It's been almost 3 weeks and I'm still stuck bouncing around between 214 and 215. I knew this would happen eventually. My frustration level is still getting higher. This week, I am trying to consume more calories to see if that will get things moving.
This morning, I had my usual chocolate Premier protein shake. That comes in at 160 calories and 30 grams of protein.
I packed a cute bento box for lunch today. It has 2.5 ounces turkey breast from the deli, 0.5 ounces sharp cheddar from the deli, 3 lettuce leaves and a boiled egg. That nets me around 200 calories and 25 grams of protein.
I have half of a QUEST protein bar for a snack for 90 calories and 10 grams of protein. Sidebar about these Quest protein bars, they are pretty awesome. I tried them before surgery and thought they were just okay. Now, I think they taste pretty good. I have tried cookies and cream, chocolate chip cookie dough, and s'mores so far. All 3 have been tasty. I have seen that you can cut them up and bake them, so they are more like cookies. Sounds like something great to try to me!
Today is a weight lifting day, but I plan to work on my 5k training as well. I have not been doing as well with that as I hoped. I don't want to disappoint my sister since she's training for it as well. I know I will be able to finish the whole thing, its just a matter of how long it will take. I am trying to convince my cousin to sign up to do another one with me in November.
Hopefully my stall will break soon. If the increased calories don't do it this week, I will try something different next week. I would still like to get under 200 before my next nutritionist appointment, but it's starting to seem less likely.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Couch to 5K (C25K)
I mentioned this in my last blog, but didn't really explain it. Doh!
So, what is it? It's a program to take you from couch potato to running a 5k in 8 weeks. I don't think it really works exactly like that, but that's how it's pitched. You can download any number of applications for your smart phone that guide you through the process. There are 8 weeks of training, each with 3 days. In theory, that means with 24 training sessions, you will be able to complete a 5k.
A 5k is 3.1 miles. The program doesn't say how quickly you will complete this distance, just that you should be able to do it. I attempted this program at 335 pounds and it was too hard for me to complete. Week 1, Day 1 about killed me. I couldn't run for 60 seconds without feeling like my heart was going to implode. But now, I can do that and will be using a program similar to the one below to help with the training.
It gradually builds up your endurance and speed both. Should be awesome. Look for more posts as I progress.
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
So, what is it? It's a program to take you from couch potato to running a 5k in 8 weeks. I don't think it really works exactly like that, but that's how it's pitched. You can download any number of applications for your smart phone that guide you through the process. There are 8 weeks of training, each with 3 days. In theory, that means with 24 training sessions, you will be able to complete a 5k.
A 5k is 3.1 miles. The program doesn't say how quickly you will complete this distance, just that you should be able to do it. I attempted this program at 335 pounds and it was too hard for me to complete. Week 1, Day 1 about killed me. I couldn't run for 60 seconds without feeling like my heart was going to implode. But now, I can do that and will be using a program similar to the one below to help with the training.
It gradually builds up your endurance and speed both. Should be awesome. Look for more posts as I progress.
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
| Week | Workout 1 | Workout 2 | Workout 3 |
| 1 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. |
| 2 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. | Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. |
| 3 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
|
| 4 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
|
| 5 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking. |
| 6 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
| Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 22 minutes) with no walking. |
| 7 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). |
| 8 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). |
| 9 | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). | Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). | The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). |
Back to the Gym
So, I got back to the gym yesterday. I am trying to get into a routine of going and having certain days for certain exercises. My plan is below:
Monday: Back and shoulders
Tuesday: Cardio only
Wednesday: Legs and Core
Thursday: Cardio only
Friday: Arms
On days that I do strength training, I do it circuit style. I start off with a good 15 minute cardio warm-up, then hit the weights. I've been using the weight machines at my gym. They have them arranged by body part in rows, so I work on one row per day. It's kinda awesome. Yesterday was Tuesday, so I worked on 5k training. I did about 25 minutes on the treadmill, alternating fast walking and running. I planned to go longer, but I started getting cramps like I needed to go to the bathroom. Maybe running is a cure for constipation?
I downloaded the handy C25k app for on my phone for training. The 5k is about 7 weeks away and the program is 8 weeks, but that should get me pretty close. The app breaks each week down into 3 days of training. Today, I will do Week 1, Day 1. That consists of a 5 minute warm-up, then alternating 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes. Sounds doable-ish. I've been working on alternating jogging and walking already, so I think I can do it.
