silve1

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Wow, how time flies when you're having fun!  So, I bought my first string bikini a couple of days ago and hit the beach with my husband!  It was so much fun.  I used to dread getting in a bathing suit and going out in public.  What a difference 9 months makes!  Today is August 8, 2007.  Like I've said before,  I weigh in on Fridays.. so two days to go!  Last week I I weighed 146.6 pounds... that is 103.4 pounds lost!  Holy crap!  

I finally joined a gym and have been going at least 4 days a week.  I've been lifting weights and doing cardio.  Lately, I've been jogging/ running and I LOVE IT!!  Sometimes it kills my knees but it is so addicting.  I like to see how much I can actually do.  Working out is the easy part.. getting myself to the gym is sometimes the struggle.  Sometimes my bed, husband, and animals seem like so much more fun!  But sliding into a pair of size 8 pants makes it all worth it!  I'm fluctuating between 8's an 10's.... and even fit into a pair of cotton pants that were size 4/6.  But I don't really count that since it doesn't have a zipper. 

I still have my fights with the carb monster, but I am trying to make better choices.  And I find that sometimes I am ravenous on the days where I lift heavy weights (the trade off for speeding up my metabolism).   I want to reach for the crackers instead of an apple.  It's a lifelong battle!

So, I am below my doctor's goal weight for me (150 pounds).  I would like to get down to about 138 - 140 so that even if I put on a couple of pounds (which I don't want to do), that I will still feel good.  And I feel really good right now.  I really want to upload some recent pictures... but I guess I have to take them first! 

Well, let's see.  If I count by weeks, I'm 33 weeks post op which would be about 8 months out.  If you count by calendar months, I'm only a little over 7 months out.  Who cares, right?  I weigh every Friday.. last Friday, June 22, 2007, I weighed 154 pounds.  That means I've lost a whopping 96 pounds!  

I am struggling a little bit.  For about a month, my eating was a little bit out of control.  I found myself snacking everyday.  Now... snacking these days means 5-6 animal crackers... but I shouldn't be doing that!  Or even more so, I DON"T WANT to be doing that!  I have an immense fear of going back to my old habits and sabotaging myself.  The doctor always said he did surgery on my stomach, not my brain!

I am comfortably wearing size 12 clothes and even some 10s.  It's weird though, because there are a lot of times where I still don't have anything to wear (because its all too big! )  I can deal with that!!

Everything else in my world has been going well.  Work is good, my husband and I are doing great, and we just added two new kittens (Charlie and Hurley) to our ever-expanding animal family.  We now have 2 dogs and 3 cats.  I think we're done adding animals.  The next addition will hopefully be a baby (we don't plan on trying for at least another year).   I am trying to keep up with an exercise plan.  I have put off joining a gym but I think I want to look into a membership somewhere now.  I am getting bored using the same stuff at home and at the little clubhouse in my community.  I'm ready for more variety.  

So, as boring as it seems... that's the latest on me.  I can't wait to go on vacation for a week in July (and not worry about what I look like in a bathing suit).  I used to be so self-conscious.  I know I may never be "small", but I feel better inside and out! 

So, I just had my six month follow up.. and I'm doing well.  My doctor says I'm a little bit ahead of the curve in my weight loss.  So thats a good thing!  I'm trying now to get back into working out more often.  I was for a while... but I noticed I would have longer plateaus the more I worked out.  My nutritionist thinks it was because I wasn't eating enough or getting enough carbs in on the days I was training.  So... I'm starting again.  In my head I'm motivated... but actually getting dressed and doing the workouts takes a little bit more of a push.  Once I'm doing it.. I'm fine.
I've lost about 85 pounds at this point (weighing about 165 pounds now).  I fit into most 14s really comfortably.  I would like to lose about 20 more pounds.  That's my personal goal.  My doc's goal for me is 150.  We'll see how I do.
I feel better than I have felt in years.  Knock on wood, I haven't had any complications.  Some days I still have no appetite... and some days I feel insatiable (yet a couple of bites of anything fills me up quickly).  I don't regret this surgery for a minute.  It was the best thing I ever did for myself!

Well, let's see... I am down 60.4 pounds.. YEAH!!!  I feel like a totally different person.  I am about 189 pounds now (which isn't thin to the rest of the world, but I feel great!).  I still don't eat very much.. I tend to drink most of my protein.  I'll sit down to eat something and my appetite just goes away.  Who knows how long that will last/

So, I was working out a lot and lifting pretty heavy weights.  I went to my doc for my 3 month check-up and turns out I'm losing muscle.  My doc explained to me that when you lift heavy weights, you break muscle fibers.  The normal person (not a RNY patient in the early stages) is able to build those fibers back up (creating more muscle) with the proper nutrition.  In this stage of my weight loss, my body is unable to build muscle.  I'm just supposed to try and keep what I've got.  So, I've been defeating the purpose by doing too much.  I guess its back to the 1-2 pound weights.  A little something is better than nothing!

My newest favorite protein drink.... Achievone Cappuccino.  It's cold and delicious... like a Starbucks Frappuccino.  I'm hooked.

