penguin5

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I have lost 85 pounds!  This has been such an amazing journey.  I continue to exercise a lot.  I do 30 min. on th elliptical machine and now can do half the workout at level 2!  I also do weights 3x a week and try to fit in water aerobics 2 or 3 times a week also.  I never thought I'd love exercising so much!  I work on getting my protein in and it's breakfast I struggle with the most.  I just read tips on how to make a protein shake without the awful foam, so I'm hoping I'll get this problem under control!  I work hard to stay away from carbs.  I have also managed to increase my water intake to 50 or 56 oz. a day.  The work is well worth it when I see the results on the scale and in my clothes.  I am wearing a 2x top and 1x leggings or a 20/22W pants.  Pants are hard to wear with my hanging belly and smaller in proportion legs.  I feel better than I have in over 20 years.  I am anxious because I'm close to losing the big 100 pounds and also very close to finally weighing under 200 pounds!  I have been so blessed and am very thankful for my success.

I can't believe 3 months have gone by since surgery.  I'm now down 71 pounds.  I am feeling great and have a lot of energy.  I don't see the difference in the mirror, but I sure feel it when I am moving.  

I am exercising 30 minutes a day and have been able to increase my time on the elliptical machine to 25 minutes!  I am doing weights every other day, too.  I have even gotten up to exercise at 5 a.m. and I am NOT an early morning person.  The increased time on the elliptical has really helped with my weight loss.  Many weeks I've lost 4 pounds.

I am eating lots of different things now and still haven't thrown up.  I have had a few moments when I wished I had!  I almost got sick on refried beans at a restaurant and sugar-free frozen yogurt almost did me in the other day.  I do not touch sugar and don't miss it one bit.  I also really limit my carbs.  Some days that is hard.  I love the crunch ycrackers and pretzels and  have to fight to stay away from them.  I don't have too much trouble with hunger yet.  

I have a trouble getting in all of my water.  I only get in about 40 oz. a day.  I'm working to increase that since I think it will make a difference in my weight loss.

I am so thankful I did this for myself.  I can't wait to see how things go in the coming months!

I have now lost 58 pounds total.  I am feeling really good and have been doing exercise for 35 minutes DAILY.  I do 25 on the treadmill and a little bit of cool down and then 7 minutes on the eliptical, which about kills me!  I couldn't even do the eliptical for 1 minute before surgery without it killing my knees.  Now it just burns my thighs!

My umbilical hernia has become a bit of an issue.  I hurt it straining from constipation a few weeks ago and it took several days to go back down and stop hurting.   I guess with my weight loss things must "shift" and I feel the hernia much more than I ever did before. I will need to have it fixed in June and it won't be a moment too soon.  I have to be careful not to strain the abdomen and certainly can't do any kind of sit ups!

Eating has become much better.  I work at getting my protein in, but eating isn't such a chore.  I'm not really hungry, but I can eat meals and I can eat much more variety now, so that helps, too.  I don't go anywhere near sugar and I'm SOO lucky I've never dumped and never vomited.   I just can't wait to eat salad!!

Tomorrow I see Dr. Thoman for my 2 month check up and then I see Chantalle for some pointers on nutrition.  The hardest part of the surgery for me now is getting in all of my vitamins and remembering to take the awful Actigall to avoid gallstones.  I'll be so glad when I can finally swallow pills!

My clothes are fitting great and it's amazing to wear anything in my wardrobe again!  I have even needed to put the seat forward in my car and I can now drop down the steering wheel without it gouging into my belly!  I am so incredibly glad that I had this surgery.  I can't wait to see what  kind of success the coming months bring.

I've now lost 26.5 pounds one month after surgery.  I've lost a total of 43.5 since August.  I can really tell a difference in my shirts.  I am wearing some shirts I haven't worn in 5 years!  I also was able to wear some shoes yesterday that previously hadn't been comfortable.  The edema in my ankles is gone, so that's what made the difference.

I am now no longer hungry and eating is a chore.  Having to take such small bites and chew thoroughly can be hard work...who would have EVER thought I'd say that about eating!??:)  I am now able to eat the different foods like soft chicken, lunchmeat, cheese, refried beans, etc. and eating slowy and chewing well has paid off because I've NEVER vomited since surgery or experienced the dreaded dumping syndrome  ...knock on wood!  I now have to work hard to get my protein in and though it's a struggle, I try to force myself since I know I'll be really sad a few months out as I lose hair if I don't get that important protein down now.  I met with the nutritionist and once I can get 40-50 g. of protein in with food, then I can add some soft cooked veggies and soft fruit to my diet.

