Atkins Diet Thoughts/Review

So about 6 weeks ago I had visited my endocrinologist, who suggested I start the Atkins diet (or a modified version of it) because I had gained weight doing the 5:2/fasting diet. I had went from 185 to 189, and once I started the Atkins diet, i got down to 185 then stalled for awhile, but now 6 weeks later (still on phase 1) I'm at about 178 lbs. I've lost almost 2 pounds a week.. Which is something that's never happened.. Even after having weight loss surgery, I went weeks at a time without losing whether it be because I wasn't on the medications I needed, or because I wasn't eating enough.. So I was shocked at how well this was working, and wondered why I hadn't tried it before.

I just saw her again a couple days ago, and despite the fact that after 4-6 weeks you're supposed to move to 'phase 2' of the diet, she agreed I could stay on phase 1 for another 6 weeks before moving up to see if I'll continue losing weight. Which is great for me!

I'd like to point out that in no way do I regret having weight loss surgery.. It's certainly a tool that's helping me right now.. I'm not hungry. I'm sure if I hadn't had surgery, I'd be very hungry on the diet I'm on now and it'd be much more difficult to stay on track with. But.. You know, everyone kind of assumes weight loss surgery is a cure all, and well, it isn't. I'm still on all the medications I was on pre-op. I still have Insulin Resistance, PCOS, hypothyroidism, etc.. and I understand most of my issues are probably not going away. I haven't lost one pound without working for it.. and that is never changing. I understand that now. So going into the Atkins diet, after so many other failed ones, I wasn't.. hoping for much.. I mean c'mon, I had 4/5th's of my stomach ripped out and I didn't lose weight without adding on or bumping up medications to control my metabolic issues. So I had no hope for this, but alas, I tried it anyway.. and it's working. Finally something's working. I genuinely couldn't be more thrilled.

My endocrin was a bit worried about my blood sugars going too low, or my electrolytes and what not.. But both were totally fine. She has me testing my ketones every morning, which are always okay on 'trace'. I hadn't been working out because I was a bit light headed and dizzy sometimes adjusting from 60 carbs a day to 20, but now that I've been on it a few weeks I'm adjusting and starting working out again with the '7 Minute Workout'.. However, I do have to modify it because I can't do regular push ups or anything that involves putting pressure on my wrists. Yay for tendinitis. Also I try to fit in half hour walks every day, but it's getting so freaking cold out.. That is one side effect, whether it be of my medications (I read somewhere that one I"m on has a side effect of 'inability to retain heat' is how they worded it..) or of the weight loss, that I'm generally always cold.. Even during the summer.. and it's supposed to freaking snow later this week. So.. I don't know how long the walks will last. I will certainly keep up the 7 minute workouts though, and maybe do it a couple times a day to make up for the lack of walking during the fall/winter.

As far as what I'm eating, here's a list of the staples in my diet:

• Turkey Products (turkey sausage, bacon, regular turkey, etc..)
• Grilled/baked chicken
• Shrimp and Fish (mostly Tilapia)
• Cheese (Primarily part-skim mozzarella and provolone)
• Vegetables (Lots of salads,, primarily iceberg and romaine lettuce, fresh broccoli, baby carrots, sugar snap peas, green beans, etc..)
• Atkins products (They're kind of pricey.. Occasionally I'll buy a box of their meal replacement bars or I get their frozen meals sometimes, which are actually really really good!)
• Low-carb yogurt (Carbmaster brand from Kroger only has 4 carbs in a serving.)

Occasionally I'll have some strawberries, half a banana, or half an apple, or something like that. However fruits aren't a big part of my diet in this phase. Too many carbs. It's usually only if my blood sugar is low or if I'm really craving something sweet.

Here's an example of what I'll eat in a day: 

I don't log my food every day, just because it's a bit of a hassle but occasionally I will just to make sure I'm staying on track, and this is generally about where I'm at. I still can't eat very much at one sitting because of the size of my stomach, but I make it work. 

My doctor basically wanted me to have under 20 net carbs a day, and a goal of 100 grams of protein.. not to worry about where my calories were at. So that's what I've been doing.

To clear up any confusion: 

Total Carbohydrates - Sugar Alcohol & Fiber = Net Carbs

So based on what I ate on the 20th, I only had 12 net carbs, and 95 grams of protein.. which to be fair, is one of my better days. I don't always get that high on protein, and there have been a few days where I slipped up on carbs. so I'm really pleased with myself on the days I do that well. :)

Overall, I'm really pleased with how this diet is going and if you're looking for one to start, or maybe you had surgery and you want something to jump-start weight loss again, this is definitely worth looking into.. Don't make any impulsive decisions without talking to your doctor first, though. <3

Anywho, I hope you're all having a fantastic day and I shall talk to you all again soon. :)

-Ashley<3

Article on Insulin Resistance 2

http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/89/6/2526.full

I strongly suggest anyone interested in the topic of Insulin Resistance, whether it be you're recently diagnosed, your child or a family member has it, or you're just purely interested in learning about IR; checks out this article. It's absolutely amazing.

