10 Weeks Post-op!

I'm feeling fantastic! I've got my diet under control, with the help of my trainer Stacey, the scale is moving again, I see things tightening up. I'm super happy with what I see in the mirror for the first time in my recent memory. Its a great feeling to be pushing myself hard and enjoying the fruits of that labor! I still have a bit of swelling, especially after a hard workout, but overall I'm so happy.

Today I did another Cycle class with Stacey. It was super hard. I was struggling physically and mentally. It was a class about hill climbing, something I desperately need to work on. I've always had a bit of a mental block when it comes to climbing. I used to carefully plan all of my cycling routes to avoid any big hills, which is hard to do in Utah! Last year I pushed myself to climb a little more, and I know I can handle more than I think I can, and I learned to enjoy some climbing, but last summer I did one really big hill. I was scared going in. I was scared all the way up. I got off my bike many times. I almost quit a bunch of times. I did eventually make it to the top, but I hated every minute of it and felt like a failure for struggling so much with it. And ever since then hills stress me out! I'm glad I have Stacey to push me in these classes, to teach me that I am stronger than I think, and that i'm putting in the work to be able to conquer whatever it is I want to conquer. I don't think I'll be going back to that hill anytime soon, but maybe someday I can conquer it for real. The picture below is my profile picture on Facebook right now. Its what I tell myself every day as I start my workout or think about my goals. And its true. I know it is. I am stronger today that yesterday and i'll be stronger yet tomorrow. One day at a time!

Nutrition

I've got the workouts going, I'm feeling strong and motivated, but I have to say I've been letting my nutrition slip the last couple of weeks, between the flu and a family vacation, i've just been slacking. I know that no amount of exercise will show me the results I want if I don't reign in the food i'm taking into my body. So, I'm rededicated to that part of my life. I really struggle with eating too many carbs and too much sugar, so I'm reigning it in, tracking what I eat and trying to focus on eating more of the good stuff so I will be too full for the bad stuff. I'm home from church today with a sick baby, and usually I use the excuse of a lazy day to snack too much, but not today. So far i'm right on track, and I plan to stay that way. I'm not going to deny myself everything, I go crazy doing that, but I can definitely cut back. I went shopping yesterday and made a healthy, lower carb, higher protein meal plan for this week. I'm hoping that a couple weeks back on track and I will remember how much better I feel eating this way! I'd be lying if I said the snacks in the cupboard weren't calling my name, but like they say, "Will power is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets." So today i'm doing a lot of flexing of my will power muscles. :)

On another note, I finally got the ok to take off the surgical binder. I'm still wearing it sometimes, it helps my back and abs feel stronger, especially while I exercise, and it helps with the swelling, but its nice to get breaks from it. My incision is healing really well, just a small scab left, woot! And i'm going from seeing the doctor every 1-2 weeks to every 6-8 weeks. Woot! Almost back to normal. :)

2 Months post-op!

I've been feeling so good, until I got the flu! I completed the first full week of my trainers workouts, and started week 2, then had to take a few days off to recover, but i'm easing back in now. The workouts are tough but I totally rocked them. :) My incision is almost healed. My swelling is improving all the time. I'm so excited about it all. My weight still seems to be bouncing around the same 2 pounds, but that's ok, it'll come. I bought new jeans last week, size 6! Yay!

I also started laser hair removal last week! I'm gonna be a whole new person. :) It went really well, i'm nervous as it gets more painful down the road, but I really like the medical spa I went to, and I know it'll be worth it!

In other big news since my last post: I'm officially signed up for the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes again! This time in Burlington, VT in July. I am SO excited to do it again, and actually complete all the miles this time. :) I'm hoping my brother and sister will be joining me, i'm still working on winning them over, but I think they are coming along. Now it's time to buckle down and fundraise! I've got a few things in the works, hopefully it'll work out for a big money year for JDRF. If you care to read about why I ride, or want to donate to the cause here is my link: http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/DianeOwen

I'm not planning to race as much this year, but so far my race (actually more like ride) schedule looks like this: Goldilocks Bike Ride in May (Probably 60 miles), JDRF Burlington in July, Wonder Woman Bike Ride in September (70 Miles). I will also do the Larson Cup Triathlon whenever that is, and maybe a long swim race in August if I feel like I can fit in the training for it. I'm so excited for this year. Seriously, its going to be awesome. Woot!

Here are my 2 month post-op pictures:

As you can see, my incision is rather red and inflamed right now, but that is a normal stage of healing and doesn't bother me at all. It is healing really well and is nice and thin and smooth in most places. The little scab on the left hand side of the picture is the spot i've been watching for over a month now. Its getting so close to being gone! I rolled my pants down as far as I dared for these pictures and they still cover the edges of my scar on my hips, I like that. :) Obviously there is still some swelling, but its really easing up every where. I have a million pictures of myself on my phone because i'm fascinated with my new shape, and how differently all my clothes fit. My husband gets a kick out of going through my phone. haha.