Weight: 203.7 lbs.
I am sooo happy that I lost some more, not just because I am now down the 101 lbs. that makes this go around the highest loss in my life, but more importantly, for the psychological boost and confidence that it affords me at this fragile time. I am learning the concepts of cause and effect…a little late, I might add. But, this is something I neglected to appreciate my first time around the bariatric track, so I am making up for some lost time and desperately needing to see this work in a predictable manner. Last night, I got on obesityhelp and read some old posts to catch myself up. (I often lurk, but rarely write). I saw a post about a “calculator” in which you type in your pre-surgery weight, height and percentage of excess weight you hope to lose, and it graphs out, month by month, your exact weight, weight loss, and final weight after 18 months. Many wrote that they were heartened by this, as they were able to type in things like 90%, 95% and even 100%, and they discovered that they were losing right on track for such results. Well, not surprisingly, but dishearteningly none the less, I can only put in like 65%, or the graph shows that I am sorely off track. In fact, to be closer to 90 or 95% even, I believe that I’d have had to have already lost into the 160’s by now. I forget the exact figures, but clearly I am well behind others as I have always suspected, although I am supposedly the exact average at 65%. Small solace, however.
But, I am hoping that I may possibly pick up some speed now, and maybe even tweak myself up to 70% or more before my months “run out.” Perhaps I will be a late bloomer in this, as I have been every other way in my life. And, I must remind myself that there is really no time equation for what is supposed to be a lifelong journey and not a race. Sounds comforting to me…!
As to my diiet and my dinner out yesterday, here’s the scoop. First off, I must say that two friends and Tom and I had a lovely day driving to Lake Erie and taking in the sights. It was a sparkling clear day and “warm” at about 40 degrees, and the perfect day to meander and enjoy. We arrived at 2:00 to see the cottage on the lake that we were thinking of renting, and I was heartened when the female owner immediately said that she recognized me, and didn’t I work for “UCPA?” Turns out that she was a nurse in the very clinic that I still work in, and we have much in common. Quite cool! Although how she managed to retire into a beautiful lake front home with a rental next door, and I am living in a ranch in Tonawanda, is a disconcerting reality!
However, knowing her helped pave the way, along with the beauty of the site and cottage itself, for our decision to put in a deposit. I am very psyched, and cannot wait for the peace of the surroundings to overtake me come July! What is most relevent here, is the stairs. Oh, the many, many stairs at a steep incline, leading down the embankment to the beach and lake. The stairs that I never could have taken just last year, and that would have been a deal breaker. The stairs that I now actually look forward to walking every day in lieu of access to our basement’s equipment. Although I didn’t have proper winter shoes to walk them yesterday as Tom and Janet did, I can already appreciate how dragging rafts and the likes up and down them will be quite the workout. And don’t care! Everyone agreed that the old me could never have made it, and rather than feeling insulted, I am pleased at the implications that this is no longer so. And that there is a whole world of opportunity for me that just a year ago, the doors were closed on. And I can get back to my “roots” in which nature and outdoors opportunities and not just things like the casino, are included. This brings tears to my eyes!
So, full of joy from this awareness, I made every attempt to choose carefully from the huge menu at “Aunt Millies” diner, where we chose to eat on the trek home. This is a well known restaurant with wonderful homeade breads and desserts, in particular, and very fairly priced and huge portioned meals. And one of my favorite places for all of the above reasons.
But, I only focused on healthy choices, or so I thought, and narrowed it down to the chicken souvlaki, or the chicken stir fry. I chose the later, not thinking there would be rice involved, or what the sauce might consist of. And was upset to see lots of white rice, and notice a sweet and liberally portioned amount of non descript sauce covering everything. I ate a small amount of the tasty meal, and boxed up the rest, but with guilt and heavy heart. When I asked the waitress what the sauce consists of, she said teriyaki sauce, which really means nothing to non-cooking me. But, I did look it up on-line last night, and think that I was relieved to see that it isn’t as bad sugar, carb or calorie wise as I feared, or as it tastes that it might be. So, I didn’t blow it as I feared I may have, and I think that I can safely enjoy the leftovers, in moderation, of course. And, the fact that I lost some more, tells me that it couldn’t have been too bad…right?
Otherwise, all I ate yesterday was a protein shake for breakfast, two cheese sticks, and a diet yogurt. So, no matter what, this is less than usual, and still better choices. I do wonder about the low fat yogurt though, and how eating this can be ok. It has several grams of sugar and carbs, despite its low calorie count (120 for 8 oz.) and low fat status. How come the sugar content doesn’t ruin everything for the pouch test??
Well…I am off to continue trying to stay on track today, and for now, will take it a day and perhaps an hour at a time. And keep reminding myself of the true goal and purpose here, the joy of rediscovering old opportunities, and of the best that’s yet to come!!
