weigh-in, work, oatmeal recipe -- hodgepodge post

I think that post surgery weight loss honey moon is over....
I've really only lost three pounds this month.
I need to work harder to do it.
I know I will get there, I'm not really discouraged, just a little sad and frustrated, but realistic and still hopeful.

Here are my numbers
Starting Weight: 320
Last Recorded Weight 224
Today's Weight 221
Last four weeks, lost 3 lbs
Total weight loss, 99 lbs

So since my stomach virus a couple weeks back when I got to 101 pounds lost, I fluctuated between 220 and 224 (so frustrating). I am down to 221 and feel that's a more real number than my post-virus loss was. My 9 month appointment is coming up in two weeks and I so wanted to be under 200 by then. Short of losing 21 pounds in two weeks, I'm thinking this isn't going to happen. I'm hoping I'll be under 200 by my year appointment.

This new job is kicking my behind! There's so much to learn and so much to do...frankly, I feel a little over my head. But this is how I always feel with a new job.

So I made some really yummy-stick-to-your-ribs steel-cut oats the other day and thought I'd share the recipe. Excuse the pictures, it doesn't look as appetizing as it really tastes :D. It's not the best protein choice out there, but sometimes it's nice to have some cereal type breakfast and this one reduces my guilt a bit.

1 cup of steel cut oats
4 cups of water
1 cut up apple
1/2 cup of almonds (slivered or sliced)
2 tablespoons of almond butter
4 tablespoons of brown sugar
cinnamon to taste

Boil water, add almonds and oatmeal, reduce to low heat and cook 10 minutes. Add almond butter and apples and cook another 10 minutes. Before serving add sugar and cinnamon.  I remove my portion before adding the sugar and I add some 'purevia' - a natural sugar substitute. 

With the Sugar

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (124.0 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 337 Calories from Fat 130

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 14.4g 22%

Saturated Fat 1.0g 5%

Sodium 2mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates 44.7g 15%

Dietary Fiber 12.2g 49%

Sugars 10.4g

Protein 10.1g

Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 5% Calcium 10% • Iron 13%

With out the Sugar and 1/4 c of almonds instead of 1/2 c

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (120.6 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 261 Calories from Fat 89

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9.9g 15%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%

Sodium 18mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 39.5g 13%

Dietary Fiber 8.4g 34%

Sugars 6.6g

Protein 9.3g

Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 5% Calcium 8% • Iron 15%

100.100 DOWN-- ONE HUNDRED! 100

It's official, I'm 100 pounds down. I know it's not my official weigh-in date and my last post was all about hoping I'd get there in two weeks, not two days....BUT I had a stomach virus and poof, I'm now 100 down.

Well at least my goal of losing 100 pounds....now my next goal -- being under 200 pounds (that's only 20, well actually 19 more pounds to go)

 Updated progress pictures in my pictures tab...up there....at the top of the page.

Since it was a stomach virus, I'm not sure the weight loss will last....but, I'm celebrating and taking pictures none-the-less.  Here's me in jeans and a t-shirt...Jeans and a t-shirt....who would have thunk?

Oh, and I'm feeling better :D

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Wednesday Weigh In

Starting Weight: 320
Last Recorded Weight 226
Today's Weight 224
Last two weeks, lost 2 lbs
Total weight loss, 96 lbs

Oh my gosh, so close! I think if I kicked it up a notch I could be down 100 pounds in a couple of weeks.  Right now I'm averaging a pound a week, which is respectable, but that's me doing this without much effort....It's been a kind of ongoing theme, me not putting serious effort into my weight loss...I need to get it together and put myself back into serious weight loss mode.

Here's the thing, I know this is a tool, not one of those easy fixes.  It would be nice if I could wake up a perfect weight, nicely toned and be able to eat whatever I want and not exercise.

But that's not who I am. I need to work at it.
I need to work hard for it.

It'll be just that much sweeter when I'm all done.

Have a great Wednesday. 

