Progress update

May 10, 2015

It's been awhile since I've updated my status and written anything so I thought i'd take a few minutes and post in my blog. It's been almost 4 1/2 months since my surgery. Today I weighed in at 180 lbs. My highest weight at this time last year was 262lbs, my surgery weight was 242 lbs. I've lost 82 lbs total weight since I started my journey and 62 lbs in these last 4 1/2 months....It's still mind boggling. I look in the mirror and of course I can see that i've lost weight, but when I try on clothes that used to be tight, and they fall down off my hips and sit around my ankles, I'm completely stunned! I personally don't see that much difference when I look in the mirror and when I hold up those clothes I can't believe that I was THAT big...I call my condition "Fatorexia". Last year I was in a size 22...a few days ago I went to buy some new jeans and when the womens section didn't have the size I wanted to try on in the brand I want, I decided to check out the Misses section...I nearly cried when I pulled on a size 13/14 and they fit! I was completely flabbergasted! When I look down at my body I just don't see THAT much difference but when I hold up my new clothes to my old, there is no denying the difference! What means more to me than the size of my body, is the feel of it! I walk without pain. I walk "lighter" if that makes sense. I can skip up a flight of stairs. jog down a hill without jarring pain or gasping for breath. I sleep more comfortably, my feet don't hurt being on them all day at work. I noticed how much more comfortable I feel in my car seat and wonder what it will feel like to sit on an airplane next time! My ticker shows a goal weight of 140 lbs...A number chosen because it sits in the middle of the recommended healthy BMI for my height. My actual goal is a size (8-10) because I know that the muscle in my body that I have and that I want to regain may actually put me at a higher weight but a smaller size. As I sit right now, I'm only 40 lbs from that goal weight and 3 sizes from my goal size. For the first time in over 15 years, I'm interested in clothes again. When I see a cute outfit on a mannequin in a store window, or a model in a fashion ad, it suddenly hits me that I could wear something like that and look good in it! Gone are the days of wearing plus sized clothes that have prints better fit for curtains or couches! You know the ones, big gawdy floral or busy prints and designs meant to distract from the size of the person wearing them by distracting the eyes and overloading the brain with too much detail! I've been blessed with no problems or complications post op. Although I occasionally eat something that doesn't go down well or sit well in my pouch, I catch it within a bite or two and know to just stop and try something else. I have energy, I have strength, I have my health back. I have fewer headaches, I have better quality sleep, I have less appetite and therefore, more control over my eating habits! I can go out to eat and find quality choices without feeling deprived of the pleasure of the experience and being with friends in a social atmosphere. I can make my daily goals for nutrition requirements and enjoy the food choices at the same time. Although I have seen some hair loss, I only notice it on the brush and not on my head but to be fair, I have a very thick head of hair to begin with. My arms and stomach have very little sagging skin and I have no issues with wearing clothes that reveal both. I don't know how bad the skin will be in my thighs and legs which are my problem area to begin with, but I DO know it won't matter as much anyway. The benefits far outweigh (Pun very much intended) the cosmetic issues and I know that with effort, I can minimize some of the skin issues with rebuilding muscle. And if I never wear "short shorts" or a mini skirt again, I'm okay with that. I will only consider skin removal if it becomes necessary due to medical issues. I haven't posted any pictures recently but it's on my agenda to get some up soon. For anyone who may read these blog posts, anyone who is new to or considering WL surgery and wondering if it's worth it or if people who have it have any regrets, I can only speak for myself when I say "Not a SINGLE DAY goes by that I'm not completely 100% grateful for my surgery. I have NO regrets and believe that this was the best decision I could have made to extend my life and give me back a quality of life I thought was gone forever!" I realize not everyone has the same views and some have more complications post op. I also know my pre-surgery issues weren't as bad as some and the amount of excess weight I need to lose is less than many, but the ability to achieve success, the benefits of weight loss, the quality of life we regain and the health risks we reduce are equally important to all of us no matter our starting weight or issues. It doesn't make our successes any less worthy of celebration. Our decisions for choosing WLS are as individual as we are. Our challenges both pre and post OP can vary greatly. All I know is that for myself, WLS was the right choice and worth every sacrifice made to get where I am and every one i'll continue to make to get to goal and maintain it. I KNOW i'm being given a chance to live the life I want to live and feel blessed for having the chance. 

2 comments

Crossed the half way marker to goal!

