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!
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
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...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)