Wendy's "I'm Going to SCOTLAND!!!!" Weight Loss Journey(Scotland Trip Report Pg 10)

[magsnden]

hi! i'm up way too early, my son wouldn't sleep past 3, so i got to check in here. so glad your surgery went well. i hope you continue to feel better every day. i know the trouble of no poops all too well! both of my angels (ha ) were born by c-section and boy does that mess things up, not to mention the pain meds.

i wondered if you can eat any fruit? i remember bananas are out. apples won't help in that department. but what about melon. watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe? they're filled with water and great fiber. but i don't know if your new diet allows for fruit.

great job losing 5 pounds! way to go! don't put too much pressure on yourself, you just had surgery!

 

[whgrn]

hi! i'm up way too early, my son wouldn't sleep past 3, so i got to check in here. so glad your surgery went well. i hope you continue to feel better every day. i know the trouble of no poops all too well! both of my angels (ha ) were born by c-section and boy does that mess things up, not to mention the pain meds.

i wondered if you can eat any fruit? i remember bananas are out. apples won't help in that department. but what about melon. watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe? they're filled with water and great fiber. but i don't know if your new diet allows for fruit.

great job losing 5 pounds! way to go! don't put too much pressure on yourself, you just had surgery!

yes fruit is oK other than bananas. I eat apples, mango, grapes, and when I shop I will get other stuff, including melon. So far so good!

 

[M&N]

Keep up that positive attitude. You're doing something that would be very difficult for me. At least with WW I can eat stuff but I need to count the points. Putting the right things in your body is a mind game too. Keep telling yourself you're doing what is best for your body. Think of the great success you have had so far. Think of the future benefits. You go girl!

 

[whgrn]

Amazingly, I have NO cravings for anything. I have NO desire to eat things I shouldn't, even when everyone else is eating pizza, cake, etc. I am perfectly happy eating the things I'm supposed to. This NEVER happens!!

Tracey came down yesterday and took Esmin and me grocery shopping. What fun!!!!! I got some salmon and some orange roughy, and a nice turkey breast to throw in the crock pot, maybe tomorrow...

I've been eating salmon alot--dinner last night and lunch today, and I had OR twice too. I also found out that rice milk in oatmeal or multi grain cereal is good, and even with the rice protein powder, it's quite yummy. Who knew?!? I've been eating nuts every day, since the extra fat is good for me, along with all the nutrients in nuts. Still taking it easy with salad--the one I had for dinner last night sat just fine. Maybe I just need to eat it FIRST with the meal.

My shoulder is doing great--minimal pain, no Percocet since Thursday night. (that will change once PT resumes! ) And my abdomen is actually showing healing progress! And my sinuses, while still congested a bit, don't hurt! And the eczema is MUCH less! I'm still very stiff though, and I think my Hgb must be close to 8, as I've been hearing my heartbeat in my ear at times. But hey, I'll take the improvement I'm getting!!! Drinking hot water with lemon each morning has my bowels back to normal function, and my supplements and Amino Acid powder are giving me some much needed energy. I feel GOOD!!!

I'm looking forward to stepping on the scale Tuesday. I don't expect a big drop like last week, but a couple pounds wouldn't be a shock. I still can't believe I got #1 on the weekly challenge AND #1 biggest loser in the same week!!! I never ever thought I'd be the BL, and really just hoped to make the top 10 at least once!

So, I'm just keeping it up and we'll see where it takes me.

 

[magsnden]

so glad to hear you're doing so well. you sound very positive, and it's wonderful to hear.

i have to ask. you mentioned about hearing your heartbeat in your ear. it's crazy because i was just talking to DH about that. it happens to me a LOT. it worries me. more lately and i have no idea why. so you said your hemoglobin is low? that must be happening to me, i guess. what can i do about it?


tell us about the challenges. i see one of them is a dis challenge.

way to go!!

 

[whgrn]

so glad to hear you're doing so well. you sound very positive, and it's wonderful to hear.

i have to ask. you mentioned about hearing your heartbeat in your ear. it's crazy because i was just talking to DH about that. it happens to me a LOT. it worries me. more lately and i have no idea why. so you said your hemoglobin is low? that must be happening to me, i guess. what can i do about it?


tell us about the challenges. i see one of them is a dis challenge.

way to go!!

One of the signs of anemia (low hemoglobin) is hearing your heartbeat in your ear. (I have NO idea why...) I can always tell when I am dropping towards about 8 because that's when it starts. I usually run in the 9s. Normal is 12-15... Get your hemoglobin checked and see what it is!!

