Weight, Wait!

So, just when did weight loss stop being an issue for me?
I don't really know, but it was just recently. I haven't been on the scale for a week or more, and it doesn't matter.
I plateaued and may even have gained a pound or so. But, I am balanced again.
I can do stuff again without worrying about collapsing.
Last night, as an example, I ran with the mower. I pushed it as fast as I could and covered the whole lawn in record time. I actually got a bit winded.
It felt good.
People still ask me how much I lost. They still comment on how good I look. I still make the same comments that "I feel great". It's a standard answer and allows me to move on quickly.

2 years ago, I was interested in finding a grave site that I liked. I wanted to make sure that everything that people found of mine after I died would not make me out to be some deviant monster or someone I wasn't. Yeah, I did my share of surfing porn on the web, but that wasn't the only thing I did.
I have done my share of research on everything from medicine, religion, biographies, home improvement, and just about every other subject you can imagine.
I was trying to figure out if it really made any difference at all what happened to my stuff after I died.
I thought I might have some stuff that had value as collectibles, but found out I had nothing but stuff. My collection of BK toys, or my Winross trucks are worth much less than I paid for them.
My record collection is only worth listening to and not making money from. I have a big band album collection that has never been played. After looking it up, I found it is not in demand, so I will keep it for no good reason.
Even my hand built custom made amplifier and guitar are only worth playing and not selling.
So, I considered selling it all for whatever I could get, and then taking off on the road to see the country before I died.
I felt lousy. I couldn't put my shoes on without great discomfort. My doctors were shaking their heads in disbelief, and throwing me 1200 calorie diets in hopes that I would lose weight.

Now, I find interest in life again.
I may still sell everything and go. But this time, I will be able to concentrate on the scenery outside me and not on my fat, sick body.
Here is an interesting link I found through a colleague. Maybe someone would want to help me design these for the US and help me to market them so I can pay some bills and stop driving bus?

Piano Stairs

A little something different

I have been buying an extra large cup of decaf coffee from Dunkin Donuts for as long as I can remember. I do this as a treat to myself.
2 sweet and lows
usually skim milk, but sometimes I forget and get cream.
Rarely do i have it black.
Most of the time, I have them add a mocha swirl. This is not part of the diet, but I do it anyway. It has sugar in it. I don't have nay reaction to it, so I attribute that to the size of the cup. I also tell them to take it easy on the mocha, but you know them!
I have to double check that they give me decaf also, because sometimes they forget.

So, I try not to mix the drink up too much while I drive. This way, the chocolate settles to the bottom and I don't get too much at one time.

I only drink about half of it while out on the road. (I drive my school bus for about 1.5 hours)

I bring the rest home, and park it in the fridge.

Here's the good part:

I add two scoops of protein powder to it, and then pour in water or more decaf coffee. The coffee is cold, not hot.

It makes drinking the protein much better for me.

Clothing, and other unmentionables

I get catalogs. I like getting them. I signed up for one years ago, and they just started arriving. Before the age of the Internet, I actually used to order things from them.
I bought this great Parka, every few years, from JC Penneys. It was good down to 10 below, and covered me up just fine. It was very warm, and comfortable. When it would wear out, I would just buy another one from the catalog.
I first found them in the store, and later, they moved them to the catalog. Now, I can't find them anymore. BTW, they cost $29.95 and never went up in price during the 15 years I wore them.

When we moved to Lancaster County, I got on some mailing lists, and started getting the LL Bean catalog, and later the Lands End, and other outdoors type catalogs. They are great in the bathroom!

I started buying goose down coats ($70) a few years ago. They were cheap like the parka, and so much warmer. Most of them came with hoods, but I never really used them.
My wife bought me a Mad Bomber Hat a few years ago to keep my head warm. This thing is huge. She thought since I was a double X everywhere else, that my head was also a XX. Wrong!
But, I love this hat. It is made from rabbit fur and rip stop nylon, and is so warm that I can only wear it on very cold days. I also would like to try it when I ride my Helix, but haven't yet. I imagine it will be great for that if I buckle it down.

So, the other day, I got a new catalog. It got me to thinking about things.
I just lost weight.
I got rid of all of my clothes. My sweaters were all too big, and most were worn out, so I tossed them.
I have two or three sweatshirts, two pair of jeans, lots of pocket Ts, socks and underwear. I have no dress shirts, and only one pair of dress pants. That's it.

So, what would happen if I started ordering new clothing from Cabela's catalog?

Well, I'd go broke. Absolutely, positively broke.

Socks are from $9.99 a pair, all the way up to $22.00! Well, I would need at least 7 pair, and probably different styles. Some for warmth, some for comfort inside. So, maybe 3 different styles, and 7 pair each. That's 21 pair of socks minimum.

Their jeans start at $30 a pair. I paid $17.00 at Wal Mart. So, I would need at least 4 pair of jeans. Add on 4 pair of dress pants.