Mar 15, 2015

Well I wasn't going to post a weight update until I hit "Onederland", which is less than a pound away, but after taking my weight and measurements today, I realized i've crossed the half way marker! 20lbs lost pre-op and 41 since surgery on December 31st. I'm not one of those people who can only weight weekly, I HAVE to step on the scale daily, but then, I don't get frustrated by stalls there either as I've also been tracking my measurements and know that the weight has been steadily coming off even when the scale hasn't said so because the measurements have. Yesterday I finally HAD to break down and buy some new jeans. I really hated doing that as I Love the jeans I had and hate replacing them before they're worn out. I spend a bit of money on good quality jeans because my job really takes a toll on them and durable denim is a must for me. But when you pull them up and they fall back down, and tightening the belt makes you look like you've crapped your pants or that you should have a male appendage filling in some of the front, it's just time to give in and go shopping! I also can't help but play with the numbers at this point, because the results of this surgery tend to amaze me at times. Besides having lost just over 61 pounds since last spring and 41 of that since January 1st. Since surgery, I've lost 1inch around my neck (which was always the thinnest part of my body anyway), 6.5 inches from my waist, 2 inches around my bicep, 7 inches from my hips, 4.5 inches from each thigh, 2 inches round each calf and 3.5 inches from around each ankle (so my edema is slowly receding as well)...I have always been more bottom heavy with my weight carrying most of my noticeable weight in my rear end and legs. I've also gone down a cup size in my bra and i'm okay with that. It's nice to see that it's actually just my girls filling the cup now and not a bunch of fat creeping in from under my armpits and upper chest. I didn't start tracking my measurements until the night before surgery, So doing the math, I've lost over 26 inches from my body in 73 days! That's over 1/4 inch per day average. Weight wise, having lost 41 pounds that averages out to just over a 1/2 pound a day or about 4 lbs a week. I didn't lose 4 lbs a week at a regular pace, I had my stalls, but doing the math helps put things in perspective and maybe helps to understand how stepping down as we lose weight is necessary...If I calculate 4 lbs per week of weight loss, at one year I'd lose 208 lbs! There is NO way my body is going to do that. At my one year mark, i'd weight 34lbs! LOL...I've come to realize that as I stall, my body is also calculating. It's adjusting and relearning how to balance and communicate with all the different hormones that impact weight whether it's fat stores or energy levels in the blood. All these different hormones, proteins, amino acids, and other chemicals have a precise function, the need for them to be balanced and in some cases synergized with each other is crucial for balanced healthy weight and metabolic function. The disease of obesity is the result of a malfunction of this system. In some cases, constant routines of fasting diets or binging episodes, other conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, injuries or trauma can all be reasons why a person goes from just being overweight to suffering from obesity as a disease. If any one of these chemicals malfunctions for whatever reason, it ends up effecting the body and can ultimately end up creating a chemical equivalent of a 50 car pileup on our body's chemical highway. TSH, Leptin, Adiponectin, Ghrelin, T3,T4, Calcitonin and just a few of the various hormones, proteins, amino's and chemicals that help regulate our body's metabolic process and ultimately impact our weight. Their communication with each other as well as a host of cells and organs in the body and various areas of the brain is a complex process. When we have this surgery, all these functions are impacted, the brain and body are going though a "re-boot" process of putting everything back on track and ultimately trying to synchronize everything for the body to run in the efficient level it's meant to. It's a  process that takes time. The body and brain need time to adjust to all the changes that are occurring with the weight loss. Imagine putting a puzzle back together. You can't just randomly start grabbing puzzle pieces one at a time and fit them together. The brain and body are adapting and at times, waiting to see if this is a temporary event or not. There are initial responses to sudden calorie restriction that go into effect, then once the brain and body realize this is not temporary, the process continues but there may be slow downs and speed ups as the traffic jam slowly clears. Eventually, the chemical highway WILL flow smoothly again. When we hit a certain weight where we're getting optimal energy at a certain caloric level and also maintaining at the ideal weight, we've finally re-set that switch and are where we're meant to be. I didn't gain 4 lbs a week to get to my max weight (thank God!) so I don't expect that my body will continue to average 4lbs of loss a week and let me shrink into non-existence either. I do expect that my weight loss will be a process of speed ups and slow downs as I go, while my brain and body adjust and eventually get everything sorted out. I have my job to to, they have theirs. Ultimately, we on the same page and working towards the same thing. getting to a healthy ideal weight and homeostasis. So I can be patient with the stalls, understanding when the loss fluctuates week to week because I know it's just my body and brain trying to adjust and eventually I'll get where I need to be. It took me 14 years to get to my highest weight and a lifetime of habits and poor choices to cause my disease. I don't think waiting a year or two for my brain and body to fix the mess, to unclog the highway traffic jam is really that unreasonable. I'm simply grateful that I've been given the tools for them to fix it in the first place! If you're frustrated by your process so far, do the math. keep track of the weight, but take measurements too. But more importantly, realize what a complex process it is for the human body and brain to fix years of chemical imbalance and be patient. 

