Category: Bariatric surgery

6, 75 and 300

A couple of people have emailed me asking how I’m feeling. Well, I can’t believe it’s been six months since surgery. I am so thrilled to be able to say that I have lost more than 75 pounds and weight less than 300 pounds. I haven’t weighed less than that since TJ was born. I have to get a bunch of bloodwork done to be sure everything is going ok that way before I see the surgeon for another fill in two weeks. I’m feeling good and am still certain that surgery was the best and healthiest decision for me.

Oct 28, 2009 | 2 comments | View Post

A Trying, Crying Experience

jeans pile

I have never liked clothes shopping. All that trying on is a big pain in the ass. I especially hate trying on jeans. I’m not one of those people that likes jeans. I haven’t liked wearing jeans since I was about 18 years old. I haven’t liked anything I’ve worn in a long time, that comes with being morbidly obese. But most of all I hated the way I looked and felt in jeans. I’d take stretchy pants over jeans any day, because they were loose and not restricting.

Before surgery I was in a size 28 (sometimes 30) in jeans and they were tight. My clothes are now all too big. I have pants that are actually falling off. I’ve been holding off on buying any clothes for a number or reasons but decided I was going to break down and buy one pair of inexpensive jeans. Last week I went to Walmart to carry out my mission. I grabbed a pair of size 26 jeans and brought them into the dressing room with me.

I took the jeans off of the hanger and pulled them on. They didn’t even come up past my hips. They were way to small. At this point I actually sat on the dressing room bench and started to cry. I couldn’t understand how I’ve lost the weight I’ve lost and not gone down 1 size in jeans. I surprised myself at the sadness and emotions I felt. I decided I must have really stretched out my old jeans and hadn’t changed sizes as I’d thought.

As I was gathering up the jeans to take them out of the dressing room I noticed something on the tag out of the corner of my eye. When I went to look closer I noticed that the tag said size 22. I’d been trying on the wrong size jeans!

What’s the worst experience you’ve ever had trying on clothes?

Oct 22, 2009 | 4 comments | View Post

Three Month Update After Surgery

Well, today I hit the three month mark. It’s hard to believe that it’s been three months since I had the Lap band surgery. I have lost fifty pounds since I began this journey. All in all I feel good. I have more energy. My knee and back have benefited greatly from the weight loss, the pain has noticeably decreased. I’m sleeping better and have even had some dreams, which must mean the sleep apnea has been positively affected. I was even able to go to a concert this past weekend where I was on my feet for six hours.

I haven’t had caffeinated coffee since the day before surgery. I’ve successfully switched to decaf and found that it tastes just as good as the caffeinated I used to drink. I’m able to eat regular food but sometimes I feel more comfortable with my soft stuff like mashed potatoes. I still haven’t tried rice, something I live, because I understand it often swells in the pouch and leaves you feeling bad. I’m learning to listen to my body and the signals telling me I’ve had enough. I’ve ignored them once or twice and learned that it’d be better to listen to them than be sick.

I once again fit into a 2X tee! I can fit in my jeans! My shoes are even looser. My ankles don’t swell nearly as badly as they had been and my socks don’t cut off my circulation any more. My own clothes are loose and too big, and there is one pair of pants that falls off. I haven’t done any clothes shopping yet but will probably have to get a couple of things towards the end of summer. Hubby says that my ankles and my butt look smaller. Some of the women at work also tell me my butt looks smaller.

I grow surer each day that goes by that I made the right decision.

Jul 17, 2009 | 4 comments | View Post

Fruit2O Essentials Review

One of the folks at Fruit2O read my review of their flavored water and offered me the chance to try their new line of flavored waters, Fruit2O Essentials. I’ve always enjoyed non-carbonated flavored waters. Since surgery I’ve been drinking more water then ever so I was looking forward to something new.

