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I'm Christy. Christian first, wife to a Retired Soldier, mom to 7, our oldest is with the Lord after he called her home against a battle against AML leukemia. I am a Homeschooling/SAHM/Housewife. The biggest blessing in my life is serving The Lord, Jesus Christ. I am a sinner, fail often, but am forgiven.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Another goal met!!!

Last night after bible study a friend asked for a ride home. She had her own surgery (not the Sleeve, but RNY). I've not bought a scale yet, so I asked my friend if she had one that I could get on.
I have lost exactly 40 lbs!!! Tuesday marked 8 weeks since I had my sleeve! It's amazing to think that in a little less than 2 months, I've lost 40 lbs. FORTY!
My goal for 12 weeks, is 50 lbs. I believe I will meet that goal.  My friend is going to start going to the gym with me a couple times a week and then walking 5 days a week at least (some weeks I walk 7 days) and last night we walked 5 miles and that included 2 pretty good hills. I will say the hill was not nearly as exhausting as it has been in the past. After our walk, I felt so energized.
It's been really amazing so far and I honestly am just so excited to see the transformation with my body and inside as well. I recognize my triggers, when I'm actually hungry or at least NEED to eat vs just eating to eat, emotions that go into the desire to eat and other options (like going for a walk) when I'm dealing with emotions that make me want to dig into a pan of brownies.
This is not easy. The surgery was a tool, but I'm the one who has to make the good choices. I have to choose to eat high/lean protein, I have to exercise. Each of these 3 things will help me to get to a healthy weight, and just be healthy over all.
One pound at a time, and everything that it takes is worth it.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Update

I'm at 7 1/2 weeks out, I have not weighed myself this week, but yesterday, I tried on a XL tshirt, I started off in a 3 XL and that XL FIT!!!!! I was so excited. It could fit a little looser, but I was still able to not only get in it and wore it!!!! My shorts are fitting far more comfortably!
The one thing I am going to start really working hard on, is my arms. The upper arms are so flappy, yes I wrote flappy...they flap in the wind! It's loose skin and it's time to work hard to try to get things the best I can.

I'm walking farther than ever and in shorter amounts of time, even when I don't feel like it, I'm going out and walking. Yesterday was a VERY long day. I watched my friends 2 kids as always and helped another friend with her grandkids, I was up at 6:30 to start my day and fell in bed around 1 AM. We had a full day of childcare, then both of my big boys had baseball games, and they both had personally great games! One game started at 6:30 and the other started at 8:15. My husband after working 11-5 went to K.C. I to pick up friends of his who were flying back from leave/vacation, so he got home about 15 or so minutes after we got home from the games. We both just say dazed and exhausted, as I told the boys to take the dogs for a walk, I back tracked and told them to just get them on their leashes, and my husband and I instead went for a walk. It was only one mile, but hey at least I got that mile in.
So I have not shared update pictures. I made a collage, to show my progress. I can see it the most in my face and chin(s). :) Progress has been made.




Friday, June 13, 2014

Goal met!!!!

I first have to fix something, on Tuesday I had lost 32 lbs, not 33. I'm still happy with that number, because it was still weight lost!! Today I met with my doctor/surgeon for the last time. I am happy, yet sad, he is a great doctor so it was always nice to see him!
So I stepped on the scale today and I lost 3 lbs between Tuesday and today! Oh yes I did! I have no idea how, other than just doing what I've been doing. I have now at 6 weeks 2 days lost 35 lbs!
So if I continue to lose 2 lbs a week, by the end of the month I should be VERY close to a 40 lb weight loss and by the end of July, I should be at or very near 50 lbs off! I am working hard. I'm eating right, I'm making sure I eat protein, protein, protein and healthy carbs.
I bought a watermelon today and am looking forward to cutting into it tomorrow! YUM! Plus, I think we'll buy another one and I'm going to make homemade popsicles from it!
I've made sure to not eat any junk food. My daily treats are sf popsicles and all natural beef jerky, which has high protein, a good amount of fiber, and no sugar, plus it's just really good! A lot of people on my gastric sleeve (GSV) support group suggested it!

As far as the rest of life goes. We are busy, busy, busy! Our two older boys JK and JT are both playing baseball and traveling. Tuesday night, JK had a game 30 minutes away and it went nearly an hour past what it was supposed to and 3 innings past. Our guy had struck out each time he was up to bat, finally at 10:40 PM, we had a guy on 3rd, 1 on first, and our guy was up at bat. They had brought in their relief pitcher, who was throwing a LOT of balls. I told JK to make him pitch to him and keep in mind that he was throwing lots of balls. The first 3 pitches were balls, then 2 strikes right in a row, the last pitch was perfect and JK swung and HIT it! It went flying past the short stop, and our boy on 3rd ran in and that was the game! I think all the other parents from our team was loving our boys (since they all professed their love for him! LOL) and we finally got home at 11:30. We were both pretty wiped out, but I was so proud of him.
JT is trying, this is the first year he's played where it's not coach pitch. We have seen him grow and improve. I know he'll continue to improve. The most important part though is he loves playing.
E and N are both on the same tball team and have so much fun. They both are good hitters. N doesn't pay a lot of attention when he's in the outfield, but he's 4 and honestly he does well, he's not playing in the dirt (although yesterday he was throwing his glove up in the air over and over! LOL). E has played before, but that was 2 years ago. She hits great (each time it went out into the outfield), she works hard whether she's on 3rd base or in outfield.
Life is not slow right now, but it's just for a season and honestly it's enjoyable and keeping busy, keeps us active. We try to go swimming on the days that it's not raining and the big boys don't have a game, more time to be active for all of us.

