Pixie-Power

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Hard to believe it's been three years already!  So much has changed - for the better.  Although I gained back about 25 pounds of the weight I had lost, I'm back on the losing track again, because I have vowed to never return to the problems associated with that weight again.  Gone is the high blood pressure, the back and knee pain and associated problems.  I can walk all day now if I want, without having to stop every few hundred feet to rest.  I enjoy camping and hiking with the dogs, and they are getting in shape as well.  I have energy all day, to get all of my household chores and yard work done, and I actually enjoy it all.  I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it over and over - my only regret is that I hadn't had the surgery sooner!

Really hard to believe it was one year ago today that I forever changed my life.   It's been an amazing year, with a lot of changes, and not just in my weight and appearance.  My energy level is the highest it's been in two decades, and I am healthier now than in my 30s.

My only disappointment is that I have yet to reach goal - 14 pounds away yet.  However, I also know that in the last couple of months I have been eating at a maintenance level, rather than trying to lose the weight.  I now think I'll maintain this through the holidays, and then concentrate on losing the remaining pounds after the first of the year.  The weight goal I chose was more or less arbitrary, and there is no special reason why I have to reach that goal weight by a certain date, other than my own pride.  I am really content at this weight - clothes look and fit well, and it seems easy to maintain, so I'll also been content if this is the final weight I end up at.   Need to post updated photos though!

Saw the surgeon yesterday for my 10-month post-op appointment.  He's very pleased with my progress (although I myself have been disappointed in the slow progress in trying to lose these last 15 pounds).  His only comment was on my lab results.  While they look good, he was startled to see that my vitamin B-6, B-12 and D levels were on the high side.  According to the doc, since we sleevers don't have the malabsorption issues, taking specialty (bariatric) multi-vitamins is not as essential as for by-pass patients, but still, because we don't eat a lot in volume, so it's unusual for those levels to be high.  He guesses my diet must include foods high in those vitamins.  I take the Celebrate multi-vitmins (capsules), and I am supposed to take 3 a day;  he recommends I cut them down to two a day.   I will still take 6 daily Citrcal petites with vitamin D.

The only other thing is to up my exercise.  I am still struggling to incorporate a regular exercise routine into my daily schedule - regular exercise ha's ALWAYS been an issue for me.  I just have to commit myself to doing it.  I know that if I did, these last 15 pounds would finally come off.  I've got two months to lose them, as it is my goal to be at my goal weight by my surger-versary.

So, it was my goal to hit 150 by May Day.  I'm 2 months past that, but glad to still be losing.  I'm now down to losing about a pound a week, so it'll probably take me another 4 months to hit my goal weight, but I'm hoping to at least do that before my one year surgiversary.  Can't complain though.  I really  feel great and it continues to amaze me how much energy I have and all the things I can do now that I couldn't 7 months ago, or at least I couldn't without having to stop and take a breather every 5 minutes and sweat up a storm.  

My only regret remains that I wish I could've done this 10 years ago.

I have been trying to save on to my clothes for as long as possible, only because I haven't saved a lot of money to spend on new clothes.  But with almost 80 pounds gone, there just really wasn't anything left that didn't either hang on me, or fell off completely. 

I've spent the last three weeks methodically gong through my closets and drawers, getting rid of my underclothes first, then my professional work clothes, then pants and tops, T-shirts and finally my jackets.  I didn't realize I had so much in clothes, nor did I realize how much it would take to fully replace it all!  Not, that I'm complaining, per se; I'm thrilled to be in large size tops and size 10-12 jeans.  But when I started this journey, of all the things I thought about that would have to change in my life, I just never thought about the fact that EVERYTHING in my cloests and drawers would have to go.  Kindda sad in that my husband and I usually bought matching T-shirts in every place we visited, and those had to go - just can't wear XXLs anymore.  But, we will have fun replacing them with new shirts from new destinations we travel to, and those travels will be so much more enjoyable now that I feel healthier!

Really hard to believe it's already been six months!  Even though my weight loss has slowed down to .5 to 1 pound a week, I am still so amazed at how relatively easy it has been with the sleeve, especially compared to the myriad of diets I've been on over the years. 

I still have great restriction -- I can only eat 3-4 oz of dense protein, and about a cup of food at a meal, although it's maybe twice that if it's a lettuce-based salad.  I'm eating a little more in calories - about 900-1000 per day, compared to the 700-800 a day I was eating a couple of months ago (which also probably accounts for the slow-down in weight loss).  But I'm still tracking my daily intake, and trying to keep carbs below 40g.  Getting in around 80-100g protein daily and taking Biotin along with my other nutrients. 

