First full day in Vegas and meeting lifelong friends

I so forgot in my last post to post a picture of Ian, Jessica & Aidan who picked me up at the airport. I don't have one of them all together from that time, but will post one of the whole group of people who became my family while I was in Las Vegas. 

  

Me, Jessica & Aidan

 This is from left : Sean, Jeanne, Ian, Me, Jessica, Sylvia and of course little Aidan

So I woke up after my first full nights sleep - I had asked the guys to help keep me awake till at least 8pm so I got into the timezone as quick as possible, but honestly I don't think I got to sleep till around 10pm. I had been watching American Idol, but spoke to Si somewhere in the middle of it, and then went to sleep. Woke up a couple of times during the night, for the bathroom, but overall woke up very happy and healthy at around 6am - so about 8 hrs sleep. 

The plan was to go shopping on that day, mainly to find some cowboy boots for myself and anything else I found for family. Si's mum had given me a list of a few things she would really like if I could find them. But before I went shopping I met one of the most amazing women I will ever have the privilege of calling a friend. Her name is Janie and she has been involved int he wider WLS community for years. I have watched her videos and spoken with her on phone and Facebook for the last few years. Through her I have even met other New Zealanders sharing the same journey. 

You know when you meet people for the first time when you have had an online relationship with them, that sometimes that connection just isn't there. Nothing could be further from the truth with Janie. She arrived around 10am on the Thurs 17th and she couldn't check into her room until much later so both her and Sally (another fabulous lady from the WLS Community) stored their bags in my room. We ended up talking for about 2 hours and just connecting. 

Janie & Sally 

 Janie & Me

If you want to check out their You tube channels just click on their names here to follow the link. Missjaniehere(Janie) and Cabernetqueen (Sally)

So after catching up with these two for that couple of hours, I went shopping. Now to save money I wanted to uses the buses as much as possible, I asked security where the bus stop was and they say just at the beginning of the next block.....so I decided to walk it. Well someone should have told me that the blocks in Las Vegas are about 2km long and I needed to walk about 1.5 km.........it was 102 degress (39 in Celsius) at midday when I ventured out. I managed two hours of shopping and only went to two stores. A walgreens pharmacy for some essential supplies like bottled water and some things that Si's mum wanted. I also checked out the cowboy boots, but saw nothing I liked really and the prices were expensive. 

Headed back to the hotel and hung out with more WLS people. Janie & I had dinner of some chicken wings & then we were meant to hang out with one of the girls Vikki- whose birthday it was, but one of the guys who recently had heart surgery had a turn and was taken to hospital. A few of us (the family) decided to head down to Fremont Street to watch the lightshow- outstanding!!!!!!!!!!

 The light show

 Some of the signage

One of the more bizarre street performers (only in Vegas)

Got home to bed after 1am and my roommate Rain had arrived so we ended up chatting till about 2am - She is a Bariatric Support Leader and Certified Coach, and if you want you can check out her page here.  This is Rain and I at the final night of the conference.  

 

I guess the biggest thing I will actually take away from this conference is the friendships I made with all of these people (okay not the weird guy in Fremont street) and that no matter where in the world I am, they will always be in my heart. You guys made Vegas special for me.

Next time: Pawn stars, Ricks Restorations and day 1 of the WLSFA Conference.

Arriving in LA and onto Las Vegas

So I arrived in LA at 6:35am local time & my next flight wasn't until 12:25pm, so almost 6 hrs to waste. My agent thought we would need time to go through passport control, security & customs etc and had warmed me that it could take up to a couple of hrs, and then of course I would need to get to the right terminal etc.

I had heard so many people say that passport control was intimidating and that the officers would be quite rude but I had a wonderful young lady who was so pleasant. I was then through to pick up my bag and off to customs which they just asked about the food I had declared on my card (Timtams for a couple of people who had heard about Tim Tam Slams) and some other NZ goodies that I was posting onto an American girl for a friend back home. 
I then handed my suitcase over to the transfers desk and headed to the next terminal all by 7am, so could not believe the whole process only took 20 mins. 

