Six Month Post-op Pictures

It's official, I made it to the 6 month mark.  Yesterday, was the last day of my 6 months.  I have lost 106.2 lbs since 1/08/15.  78.3 lbs have been post-op since my gastric bypass surgery on 5/27/15.

Food-wise this means I can eat anything that is low sugar and low fat.  The biggest additions to my food choices include seeds, popcorn, corn, and nuts.   I've never eaten a lot of any of those, except for corn when I was a kid, so really what I eat will not be changing much.

Mentally, I am still beating myself up over how I look, how I am losing so slowly, and how far I have to go.  When I look in the mirror, I still see the same fat person.  I am waiting for the day when I see my reflection in something and don't recognize myself.  Perhaps that day will never come at the rate I'm going.  (See, the negativity never stops)  One mental bright spot, I haven't had a panic attack since last winter.  They would occur when I was feeling very confined.  Usually in the car, since with my large self, plus clothing, the seat belt holding me, and the steering wheel right touching me, I felt like there was no where to go.  I had to pull off the road more than once and just get some air before I could drive on.  In winter, wearing layers, plus a coat, it happened more than once when I was a passenger.

If I don't think about how I look, I know I do feel better physically.  I can do more and do other things like standing for longer without pain.  My back pain only occurs once in a while.  I fit in a booth now!  A once dreaded experience still makes me a little anxious, but now there is relief every time I've tried.  That has been all of two times, but still.  The steering wheel in my car no longer touches my belly when I'm driving.  In fact, there is quite a bit of distance there.  I can fold a leg up under my other leg when I sit in my favorite recliner.  And sadly, I have no boobs.  I think that this was the first thing I noticed in the pictures below.  But I can see other changes, lots of them, with the pictures side by side.  Just wish I could see them when I look in the mirror.

Photos have been "blurred" by paint.net, no other picture editing has been done.

Sick Jeans

So you know how I was totally sick before, like two weeks ago?

I am again.  It started on Friday, and is still going, although I believe I have taken a turn for the better.  It has totally wrecked my workout plans this month.  I had started going to the Y regularly, and both times I got sick.  I would wonder if I wasn't catching it at the Y except I've been around sick people at home and work.  It's ridiculous.

In better news, I officially am wearing a pair of size 28 jeans right now.  And they are not stretch jeans, oh no, they are Lee jeans with a tapers leg so they are close fitting at the ankle.  I usually prefer a straight leg or boot cut, but I can't pass up free jeans.  I found them at the garage sale my family was putting on this past Fall and snagged them up with the thought that I would fit into them someday soon.  Soon is now!

I did buy a pair of Venezia 28 stretch jeans at Savers sometime in early October, but I should have tried those on.  Whoever wore them before me had them all stretched out and they were baggier on me than the size 30s I was wearing when I bought the 28s.  I really couldn't count those as a victory since they didn't fit right.  But these Lee 28s are a victory!  Yay me!

Feeling Ill

I've been sick since last Tuesday evening.  That is when the sniffles began anyway.  I didn't actually feel ill until Wednesday evening.  Of course, we were supposed to go to a painting class that evening and I pooped out on it.  I am disappointed in that because it was my birthday week the class would have been free for me.  It was going to be a Christmas tree.

It's been getting worse ever since.  Coughing, swollen lymph nodes, green snot, headache, etc.  I coughed so hard while trying to sleep last night that I had a pain in my chest.  It scared me, but didn't repeat, so I am going to pretend it didn't happen.

I've spent almost every day in front of the TV, two nights ago I began sleeping upright in a recliner in the living room.  Laying down causes too much coughing now.  As a result, my bottom has begun to hurt.  I don't know what to do for that.  I can only sit or stand without constantly coughing.

Today started with a pretty good headache.  Since surgery, I can only take Tylenol, no NSAIDS, and it is just not as effective.  For the coughing, Nyquil PM Capsules seem to be helping somewhat.

In any case, I am just feeling pretty miserable and lazy.  The only bright spot is that today my lymph nodes aren't nearly as tender, so hopefully that means this thing will start turning around soon.  No plans for the week until I work Wednesday night, so hopefully I will be feeling a bit better by then.

Milestone

What a glorious way to start November!

I have officially lost 100 lbs!  On January 4th, I started at 361 lbs with my first pre-op visit to the Nutritionist.  I began the pre-op diet at that time.  I had surgery on May 27th at 333 lbs.  Today, November 2nd, my first weigh-in for November, I am at 260.1 lbs!

Almost Six Months

At the beginning of October, in a post, I said that my six months was the end of October and I would post six month pictures.  I was kind of right, but mostly wrong.  Oct 28th started my sixth month, but it is not actually over until 11/24/15.  The week of Thanksgiving!  So I am sorry, but pictures will not be coming until the end of November.  I got ahead of myself.  I am getting antsy for pictures myself to tell you the truth.  I can't wait to put my side by side together!    It is the only time I can really tell the difference in how I look.

November is an eventful month for me.  My birthday, one of my sister's birthday, Thanksgiving, brother-in-law's birthday, going on vacation, a milestone or two in my weight loss journey.  But more about that tomorrow.