Orchids&Dragons

CENTURY CLUB! I hit 100 lbs. lost today!!!!!

I lived through the third week (and a half) stall, and I'm past it and losing pounds again. Given the stresses of the last two weeks, losing instead of gaining is a miracle in itself. Or maybe not. It isn't like I can really stress eat, at this stage. I've found that I fail myself in other ways, though: shorting myself on liquids or proteins or -- just the one dose, so far -- vitamins, when the pressure gets to be too much. I'm working on that: I know I can't afford to lose too much muscle mass, so I have to keep my protein up; I spent a day with a splitting headache after falling short on liquids, so that was a decent object lesson; and I know how important vitamins are, too. I'm just ... really crap at self-care, but I'm actively working on getting better.
I way overdid it at a vigil/protest last week (long walk, long time standing, and I really did know better but also didn't want to "let anyone down" by bowing out early to take care of myself 🙄) and re-damaged an old stress fracture in my foot, so my activity level has dropped badly. Getting in the pool will go a long way toward fixing that, and I'll be cleared for swimming next Tuesday. (I may sneak into the pool on Monday. My incisions are fully closed, and my doctor said that if that's the case, I should be good to go.) In the meantime, I am trying to take good care of my foot so it heals up quickly. Weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise, they say, so I'm not really losing that much ground, now. It's fine. I can take the time to heal.
I can finally drink room temperature water again, at least some of the time! I still strongly prefer hot tea. But carrying a water bottle might not be a total waste of time, anymore, which would be amazing for my hydration levels on days when I'm at work or school.
So. Past my first month, not doing perfectly, but certainly chugging along.

CENTURY CLUB! I hit 100 lbs. lost today!!!!!

CENTURY CLUB! I hit 100 lbs. lost today!!!!!

I hope everyone has had a great summer and i hope you go into this holiday season from a better place than the year before.
This last week was my 30th wedding anniversary and i am happy to think that i will have many more to come. In the not so distant past i was not so sure i would live to see this one and 35 or 40 was beyond my expectations. Anything could still happen but at least i have stopped digging in my effort to get of the hole i found myself in.
I have made 3 life changing decisions in the last few decades.
1. asking my wife to marry me - being a child of divorced parents colors your expectations about getting and staying married.
2. saying yes when my wife asked if i wanted children - This was a lie at the time. having a child was THE most terrifying thing i could think of. Today there is nothing i would not do for my daughter and i feel a love  i did not know could exist inside a person.
3. accepting that i could not control my weight by myself and getting this surgery to save my own life. Putting myself first as a way to be there for them is not a concept that I lived by before.
If you ever wonder is it worth it yes it is cause i was worth it and they are worth it.
Never give up folks
Whatever you are working towards you have the rest of your life to get there.
 

I recently had avocado and nuts in yogurt and was definitely getting side eye from people ... 
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

A small NSV: I had a meeting on the third floor of a building without an elevator today, and I was only breathing a little faster (as opposed to being totally winded) when I got to the top.

Alright. No more adulting. Burned my nose, broke my espresso maker (officially), stubbed my toe, and cracked my phone screen all before 8am.
Going back to bed.

Bought fleece lined tights today. I really need fur lined pants...

I'm now down just over 75 pounds down since my first visit with the surgeon on June 29, 2018! Woot!

First autumn since the surgery. Less body fat = freezing (what’s left of) my ass off. 

I'm off of these boards for a while. My stepfather (my dad's husband) just passed away last night, and I only just lost Dad last year, and ... I kind of need to be focusing on that, you know? I'll see you all later.

The slider queen is on vacay!

The slider queen is on vacay!

The slider queen is on vacay!

The slider queen is on vacay!

It's been a year since my heaviest weight of 456. I've lost 120 lbs since then and I feel amazing

I hope everyone is doing well.
Had a wedding in Reno this last week but managed to have a good time anyway (lol)
My numbness that i thought was a pulled muscle was a rare but not unheard of side effect of rapid weight loss. It is a pinched nerve probably caused by the loss of fat around the nerve that allowed the nerve bundle to shift.
weight has been steady and holding within half a pound these last weeks so it looks like i have the correct calories dialed in for maintenance.
I can still do my treadmill time but weight lifting is off the table for now. So more lower body work and hopefully the pinched nerve will resolve with the stretching and time.
Got Scottish games to go to this weekend so looking forward to a fun if long day.
Wore a Suit for the first time in 20 years, can't say i enjoyed it but i survived the tie.

Updates 10.5 months post op

Happy Friday Everyone! 
Cheers to the weekend

Saw the surgeon yesterday. He is very pleased with my loss thus far. I am averaging about 10 lbs a month. Turns out my nutritionist and my surgeon have vastly differing ideas on how many calories I should be eating right now. Nut put me on 1K a day. Surgeon said nope, they are wrong, go to 800/day. Too bad I have been following what the Nut advised. I could have lost more weight already. Oh well, I will do it now! I am also going to add another day of working out to help break this stall I have been in since 8/28. I am very happy as this week I was able to get into a size XL shirt and I am wavering on pants sizes, but I am wearing a lot of size 18 that are too big or are getting too big. The inches are still dropping off nicely. I saw my parents for the first time after a long time this past weekend (they live out of state) and my Dad who never says anything gave me some super nice compliments. My sister also did...her words as we were trekking through the airport on a long upward ramp were along the lines of "Before the mind was willing but the body wasn't. Now your mind and body are in sync. Before we would have had to have stopped at least once and now you aren't even phased by this." What a great thing to have someone recognize. 

Had my final pre-op appointment today. Next Wednesday my liquid diet starts. It's getting real.

People who haven't seen me in a while are clearly startled by my appearance and always casually finds a way to ask me if I'm "ok"...
Especially if *heaven forbids* I'm not dressed to the nines and go without makeup
 

I am being discharged today! Woot!

My small bowel seemed to be asleep last night but it appears that it may have woken up and is now functioning like it should. I may be able to be discharged tomorrow (Sunday) or hopefully by Monday!