Today I was cleared by employee health to return to my job. I feel so much better than I did six months ago. I'm sure it will be challenging to readjust to my old routine. When I went out on medical leave I could not walk down the hallway without getting short of breath. Today I walked around the place and felt ready to be back. I'm so glad that I had my weight loss surgery. I was dying, literally. I had chronic congestive heart failure and was unable to do anything strenuous at all.
I made a new page with a few pictures before and after. I'll add more as I keep losing.
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
OH NO! A PLATEAU!
I did not have support group this week because it was last week. Funny how the third Wednesday of the month was the 15th. It seemed too early to me. So I didn't get to go this time. It was my son's birthday anyway so I certainly wanted to spend the evening with my family.
Today I needed to pick up something from the pharmacy so I stopped by the "official scale" and found that I'd only lost one pound since the last time I weighed. Now after that I stopped by work to pick up the schedule since I'm going back on Oct. 4th. I got lots of hugs and everyone thought I looked great. When we got back into the car, my daughter asked if all the strokes to my ego made up for the plateau. My hesitation to answer prompted her to say that when my coworkers were fussing over me the smile on my face wouldn't have come off with Ajax and a wire brush. OK I admit it. It did help. Onward through the plateau.
Now any veteran dieter will tell you that these happen to everyone who tries to lose weight. Our bodies have noticed that our lovely fat cells are shrinking. The metabolism goes into panic mode and lowers itself so that the grip on those precious fat cells becomes tighter. As annoying as this might seem it does account for survival in times of actual famine. Should you find yourself on a desert island somewhere you will want your body to hang on to all its resources until the rescue boat arrives. That being said the strategy here is to fool the body into loosening up.
I can remember those weigh-ins at Weight Watchers. At the end of the meeting the leader would announce how much everyone lost that week even though it might be as little as a quarter of a pound. (They would tactfully skip those who gained. No humiliation there) Once a lecturer brought a stick of butter to a meeting to show us what a quarter of a pound looks like. It may not be much but wouldn't you rather not have that stick of butter on your hips? At the time I first did Weight Watchers they were not really stressing exercise. Their solution to the plateau was to stick with their usual program being really precise about weighing and measuring your food. Also make sure you drink eight glasses of water every day without fail. The water is supposed to flush out the fat. Well that old fat does exit through the plumbing. (It certainly doesn't disappear in a puff of smoke.)
When I was doing the Phen-Fen my doctor told me to combat a stall by increasing my exercise and thus kicking up my metabolism. It sounded good but I really didn't try this back then.
A blogger I follow said she overcame her plateau by upping her protein intake. She found a new protein powder that she really liked which helped her accomplish this.
Another idea I heard recently was to eat more calories every third (or was it fifth) day to show your body that it really isn't starving. I did try this but it was too easy to eat more every day.
My plan is to incorporate all of these recommendations except for that last one.. I will go back to keeping track of all my nutrients and fluids every day to make sure I'm getting enough of everything. I need to get to the gym too. Since I'm heading back to the job I will have more activity anyway.
So here I am still 60 pounds lighter than I was on June 28th. The fall season is a time when mammals tend to increase weight for the coming winter. I'm not going there.
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan.
Today I needed to pick up something from the pharmacy so I stopped by the "official scale" and found that I'd only lost one pound since the last time I weighed. Now after that I stopped by work to pick up the schedule since I'm going back on Oct. 4th. I got lots of hugs and everyone thought I looked great. When we got back into the car, my daughter asked if all the strokes to my ego made up for the plateau. My hesitation to answer prompted her to say that when my coworkers were fussing over me the smile on my face wouldn't have come off with Ajax and a wire brush. OK I admit it. It did help. Onward through the plateau.
Now any veteran dieter will tell you that these happen to everyone who tries to lose weight. Our bodies have noticed that our lovely fat cells are shrinking. The metabolism goes into panic mode and lowers itself so that the grip on those precious fat cells becomes tighter. As annoying as this might seem it does account for survival in times of actual famine. Should you find yourself on a desert island somewhere you will want your body to hang on to all its resources until the rescue boat arrives. That being said the strategy here is to fool the body into loosening up.
