Day one of my pre-op diet...

So far so good.... I am attempting all liquids, even though my doctor's pre-op diet is 1000 calories a day... I don't think choices are the best thing for me.... I am in serious detox!

Happy Marriage Playbook... As I see it.

Well, about 12 days ago, My husband and I celebrated 21 years together.... We met in a mall, while shopping for Christmas gifts. We've only been married for 17 years now, but the day we met was the start of something amazing... and I want to share what I've learned these last 2 decades. Every couple is different, but men are somewhat similar... and here is a few tips.

1. Give in.... We like to believe we are always right but sometimes we aren't, we need to play that one in a million time up. Tell him, "You are Right, and I am Wrong". Those 3 little words mean more to them, or at least as much as "I Love You"... They love hearing us say we are wrong... and they love hearing that they are right. Believe me, It is worth it.
2. Compliment Them... If you think they look handsome, Say it... If you think it say it! Tell them they have beautiful eyes, tell them that they turn you on, tell them that smell good... just tell them. We as Women, always complain that they don't compliment us enough but it goes both ways, once the see how good they feel when you shower them with compliments, they will want you to enjoy the feeling too.
3. I Love you... Find different ways to say it, say it often, say it again, say it each time you say goodbye, Make sure you say it first thing in the morning and when you say good night each night.... You can't wear it out.
4. Cheerleader... You are their cheerleader, don't let anyone else take that role from you... Cheer them on in big accomplishments and small ones too. They need the stroking, in more ways than one.
5. Sex...Everyone has a headache once in a while, but you know what cures it.... Orgasm. You will have great sex, good sex and maybe some not so good sex.... but have it! Often!... Enjoy each other! You don't want to be a stranger to your own husband.
6. Date night... Couples that still date, are always more content and happy. Because they are nurturing their love. Make time for each other, consider it an investment... in your future.
7. Support... Be in their corner, Support their dreams, and make them come true together... (Disclaimer: If they want a ridiculous dream like being a movie star, rock star, etc... It will be harder to support and much more expensive, so you might wanna put your cart behind the right horse)
8. Family... His family could be wonderful, but it is more likely that they are from the Bowels of Hell. Endure them... and let them hang themselves. Don't stoop to their levels... Be strong and kill them with kindness. You will always have the upper hand that way! Remember, You come first in his eyes and you don't need to test it.(Disclaimer: If for some reason you don't come first, He may be the cancer that needs to be cut out... not his family)
9. Marriage.... Get Married, make it legal... Don't go around saying it's like you're married, you live together like a married couple, or Who needs a silly piece of paper? You deserve to be his wife, not his kinda wife. I know a girl who spent 20 years with a man that she had 2 kids with, owned a house with, shared everything... except a paper. He cheated on her almost the whole time they were together, married 2 of the women he cheated with and kicked her out of her own house twice, ?Yes, that means she took him back after the first time... She had nothing to show for their relationship except 2 growing boys to feed, hap-hazard child support payments, a man who pretends he never loved her and her sons have an evil stepmother. She would have had alot more rights if they had been married. And Marriage is much more romantic... At least I think so.
10. Life... Live it, don't worry so much... Enjoy each other and if you have children, remember that when the kids leave... Your husband stays. So put him first, always. Even when it is difficult. I don't have kids, so this advice... is more do as I say, and not as I do... LOL

Back from my cruise....

I'm back in Orlando and I was retaining alot of fluid from not drinking as much water and too much sodium in the cruise food. I am looking forward to going home later this week and getting back to my regular routine before starting my pre-op diet on the 26th, I actually should be starting my pre-op diet on the 25 but I thought it would be a less stressful holiday without me in detox.
         My surgeon's office has a pre-op diet of 1000 calories a day.... But I am going to try liquids only for most of it. I think that will prepare me better for this next huge step. I did a 2 week pre-op liquid diet before I was banded and I think my preliminary huge success was that foundation, it made me appreciate each new step... Full liquids 2 weeks after surgery and then regular food after that. Since I was able to do 6 weeks of liquids then, this should be a cake walk minus the cake.

Things I love since....

Well... I never liked Mashed Potatoes much, but when I had a lapband.... I craved them... And now that it was removed a couple months ago, I could take them or leave them. I started loving cole slaw, which I still love even now. Once my band was removed.... I can't get enough bread or pizza neither or which I really ate or missed while banded... Just Weird? I am almost a month before my gastric bypass... And I am on a binger. It has been ridiculous, like I'm awaiting execution. I miss my band like crazy.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and Yours!

Happy Thanksgiving to all you Crazy Americans! And to my Non-American Followers.... I am thankful for your Friendship and Support too! You are all a Blessing to me! I look forward to spending the day with my family, laughing, crying, Loving, Hating, And of course.... EATING!

Delayed and Dismayed....

Well, My Surgeon's office called this morning to delay my surgery. It seems a more serious case of a patient who has cancer is the same day that I was scheduled who they believe will need more time leaving not enough for me. I was annoyed at first, I mean... I wanted November 5th or 6th, but those weren't available. They scheduled me for the 12th, but then called Me to reschedule me for the 13th since the Doctor is out of town on the 12th. I was already concerned about how close the surgery was to our next work trip to Orlando which is the beginning of December. So today she said, since thanksgiving is the following week, how about the 27th? Well, My George has already put his schedule in with Disney and our cruise is paid off for December 10-15, so.... I decided to push it off til the new year.... and it is now scheduled for January 7th. It means I will be able to enjoy the holidays and get more prepared but I was almost 2 weeks into my pre-op diet when she called... I wanted to throw a tantrum!

A Week From Tomorrow!

                           Well, The countdown is on... My Gastric Bypass surgery is one week from tomorrow. I am on a pre-op diet that is much least restrictive than my previous one from my LapBand Installation. This one is 1000 calories a day, Which seemed like it could be easier than my all liquid OptiFast pre-op diet that I did before my LapBand was put in 2010. I am thinking of switching it to all liquid for this next week to detox myself... Less options are better for a food addict like myself. 


                              I was getting a bit of the Last Supper syndrome after having my Lap-band removed... Excited about being able to eat bread and pasta and even Chinese food. All of which, I didn't think I missed but it seems I did. I have gotten control of the Night Eating Syndrome with the Lexapro, but I seem to be hungry all day long and I am getting into old habits like not eating all day and then overeating at dinner and snacking afterwards too. I know this new life will make a lot of these issues go away but it's depressing to admit that my issues with food are no better than they were 3 years ago when I started this journey. 


                               I am nervous about tomorrow's election, I was hoping to have my surgery today, but since it wasn't available I have to wait til next Tuesday... Too Bad, because having my surgery today would have distracted me from worrying about the outcome of tomorrow's election(I voted already several weeks ago by Absentee Ballad in Florida since we are still registered and it's still our permanent residence til we are completely settled in here in PA) and I am a huge TwiHard.... and I am missing the Advanced Screening of Breaking Dawn Part 2 next Wednesday which was a hard choice .... LOL My Physical Health or My Mental Health... LOL



                                    This is going to be a huge change for me, my new stomach pouch will be 2 ounces.... which means that those little condiment cups that they give you in restaurants will be my new serving size....Weird, right? Also, They tell me that I will only be able to drink 3-6 ounces of water an hour, which will make it difficult to get all my water in... for a while.