The hair loss has finally slowed down considerably too - to the amount it was pre-surgery.  I'm hoping the Biotin will help with the re-growth, as my hair was always thin, but it is much more so now.  Hubby and I are taking a cruise in January, so hopefully it will have re-thickened a little more by then! 

I had hoped to be at 150 by May Day (May 1), but that clearly is not going to happen.  Still, I'm content with the weight loss thus far and as I am still losing, I know it'll come off eventually.  Besides, 70 pounds in 6 months is nothing to complain about, in my book, and is far more successful than I have ever accomplished.

I am still having considerable trouble getting into a regular exercise routine.  I have always thought of exercise as akin to a dirty 4-letter word, and that clearly has not changed.  I know the key is to find something that I really enjoy, but I have yet to find it.  I haven't given up on the idea, though, and I'll keep looking! 

All in all, I am so happy I had the surgery, and that I chose the sleeve!   
B E S T   D E C I S I O N   E V E R!  

Okay, so it's pouring rain today, the first day of Spring, so I thought it was a good day to sit down and assess where I've been, where I am today, and where I want to be.
 
First off, I am very happy with my sleeve.  I am down 63 pounds, with 38 to go.  I had hoped to be a little further along, but weight loss has slowed down considerably the last few weeks.  I'm still tracking my food intake, and there has been a slight increase in my calorie intake.  Some days I get in almost 1200 calories, but that's usually only if I go out to eat because restaurant food is so much heavier on the calories, not because my volume has increased.   Still only getting in 3-4 oz of dense protein at a meal.

I also still need to work on increasing the exercise.  I am not a morning person, so exercising before work just will not do.  I've always avoided exercise like it was a dirty four-letter word, but now that it stays lighter later in the evening, I'm hoping that'll spur me into at least taking the dogs for a walk at night.   I do have a lot more energy than ever before;  I just need to find an exercise routine that I like and will stick with.

The only real down side to the surgery is that I have experienced horrible thinning of my hair.  It started about 2 1/2 months post op.  No one else seems to notice it much, but I have been aghast at how much hair comes out in the comb or brush every day.  This morning when taking a shower, less hair was visible in the drain and on my comb.  I'm hoping that means it is finally starting to slow down.  I have been taking Biotin for over a month now, and also using the Nexxus hair products.  I know they don't really do anything about the hair loss, but I do hope they will help with the re-growth!

I am definitely healthier.  I'm now off all meds except the PPI.  I'm just about out of size 16s, but I'm reluctant to spend a lot of money on size 14s, as I hope to be in size 10s when I reach goal.  We'll see.

My husband and I just booked a cruise for January 2012.  I certainly hope to be at my goal weight by then.  The last time we went on a cruise in 2007, I was so out of shape that I hardly did more than eat and read books pool side (in a cover-up, of course).  Now, however, food is no longer the appealing attraction it once was, and I now have energy to do things and enjoy activities more, so I'm really looking forward to a totally different cruise experience!

I set a goal of being at 180 by Valentine's Day.  I started stalling 3 weeks ago, so I thought I might not make that goal, since I had no idea how long the stall would last.  But this morning, I got on the scale and lo and behold, not only did it finally move downward, but I was right on the nose at 180!  I am so ectastic about the sleeve, and my progress so far.  I know I could never have accomplished tis much, so fast, without the surgery.  Now to set a new goal.  Maybe 150 by May Day may be a little too ambitious, but it's got a nice ring to it!

Since today is the last day of 2010, it seems appropriate to look back on where I was, how far I've come, and what I'd like to accomplish in 2011. 

This past summer, when I finally decided I needed to have WLS, I weighed 231 lbs, my highest ever.   I was feeling miserable health-wise and mentally about myself.   I couldn't walk a flight of stairs without having to take a break.  While many of my co-workers would walk to various restaurants for lunch, I seldom joined them.  Not because I didn't want to, but because I was too embarrassed that I couldn't walk that far without huffing and puffing, sweating and stopping frequently.  Even walking two blocks to the courthouse was difficult.  I'd leave extra-early because I'd always be sweating by the time I got there, and I needed some time to "cool down" before I entered the courtroom.  (It was unbelievably embarassing.)  My knees hurt constantly, and I couldn't walk down stairs unless I took them one step at a time, and even then I had to hold on to the railing.  My back hurt frequently, and doing simple tasks around the house and yard, or even grocery shopping, was a major chore!  I had developed high blood pressure and a severe case of GERD in the last 4 years.  I was "popping" out of most of my clothes, but I was simply too stubborn (or maybe it was denial) to go up yet another size in clothes.
 
Now, I will be 10 weeks post-op on Monday, and as I generally weigh myself on Fridays, I stepped on the scale this morning to pleasantly discover I've dropped another 2.5 lbs!  I've now lost a total of 46.5 pounds, 31.5 of which has been lost since my surgery.  I'm 3 pounds short of the half-way mark to my goal weight. 

