Update!!

Just realized I havent posted on here in awhile. My mom brought it up at my doctors appointment today, so it reminded me I should update.

I'm almost three months out now. I just had my 3month post-op appointment.

First of all, i wanna say that my flickr account is being shut off. er. well. i can't post any more pictures to it. i'm about at my 200 limit, unless I wanna start paying. So I'll keep posting pictures, but it'll be on my personal facebook. You can still see the ones on my flickr account, but i wont be able to post more. So email me at ashleyellen1637@aol.com if you want to add me on facebook. I'm not just going to post my last name on here. Who knows who's reading it.

Okay, Next. I'm averaging about one pound a week lost, in the past 6 weeks.. Not ideal. I havent been exersizing much because I had to have skin removed on the inside of my thigh, and it still really hurts. But its starting to ease up, and i'm getting a gym membership. So hopefully that'll start helping more. But i've lost 24lbs since surgery on august 19th. and about 54lbs since the beginning of this year, before I started my pre-op visits.

Basically what I"m doing: 4-5 small meals a day. aiming for about 60 grams of protein. I'm getting inbetween 60-70oz of fluids (not including what I get from food.) I haven't had any food intolerances, other than scrambled egg was kind of hard on me early out.. But i think that was partially because It was one of the first solid foods i had and I wasnt used to the feeling so it felt really heavy. I can eat about a cup of food at a time now. Sometimes I'll sip skim milk even though i'm not really supposed to, with mymeals, just to keep the food moist. The biggest challenge with this whole thing was not drinking with my meals.

I'm down a couple pants sizes. Shirts I havent noticed much difference. I've noticed in my face, and my neck.. like.. I think the bone is called the clavicle. yeah, i don't think i've seen it since I was really little.. like.. 6 years old maybe.  and now i do. the hump that was on the back of my neck too, inbetween my shoulder blades, is pretty much gone. I honestly feel great. I could care less that my stomach is still big, those little things are like.. amazing, to me. Oh, and a ring that i have is too big.. thats pretty great too.

Pretty much what I live off of now, is..:

*Wheat/whole grain crackers.
*Yoplait Light yogurt.
*Grilled Chicken.
*String Cheese.
*Bari-Wise protein bars.
*Propel Zero.
*Crystal Light.
*Eggs.
*Provologne cheese.
*Progresso Light Chicken Noodle Soup.
*Fresh Carrots and Broccoli.

I was never a big sweets person befoer surgery, I'm still not. yes. I caved and had two pieces of candy on halloween. shoot me. No, i'm kidding. don't shoot me. haha. but seriously.. It didnt kill me. I had a glass of milk with it.. it was night time. I know i shouldnt have. but you know what amzed me? a fwe years ago.. two pices of candy, would make my blood sugar to shoot up into the 400's.. It didnt phase me this time.. My blood sugar immediatley after, and i took it a couple times that night, just to see for myself... It was normal.. the whoel time. That was like, the greatest feeling in the world. I know I shouldnt ahve.. but its just how i am. i have to test my limits.. i have to see for myself, or i wont believe people... If that makes sense. Yes. I didn't feel amazing afterwards. I felt like i had food coma, afterwards. I feel like that alot, no matter what i eat. so i keep eating less. and when i eat a little less, and i don't push my limits, i feel better. Its a learning game. Even three months out, i'm still learning. and things can still change..

That was a huge challenge for me.. the sweets. Protein shakes protein bars, yogurts, sugar free pudding.. Its all sweet. And it discusted me. before/after surgery.. Immediatley post-op, i pretty much lived off the broth from chicken noodle soup (the cans of just plain broth were TERRIBLE.), and cottage cheese.. I had string cheese like a week earlier than i was supposed to, because i was SO sick of the protein shakes and what not.. For a lot of people, thats not the case though. if you like sweet things, and you're considering this surgery, your in for a treat. it may not be the best, but its still sweet stuff. Haha.

I consider myself lucky.. My mom caught insulin resistance early on for me.. So i never really.. liked regular soda, or whole milk, or white bread, very much.. its the little things like that that i've noticed are hard for some people. Diet pepsi i pretty much lived off of.. and i had to give it up for surgery. I have a little bit every day now.. I dilute it. 5oz water and 5oz of diet pepsi.. let it sit for a bit in the fridge and drink it. I seriously was addicted.. i used to have 6-7 cans a day. so cutting that completely out was hard. im glad to have it back now.  even diluted, i don't mind.

This is pretty much just a really random post.. I felt the need to fill people in. I know some peopel from obesity help read this, and a few other people. So this is how i'm doing, what i'm doing, and what i know i need to change. I'm going to update again probably in an hour or so with an info-post of some of my favorite things pre/post op that heped get me through the pre-op diet and post op guide.

I know I wrote down the link today at my doctors appointment, so if anyone sees this from Cincinnati childrens.. Feel free to add me on facebook. If you or anyone else have any questions, feelf ree to message me on facebook, or email me. I posted the email up at the top of this post.

I hope you all have a good day. (:

-Ashley.