10 days post-op

New tools: FitBit and MyFitnessPal

Last summer, when I asked my primary care physician for help with my weight, one of the things she recommended was a FitBit. I've noticed lots of people in surgery support groups talking about a FitBit, and I finally looked it up. It's a little gadget that tracks steps, floors climbed, calories burned, etc. Bonus for me: it also tracks your sleep. I have obstructive sleep apnea, but haven't had my follow-up appointment at the sleep center. 

FitBit has a handful of models. The most obvious difference is how you wear them: some clip on while others get worn in a wristband. I narrowed down my choice to two models and then compared reviews. One reviewer bought a Flex and a One and wore them simultaneously and then compared the results. She found the Flex, which you wear on your wrist, counted steps when she was sitting talking with her hands. Half-Italian, I talk with my hands a lot, and since I ultimately decided a wristband would drive me batty, I ordered the One, a model that clips on.

Several years ago, when I worked at L.L.Bean, the company gave free pedometers to employees who wanted one. I remember making different small everyday choices when I was wearing the pedometer: parking farther away at the store, walking to the further bathroom at work, getting up to talk to someone in person instead of sending an email or calling. I'm excited to use a pedometer again and see how many steps I can get in. 

FitBit wirelessly uploads your stats, and has a website and a mobile app. It connects with other apps, including MyFitnessPal, another tool I see lots of people talking about. I created a free account at MyFitnessPal. You can track activity and what you eat and drink, and I figured out how to customize my goals to enter my very specific caloric and protein needs. Neat!

Finding recipes

Both FitBit and MyFitnessPal allow you to connect with friends, too, adding a social aspect. And MyFitnessPal has another cool tool: you can create recipes, enter ingredients and amounts, and it calculates nutritional info for you. That's how I spent much of yesterday and today: researching recipes, modifying some (replacing regular cheese with low-fat or fat-free, replacing oil with cooking spray, cutting down carbs, etc.). I'm keeping recipes in two places: MyFitnessPal, which stores the ingredients, and a Word doc with full instructions; I also copy the nutritional info into the Word doc.

One genre of recipes that I can modify is Paleo. Paleo recipes are often higher in fat than I'll be allowed, but the focus on high protein and low carbs is a good foundation. I'm also, of course, searching for bariatric recipes. I'm on liquids for at least two more weeks, but when I'm able to cook, I'll have a variety of recipes, with nutritional info already calculated. And a bonus: I've found myself a project, just as I started to get bored at home. 

Getting out

And speaking of home, I finally got out of the house yesterday. I'd been thinking of driving to the pharmacy for a pill crusher but decided not to. Then, in the middle of the afternoon, I noticed Roo's growth was swollen and bleeding, in spite of his antibiotics. I called the vet and took Roo in. Happily, my mother-in-law was here visiting, and she helped me get Roo in the car.

Being outside after a week inside was a little odd (it's been so frigidly cold this past week that I haven't been tempted to go out), but I was focused on Roo. The vet decided to operate immediately (delaying his Friday evening — our vet is wonderful!). 

When I got home, our neighbor texted to see if Daisy wanted a play date, so I bundled up again and went outside. It was good to watch the dogs play and get some fresh (cold!) air. Last night, though, I was exhausted, and think I might have pushed it a little too far in one day. Today I've taken it easy: I worked on more recipes, had a great visit with my sister-in-law and then had a good nap. Onward, friends!