Throwback Thursday (TBT!)

Came across this pic today while I was looking for something else... in case you can't tell - its me, circa late 2004. Probably about 160lb in this pic. I remember specifically the pants I was wearing- even though you can't see them - and I think they were an 8 or a 10. The shirt was a medium. I can't believe I remember this stuff... Anyway, this pic was taken right around the time I met my husband :) Perfect for a TBT!

Shout out....

...to pea soup. I love, love, love pea soup. All kinds. But lately I have been digging ProtiDiet brand pea soup. The nutrition label reads like this:

So as you can see, lots of protein! And a nice switch from plain ol' tomato. Also a part of my shout out today is to my favorite mail-order bariatric supply company, Bariatric Choice. I put in an order on Wednesday, and got it THE NEXT DAY. And got free shipping. And lots of yummy treats. Including, a cheesecake pudding/shake mix, that I can't wait to try! Stay tuned for the review :)

Me next to a regular sized person :)

 

This is a pic from this past weekend, an outdoor picnic that was hot and physically miserable for me. I can't wait to get rid of those shorts... Size 20. 

Another Pre-op pic

This is a picture of me and Brent from my cousin Angela's wedding last weekend. My other cousin, Emily, is getting married next summer... hopefully next summer's pic will look quite different!

Day 1 of (extended) pre-op

I am pretty darn proud of myself today. I have managed to survive the last 24 hours on liquids only, with only a few moments of "I'm going to kill someone if I don't get a damn roast beef sandwich!!" Basically this is what the day looked like:

Breakfast: Oh Yeah! shake (banana) 32g protein
Lunch: 2 soup-to-go (Campbell's)
Snack: Pure Protein shake (chocolate) 23g
2nd snack (hehe): 1 soup-to-go
Dinner: Cream of chicken soup (Health Wise) 15g
Snack: Chike! shake (strawberry) 28g

So that comes in for a grand total of 98g of protein for today. A little high, but I feel ok about it. My main goal was not to get hungry enough to panic and cheat, and I survived. If I could make one improvement, I would have had only 1 soup at lunch... so much sodium. But like I said, if I need 1 extra soup to keep me from cheating, I am ok with that.

I also worked out today! Go me.

Scary experience

So today I was on my way to a work meeting (driving) and all of a sudden I felt weak and started shaking. I had to pull over on the highway where I broke out in a cold sweat. Luckily the worst of it passed in about a minute but I continued trembling until I got a bit of (full sugar) soda down. I have self-diagnosed (thanks, WebMD!) that it was a low blood sugar episode. I've been really sensitive to sugar for quite some time and the fluctuations have become more and more drastic and noticeable. Today was the worst episode I've ever had.

Anyway, it was really, really scary - and was just what I needed to decide to start my pre-op preparations, TODAY. Basically what that means is that I am going on a liquid diet for the next several weeks. My daily protein intake will be 60-90g per day, in the form of protein shakes or protein supplemented jello, soup, or drinks. The purpose of the liquid diet is to shrink the liver significantly prior to surgery to make it easier for the surgeon to do his job.

Most people don't have to start the pre-op diet until 2 weeks prior to surgery, but as I mentioned, I got freaked out today. Funny that THAT, not just carrying around an extra PERSON, is what it took to freak me out. Also, I read on my pre-op instruction sheet that I should be trying to lose as much weight as I (safely) can prior to surgery.

I'm also going to take a bariatric B-complex vitamin and Biotin until 2 weeks pre-op, when I have to discontinue vitamins.

So, cheers! *glug glug*

BMI (Body Mass Index)

Just realized that in my previous "stats" post I forgot to list my BMI. Here is a chart about how BMI is calculated:

My BMI is currently 38.8, clearly placing me in the "obese" category. According to the Centers for Disease Control, a healthy weight for my height would be between 118 and 159 lbs. I honestly don't remember the last time I weighed under 160lbs... maybe freshman year of college.

I haven't yet set my "goal weight"... but I'm sure it will be around the 140-150 lb range. Its hard to imagine that I would need to lose approximately 100 lbs to reach that goal!

Pre-op pics (yikes!)

As promised, I will now post some of my favorite pre-op pics (ha!). These were all taken within the last month.

 Me and my bae and the downtown Raleigh skyline

Me in my new apron - sweaty as ever

 This is how I feel most of the time nowadays...

My personal fave. Me making a surgery related phone call with belly in its full glory... Mom listening in!

Starting stats 1 month pre-op

Good afternoon,

I'm going to go ahead and post my starting "stats" about 1 month pre-op, as I plan to start some kind of pre-op diet within the next week or so.

• Height (hopefully this will stay the same): 5'7" and some change
• Weight: 248.0
• Neck circumference: 15 1/2 in
• Bust: 46 in
• Arm: 15 in
• Waist: 44 1/2 in
• "pooch": 55 1/2 in 
• Hips: 53 in
• Thigh: 30 in 

I'd like to thank my husband, Brent, for assisting me with obtaining these measurements! I think this will become an odd ritual for us in the coming months/year.

I will be posting some pre-op pics soon. Scary!

Meredith

First blog post and welcome :)

Greetings!

So I am sitting here typing my first blog post, feeling a little silly about the name I just created. What do you think? I figured alliteration is always fun, so why not. Anyway, I guess I will just jump right in...

I am starting this blog in preparation for my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure (VSG) coming up on September 3rd, 2014. Though I am anticipating that this blog will be mostly about bariatric and healthy living topics, I cannot promise that there won't be a little fun-filled miscellany involved. Here would be a good place for a cute little emoji but I don't know how to do that yet.

My hope for this blog is that I will be able to coherently document this process, share my thoughts and feelings about it, and engage my friends and family in the experience as well. At this point, I am only planning on sharing this blog with *known* individuals, but that may change, who knows.

I think that will complete this post. Hope everyone is having a great day!

Meredith