When I dropped below 200 lbs a couple of weeks ago, I set a goal of getting to 180 by Valentine's Day.  Now, barring any stalls, I am set to accomplish that in 2-3 weeks!  That is so amazing to me.  It took me 3 months to lose 15 pounds pre-op, and only 10 weeks to lose twice that with the sleeve!  I am so happy with my sleeve!   I set a goal weight of 130 lbs, which is considered the high-end of normal for someone of my height.  I figured that, given I haven't been able to get that low in at least two decades, and I am 53 years old,130 lbs is a realistic goal.  Now, I'm thinking maybe I can get to 120, with the idea of maintaining my weight between 120-125.  Right now, I feel like anything is possible!

My knees and back no longer hurt.  I can now walk up and down a flight of stairs normally, and with ease.  I walk my dogs for 45 minutes to an hour, no stopping!  (Given that they're very large dogs with a lot of energy, that in iself is something I never imagined I'd be able to do.  And I think they are enjoying my new-found energy as much as I am.)  I will be totally off blood pressure meds next month, although I still take Nexium. 

Since returning to work, I am still struggling to get in 64 oz of fluids.  I am usually short 8-12 ozs., but I'm working on that.  My job does not permit me to eat any more frequently than lunch, so I am only eating 3 meals a day, but since I still drink one protein shake for breakfast, which has 42g of protein, I am not having much trouble averaging 80g of protein a day.  I'm also enjoying experimenting with new recipes that are heavy on the protein, with little or no carbs.  As a carb-addict, that's a whole new experience for me.  My husband has also lost 15 pounds, so he is pretty happy with the fact that I've changed our diets around.

There aren't too many foods I cannot tolerate, but I haven't tried any beef yet.  (My surgeon suggested I wait until I'm 3 months out before doing so.)  I have discovered that too many different spices at once, or too spicey (which I used to love) still don't sit well, so I'm adjusting my palate.  I also still can't stand plain water, but crystal light and SF Hawaiian punch are making it tolerable.  I carry the to-go packets with me everywhere!  I have begun losing some hair, but I expected and prepared for it, so it's not so devasting.  No one else has seemed to notice except me every time I look at my hair brush, but I also know it is temporary.  Given all the other benefits I've already experienced, it is a small price to pay.

Today I'm doing my first shopping trip in I don't know how long.  I bought new underwear yesterday - went from size 10 to 8.  I definitely need to get a couple of bras, but I'm not sure what size yet.  When I started all this, I was size 44DDD, so it'll be interesting to see what size I am now.  I 'm thinking it'll be around 42 or maybe 40C.  (One thing my husband was worried about it is that when I lose the weight, I'd lose too much off my breasts.  I assured him that it won't be too bad.  At my healthiest weight ever, in high school, when I weighed 110, I was still a 36C, so I don't expect to ever be small-breasted.)

The size 18 jeans I haven't been able to wear since my honemoon in 2004 are now too big.  Most of my jeans/pants were size 20, with a couple of 22s and even the one 18s.  I am hoping to be in size 16, but I may still need to get a size 18, depending on the style.  I should be able to get them in "short" length, so no more hemming!  YEA!!!  All my 2XLs shirts and dresses are definitely too big, so I need to get some smaller sizes.  I have a ton of XL T-shirts, but no dress shirts.  I also am no longer able to wear ANY of my business suits, but thankfully, I don't have any court dates set for the foreseeable future, so I can hold off on buying any new suits for a while.  It's a great time to go clothes shopping though, I guess, because it seems everyone has clearance sales!

So, looking ahead to 2011, I of course want to reach my goal weight, hopefully before my surgerversary.  Maybe I finally won't be so shy about having my picture taken.  When I started on this journey, and decided I should have some "before" pictures, I had to have my husand take some.  I'd discovered I had nothing remotely recent, because I hadn't allowed my picture to be taken in several years! 

I also need to get into a better exercise routine.  I'm still hit or miss on that.  I guess I need to set some kind of fitness goal, so that an exercise routine becomes a means to accomplish that goal.  Just saying I will exercise clearly doesn't motivate me enough.

I definitely am excited about what 2011 may bring for my weight and health.  I can't remember when the last time was that I was looking forward to what the new year may bring in that regard.   

I started out with a BMI of 43 and 231 pouonds.  I lost 15 pounds pre-surgery, gained 12 pounds immediately following surgery (due to the IVs), but lost that within a few days after.  Today I weighed in at 195.5 and my BMI is calculated at 36!  WOW! 

Now, I know things will start to slow down, I'll hit stalls (I've already hit the 3-week stall) and there are other disappointments on the horizon, but I am so impressed and happy with my sleeve!