New Year

Hello internets!  I know it's been awhile.  I hardly know where to start, it's been a crazy busy six months.  So what have I been up to?  Back in August I decided to go back to Weight Watchers.  I was having a difficult time finding a surgeon to see here in DFW.  I can understand why - the hard part was over.  The surgery was done, it was just follow up appointments after.  But I knew I needed a way to have some checks and balances about what I was eating and how much.  Since August and being back at Weight Watchers I've lost almost 20 pounds.  I like going to my weekly meetings.  If you live in the Grapevine/Colleyville area and are looking for weekly inspiration to meet your weight loss goals, Cassie's meetings at WW in Grapevine are the way to go.

I've had some non-scale victories in the meantime.  Today, for the first time since I was in college, I fit into a size 10 pair of pants - a cute pair of skinny corduroys from Loft.  They are now my favorite pair of pants, ha ha.  I also can wear regular size boots - not wide calf sized.  I was sidelined from running the past few weeks with a foot injury, but was able to get out on the road today and boy did it feel good.  I've got a 5K fun run the first weekend in February and then the Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh on Valentine's weekend.  Then it's on to the Zoo Run in March.  I need to get back into the pace of things.

Other things I've been able to do - I took the vacation of a lifetime and went to Hawaii for a week.  It was a gift to myself for losing the weight and for finishing my degree.  Since I started this WLS journey back in February of 2013, I've lost over 100 pounds.  It feels so weird to say that, but it's true.  And yes, I completed my dissertation and it was approved!  So I'm now Dr. Mancone - CRAZY!  Technically I won't be awarded the degree/diploma until May 2015, but I am effectively done.  Woohoo!!!

And then I met someone. I had dated a couple of guys through the summer and into the fall (one at a time of course).  None of them clicked really and then on November 6, I walked into The Foundry and met P.  And that was it.  Stars in my eyes, the whole deal, head over heels.  I won't go into too many details, in case he stumbles on this.  But he's sweet, caring, smart, we have the same interests in books and movies, we can talk about anything.  He's a good Southern boy - i can't remember the last time I opened a door ;)

2014 was such an incredible year.  Settling back into my life in Texas, meeting P, achieving my weight loss goals, finishing my degree, traveling to Hawaii, an awesome and amazing family wedding.  I can't wait to see what 2015 has in store.

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 194.9
Current Weight: 178
Lost: 16.9
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  92

Going Out

I can't believe it, even with my family here for vacation, I've lost another 3 pounds since my last update.  It's not that my portions were crazy, I still can only eat so much at any given sitting, but there were nachos and garlic fries at the baseball game, and dinner at a steakhouse, and the lunch at the barbecue place...you begin to see my point.  But I am pleased that I am still losing.  I'm averaging about 1 pound a week and at the moment I'm wearing a 16 and occasionally a 14.  I also purchased my first dress in a size L.  Since my surgery, I've lost about 75 pounds.  And since I was at my heaviest before the surgery, I've lost almost 90 pounds.  I can hardly wrap my head around it.  I don't have a number in mind, despite my tracking the pounds I'm losing.  My goal is to be a size 12.  I could conceivably go lower and be a 10 or even an 8.  I think at an 8 I would constantly worry about maintaining it and who wants to think about that all the time.  

So a while back I dropped a hint that I was communicating with someone.  He was someone I met on match.com.  I said I didn't want to talk about it too much because I didn't want to jinx it.  Well, that fizzled out, but I did meet someone else at an event a few weeks ago.  We've been out now maybe 5 or 6 times.  It seems to be going well.  We have fun, he's smart and witty.  And tall.  Just taller than me when I have my heels on, which is perfect.  I may have mentioned this before, but I have very few hard and fast things that I look for in a guy.  Eye color, hair color, build, I don't really have feelings about those either way.  He has to be taller than me though.  I've read plenty of articles about why you should give guys shorter than you a chance, but I just can't.  It's one of my hang-ups.  The other?  Good teeth.  And by good teeth, I mean straight and even.  Again, kind of random, but that's my deal.  Fortunately for me, this guy meets both of those criteria - on top of being funny and charming and smart.  It's been way too long since I dated someone, so I'm going to just enjoy this and see where it goes.

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 198.1
Current Weight: 194.9
Lost: 3.2
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  75.1

Vineyard Run

I participated in my second 5K race this weekend.  It was sponsored by the local vineyard near where I live.  Since it was basically in my backyard, I had to participate.  It was fun.  I came in under 38, which is always my goal.  I think I would have had a PR, were it not for that pesky hill just before we hit the last half mile.  I was not expecting it and it was slow going for a minute.  It was a beautiful morning for a race.  It was about 65, sunny, and no humidity.  I think it's my last race for now, though.  I love running however I don't do incredibly well in very hot weather and we are about to enter into the really bad Texas summer months.  I'll still run, mainly on the treadmill, and pick up the racing again in the Fall when I can get outside with more regularity.  

