The journey goes on

Okay, it truly has been awhile since I posted. Was utterly amazed that this blog had 889 visitors with over 1400 page views. Wow, someone actually reads this?

January 2nd 2015, a brand new year. NOT making any resolutions, that much I can tell you.

So far I have lost 124 pounds = 56,24 KG or 8.85 stone.

What a journey. Not easy but oh so rewarding. I can now buy clothes on sale at Wal-Mart.

Let me explain, from a 5XL shirt down to a comfy 2XL. That also translates into 10 pant sizes difference. Humbling is not the word.

I get to fly all over this beautiful country and actually have extra seatbelt strap. NEVER have to humiliatingly have to ask for a seatbelt extender. Now that is empowering!

I still go to the gym, maybe I could go more...

I changed gyms and now go a 24 hour one that offers water aerobics at 5:30pm after work which works out perfect for me.

Still try to eat healthy and keep to small portions. Do not feel bad about throwing food away anymore. Stopped trying to haul everything left over to the freezer... Sick and tired of living off left-overs! Have a monthly purge of the freezer! And enjoy life!

My journey is not over yet, far from it. I can do with losing another 50 to 80 pounds. But the difference is now I know I will get there. and I am fine with it. It took 40 odd years putting it on and I am fine with loosing it over the next year!

If you are on a similar journey that me. You can do this!

Them There Are Some Floating Shorts...

Okay.... I guess I am loosing weight.. fast.

Last night at the gym I was walking my laps in the pool while a little old lady was doing her own thing to the one side. She was all demure and doing tiny little movements while staying put in the same place. I was doing my drowning hippo thing, creating quite some waves... which I only realized when I turned a corner and happened to see the little old lady bopping in the pool in my wake trying to stay afloat! "Quite a fast walk there" she spurted. I apologized profusely.

So I slowed down and tried to be a bit more considerate.

At the end of my mile, I got out of the pool and while climbing out via the stairs I suddenly realized that I didn't feel the waistband of my shorts around my hips anymore. Instead I felt something slipping down my behind... OH MY GOSH, it was my shorts! Nearly dislocated my shoulder as I grabbed a handful of shorts turning. In the same movement I saw the little old lady looking at me, full face on! I could not find words!

Red faced I was out of there so fast! Frantically dressing I tried to remember if there were cameras in the pool room... Sigh. THE SHAME! Now I am swimming shorts shopping.

Also did not make it back to the gym today... My healing is not complete yet!!

82 little (BIG) fat ones...

It has been a bit since I updated this blog...

I had my 4 month post-surgery check up today and it is official...

I have lost 82 pounds!

PRAISE THE LORD! After the clinic visit, I sat in my car and suddenly started shaking uncontrollably and emotion overwhelmed me. I realized that this is the happiest moment in 20 years for me. Not from external influences, but my deep inside, core happiness.

God is good to me.

That also put me slightly ahead of the curve, I still have 2 months to loose 18 pounds to reach my original 100 pounds in 6 months goal. Better start cracking.

Had some blood work done again, to see where my levels stand. Will be interesting to see where they stand after my increase in Iron, testosterone cream and twice weekly B-12 shots.

There is a zing in my step these days! (smile)

Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability

I have this new fear of weighing in... What if I did not loose anything. Irrational as it sounds like... lately I have been able to eat better and more stuff. As long as I eat slow and pace it out. I even have been able to do more spicy stuff!

See, I miss food! GOOD FOOD. Not quantity as such, but the explosion of taste every bite of good food brings. So I have went out on a limb and got me some Louisiana rub chicken wings! I have been able to eat 3 wings... A HUGE amount of food for me lately. AND, most importantly, it stayed down.

A friend sent me the video below as encouragement...

Brené Brown's extremely personal talk explores the uncomfortable feeling of vulnerability, and how those who dare to be vulnerable are generally happier and feel more deserving of love...

Great!

Now I have something else to overcome!

If you cannot see the video below, click HERE!

Oh man card...

Man card earned and then promptly returned... sigh. Was power washing my office building amid a manly rumble of the "machine", feeling sure my testosterone cream is doing its job, when the thingy pipe, leading from the thingy to the thingy came loose and I had no idea where it should go... 

I looked everywhere where it could possible wedge in or onto but nada. 

Sigh. 

Hey, but at least my side of the building is done!!

A Losing Game

Okay, I have been a bit lax in updating this blog and I apologize.

It has been a rough couple of weeks and after some tests, my ever efficient GP found out I am anemic and have low testosterone. I immediately looked on my Martha Stewart website what that meant! Haha, no, but now I am even more creams and pills. It is like having aged 40 years. My mornings and evening are now regimented by handful of pills.

I am drawing the line at having a pill sorter!

So, yesterday after swimming (flailing) in the pool a bit, I sat in the sun to dry off and absentmindedly started poking my flabby bits. I realized that they are flabbier than normal. Curiosity got the better of me and I weight myself.

Total down....

I am happy with that! Invigorated I sorted out my clothes and had a HUGE pile of now too big clothes. I spotted a nice suit jacket that I love but rarely wore as it was too tight and I could never button it. Yep, I can now button it and still have enough space to sneak a burrito in somewhere if so inclined! :-)

I think I am feeling happier. Definitely more energetic and more joyful!

Peace out!

Counting them cells...

So, after numerous complaints of tiredness, dizzy spells and lust general lack of oomph, my trusty guardian angel/healthcare provider had some blood-work done on me.

Good news is that my blood pressure is OK, cholesterol is fine, blood sugar is fine and I am not dehydrated. Bad news is that I am anemic. Still waiting for the testosterone results. Ha ha, finally I can say:

Being anemic, irony isn’t my strong point!

Anemia (/əˈniːmiə/; also spelled anaemia and anæmia; from Ancient Greek: ἀναιμία anaimia, meaning lack of blood, from ἀν- an-, "not" + αἷμα haima, "blood") is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin deficiency. Because hemoglobin normally carries oxygen from the lungs to the capillaries, anemia leads to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in organs. Since all human cells depend on oxygen for survival, varying degrees of anemia can have a wide range of clinical consequences. Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood.

So to fight it I am now on  a twice daily dose of iron tabs. Vitamin C aids in the body's ability to absorb iron, so taking oral iron supplements with orange juice is of benefit. Yay, I love orange juice! Have been staying away from it due to the sugar... at least I don't have to walk around licking anything iron!

I also went to weigh myself yesterday and turns out I read the scale wrong last time and now I am on 57 pounds lost. Oh well, at least I did not gain anything!