#bariatricstruggles

Well guys... I did it! The reason for my LONG hiatus has finally reached its end. This past weekend I walked across the stage to receive my Master’s of Social Work. When I started my bariatric journey and started to struggle with mental health and body issues and found little to no resources specifically tailored to wls patients... I realized that I wanted to be the change that the world needed. So I enrolled in grad school and spent two very long and very hard years to achieve my dream. I have interned at a local hospital’s inpatient behavioral health unit and have actually been hired on part time. I am still not sure how exactly I will make a difference for the WLS population but I will get there.

As a wls person... I love tastings... I can get buzzed for about $16 lol.

We are on vacation and never in my life would I have been up for all of the things we did... including walking all 4 Disney parks in one day! 100+ lbs ago I would have been tired within the first 3 hours and would have been complaining and would want to sit down or go home. I enjoyed myself and walked all the parks with only minor struggle and complaining, but only cause it was God-awfully hot out and I hadn't eaten enough so I started feeling sick. I am proud of myself and am glad that I got to make so many memories. I have gained about 10 lbs from my lowest and I can see it and its making me feel uncomfortable, but I promised myself that I will enjoy vacation to the fullest and not deny myself anything but that means hitting it hard core when I get back to reality...

Hello to all my beautiful followers. I am so sorry I have been MIA for such a long time. As some of you may know... I am currently in grad school to get my MSW to be a counselor for bariatric patients. This year has been hell. I am busy working 30 hours a week, school full time, and interning 20 hours a week. Plus having homework and a life with my boyfriend and our two fur babies. Not only have I been trying to juggle all of this but I have also had a sudden and unexpected loss of a great friend who was only 30, a car accident in which someone hit me and totaled my car, and having to put our fur baby Marbles to sleep unexpectedly after finding out he was double the age of what we were told when we adopted him and he had serious health issues that were shutting down his insides. So... next week I have finals and will have a short break before my two classes for the summer starts. But we will be taking an 11 day Florida vacation and after this year of Hell, I am still happy and healthy. I have let my stress get the better of me and I haven't been taking care of my body like I should... but I vow to start doing better now that I'll have a break and can center myself. Thank you for sticking with me as I didn't expect to be away for so long. This picture is from my 4 mile run this afternoon. I haven't run since my 10k in October so I'm pretty proud of myself.

I can smell BO from across the room and food smells disgusting ugh 😑 Any advice from my fellow Bariatric peeps #BariatricStruggles #ItsBeenASuckyWeek #DuodenalSwitchJourney

So today, my boyfriend Aaron and I decided to go on a run together. When we got to our running starting point though, he was being a bit of a douche so I decided to run my own route and meet him back at our stopping point. I was in a rough mood and I was just very blah about being out for a run, but I was still running. I was almost to our meeting point and I could see him in the distance and I was starting to cheer up a little until.... A truck passes me and I notice the two young men, that immediately pass me and yell out the window... "Run Lardo, Run!" This gave me mixed emotions, the immediate emotion was shock. I usually pass friendly people that wave or nod in my direction. The second was disbelief, I'm out here working out my body and you are going to ridicule me? Shame on you. You want to make fun of an obese woman for actually trying to make herself healthy? Fuck you! I just can't believe the audacity of people. The last emotion was pure beast mode! You're ridicule is the very reason why I am going to keep on running and working out. I am going to love my body every step of my journey and make sure that I reach my goal, one mile at a time.

Today was my day for my weekly weight check. Sunday morning are the day my dr told me that I could weigh myself. I did not lose any weight but I also did not gain any weight, which is good. Although this is good, I was still hoping for some loss. It was a bit of a disappointment, but I have to look on the bright side.... I started going to a circuit class and have been working out which probably means I am gaining muscle. Losing inches but not losing weight. I guess I am just expecting weight to be falling off at this point. I am 6 weeks post op. :/ I will not let this discourage me though. I just need to keep myself moving forward with some slight differences. I will continue to work out at least 5 days a week and continue to eat on my nutrition guideline. I will also start to try and get more sleep to aid in my weight loss and make sure I am getting in my daily water and then some. I can do this.

Today was my weekly weigh in day. I didn't lose any weight but I also did not gain any weight. Although I am sad I did not lose anything I also have to consider that I started doing a circuit class this week and going to the gym to lift to switch up from my normal running exercise, so I am gaining muscle and probably losing inches without losing weight. I have already met my 10 pound loss for the month but I am hoping I haven't reached a stall already, I'm only 6 weeks post op. My plan is to keep eating right and exercising at least 5 days a week. I also need to get more sleep and make sure to drink all my water for the day. Weight loss is not easy.