Nine Month Appointment - The Delivery

No, we didn't have a baby. LOL

The good news and the bad news. The bad news is as I wore clothes at my official weigh-in at Cleveland Clinic I officially weighed 222#'s. If they would have allowed me to have stripped down to my skivvies, I might have been under 220 ... again like I was last month.

So I have not lost that much weight in the last month. Why not? Because I have not been exercising... hardly at all... I had to admit that to my trainer last Friday when I checked in with her. So I have rededicated myself to this effort, and am going to take the challenge my trainer, Holly, has given me. To work out every morning (can miss a day, sparingly, once in a great while) even if it means I only work out for 30-40 minutes. Just need to make it a part of my morning routine.

My Cleveland Clinic Doctor, Dr. Cooper, told me today that I could step up my exercise to an increased heart rate of around 135. I did that tonight on the bike and felt better about it, because I worked up a sweat again. Dr. Cooper said that a safe heart rate to exercise at if you do not have any other factors involved is: 85% of the difference of your age and 220. So for me that is... well you can do the math. LOL I have set my heart rate monitor at 137 to be the max.

Dr. Cooper also is changing my blood pressure medicine to be the minimum amount, with the expectation that I will be off of it completely when I see her in July. I have been feeling out of it, spaced out, not dizzy but just really out of it a lot. And she thinks that will help.

I am off the CPAP machine, blood pressure is better, sugar is better, and now looking at the home stretch for the "easier" weight loss. I was told that I could continue losing after the year, but it becomes a little harder.

Others were recommended to keep a food diary, and the importance of exercise, which we hear a lot of in our TOPS meetings. She also asked how many meals we ate and how many snacks. She said for some of the women they should be looking at 1500 calories per day. She didn't tell me specifically, but I think I could have a little more. I have been snacking more than I should. I have an acquired taste for the candy "Good and Plenty" and try to rationalize that it isn't as bad as some other ones. Got to stay away from them. Like them too well. I will be good and plenty big, if I would snack on them on a regular basis. LOL Unfortunately, very little disagrees with me, but some things just don't taste as good to me as they used to.

Some people have trouble finding a support group, so I told Dr. Cooper about how TOPS is a good resource to keep people on track. I also believe in the other groups to share our experiences, even if it is only online. So I do think this type of support group is available to everyone who has this surgery.

Well I am posting my "official" before and after pictures for 9 months for those of you who are curious about where I am at on this journey.

Thanks for stopping in and showing an interest in my progress.

Maynard