Shirts? Oh my, what a choice. Add on sweaters, long underwear, hats, gloves, boots for the snow. Shoes for walking, hiking, climbing, and don't forget the moccasins. They look toasty! Right now, I use the booties I got when I was in the hospital. They only cost $20,000.00 and seven holes in my stomach!

One shirt from the catalog is $40! Buy 7 of them, add on some for a change in style and multiply by 7 again.

Don't forget the variety of coats for the different seasons and weather conditions.

When I first thought about this entry, I was going to go through the catalog and actually document everything so I could see the total cost. I decided that that was a waste of time. I can estimate just as well.

Now, of course, I wouldn't be able to buy a dress suit or two from Cabelas, so I would have to shop somewhere else for that. Add on dress shoes, socks again.

Then, I imagine I would need other things not mentioned here.

I have lived a very simple life as far as clothing. I think you might remember my post about living simply. I buy several different colors of the same basic clothing, and that saves time and money.

But, I really would like to have the money to go shopping full force at a place like Cabelas, or LL Beans. Maybe more than once.

Would $5000.00 do it? No, I don't think so.

Jos. A. Bank needs my money too!

Even if I can't afford it, I can still think about it. I'm going to lose more weight, and feel better. That isn't going to make me smarter or more money savvy. I've been quite dumb in the money area. I don't think that will change.
What will change is my attitude. I am happy.
Wal Mart will be my place of choice as long as the government takes the money I earn is such huge quantities.
So Be It.

Short and sweet

While discussing food choices, I found something new for me:
I started adding a teaspoon or two of Vanilla Protein powder to my yogurt in the morning. I also started eating my yogurt before I eat my oatmeal. This puts the protein first in my stomach. I used to eat the oatmeal first since it was hot.
The oatmeal doesn't really have that much protein in it, so this is better for me.

My breakfast lasts me until I get home for my next meal, and it gives me the fiber I need, since I don't take in wheat and gluten products.

• One packet of Quaker Oats Weight Control oatmeal, with one or two teaspoons of Benefiber for the added fiber.
  

• One container of Chobani yogurt, with one or two teaspoons of protein powder added.

• Add one banana.

That is a lot for me to take in. Many times, I don't eat it all. But I try to get as much as I can because of the fiber. I get so blocked up without it.

I also add Benefiber to my other meals where it will dissolve.
Believe me, it helps.

The vanilla powder is pretty much neutral as far as flavor is concerned. I am not a real fan of protein powder, but then again, I haven't found any decent flavored protein anything. I just put up with it because I have to. Mixed in with the yogurt it is just fine because Chobani is low in sugar (other than the fruit in the bottom) and pretty bland for the most part.

As far as other forms of protein, I have protein bars (detour bars with lower sugar), and they leave a lot to be desired as far as taste also. But, I like the consistency of them, and that satisfies my need to chew.

I still drink Dunkin Donuts decaf coffee every morning. (bad boy!) Sweet and Low, with skim milk. When the one girl is there, I get a small squirt of caramel or mocha. I can drink it plain too.
Since I am a creature of habit, I can alter my food choices, or keep them the same...it doesn't matter much. I do have certain things I won't give up, but so far, they haven't been overwhleming.

• I don't do sugar, and don't miss it.

• I don't drink alcohol. I haven't had a drink since 1982, and really miss it! LOL. Oh life without beer......almost not worth living!
• I do have dark chocolate in the form of a little square in the afternoon. Just one small square, instead of the whole box.

• I do cheat on my gluten-free diet on the weekends. One slice of pizza will not kill me. I even leave the crust on the plate. Give me a break.

I am so much more active now, and I feel great.
I am watching my health very carefully, and going through counseling to stay on track.
Life is good.

A bus driver's woes

I am a bus driver. I am tired of driving because it's getting hard to drive in traffic.
I don't see as well as I used to, even though my eyes have improved to the point where I can't wear my glasses while driving anymore.
I come up as 20/15 or better, so I still see better than most people.
But, I don't move my head as much, I don't have as much patience as I did, and traffic is worse than it used to be.
The way the vehicles are made today, are much different than they used to be. Not as much fun.
The kids are different too.
And me......

So, I am looking to do something else.
What do I have experience doing?

I can drive anything, but I don't want to anymore.

I can play guitar, bass, and sing.

I can sell stuff. I am a good salesman.

I think I might be able to write. But, so can millions of others.

So, while I am searching for a new career, I will continue to write my blog, and lose weight.

Saturday was a few days ago.

On Saturday, I woke my wife up earlier than her noontime sleep, to get her to go with me to Inner Harbor in Baltimore.

We met our daughter, along with both of our grand kids and went to the National Aquarium.

This trip was a request of my wife, with help from me and my daughter. It was kind of my daughter's idea, after I pushed my wife to go visit them at their home in Maryland. Am I confusing anyone?

