So this morning I got up in the blustery cold and met my daughter and her fiancé to run our last 5K of the year...Seattle's Jingle Bell Run. I knew this was going to be a tough race. The last time I did a training run was Thanksgiving morning. The weather has been nothing short of abysmal and all I want to do after work is to come home, start a fire, and settle in. So I was not expecting great results...and I did not get great results! My last race I finished in 40:50 and my goal for this year was to run a sub-40 minute race...that was not to be. Today's official time was 41:40. In some ways, I was disappointed...in others I was grateful. Disappointed that I did not reach the goal I set for myself back in June of this year...but grateful that I (at the age of 55) have developed a love of running and that my daughter is willing to share in this with me! I plan to run a 5K every month in 2016 and so I know that my goal will eventually be met!
I have been doing much better with my food choices. After a month of getting further and further off track, this last week saw a return to my good habits. It also saw the scale go back down and so I lost the 3 pounds that I had gained in the last month. My plan is to continue these good habits and to make it thru Christmas and New Years with no weight gain. Once the holidays are behind me, I am going to rededicate myself to getting these last 20-25 pounds off! Once I am below 140, I can begin to plan for my tummy tuck surgery and this is something that I really want to have done. I really feel like until the skin of my middle is tightened back up, I won't feel like my journey is complete. So I am motivated and focused on that end goal.
Other than these things, I have been doing great. I am getting ready for my daughter to come home from college for Christmas and the house is all decorated and festive. My mood is light and work is not kicking my ass too hard. All in all, things are looking bright.
Until next week...
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Struggling
A random mid-week post to admit that I am struggling with making good food choices. I have really fallen off the bandwagon of cooking and making sure I have enough healthy food choices to last me all week. I am falling back on protein shakes, carbs, and protein bars to get me through the day and night. Because of that, I am constantly hungry. And that leads to grazing...
Just to add insult to injury, because of early darkness, I don't feel safe running after work. I know that I should go to the gym and get in at least an hour of exercise 3-4 times a week...but I am just not doing it. I am scared. This feels way too much like the old me...and I honestly thought I had left her behind. I thought that feeling this great would be its own reward and that to keep feeling this way I would be willing to do anything!
And let's just throw the holidays in the mix...too much sugar...and it's a recipe for disaster. For the first time in this whole journey, I have gained weight. I am embarrassed to admit it...but there it is. My demons run deeper than even I realized and I have got to get this turned around - NOW!
My philosophy is...you can't change it if you don't own it. So I am owning it right now. Tonight I am going to make a food plan for the rest of the week and I am going to stick to it. And right now I am going to put on my workout clothes and get busy burning some calories.
I'll keep it real...and keep you posted.
Just to add insult to injury, because of early darkness, I don't feel safe running after work. I know that I should go to the gym and get in at least an hour of exercise 3-4 times a week...but I am just not doing it. I am scared. This feels way too much like the old me...and I honestly thought I had left her behind. I thought that feeling this great would be its own reward and that to keep feeling this way I would be willing to do anything!
And let's just throw the holidays in the mix...too much sugar...and it's a recipe for disaster. For the first time in this whole journey, I have gained weight. I am embarrassed to admit it...but there it is. My demons run deeper than even I realized and I have got to get this turned around - NOW!
My philosophy is...you can't change it if you don't own it. So I am owning it right now. Tonight I am going to make a food plan for the rest of the week and I am going to stick to it. And right now I am going to put on my workout clothes and get busy burning some calories.
I'll keep it real...and keep you posted.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Surviving Thanksgiving
Well, it's over...for another year. The one day where more food is prepared and served than any other day...and I made it.
This year I was invited to share Thanksgiving with my daughters future in-laws. They are a wonderful large and loving family! I was so thankful to be included in their celebration. They are also fabulous cooks and so I knew that everything was going to be delicious. So I had a plan.
I started my day with a run - my longest run to date - 4.71 miles! I was actually going to try for 5 miles, but at about the 4.5 mile mark my right knee began to hurt. As I turned to head back to the car, it started to hurt more and more. By the time I got back to the car, I could barely bend it. Damn!! I do not want to get injured so that I can't run anymore! I went home and took a hot bath. Then I rubbed ointment on my knee and wrapped it in an ace bandage. The good news is that this morning it hardly hurts at all ! I am going to give it another day to rest and then tomorrow I am going to try a shorter run and see how it goes. I have a 5K coming up in a couple of weeks and I don't want to miss it!
I ate a bowl of oatmeal and a piece of bacon at noon. I figured that would hold me until dinner that night and it did. We got to the house around 3:30 and the party was in full swing. I got a glass of wine and sat down to visit. I had 2 crackers with brie and fig paste while I visited and then a handful of pecans. Big mistake! That little bit of appetizer filled me up to the point where I really couldn't eat dinner! I think I had 2 small bites of turkey and a few green beans and that was it. Damn! Wish I could undo that and not have taken a bite of anything until dinner! At least it made me far too full to even contemplate eating any of the lovely deserts on display! But I did it...I made it through the biggest eating day of the year and didn't overeat, or eat anything that would set me back in my journey, and it wasn't even hard! Hooray!
I am still at the same weight...160.4 I have been at this weight for about a month. I am trying very hard not to be upset about it. I know these things take time and that if I keep working hard, the weight will begin to come off again. But it's hard to wait. It's hard to stay positive. It's not hard (surprisingly) to stay motivated...I am still very on track with exercise and eating...but I do find myself doing a lot of negative self talk and I want to stop that.
Right now, my goal is to lose another 10 pounds by my 1 year surgery anniversary. If I can do that, I will have lost 75 pounds in a year. When I started the journey last February, I was convinced that I could lose all 90 pounds in that first year. I heard that the first year is the "honeymoon" year and that after that, it is much harder to lose the weight. Well...that is not going to happen and so I am going to have to lose weight after the honeymoon!! I am determined to get down to 140 at a maximum weight...and 130 as a minimum. Once I get to 140 and am able to maintain that weight for more than 6 months, I can begin to plan for my breast lift and tummy tuck. If I am going back under the knife, it will only be when my body and mind both are ready for it.
So here's to the start of the holiday season...a time where candy and cookies abound...and a time where family is together and we can set aside (even for a short time) the troubles that plague us the rest of the year. I am looking forward to my daughter coming home during college break and I am looking forward to turning on the Christmas lights after a long day at work and just soaking in the holiday spirit!
Cheers!
This year I was invited to share Thanksgiving with my daughters future in-laws. They are a wonderful large and loving family! I was so thankful to be included in their celebration. They are also fabulous cooks and so I knew that everything was going to be delicious. So I had a plan.
I started my day with a run - my longest run to date - 4.71 miles! I was actually going to try for 5 miles, but at about the 4.5 mile mark my right knee began to hurt. As I turned to head back to the car, it started to hurt more and more. By the time I got back to the car, I could barely bend it. Damn!! I do not want to get injured so that I can't run anymore! I went home and took a hot bath. Then I rubbed ointment on my knee and wrapped it in an ace bandage. The good news is that this morning it hardly hurts at all ! I am going to give it another day to rest and then tomorrow I am going to try a shorter run and see how it goes. I have a 5K coming up in a couple of weeks and I don't want to miss it!
I ate a bowl of oatmeal and a piece of bacon at noon. I figured that would hold me until dinner that night and it did. We got to the house around 3:30 and the party was in full swing. I got a glass of wine and sat down to visit. I had 2 crackers with brie and fig paste while I visited and then a handful of pecans. Big mistake! That little bit of appetizer filled me up to the point where I really couldn't eat dinner! I think I had 2 small bites of turkey and a few green beans and that was it. Damn! Wish I could undo that and not have taken a bite of anything until dinner! At least it made me far too full to even contemplate eating any of the lovely deserts on display! But I did it...I made it through the biggest eating day of the year and didn't overeat, or eat anything that would set me back in my journey, and it wasn't even hard! Hooray!
I am still at the same weight...160.4 I have been at this weight for about a month. I am trying very hard not to be upset about it. I know these things take time and that if I keep working hard, the weight will begin to come off again. But it's hard to wait. It's hard to stay positive. It's not hard (surprisingly) to stay motivated...I am still very on track with exercise and eating...but I do find myself doing a lot of negative self talk and I want to stop that.
Right now, my goal is to lose another 10 pounds by my 1 year surgery anniversary. If I can do that, I will have lost 75 pounds in a year. When I started the journey last February, I was convinced that I could lose all 90 pounds in that first year. I heard that the first year is the "honeymoon" year and that after that, it is much harder to lose the weight. Well...that is not going to happen and so I am going to have to lose weight after the honeymoon!! I am determined to get down to 140 at a maximum weight...and 130 as a minimum. Once I get to 140 and am able to maintain that weight for more than 6 months, I can begin to plan for my breast lift and tummy tuck. If I am going back under the knife, it will only be when my body and mind both are ready for it.
So here's to the start of the holiday season...a time where candy and cookies abound...and a time where family is together and we can set aside (even for a short time) the troubles that plague us the rest of the year. I am looking forward to my daughter coming home during college break and I am looking forward to turning on the Christmas lights after a long day at work and just soaking in the holiday spirit!
Cheers!
Sunday, November 22, 2015
My 4th 5K is in the books!
Things have been slowing getting back to "normal" around here. No more trips scheduled...my project at work has been given a 6 week extension which will allow me to at least enjoy the holidays...and my return to the gym has been going well. I am 9 months post op and have lost 64 pounds. SW 224 CW 160 Am I where I want to be? No Am I where I had hoped to be almost 10 months post op? No Am I glad every single day that I had this surgery done? YES!
My food choices are what is derailing me at present. The only thing that VSG does for you is limits the actual quantity of food you can consume in any single sitting. After you are completely healed, and you can tolerate most different types of foods, it's up to you to choose the foods that are healthy, low calorie/low fat/ low sugar! VSG doesn't fix your head...it only fixes your stomach!
I find myself eating more frequently than I did 6 months ago. 3-4 months into the process, I could eat about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of food and be completely satisfied. I wouldn't even think about food for 4-5 hours. Now I find myself "shopping" in my own fridge. Wondering what I could have, what I could make for dinner, or what would satisfy the craving rattling around in my head. Danger...DANger...DANGER!!!! The only thing I can do is to redirect my thoughts onto something else and hope that the craving goes away. It reminds me of the scene in the movie Jaws where the boat captain was telling them the story about the ship going down during the war and the sharks coming. They would yell and kick the sharks and group together to fend them off. He said, "sometimes the sharks go away...and sometimes they don't go away". That is exactly how I feel about my cravings! Sometimes they go away...and sometimes they don't.
But I am continuing on the good habits that I have formed. I am meeting my friend at the gym 2 nights a week. I am pushing "play" on the DVD player and choosing a workout from my 21 Day Fix DVD at least 2 nights a week. And I am continuing my 5K running challenge that I set for myself back in July. My daughter and I decided that we were going to start running 5K's together and that we wanted to run one per month. We started in July...missed August...but ran one in September, one in October, and one yesterday! This one was by far the hardest one yet. It was at 8 in the morning about 40 minutes from where we live. We were not able to do the pre-race packet pickup and so we had to get to the race early in order to get our bibs and be ready to run. The 5:45am alarm did not make me a happy camper...and neither did the 29 degree temperature outside! I do not have the right running gear for 29 degrees! We got there in plenty of time and got lined up for the race. My legs and my torso were fine - thanks to my fleece lined leggings and my new thermal long sleeved undershirt. But my face and my hands were frozen solid by the time we crossed the starting line. They did not thaw out until I hit the 2 mile mark. By then, my back was hurting thanks to my super stiff running style (think frozen solid) and all I could think of was crossing that finish line and getting something hot to drink! I was pleased with my time (40:50) and still want to have a sub 40 minute race (which I am getting really close to). My daughter and I are now rethinking a December / January race...unless we can get some warmer running gear...or at least some hot packs for our hands!
Thanksgiving is this Thursday and I am not super excited about it. I know what I need to do, and I will be having a lot of talks with myself this week to bolster my courage to do what's right and make it through with flying colors! With the holidays looming, I know that there will be challenges galore and it will be up to me to keep my end goal in my mind. Only I can get to where I want to be. I am determined to succeed.
Gobble gobble...
My food choices are what is derailing me at present. The only thing that VSG does for you is limits the actual quantity of food you can consume in any single sitting. After you are completely healed, and you can tolerate most different types of foods, it's up to you to choose the foods that are healthy, low calorie/low fat/ low sugar! VSG doesn't fix your head...it only fixes your stomach!
I find myself eating more frequently than I did 6 months ago. 3-4 months into the process, I could eat about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of food and be completely satisfied. I wouldn't even think about food for 4-5 hours. Now I find myself "shopping" in my own fridge. Wondering what I could have, what I could make for dinner, or what would satisfy the craving rattling around in my head. Danger...DANger...DANGER!!!! The only thing I can do is to redirect my thoughts onto something else and hope that the craving goes away. It reminds me of the scene in the movie Jaws where the boat captain was telling them the story about the ship going down during the war and the sharks coming. They would yell and kick the sharks and group together to fend them off. He said, "sometimes the sharks go away...and sometimes they don't go away". That is exactly how I feel about my cravings! Sometimes they go away...and sometimes they don't.
But I am continuing on the good habits that I have formed. I am meeting my friend at the gym 2 nights a week. I am pushing "play" on the DVD player and choosing a workout from my 21 Day Fix DVD at least 2 nights a week. And I am continuing my 5K running challenge that I set for myself back in July. My daughter and I decided that we were going to start running 5K's together and that we wanted to run one per month. We started in July...missed August...but ran one in September, one in October, and one yesterday! This one was by far the hardest one yet. It was at 8 in the morning about 40 minutes from where we live. We were not able to do the pre-race packet pickup and so we had to get to the race early in order to get our bibs and be ready to run. The 5:45am alarm did not make me a happy camper...and neither did the 29 degree temperature outside! I do not have the right running gear for 29 degrees! We got there in plenty of time and got lined up for the race. My legs and my torso were fine - thanks to my fleece lined leggings and my new thermal long sleeved undershirt. But my face and my hands were frozen solid by the time we crossed the starting line. They did not thaw out until I hit the 2 mile mark. By then, my back was hurting thanks to my super stiff running style (think frozen solid) and all I could think of was crossing that finish line and getting something hot to drink! I was pleased with my time (40:50) and still want to have a sub 40 minute race (which I am getting really close to). My daughter and I are now rethinking a December / January race...unless we can get some warmer running gear...or at least some hot packs for our hands!
Thanksgiving is this Thursday and I am not super excited about it. I know what I need to do, and I will be having a lot of talks with myself this week to bolster my courage to do what's right and make it through with flying colors! With the holidays looming, I know that there will be challenges galore and it will be up to me to keep my end goal in my mind. Only I can get to where I want to be. I am determined to succeed.
Gobble gobble...
Friday, November 13, 2015
Life's been a whirlwind!
Haven't posted regularly because life has been crazy! Two 5 day business trips in 14 days, a new roommate, my daughter in town, and work that has ramped up to frantic pace...what's not to love?!
My latest trip was to San Antonio, Texas. I left a couple of days early so that I could rent a car and drive to Sumner, Texas to visit my late father's brother. I stayed with my Uncle Wayne for two days and nights. For those of you who don't know, Sumner is in north east Texas just outside the city of Paris. It is rural folks...really, really rural. I am from Paris, Texas originally...and I like to think that there is some "southern girl" still in me...but Sumner is NOT my idea of bliss. I do love my Uncle though...and since I don't get down south very often (this is only my second visit in 7 years) I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit. One thing about the south...they know how to welcome a guest! Some cousins came over to see me, and they wouldn't let me help with anything! It was a great family feeling.
Southern food however, is NOT a part of my eating plan! I managed to keep it under control for the most part, but the night of the "fish fry" gave me a case of the foamies! Nothing worse than having to bolt from the table with a murmured "excuse me for a moment" while you run to the bathroom and stand over the toilet praying not to hurl up your Uncle's home cooking! My body is just not used to fried food anymore!
After that visit, I went to San Antonio for a 3 day business conference. Good things included...lot's of walking, workouts in the hotel gym, and fun with a couple of my favorite coworkers. Bad things included "conference breakfasts" (read: disgusting) and too much alcohol. Fortunately, I bring protein bars with me wherever I go now...and so when both morning breakfasts were nothing short of inedible, I had some fruit and a protein bar. I am glad that summer and travel is at an end though, because I found myself drinking way more than I should. Now that I am home for several months, I can get back to my eating, drinking, and exercise routines!
I am happy to report that I didn't gain any weight on either of my recent trips. I am unhappy to report that I didn't lose any weight either! I am ready to rededicate myself to getting this last 25 pounds off my body! I am hoping to lose 12 pounds between now and my one year surgiversary, which is February 5th. It is going to take some dedication to the gym in order to make this happen! That loss would put my weight firmly in the 140's and that is my first goal. My second goal is to get into the 130's. That is where I need to stay for 9 months or more in order to feel good about having a tummy tuck and breast lift in early 2017! That is my pot of gold at the end of this rainbow and I am determined to make it happen. I have about half the money saved already and I am not going to stop until I reach that goal.
Future happenings include another 5K in two weeks and my first Thanksgiving with my daughter's future in-laws. Then I will begin the countdown until my baby (she's 22) comes home for Christmas!
I am doing great and there is not a single day that has gone by where I have not been extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to have the VSG surgery. My life is so much better now that I am not carrying so much extra weight around with me. I know that as I lose these last 25 pounds, I am just going to feel better and better. I can't wait to post my next set of pictures when I reach my first goal of getting below 150. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.