The challenges are on the Dis Biggest Loser Round 4 thread. The one I won was a combination thing--alll ways of "slowing down", taking time for yourself, spending time with the kids, etc. There have been some on exercise, some on dietary changes, etc. This week's is hard for me--it includes several things I just can't do, like "get in 3 servings of dairy every day". (No dairy for me!!!) But it's fun, gets you to try new things. The first week included points for trying out new fruits and veggies. I tried a bunch of new stuff--didn't like most of it, but at least I tried!

 

[magsnden]

One of the signs of anemia (low hemoglobin) is hearing your heartbeat in your ear. (I have NO idea why...) I can always tell when I am dropping towards about 8 because that's when it starts. I usually run in the 9s. Normal is 12-15... Get your hemoglobin checked and see what it is!!

The challenges are on the Dis Biggest Loser Round 4 thread. The one I won was a combination thing--alll ways of "slowing down", taking time for yourself, spending time with the kids, etc. There have been some on exercise, some on dietary changes, etc. This week's is hard for me--it includes several things I just can't do, like "get in 3 servings of dairy every day". (No dairy for me!!!) But it's fun, gets you to try new things. The first week included points for trying out new fruits and veggies. I tried a bunch of new stuff--didn't like most of it, but at least I tried!

thank you, thank you, thank you!! seriously, i've been worried about why i could hear my heartbeat. ok i'm going to get it checked and start some vitamins, i guess. i really don't eat much red meat, but i do like all green veggies. i'm pretty sure there's supposed to be iron in those.

so you'll have to let someone else win the challenge this week! and good for you for at least trying the new fruits and veggies. that's more than a lot of people can say! it's funny how people make their kids eat right, but don't do it themselves. i'm lucky, my kids like all kinds of food but i like it so that's what i give them. but they're still kinda young to become all picky. pretty soon i bet my daughter will start with that just to be difficult! that'll be fun.

 

[whgrn]

He says my shoulder is doing perfect! How different... I can increase activity, no more padded sling (except for typing ), I can get it wet in the shower, and now that the stitiches are out, the itching will go away!!!!

I gained 1.9 pounds this week, and I think it's because a) not much exercise after surgery and b) I checked out all my food intake on SparkPeople and it turns out my carbs are way high, my fats are a bit high, and my protein is way low. So I have to readjust some stuff. No biggie really...

I think I am gonna measure myself so I have a reference point. I also think I'm going to eliminate the Maxzide I take for fluid retention. I've been afraid to do it because I might gain weight, but what the heck. If I don't need it, why take it??? The doctor said it was ok to stop, so I will at least give it a whirl!

I am getting SO sick of eating the same foods over and over and over again. And it's only been a WEEK!! I can't imagine how I'll feel about it after a month or more. I've decided the first thing I want to take back is not yogurt, not wheat, but BUTTER!!!! God do I miss it! It makes just about any starch taste better. I'm using Honey Mustard dressing in it's place, and it just ain't cuttin' it!!

Well, off to dinner. At least it's something I really like--my meat and veggie sauce over rice. Easy and yummy, just the way I like it!!

 

[M&N]

Having your measurements is a great encouragement. People at WW said that it encouraged them when the scales were not friendly. I'm wanting to fall back into some bad habits because as long as it's counted in points it's technically ok but I need to eat healthier too. You are an encouragement to me. I cannot imagine honey mustard replacing butter. Keep up the good work.

 

[whgrn]

OK, so I'm doing ok here. Today I made McCann's steel cut Irish oatmeal, with almond milk. I added a T of flaxseed. Oh. My. Goodness!!!! It was SOOOOO yummy!! Way better than the regular old rolled oats. Even tho it takes 30 minutes to cook, it was well worth it! I made enough for 2 servings, so I can have it again tomorrow. I may make a larger batch next time.

Esmin made corn porridge, and I had a tiny bite of that. (she made it with milk). It was so yummy, what a great rotation with the oatmeal! I will try making it with almond milk, and if it is anywhere near as good, it's a keeper!

I made hulled barley this morning too, and it is super. I made it with chicken broth and water. 6 servings, 1/2 cup each. I kept out 2 servings in the fridge, and froze the rest. Another good yummy grain that won't need anything in it to taste good.

