This weekend I packed in two summer blockbusters: Harry Potter and Captain America.
And before getting to the theater, I had flashbacks of my horrible popcorn incident (two or three posts ago, I believe)....
I had read on another blog some time ago about Gerber Graduates Puffs (flavors like Cherry, Strawberry Banana and Sweet Potato) and decided to pack them in my purse.
And they were fabulous!!!
Nevermind, I'm eating something designed for a toddler, I actually found it perfect for my pouch. A bit of crunch, one gram of sugar for a 1/2 cup, and since they are made for those kiddos new to solids, I found they would dissolve while chewing and wouldn't bother my tiny tummy too much!
As Martha Stewart would say, they are a definite "good thing!"
And, I got to practice my purse smuggling techniques - $5 for a water that costs $1?! Ridiculous!!! Good thing I don't consume soda pop and boxes of movie theater candy... It saved a small fortune, and allowed John and I to see two movies over the weekend.
p.s. Chris Evans is so swoon-worthy, I'm just thrownin' that out there. Ha!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Just me, my smart phone.... And size 10 jeans!
This is my first blog post I'm attempting from my (fairly) new smart phone. Since I'm typing letters in with my right index finger, it reminds me of the old days before I learned how to properly type on a keyboard. Needless to say, its a bit annoying.
I have a feeling that as well as being my debut post via smart phone, it will also be my last!
This weekend was a busy, interesting one that was filled with lots of highs. But before you think that I'm doing all great and peachy, I will admit to the great, vast internet one of my biggest fails: I've purchased and smoked cigarettes.
Yes. I know...... I knnnnooooowwwww. In my defense, in this post-surgery world, I'm having a difficult time dealing with stress, and falling back on some bad habits. Especially since I can't turn to my best friend and habit: food and over-eating it.
Now that we have established that I'm not perfect (ha!), I do want to share the good things that have been going on in my life:
•I'm nearing the big 100 pounds lost! Currently weighing in at 174lbs... Four pounds away!!!
•My shoe size hasn't changed, tho I fit into size 10 jeans. A first for my adult life (see picture below!)
•I had a few other items to share, but honestly with typing this into a smart phone and it going so awkwardly, I forgot my ENTIRE train of thought.
Goodnight for now, in the meantime... Me and my size 10's.... Yipee!!!
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I have a feeling that as well as being my debut post via smart phone, it will also be my last!
This weekend was a busy, interesting one that was filled with lots of highs. But before you think that I'm doing all great and peachy, I will admit to the great, vast internet one of my biggest fails: I've purchased and smoked cigarettes.
Yes. I know...... I knnnnooooowwwww. In my defense, in this post-surgery world, I'm having a difficult time dealing with stress, and falling back on some bad habits. Especially since I can't turn to my best friend and habit: food and over-eating it.
Now that we have established that I'm not perfect (ha!), I do want to share the good things that have been going on in my life:
•I'm nearing the big 100 pounds lost! Currently weighing in at 174lbs... Four pounds away!!!
•My shoe size hasn't changed, tho I fit into size 10 jeans. A first for my adult life (see picture below!)
•I had a few other items to share, but honestly with typing this into a smart phone and it going so awkwardly, I forgot my ENTIRE train of thought.
Goodnight for now, in the meantime... Me and my size 10's.... Yipee!!!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
One of the things I love about summer is...
Big Brother! It starts tonight...Yay!!! To me, its the ultimate in reality television, and in past years I would DVR the episodes and watch them religiously.
And. Then. Talk. About. It. Constantly. With. Co-workers. Constantly.
Can't even tell you why I like it so much, and it has nothing to do with my pouch or this blog. (Although, since they always seem to have houseguests that are uber-young/uber-beautiful/uber-athletic/uber-thin, maybe my skinny future self will fill out an application! This little fact is much to my boyfriends disapproval. Show-mances and flirting seem a prerequisite for BB.)
Yes, I secretly want to be on Big Brother. I'll admit it.
But as I mentioned in a previous post, I don't have cable. Instead I will make weekly pilgrimages to my mom's home in a neighboring city to leech off her cable box and watch the episodes OnDemand.
