6 Months!

This past month flew by so dang fast! Sadly I only lost 3lbs. for the month which brings my total weight loss to 83lbs in 6 months....which is still not too shabby if I do say so myself! However I am still losing inches, hurray! I am definitely able to notice inches lost over pounds lost when looking at myself. Total inches lost as of today is
50 1/2!!! I'm down to a size 12 bottoms, and a L top...feels pretty darn good seeing I was a 22 bottom and a 3x top 6 months ago!:)

We had a lot go on this last month which has taken me a little off course with my progress. Kaci broke her foot after she fell off the monkey bars at school at the beginning of the month. Needless to say a lot of our days have been busy with doctor appointments throughout this month. This last week though we were able to drive to CA to visit my family for Kaci's spring break which was such a nice treat (thanks to my parents for making it happen!:)

I'm trying to keep up with a good exercise routine along with following my eating regime, and I just didn't do so well. I got lazy and a bit stressed...which is never a good combo... in the midst of a chaotic month. I didn't gain but I definitely didn't lose as much as I would have liked. But as I look back on this month, I now know what I need to do to make next month even better! It's back to the basics for me...no matter what's going on. I need to make a more concerted effort to make time for exercise, and I need to go back to measuring my food in my little cups. I also need to make sure I get ALL my water intake in....64oz. doesn't seem like much, but dang...it's hard sometimes!lol

As each month goes by I can't believe how much better I feel. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Overall I am truly grateful I was able to have my surgery done...it's been a huge blessing in my life!

Here's my progress pictures...



171lbs.



5 Months Already?!?!

I hit 5 months post-op on Monday the 28th of February and I still can't believe how fast it's gone by! I know I say that every month, but at times it feels like I just had my surgery last week!

Things are going wonderfully...I am down 80lbs. and almost 45inches all over! It feels amazing! I have so much more energy, I feel better about myself, and I feel like I can actually accomplish goals I've wanted to achieve for years. Overcoming my weight issues, which has affected me for all of my adult life, is just not easy. I relied on food for so long to be my constant companion...and now having to NOT rely on it for the same reasons is dang hard. But it has gotten easier as I progress, and get closer to reaching my goal weight. Most days are good, some days aren't. I struggle with my diet at times and with getting my exercise in at times, but life gets busy and stressful and I'm human...no perfection going on over here!lol I just try to make each new day better than the last. No need to feel guilty or stressed about it...if I constantly beat myself up over every little thing I do wrong, I'd be miserable. Been there done that before...and its just not worth it! I feel that overall I am doing my best, and that's what really counts.

Not much else is new...so I will leave you with my 5 month post-op pictures...
Enjoy!!

174lbs.







Just an update...

Here's an update on how things are going for me being 4 1/2 months out from surgery...

I am down just about 74lbs. and 40 inches. I can't remember the last time I physically felt this good...its been a LONG time! I can really start to tell a difference in myself...especially when the clothes start getting big and the size I'm wearing keeps going down. I'm extremely grateful for the love and support I continue to receive from my wonderful husband, kids and other family and friends. I feel very blessed to be making this HUGE change in my life...it's one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through, but I know in the end it is DEFINITELY all worth it!

Exercising-Recently since its been so darn cold here and I haven't been able to go walking outside I have been rotating my workout dvd's to get my exercise in. I absolutely LOVE Leslie Sansone!!! Her walking dvd's are amazing! I love how they are easy to follow, you can make the workout as intense or low impact as you like, and its fun! I have 2 of her walking dvd's. I also have the old school Tae Bo dvd, which is a great one to use as well. Since we are going to cancel our gym membership I figured I better get re-acquainted with my workout dvd's and I'm really glad I did! I'm making the best out of what we have and as soon as it gets warm, walking around the neighborhood will be an added bonus!

Diet- Jason and I decided a few weeks back that we were no longer going to be eating out anymore...unless it was a special date night, which are few and far between. We reduced our trips to pick up fast food dramatically after I had my surgery but we were still making a few trips a month even after my surgery just because it was convenient. For myself, it was becoming extremely hard to not want to eat what my kids and hubby were getting, we couldn't afford it anymore, and its just not good for any of us to eat anyways. So, currently it's been almost 3 weeks and we have not eaten out once! What a great feeling! Some of the things that have helped me are...1.) I make a 2 week menu so I know what I have to cook each night. Along with making the menu I make my grocery list and do my shopping for 2 weeks. I got this idea from a show that I watch called The Food Nanny. If you haven't seen her show on the BYU channel, check it out...she's amazing! She mainly stresses the importance of cooking meals at home, and making dinner time a priority for your family. Love, love, love her! On her website, www.thefoodnanny.com, she has downloadable copies of her 2 week blank menu's and a downloadable grocery list...both have been great tools for me to use in making this change for our family. She even has a cookbook out with tons of easy, yummy recipes that I frequently check out from our local library. 2.) I also organized our deep freezer and cupboards to see all the food we have. We are using up the food we have before going out and buying more. It not only has saved us $$ on our grocery bill for when we do go shopping but I know our checkbook thanks us as well!lol I'm picking recipes I know we can all eat and enjoy. There may be some things I can't have, but overall I'm still able to sit down and enjoy dinner with my family.

Troubles- There haven't been any real troubles throughout my journey thus far. I don't throw up, thank goodness, but I have had food get stuck, which is almost worse. Thankfully that hasn't happened in quite a while, which is just fine with me. I'm trying to get better at making sure I get my water intake in (64oz. a day minimum) and making sure I take all my daily vitamins (5 per day). I basically try to make each day and week better than the last. I'm very pleased with my progress thus far and I know that there can always be set backs in life and especially throughout my journey. All I can do is give it my best, and in doing that I know that things will happen as they should.

