I totally did this (see YouTube video below) tonight. Three times, for a total of about 1.25 minutes. Minus the alphabet thing.
“That doesn’t look hard,” the Boy just said.
“You try it,” I replied.
(This works your obliques as well as all core muscles: abs, lower back, hips, and pelvis.)
Yesterday was workout numero seis with my trainer, Morgan. I have come to two conclusions:
It was the most discouraging workout I’ve had yet. I struggled with literally every exercise I attempted. It was just a totally off day.
I realized that this is part of the reason I have a trainer right now.
I would have quit if I’d been doing it on my own.
But I’m doing things I never thought I’d be capable of at this point. Exercises that involve jumping to the side and landing in a squat…with one foot on a step. Pull ups, even though they’re assisted. I even think that I’m going to be able to add a third and fourth day working out on my own soon, since my abdominal muscles are recovering faster now. Seriously, it’s been hurting to breathe and laugh lately.
So yeah. I fell on my face more than once using an abdominal roller. Lunges walking backwards instead of forwards? An unmitigated disaster. But I stayed for an hour and I made great demands on my body.
Today I woke up in agony, but I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do when I go back to Morgan on Wednesday.
The victories abound!
Oh, and here’s an ab roller exercise. I was trying to do these, but going from side to side in a V instead of just forward and back. And I definitely don’t have the strength to go to the floor.
My size 10 ring.
Mom gave this ring to me a very long time ago–for my 12th or 13th birthday. It’s a size 10 and it fit my ring finger quite well when I received it.
In the months before I had surgery I couldn’t wear the ring at all. It was too big for my pinkie but too small for every other finger. It took a while, but I eventually lost enough fat around my fingers to be able to wear it on my ring finger and then had to switch to wearing it on my middle finger lest I lose my precious.
Tonight, I stopped by a jewelry store after stopping by a Barnes & Noble in a mall. My ring size now?
Seven point five. A year and a half ago, I couldn’t wear my size 10 ring. Now a 7.5 is (very slightly) too big. I’m elated.
YAY VICTORIES!!
The Boy and I left Phoenix on Thursday night to go to Las Vegas. Every October, I meet my family in Sin City (you can read about last year’s trip here and here); this year was the Boy’s first time going with me. He’d met one of my uncles and my grandmother before, but it was his first time seeing my other uncle, my older cousin, and her husband (I have two other cousins who couldn’t make it this year and an aunt who never goes). I figured that, seeings how we’ve been together for almost three years, it was time to ease him into my family a little more :) Here are the highlights:
Weight Loss: Let me preface this by saying that I’ve lost about 65 pounds since last year, which was also the last time I saw any of my family members other than Mom. By the time the Boy and I got there Thursday night, my grandmother was in bed. On Friday morning, I saw her on the casino floor before she saw me…she didn’t even recognize me when I walked up to her! Both of my uncles commented, which is proof at how much I’ve changed physically over the past year. If they noticed, it’s dramatic!
The Band: Tight. I struggled to eat the entire time we were there and after we got home last night. Mom told my family that I had a hiatal hernia and was having difficulty because of it. We were afraid that a bulimia/anorexia rumor would start circulating after a few trips away from the table Friday night.
The Show: One of my uncles is a November baby, just like me. Every other year, Mom treats us to show tickets as our birthday present. Five years ago, we saw KÀ by Cirque Du Soleil; two years ago we saw Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular; this year, we saw Blue Man Group.
We never know what we’re going to see beforehand. The procedure is generally thus: Mom hands me an envelope with tickets in it, puts Uncle and me in a cab, and tells the driver where to go. We’re not allowed to open the envelope before we reach the casino.
This year, she had to pick up the tickets at will call because she forgot to put them in Uncle’s name. We got to the Venetian and she told us that we were looking for the signs pointing us to Blue Man Group. I may have kinda sorta squealed a little bit out loud. I’ve wanted to see one of their performances for years and years and years. It was awesome. So so awesome! AND I bought a shirt, size XL, to commemorate the experience. It’s baggy even without stretching it out!
The Gambling: I don’t have a lot of money to spare, so I didn’t gamble a lot. I did win almost $300 on a penny slot machine, though!! Because of that, I think I just about broke even when you take food, a couple of souvenirs, and the like into consideration.
==========
I’ve been sad since yesterday morning, though. It’s true that my grandmother did a double take when she saw me, but I almost did one when I saw her. She looks so much smaller and more fragile than she did a year ago. She’s not breathing well at all and her hands and ankles are swollen beyond belief. Mom’s been telling me that my grandmother’s not been doing well; I think Mom was trying to prepare me.