Fruit2O Essentials is a flavored water fortified with vitamins, minerals and fiber containing nutrients equal to 2 servings of fruit. It is available in six flavors - Cranberry Raspberry, Strawberry Kiwi, Peach Mango, Citrus, Blueberry Pomegranate and Cherry Acai. Each of the waters carries the same nutrients that you would find in the actual fruits. The water contains no calories and zero grams of sugar and carbohydrates. Fruit2O Essentials can be purchased at grocery stores nationwide. A fact that I didn’t know - Fruit2O is part of the Sunny Delight company.

I received one of each of the six flavors. Each of the clear waters was distinctly different. I enjoyed them all but my favorites were the Cranberry Raspberry and the Cherry Acai. I found all of them to be mildly sweet, none were overpowering. No mouth puckering from these! They tasted refreshing and did quench my thirst. I thought they tasted best cold, although they weren’t bad at room temperature.

Fruit2O Essentials are available for purchase in grocery stores and some mass retailers nationwide. If you visit the Fruit2O website you can sign up for new product information, special offers and coupons.

Jun 23, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

Eight Week Update

I can’t believe it’s been nearly eight weeks since my Lap band surgery. I had my first fill in May. It wasn’t quite what I expected. It worked well for the first week but now I’m getting a little hungry at times (nothing requiring weight loss pills or anything). I think I need more restriction. From what I’ve read finding the right amount of restriction, or finding the sweet spot, is a normal process. I don’t see the doc again until next month, at which point I know I will need another fill.

Jun 16, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

Review Of Fruit2O Natural Lemon Water

I like to drink water. Since surgery I’ve been trying some different beverages, to mix up my routine. This week I tried Fruit2O Natural Lemon, courtesy of my Mom.

Fruit2O comes in a variety of flavors including cherry, orange, tropical fruit, peach, lemon, strawberry, raspberry and grape. One serving of Fruit2O is eight ounces and contains zero calories, zero protein and 35 milligrams of sodium. Fruit2O is made by Sunny Delight Beverages, something I didn’t know.

I thought that the Natural Lemon flavor was quite similar to the flavor of a mild lemonade. It’s not too sweet or too sour. I liked it very much cold, from when I got it out of the refrigerator. Somewhere at about forty five minutes after taking it out of the refrigerator the bottle had almost reached room temperature, which is when I found that I don’t really like this drink unless it’s cold because it seemed to have developed an odd after taste.

A six pack sells for approximately $2.99 at my Shop Rite. Fruit2O comes in 20 fluid ounce bottles, 33.8 fluid ounce bottles, six packs of 20 fluid ounce bottles and 24 and 28 count variety packages.

Jun 01, 2009 | 2 comments | View Post

A Post Fill Note

My first Lap band fill was three days ago. After the fill the doc told me to only have liquids that day. That wasn’t a problem as I wasn’t hungry after the fill. That was the end of Lap Band hell for me, at least for this time around. Thank goodness I don’t feel like I need an appetite suppressant any more.

May 31, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

Review Of General Foods International French Vanilla Cafe Decaffeinated Coffee

I’m not supposed to have caffeine as part of the post surgical diet I’m on. At work they drink regular coffee so I had to find an alternative. General Foods International makes French Vanilla Café, a flavored sugar free instant decaffeinated coffee that I decided to buy and bring to work.

The French Vanilla Café comes in a 4.4 ounce can, which they say contains 21 servings. One serving is 4 teaspoons (1 1/3 tablespoons) mixed with 6 to 8 ounces of water. A single serving contains 30 calories. It contains no protein, no sugar and 2.5 grams of total fat.

I really like the flavor of the French Vanilla Café. It’s not all that different from the flavor of regular coffee with non-dairy French Vanilla creamer. The only thing I have noticed is that you really have to stir it briskly for a little bit or you end up with clumps of the mix floating around in your coffee. I’d like to see them make this in a larger size, for people like me who use it frequently.

General Foods International French Vanilla Café sells for approximately and can be bought online and in grocery stores and mass retailers nationwide.

