Holliday Challenge - Week of November 14th

1.  What do you feel you've done right this week towards moving closer to your goal?
       
          Followed Doc's orders, protein & water-met requirements M-F.  Relaxed some on Sat 
          and Sun.....I didn't push Protein or Water, ate out @ Burger  King with my husband..     
          ate about 1/4 of his Triple Cheese Burger....this is a real treat...I have occasionally,
                            ***************ATE ONE SINGLE SMALL FRENC FRY********************
          my husband got a real kick out of this!!     This is something that helps me along WLJ!

          Weight was 168.2 this am...funny how we get to counting the ozs...LOL.. when I get to
           168 and stay for 3 days....I'm going to update my ticker!!!   Then, will update on 1/2 #
           basis till I reach 160 by 1-1-2011



2.  Did you have any big challenges?  

        Fought alot of Head Hungries M-F in the afternoons/evenings.  Also, had disagreement
        with PCP and am now looking for new MD.....  this was really stressful & disappointing.

3.  Any big challenges ahead of you this week?

        Nothing in particular...

4.  How are you feeling about yourself?  Are you remembering to love yourself on the journey?

        Really Good!!!   I'm not so shocked about the image in the mirror...really being me!!
        Treating myself to a few inexpensive items...I've been wanting....

 You're doing great on your 160 pound goal.  Congratulations on doing so well.  I too weighed 168.2 this morning but when i see a new number, I round up or down.  So I changed my ticker to 168.  I like seeing the number and it encourages me.  :)

I'm so sorry you're having to look for a new PCP.  You're right, that can be stressful.

YAY on the shopping and feeling good about yourself.  :)

Hello all,
1.  What do you feel you've done right this week towards moving closer to your goal?
       Well I upped my water and I spoke with my doctor about issues I was having with keeping vitamins "down" and with dizzy spells. -- I also went to an extra WLS support meeting that was great. 

2.  Did you have any big challenges?  
       I had a few -- I had a big 3rd bday party at my house last night for my twins -- my 1st post op party.  Found I enjoyed actually cooking since I thought it was about EATING in the past  LOL.   Also some of my extended family didn't know about my surgery and I shared it with them last night.  I have been having alot of difficulty getting back on my work out schedule because of my weakness and dizziness.  Also, been some issues with my 3 preschoolers this week (all 3 have different special needs) and I had alot of interventions with specialists which is great but also VERY stressful.   Noticed how frequently my urge is to put something in my mouth after the visits but was able to not do that this week.   Lastly, I am coming off a very discouraging 11-12 day stall.  My calories and carbs were quite low so I cant figure out how I wasn't losing -- especially so recently sleeved.. but the scale budged again a little today! YAY! 

3.  Any big challenges ahead of you this week?
       One more bday party for the kids at school tomorrow, then the twins early intervention program ends so after having my mornings free this past year I will now be entertaining twin 3 yos all the time I am not at work.  I also go back to work on Friday after having been off since 10/15!  Most my coworkers dont know about my surgery.   

4.  How are you feeling about yourself?  Are you remembering to love yourself on the journey?
    I told myself each day when I would see the stall was still there that it isn't forever, that the 1st 11 days I had a HUGE loss and that I knew I was doing my best with protein and liquid.  I reminded myself that it is likely all the fluids balancing out.  I am working super hard on not letting my "stinking thinking" getting ahead of me... trying not to future trip or forecast "failure" because of a stall.  I am very proud of myself for following my plan and being assertive about my needs with my family.  I still do feel a bit discouraged about the stall.  I am also attempting not to fixate too much on my skin that is getting looser.  I am down 60 lbs in the last year but 3 yrs ago when I was pregnant with my twins my wt was about 110 higher... but hey --- at least my joint pain in WAY BETTER!!!!   :-)     Oh and I got some smaller pants and a few new sweaters and I feel kinda pretty in them!  That is COOL.

Have a great week guys!   Amy

 Amy, you are a phenomenal woman!  You have twin 3 yr olds and had WLS on top of that?  Holy moly.  I find that simply amazing.

I'm sorry you've had a rough patch with dizziness.  As far as vitamins, i'm just getting in a multi that I don't have to chew and I'll be 9 months out on Wednesday.  I still can't always keep them down and I'm only on my first week trial.  I keep chewy vites on hand.

Did you feel good talking to your family about your surgery?

Don't get discouraged about that stall.  We all go through them.  I generally lose only 2 weeks of the month.  The other two weeks, nothing....but I'm getting closer to goal.  You are doing terrific.  You're going to see that scale go down down down.


Your skin may be getting loose, but your health factor is increasing daily.  Everything will sort itself out.

Hang in there with all of the appointments and parties.  How is it going to be going back to work?  Be sure to come back and let us know how it's going please.

