VSG & the Holidays...

It's my first holiday season with my tiny tummy.  I cooked a lot, and tasted a little bit of everything.  You can see a body shot of me so far kind of in the video.  Here are the highlights....

On Sunday, it will be officially 6 months Post Op VSG Surgery!  58 Pound Loss!

I got on the scale and still am at 223 lbs.  YAY!  It's not food calories that I am worried about so much, it's the alcohol calories.  Holiday cocktails go down WAY TOO EASY. I am not going to freak out if I gain a couple pounds, but I will get my ass out there and walk more to make up for the indulgences that befall my next month of good times. 

Eggnog Martini's!

I will not deprive myself during this season, but not over eat go crazy overboard either.  When I do try something high carb, I mark it down as my high carb day and then go back to low carb the next day.  This is something I can live with as a lifestyle. 

Last night at a party, one of my friends came up to me and said, "I looked great."  He said it in a sort of, "Wow your HOT kind of way."   It felt good to hear.  I feel good and I'm dressing a little nicer than I used too.  I'm wearing things that are a little more form fitting.  I guess my change is beginning to really show on the outside now.  It feels good.  

I have a long way to go still before 

I make my goal weight of 145 lbs.

Holy Crap! I have hip bones...

I worked 64 hours this week.  This is not something I am used to doing.  There was no time for lunch breaks or for exercise.  I still lost one more pound, yay!  The new discovery in my body changes are, I HAVE HIP BONES!  My fat is melting away and my hip bones are beginning to show.  FAROUT.

58 pounds lost so far!

My body is becoming more refined and lean, and it's starting to really show.  I still have a long way to go, but I can see and feel a huge change happening. 

57 pounds Lost so far!

I did it!  I broke my 4 week weight-loss stall!  FINALLY.  I weighed myself this morning and I am 224lbs. A loss of 57 lbs. total so far.  But I got to say, I feel much smaller now.  I have lost one more inch total. 1/2 on my hips and thighs.  I had my doctor check up this week and...

My blood pressure is normal 
for the first time in 20 years!

I'm doing some big cooking soon.  Thanksgiving I am Deep Frying a 17 lb. Turkey. For my birthday, I am throwing my own party and making dinner for 30 and Smoking a 22 lb. Prime Rib Roast, filming the crab horror movie sequel followed by an epic house MUSIC JAM PARTY, with some amazingly talented friends from La Honda, CA!

Christmas Eve, it's Pennsylvania Dutch & Polish appetizers and New Years Day - It's Cafe Du Monde Beignets, Cafe au Lait's & Champagne Cocktails.  I really love the holidays.  This will be my first one with a new tiny tummy.  As long as I stick to Protein first, Veggies second and Carbs 3rd, I am solid.

I remember looking at the calendar before I had this VSG surgery.  I asked myself, "How much weight will I lose before my birthday?"  "How will I feel if I am 60 pounds lighter by December 13, 2015?"  Well friends, I am 3 pounds from that goal, and it's only November 13th.  In one more month, I hope to be able to say I lost 60 pounds - my first goal achievement.   

I FEEL FANTASTIC!  It feels even better when I bump into people I haven't seen in years and they drop their jaw in amazement at my change.  It feels better then I imagined it would.  

I can't tell you the last time 

I felt this much JOY!

That is what weight-loss and getting my body back in balance again means to me.  Joy, Happiness and allowing myself to be free to do all the things I was too big or in pain to do in the past.  My weight-loss goal is REALLY about getting out there and doing things and seeing and exploring THE WORLD in all of it's beauty and richness!  Beside fitting on a roller-coaster ride, I want to SCUBA DIVE!  I was too fat to do that before.

Being able to open my heart and drink in all of the beauty and joy that each lucky moment I get to still have on the planet. Improving the quality of life EVERYDAY because I can now sleep again without Sleep Apnea.  I can walk up stairs without feeling like I am going to collapse.  

I feel lovable!  

This hard work and success is allowing me to forgive myself and let go of my past failures and move forward into a lighter and brighter future.  It's more than hope, it's LOVE and finally accepting myself. I am giving myself the nurturing and care I have needed and neglected for so very long.  I once felt like a lost cause.  WELL I AM NOT LOST ANYMORE. 

I have only 79 more to lose 

until my goal weight of 145 lbs.

I once had to lose 136 pounds.... that sounded daunting.  But 79 more?  