I love that its only on once a year, always in the summer. Unlike the other reality tv shows (i.e. Real Housewives) that have new spin-offs every five minutes; therefore I never get bored with BB.
And now that I'm daydreaming about being a houseguest on BB... That would be fabulous way to afford any future plastic surgery (ha!) And a way to say goodbye to my batwings, jiggly Jell-O legs and breasts-that-only-look-good-in-a-bra!
And. Then. Talk. About. It. Constantly. With. Co-workers. Constantly.
Can't even tell you why I like it so much, and it has nothing to do with my pouch or this blog. (Although, since they always seem to have houseguests that are uber-young/uber-beautiful/uber-athletic/uber-thin, maybe my skinny future self will fill out an application! This little fact is much to my boyfriends disapproval. Show-mances and flirting seem a prerequisite for BB.)
Yes, I secretly want to be on Big Brother. I'll admit it.
But as I mentioned in a previous post, I don't have cable. Instead I will make weekly pilgrimages to my mom's home in a neighboring city to leech off her cable box and watch the episodes OnDemand.
I love that its only on once a year, always in the summer. Unlike the other reality tv shows (i.e. Real Housewives) that have new spin-offs every five minutes; therefore I never get bored with BB.
And now that I'm daydreaming about being a houseguest on BB... That would be fabulous way to afford any future plastic surgery (ha!) And a way to say goodbye to my batwings, jiggly Jell-O legs and breasts-that-only-look-good-in-a-bra!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
I bought my tickets for the OH Event in Bellevue!!!
Yesterday I purchase my ticket for the ObesityHelp event in Bellevue for July 15th & 16th!
If you are interested, you can find the details on this link:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/events/2011-seattle-event.html
Since its a bit of a drive from Olympia, I will be staying with my best friend up near Issaquah. I'm curious to see what this OH Event is all about... And of course looking forward to spending time with my friend of 20+ years!!!
Have any of you attended? What did you think? Do any of you live in the Pacific Northwest, or plan on attending? If so, we should meet up!
If you are interested, you can find the details on this link:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/events/2011-seattle-event.html
Since its a bit of a drive from Olympia, I will be staying with my best friend up near Issaquah. I'm curious to see what this OH Event is all about... And of course looking forward to spending time with my friend of 20+ years!!!
Have any of you attended? What did you think? Do any of you live in the Pacific Northwest, or plan on attending? If so, we should meet up!
Popcorn + Me = Angry Pouch
So I made a mistake... One that I learned from... But it was an agonizing lesson!
Last week, John and I went to a matinee showing of Bridesmaids. And since we have a Regal Card, we will occasionally get freebies... And they printed out a coupon for discounted popcorn. Maybe I was a bit too adventurous, maybe I was jealous that John was enjoying yummy popcorn, but there was no maybe to the fact that I upset my pouch!!!
And yes, I ate the movie theater popcorn: and I'm not sure if I ate too much, didn't chew well enough, or what, but 45 minutes into the movie I had the most horrible pains. We left the movie early, which was a bummer since I was looking forward to watching it. Cest la Vie! Thank goodness for RedBox and Netflix in a few months, right?
The pains felt like it was high up, kind of around my esophagus? But it was an angry pouch nonetheless. Heck, I even tried (seriously tried!) to throw up and couldn't. I resolved to laying on the couch in a fetal position until I fell asleep, and slept thru the afternoon and well until the evening. It was a waste of a day off, and I was so frustrated. And John was so worried.
Early the next day, after waking up from my popcorn-induced hibernation, I felt back to normal... but now I'm scared to death of popcorn!
Last week, John and I went to a matinee showing of Bridesmaids. And since we have a Regal Card, we will occasionally get freebies... And they printed out a coupon for discounted popcorn. Maybe I was a bit too adventurous, maybe I was jealous that John was enjoying yummy popcorn, but there was no maybe to the fact that I upset my pouch!!!
And yes, I ate the movie theater popcorn: and I'm not sure if I ate too much, didn't chew well enough, or what, but 45 minutes into the movie I had the most horrible pains. We left the movie early, which was a bummer since I was looking forward to watching it. Cest la Vie! Thank goodness for RedBox and Netflix in a few months, right?