I (surprisingly) understand most of the medical terms used. If you don't, feel free to Google them. But in all honesty, although the article is extremely long, it's completely worth reading if you want to learn about the medical side of IR (aside from the fact that you need to diet and exercise to control it). There is a lot more to it that most people don't realize.

I've been on a research kick lately, and I'm really glad I came across this.

Let me know what you think?

Alright, have a good day. (:

-Ashley.

One of the most annoying things about my life right now. (Hair loss)

I can't just say that it's an annoying thing about surgery, because that isn't true. This is most likely not-surgical-related --- because it was a problem I had before I even started looking into surgery.

Hair loss (and re-growth).

I was lucky, because I had very thick hair before this all started. I had thick stick straight strawberry-dirty blonde hair. I went through a phase in middle school where I dyed it brown a lot. and got highlights a few times. But I let it all grow out, and I haven't dyed it since.

Well!! around 2010 I started losing more hair than you're supposed to. (Most people lose around 100 hairs a day.) and I hadn't been to doctors as frequently as necessary for my Insulin Resistance, I needed blood work done.. sure enough when I went in in early 2011, I found out my thyroid levels were messed up, among other things.

That was around the time I was looking into surgery.

Well, the hair loss never stopped. Because as soon as the new medications started taking affect, I had surgery. and my body was thrown into a whole other cycle, it didn't know what the hell happened to it. I had issues drinking enough for awhile, although I did get enough protein in (and still do, most days.) The hair loss still hasn't stopped. I'm 11 months out now. It is freaking annoying.

I still lose a handful a day. I used to be able to wrap a hair elastic-tie thing around a ponytail 2-3 times. Now I can wrap it around 4-5 times. I used to like braiding my hair, because it would give it deep-looking-waves. And I would have to do like 4 braids all over my head, sleep on it, and wake up and take them out. Now I only need to do 1. and the 1 braid i do, is just a tiny bit thicker than one of the four I used to do.

It's insane.

Here, look for yourself.

That's just when I have my hair in a ponytail. So clearly I don't do that much anymore, unless necessary. and when I do, i use bobby pins and hair gel and stuff to keep it all back.

The re-growth is worse than the loss itself.

and what you see, is the re-growth. I'm still losing a lot of hair on a daily basis. The re-growth is going to continue for a very long time, and I have absolutely no idea how to get it to stop.

I don't have the money for biotin, and I asked my doctor about it and they said it hasn't been proven to help much anyway.

I take all my vitamins, get all my protein, and my blood work is all fine.

So I don't know. Maybe I need to increase my protein. But yeah.

I mean, I can make my hair look normal (although you can tell it's thinned out..)

see? 



That's how long my hair is. and I refuse to cut it off, although I know it would be easier. I regret it every time I cut it though. I chopped my long hair off in 3rd grade. and I chopped it off again in 8th. and I've always wanted super long hair, like, past my waist. I'm so close. So even though it'd be easier, I refuse to. I look terrible with short hair.

But it's SO much effort. I have to shower and wash my hair every day, or else it gets super oily and disgusting. shampoo. condition. comb. heat protectant. blow dry. straighten. finishing cream stuff to smooth it all down. comb again. and comb periodically throughout the day. and then shower again the next day. and another clump of hair ends up in the drain.

and I have to straighten it every day. because not only is my hair re-growing. but it's not growing in straight like the rest of my hair. it's growing in curly. and darker than most my hair.

wonderful, right?

I'm this >-< close to shaving my head. but again. I won't. because i love my long hair.

Ugh. It's bittersweet.

Okay. Rant over.

Bye!!! (:

-Ashley.

Clothing Sizes!!!

These are how my clothing sizes have changed periodically From my highest weight, on down...

Highest Weight: 285lbs. (Most of 2010)
Shirt Size: 3x
Pants Size: 26
Bra Size: 46DDD
Bracelets and rings don't fit.
Picture:

~~~

Surgery Day Weight: 250lbs.

Shirt Size: 1x-2x

Pants Size: 22-24

Bra Size: 46DD

Picture:

~~~

3 Monts Post-op (November 2011): 230lbs

Shirt Size: 1x-2x

Pants Size: 19/20

Bra Size: 44D

Bracelets starting to fit..

Picture:

~~~

7 months out from surgery (March 2012): 210lbs

Shirt Size: 1x

Pants Size 18/19

Bra Size: 42D

Picture:

~~~

10 Months out from Surgery (June 2012): 197lbs

Shirt size: Large/1x depending on the brand.

Pants size: 15/17

Bra Size: 40/42 C

And now bracelets and rings fit. (: yay.

Picture:

(Sorry I had to blur the kids face out. I don't know if his mom would want him on the internet or not.)

~~~

Currently as of 6/10/12 I'm 195lbs. Same sizes as listed above.

