Monday Monday

Hey everyone!!! I hope everyone had a great weekend... Mine was good.. Yesterday I sat out in the sun with my sister for a couple of hours and fried myself. Way to go Jess!! I put spf 4 on my face and it tanned and my shoulders arms and legs I just put baby oil on and they burnt... I guess since I"m getting older I can't go out naked l**** I used to be able to... It turned to tan this morning after putting lotion on every 5 minutes... Since I hardly ever burn I'm a big baby when I do... Live and learn right... Today I'm taking my grandma back to the dermatoligst to get the stitches out of our nose wehre they removed her skin cancer (and I'm burnt can't get much more poetic justice can ya) Hopefully everything healed up ok and it didn't leave a big scar, she's very self conscious about the way she looks. My husband starts his temp job this morning for a couple of hours and then has to go in at midnight tonight... I hate it when he works midnights but he made a bad decision and at least he's stepping up to the plate this time and doing what it takes so we don't lose everything. I'm still trying to decide whether or not to go to school to be a nail tech. They make good money and there are a lot of pluses, but there are a lot of unknowns.. and that's what scares me. I guess I should go out on a limb and just do it.. if it doesn't work out, what have I lost? not much really... Saturday was a bad day for me. IT was the first time since surgery that I've really thrown a fit because I couldn't eat. TOok longer than I thought it would. Before surgery when I got mad, or frustrated i ate... Usually pizza or mexican... well obviously i can't do that anymore and for some reason on saturday I wanted everything. I was pissy that i couldn't eat i started yelling and screaming and crying... I told david I just wanted to go to CiCi's pizza and eat about 3 plates of food... SUrprisingly he gave me a hug (this is surprising because he's usually not this supportive) and said lets for a walk and get this out of your system. I went begrudgingly and it worked... I walked a very fast mile but when I got back home I felt fine and it was out of my system. I don't know what brought on that issue with food... maybe I'm pmsing? I don't know... could be all the fat I'm burning off releasing extra estrogen... Well thanks for listening to me whine... Does anyone have any ideas on how to deal with this in the future? Have a great day everyone Jessyca

Maybe it is your body needing more protien..? When I was first out I would heatup refried beand add cheddar cheese and eat it very slowly or get mashed potatoes and gravey at Grays.. it is like eatting the whole meal witht he gravy on it.. and at 5 bites... it is worth the calories once in a whle. I still dont eart pizza really but I do get a couple pecies and eat the meat and cheese off.. and thank GOD for turkey peperoni!!!!

I don't think it's lack of protein I"m averaging about 105 grams a day... I don't know what it could be... I really think it was horomonal and I was pissed off about something, still don't know what it was but it's passed now. Jessyca

Jessyca, I think we all have moments like that. I don't remember getting mad, but I remember a couple times crying and thinking, what have I done to myself! Food was our best friend for a long time, remember that. You have to mourn losing it, right? Linda Vicory

Hi Jess. Hmm, must have been warmer down in Indy that it was up here. The wind was so chilly I had to keep my sweats on all day while planting flowers and pulling weeds. No tan for me. I think what your hubby did by taking you for a walk was great. When I get the muchies that is what I have to do. I grab a bottle of water and go for a walk, or, just get yourself occupied doing something away from the food. "STEP AWAY FROM THE FRIDGE" . If I sit and eat healthy snacks it just makes me (head hungry) for more. I have to get away. I never really got mad about not being able to eat but last week for the first time I wished I could eat more. We went to a place downtown Indy that had wonderful Itiallian food, Bucca de beppa (or something like that) I could only eat a few bites of the stuff we got becasue it was so good and so rich. BUT I wanted more! but I didn't want to get sick so I stopped and just drooled over it all. I do think some of these food cravings are definatly caused by hormone changes, I always crave the carbs more during certain times of the month. Mark the days on the calendar when this happens and see if you see a pattern after a couple of months. Ft. Wayne paper had an article yesterday on the roller girl team here. This thing is starting to grow. My DH thinks we should go watch them. I said I'd go when you make the Indy team and I can go watch a fellow loser skate.