Until next time...
My latest trip was to San Antonio, Texas. I left a couple of days early so that I could rent a car and drive to Sumner, Texas to visit my late father's brother. I stayed with my Uncle Wayne for two days and nights. For those of you who don't know, Sumner is in north east Texas just outside the city of Paris. It is rural folks...really, really rural. I am from Paris, Texas originally...and I like to think that there is some "southern girl" still in me...but Sumner is NOT my idea of bliss. I do love my Uncle though...and since I don't get down south very often (this is only my second visit in 7 years) I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit. One thing about the south...they know how to welcome a guest! Some cousins came over to see me, and they wouldn't let me help with anything! It was a great family feeling.
Southern food however, is NOT a part of my eating plan! I managed to keep it under control for the most part, but the night of the "fish fry" gave me a case of the foamies! Nothing worse than having to bolt from the table with a murmured "excuse me for a moment" while you run to the bathroom and stand over the toilet praying not to hurl up your Uncle's home cooking! My body is just not used to fried food anymore!
After that visit, I went to San Antonio for a 3 day business conference. Good things included...lot's of walking, workouts in the hotel gym, and fun with a couple of my favorite coworkers. Bad things included "conference breakfasts" (read: disgusting) and too much alcohol. Fortunately, I bring protein bars with me wherever I go now...and so when both morning breakfasts were nothing short of inedible, I had some fruit and a protein bar. I am glad that summer and travel is at an end though, because I found myself drinking way more than I should. Now that I am home for several months, I can get back to my eating, drinking, and exercise routines!
I am happy to report that I didn't gain any weight on either of my recent trips. I am unhappy to report that I didn't lose any weight either! I am ready to rededicate myself to getting this last 25 pounds off my body! I am hoping to lose 12 pounds between now and my one year surgiversary, which is February 5th. It is going to take some dedication to the gym in order to make this happen! That loss would put my weight firmly in the 140's and that is my first goal. My second goal is to get into the 130's. That is where I need to stay for 9 months or more in order to feel good about having a tummy tuck and breast lift in early 2017! That is my pot of gold at the end of this rainbow and I am determined to make it happen. I have about half the money saved already and I am not going to stop until I reach that goal.
Future happenings include another 5K in two weeks and my first Thanksgiving with my daughter's future in-laws. Then I will begin the countdown until my baby (she's 22) comes home for Christmas!
I am doing great and there is not a single day that has gone by where I have not been extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to have the VSG surgery. My life is so much better now that I am not carrying so much extra weight around with me. I know that as I lose these last 25 pounds, I am just going to feel better and better. I can't wait to post my next set of pictures when I reach my first goal of getting below 150. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.
Until next time...
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
It feels good to be back home again...
Just got back home from my management trip to Palm Springs. On a business level, I feel like the trip was a resounding success...on a weight loss level, the jury is still out. Tomorrow morning's scale will tell the tale. But a few things to celebrate for now...
#1 - On the morning of my flight to California, I got on the scale and it said 159.2 !!! I did it!!! I got into the 150's (OK just barely - but still) before the trip!!!
#2 - I took my running gear and took a 2.7 mile run on day 2 and a 2 mile run with a 1 mile trail climb on day 4 - so I really felt good about the exercise I got in while away.
#3 - Water...water...water... One thing about being in the desert is that the dry air sucks every ounce of water out of your body. When I packed up this morning, I threw away 11 water bottles! I drank so much water on this trip!!!
So...now for the bad...well not really bad, just off track. We ate out at every meal. I brought my protein bars with me and so I had one of those with fruit for breakfast every morning (good for me). My coworker and I shared one meal out at a Mexican restaurant and that was great since the one plate was so large that even two of us couldn't come close to finishing it!!! This is where I go on a rant about portion sizes in America! What the hell are we doing to ourselves? No one needs to eat that much at a single meal !!! Anyway...my biggest downfall on this trip was drinking. The place right by our hotel had the best damn margaritas!!! grrrrr- will power out the window!!! When everyone had the big sandwich lunch one day, I had onion soup (good) - when we all went out for pizza last night I had one piece of chicken pesto pizza (good) but I had a Moscow Mule to drink (bad). When everyone had sandwiches again for lunch today I had a small salad with turkey (good).
So as you can see, there were victories and defeats where my food and drink choices were concerned, but overall, I feel like I did a good job. I stayed away from cookies/cakes/candies etc, and drank a lot of water and got in some exercise! I am going to celebrate my success!
Next up in 10 days is another 5 day business trip (and then I am done for the year!!) - this time to the land of BBQ - San Antonio Texas! I am originally from Texas, so I am going to visit family for a couple of days and then go to the conference, so I am sure there will be challenges! I am totally game for the test and I have my eyes on the next milestone which is to have my weight under 150 !!
The race does not always go to the swift...but sometimes to the ones who, despite all odds, remain determined and strong. I will get to my goal - thanks for sharing the journey!
#1 - On the morning of my flight to California, I got on the scale and it said 159.2 !!! I did it!!! I got into the 150's (OK just barely - but still) before the trip!!!
#2 - I took my running gear and took a 2.7 mile run on day 2 and a 2 mile run with a 1 mile trail climb on day 4 - so I really felt good about the exercise I got in while away.
#3 - Water...water...water... One thing about being in the desert is that the dry air sucks every ounce of water out of your body. When I packed up this morning, I threw away 11 water bottles! I drank so much water on this trip!!!
So...now for the bad...well not really bad, just off track. We ate out at every meal. I brought my protein bars with me and so I had one of those with fruit for breakfast every morning (good for me). My coworker and I shared one meal out at a Mexican restaurant and that was great since the one plate was so large that even two of us couldn't come close to finishing it!!! This is where I go on a rant about portion sizes in America! What the hell are we doing to ourselves? No one needs to eat that much at a single meal !!! Anyway...my biggest downfall on this trip was drinking. The place right by our hotel had the best damn margaritas!!! grrrrr- will power out the window!!! When everyone had the big sandwich lunch one day, I had onion soup (good) - when we all went out for pizza last night I had one piece of chicken pesto pizza (good) but I had a Moscow Mule to drink (bad). When everyone had sandwiches again for lunch today I had a small salad with turkey (good).
So as you can see, there were victories and defeats where my food and drink choices were concerned, but overall, I feel like I did a good job. I stayed away from cookies/cakes/candies etc, and drank a lot of water and got in some exercise! I am going to celebrate my success!
Next up in 10 days is another 5 day business trip (and then I am done for the year!!) - this time to the land of BBQ - San Antonio Texas! I am originally from Texas, so I am going to visit family for a couple of days and then go to the conference, so I am sure there will be challenges! I am totally game for the test and I have my eyes on the next milestone which is to have my weight under 150 !!
The race does not always go to the swift...but sometimes to the ones who, despite all odds, remain determined and strong. I will get to my goal - thanks for sharing the journey!
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Just when I thought my life was getting boring...
This last week went by so quickly!! I am happy to report that I am finally losing a bit of weight again. I am soooooooo close to being in the 150's!! I thought I was going to weigh 163 forever, but when I weighed in this morning, the scale said 160.4 !!!! OMG - after not really losing any weight in the last month or so, I lost 2.6 pounds this week!! I wish I could pinpoint what I did (or didn't do) that caused the scale to finally move, but I really can't. I ate the same as always and actually worked out a bit less than I have been since I just finished the 21 day fix!
Next Saturday I leave for a work trip to Palm Springs that has been on the calendar for many months. I had set a goal for myself that I would be in the 150's when I got on that plane. Last weekend I was thinking that I was not going to make that goal...but now the challenge in on to lose one pound this week!!! My focus is strong and I am determined to do it!!!!!
On a personal note, a big thing happened this week. A long time friend of mine has been dating a women for a couple of years and living with her for the last year. A few months ago they got engaged and all seemed right in their world. Unfortunately that was not the case and they have broken up and called off the wedding. My friend called me because while he was living with his fiancé he rented out his house! So now he needs a place to stay while he gets his life back under his control. I have a 3 bedroom house that I live in by myself (while my daughter is away at college) and so he asked if he could stay with me for a few weeks. I am taking a leap of faith here because I actually like living alone. Especially where my weight loss journey is concerned. I eat what I want, when I want. If I want to workout at midnight...no problem! We had a long honest discussion about how this was going to work and I am hopeful that we will rub along well for the next 6-7 weeks.
The trip to Palm Springs will undoubtedly test my ability to stay on track. I know there will be lots of meals that I have to modify or skip all together. I plan to take my protein with me in case I have to make do with my own food. I know there will be drinking as well and I will do that in moderation! I plan to take my running gear and hope to get in some training time. My goal is to run a couple of two mile training runs every week all winter long.
I have only had one bad moment with food recently and it came last night when I went to a friends house for dinner and football. My friends husband is an amazing cook and so I knew that I was really going to have to watch it because his meals are always super rich and super tasty. He outdid himself with a rack of lamb, a french recipe for potatoes, grilled onions, and a super yummy spinach salad. Even though I didn't eat too much, the richness of the meal gave me a dreaded case of the "foamies" and I spent about 10 minutes in the bathroom praying that I was not going to throw up! Damn it! I know better and yet I still occasionally open myself up to food issues! Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence.
I am starting another 30 day online accountability group tomorrow and so I know that I will have the inspiration and support to get through the next month with healthy workouts and an upbeat attitude!
I haven't posted my status for a while and so here they are...
I had my VSG surgery with Dr. Jaime Ponce de Leon at INT Hospital in Tijuana Mexico on 2/5/15
My HW was 224.4
My SW was 216.0
I am just over 8 months post op and my current weight is 160.4
I have lost a total of 64 pounds from my HW and my BMI has gone from 41.0 to 29.3
10.4 pounds to my doctors goal - 30.4 pounds to my own goal
One day, one step, one pound at a time...
I am just over 8 months post op and my current weight is 160.4
I have lost a total of 64 pounds from my HW and my BMI has gone from 41.0 to 29.3
10.4 pounds to my doctors goal - 30.4 pounds to my own goal
One day, one step, one pound at a time...
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Catching up and the end of the 21 Day Fix
Well, last weekend got away from me and I completely forgot to update this blog! I have promised that I won't do that very often as I really want this to be a complete diary of my WLS journey.
So...today I finished the Beachbody 21 Day Fix. Today also marks the end of my participation in a one month online accountability group (also by a Beachbody coach). A few observations...
In the month that I participated, I lost 2-1/2 pounds. Not anything to write home about, but at least I am slowly moving in the right direction. Since I last measured 60 days ago, I lost another 9-1/2 inches...which makes me really happy!! While I wish more of those inches would have been in my waist and hips, I am still happy that I am shrinking all over.
The 21 Day Fix was really tough as I have never done a workout for 21 straight days without a day of rest. The workouts only last 35 minutes, but they are pretty intense. I didn't do all of the workouts (there are 10 in total), but the ones I did do were tough and yet very satisfying! I did the Upper Fix, the Lower Fix, the Ab Fix, the Pilates Fix, the Dirty 30, and the Yoga Fix. By the end of the 21 days, I was feeling much better at the end of each workout. I was much more able to stay with the instructor, and could use heavier weights. I also find that I am more flexible! I was actually considering doing another 21 days, but I think I am going to take a week off and focus on my running. Another online accountability group starts in a week, and I am going to participate in that. I may just include some of the 21 Day Fix workouts during the month but not workout every day. I did find that my bad ankle flared up a few times during the 21 days...and I want to make sure I am not making it worse by not resting it a bit more.
The other exciting thing that happened since my last post is that my BMI has dropped to under 30 which makes me only "overweight" instead of "obese". Considering I started at Obese Class II - merely being "overweight" is a strong victory!! Someday I will be considered "Normal" weight...but I know I have a lot of work to do between now and then!!
Last night I ran my 3rd 5K race. This time it was a race called the Lantern Run which benefited Suicide Prevention. It was a difficult race for me. First, it was my first race at night and the course was not well lit. Some of the course was not paved and wound thru the park on trails which were poorly lit as well. This was also my first course that incorporated a lot of hills, which resulted in my very first race that I had to walk a part of the course. That was very frustrating to me as I have been so proud of the fact that I have been able to complete a 5K without having to walk at all, but the constant uphill and downhill really took a toll on my legs! The other thing that was strange was that the race wasn't a full 5K. Since I have been training and racing full 5K's, I constantly measure my time to see my improvement. The race last night was only 2.85 miles so my amazing finish time of 34 minutes was hard to celebrate. I will celebrate the fact that the two full miles that I ran were both sub-13 minute miles, which has never happened! Even though the weather has definitely turned toward fall, I plan to keep training for my next race on November 21st.
My food choices have been suspect these last few weeks. The quantity of food I can eat has not changed, but I have added some alcohol back into my life (wasted calories) and have also eaten more sugar (in the form of candy) and I believe that is why my weight loss has slowed to a trickle. I know what I need to do...I need to get back to the basics of protein first, followed by vegetables and then fruits. If I do that, then there won't be any room left for the bad calorie choices! So I am going to rededicate myself to the process and get these last 30 pounds off my body!!!
Onward!!!
So...today I finished the Beachbody 21 Day Fix. Today also marks the end of my participation in a one month online accountability group (also by a Beachbody coach). A few observations...
In the month that I participated, I lost 2-1/2 pounds. Not anything to write home about, but at least I am slowly moving in the right direction. Since I last measured 60 days ago, I lost another 9-1/2 inches...which makes me really happy!! While I wish more of those inches would have been in my waist and hips, I am still happy that I am shrinking all over.
The 21 Day Fix was really tough as I have never done a workout for 21 straight days without a day of rest. The workouts only last 35 minutes, but they are pretty intense. I didn't do all of the workouts (there are 10 in total), but the ones I did do were tough and yet very satisfying! I did the Upper Fix, the Lower Fix, the Ab Fix, the Pilates Fix, the Dirty 30, and the Yoga Fix. By the end of the 21 days, I was feeling much better at the end of each workout. I was much more able to stay with the instructor, and could use heavier weights. I also find that I am more flexible! I was actually considering doing another 21 days, but I think I am going to take a week off and focus on my running. Another online accountability group starts in a week, and I am going to participate in that. I may just include some of the 21 Day Fix workouts during the month but not workout every day. I did find that my bad ankle flared up a few times during the 21 days...and I want to make sure I am not making it worse by not resting it a bit more.
The other exciting thing that happened since my last post is that my BMI has dropped to under 30 which makes me only "overweight" instead of "obese". Considering I started at Obese Class II - merely being "overweight" is a strong victory!! Someday I will be considered "Normal" weight...but I know I have a lot of work to do between now and then!!
Last night I ran my 3rd 5K race. This time it was a race called the Lantern Run which benefited Suicide Prevention. It was a difficult race for me. First, it was my first race at night and the course was not well lit. Some of the course was not paved and wound thru the park on trails which were poorly lit as well. This was also my first course that incorporated a lot of hills, which resulted in my very first race that I had to walk a part of the course. That was very frustrating to me as I have been so proud of the fact that I have been able to complete a 5K without having to walk at all, but the constant uphill and downhill really took a toll on my legs! The other thing that was strange was that the race wasn't a full 5K. Since I have been training and racing full 5K's, I constantly measure my time to see my improvement. The race last night was only 2.85 miles so my amazing finish time of 34 minutes was hard to celebrate. I will celebrate the fact that the two full miles that I ran were both sub-13 minute miles, which has never happened! Even though the weather has definitely turned toward fall, I plan to keep training for my next race on November 21st.
My food choices have been suspect these last few weeks. The quantity of food I can eat has not changed, but I have added some alcohol back into my life (wasted calories) and have also eaten more sugar (in the form of candy) and I believe that is why my weight loss has slowed to a trickle. I know what I need to do...I need to get back to the basics of protein first, followed by vegetables and then fruits. If I do that, then there won't be any room left for the bad calorie choices! So I am going to rededicate myself to the process and get these last 30 pounds off my body!!!
Onward!!!
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Week 1 of the 21 Day Fix and other thoughts...
So today marks the end of the first week of the 21 Day Fix. I have kept true to my word and have done it every single day for a week. First let me say that there has been zero change on the scale. This is a bit disappointing because the main reason I decided to spend the money on the program was to end this damned stall I have been on! But, as the week progressed, I realized that the type of exercise I have been doing - while fine for the most part - was certainly not building muscle the way this program is designed to do. While lying in bed last night, I could tell that my outer thighs and hips have toned just a bit, and that is after only one week! So, I am going to reserve judgement until I make it to day 21 and then I'll let you know if I think this program is worth it.
A big thing I have noticed since surgery is my ability to deal with the crap that life throws my way WITHOUT numbing my feelings with food. This week, I had the installer come out to put in my new gas fireplace insert. I was super excited about this as I have looked at an empty firebox in my kitchen/dining room for about 15 years now! I had visions of nights ahead where I ate dinner in front of a fire...or made breakfast in a toasty warm kitchen. To my dismay, the installer found that the company that ran the gas piping 10 years ago drilled the hole for the pipe through the side of the chimney of my basement fireplace! He immediately asked me if I ever use that fireplace, and I told him that I think we burned one fire in it years ago. He proceeded to tell me that with the chimney compromised, a fire downstairs could have burned down my house! Yikes!!! So, until I could get the chimney repaired and new gas piping put through another way, they couldn't install my fireplace. Well crap! I was so pissed off and disappointed and worried about how much this was going to cost (since I maxed out my budget buying the fireplace insert) and after he left, I felt like curling up in bed for a good cry! What I didn't feel like doing however, was ordering a large pizza and burying my face in it! I realize now how often I used food as a coping mechanism! The good news is that I called the company who ran the gas lines 10 years ago (thankfully they are still in business) and the owner came to my house to have a look. He agreed that their worker did not run the line correctly and so they are going to fix it at no charge! Wow! Now that is customer service! As soon as they actually do fix it and my fireplace is installed and functioning, I am going to post a glowing review of both companies. When I receive great service, I like to put it out their for other consumers to see.
