9 Month Surgiversary!!!

Apr 22, 2011

 Here we are, nine months post-op....

Not much has changed this past month, went by soooo fast. I had to fly back to the mainland for my 4 yr old grandsons open-heart surgery. He did just fine, as a matter of fact, two days later he was blowing and going, and after 4 days, you wouldn't have known. He did develop a blood clot in his heart, and three weeks later, he still has it. It isn't causing issue, they have him on blood thinners, and of course, they would like to see it gone. So, lots of eating out, other than lots of walking around, no exercise. 

Since we have moved to Hawaii, my cardio has been in walking around form, but not a lot of toning. I can tell I have lost some tone, and I don't like that. Not making excuses, but it was a big move, living out of a hotel, then getting settled, then we all got sick. The sort of cough that any little thing will trigger and make you cough for an hour, and that took over a month to get over. Then I knew I was going back to the mainland for 3 weeks. I got back home last Monday, and this Sunday I start P90X, so I can't wait to get back into a routine. 

Losing has been slow, I am so close to goal. Only 3 pounds away from my official goal, and anywhere from 10 to 15 lbs away from my personal. As far as my doctor here is concerned, I am at goal.  I have my official at 140 though, and a little less for my own. I did lose three pounds this past month, but like I said, lots of eating out, not the heavy exercise I am used to. I am in a loose size 4, can wear smaller, but that is the size I go with for now. Small shirts are loose. Funny that at one time in my 20's I weighed 123 BRIEFLY and still never got below a size 7/8. Blows my mind. Another thing I noticed with bariatric surgery before I had mine, is that everyones arms seem to get small. I never thought mine would, I have never had small arms. Well, my arms are small. I do have a little extra skin on them, so they will be really small when that is removed. I do also have smaller legs ,in the thighs, that has never  been small either. I do have some extra skin there, but I can hide it for now. 

Eating, like I have said over and over, my issue with food was that I made it the enemy. I needed food to be my friend, and not obsess and fear it like I did. Portion control is what I needed, and this tool has been perfect for me. I can eat anything I want, and I am glad since I don't eat too much of anything for comfort, or anything like that. Some things just do not fill me up, so I do have to put the brakes on and push them away. Great things is that I can! I do occasionally dump, ice cream will make me dump mildly, but it will most of the time. Luckily, that is not something that is hard for me to push away from, and who wants something that makes them feel bad anyway? I rarely eat too much, not fun, hate doing it. Trying to get into a healthy food pattern now that things have settled down a little, and make a splurge meal on the weekends. Not much for my benefit, but for my family. They need to eat healthier. I still don't usually make my own plate at home, I just eat a little of my husbands. It is just easier for me to say "I'm done" than on my own. Just a me thing that works out well, but maybe not for others. When I am out socializing, I order anything I want, and it is a waste, but my husband doesn't mind. He said he would rather pay 15 bucks for something I will take 5 bites of and see me having fun eating it, and enjoying myself,  than to see me stress and fret over what to order and try to avoid all social settings that involve food any day.

Here in Hawaii, they like you to see the psychologist who runs the lean life or some type program here at the Army hospital. So I go and see him on Monday, and then he wants me to go to the support group that follows after. Normally he is the first person you see when you start your journey, and not the one you see once you've reached goal. haha...but that's ok.. They never ever mentioned one to me at Fort Bliss, where I had mine, but they do here, so I will check it out. 

So, eating is good, but going to be better, and exercise will get back on track. Those are my two goals for this month. Not concerned about losing, I would like to, and if I do, good, if not, I am still in a good place. So we will just wait and see what this tenth month brings...

Until then............

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