Month 1

I have been on my High protein, Low Carb Diet for exactly 1 1/2 weeks and to be honest its really not bad! I use a food log to track my meals and snacks(4-6/day), my water intake (48-64 oz/day), my protein intake (60-90 grams/day). I have goals everyday to focus on:
             - No drinking liquids 30 min. before and after meals
             - Practice eating and drinking slowly
             - No Caffeine or Carbonation
             - Have 4-6 small meals/snacks per day
When I met with my dietitian i was also given the goal to find a protein drink that i like. I have had samples sent to me and have like 15 different samples to try out. I have Nectar samples and so far i have tried the Pina Colada (ewwww), Roadside Lemonade (ok), Twisted Cherry (good), and today i tried the fuzzy navel (fantastic!!!).
       
So after a week and a half of changing my diet, I made chocolate chip cookies and had  one.... i made me super sick! I have my faltering 2 minutes and it backfires. To be perfectly honest it was GREAT!!! I don't feel like I'm starved, a small bit of food fills me up and lasts for a while.

I workout after work every day during the week and it's going pretty well. i haven't been very sore and i have lost a little weight already.  I feel all of my muscles working hard and hopefully getting used to it!

The hardest part so far is practicing sipping water slowly. After my surgery i wont be able to gulp anymore. they say that 1 oz of water should be consumed over 10 minutes.... i can drink 10 oz in less then 1 minute... I am having a hard time getting used to sipping. does anyone have any ideas?! i thought about using small ice cubes and sucking on one every 5 minutes.....

Also it not easy tracking your proteins of the day. I have to make sure i have 60-90 grams of protein everyday. However now its not too hard because I'm eating more but after my surgery i will only be able to eat 1/4-1/2 cup of food all together! Getting my protein count of the day will be very very very important for me because i know it sounds terrible but one of the main goals besides weight-loss for me is to not lose my hair. I have been growing out my hair since i got married and its finally about mid back and when i braid my hair i have a huge braid and i want to keep it that way. I know that i will have some hair loss but i don't want a lot of it to fall out.


SO IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE JUST ASK... OR TELL!!!!!

The Journey Begins

Ok. So since I hit puberty it was nothing but weight gain, weight gain, weight gain. it never really bothered me, i just accepted myself as being a big girl and tried to live my life. When I went to BYU-Idaho in 2008 i weighed 230 lbs. while i was there i worked out everyday for at least 2-3 hours. by June of 2008 had dropped that 30 lbs and for the first time in my life i weighed under 200 lbs. that lasted about 3-4 months until i met my wonderful husband, got married and started the gaining game again. 3 years later my highest weight was 275! To be honest i hadn't really noticed it had happened until all of my pictures had double chins and i was starting to not even recognize my self anymore. My decision to change my life was easy. My grandmother recently passed away in November of 2011. I loved her very much and i noticed in pictures that i had the same body type she had in her 50's and 60's that I have in my 20's. It scared me to death. I have done diets and been working out at the gym off and on for 5-7 years. So i do have the dedication. it's seeing lasting results that is the hard thing. So being tired of the yo-yo weight gain game. i decided to make a life changing decision.

after years of research i went to a weight loss surgery seminar. while i was there i learned a little more in depth of the different surgeries. i also learned a little more about the diets before and after surgery. So armed with more information and more confidence i pressed on.

In January of 2012 I went to my first meeting with the surgeon. We discussed what type of surgery we thought would be best for my body. We decided on the Sleeve Gastrectonomy. We set up appointments to meet with the Dietitian and the Exercise Physiologist. a week later I met with my dietitian and learned in depth the diet that would lead up to my surgery date (that still has not been set). the exercise physiologist helped me tailor workouts and stretching for before and after surgery. I have 3 months to prepare my body mind and soul for the healthiest chapters of my life.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT I KNOW THAT MY SURGERY IS NOT A MAGICAL FIX!!! I KNOW THAT IT WILL TAKE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE TO MAKE THIS CHANGE PERMANENT!!!!