FitN2007

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 Just wanted to check in.  Believe it or not, this keeps me honest.  I have been at about the same weight all year.  On the one hand thats great - I am down 120+lbs.  But I still want to loose about 30 more pounds.  And to top it off I have gained about 5lbs in the last 2 weeks.  Of course I have stopped exercising (went to 1 yoga class last week) since I finished the Avon walk.  And I have started snacking on unhealthy food.  I have discovered high fat foods again - cheeseburgers and fries, potato chips, etc.  I m also over eating.  I can feel myself getting full and I keep on eating.  I can see now how easy it is to slip back into old habits that I never thought I would do.  I've got to get a handle on this and get myself back to the gym.

My old company is having their annual gala in February.  My plan is to go and wear a size 10 dress.  Right now I wear about a size 12 dress.  OK thats my goal -its in print!


I am also going to increase my protein.  exercise. cut down on fat - basically get back to eating the way I have been eating the last year!

I did it.  I did the Avon Walk in DC earlier this month.  Its a 39 mile walk over 2 days - it sounds crazy still.  My goal was to do 26 miles, 13 on day one and 13 on day two.  Even that sounded crazy.  I started training but after taking this very large hill near my office my knee started to hurt.  Back story: i fell out of an ambulance 4 years ago and tore my ACL and my meniscus in my right knee.  Since loosing the weight it hasn't hurt so I thought I'd be fine.  Well on a six mile walk which ended in a big hill I thought it was over.  But my surgeon said it was just tendonitis and that withthe right orthodics and an elastic brace I would be fine.  Ok well I had stopped walking for about 2 weeks and now the big walk was only 3 weeks away and my longest distance was 7 miles!  Had to get back on track.  Started training again and everything seemed fine.  I did my last training walk of 15 miles!  If I could do 15, i could do 13!  Day of the walk - it was really inspiring.  Young, old, fat, thin, women coming off of chemo, bald, daughters of survivors, survivors.  Everyone there with one common purpose - raise money, raise awareness.  It was beautiful.  We walked from DC to Virginia, back to DC and then to Maryland!  It was hard. It was hot outside.  I wasn't able to get in enough water so I was dehydrated (I found out latter).  The end of the half marathon the first day eneded in another gigantic hill - 2 miles long.  I felt such power.  I was determined to TAKE THAT HILL!  I got up the hill and surprised all my team members!  I surprised myself.  I felt so good that I decided to continue.  But the heat and the hill took its toll.  I made it 3 more miles and I was pretty much done.  I had been iceing down my knee at every stop but they were both swollen and hurting.  I was really dehydrated by the end.  Lets just say that as much as I was drinking - which obviously wasn't enough - I really hadn't peed (was is past tense for pee) all day.  It had been more than 10 hours!  I also got a cramp in my thigh. But no blisters!  End of day one

Day two started well.  My knee was swollen but it wasn't really hurting that badly.  The second day wasn't as hot, I tried much harder to drink (and actually peed during the walk - once).  But mid way through at about mile 7 my good knee started to hurt.  It was a sharp tearing hurt on the side of my knee.  It felt like the meniscus - at least in that general location.  But I had to finish.  I walked about 3 more miles but there was another huge hill.  By the time I got to the top of that hill I was dragging my foot.  I know it sounds dramatic but I couldn't lift my foot off the ground.  It was soo painful.  I never did sports as a kid.  I never tested myself or my body.  It hurt so bad that I just closed my eyes and walked.  It was crazy, I made it to 10 miles.  I finished my goal of 26 miles but I ended up in the medical tent with 2 ice bags, one for each knee and a hand full of tylenol.  I had to get it together to go up on stage and collect the check for my orgnaizaiton.  I limped up there with my pig tailed dreadlocs and a huge smile.  I did it.  It was two days of torture but I survived.  I survived.  It wasnt as hard a breast cancer.  I look back on it and am still so proud of myself.  Ok so I probably shouldn't have had my very first walk be 39 miles, but maybe a 5K...  My goal is to run it - bad knees and all.

Later!

D has a size 14 "LBD" from about 15 years ago.  I think it is still pretty sexy - ON ME.  It is a strechy fabric so I can get into it.  I tried it on about 10lbs ago and I could get it on but I needed help getting out of it.  This time I could get it on and off just fine (yeah, there's no zipper).  Ok so I might not wear it out in public even with spanx on but it actually didn't look toooo bad.  I'm thinking about another 10lbs and spanx and  - Its on!

