Friday weigh in - 4 month update

4 months already and things could not be better. Although the weight loss has slowed some, it's still coming off and so are the inches. I'm wearing a size 12 Gap jeans, working out just about every day, (sometimes twice), and eating about 600-800 calories per day. I'm rarely hungry but I do have my moments. I'm still logging everything in My Fitness Pal every day without fail - Including tequila and dark chocolate.

So, here are the numbers for the month:

Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
May 10 - 190 -3
May 17 - 187 -3
May 24 - 186 -1
May 31 - 184 -2    
66 pounds total!  
 
Starting BMI = 48
One month post surgery BMI = 42.6!! - 5.4
Two month post surgery BMI= 40.6 -2.0
Three month post surgery BMI= 38.3 -2.3
Four month post surgery BMI= 35.9 -2.4

Inches for May
Waist: - 2.5"
Chest: - 1.5"
Hips: - 4"
Thigh:  R - .25"
Arm: R - 0"
Calf: R - .25"
- 11.5" for this month
38.25 total inches!

Maybe a little more of a dramatic difference this month than last?!? I don't even know who that person is in the first picture anymore.

To remind myself how far I've come (and to make my husband laugh) I pull out "the big pants" every once in a while. Since I'm about half way to goal, I thought it might be time to share.

I wore these jeans on New Years Eve and almost cut myself in half. They were so tight and I was miserable. (I may or may not have unbuttoned them halfway through the night.) I can get into one leg but we'll save that photo op for goal weight :)

Y'all are so awesome. Thanks for all the encouragement and the sweet comments. Blogging through this whole process has been SO good for me and I truly appreciate everyone who keeps reading.

Monday Mix Tape - Holiday edition

Happy Memorial Day everyone! We've had LA quality weather here in Atlanta which made for a fun and active weekend.

Weekend Wrap up
-------------------------------

Saturday was a gardening and cleaning day so I "rested" from exercise to take care of all of that. I probably burned more calories from that than any purposeful exercise!

Sunday morning I got up super early to get to Whole Foods and Trader Joes before the masses and that ended up being a great decision for two reasons - 1: the stores were empty and 2: I saw STEVIE WONDER in Whole Foods. No joke. I tried to be all casual shopping but it was difficult not to gawk :)

When I got home I set out to run a 5k - outside without stopping to walk. I've only ever done this one time before and I was hoping it wasn't a fluke. Sure enough it wasn't! I ran the whole thing - horrible hills and all. One of my favorite things on my route now is passing all the places I used to have to stop and walk. I get a huge smile on my face and it makes me go even faster. I have come so far!

The craziest thing about my running right now is that I want to do it every day but my body just won't let me. My legs need a day in between for recovery now that I'm running these huge hills. The non running days are when I get in my yoga and weight training but I still have the urge to run.

If that wasn't enough, I still had a huge meal to cook - all the neighbors were coming over for a bbq! I cooked for the rest of the day and really kept myself aware of my tendency to graze and taste everything while cooking. I got through an entire afternoon of cooking with only having one hard boiled egg white which I even logged in My Fitness Pal. Then I decided exactly what I was going to eat for the rest of the evening and logged it all!

The best thing about my life post surgery is that I can cook like this:

and eat like this:

This was about 200 calories over my usual dinner but still a success. A typical calorie count of holiday cookouts in the past were probably close to 3000. I got to try everything I made and was totally satisfied. The only thing I really couldn't have was hamburger bun - they smelled really great too but I knew if I ate it, I wouldn't have room for everything else so, everything else won.
 
The week ahead
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Wednesday will be 4 months since surgery and time for measurements and pictures again. The time is going by so fast! I'm struggling with a bit of a stall at the moment - I keep going up and down a pound. I've tried more calories, less calories, more exercise, less exercise. I'm REALLY hoping I break through this before I update again on Friday. The good news is it's only driving me a little crazy. Not out of my mind crazy like it was in the beginning :)

See y'all Friday! Have a happy, healthy week!

Friday weigh in

This one is going to be super quick because it's too nice outside to be inside blogging! This week was a busy travel week for me. It was successful though I had some moments where I really thought I wanted something I really couldn't have. I plan on doing a post about when I have some more time.