I found terminal 4 no problems, I had come from terminal 5, although I was not expecting the level of security for the domestic flights and had to ditch my starbucks hot chocolate and water (doh). Got through security and had to do the whole body scan thing. It was just after 7am and everyone seemed to be ina need for coffee - the queues (oops - I should say lines apparently) were amazing..............

Terminal 4 has no decent food choices at all & is so expensive. I did find a free access point to Facebook so I updated that at one point. The thing that drove me nuts was they constantly changed the fate number of the flight. At first it was 48B then 45 then 42B & then finally at 47A. I did however meet a wonderful couple from Austin Texas who were taking the same flight as me after being rescheduled off an earlier flight. It was fabulous to have someone to talk to. She was amazing, she was almost 65 and she is a Mechanical Engineering professor and she knew lots about Wellington as she was going to go to a conference there a few years ago but it didn't work out. 

One thing that amazed me about LAX is all of the Spanish you hear. It is BEAUTIFUL, but what was really amazing was while waiting to be called to board the plane, I heard a familar sounding voice speaking Spanish.......I looked up in time to see Antonio Banderas & a 'minder' walking to a fate that was about to close. I imagine that the celebs sweep in at the last moment & take their seats in business/first class.

One of the worst things at LAX was about an hour in and I got the worst cramps in my legs. I could barely move and I managed to get myself to the cold tile flooring where I got my shoes off and just managed to stand still until it passed. I think people thought I was nuts.

The flight to Vegas was only about 50 mins long and in fact they didn't have time to serve the whole plane drinks. I managed to get a cat nap of about 20 mins in and it seemed to been enough to wake me up again. 

Landing at Vegas was bumpy (due to the warm air currents I think). I went through the gate not sure where to get my bags but followed the signs which led to high speed trains.......thankfully they took me to the baggage claim area and to where Ian & Jessica where picking me up. I noticed Ian straight away and we got my bags and headed into town. I see now why they have bell boy services - the hotels here are huge and you end up walking through the middle of the casino to get to your rooms. Better to give the bags to the bellboys to bring up to your room. Only costs a couple of bucks in tips.

This is one of the entrances to my hotel at night. 

 

So after getting settled, my room became a meeting point and at one point there was like 7 of us & 1 child. I had a hard time getting the right SIMCARD for my phone so I could make unlimited calls to the USA & landlines back in New Zealand as well as unlimited texting and data. I wish we had plans like this at home. I ended up having to buy a cheap phone ($17 - on top of plan) & swapped the SIM to my phone. Worked perfectly though and made it possible to call everyone I needed - especially when I got lost......LOL

Next time : First full day in Vegas and meeting some very special people who will always be in my heart. 

Recap - Day 1 of first ever trip overseas

So here we are- I have been back home just about a week and I think I have finally caught up with all of the family and the washing and the sleeping. So now it is time to do a recap of my trip. I wrote most of this as I went on the trip but will most likely edit and also add pics as I go. 

So here goes, 

Day 1 - May 16th  2012:

The plan was for Simon to drop me off but due to his back and needing to get back home I stayed at the apartment on my own on the Tuesday night, set the alarm for 3am and caught a cab to the airport.  Everything went smoothly with check in - although the attendant kept trying to get me to self checkin, but I couldn't as I was going on to LA on a different airline, instead of stopping in Sydney. 

Went through security & was pulled aside, which I was kinda expecting due to the medication I had, but what I was not expecting was the security guy asking me about a knife like ornament that showed on the x-ray. We pulled everything out of my cabin bac & we could not find anything. He x-rayed it again and it was still showing. We flipped my bag over and there was two small pockets that looked flat as a pancake. I opened the pocket and pulled out an antique Scottish dagger in a leather sheath. I can only assume it is one that Simon bought in Scotland or even Poland when he was there in 2003. They asked me what I wanted to do, and as the post office section of the airport was not yet open and Simon was back in Palmy by then I told them (Security) they could keep it. They were happy with that, told me I certainly had a story to tell on my first trip and I went through to the next section.

