When Gallbladders ATTACK!

Losing weight comes with highs and lows. The highs are obvious, fitting into your old jeans, looking and feeling great, getting healthy, etc. Although people don't think about the lows, they are there. One of the lows that I am going to talk about today is: Gallstones.

I have recently been diagnosed with having gallstones and although in the past month I have experienced the worst pain in my life, I don't regret losing the weight for one second. Gallstones are formed many ways, and they are one of the most common side effects of rapid weight loss. My internist told me that he's heard of weight loss surgery doctors removing their patients gallbladder at the same time of the surgery because of the high probability of the patient having gallbladder complications from losing the weight.

I have seen 2 different doctors and 1 surgeon and they all agree that my gallbladder has to come out. I know that it's a very common procedure but I also know that it can cause complications. Apparently they can remove it laparoscopically, but I've never had a surgery (besides having my wisdom teeth and then tonsils and adenoids removed) so the thought of even 3 - 4 small holes frightens me. According to my blood work my liver enzymes are off the chart, but my bile count is low. I've also had an ultrasound and the stones are visible. The surgery is probably inevitable because all 3 doctors agree that there is no way to break up the stones or remove them.

I was suppose to have it removed 2 weeks ago and I insisted on getting another opinion with a GI doctor (Gastroenterologist) because I want to see how severe my stones are. There is a possibility of passing them naturally but the medical world shy's away from that route because the stones can get in your pancreas and cause pancreatitus. In the meantime I am managing my diet to eat primarily fruits and veggies, and consuming little or no fatty meals. There are several "natural" remedies that involve anything from drinking apple juice and a mixture of oil and water to drinking water with Epsom salt. At this point, anything is better than surgery.

I am still exercising every day and losing weight, the only time I slow down is if I'm having an attack and I've been able to minimize those. One of my doctors suggested that if I plan to lose more weight I should just have it removed now since it will be a problem in the future.

Hopefully, we figure something out soon one way or the other.

I ran 2 miles!

Just a quick post to update you on my 5K training. I have signed up for a 5K in December and I fully intend to run (and finish) the whole thing! I have been running 1 mile for a little over a month now and this past weekend I decided to see if I would be able to run 2 miles.

Well, my sister tells me it wasn't pretty but I did it! I ran 2 miles in exactly 30 minutes, which puts me at a 15 minute mile, which means I was running 4.0 mph. Not very fast in the least bit, but I told myself that my goal is to increase my distance first then work on my speed later.

It was surprisingly easy, I wonder if I could have ran further? My sister says my face was bright red and my hair was CrAzY, also my shoe came untied in the last 1/4 lap... not pretty is right! But I didn't care, at that point I was on top of the world!

3 miles... here I come!

Biggest Loser Season 8 - watch on Sept 15th!

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6 Month Recap

It may seem like it's been a while since I have posted a weight loss update, and actually it has been 1 month. But if you can believe this, it's not because I've been slacking! I have started to see my Dr. once a month now instead of twice a month. So, I have been blogging about random thoughts I have here and there, but you'll have to wait on the edge of your seats for a whole month until you see my weight loss updates.

This is my 26th week on the Weight Loss Journey, and more importantly I'm in my 6th month. I can honestly say that it has flown by and it just seems like yesterday when I started my new life. I can hardly even remember the woman I was 6 months ago, I do however remember being unhappy and unhealthy.

Today I am quite possibly more fit than I've ever been in my whole life. I have a whole new view on life. I enjoy going to the gym, just last week I went to the gym (and worked out for 1+ hours) for 12 days in a row! I enjoy eating healthy, and the thought of fast food or soda makes me sick to my stomach sometimes. I have now officially lost 63.8 pounds and I'm well on my way to having lost 70 pounds!

WOW! Well on my way to having lost 70 pounds! It seems so unbelievable sometimes, I have a hard time interpreting what I hear in my head. I know I've lost 5 pants sizes, 11 BMI points, not to even mention my fat loss and muscle gain. But it's hard to comprehend that I've done this on my own! I am surprised at my will power and drive because it had all but gone out the window in recent years. There was enough there to grab on to a corner and pull it back in though.

I am running 1 mile two to three times a week. Slowly building myself up to 2 miles and I decided today that I am signing up for a 5K at the this Decemeber. I enjoy other cardio activites other than running, but running is not only conditioning me but giving me yet another goal to build towards. So, here's to my next update. Will I reach the -70 pound mark? I don't know but I'm sure going to work my butt off trying!

