The Season and Some Weightloss WLS Style

I had a message on FB so I thought I should update a little. I am closing in on 11 months post surgery and I am still losing weight at a steady slowing speed. At least I think it's slowing. I am wearing the same size I was married in though I am nearly 20lbs heavier. My daughter got me an impossibly skinny sweater for Christmas and I fearfully tried it on, (old clothes as gifts anxiety) and it was great. I looked at the scale today and I am down 124lbs. I always lose another 3 or 4 pounds when I am in charge of my grandson for a few days! We are busy. As I have said before, I am satisfied with where I am. if it stops today, I am GREAT!
I made cookies this year for the first time in 40 some odd years, I mean from scratch, not slice n bake, and had one in the morning and one at night, to no ill effect. This is really the first time I have deliberately eaten something with sugarbut one little cookie followed many hours later by another did not harm me. I have religiously followed the sugar rule for the entire 11 months, which is sugar no higher than 5 on the list of ingredients. I have had a few bites of pasta from time to time, recently, but it is too too filling. Overcooked meat in the crockpot goes down just fine, you know when the meat is falling apart. I also had success with my daughter's amazing Christmas Roast and I am sure that is the name of the roast, "The Amazing Christmas Roast" though in honor of the 4 11/12 I called it roast beast!

Since I have failed at making myself go to the Y and swim since school started I am starting back in with the school trainer deal and get back to that, because, dear WLS readers, you will not believe what needs toning after such a major weight loss--EVERYTHING and then some. This wellness deal also gives us access to a local hospital fitness center. I am excited to get back on the elliptical, because, even when I had not lost weight, I loved what that machine did for me! I have said before (again) but the nurses at the hospital said the reason Iw as not having the pain everyone else was having was because of the 3 years with a trainer and my abs, though buried were in great shape, if you are beginning to explore this route, do yourself a favor and really exercise and work on those abs, you will thank yourself later when you have a super amazing nearly pain free recovery. I also recommend meltingmama.net as a really helpful WLS site.

Random Thoughts and a Little Weightloss

I have come to the point in my weight loss journey where I don't really care if I lose any more weight or not. I am looking and feeling better than I ever expected I could at age 62 and just dropped another three pounds. I know many of you think WLS makes weight loss effortless, but that is not the case. It is different, but it is still not effortless. My total at this point is a loss of 118 lbs. I had to drop another size in jeans this week and am in the size I wore as my skinny self from about 35 years ago. Of course that is not taking the new vanity sizing into account, but I don't care, I feel really good about where I am and now I just want to stay put, or knock off a few more pounds so I can safely bobble there for all time.
I have had a student teacher who has been completely in charge of my room for at least a month, this week is her last week and I am eager to get back to teaching myself. I have done a lot of reading and some knitting. I also made a cute quilt for my new grandbaby during my free time. I have spent most of my time in the library so I can use a computer whenever I like and have learned some new (to me) art skills that I can teach my students, thanks to my student teacher.I have also subbed or covered for several people during this time. My student teacher is so good I have had no worries and am not pining quite as much for my room as I have in the past with lesser student teachers. My kids are safe with her and learning a lot.
I had grandson H over Friday and Saturday night, we went to see Planer 51 which was so much fun and then Saturday we did Thanksgiving with my cousins and all the children of the third generation. H had a blast, everyone was a little bigger and a little older, and it was rough and tumble and he totally loved it. I had a great time being with my cousins and their kids, myself. Of course there was a groaning board of food, but that is not anything that bothers me. I tasted several things, stayed away from sugar, as usual and got to rock babies to sleep. All in all a very good day. I also passed out the hats I knit like a maniac last week to babies, including one for my newest grandson.