What I don't believe I shared on Tuesday is that the hubby got a part time job! He's officially retired from the Army on July 1,  so the fact that he's working is a huge blessing for us. He's working at the PX (It's the Army's version of WalMart/Target). He's working in Sporting Goods, mostly he'll be at the gun counter and will float if/when they need him to. This week and next he's got plum hours of 11-5, except on Sunday he'll work 2-8, which stinks since it's Father's Day, but the kid and I are going to make sure the day is still special for him. I plan on making him a special dinner on Saturday, a special breakfast for him Sunday morning, and hopefully a lunch that he can enjoy before he has to get to work, but thankfully he'll be at church with us.

I do not see my nutritionist for 4 weeks and I will not see my regular doctor for 6 weeks! SIX! It seems really long time. Hubby's buying us a scale, so that once a week I can weigh in. I just am praying that I do not get obsessive about getting on the scale. I want to only get on it on Tuesday's.
I do need to take a picture, I'm going to have my updated picture taken tomorrow, and will post it sometime, probably during nap time! ;) I can tell I've lost weight in my face and chin(s) or lack of chins!!! I also can tell by the way clothes fit me, or more so no longer fit me. I have already given away the majority of my old clothes that are now far too big for me!
I plan on keeping a shirt and a pair of pants, so that when I reach my goal, I can show the difference and remind myself how far I've come!

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

6 Weeks Post Op!!!

I met with my nutritionist, who I won't again for 4 weeks. She was very happy with my progress. I have now lost 33 lbs! I'm averaging 2 lbs a week for the most part. I'm going to be working to up my protein and up working out as well, so that hopefully I can get a couple weeks with a 5 lb loss and get my skins elasticity a better chance. My age helps (under 40), working out helps, eating healthy also helps. Your skin elasticity means that my skin will bounce back and I'll need less surgery to get rid of extra skin. I know there will be a need for some, but hopefully it'll be much less and far more minor.

Right now if I continue at the 2 lb loss I should be at 50 lbs off by the end of July. That will put me at 3 months out, can you imagine 50 lbs off in 3 months? It seems unreal to me, yet motivates me that much more to work harder, continue to eat healthy. Our family as a whole are making changes together. I look forward to my kids simply eating healthier, and being even more active. On Thursday, I'm buying a new bike seat for my bike and for my 6 year olds bike, then we're going to start going on bike rides 3 times a week. I have a seat for my 2 year old on the back of my bike, we also have a bike trailer so as we build up distance, we can hook that up to put the little ones in and go on longer rides.

For today, I am celebrating that I have lost 33 lbs so far and that the number will only grow bigger as the scale number goes down. I have decided since I will not be seen for 6 weeks after Thursday, I'm going to get a scale. Pray for me to not be my normal obsessive self with the scale. I want to only get on the scale every Tuesday morning.

I'll post again after my Thursday appointment with Dr. C. I hope I see the scale go down at least 1 or 2 more numbers!!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Goal met!!!

I've lost 31 lbs!!!!!! Today also marks 5 weeks since I had my surgery! It's amazing to me that I've lost 31 lbs in 5 weeks! I go see my doctor and nutritionist next week, I really hope I'll be close to or at 35 lbs by then! We have baseball tonight for both of our big boys, so once home we'll go for a walk and then I plan on going to our community gym and working out on the eliptical and some light weights! I'm so excited to see the weight come off, hopefully with the extra that I'm able to do now, the next 19 will come off pretty easy. I honestly can not wait to hit the 50 lb mark. My next reasonable goal is to have 40 lbs off by the time I hit the 2 month mark, which I believe is very attainable.

We went to my parents this weekend. They have a pool and I was able to swim around in it, play with the kids. It's not a pool I can easily do laps in, but while I was in, I tried to make sure I was moving, well other than the time I was on the very comfortable pool chair! LOL

While at my parents, my dad made brownies. Brownies have always been my favorite dessert. I had a true affection for them, just loved them. They smelled amazing. I would have loved to have been able to have had a bite, but I can't and I was okay with it. I will say that was the biggest self-control I've had to have so far. I was honestly very proud of myself.

Tomorrow I'm calling our Wellness Center and making an appointment to get back in, be evaluated, and look forward to them helping me get healthy! My husband said they have pedometers, so I'll be getting one of those, so I can keep track of my steps.