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 199.8
Current Weight: 198.1
Lost: 1.7
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  71.9

I'm Under

There are several phrases from my Weight Watchers days that have stuck with me.  I've talked about a couple of them here.  NSV for example (non-scale victory).  Another one that has been in the back of my mind is Onderland.  When someone would lose enough weight and would come in under 200 pounds, they would say they got to Onderland.  Well, I'm here.  I am officially under 200 pounds.  It's coming off slow, but it's coming off still, which is all I can hope for.  I'm following my diet, I exercise 5-6 times a week and I've started to include weight bearing exercises in my exercise schedule.  There really isn't much more I can do than that.  I'm excited to be under 200 pounds.  It's been about eight years since I've been under 200.  It feels good.  I feel good, better than I have in a really long time.

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 202.2
Current Weight: 199.8
Lost: 2.4
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  70.2

On the Road

This past week I was in Anaheim, California for a conference.  I made sure to pack my running gear and hit the gym almost every morning I was there.  I made sure to do that since I would be eating restaurant food most of the week.  I was nervous that I hadn't lost any weight while I was away but was pleasantly surprised to find I've lost another pound and a half.  I'm so close to being under 200 pounds.  That's my next milestone.  At my heaviest, before my surgery I was 283.  That was number on the scale the first time I saw Dr. Robinson.  Which means at this point, with my pre-surgery diet and post-surgery weight loss, I've lost over 80 pounds.  I'd like to lose another 25-30.  I'm comfortably wearing a size 16, but would love to get to a 12 and maintain that.  Another milestone?  I'm completely out of plus size clothing.  The remaining dresses and skirts I had that were plus size are just too big, so they've gone into the donate pile.  This has depleted my closet a bit and fortunately I found a few dresses on amazon (nice dresses too - Jones New York and Anne Klein) for $40 each.  Score!  So I feel more comfortable with my clothing options for work now.  One last milestone this week, although it's been coming on gradually and getting more noticeable, but I'm starting to see my collarbone again.  It's kind of a weird milestone, akin to a vanity milestone, but there you have it.

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 203.8
Current Weight: 202.2
Lost: 1.6
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  67.8

Race Recap

I did it!  I completed my first 5K.  I ran the whole thing, not stopping to walk once.  It was a lot of fun.  We started at the zoo gates and ran through the neighborhood around the zoo wrapping up the last part of the race with a run through the zoo.  I was hoping to finish under 45 minutes.  Imagine my surprise when I checked my official chip time and discovered I ran the course in 36:42.  I enjoyed it so much that I've signed up for another race already.  This one is the first weekend in May and it's right around the corner from my house.  It's hosted by Delaney Vineyards.  

I've lost another 2 pounds.  This part feels slow going.  I work out consistently, my diet is pretty consistent, my body apparently just gets to a certain point and hates to lose weight.  I have started some weight training though and I'm hoping that helps with the metabolism and weight loss aspect.  I'm still moving down though, not up, so any weight loss is a good weight loss.

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 205.8
Current Weight: 203.8
Lost: 2.0
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  66.2

Zoo Run

I've had some scale victories recently and also some non-scale victories.  On to the scale first.  I'm down almost another 3 pounds.  I'm getting closer and closer to that 200 pound mark.  I would like to be under 200 pounds by April 1.  So five pounds in three weeks.  I've started running again.  I ran years ago, like almost a decade ago.  I started again after my surgery back when I was living in Rhode Island and I've kicked it up a bit since returning to Texas.  I hit the 3 mile threshold this morning. Woohoo!  So now I'm running 4-5 times a week and also doing Zumba twice a week.  On Friday last week I even pulled a double - I ran in the morning and took a Zumba class that evening.  I've never been someone who will work out twice in one day.  Heck, I was lucky if I would work out once a day.  

Getting close to that 3 mile mark, I made the leap and signed up for my first 5K in about 10 years.  When I was living in Watertown oh so many moons ago, I did the Race for the Cure 5K.  I signed up for the Fort Worth Zoo Run.  Who doesn't want to run through the zoo? The run is in just under 3 weeks and I'm getting excited about it.

Now, on to the non-scale victories.  I've dropped 2 ring sizes.  I had been a size 9 on my ring finger, and now I'm a 7.  Also, I bought jeans at the Gap, size 16.  I can hardly believe it.  I can't tell you the last time I bought pants at the Gap or any store not carrying plus sizes.  I also cleaned out my closet again and donated a bunch of clothes.  I had a pair of Old Navy skinny jeans that I could slide right off without even unbuttoning them.  Those went in the donate pile along with a jacket and some dresses.  The dresses were hard to say good bye to because I loved them so much and they were some of my favorites, but they really were too big and it was time to let them go.

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 208.5
Current Weight: 205.8
Lost: 2.7
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  64.2