Just a little bit at a time consistently and I will be there soon.

 I'M HAPPY!

IF I CAN DO THIS, I CAN DO ANYTHING!

Feeling & looking good but still in STALL HELL.

Week 4 of the dreaded weightloss stall and the scale says I'm still stuck at 226 lbs. I'm walking 3 days a week, eating less than 1000 a day or less and my body weight is still stuck at the same place now for a month. THIS IS CRAZY TOWN.  I do however feel smaller all over.  I lost another inch on my hips and tummy and my arms. My face is becoming more slender and refined.  I feel more energy and less pain.  The Bio-identical Hormones have helped my girly problems so far and the doctor is watching me closely.

A size 18 woman's is becoming loose on me.  I'm almost into a size 16.  That means MORE MORE LANE GIANT!  No more big girl stores. When I get frustrated, I stop and acknowledge where I was compared to 23 weeks ago.  I was wearing a size 28, and a 3X.  That is a huge difference my friends.  I am still thick, but curvy and proportionate.  I'm even forming an actual "Waistline" again. Yay!

Shopping online for fun inexpensive things to wear has replaced my comfort and reward eating.  I am starting to wear COLOR!  Black was my signature color always, but I am adding color these days.  I have started a crazy wild shoe fetish.  So much so, I may have to design some shoes of my own. : )

Taking walks on the San Francisco Bay on my lunch hour has replaced my stress eating.  I am back on the Carb Cycling: The Turbo Cycle to help break this stall. Chris Powell has testing this on hundreds of his clients and it has proven to work.  Heidi (his wife) has some helpful tips here. What I am doing looks like this:

Carb Cycling: The Turbo Cycle
If you want to shed those extra pounds extra fast, the Turbo Cycle is for you. Of the four carb cycles, this cycle takes off weight the fastest. Unlike the Easy and Classic cycles, which alternate low and high-carb days, the Turbo Cycle pits two low-carb days against every high-carb day. That means you’ll burn fat two days in a row before your body’s furnace (metabolism) is re-stoked on your high-carb day, and you’ll lose weight really, really fast!

Even though the Turbo Cycle has an extra low-carb day as compared to the Easy and Classic cycles, it is not a severely calorie-restricted cycle that will crash your metabolism. As with the other cycles, women should not consume fewer than 1,200 calories a day, and men should not consume fewer than 1,500 calories a day. And since you’ll have two low-carb days in a row, you may feel less energetic on the second low-carb day. But this is okay. These low-carb days are powerful weight-loss accelerators!

Here’s what a Turbo Cycle week looks like:
    Monday: Low carb day
    Tuesday: Low carb day
    Wednesday: High carb day
    Thursday: Low carb day
    Friday: Low carb day
    Saturday: High carb day
    Sunday: Reward day

As with the other cycles, you can stay with the Turbo Cycle as long as you want, or you can change cycles. This program is tailor-made to you and you alone!

For more information on the Turbo Cycle or any other cycle, check out our book, Choose More, Lose More for Life.

My low carb days I keep my carbs under 20 carbs a day.  High carb days I eat up to 60 carbs per day.  It's actually easy to do this eating lifestyle because you eat high protein and veggies most of the time and you don't feel deprived because you eat carbs on the high carb days and get Sunday to eat a Reward food you may be craving.  Hope this works.

My biggest problem is drinking enough water.  I don't.  I need too.  It's like a chore and it doesn't feel good in my tiny tummy.  Drinking lots of water is uncomfortable because you can only do small gulps.  You have to take it slow and when you are working and super busy, remembering to drink water is not on your mind.  I am setting up timer reminders to take sips every 30 mins. throughout the day.  I will try ANYTHING to break this stall. I am patient.  The holidays are almost here and I am going to be the Bad Girl BBQ Chef this season.  I do a lot of cooking, but not much eating. :  )

I'll be Deep Frying the Turkey at my place this year!

My birthday is on December 13th, 

I hope I am  at least 219 lbs. by then.

"Let Them Eat Cake" but I'll have some wine please"...

The scale has not moved, I am still at a stall at 226 lbs., but I have lost 2 1/2 more inches since last week.  I had my VSG surgery 5 months ago yesterday and I have lost a total of 32 1/2 inches all over my body so far.  This is why it's good to measure yourself and not just rely on the scale.  I have been walking 2.5 miles on my lunch hour 3 days a week.  I think that is helping.  I started taking Turmeric supplements and I feel much better in my joints. I can seriously feel the difference when I don't take it.

