Call Me a Monkey

Because I LOVE bananas.  With peanut butter.  Hey, it helps the potassium AND I get in my protein :-)  My potassium was up again Monday from 3.3 to 3.7!  I have to stay above 3.5, so I'm eating all the potassium rich foods I can and getting in my supplement every night.

My newest accomplishment this week:  I'm officially in a size 16!  That's down from a size 24.  Oofda, can't believe I was a 24.  *smacks head*  Glad that's in the past :-)

So I had a "skinny" moment the other night.  Chris and I went to a movie and I couldn't believe the amount of space in my seat!  I thought to myself, "Did they make these seats bigger?"  Of course they didn't, I'm just much smaller!  I reveled in the thought a few seconds with a grin across my face.  The simple things.  Now I have the itch to get on an airplane!

Now that I'm 3 months out, I'm sort of at a stage where all foods are pretty tolerable.  That being said, I must ensure I continue to make good food choices.  It's pretty amazing to me how many foods are out there that are good for you.  It's a matter of being a little creative and planning ahead.  Neither are always easy, but they are necessary.  Because my meals are only about a half a cup, it is somewhat easy to make a meal at home and have plenty of leftovers for lunch.  I just have to make sure I give myself some variety or I get bored.  So making a couple or a few meals on Sunday night provide great lunches for the week and Chris and Max love the variety as well!

Speaking of the hubby, he is doing great too!  He's down 40 lbs and counting, and is down another pant size.  Thank God, because the other pants were getting FAR too baggy, even with a belt.

Bedtime.  I'm fighting off a nasty cold that has a killer sore throat.  I leave you with this thought:

"A healthy attitude is contagious, but don't wait to catch it from others.  Be a carrier."  Tom Stoppard

12 Weeks

And what a LONG 12 weeks it's been!  Especially after kidney stones last weekend.  I have never felt pain like that in my life and hope to God I never have to again.  BUT, I look over what I've been through in the past 3 months and wouldn't think twice about doing it ALL over again to be where I'm at now.

3 Month Stats:
78.7 lbs lost
14 inches lost in my waist
11 inches lost in my hips
33.5 BMI  (started at 46.7!)

I am just flabbergasted by how healthy I have become and knowing I have gotten myself this far with the help of my new tool.  I LOVE my new tool!

Do I still enjoy eating?  Absolutely!  Who doesn't?   But food has become something I eat simply to survive and refuel, not something that my life revolves around. It's just a matter of appreciating the food that is healthy for you and realizing the food that isn't healthy for you isn't worth it.  It feels amazing to not be consumed by such a horrible addiction!

I have posted pictures below showing the change, but before I go, I must quote Benjamin Franklin on one of my favorite sayings, "One should eat to live, not live to eat."

Nectar Protein Powder

What a week it's been!  Max had a horrible flu virus that caused major exhaustion for Mommy and Daddy, but he seems to be on the mend!

The good news for me: I FINALLY found a protein powder I like!!!  I went into The Vitamin Shoppe and told the guy I have been trying to find a protein powder I like for 10 weeks.  I've tried so many different kinds and I am sick of looking!  Two of the employees directed me to Nectar - a brand that has SO MANY FLAVORS!!! The guy told me 1 in 10 people come back saying they don't like it - I liked the odds!  Just to be safe, I purchased a sample.  I went home, blended it up, took a sip, and OMG.  I was in Heaven.  The flavor:  Chocolate Truffle.  YUM.  It has 23 grams of protein for one scoop and I add it to 8 oz of milk, so I get a total of 31 grams of protein for one shake!  The next flavor to try is Double Stuffed Cookie (OREO!!!).  Can hardly wait!

So needless to say, I'm finally getting my 65-70 grams of protein in every day now!  Two shakes already give me 62 grams, but I usually can only drink about 3/4 of my shake and I'm full, so I am generally getting about 50 grams of protein from two shakes.  That allows me to get 15-20 grams of protein from food, which is perfect!  Some days I get even more than 70, so I can't complain!  Food is going GREAT and I'm still focused on protein.  Eggs and chicken are my faves right now.

As for exercise, I need to do more.  I've been doing some, but I need to get a schedule down.  I want to start the Couch to 5K program but need to get more strength in my muscles first.

Can't believe my 3 month checkup is less than 2 weeks away - Oct. 22nd.  They do all my measurements again, so I will find out how many inches I've dropped!  So excited.  Unofficially I have lost a total of 80 lbs, so seeing what I've dropped in inches will be interesting!

Until next time..."You will never change your life until you change something you do daily." -Mike Murdock

8 Weeks

Okay, so technically tomorrow I am 9 weeks post op but I figured I should put up my 8 week post op comparison photos.  It was really shocking for me to see these side by side because pictures are the only way I see the changes.

Food is going well!  Added in some cucumbers, which I love dipped in ranch dressing.  Also love peanut butter on toast or crackers.  Total loss at 8 weeks:  78 lbs! 

Short post today, but more updates soon!