I also gave away a HUGE box of clothes.  I'm wearing a size 18 now.  I never thought I'd be happy and smiling to say I'm in an 18.   I went and saw my family (they live far away and haven't seen me since before the surgery) and they were really thrilled and how well I'm doing.  And my husband is the best!  He has been so supportive.  Sometimes, I catch him staring at me (and I think I've got something on my face, of course).  I'll ask him what he's looking at, and he just sighs and says, "You... it's you again.  Your face."  Needless to say, that just makes me melt.  

So far, so good in this journey.  Thanks to everyone for their support!

I know I don't update enough... and that my updates are pretty generic.  What can I say?  Maybe I'm boring, who the hell knows?

Well, I seem to be losing about 1-3 pounds a week.  I guess thats good.  It's just that I hear about other people that drop like 8 pounds in a week and I feel like... damn!  But I really haven't stalled more than a week (yet!).  So I am guessing that is a good thing.

I'm in love with some new protein shakes.  Matrix Perfect Chocolate make the most killer hot chocolate.  Even my husband and friends like to drink it.  And I'm not sure I mentioned it before, but Nectar Latte Cappuccino and Nectar Fuzzy Navel both rock!  No gagging when I drink those.

I did just have not so great an experience with sugar free ice cream.  I'm about 10 weeks post-op and decided to try some (for the 1st time since surgery).  Well, the label said for 4 oz... it had 12 gms fat, 9 gms carbs, 4 gms fiber, 5 sugar alcohol, 2 gms protein.  I ENDED UP ON THE FLOOR OF THE BATHROOM SICK AS A DOG!!  Done with that crap forever!!

Thats about the only interesting thing that has happened recently.  I'm going to try and blog more often.

Oh.. and just wanted to say I met some really nice people at the Royal Palm Beach support group. 

Wow!  Time has certainly gone fast... two months already.  I'm down to about 212 pounds.  Thats 38 pounds down so far.  I know that is a lot of weight but I can't seem to wish it was more.  
I am working out at least 3-4 times a week now.  I actually look forward to it.  My only real problem is that I HATE eating now.  I almost completely subsist on protein shakes.  I have no appetite and have to force myself to get in some kind of real food (tuna, other fish, meat) at least once a day.  I am able to drink water with no problem.
Other things...well... when I am really craving something (generally something my husband is eating in front of me) I like to take a bite, chew it a little, then spit it out.  I know that sounds gross, but it works.  I don't get sick from it, but I got to taste the flavor.  So far, onion rings had the greatest taste!
I seem to get really full on any food (meat, pork, cheese) that actually has any real weight to it.  Puddings, shakes, and yogurts go down pretty easy.  It's a struggle, but I can get down about 6 oz of pudding or yogurt.  So far, my favorite shakes are Nectar Cappuccino and Nectar Fuzzy Navel... they are soooo good!
I've been attending my support group and even found one closer to home to go to once a month (in addition to my regular one).  I try not to covet anyone else's food, but sometimes I realize I am watching them eat.  I am trying to retrain my brain that I don't want that stuff anymore!
Anyway, thats it for now.  I will try to update more often!

L	Luxurious
E	Emotional
A	Adventurous
H	Happy

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So, its been one whole week today!  Some days are harder than others.  Some days, I can't even look at food and trying to get down a protein shake is a fight.  Sometimes, 1.5 oz food is okay.  My husband is the BEST!!!  He has totally taken care of me... he even takes away my water when he gives me my food (you know... you can't drink for 60 min).  He knows all the rules.  The weirdest things so far.... 
1) No regulation of body temp.  I often wake up in a pool or ocean of sweat (the first time, my husband asked if I'd peed the bed).  He then realized that even my hair was wet
2) Emotional rollercoaster.  I break out in tears for no reason.  Apparently, the doc told my husband this would happen due to all the releases of hormones in my body
3) No desire to eat 98% of the time.  My life used to revolve around food.

And the best of all..... In one week, I have lost about 14.8 lbs.  My stomach is still swollen and I can't really see it, but WHOA!

Back to the doctor today!  I had been having the WORST pain.  I thought maybe I had an infection or something.  As it turns out, it was gas!  A little fleets enema and some milk of mag... and I was good to go.  Pain is still considerable, but better than before!

So, I am going home today.  My hospital stay was not the greatest.  I had one good nurse who kept on top of my meds and helping me out of bed.  My husband helped me the most.  I was at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fl.  Most of the nurses were frazzled, didn't answere the call bell for 30-40 minutes (or until I took off my monitor), and one even said he couldn't give me pain meds because he had charting to do.  The doctor said I could stay another day, but for what?  I had been working through the pain.  I started walking about 6 hours after surgery.  But let me just say.... not once, in talking with anyone from the doctor's office or support group, did anyone say how painful this would be.  I've never had a baby or any abdominal surgery.  I think I told my husband (while I was on the drugs) that he better start looking into adoption because I didn't think I could handle the pain of childbirth or a c-section.  Anyway, I made it home.