Yesterday I went with a friend up to the town of Leavenworth. Just across Steven's Pass and in a beautiful area of Washington. We had a great time wandering the shops. The Autumn Leaf Festival was underway and so it was a bit more crowded than we had hoped, but it was still lot's of fun and it was an absolutely gorgeous day without a cloud in the sky! Today I am going to work at my company's "Adopt-a-Street" clean up day and that should burn off a few calories! After that, I am making a dinner for my daughter and her fiancé as they are both coming over to help me get some large chores done. It's time to get the yard ready for fall and winter and my future son-in-law is a complete sweetheart to come and do the heavy work. I am a lucky woman!!
Future fun that is just being firmed up is a mother-daughters trip to NYC!! My younger daughter is graduating from Boston University next May, and her sister and I will be flying to Boston to attend her graduation. After that is over, we are all heading up to NYC for 3 fun filled days and nights together! I have always wanted to go to NYC and I can't wait to share this experience with both of my girls! So the next few months will be spent looking at hotels, broadway show schedules, and making lists of everything we hope to see and do while we are there! Even more motivation to get this last 30 pounds off! NYC here I come!!!
A big thing I have noticed since surgery is my ability to deal with the crap that life throws my way WITHOUT numbing my feelings with food. This week, I had the installer come out to put in my new gas fireplace insert. I was super excited about this as I have looked at an empty firebox in my kitchen/dining room for about 15 years now! I had visions of nights ahead where I ate dinner in front of a fire...or made breakfast in a toasty warm kitchen. To my dismay, the installer found that the company that ran the gas piping 10 years ago drilled the hole for the pipe through the side of the chimney of my basement fireplace! He immediately asked me if I ever use that fireplace, and I told him that I think we burned one fire in it years ago. He proceeded to tell me that with the chimney compromised, a fire downstairs could have burned down my house! Yikes!!! So, until I could get the chimney repaired and new gas piping put through another way, they couldn't install my fireplace. Well crap! I was so pissed off and disappointed and worried about how much this was going to cost (since I maxed out my budget buying the fireplace insert) and after he left, I felt like curling up in bed for a good cry! What I didn't feel like doing however, was ordering a large pizza and burying my face in it! I realize now how often I used food as a coping mechanism! The good news is that I called the company who ran the gas lines 10 years ago (thankfully they are still in business) and the owner came to my house to have a look. He agreed that their worker did not run the line correctly and so they are going to fix it at no charge! Wow! Now that is customer service! As soon as they actually do fix it and my fireplace is installed and functioning, I am going to post a glowing review of both companies. When I receive great service, I like to put it out their for other consumers to see.
Yesterday I went with a friend up to the town of Leavenworth. Just across Steven's Pass and in a beautiful area of Washington. We had a great time wandering the shops. The Autumn Leaf Festival was underway and so it was a bit more crowded than we had hoped, but it was still lot's of fun and it was an absolutely gorgeous day without a cloud in the sky! Today I am going to work at my company's "Adopt-a-Street" clean up day and that should burn off a few calories! After that, I am making a dinner for my daughter and her fiancé as they are both coming over to help me get some large chores done. It's time to get the yard ready for fall and winter and my future son-in-law is a complete sweetheart to come and do the heavy work. I am a lucky woman!!
Future fun that is just being firmed up is a mother-daughters trip to NYC!! My younger daughter is graduating from Boston University next May, and her sister and I will be flying to Boston to attend her graduation. After that is over, we are all heading up to NYC for 3 fun filled days and nights together! I have always wanted to go to NYC and I can't wait to share this experience with both of my girls! So the next few months will be spent looking at hotels, broadway show schedules, and making lists of everything we hope to see and do while we are there! Even more motivation to get this last 30 pounds off! NYC here I come!!!
Sunday, September 20, 2015
A quiet week - thank goodness!
After last weeks roller coaster ride, I was glad to settle in to a much quieter week. I usually have several ideas of what to write about each week, but this week I am drawing a blank.
What I will share is that I purchased an exercise program from "Beachbody" called the 21 day fix. There is an eating plan that goes along with it, but for once in my life I can say that I don't need that component! Other than walking and running, I have really been off exercise for a couple of months and I know that is what has contributed to the stall in my weight loss. I am hoping that by following this program for the next 21 days, I can jump start my weight loss again and kiss the 160's goodbye forever!
The program has a different set of exercises for each day of the week. Sundays are Yoga days and that is where I will start tonight. I like to do yoga before bed as it really helps me to relax and get a good night sleep. I am not sure whether I will do all the days in the evenings...I'd really like to think that I will get up an hour early at least once or twice during the week and get in a workout before I head off to work...but...mornings and I have never been on friendly terms, so I just don't know.
Had a fun day yesterday going to the UW Husky football game with my daughter. Walked from her house to the stadium and back which put me over my 10,000 step goal for the day. Now...if I only did that EVERY day!! The Huskies brought home a victory and there was no rain so it was a perfect outing!
Tomorrow I am taking the afternoon off of work and getting together with a couple of friends for a belated birthday celebration. Love these two ladies (one of whom has had a VSG) and am really looking forward to a fun afternoon!!
That's it for this edition...slow and steady...that's my motto and I am going to keep going at it for the rest of my life!!
What I will share is that I purchased an exercise program from "Beachbody" called the 21 day fix. There is an eating plan that goes along with it, but for once in my life I can say that I don't need that component! Other than walking and running, I have really been off exercise for a couple of months and I know that is what has contributed to the stall in my weight loss. I am hoping that by following this program for the next 21 days, I can jump start my weight loss again and kiss the 160's goodbye forever!
The program has a different set of exercises for each day of the week. Sundays are Yoga days and that is where I will start tonight. I like to do yoga before bed as it really helps me to relax and get a good night sleep. I am not sure whether I will do all the days in the evenings...I'd really like to think that I will get up an hour early at least once or twice during the week and get in a workout before I head off to work...but...mornings and I have never been on friendly terms, so I just don't know.
Had a fun day yesterday going to the UW Husky football game with my daughter. Walked from her house to the stadium and back which put me over my 10,000 step goal for the day. Now...if I only did that EVERY day!! The Huskies brought home a victory and there was no rain so it was a perfect outing!
Tomorrow I am taking the afternoon off of work and getting together with a couple of friends for a belated birthday celebration. Love these two ladies (one of whom has had a VSG) and am really looking forward to a fun afternoon!!
That's it for this edition...slow and steady...that's my motto and I am going to keep going at it for the rest of my life!!
Sunday, September 13, 2015
My second 5K is in the record books!
This last week has been a roller coaster! Work (which is normally really manageable and pleasant) completely kicked my ass! Between a long weekend (which made Tuesday like a Monday on crack), endless meetings, reviews to compile on my employees, and a coworker who blindsided me during a meeting with criticism I didn't see coming...I was super glad that I had chosen to take Friday off!! We have a "use it or lose it" time off policy and I had 1-1/2 days left to take before my anniversary on the 23rd, so I took Friday off. So glad I did...
On Friday I went to the Washington State Fair in Puyallup. I used to go the the fair every year and eat my way from one end to the other! From corn dogs to BBQ to pizza to burgers to scones to ice cream and every thing in between. This year I said that I was going to allow myself one fair treat. After a lot of soul searching (can't believe food requires "soul searching" now), I decided that the treat I most wanted was a corn dog. At the very wise suggestion of my daughter, I took a couple of baggies and a small tupperware in my back pack. I wasn't sure if I might change my mind and go for the BBQ and this way I could pack most of it home with me. It turned out that it was a good idea for the corn dog as well. When I got to the fair, I immediately bought a bottle of water. Then I set off to find my corn dog and look around. The corn dog was wonderful (just as I remembered) but I could only eat about 3 bites of it before my stomach protested. So I put the remainder in a baggy and put it in my backpack. I walked and gawked...went through the shopping pavilion to see what new fun things they had, and then walked a country mile out to the horse arena to watch the draft horse exhibition. So much fun to watch. I walked and walked, bought some rubber lids for my bowls, resisted the urge to buy a mandolin slicer, and said no thank you about a hundred times to all the different vendors who want you to try what they are selling! Spent about 5 hours at the fair and enjoyed every minute of it. Ate most of the rest of my corn dog before heading back to the car and counted the calories well spent!
Today I got up early to meet my daughter for the Women of Wonder 5K run to benefit cancer. This was my second 5K and to be honest I did not train for it like I did for the first one. The weather was drizzling rain when we started and all I told myself was to just do my best and finish the race. I wasn't sure whether (like I did last time) I could run the entire race without stopping...but it really didn't matter as long as I pushed myself to work hard. Well...once again my body completely amazed me! The last 5K I had a time of 48 minutes, and this time...(drum roll) 43 minutes!!! WTF???? I really don't know how I did that...other than the fact that I once again "just kept going" (and going and going). If I can finish in 43 minutes without training, imagine what I could do if I kept to my training regime. Well...I am about to find out because our next race is in 4 weeks. I'll keep you posted!
My weight is at 164 now, which means I finally crested the 60 pound lost hill that I have been climbing for quite a while now. I think the fact that I weigh 9 pounds less than I did in my first 5K may just have been what helped me to do so much better! In about 5 weeks we have our annual managers retreat in Palm Springs. My goal is to be in the 150's by the time I get on that plane! This coming week marks my return to the gym and I really think that my weight has been stalled due mostly to my lack of exercise. Well I am about to put that theory to the test! I am determined to lose another 30 pounds and get to my goal weight. I will keep you posted along the journey...for now, I am going to bask in my 5K success...and have some oatmeal !
Keep believing...
On Friday I went to the Washington State Fair in Puyallup. I used to go the the fair every year and eat my way from one end to the other! From corn dogs to BBQ to pizza to burgers to scones to ice cream and every thing in between. This year I said that I was going to allow myself one fair treat. After a lot of soul searching (can't believe food requires "soul searching" now), I decided that the treat I most wanted was a corn dog. At the very wise suggestion of my daughter, I took a couple of baggies and a small tupperware in my back pack. I wasn't sure if I might change my mind and go for the BBQ and this way I could pack most of it home with me. It turned out that it was a good idea for the corn dog as well. When I got to the fair, I immediately bought a bottle of water. Then I set off to find my corn dog and look around. The corn dog was wonderful (just as I remembered) but I could only eat about 3 bites of it before my stomach protested. So I put the remainder in a baggy and put it in my backpack. I walked and gawked...went through the shopping pavilion to see what new fun things they had, and then walked a country mile out to the horse arena to watch the draft horse exhibition. So much fun to watch. I walked and walked, bought some rubber lids for my bowls, resisted the urge to buy a mandolin slicer, and said no thank you about a hundred times to all the different vendors who want you to try what they are selling! Spent about 5 hours at the fair and enjoyed every minute of it. Ate most of the rest of my corn dog before heading back to the car and counted the calories well spent!
Today I got up early to meet my daughter for the Women of Wonder 5K run to benefit cancer. This was my second 5K and to be honest I did not train for it like I did for the first one. The weather was drizzling rain when we started and all I told myself was to just do my best and finish the race. I wasn't sure whether (like I did last time) I could run the entire race without stopping...but it really didn't matter as long as I pushed myself to work hard. Well...once again my body completely amazed me! The last 5K I had a time of 48 minutes, and this time...(drum roll) 43 minutes!!! WTF???? I really don't know how I did that...other than the fact that I once again "just kept going" (and going and going). If I can finish in 43 minutes without training, imagine what I could do if I kept to my training regime. Well...I am about to find out because our next race is in 4 weeks. I'll keep you posted!
My weight is at 164 now, which means I finally crested the 60 pound lost hill that I have been climbing for quite a while now. I think the fact that I weigh 9 pounds less than I did in my first 5K may just have been what helped me to do so much better! In about 5 weeks we have our annual managers retreat in Palm Springs. My goal is to be in the 150's by the time I get on that plane! This coming week marks my return to the gym and I really think that my weight has been stalled due mostly to my lack of exercise. Well I am about to put that theory to the test! I am determined to lose another 30 pounds and get to my goal weight. I will keep you posted along the journey...for now, I am going to bask in my 5K success...and have some oatmeal !
Keep believing...
Sunday, September 6, 2015
A rainy Sunday post
After what seems like the sunniest summer on record here in Seattle, we are now back to "normal". Fell asleep last night listening to the rain running into the downspout outside my window and woke up to a grey day. Somehow the return to what I think of as "Seattle weather" is comforting. Like a worn pair of jeans that just make me say ahhh when I put them on. I love fall weather and while I enjoyed every ray of sunshine we had this summer, I am ready to put on a cardigan and carry an umbrella.
Yesterday I went up to the outlet mall north of Marysville. They were advertising a huge Labor Day weekend sale and I still need a few more clothes in the size I am now to get me through until Christmas. I also thought it would be a good chance to get some walking in - even if I didn't find anything I wanted to buy. Well, it did end up being more walking than buying...but I enjoyed getting out of the house and I did find a couple of tops that were really great prices and so the whole experience was satisfying. I think that I have enough clothes now to get me through the fall and so I have made a promise to myself that I am going to stop shopping until closer to Christmas. When I was a size 2X shopping was never fun and so I avoided it unless absolutely necessary. Now, I love to shop and so I have to curb my enthusiasm a bit so as not to blow the budget!
Something fun today was that I finally set up the garment steamer that I bought 3 months ago. I am terrible about buying something and then when I get it home, it goes in the closet until I get time to deal with it. Then I forget about it or just keep saying "next weekend" over and over and over! I hate to iron and so a few years ago I bought a small hand held garment steamer thinking that it would be a great way to freshen up clothes that get a bit wrinkled in the closet or didn't get immediately removed from the dryer. I was cheap and so didn't buy the really nice one with the hanging rack and more powerful steam wand. I immediately regretted the purchase since the damn thing didn't work worth a darn! Then about 3 months ago I got my weekly "Groupon Goods" email and saw the nicer steamer in the ad. I bought it and when it came mid-week and I didn't have time to open it, read all the instructions, and set it up, I just put the box in the closet and promptly forgot about it. Well today I got it out, set it up, and tried in on a t-shirt that I bought yesterday that (after being in a bag all night) needed the wrinkles removed. WOW! This steamer unit is exactly what I was hoping for! It was so fun to watch the wrinkles just disappear as I passed the wand over the shirt. This is going to make me so happy as I get ready for work in the mornings. And the best part is that it only takes 45 seconds to warm up so you don't have to plan in advance to use it!! I wish all my purchases worked out this well !!
On the weight loss front, nothing has changed. I think that I am at a weight that my metabolism can support without any trouble...but the problem is, this is not the weight that I want to be! So now I am going to wage war on this last 30 pounds! There isn't anything wrong with my food intake...so I know that it's my lack of exercise that is holding me back. My first goal is to get into the 150's before my company management retreat at the end of October. All I need to do is lose a pound a week between now and then to achieve this goal and so the real work begins. I am going to force myself to go back to the gym this week. Getting back to my 3-day-a-week, 90 minute workouts is going to be rough at first...especially since my workout buddy is MIA for a few weeks longer due to other commitments...but this is where the rubber meets the road (or the fat meets the elliptical) and if I want to get to my goal weight I know I have to put in the work.
I am still so glad that I had the surgery. I know that without it, I would still be over 200 pounds and unhappy with everything in life. The surgery gave me the courage to believe in myself again. Having the surgery (for me anyway) is like having a friend with you at every meal reminding you to eat slowly, enjoy every bite, and who takes your plate away from you when you've had enough. Day by day it gets easier, until you no longer need your friend to remind you EVERY time. You can do it on your own...but then that one day when you start to slip up, your friend is right there getting you back on track. Amazing.
Happy Sunday!
Yesterday I went up to the outlet mall north of Marysville. They were advertising a huge Labor Day weekend sale and I still need a few more clothes in the size I am now to get me through until Christmas. I also thought it would be a good chance to get some walking in - even if I didn't find anything I wanted to buy. Well, it did end up being more walking than buying...but I enjoyed getting out of the house and I did find a couple of tops that were really great prices and so the whole experience was satisfying. I think that I have enough clothes now to get me through the fall and so I have made a promise to myself that I am going to stop shopping until closer to Christmas. When I was a size 2X shopping was never fun and so I avoided it unless absolutely necessary. Now, I love to shop and so I have to curb my enthusiasm a bit so as not to blow the budget!
Something fun today was that I finally set up the garment steamer that I bought 3 months ago. I am terrible about buying something and then when I get it home, it goes in the closet until I get time to deal with it. Then I forget about it or just keep saying "next weekend" over and over and over! I hate to iron and so a few years ago I bought a small hand held garment steamer thinking that it would be a great way to freshen up clothes that get a bit wrinkled in the closet or didn't get immediately removed from the dryer. I was cheap and so didn't buy the really nice one with the hanging rack and more powerful steam wand. I immediately regretted the purchase since the damn thing didn't work worth a darn! Then about 3 months ago I got my weekly "Groupon Goods" email and saw the nicer steamer in the ad. I bought it and when it came mid-week and I didn't have time to open it, read all the instructions, and set it up, I just put the box in the closet and promptly forgot about it. Well today I got it out, set it up, and tried in on a t-shirt that I bought yesterday that (after being in a bag all night) needed the wrinkles removed. WOW! This steamer unit is exactly what I was hoping for! It was so fun to watch the wrinkles just disappear as I passed the wand over the shirt. This is going to make me so happy as I get ready for work in the mornings. And the best part is that it only takes 45 seconds to warm up so you don't have to plan in advance to use it!! I wish all my purchases worked out this well !!