So, I brought a long 2 bottles of O2, one carrier, and an extra bottle in case we ran out. The large bottles we have only last about 2 hours at the rate my wife uses them. She likes to use them while walking because her O2 levels go really low. When she is sitting, she is OK without it.

So, I carried the case with the Bottle while she walked along.
My grand daughter was very bubbly and happy to be there, and tagged along happily chasing the pigeons and sea gulls.

We went through the members entrance to the Aquarium since my daughter has a yearly membership. We walked right past the crowds waiting to get inside.

Once there, we went over and procured the use of a wheel chair for my wife. I was able to hang the bottle on the back, and away we went. Everywhere there was a line, someone would wave us over, and we butted up in line. I liked that.

After awhile, my daughter gave me her backpack which held all the stuff she needed for an infant and a 2.5 year old. It weighed in at about 10 pounds. I also had my Panasonic lumix to try to take pictures as I walked along. That was fun (not really). I wasn't used to pushing, carrying, and juggling all at the same time.

Needless to say, this is something I couldn't do two years ago for 5 minutes, let alone the 3 or 4 hours we spent there.
We used the elevator for many of our level changes, and that was interesting too because some of them came out at the end of that particular display. So, we had to walk through the crowds fighting traffic.

Getting to see the fish tanks turned out to be easier than I thought. People would back into us, say something like "oh, excuse me!" and then they moved out of the way. Nice!

My wife had Jackson on her lap most of the time. She talked to him and explained things to him, even though he is well under a year old and had no clue what he was doing there. He liked the pastel colors of the various tanks, and probably enjoyed the company too.

So, when we got to this moving ramp instead of a stairway, I decided to try it with the wheel chair. I managed to get the thing centered and then was amazed at how heavy it got as we started going up. I couldn't push it up in order to shorten the trip because there were always people in front of us. Man oh man did it get heavy! I'm glad none of the staff tried to stop me because finding the elevator and bucking traffic was harder than holding the wheelchair from falling backwards....but not by much. My grand daughter at one point came up behind me and put her hand on my butt to help me hold grandma from falling backwards. Goosed by a two year old! There were several of these ramps, and they varied in length and angle. I was able to hold the chair and not transmit my fear of impending failure to anyone in the family. Besides, it was a great workout!

Well, we wandered around with our entourage for a few hours until I realized that I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since my morning meal. I couldn't even find a water fountain. They have several places to eat, but every one of them was loaded with people and required waiting in line, which I despise. So, I finally had to give in when we got to the Jellyfish exhibit. The cafeteria was large and seemed to have plenty of seating. The lines weren't that long, so we entered one.

Now, I don't profess to understand women in any way shape or form. My wife and daughter couldn't decide what they wanted to eat. In this type of situation, I just grab what I can and go. But they had to decide. There was a line for hot food prepared by the staff, and there were already prepped salads and subs. We could grab them, pay, and then eat. What could be simpler?

I grabbed a chicken Cesar salad. I got my wife to grab another type of salad and my daughter to take a sub, but my grand daughter wanted a "hot dog", which required us to stay in line. My daughter managed to talk her into getting a cup of yogurt instead. Problem solved until my wife saw the "Starbucks" sign at the counter. I grabbed her a frappachino bottle from the pre prepped counter and we moved to the checkout. (I'm leaving here right after I finish this. We will go over to Dunkin Donuts where I will buy her a drink and doughnut of her choice).

So, we managed to get our food and actually eat. I ate the strips of chicken and gave some to Lilly (my grand daughter), along with many of the croutons. She looked so cute with a yogurt ring around her mouth while chomping on her chicken piece. No complaints from her, just good old fashioned protein.
I hadn't had anything to drink all day, but managed to find a water fountain and got a few sips later in the day.
I continued to carry the backpack and camera while pushing the chair for the rest of the trip. I had fun again going down the ramps inside the shark tank. They were stationary and wide enough for me to get a good grip and hold on while walking/pulling backwards.

The trip ended with us giving back the wheelchair and heading out to the parking garage. Lilly was exhausted and cranky. Jackson was asleep in his belly pack, and I was pleasantly sore.

We had to stop once so my wife could rest, but the trip was good.

One thing I have to mention were the prices. OUCH!
$6.95 for the salad. A few strips of chicken and some lettuce.
$4.25 for a bottle of Frappachino. UGH.
The parking for 4 hours cost $20.00. Holy cow. And they didn't even wash and wax the car!

My daughter got a 10% discount for paying for us to get into the aquarium, which was around $25.00 each. We didn't get to see the dolphin show or their 4D show. That's extra.

Oh well, it was worth it.

We got lost in Baltimore because I tried to go around some major congestion on 83 North. That was OK too because we got to see part of the city we never saw before.
I am a bit sore today, but not bad enough to worry about. I wouldn't have been able to do this two years ago.
Life is Good!

