The heat is on!

Every once in awhile, I get overwhelmed by the pressures of everyday life.

I wake up at 2am, and my mind is racing and I can't think about anything but how things are falling apart, and how am I going to keep up with the bills, and is it too late to change my career, and......the cycle keeps going until I have to get up.

Then, things become a bit more clear and I realize that I don't have a career, other than bus driving, and I don't have any money, so I can't pay my bills. So, why worry about it?

But, this cycle happens on a regular basis, and I wonder why I can't get started to fix it.

And then, I remember that I am doing something to fix it. I just lost 95 pounds!

• I am no longer supporting the drug companies. I flushed all my pills.
• I have actually started to cut the grass every other day for exercise, and I get up the next morning and have energy to do other things.
• I am much more even tempered.
• I haven't run the AC in the house because I can stand the heat much better now. Saving money for me, I'm not worried about being "GREEN".
  
• I still say my prayers, and even though I'd like to win the lottery, I still feel at peace for the most part.

So, I have problems, both physical and mental that still need to be fixed.

We all do.

• My John Deere RX 63 is still in the garage unsold. I can't drop the price without losing money on it. Woe is me!
  

I'll be picking out the ones I can do something about, and plug away at the ones I can't.
The bill collectors have to get in line now. I don't have any choice. With the economy being a good excuse, as well as me being too old (I'll be 56 in September), I can add my surgery as another excuse not to get a "real" job.
I have the summer off. This summer, I am painting the basement. I would like to enjoy this task, but even with my new weight loss, I don't. I hate painting, and much as I try, I can't overcome that hatred! However, Cinder block gray isn't very appealing to whoever will buy this place when we lose it. White paint reflects light better and brightens up the basement.
I am also pursuing my broken teeth. I have two that need to be fixed. One, needs a crown. The other, needs to be replaced. I am not ready to live with a hole in my mouth, so I have to come up with money I don't have to pay for it. They won't let me make monthly payments, so I will be robbing Peter to pay Paul.
So, $3000.00 in non dental medical bills will have to wait.
Unemployment compensation is no fun, but after all these years of being out of school, I still get to enjoy the summer off, even if I do have panic attacks at 3am once in awhile!

NSFW, or something like that. Plus, Oh, my aching body!

I found out something new today.
My schedule has become more dependant on my body, than on my brain.
I can't go out the door without thinking about what my body will need.
And, if my body isn't ready, I ain't goin nowhere!
I need to use the bathroom for a bowel movement in the morning before I leave the house. If I don't, I will be terribly constipated and uncomfortable all day. I will then spend an unreasonable amount of time in the bathroom at a later time.
I'm sorry to talk about this, but it's true.
I have a problem with getting enough fiber because of my Celiac. I take Unifiber with every meal, but it doesn't provide me with everything I need.
The beans from my chili help, but they also produce gas. Everything I eat produces gas now. I am getting close to starting to use something to cut down, but that has been a problem in the past with me too.
I am also not getting enough liquid, which isn't helping in the quest for better bowel movements. I am drinking quite a bit, but still not getting enough.
This is something I can fix, and I will work on it, but my mind has to get into the proper set, and it hasn't yet. That's why I write this. It will help me, and hopefully you when you reach this point.

Next month, I celebrate my one year anniversary since my surgery.
I can't believe I am still alive, let alone, in the shape I am in. I can see my feet now, and I can stand for long periods of time. I can do things, and I feel great for the most part. I am sore because I work, not because I am fat.
Wow!

Yesterday, I procrastinated.
I got up at 4:45am, even though I didn't have to. I was supposed to start painting and had a friend coming over to help.
I was supposed to help my future daughter in law to go somewhere, but she cancelled. That was a relief, because I thought that this would hurt my plans to stay on track and do what I planned to do.
So, I:

• Ate breakfast
• Did the dishes
• Got into the car and went to Wal*Mart. I got paint supplies that were cheaper than at Home Depot. I also got some things that I couldn't get anywhere else.
• Brought everything home, and took them downstairs. Then, I brought up some more heavy stuff on the way back up from the basement. I also moved some more things around so we could start the painting, when the time came.
• Upstairs, I ran the vacuum, and ate my second meal while watching TV and resting a bit.
• I also put my ride on mower out in the front yard with a for sale sign on it. I noticed the lawn was getting long from all the water this past week.
  

