Head shot comparison

Running again

I haven't posted much about my exercise or my eating or my weight loss because not much has changed on those fronts. I've taken a break from running to let my hip heal. I hadn't run since last Wednesday when I went running today (Saturday). After a week and a half off, I was surprised that I was able to run just fine and completed a two-mile run without any trouble. I'm reading the book Chi Running and hope to incorporate some of his techniques soon. I think that will help with injuries or rather help me not become injured.

One Year--Reflections

I’m finally getting around to writing my review of this last year. My anniversary, or bandiversary as some like to call it was last Sunday, almost a week ago. I have had a lot of thoughts about writing this, but for some reason haven’t felt ready to write it. I think in part because it’s such a personal thing for me, and such a huge thing, that it’s hard to put into words what a difference this year has made in my life. How can words do any justice to how grateful I am and how different I feel? However, I have to try, because I want to share this.

One year ago I was so scared. I was having a life-changing surgery. Firstly I was scared of dying in surgery. I cried and told my husband that if “something happened” I was sorry and that I never meant for that to happen. Thankfully the surgery went off without a hitch. Secondly, I was scared of not succeeding. I was scared of not being able to stick to the new lifestyle and scared of failing.

I started keeping a blog mainly to see for myself any progress I was making. I wanted to share it with my family and very close friends to begin with, but nobody else for a while. As I started really seeing success and seeing that success continue I felt more and more confident and increasingly strong. Before too long I was ready to share my blog publicly. I was (and still am) amazed at the response I get from those who read. I’ve had so many kind and supportive comments as well as people who find my journey inspiring for their own lives. I had never anticipated that and I’m thrilled that my struggles have in any way been able to benefit others.

Now, a year later, I’m 103 pounds lighter. All within 12 months, I’ve seen my weight be in the 300s, 200s and now the top of the 100s. How cool is that? I’ve gone from wearing a 30/32 to almost being able to wear a size 14. I’m more comfortable in a 16 still, but things are a little loose. I’m so happy with my looks right now. I don’t mind having my picture taken and being seen by people I haven’t seen in a while. It’s actually really fun!

I have become a strong and dare I say, athletic person, which is a surprise to me. I have become a runner, even running 6 miles at my longest distance so far. This is incredible to me. I’m working out some hip problems right now, but even today I was able to run 2 miles on the treadmill without it being a huge deal. This is amazing! I will continue to pursue this running journey, because it is so empowering.

I have regained so much of the confidence and exuberance that had been buried underneath all that weight for so many years. I no longer dread going to social gatherings, or running into people. I’m just so happy with where I am.

Doing things is easier, period. Kneeling on the floor, getting in and out of the car, shopping, walking, standing, bending, all of it is so much easier without that extra 100 pounds weighing me down.

I have a little ways left before I’m finished with the weight-loss part of this remaking of myself. I know I can do it and I’m not scared that I am not going to be able to keep the weight off. I have used this Lapband as a tool, not a magic fix. I have worked hard, using the tool to make the work easier, but I have worked very hard. Because of that, I know that I will continue to work hard and take my health and the state of my fitness seriously. It’s not something that will take care of itself. It will be something I have to be vigilant about for the rest of my life, which thanks to this journey will be healthier and longer. I am so blessed. I am so thankful.

Exercise

So I decided not to do any running on my hip until it feels much better. I went walking on Monday instead of running. I walked two miles on the treadmill and then did 2 miles on a stationary bike. That wasn't very hard, but really I was just killing time until my daughter was done with her basketball class.

I've been wanting to write a big post about my one-year-anniversary which was this last Sunday but I haven't done it yet. I am so grateful for the changes that this year has brought and I honestly feel like a different person in many ways. Hopefully I can get my thoughts down into words in the next little while.

With two days to spare. . .

. . .I saw 199 on the scale this morning! Onederland! I guess all I needed to do was make a whiny post about how I wasn't losing weight. (Oh, and get a fill.) It may not stick, like my weight usually does, go back up before coming back down, but my goal was to see that number by the year mark and that is this Sunday. I can hardly believe it. :)

I went on Wednesday to get my band adjustment, or fill. He added .3 ccs to my band bringing my total fluid to 6.8, I think. I can tell a difference even on the "straw" diet I'm on. (Anything that can fit through a straw is okay, though I am not supposed to actually use a straw.) It has been taking me a while to even drink water, or Pero, so I know I have more restriction. The big test will be this afternoon when I start adding back in some regular foods. I plan on going slow, though because I don't want to get anything stuck!

My appointment with Dr. Metz was great. He was much more impressed with my weight loss than I had been feeling. He said I'd lost an average of a pound a week since seeing him last. That's definitely an average, because I've been stuck at the same weight for many weeks, so I guess I had a few bigger drops in there that I'm forgetting. Anyway, he was very positive about my progress. He also told me that maybe another 20 pounds and I would be a good healthy weight. I've been planning on another 40 according to the healthy weight charts. He didn't seem to agree with those for ultimate goal planning. We'll have to see how I'm looking and feeling in a few pounds and maybe I'll alter my goal then. What I would really like is to have a size goal and not worry about the numbers, just what size I end up being. I would be happy with a 12, and thrilled with being a size 10.

My hip has been bothering me after running. I saw the chiropractor yesterday and he's going to have me go get some x-rays done of it to make sure that there's nothing "pathologically" wrong with it. I think it has to be pretty severely deteriorated to show up on an x-ray, so I'm not thinking he's going to find anything, but we'll see. He wants me to reduce to 70% of the running I'm doing. So instead of 6 miles on Saturday I should run 4.2. I know my hip will still hurt after that distance, but he told me to ice it, so we'll see if that helps.

So I'm feeling happy today and hopeful that I can finish this journey.

How can I not be losing weight?

I'm baffled. I fasted half the day yesterday and ran 6 miles on Saturday and my weight is up a pound this morning instead of down. I'm tired of sitting at this same weight. I'm ready to see some new (lower) numbers. Argh. That is all.

6 miles

I did my long run outside yesterday and it was for 6 miles. I did it. I ran every step of those 6 miles. There is a point (one telephone pole past the yield sign) that is 1 mile away from the entrance to our street, so I ran down and back three times, making 6 miles. It took me about 80 minutes. Whew.

I was really sore afterward yesterday, but today isn't too bad. I did get a blister on my foot, not surprisingly. I would like to order some better running socks online sometime soon.

This week will mark one year from my surgery. Over at lapbandtalk.com we call that your bandiversary. I was hoping to be under 200 by then, but I'm still a few pounds away. I will be getting a fill this week so that may help, but either way, I'm happy with where I am and confident that my weight will continue to go down as long as I'm doing the right things. Plateaus happen and life goes on.