To Target and Beyond

Today is National Honesty Day so here I am, back on my page to update you on my progress, after a break from Facebook over Lent 😘

Things have been rather challenging the past few months, culminating in another unplanned 5 day stay in hospital - actually went in on the morning of my birthday, of all days, and missed Mother's Day too 😔

The cause of my symptoms are still being investigated, and may not be related to my surgery (although seems a bit too much of a coincidence 🤔) but they have been very debilitating to say the least, and I'm not very patient waiting for answers and definitive treatment.

I'm trying to remain positive but admit that I've felt pretty down recently - not being at work and mainly stuck at home is taking it's toll; I need routine back.
I've started trying to get out more, even if it's just a little walk in the village, and that has felt good, although tends to result in exhaustion for the next 24hrs; hopefully this will get better the more I get out.

One thing I have been doing is ordering lots of new clothes for the new me - I love trying styles I'd never have worn before, my wardrobe has never had so many outfit options, and so many colours, not just the black I used to wear 😊 Still lacking in full confidence to wear some things but my sister and daughter are always on hand to encourage and reassure me 😁

I'm coming up to my 1 Yr Anniversary on 29th May - Surgiversary we call it - so I'm going to hang fire with photo & measurements update until then 😉.

I am still so grateful for the surgery, even with the complications - no regrets at all.

Right, that's it for now.

💗Onwards,Downwards,Happier&Healthier💗

I hit my revised target of 12 stone last week 🎉 - losing 9 1/2 stone since my operation in May 🤯
The comparison photos and the measurements say it all - I seriously don't recognise myself in those first pics.
Truly grateful😍
💗Onwards, Downwards, Happier&Healthier 💗

🤯🤯never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd be wearing this size!🤯🤯

Things I thought I'd never say/hear:

☆ Everything in my wardrobe is too big!
☆ That top is too long!
☆ That's too baggy, it needs to be more fitted!
☆ I have a section in my wardrobe for mini skirts!
☆ I can feel my hip bones!
☆ It hurts when I lie on my side as my shoulder is bony now there is no fat padding on it!
☆ You need to eat more calories!
☆ Don't eat low fat, have what you fancy!
☆ You need to eat more snacks!
☆ My bum doesn't look big in anything!

🤯Mindblowing🤯

💗 Onwards, Downwards, Happier&Healthier 💗

🎉 Personal milestone hit this week 🎉

I've finally lost the horrible label I've had throughout my life, I no longer class as "Obese".
This may not mean much to you all but this word has made me feel disgusting and ashamed over the years and I hated what it represented.
In 8 months I've gone from a BMI of 51 (Morbidly Obese) to 29 (Overweight).

I'm not sure I'll ever get into the "Healthy Weight" range as I really feel that I don't want to lose much more - I've now lost 8st11 - but to be in this category makes me very happy and very proud.

In all honesty I don't really follow BMI guidance as I don't think it is a true representation of someone's health - an Olympic athlete can have a high BMI due to muscle mass increasing the calculation - but I know that health professionals still use it.

Almost on single digits for amount left to lose ... eek!

💗 Onwards, Downwards, Happier&Healthier 💗

🎉🎉 8 1/2 stone gone forever - 1 stone to go 🎉🎉

I've started going on long walks this past couple of weeks, in preparation for a charity 13mile walk in September, and I've noticed a huge difference.
My fitness levels are hugely improved; I'm walking for alot longer, don't get tired out, able to walk varying terrain with no joint pain and .... might be TMI for some but ... my inner thighs don't rub together anymore (if you know you know)!!
Also, my confidence and mental health has improved significantly - I would never have been able to go to places I've not been to before without anxiety kicking in and taking over, especially venturing out on my own.
It's not all about the physical changes that this surgery helps to achieve.

Edit: On one of the walks I had a backpack on with thermos and picnic for myself and my daughter. I decided to weigh it as it felt really heavy - it was 1stone .... how on earth did I carry over 8 times more of this weight? I had to balance more when walking up and downhill, and was definitely alot slower.
You really don't realise how heavy a stone is until you pick something up as a comparison

💗 Onwards,Downwards, Happier&Healthier 💗

Just shy of 8 1/2 stone lost 🎉 and the physical and mental changes are immense!!!

