I’ve been pretty quiet around these parts lately. There hasn’t been much to say. Yeah, I’ve been working out, but I haven’t been watching my food intake. Ok, so I’ve been watching it go in my mouth and into my belly but not much as far as self control and moderation.

Something snapped last week and I lost 3.6 lbs! Woohoo! I’m hoping to drop another 10 (preferably 12 or 13) before the half marathon May 7th. I’m 252.6 and it would be AWEEEESOME to be in the 230s by May. We’ll see what happens!

I also officially hit my 5lb weight loss with WW Online! Wooooot!

My name is Amy and I have a lazy stomach.

Ok, actually I have a “mild gastric emptying delay.” AKA gastroparesis. AKA my stomach doesn’t easily digest food. AKA my stomach is slow. AKA my stomach doesn’t empty itself into my intestines properly.

So you see why I’m calling it “Lazy Stomach.”

Figures, my stomach is as lazy as the rest of me.

Anywho, after the gastric emptying scan where I ate eggs with radioactive dye in them, my GI doctor, Dr. K, had me come back in to talk about the results. Since I have a mild case, he didn’t want to put me on meds just yet. This isn’t a health issue you can cure. It’s something you just learn to live with. Like my hypothyroidism, it will be a lifelong problem for me and if we can put off worse symptoms until I get older, we can put off adding another medication to my morning cocktail.

Interestingly enough, Dr. K says that my thyroid issues are probably contributing to the lazy stomach. He thinks that once we finally get my thyroid levels under control (they were more than double the highest end of “normal” when I was diagnosed a year ago – now, they’re just a little bit higher than normal) hopefully some of my issues will subside.

Of course, me being the paranoid expert Googler I am, I was constantly researching the gastric emptying scan and gastroparesis on countless medical web sites. One of the interesting tidbits I uncovered was that gastroparesis can be caused by prolonged usage of SSRI’s (aka antidepressants). I have been taking Zoloft for more than nine years. My freshman year of college, I got very sick. I had horrible headaches every day. They were debilitating. Many days I just couldn’t get out of bed. I had MRIs and many other neurological exams and my neurologist (Dr. V) diagnosed me as having a serotonin deficiency. Basically, people who are clinically depressed have super low levels of serotonin. Normal people have normal levels. I’m somewhere in between. For me, the serotonin deficiency presented itself in headache form. I’m also convinced that if I wasn’t taking this medication for headache prevention purposes, I would have been on it eventually for depression. I think I’m just wired for depression and anxiety issues. I’ve dealt with both over the past 5-6 years.

Ok, I’ve rambled on long enough.

So there you go. I have a lazy stomach, likely caused and/or influenced by my thyroid disorder and prolonged usage of antidepressants. Good times.

Guess what I get to do on Monday? Here’s a hint:

I’m eating radioactive scrambled eggs, y’all.

You see, I’ve been having a lot of GI problems lately. I’ll spare you the gross details. It hasn’t been pretty. Everything I eat seems to make me sick. I’m bloated, not very hungry (i.e. forcing myself to eat) and through all this, I haven’t lost any weight, which is frustrating. I’ve had a few different tests – checking for a bacterial infection of the intestines, blood test for Celiac disease, etc. I might have a slight intolerance to gluten, but it’s not a full-blown allergy. (Whew, I was freaking out I’d have to give up beer, pizza, sandwiches and whiskey). I’m gonna try to reduce the gluten in my diet, though, because I haven’t been as sick when I eat mostly gluten-free.

Oh, so back to the radioactive eggs. I saw a specialist yesterday who ordered a gastric emptying scan. It’s not what you think. I made sure it wasn’t a test where they watch you poop. Cuz that’s just nasty. Basically, I fast the night before, then they give me toast, OJ and scrambled eggs laced with radioactive dye and then watch it move through my digestive system. It’ll take a few hours. My doctor said we’d take it from there.

From my extensive Googling, I’ve found that this test is intended to see if your stomach is rapidly or too slowly emptying into the small intestine.

Good times.

I forgot to blog about it last week, but I lost 2.8 lbs in my first week back on Weight Watchers (online program). I tracked every day and never used my activity points!

This week wasn’t as good. I didn’t track Saturday-Tuesday. I’ve been dealing with some GI issues (I won’t gross you out with the details, but if it keeps up I’ll be seeing the doctor).

So, I lost .2 lbs this week, for a total of 3 lbs since re-joining Weight Watchers.

