All posts by Kelli

I was born & raised in sunny southern California and drug to rainy Virginia by my 1st hubby (Cry). No, really, it isn't *too* bad here. I am happily married (2nd marriage) to a man from N. Ireland. I have 4 kids. I am currently applying for permanent disability due to the progressive course my fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has taken. I am not ashamed of this. I worked as long as I could and did my best. It is all any of us can do! I love music. I salivate over most kinds of rock (except death metal and rap). I adore everything (James Hetfield, you sexy beast!); Colplay is my favorite band after 'taking the roll' with me, Metallica, 'hippie music' (Grateful Dead, Mamas & Pappas, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, etc) to Godsmack, Shinedown (met the band and they are amazing human beings as well as talented musicians), James Blunt, Evanescense, AFI, Linkin Park, Snow Patrol, My Chemical Romance, The Beatles, The Stones, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Etc etc etc. My life is God, My family including my husband whom if from Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, my 4 daughters whom I love like my next breathe and my beautiful granddaughter. She is the most amazing little human being in the world and I don't think the word 'love' is big enough. I have an amazing Uncle who is like a 2nd Dad to me. I lost my wonderful father in 2007 and still think of him everyday. (Update) I also lost my Mom on 9-12-11 and it was again, like my Dad, one of the hardest things life has thrown at me. I dedicate my weight loss to my Dad and hope that wherever he is, he can see me now! This is the real me! I was trapped in the body of a woman with a dying thyroid. Dr Tananchai Lucktong, thank you for giving me the tool, as you said! You said you gave the tool, I did the work. When I see other RNY patients who still have the weight on or gain it back, I know! I know it is me who does the work! It is a choice everyday of what I put in my mouth! Surgery or not, I cracked the code and if you want my help, let me know because life is so sweet when you are 'light as a feather'. My hubby, 4 inches shorter than me, can actually pick me up with minimul effort! Now that is worth something!

Plateau’s and Numbers!

First the plateau. Yes, I am at a bad one. The cuplprit? My sprained anke. 🙁 I took a bad sprain to my left ankle several weeks ago. It was actually my foot that was hurting and swollen so I went to see the nurse practitioner. They sent the film to the radiologist because they thought they saw a fracture. YIKES! Turned out to be an old fracture from my car wreck in 1999 ( my legs and feet got all mangled in that, but we won’t think or talk about that ). I felt silly because I did not even know how I sprained it! She said this kind of sprain, the worse kind you can get, is common to get without knowing how you got it. They put a ‘lovely’ big splint on it and said I could start walking again in a few weeks but had to take it slow, etc. So, the walking slowed down and so did the weight loss. I am at a standstill, but it will start moving again once I start walking, I am certain and plateau’s are very common anyway.

 The BIG, EXCITING news is my numbers from my endocrinologist! I am jazzed.

My cholesterol went from the 260’s to 196! SWEET! My triglyceryde’s went from the 500’s  (yes, the 500’s) to 131. I am NO LONGER, yes, now I am saying this, NO LONGER insulin resistant with my endo stating I have “Excellent” sugar control with (read it and weep) a NON FASTING blood sugar of 100 and a A, C blood sugar of 5.3 which is < the 7.0 required.  🙂 I also have not had any hypoglycemic episodes in months (a tale tale sign of insulin resitance). That is another sign of its disappearance.   Since my Dad died from Diabetes, I am so thrilled this. He also struggled for years and was even on medication for high cholesteral.

I think he would be proud. Oh how I wish he was here to know about these numbers.  :-(  He would be proud, I just know it!

