On the road to ONE-derland * Week Five *

* 205 * I can hardly believe it. I'm so close!

I have a full weekend coming up - should be fun. We're going to the batting cages this morning with my friends Chris and Ivan. My Chris is totally psyched because he played baseball in high school. These batting cages are here in San Leandro, out by the marina. I had no idea they were even out there until yesterday - something tells me we'll be out there often. After the cages, we're supposed to go for sushi - mmmm.. sashimi.. yum. Then Chris and I are driving into the City to go see my friend J and spend some time with him. He's been spending way too much time alone, since this breakup. Tomorrow it's all about watching sports - my Detroit Pistons are playing in the morning (go Chauncey! - go Rasheed! - go Tayshaun! - go Rip!), and then - in the afternoon - WRESTLEMANIA! I'm really not kidding - we're going to order Wrestlemania on pay-per-view.. lol. It's a tradition now - this will be our third Wrestlemania anniversary. The first year we were dating.. I guess we had been seing each other for about 2 months .. Chris' friends Darren and Angie invited us over to watch it and they had a little party. It ended up being really fun. I get into the high-drama, soap opera quality to it. Then last year when it came around, Chris was feeling really homesick for LA .. we had only been in our apartment for a few months.. so I ordered it to cheer him up. We ended up having a lot of fun that day, just goofing off together and getting into it. So this is year three! Have a great weekend--

A friend from my past

My brother's ex-girlfriend Ana found me on Myspace a couple of days ago. I haven't spoken to her in a couple of years, though I had heard she was now married and had a baby. Well, she's actually had two little boys - then she had WLS and lost 120 lbs. She had been in touch with my sister Kelly, and Kelly told her that I had had the surgery too. So Ana wrote me to say hi and to catch up - and to tell me that she's having plastics - today! I didn't get to ask exactly what she was having done, or where she's having it done, but I'm really curious. I'm sure I'll get the full scoop once she's home. Ana is a beautiful girl already (her pics on Myspace are just gorgeous) - she is going to be a total fucking hottie after her plastics. Good luck today girlie - I'll be thinking about you.

Month six in the life of the future pin-up girl

Yesterday was my six month followup appt with Dr. U. The appointment went well - Dr. U's very happy with my progress - all of my labs came back great, my blood pressure was perfect, and he thinks I'm right on target with my weightloss. (I weighed in at 208 at his office - yea!) The most important part of the journey has been accomplished for the most part - I'm healthy!

I always look forward to my visits to Dr. U - he's like a rock star in my eyes. I have so much appreciation for him and what he has chosen for his life's work. As I sat in the waiting room, waiting to be seen (and it was a long wait - almost an hour), I noticed the other patients and thought about how this surgery would impact and improve their lives. There was a very pretty lady in her early 40s who I would say weighed between 350 and 400 - the edema in her legs was so bad that she was walking with a cane. I thought about how wonderful it will be for her when she can walk comfortably, unaided.. when her body doesn't feel like a burden any more. I noticed a couple that came in - the man had to be between 600 and 700 lbs. I was amazed that he was able to make into the office - I'm sure it hadn't been easy for him. His wife was around 300 lbs. After they checked in with Dr. U's receptionist at the desk, they looked a little frazzled as they decided on a place to sit. The office has a long bench in the room, that can accommodate very large patients that can't fit into the chairs. The man sat on the bench .. and though it's a long bench, there wasn't enough room left for his wife, so she squeezed into a chair. I caught the man's gaze and smiled politely and then looked down at my magazine. I thought about how sad their life together must be. It was obvious that simply because of their girth, physical intimacy must be nearly impossible. And I'm not talking about sex - I'm talking about a hug, or a cuddle - the things that make you feel really connected to your partner. I thought about how much energy and time during the day must be spent trying to get through life - driving a car, working a job, possibly raising children.. the day-to-day stuff. How do they do it? And how miserable has it become? Thankfully for them and for me - there is hope.. there's an answer. I can only imagine how frightening that answer must be for that gentleman and his wife - he will be a very high-risk patient. He could lose his life in the pursuit of a new life. But how fortunate we all are to have the chance.

