Pre-Surgery Weight Requirement Met!

YESSS! I did it! This morning, the scale showed that I have lost the 21 pounds required before they'll schedule my surgery. For the last week, I've stopped having those "we want you to think we're nutritious, but we're SO not" granola bars for breakfast; I've had only a protein shake for lunch(www.spiru-tein.com); if I MUST have a snack at work, it's been string cheese, but most of the time, I've satiated it with WATER (I love Crystal Light)! And I've upped my walking to 2 miles a day instead of one! For dinner, I've tried to be reasonable about things. Yesterday, my husband had ordered a pizza, and I had 3 pieces instead of my usual 5 or so (well, there were only 3 pieces left, but still...)
I'm not going to the doc for my weigh-in til tomorrow. I've been losing a pound a day since starting the protein shakes, and just in case their scale is a little off from mine, I hope to lose that extra pound first. I don't want them to say, "Nope! You've lost 20 pounds, not 21 pounds" and send me home, because that would crush me. AND, they're not open yet before I go to work, so I won't be able to weigh in til I'm on my lunch break, at which time I'll have several bottles of water's worth of weight in my belly. Plus, my best friend (a gastric bypass patient, about 7 years ago) have a date to donate blood at the blood bank this evening, so there's an extra pound off! LOL! (I learned while working there that the pint of blood they take from donors weighs one pound)
I'm doing a happy dance in my head!!! I let out a loud "woo-hoo!" this morning when I stepped on the scale. My husband was like, "what's going on in there?" Maybe he assumed my frogs, who live in an aquarium in the bathroom, finally laid eggs, because I've been catching them "in the act" a lot lately, LOL.
So yesterday, I called the surgeon's office to tell them I was about a pound away from my goal (or should I say THEIR goal for me), and asked whether I needed to make an appointment or just come weigh in (it's the latter). Someone is supposed to call me within TWO WEEKS to schedule me. Argh! I asked the nurse, "NOT that I plan on doing this, but what if I gain a couple of pounds back? It's ok right, because I'll lose again when I do the 2 week liquid fast?" And she said NO! I'll be having several appointments: physical, 'female's annual', EKG, chest x-ray, labwork, etc., and they'll be weighing me every time. She said if I gain a SINGLE POUND, they'll cancel my surgery! Sooo many people have said that after they met the weight loss goal required before scheduling, they totally splurged and had all their favorite restaurants/dishes one last time, and many have said they were actually heavier on surgery day than in the beginning because of this "last hurrah" attitude... So much for that! I definitely have to have all of my favs one last time, but I won't go crazy and I will keep working out and doing my protein lunches! The RN also said the more weight I lose, the safer my surgery will be. FINE, YOU PARTY POOPER! LOL
Also, I emailed my surgeon yesterday with the nutrition facts of some ready-to-drink soy protein meal replacements I found online (I can't have any of the ones they recommend, because I'm allergic to milk). He said it's pretty high in calories compared to Boost, etc., but that it will be OK if it's the only thing I can find. Well I'm NOT trying to drink too many calories, dummy! Back to the drawing board. Worst comes to worst, I'll drink HALF a can per meal.
So PLEASE wish me luck; I'll be weighing in tomorrow!!!

A Small-ish Victory

My cousin, whom I didn't even know was reading my blog, has informed me that she's a blog-stalker and chastised me for not making enough entries. This one's for you!
I went to the doctor's office on Wednesday to weigh myself. My new scale at home said I was down about 15 lbs, but I didn't know if it was accurate, since I got it after I started losing, and hadn't been to the Dr. in a few weeks. I had stopped in to borrow the scale of the doctor whom I work next door to, and their scale said I was only down 5 lbs total. I figured that one was more accurate because it's the old-school kind, not an electric one. So I figured I had better just pop in to my surgeon's office and get a reading on the same scale I started with. I was actually really scared that I hadn't lost anything. They reccommend (but don't require) an 800-calorie diet to lose your pre-op weight, and I have not followed that AT ALL... as I've stated before, I'm just cutting portions in half, trying to make wiser choices, and walking (and dropping soda). SOOOOO... I was pretty thrilled to see that I've lost 14 pounds!!!!

