MIA

Good Morning,

I was missing in action for a few days due to a busy weekend, and then a bit of the flu. I am feeling better today, and I'm down another 2 lbs to a total of 55! Unfortunately, it wasn't a stomach flu, or that number would be even bigger! ;-)

A few more days...a few more lbs...I'll take it. Today is four weeks out from my day of surgery, and I've lost 20 lbs. Not bad. This Saturday (and my Dad's birthday!) will be one month out, and maybe I'll be down a bit more by then.

My appetite continues to grow, but still no where near where it was before I started the liquid diet. I probably have the appetite of a thin girl right now. When I observe what they eat, that's about where I am. Next week when I get my fill, I'm hoping to notice a difference. Keeping my appetite as small as I have has been a result of self control, and not physical limitations at this point.

I'm glad I have had the self control, but it will be even nicer to have a physical tool to help me - that is the whole point of this band. I know it takes many people 3 to even 5 fills to really feel a good amount of restriction, and that's okay - I can be patient. Even a little bit of restriction will be a great start.

For the first few days after my fill, each time, I have to go on the liquid diet, and then a day or two of soft foods. I think four weeks on the liquid diet was great for me psychologically because it really helped me to see food in terms of nutrition and health rather than pleasure. Now that I am back eating without restrictions, I get pleasure from food again, but something changed during those four weeks and I just don't see food the same way. The thought of going back on the liquid diet is really no problem for me.

I guess that is all for now. Happy Halloween! I have about 5 huge buckets of candy leftover from the Halloween Party we had Sunday afternoon. Thank God I'm not tempted with sweets!

KC

KC minus 53

I'm down 53 as of today. That was a nice surprise!

I was just thinking, when I was at the gym yesterday, how much more enjoyable the cardio would be if I had a recent loss. That is how I justify doing something I hate so much. I don't know why I love strength training and hate cardio. I love sports, and I don't mind a cardio work out that comes as a result of playing sports. I just hate the mindless peddling or walking/jogging/running or stair stepping...all of it...HATE it! I think I hate it because it's so boring. I also don't like the way it feels.

I love the way it feels when I'm lifting weights and my muscles are shaking because I've overdone it a little bit. I love the pain that comes from lifting a little more than I have or as a result of many reps. I do not like the pain that comes from cardio...the burning in my legs when I'm on too high of a level of the bike for too long... I don't like burning legs.

It's just not my bag. I knooooow it's important and that I will lose weight slower if I don't do it, so I do it, but probably not as much as I should. Since I have added strength training to my work out, I only do 20-25 minutes of cardio each day. In my defense, however, I'm still working my way into a routine, and I still get tired at the gym far sooner than I should.

I need to download music to my iPod - that will help a lot. I also need to get some new movies for my DVD player. I haven't brought that in a while because I ran out of things to watch, and that definitely made cardio less torturous. It did make me bike slower, though, so that's something I need to be mindful of going forward.

I have today off to get a jump start on getting the house ready for the Halloween Party on Sunday. If you saw the blanket of leaves in my yard, you would see my cardio workout has already been laid out for me. Between all that raking and mowing the lawn and running around cleaning, I will definitely have a homemade work out today, but I will at least go to the gym for strength training in addition (and tanning!).

I just started strength training one week ago, but I can already feel a little difference in my muscles. I love it!

Have a great fall day!

KC

Singing in the rain

We made it to choir practice last night, rain and all! It was a great time. Darcy hasn't been in a chorus since she was 9, so she was a little shocked and amused by the warm up exercises involved. It certainly does feel silly to the newcomer.

It was great to sing! I need to move my piano to NH so that we can practice. This session started two months ago, and we need to catch up learning our parts in the songs.

I can't believe I missed the first half of the game last night, but what a game it was! GO SOX!

I made it to the gym yesterday, but only for 45 minutes because I had to rush up to Portsmouth right after. I'm still glad I went. I did legs and about 2 miles on the bike. Today I will have more time to do a proper session. I will do upper body and cardio.

I'm really enjoying my more active lifestyle. I have always had a busy lifestyle, but focusing on getting healthy not only affects my physical health, but my overall health as a person as well.

On the scale front, I weighed myself today, and I haven't lost anything substantial since last week when I hit 50. I know I'm doing the things I am supposed to: eating healthy foods in small portions, drinking lots of water and working out, so there's nothing else I could do at this point.

I know that when you start working out - especially strength training - there is an adjustment period when the muscles you are building weigh more than the weight you are losing, and I think that's what is happening with me. I am getting smaller, and smaller clothes are fitting me better and better, so I'm not worried, but I will keep you posted!

I continue to notice that I can eat more and more. Yesterday I ate 1/4 of a grilled chicken wrap for breakfast, a small serving of chicken with snow peas for lunch, an additional 1/4 of a grilled chicken wrap around 3, as I was hungry again, and a small salad with grilled chicken for dinner at 6:30. By 8 or 9 I was hungry again, but I just ignored it.

My nutritionist said I should be eating and extra 200-300 calories per day if I'm working out. I'm not sure how many calories I am supposed to be eating per day now, but I believe it is 1200. I just added up my calories for yesterday, and it totaled just under 800, so perhaps the problem is that once again I'm not eating enough.

This is a challenge because I don't want to overeat and cause my appetite to grow, but I also want to make sure I'm consuming enough calories to be healthy.

I see my nutritionist in two weeks, so that will be helpful!

KC

Warning: TMI

(That means too much information, Mom.) :)

Last night I made a lasagna full of protein. It is so important for us to get in high amounts of protein each day, but not being able to eat large quantities of food presents a problem. My plan was to pack as much protein in as small of a package as possible. Truly, I made a meatsagna.

