Sheesh!

When's the last time I blogged?

(Checks the blog ...)

Wow, May, huh?

Well, it's a new year, so no time like the present.

Have I gained all the weight back? 

Nope! Still rockin' the Athleta size 10 jeans. 

But!

That last 5 pounds I want to lose to get to 100 has turned into 10 pounds. I still ended 2019 around 10 pounds lighter than when I started it.

I blame my (fairly) new job and its late nights. I tend to get off of work and wander into the kitchen, and a 2 a.m. half bagel and cream cheese had been my go-to snack. Or popcorn or some random cookie or other starchy, carby stuff. Or maybe all of them if I stay up too late.

Eep.

I felt myself slipping into some undisciplined habits, so for the new year, I'm spending a chunk of change on a Noom membership. I tried it over the summer, but my head wasn't in the right place for it, and now it is. I already know what foods are beneficial for me and which ones do nothing but make me eat more starchy, carby crap. What I like about Noom is that it's largely a behavioral tool. I can get lazy about meal planning and make all kinds of excuses, and Noom works intensely on building good habits. 

As far as eating goes, the calories per day are good for me. It has me around 1,200, which may be too low for many people, but me and my tiny tum-tum are cool with that amount. It also categorizes food by caloric density into green, yellow, and red. "Green" foods are fruits, vegetables and whole grains. "Yellow" is lean meats and starches, and "Red" is the fun stuff -- fats, desserts, red meat and sugary stuff. Shortly after surgery I found it hard to get in a lot of produce, and to be honest, I got out of the habit of reaching for that first, so I'm loving the friendly shove into the produce department. Today for example, I made an omelet with one egg, a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese and a big handful of baby spinach. Normally I'd have something like a piece of toast or tortilla or bagel half with it, but instead I had half a pear. I've also started swapping bell pepper strips and Greek yogurt dip for my beloved bagel and cream cheese snack, and I can honestly say the creaminess of the yogurt has the same effect as the cream cheese.

Yes, food tracking is involved, but science shows that tracking your food leads to more weight-loss success. And it takes almost no time to point your phone at a barcode or do a simple search for the food.

If you're interested in trying Noom, you can use THIS LINK to get 20 percent off, which is a great deal, because I signed up with zero discount! 

Since I got this full-time job, my blogging and social media activity has taken a big hit -- not a bad thing, if you ask me! So here's the latest selfie-like picture I took, back in October. Other than my hair being a bit longer, I'm still this size, but some days lately I feel like I'm fueled by Christmas cookies -- not a good thing for a bariatric patient.

That said ...

• • • No resolutions
    • No ultimatums
    • No detox
    • No paleo
    • No keto
    • No Whole 30
    • No WW
    • No restrictions

Just smarter choices. Oh, and perhaps a promise to update the blog every week or so. I sorta miss it.

And once again, if you wanna try Noom, here's a code to save some bucks:

https://friends.noom.com/YVNGN05TRUhTOmNm

And what else -- a whole bunch of inspirational graphics!

I am unabashedly a very positive person. A family member once called me Pollyanna, which was meant to be pejorative, but I took it as a compliment. Anyway, I have had this song on repeat for days. It just crawls into my head and stays there. (And I may or may not have made a dance routine to it.)

Hey, I just started my new job this week and I have my "weekend" today and Thursday, so I get to play catch-up on a bunch of stuff -- one of which is this blog.

The few pounds that I gained over a few weeks came off really easily plus a couple more, which now leaves me just 5 pounds away from losing 100 pounds.

Do I need to lose 5 pounds? Not really. I'm comfortably into my size 10 Athleta and NYDJ jeans and wearing more mediums than larges in tops. 

But do I want to lose those 5 pounds and strut around saying "I lost 100 pounds?" 

What do you think?

To be clear, 165 pounds is still 16 pounds away from a so-called "healthy" BMI number. Apparently I need to be below 150 to fit that outdated standard, and not even my doctors and dietitian is pushing for that. (For more on BMI, click HERE at FitBottomedGirls.com.) 

But for me? I think 165 will be just fine -- better than fine, really. I still want to build more muscle and probably shave off a little more fat and I saw that working out super regularly, like I did last week, goes a long way to achieving that goal.

This week, though? Eeek. I missed Monday and Tuesday because I was reminded that slogging back and forth through traffic and working a full day does not make one eager to workout as soon as they get home from work. So I'll play catch-up with that today and tomorrow, and also on the days that I'll be working evenings. It's a lot easier to workout before work, but I don't want to get up at 5 a.m. right now to do that because that won't be my regular schedule in a couple weeks.