I decided then and there that I'm going to have just a soy protein shake for lunch every day for a week, and see where it gets me. I cannot wait to get that 6 lbs off! As I practically skipped through the hospital halls with a giant perma-smile on my face, I texted my mom and called my hubby to share the good news. There was a Farmer's Market of sorts on the hospital grounds, so I decided to browse for some healthy snacks. Oddly, there was no fresh produce... just snacks, cut flowers, potted flowers, homemade dog food, and "gourmet hummus". So I bought a bully stick for our puppy to gnaw on. The hummus didn't have any nutritional facts on it. The guy at the booth said "it's practically like zero calories" but I wouldn't buy it with no exact numbers. I was like, "and what about the sodium? I'm on a vrey strict diet right now" and he kept arguing that "it's ok for you, it's so healthy!" and I informed him that I wasn't comfortable without the exact numbers. He kept shouting as I walked away. Doofus.
So then I strolled over to a booth with dried, seasoned vegetable chips. I'm talking to the guy (about my age) at the booth, but he never looks up. I tell him that unfortunately, they're way too high in salt for me at the moment. Finally he glances up and says, "oh wow, you're beautiful. oh my. wow" and I was like, "um, thanks!" and I keep looking at the products. He's like, "I should have looked up sooner, I mean I could tell from your voice, but wow" and I'm blushing and thank goodness another customer comes up and starts asking him questions, and I scurry away embarrassed. It was super awkward, as I've never, ever been hit on by a stranger before. I'm sure he was just trying to make a sale, but whatever. I eavesdropped from the next booth to see if he was saying that to everyone, but only much older people were going up to the booth, so no telling what he would have said to another chick our age. Just had to share, LOL.
Soooo, day 4 of just a soy protein shake at lunchtime... can I just say, "bleh"? "Mildly fruit-flavored frothy cardboard taste" is what should be on the label. Haha. But really, as far as soy protein goes, The brand I got (Spirutein & Frutein by Nature's Plus)
is known for tasting better and having a huge variety of flavors. I've been mixing it with water to keep it low-cal, but today I mixed it with soymilk as a "treat". Should be yummier. I'm allergic to milk, so I hafta go with soy protein and not whey protein. >>"allergic to milk" is NOT the same as "lactose intolerant" Lactose intolerance causes stomach upset and digestion troubles. A milk allergy causes a true allergic reaction, ie asthma/hives<< The pre-and-post diets are supposed to consist of Boost, Slim Fast, or other RTD's & MRP's (whoops, that's my past as a vitamin store manager talking. Other bariatric patients will understand it, but for the rest of you: RTD= Ready To Drink; MRP= Meal Replacement Powder), but they're all milk-based. I don't need to spend my life in the bathroom. If I wanted that, I'd have gastric bypass. I have tracked down ONE RTD Spy MRP, but it's around $2 a can. Which wouldn't be terrible if I could try just one, but I've not found it in-stock anywhere and I'd have to order an entire case to get some. It will probably come down to that, though. I'll make 'em from powder when I can, but I'll need some pre-made for on-the-go.
I've also upped my walking. I've gone from doing 1/2 - 1 mile on most days, to 1.5 - 2 miles on most days. Let's kick this 6 pounds' butt and get my new life scheduled already!
I'm SO excited to be able to wear "normal" clothes and go shopping in the same stores as my girlfriends. Instead of going, "oh that's cute, but it doesn't come in plus-size", I can actually get it! Good thing I'll be saving money on food, because I'll be spending it on clothes... I'm also super pumped to be doing this at age 29; by age 30, when people are fretting over aging, I'll have a new lease on life and be healthier than ever!!!
I'm also pleased that my husband has joined the gym and is eating a bit better. One of my biggest fears was living with someone who ate terribly and huge portions and didn't have any desire to change it. Now he's lost 5 pounds, and I'm thrilled!
Well, see what happens every time I think I don't have much to say? You can't shut me up! 'Til next time!