Had my first PT today. Not bad really. I took a big Percocet, and really didn't need it. So Saturday I will try it with a small one and see how that goes. I hope I can actually do it without Percocet--then I can drive myself. For now all I do is passive stuff. The PT stretches my arm in different directions (stopping when I grimace), and it's amazing how much it loosens up after awhile! 15 minutes of ice at the end feels SOOOO good.

I am trying to establish just how much protein I really need. I am falling way low every day, even with doing 10 ounces of protein a day. I think cutting out the dairy really hurt me--that was a quick and easy 16 grams per day! I guess I really need to talk to the nutritionist again...

The itchiness has let up some--still a bother, but not nearly as bad. I hope I'm getting some of the worst of the detox behind me. I'll be glad when it's over!

Gotta start getting in some cardio here. I checked out the gym today after PT. I can definitely get up on the treadmills there. I just need to get the forms signed by Dr. Rossi and Dr. DiBiase, and then I'm good to go. So hopefully I will be able to drive myself to PT, and then do 30 minutes on the treadmill afterwards. The treadmills each have their own TV, you can set the channel you want, and plug in your headphones! Too cool! I can just lose myself in TV show and next thing I know, I'll have walked a mile! Works for me.

Off to do my evening PT exercises and have my snack and supplements.

Thank God the kids are off tomorrow so we can sleep in a little. Of course, that also means I have them home all day... Oh, and tomorrow night is Danny's party--guess I have to bake a cake.

 

[whgrn]

It's amazing how many things there are out there that are good AND good for you, and yet I didnt' know about them.

1) Cornmeal porridge: Esmin showed me how to make this--just water, almond milk, and cornmeal. Very yummy and a great breakfast with cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey.

2) Earth Balance Buttery Spread: Margarine? ME?? No way, NEVER!! But now that I tried this stuff, I've changed my tune! No trans fat, no chemicals or additives. Just healthy oils and a taste I actually enjoy. Makes eating rice, potatoes, etc. SO much nicer!

3) 97% Lean Ground Turkey--OK, I knew that ground turkey existed, of course, but never cared much for it. Well, Esmin makes these turkey burgers that mix the meat with a little pepper and garlic salt. OOOOOOOHHHHHEEEEE! So very yummy!

Every new thing I try and like adds to the variety of things I can eat. Otherwise it gets old FAST!!

I wish the weather was a little warmer. It's just too cold (35%) to go out and walk, since I can't bundle up in my warm coats and sweaters with my arm in a sling.! And the wind just blows up under my cape, so that's no good either. Hopefully next week I'll get the ok to go to the gym and use the treadmill--then my cardio will jump way up!! Meanwhile, I'm kind of limited to grocery shopping and walking around the house. Bor-ring!!!

My arm is doing well. PT is easy with barely any pain. I'm doing my exercises at home too. I'll be SO glad to take this sling off! The incision looks beautiful, and even my abdomen is slowly healing! FINALLY!!! Dr. Dietch is gonna plotz next week when he sees the change.

I am now on so many supplements that I am up over 30 pills a day. I've had to divide them into 4 times a day rather than 2 or even 3. So now I get a handful with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime snack. No wonder I'm so full all the time!! But hey, I DO feel alot better. Everyone is commenting on how great my skin looks, and how I look thinner. I wish the scale would keep up with the complements!

Tonite I am cooking a chicken, so there will be plenty of leftovers to eat tomorrow. I've learned to make my main meal be at lunch time, including the salad. I just can't digest it enough at dinner to feel good at bedtime. So we'll have rice and green beans with the chicken tonite, and that will be just fine. I had a chopped salad with tuna for lunch, which was GREAT. Along with a baked sweet potato with a tsp of margerine, a sprinkle of organic brown sugar and of cinnamon. YUMMY!!!!!!! And perfectly filling.

Funny, a month ago I was at Canyon Ranch just learning about all of these changes--eating organic, eliminating foods I'm sensitive to, etc. It really WAS a life changing experience, and I'm already reaping the benefits. I would never have believed I could do it. And I guess *I* couldn't do it! Only with God was I able to make these changes! "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"--Phil 4:13. I guess I need to remember that!

 

[whgrn]

Yes, that's right! I went for a walk. For 1.3 miles or so. For an HOUR. In the RAIN! I am quite impressed with myself right now! I would usually have used the rain as an excuse not to walk, but I had made up my mind that I was going to walk today, since it's 62 degrees out, and a little rain was NOT going to stop me!!

