Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 11 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 11 marks the last week of summer (for me).  Starting tomorrow, I’ll be at school everyday getting my room/curriculum ready, attending teacher development meetings, and getting back to the swing of school.  I tried to make the most of this last week, and had a great time at the beach with Sofi on Friday (check out my Instagram to see the photos).  I also gave it my all with my workouts this week, but I’ll go into that in a bit.  First things first…

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 241.0, which is a loss of 0.2 pounds this week, and a loss of 36 lbs since surgery!!! I’ve lost a total of 74 pounds from my highest weight. I am disappointed that my weight has basically stalled this week.  It’s not for lack of effort in eating or in working out.  There are a few other factors at work here – I have my period for the 2nd time this month (my hormones are going crazy with this quick weight loss) and I’ve lost consistently for 11 straight weeks post op, plus the 38 lbs I lost pre-op.  I shouldn’t be surprised at this stall – everyone else I know who’s had WLS hits a stall at some point or other.  Most people hit theirs around the 3rd or 4th week, so I guess I’m lucky that I’m hitting mine at 11 weeks.  One thing I’m not going to do is freak out.  I know this is temporary, and that I will turn it around.  I’m just looking at it like my body is taking a well-deserved rest. 

What’s not taking a rest is my workout schedule.  This week I went to vinyasa yoga with my sister, tried C25K, continued with the 30-Day Squat Challenge daily, kept working out on with my hybrid trainer, went to my first Zumba class since surgery, and walked along the ocean with Sofi. I took two rest days, which I think are going to become more and more important as school begins.  The main thing is, I enjoyed my workouts, and making them fun is how I keep at them.  I’m even beginning to look forward to them and miss them on my off days.  I love this fitness person I’ve become. 

My food was on point this week, too.  I’ve been making sure to get in at least 60-75g of protein, as my program recommends.  I’m also trying to keep my carbs low – around 50-60g.  My calories are right around 800.  I see other WLS peeps on MFP who get in 80g+ of protein, which I find amazing.  Normally, my instinct would be to make some sort of change in my diet if I didn’t see numbers I liked on the scale, but I’m not going to do that this time.  I know I’m doing everything right, and I like the mix of protein, veggies, fruits, and carbs that I’ve been eating.  I think this is real progress for me. 

The challenge of the upcoming week is going to be keeping up with the routine I’ve built this summer now that my schedule will be much more impacted with school.  I know I can do it.  It’s going to be about not letting myself slack on workouts, even as the days get busy.  Working out is, at most, an hour or so out of my day, and I know I can make it a priority. 

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

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 10 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 10 was busy! I was out and about with friends, working out on my new hybrid elliptical/recumbent bike, spending time with family, participating in the 30-Day Squat Challenge, and just enjoying these last days of summer. I’m trying to pack as much fun into these remaining weeks as I can. Which is not to say that the fun ends once school begins, because I have lots of fun things planned for after school starts back up. Plus, I’ve learned how to balance work and life and enjoy myself as much as possible each day.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 241.2, which is a loss of 2.2 pounds this week, and a loss of 35.8 lbs since surgery!!! I’ve lost a total of 73.8 pounds from my highest weight. My reaction to this week’s loss is mixed. I’m really thrilled that I’ve lost 35 pounds in the 10 weeks since surgery. I cannot remember the last time I lost 35 pounds in 10 weeks, so that’s really impressive, especially for a person who has struggled on the scale like me. But on the other side, I put in so much work this week in exercise, and ate so well (high protein, low carbs, plenty of water), that I expected to see a bigger loss on the scale. But I do have to say, I have never hit a stall since my surgery, which is not something most people can say. I’ve consistently lost weight for 10 weeks, and even though each week’s loss is a bit less than I’d like, I’m still really happy with my overall result.

I think the NSVs are even more exciting right now. I’ve gone through my entire closet twice this summer, the most recent time was on Friday. I’ve collected 5 huge, black garbage bags full of clothes to donate, all of which are too big. Friday I was trying on clothes for school, and I’m such a dork that I’ve already picked out my outfits for each day of the first week of school. 🙂 I’m really liking the way the clothes are looking on me now, and while it’s sad to say goodbye to some of my favorite outfits that are literally falling off my body, I’m looking forward to adding to the wardrobe eventually and filling it with new outfits in a much, much smaller size. (I’m really straining myself not to give into my inner shopaholic and buy some new clothes for school. I have plenty of outfits for now, and I really want to resist buying too many pieces that are just going to get too big very quickly).

