90 Cans of Coke Lost!!! ...Yep, That is 35kg Gone Baby :)

It is strange to believe in 21 (+2 pre-op) weeks I have lost 35kg. No words or photo can completely describe how over the moon I am with these numbers. I still have lots of weight to lose, and within that weight I need to shed fat and tone up a lot more. Regardless, I am happy! Some of my oldest and closest friends tell me that they have never ever seen me so happy in all the time they have known me, and I have to say that I agree with them. So in true Twenty Six Bites style I headed to the local shopping centre to take some photos of what I have lost. Nowadays, I can't lift the groceries as a guide, but the images below should give you a pretty good idea of what I was carrying around with me every minute, of every day. No wonder my knees and ankles hurt so badly!

Me standing beside 3 packs of 30 x 375ml cans of Coca Cola, the equivalent of the 35kg I have lost!

 

Oh I am so happy!!!

 

The funny thing is that when I look at the above photos, I don't even think I look like myself. I guess after 28 years, you get used to seeing yourself in a certain way and it doesn't automatically compute that you have changed. I was recently trying to explain to a friend how I still feel like the fat girl inside. Despite my confidence increasing, it doesn't take much for me to flip back into my old self-conscious ways. So how do I remember that I have changed? Photos, looking at my reflection in shop windows when I walk past, or by seeing peoples reaction to me when they bump into me. Anyway, I decided to see how much I have lost since July and the image below is what I came up with! Pretty cool, huh!

Oh, how times have changed!

 

Do you recall I said that my Personal Trainer was hosting an end of year event so that all her Clients could meet one another? Well I attended that event and it was great! I got to meet other bariatric patients, some of which have been 7+ years post op etc. It was great speaking to other people who have actually been through all the phases I am going through. I am going to catch up with  few of them over the next few weeks and make sure I stay in touch. Although I wish I met these people before I had my surgery (it would have given me some peace of mind), I think I met them all at a perfect time. The basic metrics have been met and now I need to keep pushing through and being strict with myself so I don't slip up.

 

One of the things that was mentioned a lot at the dinner party was excess skin. A majority of the people had already had skinfold surgery and others were about to have it. It is one of those things that I am asked about all the time and I generally hate it when people ask, but it was always going to be an issue I would have to deal with. Up until the night of the party I had always said that I would not do any skin fold surgery of any kind, and this was further reinforced by the fact that my surgeon said it was unlikely that I would need any due to my young age. Although I know I will have to wait a few years to see how my skin reacts to the weightless (skin tightens at a slower rate than we lose weight), I do now think that I may need to get my inner thighs tightened up...and if I am there, I may as well get my boobs done too! I don't tend to have any other problem areas at this time... my stomach and arms seem to sitting fine with my skin pulling back into shape well. But as a look at my boobs and thighs I realise that I will never be able to wear shorter shorts if I don't fix the skin. It is unfortunate, but I am not so against it now. More unfortunately still is the cost. I know I will need to save $12-16k to fix these two problem areas, but I know that it will be worth it should it come to that time. In the meantime, I am moisturising, dry brushing, oiling up, and moisturising some more. Let's hope that I don't need to have another surgery!

 

Despite the concerns of skin, these areas are always covered up when I go out, and that seems to be working fine as I have never had so much male attention when out on the town. Don't get me wrong, it is not like I am drowning in attention! Far from it! But when you go from having pretty much no attention (unless it was negative/insults), to suddenly having people look at you and ask you to dance etc, it is strange! I am trying to get used to it still, but think this might take a bit of time yet....baby steps!

 

Speaking of covering up, thank god for hand-me-downs! I have spent so much over the last 6 months on surgery, fitness classes, vitamins, supplements, doctors appointments and endless clothes. I am loving the shopping, but my credit card begs to differ ;)  So I now have a huge pile of clothes that I need to get rid of and an even bigger list of items that I need to find. If anyone out there has clothes they no longer want/fit and they would fit me...hit me up!  Similarly, if you need some bigger clothes.... I have not gotten rid of them yet, so just let me know!

 

I should get off the computer and start wrapping up my Christmas pressies, so I will leave you with a photo of one of the things I bought myself for Christmas/Happy 2015! A beautiful vintage style bike. Isn't she beautiful?

 

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a lovely festive season! I will speak to you all soon, hopefully no heavier from the yummy Christmas feasts and drinks!!!

 

xT

 

M.I.A, Dancing, Meet and Greets, Goals, To many Frogs on Lilypads, Doctors and zzZZZzzz's!

I know, I know that I have been bad. I am a bad girl who has not been writing updates on what's happening.... but I did post my measurements and photos on the weekend, so I got 50% of my job done on time! Anyway, better late than never I say! No more being M.I.A I promise :)

 

My only excuse is that I have been exhausted, literally exhausted. Over the last few weeks I have progressively been waking up more and more exhausted. Needless to say I have been caught sneaking out of the office sick room after a mid afternoon power nap on more than one occasion :s The problem is that I am actually so tired that it isn't really safe to be doing anything other than napping. I quickly lose any concentration that I had (hardly any), and progressively feel a bit more woozy and light headed as the day goes on. By lunch time I am a wreck and resort to the sneaky nap but it doesn't seem to help until late afternoon when I get some weird second wind - very annoying! I should clarify that I am getting a decent amount of sleep each night (8ish hours), so I know it isn't this. So with all the fainting, bruising, dizziness, and feeling sleepy all the time, I decided it was time to go back to Surgeon Jon to see what is going on with me. I went for a comprehensive blood analysis and results were actually great! I am a much healthier chicky than I was pre-op in June. See results below. 

Vitamin D = 128 (+43 from June)

Cholesterol = 3.7  (-1.1 from June)

Triglyceride = 0.9 (-0.3 from June)

HDL Cholesterol = 1.4 (+0.1 from June)

LDL Cholesterol = 1.9 (-1.1 from June)

Coronary Risk Ratio = 2.6 (-1.1 from June)

Iron = 17  (+6 from June)

Fasting Glucose = 3.7 (-1.2 from June)

 

