Got back from my vacation late last night and had to get up early and get back to work. I had a wonderful time with my friends and it was very relaxing! The weather was a little bit of everything and only really the last two days were hot.
I kept to my goal of getting up every morning and walking. I got up around 6:30 or 7:00am, filled up my water bottle and grabbed my iPod..then I took off for a lovely walk around the hills where my friend lives. My life at home is so rushed and busy that I had forgotten how relaxing it is to just go for a walk with no time constraints and no where that I am really "going". I saw rabbits, and squirrels, and even a couple of red tailed hawks! One morning I got lost and thought I could cut through the golf course and get back to the main road. The only problem with that was that in order to get to the road, I had to climb a steep embankment! I am sure the golfers on that hole got a chuckle watching me slip and slide my way up to the top! The next day, I didn't go back that way!!
Both of my friends were aware of my sleeve surgery and my food limitations and so it wasn't a big deal at meal times. If they were having sandwiches, I just ate the meat and cheese without the bread! I brought my protein drinks and protein bars and so mostly I had those for breakfast with some fresh fruit. It was so easy and kept me going the whole day. I did drink more alcohol that I had planned to, but I didn't stress about it.
When I got up this morning, I was actually excited to get on the scale. I weighed myself the morning that I left, and I really felt like I had lost some weight since then. I was right!! I lost 3 pounds while on vacation!!! I don't know if I have ever lost weight on vacation before! The thing that struck me was that I didn't feel deprived at any time. I ate regular food (minus the bread type carbs which still make me sick) and even had a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream one evening!
So...as of this morning here are my stats.
HW - 224.4
SW - 216.0
Current weight - 185.8
I have now lost a total of 38.6 pounds! I have two weeks and 3 days until I leave to visit my youngest daughter in Boston. I want to weight under 180 when I get on that plane! Wish me luck!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Heading to San Diego
Lot's happening right now and wanted to make a quick post before I head out on vacation!
This week came with some interesting challenges! First off I had dinner out with my daughter and her boyfriend at a lovely restaurant for restaurant week. They both know I have had sleeve surgery and so don't expect me to eat much when we go out. If you don't have a "restaurant week" where you live, it works like this...restaurants put together a 3 course dinner for $30 to entice new diners into their establishment. It's a great way to try a normally expensive restaurant for a reasonable price. My dinner consisted of - French Onion soup, some type of chicken and pasta, and cheesecake for desert. Here is how it went. I love French Onion soup!!! I had about 3 spoonfuls avoiding the bread topping and then passed it along to the kids. I ate 3 small pieces of chicken (no pasta) and then had the rest boxed up for the kids. I had one sinfully delicious bite of cheesecake and passed it along to the kids. They joked about how great it is to go out to dinner with me because they get to try everything I ordered and then have leftovers to take home!
My biggest challenge last week came when the management team where I work had an offsite team building day at a ropes course. I was really worried about this and hardly slept the night before. I am one of the heaviest people in management where I work and really didn't want to do something that would draw even more attention to that fact. The day was difficult with events that required a lot of balance, coordination, and trust. It culminated in a "pole climb" which had each of us climbing a 30' pole while harnessed on a belay line. I wasn't sure I could do it. The coordinator was so wonderful and supportive of all of us and made me feel like just trying and doing as much as I could would be a victory. They showed us how to climb and how to hoist yourself up to stand on the top of the pole. I am proud to say that I climbed that pole!!! I did not stand on the top, but I did get to the top and touched the dragon that hangs there! Every muscle in my body was quivering and my blood was roaring in my ears when I jumped from that pole!!! My wonderful coworkers on the belay lines gently lowered me back to the ground. I learned that day that my body can do more than I give it credit for!!!
