Just a short update today -- this is a very busy day/week with work. It is also my birthday week but not going to do much to celebrate.

I do want to thank you all for your support on some of my non-weight focused changes. I will not be discussing it much going forward -- discussing it keeps it on my mind-- but it helps to know so many of you support me.

Hope everyone has a great week-- hope all who are recovering are doing well -- let us know how you are doing!

I’ve been sort of sick off and on now for almost 3 weeks, so no real exercise. I thought I was getting better but then I think I let myself get dehydrated and thay set me back. I have a bad habit of that. Then I slept terribly one night which just set me back further. So, I’m just trying to get well. It’s pretty nice out today, so I’m going to try a short walk and some stretches. Too much lying around has made my back ache.

Yes, crazy busy week. Crunch time at the end of the semester. I did Zumba today and have Pilates Wednesday and Friday. I'd prefer not to go Friday since it's Good Friday and there's usually bad traffic. Oh well, we'll see.

❤️💐🎁Happy Birthday 🎂🎉🥳Funky!! I hope it’s a wonderful celebration with family and friends!

Tomorrow I have a post-op visit with the surgeon who took out my gallbladder. I have not bounced back from this as I did the hernia surgery in October, and hope he will have some insights into why. I think my body is tired from having had three operations within ten months— and hope that is all it is. Have to have more labs for the Hashimoto’s, fingers crossed for that.

I have kind of lost my appetite — VERY unusual— and am trying to eat the fresh vegetables and fruit that are in season. Our community farmers’ market has started up again in the parking lot of our main amenity center and I’m excited to start going to it again.

Along the lines of the joke above, I heard a comic (i wish I could remember her name to credit her) say ”I have to work out like a tri-athlete just to maintain chubby” and I felt that, deep in my soul.

I was doing well. I lost 8 lbs by eating better and walking on my tread 4-6 days/week. Then we went to New Orleans last week. We walked and walked and walked. I added it up from the health app on my phone and it was over 30 miles in the 4.5 days we were there. Weighed myself when we got home. I gained 3 lbs. Considering what I ate, that's actually not so bad I guess. I had beignets for breakfast every day and of course dessert with dinner every night. I was hoping I wouldn't gain anything since on our 17 day cruise I didn't gain anything. The food on the cruise is not the same as the food in NOLA, but on the other hand didn't walk nearly as much on cruise as I did last week. Whatever, it would have been a lot worse had we not walked so much.

Tomorrow I leave for a quick 2 day spa trip with DD. Will try to get a walk in today, but being back at work after a week out, and leaving again for 3 days is no joke. Not sure I will have time to get that walk in.

Definitely back to my routine after this spa trip. Next trip isn't until July, so a good amount of time to get things back under control.

Happy birthday Funky!

KSWL, it takes several weeks. It's pretty invasive surgery to insert instruments through several holes in your body. I'm at 7 weeks now and it took a good 4-6 weeks to feel completely normal.

jsk, it's the carbs/sugar. Any time I eat a lot of sugar, the scale goes up 2-3 lbs the next day. Couple of days later, it goes away (as long as I go back to my normal eating).

straitlover, that could certainly explain it. Those beignets have plenty of sugar. And the pecan pie. And...

So worth it though!

Happy Birthday Funky (and fellow Aries)!

Beignets are the devil.

Today I walked 5.3 miles (split between am and pm), half of it with a weighted vest. I am tired!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FUNKY!

Dang! All the walking you all are doing...good job!

Yep...nuff said Funky...no more talking about "it". Happy Birthday!🎂🎈

I've started lifting weights, trying to tighten the skin on my arms......and.... I'd like to be stronger. I'm doing 175-185lbs on the leg press.....trying to build up my knee muscles....weak right knee can't handle longer strides when running. DH hung a chin up bar in the garage....I can't do ONE....

Happy birthday, Funky!

It definitely took a few months for my stomach to feel normal after GB surgery.

jsk, the New Orleans trip sounds fabulous.

Thanks Eileen and Gscience ❤️ I needed that reassurance. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Funky!

Nicole, very impressive weight lifting! One exercise program I used suggested using a chair to assist with pull ups. Then over time you can use less leg assist. I think I read somewhere that on average men have 40% more upper body strength. So unfair! Whenever there's something heavy to lift and I've been lifting weights and my husband hasn't, I'm always irked that he naturally has so much more upper body strength. My legs are very strong though (compared with my arms, not compared with everyone else in the world).

I'm starting to feel a little back to my self exercise-wise. Last week I started swimming at a pool! Made it 3x last week and so far 1x this week aiming for 3x again. It's a 20min drive each way so I have to wake up extra early. It was 27 degrees outside this morning and the pool is outside but I did it. Once I'm in the water it's great, but getting in/out is rough.

I also finally got access to the trail systems near my new house! In my excitement I way overdid it with a 70min trail runo on Friday after I'd been only doing significantly shorter runs. Ouch. Bad idea. Then followed up that bad idea with swimming the next day and yard work the following day. By Monday I was in so much pain I could barely function and ended up skipping exercise. Since I swam today I took the dog for just a walk on the trails. It's so nice being able to walk on trails away from people and just enjoy nature.

Today I'm cooking a beloved tandoori tofu and veggies recipe that I haven't cooked in a while. Trying to get more back to normal in terms of what I'm cooking.

Aww -- you all are the best! Thank you for your sweet words ❤️

And Happy Birthday to you too, Ruby! ♈💞

PricklyPear - love that you are getting settled into your new home and back into your exercise routine! I used to swim in March when I was a competitive swimmer- but never in 27 degrees! LOL .. that is some serious dedication and commitment!

