49L of Oil Is Too Much...Even For An Arab!

The Lebanese love our olive oil but even I think that 49L is more than I will ever need to see In the remainder of my lifetime.... This is me standing beside the 45kg I had lost up til a month ago (in 7 months). I can't believe that I used to carry this around with me everywhere I went, and tried to make it look graceful and comfortable as I did it. There was nothing comfortable about my lifestyle this time last year.

Me standing besides the 45kg equivalent of weightless I have achieved (49L of Oil)

Although the rate of weightless had started to slow down just before reaching the 45kg lost mark, in the last 3 weeks I have seen a fairly dramatic drop in weight. It has been one month has past since the above photo was taken and I have lost another 3.5kg in this time. This morning I weighed 71.2kg which means I have lost 48.5kg since July 2015.

 

As I approach a milestone of 50kg lost in sensationally rapid pace, I have decided I am finally ready to share the story behind my Twentysix Bites story. Today I will be introducing my blog to all my friends on Facebook. Many of these people already know my story, but this will be sharing my personal diary with a new group, perhaps one who is even more critical as they are not looking at this blog for the purpose of research into their own futures. Let's hope it is received well!!!!

 

Wish me luck :)

 

xx T

Chip chip chip.....No! Not that kind of Chip!!!

 

Chip chip chipping away to find the girl who has been trapped inside of me for 28 years. She is not "better" or "worse" as such, but she is a lot more fun and I enjoy entertaining her a lot more. This girl laughs a lot more than she used to, is a bit more cheekier, is a bit more confident at times, and is ready to live life to the fullest. Yes, she gets confused and forgets that she is the person that everyone now sees rather than the bigger, uncomfortable and sad body that she was trapped within 7 months ago. Now there is a big, uncomfortable, and not-so-sad girl trapped within the me that I am today. 

 

Statue by Gabriel D'Orazio

This Didn't Happen Overnight....But It Did Happen!



This is less of a blog entry and more of a pictorial story for you all. A question I am often asked is "Have I always been fat?" ...and my answer is always "Generally, yes! but I really ballooned leading into puberty and since then my weight has always fluctuated". How better to demonstrate this than to show you some photos of me as a grew up (please excuse the obvious missing photos through high school - I need to search for these).

 

So here is the story of my life, the story of how Theresa grew up to have surgery and eventually learn that each mouthful had to be chewed by no less than Twentysix Bites.



 

Me as a baby of 6-9 months - Yes, my mum use to powder between each roll!

Pretty sure I weigh more than my 3 year old sister on the left at this stage.

...shall we count the rolls?

 

...at age 3 I had thinned out slightly, but was still wearing clothes for older kids.

 

Pretty cute if I do say so myself, but I remember one of my dad's friends asking when my baby was due....

 

Holy Communion at age 10 - I had borrowed my 13 year old friends dress to wear and it was still a tight squeeze....

 

Age 11 - Notice that I am rounding out again?

Let's not pretend I look like an average 11/12 year old here....

 

Age 12 - This dress was bought from Rockman's ladies fashion store as a size 14/16....

Age 14- There I am to the far Left....

I had just lost heaps of weight - Travelling in 2006

2007 - Gaining weight again...

University Exhibition - 2007/8

Early 20's -  to the far Right

Spot the fatty - 2008 in Bahrain

Exhausted and tired from walking in Jordan - 2008

Trying to smile after a long walk - Jordan 2008

My sisters wedding in 2009 

 

My Final Masters Exhibition in 2009 - I had just lost 17kg since the above photo....

2010 - Fish spa in KL and flying had started to become a tight squeeze...

I am the one with the huge buttocks on the far Left - 2010

Trying to look glamorous in 2011/12 - Second from the Right

A dinner party in 2012 - Far Left

Getting to my biggest weight in Thailand - Jan 2014

Thailand - Jan 2014

A few weeks before surgery- June 2014

 

Who you callin' Obese? ...Huh!

