New Year, New Girl, 2K16

Oh! Hey! 

(well this is embarrassing.....)

HOW ARE YOU? I feel like it's been forEVER since I last saw you! 

And really, I have no one to blame but myself. 

I tend to do this with blogs/journals/any sort of documenting my life experiences,

but I have had so many people ask me about my blog that I realized that it was time to get back on the bandwagon. 

SO much has happened since I last hit my 50 pound mark and blogged about it.

I almost feel like a whole new girl. 

I started a new semester, 

with all new goals,

new job,

new internships opportunities (x2),

a whole new world of dating,

working out with my trainer,
new hair style,

and SO much more. 

(if you're nosy enough to ask me about any of the above I'd be happy to fill you in on my life) 

I can't believe that I am almost 8 months post-op!

Where has the time gone? 

My body is still changing so so much, but it sometimes it can be hard to see it in yourself,

even if the scale is telling you that it's true. 

It wasn't until today when I was going through my camera roll,

and decided to take some "update pictures" did I feel like I could see a difference. 

Total time: 8 months post-op 

Total weight loss- 85 pounds

(These pictures were taken only this last August, so about the last time I posted on the blog. I was about 50 pounds down in these before pictures) 

(this one is backwards, but you get the idea)

For those of you wondering, I am back to as normal of a diet as I think I ever will be.

I can eat a lot of things again, but with MUCH moderation.

If I get too much sugar, I get sick.

If I eat too fast, I get sick.

If I eat more than a palm sized amount of food at a time, I get sick.

But 8 months in, I've basically figured out what works and what doesn't,

and its become fairly easy to stay away from the things that don't go ever well. 

Since school started this fall, I've STRUGGLED getting to the gym. 

Over the summer I was doing so well, and getting so strong, 

but it was hard to keep up the routine when school started.

I've made adjustments to my school schedule, 

and I have moved back home so it is easier to attend "my gym" 

and I think both of these things, as well as some new found determination will make a difference.

I've started running again and I can already tell a difference between starting a cardio routine 80 pounds ago, and today.  

I am not perfect.

My diet is not perfect.

as I just mentioned above, 

my workout routine is not perfect,

but I'm improving,

I'm changing,

I'm transitioning.

I'm doing so well.

I am so blessed.

I am so thankful for my amazing parents 

who made this life change so possible and their love and support 

through the physical and mental pain of it all. 

They are my rock. I would not be able to do without them. 

If you have young children (especially girls) who struggle with their weight,

I beg you to read this article. 

As someone who came from a home that kept most of these rules, 

I can say that it made the world of difference. 

New years resolution 2k16- UPDATE THIS BLOG MORE FREQUENTLY.

(but seriously, feel free to hold me accountable and ask when I'll update again)

Current phone wallpapers:

Truth is....

I wrote most of this list on a harder night. 

A night I was feeling pretty emotional.

I want you to know that it's not always bad,

but in an effort to "keep it real"

here is a list of truths. 

Truth is..... 

...sometimes i notice a big difference and sometimes i don't

....I wonder if people only say i "look good" out of politeness

...sometimes I have i have a hard time believing i could ever be healthy and my goal weight

...I still crave diet coke every single day

....Sometimes i get discouraged

....Sometimes i feel motivated

....Sometimes i run without wanting to stop

....Sometimes I watch the clock on the treadmill my entire work out

...Sometimes i just want to indulge...

...and I get mad when I can't.

...I get defensive when someone tries to tell me what I can and can't eat without getting sick.

...Periods are way harder post op

...It is definitely not the easy way out

...It's hard not to focus on the numbers on a scale

....It's hard not compare to other wls patients

....I'm not patient with myself at all

....Mental barriers are the hardest

...Addictions aren't always apparent

....Self control is hard.

...I worry that people judge me too much.

...I Sometimes feel frustrated

....Sometimes i feel liberated

...I wonder if I'm actually worth the money it cost

....I really want to love running.

....This journey isn't always ideal.

....I cry. A lot.

....It's hard to talk about. And hard to put into words.

....I'm a hot mess.

Back to work, back to life.

My one month surgaversery has come and gone,

which offically means,

its time to go back to work. 

I work at the kind of job where you meet lots of people,

and you stand on your feet for 8 hours a day.
After being in bed for a month, I would be lying if I didn't say that I sometimes feel like this:

But its so great to be back to work and back to "normal" life.

Last week I had a really great visit with the nurse from my surgeons office.
I expressed my conserns about the "stall" in my weighloss for the last two weeks.
She assured me that "I was doing great" to "stick with it" and "be patient"
but my favorite part was that she said
"This is normal".
What? Even with WLS you can hit plateaus?
#thingsIwishtheywould'vesaidbefore
She told me to think of my weightloss as more of a stair case downward than a hill.
I will loose some, stall while my body is figuring it all out,
then loose some, then stall,
then loose and so on.
This brought me a lot of comfort.
I had felt like I was being so careful and not seeing the results that I wanted.
So, just like with everything else in this world,
Lexi's gotta learn more patience.

About a month and a half out updates: 
-I have cut out fruit and as many carbs as possible.

#scarytrue

The nurse mentioned that I might have "jumped the gun" introducing fruits to my diet, thus, causing plateau.
And so, I mostly eat protien, veggies, and dairy (cheeeese).

-My new favorite thing is bruchetta and feta omlettes for breakfast
(or as my youngest brother calls it- Stinky cheese omlette)


-I have officially signed up for my first voluntery 5k.
And, of coarse, its right up my diagon alley:
(smirks at my own wit)

I figure it will be a great thing for me to look forward too and work towards a exercise goal.
You know, to get my butt to the gym.
I have been training using the nifty Couch to 5k app,
and it me to listen and jog to this playlist
If you are interested in joining me, sign up here.
(It's in August so you have plenty of time)

-My new phone wallpaper reminds me to not accept mediocraty:

-It's like target GETS me: 

#hearhear

And then there is this: 

P.S. Thanks again for all the love and support! I've come to realize how many people are interested in this journey, and how many questions you might have. I'd love to have an entire post answering your questions, so leave a comment below, or message any questions about weight loss surgery you might have. xoxo

Let this curse be broken.

Can we just start with how hard this made me laugh? 

What a good week it's been. 

It's been the first week that I've started feeling more like myself. 

Ok, not 100% (I still get lightheaded and have some back problems)

but I'm up, and about and working out without wanting to kill myself.

So I'm great! 

It was a really great week, 

and now that I think about it, a lot of things happened. 

Because this is my blog,

and I can write about what I want, 

I'm doing to do a weekly recap. 

If you don't want to read it, 

skip forward, 

don't read it,

I probably won't even notice.

Memorial day:

My youngest two siblings and I had the greatest time with some extended family visiting family graves and enjoying each others company. 

There were donuts and E.L.Fudge cookies a plenty,

chips and sodas galore, 

and I ate my cheese stick and turkey slices.

I felt really tired this day.

Because we spent some quality time at each grave site,

my aunt gave me a camping chair from her van to sit in. 

I spent most of the time sitting because I just felt too tired to stand for that long. 

Later that night, my family had their own BBQ in the backyard with classic hamburgers.

I convinced myself to try to each just a patty

(Maybe hamburger meat could pass as a soft meat?)

but realized quickly after finishing that it was a mistake,

and spent the rest of the night sick. 

(And also playing to coolest game of Betrayal yet) 

Both Wednesday and Thursday I tried Sugar free, concentrate free smoothies at both Jamba and Roxberry. 

Neither of them were anything to get excited about, so I'm on the verge of giving up,

unless someone out there has a tasty suggestion! 

Thursday was my brothers graduation.

Another exciting family activity with loooots of food. 

But luckily Costco's Basil Pesto Tilapia saved the day.

I also FINALLY got my new gym pass at VASA, which I was excited to put to use. 

On Saturday we got a sweeeeet surprise.

My mom's uncle called us early in the morning to invite us on his private plane 

to a family reunion in Southern Utah.

I thought ahead and packed my snacks!

(Cheese stick, ziploc of turkey, even a protien shake just in case)

Since my surgery, I have been more motion sick than I have my entire life,

so I was worried that this little plane would make me violently ill.

We got all the way to escalate and I hadn't vomited once! 

I was feeling so proud of myself until I had to rush over to some bushes to see if I could cough anything up.

Luckily, there was nothing in my stomach to come up, so after a few moments of... coughing.... 

my body finally felt satisfied that I was going to be okay. 

Then I felt fine!

Again, as people around me munched and mingled, 

I enjoyed my cheese stick and my turkey. 

I stole a couple of my baby cousins squeezey applesauce pouches (yum!)

and by the time it was dinner, I was hungry, and had run out of food!

They were having Taco Salad, or Nachos 

and I thought that my best bet would be the Chili because it had some meat and some beans.

I was still worried because I had gotten so sick on Monday from the hamburger meat.

I took just a little bit, and prayed (literally) that I wouldn't get ill in the middle of the woods,

or worse, IN MID-FREAKING-AIR-WHERE THERE IS NO BATHROOMS on our flight home. 

Well, I am here to testify that God answers prayers, 

because I made it safely home without any Chili-induced mayhem. 

Even with my good choices this week, and my new exercising routines,

I have officially plateaued this week.

So. FRUSTRATING.

I really didn't think I would plateau this early in the journey. 

I realize that this is normal, but I'm still not happy. 

Honestly, as it might be that I'm not eating enough, or drinking enough water, or both.

But let me tell you, 

after a month of losing 5 pounds a week, i

its maddening to not loose anything this entire week.
Please, please, please, Let this curse be broken

#firstworldproblems #plateaussuck

Oh! hey! Remember how I was talking about the food pyramid??? 

Like, the NEXT day, I found this and it was just too perfect:

*Go back to working 8 hour shifts (on my feet) and not pass out

*Blog twice a week

*Get to the Gym 3-4x/ week

*Walk the dog days I don't get to the gym

*Track my protein/water intake every freaking day. Seriously though.