My next follow-up appointment is on October 13th. I'd really, really like to be under 200 by then. I know it's pushing it, but I think with the amount of training I am going to be doing that I can make it. I am 214 right now, so that means losing 15 pounds in just over a month. It's ambitious! Goals are supposed to be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, timed). So there it is, I plan to be under 200 pounds by October 13th. When I first started this, I didn't think I'd get there before Christmas!
I just need to stick to my work-out plan and maintain the low-carb diet. I got this!
Monday: Back and shoulders
Tuesday: Cardio only
Wednesday: Legs and Core
Thursday: Cardio only
Friday: Arms
On days that I do strength training, I do it circuit style. I start off with a good 15 minute cardio warm-up, then hit the weights. I've been using the weight machines at my gym. They have them arranged by body part in rows, so I work on one row per day. It's kinda awesome. Yesterday was Tuesday, so I worked on 5k training. I did about 25 minutes on the treadmill, alternating fast walking and running. I planned to go longer, but I started getting cramps like I needed to go to the bathroom. Maybe running is a cure for constipation?
I downloaded the handy C25k app for on my phone for training. The 5k is about 7 weeks away and the program is 8 weeks, but that should get me pretty close. The app breaks each week down into 3 days of training. Today, I will do Week 1, Day 1. That consists of a 5 minute warm-up, then alternating 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes. Sounds doable-ish. I've been working on alternating jogging and walking already, so I think I can do it.
My next follow-up appointment is on October 13th. I'd really, really like to be under 200 by then. I know it's pushing it, but I think with the amount of training I am going to be doing that I can make it. I am 214 right now, so that means losing 15 pounds in just over a month. It's ambitious! Goals are supposed to be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, timed). So there it is, I plan to be under 200 pounds by October 13th. When I first started this, I didn't think I'd get there before Christmas!
I just need to stick to my work-out plan and maintain the low-carb diet. I got this!
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Slowly becoming human again
Life has really been something lately. Mostly, its not been that great for me. After my enthusiastic post about clothes 2 weeks ago, we got a phone call that my mother-in-law had passed away. For the most part, this was a huge relief. I know that sounds terrible to say, but she'd been sick for a long time with no hope of getting better. It was a release for her and for my father-in-law, who was her primary care giver.
We spent 17 hours in the car that night and into the next day to get to MN for her funeral. Eating while there was a challenge because my sister-in-law was not very accepting of my new diet. She kept wanting to cook these frozen pasta meals that I can't eat. I volunteered to cook every night and made enough for everyone, but it still made her mad. Maybe I could have just eaten deli meat for every meal, but that didn't seem very appealing.
I think stressful situations really bring out the worst in people and I did my best to be helpful, but it all really blew up in my face in the end. It's just a sad situation really. I don't want to get into details of it all, but things didn't go well when we left to come home.
On the car ride home, I could NOT stay awake, which is unusual for me. I slept most of the way home, unpacked when we got back, and went to bed. I woke up the next morning feeling like death. I figured maybe it was just the trip and a little virus or something. No... of course not. Two days later I hacked up blood and green gunk. One trip to the doctor later and yay, I have tonsillitis. Ugh!!
So, last week, I lost a grand total of 11 pounds because I really couldn't eat for the majority of the week. Today, I feel decent and am planning to get back into the gym. I know the lack of protein for a week has to have caused some muscle loss and we can't have too much of that going on.
Yesterday, I was feeling pretty much human. So, I went out for lunch and shopping with my cousin. Pre-shopping selfie :)
We spent 17 hours in the car that night and into the next day to get to MN for her funeral. Eating while there was a challenge because my sister-in-law was not very accepting of my new diet. She kept wanting to cook these frozen pasta meals that I can't eat. I volunteered to cook every night and made enough for everyone, but it still made her mad. Maybe I could have just eaten deli meat for every meal, but that didn't seem very appealing.
I think stressful situations really bring out the worst in people and I did my best to be helpful, but it all really blew up in my face in the end. It's just a sad situation really. I don't want to get into details of it all, but things didn't go well when we left to come home.
On the car ride home, I could NOT stay awake, which is unusual for me. I slept most of the way home, unpacked when we got back, and went to bed. I woke up the next morning feeling like death. I figured maybe it was just the trip and a little virus or something. No... of course not. Two days later I hacked up blood and green gunk. One trip to the doctor later and yay, I have tonsillitis. Ugh!!
So, last week, I lost a grand total of 11 pounds because I really couldn't eat for the majority of the week. Today, I feel decent and am planning to get back into the gym. I know the lack of protein for a week has to have caused some muscle loss and we can't have too much of that going on.
