Hey there. A lot has happened since I last posted. I have seriously upped the amount of exercise I do, and coincidentally, can do. I purchased a rowing machine, which has been a great way to get some really killer workouts. I splurged a little and got a Hydrow, because I am a big fan of the Peloton model, and the video aspect has been great at keeping me motivated during exercise sessions. I've set a goal this year to have a consistent 7 minute 2K. I'm a long way from it, but there's a lot of year left as well. :)
Things have been going well - I've gotten much more accustomed to the physical limitations with how to eat and drink, and it's very much just a regular part of my life now. So the frustrations that came from frequently making myself sick or uncomfortable due to that learning curve have subsided, though I still find myself frustrated sometimes that I can't eat more. I don't need more, I just want more. I reckon I will struggle with this for a long time, if not forever.
I can really tell I've lost weight now - it took losing a lot more than I'd have expected. I can feel the difference in most day-to-day things. I don't think about whether I can fit in a particular chair, getting in and out of the car is easier, if I forget something before I head downstairs, it's not nearly as annoying because the stairs just aren't a big deal now. I sleep better, I was able to ditch my CPAP machine, which was huge, because I hated that thing.
Another bonus is smaller clothes make packing easier. We took a 10 day vacation, and packing was a breeze - turns out when your clothes aren't 4X, you can fit more in less space. Who knew.
Emotionally, there are still days of struggle. I think this is normal, because under heavy stress, I can't eat the feelings away. I'd like to say I've found healthy alternatives, but I haven't really. A big one has been spending feelings away, which is fortunately not disastrous for us, but still not healthy. Just the next step on the journey of self-improvement, I suppose.
Here's something I hate. A Before/After face shot. Left is ~400 pounds, in the hospital before the surgery. Right is a couple days ago, ~270 pounds.
Stats:
March 27 Starting Weight: 425
January 27 Weight: 269
March 27 Pants size: 56
January 27 Pants size: 44
Total weight lost: 156 pounds (70.76kg)
Total clothes now too big: 14.67 tons