready to lose more weight. The rapid weight loss has caused me to have a period. This isn't convenient for me at all. I have the Mirena IUD and swear by it. I've never had a full blown period with that thing in until now. Ugh!!! So, I'm probably bloated, retaining water, and all the other great stuff that goes along with it. And since there's not much food going in me, there's not much coming out. I seriously think it's been a week. Not that I enjoy that part of my life, but it was always nice to feel regular. Sorry if this is grossing anyone out, but that's the world of blogging for ya.

I hope tomorrow is a great day. I need to get in my exercise, fluids, and protein. The laundry is also calling my name. I'm a little confused about the situation because I probably won't be wearing half the clothes that are in my laundry basket ever again. I hate to waste the money cleaning the stuff. Hmmm... I'll figure it out tomorrow.

Peace out!

In the lead!

I finally weigh less than my husband again. YES!!!

1st & 2nd Post-Op Meals

My first 2 weeks post-op consisted of a clear liquid diet. I know it sounds horrible, but it wasn't so bad. Herbox broth, Smart Water, Crystal Light, and sugar-free sno cones were my drinks of choice. I'm pretty sick of the sweet stuff right now, so I've switched to unsweetened herbal iced tea. It's delicious! I didn't struggle with hunger at all during the 2 weeks. Thank goodness!

Here are a couple of pics of my first post-op meal. There is a before and after pic. I only had about 1/3 of an egg on my plate to begin with.

I never felt full, but I felt content. I sure didn't want to eat so much that I tasted it twice.... if you know what I mean.

This was my 2nd post-op dinner. I had fat-free refried beans with 2% sharp cheddar cheese. I gave most of the cheese to my dog. He loves that stuff!

In order to get more protein, I also made some tuna salad. I used tuna from a pouch with lots of low-fat mayo and some mustard. The mayo and mustard were to help it go down. I still seemed to have a bit of a problem with it though. I would chew, chew, and chew, but the mayo and mustard would leave and I'd be left with the gritty tuna in my mouth. Lets just say that I preferred the refried beans, but at least I tried to get more protein down.

Here are my before and after pics of my post-op meal #2. I'm doing better!

What did you have for your first few post-op meals? How much did you eat?

**** Down 52 lbs. since 06/14/2009****

2 week Surgiversary!

Today is the 2 week Surgiversary of my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Everything has been going great. The dermabond is almost completely gone and my wounds look like they're healing well. I've been getting in all of my water and taking my multi-vitamins. I still have some soreness where they pulled my stomach out, but it's only normal. It's not even bad enough for me to bother taking pain meds at this point. It's just a little uncomfortable and annoying.

I ate for the first time in over 2 weeks. I was pretty scared, but everything went well. I had about 1/5 of a scrambled egg with a sprinkle of 2% sharp cheddar cheese and a dab of low-fat mayo and mustard. I always liked cheese, but it never tasted so good.

Tomorrow night I plan on having some fat-free refried beans with a sprinkle of the 2% sharp cheddar cheese. We'll see how that goes.

I'll be posting post-op healing belly pics soon and sharing more of my pre-op story.