083 We're Moving to Taiwan!!!

If you haven't heard...

We are moving to Taiwan! That's right, Taiwan! Read more about our new adventure by visiting our new blog.

082 Doing New Things!

Hello, Friends!

Here we are at almost 200 pounds lost! It's amazing just how far we have come since October. I can't believe we are here already, but we still have a way to go.

Still I thought I would share with you some of the great new things Jimmy and I have been doing to be healthier and lose weight in addition to making better food choices.

1. Swimming -- We love it!
2. Softball. This spring we joined our church softball team. It's been fun to hit the ball, play the field, and run the bases. Even Jimmy is enjoying being outside.

Jimmy's first at-bat of the season. He had a great hit even if he did wipe out afterwards.

Jimmy playing first base in our second game.

3. Other Outdoor Activities -- We have started going to the batting cages to bone up for softball and I actually talked Jimmy into mini-golf!

 

It's really been a blast and we are both looking forward to all the amazing doors which are going to be open to us now that Jimmy is shrinking. Keep in touch and we will keep you informed on the latest and greatest in our life too!

 

081 Jimmy's Four Month Post Op Update

Yes! It's finally here! I know that you have been waiting for ever to find out about what Jimmy has been up to so I trapped him and got him to record a little four month update. I'm sorry if you are hoping it would be really long because it's only about a minute in length. Jimmy is even more full of energy now and I just can't keep him trapped for that long. So I hope you enjoy this little update and hopefully I will get back into posting more soon.

080 Foodie Pics

I was cleaning off Jimmy's phone for him today when I realized just how many pictures of food he takes. I thought it would be fun to post them all and let you figure out for yourselves which were before surgery and which were after. I think it should be pretty easy and maybe even fun!

079 Congratulations on 150 Pounds Lost!

I just wanted to say Congratulations to you, Jimmy, for reaching your newest weight loss goal and for losing 150 POUNDS! It's really amazing all the hard work you have put in to make this happen. I am SO proud of you! Keep going. You can make your ultimate goal!

078 Tips for Success After Weight Loss Surgery

We are now past the three month mark and Jimmy is doing great! I really am proud of all that he has accomplished. I want you to have that kind of success too. So today I am sharing an article with you that I read on About.com which summarizes a lot of things that we have already heard from our doctor and other WLS friends. I hope you enjoy!

25 Tips For Success After Weight Loss Surgery

What to Do and What Not to Do After Weight loss Surgery

By Jennifer Heisler, RN, About.com Guide   •   Updated May 02, 2010

You will be making many changes to your lifestyle after you have weight loss surgery, which will include following your surgeon's instructions to the letter. Check out these 25 tips for success after gastric bypass surgery:

Know when to call your surgeon. In the weeks after surgery, you should call your surgeon if:

You develop a fever over 101 degrees

You have uncontrollable pain

You cannot keep fluids down

You are short of breath or have difficulty breathing

You notice dark or tarry (bloody) stools

You suddenly begin to bruise easily

Your incisions begin to leak pus or bleed heavily

You develop unexplainable severe leg pain

Don’t drink calories. Your caloric intake will be very limited after surgery, which should help you lose weight. Don’t work against your surgery by taking in liquid calories that provide no nutrition and slow your weight loss. Make every calorie count by focusing on protein, fruits and vegetables.

Avoid sugar. Sugar is the ultimate empty calorie. Sugar will make your blood sugar climb, cause hunger pangs, provide no nutrients and, for patients of certain types of gastric bypass, cause dumping syndrome. Avoid sugar and any foods that list sugar in the first three ingredients, whenever possible.

Avoid carbonated drinks. The bubbly nature of carbonated drinks, such as soda, can cause gas pain and increase the pressure in your stomach, which can be harmful to staples and sutures, especially in the months immediately after your surgery.

Don’t drink fluids immediately before, during or after your meal. It is essential that you reserve the small amount of space you have in your stomach for high-quality, nutrient-rich food. Drinking before and during your meal will fill your stomach with fluid, instead of food, and drinking immediately after your surgery can “wash” food out of your stomach, making you feel hungry sooner. Separate food and fluid by at least a half an hour, whenever you can.