Yesterday, I was feeling pretty much human. So, I went out for lunch and shopping with my cousin. Pre-shopping selfie :)
Monday, August 24, 2015
Life...
Has been busy lately and I've not been making the time to blog properly. Lots has been going on. My mother-in-law is terminally ill. I injured my foot. School has started for my step-daughter. And so on and so on. I have kept myself on track pretty well and am down to 225 pounds. That's down 125 pounds from my highest weight of 350.
And I feel amazing!! I cleaned out my closet this weekend and got rid of tons of clothes that were too big. I needed to buy a dress for a visitation this weekend, so off to the store I went. I ended up buying a plus size dress still because the selection in the misses dresses was pitiful. The dress is a 14W and I feel amazing in it. I also got a suit because I'm job hunting. The suit came from the misses department and is an XL. I haven't worn clothes from the misses department since middle school!!
I am including some pictures below for comparison. Me and my hubby yesterday (dressed up for a visitation) versus our wedding last year. I don't look like the same person!! (I can't get the pics to line up side by side for some reason, but you get the idea.)
 |
| Aug 23,2015 |
 |
| Sep 27, 2014 |
I can honestly say my husband and step-daughter have both been awesome through this whole journey. My husband is super supportive and has changed his cooking to meet my new needs. I see lots of people complain about not having supportive families and I always think how blessed I am to have the family I do. Once I made the decision to go through with this, my husband said okay and jumped right on board. He loved me at 350 and he loves me now. What a blessing he really is.
Well, after all the closet cleaning, I needed to go shopping. So, mom and I headed to the mall yesterday. I really needed pants that weren't jeans. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE jeans. But I am tired of wearing them ever single day. Plus I only have 2 pairs that fit. One pair that fits really well and one pair that's getting too big.
We got to the store and the first pair of pants I put on fit. WTH!??!?! Usually, shopping for pants takes hours and hours and multiple stores and lots of crying. These pants were a 14W, so I went to the misses department and found the same pants for $10 less per pair. Hmmm, sounds like I should try on the misses ones. I tried on the 16 and they were a no, but the 18s were a yes. So, I bought PANTS from the regular department.
At home, I put all my clothes away and was so excited that I spent 45 minutes in my closet making outfits and planning what to wear today. Picture below of the outfit I picked. I feel amazing! Plus someone at work said I look thinner. Awesome, right?!?!
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Labs are Back.... Finally
Okay, so I just downloaded my lab results and reviewing them. Overall, things look pretty good. CBC with Differential all are in range, meaning no infections or anything along those lines. I knew that already, but they always test this for some reason.
On to the more important things, The Metabolic Panel. This is where the mal-absorption issues could start to rear their heads. I have a couple of flags on that for being below the normal range and one was high. I'm going to start with the low flags, Potassium and Chloride. My sodium was close to low, but not there.
Potassium is pretty important in regulating your heart and keeping your body going, so being low on it can cause some major issues. A deficiency in potassium can cause fatigue, insomnia, depression, muscular weakness, and many cardiovascular issues. Oh, hmmm... I am experiencing those highlighted symptoms right now! *insert light bulb here*
I am supposed to be increasing the variety of foods I eat, so I did some research on foods that are high in potassium. Beans, spinach, yogurt, salmon, and avocado were all on the list and are things I can eat.
Chloride works with potassium and helps regulate the Ph balance in your system. Being low on this is pretty darn rare. Basically, I need to eat more salt and saltier foods. Odd, isn't it?
I was high on the BUN/Creatinine Ratio basically meaning I was dehydrated. My level was 21, normal range is 8 to 20. This could be the reason for the low Potassium and Chloride or the the low Potassium and Chloride could be causing the dehydration. The 3 flags are definitely linked. So, time for some beans and spinach with a good pinch of salt!
Only one more flag on the report and I suspected this was coming. My Iron saturation is at 14. Normal range is 15 to 55. All my other Iron measurements were in range, but on the lower side. I think I just need to eat some more iron rich foods to bump things up a bit and everything should be fine. Fortunately, many of the foods that are high in potassium are also high in Iron. So, adding some beans, spinach, and more seafood to my diet should help balance everything out.
Not a bad report at all!
On to the more important things, The Metabolic Panel. This is where the mal-absorption issues could start to rear their heads. I have a couple of flags on that for being below the normal range and one was high. I'm going to start with the low flags, Potassium and Chloride. My sodium was close to low, but not there.