Awwww thanks Lee!   I actually have 5 kids b/g twins who will be 3 tomorrow, a 4 yo son  (sort of his own force of nature LOL), ya know Megan/18 and a 21 yo step dtr Jen who is 21 and lives with us 1/2 time.   The fact that I have 3 very busy little ones is probably the push I needed to get WLS.  I want to see them grow up and more than that I want to have fun with them growing up!!!  I was clearly on a road to NOT do that!  I had multiple comorbidities and was almost disabled before my wt loss.  WAY too young for that!!!

Are you coming to the mtg Wed night?  Should be interesting!   Thanks for the pep talk.... you are so inspiring and encouraging and I really appreciate how positive you are.  What a gift you are to us all!   BTW that ticker of yours is looking pretty exciting!  ((hugs))  Amy

Amy, I'll definitely see you tomorrow night.  I'm looking forward to hearing what the plastic surgeon has to say. 

Yes, I do know your gorgeous Megan.  She's such a doll and such a wonderful support person for you. 

See you tomorrow night!  :)

1.  What do you feel you've done right this week towards moving closer to your goal?
I've gotten back to sticking mainly with quality, high-protein foods, trying to get my water in, and remember my vitamins when I'm home.

2.  Did you have any big challenges? 
For a week after Halloween, there was tons of crap at work and I had a couple of pre-op-like days where I just lost all control.  :(  Also, I have not exercised in 12 days now.  At all.

3.  Any big challenges ahead of you this week?
Not so far LOL!  We'll see what the week brings.  The biggest challenge will be making myself get up, put on running clothes, go down to the freezing cold basement, and run on the treadmill.

4.  How are you feeling about yourself?  Are you remembering to love yourself on the journey?
Now that I'm back on track, I'm feeling pretty good.  I'd like to say that I've lost 4.5 lbs. over the last week, but at least 2 lbs. of that had to have been water weight because of all the sugar I'd had, but at least two of it was actual weight loss, so I'll say that's what I lost last week -- 2 lbs.  I'll take it!  

Stacey, I would count every darn ounce that came off your body last week!  You're getting closer to your holiday goal and doing a great job. 

Is the junk all gone at work?  I know how tough it is to walk away from it.  Here's the thing, Thanksgiving is coming and it has it's own set of  weight loss blocks.  Have you thought about how you are going to manage that?  Do you have a plan?

Oh golly, I hear ya on that challenge to get the exercise clothes on and step it up.  Think of it as insurance in the bank for Thanksgiving.  Opps, maybe you're from Canada and it's already passed?  I'll have to check out your profile.  

Why wait, always feel good about yourself.  If you don't, who will?

I think you're doing great Stacey.

Oh but see, I'd actually put ON 2.5 lbs. of (probably) water weight after getting in to that sugar LOL... so that's why I only counted 2 "real" pounds. 

For Thanksgiving, generally that's a one-day thing, done and gone, and I'll focus on protein but still have a bite or two of my favorites (can't keep THIS girl out of those sweet potatoes! ), and any leftovers that come home (that I should stay out of), I'll let my son and hubby polish off.  

From Thanksgiving to Christmas will be the big challenge...I work in an office where we see patients 3x a week during 13-hour days, so they know us well, we know them well, and they bring us a LOT of Really. Bad. Stuff.  Chocolate, homemade candy, cookies, fudge, baklava--you name it, if some store's selling it, some patient is bringing it LOL.  I have to remind myself that the "just one" or "just a bite" thing doesn't work with me, when I have to be around it for hours and there's and endless supply, because it turns into "just one bite" alright -- every time I walk through the back room!!  I plan on doing what worked well earlier out, which is, if there's something I really, REALLY want to taste, to tell myself I can have a bite on the way out of the building at night, and then half the time I'll forget to do that anyway.  

Having this very specific goal in mind will help tremendously though -- I've also found that setting important but realistic goals really pushes me to see them through, so thanks for starting this challenge!  

Stacy -- Just wanted to say I hear ya on the garbage pts give us.  I am a hospice RN and families kindly send us huge boxes of candy, cakes, bagels whatever to thank us for our care... then they just sit out on a table for everyone to "share" --- I can't avoid walking by because our office is small.  Then 4 hours of my shift I am mostly alone in building with all the dang candy and cookies when I am the only nurse on call in evening... so my plan is to have things that I enjoy that are good for me in my desk.  I LOVE my protein hot chocolate so I will have what I need to make that with me and also naybe put a cpl of the sugar free puddings and some string cheese in the fridge so I am "stocked" with alternatives when I need to work late and there is JUNK sitting out.    I think we just need to have a plan!!!    I also have been asking myself the old weigh****cher's question   "Do I want to trade what I want most for what I want in the moment?"   Sometimes taking it out to the final outcome --- How will I feel about myself, my wt loss, my relationship with food, my self control if I go off my plan?     Hang in there --- we can do this!!!   Amy