Now, tomorrow I am leaving for a week in San Diego with two girlfriends. I have a couple of goals for the week. First, I am not really good with heat. It is supposed to be between 85 and 90 degrees while I am there. I plan to get up early each morning and go for a walk while it is relatively cool out. I also plan to have a water bottle with me at all times to make sure I stay hydrated. I am going to eat protein first at every meal and I am going to keep alcohol to a minimum. I only lost about a 1/2 pound this last week...so my goal is to lose 2 pounds during this trip! I know I can do it!!!
This will be a good travel test for me because when I get back from this trip, I only have about 3 weeks until I fly to Boston to visit my daughter who is at Boston University. The difference is that she is planning to walk me into the ground while I am there!! She has my days planned around seeing Boston on foot! I will have to have a bigger weight loss goal for that trip!!
I will still be in San Diego next Sunday, so if I can't take the time to write I will do it as soon as I get back home! Adios!
This week came with some interesting challenges! First off I had dinner out with my daughter and her boyfriend at a lovely restaurant for restaurant week. They both know I have had sleeve surgery and so don't expect me to eat much when we go out. If you don't have a "restaurant week" where you live, it works like this...restaurants put together a 3 course dinner for $30 to entice new diners into their establishment. It's a great way to try a normally expensive restaurant for a reasonable price. My dinner consisted of - French Onion soup, some type of chicken and pasta, and cheesecake for desert. Here is how it went. I love French Onion soup!!! I had about 3 spoonfuls avoiding the bread topping and then passed it along to the kids. I ate 3 small pieces of chicken (no pasta) and then had the rest boxed up for the kids. I had one sinfully delicious bite of cheesecake and passed it along to the kids. They joked about how great it is to go out to dinner with me because they get to try everything I ordered and then have leftovers to take home!
My biggest challenge last week came when the management team where I work had an offsite team building day at a ropes course. I was really worried about this and hardly slept the night before. I am one of the heaviest people in management where I work and really didn't want to do something that would draw even more attention to that fact. The day was difficult with events that required a lot of balance, coordination, and trust. It culminated in a "pole climb" which had each of us climbing a 30' pole while harnessed on a belay line. I wasn't sure I could do it. The coordinator was so wonderful and supportive of all of us and made me feel like just trying and doing as much as I could would be a victory. They showed us how to climb and how to hoist yourself up to stand on the top of the pole. I am proud to say that I climbed that pole!!! I did not stand on the top, but I did get to the top and touched the dragon that hangs there! Every muscle in my body was quivering and my blood was roaring in my ears when I jumped from that pole!!! My wonderful coworkers on the belay lines gently lowered me back to the ground. I learned that day that my body can do more than I give it credit for!!!
Now, tomorrow I am leaving for a week in San Diego with two girlfriends. I have a couple of goals for the week. First, I am not really good with heat. It is supposed to be between 85 and 90 degrees while I am there. I plan to get up early each morning and go for a walk while it is relatively cool out. I also plan to have a water bottle with me at all times to make sure I stay hydrated. I am going to eat protein first at every meal and I am going to keep alcohol to a minimum. I only lost about a 1/2 pound this last week...so my goal is to lose 2 pounds during this trip! I know I can do it!!!
This will be a good travel test for me because when I get back from this trip, I only have about 3 weeks until I fly to Boston to visit my daughter who is at Boston University. The difference is that she is planning to walk me into the ground while I am there!! She has my days planned around seeing Boston on foot! I will have to have a bigger weight loss goal for that trip!!
I will still be in San Diego next Sunday, so if I can't take the time to write I will do it as soon as I get back home! Adios!
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Volunteering...and one week until vacation!
This week flew by! Busy at work, time at the gym, and a volunteer day at our local walk for MS, made this a busy and fulfilling week! And to top it off I broke into the 180's!!! (total lost now 35 lbs)
Things I did right this week...
No eating out
3 times to the gym
Volunteered
Took 4 boxes of old clothes to Goodwill
Bought a new bathing suit for my vacation
Things I could have done better...
Ate 1/2 a bagel (it made me sick)
Didn't drink enough water
Was late to work twice
Didn't wear my retainer every night
Didn't do my face cleansing routine every night
The one thing I need to get through my thick head is that bread (in any form) is not my friend.
