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Weight Loss Journey from Start to Finish

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Weeks 31 And 32 Combined

Week 31 and 32   Last week’s weight – 193.6 This week’s weight – 191.8 Total weight lost this week – 1.8   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 54.2 lbs   Sorry for the failure to post last week. My weight stayed the same from week 30 to week 31 (193.6) but dropped in week 32 by 1.8 lbs.   I got my period in week 31 and had a major Halloween candy binge (for me… with the sleeve…which was nothing compared to my pre-sleeve Halloween candy binges. Thank. God.).   I am a little sick (cold like symptoms) this week but I have stuck to my Crossfit gym routine. I have to say when I stepped on the scale this morning I almost fainted from shock. I was expecting to see more of the same (bouncing between 193 and 195 which I have been doing lately). So seeing 191 on the scale was super exciting. That means I am pretty close to the 180’s. Yay! My goal is 150 (with a fantasy goal of 145).   I went to an evening session of Crossfit (I am normally a morning girl) and someone I met when I first joined 2 months ago was impressed by my weight loss since I joined. I haven’t loss that much since I joined Crossfit but I think I must look “toner”. That was a nice compliment to get. It made my evening.   Basically I am still trucking along. It is easier to stay on track when I am busy and not as easy to stay on track when I am off schedule (we had a week off for fall break that messed up my eating habits a bit…as in I was eating more).   I ran into someone from my husband’s work at the voting poll and she said that my husband had said I had lost a lot of weight….since he never brings it up at home I was surprised he had said anything. He is a great guy who will love me at any size but it is nice to hear that he has been noticing.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

Week 9 (Or 10 Depending On How You Look At It) - Postop

I weighed in this morning and was at 213.8 (down from a high of 246). That means I lost 1.6 lbs this week (which I am totally fine with).   My average weight loss is about 3.6 if you look at it from a 9 week perspective but I lost 10 lbs the week of preop so if I factor 10 weeks working on it then I am averaging a weekly weight loss of 3.24 (not too bad!).   I am currently down 32.4 lbs.   Memorial Day weekend was definitely a food challenge. I had 3 wine coolers before the sugar got to me (and the fact that I hadn't factored in the carbonation). I had 2 glasses of wine, a bunch of cheese its, 2 servings of lemon merange pie (not back to back), and decent amount of doritos. Everything else was pretty much within moderation. If I eat too fast I get very hot quickly and feel like crude. It is sometimes a chore to slow down the eating when everyone around you is eating so fast. Got compliments from my neices whom I hadn't see in awhile and got some random "Are you losing weight" comments at work.   I don't get super hunger and I fill up fast. I ate out twice this week. Once I had edamane and a hamburger with sauteed mushrooms and melted cheese (no bun and I didn't finish all the hamburger). I also went to McDonalds and had the kids meal with 4 chicken nuggets, small fries, and 1/2 a milk (I drank the other half of the milk the next day and had the apple slices in my lunch the next day as well).   Today I ate   Breakfast - one piece of deli salami and one piece of deli roast beef plus a 1/2 a cup of milk   Snack - Ensure high protein shake   Lunch - green sugar free jello, 1 oz plain almonds, diced turkey cubes and a diced cheese stick (spread out over an hour an a half)   Snack - cut up strawberries and blueberries, 5 peices of deli salami, and 2 jalepeno stuffed olives (plus 2 sugar free breath mints)   Dinner - Single serving of Lloyds BBQ (bought them in 4 oz individual packets)   I didn't do any exercise (and I feel kind of bad about that considering I had 3 days off where I could have at least walked). I did go on a field trip with students where I walked up a giant lighthouse but that was about it.   Until next week!   Goal next week - Get more water in!!!!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

5
 

Week 7 Postop - Weigh In

Today is week 7 for me postop. I've been losing at a fairly slow (but steady) pace so I was surprised to see that the scale read a 3.8 weight loss for the week (yay!).   My total weight loss is now at 29.4 lbs lost. I'm happy to write that I am out of the 240's, 230's, and now the 220's. Now to steadily lose out of the 210's   This puts my average weekly weight loss at - 4.2 lbs (I've decided to factor in the 10 lbs I lost pre op).   Not sure why the scale jumped so dramatically this week. I've only exercised once this week (deliberately).   My best meal this week came from the Outback. I had their seared Ahi Tuna appetizer (small plate) and a cup of their baked potato soup (Yum! My new Outback favorite).   Now to see what the next week brings!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

