Tawnya Z.

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Ok, last summer I was waiting to get my date and have surgery.  I was a very robust sized person starting at 404 in Jan. when I started my 6 month PCP paperwork and diet.  (My insurance wanted me to lose at least 10% in the 6 month diet.)  By the end of June I was at 356 and felt pretty good that I had lost my 10%, just barely but it was done!  I met with Dr. Spaw and he talked about the liquid diet and how the more you lost prior to surgery the easier the surgery was so I got busy and committed myself to a basic one meal a day the rest of the days liquid diet and on Sept 10 I was at 321 and going into surgery!!!  Yippie.  However, I still wasn't able to do a lot of the things that I wanted to do even after already losing 83 pounds.  I could walk around the block a lot easier, but I was still winded and my knees and hips hurt when we returned just from the extra stress and weight.  I didn't go up to our 3rd floor very often in the house, because I didn't want to climb all those stairs and I was very thankful that my classroom had gone from the 3rd floor with no elevator to the ground floor with no stairs at all if I so desired.  I did feel better, but was still trapped in my own body. 

OK, fast forward to this summer....

The summer really started the end of May with a trip to Washington DC with 44 8th graders and I was able to keep up with them all day everyday while we were running from here to there all over the city!  Was I tired at the end of the 16-18 hour days?  Heck yes, but I was still able to move and get around.  Then in June I just walked and went to the gym and had a great time doing whatever I wanted to for as long as I wanted to.  The end of June I went to Kansas and was able to not only keep up with my brother and his 3 kids, but I still had energy at the end of the night!   I went to the Underground Salt Muesum and walked for miles along with being at the ballpark for hours on end not dying or sweat or heat, but enjoying watching baseball and softball.  July brought new challenges.  I went into a cave and spent 4 hours walking around under walking over 2 miles and going back up nearly 200 steps!!  There is no way on God's Green Earth I could have done that last summer.  I would have died in that cave!  I also walked in a 5K walk, again something I couldn't have done last summer.  The biggest challenge came however a week or so ago with a phone call that went something like this:  "Hi Tawnya, this is the parent volunteer coordinator and we need to know if you can come out and help make dinner for the drum corp starting on Tuesday thru Saturday of this week.  It isn't that hard and it is great fun to see the kids and know that you are doing a small part to help them prepare for the 2nd half of the tour."  Well, "OK." I said and off I went to HELP make dinner for the drum corp...Little did I know!!!  I got there only to find out that I wasn't helping, but I was the kitchen crew...Head cook and bottle washer for the rest of the week!!!  I asked what the menu was and the reply was, "Whatever you want to make for 160 people."  I was in charge of 4 meals a days for a lot of hungry kids!!  (Thank goodness my mom went with me.)  Had I still weighed in at my former weight, there is no way I could have been up everyday last week from 5am until 11.30pm cooking and cleaning....BUT that isn't the most exciting part of the stroy....  On the last night there we went and watched the entire drill and one of the TUBA players passed out on the field.  My son was carrying both of the tubas and they weigh 60 pounds each!  When he got to the top of the stadium, I took one of those tubas and I carried the monster instrument nearly 4 city blocks up and down grassy knolls and not once did I have to stop or catch my breath!!  That was my WOW moment...I could walk so far with such a huge heavy tuba!  After the walk it was dinner time and finally time for bed.  I got  home at 2am Saturday morning and on Sunday, yesterday, I got in my car and drove back to Washington DC where I am spending this week with my cousin and going to an education meeting!! 

So, there is no way I could have done these things last year or every before this year.  I am thankful that God has provided people with the knowledge to help me thru this tool that I have been given and that I have been able thus far to keep wth the program and make progress.  I will be back in town sometime next week...but my brother, his wife and their 3 kids are coming to visit... so I will finally slow down when school starts again 2 days after they leave!!! 

In my photo album you will find 2 pics of Pat and I.  Amazing. 

Well, I have decided that I don't write enough.  Today was lunch bunch.  It was great to see everyone.  I am glad to meet new people.  :-)  I bought a new pair of shoes today... 1 size smaller than before.  Yippie... your feet even lose.  I have to to get my rings re done... or hum, get new rings...

Ok, so I really hated shopping before and now I am sort of starting to get into this.  LOLI think the main problem was I was going up, up, up....and now it is down, down, down....and I found a pair of $95.00 Ralph Lauren Jeans on the sales rack for $15.00.  

So, for better or worse....it is posted in my pictures....  I don't remember how I did this before.  It has been a long day new jeans along with the cut and color from today and a crown at the dentist.... eehhh... I NEEDED new jeans.  haha

     

    

Met with my personal trainer at the gym and we have set up a routine for me to start following.  We did a basic health assessment and well... I do have room for improvement.  I only scored a 38 out of 100..but that is up from the 23 out of 100 it was before surgery.  The blood pressure coming down was the major key there.  But, I could do 5 more baby crunches this time...I thought that was pretty impressive and I was just a little bit more flexible.  Anyway, we will re-assess in 6 weeks......Yippie...

I have been graduated from puree and fish to chicken.  :-)  At my appointment the doc said I did really well losing 10 points off my bmi.  He said the average was 6 or 7.  Looking forward to some chicken...

Ok, so my thing says I can eat flaky fish as long as I have smashed it with my fork.  I had flakey smashed fish yesterday and it was nice.  Ok, so Pat was done with his meal by the time I was done.  I have fish for a week with what I was served.  I am going to have it again tonight.  Yum.  Right now, I have to drink my protien.  I like the Necture.  I have mixed the Strawberry Kiwi with some Crystal Light Lemonade.  Ok, I really have nothing new to say.

Well, the title says it all.  That is what works the best.  I ground  a bunch up and now just mix it together.  1/2 cup is too much so I have lowered it to a 1/3 or a cup.  It is working a lot better.  I am not tired of Chicken and  Hummas yet, but I am sure that day will come.  I just hope it holds off another 6 to 7 weeks.  LOL  

Yesterday we went to Columbia, TN to watch my son play in the band.  We got there WAY too early.  Pat and I ended up playing 18 holes of glow in the dark putt putt and then going to see a movie.   The band thing for our division finally started about 7.30 and didn't get over until after mid-night.  My rump is sore from sitting on the metal bleachers.  Thank goodness there was time to stand and stretch between bands.  It was really good over all.  I am feeling pretty well.  When I came home from the hospital I was 318.6 and now I am 300.2.  I just want to be under 300.  I have to hide the scale from myself since I am on it all the time before bed, in the morning.....I told Pat to hide it on Monday and only get it out on Saturdays.  LOL.   

Ok, have to go and sip sip sip and walk walk walk.

Well, we have been trying different things.   Called Laura today to find out exactly how much I should be trying to eat cuz I went to bed lastnight with a rumbly in my tumbly.  I thought, "What the heck?"  She said about a 1/2 a cup so, I guess that the 1 or 2 ounces weren't enough.  Well, today I tried pimento cheese....I don't think I am a pimento cheese girl.  I had to gag.  I ended up drinking water to get the taste out of my mouth and waiting another 30 minutes before having some mushy moist chicken with 1 ounce potatos.  (Hopefully this has helped my blood sugar a bit so I am not at 73 tonight.)  The other night Pat made me some really yummy shrimp mush but the green onions were killers on the burping so, I think we will have to kill the onions next time.  If I never see another s/f jello again btw it will be too soon.  I, however, have a gazillion of them in the fridge so, I guess I will have to choke them down eventually.  LOL.. Alright going to bed.