9 month update

Aug 04, 2011

I knew things would calm down eventually.  And they have.  I am now 9 months out from surgery. 

As I remember it:

Month 1- Bliss, almost on a high.
Months 2 and 3- Depression as a result of anesthesia.
Months 3, 4, and 5- Pure hell, trying to figure out who I was.  My body was changing so rapidly as well as my mind.  People didn't know what to think of me.  I didn't know what to think of me.
Months 6, 7, and 8- Starting to calm down, starting to find a balance.

I was pretty consistently losing 15-20 pounds a month.  The weight loss stall didn't seem to happen at 6 months as I expected.  I still don't feel hunger.  I kept saying that I wished the weight loss would slow down a bit so I could adjust.

It did.  Dead standstill for 4 weeks.  I lost and gained the same pound 8 times in that 4 weeks.  I was relieved, but scared.  When you are used to losing so much, even if you stay steady, you feel like you are gaining.

So I did my best plateau busting moves.  Made sure I was taking all my vitamins as needed, drinking all my water, plus a little.  Changed my exercise routine a little bit each day.  I love the treadmill.  I was used to my workout time and speed.  I switched it up.  One day, i went slower but higher incline.  The next, I'd do no incline, but higher speed.  Some days a little less time, some days a little more time.  Finally, I started eating a little more.  Little being the keyword.  I'd sneak in an extra light string cheese.  Or have an extra cup of skim milk.  When it got so hot, i was unable to leave the house.  I wanted to exercise at the gym, but all I could do was get to the kitchen and find a few cans and lift them above my head a few times.  (Heat takes all my strength and energy away).

The combo of eating just a bit more and actually exercising less (just for one week) broke the plateau.

My medical doctor saw me before she left for India for 1 month.  She saw me again when she got back.  In that 5 weeks, I lost 19 pounds.  Even though I was in a plateau for most of it.

Looking back at the times I struggled, I wish I would have taken the time preop to write down all the things I knew about myself.  Funny, compassionate, kind, loving, intelligent, etc.  When i was struggling to know who I was, I would have pulled out that list and realized I was still all those things.  And while I was losing weight rapidly, I was gaining other things.  Confidence.  Assertiveness.  No matter what anyone says, those are good things.  I was a good person before, and I am still a good person, maybe even better.

Oh.  The numbers.  I hate sharing numbers.  Everyone is different.  I had more to lose than most people.  So my numbers may seem big, but if you are smaller, remember, you'll lose less. 

Hw- 394 (February, 2010)
Sw- 353 (November, 2010)
Cw- 213 (August, 2011)

(down 181 from highest weight, and down 140 pounds since surgery 9 months ago)



















Picture on left is at my highest... Polar Bear Plunge.
Picture on right was from last week.

--Becca

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