~~~

That's me. (: I'll keep updating this periodically as months pass to show progress. So keep checking back.

Have a great day!

-Ashley.

An interesting thought...

So, even thought i've lost 87lbs in the past year.. (about 52lbs since surgery..) It still hasn't really registered wtih me yet.... i still feel really fat (I know in pictures i look better... and at certain angles my legs look totally normal... when you can't see all the skin that i'll need to have removed.. lol), overweight, unhealthy, whatever. I don't see much of a difference in myself,.

I was carrying a milk jug today.. 1 gallon.  and one gallon of orange juice,.. just taking them into the house, from the car. they're about 8lbs a piece, i believe.. maybe a little over like 8.3lbs or something.

I've lost 87lbs. that's almost 11 gallons of milk.

Holy Crap.

I was carrying around that much weight. on my body. and my body is still functioning? not crippled and crushed? how the hell does that happen?
i'm thinking if i had those gallons attached to me as i walk around.... I'd probably pass out...

No wonder I had so many issues with my blood pressure before... dear lord!


I've had an epiphany today. That is all.

-ashley.

www.facebook.com/justashley1637
ashleyellen1637@aol.com

A great article about insulin resistance.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/prediabetesanddiabetes/a/insulinresistan.htm

I was just looking around and I found this.. It's one of the only articles I've found so far that explains it in, well, terms that are easier to understand... And that lists genetics as a big role in IR. So props to them. So I thought I'd share this. (:

Have a great day. <3

www.twitter.com/ashleyohara_ (don't forget the underscore)
www.facebook.com/justashley1637
ashleyellen1637@aol.com

Rant. 4-2-2012

Before I start ranting.. I just want to say I am ridiculously happy with chewbacca (my sleeve) and all the progress I have made so far... I don't regret it. And my doctors are all amazing. But I just really am frustrated right now and I need to get this out.. No one understands. So here we go.

(Please excuse my excessive use of profanities.. My mind doesn't register any other logical adjectives or adverbs or any descriptive words, at all, when I'm pissed.)

WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!!?!?!?!

I just got my RX refilled for Synthroid and the label says "Don't take within 4 hours of taking Iron, Calcium, or Antacids.. Must be taken on an empty stomach in the morning." and I've also been told in the past by a few people not to take it with a multi vitamin...

HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO FIT THIS IN?!?!!??!?! So does this mean every time I've taken it with my zantac or calcium citrate, it didn't work? or if i didn't take it on an empty stomach in the morning, but at night, that it didn't work?

This medicine stuff is so fucking confusing. I have to take meds 5-6 times a day to get it all in. that's just not right.. And after realizing how off I've been I'm trying to get back on it.. I've always been good with medications. but everything keeps freaking changing and i can't STAND it.

One doctor says one thing, another doctor say s another, i keep getting put on and taken off different doses and different medications..  just. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate being the little nerd I am with my doctors. Researching things for myself. I don't want to seem like I'm doubting them. They are the doctors. I'm just their 16 year old patient. and most 16 year olds wouldn't take it into their own hands to research their diseases and medications and what not..

So I talk to other people on websites and such about their experiences with insulin resistance/pcos and they each say something different... one lady was talking to me about my birth control I'm on (altavera) causing her problems and she couldn't lose weight on it.

this is like the 4th or 5th type of BC I've been on.

I don't even know what to think anymore.

I hate all this confusion. and I hate that i like researching this stuff, because i do, and i learn more, and i feel like an asshole bringing it up with doctors. I've always felt guilt for so much that i shouldn't feel guilty about. but i do. and it makes me feel bad.

I'm exercising one fucking hour a day like I'm supposed to. I"m under 800calories almost every day. under 60 carbs almost every day. 60+oz sf fluids.. every. fucking. day. and my weight doesn't fucking budge. given, confusion with meds. i don't fucking care.

my weight has been all fucked up ever since i had surgery. the amount of 'stalls' or 'pauses' I've had is FUCKING RIDICULOUS. one lasted for 6 weeks. another one for a month. another one for 3 weeks. another one for 8 weeks. and with all these med changes i have no fucking doubt it has to be those causing it. it's just not fucking right!!!!!

YES. i have taco bell or McDonald's occasionally. but i always get the fucking healthiest thing they have, and hardly eat any of it!!! its almost always something involving grilled chicken. always. and that's what i eat.  and i still stay under my calorie/carb limit!!! yes. we get pizza sometimes. i always get thin crust and the amount i eat stays UNDER my calorie/carb limit I've set for myself.

I've had issues with exercising since surgery. less than a month after surgery i had a huge chunk of skin removed because there was a huge mole removed  and it was on the upper inside part of my thy.. it hurt to walk. my legs would rub together and it'd be really painful. i also sprained my ankle in December. and i was on crutches for awhile.

but aside from that, I've walked. a ton. and since February I've been doing close to an hour a day almost every day. walking/jogging and palates.. and light weight lifting. sure I've missed some days. sure i don't always hit an hour. but i always do something. I've hurt myself a lot because i over do it.. i didn't go jogging today because i pulled a muscle yesterday.but i did upper body stuff and sit ups and push ups to make up for it!