Love how you are all doing with your exercise and workout goals!

Oops, overlooked the birthday news. Happy belated birthday Funky! Mine was last month; that was my last one, no more, LOL.

Headed out tomorrow morning on my vacation. Two days in Ft Lauderdale then 8 days on a ship. Hope to get some walking in in Ft Lauderdale, depends on how my sister's knee holds up, otherwise, it's mostly water taxi. Taking my gym clothes to get some stuff in on the ship but not going nuts. Pray I stay away from the free ice cream machine (well, mostly LOL!). We're in a spa cabin which includes spa access, so we hope to spend some good time in the thalassotherapy (sp?) pool and saunas and on the heated tile chairs. Sold out ship so may have to fight the crowds on those. If I come back the same weight I'll be thrilled, although all the salt in the air and in the food make me gain temporary sometimes. We'll see!

Not belated at all-- just on time! It is today :)

Have a great trip, Straitlover!

Happy Birthday Funky! Hope you have a great day 🎂 (Tina Marie)

Watched the complete video of my surgery today in the doctor’s office, with him watching along and narrating. Shocked st the inflamed appearance of the gallbladder, and even more at the abdominal wall repair he had to do for the puncture through which the organ was removed. He is pleased with progress though and says that although it is going to take more time than that kind of surgery normally does would to heal it will eventually be fine. He had taken a picture while he was in there of the mesh from the hernia repair he did back in October and showed me; the mesh is still perfectly flat and there are no adhesions to the peritoneum, which is something he and DH discussed extensively before the surgery. So nothing to worry about, just a slower recovery because my abdominal wall was so thin there was a significant hole left that had to be repaired the old fashioned way.

I stopped on the way home and did a little shopping…finally found a navy purse I like and bought it as my reward for driving two hours each way for a half hour appointment!

Really glad to hear that your surgery went well and that your older operation is still in great condition! I hope you're continuing to feel better.

Happy Birthday Funky!! 🎉🎉🎂

So glad everything is healing well @Kswl! very good news!

Happy Birthday @Funkyart!

@jsk I’m craving NOLA food! It‘s been too long.

I hope you heal well, @Kswl. I am glad that your doctor’s visit was reassuring.

I had my six week surgery follow-up on Monday (a few days late). My doctor cleared me to start weight-bearing and walking in the boot with a supportive device as needed. It’s going better than I expected although it felt really scary at first. He also increased my nerve pain meds since I haven’t really slept through the night in six weeks due to nausea then nerve pain. I slept for 8.5 hours Monday night. A miracle!

I did another private Pilates session yesterday, and we were able to do lots more since I can bear weight. Whew, I was exhausted and felt like a weakling. I am still doing gentle home exercises, started acupuncture back up for the nerve pain and will start PT this Friday. Hopefully the worst is behind me.

I have eliminated sugar, artificial sweetener and carbonated water from anything I drink since February. I am eating at least one apple a day. I am trying to avoid eating anything between meals but if I do sticking to an apple, a piece of cheese or raw plain plain almonds.

Did you change your dirt for Lent, Pal, or was that just a general change with coincidental timing? One of my “food rules” is that an apple is always okay.

Jana congrats for getting the boot off! I’m not surprised your weakened muscles were tired after your first real session since your injury. Also glad your medication has been tweaked so you can get better sleep. That is an indispensible element of recovery!

I use Lent as a time to make potential changes because although I am not strictly a Catholic in good standing at this time, Lent gives me a structure and a purpose for doing something like this.

I gave up chocolate one Lent, and I broke an addiction. I no longer "have" to eat chocolate every day. Likewise I have pared a number of things or changed eating habits permanently because if you can do it for 40 days, you can do it forever more or less.

Since Labor Day I have not bought lunch at work once, which requires a discipline, because some days I can come home, make my lunch for the next day, take a shower, get ready for work and go to bed and that's it.

So as a net result, I have lost weight, reduced sugar intake, spent a lot less money on lunches and bottled iced tea, and in turn this has reduced the amount of garbage we put out (I am not sure how) and has reduced our recycling by more than half.

The only thing that was specifically Lent was not randomly snacking, and always making my own weaker and weaker unsweetened tea. --I did sometimes randomly snack but we really don't have a lot of junk. There are regular baked goods since I live with a former pastry chef, but a lot of this gets parceled out and I really have no craving for it.

But while I enjoy good food and multicultural food and so forth, I have always been rather ambivalent about food, not particularly focused on it--neither obsessed for it nor against it.

Yay, texanjana, and kswl, for positive surgery updates. I’m sure you’re thrilled to be doing more in Pilates. I did my two sessions this week and did another session of weights. Our week took a turn when MIL updated us she fell in the middle of the night and drove herself to the ER. Yes, she did. Wasn’t sure if she should’ve called us. Uhm, YES. She has a fractured upper arm. She is in a sling. I don’t think she needs surgery, but i will go with her to her orthopedic appointment on Tuesday. So, we have been going there every day to help her out. We’ll bring a grocery order today. We may cook at her house tomorrow for Easter or just bring her a plate. We don’t really do anything special. DH will make some pancakes and eggs.

Ready to go up a plate. I am pressing about 310 lbs x 15reps x 3sets, so it's time to add some more weight. (People's legs are much stronger than they realize).

You can see the discrepancy between my left and right calves. (Nerve damage right). I wish the skin on my face and neck were this pale, I am a genuine redneck.

Nice legs, Pal!

@gsciencechick I’m sorry to hear about your MIL’s fall. I hope that she doesn’t need surgery.

@palimpsest Congrats! That’s impressive.