A Healthy But Disappointing Day

I have been trying really hard to lower my cortisol and insulin levels through diet and lifestyle, as I am convinced this is why I have lost weight so unevenly (My top half is loads smaller than the bottom now!). I have been sticking to it really well, and I think it seems to be working.

The main strategies I am following are to keep my blood sugar even (and therefore keep insulin levels lower) by eating more protein and slow-release carbohydrates. I am also including lots of oats as these are especially helpful, as are nuts and cinnamon. Blueberries are also on my list.

To keep my cortisol levels lower, I have been trying to relax and keep stress down. I have been listening to guided meditations and doing progressive relaxation, as well as spending a few quiet moments breathing deeply whenever I remember. Regular exercise is also good (although I have to confess I have not been great on this side yet).

Finally, lots of water, juicy fruit and vegetables and potassium-rich foods such as coconut water and bananas are helping to reduce the water retention that is a side effect of my medication. All is food!

So why was it a disappointing day? Because I found out my Healbe Gobe will not arrive until March. I am sooooo disappointed, I have been hoping it will just turn up out of the blue and watching for a parcel van every day, it has kind of kept me going when I have been feeling low. Hopefully it will come soon enough to be helpful with my weight loss, I am worried I might hit another plateau again soon.

GoBe - A New Gadget To Help Me Lose Weight

I am so excited, just ordered myself a new toy! Well, it isn't a toy at all actually, it's a very high-tech gadget which I am hoping will help me continue to lose weight and sail past my goals! So how will it do that? Firstly, it is an activity tracker so I am hoping it will motivate me to do more exercise, as I had one in the past and it definitely helped. But most importantly, it counts calories. And I don't mean you tell it what you have eaten and it adds it all up, this clever little wristband doesn't need you to do that, it can actually measure the calories you have eaten using skin sensors! I won't go too deep in to the science of it in this post, but basically it uses sensors like the ones on a body fat monitor to measure changes in the amount of water in your cells, and can use this to work out how many calories you have consumed. With no way of cheating or accidentally forgetting to record that biscuit here and latte there, I am hoping this tracker will give me the awareness and information I need to speed up my weight loss. Fingers firmly crossed! I will keep updating how I am getting on, I hope it arrives soon as I am actually quite excited!

(If you want to read more about it, the website is www.healbe.com.)

 

Relaxation Helps Weight Loss!

 

Yes, really!

There are a number of reasons for this. Basically, the main reason is that too much stress can cause some of the hormones and chemicals in our body to get a bit out of sync. One of these hormones is cortisol, and raised levels can make you feel hungrier as well as making you more likely to store extra fat, especially around your middle.

As well as this, other appetite-controlling chemicals such as ghrelin and leptin are also affected by high stress levels, especially when this causes us to have trouble sleeping. Insomnia has been found in many studies to be linked to difficulty in losing weight and feeling tired from lack of sleep can also lead to a craving for the quick energy boost that high carbohydrate foods can provide.

Feeling stressed also makes us more likely to turn to food for comfort, especially food that we see as nurturing such as chocolate and other high-calorie and carbohydrate-rich foods that temporarily boost our feel-good hormones.

It all sounds pretty grim, but the answer is reasonably simple: reduce stress. This doesn't have to mean signing up for intensive yoga classes or making major lifestyle changes as little changes can soon add up. Maybe a brisk 10 minute walk on your lunch break might help you relax, or a hot bath before bedtime. I have recently discovered colouring books for adults, and I find that very calming as well. And if you need an excuse for some pampering, this could be it! My trip to the spa yesterday definitely helped me feel more relaxed and also improved my sleep. You could even do something similar on a budget at home, maybe giving yourself a facial or a manicure, or simply soaking your feet in warm water and lavender oil while you close your eyes and focus on your weight loss goals.

Please add your ideas for relaxation in the comments section below and help us all benefit!

 

 

Treat Yourself . . . With Zero Calories!

I am a person who does well with "rewards", whether for successful weight loss or for doing something I am pleased with in other areas of my life. So having a gastric bypass is very difficult for me in that respect, as in the past when I have done well with my weight loss, my reward has been a small version of the treat I am craving. I don't experience any dumping at the moment, so in theory I could still do this even now, but rewarding with food is a habit I very much want to get out of.