I'm not perfect. NO ONE IS. but I've followed my plan just about to a T. doing everything i know to do.

I know i started at a lower weight. and I know all my metabolic stuff makes it harder to lose weight.

IT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY LESS FUCKING FRUSTRATING.

I'm sick of doctors changing things every time I see them. i just want something to fucking work for once! YES. I've lost about 45lbs since surgery. but guess what?!?! I LOST 35LBS PRE-SURGERY by eating MORE and having higher doses of medications. did i make a mistake? should i have not had that surgery? or a different surgery maybe?!

oh my god.. words cannot fucking express my thoughts right now.

I feel sick today. i think i got a bug or something. so I'm a lot more irritable today than normal. so reading that pill bottle just fucking set me off...

I'm generally a happy person. easy to get along with. I'm usually pretty passive. i don't like confrontation. but today is just not a good day. I'm sure I'll be back to normal tomorrow or something.

but good fucking lord.

I'M DOING EVERYTHING. i don't know what else i can fucking do!
OH. AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT.
according to the place i had surgery, I'm supposed to be losing 2lbs a week... aside from my frustrations with that not happening, my endocrine just wants me under 200lbs by the time i see her on august 1st.... that's only 3 or 4 more pounds... that'd be like a pound a month.. vs 2lbs a week..

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE AIMING FOR HERE?!
obviously, more weight loss quicker... I want plastic surgery asap.. because this loose skin is already on my last nerve.. i'm getting cysts and my skin hurts where it all rubs together, when i lay on my side my stomach indents in and it almost hurts.. my arms are annoying, the inside of my thighs kill. under my stomach where it hangs i'm about to chop off myself, and just, ugh.

its just so confusing.

and i HATE the fact that I'm 16 so I'm always afraid doctors are thinking I'm being a smart ass or questioning them when i ask anything serious rather than the typical concerns of a teenager. "how do i tell my friends about my surgery? how do i explain it to my boyfriend?" I'm totally open about everything on the Internet. on facebook. my personal facebook. i'm not worried about what people think anymore. I'm worried about my health and if this doesn't fucking work for me, what the fuck will?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!

fdjskal;fjasdklfjkl;asdafkljdfkl;asjfkl;jasdkl;fas;kjdfkl;asdjfkasjdfklasj;fas;
UGH.

Oh. on top of all of this carpul tunnel has been acting up lately. (yes. I'm a 16 year old with carpul tunnel. diagnosed. urgent care Dr. thought i sprained it. he said carpul tunnel. surprizing? i know. i type too much.) so i'm in a ridiculous amount of pain/numbing/spasms/tingling feelings/etc... and i'm not supposed ti take ibuprofen at all... one doctor says i can if i take it with zantac, others say not at all, tylenol doesn't do shit for me. i still have oxycodone Left from surgery. maybe i should break into that stash.

ughh...

fjdak;sfjasl;kfja;slkfjsa;klfjas;
normally i wouldn't post rants like this... i have a handful of times int he past... i hate people seeing when i'm not in a good mood or not dealing with things well.. because the SECOND i don't deal with things perfectly or 'normal' doctors try to push anti depressants down my throat.

and all my doctors know i have this blog.

I have one bad day, and everyone assumes i'm falling into a deep dark depression and its going to take years of therapy to come out of it again.

no. I've been there. and I'm NOT going back. the acceptance alone to this surgery is what brought me out of it. yes. me feeling like i'm failing is depressing. but deep down i know I'm not failing. I've lost over 80lbs. i'm over halfway to my goal weight. and typically i'm happy about it.

again. ONE. FUCKING. BAD DAY.
let me have it. please. i need to rant like this. it helps. a LOT.

ugh. i don't even know anymore. i don't have real friends i can' talk to about this. and i'm tired of talking to therapists about it all and doctors. i mean i can talk to my friends. but they don't understand. they're all jealous. i'm jealous of them though.t hey have pancreas' that work. they just choose to be lazy and eat too much of the wrong things. they don't have to have their stomach cut out to be able to lose weight. and even then, still its not guaranteed that will work.

so yes. list of things pissing me off right now.
kgo.

• medications.
• lack of weight loss.
• doctors not being able to make up their minds.
• pulling a muscle in my leg causing pain.
• carpul tunnel.
• not being able to renew my temps like i was supposed to the other day, to finish drivers ed.
• not being able to get a job.
• not having an understanding family or friends when it comes to this stuff.
• having no one i can relate to.
• people assuming i'm crazy whenever i have a bad day.

justifiable? i certainly hope so.