Keep your follow-up visits. After surgery, your progress will be closely monitored. Skipping appointments may mean that a nutritional deficiency, surgical complication or other issues may not be discovered in a timely manner. Also, appointments are a good motivator for staying on track with your goals.

Don’t stop taking any medications without your surgeon’s approval. Many diseases can improve with surgery and weight loss, but that doesn’t mean you should stop taking your medication. Talk to your physician prior to stopping any medications.

Don’t snack. Snacking is a habit that can slow your progress and hurt your long-term success. Stick to high-quality meals and avoid junk foods. If you are hungry, have a meal, but don’t snack between meals.

Protein, Protein, Protein! Protein should be your primary focus when sitting down for a meal. Not only will it help you maintain your muscle mass while losing fat, but it will also help you feel full longer after your meals.

Skip alcoholic drinks. Alcohol is full of empty calories that provide no nutritional value. It can also contribute to stomach ulcers, which you are already at risk for because of your surgery. Weight loss surgery also makes you more sensitive to alcohol than you were before, so a little goes a long way.

Chew and then chew some more. Chewing your food thoroughly is essential to preventing nausea and vomiting during and after your meal. Large chunks of food can have trouble passing through the digestive tract after surgery, and if it gets stuck along the way, it can cause pain.

Avoid pregnancy for the first 24 months after surgery. Your body will be in high weight-loss mode for at least a year after your surgery. During that time, supporting you and a baby would be unhealthy for you and disastrous for a developing fetus. If you are sexually active, use a reliable method of birth control, and consult your surgeon before attempting to become pregnant.

Find a support group. There are more than 140,000 people having weight-loss surgery each year, so people who have walked in your shoes are not hard to find. Not only do support groups offer emotional support, but they can also provide advice on the wide range of changes you are facing as you lose weight. Support groups are available in most areas that have a bariatric surgeon and are plentiful on the Internet.

Don’t take over-the-counter drugs without your surgeon’s approval. Over-the-counter drugs can pose risks after surgery that were not a concern prior to surgery. Pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen increase the likelihood that you will develop an ulcer. Remedies forconstipation shouldn’t be taken without physician approval, as constipation can be a sign of complications or a need for a change in diet.

Listen to your body. Don’t eat if you aren’t hungry. Just because the clock says it is time for a meal, doesn’t mean you should eat one. Learn to listen to your smaller stomach and only eat when your body wants you to.

• Avoid simple carbs.

•  Simple carbohydrates are highly processed foods such as white bread, pasta, sugar and white rice. The rule of thumb is this if it is white, it may be a simple carb. You are better off with more wholesome alternatives such as brown rice that contain fiber and nutrients that white rice does not. Simple carbohydrates can also elevate blood glucose levels, triggering hunger pangs and cravings.

• Exercise. From the moment you are able to after surgery, exercise. Even if you can’t walk far or for very long, get started. Your results will be better, and you will be encouraged by how quickly your stamina improves as the pounds shed. Walking also helps prevent serious complications, such as pulmonary embolus and blood clots, if you start immediately after surgery.

• Eat mindfully. No more eating while watching television. Focus on what you are doing when you eat, and stop the moment you feel full. Giving food your full attention will help you learn to say when and develop new healthier habits.
• Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. This will help you feel more energetic, and it will prevent you from mistaking hunger for thirst. Many adults confuse the two sensations, so if you are well-hydrated, you won’t ever wonder if you are truly hungry.
• Surgery won’t fix your life. Remember that surgery is a way to lose weight, but it is not a miracle fix for every problem in your life. Being thin won’t make your children clean their room without being asked, it won’t fix a bad marriage and it certainly won’t make your nosy relatives behave themselves. Be realistic in your expectations of life after surgery.
• Say goodbye to caffeine. Caffeine is the most-used drug in the world, and it is a drug. Caffeine alters your mood, increases your heart rate and is a diuretic. If you drink caffeine, you will be working against your efforts to stay well-hydrated and increase your risk of a stomach ulcer.
• Find healthful coping skills. If you need bariatric surgery, the chances are high that you used food as a coping mechanism for stress. It is time to find a new way to cope, whether it is exercise, reading a book, talking to a friend on the phone or whatever works for you other than eating.
• Milk? Maybe. If you must drink calories, skim milk is an excellent option. Be aware, though, that many weight-loss surgery patients develop lactose intolerance after surgery, even if they didn’t have it before. Go easy on the dairy products until you know how your body will tolerate lactose.
• Kiddie meals and doggy bags. Restaurant portions are going to be massive in comparison to your needs after surgery. Plan on taking food home or ordering a child’s portion. If you aren’t sure you can resist joining the clean plate club, divide an acceptable portion away from the meal and have the server remove the rest before temptation sets in.
• Stop using straws. If you are going to drink, don’t use a straw. Straws not only allow you to drink too quickly, so you may end up with an uncomfortably full stomach, but they also allow air into the stomach that can cause serious discomfort.

