What are you doing?

This is a question that I get from some people. And the truth be told, not everyone know that I've had surgery. There are some in my family that are not supportive and would only ridacule and talk about me, in front and behind my back. Do I want to lie and say, "Oh, just diet and exercise." No and I have shared my process with people who care about me and who asked for help.

 Here is an answer that I gave in an email to a family member who asked. This is everything that I do, the only part that I didn't add was that my stomach holds 6-8oz of food at one time. This volume will fill me up and keep me full for a couple of hrs. Also I don't have an appetite, due to not having  100% of the Ghrelin hormone that produced in the stomach.  Also, if I eat slider foods ie: ice cream, chips, dips, crakers, chocolate, etc, I can eat more than 6 oz, and I will be hungry shortly. I still fight with head hunger but thankfully that seems to be around my period.

Lol, Thanks! I'm not taking anything. I had my gall bladder/hernias removed before the holidays. It had 50 stones and I was in a lot of pain for the last 2-3 years. With that, I follow a gall bladder diet which is just a low fat diet.


What I do... ( I got these tips from a nutritionist at the hosp but you can find out more by googling Gall Bladder die)
-No pop ( stopped in April) I drink 48 oz water or Gatorade (G2)
-I eat lean protein, chicken, turkey, shrimp, tilapia, sometimes pork, couldn't tell you the last time I had steak.
-I eat my veggies second, sweet potato instead of mashed potatoes, no corn.
-I stay away from the bread, buns, rolls, cake, ice cream (my trigger foods, can't seem to stop at one)
-For my sweets, I will eat 1-2 cookies, and I love the Weight Watcher Fudge Bars ( tastes like a frosty) and Raspberry chocolate bar or FF chocolate pudding with whip topping
-I eat breakfast every morning, usually a yogurt or Kashi cereal with skim milk
-I keep my fat intake for 1 food lower that 10 grams, carbs lower that 20. Meaning if it has 14 grams of fat a serving, I don't buy it or if the carbs are 50, then I eat half a serving
- I eat small portions, 6-8oz, 6 meals a day.
- When we go out, I share with 1 or 2 of the kids or bring home half my meal, everytime.
- I eat whatever I want at parties and the holidays, but I only take a taste of everything, ex: last party had chips, spinach dip, buffalo chicken dip, pizza, pasta bake, cookies, mud pie, potato skins. I ate half a potato skin with sour cream, half the pizza crust, all the toppings, a TB of all three dips with half a hand full of chips, two cookies ( after my meal when everyone was eating dessert). I skipped the pasta bake and mud pie. I also drank water instead of the pop and punch, didn't want to drink my calories.- I also track my food, not daily but often.

- I started 15 min on the treadmill and 15 min on the bike and I HATE every bit of those 30 mins but it is working and I'm seeing results.

I've lost 75 lbs (doing Weight Watchers Online) before but gained it all back. My body just hords calories and fat. I had to make these changes, or I was going to die and the pain was getting unbearable and I have to work full time. I couldn't see Chris being a widow with three toddlers, kwim? I hope this helps. It's not fun but I need to lose this weight. Having Mom and Cyndi on board makes it easier,and Don has lost 100 lbs and kept it off for 3-4 years now. He helps with the motivation alot. I guess as a family we're just trying to get healthy.

Hugs!