I'm going to go play a bunch of music and write and rant more in my journal and then try to sleep. I'll probably be totally over this all in the morning.

its not reasonable to assume everything about this journey is great.. it's not. its hard. people need to know that.  so here's my two cents.

i hope you're having a better day than i am.

peace.
-Ashley
www.facebook.com/justashley1637


UPDATE: 20 minutes later.. I'm really proud of myself right now.. Right after I posted this i went and almost grabbed food.. key word: almost... i've never been much of an emotional eater... it's never been a big problem for me.. (my problem was more.. not eating... or cutting myself.. neither of which i've done, intentionally anyway, in a very long time.. ever since i started losing weight before i even got accepted for surgery... and then got accepted for surgery... i havent done either... it's been about a year, yet another reason i'm proud of yself.) BUT. i stopped myself.... I realized emotional eating was exactly what i was doing. I didn't feel hungry, and I know i didn't need to eat...  So I chugged half of a propel zero (kiwi strawberry<3) and worked out for 15 minutes... some jumping jacks, pushups, situps, a few palate's things.. and streched... and then i hate a sugar free sour icebreaker thing.. which i'm kind of hooked on.. and i feel so much better.. and not guilty.. because i didn't eat..

That's a really big accomplishment for me.. not from refraining eating (and not eating, and not cutting..) but because i turned to exersize.. i have NEVER done that.. in my life.. i've never WANTED to exersize... And i've never felt much better after exerisizing, untill now...

I'm a happy person now. bipolar angry bitchy ashley moment, over. i will continue moving forward with my life, now. goodbye.<3(:

Pro's and Con's of WLS.. (VSG specified) for me..

Just the personal Pro's and Con's that I've faced.. (Honest ones.. and kind of funny ones which some people may find stupid, offensive or have a problem with.. sorry if you do.)

Pro's

• I'm never hungry. Hardly ever. Unless I pull an all nighter and don't eat for over 12 hours.. which has happened a couple times.
• I can't eat more than 8oz at a time.. and I rarely have a desire to.
• It's much more permanent than just medicating myself.. That is the only way I have ever lost (and kept off) weight before.. Was the 4-5 months before I went for a surgery consult, and was on a high dose of metformin and had just started aldactone for the first time.. No amount of just plain diet and exercise has ever done it for me.
• It's a cool story to tell... sometimes... to the right person...
• VSG is much less common and less known.. so if People question what surgery i had, and i don't really want them questioning weight loss surgery on a minor, i can say a "Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy" and they'll most likely have no clue what it is..
• I enjoy that i get to call my sleeve chewbacca. it's funny. its easier to laugh about something serious, for me. whenever it bugs me or acts up or i get frustrated.. i just scream "F you Chewbacca" and people look at me like I'm bordering insanity... It's extremely amusing... and I laugh.. and forget my frustrations.
• (this goes along with the lack of hunger..) There have been two ties since surgery i didn't have time to eat.. and literally didn't eat all day.. I didn't have the time or money to stop and get food.. I just dealt with it... and aside from my blood sugar getting messed up later on... i never got hungry... I'm not supposed to go long without eating. or skip meals. i usually don't. but on the few occasions I've gotten caught up and what not... it was nice not having my stomach roaring at me.
• I get to participate in research to help see long term affects of it on children/adolescents... for the vsg... there isn't much out there. it's cool to be a part of something like that. to feel like i might be helping future generations or something.
• I haven't had any food intolerance's. I assume with the lap band or bypass i probably would have more issues.. never experienced it, so I'm not 100% sure... but i just know I'm happy i haven't had any issues.
• No mal absorption.. my vitamin levels are perfect.. (even my b1... which in 100% honestly: I only took once. one tablet, the day after i got home from the hospital... it made me gag and want to throw up.. i didn't.. but i was nauseous for awhile.. i think the smell/taste more so than anything... but it was perfect. and i only took it once, so, ya know.... yeah)
• I'm able to Jog now... 7 1/2 months out... and play soccer.. and basketball.. for half an hour straight.. i haven't been able to do any activity like that since i was 12 or 13... which is honestly amazing.. and i love it.
• I don't mind having scars honestly... I know that's messed up... But I have a good collection.. and i think they tell a story. stupid things like that make people unique.. so i have 4-5 tiny scars on my abdomen that just show how serious my health got.. and i started to take it seriously.. and i can now honestly say i have done just about everything i can to get it under control...
• i feel like a much stronger person having gone through all of this...
• I've certainly found out who my real friends are.. (and real family, for that matter..)
• I'm now able to wear a ring on my ring finger, that would only fit my pinkie before.
• i can shop in the juniors section at like walmart and stuff.. (still 1x-2x... the largest it goes in that section.. but i can. which is a huge accomplishment.. i haven't done that since i was 12 or 13, either.)
• I get to tell a story not many people get to tell. I get to blog about my journey through all of this and hopefully help other people.. I can honestly say I've tried everything.. and out of everything I've tried. *this* *this* and *this* is what I've found is the best, etc... not even necessarily surgery related.. but people can see I've gone to that extreme and I'm serious about getting healthier..
• which brings up the next one... my entire family always thought i was just a lazy ass who ate to much... not my immediate family.. mostly my dads side of the family.. the fact that doctors sent referrals and performed this surgery on me i think got them to realize it is a real sickness.. it's not just a kid that eats too much...
• Through having surgery, I got diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, and Sleep Apnea... and found out part of my heart was enlarged.. if i never got motivated to get a referral and see more doctors.. i probably wouldn't have found all of that out as quickly as i did, to do what i can to get it all under controll.
• It's helped me feel like if i can control this, and get through it all.. i can do anything.
• I think my parents trust me more.. Ever since I brought this up.. And I've been complying with everything.. listening to the doctors.. and even blogging about it all (which they're both happy about..) Ive stepped up to the plate... I've grown up a lot the past year or so... My mom doesn't try to control my health stuff like she did when i was younger and I'm really happy about that.
• Its a good motivation.. like i said before.. wls was a last resort.... knowing that, I'm way beyond determined to make this work... There isn't a word to describe how determined I am..
• It helped get my life back in order.. I got a GED, started getting involved in more things, got off my anti depressants, went out more, i see the few friends i have more, go to more concerts, and do more things i enjoy.. and it all started in April 2011 when i had my consult with the bariatric center.. and they accepted me into their program. things had been going bad for so long, it was a positive thing.. and it still is. the acceptance alone changed my life.. the surgery in itself is a whole different story.
• I've met some awesome friends through it.
• I started this blog because of the WLS, but through that I've gotten to help other people with metabolic issues that I've dealt with my entire life... the wls is great but the real passion i have is behind the disease that i struggled my whole life with.. and still do. surgery or no surgery. surgery is just what got this blog started up.

Con's

• Like i mentioned in the pro's section, the VSG is a hard to explain to people.. i mean once you do they understand.. but no one knows what it is.. so you actually have to go into detail to explain it.
• The people who don't accept it, dislike it, are jealous, or otherwise have a problem with me having wls.. have been a pain in the ass.
• I'm 16. I had the surgery 3 days before i turned 16. Obviously there are risks with that.. and well, not many doctors deal with it.. so for whatever reason if i ever lose the doctors I'm going to, move, etc... it'll be hard to find someone to help me out.
• as said above, I'm 16... its harder to explain to people.. and my parents get shit for letting me... even though it was my idea and ultimately my decision..
• the VSG didn't fix my metabolic stuff.. sometimes I wonder if a bypass, or DS (which the surgeon i go to doesn't do..) would have been better... Or if I'll ever need a revision to see if it'll help.. but without that, I'm still going to be drugged up forever..
• the weight loss seems to be slower for me personally, because of all the metabolic stuff (and tons of med changes)
• Chewbacca is great.. I love him/her/it. but it is kinda hard when your out with friends and they don't even really know how much I'm able to eat... if I've explained it to them, they still have no idea how much 8oz really is... and if chewbacca acts up... its hard to kind of hide.
• Sometimes I wonder if I could have done it without the surgery... But i tried my entire lief and nothing changed... so I know I made the right decision. a permanent decision.

Pros totally outweigh the cons, i believe.. I may add more to this list later, if i think of others.. which I probably will.. haha.

Weight loss has been really slow.. lots of med changes.. but this has still been the best thing I've ever done for myself... I'm ridiculously grateful to be able to take advantage of this.

<3
have a great day.
-Ashley
www.twitter.com/ashleyohara_ (don't forget the underscore..)
www.facebook.com/justashley1637
ashleyellen1637@aol.com
(:

mybodygallery.com

mybodygallery.com is pretty great... i found it a few months back on obesityhelp.com ... it's to help try and figure out what you'll look like when you hit your goal weight, or whatever..

basically you plug in any height/weight/size/etc.. and you have the option to select body type.. like apple, banana, pear, etc.... you can select as many things as you want.. and peoples pictures will come up that people have submitted that are at that specific size/height/weight/whatever you plugged in....

I'm 5'2 1/2" so i just plug in 5'2" and 130lbs.. because thats my goal. and i also hit hour glass.. because weight or no weight, i'm bigger boned. i have more curves. i always have. and this is what comes up:

http://www.mybodygallery.com/search.html?height=5+2&weight=130&pant=any&shirt=any&zphoto=Large&hourglass=1&new=1

which i'd be totally happy with.. haha. obviously i'll never look liek any of those girls... my skin will be sagging and nasty and i'll have scars.. then i'll get more scars when i have plastic surgery to remove the skin.. but scars aside.. i'd be totally happy with that..

just thought i'd share. (:

peace.<3

-ashley.
ashleyellen1637@aol.com
www.twitter.com/ashleyohara_ (don't forget the underscore.. for whatever reason it doesn't let me add it to the url)
www.facebook.com/justashley1637

(:

Questions & Notes I took

http://i43.tinypic.com/zjw93a.jpg (if you click here, you can click on the picture and zoom in.. so it's easier to read.)

http://i39.tinypic.com/j5a3k5.jpg (if you click here, you can click on the picture and zoom in.. so it's easier to read.)

http://i43.tinypic.com/258t1kg.jpg (if you click here, you can click on the picture and zoom in.. so it's easier to read.)