The pains felt like it was high up, kind of around my esophagus? But it was an angry pouch nonetheless. Heck, I even tried (seriously tried!) to throw up and couldn't. I resolved to laying on the couch in a fetal position until I fell asleep, and slept thru the afternoon and well until the evening. It was a waste of a day off, and I was so frustrated. And John was so worried.
Early the next day, after waking up from my popcorn-induced hibernation, I felt back to normal... but now I'm scared to death of popcorn!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Before... After....
Here is the newest edition of my before/after photos documenting my progress. After taking the newest photo, I recalled having one in a similar sitting-position so I went thru my computer until I found the first photo.
It really isn't until someone puts the photos side-by-side do you really see the transformation! I'm sure all of you feel that way, in some form or another.
It really isn't until someone puts the photos side-by-side do you really see the transformation! I'm sure all of you feel that way, in some form or another.
(Taken September 2010, pre-funking at my 31st birthday party. PS I was giving John an evil glare for taking a pic which I knew would turn out as an unflattering photo!)
(Taken June 2011, before gathering the troops for a good friends bachelorette party. Although my tummy roll is still there, I still can't believe the difference between the two photos!)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Bothered by another post-WLS'er...
Uhhhhggg! So something at work (Starbucks) happened this past week that really bothered me.
And I need to vent.
Most of you know, from this blog, that I'm a few weeks shy of my 6 month surgiversary. And its been both a challenging and rewarding journey. One of the big challenges is navigating food outside the home, and since I work at Starbucks, I make tasty (& sugary!) drinks for the masses. And trust me, I miss my Hazelnut White Mochas... but I know that sugar is a slippery slope.
I'll be the first to even admit it, I had small bites of a creme brulee desert on my mothers birthday; I've had some glasses of wine; I even eat slices of toasted whole wheat bread from time to time. But one thing I've stayed away from is the full-sugared Starbucks drinks. (And sodas, but thats another story.)
And regardless of who your doctor is, I know sugar is a no-no.
Anyway, this brings me back to why I was so bothered last week: A customer came in and ordered something that made my blood boil. She usually comes thru the drive-thru at our store, so I don't get to know her as well as the other baristas, because I'm busy running the floor. But I do know that she had gastric bypass surgery two months after me. My fellow partners would say, 'Hey! Alissa, so-and-so is in drive thru - she is having her surgery next week!' or they would say, 'Hey Ali! So-and-so is here, she's lost 50lbs!' They have been sooo proud of her; and really, the connection between barista and customer is quite strong.
Really, we love our customers... And truly, I've been open with my customers about my surgery and they have been some of my loudest cheerleaders. Its really more than coffee at Starbucks. Its corny, but true.
So on this Friday, this customer comes in to our lobby, and I am the barista working on the bar. She orders an Iced Grande 1-Pump Cinnamon Dolce No-Whip White Mocha. Nothing sugar-free, nothing reduced about the pumps... it actually has MORE sugar than normal. White Mochas from Starbucks are one of the worst drinks for a pouch stomach, soooo much sugar. Really.
I guess I was frustrated that there wasn't even a hint of making this drink less sugary. She could have had 1-Pump of White Mocha and then 4 pumps of SUGAR FREE Cinnamon Dolce syrup... Anything really to bring down the sugar content. No attempt to make it more pouch-friendly in the least.
Heck, I myself went to Cash and Carry a couple weeks ago and bought Sugar-Free White Mocha sauce for the occassions that I really want a white mocha, you know. I loved that stuff just like the next Starbucks-loving person.
I didn't say anything to her, I would never. And I feel horrible even mentioning it on here, but I was REALLY bothered. I hate that I judged her, but I did. Here she is, maybe 4 months out from her surgery, drinking something that has over 55g of sugar, and over 450 calories. (Stats are from the website, and they don't include that extra pump of Cinnamon Dolce syrup even.)
It bothered me that here is this woman that was given this awesome tool, and she is already back to drinking white mochas. And she isn't even a year out from surgery... not even six months out... And pushing the limits. Trust me, I know its a challenge, its a daily battle, but I just got really sad for her. If she is drinking those, even as a treat once a week, what happens two years from now? What will stop her from drinking them daily?