I have a crazy weekend ahead – work holiday party – and will likely be using up a lot of my extra P+. The following weekend is the Super Bowl and my Green Bay Packers are playing in it, so I foresee that being a rough weekend as well. I will just have to plan accordingly earlier in the week and make sure to get my exercise in!

I’m gonna be honest with y’all. I don’t even know what I weigh right now. My scale is whacked out. I always weigh myself 3 times just to make sure I’m not standing on it weird or anything (I weigh myself right when I wake up so I’m a zombie).

Well, today I had to weigh myself about 10 times because I kept getting such drastically different numbers. They ranged from 250.8 to 258.6. We’re gonna go with 256 for our purposes today. Mostly because the 255-258 numbers came up most often.

So, there you have it. I’ve gained about 10 pounds since August, but only a couple of them came in December, so when you think about it, I handled the holidays pretty well.

But, it’s time to fix what I undid this fall.

I am not upset by the weight gain, but am using it as motivation to kick ass this month in training and with my 31-day vegetarian challenge.

Speaking of which, things were going swimmingly until today. Mid-day I began to CRAVE a juicy hamburger with bacon. And BBQ. And Cheddar.

OMG are you salivating?

I got through the craving and tonight I made fajitas!

Happy hump day everyone. It’s almost over.

I’ve seen some friends writing 2010 wrap-up posts and, well, it seems like a pretty damn good idea, so I’m going with it. Let’s take a look back on some of my big (no pun intended) moments of 2010.

Starting Losing It Without Losing Me

I really struggled with the idea of starting this li’l website. Did I want to share such private thoughts with the world? Strangers are one thing… but with people who know me? That’s scary.

I’m glad I did.

This blog has been a journey for me… in both losing myself (i.e. weight)… and searching for who I really am. It’s been a journey of self discovery and a sounding board for some of my most private thoughts. You have kept me accountable. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

In return, I will be re-starting Weigh-in Wednesdays next week, as my lack of keeping track has kept me from succeeding. We will find out just how much weight I really gained back this fall and I will likely blame it on injuries, when in all actuality, it was emotional eating. But I won’t mention that, of course, because that would mean taking the blame for the weight gain. Because why would I accept responsibility for shoving my face full of tasty foods?

Buying a suit and returning to the pool

I bought a swimming suit this year… for the first time in, well, a very, very long time. As a child, I absolutely LOVED the pool, beach, etc.

As I grew older (and fatter) I kept far away from anything having to do with donning a suit.

Also, posting this picture —> on the interwebs was a huge step in me getting over myself and accepting myself for who I am – right now – and not who I want to be.

Raising $6000+ for charity

Raising money for such an amazing organization like the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America has been a joy. I’ve met amazing people. I’ve made new friends. I’ve had amazing experiences. CCFA and Team Challenge provided me with a great support system and a pair of awesome coaches, without whom I could have never done what I did this year.

Plus, I got to dye my hair blue and orange which was pretty awesome.

Beep

Miss Beep is my precious fur-kid. She found me in June via Carrie. She’s been an amazing training partner – even run/walking almost 6 miles with me this fall - and I’m positive she could have gone further. She loves walks, runs and everything in between… even showing off her running skills for her brothers, Gizmo and Bandit.

Beepers has been quite the project for me. Coming from a puppy mill and then an obviously abusive home, she has a lot of issues, but we’re working on them and I hope some day she won’t be so scared of new people, loud noises or her crate.

It’s been a privilege to watch her personality emerge over the past 7 months. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me and my li’l Beepers.

Training for, starting, and finishing a half marathon

For a non-runner, non-mover, non-active person like Amy circa January 2010, the thought of a half marathon was laughable.

Then, I walked 5.6 miles in just two hours – on a whim. If I could walk almost half the distance of a half marathon without training, surely I could do one with training, right?

So I joined Team Challenge and started training and raising money.

It was a long road, but I finished training, headed out to California and ran a half marathon.

I learned a lot of lessons and accomplished more than I ever thought I could. I was 250(ish) pounds and did a half marathon. I had friends and family worried I was getting in over my head but I proved them all wrong… and I proved to myself that with the right dedication and support, I can do whatever I put my mind to.

It also gave me hope that my goals for 2011 (post coming soon) are certainly attainable… I just have to be smart.