...Ain't got no time for that!!! Call me Overweight instead ;)

 

Yep at 78.3kg and a BMI of 29.1, I have graduated from obese and am now considered overweight. Who cares that a BMI of 29.1 means I am quite a bit overweight, because the fact is I have not been JUST "overweight" in a long long lonngggggggg time! So I will take that overweight label and eat it up happily with a big smile on my face...and a side of "Quest" protein bar and a side of coconut water (at least 30 minutes after my protein bar, of course!). At 78.3kg, this takes my total weight loss to 41.4kg and means I need to lose another 11.3kg to get to my goal of 67kg. Funnily enough, my dietician recently reminded me that my pre-surgery goal was 75kg, which I have nearly achieved. With only a few kg's to go, I know that I am not ready to stop yet, I want to be smaller, fitter, more toned and get a stronger core. Although I have been reminded and warned against focusing on a goal weight in kg, I know that I still check the scales daily. How to stop??@#$#%^$^?

 

So, I suppose it comes as no surprise that I have been extremely lazy with the blog recently. I have received many angry messages from friends and a few emails from readers who have been waiting to hear what has been going on in my crazy little Twentysix Bites life, but the truth is, I have just been having toooooo much fun trying to make up for what some would say is lost time. I tend not to sit on the computer writing about my life or the life I want, because I am getting closer to getting there and I just want to keep getting closer! Don't get me wrong, my happy little world still has it's ups and downs... BUT...there is no doubt that I have been riding a pretty good honeymoon high for the last 6 to 7 months. I didn't think much would be able to bring me down for a while until recently where I seem to have hit a bit of a stall. A mental stall, an emotional stall, an energy stall and a weight loss stall. My weight loss has slowed righhhttttt down to a few hundred grams a week for the first time since I started the process, so while I can honestly say that I am ok with this, I know that the next few months are going to be super hard as I creep closer and closer to goal. So what is affecting my mental, emotional and energy state? I am not sure exactly..... this is something I am slowly trying to reconcile. What to do! Such is life! Ce' la Vi! I will get over it and be happy as Larry in a few days I am sure (Watch this space!).

 

Ok! Back on to me and what has been happening in my Twentysix Bites world. First things first - Dating life = pretty much the same non-existent existence I had before, though with more flirting. Flirting is nice, but isn't getting me anywhere at the moment. So I am sorry to disappoint but this blog is going to be staying PG rated for a loonnggggg time! You are going to have to get your raunchy stories from someone else, or hold out for '50 Shades of Grey' which is being released in just over a week! Terrible book, but I still want to watch the move - go figure! ...Life of a single lady ;)

 

While jumping the gun on the romance front, I have very so rudely forgotten to wish you all a Happy New Years! I can't believe it is now 2015...still keep writing 2014 on documents by mistake. Time just goes so fast nowadays. Good thing I am finally living life to a much fuller extent! How did everyone go over Christmas? Did you gain, maintain or lose weight? Did you treat yourself? I was pretty good over Christmas break and still managed to lose a bit, despite the drinks and slightly more indulgent foods. I know that some people think that you can't have any of the "naughty" foods at all, but I like the idea that they are just "sometime" foods which may require a bit more exercise after consumption. On that basis, I didn't eat everything that was on offer at Christmas as I wouldn't have been able to fit it all in, but I did pick some treats and have bits of them (even dessert!). The biggest way I cheated was that I did very slowly space out a bit of entrée, main and dessert so I could fit a bit more of each course in. Usually I would have my meal within a 20-30 minute period and that would be the end of meal time. Over Christmas, this time frame was stretched to about an hour or so, which allowed grazing and a slightly larger intake. Not necessarily the best choice, and certainly not a choice I can afford to make all the time as I don't want to stretch my tummy/pouch, but I was careful not to over indulge....promise!

The biggest changes since my last post has been the extreme loss of hair (I have lost almost a quarter), and loss of nail strength (they just keep breaking), which I have been experiencing. Luckily the hair loss is evenly distributed from around my head so it is not just one big clump from one spot which has been lost, and I have been blessed with curly hair which generally looks fuller than straight hair. Needless to say, I have not been straightening my hair often recently.  I so often think about taking photos of the hair which covers the shower, bathroom floor, sink and hairbrush each morning, but it is just a bit to overwhelming. I am going to look for some supplements to help with this, but apparently by increasing my folate I should assist in restoring the state of these things.... folate tablets are now a morning ritual...