It will be interesting to see what the scale shows tomorrow. I've been doing really well on calories, getting some exercise, taking my supplements, drinking my water. One would THINK I should lose some significant poundage. But of course, one might be wrong--I've gained before when it didn't make any sense! We'll see tomorrow though.

PT was good today. I was with my old pal Charlie. I think he overdid it a bit, so we will back off a bit next time. (I checked with the doctor and he doesn't want me doing any active stuff yet, only passive.) I ran into the OT guy who does lymphatic drainage (actually there are 5 of them there who do it!) and he said they are all trained the same way as the girl at Canyon Ranch! So I am asking Dr. Rossi for a referral for lymphatic drainage. I can't imagine that she won't agree--it can only help me.

An interesting thing I noted on my walk today (and other days) is that my hips really do bother me when I walk any distance. I think I will have to get back to the Neuromuscular therapy and have her work on my hips. Gotta loosen them up!

I readjusted my food plan a little. I was starting to have a hard time getting in my evening snack. Not only not hungry, but still full from dinner,and then when I add in the amino acid drink and the supplements--NO WAY!! So I switched the turkey and mango snack to the morning, kept the apple and nuts in the afternoon, and then the evening, IF I want a snack, will be the granola. If I don't have it, no biggie. I am also limiting myself to 3 ounces of protein at dinner. last night I had 4.5 and it was fine--until time for my snack. I ended up eating 2 dried apricots instead, and even that was too much.

I also decided to move my huge Omega 3 pills to lunchtime. It doesn't matter when I take them, and at night they are too much. So this should help. Now if I have 1/2 my night pills and my amino acid drink with dinner, that only leaves a few supplements for bedtime, and that should be ok.

If I get any more supplements, I am going to need a new stomach to put them in!!

Tonite Mom is here, and we have no kids, so we are having salmon. With a baked potato and green beans, that should be fine. Plus we will eat at 6, so by the time I have my snack at 9, it will be 3 hours.

Off to start cooking!!

 

[whgrn]

So the day got off to a great start when I stepped on the scale and found that I've lost 4.8 pounds this week!!! WOOOHOOOO!! That gives me a net loss of 2.3 for the past 2 weeks. Not bad, I'll take it. So I've lost I think like 13.9 so far this year? I forget what my actual starting weight was! And my ticker is off because it SHOULD show what I lost before I started trying to lose (initial post hernia-surgery loss). Anyway, I'm losing, and that's what counts, right?

Took Mom for the annual squashing of the b00bies ritual, and then, since we were so close to the Whole Foods in Middletown, we went shopping. This store is WAY bigger than the one by Mom's so it was quite an adventure! We got tons of produce, and I was surprised to find that V-8 actually makes an Organic version! I was disappointed in the salmon--looked very un-fresh--so I passed. I'm frankly starting to feel like I'm turning into a salmon, since I eat so much! I did find boneless turkey breasts, which I love to do in the crock pot, so I got 2 of them. Also snagged a nice flank steak which will be a great crock pot meal for Friday night when the kids have cooking class. I even treated myself to a nice filet mignon for dinner tonite--more on that later.

We came home and ate lunch. Now, it was 1:00, I was actually a bit hungry, and I only had 1/2 cup of rice, a small salad, and a 3 ounce turkey burger. NOT a huge lunch! The only supplements I took were my 2 ginormous Omega 3 pills. I felt very very full. At 3:30 I still felt to full for a snack, so I skipped it. At 5:45, still not feeling particularly hungry, I had dinner. A 3.5 ounce filet, a small baked potato, and a small glass of V8. I didn't finish any of it. Left at least 1/2 ounce of the meat, most of the potato, and about 1/4 of the V8. No supplements. I am STUFFED. Here it is over 3 hours later, and the mere thought of food makes me want to barf. So, no snack, no supplements for me tonite.

This is getting rediculous!! I am physically unable to get in the calories the nutritionist wants, including 10 ounces of protein, plus the supplements. It is just WAY too much for my tiny little pouch of a stomach! Time to send off an email and find out what the heck I should be doing.