So how do these great results explain why I feel so very tired and mentally challenged? They don't! Doctor Jon has kindly reminded me that anyone who loses 32kg in four and a half months is going to naturally be tired and very distracted. Additionally, the components of the muscles and fat cells around my body are in a state of sudden flux and this will cause bruising naturally. I was reminded that I am doing really well and that I have actually now lost 60% of my excess body fat which is pretty amazing if I do say so myself. The interesting thing is that typically patients are told to expect to lose and keep off 60% of their excess body fat, but I was originally told that I should be able to lose at least 80% (if not all). So quite frankly, I think this is a pretty big milestone for me! Hoorah!!!! Only another 40% to go then I am on maintenance :) Anyhow, after speaking to Jon and then with Carol it was agreed that I as I am still only consuming an approximate 700 calories per day but then burning off a minimum of 1000 - 2000 calories from exercise each day (not including the calories a body burns to keep itself going), that I am most likely under eating. I have been advised that I need to add another two snacks into my daily plan and it doesn't matter if I have them within 30 minutes of drinking. Any of you sleevers know that this is generally a big no no, but apparently as they are only snacks that it is ok to have them with small sips of coffee/water. I have to admit that over the last two days I have tried really hard to increase my calorie intake by approximately 300 calories and reduce my exercise slightly, and I do feel better. I am adding nuts to my morning coffee snack and have shifted my nutribullet smoothie from breakfast to an after dinner snack...this means I can fit in porridge for breakfast.  Anyway, I figure a rest week won't do massive harm even if it does reduce the rate of weight loss this week.....any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Last time I mentioned that my goal keeps changing as I keep thinking a lower weight would look lovely on me (yes it is like a new summer outfit!). So while I officially have 20.8kg to go to achieve my 67kg goal I would really like to lose 25.8kg. While I was at the surgeons clinic I was catching up with the counsellor and she has recommended that I try to avoid thinking of a numeric weight which I will be happy to live at. Instead she has recommended I think of a dress size which I would be happy to wear. Her concern is that I will become obsessed my a number and become relentless in trying to achieveing it. She did let it slip that this is based on my previous experiences as a "workaholic" and a "perfectionist" of sorts. Her question was what will I be able to do as a 62kg female that I wont be able to do as a 72kg female. This is a really hard one for me, as I know she has a good point.... I can become quite over-focused when I want something, but at the same time I really want to stay focused. I think I need to find a fun and creative way to track/measure my future losses, but I am pretty lost as to what I should do. Again... I am looking for ideas people :)

 

Ok! onwards and upwards to the fun stuff! DATING! Well let me be honest here... I do not have any crazy amount of dating experience... in fact, my experience is so minimal it is embarrassing, butttttt losing weight and getting some confidence seems to have turned the switch! These last few weeks I have been on quite a few dates and getting lots of attention from other guys while dancing, out or at work. Some of the attention is just more complements/flirting/banter than usual while other attention is pretty in your face and quite terrible actually.... So here is the thing... of all the dates I have been on, there is actually only one guy that I even like and he doesn't seem to fancy me as anything more than a friend (or else he is completely oblivious to my very fantastic flirting style)... all the others are being considered frogs on lilypads who are not actually going to turn into Prince Charming when I kiss them. Don't ask me how I know... I just do :P Anyway, I shall keep you informed of my dating expeditions as they unfold.

OMG! I can't believe I almost forgot to mention it, but I bought bikinis! Not only do I have one pair, but I went a bit crazy and got three :o ....Yes, Twentysix Bites blogger Theresa now has bikinis which don't look absolutely awful on me as long as I stay standing, don't sit down, don't move my floppy legs around too much, and move slowly. Yipeee!!! Don't ask me how I plan to swim and abide by the rules...perhaps these are more like my "indoor clothes" that no one else needs to see for a while....

 

Anyhow, I shall sign off shortly but I should tell you of some of the very exciting things that will be happening over the next week or so:

1. Lots and lots of Christmas parties!
2. I get to meet other bariatric patients who train with my fantastic Personal Trainer (Toby), as she is hosting an end of year function for us all - yep this will be my first chance to meet fellow sleevers!
3. I may be meeting up with a fellow sleeve blogger called Martin which is very exciting for me!
4. I will be hearing from an old friend who has been considering WLS and is meeting with a surgeon. I met with this lovely lady a few weeks ago to talk her through my experiences and I honestly wish her all the best in making whatever decision is best for her xxx
5. More dates hopefully ;)

That is all for now. I will leave you with a beautiful saying that a close friend of mine reminded me of after reading my last post when I was pretty down. 

 

"Those who mind don't matter.... Those who matter don't mind...."

 

I have actually stuck this saying on my work computer so I can always look at it when I am feeling a bit confused or down. So far it has come in handy in keeping my spirits up...I hope it helps make your day better too.

 

Happy Summer's Night, Theresa

Say Hey....

Hi everyone!

So the funny thing is I can see people are reading my blog from all around the world, which is an amazing feeling! Hello people in Australia, Germany, America, UAE, Mexico, Canada, Russia, Bahrain, France, New Zealand and the UK!

I would love nothing more than to hear from you, and see how you are going. Tell me your story! How many bites do you  If you are a fellow sleever, or are you contemplating having a bariatric procedure etc. I would love to hear your stories, concerns and questions.....and here is the scary thing.... I would love to hear what you think of my blog! Tell me please?

Leave a comment, a post, anything!

xx Theresa

30kg Down & I am Over the Moon....So Why Do I Still Feel Like a Fatty?

 Today, I am a woman of two minds...or maybe nine minds, I am not even sure anymore. I have so much to tell you in this post, so please do excuse me if I jump around or skim over a few things. I realise that you have better things to do than sitting on your phone, tablet, laptop or PC reading my many thoughts and experiences. Though saying that,  I totally see why you would love reading me blog ;)

 

Ok! So as you know I ran away from Perth and flew over to Melbourne last week. I had just under a week on the other side of Australia, visiting my friends, going to the Melbourne Cup, going to wine tasting festival in Geelong, shopping and drinking cocktails. It was a perfect week away and it started that way as I sat in my aeroplane seat prior to departure. Guess who fits in the chair with room to spare? Yep! I do! No longer do I have to place my jumper over my seatbelt so no one sees how tight the belt is around my belly. Now I have lots of extra room in seatbelt and the tray table does not rest on my thighs when I put it down to hold my cup. This may sound stupid, but can you imagine how excited you would feel if the airlines suddenly increased the size of seats on their flights? This is kind of how I felt, but alas no, it was all me!!!

 

While shopping in Melbourne I bought a little bit more than I was supposed to but in my defence it was mostly on sale (5 pairs of shoes, 3 dresses, 1 skirt, 2 handbags, fascinator, 2 flower headpieces, necklace, seaweed natural snacks, nori, salad oils, dukkahs, body cream and bath salts). The most exciting thing was that I was trying on size 14 dresses! Me! Yes! Size 14! Hilariously, my friend overheard me singing "I love you size 14, I love you size 14 so much, I love you", while I was twirling around in the change room area. It has been a very long time since I have work size 14 anything...this is the lightest I have been in almost ten years!

 

During my holiday, it did become more apparent that I may need to bring forward my six month blood tests and medical check-up with Dr Armstrong. I am not concerned about this as I am now 16 weeks post op, so I feel like the only significant change between now and in another two months will be on the scales. The main issues I am dealing with at the moment is that I have huge bruises all over my legs, but I can't recall ever hitting any furniture etc to cause them. Since speaking to a few pharmacists and checking online, I can see that this is likely a result of my iron levels being low. Luckily I  can supplement iron via a liquid that needs to taken multiple times a day, for a few weeks. I shall keep you posted on the progress of my legs! Of slightly more concern is that I fainted for the second time at Melbourne cup (first time was at an event about a month ago). Now before you start thinking that I drank too much alcohol and was intoxicated, this happened at the start of the day and I had not been drinking! All of a sudden, I feel woozy, my face goes white, my vision starts to blur significantly and I hear loud ringing in my ears. It is pretty terrible and I know I was lucky to have my friends with me when this happened. This episode lasts for about 20 minutes and then I slowly recover over the next 10 minutes. Again, research indicates that I am becoming hypogylsemic, which is very common after VSG surgery. As I have reduced the amount of food and sugar which I consume, my blood sugar level is dropping significantly at random times causing me to get faint. Unfortunately, there is nothing which I can consume to prevent this from happening, so I am going to have to ensure that I never miss a meal/snack and that I carry sugar cubes in my purse in case of emergencies. Let's see how I go with that ;)

 

So I have posted some pictures of my trip below for your amusement... before I start whinging.