Am I making excuses for not working out? Sure! But I don't need to make myself nutty anymore when it comes to working out, so it's all good. I'll get enough in while my schedule jumps around. I'll also make sure to take the stairs at work and take active breaks during the workday instead of sticking my nose in my phone in the break room.

So yeah, I'm gonna go for it.

(I had written a great blog post a couple weeks ago, but I forgot to hit "save" and the whole thing went ka-blooey and I got ticked off and didn't feel like rewriting it, so here we are today. Hiya!)

The Amish and Mennonite communities have a rite of passage called rumspringa, where some teenagers in the sects sow their oats for a bit before coming back into the fold (or not -- I've seen those TLC reality shows).

Anywhoozle, I kinda did that the past few weeks, but instead of oats I used popcorn. And really good granola, and basically anything that could fit in Tiny Tum-Tum.

I’ve been using the LoseIt app and WW, but the 6-month membership to WW had run out as did my interest. I was realizing that those magical zero-Point foods weren’t wielding their magic anymore, and I was just eating random hard-boiled eggs and tangerines because ZERO! Listen, food is food, and the plan is great and all, but I have a finite amount of real estate inside me (going from a McMansion to a studio) and I really can’t be eating food and not counting it.

I also discovered that carbing it up and not counting said carbs led to a gain of 3 pounds from March 17 to April 1. Not a huge gain, but a gain nonetheless, and I am not into backsliding.

So I’ve pared things down to the LoseIt app now and vowed to count everything I consume.

What else am I doing?

Better meal planning: None of this willy-nilly foraging in the kitchen stuff.

Better meals: I can get pretty lazy with eating, depending on protein bars, protein shakes, protein tortilla chips, protein waffles -- you get the drift. Some of those things just don’t leave me satisfied, so I stocked up on cottage cheese, nonfat Greek yogurt, and tuna packets for “lazy” protein that is more satisfying and “food” like. (That's a Thai chili tuna packet and some chopped avocado over salad greens.)

An Active April: I had been half-assing my workouts and to fully-ass them, I made a pledge on Instagram to do something -- anything -- every day this month. I pulled out my copy of Jillian Michaels Body Revolution from 2012 and am committing to that for the month. So far so good. I’m three workouts in and really enjoying the half hour workouts.

So, lemme tell ya, it doesn’t take much to turn this ship around: Those 3 pounds I found on Monday are just about gone as of Wednesday. I don’t know if it’s because I’m smaller, or my metabolism is better or what, but I can turn things around pretty quickly now and it’s gratifying.

I spent all of Wednesday wearing my Athleta size 10 petite jeans and I felt pretty darn bad-ass.

(I’m growing my hair out a bit from the big December chop and I feel a bit like that guy from “The IT Crowd.”)

OK, not quite, but growing out haircuts is the worst.

In other news…

I got a new job! I’ve been freelancing for the past decade and the hustle game has never been my thing, so starting Monday I’ll be on the alerts desk at CBS Sports Digital. I’m really psyched because I have always loved writing headlines and it’s sports! Everybody loves sports! So no hard news (I’ll leave that to the husband). I'll still continue doing stuff for Fit Bottomed Girls because I lurrve them and it's fun.

I’ve been sorting out my office wardrobe, since working from home plus losing over 90 pounds means I have a lot of bummin’ around stuff but not much for working around people who aren’t your family or dog. Thank goodness for ThredUp, Poshmark and sales at Athleta, Old Navy and Loft (those are my go-to stores now). It still blows my mind that I'm in sizes 10, 12 and medium now. I haven't worn those since I was in my 20s.

I’m also perusing my lunchbag and container stash because I’ll be bringing my own stuff. It’s much easier to deal with my tiny stomach and its many likes and dislikes without wasting money on takeout food.

So, to use a phrase from my mom, that's what's new in the zoo.

Dozed off watching TV last night but I woke up just in time to see St. Paul & the Broken Bones perform. Definitely my next workout jam.

Y'know that quote "A year from now you may wish you had started today"? Year after year I would see that phrase and sigh wistfully. 

• Sighing for the eating plans I gave up on.
• Sighing for the gyms and trainers I had abandoned.
• Sighing for the workout rotation calendars I had stopped following.
• Sighing for everything I had started and stopped because it wasn't working for me.

And then, at the end of 2017 I decided to make that phrase a reality, to look at that sticker in my planner and feel a sense of accomplishment.

That's what I got to do this year.

(Anyone else a Happy Planner sticker fanatic? I have FAR too many sticker books.)

(And yes, the wording on the sticker is slightly different than the actual quote; don't think I didn't notice. I AM a copy editor and it's in my DNA to obsess over things like that.)

I got to look at that New Year's Eve sticker and shake my head "Yep! I did that!" this year.

I had my 1-year post-op recheck on Monday. The doctor didn't really do much -- mainly asked me if I had any health concerns, told me my bloodwork and scale work were stellar and send me on my merry way. I spent more time with the dietitian (as usual) because it's all about the eating and what the fancy Tanita scale shows. 

The best thing it showed was that my basal metabolic rate is 1,445 calories, which for a woman of my (ahem) age and lifetime of dieting is pretty darn good. That means that not even factoring in activity, I can eat that many calories and maintain my weight, which as of Monday was 173 pounds. I'm shooting for 165, which will get me to an even 100 pounds lost, so the BMR should hang out around that number. 

While 1,400 calories may not seem like much, it's pretty substantial for tiny tum-tums such as mine. I average around 1,200 right now, so 1,400 should be doable. 

Since Monday was my last prepaid visit with the bariatric dietitian, I asked her for the calendar of bariatric post-op meetings. Cleveland Clinic Florida has a fantastic support network, and I can go to a variety of post-op nutritional, emotional wellness and general support group meetings twice a month. 

Monday morning was the nutrition support group, and I got there about 15 minutes after it started. The group of around 20 was already into a spirited conversation about the keto diet, mostly because one guy seemed to think that everyone should be eating that way without exception. (Cool story, bro, but I like carbs.)

The dietitian leading the group was a familiar face, because I went to her and my other dietitian when I did the non-surgical weight-loss program at the hospital around six years ago. 

She got pretty "inside baseball" on nutrition, which I adore. We talked glycogenesis, the Krebs cycle, bariatric anatomy -- all the fun stuff! 

She also explained why we should be chewing fibrous food thoroughly, with the explanation of what a bezoar is (and no, it's not the founder of Amazon.com). 

Another takeaway from that class, which I had heard before but had cemented into my psyche: My morning coffee with two scoops of collagen peptides is kind of a waste of time and money. "Think of it like eating Jell-O for breakfast," she said of the quality of the protein. So this morning I kicked off my day with a half cup of cottage cheese and a few pineapple chunks -- real, actual, complete protein. 

I think I'm going to start hitting up the meetings for another layer of information and support on the journey to maintenance, because as I have said and will continue to say: This weight is NOT coming back.

Video extra!

If you didn't catch that TV news segment that featured my sister and I (and the dog), here it is from Ivanhoe Broadcast's YouTube page:

A few months ago, a TV crew visited my sister and I to do a story on weight loss. We basically talked their ears off (as I am wont to do), but the story was ultimately boiled down to a 2-minute healthy living segment for local news.

I knew it would be airing in February but wasn't sure when. Then I got an email that some people had signed up for updates through Mailchimp and figured the segment was starting to air around the country. 

I don't know exactly where or when it'll air on any given station because TV stations throughout the country subscribe to this syndicate (Ivanhoe). 

But you're in luck! Here's a link to the piece from a station in upper Michigan. My sister (and my dog) are in the piece, and my sis is down more than 60 pounds since April.

The producer had asked me for "before" photos, and to be honest, it was kinda hard to find any. As most "fat moms" know, we're the family photographer, always volunteering to take photos and grudgingly appearing in a few, hiding behind the kids. But I found a few. 

Anywhooo...

I got my bloodwork back for my big one-year bariatric checkup, and once again my blood kicks butt. My total cholesterol is a swanky 146 with an HDL (good stuff) of 55, LDL (bad stuff) of 71 and a ratio of 1.3, which supposedly gives me half the risk of heart disease of the average person. My triglycerides are 100, which is big news for me because they've always been a little high (hello, carbs!). 

And, no, my eating is not particularly stellar. It's kinda boring, still pretty toddler sized, but the occasional fistful of tortilla chips or square of dark chocolate makes it into my day. 

Did I mention I joined WW before Thanksgiving?