Travel is tough when it comes to food and exercise - that's all there is to it! My numbers this week reflect that but I'm happy for any loss!

Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
May 10 - 190 -3
May 17 - 187 -3
May 24 - 186 -1    
64 pounds total!  

Have a great holiday weekend!! More to come on Monday!

Friday weigh in

Happy Friday y'all!

This one is going to be short and sweet! It's been a crazy busy week and an even busier weekend. I'm traveling for work - driving to Cincinnati - and gone from Saturday - Wednesday.

This will be my 2nd time traveling since surgery. It's a little tricky with food but totally doable. I learned my lesson on the last trip and this time paid $20 extra per night at the hotel to have a fridge. That way I can bring protein shakes, yogurt, cheese etc. The cooler will be packed for the drive to keep me out of the drive-through!

Traveling by myself in the car used to be one of my favorite things - I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted BY MYSELF! It's a little sad when I think about it - my trips revolved around food - always. This time, instead of researching all the restaurants and food opportunities, I've scoped out the river running trails and the Bikram yoga studio. Life is so different now and it's SO so so so much better.

Now for this weeks numbers!

Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
May 10 - 190 -3
May 17 - 187 -3  
63 pounds total! 


Hello 180s! I haven't seen you since my wedding! 3 seems to be the magic lately and that's fine by me!

Have a happy, healthy week everyone! I will TRY to do Monday's Mix Tape from the road!

Monday mix tape - Spring Fling 5k edition

Hope all the mothers out there had a great mothers day! I'm lucky enough to have the worlds greatest mother and although I did not get to see her, I sent her a package of workout goodies. She discovered running in her sixties and works out at the gym regularly. When she's not doing that, she's running around doing everything else. I'm proud to be just like her :)


Saturday was my first 5k race of the season. It's a small, fun race in the neighborhood adjoining ours so I like to support it whenever I can. This year there were a lot more people and it was well organized so I hope it keeps growing!

My sister and I pre-race. Yes she's a foot taller than me.
She was born in the 80s AFTER our parents quit smoking  :)

It was sunny and cool outside - perfect weather for running so my anxiety wasn't quite as bad. The first 1/4 mile was slightly up hill but then there was a nice, big down hill which got my breathing under control and I found my groove early on. There was one absolutely huge hill (San Francisco size hill to quote my sister) which I walked about half of and the rest of the time I ran like the wind.

I blew away my time from this race 2 years ago by 4 minutes and one second. 45:54 was my time!!!

Side by side comparison! click on picture to enlarge.

I really pushed it and averaged a 15:13 mile. That's record speed for my tiny legs. It took me a minute to recover after!

This is what we looked like after. Not as pretty but proud!

The best thing about an early morning race is that when you're done, you still have the whole day to play knowing that you earned it. We went to the lake for the afternoon, got some sun and may have had a few drinks.

 

Not all mine I swear. Half a beer is my limit post surgery.  Tequila not pictured.

Sunday I ended up working most of the day to make up for my Saturday o' fun.  It was also a much needed day off working out. I tend to do six really hard days in a row and rest on the seventh. Apparently one of the dogs suggested that my husband take me out for a tamale and a margarita for dog mothers day. It was a nice way to end a great weekend.

Now, for the rest of the week, no more drinking :)

Have a happy, healthy week everyone!

Friday weigh in

Happy Friday y'all. Another good week in the books - I ran a 5k twice, saw my trainer, did yoga twice, saw a great concert and got a lot of work done! All this extra energy really gets put to good use!

Getting right to this weeks numbers
Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
May 10 - 190 -3 
60 pounds total! 

I hit the 60 pound mark yesterday and was THRILLED! Also, I officially weigh less than my husband which is the way it should be!

60 pounds seems to be a good number. People are freaking out when they see me. I've decided to embrace it and enjoy it even when it gets a little awkward - like when I find myself in the center of a group of people and everyone is staring at me. I keep it light and funny and then try to steer the conversation toward something else eventually!

I have my neighborhood 5k tomorrow which I'm really looking forward to. I haven't done this race in two years and am hoping it's much easier this time! It's hilly and I have my running/anxiety/breathing issue that I have in common with my friend and fellow blogger Shelley. I'm going to run a little before and do my breathing exercises and try to keep it under control. It's not something I can't deal with and it stops after about a mile but it would be nice to have a first mile where I don't feel like I have to quit!