The only number I question is my thyroid number. As a woman with Hashimoto’s disease, it is a never ending roller coaster for my poor thyroid. My endo stated my dosage is now too high and I just don’t know. Hashi’s makes the thyroids hypo and it is hard for me to believe he wants to lower my dosage. I have heard so much from other thyroid patients about how the bloodwork on thyroids are not accurate. It took an uptake test for them to even figure out I was hypo…. my bloods were all on the lower end of normal! So, I am going to drive 30 miles to Lynchburg and get a second opinion from another endocrinologist (a colleage of mine, her daughter goes to this lady). I do not like woman doctors, but endocrinologist around here are hard to find and very slim pickins’. Plus my colleague really likes this lady. I have no signs of being hyper and I cannot see starving my thyroid of needed hormone, making my goiter bigger and my hashi’s worse because of an over sensitive blood test that might have been thrown off simply because of a 90+ weight loss.

Other than that…….. keep me in your prayers as I make my race for 100. I am struggling with this hurt foot and need all the thoughts and prayers I can get!  

In The Race for 100!!!!!!

Even though I am in the dog days of losing with just under (yay, UNDER!) 50 lbs to go, the weight seems to be moving  steadily.

I nixed my rice cake habit even though I eat a small bite of candy at work here and there from my friends candy jar. I monitor it very carefully. I figure my boss, married to an airline pilot and looking like a model, can steal a bite of chocolate, so can I!!!! I figure, ‘eat like a skinny person would’. A skinny person would have one or two hersey’s kisses and the old Kelli would have had a handfull of candy then went to the vending machine for more. Not the new Kelli!

I am now at 89 lbs since surgery date and 97 lbs from my consultation weight! I am getting to 100! I am also closing in like a nighthawk on my 5 ft 4 in Irish husband. Mwhahahaha! I can honestly say, I don’t out weigh him by much now. Add the 4 or so inches (depends on who measures me whether I am 5 ft 8 or 5 ft 9 in.) and our BMI’s are IDENTICAL now. Actually since I have lost more, mine is probably a tad bit lower than his and he is NOT in any way, shape or form fat. Stocky, yes, fat, NO!

But why do I still see the size 26-28 girl when I am now a very comfortable 14-16?  That is what I see in the mirror. Why?  The clothing says different. I can even wear my husbands t shirts and even repossesed one from my youngest daughter that she never wore (Old Navy size large).  Why do I still see the big girl.

My nick name at work is ‘skinny’ (no, far from skinny but it is all relative). I still see the big girl. Hmmm????

So I am on my way. Aw and a new happiness for me…. we used to buy these Asian salad packages. They were lettuce with snow peas and a few dried cherries and won ton strips. With the sesame orange dressing 8 grams of sugar and 10 gr of fat (note on South Beach they prefer you use regular dressing and I am not getting much other fat during the day). I tolerated it fine, so we are back in business for our Asian Salads!  :-)  (Happy dance!)

Pictures in 12 lbs and counting!

What I eat in a typical day…….

I realized in all these posts I have not put much about what I actually eat. While losing weight and buying cute little outfits is exciting, I want to help others who are on this journey so I thought I would add a post about what I eat on a typical day.

The one thing I want to stress is PROTEIN. In the early days you will hear PROTEIN, PROTEIN and PROTEIN. I cannot stress it enough. It has gotten me through the worse of my ‘hair loss’ with minimal effects. It will keep you as least tired as possible (although I am warning you, you will be tired for a few months: your body has been re-wired and you are living on 700-800 calories a day!). And it will keep your muscles strong. We are supposed to get at least 60 grams a day. SO, in order to assure that I do this I start each day with an Amplify vanilla smoothie protein shake. I get the mix at GNC. With my discount card it is $32 for a month supply. Well worth the keeping of as much of my hair and as much of my muscle as possible as well as retaining energy.

My drive into work each day is about 45-50 minutes so I get my coffee ready and my shake and drink them in tandem. Mmmmmm both are good. I am warning you, however, I have tried other shakes. Amplify is the only one I like.

After settling into work, I eat a fruit (usually a banana) and about 2-3 times a week add a boiled egg (more protein) to that. I also drink my minute maid fruit juice drinks (20 cals) and waters in between. Water/ liquids are also very important for keeping hydrated and promoting weight loss. On days I don’t have an egg, I may have a 4 pack of peanut butter crackers if I am hungry enough.