I really don't feel deprived of food.  Before it was so awful to always be at choice in whether I would indulge in food.  Now there's no choice (especially since I DREAD the thought of getting sick or having dumping syndrome) and it's such a relief to no longer have to make the choice.  I do miss fresh fruit and a salad has looked really good to me, but as the nutritionist assured me, it will not be like this forever and my day to eat those foods will be here once again. 

Some days I have no energy.  I have struggled to do my 30 minutes on the treadmill without feeling like I'm going to pass out.  I've cut it back to 20 minutes and hope the weather will improve so I can do water aerobics again without freezing! 

This has not been an easy month...sometimes I felt like I was barely going to make it, but I'd do it all over again to feel free from stressing over losing weight and see the difference it's making for me!

I weighed in yesterday, 8 days after surgery, and have lost 12 pounds!  It really hit me that this surgery is WORKING!!:)  I've lost 29 pounds since August 5th.  I can even feel the difference in a few of my shirts.  

I have been hungry at some point every day.  I guess it's head hunger, so it's really teaching me a lot about my years of bad habits and reaching for food no matter what emotion I was feeling.  I had the broth from some wonton soup the other night and it was like a gourmet meal!!  I was so excited to have something so tasty.  I'm no longer needing pain medication and I'm now back to excercising on the treadmill.  I see the doctor on the 13th and hope to get clearance to return to my water aerobics classes. I've still had no vomiting or nausea...knock on wood!   Every day gets better and better!

I spent two nights in the hospital.  I never got nervous until I got up on the operating table..that was a little intimidating!  My anesthesiologist was the same doctor who was my son's anesthesiologist when he was an infant and needed surgery.  The worst part of the surgery was waking up with UNBEARABLE gas pains right in the middle of my chest.  I swore I was having a heart attack!  The pain lasted for over 24 hours and no pain meds could help with it.  

I now have some tenderness from the surgery, but the pain medication helps.  It just tastes awful!  The first few days I truly felt a little hungry.  Today I don't.  I have been getting in my 70 g. of protein in by drinking two protein shakes a day.  I also eat some jello and popsicles and drink some water throughout the day.  I had broth for dinner last night and it didn't seem to agree.  It gave me a stomach ache and made me just feel "wierd."  I don't know why...I didn't have it too hot.  So I'm just sticking to things that work!  I have not vomited at all and have only had a few short periods of nausea.  I am so happy I had this surgery and can't wait to see the results!  I'm relieved to have the surgery/hospital part over with and be on the "losing" side!

Pre-op all went well and I really liked Sonja, who is the first surgery of the day and who will hopefully be my roommate at the hospital!  I worked today and all my colleagues and friends were very sweet in wishing me well.  I am not nervous...yet!  I am excited and ready to get the surgery over and begin the hard work and see the awesome results.  This is my last day of being miserably uncomfortable in my body.  I'll post when I'm on the "other side!"

Tomorrow I go to have pre-op appt. at Cottage Hospital, bloodwork done and a weigh in at Dr. Thoman's office.  I had hoped to lose a lot more weight before surgery, but I'm still holding at 3.5 additional pounds lots.  Not bad considering Thanksgiving holidays I guess.  I am getting so excited for the big day!  Lots of people ask me if I'm nervous.  I'm adopting the saying from a recent episode of Extreme Home Makeover:  Lots to think about but nothing to worry about.  I believe that kind of thinking will get me through this!  Another exciting thing is I've been in touch with another gal having surgery the same day as me with Dr. Thoman.  She's the first surgery of the day and I'm the second.  I'm having lunch with her tomorrow since we're having pre-op appts at the same time.  How nice to meet a buddy having surgery the same day as me!!  I'm so grateful for this board or I wouldn't have met her.

It's now just about two weeks before surgery.  I've lost another 3.5 pounds since my visit with Dr. Thoman.  I'm planning things to do before surgery now and it seems like there are so many arrangement to be made before the big day!  I'm not nervous...yet!  I am excited and enjoying getting ready for my big day.

I made it to see the wizard!  It was not easy to lose the weight in just 23 days.  I'm so glad it worked out and that I got to schedule my surgery.  I had hoped for the beginning of December, so I'm thrilled to be scheduled for November 30th.  I am still trying to lose weight before surgery and I've been exercising almost daily.  Since my surgery is scheduled close to the holidays I'm hoping to recuperate in time to enjoy Christmas with my family.