These Bermuda shorts/pedal pushers have been tucked away in my closet for over 5 years, because I’ve been too big to fit them. Well, I tried them on yesterday, and they fit! And that top used to be too tight around my hips for me to wear, but it’s swimming on me now (I’m not sure if you can tell how billowy it is in the picture).

I keep telling myself that it’s OK if I repeat outfits in order to conserve fashion funds for the time when they really count – when I get closer to goal.  In the past I’ve really overstuffed my closet full of clothes, so much so that I could go over a month and a half without repeating an outfit for school.  Which is cool and all, but not as much as a priority for me right now.  Plus, not buying new clothes until it’s absolutely necessary, like when they’re falling off of me, is going to make me get creative with the way I put outfits together, so I’m going to take it on as a challenge.

Summer’s coming to a screeching halt at an alarming pace! The week after this one I have to be back for registration, teacher development days, and the first teacher workday. And then on August 19th the kiddos return and we have the first day of school.  It’s all coming up so quickly.  But I’m excited to get back.  This year is sure to be the best yet, for so many reasons.

But before that school bell rings, I have this last true week.  Minus Monday, where I’ll be at school all day for various meetings.  I have lots of fun planned, including a midday walk with my sister at Shoreline Lake Park, an Italian-heritage SF Giants game with the extended family and some friends, and a tapas party at my parents’ house.  Among a few other fitness-related items that I’ll blog about as I complete them.  I’m bound and determined to make this week one to remember!

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

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 9 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 9 is in the books, and I’ve got to say, it was like a week of Wednesdays: not as bad as a Monday, but not as exciting as a Friday or Saturday.  Just kinda meh.  But all weeks can’t be birthday weeks + the 4th of July, right?  It was just that nothing was particularly thrilling about the week, but it wasn’t a bad week, either.  Just so so.  Then again, it was a week that I was on vacation, got to decide what I wanted to do, and didn’t have a lot of responsibilities, so I really can’t complain.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 243.4, which is a loss of 2.6 pounds this week, and a loss of 33.6 lbs since surgery!!! I’ve lost a total of 71.6 pounds from my highest weight.  The loss this week is fine, but I know I could’ve done better.  I didn’t really push myself in my workouts this week, and there were a couple of days that I didn’t get all my water and/or vitamins in.  I didn’t have any missteps per se, but as I said before, it was just sort of a blah week.

But the week ahead is sure to be anything but blah.  I’ve got some fun activities planned, including today’s walk with FaveCousin at Shoreline Lake Park.  The park has a 5-mile loop, so I’ll definitely hit my 10,000 steps today, not to mention taking in the gorgeous views and catching up with FC.  I have quite a few other fun things going on this week, but I’ll save those for future posts.

Even though I didn’t do anything to make this week more than ordinary, something pretty extraordinary happened – I’ve lost over 70 pounds.  I’m really proud of myself! I feel so far from that frustrated woman who didn’t know how she could get herself out of the cycle of losing and gaining the same 3 pounds. The desperation and frustration I felt then was quelled only by my own determination.  No matter how hard it was for me, I never lost hope, I never doubted my ability to get here.  Here. In a quiet week where nothing significant was marked on the calendar.  Here, where progress photos are showing major changes.  Here, in the present where all that past perseverance paid off.

What I’m learning in this journey is that there will be weeks that are just ok when nothing particularly terrible happens, but nothing fantastic either. I guess weeks like this past one are sort of like resting weeks that help me appreciate the truly amazing weeks by comparison. Fair is fine sometimes, but if I want to achieve my goals, I have to do more to make them happen.  I don’t want to get comfortable in complacency, because that’s not the type of life I want to lead.  I know that once school begins, I may have more weeks that are just so-so, but it will be up to me to make them better. The way I approach this weight loss is the way I want to live the rest of my life – to the fullest whenever possible.

