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!!
Sunday, May 31, 2015
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...
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Up, Up, and Away!
I am writing this while sitting at SeaTac airport waiting for my flight to Boston. Decided to do something completely out of character for me and took public transportation to the airport!! It is so much faster and easier to just call for a car to pick me up and take me there...I have done it many times. But I did a little online research on how I could get from my house to the airport and it was actually really simple! Sure, it doubled the time...but I had lots of time anyway! There were two really big advantages to taking the bus and the light rail...one is the cost! A cab or hired car from my house to the airport is right around $50(plus tip)...public transportation got me here for $ 5.50 !! I figured that I could spend the $44.50 that I saved having some fun in Boston instead of spending it sitting in the back of a car on the way to the airport. The other plus was that it required quite a bit of walking. As I sit here, I looked at my Fit Bit and I am over 8000 steps and it's only noon! Exercise and saving money...a great way to start my trip!
There is nothing...and I repeat nothing at SeaTac airport to eat for a VSG patient. I walked and looked at the menu's of all the restaurants in the main, C, and N concourses and other than some tired looking fruit and a "hummus pack" at Starbucks, I came up empty. I actually ended up getting a coffee at Starbucks (I had a free one coming!) and then went to Burger King and got the grilled chicken sandwich and threw away the bun and the onions. I am sure I look a little nutty sitting here with a dissected chicken sandwich, but I don't care. A gal's gotta do what she's gotta do! I brought some beef jerky and a water bottle for the flight because there isn't going to be anything better on the plane than what I have already had. I don't get into Boston until midnight tonight, so my beef jerky and a protein bar that I brought in my purse from home will have to suffice.
2 pound weight loss this week. To be fair, the week isn't over until Sunday (which is my normal day to weigh) but since I won't be home then, I went ahead and weighed this morning. I was really really hoping to get on this plane under 180, but it wasn't to be. This morning I weighed 181.2. In 4 more pounds I will officially be halfway to my goal. I have lost a total of 43.2 pounds in 100 days! I am thrilled with these results! I read about a lot of people who are losing much faster than I am, but that doesn't bother me. For the first time in my life I feel like food is not my enemy. As I walked around the airport trying to decide what to have that would be the least harmful to my sleeve, it struck me that none of the food I was seeing/smelling was calling to me. I was not craving any of it...rather I was looking for something that, a) wouldn't make my stomach hate me, and b) had some nutritional value since it was going to have to stick with me for a few hours. A year ago, I would have been chowing down on pizza, or nachos, or wings and then I would have been miserable on this 6 hour flight because I was so stuffed. Times, they are a changin'!!!
I am traveling to Boston to see my youngest daughter who is a rising Senior at Boston University. She was fortunate enough to get a paid internship for the summer and so she was not going to be able to come home as she normally would. I couldn't bear to not see her until Christmas and so off to Boston I go! I will be interested to see what she thinks of the 43-pounds-lighter-me. I have shrunk 2 whole sizes since she last saw me and I hope she is proud of me! She has a lot of activities planned for us that require walking (and even kayaking) and I know that I will be much more capable of keeping up than I was the last time she and I traveled together. I am looking forward to putting this body to the test! The last time I vacationed with her I lost 7 pounds (I definitely walked all of them off) and so I am hoping that even though I was not below 180 on the flight to Boston, I will be below 180 on the flight back to Seattle!!
I'll be reporting from the Atlantic side of the US next week! Until then...
There is nothing...and I repeat nothing at SeaTac airport to eat for a VSG patient. I walked and looked at the menu's of all the restaurants in the main, C, and N concourses and other than some tired looking fruit and a "hummus pack" at Starbucks, I came up empty. I actually ended up getting a coffee at Starbucks (I had a free one coming!) and then went to Burger King and got the grilled chicken sandwich and threw away the bun and the onions. I am sure I look a little nutty sitting here with a dissected chicken sandwich, but I don't care. A gal's gotta do what she's gotta do! I brought some beef jerky and a water bottle for the flight because there isn't going to be anything better on the plane than what I have already had. I don't get into Boston until midnight tonight, so my beef jerky and a protein bar that I brought in my purse from home will have to suffice.
