46 down....

The last 2 days I have spent my afternoons at the lovely Brigham and Women's Hospital at appointments! Yesterday I had my nutritionist and today my surgeon! Both were great appointments! I learned yesterday with Natalie (the nutritionist) about this great website called Fitday (www.fitday.com). It's a free website that you can put in all your food, water, exercise, vitamins, really anything and everything and it tracks it daily for you and best of all - creates these pie charts of what you've eaten (protein, carbs, fat, etc...) I am such a visual person so I know this will help me with trying to figure out if I've had enough protein each day! I also learned that I am getting an "ok" amount of protein everyday (she'd like to see 15-20 more grams) but that I am actually choosing foods that are healthy, yet not the best sources of protein! I also learned some great tricks to eating out and the "safe" range of sugar content for post op patients (although some dump with only 4 grams of sugar in a food and others have no effect.) I will stay within the safe range - and I actually don't miss sugar at all!! WOW - never thought I'd say that! lol! I got to check in with Dr. Lautz today! I have lost another 14 pounds since my last visit 4 weeks ago - I am right on track with weight loss! I have lost 46 pounds total now - and although I can't really see many drastic changes in my body - other people are starting to comment - soon enough I will notice. I also asked my burning question to Dr. Lautz of why I have 10 incisions while others only have 5 or 6?! Dr. Lautz informed me - "you were a difficult case." Why thank you Dr. Lautz, I always like to challenge people! He proceeded to lift my shirt and detail what every incision was made for - lots of camera's, scopes, monitors - some for my stomach, some for my liver, and one tiny needle prick! Dr. Lautz said that many doctors will still do the surgery with only 5 or 6 cuts, but it will prolong the time in the OR to 7 or 8 hours as opposed to the average 3-4. He said that when you make more cuts it reduces the amount of time greatly in difficult patients. Recovery is the same for 5-6 as it is for 10. He did also inform me the most incisions he's ever made was 11 - he made quite the joke as I was a 10! I really do love him - he's such a personable doctor and a wonderful surgeon! I have been cleared to begin follow-ups only every 3 months now until 1 year!! Whoo hooo!! He says I am doing marvelously and to keep up the hard work! On the hard work front - i can't even begin to explain how frustrating and honestly mad I get when my friends and people I know make it out to seem like I took the easy way out by having weight loss surgery. Now I think I am a pretty educated person when it comes to weight loss. I've done it all - weight watchers (3 times), LA Weight Loss, Dieticians, Doctor ordered weight loss, weight loss support groups, NutriSystems, weight loss pills, spent thousands of dollars on health clubs, personal training, The 90 day make-over, Richard Simmons, the AB roller, you name - I probably tried it. I've stumped numerous dietitians and doctors as to why my body wouldn't ever let me lose more than 85 pounds. How I would eat nothing or eat lots of high protein foods and still wouldn't lose. With all those trials and heartache of longing to be thin and healthy it was hard... but this is 10 hundred times harder. I can't explain why really it's hard to put into words really. It's better - yet a whole lot harder. And friends and people telling me to be careful, and that it's not a quick fix, and that a lot of people gain it back - that doesn't make it any easier. I'm not a dummy - I know it's not a quick fix, I know this is a life change, I know that the surgery is just a tool and success comes when I put the tool with life changes. I know all this from reading up on it, doing my research, talking to those who've actually been through the surgery and are living life post-op, talking to my doctor. When people who have no clue what my journey is like right now tell me what I should and need to do when they have not been through the surgery - that's frustrating. I applaud everyone who is losing weight - surgery or no surgery - ALL of it is difficult and a feet in itself! Support is the number one thing I think all those trying to change life habits need - not the "you shoulds" or "be carefuls" or "don't do's." Don't tell people what - support them on their journey. Ok, I'll get off my soap box now!

Off to Indiana for Popple Kyle and Kate's wedding this weekend!! Pray for a miracle that we get out of Boston and into Cleveland and then Ft. Wayne, IN with no weather glitches tomorrow! Pray for Kyle and Kate too!!