14-Month Surgiversary & Monthly Progress Pics

Today marks fourteen months since my VSG surgery, and it’s also Monday, so I figured this was the perfect Motivation Monday post.

Measurements

	6/20/14	7/21/14	Change
Neck	12.75	12.75	same
Arms	11	11	same
Wrist	6.25	6.25	same
Bust	33	32.5	-0.5 inch
Waist	32	31.5	-0.5 inch
Hips	43	42	-1 inch
Thighs	25	24.5	-0.5 inch
Calf	15.5	15.5	same
Ankle	8.5	8.25	-0.25 inch

It’s good to see that I’m still making progress in the “parts” that count – bust, waist, hips, & thighs.  My older clothes are fitting looser, and I’ve gone down in sizes, so it makes sense.

Photos

I have on the exact same clothes in both photos.  My sports bra and VS yoga crops. The left photos were taken 6/20/14 and the right photos were taken today, 7/21/14.

I know my body looks higher in the photo on the right, and my legs are more widely spread, but I think you can see a difference in my waistline. (And in my tan – I was DARK last month!)

Last month my body was turned slightly, but even still, I think the photo on the right shows that my waist is more defined and that my butt has gone down a bit.

I don’t really notice much difference between these two photos. I think I have a bit less “back flub” in today’s photo, but because of the angle, it’s hard to tell.

I’m happy that I can still see the changes in these photos.  They may be slight, but they’re still there, which is motivating to me.  I’ve continued to kill it at the gym and in outdoor exercise over the past month, so it’s nice to see those changes show up in photos.

I have just under a month until school starts again, and I am really excited to see what I can achieve in that time. Thanks for sharing my 14-month surgiversary with me!

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13-Month Surgiversary & Monthly Progress Pics

Today marks thirteen months since my VSG surgery, and it’s also Friday, so it’s really a cause for celebration.  I was really interested to see my measurements today, since I skipped measuring last month and because I know I’ve gone down a size in my clothes.

Measurements

	4/20/14	6/20/14	Change
Neck	12.75	12.75	same
Arms	11.75	11	-0.75 inch
Wrist	6.25	6.25	same
Bust	33	33	same
Waist	32.5	32	-0.5 inch
Hips	44	43	-1 inch
Thighs	25.5	25	-0.5 inch
Calf	15.5	15.5	same
Ankle	8.5	8.5	same

I’m happy with this progress, although I did think I might see bigger changes between the two months.  Still, I’m so happy knowing that I’ve gone down a size in both pants and tops.

Photos

I have on different pants in the photo from today, but the top is the same. The photos on the left were actually taken for the Tone It Up #bikiniseries on April 29, 2014 and the ones on the right were taken today, June 20, 2014.

Even though the two photos are slightly off in angle, I can see a difference in my abs and in my hips/thighs.

My body is turned slightly in the photo on the right, but I do think I can see more of definition in my midsection. (Part of the problem is that the pants I’m wearing on the right fit me a lot more snugly than the ones on the left, so it’s a bit deceiving).

Again, the angle is off between the two photos, but I think my butt looks smaller in the photo on the right.

And just for good measure, I thought I’d include a great comparison picture, my driver’s license.  The “before” was taken 4 years ago, and the one on the right was taken yesterday, right after I got out of the DMV.  Quite a difference, right?  And that wasn’t even me at my heaviest on the right.  Wow!

I look forward to seeing what I can achieve over the next month. Thanks for sharing my 13-month surgiversary with me!

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Super Spring Weigh In: Week 52 Post-Op VSG

Spring has sprung! Which means that the weather is turning warmer, the days are getting longer, and fitting in outdoor activities is a whole lot easier. Spring is a time of renewal, and in the spring of 2014  I’m living my life in full bloom! Now that I’m in the home stretch of my weight loss journey, all the pounds I lose this spring are just like extra petals on a flower, making my life just a bit more beautiful. I want to enjoy each day of this season, soaking in the sunshine, blue skies, and happiness. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. My Sunday progress updates will be called Super Spring Weigh-Ins.

