The next meeting for the Lancaster General Hospital Bariatric support group is scheduled for this coming Thursday, at the Hospital, as far as I know.
I know they were planning to move into their new office, but I don't know if they made it.
If anyone hears about it, let me know and I will post it.
Today, I went outside and started cutting branches off of bushes and trees in order to be able to cut the lawn and not be assaulted by them.
I also enlisted the help of my wife who was able to open and hold the large paper bags we have to use from the borough. That is a pain in the neck and other body parts. The bags degrade over time, and they aren't very sturdy or big enough to handle branches. So, I had to cut the branches into very short sections.
Time consuming and it hurt my hands.
But, I didn't get tired, and I managed to finish the whole yard as far as chopping is concerned. There are still a few piles to be bagged. My wife got tired and headed inside.
I also cleaned out my son's car to get it ready for sale. I posted it on Craigslist. The head gasket blew last week, and he made it to my driveway, so we put a for sale sign on it.
He bought another vehicle with my financial help. Sadly, that means I probably won't make the mortgage this next month, but I really don't care at this point.
The great thing is that I was able to cut the whole lawn yesterday, and still had energy today to do the branches. Wow!
Who knows what I will be able to do tomorrow.....
May 28, 2009
Diet to end all diets
I have a Facebook friend, and former classmate from High School who is interested in my diet.
I told him that it was vicious, and it is if you aren't serious about losing weight and keeping it off for life.
I thought I would write down as much of it here as I can, and maybe edit it on the fly as time goes on.
I should put in the usual medical disclaimers, but I won't. If you try this, you are on your own.
First, some background:
There are two types of hunger that I am going to talk about here:
Many of us eat because there is nothing else to do, or we are upset, or it's raining, or whatever.
Few of us can ignore comfort foods.
The trick is, to control our emotional hunger, and satisfy our physical hunger.
So, what do we need as far as food? That is arbitrary and I recommend you go to a dietitian, and set up a plan.
I also recommend you go get an endoscopy/colonoscopy. This will eliminate the possibility that you have something like I do, called Celiac Sprue. If you do have Celiac, and eliminate wheat and gluten products, you might just lose weight.
Another thing you should do, is to check to see if you have any sleep disorders, such as Sleep Apnea in one of it's many forms. If you do, and you can get relief so you start getting a good night's rest, you just might lose weight.
Because of my weight, I had sleep apnea. I still use a CPAP machine, but the pressure has been reduced drastically, and it is just a matter of time until I don't need the machine anymore.
With all that said, what is the change of lifestyle diet that I am talking about?
Well, I lost 26 pounds before the surgery from it, and it continues to help me. My dietitian came in after I started the diet, but she really helped me fine tune it and understand why I was doing what I was doing.
Orville Reddenbacker has bags of 100 calorie low fat microwave popcorn.
If you have trouble with artificial sweeteners, that is, they taste funny or have an aftertaste, don't worry. What you have to do is eliminate all sugar from your diet for a few weeks. The aftertaste will go away and you won't be able to tell the difference between sugar and artificial.
Remember, this is a lifestyle change.
Now, one thing I have to say is that you should add non soluble fiber to every meal, even if it is only a little. I use "Unifiber". This is not a laxative, and it has no gluten, so I use it to replace the fiber I don't get from wheat.
Here is my sample day:
Breakfast consists of a bowl of high fiber oatmeal (yes, I can eat oatmeal) with a banana sliced into it. I use hot decaf coffee instead of water or milk for added flavor. 1 small cup of yogurt, usually fiber one, which is smaller in quantity than the Dannon which is loaded with sugar.
Lunch is my special chili. Check previous blog entry for one recipe. I have added and changed it greatly since I've made it. The variations make it slightly different, and I haven't gotten tired of it yet. Fruit of choice.
Dinner is chicken, fish, or meat of some sort, with veggies and fruit. I have also made an omelet since that is very high in protein.
Snacks are usually unsalted peanuts and cashews with a box of raisins. I sometimes have the popcorn with a meal if I have room. My stomach is smaller than yours if you haven't had the surgery, so you can't imagine the difference.
Now, if you do some of this, you will be OK, but the main things that work are:
By the way, my diet is a little tougher than this, but it has never been easier for me to follow it and I think I can maintain it for life. I still get my comfort foods, and my treats, and still lose weight.
The neat thing about this, is that you can design your own meals from this basic menu.
Oh, and the kicker? Get out and do something. Exercise, I will talk about in another entry later.
I told him that it was vicious, and it is if you aren't serious about losing weight and keeping it off for life.
