Weigh In Wednesday - Jan. 21, 2015

Walking and more walking.   If there’s one thing I’m committed to, it’s walking for at least 30 minutes per day.  I try to change my route to break the boredom.  Sometimes, my feet hurt, and at other times, at the end of my walk, my back hurts.  Otherwise, I really enjoy the fresh air and the wonderful feeling afterwards.  I also use the MapMyWalk APP, and it works wonders.  It counts my steps, tells me my time and speed, and shows a picture of my route.  This allows me to share this information on my Facebook page for weight loss, as well as with another group that I joined at the beginning of the year.  

January 12 – Today, I am two weeks post-surgery.  As such, I was allowed to add tuna, egg, cottage cheese, canned fruit, and mashed or blended vegetables to my menu.  I was really happy as I was not only craving certain foods but I also felt the desire  to chew.  I chose tuna today.  I am allowed 1/3 – 1/4 of a cup.  I prepared it with olive oil mayo from Whole Foods.  It contains only 35 calories per serving, and it tastes fantastic.  I also added pickles and onions (chopped super fine).

The tuna was fantastic, however, after eating two small spoonsful, I went running to the bathroom.  Sadly, I had to throw up.  I soon realized that I was supposed to eat my food slowly . . .  no, very slowly, over 30 minutes!  This issue of eating too fast has arisen on other days since this because I just don't seem to get it.  Throwing up is, however, a horrific experience and not something I like doing.  I therefore try to remember.  

January 13 – This morning, I had one scrambled egg.  The instructions were to make it soft, so I added a little bit of milk to the mixture.  It took me 45 minutes to eat the meal, but it was incident free.

January 14 – Today, I visited my rheumatoid arthritis doctor (Dr. Mory).  When she asked about my surgery, I offered to show her my surgery marks/scabs.  She looked at the one that once held the drain and was slightly concerned as puss was still coming out of the wound.  She versed me on what to look for and when to go back to the doctor should any of those things show up.  I am happy to report that, as of today, the wound is closing up and there's just a pencil-sized hole left.  

I also asked Dr. Mory about my RA.  Every time I go see her, which is every three months, she doesn't see any RA swelling or hot spots in the areas that should have these.  Like a dummy, I asked her if I still had the RA.  She smiled and answered, “Yes, this is a lifelong event.”  I will always have it!  However, she did tell me that the meds (Enbrel and Methotrextate) will keep my illness at bay.

Dr. Mory is a fantastic doctor.  I have been seeing her for several years now.  She has a big heart and has helped me out of some serious predicaments, including some severe knee pain—and all this when other doctors refused to do anything about them.  

I continue to conduct my mystery shopping assignments, which include lots of restaurants and burger places.  The only difference is that I don't eat any of the food I order; I bring it home and hand it over to my twin sons, who are more than happy to have it.  :)  

When I reached my lowest from the Lap Band surgery, I was 229 pounds.  Today, I weighed myself, and I am at 229.2 pounds.  I'm happy with the results and look forward to reaching my goal of 150 soon.  Also, because my iPhone got wet, this last picture from yesterday is what I can post until I get it fixed. Next week, I reach the one-month anniversary of my surgery.  Along with the blog, I will also post a full body picture.  Oh dear!  ;)

Yesterday, my BFF, Andi Flores, stopped by with a gift for me.  Inside the bag, was a Veggetti, a beautiful card, and a diary in which to write down my thoughts.  The diary was titled "We were born to succeed, not to fail."  The gift was totally unexpected but welcomed, none the less.  Andi has been a constant in my life throughout the years.  She was present at my daughter's wedding, and when I couldn't bring myself to say a few words, Andi stepped up to the plate and did it for me.  Andi was also around at my lowest time, the passing of my son-in-law.  Andi is a part-time photographer, and she offered to take pictures at the Celebration of Life.  She did this without being asked, and I'll always remember her generosity and the time she sacrificed.  Andi, I love you girl!