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Weight Loss Journey from Start to Finish

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11 Months Post Op - 66.4 lbs lost

I am at 11 months post op and weigh 179.6 lbs. My total weight loss to date is 66.4 lbs. I have averaged a weight loss of approximately 6 lbs per month.   I am currently purchasing size 14 pants (my 16’s are getting baggy) and L shirts (I am between a L and XL depending on the shirt). I am 5’5” tall.   Last month I wrote that I was going to be doing the Paleo eating challenge for the month of Feburary at my gym (Crossfit). I credit that for this month’s weight loss which was 6.2 lbs (I had only lost 2.8 for the month of January). The diet eliminates all grains, dairy, sugar, and beans from your diet. This wasn’t too much of stretch for me since I had given up most grains and sugars after my surgery 11 months ago. I didn’t eat/drink enough dairy to miss it that much and while I enjoy beans again I didn’t eat enough of them to really miss them either. I did miss the alcohol thoughJ. As part of the challenge we were to also drink half our body weight in ounces of water. I never made it (that would have been 12 cups of water a day!) but I drank more water during the challenge then I normally do.   I liked the challenge because it gave me some focus this past month (I was also teamed up with someone from the gym who was very nice and kept me motivated). I cooked a lot more (new recipes) this month then I normally do (my husband cooks most of the time) and ate a lot more fresh fruit and veggies. I had a few slip ups (minor) mostly because I wasn’t prepared in certain situations. The girl I was partnered with lost 10 lbs. I am supposed to get my after measurements taken today so I’ll see if I lost any inches.   The challenge is over and I plan to keep grains and sugar out but I will most likely add small amounts of cheese and beans (i.e. chili and hummus) back in.   I also upped my exercise this month. We were required to do a minimum of three workouts at the Crossfit gym during the challenge (which was what I was doing anyway) and you got extra challenge points for extra workouts. I have been averaging two extra workouts a week this month for a total of five days of working out.   I reached my personal goal during the challenge of getting into the 170’s so I am happy. My next goal is to get to 176 by my 1 year post-op anniversary, which is at the end of March. That would put me at 70 lbs lost for the year (with only 30 lbs to go to my goal).   My paleo challenge got me thinking about other challenges. I did a random internet search for anyone else who had done a paleo challenge for 30 days and ran across a TED talk featuring Matt Cutts (some random person who works for Google) - http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html . He has been working on trying something new for 30 days. He hasn’t done Paleo but he has done a lot of other things. This got me thinking that this would be a fun challenge for myself this year. So in the spirit of trying something new each month for 30 days I signed up to do yoga in March (I am counting my Paleo diet as something new for February). I choose yoga because I have never done it and our local studio was running a 30 days for $30 which seemed like a reasonable price. I started making a list of other challenge ideas for myself. Some of them include watching 30 documentaries in a month, reading four nonfiction books within a 30 day period (one a week), no TV, try 30 new recipes in my Vitamix, etc. I’ll report back on the yoga next month.   Hope everyone is have a good start to the new year. I’ll check back in next month!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