I can remember those weigh-ins at Weight Watchers. At the end of the meeting the leader would announce how much everyone lost that week even though it might be as little as a quarter of a pound. (They would tactfully skip those who gained. No humiliation there) Once a lecturer brought a stick of butter to a meeting to show us what a quarter of a pound looks like. It may not be much but wouldn't you rather not have that stick of butter on your hips? At the time I first did Weight Watchers they were not really stressing exercise. Their solution to the plateau was to stick with their usual program being really precise about weighing and measuring your food. Also make sure you drink eight glasses of water every day without fail. The water is supposed to flush out the fat. Well that old fat does exit through the plumbing. (It certainly doesn't disappear in a puff of smoke.)
When I was doing the Phen-Fen my doctor told me to combat a stall by increasing my exercise and thus kicking up my metabolism. It sounded good but I really didn't try this back then.
A blogger I follow said she overcame her plateau by upping her protein intake. She found a new protein powder that she really liked which helped her accomplish this.
Another idea I heard recently was to eat more calories every third (or was it fifth) day to show your body that it really isn't starving. I did try this but it was too easy to eat more every day.
My plan is to incorporate all of these recommendations except for that last one.. I will go back to keeping track of all my nutrients and fluids every day to make sure I'm getting enough of everything. I need to get to the gym too. Since I'm heading back to the job I will have more activity anyway.
So here I am still 60 pounds lighter than I was on June 28th. The fall season is a time when mammals tend to increase weight for the coming winter. I'm not going there.
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Whoops! My eyes ARE bigger than my belly.
I've found that I prefer to eat semi-liquid food like yogurt because it doesn't back up like solid food can. Solids require more chewing and a slower pace. I have not mastered either of these yet.
I have another support group coming up today. I will check my weight on the official scale while I'm there. Meanwhile, I'll try not to "bite off more than I can chew".
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Two birthday cakes and one Chinese Buffet
We had two birthdays in the family this week. I sailed through them with no guilt! For my son's he wanted baked manicotti, of which I was able to eat the cheesy filling, and ice cream cake which isn't a big temptation for me. Two days later was my mother's birthday. We went to a nearby Chinese buffet where I had egg drop soup, a small amount of pepper chicken with vegetables, two steamed clams and some melon for dessert. When the check came I opened my fortune cookie to read it and popped the cookie in my mouth without even thinking about it. Fortunately (ha ha) fortune cookies are not too sweet so I did not have any bad side effects. We went back to the house for cake. Now the cake was a luscious looking devil's food with chocolate buttercream frosting. Normally this would be a MAJOR temptation for me. However, I was pretty full from dinner so there was no way I could cram any cake in my pouch. Later I had a few of my sugar-free popsicles. Only 15 calories each and I am addicted to the tropical flavored ones.
Normally these two events would have meant ingesting thousands of unnecessary calories. I am happy to say that I am not feeling sorry for myself. I had a good time without overeating. I have not paid a visit to the "official scale" for a while so I need to check on my progress. I have a support group meeting on Wednesday so I'll weigh in then. In the meantime I have some opera to memorize before Friday's staging rehearsal. Tosca awaits me!
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan
Normally these two events would have meant ingesting thousands of unnecessary calories. I am happy to say that I am not feeling sorry for myself. I had a good time without overeating. I have not paid a visit to the "official scale" for a while so I need to check on my progress. I have a support group meeting on Wednesday so I'll weigh in then. In the meantime I have some opera to memorize before Friday's staging rehearsal. Tosca awaits me!
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Still a long way to go
When people are able to notice that I have lost weight it becomes like a drug. I hear loads of compliments and I revel in the feeling of success. This past weekend I got together with a bunch of friends who haven't seen me for several years. They were all very happy that I looked so much better than the last time they saw me.
Two of the friends had come for a vacation in NY from the west coast. On Monday they planned to do some sightseeing including a boat tour of some historic sites. I asked if I could tag along since I have missed going to Manhattan. I have been able to get around walking so much better than before my surgery I was pretty confident that I could manage to negotiate those sidewalks of NY like I used to do.