Week 52  (somewhere along the way, I got off on my count of post-op weeks, but since this week was my 1-year surgiversary, this week is obviously Week 52). This week was busy again (notice a trend?) and because of that, I made sure to fit in early morning workouts so that I’d be able to fit it all in.  I made some adjustments to my food plan, and I saw a bit of movement on the scale (sort of).

So, what did the scale show?!

Once again, for the 5th week in a row, my weight is exactly where it’s been – 180 lbs.  But, I’ve lost 97 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 135 pounds from my highest weight!! I have 30 pounds to go to my ultimate goal weight of 150 pounds.  I did see movement on the scale this week – it dipped down to 178ish, but it bounced back up after a day of fun yesterday.  While I’m frustrated that my weight is still the same, I’m glad I went out with friends yesterday to a baseball game and enjoyed myself.  I indulged quite a bit with my food/adult beverage choices, but the great thing about my sleeve is that it helps me keep things in control in terms of portions.  Plus, I got in a great calorie burn yesterday, which is exactly what living in maintenance would be – keeping a balance.  The thing is, I don’t want to be in maintenance yet – I still have pounds to lose before I’m done.

First of all, let me just say that this is the last week where I won’t see a loss on the scale.  It’s time to kick things into high gear and make some changes. Here’s what I’m thinking…

Weigh-In Day Change – For the past year I’ve weighed in on Sundays.  I did this for a lot of reasons, the two main ones being that Sunday is the start to a new week and to keep myself accountable through the weekends.  Because I was so focused on my weight loss journey, I wanted to make sure that my Sunday morning weigh-ins were as good as they could possibly be, and this meant that I passed up on a lot of social activities because I didn’t want to have to weigh in the next morning after going out.  Which worked for me while I was really in my major weight loss phase, but isn’t going to work that well for me as I enter into this next phase of my life.  Summer vacation is about to hit, which means a lot more social engagements, not to mention that I joined Match.com again, and I’m hoping this means a lot more dates, too.  My point being, I don’t want to skip out on the fun this summer because I’m worried about my Sunday morning weigh-ins.  So, I’m changing my weigh-in days to Wednesday.  I weigh in everyday anyway, so changing the day I report my weight on this blog doesn’t seem like that big a deal, and will make a huge difference in my social life.

Food – I did well this past week with eliminating some of the snacks that the nutritionist recommended I avoid: nuts and popcorn.  Occasionally those snacks are fine, but I was eating them every day, and neither one has enough protein.  Nuts have a bit of protein, but are so high in calories and fat that they’re just not a good payoff.  Popcorn is low in calories and high in fiber, but has virtually no protein. I’m not going to completely forgo either of these snacks, but they need to be more of a once-in-a-while thing rather than my daily go-to.  Instead, I’ve been eating turkey wrapped around string cheese, cottage cheese and veggies, etc.  I also changed up my breakfasts a few times, going from protein shakes to Quest bars and Greek yogurt; the variety has been nice. My dinners were always on point, so I kept those the same.

Exercise – I did really well this week with waking up at 4:15am to fit in my workouts, which makes me really proud of myself.  I have to say, I love getting my workouts done first thing in the morning, but 4:15 is really early.  Which is why I’m so glad that next year I’ll have a first-period prep so that I can go in a bit later some days, and not have to wake up  quite so early.  But for these last two weeks of school, I’m going to keep up with the early, early morning workouts. Since I like writing my workout plan for the week on Sundays, I’m going to start separating the workout plan posts from my weigh-in posts, beginning today, so look for a separate workout plan post, later today.

Today’s quotes go well together, and I think they’re indicative of my philosophy of weight loss (and life in general).  Whatever I set my mind to, I accomplish, and this last phase of my weight loss journey is no different.  I have every confidence that I will accomplish all of my goals, including getting to the 170s this week!!

Until Wednesday, my friends. I hope the scale treats you well, and that you have a wonderful week!

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1-Year Surgiversary &Monthly Progress Pics

Today marks one year since my VSG surgery!  To think that exactly 1 year ago today I was getting ready for surgery is really surreal to me.  In some ways it feels like the time has gone by in a flash, and then in other ways it feels like my post-op life is one I’ve been living for years now.

