13 Things About Moi, Thee Downsizing Diva

1. I am a southern gal from Florida with a little bit of a West Virginia twang. My Daddy is from there. I was born in Florida. I've picked up a faint Appalachian-meets valley girl-meets old southern black woman accent. I promise I don't sound crazy it's just some words or phrases might come out in any of the aforementioned accents. I love that I am from Florida, the Sunshine state. Snow? Patooie!

2. I can't bake to save my life! I mean I can't bake a lick but I love to cook. My cakes and cookies are little sugary disasters. I never burn what I bake. It just doesn't rise, settle, incorporate, or cook properly. Seriously I need baking lessons. God bless my kids. They'll eat it as long as it's sugary and not burnt. Anyhow, I do like to cook southern food, pasta dishes, anything chicken, and Caribbean food. I'd like to learn how to cook Indian food next. 

3. I'm a mom. A single mom. Hey, it is what it is. I have 3 handsome little men. As of this post they are 12, 7, and 5. My oldest has ADHD and the younger two are so close in age,18 months apart, that they play off of each other a lot. They keep me busy. I don't know if they are keeping me young or pushing me to an early grave. (ha!) Either way I LOVE my boys and I'm soooooooo blessed to be their parent. 

These are actually my 3 boys!! 

4. I'm a student. I think I'm one of those people who will be a lifelong learner in some way, shape, or form. Right now, I'm a graduate student at the University of Webster, Space Coast Campus studying Mental Health Counseling. I attend a Webster satellite campus and the program is designed for "working adults". It has still been a lot of sacrifice and hard work to get to where I am. I have two classes and 3 rounds of internship left in the program. I strongly believe that all the things that I've been though were by design to lead me to where I am now. As I said earlier, my son has ADHD so I had to self-educate on a lot of tricks, tips, and interventions to help him. I also am interested in helping people heal and grow. This was influenced by my colorful family, past friendships, my weight issues, and my past relationships. I love being a student even if it is hard. 

5. Unfortunately I can answer the question "If your house was on fire, what items would you try to save?". We had a minor house fire in December of 2007. My two kids and I moved back in with my parents  to help take care of my father after he had become ill and wheel chair bound. One night we heard a loud pop and 5 minutes later smoke was filling the house. Stupid me I asked if we should call an electrician or the fire department. It didn't seem that bad on the inside. Well, more and more smoke came. I packed the diaper bag with diapers formula, and my son's Nintendo DS (so he'd have something to do while we are waiting for the fire dept.). I grabbed two pillows, two blankets, a bottle of apple juice, my purse, car keys, cell phone, and I think I might have grabbed my dad's medicines. All the other stuff was expendable and replaceable. Luckily the fire was contained only to the roof and we didn't lose much, although we did have to do without for many months. Being able to answer this question really puts into perspective what is important.

6. Rock (alternative/punk/ska/classic) music is my favorite genre. Yes, I am a semi-black woman who loves rock & roll. 

7. I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist. Don't worry I'm not all tin-foil-hat "they're all out to get us" just yet. I just don't consume everything the media and politicians tells us to believe. I do my own fact finding and research. The more you find, the more you'll want to know. A lot things that are grossly misreported and invented and Hollywood...don't even get me started...

Conspiracy. Don't accept everything as truth. 
I'm sure this is a made up statistic, but informative nonetheless.

8. I don't really have any phobias. The only things I am afraid of is death and lizards. I will push my children out of the way and run at the site of a lizard. They're not harmful so the kids are ok. I just don't want any lizard near me. Snakes and spiders  I could do without but I'm not frightened by them. 

9. I'm trying to learn German. I've been using Pimsleur and different free apps to increase my skills. My older sister lives there and I want to be able to visit without relying on a babysitter/tour guide. Even though a good number of Germans speak English I still want to know a little for myself. 

German is such a funny language. I love it. 

10. My name is Karla, with a "K" not Carla with a "C". No I'm not Spanish, Italian, Puerto Rican, Hawaiian, Samoan, Brazilian, Mexican, or Greek. I've heard it all. I am biracial (black and white). You'd be surprised how many times someone walks up to me speaking Spanish because we live in Florida, I have a dark olive complexion, and my name is Karla.

11. I used to be an athlete. I played softball, tennis, basketball, and cheerleading up until I was 18 years old. Now, I barely get my 30 minutes of cardio in 3 times per week and am diagnoised as morbidly obese. WOW, what happened? I long for the days of getting sweaty and dirty. I want to be a runner or play tennis and softball again. I want a kayak or paddle board to use the lovely waterways near our home. Ya know, live the Florida life. One day.... One day soon...