10 Month Post-Op - 60lbs Lost

I have reached the 10 month mark post surgery at the end of January. I am finally down 60 lbs. My weekly weight loss has been a series of slow losses, never reaching the 1 lb + mark. This has led to a “will I” or “won’t I” get to a 60 lbs loss every time I have stepped on the scale this past month.   Now that I have reached my short term goal of 60 lbs I am moving on to the next goal which is to get out of the 180’s (I am currently at 185.6). Since my surgery date I have averaged a loss of about .8 lbs a week (so sloooow).   I am continuing to go to Crossfit three times a week. I have now been going for 6 months. I continue to have a love/hate relationship with working out but I am working on that. The routines have a lot of weight lifting so if you thought you couldn’t do any “weight lifting” after the surgery…not true. I joined the gym’s Paleo challenge for the month of February. It isn’t that much different then how I normally eat but I thought the challenge might help me through this slow weight loss period. I’m only on day one today but the biggest challenge has been to drink ½ my weight in water.   My clothing sizes haven’t fluctuated much this past month. I am between a 14 and 16 in pants (mostly a 16 with some 14’s) and a L/XL top (again mostly XL).   My hair is growing out nicely but I am losing more than I ever did pre-surgery. My hair went from “thick” to “medium” in weight. I am growing out a very short haircut and the fact that I can pull it back in a rather scraggly pony tail is cause for celebration.   I eat pretty normally, except for smaller portions and not going back for seconds or thirds. I do try to limit carbs and sugar (the Paleo challenge should help with that). I still eat when I am bored and I have to watch that.   I don’t regret my surgery and am glad I did it. I am getting lots of compliments and “how did you do it?” to which I reply “eating South Beach like diet for the most part” – which is true. I really don’t want to put “weight loss surgery” out there and have anyone undermine the effort I have put into loosing the weight.   Wish me luck for the next month. Hopefully I will be in the 170’s if all goes well
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

3
 

9 Months Post Op - 57.8 lbs lost

I am at 9 months out from surgery. I managed to break out of the 190's thanks to the flu I am at 188.2 and now working on my next goal which is to get out of the 180's (not sure how long that will take since I am a pretty slow loser). I am hoping to be in the 170's by my 1 year anniversary in March (my goal is 145-150).   Starting Weight - 246 lbs Weight Now - 188.2 lbs   Height - 5 ft 5 inches   Pant Size - 16 regular (I can fit into some 14's but they are tight around the stomach). I started at 22W Shirt Size - L to XL (mostly XL). I started at 2X   I do not regret my surgery at all. I had a great experience with Dr. Kelly.   I have not told my Primary Care Physician. I went for an OBGYN appointment the other day scared that she would notice the scars but she didn't so all is well. I only see her once a year for my OBGYN appointment so it is not like we have a close relationship. I choose not to say anything because I didn't want it noted on my file and possibly be denied some treatment as a result. My husband knows I have had the surgery so if it is necessary to say something he would. Again....I rarely get sick or find myself need of medical attention. I don't think I have met my deductable for the past 2 years (for which I am immensly grateful).   My New Year's goal is to be more mindful of my eating and to preplan my eating (healthy things in the house...etc...).   Happy New Year to everyone!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

2
 

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
 

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 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 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
 

Haircut

Forgot to mention in my last blog post that I got a new haircut. Here is a picture of all the sides. Note my skinner face   Now I need to do something about the skin damage I have due to too much time in the sun (too many brown spots!).
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

3
 

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 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
 

Restaurant Week (Or My $57 Lesson Learned)

Savannah, GA is in its infamous Restaurant Week. It is a way to get people (locals) to come out and try different restaurants during the hot summer when tourism typically goes down. The premise is that there is a $30 set menu with various chef featured items.   My sister-in-law (SIL) invited me to go and I thought why not? I was hoping for smaller portions and spaced out dining which would accomodate my sleeve.   I got to the restaurant first and ordered a class of wine ($7). I was sipping on it slowly and managed to only finish half the glass the entire evening! For the appetizer course I had chicken and waffle sliders and split half with my SIL, who shared her fried green tomato appetizer with me. I was getting concerned because I was FULL (couldn't eat another bite full) and the wine had started to heat me up (and it was already a hot and sticky which is typically weather this time of year). I was seriously getting uncomfortable and then they bring out our dinner part of the meal (we weren't even done our apps yet!). I ordered shrimp and grits and my SIL had a mahgarita pizza (which was flipping HUGE). I had a small piece of her pizza and could barely finish it and I didn't lay a finger on my shrimp and grits (and we still had dessert to go).   We brought our desert to their roof top bar (which allowed for some movement and resettling in my stomach). I gave my SIL half of my dessert and I took a small spoonful of her cheesecake. I managed to eat the cheesecake and a quarter of my small chocolate lava cake before I had to call it quits.   I enjoyed sitting and chatting with my SIL for several hours (during which my other half of the glass of wine was left without touching it) and I sipped on water the rest of the evening.   Altogether my meal, tip, and parking cost $57 for essential a half a glass of wine and an appetizer. Lesson learned! I would have been better off just ordering an app and glass of wine ala cart and not touching the Restaurant Week menu at all.
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