So, as if that all wasn't enough, I get a call from Laura's teacher that she had a science project due today and didn't finish it. Huh? I asked her Thursday, before the Four Day Weekend if she had any homework. She said no, and I asked her several times! So now, the highest possible grade she can get is a 50. Great. So on top of the fact that she had to do it all tonite, in addition to her math homework (division, which she is CLUELESS with), I have to deal with the fact that my 12 year old daughter is a Pathological Liar!!!!! I dont' know what to do with her. She even lied about her Life Skills assignment, saying that I'd filled out the form for last week. Um, NO, I did NOT fill out the form! She swears I did, I KNOW I didn't. So she is grounded, and I get to choose her clothes for the next 2 weeks, which she HATES. Hopefully it will at least make her THINK, as she is sitting there in nice, feminine clothing instead of her tomboy football jerseys and sweatshirts. Then again, I don't think ANYTHING gets through that thick head of hers!!

I HATE this stuff. This is SO not the life I signed up for!!!!!!!

 

[whgrn]

So I lowered my calories to 1300-1500, and it seems to have gone better today. Also, Judy (nutritionist) emailed back and told me that was OK and what I should cut out. So tomorrow I'll try to do it her way. It seems like she cut out all protein, so I may do a hybrid.

For breakfast I only had 1/2 cup of oatmeal instead of a cup. Judy said I can decrease my sausages from 3 to 2, which I WILL do--it only drops 2/3 of a Protein. She also said to cut my AM snack in 1/2, so instead of 2 ounces of turkey, just have 1, and only 1/2 a fruit. I can do that too! I had honeydew with my turkey today, it was yummy!

Lunch was a finely chopped salad of carrot, celery, pepper and tomato with 2 ounces tuna and a T of dressing. It was yummy and went down with NO problem! Also a small sweet potato with healthy margerine. For once I didnt' feel overwhelmed by the amount. Maybe avoiding lettuce is a good idea? I also divided up my ginormous Omega 3s at lunch, took 1 before and 1 after. In any event, I was fine after lunch!

My apple and nuts were fine too. Judy says I can go to 1 T of nuts instead of 2, but that seems to me to be a "why bother?" I think I'd just as soon knock off a starch, thank you very much!

For dinner I took it really easy. 2/3 cup of rice with 3/4 cup of my meat and veggie sauce. It was yummy, not overly filling, and settled fine.

So now all that's left is granola for a snack. I've even gotten in all my supplements with no problem. Just have a very few left for bedtime. I've split them up into 5 seperate times--breakfast, AM snack, lunch, dinner, and bedtime. I've got 40 pills a day to take , this is the ONLY way to do it!

I saw my PCP today and their scale says I've lost 10 pounds in less than 4 weeks. For some reason, their scale is only 5 pounds up over mine, rather than 9. That 5 pounds is easily attributed to clothing and food/water intake. I know I've really only lost 6.5 in that time. Not sure why their scale is so much "better" this week, but I'll take it!! I got clearance from the doctor to use the treadmill, and the elliptical when the ortho clears me for it. YAY!!! Now I just have to convince the ortho that the treadmill is no different than walking down the street, and I will be back to the gym!!!!!

I was so determined to walk today that I did 10 laps of figure 8s around the kitchen and hall. Only got in about 0.2 miles, since I was running kids around, but at least I walked! I'll do more tomorrow. WAY to cold to walk outside!

PT went well. I was with Heather again and she is SO much more gentle than Charlie! Just passive stretching, followed by ice. It felt MUCH better today than Monday. I even went to the Chiropractor this AM for a much needed adjustment. My neck was way out from wearing the sling.

I'm determined to be in bed by 10 tonite so I can get in my 8 hours of sleep. This AM I was actually tired and considered going back to bed, but I didn't do it.

I was just looking at the photo of me from 2004 and I'm amazed at how much thinner I looked, even though I was only about 30 pounds or so lighter than now. It will be good to get back down there again. Hopefully in time for Scotland--that would be awesome!

 

[whgrn]

I've gotten used to writing down everything I eat, and every bit of exercise. I'm having no problem with getting in enough water. I am almost always within the range for calories, fat, carbs, protein, and sodium. I've even got my gallon of pills spaced out through the day in a way that I can get them all in without too much difficulty.

And now I find out that I'm not getting enough fiber??? How can this be? I am eating a healthy, balanced diet. 3 fruits and 4 or 5 veggies a day. Only whole grains. Umm, so how come I only come up with 24 grams, and I need 25 to35 grams a day? OK, so that's pretty close, but I figured I'd be right up there in the mid-range at least! Where the heck am I supposed to find this extra fiber? Eat tree bark? OK, so I could switch my breakfast jjuice to an actual breakfast fruit (which I'd actually thought of myself earlier today, and maybe I'll do just that). But what else can I possibly do? Take fiber supplements? YIKES! If I have to take another supplement I swear I will SCREAM!!!!!!

