Today I had...you guessed it...my three month checkup. I had my children in tow which made it challenging but not entirely unpleasant, especially because the nurse practitioner got such a kick out of them. Thankfully! Anyway, she was pleased with my success thusfar. I have lost 48% of my body fat (last time I was there at 2 weeks postop I had lost 17% and was at 251 lbs.) My BMI has gone from 44 to 33. I've finally kicked the last of the "weight related" medications as well...I no longer have to take the protonix for my gastroesophogial reflux disease (GERD) as I no longer have it! My blood pressure was perfect, and I haven't had those pills since the last visit. I'm happy that I just may live to see my grandchildren!
According to her, I have not yet experienced the dumping syndrome. The occasional throwing up is just that--throwing up. It's because I'm either eating too quickly, too much, or my bites are too big. So the solution is slow down, one less bite, smaller bites. Not exactly rocket science.
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I have been trying to get outside and do more with the kids as part of my exercise. Hell, who am I kidding...right now it's the only exercise. But still, it's more than I was getting. I took my daughter for a walk over the weekend, and truth be told I could have gone a lot further than we did. But as I did not relish the idea of physically carting her back (she is only 6, after all) we stopped when she wanted to. I HAVE TO GET TO THE GYM. That's the mantra I need to keep repeating to myself...
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Too much information, or information you've been curious about?
It has been brought to my attention that I may need to give you, my faithful followers, more information regarding my progress. So, here goes. As of yesterday, it has been 3 months since my surgery. In that time, I have lost 66 pounds, going from 276 to 210. I have gone from a size 26/28 to a 16/18. Actually, I don't know what my jeans size is...a 16 is too tight, but an 18 is too big. I guess that would make me a 17, if they made such a size! Having lost as much as I have, I figure that puts me a little over halfway to my goal.
My weight loss as far as the scale has concerned has kind of stalled. I am attributing this to the fact that I have yet to do any real exercise, but also to the fact that all of my beverages have been caloric. After the surgery, we are urged to drink only beverages that are calorie free, or very low in calories. I've been addicted to orange juice lately, and prior to that it was cranberry juice. I haven't had any iced tea since late summer, and water feels weird when it hits my stomach, so I've been avoiding that. As I can't stand the artificial sweeteners, I am not able to drink Crystal Light or anything of that nature. I will continue the search for an artificial sweetener that doesn't make me shudder.
My weight loss as far as my clothes are concerned, however, is continuing to please me. I've purchased two pairs of jeans in the last month. The first pair that was a little too tight now fits just right. The second pair that fit perfectly is now a little too loose. My rings are spinning on my fingers, and my wedding set not only spins but slides as well. It's driving me nuts, but in a good way. I'll have them sized eventually, but not for a while yet. I don't want to have to do it more than once.
At this point I'm trying not to focus on what the scale says, even though I still do check weekly. I'm more concerned about inches...and the fact that my thighs don't rub together like they once did, or that my ass no longer creates a shelf at the top, or that I have ankles again instead of the "cankles" of days past.
Now I just need to drag said sagging ass to the gym and tighten up some things before shorts season arrives again...because this girl is gonna be rocking the shorts next summer, capris on 90 degree days are a thing of the past!
My weight loss as far as the scale has concerned has kind of stalled. I am attributing this to the fact that I have yet to do any real exercise, but also to the fact that all of my beverages have been caloric. After the surgery, we are urged to drink only beverages that are calorie free, or very low in calories. I've been addicted to orange juice lately, and prior to that it was cranberry juice. I haven't had any iced tea since late summer, and water feels weird when it hits my stomach, so I've been avoiding that. As I can't stand the artificial sweeteners, I am not able to drink Crystal Light or anything of that nature. I will continue the search for an artificial sweetener that doesn't make me shudder.
