Fabulous Fall Weigh-In: Week 26 Post-Op VSG

Autumn has arrived! Which means that life is back to normal – school’s in, my schedule is busy, and obligations abound. But I won’t use those as excuses to slack on my goals. The great thing about fall is that the weather is cooler, which means that those wonderful fall fashions will keep me motivated. Plus, crisp temperatures mean that it’s never “too hot” to workout. I’m going to relish my nightly cup of steaming hot tea as another way to keep my water intake up. I look forward to all those hearty, satisfying and wls-friendly soups, stews, and crockpot meals that I’ll create for myself. This year, the changing season will mark new milestones that I haven’t seen in 5, 7, 10+ years! Bring on fall 2013 – it’s time to reach new heights! Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. Throughout the fall, I’ll be giving Sunday progress updates called Fabulous Fall Weigh-Ins.

Week 26 brought celebrations – my 6-month post op appt and my 6-month surgiversary. Looking back on these past 6 months, I am so thankful for my sleeve and my new lifestyle. I’ve worked hard for all that I’ve achieved, and I have a lot to be proud of.  Lots of things making me smile. This is the last of my Fabulous Fall weigh-ins; next week marks the start of my Countdown to Christmas weigh-ins.

So, how’s the scale looking?

When I weighed in this morning, I was 208.6, which is a loss of 2.4 pounds this week, and a loss of 68.4 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 106.4 pounds from my highest weight!!  A great loss this week, and I can hardly believe that I’m less than 10 pounds away from being in Onderland!  My main focus over these next few weeks before the close of 2013 is going to be making it to 199 or less.  I know I can do it.

This week, since I’m off, I have more freedom to experiment with my workouts.  Tomorrow I’m going to head to the track and try Day 1, Week 1 C25K again.  I’ve been jogging here and there on my walks (never more than a half a block at a time), but I’ve just been taking it slowly, and I’m not too winded.  Yesterday when I tried it on my walk with my sis, niece, and the pups, my sister said I looked like I was “tip-toeing through the tulips” as I was jogging.  She said I looked like I was skipping, and as if I should’ve been tossing flower petals to my left and right.  LOL. I’m sure it was nothing that graceful, but still, I felt pretty good as I went, and I’m interested in pushing myself a bit more.  I’ll definitely report back on how it goes. Who knows, maybe I’ll spend part of the Turkey Trot on Thursday jogging.

The other thing I really need to do this week is buy some casual clothes.  I have almost nothing to wear after work or on the weekends, which is why I spend so much of my time at home in my pjs.  Nothing wrong with that, but I would like to have a few more options, so I’m heading to Marshall’s to see what I can find.  I’ve never bought clothes at Marshall’s before because their plus size selection stinks, so this is going to be another NSV.  I’ll make sure to post if I find anything good.

I’m so happy with the way that my life is going right now.  This weight loss isn’t easy, but it is manageable.  The hard work and commitment that I put in on a daily basis is showing up on the scale, and I really can’t ask for more than that.  It’s what I wanted all along when I was struggling for all those years – for my efforts to show up.  Now that they finally are, I couldn’t be more grateful and more pleased.  I’m doing it – I’m creating the new me.

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

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Fabulous Fall Weigh-In: Week 25 Post-Op VSG

Autumn has arrived! Which means that life is back to normal – school’s in, my schedule is busy, and obligations abound. But I won’t use those as excuses to slack on my goals. The great thing about fall is that the weather is cooler, which means that those wonderful fall fashions will keep me motivated. Plus, crisp temperatures mean that it’s never “too hot” to workout. I’m going to relish my nightly cup of steaming hot tea as another way to keep my water intake up. I look forward to all those hearty, satisfying and wls-friendly soups, stews, and crockpot meals that I’ll create for myself. This year, the changing season will mark new milestones that I haven’t seen in 5, 7, 10+ years! Bring on fall 2013 – it’s time to reach new heights! Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. Throughout the fall, I’ll be giving Sunday progress updates called Fabulous Fall Weigh-Ins.

