Three months post-op and working through plateaus

I am officially three months post-op today and 50 lbs down.

I am feeling pretty good and I have more energy than I did before the surgery. Everyone (well most everyone) has noticed the weight loss. I have continued to stay away from carbs and fried food for the most part and I still stay between 600-800 calories a day. I hit a plateau again the first week in January. I stuck around 199 lbs until mid Jan when I finally went down to 196 lbs. I find that I hit plateaus when I am not eating enough, drinking enough, or snacking at night because I didn't get enough calories that day.

Though I work out three days a week (mostly), I need to do a better job of spreading them out. I seem to do most of my workouts Thursday-Sunday. I have been successful with adding in weight training, but I have to develop it more. I really would like to hire a trainer again to show me how to properly weight train. I am super excited to have bought a Groupon for Pole Dancing lessons, but I would like to get down to 175 lbs and build my strength before I actually sign up for them. I have until late-March! That's my goal.

I am off the protein shakes, so I struggle to fit in enough protein throughout the day. I include a lot of low-fat string cheese and low-fat milk. I will most likely add in more yogurt and sliced deli meats for lunch. I haven't been packing my lunch for school :/ so that will be a goal! I bought some bento-like Tupperware and will be using it, trying to get in fruits and veggies more.

Clothes shopping has taken place a few times! I am between a size 14 and 16 at the moment (depending on the store and cut). I can easily buy clothes from most shopping outlets, which is exciting! I have also painted my own toe nails for the first time since 2001!

Goals by Feb 28:
Weigh 180 lbs
Pack my lunch 3 times a week
Drink more fluids

Total weight loss - 51.1 lbs
Jan 24, 2015 - 194.9 lbs
December 31, 2014 - 199.8 lbs
December 21, 2014 - 203.8 lbs
December 11, 2014 - 210.6 lbs
Five weeks post-op, November 28, 2014 - 214 lbs
Four weeks post-op, November 21, 2014 - 216 lbs
Three weeks post-op, November 14, 2014 - 221.9 lbs
Two weeks post-op, Nov 7, 2014 - 226.6 lbs
One week post-op, Oct 31, 2014 - 231.8 lbs
Weight morning of surgery, Oct 24, 2014 - 239 lbs
Weight at pre-op appointment, Oct 14, 2014 - 246 lbs

Crossing Off Bucket List Items and Making Resolutions!

I have come off my weight loss plateau for now (thank god)! I thought my weigh-in on Dec 21 was so funny because I actually gained 3+ pounds back the next day. So since the 22nd of Dec, I have really lost about seven pounds.  I haven't had any weird weighs since then. I finally am in the ONE Hundreds! I haven't seen those since 2001. Now that I am working out regularly, I believe it has balanced out. 

So I survived the holiday season and maintained my weight loss. I have read about so many people that stop losing after six weeks, or even gain some back after 2 months. I continue to work very hard at eating right and working out at least three times a week. I am now able to eat and drink anything I want, so I have to make good choices. When I crave my sweet coffee, I get a small one and drink only half of it. When I want bread, I eat half a bun or bagel, then make sure I work out. The surgery helps with how much I eat at one time, but I could always keep eating throughout the day. The real work is the changing of the habits.

The biggest (and only) issue I have had is eating too fast. Food will get stuck sometimes and it is painful. I had my first experience with throwing up just two days ago because a piece of shrimp wasn't chewed enough and it got stuck. :/  I have to be very careful to eat slowly so that I can chew enough. I also get very hungry late at night if I happen to eat an early dinner. I combat the hunger with some cheese, milk, or water. I have done better with my water and liquids intake. I have to continue to do that :)

Some of the things I can check off my bucket list are below.  There were a few I come close to checking off, but I didn't feel I could just yet!

#1 - I can't wait to buy clothes from any store I would like.  I have always been a fashionista trapped in a chunky girl's body. Which has made clothes buying limited. I can't wait to put together some fantastic outfits and I get to start with WINTER! I have bought underwear from Victoria's Secrets and am now in a size 16 so my hunni picked out some clothes at New York and Co.

#3 - Crossing my legs... I can do this comfortably all the time now.

#5 - I look forward to coming off my high blood pressure medicine.  It makes me pee a lot! My blood pressure is fantastic now, 118/75. My resting heart rate is also under 60bpm.

#7 - I look forward to being able to tie or fasten my shoes without huffing and puffing for air!

The new year has arrived! I won't have the same resolution of just simply losing weight. I want to be more specific on how I plan on doing it. Then I also have some personal goals for the new year. They are below with some explanations:

1) Eat out less and bring my lunch to work.  This is pretty self-explanatory. Along with being able to lose weight, I will also save money.  I am probably more interested in saving the money! LOL Plus, eating out is so impersonal at times and can just be a routine. My husband loves to cook so I am hoping to do some cooking together. 

2) Properly integrate weights in to my work outs. I am so used to cardio and even HIIT, but I want to make sure I am also toning during the week.  I have seen the difference since I have started weight training in December. Plus, I want to make sure I am shaping up properly when the weight is coming off.

3) Stay away from excessive complex carbs and fried foods. I have already made this change and have stuck to it pretty well. They are items I can absolutely tolerate, but I know I should not over-indulge. People gain their weight back because they go back to old habits. I try hard to fight the urges. 

4) Eliminate toxic people in my life. This past year I have lost sight of looking out for myself when it comes to friendships and relationships. Because a person gave me instant gratification when we were together, I overlooked the way they treated me (and others). I was used, taken advantage of, my feelings were disregarded constantly, lied to, and I was flat out disrespected. I was disposable and completely optional in their life. No more...it took me a while to realize that I am really too good for those people. I feel sorry for them actuality and am at peace with my decision. 

5) I work a lot...I am not saying that I am giving up working so much, that is just who I am. My parents instilled a fantastic work ethic in me. However, I want to work smarter. I would like to focus on things that are going to propel me in to the next level of my career. 

6) Travel to a place I have not been. This is a fun one :) I may just stick to somewhere in the USA or Caribbean. 

Total weight loss - 46.2 lbs
December 31, 2014 - 199.8
December 21, 2014 - 203.8
December 11, 2014 - 210.6 lbs
Five weeks post-op, November 28, 2014 - 214 lbs
Four weeks post-op, November 21, 2014 - 216 lbs
Three weeks post-op, November 14, 2014 - 221.9 lbs
Two weeks post-op, Nov 7, 2014 - 226.6 lbs
One week post-op, Oct 31, 2014 - 231.8 lbs
Weight morning of surgery, Oct 24, 2014 - 239 lbs
Weight at pre-op appointment, Oct 14, 2014 - 246 lbs