I have been way way absent from this blog...not because I don't want to keep it going, but just because so many other things have gotten in the way of sitting down and putting thoughts to virtual paper.
I did it! In January of this year I made a vow with my daughter that we would run a 5K every month of 2016. Last Saturday when we completed the Ugly Sweater Run, that goal was completed. I am still a little in shock! The old me...would have made the vow...ran a couple of races...and then found every excuse in the book to fail. That's how I know I have made a lasting change. There were days when I didn't want to run...it was too cold, too wet, too hot, or I just plain didn't feel like running. But the new me said "tough shit" and I got up, laced up the running shoes, and got it done. Ten of the races I ran were 5K's (3.1 miles), one race was a 4.5 mile trail run, one race was a 10K, and one race was a 5K obstacle course. I think I am most proud of that one because it took me wayyyyyyy outside my comfort zone! I feel like I really accomplished something and it was just for me. That is such a good feeling!
My weight is fairly stable. I play around with the same five pounds over and over again...but no more than that. I admit that my eating habits have gotten lax over time. But the beauty of the surgery is that I can never go back completely to my old ways. Some things have stuck though...I no longer drink soda pop, I very rarely eat bread, and I get more and better protein in my diet than I ever have before. Those are victories no matter that the scale is not heading in the downward direction any more.
The next step for me is plastic surgery. In 59 days I will be having an extended tummy tuck, a breast lift, and fat transfer to my butt. I scheduled this surgery ten months ago. My plan was to have lost another 10 pounds before surgery day. That plan went to hell and back...but no matter. I have such a problem with deflated breasts and a belly that now hangs down to my upper thighs, and I want it fixed. I know that I am not going to look 20 again (or hell, even 40 again) but I also know that my life will be better and easier when I get another chance to fight gravity. I have started my weight training again now that running is done for the year and the doctor tells me that the more muscle mass I have the better the surgery will turn out so I am on it.
Christmas is right around the corner and I am staying away from the "treat table" at work with not much difficulty. I have a couple of parties coming up where I know I will have a glass or two of wine. But other than that, I am going to use these next 59 days to be the best I can be come surgery day. I will keep posting as I go through that experience. I write for me...but if anyone is listening and gets anything out of my rambling stream of consciousness, then that is great too.
59, 58, 57, (tick tock tick tock)
Monday, December 5, 2016
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Comfort zone - shattered! LOL
Last Saturday I did something that I am still having a hard time believing I did. Certainly the 225 pound me of 16 months ago would never had contemplated it (let alone actually do it). What is this "thing"? The Warrior Dash 2016. A 5K obstacle course that has you running, jumping, and climbing...through water, mud and FIRE! I signed up with my daughter and a few coworkers on a whim. My daughter was trying to put together a team and said "c'mon Mom - you could do this" and in a moment of insanity I said yes!
Fast forward to the day of the race...it was a cloudy cool morning and I have learned that no matter how cold you feel at the start of a race, you always end up wishing it was cooler! We started on the 9:30am wave and it was crowded and the excitement was high. I was talking with another woman in the starting area who had done the race the year before and she bolstered my courage by explaining some of the obstacles I would be encountering.
The race starts with a 1 mile cross country run and of course the evil race designers thought how fun it would be if half of that mile was uphill, and the other half through uneven sandy soil ! LOL The first obstacle was called "Trenches" and it required us to crawl through two sets of dirt tunnels that had been dug underground. I crawled as fast as I could (which wasn't very fast) all the while wondering if there were spiders in the tunnels! Then we came to our first climbing obstacle...and my first brush with death (or at least with a broken hip - LOL). This was a 6 foot wall with a cleat nailed halfway up to "help" you get over the wall. That was it...no step ladder...no rope...just this piece of wood. Well of course my other teammates (who are all in their 20's) hit the wall running and basically vaulted over. Then my daughter and a coworker named Jenna balanced on the cleat on the other side and, hanging over my side encouraged me to jump, and they would help me over. Easier said than done...but I managed to climb and get dragged to the top of the wall. So far so good I thought...wrong! I was supposed to turn around at the top of the wall so that I was going down the other side feet first...put my foot on the piece of wood halfway down to push off the wall and jump down. Sounded like a plan...but my foot missed the piece of wood, my arm came crashing down on the top of the wall (ouch) and I fell the 6 feet to the dirt, scraping the outside of my calf on the wood on the way down. Jenna was right there (I think she thought I was dead) asking if I was OK. I assured her that I had landed on my pride and just needed a minute. All the while I was thinking - crap, I have only reached obstacle #2 and already I am wounded! But I picked myself up and started running with them to the next obstacle.
After that, the rest of the race went well. I skipped one obstacle - a 30 foot wall climb with a rope - as I knew how much it hurt to fall 6 feet and didn't want to experience a fall from 30 feet! But other than that, I completed all the obstacles. We had a few more crawling obstacles, a couple of balance beam walks (complete with water spraying at you), a disgusting mud bog - mud hill up and over and under one, and a fire jump (which we all did holding hands and I was sure I was going to trip, fall, and cause us all to burn up). Before I knew it we were at the last two obstacles. First "Goliath"...a 30 foot wall climb followed by a 30 foot slide into a water hole (OMG I was terrified - see pic) and then a mud crawl under barbed wire to the finish line. We crawled out looking like creatures from the black lagoon!! What a race! Tired, happy, and strangely giddy we posed for a couple of pics before heading to the "Warrior Wash" to try and hose off the worst of it before the hour car ride home. I still can't quite believe I did it! Life is so different for me now...and I couldn't be happier!
Our Warrior team - before the race.
The Goliath slide (note face of terror and death grip on Jenna)
The mud crawl...
Finished!
Warrior Wounds..
.
My Victory Wall...
Fast forward to the day of the race...it was a cloudy cool morning and I have learned that no matter how cold you feel at the start of a race, you always end up wishing it was cooler! We started on the 9:30am wave and it was crowded and the excitement was high. I was talking with another woman in the starting area who had done the race the year before and she bolstered my courage by explaining some of the obstacles I would be encountering.