I guess because she is so recently out from surgery (and I can relate to it), I was especially bothered by it. I'm sure there are tons of customers that I have made ultra-sugary drinks for, that have has gastric bypass, and I just don't know it.
But for some reason, making that one Iced Grande 1-Pump Cinnamon Dolce No-Whip White Mocha made me so angry. It brought up all these feelings of sadness, anger, bitterness directed at a fellow post-WLS'er, and I was surprised that I was so bothered by it. It really boiled my blood!
Am I being too judgemental? Have any of you felt this way? Or am I just being silly? Now that I've posted this blog, I want to delete it. But at the same time, I was hoping my posting this that someone else out there would understand me.
And I need to vent.
Most of you know, from this blog, that I'm a few weeks shy of my 6 month surgiversary. And its been both a challenging and rewarding journey. One of the big challenges is navigating food outside the home, and since I work at Starbucks, I make tasty (& sugary!) drinks for the masses. And trust me, I miss my Hazelnut White Mochas... but I know that sugar is a slippery slope.
I'll be the first to even admit it, I had small bites of a creme brulee desert on my mothers birthday; I've had some glasses of wine; I even eat slices of toasted whole wheat bread from time to time. But one thing I've stayed away from is the full-sugared Starbucks drinks. (And sodas, but thats another story.)
And regardless of who your doctor is, I know sugar is a no-no.
Anyway, this brings me back to why I was so bothered last week: A customer came in and ordered something that made my blood boil. She usually comes thru the drive-thru at our store, so I don't get to know her as well as the other baristas, because I'm busy running the floor. But I do know that she had gastric bypass surgery two months after me. My fellow partners would say, 'Hey! Alissa, so-and-so is in drive thru - she is having her surgery next week!' or they would say, 'Hey Ali! So-and-so is here, she's lost 50lbs!' They have been sooo proud of her; and really, the connection between barista and customer is quite strong.
Really, we love our customers... And truly, I've been open with my customers about my surgery and they have been some of my loudest cheerleaders. Its really more than coffee at Starbucks. Its corny, but true.
So on this Friday, this customer comes in to our lobby, and I am the barista working on the bar. She orders an Iced Grande 1-Pump Cinnamon Dolce No-Whip White Mocha. Nothing sugar-free, nothing reduced about the pumps... it actually has MORE sugar than normal. White Mochas from Starbucks are one of the worst drinks for a pouch stomach, soooo much sugar. Really.
I guess I was frustrated that there wasn't even a hint of making this drink less sugary. She could have had 1-Pump of White Mocha and then 4 pumps of SUGAR FREE Cinnamon Dolce syrup... Anything really to bring down the sugar content. No attempt to make it more pouch-friendly in the least.
Heck, I myself went to Cash and Carry a couple weeks ago and bought Sugar-Free White Mocha sauce for the occassions that I really want a white mocha, you know. I loved that stuff just like the next Starbucks-loving person.
I didn't say anything to her, I would never. And I feel horrible even mentioning it on here, but I was REALLY bothered. I hate that I judged her, but I did. Here she is, maybe 4 months out from her surgery, drinking something that has over 55g of sugar, and over 450 calories. (Stats are from the website, and they don't include that extra pump of Cinnamon Dolce syrup even.)
It bothered me that here is this woman that was given this awesome tool, and she is already back to drinking white mochas. And she isn't even a year out from surgery... not even six months out... And pushing the limits. Trust me, I know its a challenge, its a daily battle, but I just got really sad for her. If she is drinking those, even as a treat once a week, what happens two years from now? What will stop her from drinking them daily?
I guess because she is so recently out from surgery (and I can relate to it), I was especially bothered by it. I'm sure there are tons of customers that I have made ultra-sugary drinks for, that have has gastric bypass, and I just don't know it.
But for some reason, making that one Iced Grande 1-Pump Cinnamon Dolce No-Whip White Mocha made me so angry. It brought up all these feelings of sadness, anger, bitterness directed at a fellow post-WLS'er, and I was surprised that I was so bothered by it. It really boiled my blood!
Am I being too judgemental? Have any of you felt this way? Or am I just being silly? Now that I've posted this blog, I want to delete it. But at the same time, I was hoping my posting this that someone else out there would understand me.
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