Well, I didn't exactly make it a week of posts last week, but I am being more consistent here at least. I hate to bore everyone when I have nothing useful to say. I know some of you are probably wondering why I talk at all then! LOL
So one thing I have been trying to focus more on is quality of life goals - focusing on those things that I used to be able to do that morbid obesity took from me. The premise being that I can take my mind off the scale and the lack of movement there. Seriously. Been stuck there for 3 weeks now, and even gained 2 pounds last week. But that's what I get for eating Thai, Korean, and Chinese all in a span of 4 days. Lesson learned.
But that list consists of such things as riding a roller coaster again.... of going sky-diving.... of water skiing again.... of learning to scuba dive.... things such as these. Think of it as sort of pseudo-Bucket List. Things such as these are what WLS folks call non-scale victories. Wearing a smaller size of clothing is just icing on the cake. I already wrote about kicking the last of the BP meds last week. This weekend, I was able to check one of those items off my list.
Yes, that's right boys and girls, I water-skied. For the first time in almost 20 years I was able to get up on a pair of water skis. In fact, I was able to get up on the first try, and I stayed up until I told David to drop me by the shoreline. (BTW, a big shout-out to David Hall - he is a co-worker and friend of my brother-in-law, Todd. Now I can say that both David and his lovely fiancee' Heather as well as his parents are now friends of mine and Gerald. Wonderful, generous, sweet people.) And David knows how to pull folks on skis. He was completely calm and reassuring so I didn't have any fear of falling and embarrassing myself. If I fell, so what? I'd try again. But I didn't. David and Heather as spotter let me know when I was coming into some choppy water so I was able to keep my knees bent properly. I could go on and on.....
But the most important part of this whole story is that I felt FREE. Free from the bonds of morbid obesity and the ravages it had on my body. Free to do anything I want. Free to live my life to the fullest! I can't describe the feeling. I got a little teary-eyed then, and even now when I think about it. If you've never lived with the daily pain of morbid obesity and the toll it takes on your body, count yourself very fortunate indeed. And for any folks out there who may be reading this, especially those of you who don't know me personally, if you are living in that prison, let me say it again, you can be free, too!
Words can't describe how good it felt yesterday to move my arms and feel the soreness in my shoulders. Yes, it felt good! I hate we don't have pictures to share, but we will, next time! Yes, there WILL be a next time! But there is no way that next time will feel half as good as realizing a personal victory such as this.
Hope you have a great week! Go out and have your own personal victory, whatever form it takes. Now that's living.........
Monday, August 10, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
What? 2 posts in 2 days?!?!?!
A few weeks ago, I was having bouts of dizziness, especially when I stood up or sat up. I remembered (thankfully) that the cardiologist that cleared me for surgery said to watch for those symptoms when it became time to get off the Norvasc. I was placed on it several years ago because I was always having tachycardia. Stressed much? And not just from carrying around an extra 170 pounds.....
I went to see my PCP's PA, and she did some orthostatic BP measurements sp see what was going on. I was certainly symptomatic. She did a test run to see if I could come off the Norvasc. I went back a week later, and lo and behold, I can finally completely kick the BP meds. That was the last one since I came off the other one that day of surgery. I really am excited!! My BP was 112/68 the last time I took it. And to think that 6 short months ago, my BP was constantly around 150/90, and was becoming more and more uncontrollable. The cardiologist even mentioned increasing my dose of Norvasc before surgery, though that was not necessary as it turns out.
So I really am excited about the quality of life improvements that I have now. I can sit on the couch and bend over until my chest touches my knees and tie my shoes while still continuing to breathe normally. I can do the same while painting my toes. I can get down in the floor and get right back up with ease. No grunting or feeling like my knees are going to explode. Heck, the other day I squatted down in Mom's yard and stayed like that for a minute or so while I tried to get her neurotic dog to stop barking. Not only would I have not done that before surgery, if I had, I'd have not been able to stay like that more than a few seconds.