I was called in not long after that couple came in.. I visited with Helen and DeAngela, who both gave me lots of compliments and congratulations on the progress that I've made so far. I felt like I should have tipped them! Then I saw my friend, Dr. U. I thanked him for all that he has done for me. I didn't put into words what I really wanted to say. I'll try to get the words together on my next visit - when my one-year anniversary rolls around in September. As I was leaving the office, I stopped and told the man in the waiting room that he was going to love Dr. U. He gave me a shy smile and said "Oh good". I said "Good luck" and went on my way. He's in good hands.

On the road to ONE-derland * Week Four *

* 209 * Wooo-hooo! I've now lost 100 lbs from my highest pre-surgery weight and 77 lbs from my surgery weight. And I'm only 10 lbs away from ONE-derland - how cool is that?!?

Feeling better

I really think I've been fighting a virus or something because I feel 1000% better today. I slept for 12 hours last night - crashed out around 6:30pm and slept the whole night. This morning I woke up feeling great - lots of energy.. though not much of an appetite, which I'm not going to complain about. I guess the silver lining is that I might see a good loss on the scale tomorrow morning. I went to the lab this morning and had all of the blood drawn for my appt. on Tuesday. I guess Dr. U will be able to see if anything is off.

Blah

I feel lousy. I've been sick to my stomach off and on since the weekend - haven't been able to eat much. I dry-heaved after drinking about 1/3 of my morning protein yesterday. I stayed in bed all day Tuesday and Wednesday because I was just exhausted. I tried to stay hydrated but I know I didn't drink enough. I'm here at work today but I wish I wasn't. Tried to eat 1/4 cup of lentil soup - now I'm nauseated. This sucks. I hope it's just a virus. I'm having my bloodwork done this afternoon before my 6 month checkup on Tuesday. I hope everything is ok.

Harmony Healthy Foods

I found the coolest store for high-protein and low-carb/sugar-free products! It's called Harmony Healthy Foods and they're located in San Ramon, CA. They carry lots of wonderful stuff, including AchievOne protein drinks. I've been reading about how wonderful AO is for a year now, but there was NO WAY I was going to pay the shipping prices to have a case delivered. Well - now I don't have to! I bought a case of the Cappuccino flavor and let me tell you - it's fantastic! AO is still a little pricey compared to the powdered proteins, so I'll keep my AO for when I want to be able to grab my protein and go. I also bought DaVinci's syrup (German Chocolate Cake - omg!), whole flax seeds, Nature's Hollow peach preserves and Micellar Milk. If you're anywhere in the Bay Area, you should definitely check them out. Or check out their website: www.harmonyhealthyfoods.com

On the road to ONE-derland * Week Three *

((sigh)) I'm stuck at 212. I think I might be headed for a slow-down or a stall. I know it's a temporary thing and a part of the "process".. but it's soooo FRUSTRATING! Just gonna keep doing what I'm supposed to do.

Cheap date

Yep, that's me. Last night I had dinner with my new friend Jane. Jane is a friend of my good friend J .. we've both known J for many years and we're both from the same home town, but we had never met until yesterday. Jane especially wanted to meet me because she's pre-op and she's going through the six month WLS education program required by Kaiser. So - we met yesterday and she took me to dinner so that we could talk ..she had lots of questions for me. She took me to this really cool spot in Emeryville called the Townhouse. Great food (lots of good choices for me, which I always appreciate), warm inviting atmosphere.. and a pretty decent wine list. We decided to share an appetizer and a salad and order seperate entrees (most of mine went home to Chris).. and I decided that I would splurge a little and order a glass of Reissling. So I got about 1/2 of the way into this glass and I realized that I was buzzed! Ok.. that's not true. I was DRUNK. I was even beginning to slur my words a little. It was sooo embarrassing but really very funny. And in true WLS form, I was completely sober by the time she drove me home. I guess it was a good learning experience for both of us - Jane got a first-hand view of what drinking is like post-op - and I got a reminder of what a total cheap date I am now. Anyway, I'm very happy to have made a new friend and I'm excited to be able to support her on her journey. I can't wait for Jane to see how fantastic the journey really is.