_Sources Bariatric Surgery For Severe Obesity. Consumer Information Sheet. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. March 2008. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gastric.htm Jones,Nicolas V. Christou, MD, PhD; Didier Look, MD; and Lloyd D. MacLean, MD, PhD. " Weight Gain After Short- and Long-Limb Gastric Bypass in Patients Followed for Longer Than 10 Years."Annals of Surgery 2006 November; 244(5): 734–740.

077 Three Fast Chicks on a Diet share about Water Exercises

How to Lose Weight Fast with Aquatic Exercise

by Three Fat Chicks on a Diet

Aquatic exercise is perhaps one of the best ways to achieve full-body strength and loose weight quickly. Not only are aquatic exercise techniques easy on the body’s joints, they are also fun and relaxing. This helps to keep those seeking weight loss interested and dedicated to their exercise regimen.

Overview of Aquatic Exercise

In order to fully understand the weight loss benefits of aquatic exercise, you need to understand its techniques and why it is one of the most effective methods for quick weight loss.

Simply stated, aquatic exercise is exercise that is performed in water. Water creates natural resistance, which allows pressure on the joints and muscles to be displaced by the water. While the resistance of water makes this a low-impact exercise activity, resistance also helps to strengthen and build muscle. Because muscle naturally burns fat, this is the key elements to an aquatic exercise weight loss program.

Although aquatic exercise has been used a great deal by the medical community for rehabilitation patients who lack the strength to tolerate standard impact activity, the benefits of aquatic exercise are becoming more commonplace in both the medical and public communities.

Water Walking

One of the best aquatic exercises to begin with is water walking. With this technique, you want to make sure that the water is about waist high. Then, you can start by walking from one end of the pool to the other, being sure to keep your back straight and your arms moving from front to back just as you would normally do when walking. Because this is a basic aquatic exercise, it is a good place to start for people who are new to aquatic exercise. Water walking assists in the weight loss process by strengthening some of the key areas of your body, including the shoulders, arms, abdomen, upper legs and back.

Kickboarding

Another aquatic exercise that may help induce quick weight loss is kickboarding. With this exercise, you will place your arms and upper torso on the kickboard. Then, you will paddle around the pool using only your legs. Again, the resistance of the water acts against the motion of your legs, so your lower body will be receiving most of the impact from this exercise.

Resistance Exercises

Some aquatic exercise activities don’t require anything more than the water. You will simply use your body against water’s natural resistance to trim and strengthen your areas of concern. One technique that you can try is marching in place. During this exercise, you will start from a standing position with your legs together. You will then bring your left knee up at a 90-degree angle and release it back down. Then, repeat with the right leg.

On a similar note, try starting from the same standing position, but this time bring your left leg out to the side and then back to center, working both your inner and outer thigh. Repeat with your right leg. The thigh area is always a major concern for those looking to lose weight, so this is a good aquatic exercise to incorporate for weight loss purposes.

076 It's the Little Things that Count

Good morning! It's been a while since I have been on but there really hasn't been much to report. Well that was until Jimmy and I got to talking last night and realized that we actually have a lot of little things to report :)

It's the little things that count. When you stop to add them all up you realize just how much things in your life are changing when you might not have noticed had you not counted the little things.

