11 Weeks: Fat to Muscle!
Weight: 244.8
I can't believe it's been almost 3 months since my surgery! I'm still not able to just eat anything but it is getting a lot better. Lots of experimenting going on. I didn't think I'd get hungry either but that was a pipe dream. I get plenty hungry! The difference is that it only takes a few tablespoons of food to make the hunger go away. I just have to be very careful not to eat too fast. That puts me into fits of pain that lasts 30 minutes to an hour.
I've carefully tested out small doses of sugar just to find my boundaries. I've come to the conclusion that I'm probably not a dumper. For me, this is fortunate and unfortunate. It's nice to be able to have treats now and again but dumping could be a powerful deterrent that I apparently don't have. I guess I'll just have to be my own deterrent!
Food issues: I have 3 eating difficulties right now that I'm struggling with. Eating too fast for 1. The other is not drinking too soon before or after meals. I find that it really doesn't matter that much with things of a pureed/semi-solid texture like yogurt or cottage cheese. Denser foods like meats and rice will kill me. I didn't think it would be an issue because I never really drank while eating. The problem is I always drink right after my meal. So hard dealing with the thirst while waiting. If I don't though the pain will lay me out flat.
The 3rd issue is eating too much. That one I've pretty much got under control, learning to note the signs. Pain is a powerful deterrent too! Full doesn't feel like full used to so it took a little time to figure out what full felt like. It essentially feels like my esophagus is filling up, like I can't swallow the food all the way down. That creates pressure in my chest, neck and ears. Then my nose starts to run. Weird! It also feels like I have a painful burp that just won't come up. Usually the discomfort is so intense I intentionally throw up and all is well with the world. Lately I've gotten pretty good at sensing the precursors and just putting my fork down! But still in the learning curve.
Right now I'm at a point that I'm really starting to exercise in earnest. Not only do I need to keep the weight loss going but I need to feel strong again. Between the lack of adequate calories and not being able to exercise for 8 weeks post-op I have felt so weak. I hate that feeling! I'm sure that I've lost considerable muscle from all this. Before surgery I could pull a full stack of weights. Now? About 35lbs. Pretty sad. But I'm working on it.
One thing that's kind of cool is that I've really found a love for running. This is the girl who always said that the words "fun" and "run" should never be used in the same sentence! For some strange reason it just feels so good to peel out at a dead run now. Maybe because it's been literally decades since I actually could. My endurance truly sucks but just being able to do it is a thrill I totally look forward to. I do what I call, "the red hot minute". I walk, walk, walk then peel out for 1 minute...which at times can even be a challenge. It is definitely helping my stamina even though I can't do it for long.
I'm getting used to my new trainer Ashley. I don't really have the same kind of bond as I did with my other trainers but I like her. She takes her job very seriously and is very particular about form, which I like. I'm learning a lot from her. I haven't been very good about the fat burn zone but I try to at least stay there part of my work out. It's just so boring!
I also started back into classes at MUV. For a general workout I still prefer Planet Fitness. It's just a calmer atmosphere and they have the Total Body Enhancement machine that I really think helps the circulation to my legs...which unfortunately still swell horrendously. But MUV has the classes. This week I tried Zumba with Stephanie and Cize with Aubrey. Love them both. Still not up to par on energy but I'm hoping this helps. Mica likes the classes too so it's been pretty cool that she and Jeremy have joined me!
One of the benefits of having a trainer is that I get to see measured results that have nothing to do with the scale. Honestly 306 to 245lbs since I started this process less than 4 months ago is nothing to sneeze at. Still, the weight loss comes in groups and it's really hard to see the scale sit on the same numbers for days on end.
Yesterday was measurement day with Ashley and that was an eye opening experience for me. It reminded me not to get frustrated when the pounds don't just melt away like butter on a skillet. It is a process and I need to trust the process. While I only lost 9lbs since December 15th by the scale (afternoon weight at MUV, fully clothed including shoes) I actually lost 23 pounds of fat and gained 10lbs of muscle. Now those are 1 month measurements I can be proud of!