My weight loss as far as my clothes are concerned, however, is continuing to please me. I've purchased two pairs of jeans in the last month. The first pair that was a little too tight now fits just right. The second pair that fit perfectly is now a little too loose. My rings are spinning on my fingers, and my wedding set not only spins but slides as well. It's driving me nuts, but in a good way. I'll have them sized eventually, but not for a while yet. I don't want to have to do it more than once.
At this point I'm trying not to focus on what the scale says, even though I still do check weekly. I'm more concerned about inches...and the fact that my thighs don't rub together like they once did, or that my ass no longer creates a shelf at the top, or that I have ankles again instead of the "cankles" of days past.
Now I just need to drag said sagging ass to the gym and tighten up some things before shorts season arrives again...because this girl is gonna be rocking the shorts next summer, capris on 90 degree days are a thing of the past!
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| Me and my Mary, April 2010 |
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| Me and my nephew, September 2010 |
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Motivation...or lack thereof
It's getting harder and harder to get motivated these days. I find myself making excuses, like "it must be the change in seasons", or "I can't find the time to do (insert activity here)". Basically, I think I'm just being lazy. My family is probably rolling around on the floor as they read this, thinking what an understatement that is. But really, what else is there? Perhaps it's that I am totally overwhelmed here at home with the amount of housework that falls solely on me. The generation before mine is wondering, "And your point is?" but in my generation, it is typical for everyone in the house to share chores...including *gasp* the husband.
So that's my current complaint. What does it have to do with anything? Well, perhaps you remember when we went apple picking at the end of September. I still have about 20 apples hanging around that I've been meaning to do something with. I've been scouring recipes online, and a few have grabbed my attention. Glazed apple cookies, apple blonde brownies, about a zillion different recipes for applesauce...I'm just having a hard time finding the time and desire to actually go make one of them. I did make an apple bread pudding that turned out super tasty. It called for french bread, but I used cinnamon raisin bagels instead. Yummy. Typically I enjoy experimenting with both baking and cooking, but I just can't seem to get into the baking aspect of things. As far as cooking, today I made barbecue sauce and poured it over some pork ribs, letting it simmer in the crockpot all day. I love the smell of comfort foods cooking all day. I take pride in the foods I make, in hearing my family tell me how good dinner is. I didn't get to hear it tonight...my husband got home from work and took the kids up to his parents' house so he could help his father with installing a garage door. Sigh. Oh well, I guess the ribs will hold til tomorrow. Good thing I didn't make those mashed potatoes ahead of time.
On a side note, the new "cozy around-the-house" pants I bought last weekend slide down my hips with every step I take. I currently have one side of the waistband wadded up into a ball and secured with an elastic hair tie. Snicker if you must, but it's my ingenious solution to not being able to find a safety pin!
So that's my current complaint. What does it have to do with anything? Well, perhaps you remember when we went apple picking at the end of September. I still have about 20 apples hanging around that I've been meaning to do something with. I've been scouring recipes online, and a few have grabbed my attention. Glazed apple cookies, apple blonde brownies, about a zillion different recipes for applesauce...I'm just having a hard time finding the time and desire to actually go make one of them. I did make an apple bread pudding that turned out super tasty. It called for french bread, but I used cinnamon raisin bagels instead. Yummy. Typically I enjoy experimenting with both baking and cooking, but I just can't seem to get into the baking aspect of things. As far as cooking, today I made barbecue sauce and poured it over some pork ribs, letting it simmer in the crockpot all day. I love the smell of comfort foods cooking all day. I take pride in the foods I make, in hearing my family tell me how good dinner is. I didn't get to hear it tonight...my husband got home from work and took the kids up to his parents' house so he could help his father with installing a garage door. Sigh. Oh well, I guess the ribs will hold til tomorrow. Good thing I didn't make those mashed potatoes ahead of time.
On a side note, the new "cozy around-the-house" pants I bought last weekend slide down my hips with every step I take. I currently have one side of the waistband wadded up into a ball and secured with an elastic hair tie. Snicker if you must, but it's my ingenious solution to not being able to find a safety pin!