I have been a bread lover my whole life. Bread, English Muffins, Bagels, Pizza, I love all things bread. I know some people have been able to eat different breads after being sleeved, but it appears that I am NOT one of them! Every single time I have tried to eat even a couple of bites of some type of bread I have instantly regretted it. It feels like the bread forms into a giant ball in my stomach and just sits there...causing a lot of pain...and a bit of nausea (just to add insult to injury). I am vowing to eat no breads for the next 3 months. I will try a bite or two again in July and see if I am able to tolerate it. If not, I will wait 6 months before I try it again!!!
Other foods have been added successfully back into my diet. In small quantities (1/4 cup or less) I have tolerated...risotto, rice, milk, and most fruits. I also do well with fish and chicken. Recently I tried pulled pork and that was unsuccessful. I am swearing off red meats for now...maybe someday I will try my luck, but for now I am happy without it. Spicy foods don't seem to bother me. tonight for dinner I had 3 oz of a jalapeño salmon patty. Delicious!! I had this with 1/4 cup of broccoli and rice.
So yummy and filling without creating any lingering stomach pain. My kind of dinner!!!
For the coming week, I am going to go to the gym 3 times, get a pedicure for my vacation, and get all my laundry done so that I can pack. I went shopping for swim shorts to go over my one piece suit and ended up getting the shorts and a swim top! Love them and I actually feel comfortable wearing them which is some kind of miracle! I have gone from a size 20 pant to a 16, and from a 2X top to an XL. I bought 3 new summer tops for my vacation and they were NOT from the plus size department. It was so nice to shop where there was so much more selection!
I was hoping to have lost 40 pounds by the time I went on vacation. I am not going to reach that goal...but I am going to be damn close!!! I am going to exercise, eat right, and have fun on vacation! My vacation goal is to NOT gain any weight! I know I can do it.
Until next time...
Things I did right this week...
No eating out
3 times to the gym
Volunteered
Took 4 boxes of old clothes to Goodwill
Bought a new bathing suit for my vacation
Things I could have done better...
Ate 1/2 a bagel (it made me sick)
Didn't drink enough water
Was late to work twice
Didn't wear my retainer every night
Didn't do my face cleansing routine every night
The one thing I need to get through my thick head is that bread (in any form) is not my friend.
I have been a bread lover my whole life. Bread, English Muffins, Bagels, Pizza, I love all things bread. I know some people have been able to eat different breads after being sleeved, but it appears that I am NOT one of them! Every single time I have tried to eat even a couple of bites of some type of bread I have instantly regretted it. It feels like the bread forms into a giant ball in my stomach and just sits there...causing a lot of pain...and a bit of nausea (just to add insult to injury). I am vowing to eat no breads for the next 3 months. I will try a bite or two again in July and see if I am able to tolerate it. If not, I will wait 6 months before I try it again!!!
Other foods have been added successfully back into my diet. In small quantities (1/4 cup or less) I have tolerated...risotto, rice, milk, and most fruits. I also do well with fish and chicken. Recently I tried pulled pork and that was unsuccessful. I am swearing off red meats for now...maybe someday I will try my luck, but for now I am happy without it. Spicy foods don't seem to bother me. tonight for dinner I had 3 oz of a jalapeño salmon patty. Delicious!! I had this with 1/4 cup of broccoli and rice.
So yummy and filling without creating any lingering stomach pain. My kind of dinner!!!
For the coming week, I am going to go to the gym 3 times, get a pedicure for my vacation, and get all my laundry done so that I can pack. I went shopping for swim shorts to go over my one piece suit and ended up getting the shorts and a swim top! Love them and I actually feel comfortable wearing them which is some kind of miracle! I have gone from a size 20 pant to a 16, and from a 2X top to an XL. I bought 3 new summer tops for my vacation and they were NOT from the plus size department. It was so nice to shop where there was so much more selection!
