199 Baby!

May 11, 2011

Things just keep getting better. After several weeks with only 1/2 pound loss/week, and inching slowly toward the 190s, I finally stepped on the scale this morning and saw 199.4. That was my biggest hurdle. From here on out everything else is just gravy!

 
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No Acid Reflux

May 09, 2011

I have now gone a full week without waking in the middle of the night with acid in my mouth. At first I thought I was just getting lucky, but now I know that something has changed. It is also easier now to see which foods cause the acid in the first place. Last night I had pot roast and I felt the acid almost immediately. I think any dense meat will be problematic if eaten for dinner. I cannot say how happy it makes me to have relief at night. I hadn't had a full night's rest since the first month after surgery. I really hope this lasts.

I have also noticed that all of the changes since surgery have been like a flip of a switch. None have been gradual. Things are bad and then one day something changes and its not so bad anymore. I used to vomit every day and feel like my stomach was just filled to the brim. Then one day, I felt my stomach working again. Same thing with the acid. I was at my wits end, and tired all of the time. Then a week ago it just stopped. My diet hadn't changed. But since this has happened I am making a conscious effort to make sure my stomach it totally empty when I go to bed. If anyone is looking for a good way to stop snacking at night - acid reflux is your cure. 

Every morning where I wake up after sleeping the night all the way through, I open my eyes and say, "Thank you!"

 

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6 Month Update

Apr 24, 2011

As of tomorrow, I will be six months out from surgery. This has been quite an interesting journey – some things expected and some surprises along the way. 

First the bad: 
 - The surgery caused me to have severe acid reflux, which still remains a problem. My sleeping habits have been affected by the acid reflux, causing me to have less than stellar sleep patterns. I am still hopeful that this will resolve as it does in most other patients.
 
Now the Good:

 - I have lost 72 pounds in six months, which is an average of 3 pounds per week. Of course, weight loss is coming off much slower now than it did in the first few months. I am now seeing about ½ to 1 pounds weight loss per week, but I will still take it!
 -  I have lost over 40 inches from around my body – 40 inches! My hips alone are 10 inches smaller, allowing me to fit in airplane seats comfortably without the worry about not being able to buckle the seatbelt.         
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 I am no longer taking my blood pressure medicine as my blood pressure has lowered significantly. My heart rate is also in the normal range now. My cholesterol labs are great and my doctor has cut my cholesterol medicine in half. I may never get off this medicine though due to genetics, but I will give it a try. 
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I started at a size 24 and I am now fitting comfortably in a size 18, and as of yesterday, I fit into my first size 16 pants. My goal is a size 12 so I am halfway there. 
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People notice me now and come up to talk to me, which didn’t happen much before. I was the invisible woman in the room before. But now I have the chance to come out of the shell I built around myself and meet new people. I have signed up for speed dating for the first time - eek!

Overall, this surgery has surpassed my goals. After Lap Band, and not losing weight, I really didn't expect much from this surgery. So the fact that I have continued to lose weight each week has (and continues to be) a complete surprise. Most importantly though, I really feel like my life is changing. My fears have decreased considerably and I am trying new things again. I also understand my triggers better and how to control them so that I do not derail my progress. I never would have recognized these triggers without surgery. I also think that without surgery, I would've given up on myself. Now I have a chance at the life I want and I am going to take it.
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Fear

Apr 12, 2011

I have noticed over the last few weeks that I am suddenly hungry. I had so many complications at the beginning of this adventure that I never felt hungry and almost always felt full all day long. I couldn't wait until I could get in all my water and eat somewhat normal again. But now, it seems that I am hungry all the time and I feel like snacking. For the first week, I didn't really recognize it, but started eating more foods and making unhealthy decisions. This weekend I recognized what was happening and made the changes to get back on track with my program, but the hunger makes it so much more difficult. So I joined Jillian's new website to get some good healthy food ideas and a good workout routine. I suddenly feel like my calorie level is going to go way up so extra exercise will be good.

But this also brought back a lot of fears I thought I had said goodbye to forever. I fear that the return of hunger will mean my weight loss will stop, or that I will gain back all I have lost over the last 5 months. I really fear this more than anything. And I hate having the fear back in my life. I promised myself that now that I am in my 40s I would no longer rule my life by fear, so it bothers me to be afraid to step on the scale again after so much time feeling good about my progress.

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4 Month Update

Mar 04, 2011

Several good things have happened recently:

1. I only had that one day of hair loss and now I am back to losing minimal hair like before surgery. Could it be that I will only have one day of hair loss? Probably not, but still pleased to know that each day won't be as bad as that first day.

2. I have made it to my halfway point. Half of my excess weight is gone - hopefully forever - and I continue to lose weight each and every week. I am only 13 pounds from 199, a major goal and a place I don't remember being since my early 20s. And I am only 5 pounds away from my surgeon's 6 month goal, so I am ahead of the game for once in my life.

3. I had all of my lab work done last week and I have no deficiencies, and I was taken off my blood pressure medicine.

4. I was at a conference this last week with all of the people I work with from around the state and they have started calling me the Incredible Shrinking Woman. How fabulous is that?