It was delicious. You can check out the recipe at: http://www.lowphatcooking.blogspot.com/

I know that most people who have the lap band are not able to eat pasta unless it is cooked very well. I have had pasta in soup with no trouble, so I thought I would be okay.

I had a half of a small piece of lasagna, and I felt fine. A bit full, but fine. A few hours later, I went to bed, and I woke up at 11 with some discomfort, but I fell back asleep. At midnight, I woke up again with more discomfort and pretty bad nausea. I thought I had come down with a stomach bug.

I had severe gas pain in my chest that I would have thought was a heart attack if I hadn't read about the phenomenon I was experiencing in all of my prior research. Food was stuck and air was trapped in my chest, and my stomach was producing mucus in an attempt to free the trapped food.

Again, you may want to skip these next parts, but I want to include it all for those of you considering getting the lap band. If you just read my blog because you think it's interesting and sometimes even humorous, you can skip the below.

I ended up vomiting quite a bit of mucus, and finally a tiny piece of pasta came up that had been stuck around my band. It was the item causing so much trauma. An hour and a half later, I was all set.

The worst part in all of this is that I made a giant meatsagna to freeze into individual pieces to take with me to work for a nice high protein lunch, and now it is going to waste.

Oh well, you live and learn!

This was the first time I could even tell I had a band, so at least I know it is there and my experiences are similar to the experiences of others.

I will be much more sensitive when I get my first fill in two weeks, so I will be winding down on the non lap band friendly foods that I have been able to eat in preparation for that.

Have a wonderful day!

KC

Me strong like bull

D and I did some great strength training yesterday. I am glad I am finally healed enough to work out my muscles because that is my favorite part of working out. I hate cardio.

I just did my legs and my back yesterday, so I will do my arms today.

We had my aunt and my cousin over for lunch, which was very nice!, and after that we went to Hampshire Hills to soak our old bones in a hot tub and go for a swim. It was fantastic!

I can't wait until Darce sets up the hot tub here. (hint, hint!)

We had a very full weekend, and we accomplished a lot! My energy level has definitely increased significantly, and I can't imagine what I'll be like at goal if this is what I'm like now.

Watch out!

The hometown phatties really came through for us this weekend in a BIG way!

Next stop: WORLD SERIES!!!

The pants that I was so excited to fit into about 3-4 weeks ago are now starting to slip off of me. I haven't weighed myself since last week, and I'm not sure when I'm going to again.

Feeling my clothes get bigger and working out and eating healthy small portions is working for me. If I were to get on the scale and see that I hadn't lost any weight, I may be unnecessarily discouraged. We'll see.

Have a great day!

KC

Outfit

I decided to shop at Old Navy, so that I wouldn't spend a ton of money on clothes that (hopefully) won't fit me for too long.

Rather than buying an outfit, I bought 8 items...but they were CHEAP! Truly, I just got a pair of jeans, and a bunch of things I am going to need for life on the river in the winter.

Every weekend is snowmobiling, ice skating, cross country skiing and sitting around dangerously large (jk Mom) bon fires. I need some proper redneck attire, and that is precisely what I bought: 3 different long underwear tops, a corduroy winter jacket with Sherpa lining, a camouflage puffy vest and such.

I want to be active and outside this year; I have heard the winter can be a blast around here. Last year, D and I would have people over and we would literally watch all the neighbors outside from the comfort of our living room. We called it the Goffstown show. They would be outside ALL day...in the NH winter! Apparently, I underestimated the heat that is thrown from their fires...but seriously, these people never sit. No wonder they are all so thin!

So this year, I will join in the fun.

At least I'm going to try.

:)

KC

Pants

I made it into my designated next pair of goal pants today. By "made it into," I mean I fought them and won... (You have all seen sausage made, right? It was kind of like that, but I still did it, and I'm still glad!) I certainly won't be wearing them socially for another week or so, but I got them on and that is what counts. They are 5 sizes smaller than the pants I was wearing 6 weeks ago.

Everyone keeps asking me what prize I'm going to get myself for the big five o accomplishment, and I'm going to get an outfit. Determining the size should be the challenge. I can get something that fits me nicely right now, but then I'll only be able to wear it for a month (hopefully). I am thinking of getting an outfit that's just a little too small... something that will fit in another 10-15 lbs. That way I can look forward to wearing it, but not for too long that it goes out of style, and it can be my next goal outfit too!

Brilliant.

Last night I had sushi, and it was fabulous. I wasn't able to eat much, but what I did have was delicious.

Today appears to be a rainy overcast day. I think we are going to switch out the vanities in the house in MA today. Fuuuun. After that, I'm going to go get my outfit.

The other day when I went to the gym, I went swimming after and my shirt was wet as I was leaving. Karen and I were going to go to Chili's after, and I didn't want to go in with a wet shirt, so I stopped by Marshalls and I bought a really obnoxious sweatshirt that has Japanese writing and pictures of sushi all over it and I wore that to Chili's.

Later that night, we went over Krissy and Bruno's to watch the Sox game, and I had my sushi sweatshirt on. 7-1 later, our friends are now convinced that the turning tides for the Sox was a result of my sweatshirt, and now they are insisting that I wear it to every game moving forward.

Tonight, sushi sweatshirt and all, we will be cheering on our Hometown Phatties (are we still considering baseball a sport?), as they move their chubby little bodies from base to base.

GO SOX!

KC

Serving Size Info

I found this very helpful information regarding serving sizes on the AARP web site!

