PICTURE UPDATE!: A year and one month post-surgery

Recently nursing school has kept me away from anything fun. :/

But don't worry, it's only a year!

I'm not sure if I'm trying to reassure you or me..  Either way, it will be okay :)

In the meantime... October 17th was my one year Band-iversary and I am 90 pounds down from where I started.  YAY!  That number on the scale isn't moving a whole lot, but my sizes are!  I am now fitting into Mediums on top and Larges on bottom.  When I started this journey a year ago I was wearing 3XLs.

I am slowly coming to terms with the concept that muscle weighs more than fat and that even though the number on the scale hasn't moved a whole lot, that there is still a difference in my body re-shaping.

And now for an updated pic......

 While I don't see a huge difference between this pic and my last pic in the face forward shot, I DO notice a huge difference in the side view.  Check out my HLA (Hot Latina Ass)!!

THANK YOU SQUATS!! :)

So I cheated a little and had this pic taken before the holidays began....  But don't worry, tomorrow I go back to basics and cut out a lot of "extra" crap I've been eating..  At least I'm going to try my best to.  Even before the holiday I have been struggling with stress eating related to nursing school manifested by the junk food I am eating..  (a little nursing humor)

Even though I am far from perfect with my eating and exercise habits, I can honestly look back a year ago and say that I am in a much better place with it all.

Until next time..

Hi Stranger

I haven't posted in a long time because life has been kinda crazy.  Lot's of traveling and working out and staying pretty busy which are all good things.  But I figured it was time for an update so here I go...

I'm down 80 pounds and I'm about 10 months post op. YAYYYYY! :)

The past couple of months the scale has been slowing down which was making me nervous, but then I started focusing on how all my clothing was super big on me!  My doctor confirmed this and told me not to focus so much on the scale anymore because I'm working out 6 days a week like a crazy woman.  Muscle weighs more than fat so it makes sense that the scale has slowed down while I'm still dropping sizes like crazy.  I am down to an 18 on bottoms (when I started this journey I was wearing a 24 that was SUPER tight) and, get this, I am a LARGE on top and sometimes a MEDIUM!!! 

I never thought I would get here, yet here I am.  I mean, I've still got some more to lose but looking back, I've already come so far.  I'm seriously proud of myself.  For real.  I don't remember the last time I could honestly say that I was proud of myself. 

So not only have I been buying smaller clothing, but I dyed my hair red and have been changing up my style a little bit as I settle into The Skinny Bitch.  Feeling really good!! :)

Moving on..... I started  nursing school and the online portion was a breeze.  The in-class portion starts on September 10th.  As of that date, my schedule will be changing completely.  For a while this was stressing me out and making me so nervous because I feel like I've gotten into a routine and a flow with my workout schedule.  What if this causes me to work out less?  Or even worse, completely STOP working out altogether?! 

I had a 'come-to-Jesus' meeting with myself and realized that in the past I would have never been anxious about this.  I would have just dealt with the change of schedule on September 10th, not a moment before, and been like "I'm too tired to work out" or "They don't have any group exercise classes that are convenient for me" and just defeat myself into a corner that would consist of me not working out anymore, then beating myself up for it, and then turning to a bag of Oreos for comfort. 

But instead, here I was, a few months before my schedule change, and I'm stressing out about my next move.  When I realized this, I knew, that all I needed to do was put a plan in place before school started, and I would follow it. 

So that's what I've done.  I've been investigating new classes at different times that would work with my upcoming new schedule.  I've figured out several options that would work well for me, and now I have a plan. 

The same actually goes for my eating habits.  I was stressing out about how they might change once school starts.  I've relied heavily on protein shakes made in the blender at home with frozen fruit and milk and protein powder.  This was not going to work once school starts, so at the same time I was putting my new workout plan together, I started re-learning how to eat.  I now have a food plan as well and I am very much looking forward to the change in schedule.