 

 About To Go To Melbourne Cup! 

 

The Girls and I :)

 

Lauren and I Sipping Cocktails at Siglo Bar

 

Do I Really Need to Explain? ...Shopping!



Maryanne, Lauren and I at Toast to Coast Wine Festival

 

Yes! I Had a Kid's Serve of Ice-cream... Don't Judge Me ;)

 

Fast forward! I am back in Perth and have been catching up with more friends who haven't seen me in a while. It is actually the funniest thing to see people do a "double take" when they see me. I have been told that the photos I post on this blog don't really give a great indication of what I am looking like, but I suspect that is because I am in my gym clothes for the blog updates - Who knows! This also happened in Melbourne when my friend couldn't find where I was sitting while I waited to meet her. Although I had seen her the night before, she obviously was looking for a girl who was considerably bigger than I was. People not being able to recognise me...certainly a nice problem to have!

 

So as of today, I only have another 23.2kg to lose before I reach my goal weight of 67kg! Strangely, my desired goal is slowly dropping down....so I wouldn't mind losing another 26.2kg to get me down to 64kg. Don't you think 64kg has a nice ring to it? Let's be honest, I will be happy with another 10kg drop....but bring on 64kg!!! ;) The annoying thing is that for some reason people think it is totally acceptable to ask personal questions which would not be appropriate even at the best of times. Why is it considered ok to continually ask me "how my skin is going", "if my skin is sagging", or "if I think I will need to have surgery to remove excess skin".....seriously? Why do people think it is fine to ask me "what my heaviest weight and skinniest weight has been as an adult"...what the? Let's be clear, these people are not even my close friends, they are random colleagues at work or from other social groups which I am part of. These people don't even know that I have had a VSG, they have simply noticed that I have lost a significant amount of weight recently. Grrrrrr! These questions just constantly remind me that I am always going to be a "fatty" of some type. Even if I lose all my weight I am always going to have to deal with any saggy skin and the emotional damage which has been done from being overweight/obese all my life.  As much as my confidence has grown in this process, I realise my confidence is still pretty low. Not quite sure how I will figure this out, but if anyone has any good tips or advice.....let me know!

 

Anyway, lots more to whinge about but I think I need to calm down a bit before I keep writing.

 

Time for bed...goodnight everyone xx



Halfway there and I got the Front Page!

I know I have been slack and not posting updates over the last few weeks and I am soooo sorry. My only excuse is that I am packing so much fun into my "new life", that it is harder to find the time to sit down and write an update. So although it appears like I am being naughty I am actually being good. I am getting everything out of each day, which is exactly what I signed up for when I signed up to have a sleeve. I am certainly getting my money's worth out of this surgery :)

 

So after reading the title of this post it will come as no shock to you that I am now officially half the halfway point!!! Yay me! Today I weighed in at 92.7kg which means I only have to lose another 25.7 kg until I get to goal of being 67kg (only). Then all my energy will be spent trying to maintain the weight, toning up and possibly getting to 64kg which I feel has a nice ring to it. "Hi, my name is Theresa and I weigh 64kg!" ....yep I like the sound of that! Who knows, maybe if I do get to 64kg I would actually introduce myself that way....hehehehe

 

So these last few weeks I have been running around like a headless chicken. I have documented my activities over the last week to give you an idea of my routine. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to get into as much exercise this week as I had so many presentations to attend, but I still got in some and that is all that matters.

 

Thursday: 8.30-6pm Work. 6.30-7.30pm Personal Training. 8pm-9pm Shopping for undies that fit!

Friday: 8-5pm Work. 5.30-7.30pm Coffee Catchup. 7:30-9pm Shopping for birthday pressie

Saturday: 9.30-10.30am Zumba. 10.30-12pm Coffee Catchup. 12.30-4pm Mani/Pedi. 4-12pm Friends birthday and stand-up comedy.

Sunday: 10am walk. 1pm-4pm Raw cooking class. 4.30-9.30pm Zouk dancing on the beach

Monday: 8-5pm Work. 5-7pm Go to Architecture Presentation on Project Planning. 7-9pm Choir

Tuesday: 8.30-5.30pm Work. 6-7pm Zumba. 7-9.30pm Zumba Halloween party!

Wednesday: 8-5pm Work. 5-7pm Go to Architecture HVAC Presentation. 7-10pm Drinks/Dinner 

 

Surprisingly, I am managing to keep my energy levels up despite my reduced calorie intake, but I do believe it is generally because I am happier. I hit my bed like a sack of potatoes at the end of each day, but until that time comes I am running at full steam!

 

Did you notice the "I got the Front Page" part of this post's title? Let me explain....so last week I attended an Architecture week networking event at the WA Institute which turned out to be a nice event. Anyhow, they were taking photos on the night and asked for a photo of me and an another architect whom I was talking to. Obviously we said yes and gave the token cheesy smile for the photo, never expecting to see it anytime in the future. So imagine my surprise when a work colleague sent me a link to WAToday (an online news website which focuses on all things WA), asking me to find the architect. So who do you think was front cover of the album? .....yep, you guessed it!!!! So obviously I am no model but I am totally happy for any recruiters to call me if they are looking for another plus size model...hehehe. Check it out :)

 

Screen shot of the home page (I am the girl in blue at the bottom Right corner)

  

 

The actual image as saved from the album

 

In other news, I have decided to stop taking Elevit multivitamins as they make me ill each morning (literally). I know I still need vitamins so I will move back to the less nutritional but still good Mini's that I was taking for the first two months post-op. To help ensure that I am getting the best nutrition I possibly can and to help me through the next phase of my life,  I recently attended a Raw Food Workshop with a good friend of mine. The workshop was pretty good and got me thinking about the additional ways I can get fluids and nutrients into my meal plans. I will be attending another workshop in a bit over a month which will cover more foods but then I will back to google searches to get ideas. Let me know if you have any awesome recipes!

 

I think that it all I needed to update you all on for now. I am off to Melbourne tomorrow for the annual Melbourne Cup and a long overdue catch-up with some of my besties. I can't wait!!! Best of all, I am not afraid that I won't fit in the tiny tiger airways chairs. My butt is a lot smaller than it use to be, so yay me! Anyway, my next post will most likely be from Melbourne and will come with lots of pictures of what I have been up to. I better sign off now, but I will leave you with a few pictures of my new favourite way to start my week - Sunday afternoon's dancing Zouk/Bachata on the beach as the sun goes down! So much fun! ...so that is another two things to cross off my Bucket List ;)

 

 Me on the Right and a friend of mine

 

Dancing with my Zumba Instructor (Amazing dancer)

 

Dancing with my Zumba Instructor (Poser!)

