Still going strong...

Chris is at the driving range, and when he gets back, we will be going for a jog/walk workout--in Week 3 of the Couch to 5k program. This is the longest I've ever been consistent with a program like this, and I am so excited that it's working! I went to the gym pretty regularly with Kelly when we were doing Weight Watchers, but since then, nothing has been this consistent. It's only 3 weeks, but that can seem like a lifetime when you've tried exercise routines and it never made it past the first day. :)

I am down 82 pounds, and staying pretty consistent with losing 2 pounds a week. This is satisfying, and I am perfectly okay with it. People may be wondering how much/what types of food I am able to eat now, so I thought I'd give a chronicle of what I ate yesterday for you inquiring minds...

Saturday:
Breakfast-8:15 Usually every morning I drink my one cup of coffee (regular caff.) before I eat my breakfast. Since I make it at home and take it to school, obviously I don't want it to get cold. This means that sometimes I am able to eat my breakfast during morning work, when the kids are arriving, and once in a while, I have to wait until my planning which is at 8:45, so basically that eliminates a morning snack. We did have school yesterday, and I had one cup of Kix cereal with 1 cup of milk. The kids thought it was a little funny that I was eating my cereal that way, but I told them that since I have to take longer to eat cereal, I don't want it to get soggy--so instead, I chew some Kix and wash it down with the milk. :) The one cup of milk has about 9 grams of protein, and the cereal has 2 grams, so this is a good breakfast protein-wise.

Snack- at about 10:45, I had a package of 100 calorie crackers with peanut butter-about 3 grams of protein

Lunch- At 1:30, when Chris got home from the job fair, we got a medium pepperoni pizza from Bella Italia. I had almost one slice. Since the NY style pizza slices are a little bigger, and have a bunch of crust, I usually eat the main part and give the rest of the crust to Spencer. This piece probably had about 11 grams of protein.

Snack- Around 4:30, I had about a handful of Chex mix with M&Ms in it, and some wheat thins. This was something I slowly munched on while I read a book, and Chris was watching the State game. Not really a lot of protein in this snack, but it was goooooood. :)

Dinner- At 8:30, I made a half of a grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread, had a serving of chips, and one mini chocolate chip cookie. Later on, I had two more of those mini cookies- about 45 calories each, with a 1/2 cup milk.

So, my total calories for the day was about 1,000, and my protein was probably about 50 grams.

I've been good about not grazing in between these little meals since the holidays, and I believe I've started feeling little twinges of hunger. They said this would happen at about the 6 month mark, which will be in about 3 weeks. Since hunger can be so psychological, I can't tell if it is really happening, or if I'm imagining it. I haven't been keeping track of my food in the Lost It program religiously, but I do try to keep track of my protein intake during the day. I figure that if I start slowing the weight loss again, get to a plateau, or find myself grazing, I'll track it to see how much I'm consuming.

I have noticed a mild amount of hair loss, which can occur 2-4 months post surgery. The rapid weight loss can cause this, and the only real remedy is to make sure you're eating enough protein. What I've noticed is more hair on my shirts, in my brush, and sometimes if I just run my fingers through my hair, a couple of strands come out. Luckily I don't think it's noticeable, and they say it should grow back. I have such thin hair anyway, so I hope this is as bad as it will get.

Throughout this past week, I've had some periods of feeling nauseated, and have thrown up a few times. This is pretty uncharacteristic for me post-surgery, because it is a feeling I have during the day, and not right after I've eaten. A few months ago when I'd feel sick, it was right after a meal, and either because I ate too fast, or too much, when I was still learning the correct portion size for me. Lately, it's been something I will feel for a few hours, and if I try to eat something little, it will come back up. I took a pregnancy test a week ago, and it was negative, but of course my friends at school are thinking that's what it is. :) We'll see...but I will just say that it's highly unlikely.

Well, Chris is home now, so we're off. He said it's warmed up a bit, so it should be nice out. When we've gone at night, I've gotten all bundled up to go out, so it will be nice to go during the day. Three days until track out--can't wait! We're going to the beach this next weekend for Erica's 30th birthday, and then I leave for a short visit to West Palm Beach, FL to see my parents. I bought a cute pair of short shorts at Old Navy, which I can't wait to wear. I'll post some pictures of my cute new outfits soon. :)