Vitamix.

Dude. Dude.

So Hubby and I have been wanting a Vitamix since the beginning of time, but have been to cheap to get one. Last Friday we bit the bullet, tracked down where it was being demoed in LA, and bought one.

She. Is. Beautiful.

I'm not sure what I want to name her yet.

Do yourself a favor and find where one is being demonstrated TODAY.

The Thinning.

I can already feel the weight coming off. I've been sticking to a plant-based diet and limiting my carb intake.

I wonder how many people start various surgery programs out there, start losing weight naturally, and decide NOT to continue with the surgery. The thought of cutting off a major part of my stomach freaks me out. There's so much about the human body that we don't know about: I'm scared that it'll affect me (in a bad way) down the road.

Vitamin D.

Holy crap.

I've been seeing doctors for years and years and years and years and the only vitamin/mineral that they've recommended has been Iron (for the anemia). Cedars Sinai, where I'm having the sleeve surgery done, did a full panel and recognized that I was deficient in Vitamin D and A. I was prescribed Vitamin D and wow.

I took it yesterday, but already this morning I'm feeling great. That's just crazy. And today is a rainy day, which historically sucks because of the Lupus (triggers pain in joints).

I've felt so shitty for so long that it's strange to feel normal. I feel like I'm on crack or something.

It kinda pisses me off too because doctors have been readily willing to prescribe all types of pills, but have never really offered this approach - figuring out what my body needs. Ug.

Lucy Liu.

The program I'm going through for the sleeve is awesome, but right now I'm not love'n the Dietitian. Okay no, that's a lie. She's frick'n awesome, but she's got balls of steel and is pretty much unbendable when it comes to what I should be eating. She reminds me of Lucy Liu in Charlie's Angels, except a million times meaner.

So, part of the pre-surgery protocol is that you start eating the way you will be post-surgery (albeit in larger portions). What sucks big time is that right now I'm limiting my carbs (you can't have bread, tortillas, pasta for 6 months after your surgery). I'm so fucking tired right now. I feel like I'm going through ketosis fatigue.

The ketosis symptoms associated with the benign dietary ketosis caused by eating a low carb, ketogenic diet are not dangerous. They may differ for each individual, with the most common symptoms being:

• Ketosis breath, which has a fruity odor, and the person in deep ketosis may feel a sort of slight burning in the nose and a slight smell of ammonia. I haven't noticed this yet, but fruity and ammonia really aren't synonymous to me.
• Dry mouth, which is alleviated by drinking more water. Totes.
• A slight headache at first which goes away in a few days. Yeppers.
• In the first week of beginning a ketogenic diet, most people experience frequent urination followed by fatigue, as the kidneys release extraneous water stores. Minerals such as sodium, magnesium and potassium are also lost with excreted urine, and it is the mineral loss that causes the fatigue. This can be offset by eating more salt, drinking more fluids, and increasing the intake of magnesium and potassium containing foods. (Dairy foods and avocados are high in potassium, and you can drink broth for more sodium.)
• Ketone bodies become detectable in the urine. Ketone bodies are leftover fragment molecules created by the natural process of burning body fat for fuel. Diabetics and low carb dieters use a product called Ketostix to check for the presence of ketones in the urine, although each group does this for different reasons. If ketones are present, the stick turns purple.
• After several days of ketosis, there may be a sense of euphoria, or an experience of high energy. Lies. Well, it hasn't been several days yet. No euphoria. I just want to crawl into bed and sleep. Ahhhh... sleep.
• Very clear thinking, and a lack of "brain fog".  Dude, seriously? You're on crack. My brain is angry, hurty, and hates Lucy Liu.

- Ketogenic Diet Resource

I mean, sure, I probably eat more carbs than a small family of Italians, but this all just seems soooo unfaaaaaiiiir. *tossing self to floor* I keep passing restaurants and saying, "Welp, I guess I'll never eat there again." Then I catch myself weighing my decision. Krispy Kreme or living a longer life. I'm not going to lie to you, it's not an easy choice.

Food has become my long-time lover. It's been there for me in times of sorrow, happiness, laughter. It's a part of my family. Fuck. This is going to be hard.

The Beginning.

In the beginning there was this chick. She was brown, right? And, uh... she had some girth to her.

Today is the start of something beautiful. Or something that I will try for about a week and toss aside like so many creative projects that I begin. But, it's like whatevs, yo. Whatevs.

Welcome.