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Week 60 – Amsterdam – 62 kilos AT GOAL – December 9, 2012

No such thing exists here that I can find. Maybe there’s a business opportunity here!

This has been a weird week for me on many levels. My husband left for Hawaii to organize our move here to Amsterdam and I’ve been on my own for the first time since surgery. I’ve learned that eating for one (or less than one person really) isn’t easy. Especially in a place where they don’t have things like Lean Cuisine or any other frozen meals for one person. I’ve been having an egg and 2 pieces of bacon almost every day because it’s the one meal I can be sure to get some protein. For years (even pre-sleeve) we would have a salad every day at lunch, but now, I’m often not home around lunch time so I end up just having an apple or some coffee and a cookie somewhere. I usually just have some soup or a salad and a cookie for dinner. One night I just ate a bag of microwave popcorn for dinner (that I had brought from the US; no such thing exists here). So all in all, my nutrition, especially from a protein standpoint, has been really bad. I need to look for some cookies with protein I guess!

I’ve only made it to the gym twice this week and have gotten very little exercise when I’ve been out because of the weather. I ended up catching a cold, and both of my eyes got infected with conjunctivitis so that put me out of commission for the rest of the week. I even spent one day just laying on the sofa, blowing my nose and watching movies… I didn’t even work on my computer because of my eyes. Very unlike me!

My new bike is very ‘girlie’ looking, complete with leopard prints! I probably should have bought something that wasn’t so loud….

I finally bought a bike but my timing sucked. The day after I bought it, it started snowing. Now I know that’s not earth-shattering news to most people but for me, it was a big deal. Snow is a whole new ball game for this California-born person who’s lived in Hawaii for the last 11 years… looking outside, I didn’t want to leave the house. I did walk the 2 blocks to the store to buy some tissue and cough drops, but I walked like a 90-year old I was so nervous.

Getting the keys to our new house in Amsterdam!

The exciting news is that we bought a house here and we got the keys last Wednesday! So I guess I might be feeling a bit overwhelmed with that project even though it’s wonderful to be on the cusp of making a house into a home for the first time in many years.

 

I also had my first Dutch lesson this week; it was a wonderful class, but I can compare it to being overweight — very humbling. I felt like I was in a Weight Watcher meeting, but instead of a lot of fat people listening to a successful instructor, we were a lot of non-Dutch speakers mangling the words but hoping to achieve something that seems out of our reach. I compare it to how I felt every time I used to start a diet, that it was hopeless and I’ll never succeed… too bad I couldn’t find surgery that would help me conquer this new challenge!

 

I have another 2 weeks before my husband gets back from the states so I really have to get my act together. There’s a Weight Watchers across the street from us (right next door to Domino’s Pizza which is pretty funny). Maybe they sell their frozen dinners there; just thought of that as I was writing this. I also need to get back to the gym; even though I didn’t gain any weight this week I can tell I haven’t exercised.

 

Christmas in Hawaii didn’t look like this!

It gets dark here around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, something else I’m not used to (but the tradeoff is that it stays light until 10PM in the summer!). But it is beautiful to watch the snow coming down. The Christmas lights are up everywhere, skating rinks have popped up in the squares and, well, like they say, “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”

An ONLY IN AMSTERDAM photo!

The locals here are just waiting for the canals to freeze over so they can ice skate on them… a sight we can’t wait to see. This is a photo from another year but I wanted to share since it’s not something you see anywhere else. You won’t see me out there, but I am going to try and pull myself together this next week and break out of my state of inertia. I have a wonderful full life with lots of things to do, and as we all know, time goes by so fast (something to keep in mind for those of you who are waiting for approval to get sleeved… your time will be here before you know it!). If it weren’t for this blog, I would probably not even think about my surgery or the sleeve much anymore, a sign I am moving on to a normal life as a normal-weight person. But I never want to take for granted what a true gift this has been in my life!

This is probably the least positive post I have written in over a year. Don’t mean to be a Debby Downer… I’ll be fine by next week. It’s been wonderful to hear from so many readers how they are doing after their surgery. I am grateful to all of you who read my blog and send me quick comments on how life before, during or after the sleeve has been for you. That’s it for Week 60 from cold, snowy Amsterdam!

Ik wens jullie allemaal een heerlijke vakantie seizoen! (Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.)