What one serving size should look like
Grain Products
1 cup of cereal flakes___________________The size of a fist
1 pancake__________________________ A compact disc
½ cup of cooked rice, pasta, or potato________½ of a baseball
1 slice of bread________________________A cassette tape

Fruits and Veggies
1 cup of salad greens____________________A baseball
1 medium fruit________________________A baseball
½ cup of raisins_______________________A large egg

Dairy and Cheese
1 ½ oz. cheese________________________4 stacked dice
½ cup of ice cream_____________________½ baseball
1 cup serving of milk, yogurt, or fresh greens___The size of a fist

Meats and Alternatives
3 oz. meat, fish, and poultry_______________Deck of cards
3 oz. grilled/baked fish___________________Checkbook
2 Tbsp. peanut butter___________________Ping pong ball

Fats
1 teaspoon of oil________________________The size of your thumb tip

I miss you...

...my scale...

I had Darcy hide it from me because it's really not necessary for me to weight myself 2-10 times per day. I tend to obsess...

I want to wait until Monday to weight myself since I finally hit 50, but it's just not a morning without being able to step on the scale and check in. I looked everywhere to find it, but I had no luck. I thought of calling her to talk her into telling me where it was, but I decided I was being cookoo, and I moved on.

I had a late dinner (2 hard boiled eggs) last night because I was engrossed with the game (GO SOX!), so I woke up full this morning. I still had my breakfast (2 scrambled eggs), but it was tough to eat.

Don't worry, Mom, I'm not eating too much cholesterol. At this point, I am supposed to get in as much protein from animals as I can. Eggs are a great source of protein, and they don't make me feel too full. I'll be fine.

Yesterday I biked 7 miles at level 5, and I worked up a really good sweat! I guess that is gross and oversharing, but I was really happy about it. I don't normally get that sweaty, so I guess I haven't been working out hard enough. Normally I have been biking at level 1 and 2 because I'm still working my way back into working out, but I'm clearly ready for more.

I also started strength training yesterday. I used 12 lb free weights and did some exercises with my arms. I was trying to take it easy, and I clearly took it too easy because I don't feel ANYTHING in my arms today. That is pathetic. I'm going back tonight, and hopefully I'll make more of an impact.

We are going to dinner at China Sky with TJ and M tonight. They have been saying how great this place is for a year now, so I'm excited to try it. I am sure there will be a healthy option I can find on the menu...there always is.

Have a great day!

KC

The Big Five Ohhhhh!!!!

FINALLY.

I hit fifty today. I'm not that excited that I have only lost a few oz. in the past 6 days, but whatever! I'm just glad I'm finally at fifty!

Now I can buy myself a prize, and return to weighing myself weekly.

Yay!

KC

Mmmm...mmmm....good

Isn't that their slogan?

I had a Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request 98% fat free Classic Chicken Noodle for lunch today, and I am full! It had 14 grams of protein! Very nice.

I still can't believe the things that make me full...even though my appetite is bigger than it was last week...it's still very small.

I had an extra protein slim fast for breakfast, so I'm up to 29 grams of protein for today. Since I have choir practice in Portsmouth that I will be driving to from Boston, I'm imagining I will have dinner on the go tonight. Thankfully, I have zone protein bars in the car.

Last night we had our support group, and it was great. I learned a lot of new tips, such as buying a new Greek yogurt called Fage and using it to make dip for my veggies. Yum. Can't wait to try it!

XO

KC

Movies!

Last night we went to the movies. I hadn't had dinner, and I decided to have some movie theater popcorn. Once I get my first saline fill, I may not be able to have popcorn again, and I didn't have an opportunity to have any before my liquid diet, so why not!

I bought a small, and I couldn't even make my way through half of it, BUT, I am still full this morning. I felt bloated, but not too bad, and pretty full, but not painful full, but I don't know when this feeling of full is going to leave! It is certainly an interesting thing.

We saw Good Luck Chuck. It was marginally humerous at best, but that is all I expected. It was the only movie playing when we showed up, so it made the selection process easy.

I think I am all set with movie theater popcorn. I don't want to waste all that room on non-protein anyway, but it was nice to have one last hoorah. ;>)

I am reading the accounts of people who have had this procedure around the time I did, and many of them are commenting that their appetite has not shrunk yet, and that they are getting discouraged. Truly, your appetite doesn't shrink as a result of the band until you get your first fill. Actually, it often takes 3-5 fills to really feel that restriction that makes you full quickly.

The reason I have experienced such a decreased appetite is partly because of the (mainly) liquid diet I was on for five weeks, and partly because I am still healing from surgery. I know that if I wanted to stretch my appetite to what it was before surgery, at this point, I could. Obviously, I don't want to do that, but I think that is something that happens to a lot of people who have this procedure. It is so important to know what is going on at each step, or you can get discouraged.

My first saline fill is four weeks from today: November 6th. I have heard that the MD won't fill you if you are still losing weight because you don't need a fill unless you aren't, but I hope that's not the case for me. Even if I don't have a restriction in my appetite by then, I will be watching what I eat very carefully, and I don't want to be penalized for losing weight on my own.

I'm not going to worry about that right now. :)

Have a great day - it is a beautiful one!

Kristen.

Busy Bee

What a weekend! If the 3.5 hr work out on Saturday wasn't enough to wear me out, the home improvement project did the trick! I had no idea that replacing a vanity in a bathroom was such a project. Thank goodness for the Darce. She handled the whole project. I just did the painting. I have included some pictures, but I don't think they do it justice.

I'm very pleased with the end result.

I am continuing my plateau at 49.whatever lbs down. Yesterday I ate steak. It was delicious. I can only eat 2-3 oz per meal, but that is just right! I know several people have had trouble eating steak after the lap band, but so far so good for me.