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

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 8 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 8:  I can’t believe that it’s been two months since my surgery.  In some ways it feels like I’ve been living this new life forever, but then in other ways time is flying by.  This week I made good progress on my Summer Bucket List.  I took a 5-mile walk with my cousin around the Presidio of San Francisco on Thursday and then on Friday, Ani and I went to Vasona with the pups for a nice, long walk.  This week my schedule is very open, so I’d like to cross at least one other place off my list.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 246.0, which is a loss of 2.2 pounds this week, and a loss of 31 lbs since surgery!!! I’ve lost a total of 69 pounds from my highest weight. I’m really satisfied with this weight loss because last week I had an almost 4-lb loss and last night I went to Tinkerbell’s house for her birthday party.  I watched my food, but let’s just say I had more than my fair share of Skinnygirl margaritas.  It never fails to amaze me that I can go to a party and indulge the night before a weigh-in and still see great results on the scale.  I know a lot of it has to do with the hard work I’ve put in all week, but I can guarantee that pre-surgery I wouldn’t have seen a loss like this.  (Mostly because pre-surgery I would’ve eaten a lot more than I did).

Last week I set an end-of-summer goal of getting to 235 by August 11th.  I’m still going to aim for that number, but I’m not sure if I can pull off 4 lbs per week for these remaining 3 weeks.  So I think I’m going to amend the date and try to get to the goal by August 18th.  That date is actually closer to my 3-month post op date, and a heck of a lot more realistic.  And you know what, that’s just fine.  I like having a goal to shoot for, and if it takes me an extra week to get there, that’s still amazing progress in my book.

My plan for the week is to continue to enjoy each day of this week.  It’s been an amazing summer so far, and I just want to continue to appreciate the joy I’m finding in everyday.

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

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 7 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 7 is ending a really high note.  Including this week, I have four full weeks left of summer before my school responsibilities (registration, professional development days, teacher welcome day) kick in and then school begins.  I really want to fit in as much “summer” as I can, and there are a few local places in the Bay Area that I’d love to visit before reality strikes.  Things like walking the Golden Gate Bridge, visiting Muir Woods again to see how I’ve progressed, and riding my bike around Vasona, just to name a few spots. I guess it’s my Summer Bucket List. If you have any other ideas, please leave them in the comments.  I’m looking for ideas where I can see the beauty of the Bay Area and do something active at the same time.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 248.2, which is a loss of 3.8 pounds this week, and a loss of 28.8 lbs since surgery!!! I’ve lost a total of 66.8 pounds from my highest weight. The thing that’s so great about this week’s loss is that it’s coming directly after a 4.2-lb loss last week AND after a week in which I ate almost all of my meals out.  I was in an unfamiliar environment, totally shook up my routine, and still made it work.  I’m really proud of myself! I did exactly what I set out to do last week, and to be honest I’m really amazed at it all.

Specifically for this week, I’m going to get in great workouts, keep the protein high and carbs low, and go to at least one Summer Bucket List spot.

Since I have 4 weeks left before my schedule isn’t my own anymore, I think it’s time to set an end-of-summer goal.  By August 11th I’d like to be at 235 lbs or less.  That would be 13 lbs in 4 weeks, which seems completely on par with my weekly average.  It would also mean that I’ll have lost 42 pounds over the summer and 80 pounds overall.  Now THAT would be fantastic!

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

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 6 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 6 was my first full week on Stage 4, and it was also my birthday week, which meant that I went out 3 nights, and then celebrated the 4th of July. That’s a lot of fun and festivities packed into one little week. This coming week is going to be a bit of a challenge. I’m heading up to Sacramento this afternoon for a 3 1/2-day teaching conference (for those of you who might be interested, I’m going to the AVID Summer Institute). But because I have my new lifestyle well in place, I’m not really too worried. It’s just going to take a bit of organization, but more on that in a minute.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 252, which is a loss of 4.6 pounds this week, and a loss of 25 lbs since surgery!!! I’ve lost a total of 63 pounds from my highest weight. I am thrilled with this week’s loss!!! This is my biggest loss since my first week after surgery! Stage 4 is going fantastic, just like I knew it would be. I feel like I’m hitting my stride, and have finally reached the “sweet spot” that I’ve been hoping for. I mean, to go out to eat on three separate nights plus the 4th of July, including a bit of alcohol on three of those occasions, and to still have these results is amazing.

But it’s not all the sleeve. Yes, the sleeve is a tool that helps me tremendously with my portions, but it’s not the thing that had me going out at 7:30 or 8am each morning taking Sofi on 40-minute walks, plus other workouts. It’s not the thing that had me say no to bread and stick to higher protein foods. It’s not the thing that kept me drinking 8+ glasses of water a day. I did that. I’ve had this in me all along, and I’m so thankful that the sleeve is allowing this part of me to finally shine.