Slider food

At our weight loss group meeting the other night, I heard talk about how to get liquids into our system.
Something came up which surprised me because I was already doing it and didn't realize it.
After a meal, I usually have a slider food.
This is because I an dry and really would like to drink something with my meal, but because of restrictions, can't.
A slider food is a smooth food, such as a pudding, or jello type food.
I use 60 calorie sugar free jello pudding. I also buy the store brand to save money.
I also sometimes eat a sugar free Healthy Choice fudge bar. That has 100 calories.
This satisfies my liquid craving until I can take a drink an hour later.

Time to rake the leaves!

This is a post that I think didn't get published. I don't know why. This is from a few weeks ago. Anyway, here it is:

The leaves of brown came tumbling down, remember? That September in the rain.

An old standard song listed above. The only problem is my silver Maple isn't even starting to turn brown yet. It's still green. All the neighbor's trees are dropping leaves like crazy....on my yard!

So, I will use my new Honda Mower, and the leaf blower, and rake, to clean them up. Then, I will turn my back, and all the leaves will fall again, and it will look like I didn't do anything.

Life in the suburbs.

My wife is very sick, and we are not sure what is going to happen. We get the test results on Tuesday 10/27/9. My life will change drastically no matter what the results are.

My son never came back to finish what he started. He decided he has to move, and is going to move out of the area and change jobs. I wish him well, and wonder what I will do with my yard. I don't have the equipment or money to clean up the holes he left. There are roots and stumps there that I can't dig out. I think I will save and cover them up this spring with lots of mulch, and then put some small plants there. I did try to dig as much as I could, but didn't get too far with my shovel.

I did cut and trim all of the bushes around the house for the winter. We have butterfly bushes that I cut down to the ground. They will grow back stronger next year. The rose bushes are still blooming, so I will wait another week or so to chop them down.

Now, I have a huge pile of cut bushes behind the garage. I started to trim them down and lay them out into piles that I can haul away sometime soon. With the leaves, I think I will be busy for awhile.

Protein powder, and other improvements.

At our WL support group meeting last night, someone asked how we take our protein, and how do we get our daily allowance of liquid.
I am a creature of habit, so I pretty much stick to the same thing over and over. This allows me to concentrate on other things, and I don't mind at all.
I do, however, keep my eyes open for new ideas.
When I first started this diet plan, I tried different types of protein to see which ones I liked. I tried this liquid that was contained in a tube because on the label it told me it had more protein than most other types of protein. It tasted terrible.
Last night, I found out I was using it wrong. If I had taken the time to mix it with water to dilute it, I might have liked it better. Oh well.
I started using powder because I really like milk shakes and this was the closest thing I could find. The problem was, I couldn't digest it very well. It stuck in my throat, and made me feel bloated.
So, about two weeks ago, I ran out of milk, so I mixed up my protein with water instead. Wow, what a difference. The stuff tasted good. It went down and stayed down just fine. It wasn't as thick or rich as a milkshake, but I can live with it.
I mixed the chocolate protein powder with strawberry the other day, and I like that. I also add a packet or two of Sweet and low since I still like sweet stuff.
My chili has evolved too. Much of the time I don't get the fresh veggies to add to it. I add frozen veggies. I alternate between three different kinds of meat. Ground (angus very lean), beef cubes (a bit more fat), and Bison (very lean and tasty).
I am looking for new recipes now so I can expand my skills as a cook. The problem is, I like my chili too much!
I bought some rice and prepared it in a separate container. It's the kind of rice that you have to cook for like 45 minutes, and it is sticky. I love the flavor and texture, and I add it into my chili as a small enhancement. I am afraid to eat too much at a time because the stuff can expand and stretch my pouch. But, I do love the full feeling that rice gives me. I don't feel comfortably full too often, and rice gives me that feeling.
Many of the pre and new post people there last night weren't sure how to get their full allowance of liquid. I didn't get the chance to tell them that I get mine through much of my food. My tomatoes in the chili have lots of liquid, as does some of the other food I eat. They are not soupy, but just moist enough to go down easy. Barry was right about the liquid when he spoke of it in his blog.

