Tag Archives: Working Out

The 100 Workout #WLS #VSG

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92 Days until my 1 Year Surgiversary!

Like a lot of other bloggers, I have a mild obsession with Pinterest.  I love the whole idea of the site, and I love being able to gather so many great ideas in an organized manner.  I’ve gathered what is probably 100′s of ideas at this point.  Some of them I’ve been great about following through on, and others I haven’t.  I am currently in a phase of trying a “pin” everyday or every day or two.  It adds some fun to your life to try new things!

On Monday I had a telecommuting day, and I was perusing the Fitness category and came across the 100 Workout:

I’m not entirely sure of the origin, but the “pin” links you to Lauren Conrad’s website.  Since Monday was a rainy blah day, I didn’t want to have to head up to the gym, so I figured I’d give this a try.  It was a lot tougher than I originally thought it would be, but it was a fun challenge.  It took me 24 minutes and 32 seconds and according to my HRM I burn 238 calories.  Not too shabby for less than 25 minutes of work.  I will definitely work on getting my time down.  It was also great to know that I could hop on the treadmill and run 10 minutes without issue.  It’s been quite some time since I’ve run, though I’ve been killing other workouts and the elliptical.

What’s your favorite quick workout?

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

100 Days Til the One Year Mark #WLS #VSG

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On my wall calendar in my office, I have marked the number of days since surgery, and also what week I am on since surgery.  It’s strange and OCD, I am sure, but I like seeing the numbers.  Each month I add on from the previous month.  It keeps me aware of how long I’ve come since surgery.  I realized about a week ago, that I am officially 100 days away from my one year Surgiversary as of today, and I wanted to do something to commemorate the next 100 days.

Part of me wants to say “I will be at goal weight by my one year Surgiversary.”  It’s only 23 pounds away to my first goal.  I might re-evaluate at that point, but for now that’s my goal.  But I’ve also learned over the last year that at times I have very little control over what the scale does, even when I am doing all of the right things to make it move.

So what will I do for the next 100 days?

  • 100 Days of blogging.  There might not be a lot in some of the posts, but I am committing to blog ever since stinking day between now and August 22nd.  Some days might just be pictures, some days might be regular posts, some days might be food journals, but there will be a post every day.
  • Track 100% on point every day for the next 100 days.  That means even if I lick the peanut butter spoon, I need to track it.  I’d say I’m about 90% with tracking already, but there are certainly bites or nibbles that I miss.
  • Some form of physical activity every single day for the next 100 days.  This doesn’t mean I have to kill myself at the gym every day, but it does mean that I have to consciously do something active every day.  Walking the dog no longer counts L
  • Comment on at least two other bloggers posts every day for the next 100 days and comment on the current activity feed on myfitnesspal at least once a day for the next 100 days.  This one might sound strange, but reading your blogs and seeing your activity on MFP helps to keep me motivated and on point.  It also helps to keep me in the realm of weight loss and doesn’t let me drift.

That’s it.  That is what I’m going to do for the next 100 days.  Will I hit goal in that time frame?  Likely not, would I be happy if I did, ABSOLUTELY.  But I also know the reality.  Things have slowed down, things are harder now.  I think the above will help to keep me on track though!

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

Thai Turkey Wraps #WLS #VSG #Recipe

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I actually made these a few weeks ago, but I absolutely loved them.  They made great left overs for lunches also.  Super yummy, super big fan of them.

Thai Turkey Wraps

I was big time craving thai food, and yeah these aren’t technically thai food, but it’s what lead to the inspiration of me making these.  Since I am also working towards incorporating more veggies into my post sleeve diet, these scored even more points.

  • 1 Pound 99% Lean Ground Turkey Breast
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper, diced
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Hoison Sauce
  • 1” Chunk of Ginger Diced
  • Chinese 5 Spice, a dash or two, to personal taste
  • 1 Head Bib/Boston Lettuce (washed and separated)

Saute the onions over medium head for 5-7 minutes in the olive oil, until translucent.

Add in the Ground Turkey and crumble and cook until completely cooked.

Add in the diced peppers

Add in the remaining ingredients (minus the lettuce!)  Cook until desired consistency.