Potassium is pretty important in regulating your heart and keeping your body going, so being low on it can cause some major issues. A deficiency in potassium can cause fatigue, insomnia, depression, muscular weakness, and many cardiovascular issues. Oh, hmmm... I am experiencing those highlighted symptoms right now! *insert light bulb here*
I am supposed to be increasing the variety of foods I eat, so I did some research on foods that are high in potassium. Beans, spinach, yogurt, salmon, and avocado were all on the list and are things I can eat.
Chloride works with potassium and helps regulate the Ph balance in your system. Being low on this is pretty darn rare. Basically, I need to eat more salt and saltier foods. Odd, isn't it?
I was high on the BUN/Creatinine Ratio basically meaning I was dehydrated. My level was 21, normal range is 8 to 20. This could be the reason for the low Potassium and Chloride or the the low Potassium and Chloride could be causing the dehydration. The 3 flags are definitely linked. So, time for some beans and spinach with a good pinch of salt!
Only one more flag on the report and I suspected this was coming. My Iron saturation is at 14. Normal range is 15 to 55. All my other Iron measurements were in range, but on the lower side. I think I just need to eat some more iron rich foods to bump things up a bit and everything should be fine. Fortunately, many of the foods that are high in potassium are also high in Iron. So, adding some beans, spinach, and more seafood to my diet should help balance everything out.
Not a bad report at all!
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Nutritionist Visit
So, yesterday was my first time seeing the nutritionist since surgery. Let me start by saying I LOVE my nutritionist. She is 100% awesome, very encouraging and very knowledgeable. She has talked me out of crazy expectations via e-mail a couple of times since surgery. She's taught me about plateaus and how to deal with them. She's taught me how to eat low carb and she's taught me how to exercise. So, yes, she's amazing. Her support and guidance have made this journey happen for me.
They have this super fancy scale there that tells you not only how much you weigh, but what your body composition is. Now, I have no idea how it works, but it's pretty cool. So, I hop on the scale as instructed and wait for the beep. Then this handy little receipt prints out. It has a lot of information on it about your total weight, your fat mass, your fat free mass, etc.
Drum roll please..... I am down 60 pounds since my pre-op visit on 4/1/2015. And ALL of it was fat!! Since I first started seeing her, I have lost 96 pounds of FAT. Shocking! That's a person. That's amazing, stupendous, and more adjectives that I can't think of right now. It's hard to put that in perspective. I know I'm smaller, but I still feel big. So, I found some images to put it into perspective. First up, 100 pounds of fat on a table. Odd, I know, but it puts it in perspective to think I was carrying that around with me.
And then there's this cute web page where you can go put in your weight loss and it compares it to standard objects. So I put in 96 since that is the amount of fat I have lost since February. (I would put in my total weight loss of 120, but it only goes to 100.) I can't begin to imagine almost 19,000 beer caps. Can you?
She told me I was doing very well with my diet, but that I need to get more consistent with the working out part of it. She said that if I continue being inconsistent, I will start to see muscle loss and other issues. I don't want that, so it's off to the gym I go. I went on Monday and plan to go today, tomorrow, and Friday. I feel better when I go and I sleep better when I go. I know I need to do it, so it's just a matter of making it a habit now.
So, all in all, I got a very good report. The labs on my vitamin levels will be back on Thursday and I will update everyone on those when I get the reports.
They have this super fancy scale there that tells you not only how much you weigh, but what your body composition is. Now, I have no idea how it works, but it's pretty cool. So, I hop on the scale as instructed and wait for the beep. Then this handy little receipt prints out. It has a lot of information on it about your total weight, your fat mass, your fat free mass, etc.
Drum roll please..... I am down 60 pounds since my pre-op visit on 4/1/2015. And ALL of it was fat!! Since I first started seeing her, I have lost 96 pounds of FAT. Shocking! That's a person. That's amazing, stupendous, and more adjectives that I can't think of right now. It's hard to put that in perspective. I know I'm smaller, but I still feel big. So, I found some images to put it into perspective. First up, 100 pounds of fat on a table. Odd, I know, but it puts it in perspective to think I was carrying that around with me.
She told me I was doing very well with my diet, but that I need to get more consistent with the working out part of it. She said that if I continue being inconsistent, I will start to see muscle loss and other issues. I don't want that, so it's off to the gym I go. I went on Monday and plan to go today, tomorrow, and Friday. I feel better when I go and I sleep better when I go. I know I need to do it, so it's just a matter of making it a habit now.
So, all in all, I got a very good report. The labs on my vitamin levels will be back on Thursday and I will update everyone on those when I get the reports.
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