First fill....

My first fill will be on Thursday morning. So far I have had very little restriction since my surgery. I did get a little stuck with some chicken the other night but I recognized the signs so I stopped eating before it got worse.

Things have been going okay since surgery. I find that I'm pretty tired these days. I have started on another stage of foods so I can eat almost anything as long as it's the right consistency. I'm glad because I was getting tired of eating just soft foods. I think this has a lot to do with my energy level as well. I haven't weighed myself so I don't know how I'm doing with weightloss up to this point but I'm not going to stress or obsess about it. My clothes are feeling a little bit looser so I'll take that as an indication that things are going in the right direction. I will know how I'm doing at my appointment on Thursday.

I start the 12 week exercise program on Tuesday. I was suppose to go this morning but due to all of the rain, my basement had about 6"s of water. I did make an effort to walk to walk every day last week. I made it three out of five days. Not too bad. Now that the weather is hopefully changing for good I am planning to walk every day. I just feel so much better when I'm able to get outside to enjoy the fresh air.

Well, I'm off to start dinner! Hope you are all healthy and happy!!

Warm regards,
Jenn

Before and After....

The picture on the left is one of the only pictures I have of myself pre-op. The picture on the right is a recent photo. I can't believe how much my life has changed in two and 1/2 years!! I still have many obstacles to face and challenges to overcome but I'm ready. Bring it on!!!!!!

Follow -up...

Yesterday was my follow up appointment with Dr. B. He said everything looks great and I can start incorporating some exercise. If you have read any of my previous posts you know that exercise has always been my weakness. This time,however, something is differant. I am so much more motivated to get out and move. I learned with my previous experiences that in order to really achieve the results I'm looking for, I need to exercise. My friends and I are going to take the Zumba class at the local Y. I took one class pre-surgery and had so much fun. It's a exercise dance class with latin pop-dance music. I like to think I have a little rythym but I was a little nervous that I would be able to keep up. It didn't matter, there were all differant skill levels. My friend Sandy and I kept going the opposite direction and bumping into each other, we had the best time. If you can go to a class, I strongly encourage you to do so.

So, back to my appointment. I will have my first fill in three weeks. I can't wait because I currently have very little restriction. This is going to be a bit of a test for me to see of the past few years have really helped me develop healthy eating habits. I have to be honest, I'm starving all of the time lately and I was really tempted to hit the drive thru at Mc. Donald's. What the heck is wrong with me??? This is why I am so happy that I decided to have another band put in. Without it I think I would be headed back to the distructive eating that caused me to weigh in the 270's!!! Three weeks can't get here soon enough!!!

One last thing before I go! I am going back to my teaching job on Monday. It's about a 15 minute walk from my house. I am going to challenge myself and walk to work every day next week. I am also going to park much further from my destination (such as the mall or supermarket) and walk the extra distance. Lastly, I will be taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I'm convinced that making these small changes will make a big difference. I challenge you to also make an effort to walk to your destinations when you can or park a little further away in the parking lot. I think you'll be amazed over time, at how much more energy you have and how great you feel!

Enjoy this beautiful weekend and get outside to enjoy the fresh air!

All my best,
Jenn

Feeling motivated, but....

So Im feeling pretty motivated these days and am looking forward to starting to incoporate some exercise into my routine. While walking at the Mall the other day I made my way over to Target and bought and IPOD touch. I did some research on line and they had the best deal. It was on sale for $185 and included a $15 gift card to Target. It was the best deal around!!

My title say feeling motivated, but.. Well here's the but, I haven't really had a bowel movement since returning home from the hospital last week. I'm not going to get graphic here but as you know I'm honest with what I experience and this is something I am dealing with. I am in a lot of discomfort and am bloated beyond belief. I tried taking stool softeners with very little success. UGH, this is very frustrating!!!! I did email Dr. B early this morning to find out if this was something normal after surgery or if I should be worried. I'm one of these people who have a very active imagination so you can imagine what I was thinking. Anyway, he emailed me back and said tht it was in fact normal to be constipated after surgery and gave my some suggestions. I have been following his recommendations and without getting into details, feel like relief is on its way!!!

Tomorrow is my follow up with Dr. B. I haven't been on the scale since before surgery and I'm not expecting any weightloss when I am weighed tomorrow. I'm perfectly fine with this as I know that this is normal. I have very realistic expectations this time around. I will also do the 12 week post-op program again at Heart and Wellness. I like the weekly weigh-ins and the accountablity. I also enjoy having the opportunity to meet new people.

I'll post an update after my post-op visit tomorrow.

Warm and healthy thoughts to you all,
Jenn