7 Days In & I'm Not Dead!

This post marks the end of day 7 of our journey on the Whole 30.  Thankfully, there is a run down in the book of what kind of things you may experience at different points in the detox process. Unfortunately, my body has decided to experience the detox symptoms on it's own time line.  On day 3 I thought I might die.  I honestly felt like I had the flu!  Other than that I really have felt mostly ok aside from being tired...and then there was today.  I woke up with a headache that even my migraine medications would not kill.  Thankfully I was able to make it through worship and Sunday school though because with my back being so messed up and my work schedule I have been missing a lot of church.  My other problem today was that I felt like I constantly needed a snack.  I swear I was having hallucinations of chocolate cake!  The amazing thing is that for the most part I have been ok without chocolate which is a major issue for me.

We have both seen some benefits within ourselves and each other.  We are both significantly less bloated, our skin has started to clear, we are craving sugar much less than before and we are learning to read labels and understand what is really in the food we eat!  Reading labels has helped Adam and I learn to make good food choices that promote a healthy lifestyle and set a good example for Addison.  We even did some fun food experimentation yesterday as a family in the form of making sauces and condiments from the book (all of which were delicious!)  The bottom line is that I am proud of Adam and I and I think that we are really doing well.  We are supporting each other through the hurdles and we are excited about living a healthier life!

Post op AGAIN.

No, I didn't have surgery on my stomach again. I had my very messed up back fixed...finally! That was done in April first (yes April fools day and no I am not crazy). My activity is limited by my surgeon and my body but I am doing what I can. My awesomely supportive hubby is going to be detoxing his diet with me which we are both somewhat nervous and excited about. We are doing our planning and prep right now and then for 30 days we will be on a strict lifestyle change that I am so hoping just stays. Once we get past the first 30 days I am hoping that it just becomes our lifestyle 😊. I love that man and I love myself and I'd like us to both hang around for a long time!!

Life after WLS (approx 2.5 years out)

I have had lots of questions from friends in the past week about what all weight loss surgery entails.  My experience with WLS has been interesting and unique and I have no doubt that anyone who has had WLS would say the same about their experience.  There are many surgical options out there so do your research and talk with your surgeon to determine the best option for you.  I chose Roux-en-Y because I needed a restrictive and malabsorptive procedure for the weight loss I needed to achieve.  I have had plenty of complications however the benefit of how I feel now outweighs those complications.  So, with that said, here is a list I have come up with for those considering WLS...

1. There is risk with any surgery and the best thing you can do for yourself is educate yourself.  Know what is involved in the procedure, know your anatomy and what the parts of your intestines do. And go to support groups that are offered by your surgeons office pre-op and post-op.
2.  Understand that this is a life long commitment.  You are forever changing your anatomy! 
3.  If you choose to eat poorly after surgery you will gain weight back (honey moon phase only lasts 18 months).
4.  Make sure you have an incredible support system in place because trust me you will need it!  Not every day is fabulous and you will have days where you are cranky and tired and really want to have a piece of cake.
5.  Make as many changes pre-op as you can.  This will make your post-op life a lot easier.
6.  Your hair will fall out (don't worry, you won't go bald). Take biotin in addition to your recommended vitamins.
7.  Liquid phase is no picnic and not to gross you out but if it all goes in liquid...it's all coming out liquid too my friend.
8.  You will have stalls in your weight loss.  This is normal.  Don't lose focus, keep doing what you are supposed to do and it will pick up again.
9.  You will be happier.  When I say happier I mean you will feel joy like you have never felt because for once in your life the scale is going down instead of up!
10.  You will feel better.
11.  You will be able to run and play with your kids without getting short of breath! And the first time that happens you will feel that joy and excitement all over again and you will want to shout it from the rooftop!  And you should!
12.  Be proud of yourself and never feel ashamed for making the decision to have WLS or not to have WLS for that matter.  The important thing is knowing what is right for you and your body and your life.  Not everyone should have WLS and that is okay, but if you decide you should then be proud of youself.  This is not an easy way out and anyone who is unwilling to understand that (in my opinion), doesn't need to be a part of the journey.

