Summer 2011

Hi...

Remember me?

With the way my life has been going, I not only find it hard to find the time to write…but I find it harder to come up with interesting things to say.  I wonder to myself if you guys are really interested in hearing me drone on about the details of my life, despite the fact that most of what I have to say is not “gastric bypass” related. 

But today I got this in my e-mail:

After reading this, I felt so guilty.  So, while trying to sleep tonight, I just laid there awake with words tumbling around in my head…just inspired to write.   And my body appears to not let me sleep until I take care of this.  So here we are.

Let me start by getting you up to speed to what has lived up to be the best summer of my life.   

This June, Chris and I vacationed in Port St. Lucie, FL…or as I like to refer to it “Golf Central, USA.”  My fantastically awesome parents gave us a week at their time share to use and we had an amazing time!

I know…they totally rule.

I was so excited that Chris could play golf...a lot of golf.  Him being gone for 4 hours in the morning gave me my own time to spend at the spa getting massaged and hanging out in my "bought in the regular sized section" swimsuit.  Or should I say "swimsuits"...since I did buy 3 this year!   But, I also did something pretty unexpected. 

This is me, collapsed
 after running 3miles
for the first time
EVER!   

I worked out on my vacation.  

Yup.  This girl brought her gym clothes and running shoes to Florida…and used them!  In fact, running there was so much fun I ran 3 miles….twice.   Even now, thinking about it, I chuckle.  Sometimes seeing how my personality has totally changed really boggles my mind.  It’s awesome.

Besides hanging out in Port St. Lucie, we also spent a couple of days at the happiest place on earth…Disney World!  I absolutely loved it….and Chris certainly indulged my child-like excitement.  There is just something about being in love at Disney.  It’s totally cliché and sappy but, I felt like a princess the whole time. 

It was a fantastic summer.  I continue to eat like a normal person and actually have been able to eat more than ever, recently.  For the first time in over a year I have actually had to be conscious of what I put in my mouth for fear of gaining weight. 

July 18^th, I was 18 months post-op.  The doctor told me that this is the point in your recovery where you are on your own.  The surgery is no longer causing you to drop pounds for no reason and it’s up to you to stay at your goal weight.  Luckily for me, I remain at a comfortable 177-181lbs.  I have watch what I eat because if I am naughty, I know will, as I often say, “dump so hard.”

I continue to work out on a regular basis.  This summer, I worked really hard on transitioning on motivating myself to get to the gym on my own at least once a week.  As in…by myself.  No Beth.  No formulated program.  Just me and my own little brain trying to figure everything out.   

I don’t know why I am so freaking scared of being at the gym without Beth.  I know most of it is because I just miss seeing her and chatting about life, but I still think I have some PTSD from high school gym class.  Becoming an “independent exerciser” is an important part of my metamophasis as a person.  But it didn’t make it any easier to start.  When I told her how nervous I was about the fact that people might be looking at me while I was there, she said something that was completely unexpected.

“Really, Kristen?….I mean, who do you think you are?”

This really caught me off guard and I was shocked.  But she continued to explain that people go to the gym to work-out and no one really cares what I’m doing there.

And she was so right.  

I haven’t felt bad being alone at the gym since.  Now, the only hard part is getting motivated enough to get out of my warm bed at 8am. 

 We’re still working on that...