Happy Halloween!

I am receiving emails from people about the blog and I am so glad to be able to talk about Bariatric from someone who has gone through it.
I am trying to get the people to share their experiences because the need for others to get the word from different viewpoints is good. I am also learning that I am not alone.
I would eventually like to expand this into a website with a BB so people can openly talk and share ideas.
So, look forward to getting more input and maybe some interesting stories about the trials and tribulations of Pre and Post bariatric people.
Talking about trials, I handed out the Halloween treats last night, and I didn't even eat any! I had no trouble doing that, and that is one more miracle witnessed by yours truly!
My next big trial should be for Thanksgiving.
My weight loss has been steady, up until now. I am at my first plateau, but I am also exercising more, so I may be building muscle which would explain the leveling out.
I have done more in the past month than I have in the year before my surgery, so I will continue to be optimistic that I am going to reach my goal.

My story!

If you stumbled onto this blog and had no idea what Bariatric surgery is, then this is the post to read.

What is Bariatric surgery to me?
It is a Godsend. Yes, I prayed for a solution to my problems because I had run out of ideas, and needed help. I'm glad God had an extra angel to kick me in the butt and get me moving forward. But, I digress....
Bariatric surgery is a way to lose weight and keep it off permanently. It consists of two different, but similar procedures.
One is to cut the stomach and make it smaller. This way, you have to eat less, and you lose weight. This is called Roux En Y, which is the name of the procedure.
The other is to insert a band around the stomach, slowing everything down and allowing you to lose weight. This is the Lap band method.
Personally, after going to a session sponsored by the Surgeon, I chose Roux En Y.
Both procedures have been standardized, that is, they are pretty much done the same way all over the country, so, if you are in anther part of the country and have a problem, the doctors there will know what they are doing.
So, I will write down just what I went through and how I came to choose this course of action in my life, and I hope it helps those who are reading this to understand me a bit better. I also hope that those who are looking into this form of weight loss, will get something from this. If you write and ask questions, I will answer them.

Part 2

So, how did I find this type of weigh loss?
I went to get a baseline endoscopy/colonoscopy because I never had them before and it was suggested by my family doctor. I was feeling lousy. I had many, many medical problems that were caused by my weight and age, and wanted to find out what to do about it.
The test required me to get a host of blood tests. I went in fasting and "donated" 11 tubes of blood. I figured if they didn't find anything wrong, they weren't looking.
Well, after the colonoscopy/endoscopy, I had a consult. I was fine for a fat man, but I needed to fix some things. I had a "fatty" liver, and a few polyps that they took out, but I was cancer free.
They put me on a high fiber diet. Let me tell you, I loved that diet. I didn't really lose weight, but I felt much better after a few weeks.
Then, they called me to ask me to do another endoscopy because they found some indications of Celiac Sprue (look it up!) and wanted to confirm that. I went in for the second endo and sure enough, they confirmed Celiac.
So, I lost the high fiber, and had to go on a wheat and gluten free diet. I still had to get fiber in my diet, so I added Metamucil and lots of fruit and veggies.
While I was there, I asked about weight loss programs, and was told about a doctor coming to the area who was an expert in weight loss surgery. Bingo!

So, I started to investigate the surgery online, and I knew I was getting ready for it. I just had this feeling that this was my next step.
My personal life will stay that way. Suffice it to say that I had an "empty nest" just before all this happened, and I decided that after all these years of giving to others, that it was my turn!

MY TURN!

That important to me, and probably to you.

If you don't decide that it's "Your Turn", then you might not be able to succeed in this type of surgery. This decision may be up to you and your spouse, but for me, it was my decision.

I made an appointment to hear the surgeon speak in order to determine if I wanted to do this. He spoke for about an hour and a half and answered a host of questions afterwards. There were about 50 people there at that meeting.

