A big day, my final weigh in.

Today at 3:30 PM I have to be at the hospital for my final weigh in on the six month insurance mandated diet of 1400 calories.

By the way, 22 days to go until my VSG surgery! But if I flub this weigh in, they will make me do another month of dieting!

It has been a long time since I started this, it started in July after my GI surgeon told me that he needed me to investigate the sleeve, because I needed to lose 100 pounds before having a bowel resection to help my recurrent bouts of diverticulitis.

So here I am at the final test. And this week has been hard. I have stayed within my calorie range, but I lost my mobility again when I hurt my back snow blowing. I was unable to walk upright for four days and only just able to walk for the last two. No swimming, no shopping, no exercise.

My eating has been ok, but the medicine that they put me on is very constipating. Constipation and a weigh in do not exactly go hand in hand. On Thursday I was up to 270 from 261 and it was all colon weight.

Since then I have been pushing fluids and eating foods that will "move the mail".

So, say a prayer, if you are so inclined and I will come back after my appointment and let you know how I did.

Can I weigh in wearing a bathing suit, I wonder?

Update: After my short swim (recuperating from a back ache) I shaved. My Legs. I mean, it's WINTER, but I shaved my legs. That had to take off an ounce or two. 

UPDATE:  I weighed in at 261, which is the lowest that I have weighed in YEARS. I was thrilled! It was at least four pounds less than I thought it would be. The staff was super supportive and cheered me on. Happy!

Tummy Owie - Will I learn?

I sit here at the computer in self-inflicted owie hell. In overeating hell.

I have been eating pretty cleanly for months and the last two days I have had junk. I won't spell it out, but junk. Now I am paying bigtime. My digestive tract is just killing me. Cramps and pain.

I need to remind myself of this. Even though I am still pre-op (five weeks and counting down), bad foods hurt. I will feel better once they are out of my system, so today I will be eating right and drinking lots of water.

Owie.

I feel good! Eating better.

My dietician had told me to go back to eating like I was in the month that I had the most success. So I have done that. I printed out my logs from My Fitness Pal (username: imawaterbender). What surprised me is that the biggest changes that I made from the month that I lost vs the month that I gained were:

1. I was concentrating on really, super chewing.
2. I was not drinking with meals.
3. I was drinking a lot more water daily.
4. I was not cutting out all carbs.
5. I was eating about 1600-1800 cals a day, rather than 1400.

So, that is what I have been doing this week. As a result, I am more energetic, less lethargic and less pissed off, in general.

So I am off to get into the pool now.

Another Problem - A cardiac condition is found.

A couple of weeks ago, I went for my mandatory EKG. I got an email that the results posted to my online insurance site and I looked at them tonight.

Maybe that was not such a good idea. The diagnosis was Sinus Bradycardia and Sinus Arrhythmia. Apparently Bradycardia means a slower than normal heart beat and mine was 51. The arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat, or longer or shorter intervals.

Wonderful.

And what causes this? Sleep apnea and obesity.

Skin Boils. Part of being Fat

I've has a pain on the right side of my lower droopy abdomen (pannus). I saw today that I have another boil.

These infected sebaceous glands typically happen near stretch marks. The oils are not able to escape because the skins surface is marred and a litte volcano like pimple forms. But unlike a pimple, the infection is much deeper and can't drain on it's own.

At least this one isn't a genital boil. I had those when I was having periods more regularly. Horribly painful!

Why am I writing about this disgusting topic? Because I want to look back and remember these bad things. I'm going to the doc tomorrow so that he can treat it AND so that it will be in my medical records, because when this fat is gone, I'm still going to have a droopy belly and that means skin on skin.

Skin on skin leads to rashes, fungal infections and boils. Some of these boils are caused by the MRSA bacteria. Scary.

documenting this now gives me a better case for plastic surgery on my pannus later. I want it GONE! Insurance companies are more likely to spring for a panneculictomy if there is evidence of repeated infections. Of course, this doesn't happen until after achieving a stable weight loss.

Oh, and on my 5 month diet, I'm finding that the protein is keeping my cravings at bay. Fingers crossed!

UPDATE: After three days of eating high protein and dairy, I ended up with constipation and bleeding. I am back to moderate eating, but I am having a hard time of it.