elle_mae

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I haven't lost anymore weight.  If I stay as I am, I'm fine with it, but again, I expect some to come off soon.  I'm much more consistent on my workout now that the weather has changed.  Also, my 2 mile walk/slow jog has started to become less of a challenge.  I'm in the process of ramping it up to 5 miles :-)

Sometimes I wake up choking...that's a sign that I ate too late, and tried to lay down to sleep to soon after that last meal...or, I drank too late.

I am able to tolerate most pretty much anything that I want to eat.  I do watch it, and I am mindful of protein.  I eat Atkins breakfast bowls in the morning, that's like 22, 23 grams of protein.  I have 2 greek yogurts as snacks.  Those are 11 grams of protein each.  Then I have lunch and dinner in there somewhere, with the main component of each meal being protein (I eat lots of chicken, but I eat all kinds of meat).

I've finally gotten my vitamins down.  The calcium was just the hardest thing for me, but I have a liquid calcium supplement that I take twice a day.  I have no problem with the vitamin b injections, or the chewy multivites, or the iron tablet that I take each day.  It's a matter of routine, and it really doesn't feel like I'm popping pills all day like it did in the beginning.

I take my B injection on the first of every month, just so I can remember to take it.  I have noticed that I get really tired, and my brain gets kinda foggy just before I take it.  Then I take it, and I go back to being fine.

Still no problems with the skin.  Boobs are a lil lower than I'd like, but not too bad.  I hope to firm the thighs up some more with my increased leg workouts.  We'll see what happens.

I cut my hair short.  I think I'll dye it red this weekend...Ive never dyed my hair before, so that's exciting.  I've been dating (actually kinda put a halt to dating until this summer.  Feeling like I need some me time).  I've been out and about around town much more.  I've discovered that I really enjoy dancing.  Took Salsa dancing classes with a girlfriend, then went salsa dancing. 

Some of my increased social activities can be attributed to the fact that my kid just turned 18, graduates high school in a couple weeks, and is going into the military.  I've had lots more time to just focus on me, and do whatever I want to do.

Soooo, it's a sad (because my baby's growing up and leaving me), but exciting (because I'm moving into a new phase in my life) time.

Life is great :-)

One year ago today, I began the surgical part of this journey to a new me.  Today, I feel GREAT!  I've had no complications...hopefully things will stay that way (I'll continue to pray on that).

I can pretty much eat whatever I want, so I do have to make wise choices.  Too many carbs at once will make me sick (a mild episode of dumping according to some of the stories I've heard)...I learned that from eating chips....bad me!!!  I do like crunchy snacks.  Had to find an alternative for that.  I like seaweed chips :-)

I do still have sweets now and again.  If I'm at a party, I'll take a small slice of cake.  I don't really drink sweetened drinks anymore...which was a huge source of calories for me before.  I drink sugar free Hawaiian punch, sugar free kool-aid, and water mostly.

Re: my vitamins, I've finally found a regimen that works for me.  I take my B12 shot on the first of every month, so I don't forget.  I get my essential vitamins from gummy vites which I take daily.  I get my Iron from a 45 mg pill that I take daily.  I get my Calcium from this liquid brand that I found at Wal-Mart called Wellesse.  I found an Iron supplement in liquid form that Wellesse makes as well (bought that from Amazon.com), but if my labs come back showing that the Iron in tablet form that I'm taking is doing the trick, I don't really see any reason to go through the hassle of ordering on line...the iron pill is only one pill, and it's a small tasteless swallow once a day.

The many, many, many chalky pills I was taking daily was really starting to wear on me....made me not want to take the vites.  I was really just choking them down, until I got fed up, and just stopped taking them...then I said to myself that I HAVE to take the vitamins.  That's what I signed up for when I decided to have the surgery.  It's really just been about finding what works for me, and I finally have.  I don't feel like I'm stuffing awful chalky meds into my body all day long.  I take the multivite gummies in the morning with breakfast, along with the iron pill.  I take the calcium in the evening, and I'm done.

I had been doing very well with my exercise.  Now, not so much.  There is just something about winter time that makes me go into hibernation mode!  I am willing March to get here quickly in GA, because I can't wait to be in the park, working out on a warm day.  That doesn't even really feel like a work out for me, it's just a good time to get out there in nature, and move my body.....I wake up everyday and look at my cold metal elliptical.  I get on it from time to time, but not with the dogged determination that I apply to my workouts in the park.  I just hate standing in one place, looking at the same four walls while I work out....I know, I should get over myself, excuses, excuses.  I will do better.

