Reflections of a Wife, Mom & Weightloss Surgery Patient!

What you do and don't do to manage your life does not only affect you. It affects everyone around you!- Author Elizabeth George

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Tomorrow is Day # 1

Today has been such a nice day!!

It's been one of those amazing days where you feel thankful so much! God has truly blessed me in so many ways and I simply could not thankful Him enough for loving & providing for me!!

One of my goals this week is the 5 Day Pouch Test. I have talked about this before, and it is basically a week long test to get your "pouch" back on track. It mimics the diet I was on right after surgery just in a shorter amount of time. It helps to retrain your pouch to hold smaller amount of food, and helps you to focus on following the rules again.

For those of you that have not have a gastric bypass, your "pouch" the smaller stomach your surgeon has made from your larger stomach and parts of intestines. Immediately after surgery my pouch could hold 2-3 ounces of food/ liquid at a time. After about a year or so, my pouch was said to hold 6 to 8 ounces of food at a time, and now I estimate that it holds about 12 ounces at a time. I would like to get back to that 8 ounce mark, but without the pouch test and retraining my pouch to hold smaller amounts of food. Again.

With that being said the 5 Day Pouch Test goes like this:
  • Day 1 & 2 Full Liquids – low-carb protein shakes, broth, clear or cream soups, sugar-free gelatin and pudding
  • Day 3 Soft Proteins – canned fish (tuna or salmon) eggs, fresh soft fish (tilapia, sole, orange roughy.
  • Day 4 Firm Protein – ground meat (turkey, beef, chicken, lamb), shellfish, scallops, lobster, fresh salmon or halibut.
  • Day 5  Solid Protein – white meat poultry, beef steak, pork, lamb, wild game
***Add in 64 ounces of Liquid (Water) per day as well)***

For the entire description, recipes and tips visit the official website here: 5 Day Pouch Test

The rules I spoke about earlier, I got from Kaye Bailey author of Living after WLS blog. I found it after I had my surgery and credit a lot of my success to the neighborhood; an online support group for people pre & post weight loss surgery. They have a TON of great tips from exercise to eating right.

"The Four Rules we must follow in order to achieve the best results with weight loss surgery - any procedure. Those rules (with minor variations from one bariatric surgeon to the next) are:
    * Protein First
    * Lots of Water
    * No Snacking
    * Daily Exercise

The Four Rules are for life. In order to maintain weight loss and keep the obesity from which we suffer in remission we must follow these rules for life. When we meet patients who have maintained a healthy body weight for several years with weight loss surgery we learn that in most cases they live by the Four Rules. " , Bailey writes on her blog.

The unwritten rule # 5 is to take your daily vitamin's/supplements.

Tomorrow will be Day # 1 for me.

I must admit I am a little scared! It has been along time since I have followed a lot of these rules or any of the others, like no drinking with your meal because you remain fuller longer or eating every 2-3 hours.

Traditionally, I have had very favorable results & I am looking forward to that! Yet, the weight loss it just a welcomed side effect to the 5dpt. The main goal is too get back on track. Since reaching my goals and better health is very attainable for me, getting back on track is a MUST!

I will log my results and, attempt to do so daily. Daily accountability has also given me favorable results as well. What I look forward to the most is the control that I feel when I plan out my meals, know when & what I am eating and have accountability for my actions.

Even if your not doing the 5dpt per say, you can apply many of its rules to your week as well.
-Hydrate, Hydrate, HYDRATE!!
-Portion Control and small, frequent meal instead of 3 large meals
-Preplan your meals & snacks
-Accountability. Here or Facebook page, The Daily Plate or another friend/family member.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!
WE ALL CAN!!!!

The bible says, "Where 2 or 3 are gathered together I [Jesus Christ] am there also"  and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

If Jesus/The bible says it,
I believe it,
And that's enough for me!

This includes taking better care of the only body we get!!

Are you ready????

Hhherrreeee weeeeee gooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See you at the end of Day #1!!!

~Kristy~







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