I don't know who these people are but I'd like my thighs to not rub together
while standing on a paddle board like this young lady. 

12. Like any true diva my favorite color is pink (specifically fushia) and purple comes in a close second. 

13. The #13 is my favorite number. I don't know why. It's not because it's supposed to be "bad".  I like the number 3 but it seems so small. 34 and 134 are my other favorite numbers but a list of 134 things about me is a little overkill. 

There you have it folks, some random fun facts about me, Karla, Thee Downsizing Diva. It's nice to meet you. Feel free to comment below if we share some of the same fun facts or a few things about yourself. 

xoxo, Karla

Owning My Addiction to Food

I think all of the Halloween candy is nearly gone. I must admit I did help put a dent in the supply myself. Stupid snack sized snickers. I have been really good at justifying eating crap from time to time. I've noticed that my inner self will convince myself that it's "OK" to eat a little more or eat something bad because "I'll work it off later". Lies! Lies, I tell you. 

This weekend I ate a handful of fries, a McDonald's cheeseburger, candied yams, ham, I think I had an ice cream Friday, 2 bags of Sweet & Spicy Dorritos, and 1.5 BBQ pork chops, mashed potatoes, and probably some candy. 

Dang it!! 

I understand that the exercise is to burn the fat already stored on my body NOT the snickers bars or french fries or other pointless carb or greasy food I put into my mouth!It seems so simple.  It's that inner struggle, boredom, weakness, taste buds tingling, stomach yearning, and mind talk that gets to you. If this isn't a food addiction I don't know what is. 

I am going to treat it like an addiction and take it one day at a time, hour by hour, minute by minute. 

"Hi, my name is Karla and I'm powerless over my addiction to food."

I've been looking into Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meetings. I'm trying to muster up the courage to go to one of the meetings or at least attend a phone or chat meeting. I have step one down (admitting you are powerless over your problem) now I need to learn what steps 2-12 are and how to follow through on it. 

To look on the bright side, I am eating more veggies, taking in more protein, going to the gym 2-3 times per week. Also last night when I was hungry I made a strawberry/banana/chocolate protein smoothie and ate sliced apple with peanut butter for a snack. That was a good alternative to the burger, hot dog, chips, or cookies the "old me" would have gone for. It's the goodies that get in the way. As we speak I have 2 coupons for a dozen krisy kreme doughnuts,and about 20 coupons for a free Wendy's Frosty  in my purse. As I type this I swear a little drool was produced just thinking about the HOT KK doughnuts. 

NO! I can do this. Food is meant for fuel not pleasure.  

Ok I just had to rant about how my body and my brain are betraying me. I will fight this good fight everyday and make better choices. Maybe I will break out my notes from last semester's substance abuse class and do a relapse prevention plan. Hey, whatever works right? 

I can do this!!

Tonsillectomy and Thanksgiving :-(

Guess who's getting their tonsils out?? This gal right here. My sleep study results lead me to an ear, nose, throat specialist. After going over the sleep study and my medical history she decided my massively sized tonsils have gots ta go.

My tonsils are 2-3 times larger than normal. She thinks this may have been the obstruction that was disturbing my sleep. The 40lbs. weight gain hasn't helped much either. These two combined obstruct my breathing, especially while I sleep. In a 6.5 hour sleep study I awakened 38 times. That's in a quiet, sterile, medical sleep lab just imagine how many times I wake up at home with my kids and mother scurrying around for various reasons. I only entered REM sleep once, 5 hours after I fell asleep and didn't stay in that phase for very long. No wonder I feel like a zombie!!!

Right now they scheduled me for the day before Thanksgiving. *record scratch* Say whaaaa? Nooooo. This is fat people torture!!!! My supervisor probably won't allow me to take the time off (Can a part time job deny time off for surgery? It doesn't seem right). What a perfect way to keep the weight gain down during the holiday season. -_- 

The Lord works in mysterious ways doesn't he? ...Why G*d?

Like I said before. The decision to have WLS is saving my life one pre-op step at a time. I am slowly righting every wrong I've done to my divalicious body. You never realize how many things according to health you neglect until it all starts going downhill. Better late than never.
I will definitely be blogging about my surgery and recovery during the holidays. In the meantime please plan on eating some stuffing, turkey and greens for me!

xoxo Karla

Goals--November 2013

Why didn't I think about this before? So what if it's the 14th of the month. These goals have been in my head all month and I've been doing my best to follow a plan to get me there. It's time to put these ideas on paper online for the world to see. This way I will feel a little more inclined to be accountable for my goals. Each month my goals will be etched into the history of the information super highway forever and ever  until the end of time...or until Blogger goes belly up, then my goals will be lost forever much like my Myspace slideshows from RockYou! circa 2006. 