QUEEN OF CROP

(Click on photos to enlarge)

13 Responses
  • swizzly
    December 8, 2012

    Love your house, congrats! Sorry you’re not feeling well, hope you’re up and about again soon. I also have a sketchy relationship to snow, being from California. 😉

  • Monique
    December 9, 2012

    I look forward to your posts, they are always inspiring and REAL! THANK YOU.

    WAITING TO BE SLEEVED IN MARYLAND.

  • Amy
    December 9, 2012

    Can you cook some chicken breasts to keep in your fridge or something? Then you can throw it in your salads or eat plain with some veggies or soup for dinner. Try not to get down. Your doing great and are such an inspiration!

    • queenofcrop
      December 16, 2012

      Thanks again Amy….this was a great suggestion!

  • Carla
    December 9, 2012

    I must say, based on your pics, Amsterdam appears to be a very pretty and picturesque city! And the floors in your new home? Gorgeous!! 🙂 As far as eating for (less than) one, welcome to my daily struggle. Especially since I rarely eat leftovers, I struggle with the reality of how much food I waste. But strangely, it never occurred to me to eat Lean Cuisine type meals! That would at least afford me a bit more variety than the protein shakes and tilapia I normally eat. Well, the good news is pretty soon the hubby will be back and you’ll get back to your new normal of him finishing what you can’t off your plate. 🙂

    I think I speak for all of us when I say we are gonna miss your blog when you’re done! Take care!!

  • WestTexasGal
    December 9, 2012

    LOVE the bike!! Also continue to love the pictures of Amsterdam. Hubby and I are taking a 40th anniversary cruise that leaves from there next summer. Can’t wait!

    • queenofcrop
      December 11, 2012

      Hey Rebecca! Would love to meet you when you are here….often they will have you stay a day or two before you go on the cruise, so be sure and let us know what dates you will be here! Thanks so much for reading my blog!

  • Joni
    December 9, 2012

    New country and on your own for the first time – of course you feel out of sorts!! Hang in there! I know you’ll be just fine. Love your bike, and want to say – look at that skinny little leg on you!! lol. Congrats on the house. I absolutely love, love, love, when you post photos of the area, etc. It’s the next best thing to being there in a whole new environment with a personal touch. Hope you post more photos of your new home too. I am sending you a hug.

  • Dana Murphy-Love
    December 9, 2012

    What a fantastic adventure you are on. I love the bike! It’s like the saying “Live out loud” so do it!! Thanks for writing this blog. It’s still a great inspiration to read that your experiences with the surgery mirror many of my own. Congrats on the new house! It looks beautiful!

  • Brenda
    December 10, 2012

    You don’t sound like a Debby Downer, you sound like a person who’s husband is in a warm place and your in winter. I’m sure you are just missing your husband since you are in a new place. My husband is out of town this week on business and even though it feels good to have some alone time it makes me think of how I wouldn’t enjoy it all the time. As far as my waiting for surgery I went last week for my EGD and everything was ok with that. Waiting on psych eval appointment and then letter from my PCP then waiting for insurance approval. I’m pretty positive that it will be approved since my insurance is with the same health group that I work for. Look forward to your blog next week.

    Brenda

    • queenofcrop
      December 11, 2012

      Thanks Brenda! I am feeling much better and like you, I do enjoy a break now and then. I so appreciate you reading my blog and your support!

  • Cindy Hellstern
    December 12, 2012

    I love your blog. The pictures are amazing. The bike is darling. I too was surprised by snow, and overwhelmed by it this week. I am in Denver having Stem Cell regenerative treatment on my knee to avoid joint replacement. Well, after waking to ice and snow, this southern gal with a full leg brace on freaked! I still had four days here and several more procedures. It’s all gone well and I’m in the hotel with leg elevated and brace on.being away from home( or in a new one altogether!)alone and not feeling well is the pits. Lucky you, your husband is arranging your move and coming home to you. So much to look forward too. As a wise friend told me yesterday, brick by brick, day by day. Thank you for your blog. Cindy

    • queenofcrop
      December 16, 2012

      Thanks Cindy for the nice comments. Hope the treatment in Denver went well; and be careful walking on that snow and ice…it’s creeping me out; but I just bought some good snow shoes. Luckily it doesn’t snow a lot here and I’m grateful for that.

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