Lunch is either left over dinner, a lean cuisine, 1/2 can of healthy choice vegetable soup, homemade chile (my recipe; bariatric friendly), PBJ on 35 calorie toasted bread with baked chips or carrots and dip and I always have fruit with lunch.

During the afternoon I may snack on another fruit or something small. I did snack on rice cakes, but they became a RED LITE food with me. I just ate and ate the caramel and chocolate ones and was worried I would have an issue with them so quit buying them.

 I have gotten into a TERRIBLE habit of chewing gum. I am NOT supposed to in case I swallow it. They have to do a surgical procedure to remove it (there is not very many calories in the sugar free/  the calories are not the issue). I need to stop that.

I don’t smoke; never have and never will. I think it is disugusting, so I guess the gum keeps my choppers busy. I am usually on edge at work and it helps with anxiety.

At night we have normal dinners now. The only thing I rarely to never partake in is pasta and rice. If those are being served I skip them and substitute or go without. We just eat healthy; grilled chicken, kabobs, lean pork chops, casseroles from South Beach and other diet cookbooks. We eat lots of lean meats and vegies. And then at night, my one treat *insert angelic music*….. my bunny bar. This is a 70 calorie, sugar free, 50/50 piece of heaven. Rasberry and orange both with vanilla on a stick. No sugar and no fat. And at 70 cals I can tolerate and incorporate just fine. It is my nightly treat.

If I get hungry in between, I sometimes munch on crackers, baked chips, carrots, fruit and other things mentioned above. However, I try to drink a lot of water to keep myself ‘full’.

 OH, and YES, I do EXERCISE. I walk 3-4 times a week and do some resistance training. While I should do a bit more, bear with me, I am getting there!

“You’ve lost a whole Nicole Ritchie!”

That has become the catch phrase at work. It started in my department when one of my younger team-mates was asking about my weight loss. I am now at 85 1/2 lbs from surgery, 6 more lbs and I will…. yes, I really will….. be down 100 lbs from my consultation weight (which is where the doctor counts from)……. and I am now 101 lbs down from my heaviest weight ever. WOW!!!!!!!!! I am in disbelief!

The co-worker was talking about my weight loss and complimenting me. Now bear in mind ANYTIME I get a compliment whether it is the first time I have heard from that person or the 100th time that week, I always say “Thank you for the compliment”. All the glory goes to my Father in Heaven that gave me grace to have the surgery and sent me the most wonderful surgeon in the world. My tolerance is excellent and it amazes and even sometimes frightens me. However, I am not complaining.  I would much rather have the tolerance I do and still be dropping the weight than to have been sick the last 5 1/2 months and still be dropping the weight. I honestly don’t think I could have made it through my fathers death if I were one of the people that were sick all the time. See I became so heart sick that there are still somedays it still makes me sick on my stomach. I still cry everyday but it is very random. The other day I was laughing at something on the radio and 20 mins later was crying at a song that was being played.

Oh, how I miss my Dad. 1 promise I make; I am taking good care of my Uncle and making sure he stays around a long time. He is precious to me and if I have anything to say about it he will be here for many years to come.

 Well, back to the catch phrase; my colleague stated on several occasions, “You have lost a whole Nicole Ritchie!”. Then as I lost more it was “You have lost a whole pregnant Nicole Ritchie!”. Now what makes this so funny is a few days later I was collecting the very few clothes another friend of mine (and her Mom) had not bought from me and the little bit of mad money I made from them. She is in a different department but we used to be on the same team. She said exactly the same thing! She stated, “You have lost a whole Nicole Ritchie”. I blurted out in laughter and explained how that had become the catch phrase in the area around where I sit!

Again, all my Glory goes to God! He is truly amazing and Loving. I thank Him everyday for the gift he has given me with the tool of this surgery. NO REGRETS. NONE. I am about 50 lbs from goal. It seems like nothing now after all I have lost. I know the last 20 will be the hardest, but I am getting so close!

Pictures in 15 lbs more!

