Fantastic Friday

I went to a wls support group last night, feel like I have had a refresher course on being good to myself. 

First of all my surgeon is shifting medication focus for the immediate post op peroid.  When I had my surgery last Sept. I was instructed to crush me meds during the immediate post op peroid.  They are now instructing people to take any meds the size of an aspirin or smaller whole and to break or cut up larger meds before taking.  The meds tasted horid crushed, had to really talk myself into taking them at times.  Bless the changes that are happening. 

One of the dieticians attends the wls support group each month and answers questions posed during the last meeting and any questions from the current meeting.  FYI everyone, wls and general public should have 30 to 35 grams of fiber daily.  Are you getting your 30 gms minimum?  I plan to try to keep track for a bit to see.  I do supplement with generic benefiber.

The dietrician talked about getting back on track, reminding us to journal food, fluids and exercise for a few days and look for any trends and things that stick out as errors in our ways.  We talked about mindless eating and sampling while cooking for ourselves and our families.  The suggestion was to put a note pad or posty note on the counter and put a hatch mark down for every taste or lick that we do while cooking.  Each of these hatch marks counts as 25 calories.  Surprising how much passes our lips undetected by our minds.  I do know that since surgery, I can cook and not taste as much.  Especially if I am making somethig that I am going to bake in the oven.  I will t;ry this this weekend too, Monday let's each see how may licks and bites we had over the weekend.  hmmmmm, I wonder?????? 

We talked about eating in restaurants and portions, using togo boxes to package up half of the meal before starting.  some salad dressings are healthier than others, ask your server for an alternate dressing if the one that comes with a particular salad is not wls friendly.

We talked about different ways to get our bodies moving.  Walking, belly dancing, hip hop, yoga, among the usual things available at most gyms.  We were encouraged to start with a few minutes and with each session add a little more time to the exercise session.  We even talked about ways to get in a little exercise while sitting at our desks, if you don't mind your co-workers watching.  Keeping small hand weights handy and doing a few arm exercises from time to time, standing up and sitting down (squats) in your chair, and ditching the chair for part of the day and using an exercise ball for the chair to encourage use of abdominal core muscles.  Be sure you have a place to store the ball when not using it.  We talked about some of the exercise videos available in the local stores, try one or several.  change up the exercise from time to time.

Enough lecture mode for now.  I got on a roll and probably could have continued for hours.  More another time.  I have some articles to share over the next few days too.  Enjoy your friday, plan a fun, relaxing and productive weekend.  Enjoy yourselves, be kind to yourselves.  Perfection is not necessary, just try your best and keep up the positive attitude.  Hugs

Sounds like the meeting was good and gave you some real motivation  - - that is so KEY to all of this. 

I am moving more!  Finally, the last month or so, I've begun to seriously exercise.  I ride my aerodyne (exercycle with handlebars you move) about 3x per week, trying to increase the time a bit each week.  Boring, but with spring around the corner, I'll move more outside.   I also do daily stretches and exercises for increasing my mobility and I'm pretty loyal about it - do it 5 out of 7 days.  It is starting to make a real difference.

Thanks for sharing the ideas and tips you got in class - always fun to try new things.  Have a wonderful weekend, Kathy.  Oh..  that's right ... you already ARE having one!

Yes Mary, having a weekend off.  Send on my greetings at coffee tomorrow.  I am still working on using the Wii, I got the balance board in the mail yesterday, unpacked it, going to read the instructions later this afternoon.

The last couple of days have been chilly outdoors, I want the 60's back, hmmmmmmm, now....  only 34 last time I looked.  going to bundle up and head outdoors for a dog walk anyway.  I need fresh air and sunshine.

glad u had a great support meeting last night.  i know how much good they do you. sounds like u have a really active one with a lot of good tips to take home with you.

i took mom to the dmv again to get her drivers permit.  they had a hell of a time getting her finger prints. 

she has been on oxygen for the last 15 years and they said they will make it harder to get them electronically.  i joked and told them it must have been the bank she robbed a few years ago and sanding of the fingertips. also they couldn't catch her even though she uses a walker.  this guy in line was even joking with me.  it took us about 45 minutes to get the permit.  mom was so proud when she got it.  she is limited to daylight and 45 miles per hour.  she is happy though.

i am home now and resting, i seem to get so tired the last year or so.  i think it is pure laziness. lol   

i painted two pictures wednesday, well they are almost complete, in pastels.  they were just little fun things to do.  i didn't want to get into anything real hard to do.  i am going to try and loosen  up emotionally so i can start doing abstracts.  that will really be challenging.


hope u all are doing great. kathy, you are a wonderful friend, thank you.  good idea about the fiber,  those bms are real important. love ya, vick

Kathy! great post, and thank you so much for sharing the info with us here! I need to look into getting a speaker at oneof my future support group meetings. It helps to have other sources of fresh info available and keeps things lively.

You have a wonderful weekend. I am busty busy busy.. but plan to get in time on my quilt (rag quilt for our bed, when it is time to shed the down comfroter). but for the most part really focusing on working at getting my business up and running and "real"..lol

Love ya!