Wednesday Weigh In

Starting Weight: 320
Last Recorded Weight 227
Today's Weight 226
lost 1 pound this past week
down 94 pounds total

Holy cow (this saying takes on new meaning after my husband's trip to India), when you write 94 pounds lost or say it out loud, it's crazy talk...I'm so close to losing 100 (I'm not even going to think about how much I still need to lose though and concentrate on this really big win...94...wow...yay me).

And even more exciting news...I GOT THE JOB...I'll be the new bariatric clinical coordinator for a local hospital.  Whoo hoo. I think I'll do a good job having had this experience. I'm excited to help people through this journey.  But I'm not totally altruistic. Surrounding myself with people who are in this journey and with those who help people in this journey will help me keep on track as well. It's why reading all your blogs help me so much as does sharing my experiences with you.

It was hard telling my bosses and the other staff I was going and I'll be super busy getting my clinic in order for another nurse to take over.  I did give myself a week between jobs to decompress. 

The behavior modification class last night was great..will share my insights later. Loved all of your comments from last week and they were all so helpful!

Have a great Wednesday every one!

Wednesday Weigh In & Behavioral Modification Class

Starting Weight: 320
Last Recorded Weight 228
Today's Weight 227

Well it's going down.  Whoo sort of hoo. 

Here's the deal, I'm not as strict with myself and I'm not following the plan to the letter.  Actually hardly at all. I'm falling into that habit of anesthetizing myself with food in the couple of hours after work and making dinner.  I tell myself I just need a little time to unwind, but what I really want to do is just go numb.

My sister is an alcoholic and she is once again on a drinking binge....like found miles from where she was supposed to be walking the street in a delirium with only her coat on (and nothing else). Thank goodness it was a warm day.  Her blood alcohol was .3 -- that could kill you.  I yelled at her and she's not speaking to me now.  I've been bailing her out and trying to help her for 20 years now and I'm kind of done.  I am okay with that decision, but am also feeling horribly guilty, like I'm a bad sister.  She's obviously is in so much pain and I feel really selfish choosing my own sanity and trying to preserve the lifestyle I've put into place for my immediate family.  Is giving up showing my children strength, knowing when to let go? Or am I showing them that you give up on family....I know I'll hear opinions on both....I think this is something anyone in this situation may struggle with....I'm just putting it out there to share my struggle not to really get answers, because frankly are there any real answers out there?  It's a moot point what I am willing to do anyhow since she stopped talking to me.

I still haven't heard back from either interview I had last week.

Picture a cat with its hair raised clawing the ceiling...that's me right now about this job thing...

I.Just.Want.To.Know.NOW

My husband says I have a patience problem.

Sooooo, this has spurred me into taking a behavioral modification class offered by a therapist who works closely with the surgeon who did my surgery.

I really liked her.  If I could get my family to go to therapy, I'd suggest her (because it's obvious I don't need therapy and they all do - insert sarcastic tone here)

The other members of the group also seem to be lovely ladies.

A couple of things I took from last night's session were:
1. Making a mistake is not the end of the world.  No matter where you are, you can YOU CAN pick yourself back up and get back on track (for me that might be recommitting to that like every 5 minutes -- just sayin' it's not been great for me lately)
2. It doesn't always matter why you do it...even if you know why you're doing what your doing...you still might do it. It's important to put things into place to replace eating and this takes time because frankly eating works as a soothing mechanism.  Not only does it taste good, your sympathetic nervous system calms down while it's digesting.  Another interesting thing to note...when people eat refined, high carb, high fat, high salt foods the brain lights up in the same areas it does when a heroin addict does heroin.

For a brief second, when I heard that, I thought...'hmm, where can I score heroin, because at least those guys are skinny" Nooo, not really, anything I have to shoot up or snort is just off limits to me, because even though I'm a nurse -- gross!

Although this seems really discouraging, the point was to find other things to occupy your thoughts, your hands, your mouth.

Our homework is to 1. figure out times, triggers, identify feelings when you start to eat off-plan and 2. Come up with a plan to do something in place of eating mindlessly.

Who wants to help me with my homework?  Have any of you found something that works for you? When you're feeling stressed and want to eat do you have something that you do that helps you to get through that moment? I'd love to hear what you have to say!