Another lesson learned and a new NSV!

So earlier I posted about having regained 13 llbs.  I did well in losing 7 of those llbs and found I was quite happy there at 10st 10llbs. I kept at that weight for quite some time... or so I thought!  Every single day my digital scales said the same thing 10 10... I was happy that I had found my weight.  I was able to eat healthily but not to worry too much about recording and weighing my food, I was managing my weight just fine! Then it struck me, can I really be the same weight every day! surely there would be some fluctuation and my clothes are a little tight! So I asked my husband to step on the scales, wouldnt you know it... 10 10!!! nooooooo!!! my scales were broken! stuck on 10 10.  I could not bare the thought of how much I could have regained so it took a little while to pluck up the courage to go out and get a new set of scales.  When I did, to my horror I was 11st 6llbs, a regain of 10llbs! I felt absolutley disgusted with myself.  How could I let this happen again.  I have gone back to recording everything in my fitness pal, monitoring my cals carbs and protein and with exercise netting no more than 1200 calories per day.  I have lost 9llbs, one more to goal but 3 more would be good to have some kind of leighway.  So what have I learned this time, on my second regain.  I have learned that my weight needs constant monitoring, and that I have the control over it.  If I could only turn back time 10 years and look at my weight on the scales and think, I am not having this I will lose it! then maybe I would never have got myself in this position in the first place.  I realise that I will never have the kind of body that will be able to eat what I want, I will always have to watch what I eat and how much exercise I do.  But what I do know now more than ever is that I can.  It just takes a little will power.

NEW NSV 

About 4 years ago I was in a queue in a shop with my niece who tried to give me a cuddle.  She then quite loudly said, 'Auntie, you are so fat, I cant get my arms around you'  I was so so embarrassed and hurt.  But what she said was true, there was no avoiding this.  That day I spent with my niece was an eye opener.  We walked to the shops and back and then sat in the garden at my brothers house.  I was too tired to play any games with her.  I so longed to be able to run around with her.  Well a couple of weeks ago we went for a weekend away to Torquay and we found a hill which together we run up and together we rolled down, over and over again.  It was so much fun, I had so much energy and we laughed so much.  I loved being able to play with her, especially when I think that if this journey had not happend for me I would have more than likely been in a wheelchair by now.  I love been healthy and full of energy and I will see my beautiful little niece turn into a beautiful lady.

 

PLEASE - NO ADVERTS!!!

The comments on this page are viewed by me before being published.  This blog is here purley to help people who are having or are thinking of having this kind of surgery.  The only surgeon I can personally recommend is the surgeon that did my sleeve.  I am sorry your posts are not appearing but I will not advertise for other surgeons as I do not want to seem to recommend.  People can read my experience and take it how they wish but they will have to do thier own research into the actual surgeon they choose.

The dangers of complacency

Well I guess I was taken over by complacency.... I stopped following the plan, slowed to a stand still on exercise.  And Guess what! I put on weight! I put on 13llbs... I now know more than ever that to stay maintaining this is a life long plan of the right food choices and regular exercise.  It only took around 6 weeks to put on the weight and so far having been back on track and back at the gym I have only lost 5 of those! I will lose the other 8llbs but it is so much harder than it ever was. I have had to stop and take a look back at all I achieved and how I did it to remind myself what I came from and what I became.  I will never allow myself to go back there.  I will never ever think again, oh its only a llb.  Those 'only a llbs' add up! I have made a slide show of my journey so that every time I feel like making the wrong food choice or not going to the gym I can look at this and inspire myself. I am the only one who can do this for me! I am in control! I will do this!

A Bit of a RANT..EASY WAY OUT... MY A***

For those who have said it or thought it.... Gastric Sleeve Surgery is not by any means the EASY WAY OUT!!!!

I really am getting tired of people saying it directly or indirectly by saying something... 'im doing it the hard way'.... let me explain a little....

In the first few months, you cant eat much, you have to learn to eat all over again and it takes a while for your body to be able to tolerate certain foods agian, so yes, initialy the weight drops off, but please bare in mind, you have just undergone major surgery, your hormones are all over the place, you are in discomfort and pain and your body is not happy at the adjustment.  So whilst losing the first few stone is easy the rest of the stuff that has come along with surgery is not.  From there you begin to stall, you have to work hard to continue losing weight.  the sleeve may have made your stomach smaller but thats is all it has done.  You now have to make the right food choices and burn off the excess calories.  You may not be able to eat much at once but you can eat all day and you can eat high caloried foods.  If I want a burger it may take me over an hour but I can eat it!!! If I want icecream... no problem... it goes right through, I can eat as much icecream as you like!  I have spoken to many people who have had this surgery and have stopped losing after losing the initial few stone, because they did not change the food they ate, just thought they could eat less and lose weight.  We have to work with the sleeve... it does not work by itself.  Blowing my own trumpet here... but I have done well, I have passed goal weight, passed the weight the doctors expected.  But this has by no means been easy!!!!!! I am a nice size 10 - 12 (uk) and I am happy with my size.  I have to work hard to stay here.  Only a couple of weeks ago I put on 6llb in one week!!! The difference is I noted this and spent the next couple of weeks working hard like anyone on any kind of diet would to lose this.  I am on a lifetime lifestyle change, My head was not operated on... I will like most people make wrong choices and put weight on but I will never let myself go back to the way I was before, its just as hard as anyone without the surgery. RANT OVER!!!!