I'm at 195 now.  That's 116lbs lost.  I will be at my 1 year anniversary in a little less than a month.  I'm not sure what my ultimate goal is in terms of pounds.  I'm still shocked that I got into a size 14 dress. I'm not sure what size I really wear though.  The last batch of clothes I bought were mostly size 18, except for 1 skirt in a size 16.  They are all too big now but still wearable. I am dying to go try on new and smaller clothes. Given that I am going to be out of a job in 2 months that's probably not such a good idea.  

I went out with some friends this weekend and of the four of us I wasn't the biggest!  I wasn't even the second largest.  What a mind freak - I'm used to being the biggest no matter what group. Now I see the "hang." pretty much everywhere but the arms are the worst.  My legs look like they belong to an old woman, saggy and with cellulite.  I can see the sag on my stomach as well.  I'm so used to that being large so it is hard to tell the difference between fat and skin.  Unfortunately being unemmployed isn't gonna help me get plastic surgery...

Finally!  I have been a little up and down over the past month but I have finally made it to the Onederland at 197lbs. I got back up to 205 and now lost those lbs and more. I have lost a total of 114lbs! I can barely believe that I have come this far.  I haven't been this weight in I don't know how long.  I am about 1 month from my anniversary (may 10).  Thankfully, I have had few problems.  For the past three days, I have had severe gas. At first I thought there was something wrong with my pouch but I think it is really just gas.  I've had it this bad once before since surgery. I think it may be the vitamines.  My goal over the past week has been to drink all my water and take my vitamins everyday. 
 
I can eat anything except sugar which unbelievably I haven't missed.  I am working out, although not as often as I should but at least 3 times a week. I am training for the Avon walk (if my knee will hold out).  

Of course losing weight hasn't made life any simpler.  I quit my job today.  I have been so miserablefor so long. I just couldn't take it anymore. I am leaving without having a job in place.  Ohhh. that is scary but what continuing to work there is doing to my spirit is even scarier. 

My partner needs a kidney transplant.  That scares me for so many reasons.  Until I can get our consulting business off the ground my partner is the sole breadwinner.  Pray for us.

Jumped on the scale this morning and - drum roll please - 201!  3 lbs until I am under 200lbs.  I can barely believe it.  I feel great. Ok I have a cold, but I feel great!  I signed up for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. 40 miles in 2 days.  If you are reading this and want to support my walk please email me.  I still can't quite wrap my brain around 40 miles, 26 miles in day 1 and 13 miles on day 2.  One option is a half a marathon the first day and the second day.  I think that is what I will do.  It will probably take me an entire day to walk 13 miles.  I think I can do 13 miles!  I got up to 7 miles this week (I did 6 last week and I basically couldn't walk the next day).  I was so thrilled that I could even do it.  Saturday when I hit 7 miles I was tired but the next day I felt great!  No soreness at all.  Once I broke the barrier my body seemed ready to take on the challenge. I am actually excited to see what my body new body can do.  A year ago I would have rolled my eyes and laughed out loud at anyone for even suggesting I do this walk.  Heck I couldn't walk around the block  or for that matter 1 mile.  Now I can do 7.  I am going to try and hit 10 this weekend. That may be pushing it but I am pretty competitive, even with myself.  My only problem is that walking on the treadmill is so boring.  I use my ipod but there is no tv in that room.  I friend suggested a portable DVR or DVD player.  Can't believe I never thought of that before.  