Raking leaves and other exercise

If you look at the neighbor's yard, you can see what would happen if I left the leaves there instead of raking every day.
I moved from cutting the lawn to raking the leaves.
I have a leaf blower, and my new Honda mower has two blades to chop up the leaves, but I needed to burn off some frustration, so I picked up my new rake.
It's a metal ended fan type rake, with a spring bar across it. It has a wood handle, but it also has a bit of plastic, but that's OK.
It is very similar to the old style rakes. Just the right size, not too big, or small. Just right.
I have a few mature trees in the vicinity of my yard.
First, I cut the lawn lower than the rest of the year. This allows the wind to blow any leaves without them getting stuck in my yard.
Then, I rake leaves. I rake them every day. I do this for exercise since I can just as easily use the leaf blower, or lawn mower, or a combination.
I actually have two rakes, and use them like a big claw to pick up the leaves and put them into the paper bags the Borough supplies.
The workout is both for me, and the yard. The rake cleans out debris, and loosens the soil below. A leaf blower and lawn mower don't do that.
My mower can also collect the leaves. It does a nice job, but to me, it's easier to rake them, instead of emptying the bag every few minutes. The bag will work well when I want to finish the job, and just pick up what's left over.
This year, I raked all the leaves into a pile around the Silver Maple tree. Other years, I have raked them into the bushes around the house as a mulch. And, I have collected them in the bags and put them out to the curb for pick up.
One year, I was lucky enough to have a mulching machine, and I put all of them in there. It reduced the pile down to almost nothing.
Anyway, the exercise is nice. I rake down the one side using a left to right movement. I do a right to left movement coming back. I also exaggerate my movements in order to exercise and stretch more. I can work up a good sweat because there is a lot to do. It can take me as much as an hour to get them all. I only do the back yard because the front doesn't have any trees.
Well, my neighbors think I'm crazy for working so hard, but I don't want to exercise inside when I can do it outside. And, it keeps me out of trouble.

Full circle

So, I ramble some more today, just to fill the lines:

• With all the positive stuff going on in my life, I have so many things trying to bring me down. Oh my, what a test.
• A great speaker is coming back to our WL support group meeting. She has spoken two other times, and is the only counselor I know in the area that has also gone through the surgery herself. She understands the problems and has common sense solutions.
  
• The weight loss has come to a halt for now. My wife's medical conditions have contributed. My son and his problems are helping. And, I am allowing these things to have an effect. I'm not perfect.
• I need to find a full time, great paying job. I don't want to overwork and burn myself out. I don't have a clue what to do next. I am in between two piles of really good hay. I could take the traditional route and work for a "real" company, and a "real" job. I hate that thought. I'm not a traditional guy.
• My garage is full of my son's junk. I want him to move into his new place and get his stuff out of my house. I told him he could store it for a week and a half. That is way too long. Oh well, I did it myself.
• My cars both need work. They are Honda so they will chug along until I can catch up.
• My medical bills are starting to pile up. I realized that over the years, I must have paid at least a half million dollars (I had to write that out) to them over and above my insurance. I will spend at least that in the next 12 months. And, they still send me late notices, and pile more bills on me. They are a great hospital, but they have their issues.
• 205, 204,203, 204, 205. Come on now. Time to hit 199! Damn, this is hard!
  

What to do when things happen that you have no control over.

This one is important to me. It is very personal, so close your eyes while reading, and get a tissue.

This really is serious, but I handle serious things with a bit of humor in order to get through them. Nothing else to do but cry, and I will get to do that in private as time goes on.

Weight loss surgery has changed my life. It gave me a future instead of a premature ending.

I am not afraid of death. I was until I did some studying and praying, and found answers that I can accept.

I am afraid of wasting away to nothing, or going through great pain while getting there. That may not be rational, but that's me.

So, a few years ago, as I said in a previous post, I prayed harder than I ever did before. I asked for God to either kill me or make me better. A bit selfish, but that's the best I could do. It was a simple request.
God must have decided to let me live and made me better. I found Gastric Bypass, lost weight, and am learning how to live again.

Now, while I am so happy to be alive again, I got some sad news this past month.

My wife has breast cancer.

Normally, breast cancer is not a death sentence, but in her case, it will probably be.

She had Hodgkin's disease in 1974. She was treated with the new technology at the time, which was radiation therapy. It cured her. But, they didn't have the knowledge they have today, and they irradiated her upper body with too much radiation.
It burned her lungs, and it gave her breast cancer.
She has many other medical problems that are all part of her previous treatment.
The good thing, is that I got to meet her. I married her. I lived with her for 34 years. I had two great kids with her. I now have 5 grand kids with her.
Unless there is a miracle, she will not see our next wedding anniversary.
She is upbeat, and glad to be alive. She will continue to work as long as she can. She will be productive.

How will this affect my WLS?

It may slow me down, but I have learned how to do things differently now, and I will continue to practice what I've learned.

Oklahoma Caviar

Oklahoma Caviar
Serves: 6

1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon jalapeno, chopped fine
1 can low sodium black eyes peas, drained and rinsed
1 can white hominy, drained
1/2 cup light Italian dressing

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
Refrigerate and serve.

Note: This is great as a side dish or served as an appetizer with fresh cut veggies.

Nutrition:70 calories, 1.5g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium, 2g fiber, 2g sugar, 3g protein, carbohydrate 14g

NAWLS

Check this out for another WLS site.

What's changed? Diet list...

I was thinking about doing this for awhile.
I wrote about it way back when, but figured I would do it again to compare notes.
My life has changed so much. How about what I eat?
I looked back into the past posts for a few minutes and found that I talked about food a lot.
I have one mistake that I want to tell you about. It turns out that I can't edit it out, or change it.
But, here it is:
Don't mix protein powder into any hot liquid, such as coffee, or hot cocoa. It doesn't work. I don't know why I did it, but trust me, you don't want to do it.