I will have to do more research into finding a daily log of exercise and food journaling. It would be hard to post a monthly log of what I ate and what exercise I did. Hmm I'll add that to my list of things to do. I can always pick back up with my Noom Weight loss coach or try Myfitnesspal. I know these applications do serve as food journals and calorie counters but Noom does not allow you to access history of your food journal. At least the free version doesn't. 

I have a habit of dreaming big and falling short so let's break this down month by month. Going forward, after this month, I will make a list of goals on the first and revisit them on the last day of the month to see how well I fared. 

Health & Weight Loss Goals for November 2013:

Daily

Drink 130 ounces of water

Consume at least 3 servings of vegetables

Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night

Eat as clean as possible

Use Noom to log all meals and snacks eaten

Weekly

Exercise 3 to 5 times for 30 minutes or more each session (Cardio)

Exercise at least 2 times (Strength training)

Dine out 1< time

General Goals for November

Get fitted for and begin using sleep apnea machine

Lose 8-10 lbs total

What's Your Hydration Situation?? The Importance Drinking Water Plays in Weight Loss

Did you know that the common advice that tells us to drink 8 glasses of water a day is based on a woman who weighs 130 lbs? The amount of water that we drink is not standard across the board. I have read various information on how to calculate how much water you need daily. 

Some resources say 
Take your body weight and divide by half OR
Take your body weight and divide by 67% (2/3)

Your level of activity also plays a role. If you are more active you lose water through sweat. You will need to drink more to replace water lost. Which ever formula you decide to try I bet you just figured out that you aren't getting enough water!

These info graphics almost says it all. Enjoy & stay hydrated. Let us know if you can see a difference in your health and weight loss results!

xoxo Diva KK

Mystery Solved!! The condition that has robbed me of the last 11 years of my life...Sleep Apnea!

I've been called lazy, flighty, a platinum blonde, an airhead, no good, sorry...you name it. My "loving" family and friends could not understand why such a once bright, beautiful, spunky diva like myself has been among the walking dead for the last few years.

I felt like a sleepy zombie all day every day

I thought I was depressed. I thought I was dying. Energy? I had none. Motivation? It was totally there...and I'd get around to it right after my nap. My apartment was messy more than it was clean. When I did work, on my days off or as soon as I'd get home I began taking naps. The naps became longer and longer. My sleep became heavier.  

Trying to make it through the day feels like torture, literally. As soon as I wake up I spend the rest of my day fighting sleep and impatiently waiting for the time when I can lay my head down. WTF? What IS wrong with me?? I started to believe what everyone was saying. Maybe I am lazy and undisciplined. Maybe I am worthless. Shit, I hate myself. But if that is the case, why does it feel like my body is fighting against me every second of the day?? 

It's a medical mystery

This health issue has been nagging me since about 2002. Yes..I know...It has been a long time and it's getting progressively worse. Doctors have not been able to diagnose me or give me medication that has made me feel better. I've had a CAT-scan, MRI, at least 20+ blood tests, 3 teeth pulled, oral surgery to remove 2 wisdom teeth, no diabetes, no thyroid problems, liver function is good, I've seen 3 psychiatrists, 2 mental health counselors, and 3-4 M.D.s. I've been dizzy, sleepy, confused, weak, sluggish, and my memory is getting worse with time. I feel a downright loss of control over myself.  I have succumbed to the verbal abuse and labels everyone has put on me. I am a member of the walking dead. Incurable. As I type this blog post my head is swimming, my eyes feel heavy, there's this thick brain fog nagging and swirling throughout my head. 

Thank God I decided to get bariatric surgery. The pre-op stage is saving my life already. A sleep study was on the check list of pre-op tests the doctor required. I was just going through the motions but as I answered a preliminary checklist I knew I had sleep apnea. 


Q: "Do you wake up feeling unrested?"
A: Every snigle day

Q: "Do you fall asleep at traffic lights?"
A. I've been known to do so or pull over & sleep in a parking lot

Q: "When riding in the car as a passenger for more than an hour how likely is it that you will fall asleep?"   
 A. Very likely      
                           
Q: "Do you fall asleep while reading?"      

A. Yes almost every time I read for more than 20 min.


So I go to my sleep study. It looked like a doctor office/bed and breakfast on the inside. There was a huge queen sized bed waiting for me. I cam in my jammies and basketball shorts. There were at least 20 wires hooked up to my head, torso, and legs.  I also had a small oxygen tube placed under my nostrils. The nurses monitored me by video in a room nearby.  That was awkward but I eventually fell asleep. I slept about 6-7 hours but kept waking up. When I woke up I'd fool with the wires tangled around my legs and fall back asleep. In the morning, they woke me up and I felt refreshed. They said my doctor would call me in about 2 weeks with the results.

