Stephanie B.

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This is so fitting to this weight loss surgery journey we are all on....Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

The Ultimate Race

READ | Hebrews 12:1-3

Throughout a grueling 26.2-mile marathon, a runner's body goes through changes. He must fight the inclination to run too fast early in the race. He must overcome muscle cramps and blisters. He must ignore the whispering voice mid-way through the race that says, "You've already done a great job. Everyone is impressed that you even got this far. Why don't you just quit now?"

With every step, the runner reaffirms his decision to keep going and move closer to the finish line. His eye is on the goal. He will not be distracted or denied. This is endurance.

To endure doesn't mean to sit back, take it easy, or look for a way out. Endurance also doesn't mean casually accepting a setback and quitting the race early. Instead, it implies "staying power." This involves the initiative to do whatever it takes to win. It involves pushing through obstacles and overcoming hindrances, one step at a time, as you keep moving. Endurance means you won't quit until you have achieved victory.

We should keep this image in mind as we read the challenge in Hebrews 12:1:"lay aside every encumbrance . . . [and] run with endurance the race that is set before us." One who endures says, "Whatever it takes, Lord, I'm going to get there. I will not give up. I will not step off Your path until You've brought me to the finish line."

Do you believe the goals God's given you are worth the effort? Then run toward them with endurance.

 

Good Morning all!! Hope you had wonderful weeks last week and are geering up for another wonderful week today!! I am happy to annouce that the 12 step program is working for me! Two weeks have gone by and each week I only weighed in on weigh day! I am weaning away from the scale addiction!! Anywoo...I have to admit that I wiegh more than once on weigh in day, but after that day is over, I make until the next week when it is time to weigh in.

So here are my stats:

HW: 327
SW: 318
LW:254.8
CW: 248.8

I am out of the 2 pound club again this week!! 6lbs lost! I dont know if it is because I donated blood, or if I was bloated last week from PMS and that is now over and I had a big loss. What ever the reason...I will take it!! See you guys later.

Steph

Well here is an update on some of my mini goals I posted at three months (on May 1) post op and I will add a few more

GOAL's (Mini)

1) 60 lbs loss done 5-21-07
2) walk up the stairs to my mother's porch with out getting tried (even though I work out all the time, those steps kill me!!) lol Still working on this one..I think I am just going to have to walk them more often!
3) Be under 250 lbs done 06-03-07!!!!!
4) Wear pants are smaller than a 20 - done 05-25-07 bought a size 18 at the Avenue, I know their sizes run big but I will take it!! Woohoo
5) Lose at least 10 pounds each month for the next three months for a total loss of 87 lbs in six months 
May Weight loss 10.8

New Goals

6) Join the Century Club
7) Make it to Onderland!
8) Get completely out of wearing size 20 something clothes (some of my 26's I can still wear and then I can wear some 18's) My bottom is so weird but my tops are consistent, I can fit in to large sized shirts and not look like the HULK!! lol 
9) Have a BMI under 40...watch out cause hear I come!
10) Have a BMI under 30
11) Have a total weight loss of 150 pounds


While at times this weight loss journey has not been what I expected...most of the times it has been way above what I hoped for!! God is good and He tells us in his word, that if we believe, anything we ask for we shall receive.  I had been praying about weight loss for several years and I am so thankful that God answered my prayers with WLS, and a job that paid for it and a job with a free gym.  What more can a girl ask for?? Well, you all know I can always think of something else to ask for....but I am happy with the fact that I am abundantly blessed!  I am almost 5 months post op and I have lost over 70 lbs.  I average a little more than 3 pounds a week.  A few weeks, I have had 6 lb losses and I was so excited!! This was a six pound loss week and it feels great!  I am still working out and trying to retrain my brain to make healthier food choices.  It is getting a little harder at five months post op than it was at 2 months out.  But I just have to stay focused on my the end results and move thru it.  

I am ok with eating when I am alone, but when I go out with friends and I see them eating the things that I used to eat and eating lots of it...I feel kind of like a pavement licker (inside joke from work) lol and even though I know I don't have to have those foods, I want them so bad.  And when I don't eat what they are having, I feel kind of like they think I am a freak or something.  But then I look at the numbers and think...I would much rather have lost 73.2 pounds than to eat unhealthy foods!  Well, I will back in the morning with my Monday Morning Weigh in!! 

So I have been reading other peoples blog's and I realized that most of them don't have a lot of information on them that would be helpful to a new person.  I mean, I am reading trying to figure out what types of foods they eat at certain stages, how much they eat and how much they exercise and how much they have lost on a regular basis.  So that is what I will try to post each week for anyone reading my profile.  Right now, I am 17 weeks post op and I have lost about 65 pounds post op, and if I add the five pounds I lost before surgery, I have lost about 70 pounds.  My highest BMI was 52.8 and it is currently 41.1!  WOW  So I am almost out the morbidly obese category.  And on my way to just obese...doesn't sound too good but better than morbidly obese so I will take it!