 

1 comment

The Dreaded 3 week stall

Feb 25, 2015

Well, I'm almost 2 months post surgery but it seems i've hit the dreaded 3 week stall...(I never have been good about being on time LOL)...After reading some, I'm not sure if the 3 week stall necessarily means it happens at 3 weeks, or it lasts for 3 weeks, but in my case, it seems to be the latter. I lost 23lbs my first month but am only at 9 lbs for the second and the scale has been holding at it's current numbers for over a weeks now. I'm not even remotely worried. I've been following my plan, my energy levels are great! I'm walking without aches and pains that I'd suffered from for so long, that i'm still amazed at how I feel now without them! I've played the weightloss game enough to know better than to rely on the scale for an accurate depiction of how i'm progressing. I made sure to take my measurements the night before surgery and I've been taking them every few weeks since. THOSE numbers don't lie, nor do the fit of my clothes! I'm still losing and the number of inches that have come off is all the reassurance I need! 5 inches off my waist alone!!! As someone who has always been bottom heavy, i'm more excited to see that I've  lost 5 in the hips and 3 1/2 in the thighs! I should add a goal to my profile that says I want to be able to have daylight shine between my thighs when I stand! I know there are others like me who suffer the frustration of prematurely wearing out our jeans solely due to thigh rub! Mine has been so bad, that if I were to tape a little tinder to my bare thighs and go for a hike, I'd generate enough friction to start a campfire by evening! Too bad I'm no good at physics or i'd probably be able to find a way to harness all that heat and friction and save on my home energy bills!!! Some day, I'm going to buy a pair of corduroy pants just so I can walk around and NOT hear that loud "ZIP, ZIP, ZIP, ZIP" sound!!  Everyone's WL journey is a bit different here. We all came to our pre-surgery weights differently and we all reach our goals just as differently. Some lose at a steady slide, some flux between dropping big numbers one week and less the next, and some like me seem to drop a few wait a few, drop a few, wait a few. More like walking down steps. If I could give any advice to newbies to this site or their WL journey, it would be to use the offered health tracker and TAKE MEASUREMENTS! Another good tool is to buy a belt and keep track of which hole you use when you fasten it. I've already had to go to a smaller belt and have moved down to the point where I only have one more hole before I'll be able to go to an even smaller belt. My point is, don't let a scale stall put you off! There are so many reasons for that instrument of the devil to sit idle even though you're doing everything you should! Don't get frustrated, don't give up and don't think that if the scale isn't moving, that you're not doing something right or still losing fat! Keep the faith and trust me, the sewing tape measure is a much better friend to you than the scale!

2 comments

Changing (more than weight loss)