💗 Onwards,Downwards,Happier&Healthier 💗

🎉 Happy New Year! 🎉

It feels strange not making that resolution to lose weight, stop eating this or that and making sure all the Christmas treats are finished - definitely didn't think how different this new year would be to last year!

Apologies for the lack of posting, my recovery after my hospital stay has gone very well, still a bit apprehensive about some foods and wary that it may happen again, but can't live in fear of eating 😊
I've had a very enjoyable Christmas - managed alot more of my Christmas Dinner than I thought I would, even managed some chocolate 😁 and spent quality time with family.
The annual gathering of my side of my family took place between Christmas and New Year - not all were there but 30 of us gathered, ate, drank, laughed and caught up. The last time we'd been together was the beginning of October and I didn't realise how much I'd lost and physically changed since then, until some of my brothers, including my twin, didn't even recognise me the first time they saw me. It felt amazing to see their reactions, to hear their comments, for me to show the new me and to no longer be the "fat" one of my siblings. 🥰

🥰 I'm learning to love myself for the very first time! 🥰

I've been thinking alot about my goal and how I feel now, so have decided to change my target to half a stone higher - I feel that I'm not that far off where I want to be and don't want to go too far.
If I go with BMI then I'd need to lose another stone and a half more than my new target, to be at the top of the range for my height, but I truly believe that is too low a weight for me.
I did ask my surgeon what he wanted me to get to and he said that was totally my choice because the loss I've had already has made such a difference to my chances of weight related illnesses and my life expectancy. He said he never sets a goal weight for patients as that then sets up the mindset of failure if it's not achieved; something it isn't when the big loss makes such a difference to people's lives - good way to think of it I thought 😊

Anyway, I'll post progress pics soon - now my photographer will have to be up before midday as she's back at school, I can get one sorted 😉 - and will keep you updated on my progress Xx

💗Onwards,Downwards,Happier&Healthier💗

So, I've said from the start that I'd share the whole of this process, the good and the bad; honest and truthful.

Unfortunately, things have been challenging for the past few months, not really knowing why; unable to eat solid food and alot of sickness and food getting stuck.
This came to a head on Saturday night when I was extremely unwell overnight, contacted my surgeon early Sunday morning, who advised me to go straight to A&E.
I was admitted, investigated, poked, prodded, treated and was finally allowed home last night - it was so nice to finally part ways with "Dolly Drip Stand" 😉 .
What they found was that the exit of my new, egg-sized, stomach pouch had become completely blocked, gradually happening over the six months since my operation, culminating in the whole pouch becoming compacted with food on top of the blockage.
Thankfully this has now been cleared and I can now eat again - albeit only soft or liquid food for now.

Whilst this was a very traumatic and painful experience, I still have absolutely no regrets about having the operation, I just need to find out why it happened and how to prevent it in the future.
I'm extremely exhausted and sore but hopefully will be back on track after a few days rest 😊
Very grateful to the nurses and doctors at HRI - in the A&E assessment unit, Ward 1 and Ward 22 - who looked after me over the 4 days I was in hospital - they do such a demanding job, under very difficult conditions; they were also very understaffed making it more demanding👏🏻👏🏻

😁 So, Onwards, Downwards, Happier&Healthier 😁

Take the rough with the smooth

Another milestone hit - no longer "Morbidly" or "Severely" just "Obese" according to BMI 🎉
Only been wearing new work trousers for about 4wks and already having to order a new pair 🎉
Only 1 more 1lb to lose to see the first number on the scale change for the 7th time 🎉

💗Onwards&Downwards, Happier&Healthier💗

So, one of the side effects of the surgery is hair loss. This usually increases during months 4-6 post surgery.
Due to a problem with eating over the past couple of months, my hairloss has been accelerated and was starting to become quite upsetting.
I know it's only hair, and it will grow back, but it really was affecting me. I've always had very very thick hair, so the loss was more noticeable very quickly. Fortunately it wasn't producing any significant bald areas, coming out evenly, but areas were starting to thin more noticeably and the condition was not good.
So, a week ago, I got booked in with my amazing hairdresser Sally at XXI Hair Design and she did an amazing job of restyling my hair to look thicker, and cut in a fringe to hide the thinning hairline.
I absolutely love my new look; a huge change, refresh, very easy to style and made me feel alot better about myself 😊