As I mentioned, the beginning of this week is going to be a huge change in my routine. I know I’ll be able to make good choices for lunch and dinner, but breakfast is always challenging. The continental breakfasts that they usually offer aren’t exactly protein-heavy, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands.

I’ve got my pre-measured protein powder and blender bottle for breakfasts each day.  My vitamins are also all organized (I’d purchased a really cute vitamin holder about a year ago, but unfortunately, with the size of the chewables, I can’t really use it anymore, so the baggies were a good option).  And I’m bringing a few Quest bars for late afternoon snacks (I sometimes eat half a bar in the afternoon to up my protein count).

I checked into it, and the gym at the hotel is open 24 hours, so I’m bringing my sneakers and workout clothes so that I can get a workout in between dinner and bedtime.  (The conference starts at 8am each day, so instead of getting up at 5am, I’d rather go to the gym in the evening).  What a change from even one year ago, when I would’ve just figured these days would have been “rest days.”

I’m so proud of my progress so far, especially the fact that I haven’t had one week where I haven’t lost weight.  Some weeks might have been light on the weight loss, but I haven’t hit a stall yet.  So, despite a new challenge, I’m ready to have another great week.

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

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 5 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 5 showed me that I’ve fully moved into my new life.  I had my 6-week post-op appointment a few days early (6 weeks officially starts tomorrow), and got a clean bill of health. This past week was a good one – I got in solid workouts, ate “new” foods, and fit into new sizes.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 256.6, which is a loss of 2.8 pounds this week, and a loss of 20.6 lbs since surgery. I’ve lost a total of 58.4 pounds from my highest weight. This weight loss is fantastic, because I’m back on track with losing about 3 lbs per week.  I’m in the mid-250s, a place I haven’t been in a couple of years.  And I’ve lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks, which is also pretty amazing.  Lots of milestones are just around the corner, which is so exciting.  I think the difference is in higher protein, lower carbs, and longer workouts.

I mentioned this before, but I really think that now that I’m in Stage 4 and can eat almost any protein I want (steak is going to wait until 6 months+), I think I’m going to see strong successes.  My portions have increased to 3oz of protein per meal (as I can handle), which means that reaching 60-75g of protein/day should be so much easier, without adding a shake supplement.

Eating out with friends/family is going to be so much easier now.  This week is a big one because my birthday is on Tuesday and then we have the 4th of July on Thursday.  Two big holidays, and I’m not at all worried about not losing weight.  I love my sleeve!  The built-in portion control is such a great tool, but even more important is this new lifestyle that I’m leading.  I’m so happy and content with the way I’m eating, the workouts I’m completing, and the way I’m feeling.  Plus, if I want to indulge, I can do it without going overboard.

For example, last night my soon-to-be-6-year-old niece and I had an impromptu sleepover.  My mom had brought over Dryer’s slow-churned ice cream (which is 1/3 the fat of regular ice cream, not to sound like a commercial), and as I was dishing it out for my niece, I decided to have a bit for myself.  Instead of serving myself a heaping helping, I stuck to the 1/2 cup serving, and was completely satisfied.  The funny thing was, my niece ate more than I did!  Actually, with all of the meals we’ve been having together lately, I’ve noticed in awe that I’m eating less than my 6-year-old niece!  That blows my mind.  In the best way  possible. Even more mind blowing is the fact that I didn’t worry that I was having ice cream the day before my weigh-in, as I would have in the past, because I knew that a tiny scoop of ice cream wasn’t going to blow a week of hard work. I love that I can have treats in small portions now and again without blowing everything.  And yes, I realize that this is how most people operate in their daily lives, but pre-pre-surgery, there was no moderation in the way that I ate.  I applied the “all or nothing” philosophy, which was unhealthy. Now it’s as if a switch has been pulled, and I don’t even think about over-indulging.  It has less to do with the sleeve and more to do with all the hard work I’ve put in to get here.

For the upcoming week, since it’s going to be filled with celebration, I’m going to concentrate on keeping my workouts solid and enjoying my new life to the fullest. I’m always a positive person, but this week I’m feeling extra happy!!