Now that the scale seems to move a little slower, I'm doing a couple of things to keep my head sane. First, I'm staying off the scales. Second, I'm trying to focus on those QoL improvements that give me non-scale victories. And I'm staying accountable with my eating - protein first! We haven't started our running program yet, but I am hopeful that my back will calm down enough that I can try it in the next few days. I have an appt to see the spine doc in September, but may get in sooner if it continues to bother me. I'm basically having sharp, shooting pains down my left leg and in my lower left back. They come and go very quickly, but it paralyzes me while it's happening. I think I may need to have it injected again. But, the one thing I am doing is reading a book called ChiRunning by Danny Dreyer. And out of that, I have come to realize that Tai Chi can help me gain core strength, flexibility and relax all at the same time. So to that end, G and I are going to start going to some Tai Chi classes at the downtown Y starting tomorrow night. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm just anxious to get back out and do some running since I can't help but think it will feel a lot different now that I've lost a whole Paris Hilton.
So that's where my head, and weight, is now. I am doing well, felling really good most days. I still struggle with eating too fast, and it still hurts when I do. But oddly, I am glad it still works that way, and I hope and pray it always will. Lots of folks tell me I'm looking younger, but at the same time are wary I'll be offended. No way will I ever get upset to hear I look younger! It'd be different if I didn't go into it knowing I made a drastic life change, yanno? Heck, I even had some young hottie say hello the other day in the produce section of the Harris Teeter. That was exciting and scary on SO many levels! LOL Ya'll know what I'm talking about!
Well, tomorrow, in my plan to keep up with posting daily, I will tell you all about losing my hair. Seriously, what's up with that crazy do in the picture Sunday night? I just don't know what to do with it now..... I'm open to suggestions!
I went to see my PCP's PA, and she did some orthostatic BP measurements sp see what was going on. I was certainly symptomatic. She did a test run to see if I could come off the Norvasc. I went back a week later, and lo and behold, I can finally completely kick the BP meds. That was the last one since I came off the other one that day of surgery. I really am excited!! My BP was 112/68 the last time I took it. And to think that 6 short months ago, my BP was constantly around 150/90, and was becoming more and more uncontrollable. The cardiologist even mentioned increasing my dose of Norvasc before surgery, though that was not necessary as it turns out.
So I really am excited about the quality of life improvements that I have now. I can sit on the couch and bend over until my chest touches my knees and tie my shoes while still continuing to breathe normally. I can do the same while painting my toes. I can get down in the floor and get right back up with ease. No grunting or feeling like my knees are going to explode. Heck, the other day I squatted down in Mom's yard and stayed like that for a minute or so while I tried to get her neurotic dog to stop barking. Not only would I have not done that before surgery, if I had, I'd have not been able to stay like that more than a few seconds.
Now that the scale seems to move a little slower, I'm doing a couple of things to keep my head sane. First, I'm staying off the scales. Second, I'm trying to focus on those QoL improvements that give me non-scale victories. And I'm staying accountable with my eating - protein first! We haven't started our running program yet, but I am hopeful that my back will calm down enough that I can try it in the next few days. I have an appt to see the spine doc in September, but may get in sooner if it continues to bother me. I'm basically having sharp, shooting pains down my left leg and in my lower left back. They come and go very quickly, but it paralyzes me while it's happening. I think I may need to have it injected again. But, the one thing I am doing is reading a book called ChiRunning by Danny Dreyer. And out of that, I have come to realize that Tai Chi can help me gain core strength, flexibility and relax all at the same time. So to that end, G and I are going to start going to some Tai Chi classes at the downtown Y starting tomorrow night. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm just anxious to get back out and do some running since I can't help but think it will feel a lot different now that I've lost a whole Paris Hilton.
So that's where my head, and weight, is now. I am doing well, felling really good most days. I still struggle with eating too fast, and it still hurts when I do. But oddly, I am glad it still works that way, and I hope and pray it always will. Lots of folks tell me I'm looking younger, but at the same time are wary I'll be offended. No way will I ever get upset to hear I look younger! It'd be different if I didn't go into it knowing I made a drastic life change, yanno? Heck, I even had some young hottie say hello the other day in the produce section of the Harris Teeter. That was exciting and scary on SO many levels! LOL Ya'll know what I'm talking about!
Well, tomorrow, in my plan to keep up with posting daily, I will tell you all about losing my hair. Seriously, what's up with that crazy do in the picture Sunday night? I just don't know what to do with it now..... I'm open to suggestions!
Monday, August 3, 2009
I know I'm slack, so gimme some slack, OK?