So, I keep getting requests for another updated photo.  Here is my dilemma, I was using the poundage to tell me when I should take photos.  Every 30 pounds or so is when I would take photos.  But now, since the scale has slowed down, I almost feel like it's way too soon for another photo, I still have 10 more pounds to go to make the next 30.  But I will try and get one soon and I probably won't wait for the next 10 pounds to come off before I take one.  I don't want to keep you in suspense for too long... :)

'Til next time..

Another Photo Update!

Wow.  That is all.

Happy Six Month Bandiversary To Me!

Down a total of 65 pounds in 6 months.  I’m a freakin’ rock star!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted because I’ve been busy working out almost every day like a mad woman!

Say Whaaaaat?!

I know! I know!  Not like me at all!  6 days a week and working on adding a 7th day.  My membership to the YMCA has helped IMMENSELY.  I love having the support and variety of classes and close convenient access to it all.  All of that has really contributed to making me WANT to work out. 

Who am I and what have I done with the old me!?! 

I don’t really care because I kinda don’t want her back.  I’m really digging the new me…
I feel the best I have in a long time, not just because of the weight loss, although I’m sure that helps significantly!  My energy is up, my mood is up, my confidence is up, I think I’m funnier, too! LOL

As successful as I have been so far, I’m not perfect. 

I still don’t take my multivitamins like I’m supposed to every day..  and because of this I’ve been sick 3 times in the past 6 months.  Way above average!!  I’m working on this.. I need to find a tiny pill I can swallow because chewables are just not working for me…
Surgery also doesn’t fix the emotional eating problem I have.  Therapy helps, and all the positive changes I’m making in my life help, but when I’m stressed or upset, I still want nothing more then to bite into a giant sugary, fatty, high caloric-y, cakey, buttery, really sugary goodness of SOMETHING.  BUT, I am very happy to report that even tho I give into my cravings sometimes still, because of my surgery, I cannot  eat nearly as much as I would normally binge on before surgery.  So, for example, what may pre-surgery have been 6 cupcakes, has post surgery, turned into just one cupcake.  So that’s a good thing!  

I also have been obsessively weighing myself every day.  Not good!  Everyone says it’s not good and I have always replied with, “I need to weigh myself every day to keep myself accountable”

BULL.  SHIT.

It drove me crazy last month.  I was so focused on that number that I thought I hadn’t lost a single pound.  I was so upset about it and when I saw the surgeon last week, I had actually lost 13 pounds in that month!  I haven’t weighed myself since.  Partially because I’m in Fort Myers visiting family and don’t have a scale here…. lol But still, I’m going to try and at least keep it to once a week.
Sooo…  I guess to sum it up- Things are going well   I have lost 35 pounds since my last before and after picture post so I will be taking another picture too!  And be on the lookout for my new cute bathing suit that I’ll wear in the photo because the bathing suit I was wearing in the first two photos is now wayyyyy too big

‘Till Next Time..

Holidays Were A Success.. But Now I'm Sick

I say this because I was able to splurge on tasty holiday dishes and still lose weight…  I think that’s a success in my book!  I think this is the first time I have ever lost weight over the holidays.

I went to Jersey from Christmas and New Years and had a blast!  Got to eat yummy Cuban food and a few Jersey classics.  Got to spend some time with family and friends.. It was great!

This past Friday I did my first Disney 5k and I kept an average 17 minute per mile pace.  YAY ME!  I did this walking the whole time.  I’m hoping to start a walk to run program soon.  I was also at Disney Saturday and Sunday supporting my hubby while he ran the 1/2 marathon and full marathon.  (I almost forgot to mention that he also walked the 5k with me, coaching me, supporting me, getting me water, and making sure I was ok- Best. Hubby. Ever.)

And now… for the sick part.  I woke up with a sore throat on Monday.. which turned into sore throat and coughing on Tuesday with a fever of 100.  Today I still feel like poop but I don’t have a fever so that’s good.

Since I have the lap band, My surgeon prefers that I get medicine in liquid form or injection whenever possible.  So….I’ve got Phenergan in liquid form for the cough, and I’m taking Tylenol in liquid form.  I guess it’s better then an injection!

Oh yeah, and I’m down about 10 more pounds since last post about a month ago.

Go Me!