Six Weeks (and three days) Out & Feeling Fine!

Hmmm… I think this blog is going to be a monthly thing unless I have something interesting to cover. That seems to work out well for me since I’m doing my best to get into the whole blogging thing. As you’ve heard me say before…I’m working on it. 

So what’s new since the last time we talked you ask? (Well since the last time that I wrote and you read haha)!  Well…

I HAVE OFFICIALLY LOST 100 POUNDS!!!

I am SOOO excited! I started this journey on March 20th of this year by beginning my pre-op Atkins diet (on my own) to lose the required 78.5 pounds prior to surgery. I am very proud of myself that between that and the liquid diet I was able to lose a total of 63 pounds prior to surgery.  

Words cannot express how good I feel that I have been able to accomplish this much of a loss in less than six months (5 ½ almost to be exact…or 149 days).  With losing that much that is about a 1.5 pounds per day lost.  I returned to see Dr. H on August 2 for my official one month post-op follow up and I am happy to report that I lost a whopping 31 pounds during my first month after surgery. 

I know already that I cannot and should not expect loss numbers that high going forward for a few reasons and I’m okay with that. Keep in mind that I am quoting and claiming 100 pounds lost because I weighed at the very end of the day yesterday so I know that for a large part I was retaining all of the water, bloat, and everything else that comes along with the day…including some bowel issues (TMI I know) but more on that later…

So one of the first things that I could not wait to do was to go over some of the wonderful changes that I have felt/seen/noticed since losing weight and since having surgery. On Obesity Help they are referred to as SVs and NSVs – Scale Victories and Non-Scale Victories for all of you non-op folks. I started writing this list yesterday before I headed to the gym to put my mind in the right place and here’s what I have come up with so far…

• The veins in my hand
• Finding/feeling/seeing knees, slim feet, various body parts as they appear
• I can feel/see a neck emerging and collar bones coming through
• I can really feel my hips
• I can finally SEE a difference in the mirror
• Most of my clothes are ENTIRELY HUGE.Money is tight so it'll be a while and I'm trying to figure a way to sell/consign some of my nicer items but it's a GREAT problem to have
• Car seat is up further...and even more room between me and the steering wheel now
• I have WAAAAY MORE ENERGY! Trips to do simple things don't make me SOOO tired
• My face is slimming and becoming more defined (though I curse this damn fat waddle...leave already and let my neck shine through!!!)
• I'm all wrinkly...and PROUD OF IT! I could take FLIGHT with my bat wings honey! Trust me! 
• Other people that know me are beginning to notice
• I've had nothing but positive support from family and friends (It’s great because if I didn't with these emotions I'd be going to jail if people were negative nasty Nelly’s)
• I can touch my toes; pick up things easily when bending
• I no longer touch the sides of the shower or the curtain when showering (OMG THIS IS SO FRIGGIN AWESOME because I am such a damn germaphobe even though they are my germs...EEWWW!)
• All of my underwear are too big...and I refuse to buy new ones...I have so many to replace it would take a few paychecks LOL!
• I had to go down in bra size...mind you my back fat is doing some weird things so the size isn't a dramatic change but hey...it's going in the RIGHT direction
• On a whim today during my lunch break I went swimming in the pool at my complex (indoor heated). I have NEVER done that...and guess what...my old bathing suit (that I just bought last summer) was too big so I tried on my Mom's (22W) and...IT FIT! Wasn't even "snug" or anything...*in my Austin Power's voice* Yeah Baby Yeah!
• Trying on and NOT buying things is actually fun-the best part is NOT wearing the size I used to and knowing that, God willing, I never will again!

This mind you is just a short list and they keep coming EVERY SINGLE DAY. Since I work from home honestly it just has not been that hard to kind of think and determine what I want to eat each day and sort of plan it out before. Now this week I worked on Monday and then have had training for the rest of the week so I know that for next week I will have to be diligent and work on planning more ahead of time for each day so that when I do go to breaks/lunches I can just jump right in. 

As far as the exercise I’m working on it. I think I am going to pick up a Zumba DVD and I definitely like going swimming (even if for only a few minutes every other day) and then of course since I’m paying for it, I can start heading back to the gym.  I wish I was in a place to be able to afford weight training again because I think it would be good for me both for strength and for cardio but that may have to wait awhile. 

As for the vitamins from last time…I gave up on the Citracal. Whoever came up with the label “petite” should be drawn and quartered because those things are HUGE! Well…that’s all I can think of as an update for the first six weeks. Eating is going well, I’m doing what I am supposed to be doing, and I’m learning NOT to compare myself to others so that I don’t drive myself crazy with questions of whether or not I am doing something right or wrong. And of course…below you will some new pictures of me and my statistics so far…

Wonder Belly and I will talk to you soon! *MUAH*

**My Stats So Far**

PRE-OP FRONT/SIDE

 

7-11-12

8-6-12