I rarely vomit now.  The only time that really happens to me is when I eat too fast.  Like if I've waited to late to eat, then I get to my food, and I don't take my time with it.  I'm usually pretty good about eating on schedule though.  Breakfast at 7, snack at 10, lunch at 12, 12:30, snack at 4, and then dinner when I'm ready.

Right now, I'm a size 12.  I fully expect to get down a little bit more once the warm temps hit (come on March).  If I happen to stay where I am, I wouldn't feel terrible.  I look great, feel great, it's fine.  I just know that once I start exercising regularly and vigorously again, some more will come off.

I don't have a problem with extra loose skin just yet.  I'm down 100 lbs from surgery...my boobs are definitely not the fluffy, upstanding girls that they once were.  I have a little pooch on my stomach...it's always been there, it's just smaller now, doesn't look wrinkly, or extra wiggly or anything.  I can easily shift it though, pull it tight to see what I'd look like if I were to get a tuck.  I wore a sleeveless shirt to work today.  My arms look fine.  Not super chiseled or anything, but nothing to be embarrassed about.  My inner thighs are my biggest problem area, because sometimes is I hold my leg this way, or that way, I can see little wrinkleys wanting to appear.  When I lose more weight, I may have loose skin there.  As things are now, I don't feel a push to go get plastics, but hey, we'll see.

I've never just gone out and bought a whole new wardrobe.  I've been waiting for my weight to stabilize a little before I do that....I'm feeling like that time is coming very soon!  I just can't wait for this spring and summer!  So many things to look forward to that I will now be able to enjoy so much more in this smaller body.  Plane trips, and trips to the beach...such fun planned....can't wait :-)

I'm doing well.  I feel good.  My restriction is finally at a point that suits me.  I can eat, but I can go overboard.  I don't feel the need to bring stuff back up to relieve tightness.  I can really tell where I am when I'm eating....

I almost forgot to take my B12 shot.  I just feel so normal...not like I'm managing a condition any more.  Everything is just becoming a way of life.  I'm getting in my protein and vitamins and fluids without thinking too much about it.

It's getting chilli out now, so I haven't been going to the park like I should...guess it's time to dust off the elliptical...I hate that thing, but hey, it has to be done :-(.

Thanksgiving was good.  I didn't overeat.  Stuck mainly to the protein and green vegetables.  I'm ready for Christmas!  :-)

Hmmm, I've been dating a little bit more...can't say I've met a really suits me yet.  Made a really good friend though ;-)

That's all for now.

~elle

I was at the park today, doing my usual walk around the track (I have gotten faster and faster with it), and I had all kinds of thoughts running through my head.  For one, I thought homecoming was Nov. 2nd, but it's actually Oct. 12....soooooo, I have less time than I thought I did!  Oh MY!!!  Anyway, I was walking around the track, and my body feels so much lighter...I'm not 180 yet (which is the weight at which I decided that I will run)...but something just spurred me to see how it feels.

I felt a little weird, because I haven't done it in so long....but it was great!  I walked about half a mile, then I ran a quarter mile, then I walked another half mile, then I ran another quarter mile.  By the time I got to my second and especially my third sprint, I was feeling very confident and comfortable. 

So happy!!!  :-)

Take care.

~elle

I have FINALLY made it to onederland.  I am 199 lbs.  I know, I know, it's practically 200...but it's not! :-)  Even after I've had my fill of food and drink, I still don't reach 200 lbs no matter what time of day it is, sooooo I'm excited about that :-)

I can eat about half a microwave meal (don't eat microwave meals very often, but I had one today, which is what put it on my mind).  Don't have any problems getting fluids down.  I pretty much stay away from bread and pasta...they fill me up super fast, and I just don't feel good after eating them.  I might allow myself a teaspoon of rice every now and then.

I can go out to dinner with a guy, order an appetizer to share...let him eat the vast majority of it, and then eat about half of my dinner (which is typically meat and veggies).

I'm a size 14 right now....still....I expect that to go down a bit very soon.  I'm almost to my 'run' weight :-)  I decided that I will run when I get to 180 lbs.  I've been querying my right knee lately, I'm finally starting to feel a little relief from that, so I'm thinking that I will be very good to run at 180.

My skin looks really good, don't have any real issues with sagging, of course my arms don't look as tight as they did when I was a teen, but I've still got guns.  Depending on the placement of my arms, they either look like I've got great guns, or like the average arm, where the lady could pump some iron and tone it up a bit.  I've gone sleeveless...I look good, no complaints.

