3 more pounds down and some new pictures to share...

I have lost 3 more pounds!! That makes 42 pounds in all so far! I am doing pretty good on regular foods. Some foods really bother me and my stomach/small pouch. Chicken is one of the main culprits. I just cannot eat it anymore for now. It makes me extremely full and is quite painful. I eat lots of fish, cheese, fruits and nuts. They are my favorite things right now. Fish is very moist and easy to digest without problems. Protein is an extremely important part of my diet. I can tell when I need to eat some almost immediately! I get really weak, tried and sleepy if I do not constantly feed myself protein. I have been doing nuts, peanut butter, cheese, turkey, protein shakes and Adkins protein bars. I am only drinking water too, no tea, juice, etc. I did however have a coffee this past weekend that made me extremely hyper! I had tons of energy...it was crazy. I have to be really careful with caffeine because it will deplete my body of vitamins and nutrition.

A couple of people have requested that I post more pictures of myself....so enjoy! I went to Mary's in Atlanta to help celebrate one of my good friends Nikki's birthday. Happy B-day Nik!

Out with the old, black and baggy!

Before:

I decided to go on a cleaning binge and start the process of cleaning out my closet. Every time I go to get dressed, it is such a huge struggle! I have to search through piles and piles of clothing to find out what still fits by melting body. I took some before pictures a while back...thinking that this would be something I would hope to never be in my closet EVER again...ALL BLACK clothes! I think I have heard the comments from all directions and all people including my family, friends and co-workers. It's that million dollar question...."Why do you always wear black"? I either say that black is slimming or that I am imitating Johnny Cash's life and always going to a funeral. It really just depends on the mood, you may get a snappy answer that isn't very pleasant too!

I looked up on the net for a couple of plus sized consignment stores in the Atlanta area and found a few promising places. I am trying not to get too excited about losing the weight and going out to buy new clothes. It can be extremely expensive and I do not have a job right now nor the extra money to waste. I will still be losing weight for the next year, so I have to be smart with finding clothes to fit me. I saved a lot of old, smaller sized clothing...which I am now relieved to have kept! I have organized my room with one pile that fits and one pile that I need to loose more weight to fit into! I feel like I have washed about 100 loads of laundry! It is crazy how much clothes I have accumulated in the past couple of years. I love de-cluttering my life! Like Karl Lagerfield once said - “Change is the healthiest way to survive.”


After:

My first resturant with real solid foods!

After my doctor's visit, Hannah and Beth Anne went to go eat my first real solid food dinner at one of my favorite restaurants...Houston's. I split a grilled chicken with Hannah and ate about 5 or 6 bites and was completely full!! It was so hard not to want to eat more. I am finally at this point where I eat to live, not live to eat. My hunger pains are definitely not the same anymore. I am not a meal eater anymore, just a pro at snaking. I eat about 6-8 mini snacks throughout the day. It's just a totally different way of thinking...mind over matter. I know that I have a huge addiction to food and this surgery is like my rehab treatment. Every time I over eat, my stomach tells me that was a very BAD decision. I get the most awful, uncomfortable feeling that dwells in my abdomen for what seems like forever. I am learning how much is enough, and how much is too much. Everyday gets better though. I am keeping up the optimism! :)

7 more pounds down and onto regular foods!

Just got back from the doctor's with Hannah and I have lost 7 more pounds in two weeks! That makes the total lost 39 pounds in all!! Hooray! I am very pleased to say the least. I also have been moved to regular foods...but low fat/light stuff, veggies, fruits and lots of PROTEIN! My next visit is in two months...December 2nd, which Hannah and I made double appointment dates to get our bloods tested. I will have to have my vitamin levels checked out to make sure I am healthy. I excited to see how the next two months go!!

Be on the lookout for more postings!!

2 more days and a day at the salon!

Only 2 more days till my next weigh-in and doctor's appointment. I will be given permission to eat regular foods as well, so I am sure I will have plenty of questions to ask the Dr. Burrowes. I am just so excited to start eating a wider category of foods. I am so sick of pureed foods!! I will definitely post the weight loss results afterwards. I am extremely excited to find out how much more I have lost!

Got myself beautified at Hannah's hair salon today...and had the works done! It had been a very long time since I have been in, so there was a major make-over session. My roots were almost black and 2-3 inches long!! My eyebrows were like crazy hairy monster...almost uni-brow length. My hair was a crazy hot mess and needed color, highlights and cut. Hannah probably spent about 5 hours on making me beautiful today. I took lots of pictures...so enjoy! I got a little crazy...so not narcissistic...lol!!