My friend came over at this point and we went downstairs. I had to move a ton of clothing that was hanging on the hook so we could get to the chore of painting.
I put some music on, and away we went.
I managed to work for about two hours or so before I ran our of steam. I would have liked to go on all day, but I had already been up since 4:45, and it was getting on to noon. I went upstairs and mixed up a protein drink and sat down with lots of back cracking sounds.
I was able to go back downstairs and do a little more work before I knew it was time to give up for the day.
My friend helped me clean up and he headed out. I went upstairs and ate something, and then went and layed down after getting out of my painting duds.
I took an hour nap, then got up and rode the mower to finish off the lawn. I was going to try to use the push the mower instead, but realized I would not have been able to finish the job. The ride on mower does lots of bumping around, and I spent more time on it than if I had been pushing, because it goes slower and takes time to turn around and back up and all. It is only a 26 inch blade, where my push mower is a 21 inch, so not much more help there, except it's easier in the long run.
I came in after that and took a nice long hot shower, which felt great.
We went out to dinner after that and took a ride. I managed to stay awake long enough to see "Mental", which isn't half bad. Kind of like "House" in a funny farm. David Carridine was the guest star, and I enjoyed seeing him in such a different role. I don't think he said a word the whole show, yet managed to convey his character nicely.
So, last night, I did have to take some pain med, which I only do in extreme times. I slept like a rock, and woke up feeling almost human.
I sprayed the weeds this morning with my two gallon bottle and sprayer, and now am going to eat something before I take it easy today.
Tomorrow, I will do something not related to work, and Monday, will start in with the painting again. This time, I am on my own. My friend has a whole bunch of doctor's appointments this week, and won't be able to help.
Stay tuned!

Life is good.
I managed to transport 7-45 gallon bags of trash up the stairs and onto the porch in preparation for the sanitation engineers to haul it away. They are gonna be so happy that they agreed to take anything I could give them.
I cleaned up one area of the basement so far. It's the back corner that I took picture of for the last blog entry. I cleaned off the floor, and re boxed what I wasn't going to get rid of.
My wife is the pack rat queen on Central PA. She saved things from who knows how long ago. I am getting rid of it, because when and if we move, I will not be taking it with us. So, a little at a time, it is going out the door.
I found that the more weight I lose, and the more my mind wants to stay away from the mental stuff, and more towards the physical stuff. I am spending less time on the computer, and more time on my feet.
I am sore from the chiropractor this morning, and from moving boxes this afternoon, but I feel good.
I have lots of stuff downstairs that has to be broken down, and won't fit into boxes or bags, including a 40 gallon water heater that I replaced a few months ago.
I am ready to paint, and will go get the paint and gear sometime tomorrow, I think . I have to check the bank account. I am broke right now, but will find the money to do this somewhere. I wish I could get one of those bailouts. I paid my dues. It's time for the government to return some of it. I am tired of working to support the welfare people who should be working.
Oh well, I can move better than I have in years, and have the summer off. I'm gonna enjoy it.

The job at hand

So, I promised myself I would try to get this done by the end of the week.
I started out strong, and moved along very well this morning.
Then, I fizzled out. I ran out of steam.
But, I made a dent.
The porch shot has a few of the black 45 gallon trash bags that I brought upstairs. I have two others that I have to bring up yet.
In addition, I also brought up two speaker cabinets and one amp, and the laundry, along with a few cans for my next batch of chili.
So, tomorrow, I will continue my quest to clean out the basement in prep for painting.
I also have to cut the grass, but I think I'll wait until Wednesday for that. And, I have to clean out the school van so I can return it for the summer.
I have my work cut out.

This month's meeting, after rambling

I have been reading other's blogs, and not writing too much coherent stuff on mine.
I have been moving into a new area in my mindset, and that involves more activity and less idle time.
Next week, I finish driving my school bus.
Over the summer...