Once I actually got approved for and had the surgery, everything just fell into place for me.  My success has been constant and consistent because I knew exactly what I needed to do.  I followed Kaiser’s post-op plan to the letter, following all of the weight loss surgery “rules.”  I made the commitment to myself and my new lifestyle before I ever walked into the operating room, and have been unwavering in that commitment ever since.  I wanted this weight loss, this new life, so I did everything and anything I needed to do to achieve it.  I’ve re-created myself these past 365 days.

{I haven’t had a chance to take my measurements yet, so I’m going to skip those for this month}.

Photos

Since this is a special progress report, I figured I’d show a few photos that show what a difference a year makes.

left: the morning of surgery; right: today

side view
left: the morning of surgery; right: today

left: just a few pounds down from my heaviest weight – Jan 2013; right: after my workout this morning

left: just a few pounds down from my heaviest weight – Jan 2013; right: after my workout this morning

I don’t think I have the words to express how proud of myself I am for what I’ve accomplished in this past year or so.  The surgery is a tool that helped me reset my metabolism and finally start seeing success on and off the scale.  It’s given me portion control.  But it isn’t a quick fix or the easy way out.  Each of these past 365 days I’ve made decisions about what to eat, how often to workout, how to change my life.

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11-Month Surgiversary & Monthly Progress Pics

Today marks eleven months since my VSG surgery, and it’s also Easter Sunday, so the eggs seemed fitting.  Today was all about celebrating with my family, and it was a really fantastic day from start to finish.  I woke up and saw a 5-pound loss on the scale, 2-pounds of which was getting rid of water weight from my vacation. I had a lovely brunch with my family at my parents’ house.  Then my niece and I finally watched Frozen together (she’s already watched it several times, mind you). And then it was time to sweat with the Tone It Up Easter Bunny Workout and an evening walk with Sofi. All in all, a really awesome day!

Measurements

	3/20/14	4/20/14	Change
Neck	13	12.75	-0.25 inch
Arms	11.5	11.75	+0.25 inch
Wrist	6.5	6.25	-0.25 inch
Bust	33.5	33	-0.5 inch
Waist	33	32.5	-0.5 inch
Hips	43.5	44	+0.5 inch
Thighs	26	25.5	-0.5 inch
Calf	15.5	15.5	same
Ankle	8.75	8.5	-0.25 inch

This month I didn’t see as many changes in terms of measurements, and in fact, I was surprised that I was actually up a half-inch or so in some categories.  One thing I should point out is that I took today’s measurements tonight at 9pm, after a whole day of eating and drinking.  I last month’s measurements were taken in the early part of the day.  So, I do need to be mindful of the time of day I’m taking these measurements from here on out.  In the last month I’ve lost 6 pounds, which is the same rate as last month.

Photos

I’m wearing the exact same clothes in the photos I took last month and then again today.

left: 3/20/14; right: 4/20/14

left: 3/20/14; right: 4/20/14

left: 3/20/14; right: 4/20/14

I notice slight changes in my body, especially in my waist and in my back.  I’m wearing basically the same sizes I was last month, but things are getting much looser.

I’m proud of my progress in this past month, and I can’t wait to see what I can do in the month ahead.

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Super Spring Weigh In: Week 43 Post-Op VSG

Spring has (almost) sprung! Which means that the weather is turning warmer, the days are getting longer, and fitting in outdoor activities is a whole lot easier. Spring is a time of renewal, and in the spring of 2014  I’m living my life in full bloom! Now that I’m in the home stretch of my weight loss journey, all the pounds I lose this spring are just like extra petals on a flower, making my life just a bit more beautiful. I want to enjoy each day of this season, soaking in the sunshine, blue skies, and happiness. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. My Sunday progress updates will be called Super Spring Weigh-Ins.

Week 43 was a bit overwhelming, if I’m honest.  Things are really busy at work, and I felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day.  I still managed to eat well and to get my cardio workouts in, but I did let a few toning workouts slip by.  This next week is going to be just as busy, so I’m going to do my best to set things up today so that I don’t feel like I have no time for everything I have to do. Feeling organized is huge for me – it make all the difference in the world.

So, what did the scale show?!