Howdy! I have been so crazy busy each day here at work, and then I go home and it seems the list of stuff to do grows each day I'm not there to work on it. It's crazy! But we wanted a new house, and we totally love our new house! I'm still working on the studio, but I had to fight the wasps for territory this past Saturday. They built a nest in the window where we have the A/C unit. Not fun. But I did find out that Raid really will shoot their asses from 20 feet away!
G is working on the yard and garden like a madman. We have peas and green beans sprouting. He also planted some lettuce but he accidentally killed the seedlings last week when he left the top on the little seed starter. It cooked them. But we have more seeds so we're starting again. We really do need to take more pictures of the yard and house to document the transformation. My crepe myrtles are finally blooming and that makes me happy as well. It's all a work in progress.
But speaking of transformations, I have been having a few. Got into a size 16 comfortably about 2 weeks ago. Was thrilled! That was until I got my ass into size 14 shorts yesterday. I was SO excited, I ran G down in the store and told him I was buying them just because I could wear them! Well, and I needed new shorts - the ones I was wearing were size 20 and were falling off me. I gave them to Mom when I got to her house. So then, I also have gotten to One-derland - that would finally be a weight that doesn't start with a 2, or a 3, for that matter. I can't believe it! I am posting a picture of me on the scales the day I got below 200 for the first time.
That was about 10 days ago. I've been kinda stuck around there since then, so I've been getting frustrated with that. I started to try to focus on non-scale victories though. So last night since I was feeling kinda full of myself after the size 14s, I decided to try on the one pair of stretch jeans I've been saving from my heaviest weight. So in the picture you will see I am standing in one leg of those jeans. Pretty unbelievable. I am going to keep them around and continue to try them again and again to see how easily I fit into that one leg. But I gotta tell you, I never thought I'd see that day! Oh, and I took measurements and totaled them. I've lost 11 inches off my hips, and 11.5 inches off my waist. From neck to ankles, if you add them all together, I've lost over 74 inches since I had surgery.
I'm still getting used to this new body. It seems surreal some days. And just like before, sometimes now it's hard for me to really "see" what I look like - the crepe-y skin on my arms or my thighs. But hey, it's better than being morbidly obese and dying slowly. And I keep telling myself that it sure as hell isn't anything that $5K and a scalpel can't cure!
More later, perhaps tomorrow. I've got more to report and I really need to go do some house work now. So check out this picture.....
What's up with the boobs yesterday? Geez, for a minute there it actually looked like I still have some.....
G is working on the yard and garden like a madman. We have peas and green beans sprouting. He also planted some lettuce but he accidentally killed the seedlings last week when he left the top on the little seed starter. It cooked them. But we have more seeds so we're starting again. We really do need to take more pictures of the yard and house to document the transformation. My crepe myrtles are finally blooming and that makes me happy as well. It's all a work in progress.
But speaking of transformations, I have been having a few. Got into a size 16 comfortably about 2 weeks ago. Was thrilled! That was until I got my ass into size 14 shorts yesterday. I was SO excited, I ran G down in the store and told him I was buying them just because I could wear them! Well, and I needed new shorts - the ones I was wearing were size 20 and were falling off me. I gave them to Mom when I got to her house. So then, I also have gotten to One-derland - that would finally be a weight that doesn't start with a 2, or a 3, for that matter. I can't believe it! I am posting a picture of me on the scales the day I got below 200 for the first time.
That was about 10 days ago. I've been kinda stuck around there since then, so I've been getting frustrated with that. I started to try to focus on non-scale victories though. So last night since I was feeling kinda full of myself after the size 14s, I decided to try on the one pair of stretch jeans I've been saving from my heaviest weight. So in the picture you will see I am standing in one leg of those jeans. Pretty unbelievable. I am going to keep them around and continue to try them again and again to see how easily I fit into that one leg. But I gotta tell you, I never thought I'd see that day! Oh, and I took measurements and totaled them. I've lost 11 inches off my hips, and 11.5 inches off my waist. From neck to ankles, if you add them all together, I've lost over 74 inches since I had surgery.
I'm still getting used to this new body. It seems surreal some days. And just like before, sometimes now it's hard for me to really "see" what I look like - the crepe-y skin on my arms or my thighs. But hey, it's better than being morbidly obese and dying slowly. And I keep telling myself that it sure as hell isn't anything that $5K and a scalpel can't cure!
More later, perhaps tomorrow. I've got more to report and I really need to go do some house work now. So check out this picture.....