5
 

Week 6 Postop - Weigh In

Today I weighed in at 220.4. So I lost 1.6 lbs this week. My total weight loss is at 25.6 lbs. I'm glad I hit the 25 lb mark and now my goal is to be out of the 220's (FOREVER!). On average (since surgery) I am losing 2.6 lbs a week.   I am in a 1x comfortably in tops (I have a NSV - non scale victory - of fitting into several tops that I kept but I could barely get into on the 1x side). My pants are probably an 18 and a half (but since they don't make that size I am wearing 20's and some 18's). I bought a pair of 18W white jean capri yesterday at Kohols that i will have to "strech out" before wearing and I bought the CUTEST linen tops in XL from the women's section and I think I can get away with them if I wear a compression tank underneath (or strech them). If not I'll wear them when I start to go down to the XL size (they were that cute   The only planned exersize I got this week was dancing in a Zumba flash mob this past Saturday (fun but boy do I look HUGE on the video).   I've collected quite a bit of small containers and make my Bento lunch each day. I like that I can snack all day by just grabbing one (I usually have four containers). The other day I had greek vanilla yogurt in one 4 oz container. Go lean crunch cereal in a 1 oz container to mix into the yogert, a 4 oz container of cottage cheese, a 4 oz container of hamburger with mac and cheese, a 4 oz container of marinated cucumber, onion, green pepper mix. It was an eclectic mix but I ate them so spaced out that it didn't bother me.   I am currently contemplating joining the Y for $50 a month to go to the aerobics classes and to use the pool for lap swimming. Part of me wants to start a walking program first at home using my zillion Walk Away the Pounds tapes first and then join the Y when school gets out and I have a more flexible schedule.   I still need to work on remembering that I have had the surgery so that I stop grabbing larger portions of food that I can't eat AND remembering to eat on a pretty regular schedule. Yesterday I had breakfast and didn't eat again until 3:00 p.m. I was STARVING (I was shaking and the start of a headache was kicking in) and wolfed down some rolls at a restarant and was so sick until I walked around until I felt better (thank goodness...the person I was with was worried about me.). My lesson learned from that experience was to pack a protein bar when I know I am not going to be eating for awhile and to not start with the bread basket!   Attached is a picture of me in my Zumba Flash Mob tshirt.   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Week 5 Postop Weigh-In

I weighed myself this morning and I am at 222 lbs (from 246). That puts my total weight loss at 24 lbs (was sort of hoping to hit 25 lbs this week...oh well, maybe next week).   I lost 10 lbs during my preop diet so that means I have been losing (after surgery) an average of 2.8 lbs a week.   I've been experimenting with food this week (different types and different amounts). Glad to report that I get full very fast on solid food. The easiest on my stomach are still liquids (protein drinks but adding frozen fruit and sugar free syrups) and cream soups.   I've been eating the Atkins peanut butter and chocolate bars (from Walmart) and those go down well (happy they have 19 grams of protein).   I'm currently obsessed with finding small containers to make a bento box type lunch box. The smallest I've found so far has been 4 oz at Walmart.   I ordered some Quest bars online (high protein bars) that were recommended by the blogger "The World According to Egg Face." If you type in sample in the code box you get free shipping. I'll report back on how they tasted.   Clothes - I can wear 1x shirts with no problem (starting from 2x). I am in 18W pants (lots of my pants are super baggie now...yesterday I wore a 20W I got from Belks and they were distractingly baggie). I am probably an 18 1/2 (but they don't make that size!).   Exercise - I walked two miles during Relay for Life on Friday and went to Zumba Flashmob practice on Sunday. I'm waiting until the 6 week mark to get into a regular exercise routine.   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Week 4 Weigh In (One Month Postop)

