Food, Exercise, and the Blizzard of 2013

Snow drift outisde my front door

We experienced an official blizzard in Amarillo, Texas today! We got 19.2" of snow with winds gusting up to 75 mph. Thankfully, the plant was closed and I didn't have to drive 30 miles to work in this weather! The plant is also closed tomorrow... maybe I will try to dig out of my driveway.

Snow was halfway up my door and left an imprint!

So as I sat here in my nice, warm house today, I thought about many things, I pinned lots of recipes on Pinterest (because I still love to cook!), I made a pot of chili, and I didn't eat a single bite of it. I always think something sounds so good, but then when I take a bite of it I want to spit it out. It just doesn't taste good. No wonder I am losing weight! I really hope I get past this strange feeling and am able to enjoy food again. Yesterday I went to a restaurant for lunch after church, and the sandwich I got was one of my former favorites. I ate a couple of bites and I just didn't like it. I told the waiter I was finished, and he just couldn't believe it. He asked, "Did you like it?" Of course I told him yes. Oh well.

I joined Jazzercise this weekend. My sister (the dancer in the family) and I used to go to Jazzercise back in the 80's and it was fun. I have two good friends who attend regularly so I thought I'd give it another try. It was fun and I think I will be more likely to go to the classes than go to the gym, where I was just walking on the treadmill. So I signed up for a year. :)

I have lost two more pounds now for a total of 41. Yippee!!

Two Month Pics

It's hard to believe that it's been two months since my surgery. Two months since a major life-changing event!  I am soooo glad I had this surgery. I still have a lot of work to do in many areas, but I am down 38 pounds and feeling good. 

Getting NSYNC

No, not the boy band... I'm working on getting my mind and my stomach and body in sync. And it's not easy, by the way. I've noticed a couple of things over the past month or so. The first thing is that I am having a hard time seeing the physical change in me. The way I can tell is by my clothes. It still surprises me when I put on things and they are too big.  :)

The other thing I am working on is learning when to stop eating. I read on a bariatric surgery forum/website about this and it's true:  when you think you want just "one more bite" of food... DON'T DO IT!!!  Being overly full is VERY uncomfortable, and if it's bad enough you'll throw up! So I just remind myself, "This is not the last meal you'll ever eat!" Maybe if I had used this philosophy earlier in life, I wouldn't have had this weight problem!

One thing I hate, but am also working on, is not being able to eat things that I love in in large quantities. I get the old, familiar feeling I used to get when I wanted to REALLY indulge in a particular food. Now sometimes I'll think, "Oh I can't wait to eat _________ (fill in the blank, for instance Mexican food)." I now have to savor every bite, because I'm not going to get many before I'm full for that meal!  I'm getting used to being asked two things when I dine in a restaurant: 1) Would you like a box for that? and 2) Was there something wrong?  It's actually kind of funny to see the look on their faces when I have barely eaten anything. LOL

It Moved!!

Well hallelujah... after over a week of the number on the scale staying the same, it finally moved this morning and I lost 1.5 pounds. That brings my total to 34.5 and it feels really good!

I have so much trouble trying to swallow pills, and I have to take a lot of them! I take six capsules of multi-vitamin a day, biotin, iron, and an acid blocker. The iron tablet makes me almost throw up! But overall I am feeling good, my energy is good, and I'm still glad I had the surgery.  :)

Slow and Slower

Well, I think my progress right now is SLOW... and SLOWER!  I have lost a few more pounds for a total of 32 now.  On a positive note, I'm starting to see my collarbones again!  :)

I have been going through my closet and purging clothes that are too big now, and that's fun! 

I'm still trying to find a protein that I really like.  This weekend I went to real nutrition 365 at 34th & Bell and tried some of their smoothies.  They are made with Herbalife products and are really good, so I bought some of their drink mix.  The lady there was so nice and even gave me a page of their recipes!

Back to work tomorrow.... why are weekends (even the long ones) so short???

One Month Photo

Here I am after one month...

One Month Post-Op

I had my one month follow up visit with my doctor today. According to the official scales I have lost 26 pounds. According to MY scales I've lost 29. I like my number better!! Either way, the doctor said my weight loss was fantastic! I told him about my lightheadedness, and he told me to cut my blood pressure medication dose in half, and possibly discontinue it altogether.

I also took some measurements, and I have lost 3 inches from my waist and 5 inches from my hips. :)

Overall, a pretty successful month!