Makes 6-8 WLS Patient sized portions.  Makes 3-4 normal people portions.  The below information is based on 6 WLS Patient portions.

  • Calories: 158
  • Fat: 4
  • Fiber: 2
  • Protein: 24
  • Carbs: 8

Now for the fun part, toppings.  These aren’t included in the nutritional information, so make sure to track those.

  • Spicy Peanut Sauces
  • Sliced Scallions
  • Crushed Peanuts
  • Sliced Peppers
  • Sriracha Sauce (spicy!!)

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

Does Having WLS Mean Never Dieting Again? #WLS #VSG

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Pre-op, I knew that my life post-op would require keeping up primarily with protein.  I assumed that calories would always stay in check thanks to eating protein first and of course my smaller sleeved tummy.  I figured I’d never buy another book about dieting or weight loss since I had a built in program to follow.  I figured that my Dr. Oz watching days were over (side rant…have you ever watched Dr. Oz and wondered how the eff people could actually follow ALL of the different supplements he recommends, you’d need to first win the lottery and the second survive entirely on supplements.)  I figured I’d never see the allure of re-joining Weight Watchers ever again. Boy was I wrong.

Calorie, carb, fat, protein counting.  All part of my daily life post op.  It’s still all an experiment to find out the exact balance that works for me.  Workout minute counting, also a daily post op activity.  Do I still buy diet books, absolutely.  The most recent one thanks to Dr. Oz…again.  This one was about whether you should follow a Hunter or a Farmer diet plan.  The show was really intriguing, and thanks to instant download to the Kindle, I had it and was ready to read by the time Dr. Oz has gotten to the first commercial break.  While the book was interesting, and I learned that I am a Farmer (require more meals and higher carbs), not a Hunter (fewer meals, higher protein), it’s not likely a diet plan that would work for a post op patient.

I am probably more cognizant now than ever about actually tracking my food.  I do miss a thing or two here or there, but overall, I am focused almost daily on sticking to my plan and working out.  More so than ever actually.  It’s easy to fall off the weight loss wagon, even post op, BUT, it’s also a lot easier to get back on said wagon, at least for me, at least for right now.

My Weight Watchers membership auto renewed…THREE  times now since surgery.  It auto charges me for 3 months at a time.  Sure I can go in and cancel it, but I can’t for the life of me do it.  There have been weeks, more than I’d like to admit, that I track on both My Fitness Pal AND on WeightWatchers.com.  I love those weight watchers points.  They are so engrained in my head.  Shockingly now that I am in a lower points range, the points actually workout pretty well for me, as long as I am sticking to my actual calorie goals and plan.  Sort of shocking really; probably because I can no longer eat 3 bananas a day.  (That joke only makes sense if you’ve followed Weight Watchers and know that fruits are 0 points, and the average banana is 110 calories.)

I now have a fabulous tool to help me keep my portions in check, but I still have to do all of the work.  I still have to make decisions.  I have to choose to put smart foods in my body, I have to choose to workout daily, I have to choose to get my bum off of the sofa and do something besides watch TV.  I still enjoy researching the crap out of diets and healthy living options.  I should probably read less because so much of the information out there contradicts itself, but alas, I am my Mom at heart, which means I enjoy the researching process of making the decisions.

Do I still have to diet?  YES.

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

Doctors Goal Weight; My Goal Weight; Reality #WLS #VSG

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I think I forgot to mention in a previous post that my doctors goal weight for me.  If I did mention it, this is a bit redundant, but still worth discussing.  There’s a lot of focus on a specific goal weight, whether it be based on the BMI standards, a doctor’s goal of what he sees the average person do, or own personal preference.   Some people go based on getting into a certain size or hitting certain dreamed of body measurements.

As things have started to dramatically slowdown in the weight loss department, I’ve been giving these various goals a lot of thought.  The goal that I set for myself pre-op was to get down to 150-155.  This would put me in a healthy weight range per the BMI standards, and give me a 10-15 pound space for fluctuation.  Right now I’m about a pound or so away from no longer being obese, and hitting just the overweight category (woot!).  I am by no means thin, but I am certainly getting more and more comfortable with my body and where it is at.  I’m not entirely sure how realistic it is for me to shoot for 150-155.  I am going to have extra skin.  I have a lot of muscle mass.  My body fat percentage is only about 8% higher than where I want it to be.  I also have gargantuan calves and a large body frame.