2 Years into the rest of my life....

Well Its been a little over 2 years now since I had my op.  I have stablized at 10st 4llbs (a little fluctuation depending on time of the month!) I have gone from a size 28 uk to a size 10 uk.  I could not be happier with the changes the healthier lifestyle and lack of excess weight I have.  I can do so much more, I feel so much better than before but there are some results I am not so happy with.   I have a lot of excess skin, I could go for surgery to remove it but have decided that I dont like going through surgery so it should be out of nessesity and not vanity so I will live with it.  It has got better and I suppose given time it will get a lot better.  After having my gall bladder removed I found I could eat fatty food again! not a good idea, I have quickly had to learn to put that one to bed! fat means extra llbs.... dont want to go there!!! I now think I have an incisional hernia, I am going for a scan tomorrow and expect I will have to have more surgery which I am dreading.  I just dont like going under, I am so scared that something will go wrong! you would think I would be an expert by now!!!! Still whats a little operation in comparrison to where I would have been right now if I had not done this.  The doctors told me that within 2 years I would be in a wheelchair if I did not lose weight and here I am... I can run in heals!!!!! no more special shoes!!!!! yey!!! I celebrated my 2 year sleevaversay by Kayaking down the Solent, it was amazing, I would never have fitted in one before and was so pleased to be fit enough to do it aswell, did not realise how much hard work it was going to be! LOL.  So all in all in spite of the issues I could not be happier, I made the best decision of my life having the sleeve and would encourage anyone in the same position to make the same choice.  I have not only a longer life ahead of me but I actually have a LIFE!  Thank you to all those who have shared my journey with me and to the amazing people I have met along the way and still meet through support groups.  There are some great stories out there, some fantastic people and I am lucky to be part of thier lifes and journeys too.

GOODBYE GALL BLADDER

Earlier in my blog I mentioned I had been diagnosed with gall stones. Well I could not cope with the pain of gall stone attacks any longer and have finally had surgery.  Although the pain from surgery is no where near the pain from an actual gall stone attack its still been a very hard week.  You dont realise just how much you use your stomach muscles until they have been cut!  Still not much longer to go and I should be pain free!!!

Current weight 144llbs
Current BMI 24

Been this weight for a few months now and although a little fluctuation of 4-5lbs per month I am to the most maintaining.  Just need to concentrate on not gaining any back now!

I AM OFFICIALLY NO LONGER OVERWEIGHT!!!!

Great News!!!!

As of this morning I am no longer overweight!!!

Start weight 20st5llb (285llbs) NOW 10st9llbs (149llbs)
Start BMI 48 NOW 24.8

I am so happy, I love my SLEEVE!!!!

Thank you for your support!

Big thank you to those who have sponsored us and helped us raise a great big £187 for Cancer Research UK.

The personal achievment from this has meant so much to me too.  It only just over a year since I did my first walk.  I chose a route which was 5k, there were 5 styles on this route.  After 3k I could not lift my feet and I could not get over the 3rd style, in fact Warren had to push me through it!

This walk was 13k and I climbed 24 styles! I wont pretend it was with ease as even though I have lost weight and become fitter, I still have arthritus in my knee, but I managed it! I am so pleased with the level of fitness I have achieved in this short time, and who knows.... next year maybe there wont be 80 year olds overtaking me! LOL!

Help me support Cancer Research UK

Ok, one of my goals was to walk 25miles along Hadrians wall over a weekend on the anniversay of my sleeve.  I didnt make this one, for two reasons, one our friends got married in Poland on the same weekend which by the way was fabulous! and two, I just am not quite that fit yet!  I can walk around 8 miles currently.  I searched for something else that I could do to replace the Hadrians wall walk for now and have found a 13k walk with the Rotary Club in Romsey and I will be doing this walk with my husband on the 9th October to raise money for Cancer Research UK.  There is a link to our fundraising page if you would like to sponser us or use this one http://www.justgiving.com/Jacqueline-Lambert0  Hopefully soon I will be fit enough to do the Hadrians wall one.


EVERY POUND HELPS!!!

ONE YEAR ON....

Well I have just had my one year check up at the Hospital.  It went very well.  My surgeon was so pleased with my progress he asked if I could join them at forums for new patients as an inspiation.  I most definatley will be, this has changed my life so much I would recommend it to anyone.  So...

