CTGirl1974

Today wasn't bad. I went over my goal of 1,200 calories--I ate 1,331. That was mainly because I baked crustless quiches and had to have a couple. I wasn't even hungry. Oh well. There are worse things to eat. I worked out this morning using my 30 minute workout. It was freezing outside, so I decided to do it inside. Went to the movies and didn't order popcorn!! I brought my Crystal Light and a Kashi granola bar.

Here's yesterday's food diary. Easier than typing it all out. I was under my calorie goal, but hit my protein goal. This isn't a typical day for me. I ate a few things I don't normally eat, like pork rinds and kielbasa. Calories kcal Carbs g Fat g Protein g Sodium mg Sugar g Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled, 1 large 78 1 5 6 62 1 Egg Large - Boiled Egg White, 2 egg white 40 0 0 7 66 0 Add Food Quick Tools 118 1 5 13 128 1 Lunch Add Food Quick Tools Dinner Generic - Kielbasa, 1 oz. 60 0 5 5 220 0 Shrimp and Lentil Stew - Pressure Cooker, 1.5 serving(s) 412 35 9 49 1,937 9 Add Food Quick Tools 472 35 14 54 2,157 9 Snacks Iced Mocha Latte-Homemade, 1 serving(s) 195 18 1 28 244 12 Mac's - Pork Cracklins, 1 oz 160 0 12 14 560 0 Bailey's - Salted Caramel Liqueur Mini Bottle, 50 ml 158 12 7 1 0 10 Add Food Quick Tools 513 30 20 43 804 22 Totals 1,103 66 39 110 3,089 32 Your Daily Goal 1,200 105 40 105 2,300 45 Remaining 97 39 1 -5 -789 13

I've talked to him and it's just for now that I have to do these specific routines. I think once I have my surgery, I'll be more free to do things I want to do. Right now the goal is to strengthen my core as much as possible before surgery. I shouldn't say I never enjoy it. I guess it's the repetition of doing the same workout that I don't like. I find I enjoy it a lot more when I'm making up my own workout. I work out one day with him and then four days on my own. I'm supposed to do the prescribed workout for those four days, but I usually take one day to do whatever I want. I try to follow what he has me do at the studio, which is to group certain exercises and doing X number of reps and sets. And now that he's given me a 30 minute workout for the days when I'm short on time, I sometimes do that one when I feel like I just can't make it through the usual one.

Yesterday I started back on the bariatric shakes. I have less than two months until surgery, so I figure using the shakes again will take some of the focus off of food and make things a bit easier for me. Yesterday was tough, but today has been easier. Mainly because I was at work yesterday and the cafeteria is still PACKED with cookies and junk that other employees don't want at home. Today I'm off from work, so I don't have to face that temptation. This morning i had one fried egg with a veggie sausage patty. I had a homemade iced mocha latter while I ran errands. Lunch was 3 oz rotisserie chicken breast with mayo on a dinner roll. Afternoon snack was a protein shake. I haven't yet decided if I'll have dinner or another shake. It's definitely tougher than I thought it would be, but this is only Day Two. I worked out the last two days, but my trainer cancelled for tonight so I'm thinking I'll do the 30 minute workout he gave me. It's tough, but it's over quickly, which is what I like. I'm not someone who loves the process of exercise. I feel better when I do it, mentally and physically, but I still have to force myself after 9 months of doing this 4 to 5 times a week. I wish I was someone who loves exercise and didn't have to motivate myself to do it.

Isn't it mind boggling that many of us are still considered Obese after all the work we put in?? I just calculated my BMI and I'm hovering at 30.6. I'm 5' 10.5" and 216 pounds. I started at 343 pounds. I was wearing a 26/28 or 30/32 (4x usually) and now I'm down to 14/16 (usually XL). Women's clothing doesn't go by waist size, but I would be about 40 right now. My trigger is crunchy carbs, like crackers and pretzels. I go for sweets, but I don't generally crave them. I'm usually craving something savory. Not sure if that's worse, since there's nothing to trigger dumping syndrome right away when you eat crackers vs. cookies. I'm starting back on the bariatric protein shakes tomorrow. Probably two shakes and a meal, plus maybe a good snack. I feel like that will take the focus off of food and get me through the next two months until surgery. I'm way too focused on food right now, and I need to get away from it. I'm at the point where I don't even want a meal--I just want to snack all the time, whether it's cheese and crackers, sweets, or a few bites of this and that. Yes, I'm so happy to see another WLS patient also. I don't feel like I fit in with the WLS communities out there. I don't like saying I'm on a "journey." To me, that implies there's an end to this. There's never an end--it's a complete change in our way of life that will last until we die.