My doctor’s goal was for me to get below 200 and to have healthy labs.  Done and done.  BMI says I should lose about other 40 or so pounds.  I can get down to 164 and technically be at a “healthy” body weight per the BMI.  That gives me absolutely no wiggle room though.  Body fat percentage to get in a healthy weight range, well that’s just a math equation that being a Poli Sci major won’t let me figure out.  (Lose 8-10% more body fat, but also maintain or increase muscle mass…carry the one…with a factor of .432827….NO IDEA.)

So what is my goal weight?  I have no idea.  I’m fairly certain that at 5’8, I could be pretty darn comfortable at about 165-175.  I’m not really going to change up what I’m doing, so my guess is, that my body will eventually hit a point where I just stop losing and it will figure out where it’s comfortable on its own.

I am shopping in “normal” stores without fail.  I typically can buy in the 12-14 size range, and the tops are a large or extra-large, depending on the top.  I’ve been lucky enough (?D?W@?@?) to not have lost my chest, so that and my arms and their evil extra skin sometimes keep me in larger tops.  My goal was to get out of Lane Bryant and the plus sized section, and I have accomplished that.  Would I love to get into a 10, or even a single digit size?  Sure, but I’m not entirely sure how likely that is.

I am officially changing my first goal weight to 175.  Once I hit that number, I will re-evaluate my goal.  I’m in a whole new territory being in onederland.  I have absolutely no idea where the end of the weight loss portion of my journey will end.

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

 

One Day…100+ Grams of Protein from Only Food #WLS #VSG #PROTEIN

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Back during my pre-op nutrition classes the nutritionists had discussed that our ultimate goal is to one day be off of all protein supplements.  While they aren’t bad to take, ideally we would get our nutrition from actual food.  My nutritionist was completely fine with me still be on one shake a day at this point, but I was wondering if it were even possible for me to hit my normal 100+ grams of protein in a day without the use of a shake.  So I did a little experiment, and apparently it is possible.  But how you ask?

I wouldn’t say that it was easy, but it was possible, especially considering that this was one of my telecommuting days, so I was at home and had greater access to a kitchen.  I think for days that I’m busy or working, I still need a shake.

6 Month Check-Up w/ Nutritionist #WLS #VSG

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I was very, very eager to meet with the nutritionist last week.  I had encountered my first major stall since having had surgery, and I was ready to throttle the scale out the window.  I’m working out like a maniac, tracking food like a maniac, and the scale was just bouncing all over the place.

On any given day that I work out, I burn between 500 and 900 calories in the gym.  I had been averaging about 900 or so calories a day consumed.  So without taking into account BMR (basal metabolic rate) I was hitting a break even point on a lot of days.  Throw in my BMR, and the deficit is ridiculous.  While the math would make any sane person go HMMMMM lots of pounds falling off, the reality is, I was stuck.  I had a feeling that the nutritionist was going to suggest more calories, but I didnt realize how many.  She wants me to work towards:

1200-1500 calories a day

A DAY

Do ya’ll know how many that is for a post op person?  The hard part for me is that I spend too much time reading forums like Obesityhelp.com or Verticalsleevetalk.com where there are preachers of the 600-800 calories a day for the entire weight loss period and no more than 40 grams of carbs a day.  The nutrionist said she hears that a lot, but I need to really start putting more in to see the pounds come off.  Especially with how much I work out.  Guess what, day 1 of eating 1200 calories I FINALLY broken into Onderland!

She said to baby step it.  Dont immediately try to go to 1500 calories, but dont be scared of the calories either.  Also she said to not be scared of carbs.  HEALTHY CARBS that is.  Sweet potatoes, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, you know the healthy things.  So I am slowly incorporating those things back into my diet.  There are still going to be days when I’m closer to 1000, but for the next month, I’m going to give around 1200 a try.  By a year out, I should be at about 1500 a day.

