Big week!

Wow, this past week was big--and FUN!

Monday the kiddos and I headed south to my parent's for the week. The hubs had to work and joined us late on Weds night...or maybe it was early Thurs AM.

When I left, my scale said I was at -48. So +2 of what I wanted to be by Thanksgiving. I weighed on my parent's scale, but forgot to until Wednesday--so wasn't sure how their scale and mine compared.

When we got home tonight I weighed, and am now -53!!! That's even at night and I usually weigh first thing in the morning. I don't think there are many people who can lose 5lbs over Thanksgiving week, especially with my Mama's cooking around.

Fri morning we did family pics and there were actually some decent ones of me. I didn't threaten to delete them all like usual. Except the ones that were just me and the bean poles (aka my mom and sis-in-law)...maybe one day I'll be close to them.

Saturday we went to Tampa to see the Miami/USF football game (Go 'Canes!). I had forgotten to do laundry the night before as I had planned so only had 1 clean pair of jeans to wear to the game. I put them on and right away felt like they were going to fall off. The other jeans I had were actually dirty, like stuff on them, not just I wore them the day before so they were dirty from just wearing them. So we left the house early and swung by Macy's. The Macy's in Ocala isn't large--esp the Women's department (can't wait until I'm outta there!). So I crossed my fingers and went in. Grabbed the cheapest pair I could find in 1 size smaller than the norm. Tried them on, wow--there was some room in those too! So I went and grabbed another size smaller, and they fit pretty nicely! When I checked out I think the sales clerk thought I was a little nuts because I asked if it was ok to put them on in the fitting room and wear out. I'm glad I actually tried them on and didn't just grab 1 size down. So these are 2 sizes smaller than several pairs of pants/shorts and even 3 sizes smaller than some things that I have!

I've never been to Raymond James stadium so wasn't sure what the seating was going to be like. Never really paid attention either when watching on TV (the hubs is a Bucs fan so we watch when they are on). Most of my sporting events experience have been college level (or high school of course), with just a handful of events that were either on the pro level or held in a pro stadium. For some reason I just envisioned bleacher like seating. We walk up to our section and I see arm chairs on the seats. The fat girl in me took a sharp breath in. Thinking how uncomfortable I was going to be. I sat down...and the only part of me touching anything was my bottom to the seat and my back to the back of the seat! No sides on the arm rests, no spilling out (gross I know lol). I looked down half-way in shock. There was even space on my sides!

During the week I had a few other "wow" moments. Culligan came and delivered new jugs of water. You know, the giant ones where the water alone weighs 41.75 lbs. Well as I carried them from the side porch to the pantry, I was thinking how heavy it was. Then I said, "WOW...this weighs less that what I've lost so far!" Another time was before we left the football game the hubs, the kiddos, and I went to check out the pirate ship. Of course it was a hike to get there. Then our car was parked on the complete opposite side. L2 ended up on my shoulders for the trek back to the car, and it was wearing me out. Little man is only 28lbs! I've lost almost 2 of him!

So it was a pretty great week for me. I got to see a lot of family, most who haven't seen me since a few months before surgery. It's almost embarrassing to hear the compliments, but feels great at the same time!

2 months post-op today!

Wow, hard to believe it's already been 2 months!

Since I didn't take measurements before surgery, I began taking them at 1 month out. I just did them again for 2 months out...and I'm shrinking!!!

Every thing I'm tracking lost something.

Biggest loser: HIPS! Down 2.75" this month
1st runner up: chest, down 1.75"
2nd runner up: waist, down 1.5"

Seeing these measurements has made me realize that is really is happening. Even though only a handful of clothes have gotten too big, I know I'm on the way.

Thanksgiving is this week so it should be interesting. A meal notorious for stuffing yourself until you pass out on the couch in front of a football game on TV. I have one bite too much and I'll feel very sick, if I don't actually get physically sick. So I'll keep to my little saucer sized plate and savor the few bites I get to have knowing next month I should see more decreases in measurements!

Listen closely

Do you hear it?

I did earlier today! The sound of angles singing as the scale beeped and flashed my weight.

FINALLY!!!

The numbers are dwindling again. 2lbs in the last 3 days. It felt so good to see that. I could breathe a sign of relief. Now lets just hope this keeps up.

Stalls are a common part of WLS. I read about the before hand and after. Even though I knew to expect it, it is still hard to accept that it's happening to you. It's hard to grasp how you can burn more calories than you're taking in yet not lose weight. Or at a rate of .2/day. They say this happens because your body goes into starvation mode. I don't get it, but it's not really my field either.

I'm just glad to see the scale moving again. I've read stories about people losing 40lbs and that's it (when they had a lot more to lose). Even though I knew I was doing things right, there's still that nagging thought in the back of your head that this too is going to fail.

For now though, I'm all smiles with what is going on. 4 more lbs until my 1st mini-goal of 50lbs gone forever!

Ugh.

Ugh.

Just....ugh.

In the past 3 weeks, guess how much weight I've lost?

3 measly pounds. THREE!

In case you are terrible at math, that means one pound per week! What the heck?! I went from losing at least a pound a day to a pound a week.

I knew to expect stalls. They say it's normal. But it's still hard to swallow when you see the numbers on the scale staring back, and they aren't moving.

I guess I should be happy that at least it's 3lbs instead of a big fat goose egg 0.

I wanted to be down 50 by Thanksgiving (according to my scale), I have 6 to go...not sure if I'm going to get there now.

Come on stall, get going and snap out of it!!!

6 week post-op Take 2

Despite Miss Ida trying to bring her wrath upon us, I was able to get to my 6 week post-op appointment. I was even kid-free doing it *gasp*

I am down 45lbs! Dr. Friedman says I am doing well. He gave me the go-ahead to try to swallow pills. YAHOO!!!! I'm hoping that will make things a lot better for me.