Feb 01, 2015

Yesterday was my 1 month surgiversary. I've lost 23lbs in one month...it's mind boggling! I've come to realize in the last 31 days though, that there have been other changes even more profound. When we start our WL journey's, most of us are required to have a psychological evaluation. I remember even before starting my journey and talking to people who had WL surgery or people who knew others who had it talking about the emotional changes that can come with surgery and the challenges of coping with them are a big part of why a psych evaluation is so important. My relationship with food before surgery was not as simple as I thought. Oh, I knew I had an emotional connection with food. I knew I had certain triggers that would lead me to overeat. I've always been aware of my voracious appetite. I was actually looking forward to breaking free of the hold my appetite had over me. What I never realized was how much the act of eating regular meals each day, not the binges or indulgences, not the over eating or snacking, just the regular meals, influenced me emotionally and mentally. As I've been adjusting to the changes in my diet with foods and portions post op, there's been many moments where I sit in a kind of confused state wondering what to do with myself. Moments where things I enjoyed seem less pleasurable because in my old routine, the events around my meals were more intertwined than I ever realized. Coming home from work and cooking dinner while watching a favorite TV show. Not so much eating the meal, but even just preparing it! Now, I find myself restless, I'm free of my over-controlling appetite, I don't even experience hunger and have to remind myself to eat, often I need to make myself eat at my meal times. I just never realized how much emotional pleasure and satisfaction I received in the simple act of eating a PB&J sandwich on a Saturday afternoon when lunch came between household chores. While I'm not sad about eating less or being free of the constant cravings, and i'm certainly not missing the feeling of guilt from poor food choices or my overeating habits. I've come to believe that my greatest challenge to date is coping with the realization that my entire daily routine revolved around food! Even days of regular meals. Eat breakfast, go to work, eat lunch, back to work, come home and make dinner, watch TV, do a few household chores, go to bed. On the weekends it might be...eat breakfast, shower, putz around the house, eat lunch before going out? or am I going somewhere to meet up with friends where we'll get a bite to eat there?...Going to a movie? eat light because i'll want a snack at the movie. Going fishing (MY FAVORITE PASSTIME!) Pack a lunch and snacks. Doing yard work? Throw something in the crockpot so I won't need to cook after I come in. Grocery shopping? Sit down, plan meals and make the list beforehand. ...All this has changed, and now I find that my daily routine seems less pleasurable and at times, i'm a little lost. TV makes me restless and I often go to bed before 8pm! Saturday chores and housework are much more tedious. Work is less difficult, but the day seems longer and yet when I get off, I find that being done for the day and rushing home isn't as satisfying either. I now understand when people talk about transfer addictions. My lucky break is that Fishing is STILL just as pleasurable for me! And thank God for that! I still pack a lunch and fluids but it's acceptable foods from my plan. I have to remind myself to eat while i'm out fishing but my Fishing addiction ALWAYS trumped my food one! Because I still get complete satisfaction from fishing, I guess it's become my transfer addiction, I've put off weekend housework to go fishing instead, I keep my Ice fishing gear in my car and even though I only have about 2 hours of sunlight in the afternoons, I've been going out straight from work. It helps kill time after work. It's not that I want to come home and eat. Or that I want to stuff my face on the weekends. It's that now that I DON'T have any desire to do these things, I don't know what to do with myself instead. Or that all the other things I did seem less pleasurable because even though I didn't know it, there was a emotional connection deeply rooted in my daily routine between meals and chores or meals and activities. I know my ADHD is a factor in all this. Routines are VERY important with my ADHD and so i'm familiar with feeling mentally and emotionally disorientated when my routine gets upset. I also know that it's only been one month. I've had 45 years to develop the habits and routines in my life, change has always been easier when it's slow or subtle. The changes that come post op are very rapid and abrupt! I'm thankful I recognize what's happening and understand WHY i'm having some emotional issues with this. I'm also blessed to have a strong support system in place but honestly, I realize that it's just going to take time and patience. I'm changing my routines and learning to adjust. I forgive myself if the house gets a little messy because the changes in that routine are still a work in progress. I've been to a couple of movies and even though I have NO desire to eat the food from the concession stand, somehow NOT having anything has made watching the movie itself less enjoyable but I know that this too is just an adjustment, a change that takes time to become a normal routine. And I did see these movies while still in my liquid phase post op, I know that eventually when i'm back on regular solids, I'll have food options that I can "smuggle in" if I feel like i'll want a snack during the movie, but my goal is to learn to just enjoy the movie without needing an emotional boost from food even if it is a healthy choice! A friend on here made a post about how having to chew food so thoroughly makes eating more of a chore than a pleasure. I have to agree with her! The emotional satisfaction from eating a meal is gone. Right now, I eat because I HAVE to, not because of hunger or appetite. I don't get any satisfaction from eating and THAT is the hardest change! The simple joy of food is gone. Even when it wasn't a fancy meal, a celebratory meal, a dinner at a restaurant with friends or an indulgence from a fast food joint, something as simple as a scrambled egg is just a means of protein and sustenance for my body, but I get no pleasure from eating it. After pondering this dilemma for a couple of weeks I've realized that my relationship with food was an ADDICTION! Food fed me physically, mentally and emotionally and it was much more complex than I ever realized! Unlike drugs, alcohol or smoking, we can't give up food completely. This makes it much harder to overcome the addiction. It's a process and it takes time. Time to relearn how to eat because the body needs nutrition and not because it fills an emotional hole. Time to learn how to eat balances meals for the sake of health instead of eating meals full of comfort foods that spike the blood sugar and even though it gives an emotional rush with the sugar high, it also leads to cravings and in turn, more eating. Time to learn how to eat proper portions and then stop so your body leans how to tell you it's full and also, when it's actually hungry. And time to relearn how to enjoy food without being emotionally addicted to the act of eating itself. I know in time, my body will adjust to the changes from surgery, my tolerance for foods and portions will grow. My appetite and hunger will come back. So I also realize that I need to take this time now to focus on making sure I address my past addiction with food. I need to stay committed to my plan, be vigilant in my choices and learn how to cope with the emotional and mental withdrawals from my food addiction by finding other healthy ways to fill those voids or satisfy those needs. I need to relearn how to enjoy a daily routine without having it centered around food. Every activity, chore, event, task, outing, or habit that I now realize was pleasurably enhanced by food needs to be weened and reprogrammed in my mind so I can learn to enjoy them of complete them for their own purposes or if necessary, give them up. I never realized just how big of a hold food had over my emotions. Every day, I break that hold a bit more. I can say since surgery, I've lost 23 lbs of weight, but I've lost so much more in emotional baggage. Breaking the bond between food and my emotions. It's a struggle and I know the battle isn't over. Much like an alcoholic, I'll never be cured of this addiction. It'll be a lifelong condition. But I can learn how to control it instead of it controlling me. Finally understanding this has lifted a weight from my shoulders heavier than any amount of excess body fat i'll ever lose! So each day as I remind myself to eat, and sometime make myself eat, I remember a time when I had to remind myself to stop eating. When I have moments where I feel emotionally empty, confused or unmotivated, I forgive myself for unfinished tasks, give myself time to work through the confusion, and seek other ways to feel emotionally content so that when my appetite and hunger DO return, it's no longer my habit or part of my routine to rely on food to fulfill anything BUT hunger and nutritional sustenance and to enjoy food solely for THAT purpose alone. Every day I make a little more progress and i'm so incredibly amazed at how this surgery has not only helped me recognize my addiction, but given me the ability to take control of it! The reason for my obesity was not as simple as just eating too much so expecting the surgery alone to cure my obesity would be ridiculous! But it did grant me time to identify all the reasons. It's given me a chance to sort through them, face them and learn to deal with them. People here often say WLS is just a tool for weight loss and it's up to us to learn to use it right and make it work for us. I'd say it's like a Swiss Army Knife...it's more than just one tool! If you explore all it has to offer, you'll find it does much more than just reduce the size of you stomach. It changes your body's chemistry, it changes how your body communicates with your brain, and to use it efficiently, you need to use all the attachments of the tool. 

