Surgery, Weight Loss, and Chocolate Pudding...

So, of course, right as I am trying to lose these last fifteen pounds, I have to go into a surgery to get my hernias fixed. That means weeks of little to no exercise, plus two weeks of forced inactivity with the constant temptation of chocolate pudding at every moment! Sigh. Double sigh.

Here's the kicker...when I went into surgery I was 156, next morning while I was in the Emergency Room for unexpected bleeding, I was 166.5. I almost burst into tears! It took me two months to lose those ten and half pounds, and now! now! now! THEY WERE ALL BACK! Thank goodness my mother was there to talk me off my psychological ledge. My mom assured me that it was all water, yadda, yadda, yadda....however all I felt was this buzzing in my head. However, moms are always right, and the weight came off over the next week.

Despite all the surgery drama, I still managed to lose four pounds since my last weigh in at Kaiser (which is now every two weeks). So, I have officially lost 70 pounds since March, which is pretty darn cool! Now, I am 14.5 pounds away from my goal weight, my fat percentage is in the "acceptable" range, and my BMI is close to normal.

Some interesting things I learned in my weight loss support groups these past few weeks:

Fiber is key. Apparently, if you eat 35 grams of fiber a day, it helps curb hunger and promotes weight loss.

It's really important to take one day at a time. One bad day or bad decision does not negate all your hard work.

It's okay to give yourself a break. It was hard for me to accept that I had to take time to heal. However, beating myself up because I couldn't exercise just makes exercise seem like an obligation, not something fun. Being positive helps you stay focused on what's important, taking care of yourself.

So...here are the numbers:

Starting weight: 224
Current weight: 154.5
Goal weight: 140

Goal time!

Outer goal: A young Ingrid Bergman...okay a middle-aged Ingrid Bergman!
Inner goal: To find the strength to walk my 5K on Halloween....and World Peace!