ONEderland!!

I have debated with myself for months now about whether or not I would share the details of my most current weight loss milestone.  But, I saw this quote on Facebook recently (below) and was reminded that my journey can, and likely will, encourage someone else and I should share it even if it's embarrassing and requires me to be vulnerable at times.

With that being said, here goes probably my most vulnerable post to date.  As of yesterday, September 30th, I officially entered ONDERLAND!!  Now what is that I'm sure you're wondering???  Onderland is the lovingly wonderful (pun intended) term our weight loss surgery support group uses when someone finally gets under 200 pounds and is back in the 100s. 

Get it, ONEderland?!

That's right, I'm finally under 200 pounds!!!  

I'm sure some, maybe even most, of you reading this will think "199.5 lbs is nothing to be excited about".  Or you'll think something like, "ok cool, but that's still pretty high, Allyson."  Or, you're doing the math in your head and realizing that I just admitted to the world that I weighed well over 300 pounds a mere 10 months ago.  Like I said, admitting this was not an easy choice, and it's taking a LOT of courage to do so.  And honestly, those thoughts you may be having are not wrong - I do still have a little bit more to go to be "healthy" according to medical BMI charts.

BUT!

And hear me out here.  I literally cannot ever remember seeing a one in front of the scale.  EVER! The last time I might have seen a one start out the scale was middle school, (yeah, almost 20 years ago 😳), and even then I was overweight for my age and it was not a positive experience. 

When I started this journey my medical team asked me what my minimum weight loss goal to be satisfied with my results would be.  Without hesitation I answered "anything under 200 and this will have been beyond successful!".  That still holds true today.  In just 8-10 months I have lost just over 122 pounds!  That is no small feat and I am SO stinking proud of myself.  Proud enough to post a photo of my weight for the world to see!

You see, this journey has been so much more than just decreasing a number on a scale, or fitting into smaller size jeans.  While those aspects are great, there is literally nothing that can compare to the best part of this journey:  Learning to love myself again, and to be proud of myself exactly the way I am! That my friends, is a gift I will never be able to repay my medical team for.  It's a gift I didn't even realize I needed until I found myself for the first time in my life proud to look in a mirror.  Proud to tell someone my weight.  Proud of all I've accomplished. And proud to truly love myself again.

I share all of this today to hopefully encourage someone else on their weight loss journey.  Weight loss is not a competition.  It's not a sprint to a finish line, but rather a marathon requiring you to pace yourself to achieve your goals. Weight loss is not easy and it takes a lot of continuous hard work.  You will have to re-learn your relationship with food, and even when you think you've got it down pat you have to adjust and learn even better habits.  Maintaining the loss is something you will have to work at for the rest of your life.  There's no quick or easy fix.  But, if you're committed to the journey and willing to put in the work, you can and WILL achieve the results you're after. Choosing to have weight loss surgery was the best decision I've ever made, and I hope it can encourage at least one, or 100s of people to take their first step to becoming healthy as well.  I promise you won't regret it!

🎉So, cheers to Onederland!! 🎉

🎉 100 Pounds Down! 🎉

As of July 8, 2020 I have officially lost 100 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!

Before (left) was at my highest weight in December 2019.  After (right) was July 2020 at 100 lbs down!

I honestly can't believe it haha, but I'm so stinkin' proud of myself! To clarify, that's 100 lbs down from my highest weight, which was in December 2019.  I'm down 81 of those pounds since my surgery on February 6, 2020.  I get asked often how much more weight I'd like to lose? I think it would be great to get another 25-50 lbs off, which would let me hit my 80-100% excess weight loss goal.  However, I can say with confidence that I love the body I'm in right now and would be ok if I maintained this weight long term. I will be honest and say that I haven't lost any additional weight since July 8th, but I have sat steadily at that 100 lb lost mark.  This is the first stall I've really hit since surgery (other than a short one week stall around 3 months), and it's totally normal/to be expected.  My team has said after 6 months the final weight loss happens much more slowly (I'll be 6 months out on August 6th). The way to kick the loss back into gear is to up my protein, increase/maintain activity, and increase fluids.  I'm working on all three of those - more below on that - but I truly love this new body of mine!

One of the odd things about this surgery is that it's always kind of difficult to describe how much weight you've lost.  Even on our facebook support group, folks will show about 3-5 different numbers to give a better picture of their journey.  I'll often see people put highest weight, surgery weight, current weight, goal weight, etc.  I personally prefer to base my loss upon my highest weight, as it was truly right before this journey kicked into full gear.  I did technically lose 19 pounds prior to my surgery, but that was from the required liver shrinking diet.  And hey, anyone that has gone through that diet will agree that those pounds absolutely count!  So yay, 100 pounds down!!!!

Overall, I am doing really well. I joined a fitness program called Camp Gladiator about 4 weeks ago, and am absolutely loving the classes!  Right now I am going to a class every Monday and Wednesday, and occasionally sneak in a 3rd workout on Thursday's.  The classes are all outdoors, but they are in a group setting (about 20-25 people/class, socially distanced of course!) with a trainer leading the workout.  The workouts have kicked my butt each week in the best way possible! It's been really nice having strength training and additional cardio worked into my plan each week.  I think the best part of these workouts is learning what my body is now capable of.  Each week I have been able to run short distances, do pushups, complete leg and ab workouts I would have never dreamed of trying previously, and am continuously improving on each activity. Having the trainer there is also great as she plans all of the workouts in advance, guides my form, provides modifications where needed, and literally all I have to do is show up and put the work in.  It's honestly been such a huge blessing to find this group, especially while all of the gyms are closed. I actually loved the format and classes so much that I signed up for a one year paid membership and plan to keep going every week! If you're in the Raleigh area and want to come try the classes out let me know!

Sweaty post-workout selfie after Wednesday's class this week. 😅

As far as the diet/food portion of things goes...I'd say I've still got a little ways to go to hit my protein & nutrition goals, but I'm improving week by week.  Getting in 80-120g of protein per day, without drinking a protein shake, is very difficult. I've also noticed recently that the protein powder I've been using to supplement my diet has started to cause gas, which can be incredibly painful at times. I'm also trying to get more vegetables into each meal and not focus too heavily on carbs.  This is a lot easier said than done, as veggies are very dense and fill me up quickly, which means I only get very small portions each time.  I also know that I need to keep some carbs in my diet for energy, and to keep my bowel movements regular (TMI, I know, but it really does make a huge difference!), but I often can't get a protein, veggie, and carb all in one meal before I'm full so it's a juggling act between the veggies and carbs. I have another meeting with my dietician in a couple of weeks and I plan to go over all of this with her to see where I can make some better adjustments for the long term. 

One diet piece I have mastered though is hitting my 64 oz of hydrating fluid each day.  This part has actually been a lot easier due to the summer heat.  If for some reason I don't hit my goal during the day, I can tell almost immediately due to physical symptoms (headaches, heavy feeling, fatigue, etc), and as soon as I get more water in I always feel immediately better.  The only time I struggle with fluid goals is during meal times.  I've been instructed to avoid drinking during meals, and for at least 30 minutes after eating, as it can cause me to feel fuller than I really am, and can lead to dumping syndrome.  But, let me tell you that not drinking with a meal is SOOOOO hard!! I used to easily down 2-3 glasses of drink at every meal before surgery, and that is a hard habit to break.  I do still sneak some fluids in while I eat, but I drink maybe 1/3 - 1/2 of a glass of water with a meal now, and I try to wait until I'm done eating before I take any large sips.  But man, it's an adjustment for sure!

Other than that, life is pretty good!  Some quick highlights beyond my surgery journey:

• I'm still single lol.  I'm not rushing into anything, but I'm definitely ready to be back in a relationship and praying faithfully that God will lead me to the right man, in the right timing.  I would definitely appreciate your prayers over this as well!
• I joined a women's bible study group a few weeks ago and am loving that too! We are still meeting via Zoom due to COVID, but I look forward to actually getting to meet in person to build those new relationships even more. The ladies in the group have been a huge blessing to me and it's nice to have a place of fellowship and spiritual growth each week.
• New Hope (my church) is starting to slowly open and I am SOO looking forward to going to church on Sunday for one of the watch party events. It will be the first time in months that I've been to church and I cannot wait - I've missed worshipping with other people so much!
• I got to spend a wonderfully relaxing week with my family at the beach this month, and loved every second of it.
• My job with the realtor is still going really well.  We plan to move me to full time in August, which is a huge blessing and major prayer answered.  We are looking for more clients though, so if you, or some one you know is looking to buy/sell their home let me know!