My hair is shedding massively, but it's the longest it's been since I was a small child.  I don't know if the shedding is getting better, or worse, because from the day of my surgery, up until last month, I kept my hair in braids, so that I wouldn't notice any shedding.  My hair is very, very thick, always has been, so it's not looking limp, or fragile, or any of that.  It looks great once I get finished combing out whatever is coming out during that sitting.  I do date a guy who unfortunately winds up hair in his bed...it's not clumps or anything, but there are some strands there....I've got to start tying my hair up at night, but I hate to tie my hair up when I go visiting....soooo unsexy, lol.  Oh well, if I must I must.

Guess I should upload some pics.  I'll do that soon...probably this weekend.

That's all for now, take care.

~elle

Well, it's one week before my birthday, and 6 month check in time!

I am now at 201 lbs.  My weight is coming off kinda slow compared to some of my friends on this sight....I've lost 79 lbs since surgery.  I look great, feel great.  I'm in a size 14, no real sag just yet (of course the boobs went south after the baby, but they're still kinda fluffy, not so bad) Can't wait to get to onederland, lol!

I go to the park and walk and do light weight lifting for my exercise.  I'm waiting until I get to 180 to run.  I used to run when I was much heavier, but running with all of that weight on me has caused complications with my joints, so I was told not to run until I get down to 180...can't wait, I really have the urge to do it now, but I will wait.

Eating still isn't very fun for me.  I can never tell what portion my tummy is going to let me have.  Sometimes it's 2 bites, sometimes it's a respectable (but very small, as it should be) meal.  I am able to eat whatever I feel like eating, so I haven't had problems with dumping, or different textures of meat or anything like that.  I do stay away from bread and pasta for the most part.  I find that it fills me up way too quickly.  My problem with food is that often times I get that feeling that a rock is just sitting in the center of my chest, while I wait for the food to go down the tube.  Sometimes it goes down peacefully, sometimes I go intentionally bring it back up.  Sometimes, I take a walk, and something about that causes the food to go on down the tube.

I think I would like to have just slightly less restriction, so that eating is not such a chore...but I guess that will come in time.

Really, I'm doing great though.  My daughter tells me how cute I am everyday.  Yesterday she came home after being gone for a week, saw me in my fitted workout clothes and said in a surprised voice 'Mama look at you!'  She doesn't remember me being this slim before, so she's impressed. 

Everytime I go to sit in a chair, I expect to take up more space in the chair than I do.  I actually sat on a basic kitchen chair with a guy sitting behind me...didn't feel like I was going to fall off or anything.  That was nice.

I can walk really fast now too :-)

Ah, well that's all for now.

Take care.

~elle

My tummy is coming right on along.  I'm feeling really good.  I was hoping to be in onederland by now, but alas, my body will lose as it will.

I have not been struggling nearly as much with food lately, and it's been so wonderful.  I just ate an entire boneless, skinless chicken thigh, and a small portion of green beans, and I don't feel extra tight in the chest area.  Don't feel like anything is going to come back up, or anything.  I feel good.

Also, I'va always loved spicy food.  Just a couple weeks ago, I was eating spicy food, and it made my chest burn, it's like the food was sitting in the center of my chest, and so the spices just sat there and irritated me.  What I ate today was very spicy...no spice discomfort...this make me very happy :-)

I had to go buy a few pairs of pants and some dresses.  I've cleaned out my closet of all of the things that I can no longer wear.  I've been in a size 22/2x, my clothes look completely ridiculous on me, I wasn't looking professional at all, so I went ahead and bought some stuff.  I went to the thrift store, but for one, I'm really not a shopper, I don't like to look and search and seek through everything and hope that I find something in my size, and that it's not worn beyond the shape of my body, soooooo I got myself one really nice pair of pants, and a nice skirt, but other than that, I'm not really happy with my purchases, and I will be donating them to the good will.

I did go to Ross, and I bought myself a minimal, but working wardrobe for 150 bucks.  I bought some size 14 and size 16 slacks, an XL dress or two.  I'm just thinking that this will tide me over until I lose so much weight that I don't look good in these anymore...I'm not losing weight super fast, and I'm coming up on 6 months, so I think I will be in these for long enough to get my money's worth.  The thing I like about dresses is, you can slap a belt on them, and they fit, and still look chic, sooooo, we'll see how that goes.

I'm working out, I'm eating well, getting in my vitamins....my fluid intake is really the last thing that I have to get in line (which may have something to do with why I haven't been losing as quickly-which is ok, because I already get too many comments at work, and again, I didn't tell anyone I had surgery...my business)...Anyway, It's looking like I'm going to get all of my fluid in today.  Hopefully from this point foreward, I'll be getting everything in.

