starorchids
Milestone...
Aug 27, 2013
August 27, 2013
Today was weigh in day. I've now lost 70.4lbs which I am so tickled about. Every loss is a great success and a milestone for me, but hitting 70lbs just really hit me today on how thankful I am that I did this surgery. This is the greatest gift I could have ever given myself. I'm saving my own life and there is nothing better than that. I also started walking today. I walked on the treadmill at the gym for 26 minutes and also did 30 reps of Leg Extensions and Leg Curls.
I was nervous about going into the gym where the equipment was. Thankfully, my best friend Sherri was right there with me and we did it together. She's been an amazing support buddy and a great work out partner. As soon as I got on the treadmill I plugged in my earphones and turned on some tunes that motivate me right now. I started walking faster and then a bit faster...I was really moving and feeling good.
After hitting the gym it was tine for water aerobics. I'm slowly easing my way back to my routines. It's taking some time. I get motion sickness when there are a lot of people in the water and there are a lot of waves that are created by them. I've been staying in the shallow end of the pool and working on cycling using the pool noodle to go back and forth across the section I'm in. That doesn't bother me anymore....several weeks ago, it did. Things are moving along and each day gets better and better.
The protein intake is going pretty well. I make sure to get in my protein as much as possible each and every day. I would rather have that than anything else and that's what I do. I usually start off my morning having a protein shake of some kind, then later having a protein shot (vial) that contains quite a bit of protein in the small vial, then later I have a protein bar that is low in sugar, low in calories (under 200), and has a good amount of protein in them. That's where majority of my protein comes from each day. It works for me and you have to find what works for you. That's the best way for me to make sure I get my protein in. If I am still low on protein and it's dinner time, I'll go for a vial if I haven't had one to help get my intake up.
Getting in the protein is key. It helps you lose your weight and it's necessary to keep the amount the doctor recommends in your system. I track everything I do through My Fitness Pal. It's a handy tool and I can take it anywhere since they have an app for the smartphones. Being accountable is key. You have to be honest about everything you take in and make sure that the things you take in your body are low in sugar, high in protein, low in calories, etc.
I almost thought about backing out of going to the gym today...but then I was listening to my songs that motivate me (the ones I've created on my motivational workout playlist) and I realized, there is always going to be that fear. I've come so far and look at the things I've done to get myself healthier....why let a stupid thing like fear stop me from going further. I then decided I didn't' care what anyone thought when I went into the gym...I didn't care of people looked at me like I didn't belong. You have to start somewhere and I had to tell myself, it doesn't matter what others think. I remind myself of why I do this, and it's because of that, that I walked in with my head held high and went to work on walking.
Having a buddy helps. You have someone there to watch your back and spot you on other equipment...but more importantly you have that support and encouragement. My buddy is in the same boat I am. She's working on losing weight. She's getting ready to have the lap band done and she and I have made a pact to work with each other to get through this. It's a journey, a process and a lifetime of change. There is no stopping it. Once you've made the decision to have the surgery, you have to follow through on everything else...you can't just stop at the surgery.
Everything I do is a part of my new lifestyle. I've made this decision, I've had the surgery, now everything that follows has to be made a part of my new lifestyle...I'm accountable for logging in my food every day, I'm accountable for making sure that I exercise weekly, I'm accountable for standing up for myself when I'm faced with food challenges.
Food challenges...now that's a big mountain right there. It's so frustrating to know how much food has a hold on a person. How much control we've given food over time. How much it controls us and how we don't have control. There are food commercials left and right on TV. Sickening how many you see in a 30 minute show. I look away and mute the tv. I refuse to acknowledge the nasty, harmful, deadly food that has consumed me and slowly been killing me for years. It's not holding me down anymore. When I'm grocery shopping, I create a "tunnel vision". Sure, every now and then I see the Little Debbies sitting on the end cap of a store...but I quickly look away and if the image is still in my head, I remind myself of everything those things do to a person. And how addictive all that junk is.
As a part of the food challenge, I've learned to speak up for myself. If someone wants to make something for me to eat, I am honest about what I can and cannot have and how it needs to be prepared. You CANNOT be afraid to speak up. You owe it to yourself to speak up. If you are eating out at a restaurant, you owe it to yourself to SPEAK UP!!! Ask the waiter to speak to the chef. Explain the situation to the chef. Ask them to please omit butter, sugar and salt (the three main ingredients they put in all foods), explain you'd like your meat grilled with light olive oil or none at all, grilled or steamed veggies with light olive oil (like a teaspoon or so and no salt). Ask for black pepper for seasoning. Be specific and don't be afraid to ask for what you need. Only go to places (if you must) that you feel you might can trust that can accommodate you. No, I'm not talking about fast food places. Those should be crossed off your list permanently. I'm talking about nice restaurants like Red Lobster, Applebees, etc. If you ask the chef for the accommodations and you don't have a good feeling about what they've told you (like they may not do what you ask)...then cancel your request and GET OUT.
Food is so addictive and most places you have NO idea what is being put into your food, how it's cooked, what all the meat is made of, etc. The industry puts additives in the food to make us addicted. Why? Because they want us to keep coming back and spending money at their establishment. They don't care about us. They don't care that they are killing us. They keep us coming back and that's what matters. You have to slam the door on the food addiction and the bad foods that tag along with it.
I have to remind myself that I am a strong person. You may not think you are strong at times, but remind yourself of everything you've been through in life...and the steps that have lead you to losing the weight and taking care of yourself....that is a strong person. One who takes charge of their life and is accountable and responsible for making sure that they are healthy and happy. Every one of us is a strong person...sometimes you just have to dig a bit to realize how strong you are.