2 pound weight loss this week. To be fair, the week isn't over until Sunday (which is my normal day to weigh) but since I won't be home then, I went ahead and weighed this morning. I was really really hoping to get on this plane under 180, but it wasn't to be. This morning I weighed 181.2. In 4 more pounds I will officially be halfway to my goal. I have lost a total of 43.2 pounds in 100 days! I am thrilled with these results! I read about a lot of people who are losing much faster than I am, but that doesn't bother me. For the first time in my life I feel like food is not my enemy. As I walked around the airport trying to decide what to have that would be the least harmful to my sleeve, it struck me that none of the food I was seeing/smelling was calling to me. I was not craving any of it...rather I was looking for something that, a) wouldn't make my stomach hate me, and b) had some nutritional value since it was going to have to stick with me for a few hours. A year ago, I would have been chowing down on pizza, or nachos, or wings and then I would have been miserable on this 6 hour flight because I was so stuffed. Times, they are a changin'!!!
I am traveling to Boston to see my youngest daughter who is a rising Senior at Boston University. She was fortunate enough to get a paid internship for the summer and so she was not going to be able to come home as she normally would. I couldn't bear to not see her until Christmas and so off to Boston I go! I will be interested to see what she thinks of the 43-pounds-lighter-me. I have shrunk 2 whole sizes since she last saw me and I hope she is proud of me! She has a lot of activities planned for us that require walking (and even kayaking) and I know that I will be much more capable of keeping up than I was the last time she and I traveled together. I am looking forward to putting this body to the test! The last time I vacationed with her I lost 7 pounds (I definitely walked all of them off) and so I am hoping that even though I was not below 180 on the flight to Boston, I will be below 180 on the flight back to Seattle!!
I'll be reporting from the Atlantic side of the US next week! Until then...
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Happy Mothier's Day to me!
Mother's Day isn't the same anymore...one daughter living on another coast, my husband passed, and living alone in this house, just made getting up this morning not quite as fun as days gone by. But I have several things happening that got my butt up out of bed early today!
My oldest daughter and her boyfriend have invited me to spend the day with them. We are going early this morning down to the Pike Place Market (the original Seattle Farmers Market). They are going to get their produce and I am going to take a gander at all the booths and goodies. Lot's of walking and gawking as I like to call it! After that, we are going to take their darling little dog Pepper to this really giant dog park with water access. More walking and gawking! Then they are going to make me a Mother's Day dinner! I love them to pieces and am excited to spend the day with them!
The other thing that got me moving this morning was just the realization that I feel 10 years younger than I did at this time last year! I have lost 42 pounds and while I still have 48 to go, I am beginning to feel like "me" again! It's hard to explain to someone who has never battled their weight...but when the weight was piling on, it wasn't like I didn't see it...I knew I was entering into the point of no (or very difficult) return...but it just seemed beyond me to stop it. Whether it was the stress of daily life, or depression over my Mom's passing, or work, or whatever, I felt like a spectator watching as my body ballooned up to 200 lbs and then beyond. I always held 200 as the mark I would never go over. I would say to myself, "well, you are at 190 now, but you will never go over 200". But of course, I did. Since I had no clear plan for how to keep it from happening, it happened. When I found out I was pregnant with my first child I weighed 135 pounds. 25 years later I weighed 224. Hard to believe that I just "let that happen", but I believe that is what comes from putting yourself last.