Today I am going to just drink low-cal/low-fat protein drinks for a day to see if changing up my routine will help me over my plateau. I know it's only been a few days since I have lost anything, but I wouldn't even be checking every day if it weren't for the fact that I just want to hit the big FIVE OH!, and then I can weight myself weekly. Tomorrow, I meet with the nutritionist again, so perhaps she will have some guidance.

She will probably tell me that after having a big loss, such as 14 lbs in one week, it is very common for the body to not lose the following week. Little does she know, I prefer to be uncommon.

My energy level increases with every day. I feel fantastic. There are no residual affects of surgery at this point, except for the fact that I don't have quite as much energy for working out. I am still rebuilding my strength, but it is coming.

I am finding that I have more time and money, and the D and I are thinking of joining a women's chorus group in Portsmouth. We will be attending our first practice this Wednesday night to see if it is for us. I'm looking forward to it!

Enjoy your Monday!

KC

Mini Plateau

I know it's only because I want to hit fifty, and then take a break from the scale... I was off by 2 oz. LOL. 2!

Anyway, I don't feel that bad...I read on my yahoo group that one bandster has been hovering over the 100 mark for a week now, with a 99.5 lb loss. How nerve wracking!

I think this is because I started working out again. That is the same thing that happened during the liquid diet. I was taking in so few calories, as soon as I started working out, my body shut down and stopped losing weight.

I *want* to work out. I want to be firm and healthy. I enjoy exercise. I don't know how to take in more calories at this point, but I will try and see if that helps. I think I'm ready to eat chicken and veggies now. I know it's a few days early, but everyone is different. I healed much faster than most too.

I don't want to eat mashed potatoes and eggs each meal. That's not even very healthy! I want to start eating well balanced meals so that I have the energy and nutrients I need to finish healing and to get in shape.

I'm going to try having tuna fish today. That will be a good mushy transition. (Ew!)

We are off to Hampshire Hills this morning with Steph and Carolyn, if they ever get here. Kidding! They are late, but that is par for their course.

When we get back from the club, I have a nice home improvement project to work on, so I should be a busy bee today.

Make it a good one!

KC

The trek to fiddy

As we know, I have declared 50 pounds my first milestone to reach. Today, I'm down 49.something. In a few oz., I will be at fifty, and I just wish I could have hit it today, because:

A. I'm not patient
B. I want to stop weighing myself each day, but when I'm this close to a mini goal, each day counts.
C. I'm ready to buy myself a prize!

Oh well, unless something goes horridly wrong, I should be able to hit it tomorrow. :)

After that, I'll only weight myself once or twice each week until I get closer to the next mini goal mark or 75.

My appetite is so small; I continue to have a challenge getting in all the protein I am supposed to. Yesterday, I ate: one protein shake, one zone bar and one egg. Miraculously, that added up to 50 g of protein, but I know I am supposed to get more protein from animals than protein shakes and bars. I'm not sure how that works, when I can't really eat meat yet. I'm not going to eat 8 eggs each day, not that I could, so next week, when I can start eating chicken and pork, this should get much easier!

Wish me luck on these last few oz!

KC

Back to the gym

I headed back to the gym tonight, and it was a good time!

I biked a little over 7 miles, and I did about a half a mile on the treadmill for cool down. I could have certainly done about double that, but I was taking it easy-ish.

I rewarded myself with a nice tanning session, and now I'm going to meet up with Jimmy to bid him farewell before he leaves for Daytona. It's only a 10 day trip, but I'm going to miss him!

Who is going to take me boating this weekend?? ;-) Just kidding!

I *really* wanted to do some strength training, but I know I need to wait to heal a little more first. I just have a good deal of energy, probably because I'm losing weight and eating protein, and I would like to put this energy to use!

I'm not in a race to lose weight, BUT it does feel like I have been given an empty shopping cart at a store that I can fill for free, and even though there isn't a time limit for this free pass, it seems like there should be, so my instinct is to grab everything I possibly can and sprint to the finish line.

That phenomenon is probably a result of my feeling that this is all too good to be true.

Seriously, after five years of wanting this surgery, and decades of wanting to be healthier, I have been given a tool that will make a healthy lifestyle (for life) a real and tangible possibility, and how can that not seem too good to be true?

I'm so glad it's not, though!

XO
KC

Phat pants

Whenever I'm losing weight, I pick out a pair of pants just out of my reach to fit into as a mini goal, and as soon as I fit into them, I pick out the next pair down. I've gone through 3 pairs or mini goals so far, and my next mini goal pants are pants that haven't fit me in three years, when I had lost a bunch of weight once again...

These pants are five-six sizes smaller than pants I wore five weeks ago when I began this journey. Wow.

I think I'm about 20 lbs away from them, but it could be less.

I'm having trouble getting in all the protein I need to eat because I can eat so little food in one sitting. I am supposed to get the majority of my protein from animal sources, according to my nutritionist, but I purchased a low fat soy protein shake (jealous???) at Wal*Mart last night, and it contains half of my daily protein needs. That will be good for now.

I bought new gym shoes last night, and I'm looking forward to trying them out tonight.

I haven't heard back from the tennis office at Hampshire Hills, but I'm really hoping they can fit us in for a lesson this weekend. I am ready to get started!

Oh yes - tummy time (for all you new mothers) - I was able to sleep on my stomach for half the night last night! I was not uncomfortable at all, so thank God - I'll be sleeping back to normal soon!

Have a great day!

KC

One week out!

I'm on soft solids! (I sound like an elderly person!)