So:
Breakfast:
I still eat oatmeal. I use Quaker Oats, weight loss version because it has extra fiber, and I need fiber with my lack of wheat and gluten products.
I top the oatmeal with a banana every morning. I love bananas!

Lunch:
1 cup of my killer chili. I still make it up, and every time it's different. I used Bison ground meat the last time. I used beef cubes this time. I am doing up a sausage mix next time. I take the sausage out of the skin and break it up into chunks. The beef cubes still get boiled to make them tender. Look up the recipe in previous blog entries.
I usually pop a bag of popcorn (100 calorie kind from Orville) and eat most of it after I'm finished with the chili. Sometimes, I leave it for later.

Evening meal:
If I don't go out for dinner, I will make up something with variety to break it up. Sometimes, I cheat and have a steamer tray with just a little pasta in it, but mostly chicken, or something else. I also add a bag of steamer veggies to that mix. I think it's called "immunity blend". I don't eat the whole bag. I add what I want and then give the rest to my wife when I cook her meal. I rarely eat what she eats, but I cook it.
When I go out, I will cheat with a slice of pizza (spaniko, feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, spinach) at my favorite place, Two Cousins! Last night, I had a dozen wings, with hot sauce, celery, and Blue Cheese. They understand I don't drink with my meals now, so it's nice to be there. Most of the time, I take half my meal home for the next day.

My snacks are varied, but mostly center around protein drinks, or a handful of peanuts with cashews, and a box of raisins. I also eat chocolate, but have cut down on that quite a bit. I do have a 60 calorie cup of sugar free chocolate pudding, or a healthy choice 100 calorie fudge bar after my meal if I have room. Those two things are great if I have something very hot (spicy).
My condiments are mostly hot sauce. I still love them. I have 4 different bottles of sauce. Tabasco is still at the top. A couple of drops on my chili are fine with me.

Liquids:

• Coffee - decaf. I am addicted to Dunkin Donuts or Wawa coffee.
• Crystal light is good too
• Protein drinks - I still use the same powder I used before. I usually add it to a shaker with decaf and milk, with a packet of sweet and low. I tried strawberry flavor and like it, but I use a chocolate variety for the most part.
• I am still not a water drinker. It has to have some flavoring to it. If I am out somewhere and need liquid, I will drink it, but am not happy about it.
  

I get frustrated when I am very hungry, and get full before I am psychologically full. This happens at the restaurant a lot. I want to inhale the stuff like I did when I was fat. Jeessshhhh! Then, I remember that I am able to do almost everything else, except eat myself to oblivion. That makes it OK.

I eat an apple with my peanuts sometimes. I love golden delicious apples because they are not as juicy as red delicious, so I don't have them dribble down my chin. I also like other fruit.

I add Benefiber to many of my meals at home in order to get enough fiber. The apples, bananas, and other fruits and veggies help too.
That's about it. This week, I'm going to make up a sausage with either refried beans, or rice. I know rice isn't the best for me, but I like it. It fills me up. I usually don't make a lot of it and add things to it to flavor it.
I'm always looking for new ideas. Send them to me, and I'll post them.

Don't it always seem to go,

That you don't know what you've got till it's gone?
Nope!
I don't miss one pound of weight that I've lost!

God don't make no junk!

Remember that poster of the little boy making that statement?

He says "I know I'm some body, because God don't make no junk!"

Let's expand this statement a bit and see if it fits anywhere else.....

• Oil is bad
• Food is bad. Eating too much or too little is bad.
  
• Walking on the grass is bad
• Smoking grass is really bad
• All drugs are bad
  
• Mass transit is bad
• Cars are bad
• Trucks are bad
• Trains are bad
• SUVs are bad
  
• Carbon Dioxide is bad
• The air is bad
• Dogs are bad
• Cats are bad (in this case, I agree! I hate my cat!)
• Coal is bad
• Wind generators are bad
• All animals are bad
• People need to be controlled because they are bad
• Sugar is bad
• Salt is bad
• Starch in your underwear is bad (I agree)
• Corn is bad
• Alcohol is bad
• Soda is bad
• Chlorine is bad
• Asbestos is bad
• Artificial sweeteners are bad
• Independence is bad
• Slavery is bad

So, what's good?
Well, if we listen to the little boy, God don't make no junk.
So, who made all this stuff bad?
We did!
If you start listening at what the powers that be tell you is bad, you will go crazy.
You need to open your eyes, and ears, and listen to your heart.
Turn off the TV.
Stop reading the newspaper.
Stop listening to the new miracle cure advertisement on the radio. It just ain't so.
The online computer can give you both sides of the story. It does throw lots of junk at you, but it also teaches you how to filter out the junk and see that...

God don't make no junk!

Man does.

