June 30, 2005

Reduction Surgery

I finally worked up the courage to show up for an appointment with a plastic surgeon to discuss breast reduction.

Along with the rest of my body, my breasts have been extremely heavy. Actually, even when I lost 75 lbs with Weight Watchers the only part of me that didn't shrink was those boobs. I often feel like I need a wheelbarrow to move them around and sometimes the pain in my neck, back and shoulders is excrutiating.

I first asked about surgery not long after my youngest was born -- this is going back to 1992. At the time, I was 50 lbs overweight and my doctor said, "lose the weight and if it's still a problem, I'll give you a referral." Well, I lost the weight but chickened out. Besides, my first husband said, "I love you just the way you are" and I thought, eh, why change?

Now I've gained all the weight back and even though my first husband passed away my hubby now says the same thing: I love you just the way you are. But, he adds, you need to do this. I have indentations in my arms from the bra straps. I can't stand looking at myself in the mirror or in pictures. Yup, I need to do this.

So I went to the doctor yesterday and he was great, really put me at ease. He didn't scold me about my weight or tell me that I might die on the table cuz I'm so fat. He matter-of-factly explained how he would do the surgery (ew, sounds gross!) and that his main concern was that I might lose sensation in my nipples and scar. You know what? I don't care about that ... if I could just look normal again!

I decided to double-up my effort to lose weight faster in the next 8 weeks. My surgery is tentatively scheduled for September 2. My goal is to lose 18-20 pounds by then...that's around 2 lbs a week. That's not unreasonable is it?

To help me do that, I'm digging up all my WW resources. The last time I was with WW, everything was on a point system. I know that things have changed since then but I can't afford the new program. I think if I weigh what I eat and keep track of everything that will make a big difference. I need support but I think I can find that online! :D

June 28, 2005

The Purpose Driven Life and Taking Herbal Supplements

Strange title for a post, isn't it? My mind is going in all directions!

I got my leather brace yesterday and it felt good on my ankle. Goody, thought I, I will be on the dreadmill and exercising in no time. I wore it for an hour like the doctor said and then took it off. I got on the dreadmill and walked sans brace. I even convinced my daughter to get on and walk too. I felt good.

Today I wore the thing for almost 2 hours, walking around and grocery shopping. Hmm, I thought, I still have a half hour to wear it so why don't I walk on the treadmill again? Bad idea, I guess, because now I have a huge blister on my foot. I have to go back to the prosthetic place and have the brace "adjusted". I feel frustrated on one hand but on the other it's okay ... if the thing needs to be fixed better it should happen now, right?

I just can't wear it again until it's adjusted.

So my brother and I had a good long talk about The Purpose Driven Life. He thought I should read it in small increments so that it's easier to digest. I figured I would give it a try. I read Why Bad Things Happen To Good People and it didn't help me much to understand why I got so fat or why Rich died or just about anything else. I don't imagine this book will hold the answers either, but it would be nice if I felt some motivation and purpose after reading it.

Lots of people take herbal supplements for various reasons, right? There is this new herbal patch that is supposed to curb your appetite. During my investigations of and clickings on various home based business ventures, I responded to an offer for a free week's supply of herbal patches. Herbs--they're natural so they have to be good, right?

As it is, I already take various things with my prescriptions: calcium supplements, vitamin supplements, glucosamine & MSM (for my joints), CoQ10 (for my heart), flax seed oil (hoping that it will be as effective as fish oil...barf), Vitamin C and echinacea. So what's the harm in more herbs?

Then I read this and thought, oh-oh, I better make a list of all the stuff I take and bring it to the pharmacist! God forbid some of this stuff should interfere with my blood pressure meds or my antidepressants. As for the patch -- I haven't used it yet. I'm going to ask first!

June 26, 2005


my brother, niece, daughters, parents, me & The Graduate, my son! Posted by Hello

June 22, 2005


My son graduated from high school yesterday Posted by Hello

"How Far Does An M&M Go?"