On the weight loss front, nothing has changed. I think that I am at a weight that my metabolism can support without any trouble...but the problem is, this is not the weight that I want to be! So now I am going to wage war on this last 30 pounds! There isn't anything wrong with my food intake...so I know that it's my lack of exercise that is holding me back. My first goal is to get into the 150's before my company management retreat at the end of October. All I need to do is lose a pound a week between now and then to achieve this goal and so the real work begins. I am going to force myself to go back to the gym this week. Getting back to my 3-day-a-week, 90 minute workouts is going to be rough at first...especially since my workout buddy is MIA for a few weeks longer due to other commitments...but this is where the rubber meets the road (or the fat meets the elliptical) and if I want to get to my goal weight I know I have to put in the work.
I am still so glad that I had the surgery. I know that without it, I would still be over 200 pounds and unhappy with everything in life. The surgery gave me the courage to believe in myself again. Having the surgery (for me anyway) is like having a friend with you at every meal reminding you to eat slowly, enjoy every bite, and who takes your plate away from you when you've had enough. Day by day it gets easier, until you no longer need your friend to remind you EVERY time. You can do it on your own...but then that one day when you start to slip up, your friend is right there getting you back on track. Amazing.
Happy Sunday!
Thursday, September 3, 2015
My body and my self image
I am so completely off my normal posting schedule that it feels strange to be sitting here eating dinner on a Thursday night and posting! Again the weekend got away from me and I completely spaced about updating my blog! So here I am trying to catch up a bit!
A couple of things have happened since my last post. I have started getting ready for my next 5K which is on September 13th. I am excited to do another race and this one is also really close to home so it will be fun AND convenient! I have not been running much lately and so I am not expecting great results...but I know I can do the race and the fun is in the participation.
The other pretty big thing that happened revolves around my own body image and the new clothes I am able to wear. I am officially in a size 14 pant and a size L top. I have given away most of my larger clothes (although I still have a few that need to be weeded out) and I have slowly integrated my new clothes into my wardrobe. Now when I say "new clothes" what that means so far is the same style of clothes I have always worn - just in smaller sizes. But last weekend I went shopping with my older daughter and I decided that I wanted boots. Knee high boots. Black knee high boots. I have wanted boots for a long time since I just love the look, but with my size it just wasn't going to happen. So I decided that I was going to get these boots (which were on sale and an extra 50% off) and see what I could pair them up with in my closet. I had a couple of ideas of outfits and was really excited to give it a go. So on Tuesday morning, I got dressed in my black leggings, a black and white tunic top with a long charcoal sweater and my boots. I went into the spare bedroom that has the full length mirror...and I had a complete panic attack! I looked into that mirror and I saw a fat old woman who was trying way too hard to look "cute". I stared at myself and wondered what the hell I had been thinking when I bought those boots!!!??? How could I possibly have thought that I could wear an outfit like this? In near tears I pulled off all the clothes and went back into my closet and pulled out a pair of black dress pants and a loose fitting shirt and I immediately felt safe. Really ??? Safe?? Since when had the way I dressed made me feel "safe"? I was already late to work by this time and so I just sucked it up and went to work. That night I Face Timed with my daughter in college and admitted to her what I had gone through that morning. She was appalled! She said "go and put that outfit on right now!" So I did. What followed was a 21 year old woman teaching a 54 year old woman to love her body! By the time we hung up she had convinced me to wear the boots to work the next day and (in her words) "own it"! So...I did. When I parked my car at work and got out I was so uncomfortable! I was sure that all the workers at the store were going to stare at me and wonder what the hell I was thinking! But that is not what happened at all. As I was headed up the stairs, one of my employees said "good morning, you look amazing today!" I stammered a thank you and headed to my desk. Throughout the day, I got compliments left and right. People who had never commented on my 60 pound weight loss suddenly took notice and told me how great I looked and how I was inspiring them to lose weight. Several people told me they loved the boots and asked where I got them. One of our salespeople told me (as I was coming back from lunch) that he didn't want to be "weird" but he wanted to tell me how great I looked! It was so uplifting and reaffirmed what my daughter had said to me the night before...people will love it if you act like YOU love it. She told me to "rock it" and that's what I did! It was a big step for me. I have never (at least in the last 20 years) worn clothing that was form fitting or that would in any way draw attention to my body. That day I did...and it was just fine! My brain needs to catch up with my progress and stop telling me how fat I am and how I can't wear that or how I can't do that! I thought I was past that stage, but obviously I have more work to do!!
I don't understand the tendency that I have to put myself down. You would think that each one of us would be our own biggest cheerleader...but so often that is not the case. Logically I know that I should be kind and nurturing to myself, but so often I am just plain mean. I am trying to learn from the "boots experience" and give myself permission to try new things that take me out of my comfort zone. I am going to try and think "what's the worst that could happen"? So what if people don't like my outfit? So what if they think it doesn't suit my size or my age? Is that really the end of the world? Am I really so governed by what everyone else thinks? Is what they think more important than what I think or want ?
So that is where I am today. My weight is still hovering around 165 and I know that I need to get more focused on my exercise so that I can lose this last 30 pounds. I will get there. I will not give up and I will not go back. The future is what I make it...and I want to make it fabulous!!!
Later...
A couple of things have happened since my last post. I have started getting ready for my next 5K which is on September 13th. I am excited to do another race and this one is also really close to home so it will be fun AND convenient! I have not been running much lately and so I am not expecting great results...but I know I can do the race and the fun is in the participation.
The other pretty big thing that happened revolves around my own body image and the new clothes I am able to wear. I am officially in a size 14 pant and a size L top. I have given away most of my larger clothes (although I still have a few that need to be weeded out) and I have slowly integrated my new clothes into my wardrobe. Now when I say "new clothes" what that means so far is the same style of clothes I have always worn - just in smaller sizes. But last weekend I went shopping with my older daughter and I decided that I wanted boots. Knee high boots. Black knee high boots. I have wanted boots for a long time since I just love the look, but with my size it just wasn't going to happen. So I decided that I was going to get these boots (which were on sale and an extra 50% off) and see what I could pair them up with in my closet. I had a couple of ideas of outfits and was really excited to give it a go. So on Tuesday morning, I got dressed in my black leggings, a black and white tunic top with a long charcoal sweater and my boots. I went into the spare bedroom that has the full length mirror...and I had a complete panic attack! I looked into that mirror and I saw a fat old woman who was trying way too hard to look "cute". I stared at myself and wondered what the hell I had been thinking when I bought those boots!!!??? How could I possibly have thought that I could wear an outfit like this? In near tears I pulled off all the clothes and went back into my closet and pulled out a pair of black dress pants and a loose fitting shirt and I immediately felt safe. Really ??? Safe?? Since when had the way I dressed made me feel "safe"? I was already late to work by this time and so I just sucked it up and went to work. That night I Face Timed with my daughter in college and admitted to her what I had gone through that morning. She was appalled! She said "go and put that outfit on right now!" So I did. What followed was a 21 year old woman teaching a 54 year old woman to love her body! By the time we hung up she had convinced me to wear the boots to work the next day and (in her words) "own it"! So...I did. When I parked my car at work and got out I was so uncomfortable! I was sure that all the workers at the store were going to stare at me and wonder what the hell I was thinking! But that is not what happened at all. As I was headed up the stairs, one of my employees said "good morning, you look amazing today!" I stammered a thank you and headed to my desk. Throughout the day, I got compliments left and right. People who had never commented on my 60 pound weight loss suddenly took notice and told me how great I looked and how I was inspiring them to lose weight. Several people told me they loved the boots and asked where I got them. One of our salespeople told me (as I was coming back from lunch) that he didn't want to be "weird" but he wanted to tell me how great I looked! It was so uplifting and reaffirmed what my daughter had said to me the night before...people will love it if you act like YOU love it. She told me to "rock it" and that's what I did! It was a big step for me. I have never (at least in the last 20 years) worn clothing that was form fitting or that would in any way draw attention to my body. That day I did...and it was just fine! My brain needs to catch up with my progress and stop telling me how fat I am and how I can't wear that or how I can't do that! I thought I was past that stage, but obviously I have more work to do!!
I don't understand the tendency that I have to put myself down. You would think that each one of us would be our own biggest cheerleader...but so often that is not the case. Logically I know that I should be kind and nurturing to myself, but so often I am just plain mean. I am trying to learn from the "boots experience" and give myself permission to try new things that take me out of my comfort zone. I am going to try and think "what's the worst that could happen"? So what if people don't like my outfit? So what if they think it doesn't suit my size or my age? Is that really the end of the world? Am I really so governed by what everyone else thinks? Is what they think more important than what I think or want ?
So that is where I am today. My weight is still hovering around 165 and I know that I need to get more focused on my exercise so that I can lose this last 30 pounds. I will get there. I will not give up and I will not go back. The future is what I make it...and I want to make it fabulous!!!
Later...
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
A late post - my weekend got away from me!
My week off ended with a fun picnic with friends at Lake Goodwin (north of Seattle). I got back late and completely forgot about writing my blog post!
Recapping last week...I was on vacation from work and so there is no way it wasn't going to be a good week. To start, I lost another couple of pounds, so now I am sitting right around 165! I was really hoping to be in the 150's by my birthday, but that just isn't going too happen...but I am OK with that! The scale continues to go in the right direction and that is all I can ask!
I stayed home on this vacation to get a bunch of things done around my house. The funny thing is that no matter how much I get done, there is still more to do!! I got my TV and internet switched from Comcast/Xfinity to Direct TV and CenturyLink and that is going to save me about $150 per month!! I don't watch much TV at all and so the $245 per month that Comcast was charging me for TV and internet was crazy! I am just as happy with this new service for less than half the price! The two big things I wanted to get done and didn't were getting my new print framed and taking the 4 boxes of my "fat clothes" to Goodwill. Those will have to wait until I get more time. Everything else on my list got done and then some!! I want to be able to focus 100% on my exercise this fall and so I needed to knock some big home improvement chores off my list!!
I did a bit of clothes shopping now that I have cleaned out all the clothes from my closet that no longer fit me! I am officially in a size 14 pant and a size Large top! I am not going to buy anymore clothes until I get to my first goal of 150. By then I should have dropped another size and I will buy some fun winter stuff.
Tonight I am getting together with a group of friends that I used to work with when I was in my 20's. Can't wait to see everyone and have a mini retail reunion!
I will write more next weekend, but all is going great and I am still so blessed to have been able to have this surgery and get my life back on track!
Recapping last week...I was on vacation from work and so there is no way it wasn't going to be a good week. To start, I lost another couple of pounds, so now I am sitting right around 165! I was really hoping to be in the 150's by my birthday, but that just isn't going too happen...but I am OK with that! The scale continues to go in the right direction and that is all I can ask!
I stayed home on this vacation to get a bunch of things done around my house. The funny thing is that no matter how much I get done, there is still more to do!! I got my TV and internet switched from Comcast/Xfinity to Direct TV and CenturyLink and that is going to save me about $150 per month!! I don't watch much TV at all and so the $245 per month that Comcast was charging me for TV and internet was crazy! I am just as happy with this new service for less than half the price! The two big things I wanted to get done and didn't were getting my new print framed and taking the 4 boxes of my "fat clothes" to Goodwill. Those will have to wait until I get more time. Everything else on my list got done and then some!! I want to be able to focus 100% on my exercise this fall and so I needed to knock some big home improvement chores off my list!!
I did a bit of clothes shopping now that I have cleaned out all the clothes from my closet that no longer fit me! I am officially in a size 14 pant and a size Large top! I am not going to buy anymore clothes until I get to my first goal of 150. By then I should have dropped another size and I will buy some fun winter stuff.
Tonight I am getting together with a group of friends that I used to work with when I was in my 20's. Can't wait to see everyone and have a mini retail reunion!
I will write more next weekend, but all is going great and I am still so blessed to have been able to have this surgery and get my life back on track!
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Loving Life Today
Every once in a while, we are lucky enough to have the "perfect day". I put that in quotes because, honestly, no day is ever "perfect"...but today is the closest to perfect I have had in a long time.
To start, the weather is exactly how I like it...mid-70's, beautiful blue sky, light breeze...so wonderful!! Add to that, the fact that I don't really have anything that I need to DO today! There is the usual cooking and cleaning and laundry, but really none of that is essential today because... I AM ON VACATION from work all next week!!
So I started this day getting on the scale for my weekly weigh in and I am at 167.2 which means I lost about a pound and a half last week. As much as I would like to be back in the time where I was losing 3-4 pounds per week, I have to be realistic and say that any consistent loss is a good loss to me! My workouts this last week were few and far between...work was crazy...the weather was all over the place (two days of thunder/lightning/heavy rain) and so I only got in two 3 mile walks. I didn't manage to get my butt downstairs for even one DVD workout! grrrrr But being on vacation this week feels so good that I am just going to be happy with a loss and look ahead to the coming week.
My sister came for a visit yesterday. She has not been to see me since my surgery and frankly I was expecting some kind of positive reaction from her. She knows about the surgery and so I didn't have to avoid the subject. I have lost almost 60 pounds and even with being my own worst critic, I know it shows. She didn't say a word. After we visited for a couple of hours, I offered to treat her to a lunch out. She is retired and on a very tight income/budget and I thought it might be nice for her to get to go out to lunch. After we discussed what types of food she likes best, we decided to go to a small Mexican restaurant near my house that has really yummy food. She ordered the enchilada platter and I ordered arroz con pollo. As is my new normal, I at about 1/4 of the chicken on the plate and a couple of bites of black beans. I then asked our waitress (who was a sweetie) if I could have a box for the rest. Once the waitress left, my sister said..."well if that is all you are eating, no wonder you are losing weight, that's not enough food to keep you alive"! WTH? We talked about it for a minute or two with me explaining my new way of eating and how it's all about the protein first and that I can assure her that I am eating plenty to keep me alive. Then the talk turned to what I am going to do once I lose all the weight I want to, at which time she informed me that I was going to have so much loose skin that I was going to regret losing all the weight! Again WTH? I just decided to change the subject when we got home. We sat down to continue our visit and I grabbed another water bottle. She proceeded to tell me how much she hates water and that all she drinks is tea. At this point, I wanted to talk about anything except food and drink! I love my sister dearly, but it is clear that she is not a part of my support system!
When she left I went to visit my daughter for a bit and that put me in a much better mood as we share a wicked sense of humor that never fails to put a smile on my face!
Fast forward to today...my perfect day...after a yummy oatmeal breakfast, I went to our local farmers market and stocked up on lots of fruits and veggies for my week off. They even had okra (sorry...it's a southern girl thing) and so I had some for lunch! It's a rare treat because it doesn't grow well up here! I bought myself a beautiful bouquet of fresh dahlias and even some raspberries and blackberries! They had a large steel drum band playing in the market square and so I stopped to listen for a bit and it was so uplifting! To end this perfect day of mine, I am headed in a hour or so to Ladywells Vitality Spa where I plan to soak, and steam, and sauna, and relax to get me further cemented into vacation mode! I have to relax today, because while I won't be at work next week, I have a ton of home projects lined up for me to complete. The hope is that I will get all this done now and so I can relax going into fall knowing that my house and yard are in good repair!
This weeks goals are to eat all the fruits and veggies I got at the farmers market, do some form of exercise each day, and to get all my chores done! Wish me luck!
Until next week...
To start, the weather is exactly how I like it...mid-70's, beautiful blue sky, light breeze...so wonderful!! Add to that, the fact that I don't really have anything that I need to DO today! There is the usual cooking and cleaning and laundry, but really none of that is essential today because... I AM ON VACATION from work all next week!!
So I started this day getting on the scale for my weekly weigh in and I am at 167.2 which means I lost about a pound and a half last week. As much as I would like to be back in the time where I was losing 3-4 pounds per week, I have to be realistic and say that any consistent loss is a good loss to me! My workouts this last week were few and far between...work was crazy...the weather was all over the place (two days of thunder/lightning/heavy rain) and so I only got in two 3 mile walks. I didn't manage to get my butt downstairs for even one DVD workout! grrrrr But being on vacation this week feels so good that I am just going to be happy with a loss and look ahead to the coming week.
My sister came for a visit yesterday. She has not been to see me since my surgery and frankly I was expecting some kind of positive reaction from her. She knows about the surgery and so I didn't have to avoid the subject. I have lost almost 60 pounds and even with being my own worst critic, I know it shows. She didn't say a word. After we visited for a couple of hours, I offered to treat her to a lunch out. She is retired and on a very tight income/budget and I thought it might be nice for her to get to go out to lunch. After we discussed what types of food she likes best, we decided to go to a small Mexican restaurant near my house that has really yummy food. She ordered the enchilada platter and I ordered arroz con pollo. As is my new normal, I at about 1/4 of the chicken on the plate and a couple of bites of black beans. I then asked our waitress (who was a sweetie) if I could have a box for the rest. Once the waitress left, my sister said..."well if that is all you are eating, no wonder you are losing weight, that's not enough food to keep you alive"! WTH? We talked about it for a minute or two with me explaining my new way of eating and how it's all about the protein first and that I can assure her that I am eating plenty to keep me alive. Then the talk turned to what I am going to do once I lose all the weight I want to, at which time she informed me that I was going to have so much loose skin that I was going to regret losing all the weight! Again WTH? I just decided to change the subject when we got home. We sat down to continue our visit and I grabbed another water bottle. She proceeded to tell me how much she hates water and that all she drinks is tea. At this point, I wanted to talk about anything except food and drink! I love my sister dearly, but it is clear that she is not a part of my support system!
