Come to Jesus

...that is what I will call the harsh, redemptive talk I had with myself today about my eating and exercising habits. I have not been measuring, eating balanced meals or working out. A large part of that has to do with the new stress I am experiencing at the school where I teach. Our enrollment is shrinking fast and every day we are reminded that some of us will be cut. Even if I am lucky enough to avoid a cut, cuts will mean my classes will be even larger than the 28 students per class I already have. But, this is life, or so I'm told, and not reason enough to let my health fall by the wayside.

So, today I told myself to get in gear and get over the excuses. I have to make this weight loss happen come hell or high water. Today I told myself what I tell my students. "Refocus yourself and dig in to get the task done!"

Missing Chew

Today, while watching my dog happily gnaw on her favorite chew toy, I was green with envy. My doctor put me on a liquid diet 2 weeks before my surgery. Although I've recently been allowed mushies or purees, I miss chewing. Before surgery I was obsessive about reading blogs, books, articles, etc. about the procedure and what to expect after, and this lack of chewing phenomena missed my radar completely. What's odd about it is that I don't miss any particular food just the physical act of chewing. I'm trying to satisfy this craving by chewing gum, but I'm very cautious about this as chewing gum can cause gas. Lord knows I don't want to add anymore of that to the complicated mix in my stomach already. When does the gas finally disappear?  Ah well, I guess chewing is a small price to pay to be thin.

Leaping Over the Edge

I have been banded for a little over a week now and I am still excited! I'm also still very sore, but I'm told that will eventually go away. I must admit I was very hesitant about being banded. My husband was convinced for several years that the band was the best way for him to go about reclaiming his health. Although it was hard to admit to myself that I needed to go to such great lengths to get my weight and health under control, the more I discussed and researched the procedure with him, the more I was convinced it was the right choice for me as well. We were banded July 29th. 

Doing this together has been challenging (we had to rely on friends for the basics) and comforting (I have someone who understands exactly what I'm going through) and I'm very glad I did it.