The diagnosis came back "sleep apnea, obstucted type". I have a referral to an ENT doctor to get fitted for a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine. I've read that the results from using a CPAP machine are instant. You will wake feeling rested and most symptoms will go away immediately. I will be able to breathe and get a full night's sleep. I can't wait to see if my zombie feeling will go away. So what, I have to wear a tube up my nose while sleeping. I am excited!!

I will update you after my appointment and let you know how the machine works. Does anyone else suffer from sleep apnea? Is it related to obesity? Do these symptoms sound familiar? Maybe you should go get checked out. Please comment and share your stories or questions below!

xoxo Diva KK

Using Apps for Building a Smart Weightloss Plan

I use all kinds of things to help me on my weight loss journey and I love the apps on my Android phone. They are literally at my fingertips and always with me where ever I go. A previous post broke down a few basics for a weight loss newbie. One of the tips was to get smart and use your smart phone in this process. Making a lifestyle change can be hard. Why make it any harder than it needs to be? I use my phone to track calories, steps taken in a day, how much water I drink, and to Google and Pinterest healthy meal ideas.

Noom Weight Loss Coach is an app that includes a calorie counter with an incredible database and bar code scanner. Pretty much whatever you eat can be found in Noom. There are also tips and articles to read. Noom provides a pedometer to count the number of steps that you take each day. There are free forums and message boards to talk with other Noom users as well. Here is a link for the Noom iphone app.

My nutritionist recommended Myfitnesspal.com . I have not used this so I don't have much advice on this website/app. I understand that it has a calorie counter similar to the one that Noom offers. It must be a great tool if this is the only calorie counter the nutritionist recommended. I was already invested in Noom when she told me about Myfitnesspal so I didn't make the switch.

Another app I use every day is Water Your Body. It is a tool that helps you track how much water your take in daily. It also helps determine how much water you should drink based on your weight and height. If you have a hard time getting your water in don't worry, this thing has a cute little sound it play to remind you to have a glass. It has scared many of my classmates, people in waiting rooms, and even my doctor. My kids have even gotten into it. When they hear the sound of water being poured they say "Mommy time for us to drink water". Here is the Water Your Body link for iphone users

Other Useful Health Related Apps:
Period Tracker, Couch-to-5k (paid), Zombies Run! (paid), Nike +Running


What are some apps that you have found helpful in your exercise regimen or diet? Please share the names and a description.



Note: I was not paid or compensated in any way to promote the websites or apps. listed in this post.. I have used all of the resources mentioned personally and have had positive experiences. I am not responsible for any physical harm done to your body or harm done to your electronic devices. Please consult a professional before you begin any positive lifestyle change (diet). Also do your research before you install any program onto your electronics. xoxo

You Want to Lose Weight. Now What?? Basics of beginning your journey.

Divas, so you've decided that you want to downsize that luscious body of yours. Great! Now what? Knowing you want to lose weight is one thing, but now we have to actually put in the work. It's hard to share your experience with others who have no intent on downsizing their own bod. Then there's always that one friend or family member who's answer is "simple": "Just. Stop. Eating." they tell you. Geeee! Why didn't I think of that? Let's run down and create a basic plan of what you can do after you decide to take that leap. 

Did you consult your physician? 
Let your physician do a complete physical and check up on you. It may sound tedious but this is a very important first step in getting healthy. You don't want to start a diet only to find out that you have blood sugar issues. What if you begin exercising and discover that your blood pressure or heart is not in tip top shape? It will take maybe 2-4 hours total. Depending on your doc's office staff and your health it could even be a 30 minute trip. Consider the time and co-pay spent as an investment and the first task in getting healthy. 

Have you made a meal plan? 
Typically I have found that if you tell your doctor that you are considering losing weight he or she will have some sort of printed out basic meal plan with a targeted amount of daily calories. Be sure to ask your doctor if he or she has such a document. If not, ask your doctor's opinion on how many calories they think you should consume. Take that info and do your research to expound upon the advice.
-How many calories should you eat daily? Click here for various ways to determine a number.
-There are many meal planning sites that can help you figure out what to munch on.


Do you have a fitness routine penciled into your weekly calendar? 
After your doctor has cleared you for exercise you can get started. My advice would be to personalize your plan and really consider a) your daily schedule and commitments and b) your interests and strengths. It is recommended that we get at least 30 minutes of exercise three times per week. When you think about it, that's really not that much....so WHY is it so hard? If I had the answer to this question, I probably wouldn't need to be blogging a weight loss journey right now.

