FAQs

Hi everyone! It's been a few weeks since my last blog. I'm working to get back to posting at least once a week. Please be patient with me. I've decided to make the theme of this blog FAQs or Frequently Asked Questions. So here I will share with you all the answers to the questions I get about my journey. Ready?! Here we go:

1. How much weight have you lost? To date, I have lost 78 lbs
2. How much do you weigh? 247 lbs
3. How long have you been on your journey? Since October 27 (Surgery Date). Next week will be 4 months.
4. How often do you workout? I workout 5 days week, Monday-Friday. I have 2 rest days (Saturday and Sunday).
5. How long are your workouts? I workout out with a trainer 3 days a week for 60 min, plus 2 days a week I do an hour of cardio, 3 days a week I do 3 hours of cardio (broken down into morning and night). So anywhere from 2-4 hours a day.
6.  What do you do during your workouts? For cardio I do: swimming, cycle, Zumba, P90X DVDs and my newest is a hip hop class. With the trainer I do a lot of core work, abs, weights, exercise on the exercise ball (too much for me to remember). I just show up, do what she says and wait for her to tell me we are done.
7. Do you regret having the surgery done? Not at all. Knowing everything I know now, I would do again in a heartbeat. It gave me the help I needed to get on track and now I am able to control my life.
8. What's the thing you like best about having the surgery? Well of course the weight loss. It's pretty awesome to see your body change from week to week. 
9. What's the most frustrating thing about having the surgery? Not being able to guzzle down a 16 oz bottle of water in 2 min. Because my stomach is so small, I have to take small sips frequently. 
10. Do you miss the old food you used to eat? Not really. I remember how things taste, but now I look at it so differently. How something is going to affect my body is my number one concern when eating now.
11. What is the biggest change in you? How I look at food. I use food as fuel now. Eating is not an event anymore. It's something I have to do in order to live. Simply put.
12. Have you suffered any side-affects? Yes. I am lactose-intolerant at the moment (they tell me it may change later). I'm having some hair loss. This is because of the rapid weight loss. It should start growing back when I hit my 6 month mark (the cool thing is no one can see it). My taste buds have changed drastically. I have a very delicate pallet. I don't eat a lot of strong flavors. I hardly eat any meat. I eat turkey maybe once a week. So seafood it is!
13. What size are you wearing now? I wear a Lane Bryant 14/16 top and a 20 bottom. I think I can go to 18 though, I'm just not ready. I can wear an XL top in Old Navy.
14. How are you emotionally? I am the best I have been yet! Like ever! I mean I was smaller before but I wasn't fit and my inner being wasn't as healthy.
15. Do you cook different meals for your family? No. What I cook is what everyone eats. My family has been very supportive of me and they don't gripe about the lack of junk in the house.
16. What do you eat now? I can pretty much eat anything I want. I don't eat sugar because it creates fat. I don't eat hardly any bread. It fills me up way too fast. I still do about 2 protein supplements a day to compensate for my lack of traditional meat.
17. What's your goal weight? This, I can't seem to decide. As I see the changes in my body, my answer changes. I'll say between 165-185 lbs (I'm 5'10'' so there's really no getting smaller than that for me).
18.  Do you have a goal size? Yes. I want to go into ANY store and wear a size large.

Whew! That's about all. If you have more questions just send them to me and I'll answer them. I have a NSV (Non-Scale Victory) to share before I go. I am able to fit into my hubby's clothes. This is probably the most exciting thing for me. When your lounging around the house, sometimes there's nothing more comforting than your husband's jersey or sweatshirt. That's all, until next time...

3 Month Update (new pics)

Mental-Diet-Exercise! That really sums up the key to this whole weight loss thing (in that order). The issue is most of us don't get past the mental or we try them out of order. We change our diet but we don't exercise. Or we exercise and eat the same crap. All the while we haven't had that 'Ah ha' moment. We haven't dealt with what got us to the point of the excess weight. A lot of the time, it's because we don't know where to start.

When I started my journey I was soooo scared. I new that this was it! I had to do it this time. Through much prayer and fasting I made some requests to God. I literally cried my heart out, explaining to Him how I had had enough and I needed Him to really come through this time. I asked Him:

1. To give me the drive to never give up.
2. To not allow me to crave the things that would stop or stall my journey.
3. To not allow me to have any side affects
4. To reprogram my mind toward food
5. To heal my body from all ailments that would cause me not to reach my goal.

The awesome thing is...He heard me (and pitied every groan)!!!!!! He promised me that if I tried my very best, He would bless my efforts.  He has been so faithful. He has blessed me with such a drive, that it's as if my life depended on it. The funny thing is, it does. I am healthy and my mind is renewed. I don't even desire to have the bad foods. Now don't get me wrong, I may say, "Wow I wish I could eat a burger." However the thoughts that immediately follow are, "How much would I have to workout to burn that? That grease would probably make me sick. I'll probably get a headache afterward, then I'll be tired. It is soooo not worth it."

Who is this woman? The dialogue that goes on in my mind now is so different. I am no longer satisfying my addiction, but I am taking control of my body. I am cleaning my temple and showing it who is in charge. Everyday I am re-inviting God in. It reminds me of the show 'Clean House'. Family members of the homeowners come over but they don't stay as long. It's so uncomfortable to be there but they love their family member so they still come. After the house is clean, the homeowner is so eager to show them the house. Just as I am opening doors to rooms that God never could come in because it was filled with food, with a lack of self-worth, with pity. I can hardly show Him one room, before running to the next and opening the door. I am free! I am happy! I am content in state I am in.

These past 3 months have been challenging, but if it doesn't cost you anything, is it worth anything? It cost me not so much blood, but much sweat and tears. I am happy to say that after 3 months I have lost 69.4 lbs and I give all glory to GOD!!!!! His love for me is amazing and I am overwhelmed by His grace towards me. I still have a ways to go on this journey but I know that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! Phillipians 4:13