Hmmm...

Sorry it's been so long. And I have to admit, with the move, I have NO IDEA where any of my books of quotes are so it will be a while before I get another of those. I'm not even sure where my Bible is at this point. But we have a long weekend coming up to work on the new place. My roommate and I have almost everything out of the old place now. It's cleaned up except for the laundry room. And the laundry in the laundry room is the last of the stuff to get out. Thank goodness!!! We are going to get that tonight. Thanks to those who helped last weekend. It might be pathetic, but we absolutely could not have done it without you!

I have a lot on my mind but not enough time to discuss it all here. Since the move is pretty much done, I will be blogging more regularly soon.

As a side note, I have now lost 58 pounds.

Move

So my roommate and I have been moving this weekend. Our internet will not be hooked up right away so I will be a little silent for a few days, but not gone. Any help is still appreciated as we still have a good amount of stuff at the old house that needs to get out by the end of next weekend. Prayers will be appreciated too as I am still not up to full speed from the surgery and trying to do too much. :-)

Update Once Again...

I have now lost 52 pounds since June 1st. Since the surgery, I have been losing about 1 pound a day or more. I am finally on the maintenance stage of my diet which means I can eat pretty much what I want within reason. Still no refined sugar. And I should continue to avoid fried foods and foods high in fat and calories, but I can now have breads and nuts and grains again. Yippeee! I bought some Kashi frozen dinners because they are low in sodium, but high in protein which I really need. So yay! I'm feeling sick or in pain less and less when I eat (some of which could be because I am learning to eat more slowly and eat less). I'm getting more water in during the day which is also good.

So here is a photo of me within the last couple of days.

Sorry It's Been a While

Things have been pretty crazy around here. Shocking, eh? I am back at work and moving next weekend. If you want to help, I am needy enough to take you up on it. :-) So right now, I have lost 49 pounds. I am eating just bites at a time, but I don't go around hungry. I miss eating sometimes, but it's getting better all the time. Sometimes I eat a little too much or too quickly and suffer for it, but if I go slowly and eat small bites, then I am okay. So things are going pretty well.

The Continuing Saga

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

So the struggle continues on. I have been having some bad days. I was supposed to go back to work last week, but was only able to work two days. In some ways, I am very excited about my results, but the process after this surgery can be very frustrating. Friday I had my first experience with "dumping syndrome." I ate my lunch too quickly, and, therefore, I ate too much. I was very ill. Plus, I have managed to somehow pinch my Sciatic Nerve in my back so I have been in some pain. But this morning I am reminded that I should be trusting in God to help me and spending more time in prayer. I rely too much on my own strength, and it gets me in trouble (especially with my mouth). I have to admit lately that I have not been very good at censoring my comments. I have not necessarily said things that were not true, but maybe just not my place to say. Not to mention I could have been a bit more diplomatic when saying what I have had to say lately. And it's kind of been across the board. Oy vey! Anyway, the point is that I need to refocus on God and stop dwelling on myself and my petty complaints.

Update on Weight Loss

Since starting the pre-op diet and having the surgery, I have lost 36 pounds. Last night, I went through some clothes given to me by a family member. Before the surgery, I could not get most of them on. They are about 2 to 4 sizes smaller than the rest of my wardrobe. Last night, I found I could wear about half of the clothes. I was very excited. It made the weight loss more real for me. I've had a lot of people tell me they can see the difference, but it's hard to see it in yourself. The clothes, however, made it apparent to me that 36 pounds is a lot of weight. And I am still dropping. I should really try to stop whining about not being able to eat what I want and be happy that I am on my way to a healthier body.

Headed Home

I have spent the last week at my mom's house at the beach, but today I have to head home. I am sad to go home in a way, though it will be good to sleep in my own bed. I have really enjoyed spending time with my mom, stepdad, siblings, and nephew. When I first arrived, my niece was here as well, and that was great too. Being here kept me focused on other things besides all the food I cannot eat. We went to the beach and had a good time last Sunday, and I got burnt to a crisp, but it was still a lot of fun.

In a way, I am nervous about going home and getting depressed with nothing to take up my time, but I have a lot I need to do around the house, so hopefully that will keep me pretty busy.

Oh, and FYI - the WiFi card on my laptop is dead so I have to send it in the have the manufacturer replace it under the warranty. That is part of why I have not been posting more. I normally use my laptop for that.

Anyway, Monday I go back to work and while I know that will be good for my paycheck and helping keep me on a routine, I also dread it too. But I like my job, so it should be fine.