Eating out & the good news is….. & the bad news is……

I have now eaten out several times. I was forced to eat out in Bakersfield when I was there for my Dad’s memorial. Now bear in mind for 2 AM June 19, 2007 until very recently, I was sick on my stomach. However this had nothing to do with my gastric bypass but had everything to do with a broken heart. I still ache to call my Daddy and say “Daddy, I love you so much”. I just hope on the breath of my prayers he hears me.

My church family, my good friends at work (some are like family to me), my own extended family, worrying about my Uncle’s well being and other friends and family near and far have kept me strong. Oh and my children. My older children (college age) wrote me beautiful e mails that I will cherish forever and my younger ones just came to be with me. We will talk about “PaPa” all the time.

In any event, my tummy is not quite so bad now.
So hubby and I decided to have our first official eat out date night last Saturday and went to eat at Abuelo’s mexican food. Mmmmmmmm. Their avacado enchilada’s are so good. I did like they suggest on the  web site I visit and asked for a container right away and split the meal out. I still wasn’t able to eat 1/2 of it but my dutiful little Irish garbage disposal (my husband) took care of what I couldn’t. All tolerated just fine!

Then there was a food day at work yesterday. All tolerated just fine!

Now the good news. I can tolerate SUGAR. Oh NO! That is also the bad news! I don’t know how much and it is a long and involved story of how I found out, but I can. I would not push the envelope and try something like cheese cake. The thing I had yesterday was lowfat and low in sugar but still. The good news is, I can tolerate sugar the BAD news is I can tolerate sugar. I just knew I was doing to well with fruits.

My doctor is TOO good. Ugh.

Let’s hope the sugar demons don’t get me while I get this last 50-60 off.

I am buying Miss’s sized clothing at Wal Mart now and NOTHING taste as good as that feels!

75+ with a 100 in site and mending a broken heart…….

I broke 75 lbs sometime throughout the ordeal of flying back to California to tend to my Dad’s Memorial service and get things in order. I am down 76 lbs and a few ounces to be exact.

It was fine, but I would do anything to have my Dad back. :-(  I have been nauseated since hearing the news that he passed away and now my two Doctors have me in tandem on two nausea meds at the same time. I think I need to be on a medication that heals broken hearts. I don’t think the FDA has approved anything for that. If anyone finds out about something like that, let me know.

 I do know that I told my family, small and extended as it is, that I dedicated all I have done to my Dad. It is in this journey that I should not see the type two diabetes that took his life. I should see my high cholesterol dwindle down and my BP is already at a very low number.

I did come back from California and got the worm cherry on my mud Sundae. I found out my PCP is leaving his work and going into a different kind of medicine. He is the best family doctor I have EVER had. He is caring, understanding, patient, kind, etc. He is the kind of doctors they portray on movies and TV that just really rarely exist anymore.  :-(  I am happy it is a better move for him personally but sad for those of us who are losing a fine and caring family doctor.

OK, so I am in the dog days of my weight loss. I ‘only’ have about 60 more to go. Yes, my HAIR IS TOO SHORT. But, I am getting lots of compliments. Seems I am the only one who does not like it.

I was sick of shedding it and by the time I am through the ‘shedding stage’ it will be starting to grow out nicely.

Other than having an upset tummy from the stress of losing Dad, I am doing well as far as tolerance. I am doing what I am supposed to do. Ok, I don’t walk enough. I just HAVE to FIND the time somewhere. And I need to drink more water. However I am commited to my new way of eating. I do get the munchies at work in the afternoon and try to stomp out the fire and eat fruit , etc but it is nothing that is out of control.

Today I took ONE sip of diet coke. It was HEAVEN on earth.  0-:-)

 Here is to making 100 lbs and then on to goal!!!!! 

And here are some pics

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It was this pic taken of me and my dear dear Uncle at my Dad’s Memorial lunch that hit home for me: “I really had lost a good deal of weight”

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This is for you, Dad

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I was going to make my next post and post pics when I hit the 75 lb mark. That has come and gone and in a week or two, I will post my latest experiences and pictures.

