Trace Lynne

A couple weeks ago, I posted a blog entry about the changes in my abilities, since I started working with my trainer a year ago: "I may not be there yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday". In this write up, I posted a video of me deadlifting 135 lbs, to commemorate about how much weight I had lost at that point (about 130-ish pounds). The amazing realization I had during this session was just how much more power and endurance I have. In addition to the weightlifting, I was able to do a full pull-up (with the assistance of bands), and blew away my stats on my original assessment (4 times faster than I was the year prior). This really was a renewal to my commitment to get down to my goal range. My doctor told me I should aim for 150-170 lbs. I'm within 70-90 lbs of that goal. I had been slacking off a bit. Sure, I was exercising, but not enough to really help me to lose much weight. My goal for my 1 year follow-up with my surgeon (which is in a couple weeks), is to be under 200 lbs. I'm still 40 lbs off from that. .... But, rather than bumming on my lack of progress, I've put together a redemption plan. My body needs more intense exercise than what I'm giving it, so, starting this week, I will be back at the gym with my trainer 3-4 days a week. I am going to be practicing with the local roller derby team. I will start out skating 1 day a week, but once I'm comfortable on my skates again (per their criteria), I will be skating 3 days a week with the team. In the meantime, I'll try to get to the open skate at the rink as often as I can fit into my schedule I've registered to play as a substitute for a local soccer league I will continue walking/biking with my dog as weather permits. I have a goal to be back on track by the 1.5 year follow-up with the doctor. If I target the 12 lbs/month goal that my trainer wants me to focus on, I should reach my goal in 7.5 months. We'll see how it goes. I still have shorter-term goals that I am working towards: Getting down to 220 lbs, so that I can jump out of an airplane Snowboarding once winter hits Getting on the roller derby team (not just practicing with them) Completing a Warrior Dash Hiking the San Pedro Volcano in Guatemala (plan on doing over the winter holidays) The things that I accomplished this summer: Taking dancing lessons Played soccer for the first time in a decade Went on all of the roller coasters at Cedar Point, including the ones I couldn't ride the last time I was there in 2007 Established a 5k walking route at work that I do on my lunch hour Biked through most of the local rivertrail with my dog. The furthest I have traveled with him is 12 miles. The furthest I have biked on my own is about 18 miles. Went to a water park that had a surf/wave machine, and actually rode the waves (on the body board). I flew off the surfboard pretty quickly, decided I need to work on that one more. Went to derby practice, and skated for 2 hours. Last summer when I tried to skate, I went around that rink three times and it was too much for me. I was holding onto the wall, and completely unbalanced.

Warrior Dash, Michigan II Sept 19, 2015 Walker, Michigan

OMG!!!! That totally happened to me yesterday! I was wearing a half-slip under my skirt, and when I was on the elevator, I looked down to see that the slip was on the ground. I had coworkers in the elevator with me and was mortified.

As a corollary.... When you don't waste time driving around the parking lot looking for a closer space, because it's faster (and healthier) to grab a farther space and walk in. Furthermore.... When you run upstairs to get something – whenever you need it – rather than waiting until you have a bunch of reasons to climb that mountain. Okay, one more.... When you compare the weight you've lost to other heavy things -- I've lost just about 3 bags of mulch! I mean, think about that... I'd have trouble picking up two bags of mulch, let alone three. Imagine carrying three bags of mulch everywhere you go, including upstairs! Ouch!!! And freakin' YAY!!! OMG, I do that all the time! I have a big dog, mastiff mix who weighs over 100 lbs... I said to people once that I've lost my dog... which I then had to rephrase... meaning that I've lost more weight than what my dog weighs... at 120 lbs, some people respond back with, wow, you've lost a small person... who knew, right?