 

 

 

 

Before vs Now :)

My sister recently asked me if I regret taking the surgery route as I will never really be able to eat so much again. She wanted to understand if I wished that I had just reduced my food intake myself. I didn't have to think about this for very long at all. The honest answer which I gave was that I have spent most of my 28 years trying to reduce my portions and calorie intake... it never worked for long and I never felt as full and satisfied. I have no regrets at all! Obviously this is a personal decision and is not for everyone, but I felt it was the best decision for me at the time.... and I still feel it was the best decision I have made in order to get my life on track.

 

Anyway... I wanted to compare what I looked like a few months ago, with what I look like now. I am pretty happy with the results :) There is no doubt that there is a long way to go, but I can see a difference and I certainly feel different - YAY LIFE!!!

THEN :(

 

NOW :)

That's a lot of Pool Salt!

 

Over the last two weeks I lost an additional 2.6kg and 1.3kg respectively, which takes my total weight loss to just under 25kg :) So this is me trying to carry the 25kg that I have lost over the last fourteen weeks (1 x 25kg bag of pool salt)... I could hardly pick it up and had to arch my back to try to support it with my tummy and arms!!! I think my dad had more fun taking photos of my trying to actually get the bag airborne than when I had finally lifted it...grrr! But all jokes aside, I am over the moon to have reached this goal and the only thing that makes it better is that people I have not seen in a while are noticing the difference in me when they finally see me. Apparently it is not just my looks that have changed, but also the "twinkle" in my eyes and my cheeky sense of humour which is getting a bit more cheeky....but only a bit ;)

 

So I have been pretty busy since I last updated the blog...but busy in a good way! With my new lease on life, I have joined another Zumba class (I now attend two weekly), committed to being part of a choir that I recently joined but had avoided paying the membership fee until the last minute (just in case I decided it wasn't for me), commenced attempting to flirt with men (I think this is a bit of a lost cause with me), been out to multiple lunches, booked a holiday to Melbourne to go to the races and catch-up with friends, and managed to check off another item off my Bucket List - see below for some photos of these things! 

 

One of the most exciting things has certainly been checking off Item 7 of 'My Weightloss Bucket List' - A long nice relaxing bath :) As my parents have been away for the last month I took the opportunity to check if I could super comfortably fit in the bath and I could! Within the week, I made sure I had found all my candles and bath salts and had a lovely evening watching TV from the hot bath. Yes, my parents bath is conveniently placed right in front of a TV :)

 

One thing that is very important to me is maintaining my old social habits while making them healthier where possible. I refuse to be one of those people who stops going out for lunches and dinners because it is uncomfortable, embarrassing or you have to ask for the rest of your meal to be packed up in a doggy bag! From as early as I could eat solid foods I was accepting dinner invitations and simply being a bit more selective on where I would be happy to eat. At the start I would just say I felt like Asian and have a sweet corn soup, but now I find it easy enough to pick a suitable meal from any food venue. I still take ages to pick what I want (I have always been a slow at picking off a menu), but I can do it! The next two photos are my attempts at a high tea and my favourite dimsum!

 

High Tea plate.... I couldn't really eat much so I left lots behind on my plate and sampled a bite of nearly each thing :)

 

There was a time when I could eat multiple plates worth of dimsum. I could fit in a large sample of steamed and fried dumplings and still have room for my favourite sago and coconut pudding. The side plate below was what I ate when I went with my work colleagues recently. One steamed prawn dumpling and a few green kalian leaves. I admit I did have one squid tentacle which was picked right of the shared plate and into my mouth - I didn't get a chance to photograph the little sucker :P

Finally and most importantly, I thought I should share a photo of the beautiful group of people I now see on a weekly basis for Zumba! You can find me second from the right in the green teal coloured tank shirt. Anyway, this group have accepted my friend and I into their social group whole heatedly and have made us feel so very welcome at their after Zumba "coffee and gossip" sessions, and boy is there lots to gossip about! For anyone who is trying to find a way to get fit and hates the idea of a gym, I recommend Zumba 100 times over!

Well that is enough for now. You would have noticed that my photographer is back now (thanks mum!), and so I have updated 'My Photographs' page with photos taken on Sunday morning just after my weigh-in.

 

I will post again soon!

xT

All 'bout That Bass...

"Yeah it's pretty clear, I ain't no size two
But I can shake it, shake it like I'm supposed to do
'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase
All the right junk in all the right places
I see the magazines working that Photoshop
We know that shit ain't real
Come on now, make it stop
If you got beauty beauty just raise 'em up
'Cause every inch of you is perfect
From the bottom to the top
Yeah, my momma she told me don't worry about your size
She says, boys they like a little more booty to hold at night
You know I won't be no stick-figure, silicone Barbie doll,
So, if that's what's you're into
Then go ahead and move along.

 

Because you know I'm all about that bass,
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble
I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass"

 

I seriously love Meghan Trainor's song "All 'bout That Bass". It is a woman's anthem to being comfortable with yourself. Now, don't start thinking I am a traitor or anything like that! I am not just a fat girl trying to be skinny like all the 'cool' kids. I just really want to be healthy, fit and confident. I want to be able to "shake it, shake it like I'm supposed to do". So please understand that I have no desire to lose my "bass" or my curves in general, but I do wish to have less curves. To quote a blog I have discussed on here previously.... I just want less dangerous curves.

Over the last two weeks, I have been working really hard to increase my calorie intake as recommended by the dietician and my personal trainer. It has not been easy, and I have not managed to do this every day, but I am generally up to 600-700 calories a day. The extra calories are being consumed by (1) protein shakes or bars which I always have handy, and (2) trying to increase my portion sizes to a half cup at each meal. At my initial metabolism test completed a few weeks ago, the results showed that my metabolism is less than half as fast as it should be. Although we hope that the next test will come back better, I know that I need to find other ways to increase my metabolism. I know the basics, eat more frequently, do weights, exercise etc, but I am already doing these things. If you have any ideas, please let me know!

This week, I am one step closer to my goal and I am over the moon! I am now officially out of the triple digits, as I weighed in at 99kg yesterday. It seems sad to think that I am genuinely excited and proud to no longer weigh over 100kg. I should have never been the size I was to begin with...but such is life. My measurements page has been updated to show my progress this last week, but again I have no full body shots to show you. They will be coming back in a few weeks once my photographer (mum), returns from her vacation.

I wouldn't say anything huge has changed recently, but it is undoubtedly clear that I am  much happier and more confident. This is something which appears to have been noticed by friends, family and people at work. I have to be honest and say that there is a chance that part of this change is due to a change in medication, but I sincerely doubt that it is the primary reason for this new found happiness. Looking at what has changed over the last few months, I guess it must be a combination of losing weight, getting fitter, new meds, making myself a priority instead of work, going out a lot more and getting involved in more group activities (Zumba and Choir)....the flattering comments I have been getting from people always go a long way too :)

Time for bed.

Goodnight xx



Please Sir, Can I Have Some More?