Get Smart and Use Your Smartphone or Computer 
There are so many resources available on the net. Dive in and explore. I use all kinds of things to help me on my journey and I love that the apps on my Android phone are literally at my fingertips and always with me where ever I go. 

Divas, making up your mind and sticking to it is the hardest part. Figuring out what to eat and what exercises to do are not that hard. As long as you stay within the number of daily calories and move somethin' you will be fine. If you want to jump in and figure out the rest as you go, DO IT! The fact that you are doing something is an amazing feat in itself. Get it Diva!

xoxo Diva K.K. 

Note: I was not paid or compensated in any way to promote the websites or apps in this post. I personally have had positive experiences with all of the resources mentioned. I am not responsible for any physical harm done to your body or harm done to your electronic devices. Please consult a professional before you begin any positive lifestyle change (diet). Also do your research before you install any program onto your electronics. xoxo

What Happens at an Orientation for Bariatric Surgery?

Divas, I know not all of you are considering, or even need bariatric surgery.  Here at the Divas are Downsizing we explore all options of weight loss. Please bare with us and support our Diva sisters who are exploring this option. The main moderator, Diva K.K., is currently wrapping up the pre-op stage of the process for getting the RNY gastric bypass. It is a journey in itself and also requires a change of eating habits, restricting calories, exercise if you can, and it comes along with the internal struggle to give up foods that we all got through. It most definitely is JUST a tool to aide in weight loss and is by no means an easy or quick fix...Ok off my soap box and on with the show...

As I stated in the previous post the surgeon I chose is 2.5 hours away. His office staff was so nice and helpful. They emailed me all of the documentation I would have to bring and directions on how to get to the office. The orientation was set for about 2 weeks after my initial phone call. It started at 8am....Yep, do the math...I woke up at 4:30 to make sure I was there on time. So two coffees and $17 in tolls later I arrived with about 20 minutes to spare which was just enough time to hand in my paperwork, go potty, and get seated. 

The doctor went over the entire process, from your first visit to your first annual post-op check up. He discussed the prevalence of obesity in the United States and pros for having weight loss surgery and people who may benefit from the procedure. He explained different options (Lap Band or Gastric Bypass Roux en Y). He explained any complications that could possibly happen and his success rate. The doctor also covered his surgery and care routine such as how he checks his incisions to make sure that there are no leaks, the swallow study, how long you will be in the hospital, and what you will need to do your first few days & weeks post-op. I don't feel comfortable giving the exact info that he gave. After all I might be a sexy, highly intelligent diva but a doctor I am not. 

There was a Q & A session afterwards but honestly he answered almost all of my questions during his presentation. It was about an hour long. After he finished he introduced his head RN nurse who also does rounds with him in the hospital and the nutritionist/registered dietitian who works with his office and also does rounds in the hospital. After we met his team he called each person who attended the orientation one-by-one into the back. Three went back at a time and waited in individual examination rooms, just like a regular doctor appointment. His medical assistant (?) took our height, weight, and blood pressure. When the doctor came in he reviewed your history of weight loss attempts, weight loss goals, asked if you had a procedure picked out and offered his professional opinion, asked if you had any individual questions about your WLS, and determined what tests you needed to complete on the pre-op check list. These tests are standard for most patients. On my to-do list is: an EGD--upper GI endoscopy, an echocardiogram, gallbladder ultrasound, 12-lead EKG, Sleep study, Psychiatric Evaluation, Nutritional evaluation, medically supervised with loss program, letter of medical necessity from your primary doctor, and lab work. 

The doctor agreed that RNY is the best choice for me due to the amount I have to lose and my age. He said he wants me to lose 50-80% of my excess fat and enjoy the rest of my life in good health because I'm young. Sounds like a plan to me, doc! 

Before I left I received a patient booklet that again covers the process. It also provides weight loss tips for pre-op, 2 weeks pre-op liquid diet, and each stage of post-op eating. This has been a handy little tool. I made copies and keep it in my purse and it was on the fridge but Casper took it down (no one knows who took it down). I also was given a date to get an upper gastro endoscopy done at the hospital where the doctor performs his surgeries. This is so he can take a peek at the upper part of your stomach and get a good look at what's going on inside. 

So there you have it...This is a brief account of how my orientation for bariatric surgery went with Dr. Salvador Ramos's office in Ocala, Florida back in March, 2013. For the Divas who are considering WLS please comment with questions or to share your experiences with the process. We are here to be a resource of knowledge for each other. 

xoxo Diva K.K.