Ok, I think that's about it.  Now for the fun part...some more before and after pictures to document hitting my 100lb goal!!

I still catch myself in the mirror sometimes in disbelief at how far I've come.  My brain still expects to see the body on the left, but it's so fun seeing my new self!

Face to face comparison - crazy how much longer and leaner my face looks now!

I've gone from a pant size of 22/24 (left) down to a 14 (right)!

The photo that started it all (left) to this week (right). Clearly I was loving this dress that day haha, but it truly feels so good to love the body I'm in now!

Thank you all for your continued support, encouraging words, and prayers. I truly could not do this without the love and support of everyone!

COVID Chronicles & 3 Months Post-Op

Whew!  A lot has happened since my last post.  Allow me to recap....

On April 15th, I was laid off from my job due to COVID-19.  Talk about a gut punch. I loved my job and I was sad to see things end so abruptly in a way that was out of everyone's control. Thankfully I qualified for unemployment and received some severance that has gotten me through financially.

April 18th, I traveled to Morganton, NC to spend some time with my sister and her family. They were in the process of listing their house for sale, so I was able to help them get a few things packed up, stage the house for listing photos, and help entertain the kids during multiple showings.  I ended up staying for 2 weeks, and loved every 👏single 👏last 👏second 👏of it!  While I'm glad I could help them with the logistical side of selling their home, the best part was getting 2 whole weeks with my nieces.  I had missed my family and those girlies SO much during quarantine, and it was a huge blessing to be able to spend that much time with them.

While I originally thought that may be all the time I'd get with them for a bit, we ended up getting to spend even more time together as they traveled back and forth between Morganton and Durham to view houses for sale.  So basically, the entire last month has been spent with my nieces and I'm totally here for it!!  I have gotten completely spoiled rotten seeing those girls almost every day, and I cannot wait for them to move back to Durham! Being an aunt has been one of the greatest joys in my life!  Here are a few photos of our time together the last month!

 Lots of walks on the greenway.

 Mema was able to join one weekend as well!

 Mother's Day 2020

Sister time

 Kinsley was sleeping SO good on this walk! I got a good arm workout in too haha!

Loved all of the baby snuggles and smiles!

Chloe Grace, you are an absolute joy and I love every single second with you!

I tagged along to quite a few of the house showings with Erin & Stephen in Durham, and through some conversations I connected with their realtor who offered me a position with her company!  She needed help with staging properties for sale and was also looking for someone to assist with administrative items to help grow her business.  Talk about a complete God moment connecting us that day, and to be presented with an opportunity that would use my background and skill set.  Blessed and grateful don't quite explain how I feel about this role.  I'm starting as part time for now, but there is an opportunity for it to grow full time.  Truly so very thankful for this position, especially during a time where so many people are desperate for jobs.  Thank you Lord for looking out for me!

On May 6th, I officially hit 3 months post-op! Let me first say how impressed I have been with my Duke medical team during these times.  My team kept me up to date on how appointments were being adjusted due to COVID-19, and they remained available via telehealth calls/messaging each day should any issues arise.  My official 3 month post-op appointment was moved to a telehealth call, and took place on May 14th.  At that call, I was able to meet with my original dietician who I started this journey with (she had been on maternity leave for a few months), so it was so nice to see her on the other end of this journey and to be doing so well!  So to wrap this post up, here are a few updates on my surgery journey and a few more before/after photos!

• As of yesterday, May 17th, I have officially 🎉lost 80 pounds 🎉from my highest weight (December '19), 61 of those pounds are since surgery in February!!!! So stinkin' excited!  That 100 lb loss mark is within my sights now and I'm pressing on to keep up the good work!

• My current weight loss numbers mean that I've lost 42% of my excess weight since surgery.  I'm expected to lose 80-100% of that excess weight, so I'm ahead of the curve and my medical team is very pleased! Oh, I'm also down 3 pant sizes as well!!

• I have hardly any clothes that fit me now.  I cleaned my closet out yesterday and donated over 4 large bags worth of clothing that were too big.  I'm down to 1 pair of jeans, 1 work pant, and a handful of shirts that fit.  In other words, I need to go clothes shopping ASAP, or I'll be wearing yoga pants & t-shirts to work everyday. Anyone want to donate to my clothing fund?! 😂

• All diet restrictions are now lifted and I can try/eat pretty much anything my body will tolerate.  This stage removed texture restrictions as well, so I can begin eating fruits with skins, peanut butter, protein bars, more veggies, etc.  I had already advanced my diet before this meeting, so this wasn't much of a change for me.