0 comments

Benefits of building muscle!

Jan 14, 2015

 So today is day 15 post op. It's official, no weight loss on the scale for 3 days. I've hit my first stall, but I really don't care! I feel FANTASTIC! My measurements say i'm shrinking. My jeans are a bit looser and my body feels energized! My restrictions ended yesterday and I did some resistance training at the gym. Nothing too intense, but it was enough to give me a nice endorphin rush and that bit of muscle stiffness that tells me I gave my muscle tissue something to add to! I can't explain how much I've missed this feeling! There is NO better high than the natural one your body creates with it's own chemical responses! Even though I've been heavy for most of my life, I've always been active in sports and physical activities and since 2000 until about 2 years ago, I'd been working out at a fitness center. However as the increased weight and age started having an effect on my joints and bone health, I wasn't able to workout the same and gave up my membership. Losing my muscle tone and strength as well as my cardio endurance had been harder on me physically, mentally and emotionally, than the weight gain itself. Hence, I started this WLS journey. As someone who HAS spent many, many hours at the gym in the last 15 years, I realized I have a bit of advice that's worth passing on to others who maybe don't have as much experience or knowledge about working out or the best way adding exercise to their own WL journey in a positive way that doesn't make it a agonizing experience. These are a few tips I've gotten through the years and are what kept me going to the gym when I first started out and otherwise might have given it up. First and most importantly, you don't have to kill yourself for a beneficial workout! Whether you walk a mile or run a mile, they end up being equally effective because although running may burn more calories initially, the longer you work out, the longer your metabolism stays revved up. So if you run a mile in 15 minutes, you burn more calories during the run than if you walked for 15 minutes, but when you WALK a mile, it takes longer and that longer time extends the amount of time AFTER the workout that your metabolism runs higher. Secondly, if you use a treadmill or stationary bike or elliptical machine and are just starting to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle, use the MANUAL settings. Most machines have a chart for target heart rates that shows cardio/fat burn numbers and you want a machine that has the monitors on the handles unless you have a separate device that monitors your heart rate as you work out, like a fitness watch or wrist monitor etc. Getting your heart rate to the target zone and keeping it there is the key to making your workout the most effective. So for fat burn, if your target heart rate is 120-140, you can manually adjust the machine as you work out to get to that zone and keep it there. The surprising thing about this, is that you should feel completely comfortable at the pace that puts you in your zone. You should be breathing at a comfortable rhythm not gasping and panting and getting stitches in your sides. As a matter of fact, you'll probably find that if you ARE gasping and panting, your heart rate is too high and if you slow down the pace, you'll not only breath easier, but you'll burn more calories and break a sweat. Eventually you'll be increasing your pace because as your body become more fit, you'll need to work a bit harder to get your rate into your target zone, but your comfort level will still match this. The point is, you SHOULDN'T be killing yourself on these machines for 30 minutes to get a workout, it's actually working against you if you're beet red in the face and your heart is racing out of control so set your pace and adjust it during your workout to keep your heart rate in the low end of the target zone and you'll see that not killing yourself on the machine is not only possible, but is also the most effective. AND, you won't want to take a louiseville slugger to the machine when your done. You'll actually enjoy the endorphin rush afterwards and look forward to doing it again. But if you've only been focused on cardio then you're depriving your body of some wonderful health benefits and might want to consider adding strength training to your workout routines... If you're looking to tone or build some muscle to help combat some of the inevitable loose skin, I'd start with resistance machines before free weights if you're at a gym or fitness center. And keep in mind that for toning, you want lower weight and more repetition where as for muscle building, you'll go for higher weight and smaller reps. You don't need to turn your arms and legs into jelly and then suffer near rigor mortis for the next 3 days to give your muscles a healthy workout. When you set the resistance weight, you should be able to easily push, pull or lift them through your entire set of reps without getting harsh muscle burn or being unable to complete the full amount of reps and sets at all. You should end each set with only a mild sense of fatigue or muscle burn that still allow you to rest and then do the next set. If you set the resistance to a comfortable weight, you might do something like 30lbs resistance with 10-20 reps for 3 sets, resting for 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets. If your struggling to finish a set because the muscles burn or get shaky, lower the amount of weight resistance!  