 This one, however, is dedicated to my Dad: Gary Coleman; January 22, 1940-June 18, 2007.

Dad was only 67; taken from us too soon. He passed away unexpectedly.

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The phone rang at 2 AM (my time zone; eastern) Tuesday June 19. Why do those calls always come at 2 AM?

 The next few days were a blur. I got the first flight out I could On Wed to go home to California. As his only child I was  physically responsibe for everyting. I had to make all the decisions. I also had to be strong for my Uncle (his brother) who not only lost his last surviving sibling but lost his best friend.

I signed on all the dotted lines and planned the service very carefully; going over what I wanted said, what passages I wanted read and what music I wanted. They weren’t sure if they could locate the song “To Where You Are” by Josh Grobin, but as the service concluded on Friday, that song (the one song I wanted so bad!) was played! I started crying so hard and looked at my cousin Susan and said “That is the song!” I then looked at my Uncle David who was sitting on the other side of me and said, “That is the song!”

 My Uncle David and cousin Susan had been by my side the whole time supporting me, too. We were all supporting each other. We all needed support and we were like this family chain that leaned on each other.

Uncle David, a confirmed and in  his time very popular 😉 bachelor, never married. So I am like a daughter to him. He could not treat me any better if I were his own and I love him like a second Dad. Like Dad, Uncle David would do anything for anyone. Underneath that joking exterior lies a heart of gold and, now, I fear, a heart that is breaking. I will be there for him, as best I can to pick up the pieces. My heart is breaking too.

I still feel like I am in a surreal nightmare that I am going to wake up from. I feel like I can just pick up the phone and he will be there!

Dad was the nicest person you could ever meet. He was slow to anger but quick to love and would do anyting for you.

As for me being only 4  1/2 mos post op. Well first of all, as soon as I got the news I became nauseated and still am. I have been taking phenorgran (stomach/ nausea pill) every 6 hours on the dot

Even though I wasn’t hungry, I knew I had to eat something so I subsisted mostly on bananas and peanut butter crackers. We went out a few times and I ate very little. I was going mostly on adrenaline and stress.

 There was a line from the show “Grey’s Anatomy” that springs to mind. When George O’Malley loses his Dad, Christina says to him, “There is this club called the dead Dad;s club. I am sorry you had to join that club today”.

 Dad, I dedicate my surgery to you. Because of my surgery I am not likely to get diabetes.

Dad was so afraid of me getting Gastric Bypass but relievd when it was over and I was doing so well.

 The world was a better place for having had Gary Coleman on it for 67 years. My heart is breaking but as a Christian who has Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I know I will see my Dad again someday. Godspeed Dad, I love you.

50! 50! 50! 50! Come & Gone But Mostly……..

OK, before I get to the “I have hit my official first mini goal of 50 lbs weight lost”, I have a few things I need to say.

First and foremost, as for me and my house, we are heartsick about the tragedy that occured just minutes from where we rest our heads down yonder at Virginia Tech. Words cannot convey the sadness, grief, anger and confusion at how such a thing can come to pass.

A dear friend of mine at work new one of the victims. Her daughter grew up with him. All I could do is tear up with her and offer my condolences and prayers, and I have been praying. However, I have also been trying to figure out, “Why?”. I think we all have. So with that, let me just all say, we are all Hokies and Virginia Tech, we support you!!!!!!!!

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The next thing I would like to say is NONE of this I have done would be possible without The Lord. I look to Him for everything. He is my rock and shelter. I looked to Him for comfort when I went into this and he gave comfort to me. He is now seeing me through a relatively painless process of getting this weight off. I pray everyday for strength. I pray everyday in Thanksgiving and I pray everyday for continued success.

With His help, I made it. Somewhere at 11 1/2 weeks out. I don’t quite know when because when I weight I was 52.4 lbs down. Ha! So I never officially could say 50! However, that is quite ok! As of this morning I am 54.2 lbs down, just in the couple of days since I weighed! As Dorothy says in Oz, “My things happen so quickly around here”.