I got this from Mountain Wings this morning:

How Far Does A M&M Go?
=======================

How far do you need to walk to burn off the calories in one M&M candy? That’s the little marble sized M&M’s, not a candy bar?

The question was on a health program and I didn’t know the answer.

So how far?

A. 50 feet
B. The length of a football field
C. One-half mile
D. One mile

Scroll down for the answer

























The answer:
B. 100 yards, the length of a football field.

That was the answer on the health show.

Then my question was, "Exactly how many M&M's are in a bag?"
I didn't know that either so I got up and went to the store.

I bought a regular and a king size pack of M&M's with peanuts. I like peanuts.

The regular 1.74 ounce bag had 21 M&M's.
The King Size 3.27 ounce bag had 42 M&M's.

You need to walk about one and a quarter miles to burn off the calories in a regular sized pack and about 2.5 miles for a King Sized pack.

The next time you reach for candy, reach for your walking shoes.

~A MountainWings Original~

Boy, that'll scare me off M&Ms for sure!

June 20, 2005

Teaching Kids To Eat Well

Here is an issue I'm in a quandry about:

I want my kids to make healthy choices when they eat. Example: at that buffet yesterday, one of my daughters loaded up her plate with carbs and macaroon cookies. I looked at it and was all set to open my mouth to say: Hey, I thought you wanted to be able to go to the senior prom and weren't you just complaining about how you'll never be thin? You won't get thin eating that stuff but I didn't. It was too critical and too negative for being out in public.

Okay, so what about: It would be better if you had more vegetables and fruits which is what I usually say. Then I get the eyes rolling and the exasperated, "I know, Mom, I'm not stupid!"

Does there come a point where parents can no longer influence what their kids eat? I should have taught my kids good eating habits when they were little. I thought I did but obviously I failed there.

Sometimes I've just flat out said: "You've gotten too much to eat. Stop."

I don't allow junk food in the house. I talk to them about portion sizes and portion control and how hard it is to lose weight, especially when they get to be my age. Already my daughter sees it but still wants the wrong foods. She's 16. I can say no and no and no but eventually she'll move out on her own.

I was talking about eating issues with my stepdaughter who is almost as heavy as me. I am concerned for our grandson because she was giving the baby soda and other treats that will probably led to obesity. She said well, it's genetics in a tone that said, we're doomed, nothing we can do about it.

I mentioned my frustration to someone who said, well, look at you. How do you expect to set a good example? It's like do what I say, not what I do.

Boy that crushed me. It sounds cruel but it's right, isn't it? How can I advise my kids to eat healthy and follow my example when I'm so big?

An after thought: My other idea was lead by example...is that possible? At the buffet, loaded up on vegetables and fruits but how do I know anyone noticed? I don't want to be like a primer:

See what Mommy chose to eat.
Veggies. Veggies. Veggies.
Veggies are good for you.
See Mommy eat veggies.

See Mommy eat fruit.
Fruit. Fruit. Fruit.
Fruits are good for you.

See Mommy eat small portions of scallops.
Small. Small. Small.
Small portions are better for you.

?????

June 19, 2005

Good Eats on Father's Day

I was happy with the food I ate today, actually felt like I made some healthier choices even on Father's Day! We went to a Chinese buffet, one of those all you can eat places, and I loaded up on sauteed green beans with garlic and steamed broccoli, cauliflower & carrots. I tried the cocount scallops and I'm sure there was a lot of calories in that but I limited myself to about 1/2 cup. For dessert I went past the always tempting sugar peanuts, ice cream, and pastries and just got fresh fruit. I haven't done so great in the weight loss department over this last week but I think that's because of lack of exercise.

It was a wonderful day! :)

June 17, 2005

What! Diet Soda Can Make You Fat!

As if it's not hard enough to lose weight and not become bored with limited choices, diet soda's now a culprit in packing on the pounds. I wasn't too surprised but I thought it was because of the sodium in it. I was pretty surprised by the statistics though!