Lost 2.4 lbs this week putting my total loss at 22.4 lbs. I am losing at approximately 3 lbs per week after surgery (I lost 10 lbs before surgery).   Happy with my weight loss even though at times I wish I could lose a more impressive amount (i.e. 7-10 pounds per week). I was the same way when I was dieting prior to the sleeve so I know that is unrealistic (but it doesn’t stop me from dreaming my weight loss fantasy!).   The last time I when I lost a significant amount of weight – 30 lbs – I basically stopped and gained it all back and then some. I don’t feel like that will happen this time with the sleeve (so for that I am grateful).   I’m still not exercising regularly. I am doing a Flash Mob performance with the local YMCA on May 5th and went to practice last week and that kicked my butt (I looked like a sweaty drowned rat after practice…but I felt good). I know serious exercise isn’t supposed to be introduced until week 6 but I don’t consider Zumba too serious (at least not the way I do it) and I kept my impact low during practice (less jumping more fake jumping). My problem is that I wanted to chug water like no tomorrow and it was really hard to slow myself down. I am finding the same problem with eating. I was technically allowed to start adding mushies this week but I had pretty much been eating mushies since my DC trip. The problem is I haven’t really got the slow eating down yet (working on it).   To give you an idea of what I am eating (and I am not hungry, just trying to get into a routine)…   Early AM – 8 oz of water and my gummy vitamins (fiber, regular, and dissolvable Biotin tablet) Breakfast – Generally is a protein drink. Something with 15 to 20 grams of protein. Midmorning – more water Lunch – Soup (although today I am trying some tuna and crackers thing I purchased at Walmart) Midafternoon – Water Snack – Peanut butter portable cup that I got at Walmart More water or another protein drink (I like OJ with vanilla protein powder) Dinner – Not sure what I am having tonight but the last night two nights I had a Taco Bell fresco chicken soft shell taco (just took the filling out and ate it..GOOD!) and refried beans (not the whole cup but pretty much the top layer with the cheese and beans). Water after dinner   Yesterday I had an Atkins chocolate/peanut butter bar with 19 grams of protein to see how I would tolerate it (it is 2.4 oz) and it was fine so I might be adding those into my meal/snack roation.   I am suffering from really bad dry mouth during the night so I keep a water bottle by the bed (seems to be a side effect of surgery for me).   The “bad” things I have had this week (lest anyone think I am some giant role model J. Saturday I had a class where they had a bunch of muffins and donuts. I took a Boston cream donut and ate the chocolate off the top and then ate the cream in the middle (none of the breading part).
Saturday after class I went to a hibatchi grill with a girlfriend and I ordered miso soup, edamame (which we split) and an order of gyozas. I did ok with the soup (I had about ¼ of a cup). The half order of edamame was good. I probably should have stopped at 2 gyozas and taken the remaining four home instead of forcing all six gyozas (I felt HORRIBLE and had the burpies).
Sunday went to my SIL’s house for dinner (which was fine – fish and steamed squash) it was the raspberry cream cupcake that made me a bit ill (again I would have been ok with just half instead of the full cupcake).
Monday went out to lunch and had half a small cup of tomato basil soup (good), half a tuna salad sandwich (just eating the tuna out of it – no bread) and then I got a child’s cup of lemon custard ice cream (which didn’t make me sick or ill but probably wasn’t the best choice…thank good there was a lot of walking afterward to move it through)
Tuesday was picture day at school and our photographer brought a ton of donuts. Did the chocolate and cream thing again but tried to eat the breading part. Got about a ¼ of it down and I could feel it sitting in my chest so I stopped.
  I’m not too worried about the bad things. I think a lot of it was a learning lesson for me and it was WAY less than what I would have eaten prior to the sleeve (normally I could have a full hibachi meal, four donuts and a waffle cone of ice cream…so I am considering this progress J).   Friday I have Relay for Life with my school so I plan to be trekking around that track quite a few times. Sunday I have my Zumba practice. Looking forward to both for the exercise.   People are noticing the weight loss in my face (my weight loss usually starts showing in the face, then boobs, stomach, and finally thighs). Nobody knows about the surgery.   I am a solid 20W in clothes size now. My 22’s feel/look baggie. I nearly bought a pair of white capris at Dillards the other day ONLY because I fit into the 16W (they were cut pretty big) but I had to buy a pair of jeans (Levis size 20 and a bit snug but figure they will stretch out normally) and both were around $40 so I opted for the jeans only (which I needed).   I think that is pretty much my week-in-review. Until next week….
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

3
 

Week 34 And 35 (Little Over 8 Months Out - 54.6 Lbs Down)

Week 34 and 35 (little over 8 months out – 54.6 lbs down)   Last week’s weight – 191.8 This week’s weight – 191.4 Total weight lost this week – .4   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 54.6 lbs   I haven’t posted anything in a while mostly because I am feeling blah about my weight loss. I seem to be jumping up and down the same few pounds and not making any headway. Headway for me means (1) getting to 55 lbs lost and (2) getting into and starting to work on getting out of the 180’s.   The lack of scale movement is definitely a “me” thing. I do well for a few days and then don’t for a few days. Example – Yesterday I had a great breakfast (Chocolate Slim Fast High Protein Shake with a frozen banana) and lunch (spaghetti squash spaghetti) but then I ate a regular size Hershey’s bar. I went home and ate a small bowl of chips as a snack, My husband made french dip sandwiches on a sub roll and I ate three quarters of it (should have stopped at a half – my stomach was protesting). After that dinner settled I had three Tim Tam cookies (way too much…I should have stopped at one…they are very rich). I barely drank any water (maybe four glasses total for the day).   Thanksgiving was in that time frame and I ate a good deal of pumpkin bread pudding with cream sauce and drank wine. I did make a group go out for a walk after dinner in order to help digest the food better. My stomach was feeling it.   I’m still going to Crossfit 3x a week and I think that has helped keep the pounds from coming back in too drastic a fashion.   On the non-scale victory side I bought a pair of size 14R Levi jeans the day before Thanksgiving. They are curvy fit jeans and I bought them at full price because I fit in them. I can get in most size 14’s (as in pull them up and button them but they are still snug everywhere so I don’t think I can say that I am a size 14 yet but moving in that direction. I am 5’5”).   I am dreading our Christmas break because I tend to eat and drink alcohol when I am bored. I did buy a refurbished Vitamix and am looking forward to using it (whenever it arrives….geez it takes forever!)     In an effort not to focus too much on the negative I underlined my positives over the past two weeks in this post just as a reminder to me that I am still making progress and some good choices.   Today my meal plan is:   Breakfast - Chocolate high protein slim fast shake with frozen banana (7 a.m.) Snack – 1 oz of plain almonds (10 a.m.) Lunch – Left over spaghetti squash spaghetti (11:30 a.m.) Snack – Atkins Bar (2 p.m.) Dinner – Half a French Dip sandwich with small amount of chips (left overs) Snack – 1 Tim Tam bar in warm milk
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

5
 

Week 33 (Still In The 190's)