May 29, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

Lucky 13 And My First Fill

I saw Dr Hottie the surgeon today. I had my six week follow up appointment and first Lap band fill. The first thing they did was weight me. Now I’ve been a bit hungry and eating for over a week. Not hungry and eating like before surgery, a lot less than that but more than I’ve been supposed to be eating I think. I went prepared to be told that I’d lost no weight. I was just praying I hadn’t gained any. I got on the scale and was afraid to look down. I said “please just tell me it’s not more than 344″. The assistant said “well I could tell you that but it would be a lie, you’re 331″. Once again I doubted what I was hearing so I looked down and saw it for myself. I got a little teary eyed. I can’t believe that it’s over 40 pounds already! So then it was time for my first fill, which I was welcoming.

The fill is an interesting experience. It wasn’t horribly painful, just uncomfortable and weird. My appointment was in Radiology, because they do the fill and a swallow under xray. So they had me lay on a table and my feet had to be flat against this plate at the end of the table. First the doctor checked my belly and then he found my port, the spot where he’d be injecting the saline. The saline travels through a tube and fills the little pillows in the band and provide restriction around the stomach. To make sure he was in the right spot he had to press and push all around the area. Then he put a needle in.

The needle sort of stings when it’s being out it. I thought the feeling during the fill was a little uncomfortable because I could feel the needle moving around. Once in the port I felt the saline going in and the band change and get tighter. Next, the table moves from horizontal to vertical, all while I was still on it with the needle in my belly. What a freaky ride this is! Time to drink the nasty stuff. Just like the day after surgery, I had to drink some really gross liquid while being monitored on xray, to make sure I could still swallow without any problems. I had to drink it twice and he said things were moving as they should be. I was then able to walk off of the table and leave. My next appointment should be in about six weeks.

May 28, 2009 | 3 comments | View Post

Review Of Designer Whey Strawberry Protein Supplement

Designer Whey graciously offered to help me in my endeavor to lose weight through bariatric surgery. They sent me two 4 pound containers of their Designer Whey Original Protein Powder in the strawberry flavor. I have been using Designer Whey Protein Powders exclusively since coming out of surgery.

I haven’t mentioned it previously but until I made the decision to have bariatric surgery I associated protein products with unpleasant tasting shakes. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. You can mix the Designer Whey with all sort of things including water and milk, or even foods. Their Strawberry has actually become my favorite protein drink of choice because I can do so many things with it. The taste is that of a mild strawberry. My favorite way to drink it is to have it is in a Strawberry Smoothie. I love flavored waters and mixing this with plain water makes for a pretty tasty Strawberry water. If you’re into milk, mixing this with skim milk is like a mild strawberry Quik. My favorite ways to eat it are mixing it with vanilla pudding, mixing it with plain yogurt and mixing it with jello.

Designer Whey Protein Supplement can be purchased online and in stores across the nation and available in Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla Praline and Chocolate Caramel Peanut. One serving has 18 grams of protein and 100 calories.

May 25, 2009 | 2 comments | View Post

Week 5 Post Surgical Update

It’s hard to believe it’s been a little more than five weeks since I had surgery. I went for a follow up visit a week ago and was a little bummed to find that I hadn’t lost any additional weight. (I hadn’t gained any either, thankfully.) See, I’d started being a little hungry. The surgeon told me that I was in a place he calls Lap band hell, and that once I had my first fill I’d be in a better place. Interestingly enough, even though I hadn’t lost any weight I have noticed things seem to be redistributing - I can see my feet, my ankles aren’t always swollen, my socks don’t leave deep lines on my legs and my work shirt is looser in the arms and chest. And, for the first time in years I can wear a 2X tee.

Now I’m still getting a bit hungry and want to eat. I don’t want to eat like I used to before surgery. But I do want to eat more than I should be. I don’t think I’ve lost anything again this week. My first fill is Thursday. I’m looking forward to it. (That way I don’t have to start reading some diet pill reviews, LOL.)