Week 25 went quickly with Monday’s holiday, but also because the days seem to fly by at this time of year, don’t they?  Wednesday marks my 6-month surgiversary, and I go for my 6-month post-op appointment tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to getting the results of the bloodwork I did a few weeks ago.  (I actually got my labs back a few days after I went in to have the blood drawn, but I really can’t make heads or tails of it, so I’m very interested to hear what the doctor tells me).

So, how’s the scale looking?

When I weighed in this morning, I was 211.0, which is a loss of 0.8 pounds this week, and a loss of 66 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 104 pounds from my highest weight!!  Even though this week’s loss isn’t even 1 pound, I’m content with it.  I had fairly large losses the past two weeks, so it’s probably time for a smaller loss.  Also, last week I weighed in on Monday, so this was a slightly shorter week.  And really, any loss is a good loss, right?

This past week was one in which I was reminded just how far I’ve come. I’m still amazed when I go into a store and can try on regular sizes – given how much I like clothes, the thrill never gets old.  The most difficult part is not overbuying because I know that the sizes I fit into now will only work for a short time; soon enough I’ll be smaller.  That’s an incredible realization.  I definitely need to start going to stores like  TJMaxx and Marshalls to get some “filler” items that are inexpensive.  And I do take comfort in the fact that these “temporary” clothes will end up in a good home when I donate them.

Beyond just looking better, this weight loss has really transformed the way I feel, too.  At one point this week I had to walk up a couple of flights of stairs to get to my car in the parking lot, and I did it without getting out of breath at all.  In the past, those stairs would’ve been a struggle and I would’ve done everything I could to mask the fact that I was huffing and puffing. And when I’m walking, whether it’s with Sofi or in a 5K, I am constantly pushing to go a bit faster to feel more challenged.  I’m doing a Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning, and since it’s going to be my first solo 5K, I think I’m going to push myself to see just how fast I can go.  I love all these physical barriers that I’m breaking down and surpassing even what I expected would be possible.

This week’s quote is perfect because WLS isn’t a magic pill.  There’s such a misconception out there that once a person has surgery, s/he will automatically lose weight.  And while initially someone might lose weight without much effort, that period doesn’t last long.  It takes a complete change in mindset. It takes making this a lifestyle, not a quick fix.  It takes hard work, organization, and persistence.  It takes making choices that are nutritionally healthy for me when other foods might be easier. It takes planning meals daily.  It takes logging every bite. It takes moving my body and working up a sweat, which gets more difficult the thinner I get.  It takes time and dedication.  And I wouldn’t change one thing, because I’m loving all that it takes.

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

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Fabulous Fall Weigh-In: Week 24 Post-Op VSG

Autumn has arrived! Which means that life is back to normal – school’s in, my schedule is busy, and obligations abound. But I won’t use those as excuses to slack on my goals. The great thing about fall is that the weather is cooler, which means that those wonderful fall fashions will keep me motivated. Plus, crisp temperatures mean that it’s never “too hot” to workout. I’m going to relish my nightly cup of steaming hot tea as another way to keep my water intake up. I look forward to all those hearty, satisfying and wls-friendly soups, stews, and crockpot meals that I’ll create for myself. This year, the changing season will mark new milestones that I haven’t seen in 5, 7, 10+ years! Bring on fall 2013 – it’s time to reach new heights! Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. Throughout the fall, I’ll be giving Sunday progress updates called Fabulous Fall Weigh-Ins.

Week 24 was a fun week filled with lots of walks, a few NSVs, and of course, weight loss. (This post is a day late because I spent Saturday night/Sunday morning at FaveCousin’s house to do the Mermaid 5K and I didn’t have my own scale.  So, the weigh-in was postponed a day).

So, how’s the scale looking?

When I weighed in this morning, I was 211.8, which is a loss of 2 pounds this week, and a loss of 65.2 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 103.2 pounds from my highest weight!!  I’m really happy that I had a nice loss this week, especially since I lost almost four pounds last week.  This week I ate more carbs than normal, but because most of those carbs were from things like oatmeal and lentils I’m not too worried about it.  But I do want to get back to my morning protein shakes this coming week – nothing helps me meet my protein goals like those do.