The race starts with a 1 mile cross country run and of course the evil race designers thought how fun it would be if half of that mile was uphill, and the other half through uneven sandy soil ! LOL The first obstacle was called "Trenches" and it required us to crawl through two sets of dirt tunnels that had been dug underground. I crawled as fast as I could (which wasn't very fast) all the while wondering if there were spiders in the tunnels! Then we came to our first climbing obstacle...and my first brush with death (or at least with a broken hip - LOL). This was a 6 foot wall with a cleat nailed halfway up to "help" you get over the wall. That was it...no step ladder...no rope...just this piece of wood. Well of course my other teammates (who are all in their 20's) hit the wall running and basically vaulted over. Then my daughter and a coworker named Jenna balanced on the cleat on the other side and, hanging over my side encouraged me to jump, and they would help me over. Easier said than done...but I managed to climb and get dragged to the top of the wall. So far so good I thought...wrong! I was supposed to turn around at the top of the wall so that I was going down the other side feet first...put my foot on the piece of wood halfway down to push off the wall and jump down. Sounded like a plan...but my foot missed the piece of wood, my arm came crashing down on the top of the wall (ouch) and I fell the 6 feet to the dirt, scraping the outside of my calf on the wood on the way down. Jenna was right there (I think she thought I was dead) asking if I was OK. I assured her that I had landed on my pride and just needed a minute. All the while I was thinking - crap, I have only reached obstacle #2 and already I am wounded! But I picked myself up and started running with them to the next obstacle.
After that, the rest of the race went well. I skipped one obstacle - a 30 foot wall climb with a rope - as I knew how much it hurt to fall 6 feet and didn't want to experience a fall from 30 feet! But other than that, I completed all the obstacles. We had a few more crawling obstacles, a couple of balance beam walks (complete with water spraying at you), a disgusting mud bog - mud hill up and over and under one, and a fire jump (which we all did holding hands and I was sure I was going to trip, fall, and cause us all to burn up). Before I knew it we were at the last two obstacles. First "Goliath"...a 30 foot wall climb followed by a 30 foot slide into a water hole (OMG I was terrified - see pic) and then a mud crawl under barbed wire to the finish line. We crawled out looking like creatures from the black lagoon!! What a race! Tired, happy, and strangely giddy we posed for a couple of pics before heading to the "Warrior Wash" to try and hose off the worst of it before the hour car ride home. I still can't quite believe I did it! Life is so different for me now...and I couldn't be happier!
Our Warrior team - before the race.
The Goliath slide (note face of terror and death grip on Jenna)
The mud crawl...
Finished!
Warrior Wounds..
.
My Victory Wall...
Sunday, July 10, 2016
It's been a year since my first 5K run...
Today I ran in the "See Jane Run" 5K. This was the race last year that started my relationship with running. Last year I finished the race in just over 48 minutes...one year later I finished in just over 38 minutes! What a difference a year can make. Before my weight loss, I would never ever have ventured into the world of running...now, while I still don't consider myself a "runner", I do feel like I have found something that challenges me physically and mentally and gives me a great sense of accomplishment ! See Jane Run is my favorite race - mostly because it is a women's race - and women are so very supportive of each other when running. You feel so uplifted while running this race and I am already planning to beat this year's time next year!
Next Saturday I am venturing even further outside my comfort zone and running with a team in the "Warrior Dash" - a 5K obstacle course run that encompasses running, climbing, crawling, jumping, and everything in between. Finish line photos of years past show happy, tired faces and bodies covered head to toe in mud! Yikes! I hope I have not bitten off more than I can chew!
Weight wise I am still holding steady right around 160. I have not managed to motivate myself to push past this long stall. I know I need to...I know I want to...but for some reason I just haven't done it yet. I need weight training...I really think that building more muscle is the key to long term success. So I need to kick my own ass and get back into the gym and get it done.
Don't give up on me...I haven't and won't give up!!
Next Saturday I am venturing even further outside my comfort zone and running with a team in the "Warrior Dash" - a 5K obstacle course run that encompasses running, climbing, crawling, jumping, and everything in between. Finish line photos of years past show happy, tired faces and bodies covered head to toe in mud! Yikes! I hope I have not bitten off more than I can chew!
Weight wise I am still holding steady right around 160. I have not managed to motivate myself to push past this long stall. I know I need to...I know I want to...but for some reason I just haven't done it yet. I need weight training...I really think that building more muscle is the key to long term success. So I need to kick my own ass and get back into the gym and get it done.
Don't give up on me...I haven't and won't give up!!
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Where does the time go?
Got up this morning to a beautiful sunny Father's Day...cup of coffee in hand, I decided to reopen the blog only to discover that it's been more than a month since I last posted! I do NOT know where the time goes! If you are like me, there just never seems to be enough time to do all the thing on my "to do" list! Going to go visit my Father-in-law today. With my husband and my own fathers (both my birth dad and my step dad) gone from my life now, he is the only one left to celebrate. I am at this stage in my life where the generation before me is getting old and going on to the next realm. It's a sad thought, but they have lived great lives and I just want to celebrate that and not focus on the sadness.
I feel like I say the same thing every time now...weight is holding steady...grrrrr My body sure likes 160! Trouble is, I DON'T! In two days, my daughter is leaving for a 5 week backpacking trip through Europe. I am going to take this opportunity to start over with a "reboot"...beginning with a week on a liquid diet. I have my protein shakes all lined up and ready and I am excited to kickstart my body into gear.
Next Saturday I have a 5K honoring local police and fire fighters called the Sneakers & Sirens run. Should be a fun one! The one thing that will be different is that they ask all runners to not wear any headphones or listen to any music while running. They want you to focus on the brave men and women that are being honored with this run. While I will certainly respect the tradition, I have never run without music and in fact, I choose my music solely to keep me at the correct pace for the race. Without it, I will have to rely on my watch for split times and to keep me focused on my pace. It will be interesting!
I think the one thing that has derailed any further weight loss is the reintroduction of alcohol into my life. I about fainted last week when after an evening out with friends, I came home and decided to look up the calorie content of a Moscow Mule...HOLY CRAP!!! No wonder I did not lose any weight last week!!! I need to get back to basics and that means no drinking alcohol. I had two trips almost back to back - Boston & New York, followed by Las Vegas - and both had lots of drinking...so this girl is going on the wagon! It is interesting when I think about the habits that have "stayed gone" versus the ones that have "crept back"...diet soda - gone...drinks after work - crept back...bread with everything - stayed gone...popcorn - crept back. This is truly a life long journey, and to make it to the end with the results I want, I have to stay focused and remember why I did this. I didn't do it to "almost" make it to my goal...I did it to obliterate my goal and to find the most happy and healthy version of me that there is to find.
So, I am refocused, refreshed, and ready to tackle this next 10 pounds. I am going to get back to my Sunday morning blogging habit again too. Staying on track and keeping myself honest and accountable...that's the direction I'm going.
Until next Sunday... (Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad's out there!)