Ok, 9 months has passed since my 35th birthday, 6 months has passed since my surgery, and I'm keeping a pretty decent pace on losing weight. I really had hoped I could keep myself motivated enough to lose 200 lbs from birthday to birthday, but that required losing 50 lbs every three months. I am averaging 40 lbs every three months... which isn't bad at all. Yes, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that I have lost 120 lbs since May 2014... So, if I continue my average of 40 lbs every three months, I will hit my goal in time for my 1-year anniversary of surgery, which is pretty frickin' cool! Then, I can start talking about getting skin removed... its already really starting to annoy me... I've been trying to build up enough leave time at work that I can have the surgery in time for the winter holidays... then I would need 6 days fewer of leave time. Another goal I will accomplish in the next three months is that I will graduate with my masters degree. I was going to finish my coursework last fall, however, with the surgery right before the beginning of the fall semester, I decided not to push my luck and postponed my course until this semester. Now it is time to set new goals and keep looking into the next few years... where do I want to be with my career? What do I want from the next 3 years? Next 5 years? and so on... what is possible now that I've lost a bunch of weight and have the confidence that I never thought was possible before? Time to take a good look at my current life and see what changes I want to make and get the ball rolling. Especially since the family issues that brought me back to this "safe place" are now resolved and I no longer NEED to stick so closely to my family. I mean, had I not returned home to help my family out 2 years ago, I would not have decided to have surgery or to reapply to grad school to finish the last of my coursework. I have a whole new perspective on my life and the world around me... I want to make the most of this situation.

That is a difficult question to respond to. I mean, I didn't start putting on a lot of weight until after I finished college. I seriously considered WLS in 2007, when I weighed about 260-270lbs. I made it through three months of the 6 month liquid diet program, and I was ready to kill someone. I was advised by my therapist to stop, because the 600 cal/day program affected my job and relationships. Since then, I put on another 100 lbs before I decided to move forward with WLS. Nothing I tried helped me to lose weight. However, if I would've been introduced to someone like the trainer I started working with before I actually had surgery back in 2007, I'm convinced I would not have needed the surgery to begin with. Working out with my trainer, I lost about 40 lbs in less than 2 months before I even went in for surgery. However, there were still things I needed to go through emotionally before I was ready to fix myself. I spent about 5 years in therapy before I was in the right mind-set. So, I guess to answer this question: on the one level, if I had proper trainer work in my early 20s, I could've avoided the massive weight gain all together. However, I still had things to work on to stop the patterns that caused me to gain the weight I gained. ... Also, if I would not have gone on birth control in college, I probably would have avoided quite a bit of the weight gain.

Congrats and best of luck!

I can't imagine this happening for a while...

I still sit gingerly on folding chairs and outdoor plastic chairs. I've had those things collapse and break on me before. Its difficult to forget those moments, and they are always in the back of my mind.

when I don't feel like I'm going to collapse from taking the stairs from the 5th floor down to the 1st floor and back up to the 5th floor...

A former doctor told me "if you would just stop eating so much food, you would lose weight." Are you kidding me? This was back in college. At that point I was eating between 1200 and 1500 calories a day, exercising like crazy, and walking to all of my classes on campus. I was about 100 lbs overweight at that point. And they had me on the depo shot for birthcontrol... I gained almost 20 lbs/year while I was on the depo shot, but the doc was saying it had nothing to do with being on the depo shot. I was diagnosed with PCOS after I graduated from college and was at my first full-time job.

This is a fun topic, kind of to piggy-back off the "you know you lost weight when..." thread I came across the other day. As we are losing weight, are there things you do that are remnants of when you were at your largest weight? For example: I still default to the handicap stall in the restroom I try to park with more space between me and the car next to the driver-side/or in an end spot to make sure the space isn't too small (because I had moments where I couldn't get into my car when someone parked too close to me) I see my smaller clothing and still wonder how that is going to fit me, and am surprised when it does. I am struggling to get used to more fitted clothing, because I don't want to go to work looking sloppy. Pulling my seat belt out to its further extension to buckle it, then having to tighten it up a lot because I don't need that much belt.

I have had the Mirena for almost 4 years now. I have not experienced any side effects, nor have I had any bleeding since insertion. I don't think it has slowed down my weight loss since WLS. Unfortunately, every body is different and handles it differently.

I have been quiet about the procedure with family and friends, only a handful of people have been told. Some probably suspect at this point, but haven't come out and asked me. Others have asked. If someone asks me, I will not deny that I had the procedure, however I do not want to over-emphasize the role that the procedure has made. I mean, I have been working out like a fiend, and I have not been quiet about exercising or the progress I am making. I am working my butt off to hit my goals. I mean, I lost over 40 lbs in the three months prior to surgery, thanks to going to the gym 3 times a week and working out with a personal trainer. Sure, I've kept quiet about the procedure, but its the results that people are commenting on. I mean, my sister continues to make comments about how she needs to get back into shape, but then says something like not having the time I have because she is a single mom. I have been keeping more to myself with this, because I really want to focus on working out and not involved with other people's drama. I do like the positive feedback, though. What I really love are the people I didn't think were paying much attention start telling me that I've been inspiring them to work out and try to get healthier. I feel amazing with those comments.