This week brought a few NSVs:

• I had to buy new jeans because the ones I was wearing are all too big and baggy.  So on Friday afternoon, I bought size 18s from Avenue, which is exciting because in the past I’ve always found Avenue jeans to require a size larger than I can wear in other pants. Buying smaller sizes is always exciting, but it’s really weird to think that I was in a size 28 last year at this time.  I can’t quite comprehend that I’m wearing size 18s – the last time I recall wearing this size was at least 20 years ago.
• When FaveCousin and I went to sushi on Saturday night, we were at a really small hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant in the Richmond District of SF.  The tables were all really close together. Normally, I would’ve been very concerned that I was taking up too much space compared to the people in the chairs behind me, but I when I looked behind me, I realized there was plenty of space.  And when we got up to leave, I had no problem scooting my chair back and making my way into the aisle.  This was one of those huge, yet quiet moments that only big girls/guys could truly understand.
• The entire experience of the Mermaid 5K yesterday was an NSV for me.  Night and day to the last one I completed, back in March of 2009.  I’ve come a long way, baby!

Today’s quote is really important to me because I’m moving into completely new territory in my journey.  I’m hitting numbers on the scale and wearing sizes that I don’t remember seeing in the last 18 years.  I’m accomplishing things that seemed so far out of reach just a year ago, and now I’m thinking of bigger goals than I ever thought possible.  Recently I was reminded to enjoy each step along this journey, and not just focus on the end goal.  I can honestly say that I am living in the moment, enjoying the gifts that each new day brings, and loving the life I’m creating.

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

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Fabulous Fall Weigh-In: Week 23 Post-Op VSG

Autumn has arrived! Which means that life is back to normal – school’s in, my schedule is busy, and obligations abound. But I won’t use those as excuses to slack on my goals. The great thing about fall is that the weather is cooler, which means that those wonderful fall fashions will keep me motivated. Plus, crisp temperatures mean that it’s never “too hot” to workout. I’m going to relish my nightly cup of steaming hot tea as another way to keep my water intake up. I look forward to all those hearty, satisfying and wls-friendly soups, stews, and crockpot meals that I’ll create for myself. This year, the changing season will mark new milestones that I haven’t seen in 5, 7, 10+ years! Bring on fall 2013 – it’s time to reach new heights! Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. Throughout the fall, I’ll be giving Sunday progress updates called Fabulous Fall Weigh-Ins.

Week 23 brought with a huge milestone, so rather than write about how my week was, let’s just get to the numbers!

So, how’s the scale looking?

When I weighed in this morning, I was 213.8, which is a loss of 3.8 pounds this week, and a loss of 63.2 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 101.2 pounds from my highest weight!!  What a week! I lost almost 4 pounds and hit the “century mark” – 100 pounds lost!! I’m so proud of myself and all that I’ve done to get here.  It’s been a lot of hard work, but achieving this goal within the time period that I set for myself is really amazing.

Today a couple of my friends and I are going to one of my favorite wineries, Testarossa, to celebrate my weight loss.  I know it might seem antithetical to go drink wine to celebrate losing weight, but I think it makes perfect sense.  My life is about balance, and part of that is enjoying celebrations in moderation.

Losing this weight has let me buy some new clothes, and I can’t wait to wear my new size XL shirt when we go today!  I know a size XL isn’t something most women would be excited about fitting into, but considering that at one point last fall I was wearing size 26/28 sweaters, this is very significant for me.

The other 100-pounds lost celebration I have planned is a bike ride with friends in a couple of weeks.  I also wanted to make sure that we did something active to celebrate this milestone, and one of my all-time favorite activities is bike riding.  So we’ll be heading to the Los Gatos Creek Trail to go bike riding for a few hours.  Since more of my friends are able to make this excursion, it will be a really fun day.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn’t rain.

Speaking of bike riding, my reward for meeting this goal is to buy myself a new, red beach cruiser.  I’m going to take my time looking around to find the right bike, and I’ll buy it within the next few months.  I’ll definitely post it as soon as I get it home.

