Lesile Barrett

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Gosh, I cannot believe that it has been sooooo long since I updated. So let me catch my last 9 months up. Had foot surgery on the right foot, but it took 4 months to close-up. FINALLY got released to start working out in May, but was going on vacation for two weeks and would start when I got back in June 2013. Got back and my husband came down on orders to PCS back to the mainland from Hawaii, and we were off island in less than two weeks. Needless to say, things have been busy, his unit was changed while we were on our way, and the one he was going to was deploying. They did allow us to get our stuff from Hawaii and in a house, then he was gone to Afghanistan, our son just came back, I hope they at least waved when they passed each other. haha....Our other two sons are in Oregon with their sister whose husband is also military, playing catch-up from the schools in Hawaii and were going to move here in January when we got things settled. Since dad deployed, I can't make that kind of drive alone in the winter, so they will come back in June. First time in my 46 years I have been totally alone. :-(

As for my weight, it has stayed pretty consistent at my goal, until May. I suddenly jumped 13 lbs, and no idea why, my eating didn't change. When we moved I started with a personal trainer and she did everything, scale would not move. So finally we did a food sensitivity test, tons of food allergies, but the main one being gluten. I have been gluten free for almost 2 months and feel so much better. I have evidently had this issue since I was a child, the things I had been going to the doctor for since I was a little girl have cleared up, mainly the stomach pain. Scale still didn't move...Finally it donned on me that my trainer had me on too many calories, only 1200, but for me that is a maintenance amount. Dropped down to 800-900 and the weight is almost all gone now. I never did go out of my size 4-6, but they did not fit as good, and I could no longer pull any size 4 off the rack and it fit. I have also had to adjust to having more muscle, we lift heavy. So I can't wear my small shirts anymore because of the muscle in the arms, but it's muscle, not fat, and that is what I have to remind myself. I am at my regular goal, but never did get to my personal goal. I don't go by weight since I do workout, and lift. We are going by body fat, NOT BMI. My goal is to be at 19% by the time my husband comes home next summer. We always do a deployment challenge, and the leanest has to plan a weekend getaway for the winner. Win Win!!

As for diet, I eat very clean, mostly protein, and very little carbs, just enough. I would crash, so my trainer put me on Ucan super starch, HUGE difference. I told the bariatric nutritionist yesterday and she approves, it just keeps it even all the time, no crashing.  I keep meat cooked and cutup in the fridge since I am by myself, I forget to eat. I make gluten free baked goods from scratch, make my own flour. Luckily my neighbor across the street is also GF and so I take a piece and send the rest over to them, because I do love bread. 

Just had my annual labs, DEXA and everything is perfect. I have always been very good about taking my vitamins, and I take a probiotic, and fish oil. Labs were perfect, so that is great. 

I will close by just reminding anyone new that this is a tool, and a fabulous one if you use it correctly. After a year or two it is back on you, it doesn't take as many calories for us to gain weight and eating the wrong way will get you there very quick. If you get off track, get back on, it is much easier than you think it is.

I will try to not go so long between updates and pics!

Checking in, I am not really sure how much these things get read. I know before my surgery, I lived on here. I was always so disappointed when I found someone whose photo inspired me and they had no info to go with it, or stopped updating. I wanted to know where they were past the first year. So I will update, and hope that it helps somebody. I now it gets read occasionally, as I did receive a message from somebody this past week, but I hope it helps more than I think it does. 

So anyway...I have done well with the last surgery on my foot, hip issues are all but gone now. I have one spot on my incision that just doesn't want to heal, and it is still an issue. The surgery itself did well, just this one little spot.  I have crept up, but still within my safety zone, barely. I only have gained 4 lbs, and that has been from working out 6 days a week to none for over 8 months. I can now, but shoes rub on that spot since it is on the inside of my foot. My surgeon did bless off on my starting things, as long as it didn't open it up. So I hiked Diamond Head and did well. The next week I walked the 8.15 miles Great Aloha Run, and did well, just have blisters on my blisters, and my toenail is bruised, so will probably lose that. My next goal is Koko Head (Google it). Physically I can do it now, but my foot has to heal a little more or I am sure it will open back up. 

