I don't know what the deal is, but today I am SOOOO tired. I came home from work and napped for quite a while. I don't want to get up or move, but I made myself eat a little so I could take my multivitamin. I haven't been this tired since I first went back to work after having surgery. Here's to hoping that my body is going through another burning fat stage! Of course, I could just be tired from the extreme heat and bad air quality. I will hit the scale tomorrow....we shall see!
On that note, I am going to head to bed now. It's not even 9pm yet!
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Who Needs Bread?!
Today I tried something that the Nurse Practitioner at ALSA recommended.....replacing bread with sliced cucumber. I made some yummy tuna salad (albacore white tuna with a dash of olive oil mayo, celery, onion, pepper and a little pickle juice). I sliced up an English cucumber and topped a few pieces with the tuna salad. OMG it was so yummy! Don't get me wrong, of course it tastes NOTHING like freshly toasted sourdough bread; however it gave me some crunch that I have been missing as well as a little added nutrition.
I've been thinking a lot about life without bread. I've come to realize how much I've really been freed from the craving to eat bread. I don't need it, don't want it, don't have to worry about it making me fat again. Now that I can, I did try whole grain bread with some ham and an egg. It tasted just okay. It wasn't great. It wasn't fulfilling. I realized that I am not missing out on anything. I don't need it in my life. That is so WEIRD and COOL. I tried for so many years to cut out carbs, but I couldn't do it. It's like my body was sabotaging itself. Now, it's not a problem.
This whole journey is so mental. It's more mental than physical in my opinion. The mind/body/spirit connection is so much stronger that I ever imagined. Seriously people, deal with your inner stuff. It is affecting your outside as much as the inner you.
In case you wanted to see it, here is a picture of my dinner.
Yeah, I am totally not a food photographer, or any kind of photographer really. I just take a picture and that's that.
On another note, on Friday I saw myself in a mirror while shopping at one of my favorite stores, Kirkland's. I was shocked at seeing the new me, so I put on my silly face and took a selfie. (So you know, I am not one of those pouty lips sexy pose kind of people). I thought I'd share it here, since I am using this to journal my story. So.....TADA! Here I am bravely wearing skinny jeans. The nice thing about skinny jeans is that they hold all of my loose fat in, so it's not so jiggly when I walk. Haha! Sorry if that's too much information. It's the truth and nothing but the truth.
Here's to 64lbs down and another 60 to go!
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
I've been thinking a lot about life without bread. I've come to realize how much I've really been freed from the craving to eat bread. I don't need it, don't want it, don't have to worry about it making me fat again. Now that I can, I did try whole grain bread with some ham and an egg. It tasted just okay. It wasn't great. It wasn't fulfilling. I realized that I am not missing out on anything. I don't need it in my life. That is so WEIRD and COOL. I tried for so many years to cut out carbs, but I couldn't do it. It's like my body was sabotaging itself. Now, it's not a problem.
This whole journey is so mental. It's more mental than physical in my opinion. The mind/body/spirit connection is so much stronger that I ever imagined. Seriously people, deal with your inner stuff. It is affecting your outside as much as the inner you.
In case you wanted to see it, here is a picture of my dinner.
On another note, on Friday I saw myself in a mirror while shopping at one of my favorite stores, Kirkland's. I was shocked at seeing the new me, so I put on my silly face and took a selfie. (So you know, I am not one of those pouty lips sexy pose kind of people). I thought I'd share it here, since I am using this to journal my story. So.....TADA! Here I am bravely wearing skinny jeans. The nice thing about skinny jeans is that they hold all of my loose fat in, so it's not so jiggly when I walk. Haha! Sorry if that's too much information. It's the truth and nothing but the truth.
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
Sunday, July 20, 2014
New Faves
My family knows how much I disliked meat before surgery....now it's all I want to eat. One of the most repulsive things to me used to be tuna. Now, I have found tuna that I absolutely love and can eat by itself. In fact, I keep it stocked at my office, for those just in case moments. Here is a link to my new treat Starkist Hickory Smoked Tuna Packet. I just rip the pouch open, dump the tuna on a paper plate and enjoy. Now, I'm sure there are other ways to eat this that include fantastic recipes. I am more of a minimalist--I like it plain. Maybe you won't like it, but I do.
My other new favorite is a non-meat source of protein. I am so in LOVE with this. I can't keep it stocked in my refrigerator. I've got my sister addicted, too. Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt in Strawberry Cheesecake is so delicious! Sometimes I actually think that I can taste the cheesecake crust. Yum! If you don't like Greek yogurt in general, then you probably won't like this. I like to add some chopped pecans to this just to get a little extra protein and Omega 3's.