I really like today’s quote because it speaks directly about my own journey.  Losing 100+ pounds isn’t a miracle that just happened.  I manifested it through sweat, preparation, planning, and follow-through.  It took years of perseverance and belief in myself.  It was born from daily choices.  And while I’m as grateful for this weight loss (and my VSG surgery) as I would be for any miracle, I know that I earned it.

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

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Fabulous Fall Weigh-In: Week 22 Post-Op VSG

Autumn has arrived! Which means that life is back to normal – school’s in, my schedule is busy, and obligations abound. But I won’t use those as excuses to slack on my goals. The great thing about fall is that the weather is cooler, which means that those wonderful fall fashions will keep me motivated. Plus, crisp temperatures mean that it’s never “too hot” to workout. I’m going to relish my nightly cup of steaming hot tea as another way to keep my water intake up. I look forward to all those hearty, satisfying and wls-friendly soups, stews, and crockpot meals that I’ll create for myself. This year, the changing season will mark new milestones that I haven’t seen in 5, 7, 10+ years! Bring on fall 2013 – it’s time to reach new heights! Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. Throughout the fall, I’ll be giving Sunday progress updates called Fabulous Fall Weigh-Ins.

Week 22 brought with it the change of seasons.  Finally, we’re experiencing cold mornings and evenings, although our days are gorgeous and sunny.  I love the layered clothing of fall, and it’s been fun putting cooler-weather outfits together.  My closet is down to the bare minimum, so I’ve spent a bit on some new sweaters – more on that in a bit. My food has been great, and I’ve been enjoying lots of fall flavors – butternut squash casserole, rotisserie chicken and pumpkin soup, and today I’m going to make pumpkin pie crockpot oatmeal.  Of course I put my own spin on each of these recipes, especially the oatmeal. I need more protein than the original recipe has, so I add in scoops of vanilla protein powder (I also omit the maple syrup in favor of flavored sugar free torani – saves calories and tastes just as good).

So, how’s the scale looking?

When I weighed in this morning, I was 217.6, which is a loss of 1.4 pounds this week, and a loss of 59.4 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 97.4 pounds from my highest weight!!  The weight loss is slowing down a bit these past couple of weeks, but I’m proud that I can honestly say that I have never had a stall in these 22 weeks.  Considering how awful my weight loss was pre-op, this is a fantastic fact! Actually, forget the caveat, this is a fantastic fact no matter what!  I see so many others on MyFitnessPal struggle with stalls from week to week, but I’ve never experienced one.  I can’t speak to what happens with other people’s bodies, but I can say for mine that having the surgery absolutely reset my metabolism, which had been shot after so many years of yo-yo dieting. Plus the fact that I have followed (most of) the rules Kaiser laid out and cook most of my meals myself.  I have gone out, of course, but it’s a rare, celebratory thing.  I have completely embraced this new lifestyle, and it’s paying off.

I can’t believe how close I am to losing 100 lbs!  I just can’t wait for that magic number to show up on the scale – I really hope I can get to it this week, but if not, I know that within 2 weeks, I’ll be there.  Can you believe it?  I really can’t.  I know I’ve been working hard, and have done everything I should, but it feels very surreal to me that I’ve lost this much weight.  Thank God I had the surgery!

One of the fun things that I did this week was spend the Anthropologie gift card that Amber gave me a couple of months ago.  Her gift was absolutely incredible because it came as a total surprise, and she said she sent it because I was so inspiring to her.  I mean, c’mon!  So generous and so sweet.  I’ve held onto the gift card because I’ve had it in my mind that I’d spend it when I got to goal.  But then I started thinking about the fact that I’m just now moving into tops that I can find in “normal” stores, so why not treat myself?  Plus the fact that my closet is in desperate need of some new fashions.  I went onto Anthropologie.com and hit the “sale” tab.  We all know that their regularly-priced clothing is so expensive, so I figured I’d see what was on sale.  Wow, there are some amazing deals on really cute stuff, and surprisingly, much of it was for this season.  There were quite a few things I liked, but I also wanted to keep to the $50 gift card and not have to spend too much extra.  So, this is what I settled on:

It was originally $128, marked down to $39.99.  With tax and shipping, it came out to $49.80 – pretty good shopping if I do say so myself! I got black because I figured it would take me through fall, winter, and into spring.  Plus, I love it.  And it will go nicely with jeans, skirts, and pants.  I know you can’t see much detail from the photo, so here it is in cream, which shows it off much better:

I love the shoulder detail – those little loops are fun and funky and just different enough to be unique.  Plus, I think having something at the shoulder will probably help define my hourglass shape.  Or, it will make me look like a linebacker…I guess we’ll see.  I ordered it in a Large, which is crazy!  Many of the comments online were saying that it ran large, so I figured that I would get the most use out of it in that size.  I can’t wait!

Amber, thank you again so much for your generosity.  This is my first clothing purchase ever from Anthropolgie, and it’s all because of you!!  I’ll definitely think of you and your support and friendship every time I wear it.

Today’s quote is a great reminder of all of the things that I CAN do.

• I can walk a 5K (or 5 miles, as I did with the SJ RocknRoll) without any pain. More than that, I have fun doing it.
• I can go into any clothing store and buy tops that fit.  This is a huge milestone! (I can’t wait for the day I can say the same thing of pants).
• I can lose weight even though my life is hectic and there never seems to be enough time in the day to accomplish everything I need to do.
• I can make time for workouts because I love the way they make me feel and I know they help me create a stronger body, inside and out.
• I can inspire other people toward their own weight loss goals, and I lead by example.
• I can achieve every goal I have set for myself, which I’m doing, one by one.

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

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Fabulous Fall Weigh-In: Week 21 Post-Op VSG

Autumn has arrived! Which means that life is back to normal – school’s in, my schedule is busy, and obligations abound. But I won’t use those as excuses to slack on my goals. The great thing about fall is that the weather is cooler, which means that those wonderful fall fashions will keep me motivated. Plus, crisp temperatures mean that it’s never “too hot” to workout. I’m going to relish my nightly cup of steaming hot tea as another way to keep my water intake up. I look forward to all those hearty, satisfying and wls-friendly soups, stews, and crockpot meals that I’ll create for myself. This year, the changing season will mark new milestones that I haven’t seen in 5, 7, 10+ years! Bring on fall 2013 – it’s time to reach new heights! Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. Throughout the fall, I’ll be giving Sunday progress updates called Fabulous Fall Weigh-Ins.

Week 21 was another great one.  Life continues to be busy, as evidenced by the fact that I’m writing my weigh-in post on Tuesday, when I normally write it on Sunday.  Craziness!

So, how’s the scale looking?

When I weighed in Sunday morning, I was 219.0, which is a loss of 1 pound and a loss of 58 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 96 pounds from my highest weight!!  Even though this is a small loss, it’s significant because it marks a new weight “decade” that I find myself in.  The TEENS!!  I haven’t weighed this little in…well, I really can’t remember.  My 100 lbs lost is just around the corner, and right after that milestone is Onederland.  Whoohoo!  So much to look forward to.  🙂

One issue that’s come up lately for me is a lack of fiber in my diet.  Ahem.  So, I’ve been adding Amazing Grass to my morning protein shake, as well as taking Miralax nightly.  It’s definitely better than the alternative, which I experienced to an alarming degree on Sunday.  Not fun.

What has been really fun is shopping for new clothes.  I know I mentioned a bit of shopping last week, but as my closet continues to dwindle down to almost-nothing, I’ve been replenishing it.  It’s so cool that I can now buy tops in the normal sizes at stores.  This week I spent a bit of money at Dress Barn, which is a place that I love finding unique sweaters.  Although I hate the name, I really do like the store because it carries both plus and regular sizes.  Another place I’m about to hit is Macy’s.  If I can walk into their Misses department and buy an XL off the rack, I know I’ll be pinching myself in the dressing room.  All these small changes add up to being something that is really amazing.

Today’s quote is one that I really take to heart.  Over the last several years I’ve spent most of my efforts chasing this goal, sometimes spinning my wheels in the process.  So now that I’ve completely transformed my lifestyle (and my body) so that I can build the life I’ve always wanted, it feels fantastic to see my goal in action.