When my wife was 19, she found a lump in her neck and got a sore throat. They diagnosed her with Hodgkin's disease (lymph node cancer, type IIa) which was and still is fairly curable. They gave her radiation treatment, and did exploratory surgery. They removed her spleen, and the bad lymph nodes, then sent her on her way.
At that time, a 5 year survival rate was the norm.
She is 56 now.
She now has another problem with another type of cancer. When she was 19, her chance of surviving Breast cancer was far less than it is now. They are now saying that she has a 95% chance of full recovery, even with all her previous problems.
They have learned from their work over the years, and improved where they could. I think they can go much further, and they do too, but all in all, my wife is here because of what they learned. Radiation therapy is bad? Chemotherapy is bad?
If they didn't do the surgery and therapy back then, she would never have had two great kids, 5 grand kids, and me. She would not have gotten her degree in marketing, or bought her own house. She would not have moved back into the home she grew up in. We would not be here today.

God don't make no junk.

If you listen to the morons tell you that they know of someone who had the Bariatric surgery, and gained all the weight back, then you will gain it back too.
If you try to find ways to cheat on your diet, or your exercise program, and never try to adapt to the new you, you will gain the weight back again.
God gave you a brain to think with, and...

God don't make no junk!

It's a good thing to educate yourself so you know why they tell you something. They continue to learn, and so should you. It's not a good thing if you are looking for an easy way to cheat yourself. You aren't cheating them. They won't get fat because of you. You will get fat because of you.
But, God gave you a brain to think with, and...

God don't make no junk!

If coal was so bad, why is there enough of it to fuel our electrical plants for the next 300 years? We just need to know how to use it, that's all. And, we will learn how to use it.
The same goes for oil. We already have improved our vehicle fuel mileage since I was a kid. We used our brains to learn how to do it better.

God don't make no junk!

Our bodies are housing our souls. We can't abuse them without expecting to pay for it down the road.
Do you really know what's good for you and what isn't?
We can't do anything about the way our bodies were made. We all have problems we can't fix. We can fix do some of it. We have a brain to think with. We can learn and change, and...

God don't make no junk!

Get over it.

How lucky I am!

My surgery was done by one of the pioneers of laproscopic surgery. He was there when they first started doing it, and has perfected the craft nicely. I have a few slightly red marks on my belly, but if you aren't a surgeon, you would just think they were typical discoloration of natural skin tone.
My surgeon treats obesity as an illness. He stated that at the meeting we had this month. Because of this, he reacts differently than someone trying to make a living doing this. He will tell people when they don't need the surgery, or if they aren't ready. He has no problems with that, and as such, he has an excellent record of success.
He also knows that in order to lose weight properly, and keep it off for life, you need a team effort.
He went through an exhausting process to pick the right people to man his team.

Right now, he is looking for another surgeon who shares his vision. He won't just hire someone who has the talent to do the work. He wants someone with compassion and people skills.

His dietitian is now in charge of the monthly support group meetings, and is doing a bang up job of running things.

He added a second dietitian a few weeks ago, as well as a second physiologist. So now, he has two of each. They are both young and really motivated to help their patients.
I go to the gym when I can, but have been working on the yard and other things for the past 3 weeks. I will go back soon.

So, we have a dietitian that we see every 6 months, but can email her anytime and she responds quickly. She also sends us advice about new products just coming to the market.

We have an exercise physiologist to help us when we need it.
There are nurses available for non surgical questions about our situation.

And, we see Dr. Brader every 6 months for life.

There are upcoming events for the support group, such as going to Hershey Park for the Christmas lights, and planning another picnic. We also have clothing exchanges for formerly fat folks giving their clothing to soon to be thinner folks. We donate most of it to Goodwill. I took a car load over a few months ago. We plan to do the exchange times a year.

We have a resident counselor speak a few times a year to our support group. She is a post patient herself, so she knows what we are going through.

We will hear from another plastic surgeon soon as well.

We have a professional kitchen at the Center, and they plan on using it quite a bit to show people how to prepare food, and new recipe ideas.

So, I would say that I'm very lucky to have a team like this to help me along the way. Not everyone has this type of team approach. I had thought it was standard, but now I'm hearing from folks that don't have it. I hope they can benefit from the information here on my blog, or maybe they can connect to a support network through me.
I wish them luck.

Random thoughts

I bought an Ikea desk chair. It is red. It is made from something that resembles wood, but really isn't. It is hard. It swivels, rotates, and adjusts to height. It has wheels. I added a pad for the seat to make it more comfortable. It isn't comfortable at all. But, it looks neat!
I sit in this chair for hours while I work/goof off, at the computer.
I pay bills on the computer.
I have contact with many people on the computer.
I listen to music on the computer.
I watch and learn on the computer.
I sit on a hard chair in front of the computer.

I wonder why we can't lose weight at the computer?

