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!

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Friday 5: Happy Summer Solstice!

It seems odd that today is the official first day of summer, but I’ve been on summer vacation for a month already (if you count the time I was on medical leave for my surgery).  This summer has already been great, and I know it’s just going to continue.  I’ve been loving the pace and routine that I’ve developed: wake up around 6:30 or 7am, a cup of coffee and breakfast while watching Good Morning America, doing a bit of watering in the yard to keep the plants and flowers looking good, going swimming/workout out, lunch, reading/shopping/relaxing, walk Sofi, dinner, t.v., bed.

This week I’ve started weight training again, and whew, are my muscles sore!  Monday I did chest/back at the gym on the traditional machine, and I have to say, I had no real idea what the heck I was doing.  The next day or two, I felt it on my sides, rather than the back or chest.  Wednesday I did legs with a more whole body approach, following an OnDemand workout, Robert Jones’ leg building.  I did the 8-minute workout twice, which included holding a 5-lb weight in my hands as I did lunges, side lunges, squats, side squats, and a few other moves. He kept me moving the entire time, and my heart was PUMPING. I literally cannot bend down this morning.  Today is my arm day, and I’m thinking of doing a kettlebell workout.  The only downside to building these muscles is that my body is already reacting on the scale.  I’m seeing almost no movement, and I know it’s my body holding on to water and wondering what’s going on.  I knew this was the risk, so I’m not panicking.  Plus I know how  important weight training is.

Happy 2nd birthday, Fit Approach! I was honored asked to be a SweatPink Ambassador, and although I didn’t completely understand the scope of what I was joining at the time, I’m so thrilled to be included in this fast-growing group.  I have to admit that a lot of the time I feel like I’m out of my depth – my fellow SPAs are badasses! They compete in triathlons, marathons, Diva Dashes, CrossFit competitions, etc.  And while fitness is an important part of my life, and has given me aha moments, I’m nowhere near that level…yet.  I did sign up for a Color Run in September and plan on participating in the Dirty Girl Mud Run in SF in February, so maybe I have earned my #sweatpink stripes after all.

My dad and I always go to see the big blockbuster/action movies together; it’s our thing.  This afternoon, he and I are heading to the theatre to see Man of Steel, and I’m looking forward to it because I’ve heard such good reviews. I always love paling around with my dad, and yes, I do know how lucky I am to have such a great man as my father.

Sunday I’m heading to an all-day, outdoor, free concert in Golden Gate Park.  Our local radio station, Alice 97.3 FM, hosts this event every summer, and I’ve always wanted to go, but there was always some sort of conflict.  This year, my plans were open, and I’m so looking forward to this day of music and fun.

How are you celebrating summer?

Read Full Post »

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!

Read Full Post »

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 6

This week I wasn’t as anxious about my weigh-in because I’ve been weighing myself daily, as per Dr. Beck’s directions.  The nice thing about the daily weigh-ins is that it definitely gives me a lot more information about my body’s natural ebbs and flows when it comes to weight, water retention, etc.  This was the first Wednesday where I wasn’t feeling “in the dark” when I stepped on the scale.

I was up quite a bit on Monday, down 2lbs from that on Tuesday, and then we come to today:

Which means I gained 0.3 lb (which is actually down from yesterday), for a total gain of 2.5 lbs in 2010.

This week I knew the scale wasn’t going to be pretty:

• Thai food (oh, coconut milk!) on Saturday
• A small handful of Valentine’s M&Ms
• Chinese food on Tuesday (not the smartest food choice the evening before the weigh in)

I’m shaking this off, because really, what choice do I have?  I am pissed at myself that I’m a month and a half into 2010 and I’ve gained weight, but really, it’s been my choices and lack of true momentum that has brought me here. It’s time to “shit or get off the pot” as the saying goes. So where do I go from here?

Well, luckily next week I’m off for February Break, so I am going to work my ass off in true Bella’s Boot Camp style:

• I’m going to make sure to cook nutritious meals (been slacking on that lately), and make at least 3 new recipes, since I’ll have the time.
• I want to hit the gym and take a few new classes that I haven’t tried before, including: 24Lift (a group weight training class), Turbo Kick (kickboxing), and 24Cycle (spinning).
• I’ll also keep up with my RLR training.  Next week starts a new level, so the fun will really begin! 🙂
• Of course, I’m going to drink water ’till my eyes are floating.
• And I’ll track everything I eat, per usual.
• I’ll also FINALLY try out the EA Sports Active More Workouts that I’ve been meaning to try for over 3 weeks.

That should be plenty to keep my busy!  I’m actually really looking forward to it because it will be a bit of summer in February, and who doesn’t love that?

Read Full Post »