If you drink a can of regular soda a day, you have a 26% chance of becoming overweight. If you drink just two cans of regular soda a day, that chance goes up to almost 50%!

Now wait...if you drink a can of diet soda -- which supposedly has no sugar or calories -- your chance of becoming overweight goes up by 36.5%. And if you drink two cans of diet soda a day, you have a 57% chance of getting fat!

How can that be? I would have assumed there was the same amount of sodium in both but ... there is a theory that the reason you gain more weight with diet soda is because your body thinks you're giving it lots of calories, finds out its been had and then retaliates by craving more food and more sweets.

Do what?

The example used comes from Alice in Wonderland. Remember the scene where Alice goes to the tea party with the Mad Hatter and the Dormouse? The Mad Hatter offers her tea but then never gives her any. Then he offers her more and Alice gets annoyed. She gets so annoyed she not only helps herself to the tea but also to the bread and butter.

I'm not sure I buy it.

I think it's got more to do with the old "I have a diet soda so the calories in this McDonald's hamburger doesn't count" school of thought. I think a lot of us drink diet soda but don't carefully watch our portion sizes or the types of food we eat. But ... what do I know? I struggle with this issue so it's not like I have the answers.

Maybe I should just drink ice water.

The whole article about diet soda is here.

June 16, 2005

What Will They Think?

I got a letter from my mom today. She and my dad are coming up from Maryland for my son's high school graduation party. She wanted to let me know that my brother got the day off from work and he and my niece will be coming too.

I'm starting to sweat now. I haven't seen some of my relatives in years, back before I gained so much weight. What will they think when they see me?

I know, I know, it shouldn't matter but it does! I will hold my head up high though.

June 14, 2005

Instant Family Fitness

I took a chance last Christmas and slipped a book called Instant Family Fitness into my younger stepdaughter's stocking. Like TB and me, she is obese and I'm sure it's not just coincidence. Yes, there may be a genetic connection but I also think it's got to do with the way we eat and the lack of exercise. My stepdaughter would like to think it's all genetics and there's nothing else we can do except eat, drink, be merry and die.

"Are you saying I'm fat?" she asked me that morning.

Why state the obvious? "If you look at the book, you'll see it's about keeping the family 'healthy and happy'," I told her. No where on there does it say "fat" or "diet".

The back of the book says: "Getting and staying in shape is not just for individuals anymore -- it's a family affair. Childhood obesity has been identified as a major problem by the U.S. Surgeon General and parents need a solution quickly. Instant Family Fitness is the easy-to-follow road map to getting your entire family in shape. Detailed meal plans, easy recipes, exercises for all ages and motivational tools willl help you improve your loved ones' health and habits. This is the only book you need to shape up your entire family. Based on the latest research, studies and drawing from the experience of leading experts from the field of weight loss, Instant Family Fitness is the one book that will help you get results instantly."

When said SD moved out, she left the book behind. I'm not surprised and am actually glad to have it. I am sure I could benefit from it, especially since it focuses on families of all ages. With the eating dysfunctions I've got, I'm sure I could learn a lot from the book and hopefully can pass some of that information on to my kids and to my older stepdaughter.

There was a news clip on TV about childhood obesity and how lack of exercise really has a big impact on kids. Kids need to exercise an hour a day, including recess and playing outdoors. Now that schools are virtually eliminating lunch periods, parents really need to be aware of the fact that they've got to blast the kids out from in front of the TV and get them outdoors. I didn't put on my weight until I stopped playing outdoors. It really does make a difference. I could go into a whole other rant about how schools are doing away with recess...and I probably will!

Getting back to the book, though, I think what I'll do is make a note of the things I learn and write them down here.

June 11, 2005

Wonderful Family Visit


I took my little grandson to Chuck E. Cheese. What a great time we had! Posted by Hello

I'm going to update again when I catch my breath. In addition to being thrilled to have family with us, I was also very happy with some menu choices.