I feel like I say the same thing every time now...weight is holding steady...grrrrr My body sure likes 160! Trouble is, I DON'T! In two days, my daughter is leaving for a 5 week backpacking trip through Europe. I am going to take this opportunity to start over with a "reboot"...beginning with a week on a liquid diet. I have my protein shakes all lined up and ready and I am excited to kickstart my body into gear.
Next Saturday I have a 5K honoring local police and fire fighters called the Sneakers & Sirens run. Should be a fun one! The one thing that will be different is that they ask all runners to not wear any headphones or listen to any music while running. They want you to focus on the brave men and women that are being honored with this run. While I will certainly respect the tradition, I have never run without music and in fact, I choose my music solely to keep me at the correct pace for the race. Without it, I will have to rely on my watch for split times and to keep me focused on my pace. It will be interesting!
I think the one thing that has derailed any further weight loss is the reintroduction of alcohol into my life. I about fainted last week when after an evening out with friends, I came home and decided to look up the calorie content of a Moscow Mule...HOLY CRAP!!! No wonder I did not lose any weight last week!!! I need to get back to basics and that means no drinking alcohol. I had two trips almost back to back - Boston & New York, followed by Las Vegas - and both had lots of drinking...so this girl is going on the wagon! It is interesting when I think about the habits that have "stayed gone" versus the ones that have "crept back"...diet soda - gone...drinks after work - crept back...bread with everything - stayed gone...popcorn - crept back. This is truly a life long journey, and to make it to the end with the results I want, I have to stay focused and remember why I did this. I didn't do it to "almost" make it to my goal...I did it to obliterate my goal and to find the most happy and healthy version of me that there is to find.
So, I am refocused, refreshed, and ready to tackle this next 10 pounds. I am going to get back to my Sunday morning blogging habit again too. Staying on track and keeping myself honest and accountable...that's the direction I'm going.
Until next Sunday... (Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad's out there!)
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Still running - and a new best time!
I have been away from the blog, but still busy with life. My weight remains steady...but I am feeling a new energy and a desire to begin again. My daughter just asked me to walk her down the aisle at her wedding in November and that has lit a fire under me for sure!
My daughter and her fiancé ran a Mother's Day 5K with me last Sunday - the Color Run. This was the first one I have done and it was a trip! 4 different "color stations" where colored powder or colored bubbles were blown/thrown on you as you ran. Man, I wouldn't want to be on the clean up crew for this race! Since it was Mother's Day, my "kids" said they would run with me the whole race. Usually my daughter (who is 26 and in good shape) leaves me in the dust every race and I am fine with that. I was skeptical that they could hold back and stay with me for this whole race...but they did and I think that is why my time was so much better... 39:34 - Yep...it finally happened...I broke the elusive 40 minute barrier! I felt so great when I saw that time! 10 months ago when I ran my first race I was thrilled to break the 50 minute mark...now I am in the 30's and still improving! An NSV for sure!
We have lot's of 5K's left this year...but a new one has caught my daughters eye and she has talked me into joining her team on the "Warrior Run" a 5K obstacle course run in July. It's one of those runs where at the end everyone is covered in mud! Lord help me!!! Actually it's 6 people from my work and so it should be a great time!
Proud Mom moment coming up this weekend as my "baby" graduates from Boston University with her Bachelors Degree in BioMedical Engineering. She is moving home and then in September she will be entering a Doctorate program at the University of Washington. I am super excited to have her living with me again and I want to model all my new and vastly improved behaviors to her! It will be nice to cook for more than just myself and she and I have vowed to try new and healthy recipes so that we both can be in top form for the wedding!
Still looking ahead (OK - way ahead) to my surgery next year in February. Sometimes I look at my body as it is and try and imagine how I will look with all the hanging fat in my middle gone...and to be honest I just can't picture it. I have a feeling that I am going to be very emotional during this transformation. This is that last step to reclaiming my body and I can't wait to get to the other side of the process. I promise to keep documenting the journey and to even post a picture or two along the way.
Until next time...
My daughter and her fiancé ran a Mother's Day 5K with me last Sunday - the Color Run. This was the first one I have done and it was a trip! 4 different "color stations" where colored powder or colored bubbles were blown/thrown on you as you ran. Man, I wouldn't want to be on the clean up crew for this race! Since it was Mother's Day, my "kids" said they would run with me the whole race. Usually my daughter (who is 26 and in good shape) leaves me in the dust every race and I am fine with that. I was skeptical that they could hold back and stay with me for this whole race...but they did and I think that is why my time was so much better... 39:34 - Yep...it finally happened...I broke the elusive 40 minute barrier! I felt so great when I saw that time! 10 months ago when I ran my first race I was thrilled to break the 50 minute mark...now I am in the 30's and still improving! An NSV for sure!
We have lot's of 5K's left this year...but a new one has caught my daughters eye and she has talked me into joining her team on the "Warrior Run" a 5K obstacle course run in July. It's one of those runs where at the end everyone is covered in mud! Lord help me!!! Actually it's 6 people from my work and so it should be a great time!
Proud Mom moment coming up this weekend as my "baby" graduates from Boston University with her Bachelors Degree in BioMedical Engineering. She is moving home and then in September she will be entering a Doctorate program at the University of Washington. I am super excited to have her living with me again and I want to model all my new and vastly improved behaviors to her! It will be nice to cook for more than just myself and she and I have vowed to try new and healthy recipes so that we both can be in top form for the wedding!
Still looking ahead (OK - way ahead) to my surgery next year in February. Sometimes I look at my body as it is and try and imagine how I will look with all the hanging fat in my middle gone...and to be honest I just can't picture it. I have a feeling that I am going to be very emotional during this transformation. This is that last step to reclaiming my body and I can't wait to get to the other side of the process. I promise to keep documenting the journey and to even post a picture or two along the way.
Until next time...
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Still here...and on my way to a new journey!
The last couple of weeks have flown by !! Lot's of positive things happening (weight loss just doesn't happen to be one of them)!
First off, last weekend my daughter and I set a new milestone...a 10K! A new bridge that has been a few years in the making is finally opening up here and they staged a 10K as part of the celebration! We thought how fun it would be to run on the new bridge so we signed up. I had to walk part of the time, but we completed the 6.2 miles with times that made us proud. Our next race (back to a 5K) is on Mother's Day next month.
Food and I continue to battle it out. My weight has stayed steady...but with the weather finally getting better around here, I am stepping up my exercise. I am feeling much more confident in the process than I was just a couple of weeks ago. I know I can do this!
