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...
Sunday, June 28, 2015
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.
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