I had developed a head cold on the Monday before travelling and was feeling a little worse for wear. I bought some tissues and water to have on the plane to try and get rid of the damn thing. 

The first flight to Sydney was pretty uneventful after the dagger incident and I had a window view flying over Sydney but completed missed seeing anything relevant like the Harbour Bridge or the Opera House. I only had just under 40 mins at Sydney airport before boarding was called for the Delta flight to LA. 

For that flight I was sitting in the rear section of the plane at Row 46 and I had a centre aisle seat. There was no one in the seat next to me so I could spread out a little which was fantastic, although I was still a little cramped. I was not expecting to be so cold on the plane and I am still not sure if this is done to kill bugs (like my cold) or if is just the way it is being that high up. I had two blankets, was wearing 3 layers and I was freezing!!!!!!!!!!!! I will definitely be buying something warmer for the trip home.


The Gluten Free food on the plane was okay but like most airline/gluten free food was not fantastic. I tried watching TinTin but for some reason I got bored and stopped about 1/2 way. I then swapped over to watching another movie, with Justin Timberlake in it....Friends with Benefits, which was your typical romantic comedy really but passed the time. After that I tried to sleep and managed a good couple of solid hours before waking up and then dozing for the rest of the flight. 


I was aiming to get up every couple of hours to reduce any swelling of my feet etc & to keep good circulation. So I hovered near the back of the plane a bit and got to talk to the cabin crew a fair bit.One thing that stood out was this crew was mainly over 40 and a couple of them had been in their jobs for over 25 years. 


Next time: Arriving in LA and the flight through to Las Vegas....

Till then 

J

Home

So, I have been home from my amazing trip since Tuesday night, but just getting my head back into the local space. Started back at work on Thursday and have also been trying to readjust to the timezone. 

I will update all about it over the next few days. I wrote in a journal for some of my time, so I will be able to just type it out although some aspects of the trip are so personal that I am not sure I will be able to share them.

Overall the trip was amazing, but it just goes by in such a blur. There were certainly some highlights and some lowpoints (being sick when leaving was one of them). 

Once again many thanks to both Eatme and Bariatric Advantage for making it happen. 

Janine 

1.5 sleeps

I can't believe it is only 1.5 sleeps till I leave for Las Vegas and Colorado. 
I say 1.5 as Simon and I are staying in Wellington tonight, and then he has to get me to the airport at 4:40am on Wed morning, so that is the 1/2 sleep as I will be up at around 3:30am. 

Si will then go back to bed and then drive back home later in the day on Wednesday.
I finally get to Las Vegas at around 8:30am on Thursday (NZ time) so it is going to be a very long day. 

I will try and update with some photos etc, but possibly more on FB as I can post from my phone. Will have a mountain of info to update etc when I get home. If you want to add me to FB it is just my name. 

Anyway, all good, take care and see you at the end of May. 

J

Ideas to move downward

Tackling things one step at a time certainly makes it easier to focus. I know what food I need NOT to be eating and that is a huge step forward. I mean I have known that all along, but when I tell myself or more so when someone else in my life tells me I shouldn’t or can’t have something I WANT then I act like a two year old having a tanty and usually the two year old wins…….gets what she wants and then the adult me beats  herself up for allowing it to happen and it becomes a vicious circle.

I had an amazing Facebook chat this morning with Kate Berridge and she reminded me of a few things that can impact on me making bad decisions. The biggest one was being de-hydrated; as she said when we are de-hydrated we will often snack as we are actually thirsty rather than hungry. Also when the body is not hydrated then all of the body is running slow and sluggish, including the brain, which means we naturally don’t make the best decisions on the fly.

Another thing she reminded me about being so important is supplements, and although I am okay with these, I could be a heap better, and as both my iron and my calcium have come back slightly deficient I need to also make this a priority.

We also discussed exercise and she recommended reading John Kirwans book about how exercise affects more than just your body and why it is important to get out and do something 4-5 times per week. She said that since I have some issues with walking, I cramp up and get really sore feet, to try and get some variety. This is also important for me as I get really bored really quickly. So at the moment, I am thinking of going to Aqua Zumba or Aqua Aerobics say twice a week and then Line Dancing once a week as one of the girls at work’s Mother is in the process of setting up classes!!! I have also been toying with the idea of getting another pushbike as I used to enjoy it (before I got sick) and would have continued if I didn’t sell it when we moved in with Si’s parents.

