40 Weeks Post Op (And yes, I'm still alive!)

Oh boy! I hope I still have some followers out there. So sorry, I hope I haven't let anyone down. I've missed talking to my blogging friends. :(  Hope you're still there!

Though I've missed blogging, I've needed the break. We recently purchased some land and a home. The home has needed a bit of work before we could even consider moving into it. So, after an hour drive one way there and then an hour back AND all the work we were doing while we were down there...I was just too tired to even think of blogging. We've made so many trips back and forth AND I'm still schooling my son AND we've been passing around some kind sick...sigh! We are almost to the finish line though! I have a lot ahead of me over this next week or so but our plans are to move a week from this coming Saturday. YaY!!!!

I will tell you that I haven't been real religious about weighing myself lately. I suppose with everything going on, I just haven't made that a major priority. I know I'm not gaining and for the moment that's good enough for me. I WILL get back to it though hopefully real soon. The last time I weighed, sometime last week, I was down to 178 lbs. I'm in awe of it! That means that I have so far lost a total of 102 lbs. And the most exciting thing for me is that I'm not done! Big, HUGE smile!!!!

Now, for some NIVs! I've been mowing the lawn. This is something that I haven't done in probably 20 years. One, I was way out of shape. Two, I didn't want anyone watching me. And three, I was way out of shape! lol  I didn't think I would enjoy it but to my surprise, I loved it! It felt so freeing and so awesome that I could not only handle be that physical but that I couldn't wait to get out there again and again.

Another NIV! You know, way early on...somewhere back in my long ago post....I talked about my bottom half being my main problem. I talked about having huge legs that no matter how or how much weight I'd lost in the past, it just never seemed to change the shape of my legs. They would get smaller but still look really fat. Well, I'm losing different this time. I don't know why! All I know is that my legs are slowly slimming up. They're changing shape! My pants no longer suffocate my legs. I'm so happy about this.

And another NIV! I wore shorts for the first time in about 15 years. Yes, neither my husband or son had ever seen me in shorts. I wasn't sure about it at first but when my husband and son gave me compliments, I just couldn't believe it. It feels so liberating! As if I've finally been let out of big leg pants jail! I haven't worn them in public yet and nor do I plan on it anytime soon but I do see it in the future which is something I would have never dreamed of before.

AND another NIV! My thighs don't rub together any more! Love, love this one!

Okay folks, that's all I can think of right now. Miss y'all!

35 Weeks Post Op, (Boy, it's been a while!)

Hey friends! Wow, I almost forgot how to blog. We've had so much going on lately that blogging moved to the back burner. I hope all of you are doing good.

For a quick update, I'm now down to 182 lbs. that means that I've lost a total of 98 lbs. and have 52 lbs. to go to hit my goal. I've never felt better! I love, love, love my sleeve!!!!

My son had his last basketball practice yesterday so the coach made the last half of practice pure fun. He surprised all the parents by asking us to come scrimmage against the boys. Ohhhh, I was scared! I really didn't think I had the energy and I didn't think my hip joints would withstand all the running, jumping, and jarring. Let me tell you, I not only surprised my son but I totally surprised myself, too. It felt so good to run around like a kid again and not be crippled up afterwards. So today I took my son to the park and him and I hit the courts again. We ran and laughed and just had an awesome time. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we may do it again.

I will try to update again, SOONER than later. Lol

23 Weeks Post-Op (Quick Update and Me Talking to Talk)

Hi all! This week has been the coldest week so far this fall...or soon to be winter. I'm so excited that Christmas will be here soon even though we are no where ready for it. I hope you all are doing wonderfully!

Okay, a super quick update on my weight. I've lost another 2 lbs. since my last update about a week ago. This brings me to 196 lbs. I'm very happy about this. Hopefully it will keep falling off.

I have to say that even though this journey hasn't been the easiest...you know, with the surgery and recovery...and the getting used to all the life changes.............I feel like the weight comes off with so little effort. As ashamed as I am, I haven't exercised much and I still get to eat some junky foods that if I'd even looked at before, I would have gained 10 lbs. just for the simple look. I do still get all my protein in and I try to get all my liquid in...which most days, I do. And I don't eat junky food every single day either but when I do, I feel as if I have this high metabolism that a naturally thin person has. I'm pretty sure I don't and maybe it's just the fact that I can't stuff myself silly even after I'm stuffed (you know, going back for seconds or thirds or for that matter, eating whatever it is all day long). And possibly because my appetite is almost nonexistent .... and when I do want something that's high carb, high calorie, high fat, and no protein, I'm satisfied with only a very small portion....especially compared to what I used to eat or drink. I don't have to tell myself that I need to stop...I just really and truly have no desire to eat another bite. I love this about the sleeve! I don't really know why I'm going on and on about this except to say that the sleeve is so wonderful and unlike any kind of diet I've ever done in my life. Oh wait a minute, this isn't a diet and doesn't feel like it either. Maybe that's why I love my sleeve so much! If I ever needed or if I could ever have it done again, knowing what I know now, I'd do the surgery again in a heart beat. I wouldn't think twice and I wouldn't worry like I did the first time. I would be begging the doctor to do it right away. And I don't think I'd have the buyer's remorse the second time around like I did the in the first month after surgery this time around. I'll stop with all that....REALLY, like I'll ever need it done again! Ha! lol I heart my sleeve!!!

And just to mention it, I don't have any left over problems that some surgeries have. I have no malabsorption problems, I have no food restrictions (except maybe raw celery...I think that's one that I can pass on...and maybe raw coconut...not something I eat much of anyways), no twinges or pains....really nothing. I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!!

22 Weeks Post Op, (Onederland Baby! and Our Week Away)

This was my weigh in this morning on the Wii.