• I will finish cleaning out my basement. This includes numerous trips up the stairs with "stuff". Big, little, round, square, and odd shaped "stuff".
• I will re-box everything down there and store them on the shelves, rather than have them all over the floor.
• I will string up a clothes line of sorts so we can go back to hanging wet clothes instead of using the dryer. Lord Obama doesn't like us to be comfortable.
• I will buy a 5 gallon bucket of white paint and distribute it on all of the walls down there in order to brighten it up a bit. The last time it had a fresh coat of paint was probably the mid 80's.
• I also have one bedroom, the kitchen, and bathroom to paint, but I may not do that until the fall.
• I plan to walk the rail trail as much as I can, as well as ride my bike there too. I may try my hand (feet?) at jogging too.
• I want to kayak, and may be able to rent one to go to the river. I will try hard not to drown.
• I am going to Hershey Park. I really wanted to buy a season pass so I could go there once a week, But Lord Obama said "we need more of your money so we can pay off the rich bankers", so I won't be doing that.
• I am going to take at least one long ride on my Helix. I want to go back to my home town and just spend the day riding around. Levittown is a fun place to ride.
  

I do need a new computer. This one has numbers missing. It is slower than I'd like it to be, and it still has windows on it.
I would like to get another computer and use this one for experimenting with Ubuntu. I would also like to get a DJ music dedicated Apple laptop, but I will be broke long before that happens.
So, I get up early, and work late, and feel good.
I went to the meeting for the support group Thursday night and it was very informative.
They had a plastic surgeon explaining all the gory details to body contouring with the knife.
I have to admit that I don't like the bat wings forming under my arms, or the extra left over stretched out skin on my belly, but I have real reservations about getting it all cut off. I may change my mind, but right now, I am not going to consider it.
It seems they have made progress with the surgery, but they still leave scars.
I believe they will soon figure out how to do it without scars. After all, my gastric bypass didn't leave anything except for a few red spots, and they look just fine.
There is also the matter of cost. No insurance here, unless the extra skin is life threatening. I can't blame them for not paying.
A lot of the stuff they do can now be done outpatient. That's good.
I think I will live with my reminders, so I don't ever think about gaining weight ever again.
Next month's meeting will be held in the Doctor's new facility, which is supposed to have a real workout room, along with a large area for meetings. I look forward to it since it is only about 4 miles from my house and doesn't involve driving into the city. Did I tell you I hate cities?

Sugar, Salt, and other things that cause global warming!

First off, there ain't no such thing as man made global warming. Get over it!
Algore is in it for the money, power and fame. Nothing more, nothing less.
That being said, let's talk about stuff you add to your food, and other stuff to make you healthy.

Sugar:
Why is sugar fattening?
I can't give you the scientific explanation, but I can give you the general idea. Feel free to investigate for yourself.
Here it is: Your body simplifies everything you eat into sugar. Everything eventually breaks down into sugar in your body. What doesn't break down gets passed through or stored.
Protein is the hardest thing for the body to break down into sugar. The body takes longer to get rid of it. Your stomach stays fuller longer with protein in it.
There are other reasons too. Since the body doesn't use all of the protein, some is converted to fat, and the rest is passed through.
Fat is next. Fats take a long time to break down, but not as long as carbs listed below. Fat is what you store in your body for later. In the caveman days, we didn't eat very regularly, so our body learned to store energy in the form of fat, for when we had a long break between meals.
Carbohydrates are the next thing the body can process. Carbs take less time to be converted to sugar, so if your body is sedentary and you take in lots of carbs, your body will store them as fat faster than if you take in protein.
Sugar is a simple carb, whereas, pasta is more complex. So, sugar burns quickly, causing the body to be satisfied, and not be so inclined to burn the fat stores.
So, the goal in losing weight should be to burn off the fat stores (not all of them, of course), and still maintain muscle tone so we don't end up as a big blob of loose skin and no muscle.
Sugar is not bad, it just keeps us from burning off the fat stores.