Monday morning I took the train to Grand Central Station then the subway to the Wall Street area. I walked past "Ground Zero" and went a few blocks to their hotel. So far, so good. We then walked over to the South Street Seaport and got our tickets for the boat. We had to wait about 40 minutes for the boat but it was a glorious sunny day and there is so much to see just sitting there. The boat ride lasted about an hour and afterward my friends wanted to go back to the hotel for a little bit. I had wanted to go to Chinatown so we split up and planned to meet at Times Square later for dinner.
My knees were beginning to bother me at this point. I caught a bus to Canal Street and set off to do some shopping. Walking was becoming more uncomfortable by this time. I couldn't find the part of Chinatown that has the stores that cater to tourists. Instead I was in an area that was more like actually being in China. I saw lots of fish and produce for sale but no "designer" handbags, watches or souvenirs. I found a bench and sat for a while but when I began to walk again I seemed to be going in circles and still didn't find where I wanted to be. Increasingly tired and sore I decided to give up and head for Times Square. I got on a very crowded bus up to midtown but I was still over on the east side with quite a way to walk to Broadway and 42nd St. I hailed a cab to ride the rest of the way. By this time it was getting cloudy and while we were at dinner it began to rain. Perhaps my arthritis was aggravated by the weather but I was finished sightseeing. After going in the wrong direction for a block I walked slowly back to Grand Central Station and caught my train. I could have taken the Times Square shuttle to Grand Central but I just couldn't see where the subway entrance was. I was exhausted and really sore by the time I got home.
I had a blast with my friends in the city but I was blatantly reminded that I still have a long, long way to go. I've lost 60 pounds but my goal is to lose 165 more. All the compliments made forget this. I'm better than I was but I'm not thin yet.
On a good note, I did have success with restaurant meals over the weekend and Monday. I was able to eat just enough without any problems. One day we went to Oktoberfest. At that event I shared part of my husband's meal. Another time about 25 of us met at a local diner. While there, I ordered an appetizer, ate just enough for me and brought the rest home. We went to an Italian restaurant in the city. The food there was served family style so I could control my portions easily. I'm learning when to stop eating to avoid any pouch discomfort.
I had a wonderful time with my friends from my youth. We all show some signs of wear and tear but we can still have a good time.
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan
Two of the friends had come for a vacation in NY from the west coast. On Monday they planned to do some sightseeing including a boat tour of some historic sites. I asked if I could tag along since I have missed going to Manhattan. I have been able to get around walking so much better than before my surgery I was pretty confident that I could manage to negotiate those sidewalks of NY like I used to do.
Monday morning I took the train to Grand Central Station then the subway to the Wall Street area. I walked past "Ground Zero" and went a few blocks to their hotel. So far, so good. We then walked over to the South Street Seaport and got our tickets for the boat. We had to wait about 40 minutes for the boat but it was a glorious sunny day and there is so much to see just sitting there. The boat ride lasted about an hour and afterward my friends wanted to go back to the hotel for a little bit. I had wanted to go to Chinatown so we split up and planned to meet at Times Square later for dinner.
I had a blast with my friends in the city but I was blatantly reminded that I still have a long, long way to go. I've lost 60 pounds but my goal is to lose 165 more. All the compliments made forget this. I'm better than I was but I'm not thin yet.
On a good note, I did have success with restaurant meals over the weekend and Monday. I was able to eat just enough without any problems. One day we went to Oktoberfest. At that event I shared part of my husband's meal. Another time about 25 of us met at a local diner. While there, I ordered an appetizer, ate just enough for me and brought the rest home. We went to an Italian restaurant in the city. The food there was served family style so I could control my portions easily. I'm learning when to stop eating to avoid any pouch discomfort.
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Catching up
I see its been over a week since I posted. I appreciate the encouraging comments from my friends. They really help!
This week I had an appointment with the nurse practitioner at the endocrinology office. My A1C is 6.9! That is without any diabetic medication at all. Prior to my surgery my A1C was 7.6 and was taking four injections of insulin daily and an oral medication twice a day. I was weighed on their scale (which of course was not the official scale at Dr. Choi's office). According to their scale I am down nearly 60 pounds.