I thought I would write down as much of it here as I can, and maybe edit it on the fly as time goes on.
I should put in the usual medical disclaimers, but I won't. If you try this, you are on your own.
First, some background:
There are two types of hunger that I am going to talk about here:
- Physical hunger
- Mental or emotional hunger
Many of us eat because there is nothing else to do, or we are upset, or it's raining, or whatever.
Few of us can ignore comfort foods.
The trick is, to control our emotional hunger, and satisfy our physical hunger.
So, what do we need as far as food? That is arbitrary and I recommend you go to a dietitian, and set up a plan.
I also recommend you go get an endoscopy/colonoscopy. This will eliminate the possibility that you have something like I do, called Celiac Sprue. If you do have Celiac, and eliminate wheat and gluten products, you might just lose weight.
Another thing you should do, is to check to see if you have any sleep disorders, such as Sleep Apnea in one of it's many forms. If you do, and you can get relief so you start getting a good night's rest, you just might lose weight.
Because of my weight, I had sleep apnea. I still use a CPAP machine, but the pressure has been reduced drastically, and it is just a matter of time until I don't need the machine anymore.
With all that said, what is the change of lifestyle diet that I am talking about?
Well, I lost 26 pounds before the surgery from it, and it continues to help me. My dietitian came in after I started the diet, but she really helped me fine tune it and understand why I was doing what I was doing.
- If you can, try to eat the same basic foods every day for a few weeks to get used to the change. That is, for breakfast, eat the same thing every day. Lunch and dinner, the same.
- Drink only water based drinks. No soda of any kind. Use Crystal Lite teas, and juices. No sugar at all.
- Don't drink anything 15 minutes before, or until 1 hour after your meal. (This is a bariatric thing, but it works with any diet). If you want to know why, ask me.
- Eat mainly protein first at each meal, then carbs, then fruit. Protein should be what you eat the most, and it should be first. So, you eat a steak, then the veggies, then fruit. The protein stays in your stomach longer and helps to keep you full longer, less likely to cheat.
- Always have one piece of fruit with each meal. Apple, peach, blueberries, banana, raisins etc. Orange is good too. If you like it, eat it.
- Eliminate bread with your meal.
- Use a smaller plate.
- Eat fresh as much as possible. Use fresh veggies, meat, fish, chicken, etc. The more you eat from a box, the harder this will be.
- Learn to cook your own foods. Use seasonings, not sauces. Sauces add calories, fat, and things you don't need or want.
- No more caffeine. Drink decaf. You can get used to it.
- Read labels so you don't accidentally take in sugar or caffeine.
- Sugar from fruit is OK, but not added sugar. Orange Juice is not a good idea because it gives you too much sugar too quickly and messes with your blood sugar levels. But an Orange is fine.
Orville Reddenbacker has bags of 100 calorie low fat microwave popcorn.
If you have trouble with artificial sweeteners, that is, they taste funny or have an aftertaste, don't worry. What you have to do is eliminate all sugar from your diet for a few weeks. The aftertaste will go away and you won't be able to tell the difference between sugar and artificial.
Remember, this is a lifestyle change.
Now, one thing I have to say is that you should add non soluble fiber to every meal, even if it is only a little. I use "Unifiber". This is not a laxative, and it has no gluten, so I use it to replace the fiber I don't get from wheat.
Here is my sample day:
Breakfast consists of a bowl of high fiber oatmeal (yes, I can eat oatmeal) with a banana sliced into it. I use hot decaf coffee instead of water or milk for added flavor. 1 small cup of yogurt, usually fiber one, which is smaller in quantity than the Dannon which is loaded with sugar.
Lunch is my special chili. Check previous blog entry for one recipe. I have added and changed it greatly since I've made it. The variations make it slightly different, and I haven't gotten tired of it yet. Fruit of choice.
Dinner is chicken, fish, or meat of some sort, with veggies and fruit. I have also made an omelet since that is very high in protein.
Snacks are usually unsalted peanuts and cashews with a box of raisins. I sometimes have the popcorn with a meal if I have room. My stomach is smaller than yours if you haven't had the surgery, so you can't imagine the difference.
Now, if you do some of this, you will be OK, but the main things that work are:
- Getting healthy comfort food is much smaller quantity. 60 calorie pudding, instead of the whole box of 300+ calories.
- Eating more protein and less of the other stuff.
- Lots of non soluble fiber.
- eliminating sugar, caffeine, and soda.
By the way, my diet is a little tougher than this, but it has never been easier for me to follow it and I think I can maintain it for life. I still get my comfort foods, and my treats, and still lose weight.
