The WOW moments happen all the time it seems...

I don't always even realize it at the time, but i have "WOW" moments all the time! A great example was this past Friday & Saturday. Friday Faith and I joined a group of "mommy" friends & kiddos for a trip to the beach. Last year, I probably would have worn something like shorts & a t-shirt, and still felt like a total "stand out" super overweight, OMG everyone is staring at me, uncomfortable person. But, not this year, i wore my bathing suit, yes me a bathing suit to the PUBLIC beach - amazing milestone for me. Was I still a little uncomfortable, absolutely - what woman isn't when she's in a bathing suit (okay well except the super model perfect body types). BUT, I didn't worry about what others thought, or the fact that my legs & arms are flabby. I just focused on the fact that I was wearing a bathing suit 2 sizes smaller than ever before (a 2x) and that I was going to have fun with my daughter & my friends at the beach. And we did!
Move on to Saturday. Friends contacted us and said to come down to their cottage on the lake and visit. We went ahead at the spur of the moment, threw our bathing suits in a bag and headed out. I wore my bathing suit, on a boat, got off said boat and swam, got back on the boat without any trouble (you know the awkward i'm really too fat to be doing this kind of troubles?) and had an amazing time actually swimming and playing in the sun with my family!!
It's days like these that are the total reason i had this surgery. I am no longer sitting out on life, i'm embracing it! I'm joining in and being a part of fun activities with my family. I'm not sitting on the sidelines watching the fun, i'm part of it!!

Baby Steps...

This last couple months really has seemed like "baby steps". The weight is slowly coming off now, a lb here and a lb there. But it's SLOW...and i know exactly why, so I'm not overly concerned, but it's on my mind just the same. Once baby is here and I can get back to business, i'm confident it will pick up again (heck, just the baby weight alone will probably get me back to business!).
I'm finding this pregnancy much more tiring than I thought it would be. Just when I had gotten all this energy and determination to accomplish the goals of "post weight loss", I find myself feeling very indifferent to accomplish much of anything. It's frustrating but i continue to remind myself that this too shall pass and once this little miracle is here, i can have my body & mind back (well sort of LOL).
I am now down 128 lbs, weighing in at around 251. I am thinking i'm going to stay right around 250 for a while, the scale isn't moving in leaps and bounds now and I'm totally okay with that. I have mixed emotions about potentially "gaining back" some of the weight i have lost. I want baby to be healthy, that is my absolute #1 priority, so that means eating a lot more carbs than i'm necessarily comfortable with.
When I entered into this lifelong diet change, i knew that cutting carbs, especially simple carbs was going to be a major lifelong change. I was READY, and i struggle with eating them knowing full well they are impeding my continued weight loss. But, the flip side is if i don't eat them, I easily go into ketosis and putting baby at greater risk, i'm not willing to do that. I confess to struggling each day with getting in the required 90 grams of protein plus enough carbs to keep myself out of ketosis & therefore keep baby healthy. But I take it one day at a time and do my best, that's all I can do.
I am hoping and praying that when we have our mid pregnancy ultrasound on the 25th that baby is totally healthy and at an appropriate size for gestational age, I worry so much about my nutritional intake, my vitamin levels & my malabsorption of nutrients. I try to push those thoughts to the back of my mind, but since i'm turning this into a confessional of sorts, the "what ifs" are definitely there. I guess the only thing to do is continue to do my absolute best with intake & say a lot of prayers.
Baby steps ...

125 lbs !!! WOW

I can't believe i've lost 125 lbs, it's such a HUGE number! In reality some people weigh a 125lbs, so have i lost a whole person? I guess one could look at it that way. I don't regret my surgery for one minute, it's absolutely most definately the BEST thing i ever did for myself, my family and my future!

The pregnancy continues to go well and i'm continually amazed at how i keep losing a little here and there despite eating more than "a normal post op" would. I'm very focused on eating enough to ensure baby is getting enough vital nutrition for growth, i fear that will be an issue coming up soon when i have my next ultrasound. I anticipate them saying baby is small for gestational age, and i know i will feel guilt about it. That's why i'm trying to be incredibly vigilant in my eating, i'd like to think i can totally avoid the problem but i'm also realistic and i know that my lack of absorption (due to the surgery) is going to make it very difficult.

Another 5 lbs in May...