Total loss in 1 year, 9 stone 4llbs.
BMI from 48 to 26.6 (goal 25)
Body fat from 58.3 to 32% (goal 24 - 27%)
Body muscle from 41.7 to 68% (goal 73 - 76%)
Blood pressure from high to normal
Clothes size from 28UK to 12/14UK
Movement from walking with a limp in special shoes to running in heals!
Marriage status from single to married! LOL
Happiness from Moderate to over the B***** Moon!

It has been one roller coaster of a year but I am so glad I did it.  Just the last few llbs to go and I will be in the ideal range on the charts and no longer overweight/obese/morbidly obese!  My health has improved so much, I am off all medication pre op.  I only take meds due to the op now. I still have a few goals to hit but I have hit so many I know I am going to hit the rest. 

The Honeymoon - Mexico

Well I managed to lose a couple more llbs between the Wedding and going on Honeymoon.  It was fantastic, we had such an amazing time. A honeymoon to remember with our  Tour Xplor day where we zip lined across the jungle we took a 4x4 out across the jungle and paddled rafts in underground rivers.  We went swimming in a sink hole.  We out for dinner on a pirate ship and saw a priate fight.  We took in the Mayan history at Chitchiniza.  And we still found time to relax at the pool and the beach and sip cocktails.  I enjoyed all the activity the relaxing I felt good, and yes I still managed to lose a couple of llbs!!!! must have been all the dancing!

Wedding Day

What can I say.... It was the day I had always dreamed of! It went so smoothly, all the people I wanted to be there were there.  We had an amazing day. I didn't lose as much as I wanted to but my dress had to be taken in, I was happy and I felt like a princess, here are some of the photos...

I'm getting married in the morning.......

What a manic month this has been.  I never thought arranging a wedding would be so stressful!!! I have enjoyed everyminute though!  I have only lost 5llbs in the last month but I seem to have lost inches.  I am fitting into a 14 top in some clothes and my 14 skirts are loose.  I have had to get my wedding dress altered not only did I have to have a few nips and tucks but it had to be taken up! as my hips have got smaller the dress has dropped and was too long for me.  Perfect now though.

My absolutley fabulous best friends organised my hen weekend for me.  We hired a cottage for the weekend, not too far from home, close enough for people to just pop over.  We had 8 girls staying for the whole weekend, 2 came over every day and around another 10 came over for the big party on the Saturday night. 

When we arrived on the Friday we all put on our swimming costumes and jumped straight into the pool.  Then we had a pjama party.  I had not laughed so much for ages, we had a great time.  One of the girls started off a game which has apparantly took the world by storm... The lie down game! you just find somewhere odd to lie down, lie down and have your photo taken! So funny, we were all over the place finding strange places to lie down, then all ended in heap in the middle of the hall.

On the Saturday we started off the day with some lazing in the sun.  We then had a photographer do a little bit of a photo shoot and then started the pool party.  A great afternoon was had by all. 

We then started getting ready for the Saturday night. The girls had chosen a theme.  They all kept it secret from me and kept me locked in a room blind folded whilst everyone got ready.  They then dressed me, did my hair and make up, carefully took me down the stairs to where all my friends were waiting before I was allowed to see what they had done! It was great, they chose Sex in the City as the theme.  Everyone was looking so glam.  I looked in the mirror and I could not believe it was me!  I had spent weeks worrying what they were going to do to me and they did so well, I was amazed.  I found out that they had dressed me as Samantha, who by the way is a slut!!! but a classy slut!!! LOL! more of a couger! I don't watch the programme so I didn't know the charactor! Anyway, We all went on to yet again the most amazing night.  I am so lucky to have such good friends.  Here a few pickies from the weekend....

Thank you to my two best friends Charlie and Hammie for the organising and effort put in, and thank you to all my girlfriends who came along and made it so special.

Well that extra llb I lost put at a total weight loss of 8 stone!  I am so amazed! I feel so good and I can't wait until I become Mrs Johnson at 11:30am tomorrow.  Looking forward to the next chapter of my life. 

I'm OVERWEIGHT!!!!!!

Another 2llbs gone...BMI 29.8... I am no longer obese, I am and I have never been so happy to be OVERWEIGHT!!!

I can RUN!!!!

Well the last 2 weeks I have been on a stall, kept putting the same llb on and off again but its now gone along with another making my weight loss 7 and a half stone.  The other good news is that I have hit another goal, only ever so slightly but it has been hit all the same.  Even with all the exercise I have been doing I have still got in the car to go to the shops, today I thought I would walk.. but when I got to the end of my drive I just started running and run all the way to the shops!!! Its not that far but a huge achievment all the same.  I don't think I have intentionally run for about 23 years. This feels so good.  I LOVE MY SLEEVE... have I mentioned that before!!!