There were more..  but I just found my old notebook from pre-op of notes/questions i had and took with me (and had answered) before i had bariatric surgery (VSG) so I thought I'd share.. maybe they'll give you things to think about, that you didn't think about before.

I didn't write much in the notebook other than questions, and lists of things to get.. (that most i ended up not getting or needing...)

But yeah. (: byee<3

-ashley
www.facebook.com/justashley1637
www.twitter.com/ashleyohara_ (don't forget the underscore.. it wont add into the link for some reason.)
ashleyellen1637@aol.com

it is possible to be born with insulin resistance

I would also like to point out I had a big question of mine answered today: "Is it possible to be born with insulin resistance...? And could I have been?" Because i showed symptoms at such a young age.. I've always assumed I was born with it.. but no one would ever confirm that for me untill today.. Where my endocrin said "Yes It's possible. and They havent identified a gene yet, but it's possible.."then she went on to ask what my birth weight was.. (8lbs 7oz i believe.. and i was like 21in long..?) and she said "yep.. that's it." my mom went on to ask about why my brothers are fine then.. they were all about the same weight/height.. But it's different for boys and girls.. Girls born that heavy.. aparently thats a tell tale sign of it. especially with such familial history.

So my questions have been answered. Thankyou thankyou thankyou.

If i find a foundation that is researching this.. or if anyone knwos of any that is checking babies for insulin resistance.. early onset obesity.. anything... Let me know.. I will donate as much money as I can to it.. And do as much as i can to support it..

They have made so mmuch progress in the past 8 years... When I was a baby everyone assumed my parents just fed me wrong so i was overweight... But that wasn't the case and everyone that knew my family knew it... And this would explain so much.

Anyone who says obesity is only a lifestyle disease or that insulin resistance isn't real can shove it up their  shut up.. they don't know what they're takling about..

I wont name any names... But a few of my family members assume type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance are the same thing... and have flat out told me when i was younger that i aws only depressed because i was fat, visa versa... and assumed that just working out would fix everything... Because aparently I was just lazy and drugs are overrated.

Yeah. Education is the only cure for ignorance.. Educate yourselves.

Which reminds me. I need to find a new site to do this on, because they are far too expensive for my liking.. I may just start doing them myeslf.. but check out the 'merchandise' tab on the right side of my blogpage... i'm really trying to spread awareness about this. There are like 8 or 9 things there i think.. maybe 10.. that have a design i made on them. Spreading awareness about childhood/adolescent obesity and how it's not always a lifestyle disease. so check it out, and if you can do it, that's great. if not, thats fine. but still. let people know. don't just assume people do. because there is a good chance they don't.

Alright. I shall be researching this more now. <3

Bye. (:;

-ashley.

Update - march 2012

So I went to my wonderful Endocrinologist today.. and she confirmed I'm not diabetic anymore. Still Insulin Resistant, but not Type 2... So that kind of made my day. (: But my face has been breaking out pretty badly....

Not the most attractive picture.. But most of the pictures on this blog arent. Metabolic issues have a lot of physical side effects that arent attractive, unfortunatley. And I guarantee you the flash on my camera made my skin look better than it is... I purpously didn't wear any makeup today so my endocrin could see how bad my skin was. I guess I usually do my makeup REALLY well.. and it's even fooled some of my doctors in the past..

But yeah. What I found out today: I'm still hyperinsulinemic(is that the word.. i still over produce insulin.. my insulin levels have gone from 25 (preop) to 18 now... but they're still pretty high. my hemaglobin A1c is down.. and everything that goes along with diabetesispretty much down i guess other than the insulin piece. So.. I'm not diabetic anymore. (:  She's going to run another glucose tolerance test.. but not untill i see her again in four months.

Reason behind that being: She increased my metformin from 500 2x a day to 850 2x a day. and put me back on aldactone. a blood pressure medicine. my blood pressure isn't nearly as bad as it was in the past... my top number was a little elevated today.. (I hadn't slept... I'm assuming that's partially why.) but it's also a mild diuretic.. and the last time i was on it my skin was perfectly clear, and i lost mad weight... so we'll see what that + the higher dose of metformin does. Hopefully it helps some.

Hm. What else... Oh! she showed me a chart... of mybmi from the time i had been first diagnosed (6-7 years old..) my bmi was 26... at 7 years old... I'm at a bmi of like 36/37 now..  I should be at a bmi of around 26 right now... but I'm 16... a 7 year old with that bmi is terrible...

Doctors told my mom I wouldn't make it to my 40th birthday, when i was that little, if they didn't get it under control.... and now I am. It's amazing how things can change.