Food has been many things to me. It has been a friend, an enemy, a confidant, a solace. It has also just been plain yummy and a treat to the senses. But long ago, I had ceased seeing food as a fuel source...something to help my body do all the things it wants and needs to do. Food was for my mind...not my body. Now, all that has changed. With this surgery, food no longer calls to my brain. They say that with this surgery, they remove the portion of your stomach that produces the hunger hormone "grehlin". Well, if that is what did it, then I must have been one amazing grehlin producing machine!! Now, when I see something that would (pre-surgery) send me right over to grab a bite, I just don't feel it. When I am at the grocery store and they are cooking up samples to tempt you, it just doesn't. Don't get me wrong, I still love the smell and look of food...I have just lost that grinding urge to have it. It's like I am finally in control of myself. Strange, but oh so freeing!
Here's hoping that all the mother's out there have a day that is even half as special as they are. Mom's are truly the unsung heroes and a single day just doesn't seem long enough to celebrate them! I am going to celebrate myself every day going forward. Because this journey is just for me!!
My oldest daughter and her boyfriend have invited me to spend the day with them. We are going early this morning down to the Pike Place Market (the original Seattle Farmers Market). They are going to get their produce and I am going to take a gander at all the booths and goodies. Lot's of walking and gawking as I like to call it! After that, we are going to take their darling little dog Pepper to this really giant dog park with water access. More walking and gawking! Then they are going to make me a Mother's Day dinner! I love them to pieces and am excited to spend the day with them!
The other thing that got me moving this morning was just the realization that I feel 10 years younger than I did at this time last year! I have lost 42 pounds and while I still have 48 to go, I am beginning to feel like "me" again! It's hard to explain to someone who has never battled their weight...but when the weight was piling on, it wasn't like I didn't see it...I knew I was entering into the point of no (or very difficult) return...but it just seemed beyond me to stop it. Whether it was the stress of daily life, or depression over my Mom's passing, or work, or whatever, I felt like a spectator watching as my body ballooned up to 200 lbs and then beyond. I always held 200 as the mark I would never go over. I would say to myself, "well, you are at 190 now, but you will never go over 200". But of course, I did. Since I had no clear plan for how to keep it from happening, it happened. When I found out I was pregnant with my first child I weighed 135 pounds. 25 years later I weighed 224. Hard to believe that I just "let that happen", but I believe that is what comes from putting yourself last.
Food has been many things to me. It has been a friend, an enemy, a confidant, a solace. It has also just been plain yummy and a treat to the senses. But long ago, I had ceased seeing food as a fuel source...something to help my body do all the things it wants and needs to do. Food was for my mind...not my body. Now, all that has changed. With this surgery, food no longer calls to my brain. They say that with this surgery, they remove the portion of your stomach that produces the hunger hormone "grehlin". Well, if that is what did it, then I must have been one amazing grehlin producing machine!! Now, when I see something that would (pre-surgery) send me right over to grab a bite, I just don't feel it. When I am at the grocery store and they are cooking up samples to tempt you, it just doesn't. Don't get me wrong, I still love the smell and look of food...I have just lost that grinding urge to have it. It's like I am finally in control of myself. Strange, but oh so freeing!
Here's hoping that all the mother's out there have a day that is even half as special as they are. Mom's are truly the unsung heroes and a single day just doesn't seem long enough to celebrate them! I am going to celebrate myself every day going forward. Because this journey is just for me!!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
40 pounds and counting
I am off my normal schedule of posting on Sunday...but things are going along great! I am feeling better every day as this weight that has been holding me down for so long is being lost.
Yesterday I officially hit the 40 pounds lost milestone! My weight seems to be steadily going down, although I am not losing at an astounding rate. At first, I was stressing out about this. I belong to a couple of Facebook groups and I continually see people posting that they have lost 60, 70 or even 80 pounds in the same time as I have lost 40! It is hard to not compare yourself and your progress to other people, but I am really trying to focus on my success and on my unique journey into wellness.
I am 10 days away from another vacation. This time I am traveling to Boston to visit my daughter who attends Boston University. She usually comes home for the summer, but this year she was offered a paid internship in her field of study and so she decided to stay in Boston. She has a couple of weeks off between finals and her internship beginning and so I am traveling there to spend some time with her. I really, really, really want to be in the 170's before I step on that plane!! I have about 3-1/2 pounds to go to get there and I am determined!