If you can eliminate sugar from your diet, you will lose weight. Sugar makes bad things taste good. So, you need to find a sugar substitute that won't kill you, or add any calories to your diet.
Sweet and Low is my favorite because it causes cancer in rats. Get over it!
Aspartame is good too, but some people have problems with it. I don't know why, but someday, the scientists will figure it out and tell you about it.

So, these sweeteners taste funny if your taste buds are used to large amounts of sugar. I had that problem. So, how do you get rid of that taste?
You eliminate sugar completely from your diet for at least 2 weeks. You have to plan this because sugar is in processed foods, even when you don't think it's there. You have to read labels, or, eat fresh for at least two weeks.
If you can do this, pretty soon, you won't be able to tell that you are using an artificial sweetener. They don't taste funny anymore. Honest!

Now, there is one kind of sugar that is OK to eat, as long as you eat it at the end of your meal, after taking in proteins, and carbs. That is the kind of "binding" sugar found in fruit. Fresh fruit, not the fruit cocktail stuff you buy in cans.
Binding sugar binds to other things in your food, and does whatever, but doesn't mess with your blood sugar as much. Now, if you eat nothing but fruit, you will overdo it and defeat your purpose.

Why is salt bad?
It's not, in small amounts. The problem is, we add tons of salt through processed foods. Places where they don't use sugar, they use salt. Read the labels!
They use cheaper grade of meat, fish, pork, chicken, fruits, veggies, etc. They want the food to last for months or years in a box, until you are ready to eat them. Salt and sugar add flavor that isn't there normally. It is addictive.
Salt in large amounts causes us to retain water, and thus weigh more. It raises our blood pressure, making the heart to work harder.
We need salt to live, but only so much of it, not too much.
Adding salt? I don't add salt, but since I have lost weight, and stopped taking my other meds, I don't think about it. My food tastes better because I am cooking my own fresh food more. I am not adding salt or sugar to my chili. Don't need it.
There is sugar in some of the canned beans I use, but I pour out the liquid before I add it to my mix, so it's not too bad.

A simple diet that works.

• Eat proteins first at every meal.
• Eat Complex carbs next
• Eat fruit last
• Add fiber to your diet
  
• Eliminate simple sugar
• Don't add Salt

Last but not least, fiber!
Fiber is found in vegetables, cereal, wheat, oats, and many other places you wouldn't believe. The more fiber you can eat, the happier you will be. Of course, that is within limits.
Too much fiber gives you gas. Not enough, and you get constipated. Find the right balance, and you will be happy for life. Fiber makes you feel good.
I lost weight just by increasing my fiber intake.
As a Bariatric patient, and a celiac, it's really hard for me to get enough fiber. I crave fiber one cereal. I miss it so much. I used to add wheat germ to my foods to increase the fiber. It bulks up the stool, making it much easier to poop.
Now, I add fiber from various OTC supplements. It doesn't do the same thing, but it does help. Metamucil is good, except that it bulks up too quickly in the glass, making it tough for me to drink. I am only allowed to sip my drinks, so I can't get it into my stomach before it starts to work. I am going to try smaller amounts soon to see if I can tolerate it. I'll let you know.
I now use Unifiber, which doesn't have any taste and doesn't swell up. I can add it to anything I eat, hot or cold. I usually add it to my protein drink, as well as my oatmeal. I don't even know it's there, but I get my fiber allowance. But, since it doesn't bulk up, it doesn't do the same thing, and I get constipated a lot. No fun.
Fiber is the stuff that the body can't process, so it passes it through. While fiber is on it's journey, it absorbs liquid, and that liquid has impurities that the body is also trying to get rid of. So, the fiber helps the body to eliminate more waste and regulate the amount of liquid. The fiber tends to swell, stretching the intestine as it goes. This exercise helps the intestine to release anything that is stuck along the way. It keeps it clean.
Fiber has been proven to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. I have no idea why.
So, feel free to question my theories, or add to them, but I know one thing:

When you use these ideas, you lose weight!

Next meeting and ramblings until I fall asleep....