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

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Fabulous Fall Weigh-In: Week 20 Post-Op VSG

Autumn has arrived! Which means that life is back to normal – school’s in, my schedule is busy, and obligations abound. But I won’t use those as excuses to slack on my goals. The great thing about fall is that the weather is cooler, which means that those wonderful fall fashions will keep me motivated. Plus, crisp temperatures mean that it’s never “too hot” to workout. I’m going to relish my nightly cup of steaming hot tea as another way to keep my water intake up. I look forward to all those hearty, satisfying and wls-friendly soups, stews, and crockpot meals that I’ll create for myself. This year, the changing season will mark new milestones that I haven’t seen in 5, 7, 10+ years! Bring on fall 2013 – it’s time to reach new heights! Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. Throughout the fall, I’ll be giving Sunday progress updates called Fabulous Fall Weigh-Ins.

Week 20 brought with it a bit of a break from the craziness of the week before.  I decided to take Monday off to catch up on errands and housework, and I even got a new ‘do. This week I also had some shopping NSVs.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 220.0, which is a loss of 2 pounds and a loss of 57 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 95 pounds from my highest weight!!  I’m really pleased with this week’s weight loss, because I’d taken the week off from working out.  My body seemed to need it, especially after all I did last week, and besides that, I had my period, so it seemed like a good week to take a breather. I made really healthy meals for myself, and paid attention to my water and vitamin intake.  I’m also glad to see a loss with a “2” in front of it this week, because I’ve been losing around a pound for the past couple of weeks.  Since I have 5 pounds to go to be down 100 pounds, I’m going to push to make that milestone before the end of October.

One of the meals that I made this week was Eggface’s Butternut Squash Casserole.  I changed it a bit by adding sage in with the sauteed ground turkey, and it was a delicious touch.  I highly recommend this dish because it’s hearty and filling, yet so good for you.  I had it several times this past week for lunch and dinner.  Plus, I have half of it left in the freezer.

Monday I got a haircut, and I feel like a brand new person!  I’ve mentioned before how much hair I’ve been losing, which is normal after surgery, because of the hormonal changes caused by the rapid weight loss.  It lasts from month 3 – 6, and I just couldn’t take it anymore.  Not only was my hair getting thinner, but it was also completely changing texture.  My hair has always been dry, but now it’s super-dry and much frizzier.  I hated the way it felt.  So I decided that it was time for a major cut.

These were some of the inspiration photos that I brought into my stylist:

And this is the great cut I walked out of the salon with…

I love it! It’s sassy and short, and because so many inches were cut off (at least 4 or 5, I think), the hair is so much healthier.  Plus, because it’s shorter, when the hair does come out in the shower, it seems like less because it’s not as long. I got a ton of compliments at school, on FB, and in person. It was time to make a change.  In the past when I’ve had shorter hair, I was always really self-conscious because my face was so full and my body was so big, and I felt so exposed.  I don’t feel that way at all now.  My face has changed so much since the last time I had a short cut, and I don’t feel like I need to hide behind long hair to somehow balance out my body.  It’s very freeing.

The other major NSV this week came at Old Navy.  I’d gotten a coupon for 30% off, and since I’m in desperate need of some new clothes, especially tops, I figured it was a long overdue excursion.  The thing is, I’ve never been able to shop inside an Old Navy store for myself before.  Their plus sizes are online only, so this would be my first attempt to fit into normal sizes in the store. I really wanted get some sweaters, but I didn’t like the choices I saw.  So I ended up with a 49ers long-sleeved thermal and a fleece hoodie.  Both are in XXL, which I guess could be considered plus-sizes, but I’m just so happy that I didn’t have to be relegated to a plus-size store to get them.  The XL fit, too, but was a bit too tight for me to wear out, so I went with the larger size. As you can tell with the 49ers shirt, it fits well and I don’t have to worry about washing & drying it.  (If it shrank a bit, it would still be fine).  As I was in the dressing room trying on clothes, I was struck by just how far I’d come.  There were times in the past when nothing at Torrid fit, and when I was almost out of sizes at Lane Bryant.  I’m wearing a 14/16 top (highest weight = 26/28 that was tight) and 18/20 pants (highest weight = 28 tight).  I can’t wait to be solidly in the normal sizes in pants, too.