He told us that the process was a long one, and that the surgery was probably the easiest part. The tough thing was to jump through all the hoops for the insurance company, and the pre-tests.
He told us about the "team" approach. His team consisted of a nurse, dietician, and personal trainer, as well as psychological counseling. There were several steps to get to the final goal:

1. Qualifying for the surgery – You have to be at least 100 pounds overweight to qualify. Each Doctor has their own requirements other than that, and I imagine it depends on where you go in the country.
2. Making sure the insurance company is going to cover you. This one is very tough, but my Doctor has a very complete plan to make this as painless as possible. Even with his help, sometimes the insurance company will give you a hard time. I was lucky that everything worked well with my company and it only took about 2 months to get approval.
3. Meeting with each member of the team to start your quest. I met with the Dietician and she gave me such valuable information about eating, tat I began to lose weight much easier than I ever did before. I met with the Trainer and he started me on exercise walking, and told me how to get the most out of each session. The nurse gave me information on the actual procedure, and what to expect during each part of the journey. I did a lot of studying. Very impressive team!
4. Getting your surgical date. There is a lot to do to plan ahead of time. I had to get food containers, utensils, and a magic bullet blender. I also ordered vitamins and minerals ahead of time so I would have them after the surgery.

I went into the hospital on Tuesday morning, and left on Thursday morning. I was up and walking around about 2 hours after the surgery, and I walked every two hours after that around the clock. I got to sleep a lot in between, and felt just fine. There was little or no pain. It was hard to maneuver around the tubes and wires and stuff, but everything was on wheels and I got used to it.

I had 7 holes in my belly since the surgery is now done laproscopically. The doctor sewed me up on the inside and just taped my belly wounds on the outside. (After 2 months, all I have left are some red marks and they are disappearing more and more each day).

The nursing care at the hospital is amazing. They were there for everything I needed. I would hope that other hospitals did the same.

I was able to move around without problems when I got home, and learned about proper eating the hard way.

I took a long drive on Friday, the day after I got home because my son needed to go somewhere. I had no problems.

I was also lucky to have the summer off. I was able to work towards proper eating at my own pace without having to go around a certain schedule.

Now, I know I left out things. If you want to know about something, ask. You can email me or post right here in comments.

Other post people may also post their stories here, and you may do that without revealing who you are if you want.

Walk update

I just spoke with Greg Byer about the walk. Anyone interested in walking should meet at Dr. Brader's office at 6pm.
We will be walking around inside the building, up and down stairs, etc.
He said if the people need to use the elevator, that's fine.

Speaker for the meeting is Kristen Amicone. She says she is a terrible speaker, so we should all go in with an "attitude" and give her a hard time. :)>

Pumpkin Pie, without the crust! Yummy!

Thanks to Denise for this great recipe. It's much easier to read and make than my Killer Chili! And, it's good for celiacs too!

Pumpkin Custard Pie (no crust)

1 can -15 oz. pure pumpkin

1 can -12 oz. fat free evaporated milk

3/4 C. Egg Beaters

3/4 C. Splenda Granular

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredient together. Pour into a baking dish coated with non-stick spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 mins. option - serve with fat free whipped topping.

Nutritional Info (my best calculations) - 1/8 of pie = 1 slice

Calories - 70 grams Fat - 6 grams

Sugar - 7 grams

Protein - 6 grams

Food on my mind

Are you creative with food?
I am. I am used to forgetting stuff at the market, so I make things up as I go.
This time, I ran out of cubed tomatoes. I have plenty of stewed tomatoes, but would like a variety of stuff in my Chili. So, I will start to think about it, and either go out after work and get the tomatoes I need, or deal with what I have.
Since this is a long cooking process, if I get it started right after work (about 4:15pm), I should be able to turn it off in a finished manner by 9 tonight. I can let it sit all night on warm only setting, or just shut it down and let it cool until I have the time tomorrow morning to shovel it into containers.
That's one of the great things about ensemble foods like this. I can eat it whenever I want by heating up the leftovers in smaller containers. It covers my protein, veggies/fruits (what are tomatoes anyway?) liquid, etc. all in one.
The wind is blowing like a hurricane right now. I have to head out in a few minutes for my afternoon run, so I will set my mind on the problem and have it solved by the time I get home.

Chili addition, and other musings.....

I decided to try some Chili tomorrow using some sausage I had in the freezer that I forgot to give away.
I will be boiling it in a separate pot, and removing the casings. When I get done, the sausage will be almost impossible to find in the mix, other than from the flavor and texture when I eat it. I will also be adding the ground beef prepared the same way as in the recipe.
I have lots of beans left, and I am finally running out of frozen chili from the last batch.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I am also a Celiac patient. If you would like to look that up, feel free. In a nutshell, it means I am not allowed to eat any products containing wheat or gluten. This includes any breads, rolls, pizza, bagels, cereal, and the list goes on and on.
If you read labels, you will find wheat in so many places you would not expect it. I actually found some peanuts the other day at a convenience store that was coated with cereal! Why, I don't know.
It was suggested that I write about what bariatric surgery is all about. I will do that from my viewpoint only. I am not an expert in the field. I am just a patient.
But, I will tell my story sometime when I can find the time. For now, know that I started this quest at 305+ pounds, and am now at 235, and I couldn't be happier about that.