Last night I decided that I wanted to do a 5K. Many times in the past I have thought about it and just never got off my butt and did it. So I contacted my daughter who lives here in Seattle and asked her if she would have any interest in doing a 5K with me. She immediately responded with a resounding YES. So, before I could change my mind or talk myself out of it, I paid the entrance fee and signed us both up for the "See Jane Run" 5K on July 12th! Then today I downloaded a "Zero to 5K" app on my phone that will get me ready for this run. I have never been a runner...but even if I walk most of the time, I am going to complete this 5K and celebrate how far I have come!
As far as the surgery goes, I am doing great! Most days, I forget that I have the sleeve. Small food portions have become my life now and it's been a while since I over ate or drank too fast or anything, so I feel like it is a success. Cravings are really a thing of the past for me. I have read that at about the year mark they begin to creep back in...but I feel like after a year, I should be able to kick myself in the behind if I start down a slippery slope! I know both my daughters won't cut me any slack either and so together we should be able to control this old body!
My next milestone is coming in about 5 pounds. When I have lost 45 pounds I will officially be halfway to my goal weight! I am pretty certain that will happen this month. Once I reach that goal, things will start to feel possible again. When you have a lot to lose, it's so hard to see the finish line. But at the halfway point, that light at the end of the tunnel takes on a special glow. I start to imagine what I will post here the day that I reach my goal weight...it boggles the mind. Once I reach the halfway mark, I will post some before and during photos.
Until next time...
Yesterday I officially hit the 40 pounds lost milestone! My weight seems to be steadily going down, although I am not losing at an astounding rate. At first, I was stressing out about this. I belong to a couple of Facebook groups and I continually see people posting that they have lost 60, 70 or even 80 pounds in the same time as I have lost 40! It is hard to not compare yourself and your progress to other people, but I am really trying to focus on my success and on my unique journey into wellness.
I am 10 days away from another vacation. This time I am traveling to Boston to visit my daughter who attends Boston University. She usually comes home for the summer, but this year she was offered a paid internship in her field of study and so she decided to stay in Boston. She has a couple of weeks off between finals and her internship beginning and so I am traveling there to spend some time with her. I really, really, really want to be in the 170's before I step on that plane!! I have about 3-1/2 pounds to go to get there and I am determined!
Last night I decided that I wanted to do a 5K. Many times in the past I have thought about it and just never got off my butt and did it. So I contacted my daughter who lives here in Seattle and asked her if she would have any interest in doing a 5K with me. She immediately responded with a resounding YES. So, before I could change my mind or talk myself out of it, I paid the entrance fee and signed us both up for the "See Jane Run" 5K on July 12th! Then today I downloaded a "Zero to 5K" app on my phone that will get me ready for this run. I have never been a runner...but even if I walk most of the time, I am going to complete this 5K and celebrate how far I have come!
As far as the surgery goes, I am doing great! Most days, I forget that I have the sleeve. Small food portions have become my life now and it's been a while since I over ate or drank too fast or anything, so I feel like it is a success. Cravings are really a thing of the past for me. I have read that at about the year mark they begin to creep back in...but I feel like after a year, I should be able to kick myself in the behind if I start down a slippery slope! I know both my daughters won't cut me any slack either and so together we should be able to control this old body!
My next milestone is coming in about 5 pounds. When I have lost 45 pounds I will officially be halfway to my goal weight! I am pretty certain that will happen this month. Once I reach that goal, things will start to feel possible again. When you have a lot to lose, it's so hard to see the finish line. But at the halfway point, that light at the end of the tunnel takes on a special glow. I start to imagine what I will post here the day that I reach my goal weight...it boggles the mind. Once I reach the halfway mark, I will post some before and during photos.
Until next time...
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