I’m still tender in the belly and still have some discomfort at times but I’m ready to exercise. I’ll be riding the exercise bike every day starting today.

May 25, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

Stop & Shop Heat And Serve Chicken Broth Review

I’ve liked chicken broth for as long as I can remember. We always have boullion cubes in our house, they’re great for making a hot drink and for cooking with. I shopped for the first week ’s post surgical diet ahead of time knowing I wouldn’t be able to drive and that I might noy be feeling great. I tried to buy things that would be easy for me to prepare.

One of the things allowed on the all liquid diet is broth. Since only allowed sips at the beginning I decided to try a carton of premade chicken broth. I chose the Stop & Shop because it was on sale and was quite a bit less expensive than the other two brands I saw.

The Stop & Shop Heat And Serve Chicken Broth tastes nothing like broth made from chicken boullion cubes and yet I like it very much. When I poured it into my cup it seemed almost clear and yet when in the cup it was a pale golden color. The taste isn’t nearly as salty as broth made from a boullion cube. The texture is very smooth, unlike broth made from a boullion cube which is sometimes a little grainy. I probably wouldn’t buy this just to make four cups of broth because of the price but it is ideal for someone who needs very small portions.

Stop & Shop Heat And Serve Chicken Broth comes in a 32 ounce carton with a spout. The recommended serving is one cup (not for me) and there are four servings in a carton. Each serving is 99% fat free and has 15 calories, 1 gram of protein and 980 milligrams of sodium.

May 18, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

Chris Freytag Personal Fitness Blender review

This is a short video review (5 minutes 10 seconds) of me using the Chris Freytag Personal Fitness Blender to make a smoothie (shown above) with strawberries, skim milk, ice cubes and Strawberry Designer Whey Protein Powder. The blender did a great job mixing everything and the resulting smoothie tasted just as good as any that I’ve ever bought out.

WPvideo 1.10

I was lucky enough to receive a Chris Freytag Personal Fitness Blender to review. This blender is so cool because after you make your smoothie the container becomes a to go cup just by changing lids. It’s small and would be great for home or travel. I absolutely love it.

The Chris Freytag Personal Fitness Blender is only available to purchase on QVC.com. The blender has a two speed 350 horsepower motor and comes with the blender, container, blender lid, to go lid and recipe book. It’s currently on sale for $23.62.

In case you’re wondering who Chris Freytag is, she’s a mom of three and she knows a lot about fitness and weight. Check out her credentials!

ACE certified group fitness instructor
ACE certified personal trainer
ACE certified lifestyle and weight management consultant
AFAA certified group exercise instructor
YogaFit Certified
STOTT Pilates trained on the mat and reformer
Member of the Board of Directors for ACE (American Council on Exercise)
Fitness Expert and Contributing Editor for Prevention Magazine
Master Instructor / Trainer for Gaiam and SPRI® Products, Inc.
Health and Fitness Expert for NBC Kare 11 Mpls/St Paul affiliate.
Trainer and instructor for Life Time Fitness

If you’d like to learn more about Chris, check out her website at www.ChrisFreytag.com.

May 17, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

Farmland Dairies Special Request Skim Plus Chocolate Milk review

I’ve always bought and drank whole milk in our house. I had tried skim a few times and never cared for it. After surgery I switched to skim milk and am adjusting. One of the products I’ve tried that I really enjoy is Farmland Dairies Special Request Skim Plus Chocolate Milk. This chocolate milk is so flavorful and creamy that I would have never guessed it was made with skim milk.

Farmland Dairies Special Request Skim Plus Chocolate Milk is available in a single serving 12 ounce bottle and an 8 serving half gallon carton. The milk is fat free and contains Vitamin A, Vitamin D, 11 grams of protein and 405 milligrams of calcium. Special Request Skim Plus does not contain artificial hormones like rBST (recombinant Bovine Somatotropin) and are tested for antibiotics.