Ya know, if I could eat wheat, this would be SOOOO much easier! All sorts of great high fiber wheat things out there to eat. I could have Kashi. Or bulghur, or even whole wheat couscous. All natural whole grain bread, anyone? But no, that's not an option.

Ok, enough of the whining.

It was a pretty good day otherwise! I had my first iron infusion this afternoon, and someow my hemoglobin managed to jump from 9.5-10.5 even BEFORE the IV was hooked up! Hmmm, could this have anything to do with the way I'm eating and the fact that I am taking some homeopathic thing to increase iron absorption?? COOL! It's awesome to actually SEE results!

I went to measure myself this morning and couldn't find the tape measure. I swear that's about the 3rd one that's disappeared around here! Guess I'll need to get a new one tomorrow so I can do it.

I can actually see some difference when I look in the mirror now. It's pretty cool actually. Wait til spring comes and I'm out of my bulky clothes and back in capris and blouses and I can really see it! WooHoo!!

We are supposed to get 3 inches of snow tonite. I hope not. I hate snow. Plus, then the kids will be off from school and I'll have to drag them with me to PT, and that would NOT be a good thing! NO SNOW! NO SNOW! NO SNOW!

 

[donac]

Sorry Wendy I just saw that school is closed out in Freehold. Can you even make it to PT. Be careful so that you don't fall and reinjure that shoulder. YOu have come so far to do that.

I have the day off The bad news ds2 and dh also do.


Try to enjoy the snow. HOpefully it doesn't last too long.

 

[whgrn]

Uggggh! My first wakeup call came at 4:26 am. "We have a 2 hour delay". OK, I can live with that. I looked out the window and really didn't see much snow. But hey, who knows? The second wakeup call came at 6:29 am. "The 2 hour delay has been changed to no school". CRUD!!!! I didn't bother to look outside. I just reset the alarm from 7:00 to 8:00 and went back to sleep.

When I got up, I did look outside, and it was still snowing pretty hard. And there was a good bit on the ground too. Our street had yet to be plowed. This was NOT a good sign!!! My first chore was to call and cancel Physical Therapy. No WAY was I going out in this weather!!!

Then I got started on breakfast and the pill parade. The kids were, of course, ecstatic to have a snow day. (I just keep thinking about how it's one day more in June...) They hurried through breakfast and headed out into the snow. My dear neighbor (who thinks I'm doing HIM a favor...) came and charged up the snowblower and plowed my driveway, then headed to his house to do his own. Laura measured the snow on the patio table (our usual measuring spot) and it was 4 inches (and still snowing!) By the time it stopped, we'd had a good 4.5 inches (if you can call that good...)

I just stayed in the house all day. I didn't get to the grocery store (no 10 gallons of milk, 8 loaves of bread and 9 dozen eggs for me! ) so I had to rethink some food choices--I was out of apples, nuts, pears and a few other things that I'd planned to get today after PT.

My "fill in" helper arrived about 10. Her name is Monica and she is from Kenya. Very nice, but quiet. The kids seem to like her. I spent some time reading, a nice change lately. I even ordered a bunch of books online--gotta stock up for all my summer reading!!!

I put our flank steak in the crock pot with some mangos and juices and garlic and it cooked for a few hours. Made the house smell really yummy! It turned out quite well--very tender for flank steak!

Now it's 9:00, all but the last few pills are taken, all the food is in except granola, and I'm within my boundaries again for everything. I even hit 29 or 30 grams of fiber! I guess I'll do my last set of exercises and head to bed soon.

Not the most exciting day, but it sure was relaxing. And the kids behaved so nicely--almost no fighting at all!

 

[whgrn]

Oh, what I wouldn't give for some TUMS! Or some Mylanta! But we have none of that stuff in the house, because I NEVER get heartburn anymore!

I have no idea what caused it. I didn't eat anything new today except baked beans for lunch. I was fine all afternoon, it started after dinner. All I had for dinner was a 2 ounce extra lean hamburger, 1/2 cup of rice, and 1/2 cup of V8 juice. Weird! Oh, and I did put some fiber powder in my porridge for breakfast, but I can't imagine that would be a problem.

Now, if I could drink a nice glass of milk, I'd feel better. But noooooooo, no milk for me!