 

Today I found out that a friend of mine that I knew from our frist duty station and kept in touch with on fb passed away suddenly. This was the most beautiful, fun lady. We don't yet know why she passed away, she had been sick with bronchitis, but that was it. She was only 51. Made me think how short life is, and why put off the things we can do today. We were always going to get together for a girls weekend away sometime and never did. She had gained a few lbs the past years, and I don't know if that contributed to some of the health issues she had the past couple years. Her close friend that worked with her said she had some issues the past year, but not what they were. Regardless, it made me think. I have gained only a few lbs, but NO WAY am I going to being the person I was. This week it is on, I want to tackle those 4, and then lose the last few that I never did lose, so 10-15 lbs total. I will workout, and modify around what might hurt my foot. I have gotten comfortable eating too many carbs, and I can hold enough at one time to gain weight if I don't watch it, so those of you who are new, you will get to a point where it is on you, so don't assume you will lose no matter what that does stop. It is a tool, and I am thankful to have been given it, so I am going to gladly use it. I have tried the 4 Day Pouch Test and let me say it does do what it says. I let myself get back to eating to much (emotional eating, while waiting to hear where we will move next and praying it is near my grandbabies.) so I will be doing it again this week. If it's my time, it's my time to go, but by golly I am not going to rush the process, time to get in check...

 

Other than that, things are great. I still wear my smalls and size 4, they are just fitting differently because I have lost my tone, but I will get that back quickly. 

 

Will check in again in a month or so and let you all know how it is going (if anyone reads this). 

Just signed in to read a message I had received and realized that I had not updates since my 2 yr surgiversary in July. WOW, how time flies. I do not like it when I am following someone and they just drop off, swore I wouldn't do that, so here I am.

What's up, NOT MY WEIGHT!!  Since my last post, I have graduated from college with my B.S. in Health Care Administration and am now working on my MBA with a concentration in Health Care Management, and working full-time. I have had a lot of company since June, so busy, busy, busy. I am holding steady at the same weight for almost 2 yrs now. I do feel chunky right now, not because I have gained weight, not because my clothes are smaller, it's a mental thing to me. I believe I have adjusted to the new me, and if you have read my other post, you know I am a huge workout person. You will also have read that I had been having hip issues. We realized that my hip is due to Accessory Navicular bones that I have, that have always been a problem for me. So I had surgery on my left foot in August, and they did three procedures that have not allowed me to workout. I am WAY ahead of schedule, so much so that yesterday we did the right foot. I am so excited to be rid of those and see what I might be able to do when they heal, and I know working out will still be a few months down the road, but I can see the light. I have lost a lot of my tone, so I am sure that is what is making me feel a little chunky. I am still a size 4 and wear small, so I know I am not.

I would like to buckle down and lose a few more pounds, I am at goal and have maintained, but for my personal goal I would like to lose another 10 to 15. January begins our countdown to move to a new home for the Army, so things will be even crazier, but I am still so happy with my decision to have this surgery.  We are hoping to be moving to a place that actually has winter, I want to wear winter clothes. I have never worn the cute things you see because I was always so big, can't wait!!

Merry Christmas!

 

Well technically I have a week until I hit it, but close enough. I had my two year post-op with my follow-up surgeon (military, so not the one who did my surgery someplace else) and he is thrilled with my results. I weigh a couple lbs less than I did at my 1 yr follow-up and my labs are perfect he said. I know I am at that point where I could easily gain weight now, and I have a carb addict co-worker who has got me doing the same thing, so I have been working on putting the brakes on that. I have had the hip-issues the past year and haven't been able to do my extremem workouts, but I have stayed busy. Today I started those back, YIPPEE and I started really tracking on Weight Watchers (I have never let that go, and never will). I met with a nutritionist to see where i should be, and after doing her math agreed that although we do not require the amount of calories that a non-bariatric surgery person would, due to my workouts I need to make sure that I eat ALL of my maitenance point on Weight Watchers.

