cheyenne
3/8/08 - 3 weeks post op and I still feel like a kid waking up on Christmas morning every day. Losing 5# per week is so noticeable, and the daily walks with the dogs have really toned up my calves, thighs, hips, the bulge under the bra-band and my face. I have a jaw bone! Who knew?
I've been so fortunate as to have no pain - the only discomfort I feel is if I eat too much too quickly, and that's like someone placing a 2-ton weight on my chest, but it passes in a few minutes, and I'm learning to eat more slowly. A scrambled egg taks 20 minutes to eat and fills me up for hours.
I had not realised, before surgery, how much of my life was spent thinking about, planning for, shopping for, preparing, cooking, eating and cleaning up after food! I have about an hour and a half to 2 hours of free time a day - that I now get to spend exercising! And I have the energy to exercise. Even though my calories are down to the 500 -600 range, I'm sleeping better than ever before, waking early (5:30) and I have great energy all day, without highs and lows, and then around 7 pm I drift down - I wouldn't call it a crash, but I have learned that if I get all my protein in early in the day, all I really want for an evening meal is a bowl of SF jello and half a cup of non fat yogurt. And I used to power down a large meal at 9 every night! No wonder I wasn't sleeping!
7/7/08 The best birthday ever!!!
I'm down 70# in 5 months. From size 24 to size 14 (well actually, even those are getting loose).
This past weekend I was at a dog agility show and many people hadn't seen me in months and those who had seen me recently saw me in bulky clothes. But this weekend was warm. I was in shorts, and sleeveless tops. I chuckled as people walked past me without recognizing me. I entertained myself by speaking to people and watching their jaws drop as I spoke (my English accent gives me away). I got so many hugs and high-fives and congratulations it became almost (no, not quite!) tiresome!
And they didn't even know I had just turned 55 on Thursday! I was told I was radiant, I got compliments on my skin and my hair and smile - because my knees didn't hurt at all and I could compete with my dog without getting winded, and at the end of the day I wasn't exhausted. Of course I was smiling.
Lovin' life with the sleeve!
10/02/08
Update. I'm 265#, don't check in here so often these days. My body is a size 10. My brain is in denial. I'll try to post some new pics this weekend. Most people say "oh no, don't lose any more!" but I quit exercising a while back so I'm really flabby (a breeze ripples my arm wings). I want to get to 150 so I have breathing room, but I'm willing to "invest" in a size 10 wardrobe beyond 3 Wal-Mart outfits. MY goal was a size 14. I am now the same weight I was when I was 15. Bra size has gone from a 44DD to a 34 long (DDD, at 55, there's not much "content")
I have energy, no more pain, I sleep better than ever. Can't wait for my brain to catch up. I see myself in a mirror.....and it is not me. I never try on clothes at the store, have to bring them home because it's embarrassing to sob through those flimsy little curtains.
3/11/2010
I weigh 126# and have been in the 120s since last summer. My size 4s are big on me!
I've been gone awhile. Truth is, as the weight came down, I went back to alcohol, and at my new weight, couldn't handle it. After a few months of waking up on the floor wondering where the evening had gone, I realized I was consuming more than half my daily calories in alcohol. My therapist couldn't help me and suggested I enter a rehab program.
Reluctantly I did. I planned to pick a fight with the intake nurse so I could make them wrong and prove I was NOT an alcoholic. But the intake nurse told me about a program called FA, and my life started to change. I put down the alcohol, overnight, it was easy (and trust me, that was a miracle!), but only because I put down certain food items. Flour and sugar. Without them, I lost my craving for alcohol, sugary foods, candy, snacks, eating between meals! After I quit drinking I was cramming so much wrong food in my tiny tummy at that point I know I would have gained back all my weight and more.
In FA I went from 158# to 125# in a few weeks, way below what I thought my goal was (150). But mostly, I no longer had the cravings. I no longer ate because I was happy, angry, sad or mad. I now eat three structured meals a day - all foods from the grocery store, all foods of my choosing. People ask me how I feel about giving up wine, chocolate and ice cream and I answer "I didn't give them up! I gave up being controlled by them!" Those voices in my head that called to me from the grocery store aisles were finally silenced - sometimes they mumble a little, but I can handle them now!
So, if you're putting the weight back on, or if you're wondering if there is another way other than surgery, please see if FA is for you. It's not for everyone. It is free, and voluntary, no contract. They won't ask you for a credit card or even your last name. You'll have a lot more support than you ever had before - real support, from people who have been successful. Contact me directly if you want more information.