Grand Babies

We spent Saturday and Sunday with Rayne_of_Terror and the "boys" and they are grand babies. Q is 2 months and 16 pounds of blue twisted steel, cuddly but tough. My long fingers barely meet around his expanding chest. He is a laughing cooing baby who gives his mother hell to pay at night. H was adorable and seems to have made the transition to big brother very well. It was tough at first. He imagined that any time he was not home, there was untold fun and partying going on without him, but he has finally relaxed and started to enjoy school. We made a pact with each other to have another good week at school. Since I go to school every day, too, we did a little huddle and maybe a band cheer (ala Aunt Leah). H dressed as super pumpkin and he was super cute from head to toe in his stuffed orange shirt with a pumpkin and a super S ont he front, an orange terry cape (otherwise known as the baby's towel from Israel) though it has been a super cape ever since it arrived. He wore a green kerchief and just looked adorable. See pics on Rayne's blog. DH began work on converting the tiny upstairs office/bedroom into a laundry room. It looks like heaven to me to make that room into the laundry as all the dirty clothes are made upstairs! There will be some other changes, but the most exciting one is having the laundry on the second floor. There will be a pantry style cabinet, cabinets, and counter top for folding. That still leaves 3 bedrooms. Seeing the room empty for the first time, I realized it really was big enough to have a crib, I hadn't thought it was possible. I am also thinking a pullout ironing board to touch up collars and such would be a good idea. Maybe I will get her that sewing machine I mentioned a few years ago and she can do some mending and create more fun costumes in that room, too. hmm, there's an idea.

While we were there, @Derndingle made the repairs to our beloved dell tower, simple for him, mystifying to us and we are grateful. I did get all my photos off the newer e-machine but DH and I really prefer the mighty Dell for now. I'd like to thank AccidentallyJewish for her guidance in talking me through the memory stick, she in Chicago and me way down state. SUCCESS! My big worry was losing all the new photos from my new little canonelph.

Weight Loss Check In

I have achieved a loss since February 11, 2009, of 115lbs. I am looking like my original self plus age. Yesterday I had a confusing time at an outlet mall trying to find a new pair of jeans that fit. I searched and searched, until I realized I had to leave the women's department and go to another department. I was sure it wasn't going to work, but I got a pair of no gap waistline well-fitting jeans and another plain pair that also fit well in a size I never expected to see or enter again, even with the weight loss. I feel like maybe I have 10 or 15 more pounds to lose but I am just not sure. My imagination did not go this far. Visualization did not go this far. My understanding is that you get this kind of weight loss for about a year following surgery then any more becomes the same old effort it always was. I may make my unknown goal before that year is up. In two weeks I will be 9 months out from surgery..

For Rick

The loom is foam core board with an even number of slots cut in each end. We have 14 slots in each end this time. The first time I did this we used crochet cotton for the warp, this time we used cotton thread like peaches n cream for the warp and it worked better, it is easier for 7Th grade fingers.. I buy mostly worsted weight yarns on sale and a few fun yarns so they can get some fluffy stuff going on. We weave all the way around the foam core and then we weave a flap on one side. I do a little braid and sew on a button for them. They are 7Th graders and they choose their own colors. I also have a sheet of various patterns you can do with a tabby weave. I am also sure there is a way to braid a handle through this to give a little something to hang on to, we just haven't gone there yet. Packing the weaving as tightly as possible is very important. I will put on a photo that shows how we load the warp onto the board. If you used a big enough piece of foam core you could make a decorative pillow or even a full size purse. These are perfectly sized for a phone as big as an I-phone or my canon elph camera. I am not identifying the artists, but at least half of them are mildly mentally handicapped and their projects are exactly as good as anybody else's. I did find out this time that they LOVE variegated colors so I stocked up on some of those at a sale at JoAnn Fabrics. I also have a selection of yarn that I bought with school supply money through the catalogues. It can often be a disappointment so I don't count on that. I am working on one that is all cotton Peaches N Cream brand or the walmart brand of similar cotton. This is the cotton I have knitted and crocheted dishcloths with in the past.

Pocket Weavings 7th grade

Mosaics/pocket weavings