I had a rough food day the other day...work stress as well.  We are in crunch mode to finalize the annual budget, whi*****ludes bags of M & Ms, skittles, donuts, ice cream, etc. around the office.  So easy to grab a handful of M & Ms (at least I opted for the peanut ones).  Fortunately, I skipped the donuts and ice cream, so it wasn't all bad.  I really want to be sure I don't fall into those old habits of mindlessly grabbing food, that isn't even all that enjoyable.  Hope you have a better day today.

You are recovering from major surgery. You will be tired.  Don't worry, it will get better each day.  At around 6-1/2 weeks from surgery, I suddenly had energy again.  Up until that point, I barely made it through work and took a nap when I got home. Then had no problem going to sleep at night. You will get through it. Don't rush the food. Do what the doctor has advised.  The one thing that did help me with energy and protein was beef jerky.  The doctor suggested it in the mushy food stage because I was so tired. I ate little pieces and chewed it into almost a paste.  Only a little at a time, but it made a huge difference.  IT WILL GET BETTER.  I only wish I had done this years ago!

Having had a C-section before and experiencing the gas, I was really worried about the gas.  I moved around a lot in the bed (shifted from side to side) and walking the halls, when they allowed it.  I think it definitely helped to minimize the gas pains.  Best wishes for an easy recovery.

My doctor said that pouring soda over ice helps reduce the carbonation. Occasionally it is a nice treat, but it makes me too full with the bubbles. I am working with a personal trainer, so plan to continue that.  I didn't think I would be doing it for this many months, but I know that I get a far better workout in 30 minutes with him than I would ever do on my own, so I am going to continue to invest in that. My hope is to do some short day hikes this summer, but my weekends are already getting so filled up with fun stuff!  I am going to see my daughter in No. Hollywood on Memorial weekend and we are planning a new hike somewhere.  The one I wanted to do is currently closed, so we will see what plan B brings us.

Had to work today...mandatory weekend for budget book prep.  It was supposed to be yesterday, but my daughters were here for a belated Mother's Day so I begged to move my day to today. Now off to meet my great niece who is not even 2 weeks old yet and see my nephew who is in the military in Oklahoma and came home for a quick visit.  Excited to see all of them.  Unfortunately, the dinner menu is pizza and I have not had more than 2 bites of pizza in the last year.  I'm hoping to find something else on the menu that I can just buy myself.  And, there might have been peanut M & Ms at work that tempted me....Ugh.  Started the day with Premier Protein shake for breakfast, and shrimp for lunch. Rough food day, but not all bad, I suppose.

Have fun with the wedding and family visits. That is what it is all about!

The turtles were in Maui.  There were actually 3 of them hanging out in those grasses, so I just stayed with them and watched them for a very long time. It was awesome!  

I love snorkeling and scuba diving, hiking, and I just tried kayaking now that I have lost weight.  Here are a few pictures.

Tuesday will be here before you know it. I was 52 when I had my surgery last year.  I only wish I had done it at your age. Follow your doctor's plan and take care of yourself following the surgery. Good luck in your journey.

I am very interested in al of your surgery results because at some point (after I reach my goal and sort of stabilize) I plan to pursue that as well. Hoping for a speedy recovery for you.

Happy Friday.  QOTD:  My first car was when I was 16 years old in 1978, a 2-door 1969 Toyota Corona.  My Dad bought it for $190 (they were asking $200, but he talked them down).  It had a blown engine and needed body work.  He repaired the engine, bondo'd (is that a word?) it up, and threw on an Earl Scheib paint job ($49.95) and gave it to me.  I promptly hit a curb head on and busted the tie rod and a-frame on the first weekend with the car.  It's a long story, but I had several friends in the car (exceeding the number of seat belts) and a chicken.  They all had to walk home.  I was towed and had to wake up my Dad to pay the tow truck driver.  The next morning he made me go to the ecology center with him to pull what we needed off some vehicles for a total cost of $18 and then help him fix my car. 

B:  Premier Protein

L:  Chicken fajitas, part of a tortilla, salad

D:  Not sure, one of my daughters will be coming home tonight, not sure what time, so I am leaving it open.

S:  Undecided.  Maybe cheese and crackers.  Maybe an apple.  Maybe yogurt.

We went to the Improv last Saturday and saw Craig Shoemaker aka the Lovemaster and had the best time ever.  We got to meet him and take a picture afterwards.  My daughter wanted to see the guy that is playing there this weekend, so we are going this Saturday to see Chris D'Elia.  Good standup is good for the soul.  Have a great weekend.

AV-Coming up with the QOTD each and every day is truly and art form...and you are an artist!

I have to wear suits/jackets often so on the rare days that I don't have meetings I get to be more casual. I am wearing black dress pants (I always wear black pants to work, with the rare exception of navy) and a super cute top I picked up at Costco on one of their road shows.  It is a white eyelet/lace tank top with black scallop stripes integrated into the eyelet.  And I have on a black long sleeve sweater/jacket type thing so my arms don't show.  And black flats, always black flats.  I will have to change the shoes up eventually, but it is a challenge to find fierce 11 wide shoes for work.

Over the years I have begun to subscribe to this theory that "Successful People Are Choosing to Wear the Same Thing Every Day" to minimize decision fatigue, waste less time and energy, etc.  http://www.becomingminimalist.com/wear-one/  so I keep my pants simple. I love bright colors too, so I wear blouses and jackets that are purple (my favorite), turquoise, pink, etc. 

I have gotten rid of just about everything I owned pre-WLS (although I shopped in my closet for a long time as I had a variety of sizes in there).  I must admit it is kind of nice to have less things hanging in my closet.  But I find that I have to stop myself from buying too many things until I get to my goal.  Because, let's admit it, it sure is fun to buy clothes in smaller sizes and so much easier to find things that are in our size and fit.

Menu

B: Premier Protein

L: Scallops and salad at Red Lobster (OK-I had one of their amazing biscuits, but only 1!)

D: Grilled chicken and fruit

S: Laughing Cow Cheese and crackers

Gym tonight with the trainer.  I would probably just go home tonight and relax if I didn't have an appointment, so I am glad I have the appointment scheduled.  It has been that kind of day/week.

I think they screw up on purpose. I have learned two things through the years about my husband.  If he goes to the store, we end up with random, unnecessary things that we will never use (because it is an adventure and he sees all of these new shiny things).  And, when I left him with the kids when they were young, as long as the house was still standing and the kids were alive, then he had done his job.

Thank you. I'm feeling great too. I will deal with the octopus looking skin in exchange for better health, no question about it.

I was an 11 WW, I have gone down to an 11 W, but they are still hard to find.  I also hate shoe shopping. I can never find anything that I like. One of my friends said, after you've lost all the weight, we are going to find you some heels instead of loafers.  I had to explain how difficult that is.  People just don't get it if they don't wear wide shoes.