Another shopping NSV hit when I realized that I’d donated all of my warm pjs, and literally had nothing to wear now that the weather was turning chilly.  So I went to Kohls and found two sets of pjs in XXL (18/20) that would have NEVER fit me last year at this time.

I know they’re really similar, but I love having red pjs for the cold-weather months.  The first have cute little Scotty dogs and the other is a classic plaid.  I got each of the sets for $18.99, which is unheard of in the plus-sized clothing world.  That’s just another little perk of being able to wear clothes from the normal stores – I can find such great deals, and the clothes are more reasonably priced.

This coming week I want to get back to my workouts, up my water intake to 10 glasses a day, and keep enjoying the fun fall menus I’ve been making.  Life is so good right now, and I hope my weekly weigh-in posts don’t sound boring, because I feel like I write that all the time.  But those of you who have been with me for a while know just how far I’ve come.  Today’s quote couldn’t be more apropos.  THIS is the place I always knew I could get to, and it feels fabulous to finally be here and be able to enjoy each and every moment.

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

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Fabulous Fall Weigh-In: Week 19 Post-Op VSG

Autumn has arrived! Which means that life is back to normal – school’s in, my schedule is busy, and obligations abound. But I won’t use those as excuses to slack on my goals. The great thing about fall is that the weather is cooler, which means that those wonderful fall fashions will keep me motivated. Plus, crisp temperatures mean that it’s never “too hot” to workout. I’m going to relish my nightly cup of steaming hot tea as another way to keep my water intake up. I look forward to all those hearty, satisfying and wls-friendly soups, stews, and crockpot meals that I’ll create for myself. This year, the changing season will mark new milestones that I haven’t seen in 5, 7, 10+ years! Bring on fall 2013 – it’s time to reach new heights! Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. Throughout the fall, I’ll be giving Sunday progress updates called Fabulous Fall Weigh-Ins.

Week 19 was busy and fun-filled! I had a blast dressing up for each day of homecoming week (see my Intagram), played in the powder puff football game, and participated in the SJ RocknRoll Mini Marathon.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 222.0, which is a loss of 1.2 pounds and a loss of 55 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 93 pounds from my highest weight!! 

This week really showed me just how much more I am able to do with all of this weight gone!  Yes, I’m in smaller sizes, yes, I like the image I see when I look in the mirror, but this week I really FELT how much healthier I am now.  I’m doing things that I would have never even attempted a year ago.  It’s exciting to tap into this other side of myself that I didn’t realize I had.  I can’t wait to see all the new adventures in fitness I achieve in the coming months and years.

I also had a few non-fitness related NSVs this week, both of which make me smile when I think of them.

The first happened at race packet pickup on Friday.  The RocknRoll series is very strict about each individual picking up their own bib, and IDs are absolutely required.  I showed my ID, and the woman scrutinized it, looked up at me, went back to the ID, and looked back at me with a questionable look on her face.  Then she said, “well, all this walking is obviously working, because you look like a totally different person.”  How cool is that?  It’s so rare that I ever have to show my ID, and it had been months since I’d really looked at the photo, but there is a major difference, to be sure.  My license expires July 2014, and it will be neat to see how much more I change between now and then.

The next NSV happened Saturday morning before the SAT.  One of the other teachers, who is typically really cynical and snarky, told me, “you look fantastic! When I look at you, sitting across from me at the table like this, I see a thin person.  You inspire me to get back to a healthier life.”  I was blown away by her compliments!  The fact that I might inspire her to get a bit healthier really pleases me.

This coming week, I’m looking forward to the pace of life slowing down just a bit.  It means that I can get back to cooking some healthy dinners, workout on my hybrid, take care of the house and Sofi, and take a breath.

This quote really proved true for me this week, as I did a lot that took me out of my comfort zone, and it was all AWESOME!

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

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