• So far, I still have not experienced any major negative effects to food other than fullness and occasional diarrhea.  I'm careful to abide by the rule of 10 when it comes to sugar and fat (less than 10g each per serving).  I find that I'm a little more sensitive to sugar if I go over that number, but no immediate dumping syndrome so far.  If something doesn't sit well it doesn't hit me until the following day, so it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.  It's definitely a game of trial and error, but I've found that including carbs at each meal helps keep things regular and my team is 100% on board with that. I also get the hiccups whenever I'm full now, which is weird/funny, but a great indicator of when to stop eating.

• They have now increased my calorie intake goal to 1000 calories/day.  I had been sitting around 700-800 calories per day, so this should be pretty easy to hit with slightly more volume introduced.

• I can now eat about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of food per meal.  The goal is to be at 3/4 cup per meal regularly by the 6 month mark, and moving towards 1-1 1/2 cups by the 1 year mark.  They said most people cap out around the 1 -1 1/2 C volume, but it is good and normal to be increasing to that range.

• One goal they gave me is to increase my protein intake to 80-90g/day.  They would like to see me at the 100-120g/day by the 6 month mark.  I've been getting about 60-80g/day up to now, so hopefully with more volume and protein bars I can meet this goal.

• I have started experiencing hair loss due to the surgery.  This is something they warned us about from day 1, and is almost always seen in the 3-6 month post-op stage for patients.  I'm taking biotin and collagen to help with this, as well as using a collage/biotin shampoo.  I also make sure to get my multivitamin in each day, and increasing my protein should help as well.  Thankfully I have thick hair, so I can't see or feel the loss by looking at my hair.  But, it's definitely obvious by how much falls out when I wash, brush, or style my hair.  I had hoped to avoid this side effect, but no such luck. This should go away on it's own over the next few months and then they said most people see quite a bit of regrowth after the loss stops.  Fingers crossed this stage passes quickly!

80 pounds and 3 pant sizes down! Feeling so good!

I just want to end this by sharing my sincere appreciation to every single one of you that has prayed for me recently.  I can definitely see and feel God working in my life and a huge part of that is because of all of your prayers.  I cannot thank you enough, and I ask that you would please continue to keep me, this weight loss journey, & my career path in your prayers. While God has blessed me with a lot the last few weeks, it has also been a very difficult and trying time in my life.  I still have quite a bit to figure out in the coming weeks/months, and would appreciate any/all prayers.  Thank you all 🖤!

2 Months Post Op

Today officially marks my 2 month post-op anniversary! These last 8 weeks have flown by, but they were also some of the most difficult in more ways than one. In lieu of a lengthy post, I figured I'd celebrate with a few before/after progress photos.  To date, I'm down a total of 57.6 pounds since December, and 38.6 pounds of that is since surgery!  Here's to losing even more over the next few months!!

The picture on the left was the one that made me decide to start this journey.  So fun to see this progress photo side by side!  What you can't see here is how loose the waist is of these pants were, and how baggy the shirt was on the back.  Such a great feeling!

Left: Summer 2019 --- Right: April 2020

These shorts practically fall off of me now!

Left: December 2019 --- Right: April 2020

The left photo shows me at my highest weight.

Left: November 2019 --- Right: March 2020

I bought this jacket from Costco last year and was never able to zip it comfortably (clearly!). In March, I was able to completely zip it for the first time, and it's even looser now!

FAQ Part 2: COVID-19

Hey everyone!

What a crazy time we are living in right now with COVID-19 going around. There are so many thoughts and emotions going through each of us right now, so I'll just keep this short, sweet, and to the point. The goal here is just to answer a few more questions I've been getting lately around my weight loss surgery and COVID-19.  Enjoy!

Thinking about COVID-19, are you considered more at risk due to your recent surgery?
Great question! This is actually probably the number one thing my doctor and I discussed at my last appointment on 3/10/20.  At that time we knew this pandemic was coming, but it hadn't quite hit us as hard as it has today, or will continue to.  To keep it simple, he basically said no, I'm not at a higher risk.  Due to being so far out from surgery, my body has had enough time to heal and build my immune system back up.  He also noted due to my age and overall good health, that according to the information we had at the time, I am in a lower risk category already.  He of course suggested following all of the recommended protocols from the CDC, but did not think I need to stay out of work longer or take any additional precautions.