It has been a good couple of weeks.
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Hair Loss

Feb 28, 2011

Today was my first day of official hair loss. It was much more traumatic than I thought it would be. I was in the shower and as I moved my hands through my hair to rinse it, they came out covered with long strands of hair. Each time I reached up, more hair came out. I think my heart stopped just a little bit when I first saw the fistful of hair.

I knew it was going to happen, and in a way I am glad it has started so that it can end soon. But it still freaked me out a bit. My hair is the only part of my body that I have always loved - no matter what the rest of me looked like. It is incredibly healthy and soft. So I imagine this next few months will be difficult. I spoke to my mom though and told her about my hair loss, expecting her to be horrified. Instead, she said, "Remember, you can die a lot faster from being obese than you ever will from hair loss. Your hair will grow back, and be healthier than before, and your body will be healthy as well." This was exactly what I needed to hear. I need to say it like a mantra over the next few months.
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Lessons Learned

Feb 22, 2011

A few different lessons were learned today.

I have really increased my exercise lately and have been doing both cardio and weights. Yesterday I went to the gym and had a great workout. I also went to the lab where they drew at least 15 vials of blood for the blood tests both my PCP and my surgeon wanted for my appointments I have with them on Friday. And I probably could have drank more water yesterday, especially since I have started working out so vigorously. Oh, and I took my medications like I always do, including my BP med I take twice a day - Do you see where I might be headed with this?

So, I woke up this morning, got up and went to the bathroom to start the shower. I got terribly dizzy, so I shut off the shower and decided I probably needed to drink some water or eat a little something first. On the way to the kitchen my dizziness increased along with cold sweats. So I quickly grabbed a protein bar from the kitchen table hoping I could make it back to my bed to lie down. Well, the next thing I remember is waking up on the floor of my kitchen looking up at the dials on my stove. The funny thing is I wasn't really freaked out about passing out. I just lay there for a bit thinking "Why did this happen?" So I started palpating my head to check for injury (I am a medic so I went back to what I know), I checked my pulse (very weak), and checked for other bruising. That is when it came to me - my blood pressure. On Friday when I see my doctors we were going to talk about what changes need to be made to my meds. Just three days too late. With the lack of fluids and giving blood and the use of a BP med to lower my pressure, it must have bottomed out this morning.

Lessons Learned:
1. Pay more attention to BP changes as you lose weight as there will come a day where your BP meds are probably not helping you anymore - this is a good thing, but I should have learned it before passing out on my kitchen floor. 

2. Even though you start feeling better - take it easy. I should not have exercised vigorously, allowed myself to dehydrate and given blood all in the same day. Bad plan. 

3. When beginning to up the exercise, it is also time to up the fluids consumed. 

As soon as I was able to pull myself off the floor and get some liquids in my body, I started to feel better and I went about my day. I know that this could happen to others so I wanted to share. I live alone, like many others, so taking care of the little things is very important so that I do not have a bigger problem later. 

Lori H.  
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Finally Noticed

Feb 17, 2011

So yesterday I was in a bit of a mood and I almost posted to my blog about my frustration that no one has noticed that I have lost almost 60 pounds. I mean, seriously, how do you not notice 60 pounds! But I decided not to post because of my mood and I didn't want to come off all whiny.

So today, two people at work pulled me aside and told me they noticed I have lost weight and that I look great. And these aren't folks I would think would ever notice or say anything to me. So, it was a good thing after all that I didn't post yesterday. Someone was listening yesterday when I was all whiny and I guess they decided the only way to get me to stop would be to put people in my path that comment on my weight loss. I sure do appreciate it. The compliments got me feeling so good I went straight to the gym after work and had a great workout. And to add to that, I tried on a pair of size 18 pants today and they fit wonderfully. I am finally out of the 20s!    
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The Undoable

Feb 09, 2011

Since as long as I can remember, I have been unable to get out of the 220s. Whenever I would get close, my weight would stop and then start crawling back up again. 10 years ago I got to 222, but just couldn't go any further. So, when my weight loss slowed in my 220's those old fears came back and everytime I get on the scale, I think that it will show more weight not less.

Well, this morning, I was feeling brave so I got on the scale. I am now at 219 for the first time since my early 20s. Totally amazing! I think now it is important to let go of those fears. My weight did slow in the 220s, but I think that is just a normal thing. Our bodies tend to have those weights where they want to stick. I need to remember this during my first stall - it is a temporary thing. I am out of the 220s and don't plan to return. 
 
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Airport Pat Down

Jan 30, 2011

I flew back into Colorado today and when I went through security at Reagan Airport in Washington DC, they made me go off to the side to conduct a pat down. This is the first time this has happened, so I asked the lady why I was chosen for the pat down - did something show up when I went through the metal detector? She told me that they were doing the pat down because my clothes were so baggy. HA! I guess it is time for some new clothes.
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About Me
31.7
BMI
VSG
Surgery
10/25/2010
Surgery Date
Nov 20, 2010
Member Since

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Latest Blog 17

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