So, what do I do next?
I am working on my yard.
My son came over two weekends in a row and he is supposed to come over today. So far, he isn't here, so I am sitting at my computer.
We have bushes to pull from in front of the house. There are left over stumps that need to be taken out. Last night, I dug around them and managed to pull a few out, but they were loose already and only needed a bit of help. The bigger ones are much deeper and need some type of mechanical assistance to come out of the ground.
I also raked out an area that we did last week. The roots made it very tough to do anything in rhythm. The rake would get stuck and come around sideways and the roots would grab on and not let go. So, I did a lot of bending and pulling by hand. My back feels it now.

I am going to play my guitar this weekend. I have to make a list of songs I did when I first started playing as a single or in a duo. I was 19 at the time and had been playing rock and roll, funk, and also worked in an 8 piece horn band (think Chicago, Blood, Sweat, and Tears). I had played weddings before that from about the age of 13 or so (I started at age 11), but really only started playing onstage by myself when I was 19.
I did lounge music, but it was aimed towards what is called smooth jazz today. Something a little more sophisticated than blues, and too syrupy to be rock.

• This masquerade
• The tracks of my tears
• Goin out of my head
• Summertime
• Blackbird and other Beatles songs (Rubber Soul)

Get the idea?
I also liked funny songs. I did some to break up things when people were paying attention to me and not just using me as background.

• It's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way
• Crying in your pretzels
• Saturday night in Toledo Ohio, is like being nowhere at all

There were songs written by Martin Mull that made me question my sanity, and I sometimes threw them in too.
I had lots of fun even if no one else did.
Now, I need to add newer songs that I can sing and not sound like I'm a 56 year old trying to be a kid again.
No rap or Hip hop for me!

My son just called to say he was delayed, so I think I'll take a short walk. The weather is almost livable, although it's a bit wet out there. I am wearing shorts today because my jeans are still too stiff. They haven't broken in yet.

Ups, and Downs

Life does it's best to throw chaos at us, and sometimes, it wins.
But, not this time.
The weight loss has stalled, but I am getting so much done, that it doesn't matter. I need a break anyway, because this is the longest I have ever gone with weight loss. Usually by this time, I am gaining it all back.
So far, I am staying the same.

• My shorts are now too big for me, but I can live with them for a little while longer.

• I still have tightie whities that are just under my armpits when I put them on, but I keep them clean and still wear them.
• I have two new pair of jeans that actually fit me, and I'm happy with them.
• I have a beautiful goose down coat that is way too big. I could probably use it as a parachute.
  
• I have no winter coats at all that fit, so I will have to break down and buy a new one. I need something so I can ride my Helix without it blowing up and floating me away.
• I have no dress shirts, just double knit that are too big, but I can live with them for awhile longer. I very rarely go out anyway.

I am working with a counselor who is amazing. In three sessions, things have become so much clearer.
You see, at this point in my life, I should be thinking about retirement, and slowing down.....or at least that's what I was raised to believe.
It's very tough for me to think about a major change or a dozen changes. I can't just up and do things, can I?
I guess it's my mind that's causing me the problems, and the counselor is helping me understand what I must do in a very clear manner.
I was probably not ready to listen to anyone about these things until now. I must be a late bloomer!

Wow, what an interesting new world! There are possibilities.

The problem I have now, is to figure out how to make the change without losing everything I have now, or almost everything.
There are two other major life changing things going on in my life.

1. The remortgaging of the house. This is already 75% of the way finished. We have the credit established. We can make the payments. It will clear up all our debt, allowing us to breath a little easier.But, this is a major change. We are taking on a 30 years mortgage when we should be retiring debt free. We did have the mortgage paid off about 10 years ago, but things happened.
2. The other major change is something I won't discuss here. It is not related to my health or Bariatrics. It may affect everything else, however.

Life happens.

So, as a result in my new-found adjustments to change, I will be selling some music equipment in order to buy new smaller equipment that better suits what I plan to do. It will also get me used to the idea that things are just that, things. I don't need to have them in order to live. This is a new idea for me as I said before.

• I just bought a new Honda Lawn Mower. It is self propelled, and will last me as long as I live here in this home. I have cleaned up the old Toro (a real gem), and have it up for sale on Craiglist. Buy it from me, so I can offset some of the cost of the new mower, please!

• I did research on what equipment I need to play and sing again. I have been considering just buying the stuff, and worrying about selling the other stuff later, but I don't think I need to do that. Here is what I have to sell:

This is a custom made Weber 6A20HP amplifier. It has about 35 watts RMS and
2/10" Alnico speakers. I helped to build it, but most of the work was finished by a friend who is an amp tech. He has built and helped design amplifiers for Weber for quite a few years. For those poor folks who have no idea what you are looking at, it's a guitar amplifier. You plug a guitar into it to make the guitar louder. There are also adjustments to change the sound of the guitar to make it more pleasing to the ear. Oh does it sound sweet!

I made it purple for personal reasons, instead of the typical Black with gray grill cloth. There are other modifications that will make some other guitarist very happy. I will be proud to pass this on, even though I would really like to keep it.

Life is good, and it goes on....