"Success is not a place that we aspire to, it is a process in which we live by. Often the only ingredient being the ability to not quit." - author unkown

Hitting a wall...

This past weekend I had a wake up call like never before. I realized that I need to give myself more credit and that I can do anything I set my mind to. I also realized that I can no longer make excuses and actually believe my own excuses. It occurred to me that I have created my own motivators to push me through walls and to keep me going when I feel like lying down. If you would have asked me one year or even six months ago about my techniques when I hit a wall, my only answer would have been to "just quit". However, this weekend I discovered that "just quit" is no longer in my vocabulary nor will it be there ever again.

Flashback
3 weeks ago: I started running on the treadmill one day with the intent to run 1 lap, after 1 lap I felt great so I tried for 2. After 2 laps I felt great and realized I was over halfway complete in running 1 mile. I ended up running 1 mile on the treadmill in 15 minutes and felt great and really excited.
1 week ago: I decided to run another mile on the treadmill, but this time I wanted to up my time. I finished 1 mile in 14 minutes.
5 days ago: I ran 1 mile on the treadmill again, finished at approximately 14 minutes again.
1 day ago: I ran 1 mile, this time on the indoor track at my gym. I finished in 13:20.

I have heard conflicting stories about which is easier to run on treadmill vs. track/outdoors. I have heard that the treadmill helps to propel your feet forward, but on the same hand it forces you to run the same speed. I've heard that it's easier to run on the track because you can choose your speed but the problem I've had recently is I run too fast on the track and get tired more quickly... enter husband.

I asked my husband to pace me on the track yesterday. He runs 3 to 4 miles on the track 2 to 3 days a week and has his pace and the timing down. He set a good pace at approximately 2:30 per lap (5 1/2 laps = 1 mile) and all I had to do was keep up. We walked one lap then took off. There were a few times that I heard myself wanting to quit but I kept at it the whole time. I stayed right with him until the last half a lap. I thought I was slowing down and I got mad at myself but later he told me I didn't slow down he was trying to push me and he had sped up. Above all, I finished. I didn't care how long it took me, I just wanted to finish 1 mile on the track without stopping. I finished 1 mile and I finished in 13:20 which equates to 4.5 MPH.

What's all this business about hitting a wall?

It was only after we finished our mile and we walked several more laps during our cool down that I was able to reflect on what I'd just accomplished. I ran, with my own 2 feet, not using a treadmill belt, for 1 straight mile. This might just be the 4th mile I've ever run in my life (see flashback above). I've said it before and I will say it again, I'm not a runner. I hate running. I have had asthma since I was a baby and the sports I've played throughout my life required little to none, or short sprints (tennis, softball, basketball). However, through all that I had just ran 1 mile.

I went over the thoughts swirling in my head... wasn't it just 6 short months ago that I ran on this same track and couldn't even run 1 lap (forget 5 1/2 laps)? Was it just 3 short weeks ago that I attempted to run my first mile and now I've ran a mile 4 times?

I realized that I had wanted to quit running early on, perhaps lap 2, and I reminded myself of my number 1 reason for losing weight. That reason pushed me to finish the next lap and at that point I was over halfway to the end. To me once I am over the halfway point there's no way I can stop, since I've already come so far and I since I don't have much further to go. When my right side started cramping and I wanted to quit I remembered the research I had done on side cramps and I took slow even breaths, breath in for a count of 2, breath out for a count of 2. The cramps were not gone but they were more bearable. When my chest started feeling tight during the last lap I reminded myself how close I was to the finish and that there's no way I could give up. Last but not least, not only did I want to be proud of myself for finishing I wanted my husband to see me finish too. He's been in this with me the whole way. He ran with me the first time I tried to run a lap on the track and had to stop before I got to the end. Now, he ran with me when I finished 1 mile.

When I look in the mirror I no longer see the girl who makes excuses to take the elevator or the girl who insists that a fast food dinner can be healthy. I now see the girl who puts going to the gym as her 1st priority every day, the girl who runs a mile and is going to soon build up to 2 miles, the girl who's lost 60 pounds on her own in the past 6 months, and the girl who will stop at nothing to get and stay healthy.

Classes at the Gym

Are you looking for some variety in your workouts? Are you getting bored staring straight ahead as you walk on the treadmill or ride the exercise bike? If so, I highly recommend mixing up your workouts with group fitness classes.