I was hoping to have lost 40 pounds by the time I went on vacation. I am not going to reach that goal...but I am going to be damn close!!! I am going to exercise, eat right, and have fun on vacation! My vacation goal is to NOT gain any weight! I know I can do it.
Until next time...
Sunday, April 5, 2015
All that Jazz... (two months post op)
Today is Easter. The day of endless brunches, mimosas, chocolate, etc. Not to worry...thanks to my surgery, none of that is calling to me today. I was so happy to see the sun when I woke up this morning. I always hate it when it rains on Easter (or Halloween) because I imagine all those little faces who want to go outside and hunt for eggs stuck in the house in disappointment. Since I live in Seattle, there is ALWAYS a chance it will rain when you least want it to...but today is sunny and beautiful !!
Last night I went with my friend to Jazz Alley to hear Brian Culbertson in concert. I have been to this venue several times, but last night was, in weight loss terms, an NSV (non-scale-victory). First, I was trying to find something "night-clubish" to wear and that in itself is not an easy task in my closet. For so many years my wardrobe has consisted of loose flowing tops and elastic waist pants. But I do have clothes in many different sizes and some from my lowest weight (lowest in the last 5 years) and so I dug into the back of my closet to try on some of those clothes. I found a dressy pair of cuffed black crop pants that I thought would look nice. I pulled them out and saw that they were a size 16. My first thought was "well hell, those won't fit"...but I decided to try them on if only to see how close or far I was to actually being able to wear them again. To my surprise, they fit!! (and they weren't even tight!!!) With that uplifting victory under my belt, I starting digging around for a top to go with them. I saw a pleated top with a v-neck and small ruffles that I had forgotten I even owned and pulled it out. Size XL...sigh...since only two short months ago I was barely fitting into a 2X, I again thought there was no way I could wear this shirt...but again I was shocked and thrilled to see that it fit!! Now for shoes...I only own 1 pair of shoes with any kind of a heel. All my other shoes are flats...and not cute ballet style flats...but chunky, comfortable, wear these to work type flats. As I had gained weight over the years, my ankles would no longer hold me up on heels and so I had only kept one pair of wedges in black that I hoped to someday be able to wear again. I pulled them out completely prepared to step into them and have my ankles protest loudly...but no...they felt so comfortable that I almost cried! Here I stood, wearing pants that didn't have elastic at the waist...a shirt with actual buttons up the front...and wedge heeled shoes, getting ready to join a friend at a jazz club! Who is this woman in the mirror was my first thought! The night was amazing...the music superb...and when they urged everyone to their feet to dance to one of the last songs, I jumped right up with everyone else!!! This is why I had the surgery I thought...to be able to enjoy life!
Weighed myself this morning and found that I only lost 1-1/2 pounds last week. While that is a small amount to lose...what I gained was by far the greater accomplishment. My total weight loss so far is just over 33 pounds since surgery two months ago. I had hoped to have lost 40 pounds by now, so I am a bit behind my "dream schedule", but I don't care about that anymore. I just want to continue on this journey and have as many moments like last night that I possibly can! I will get to my goal weight eventually...but last night taught me to live in the moment and enjoy the victories along the way. It is easy in this life to feel like a failure...last night I felt like a winner, and I am going to focus on that feeling all during this upcoming week!
Until next week...
