Finally an update!!

Well where to do I start???  Well lets just say I LOVE MY NEW LIFE!!   My body is changing everyday. I am able to experience things I never was before!

The soft food stage is going great.  I have not really found any food that I do  not tolerate.  I am sticking to high protein, low carb meals.  I have discovered some wonderful meals on pinterest.  One that I made that I have been eating for my lunches at work is TURKEY SPINACH RICOTTA BURGERS ... yum!!   Follow this link to the recipe spinach-feta-turkey-burgers/.  I made some modifications since I didn't have Feta, I used Ricotta and I also didn't have oats so I used crushed corn flakes.   Another great recipe I from pinterest is Roasted Chickpeas posted below!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
Crunchy roasted chickpeas are becoming pretty popular at grocery stores, but they can bare a hefty price tag. These chickpeas are a heckuva lot cheaper, easy to make, and have a kick to them. Drain and rinse 1 can of chickpeas and add to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Take them out and shake ‘em around before returning to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the chickpeas are brown and crunchy. Just half a cup of the little guys provides six grams of fiber and six grams of protein.

I have to say I never thought that I would like cauliflower ... EVER ... and I have discovered so many wonderful recipes using it.  So far my favourite is Cauliflower Pizza Crust ... I have used it in may ways with Pasta sauce when the family had spagetti and with salsa as well as for pizza crust.  Click the link for the recipe Cauliflower Pizza

For many more amazing recipes that I have been trying check out  My pinterest profile.  

I JOINED THE GYM AND I AM LOVING IT!!  

I started out walking on the treadmill and swimming. I have always loved to swim and it is such great exercise.   In the last week I have decided that I am going to do the 5K Milk RUN in July.  THIS IS A HUGE BIG STEP FOR ME!! I have never been a runner ... I've been lucky to run to the corner let alone a 5k race.  But this is the new me and the new me can do anything I set my mind to.  I started using an app on my iphone called 5K runner it's great it starts you off in small steps and works up to running 5k over an 8 week program.  

I honestly can not believe I am running .... I'm not going to lie .. it's hard ... my knees are not really a huge fan of this thing called running.  I'm not sure that it's something I am going to be able to do on a regular basis because of my knees. But I'm sure as HELL going to try. I'm going to run that 5k this summer, just to prove to myself that I can do it!!  

I started back at Rollers Derby as well ... DAMN did I miss it, I didn't really realize how much until I was back in my skates!!  The amazing think is that MY FEET DON'T HURT!!! I have been skating for 2 years and every time my feet would kill .. I just got used to it.  I played in a scrimmage yesterday and I felt great ... No pain at all!  I'm stoked to try my 5 min endurance skate and see how many laps I can get. Before the highest I ever got was 22.   The Scrimmage I played in yesterday with Lindsay Roller Derby for a music video for MR. Burns of Musicb4Money records.  I'm pretty excited to see how the video turns out!! 

Love vs Hate Scrimmage with MR. BURNS

I did a little bit of shopping this week!!  I was not intentional, I was in the Mall waiting to get my Nails done and I noticed that Bluenotes was having a everything in the store is $10.00 and under sale. I went in to look around. I picked up 3 shirts all size large and purchased them. I didn't expect that they would fit, but I knew they would eventually.  WELL ... I got home and tried them on and 2 out of 3 fit.  The pic below is of me in one of those shirts!!! This was quite a proud moment for me as it had been years since I could shop in in a normal store!!! 

Weekly Weight in

Weekly weight in

Starting weight
266lbs
July 7,2012

Current weight
220lbs
February 25

Total lost 46lbs

Weigh in

Weekly weight in

Starting weight
266lbs
July 7,2012

Current weight
221lbs
February 18, 2013

Total lost 45lbs

I don't have Pic this week as I forgot to bring my phone :(.  Of all weeks to not have a pic, I blasted through that dreaded 225lbs ... in the past that would be the weight I would get stuck at and would then eventually gain all the weight plus more back. NOT THIS TIME!!

Incisions!

My procedure was laparoscopic I have 6 small incisions. 1 day post op the in the first pic with all the bandages.  Can u tell I was a little stoned on pain medication in this pic ... haha

1 week ish for the next 2 with steri strips and lots of bruising from the Heparin injection I was given in the hospital!

A few weeks post op looking pretty good

About 4 weeks post op my largest incision became infected. I went to emergency and the Dr. opened up the incision drained out the infection and put me on antibiotics. The antibiotics gave me a damn yeast infection so I stopped taking them. Yuk.

Today all my incisions are looking pretty good! I'm hoping they start to fade soon.

Vitamins Vitamins and More Vitamins!!