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

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 4 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 4 brought with it lots of over-thinking. One of the top rules they tell us in my WLS support group meeting is not to compare your progress to anyone else’s, but that seems to be ALL I did this week.  Am I eating too much?  Should I stop eating veggies and fruit and just stick to all protein?  Am I losing enough weight?  Am I taking full advantage of this first 6 month “sweet spot?” As you can see, my mind swirled with questions all week.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 259.4, which is a loss of 1.6 pounds this week, and a loss of 17.6 lbs since surgery. I’ve lost a total of 55.6 pounds from my highest weight. This week’s meager loss was the result of beginning weight training.  I was prepared for this, because my body always reacts this way as soon as I begin working with weights.  It’s the reason I stopped strength training while I was losing the pre-op required weight.

My main focus for this week is to continue the weight training, working out, and eating a well-balanced diet.  I have my 6-week post op appointment on Friday (a few days early), and I’m sure I’ll have more to report then.

Even with all the questions I had going on this week, here are a few things I know…

• I haven’t hit an actual stall yet, and for that I’m grateful.
• I’ve been following Kaiser’s pre-op eating plan to a T, which is a well-balanced approach.
• Including weights into my workouts will be good for me for the long run for so many reasons.
• When I’m comparing my weight loss to others’ on the FB groups, I have to keep in mind: that I lost 38 lbs before I ever had surgery, most of these people only lost 15 lbs or less pre-op; I have no idea what their starting weights were; and everyone’s body loses at different rates.

So, after a lot of questioning and kvetching, I’m actually feeling calm now.  I know that I’m a perfectionist, and I always strive to be the best I can be, even as a VSG-er.  LOL.  And I just have to remind myself that I am being MY best.

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

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 3 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life. Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer. Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans. Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 3 was another good one. I’m finally feeling back to normal, with only minor twinges of pain here or there. Food wise, I’m finding creative ways to make Stage 3 work for me. Good thing I like seafood! This week also marked my first time back at the pool this summer, which was so nice.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 261.0, which is a loss of 3.2 pounds this week, and a loss of 16 lbs since surgery. I’ve lost a total of 54 pounds from my highest weight. Another week of about a 3 lb loss, so I’m thinking that this may just be my pace of weight loss right now, and if so, that’s just fine. In a way a more moderate pace like this helps my body (and my skin) catch up to the changes, and it may mean that thing “bounce back” better than if I was dropping huge numbers each week. Plus, to think that I lost 16 pounds in one month is fantastic!

This week the difference that I really noticed was in my swimsuits. I haven’t worn them since late last summer/early fall, and I can’t tell you how much better they look now. I wear swimdreses to help camouflage my thighs, and on both of the suits I wore this week, the skirts dipped much lower than they had before. On one suit, I had to tie up the straps so that they’d say up. The coverup I wear was also so much looser on me. Now I can wear it zipped up and sit down in it without the fabric straining. In fact, it’s really loose. I still need to take those measurements, and I know I’ll be glad I did.

As I mentioned earlier, this week, I was able to get back to swimming, and it felt wonderful. There’s nothing like gliding through the water. I even tried “water jogging,” in the deep end of the pool, and it was quite the cardio workout. This coming week, I want to hit the pool at least 3 times, but I also want to include the elliptical and the bike. I’m not quite ready for Zumba or Hot Hula, because jumping might be jarring, but hopefully I’ll be back to those fun classes withing a couple of weeks.

My plan for the upcoming week is to finally get back to weight training. I think it’s been over a year or more since I last lifted any weights at all, and I feel completely out of my element. Not so much so that I want to hire a trainer, though. I know how to use the machines and what the free weight moves are supposed to look like, it’s just putting the workouts together in the right combinations that might be difficult. But with the plethora of information out there on the internet, I’m sure I’ll be able to cobble something together. I even have a new app that I’m looking forward to trying out that will help with this. (More on the app in a future post, where you’ll be able to try it out, too, if you’d like). I’ve been reading recently about online trainers who, for a fee, will send you weekly/monthly workout plans. I like the idea of a somewhat customized workout plan, and a real person whom I could contact, so I might consider this down the road. Have any of you hired a trainer that you only work with online? I’d be interested to hear your feedback. Either way, this week I’ll be working my muscles, which will be fodder for future blog posts, I’m sure.