Monday, October 4, 2010
I forgot to add this to the last entry...this is me up in an apple tree. There were some gorgeous apples up higher than anyone could reach, and I thought I would climb up there and get them. This is something I never would have attempted in the last 10 years! What I didn't count on were my shoes being too slippery to get any traction on the tree. The next picture is the one my husband so thoughtfully took of me climbing out.
Weekend update
If you remember a couple of entries ago, my family and I were having a weekend away, and I was worried about what there was going to be to eat. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about. Nothing made me sick, and I learned I can eat crab legs, tortilla chips and buffalo chicken wing dip. My sister-in-law makes the best wing dip I've ever had. Yum!
This past weekend also found me eating out. Friday night I tried a couple of tentative bites of romaine lettuce with Italian dressing. On Saturday I learned that I can eat the chicken strips from Schwan's. They were moist, and baked, not fried. Paired with a baked potato I was quite happy. Sunday we had a small birthday celebration for my grandmother--she'll be rockin' 85 years tomorrow. Being an Italian family, we had all Italian foods. My mother made baked ziti and brought a huge antipasto. My uncle made stuffed shells, sauce, meatballs and brought hot sausage. My aunt brought sausage bread, spinach bread, Italian bread, tomato pie, and the cake. I wanted it all, but was satisfied with a slice of the spinach bread, a meatball, and 1/2 a stuffed shell. My daughter gave me a bite of her cake, and that was enough.
So it has been a successful, puke free week and a half. Let's see if we can make it another!
This past weekend also found me eating out. Friday night I tried a couple of tentative bites of romaine lettuce with Italian dressing. On Saturday I learned that I can eat the chicken strips from Schwan's. They were moist, and baked, not fried. Paired with a baked potato I was quite happy. Sunday we had a small birthday celebration for my grandmother--she'll be rockin' 85 years tomorrow. Being an Italian family, we had all Italian foods. My mother made baked ziti and brought a huge antipasto. My uncle made stuffed shells, sauce, meatballs and brought hot sausage. My aunt brought sausage bread, spinach bread, Italian bread, tomato pie, and the cake. I wanted it all, but was satisfied with a slice of the spinach bread, a meatball, and 1/2 a stuffed shell. My daughter gave me a bite of her cake, and that was enough.
So it has been a successful, puke free week and a half. Let's see if we can make it another!
Hairy situation
Bet you didn't know that another fun side effect to the surgery is hair loss. I took the extra precautions and have been taking biotin, a supplement that is supposed to be good for your hair, skin and nails. Well, I've been starting to lose my hair. Which when you have as much hair as I do, it's really not that big of a deal.
Except that it is.
I hate hair. It completely grosses me out. When it's attached to a head, it's fine, doesn't bother me. But when it is loose...completely different story. Head hair, chest hair, chin hair, eyelashes...and the worst: the short and curlies. SO GROSS.
I've been pulling gobs of it out in the shower. When I say the wad of hair in the shower is about the size of an orange, I'm not kidding. Then when I brush, I lose even more. I'm so disgusted that I've moved the Dirt Devil floor sweeper into the bathroom indefinitely.
So when you see me and my hair is constantly in a ponytail, it's because I hate pulling the loose hairs off of my shirt, or worse--having one fall into my food. Ew.
Except that it is.
I hate hair. It completely grosses me out. When it's attached to a head, it's fine, doesn't bother me. But when it is loose...completely different story. Head hair, chest hair, chin hair, eyelashes...and the worst: the short and curlies. SO GROSS.
I've been pulling gobs of it out in the shower. When I say the wad of hair in the shower is about the size of an orange, I'm not kidding. Then when I brush, I lose even more. I'm so disgusted that I've moved the Dirt Devil floor sweeper into the bathroom indefinitely.
So when you see me and my hair is constantly in a ponytail, it's because I hate pulling the loose hairs off of my shirt, or worse--having one fall into my food. Ew.
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