Rainy Day and Joe Purdy concert at Park Tavern with Nikki and Jay

I went on another fun little outing with two of my really good friends, Nikki and Jeremy. We had a fabulous time and the best part was that it was absolutely FREE! We attended the radio station 99X Unplugged in the Park concert series and saw one of my all time favorite music artist Joe Purdy. I was especially excited to see this concert because it was my first time to see this amazingly talented artist. He mainly tours only in California and Europe, so it was a special thing for him to be in Atlanta. I was having a pretty rough weekend, so it definitely lifted my spirits up.

The rain and flooding did not help lift the mood either! I am going to be completely blunt so if you are squeamish then don't read the next sentence...I was constipated for days! I had to do awful milk of magnesia...which was dreadfully disgusting! Then on Sunday, I had a "food stuck" issue in the morning that progressively got worst throughout the afternoon. I would try and eat my normal pureed diet and got the food stuck. It was extremely annoying and quite painful. It feels like indigestion times 5. The food gets lodged in your esophagus and takes a long time to digest into the small stomach pouch. My esophagus got really irritated, so I had to go back to hot teas and brothy soups. Thank goodness I did not have a vomit episode. I was able to get the food down, but it took a good 30-45 minutes. It really put me back a little on my little high of no complications and positive progress. Thank God I had Hannah there to coach me through it all. I also called my angel and she told me to slow down with my eating and drink hot liquids. It did the trick! I am definitely feeling much better today.

Well, enjoy the pictures!

ONLY 8 MORE DAYS.......

I have been trying to stay super busy and not focus on food too much. I have been quite productive...doing massive loads of laundry, cleaning house, buying groceries (the real solid food stuff), going to the movies, and eating lots of soup at Chinese restaurants. It's practically the only thing that has kept me alive. I love miso and egg drop! I went again today to one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, Chin Chin and ate all by myself! I was so proud of myself...for I have never done that before. I am always to afraid to go to restaurants, bars and movies all by myself! I conquered a huge fear today! I think I may even go to the movies tomorrow by myself and see 500 Days of Summer...love me some quirky Zoey Deschanel.

I am eagerly anticipating the next weigh-in and doctors appointment next Thursday!! Only 8 more stinking days of this retched pureed/liquid diet! I am on count down mode. I keep dreaming about delicious crunchy and solid foods. I am also excited to see how much more weight I have lost. I have been keeping up with my walking routine and breathing exercises too! My angel wants me to start stretching every morning before I wake up, so that has also been added to the routine. I am up to three 20 ounce water bottles a day...which is so hard! I am only drinking water...nothing else. I really aiming for good results! Wish me luck!!

10 days and counting....

Okay, so I have ten days left of this incredibly boring pureed/liquid diet left! I have another doctor's appointment on September 24th and I will be able to start on a normal food diet within reason. Still no breads, pastas, rice, etc....probably FOREVER. I will also have to always watch my sugar and carbohydrate contents on all my foods for the rest of my life. I am just so excited to finally be able to put something crunchy in my mouth. I have already stocked up on raw nuts, saltines and pretzels. I am going to have to start eating healthy...the surgery is just a tool and I have to use it properly. I am learning a lot in my support group meetings. I have another meeting this Saturday in Woodstock. It's a new group for me, so I am excited to see what I am going to learn. I am also keeping up with my walking routine everyday. I miss one day yesterday...and felt really bad. I must walk at least 20-30 minutes a day. I am about to take Zoey on a walk right now! I am going to walk the pounds away!!!

Stilettos Crazziness...

I had a fun day shopping at TJ Maxx with Kelly and the kids and thought it would be funny to post it on my blog. One thing that I am most looking forward to is to finally be able to wear high heel shoes/stilettos comfortably. The pictures speak for themselves...enjoy!

The Family Arrived and Lost 3 Pounds!

Cousin Kelly and Lauren

My Cousin Jonathan



The Family...Lauren, Kelly and Jonathan outside Dr. Burrowes office


Me, in the waiting room

Went to the doctor's today and lost another 3 pounds! That's 33 pounds in all. I have to stay on my pureed diet for another two weeks and then after that I can start on regular foods!!! ONLY 14 MORE DAYS!!! I am so excited! My wound is healing nicely and as soon as the scabs come off I can put vitamin E oil over the incision to help with the scar. The doctor said I was doing good and was happy with my progress. I was happy that Kelly got to meet the doc too.

I went to Trader Joe's afterwards and bought more soups, some re-fried beans, carrot juice, and egg whites salad. I gotta stay focused and creative on this pureed foods diet!

