california

I cannot figure out how to get my photos on here.  I've tried direct uploading, I've tried picasa and it just won't work.  I thought I was good at techy stuff too.  I will figure this out eventually.

Anyway,  I love being in California!  It was just too damn stressful in Chicago and all the triggers that make me want to eat all the time.  I'm going to stay here as long as I can, which I think will be the beginning of June, and get as much exercise and mental strength as I can before going back to Chicago and dealing with the everyday there.

I remember going to my first lap-band seminar here and then sitting out on the driveway crying to my mother on the phone because I felt like it was the answer I had been looking for, and it just seemed so completely out of my reach.  I remember feeling like I would've done it the next day if I could've.  Now, here it is three years later and I've had the surgery and I'm on my way to where I want to be.

This week I've managed to exercise every night.  I started out walking because my bike had flat tires from sitting in the garage since October.  My legs were real tight and it was painful, but I think they're starting to loosen up and it's getting easier.  Last night I got my tires fixed and I've managed to ride two nights in a row after walking.  I love riding at night when I have the streets to myself.

A pic of my beautiful bike was going to go here.

So that takes care of my cardio.  I really need to start focusing on strength training.  I thought I would just do some lunges and crunches myself, but I think I need to go a little bigger than that.  I think I need to just bite the bullet and go to my aunt's gym.  It's convenient enough and I'm pretty sure they have everything I need for my old strength training routine.  I just don't like how it's so open and there's no separate area for weights.  But you do what you gotta do, I guess.

back to Coachella

April 19 was my two month sleev-a-versary and I had hoped to be at my first goal of 50 pounds down so I could go to the Coachella music festival which I've had to miss for the last two years. The last time I went in 2010 I could barely stand for any length of time and walking was hard and sitting on the ground was painful.

Well, I didn't make my 50 lbs down goal, I've had three weeks of not losing anything, but I'm down 35 so I decided to go anyway.  I don't think my weight was a problem this time around, but being kind of weak from pneumonia was annoying.  I got winded easily and there was a lot of walking on dirt paths so I was coughing a lot.  I had a good time though.

Usually at Coachella I've eaten everything.  I was a little worried that two months out might be a little too soon with all the temptations I'd be facing, but I did pretty good, I think.  Some of my meal highlights were ahi tuna poke nachos with edamame hummus from The Lime Truck.  I didn't eat the chips and got full on the tuna so had to throw away half the hummus.  Throwing away delicious food is hard.  I had the chicken pesto arugula sandwich from the organic truck twice.  I didn't eat the bun obviously.  And one night I had a bowl of pulled pork topped with coleslaw. That was so delicious going down, but when I was done I was having problems.  I think I must've eaten too much.  I have a hard time eyeing portions.  I also had homemade Popsicles, lavender lemonade was the best! And various lemonades, blueberry, strawberry, and frozen.  I definitely drank a lot of calories this weekend, but it's hard to stay hydrated in the desert!

I will post some pictures when I get to my laptop.  And I will try to be brave and post some progress pics too.  I don't see any difference, but my cousin said my back is much smaller.

Anyway, going back to Coachella was my first goal/milestone and I did it.  Next up is going back to yoga and practicing regularly when I'm 50 down.

six weeks

Just yesterday I finally started feeling much better.  It's like the black cloud of anger and misery started to lift.  I was really regretting and hating this surgery.  I'm sure my black mood had a lot to do with having pneumonia, which I wonder if it's all connected.  I think my lighter mood has to do with the fact I've been able to exercise a couple times this week.  The endorphins are starting to kick in.  I got the okay to go back into the pool, but with the pneumonia recovery I haven't wanted to get in the water and my breathing still isn't great.  But I've lost enough weight that I can walk better, so I've been doing that.  I've been coughing up a lung, but I do it anyway.  And yesterday I went back to the gym and started lifting weights.  I'm so weak and I've afraid I've lost so much muscle mass.  My hips and butt are just total mush, and I've always had strong thighs, but now I imagine them all withered and tiny.  But I'm telling myself I'll get stronger.

I've been one week on general food.  Unfortunately my stomach is uncomfortable a lot of the time.  The only thing that doesn't hurt too bad is sashimi.  I ate it twice so far this week.  It feels kind of extravagant, but if that's the only thing that doesn't bother my stomach, so be it.