I thankfully haven't hit a wall with my workouts so they're not boring yet, however taking classes at my gym seem to keep things fresh. I usually go to a Body Pump class every Wednesday but more often then not I will check the schedule as soon as I get to the gym and if there is a class soon then I will pop in and try it.

Here are the classes that I have done along with a short review:

ABS: Abdominal and Back Strength – a class which may use just your body weight, balance balls, or medicine balls, either on mats or on balancing equipment, to strengthen your abdominal and back muscles. ABS will help support your body in everything else you do. This class was only 30 minutes long however it was pretty intense. We used a medicine ball and completed approximately 100 sit-ups (not crunches, sit-ups). We also did planks, side planks, and we used the stability balls a lot to do hand to foot passes. Overall, great class I only wish it were longer than 30 minutes.

Body Pump: BODYPUMP is the original barbell class. Designed for all ages and fitness levels, BODYPUMP delivers real results, real fast. This athletic-based workout uses barbells with adjustable weights to work every major muscle group in the body. With motivating music and awesome instructors, BODYPUMP strengthens, tones, and defines the body. I love this class and as I stated above I put it on my calendar weekly. It is a fast paced weight lifting class, medium weights with many reps. We focus on one or two body parts per 3 minute song; warm-up, legs/squats, chest, back, triceps, biceps, lunges, shoulders, abs, cool down. I have upped my weights steadily over the past few months and tend to push myself harder than I knew I could in every class.

BodyCombat™ is the empowering cardio workout where you are totally unleashed. This fiercely energetic program is inspired by martial arts and draws from a wide array of disciplines such as Karate, boxing, Taekwondo, Tai Chi and Muay Thai. Supported by driving music and powerful role model instructors strike, punch, kick and kata your way through calories to superior cardio fitness. I love this class and even though I've only taken it once I can't wait to take it again and again. It reminded me a lot of Taibo, I've owned the Taibo video's for years and have completed them many times. It's somewhat of of kickboxing class with upbeat music, punches, jabs, kicks, etc. FUN!

Boot Camp: an old-fashioned gym class with sports moves. You'll be doing lots of relays, sprints, small hurdle running, lunging, push-up, bracing, and much more. You will feel exhilarated after competing this class. The first time I did this class when it was over I was shaking, my face was bright red, and my husband insisted on following me to my sisters house to make sure I made it there in one piece. Believe it or not, I went back a second time and took the class again. I made it through a little easier the second time but I do not believe I will ever do this class again. Remember those suicides your basketball coach made you do in HS, the ones that you loathed every second of? Well, this class was 10 million times worse. To me, the point of a fitness class is to have fun while still benefiting from a workout. Boot Camp is not fun to me and I find myself trying to focus on the clock for long enough to see how much time is left.

Hi/Low or Low: fun traditional floor aerobics using hi and low impact or a combination of both. Can have equipment and intervals added. This class was fun, it was basically learning a dance routine bit by bit combining more as we went then running it from top to bottom a few times a the end. The more I do this class the more coordinated I will become also. I remembered the routine and kept up for the most part, but I would like to perfect my steps in the future.

Spin: Aerobic conditioning on a stationary bike. There is no learning curve... just get on the bike and go. However, you may enjoy your time on the bike more, if you wear padded bike shorts or bring a padded seat cover, available in the sports department of any major discount store. I have done spin classes in the past and my most vivid memory is not being able to walk up the stairs at school the next day without being in pain. This class is a lot of fun, but just like the description says a padded seat or padded shorts are a plus. I of course don't have either but it wasn't as horrible as I remember. Have plenty of water and DON'T FORGET A WORKOUT TOWEL. I forgot my towel and I honestly can't remember ever sweating that much in my entire life. Fun!

Aquaerobics: motivated water workout that combines a longer cardio segment with strength training using the density of the water as resistance. Great upper body toning. I've taken this class a couple times and I don't find it very challenging. I like to feel a little sore sometimes either that night or the next morning and I can't feel anything during or after the workout. I used the thickest styrofoam weights they had and it still wasn't very challenging. I'm sure part of the problem too is that I am also one of the youngest people in the class by at least 30 or 40 years. Just not my style because I like more challenging and fast paced workouts.

Week 22

Isn't it funny how our minds work? Mine for example seems to never be satisfied. My mind is constantly craving more and no matter how hard I work I tell myself I should have worked harder. Let me explain...