I am back home with the family now, where we are relaxing. Just made me some split pea soup and about to go to on a walk and to the pool with Jonathan. It will be nice to have the fam here for the next couple of days...

Vitamins, Exercising and Anticipating A Family Visit!!

I haven't blogged in a while....so I thought it would be fitting to do so today. I am still feeling really good, I have been keeping busy! I make sure to go on a walk with Zoey everyday for at least 20-30 minutes. I am on vitamin supplements that give me lots of energy. I just orders over $150 worth of special bariatric vitamins and a can of whey protein vanilla powder with a cool hot pink shaker bottle online. The order should last me for at least 6 months. I have to take special chewable or liquid vitamins and you buy them at this online store just for Gastric Bypass patients. I had to purchase a a multi, calcium and iron supplements so that I do not have vitamin deficiencies. When you have gastric Bypass surgery it bypasses the section of the small bowel in which most vitamins are digested and absorbed.

My family comes into town tomorrow, so I am super excited! My cousin Kelly and her two children Jonathan and Lauren will be leaving Virginia at 5am tomorrow morning to come visit me. I have my second doctor's appointment, so they will be coming with me. I am also super excited for this weekend, because I have two Gastric Bypass support group meetings at Atlanta Medical. I am going to drag the family along to that as well. I need all the support I can get! Hannah will be the guest speaker for the one on Saturday. I will make sure to take lots of pictures!!

Be on the lookout for more blogs!

Drove my care for the first time and went to the park...ahhh back to normal life again!

This was a very relaxed Labor Day Weekend for sure...no cook outs, watching football, or anything. Just rest and relaxation. Today, I decided to get outside and go for a walk and try and drive my car for the first time in two weeks since my surgery. It was a little uncomfortable, but I did it! It will take at least another week before I am completely OK with my wound. It is healing very well, and I haven't had any pain. I am just a little uncomfortable at times and always changing to find the most comfy position. I had a splendid day at the park with Zoey! I know she enjoyed getting out of the apartment too!

I am looking forward to this week, my family comes into town from Virginia - Kelly and the Kids Lauren and Jonathan. Also, I have another weigh-in/doctors appointment on Thursday! So be on lookout for upcoming blogs this week!

Back at my apartment and 30 pounds down!!!!

I had a another Beth Anne day, and she took me for my first post-op doctors appointment and weight-in. It was a really good visit. I had my stitches/tape taken out and cleaned up...which burned really bad. I lost 30 pounds!!! I was so very excited to hear how much I had lost, which fuel my fire to keep up the good work! I was able to add pureed foods to my diet, which is stage 2. I was relieved to know that I didn't have to keep eating soups and smoothies. The doctor told me I could start driving...but have decided that I am not yet comfortable because I am having problems sitting up straight for long periods of time. I am sure it will get better with time. I also will start a very rigorous routine of taking vitamins, a multi, calcium, D, and Iron for the rest of my life. Many people who have Gastric By-Pass Surgery can suffer from vitamin deficiencies, so you have to be very careful to take your supplements every day. I was also given a very fabulous B-12 shot that gave me a ton of energy!! The doctor said I was doing well. I go back next Thursday for a follow-up visit. I am excited to see how much I lose again!

After the doctor's, we went to Publix to buy some yummy foods that can be pureed. I got eggs, a can of tuna, and pre-made mash potatoes. I went back to my apartment to see Ceejay who was taking care of Zoey and staying at my place with her doggie Stella. I had lunch with them, they ate delicious subs from Publix and I was in heaven eating my mash potatoes. We all got a wild hair and decided to go to the movie theater and watch "The Goods" movie. It was OK...not as funny as I thought it would be. I got a little uncomfortable sitting, but was proud of myself for going. Afterwards, Ceejay drove me back to Hannah's house where we picked up hannah's food processor and my belongings and drove back to my place! I decided that I just wanted to try sleeping in my own bed and be in my own house last night. We made chicken salad and egg salad that will be eaten for the next week. I purchased some yummy grilled chicken from Chick-Fila and it was mighty delicious! I had a really great night....thanks Beth Anne and Ceejay!!

Rita's visit! (My Godmother)

Rita and Lucienne

Miss Goose-cienne!!! aka Lucienne

Lucienne and her "busy hands" as I have coined the phrase....she is always very curious and hands on! She has found Lulu's cleaning stuff and wants to play. I LOVE this sweet child!

Lucienne is a dog...she is playing with her dog Cassie's toy! So adorable!!

Squeeeeeeeezee that little red-headed face off!!!!!