So anyway...without further ado, these are some of the little things that we have noticed over the past few weeks:

• Jimmy can now wear the seat belt without an extender
• Jimmy's shoes are loose because he no longer has swelling in his feet and ankles
• Jimmy's legs get smaller and smaller (can we say chicken legs!)
• Jimmy can see his knees when he sits down
• Jimmy was able to stand and preach for 30 minutes without his normal back and knee pain
• Jimmy loves going to the pool to exercise and last night was the easiest as far as getting in to the Y, changing, and changing again once he is finished swimming

There have been some other things that we have noticed as well but I just can't think of them at the moment. That just goes to show that I should write things down when I think about them. Ugh. Anyway, I will let you know when we have more little accomplishments to share.

075 The Benefits of Sharing

I have been looking forward to the day that all the other gastric sleevers have been telling us about...the day the grocery bill goes down!

I haven't so much noticed it in our actual grocery bill yet because we have to buy staples like different flavors of protein drinks and stuff like that. However, I have seen a marked difference in our dining out bill.

Not only are we eating out less, but we are also sharing one meal between us! That still blows my mind. That got me thinking... Besides money what are the benefits of sharing?

So here are my Top 4 Benefits for Sharing Restaurant Portions after Gastric Sleeve Surgery:
1. Sharing helps keep Jimmy's portion size in check and help me eats a more accurate food portion myself
2. Sharing forces us to sit closer, look at each other, and talk during meals (no more stick in the television face)
3. Sharing often eliminates leftovers in the fridge that no one is going to eat
4. Sharing reduces the overall meal cost.

I know I said it's not all about the money but I have to tell you this story.

Jimmy and I decided to go out last week and try Mexican for the first time. So we went to our local El Maguey and as soon as we walked in we saw the beef and bean burrito was on the specials menu. Perfect! We sit down and we order two waters and the burrito special. The hardest thing was resisting the chips which we asked them not to bring but they did anyway (I blame the language barrier). When the burrito comes we decided to open it up on the plate and scrape the insides out onto the cheese sauce which the burrito had been smothered in and we didn't eat the flour tortilla shell. We finished our meal and we were both comfortably full without over doing it. We didn't have any leftovers and for the first time in our lives we were able to tip about 100%! Our meal was only $3.65 so we gave the waitress a $4 tip just because we could. It was an awesome experience.

We didn't think that we would but we actually love sharing. So we share the majority of the time now.

074 Watch Jimmy Shrink

Jimmy showing off his new swim trunks
before we headed to the Y for his first
aqua exercise experience.

I don't know if you have noticed but Jimmy has lost over one hundred pounds! That's quite a lot of weight. I also don't know if you have realized that Jimmy and I have been keeping a photo gallery with monthly pictures of his weight loss history. You can view the photo gallery by clicking on "Photo Gallery" in the top navigation bar.

The fun thing about the Photo Gallery is that you can watch Jimmy shrink before your very eyes! The pictures are arranged from oldest to newest. This allows you to see what Jimmy was like from his high school graduation all the way up to this month. Check out the Photo Gallery today and see if you notice the difference!

073 Jimmy's Week Eight Post-Op Update Video

072 My Problem is Social Eating

Yesterday, I re-realized just how big of a problem Jimmy and I have with social eating. You see we don't really eat when we are sad or overwhelmed but we do eat when we are happy or everyone else around us is eating. So what made me re-realize this?

In continuing to show my support for Jimmy, I decided to participate in the community weight loss challenge called the Pound Plunge. I thought some healthy competition would be great incentive for me to really buckle down and try to eat healthier and exercise. So far so good...

Then yesterday I was walking down the hall at work and passed a co-worker who has eating a snickers and my brain instantly says, "You're hungry! You should eat." I was like, "Whoa. Where did that come from? I was just fine a second ago." Thankfully I was only half an hour from my lunch break and the vending machine was empty of all the things which normally tempt me.

I dodged the bullet yesterday but I stopped to think how often I am surrounded by food at work (and Jimmy is too). All my co-workers who are busy eating aren't going to tell me to stop. I have to learn this restraint and self-discipline on my own. Yikes!