Over the past 2 weeks I have lost 6.6 pounds a.k.a. over 3 pounds per week. HOWEVER when I saw the number on my Dr's scale this morning I was disappointed. Why you ask? Because I was hoping to have lost 60 pounds and I have only (insert: groan) lost 59 pounds. What is wrong with me? What is wrong with my brain? Don't get me wrong having lost almost 7 pounds in the past two weeks is an amazing accomplishment and since I seem to have small weeks and big weeks this was DEFINITELY a big week. But now my progress as of today is "I've lost 59 pounds", when it seems like saying "I've lost 60 pounds" would be so much more satisfying. I expressed this thought to my doctor and she pointed out the fact that at least I'm pushing myself and making my own mini goals that I am working toward. So after my next visit I will definitely have lost over 60 pounds and I just have to start looking towards the next goal of reaching -70 pounds. WOW, that sounds weird to say... 70 pounds!

In other news, my family and I leave tomorrow for a 12 day vacation to Missouri and I am terrified. I have been working out in the gym 5 - 6 days a week for 5 months now. I have never missed more than 3 days in a row at the gym even when we went to Lake Tahoe for our anniversary (if you remember I tracked down a Curves and I used the gym in the hotel). My plan of action is to walk/run every single day and I'm talking like 2 - 4 miles daily. I also will be bringing protein bars and protein water packets. You may or may not have ever been to Missouri or met my family but I can tell you this now... people in the mid-west EAT. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast, burgers for lunch, steaks, green beans and new potatoes, and fried green tomatoes for dinner. I WILL NOT BE EATING THIS STUFF... but you know what? If I do I will watch what I eat the rest of the day and track my calories to stay between 1,000 - 1,200 a day.

I think that is part of the reason I've been so successful; I don't deprive myself and I always hold myself accountable. My husbands family all went to Black Angus this past weekend to celebrate his parents 38th anniversary. I had a water to drink, a small dinner salad with the dressing on the side, steamed broccoli and a small cut of filet mignon, I even had 1 bite of whatever chocolatey deliciousness was being passed around for dessert. However, I had been planning all day to go to dinner so I watched what I ate the rest of the day AND I went for a 3 mile walk with my husband and mother-in-law that morning. It's all about making sacrifices at times and letting yourself indulge (in moderation) at others.

So, I will do my absolute best to stay on track during this vacation and "JUST SAY NO!" will become my motto.

Now, for one of my most exciting updates yet... I ran 1 mile on Tuesday! I had been building myself up over the last few months. I started out using C25K a while back and ending up not getting very far in the program and starting my own program. A little less regimented but I got to where I could barely run 1 lap, to running 1 lap with no problem, to running a lap then walking a lap then running a lap, to running 2 laps, etc. On Tuesday I decided to run 1 lap but when the lap was finished I still felt amazing so I decided to try for 2 laps. At the end of 2 laps I still felt good and told myself "now I'm over halfway there if I run a mile!" So I tried for 3 laps and at that point I was so close to the end that I couldn't help but finish my last lap. I ran a 15 minute mile which equals running 4 mph which is much slower than I usually run (usually run about 6 mph) BUT I don't think I could have ran a mile running at that fast pace. So I guess slowing down gave me the stamina I needed to finish the mile! Now I just have to decide if I should start trying to run 2 miles at 4mph or try running 1 mile faster than 4 mph. Decisions, decisions.

KUDOS reminder

Hey everyone! Just a reminder to send me your weight loss/shapeup stats if you haven't already. I will be posting a blog about it soon and want to make sure that I give lots of Kudos to all my friends that are on their personal ShapeUp Journies!

Click HERE to refresh your memory.

Here's what I need from you:

1) Leave me a comment with your name and how much weight you've lost or how you've gotten in better shape recently, or in the past even! Please be sure to include how you've gotten to where you are now and what all you think has worked for you.

2) If you'd rather not leave a comment in a public forum, feel free to email me at shapeupjourney@gmail.com. Tell me the same thing, how much weight you've lost or any new muscles you have recently acquired. Also how have you gotten there so far. Feel free to include before and current pictures if you like!

Me and MY shadow....

Me and MY shadow....

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Inspired this morning by this blog post:

"I was walking the other day and looked down at the sidewalk and saw this stranger walking with me. I stared at the image and for a brief moment I asked "who to heck is that?" " This person doesn't have all those lumps and bumps of ugly fat on her that I do"... A brief moment, then tears came to my eye's as it hit me. This was ME.