I am going to do better about blogging because it helps me stay on track.  Stress, surgeries, and various other things have allowed me to let myself fall off track.  But I am human and this will happen.  So again I will pick myself up and dust myself off and get on it again.  That is life my friends...

First day back at the gym!

Today I went to the gym for the first time in entirely too long but it felt AMAZING!  Got a great workout and bonus...my husband went with me and worked out too!  Going to the gym is fine alone  as long as I have some good tunes but it's nice to have someone to talk to every now and then :)  I am so thankful to have so much love and support. 

Protein

Since my last post, my protein intake has improved significantly!  I have been around 125 grams/day both days which is my goal range.  My calorie intake has been right around my target range as well which has been about 1,000-1,250/day.  Hoping that as my eating pattens continue to shift in the right direction I can cut the calorie intake down to about 800-900/day and get my carb consumption below 40/day! 

Now for the hard part....stay away from the sweets!  Evil deliciousness!

Nearly a year later

It has been nearly one year since my last entry.  This year has been so full of ups and downs and tremendous stress which has kept me from posting.  However the biggest thing that kept me from posting was having to face the fact that I have not been staying on track very well over the past year.  I have made so many choices that are not conducive to my physical, mental, or spiritual health this year that I feel ashamed and have not posted because of this.  After spending a good portion of the year trying to sort through pain and medication changes and depression I have decided that I am worth so much more than I have given myself over the last 12 months.  I deserve to get to my goal weight.  I deserve to be healthy.  I deserve to go shopping without fear or shame or humiliation.  I deserve to be happy. 


In the past 12 months I have lost two very beloved members of my family who I know would want to see me succeed.  I know that my daughter and my husband deserve the best of me and this depressive funk that has taken over my life is not even close.  I am human and I will continue to struggle with cravings, and weakness, and stress however I don't have to let one bad choice ruin a whole day full of choices.  So I mess up at breakfast?  Oh, well...I will accept it, try to learn from it, and move on to make a better choices.  Will I stumble and fall again?  Likely!  However this is all about making the decision to allow myself forgiveness and hope.

If anyone even reads this, it may seem like a very odd post.  But to anyone who really has struggled with weight, stress, depression, whatever your struggles are...remember, you always have a choice.  When you feel you have made the wrong one....do your best to learn from it and be happy with who you are!  To finish this post I leave you with two quotes from Dr. Seuss which resonate with me right now...
"You have brains in your head.  You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself in any direction you choose!" -Dr. Seuss
"Today you are you, that is truer than true.  There is no one alive who is youer than you!" -Dr. Seuss

Long time no post!

It has been quite some time since my last post, but life has just been crazy around here.  We finally moved back to Iowa and are so happy!  I am working as a home care nurse and my husband is working in a warehouse nearby.  I had a surprise surgery the Tuesday before Thanksgiving which has really slowed me down.  I was having a lot of pain and when I finally got to see my surgeon he was fairly certain that I had some internal hernias, so he sent me from the office to the OR and as it turns out some of my connections were coming apart and I had some very large, thick adhesions wrapped around my bowels.  But since the surgery my pain has not returned, but some of the weight has.  I have been hovering in the 240's for months.  With the surgery and the move I gained a few lbs, but thankfully not as much as I would have gained prior to WLS.  With that being said I have taken on a new challenge in the way of liquid Tuesdays and liquid Fridays.  Meaning twice per week I will do protein shakes and water all day and then a cream soup for dinner without chunks.  So likely tomato soup since that is the only one I like.  Several of my friends (both WLS friends and non WLS friends) have joined the challenge and I am truly amazed by this.  I am so blessed to have such supportive and amazing people in my life.  I am so thankful for every single one of them.  So I will end this short entry with the hopes of jump starting my weight loss again and moving on to goal.