Related posts:
- Failure To Focus Weight: 29
- Failure To Launch Weight: 19
- Making My Own Bed (Messily) Weight: 19
- All This Fun Is Killing Me! Weight: 19
- Day 5! Weight: 20
March 7th, 2010 | Categories: 
Day one down and on to day 2 of liquids. Hopefully my mind will stay off of all the different kinds of food I can’t eat! Totally crazy how my mind works lol. I am however, happy to report that I am down to 215 this morning which is 3.8 down from yesterday. Probably alot of water weight but who cares lol…the scale moved! As far as the yogurt goes…the sugar content is sugar from the milk. Is it sweetened with splenda?
Yippee Debbie!
Doesn’t it make it feel worth it to see the scale drop by so much? Heck, you’re doing even better than I did, and I thought I had set a new record! I am actually looking forward to my weekly weight change posting for the first time in ages. Doesn’t it feel great?!
Tomorrow my guess is that your mind will have quieted some, if not altogether. I am betting on it girl, so keep that in mind while you make it thru today.
As to the yogurt, it is sweetened with aspartame, but also lists fructose in the ingredients. I now see that it has 21 carb grams, and 15 sugar grams. Yikes! And it is listed as a diet product - “fat free” and “light.” I wonder if I have been screwing up eating this - although I had several during my pouch test, and I still lost. ??? God, am I screwing up and not even realizing it??
Well, let’s hope one of us knows how to read labels!
You learned a valuable lesson! We wls’ers should really avoid anything labled fat free or light. That is substitute for added sugar and carbs. And yes the sugar does affect the pouch test as it skews the blood sugar and metabolism. I have found the regular Activia is the safest yogurt for me, although I do limit it to a couple of times a week…not everyday. You asked about vegetables in a recent post comment…quite frankly I didn’t worry about it for the first two years and did fine…my blood work was beautiful and I felt great. Of course I always took my vitamins, etc. For the times when I worried about it, I just drank a little V8 (the small individual 4oz cans). I needed the liquid anyway so I drank my vegetables!HA! As of now, I eat a few bites of green, red, or yellow vegetables, here and there, but ONLY after I have eaten the required amount of protein for my meal…around 15-20 grams per meal. Then if I can hold the vegetables, then I eat a few bites. And I’m doing fine. That’s such a myth that you can’t be healthy without a huge vegetable diet. Especially those of us who are prone to insulin resistance, weight gain, etc…we subsist better as meat eaters. And in watching naturally “thin” people these last few years, I have found that most of them eat very small portions, lots of protein, and very few carbs. (There’s enough hidden carbs in prepared foods to get what energy we need.)”Normal” people who graze and eat for relaxation, while eating TV, love to sample bites of everything at a buffet…are most of the time overweight…maybe not always obese, but overweight the same. Those of us who got to the point of needed surgery have to accept that we can NEVER go back to old habits, even as a small reward. An alcoholic can’t just have one drink to be social, and a food-aholic who struggles with weight has to choose to eat “thin” everyday. Accepting this is the first step to true lifetime success. You can do it. Don’t give up!
Yes, Debra, I am learning the value of what you are saying. I am not sure what my lifelong commitment will be like, as I am still in the process of wrapping my head around such things and taking it day by day. At what point do things become second nature and any mourning over what one can’t have, subside?
As to the yogurt, I am now surprised that I lost as I did during the pouch test given this, and wonder if I may have done even better if I had eaten “better” yogurt! I bought one on the way to work every day as it was on sale for 50 cents, PLUS, it qualified you for a free monopoly piece for the game that our local grocery store is having and I am addicted to. LOL! But, when is a bargain not a bargain, huh?!
I appreciate you acting as a mentor and role model, and offering up your experiences as to what worked and how it all feels. I love the idea that you are so fit AND skinny, even w/o many veggies or fruits, as we are always told we must have. There is so much conflicting info. out there that it does get confusing, but I think that you are also right that those of us with insulin resistance shouldn’t eat by these standards anyway.
Donna - You were in my hometown!!! Aunt Millies is awesome - next time get the hot turkey sandwich without the bread. It is so delicious and the gravy is not grossly heavy!
<3
Also - buck up and switch to greek style yogurt. The thickness of it is way more satisfying and has way more protein!!
Cool! My husband, who is part Seneca, has family from the “Aunt Millies” area as well. Where exactly are you from? His family used to own the ice cream shop across from Millies - you know, the one with the million flavors of soft serve. His aunt lived next door until just about a year ago when she got too old and frail to live alone anymore.
I will hafta check Greek yogurts out. I must admit that I am stymied by the concept and what makes them better and all. Do they come in flavors? I actually don’t think I like yogurt unless it is flavored and all. My mother, who was Syrian, used to make homemade yogurt (”labne”) at home and I remember it being a major production, and couldn’t stand the stuff!
Hey, I also wonder if you saw my post about you, and how I couldn’t sign onto your site. Not sure why not, but I find it hard.
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