When she left I went to visit my daughter for a bit and that put me in a much better mood as we share a wicked sense of humor that never fails to put a smile on my face!
Fast forward to today...my perfect day...after a yummy oatmeal breakfast, I went to our local farmers market and stocked up on lots of fruits and veggies for my week off. They even had okra (sorry...it's a southern girl thing) and so I had some for lunch! It's a rare treat because it doesn't grow well up here! I bought myself a beautiful bouquet of fresh dahlias and even some raspberries and blackberries! They had a large steel drum band playing in the market square and so I stopped to listen for a bit and it was so uplifting! To end this perfect day of mine, I am headed in a hour or so to Ladywells Vitality Spa where I plan to soak, and steam, and sauna, and relax to get me further cemented into vacation mode! I have to relax today, because while I won't be at work next week, I have a ton of home projects lined up for me to complete. The hope is that I will get all this done now and so I can relax going into fall knowing that my house and yard are in good repair!
This weeks goals are to eat all the fruits and veggies I got at the farmers market, do some form of exercise each day, and to get all my chores done! Wish me luck!
Until next week...
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Hanging with VSG friends
This last week has been wonderful...and a lot of that is due to the fact that I got to hang with several friends who have also had VSG surgery! If you are considering this surgery, and you don't know anyone who has had (or is even contemplating) the surgery, I encourage you to find a support group to join! No one understands how you feel like someone who is going through the same thing! It's so nice to be able to talk about your victories, your setbacks, your dreams and goals without fear of judgement, or jealousy! I belong to a few online support groups, and I do love the feeling of camaraderie on those sites...but nothing beats sitting down with a fellow sleever and really talking about how everything is going... and what's working...and just ANYTHING!!
Last weekend, I went to a party where 4 of us at the party had already had the surgery! Being able to check in with them...one already at goal, and three of us on our way...was so uplifting! Then on Wednesday night, I hosted a small gathering at my house and another one of my VSG friends attended. She is doing so great and it was nice to have someone to split a dish with!! Then yesterday I went to an Art Fair with yet another of my VSG friends. It is really good to have people to talk to who understand where you are and where you are going (not to mention how you are going to get there!). I ended this week feeling so positive about the changes in my life and so grateful for good friends!
I am holding at 168.6 this morning which is a 2.2 pound loss for this week. I also just completed a fitness challenge group and so today was my measurement day. In the 4 weeks of the group, I lost 4 pounds and 3". Not my best effort, but all in the right direction. A new group starts up tomorrow and I have already joined, so I hope to double my effort (and thus double my reward) in the month of this group. I also have one month until my next 5K so I need to get busy training. I hope to shave a minute or two off my time!
I bought a new pair of jeans this week and they were a size 14!! The weather is currently too hot for jeans, and so I hope that they still fit by the time I am able to wear them. I have not removed the tags yet, just in case I need to return them. A size 14 is the smallest I have been since becoming pregnant for the first time in 1989! It was hard for me to imagine (when I was a size 20) what it would feel like to wear a 14...and now I am contemplating what it will feel like to wear a 12! I have also gone from a 2X top to a L top...and now I am wondering what it will feel like to wear a M top! This journey has opened my mind to possibilities that I previously thought were out of the realm of chance! For the first time I feel like anything is possible if I want it bad enough to do the work! And the beauty of the sleeve is that a significant portion of the work (the food portion) is so much easier than it had been pre-surgery! I love the restriction that having the sleeve imposes, and I love being able to go hours without thinking about food! This is such a radical change for me! Pre-surgery, I thought about food morning, noon, and night!! I am now free of this thought process and never want to go back to those old ways of thinking!!!
Here's to an amazing week of positive thinking, plenty of exercise, good food choices...and of course, weight loss!! Go forth and conquer!
Last weekend, I went to a party where 4 of us at the party had already had the surgery! Being able to check in with them...one already at goal, and three of us on our way...was so uplifting! Then on Wednesday night, I hosted a small gathering at my house and another one of my VSG friends attended. She is doing so great and it was nice to have someone to split a dish with!! Then yesterday I went to an Art Fair with yet another of my VSG friends. It is really good to have people to talk to who understand where you are and where you are going (not to mention how you are going to get there!). I ended this week feeling so positive about the changes in my life and so grateful for good friends!
I am holding at 168.6 this morning which is a 2.2 pound loss for this week. I also just completed a fitness challenge group and so today was my measurement day. In the 4 weeks of the group, I lost 4 pounds and 3". Not my best effort, but all in the right direction. A new group starts up tomorrow and I have already joined, so I hope to double my effort (and thus double my reward) in the month of this group. I also have one month until my next 5K so I need to get busy training. I hope to shave a minute or two off my time!
I bought a new pair of jeans this week and they were a size 14!! The weather is currently too hot for jeans, and so I hope that they still fit by the time I am able to wear them. I have not removed the tags yet, just in case I need to return them. A size 14 is the smallest I have been since becoming pregnant for the first time in 1989! It was hard for me to imagine (when I was a size 20) what it would feel like to wear a 14...and now I am contemplating what it will feel like to wear a 12! I have also gone from a 2X top to a L top...and now I am wondering what it will feel like to wear a M top! This journey has opened my mind to possibilities that I previously thought were out of the realm of chance! For the first time I feel like anything is possible if I want it bad enough to do the work! And the beauty of the sleeve is that a significant portion of the work (the food portion) is so much easier than it had been pre-surgery! I love the restriction that having the sleeve imposes, and I love being able to go hours without thinking about food! This is such a radical change for me! Pre-surgery, I thought about food morning, noon, and night!! I am now free of this thought process and never want to go back to those old ways of thinking!!!
Here's to an amazing week of positive thinking, plenty of exercise, good food choices...and of course, weight loss!! Go forth and conquer!
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Mid-week update - stall appears to be broken!
The sigh of relief that left my body yesterday when I stepped on the scale could probably be heard far and wide. After 33 days of a stall, the scale finally moved below 170!
I typically only weigh myself on Sunday mornings. At least I do as long as the scale is moving in a downward trend. Once I have a couple of weeks where that nasty scale does not go down I admit that I am once again forced (by my own OCD mind) into weighing EVERY morning. That makes me even crazier (that doesn't stop me from doing it) because my weight fluctuates every day.
For 33 days my weight hovered between 170.8 and 173.0 This was driving me nuts! I tries a lot of different things to get the scale moving again. More exercise...different types of exercise...more food...less food...etc. Nothing seemed to make a bit of difference.
I told myself that stalls happen (I already lived through a 21 day stall at month 3), but when day after day you see no progress, it starts to mess with your head. (or at least my head) On Sunday last, I decided that this week I was going to make daily goals instead of weekly ones. My Monday goal was to get in my 10,000 steps, do a kettle bell workout, and drink an extra 8 oz of water. I accomplished that goal and when I got on the scale on Tuesday morning, it said 169.6 - WHAT??!! I admit that I got off and back on the scale three times, and every time it read 169.6. I went to work even more determined to stick to my day two goals. Day 2 was to once again get in my 10,000 steps, to drink an extra 8 ounces of water, and to go to bed early enough to get a full 8 hours of sleep. Mission accomplished! When I weighed myself this morning the scale said 168.6 !!! After 33 days of losing nothing I lost 2.2 pounds in 3 days!
I am a bit in shock. But since this daily goal thing appears to be working, I am going to keep it up.
Today's goal is to once again get in my 10,000 steps, to do a yoga workout before bed, to drink an extra 8 ounces of water, and to get a full 8 hours of sleep.
I am once again headed in the right direction.
I typically only weigh myself on Sunday mornings. At least I do as long as the scale is moving in a downward trend. Once I have a couple of weeks where that nasty scale does not go down I admit that I am once again forced (by my own OCD mind) into weighing EVERY morning. That makes me even crazier (that doesn't stop me from doing it) because my weight fluctuates every day.
For 33 days my weight hovered between 170.8 and 173.0 This was driving me nuts! I tries a lot of different things to get the scale moving again. More exercise...different types of exercise...more food...less food...etc. Nothing seemed to make a bit of difference.
I told myself that stalls happen (I already lived through a 21 day stall at month 3), but when day after day you see no progress, it starts to mess with your head. (or at least my head) On Sunday last, I decided that this week I was going to make daily goals instead of weekly ones. My Monday goal was to get in my 10,000 steps, do a kettle bell workout, and drink an extra 8 oz of water. I accomplished that goal and when I got on the scale on Tuesday morning, it said 169.6 - WHAT??!! I admit that I got off and back on the scale three times, and every time it read 169.6. I went to work even more determined to stick to my day two goals. Day 2 was to once again get in my 10,000 steps, to drink an extra 8 ounces of water, and to go to bed early enough to get a full 8 hours of sleep. Mission accomplished! When I weighed myself this morning the scale said 168.6 !!! After 33 days of losing nothing I lost 2.2 pounds in 3 days!
I am a bit in shock. But since this daily goal thing appears to be working, I am going to keep it up.
Today's goal is to once again get in my 10,000 steps, to do a yoga workout before bed, to drink an extra 8 ounces of water, and to get a full 8 hours of sleep.
I am once again headed in the right direction.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
And the frustration continues...
Yet another week with no weight loss. I totally blame myself, as I did not carry through on my week of exercise plan. This heat just makes me lazy and I don't want to be even more hot, so I just hang around the fan and wish for cooler weather. I have been working on my house all week getting ready for a small get together of friends on Wednesday. This has inspired me to get a bunch of things done that have been on my to-do list forever! I am finally framing photos, buying a new area rug, repotting plants, and touch up painting! I should have friends over more often!
I think that I need to get real with myself though. One month with no weight loss means that I have some soul searching to do and some changes to make. Here are some things I know for sure...
1) I am not getting enough (or the right kind) of exercise. I need more weight resistance exercise and not just cardio.
2) My food choices have not been as good as they could be. A bite of candy, a drink or two (or three), not enough veggies, and irregular meal times have got to be part of my stall.
3) After being thrilled with my 55 pound loss, I can feel my self doubt creeping in. One month ago I liked what I saw in the mirror. I knew I still had a way to go, but I could see the positive changes and I was really happy. Now I am not. I weigh the same as a month ago, but I am starting to see all the negative things in the mirror. I am starting to doubt the journey and my ability to make the choices and changes that will see me through to the end.
So...what to do to turn this around. I don't seem to have "boot-straps"...if I did, I would have picked myself up by them long ago. What I need is a solid plan! My "plan" to exercise last week turned out to be more of a "wish" than a "plan". I think I need a day by day blueprint of what it is I am going to actually DO every day. There is no way I can make this plan for a whole week...too many things get in the way unexpectedly and I end up not following through. So I am just going to make a 1 Day Plan each evening for the next day.
So...what is my plan for tomorrow?
Food
Protein Shake for breakfast - and no coffee
Fish Taco for lunch with grapes
Prosciutto and melon for snack
Oatmeal and bacon for dinner
Exercise
Walk 10,000 steps
Do my kettle bell workout DVD before bed
I will get up from my desk and walk around the office once every hour tomorrow.
I will drink 5 glasses of water during the day
If I follow all of this, then I will have a sugar free popsicle before bed!
I really want this weight to continue to come off. I don't want to stall this journey due to my own mismanagement of my circumstances. I need to get back to basics and to do that I need to take it one day at a time. Until next week...
I think that I need to get real with myself though. One month with no weight loss means that I have some soul searching to do and some changes to make. Here are some things I know for sure...
1) I am not getting enough (or the right kind) of exercise. I need more weight resistance exercise and not just cardio.
2) My food choices have not been as good as they could be. A bite of candy, a drink or two (or three), not enough veggies, and irregular meal times have got to be part of my stall.
3) After being thrilled with my 55 pound loss, I can feel my self doubt creeping in. One month ago I liked what I saw in the mirror. I knew I still had a way to go, but I could see the positive changes and I was really happy. Now I am not. I weigh the same as a month ago, but I am starting to see all the negative things in the mirror. I am starting to doubt the journey and my ability to make the choices and changes that will see me through to the end.
So...what to do to turn this around. I don't seem to have "boot-straps"...if I did, I would have picked myself up by them long ago. What I need is a solid plan! My "plan" to exercise last week turned out to be more of a "wish" than a "plan". I think I need a day by day blueprint of what it is I am going to actually DO every day. There is no way I can make this plan for a whole week...too many things get in the way unexpectedly and I end up not following through. So I am just going to make a 1 Day Plan each evening for the next day.
So...what is my plan for tomorrow?
Food
Protein Shake for breakfast - and no coffee
Fish Taco for lunch with grapes
Prosciutto and melon for snack
Oatmeal and bacon for dinner
Exercise
Walk 10,000 steps
Do my kettle bell workout DVD before bed
I will get up from my desk and walk around the office once every hour tomorrow.
I will drink 5 glasses of water during the day
If I follow all of this, then I will have a sugar free popsicle before bed!
I really want this weight to continue to come off. I don't want to stall this journey due to my own mismanagement of my circumstances. I need to get back to basics and to do that I need to take it one day at a time. Until next week...
Sunday, July 26, 2015
There's going to be a wedding!!!
What a day I have had today! My oldest daughter just got engaged! On a overcast day, standing at a lookout point over Lake Washington...and she said YES! In just a couple of hours I am hosting a congratulations party for them and several of their close friends. My cup runneth over.
What does this wonderful occurrence have to do with my weight loss journey? Many many things...first, my daughters best friend and I were in hiding during the proposal photographing the entire thing. I had to climb into a tiny hiding place in a patch of brambles and then stay crouched down for about 20 minutes until he started the proposal. 55 pounds ago I could never have done that! It would have been impossible for me to hide anywhere!! Plus, now I have another motivating factor to lose the next 40 pounds...that "mother of the bride" dress! I vow right now that the size of that dress will only have 1 number...NOT 2.
This week was alright. I am still hovering right around 170. This is how I felt 30 pounds ago when I was hovering at the 200 mark. Just waiting for my body to figure out that I am not yet where it needs to be. I know that I will get there...but the waiting is so frustrating! This week I am going to up my exercise. I have so many different DVD's of different exercises and I am going to do a different one every day. From cardio, to yoga, to kettle bells...every day this week I am going to fit one workout in! Take that, fat!! You won't be able to hide from the burn! LOL
I am also continuing to work through my "to do list" on my house. I have some sanding and painting to do and some organizing. I still have clothes to weed out and take to Goodwill or sell. And I still have to hook up my new printer and move my computer from the basement office to the smaller bedroom upstairs that I am claiming for my new office. There is lots to do and if I try and think about it all at once it is overwhelming. Best to have 2-3 things a week to check off and before you know it I will be at the end of the list.
This next year will be a whirlwind of wedding plans and parties and the fact that I will be able to enjoy it all and not be hiding away praying that no one takes my picture is just icing on the cake! (Except that there is no cake or icing! LOL)
What does this wonderful occurrence have to do with my weight loss journey? Many many things...first, my daughters best friend and I were in hiding during the proposal photographing the entire thing. I had to climb into a tiny hiding place in a patch of brambles and then stay crouched down for about 20 minutes until he started the proposal. 55 pounds ago I could never have done that! It would have been impossible for me to hide anywhere!! Plus, now I have another motivating factor to lose the next 40 pounds...that "mother of the bride" dress! I vow right now that the size of that dress will only have 1 number...NOT 2.
This week was alright. I am still hovering right around 170. This is how I felt 30 pounds ago when I was hovering at the 200 mark. Just waiting for my body to figure out that I am not yet where it needs to be. I know that I will get there...but the waiting is so frustrating! This week I am going to up my exercise. I have so many different DVD's of different exercises and I am going to do a different one every day. From cardio, to yoga, to kettle bells...every day this week I am going to fit one workout in! Take that, fat!! You won't be able to hide from the burn! LOL
I am also continuing to work through my "to do list" on my house. I have some sanding and painting to do and some organizing. I still have clothes to weed out and take to Goodwill or sell. And I still have to hook up my new printer and move my computer from the basement office to the smaller bedroom upstairs that I am claiming for my new office. There is lots to do and if I try and think about it all at once it is overwhelming. Best to have 2-3 things a week to check off and before you know it I will be at the end of the list.
This next year will be a whirlwind of wedding plans and parties and the fact that I will be able to enjoy it all and not be hiding away praying that no one takes my picture is just icing on the cake! (Except that there is no cake or icing! LOL)
Sunday, July 19, 2015
A weekend at home
After the hustle and bustle of last weekend, this time I stayed home and made a list of all the things I have been meaning to get done this year and have either procrastinated or just plain haven't had time.
First on my list was the side yard of my house. Because my house is cut into a slight hill, the right side yard can only be accessed by climbing a 4 foot rockery from the front or through a gate from the back. My neighbor and I kind of mutually agree that we will ignore the side yard and let nature do her thing. Well that worked for me for a while...but it has been bugging me for months and I just couldn't work up the energy to tackle this huge job. I got up early on Saturday and started pulling weeds and pruning at 7am. By 11am I had it all cleaned up and I just needed to get the piles down the rockery and into yard waste cans. Today I went to the store and bought 6 bags of mulch to spread over the now clean area. Success!!! A hot sweaty mess by the time I was finished, but boy does it look nice!
