Target Clothes

Okay, get this...I bought a pair of jeans from Target! Yes, me! No, for real! Can you believe it?! TARGET CLOTHES!!! Me! I know you are thinking, "That's common and everyone does it." Not this big girl...not until now!

I was floating on air two weeks ago when I purchased my first pair of jeans from Target. I've never been able to wear clothes from there before. Yes, they were still plus size, but I could shop at a regular store just like anybody else. I've needed new jeans for awhile now. When others start to notice your pants are too baggy it's a bit embarrassing. I attempted to buy some at Wal-Mart a few weeks back, but after trying them on they were too short, tight, and looked cheap. Of course I don't want to spend much money on clothes as I shrink through the sizes, but still, I want them to look alright. I really didn't think the Target jeans would work either, but I figured why not check them out. I was nervous putting them on and zipping them in the dressing room. I nearly teared up when was able to get them on! I was on a natural high when I left the store that evening.

I was completely bummed out when I wore them the next day and the zipper wouldn't stay up. I figured it was because I was too big for them and was making them bust at the seams. That night when I got home I inspected them and the bottom of the zipper was missing the little clasp thing that holds it together. Yay, it wasn't me! I returned them to the store and sadly, they didn't have any others in that size and color. After going to two more Targets, I found the size and color I wanted and was thrilled once again. So much so that I got brave a tried on a few shirts, which fit also. How cool is that? I did the smart thing and only bought one. ;) You can't imagine the feeling of being able to shop for clothes at Target if you'd never been really overweight. I normally just shop at Lane Bryant & The Avenue and have to pay their expensive prices because that's what fits. Not any longer! Yippee!!!! I've even asked for a Target gift card for Christmas so I can do a little more damage in the clothing department. I can't wait! ;-)

5 Months Post-Op

Sunday was 5 months since I had my DS weight loss surgery. I can't believe it's already been that long! It's not always smooth sailing, but as I've said numerous times, it's worth it.

I weighed myself this morning and in 5 months I've lost 106 lbs!!!!!! Yes, I am thrilled. However, I can't help being a little disappointed that I only lost 10 lbs in the last month when the month before I lost 20. I know, I know, shut up, right?! I know my weight loss will not be the same from month to month and there are even things I could have done in the last month to help it along more. I haven't been exercising AT ALL. I hate it, and therefore I come up with every excuse in the book to not do it. Yes, life gets busy and a few excuses are valid, but really?! I'm pretty sure I managed to fit in a lot of TV time, some of which I could have exchanged for the dreaded exercise! :-P I also need to watch my carb intake. I've gotten a bit lax lately. I've eaten too many chips/crackers, potatoes, and the occasional bread. It's time to tighten the reigns on those things once again and remember the long term goal.

I took my 5 month pictures yesterday. It's so fun to see the difference.

I look a bit lopsided here. I think I had my pants pulled up weird! lol!

Getting smaller! Yay!

These pants are starting to get a little baggy!

I even think the back fat is getting a little smaller. Not a ton yet, but maybe a little.

4 months post-op and 96 lbs gone!

I had my DS surgery 4 months ago today. I cannot believe it's already been that long. What I also can't believe, and am SO THRILLED about, is that in these past 4 months I have lost 96 lbs. Yes, 96 lbs!!!!! I weighed myself three times yesterday because I couldn't believe it. I thought surely the scale was wrong. That's 20 lbs in the last month! OH. MY. GOSH! I am so excited! No, it's hasn't all been a walk in the park, but it's been worth it. Even the days when I don't feel well because some food didn't agree with me, I'm still thankful for this procedure. It has definitely given me a whole new outlook on life. It's given me my life back. It's pretty awesome!

06-27-10 - day before surgery

I can't believe my eyes! This comparison has seriously taken my breath away!