For my fellow females out there, (Boys may want to click away for this part : o)  I must report that if you are over 40 and possibly approaching or are in Perimenopause, a large amount of weight-loss has been known to speed up menopause.  I am there and my body is doing it's "LAST FINALE" before my dusty uterus and ovaries take their last bow.  BLOODY HELL, are my girly parts in protest. 

This Halloween weekend, I am a vampires dream come true.  My cycle has been sporadic since I had VSG surgery and I was really hoping it would just go away for good.  I almost went to the ER yesterday because I thought I was bleeding to death. I lost so much blood in a 24 hour period (pun intended) that I was lightheaded and almost blacked out.  My doctor told me to take 800 mgs. of Motrin and if it got worse, she would prescribe something to help slow it down.  I had my hormones tested and had an Ultrasound on my uterus 2 weeks ago.  I'll get the results on Tuesday.  In the meantime, I'm fucking starting on Bio-Identical Progesterone tonight.

This is why alcohol was invented, for life phases like this.  Spod-Dee-O-Dee, Motrin & a Multi vitamin for me this entire weekend is on my agenda.  If I'm going to feel like shit, I am going to at least have a good reason.  Empty calories I know, but my mental and emotional health are important too.  Laughter and hanging with goofy friends dressed up like Gawd Knows What should fix what's ailing me.

I have a long list of Halloween parties to attend this fun weekend ahead.  I have a fabulous Marie Antoinette costume to wear, I'm baking some alcohol cakes.  Marie will, "LET EVERYONE EAT CAKE," but in my current state, maybe going as something scary would be more appropriate.

My "Bloody Mary" costume may be better.

The Fresh Celery Head Piece makes the outfit.

I'm still on track my friends.  Hoping to break this 
weight loss stall and get to 219 soon.

I ended up going as Marie Antoinette!

Halloween 2015 - "LET THEM EAT CAKE!" 

I baked a couple Rum cakes.

I almost lost my head.  

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Holding on to the honeymoon....

I am in what they call my first "Weight-loss stall",  I do declare.  The past two weeks.  I am walking, eating right, eating small, sleeping well, attempting to drink more water and the scale ain't moving.  In fact I weighed myself several times over the past two weeks and it has gone up and down, but stuck at 226 lbs.

My fellow WLS friends warned me about this.  They said, enjoy the honeymoon phase while you are in it.  It's been 5 months and one week.  Most people make it to there weight-loss goal in two years.  That is my goal.  I don't want to lose it too fast and get excess skin.  Slow is good, but it can be frustrating.  I am not worried because I read great articles written by WLS veterans that give me hope.  Like this one: http://gastricbypasstruth.com/life-after-gastric-bypass/the-first-6-months-your-honeymoon-period/

The First 6 Months: 

Your Honeymoon Period

If the first month following your gastric bypass is Hell, then you’ll think the months that follow are Heaven.
It’s what’s commonly referred to as the Honeymoon Period. You have no appetite, and weight loss is the easiest it’s ever gonna be. In fact, it’s during this period that you’ll lose the bulk of all the pounds you do shed.
It may last longer than 6 months -maybe as much as 12 – if you have a lot of weight to lose, but however long it lasts expect it to pass almost in a blur. So many new experiences, “wow” moments, and shedding pounds begin to happen so quickly, that you almost have to wait until it’s over to catch your breath.
That being said, there is of course a wide range of experiences, and all of them are normal. When you’re in the moment, sometimes it feels like the scale is moving at an excruciatingly slow pace. But then you look up and realize that while you didn’t see it moving (or didn’t think you did) you’ve actually lost quite a chunk of weight.
It can feel kind of like being Alice in Wonderland. Reality seems a bit warped, and you’re not quite sure if you’re imagining things of not.

Oh My God – Is That My Hair?