I think this is going to be our last Las Vegas trip. I don’t think that we’ll go back as a family after she dies. Even if we do, it’s not going to be the same. And, I realized a few minutes ago, I’m seriously mourning that. I’ve looked forward to these trips for years. They’re a chance to leave Phoenix for a few days and to see family members I don’t have contact with otherwise. They’re a chance to hang out Downtown with my mom, to sit with her on the casino floor and gamble and talk. They’re a chance to relax. It’s our tradition–the only one our family has. Going with friends or the Boy just doesn’t have the same appeal to me (and the Boy hates it there anyway).
I really can’t put into words how heartbroken I am.
So I’ve been doing some emotional eating today (damn that purchase at M&M World), and now I feel spectacularly gross. While I didn’t eat much while we were gone and we did walk quite a bit, I don’t think I’m going to be able to get away with all of the calories I consumed today.
Anyway. There it is.
I have some new clothes!!
I had to make a payment on my Lane Bryant credit card (hello 25% interest!!) over the weekend. When I went to the website, I noticed that they had a sale: 40% off of EVERYTHING (excluding Spanx).
Now, my bras have been too big for quite a while (you can tell in the Slimpressions video I posted in July) and I was looking forward to Labor Day sales this coming weekend so that I could maybe perhaps get a few that fit me a little better. This was my chance, and a week early!!
So I went to the nearest Lane Bryant on Sunday and asked for a tape measure.
I went from wearing a 46C before surgery to a 44B in January to a 40D now. I was swimming in the B cup, but now I need a D cup? Bra sizing is weird.
I got four of these bras. I also got two tunics (one black, one gray):
Long tunics!
and three lacy camis (one teal, one purple, one pink):
I got these to wear under the tunics.
and I ordered a pair of pants:
I haven't had khaki pants in years!
IN SIZE 14P because the 16A I tried on in the store was TOO BIG. And not just in the length sense!
All of the shirts I bought were size 14/16, which means that this may have been my last Lane Bryant purchase ever. Except for bras. I might still buy bras there.
HOLY SMOKES!
I haven’t really purchased any clothes since I was banded. I’ve bought a shirt or pair of jeans here and there, but I’ve mostly been wearing things that I had from my smaller days many years ago and really baggy shirts. Really, I’m still wearing tees that fit me pre-op.
It’s amazing how much more comfortable I am wearing a bra that fits. And, for the first time in a long time, I feel kind of cute. Kind of.
(Sorry I haven’t been blogging much lately. I was sick. I didn’t think I’d ever get better. Now I think I’m almost back to normal. Starting back on C25k tomorrow–is anyone still with me on this??)
I was getting ready for bed last night. While reaching into the medicine cabinet for my toothbrush, I happened to look over into the mirror and saw something amazing:
IT’S A COLLARBONE! It didn’t even occur to me that I possessed collarbones. I mean, I guess that I knew that I had them on some sort of intellectual level. But on a practical level? I had no idea. I’ve never, ever, ever seen them before.
Now, I don’t always have collarbones. They hide when I’m sitting or standing in a normal position. But when I’m reaching for something, there they are!
Does this mean that I have hip bones and shoulder blades, too?
Starting Weight: 298.2 pounds
Last Week’s Weight: 224.2 pounds
Today’s Weight: 225.0 pounds
I’m up .8 pounds. Dealing with some hormonal things, which I think are contributing to my gain this week. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with my body right now, but I do know that I need to find a good gynecologist in the Phoenix area who has lots of experience with PCOS. Anyone have recommendations?
In other, non-scale news: I went to the doctor on Tuesday and he said that I no longer have to take blood pressure medicine!!!!! I’ve needed hypertension meds since high school!
I was so brave yesterday. So so very brave.
I went shopping for jeans.
I went to Torrid, found the bootcut jeans, and grabbed a pair of 20s and a pair of 18s. I was feeling optimistic and tried the 18s on first.
They were ever so slightly big. After talking to the sales staff, I determined that I needed….
16s!!!!
Additionally, I bought a pair of 16s at Costco (!!!) today. They fit. I cried a little.
I’ve never worn size 16 pants before. But what gets me is that five years ago (when I was around the same weight I am now), 18s were a little too snug.
Vanity sizing? Severe change in body shape? I don’t know. And I don’t care.
I wore the jeans I bought at Torrid furniture shopping yesterday, where I found the couch pictured below. Look at it! I made a beeline for it when I spotted it. Isn’t it crazy? It’s like it desperately wanted to be a grand, old-fashioned bed when it grew up, but it never got its final growth spurt.
Here's a picture of me, wearing my size 16 (!!!) jeans, on the most frightening couch ever. See my look of concern?
The Boy assures me that this was one of the better pictures of me. So. Yeah.
I’ve had 100 ounces of water today. That’s right. WATER. Not liquids.
WOOT!
Who else has an awesome daily victory?