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.....

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:

1. Physical hunger
2. Mental or emotional hunger

#1 is the kind that we would all like to have, and totally ignore #2.

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.
  

Cut down on desserts. There are Jello puddings that have 60 calories per cup. I bought baby spoons and use them. I eat like a king!
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:

1. Getting healthy comfort food is much smaller quantity. 60 calorie pudding, instead of the whole box of 300+ calories.
2. Eating more protein and less of the other stuff.
3. Lots of non soluble fiber.
4. eliminating sugar, caffeine, and soda.

So, ask away with any questions.
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.

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.

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

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!

Hershey Park

One of my goals was to ride the rides at Hershey Park this year.
I was interested in booking a group of us post people to save a few bucks and to maybe blow our own horn.
"Hey, we lost weight in one of the safest and best ways there is!"
I sent out an email to the people I have on my mailing list, and received only one negative response.
So, I am posting it here in case anyone is interested. I think we need at least 20 in order to get the discount. And no, you don't count as two people anymore!
I will mention it at the next meeting at the General.
If I can't get anyone to go with me, I will go alone.

New/old thoughts and facebook

I've been trying to stay funny on Facebook, but the things that are going on in Washington are making me angry. If you read my Facebook, you will know where I stand. No need to state it here.
I've managed to post many pictures of my family, and to meet old friends, and find people that I thought I had lost forever.
I still have one person I would like to find, but the trail has gone cold and I am not willing to hire a detective to find them. I will just keep my eyes open and hope I do someday.
I found out I had more friends than I thought I had. I found out I was perceived as a different person to different people.
I have friends here in Lancaster County too that I didn't think would really care one way or the other. Surprised me a bit.
My scale is getting happier for sure since it doesn't have to work so hard anymore.
I have DJ friends who are using Facebook as a business tool, and I wish them well. I am more traditional, and use it the way it was intended.
But, I will not play Mafia Wars, no matter what.

Ramblings

It seems as time goes on, so slowly, that thoughts pop into my head. I don't know where they come from, or why they are there, but they are interesting, at least to me.
I sometimes will put a problem into my memory banks and let the brain work on it until there is a solution. If I can't find one inside me, then I can look elsewhere.
So, as time moves on in this bariatric world, new ideas are just happening all over, causing me to start asking questions, such as, why not?
"I am finished with this. I will never do it again, so why even think about it. I'm fat, and I will die soon, so concentrate on the things I can do."
I never thought I would be thin again, or able to do some things. Now, I can, and it's opening up new ideas for me. My dreams are much more fun to work with too.
So, someday soon, I will find a way to get to Hershey Park, and go ride all the coasters, just because I can fit into the seats.
I have looked at Kayaks, but they are too expensive right now.
I have looked at other parts of the country, but even though I have my heart set on Florida, liberal state that it is, I am still not convinced that that is where I want to go.
I have about $3000 in medical bills from things I needed to have done, but put off. The taxes here in PA. are horrendous, and we don't get anything from them. My monthly expenses added to the taxes and medical bills, put me over the edge financially and mentally.
The only way out is to win the lottery, and that ain't gonna happen.
So, enough for felling sorry for myself. I guess it's time to get ready for summer, and a new job hunt. In the meantime, I'm going to get back to living.

NAWLS

I just joined this at the invite of a fellow post traveler. I haven't had time to get to all of the places I like to visit, so this will be another to add to my list to explore in the near future.
It's seems to be a good place to get lots of info, and share stories, tips and tricks. The more I network, the better things will be. I need support, and socialization, and I need to move away from the negative side of the net.
So, here is the "about" page for you to see. Look up the "Brader Brats" if you go there. That's where I'll be.

NAWLS Network

Two Organizations, One Purpose.

NAWLS Network is a new, free resource offered by the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery (NAWLS). Both NAWLS and the NAWLS Network embrace a mission to help weight loss surgery patients achieve long-term recovery from obesity and live a satisfying and healthy life; and to provide support, information, and resources to bariatric professionals and support group leaders.