I saw the surgeon yesterday, and he says I look perfect. My weight loss is fantastic, my incisions are healing beautifully, I'm getting around with no trouble at all... A+ for KC.

So yes, I have now graduated from my liquid diet to soft solids: scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, baby food (yuuummm), mashed potatoes (yum for real!), etc...

I went out for dinner with Alison last night, and I ordered mashed potatoes with gravy. It was delicious. They say food tastes better after you have the lap band - probably because you have to eat so slowly with small bites so that you actually end up tasting your food. I had no idea how true that would be. I know it helps that I was on a liquid diet for five weeks prior! We shall see if this continues... I was only able to eat a little over a tablespoon amount, and I think I will get about 8 meals from my leftovers. I'm going to measure it and see!

I have the green light to begin light working out, swimming, and even tennis, played gingerly. :) That is great news. Normally, they require 2-3 weeks post op to move on to those activities.

I'm down 48 lbs as of today. I'm worried that the introduction of real foods will interfere with my weight loss, but it shouldn't if I'm starting to exercise again. We shall see.

It's very important that I get all the protein in that I need, so I'm keeping a food journal to track everything I eat.

Have a wonderful day!

KC

Surgery + 6

I have been out of surgery for 6 days now, and I'm down 47 lbs.

I feel great! I walked a mile yesterday with no problem, and I think I'm ready to take the step from liquids to soft solids (scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, etc...). Very exciting.

Today I am exhausted. I didn't take any painkillers yesterday during the day, not even tylenol, because I was feeling so good, but I didn't take any before I went to sleep, and that was a mistake!

I normally sleep on my stomach, and I haven't been able to do that since the surgery, but I have taken percoset before bed each night and I just fall right asleep in whatever position works at the time.

Last night, I tossed and turned all night, and I really didn't fall asleep until 5:30AM, and I woke up an hour later for work.

Today, I will be dragging, but I will be fine. Note to self: take meds before bed!

3 more lbs until 50!!!

New blog!

I have decided to maintain a separate recipe site, for easier use. Please check it out:

http://www.lowphatcooking.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Next stop: Tomato and Basil Soup!

I made a tomato and basil soup with just items I had around the house, and it came out quite tasty! It doesn't have as much protein as the Carrot-cheddar soup, since I did not add cheese, but it is not bad for protein either.

Edible Elements:

• 1 white onion
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 tbs Smart Balance Light butter
• 1 28 oz can Pastene ground peeled tomatoes
• 2 cups 99% fat free beef broth
• 1 cup Lactaid fat free milk
• 3 tbsp flour
• salt and pepper
• garlic salt

Mince onions and celery stalk and saute in butter over medium heat until onions are golden. Slowly stir in flour, creating a paste. Blend in the tomatoes and garlic and stir. Slowly start to blend in the broth, followed by the milk. Season with salt, pepper and garlic salt and simmer on low for one hour.

Yields: 5 1 cup servings/10 4 oz servings

Nutritional information (based on 1 cup servings): 125 calories/3g fat/5.5 g protein

She's crafty

My quest to replace my focus from food to anything but took a turn for the crafty yesterday, when Darcy and I found ourselves at Michael's perusing through the store looking for a nice project. It was a beautiful fall day, so what other choice did we have than to create our own fall wreaths.



Darcy's wreath came out classic, subdued and understated, much like many New Englander's, but mine... Mine is bright, loud and obnoxious. Mine looks like what a rainbow would look like if a rainbow were a fall wreath.



It kind of reminds me of when I took art lessons as a child. My instructor would beg me to draw just one black and white, or at least, not feel the need to use every color of the rainbow in every picture. Lo siento, senorita, no can do. ;-)



We went to the arcade last night, which is always fun for me. We earned about 800 more tickets last night for that special prize we are saving for!



Today, I'm down 44 lbs. Yippeee!



Alison asked me what I was hoping to be down my Christmas. 75 or 80? I guess so! That's only another 31-36 lbs in over 2.5 months. I expect my weight loss to slow down soon, but even still, that would just be 10 lbs less for the next 3 months. That will be exciting!

Have a great day!

Kristen.

Carrot Soup

Okay, I have found my compromise. I will cook a homemade carrot soup today to satisfy my need to cook, as well as my need to change my palate. For this first week, I am allowed liquids, including creamy soups. I am making my carrot soup with cheddar cheese (fat free) to increase the protein. I'm not a fan of carrot soup in general, but my father makes a great carrot soup, so considering it is in my lineage, I assume mine will be great as well. ;-)



I have combined ideas from several recipes online, as well as in my head, to arrive at this formula for a carroty delight:



Edible Elements:

• 2 tbsp smart balance light buttery spread
• 1 lb carrots
• 1 small onion
• 6 tbsp chicken broth
• 1 qt fat free lactaid milk
• 2 cups fat free cheddar cheese
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-2 tsp thyme
• 1-2 tsp celery salt
• 1-2 tsp garlic powder
• 1-2 tsp onion salt
• 1-2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 dash of cumin
• a few sprinkles of ground sea salt

Boil the carrots in water. In a separate pan, melt the butter over a medium high heat, and stir in the onions, pureed. When the onions have reached a caramel hue, add in the seasonings, to your desire, as well as the chicken broth.

Blend the boiled carrots into a smooth consistency and combine with the onion mixture over a low heat.

Gradually stir in the milk, and stir occasionally over a low heat. Add additional seasonings as needed/desired.

Blend in 1-2 cups of cheese.

Serve warmed with fresh parsley sprig set atop.

Nutrition information: Yields 8 8oz servings: 115 cal/1g fat/12 g protein or for post op 4 oz portions: 58 cal/.5 g fat/ 6 g protein

Verdict? Delicious! Try the recipe, and let me know what you think!

