Archive for July, 2009

I have felt for months that I needed to lose a few pounds.  But, let’s be honest.  I have been complacent.  I wanted to, just not enough to actually DO something.  I looked back on my weight records (which have been sparse these past three months, even though I was weighing, I did not record it) and I have gained about 8 pounds.  My weight chart is up/down, up/down…  unreal.  I finally got tired of it.  Sunday I made up my mind to DO something.  Not be complacent anymore.  But, recommit, decarb and move on.

I’m happy to report that I have been doing very well.  No pasta, bread, protein bars, protein snacks, dressing on my salad, condiments, no snacking/grazing (except for my planned protein supplements)… you get the idea.  I have upped the protein shakes, eat more dense protein, and stay hydrated.  I’ve noticed a few things since I did that.  They are:

• I’m not as exhausted/tired feeling
• I’m more alert and can concentrate better
• I don’t feel like I MUST have something to eat
• I really am not hungry at all, and have no desire for food
• My stomach doesn’t look as puffy/swollen as it had (carbs can make your stomach big)
• I “feel” thinner (maybe it’s just in my head)

It’s nice because, I feel like a new postop again.  I’m on track, chugging along….  I told someone that the rules don’t change…  it’s just that the further out we get from our surgery date, the way we interpret the rules DO change.  It’s nice (and rewarding) to revisit them.  Number on the scale as of today:  128.9

I received an email today about the World Wide Photo Walk that I took part in a few Saturdays ago.  They chose a local winner and that person’s photo will go on to the BIG contest…  Here is a link if you are interested in the winning photo. Winner.  Also, here is a link to all the photos that were submitted:  Franklin, TN Photo Walk 2009.  I knew I would not win.  Many of the participants were professionals.  I just wanted to step out of my comfort zone and DO something that the old Melinda would not do. 

“Give it to me straight.  Do I look fat in these pants?  Do they make my butt look big?”

These are questions that I do not want to ask anyone.  So, time for behavior AND food modification.  This past week, everything I put on (except stretchy cotton) was too tight.  I grew so upset that I cleaned out the closet, and gave away two huge stacks of clothes.  Then I stepped on the scale and there it was:  8 lbs above what I LIKE to be.  Now, I’m “ok” with being 3-4 lbs above my magical number…  BUT NOT 8!  Drastic times are a result of drastic measurements (as in, body measurements! 

Every once in awhile we need these realizations…  that we are not invincible.  We are not above weight gain just because we are wls patients.  GOLLY sometimes I want to chuck that title:  WLS PATIENT.  Sometimes, we use that as our crutch.  “Oh, I can’t; I’m a wls patient.”  “Oh, I have to, because I’m a wls patient.”  Anyway, we’ll save that for another day.  So, back to what I was saying.  Oh yeah, I’m not immune to weight gain.  And, any time an individual says “I’ve gained” or “I’m not losing anymore” we pull out our little list, ask all the right questions and provide the solution:  GET BACK TO BASICS!

I started food journaling again.  I also stepped up on my liquid intake.  These past two days, I’ve stayed under my daily calorie goals and lost 2 lbs.  I have not been extremely happy with the number on the scale for a few months but it is SO very easy to be complacent.  “I’ll start Monday.”  This past Sunday I told Tim, “I’m getting serious Monday.”  And he asked, “Didn’t you say that same thing last Sunday?”  Ouch, that hurt!  I got sick of the complacency and knew that I couldn’t put it off any longer!  I’ll keep you apprised of the progress…..  And, let me leave you with this thought.  The problem is not when a person falls, it’s when a person cannot get up.  So, I’m choosing to stand up and make my way out of this muck and mire called REGAIN….

As you recall, last Saturday was spent being in the World Wide Photo Walk (as created by Scott Kelby).  Originally, four of us (all weight loss surgery folks) and our significant others were going to take part in the Nashville walk. However, it was completely full and we were given the option of moving to Franklin, Tn.  So…  we opted to do that.  It was an interesting experience, though I was disappointed that everyone had two hours to gather photos, and I only had one hour, fifteen minutes due to the upset stomach which kept me (or should I say the restroom) occupied for forty-five minutes!

Friday evening Tim and I decided to take a “mini photo walk” in Nashville.  I will be honest to say that there are many attractions that I’ve never visited.  For the most part, it’s probably difficult for the residents of the city to see Nashville in a bright, crisp refreshed way like tourists do.  When I think “Nashville”, I think of the homeless people on the streets begging for money, the public housing that until a few years ago was in a state of disrepair until the city remodeled them, and then there’s the industrial side which is quite aged looking.  We decided to visit the BiCentennial Mall down near 8th Avenue.  I drive through there every day on my way home from work but traffic is congested and I don’t have time to look around at the sites.  This little photowalk helped me to see through renewed vision.  I actually saw quite a bit I had never noticed…  in a different light.  Here are a few pictures of my beloved little town.  I hope you enjoy them.

We started at the BiCentennial Mall.  It is a beautiful park that has landscaping and monuments.  The sun was shining as we made our way through, and just on the other side is the state capitol building.  It also contains an amphitheatre, and nearby is the local Farmer’s Market.  We passed several tourists who were also taking pictures, people jogging through the park, and under the railroad tracks where the visitor offices are located, there were children running through water as they fountains sprayed up out of the ground.

Nashville is the state capitol, and this is the capitol building.  I thought I would entitle this photo “Capitol Hill” since it is located on a steep hill of green grass and beautiful trees.  We walked up to the top, and I stopped all along the way to take different angle pictures of the property.

Driving through historic Nashville, we visited “Printer’s Alley”.  When I asked Tim what was currently there, he said mostly a bunch of bars.  But for more history, here is a good description.  Printer’s Alley Link Basically, I guess you could say it’s our version of Bourbon Street.

The last place we visited was the Shelby Street Walking Bridge.  It provides a wonderful waterfront view of the city.  Doesn’t this look like Gotham City?  The tallest building on the left with the double lit towers is known as “the Batman Building” which is actually the AT&T phone service headquarters in the city.  I loved to see the beautiful colors in the sky as it turned dark because, it had sort of a eerieness like you see in the Batman movies!  (I know, kinda weird).