OMG... YUM!!

I discovered a DELICIOUS meal today, ladies (and gents, if you're out there).  It may come as no surprise to some of you veteran bandsters, but it was a moment of epiphany for this newbie.

Take one medium avocado (approx. 3 oz. w/o skin and pit) and cut it in half.  Place on foil on baking sheet and drizzle both halves with lemon juice (maybe 1/8 tsp total).  Top with 1/3 cup (total) part skim mozzarella cheese and broil in oven until cheese is melted.  Eat and enjoy!

Its very filling, has 230 calories, 10g of protein, and plenty of "good fat" from the avocado.

My tummy is very happy right now.  Mmmm...

Post-Op Appt. Update

Apparently I'm just going to chat with ya'll all day long because this is my third post today!

So I just got back from my first post-op appointment with my doctor.  It went great.  He was thrilled with my weight loss and gave me full activity clearance, which I'm stoked about.  He said my incisions are looking "impressive" and that I'm on the right track so far.

We talked about my lung issues and he said it sounds like I may be dealing with asthma, which is news to me!  I've never wheezed a day in my life until I got sick in January.  So I have to go see my GP and get an action plan together.  Luckily I have allergy meds (which triggers the asthma, he thinks) and a daily inhaler to help with the inflamation.  So yah, thats the story with that.

On my way out, Dr. Quaid told me to come back in four weeks for what would be my first fill (if things are going well).  When I went to the front desk to make my next appointment, the scheduling lady told me that Dr. Quaid will be out of town for two weeks and that I won't get to see him again unil... AUGUST 10th!!   *dies*   Six more weeks?!  For a total of nine weeks from surgery to first fill.  Ugh.  I hope I don't lose a ton of restriction in the next six weeks, but I know I probably will.  So that bummed me out a bit.  But my goal is to go back into Dr. Quaid's office in six weeks and be down at LEAST another 20 lbs.

I can totally do that, right?  Right...?

TWENTY!!!

I am officially 20 lbs. down!  It feels so good!  I cannot imagine what 30, 40, 50, etc. are going to feel like, but for now I'm going to enjoy 20!!  WOOHOO!

An Apple a Day...

I'm headed to my first post-op appointment here in about 90 minutes.  Tomorrow marks three weeks since my surgery and I'm anxious to see what the doc  thinks of my progress.  I'm down almost 20 lbs. (hopefully 20 but I haven't weighed myself this morning yet) and my incisions are doing amazing.  I'm hoping I get at least *some* exercise clearance because I'm just dying to get moving!  I know once I can start getting active, the weight will come off quicker and easier.

BUT... I do have one problem I need to talk to him about.  My lungs.  Back in January I had a really nasty case of bronchitis that started to turn into pneumonia.  I was one sick girl for a full week.  Ever since then, except for a couple weeks before and after my surgery, my lungs were a mess.  I've never wheezed a day in my life until this all happened.  Now I wheeze constantly.  I can't catch my breath if I do something as simple as climb a flight of stairs.  My lungs burn and sting and ache all the time and I cough until I gag.  And about five days ago I started having a productive cough.  Yeah, no bueno.  So hopefully I'll get some answers about this lung issue and get on with my life already!!

Wish me luck!!

My First NSV!!

I had my first little NSV (non-scale victory) this morning!  At this point, I'm hovering just under 20 lbs lost.  And for someone of my size (I started at 297), its not too noticeable right now to most people (myself included).

BUT... this morning when I grabbed my favorite pair of jeans out of the dryer and put them on, I noticed that they didn't fit as snug as they usually do after they've been washed!  Usually I have to wiggle into them and do a few lunges and squats to loosen those bad boys up a tad.

((you KNOW you know what I'm talking about ladies)). 

But today they slipped right on a buttoned up with no problem and they were COMFORTABLE!!  No crazy muffin top from too-tight-just-outta-the-dryer jeans!  WOOHOO!!

Top 5 Reasons Why I Snacked This Weekend

#5.  The Cheetos that I NEVEREVER buy, somehow ended up in my shopping cart and then my pantry, calling my name for the last two days.

#4.  My boys spent the night with my sister, leaving me and DH to our own devices.  DH is a late-night snacker and apparently I still am too.  *sigh*

#3.  We went to a movie and, while I didn't get anything but a bottle of water, DH got a package of Sour Straws and I *may* have had one (or three)

#2.  We packed a picnic lunch for the baseball game today and I threw in three chocolate-chip granola bars.  I only have two children.  Why did I do that?!

And the #1 reason why I snacked this weekend.... I'm a stress-eater and my husband decided to scare the hell out of me at the baseball game today by getting heat exhaustion and promptly passing out at the top of the bleachers, leading to a visit from the paramedics and 20 minutes in the ambulance.  Good times...

But tomorrow is a brand-new day and I'm going to stick to the plan! *thumbsup*

Warning: Incision Photo

Contrary to what you may think, the most disturbing parts of this photo are NOT the incisions themselves.  But rather, the stretch marks and flabs of fat that surround my belly.  I apologize in advance.

I have five incisions.  Numbers 2 and 5 are almost completely invisible.  Number one is very close to being totally healed.  Number four is a bit swollen and tender and, of course, number 3 (the port) is the slowest to heal.  Dontcha just love the yummy yellow bruises around the port incision?  That small yellow/green bruise between numbers 2 and 4 is from the first blood thinner injection.  The one they gave me after surgery (its a bit lower, thus cut from the photo) is just gnarly-looking.  Its black and purple and green and yellow all at once.  NOT pretty.

Oh, and yes, for those of you that were wondering.  I really am that white.  My husband jokes that I'm so white I'm almost transparent.  Hahaha...  *glare*