Oh gosh, I really should be more consistent with giving updates because I am bit overwhelmed with all I want to share with you. I think I may need to break this all down in a mini series of blogs, so let me leave you with this one thing that is bugging me the most...not sure bugging is the correct word actually.....maybe 'erking' or 'interesting' me.... ;) I love getting complements from people, who doesn't right?! Amazingly, I get quite a lot of complements from people at the moment (far more than I deserve), but what happens when those complements stop coming. How am I going to feel? I have read about other fellow sleevers who find the time from 6 months out quite difficult as compliments are less commonly received and they are noticing more subtle changes than extreme ones. How am I going to deal with this, without FOOD!? I know I am stressing about what may or may not happen, but I have noticed that the tone of the complements have certainly changed recently. I am starting to get more of the "don't lose to much more as your face will start to hollow out", or "how are you going to make sure that you don't just keep losing weight?"....like hello! I am still many many kilograms heavier than you so my face is not going to start looking like a zombie anytime soon... people just have to get used to the newer looking me. I am almost the same person inside, albeit a lot happier and fitter... but I know that I look strikingly different.

How do I explain that the girl in this photo looks unrecognisable to me, but at the same time, I still feel like I look like this girl? How can you disassociate yourself from a reflection you have come to know as you. I guess it still comes down to the fact that I may never completely stop being the big, unconfident girl that I have been for 28 years. The question I need to figure out the answer to is, is it better to try to forget the girl I was or to always have a little bit of her inside of me?

I better be off, starting my Twentysix Bites weekend.

Much love, Theresa

 

 

 

90 Cans of Coke Lost!!! ...Yep, That is 35kg Gone Baby :)

It is strange to believe in 21 (+2 pre-op) weeks I have lost 35kg. No words or photo can completely describe how over the moon I am with these numbers. I still have lots of weight to lose, and within that weight I need to shed fat and tone up a lot more. Regardless, I am happy! Some of my oldest and closest friends tell me that they have never ever seen me so happy in all the time they have known me, and I have to say that I agree with them. So in true Twenty Six Bites style I headed to the local shopping centre to take some photos of what I have lost. Nowadays, I can't lift the groceries as a guide, but the images below should give you a pretty good idea of what I was carrying around with me every minute, of every day. No wonder my knees and ankles hurt so badly!

Me standing beside 3 packs of 30 x 375ml cans of Coca Cola, the equivalent of the 35kg I have lost!

 

Oh I am so happy!!!

 

The funny thing is that when I look at the above photos, I don't even think I look like myself. I guess after 28 years, you get used to seeing yourself in a certain way and it doesn't automatically compute that you have changed. I was recently trying to explain to a friend how I still feel like the fat girl inside. Despite my confidence increasing, it doesn't take much for me to flip back into my old self-conscious ways. So how do I remember that I have changed? Photos, looking at my reflection in shop windows when I walk past, or by seeing peoples reaction to me when they bump into me. Anyway, I decided to see how much I have lost since July and the image below is what I came up with! Pretty cool, huh!

Oh, how times have changed!

 

Do you recall I said that my Personal Trainer was hosting an end of year event so that all her Clients could meet one another? Well I attended that event and it was great! I got to meet other bariatric patients, some of which have been 7+ years post op etc. It was great speaking to other people who have actually been through all the phases I am going through. I am going to catch up with  few of them over the next few weeks and make sure I stay in touch. Although I wish I met these people before I had my surgery (it would have given me some peace of mind), I think I met them all at a perfect time. The basic metrics have been met and now I need to keep pushing through and being strict with myself so I don't slip up.

 

One of the things that was mentioned a lot at the dinner party was excess skin. A majority of the people had already had skinfold surgery and others were about to have it. It is one of those things that I am asked about all the time and I generally hate it when people ask, but it was always going to be an issue I would have to deal with. Up until the night of the party I had always said that I would not do any skin fold surgery of any kind, and this was further reinforced by the fact that my surgeon said it was unlikely that I would need any due to my young age. Although I know I will have to wait a few years to see how my skin reacts to the weightless (skin tightens at a slower rate than we lose weight), I do now think that I may need to get my inner thighs tightened up...and if I am there, I may as well get my boobs done too! I don't tend to have any other problem areas at this time... my stomach and arms seem to sitting fine with my skin pulling back into shape well. But as a look at my boobs and thighs I realise that I will never be able to wear shorter shorts if I don't fix the skin. It is unfortunate, but I am not so against it now. More unfortunately still is the cost. I know I will need to save $12-16k to fix these two problem areas, but I know that it will be worth it should it come to that time. In the meantime, I am moisturising, dry brushing, oiling up, and moisturising some more. Let's hope that I don't need to have another surgery!