Pro: My clothes are getting too big
Con: My clothes are falling off

Pro: I have to buy new shoes regularly
Con: Running shoes are expensive

Pro: I’ve met some of the most amazing people who share my getting fit/staying fit aspirations
Con: I’ve lost or found some friends distancing themselves from me as I get fit

Pro: My health is improving (yay for no high blood pressure!)
Con: I’ll be paying off those medical bills for awhile

Pro: I get sick when I eat super fatty/fried/unhealthy foods
Con: I get sick when I eat super fatty/fried/unhealthy but tasty foods

Pro: I can finally start to purchase clothes in the regular women’s section/”normal-sized” person stores
Con: New clothes cost money

Pro: Working out is getting easier
Con: My trainer is going to up the ante

Pro: I want to soak up as much running/training/working out/fitness knowledge
Con: I don’t want it to consume my life

Pro: I don’t drink as much/as often anymore because of how it affects my training (BONUS: Saves me $$)
Con: Sometimes people give me a hard time when I don’t drink like I used to

Pro: My priorities in life are changing (for the better)
Con: I feel guilty about this

Pro: I am more self-aware now than I have ever been
Con: I can tell I gained some weight back without even stepping on the scale

Pro: People are starting to really notice/comment on my physical changes
Con: I don’t know how to respond. The compliments are awesome, but I’m just not used to getting them.

Pro: I’ve had a taste of what a happy runner is.
Con: Injuries. Setbacks. Sadsies.

Pro: My favorite Wisconsin T-shirt is too big for me.
Con: My favorite Wisconsin T-shirt is too big for me.

Pro: People ask me for fitness/working out advice.
Con: I feel very unqualified.

Pro: I can walk up flights of stairs without getting winded.
Con: There is no con for this.

I have been hovering around the 24-27 pounds lost mark for a few weeks. I don’t really care. I just did a freaking half marathon. Give me some time to indulge my taste buds until training starts for the next big race.

The point remains, however, that even though I’ve been on a “eat whatever I want” roll, I really haven’t gained weight.

Officially, I’m down 25 pounds and a whopping 41.5 inches. I know. I’ve basically lost a 3-year-old.

I wanted to know what I was in for when I weighed in tomorrow morning. So, tonight when I was changing into my pj’s, I stepped on the scale. Imagine my surprise when I saw something there I haven’t seen in at least a year or two (probably more).

I saw…

249.8

Say what?!?

I’m in the 240′s?! Hallelujah! Let’s take a moment to savor this moment.

I have lost a total of 24.4 pounds since I began this journey way back when (January 6, 2010).

Additionally, I have lost a total of 36.5 inches… from my neck, bust, waist, gut, thighs, hips, arms, knees, calves, you name it. (And yes, because I know you’re sick jerks, if I was a boy I would measure that too).

My goal when I started working out with John (my trainer) was to be in the 240′s by the time of my half marathon in wine country. 19 days early, I’ve hit that goal. Wonder what I can do in the next 3 weeks?

Today also brings an end to my Pound for Pound Challenge. If you signed up way back when, this is what you owe:

Since January, I’ve lost 24.4 lbs. Since March 11 (official start), I’ve lost 14 lbs. I’m doing the half marathon, which is 13.1 miles. Currently, 1 GBP = $1.51 USD.

• Heck yes £1 for each pound PLUS £1 for each mile — $40.92 USD for loss since March weight, $56.63 for loss since January
• Heck yes $1 for each pound PLUS $1 for each mile — $27.10 USD for loss since March, $37.50 for loss since January
• Heck yes £1 for each pound — $21.14 for loss since March, $36.84 for loss since January

I will be sending you all an e-mail tomorrow. Remember, you agreed to make the donation on my fundraising website by this Sunday, July 4. Click here to donate now. And heck, even if you didn’t take the challenge, it’s not too late. Get in on the fun and pick one of those wacky donation amounts above!

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, including a foot sprain, new responsibilities at work, a troublesome digestive system (TMI) and some other things going on. I’ve had so much on my mind I need to purge, so expect a multitude of blogs in the next week or two.

It’s official.

I’ve lost 20.2 lbs since starting this journey January 6, 2010. Sure, the weight hasn’t come off as quickly as I had hoped, but I’ve kept the weight off, which is a huge accomplishment. I’ve never stuck to a nutrition and exercise plan for this long in my entire life. I’m working out 6 days a week.

I am 20% of the way there to achieving my goal of losing 100 pounds. I hope the next 20 doesn’t take as long as the first, but if it does, I’ll be ok with it. My life has changed for the better.

23 weeks ago, who’d have thought I would be just a month away from completing a half marathon?

And yet, here I am, preparing for my 10-miler on Sunday, and a 12-miler the following week.

Life is good. God is good. I’m so grateful.