NAWLS Network is for people who want to connect, and to share information and support in a lively, social-networking environment.

It’s for patients AND professionals.

If you are a bariatric surgery patient who has had any type of weight loss surgery, or if you are just thinking about having the surgery, this is the place to be. We encourage you to sign up for free and start sharing your experiences with others. Upload photos and videos, participate in discussions, post blogs, or start a new group. You're sure to make some new friends while you're here.

If you are a bariatric professional or support group leader, take some time to explore. This is a great place to interact with other professionals and leaders in the WLS community. Discuss treatment issues and challenges. Create a private group for your local support group members, where you can answer questions and provide online support to complement your live groups. Talk about what's working for your patients and what's not. Compare notes. We hope you use this resource to further WLS care, support, and education. Enjoy!

More about NAWLS.

NAWLS is a safe, loving, and nonjudgmental community of bariatric surgery patients who struggle with weight maintenance and regain, sugar and carbohydrate sensitivity, transfer addictions, emotional eating, and eating disorders.

The membership organization was founded in 2005 by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach, who became an advocate for patient support after her surgery. NAWLS provides comprehensive and personal support including retreats and workshops, coaching, teleseminars, books, classes, and now, a social and professional networking site.

Who is Katie Jay?

Katie Jay is the creator and director of the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery. She holds a masters in social work and is a certified wellness coach. She also is an obesity survivor who underwent RNY gastric bypass in 2004.

She founded NAWLS because she wanted to create a safe, nonjudgmental community for bariatric patients to get the support they need to change their obesity mindset and unhealthy habitual behaviors, and to achieve lasting results.

Katie coaches clients on a regular basis, facilitates powerful WLS retreats, leads workshops, and does sensitivity training and education for nurses, who receive contact hours. She also speaks often at patient-focused conferences and events, bariatric professionals’ conferences, and at support group meetings. She also writes regularly for WLS Lifestyles Magazine and Beyond Change.

Katie published her popular and ground-breaking autobiography, Dying to Change, My Really Heavy Life Story, in 2006. She has since published her second book, Small Bites: Daily Inspirations for Weight Loss Surgery Patients, and is currently writing her third book to be released late this year.

She writes a free online newsletter, Small Bites for Your Life, which reaches thousands worldwide. Sign up to receive Katie’s free newsletter, and begin taking advantage of this instrumental WLS resource.

Also, check out Katie's blog.

Appetite

Appetite. At least I spelled it correctly.
Feeling full. Got that one right too!
Hunger.
Panic.
Which and who and what am I trying to do?
OK, first.

Feeling full

I used to sit on the couch to eat (still do). I would balance the plate on my belly and eat until I was done, and then some.
Now, I sit on the couch and balance the plate on my stomach, which is much smaller. The pouch is off to one side, and if I put too much weight on it with the plate, I can feel it. This helped me to find my pouch. I am careful to not put too much pressure on it.
If I feel like I have to burp and can't quite do it, I am full. That's how it now feels to me. Before, I never felt full.
The goal now for me, is to measure out the food that I need, eat it, and walk away, even if I am not "full". I haven't gotten to that yet. I still have baggage between my ears that prevents that from happening.
I also get low blood sugar episodes that mess things up for me sometimes.

Hunger

I've found that hunger is not just one thing.
There is an emotional hunger that comes from between the ears, of course. This type of hunger is the toughest to control. This is probably the hunger that caused the obesity in the first place, along with other things like self control, laziness, depression, loneliness, and other things you can add on your own.
Then, there is physical hunger. This is a real hunger. It's the only hunger we should be concerned about. It is a form of pain that is a signal, telling us that we need to get something to eat. We really don't need to eat right away because we have plenty of storage energy, but it is a good idea.
I can get dizzy, or have a slight headache, which is the way my body complains because it is too lazy to tap into it's reserves. Which leads us to:

Appetite

This is an emotional need to signal that we should be storing more energy just in case. It can be masked by the brain, or blown out of proportion by that same brain.
It is all an indication of how we are doing over a time period. If we have a strong appetite, we are "OK" in this society. If it is weak, we lose weight, and are probably not "OK".
Appetite is something we don't need with bariatric surgery. Many times, we have to eat out of necessity, not need.