Yep, it sure is — clogging up your drain as you take a shower. In piles at your feet in front of the mirror. And tangled in the teeth of your brush or comb.
Anywhere, it seems, but on your head where it belongs.
Hair loss is pretty much inevitable. Some lose more than others, but everyone loses some. It’s especially traumatic for those with shorter hair who’ve perhaps never seen a drain clogged with it.
For me, my hair is very long and I’m used to seeing strands of it everywhere. But when the time came that I could run my fingers through it and come out with a handful, it was still pretty scary.
It usually starts around 2-3 months out, and stops by the end of the first year. In fact, many people have already noticed it begin to regrow by their first anniversary. It often just appears thinner to you, but isn’t even noticible to others. Sometimes it’s a little more severe, and occasionally small bald spots happen. But nobody ever loses all their hair.
Some people swear that extra protein helps, and others insist on biotin. But really, it’s impossible to prove what “would have happened” if someone didn’t take biotin. So no one is really for sure if there’s anything you can do or not.
My suggestion? Take extra good care of your hair during this period. No perms or colors – both of which will damage it further and can make your problem worse. Use good, salon-quality shampoo and conditioner (yes, it really does make a difference to the overall health of your hair, and healthy hair will hide thinness better.) Take your vitamins. And try a good leave-in conditioner made for volumizing. Pretend it’s still the 80′s and style for body (just don’t get too crazy).
At 11 months out, with my hair wet, I can really tell that I’ve lost maybe 20% or more of my hair volume. But once it’s dry and styled, others have told me it looks like I haven’t lost any at all. It’s all in how you work with what you’ve got.

I Don’t Have Anything To Wear

This should be part of the fun of losing weight, but right now it’s actually kind of stressful. It’s stinking frustrating to look at a closet absolutely full of clothes and know that none of them fit you.
But at the same time, anything you buy now will be part of that “too big” pile in a matter of weeks. So unless you’re made of money, there’s no point in hitting the mall just yet.
Yard sales, consignment stores and Goodwill are your best friends right now. And if you must have something more formal (and you don’t happen to get lucky and find it used) you can often find dressier clothes for much less at places like TJ Maxx, Ross’, Marshalls, etc.
Here in the South we have a store called Cato’s. I don’t know if they’re all over the country or not, but they have the most incredible clearance rack you can imagine. I’ve gotten entire outfits for $10 or less – and we’re NOT talking Wal-Mart quality, either.
You’ll also need to figure out what to do with all of your bigger clothes. Perhaps you can hand them down to someone else (be careful – some people get very offended by being offered clothes you’re now too small for) or have a yard sale.
Whatever you do, be sure you keep at least one outfit from your heaviest weight. That way, when it seems the scale isn’t moving and your mind is playing those “I haven’t changed at all!” tricks on you, putting this outfit on will show you in no uncertain terms just how far you’ve come.

Who Is That Person In My Mirror?

During this time your body is changing faster than your mind can keep up with. A few people may take this in stride, but most of us go through some form of body dismorphia. That’s when the image you have of your body does not line up with reality. Anorexics often have this – they see fat on their bodies that doesn’t really exist.

It can be hard to get a handle on exactly how far you’ve come, and how far you still need or want to go. Some of us see ourselves as still morbidly obese. Others think we’re thinner than we are. Some think both at different times. Try to remember that it’s normal – you’re not going crazy, and you’re not developing some deep psychological problem. You’re just changing very rapidly and it’s going to take some time for your brain to catch up.
I still find myself comparing myself to other women and trying to decide if I’m bigger or smaller than them. At this point, it’s not that I want to be better or worse than them, I’m just trying to figure out where I am. What exactly do I really look like? I just want an accurate picture!
But I’m afraid that an actual accurate self-picture is going to have to wait until my weight stabilizes for a bit, then my brain can take inventory and settle on a self-image. So I think that for now, the best thing to do (since I can’t help looking) is to let it be a mild curiosity and nothing more. I’m still in a state of flux, so there’s no point forming a concrete self-image just yet.

I’m Not Done YET, Am I?

Plateaus are evil. I hate them. But they happen to everyone, even those who’ve had gastric bypass surgery.

By 6 months out, you’ll have had at least one, if not more, periods where your scale gets stuck. At first, this drove me absolutely ballistic and I’d do everything in my power to make that scale move again. I think if I’d had dynamite I would have tried it.
And there are a few things you can do to help shorten the time you spend up there on the plateau. They include:

• Increase your protein intake
• Drink more water
• Exercise more, or do something different
• Be sure you’re getting all your vitamins
• Increase your calcium