The neat thing about this, is that you can design your own meals from this basic menu.
Oh, and the kicker? Get out and do something. Exercise, I will talk about in another entry later.
May 26, 2009
Do you really want to know? Do ya?
These are the answers to all of the questions you might ever have about food, dieting, and exercise.
They come from the most reliable place in the world.....the internet!
Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ...... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'
AND.....
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
They come from the most reliable place in the world.....the internet!
Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ...... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'
AND.....
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
The numbers
In case you were wondering, here are my numbers. They are the measurements before, during, and almost up to date.
I am posting these as a guide for you to beat. You can do better than me, if you want.
I am happy the way I am.
My current numbers are actually better than this (these were done over a month ago) due to the warmer weather and the exercise I have been doing.
I also noticed that my starting weight was 296. I had already started to lose weight in order to get ready for the surgery. I had dropped from 305. I actually lost 26 pounds by the time I went in for the surgery.
It gives me a chill every time I see these numbers. I was buying 18 inch neck shirts and they were too tight. I used to unbutton the top and hide it behind the tie. Now, even if I wanted to wear those shirts, I am too small.
My shoe size went down from 9W to 8.5 regular.
I am wearing 40 waist shorts, and they are starting to be too big.
Wow, what a journey!
BMI is Body Mass Index.
| Stage | BMI | Weight | Height | Neck | Shoulder | Thigh | Calf | Waist | Hip |
| pre | 47 | 296.0 | 67.0 | 17.3 | 56.7 | 25.6 | 18.9 | 55.7 | 57.9 |
| 2 wks | 42 | 261.0 | 66.0 | 16.3 | 53.5 | 21.5 | 16.5 | 52.4 | 53.1 |
| 6 wks | 38 | 245.0 | 66.0 | 15.9 | 54.9 | 23.2 | 16.5 | 49.2 | 51.4 |
| 3 mo | 37 | 235.0 | 66.0 | 15.6 | 52.2 | 21.1 | 16.7 | 46.3 | 50.4 |
| 6mo | 36 | 224 | 66 | 15.16 | 50.98 | 19.88 | 16.54 | 45.28 | 47.64 |
| 9mo | 34 | 214 | 66 | 15.35 | 49.21 | 20.87 | 16.34 | 42.91 | 46.06 |
May 25, 2009
Short weekend
I have to look through my email to figure out when the next meeting is.
I am interested in attending as long as I can.
This past weekend, I had a half day for a few of my school kids, and not for others, so I ended up working longer than usual. No big deal, because it is just driving, but I did some stupid things.
You see, this is a tourist area, so many people are driving like idiots, rather than the vehicles around them.
I have a pet name for them, but I won't say it here.
Anyway, they were out in droves on Friday.
I came up to one corner, after fighting with the slow movers, gawkers, cell phone texters, and whatever else for the previous 5 minutes.
There was this car along the side of the road sitting at the light when it was clearly a right turn on red opportunity. I figured it was another F****** tourist (oops), so I went around him on the left, and proceeded to make my right turn on red, while they sat there. Bad thing for me to do. I'm supposed to be a professional driver, and I am most days. I will always err on the side of safety, but I was at my wits end at that point.
Well, it turns out that they weren't a tourist. Rather, they were an off duty Police officer just wanting to go home after his shift. I don't know why he wasn't lined up properly, or why he didn't make the turn, but he did write down my van number and called my boss to complain.
My boss called me, and I lied about what I did in order to cover my butt.
Well, that doesn't sit well with me. I usually try to tell the truth, even if it hurts me, but again, I was tired of all the garbage.
I waited until I cooled down a bit, and called my boss back to tell her that I lied, and to ask for the contact information so i could call the officer and apologize. My boss understood, as she always does, but she didn't have the contact information for the officer.
So, tomorrow, I will try to contact the officer and apologize myself, and take my lumps if I have to. I screwed up and don't ever feel good about not telling the truth. I feel even dumber doing what I did.
So, how does this relate to Bariatric Surgery?
Well, let me ask you how many times you have lied about your weight?
How many times have you lied to the doctor over the years about how you've stuck to your diet, but really didn't?
How many times did you feel good about that?
I have tried to tell the truth no matter what. It was one of my goals, along with everything else I promised to do for myself.
It is really hard to do all the time. Try it sometime.
Try not feeling sorry for yourself sometime! Not easy.
Try being upbeat all the time. Impossible.
So, the rest of my weekend was somewhat boring, but for me, I enjoyed myself.