Panic

This is interesting.
Panic that we haven't eaten in awhile.
Panic that we don't fit in.
Panic that we ate the wrong thing and out wonderful pouch is about to let us know in the worst way.
Panic that we forgot something.
I have experienced this many times since my surgery. There are so many rules and I forget things so easily. I have been very lucky so far. The younger folks are better off than me in the memory department.
I think that's all I want to say for now.

So where have I been?

I've been in the basement cleaning the place out and getting ready to paint the walls. My wife doesn't know about half the stuff I've thrown out, so don't tell her.
I cut the lawn by hand mower 3 times this week.
Couldn't do any of that last year.
I have had people over every day this week to look at the scooter. I think I have it sold, but no money just yet.....
I've been working on the old/new John Deere. I have to replace the mower belt because I messed it up last week and it broke. Now, when I'm finished, I will put the mower up for sale at a slight profit. Maybe, I'll buy another one to work on....
I am still trying to get to my guitar, but have been having too much fun doing other things. I will play it this week for sure.

Putting it all together

I started to copy and paste my blog today into a word document, so that I could read the whole thing and see what I went through.
If you would be interested in reading the whole thing, contact me, and I'll try to send you a copy.
It is 80 pages long, and there is both good and not so good information there.
91 pounds ago, I had more time to write because I was still stuck in my fat.
Now, I can go outside and do things, and I take advantage of that.
Now, my next step is to free myself from some chains, and make some real progress!
In my previous entries, I mentioned some thing, and I plan to do them very soon.

• I am going to rent a kayak and try my hand at it as soon as the water warms up a bit.
• I am going to organize a trip to Hershey Park, and take as many formerly fat people with me as I can.
• I am going to seriously look into relocating to a warm climate.

There are other private things that I am going to do, none of them illegal, or fattening, but I won't list them here.

The saga of the John Deere RX 63

The meeting on Thursday evening was a good one, but I was exhausted from another day of driving my school van, and working on my John Deere ride on mower. So, I left right after the main part of the meeting and got an early night.
They had 4 people in various stages of post op, including a lap band. One guy had the surgery back in November and has already lost 100 pounds! He looks good, so he must be following the rules to the letter. I am at 91 pounds, so I don't feel so bad.
We are going to have a clothing exchange in July, but I will probably pass. I am planning on taking all my stuff to Goodwill, or the Salvation Army. Lots of clothes that are in good shape, and a few pairs of pant that never got worn. And the best part is that I am too small for all of them!

The John Deere has obsessed me since I got it. I bought an IH Cub Cadet a few years ago that was ancient, with the intention of fixing it up and restoring it eventually when I was fat. I even went so far as to buy a snow thrower attachment. The work overwhelmed me, and I had to sell it due to lack of energy. I really liked that machine. There is nothing quite like the older machines with all their problems, and quirks. They were made before everything went plastic.
So, this past week, there has not been one day that I haven't been to Deere country, the local dealer.
The people there have been great, taking the time to answer my questions and print out pictures of the various parts and how they fit together.

• Fuel line replaced along with the fuel filter.
• Lots of carb cleaner sprayed over everything to cut the gunk.
• Mower deck removed, cleaned.
• Blade sharpened.
  
• New Belt for the mower drive.
• New pulleys/spindles installed.
• Mower deck put back on.
• New rope for pull start
• New spark plug
• bolts tightened to spec.

Now, with all this work, you would think that I have been able to use the machine, but sadly, I've only used it twice since the season started. The darn thing just won't stay fixed! This is not a bad thing because I am learning so much. But I sure would like to run it already.
I plan on draining oil sometime after I finally get to use the mower this morning. This will be a chore since I have to tilt the whole unit to do that. It has a drain plug on top of the deck, which is kind of dumb. It should be underneath, so the oil would drain and not spill over everything, but the dealer said they did this sometimes back then.
I have to wear ear protection because the mower is very loud, especially with the blade moving, but I don't mind. I did have headphones and music playing, but it was too loud to hear the music, so I just use the basic ear plugs.
I would like to learn more about the mower and engine, and maybe get a job repairing them, but I really don't know how to do that. The Vo Tech school is not the best place for learning that. They have been infiltrated by advertising for particular brands, rather than teaching tips and tricks for good old fashioned hard work.