To help keep me motivated, I made a GIANT decision this week. I sent in my deposit to schedule my plastic surgery. The doctor feels like I need to lose about 10 more pounds to have optimal results...so that is what I am going to do! I gave myself lots of time to get there...my surgery is scheduled for February 3rd, 2017. That is just 2 days shy of my 2 year surgiversary! If all goes as planned, I will be getting a Tummy Tuck with muscle repair, a Breast Lift (maybe with a tiny bit of augmentation), some lipo of my flanks and bra rolls, and if the gods are smiling down and everything is in line, a reshaping of my lumpy backside! My hemoglobin needs to be above 14 for all that to happen...so the next 9 months is going to be all about losing 10 pounds and building up my blood levels. The surgeon I have chosen is Dr. Irving Rodriguez. His clinic Cirugia Plastica is in Tijuana. Yep...I am headed back there to have my plastics. I never ever thought I would be saying that. I really thought that I was going to have my plastics in the states...but in months of research, I changed my mind.
A quick run down of the journey to find "my" surgeon. I had my daughter take several photos of me...(naked - yikes!). I have an online friend who's daughter went to the Domincan Republic for her TT and BBL and I was able to follow her journey online. So my first thought was to check out doctors in the DR. Then, when I first started thinking about plastics (about 6 months ago) I found a Florida doctor online who did some really great work, so I added him to my list. That caused me to look at other doctors in Florida too. More doctors on the list. Finally, I thought I should at least go see a couple of doctors here in Seattle. I knew the doctors here would be way more expensive, but I wouldn't need airfare, a recovery house, etc and so I thought it might work out to be closer in cost than I thought. Boy was I in for a shock! First off, I got so many different opinions on what I needed to have done. Everything from a breast reduction, to a breast lift, to a breast lift with augmentation. Everything from a tummy tuck, to an extended tummy tuck, to a circular (360 degree) body lift! Most wanted to throw in lipo and a BBL for good measure! And the prices...anywhere from $6,000 in the DR to $20,000 here in Seattle. After a few months of research and 6 different surgical quotes, I was so discouraged. Some doctors didn't respond at all...one said he wouldn't work on me, but sent me to an associate whose patient coordinator repeatedly told me he would have my quote ready soon...but never ever got back to me. Some had patient coordinators who felt a little like used car salesmen - "if you put your deposit down right now you will save so much money" - I later learned that some of those people work on commission from the doctor and don't get paid unless they book surgeries! I had just about decided to bag the whole thing when I saw a women's story on real self.com. She was about my age and also had lost a lot of weight. She had gone to Mexico to Dr. Irving Rodriguez. She talked about how kind he was and how he really listened to what she wanted and gave her very realistic ideas of what he could and could not do. She said the recovery house he uses is amazing and near the coast where you could smell and hear the ocean. I read every post she had ever written...and by the end decided to send my photos and an email to Dr. R (as everyone refers to him). Much to my surprise, the next day I got a long email from him. Before he even talked about surgery, he talked about my weight loss and all the positive things that had done for my health. He talked about the advantages of weight training to build muscle and making sure I am taking in enough (and the right kind of) calories each day to maintain optimal health. Then he talked about my surgery. He said that from my photos he had come up with a plan for my plastics. He was very realistic and very thorough. He also made sure I understood that my health and safety comes first before any of the procedures and that until I was down there and he could assess everything in person, this was only a PLAN. He was kind and compassionate and never once made me feel like he was trying to sell me something. He told me to let him know if I wanted him to send me a quote for the surgery. And he told me that the quote would be "all inclusive"...the only thing I would need to pay extra for was the air fare to San Diego. That was how it was with my VSG surgery, and I really liked that. So I wrote him back and told him that I would very much like a quote. When I got the quote back from Paulina (his coordinator) at first it seemed really high. So I made a spreadsheet to compare every surgical quote I had received. I made columns for the cost of surgery, air fare, recovery house, medications, surgical garments, everything I could think of that other doctors had told me I would have to pay extra for. At the end of it all, Dr. R's quote was right in the middle! The other thing that made me feel good is that he only does 1 major or 2 minor surgeries per day. He considers my surgery "major" and so I will be his only patient that day. When undergoing this big of a surgery, I want that kind of focus from my doctor. I slept on it for a few nights...then I just decided that this was what I wanted, and like I did with my VSG surgery, I put down the deposit and booked the surgery before I could talk myself out of it! Next year, this blog will be devoted to my journey through the world of plastic surgery. Stay tuned...
First off, last weekend my daughter and I set a new milestone...a 10K! A new bridge that has been a few years in the making is finally opening up here and they staged a 10K as part of the celebration! We thought how fun it would be to run on the new bridge so we signed up. I had to walk part of the time, but we completed the 6.2 miles with times that made us proud. Our next race (back to a 5K) is on Mother's Day next month.
Food and I continue to battle it out. My weight has stayed steady...but with the weather finally getting better around here, I am stepping up my exercise. I am feeling much more confident in the process than I was just a couple of weeks ago. I know I can do this!
To help keep me motivated, I made a GIANT decision this week. I sent in my deposit to schedule my plastic surgery. The doctor feels like I need to lose about 10 more pounds to have optimal results...so that is what I am going to do! I gave myself lots of time to get there...my surgery is scheduled for February 3rd, 2017. That is just 2 days shy of my 2 year surgiversary! If all goes as planned, I will be getting a Tummy Tuck with muscle repair, a Breast Lift (maybe with a tiny bit of augmentation), some lipo of my flanks and bra rolls, and if the gods are smiling down and everything is in line, a reshaping of my lumpy backside! My hemoglobin needs to be above 14 for all that to happen...so the next 9 months is going to be all about losing 10 pounds and building up my blood levels. The surgeon I have chosen is Dr. Irving Rodriguez. His clinic Cirugia Plastica is in Tijuana. Yep...I am headed back there to have my plastics. I never ever thought I would be saying that. I really thought that I was going to have my plastics in the states...but in months of research, I changed my mind.
