OK - so it's been awhile... but I'm back!

I am finding the new me and she's keeping me busy. Which is a great thing!

So here we are just past 13 months post-op and I'm officially on "One-Derland" which for the unofficiated means that my weight no longer starts with a 2. First time in 20 yrs (or just under - I don't know when I crossed that threshold but I know it was right around the year after I finished at university so I'm guesstimating 1991-1992?).

I am on the cusp of completing one of my goals for 2010: getting my Group Fitness Certification through the YMCA-YWCA in Ottawa. I have completed my Basics course, the group fitness fundamentals and the choreography class just this past Saturday. Up next? First Aid and CPR this coming Sunday. Then in May I start my Apprenticeship, get teaching some classes and when I'm ready, the practical evaluation.

I am really enjoying the newfound physical activity in my life. Honestly, if you'd told me I'd be doing even half of this stuff 6 months ago, I would have laughed at you.

So far this week, I have done a 4.5 km run (well... I walked for 10 min - 5 min warmup & cooldown and ran for 25 min non-stop which was probably 3.5 km in that 25 min) around the neighbourhood and today I did my first Spin class at the gym.

First about the run - I have to say I had an awesome experience yesterday. I had a very stressful day (dealing with folks at the Canada Revenue Agency relating to my GST returns for my old business - 'nuff said, right?) and I was going to blow off the gym but I knew I needed to get out of the house and run. (Still makes me giggle to type that!)

Got my mp3 player out, popped into my workout gear and off I went. It was right around 5pm so I decided to go around the far side of my neighbourhood. I know my warmup walk gets me pretty close to the traffic lights at Woodroffe & Claridge so it's a good place to start my run - no "running interruptus" so to speak!. I got to the lights just as they turned green so I hit "go" on my mp3 (I'm listening to the C25K podcasts by Ullreys!) and off I went.

Within a minute, I passed my friend Rob (he's probably the closest thing I have to a personal trainer - he's worked with me since the fall of 2007 and although I'm no longer a full time client, I see him as needed at the BMI Medical Institute) and with a discreet wave, I kept on going (he was on his bike going the other way). I felt my pace was a little fast so I slowed it down a tad but it wasn't horribly stressing so I pushed a little more than I have in the past. Took a minute or two of the run to find my breath - I haven't run in a week so it was a little "off" and I had a moment of "can't-do-it-itis" but I pushed the thought out of my head and jogged on.

I got a huge lift as I neared the elementary school - I passed another jogger who smiled and gave me a little wave so I waved back. How friendly! (Keep in mind I usually am solitary at the gym on my treadmill - jogging outdoors is still fairly new.) Keep on slugging and about a km further along my path, I passed another jogger who waved - how very social! And then a speed walked issued forth a "hello!" and by the time I got home, I had passed 3 more ladies who offered waves/smiles of encouragement. I felt like I was floating - seriously! The last kilometer was a challenge - slightly uphill followed by a downhill but I finished it and I think the sorority of my fellow joggers helped me push on through.

I'll come back and post about my first Spin class. My tush is still so sore I'm not sure I can sit much longer without going for a quick stroll/stretch. :)

Get your own graph at skinnyr

Wow - 5 weeks. This week has been crazy busy with lots going on. Not a lot of weight lost (or so I say but if I'd been doing WW, wouldn't I be thrilled to have lost 2 lbs esp. 5 weeks in?

In retrospect, it was a big week for NSV (non-scale victories). First of all, it was Easter. Yep - the chocoholics weekend of orgy. I was mildly worried about all that chocolate in the house - now I will admit up front here that I am a chocolate snob. I don't generally like the waxy milk chocolate crap that they use for Easter candies - I prefer dark chocolate. Doesn't mean of course that in years past that I would buy a bag or two (yep - the big ones) of Easter Egss and sit and eat them (the Cadbury mini-eggs!!).

Friday was our first Easter Egg hunt "en famille" at a friend's house. They have a big acreage south of town and they had set up 4 zones divided by age for the kids. I stuck with Maggie (my 3 yr old) while my DH went with the twins and Charlie followed his group of friends. All 4 kids had a blast and collected 16-20 eggs each which they traded in for candy, etc. I let them eat pretty much what they wanted at my friend's house - I didn't want it coming home with us! But in the 2.5 hrs we were there, I didn't sit down (or look for a place to sit) once. {{faint}} That's huge for me. 6 weeks ago, I would have arrived, been social and looked for a place to perch until the hunt started and the same as soon as it was over. I have suffered from sciatica since I was pregnant with the twins in 1999 and it's not quite gone but it's really really rarer these days. AND after Maggie & I finished her hunt, we walked out to find Charlie's group - honestly, I'm not sure I would have done that 6 weeks ago (as I said, I would have been looking to sit and rest). So we caught up with Charlie's group and I got to help him hunt for eggs too before we headed back to the house (and it was a decent hike of 0.5km each way?).

Sunday morning, I had been asked to participate in the Easter morning celebrations at church. They did Cardboard Testimonies (go to You Tube and search that term - it's a very powerful presentation) and had asked me to participate. Now I'm not one to shy away from being in front of large groups per se but I felt much more confident this time. I had even gone out and bought a new dress for the occasion (and when I tried it on in the store, I felt pretty!! Not just - "yep - it fits so I guess it'll do"). AND for the first time in 6 years, I wore panty hose. And new shoes - no Crocs or flats today... i had cute 1-1.5" heels!!! I got soooo many compliments on my dress and how wonderful I look. Am surprised that my head fits in the avatar box up there. LOL

Those were my big NSV's but I had a few realizations too.

