Losing Weight and Energy Struggles

So it's now been a full three months since my surgery. Things are going along quite nicely with a weight loss of 47 pounds to date. I am at the point where I can begin to increase my food intake from a quarter cup to a half cup which can include some cooked veggies. I'm actually dying to have a salad, never thought I'd say that! I've introduced a few things but still struggle to eat enough at each meal, so I've come to snack in between which is a no-no, but I'm really just trying to get in the protein that I need. 

I keep a tracker and it appears I'm getting between 50-70 grams of protein a day, and most days I feel good. Along with exercise I'm am sustaining energy levels for the most part. However, over the weekend I mowed the lawn and helped hubby with a project and got completely wiped out. Two days later and I could barely do 15 minutes on the treadmill today. Didn't skip a meal and drank plenty of water, so not really sure what the problem is.

I did go for my blood tests yesterday and have a doctors follow-up appointment in two weeks, so we'll see what the blood test reveals, if anything. I'm hoping my iron is not low, really don't want to add any more medication to my already fist full of it. ugh.

So overall, feeling well and still losing about 2 to 2.5 lbs weekly which will keep me on track for the 100lb loss by the end of the year.

Will write soon.
Much Love, Jodi


Current weight: 239 lbs
Weight loss to date: 47 lbs
3 months

. . . and We're Moving Right Along

Sorry I haven't posted for several weeks, (I am now at week 10 since the surgery) I think I was just being lazy, it happens sometimes. Anyway, things seems to be moving along as they should. I was getting concerned as I was only losing about half to one pound a week and thought maybe I was doing something wrong. A call to the nutritionist let me know this is normal and assured me the weight loss would pick up and it has.

She told me a lot of times the reason why we lose energy can be because we are not getting enough protein, which is what I thought, but the surprising thing was you also lose energy if you are not taking in enough water. That was the ticket for sure. I've been working on drinking at least 32 ounces of water a day and my energy levels have increased, so yay for that!

Have now gotten into a workout routine three times a week which consists of a 30 minute circuit workout (Planet Fitness) and 20 to 30 minute treadmill walk. It seems when I do the workout I can only muster up enough energy to do about 15-20 minutes on the treadmill, without the workout I can definitely get in the 30 minutes. They tell me to just do my best, do what I can do and don't get stressed about it.

Well, I am now starting to lose 1.5 to 2 pounds a week and feel more on track to lose the 100 lbs I am hoping for by the end of the year. 

So far so good. 

Weight loss to date 34 lbs
Current weight: 252 lbs

PHUCKIN' PROTEIN

Well it's now the start of week six since the surgery. I'm pretty much healed and have figured out how to eat without discomfort. Now I'm having issues with energy. I'm sure hoping that I get this right sometime soon! I don't think I'm taking in enough protein. I do keep a tracker on my food and I'm pretty sure that's the issue. 

I just can't seem to eat enough with decent amount of protein. I also discovered that I have a hard time getting scrambled eggs to go down, but I still keep having an egg for breakfast. Then I start on some water and then lunch. Mid afternoon I try to get a protein drink down but can only drink about half at a time, by the time I feel I could drink the rest, it's time for dinner.

Today, I decided I was just going to drink protein drinks, eat protein bars and drink water. I'm hoping that will give me a boost and get some energy back.

Honestly, I just feel like sleeping all the time.

Trying to get it together folks. I'll keep you posted. zzzzzzzz

Much Love,
Jodi

Weight loss to date 26 lbs
Current weight: 260 lbs

Yay for the little things!

Sorry I slacked off a little and missed this week's update. I'm on to soft foods and things are getting a bit better, just as the doctor promised. Last week I had no energy and just felt so weak and would get out of breath so quickly. As I've been able to eat more than liquids my energy is slowly returning. I'm no longer lightheaded (well, no more than normal, lol) and I'm learning the feelings in my stomach. What I mean by that is sometimes it's hard to determine whether you are hungry or if it's just gas. That sounds weird but because my stomach is now the size of a small banana, it can only hold so much and if you tip those scales just a tiny bit, you go from comfortable to very uncomfortable very quickly, as you get severe reflux and no one wants to eat something twice, right? Ugh, sorry for that, but that's what happens. My doctor has prescribed me a stronger heartburn med and that seems to be helping. When they tell you to only eat a quarter cup of food, they mean it.