4 Months Post-Op!

I am amazed how fast the time has flown by since I had my surgery 4 months ago! I've learned so much about myself in these last 4 months, there is not a day that goes by that I regret having gastric bypass. I'm down just a few ounces shy of 70lbs. and I've lost a little over 37inches all over! Earlier this month I went through my closet and donated 3 garbage bags full of clothes that were too big for me...boy did that feel terrific! I've gone from wearing a size 22-24 pants and a 3x top to wearing a size 16 pants and XL-XXL top (depending on the type of top). Mentally for myself its finally setting in that I don't look the same. I think we all tend to see ourselves bigger than what others see at times.

Eating and exercising get easier as time goes on. The main thing I am trying to do with eating and exercising is I am trying to make it fun. I try to cook meals that I know I can have with my family. We are trying to make a better effort to not eat out (we've made it a whole week so far!).We have done a ton better with this since I had my surgery, but there are still times where we'll end up grabbing something because its "fast" and no matter if its something I know I can have or not, it's just not good for us or our checkbook!:) For exercising I have been rotating my workouts between different workout dvd's, walking outside in the neighborhood when its nice and not too cold, and then going to the gym. I absolutely LOVE the Leslie Sansone walking dvd's, so I switch back and forth between the two I have. Then I have the basic Tae Bo workout dvd..which is cheesy but definitely a great workout. At the gym I love to just walk on the treadmill at a power walk pace and do some strength training. They even have tv's on every machine so you can watch whatever you want...kinda cool. I've also enjoyed walking in the neighborhood recently. The weather hasn't been terribly cold, so I get the kids in the jogger stroller and go.

I am really looking forward to the next four months and being able to see how much further I progress. This surgery is saving my life and I am so grateful I made the choice to have it. I know that I CAN accomplish my goal weight! Thank you again to all of my family and friends for the love and support you have given me as I continue on my journey!

Here's my 4 month post-op pictures I took today...



184.6lbs.





Flourless Bread Recipe

I saw this recipe on the forums on my surgeon's website the other day and couldn't wait to try it. As most of you know, I can't eat carbs...well carbs in the form of bread, rice, pasta, cereal, sweets etc... For dinner last night we were going to be making homemade pizza. I bought the Grands biscuits for Jason and the girls to make their own individual pizza's and decided I would make the flourless bread for myself....boy was it great! It kinda tastes like a pita bread, really lite and airy, but with an egg flavor. I also added in some italian seasoning to it before baking since it was going to be a pizza crust. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be making it again! For toppings we had canadian bacon, mini pepperonis, sliced bell pepper, onion, green chili, olives, spinach leaves and cheese. I actually was able to make 4 mini flourless pizza crusts for myself which works out great for leftovers. Here's the recipe...give it a try, you might just like it!

Flourless Bread
3 eggs
1/8 tsp. cream of tarter
3 Tbs. lite sour cream (or you can use 3oz. of fat free cream cheese or 3 Tbs. of lite cottage cheese or ricotta cheese) just pick one to use...I had lite sour cream on hand so that's what I used.
1/2 tsp. Splenda (which equals about one little packet)
pinch of salt

Separate the egg white from the yolks and beat with cream of tarter till soft peaks form (i did this all in my kitchen aide for about 4 min. or so). Transfer to another bowl. Then beat the sour cream, yolks, splenda and salt for about 2-3 min. Fold in egg whites till the white is gone...be careful to not deflate the egg whites. Add in additional seasoning if desired. Place on a greased cookie sheet in mounds or whatever size you like. Bake at 300 degrees for 20-30min. till toasty brown. Immediately remove and let cool.

A Fabulous Fortune...

On Saturday evening we were able to go out to a local Chinese Buffet restaurant with family to celebrate Jason's parents 40th Wedding Anniversary. As much as I absolutely LOVE Chinese food and would have loved to eaten the food that was there I decided it would be best not too as I didn't know how it was prepared. I find it funny how looking at the food didn't interest me at all...but smelling the food did make things a little hard. I just drank my water and enjoyed the atmosphere...definitely a new thing for me, and I actually had a great time!

Towards the end of the dinner they brought everyone fortune cookies. I opened mine up and thought the message mine held was very appropriate for what I am going through in my life right now: "Real courage is moving forward when the outcome is uncertain." Lacking courage has definitely held me back from numerous things in my life...one of them being weight loss. I've always had the mindset that "I'm going to fail so why try" type of attitude when it came to weight loss hence the reason I stayed obese for so long. But not anymore. I DO have the courage to move forward...and although the outcome was uncertain before I had my surgery, it isn't now. I am going to succeed, and I am going to become the healthy, happy person I've always wanted to be.

Out with the OLD and in with the NEW!!!

Today I decided it was time to clean out my closet and get rid of all the clothes that are now too big for me. As much as this was liberating and very exciting it was also kind of scary. In the past I have always held onto my clothes, whether they fit or not, because I knew that if I ever had any weight loss it wouldn't last so eventually I'd need those clothes again. Well not this time! I am getting the weight off for good, and NEVER going back to the old me! 

I knew there would be a lot, but I had no clue there was enough to fill 3 1/2 garbage bags full! It felt so good to take those bags to Goodwill and say goodbye for GOOD! Sadly my closet looks very bare now...but little by little I'll get to buy myself new outfits to sport the new me!:)