So...What Can Happen In 2 Weeks?

What can happen in 2 weeks?

Well, I could lose a little weight; and I did. I went from 219 pounds to 215.6 pounds...a total loss of 3.4 pounds lost, during that short 2 weeks. I am very pleased with my current, slow but steady results of my low calorie food plan. However, those 2 weeks seemed so much longer than only14 days, because of all the remarkable things that have occured.

Just 2 weeks ago, the miracles began to happen.

It started, when I put my 68 year old body into a swimsuit for the first time in more than 50 years. That's right. I went a lifetime, fearing the idea of putting on a swimsuit and letting the world see 'my fat body'. I lived in terror of letting anyone, including my own husband see just how bad my body looked under my carefully chosen camoflage of clothes.

That first moment in the swimming pool of our senior community was divine. No one laughed or made a rude remark about the fat lady in the pool. My aching knees yielded to the water. I swam for first time, since I was a teenager.



I managed to swim for about 30 minutes...not doing anything terribly strenuous...just enjoying the water. It was such a pleasant experience that I determined to come back the next day.

The next morning, I did the MOST COURAGEOUS THING that I have ever done in my life. Putting on the swimsuit required overcoming fear; but I was still able to hide in water. That next day, I decided to STOP HIDING who I really was. I got my hubbie to take very revealing pictures of my 'damaged body'. For the first time, I let him and everyone on MFP see 'the real me' under the camoflage.





These photos released me from years of hiding. Even I did not know what my body truly looked like, until that day. Now, I was ready to move on with my life.

After my first day in the pool, I was feeling a little bit of what an MFP friend called 'delicious pain'. That was the day that I started doing some laps in the big pool. I managed about 8 laps and felt incredible pride in that accomplishment. However, I failed to take into account that the bright sun was getting to my skin, much of which had not seen sunlight in many, many, many years.

Day three revealed the effect of all that sun and no sunscreen.



My hubbie was now my swimming coach. Though Coach Curry couldn't swim at all and clung to the styrofoam float called a noodle, he was there in the pool, encouraging me to go 'just one more' lap. He was as much cheerleader as coach; and every day, I got stronger and stronger in the water.

I did more than 12 laps, then 16, then 18...and more each day. No matter how stiff or sore I felt, when I got into the pool, I swam; and the stiffness and aches disappeared in the water within a couple of laps. The sunburn was replaced with tan in places that I thought would always be lilly white, like my upper arms and thighs.

I didn't care who saw me in a swimsuit anymore. I would stand in front of our home, while Ed sprayed me with sunscreen each morning, before we left for the pool. Anyone who cared to look would see this old girl in her swimsuit on the front lawn getting sprayed ALL OVER. No fear anymore of exposure. I was too busy getting fit.



Today, Ed and I went to pool. I got in the water and swam continuosly for one hour. I thought that I had done 24 laps, but Ed told that I had actually done 25 LAPS of that big pool. I never felt tired, during the whole time. I stopped, only because Ed and I agreed that one hour of swimming without a break was enough for me. Sometimes, I have to be remindered that I am 68 years old and have 2 bad knees.

Today, I saw 215.6 pounds on my scale. I am getting so close to my surgeon's goal of 70 pounds lost. That's when he will put me on the list for my first knee replacement surgery. I'm thinking that it might be time to put some pressure on him to move up that date. I feel confident that I can easily lose those 15 pounds and more, before my surgery date arrives, because it typically take about 3 months for all preop stuff, like labs, consults with physical therapy and such. I have a feeling that they will be surprised to hear that this old lady is doing laps for an hour almost every day of the week.

During the past 2 weeks, Ed also bought a stationary bike for me to use after the surgery. I am looking forward to the day, when I can pedal a bike. Stationary or grannie type, I will pedal myself to an even better, healthier body.

By the way, my ticker shows a goal of 199 pounds. That's for the surgeon. I am thinking that my next goal will be 170 pounds...maybe even less.