Work Outs:  Right now I go to the gym about 5 days a week, I do 20 mins on the elliptical, then I work with a personal trainer for about 20 mins doing weights (I got 3 months free with the personal trainer with my surgery) and then if I have time I do 10 more mins of cardio on the treadmill or bike

Food:  I pretty much eat any type of foods I want but I only eat about 4 ounces total.  Some days I can eat more than other days.  I don't eat bread, pasta, rice or potatoes right now.  Not because I cant but because I want to maximize my weight loss on the front end, and I hope staying away from carbs will help.  I don't really get a lot of fruit in like I should becuase once I eat my protein and then veggies, I am full.  I also still stop eating in 15 minutes, so what I ever I don't eat in 15-20 mins I trash it.  (Still hard to do that, I still want to clean my plate lol).  I also don't drink liquids until an hour after I eat.  Because I am not a cook  I usually eat some type of chicken and every now and then I will mix it up with beef or pork.  I don't like seafood so that is out.  I force my self to eat tuna at times becuase its a good source of protein.  If you are reading this and want to know what a typical eating day is for me shoot me an email and I will let you see my food dairy.  I track my daily food intake on www.fitday.com and will let you log in and see what I was eating at different phases.  I have been tracking eating since Feb 18, 2007.  (Hopefully I will still be doing this a year out or longer).  So far, I have been able to tolerate any type of food that I have tried.  I have not really eaten any thing sweet (My biggest temptation has been bubble gum, and it has five grams of sugar and few carbs).  I did try movie popcorn last month and it was WONDERFUL!!! I had no problems eating that either, and I wanted to not be able to eat it.  I love that stuff with extra butter.  But anyway..I digress...  I have decided to not drink alcohol for at least a year (my surgeon recommends 6 months) and if I make it to a year, then I may as well not drink again.  I was never really a big drinker to begin with so no big deal.  I used to drink in social settings,never kept it in my house or anything.  So I figure why start back?  Its just empty calories and I am not really wanting to end up  with a bad addiction after WLS.  

Well, I guess that's all that is on my mind for now and I will talk to you soon! 

Happy Memorial Day!! Here are my stats:

Highest Weight 327 lbs
Day of Surgery 318 lbs
Last Week 256.8
This week 254.8

Not as good as last week but oh well, such is life and life is such.  I am still wieghing in at night with my clohtes on but I weighed this morning too in my pj's and the scale said 251.4.  I am using the night weigh in numbers so that when I go to see my surgeon, my numbers will match his better.  It was kind of disappointing to go to his office and weigh more than what my scale at home said.   I figured it was becuase my appointments were in the afternoon and of course I had clothes on.  If I take my pj's off and weigh this morning, I was 250.1!!! WOWSERS!  But anyway.  I am still working out at the YMCA about 5 days a week and I have the personal trainer until the end of July.  Boy am I going to miss them when my free sessions are up. I am trying to see if I can squeeze the trainer in my budget for the rest of the year so I can have better results on my 1 year anniversary.  If all else fails, I still have the free gym at work.  So I am off from work today due to Memorial Day and I plan to enjoy this time off to the fullest by ....doing absolutely nothing!! :-) 

Here are my stats:

Highest Weight 327 lbs
Day of Surgery 318 lbs
Last Week 263
This week 256.8

6.2 pounds lost last week!! Woohoo!

Good Morning All! Hope you had wonderful weekends. Here are my stats for the week:

Highest Weight 327 lbs
Day of Surgery 318 lbs
Last Week 263.9
This week 263

Not much in the weight loss department but I will take it. I started out wearing a size 26/28 that was way too tight and yesterday I put on a pair of 22 jeans! They had a little stretch material in them that helped me get in them but hey it was a WOW moment for me!!

See you all soon!

Really....I am trying to be consistent with my surgeons scales and track my weight loss that way...but when I went to my other doctor's office yesterday, her scale is showing about 7 pounds less than my scale and what I think my surgeons scale would say...so what numbers am I supposed to use. Now when people ask me how much weight I have lost it takes  me about 5 minutes to answer and explain how I am counting and by the time I get to the end of the story, they are no longer interested and I am changing the numbers again saying..oh wait..I forgot that I had to add this because__________ or subtract this amount because__________.  I need to just find a number and stick with that.  I think the morning weigh in works better than the night ones for me..right now using the night numbers and weighing fully dressed are making me feel as if I have not lost any weight at all.....ho hum.....

So after my last post here is some good news! I finally have exceeded the 60 pounds lost mark!! Yippee!

I went to my primary care physicans today and when I got on her scale with my clothing on (after I had my breakfast) and her scale said 255! And after I worked out this morning at the YMCA, I had the trainer weigh me there and it also said 255! So if I add it all up...I am down 67 pounds! I guess all that grass cutting this week has paid off! And if I add in the 5lbs I lost before surgery, I am down 72 lbs! That is so exciting! Only 28 more pounds to lose before I hit the century club! This is so amazing!

For my Monday morning post I am still going to use my evening weigh in numbers with my clothes on but it was sure exciting to get a record at my regular doctors office at 255! I don't cant remember the last time I weighed less than 270 pounds.

Oh, well, enough of my jumping and dancing..I guess I will get back to work! Hope you all have wonderful weeks!!

So I never really posted an real goals for my surgery but here are a few and also a few wow moments.

GOAL's (Mini)

1) 60 lbs loss done 5-21-07
2) walk up the stairs to my mother's porch with out getting tried (even though I work out all the time, those steps kill me!!) lol 
3) Be under 250 lbs done 06-03-07!!!!!
4) Wear pants are smaller than a 20 - done 05-25-07 bought a size 18 at the Avenue, I know their sizes run big but I will take it!! Woohoo
5) Lose at least 10 pounds each month for the next three months for a total loss of 87 lbs in six months
 

WOWs

I went to the movies at an older theatre the other day, and you know they make the seats bigger now (u think that coincides with the fact that we are being super sized???) but the seats are still normal sized in older theathres..and I sat in a seat and did not have the arms of the chair squeezing me!! woohoo

I bought two pair of pants that were two sizes smaller than before surgery and then a dress that was 4 sizes smaller! how about that?

Today I saw this guy that I went out with a few times but because he was older and really set in his ways...it went no where.  So he kind of started avoiding me like the plague when he would see me out...so I probably have not seen him in almost a year or so and why did he did a double take and ask for a hug when I saw him today??  

I have like a million other wow moments that I have not recorded but these are from the last 5 days.  Well, ttyl