Week 10

As I am sitting here with my feet up, listening to the rain pour and sipping on some wonderful tea, I just can't help but think of how thankful I am.  I can't even pinpoint every single reason, but I just feel so grateful for being allowed to have an opportunity to live again the way I want to.  I think sadly of the woman who, just 12 weeks ago, was taking pictures of an unhappy face and body.  The smile I was forcing,the painful reality that I had ignored for so long.  It still makes me cringe looking at my pictures,and maybe this is something I will never get over.  I didn't realize how big I truly was.  I felt it, but blocked it out of my mind.

That brings me back to today-in this moment-looking at my most recent pictures and it all comes back to how far this journey has taken me already.  The best thing is...the fun has just begun!  Truly amazing!

My absolute fattest face May 2014

Oh look!!  I have eyes now...and even a neck!

So what's new this week?    

As of this morning I am down 45 pounds (I only lose pounds every other week!)  This is my losing pounds week.  I honestly FEEL like I have lost more.  I went hiking on some trails with my kids, and 1.5 miles was effortless-not breathless like it would have been 10 weeks ago.  I go shopping every week in the storage bins in my closet.  The green shirt above is 14 years old-back in the day when shopping at Lane Bryant didn't break the bank and the clothes were top quality.  I also put on-and wore in public- size 22/24 jeans...goodbye 26/28 forever!  My next mission is to find a dress for a wedding at the end of next month.  A dress!  Maybe even a red one  :)

I am still struggling with very dry skin, so I have upped my water intake.  The last few weeks I have been hungry almost every 2 hours and just can't seem to eat enough and stay full.  Thankfully, there are many resources for questions about VSG, and I found out that dehydration can mimic hunger.  Since my skin has been so dry, and I have been starving, I took the weekend to get caught up on fluids.  This is really tricky since I have to wait an hour after eating solid food to drink.  I got most of my protein in liquid form so I didnt have to wait as much and this week I am not hungry at all. I can get room temperature water in much easier, so I have been sticking with that.   Glad it was such an easy fix.  If I slack off even one day on my fluids, I will be in trouble.  I know a few people who have even gone to get IV fluids.  Hydration is something that should not be messed with!  

Another big thing:    I stopped my gym membership.  Very freeing to have that monkey off my back!  I didn't go-ever-and just seeing the pass on my key chain was making me feel guilty.  The gym chain that is by my house has a creepy owner, and is very small so I never went.  The same gyms in neighboring towns are each 10 miles away and that makes it even more inconvenient to go.  So now I have to find something I would enjoy doing and DO IT.  Walking and doing active family things is a great start in the meantime.  

Foodwise, I am in a rut.  I rely on the same old things to get me through-cottage cheese,cheese sticks,beef sticks,eggs,whatever meat we have for dinner works too.  I have a little trouble with chicken-it just doesnt want to go down very well, but I am working in it.  Maybe if I am lucky, I can fit in a piece of vegetable.  I am going to try a few new things now that it is cool enough to run the oven.  Stay tuned for mini pizza cups with Canadian bacon "crust".  

I have discovered that I like a few protein bars too, and I have learned to keep some nuts handy in the car for those "want to stop at McDonalds moments".  

Here is where I came from and here is where I am at!   Thanks for reading my long post!