The weight loss itself seems to be slowing down, I was losing at a rate of 1lb a day, now it's about a half a pound or so every other day, so far I've lost 23lbs and this last week has remained the same weight. Since the weight loss is slowing, I'm guessing it is now time for the exercise to begin. It's obvious this is not my favorite thing or I wouldn't have been 290lbs in the first place. I'm gonna go check out the gym tomorrow and I'll start with the treadmill and work my way up to the machines. Can't wait till summer when I can start swimming again.

Talk soon

Much Love, Jodi

Current weight: 263 lbs
Weight loss so far: 23 lbs
Day 26

Moving Along

Took me pretty much the whole week, this week to get up the energy to write a post. I'm on the soft food portion of the program right now and it's very hard to introduce new foods. 

It seems yogurt, protein drinks are good, but when I eat anything with any texture is when I run into trouble. Scrambled eggs for breakfast, I mush them with a fork and then chew them like they are a piece of steak, lol and it still feels like it's stuck in my throat. It took most of the week to get anything other than liquid down, but I'm finally accepting the eggs and I've even introduced ground up chicken salad for dinner. 

It's so hard to believe that just one little quarter cup of food, sometimes less, completely fill my stomach. I still can't quite wrap my head around it. 

So, I'm gonna continue on with similar foods over the weekend and then next week I'll try to introduce tuna and fish and see where that gets me. 

Much love to all,
Jodi

Current weight: 265lbs
Weight loss so far: 21lbs
Day 17

Steady As I Go

Start of week two and finally feeling a bit better. Getting used to this new stomach is hard. It's hard to decide if the pain you are feeling is just pain from healing or if you are actually hungry, because hunger pains actually hurt when your stomach is the size of a banana.

I ventured out once to the craft store and had Hubby drive me, which ended up being a good thing because in the middle of the store I started to sweat and thought I might pass out. Guess it might have been too soon. I just want to get on with it. Patience is definitely not a strong personality trait of mine.

For the first few days I questioned whether this surgery was a good decision and now 8 days later, I realize everything is gonna be okay. I've gotten more in tune with the sensations in my throat and stomach and getting a little better at deciding whether I'm hungry or just thirsty.

Looking forward to Friday as I start the soft food diet. Actual food, can't wait!

Current Weight: 273 lbs.

Much Love, Jodi

Just Hanging in There

It's day three since the surgery. The first night was spend in the hospital, so they can keep an eye on you and make sure there are no issues. They encourage walking the halls and to get moving. I started walking within the first hour after getting to my room and didn't let up hoping it would move this gas along.

Yesterday and today aren't the best days I'll remember in my life, that's for sure. The incisions, there are five of them across my belly, are just a tad tender, but mostly what hurts is the gas they pump into your stomach during the surgery. They do this in order to have room to move around inside and do what they need to do. But, let me just say this, it is beyond uncomfortable, they tell you, you will experience some discomfort. Naah, it's painful and it doesn't go away quickly. The pain gets caught up under your ribs, in your chest and now I seem to have a very bad heartburn on top of it all.

I know each day will be better, as today is better than yesterday, so I really can't wait for Friday, LOL

It's really hard to get the liquids into your body like they want you to. I'm supposed to be drinking 4 ounces of this berry protein mix, three times a day and add water in between. I'm trying but I'm lucky so far to have gotten down 8 ounces of anything. The key is to stay hydrated, I'm working on it.

I've attached a photo of my lovely belly for you all to see (Don't look Ethel), just so you can have an idea of what the incisions look like. I know it looks like a big ass or a pregnant belly, sorry about that. Hubby asked if I was trying to discourage people from having this operation by posting the pic, lol No, I'm not, I just want you to be prepared for the surgery, that's all, so you will be hearing about and seeing all of it.