Week 33   Last week’s weight – 191.8 This week’s weight – 191.8 Total weight lost this week – 0   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 54.2 lbs   This week I stayed the same weight wise, which I am grateful for. I’m currently recovering from a Breaking Dawn movie theater binge – small popcorn with light butter and a bag of sour gummies (ugh!). Don’t have any giant Thanksgiving plans so I should be ok next week.   Hoping to get into the 180's over the holidays.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

0
 

Week 30 (Vanilla Protein Powder - Still Don't Like It)

Week 30   Last week’s weight – 194.6 This week’s weight – 193.6 Total weight lost this week – 1   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 52.4 lbs   Surprised I lost 1 lb this week mainly because I had one of those “I’m tired of constantly thinking about what goes in mouth” week and pretty much said “the heck with it!” I ate poorly the majority of the week. Maybe that shocked my system?!?! Who knows. I did A LOT of medicine ball squats at Crossfit and someone told me that a good leg workout burns more calories than any other muscle group in the body. Maybe that contributed to my loss this week? Whatever…I will take it.   Bottom line is I am getting closer to getting out of the 190’s. It definitely feels like a slow process to get out of there though.   I have semi shelved the vitamix idea (unless I happen to come across one that is priced really really well).   I did come to the realization that week that I am officially not a huge fan of vanilla protein powder. I bought a tub from Unjury and I’m not loving it. In their defense I didn’t like the slimfast vanilla protein drink either. I made a drink the other day with oj, vanilla protein powder, and frozen berries and I am thankful I looked in the mirror before I left for school because I had seeds from the berries all over my teeth from drinking it. I do like their chocolate splendor and strawberry sorbet and I usually drink two a day (for a total of 40 grams of protein).   I still avoid soda but I have indulged here and there. I drink it very slowly and I never can finish one.   There isn’t one particular food I avoid because it bothers my pouch. I can pretty much eat anything at this point but in smaller amounts. I don’t experience hunger like I did prepouch which is AWESOME. I’m becoming ambivalent about food and don’t feel the need to eat until I am stuffed. At week 30 I am still very glad I had the procedure done!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

3
 

Week 3 Weigh In

I stepped on the scale for my weekly weigh in this morning and I was a bit bummed that I only lost .8 pounds. I was hopping for something a little more "wow'ish". I am definitely not eating much - mostly liquids with protein so I am guessing that my body is going into that fun starvation mode where it wants to hold on to every ounce of fat it can.   That puts my total weight loss (including preop) to 19.8 lbs. (10 pounds preop and 9.8 pounds in 3 weeks...which I guess isn't too shabby - 3 pounds a week average).   I currently weigh - 226.2 (from a high of 246)   What cheeses me off is that I weighed myself after my DC trip and I was down 1 lb so I gained .2 of a pound in three days (this is why I can NOT weigh myself everyday!)   I am allowed to go into full liquid mode and mushies this week although I have been sort of introducing them this week. I experienced the burpies that people talk about and I need to slow down my eating (as in pausing longer before eating the next bite). I am happy to write that I can take larger drinks of water (before it was sip and count to 30 before the next sip).   I'm still not exercising   I'm not hungry and I need to develop some kind of eating routine to get all my protein and liquids in. Right now I have a slimfast high protien shake in the AM and OJ with protein for lunch and dinner is pretty much a crap shoot (jello, popsicles, broth). Water during the day. I have normal energy levels (which is good).   My goal for next week is to try and develop a more consistant eating routine (i.e. 6-7 a.m. get 8 oz of water in, 8:30 - 9:30 get protein in, etc.).   Some NonScale Victories - I can take my wedding ring off and on without a struggle. I was sitting at a 22W on pant size (really probably a 21 but they don't make that size ). I can now buy a 20W (I tried an 18W but they were very snug).   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

0
 

Week 29 (And The Vitamix Debate)

Week 29   Last week’s weight – 195.8 This week’s weight – 194.6 Total weight lost this week – 1.2   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 51.4 lbs   A bit surprised I lost weight this past week primarily because I spent the weekend up in the mountains for a wedding and there was a lot to eat and drink. I’m crediting the weight loss with the higher altitude and two days of hiking.   I’ve been waffling between 195 – 197 for the past few weeks so it was nice to see 194.something on the scale. I tried to take a picture of my scale but the first time the flash was too bright and the second time my batteries died!   I’m still doing Crossfit 3x a week and I’ve been getting a lot of compliments on how skinny I look even though I have not lost any pounds (I will have been doing Crossfit for 2 months as of next week). I haven’t checked my inches yet but will do so at the beginning of November to see what the affect of Crossfit has been on that. I do feel myself getting stronger and I can last longer and scale back less on the exercises.   Right now my big obsession is with a Vitamix blender. I have been looking at them on and off since I visited my mother (who has one) this past summer. I have been saving up (they are ridiculously expensive!). My only concern is would I use it. I make shakes in the morning for breakfast and it would be nice to add some veggies into it and my current blender can’t handle it but would I use it beyond that? This is something I am struggling with. I may take a road trip to our local Costco to see a demo in the hopes it would sway me one way or the other.   Does anyone have a vitamix and use it often after WLS?
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