When I weighed in this morning, I was 184.6, which is a loss of 1.4 pounds this week, and a loss of 92.4 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 130.4 pounds from my highest weight!! I have 34.6 pounds to go to my ultimate goal weight of 150 pounds. I’m pleased with this week’s loss, especially considering I didn’t do many of the toning exercises that I’ve been doing 5 times a week for the past couple of months.  My eating has been great, though, and I did pretty well with my water intake, too.

More of the clothes I ordered for my Hawaiian vacation came in this week, and every single item looks as good or better than I’d hoped.  I don’t mean to sound conceited when I write that, but this is a whole new thing for me.  In the past when I ordered clothes online, it was always hit and miss as far as how the clothes would look.  Now it’s a whole different story because I have a whole different body.  It really is an amazing feeling.

Yesterday the high school I attended had an Alumnae Day of Service at a local charity, which fit in well with my volunteering for Lent.  One of my good friends attended, and I had a blast meeting a bunch of new friends.  There’s something about being an alumna from my school – we have an instant bond because of the shared experience of going to an all-girls Catholic school.  And not just because of wearing that plaid skirt; because of the values we were taught, the education we received, and the spirit of friendship that we formed.  It truly was an amazing experience, and I’m so grateful to my parents for sacrificing so much so that my sister and I could attend the school.

A shot of a new friend and me sorting apples.

A great group shot of all of the alums who volunteered. The lady in the sun hat is in charge of food sorting at the center, and was our supervisor for the day.

This week the enormous changes I’ve undergone have become more evident to me.  In looking at photos I’ve been in with groups of friends lately (last weekend, this Friday night, and again yesterday) I can see that I’m a completely different person.  I’m not worried about how my body is going to look in pictures, because I know how hard I’ve worked.  It’s so freeing to just smile and capture the moment, rather than worry so much about what angle the camera is being held at. I see myself and I am proud of the lady being reflected back at me. A new confidence is emerging, and I am loving it!

Until next Sunday, my friends. I hope the scale treats you well, and that you have a wonderful week!

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10-Month Surgiversary & Monthly Progress Pics

Today marks ten months since my VSG surgery, and it’s also the first day of spring.  It’s been sunshine and smiles all day today, especially when a colleague of mine, whom I don’t see too often on campus, stopped me in the teachers’ lounge and said, “you’re almost unrecognizable! You’re looking fantastic!”  He’s the track coach, and he knows I’ve been working on my run/walks and doing 5Ks, and I thought it was so nice of him to tell me that he’s noticing the changes. I’ve had several other people tell me how “skinny” I’m looking lately, and it never gets old.  I think part of it is that I was more bundled up in the winter, wearing heavier sweaters and jeans.  Now I’ve been wearing thinner tops and skirts, which show my shape more.  But I’m also proud to say that I’ve been really putting in the work to make these changes evident – eating great and getting in my workouts 5 or 6 days a week.

Measurements

	2/16/14	3/20/14	Change
Neck	13	13	0/same
Arms	12.5	11.5	-1 inch
Wrist	6.5	6.5	0/same
Bust	34	33.5	-0.5 inch
Waist	34	33	-1 inch
Hips	48	43.5	-4.5 inches
Thighs	28.25	26	-2.25 inches
Calf	15.75	15.5	-0.25 inch
Ankle	8.5	8.75	+0.25 inch

I’m floored that I lost 4 1/2 inches in my hips and 2 1/4 inches from my thighs in one month!  I triple checked the measurements, and sure enough, I’ve made big strides.  Just this morning as I was getting out of the shower, I did notice that my thighs are looking much smaller lately, which is so encouraging.  I think it’s funny that I gained 1/4 inch in my ankles; I wonder if I’m retaining water?  Either way, I’m really pleased with this progress.  I’ve been working hard at toning up, and it’s paying off.

Photos

I’ve lost 6 pounds in the month between these photos. I’ve also been working on my base tan for Hawaii, as you’ll see from the difference in my skin tone.  In the photos on the right (taken today) I’m wearing different pants that are slightly looser than the running pants I wore last month.

Left: 2/16/14; Right 3/20/14

I notice a few things between these two photos – I can see more definition in my stomach, my waist looks more “whittled,” and the skin on my stomach is getting looser.

