Adventures

As most of you know, Eli and I love to travel. We try to take at least two or three trips a year. We figure this is a luxury we won’t be able to enjoy as much once we have children. We budget for our vacations every year, and only have one rule: no financing. All trips must be paid for in full at the time of booking. One trip always includes the beach in another country and the other is usually a little closer to home. This year we got lucky and Dell (Eli’s work) paid for a trip to San Diego in April. The Gatlinburg trip (detailed below) was our second trip of the year. Next stops are Destin in July and a cruise in September. We <3 traveling.

Our third anniversary present to each other was a new Cannon Rebel T3i DSLR camera and a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS10 digital camera. The DSLR speaks for itself; better-quality pictures and we can finally take some awesome sunset photos at the beach. The Lumix is cool because it’s a 14.1-megapixel camera, waterproof to a depth of 10 feet, shockproof from falls up to 5 feet, freezeproof to 14 degrees and dustproof. I can take it snorkeling, rafting, drop it and bury it in the snow. Plus, it takes great pictures. This camera came in handy in Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg was our adventure trip. This marks the first trip we’ve ever taken together that we didn’t plan on sleeping in and relaxing. We had action and adventure planned for most of our time there. It was awesome.

We stayed at the Fun & Games 53 cabin in the woods, courtesy of Alpine Chalet Rentals. It was clean, dog-friendly (Khalie was so happy to join us) and on the side of a mountain. It was a bit of a scary drive to get to it, but well worth the million times I had to remind my husband he was driving a little too close to the death drop.

After our drive in, it was a little too late to start a new adventure, so we headed to the Tanger Outlet Center in Sevierville. We managed to do a little damage at the Lenox (new silverware) and Under Armour (new workout wardrobes for both) stores. We headed to dinner at a familiar favorite, The Chop House, but it did NOT taste like the one in Murfreesboro. Huge disappointment.

We went Ziplining at Wahoo Ziplines, which was way better than Adventure Works in Kingston Springs. We definitely went completely hands-free and upside down on a couple of the highest lines.

Next up was the biggest fail of the trip … tubing down the Pigeon River. While the staff at River Rat was super nice, the tubing itself was very boring. The water was not deep enough and we kept getting stuck on rocks. The lazy river float is not our cup of tea at all.

We decided white water rafting was more our speed and headed to USA Raft. We had originally planned on rafting the Ocoee (thanks to a Groupon deal), but a technical error or their website made us think we were closer that we really were. We decided not to make the three-hour drive and stick close to Gatlinburg. We plan on using our Ocoee coupon soon, though. I know going down the Ocoee would be a lot more fun, but we had a blast on this 1 ½ hour rafting trip. It was a great beginner’s ride, and now I know what to expect next time.

A trip to the mountains didn’t seem complete without a little horseback riding at Smoky Mountain Riding Stables. We opted for the hour ride, and boy am I glad we didn’t sign up for two hours. If you’re not used to riding a horse, it can be, um, a little uncomfortable. It was a lot of fun, except I had a horse that moved kind of slow. Apparently, you’re supposed to kick them in the side to get them to speed up. I refused to do this, because I convinced myself Skippy was moving slow so I wouldn’t get mud splashed all over me.

We didn’t have a lot of time to fit in formal workouts, so one day we decided to hike up to Clingmans Dome. It’s a half-mile pretty much straight up. We saw bears and trees as we passed them, but not a lot more. It was very cloudy, so we didn’t get the million-dollar view promised online, but we got a small workout in just the same.

On our last night, we did a go-cart tour of Pigeon Forge. Basically, we paid $25 per person to ride at five of the best tracks on the strip. Eli and I both frequented the go-cart tracks when we went to Pigeon Forge as kids, so we were excited to battle each other. I would say we are about equal on the track. At least we didn’t get in a huge fight like two extreme rednecks we saw.

It was nice to get away for a few days and a great way to use up a few vacation days that expire in June!

No Turning Back Now

Updates: I’ve now lost 112lbs and am in a size 12. Not a lot of difference in pounds over the last two months, but I lost weight somewhere because I dropped a whole pant size! I try to keep in mind that I’m toning and won’t necessarily see results on the scale. The slow-down is normal at this point after surgery, but it’s still frustrating.

