DON'T WASTE A WEEK - DOWN 21 LBS. AND COUNTING
So Week 5 has come to an end and I didn't do my daily entry last week, but I knew I'd come back to it for a weekly recap. The week started off going to the Dr.'s appointment on Thursday January 18, 2018. The visit went well. My total weight loss was down 20 lbs. and I felt pretty good. However, I informed them about getting dehydrated the previous week and how I had to go to the ER for fluids. They suggested that in the future I come over there for fluids and that its much cheaper. Ultimately though, it helped me drop a few extra pounds. But I have to say that I was miserable those days and wouldn't want to go through that again- I was week and light-headed. That was definitely my lowest point.
I also told them that part of the reason I was dehydrated was because I took miralax because I'd been having problems with my stomach emptying. They suggested two new drugs for me to take- Linzess, which helps BM's come more regularly; and also Reglan, which helps empty my stomach instead of having the food sit in there for so long. (This is actually supposed to be a benefit of the balloon. The stomach empties slower so you feel full longer.)
I took the Reglan that night, and for the first time since I got the balloon, I actually ate about a whole 1/2 cup of gumbo. It was so good! I'd actually driven all the way across town to Bellue's after I Ieft the doctor's office to get the ingredients. The Reglan had actually emptied my stomach of any leftover food to make room for enough food for me to eat more than a couple spoonfuls.
The next night, Friday night, I decided to take the Linzess. And sure enough, I had a BM the next morning. It was nothing like a laxative. It was not a lot and I didn't cramp or anything. It was pretty natural feeling, but I had quite a bit in me. But after I finished, my stomach was hurting all day long. It was the most painful feeling I've had in my stomach since I started this journey. I didn't know what to take. I tried the drug for stomach pain, but I immediately threw that up. I just sat around the house all day in pain Saturday.
By the end of the day I felt better. I knew then that I'd only take that Linzess once a week, if any. I also don't take the Reglan more than once a week as well. I actually don't want to take anything that lets me eat too much more. So as long as this thing is in, I'll embrace eating less. Plus, I don't like taking a lot of medicine. If it's not absolutely necessary, I stay away from it.
So basically I've found that every time I go to the doctor and bring something new into the picture, I get sick. I've found that it's best to leave well enough alone unless there's a real problem. Next appointment is two weeks from today. BTW, the money they give for going is always a welcomed treat.
CRAVINGS ARE REAL THIS WEEK
The last couple of days, I've found that I've been really craving bad food - hamburgers, steak, etc. I even went to Burger King and bought a Jr. Whopper one night because I wanted a burger so bad. I ate two onion rings and cut the burger in four quarters. I could only take one bit of the burger before getting stuffed. On the second bite, I could only chew it up and spit it out. The next day I wanted carrot souffle' again from Piccadilly. I went there and bought a whole dinner. This is what's left after eating off of it for three (3) days. I didn't eat the bread although I bit off of it a couple times and spit it out. I ate about a teaspoon of mac and cheese each day and I ate most of the carrot souffle'. After three days I threw the rest away.
I'm definitely throwing away money buying food I can't eat just because I'm craving it. This week I'm seeing that it's mostly a mind issue rather than a hunger issue. I'm wanting things that I absolutely cannot eat. But overall, most of my cravings are gone. I don't crave sweets or ice cream, I don't crave alcohol at night before bedtime. I don't even feel a need for coffee in the morning. I don't want this stuff, but sometimes I try to eat it out of habit. I have to pull back and remember that I'm not just trying to lose weight, I'm trying to change my lifestyle; because if I don't, it'll come right back on in six months.
BACK TO WORK
Yesterday, after five weeks since having the procedure, I finally went back to work. I have to admit it was nice having folks tell me how great I looked. Yes, they actually noticed. One lady said, "I can tell you feel good!" And I did feel good, and this is only the beginning. I've lost 21 pounds, but I have 30-35 to go. I'm not sure when I'll reach my goal, it might even be early. They say the weight loss will eventually slow down though, so it might just take the whole six months. Many women in my weight loss group are saying that they have only lost 25 lbs in 3-4 months. So I see that so far I'm doing better than most. But I know that's because my stomach is so small and I really can't eat that much. I'm still waiting for the days when I can eat small healthy meals. Right now I'm mostly just getting a couple bites here and there and I'm stuffed until the next day. It usually takes all day for the little bit of food from the previous day to leave out of my stomach to make room for anything.
So my calorie intake is definitely still 500 or less each day. I haven't been writing it down as much because honestly its just a spoon full of this or a few crackers here and there. But hopefully soon it will be more well-rounded meals.
TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL
Today there was a discussion in the group about who to tell about the procedure. I really haven't hidden this from anyone who has asked. I really own the fact that I have it. I watched a video online where A lady didn 't tell her mother and after losing 64 pounds she was about to tell her mother why she was losing so much weight, and her mother started crying because she thought her daughter was dying. She quickly told her what it was. It's hard to imagine not telling your mother about this. i'm not embarrassed about it. I've told people and will be glad to support their decision to do the same. Here's a link to her video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Dvit7PuF4
One of my mottos moving forward is a meme I saw posted online today. It said, "At first they'll ask you WHY you're doing them; Later they'll ask you HOW you did it."
When folks see you happy and healthy they'll just want to be in your shoes. So far I haven't had bad experiences with telling people though. Every single person I have told has been supportive. One of my colleagues was nervous and scared for me, I think my brother was too, but they were not negative. Everyone has called to check up on me and overall has been very supportive of my decision. One lady said the only reason she hasn't told anyone was because she didn't want folks looking at her all the time to see how she was doing and if it was "working." I admit this happens. Folks definitely are wanting to see the results and will ask quite a bit about how much you're losing. That's a little bit of pressure, so I try to weigh that often. But overall, I'll look at that as accountability and won't take it negatively.
BACK TO EXERCISING
So my topic for the week was, "don't waste a week." This is the end of week five and I only lost a pound this week. Every week counts and I can always look back and see what I did differently that resulted in more or less weight loss. This past week I didn't get in much movement. I didn't wear my fitbit to get my steps in, and it was cold outside. The weather is much better this week. I got 10 miles in on my bike Monday and will do the same today. I also need a smaller fitbit, like a bracelet so I can put it on my left arm. It is irritating to try and wear a watch on both arms. I really want to get the fitbit competitions going again. That helped me a lot. So maybe this weekend, I'll go get a smaller one so I can wear it with my Apple watch and get back to the competitions, because I don't want to WASTE A WEEK. I want to see some results each week. So this week my goal of three pound is back on to hit by next Wednesday. I'm getting my steps in again, and I'm riding my bike on every nice weather day I can for at least 10 miles. The ultimate goal is to keep moving!!
For now, the journey continues...
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