Left: 2/16/14; Right: 3/20/14

Left: 2/16/14; Right: 3/20/14

Sizes

• Tops = size M or L, depending on the manufacturer
• Jeans = size 14, and they’re getting a bit loose
• Workout capris (worn in these photos) = size L
• Boy short bikini bottoms from Victoria’s Secret = size L
• Bras = 34D (on the tightest setting)
• Workout Bras = 32/34 D/DD (on the middle setting) The workout bras I bought have a range, which I love because they fit well and have lasted a long time.

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9-Month Surgiversary!

Today marks nine months since my VSG surgery, and oh how my life has changed in this time.  Nine months ago I was so hopeful, looking forward to this moment right here – when I’d lost enough to really notice a dramatic transformation.

• On the day of surgery I weighed in at 277; today I weighed in at 191. That’s a loss of 86 pounds in 9 months, and 124 pounds from my highest weight.
• 9 months ago I was wearing size 24 pants; today I wear size 14 from the “regular” side of the store, not plus.
• 9 months ago I was wearing tight-fitting 2x tops; today I’m wearing women’s size large.
• Since surgery I’ve lost 48.5 inches around my body.
• I can cross my legs.
• I can go up several flights of stairs without getting winded.
• I’ve run/walked a 5K.
• I’ve taken and LOVED a spin class.
• I can keep up with a Zumba class at full intensity – bouncing and jumping with the best of them, without being out of breath.
• I’ve started a toning program, and love the results I’m getting.
• I’ve purchased boyfriend sweats from Victoria’s Secret and now they’re two sizes too large for me.
• I no longer spill over the seat in the chairs at Starbucks, my car, etc.
• I’ve reached Onederland, and I’m almost in the 180’s!
• When I take my first plane ride in over 6 years to Hawaii in April, I’ll have no worries about infringing on my neighbor’s seat and I won’t need a seatbelt extender.

The way I move through the world is so different now.  I’ve always been a confident person, but I have an extra bit of pep in my step. I feel happy, content, and very, very proud.

Marking Progress

I’ve decided that to celebrate my surgiversary on a monthly basis, I’m going to start posting progress pics and measurements on the 20th of the month. I’m excited to start marking my progress more frequently.

Here’s a repost of my measurements:

	3/4/12	2/16/14	Change
Neck	14.5	13	-1.5 inches
Arms	16.25	12.5	-3.75 inches
Wrist	6.75	6.5	-0.25 inches
Bust	43	34	-9 inches
Waist	44.5	34	-10.5 inches
Hips	61	48	-13 inches
Thighs	35	28.25	-6.75 inches
Calf	18.5	15.75	-2.75 inches
Ankle	9.5	8.5	-1 inch

In total, I’ve lost 48 1/2 inches from around my body!! That’s four feet!!! I’m really excited with all of these changes, but especially the changes in my bust, waist, hips, and thighs.

And now some pictures.

This first comparison is from the day of surgery and today. 9 months and 86 pounds.

On a side note, today’s dress is one that I bought maybe seven or eight years ago at a Cabi party.  At the time the XL size was way out of reach, but today, the dress is too big on me.  That’s my sports bra showing underneath it.  The dress is reversible (colorful floral on one side, black and white on the other).  I really like it, so I may pay to get it altered; it needs to be taken in at the top and at the waist.

I’ve decided to start posing with just my sports bra and running pants on to really show the changes the toning and exercise are making to my body.  I’ve been really remiss about taking progress photos up to this point, so I decided to show photos from one year ago.  I weighed 293 in the “before” photos, and today I’m 191 – so -102 pounds between the photos.

Left: Feb 2013, Right: Feb 2014 (today)
Can you see that slight indention in my stomach? Is that the start of some sort of ab definition? Exciting!

Left: Feb 2013, Right: Feb 2014 (today)

Left: Feb 2013, Right: Feb 2014 (today)
Sorry for the crazy angle, but my sis wasn’t around to help me take the photos. Hopefully next month.

Thanks for letting me indulge in a bit of celebration today.  You can believe I’m all smiles. 🙂

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#Reverb12, Day 23: What Will You Let Go Of?

Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb12: celebrating the successes of 2012, honoring the challenges of 2012, and planting the seeds for a rich and rewarding 2013. December is the perfect time to reflect on the year that has passed and start to manifest dreams for the new year.

Day 23 – Name three excuses — stories you tell yourself that are holding you back — that you are going to let go of in 2013.

1. “I don’t have time to workout.” This one is the biggest excuse/lie I tell myself, and it’s certainly not true.  I’m single, no kids, and have a job that officially ends my day at 3pm.  I have the time, it’s just easier to watch t.v. or go online, or do a million other things instead.  That ends now.  More on this with my 2013 Goals post, coming soon.
2. “It’s okay if I eat ____, I’ll put in extra time at the gym tomorrow.”  Or some other sort of justification for giving into temptation.  I had a handle on this when I started Jenny Craig in September, because the plan allowed for an afternoon salty, crunchy snack and a nightly dessert.  I lost it a bit in December, but once this holiday madness is over, I’ll get back to it.
3. “I don’t need to spend time after school grading today, I’ll do it tomorrow.” I tend to do my grading in big bursts, which always leaves me feeling mentally and physically exhausted.  I know in my heart that if I spent 2 hours on my “B days,” and do a bit of grading every single day, I’d be so much more efficient.  Early in December I also started grading for a few hours on Saturdays, and it really made me feel organized. I definitely plan on carrying that over into 2013.

This was a great exercise for me, as I begin thinking about making so many positive changes in 2013.

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Weigh-In Wednesday: A Few Changes Around Here

This week, I’m announcing some changes to the way that I’m going to report my weight, for the time being. For the longest time I’ve been reporting my weight every week, on Wednesdays.  And lately there really hasn’t been too much to write about, beyond what the number is on the scale. I feel like I often say the same things: either, “I had a great week because I followed my program and exercised” or “this week was difficult and I didn’t do what I was supposed to because of _______.”  And that just gets boring and repetitive, doesn’t it?

Right now a new focus with my weight loss journey is figuring out why I do some of the things I do and (hopefully)  changing those behaviors or ideas so that I don’t continuously repeat them.  I know how to eat right and exercise, and when I’m on track, I’m ON TRACK, but when I get thrown off I go WAY off.  So I want to try to determine why I get thrown off and then stop myself from falling.  I hope that makes sense.  Sometimes I can’t seem to prevent myself from doing something to derail my progress, so I’m hoping that in meeting with a therapist on a regular basis, I can begin to cope better or uncover just why it happens in the first place.

With that said, I’m not going to stop weighing myself, because I’ve found that I really need that measure to check in with myself and see how I’m doing.  Being in the dark about my progress (or lack thereof) isn’t good for me.  I tend to weigh myself every few days, which really helps me stay on track or adjust my behaviors and actions if I don’t like what I see on the scale.

What I am going to change is the way that I report my weigh-ins.  I’m not going to write weekly posts on Wednesdays.  Instead, I’m going to log my weight in LoseIt every time I weigh myself.  Which means lots of tiny fluctuations, but for me, I need that sort of record and feedback.  (I’ve been weighing every few days and recording my weight in the Notepad feature of my iPhone, and then only recording my weight into LoseIt (and on this blog) weekly, but that just seems like double work).  So if you’d like to follow along with every step I take on the scale, you can become my friend on LoseIt or you can follow me on  Twitter because my LoseIt feed gets broadcast there, too.  Or, if you’d rather not join either of those (which is completely understandable), you can follow my Twitter feed in the sidebar of this blog.

OR…(lots of options for you) you can just come back here every month. Every first Wednesday of the month I’ll write a post about how my month went and what my overall weight loss is.  I’ll include a photo, graphs, and what the previous month has been like, in terms of the scale.  Since that’s the way I have to report in to the Kaiser Bariatric Dept., it makes sense for me to write it all up here first.  I think looking at my weight loss in a “bigger picture” sort of way on this blog will help me gain perspective and may prevent repetitiveness.

I feel really good about this change and the fact that the focus on the blog will become even more about the journey toward weight loss and overall health.

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