Yesterday afternoon, as I was enjoying the thunderstorm outside, I decided that I should go through my very overpacked closet and pare things down. I had been planning to do that for ages because there were many things in there that I just simply do not wear anymore. However, there were two additional things that happened that I really didn't expect.

First off, I started looking at my winter clothes and realized that I likely would never wear some of these items ever again. This was a pretty shocking thing for me. I love hooded sweatshirts and there were 5 or 6 in there that are just simply going to be too big by the time we get back to cold weather around these parts. I will admit there was a tiny twinge of sadness or whatever in seeing these things go because they had been my "fat shield" for years. (nothing like baggy clothes to make people think you aren't fat, right!) That feeling passed very quickly as I realized that I won't NEED that "fat shield" anymore. It was pretty awesome.

Second, I found several items of clothing in my closet that I had outgrown but that now fit just fine. In fact, there were 2 concert t-shirts that I had bought a few years ago from my favorite band that I never wore because they were too tight. I got them simply because they were unique and I wanted to hope that one day I would be able to wear them. That day was yesterday because I tried them on and they both fit great! To say I was happy would be a colossal understatement. Even better is the fact that I know I will be outgrowing (undergrowing?) them in a month or two as I continue to lose. It's just amazing so far. Two weeks in and I loving it!

(Also, can you get over how much room fat people clothes take in the closet?? Holy hell, I feel like I have a whole new closet available to me.)

It's amazing how easy this journey has been so far. Now, granted, I am only a week post-op and there are so many challenges ahead that I haven't experienced that it is possible that my attitude will change, but for now, I am cruising along rather nicely.

So let's get the stats out of the way:

Decision Weight (3/1/10): 420.2 lbs
Weight at booking (3/17/10): 413.4 lbs
Surgery Weight (5/7/10): 394.0 lbs
Current Weight (5/13/10): 379.6 lbs

Down 40.6 from peak.
Down 33.8 from booking.
Down 14.4 from surgery.

So, as you can see, this has been a pretty good thing thus far and I am ridiculously pleased.

I am coming to the end of the clear liquid phase and will be incorporating liquid yogurt into my diet tomorrow. Any change is good, and I am looking forward to trying something new. (Oddly, I chewed a piece of gum yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks and realized that it was the first time I had chewed something in over a week. Weird sensation.)

So where am I at now? I am still looking to the future and hope that what Dr. Ortiz said to me before doing my surgery holds true. He said that if I were to follow all the rules that it would be possible that I could lose up to 68 lbs prior to my first fill. Now, I am not a fool and that seems incredibly "pie in the sky", but man, if I can get anywhere CLOSE to that I will be over the moon!

I have been taking it sort-of easy on the exercise front this week as my incisions heal. I have walked some, but nothing crazy. However, things are starting to feel better and I am ready to start exercising more regularly. I know that this will help me in the loss column (and the "feeling awesome" column) so it HAS to be done. I will see what happens as I ramp up.

So there you go. One week in and I feel great! I am excited, I am motivated and I *am* going to succeed.

As of this morning I have managed to shed 11.2 lbs from my body.  That is actually 22.4% of the way to the goal of Op50.  Am I excited about this?  Yes, of course.  But trust me when I tell you we are talking a small drop in a large sea.

The reality is that 11 lbs at my size isn't really that big of a deal.  Now as I continue to lose weight and that 11 turns into 20 into 30 into 50 and beyond, then yes, it will be a very big deal.  As it is, it is a fantastic start and one that I am proud of.  I am only one week into Operation 50 and things are definitely going well.  I will do everything possible to continue this progress as I proceed through the fall.  The biggest thing is going to be getting into the habit of going to the gym.  I am hoping to be able to begin that this week, but with the holiday and schoolwork, I might be pressed thin.  We'll see.

In other good news, I managed to out exactly one time this past week.  That is an EXTREME rarity for me.  Not only is it far more healthy to eat here at the house, but lord knows it is cheaper.  I won't tell you how much I figure I saved last week, but just know that it was a nice addition to the Vegas fund.  (Speaking of which, we booked a SWEET hotel. More on that later.)

I will continue working at this and see how far I can go.  I am still feeling confident and secure and gung ho! 

Down another 2 lbs. this morning, which, if you are doing the math, means that I am really close to 10% of the way to my goal!  Funny how saying it that way makes it seem like I have lost way more than I actually have.  Either way, the end result is the same thing.

I made a pretty pertinent decision regarding how I would handle my eating this time around.  In the past when I have gone on diets, I have made a big deal about counting calories, eating only certain foods, going on specific plans, etc.  The end result of all of that is that I normally just end up denying myself.  It's not that I am having smaller portions of food, it's that I am having small portions of crappy food.  So instead of enjoying some flavors that I might actually like, I am forcing myself to eat things that I am really not enjoying that much.  Thus I usually freak out and gorge on something bad which tends to derail the entire program.  Obviously, that isn't the best thing to have happen.  So this time, I am taking a different tack.

Instead of worrying about numbers, calories, plans, or whatever, I am just going to cut my intake way, way down and also try to eat meals that are smaller and more frequent.  I know this isn't some revolutionary idea, but it is something radically different from what I have done in the past.  I am actually curious how I will be able to handle it.  I haven't eaten out for the last couple of days and I admit to that being my big forthcoming fear.  Can I go out to eat and not order like I used to?  Can I get used to NOT eating a full plate?  The short answer is "I have to".  The long run, however, will be the true test.  Wish me luck.

The next step is to get on an exercise program.  I have a plan.

It's funny how fast my body reacts to not having it's normal caffeine jolt.  I admit that I am a bit of a Diet Coke/Coke Zero whore and consume way more than I should.  And in the spirit of Op50, I have decided to cut way back (or even eliminate) my dependence on soda.  This idea seemed like a good one.

That is when the headache started.

Holy balls, I thought my head was going to explode yesterday!  And, of course, I was without any Tylenol or Aspirin to try and treat myself.  To make a long story short, I caved and had some Coke Zero with my dinner.  I suppose at the end of the day, even cutting my consumption in half is a very good thing and the amount I had yesterday was far less than half.  I suppose this will be part of the challenge.  I know I can do it.  Water is my friend.  I love water!!!

In other news, the eating went well.  I did not eat out at all yesterday.  (I can't remember the last time I could actually say that!)  The end result of all of this is that I was down 2.4 lbs.

Yay me.