 

Despite the concerns of skin, these areas are always covered up when I go out, and that seems to be working fine as I have never had so much male attention when out on the town. Don't get me wrong, it is not like I am drowning in attention! Far from it! But when you go from having pretty much no attention (unless it was negative/insults), to suddenly having people look at you and ask you to dance etc, it is strange! I am trying to get used to it still, but think this might take a bit of time yet....baby steps!

 

Speaking of covering up, thank god for hand-me-downs! I have spent so much over the last 6 months on surgery, fitness classes, vitamins, supplements, doctors appointments and endless clothes. I am loving the shopping, but my credit card begs to differ ;)  So I now have a huge pile of clothes that I need to get rid of and an even bigger list of items that I need to find. If anyone out there has clothes they no longer want/fit and they would fit me...hit me up!  Similarly, if you need some bigger clothes.... I have not gotten rid of them yet, so just let me know!

 

I should get off the computer and start wrapping up my Christmas pressies, so I will leave you with a photo of one of the things I bought myself for Christmas/Happy 2015! A beautiful vintage style bike. Isn't she beautiful?

 

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a lovely festive season! I will speak to you all soon, hopefully no heavier from the yummy Christmas feasts and drinks!!!

 

xT

 

M.I.A, Dancing, Meet and Greets, Goals, To many Frogs on Lilypads, Doctors and zzZZZzzz's!

I know, I know that I have been bad. I am a bad girl who has not been writing updates on what's happening.... but I did post my measurements and photos on the weekend, so I got 50% of my job done on time! Anyway, better late than never I say! No more being M.I.A I promise :)

 

My only excuse is that I have been exhausted, literally exhausted. Over the last few weeks I have progressively been waking up more and more exhausted. Needless to say I have been caught sneaking out of the office sick room after a mid afternoon power nap on more than one occasion :s The problem is that I am actually so tired that it isn't really safe to be doing anything other than napping. I quickly lose any concentration that I had (hardly any), and progressively feel a bit more woozy and light headed as the day goes on. By lunch time I am a wreck and resort to the sneaky nap but it doesn't seem to help until late afternoon when I get some weird second wind - very annoying! I should clarify that I am getting a decent amount of sleep each night (8ish hours), so I know it isn't this. So with all the fainting, bruising, dizziness, and feeling sleepy all the time, I decided it was time to go back to Surgeon Jon to see what is going on with me. I went for a comprehensive blood analysis and results were actually great! I am a much healthier chicky than I was pre-op in June. See results below. 

Vitamin D = 128 (+43 from June)

Cholesterol = 3.7  (-1.1 from June)

Triglyceride = 0.9 (-0.3 from June)

HDL Cholesterol = 1.4 (+0.1 from June)

LDL Cholesterol = 1.9 (-1.1 from June)

Coronary Risk Ratio = 2.6 (-1.1 from June)

Iron = 17  (+6 from June)

Fasting Glucose = 3.7 (-1.2 from June)

 