I wanted to see what the hubbub was all about with its new focus on wellness, and I'm really enjoying it. There's not that old focus on weird low-point dessert recipes and overprocessed snack foods. It really does get more into activity and mindset, and WW has teamed up with the fitness app Aaptiv and the meditation app Headspace, and offers abbreviated selections on the WW app. I've lost 14 pounds with WW's help and I like the accountability of having someone other than myself weigh me once a week, because this weight is NOT. COMING. BACK.

As for the number on the scale, last Saturday I was at 174, which is nine pounds away from an even hundred.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd ever be able to lose 100 pounds -- even after having gastric bypass. The amount just seemed so overwhelming. I didn't think I needed to lose 100 pounds, and to be honest, I probably could stop here and be fine. 

But, c'mon! Who doesn't want to hit a hundy? 

I'll fill you in next week on how the one-year anniversary checkup goes.

Well, took a bit of a blog breather during the holidays!

I simply felt like enjoying family time, baking stuff (that I mostly didn't eat) and getting caught up on some work.

Two pounds came off in December, and to be COMPLETELY honest, I was OK with that. Like really, really OK. In the past I would have called out my own B.S. because I would have been disappointed AF and beat myself up for not "doing more." But I didn't work out all that much, ate a surprising amount of Hershey's Kisses without ill effects (something to stash in my slippery slope file) and kept buying smaller and smaller jeans.

So I'll update you on my progress with a series of Instagram photos.

I got thoroughly sick of my hair -- between my half-assed DIY dye jobs, grown-out highlights, regrowth sticking out of my head like crabgrass, and the need to do something completely different.

I wrapped up the year in jeans, but I haven't stopped at a 12. I recently bought a couple pairs of Athleta Sculptek jeans in a size 10 petite ... whaaaaaah??? I can actually zip them up, but I'm realistically around 5 pounds away from them being truly comfortable.

I baked a couple loaves of no-knead bread, which was pretty cool. The first loaf was kinda heavy because I used whole wheat flour instead of bread flour. I liked the second loaf better as it rose better and had a lighter texture. I really don't eat very much bread -- maybe a piece once a week or so -- but I look at baking and cooking as more of a useful arts and crafts project nowadays.

Here's those size 10 petite jeans, and the funny thing about this photo is that I looked at it and thought "No one is going to believe these are a size 10 so make sure the tag is hanging off because you do not look like a size 10." For the most part, I haven't had body dysmorphia but this picture keeps messing with my head. For some reason I feel like I look bigger than I really am.

I spent the weekend at Epcot with a couple of awesome friends: Christine (and her husband, William) and Heather. We ate and drank our way through the world showcase, although my contribution was sneaking sips and bites of everyone else's treats (although I did get a great slice of pizza in Italy and ate around a third of it, and split a chocolate-dipped meringue four ways in France).

Finally saw 90 pounds down a few days ago. Couple weeks later than I wanted, but I am TOTALLY fine with that.

Oh, and before I forget, Julia, you are the winner of the Honey Cloudz sports bra inserts! I'll contact you on getting your info.

I was grooving on this song over the weekend. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the song is older than my college student!

Ladies and gents, I present to you: What my midsection looks like after losing 87 pounds:

Overall, not bad! I'm pretty happy with the lack of squishy, loose skin, but I carried the bulk of my weight in the butt and thighs. Butt looks OK, thighs are kinda wobbly, upper arms are hilarious, but 1) I lost a bunch of weight; 2) I wear Bermuda shorts; and 3) I'm in my mid-50s so things were not going to spring back anyway. 

I do have a goofy deal going on in the belly button region now, since one of the surgery scars is right above it. Again, I'm not 1990s Britney Spears wearing belly shirts, so I'll live with it. 

Loose skin was something I fretted about when I was considering surgery. But loose skin doesn't just come from weight-loss surgery; it comes from all substantial weight loss, so it was gonna happen no matter what I did to lose weight. 

I'll take loose skin and wobbly bat wings any day over carrying around the excess weight and feeling like crap. 

Will I do "plastics" and tighten things up? I don't see that happening. It's all out of pocket, more major surgery, really expensive, involves multiple drains (I couldn't even deal with the one drain I had in February), and, to be honest, I look good in clothes and I don't have a burning desire to wear booty shorts or a bikini. 

I'm sharing this photo to help anyone thinking that loose skin is in their future after they lose weight. I'm over 50 and I don't feel like a freak show. Go for it.

Last day for the Honey Cloudz giveaway!

If you're interested in winning a pair of the best sports bra/swimsuit inserts I have ever tried, today is the last day. Go to my post HERE and get in your entries.