As a weigh loss surgery pt. Post op vitamins become a very important part of your daily life. I now currently take the following daily

Women's one a day multivits - 2 times a day
B12 250mg -1 times a day
Calcium with Vit D 1,500 mg - 1 time a day
Vitamin C 500mg -1 time a day
Biotin 5,000mcg -1 time a day

I'm currently cutting the larger pills I half and because I bought the wrong strength I take 5 Biotin tabs a day!! I frequently fill up on vitamins thoroughly out the day!

Weekly weight in

Starting weight
266lbs
July 7,2012

Current weight
226lbs
February 11, 2013

Total lost 40lbs
This is a huge milestone!!

Week 3 and some

I have been slaking in the blog writing department the last week or so .... It has been my goal to post on Monday's about my previous week, and here it is Friday and I'm just getting around to do it. MY BAD

So I started on the puree diet last Monday and let me say it is terrible  My first puree meal was a big old pot of homemade Chile.  I pureed it and added some plain Greek yogurt in substitution for sour cream.  It tastes like paste ... yuk.   It didn't look to hot either as you can see below!  I ate about 1/4 of it and then decided to just try the regular Chile and chew it to puree consistency before swallowing... it worked out well.

The other things I have been eating while on puree is a lot of canned meats. Flakes Chicken, Turkey and Tuna.  I have been pureeing it in the Magic Bullet with Laughing Cow cheese or Miracle whip light.  I then eat it on Melba toast. Since melba toast and soup crackers are on my approved list of foods!! Another thing I have been enjoying is eggs.  Eggs scrambbled with 1oz of cheese. YUMMY!!  I still continue to be very lucky ... I HAVE HAD NO NAUSEA, NO VOMITING ... I CAN TOLERATE ALL THE FOODS I HAVE TRIED TO DATE!!

Hubby took pictures of me at 2 weeks post op side by sides below ...what a difference already

I went out for coffee that turned in to a 3 hour chat with some lovely ladies this week ... Chris and Ames it was so awesome to spend time with you guys! We need to get together more often.  We went to a coffee shop down town called Nata's and it was fabulous.. I discovered Lattes .... I had never had a one before and I was not sure what I was going to be able to have because of my dietary restrictions.  They have the most amazing Sugar Free Decaf Carmel Latte's.  I have been back 2x since just to get one.  The down fall is that they cost $4.20 for a small.  Good thing I can only drink a small and that I don't purchase any other foods while I'm out.  The one I got when me and the girls went was perfect and I now know what they mean by Latte Art ... it had a perfect heart on top 

I went out with the girls Lucid Lou and Jaxalottapus on Friday night to the RED DOG! It was a benefit for a local man whom had gotten jumped and as a result was in ICU and is now recovering well. The benefit was a huge success and it was alot of fun!!  A night out sober was interesting! Drunk people are so funny!  I also got to see a 2 of my fellow RNY friends while I was one ... one is 1.5 years out the other is about 8 mths. Both look fabulous!! I hope I look as good as they do in a few months!

I have noticed that this week that I have had a harder time getting in all my protein.  I am still drinking a Protein shake once a day for 20 g.  I have been trying to get the rest of my protein from foods but it's hard to get more than 60g that way and my goal is 80 g.  I'm worried about my hair. If I don't get enough protein I will start to loose hair  as the months pass.  This is terrifying as I have been working so hard a keeping my hair healthy and its finally getting long again.  I purchase Biotin 1000 mcg the other day, but after talking with some of the girls in the Facebook group i belong to I think i need to purchase 5,000 mcg or even 10,000mcg. I guess for  now I will just have to take a few extra pills a day until that bottle is gone.  

Monday I started at the GYM ... I am very very very proud of myself.  I started out on the Treadmill walking at 3.4 speed.  I was on the treadmill for a total of 25 mins. I while on it I walked for 4 mins then ran 1 min repeat x4 the a 5 min cool down.  I have never been able to run. THIS IS NEW FOR ME! My knee did a lot of complaining about it, but I'm hoping that will change once I loose more weight.  I am also swimming laps as well for 30 min. Swimming is such great exercise and I find it therapeutic   It's a perk that after swimming I get to sit in the hot tube and relax for 20 mins!! I have been 4 days this week so far

Feb 4th I started at the gym at 228lbs this is me after my work out that day!!

This past Wedensday I went for my "1mth" check up with my surgeon.  He is very pleased with my progress! He also gave me the green light to start SKATING next week ... WHOOT WHOOT HAPPY DANCE!!  No contact for 4 more weeks. But that gives me time to work on my endurance and then I will have a month and a half before BEAST OF THE EAST as tournament we have entered in to in Montreal in April to get in to killer track shape.  I miss my skates and my skates miss me!!

I few quotes is stumbled upon that I find fitting for my journey!!