I weighed myself yesterday. The scales said 141.6...I realized that I had now lost 70 pounds! I then put on my gift to myself a pair of size 8 Kymaro jeans I was saving for this moment. Never in my life have I wore a size 8. They look good, yes, I can honestly tell you that. These jeans are designed to hold in all that loose skin a person of my age gets after losing that 70 pounds, and they do just that. Oh, the journey is not over, far from it with still another six pounds to go in order to reach my spark goal and then toning up my body, all in good time ..but for now I reflect on some of the things I have learned on this my journey of a million steps.

I have learned that the prison of shame and guilt that I had built was my own creation and that I had the power to tear it down, or to build it up. It is all up to ME

I had to learn to take personal responsibility for every bite of food that I put into my mouth, and that I had to eat healthy to BE healthy.

I had to learn that you either do IT (diet/exercise), or you don't -- there's no middle ground and that life is full of choices and I choose to be happier and healthier with mine.

I learned that I could acknowledge myself in ways other than eating. That I no longer have to be an "emotional eater" to do that.

I have learned that it was ok to say "I gotta take care of me first...."

I learned to admit to myself that I was fat and unhealthy because I chose to overeat and I chose foods that were unhealthy and fattening.

I learned that I could enjoy exercising -- and actually look forward to walking and exercising every day -- I also learned that it doesn't take a lot of money to exercise, that all exercise is: Is moving our bodies to bring up our heart rates. That means I could dance like no one was watching, and still call it exercise.

I learned I just needed to find a diet plan that worked for ME. For me this is the Idiot proof diet plan. Eating the right combination of foods, eating small portions knowing I will eat again in two hours, and eating healthy food was and is my key to success.

I learned that I am not a failure even though I may have "failed" when I dieted in the past.

I have learned that "temptations" along my journey are merely a test to my commitment. And, if I give myself the "gift" of an occasional temptation it makes the journey go much better.

I have learned that wherever we are on our path, it is **exactly** where we need to be at this point on our journey! I have learned that God puts us just where he wants us to be, and I praise HIM for His help on this journey.

I have learned that losing weight is not the end result but the beginning of a new chapter -- complete with new challenges, commitments and dreams!

I have learned that the journey will NEVER be over for me, that this is just the beginning of another journey to a happier and healthier life full of mountains and valleys, but with the help of all my Spark friends I will accept the hills and valleys and travel with them...with the knowledge that I CAN continue, and I CAN do this, with my determination and their help and support.

****one last lesson****

Now it is time again for me and my shadow to go on another walk...when I look down I promise to no longer think I am walking with a stranger...

I have learned that the stranger I walk with... is ME."

Week 20

Well folks as of 07/09 I lost 52.4 pounds but unofficially I've lost 57. The problem I find is that I weigh with 3 different scales. My Dr's scale and the Wii Fit are very close, and the bathroom scale tends to be 1 - 2 pounds heavier. The numbers on my side bar are strictly bi-weekly update numbers from my doctor but weighing on the Wii Fit certainly keeps me in check in between visits.

1) Dr's scale (every 2 weeks)
2) Wii Fit Body Test (almost every day)
3) Bathroom Scale (whenever I feel like being disappointed)

I used to be very strict with when I weighed myself, I would practice absolute self control and only weigh once a week, right after I woke up, right after I went to the bathroom, and wearing no clothes. I've always read that you shouldn't weigh more than once a week anyway because your weight can fluctuate so much in a single day. However, since I'm working out every. single. day. and watching what I eat, if I gained a pound then I need to compensate the next day or ASAP.

Should I weigh every day? I don't know, but it works for me now. I also plan on weighing multiple times a week after I reach my goal and go into maintenance mode. I need to hold myself accountable for every pound and if I notice the scale going up again then I need to get myself in check. Not that I'm going to gain all my weight back in a week but I need to keep myself accountable.

In other news, I lost fat and gained muscle again. Of the 2.7 pounds I lost in the past 2 weeks, almost 2 whole pounds of it was pure fat. I'm still hovering around -9 BMI points but I know for CERTAIN that at my next appointment I will be down another point. My blood pressure seems to have stabilized at 100/60 where it's been for the past 6 weeks. I'm still down 4 pant sizes but I can tell I'm getting close to 5. Will definitely be in the next month.