Next meeting!

The next meeting for the pre and post bariatric people is Thursday, November 6, 2008 from 7pm until 8:30pm.
It is held at the Lancaster General Health Campus on Harrisburg Pike. If you enter the front doors, look for the signs to the meeting, or follow us formerly fat people!
If anyone reading this blog has questions about Bariatric surgery, please feel free to contact me and I'll steer you to the experts. I am just a post bariatric patient, not a medical professional. I will aim you in the right direction, but won't offer any medical advice.

Important:
Greg will be there at 6pm to host an exercise walk session before the meeting. Everyone is welcome to join in!

Killer Chili!

Note to the world:

I didn't realize how hard it was to write down a simple recipe. This is one tough recipe. You have to prepare one meat at a time and add to the mix at different times. I hope I wrote it in a legible fashion. I did try to edit it a number of times. Please read the whole recipe before trying to cook it. Please let me know how it came out, and if you have any suggestions. Enjoy!

Killer Chili

By Barry Atric

All ingredients are measured as you wish. If you add too much hot stuff, you will have to deal with the consequences :)>!

For heat, I usually add that afterwards to taste. That way, my wife doesn’t have to put up with the extreme heat. The exception to this is that I do add chili powder to the mix and let it simmer along with the food.

Tools

• I use a large crock pot since it takes hours to simmer the chili.
• 1 large frying pan of your choice. I usually prep the pan with olive oil, after I spray with PAM. I pour about a tablespoon into the pan, and then spread it over all surfaces with a paper towel. I pour out any extra. This helps with browning and flavoring.
• Several large spoons and spatulas.

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef cubes. You can use cheap one or expensive ones. I use the expensive stuff, with as little fat as possible.
• 1 pound of ground beef. Again, I use the lowest fat content I can find. 94% has 6% fat content and is about the lowest.
• 6 cans of Beans – you can use any canned beans you want, except baked beans. I use Pintos, Black eyed peas, dark and light red kidney, black, and anything else I find that looks interesting. Beans are high in protein and fiber. Good stuff. Anything left over can be used for the next meal.
• 1 box of frozen spinach – I buy the boxes of spinach that are in the freezer section of the grocery store. You can use fresh if you want to take the time to cook it properly.
• 3 stalks of Celery
• 3 carrots
• 6 cans of various types of tomatoes – I use stewed, Italian, cubed. You can use whatever you like. Again, anything left over can be used for the next meal. I have a really large crock pot, so I can pretty much add all 6 cans.
• 1 can of tomato paste
• Spices and seasonings. I use sea salt, and other “salty” seasonings. I don’t use sweet seasonings for this chili. You may use anything you can find in the spice rack that you like.
• Cinnamon – I use a tablespoon of this in the mix. It tastes good to me and adds a unique flavor.
• Chili powder – use a little for calm, and more for wild. At least one tablespoon seems to be a good compromise. Chili powder to me doesn’t really make things hot as it does make it taste good.
• Paprika – good stuff that’s good for you.
• Garlic, either powder, or fresh. A little goes a long way.
• Onions – the white ones are mild. The red skin ones are pungent. Your choice. I use one onion.
• Hot Peppers – I buy a jar of chopped jalapenos, and add a one teaspoon. I also like banana peppers. Add to taste, but be careful if you are sharing this meal with wimps! Don’t use the dried chopped peppers that you find in the Italian restaurants. They add heat, not flavor. I stay away from the seriously hot peppers like habaneras.
• 1 tablespoon of Tabasco (I'd use the whole bottle if I could get away with it!)
• 1 Chopped green pepper
• 1 chopped red sweet pepper
• 1 chopped orange pepper
• 2 beef bullion cubes (for the beef cube preparation)

Tenderizing meat

This technique works great for Bariatric patients. If you always wondered how it was done, now you'll know.

Heat the frying pan to medium heat with olive oil added.

Add the beef cubes to the hot frying pan, and brown each side of the cubes. You don’t have to cook the cube all the way through, just brown the outside. The thing is to get all the red out! You don't have to cut the pieces open to do that.

Unless the heat is turned way up, you can’t really burn the meat, so don’t worry about it.