1. I am not getting my liquids in and I am really working hard to get them in.

2. AF showed up 28 days to the day (I got it "early" in March 3 days post-op). Haven't had a "regular" 28 day cycle since 2002-2003? They've been getting shorter so this was a nice break from the 24-25 day (or shorter) cycles of late. And I noticed that my water gain was only 2-3 lbs this month vs the 7-10lbs that I had been seeing recently. She hit the road last night so we'll see if more weight comes off in the next 48 hrs.

3. I was EXHAUSTED this week - which reminded me it's time to get on top of my iron needs. I was borderline anemic at surgery and I definitely am now. Started taking iron on Tuesday andam feeling a little better already - I'm sure it's more AF related but I'm not sure.

4. Also started my calcium supplements - Caltrate chews. Yummy!! And no pills to swallow. A plus.

5. Have been really working on getting my multivitamins - getting at least 1x a day - now to get to 2x.

Also need to start exercising more. Tried my Biggest Loser Yoga for WL DVD - um - their idea of intro and mine are 2 different things. So for now, I'm going to start going to a BMI class once a week and find a yoga class locally once a week.

Going to start a Hatha class TODAY at 12:15 once the kids are gone to school. And I'll add in a BMI class next week (or tomorrow if it fits my schedule). I know I need to get those added asap to boost my WL and to feel better.

HAPPY 4 WEEKS TO ME!!

My first "real" surgiversary?? 4 weeks ago, I was just waking up starving out my mind. My mom had gone downstairs by this time to get breakfast and I hit the shower for my scrub down with the lovely surgical tickler brush. So glad it wasn't my quarter paying for the the hot water!

Do recall feeling very odd not putting product in my hair - so I braided it so I wouldn't have "Alfalfa" hair post op (not sure if anyone else has naturally curly/frizzy hair??). Honestly? Looking back, best thing i did!! Made it so much easier to deal with post-op - one less thing to worry about.

Packed up my things and moved them all next door to my mom's room, packed my hospital bag, my pillow (and too much other stuff I didn't use) and we left for Barix about 10:30. I wasn't scheduled to be there until 11am but I get nervous about punctuality so we left earlier than needed.

The waiting room in the lobby was deserted except one gal - felt badly for her. She was there for noon and had already been there 30+ minutes and she was alone to boot. Janessa came to get me within minutes - had to have 2 last blood tests - a pregnancy test and a "type & screen" in case I needed blood.

Headed back to see my mom and within 5-10 min, I was taken upstairs to pre-op! (OK - things were moving quickly now!). Was given a gown and sent to the washroom to change - everything off! Was measured for a binder (just in case they converted to open surgery), was weighed and then off to my bed. IV in, antibiotics on board, vitals check, met the anesthesiologist, the post-op nurse (was funny - she introduced herself and said she'd be the first one I saw when I woke up, etc - um - if I did, the versed was still on board because I don't remember her!!), etc. Mom came up after having a lovely lunch in the Barix caf. Very light banter - think we were both nervous.

Dr. Pop came in, we chatted briefly and he confirmed I still wanted VSG, etc. I told him most definitely and we talked about how it would be his choice of surgery if he was to have WLS done. Interesting. I think I asked him how many he'd done and he didn't really give me an answer but we both sort of said "it's getting more popular". And I told him that I had a whole gang of folks coming to see him in the next few weeks and he laughed. I signed my consent paperwork, the nurse (I forget his name - Aster??) pushed the versed and that's all I remember until I woke up in my room.

And apart from the first 24 hrs when I had a small gas issue due to my CPAP machine, I really can't complain at all. This has been such "easy" sailing.

And this morning on the scale, I saw 294!! So I am down 25 lbs from my PATS (which was 2 days before my surgery on March 9th) and 32 lbs down from the 6th of March. {{faint}} And if you go from my highest weight in Jan 2009, I'm down 45 lbs. I had hoped for a total of 50 lbs but hey, beggers can't be choosers.

So now I really need to attack the following:

1. Getting in more water/liquids. I need to get another full 16oz bottle of water in everyday at least.
2. Get better with my vitamins and B12. I am only getting about 50% of them in .
3. Buy calcium citrate and start taking it!
4. Exercise. This snowy/rainy weather has had me not walking like I was when I first got home. Have to remind myself that I have a lovely treadmill to use upstairs. Also am able to start my exercise class again this week at BMI and I can use small weights - up to 10 lbs now.
   

According to this gizmo (http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobe...er+results.php), I should have lost 30 lbs in my first month. So I'm more or less on track. It's for RnY-ers and IMHO, they have smaller tummies, esp. the first month. And 25 lbs? That's almost 6lbs a week. I'll take it!

BTW - AF can show up anytime and just get this over with.

3 Weeks and counting...

I haven't forgotten about my lovely blog - just been hanging out and waiting... not so patiently but by "new life" will begin anew 3 weeks from today. By this time of day (3:30pm), I should be well out of surgery and be on my second or third lap of the ward.

Dr. Pop wants us up & walking as much as possible post-op. It helps get the anesthetic out of our systems and eases the gas (that they pump inside of your gut to inflate your skin/tummy while the laprascopic procedure is done) out. As I recall after my gall bladder was removed by lap. in 2001, the gas pain in my shoulder was close to the worst part of the recovery. Now i know better - I came home and parked in the Lazy-Boy in the tv room (of course - lets be clear that I had my gall bladder out on THE Sept 11th) and tried to watch and grasp what had happened while I'd been at the hospital since 6:30am.

This time, I will be wanting to be up & walking as much as they'll let me. Bring it on - I'm ready!

Hmmm... not sure how to post this

But I'll post it on the first of each month to bump it up