I am still allergic to Whey so most protein shakes don't work for me. I don't want to get too much soy in my diet, so I try to stay away from shakes. It can be a challenge to get my 60 grams in per day and meet my calorie requirements, but I will keep pressing on. Food is fuel, but I want to enjoy it too! I hope you enjoy trying my new faves.
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
My other new favorite is a non-meat source of protein. I am so in LOVE with this. I can't keep it stocked in my refrigerator. I've got my sister addicted, too. Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt in Strawberry Cheesecake is so delicious! Sometimes I actually think that I can taste the cheesecake crust. Yum! If you don't like Greek yogurt in general, then you probably won't like this. I like to add some chopped pecans to this just to get a little extra protein and Omega 3's.
I am still allergic to Whey so most protein shakes don't work for me. I don't want to get too much soy in my diet, so I try to stay away from shakes. It can be a challenge to get my 60 grams in per day and meet my calorie requirements, but I will keep pressing on. Food is fuel, but I want to enjoy it too! I hope you enjoy trying my new faves.
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
Friday, July 18, 2014
Unwanted Attention and Doctor's Visit
Here's the scoop on what happened recently. So, I have this dress. It's a Maxi dress with an elasticized waist. The top half is striped and the bottom is solid. It really shows off my much smaller waist line. I wore this to work and decided I will never wear it again. Here's why: people kept stopping me in the hallway and telling me how great I looked. AND I DIDN'T LIKE IT! I didn't like the attention. I didn't like the attention to my body. Somehow I felt exposed and really awkward. This was a first for me. Don't get me wrong, a compliment usually makes me feel great, but on this day, not so much. I haven't psychoanalyzed this yet, but all I know is that I am retiring my dress for weekend use only....at least for a while.
On a different note....I had my 5 month check-up with the surgeon's office. The nurse practitioner was so positive and encouraging. She says I am doing fantastic, on the right track and shrinking up nicely. I have lost 37.8% of my body fat. WOW! I can now have carbs, but they will slow my weight loss down. Not sure that I want to eat them. I want to get to my goal! Speaking of goal weight, the nurse practitioner now wants me to be between 150-160, not 140-145. I am happy with this new range, as 140 seemed impossible--I've only ever dreamed of being that thin! We will just see where my body settles and accept whatever weight that ends up being.
Another encouraging thing I learned--5 months is a normal plateau mark for weight loss. What's going on with my body, the shrinking with minimal pound loss, that's normal. In another month or so I'll see the pounds falling off again. So excited!
On that note, I will exit now. Wishing you a wonderful, happy Friday!
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
On a different note....I had my 5 month check-up with the surgeon's office. The nurse practitioner was so positive and encouraging. She says I am doing fantastic, on the right track and shrinking up nicely. I have lost 37.8% of my body fat. WOW! I can now have carbs, but they will slow my weight loss down. Not sure that I want to eat them. I want to get to my goal! Speaking of goal weight, the nurse practitioner now wants me to be between 150-160, not 140-145. I am happy with this new range, as 140 seemed impossible--I've only ever dreamed of being that thin! We will just see where my body settles and accept whatever weight that ends up being.
Another encouraging thing I learned--5 months is a normal plateau mark for weight loss. What's going on with my body, the shrinking with minimal pound loss, that's normal. In another month or so I'll see the pounds falling off again. So excited!
On that note, I will exit now. Wishing you a wonderful, happy Friday!
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
Monday, July 14, 2014
5 Months
Today is my 5 month surgiversary! It's been quite the adventure so far. I was sitting back, thinking about how many changes I've gone through so far, feeling so happy and excited. I think I probably write this every time, but I don't regret my surgery at all. Not one bit. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I'm in a good place right now, in spite of the chaos that comes with living.
For the last couple of weeks, my weight loss has been almost non-existent. Now inches have been falling off. That's a great thing, but I like to see the pounds go down too. This morning, I showed a weight gain. This evening I showed a weight loss, putting me down to 63 lbs total. Wowzers! That's a lot of weight.
Several people continue to ask if my energy level has improved. I have to confess--it hasn't. What I have noticed, however, is that I am in better shape. For example, I did a high intensity work out on the elliptical machine this evening, for 30 minutes. I barely broke a sweat and I had a hard time getting my heart rate up. Considering that the last time I used this machine I was literally dripping sweat in to my eyes, I'd say this is a huge change.