Chef KC

An apple pie kind of day...

It's an overcast, nearly chilly fall Sunday in New England. I'm still recovering from surgery, and I know that most of the day will be spent relaxing and watching TV.

If today were an eating day for me, I would be off to the orchards to buy fresh apples this morning to make homemade apple pie, and a big Sunday dinner to go with it...perhaps a beef tenderloin with rosemary garlic mashed potatoes. Comfort food.

Cooking the comfort food is just as much a comfort for me as eating it. I'm going to need some new rainy day projects to romanticize about. :)

Today I'm down 42 lbs.

I'm going to get myself a new outfit when I hit 50. At 75, I think I'll treat us to a nice show in Boston and for 100, I'm getting my teeth whitened! I have wanted to do that for quite some time.

Yesterday, I drove my mom to my Grandmother's house to visit before she left. It was nice to be out of the house. We ended up going to a BBQ after that, and then on a boat ride with Jimmy! That was quite a bit of excitement for post-op me!

I was in bed at 10, which was much later than the past few nights, and I've been up working since just after 6, so I'm clearly getting back to my old routine.

If I were feeling better, I would take on a home improvement project for today, but I'm not quite there yet... I am doomed to marinate in my apple pie making fantasies, until a new idea comes upon me... ;-)

Kristen.

I'm Melting!!!

Haha...I wish.

I am down 41 lbs, though! I know the IV makes you gain water weight, so I have no idea if that is still a factor or not, but we shall know soon enough.

My BMI is down more than 6 points, which is a great start.

Last night, I slept for over 11 hours! Today I am going to try taking ibuprofen instead of the percosets to see if I'm ready to make that transition.

I still have no problem walking or climbing stairs. I have slept on my back and my sides, but I wouldn't attempt to sleep on my stomach yet because there is pain where the incisions are. It's a mild pain, but I do not want to encourage it. :)

Sitting up in a chair is probably the most uncomfortable position for me, because there is pressure on the incisions as well as the gas. The more I walk, the better.

I am waiting for Mom and D to be ready, and then we are going for a nice walk along the water. We shall see how far we get until I need to turn around. I am so lucky to have such a nice place to walk.

Speaking of lucky, I cannot forget to mention how wonderful my neighbors are. While I was in the hospital, the water level went down a bit, and Jimmy took my boat out of the water for me! That is a huge effort, and he is so sweet to do that. Krissy took out the trash for us as well, since we weren't here to take care of it, and they have all been stopping by to see how I am doing. There are not nicer neighbors in the entire world...I'm convinced!

Okay, I'm off for my walk!

Until next time...

KC

Once again...

...I am feeling so much better. I went for a 10 minute walk with my Mom today, and it was great. I'd like to go for another one soon. The percoset made me sleepy, and I took a two hour nap today!

Mom and D are having haddock for dinner. Yuck! :)

I am loving my sugar free popsicles. I have always been a fan, but right now, they are better than ever!

Mom heads back to Georgia tomorrow, but she sure has been a fantastic Florence Nightengale! Thanks for taking such good care of me, Mom!!

Tonight we will just stay in and watch movies, and tomorrow, I'd like to walk about a mile. We will see how I'm doing...

Thanks again for all the well wishes, everyone! I will talk to you soon!

Kristen.

Human again

Yesterday was a tough day! I think between not getting any sleep and not taking any pain meds, I was in rough shape!

I got about 12 hours of good sleep last night, and I'm beginning to feel human again!

I'm supposed to have 4 oz of fluid (rotate water/protein shake) every hour, and that has been tough. I only got in one 4 oz protein drink yesterday, and about 8-12 oz of water.

I'm hoping today will be better because I know I need the protein to heal.

Last night, Darcy and Mom had spaghetti for dinner. I took one look at their plates, and I couldn't fathom how they could possible eat that much food. A few weeks ago, I could have eaten two plates worth, but it's funny how quickly things change in perspective when your stomach is shrunk down to the size of a thumb!

I guess that's why people who have this surgery really never miss binge eating, because you just couldn't dream of it.

I'm only out of surgery 2 days, so things could change, but for now, that's how I feel.

It's a beautiful day today. Perhaps I will go for a short walk after I take my pain meds.

Have a great day!

Kristen.

Home stretch...

I had the barium swallow. It was terrible, but not as terrible as I had thought it was going to be, so that is a good thing. They are sending up a protein shake for me to drink, and as long as I am able to keep it down without too many problems, I will be discharged right after.

I am dressed and packed and ready to go!

:)

I feel much better than I did this morning. I'm still a bit sleepy, but I'm more excited that I am almost done with this stage of the journey.

While yesterday was a better day than today, I will definitely say that this experience has been much easier/more pleasant than I had ever thought.

I know that I am fortunate, as that is not always the case for every lap band patient.

Today I am in pain, but that is to be expected. I still haven't taken any pain meds, so that probably gives you an idea of how little pain I am in, relatively speaking.

I must say, I did follow the instructions to the letter for both pre-op care as well as in hospital care. I also completed a ton of research, and I read hundreds to thousands of stories of people who have gone before me with this procedure. Their experiences and advice have helped me tremendously. I really recommend taking the time to do that if you are considering weight loss surgery.

Ding dong...still going. I will be writing a letter. ;-)

I will touch base soon.

KC

This hotel is terrible!

LOL!

I am tired today, but I've been worse.

Ding dong...ding dong...ding dong...

The room they moved me to is directly connected to the nurse's utility room which has a central call light indicator on the wall. Every, and I mean EVERY, single call light that went off resonated right through my wall and into my new room. I would finally doze off, and as soon as I did, Ding dong...Ding dong...