Jan, You better come see me when I get on the team down here... They have their final bout (game) this weekend and I"m going to go... I gotta hook up with one of them to start practicing and getting my skillz back... I should be able to start skating in about 20 more lbs without being scared... and I have to get pads which are $150.00 since I"m unemployed those are going to take a while... plus I want to wait until I lose more weight because they're custom made... I think that particular food craving was caused by horomones... It would be awesome if I had a cycle on my own since I never have in my life but that would also mean that I would have to go through this which I'm not looking forward to, but it would be another wow moment showing me that my body is actually working now... Thanks for the support dear... and the derma did call me out on my sunburn... I knew I should've worn a long sleeve shirt it just woudl've hurt a lot... Jessyca

Jessyca, you are NORMAL!! I too had those feelings and thought I was about to go crazy. After talking to others I found out it is OK to have those feelings. You're doing great and have a good support system. I still get a little angry at things I still cannot eat from time to time but then I think of the weight I've lost already and it gets me back on track because I don't want to be 300 lbs. again. I have tried some "forbidden" foods but it just didn't do anything for me anymore. Hang in there we are all here for you. Regina

Jessyca, I think it's great that David was supportive and suggested a walk...and walked with you. Seeing how I just recently went through that menopause thing ...well..as per my GYN, I'm now past it. Anyway, I have been trying to do some reading up on how the hormones (or lack thereof) affects your weight and food cravings. There is a definate coorelation according to nutritionists and GYNs. The good news? The more weight you lose, the less impact that these hormone shifts will have on you. The best thing to do is taking that walking..the next best thing? Drinking water. For myself, when I have particular craving that will not stop no matter what, I try to figure out a healthy way to give in to that craving. Pizza is what you want? Then get some Flat Out wraps (high in fiber, low in calories & carbs!!), spread some sugar-free pizza sauce on one of them, add some grilled chicken, and your favorite veggie toppings (that is on your allowed list), sprinkle with low-fat cheese and bake! Who needs Cici's?? Crave something a little bit different? Top with low carb Parmasean Alfredo sauce and add seafood (crab or shrimp is great), veggies, and cheese! Go into Fitday.com, enter all the ingredients, then put in 1/4 of a serving to see your nutrition amounts (and only eat that much). That would probably be the right ounces for how far out you are. I know from my past pre-op diet attempts that total deprivation does not work for me. So...I try to find the healthiest way I can have whatever. I can honestly say that I have never tried anything to see if I would dum*****t. Have I had desserts? Yep! Sugar-free! Have I had pizza? Yep! See above. Have I had cake? Eclairs? Ice cream? Yep! Again, all sugar-free! For me, deprivatation = depression = giving up and pigging out! Horrible cycle and one I refuse to do to myself one single time more! So...my advise? Avoid giving in when you can through walking and drinking water. But...if it's a craving that just won't stop, instead of getting depressed over it, figure out a healthy way to give in to it. Work it in to your meal plan. Most things can be done healthy! You just gotta be a little bit creative with it. If you are ever looking for an idea of how to make something healthy, drop me a line, I'll see what I can't come up with! BTW....congrats on the terrific weight loss so far!! Sherri

Thanks Sherri... How much of that flat bread pizza can I have? I go to the dr on thursday and I"m thinking he's going to release me to start hardcore exercising and stuff since it's been 6 weeks... I"m going to ask the nut if I can have that flat bread.. but i don't want to over eat... so do you have any idea how to cut it... 3 oz is all i'm going to be able to get... I thought about just getting a huge tomato and slicing it up and putting pizza sauce and meat and cheese on it and baking it in the oven... think that would work? Jessyca

Jessyca, I forgot you were so early out. I'm sorry sweetie. As early out as you are, what I would do is: Bake some cheese crisps: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place ~2" round circles of lowfat shredded cheese, approximiately 2" apart (like you use to do cookies). Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before storing. Then.... Take 2 of the chese crisps. Spread a thin layer of SF pizza sauce on each. Top with canned shredded chicken, top with lowfat shredded cheese. Pop in microwave ~15 seconds (just long enough to melt cheese). Or Feel like Mexican food instead? Take 2 cheese crisps, top with refried beans. Top with lowfat shredded cheese. Bread-like products (ie flat wraps, bread, tortillas) are usually discouraged your first 6-12 months post-op. Use the cheese crisps instead. Also, be careful of tomato/ketchup/pizza sauce as the acetic content can cause ulcers (it did me!). You might want to try this instead: Take 2 cheese crisps. Spread on non-diluted cream of mushroom soup, top with canned tuna or crab, sprinkle with lowfat shredded cheese. Usually, 2-3 crisps equal 1 ounce...it depends on how large you make them. Once you get the toppings on, 2 crisps loaded, will probably be pretty close to 3 oz. I wouldn't go with topping the tomato slices like you said only because your pouch doesn't need the full acetic impact. Sherri