What's up with the boobs yesterday? Geez, for a minute there it actually looked like I still have some.....
Monday, June 15, 2009
Holy Cow, has it been THAT long since I posted?
Sorry, folks. Life has really taken me for a ride these last few weeks. I started a new job with ClinForce as a clinical data indexer (while I am still looking for other clinical work), then Gerald and I found a house we absolutely love and we bought it! Buying was one thing, but moving has been a bear! You know, it's bad when you come to work on a Monday morning and your co-worker looks at you and says, "Gee, you look exhausted!" Nice to know I hide it well. Might be better if I actually had on some make-up. I always look dead when I don't wear mascara.
Anyway.... I am happy to report that last Friday the movers came and in 4 1/2 hours, they had all our stuff moved and in place. Wow. Best money I've spent the whole move. But also a big thanks to Stephen and Julia for helping us with a couple of truckloads of stuff from storage in Oxford and from the apartment yesterday. It was a HUGE help! Now to unpack and settle in....
In other news, I have almost reached another great big milestone in my weight loss. Granted, I have not stepped on the scale since last Wed. and I don't know when I will again - maybe this Wed. - but I have lost 90 pounds. I can't believe I am 10 pounds away from the Century Club. Wow. I find it hard to fathom 100 pounds lost. I feel kinda weird about that. I mean, I feel like I feel normal, yet I find it hard to believe. I know I still have to lose much more - about 70-75 pounds to get to my goal. I guess the only way to really describe it would be that it's kind of like an out-of-body experience. It almost seems impossible that I will ever actually reach my goal of 135-140, but yet I do continue to shrink.
I promise to be better at updating, though, and I will most definitely shout it from the rooftops when I've lost 100 pounds. After that, my next goals in order are:
- start a running program - 200 pounds is the magic number to start so I don't blow out my knees
- reach One-derland (a weight that starts with a "1") - 199 is a good place to start
- reach the weight I got down to as a young 20-something by starving - 175 pounds
- reach Dr. Smith's goal for me - his goal is 167 (that's only 48 pounds from now)
- reach my goal - the range is 135-140 (that's 75-80 pounds from now)
And somewhere in there I hope to be able to actually wear all the beautiful clothes Bonnie gave me. Some things I can wear now, but most things need a few more inches before they will fit and look good enough to wear out. Of course, if I will ever break down and buy some Spanx, I think they'll fit sooner. Foundation garments are a wonderful thing, girls!
Anyway, that's about it for now. I do look forward to having a series of parties and gatherings so folks can come see the house once I get things straight. I can't wait to start enjoying the screen porch - I love how it keeps the mosquitoes at bay! Plus, we have so many birds and a chipmunk named Gus!
Anyway.... I am happy to report that last Friday the movers came and in 4 1/2 hours, they had all our stuff moved and in place. Wow. Best money I've spent the whole move. But also a big thanks to Stephen and Julia for helping us with a couple of truckloads of stuff from storage in Oxford and from the apartment yesterday. It was a HUGE help! Now to unpack and settle in....
In other news, I have almost reached another great big milestone in my weight loss. Granted, I have not stepped on the scale since last Wed. and I don't know when I will again - maybe this Wed. - but I have lost 90 pounds. I can't believe I am 10 pounds away from the Century Club. Wow. I find it hard to fathom 100 pounds lost. I feel kinda weird about that. I mean, I feel like I feel normal, yet I find it hard to believe. I know I still have to lose much more - about 70-75 pounds to get to my goal. I guess the only way to really describe it would be that it's kind of like an out-of-body experience. It almost seems impossible that I will ever actually reach my goal of 135-140, but yet I do continue to shrink.
I promise to be better at updating, though, and I will most definitely shout it from the rooftops when I've lost 100 pounds. After that, my next goals in order are:
- start a running program - 200 pounds is the magic number to start so I don't blow out my knees
- reach One-derland (a weight that starts with a "1") - 199 is a good place to start
- reach the weight I got down to as a young 20-something by starving - 175 pounds
- reach Dr. Smith's goal for me - his goal is 167 (that's only 48 pounds from now)
- reach my goal - the range is 135-140 (that's 75-80 pounds from now)
And somewhere in there I hope to be able to actually wear all the beautiful clothes Bonnie gave me. Some things I can wear now, but most things need a few more inches before they will fit and look good enough to wear out. Of course, if I will ever break down and buy some Spanx, I think they'll fit sooner. Foundation garments are a wonderful thing, girls!