A quick run down of the journey to find "my" surgeon. I had my daughter take several photos of me...(naked - yikes!). I have an online friend who's daughter went to the Domincan Republic for her TT and BBL and I was able to follow her journey online. So my first thought was to check out doctors in the DR. Then, when I first started thinking about plastics (about 6 months ago) I found a Florida doctor online who did some really great work, so I added him to my list. That caused me to look at other doctors in Florida too. More doctors on the list. Finally, I thought I should at least go see a couple of doctors here in Seattle. I knew the doctors here would be way more expensive, but I wouldn't need airfare, a recovery house, etc and so I thought it might work out to be closer in cost than I thought. Boy was I in for a shock! First off, I got so many different opinions on what I needed to have done. Everything from a breast reduction, to a breast lift, to a breast lift with augmentation. Everything from a tummy tuck, to an extended tummy tuck, to a circular (360 degree) body lift! Most wanted to throw in lipo and a BBL for good measure! And the prices...anywhere from $6,000 in the DR to $20,000 here in Seattle. After a few months of research and 6 different surgical quotes, I was so discouraged. Some doctors didn't respond at all...one said he wouldn't work on me, but sent me to an associate whose patient coordinator repeatedly told me he would have my quote ready soon...but never ever got back to me. Some had patient coordinators who felt a little like used car salesmen - "if you put your deposit down right now you will save so much money" - I later learned that some of those people work on commission from the doctor and don't get paid unless they book surgeries! I had just about decided to bag the whole thing when I saw a women's story on real self.com. She was about my age and also had lost a lot of weight. She had gone to Mexico to Dr. Irving Rodriguez. She talked about how kind he was and how he really listened to what she wanted and gave her very realistic ideas of what he could and could not do. She said the recovery house he uses is amazing and near the coast where you could smell and hear the ocean. I read every post she had ever written...and by the end decided to send my photos and an email to Dr. R (as everyone refers to him). Much to my surprise, the next day I got a long email from him. Before he even talked about surgery, he talked about my weight loss and all the positive things that had done for my health. He talked about the advantages of weight training to build muscle and making sure I am taking in enough (and the right kind of) calories each day to maintain optimal health. Then he talked about my surgery. He said that from my photos he had come up with a plan for my plastics. He was very realistic and very thorough. He also made sure I understood that my health and safety comes first before any of the procedures and that until I was down there and he could assess everything in person, this was only a PLAN. He was kind and compassionate and never once made me feel like he was trying to sell me something. He told me to let him know if I wanted him to send me a quote for the surgery. And he told me that the quote would be "all inclusive"...the only thing I would need to pay extra for was the air fare to San Diego. That was how it was with my VSG surgery, and I really liked that. So I wrote him back and told him that I would very much like a quote. When I got the quote back from Paulina (his coordinator) at first it seemed really high. So I made a spreadsheet to compare every surgical quote I had received. I made columns for the cost of surgery, air fare, recovery house, medications, surgical garments, everything I could think of that other doctors had told me I would have to pay extra for. At the end of it all, Dr. R's quote was right in the middle! The other thing that made me feel good is that he only does 1 major or 2 minor surgeries per day. He considers my surgery "major" and so I will be his only patient that day. When undergoing this big of a surgery, I want that kind of focus from my doctor. I slept on it for a few nights...then I just decided that this was what I wanted, and like I did with my VSG surgery, I put down the deposit and booked the surgery before I could talk myself out of it! Next year, this blog will be devoted to my journey through the world of plastic surgery. Stay tuned...
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Wow! Time sure flies!
I have completely let the time get away from me and haven't been posting weekly like I have meant to...things have been a bit crazy with my job and it seems like I have something going on every minute of my rare days off! I will try and recap the last month.
First let me say that I haven't lost any weight. The weather, my job, and my lack of motivation to exercise has kept me sedentary since the holidays - which is a recipe for disaster when it comes to weight loss. For a couple of months I was holding steady at 160...then I noticed a two pound weight gain. Ok I thought...162...I can lose those two pounds no problem. Then one morning the scale jumped to 164 and then 165. Hold on now!!!!! That is NOT going to happen to me again in this lifetime! The days of me watching the scale creep up and up and up are OVER!!! So I recommitted myself to the process a week and a half ago. I printed out the 7 day "reset" instructions and started over. The bad news is that it was really really hard to go back to "clear liquids" and start fresh. The good news is that I did it and after one week, I lost the 5 pounds that I had gained...now I am back to 160. The other good news is that my stomach seems to have shrunk some as I get full more quickly now (like I used to) and so continuing to make better food choices has been easier. I have also recommitted myself to exercising. I am back to 2X a week at the gym and 2X a week running.
Speaking of running...we just finished our 3rd race of the year and we are going to make our 12 races in 12 months goal. This most recent race was really fun. It was a St Patrick's Day themed race and even though it poured down rain before and after the race, during the race it was dry. We felt so lucky!!! Maybe it was the luck of the Irish? Our next run is my very first 10K and I am excited AND nervous. My plan is to run 2 miles, walk 1 mile, run 2 miles, walk 1 mile, and then run the .2 miles to the finish. Can't wait to cross the finish line on that one!!!
The other big happening is that I am starting to talk to different plastic surgeons regarding having a breast lift and tummy tuck next year. I want to have it in February - and I have some really specific dates - so I have begun the process of sending my photos and getting quotes for their services. There are a couple of surgeons that I have been following for a few months that are in Miami Florida...and now that I know someone who just had their surgery in the Dominican Republic (and had nothing but good things to say about it) I have also contacted her doctor (and have already heard back from her). I want to lose another 10 pounds before having surgery (ideally maybe even another 20) but according to the doctor, my BMI is well within the range to be safe for surgery...so we shall see. It's a big commitment of time, money, and pain management for sure!!!
I am sure looking forward to some sunny spring days! I feel like I have been cooped up indoors for far too long and my mood could sure use a heavy dose of vitamin D!!
Until next time...
First let me say that I haven't lost any weight. The weather, my job, and my lack of motivation to exercise has kept me sedentary since the holidays - which is a recipe for disaster when it comes to weight loss. For a couple of months I was holding steady at 160...then I noticed a two pound weight gain. Ok I thought...162...I can lose those two pounds no problem. Then one morning the scale jumped to 164 and then 165. Hold on now!!!!! That is NOT going to happen to me again in this lifetime! The days of me watching the scale creep up and up and up are OVER!!! So I recommitted myself to the process a week and a half ago. I printed out the 7 day "reset" instructions and started over. The bad news is that it was really really hard to go back to "clear liquids" and start fresh. The good news is that I did it and after one week, I lost the 5 pounds that I had gained...now I am back to 160. The other good news is that my stomach seems to have shrunk some as I get full more quickly now (like I used to) and so continuing to make better food choices has been easier. I have also recommitted myself to exercising. I am back to 2X a week at the gym and 2X a week running.