6
 

Week 28 (7 Months)

Week 28 (7 months)   Last week’s weight – 195.8 This week’s weight – 195.8 Total weight gained/lost this week – 0   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 50.4 lbs   I need to have a serious “talk” with myself. I am not happy with this yo-yoing I am going through. Currently my weight is fluctuating between 197 – 195.8. I know this is due to a lack of focus. I hit the 50 lb mark and now I am not as motivated or as focused as I was.   My worst time is after work. I am bored or avoiding house work. That is when I munch and drink.   This is what I ate yesterday – 16 oz of water
Slimfast ready made drink with 20 grams of protein
Walked into a training where the trainer had Halloween candy. I ate 6 small twix and 3 whoppers (not hungry it was just there).
Cream of Chicken soup at hand
Crystal Light Lemonaid with 20 grams of protein (added strawberry protein stuff from Unjury)
Dinner with friend at Outback
Firefly Lemonaid Drink (had a few sips and then took home and finished later)
Ceaser Salad
Chicken Flatbread Pizza Appetizer (ate one slice and then took the rest home which I ate later)
[*]Finished rest of flatbread pizza (shared 3 slices with husband) and drink [*]Ate a bunch of pistachio nuts (not hungry – bored while watching TV – avoiding laundry) [*]Ate a bunch of dried mangos (not hungry – bored while watching TV – avoiding laundry)   I did work out in the morning – Crossfit.   In hindsight I should have not ordered the drink. I should have avoided the Halloween candy. I should have had the croutons taken off my salad. I should have drunk more water. I should have avoided the pistachio and dried mangos. Ugh….I stepped on the scale this morning and yup I was up from 195.8 to 197.2 (not counting it because I only record weight on Wednesday).   Need to be more mindful about my eating and drinking this week.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Week 27 (And Still Holding At 50 Lbs Lost...thank Goodness!)

Week 27   Last week’s weight – 194.8 This week’s weight – 195.8 Total weight gained this week – 1   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 50.4 lbs   Sorry for the late post. I’ve been PMSing most of the week and cheesed off that I gained a pound this week. In all fairness I probably deserved it. Last week I hit the long coveted 50 lb mark and instead of staying vigilant I slacked on mindful eating and drinking water. I also started my period so that wasn’t helping my mood (can you say giant bag of peanut butter m&m’s?).   I’ve had to reexamine my goals. My next big weight loss goal is to get to the next and final 50 lbs off. That is too overwhelming for me to think about so I’m going to focus on just getting out of the 190’s for right now.   Another thing I have been obsessing about is protein. I honestly don’t think I have been getting enough of it in so I purchased 3 tubs of protein powder from Unjury ($75…yikes!). I got their protein, vanilla, and strawberry sorbet. I like all three and each one has 20 grams of protein. My plan is to have a least two a day and get as much protein in as possible in between.   Until Wednesday!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

1
 

Week 26 (And Finally At 50 Pounds Lost!)

Week 26   Last week’s weight – 198.8 This week’s weight – 194.8 Total weight lost this week – 4 (happy dance!)   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 51.2 lbs   Woo Hoo….I finally broke the last few weeks of yoyo’ing and hit the 50 lb mark in my weight loss (half way to goal!).   I definitely did it through drinking a lot more water. I am still doing CrossFit as my main form of exercise (3x a week). I can feel myself getting stronger and more coordinated with the exercises but I definitely have to scale back a lot of the workouts. I’m ok with that mainly because I would like to be tone and stronger and not bulky.   My eating hasn’t been too bad this week. The hardest part of the day, for me, is getting home from work. Usually I am either bored or trying to avoid housework or homework so eating sounds good (luckily with my sleeve I am extremely limited with what I can eat). I don’t always make the best choices though.   I now officially fit into size 16 pants (from a 22W!). I bought 16’s from both the Eddie Bauer outlet and Target and they fit fine. I waffle in shirt size from a large to an XL. I bought a L from Eddie Bauer and stretched the crude out of it over the back of a large padded computer chair we have (it was tight across my belly fat). It is still a little tight across my bosom but I wore a sweater over it so it wasn’t too noticeable. Speaking of bosoms, I’ve gone from being at 42DD to a 40D (so I’ve had to buy some new bras).   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

6
 

Week 25

Week 25   Last week’s weight – 197.2 This week’s weight – 198.8 Total weight gained this week – 1.6   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 47.2 lbs   I am not happy in general with how my weight loss has slowed down. Honestly I thought I would be at 50 lbs by now and it is a little frustrating to see the scale go up and down like it has the past few weeks.   I’ve started looking at things I can do to help by scouring the boards for ideas. My favorite is to get sick . I would think that working with a ton of students and teachers that would happen sooner than later but alas it seems my immune system is working just fine. Right now I am trying the drink lots of water approach (I am currently starting day 2). I haven’t been drinking nearly enough and I would kill two birds with one stone but adopting this habit (breaking a stall and getting the appropriate amount of water in). I have been looking at the pouch test but am going to start with water first.   I shouldn’t be griping too much because 47 lbs is still a nice amount of weight to have lost and I am thrilled to: Get lots of compliments at work
Shop in the regular (not plus) side of stores
Not struggle to get my wedding ring on and off
Be below my driver’s license weight
Have enough energy to workout (walking and crossfit)
Be under 200 lbs
  I did step on the scale this morning (something I don’t normally do but I was curious to see if the water thing was working after the first day…and about a million trips to the bathroom) and I was down to 197.6 so that gives me hope for next Wednesday’s weigh in.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

