8 Months Surgiversary and Stats

It has been a busy few months - we have been helping the mother-n-law sell her house and buy a smaller property, we moved into a rental cottage about 30 mins west of London, and I had a few months contracting up in Manchester which kept me away from home.

I have not been to the gym as much as possible (ok at all) but I have been walking a lot.

We are now settled into the new house, and the sell/buy for the MIL will be complete in less than a month - so life is getting calmer.

Yesterday was my eight-month surgiversary - it was also ten years since I met the Hussyband, so we have a double celebration by going out to dinner. I managed most of a starter and stole a few bites of his pudding - a lush raspberry mousse.

I have been stalled almost constantly since we moved house - alternating between 111-113kgs for the last eight weeks. To say it has been frustrating has been an understatement. I have been constipated - lots - even though hitting my liquid requirements. I am adding in fibre supplements to try and fix this as I really hate Dulcolax which I have been taking once a week just to clear the pipes (funny story, popped two the other day and the plumber - a real one - finally showed up to fix the loo just as they kicked in....OOPS!)

A bad chest infection in April which resulted in ten days of antibiotics and steroids did not help matters either.

This morning I broke the stall, for how long I do not know, and hit 109.8kgs - first time I have been below 110kgs since about 1998.

In terms of measurements, I am still seeing shrinkage on the tape measure - 12cm off the hips and another 7cm off my waist since Feb. It is also becoming evident in my clothes - I am now wearing a size 14-16 dress depending on the cut/fabric (I do prefer 50's style dresses) and thankfully the boobs have stopped shrinking with them firmly planted at the moment as 36D.

There have been a lot of shopping expeditions of late - new bras, knickers and lots of new dresses, I should be right now for the next six months or so, and everything I have bought will be able to be taken in for next year (I am being careful about getting classic styles/shapes that are tailorable - getting a new wardrobe is almost as expensive as the surgery! Well, not quite.

Other than constipation I am not noticing much in the way of bad side effects. The hair loss has slowed back to normal levels, and there are days I still get exhausted and fall asleep early (who doesn't?) The only thing that is niggling me at the moment is a pulling feeling on the right side of my belly about 2 inches above the belly button - not sure if it is muscular or something internal but will touch base with the surgeon again soon and get him to check it out.

There is a lot of loose skin on my upper arms and belly now, which is annoying me, and hotter days is quite uncomfortable. I find the flapping noise most disconcerting when I exercise (the main reason I haven't been to the gym as much of late).

Stall aside I am still on track. I have lost over half of what I want to lose in the first eight months since surgery - aiming for around 80kgs - 30kgs to go! Doctors say you lose 50% in the first 6-8 months, 20% in the next six months, then the final 30% can take another 18 months.

Will take pictures again soon that are not selfies I promise!