Long time no....write?

So it has been quite a while since my last post. I just remembered this blog this morning as I was sitting at my desk procrastinating. I'm glad I did! I was reading over my previous posts and it has really made me think about this crazy journey. It's hard to know where to start since my last post...I guess we can begin with visiting my list of goals! 1. Run a 5k I was supposed to run my first 5k in August, but I got strep, so I am doing my first official 5k this Saturday. I am pretty confident that I will be able to run the whole time and complete it in 35 minutes. 2. Go kayaking No Kayaking, but I did go canoeing down the river with my bf. I'm a tense boater. 3. Weigh less than my boyfriend Boom. Done. 4. Ride my bike to work I laughed when I read this one after not seeing it for a while. I don't even have a bike. 5. Take and exercise class at the gym I was on a crazy Zumba kick for a while. I still think its fun, but I have been wanting to work on running at the gym instead. 6. Learn how to cook healthy food A work in progress... 7. Ride a roller coaster Not yet! 8. Have a baby ( wayyyy in the future:)) Haha definitley not yet! 9. Buy cloths in regular sizes I have been shopping at old navy and I can shop in the store adn not have to order the plus sized clothes online. ! Check! 10. Get a personal trainer Yeah, I need to work on this. Maybe once I lose 20 more lbs, I was thinking I could get one to work with me on toning. I think I have made some good progress with these goals. I am very excited to complete my first 5k. I will probably get emotional. I get emotional when I type my weight into the machines at the gym! Which is 200lbs by the way! It has been under 200 a couple of times, but until it is consistent I'm not counting that as being under 200. When I get there it will be a great day! This summer was a great one. Lots of time to focus on getting hhealthy. And I got engaged! Ah! I can't believe it! So many exciting things happening and I couldn't be happier:)

4 Weeks

Tuesday was my 4 week point. Things have been going pretty good so far. I haven't weighed myself this week. I want to get down to 250 by my next DR appointment in the middle of April. I don't know if thats totally unreasonable. I have started more regularly at the gym this week. I am doing the couch to 5k thing. It seems to be going pretty well. I am also doing the circuit training at PF a couple times a week. I can feel myself having lots more energy daily. After I eat though, my stomach feels weird. Not like sick to my stomach, but not regular...if that makes sense.

On St. Patrick's Day I tried some vodka in my cranberry juice. I was totally fine. I didn't drink half as much as I would have normally. I didn't notice myself getting drunk super fast or anything. ( I know this probably makes me seem like I have a drinking problem...but I don't) I have also tried some other things...goldfish, guacamole, tortilla chips, black beans, cheez its. Not much of any of it, but it was all fine. After I had the cheez its I had a freak out...like what the hell am I doing eating this shit!!

I'm going to NYC tomorrow. I got some of those EAS carb advantage protein shakes...they are pre-made and available at TARGET. Pretty good. Welllll my life is calling me! BYE

3 Weeks

Today marks 3 weeks post op. I went to the DR yesterday and weighed in at 272. Thats 10lbs down from my last appointment which was nine days after surgery. So I guess at this point I have lost 17lbs since surgery. Not bad! I am starting to see a difference. My cloths definitley fit differently and my face looks less fat.

I started going back to the gym on Sunday. Prior to surgery I had been doing a modified couch to 5k kind of thing. Running (SLOWLY) for 1/4 mile and walking a 1/4 mile. Sunday when I started back I walked for an hour on the treadmill. Yesterday I tried some running/walking. I don't want to overdue it and get burned out so early. I am thinking I might take a break today.....but I don't know.

Also, I have been eating some different things. Chilli, tuna, turkey, string cheese, chicken with spaghetti sauce on top (yum). I have some salmon waiting for me at home to eat tonight. I have noticed since going back to the gym that if I go at night, it's hard for me to eat anything afterwards. I am so thirsty, so I drink water, then I don't have room for food. This has happend the past couple of nights. Sunday night I drank too much at one time which caused me to be in discomfort and to burp a lot. It was gross.

St. Patty's is coming up this weekend....I have been known to drink quite a bit on occasion...It's going to be quite a change seeing it from the other side this year. We'll see what happens!

Back to Work!

Monday was my first day back at work...13 days after surgery. It was so crazy going from one extreme, of lying in bed all day watching tv, getting up occasionally to walk, to the other extreme, on my feet all day teaching middle school band followed by working at an elementary school until 6. I definitely overdid it the first day. By the time I got to my second job I was so tired and sore. I didn't sleep at all Monday night which made for a not so good Tuesday. But today is Wednesday and I am feeling better. I would definitely advise easing back to your normal routine. I had planned to go back to the gym this week, but I'll make that next weeks goal.