6
 

Week 24 (Or 6 Months Post Op With Pictures)

Week 24 – 6 months post op   Last week’s weight – 200.8 This week’s weight – 197.2 Total weight lost this week – 3.6   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 48.8 lbs     Recovered from my gain last week with a nice loss. I was hoping to be down 50 lbs by my 6 month mark but…oh well…that’s the way it goes.   Attached is a side by side picture of my weight loss from highest to current.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

8
 

Week 23 - Gained Weight :(

Week 23   Last week’s weight – 198.4 This week’s weight – 200.8 Total weight gained this week – 2.4 lbs   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 45.2 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 1.8 lbs   Ugh! I gained 2.4 lbs this week. It is not too surprising. I was gone for the past five days on an anniversary trip with my husband and my eating (and drinking) was way out of whack - plus I didn’t get any strenuous exercise in. I got some exercise in…walking instead of driving in a car but nothing too noteworthy. I also got my period three days ago and I am sure that is not helping.   It is a little discouraging to see my weight above 200 again. I missed five days at Crossfit but went last night and this morning (I’m trying to do it at least 3x a week for the first month).   I am dog/house sitting for the next 10 days and I am hoping to keep myself on a pretty tight eating/exercising plan during that time just to get back on track.   Hoping to report a loss next week.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

1
 

Week 22

Week 22   Last week’s weight – 199.4 This week’s weight – 198.4 Total weight lost this week – 1   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 47.6 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 2.1 lbs   Excited that I lost 1 lb this week. My next goal is to be down 50 lbs by the time I hit the 6 month mark in a couple of weeks. That means 2.4 lbs in 2 weeks. Fingers crossed I can do it. Crossfit should help. I’ve been to two official classes and while things are greatly scaled back for me I still find it a challenging workout.   I am going to have to stay vigilant this weekend. I have an anniversary trip I am taking with my husband and that will involve a disruption in routine, eating out, and drinking AND I am getting my period.   On the clothing front, I bought a pair of size 18 khaki jeans at Walmart and have to wear them with wedge sandals due to the length. The combo of the long jeans and higher shoes makes me look thinned out. I got a ton of compliments today as a result! I also walked by Cato (a clothing store) and was so excited I could purchase clothes on the nonplus side of the shop. I even fit into a cute pair of size 16 black dress pants (that of course I bought).
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Week 21

Week 21   Last week’s weight – 200.2 This week’s weight – 199.4 Total weight lost this week – .8   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 46.6 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 2.1 lbs   Woo Hooo!!!!!! I am officially under 200 lbs as of this week. Although I didn’t have a spectacular weight loss it was enough to drive me under the 200 mark. My next goal is to get some more distance from the number 200 (right now I’m a little too close for comfort…particularly since I go into PMS mode next week).   I joined our Cross Fit gym this week and am currently going through their foundations class (4 classes total $100 not included in the month rate). I signed up for 3 months (after which it becomes a month-to-month charge). It is kind of expensive ($125/month) and I hesitated to join for a couple of reasons (expense and difficulty). The expense part I will have to live with (this was made slightly easier because I had a summer job that I applied that money toward) and I can scale back the difficulty and build up   What I like about the gym is that you walk in and there is a warm up and a routine of the day (once that is done you are finished). I also like that there is always a certified staff on the floor who can help. My warm up yesterday was a 250 meter row, 10 situps, 10 walking lunges (done twice). I scaled back the walking lunges because my knees aren’t great and they are difficult for me. The workout was 21 deadlifts, 800 meter run, 21 deadlifts, 550 meter run, 21 deadlifts, 400 meter run. My workout was scaled back (with the help of the staff) to 15 deadlifts (with reduced weight) and a 400 meter run/walk, 10 deadlifts with a 250 meter run/walk, 5 deadlifts with a 100 meter run. The goal is to build up from that. My plan is to go to the M-W-F classes and see where I stand at the end of the three months. Another thing I like about the gym is I really don’t care what I look like or what anyone else looks like. Everyone is just coming in, doing the routine to the best of their ability and moving on. Since we are all “in it together” people are very encouraging (some are competitive but that works for them).   The one thing I don’t want to do is become bulky (there is a lot of weight lifting). There are several women who go to the gym who are quite muscular and my goal is a bit different. I just want to become tone and fit but I think I can manage that by not going crazy with adding on insane amounts of weight.   I was also hoping by joining the gym it might help boost my weight loss by shocking my system (we will see how that goes at the end of the three months!).   Food wise I am doing fine. I’m packing my lunch since we are back to school. My lunch the other day was deli turkey and cheese roll ups and cut up green peppers and an Atkins chocolate/coconut bar for a snack. I’ve also had a Campbell soup at hand (cream of chicken or tomato), Atkins chocolate/peanut butter meal replacement bar, travel size peanut butter cup (for snack). I still need to be better drinking water throughout the day.   Yesterday I went to Outback and I ordered their new $15 meal deal which actually was quite a lot of food. I saved half of my steak and potatoes for lunch today. I need to stop ordering alcohol with my meals (habit). I wasn’t able to finish my $4 margarita and I really didn’t need it.   As I mentioned last week I am getting a lot of compliments on my weight loss after coming back from the summer break. My favorite was from a former 4th grader I taught (I know her mom) and she said, “Oh my gosh Mrs. Heaton I didn’t even recognize you. You look so skinny.)
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