So weight loss has slowed again, but it's to be expected, especially with the pregnancy. I'm finding i need to eat a lot more carbs than i had thought i would need to in order to avoid being in ketosis, which can be dangerous in pregnancy. I think the extra carbs probably attribute a lot to my slowing weight loss. I am now 13 weeks pregnant, over the next couple months i anticipate a stop in weight loss, but am hoping to not regain much weight, we'll see what happens :-)

Overall i'm feeling great. I'm constantly amazed by the little things, things that pop up that i realize i can now do easily that i struggled with before. Camping this year has been far more enjoyable than before, i can be more active and do so much stuff so much easier!

Lost 14 lbs in April

I'm thrilled to be losing weight more steadily again after what seemed like a long slow plateau. However, i am nervous because of the pregnancy. I am struggling to eat enough, i have to force myself to eat extra protein bars and foods because i am just not hungry, i feel full quite a bit of the time. I'm doing my best to make sure i get my 90 grams of protein in every day, but i'll be honest this is the most I've struggled with it since the initial month or 2 after surgery. I now cannot each just protein, i have to include a decent amount of carbs in my daily food intake because it's bad for baby to be in ketosis. I'm working on it and i hope that by this time next week i have a good handle on what foods I can tolerate well. I may have to start adding protein powders into some other drinks or foods, not sure what though? Working on it, suggestions are always welcomed :-)

Losing Weight on Vacation

It's amazing to go on a vacation and come home weighing less. That's not how it usually works, but for me it did. I love my DS!!!! Weighed in last Saturday at 275 1/2 and weighed in today at 270 1/2. So this week i lost 5 lbs!!! And that was with 4 days of eating out on vacation and being pregnant! WOOT! Can't complain about that one bit.

100 lbs and a SURPRISE

I reached the 100 lbs lost mark. I can't get over it! I mean 100 lbs in 7 months time? Really WOW! I can't begin to explain how much this has changed my life. I exercise now. I do so many things i would have put off before. I am sooooo looking forward to summer this year and being outside & doing activities. It's all just amazing!

And on the amazing note, we found out last week that we are expecting. It was and frankly still is a shock. I mean we do know how babies are made, but you just don't think it's going to happen to you after years of infertility and trying to get pregnant. And even though everyone tells you when you lose weight you'll be more fertile, you just don't really truely believe it. Well i do now! For now we're just taking it a day at a time, if i get through the 1st trimester okay i'll probably relax a bit more and make some plans for babies arrival in December.

Struggling a bit....at kind of a "stall"

I'm struggling a bit...the carb monster has bitten me lately...not bad but i've definately indulged in a bit more carbs most days than i should. But i'm working through it and trying to get myself back on track, it's hard because once you induldge in the damn carbs you crave them more. Never ending battle i'm afraid.
BUT the good news is I went for my first good walk of the spring yesterday and I can notice such a difference in the pace i can keep walking and not be out of breath. It felt really good to stretch my leg muscles. I do however continue to have issues with my fibromyalgia flaring up at the slightest exercise i'm in agony, but i'm pushing through and keeping going. Plan to check out the Y this weekend and see about joining as a family for the year.
Hoping that my increase in exercise will spur me to start losing more again. My losses have definately slowed way down and even though I'm thrilled with my weight loss so far, i'd like to keep up the steady losses for at least the next 6 months.

6 month post op visit yesterday

Was given an A+ grade by the NP. She was very impressed with my weight loss, eating, vitamin intake, fluid intake, etc. Said i'm doing everything right. We talked about getting more exercise, which was my plan anyway. Good visit all in all. Go back in June for a 9 month follow up, i was thinking i wouldn't have to go back till 1 year, not sure why i thought that. Oh well at least i don't have to worry about snow and cold going up in June (I hope anyway!!)

6 Months! WOW!

So it's been 6 months since my surgery, can't believe it!
STATS -
I've lost a total of 90 lbs and 45"!!!! Simply amazing, no other words can describe it.
I'm so glad i had this surgery.
I have a goal of 199, just because i want to be less than 200 lbs....and 90 lbs puts me exactly 1/2 way there :-)

I have my official "6 month" visit with ADK next week. I feel like i'm doing very well. I know i will need to have my labs checked again.

My only "complaint" is i'm losing a lot of hair all of a sudden, it's getting pretty thin on top, gonna look like John soon if it keeps up. BUT, it's a very tiny price to pay for the health and confidence i'm gaining! Plus, it will grow back anyway!