Please Sir, can I have some more?...such a famous quote but these are not words I am sure I will ever mutter again! As mentioned a few weeks ago, I have been surviving on around 400 calories a day (slowly increasing to 500). Apart from feeling exhausted in the afternoons, I have felt full and content from the healthy and small meals I have been eating. Great news hey! I thought so too... until my dietician and PT have stressed that I need to work up to 700-800 calories quickly. More???   How can I eat more? I tend to struggle getting in my fluids if I have afternoon tea, as I'm a slow sipper. Nevertheless, I have agreed that afternoon tea will be eaten daily now (no more excuses). A coffee for morning tea and either a protein bar, shake, nuts or yoghurt for afternoon tea. Let's hope I can do this!

The reason for not blogging a post update last week was generally because nothing much had changed. I was eating the same foods, the weight loss slowed down slightly (800g loss), and I was generally feeling the same content feeling. This week lots has changed (including losing 1.5kg!). See how I just threw that in there? :) Ok so I am now sitting at a total loss of 18.4kg - I am pretty ecstatic at this figure at the moment. No, I do not mean my actual figure...that still requires lots of improvement! The good news is that I am getting there....

Some exciting news is that I am approaching 1000 views on the Twentysix Bites blog! Only a week more and I should have reached the milestone. It is an amazing feeling to see people in Asia, America, Europe and the Emirates clicking on my page. I am not sure if you are regular visitors or just one time guests, but either way, Thank you!!! With the immanent milestone fast approaching I have been thinking about what I want to get out of the blog and where I would like it to go in the future. Since obesity and bariatric surgery has been in the limelight over the last few weeks, with WA registering as one of the most obese states in Australia and more Australian celebrities discussing their sleeve journeys (Kate DeAraugo), I would love to add to the discussion. One of the things I would absolutely love is to have a feature article in a local newspaper that continues to raise awareness  about the bariatric surgery option. I don't think this has to be a taboo topic, and I certainly don't feel that people should have to hide how they are losing weight (unless they want to). I have been very honest about my decision to have surgery, and that has worked for me. Sharing my personal life with people is the way I have lived my whole life, and it felt unnatural to try to close out this chapter. Anyway, back to my dream....I feel that my reminding people that being obese is a common (but sad) fact of many peoples lives, perhaps people will become more socially aware of how us "fatties" are feeling and what we go through. Better still, maybe my blog will change someone's life as reading Less Dangerous Curves changed mine.  It is nice to dream....

Another thing that happened this week is that my oldest sister (a big supporter of my journey), found an amazing website which literally models your goal weightloss! You input your height, start weight, goal weight, hair colour, preferred clothing etc, and tadaaaa!!!

The above image represents me at my before weight (18.4kg ago) and me at my goal weight. I can produce images with casual clothes or work attire etc. Personally, I think this is great as an inspiration piece and I am pretty tempted to print it out and stick it on my fridge. I have to be honest, even the image of the "bigger" me looks better than the "real" me as it does not show rolls etc....but it is a pretty good indicator of the difference the +50kg weightloss is going to make to my body! For anyone who wants to try it out on themselves, check out www.modelmydiet.com. Love it!

The best thing of all this week was that I started Zumba! It is a cardio killer and I am sure that I look like a fool, but I actually loved it more than anything. I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face no matter how tired I got. I have started this class on Saturday mornings with a close friend of mine and luckily she loves it too, so we have committed to keep going each week. The class is relatively small, but made up of a lovely group of women (and one man), who have had classes together for years. Some of the woman attend three classes a week, but I am going to stick to one! The best things about this class is that I get to mix exercise with being social and seeing my friend, they mix Zumba with salsa and bellydancing, the group is lovely and they all go for coffee next door after class!!!.....oh and I get fit and lose more weight etc etc :P

Anyway, I think I may become one of those annoying people who tries to convince everyone to join Zumba - be prepared!

I have updated 'My Measurements' page, but have not loaded any pics as my mother who is my dearest photographer is away on holiday. I will have to ask a friend to help me out next week, so I hopefully there is a big difference in what you see next time.

Have a great week everyone :)

That's A Lot Of Flour!

This week I lost an additional 1.7kg, which takes my total weight loss to 16.2kg :) So this is me trying to carry the 16kg that I have lost over the last two months (8 x 2kg bags of bakers flour)... it is not easy!!! Although I have lost this much weight before, I have never really appreciated how much weight that actually is. Trying to hold the 16kg of flower for just a minute in order for my mum to take this photo was actually a struggle. It is easy to forget that I walked around each day carrying this extra weight. Granted, the weight was not all being supported by my arms....but it was hard!

I am sure that it does not come as a surprise that I am over the moon with my progress to date. Better still, I am so very excited to see what I will look like by the end of the year. What size will I wear? Where will I shop for my clothes? How far will I be able to run and cycle for? It is hard to guess how much I will lose in the next four months, especially as the typical plateau I have usually experienced by now has not yet set in. I guess the best way of "guestimating"is to look at my average weight loss to date, reduce it by some, and then multiply it by the number of weeks left until the end of this year. So assuming I lose 1kg a week starting from next week, I will lose an additional 16kg (total of 32)...However, if I can lose 1.5kg a week, then I can lose an additional 24kg (total of 40) by the end of the year. I am going to aim for an additional 20kg. It is going to be hard, but I have to work hard to lose as much weight as I can within these first 6 months. All my research indicates that the weight loss slows down significantly after the first 6 months.

So the truth is that not much has changed this week.  I ended up gong to the physio another few times for my back, but I feel 100% again. I spent this week resting my back under orders from my personal trainer and physio. While I  couldn't work on my weights, I could spend time doing cardio. Although I didn't manage to get to the gym as much as usual, I did try! Even when I worked late I went to the gym for a quick cycle etc. Anyway, I am sure there are always going to be times where I don't get to exercise as much as I want to. This week I am going to make sure I get there at least five times again.

This week I finished the prescribed anti-acid/reflux medication that I have been on since the surgery. I was looking forward to coming off this medication as it meant one less tablet to swallow, but the truth is I am now desperate for another prescription. I have felt like their is acid burning my oesophagus constantly for days. Gaviscon helps relieve the discomfort for a half hour or so, but then it comes back. Apparently this is quite common, but I am not sure how long I need to put up with it until the Doctor decides I need more meds. Alas, I am going to see him tomorrow morning to ask for more!

One big thing did happen this week - I had my first few sips of alcohol! I only had about 5 tiny sips of the red wine, but I felt fine. The 5 sips is a long way off what I use to be able to drink, but I didn't want to risk feeling sick in public. A general rule of mine over the last month has been 'don't try any new foods out of the safety of home'. This may seem strange, but some foods just don't seem to sit well with me yet. I am getting better, but it is always a risk in these early days.

Anyway, it is time for bed. As always, you can checkout the updated 'My Measurements' and 'Progress Photograph' pages with this week's progress.

Goodnight!

Just A Bit Of Window Shopping...