Much Love, Jodi

Current weight 286 lbs

Countdown Has Begun

Surgery day is exactly 9 days from now and I've noticed that I've become a bit emotional. At first, just stupid things were going wrong and I was having a bad day. Today, my computer wouldn't print for me and then when I got it to print, it was out of ink. Needless to say this did not go over well with me! Hubby of course, got the wrath of it, like somehow it was his fault.

Well, I think I figured out what's going on with me. I thought I was fine and just impatient to get this show on the road but to be honest, I think I am in mourning. As I say that, the tears are running down my face. Seems like a stupid thing, but when you've spent the majority of your adult life eating whatever you wanted, it's very strange to think about no longer being able to do that.

I definitely know the surgery is the best thing I can do for myself, and in no way am I having second thoughts, but just knowing that I can't eat pizza, or ice cream or just steak and potatoes, definitely feels like a loss. I'm sure if I psychoanalyzed myself, I'd discover that food was probably a very good friend, if not my best friend. It's always been there for me when I was sad, or depressed, or lonely, so why wouldn't I be upset about losing it?

I'm guessing that once I have the surgery and start seeing the results, the loss of my favorite foods will be less painful. I definitely prepared for this and I think in the back of my mind I knew I would feel this way, so like everything else, I'll face it, deal with it and move on.

We'll talk again soon…
Much Love, Jodi

Starting Weight: 293 lbs

The Killing of Jennifer

I haven't written in my blog for so long, I'm sure most of you had forgotten I even had one. I guess as my weight has gotten out of hand, my energy and motivation have also gone by the wayside. This series of posts will be getting much more personal, well at least emotionally, as I will be writing about my weight loss process in the hopes it might help someone else with similar struggles. The last two years have been a real wake up call for me and I've finally accepted that it's time, time to rid myself of Jennifer.

They say when you are my size, which is now pushing 300lbs, that it's like carrying an extra person around with you. That's where Jennifer comes in—she's my plus one. I've loved her and nurtured her for years now. I've fed her cupcakes and ice cream and indulged her when she begged for cheese fries. Even though I knew to give in to her was only going to hurt the both of us in the end. And here we are on the cusp of weight loss surgery because of "her" addictions.

Of course I joke about Jennifer not being any help at all. The least the girl could do is help around the house once in a while. Maybe pull out the vacuum occasionally or "Bitch can you wash a dish?" but the truth is, it's all me. It's me that has terrible eating habits. I skip breakfast. Sometimes I eat lunch, but mostly I'll eat one meal a day and by the time I realize I haven't eaten all day, I'm starving. I'm starving generally means whatever I choose to eat at this point is an overindulgence. Either I eat the wrong thing (something fried, something cheesy) or I eat to much. It's a vicious cycle. Of course all my body knows is that it needs to hold on to whatever nutrition I've consumed because it has no idea when the next meal will come.

I believe this is a problem with most overweight people, especially women. I always say I "forget" to eat. Yeah, I know, I can hear you saying "Honey, from the looks of you, I doubt you've ever forgotten a meal, maybe you're just not remembering right" It is true though, I get involved in my work or social media (I can watch kitten and puppy videos for hours on end) and simply don't realize how much time has passed until, well, it's dinnertime. Oops! Over years and years of doing this, your body just stays in a dormant state and refuses to let go of the fat it needs to survive. Now add my age, I'm almost 60 and lack of exercise and there you have it, the voluptuous beauty of me.

So, I've been contemplating writing to you about all of this for a while now, ever since I decided this surgery was going to happen. I have gotten all my medical clearances completed, attended all my appointments with the nutritionist and my surgery date is set for February 28th. So if you're curious enough to follow along with me, I'll be making regular posts to let you know how everything is going. I'm hoping I can hold on to my humor through the pain and suffering and give you a laugh or two. So please feel free to comment, encourage or to just say "hello".

Here we go...