Next on my list was hanging two prints that I have had for months. I went on Friday after work to purchase frames as my local frame store was having a huge "buy one frame get the second one for a penny" sale. Awesome I thought...I can check this one off my list on Friday night along with mowing the back yard and I will be miles ahead of the weekend list...when I got home however, I found that one of the frames had a broken piece of glass. Damn...another trip back to the store on Saturday. Not as efficient as I would have liked, but another project done. (and the back yard got mowed too!)
I have also been struggling with my dinners. As I live alone, it's a pain in the butt to cook for one person. The only way I manage to do a good job of it is to make a regular dinner and then make several tupperware meals that I can use for my lunches and dinners throughout the week. I decided this weekend to make a couple of things I have never tried before. As seems to be my way, I thought I had chicken breasts to make one of the dishes...but when it came down to it I only had tenderloins. Damn again!! OK regroup and pick another recipe...Saturday night I made Mexican chicken with black beans. It was enough for my dinner plus 3 more meals. Tonight I am making halibut fish tacos. The fish has been marinating in a yummy mixture all day and I am super excited to try this recipe. I think this will also make 3 extra meals, so I won't have to cook again until Thursday! Yay!!
As I look at my list I realize that I am not going to finish everything. But out of the 10 things on my list I will complete 8 and that is a victory in my book!! I treated myself to a trip to my local women's spa yesterday. Spent and hour and a half in the various rooms and pools and then topped off my visit with a sugar scrub and full moisture treatment. OMG I felt so amazing afterwards and it made all the yard work so worth it. This spa (Ladywells Vitality Spa) is so serene and peaceful...when I walk through the doors I immediately feel better. It's like stepping into another dimension and I leave all my worries and fears at the door. I wish I could afford to go every week!!!
So all in all this was a good week. I got on the scale this morning and I had lost a pound. After a couple of weeks of no loss, it was good to see the scale going down again. I am trying really hard to not measure my success by a number on a scale. Having said that however, I want to lose 40 more pounds, so I don't want to lose sight of my goal either. Hopefully with better meals, continued exercise and a positive outlook I will drop out of the 170's next week! So exited to see 160-something on that scale in the near future!!!
Here is my progress so far...
Highest weight - 224.4
Surgery weight - 216.0
Current weight - 171.2
First on my list was the side yard of my house. Because my house is cut into a slight hill, the right side yard can only be accessed by climbing a 4 foot rockery from the front or through a gate from the back. My neighbor and I kind of mutually agree that we will ignore the side yard and let nature do her thing. Well that worked for me for a while...but it has been bugging me for months and I just couldn't work up the energy to tackle this huge job. I got up early on Saturday and started pulling weeds and pruning at 7am. By 11am I had it all cleaned up and I just needed to get the piles down the rockery and into yard waste cans. Today I went to the store and bought 6 bags of mulch to spread over the now clean area. Success!!! A hot sweaty mess by the time I was finished, but boy does it look nice!
Next on my list was hanging two prints that I have had for months. I went on Friday after work to purchase frames as my local frame store was having a huge "buy one frame get the second one for a penny" sale. Awesome I thought...I can check this one off my list on Friday night along with mowing the back yard and I will be miles ahead of the weekend list...when I got home however, I found that one of the frames had a broken piece of glass. Damn...another trip back to the store on Saturday. Not as efficient as I would have liked, but another project done. (and the back yard got mowed too!)
I have also been struggling with my dinners. As I live alone, it's a pain in the butt to cook for one person. The only way I manage to do a good job of it is to make a regular dinner and then make several tupperware meals that I can use for my lunches and dinners throughout the week. I decided this weekend to make a couple of things I have never tried before. As seems to be my way, I thought I had chicken breasts to make one of the dishes...but when it came down to it I only had tenderloins. Damn again!! OK regroup and pick another recipe...Saturday night I made Mexican chicken with black beans. It was enough for my dinner plus 3 more meals. Tonight I am making halibut fish tacos. The fish has been marinating in a yummy mixture all day and I am super excited to try this recipe. I think this will also make 3 extra meals, so I won't have to cook again until Thursday! Yay!!
As I look at my list I realize that I am not going to finish everything. But out of the 10 things on my list I will complete 8 and that is a victory in my book!! I treated myself to a trip to my local women's spa yesterday. Spent and hour and a half in the various rooms and pools and then topped off my visit with a sugar scrub and full moisture treatment. OMG I felt so amazing afterwards and it made all the yard work so worth it. This spa (Ladywells Vitality Spa) is so serene and peaceful...when I walk through the doors I immediately feel better. It's like stepping into another dimension and I leave all my worries and fears at the door. I wish I could afford to go every week!!!
So all in all this was a good week. I got on the scale this morning and I had lost a pound. After a couple of weeks of no loss, it was good to see the scale going down again. I am trying really hard to not measure my success by a number on a scale. Having said that however, I want to lose 40 more pounds, so I don't want to lose sight of my goal either. Hopefully with better meals, continued exercise and a positive outlook I will drop out of the 170's next week! So exited to see 160-something on that scale in the near future!!!
Here is my progress so far...
Highest weight - 224.4
Surgery weight - 216.0
Current weight - 171.2
Sunday, July 12, 2015
My first 5K...and a lesson in believing in myself
Today I ran my very first 5K. My oldest daughter ran it too and we both had goals that we wanted to achieve. Hers was to finish in under 30 minutes, which meant she had to beat her previous 10 minute mile standard. I wanted to finish in under 1 hour. I am not a runner...I have never been a runner...but I have been really hard on myself lately and needed to accomplish something so that I could look at myself in the mirror and say "I am proud of you!" I knew from the beginning that I wasn't going to be able to run the whole 3.1 miles...I just wanted to set some kind of run/walk pace that would get me across the finish line in under 1 hour.
But a funny thing happened to me when I started the race. I started off at a slow jog and decided that I could make it to the coffee shop that is out of the park where the race started and down the street a ways...then I made it to the coffee shop. I was still feeling good, so I said that I would make it to the first water station...so I did. Then I said I would make it to the bridge...and I did. I just kept running...not a blistering pace by any means...but I kept going...and going...and going... The race had a turnaround point where the fastest runners would pass us on their way back to the finish line. I was watching for my daughter when the first few runners passed me on their way back. Sure enough, I saw her coming and we were able to high five and encourage each other. At that point I decided that I could make it to the turnaround before slowing to a walk. But when I made it to the turnaround and I still had gas in the tank I started to believe...to believe that I could run the entire race without having to walk. With each stride my brain started to believe what my body was telling it. That we could do it...that we were strong, and confident, and able to achieve this. So I kept running. When I entered the park where the finish line was I was almost in tears. Never had I felt this "at peace" in my own body. When I saw the finish line I picked up my pace. I passed a few runners and speeded up a bit more. And then I crossed that damn finish line with my arms raised in the air and even threw in a fist pump for good measure!! And to top it off, I got a medal. My daughter told me that she could see they were only going to give medals to a set number of runners and that they were down to only a few left when she saw me coming. She and her boyfriend were shouting encouragement at me to run...run faster...and it ended up that I got the 3rd to the last medal handed out! Close call...but the best thing of all was that when I looked up at the timer it read 48 minutes!! Holy crap!!! I crushed my goal of under one hour!!! I did cry then...with my daughter hugging me and telling me how proud she was of me, I just cried. When I could breath again, I asked her how she did and she was all smiles when she told me she finished in 29 minutes! A double victory!!
So now I am back at home...making a peach & blueberry crumble to take to our office picnic which is this afternoon. The race seems surreal now, looking back. But I have learned that I can push myself farther than I ever believed possible and that I have to trust my body to know more than my head!
No weight was lost on the scale this week. But so much was gained in life! I am proud of myself...proud that I tried...proud that I succeeded...and proud that I didn't let my head stop me from the best feeling I have felt in a long long time!
But a funny thing happened to me when I started the race. I started off at a slow jog and decided that I could make it to the coffee shop that is out of the park where the race started and down the street a ways...then I made it to the coffee shop. I was still feeling good, so I said that I would make it to the first water station...so I did. Then I said I would make it to the bridge...and I did. I just kept running...not a blistering pace by any means...but I kept going...and going...and going... The race had a turnaround point where the fastest runners would pass us on their way back to the finish line. I was watching for my daughter when the first few runners passed me on their way back. Sure enough, I saw her coming and we were able to high five and encourage each other. At that point I decided that I could make it to the turnaround before slowing to a walk. But when I made it to the turnaround and I still had gas in the tank I started to believe...to believe that I could run the entire race without having to walk. With each stride my brain started to believe what my body was telling it. That we could do it...that we were strong, and confident, and able to achieve this. So I kept running. When I entered the park where the finish line was I was almost in tears. Never had I felt this "at peace" in my own body. When I saw the finish line I picked up my pace. I passed a few runners and speeded up a bit more. And then I crossed that damn finish line with my arms raised in the air and even threw in a fist pump for good measure!! And to top it off, I got a medal. My daughter told me that she could see they were only going to give medals to a set number of runners and that they were down to only a few left when she saw me coming. She and her boyfriend were shouting encouragement at me to run...run faster...and it ended up that I got the 3rd to the last medal handed out! Close call...but the best thing of all was that when I looked up at the timer it read 48 minutes!! Holy crap!!! I crushed my goal of under one hour!!! I did cry then...with my daughter hugging me and telling me how proud she was of me, I just cried. When I could breath again, I asked her how she did and she was all smiles when she told me she finished in 29 minutes! A double victory!!
So now I am back at home...making a peach & blueberry crumble to take to our office picnic which is this afternoon. The race seems surreal now, looking back. But I have learned that I can push myself farther than I ever believed possible and that I have to trust my body to know more than my head!
No weight was lost on the scale this week. But so much was gained in life! I am proud of myself...proud that I tried...proud that I succeeded...and proud that I didn't let my head stop me from the best feeling I have felt in a long long time!
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Stalling again... :(
I thought my last stall was too good to be true at having lasted only one week. I was really happy, but in my normal way of thinking I was waiting for the other shoe to drop...and now it has. I was out of town on Sunday (my normal weigh in day) and so yesterday I was finally able to get on the scale and...nothing. Bummer!! I was visiting relatives in California most of the week and so that did disrupt my normal routine. But I took my protein drinks and bars with me and even though I didn't have my gym, I got up early every morning and went for my walk. I was hoping that I did enough to keep the scale moving...but obviously I didn't!
The weather here is still very warm and it's a possibility that I am retaining some water because of that...but I don't want to ever play the "scale mind games" that I used to play and so I am just saying that once again I am stuck. It is frustrating to look down at that display and see no result from your hard work. But the difference now versus before surgery is that there is no going back. It doesn't matter how long it takes me to lose this last 40 pounds, it IS going to happen. I am going to be eating this way for the rest of my life and so eventually the weight will come off!
My first 5K is this weekend. I can be honest and say that I am not ready for it. I didn't complete the "couch to 5K" training that I started a month ago. This stupid hot weather really derailed that for me. It makes it so difficult to come home to an 87 degree house and then want to go out in the heat and run. I don't have any concerns about finishing the race...I have walked the distance many times...but it's going to take a miracle to finish it in under 1 hour (which was my goal). But this is my very first race and the hope is that I will fall in love with the "race vibe" and be inspired by the other women and want to do it again and again. In order for me to make this change and make it stick for the rest of my life, I need to find ways to be active that are social and fun.
One really good thing is that I finally got back to logging my measurements. I have lost 39 1/2 inches in total since my pre surgery measurements. Plus...none of my measurements are above 50 inches anymore! The biggest losses are in my waist (6"), my hips (10.5"), and my bust (6"). I measured pre surgery and then forgot about it until my first stall. Since then, I measure on the first Sunday of every month. It is really encouraging to see the inches falling away even though that scale has slowed way down. I am glad I got back on track with it. I have now set a couple of measurement goals to go along with weight loss goals. I want my waist measurement (currently at 39") to get down to 30 inches, and I want my hip measurement (currently at 42") to get down to 36". The only way that is going to happen is to keep going with my exercise!!!
After much traveling in the first 6 months of this year, I get to stay at home now until October. This will give me three months to dial in my program and get busy getting this weight off. My next trip is our annual managers retreat to Palm Springs. I want my weight to be solidly in the 150's before that happens, so I have got some work to do!! I'll keep writing this blog to record my progress and my thoughts while on my way to goal. Off to work now...
The weather here is still very warm and it's a possibility that I am retaining some water because of that...but I don't want to ever play the "scale mind games" that I used to play and so I am just saying that once again I am stuck. It is frustrating to look down at that display and see no result from your hard work. But the difference now versus before surgery is that there is no going back. It doesn't matter how long it takes me to lose this last 40 pounds, it IS going to happen. I am going to be eating this way for the rest of my life and so eventually the weight will come off!
My first 5K is this weekend. I can be honest and say that I am not ready for it. I didn't complete the "couch to 5K" training that I started a month ago. This stupid hot weather really derailed that for me. It makes it so difficult to come home to an 87 degree house and then want to go out in the heat and run. I don't have any concerns about finishing the race...I have walked the distance many times...but it's going to take a miracle to finish it in under 1 hour (which was my goal). But this is my very first race and the hope is that I will fall in love with the "race vibe" and be inspired by the other women and want to do it again and again. In order for me to make this change and make it stick for the rest of my life, I need to find ways to be active that are social and fun.
One really good thing is that I finally got back to logging my measurements. I have lost 39 1/2 inches in total since my pre surgery measurements. Plus...none of my measurements are above 50 inches anymore! The biggest losses are in my waist (6"), my hips (10.5"), and my bust (6"). I measured pre surgery and then forgot about it until my first stall. Since then, I measure on the first Sunday of every month. It is really encouraging to see the inches falling away even though that scale has slowed way down. I am glad I got back on track with it. I have now set a couple of measurement goals to go along with weight loss goals. I want my waist measurement (currently at 39") to get down to 30 inches, and I want my hip measurement (currently at 42") to get down to 36". The only way that is going to happen is to keep going with my exercise!!!
After much traveling in the first 6 months of this year, I get to stay at home now until October. This will give me three months to dial in my program and get busy getting this weight off. My next trip is our annual managers retreat to Palm Springs. I want my weight to be solidly in the 150's before that happens, so I have got some work to do!! I'll keep writing this blog to record my progress and my thoughts while on my way to goal. Off to work now...
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Heat = bad Stall over = good
First, I am so happy that this was a "mini-stall"! Lasted only 10 days and then the scale started moving again. Lost 1.2 pounds this week and am grateful !! Just 3 more pounds and my weight will be in the 160's! I believe it was around 20 years ago that my weight was in the 160's so I am very excited to get there again.
It has been unusually hot in Seattle this last week...and the upcoming week shows more of the same. I am fine during the day...but at night, sleep is proving to be difficult. Two nights ago, I gave up at 3:30am after hours of tossing and turning and one cold shower, and just got up and started my day. got bills paid, laundry done, and wrote a few long overdue emails to friends. But I was tired all day.
Last night I brought a second fan into the bedroom and basically slept in a wind tunnel!! LOL I slept much better, but still woke up at 5:30am as the sun came up. I swear the minute the sun came up, my bedroom temp rose 10 degrees!!
Yesterday I treated myself to a "day of beauty". Started with getting my hair cut and colored, then my lashes done, and ended with a mani/pedi. It felt so good to just pamper myself for a day! Now I am all set to head to San Francisco on Friday!
Having lots of fun riding the scooter around. Rode it to downtown yesterday for my appointments, and remembered one of the reasons I love it...great parking!!! The only downside was that after getting my hair done up all pretty, I had to put the helmet on!! Oh well... Another great thing about the scooter is the gas mileage. I filled up yesterday (and I was on "E") and the total was...$4.00 Such a nice change from the SUV which, even at today's lower gas prices, costs around $60 to fill up. Plus in this beautiful weather, it's my poor man's convertible! I can't help but smile as I scoot around town!
Food has been all over the place this week...mostly due to the heat. I just can't come home to an 85 degree house and get excited about cooking! So I have been eating a lot of cold dinners of fruits and veggies and getting most of my protein from my shakes and bars. I bought a small tabletop BBQ yesterday though and grilled up a bunch of chicken pieces last night once the sun was off the patio. I marinated the chicken in some olive oil, spices, balsamic, and just a touch of chili oil...had one of the pieces with green beans for dinner and it was yummy!! The small tabletop BBQ by Weber gets my "single persons BBQ" vote!!! Even heating, easy to clean up, and easy to move around, I think I am going to love having this!
So my goals this week are to try and beat the heat and sleep better...keep on my food plan...and (even though it's going to be HOT) get my butt to the gym for my weight training. Then I will take off for SF, where the weather is 10-15 degrees cooler and settle in for a nice visit with relatives.
Until next time...
It has been unusually hot in Seattle this last week...and the upcoming week shows more of the same. I am fine during the day...but at night, sleep is proving to be difficult. Two nights ago, I gave up at 3:30am after hours of tossing and turning and one cold shower, and just got up and started my day. got bills paid, laundry done, and wrote a few long overdue emails to friends. But I was tired all day.
Last night I brought a second fan into the bedroom and basically slept in a wind tunnel!! LOL I slept much better, but still woke up at 5:30am as the sun came up. I swear the minute the sun came up, my bedroom temp rose 10 degrees!!
Yesterday I treated myself to a "day of beauty". Started with getting my hair cut and colored, then my lashes done, and ended with a mani/pedi. It felt so good to just pamper myself for a day! Now I am all set to head to San Francisco on Friday!
