WOW!!!

Today was weigh-in day. I cannot believe what the scale said, but I'll take it. According to the same scale I wighted on last week, wearing the same type of clothes, I lost 15.6 pounds! I'm willing to consider that some/most of that might have been "water weight" -- but it's still weight! I weigh at my doctor's office this afternoon, in jeans, so that will give me a better idea of what's what.

Even though I started out great yesterday, I had some challenges. I do very well until it gets dark; then I turn into an eating machine! I'm not eating anything that's not on my diet, but I am eating more of it than is probably recommended. Even so, I'm still getting far fewer calories than when I snacked on junk food, so I guess I'm doing okay.

Back On Track

I'm on Day Seven of my pre-op diet. Surgery is Tuesday, 24 August, 2010. After two planned transgressions -- and one spontaneous one! -- Hubby and I are back on track! Today has been a really good day for both of us, diet-wise (That's a phrase that just two weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to imagine typing, "a really good day ... diet-wise"!). Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I am totally psyched (Another thing I never thought I'd type!)! I also go see my PCP tomorrow, so I'll have his weight to compare to, too.

Hubby has a business trip that will last a couple of weeks in just a few days. I'm kind of dreading him being gone. For one thing, I genuinely like my husband and enjoy his company, so I'll miss him. But, because he's been doing my pre-op diet with me, he's kind of kept me honest. No cheating in front of him means no cheating! His very presence is moral support for me. Without him at home, I'll sleep and be up at odd hours (just because I can be) and the temptation to eat in the middle of the night may hit me. So look for lots of random blog posts the next couple of weeks! I'll be needing your support and encouragement even more than normal!

Thanks!

I logged in to write a new post and saw that I have 17 followers! WOW! Thanks so much! It may take me a few days, but I promise I'll visit each and every one of you. I find your stories  and progress reports so inspiring, encouraging, and educational.

Today, I started my pre-op diet. Why, you may ask, did I do that since I don't have a surgery date yet? A couple of reasons ... For one thing, I was getting tired of dealing with food. I was tired of thinking about it. I was actually beginning to get tired of eating, even though I was still doing plenty of it. Plus, my husband needed to do something to lose a few pounds; he's doing the diet with me, and he was ready to start.

Another reason -- and really the main reason -- has to do with getting a surgery date. I have to be on the pre-op diet for four to six weeks because of my BMI (53). When it comes time to schedule the surgery, I don't want to be a situation where they have an opening in, say for example, three weeks. But, because of the long time I have to be on the pre-op diet, they can't give me that date. This way, if that were to happen, I could always point out that I've already been on the diet for two weeks, so they can schedule me for that date. Does that make any sense?

Since many people are curious about pre-op diets, so I'll share mine: Two protein shakes (100% Whey Isolate, Isolate brand) a day and a small meal of three to four ounces of meat with a vegetable like broccoli or green beans. If I want to, I can combine 1/2 banana into each shake. If I need to snack (which is discouraged), I can have deli meats, low-fat cheese, or a boiled egg.

So, how was Day One? The drinks are surprisingly tolerable. I mixed them in the blender, as recommended in the directions. They also say you can stir the powder in if you don't have access to a blender or shaker. We noticed that after a few minutes, the shake starts to separate and the liquid tastes much better than the froth! Tomorrow, I think I will try stirring mine to mix it and see how I like that. I'll just eat my banana half as I drink the shake.

One thing I hadn't counted on dealing with on Day One -- I'm diabetic. I control it with meds and insulin. Well, because of the drastic carb reduction, I've had three lows today! That means there must not be much glycogen stored in my liver, which is a good thing. I'll call my PCP tomorrow and see how I should deal with this. I really thought this wouldn't be an issue for about a week. Guess I was wrong!

Again, thanks for the follows! I'll see  you on your blogs soon!

Last Meals ...

After dinner, I'll post a bit about where I've been and where I'm at on my journey. But first, let's talk a little bit about "last meals".  Tuesday, I start on my pre-op diet, so tonight my husband and I are going out for a steak dinner, with all the trimmings. Tomorrow night, we eat with his parents. To be honest, I'm a little saddened by the fact that food plays such an important part in my life. Of course, I guess if it didn't, I wouldn't be here, planning a surgical intervention to help me manage my weight.

Yesterday, we went out for sushi. So yummy! All week, I looked forward to these two meals more than I've looked forward to anything in a while. How sad is that? How sad is it that my "last meals" would be so exciting to me? I've been eating foods that I won't be able to have for a very long time -- if ever again -- pretty heavily this past week. Some of it, I have eaten mindlessly and some of it I have really savored and enjoyed. The food that I really enjoyed was food well eaten, considering the circumstance, but the food that I ate mindlessly was food wasted. But the difference between putting it down the garbage disposal and eating mindlessly is the impact on my health, looks and self-confidence. Way to go!

I'm trying not to be too hard on myself, but I'm feeling a bit ... I dunno how to explain it. Frustrated that my life has come to this, surely. But, I'm also excited about starting the pre-op diet on Tuesday. I sometimes get annoyed at how important food is for me, and this will almost take food out of the equation. Looking forward to that!