Last night I went with my friend to Jazz Alley to hear Brian Culbertson in concert. I have been to this venue several times, but last night was, in weight loss terms, an NSV (non-scale-victory). First, I was trying to find something "night-clubish" to wear and that in itself is not an easy task in my closet. For so many years my wardrobe has consisted of loose flowing tops and elastic waist pants. But I do have clothes in many different sizes and some from my lowest weight (lowest in the last 5 years) and so I dug into the back of my closet to try on some of those clothes. I found a dressy pair of cuffed black crop pants that I thought would look nice. I pulled them out and saw that they were a size 16. My first thought was "well hell, those won't fit"...but I decided to try them on if only to see how close or far I was to actually being able to wear them again. To my surprise, they fit!! (and they weren't even tight!!!) With that uplifting victory under my belt, I starting digging around for a top to go with them. I saw a pleated top with a v-neck and small ruffles that I had forgotten I even owned and pulled it out. Size XL...sigh...since only two short months ago I was barely fitting into a 2X, I again thought there was no way I could wear this shirt...but again I was shocked and thrilled to see that it fit!! Now for shoes...I only own 1 pair of shoes with any kind of a heel. All my other shoes are flats...and not cute ballet style flats...but chunky, comfortable, wear these to work type flats. As I had gained weight over the years, my ankles would no longer hold me up on heels and so I had only kept one pair of wedges in black that I hoped to someday be able to wear again. I pulled them out completely prepared to step into them and have my ankles protest loudly...but no...they felt so comfortable that I almost cried! Here I stood, wearing pants that didn't have elastic at the waist...a shirt with actual buttons up the front...and wedge heeled shoes, getting ready to join a friend at a jazz club! Who is this woman in the mirror was my first thought! The night was amazing...the music superb...and when they urged everyone to their feet to dance to one of the last songs, I jumped right up with everyone else!!! This is why I had the surgery I thought...to be able to enjoy life!
Weighed myself this morning and found that I only lost 1-1/2 pounds last week. While that is a small amount to lose...what I gained was by far the greater accomplishment. My total weight loss so far is just over 33 pounds since surgery two months ago. I had hoped to have lost 40 pounds by now, so I am a bit behind my "dream schedule", but I don't care about that anymore. I just want to continue on this journey and have as many moments like last night that I possibly can! I will get to my goal weight eventually...but last night taught me to live in the moment and enjoy the victories along the way. It is easy in this life to feel like a failure...last night I felt like a winner, and I am going to focus on that feeling all during this upcoming week!
Until next week...
Thursday, April 2, 2015
A random post about eating...
I have noticed a strange phenomenon. Somedays I can eat what I now consider a normal amount of food. About 1/2 cup per meal on average is what feels comfortable for me. But lately I have had days where I can hardly eat anything!
Since I never actually feel hungry anymore, I just eat my 1/2 cup and call it good. Sometimes if I am eating something very liquid (oatmeal, soup, protein shake, etc) I can eat a little more than 1/2 a cup...and if I am eating something fairly solid (chicken, fruit, vegetables) I can only get about 1/4 cup down in my 30 minute meal period.
Two days ago, I had about 3/4 cup of oatmeal for my dinner. (I know, oatmeal for dinner is weird - but I love it). I was really tired after work the next day and so I decided to have the same thing for dinner again...except I couldn't eat it. I had 2 or three spoonfuls and that was all that would go down. I have had this happen a few times now, but never so strong as this night.
I checked in with a couple of my "sleeve buddies" and found that they have the same thing happen to them. None of us has a clue why this happens! I am going to chalk it up to another of my new stomach's "mysteries" !!!
Strange middle of the week post over.
Since I never actually feel hungry anymore, I just eat my 1/2 cup and call it good. Sometimes if I am eating something very liquid (oatmeal, soup, protein shake, etc) I can eat a little more than 1/2 a cup...and if I am eating something fairly solid (chicken, fruit, vegetables) I can only get about 1/4 cup down in my 30 minute meal period.
Two days ago, I had about 3/4 cup of oatmeal for my dinner. (I know, oatmeal for dinner is weird - but I love it). I was really tired after work the next day and so I decided to have the same thing for dinner again...except I couldn't eat it. I had 2 or three spoonfuls and that was all that would go down. I have had this happen a few times now, but never so strong as this night.
I checked in with a couple of my "sleeve buddies" and found that they have the same thing happen to them. None of us has a clue why this happens! I am going to chalk it up to another of my new stomach's "mysteries" !!!
Strange middle of the week post over.
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