I have stopped going to group, I will meet one-on-one with the group doctor now. I think I will get more out of it. The group was great and a must I think for those just starting out, and i love everyone in it. Though when you still have a bit to lose, I think sometimes they forget that those of us who are already there are STILL one of them. They don't do anything mean, or say bad things, but the tend to think of us "thin people without issues" without realizing they do I think. I do still have body image issues, I struggle with grazing, so I will still meet with him at least every month or so.

Other than that, loving my life here in Hawaii and looking forward to our next adventure someplace new.

Had a follow-up with my primary care physician and he was very happy to see that at almost 2 yrs post-op i am five pounds less than my last follow-up. I am still a small top, and size 4 pant, some size 2's. I am still having hip issues, but work in a physical therapy department in a hospital, so hopefully we can get that straightened out. So for now zero workouts, which drives me CRAZY. My labs were perfect, so very good follow-up. Most exciting was going shopping for a ball gown, and actually excited to wear it. I felt like cinderella, still the best decision I have ever made!

Gosh time flies, 18 month's post-op already. Things are holding steady, have held my weight a few below goal for a year now. I had taken from July - December off from my extreme workouts due to injury. I have been in PT for that entire time, so we are just working around it. I really didn't lose any of my fitness level because I kept walking stairs vs. elevators, parking further away, and things like that. So I was able to fall right into ChaLEAN Extreme with zero difficulty, and I LOVE that workout. I have said a million times, EXERCISE, you will feel better, but you will look better as you lose so quickly. I do not weigh a little as some think I do because of the muscle, but that is fine by me. I am a solid size 4, and small in those things that come s/m/l.

Eating, I do not dump near as much, but I do also know my limits. I still cannot stand flavored drinks, so I have my water, and black coffee. I did have a bloody mary once, but the desire to drink is not there. NOW, with that said, I have to tell you a story. I know a girl who lost quickly, she is one month behind me. She drinks,  A LOT. She drinks very high calorie drinks, and she does it VERY often. She is in party mode everyday I think. By her 15 month mark some mentioned she looks like she is gaining weight. I can certainly see how, so I got to watching her pics she puts up. She has DEFINITELY gained weight. I am not sure how much, but she looks like in just the past two months  she has gained a good 15-20 lbs. She will blame it on nursing school, but it is her behavior. You cannot look at this surgery as a magic bullet, it is a tool. It is a great tool if used well, it is worthless if not used well. YOU CANNOT drink your calories like she does. I am talking mudslides, cosmos, and all of those types of drink, and if she isn't drinking, she is eating. Rewarding everything they do with food and drink = BAD....I knew she was going to do that, she isn't the first, she won't be the last. PLEASE use this tool that has been gifted to you the way it was meant to be used. You have read before, it fixes the stomach, but not the head. You will always need to be aware of what your putting in your mouth, you still need to move it, you will still have to work on the behaviors.I do ok on portions, and there are many times when I could eat better. On those foods, I eat less. Not perfect all of the time, but most. I do workout, and you should too..

So, that is me up to now....Until next time!

Just popping in for a quick update. Things are still going great, I actually moved into Honolulu, into a great community and so things got really busy. I have actually lost about 5 lbs since we moved (remember I have stayed the same for months now). I have an adductor strain from doing P90X from July, still going to physical therapy for that, so hav not got to workout like I am used to for 3 months now. She is going to let me ease back in and do ChaLean Exstreme next week, modifying a few moves, YIPPEE. I still eat what I want, but still try to make good choices. I can hold more food, still amazes me what is a lot of food to me now. I can eat an entire Smart One or Healthy Choice for lunch, so that is what I go with. I like the Healthy Choice meals better only because they have more protein. I volunteer at a Army Hospital, so I take fruit, and string cheese to munch on. I get really hungry, but siince it is a little different hunger, I do get busy and forget I was hungry, I know crazy huh? So I do get a drop in blood sugar and get the shakes, so working on remembering to eat every three hours. My official goal was 145, I am 138-139 now. Size 0-4, xs/sm tops. So that sums me up, will pop in again with another update soon.