Remember to breath out during the strain and in during the release. After you work out, you want to take in protein!!! This is the muscle building block of the body and will ensure your work outs burn fat while your body uses your protein to repair and build your muscle tone!!!!! When you first start working out, you ARE going to experience muscle ache and fatigue as well as some stiffness. Most of the stiffness is actually from the tendons and ligaments so the best way to feel better is to carefully stretch the sore areas through out the 2 days following the resistance workouts. DON'T work the same machines and same muscles everyday, give them a day or two in between, target different areas on a schedule, like legs on mondays and wednesdays and arms on tuesdays and thursdays, back and shoulders or abs on fridays and sundays etc, you get the gist of it. As your body gets used to the workouts, the tendons and muscles will adapt and your post workout aches and pains will lessen, and you'll mostly feel mild muscle fatigue, but when you see the results and reap the benefits of less joint pain and body aches from your increasing muscle strength, the mild fatigue and adrenaline rush added to the flood of post workout endorphin's will become addictive and you'll actually crave this healthy high! Until your body adapts to a regular muscle work out, remember to take your time, don't over fatigue your muscles, drink extra water, stretch out good before and after the workouts and don't be afraid to use some chewable Tylenol to help with the initial aches and pains. And remember to take in protein immediately following your workouts! I know for those first starting out, that the initial muscle aches and pains and tendon stiffness can be alarming, but trust me, the body adapts and the more you continue these workouts, the less intense these post workout aches,pains and stiffness will be! Here is the BEST reason to continue with them and to make them a part of your workouts. Cardio is great for the metabolism and heart health but muscle building and toning is equally important for total body health, not only is muscle leaner than fat and helps your body function with fewer aches and strains on your joints, but MUSCLE BURNS MORE CALORIES THAN FAT! What this means is that even at rest, if you weigh 150 lbs but carry more lean muscle than someone who weighs 150 lbs with less lean muscle, you will not only be in a smaller pair of jeans, but your body will be burning more calories through the day to sustain that muscle than someone of the SAME weight with less muscle. Basically what i'm saying is carrying more lean muscle mass is just as beneficial to your metabolism as a cardio workout because muscle will demand it's share if your daily calories to sustain itself and therefore use up more of your daily caloric intake. With less muscle, your body is more likely to store excess calories to fat. Now with all this said, I will tell you one last thing you may or may not know but should, so you don't get scared off of muscle building or toning workouts. *Muscle weights MORE than fat so as you incorporate strength training into your workout and build muscle, you may see an increase on the scale, but DON'T, DON'T, DON'T let this discourage you!!! The number on the scale may go up but I promise you, the size of your clothes will go DOWN!!!  I have weighed 190lbs and been in a size 14 jeans and have also been 165 lbs and been in a size 16 jeans when I had less muscle mass and more fat. Take body measurements with a sewing tape measure and use those measurements to gauge your progress along with the scale and you'll see what I mean...

 Here is a picture to show you the difference. Which would you rather have filling out your clothes? Keep in mind that while you're still working down to reach your goal weight and maintenance, as you continue to eat healthy and exercise, the numbers on the scale might fluctuate some as you add muscle, but they will still go down, you just may see it in a more step like process rather than a steady slide. I hope I'm not coming off as "preachy" in this post, but I figure we all joined this site to look for answers to questions and support in our WL journey's and many of us are seeking any tips, advice and knowledge that will help us reach our goals and live longer, healthier lives. This is one area where I feel like I can contribute to that and help others who are like minded in their goals for not just losing weight, but for also trying to improve their overall fitness and body health. I'm not a fitness trainer or expert but everything i've posted here has come from personal trainers and fitness professionals I've worked with through the years at Lifetime fitness and other centers and from many years of research and my own experiences and success with fitness workouts. I'd love to share advice and tips with anyone else who's like minded and am always looking for new information and ideas so if this is helpful to anyone or you have anything to add, PLEASE DO!  p.s...This is a picture I use for inspiration. I weighed 195 lbs in this but was working out every day at the gym and wearing a size 14 levi's. Even though I was just shy of 200 lbs, I had more lean muscle than fat and was in the best cardio shape of my life. I can't wait to get there again and then hopefully,continue to work down to goal!