So there you have it, I have been working hard on the first thing….water. and last night I much have gotten up around 7 times to pee….not good for the sleep but fabulous on the scales……..will not be publishing what the loss is till next week though (well if I can bear not to).

I have also decided to have a series of safe menus for each meal that I can mix and match so I don’t get bored as well. So here they are

Breakfast

Bacon and Eggs

Omelet

Protein Shake

Lunch

Bacon & Eggs

Omelet

Tuna on two Corn thins

Soup

Protein Shake

LSA Wrap with ham/chicken and salad

Dinner

Some sort of meat, poultry, fish

Seasonal non starchy veges.

Snacks

Sugar free jelly or mouse (WW)

LSA crackers with cheese (occasionally)

Hummus and carrot sticks.

So there you have it, what my plan is…..still one meal at a time, and always just picking myself UP when I fall.

One pound at a time......

One of the wonderful ladies I will be meeting in Las Vegas is missjaniehere and she has always been an amazing inspiration to me. She told me this morning, just to battle my regain "one pound at a time" and I know this is just what I need to do. I think I actually need to do this one meal at a time. 

I am considering doing the 5day pouch test to "reset" my pouch and to get myself back to feeling how my pouch works and it helps to break the carb addition as well. 

Exercise, well thinking of aqua aerobics at this stage as the water is at least going to support me and not cause me to get really sore cramping feet. 

I was meant to have lost some weight before going to Las Vegas, but it seems I have put on. This morning sitting at 123.5 kgs (271.7 lbs) and it is affecting everything I do. I am down all of the time, and can't seem to see the positive in many things

I posted in my you tube video last night, that I feel like a failure................but also that I am the only one who can choose what to do next. 

So for the meantime it is one meal at a time......and one pound(kg) at a time. 

Work to be done

Okay so with 7 weeks on Wednesday till I leave for Las Vegas and Colorado, I know that I need to be fitter. I would also love to be lighter, but I am going to concentrate on the getting fitter so I can handle the walking around Vegas and the traveling.

So, the plan is to get back to my low carb eating and to get out for a 45-60 min walk EVERY day to increase my fitness level. 

I also caught an episode of Dr OZ last week talking about having buddies when it comes to Weight Loss and fitness etc. I know that I have the blog, but I am also going to be working with my Surgery Sister Anne to make sure it all works well. 

I'll update you tonight on the Buddy Rules, but so far today is going well, and Annie and I have been straight up with each other and offered the support to each other. 

Today - so far so good. Lets get this back down from 122.1 kgs and to start getting fitter. 

Back soon....

Okay so home now, and have been out for a 44 min walk. I am pretty slow when it comes to walking and I take the Dog, so have to stop occasionally. But I was really pleased I did another 1.3 kms on the old circuit, so that was 3.04 kms. 

 The plan will be to do this walk everyday to build up my fitness and to build on how far and for how long I go. 


One of things I am really looking forward to in Las Vegas is the first night at the Meet & Greet as that is a country hoedown.......so line dancing etc.....now I used to go line dancing every night when I lived in Christchurch (when I was 19/20) and it is also one of the things Annie and I did pre op to try and get into shape.


Speaking of Annie, I have been giving her updates all day as to how I am going and what I was feeling. Seems to be working as we seem to listen to each other, more so than to ourselves. Now, the following is the Buddy Up Plan from Dr Oz. I am not sure about all of these, but I think some of them would be great. 


The Buddy Questions:
Go over the  following with your fitness buddy:
1) How much weight do you want to lose?
2) What's the main reason that you gained your weight?
3) what's your biggest vice?