I have not shopped for any clothing in over three months! Not one thing! Despite being larger, I have generally enjoyed shopping for clothes throughout my adult life. Of course there have been some exceptions to my love of shopping. As a child in the 80's and early 90's there was not many clothing stores which catered for plus size clothing; certainly none which catered for teenagers. My mum would always try to find nice clothes from adult stores that would fit/suit me, but it was never what other young girls were wearing. As you can imagine, it was not a common occurrence to find nice clothes that fitted. When I did find clothes that fit, they were not the same styles that everyone else my age was wearing. I always looked different. By the age of twelve, I had learnt that if something fit me, I should buy it. Fast forward a bit short of a decade, and the Australian fashion market had begun to adjust to the ever increasing waistlines of the population. As the years have passed, the options available to larger women have continued to increase both locally and internationally. The only problem has been that I have never retrained myself that I don't need to buy anything that looks half decent ;) Thank god I don't have expensive tastes... yet!

So what does a reformed shopper do when she is no longer shopping for clothes? Shops for bodies of course! Now this may sound crazy to you, but this is something I have caught myself doing since I decided to go ahead with a VSG. I don't do this all the time of course, but every now and then when I out and about, I look at other ladies as they walk past and wonder which body size/shape I will end up being. I sort of "window shop" through all the bodies I see. This probably isn't the healthiest thing to do - I know! But! It has cemented the fact that I don't want to be the skinniest girl in the room, nor do I don't want to lose all my curves. I like having curves! I just want to have less... Anyway, the funny thing is that as people have been noticing my weight loss, they too seem to be "window shopping" for me. They don't seem to be shopping for bodies though, instead they are looking for faces. Personally I find this hilarious, especially because although my face will get thinner, I doubt it is going to really change that much. Nevertheless it is quite complementary. Perhaps I wouldn't find it so complementary if people were picking uglier woman to compare me to...but to date, all good! So here are the woman that people have said they think I will look like when I lose all my weight. What do you think?

 

Catherine Zeta Jones (The Mask of Zorro)

 

Rachel Weisz (The Mummy)

 

Audrey Tautou (Amelie)

I don't really see much similarity between these woman and myself, however it is nice to imagine isn't it :)

Time for reality and a quick update on my progress this week. This week I lost a total of 1.6kg, which takes my total weight loss to 14.4kg. I am really happy with my progress to date and hope that the weight keeps coming off. In an effort to get the weight off as quickly as possible and retraining myself to enjoy my new lifestyle, I have been heading to the gym as much as possible. I have been focusing on my cardio and light weights as instructed by my surgeon, dietician and personal trainer. This week I took it a bit to far to quickly, as I ended up hurting my back on Thursday evening at the gym. I spent the next few days in quite a lot of discomfort and decided to go to a physio to see if they could help (I was desperate), and they have helped significantly. I have been instructed to keep of weights  for a week, but I do intend to start walking again tomorrow evening. Let's see how this affects my weight loss for next week!

Tomorrow morning I am meeting with my dietician as I am entering my final week of the liquid to solid diet phase plan. This is a routine check-up which was booked weeks ago. I don't have any major concerns that I feel I need to discuss, but I do want check if she has any tips on how to keep my energy up through the afternoon. My concentration is not where it use to be at all, but it does take a significant beating between 2 and 6pm. I think that I need to make sure I have a second snack during this time, but it is the last thing on my mind. I will let you know what comes out of that meeting.

Anyway, it is getting late and I better sign off.

Goodnight all! xT

A Little Bit Less Obese...Yes please!

So today I am officially down to Class Two Obesity on the Obesity scale! The fact that I am even on the obesity scale is extremely embarrassing and humiliating...but I don't see a point in not saying it how it is on this blog. The truth is that although being honest about this hurts, my size is obvious for all to see on each and every day. I sincerely doubt that anyone is going to be shocked by the fact that I am more than just a bit overweight. I am what I am. It sucks big time, but I am changing :) Now this honesty may be hard for some people to understand, but one of the things you learn quickly as a fat chic is that it is best to say what others are thinking first! If you have watched Pitch Perfect and remember "Fat Amy", you must have heard this before. Putting yourself down before other people have a chance to do so, is the best way of emotional survival. It just hurts too much when someone puts you down and you are not prepared for it! It is so true that it is almost a science! The sad fact of this science is that your self confidence is generally non-existent, you continually put yourself down, and you don't really believe it if/when people complement you.

This may sound a bit grim but it really isn't! I love "Fat Amy" aka Australian actor Rebel Wilson. More importantly, I honestly think she is a great ambassador for curvy women around the world. She is who she is because of all the experiences she has lived through and she appears to embrace her shape to the fullest. Being fat all my life has made me the person that I am today.  Although it has in some ways limited the way I have lived my life, I believe that it has given me the personality that I have today. Personally, I think my personality is ok. I have some things I need to work on of course (who doesn't?), but I think I make good conversation with most people. Anyway! onto my progress over the last week...

This week I only lost 1.1kg which takes my total weight loss to 12.8kg! Not as much as some I have lost in the first few weeks, but any loss is a good loss :) Let me point you in the direction of the 'My Measurements' page and you may notice why I am still pretty happy with this week's progress. I have lost a total of 14.5cm from around my body this week alone. This is a significant reduction compared to last week's change in measurements. Happy! So why has my weight loss slowed while my change in measurements greater? I think it has lots to do with the fact that I started my personal training sessions this week. Personal training meant I could officially start doing weights. In case I didn't mention it before,  all weights and stomach exercises had been a no-go up until this week. This is a standard rule for all bariatric patients post-surgery, as the medical team are worried that you will damage your stomach or wounds. I think the timing they give you to start weights is actually perfect! Any sooner and I can imagine that I would have unintentionally hurt myself, as I did occasionally bend or stretch in a way which would feel like something was pinching. Although I have not been living under a rock, I have to be honest, this is the first time in my life I have understood the basic correlation between muscle training increases my metabolism, which then tricks my body into NOT going into starvation mode! Who know!? ...well now I do :)

I have a close friend who teases my that while I seem to have graduated from eating as much as his seven month old son, I can now eat as much as his two year old daughter. The funny thing is that this is so true! The good news is that my diet is continually getting more exciting. Although I am still only on one quarter to half cup portions depending on what it is I am eating, I can eat a greater variety of foods now which is great! This week I have managed to eat bolognaise sauce, tuna (with some light mayonnaise to make it smoother), slices of cheese and ham, and boiled egg. Although I am now allowed pasta, rice and dry crackers, I am keeping these out of my diet for now. I am sure I will start to have these again in the next few months, but as I am not craving them, I will try to abstain for now. Another change is that I can eat it much faster that I could a week ago. This makes it much easier to get on with the day between food times. The strange thing is that prior to doing the surgery, I thought it would be impossible to chew foods twentysix times before swallowing. Now, it has almost become second nature to chew all food twenty or more times before swallowing. I do slip up about once a week, and after this happens I do feel some extremely painful indigestion set in quickly. Tonight was one of these times but after watching me try to be sick for about fifteen minutes, my mum reminded me to smell some fresh bread. This is an old wives tale that is less of a take and more fact! Trust me, it works!

