Tag Archives: werk!

So Much More Than a Winter Coat

This happened today:

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Last week, I’d put out a call to my peeps online asking where to buy a winter coat.  I knew that I would need one, as the two winter coats I currently have in my possession are 4 and 6 sizes too big for me, respectively.  My requirements for a winter coat were that it had to have a hood, a zip out liner, be long enough to cover my butt, and be water repellent if possible (this was not an absolute necessity).

So today we had gone to the mall so that I could drop off my recyclables at Kiehl’s (and pick up some more body butter; theirs is awesome).  At this particular mall, it is easiest to go through Nordstrom to get to the Kiehl’s, so we did.  I stopped to browse in the women’s section because I just wanted to look around.  I picked out a couple of long-sleeved blouses to try on, which fit and looked great so I decided to get them since it was triple points day (!!!!).  Then I saw The Coat.

I was not expecting to buy a coat today.  I wasn’t expecting this one to fit.  It was a misses size large, and I’ve been wearing extra large in my shirts and sweaters because that is what fits.  I looked through all the coats on the rack and no extra large was to be found, so I was a bit disappointed.  I kept looking at the coat thinking the shoulders would not be wide enough for me.

My husband, ever helpful and optimistic, said, “Try it on.”

I said, “I don’t think the shoulders will fit.”

He nudged gently and said, “Just try it.”

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Post-Op Week 62 Progress Report: Swimming Without Floaties

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Completely surprised by this week’s progress.  I don’t know what could have been the cause, because there were so many things I was changing at once (bad scientist, changing more than one variable at a time!).  Whatever the reason, I hope this means I’m finally off the plateau I seem to have been on for the past 3 months.

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Post-Op Week 61 Progress Report: Haters Gonna Hate

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This week can suck it.  If ever there has been a time during this whole weight loss process that I have felt like my wheels are spinning, it’s now.  Continue reading

Achievement Unlocked: Sitting in an Airplane Seat

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Achievement unlocked:  fitting into an airplane seat and not needing a seatbelt extender. 

This is a big deal.

The last time I flew on a plane (American Airlines from SEA to DFW, BTW), I had to buy an extra seat, use a seatbelt extender, AND the seatbelt extender was just barely long enough to buckle me in.  It made for a very, very uncomfortable flight in more ways than one.  It was pretty much the worst travel experience of my whole life, which I’ll write about another time.

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An Early #transformationtuesday: First Day of School Edition

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Today was the first day of school around these parts.  So naturally I dressed up–I find that I do that a hell of a lot more these days, but even more so for work than I ever did before.

The photo above is the difference a year makes.  On the left is my first day of school outfit from last year.  On the right is what I wore today, five sizes smaller.

I’m hopeful that as I begin this second year of life with my sleeve that each meal and each workout gets me closer to my goal.

It also dawned on me that my students will never know the me from the left photo.  They won’t see the gradual change in my appearance that my last year’s bunch got to see.  I’m hoping that with the addition of new workouts, they see a refinement of what I’ve gotten myself down to.

This is my New Year, and it’s on, bitches.  I will get to my goal.

Post-Op Week 59 Progress Report: Back to School Edition

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Not surprised by this week’s gain for a couple of reasons.  One, I am retaining water (thanks, nature, you suck); two, I rested from gym workouts this week.  I was so sore from the leg workout I did last Saturday that I was in pain for most of the week, so I decided to give my body a break.  I literally could not move for the first 3 days post-workout without yelping in pain.  What was the source of this pain, you ask?  Squats up against the wall with a balance ball.  Because the leg press machine at my gym is hard on my back (it pushes very, very uncomfortably on the small of my back), I have resorted to doing balance ball squats instead to work my quads.  It’s a better workout anyway, since I’m basically leg pressing my body weight with every repetition, and this is heavier than any plates I could put on the leg press machine and move anyway.

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Post-Op Week 58 Progress Report: Back to Work, or Why I Keep Busy

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Really pleased with this week’s progress.  I am hopeful this will continue, given that I head back to school this week and won’t be around my fridge all day.  As someone who eats out of boredom, this is a big deal.  It’s also one of the main reasons I’ve kept myself so busy this summer–if I am not constantly occupied, I will eat because it’s something to do. 

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Random: Who Are You and Bariatric Snacks

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  • Giant workout shirt:  check
  • Compression capris:  check
  • Ponytail pulled through a ballcap:  check
  • iPod loaded with curated workout playlists:  check
  • Knee brace, the fitness accessory all active middle-aged women are sporting this season:  check
  • Fitness monitoring gadgets (Fitbit and HRM):  check
  • Liter bottle of water, to be downed during 70 minute workout:  check
  • Inner turmoil and confusion about who this woman is, because it doesn’t look like me:  check

I swear, looking at this picture of me, I really don’t look like me.  I look at it and I can’t believe that I inhabit the body in the photo above.  I’m trying hard to get acquainted with the woman whose body I have come to inhabit, and it’s tough.  I have enjoyed getting to dress her, but getting to know her…that’s a totally different proposition altogether and a tougher task.

On an unrelated note…

There is a lady in the weekly weight loss support group I attend that complains about how she’s always hungry.  So she tells us she goes to the kitchen and gets a “bariatric snack.”  When pressed to describe what the “bariatric snack” is, she tells us it’s a bag of chips that are marketed as some sort of snack food appropriate for WLS patients.

Now here you see 3 ounces of roasted boneless skinless chicken breast.  THIS is a “bariatric snack,” not a damn bag of artificially created protein chips.  When you eat real food, you stay satisfied longer, and hey.. this only has one ingredient: chicken.

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A REAL bariatric snack: roast chicken.

 

 

Post-Op Week 56 Progress Report: Aiming at New Targets

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Just like it is every month around this time…here’s the step back in this cha-cha of weight loss.  My ankles were puffy this morning despite being in bed for nearly 9 hours and downing over a gallon of fluid yesterday.  I’m not going to sweat it but that doesn’t make this any less frustrating.

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One Year Follow Ups

I had a one-year follow up with my primary care doc on Tuesday, which turned out to be fabulous.  My labs came back beautifully:

cholesterolratiosMy fasting blood glucose was 81 and my a1c?  Completely normal.  Liver enzymes were back down to normal levels after having been high the first two months of this year.  My iron levels are great, and all my electrolytes are normal.  Blood pressure is fantastic and better yet–my doctor used a REGULAR SIZE CUFF to take it!  No extra large cuff this time!  She was thrilled that my health was vastly improved, and we started talking about mammograms and all that jazz…yep, it’s time for me to start doing those on the regular as now I am a lady of a certain age.  Since my gyno isn’t practicing any more, I got a recommendation for a new one (who ONLY does gynecology, no obstetrics–thank goodness) who I will be calling to see in the fall once school starts.  I have to figure out if she is on our new insurance that goes into effect September 1.  UGH INSURANCE.

That was the first doctor’s appointment of the week.  Today’s appointment was the bigger deal since it was with my surgeon, who I had not seen since last August when my husband had surgery with him.

I went in prepared.  Like any other ‘A’ student, I had a list of questions to ask.

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