100 Pounds Down

On October 1st of last year I started my pre-surgery diet in preparation for a surgery that I hoped would turn my life around.  My gastric sleeve surgery was on October 19th.

Nine and a half months later, I have lost 100lbs.  I weigh 219lbs.

100 FREAKIN' POUNDS!

100 pounds of fat!

I have been giddy all day and am sure I drove my friends crazy with my constant, "Hey, I lost 100lbs!  Booyah!"

I am over the moon at hitting this milestone.  It has been a lot of hard work and I still have a long ways to go, but I am ready for it.  It has been about 14 years since I have been at this weight- about age 18 or 19 I think.

My days now around centered around exercising through walking and playing squash.  I get to the pool with the boys a few times a week too.  Whenever I walk, I fill up my backpack with a random assortment of stuff to add a few pounds to my workout.  According to my fitbit, I walk on average 8km a day.  I am eating between 900 and 1200 calories a day depending on my activity level that day.  My protein intake is still high at around 80grams a day and I can eat about 1 cup of food at a sitting (about 1/2 an hour) depending on the density.

Mentally I am doing much better than I was a few months ago.  I hit a rough spot around the six month marker where I was just tired.  Tired of all the work.  Anyone who thinks I have taken the easy way out needs to come and hang out with me for a day.  This is hard.  By taking away my ability to binge eat, I am having to work at resolving my issues with my drug of choice- food.  But I am improving bit by bit. 

I love how much stronger I feel.  I can walk at a pretty quick pace all the way up the hill to my house and not be winded.  At squash I am returning hits that I couldn't come close to just six months ago.  The boys really have to run to get away from the mommy-monster when we play chase.  I can lift heavy rubbermaids into the back of a vehicle easily.  This fall I will start back with my weight lifting and I am looking forward to becoming even stronger.

Where do I need to improve?
I am snacking in the evening and I need to keep a close eye on it so it doesn't get out of hand.
Wandering into the kitchen when I have no reason to be there- old behaviours die hard.
Just because my stomach can hold 1 cup of food does not mean I need to eat that much if I don't feel hunger at that time.
Keep the grazing down.  It is easy to pop food into your mouth when you are preparing meals or snacks for the kids.

The skin?  People ask me a lot if I am having issues with loose skin.  Yep.  The arms are turning into impressive bat wings.  The boobs are starting to look like a baby bottle liner sucked dry.  The stomach flap is hell.  And the thighs are just looking odd.  I will post a before and after picture of me wearing just a bra and panties, but not until I lose the entire 150lbs and have the guts enough to do it.  It will really show by then too.  But I just roll the boobies up, shove them in a bra, and then not really worry about the rest.  I will have skin surgery in a few years time.  But until then, I will try not to let it bother me too much.  The worst problem is the stomach flap bouncing when I play squash, so I am trying different under-clothing options.  So far no real luck!

So what is the next big goal?  To get under 200 pounds.  I am hoping to be there for November 1st. 

And the final goal?  To lose 150lbs total.  That would leave me at 170lbs.  From there I will decide where I want to go.  I see myself at that point by this time next year.

PICTURES!

All dressed up!  Complete with my sunburn.

Last August to today.

Day before surgery and today.

Day before surgery and today.  What a difference!

And how am I going to celebrate?

You have to wait until tomorrow to find out!