I'm going to be honest... I love my endocrinologist. She's the one who sent the referral for me to have weight loss surgery... And I think with her I would have been able to lose a lot of the weight on my own (as i did pre-op..) that i have with surgery.. And my surgeon even knew that.. (not the endocrine piece.. but that i had lost a lot of weight on my own for the first time in my life..) and asked if i was sure i wanted to still have surgery.. and why? My answer to that is it's permanent. It is a tool that will help jump start everything, and my stomach will most likely never be the size it was again... So if i ever do fall off track.. (hopefully that doesn't happen) it'll be there t ohelp me. and yeah.. the word permanent stuck out in my mind. ---- But out of allll the doctors I've seen my entire life she is the one who ran all the tests as a teenager.. once the problem got really out of hand.. she put me on higher doses of meds than I've ever been on in my life.. and in turn, i lost weight. Something I was never really capable of doing.. No matter how much I exercised and restricted my diet. So I have her to thank for all ofthis.

People always say I"m the one who did it all... I'm the one who has worked for it.. But I cuoldn't be here without the doctors... I do have them to thank. I can't write the medications for myself.. and the lifestyle changes i made when i was really little (and even since surgery) wouldn't have the effects of what they've done for me... not even just the drugs, but really getting it through my head and teaching me what's going on.. so if any of you ever see this blog, thank you.

-----

So yep... drugs i'm on now:

Zantac 150mg 2x  a day.
Altavera birth controll 1x a day.
Metformin 850mg 2x a day.
Aldactone 50mg 2x a day.
Synthroid 50mg 2x a day.
Multivitamin 2x a day.
Calcium Citrate 250mg 4x a day (or 500 2x a day)
Vitamin D 1000ui 1x a day
B12 shot 1x a month.

It seems like a lot.. but it could be a hell of a lot worse.

I'm exercising about 1 hour a day.. sometimes a little less.. sometimes i miss a day.. but it's been pretty consistent.. now that it's warmer i'm actually enjoying it a lot more. (:

alright. well i'm gonna go now. have a great day!

-Ashley.
www.facebook.com/justashley1637
www.twitter.com/justashley1637
ashleyellen1637@aol.com

Oh, and here is the paper I got at the appt. (:



I would just like to point out that...

The absolute best form of exersize that I've found since surgery (aside from swimming which I don't have the chance to do very often..) is playing with little kids.

There are a lot of kids in my neighborhood. They always used to want me to play soccer with them, because (not to be cocky or anything but...) i was pretty good when i played..t hen the weight got too much and blood prsesure and depression and i just quit. Well i'm about at the weight i was when i quit.

The other day I was outside taking pictures and they asked me to play.. So i actually did.. o.O it's been getting nice out.. so i figured hell, why not.

I played for a good 45 minutes to an hour straight. Street soccer. not a ton of start and stopping... and i've done that every day this week so far... today I played 'knockout' (a basketball game..) that i havent played since elementry school. and actually won once... and that went on for about 40 minutes straight then i quit because i wanted to take pictures.. not because i couldn't play anymore..

This is honestly like.. amazing.

If you have the privelege of having a bunch of obnoxious little kids in your neighborhood, or little siblings or cousins or anything, that liek to play outside... go for it! you may feel stupid playing with little kids (i know i do) but then when people ask just say your good with kids. they begged you to play. it doesn't even seem like exersize untill you realize your sweating and y our face is red and your heart is pounding in your chest, haha.

Alright. That will be all. <3 (:

have a great day!

-ashley.

www.twitter.com/justashley1637
www.facebook.com/justashley1637
ashleyellen1637@aol.com

Bari Wise Protein Cappucino Review!

I'm not a big coffee person.. But these are pretty great... My 13 year old brother likes them too. (when he slugs down 3 dr peppers a day, its surprizing he likes something with only three grams of sugar.)

I don't believe there is any caffeine in them, but the taste is stil there.. and it's one of the vew protein drinks i've found that you can drink, hot, that dont like.. curdle up.

http://www.dietdirect.com/bari-wise-health-hot-cappuccinos.html

I really like bari-wise.. a lot of their stuff is really good. (: Definatley check out diet direct.. the stuff is a little on the pricier side.. if you can get it, i definatley say go for it. I got a lot of stuff free, from a really great lady i met on obesity help when i was a more recent post-op... literally a massive box full of stuff. So i've gone through and tried all of it.. most of it was really good. there were a few things i didn't like so much, but you'll have that with anything.

I've gone back and ordered more of the fruit drinks, cappucinos, and one type of protein bar (which will be next to be reviewed... its amazing.) and there is  a ton more i want to try.

but yeah. if you like coffee, and need protein. this is amazing.. 90 callories, 4 carbs, 2-4 grams of sugar depending on the type (i've only tried the original.. i'm sure the others are great too) and 15 grams of protein...

(:

have a great day.

-ashley
www.twitter.com/justashley1637
www.facebook.com/justashley1637