Operation Pull your head out of your behind has commenced. What has gone on with me since the last post... the answer in short.... Life.... we have finally started construction on the house... the kids have kept us busy with 8th grade graduation, baseball, counseling, HS enrollment, summer camp, dr. appointments, mission trips and beyond.... and you know what.... I fell back into my old pattern of addiction and excuses. I ate "better" than pre-surgery.... BUT not in a way that fallowed the lifestyle change VSGer's need. I was able to "maintain" but gained a bit. Every week I would begin by saying.... this is it, this is the week I change ... even bought a 2 month gym membership ... I watched the scale go up and couple pounds then quit weighing all together. What finally happened? First we got a pool ... not top of the line, but the 18 footer from Walmart, I researched a few workouts and started getting in some cardio & resistance. I realized that this was something I was capable of doing. Another factor was a visit to the asthma specialist with Jax, I had inquired about a rash that I had thought was eczema on his neck. The doctor was training an intern and discussed the rash then commented about the discoloration on his neck and elbows... he proceeded to tell her that this is an early sign of insulin resistance (the same thing I have battled for the better part of 20 years.) The third piece to this elaborate plan God put into motion was on our families 4th of July celebration, on the way home I saw a post by a fellow VSGer, Amber Hitchcock, she had created a free recipe book. I have seen tons of these, but saved it and planned on looking at it when we got home. I did and for some reason, the simplicity of this book brought me to tears, I imagined being able to prepare these for my family and following the tips she had added. I didn't personally know this woman but I reached out to her, letting her know that this book was just what I needed, we talked for hours that night and her words were the encouragement I needed. I began to become obsessed again with my journey and wanted to include Jax in it. Jax and I are so much alike that we butt heads, I knew from experience that this was likely to fail but I had to do something. I began researching diets that were recommended for not only VSGers but childhood obesity ... I found that the Ketodiet and Paleo (Caveman) diet were often recommended as a guideline. I started posting in sleever groups on facebook, messaging any nutritionist I could find and even contacted my surgeon. I needed to know that these numbers would work. I would track my diet and exercise and post a screen shot, then research the validity of every comment. In the mean time I researched Apps, and stumbled upon one that I thought seemed to be "kid Friendly" and bought the upgrade for Jax, he seemed pumped and actually willing to do it. Over the course of a few days I finally got a consistent answer from 3 nutritionists and my surgeon. Jax and I are doing a modified KetoCaveman diet ... my nutritionist recommended this % combination for or respective calories 30%carbs/30%fat/40%protein and we agreed up on a set number of daily calories. Since then we have altered the %'s just a little for Jax because it is all about what works for you. This is what my daily intake looks like ... I am striving for 800-1000 cal daily and Jax is shooting for 1200-1400 cal. Jax's Progress ---In only 5 days of being serious Jax's has lost 6 pound!!!!! His attitude has changed and he is quickly soaking in the "rules" for our lifestyle makeover. We have also began to focus on portion size, we got out the food scale and Jax makes sure he has 4 oz of protein, and that his entire meal doesn't exceed 8 oz. He has really enjoyed using the scale and the app. We set up a reward plan... that is sure to cost me a fortune. He made a non-food related list of the things he would like to earn and has already hit his 1st goal of 5 pound so we are headed out to add to his pocket knife collection. Some of his other requests include a large set of Pokemon, a Pokemon book, a LED Shoes, a trip to local stores he enjoys and a "do what I say day." Do we argue about food choices? Absolutely! In a trip out to eat as a family, we decided to apply the rules to a meal ... if you are a food addict, you know this struggle. We chose Applebees & decided that a steak was the best choice, with the steak comes 2 sides. I'm the first to say that unless you are eating the potatoes Applebees side items are less than delicious, so we compromised, one potato side and 1 veggie side. It is all about moderation, he had done so well and still had some wiggle room in his stats that the potatoes were admissible. the problem came when he reviewed the menu... "I'll take the garlicy potatoes and the fries" he proclaims ... UMMMM I don't think so... we battled for a bit and I all but gave up, but when the waitress took his order he chose garlicky potatoes and broccoli... VICTORY!!! Jaxen's "Go To" lunch is an Unwich. I keep a selection of "real" lunch meat in the fridge, he create a sandwich using 4 oz of meat wrapped in lettuce, when he gets bored, he adds any veggie and a light dressing to it. To make this simple, Jax stays away from sugar, white breads, & processed &/or fried foods. He looks for fresh, whole foods that a caveman would have eaten and when he takes time to think about it he usually chooses the right thing. My ProgressI am on day 7 and have lost 7 pounds! I also weigh my meals and limit carb and fat, I follow the 30 minute drinking rule, upped my water intake and listen to my pouch. I have a new found content feeling if I stop when my pouch tells me too. Jax and I both have Premier protein shake for breakfast and I have began taking my vitamins again. My attitude has changed, I have begun to prioritize thing and make God and the people in my life more important than the activities and things in it. We shoot for at least 3 days in the pool, I also have a "steps" goal and am working hard everyday to find recipes that will meet the entire families needs... HARDEST JOB EVER! My favorite meal so far is the Tomato Basil "pizza" I perfected ... I am working to make a recipe video and will post it soon. Bottom line.... something has to change. My hope for our future is that we will make these lifestyle changes and that the choices will become a nature and the foods will be something we prefer! This is actually something "special" Jax and I can share together and connect on in a different way than the others.
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This weight loss is only from June 2015 (I had lost another 51 pounds prior to this)
Blog MissionIt has taken me a long time to get to this point, but I feel like God opened the right doors at the right time. My vision for this blog is not only to document and share my journey with those who care, but also to encourage those who may be following in my footsteps. First and foremost though, I want to give all the glory to God & to focus on his plan for me throughout the journey. What you talkin' 'bout?VSG = Vertical Gastric Sleeve Categories
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