I still stick to my low-carb, high protein diet. I don’t really have (or need) cheat meals or days, but I do allow myself something sweet once a week. It’s usually frozen yogurt with fresh fruit on top. But, once a month, I eat something like cheesecake or carrot cake (my weakness). I still don’t ever eat bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. I keep myself fueled with lots of chicken, grilled fish and vegetables.

In other news, I’ve officially lost my mind. I was convinced to run a half marathon in October. Afterwards, I convinced Eli to join me. My motivation comes from a number of places:

1. I still need to lose 28lbs to be considered a healthy weight.

2. Thinking I can’t do it is not a good enough reason to not do it.

3. I’ve lost 112lbs in 10 months. If I can have enough willpower and discipline to do that, I can do anything.

4. Eli is going to train with me, not to mention about 10 coworkers. Only one of us has run a half-marathon. Only a few of us work out regularly.

So, how am I planning to do it? Lots of training.

I’ve been doing boot camp for about three months with Niki G's Fitness. I go four days a week (when I’m not traveling) at 5:15 a.m. I don’t know about you, but I give myself extra fit points just for getting out of bed at 4:45 a.m. I wish I could explain to you how physically insane these classes are. Have you ever crab-walked up several flights of stairs? How about run backwards up a big hill with weights above your head?  That’s just two examples of the beating I get from my amazing trainer, Whitney. I don’t remember the last time something wasn’t sore! If you’ve never taken a boot camp class, do it.

Eli and I are also running in the evenings after work. So far, we’ve been sticking to a couple of miles at a time, but we’re going to bump it up slowly.

Just to recap, my schedule is:

Monday: Morning boot camp, after work run

Tuesday: Morning boot camp

Wednesday: After work run

Thursday: Morning boot camp

Friday: Morning boot camp, after work run

Saturday: Longer run/walks (yet to be determined, but I’ll figure it out tomorrow)

Sunday: Off

So, this starts a new journey for me. Surgery seems like a million years ago, but I’ve come a long way as far as my health and the way I think about food.

I’ve disciplined myself to work out at least five or six days a week. I’ve proven I have willpower over food. All I have to do now is work a little harder each day toward my goal. Will I be able to run 13.1 miles in six months? Maybe not, but I’m not saying it’s impossible. What if I have to walk part of it? Well, then I think I’m still doing better than most people who never get any exercise. No matter what the outcome is, it’s going to be hard to be disappointed in myself for setting a goal and trying my best. 

Besides, I used to look like this:

And now I look Like this:

  

You’re support has meant the world to me over the last 10 months. I hope you will keep following my journey as I continue to strive towards being a healthy person.

Today

Today is the day I decided (with a lot of encouragement) to train for a half marathon in October. There's no turning back now. Maybe it will help me lose this last 30 lbs!

April 30, 2011 -- Exactly 10 months after surgery

105 lbs gone!

It’s been an interesting month. The big news is that I’ve lost 105 lbs! This means I’m no longer obese, just overweight. I need to get to 147 lbs or below to be considered at a healthy weight.

I actually hit the 100 lb mark several weeks ago, but delayed making it official until I was done traveling. I wanted to be sure I had lost it for good! This was the goal my surgeon set for me to reach by the one-year anniversary of my surgery. It’s been eight months, and I’m still going!

The first trip was rough, because I had a hard time completely sticking to my diet, especially the drinking water part. The low point was grabbing some cheese sticks while running to catch my plane on a layover home. We had a 10 hour travel day, and zero time between flights. I can’t take protein shakes (my constant back-up plan) on airplanes because of the whole 3 ounce liquid rule. We didn’t have time to search for a better place, so I made the best decision I could. Cheese is something I can have, but it’s not supposed to be fried. I only ate three, but it still felt so gross.

When I got home, I felt very dehydrated and drank a ton of water, which I’m fairly confident is related to the 2 lb weight gain I had. Not working out for a week and eating dinner out every night did not help anything either. Even if I eat items I’m allowed, I can’t weigh the proper portions or control everything that goes into preparing my food. Restaurants tend to use a ton of salt, and that’s not good when I’m not drinking enough water. 