So these are my new goals:

  • 1200-1500 calories a day
  • 35-40% Carbs
  • 25% Fat
  • 35-40% Protein

I already hit 100+ grams of protein a day, so I am already within those ranges for protein.  The carbs are going to have to go up though.  Thats something I’m going to have a little bit of a tougher time with.  Most of the things I need to consume to hit the protein goals fill me up and make it hard to get the carbs in.  So I am adding little things here and there:

  • Granola (no sugar) to yogurt
  • Greek yogurt (carbs from lactose)
  • Whole Grain crackers
  • Whole Wheat Lavash bread
  • Salads
  • Veggies
  • Fruits
  • You get the idea.

The goal is non sugary, non white carbohydrates.  It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.  I’m excited for the journey :)

If you are on MyFitnessPal, feel free to add me as a friend if you want ideas about what its like to eat 8 months post op.  My name on there is shockingly scalewarfare

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

6 Month Check Up-2 Months Late #WLS #VSG

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Today I’ll focus on the Physicians side of the 6 month check-up, and do a follow up post on the nutritionists side.  I was almost two solid months late for my 6 month check up due to travel for work and then work requirements.

I went about two weeks before the appointment to have my blood drawn.  I learned interestingly that in the state of Virginia, you don’t own your blood work results, the physician ordering them does.  So now I have to remember to have the surgeons office put on the prescription for my blood work to send the results to me as well.  I dont get it.  My blood…me paying for the results…results arent technically mine?

Anyways, back to the appointment.  I hate their scale, it weighs a solid 10 pounds higher than any other scale out there.  This is awesome in the beginning, especially for insurance requirements, but now it just pisses me off.  I am down a total of 105 pounds on their scale also though, so it’s really a tomato or to-ma-toe thing. I asked the PA Tiffany about setting a goal weight, and she said that the surgeons goal weight for me it to be below 200 (on their scale) and have healthy blood work.  On my home scale I am officially below 200, but that means about 10 more pounds to make it on their scale.  My blood work is already healthy.  She said anything else is just a bonus in regards to weight loss.  I figured they’d want me in a healthy BMI range, which is how I picked the arbitrary number of 150-155 as my goal, but I might re-access as I get closer.  She said since I’m pretty muscular, getting that low might not be entirely realistic.  We shall see.

My blood work all came back great, I am within a healthy range for everything that the test for.  The results are 4 pages long, so I wont go into too many details.

  • Glucose: 80 (range 65-99)
  • Calcium: 9.2 (range 8.6-10.2)
  • Cholesterol: 174 (goal <200)
  • HDL Cholesterol (the healthy one): 53 (goal >46)
  • LDL Cholesterol (the bad one): 121 (goal <130)
  • Iron: 110 (range 40-175)
  • B12: 926 (range 200-1100)

So I’m doing well on the big ones!  I suppose all of those supplements are really doing their job.

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

Vitamins, Minerals, Protein-Oh My. #WLS #VSG

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One of the things I always wondered about pre-op was all of the supplementation that you have to do post op.  Is it forever?  Is it a lot?  What do people take?  Etc.  So I thought I’d do a post about what vitamin/supplement schedule and my protein intake.

Vitamins/Supplements

This is what I take on a daily basis, many by choice

I’ll start at the top, going clockwise:

  • 2 Centrum Multi-Vitamins
  • 2 Colace (keep things moving)
  • 1 Probiotic (keep my gut in check)
  • 1 Zyrtec (allergies)
  • 1 Iron pill (every other day)
  • 1 MegaRed (fish oil for a healthy heart)
  • 1 B-12 (every other day)
  • Pepcid OTC (Costco brand)
  • 4 Calcium petities w/ vitamin D (Calcium Citrate)
  • 3 Biotin (for healthy hair and nails…this one is from Costco…I’m going back to the tiny gel cap version from Amazon as soon as I’m done with these horse pills!)

What I have to Take

As you can see a LOT fewer are required.

  • 1 Iron pill (every other day)
  • 1 B-12 pill (every other day)
  • 4 Calcium petites w/ vitamin D
  • 2 Centrum Multi Vitamins

How do I keep these organized?

I have a 7 day pill case, a big one, that I fill up every week.  Then each night when putting my lunch box away I throw everything in this little guy:

I go ahead and throw this back in my lunch box for the next day.