One day my mother-in-law had us stop at Friendly's for ice cream ... but I didn't order any of the usual stuff I crave. I saw that there was raspberry swirl yogurt and ordered that. It was so refreshing! No, it wasn't chocolate but it is very obvious to me now that chocolate is like alcohol for me.

I am also pleased with myself because I didn't fall into the snack trap all week. I didn't even eat anything past 7. Now I need to keep the momentum going!!!!

June 07, 2005

Shocking the Pounds Off

In my on going battle of my bulge, I always look for that magical pill or cure. It's my fantasy: something will just magically melt the extra tonnage off me. This morning, I read this article about a new procedure being tested: a pacemaker for the tummy. It's supposed to send an electrical impulse that makes the brain believe that we're full and curbs our appetites. One of the patients interviewed has already lost 25 pounds.

There is always a down side, though, and there is no magical cure. Even with the pacemaker, you have to eat healthy, exercise and learn how to curb the cravings.

Rats.

Well, the good news for me so far (and here I knock on wood like crazy) is that I haven't been suffering any cravings lately. Thank you God for small blessings!

June 05, 2005

So Far So Good

Today my stepdaughter and her family went to an in-law's house for a birthday party and so I have a little breather. So far things have been okay food wise. My stepdaughter understands the difficult issues we have with junk food and so her sugary snacks for her kids remain in their van. I'm grateful for that, especially that she respects our feelings enough to be considerate. I mean, yes, that's good manners but not everyone displays them right? And who needs conflict?

I thought I might be tempted at the movie theater to eat popcorn or something sweet but I managed to get by with just a medium diet soda. My 4 year old granddaughter sat next to me daintily munching on her popcorn and I was so relieved not to have any cravings! The movie wasn't all that great but she really wanted to see it and so that was the part that was fun...that she enjoyed it. My dh took the boys to see Star Wars and ... folks, believe the warnings! This movie is not for young kids!

I don't think I lost weight this week but that is okay. I didn't gain either.

June 03, 2005

This Week

My stepdaughter, her husband and four kids are arriving today from Tennessee to stay a week. I'm excited to see them but I'm also apprehensive because I know that company turns schedules totally upside down. I wasn't planning on buying traditional salty or sweet snacks and soda and I wonder how that will go over. I keep telling myself that we are the hosts and that we don't have to provide soda, candy and chips. So why do I feel guilty about it?

June 02, 2005

Small Positives

Yesterday was my wedding anniversary; TB and I have been married 3 years already! We decided to go out for dinner and went to TGIFriday's. It was a mixed experience in terms of my self esteem and success in choosing healthier foods.

The waiter took us to a booth. TB and I usually eat at tables because we just don't fit well in the booths anymore. I thought I would try and with seconds realized my big chest and tummy would not squeeze comfortably into the booth. "Can we have a table?" I asked, feeling my face burn hotly.

I looked at the stuff on the menu and knew what I wanted to eat. My favorite is the pecan crusted chicken but I suspect it's got a lot of calories because it's full of nuts, raisins, and bleu cheese chunks. I thought I might like a steak and picked the smallest one -- an 8 oz. skillet steak. I also got brocooli without butter and a salad. Next time, I'd get the dressing on the side. The salad was good but drowned in dressing. The steak was grilled perfectly and the broccoli was crisp but not chewy. It was a great meal.

Dessert? I thought it would be better to pass but I couldn't do it. So I looked at my choices and decided picking something with chocolate in it would be a terrible mistake. I decided on the vanilla cheesecake. It was good but not worth the calories. Next time, I'll talk myself into skipping the sweet stuff.

I know I must stay away from chocolate to avoid the worst cravings and that I succeeded yesterday made me feel good. It's hard for me not to order chocolate on the very rare occasions we go out because I get this "it's been so long, I deserve a treat" type feeling. Last night, at least, I was able to tell myself: yes, you deserve a treat but having something chocolate is like having a drink or a cigarette ... you just can't. So I didn't. And that makes me feel good. :)

But I need to get down to the point where I can sit in a booth again!