GOAL

I have mentioned that I have been close to my original weight loss goal for or some time.  My weight has been fluctuating and hovering just above that goal number but this weekend I got on the scale and found I had reached it.  Goooaaaalll!

When I was on vacation my sister was having me try clothes on from her closet - a new experience for me.  She gave me some capri pants and I wore her swimsuit for a couple of days.  Mine is still a big old plus size one.  swim suits are just so expensive and I didn't want to invest in one until I am at a stable size... We also tried on clothes at a consignment shop and I bought a few things in smaller sizes than I ever thought I would wear.  Pretty cool.

 I am now actively working to keep my weight at the current level.  Not just because my husband is calling me bony butt (we both miss my former JLo-ness) but because I think I have lost enough.  I have a lot of extra skin and a pretty major poochy lower stomach which can all be covered effectively with clothing.  I don't want to go further and get beyond my current "issues."  My sister is very into me getting plastic surgery to remove the excess skin (and weight) but it isn't something I am interested in spending money on in the foreseeable future.

I also can't keep buying new clothes!  I mean, I like shopping and buying clothes, I always have.  But now I want to buy clothes which will last in my wardrobe.  I  have too many things I have bought and worn a few times and now find are too big.  I am looking for a local consignment store (with a better attitude than than the ones in my town which are very snobby) and hope to make some trades with my too big clothes.

This week will be 10 months since weight loss surgery.  I continue to increase my capacity to eat but still have to be careful not to eat too fast or too much. I still count my protein every single day and aim for 100 grams.  I am vigilant about taking my vitamins.  I am exercising.

I had my first real cookie last week and had no problem with the carbs backfiring on me.  That will not be an everyday occurrence but it is nice to know I can indulge now and then with no major ill effects.  I am also enjoying a cocktail or two most weekends and used some Advil this weekend with no stomach upset.  So the things I was promised would heal and become more "normal" have happened.

Now I am adding more fruits, vegetables and whole grains back into my diet.  When I was in Idaho I bought some Huckleberry Jam at the Farmer's Market and have been using it on my peanut butter sandwiches - heaven! So sad it is almost gone...

TRAVELING SLIM

I went on a trip which involved 3 airplane rides.  It is the first timeI traveled since I lost 130 pounds and boy is it a different experience. This time it was my luggage that was overweight!

 When I traveled by air I was never shaped so that I had to request a seat belt extender.  I did prefer being able to lift the arm between the seats to give my bottom more room.  Which was fine on a plane with no one next to me or a family member who didn't mind sharing a little extra space.  But there were a number of flights in my life where I was very crammed in and working hard throughout the flight to keep myself in my own space.

The other thing is the tray table.  I could use it if the person in front of me didn't recline. I didn't have much room to maneuver, but I could get it down and put a drink and a book on it.

The hardest thing of all was walking down the aisle.  Not the walking kinda sideways part; I am pretty graceful no matter my size.  No, it was the fellow passengers watching me approach with that "don't even think about sitting next to me and taking up my space" look.

This trip no one glared at me, I had no problem fitting the seat, using the tray table and was, frankly, surprised by how roomy my seat was.

It was a revelation to me to feel comfortable on a plane. I made a pledge to myself that if I sit next to a large person in a future flight I will raise the seat divider and do my best to make the trip pleasant for us both.