What do discipline, determination, and drive look like to you?
The photos below represent three things: discipline, determination, and drive.
Three of the most important things I’ve done for myself: graduated high school, then finished a bachelor’s degree, then got a Masters degree. Next up: getting a PhD. Then my tassel collection will be complete!
Beginning the first week of 2013, I saved a dollar each week, increasing the dollar amount by the week it was. So the second week I saved $2, and so on, until I got to $52 this week. I took it to the bank today, deposited it, and had saved nearly $1400 which I have used to buy new clothes and shoes.
On the left is me in June 2013. On the right is me last week, 135 pounds lighter.
If there is anything you need to be successful at any weight loss journey, it’s discipline, determination, and drive. I definitely have all three of those in varying quantities. I won’t lie, there are days when I have more discipline than determination or drive. There are definitely days when I have more determination than discipline or drive. This path is not an easy one to forge, and anyone who tells you otherwise clearly has never had to do anything that required great quantities of the above qualities.
My discipline helps me stay accountable and honest with myself about what I’m eating, how much I’m eating, and how much I’m moving. My determination and drive are helping me to stay focused on the ultimate goals of improved health and increased ability to run and play sports. As I go into the second six months of this first unbelievable year with my sleeve, I can’t let any of those three things waver, ever. When I get to goal, it’s going to be even more important that I have discipline, determination, and drive–discipline so that I stay on a healthy eating and exercise plan; determination so that I don’t backslide and end up weighing over 400 pounds again, and drive so that I stay motivated to maintain the good health I hope to enjoy once I reach my goal.
Today’s eating was pretty okay. I got in 81 grams of protein, and kept fat and carbs to 35 and 33 grams, respectively. My carbs came from veggies and beans today. I LOVE ME SOME PLANTS AND FIBER, MKAY? Why? Because they keep me from having to take Miralax or some other laxative like so many other sleeve patients do every day. Not gonna lie, I’m proud of the fact that I don’t have to take laxatives to have regular BMs…I definitely poo on the regular thanks to the fact that I eat veggies and I drink water like Earth is going to run out of it. I was reading a response to someone’s question about salad and whether or not they could eat it, and someone actually replied by saying that salad wasn’t really all that good for you. Umm…okay…so salad greens are not good for you? Pretty sure that Garth Davis (a renowned bariatric surgeon and vegan) would disagree. Good thing I don’t take nutritional advice from the forum! The bad thing is that so many folks who post/read there don’t have access to support groups or a dietician to help them navigate post-op life, so they take what people write about nutrition as gospel truth, which I find unfortunate. All I’m going to say is three words: grain of salt.
And that’s all I have to say about that. Here’s the food.
Today’s food choices, from upper right: multivitamin and calcium supplements x2, iron supplement; citrus herb roasted chicken and pan sauce; Rudy’s smoked turkey and ham, pinto beans; mixed green salad with cheese and croutons; filet mignon Oscar and mixed veggies.
La Guerra de La Gorda 