Thank goodness for the sleeve.

All my life I have been an emotional eater and I am so grateful for my gastric sleeve.  I imagine that if I didn’t have it I would be absolutely massive by now.  I have never been a great sweet  eater, I would rather eat cold casserole or a biscuit or a pastry than chocolate and lollies.  In the last couple of months I have eaten a power of mixed lollies and white chocolate and I have gained 2kg.  Yesterday I decided that this is not going to continue.  As hard as it has been I have not bought any more white chocolate or mixed lollies.  I have purchased little tubs of fruit and bananas.  The dietician has been keen for me to add more fruit to my diet so I have been having half a banana with my oats for breakfast and a little tub of fruit or apple when I get that sugar craving feeling.  I don’t feel hunger because of my surgery so it is all psychological.  I am still having less alcohol so that’s got to help too.

My diet this week is consisting mainly of homemade soup for lunch with multi grain bread and chicken with something for dinner.  Tonight I had a drumstick from the freezer (cooked previously) with cous cous.  I was supposed to have asparagus as well but I just plain forgot.  The soup is one I made on Sunday night.  I cooked 2 leeks with garlic until soft and threw it into the slow cooker with chicken stock, water, 2 large baked sweet potato, 2 baked carrots and 2 baked potatoes.  I got the very old bamix stick blender out to puree it with and the poor old thing was DOA, so I had to ladle it into jugs and the blender to mix it all up.  It is really yummy.  I serve it to myself with a teaspoon of light sour cream.

I purchased the biggest loser 3 DVD set of work outs and they are actually quite good.  I certainly felt sore after starting them.  Sometimes I find Michelle quite annoying though. I am still not consistent enough.

Looking after myself

This week, even though I been a bit weepy a couple of times, has been very good. I feel good about myself and actions I have taken.
I am looking after myself very well.
It would be very, very easy to fall into a pattern of eating badly particularly given that my stomach has been reduced in size drastically and I don’t have the “thing” that makes people feel hunger. That went with the rest of my stomach.
My healthy life depends more than ever on good food choices even though I can sneak feel good food in and not feel guilty.

I made a decision early in the separation that I was going to maintain my health and each weekend I cook something that I can freeze and eat through the week.

Today I tried one of those cook in a bag things that have been advertised lately, mine was Smokey bbq chicken.

  

It was so easy to do, just put eight drumsticks in the bag provided, add the flavour powder, tie a knot in the bag and pierce it with a fork and then cook for 40 minutes.
I know have 7 drumsticks to freeze for meals through the week.
I also have vegetable, pea and ham soup in the slow cooker.
In my freezer I have steam fresh veggies in a few varieties and something I never thought I would have which is frozen potatoes, some sliced, some mashed.
One of those bags of steam fresh veggies is too big for me but at least the chooks get a feed. Tonight I had peas, carrot and broccoli with re heated frozen mash(it was o.k too) and 1 drumstick. I am sooooo full, I probably should have stopped sooner. The dogs will get a bit of a feed out of the drumstick too.

Other things I have frozen include

• Chicken satay
• Lamb and apricot
• Savoury beef
• Lasagne
• pumpkin scones 
• veggie soup

 I have nearly finished the beef, scones and soup.

 So my diet goes something like this

 
Meal one:Oats with low calorie maple syrup and a splash of milk
Meal two:Soup and a buttered bread roll which takes me a while to get through
Meal three:Lamb & apricot with rice and veggies.

Even though I don’t feel hunger pangs sometimes I feel like eating, especially if I am not busy enough and I have been snacking on lollies but this week I decided that has to change and I bought fruit, yoghurt and muesli bars for those times. BUT I do have a bag of choccy frogs in the car. I won’t be buying them again because they are like wafers. I think they have lost more weight than I have.

Tomorrow I am treating myself to a roast!!

I have a little Lamb rack with three bones so I will probably get two meals out of it or share it with the dogs. Last time I cooked these it was for a dinner party, our last actually, and I stuffed them. This time I will just brown it off and finish it in the oven and serve it with sweet potato, carrot and broccoli. They are fresh veggies that I will cook too.

Can’t wait til tomorrow now.

I don't have to try anymore

......but that doen't mean I am going to take my eye off the game.
My BMI says I am still over weight but my looks don't reflect that.
More to come soon.

New Appointment

There has been a lot going on and I have organised my time next week to suit my surgeon only to get a letter saying he won’t be there on the day and I should make another appointment.  Now I have to organise myself for a trip to Melbourne a week later.

I won’t be at goal when I get there but I really don’t care, I hover between 58 and 59 on my scales which means about 60 on his. 

I am very happy with the way I look and feel right now.

59

Kerry, Jack and Reid

Downsizing again

Well I have been fortunate in my weight loss journey.

Last year I got a bit stuck and then my gall bladder nearly killed me and I lost more weight.
I then had my gall bladder out and lost a bit more.
Reid told me he didn't want to be married any more and I finally broke the 60kg stumbling block.
I am relying on all my supplements and medication at the moment as well as counselling.

Read my other blog if you need to know more.

Kerry

Green veggies..yum

When I am home alone I can eat what I like.
Tonight I had mixed asian greens poached in chicken stock and white wine with a bit of grated cheese and coriander added at the end combined with a lightly beaten egg.  It probaby sounds gross but I really enjoyed it.

I am having a glass or two of chardy as well.  :-)

Looking back and now looking forward

Look back at my photo the Saturday before I had my surgery.

I knew I was morbidly obese but I still thought I looked alright at the wedding even though I was on my pre - op diet and nearly ready for surgery.

I think I suffered from reverse anorexia: I always looked good in the mirror!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, finally I see some flaws but not many (bodywise), I will never be happy with the face.

When my BMI is in the healthy weight range I would like to have some photos taken but unless I am earning money they will be taken by my children.  I have very little to lose to get there but it just isn't happening soon enough.

I can go back to exercising very soon because my recoverey from surgery is about complete.  I will start with light cardio this week.  Next week I will attend my mix and match class and if I feel o.k after that I will go back to the gym.

Keep your finger crossed.

kerry

Infection

Well now I know why I was so sore.
My wound was infected and my skin is sensitive to the sticky dressings.  OUCH!!!!!!!!

Two different antibiotics and two visits to my GP later and it's nearly o.k.

On Friday I will go to the surgeon and let him check it all out.

It's not quite right so we'll see.

I've lost another kilo or two but can't quite get to 60kg.  I have been so close but I haven't hit it yet.  Soon, very soon.

It's time

to grow my hair back.
Having short hair from hair loss sucks.

I have had my gall bladder out 5 days now and to be honest it was a much harder thing to go through than the gastric sleeve.

I'm still sore.

Random photos of me with members of my family