Day 140... Busy busy...

So stupidly busy trying to get everything sorted out. Shopping yesterday to pick up a few bits, lots of washing today (still searching for the elusive bottom of the washing basket I have heard so much about), and thinking about packing stuff at some point. Will be staying at Dad's for a couple of nights, Chloe will be staying at my friends for two nights also.

Saw the Consultant on Friday. I am now being operated on by a different Consultant to the one I saw a few weeks back. This one has decided that I need to be in plaster for 2 weeks after surgery - great! Off to hospital again tomorrow for my pre-op appointment. Feeling a little anxious about this as I still have a cold and a bit of a sore throat! Really need to feel better for the pre-op appointment tomorrow and get the all clear for surgery on Thursday! Eep!

Some good news though... I initially gained 5lb when I came off the VLCD and out of ketosis. I pretty much expected that as I have restocked my glycogen stores or whatever it is that happens! I am sticking to 1200cals at the moment, though have struggled to hit that a few times. largely because I am having to keep my diet as low in fat as humanly possible so as not to provoke my grumpy gall bladder! It is quite difficult to eat a lot of calories whilst avoiding fat and processed foods as much as possible! I had planned to stay as low carb as possible too, but it just doesn't work! There are only so many vegetables you can eat in a day.

I have now however managed to lose 2lb of the 5lb I gained. Really pleased to see it going back in the right direction - even if it is not going to be as fast as I would have liked! I am still learning what I can and can't eat, and trying to get as close to 1200cals a day as I can, even though some days I have only managed 700! I did buy some Nature Valley Granola bars though today - they are very low in fat, and work out about 190cals per pack. Not perfect but will help to boost my calorie intake without ending up completely stuffed!

Currently I am having a Cambridge shake for breakfast (153cals), aiming for about 300cals for lunch, granola bar in the afternoon and about 400cals for dinner, then if I am under in calories, another shake in the evening. Today I have chicken soup in the slow cooker - ridiculously healthy, low fat and hopefully very filling! As it is just chicken breast, veg, lentils and stock it will only work out about 200cals for a huge serving (if that!) and practically no fat of course. Smashing. 

Day 137... Eep...

Oops - seem to have neglected this a bit the past week. So so so much going on at the moment, the last week has been a bit of a blur!

Bit of a surprise...got home from work last Thursday to find a letter from the hospital. With a surgery date. For 23rd May!

Really really didn't expect the date to come through so fast - I had expected it to be months away yet! Thrown me completely to be honest - I expected to have a couple of months yet and to be moaning about the fact it interfered with my holiday or that the end of the 18 weeks was fast approaching and I still hadn't heard anything. Nope, the NHS have exceeded my expectations in every way!

So been frantically running round making preparations prior to surgery - sorting childcare, sorting work (I will be off for 4-6 weeks supposedly), panicking about stupid things like what I am going to wear post surgery (have you ever tried putting on and taking of your own bra with one hand?), worrying about feeling isolated while I am off (and making plans to stop that from happening), worrying about the diet (more about that in a minute!) and worrying about the actual operation itself of course!!!!

Diet wise - well I have had to up my calories quite a lot, and I haven't been very good at that! I have had some days where I haven't managed many calories at all, and some where I have managed far too many! I had planned on doing Atkins style dieting whilst I am off Cambridge, however it turns out my gall bladder really doesn't like Atkins style eating! Now waiting for a scan to check for gall stones, which GP is fairly certain I have. Marvellous.

So... 7 days to go until surgery day. Tomorrow I am off to see the Consultant prior to next weeks surgery. Not 100% sure why I need to see him again - I thought we went through everything when I saw him a few weeks ago, though guess they will want to talk me through the details again? Guess I will find out tomorrow! Monday I am back up to the hospital again for my pre-op appointment, then admission on Thursday. More than a little bit terrified about the whole thing :/

Frustrated knowing I am going to be out of action for a few weeks after surgery. I will apparently be heavily bandaged up for the first 2 weeks, and healing is going to be a slow process. 

Day 128 - Weigh Day! + New Pics!

Woo hoo... 3lb off this week! That takes me to 90lb/6st 6lb lost! Smashing stuff.