10-31-10 - 4 months post-op

I was asked by a fellow blogger about what I eat. I eat a pretty big variety of things. The thing that really helps me is that my stomach is 2/3's smaller than it originally was so that gives me restriction. I also only absorb 20% of the fat I eat which I feel is my saving grace. I try to eat healthy though; lots of protein with salads or veggies. My breakfasts usually consist of 2 scrambled eggs, or an omelet that I eat on for half the day, or a cup of cottage cheese, sometimes along with a fiber bar. Lunches, as I said, may be salads, or some type of meat along with veggies and/or a salad. Don't get me wrong, there are times when I've had nachos as well. I just try to not make that a daily, or weekly, event. I've been trying to stay away from carbs as well; things like breads, pastas, rices, and potatoes. Unfortunately potatoes are one of my faves and I've had them one too many times lately. The good thing is I definitely can't eat as much of them as before surgery. My dinners are pretty random. Last night it was just cottage cheese because I felt kinda icky. Sometimes it's scrambled eggs, refried beans, fajita meat with the fixin's, minus the tortilla, tuna, chicken, whatever. I eat out a lot too, but try to make good choices. But like I said, I'm nowhere near perfect. This month, being my birthday month, I had a lot of celebrations and eating out so there was definitely an over abundance of chips to munch on and sweets to partake in. I think what I'm learning is that I can have those things occasionally. It just has to be in moderation. Not daily, like the old me. I also need to learn not to beat myself up when I do splurge. I'm not there yet, but trying. I don't want to feel so guilty every time I eat M&M's or crackers. I want to find that healthy fine line in between going hog wild over things and feeling total guilt from eating them. I will get there. It's a process.

What a difference 4 months make!

Thanks again for following me on this journey. I look forward to lots of more fun weigh-ins and before/after photos! :-)

Dallas Komen 5K

Dallas Komen Race for the Cure was Saturday, October 16th. Leigh Ann, Joy, & I, as well as what seemed like a trillion other people, participated in the 5K event. There were so many participants that we couldn't walk very fast if we'd wanted to. It seemed like we were just taking a leisurely stroll through some pretty neighborhoods. We finished the 5K in 1:32.12, however we technically didn't even cross the start line of the Race until it had been officially going on for at least 20 minutes. ;)

the sea of people

As we were walking the 3.1 miles of the 5K I was thinking to myself what an incredible event this was. Komen and Race for the Cure is an awesome organization that is helping to find a cure for breast cancer and for that I am above and beyond grateful. But I was also thinking about how it was incredible that I was participating in my 2nd 5K in 3 weeks. I thought about the ease in which I was able to walk the 5K. Yes, I was hot and sweaty but I was in no great pain. I thought back to 3 1/2 month ago, pre-surgery, where walking from the parking garage at work to my desk had me winded and sweaty. What an incredible difference weight loss makes. When you are at your highest weight and have completely given up, everything seems impossible; kind of like you are drowning. But now...now I sort of feel invincible. Like I have been given my life back. It's weird to stop and think about. My weight has kept me a prisoner my entire life, and now I feel like the chains are gone. It's a fabulous feeling.

crossing the finish line

I can't wait to see what else this wonderful weight loss journey will hold!

3 Months Post-Op

As of September 28th it's been 3 months since my DS surgery. Time flies when you're having fun!

At my 3 month check-up on 9-16-10 I had lost 66.5 lbs. I was thrilled! I had a good check-up with my surgeon and he said I was doing well and on track. Yay! My blood pressure is good too since going off meds. I weighed on my own scales on 9-29-10 and my total lost was 75 lbs!!!! I couldn't believe it. Having surgery was the best decision I could have made! I look forward to the months to come. This is working! Praise God!

Here are my 3 month post-op pics that I took yesterday.

Back fat, oh back fat.

I decided to post this photo because I want to be able to see the shrinkage of the back fat and back spare tire during this journey. I hadn't taken pictures of my back until now, but after trying on clothes in the 3 way mirror yesterday I saw the way my back looks in clingy clothing. YIKES! I've lost in my stomach, in the front, but what about this?!?!?! I sure hope it's next to start shrinking. Stay tuned!

Oh, and on a side note, trying on clothes yesterday didn't make me want to cry and go into a deep depression. Some items were actually TOO BIG! Whoo hoo! I even bought a pair of pants for work that are 2-3 sizes smaller than what I've been wearing. It was VERY exciting! AND my foot is shrinking too. The size 11's didn't fit. It was GREAT!

Heels and Hills and Him 5K

heading out Saturday

Keelie & I participated in the Heels and Hills and Him 5K this past Sunday. Heels and Hills is a non-profit dedicated to promoting and increasing involvement in women's fitness (this event included men's fitness as well ;) ). It was held in Las Colinas in the Williams Square area.