I can't believe it has already been a year, it goes by so fast. I read it would, and it sure did. It has been a great year, and I do not regret this decision to have this surgery at all.

So, not much has changed since the last post, I am at goal, have been for months, and my weight has pretty much stayed stable. Had my 1 year follow-up and all was well. They doctors were very happy, my labs were good, and he will see me in six months just to see where I am. They put me in for a plastics consult, which is nice. This is a military hospital and they normally will not look at you less than 2 yrs post-op. He said I had been at goal for 4 months, stable weight, perfect BMI, so I was ready. This doctor will not do more than one procedure at a time, and we do have a cost still, so I will have to see. I want to remove some skin on my inner thighs, then my arms, and maybe a little on the tummy. I workout so much, and I know the extra skin is not going to go anywhere, and I need to have it removed not because I think it will make me have the perfect body or anything, but becasue it is what I see when I look in the mirror and I don't see it as extra skin, I see it as fat. I need it to be gone because I need it feel like I made it, I am done and can maintain for the first time in my life. So I will do that soon...

Diet, I can still eat anything. Fats and too much sugar will bother me sometimes, and I do battle grazing. I recognise it for what it is now and can put a stop to it. It's a battle I know I will always fight, but this tool has given me the strength to win. I can hold more food now, sometimes I wonder if it is too much, but then I see some who are only a couple of months out eat more than I can in a sitting. Amazing what feels like too much food to me now. I do allow myself to eat foods I never have before, and I know I will have to be careful because they are those sinful foods we are not suppose to eat. Again, if you have followed me, you know for me, that is what I need. I need to allow myself to have those foods in moderate amounts, so that I can control the food and it not control me. It works for me, but would not for everyone, we are all different.

I am still a size 4, sm tops. I know if I ever get into the 130's like I wanted to, that I will be a 2, but I am happy with where I am if I don't.

I am taking this week off due to a hop injury, it isn't getting better, but I will start back on Sunday. We are moving into Honolulu next weekend, and can use a pool for exercise. I may have to go to the doctor, but will never give up my workouts. I worked out when I was heavy, and I workout now, and I will workout a year from now. I cannot stress how much of a difference it has made.

So I think that is all. I am a much happier person, living life for the first time. I will still pop in with random post when there is something new to say because I like to see how people are doing myself, but won't do it on my anniversary date each month now. Not sure if many ready this, but it's here if they do.

Wow, this month the 22nd slipped right by me. Not much to report, everything is still going the same...

Weight is still holding steady between 142-145, this is over three months at this now. I guess this is where my body wants to be. I think I will lose a little more over time, but I cannot complain at all about a size 4, sm/xsm tops at all. I know I am building muscle, but could eat a little better.

Food, did not throw up one time this month. Those who have, know that is a good thing. I have been battling head hunger and grazing, and i know the trigger. I am bored, hoping to have a job soon, but boredome is my enemy for sure. Aside from that, I eat whatever I want, but put the brakes on things that are not real filling for me. I AM able to push away though, that is the good thing. I did try wine, and a tropical beverage, and I will say I stopped at tried. I have never been one that likes the taste of alcohol, but it holds zero appeal for me now. I really can't stand anything other than plain water or black coffee. It has gotten to the point that I have all snacks in the house portioned since I can hold more now. For lunch I have a Smart One. I cannot eat all of it, but most of it, and I cannot add anything to it. Never thought I would say that one single Smart One was all I could handle. So food is going pretty good.

Exercise, still going very strong there. P90X six days a week. Will try to start with a little running soon too. I have great tone, but still a little layer of fat I would like to see gone. I feel good physically and mentally when I workout, but I also do not feel guilty about the occasional splurge either. So exercise is good too.

I take all of my vitamins pretty religiously still, but did start throwing the iron down the hatch with the calcium.  YEP, they are not lying to you, the iron level dropped. So back to trying to remember them at seperate times. I have my 1 yr post-op with the surgeon July 15th.