Speaking of running...we just finished our 3rd race of the year and we are going to make our 12 races in 12 months goal. This most recent race was really fun. It was a St Patrick's Day themed race and even though it poured down rain before and after the race, during the race it was dry. We felt so lucky!!! Maybe it was the luck of the Irish? Our next run is my very first 10K and I am excited AND nervous. My plan is to run 2 miles, walk 1 mile, run 2 miles, walk 1 mile, and then run the .2 miles to the finish. Can't wait to cross the finish line on that one!!!
The other big happening is that I am starting to talk to different plastic surgeons regarding having a breast lift and tummy tuck next year. I want to have it in February - and I have some really specific dates - so I have begun the process of sending my photos and getting quotes for their services. There are a couple of surgeons that I have been following for a few months that are in Miami Florida...and now that I know someone who just had their surgery in the Dominican Republic (and had nothing but good things to say about it) I have also contacted her doctor (and have already heard back from her). I want to lose another 10 pounds before having surgery (ideally maybe even another 20) but according to the doctor, my BMI is well within the range to be safe for surgery...so we shall see. It's a big commitment of time, money, and pain management for sure!!!
I am sure looking forward to some sunny spring days! I feel like I have been cooped up indoors for far too long and my mood could sure use a heavy dose of vitamin D!!
Until next time...
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
I left my heart in San Francisco
I just got back from a 4 day trip to visit my late husbands aunt in San Fran. 1 month ago, her husband died unexpectedly. I had planned a trip to see them both several months ago...never knowing that he would be gone before I could get there. I had a lovely time visiting with her and her daughter and did my best to put a smile on her face.
The one thing I really notice now is when people hide their feelings behind food. I used to do that as well...and now I recognize it so much quicker! Food was being served morning noon and night! Fortunately, she is not one of those people that when you say "no thank you" keeps on hounding you to just have a bite! I talked a lot about my weight loss journey and how I am trying really hard to lose these last 20 pounds and so I think that kept me from feeling the pressure to eat all the time.
Now I am back home and getting back to basics. I am cutting carbs out of my diet again as they were creeping in under the radar! I am back to protein first and foremost and really watching my portions. I noticed today when I got home from work that it was a little lighter than it was last week. I am looking forward to my evening runs again when it stays light long enough.
I have a lot of stress at work right now and that is not making things any easier. I am so tired when I get home and I just don't feel like cooking or exercising. The project I am working on is coming to an end the first week of March and after that, all excuses are getting kicked to the curb!!!
Here's to a spring full of sun, fun, and run!
The one thing I really notice now is when people hide their feelings behind food. I used to do that as well...and now I recognize it so much quicker! Food was being served morning noon and night! Fortunately, she is not one of those people that when you say "no thank you" keeps on hounding you to just have a bite! I talked a lot about my weight loss journey and how I am trying really hard to lose these last 20 pounds and so I think that kept me from feeling the pressure to eat all the time.
Now I am back home and getting back to basics. I am cutting carbs out of my diet again as they were creeping in under the radar! I am back to protein first and foremost and really watching my portions. I noticed today when I got home from work that it was a little lighter than it was last week. I am looking forward to my evening runs again when it stays light long enough.
I have a lot of stress at work right now and that is not making things any easier. I am so tired when I get home and I just don't feel like cooking or exercising. The project I am working on is coming to an end the first week of March and after that, all excuses are getting kicked to the curb!!!
Here's to a spring full of sun, fun, and run!
Monday, February 8, 2016
Another 5K and my one year surgiversary!
It is hard to believe that it has been a year since I took a giant leap of faith and got on a plane to Tijuana Mexico to have VSG surgery! I clearly remember how scared I was and yet how hopeful as well. Somehow I knew that I was embarking on a new phase of my life...and boy was I right!
Yesterday, I ran the Mill Creek Puddle Run 5K. It was part trail run and part paved and it was really fun. My daughter (who does all my 5K's with me) and her fiancé joined me and we had a great time! He and I were talking on the way home about how much my life had changed in the last year. He asked me if I ever thought I would be running 5K's after I got home from my surgery. Honestly, I didn't, but I had every confidence that I would be a healthier happier person who could go hiking and walk around downtown without needing to stop and sit for a while.
My younger daughter called me earlier in the week to tell me that she hadn't really realized how much weight I had lost until she saw a photo of me from our trip to Spain 18 months ago. She sent me the face shot that, in her words, "freaked her out". Here it is...and here is the photo from yesterdays run for comparison.
From a size 2X top to a size large From a size 20 pants to a size 12
Yesterday, I ran the Mill Creek Puddle Run 5K. It was part trail run and part paved and it was really fun. My daughter (who does all my 5K's with me) and her fiancé joined me and we had a great time! He and I were talking on the way home about how much my life had changed in the last year. He asked me if I ever thought I would be running 5K's after I got home from my surgery. Honestly, I didn't, but I had every confidence that I would be a healthier happier person who could go hiking and walk around downtown without needing to stop and sit for a while.
My younger daughter called me earlier in the week to tell me that she hadn't really realized how much weight I had lost until she saw a photo of me from our trip to Spain 18 months ago. She sent me the face shot that, in her words, "freaked her out". Here it is...and here is the photo from yesterdays run for comparison.
That first photo was 65 pounds ago. I don't recognize that woman. Like a lot of overweight people, I was in denial about just how out of control my weight had gotten. I was happy, but felt tired and out of sorts a lot of the time. My doctor was threatening to put me on medication for high blood pressure and talking about diabetes. The smile in that photo hid a lot. Fast forward to a cold morning run. Completely different woman. Happier, more confident, and loving life!
There have been bumps in the road of my weight loss journey. Most notably is the long stall I have been on for the last 3 months. When people tell you that VSG surgery is a TOOL and not a FIX for your weight problems, they are telling you the truth. The tool helps me to eat less. It DOES NOT help me to eat healthy! A year out, I can eat pretty much any food I want in moderation. My job is to make sure that I am feeding my body the healthiest and most nourishing food that I can. I still have 20 pounds left to lose and I am NOT going to stop until those pounds are gone forever!
Lots of things are still changing in my life. My oldest daughter is getting married in 9 months and I want to be able to wear a dress for her wedding that will make me feel wonderful. My youngest daughter is graduating from college in May and will (hopefully) be coming home to live with me. I want to model the healthy behavior that I should have done when she was small. I have a trip to Ireland coming up in August. All these things will be so much better and easier when I am at my goal weight. So it's back to the gym...more training runs...better food choices...and I know I can do it!
Race #2 of 12 is in the books. It even looks like one of our races this year is going to be a 10K!! I am never going to let my weight be something that holds me back ever again. For posterity, here are my one year stats.