Have a happy, healthy weekend everyone!

Monday Mix Tape

Weekend wrap up
-------------------------------
As promised, it rained ALL weekend. Oh wait - the sun did come out long enough for us to clean up the yard and set the outdoor table for a dinner party - then it rained again.

I kept myself busy by going to support group, clothes shopping on Saturday and cooking Cinco de Mayo dinner all day Sunday. This was the first really big meal I've cooked post surgery and boy did I realize what a "taster" I am! I truly didn't realize how much I nibbled while I cooked until my stomach gave me a little warning - nothing painful just the burp feeling I get now when I've eaten enough. Luckily I was cooking a chicken burrito recipe from cooking light so everything I was tasting was good for me. I just had to add it to My Fitness Pal and count it as part of my lunch. It feels so good to be aware!

I was nursing a hamstring injury so I didn't work out Saturday or Sunday. It just felt like the right thing to do. When you are listening to your body, it doesn't always tell you what you want to hear. My husband kept reminding me to practice what I preach - I would have made him take a couple days off if he had an injury! :)

Even more non-scale victories
----------------------------------------
This morning my hamstring was feeling much better but of course it was still raining so I forced myself to do a treadmill run. It's so boring compared to being outside but there was no way I was going to get my new shoes soaking wet!

I hadn't been on the treadmill in months and had no idea how long or how far to go. Outside I do a 5k route almost every time but am still walking one hill. I pushed the 5k button and off I went with a goal of doing a mile then I would walk a little. As usual, my breathing was off at first, my mind was full of doubts/panic/whatever and I felt like I couldn't even run a minute. Then it evened out and I found my groove. When the mile mark came my mind was done but my body wasn't so we kept going. By mile 2 my hamstring was tight, my mind was fighting me but my body was still going strong so I just though what the hell let's finish this.

 

And there you have it folks. My first 5k without stopping. 400 calories burned according to my heart rate monitor!

 

 

And this is what I looked like after. Proud and soaking wet!

 

You know what else is awesome? I have tracked everything that has gone in my mouth for the last 90 days on My Fitness Pal. In my opinion, tracking is essential for weight loss - with surgery or without! It's free and it's the easiest thing I've ever done. It's even easier than the Weight Watchers tracker and you have to pay for that! If any of my readers want to find me there my username is tinaatl. I made my diary public so you can see what I eat (and drink). I'm always honest - when I have dark chocolate and tequila I will own that :)

The week ahead
----------------------------------------

I have a (crazy hilly) 5k on Saturday to get ready for so there will be extra running combined with yoga, my trainer and spin. I'm trying out a new gym and I'm hoping their spin classes are as great as people say they are! Apparently the sun is even going to come out?!

Have a happy, healthy week everyone!

Friday weigh in

Well this week certainly flew by! It was a busy one but a good one. The only bummer is the sun hasn't come out at all and we're looking at a soaking wet weekend. I'm going to make sure there are no snacks in the house and keep myself plenty busy!!

The numbers for the week
Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
57 pounds total!  

I can't believe I'm almost to the 60 pound mark. Next week I will probably be lighter than my husband for the first time since we got married. I'm about half a pound away from that goal :)

A few non-scale victories to share as well:

Yesterday when I started my run my legs felt heavy and not wanting to move. 49 minutes and 17 seconds later I had a personal best 5k. (okay that's not world record setting but I have short legs and that's blazing fast for me!!) Also, there are lots of hills on my route (Atlanta is up-hill both ways) but there are 2 that I normally have to walk. Yesterday, I ran up one of those hills leaving me only one more to conquer. Once I conquer a hill I will not let myself go back. I raised the bar now I'm always running that hill.

Last night I went to a concert, walked a mile to the venue and then stood for 4 hours. My legs weren't sore at all. 57 pounds ago I would have been hurting all day the next day.

People are really starting to notice and I'm practicing being gracious and saying thank you and moving on. Yesterday, a young kid that works at our local bar yelled "Tina you look AWESOME" across the intersection - there were tons of people out in our 'hood and they all looked at me but it felt great.

Happy weekend everyone! See you on Monday!