I say all this to say that if you have trouble not eating when surrounded by food--you are not alone! Hang in there and maybe we can learn some self-discipline together :)

071 Christiana's Turkey Chili

Christiana's Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 LB lean ground turkey
• 1 LB lean turkey sausage (optional)
• 2 Cans Chili Beans or Red Kidney Beans
• 1 Can Black Beans
• 1 Can Navy Beans 
• 4 Cans Tomato Sauce (or 2 Large Cans)
• 1 Pkg Chili Seasoning of your choice
• 1 T. Cumin
• 3 T. Chili Powder
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Open all cans and dump into crock pot without draining. I also rinse all the cans with a very small amount of water (each) and dump that into the pot as well to get all the beans out of the bottom, etc.
2. Mix all seasoning into the crockpot because it will mix best without all the meat in the way
3. Brown meat, drain, and dump into the crockpot. I like to brown my meat because I can never tell when Jimmy is going to try to sneak some out during the day so it's a safety thing plus it gets rid of some of the excess fat.
4. Set crockpot on low heat and cook for 8hrs. Stir occasionally.

Servings: Approx. 15 - 1 cup servings (it could be more but I really can't remember)

I hope you enjoy my chili recipe. It's one of Jimmy's favorites and he can still have it even after his gastric sleeve surgery. I love it because it's simple but very tasty. It also works great with lean hamburger and regular sausage although not quite as healthy. It is really a no fuss dish that you can eat several meals off of or that you can portion out and freeze for later. So it's a Win - Win!

070 The Importance of Potassium

Hey, everyone! It's so nice to feel like I am finally rested after spending two night sleeping on the couch in Jimmy's hospital room last week. Now that I have recouped I want to write about what I learned while Jimmy was in the hospital.

Potassium is important!

You look at that "K" on the periodic table and you eat a banana but do you really realize just how important Potassium is in your diet? I know that I didn't until Jimmy didn't have enough of it.

Last time Jimmy got dehydrated and his potassium dropped so did his blood pressure. Once they straightened things out with his hydration I didn't think much of it because they took him off his blood pressure meds so I thought they were the main culprits causing the drops in blood pressue. It seems that potassium had more to do with it than I thought.

Evidentally, you have ALL KINDS of problems when your potassium levels drop. Some of these are cramps, decreased muscle activity, decreased function in your GI tract, blood pressure drop, and potential heart damage. YIKES! To say I underestimated the importance of potassium doesn't even come close to the mark. Read more about what Potassium does in your body.

So make sure that you are drinking lots of fluids and taking your vitamins so that you reduce your chances of experiencing low potassium levels. Read here to discover common causes of low potassium levels.

069 Home from the Hospital

For everyone who doesn't already know...

Jimmy got to come home from the hospital on Saturday. It's nice to be home and relax. Jimmy is doing better but has doctor's orders to rest and make sure that he is hydrated for a few days before he can even think about going back to his normal routine.

So for now he is kicking back, reading the books he got for Christmas, and drinking lots of water and low calorie Gatorade.

Thank you for all the prayers and concerns. They were felt and appreciated!

068 Another Hospital Stay

On Friday afternoon we went to a follow up appointment with Dr. Hornbostel because of Jimmy's trip to the ER the night before. Jimmy was still feeling very miserable from everything that he was going through. When Dr. H came into the room he told Jimmy he was admitting him to the hospital.

We were shocked. We knew Jimmy was sick but we didn't expect a hospital stay. Dr. H says it is because Jimmy is very dehydrated from the diarrhea and you can't really catch up because it is so soon after surgery and he can't drink large amounts. Number two it's because they need to keep a close eye on him and get his bowel, vitamins, and eating situations back on track.

So we went straight over to admitting.

They got him to a room quickly but had lots of trouble with his IV (he ended up having a pick line after two different IVs infiltrated) and labs. Finally after using the sonogram (not sonar like Jimmy thought) they got him all situated and started on his fluids and vitamins. Not surprisingly, his blood work said he was dangerously low on potassium so they have been working to bring that up the last two days.

They have also done some other tests, xrays, and listened to his bowels. After Jimmy pucked up the Barium they were attempting to use for one test, his bowels finally startedmoving. So I guess 20 minutes of pucking and dry heaving helped move things along in the bathroom department. One positive to come out of a failed test attempt.

After all the results were in, Dr. H came back yesterday afternoon to tell us the verdict. As the xrays from the ER and the fact Jimmy's bowels finally started moving proved there wasn't blockage or obstruction. Hornbostel believes Jimmy caught a very aggressive flu bug which caused the diarrhea and was complicated by the fact he was already constipated.