I got up and went to the nurses station to see if they had ear plugs. I described my situation to them, and one of the nurses said, "Well, we cannot disable the beeping mechanism." Oh really? You can't just blindly ignore the calls of a floor full of sick people? How rude. ;0-)

I told her I wouldn't possibly suggest that, but that I am unable to sleep with the dinging and donging in my ear all night, so we must come to another solution. Finally, my nurse came around the corner and she was very sweet, and she gave me some gauze to use. I turned on my fan to high, and I shut my room door, and I was finally able to sleep!

Finally, that is until ten minutes later when the CNA came in to check my vitals. She said she wanted to get it out of the way then so that they didn't bother me at the change of the shifts. Vitals done - I fell asleep again... finally.

Finally, until 15 minutes later after the changing of the shifts when the new CNA came in to check my vitals. I told her mine were just done, and she said that was fine, but she had to do them anyway at the changing of the shifts. Alrighty then.

The rest of the night followed in similar fasion. I would finally fall asleep, and someone would come in and turn on a light, and leave without shutting it off or without closing the door, so I would have to get up over and over and unplug my IV machine from the wall and walk over to the light to turn it off, or over to the door to close it...

By 5:30 AM, my pain meds had worn off completely and I was nauseous. My allergies have been bad this week, and I wasn't able to take a Claritan yesterday, and just lying in a bed on my back, causing all the mucus to run down my throat was creating a perfect storm for GI discomfort. I know, I know, TMI, but I'm just telling it like it is.

They gave me something for the nausea, but it's not really working.

I have the barium swallow soon, and they gave me a new drug for the nausea. We shall see if this helps at all. I am not supposed to get sick, or I could cause the band to slip. Yikes.

I'm sure everything will work out fine. I'm just looking forward to going home today and watching movies and having a sugar free popsicle!! :)

XO

KC

If it sounds too good to be true...

...it probably is!

Well, after a glorious day of surgery with zero complications, I finally had one!

Right after my visitors left, a transporter came into my room announcing they had to put someone in my room after all, as no other beds were available.

No big deal...I'm about to go to sleep, right?!

WRONG!

The transporters wheeled in a geriatric patient with either severe dementia or Alzheimer's into MY hospital oasis, and she was screaming profanities at the top of her lungs, and calling them names too horrible to write, etc...

I marched myself down to the charge station, and I said, we have a few options here:

There is a geriatric patient screaming profanities in my room, and that is not okay. You can either: move her, move me, or discharge me.

I am now in the room across the hall with another patient who had the lap band today! How nice.

It took them about 30 seconds to respond to my request and move me. I am very pleased.

I just saw the surgeon, and he said, "Wow! You look great! You must be wondering what you are doing here!"

That was nice!

He said I will be ready to leave right after I have the barium swallow tomorrow, and I am looking forward to getting that over with!

Have a great night, all!

KC

Banded!

It's 5:22 PM on October 3rd, and I am sitting in my hospital room. D and Mom just went out for Italian food. The nerve! Just kidding - I insisted!!!

I'm not the slightest bit hungry.

Here is a breakdown of my day since we last spoke:

We left the house at 8:09, 9 minutes later than planned. D and Mom were laughing at me because I was saying we were late, but guess what? We were! :) I drove the last 2 miles in the breakdown lane, and I arrived to the hospital at 9:04. It didn't matter, but I'm just sayin'... ;-)

In the same day surgery waiting room, I decided to use the rest room out of boredom mainly, and when I was finished, the nurse brought me in to change into a very flattering johnny. She asked me to provide her with a urine specimen. (Sorry - TMI, I know...) First of all, I hadn't had anything to eat or drink in twelve hours, and secondly I had *just* gone!

Thankfully, a I was able to conjure up the tiniest bit, and that as enough.

They brought me and my johnny to a pre-op area where they asked me questions, reviewed the upcoming sequence of events, gave me a breathing treatment for my asthma, a shot of something in the hip with a bloodthinner, the surgeon and the anesthesiologist came by to discuss the game plan, and then they started the IV.

At this point, Mom and Darce were allowed to come in and see me while they made the final preparations for surgery. They heard me cackling/laughing with the staff from the waiting room, so they knew I was in good spirits.

The anesthesiologist gave me a little nip of drugs in my IV to calm me down, as standard procedure, and I was on the way to the OR. Actually, Mom and Darcy thought I was already on drugs when they saw me because I was so calm!

When I arrived in the OR, the staff started asking me about where I worked, and I told them. Suddenly it was old home day - everyone knew someone I knew from work, etc... They started calling me a VIP because I was a Director at Caritas. They were very cute. Several of them asked for jobs, which I know was for conversation more than anything else, but I must say - I couldn't dream of splitting up this well oiled machine that Dr. Randall works with!

We chatted about my two homes, and how I have enjoyed the summer on the water tremendously, and then I was sleeping. The next thing I knew, I was in recovery, and they were waking me up. I didn't fight it - I knew I was supposed to wake up, so I did...even though I didn't really want to.

I was shocked at how little pain I was in. Don't get me wrong, I felt pain, but just not much...at all! Perhaps that will start tomorrow!

While I waited in the PACU for nearly two hours as they changed shifts, hunted down my pharmacy orders, found me a new room (I was supposed to have a single, but they had an unexpected admission of someone who had to be in a single), etc, I read through my chart and the notes from surgery. It was interesting. Then I changed into my pants - HUMAN AGAIN!

As soon as I got to my room, I went for a walk with my Mom and D. They are concerned I'm overdoing it, but the hospital staff says it's fantastic!