 Last night it was my pleasure to enjoy a bowl of SALAD. YES!  I had the bagged stuff that I love. The easy, throw together after a weary week. Lite ceaser. I had that, 1/2 a piece of grilled chicken and honeydew and catelope. Well, my nurse pract. said as soon as I can eat ‘salad and steak’ I can quit crushing my pills. Well, I don’t eat red meat so this girl is gonna FINALLY quit crushing. The truth is, as long as it has under 10 grms of sugar, is a ‘healthy food’, and is just normal, and if I don’t overfill my pouch which my hiccup (or as a Coleman would say, the yop reflex) tells me to STOP, POUCH IS FULL… I am so blessed! Anyway, I pretty much tolerate anything! Pizza, taco (1), fajita meat, peanut butter, eggs, salad, vegies, Chili, including Wendy’s, most fruits, toasted bread, etc etc. Paul and I cook together most nights now.   SO THIS GIRL IS GONNA QUIT CRUSHIN HER PILLS!

I feel pretty ‘normal’ again except that clothes fit one day and don’t the next. People at work literally don’t recognize me if they have not seen me in a while. That is ok tho! Ha! I am tired, but that is just the pace I keep. I need to slow down, I dozed off while eating my dinner the other night. Paul had to nudge me awake. No joke! I go go go go go go go go!!!!!! I want to read more, but can’t find the time. I want to write more, but can’t find the time and my BP climbs through the week but is down to like nothing on the weekends so something is up or down. Ha ha ha ! Sorry, bad joke.

 Anyway, I know I just posted a pic, but here is my official 50 lb pic and I have dropped a couple since this!  Can’t wait to get to goal!

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OK, so I decided to add pics!

I was going to wait and add pics until I hit the 50 lb mark but since I got into a size 18 skirt this morning…. a size I had not been in since 1994….. I decided to add a couple pics. So here they are.

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Running into 50 lbs head on, pizza and a new hair cut!

I am 6 lbs shy of losing 50 lbs. Yep! 8 weeks and 5 days out I am 44 lbs down!!!!!!!!  Woooo Hooooo! I have lost 3 pant sizes and comfortably 1-2 shirt sizes (I have always been top heavy and always bought shirts that stretched). Now I can wear ‘cute little shirts’ in the smaller size. I am not limited.

I have 1/3 of my weight off. It is surreal and wonderful!

 And I can eat. No, I cannot eat like a truck driver but that is ok. I ate pizza WITH MY FAMILY, the other night. Yep, the cheap ‘hot and ready’ $5 pizza…. cheese, I ate a piece. A small piece; all  needed. I picked at the first piece eating it in small bites. I was worried about it being ‘doughy’. I was fine! So the next day I had a small piece for lunch and last night I had a small square of digiornio thin crust. FINE! Pizza is my favorite food and I am so blessed to be able to eat it again. I don’t care if it is ‘only’ one piece. One piece fills me up and it is all I need. I can ‘fit in’ and feel a part of every one else and enjoy my favorite food.

Other new foods since my last post: cantelope (one of my favorite foods), power crunch wafer bars (friend at work told me about these wonderful protein bars and gave me a few to sample), crunchy tostada/taco shells, broccoli , baked cheetos (bad I know, very limited when I have them), crackers that are lite such as wheat thin crisps, and toasted bread (I get Heiners 35 calorie bread).  

Along with that our friend and hairdresser Mel came to our home (I wuv you Mel!) and gave us hair cuts! Pauls the usual sexy buzz (I salivate over military cuts). But mine is an extreme makeover which a week out (yesterday) I was still getting compliments on. I will post pic when I post my 50 lb pic…. hopefully my next blog. If not my next blog, one after next. I hope to reach 50 lbs within 2 weeks!

I know many people say this is the easy way out but it is not. I still have to watch everything I eat, walk, drink my water, take my vitamins, drink protein shakes, etc. This surgery saved my life. I make no apologies! I am just thrilled to be back in life at full speed!Â