The 5 Buddy Agreements
1) Daily Contact - Highs & Lows
It's important to share with your buddy one thing that went really well that day, such as passing up a tempting donut. If you hit a low point, you will need to share that as well - perhaps you broke down and ate a handful of candy. This will help you validate strengths and recognize weaknesses. Based on your schedules, find the best way to stay in contact:phone, email, text, etc

2) Exchange your daily meal plan (and stick with it)
Knowing in advance what you're going to eat will eliminate guesswork throughout the day and keep you from making poor choices. This is also a great way to keep each other in check and know that you're staying in control.


3) Text of email your hunger score before you eat anything
A hunger score based on a scale of 1-10 helps you assess how hungry you really are (1 = not really hungry and 10 = ravenous). You'll learn to distinguish the difference between actual physiological hunger, which causes you to become weak, tired or shaky, as opposed to appetite, which is driven by external cues such as, "It's noon, time for lunch!"


4) Exchange two photos of your future plans
This will help you establish long and short-term goals. The first photo should represent something that is attainable in a couple of weeks, like a dress that is one size smaller. The second should represent a long-term goal, like a swimsuit you want to wear when you reach your desired weight. 

5) As you Lose Wight, Get rid of your Old clothes.
By getting rid of these clothes, you will forge a  new identity for yourself and make the statement: "i'm never going to be there again!" 


So there you have them, as I said, not sure that we will do all of them, but certainly is some guidelines to help support each other. 



Dinner tonight is Roast pork with baked pumpkin and steamed veges!!!!

An Amazing Opportunity.

I am immensely proud and amazingly flattered that I have been given an unbelievable opportunity to attend the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America's Meet & Greet  in Las Vegas and Katie Jay's Spring Retreat in Colorado thanks to the support of two fabulous companies. Eatme and Bariatric Advantage have helped me achieve a dream and a huge goal, and I am thankful for the opportunity to learn as much as I can about the WLS journey and to be able to share the knowledge of new resources and products with our own local community. 

This has been in the pipeline for the last few weeks and is part of the reason why I have been so distant and also why I have been emotionally not in the right space. Part of this trip will help me with those aspects to this journey as I will be attending Katie's Spring Retreat in Colorado.

Katie is also working on getting back to New Zealand to hold a retreat in Taupo in November, and she will be publishing more information about this soon. If you are interested in coming along then email her at katiejay@nawls.com 

The other big news is that Bariatric Advantage have now launched in New Zealand and you can get to it by clicking on the links. All of the products they have available in New Zealand are listed or in the process of being listed and all prices are in New Zealand dollars. I can't wait to try all of them. I know they are going to help me with taking my supplements and also having good high quality protein meal replacements.

About the time I am in the USA Eatme are launching their new improved protein shakes called Lean Shake. This was a direct result of the feedback Neil got from the attendees of the last two Weight Loss Surgery Conferences we have had in Palmerston North. He said they will be thicker, have a more natural flavour, have no artificial colours and will come in all of the regular flavours. Banana, Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry. The exciting news it will also include a Tim Latte flavour for all of the coffee lovers out there. Neil tells me it is about 6-8 weeks away before they will hit the website for purchase.

Will update more about the trip as I get details, although at this stage it looks as though I will be heading off on May 16th and coming home around May 29th. Soooooooooooooo looking forward to it, and realise just how very very lucky I am.

What to say

As I sit here contemplating what to say I realise most of you who know of follow me will know I am well off track, not just off track but on the completely wrong road. I have had about as many carbs as you could possibly have over the last week and I feel it......I feel it down to my very pores. My blood tests are again up (you can check those out on my blood test's page) and my weight is back over 120 (264 lbs) in fact it is as 121.5 kgs. First day of TOM, so hopefully that will help bring things back down quickly. 

I did not go to work today, I was getting horrible nasty cramps (no doubt to do with TOM) and feeling nauseous (no doubt to do with TOM and the amount of carbs I have enhaled)

I have spent today thinking about a lot of things and listening to my inner voice. This came about after watching the following you tube clips. The first was shared amongst some of the WLS community today and the second is another one from the same 'sister'. They about treating yourself well, and how you speak to yourself everyday.  And how we need to practise this daily - even starting by saying (even if you don't believe it) to yourself in the mirror every morning and eventually we will start to believe it. 