I had a rough holiday this year. We have a tradition of going out to diner on Christmas Eve then going to the national Christmas tree to see the decorations.  This year we went to a French restaurant - very nice, we'd been there before.  I ordered the shrimp salad but after a few bites I began to feel nauseous.  When my dinner came I tried to eat a little bit of that but I just felt worse.  I started to feel pain in my stomach. Half way through dinner I had to leave the restaurant.  The lady at the next table was staring at me - apparently I looked like I was going to pass out any minute.  The ride home was horrible.  The pain got worse as we got on the drive home.  D. wanted to take me to the hospital but I thought it would pass.  The pain got really intense but then it started to get a little better.  Unfortunately, that didn't last for long.  When we got home I crawled upstairs and got in bed.  I was writhing in pain but I still thought it would pass. I couldn't figure out what it was.  I'd had some bread and then drank some tea so I thought maybe it had somehow expanded in my pouch.  After I threw up I thought I would feel better. I didn't.  I finally agreed to go to the hospital.  My wonderful ER doc said - "oh there are lots and lots of things that can go wrong with gastric bypass patients so we need to run tests..." Thanks, that was helpful.  They thought it was a stricture (it wasn't).  They thought it was gall stones (it wasn't).  They thought it was an ulcer (it wasn't).  I had a cat scan, ultrasound, and an endoscopy.  I spent Christmas Eve and the better part of Christmas in the ER knocked out on pain killers and vomiting when I woke up.  It was horrible.  They moved me to a room sometime on Christmas day.  I have never had pain like that before in my life.  I am no wuss when it comes to pain. This was bad.  They kept me in the hospital for 4 days (Happy Christmas!).  Diagnosis - abdominal pain.  Huh!?  My surgeon came to visit and said that it could have been a bug.  A BUG! Or it could have been food poisoning.  Now I've had food poisoning before.  You vomit, get the runs, but its over in about 24 hours.  You may feel miserable but its not that big of a deal.  I have never had pain associated with it.  Certainly not this kind of pain.  The morphine didn't cut it - they had to give me Dilaudid!  It was that kinda pain.  

It took several days after I got out before I started to feel normal again.  My pouch is still a little sensitive but better now.  I think the drugs made me loopy for several days afterwards too.  But the worse thing of all was that I gained 10 pounds from the IV fluids! (ok just kidding about it being the worst thing).  My goal was to hit 100lbs lost by Jan 1 - instead I went up by 10lbs!  Who else do you know that can gain weight while vomiting and not eating.  jeesh!  

The good news.  I MADE IT TO MY NEW YEARS 2ndary GOAL (8 days late).  I have lost 101 lbs!  I wanted to get down to either 200lbs or have 100 pounds gone by new years.  I didn’t make the first one but I made the second one.  I can't believe it.  In fact when I got on the scale this morning it took me a long time to process what I was seeing.  I had to actually count the markings on the scale to make sure it was what I thought it was.  I weigh 210 from a high of 311.  This is amazing. I went to a holiday Christmas party this weekend in a slinky dress - size 16! I don't think I have been this small since high school or junior high (I can't even remember).  I looked great in that dress.  It was one of those - 'holy cow is that me.  Do I actually look that good or are my eyes playing tricks on me?  Thank god for Spanx.  I want to wear that dress every day (I love sequins anyway).  I also danced all night in 3.5 inch heels!  Ok, I decided against the 4 inch heels because I thought they might get me in trouble.  I didn't have to kick off my shoes all night. I always have to kick of my heels (which are usually only about 1.5-2 inches).  

2007 ended on a rough note but 2008 is going to be my year.  I can't wait to see what it brings!

 

 

Current Weight: 210
Starting Weight 311
Goal: as far as I can go
Weight loss: 101lbs

It's amazing how life has changed in such a short time.  All the things I can do now:
   Go up the stairs without getting winded
    Work out hard without wanting to die
    Cross my legs
    Wear a size 18 pants
     Wear a size 14/16 tops
     Cross my legs (even under a table)
     Use an airplain seatbelt
     No need for blood pressure medicine
     No more diabetes
     Wear high heels
     I can look at fashion magazines and actually imagine myself in 
     those clothes! 
   LIVE!
   
The weight loss feels slow but I think that's  because I am looking at it every day.  When I come back and post here I realize that I have lost since my last posting so that feels good. I won't make my goal of under 200 by New Years but I will make my goal of 100lbs lost (I've got 3 more pounds to go).  I've lost another three inches (from the abdomen down).  

I am getting serious again about working out.  I now have a trainer who is very knowledgeable.  I think I am now working out the right way.  I have a family birthday to go to next week and a party with old friends this weekend.  These are all people who haven't seen me in a very long time (some more than a few years). Ok, yes I am excited for them to see me now.  I have to admit that I love the attention that my new shape is getting.  And yes, I actually have a shape.  I have a waist and hips that are distinct from each other. 
    
Current Weight: 214
Starting Weight 311
Goal: as far as I can go
Weight loss: 97lbs
 

November 7, 2007

I have been plodding away with weight loss over the summer.  I felt like I was stuck for a long (LONG) time but the scale is finally moving again.  Better than that the inches actually were coming off when the pounds weren't.  I know that's what they tell you would happen but I didn't really believe it.  I have lost 10 inches in my waist already, I can hardly believe it. The skin is starting to go in some places but not too badly yet.  I dumped last night for the first time in a long while.  I Ate too many grapes, if you can believe it, after dinner.  I love red seedless grapes.  I'd have to say it was an addiction. I just can't get enough of them.  Not sure if its the sweetness or what but I have them everyday, and sometimes with every meal.  

