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Forsythia's Blog

A blog by Forsythia in General

  • Entries

    33

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    28

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    8,940

About this blog

Just a blog of my post op meanderings

Entries in this blog

It's finally happened...

After almost a year my feet have gotten smaller. From a 9 to an 8.5. Even with thick socks my feet slide around in all my shoes. I bet you thought this was about me having my surgery didn't you? That was last April. LOL.   Also, I'm 3 lbs from 199. Slowly creeping down. Lots of this has to do with being unemployed and being sedentary and not having the money to go back and forth to the gym via public transit. The good news is that I am working again and can rededicate myself to it sinc

Summing up 2014...

So happy 2015. Let's do a recap!   Surgery May 5th, 2014. Program start weight 312 All time high 335 Current weight 210 Goal weight 150 Height 5'5" Age 37 going on fabulous.   I feel like I'm in the home stretch. My immediate goal is to be 199.5 by February 7th. Why February 7th? That is my birthday. And my birthday is my favorite day, ever. So this year I want it to be fabulous by me being under 200 lbs by that day. I have a month to lose 10.5 lbs. Can I do it? Hell yes I ca

Your face!

Well, more like, my face. When I look in the mirror, my face looks the same as it always has. I never had a fat face to begin with, but now, when I look at pictures of my face, it looks too skinny. Yet I'm still above 200 lbs. My face needs to stop losing weight. LOL! Also, this morning, the scale said 211.5, which is over 100 lbs from my program start weight (and well over 120 from my all time high).   Anyhow you be the judge on my face. The first picture is of me and my husband fr

More random musings on clothes, public transit and measurements...

My waist is down to 40.5 inches. Two weeks ago it was 42 inches. I find measurements far more interesting than the scale. But I weight every damn morning. I don't measure every day. Conversely, I don't record my weight unless it goes down. So it might fluctuate or even go up, but I don't count that in MFP. Only when the scale goes down. LOL.   I've transitioned from 18W pants to 18 misses pants. Misses pants are a couple inches smaller in the waist and hips.. And psychologically, it's

A 6.5 month Progress report

At 6.5 months post-op, I am 218lbs. I want to be 212 by 7 months out (12/5). That will be 100 lbs gone from my program start weight of 312. I want to be below 200 lbs before my birthday (February 7th). I will do it. I think as a stretch I could be 192 by my 38th birthday. I've come so far, but the finish line (150 lbs) still seems so far away. The weight will go when it wants to go. In fits and spurts.

I got a coat

One that isn't three sizes too big. Just in time for the polar vortex. FUN TIMES! I was hovering right between the XL and the 1X. I erred on the conservative side and got the 1X. I really think I could have gotten the XL and been okay.  

I feel like I got away with something...tee hee!

Today I went to Macy's - the big flagship store in the Loop. Normally I automatically go up to the 5th floor where the plus sizes live. Today I went to the 3rd floor where the contemporary brands are (like, Kensie, Bar III etc. Younger and hipper, and slightly edgy but not juniors. So, right where I skew stylistically). I found this sheer, embroidered hippie dippy top on the 80% off rack. It was $12 after the discounts. I found all these clothes to try on in my size. Some fit, some didn'

The zombie apocalypse has begun...

Because I am running. Who the hell are you, Andrea Diggs? A runner?   Let me say that when I run, its like a minute or two of walking, then a minute of running, then back to walking, etc. So it is not like full on half an hour 45 minutes of running. But I am on a treadmill doing something I swore I would never do, ever. Running. And it is not bad. I'm slow - only 4.2 mph, but walking has gotten too easy? Running on actual pavement is harder than the treadmill, but at the gym I feel I

Things that can suck it.

My Hemoglobin A1C is 5.5%. this is normal. Like, perfectly normal normal. Not, well controlled for a Diabetic normal, but not a diabetic person normal. SUCK IT DIABETES!!!!   Also, my NP tested other levels and my vitamin D level is finally normal. My cholesterol continues to be fabulous. And she took me off of my blood pressure medication. SUCK IT, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE!!!   Bought two pairs of size 18 pants. I'm in this weird purgatorial area where an 18W is too big. Some companies

Called out!

Every week, I take a class at my gym (LA Fitness) called Body Works Plus abs. It is what I term a fast and light weight class. Fast enough that you get a cardio effect while doing it, along with high reps (as opposed to the slow and heavy stuff I do in the weight room). The class has 2.5, 5 and 7.5 lb dumbbells in it. Stronger people (usually guys and super fit broads) can go out to the floor and get heavier bells if they want. Normally I take a pair of all three. Last night, Florence, the

Proof that you shouldn't be a slave to the scale

In the past few weeks, I've only lost a minimal amount of weight. I'm at 236. Before labor day I was 240. I'm one lb short of being 100 lbs lighter than my all time high (335). I'm not here to whine about the scale. I'm here to say that I'm still getting smaller. In the last couple of weeks my under bust measurement has gone from 41 to 38.5. My waist has gone from 45 to 43. And oddly, my calves which have always been really muscular and well defined (I've never been accused of having cank

Labor Day wrap up., and work musings.

So my Labor Day goal of 235.. I am at 239. Not bad. 235 was pretty ambitious. So 239 is excellent progress. In my four months post sleeve, I have averaged 18.75 lbs lost per month (obvi, the first month was was higher, like 30 lbs, but still..). I am completely in love with the overall consistency of my weight loss. I've had stalls and ups and downs, but my stalls all seem to be hormonally driven due to my period and water retention. I have to really work at getting all my water in, otherwi

Update on my personal Labor Day challenge goal, and some other random stuff!