The great thing about all this is, I am able to function as a normal human being, even after spending hours climbing all over the mower and getting to do everything except sit in the seat and drive it. No collapsing after labor for me anymore! Yippee!
I plan to take pictures of the mower and maybe send out an article to Stacey David's "What are you working on" to see if he likes it.
So, what are you going to work on?

Update: I finished the lawn, but the belt for the mower broke. I am trying to figure out what went wrong, and they can't get a new belt until Thursday. I am not sure I want to repair it after all this. So, I went for a ride on my Helix, and felt better. But, I still don't know if I should bother anymore next week with the JD. I have a life to live, and am tired of laying on a piece of cardboard in the garage. Oh well....

Livin life

Tonight is the support group meeting over at Lancaster General Hospital.
Last week we met with a group of students doing their final project for graduation. The subjects were various aspects of the bariatric experience, from pre to post and beyond. They had stations where they explained things.
I registered for several prizes and even won one. A bottle of skin care lotion is now on my night stand. The stuff isn't too bad!
So, this week I spent almost every day over at the John Deere Dealer asking questions, and getting parts for my RX 63 project.
The thing is running really well, but I still need to do some minor adjustments. I'm learning so much and extremely pleased to be able to climb all over the thing without passing out after 5 minutes!
I'm also down 91 pounds officially, and all my numbers are right where I want them to be. No more pills is a great thing.
I got some more tips from the dietitian, and passed another milestone.
I have one more appointment before I am finished with my post surgery visits. After the appointment in the fall, I will only go to see the team once a year for the next 5 years. Wow!

Up to date

I have been spending less time at the computer and more time outside doing things. That's great!
It is raining a bit since yesterday, and the grass needs to be cut, so I am going to go out after this and install the new pulleys on my new/old John Deere, and go cut the grass.
I read the other blogs I follow, and my coffee (decaf still has a bit of caffeine in it) caused me to respond to comments more than I usually would.
I have been trying to maintain control over new/old emotions, but they get out once in awhile, and I end up sounding like a know it all.
Even though I know next to nothing, I still look and sound like I know it all because I practiced over the years, and I know lots of big words!
Oh and let's not forget spell check!
If, you are reading this blog, please send me comments, or just leave them here. Good, or bad, it doesn't matter. I will learn from them either way.
Time to go fix the mower....

Tuesday, I think

I am aiming towards my first hundred posts, so I thought I would write here instead of my Facebook page.

I have driven some type of bus for a living since 1974. School bus has been my favorite. City bus is a pain, and Tour bus is too dangerous today.
During that time, I have had days where I will arrive at a corner and not remember which way I have to turn. This is strange, since I have been to this corner many times before.
It's not the same corner all the time. It's different corners at different times.
It doesn't happen all the time, otherwise, I would not be writing this now. I would be on the road somewhere, trying to find my way home. Pay Attention!
Sometimes, I forget how to drive. Sometimes, I forget where I am. I always recover quickly, and it's a fleeting feeling, but not all that different from how they describe Alzheimer's disease.
I have spoken to doctors, and they all say not to worry about it, but of course, I do.

So, I have been on a quest to quit driving all together. I have wanted to go back to playing my guitar and singing for a living for years now.
But, I'm afraid of change.

I'm afraid of success.

I'm afraid of failure.

I'm afraid of being alone.

I'm afraid of making my own decisions.

This surgery is the first things I've done to conquer those above listed fears.
If I ever get the belt changed, and the blade sharpened on my new/old John Deere, I'm gonna go play my guitar again.
Wait a minute.......
I must be afraid of taking the first step too. Better add that to the list,,,,....along with procrastination.
Hmmmm, what else?