Are you still working?
Yes, thankfully right now I am blessed to have a job that is continuing to push forward and allow us to work.  We are all on an official "work from home" type set up, as in none of us meet in the office anymore.  However, my role is 80% individually field based so I am still going out as needed to our properties to complete visits, stock inventory, etc.  Thankfully all of the homes I visit are vacant and our company has provided cleaning supplies to each of us, so I am at very little risk while I'm working.

Will you continue to be paid if you can no longer work due to illness or a stay-in-place mandate?
This one is a bit harder to answer.  Right now, the answer is yes.  My company has said for now it will continue to pay hourly employees if a stay-in-place mandate is issued and we can't work from home.  There are multiple layers to this for me, as yes a mandate would eliminate my ability to do field visits.  However, at the same time there may be other projects I can work on from home to continue pay.  Ultimately, I just don't know yet, and neither does the company, which is honestly a bit terrifying.  I'm trying to not get too ahead of myself and worry about it, but I am being very intentional with my finances right now and saving every extra penny I can in the event my paychecks stop.  I think the ultimate answer to this question will rely heavily on IF a stay-in-place mandate is issued, and for how long it lasts.  In terms of illness, our company has provided each employee extra paid sick time so I should be covered there.

Did you have enough supplies if a stay-in-place mandate is issued?
Yes, I have plenty of supplies - food, cleaning, meds, paper goods, etc.  One perk of my recent surgery and living alone is that my meals are quite small in size now.  One pack of chicken lasts me easily for 4 meals, so I should be good to go and don't need nearly as much as other people do.

How are you handling all of the COVID-19 craziness right now in general?
Overall, right now I'm in a fairly good head space regarding life and COVID-19. Don't get me wrong, I definitely have moments of anxiousness around the whole thing, but I've tried to stay away from social media and the news as much as possible to stay level-headed.  I find I'm the most anxious when I read other people's worries/fears around this, or when I watch the 100000th update.  My priority right now is taking care of my self and making sure I follow the guidelines.  For me, this has involved a lot of self-care at home.  My favorite self-care activities right now are long walks with Jax in this GORGEOUS Spring weather, long hot epsom salt baths with essential oils, opening the windows to let the fresh air in, and spring cleaning small areas here and there. If you aren't getting outside at least once a day to enjoy this weather, stop what you're doing and go for a walk now!  I literally cannot get enough of this weather, it is giving me life!

Can you share an overall update on your recovery, how you're feeling physically, how much weight you've lost, etc?
Sure! I am honestly doing really well physically right now.  My strength is back, my heart rate issue has gone away, I'm tolerating food very well, and I'm increasing my exercise slowly each day.  I can honestly say that where I am today, I am glad that I did this surgery.  I still don't see a massive change in my appearance, but I did put the photos below side by side the other night and can see the loss quite a bit in my face, woohoo!!! There are days I still doubt that this surgery will get me to the number on the scale I'd like to be, but I know in time it will happen.  As of today, I've lost 50 pounds in total, 31 of which I've lost since surgery (steadily losing around 2 lbs per week right now).  That is no small feat, and I am quite proud of myself!  In terms of food, I'm up to around 1/3 cup of volume per meal, and occasionally I can stretch that to 1/2 cup depending on what I'm eating.  The goal is to be at 1/2 cup by the 3 month mark, and I'm just over 6 weeks and on track! I find that my stomach tolerates meat the best when it's very moist and covered in some kind of sauce.  The only food my stomach has not tolerated well was either green peas or a roast I made one night.  I'm not 100% sure which one caused the issue, as it didn't hit me until the following morning, but I have not tried either again since. On the other hand, the absolute best thing I've had since surgery was our family's Ritz Chicken casserole.  That is the only dish I have finished every bite of leftovers on, and I'll definitely be making it again soon!  I've also found some bean and protein pasta options that are allowed right now, and while I can't eat much of it, they have definitely helped ease my craving for pasta!  I definitely still crave the things I'm not allowed to eat right now (breads, fried food, real pasta, etc), but I'm counting down to the three month mark where I can be more adventurous in the foods I try.  Honestly though, I'm doing really well and am very thankful for that!

(Left - December 29, 2019 ---  Right - March 14, 2020)