One half gallon of Farmland Dairies Special Request Skim Plus Chocolate Milk costs me $3.69 at Shop Rite. Farmland products like this one are available in grocery stores throughout the Northeastern US. I’m not sure if it’s available in any other areas of the US.

May 17, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

I Love My Mom’s Hand Me Downs

In this week’s Parent Blogger’s Network Blog Blast we were asked to write about what our mother handed down to us. It is because of my Mom that I have much of what I have and am much of who I am. Ask anyone else in my family about me and my Mom and there’s a good chance they’ll tell you I’m just like her. Sometimes my Dad and my husband call me “little Pat” or “Pat Jr”. When I hear someone tell me I’m just like my mother I tell them there are worse people I could be like. My Mom did everything she could to make our lives good growing up, even when things were bad. She is her own toughest critic.

Some people question why I do so much for my Mother. It’s simple. She does a lot to help me and my family. It’s also the least I can do since she brought me into this world. It’s just one way of showing my appreciation.

My Mom was a teacher for many years. From her I got my value for education (although that one took a number of years to kick in). It’s only now that I’m 42 that I wish I’d appreciated education when I was younger. At 15, which is when I graduated high school, I just wanted to have fun and didn’t realize how many opportunities I was throwing away. It’s also from my Mom that I got my my love of reading. Now we enjoy some of the same authors and even share books a lot of the time.

My Mom gave me the understanding that there is value and simplicity in the truth. I’m not the kind of Mom that says “not my child”. Lying does everyone a disservice. Plus, it’s an awful lot of work.

My Mom handed down the belief that one hand washes another, one good turn deserves another.

My Mom handed down a love for carbs, which I believe she got from my Grandma. Unfortunately, with that also came obesity. Genetics and Murphy’s Law ensured my predisposition to getting all of the health issues my Mom has, which is one of the biggest reasons I had the surgery three weeks ago. Mom’s health problems started when she was 43, which is how old I’ll be this year. I’m trying to regain my health and prevent further health issues. For those that don’t know, my Mom had the exact same surgery as me a few days ago and her doctors are optimistic that many of her conditions will improve greatly.

There is a bag of clothing on my dining room table. My Mom handed it down to me this week because she knows that I’ll be needing some clothes as I lose weight. She’s always offered me her clothes before giving them to someone else or Good Will.

Lots of the furniture in my home has been handed down, some for sentimental reasons and some for economical reasons. I have my Grandma’s dining room set and her rocking chair. The furniture in my sons’ bedroom are some of my parent’s old pieces. My bed was my parents bed, I got in 2007 when they got a new one. (It’s amazing how expensive mattresses are, we’ve never been able to afford a new set of our own.) We’ve also been handed down a computer, barbeque grills and a lawn mower amongst other items.

My Mom definitely passed down a dislike of house cleaning. Ugh!

Mom and I share a dislike of reptiles. Double ugh!

We both love cats. How can you not love purring?

We both watch ABC soaps. She watched them when I was growing up and now I watch them.

For those curious, I’m not exactly like my Mom. I’ve never been known to burn water (or the kitchen). I can find my own shoes. I hate fish. I’m a picky eater. I can be a real pain in the ass. (Wait, that’s her too.)

I’m proud to be like my Mom. She’s an amazing woman. I’m lucky to have her as a Mom and my boys are lucky to have her as a Grandma. She’s my friend. When I look back upon my memories, all of the best ones include her.

I want to wish all of the Mom’s out there, especially my own, a very Happy Mother’s Day. Mom, if you read this, thanks for all you’ve done and do. I love you.

This year’s Mother’s Day Blog Blast is sponsored by JOHNSON’S Brand. They’re having a Celebrity Hand Me Down charity auction featuring items donated by celebrity moms Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba.

May 08, 2009 | 3 comments | View Post