I am surrounded by may laptop, iPod, portable DVD player, book, drawing pad, etc... This is fantastic. Darcy has been so cute - hiding cards for me in every little place I stumble upon.

The respiratory therapist came in to test my peak flow, and she said my breathing is fantastic.

The RN tried to give me percoset, but I would not take it on an empty stomach. It would make me sick. I'm on dilaudid instead, and it's making me sleepy!

I'm going to go for one more quick walk before I doze off.

All in all, it's been a great day. Last night, I had a very brief mini breakdown in my head when I was certain I would meet my death today, but that only lasted a few minutes, and the rest of the time I was just fine.

I can't believe how easy this process has been.

The woman I was sharing a room with has been moved, so I will have a private room after all. I'm going to go for a quick walk now before D and Mom get back from dinner, so they will not harass me for trying to get better!

I know they are just looking out for me, and I love them for it!

Thanks for everything!


XOXO!!!

KC

New Beginning

Today is the day!

Last night I was having some pre-surgery jitters, and I decided to read the patient reviews of my surgeon online. What a relief! There were hundreds and hundreds of notes and letters of past patients singing his praise and raising him to sainthood.

My MD has performed over 5000 weight loss surgeries, and he is arguably the best WL surgeon in the Boston area. I am very grateful to my PCP for referring me to him.

It's 7AM. I'm going to hop in the shower, and round up D and Mom to get out of here by 8. I already pre-registered over the phone yesterday with admitting, so now I just need to show up in the day surgery area, and the fun will begin.

Today is a new beginning for me. I have lost weight - lots of weight - so many times in my adult life, but with this tool, I will be able to keep it off for life. I am so looking forward to a healthy new life!

Hopefully, I won't get too fanatical along the way, because I know how I can be when I start to drink the diet cool aid... ;-)

Thank you - all of you - for all of the well wishes you called me with and wrote me with yesterday. It is so encouraging to know I have such a supportive and amazing friend and family base.

Love you!

KC

Goodbye my friend...

The diet pepsi in the picture is possibly the last diet pepsi I will ever drink. No carbonated beverages allowed with the lap band! It can erode the band or cause slippage. We wouldn't want that!

I can't believe I went from drinking 3 -4 liters of Diet Coke/Diet Pepsi per day, and now I don't even usually have 1 can anymore. That was the biggest change of all. It was harder than the liquid diet! For months, I was in a daze as I weened myself off of my addiction. I had been wanting to do that for quite some time, so this was a convenient expediter.

One... is the loneliest number

JK. One day 'til surgeray.

In 24 hours, I will be arriving at the hospital for my surgery, a half hour before I am supposed to. This may pose a bit of a challenge considering I will have my Mom and Darce in tow. They are a match made in heaven, when it comes to trying to get them out of the house. :) Love you both, though!!! haha

I think I will tell them my surgery has been moved up to 9:30, and I need to get there by 8. That way, I will get there at 8:30, which is a half hour earlier than I need to arrive, and the exact time I would like to arrive. Let's just hope they aren't reading this, or my plan may be foiled!

Today I have the day off from work, which is a good thing. I do not want to be rushed. We are staying in MA tonight so that we have a quick drive to the hospital in the morning. My plan for the day consists of packing, a few last minute cleaning items, perhaps going out to lunch with Mom, and then the three of us are going to the movies tonight.

I thought a big distraction would be a good way for us to get tired without having thoughts running through our heads... I'm always thinking. ;-)

I'm going to have boiled eggs for breakfast, a salad with some kind of protein for lunch and a liquid dinner. I want to have as much protein as possible today, so that I will be my best for surgery tomorrow...especially since I had a few days where I was feeling so weak. We can't have that!

I have read so many stories about the experiences of fellow bandsters, that I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Tomorrow, after surgery, I will be consuming some type of liquid, either a tbls of water or a tbls of broth or a tbls of protein drink every 15 minutes or so. I may be able to walk pretty soon, especially depending on the pain meds they give me. The next few days are going to be painful - partly because of the incisions, and largely because of the gas they pump your abdomen with when they operate. I have heard many descriptions of the feeling, but the consensus seems to be somewhere around a freight train sitting on your chest.

Today, that sounds like an exaggeration, but tomorrow and the days following, I will know for sure!

I want to know when I can start exercising again. I have had to stop because I haven't been well, and I'm eager to get back to the gym, and to start my tennis lessons, etc... I know it will be a few weeks, but I wonder if I could at least start walking right away. I'm sure I will find out tomorrow!

That is all for now - wish me luck!

I may post again tonight one last time, but we shall see.

XO

KC

2

full days until surgery... Yesterday, I was even more weak than I was on Saturday. I was a zombie. I was freezing, couldn't get warm, and just extremely tired. I had a steak with veggies at about 4pm, and it really refreshed me. The change was oddly immediate, but I kept feeling better from then on. It was really strange.

This morning, I feel okay, but certainly not my normal self. I can't have steak at every meal! I'm going to work from home today, as I'm concerned my weakness is due to anemia, and I want to make sure I don't come down with anything and that I'm fully rested up for Wednesday.

I'm down three more lbs for a total of 35. Steph and Alison are looking like they are going to be the prediction winners with 37, but we'll know for sure if they weigh me before the surgery. I doubt they will...that would be weird.

Okay - last chance to get on the scale before we operate! haha - they weighed me last week, and I'm sure that will be good enough for them.

Yesterday, something weird happened to me that has never happened before. I actually weighed one pound less before I went to bed than I did when I woke up that morning. Weird things are happening.

As long as the number on the scale goes down, I will be happy.

KC