Well I guess that I should not let this bench mark go away without mention. A year ago today I was recovering from my RNY and feeling every bit of it. I remember the G tube. That thing was getting painful about now to say the least. I had it removed and to this day that was one of the most painful experiences I ever had to do. Well I had a lot of time now to think about the entire affair and I will say that all in all this was the best move I ever made. Granted I have made some hair brained mistakes in my time and I was very afraid that this would be another one but in the end so far that is not the case. I am proud of the progress I have made and I look great in clothes. Yes I have massive shrinkles all over my body caused from the massive damage being morbidly obese did to my poor skin. I have an old man neck from the weight loss there. I even had to have my wedding ring resized and links removed from my watch. The best one is the fact that my shoes size changed. My fingers and feet were even fat. I listen to country music now. Nobody saw that one coming. I guess that at least to me it feels like the old me died a year ago. This new me is much better. Well look at it this way. Imagine having your deepest wish granted. My entire life has changed. In one years time I have gone from slowly waiting to die to learning to live and doing it well. On my first pre op appointment I was sitting in Dr. Snyder’s office at Rose Medical Center so nervous that I was just sitting there not talking at all. (Rare for me) Michael Snyder told me a lot of things in that appointment but there was a life changing moment in that meeting that I will remember for the rest of my life. He asked me what I expected out of the surgery as far as weight loss is concerned. I sheepish said I hoped that I could get down to 225 or so. It felt like I was asking Santa for a Corvette and a million dollars. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. He looked me directly in the eyes and said that if I didn't hit 180 pounds he would consider the procedure a failure. I could tell that he really meant it. People I was moved to tears. No really. I couldn't speak or respond. I could only sit there and sob like a girl. I expected to hear a lot of things that day but I can assure you that I never ever expected someone to say that. Well here I am. I weigh 185 pounds and it has been a year. I don't have a corvette or a million dollars but I would trade them both in a heartbeat for this anyway. Thank you very much Michael. Thank you to my wife Paula who loved me fat first even when I did not love myself. I cant tell you all how much I love the new me. Thank you for granting me the wish I wanted so badly that I was afraid to even whisper it out loud for fear that it may leave even my dreams.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
On the topic of protein powder
I have noticed as will most of the people that get a RNY that there are a couple of differing schools of thought about calorie and nutrient laden liquids post op. Now of course there is the liquid and soft diet phase when most Docs bless the use of protein powder. My surgeon’s people preach elimination of liquid protein after the solid food diet takes. That equates to around 90 days or so in my case. I do for the most part try to keep the use of liquid foods to a minimal. I do have some real challenges sometimes keeping my protein up at around 90 grams per day. I can easily manage 60 but past that I do need help sometimes. When that ugly situation arises I make a point of getting down a protein bar and maybe a protein shake. My favorite types are normally unflavored. I can make them into what I want to and that is helpful. There are a couple of flavored ones I keep around for quick fixes.
My primary use of protein powder is in my food. I mix in a scoop with my oatmeal. I mix it into sugar free pudding. You can use it to make your own protein bars. I do. The point is that even if you never drink the stuff as a RNY post op you need it around.
Keep in mind the reason that most surgeons eliminate the stuff is because you could use it to beat the surgery. I agree. No liquid meals and no liquids with meals. They can do more harm than good. That said don't hurt yourself by not getting your protein in. Use it as a fall back. A failsafe if you will. The 3 rules I live by. 1. Take the vitamins. 2. Hit the protein number. 3. Exercise every day.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Fish Quandary
There has been a lot of questions lately about omega3 and protein rich fish weighed against the possible risks involved in the consumption of mercury and the environmental impact for certain types of fish and harvesting techniques. I kicked this around for a while and finally found the scoop at least as of right this moment. This is the link that I found on my pocket guide I was given on a trip to The Denver Zoo. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_regional.aspx
This is a pretty good list. I wish the list was a little more detailed as far as why good choices are in fact good. I realize that some of the bad list may be there purely from a environmental standpoint. I do care about that sort of thing but I understand that some people don't.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx There is some good information here. There actually is a detailed breakdown found here. I recommend that everyone give it a glance.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Picture Journey
This is my night before picture. 328 pounds
This shot is from June at 90 days post op
These are from October 7 months post op 225 pounds
December 9 nine months post op 200 pounds
Right now I weigh 190 pounds.
Broiled Salmon with a citrus glaze
Let me preface with the fact that I am super carb sensitive. Almost every food blog I read seems that there are some mean carbs loaded into the recipe. You know what I mean there if you hunt around a bit. This worked with me just fine. I adapted this from a Good Eats dish by Alton Brown.
Ingredients:
1 filet of salmon (entire side) 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. Alton uses Sockeye
1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar blend. Alton uses dark brown sugar.
zest of one large lemon. Alton uses 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon of salt. Alton uses 1 1/2t kosher salt
1 tablespoon of black pepper. Alton uses 1/2t. I like pepper.
On a cookie sheet covered with foil lay out your fish skin side down. Allow the salmon to sit on the counter while you prepare the rub.
In a food processor blend the dry ingredients with the lemon zest until well blended. About 30 seconds in mine.
Evenly coat the salmon with the rub and allow the fish to sit for 45 min. on the counter top. This will marinate the salmon and bring the fish up to room temp.
Move your oven rack up to about 6 inches from the top. Set the oven to broil and preheat for 3 to 4 min. Alton sets his 3 inches from the top but I noticed that it burns if I do that. Your oven may be like his. if the fish doesn't brown right move it up.
