Come Sit with Me Awhile

For whatever reason I was unable to upload a picture to go with my post today. Oh well. Imagine this: smooth inviting park bench, green rolling grass & beautiful trees heavy with leaves, cobblestone walk, the lap of water as it rushes to shore from the lake, fresh air, and good company. :)

Drink in all my words
let them swim in the ocean that is your mind.
swirling made bright by the glint
of a sunny attitude.
I hope it warms you, brings you peace
gives you comfort in whatever it is you seek.
Giving light is healing, absorb it;
grasp it & always remember to 'pay it forward'.

I am doing well. Still on my pureed diet. I actually had corned beef hash last night. Yum. Melted a little bit of low fat cheese on top & it seemed like heaven. I love corned beef hash. It's simple. The only thing bad about it is that it is high in sodium, but I haven't deviated so much that I cannot have it. In fact, my dietician said "you need stuff like, it's not bad, other than the sodium & it has protein". I did buy & try the low fat puddings in chocolate & vanilla, mostly so that if I was running low on protein for the day I could put a scoop of my whey protein in & mix & go. How does that work for me?? Well, honestly I can say that the pudding tastes great to begin with, but by the time I am half way thru the small serving cup, its so sweet that I have to force myself to eat it because I just mixed in my protein. Silly huh? I wasn't ever a huge sweet eater before, but this kinda has me pleasantly puzzled. :) I'm glad though, I know I probably won't have cravings of any sort for awhile. It's the smells of food that get me most, not that when I smell it I want any, but mmmmmmm, the funniest thing I have heard & used myself recently, is the words 'food porn'. Looks good, smells good, but can't have any. *laugh* And thats alright because I am succeeding. I have taken a liking to the baby foods, sweet potatoes & squash. And I have found that the chicken veggie mix is not so bad if mixed with either. I can have whole grain toast, but my toaster decided to quite working on me (go figure), so it's off to the store today to buy a new one. Ahhh the joy.

Went to the park to hang out with a bariatric buddy & talk weight loss yesterday while his daughter played. It's kind of odd, but I guess it's also normal, but yesterday I felt a tad bit down, only because I felt like this weight loss thing wasn't happening as fast as I want it too. But I know thats unrealistic because I am doing great & it took me a long time to put the weight on, and also I can't see the results or see me the way everyone else does. Just needed the 'pick me up' I get when I can talk to someone who has or is going thru the same things. The sun was nice in the late afternoon, but I was thankful for my hoodie I wore as well. It started to get cool & I am finding that I get colder a lot more easily then before...I always did before because of the problems I have had with my thyroid, but its even more so now. **Laugh** A good friend of mine let's call him the 'dreamy voice guy' said to me the other day "it's because you're losing all your insulation". **I laughed so hard I almost fell off my chair!!!!! He thought he offended me, not in the least! :) So I just know I need to carry a hoodie or a sweater with me at all times. Fall is my favorite time of the year too, so I am sad to see summer coming to and end, but I love the look, the smells, the changes that take place in the Fall. It's a time to be able to snuggle in closer to those you love and are close too and embrace all the beauty that is life. Maybe I'll be able to find that person that wants to snuggle in close as well :)

My support group/class is thursday. Have labs taken & I am hopeing that they tell me before I leave whether or not I am doing ok water intake wise. I know I need to increase, and they did share that it would be difficult in the beginning, but I am curious as to how I am doing. I'm not getting 64 fluid oz yet, maybe pushing 40. I am looking forward to seeing how everyone else is doing as well. And I get to see the medical Dr this time for a quick evaluation. This wk with the dietician she will give us the next level we can go too, which I believe will be regular foods, chewed thoroughly & just making sure that they are lowfat & sugar free for the most part. Should be interesting. And we also get to find out if can be released into the wonderful world of 'workout'. Whether or not we can start our stretching exercises, besides doing our daily walking. Do I still have pain from time to time? Again, I guess I must be very fortunate, the only slight pain I have have is where my incision sites are at. The one thats just above where my jeans ride, seems to be the one that gets irritated the most, but I look at that as where it sits. I haven't had a lot of gas, or probelms with that, nor have I vomited or even gagged. I think, again, because I am conscientious of how much I am taking in. My appetite is not what it used too be. I have to remember to eat because I haven't gotten real hunger pangs yet. Thats typical they say.

Today is another relaxing day. I am going to get thru a few more boxes of things we just don't use/need & maybe even get them loaded somehow in my van for Salvation Army. And maybe take a nap this afternoon with the window open over my bed in the afternoon sun. :) I don't take naps often but I think I need to do this for me. Helps me to awaken with refreshed eyes & heart.

PEACE.