Anyway, that's about it for now. I do look forward to having a series of parties and gatherings so folks can come see the house once I get things straight. I can't wait to start enjoying the screen porch - I love how it keeps the mosquitoes at bay! Plus, we have so many birds and a chipmunk named Gus!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
New Measurements
Short post here since I'm at work.
I took my measurements this morning and I've lost another 17.75 inches since I last measured in March. How wild! I only lost 9 inches from Feb. to March, but from March to now, I lost twice that. It's quite funny to me how one month the inches don't go as much as in others. It's like little spurts of loss. Hey, I'll take it either way! I knew Gerald had said he could really tell it in my waist area. I lost 2 inches in my waist, 2 1/4 in my hips, and (BooHoo!) 4 inches in my bust! I knew the girls would go south at some point, and that point must be now!
In addition to my loss of inches, my weight loss for the month was 15 pounds. That's actually more than last month, and still right on track. I hope I can have one more good month like that. If I do, I'll be ecstatic! Mainly because it will mean that I am no longer morbidly obese according to a BMI chart! I actually will hit that mark in another 8 pounds! I can't wait!!!!
BTW, that's a grand total of 48.7 inches! I just can't wrap my mind around that.
More later when I have time!
I took my measurements this morning and I've lost another 17.75 inches since I last measured in March. How wild! I only lost 9 inches from Feb. to March, but from March to now, I lost twice that. It's quite funny to me how one month the inches don't go as much as in others. It's like little spurts of loss. Hey, I'll take it either way! I knew Gerald had said he could really tell it in my waist area. I lost 2 inches in my waist, 2 1/4 in my hips, and (BooHoo!) 4 inches in my bust! I knew the girls would go south at some point, and that point must be now!
In addition to my loss of inches, my weight loss for the month was 15 pounds. That's actually more than last month, and still right on track. I hope I can have one more good month like that. If I do, I'll be ecstatic! Mainly because it will mean that I am no longer morbidly obese according to a BMI chart! I actually will hit that mark in another 8 pounds! I can't wait!!!!
BTW, that's a grand total of 48.7 inches! I just can't wrap my mind around that.
More later when I have time!
Friday, April 24, 2009
3 month check up
We went down to Georgia last Thursday night after work. Managed to miss the nasty storms that rolled through Atlanta packing golf ball-sized hail though. Didn't get there until 2:00 a.m. Yowza! But the 4 hours sleep we did get were nice.
Went to Dr. Smith's office at 8:15 a.m. for my appt. with him, and then on to have blood drawn. I had wondered if I would weigh the same on his scales as on my own, so ours must be pretty close since I weighed a half pound less than the last time I weighed. I clocked in at 235.1 on the doc's scales. We talked about my vitamins and my diet. All doing pretty good with one notable exception. {Last Wednesday night I ate some barbecue and stew from Hog Heaven here in Durham. I ate too much and ate too fast. Once I took that last bite of stew, I knew it was not good and was way too late. Time I swallowed, I was running to the bathroom. And up it came. It was a horrid experience, but was nonetheless a very good teacher. Note to self: LISTEN to the dragon and what she tells you. Geesh! It took a good couple of days to get my insides to accommodate food again.}
Overall, I think Dr. Smith was really pleased with my progress. He whipped out the calculator and I knew what he was doing. He calculates that at 3 months post-op, I have lost 43.4% of my excess weight. Woo Hoo!!!! I am thrilled, and I even got a big ol' smile out of him (not an easy feat, I tell you)! He said it will probably slow down and I am prepared for that - of course I say that until it actually happens. I'm sure at that point I will panic. But, it does look like I have a decent chance at reaching goal, which for me is 135-140 pounds. That will put me at a normal BMI for a woman 5'3" tall. Of course, if I manage to gain the inch I lost while morbidly obese, that will be all the better. I don't care how tall I am, as long as I can run without pain so Gerald and I can run some half marathons together. I guess I'm just thrilled that Dr. Smith is so happy.
I got my blood drawn, and it will be a couple of weeks before I hear anything, I'm sure. He is going to make sure I get a copy of my results so I can track trends, and we will talk about tweaking my vitamins if I need to. He seems to think I might be ok since I started taking lots and lots right out of the gate. I knew I just didn't want to play catch up, especially with Vit. D and calcium. Not a good place to be.