Anyway, I should hit the sack. Back to work tomorrow and I need to book tickets to Rottnest in the morning. Yes! I am booking tickets to Rottnest island in the morning. I am going to get in my bathing suit and not hate myself for it!

As always, you can checkout the updated 'My Measurements' and 'Progress Photograph' pages with this week's progress.

Goodnight all :)

Better Late Than Never....Right?

Let me start this week's update by saying I am sorry for the late posting! I know that some of you have come to expect an update each Friday evening, but as I have started work again I think updates may have to be pushed back by a day or two. Let's see how I go in the coming weeks! I have to say that it is an amazing feeling to have people contact me to check when I am next posting an update. It makes me really happy to know that people are interested in what I am talking about and seeing how I am progressing. So here I go!

This last week I lost 1.6kg which takes my total weight loss to 11.7kg! You can checkout the updated 'My Measurements' and 'Progress Photograph' pages with this week's progress. I am really happy with this loss especially since I didn't manage to fit in as much exercise as I had on my two weeks off work. What impresses me the most is not what I have achieved but the fact that if I had been on any other diet, my weight loss would have slowed or temporarily plateaued by now. I know I shouldn't speak to soon, but all my research indicates that the weight loss should be pretty steady for a while yet. I'm sure it won't stay above 1kg for long, but a girl can dream...well this girl can :)

I can hardly believe another week has passed. This week gone by brought lots of changes, both good and bad. The most significant change was that I returned to work. I have to admit that it wasn't the easiest of things to do, but that is mostly because I struggled to concentrate on any task for long. Of course this could be attributed to the fact that I spent a significantly long time sorting through boring emails, or it could be because I am living off 400-500 calories a day (excluding any calories burnt through exercise). My money is on the latter! Anyway, walking into the office on the first day was the hardest. I guess I felt like the colleagues who did know what I was doing in my two week "break" would expect a more dramatic change as I walked into the office. What if they expected me to be a size 12 already? What if they expected me to suddenly look like Catherine Zeta Jones? Newsflash! I don't look like CZJ, nor will I ever look like her! Nevertheless, it didn't take long for me to let go of fears and feel more comfortable letting colleagues see me eating my small meals.

The best thing this week was that people have noticed that I am looking different. Even those who don't know what I was doing on my "break" have commented that my skin is looking great, I look happier, that I look good, or even asking if I have changed my hair. Although I don't plan on explaining what exactly has changed, it is pretty nice to hear all the nice comments people have to say.

I know I have a long way to go, but I am getting closer than I was four weeks ago :) With each day comes new challenges and new lessons learnt. I just need to keep myself open to learning and to change. I'll get there.

Anyway, I should get some ZZZ's...the work week starts again tomorrow!

Speak soon xx

10kg Down and Over 40kg To Go!

So here I am, two weeks post-op and a total of four weeks since I started this journey. I haven't lost as much weight as I would have liked to this week, but the Dietician and Surgeon are both happy with my progress. Nevertheless, there is a niggling thought at the back of my head which keeps saying I need to lose more now! To date, I have lost 10.1kg, but only 1.4kg of that was this week. I know I must sound crazy because on any other diet I would be over the moon to record a loss over 1kg. This time, for some strange and stupid reason, I am expecting a lot more of myself. Perhaps it is because I have resorted to an extreme to lose the weight, or because I am eating so little and exercising so much, or maybe it is because I want this to be the last time I have to do this (so badly). Whatever the reason, I am going to try to celebrate my losses and not over criticise myself. I am not sure how I am going to do this, but I am. Any ideas are welcome!

In reality, not much has changed this week. I have continued to progress with consuming more fluids in less time, which is great! I am still itchy around my 5 incision sites, I still have sudden rushes of energy and then a substantial crash every so often, and my concentration is still lacking. The strangest thing is how cold I feel! Unless I am exercising, I feel the cold much more than I ever use to. I knew to expect this as it was recorded in many blogs that I found prior to surgery, but I didn't expect to feel it so dramatically. I can't wait for the summer!

The biggest change has come today as I graduated to Phase Two of my diet plan. After two weeks on liquids I was pretty excited about trying some new foods like scrambled egg, warm porridge and poached white fish! Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived. Although my stomach had slowly become accustomed to thick soups and pureed fruit over the last two weeks, I didn't realise that moving onto soft foods would make me feel so unwell. It turns out that my body didn't like having soft solids.

Today I managed to eat one scrambled egg and just over half a cup of mashed poached fish with peas. The fish was split over lunch and dinner (quarter cup each), and took me about 28 minutes to eat each time. By the end of the meal I had the worst heartburn and started to have reflux, which was very uncomfortable. My dietician says that I should be able to eat two to four times this amount in 20 minutes by the end of Week 3! Based on today's experience, this doesn't feel remotely possible, but I know it just takes time. As terrible as I felt, I have to admit that I have been pretty blessed post surgery. I have had no actual complications to date (touch wood), I have had minimal pain and discomfort, I am not hungry and I am achieving my goal - losing weight and getting healthier!

In the coming week, I will face a new challenge but I feel that I am ready for it. I return back to work on Monday and although I have limited concentration at the moment, I think I can manage this by taking frequent breaks and ensuring I don't work overtime. I purchased lots of little Tupperware last week which I intend to fill with meals before I go to work. I am not 100% sure what I am going to prepare yet but I have a two days to think about this...Here is to hoping the new week brings more weightloss and comfort eating new foods!

As always, I have updated the 'My Measurements' and 'Progress Photograph' pages with this week's progress. Chat soon xx

So Far So Good!

So it has been just over one week since I woke up after gastric sleeve surgery. I am now 8.8kg less than I was when I started this journey three weeks ago! I know this is not as much as some other fellow Sleevers, but I am pretty happy with this result. You can see my progress photographs and measurements on the linked pages above. Admittedly, the photographs don't really show much of a difference yet, but the measurements tell a different story! Likewise, I can confirm that my clothes are fitting differently (for the better). Happy :)

What is amazing is that the pain level is minimal. I can now sleep on my side and belly throughout the night, a position which was unthinkable only a few days ago. I am not sure if this is somehow attributed to the fact that I have been going for walks (anywhere from 2-5km), and have made an effort to keep moving throughout the day. My doctor was very clear that taking two weeks off work post op was not about sleeping in bed all day. I was advised that although I will feel strong enough to return to work after a week, my concentration would still be limited due to the reduced calorie intake. This is very true - I have not been able to read any of the books I purchased in anticipation of my free time.

This last week has been all about trying to resource as many tools as I can find, that will hopefully help me with my journey. I have downloaded "My Fitness Pal" and "RecStyle" apps, which help me track my daily calorie intake and weight loss. These applications are free to download and really simple to use. So far so good.

I have to admit that the weightless has not seemed to drop off me in the last two days, I may have hit my first lull, realignment, plateau or whatever you wish to call it. Today I spent the whole day thinking about it, freaking out about it, and googling. I think this is normal but scary. How can you not lose weight when you are practically not eating AND exercising??? Over the last week I have managed to get my daily calorie intake up from 0 up to a maximum of 645. On average I am burning 340 calories daily after my routine walk, plus whatever a human typically burns in a day. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring answers as I have my one week check up with my Surgeon and Dietician, in the morning.