I have been trying to eat new things. I did make egg salad which went down very well. I found that my little 10 month old grandson likes egg salad too. Nobody can eat in front of him without sharing. He makes everyone feel very guilty if they don't. I'm still striving to eat slowly and stop before I take in too much. I finished the nasty tasting liquid vitamins (YAY) and went back to the chewables with good results. I'm swallowing all my pills whole with no problems. We are on the verge of being flooded with tomatoes from the garden. YUM!
Today I went for a walk with my daughter and my grandson. She was pleasantly surprised to find that I can keep up with her without getting short of breath. The last time we went walking I kept having to ask her to slow down. My knee is feeling better. I do have some hip pain which is probably due to arthritis. Hopefully that will be better with less weight.
I will be returning to work in about three weeks. That will be a big challenge for several reasons. I have not been getting up early for a long, long time. I need to figure out what to take for lunch. Things are always changing at work so I'll have to catch up. I look forward to being able to do my job better now because I'm healthier.
It's September 11th. I will never forget that day nine years ago. I pray for comfort to those who lost loved ones that day. I also pray for peace. May we all learn to love each other in spite of our differences because we all are children of God.
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan
This week I had an appointment with the nurse practitioner at the endocrinology office. My A1C is 6.9! That is without any diabetic medication at all. Prior to my surgery my A1C was 7.6 and was taking four injections of insulin daily and an oral medication twice a day. I was weighed on their scale (which of course was not the official scale at Dr. Choi's office). According to their scale I am down nearly 60 pounds.
I have been trying to eat new things. I did make egg salad which went down very well. I found that my little 10 month old grandson likes egg salad too. Nobody can eat in front of him without sharing. He makes everyone feel very guilty if they don't. I'm still striving to eat slowly and stop before I take in too much. I finished the nasty tasting liquid vitamins (YAY) and went back to the chewables with good results. I'm swallowing all my pills whole with no problems. We are on the verge of being flooded with tomatoes from the garden. YUM!
Today I went for a walk with my daughter and my grandson. She was pleasantly surprised to find that I can keep up with her without getting short of breath. The last time we went walking I kept having to ask her to slow down. My knee is feeling better. I do have some hip pain which is probably due to arthritis. Hopefully that will be better with less weight.
I will be returning to work in about three weeks. That will be a big challenge for several reasons. I have not been getting up early for a long, long time. I need to figure out what to take for lunch. Things are always changing at work so I'll have to catch up. I look forward to being able to do my job better now because I'm healthier.
It's September 11th. I will never forget that day nine years ago. I pray for comfort to those who lost loved ones that day. I also pray for peace. May we all learn to love each other in spite of our differences because we all are children of God.
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The official scale says....52 pounds lighter
My clothes are loose, I fit better in the driver's seat of my car and I feel like my arms are getting longer.
By that last one I mean that I can scratch places on my back that I couldn't reach before. In addition, since there is less of me in front, I can reach into my kitchen cabinets more easily.
I am still trying to eat slowly but don't always succeed. I've long been someone who likes hot food hot. I like steam coming off the platter and don't want to let everything get cold.
I am also getting into a rut with my food intake. Most commonly I eat Greek yogurt with additions like protein powder, fruit or other flavoring, low fat cheese and sugar free popsicles. I have an egg once in a while and I've had some turkey salad which I made from canned turkey. I have started to eat some of what my family eats for dinner. Sometimes that works well, sometimes not. The yummy looking recipes I have seen on other blogs are tempting but seem like such a lot of trouble for the quantity I can eat. Maybe tomorrow I'll make some egg salad for a change of pace.
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan
By that last one I mean that I can scratch places on my back that I couldn't reach before. In addition, since there is less of me in front, I can reach into my kitchen cabinets more easily.
I am still trying to eat slowly but don't always succeed. I've long been someone who likes hot food hot. I like steam coming off the platter and don't want to let everything get cold.
I am also getting into a rut with my food intake. Most commonly I eat Greek yogurt with additions like protein powder, fruit or other flavoring, low fat cheese and sugar free popsicles. I have an egg once in a while and I've had some turkey salad which I made from canned turkey. I have started to eat some of what my family eats for dinner. Sometimes that works well, sometimes not. The yummy looking recipes I have seen on other blogs are tempting but seem like such a lot of trouble for the quantity I can eat. Maybe tomorrow I'll make some egg salad for a change of pace.
Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan
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