Ok this is short, I'm trying to cook dinner and soon heading out for Bunco with the gals before Ida knocks on our front door.

6 week post-op appointment

My 6 week post-op appt was supposed to be this afternoon (well, in an hour from now actually). I had to cancel.

The hubs has a flight this afternoon so I was going to bring the munchkins along with me. I put them down for a rest early, and was shocked that L1 didn't protest. He was actually yawning and ready for it. About an hour before I wanted to leave I got L1 up. He can be a crankapotomus when he wakes up so I wanted to give him some time to work that out of his system. I was getting ready and he came back to check on me a few times, see what I was doing, etc. When I was done I came out and he was curled up in the corner of the couch with my quilt on top of him and the pillows surrounding him too. He told me, "Wow Mommy. You look pretty! You look really beautiful." That boy sure knows how to melt his mama's heart. Then he asked for some milk. He followed me into the kitchen wanting to pick out his cup and asked me to pick him up to see them better. He felt pretty warm to me so I wanted to take his temp. 102.5! Eek! No wonder he didn't want to eat all day and was fine with going down for a rest. I called my Dr and rescheduled, it will now be on Monday morning. Good thing about that is, assuming L1 is well, I'll only have to bring L2 with me (L1 will be at school).

Sooo...didn't want to leave you hanging without an update about the appointment as I promised I would update.

The sugar matter

Every since my surgery, I have been doing really well about having things to eat/drink without sugar or very, very low amount of it.

Well...I was.

And by was, I mean the past few days...not so much. Unfortunately, I think I have made a discovery I didn't want to be true. Well, let me rephrase. Apart of me wanted to be true, but apart of me doesn't.

Some people, for some unknown reasons, after surgery sugar doesn't affect them. They do not have dumping syndrome. I appear to be one of those people.

Now if you get squeamish over bodily functions, hit the back arrow and I'll see ya next time.

Ok, you had your warning!

It had been a few days since I had gone to the bathroom, you know...the #2 kind. We don't have any type of laxatives around, but do have apple juice. So I thought, "hey, I'll take a few swigs of this and see what happens." It was an after thought to check out the sugar. I probably had about 3-4oz of juice. This particular brand has 28g of sugar in 8oz! That means I had just taken in 10-14g of sugar. I kept waiting for the misery to hit. The sweating, stomach pains, bathroom visits...but it didn't come. I was letting the kiddlets snack on some Halloween candy, and I ate a Tootsie Roll. One of those long ones, not a little one. I couldn't find nutrition info online for that size, just the little ones, but my guess would be that had about 10g sugar in it as well. Again, nothing. I wasn't phased.

You may remember my first week or so of being post-op I had a dumping experience with some yogurt. I thought for sure that it was the sugar (although I only had 2 spoon fulls and there was 7g sugar in 4oz serving). Now I'm thinking perhaps it was the little pieces of berries in it. Maybe my pouch was just too tender and fresh to handle that.

Really I'm not sure how to feel about this sugar thing. In a way I'm like, "Yahhooo! I'm not going to be deprived of everything (or seemingly everything) for the rest of my life!!!" Oh the other hand I'm a little annoyed that I even figured it out. Now the temptations are going to be there. I'm afraid knowing this might hinder my weight loss because I won't make the right decisions. Before it was easy to turn down the temptations. Yes, there is a bowl full of candy--but I know if I eat it I'll be sick. Now it's like, yes...there is a bowl full of candy and if I eat it I'll be ok.

The good thing is that even though I can indulge, it can't be much at all. I am still stuffed after 3-4 bites of food.

So this will be another battle to overcome. Actually, not overcome--but stay away from. I've been practically sugar-free for 6 weeks now and am hanging in there.

Tomorrow I have a Dr appt with my surgeon, will update after that on how it goes!

Halloween

Well, I've basically made it through my first food-frenzied holiday.

Halloween...all about dressing up, having fun, and days of a sugar high.

Friday night we went to a party. It was so hard not to take a bit of a caramel apple or some of the other treats there. Tonight we took the boys trick-or-treating. Which means they came home with gobs of candy and dug in. We also had some left over from what we were giving out. The hubs kept snacking on some once the boys were in bed. Weigh-ins were Thurs and he passed so I guess he was giving himself a pat on the back. Finally I told him to stop! A part of me wants to just taste a Snickers, Skittles, etc, etc. But I know it would lead to me getting sick, which is something I don't want to do.

There is a lot of junk around here right now as a result of Halloween, and I can't wait for it to be gone.

Sometimes it is just so frustrating being so limited by what I can eat. Sure there is plenty that I can, but it seems most of it requires some preparation. I'm so sick of chicken at this point! I really need to sit down with the books I have and get some good recipes out of them. At the same time it's so hard to cook a meal then after 2-3 bites be full.

There are times where I wish I could just have a day off. Let me down a soda, eat a candy bar, heck even just finish a full plate of food! I know in the end the struggles will be worth it, but sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end.

It was a tough week emotionally. The Navy lost a T-34, which is what Dan will begin flying on Monday. The CG lost a C-130 in a collision with a Marine Super Cobra on Thursday night. I've been around aviation long enough to have lost friends in incidents before, but it never makes it easier. There were times I wanted to turn to the half eaten carton of ice cream in the freezer and let my sadness get to me through my stomach, but I couldn't.

It's all still a learning process. On the 5th I have my next post-op appointment. Right now I'm down 43lbs according to my scale, or 47lbs since the liquid diet began. Quickly approaching my first real goal!

Here is a pic of Dan and I on Friday night, proudly rockin' our Gymboree Gymmies!