Stepmomster's 4 Month Update w/ pics

Good Day Fellow VSGer’s!!

Today marks FOUR MONTHS since I had the VSG! It was the best decision I ever made! I am feeling great!
 
**I am sorry for my long posts but there is SO much I want to share! Also a lot of this is repeat from my three month post, sorry if it is redundant but it did not feel right to take some of it out! **
My stats:
Highest Weight: 347
Surgery Weight: About 327
Current Weight: 261
Overall loss: 86 pounds  

Inches lost:
Waist: 11 inches
Hips: 9 inches
R Thigh: 3.5
L Thigh: 3.5
R Upper Arm: 3
L upper Arm: 3
R Calf: 3.5
L Calf: 3.5
Neck: 1.5
Total Inches lost: 41.5!!  

How I eat:
Within the last month I have been eating pretty good. I still have to eat slow and take my time. I can eat about 1/3-1/2 cup of food at this time. Of course certain things like chicken sit hard in my stomach.

I have been working very hard to not give in to temptations at work such as chocolate and lots of carby things. Once in a while I will allow myself about 5 cheeze-its or a couple of tortilla chips but I do not let this become a habit and I most definitely DO NOT allow these items in my house or I will eat more than I intend too.

I know that at this point that I COULD eat around my sleeve if I wanted to. I also know that I did not have this surgery so I could fail and if I allow myself to sink back into my old habits then I will never be at goal weight and I will never be able to stay at goal weight. This is definitely not a “quick fix" or a sprint to the finish line but instead I want to do this the right way and adjust not only my waist size but my mentality and outlook on food, fitness and life!  

During the last month I have had an insane craving for bacon! Before surgery I could care less about bacon. If it was there I would eat it but if it was not then oh well… Now I WANT it all the time! It is crazy how our cravings change. Last month I craved nachos and now I am craving bacon… I wonder what I will crave next month.

I have been venturing out and adding some veggies to my diet but I am carful to make sure I eat my protein first.

Since surgery I LOVE food even more! What I mean by this is that I know I can only eat a small amount of food so I am going to make sure that that my food is SUPER tasty, super healthy and has all the protein that I need.

I have found that I LOVE trying new recipes and cooking! I detest even the thought of eating fast food. I hate when I have to eat out because I know that it will not satisfy me the way that my home cooking does and it will leave me feeling horrible.

Before surgery I was all about getting the most bang for my buck. I wanted to eat the most amount of food for the least amount of work and the least amount of money. My family ate a lot of hamburger helper, sloppy joes, chili dogs... now I LOVE grilling chicken, making homemade dipping sauces, making frittatas, homemade tortilla pizzas...

I spend a lot of time looking for new recipes... Once I find a recipe that I think I will like then I enter it into my sparkpeople account. You can find some of my recipes that I like at:

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/more-about-me.asp?user=713293 0  

My sample Menu at 4 months:
Breakfast:1 premier Shake w/ coffee added
Snack: String cheese (if needed, normally my protein shake will last me until lunch)
Lunch: Hard-boiled egg & string cheese
Snack: Meat wrap ( 2 sliced smoked ham lunchmeat with 1 tablespoon of fat free cream cheese wrapped around .5 oz of cheddar cheese.)
Dinner: Something home cooked- Today is Taco Stuffed Peppers

Calories:839
Carbs: 19
Fat: 51
Protein: 80

How I Exercise:
I walk almost every day and I try to get to the gym at least twice a week. I am currently training for a 5K this May!! I am a little nervous but I am also excited as this will be benefiting a charity that is very near and dear to my heart.
 
How I lose weight
I am definitely a stair step loser. I will stay the same for 4-6 days and then drop 5 pounds in 2-3 days. It can be frustrating but now that I know the pattern I remind myself to stick with the plan and I try not to stress out about it.

How I feel:
About 4 years ago I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. I have had many issues, procedures and hospitalizations since then. I had been having issues keeping my symptoms under control. While getting ready for surgery I worked really hard to stay healthy so that I could get approved for surgery. The VSG was the only type of surgery that I was approved for (which was fine since that was the only surgery I wanted). Both my GI doctor and Bariatric Doctor felt that the surgery would do no harm to my UC and that if fact it may even help. Last month I was under the assumption that everything was great with my UC. However about 2 weeks ago I started having some symptoms that I knew were related my UC. I began having fevers and I got a few Ulcers in my throat and on my tonsils. It was horrible. My doctor believes with I am experiencing a UC flare and so I have to go in next month for another colonoscopy :( Depending on the results I will most likely have to go on Remicade Infusions. While I am not excited about the infusions, I am excited about feeling better!

How my marriage is:
My husband and I started out this journey together and ended up having the surgery 3 weeks apart. We both are doing great and feeling great. This whole process has brought us even closer as a couple. It has been amazing to have a partner on this ride. It makes meal times easier and it makes having excuses harder.
Since his surgery my husband has lost over 135 pounds!!!! We are now looking forward to being more active and doing much more things together as a couple. The thing we are looking forward to the most is camping, fishing and hiking!

How I look:

Before & After
      


   

You are doing AWESOME!!! and looking good too. Keep up the good work.

Thank you

FABULOUS!!! B E A Utiful!!!

Thank you

You look GREAT! Thanks for taking the time to post, it's all helpful to us!

Thank you

 You are doing great! Thanks for the update and all your helpful information! 

Thank you

Great post!  Thank you for sharing all of that.  You look fantastic, and I love that you and your husband are doing this together.  With that sort of support system in place at home, you will both defintiely succeed in reaching your goals!