Here's the link. My sister made them. She said to use parchment paper or silicone baking mats. She tried just putting them on the cookie sheet and said it was very hard to get them loose. https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/3340925032/almond-joy-cookies/

Since it was Christmas yesterday, I obviously didn't eat very well. Breakfast was a fried egg and one veggie sausage patty. Had a homemade iced mocha latte, too. Snacked on some crackers and cookie butter. I then made the decision to throw away the cookie butter, because I don't need that in the house; I can't control myself with it and the excess sugar bothers my stomach (a common issue with gastric bypass surgery). Although we had a traditional dinner of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and veggies, I went a different route. Rather than make up a plate and get stuffed, then later make a "leftovers" sandwich, I skipped right to the sandwich: turkey, mayo, and cranberry sauce on a dinner roll. I had a bit of stuffing on the side. Dessert was a few coconut chocolate chip macaroons. When I got home I had a protein bar, a dinner roll and some beef sticks (similar to a Slim Jim). I snuck in a few slices of roast beef throughout the day, too.

I was tempted to not write anything today since it's Christmas Eve and I haven't done a damn thing in terms of diet or exercise, but I'll do it just to start the habit. Pre-breakfast: homemade iced mocha latte. I make it with Fairlife skim milk, which is twice the protein and half the sugar (good for gastric bypass post-ops), and it's about 200 calories for 24 ounces. I used unsweetened cocoa powder and some Equal. Breakfast was a hash brown patty topped with one scrambled egg with some cheese. Dinner was a slice of leftover pizza from the other night. Snacks were 10 crackers with cookie butter, a few bites from my husband's Christmas party leftovers (crab cakes and roast beef), and a protein bar. Wow. That looks even worse when I write it out!

Just wanted to say "hey!" to a fellow gastric bypass patient! I really haven't seen anyone here whose had WLS, so I'm pretty excited. Like you, I had a small re-gain this year and I'm working my way back down. I'm working with a trainer and prepping to have my excess skin removed soon, since there's no way that's all bouncing back to where it should be after so many years of being heavy. At the moment I'm trying to get control over my diet and it's tough. Anyway, sounds like you're doing awesome and congrats on running marathons!

I'm working with a trainer to strengthen up before surgery and to help me make exercise a permanent part of my life. Losing the weight was easy. Incorporating exercise regularly? Not so much. Here's my standard routine, which I do four times a week. I work out with the trainer once a week. Warm-up: Jogging in place, jumping jacks and mountain climbers, alternated three times for a total of 5 minutes 4 sets of 20 walking lunges holding two 15 lb. free weights by my side 4 sets of 20 body squats holding one 15 lb. free weight 4 sets of 20 kettle bell swings with a 25 lb. kettle bell (not fond of these, as I have intermittent lower back pain from a sedentary job) 4 sets of 20 squat jumps (I HATE, HATE, HATE these!) 4 sets of 15 push-ups 3 sets of 20 reverse lunges using a 15 lb. kettle bell 3 sets of 20 sumo uprights using a 25 lb. kettle bell 4 sprints, 50 yards each Stretching exercises for my back and hamstrings I'm supposed to plank everyday, but I'm slacking big time on this. Mainly because I've had a lot of lower back pain due to me desk job and a lot of long road trips lately.

Three years ago today I had gastric bypass surgery. It took me about 10 years to decide to do it, and then the final straw came when I had to ask for a seat belt extender on a flight to Las Vegas. During the pre-op preparation I found out a have severe sleep apnea, I was pre-diabetic, and my joints were suffering. I also had really bad acid reflux and heartburn all the time. That solidified my decision to go through with it. An added benefit would be lessening my risk for all the diseases that run in my family. In three years I've lost 140 pounds. Last year I had a small regain of about 25 pounds. I'm now almost back down to my lowest weight and I'm 16 pounds from my ultimate goal, which is to be under 200 pounds. I'm now preparing to have all the excess skin removed--surgery is 02/27. (I can exercise, strength train and diet until the cows come home--this excess skin will never go away without surgical intervention) I've decided to start a thread in an effort to be more accountable and help me make that final push towards my weight goal. I came here because I'm tired of reading all the bariatric surgery forums. Although I had the surgery, I don't feel like I fit in there. I don't want to be defined by the fact that I had surgery. I want to be someone who eats right, exercises, and is healthy. I don't like saying I'm "on a journey," because that implies there's an end. There is no end; it's a permanent way of life.

Sorry if this has been answered already, but I can't seem to find anything on it. I work with a trainer; however, he's on vacation this week and can't ask him. I'm having a big motivation problem lately. Long story short, I've lost a lot of weight and I'm preparing to have my excess skin removed. Surgery is 02/27. One would think I'd be balls to the wall with my nutrition and exercise in a last push to strengthen up as much as possible and drop a few more pounds, but I just can't seem to sustain it lately. I was off from work today, it was nice outside, and I have all the weights and kettle bells I need at home, plus plenty of outside (and inside) space to do it. I had every intention of doing my standard routine, but just couldn't motivate myself to do it. So, I did some squats here and there. I did 20 before I fed the cats, another 20 maybe 15 minutes later and then another 20 about a half hour after that. Then I did like 10 lunges while waiting for the toaster oven to ding. Basically, I did it when I felt like it. By no means is that my whole routine, of course. My question is this: is doing exercise in small spurts still beneficial? I realize I don't get the benefit of sustaining an elevated heart rate, I'm not building endurance, and I'm not sweating at all, but I feel like some movement is better than nothing at all. I don't plan to do this all the time, just when I have a particularly rough/lethargic/unmotivated day, so I can at least do something.