Week 20 (5 Months Post Op)

Week 20   Last week’s weight – 201.6 This week’s weight – 200.2 Total weight lost this week – 1.4   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 45.8 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 2.2 lbs   I lost 1.4 lbs this week but still haven’t hit onederland yet (maybe next week). This week I have not been exercising as much as I would have liked primarily because I went back to work after the summer off. On the plus side I’ve been so busy at work that I think that is what helped shed some of the weight this week.   I tried a free Crossfit session this past weekend and enjoyed it. It is quite expensive ($110/month) so I am not sure if that is something I would join or not. Still looking at the Y at $50/month. I need to get my exercise motivation up a bit.   NSV - We've been off for several weeks for summer break and I have been getting lots of compliments from staff members now that I am back (particularly from staff at other schools whom I haven't seen for awhile). That has made me feel good this week
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Week 2 - Weigh In And Musings

(Weighing in a day early because I am leaving for a trip tomorrow)   Just finished week two. We were allowed to add in milk and protein drinks in at days eight and ten so that was the big “diet change” this week.   Glad I worked those three days I got home from surgery. It kept me busy. I don't do well when I'm bored (I would say that 9 times out of 10 I eat because I am bored). I had a long Easter weekend and found myself battling head hunger which stemmed from being bored (watched tv, read a book, and took up knitting again to try and keep boredom at bay).   I had to lie to my sister-in-law who invited us over for Easter brunch. Which is highly unusual (as in we never get invited to Easter brunch). I didn't tell anyone and I think she might notice if I didn't eat anything she cooked at the brunch! I've also been avoiding a friend who likes to eat out a lot. I've used lots of excuses from "I have to work" to "I just started my period". It will be easier when we both go back to work on Monday and stay busy with the school schedule.   I told another friend that I've eaten out and spent too much money the last couple of months and I have made a vow not to eat out for one month. Most people can relate to that!   My stomach still looks heavily bruised and I need to pull out some nail polish remover to get rid of the nasty tape residue on my tummy.   I've not found any drop in energy. I used to be able to come home from work and take a nap easily but I'm not even tired.   Bowel movements are still watery. Husband and I carefully got "jiggy with it". My enjoyment was slightly marred by being paranoid. His enjoyment not marred at all .   I’ve been collecting South Beach diet recipes on Pinterest and had to stop at one point because it wasn’t helping my head hunger! I like the general South Beach diet better then Atkins because it allows for healthy carbs.   I can easily swallow pills (have been able to since two days after surgery). Currently finishing up antibiotics from surgery and taking two stomach pills he gave us each evening. I also take my celexa in the am. I take a chewable multivitamin gummy, a fiber gummy, and dissolvable biotin pill (hair growth). I like the gummies because it gives me a sense of chewing.   I weighed in this morning at: 227 which puts my total weight loss at approximately 18 lbs. (10 of it preop so 8 of it post op).
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

Week 19 With Hair Loss :(

Week 19   Last week’s weight – 201.2 This week’s weight – 201.6 Total weight gained () this week – .4   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 44.4 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 2.2 lbs   I gained .4 this week which is not too surprising. I went out of town on Friday and ate out a lot and didn’t exercise Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. I have started back at school (doing professional development) so my mornings are a bit messed up now and I need to get an exercise routine in place that will work with my new back-to-school schedule. I did my Walk Away the Pounds DVD this morning (just one mile – the DVD is broke up into five mile segments) and I am hoping to walk outside this afternoon after my class (if it is not raining).   I have been noticing my hair coming out recently. I have to clear the drain in the bath tub of my hair every morning. The bar of soap has my hair on it and around the sink in the bathroom has my hair. Luckily I have very thick hair so it is by no means disastrous. It is, however, making me think about getting more protein into my day (and the need to clean the bathroom more ).   My challenge this week is establishing (getting back into) an exercise routine that will work for me when school officially starts back for teachers this coming Monday. I also need to drink more water (which by the way I like ice cold since my sleeve…weird).   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