Life is great, and I’m enjoying every minute of it. I can’t ask for more than that!

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

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Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-In: Week 2 Post Op VSG

Summer’s here! Which means that fun in the sun is a daily way of life.  Getting outside and getting active is easy, and it’s on my agenda for each and every day this summer.  Being on summer vacation means I don’t have any of the workaday responsibilities that can get in the way of my plans.  Now that I’ve had the VSG surgery, achieving my weight loss goals is only a matter of time, and this summer is going to be HOT.  Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend, and will give me a positive goal to begin each new week. I’m not on a diet, I’m establishing a lifestyle – my new life. My Sunday progress updates will be called Sizzlin’ Summer Weigh-Ins.

Week 2 was exciting because it was ushered in with my 2-week post op appointment, along with moving to Stage 3 foods.  I also hit a weight loss milestone, and got back to the gym.

So, how’s the scale looking?

I weighed in this morning at 264.2, which is a loss of 3 pounds this week, and a loss of 12.8 lbs since surgery. I’ve lost a total of 50.8 pounds from my highest weight. I have to be honest, at first I was really disappointed that I “only” lost 3 pounds this week.  I’ve been eating a very well-balanced diet, full of protein, veggies, and complex carbs. My calories are right where the Kaiser nutritionists say they should be for this stage – 600-800/day.  I’ve been getting in about 6-7 glasses of water daily, working back up to 64 oz (this is difficult, since I can only take small sips, and can’t drink water 20 minutes before food and 30 minutes after).  I’ve also been active almost every day this week, getting a minimum of a 20 minute walk, but most days doing much more than that.

I realize that 3 pounds in one week is great, and it’s getting me closer to my goals.  But in the world of WLS, 12.8 lbs in 3 weeks seems a bit slow.  So of course I had to check back on Scale Warfare’s blog for this same week in her journey.  I was relieved to see that she’d lost 2.2 in week 3, and even mentioned a “dreaded Week 3 stall.”  So I’m very grateful that I haven’t hit any sort of stall, and that my body is still losing.

I’ve been weighing myself daily for over a year, taking breaks from the scale only when I was taking breaks from healthy eating.  I’ve decided for sanity’s sake, I’m going to start weighing in every other day.  I like checking in on the scale often because it helps me stay on track and keeps me motivated, but I also like seeing it move, so I think every other day is a good solution for now.

The other thing that all of the scale-craziness reminded me of was that it’s time to take measurements.  My sister measured me months ago, but I think I’m just going to start from today and see how the inches move in about a month.  The measurements are a much-needed reminder that it’s not really all about the scale/pounds, and that inches lost is also a great way for me to see weight loss progress.

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My food is going really well, and I’m enjoying the way I’m eating.  Right now my diet is really fish-heavy, so I am looking forward to adding in more variety of proteins when Stage 4 arrives, but for now I’m content.  This week I’m going to try making Shelly’s Breakfast Bites as well as doing some grilled tofu. (I think my new tummy is too sensitive for the Sriracha marinated grilled tofu just yet, so I’m going to stick to a more mild marinade for now). When I look at some of the food diaries of people on MFP, I don’t know how they can handle eating so much pre-packaged, non-food.  Or others who are eating tacos, cookies, and chips on the daily.  I personally feel like this new, sleeved stomach is a gift and my eating needs to reflect that.  If I make poor choices like I did before, I can’t expect to succeed on this new journey.  But if I only eat protein shakes and Quest bars, that’s not realistic either.  I love that Kaiser’s post-op plan focuses on being well-balanced, because that’s the way I plan to eat for life.

My exercise has started to get back to normal, too.  I’ve increased my walking speed and time to 3.0 mph for 25-30 minutes on walks with Sofi.  I also hit the gym on Friday and was able to ride the recumbent bike for 30 minutes at a level 6/7 (I started at level 7 for the first 15 minutes, but then put it down to 6 for the last half) and I went over 5 miles.  Not bad!  Now that all of my incisions are completely healed, I’m going to start swimming tomorrow (I avoid the pool on the weekends, when it gets so packed that swimming is out of the question).  I feel like I’ve finally hit the point where I can move full steam ahead with my summer workouts.

So, despite the fact that I was slightly (and ridiculously) disappointed with the scale this morning, I’m feeling so positive and so thankful about where I am right now.  Nothing can stop me now!

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