Mentally, doing great. We wall have days where the fat eyes take control, but the support group here really helps with that. I was ready for the journery right up until transitioning into a goal weight. That is where I had trouble, I only know how to diet, not be at goal. But group helped with that, and I am doing better with that. Still would like to lose a little to be at my personal goal, but to my doctor I hit it months ago.

So that is where I stand, be back on the 1 yr Surgiversary!!!

This month has been a loss of inches, not weight. Still playing with the same few pounds. My low weight this month is 142, and I go between that and 145. I guess my body is about where it wants to be. You can see that i look like I have lost weight over the past three months, but I really have only lost at most 5 lbs. Working out helps a lot.

Food, at a point where I can hold more food now, and I do need to start tracking. I do not dump often, and when I do, it is mild. I can't stand to drink anything other than water or black coffee as far as sweet things go. Thought I would have a little wine with my husband last night, but I only took a sip, just not appealing to me now. I DO  like sweets now, and as I have said a million times, I eat them because it is what I need to do. For me, I had to make food my friend, however, I don't want it getting to friendly with me. haha...I do not plan on stopping the workouts, come to far, so I do not stress about what I eat. I do weigh every few days just to make sure it doesn't go up. I have gotten back into baking, and that means fat and cals, so I try to bake what we can consume on the weekends. We have declared the work week healthy eating, and the weekends for fun foods. We do new recipe day, and we have a friend who joins in. The kids, hubby, me and my friend each pick a new recipe, and then we have new recipes and games or movies. One weekend will be healthy recipes, the other a little more sinful. We eat the not as healthy foods one day a week. We are tying to get back into the fresher foods, I feel the water weight and i know that is what it is when the scale goes up. As I have said before, that is not always possible here in Hawaii, fruits and veggies are high, but we try. So the food is good, but time to keep track now and I never gave up my Weight Watchers online, so I will start logging in in that. I eat too much or don't chew well occasionally, but for the most part, I am good there. I am bored while looking for a job, and I graze when bored. So I have tried to pick up some hobbies, grazing is not good!

Fitness is going well. You will see in my latest picture I will upload. I am doing P90X, and it is going well. I am not quite at 30 days, but it has made a difference. Could be why the weight isn't going down right now. I only want to lost another 10 lbs, so not a lot. In three weeks, I am going to try to learn to run. That is the point in the program they say to add it in. I can't stress the importance of exercise, even when I was big, I still worked out.

I started going to the support group meetings here in Hawaii. I like them, they are led by a psychologist and a nutritionist. It is small and cozy and we really deal with what is going on, and I am never alone with how I feel. For me, I have only known how to diet, I have never been at goal. For as long as I can remember I have needed to lose weight. I still find myself going straight to the newest diet book, or wanting to listen to the newest infomercial. I don't know how to be at goal, I only know how to diet. So that is my main issue, I have to learn to make that transition. I do have some body image issues. I think a lot of it is that I am bored, I live in Hawaii and I don't get dressed up a lot here. I also have a little extra skin on my inner thighs and the under arms. Just enough to mess me up. I am a loose size 4, and sm/xs tops. I do not look it at all to me, so that bugs me. I mean overall I am happy with me, but we are always so critical of ourselves. I am also letting my hair grow out. I don't hate it, but I have had a different version of the same cut for years. I also assoiciate it with being big. I have learned with my clothes, that if it makes me feel uncomfortable in any way, get rid of it. I have some cute clothes and when I get them home, I am uncomfortable or feel fat. My husband will say that I look great, but some things you just don't feel good in. I don't mean physically uncomfortable, I mean emotionally. If that makes sense!  Even with the not so great days, I am pretty confident now. I eat what I want, just control how often like I should. I try to not ever eat that one more bite, and am working on the grazing.  I can go out socially and not fear it and that is important to me...so that takes care of the emotional part.

I can't believe it's already been almost a year!!

Untl next month!