4+ month update - haven't posted in a while :)
I'm about 4 and a half months out and am doing great! I think I'm just going to list the positives and negatives so far for those who are considering weight loss. I'm an avid believer in knowing what to expect before making a life-changing decision such as weight loss surgery. Personally, I still believe this is the best thing I have ever done for myself and I will continue to battle through my failures and rejoice in my successes as I work hard to make this worth all the while.
POSITIVES
1. Lost about 53 lbs so far and have embraced one-derland! It still is weird to have a "1" at the beginning of my weight. haven't been able to say I was One-somthing in over 12 years.
2. I feel great and energetic most of the time. I went to visit my brother in Ohio this past week and he told me he thought he'd never see the day when I had more energy than him!
3. I'm fitting in XL clothing now and it feels AWESOME to be able to shop in "regular size" clothing! Good bye Torrid and Lane Bryant -- you never really knew how to make a plus-sized woman look good anyway. Ruffles and horizontal stripes do not belong in your stores! Its also costing me less money!
4. My mom celebrated when I went to visit her because I don't snore or choke in my sleep anymore. My sleep apnea really had her worried.
5. My weight loss is motivating me to be more active and work out more often. It feels amazing to be able to do and accomplish more in the gym than ever before. Gotta fight the marshmellow saggy effect of the weightloss.
6. I've realized I'm saving tons of money on food. I was in the bad habit of eating out for lunch and dinner a lot. I guess it comes with being single and not having a husband/family to feed. Its almost pointless for me to eat at restaurants now with how little I eat. When I do go out with family or friends, I order a soup or something very small. If I do order a larger meal, I make sure I can take the rest home and make 2-3 more meals out of it. Eating out was proving to be quite costly.
7. I babysat my cousin's four kids for an entire weekend (Ages 4, 6, 8, and 10). The kids had a blast playing with me ALL weekend. I think it was fun for them because I had the stamina to keep up instead of just sitting by and watching them play on their own! :)
8. Some might find this odd, but I used to get a lot of callouses on my heels. I am now realizing that it was most likely due to my weight. I still get callouses, but no where near as much as I used. Its so much easier to maintain my feet! :)
9. I no longer get sugar lows. I often used to get the shakes and light-headedness when I didn't eat. I should probably get some bloodwork done to see where my cholesterol and sugar levels are.
10. My periods are highly predictable now, and even though its pretty heavy and relentless, it only lasts about 3 days! (Used to last about 5 days before surgery and was a bit erratic)
11. Got on a plane the other day - I actually had slack on the seat belt. Before, I had to pull the seatbelt all the way loose, and suck my stomach in to be able to click it into place. I also felt like I didn't "spill over" into the other seat with my arms.
NEGATIVES
1. Spending too much money on clothes and accessories shopping. Really have to curb my spending on clothing that might not fit me in a couple months.
2. Wanted to donate blood during for the drive this month, but I read that it was not recommended. Gonna call my surgeon to find out what he recommends. might have to wait a while before I can donate again.
3. Keep forgetting my evening dose of vitamins. I finally got myself to remember my morning dose, now working on the evening dose.
4. Still struggling to get 64 ounces of fluids in. I sometimes get very dehydrated and then suffer headaches and other ailments. Water and fluids are very important.
5. Already fell off the wagon - working hard to get back on track. I stopped logging my food intake on MyFitnessPal, but need to jump back on. I've been eating out a lot which is bad because I'm no longer measuring my foods and find that I have a tendency to overeat my sleeve instead of undereat.
6. Also part of falling off the wagon, I stopped religiously working out. Started getting back in the gym, but need to work on a solid routine insttead of the erratic visit to the gym.
7. I still eat too fast and seriously need to fix this. I get tons of discomfort, pressure, gurgling and pain because i eat too fast. This also leads to #5 because I didn't give myself enough time to realize I've had enough and need to stop.
8. My hair is falling out relentlessly. I'm surprised that I don't have bald spots, but I can see thinning in a lot of areas. Whats great is that most people dont notice the thinning since I cut my hair short to give it some body. I know I'm losing a lot though, because the drain keeps getting clogged and my bathroom has a new rug every other day.
I'm sure there's a lot more, but these are the ones that stick out in my head right now. I'm still learning as I go along through this journey and have a lot to "fix" as far as bad habits and keeping up the good ones. I'll be working on some pics because I know everyone LOVES pics. They speak a million more words than anyone can ever express.
Thanks OH for the encouragement! I will be checking in more often! :)
Sleeved on 4/12/2012
MyFitnessPal: MissLunaChic (Looking for friends - feel free to add me!)
I've noticed our food bill has gone way down, too. Of course, when we go out, my husband says, "You get the most expensive thing on the menu!"
And I say, "Yes, because that steak/salmon will go home with me and feed me two or three more times!"
[I'm not gaining weight. I keep lowering my goal!] [I LOVE MY SLEEVE!]