Place the salmon on the top rack and broil it for 6 to 8 min depending on your oven.
Remove your fish and let it rest for 8 to 10 min. Serve. My kids even liked this one.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Every Rose has it’s thorn.
Ok so about my absence. I am struggling with a creepy little post op thing. I have a hernia just on the other side of the stoma from my pouch. This causes a partial blockage and it hurts. Sometimes a lot. I am such a wimp about it too. My PC Doc says Dr. Snyder could fix it in a jiff but I am afraid to even hear him out.
Ok I know but …. well there you have it. I will keep some updates here so folks can find it if they choose. Not my proudest moment I admit. I hate fear. I really hate pain. I really really hate when fear keeps me in pain. It is a work in progress, just like me.
Co-Morbidity Factors
In the world of the morbidly obese (Man I hate that term) co morbidity factors are the things that can actually kill you. These can take a lot of forms and your Doctor will discuss these with you. I personally had diabetes, hyper-tension (high blood pressure) and a strange cholesterol issue common in type 2 diabetes where my bad cholesterol was not high but the good stuff was too low.
Although these factors are horrible there is a ray of hope. They are the second required issue needed by many insurance companies in order to gain coverage approval for weight loss surgery. The first being in many cases a body mass index above 35. Roughly translated this means being over 100 pounds over weight.
I know that a lot of people struggle with these every day and many people die from them every year. Don't let yourself be one of them. I don't currently suffer with any of those things anymore. WLS is not a magic pill. Not for me at least. I have to live with a few issues since my surgery but I thank God that I had it done. Discomfort I can live with. Co morbidities can kill. If you suffer from these potential killers maybe WLS is the help you need. Go see your Doctor and examine the facts.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Time to act
Once I left the Army I proceeded to gain 100 pounds in about a year. That is right people about a year. I maintained that weight 280 pounds for about 15 years. Not to say that I didn't try to lose the weight. God knows I tried everything under the sun. I would lose some and gain it back and then I started losing the weight and gaining it back with interest. I worked my way up to 328 pounds. I had met Dr. Snyder once when he did a hernia repair on my oldest son. We briefly discussed weight loss surgery. At that point it was not covered by insurance and I could never pay for it. Years passed and one day I was at my primary care Doc’s office. We were going over my latest test results. I was on 12 pills a day and had 3 major co-morbidity factors. He asked me to see Dr Snyder about WLS. I had to change insurance companies and fight for a year but I managed to get insurance to cover the procedure that I think saved my life.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Let it begin
When I graduated high school I was already seeing the warning signs that I had no way of controlling the monster inside. I would pick up massive amounts of weight in very short periods of time. I was eating the exact same diet that my forever thin brother never gained an ounce on. I am talking 15 pounds plus in a week. I Loved food. I really did. Since I was a little baby everything that was love and family was deeply rooted in food. Combine that with the fact that the regional cusine of the Texas panhandle was horrible health wise. I had moved to Colorado at 12 and I think that people from here fought some demons too but people my mothers idea of health food was fried liver and onions. The fact that I hated liver and onions made that misleading fact believeable to me. I was to be forever stuck in a loop that everything "healthy" would and had to .. SUCK. I avioded healthy choices like a deadly desease. After all not only did healthful foods suck I would also have to deal with the fact that I was over weight and that I could not do. I avoided mirrors and the size tags on my clothing. I Piled second and third helping of all my meals on my plate with abandon. Mashed potatos and gravy, fried potatos and onions, baked potatos with 1/4 stick of margarine (health food) and 1/4 cup of sour cream were my main loves. I am also amazed at the fact that all otherwise healthy veggies had to be fried, drowned in bacon fat or drenched in a creamy cheese sauce. After all to not do so made them healthy and healthy food sucked. In Texas any food that is not fried must be smoked low and slow and bathed in sugar laiden bar-b-que sauce. I would drench everything with salt and call it good. I lothed any form of exercise, but still concidered myself an athlete because to be otherwise was anti American or something. That was a recipie for disaster.
I stalled my complete ruin by enlisting in the Army. I managed to keep a dangerous handle on the monster do completely to the vast amount of physical activity that I was forced into by Uncle Sam's Army. I hated the exercize but I had no choice so I managed to forstall the avalanche. I also noticed that the Army diet was also horrible but it was so differant that didnt eat nearly as much of it. I saw the truth coming every time I came home on leave. I would pickup 30 pounds in three weeks like clockwork. I hated Army life but I came to avoid leave because it would mean 2 to 3 months of remedial physicle trainning and the ire of my first sargent. Then it happened. I was honorably discharged. I returned to Colorado. I had a ball. I loved my new Army free life. No P.T. no early wakeup, no accountability for my weight. I never listened to my body. Refused to ever see what was comming. I was in the middle of a perfect storm and didnt even know it.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Time to share
I weighed 328 pounds at my highest point. I struggled my entire life with weight. Not just the scale demon either. I believed that I was heavy even when I wasn't. I think that there are a lot of people out there that fight this war. I have talked to lots to wonderful people about their own struggles and there do seem to be a few common threads that beat us all into submission and help lead us into our personal version of obese hell.
I think that the first thing I am going to do is break these items down into smaller pieces that will allow for a close look at them and just maybe in the process I can get my head around the problem. I also intend to celebrate my success. This is a journey not an instant trip so I will be writing that way.