Take your time. It’s better to slightly overcook the beef, than to undercook it.

You may add meat tenderizer, or seasonings of your choice, but it’s not really necessary. The meat will be buried in the chili and will taste great no matter what.

When the beef is browned to your liking, add water to cover the beef and bring to a boil using high heat.

Add 2 beef bullion cubes to the water as it starts to warm.

Stir occasionally while heating the water to dissolve the bullion. If the water falls below the beef cubes, add more water.

When the water reaches a full boil, cover the frying pan and lower the heat to simmer.

Set the timer for 65 minutes. Check the beef to make sure there is plenty of water.

In the meantime, turn the crock pot up to high heat and put lid aside. Allow the crock pot to stay on high for 15 minutes, then turn it down to low again. You should do this just before you add the meat to the crock pot.

Lift the beef cubes out of the water with a slotted spoon, drain and drop into the crock pot. You may use the water as a base for soup, or simply discard.

How to cook!

Here are the instructions once you finish with the meat prep.

Turn on the crock pot dry to a “warm” setting.

Prepare ground beef in frying pan. Make sure the ground beef is fully cooked. Use medium-high heat setting. Drain and discard any fat. When ready, add the ground beef to the tomatoes.

While browning the ground beef in the separate frying pan, add tomato paste to the crock pot.

Add canned tomatoes to the paste. Do not drain the cans before you add them to the crock pot. The liquid helps to even out any harsh flavors. Stir to mix.

Add seasonings. Stir all seasonings into mixture of tomatoes and beef. Put the cover on the crock pot. Sea salt, chili powder, cinnamon, oregano, paprika, etc. Add green peppers, carrots, celery. If you have any ideas for other veggies, feel free to add them here.

Prepare spinach in microwave container, and then add to mixture.

Prepare beef cubes (see above) after adding ground beef to the crock pot.

Add the prepared beef cubes to the mix. Stir to cover.

Cover the crock pot, and set your reminder timer for hourly checks. Stir once an hour for 4 to 6 hours.

1 hour before finishing, turn the heat to high, and add 1 can of beans at a time to the mix. Drain each can before adding. Stir each can in the mix before adding the next can. This will allow you to judge how much room you have in the crock pot to not overfill.

After adding the beans, cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, before turning back down to low heat.

The chili can be served anytime after that. I have a “keep warm” setting that I use so I don’t have to feel obligated to eat right away.

The chili can be saved in containers in the freezer until you want them.

Ideas and thoughts from emails.

• There is a clothing exchange getting started. If anyone knows of people who are interested, sing out here, or shoot me an email and I'll pass it along.
• One person is interested in getting together a mechanical bull riding trip! This same person wants to be able to ride a horse.
  
• We have a recipe on it's way for Pumpkin Pie for Post people. Hurry up please! I'm hungry!
• I will be posting my "Killer Chili" recipe later today.
• One person would like to buy an mp3 player when they reach 200 pounds. Anyone have one they would like to give away?
  
• One person wants to go on a cruise with their spouse.
  
• I would like to be able to run a Half marathon. The full monty is not of interest to me.
• I would like to take an "iron butt" Helix ride. I will write about that soon.
• Anyone want to go to a nudist colony? Just wanted to see if you were still reading.....

Now pay attention people!
If you have gone through the surgery, you will reach your goals and achieve your "Milestones". It's just a matter of time.

Milestones

For my purposes, the word will take on new meaning.

• A "Milestone" is when you pass a point in your weight loss that hits you strongly in your emotions.

I have hit that a few times in recent weeks, and was surprised by my reactions.

• A "Milestone" is something you have wanted to do for a long time, but couldn't because of your weight.

Let the world know what your "Milestone" is right here, and maybe we will show up to see you achieve your goal.
Here are some of my "Milestones":

1. I wanted to be able to sit in a booth at a restaurant. I haven't been able to do that comfortably for years because of my weight. I can now go into a restaurant and when they ask "Booth or table", I can say "Booth". I can't eat much food, but that's ok. At least I can sit there!
2. I want to go to Hershey Park, or some other amusement park, and be able to ride the roller coasters. I couldn't fit into the seats for the reason listed above.
3. I don't want to jump out of an airplane with a parachute, but they tell me I can now that I am under 250 pounds. I can think about it, but I won't do it.
4. I want to Kayak.
   

So now, it's your turn......What do you want to do? When will you be able to do it?