My normal walking speed has also changed. I walked the dogs on my "normal" speed last night. For one mile it took us under 15 minutes. It used to take us 25 minutes. I'm guessing on my "fast" speed we would make it in 10-12 minutes. I can tell you right now, that's way faster than I can run 1 mile!
Now, in honor of my weight loss and my 5 month surgiversary, I am posting pics for the first time. Yikes this is scary! I've included my morning of surgery photos and my 5 month photos. I've still got a long way to go.
Sharing my "before" pictures is SO darn scary! That was me at my heaviest, EVER. The good news is...I'll never look like that again. I'll never feel like that again. I'll never think like that again. I'm on a journey, in a process of becoming brand new. This whole newness started from the inside out. I am so grateful to God that He never gives up on me. All of those ugly things inside of me--He helps me get rid of. He is making me beautiful from within. And I am OH SO HAPPY! I do want to be clear on one thing--thin does not equal beauty in my eyes. This isn't about me being more beautiful on the outside because I'll be smaller. It's just that on this journey, I've realized I've been holding on to some ugly things like shame and pride. As I let go of these things, I become more and more free within. There is a correlation between my weight loss and my inner spiritual and emotional journey. I don't know if any one else can relate. This is just what's going on with me. It feels great!
Tonight, I pray that you would know the peace and freedom that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. I truly believe that He lead me to the right surgeon at the right time, for the true "Me" that He created, to finally be.
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
For the last couple of weeks, my weight loss has been almost non-existent. Now inches have been falling off. That's a great thing, but I like to see the pounds go down too. This morning, I showed a weight gain. This evening I showed a weight loss, putting me down to 63 lbs total. Wowzers! That's a lot of weight.
Several people continue to ask if my energy level has improved. I have to confess--it hasn't. What I have noticed, however, is that I am in better shape. For example, I did a high intensity work out on the elliptical machine this evening, for 30 minutes. I barely broke a sweat and I had a hard time getting my heart rate up. Considering that the last time I used this machine I was literally dripping sweat in to my eyes, I'd say this is a huge change.
My normal walking speed has also changed. I walked the dogs on my "normal" speed last night. For one mile it took us under 15 minutes. It used to take us 25 minutes. I'm guessing on my "fast" speed we would make it in 10-12 minutes. I can tell you right now, that's way faster than I can run 1 mile!
Now, in honor of my weight loss and my 5 month surgiversary, I am posting pics for the first time. Yikes this is scary! I've included my morning of surgery photos and my 5 month photos. I've still got a long way to go.
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| Morning of Surgery 2/14/14/Front View |
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| Morning of Surgery 2/14/14/Back View |
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| Morning of Surgery 2/14/14/Side View |
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| 5 Months 7/14/14/Front View |
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| 5 Months 7/14/14/Back View |
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| 5 Months 7/14/14/Side View |
Tonight, I pray that you would know the peace and freedom that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. I truly believe that He lead me to the right surgeon at the right time, for the true "Me" that He created, to finally be.
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
Saturday, July 5, 2014
20 Weeks
I know, I've been way behind on my writing. Sorry! I can't believe that yesterday was 20 weeks. Wow! Time is going by so quickly.
The biggest "new" thing for me is that I can wear my wedding ring now, every day. It's such a nice feeling and I'm so happy about it that I took a picture to share.....please ignore my need for a manicure.
I haven't lost too much more weight. I'm down 60lbs, but the inches are coming off, especially from my stomach/hip/butt area. It is so nice to be able to buy clothing at a "regular" store now. My options have expanded as well as my budget. Plus size clothes are SOOOOO expensive!
There aren't too many other new things to share. I feel great. I'm looking healthy. I am happy. Still, no regrets at all. Happy Independence Day weekend!
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
The biggest "new" thing for me is that I can wear my wedding ring now, every day. It's such a nice feeling and I'm so happy about it that I took a picture to share.....please ignore my need for a manicure.
I haven't lost too much more weight. I'm down 60lbs, but the inches are coming off, especially from my stomach/hip/butt area. It is so nice to be able to buy clothing at a "regular" store now. My options have expanded as well as my budget. Plus size clothes are SOOOOO expensive!
There aren't too many other new things to share. I feel great. I'm looking healthy. I am happy. Still, no regrets at all. Happy Independence Day weekend!
Peace, Love and Joy,
Rachel
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