Highest weight - 224.4 Surgery weight - 216.0 Today's weight - 159.2
Total weight loss - 65.2 (and counting)
From a size 2X top to a size large From a size 20 pants to a size 12
Here's to a 2016 full of health and happiness!
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Every day I'm strug, strugglin'
Another week without making the changes I need to get back on track. I am so frustrated with myself. I find myself making some of the same stupid decisions I made when I was on my way to 225 pounds! I am considering going back to my therapist to see if we can't get to the bottom of why I am suddenly, after successfully losing 65 pounds, finding every way possible to sabotage myself!
Several thoughts about this on my own (without therapy) is that I find myself very uncomfortable with praise. I don't really know why this is...I have finally gotten into a somewhat normal size of clothing...I enjoy shopping, and while I don't wear anything that could even possibly be termed "revealing", I am dressing to highlight my new smaller figure. But last night, I went to our all company party and saw coworkers from other locations that have not seen me since last years event. As the compliments started rolling in, I could feel myself getting more and more uncomfortable. One possibility is that I spent about 20 years "hiding" myself and my body. It is very easy to stay in the background. Now, I don't want to be in the background anymore and yet the old me is still in my head spouting negativity. For every compliment I found myself spouting said negativity. Example..."Wow, you look fantastic! You look so happy and so much younger! I love your outfit, you look so tiny!" My responses..."thanks, I still have a long way to go"..."thanks, it's probably because I finally wore some makeup"..."thanks, but I got this on clearance and I am still trying to lose 20 more pounds!". What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I just say thank you, absorb the compliment, and celebrate my success??? It is seriously starting to worry me...that this negativity is going to cause me to lose this hard fought battle!!!
When I had this surgery, and started dropping the extra weight, I would read stories about people who gained most or even all of their weight back and I just couldn't see how that would even be possible!! I am starting to get a better idea of how it happens...and I am scared to death!
Been super busy at work this last week...a couple of 12 hour days...with a big launch coming up in March that is going to result in a 70 hour work week. I need to use the rest of January and the month of February to get myself back on track and losing weight again. I have to keep with my program and not let all the outside BS derail my progress. That quick energy that I get from sugar and carbs is calling to me when I get tired and stressed and I have begun to add these back into my diet. But what happens is that I begin to crave them again...and then I am back to the danger zone!
My goal for this week is to have no added sugar or carbs. When I first had surgery, I quit these things cold turkey and I think that is the right way to handle it again. I will be cranky for the first couple of days...but I have to re-break this cycle and make it stick this time! I am NOT giving up. I am going to continue this battle until I emerge victorious! I may be down...but I am NOT out!
Until next week...
Several thoughts about this on my own (without therapy) is that I find myself very uncomfortable with praise. I don't really know why this is...I have finally gotten into a somewhat normal size of clothing...I enjoy shopping, and while I don't wear anything that could even possibly be termed "revealing", I am dressing to highlight my new smaller figure. But last night, I went to our all company party and saw coworkers from other locations that have not seen me since last years event. As the compliments started rolling in, I could feel myself getting more and more uncomfortable. One possibility is that I spent about 20 years "hiding" myself and my body. It is very easy to stay in the background. Now, I don't want to be in the background anymore and yet the old me is still in my head spouting negativity. For every compliment I found myself spouting said negativity. Example..."Wow, you look fantastic! You look so happy and so much younger! I love your outfit, you look so tiny!" My responses..."thanks, I still have a long way to go"..."thanks, it's probably because I finally wore some makeup"..."thanks, but I got this on clearance and I am still trying to lose 20 more pounds!". What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I just say thank you, absorb the compliment, and celebrate my success??? It is seriously starting to worry me...that this negativity is going to cause me to lose this hard fought battle!!!
When I had this surgery, and started dropping the extra weight, I would read stories about people who gained most or even all of their weight back and I just couldn't see how that would even be possible!! I am starting to get a better idea of how it happens...and I am scared to death!
Been super busy at work this last week...a couple of 12 hour days...with a big launch coming up in March that is going to result in a 70 hour work week. I need to use the rest of January and the month of February to get myself back on track and losing weight again. I have to keep with my program and not let all the outside BS derail my progress. That quick energy that I get from sugar and carbs is calling to me when I get tired and stressed and I have begun to add these back into my diet. But what happens is that I begin to crave them again...and then I am back to the danger zone!
My goal for this week is to have no added sugar or carbs. When I first had surgery, I quit these things cold turkey and I think that is the right way to handle it again. I will be cranky for the first couple of days...but I have to re-break this cycle and make it stick this time! I am NOT giving up. I am going to continue this battle until I emerge victorious! I may be down...but I am NOT out!
Until next week...
Monday, January 11, 2016
Happy 2016 and race number one is over!
Once we (my daughter and I) decided that we would set a goal this year of running a 5K race every month, I knew it would be a tall order. But we have had so much fun doing this together in the last 6 months and I knew it would be a good way to make sure I kept moving!
The REI "Worst Day of the Year" run was last Saturday. I guess that typically the weather for this run is awful! We feel like we got lucky...foggy and cold...but no rain! I still have not gotten back into the swing of my training runs and really won't until it starts staying light longer. But I am in decent shape for an old gal and so I wasn't too worried about the race. Well...I also wasn't expecting the first 1/2 mile of the race to be all uphill! I only got in about 3 minutes of running until I was faced with a seriously long and steep hill. I made a quick decision to run halfway up and then walk the other half. I was worried that if I ran the whole hill, I would be gassed and not be able to run the rest of the race. That turned out to be a good decision. Once I made it to the top of the hill, I was able to set a good pace and finish out the race with no problem. But once again, I wasn't able to improve on my best time and get a race under 40 minutes! Oh well...I have 11 more races to get that done!
My younger daughter has been in Thailand for the last two weeks and she comes home for one day before heading back to college in Boston. So I will be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to pick her up at the airport...then the next morning I will be up again taking her back to the airport! I laughed and thought I should just get her a hotel near the airport and save myself the gas !!! I have missed her and will anxiously await her post grad decisions to see if she will be moving back home or not.
Wednesday will mark the rebirth of my gym time. My friend who goes to the gym with me has been super busy with other things and with the holidays we just bagged it until the new year. Now I am excited to get back into the swing of things and start building some muscle. I am also going to do the 21 Day Fix exercise program again because in a month I will be traveling to SanFrancisco and I want to be ready for that.