Anyway, I have much more interesting stuff to talk about, but I also want to be able to post pictures, and I don't have them off the camera yet. I met one of my angelettes on Friday. Her name is Jill, and she is having surgery with Dr. Smith tomorrow, Wed., April 29th. I'll post our picture soon. I also met a great group of gals at IKEA on Saturday down in Atlanta that are all pre-op. I was able to answer some questions and generally reassure them that they will love their DS, too! And now, this coming weekend, I will be going to Leicester, NC (outside Asheville) to visit with my other angelette, Nancy. Her surgery will be with Dr. Smith on May 20th. I'm so excited for both Jill and Nancy! And hey, it makes me feel good to pay this wonderful new life forward. I might look a lot better, but you can't put a price tag on feeling like a million bucks!
Went to Dr. Smith's office at 8:15 a.m. for my appt. with him, and then on to have blood drawn. I had wondered if I would weigh the same on his scales as on my own, so ours must be pretty close since I weighed a half pound less than the last time I weighed. I clocked in at 235.1 on the doc's scales. We talked about my vitamins and my diet. All doing pretty good with one notable exception. {Last Wednesday night I ate some barbecue and stew from Hog Heaven here in Durham. I ate too much and ate too fast. Once I took that last bite of stew, I knew it was not good and was way too late. Time I swallowed, I was running to the bathroom. And up it came. It was a horrid experience, but was nonetheless a very good teacher. Note to self: LISTEN to the dragon and what she tells you. Geesh! It took a good couple of days to get my insides to accommodate food again.}
Overall, I think Dr. Smith was really pleased with my progress. He whipped out the calculator and I knew what he was doing. He calculates that at 3 months post-op, I have lost 43.4% of my excess weight. Woo Hoo!!!! I am thrilled, and I even got a big ol' smile out of him (not an easy feat, I tell you)! He said it will probably slow down and I am prepared for that - of course I say that until it actually happens. I'm sure at that point I will panic. But, it does look like I have a decent chance at reaching goal, which for me is 135-140 pounds. That will put me at a normal BMI for a woman 5'3" tall. Of course, if I manage to gain the inch I lost while morbidly obese, that will be all the better. I don't care how tall I am, as long as I can run without pain so Gerald and I can run some half marathons together. I guess I'm just thrilled that Dr. Smith is so happy.
I got my blood drawn, and it will be a couple of weeks before I hear anything, I'm sure. He is going to make sure I get a copy of my results so I can track trends, and we will talk about tweaking my vitamins if I need to. He seems to think I might be ok since I started taking lots and lots right out of the gate. I knew I just didn't want to play catch up, especially with Vit. D and calcium. Not a good place to be.
Anyway, I have much more interesting stuff to talk about, but I also want to be able to post pictures, and I don't have them off the camera yet. I met one of my angelettes on Friday. Her name is Jill, and she is having surgery with Dr. Smith tomorrow, Wed., April 29th. I'll post our picture soon. I also met a great group of gals at IKEA on Saturday down in Atlanta that are all pre-op. I was able to answer some questions and generally reassure them that they will love their DS, too! And now, this coming weekend, I will be going to Leicester, NC (outside Asheville) to visit with my other angelette, Nancy. Her surgery will be with Dr. Smith on May 20th. I'm so excited for both Jill and Nancy! And hey, it makes me feel good to pay this wonderful new life forward. I might look a lot better, but you can't put a price tag on feeling like a million bucks!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
I broke into the 230s!!!
Hot damn!!! I am SO excited. In just 2 more pounds, I will weigh the same as Gerald! Call that hitting my 1st goal. I can't wait!
Frankly, I had worried that I might have stalled because my cousin Stephen's birthday party was this weekend. We partied hard! I made coleslaw, baked beans with molasses in it (YUM!), and deviled eggs. I only made 72 deviled eggs, for cripe's sake! Of course, they are the perfect DS food! It was all so very good. And I was faithful to my DS in that I only ate protein and a little tiny bit of coleslaw and beans. I did eat about a teaspoon of butter cream icing off his birthday cake, but it was SO worth it! It was yummy. I also had one forkful of chocolate cupcake (from Costco). Both of the sweets passed the "bliss" test, so I was glad I ate them. (The "bliss" test is that I ask myself if eating this food will bring me bliss. If the answer is yes, then I have one bite. And that one bite is savored and enjoyed. Not a bad way to have goodies and not feel deprived, if you ask me.)