Keelie and I decided to make an overnight trip of the event since we both live 30+ minutes away from where the race was held. We picked up our packets Saturday afternoon at the Holiday Inn Express, where we also stayed that night. It was a very nice hotel room, by the way. We lounged around, went to a movie, ate dinner, and did a little shopping. Then it was back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep for the race.

Race morning...shrinking a bit!

We both popped up at 6 am when our alarms went off and were out the door by 6:30. The race site wasn't far from our hotel so we were there in plenty of time. Our 5K got started at 7:45. The announcer said "GO" and we were off. I told Keelie to definitely not stay behind with me. I only planned on jogging a bit of the 5K and she was going to try to run the whole thing. This was my 4th 5K to participate in, but my first since having my DS procedure back in June. I have been working out for a little while now so I knew I could do this. Would it be easy? No, but I could do it. My original goal was to use my C25K program to jog in intervals throughout the race. I started the program and jogged the first 1:30 min and 3 min times, but I was quickly tiring out. I then changed my goal. I knew there was no way I'd make it through the 3.1 miles if I did C25K the whole time so I decided to just walk fast and "try" to jog again at the end, if at all possible. The weather wasn't too bad Sunday morning and I very much enjoyed the sprinkle of rain that trickled down on me for about a min during the 5K. It was a much needed refresher. The race course went down one road, looped around and went back up the other side to make the 3.1 miles. As I was just on the way down the first stretch of road I spotted Keelie on the opposite side of the road jogging. She was doing great. I kept trucking along. Having strangers around me helped me to go faster. I didn't want them to do better than me, especially if they were older than I was. Ha! That helped me to keep my pace up. I hit the home stretch and spotted Keelie waiting for me at the corner. She'd finished and come back to wait. She walked with me for a few minutes, but with the finish line in site I decided to jog the rest of the way in. It wasn't easy and about halfway to the finish line I sure did want to quit. I didn't though. How embarrassing would it have been to quit with everyone now watching me?! Ha! I jogged in and crossed the finished line. The announcer even called out "Way to go 5K finisher Kristi!" (My name was on my bib.)

Having my chip time removed just after finishing.

I finished! Yay! And in under an hour. I wasn't sure of my exact time but I knew it had taken less than an hour, which was a big accomplishment for me. I'm pretty sure my previous 5Ks had taken longer than that. We grabbed water, bananas, and went to take some pictures, and stretch some. I could feel the burn in my legs! Then they posted the 5 & 10K results. We walked over to check out our times. It looked like they had only posted the first 20 people from each of the categories so I wasn't listed. I knew I was nowhere near the top. However, Keelie had registered in the Athena category for women over 150 lbs, instead of her age range, which is an option offered to the women participants. Right away I spotted Keelie's name on the list. SHE GOT FIRST! She hadn't seen her name yet and was looking lower down on the list so I pointed it out to her. It was SO exciting! We were THRILLED. FIRST! Amazing! And she jogged the 5K in 32:34.7 min, which was two minutes faster then the 5K she did in June. Whoo hooo! I was soooo proud of her. Everyone else's results weren't going to be posted until that evening on the website so we took off and headed to breakfast at Corner Bakery. I did get my results Sunday evening though. I did the 5K in 52:27.2 min, which probably consisted of 5-6 min of jogging and the rest walking. I came in 191st out of 209. I was pleased. I did it in under an hour and wasn't last. Hehe. That made me happy!

5K finishers at Williams Square

Filling up on protein & fruit after the race. It was delish!

It was a fun event and we plan to be back in May for the all women 5K. Keelie & I commented on the way home how different this was for us. In the past, getting together would consist of going to splurge on super unhealthy food until we made ourselves sick and then head off to some sedentary activity. Who were these girls that just did this 5K?!?! Oh, that's right...the new us! ;-)

Check out official race photos here. Just plug in BIB Numbers 2132 and 2293. You can see Keelie & my photo finishes!

So this whole working out thing...

I hate it. I mean really DESPISE IT. I'd rather clean litter boxes, pooper scoop the yard, or do toilets instead of exercise. Do you understand my hatred for it?!