I spent the next week getting back into my workout and eating routine, only to leave again the following week. I was able to shed the 2 lbs I had gained and was back at 100 lbs lost before my second trip. This trip went much better. I stuck to my diet, except for a half a piece of carrot cake, which was my March treat. If you don’t remember, I allow myself one dessert a month. I was able to work out on this trip and drink lots of water. Fortunately, I was able to maintain my weight.

So, here we are a week later, and I’ve lost another 5 lbs. It’s been a rough week, though. I had an adjustment to make my band smaller on Monday. The reason they made it smaller, was because while traveling, I noticed I was able to eat more than I should be able to. I only eat out about once a week normally, so it’s not that big of a deal that I can’t weigh out the right portion. The point of the band is to stop you from eating too much.

When you have adjustments you have to go on liquids for two days, then mushy food for two days. After that you start adding in meat. I was fine on Monday, but started noticing a problem before my workout on Tuesday morning. I usually chug a protein shake before my boot camp class, but it wasn’t going down too easily. I thought I was going to throw up my shake. I’ve never had a problem with liquids before, but know how much your stomach can swell after an adjustment. After all, they are tightening a band around my stomach.

By Thursday, I was still having problems with liquids for a couple of hours after I got up. Usually by the time I get to work, I’ve had 50 ounces of water and a protein shake, so this was really strange. I called my doctor and they told me to come in immediately.

Apparently, I’m normal. My band is now exactly where it was supposed to be all along. When I asked how this went unnoticed and I was still able to be successful, I was told, “It’s because you’re just so disciplined.” Because I don’t eat out, I stick to my diet and weigh out the right portions, I was doing just fine. Usually, people rely completely on the band to stop them from eating too much, which isn’t the right way. You are supposed to weigh your food and not let yourself get too full. The point of eating is to feel satisfied, not stuffed. The reason I’m having so much trouble in the morning is because when I sleep my stomach swells a lot, and it takes a couple of hours for the swelling to go down. I also have a sinus infection right now, and drainage makes my stomach swell, too.

Don’t get me wrong, my band has been working this whole time, just not to its fullest potential.

So now, I have to go back to the basics … making sure I chew everything really well and eating tiny bites. I’m not supposed to be able to gulp my water, only take tiny sips. The doctor offered to take some fluid out of my band to make it looser, but I am dead set on adjusting to my band. I paid $12,000 for it, so I’m going to get everything I can out of it. Plus, my weight loss has slowed so much; I need all the help I can get.

The doctor assured me my two-month plateau is not really even a plateau. Technically, a true plateau is when you do exactly everything right and don’t lose an ounce. I’ve been losing weight here and there … about 17 lbs in the last two months. I know that sounds like a lot to you, but it’s been a struggle for me.

Eli won a free trip to San Diego in two weeks. We plan on going snorkeling, so I have to get a bathing suit. That should be great for my self-esteem. Is any woman ever comfortable shopping for a bathing suit? I remember being self conscious about bathing suits when I was like 12. Oh well. If I can buy a size 24 surely I can handle buying a large or 14 or whatever I require.

Until next time …

Traveling

I tend to use my posts as a way to update everyone. I try to be as honest as I can, but I usually only feel like posting when something good happens. This means my posts are generally positive, which is not quite an accurate account of me. I tend to be a pessimist. You know; the glass half empty type.

I’m officially experiencing a slow-down with my weight loss. I’m only losing about a 1lb a week right now. This is probably just what it’s going to be like now that I have the major part of my weight off. There are many other reasons this could be happening, and I’m told it’s completely normal by my trainer and my nutritionist. That doesn’t make it any easier. It sucks. I hate it.

It’s annoying that I’m so close to the 100lb mark, only 1lb away to be exact. At the 100lb mark, I will weigh 187 and no longer be considered obese. The 100lb goal was set by my surgeon, and he wanted me to reach it within a year. It’s been almost eight months, so I feel good about that. I will soon join the overweight club and hang out there until I lose 40lbs and join the healthy weight club. 40lbs seems a million miles away.

I started attending a fitness boot camp two weeks ago. Against everything that’s normal to me, I get up four days a week at 4:45 a.m. to make it to a 5:15 a.m. class. During this class, I push myself harder than I ever have. The last time (before surgery) I worked out on a regular basis was when I was in ROTC and on the track team in high school. I’m sore all over, which is a surprisingly good feeling. It reminds me that I’m doing some good. I love the way it makes me feel the rest of the day. Plus, it’s extra nice to not have to worry about going to work out after work.