Other than that it was a decent day. I got some shopping done so we're all restocked here. Had a nice day "off" from the kids, as they were with their father on a tour of Yankee stadium (which was reportedly "way cool"!)

I went to make salmon for dinner tonite and when I opened it it smelled awful. Not just super fishy, but rotten. I was pretty cheezed because this was some VERY expensive salmon, but I was not going to worry about that--my mantra has always been "when in doubt, throw it out". Not taking any chances with bad fish!

Now everyone is back home, and DD is not feeling well. Scratchy throat, stuffy nose, the whole shebang. And tomorrow is their Master Chef awards dinner where they are cooking for 50+ people. This could be interesting. Maybe I'll send her with a surgical mask! Poor thing. I just hope she doesn't share her germs with me--I do NOT need to get sick!! Not that being sick is any good for her--she can't afford to miss any school. Ay yi yi, it just never ends.

I am looking forward to the next few days, where it is supposed to be dry and in the 40s. Hopefully good enough to venture out for a walk. And hopefully I can be on the treadmill Wednesday morning, if the doctors come through with their permissions! (Please, oh PLEASE!!!)

Well, lets go see what effect granola has on heartburn. Hopefully it helps. Then I'm off to bed, hopefully for a good night's sleep.

 

[whgrn]

For the first time in a good while, I was way under on my water today. Probably only had about 32 ounces. YIKES!!!

For starters, I woke up with still some heartburn, so I skipped the amino acid drink (8 oz water). Next, I only took my breakfast pills, no others all day (about 16 ounces more). Third, I was so engrossed in the message at church that I forgot to drink my bottle of water there, and came home with it still 3/4 full (18 ounces there). Fourth, I just didn't drink much more today (at least 16 ounces there. And last, I will skip my amino acid drink tonite, so there's another 8 ounces. Gotta do better tomorrow!!

I did stop and get some antacids for this heartburn, and it's helping a little. I can't figure it out--I've had NO heartburn until last night. I wonder what's up. Despite the heartburn, I've done OK with food today. Had my normal breakfast, tuna in a salad and rice for lunch, the usual snacks, and a very nice dinner at the kids' Master Chef awards dinner. They made a nice pear and walnut salad with a very light dressing. The roasted chicken thighs with carrots, onions and potatoes was delicious. I had to skip the bread, cookies, and "make your own sundaes", but it's just as well! I figure I had 1 veggie, 3 ounces of chicken, one starch worth of potato, 1 serving of nuts, and about 1/2 of a fat. Not too bad.

Tomorrow I have early PT at 8 am, and then I go see Dr. Dietch, who will be amazed at how much my abdomen has healed since he last saw me. It will be a busy day, but somehow I'm going to MAKE the time for a walk!!! (It's supposed to be up in the 40s, so I should be good at least for a trip around the block.)

Now I'm pooped and off to bed.

 

[whgrn]

That about sums up my day!

I had PT at 8am today--a bit too early for my tastes, but I took what was available. Not very exciting--just some VERY gentle stretching. The only thing that hurts at all is when she raises my arm up over my head. OUCH!!

The visit to Dr. Dietch was pretty routine. I showed him my shoulder incision and said "THIS is what my abdomen is supposed to look like!" Then I showed him my stomach and he was pleased to see how well it's coming along. So now I don't have to go back for 8 weeks--April 21. Cool--who knows how much I'll be healed by then? Hopefully close to 100%. And he gave me full clearance for the gym, with no restrictions!

When I got home, it was only a little after 2. It was sunny and in the 40s, and I decided it was time for a walk. So I grabbed Duke and his leash, and off we went. Just a trip around the block, half a mile, but it felt so good. And, now that I think of it, MY HIPS DIDN'T HURT!!!! OMG, I can't believe it!! I didn't notice it when I was walking, but I just now realized there was no pain. That's a real first for me! Cool beans!!!

Food was fine today, and the indigestion of the past 2 days is mysteriously gone. Thank God! I have taken all my supplements with no problems. I got in all my water (9 glasses!) and I'm feeling good. Tomorrow is weigh in, and I will be interested to see what the scale says. I have no expectations. It's been a good week, so I would hope to lose, but I went off the "water pill" so who knows, maybe I'm retaining a bit? (Although I've been peeing the normal amount, so I wouldn't think so).

Hopefully I'll get that treadmill clearance tomorrow AM, and be in the gym on the treadmill right after lunch. Finally, I can get myself back on track!