4
 

Week 18

Week 18   Last week’s weight – 202.8 This week’s weight – 201.2 Total weight lost this week – 1.6 lbs   Beginning weight – 246 lbs Total weight loss since surgery – 44.8 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 2.4 lbs   Nothing too exciting to report this week. I am getting ever closer to that elusive “onederland” goal but at this rate it will be another two weeks before I reach it!   I went shopping with a friend and used it as an excuse to see what size clothes I can fit in now. I am a size 18 in regular sizes and a size 16W in womens clothing (the 14W's were still too snug). Didn't try on any shirts. I bought a pair of 16 shorts and 16 pants that are a little too snug but I figure I should fit into them shortly.   I bumped up some of my exercise this week with a few days of walking over a large bridge we have. The entire walk I mapped out is 5 miles and I has the added bonus of going up hill (most of the area around where I walk is pretty flat). I think I will add that to my walking routine but on the weekend due to the time factor (1 hour 35 minutes) where as my normal morning walking routine is about 55 minutes.   I am a little nervous about school starting in a couple of weeks because it will affect my morning walking routine. I’ll either have to work out to a tape in the morning or shift my walking to the afternoon (not sure what I’m going to do yet).   Eating challenges this coming week – Going to a restaurant with a friend (to***ht)
Going out of town for a couple of days (this weekend)
Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

1
 

Week 17 With Bathing Suit Picture

Week 17   Last week’s weight – 204 This week’s weight – 202.8 Total weight lost this week – 1.2 lbs   Total weight loss since surgery – 43.2 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 2.4 lbs   I am very happy to see a loss this week. I lost the .2 I had gained last week and another pound. I am past the WOW stage of weight loss (where I see a massive amount of weight – which I say is anything over 1.5 pounds – melting off of me). I’m now in the “recommended” level of weight loss – approximately .5 to 1 pound a week.   I’m still exercising (walking 3 miles most mornings) and I started adding in some light weight training afterward. I use the exercises in the book 8 Minutes in the Morning by Jorge Cruise. His basic premise is if you add in some very moderate weight you will see a bump in your weight loss as muscle burns more than fat. I’ve only done it six mornings so I can’t really give it a solid review (I’ve had the book on my shelf for YEARS). I didn’t like the order of the activities so I cut out the exercises and rearranged them so they made sense to me (essentially I don’t want to have to get up off the floor to do a standing exercise so I do two floor exercises instead). There were some complaints about that on Amazon after I bought the book so I thought I would solve the problem myself (although I hate cutting up a book L).   I had a training class that involved eating out every meal for three days. I thought I did pretty well with my low carb choices and I kept at least half of every meal for breakfast the next day. Lunch was a cold cut sandwich bar and I just steered clear of the bread. I did have wine several nights (the hotel had a free happy hour – hard to turn that down!) but I made sure to exercise while I was away. I weighed myself when I got back to see the damage and I had lost the .2 pounds I had gained last week.   I don’t tend to weigh myself everyday but I do weigh myself once a week. I have a girl friend that doesn’t weigh regularly and she recently stepped on the scale and was in shock she was at 220 (from 180). I think the weekly weigh in keeps me accountable (as well as posting on this blog).   I bought a new bathing suit at Kmart this week (all their suits were on sale I bought a regular size 18 bottom and I couldn't find a matching size top so I got an 18W top - I need to have my mother-in-law bring up the straps in the back so it gives me more chest support but still from a size 22 that is not bad!). I had to donate my size 22 one from Lands End because it was too baggy. My other suit is all black and I wanted something more colorful. A friend took this picture of me at the beach. Normally I wouldn't have let her but I figured I might need a comparison shot as we go into next summer and I am hopefully at my goal weight.   My challenges this coming week – Going out with a friend to Olive Garden (already looked up low carb options and will limit myself to one glass of wine).
In a training class two days and it most likely will involve lunch out both days
Taking a friend for a medical treatment out of state and will be eating out 4 days (hoping the hotel has a workout room).
  I’ll let you know how I do next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

8
 

Week 16 (4 Months Post Op)

Week 16 (4 months post op)   Last week’s weight – 203.8 This week’s weight – 204.0 Total weight lost this week – I gained .2 pounds   Total weight loss since surgery – 42 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 2.5 lbs   Had to weigh in a day early this week due to a trip I am taking that is going to keep me from a scale tomorrow morning.   I must have jinxed myself last week because this week I experienced my first gain in 4 months. I’m attributing it to not being as careful eating this week (we’ve had a giant local festival going on which involves a lot of food and alcohol). I’ve kept up the exercise (3 miles) although I might need to shake up my exercise routine a bit.   Luckily it was only a .2 gain so it is not disastrous but I guess when you keep seeing losses week after week it was a bit of a shock. I should still be on track to be under 200 lbs by the time school starts (August 20th).   Some thing I noticed this week was how badly alcohol was irritating my stomach (generating lots of acid). I am actually thinking that this is a good thing (It definitely makes me think twice before having any!). I am not sure if that is a direct result of the surgery or if its age. Either way I am fine turning down drinks in order to keep my stomach happy.   On the NSV front I pulled out my driver’s license this week to see when it expired and I am now below the weight I have on it (Woo Hoo!).   My challenge this week is a three day class I am taking (lots of eating out). Hoping my renewed commitment to watching what I eat helps me make wise choices from menus.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2

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