So how do these great results explain why I feel so very tired and mentally challenged? They don't! Doctor Jon has kindly reminded me that anyone who loses 32kg in four and a half months is going to naturally be tired and very distracted. Additionally, the components of the muscles and fat cells around my body are in a state of sudden flux and this will cause bruising naturally. I was reminded that I am doing really well and that I have actually now lost 60% of my excess body fat which is pretty amazing if I do say so myself. The interesting thing is that typically patients are told to expect to lose and keep off 60% of their excess body fat, but I was originally told that I should be able to lose at least 80% (if not all). So quite frankly, I think this is a pretty big milestone for me! Hoorah!!!! Only another 40% to go then I am on maintenance :) Anyhow, after speaking to Jon and then with Carol it was agreed that I as I am still only consuming an approximate 700 calories per day but then burning off a minimum of 1000 - 2000 calories from exercise each day (not including the calories a body burns to keep itself going), that I am most likely under eating. I have been advised that I need to add another two snacks into my daily plan and it doesn't matter if I have them within 30 minutes of drinking. Any of you sleevers know that this is generally a big no no, but apparently as they are only snacks that it is ok to have them with small sips of coffee/water. I have to admit that over the last two days I have tried really hard to increase my calorie intake by approximately 300 calories and reduce my exercise slightly, and I do feel better. I am adding nuts to my morning coffee snack and have shifted my nutribullet smoothie from breakfast to an after dinner snack...this means I can fit in porridge for breakfast.  Anyway, I figure a rest week won't do massive harm even if it does reduce the rate of weight loss this week.....any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Last time I mentioned that my goal keeps changing as I keep thinking a lower weight would look lovely on me (yes it is like a new summer outfit!). So while I officially have 20.8kg to go to achieve my 67kg goal I would really like to lose 25.8kg. While I was at the surgeons clinic I was catching up with the counsellor and she has recommended that I try to avoid thinking of a numeric weight which I will be happy to live at. Instead she has recommended I think of a dress size which I would be happy to wear. Her concern is that I will become obsessed my a number and become relentless in trying to achieveing it. She did let it slip that this is based on my previous experiences as a "workaholic" and a "perfectionist" of sorts. Her question was what will I be able to do as a 62kg female that I wont be able to do as a 72kg female. This is a really hard one for me, as I know she has a good point.... I can become quite over-focused when I want something, but at the same time I really want to stay focused. I think I need to find a fun and creative way to track/measure my future losses, but I am pretty lost as to what I should do. Again... I am looking for ideas people :)

 

Ok! onwards and upwards to the fun stuff! DATING! Well let me be honest here... I do not have any crazy amount of dating experience... in fact, my experience is so minimal it is embarrassing, butttttt losing weight and getting some confidence seems to have turned the switch! These last few weeks I have been on quite a few dates and getting lots of attention from other guys while dancing, out or at work. Some of the attention is just more complements/flirting/banter than usual while other attention is pretty in your face and quite terrible actually.... So here is the thing... of all the dates I have been on, there is actually only one guy that I even like and he doesn't seem to fancy me as anything more than a friend (or else he is completely oblivious to my very fantastic flirting style)... all the others are being considered frogs on lilypads who are not actually going to turn into Prince Charming when I kiss them. Don't ask me how I know... I just do :P Anyway, I shall keep you informed of my dating expeditions as they unfold.

OMG! I can't believe I almost forgot to mention it, but I bought bikinis! Not only do I have one pair, but I went a bit crazy and got three :o ....Yes, Twentysix Bites blogger Theresa now has bikinis which don't look absolutely awful on me as long as I stay standing, don't sit down, don't move my floppy legs around too much, and move slowly. Yipeee!!! Don't ask me how I plan to swim and abide by the rules...perhaps these are more like my "indoor clothes" that no one else needs to see for a while....

 

Anyhow, I shall sign off shortly but I should tell you of some of the very exciting things that will be happening over the next week or so:

1. Lots and lots of Christmas parties!
2. I get to meet other bariatric patients who train with my fantastic Personal Trainer (Toby), as she is hosting an end of year function for us all - yep this will be my first chance to meet fellow sleevers!
3. I may be meeting up with a fellow sleeve blogger called Martin which is very exciting for me!
4. I will be hearing from an old friend who has been considering WLS and is meeting with a surgeon. I met with this lovely lady a few weeks ago to talk her through my experiences and I honestly wish her all the best in making whatever decision is best for her xxx
5. More dates hopefully ;)

That is all for now. I will leave you with a beautiful saying that a close friend of mine reminded me of after reading my last post when I was pretty down. 

 

"Those who mind don't matter.... Those who matter don't mind...."

 

I have actually stuck this saying on my work computer so I can always look at it when I am feeling a bit confused or down. So far it has come in handy in keeping my spirits up...I hope it helps make your day better too.

 

Happy Summer's Night, Theresa

Say Hey....

Hi everyone!

So the funny thing is I can see people are reading my blog from all around the world, which is an amazing feeling! Hello people in Australia, Germany, America, UAE, Mexico, Canada, Russia, Bahrain, France, New Zealand and the UK!

I would love nothing more than to hear from you, and see how you are going. Tell me your story! How many bites do you  If you are a fellow sleever, or are you contemplating having a bariatric procedure etc. I would love to hear your stories, concerns and questions.....and here is the scary thing.... I would love to hear what you think of my blog! Tell me please?

Leave a comment, a post, anything!

xx Theresa