Facebook First Profile Challenge and an Update

This is overdue.  Sorry I have not good excuse.  OK, kid stuff has been crazy the last couple of weeks.  Charlotte hurt her knee - She's in a brace.  Ruby is doing PT for an ankle sprain.  The other two are just doing all their regular activities.  On top of that I'm navigating incorporating exercise and figuring out food. 

I did not participate in the Facebook challenge where you post your first profile picture and your current profile picture.  Why, well that last 6 years have not been kind to me.  Actually I have not been kind to my body in the last 6 years. Actually, that is not completely true.  Some of what lead to weight gain was me taking care of me and some of it was me giving up on my appearance.  Short explanation - hysterectomy followed by anxiety meds followed by weight gain from more chill approach to life and/or medication, followed by screw it who cares attitude.

 So I'll post it here. 

May 2007

September 2018

Between those two pictures I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight about 4 years later before gaining and weighing the most I ever have.  Ugh.  In true social media fashion if it isn't positive we don't post it.  So I didn't.  And it made me sad that I succumbed to being that vain.  Does it matter that I weigh at least 50 lbs more in one photo than the other?  No.  Is that really the end all be all of judging how the last 11 years have gone?  No.  But I was still embarrassed.  But here.  I get to talk about all the ends and outs and not just post two pictures.  And here, I'm determined to be honest with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Now on to the update from surgery.  I am now 3.5 weeks out.  The eating plan has not been bad and my new stomach has reacted great as I've added more stages.  I'm now on the soft food stage.  It gives me a lot more choices than the previous stages have.  Monday, I am on full food.  Yippee!  

I saw my surgeon last week.  He said all looks well and I'm progressing well.  He lifted all restrictions on activity.  I am on week two of walking 3-4 days a week.  I'm slowly increasing my distance and am definitely getting faster.  Joining a gym is the next step in the plan.  I know I'll need weight training to minimize loose skin.

For those wondering I'm averaging about 600 calories a day.  I'm drinking 64-88oz of water plus other drinks.  I find getting the minimum of 60 grams of protein to be the hardest to hit.  I do great as long as I have at one protein shake.  If I don't have a shake I don't seem to hit the goal.  

Now for the stats.  As of Monday's weigh in I have lost 20 lbs since surgery and 29.8 lbs since starting pre-op diet.

Hopefully I'll be more timely in the next update.

Jenn