I went to see my friend's band play at a car show in Thomasville, PA. yesterday. I was honest with him about how it sounded. He took it very well because he knows I will support him no matter what. They had lots of trouble with the sound system, and getting the correct balance. Made things tough for them to sing.
But, I stayed the whole time, and I even helped take down and wrap cables and carry equipment. Felt good. Some of those cabinets were heavy.
On Saturday, to go a bit backwards in time, We went to my Son's home to attend Skylar's second birthday party. You can see pictures on Facebook, if you send me a friend request.
I will be uploading pictures from today. I asked my wife to take a shot of me cutting the lawn. Pushing the lawn mower, since I can't seem to get the John Deere ride on to do what I want. It almost melted the new mower deck belt. I tried to adjust it with no luck. I looked online, but can't find a suitable site that doesn't want $80 for a service manual that may not have what I need anyway.
I will be heading over to the Deere dealer tomorrow to look at their stuff and ask more questions. I can't sell the mower the way it is. I have to fix it.
So, this week, I am going to take time to play my guitar. I have songs ready to learn. I should be able to do something. I plan to play out sometime Before the end of the summer.
So, I have been writing what I think in this post, and not worrying about the order. I hope you can get something from this.
Stay tuned, life is good!
I am interested in attending as long as I can.
This past weekend, I had a half day for a few of my school kids, and not for others, so I ended up working longer than usual. No big deal, because it is just driving, but I did some stupid things.
You see, this is a tourist area, so many people are driving like idiots, rather than the vehicles around them.
I have a pet name for them, but I won't say it here.
Anyway, they were out in droves on Friday.
I came up to one corner, after fighting with the slow movers, gawkers, cell phone texters, and whatever else for the previous 5 minutes.
There was this car along the side of the road sitting at the light when it was clearly a right turn on red opportunity. I figured it was another F****** tourist (oops), so I went around him on the left, and proceeded to make my right turn on red, while they sat there. Bad thing for me to do. I'm supposed to be a professional driver, and I am most days. I will always err on the side of safety, but I was at my wits end at that point.
Well, it turns out that they weren't a tourist. Rather, they were an off duty Police officer just wanting to go home after his shift. I don't know why he wasn't lined up properly, or why he didn't make the turn, but he did write down my van number and called my boss to complain.
My boss called me, and I lied about what I did in order to cover my butt.
Well, that doesn't sit well with me. I usually try to tell the truth, even if it hurts me, but again, I was tired of all the garbage.
I waited until I cooled down a bit, and called my boss back to tell her that I lied, and to ask for the contact information so i could call the officer and apologize. My boss understood, as she always does, but she didn't have the contact information for the officer.
So, tomorrow, I will try to contact the officer and apologize myself, and take my lumps if I have to. I screwed up and don't ever feel good about not telling the truth. I feel even dumber doing what I did.
So, how does this relate to Bariatric Surgery?
Well, let me ask you how many times you have lied about your weight?
How many times have you lied to the doctor over the years about how you've stuck to your diet, but really didn't?
How many times did you feel good about that?
I have tried to tell the truth no matter what. It was one of my goals, along with everything else I promised to do for myself.
It is really hard to do all the time. Try it sometime.
Try not feeling sorry for yourself sometime! Not easy.
Try being upbeat all the time. Impossible.
So, the rest of my weekend was somewhat boring, but for me, I enjoyed myself.
I went to see my friend's band play at a car show in Thomasville, PA. yesterday. I was honest with him about how it sounded. He took it very well because he knows I will support him no matter what. They had lots of trouble with the sound system, and getting the correct balance. Made things tough for them to sing.
But, I stayed the whole time, and I even helped take down and wrap cables and carry equipment. Felt good. Some of those cabinets were heavy.
On Saturday, to go a bit backwards in time, We went to my Son's home to attend Skylar's second birthday party. You can see pictures on Facebook, if you send me a friend request.
I will be uploading pictures from today. I asked my wife to take a shot of me cutting the lawn. Pushing the lawn mower, since I can't seem to get the John Deere ride on to do what I want. It almost melted the new mower deck belt. I tried to adjust it with no luck. I looked online, but can't find a suitable site that doesn't want $80 for a service manual that may not have what I need anyway.
I will be heading over to the Deere dealer tomorrow to look at their stuff and ask more questions. I can't sell the mower the way it is. I have to fix it.
So, this week, I am going to take time to play my guitar. I have songs ready to learn. I should be able to do something. I plan to play out sometime Before the end of the summer.
So, I have been writing what I think in this post, and not worrying about the order. I hope you can get something from this.
Stay tuned, life is good!
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