Having lots of fun riding the scooter around. Rode it to downtown yesterday for my appointments, and remembered one of the reasons I love it...great parking!!! The only downside was that after getting my hair done up all pretty, I had to put the helmet on!! Oh well... Another great thing about the scooter is the gas mileage. I filled up yesterday (and I was on "E") and the total was...$4.00 Such a nice change from the SUV which, even at today's lower gas prices, costs around $60 to fill up. Plus in this beautiful weather, it's my poor man's convertible! I can't help but smile as I scoot around town!
Food has been all over the place this week...mostly due to the heat. I just can't come home to an 85 degree house and get excited about cooking! So I have been eating a lot of cold dinners of fruits and veggies and getting most of my protein from my shakes and bars. I bought a small tabletop BBQ yesterday though and grilled up a bunch of chicken pieces last night once the sun was off the patio. I marinated the chicken in some olive oil, spices, balsamic, and just a touch of chili oil...had one of the pieces with green beans for dinner and it was yummy!! The small tabletop BBQ by Weber gets my "single persons BBQ" vote!!! Even heating, easy to clean up, and easy to move around, I think I am going to love having this!
So my goals this week are to try and beat the heat and sleep better...keep on my food plan...and (even though it's going to be HOT) get my butt to the gym for my weight training. Then I will take off for SF, where the weather is 10-15 degrees cooler and settle in for a nice visit with relatives.
Until next time...
Sunday, June 21, 2015
The stall...part two
I knew it was coming...knew I wouldn't get to the end of this journey with only one stall...I was just keeping my fingers crossed that I could go as far as possible before it happened. Well, apparently this is as far as possible.
Last week I hit the 50 pound mark. 50 pounds in 18 weeks...I am thrilled. But it seemed like the minute I hit the 50 mark, everything ground to a halt. It's funny how I am so in tune with my body now. I only weigh officially on Sunday mornings, but if I get up mid week and feel particularly light that morning, I will hop on the scale to check mid week progress. This week, I felt heavy every morning. Felt like my belly was bloated, my ankles swollen, and just overall blah. I got on the scale Friday morning just to make sure I wasn't gaining! I was exactly the same...174.2 I thought to myself, now don't get freaked out...you still have 3 days until weigh in...but somewhere in my head I knew...here comes stall #2.
The last time I had a stall (after my first post op month) it lasted 18 days. But then after I got past that, I had almost 3 straight months of steady loss. Now I am left wondering how long it will take my body to move past this point. One good thing is that my exercise is at a good level now. 3-4 days a week I either go to the gym or do my 5K workout. The 5K that I am doing with my daughter is next month on the 12th and so I am trying to get my time down as much as possible. She is going to run the entire race, I am going to run/walk in the hopes of finishing in under an hour. I am really looking forward to it. I have never done anything like this before and although I have cheered on friends and family at these types of events, I will now get to be the person crossing the finish line!
Food choices and amounts have not changed much in recent weeks. I have still stayed away from bread and red meat. With the weather getting warmer, I find that I am more likely to eat a cold dinner of turkey or chicken along with a bit of cheese and fruit rather than cook up the meals I was doing for a while. I did make a chicken casserole last week, but since I live alone, I ended up eating it all week long and it got really boring! It's sometimes hard to cook for one, but I am working on it.
Today is Father's Day. Since my husband passed away, this is a hard day for me. I see the loss in my girls eyes and know that it is hard for them too. We are celebrating with Grandpa today and will try to make his day special. His wife died 4 months ago and he is lonely as well. It will be a bittersweet day, but at least we have each other!
So this week, I vow to keep up with my exercise...get in my daily protein...to NOT forget to take my vitamins...and to keep a good attitude. With all that, and a little luck, this stall will be a brief one!
Last week I hit the 50 pound mark. 50 pounds in 18 weeks...I am thrilled. But it seemed like the minute I hit the 50 mark, everything ground to a halt. It's funny how I am so in tune with my body now. I only weigh officially on Sunday mornings, but if I get up mid week and feel particularly light that morning, I will hop on the scale to check mid week progress. This week, I felt heavy every morning. Felt like my belly was bloated, my ankles swollen, and just overall blah. I got on the scale Friday morning just to make sure I wasn't gaining! I was exactly the same...174.2 I thought to myself, now don't get freaked out...you still have 3 days until weigh in...but somewhere in my head I knew...here comes stall #2.
The last time I had a stall (after my first post op month) it lasted 18 days. But then after I got past that, I had almost 3 straight months of steady loss. Now I am left wondering how long it will take my body to move past this point. One good thing is that my exercise is at a good level now. 3-4 days a week I either go to the gym or do my 5K workout. The 5K that I am doing with my daughter is next month on the 12th and so I am trying to get my time down as much as possible. She is going to run the entire race, I am going to run/walk in the hopes of finishing in under an hour. I am really looking forward to it. I have never done anything like this before and although I have cheered on friends and family at these types of events, I will now get to be the person crossing the finish line!
Food choices and amounts have not changed much in recent weeks. I have still stayed away from bread and red meat. With the weather getting warmer, I find that I am more likely to eat a cold dinner of turkey or chicken along with a bit of cheese and fruit rather than cook up the meals I was doing for a while. I did make a chicken casserole last week, but since I live alone, I ended up eating it all week long and it got really boring! It's sometimes hard to cook for one, but I am working on it.
Today is Father's Day. Since my husband passed away, this is a hard day for me. I see the loss in my girls eyes and know that it is hard for them too. We are celebrating with Grandpa today and will try to make his day special. His wife died 4 months ago and he is lonely as well. It will be a bittersweet day, but at least we have each other!
So this week, I vow to keep up with my exercise...get in my daily protein...to NOT forget to take my vitamins...and to keep a good attitude. With all that, and a little luck, this stall will be a brief one!
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Just a quick WaHooooo
Got up this morning and felt great! I worked out yesterday and my workout buddy kicked my butt!! It was a great workout and I had a great dinner when I got home. When I woke up this morning, it was one of those rare mornings where I just felt great as soon as I woke up. (that's a lot of "greats")
Even though it is not a weigh in day, I decided to hop on before my shower and what I saw gave me a grin that is still on my face now. I have reached my 50 pounds lost mark! I have been about a half a pound away from this for a few days, and hitting it today just motivates me for the next 44 pounds!
Then out of the blue, my patient coordinator from Mexico emailed me today to check in and see how I am doing. She has been keeping in contact with me all along, which I love! It would be so easy for them to put me on that plane in San Diego and just move on to the next patient and never think of me again...but they are so much more than that. It makes me feel very cared for and the fact that I have them as a direct link to my surgeon in case I have questions or concerns gives me a lot of peace of mind. It was fun to be able to tell her that she picked a good day to ask because I hit the 50 mark today!!!
I am so happy to be on this journey to a happier and healthier me!!!
Even though it is not a weigh in day, I decided to hop on before my shower and what I saw gave me a grin that is still on my face now. I have reached my 50 pounds lost mark! I have been about a half a pound away from this for a few days, and hitting it today just motivates me for the next 44 pounds!
Then out of the blue, my patient coordinator from Mexico emailed me today to check in and see how I am doing. She has been keeping in contact with me all along, which I love! It would be so easy for them to put me on that plane in San Diego and just move on to the next patient and never think of me again...but they are so much more than that. It makes me feel very cared for and the fact that I have them as a direct link to my surgeon in case I have questions or concerns gives me a lot of peace of mind. It was fun to be able to tell her that she picked a good day to ask because I hit the 50 mark today!!!
I am so happy to be on this journey to a happier and healthier me!!!
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Still going strong (and hot weather challenges)
Well it's another gorgeous day today! Looks like it's going to be a great Seattle summer! Got up this morning and weighed - it's so nice to not fear the scale anymore!! As of today I am at 175 - lost 2 pounds last week. I am really happy with my progress. As long as I am losing at least a pound a week, I am happy. Some stats for posterity...starting weight 224.4, starting BMI 41...Today's weight 175 and today's BMI 32. My next goal is to get my BMI under 30. I think that is when (according to my weight app) I will cease to be "obese" and become "overweight". I know most people would not celebrate becoming "overweight", but I am certainly going to!!
This was not a week with big happenings. I have been traveling so much this year that it was really nice to just be at home and get some things done. I don't know about anyone else, but the daily mail is my nemesis. I hate mail !! I get so much junk mail and then I get mail that needs to be filed, or responded to, or bills to be paid and then filed...it feels like work (it's what I do at work) and so when I get home I don't want to do it. Needless to say, it then piles up and what would be a 5 minute task if I did it daily, ends up being a 2 hour task when I do it monthly!! Well, that task got completed last night and my desk looks so great! I'd like to say I have learned my lesson and will keep it that way...but that would be a lie...I'll just let it pile up again.
Yesterday I took my car in to be detailed. From doggy drool, spilled coffee, dropped food, and just dirty feet etc, my poor car looked ragged. I saw an Amazon Local deal a couple of months ago for a complete car detail and I bought it. I used it yesterday and I couldn't be more thrilled. They did such an amazing job that my car interior looks like brand new!!! Note to self - all beverages consumed in my car MUST have a lid!!! It is so nice to drive a car that is clean and smells good! This is one task I am going to follow through on - do NOT use the car as a junk holder!!!
Hot weather (well at least hot by Seattle standards) has brought a new set up challenges. The first being that I do not want to cook when I get home from work! The house is hot and by the time I open windows, turn on fans, and get everything somewhat comfortable, it's 8:00pm! So I find myself eating a cold dinner of cottage cheese, salami, hummus, or other cold "snacky" things. While this is fine in the short term, I don't want to get into the habit of not having a balanced dinner. The other challenge of hot weather is rashes. Like a lot of overweight people who lose a lot of weight, I have hanging skin. My two problem areas are right under my breasts, and under my belly. I developed quite a rash in both areas while in Las Vegas (where the temp was close to 100) and it has taken me a week to get them under control. This is how I know that I will have to have skin removal surgery and a breast lift after I lose all my weight and stabilize. I don't want to battle these rashes for the rest of my life! It's funny, but I didn't battle with rashes very much when I was at my heaviest. Occasionally I would get one, but not often. I wonder if my body chemistry has changed and the rashes are a part of it. Well, whatever reason I am getting them this summer, I know I don't want to deal with them forever!! Very uncomfortable and itchy and burning!!
My gym partner and I have rededicated ourselves for the coming week! We have both been traveling a lot this year and have just not gotten in our normal amount of gym time. I really want to continue to build muscle so that I can look more toned as I lose weight. My arms in particular need to "pump up"! (that makes me think of Hans and Franz on SNL - LOL) We have vowed to be back to our 3X a week this week. I am also still training for the 5K that I am doing with my daughter next month. I may need to look for new shoes because I did a practice 5K a week and a half ago and got a nasty blister on the ball of my foot (just in time to go to Vegas) and it took until now to completely heal. It makes it hard to get in my miles when my foot is on fire! I am going to try my other running shoes this week and see if they are better.
Well, that's it for now. Another week closer to goal. Until next time...
This was not a week with big happenings. I have been traveling so much this year that it was really nice to just be at home and get some things done. I don't know about anyone else, but the daily mail is my nemesis. I hate mail !! I get so much junk mail and then I get mail that needs to be filed, or responded to, or bills to be paid and then filed...it feels like work (it's what I do at work) and so when I get home I don't want to do it. Needless to say, it then piles up and what would be a 5 minute task if I did it daily, ends up being a 2 hour task when I do it monthly!! Well, that task got completed last night and my desk looks so great! I'd like to say I have learned my lesson and will keep it that way...but that would be a lie...I'll just let it pile up again.
Yesterday I took my car in to be detailed. From doggy drool, spilled coffee, dropped food, and just dirty feet etc, my poor car looked ragged. I saw an Amazon Local deal a couple of months ago for a complete car detail and I bought it. I used it yesterday and I couldn't be more thrilled. They did such an amazing job that my car interior looks like brand new!!! Note to self - all beverages consumed in my car MUST have a lid!!! It is so nice to drive a car that is clean and smells good! This is one task I am going to follow through on - do NOT use the car as a junk holder!!!
Hot weather (well at least hot by Seattle standards) has brought a new set up challenges. The first being that I do not want to cook when I get home from work! The house is hot and by the time I open windows, turn on fans, and get everything somewhat comfortable, it's 8:00pm! So I find myself eating a cold dinner of cottage cheese, salami, hummus, or other cold "snacky" things. While this is fine in the short term, I don't want to get into the habit of not having a balanced dinner. The other challenge of hot weather is rashes. Like a lot of overweight people who lose a lot of weight, I have hanging skin. My two problem areas are right under my breasts, and under my belly. I developed quite a rash in both areas while in Las Vegas (where the temp was close to 100) and it has taken me a week to get them under control. This is how I know that I will have to have skin removal surgery and a breast lift after I lose all my weight and stabilize. I don't want to battle these rashes for the rest of my life! It's funny, but I didn't battle with rashes very much when I was at my heaviest. Occasionally I would get one, but not often. I wonder if my body chemistry has changed and the rashes are a part of it. Well, whatever reason I am getting them this summer, I know I don't want to deal with them forever!! Very uncomfortable and itchy and burning!!
My gym partner and I have rededicated ourselves for the coming week! We have both been traveling a lot this year and have just not gotten in our normal amount of gym time. I really want to continue to build muscle so that I can look more toned as I lose weight. My arms in particular need to "pump up"! (that makes me think of Hans and Franz on SNL - LOL) We have vowed to be back to our 3X a week this week. I am also still training for the 5K that I am doing with my daughter next month. I may need to look for new shoes because I did a practice 5K a week and a half ago and got a nasty blister on the ball of my foot (just in time to go to Vegas) and it took until now to completely heal. It makes it hard to get in my miles when my foot is on fire! I am going to try my other running shoes this week and see if they are better.
Well, that's it for now. Another week closer to goal. Until next time...
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
What happens in Vegas...
This last weekend 8 people from my office traveled to Las Vegas for some sun, relaxation, and team building. We have done this almost every year for the last 10 years! Post sleeve Vegas is a whole different animal though...
Vegas is a place of extremes. Extreme gambling, extreme drinking, and extreme eating! (not to mention extreme wardrobe choices ~ but that is another story!)
We had a hotel deal that included a 24 hour buffet pass. Once we checked in for our first dinner buffet, the bracelet they give you entitles you to 24 hours of "all you can eat" at 11 different buffets. Are you kidding me?? Only one coworker of mine knows about my surgery and we were rooming together for this trip. She is also on a weight loss journey (minus the surgery) and we have lost a similar amount of weight. She has been at it for nine months, me for four months. We both agreed that we did not want to take a giant step back in our progress this weekend. We had a mini meeting to discuss how we would cope with all the food, alcohol, etc during this weekend and still have fun with our coworkers. Well...I am proud to say that we did it.
Even with a three day trip to Vegas, I lost 1.4 pounds this last week! I think I could have lost another pound, but the few drinks I had were tough to overcome. We walked 8 miles each day we were there. I have a Fitbit and we used that to gauge our progress and keep us motivated. I am still not eating red meat, so my trip to the buffet lines were for turkey, and seafood. I had shrimp and crab one night which were both so delicious! One of my coworkers was hounding me to "try it with the drawn butter"...but I told her that the flavor of the crab was why I chose it and I didn't need it to swim in anything! I didn't feel like I missed out on anything!!
A food comment from this trip would be that I am now not afraid to taste something...and decide I don't like it...and then NOT eat it. I always start with protein and on one of our dinners, I decided to try duck for the first time. I took a very small piece from the buffet and then went back to our table and tried a bite. Nope! Duck (at least prepared that way) was not for me! So I left it on my plate and went back and got a small slice of turkey. I also gave myself permission to have one small dessert each night. Well...the first night I chose a mini eclair. I took one bite and it was terrible! So I didn't eat it. My coworkers were like "go up and get something else"...but I wasn't hungry and nothing sounded good, so I just bagged it. The next night, I got the small square of cheesecake...again, after one bite, I didn't like it either! I don't know if this buffet just had particularly nasty desserts, or if my palate has changed so much that I just don't like the flavor of the sugary delights anymore. Either way, I left them on my plate and didn't even feel a twinge of regret!
Another milestone I passed this week is the halfway point of my weight loss. I now have officially lost more weight than I have left to lose! Starting weight - 224.4 Current weight - 177.0
I promised that I would post before and "during" photos once I was at the halfway mark and so here they are. I started at size 2X in tops and size 20 in pants. I am currently in a size L top and a loose 16 in pants. Halfway there and going for goal at 130 !!! Until next time...here are the pics.
Vegas is a place of extremes. Extreme gambling, extreme drinking, and extreme eating! (not to mention extreme wardrobe choices ~ but that is another story!)
We had a hotel deal that included a 24 hour buffet pass. Once we checked in for our first dinner buffet, the bracelet they give you entitles you to 24 hours of "all you can eat" at 11 different buffets. Are you kidding me?? Only one coworker of mine knows about my surgery and we were rooming together for this trip. She is also on a weight loss journey (minus the surgery) and we have lost a similar amount of weight. She has been at it for nine months, me for four months. We both agreed that we did not want to take a giant step back in our progress this weekend. We had a mini meeting to discuss how we would cope with all the food, alcohol, etc during this weekend and still have fun with our coworkers. Well...I am proud to say that we did it.