I am just so freakin' excited to be here, in the 230s. I can't believe that I have lost damn close to 70 pounds - 67 to be exact. It feels unreal. I even noticed yesterday that my black jeans that I got back into 20 pounds ago are loose on me! That seems totally unreal! I even wore a size 18 top yesterday and a size 18 blazer that I have not worn in years either! I am really trying to enjoy these clothes while I can. It will be interesting to take measurements this month (next week) to see how body shape is changing.
I'm really excited to be heading to Atlanta next Thursday so that I can see Dr. Smith next Friday. I am anxious to have my labs done so that I can track my vitamin levels. I started on 50K IU of dry D and 25K IU of dry A as soon as I got home and I am hopeful that my levels have stayed the same, if not, increased some. I think Dr. Smith will be pleased with my progress. According to my calculations, if my goal weight is 140, I have lost 41% of my excess weight. If I lose another 4 pounds next week, I will be at 43% excess weight lost by the time I see him. If I am to be on track to lose 100% of my weight, the general guidelines are to have lost 25% by 3 months, 50% by 6 months, and 80% by 1 year. If I can keep this pace up, I am actually on schedule to lose it all by my 1 year anniversary, probably more like by 9 months post-op. I do realize it will slow down, but I am working my butt off to make sure I keep my metabolism up by exercising and by keeping my carb intake low.
Now, if only I could eat a hamburger patty without it sitting like a ton of bricks in my belly.....
Oh, and if you're reading this Nancy (and Carla), when are you two hussies coming over here so Nan can raid my closet?!?! For Nan, I have linen. For you, Carla, I have wine and beer! Call me!!!
Frankly, I had worried that I might have stalled because my cousin Stephen's birthday party was this weekend. We partied hard! I made coleslaw, baked beans with molasses in it (YUM!), and deviled eggs. I only made 72 deviled eggs, for cripe's sake! Of course, they are the perfect DS food! It was all so very good. And I was faithful to my DS in that I only ate protein and a little tiny bit of coleslaw and beans. I did eat about a teaspoon of butter cream icing off his birthday cake, but it was SO worth it! It was yummy. I also had one forkful of chocolate cupcake (from Costco). Both of the sweets passed the "bliss" test, so I was glad I ate them. (The "bliss" test is that I ask myself if eating this food will bring me bliss. If the answer is yes, then I have one bite. And that one bite is savored and enjoyed. Not a bad way to have goodies and not feel deprived, if you ask me.)
I am just so freakin' excited to be here, in the 230s. I can't believe that I have lost damn close to 70 pounds - 67 to be exact. It feels unreal. I even noticed yesterday that my black jeans that I got back into 20 pounds ago are loose on me! That seems totally unreal! I even wore a size 18 top yesterday and a size 18 blazer that I have not worn in years either! I am really trying to enjoy these clothes while I can. It will be interesting to take measurements this month (next week) to see how body shape is changing.
I'm really excited to be heading to Atlanta next Thursday so that I can see Dr. Smith next Friday. I am anxious to have my labs done so that I can track my vitamin levels. I started on 50K IU of dry D and 25K IU of dry A as soon as I got home and I am hopeful that my levels have stayed the same, if not, increased some. I think Dr. Smith will be pleased with my progress. According to my calculations, if my goal weight is 140, I have lost 41% of my excess weight. If I lose another 4 pounds next week, I will be at 43% excess weight lost by the time I see him. If I am to be on track to lose 100% of my weight, the general guidelines are to have lost 25% by 3 months, 50% by 6 months, and 80% by 1 year. If I can keep this pace up, I am actually on schedule to lose it all by my 1 year anniversary, probably more like by 9 months post-op. I do realize it will slow down, but I am working my butt off to make sure I keep my metabolism up by exercising and by keeping my carb intake low.
Now, if only I could eat a hamburger patty without it sitting like a ton of bricks in my belly.....
Oh, and if you're reading this Nancy (and Carla), when are you two hussies coming over here so Nan can raid my closet?!?! For Nan, I have linen. For you, Carla, I have wine and beer! Call me!!!
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