Life is amazing

One of the amazing things during this whole weight loss process is how life continues to get more amazing every day. I’m seriously loving this new life I’ve created for myself and the last 24 hours have given me so many more reasons why! 

First off, yesterday afternoon, my meat farmer called me to tell me that she had a customer back out of a cow order at the last minute and wanted to know if I could use 1/4 of a cow.  Normally I prefer to bulk order my own 1/2 cow so that I can get the cuts I want, but I’m happy to help my farmer out and was curious to see what she had.  I’m also finding that chicken isn’t very appealing to me these days, which means I cook a lot of cow, pig, and lamb instead and my freezer (since I buy all those animals bulk from my local farmer) was looking pretty spare!  I came home with about $1000 in amazing looking steaks and other various cuts and my freezers are pretty full again.  And the best part was that I stood around talking to my farmer for almost two hours, but my body still feels awesome.  A year ago I would have been limping in pain from standing so long and then would have felt miserable the next day or three. 

Then, around 10pm, my partner and I headed into DC to see a midnight showing of my favorite movie ever – CLUE! We took the Metro in and, having not ridden it since pre-op, I was amazed at how comfortable the seats were. And the ticket kiosks! I didn’t have to turn sideways to walk through them!  Then we walked 10 blocks to the theater and I didn’t get winded or need a break. The theater seats were comfortable for me and I actually felt like I had room.  Boggle.  Then we walked back 10 blocks and I got home around 3am.  I can’t remember the last time I stayed up so late and I was totally wiped out.  But the next morning my body felt amazing and, in the past, I would have been in need of some painkillers after all that walking.  (Especially all that walking after all the earlier standing?  No way, I’d have been dead.) 

And then, this morning, my other partner and I went to the farmers market (more walking and standing) followed by a good 4 hours walking around the Maryland Renaissance Faire.  Our faire is on a wooded and sort of hilly lot and, again, in the past there have been places I’ve gotten winded and needed breaks. But we didn’t even sit to eat; we just wandered around the entire time.  It was amazing and I still feel great.  A year ago I’d be nursing my shin splints for a month if I’d tried to do all of these things back to back in the same 24-hour period. 

I also wore my Ren garb today. I got it in 2002 when I was at least 250 and probably more.  My garb fit better today than it ever has.  It fit better than it did when I got it!  I looked awesome :D  I have collar bones! I don’t think those were there before, but now they’re amazing to me.  My bodice was actually almost too big, so this is definitely the last faire season I’ll be able to wear my current garb.  Hopefully I’ll be close enough to my goal next year to be able to rationalize buying a new set. 

I’m also super happy with how I ate at the faire – which used to be my primary excitement for going.  I got “ribbon fryes,” ate a few, and tossed the rest because they just felt too greasy and unpleasant to me.  Then I had a gyro, which was delicious, and ate about 2/3 of it while wandering around.  I also ended up getting a lemon and cucumber juice for something refreshing at the end of the trip.  I kept hydrated and felt wonderful.  Totally glorious day.

The only weirdness I’ve experienced is that my body seems to be really bad at regulating temperature when I’m tired. I swing wildly between freezing and sweating when I’m tired.  I seem to recall that this was an issue pre-loss, but to a much lesser extent. It has made sleeping a big pain in the butt since I have such a hard time finding the correct coverage!

Tonight my plan is to get a good night of sleep so I can go running outside for the second time ever tomorrow morning.  I know it will be hard, but I also know that my body will still feel great afterward and for the rest of the month to come.  In the past, I'm sure I would have begged for release from the pain all of this activity would have inflicted upon me - if I had even forced myself to do all of these things in the first place.  

Overall though, life is just amazing. I decided to start this journey almost exactly a year ago and nothing could deter me once my mind was made up. And I’m so grateful that a VSG-friend of mine recommended that I check out OH.  I have learned so much from you all! 

I love this post!!  So inspirational!!  Keep up the great work

Thanks :D

Amazing and awesome! 

Your comment totally put "Everything is AWESOME!!!" from The Lego Movie into my head. :D

Sounds like you've had a great weekend!! I LOVE Clue and I'd love to see it on the big screen. 

I went to a Ren Faire for the first time last year and can't wait to go back this year. I want to dress up so badly too!!! 

I was having trouble regulating body temp too a few months out. I wasn't sure if it was that wonderful process known as peri-menopause or the WLS playing with me. I did some reading and it seems to be fairly common to have the "coldies and the sweaties" appear quickly while we are rapidly losing weight. It's since fixed itself. Even that was better, though, than being constantly overheated from so much extra insulation. I no longer dread summers! Yay!!! 

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend, Gwen. 

Clue was awesome on the big screen - I saw it first on VHS with my mom not too long after it came out, but never got to see it in the theater.  It was awesome.  I'm pretty sure I could have quoted the whole movie in time with the actors ;)  

Thanks for sharing your research with me - I'm glad it's not just a strange me thing and that it will resolve itself eventually.  It seems to only get me when I'm tired.  

I hope you have a great weekend too!

Thanks for that Gwenmo - so nice to read the positive on the forums.  

My bf and I have built 2/3 of our new deck today and I could never have done that if I had not kept the weight off for all these years.   Nice to get out on a lovely Labour Day Weekend rather than sitting on the laptop all day!

Thanks, Kim!  Isn't it great to be able to share these amazing things that would have been unfathomable years before?  That just blows my mind.  

Congrats on the deck building!  

Gwen I LOVE to hear you absolutely embracing all possibilities full on! Such an encouragement to me as I walk through the should i/shouldn't i preop process.