This week I’ve been thinking a lot about changes. My own changes and how I’m feeling with the program so far. Like many people who’ve tried to lose weight, I’ve done several “programs” with varying degrees and length of success. But something about this time feels real. Serious. Forever. I never really got that sense in the past.

Sure, I’d say things like “I know I’ll never do X again,” or “I really see this as something I can maintain,” but in my heart I don’t know that I ever truly believed it. This time though… so much of my internal beliefs have shifted. I’ve opened my mind truly and fully to this being a way of life going forward.

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Hey peeps.

Hope everyone has been keeping as well as they can be given the state of the world these days. I’m sorry for the silence, but updating the blog just felt rather pointless the last few weeks, given the importance of everything else happening. That, and I have had absolutely nothing to give creatively beyond completing my regular client workload.

I wanted people to know that I’m still here, and I’m still doing my best to stick to the program. And the clinic is now doing virtual weekly classes to help us finish up the remainder of our program. It’s been a tumultuous time.

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Heeelllo there shiny quarantined people. Hope everyone is hanging in OK. This week I was able to add a second daily meal while removing another shake. I may have got a little overexcited with some pizza one day and then a quinoa bowl with halloumi cheese the next. Anyways… long story short, I ended up with a gallbladder attack. Seems like a case of a little too much fat in the diet too soon, according to my family doctor. So I’ve been MUCH more mindful of my fat portions since, and haven’t had the pain again. THANK BABY JESUS. Because while it was not as bad as my kidney stone two years ago, it came nearly as close as labour.

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Hey friends! TGIF, amirite?! What a week. But, we made it. This week was a big one as I started making the transition back onto solid food. As delicious as it’s been (mmmmmmmm) I’ve also had some anxiety. Continue reading →

Well, a few days after getting the news that the program has been cancelled, I’m still doing what I can, but I am struggling mentally and emotionally. I haven’t been able to sleep due to stress and anxiety over the situation. I know that I can only do what I can do, and I will keep telling myself that, but it’s hard for the heart to catch up with the mind right now. Continue reading →

Hey friends. I got a pretty devastating email the other day. Because of all this COVID-19 stuff, they’ve stopped all bariatric programs. They want to reduce the number of people in and out of the hospital, as well as redeploy hospital staff to assist with pandemic efforts.

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Hello hello friends…. wow, what a difference a week can make, eh?! If we certainly didn’t know it before, we know it now. Last week we were told our sessions would continue to take place at the hospital, and then we were told on Monday that they would be virtual until further notice.

The clinic is allowing participants to purchase two weeks of Optifatst at a time in order to limit our exposure time at the hospital. So, I went in Thursday morning as usual to get my shakes and do my weigh-in, but then came home to do the class. I also took my home scale with me so I could see what the difference was in order to be able to do at-home weigh-ins more accurately.

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Hello hello! This week at the program we discussed transition further, specifically looking at what a sample meal plan might look like. Especially as we move through the 6 weeks of transition, it was good to get an idea of what a daily meal program might look like. The RD mentioned that those who come up with a meal plan for their first few weeks are often more successful with the transition phase of the program, as well as continuing on after the weekly group sessions end. I guess I’ll have some time in the coming weeks of social distancing to get that done.

This week was a week that I’ve been excitedly looking forward to for a while now, since I met with the kinesiologist to do a “halfway point” check-in for my measurements.

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Hey friends! So, I’ve officially hit the halfway mark of the Optinast-only part of the program as of this past Tuesday. WOOHOO! Only 6 more weeks to go. I can’t believe it’s only been 6 weeks (it feels like longer) but I’m also pretty excited with how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time.

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I know I’m late on getting this week’s post out, but it’s been a wild week indeed, between work projects, personal things, and just not feeling like sitting in front of a computer screen for a few days. But I’m here, and I’m still plugging along, so I figured I should at least update y’all, even if we are a few days late getting here.

It’s been 8 of the program, and our group session was led by the social worker. It focused on CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and how to apply it to our weight loss goals. I was really interested in this week’s session, since I have been practicing CBT for many years now for my depression and anxiety, and have found it extremely helpful — but I wasn’t sure how to apply it for emotional eating and the like.

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