I can't believe it's been almost 3 months since my surgery! I'm still not able to just eat anything but it is getting a lot better. Lots of experimenting going on. I didn't think I'd get hungry either but that was a pipe dream. I get plenty hungry! The difference is that it only takes a few tablespoons of food to make the hunger go away. I just have to be very careful not to eat too fast. That puts me into fits of pain that lasts 30 minutes to an hour.
I've carefully tested out small doses of sugar just to find my boundaries. I've come to the conclusion that I'm probably not a dumper. For me, this is fortunate and unfortunate. It's nice to be able to have treats now and again but dumping could be a powerful deterrent that I apparently don't have. I guess I'll just have to be my own deterrent!
Food issues: I have 3 eating difficulties right now that I'm struggling with. Eating too fast for 1. The other is not drinking too soon before or after meals. I find that it really doesn't matter that much with things of a pureed/semi-solid texture like yogurt or cottage cheese. Denser foods like meats and rice will kill me. I didn't think it would be an issue because I never really drank while eating. The problem is I always drink right after my meal. So hard dealing with the thirst while waiting. If I don't though the pain will lay me out flat.
The 3rd issue is eating too much. That one I've pretty much got under control, learning to note the signs. Pain is a powerful deterrent too! Full doesn't feel like full used to so it took a little time to figure out what full felt like. It essentially feels like my esophagus is filling up, like I can't swallow the food all the way down. That creates pressure in my chest, neck and ears. Then my nose starts to run. Weird! It also feels like I have a painful burp that just won't come up. Usually the discomfort is so intense I intentionally throw up and all is well with the world. Lately I've gotten pretty good at sensing the precursors and just putting my fork down! But still in the learning curve.
Right now I'm at a point that I'm really starting to exercise in earnest. Not only do I need to keep the weight loss going but I need to feel strong again. Between the lack of adequate calories and not being able to exercise for 8 weeks post-op I have felt so weak. I hate that feeling! I'm sure that I've lost considerable muscle from all this. Before surgery I could pull a full stack of weights. Now? About 35lbs. Pretty sad. But I'm working on it.
One thing that's kind of cool is that I've really found a love for running. This is the girl who always said that the words "fun" and "run" should never be used in the same sentence! For some strange reason it just feels so good to peel out at a dead run now. Maybe because it's been literally decades since I actually could. My endurance truly sucks but just being able to do it is a thrill I totally look forward to. I do what I call, "the red hot minute". I walk, walk, walk then peel out for 1 minute...which at times can even be a challenge. It is definitely helping my stamina even though I can't do it for long.
I'm getting used to my new trainer Ashley. I don't really have the same kind of bond as I did with my other trainers but I like her. She takes her job very seriously and is very particular about form, which I like. I'm learning a lot from her. I haven't been very good about the fat burn zone but I try to at least stay there part of my work out. It's just so boring!
I also started back into classes at MUV. For a general workout I still prefer Planet Fitness. It's just a calmer atmosphere and they have the Total Body Enhancement machine that I really think helps the circulation to my legs...which unfortunately still swell horrendously. But MUV has the classes. This week I tried Zumba with Stephanie and Cize with Aubrey. Love them both. Still not up to par on energy but I'm hoping this helps. Mica likes the classes too so it's been pretty cool that she and Jeremy have joined me!
One of the benefits of having a trainer is that I get to see measured results that have nothing to do with the scale. Honestly 306 to 245lbs since I started this process less than 4 months ago is nothing to sneeze at. Still, the weight loss comes in groups and it's really hard to see the scale sit on the same numbers for days on end.
Yesterday was measurement day with Ashley and that was an eye opening experience for me. It reminded me not to get frustrated when the pounds don't just melt away like butter on a skillet. It is a process and I need to trust the process. While I only lost 9lbs since December 15th by the scale (afternoon weight at MUV, fully clothed including shoes) I actually lost 23 pounds of fat and gained 10lbs of muscle. Now those are 1 month measurements I can be proud of!
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