I know many of you are wondering what I am eating at the moment, so I have tabulated what I have eaten each day over the last week below. Mealtimes tend to blend with each other as it sometimes takes me an hour to get through the thicker liquids or soups. By the time I drink my meal and then fill up with water, I don't have long before it is mealtime again. One thing is for sure, I am not hungry!

FRIDAY - Nothing.
SATURDAY - Minimal Water and Ice.
SUNDAY - Minimal Water and 100ml Apple Juice (It took me 6 hours but I got through it).
MONDAY - 100ml Apple Juice, 1/3 cup of Blended Vegetable Soup.
TUESDAY - 1/4 cup banana smoothie, 1/4 cup blended Vegetable Soup, 125ml Sanitarium Up&Go.
WEDNESDAY - 125ml Up&Go, 1 serve takeaway Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup (I couldn't finish it).
THURSDAY - 125ml Up&Go, Just over 1 cup Lentil Soup, 95g Kids Squeezie Vanilla Yoghurt.
FRIDAY - 100g Natural Yogurt blended 3tsp Pureed Fruit, 3/4 cup Lentil Soup, 250ml Up&Go.
SATURDAY - 100g Natural Yogurt blended 3tsp Pureed Fruit, 1 &1/2 cup Lentil Soup, 95g Kids Squeezie Vanilla Yoghurt.

*I have been aiming for 1.5L of water each day since Monday, but am still only drinking about 1L each day.

As you can imagine from above, I am on quite a few vitamins and antacids at the moment. I have been advised to have the antacids for six weeks and continue with the vitamins for the long haul. I have no issues with this and see them as a good way to make sure I stay as healthy as possible, which was the point of having the surgery anyway!

I will keep you posted on what the new week brings.

Goodnight! xT

How Much Does it Cost?

I have been asked by lots of people how much this operation has cost me. I know that when I was looking into the procedure I couldn't find much definitive information on the costs involved. Unfortunately, the information I did find was all over the place. I booked my surgical consultation with an expectation that the procedure would cost between $3000 and $7000 after all provider rebates. The truth is,  I had no understanding of what these costs were based on, or what service I would get for them.

It turns out that I picked one of the more expensive surgeons in Perth (only slightly) , but he is also considered one of the best. In my opinion, if anyone has me open on an operating table, he damn well better be the best I can find! Going on the bulk billing government system is always an option in Australia. I never really considered this option as I knew the wait list was in excess of three years, and that when the time came, you have no choice on the doctors treating you. I am pretty fortunate. Money did not really frontline as a major concern in my decision making. I have been working for just under five years now and although I am not by any means rich, I did have a small amount of savings on the side which was left for rainy days or upcoming holidays. So for me, this operation would push back my next big holiday by another year or two. I can totally live with this!

To help anyone considering weight loss surgery, I have documented the costs to date in my Cost of Surgery page. This documents all the costs, including supplements etc. I know the costs will increase over time due to ongoing consultations with the clinic, ongoing personal training etc, but it is pretty comprehensive.

I Did It...

I wonder what life will be like on my one year sleeverversary (July 18th 2015). I wonder if I will wake up on that day and reflect on the amazing year that I hope I have. Ok Theresa - Focus on now!

I can hardly believe that I was sleeved three days ago. Obviously it doesn't take me long after I forget the fact, for me to remember that it has happened. I constantly have reminders like constant ache in my upper belly, the five small incisions around my belly,  the bruises on my stomach from when the nurses injected me with a blood thinner, and the feeling of nausea that washes over me every so often.  Now that it is over and I know that was fortunate not to be one of the few people who has serious complications, I can smile again. That smile was nowhere to be seen on the morning of the surgery - I was a mess! As much as I tried to contain my emotions, I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my face as I sat in the hospital waiting room.

I don't think I can explain the crazy emotions that were running through my body that morning. It was a strong cocktail mix of being petrified of the immediate risks of surgery, fear of failure, fear of not really knowing how I could live the rest of my life without it revolving around food, guilt for making my parents spend another three days in hospital worrying about me, and shame. Let me try to make some more sense of these feelings.

The surgery is not without significant risk. Although the chance of the risks eventuating after your surgery are low (generally less than 1%), any percentage is still as risk. The most scary of these is the potential for a leak after your stomach is stapled. I tried to manage this risk by researching all the Perth Surgeons in detail and reading lots of forums which discussed the good, the bad and the ugly about surgeons. I know I made the right decision with Dr Jon Armstrong.

Although some of you may believe that having surgery is the easy way out, every bit of information I found prior to signing up to surgery emphasised that it is just a tool. Tools mean that there is no guarantee that it will work, and that means that this could be a failure. For me this is a last result, so failure is not an option.

I am of Middle Eastern/English decent. If you don't know anything about Middle Eastern people, let me tell you now, it is always about food. ALWAYS! Life genuinely revolves around sharing food. It is how we show appreciation and love, it is how we show respect and mourn, it how we show support and how we bond. It is always about food!

We have spent a lot of time in hospital over the last few years, because my dad has been pretty unwell. He is slowly on the mend but we have just had the first few months of not needing to go to hospital on a daily/weekly basis. We genuinely hate driving into hospitals at the best of times now. As such, knowing that my parents were now going to have to take their youngest daughter into hospital and wait for me to come out of this ok, made me feel pretty guilty, but I knew that I really needed their support with this decision.

Shame. It was not an emotion I felt so strongly at the beginning of this process, but there have been two times that i distinctly felt it. The first was when I had to sign the admission papers the week before the surgery. I had to sign that I was "hereby admitting myself into hospital for gastric sleeve surgery" as a result of being diagnosed with "morbid obesity". The second time I really felt this was when I was waiting in the hospital waiting room with everyone else, waiting for my name to be called out. I just kept thinking how everyone else must have been there waiting for life saving surgery, to remove a cancer, repair a broken bone, anything but having weight loss surgery. I am over the guilt again :) This was my life changing surgery, and I deserved another chance at life.

So here is my dilemma. I thought I would write to you about all the things I went through, but the truth is that from the moment I walked into the hospital, to the moment I walked out today, everything seems to have sped by. It is a blur. Somewhere within the blur is the memory of constant  nausea (which today has left me alone), daily injections in my belly and legs (blood thinner and anti-nausea), a constant sore tummy (which is getting better), the constant beeping of my IV line, a lack of hunger (I had three days of water and ice before graduating onto 200ml of apple juice sipped slowly over 8 hours last night), my beautiful parents faces, the faces of so many of supportive friends, and the smell of so many beautiful flowers that decorated my room.

What now? I don't know! This is all very strange to me. Today I have managed to eat/drink have 100ml of apple juice, 150ml of diet iced tea with benefibre spooned in, five teaspoons of vegetable soup, and ten sips of protein shakes. Lots of room for improvement I know!

Tomorrow I will briefly explain what supplements and tablets I am now going to be taking for a while. Anyway, I thought I would leave you with some of the pretty flowers I was given while in hospital. They brought a smile to my face each time I saw them :)