Yesterday, I found a good substitute. I had a spa treatment, and it was amazing! It made me feel so relaxed and good about myself that it got me thinking that surely something that makes you feel so nurtured and positive could also be an aid to weight loss, discouraging comfort eating and providing a much more enjoyable and longer lasting substitute?

I am going to do some research on the subject - maybe I should book a few more treatments to test out my theory too!

 

 

 

 

Onwards and Downwards!

So . . . 5 stone gone and a few more still to go, hopefully! I have to confess that I found Christmas difficult as I do not suffer with dumping very much and so was able to graze on nice snacks, and I am now finding it a habit which is hard to get out of. I have realised that there are lots of tools and resources out there which can help however, and my new mission is to find them and share them with others so that we can all benefit! Please feel free to comment with ideas of what has helped you on your weight loss and fitness journey, whether you have had weight loss surgery or not. Hopefully between us all we can build up a useful tool-kit!

 

3 Months after Gastric Bypass Revision

Well, 3 months have gone by and I have lost over 4st in weight! I have still got a way to go but I definitely feel a difference now, and the impact on my confidence has been huge.

I am proud to say I have not been sick once, somehow managing not to overeat as I realised very soon after the surgery that I could remember the early warning signs of starting to get full from the first time round! And I could also remember how much I hated being sick if I overdid it.

I am still walking a lot, and do persuade myself to go on the treadmill sometimes, as I am half-heartedly doing a couch to 5k programme. It is difficult though because of the rollercoaster I am on with my depression, as the majority of the time I have barely got the motivation to get up from my chair let alone do any running! I have also just ordered some swimming costumes, my body is still very wobbly but I love swimming so going to clench my teeth and put up with the stares.

So what have I being doing with my new found confidence? When I'm having a good day, I am now able to go out by myself. I am not embarrassed to be seen buying food related items anymore. I have applied to do a postgraduate course. And I have been doing lots of writing . . Exciting news to follow in that respect!

Food-wise, I can now eat the majority of foods, albeit in very small portions. Chicken is ok although I do still only have it with a sauce and cooked very tender. I havn't tried bread yet, but toast is fine. And I do most to stick to a much healthier diet than before, with plenty of protein.

I am so pleased with the results so far, I am really glad I decided to have the revision procedure!

IDEAS FOR QUICK AND EASY PUREED FOOD AFTER GASTRIC BYPASS

Pureed food can be boring and uninspiring, and when you can only eat a few teaspoons of it anyway it hardly seems worth making it ,

Here are some extra ideas which involve minimum effort and which you can use in addition to your post-op diet sheet for more inspiration when you really feel like you can't be bothered!

• BABY FOOD - yes really! The stage one / 4 month+ food is completely pureed, otherwise you will have to puree it yourself to make sure it is completely smooth. The pouches you can get are especially brilliant for measuring out a small portion from. I have taken a liking to the cottage pie - it has protein, vegetables, a lovely smooth texture and, once mixed with gravy to make it thinner, a lovely taste! Yum!
• PLAIN YOGHURT WITH PUREED FRUIT (use soya if lactose intolerant). Again, the pouches of pureed fruit for babies are great for this purpose as you can squeeze out the amount you want and then put the lid back on, no mess. Much cleaner and easier (but lazier!) than making your own puree!
• CREATIVE MASHED POTATO - puree it if necessary to make sure there are no lumps then get creative! Cheese spread or Philadelphia mix in well and add protein, as do pureed baked beans. Make sure you also use plenty of liquid when mixing so that you end up with a consistency that will run off a spoon rather than being gloopy and thick.
• SMASH - all of the above but quicker! I had a really tasty combination of smash, philadelphia and bbq sauce yesterday, with plenty of milk to make it thin enough
• THICK SOUP with added protein powder / milk powder if made with vegetables only, or try to include high protein ingredients such as meat or beans. I also found that a CUP A SOUP with protein powder added and milk to make it creamier was actually quite a tasty option, especially when still on liquids but even now as a snack.
• BREAKFAST CEREAL such as weetabix or porridge, mixed to a runny consistency with no lumps.

DONT FORGET THAT MOST FOODS ARE SUITABLE IF THEY CAN BE PUREED TO A CUSTARD-LIKE CONSISTENCY, SO DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOURSELF SPECIAL MEALS.

 

These are just extra ideas in addition to the ones your dietitian has already suggested, as sometimes we just need a quick and easy fix!