I have been having some pain lately. It's hard to explain. It feels like its the muscles on my abdomen that are hurting. Sometimes it will be a dull feeling like maybe I did too many crunches (haaa if that were the case I wouldn't be in this position). Sometimes its a sharp pain around the incision areas. I googled it all and it seems normal, so I'm not freaking out about it. I see my DR again on Monday and I will discuss it with him then.

Yesterday I met with my nutritionist. I am now on the stage 4 diet. I am so excited because I don't think I could have done all protein drinks for much longer. I can have things like chicken, hamburger, turkey fish, chilli....as soon as I left that office I went to Wendy's for some chilli. I was nervous to try it, but it was totally fine. I had half for dinner and half for lunch this afternoon. I can start stage 5 on April 3rd. I pretty excited for the day when I can have a salad again!

It's funny, I remember when my mom had this surgery 6 years ago, being nervous for her whenever she tried a new food...or when we went out to eat. I was always worried she might have some kind of bad reaction and throw up or something. Now I feel the same way about myself. She never had any problems with anything. I hope I am as lucky as her.

Back to Work!

Goals

I was reading this book about having weigh loss surgery called the Weight Loss Connection...It's pretty great. Lots of info on what to expect, how to tell people you're having surgery, recipes, and so much more. One of the things they suggest is making a list of things you want to do once you lose weight. I don't know why I never thought of this before.

I guess I should start by declaring a goal weight. I never talked about it with my Doctor. I looked it up online and it says a healthy body weight for my height (5'8") is somewhere in the range on 121-163. Thats a pretty big range. I can't imagine myself at 121 lbs...or 163 for that matter. That being said, I am going with 150 lbs. Now that I have a goal weight, here is a list of some of my other goals, in no particular order, which I'm sure I'll add to over time.

1. Run a 5k
2. Go kayaking
3. Weigh less than my boyfriend
4. Ride my bike to work
5. Take and exercise class at the gym
6. Learn how to cook healthy food
7. Ride a roller coaster
8. Have a baby ( wayyyy in the future:))
9. Buy cloths in regular sizes
10. Get a personal trainer

I think thats a good start..I know I am preobably missing a lot of obvious ones. But thats a start.

Sidenote: I just spent the last half hour trying on practically everything in my closet. I was VERY happen to find that lots of things that I haven't worn in a long time fit me again. A definite boost! I might do this every Sunday night:)

First Post

Ok, I did it. I had gastric bypass. I have been thinking about this for a long time. My mother had the surgery 6 years ago and has had great success. The process for me started pretty recently and all went pretty quickly. I went to an info meeting about the surgery at the end of October 2011 and had my surgery on February 21, 2012.

When I went for my first weigh in at the Bariatric Clinic I weighed 317 lbs. They told me I would have to lose 17 lbs to be eligible for surgery. At that point I was not sure how seriously I was taking the whole situation. I continued my "regular" lifestyle until after Thanksgiving when I decided to make some changes to really make this happen. By that point I had gained about 10 lbs, making my starting weight 327. I made it to 300 lbs sometime in January and then was able to meet with the surgeon and make moves to get this done. On the day of surgery I weighed 289.

It has been 9 days since the surgery. I stayed at the hospital for two nights. I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but the pain after was more than I thought it would be. The first few days I couldn't even think of eating anything. I am feeling a lot better now, moving around very easily. The protein shakes are kind of killing me...3 times a day! It's hard and taking the vitamins...they they taste so gross to me. Whatever, I'll do it. I meet with the nurtrionist next week. Hopefully they will put me on a stage 4 diet, which includes ground meat. Yayaaay! I met with my DR today and I have lost 7 lbs since surgery. That puts me at 282.

I don't know if anyone will read this, or if I even want anyone to read this. I do know I want to write everything down to help keep me on track. I have been down this road of trying to lose weight so many times. I want to do it right this time. I want to lose weight, I want to be healthy, I want to be active. I am very hopeful for my future. I am lucky to have some very supporitve people to help during this journey (lame) and I have some that still need to come around...but I am on my way. I even bought a pair of pants that were on clearance for $6 in a size 18 (skinny). Who knows when those will find their way into my wearable wadrobe... one day at a time!