3
 

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
 

Week 15 - Post Op

Week 15   Last week’s weight – 205.2 This week’s weight – 203.8 Total weight lost this week – 1.4 lbs   Total weight loss since surgery – 42.2 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 2.6 lbs   I’m getting closer to my goal of being under 200 lbs (yay!). I’m also happy that I haven’t reached any kind of stall in my weight loss. I keep waiting for it to happen but so far so good (knock on wood!). I also haven’t experienced any hair loss (I make sure that I think protein first when eating and I take a dissolvable Biotin tablet each morning – which is suppose to help strengthen nails and promote hair growth).   I have hit the summer doldrums but luckily the surgery helped remove any feelings of hunger so I know that when I am reaching for something to eat it is completely out of boredom and I am able to resist (in my pre-surgery days my stomach would act like it was hungry when really I was bored). I’ve retaken up knitting (nothing fancy just scarves and hats) to keep my hands busy. Right now I am knitting a scarf with a new stitch called a basket weave stitch (saw it on Pinterest) and that requires a bit of concentration, time, and attention.   My favorite go to food these days is edamame. I bought a giant bag at Sams that had lots of individual bags inside it. I microwave it for 4 minutes, sprinkle lightly with salt and by the time I am finished eating it (which takes awhile) I am completely full and I feel like I’ve gotten some good protein in.   I am still walking in the morning (3 miles) and it feels good to get it over with so early in the day. It is super hot and humid here so I am seriously motivated to get it done first thing in the morning before it becomes too unbearable. I know I have talked about joining the Y but I am thinking I might wait until school starts back up since it will be difficult to walk in the morning and get to school on time.   The biggest news this week is that I told a coworker about the surgery (she is the first person to know outside my husband and sister…who I told on vacation a few weeks ago). We were on the beach and she was saying that her husband wanted the sleeve and she thought he was crazy to want to do it in Mexico. I wanted her to know that it was perfectly fine having it done in Mexico and that he would be ok so I told her. I told her that she could have him call me if he wanted. It sounded like a different procedure then what I had so I kind of want to talk to him as well (not removing stomach but putting something around the stomach to restrict it???? She said it was called the Gastric Sleeve because it was a sleeve that was put around the stomach. I hadn’t heard of that so I am curious.)   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

6
 

Week 14 Post Op

Week 14   Last week’s weight – 207 This week’s weight – 205.2 Total weight lost this week – 1.8 lbs   Total weight loss since surgery – 41 lbs   Average weekly weight loss since surgery – 2.4 lbs per week   Happy to write that I broke the 40 lb mark this week and I am closer to my goal of being under 200 lbs by the time we head back to school in August.   I’ve been walking pretty consistently every morning (3 miles) but now that I am in a normal summer routine boredom has kicked in a bit (which equals eating more for me). I am going to have to watch that in the coming weeks.   I’ve started making green smoothies in the morning with kale, bananas, and mixed berries (plus other stuff). I actually don’t mind the taste and feel that I am getting some healthy items in my diet (not that I am eating unhealthy but it is nice to know that I am getting a decent amount of fruits and veggies in one serving).   My Non Scale Victory (NSV) this week was fitting into a bathing suit top that I haven’t worn for years (but I spent a lot of money on and didn’t want to give it away – miracle suit top $$$ in size 18W). My Lands End 22W suit is way too baggy now.   Until next week!
mrsteacher

mrsteacher

3

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