I’m extremely busy at work right now, which is great, but it’s been a challenge trying to balance everything. I’m getting up so early and working so late, I only get about an hour of time to myself between getting off work and getting in the bed. This is challenging when I have to cook dinner and plan lunch for the next day. I’m often too tired to cook, so I’ve been trying to find faster meals. This is not always easy when you’re eating healthy. It sure would be easy to pick up food from somewhere on my way home, but I’ve been fighting the urge so far. I like being busy for a number of reasons. I feel useful, less stressed and it gives me less time to think about surgery-related things.

Perhaps the biggest challenge right now is my travel schedule. I love that I get the opportunity to go to places I’ve never been. Traveling for work always consists of busy long days, but it’s usually very rewarding. Even with the challenges traveling presents, I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s important that I learn to navigate certain obstacles, especially traveling. I usually travel a lot, so I’m glad I get to try it out without the comfort of having Eli or my normal foods around me.

Last week I spent a couple of days in Kentucky for a photo shoot. Everything was going fine until I was having lunch with a colleague and our client contact. I was enjoying my salad when all of the sudden my stomach was clogged. This happens when I eat too fast and don’t chew my food up well enough. With the band, my stomach opening is so small, so I have to be very careful. Sometimes I can pause, take a few sips of water and the food will pass. This was not working. I excused myself to the restroom, and started my process of clearing my stomach. It’s not fun and it’s gross. It involves trying to make myself burp, which helps the stomach try to get the food through. If burping doesn’t work, then my body automatically throws the food up. During all of this it feels like I’m having a heart attack. My chest gets real tight, and it’s hard to breath. The good news is throwing up provides instant relief. The bad news is, it sometimes take 5 or 10 minutes for this whole process. I was terrified that someone would come into the bathroom. Luckily, no one did and I was finally able to clear my stomach and return to the table after about five minutes. It was mortifying to me, but I don’t think anyone even knew there was something wrong. I’ve only had to throw up three times since surgery, but it’s awful every time.

This week I’m heading to Montana for six days. This will be the first time I’m completely traveling by air for a long period of time since surgery. We went to Florida in September, but we drove and I took my food with me. I know this will be a learning experience, and I’ll be better off for figuring out how to stick to my diet while traveling, but it still causes me some anxiety. This trip is going to be challenging for a couple of reasons.  

First, it’s weird traveling with someone who doesn’t live with my habits day in and day out. I think the only reason this is scary is because I feel strange about some of the everyday challenges I face. For example, I have to eat slow and drink a lot of water throughout the day, which causes me to take a lot of bathroom breaks. Not to mention I eat weird. It’s hard for some people to understand my diet. I can’t just eat any fruit or vegetable, because of the carb contents. Not to mention, I simply can’t have some foods at all, because my stomach opening is too small.

Second, I will be trying to eat three meals a day on the road. I like to research menus and places before going anywhere. I’m going to be in some very rural areas without much Internet access. I’ll have to wing it quite a bit, which is not good for this OCD planner

Third, I will have a hard time working out. I made sure my hotels have a fitness center. My trainer sent me a workout schedule, and I have a Jillian Michaels DVD to work out to. This is the plan, but we’ll see how well I stick to it. Days on the road tend to be really long. The good news is that I’ll be doing a lot of walking during the day, so that will help.

I’ve been having a lot of moments where I realize this is my life now. All the difficulties I have are not going to suddenly go away any time soon. I will have this band forever. I know I will figure things out and it will be more normal, but eight months is not enough time for me to feel comfortable and normal all the time. I constantly have to think and plan my days, and then I have to be prepared with back-up plans. This last 40lbs is going to be much harder than all the weight I’ve lost so far. I have good days and bad days, but mostly good. I feel better and more energized, and love how I feel with so much weight off of me. In fact, I’m writing this while on an airplane. I didn’t have to loosen my seat belt all the way or ask for an extender. I also have room to have my tray down and my laptop out. This is a huge victory to me!

I’m transitioning from the thrill of dramatic weight loss into the rest of my life. It’s all part of the journey, so I’m trying to embrace each victory and challenge.