So again, I'm feeling great! :-)

~elle

Eating has been much better.  I'm starting to get the hang of this thing.  What I have noticed is that if I go without eating for a while, it's like my stomach shrinks, and I'm not really able to eat much at all.  As long as I eat a few times a day (small things), I get in a decent amount of protein, and I don't draw attention to myself trying to eat around people.

The weight is coming off nicely.  I'm at like 215ish.  People keep stopping me and saying the craziest things.  It's weird to me, because people are so flabbergasted by how 'good' I look...but I look the same to me.  I've never seen myself as some overweight, unshapely, unattractive female.  I've always felt pretty and curvy...that's what I see when I look in the mirror now.  When people tell me I don't look like myself, I beg to differ.  I've started firing back a little bit.  Not in a mean way, because people are trying to be nice and pay me a compliment, but just to kind of let them recognize what they just said.

I cross my legs all of the time now, so that's fun :-)

I went to L.A. this weekend to see my family.  Not one of them gave me a backhanded compliment, so that was nice.  They were all surprised by my weight loss, and just happy for me.  No one asked me how I did it.  They just accepted that I have lost weight, and that I'm looking good.  I was able to eat a chicken leg at lunch.  Put my food on a small plate, turned down all deserts, and I looked like a normal lady on a diet :-)

None of my clothes fit.  I'm really struggling with trying to find things that make me look presentable during work.  I'm basically just wearing dresses everywhere I go.  I've tried Goodwill, not too happy with the results on that.  Other than that, things are going well.

~elle

Well, I'm down to 223 lbs right now.  My weight loss has finally started picking up momentum.  I go to the park and walk most days, so that's good.  I bout a size 14 dress yesterday...down from a 22, so that feels good.

I'm really not enjoying eating.  Many days (but not all days, and luckily, not once when I've been out with friends) I get that pain in the middle of the chest after a few small bites...so I go bring the food up just to relieve the pain. 

No problems with fluids at this point, I'm doing really well with my fluids, vitamins, and excercise.  I just have to learn to eat comfortably.  Part of my difficulty is that what works for me one day, does not work at all the next day.

I continue to try with the food..and there you have it.  Other than that, life is good.

~elle

Ok, so I'm at just over 3 months post op, and I've finally lost 50 lbs from my date of surgery, which puts me at 230 lbs!  Yay me (doing a mini-victory dance..disco fever style   ).

Once I tip that scale into the 220s (I don't care if it's 229.4), I'll feel like Onederland is just on the horizon, so that will be some extra motivation for me.

Hmmm, what's been going on...Well, I had my first set of labs done.  Everything looks good.  The only flag for an abnormal value that I got was that my good cholesterol is a little low....soooo, I've gotta raise my cholesterol .  I was looking up ways to do that.  There are some foods one can eat, which will have a minimal impact during the best of times...I'm not sure that I could get in significant quantities to really make a difference, so I think that ramping up the exercise might be my best bet (I read that exercise increases good cholesterol...who knew?).

I had been doing really well with keeping in the foods that I put in (I haven't had a problem with making bad choices, protein is always the goal), but over this past week, I've been vomiting and nauseous more often.  It's odd, because I have these periods where everything that I eat stays down comfortably, and then I have periods where the same foods just decide that they they would rather not reside in my tummy....It's definitely not a stricture, because again, some foods sit still...others don't.  Oh well, this is life right now.  Sometimes I am able to get up and move around, and that helps the food stay put.  I do get in my greek yogurt everyday.  If I've had a particularly low protein day, or if I feel like too much of my protein has come up, I'll have a shake, but I mostly get in good amounts of protein from food.  When I pack my breakfast/lunch in the morning, I count the protein.  I was thinking the other day about just how different something as little as packing lunch is now...it's a numbers game for me, lol.

None of my clothes fit properly, so I've made my first trip to goodwill.  Can't say that I particularly enjoyed the experience, especially at my size (16s and 18s mostly), because there's still so much that I can't fit.  I was just mostly looking at size tags, and going ok, this will fit, I'll take it...it served a purpose though.  Can't wait to enjoy real shopping at a regular store...

I'm getting in much more fluid.  I don't know why, but I'm really enjoying taking my bottles of water, adding my sugar free flavor of choice (usually pink lemonade), sticking it in the freezer until it gets halfway frozen, and then I take it out and eat/drink it....it's odd for me, because I usually don't like really cold things.  I have really sensitive teeth, but this works for me, and I'm getting closer and closer to the 64 oz mark with it....

Life is good...that's all for now.

~elle