4ish months progress pictures!

July 24th seems so long ago... I'm beginning to feel like I've always been this way. 

I'm doing a lot better on some fronts by now. Super annoying tailbone pain has been almost completely ameliorated by the Tush Cush. Can't live without it! I have two now and I bring it to movie theaters, it's a life saver. My acid reflux is doing better, although I'm in the midst of a flare up. I'm on 40mg Protonix which made a HUGE difference over Omeprazole. 

Life is getting hectic again, with the holidays. Work is extremely busy. I have to make a point of eating my third meal (I don't count my morning shake as a meal). I just barely meet my protein goals if I don't eat it. 

I'm making progress with my strength training, and I can do 20 minutes on the stairmaster. When I was about 360lbs, I couldn't do more than 3 minutes on the slowest speed. 

My hair is falling out in handfuls, every day. I know it doesn't look like I've lost any hair in the pictures, partly because I had a lot of hair and also because I blow dried my hair today so it's extra pouffy, but I hate it. Mostly, I just hate how gross it is to leave hair EVERYWHERE. I felt like at Thanksgiving, I should wear a hairnet. So I'm thinking about getting a short, layered bob, just so that when I pull hair out, it's not crazy long. 

I get sick if I eat too fast. So don't eat too fast, you say! Yes, yes. I realized there are two situations: one is a busy day at work when it's hard to fit in my meals (not sure yet what to do about that) and the other time is when my cats are hassling me and trying to eat my food! I put them in the basement now...

I'm still pretty much eating only protein. 2-3 oz. Maybe a BITE of veggies. At Thanksgiving, I had some pie and I realized firsthand how slider foods can be a serious problem. It's way too easy to eat too much. Protein puts the kibbosh on that!

And I was anxious about Thanksgiving, but it was really easy. I allowed myself one meal of off-plan foods (Turkey first) and even had dessert, then that was it. Each subsequent meal had low carb everything for me. I made sugar free pumpkin custard, low carb sausage dressing, and mashed cauliflower which I realized I prefer to potatoes. I basically felt like I had the best Thanksgiving ever: no alcohol,  I got to cook like crazy which I love, and I enjoyed the fellowship of my friends and family. And I lost weight. Can't beat that. Going to Puerto Rico for Christmas! Can't wait.

Ok, some pictures!

Close to my heaviest, 420lbs:

One day pre-op, 335lbs:

4 months and change, 243lbs:

Wow! What a drastic change! You must feel wonderful! Congratulations! Keep it up. You are an inspiration.

Thank you! Every day I feel a little bit better, and when I think back to my 400+ days, I don't know how I managed to get through the day.

Amazing! you look fabulous and happy and don't worry about the hair. It will grow back is what everyone says! You just keep rocking that sleeve!

Thank you! I am feeling fabulous. I know it will grow back, and I don't think it looks bad, I just hate the shedding! Hair... everywhere...

Looking great!! You look very pretty and your hair looks very stylish and full! I know we're out toughest own critic. It sounds like you have a good handle on everything! Enjoy Xmas in PR!!

Thank you! I don't think the hair looks bad, it's just annoying. I can't wait for sunshine! We fly part of the way in a 8 seater Cessna. Last year I was about 380lbs and I think I threw the balance off for the pilot! 

What a great feeling to be lighter when you fly this year!! Enjoy!

You look like a different person. You look beautiful. Each update picture your smile looks bigger😊. Do you know why your tailbone hurts from the weightloss?

Haha, I've always been a total ham when it comes to smiling.

The tailbone thing... so definitely part of it is lost padding. But I was wondering why skinny people don't deal with this. I read somewhere on these boards that because our big butts always provided enough padding to protect the tailbone, the muscles that usually hold it in place atrophy. Now there's no padding and no muscles... I don't know if there's anything to that but it makes as much sense as anything! Maybe skinny people go around with painful tailbones and think that's just how it's supposed to be.