What order do I take them in?

I have reminders in my phone that go off every 3 hours or so throughout the day reminding me to take my supplements.  This picture is actually backwards, so I’ll start from the right, and work my way left.

  • With my AM protein shake, on the way to work I take 2 of the Biotins, the probiotic, the B-12, the iron, the Colace, the Zyrtec, the Pepcid, and a multi-vitamin.
  • Around 10, I take 2 calcium and the last Biotin
  • Around 1 I take the last 2 calcium
  • Around 4 I take the last multi-vitamin.

Because Iron blocks the absorption of calcium, you have to spread the two out by at least 2 hours (different doctors have different rules.)  So that is why everything is separated out.  Is this a pain in the ass?  Yes, sometimes.  But most days its just a routine.  The hardest part was when I was on travel and was completely out of my schedule.  I play a bit of a game with myself.  When I’m filling up the smaller daily pill case for the next day, I take out any of the ones that I missed and put it back in the weekly pill separator.  My goal is to not have ANY left in the weekly box at the end of the week.

Protein Supplements

The ultimate goal is to get all of your protein through food.  Theoretically I could do that, but it’d be really hard, and I would wind up getting less protein in (even though I’d still hit my goal number.)

I have a protein shake every single morning to start my day.  I drink it in the car while taking my vitamins.  Two birds, one stone.  Lately I’ve been on a cycle of 1 Scoop Jay Robb Whey Vanilla (25 grams of protein) mixed with 2 scoops of Click Latte (15 grams of protein.) That knocks out 40 grams and I havent even gotten to work yet.  Some days I hate them and want to throw them out the car window, but I suck it up.  I have to do it.

Protein supplements are a very personal thing.  It’s great to get recommendations, but you are going to have to find what works for you.  DO NOT buy a ton pre-op.  Your tastes for first 6-8 weeks after surgery are nothing short of strange.  I thought cauliflower smelled like skunks that first month or two, and milk, ugh, the odor of cow pastures is all I smelled when I drank them.  Over time your tastes will settle back down, and you’ll slowly learn which protein shakes you can tolerate and which you can’t.  I bought a TON of stuff from Unjury because I found so many recommendations for it, it still to this day makes my stomach a bit nauseous, but other people love it.  Some people hate the Jay Robb products, I love them.  You just have to try, try, and try some more.

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

 

Big Milestone! #WLS #VSG #ONEDERLAND

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I know, long time no talk.  The whole not having access to external internet at work thing is really cramping my blog style.  Here is my daily schedule:

  • 5:15 Wake Up; Shower; Walk the dog; Pack Lunch bag; Get Ready
  • 6:15 Leave for work
  • 7:30 Get to work
  • 4:00 Leave work (if I’m lucky…some days closer to 5)
  • 5:00 Get home (sometimes it’s 6ish); Walk the dog; Change for the gym.
  • 5:30/5:45 Leave for Gym
  • 7:00/7:45 Home from gym (depends on what class or classes I’m taking)
  • 8:00-8:30 Cook Dinner
  • 8:30-9:00 Dinner
  • 9:00-10:00 TV if I havent already fallen asleep; take care of the dog; get ready for bed; pass out at 10:02

Rinse and repeat.  That doesnt leave much time for anything else.  Blogging has taken a pretty big hit because of this.

The past 6-7 weeks the scale has been screwing with me.  I’m up and down, and up and down, and up and down.  I have lost overall, but that evil bastard of a scale didnt want me to break through the 200 mark.  Well guess what I saw this morning??

That’s right, ONEDERLAND!!!  I havent seen my weight start with a 1 since sophomore or junior year in high school.  I finally broke through!  I hope it stays like this forever.  I hope that I’m done bouncing around up and down up and down!

Since I am telecommuting today, I am going to use my little mini breaks to get several posts written.  What’s in store:

  • Supplements/Vitamins
  • 6 Month check-up…almost 2 months late (Blood Work and Nutritionist Updates)
  • Responses to questions that I’ve received via email or through comments on the blog regarding VSG and working out.
  • 8 Month Surgiversary

Tata for now!

Scale Warfare