Six Months Post-Op Progress

It's hard to believe six months has gone by since I had lapband surgery.  Even though the progress hasn't been as much as I was hoping for, my life has transformed in a way I didn't think possible. 

The lapband is a bit tricky because you can't just rely on it to keep you from eating large amounts or bad foods-- you have to make a conscious decision every day on what to and what not to eat.  And I can honestly say I still have a lot of work to do in this area.  I still eat bad things for me and when I'm hungry at 10p, instead of just going to bed, I'll have a bowl of cereal or something else not very healthy.

However, I do eat about 50-60% of the amount of food that I used to, which you can imagine cuts a lot of calories out of my diet.  Instead of gaining weight like I was doing for the past two years, I have been losing... even if it has been at a slower rate than I would like.  I have also started drinking protein shakes in the mornings instead of cereal or oatmeal, which is helping me make sure I get enough protein in every day. 

6 Month Appointment & Bloodwork
Last week, I had my fifth fill at my six month post op appointment.  I now have 8.5cc in my band that holds 15.  Most people are in the "green zone" when they between 6-8cc, but I guess I'm a "special" one who has not really felt restriction or the band working until the past two months. I have been able to tell a big difference since last week.  Unfortunately, it's been a lot of trial and error with me eating certain foods that I have been able to digest fine the past six months, but now they seem to be getting stuck. 

I think yesterday was the first day since my fill that I did not get something stuck to where I had to throw it up to get it unstuck.  Sorry, I know that's gross, but it's a reality of life with lapband.

During my appointment last week, they also took 12 tubes of my blood to do my six month blood work.  My veins have always been hard to find and they had to stick me in three different spots to get enough to test.  I wanted to pass out, but just kept telling myself, this is part of the process of me getting healthy again.

The test results came back the very next day and for the first time in a long time I did not have elevated blood sugar or elevated cholesterol.  EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. Woop Woop!

Working Out
Even though I broke my streak of working out 146 days in a row, I have still consistently been going to the gym 5-6 times a week or running outside to make sure I keep going on my progress.  Also to be expected, my body at times gets pretty worn down where I have to take a step back and allow it to recover.

This happened last week while I was lifting and ended up pulling two ribs out of place.  Luckily, my friend Alexia is a chiropractor who was able to pop them back in. (Thank you so much for that!!) Four days of cardio instead of lifting and everything is about back to normal.  It's very strange how stir crazy I was going in just those four days not being able to lift.  I really have grown to love it again.

My Progress
It is hard for me to see a difference in my body from pictures over the past few months even though I know I've put in a lot of work and feel better than I did back then.  These pictures usually make it easier to see the difference, but for me, the changes are becoming harder to notice.  I'm not sure if that's just the "fat girl" in me that will always see me a certain way or if I really have stalled as much as I feel I have.

On a positive note, I am down to 217 for a total weight loss of 34 pounds so far.  I know that's great, but I catch myself comparing my journey with others who have lost more than me in only three months.  I know you aren't supposed to compare, but it's easy to do... especially considering how many WLS people I follow on facebook and instagram.  But I also know I am building a ton of muscle because even though I've only lost seven pounds in the past four months, I've lost 4.25 inches in my waist, 3.5 in my hips and 1.5 in my bust during that time. 

So while I have a long way to go, in order for me to continue to bust through this plateau, I'm going to celebrate these past six months and push even harder going forward.

So here is the breakdown-- in the past six months I have lost...
-- 34 lbs
-- 8.45 inches in my thighs
-- 3.75 inches in my arms
-- 8.5 inches in my waist
-- 6 inches in my hips
-- 3 inches in my bust
-- Total of 29.7 inches

My goal is to be under 200 by the end of the year, but it will take a lot of hard work and will power to make it happen.  Wish me luck!

My Very First Rest Day

Yesterday was my 146th day of exercise in a row.  It started with a WOD at the gym followed by 6+ softball games in a local tournament.  It was a great day and 573fitness came out on top after a five extra-inning championship game.  My first time playing softball in over five years and I still got it.

If you remember, my original workout challenge was to exercise 90 days in a row(read blog post here), which turned out to be a lot easier than I first imagined.  And really sprung me into this amazing and fun new lifestyle where I look forward all day to the moment I get to go to the gym.  On my 91st day, I wrote of my transformation where I gained my new mindset and determined what I was going to do next-- 180 days of exercise in a row.

In the past 146 days, I have walked, swam, played tennis and volleyball, dragon boat raced, white water rafted, ran a 5k, got closer to my goal of a ten-minute mile, averaged six crossfit workouts a week and competed in two competitions.  It's been fantastic, but also extremely tiring at times.   

So today, Day 147, I am taking my very first rest day.

I have no doubt I could have kept going to day 180 and beyond.  But when I think about what my real goal is here-- it's not to exercise a certain number of days in a row, but to live a healthier and more fulfilling life.  The only way I'm going to do that is if I am healthy in all areas, not just the gym.

My workouts have been great and I'm starting to step them up by doing extra workouts with a small group of girls at the gym.  But I still struggle with eating the right things, drinking enough water and probably the biggest one-- getting enough sleep to function properly.

Those are the things that need my focus now, but I will not let up on the exercise.  I've decided to allow myself one rest day a week if I really need it. That way I still have something I have to work towards each week, but I can give myself a break and flexibility when I need it.

What I've Learned
While it was sometimes difficult to get a workout in during the past 4.5 months, it was  NEVER impossible.  One thing I have learned through all of this is that there really is NO EXCUSE.  We will always be busy, we will also have a million things going on and conflicts that come up, but if you are being truly honest with yourself, you know that the only excuse for not making it to the gym or eating the right things, is that you simply did not want to badly enough.

I'm not saying that important things don't come up or that you don't deserve to splurge a bit every once in a while. I have a lot of work to do in this area, but I now know it is all up to me-- I'm the only thing that can stop me from getting where I want to be.

I have definitely sacrificed plenty in the past 146 days by making my workouts and me a priority for the first time in a long time.  It's been challenging, it's changed some of my relationships with friends and family, but more than anything it has been one of the most rewarding things I've done.  And I don't plan to stop.