 So after watching these, what did I hear myself saying....what was the thoughts I was thinking about myself. I can tell you that I would not say these things to anyone I cared about, nor to most people I didn't care about.  I can tell you that the things I tell myself are all negative, and that I 'deserve' what I put into my success (which is zip).


I tell myself I am fat, lazy, useless a quitter and that I can't achieve the things I want to achieve.I am ugly and messy and filthy and a failure at everything I do.  I tell myself that no one really likes me (hence why I don't have many real life friends). I tell myself I am boring and stuck in a rut and scared and lonely. And because I tell myself these things I am making them true. 


Some may think I am having a pity party, but I am seeing this more as an opportunity to look inside a window. I know that on the inside looking out it is hard to see a way forward, but that is only because the window is too grimy. Maybe it is time to try cleaning the window and learning how to focus on the positives. Even if I don't believe them at the moment, if I keep doing it, then I hopefully will start to let the words sink in. 

The other thing that has sunk in over the last couple of days is a blog from one of the Bariatric TV presenters. She talks about how WLS isn't for wussies and that it is not the 'easy way out' and that it requires dedication and work. She talks about how it important it is to SPEW (huh?). What she is talking about is Supplements, Protein, Exercise and Water. You can read Lynnda's Blog Entry here.

Out of all of those I have really only concentrated on protein (and only a 1/2 assed attempt). So now I need to get off my backside and commit to this journey. Every minute.......and make it count. 


As Katie Jay would say - I need to get back up again. 


How am I going to do this? Well I have to stop the negative 'mind talk' and listen to the truth. I am an almost 40 year old women, who has a loving husband and family around her, who does have friends ( I just don't see them all the time). I am strong and I CAN do whatever I put my mind to. 


One of the things I treasure from my Mum (who died in 2005) is a card that she once gave me when I was about 19 and had just failed at broadcasting school. I actually quit because it got too hard and I was on the brink of failing with my marks. Anyway I was at the time devastated and I have no idea what to do next. Mum sent me this card, and I have kept it all these years and it hangs on the wall in my computer room. Pity I don't seem to be able to hear the words or actually have good opinions of myself to instill.


There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren't the way you had hoped they would be.
That's when you have to tell yourself that things will get better.
There are times when people disappoint you and let you down,
but those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust
your own judgements and opinions,
to keep your life focused on believing in yourself
and all that you are capable of.

There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life,
and it is up to you to accept them.
Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you.
It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle
you will find a stronger sense of who you are,
and you will also see yourself developing into the person
you have always wanted to be.

Life is a journey through time, filled with many choices;
each of us will experience life in our own special way.
So when the days come that are filled with frustration and
unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself
and all you want your life to be,
because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the dreams
that you know are meant to come true for you.

Deanna Beisser.

So back once again to how I am going to get myself sorted. 

1st thing is too clean my house, so I don't feel like I am constantly battling mountains of washing etc........maybe then I will actually enjoying being at home. 

Then I am going to sit down and make a realistic plan about how I need to live, and that does include ditching the carbs as they really are poison for me. I need to sort my Supplements out and that is most likely where Bariatric Advantage is going to come into play, as they are due to start being on the market in New Zealand in the next couple of weeks. They can also help with the protein as I am dying to try the new Protein crisps and the meal replacement bars. I also know that I need to order some more Eatme protein shakes as I have just about run out. I think I prefer the Whey to the isolate, they seem to make thicker shakes and seem slightly less sweet.

I also have to get those walks in every day with the dog....regardless of if it is raining. I don't melt in the rain and nor does the dog. I will also try and go to the Aqua Zumba class once to see if I like it. Will see. 

Water does not feature in my live at the moment, I have gone back to Coke Zero's. so I have now filled a 2 litre water in the fridge and if I need to have that instead. So that is the SPEW taken care of. Now to get back to low carbing, as both Simon and I were enjoying it. But I resented not being able to have things I liked...................and like Lynda said in her blog recently is that you have to want to change those habits......and I have not been ready, even after WLS. I still want my cake and eat it too and I have to figure out how to change that attitude.