These things combined curbed his appetite (dropping his vitamins), caused diarrhea (lowering his potassium levels, and caused dehydration (which he couldn't combat because of the limited amounts he can drink in one sitting). That's why he ended up in the hospital. Just one big whammy. The good news was if he could keep stuff down and get his potassium up then he could go home on Saturday.

So here we are, waiting to see what his fate will be. Will we go home or harbor another night at Heartland? Only Dr. H knows.

* Thanks to everyone who came by to visit or bring us stuff. You are very appreciated and you made our stay that much easier! *

067 The Constipation Saga Continues

Last night was another long night. We are still dealing with Jimmy not feeling well. I guess last night it was just the last straw so we ended up in the emergency room.

Because of the pain Jimmy was having they first thought that he might have a fecal impaction so they did abdominal x-rays to check for blockage and one of the doctors stuck his finger up Jimmy's bum (T.M.I. I know!) to see if their was any hard blockage near the entrance of the rectum.

The Verdict
Jimmy does not have blockage.
Jimmy does not have a fecal impaction.
Jimmy did not have a septic bowel movement.
JIMMY IS CONSTIPATED.

Evidently constipation can cause diarrhea because the other poo is forced around the harder stuff in an effort to leave the rectum. In Jimmy's case, the frequent trips to the bathroom have aggravated his hemorrhoids and the wiping has made his bottom very raw and tender. This has resulted in all the pain and discomfort Jimmy is experiencing.

Because Jimmy went to the ER they also called Dr. Hornbostel. Dr. H says that Jimmy is supposed to call him today and he has to go back to the Liquid Diet until further notice. So I will keep you posted.

For now, I am going to try to focus on work through my haze of tiredness and this too shall pass (no pun intended). Hope your day is better than ours was yesterday.

066 A Rough Beginning to the New Year

I was at work on New Year's Eve waiting to surprise Jimmy with the fact that I was going to get off an hour early! I couldn't wait! Thirty minutes before I was supposed to leave I get a phone call from Jimmy that he is having an emergency but that he can't tell me what it is because he feels like he is about to throw up. So I rush out the door and catch my boss on the way out. She isn't thrilled that I want to leave a half hour before my already early hour out and sends me off with "Jimmy always seems to be having emergencies." Needless to say I am now worried about my husband, my job, and driving home in the snow.

When I get home, I find Jimmy in the bathroom. Evidently he has been in the bathroom for three hours now (maybe a little more). For the past few days, Jimmy has been feeling constipated and the nurse practitioner told us not to worry (because he will probably go less often now than before surgery) but to keep an eye on it. While I was at home for lunch today, Jimmy decided it was time to take a suppository to help relieve himself, and after I left he went into the bathroom and never came out.

By the time that I arrived he is tired, in pain from sitting on the toilet, light headed, and a little dehydrated. So we called the nurse. She said that he probably just has a lot to get out (gee thanks) but that he should make sure that he stays hydrated and that she would call in something for the nausea. So I go back out into the snow to buy sugar free Gatorade (which doesn't even taste good to Jimmy anymore) and to get some meds. The next hour is spent in the bathroom while he drinks the Gatorade and tries to stop going long enough to go out to the recliner and relax his back -- Oh! and did I mention we have company in town!

Finally things claim down enough that he can come out for about an hour at a time to visit and relax. We actually did have some fun hanging out with our guests but the majority of the night was spent in the bathroom and doctoring his poor, sore bottom. This continued throughout the night.

 Needless to say, Jimmy had a really rough beginning to the New Year. Butt (ha has) I guess we should look on the bright side, if this is the worst of 2013 at least it is already over! :)

In all seriousness we know that this will pass. Life happens. Enjoy the good moments and laugh about the bad ones when you can. May God bless you and keep you this year. May you find joy and peace as you have never known before and may your long awaited dreams finally come true!

Grace and Peace,

065 Happy New Year

Just wanted to take a moment to say "Happy New Year!" May your 2013 be filled with even greater joys, happiness, and blessings than 2012. God be with you as you celebrate today. Be safe and we will see you back here tomorrow on Jimmy Goes Gastric!