You might recall my Labor Day goal that I posted in a blog entry awhile back. That goal was 235. As of this morning, I am 240.5. I think I can do it, kids!!! I originally thought it would be a stretch but it appears to be close at hand. Honestly anything in the 230s will make me pleased as punch. I am going back to Indiana that weekend to see my parents (It is also my Mom's birthday on the 30th) and I know they will be proud of my weight loss. They have not seen me since Memorial Day. Th

Bones

I'm starting to feel and see bones. Like, collar bones, and I can feel my spine in the neck area (I seem to be losing from the top down and from extremeties - fingers toes lower legs and arms). My wedding rings no longer stay on my fingers. And my calves, which were already pretty muscular and not fat, have gotten an inch smaller - from 16 inches to 15 inches. It is such a weird sensation, feeling bones and seeing results. I guess the swimming is really working my shoulders/upper body and l

I hate being cold

To be fair, I really hate being hot too. But my office is a meat locker. Since my sleeve my perception of the office being at morgue like temperatures has only been exacerbated. As I lose my layer of protection, this bone chilling cold is only going to get worse. Right now I am wearing jeans, a tank top, a long sleeved shirt and two fairly thin cardigan sweaters. WHO WEARS TWO CARDIGANS?! This broad. I'm pretty sure under my manicure my nail beds are turning blue. I'm just shivering and m

Stall city

So I've been stuck at 252 for the last two weeks. Stalls suck. I have my three month post op this month (on the 19th, although it has been 90 days post surgery as of today). I desperately want to be in the mid 240s for this visit. It's a mental goal of mine based on where I feel I should be at 3 months out. I'm gonna try to low carb and cut back on weights this week (fast and light as opposed to slow and heavy), to see if that kickstarts my weight loss again. I'm going to continue swimming

Progress pictures

So I thought I would post some pictures. The one with the dinosaur is pre-surgery. In April Size 26W. The one with me in the mint top is a couple weeks post surgery 24W pants and 2x top. And the one in the dress is from today, in an 18/20 dress. And with curly hair. The top of the dress is actually a bit loose. I might be more like a 16 in the chest area. I miss my boobs. LOL!       So that's that.

Good bye boobs, hello water retention. I totes didn't miss you.

I am now a fully actualized member of my gym. I took my first class Wednesday - Body Works plus abs. Basically it was a fast and light weight lifting class. I'm still sore two days later. And keep in mind, I lift weights multiple times a week using heavier weights than the ones used in that class. I loved the class and must find a way to go to it every Wednesday. Tonight I swim. Also a big yay for me.   Weight wise, I'm down 62 lbs since surgery, over 80 from my high weight. I'm almost

Good news! Bad news!

Good news! Today I finally braved the pool at the gym. It was fine. All my fears were assuaged. There were older ladies, younger swimmers, big people, little people. I ordered a new lap swimsuit, goggles and swim cap to use at the pool. Bad news! The lap suit was shipped separately and will not arrive until Monday. Good news! I have a Lands' End swimsuit that has been sitting in my closet since my honeymoon in 2011. Bad news! It is way too big now. It is a 26W It's baggy in the ass and w

I broke myself y'all

So Saturday I had an appointment to get my hair done. I got fuchsia highlights. I'm super fancy, right? Anyhow, on my way home, I tripped, apparently on air, and fell in the middle of a super busy intersection. Landed hard on my left palm and right knee. Lost a significant amount of skin on my left palm. So now, I can't grip anything, which means I can't lift weights. $#!%!! Crap. That sucks. I had plans, body. Plans to use the 40 lb barbell for deadlifts and chest press. Plans to use

Gym rats anonymous

I'm creeping closer to the 250s. Woot. My next goal is 256, which is 50 lbs down from the weight I came home from the hospital at, and half of 100 lbs.   I've been making good gains with my strength training. I have been using a 30lb barbell for dead lifts and bench press. But I think I am ready to try the 40 lb bar for both of those exercises. I also think I can go up to 15 lbs dumbbells on squats. Normally I am sore but lately I am not sore after all of the lifting. So it is time to

The purge

Last night my husband went to a concert, so I had a rare evening to myself. I went through my clothes. I threw out a bunch of clothes that were both too big and had issues (ripped seams, holes, stains, cheap construction). I took two more bags and designated those as donateable. One dresses, one pants and suits. I have a bunch of really cute dresses that I am lamenting that I had to let go for being too big. Goodbye navy blue silk bubble hem coctail dress. Fairwell, strapless satin dress

Swimming...

I've always loved swimming. Living on Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana, one of the first things my parents did was make sure that all three of us kids knew how to swim. My mother almost drowned when she was a teenager in Pennsylvania, and she made sure that since we lived in a town on the lake that the same thing would not happen to her babies. We took swim lession at Rogers High school. I always enjoyed floating and swimming and diving under the water, like a fish. The smell of the chlori

As American as Apple Pie...

OMG.. did you guys know that Yoplait makes apple pie flavored Greek yogurt? It totes tastes like apple freakin pie. My mouth was rocked accordingly. If you like apple pie, yours will be too. Why was I not made aware of apple pie flavored yogurt sooner?? I like coconut, and they make a coconut flavor, but I suggest - why not coconut cream pie flavored? Come on Yoplait, you can do it. For me. (Honestly, I like coconut everything. Coconut water, coconut scented shampoo and conditioner, lotio

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