Clothes are still a challenge.  Basically I have none.  I've bought a few things but I only have a wardrobe for about 5 days, which makes it very hard when you are going to meetings all the time.  I don't want to look like I only have one outfit so I have to remember what I wore where,  


Current Weight: 224 (ok so I gained 3lbs from Aunt Flo I was 221)
Short Term Goals: 200 (or just under by New Years)
Long term goal: 125 or as I like to call it "crack head weight" (no offense to crack heads)
Realistic Long Term Goal: 145 (although my doc says 170)

Starting Weight: 311lbs
Weight Loss Since Surgery: 61lbs

 

 

I had a job interview last week so I went shopping for an "interview suit."  While I love AS and LB clothes - their clothes are too casual for an interview so I went to another store.  Let's just say that I have never been able to buy anything in this store before because the largest size was a 24 and it never fit me, even after I lost a little bit of weight a few years ago.  Well lo and behold I had my pick of clothes - I can wear a size 20.  Wow. I haven't worn a size 20 since college.  The store sells suits in sets, which were always a problem before. You know, the jacket fits but the pants don't.  This time I was able to fit both perfectly well.  The jackets could probably even be an 18 but I didn't want to push it for an interview.  I also bought some workout clothes - my new favorite shopping obsession.  The tops are 1X (because they didn’t have any 2xs) and the sweat pants are 2x.  The tops look great and the bottoms look good to.  

I was trying on a skirt that I thought would never get over my hips (the opening looked way too small).  Since it was a wide A-line skirt I decided that I would try and be able to get it on over my head instead of up over my hips.  Well when I took it off I thought I would just try and get it off over my hips and IT WORKED JUST FINE.  Shock!

Other Wow moments:
-I have a lap for my laptop!  I could never do this before
-I can cross my legs (not comfortable for long but...)
-I can wear the airplane seatbelt without an extender (on more than 1 airline)
-I can wear high heels (for more than an hour)
-I have shoulders
-I can carry my luggage and walk to the furthest gate (which is always the case isn't it) without wanting to die.
-My knee doesn't hurt

I am feeling great in my newish body and looking forward to continuing transformations.  This weekend I went grocery shopping and put on my sweat pants and a tank top.  The top was a little too large but it had a shelf bra so I decided to wear it.  I was a little self conscious that the girls were not supported well enough.  When I came downstairs my dp made a comment about them being "out," so I went to put on a bra.  But DP stopped me and said that I looked sexy.  Of course I said yeah right - and the way DP said "no you really do," put a smile on my face for 2 days!  It actually shocked me.  Don't get too many compliments from that end unless they are solicited and perfunctory. WOW.

I feel like I am suddenly visible to men to.  So far it hasn't been icky comments but it’s almost like I was completely invisible before. Now men are holding the door for me, smiling, speaking to me.  I didn't even rate a good morning before? W0W.

Downsides:  Let’s just say things are not moving like they should. I read that constipation is normal after surgery but it’s certainly no fun. 

Stats:  Current Weight 235
            Starting Weight 311
            Total Loss 76lbs
            Loss since Surgery 50lbs 

Ok it might sound strange but I just noticed that I have a big butt.  I guess I never noticed it before because I had a big stomach too so you couldn't really tell, or at least there was a certain amount of balance.  Now that my stomach has gone down my butt is, well there!  Not that I'm complaining.  I just thought it was pretty funny.  

Just got back from Puerto Vallarta.  I woke up every morning and did laps in the hotel pool before starting the day.  I loved it.  Anytime I can be in or on the water I am a happy puppy.  We had a great time. Swam with the dolfins, and went ATV riding in the mountains.  Got very tan - and lost 5lbs while there. Considering all the salsa and chips I ate its a small miracle.  I am still loosing slowly but I am loosing. 

I rode on a plane without an seatbelt extender for the first time in 10 or 15 years!  That was so exciting.  I can even sit in the seat with the armrest down. 

Stats:  Current Weight 249
            Starting Weight 311
            Total Loss 62lbs
            Loss since Surgery 36lbs