Progress

This Sunday was my girlfriend Katrina's baby shower. She got married at the end of July - I wrote about her wedding in this post. After the wedding, Katrina emailed me a picture of Chris and I dancing together at the reception. It's a very sweet picture, but it's a "before" picture that I had a lot of trouble looking at when I saw it. In fact, I was horrified by it. I remember looking at the two of us, wondering how he could find me lovable. I know that sounds awful, but it's true. When I got home from Katrina's shower, I turned on our camera and looked at the picture that was taken of she and I .. and I almost didn't know who I was looking at. Here are the pics - they speak for themselves.

On the road to ONE-derland * Week Two *

The scale is down one pound this week to 212. I know that I could have lost more this week, but I only went to Curves twice this week. I had originally planned on four days, but ended up going out in the City instead of working out. It was a good trade-off in my eyes - I've been spending time with one of my best friends, J, who had a break-up with his boyfriend of 4 1/2 years. I really feel for him.. it's not easy to suddenly become single again after a long-term relationship. So on Thursday night, Chris and I went to his place after work and then we all went out for the most delicious Thai meal. I have to be careful with Thai food because it is a major trigger food for me. When I was living downtown in SF a few years ago, there was a Thai place on the next block that stayed open until 4am (it served a lot of the late-night party crowd) and I would order massive amounts of take-out and go home and stuff myself with curries and lots and lots of rice. Things have definitely changed since then.. I had about 1/2 cup of green curry with chicken and eggplant and some satay and I was pleasantly satisfied but not in pain. What a freeing feeling that is! Yesterday I took the train to J's place and we went spent a lovely day shopping around his neighborhood in the Sunset district. We walked up and down Irving street, which is largely Asian influenced, with a nice mix of Russian and Mediterranean. I bought lots of ethnic cooking items, all ridiculously cheap. I love shopping in ethnic markets.. it's like taking a mini-vacation without using your passport! I bought some Chinese 5-spice powder, some chili soy sauce, a big bottle of Chinese hot sauce, some good Italian balsamic vinegar, some perfectly-sized little tins of Italian tomato paste, a few pieces of Japanese stoneware for my kitchen (bowls and such) ..those always come in handy, and a really nice heavy bamboo cutting board. All for less than $40. The day was perfect - the sun was shining brightly, I was with one of my favorite people in the world and I felt fantastic in my ever-improving body.

Next week it's down to business though - 4 days (no excuses!) at Curves and no deviations in meals. I'll make a big pot of Taco Soup today for my lunches this week and I have plenty of yogurt in the fridge for my breakfasts. Maybe I'll make a veggie and cheese crustless quiche to mix it up a little. I'm hoping next week will have me on the other side of 210 and closer to ONE-derland! (and those boots!)

Sliding over on the loser's bench

... cuz we're gonna have another loser around very soon! My internet buddy Amber, who I met at LowCarbFriends, just got a verbal approval from her insurance company for WLS. I'm pretty sure she'll be having RNY. I'm so excited and happy for her! I've been a member at LCF for several years now.. joined back in 2002 when I did Atkins and lost (and then almost completely gained back) about 80 lbs. Though not everyone there is WLS-positive, there's a growing community of WLS'ers on the site. I still visit LCF because I live a low-carb lifestyle.. WLS is helping me to maintain that lifestyle. I know that this is how I have to live the rest of my life. My insulin resistance will not disappear because I had WLS, no matter how much weight I lose. My genetic predisposition to obesity will not be "cured" by WLS. I will be forever vigilant. This is the promise that I have made to myself.

On the road to ONE-derland

I'm going to post my Saturday weigh-ins as I get closer to the 199 mark. When I get there, I'm going to treat myself to something nice - I was thinking a new pair of knee boots. I can't wear my old ones because 1. I've lost weight in my feet and now they're too wide and 2. I've lost weight in my calves and now they're all stretched out and won't stay up on my legs. I'm due for a sexy little treat anyway!

So this morning I weighed in at 213! That's a 4 lb week.. boy am I glad that I started to work out again. I've been a little sore because I work those machines for all that they're worth, but it's a good sore. I think I'm going to try adding some crunches when I get home from Curves. I really want to get rid of this belly fat asap.

That's about it for now - I'll update more soon.