I am also going to do some research and talk with my doctor about protein drinks. I have a protein drink every morning as my breakfast. I have read several posts online recently where people say their doctors don't want them using a protein drink in place of a meal. My doctor didn't say anything about that and now I want to know what they think. I don't know why the protein drink would be bad unless it's because it doesn't create that "full feeling" that you get from real food. If that is all it is, then I am not worried about that. My morning drink keeps me full until lunch time. But since I am down to the "hard weight" to lose, I want to make sure I am doing everything my doctor thinks I should be doing.
My goals between now and the 12th of February when I leave on my trip are to go to the gym 3 times per week...do the 21 Day Fix...and get in one training run every weekend. When I manage those things, the scale should begin to go in the right direction and I can start ticking off these last 20 pounds!
Here we go...
The REI "Worst Day of the Year" run was last Saturday. I guess that typically the weather for this run is awful! We feel like we got lucky...foggy and cold...but no rain! I still have not gotten back into the swing of my training runs and really won't until it starts staying light longer. But I am in decent shape for an old gal and so I wasn't too worried about the race. Well...I also wasn't expecting the first 1/2 mile of the race to be all uphill! I only got in about 3 minutes of running until I was faced with a seriously long and steep hill. I made a quick decision to run halfway up and then walk the other half. I was worried that if I ran the whole hill, I would be gassed and not be able to run the rest of the race. That turned out to be a good decision. Once I made it to the top of the hill, I was able to set a good pace and finish out the race with no problem. But once again, I wasn't able to improve on my best time and get a race under 40 minutes! Oh well...I have 11 more races to get that done!
My younger daughter has been in Thailand for the last two weeks and she comes home for one day before heading back to college in Boston. So I will be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to pick her up at the airport...then the next morning I will be up again taking her back to the airport! I laughed and thought I should just get her a hotel near the airport and save myself the gas !!! I have missed her and will anxiously await her post grad decisions to see if she will be moving back home or not.
Wednesday will mark the rebirth of my gym time. My friend who goes to the gym with me has been super busy with other things and with the holidays we just bagged it until the new year. Now I am excited to get back into the swing of things and start building some muscle. I am also going to do the 21 Day Fix exercise program again because in a month I will be traveling to SanFrancisco and I want to be ready for that.
I am also going to do some research and talk with my doctor about protein drinks. I have a protein drink every morning as my breakfast. I have read several posts online recently where people say their doctors don't want them using a protein drink in place of a meal. My doctor didn't say anything about that and now I want to know what they think. I don't know why the protein drink would be bad unless it's because it doesn't create that "full feeling" that you get from real food. If that is all it is, then I am not worried about that. My morning drink keeps me full until lunch time. But since I am down to the "hard weight" to lose, I want to make sure I am doing everything my doctor thinks I should be doing.
My goals between now and the 12th of February when I leave on my trip are to go to the gym 3 times per week...do the 21 Day Fix...and get in one training run every weekend. When I manage those things, the scale should begin to go in the right direction and I can start ticking off these last 20 pounds!
Here we go...
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Sorry I've been MIA
I am a few weeks behind in updating my blog. The holidays came in like a whirlwind, my youngest daughter came home from college for Christmas, I shopped and wrapped and decorated like a fiend...and then...it was over! That seems to happen to me every year...chaos!...and then nothing!
The good news is that for once in my life I did NOT gain any weight over the holidays!!! Yay!!! OK - celebration over. I also did not LOSE any weight over the holidays! I have been at a stall now for about 3 months. I did eat more refined sugars over the holidays...candy, cookies, pie, etc...even in very small quantities they add up to very big calories. And while my calorie intake went up up up...my exercise went down down down. A recipe for disaster for sure. I feel lucky that I kept it under control enough to maintain my weight. Now the real work begins.
Next month (in fact exactly 30 days from today) is my one year "surgiversary". February 5th, 2014 was the day that I took back my life. While it is not likely that I will be at goal by my one year date (I still have 20 pounds left to lose) I have never - not even once - looked back since that day. 11 months later, I would get on that plane...fly to San Diego...be driven across the border to
INT Hospital and have this surgery all over again!
I will do a more comprehensive post a month from now...but just a few things that I am thankful for at 11 months post op.
Tying my shoes without breaking a sweat
Not having my underwear cut off the circulation to my thighs
Not having thighs that rub together to the point of rashes
Saving a ton of money on food
Being able to buy clothes from the "regular" department
Getting compliments on my looks (maybe that is vanity, but it sure feels nice)
Learning to run and completing 5 - 5K races since my surgery
The list could go on and on...but I will save that for later.
My daughter and I are tackling our first 5K of the year on Saturday. Our goal this year is to run a 5K race every month. We are set for January...looking for a race in February...and have already registered for a race in March! We are determined!
I will be back to my weekly posting now that life is returning to a normal pace. And I will continue to work my plan until these last 20 pounds are gone and I am at goal. Who knows...maybe then I will begin to blog about my upcoming tummy tuck surgery! Until next time...
The good news is that for once in my life I did NOT gain any weight over the holidays!!! Yay!!! OK - celebration over. I also did not LOSE any weight over the holidays! I have been at a stall now for about 3 months. I did eat more refined sugars over the holidays...candy, cookies, pie, etc...even in very small quantities they add up to very big calories. And while my calorie intake went up up up...my exercise went down down down. A recipe for disaster for sure. I feel lucky that I kept it under control enough to maintain my weight. Now the real work begins.
Next month (in fact exactly 30 days from today) is my one year "surgiversary". February 5th, 2014 was the day that I took back my life. While it is not likely that I will be at goal by my one year date (I still have 20 pounds left to lose) I have never - not even once - looked back since that day. 11 months later, I would get on that plane...fly to San Diego...be driven across the border to
INT Hospital and have this surgery all over again!
I will do a more comprehensive post a month from now...but just a few things that I am thankful for at 11 months post op.
Tying my shoes without breaking a sweat
Not having my underwear cut off the circulation to my thighs
Not having thighs that rub together to the point of rashes
Saving a ton of money on food
Being able to buy clothes from the "regular" department
Getting compliments on my looks (maybe that is vanity, but it sure feels nice)
Learning to run and completing 5 - 5K races since my surgery
The list could go on and on...but I will save that for later.
My daughter and I are tackling our first 5K of the year on Saturday. Our goal this year is to run a 5K race every month. We are set for January...looking for a race in February...and have already registered for a race in March! We are determined!
I will be back to my weekly posting now that life is returning to a normal pace. And I will continue to work my plan until these last 20 pounds are gone and I am at goal. Who knows...maybe then I will begin to blog about my upcoming tummy tuck surgery! Until next time...
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