WARNING: This will be a long post! lol I have lots of pictures to share.

Take a look at this! I'm so excited! I weigh 198 lbs. ONE-DERLAND!!!! I made it! Wow! I weighed last night and I was at 199.2 .... so I lost .9 lbs. over night. What an awesome feeling. I thought I had gained over this last week because I ate so many things I shouldn't have but I told myself, that while on vacation if I wanted something, I would have it so that I wouldn't feel deprived. Well, I sure didn't deprive myself..that's for sure. Most days, I got all of my protein and liquid in but I had a few days that it just seemed impossible because we were running here and there. I'm not sure why I didn't gain anything but maybe the fact that even when I indulged in the forbidden foods, I didn't have much because my stomach can only hold so much at a time or perhaps all the walking and climbing we did counter acted the junk calories I took in. I'm not sure why I continued to lose but I have to say that if this last week would have been a week without my sleeve, I would surely have gained 5-10 lbs. Thank you sleeve...I heart you! :)  It is so nice to know that if I mess up for a week, I don't pack weight back on...in fact, I still continued to lose. I'm so shocked by this. This is totally opposite of what it was like with the "before sleeve" reality.

I'll share our vacation with you. We have never taken a "vacation" trip during a holiday week. This year has been stressful and we needed a breather. So we went to Branson, Missouri. Actually, Kimberly, MO. This is about 8 hours from where we live...Texas. It was cold, in the low 40's, but it was fun. The first night we stayed in a one room cabin. We liked it but it was expensive and didn't have a full kitchen which was important to us being that we were going to be there for a week and we didn't want to eat out for every meal. Isn't it cute though?

 

After that, we found a condo with a very close balcony view of a lake. It was very nice but the bed was as hard as a rock. Don't get me wrong, I slept...just not comfortably. We mainly went to Branson for Silver Dollar City. They had over 4 million Christmas lights. It was beautiful! They also had many Christmas shows and of course, lots of rides for our son. I think I will just shower this page with lots of pictures. Some pictures didn't turn out so great because it was night time and our camera wasn't cooperating. Go figure! Anyways, we had a blast and my energy level was soaring! My mood was good and I felt like I could conquer the world. Past vacations I sat on the sidelines, felt sluggish, and tired a good amount of the time. I know this time was different because of the weight loss. Not only not dragging all that extra weight around but also my hormones don't feel totally out of control. It's so weird and I know I have a long ways to go but I feel like a new person. We even went down into a cave that was physically challenging. You had to go down steep stairs that equaled a 50 story building. When we reached the bottom my legs were trembling. But I was okay and able to keep going. My hips gave me no trouble and I had the energy to lug around what weight I do still carry. We went through the rest of the cave, going up and down steep passages. Then at the end, we had to climb 10 stories worth of steep stairs. It was hard but I did it! I was a huffin' and a puffin' but in the end, I was "A" okay! We also tromped all over Silver Dollar City which is in the hills. Up and down hills all day long for 3 days. It felt good! It was a lot of fun! My leg muscles were sore. We were going to go for a 4th day but the crowds were so bad that we decided to do some other things like bowling, swimming in the indoor swimming pool, and we played some games at the condo. 

We had a great Thanksgiving! I hope y'all did too!

Down time in the condo.

We went to the Springfield, MO Discover Center. This was a lot of fun for all of us.

Bouncy bridge! I tried this, too, and it was very bouncy and fun.

Tops table!

234 cans! Wow!

Pull yourself close to the poll and it would go super fast. This thing nearly made me sick! Of course, you don't see a picture of me doing it. lol

About to go flying! Look at his face.

He has his hands on a static machine. You can't see it but the guy's hand is making his hair go up and down. It was funny as you can see us laughing.

Then it was my turn. Can you see my hair standing up? It was pulled up in a pony tail. We decided to let my hair down to see what would happen. See the next pictures.

Yes, my hair goes down to my butt. These pictures just don't do justice to what that static machine was doing to my hair. It was everywhere. It's hard to see it all.

Talk about a bad hair day!

I think this was called a pixel board. We had fun with it.

This is a drinking fountain...made to make you squirm a little. They did it to play with your mind. Did we drink from it? No way! I just couldn't!

A real human brain.

Inside the eyeball.

This was one of my favorite things. I just love bubbles, especially when they're this huge!

Can you believe this?

He's being eaten! lol'

Then we got to pretend we were doing a news caption. This was fun too.

He looks really serious here! Something big must have happened! lol

He was 3 stories in the air. It took awhile for him to conquer his fear but he did it! I'm so proud! Look at his face.

Now look at his face...he's calm and having fun!

Silver Dollar City

Glass blowing

Holiday spirit? Ha! Don't ask...lol

Just beautiful! This was a huge display ... look at its reflection in the water.

 

Look! Santa Claus!

 

Okay...this was the only ride I rode. I'm not a ride kind of person. I hate the way it makes me feel. This was fun though!

This is one of the many rides they rode together.

Isn't this just the sweetest thing? My baby!

Major huggins!

Gettin' some lovins!

He's having his hand made into a wax statue. This was really cool. I'll have to take a picture of the final art piece.

See my guys on there. You don't see me on there! Are you crazy? lol This ride had 5 loops in it. Acckkkk!

Silver Dollar City: Marvel Cave

This was the beginning of our cave tour. See the picture behind her. This was were we would be traveling by foot.

In the cave now.

Going down steep stairs that equaled a 50 story building.

Back to the rides:

Bouncy bridge!

They had a live Nativity play. This was after the play was over.

On our way home, we took some back roads through Arkansas. This is Beaver, AR. This is a really long, one lane wooden bridge. You don't see this every day.

That's it for now. I hope all of you are doing well and I hope I didn't bore you to death with all these pictures.