Even with a three day trip to Vegas, I lost 1.4 pounds this last week! I think I could have lost another pound, but the few drinks I had were tough to overcome. We walked 8 miles each day we were there. I have a Fitbit and we used that to gauge our progress and keep us motivated. I am still not eating red meat, so my trip to the buffet lines were for turkey, and seafood. I had shrimp and crab one night which were both so delicious! One of my coworkers was hounding me to "try it with the drawn butter"...but I told her that the flavor of the crab was why I chose it and I didn't need it to swim in anything! I didn't feel like I missed out on anything!!
A food comment from this trip would be that I am now not afraid to taste something...and decide I don't like it...and then NOT eat it. I always start with protein and on one of our dinners, I decided to try duck for the first time. I took a very small piece from the buffet and then went back to our table and tried a bite. Nope! Duck (at least prepared that way) was not for me! So I left it on my plate and went back and got a small slice of turkey. I also gave myself permission to have one small dessert each night. Well...the first night I chose a mini eclair. I took one bite and it was terrible! So I didn't eat it. My coworkers were like "go up and get something else"...but I wasn't hungry and nothing sounded good, so I just bagged it. The next night, I got the small square of cheesecake...again, after one bite, I didn't like it either! I don't know if this buffet just had particularly nasty desserts, or if my palate has changed so much that I just don't like the flavor of the sugary delights anymore. Either way, I left them on my plate and didn't even feel a twinge of regret!
Another milestone I passed this week is the halfway point of my weight loss. I now have officially lost more weight than I have left to lose! Starting weight - 224.4 Current weight - 177.0
I promised that I would post before and "during" photos once I was at the halfway mark and so here they are. I started at size 2X in tops and size 20 in pants. I am currently in a size L top and a loose 16 in pants. Halfway there and going for goal at 130 !!! Until next time...here are the pics.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Summer is finally here! (and so are the 170's)
Yep, I said it...the 170's!!! I weighed this morning and I am officially out of the 180's at 178.4!!!
This week was a really good one for me! It marked a return to work after my Boston vacation...and for the first time in recent history, NOTHING went wrong at work while I was away!!! That made coming back so much more pleasant. My eating this week was spot on. I ate every meal "on plan" and that is such a great feeling! I also made my return to the gym this week with my friend Diane. I was dreading it a bit since various trips and other life events derailed my 3x per week gym routine. Diane hadn't been during that time either and so we were both ready to hit it. We are really trying to gain some upper body muscle since that is both of our weak areas. So we did some cardio on the treadmill to start and then did a full upper body and ab workout, ending with a cool down on the bikes. Since we were out of practice, it took us two hours to get through it all (normally we do a 90 minute workout). The best part was that I anticipated being really sore following this, but although my muscles were a bit tight, the next day was not anywhere near as bad as I had feared. Maybe I am actually building some muscles!
This week also marked a very exciting change on the size chart! I have a trip to Vegas with 8 ladies coming up this Saturday and after checking the weather there (100+) I decided that I needed a few new tops and shorts. I have shopped in the plus size department for 20 years and so I, by habit, always start there. They were having a 50% off shorts and summer tops sale and so I loaded myself up and headed to the fitting room. 10 minutes later, I was returning all those items to the rack and taking myself away from the plus size department over into the uncharted territory of (gasp) regular sized clothing!!! Yes folks, I am too small for plus size clothes!!!!! Not only that, but I am too small for size XL in regular clothes!! I was literally shaking when I picked out several tops in a size large (yet another trip to the fitting room - I think the attendant thought I was nuts) and went to try them on. I kept telling myself that there was no way these were going to fit, even though trying on an XL and seeing how big it was should have made me more confident. When I put the first top on and it fit comfortably, I could have cried! I sent my daughters a text and even took a picture of the size tag and me in the outfit for them to celebrate with me!
Last night, I pulled up my "before" photo and compared it with the photo I took in the fitting room and I can finally see with my own eyes the amazing different 46 pounds has made. My daughter commented last week that no one sees how much weight I have lost because I don't wear any clothing that is fitted. That is true...in my head, I am still that 224 pound woman that started this journey and I never ever ever wore anything fitted. I felt gross and disgusting and never wanted anyone to see all my rolls of fat through tight clothing. But in continuing to wear oversized clothes, I was depriving myself of seeing my ongoing transformation! I stared at those photos side by side for a long time. My mind needs to catch up with my progress! The next time my daughter is over, I am going to have her take the same photos she took for me when I started. A front, back, and side shot...then I am going to send them to my wonderful patient coordinator Trish, who has been asking for pics for weeks now. I hadn't sent any because I just didn't "see" my progress. I could see it on the scale, but not in the mirror...but now I can and I want to share it with her!
This has really gotten me to thinking about body dysmorphia. I read about this once in a biography about someone with anorexia...the body is skin and bones, but when the person looks in the mirror, all they see is fat. I don't think I will ever develop this, but I certainly have been flirting with it during this process. When I would look in the mirror, all I would see is my old 224 pound self. Since my "size large day" it's like a filter that I have been looking at myself through has been snatched away and suddenly I see the difference! I have a waist again, my bra band area is smooth and I have lost most of my "back fat"...even my arms are looking better, to the point where I am excited for summer and sleeveless shirts!! I am finally ready to celebrate getting to the halfway mark (almost...1.2 pounds to go) and set myself up for success in the second half.
Here's to an amazing summer!!
This week was a really good one for me! It marked a return to work after my Boston vacation...and for the first time in recent history, NOTHING went wrong at work while I was away!!! That made coming back so much more pleasant. My eating this week was spot on. I ate every meal "on plan" and that is such a great feeling! I also made my return to the gym this week with my friend Diane. I was dreading it a bit since various trips and other life events derailed my 3x per week gym routine. Diane hadn't been during that time either and so we were both ready to hit it. We are really trying to gain some upper body muscle since that is both of our weak areas. So we did some cardio on the treadmill to start and then did a full upper body and ab workout, ending with a cool down on the bikes. Since we were out of practice, it took us two hours to get through it all (normally we do a 90 minute workout). The best part was that I anticipated being really sore following this, but although my muscles were a bit tight, the next day was not anywhere near as bad as I had feared. Maybe I am actually building some muscles!
This week also marked a very exciting change on the size chart! I have a trip to Vegas with 8 ladies coming up this Saturday and after checking the weather there (100+) I decided that I needed a few new tops and shorts. I have shopped in the plus size department for 20 years and so I, by habit, always start there. They were having a 50% off shorts and summer tops sale and so I loaded myself up and headed to the fitting room. 10 minutes later, I was returning all those items to the rack and taking myself away from the plus size department over into the uncharted territory of (gasp) regular sized clothing!!! Yes folks, I am too small for plus size clothes!!!!! Not only that, but I am too small for size XL in regular clothes!! I was literally shaking when I picked out several tops in a size large (yet another trip to the fitting room - I think the attendant thought I was nuts) and went to try them on. I kept telling myself that there was no way these were going to fit, even though trying on an XL and seeing how big it was should have made me more confident. When I put the first top on and it fit comfortably, I could have cried! I sent my daughters a text and even took a picture of the size tag and me in the outfit for them to celebrate with me!
Last night, I pulled up my "before" photo and compared it with the photo I took in the fitting room and I can finally see with my own eyes the amazing different 46 pounds has made. My daughter commented last week that no one sees how much weight I have lost because I don't wear any clothing that is fitted. That is true...in my head, I am still that 224 pound woman that started this journey and I never ever ever wore anything fitted. I felt gross and disgusting and never wanted anyone to see all my rolls of fat through tight clothing. But in continuing to wear oversized clothes, I was depriving myself of seeing my ongoing transformation! I stared at those photos side by side for a long time. My mind needs to catch up with my progress! The next time my daughter is over, I am going to have her take the same photos she took for me when I started. A front, back, and side shot...then I am going to send them to my wonderful patient coordinator Trish, who has been asking for pics for weeks now. I hadn't sent any because I just didn't "see" my progress. I could see it on the scale, but not in the mirror...but now I can and I want to share it with her!
This has really gotten me to thinking about body dysmorphia. I read about this once in a biography about someone with anorexia...the body is skin and bones, but when the person looks in the mirror, all they see is fat. I don't think I will ever develop this, but I certainly have been flirting with it during this process. When I would look in the mirror, all I would see is my old 224 pound self. Since my "size large day" it's like a filter that I have been looking at myself through has been snatched away and suddenly I see the difference! I have a waist again, my bra band area is smooth and I have lost most of my "back fat"...even my arms are looking better, to the point where I am excited for summer and sleeveless shirts!! I am finally ready to celebrate getting to the halfway mark (almost...1.2 pounds to go) and set myself up for success in the second half.
Here's to an amazing summer!!
Monday, May 25, 2015
Back to the real world...
Got back late last night from my 8 day visit with my daughter in Boston. I have to say that it was one of my best vacations ever! To get an idea of what type of vacation it was, I will share my 8 days of steps according to my FitBit.
Day 1 - 9,822 - This was the day I left for Boston and most of my steps were either walking to the bus stop, from the bus to the light rail, and from the light rail all around the airport. It was a long flight and I didn't get into Boston until midnight!
Day 2 - 22,801 - My daughter and I did half of the Freedom Trail today. We went to the Boston Common park and walked all thru it. We saw the State House and the famous Ducklings statues. The weather was wonderful and we had such a great day!
Day 3 - 10,289 - Not as many steps today because today was our mother/daughter beauty day. My daughter got about 8 inches of her long hair cut off and a mani/pedi and I got a pedi. It was a very relaxing morning, and in the afternoon we walked around the campus of Boston University.
Day 4 - 20,540 - Today was a really rainy day, but we didn't care. I bought an umbrella at the CVS on campus and we walked to the Boston Fine Art Museum. We spent about 4 hours walking through all the exhibits and it was wonderful. After filling up on art, we walked to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. This is like a tourist paradise with lots of shops and great places to eat.
Day 5 - 23,579 - This was the day we walked the other half of the Freedom Trail. We went to the Bunker Hill Monument. It is an obelisk with 294 steps to the top. We both wanted to climb it so we went to the ranger desk and got our climbing passes. Not going to lie...there were a couple of moments during the climb when I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew...but we made it and it felt so good !! After that we walked to see the USS Constitution, The Old North Church, Paul Revere's house, and had lunch at the oldest continuously operating tavern in the US - The Bell in Hand, established 1795! The weather was perfect for a day of walking!
Day 6 - 20,080 - This morning we got up and went on a tour of Fenway Park. I am not a huge baseball fan, but Fenway is the oldest ball park in the US and I was very interested in the history. It was a really interesting tour and our guide was terrific! Today was also kayaking day. We rented a two person kayak and spent 2 hours kayaking on the Charles River! We took a Lyft from campus to the boat house, but after our kayaking experience, we decided to walk the 4 miles back to campus! Such a beautiful walking trail they have in Boston along the river!
Day 7 - 14,586 - We might have overdone it yesterday as both of us were sore and tired this morning! But we had a busy day scheduled, so we got a coffee and took off again! We went to the Boston Aquarium in the morning. It is a beautiful space and we saw and touched many things! After lunch, we went to Harvard. Harvard is one of those schools that I had heard of my whole life but never thought I would actually visit. The center of the campus is called Harvard Square, and it is lush and green and peaceful. The town of Cambridge is small but has a lot of cute shops and restaurants.
Day 8 - 20,342 - This was my last full day in Boston and we spent it well. We went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in the morning. It was a lovely museum, and quite different from the Fine Arts museum we had visited before. We enjoyed the time we spent there. Afterwards, since the weather was so beautiful, we decided to go back to the Boston Commons park and walk around again. I got to take a picture of the famous "ducklings" statues (that I had fallen in love with) and we sat on a bench in the sun and just talked and relaxed.
Day 9 - 15,128 - I had the morning free before I had to go to the airport and so we went to the "SOWA" outdoor market. This is unlike any outdoor market I have visited. It is broken into 4 areas...an indoor Vintage Market, an outdoor Craft Market, an outdoor Farmer's Market, and a giant lot filled with Food Trucks! We managed to find a seat in the crowded food area and both enjoyed our lunch before it was time to head back to campus and for me to get on another long flight back to Seattle.
So...now that you know everything I did on my vacation (LOL) here are the results (as it pertains to my weight loss journey). You might think (I sure did) that all of that walking, and climbing, and paddling would have equated to some pounds dropped on the scale. Well if you did, then we were both wrong! My scale this morning said that I had lost .8 of a pound in those 8 days! I can't lie...I am pretty disappointed! That was one of the most active vacations I have ever taken and to have not even lost a full pound does not make me a happy camper. So, I have to get honest with myself. Did I eat things not on my plan? - Yes Did I drink alcohol? - Yes Did I drink enough water each day? - No
So, all in all...I am counting this as a success. It's possible that I am retaining some fluid since my feet and ankles always swell up when I fly. But I don't think that will amount to much. One thing I hope is that I have now convinced my mind and my body that I CAN walk 9 miles in a day!! That I CAN kayak and climb and sweat and have FUN doing it!!! I am home now...and missing my daughter already! It's going to be a long 7 months until I get to see her again at Christmas, but I will treasure the memories we made during this vacation and use those to see me through.
Oh and BTW...as of today, I have 50 more pounds to go to reach my goal. In three more pounds, I will be half way there!!! I will post some before and during pics when I reach the halfway point.
Until then...
Day 1 - 9,822 - This was the day I left for Boston and most of my steps were either walking to the bus stop, from the bus to the light rail, and from the light rail all around the airport. It was a long flight and I didn't get into Boston until midnight!
Day 2 - 22,801 - My daughter and I did half of the Freedom Trail today. We went to the Boston Common park and walked all thru it. We saw the State House and the famous Ducklings statues. The weather was wonderful and we had such a great day!
Day 3 - 10,289 - Not as many steps today because today was our mother/daughter beauty day. My daughter got about 8 inches of her long hair cut off and a mani/pedi and I got a pedi. It was a very relaxing morning, and in the afternoon we walked around the campus of Boston University.
Day 4 - 20,540 - Today was a really rainy day, but we didn't care. I bought an umbrella at the CVS on campus and we walked to the Boston Fine Art Museum. We spent about 4 hours walking through all the exhibits and it was wonderful. After filling up on art, we walked to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. This is like a tourist paradise with lots of shops and great places to eat.
Day 5 - 23,579 - This was the day we walked the other half of the Freedom Trail. We went to the Bunker Hill Monument. It is an obelisk with 294 steps to the top. We both wanted to climb it so we went to the ranger desk and got our climbing passes. Not going to lie...there were a couple of moments during the climb when I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew...but we made it and it felt so good !! After that we walked to see the USS Constitution, The Old North Church, Paul Revere's house, and had lunch at the oldest continuously operating tavern in the US - The Bell in Hand, established 1795! The weather was perfect for a day of walking!
Day 6 - 20,080 - This morning we got up and went on a tour of Fenway Park. I am not a huge baseball fan, but Fenway is the oldest ball park in the US and I was very interested in the history. It was a really interesting tour and our guide was terrific! Today was also kayaking day. We rented a two person kayak and spent 2 hours kayaking on the Charles River! We took a Lyft from campus to the boat house, but after our kayaking experience, we decided to walk the 4 miles back to campus! Such a beautiful walking trail they have in Boston along the river!
Day 7 - 14,586 - We might have overdone it yesterday as both of us were sore and tired this morning! But we had a busy day scheduled, so we got a coffee and took off again! We went to the Boston Aquarium in the morning. It is a beautiful space and we saw and touched many things! After lunch, we went to Harvard. Harvard is one of those schools that I had heard of my whole life but never thought I would actually visit. The center of the campus is called Harvard Square, and it is lush and green and peaceful. The town of Cambridge is small but has a lot of cute shops and restaurants.
Day 8 - 20,342 - This was my last full day in Boston and we spent it well. We went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in the morning. It was a lovely museum, and quite different from the Fine Arts museum we had visited before. We enjoyed the time we spent there. Afterwards, since the weather was so beautiful, we decided to go back to the Boston Commons park and walk around again. I got to take a picture of the famous "ducklings" statues (that I had fallen in love with) and we sat on a bench in the sun and just talked and relaxed.
Day 9 - 15,128 - I had the morning free before I had to go to the airport and so we went to the "SOWA" outdoor market. This is unlike any outdoor market I have visited. It is broken into 4 areas...an indoor Vintage Market, an outdoor Craft Market, an outdoor Farmer's Market, and a giant lot filled with Food Trucks! We managed to find a seat in the crowded food area and both enjoyed our lunch before it was time to head back to campus and for me to get on another long flight back to Seattle.
So...now that you know everything I did on my vacation (LOL) here are the results (as it pertains to my weight loss journey). You might think (I sure did) that all of that walking, and climbing, and paddling would have equated to some pounds dropped on the scale. Well if you did, then we were both wrong! My scale this morning said that I had lost .8 of a pound in those 8 days! I can't lie...I am pretty disappointed! That was one of the most active vacations I have ever taken and to have not even lost a full pound does not make me a happy camper. So, I have to get honest with myself. Did I eat things not on my plan? - Yes Did I drink alcohol? - Yes Did I drink enough water each day? - No
So, all in all...I am counting this as a success. It's possible that I am retaining some fluid since my feet and ankles always swell up when I fly. But I don't think that will amount to much. One thing I hope is that I have now convinced my mind and my body that I CAN walk 9 miles in a day!! That I CAN kayak and climb and sweat and have FUN doing it!!! I am home now...and missing my daughter already! It's going to be a long 7 months until I get to see her again at Christmas, but I will treasure the memories we made during this vacation and use those to see me through.
Oh and BTW...as of today, I have 50 more pounds to go to reach my goal. In three more pounds, I will be half way there!!! I will post some before and during pics when I reach the halfway point.
Until then...
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