4 comments

Day 12...Feeling 100%!

Jan 11, 2015

Today i'm 12 days post op and if it weren't for the incisions on my stomach, i'd wonder if I dreamed my surgery! I feel completely fine! Of course when I step on the scale, I see the results of the surgery. 14 1/2 lbs lost in 12 days and 34 since I started the journey last spring. I've still not had a single problem with swallowing, nor had any nausea or vomiting. I'm able to take in all my fluids and protein and started working out at the gym. In 2 more days my restrictions will be lifted and I can finally begin some resistance training again!!! I know that as I rebuild muscle, I may see some differences in how the scale treats me as muscle weighs more than fat but my primary reason for having WLS in the first place was because my weight was starting to impact my health and impairing my ability to retain the muscle strength that I've always valued and rely on for my job. I've been tracking both my weight AND my measurements because years of battling my weight have taught me that HOW the body carries weight can be drastically different depending on my lifestyle and activity and solely relying on the scale to track progress is a quick ticket to frustration and insecurity! For me, the truest measure of my progress will be the tape measure and my increasing strength ability with the resistance machines and weights at the gym. Although I've set a weight goal, i'm more concerned with a size goal of 8-10 in jeans and seeing muscle definition in the mirror. When I can run a mile without stopping or slowing and complete a mud run, I'll know i'm succeeding on my WL journey. If the pant size goes down and the scale doesn't I have NO PROBLEM with tossing that instrument of the devil right out the bathroom window! Or as a second option, I'm only 3 miles from the nearest Catholic church and access to holy water with which I can surely sprinkle the scale and exorcise the evil within! LOL   I've read many blog posts and forum comments by others and know that our journeys all take us down different paths. I know that the rate of weight loss after surgery is very different for each of us and i've read about the stalls, plateau's, and even unexplainable gains. I think most of us have experienced these issues even BEFORE WLS and so the frustration of experiencing them post surgery is heartbreaking but the important things are to remember a few key points. First, WLS is a tool not a cure for obesity. It need to be used properly to work it's best. Secondly, we're all given a plan by our surgeons and WL medical team. They are the experts and following the plan they've set up is our best bet for using the tool to it's fullest potential. If something in the plan doesn't seem to be working, CALL the team, make an appointment and talk to your nurse or dietitian! Thirdly, the human body is a mystery that's always revealing new and marvelous things about itself. Just as each of us has had very different weight GAINING journey's, the one for LOSING will also be different for everyone. Our bodies may look similar in shape and size to others we see on this site, but our chemistry's, dietary needs, metabolic processes, eating routines and food choices are different as are our daily activities that can influence or impair our journey's. We may share our journey with others and compare our experiences, but you can't walk on another persons path. keep your eyes on your own path when you're trying to gauge how far you've come and remember that ultimately, that journey began LONG before we had our surgeries. For some of us, the weight gain hill we climbed was much steeper or longer than others and therefore our bodies may take more time to adjust to the change of pace and navigating the decline on the other side of the hill. But remember even a slower journey will still eventually get you to your destination so stay positive and try and focus on the little accomplishments and milestones on the way. Take in the sites and enjoy the journey because even if it's slower than others here, we're still over the hump and working our way down the same hill, our views are just going to be different. Enjoy your person view on your path. The last bit of advice I can offer is to surround yourself with positive reinforcement and support. Make friends on this site, join in on the forums, blog your journey so you can look back and see your progress. Don't be afraid to talk about your struggles or celebrate your success both here and with supportive friends and family. If they care about you, they'll be there for both! My clinic had a sheet that listed WLS support groups in my area and I'm lucky to have 2 within  miles that meet on different nights. If your clinic doesn't have a list, search the web or call other clinics and hospitals in your area that offer WLS, one of them may have a list. But most importantly, support yourself! We didn't gain this weight overnight and we won't lose it overnight. Be patient and realize it takes time to learn what will work best for you. What foods give you the best dietary needs and energy, what exercise works best with your new lifestyle, ways to tweek your habits or schedule to optimize your success. All are a result of trial and error. If you have a bad day or make a poor choice, forgive yourself and move forward. We're human and we all make mistakes but learning from them is still a form of success! Dig deep, find your inner strength and push on! If you look, you'll see that there's a lot of variation in how long it takes different people to reach Goal on their trackers and tickers. It's hard not to look at those and hope to have the same success as some who've started at the same weight as you and reached goal in a seemingly short amount of time but remember that you're on your own journey and can't possibly take their same path, so if you're journey takes twice as long, don't lose hope or get frustrated and don't give up! The time it takes ultimately isn't important, what matters is staying on the path and getting there period! Follow the plan, listen to your body, make smart choices and believe in yourself and your body will get you there in it's own time! These are the things I tell myself through the day, every day. I'm blogging them to help remind myself and as a way to look back and make sure i'm following my own advice LOL...but if others are reading this, I hope it helps you too. 