Struggled with my head a bit this week, and definitely have eaten more than I had planned - have stayed pretty much with "safe" 810 style food, but have had more of it than I had planned. Today I have resolved to Sole Source for the next 7 days (including today). Though saying that today so far I have only had a bar... completely forgot to take anything to work with me! So today I have just had lots of fluids then had a bar when I got home. Will have a tetra shortly, then a third about 9pm, just to fit them all in!

I finally remembered to get my Cambridge Counsellor (please follow the link and like her page - she has changed my life!) to take some new pics of me today (Left at my heaviest, right today!):

Day...erm, nope no idea! LEVELLERS!

Ok I have finally completely lost track of days. Had to happen eventually! Do know it is less than 100 days til my holiday now, guess that is the only date that really counts!

Last night I went and saw The Levellers live in Reading. Went on my own, stood at the front, danced like an idiot for 2 hours, drank only water and had an amazing time!!!! First saw them play something like 18 years ago, and they are still the best live band I have ever seen! So good in fact that I found out last night they are playing at a venue just down the road from me in August (literally a 15 minute walk!) so booked tickets for that last night!!! Absolutely brilliant set list that mixed some of their oldest hits with a number of live "regulars" and a few off the new album! Trying to remember the set list... doubt I will get the order right but will give it a go:

England My Home
What a Beautiful Day
The Game
World Freak Show
15 Years
Truth Is
Second Life
Recruiting Sergeant
Forgotten Towns
Carry Me
The Road
Battle of the Beanfield
Liberty
Riverflow
One Way
Cholera Well
Death loves Youth
This Garden
Dirty Davey
Medusa
Sell Out

I am sure that I have missed one or two, and definitely not in order, but an absolutely brilliant set list none the less! Support act were good too - always a worry with Levellers - I have seen brilliant support acts with them and some truly dreadful ones too! 24 hours later and I am still completely deaf in my left ear and finding random bruises all over... Best. Night. EVER!

Diet wise, all good. Had a meal at dad's today and ate a few more calories than I had planned to. Last night was exhausting and left me quite dehydrated today. I burned a lot of calories last night too and my body was craving out for something! Didn't go too nuts, could have been a lot worse! Just hope I haven't done any damage!

Day 123...

Day 122 - Weigh Day Yesterday!

Oops... broadband has been down for a couple of days - apparently I omitted to pay the bill! All sorted now, much to Chloe's relief - nearly 48 hours without Scooby Do almost finished her off!

Weigh in yesterday. Only lost 1lb this week on Consultant's scales, but after last weeks epic 11lb off I am happy with any loss at all!!! It also tips me past the half way point - 87lb lost, 86lb to go... Hoping for slightly more than 1lb this week - shouldn't be a problem, I am pretty much better from my yucky tonsillitis again now! Planning to stick to a liquid diet this week... planning! 

Day 119 - Busy Busy

Ended up having quite a busy day - just for a change! I don't seem to to be very good at not having busy days at the moment! I guess the busier I am the less time I have to think!

Chloe and I went swimming this afternoon - good exercise for both of us and lots of fun too. We then headed to Gunwharf to get something to eat. Ended up going to Zizzi again - their food is good, they have very healthy options (I had steak and mushroom salad - first meat I have eaten that is not white meat this year!) and they do a student discount too! Marvellous. We then had a wander round the shops before heading home.

This evening I have gutted my bedroom - I just had piles of clothes everywhere that are too big. Chloe's school are asking for bags of clothes at the moment to raise money for the school. Well they now have 3 Ikea bags full of clothes heading their way!

I treated myself to some lovely new bedding yesterday too. It's only a cheapy one from Argos, but I liked it more than a lot of the more expensive stuff I saw! It's very floral and girly, but hey, I'm single, it's my bedroom, and I will have the fabrics that I want :) So room all sorted out now - huzzah. Needed doing for a while.

Just chilling out a bit, watching Glee and waiting for the second lot of washing to finish so I can get it hung up to dry. Found about a million odd socks while I was tidying, hoping when the washing is done I will be able to reunite many of these socks :)