Notice that none of these things include eating less. Because you’re already eating next to nothing, which is one reason we have plateaus. Have you ever heard of “starvation mode?” Basically (and this is true of regular diets as well) when you cut back on calories, your body thinks you’re starving and will begin to hold on to reserves literally for dear life.
I have noticed that one way to break a stall is to eat more for a day or two. Reasonable food, mind you – stuff that it’s OK to eat anyway. Just more of it. And voila – within a few days, scale movement!
Mostly, however, I look at plateaus as my body gathering energy for the next great plunge. Because usually, when they end I lose a chunk of weight – like 5 pounds or so – overnight. It’s kind of like holding your breath before jumping off a diving board.
You also must must must realize that even when the scale doesn’t move, sometimes fat is still melting. That’s why you should do what I never did and measure yourself. Cuz it’s way cool when you realize that even though the scale still says 220, you’re now in an 18 instead of a 20. 
Looking at it that way has really helped me stop stressing over stalls. They happen. They’ll end. When they do, I need new clothes!

The Scariest Moment Of All

At around 6 months, a couple of things often happen that scare the living daylights out of you. And if they happen at the same time as a stall, then my God it’s like the world has ended and you’ve had surgery for nothing because you’re going to be a FAILURE!!!!!!

Well, that’s what you may think, anyway.
Sometime around 6 months you’ll have a very unwelcome visitor. Your appetite. He’ll be back and suddenly you’ll want to eat again. At the same time, your pouch will have healed up from surgery and will decide that more foods are welcome. And since the swelling will have gone down, pouchie will have a bit more room as well.
So out of the blue, you want to eat, you can eat lots of foods and you can eat more of them. The panic!
My husband actually noticed this before I did and commented on it. A few times. “You’re eating a lot all of a sudden – don’t hurt yourself!”
Fortunately, I knew this was coming and for once didn’t have a near nervous breakdown. Now you’ll know, too.

Making The Most Of Your Honeymoon

Like all good things, your honeymoon period will eventually come to an end. It starts with the return of your appetite, then you’ll notice weight loss begin to slow.
That doesn’t mean weight loss is over – you can continue to lose weight up to 18 months or even more after surgery. But it will be slower.
So you want to make the absolute most of your honeymoon period. Use the fact that you’re not hungry to deal with your food addictions. Forge a new relationship with food that’s based on necessity, not comfort or any other deep psychological need.
Spend this time working out the habits that will carry you through the rest of your weight loss period and into the maintenance phase that will last the rest of your life.
Now is also the time to get into the habit of regular exercise. If anyone told you that having a gastric bypass meant that you could lose all the weight you wanted without having to exercise, you have my permission to find them and slap them for lying to you. (Of course, you’re on your own for whatever happens next. Sorry.)
You will lose weight whether or not you exercise, but not as much as you will if you do. And the further out from surgery you get, the more exercise becomes vital if you want to keep the weight off.
You didn’t go through a life-threatening surgery and change so much just to put the weight right back on, did you? No. This is to be permanent. So get out there and get moving!
You only get one honeymoon period. Use it wisely!

GREAT ARTICLE!  
This is very much my experience so far, 
except I have not lost any hair.  
I got away from carb cycling, so 
I'm going to get back on that.
I'm taking her advise and see 
if I can get to my next 
mini goal of 219 lbs. soon.

Ready to dance & sing....

I did get on the scale this morning and nothing has changed.  I'm still at 226 lbs.  55 pounds down so far.  I ain't complaining.  I did something really stupid this week.  My cat is dead, I'm lonesome as hell, and found myself filling out a Match.com profile. What the hell?  I know, I didn't actually sign up or anything.  It was up for a few days.

My inbox was crazy packed full of guys winking at me and emailing me.  I felt flattered, but I totally chickened out and tried to take it down from the site, which I think is impossible.  Internet dating is worse than a serious job interview while waiting in line at the DMV and then having a root canal afterwards. 

For someone who has been known to glue 450 shiny toy pinwheels and 30 garden ornament squirrels to her car, you can imagine how great I come off on a first date with a stranger I met online.  How could someone as weird as me meet a guy online?   I may not be ready to go on a actual "Date" yet, but I am ready to dance me some blues with a cute boy.  Maybe tonight?

I'm going out to catch Suzanne & her Highwater Blues band show in North Beach tonight!

She got me up on stage to sing a few songs with her
at THE OLDEST BLUES HOUSE IN SAN FRANCISCO - The Saloon!

She had me singing the blues and we had the house dancing a boogie!
I have to get me a nice iPad set-up like she has here in the photo.

I WENT AND HAD A TOTAL BLAST!

Left to right we have Michael Lyons, Mark Yee, Me & the fabulous Suzanne Rose.