1 comment

8 days out, 10 lbs down!

Jan 07, 2015

It's day 8 post op and this morning I hit the -10 lb marker. Not bad considering it's been very difficult to get my exercise in due to our arctic like weather. Yesterday I signed back up at a gym and i'm looking forward to having a place to go for some activity and socializing! I also caved under boredom and went to a movie. It was actually easier than I thought. Thankfully the daytime theater wasn't busy and so the concession stand wasn't running full force. No overwhelming food scents to make me miserable as I briskly passed by! I mixed a protein shake in a small water bottle to sneak in and sipped through the film. I don't know if anyone will understand how proud I was to survive an afternoon and the movies without snacks, but let me tell you, for me, this is a BIG triumph! I go in today for my 1 week post op appointment and I hope they confirm i'm doing as well as I THINK I am. Even though I know i'll probably be losing some of it, I made an appointment to get my hair highlighted tomorrow. ( I have PLENTY of hair to spare). I NEED to find things that get me out of the house but still can't putz around outside due to the - temps here. I figure a few hours at the salon with some gabby ladies i've known for years is a great way to start my friday. After that, i'll head to the gym and see if I can't pump out some exercise induced endorphins. 

1 comment

6 Days post-op and doing great

Jan 06, 2015

6 days post op and feeling great. No more gas bubbles or pain. Starting to feel true hunger though and it makes it hard to be satisfied by broths, juice and protein shakes. Only a few more days tho till I can add cream soups and my favorite, V8 juice! Had a day where I didn't drop any weight, but then dropped almost 2lbs since. Used the tape though and the measurements don't lie, the inches are coming off! I do think i'm having a slight allergic reaction to the Medi-tape over my incisions. Have little red dots (maybe small hives) all over my front torso that mildly itch but not enough where I HAVE to scratch them. I don't have staples in my incisions so I think it's the adhesive on the tape. Only a mild irritation  and the incisions them selves look and feel fine so I can wait 1 more day till my 1 week follow up and let the surgeon or nurse look at it then. Otherwise all is well and it's full steam ahead!

 

4 comments

Day 4-Sub zero temps? Youtube to the rescue!

Jan 04, 2015

Well, just like they told me, Day 4 started with me feeling FANTASTIC! The only problem is that the temperature outside today isn't going to get any higher than -1. Now that I have energy, no pain, and no gas, I REALLY want to get started with some working out. I did get my Wii, but no games yet. I found the perfect solution! I went on Youtube and did a search for Zumba. Found a great video called Dance workout for beginners step by step (dance workout for dummies). There are actually 2 workouts on there for a total of about 40 minutes. It was a bit awkward at first, but even if you don't get all the steps right, it's still a workout! The best part, is it's on Youtube....It's FREE! I have an awesome little brother who works in cable communications. He gave me a HDMI cable that connects my PC to my TV so I could watch and work out to the video on my larger TV screen instead of my smaller laptop one. The great thing is that there are countless video options to chose from online that you don't have to buy! It was low enough impact not to cause me pain, but enough of a cardio workout to raise my heart rate and I broke a sweat! I haven't enrolled at a gym again yet because I can't fully utilize it until I heal completely. At the start of February I'll rejoin and start hitting the resistance machines and some free weights, but for now having access to free indoor cardio workouts is a Godsend until the weather warms up some so I can get outside for walks! Just thought I'd share for anyone else who may live in a State with cold temps in the winter that severely limit outdoor options or for anyone who just likes to dance and zumba but didn't realize you don't have to spend money on costly dvd's to get a workout post op. Hope this helps! 

3 comments

3 Days post-op...Cravings, cravings cravings! LOL

Jan 03, 2015

Ok, so i've been home for 3 days now and doing pretty good. No serious problems other than some gas bubbles which are slowly easing. I'm holding fluids with no problems. No nausea or vomiting and only minimal pain which i'm able to manage with the Loretab they gave me at my discharge. Today I finally left the house and went shopping with a friend to be up and walking and to take my mind off the fact that i'm craving solid foods. I know not to eat any and won't give in to the cravings, but WOW! They can be intense!!! It's becoming difficult to find satisfaction with broth and juice. I know I shouldn't be complaining, i've lost 4 lbs in the last 3 days and I'm able to take in all my fluid needs. I'm sleeping fairly well though I AM having some weird and intense dreams. My primary goal now is to hang in there till day 10 when I can add cream soups and V8 juice to my diet! If anyone has any tips on how to quiet the cravings I'd appreciate your advice!!!!

0 comments

×