So I've been working out for 4 weeks now. Yes, I've worked out previously in the last 30 years, but the times have been few and far between. Now if you are keeping track of when I started working out you know if should have been 5 weeks by now. Yeah, I didn't do anything last week. Nothing. My elliptical that sits snugly beside my bed stared me in the face and I just turned my head. I'd like to blame it on being out of town for Labor Day, heading back out of town the next weekend to celebrate a 1st b-day, the laundry & packing I needed to do, and the rest I needed to get. But let's face it, I was home for three days and did nothing. And I'm pretty sure my family and friends wouldn't have minded me working out when I was at their houses either. I just chose not to. Yup, that was my decision. And boy has it kicked my booty this week.

So I'm on week 4 of C25K. Week 4 consists of the 5 minute warm up, 3 min jog, 1:30 min walk, 5 min jog, 2:30 min walk, 3 min jog, 1:30 min walk, 5 min jog, 5 minute cool down, and then go home and crash. By Wednesday I still hadn't done any of it so I decided it was time to get off my rump. I got home late though so I decided to do it on my elliptical; just go much faster on the running intervals as I did once before in the past. I was sweating bullets and feeling the burn, but I survived. There was definitely grunting during those 5 min jogs and I regretted the non-workouts from the week before, but I finished. Then there was last night...

Last night can only be described as an epic exercise FAIL. I wasn't even going to workout last night. I very much dislike working out two days in a row. I'm always so tired by the next day. However, I was in a funk mood yesterday and when I drove home I noticed it was super pretty so I thought exercise might help pull me out of the funk. Yeah, no. I started off alright. I finished the 3 min jog just fine and was in the neighborhood across from my apts. But that stinkin' 5 min jog came all too quickly. I tried, I really did. But with 2:53 left to go I walked. Grrr. I was irritated with myself. So after I minute of walking I ran the last nearly 2 min. 4 min in all, but not 5. At that point I was hurting. My stomach was hurting and I was so tired. I told myself I had to continue though. It was time for the next 3 min jog and unfortunately I was on an incline. It was killing me. I ran just a little bit of that one, got to a flatter surface and then ran again, but it was probably only 1:30 in all. At this point I'm frustrated, stomach still hurting, sweating profusely, and not entirely sure where I am. I mean, I know I'm still in the neighborhood but the streets all wind together and I didn't pay close enough attention to my surroundings when I started my exercising. I quickly found the road that led back to my apt but it was uphill and I didn't want to attempt the last 5 min jog going up that street. So what do I do? Run further away from home, although much running wasn't involved. I probably didn't even get a min in. I was DONE. My stomach was really hurting now and I had HAD IT! I had FAILED this stupid C25K. Doing it on the elliptical is NOTHING like actually running it. Instead of turning around and heading home uphill I kept walking in the direction I was going. Didn't this street curve back around to where I needed to be. Oh wait, it doesn't. Crap, where am I? The sun is setting and I'm semi-lost. Okay, not lost, but turned around. I could turn back around and go back the way I had come, but ugh, uphill. Then I see a main road in the distance and realize, yes, I have gone way out of my way and was not headed home. Instead of turning around I decided that walking down the grass embankment, hopping over the little stream, walking up the other side of the grass embankment was a good idea. REALLY? All that to avoid uphill?! Just as I was crossing the stream I though about snakes which freaked me out and had me going faster. Could I run from a snake? Uh, no. I finally got to the street I crossed the stream for and headed down it to hit the street that would eventually take me back home. I noticed it was dusk, which worried me because I was on a random street I didn't know. Then the white utility van slowly crept by. Oh my goodness! What if they jumped out and tried to throw me in and kidnap me? Edward from Twilight would not appear out of the shadows to save me as he'd done Bella. Man, dang it. I'd just be dead. The van passed, I realized I was insane, and kept going...and going and going and going. I got to my complex and had to sprint to make it through the gate since I didn't have my clicker with me. That did me in. I finally arrived home an hour after I had left. That stupid 31 min C25K had lasted WAY too long.

So yes, I do not like exercise. And what do I do now? I clearly didn't complete the week 4 workout. Quit C25K and do something else? Keep trying to do week 4 until I master it even if it takes a lot longer than it should. I don't know. Right now I can't think about exercising again. Everything from my hips down is sore.

Keelie & I after exercising two weeks ago. It was a happy, simpler time!