45 lbs down, 95 to go!

I've been continuing to enjoy and improve my swimming. Tonight I went on an hour walk with a friend. Funny how it doesn't feel like work or like it lasts an entire hour when there is a girlfriend to chat with!

I finally took some current photos to post. You can see the album on facebook, but here are my favorites:

Swimming 100s with flip turns

Today was my 3rd day in the pool over the last 8 days. I can tell it's using muscles that have long been forgotten and neglected. They are sore the next day or so, but not terribly painful. Today's goal was to swim 100s rather than 50s. I probably swam the same number of laps over 30 minutes, but the idea was stopping less often and therefore getting a better "workout". I also hoped to add flip turns when doing freestyle. I did well with the 100s (4 laps at a time before resting), but the flip turns caused much more fatigue than I expected... So that will be a gradual progression! Wednesday I did maybe three, today I did maybe 9. Try not to laugh at the visual of 37 yr old me and my great big butt doing a flip turn, btw! It's like simultaneously defying gravity and telling my lack of limberness to kiss off!

I got some "yoga wear" at Target Wednesday, and I'm hoping to try out the DBC yoga classes Mon and Wed this week... speaking of a lack of limberness! LOL. It all starts somewhere, though!

Week 6 -- Doing Great!

It's actually been 7 weeks now, but I had my 6 week follow up with Dr. Macik on Monday. His scale is different than mine, so his official weigh in was 240, which is exactly 30 lbs lighter than a few days before my surgery. If I use my own measuring devices, considering my own scale said 276 before my low carb diet, and that my scale now says 235, well, that's how I'm claiming 41 lbs down! (-: (Check it out .... that is a loss of almost 15% of my previous weight! Awesome!)

I'm doing well. I don't even feel like I had surgery recently. Well, of course my diet is drastically different, but I mean my body feels normal. Improved, actually. I feel able to be more active and have more energy overall. I swam more laps tonight. I didn't take my stuff to go directly to the gym earlier in the week, so all week, once I got home from work, I collapsed and was unable to motivate myself to get out and walk or go to the pool. I think, for me, the key is going to be taking my stuff with me to work and going directly there. That makes it part of the plan rather than something I have to motivate myself to do, you know? Anyway, I expect to swim after working OT on Saturday, and then hope that next week I'll do 2 yoga classes and 3 days of swimming. Wish me luck.

I haven't been feeling very hungry lately. In a way that is good, but in a way, that means I need to be more diligent about getting in my 48-62 ounces of fluids and my 60g of protein each day. My new favorite snack is Sea Salt Soy Crisps... They are like mini rice cakes, but have soy protein in them. I can eat half a serving and get several grams of protein with very low fat and sugar, plus enjoy the salty taste and crunch! Since I can't have popcorn for a long time, I will substitute these.

It's time to post a new picture, just haven't gotten around to taking one. Will do so soon!

Today I resurrected a dress. It's a nice Jones New York one that had been too small for a few years, but I'd never gotten rid of it. Got lots of compliments on it, so I think that mean it officially fits. For now, anyway. (-:

Swimming Laps

I went swimming today. Not sure how many laps I did, but I swam about 25 minutes doing Freestyle, Breast Stroke, and Backstroke. I swam on my high school swim team, and I've always enjoyed the water. I tired quickly, but hung in there. My muscles felt fine in the water, but then while I was rewarding myself with a quick 5 minute whirlpool soak afterwards I realized my arm muscles were already getting sore. Overall, though, I enjoyed it. I was getting bored and apathetic with walking ..... it's so dang hot in Georgia right now. My thought for the moment is that I might try to swim 3 days a week and do beginner Yoga 2 days a week, and walk 2 or 3 days a week. We'll see...