Let's just start by saying I was a caffeine addict. Having at last 64 ounces of Mt. Dew everyday for at least the last 20 years. In August, I had been told I had dangerously high blood pressure and I made the decision that I was ready to fix me. First thing I did was stop all carbonated and caffeine beverages cold turkey. OMG! The headaches, bodyaches and nausea were AWFUL! But, I can proudly say I have not given in even once. That was just the beginning.
I have never been a junk food junkie, an emotional or bored eater. Just poor choices and no motivation is what I blame for my size. I started digging through recipes on Pinterest and found that my time was not going to allow much time to experiment since I was working 2 jobs at the time. So, I went straight to the basics. Fresh fruit and veggies for meals and very basic fish and chicken with seasoning. No more butter, no dressings and no sauces. Within the first week or two, I immediately dropped 20 pounds!
I enrolled in the Via Christi Weight Management Orientation class in late August. I got all the information about Gastric Bypass and started on the path to complete what needed to be done for approval by insurance. I was sitting at about 355 pounds on my first day of Lifestyle Class on September 10th. I knew this was not a "quick fix procedure" before even walking in the door. So, I took notes and paid attention to all the skills they were teaching us. My insurance required 3 months of classes in addition to all the medical guests and psych evaluations before they would make the final approval. This gave me 3 months to show myself if I could change my life on my own, or if I should go through with the surgery. Every week we had to weigh in and write down everything we ate, how much we worked out and then it was displayed for the whole group to see. I was NOT going to coast through class and expect it to "fix" me!
I was given a free family membership month at the YMCA so we could try it out. I had been working out 30 minutes to an hour several days a week at the gym at the Cox Call Center where I work. But, it was tiny and was not giving me the motivation I needed. October 1st we walked in to the Y and my love of the gym was born. LOL! I was given 3 free personal trainer sessions with an amazing young woman Named Erin. She had never worked out with someone like me so was extremely sceptical when I told her I was going to be at the gym every single day. Well, I proved those doubts wrong. I missed only 2 days between the beginning of October and three day before my surgery! I was even at the gym the day I had my EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) procedure done. Just had to wait for the anesthetic to wear off. Hehehe.
My Diet? Glad you asked. Here is the basic breakdown of what I was eating daily.
64 ounces of water or no-calorie beverage
60g protein *Premier Protein shakes and bars are what I lived on at 30g each bc they are fast & easy.
6-10 cups fresh fruits or veggies
Most importantly: no pop (including diet bc it makes you crave sugar), no carbonation, no sugar (Stevia is a good substitute), no butter (hard for me but I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray is great. But spray only)
Limited carbs and calories but not the important part.... no counting required.
My Workout? I started with Erin's help and built up to being there a minimum of 2 hours a day.
Each day was broken down into 2 parts. My machine workout and the classes. I would usually do my warm up on the bike for 30 minutes to an hour before working on the machines.
36 reps of 170lbs on Leg Press
36 reps of 70lbs on Row Machine
36 reps of 35lbs on Chest Press
36 reps of 125lbs on Abdominal Crunch
36 reps of 150lbs on Back Extension
36 reps of 75lbs on Pull Down
36 reps of 50lbs on Pec Fly and Rear Delt
36 reps of 70lbs on Seated Dip
36 reps of 50lbs on Rotary Torso Rotation
36 reps of 50lbs on Overhead Rotary Torso Rotation
36 reps of 90lbs on Outer Thigh Abduction
36 reps of 90lbs on Inner Thigh Abduction
My weekly 1 hour classes were the best part!
Mondays Yoga
Tuesdays Zumba and Tai Chi
Wednesdays Zumba
Thursdays. Tai Chi and Water Tabata
Fridays TRX Suspension Training Boot Camp
Saturdays Yoga and Water Tabata
Sundays were my light day. Only did an hour on the bike and my machine work out.
In a few months I dropped 80 pounds. I felt AMAZING!
Immediately after surgery my blood pressure was normal!
I am currently on restrictions from working out due to dehydration and I am on a liquid/soft food diet because of my surgery. But, eventually I will be back on my diet. It will never be the volume of foods I ate before, but the destination is worth the journey. The best is yet to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment