ONE YEAR TODAY
That's right, it's my surgiversary !
For those who want to know, I am what many would call a slow loser --
BUT I WOULD NOT ~~~ I call my weight loss a flipping miracle !!!
I have lost 88 pounds in one year. Add to that my equally wonderful loss of 34 pounds pre-op over 5 months, and it's a HUGE 122 pounds !!!
I am 55 years old now. I started my journey at 300 pounds, and I'm just under 5'3" tall. My BMI was 54 and I needed knee replacements but was not a candidate because the orthopedic surgeon would not operate on me because I was too OBESE.
I could barely walk, I was 53 years old, I was recoverning from a bad fall caused by being runover by a dog at the park, and had taken out what was left of my ligaments and tendons in my knee. I was walking with a cane. I needed to have my work load reduced as a social worker, because I couldn't get from place to place....I was embarassed.
Then two colleagues died. Both women, both in their mid 50's both OBESE and sedentary, one from a stroke and one from a heart attack. Stress related ? Probably. Obesity related ? Probably. Their empty desks haunted me. I still had a child at home who was still a teenager, I started looking at my life and my choices. I researched, I read, I listened. I talked to my doctor, I talked to myself.
It took me over a year to get to the place I needed to be mentally to make sure this was the right decision for me. Then it took 11 months from my first appointment with my HMO for a referral to bariatrics to my surgery date.
I have absolutely NO regrets.
I have lost a total of 122 pounds.
BMI from 54 to today's 32
Clothing size 26/28 women's plus size to a Ladies petite 14/16
No more "wide" shoes
NO MORE CANE !!
Can exercise now ! and do it 3 to 4 days a week !!!
I have gone from a sedentary life style to a more active one. Yes, I will still need knee replacements.....weight loss does not give you back soft tissue ! But I can move more freely, I can exercise and have less pain than I did back before when I weighed 120 pounds more....exercise has improved my flexability, my range of motion, and my attitude ! I get up early to go to Curves, and I'm there jogging on the recovery boards, for all to see my saggy baggy skin !
I quit my high stress, no support job; and now am working in a better environment with more professional supports and a job more suited to my skill set, and with much much less stress, and where I feel appreciated, and have some flexability to get my exercise in each week.
I have done all these things as a fairly recently divorced woman, who is now finishing bringing up my teenager alone, and have an aging father that I keep tabs on (he's almost 86 now) I work full time, take care of myself a teen, the house a dog, parrot and a tortoise. I juggle life well, now have more energy than people half my age.
Will I get to goal ? Yep ! Will those last few pounds EVER come off ? Probably, slowly....more slowly now than ever.....but you know what ? We are all becoming something....my personal weight goal is to hit 165. My surgeon tells me that with my metabolism and other factors, he will be happy with me between 170 and 175. And really.....so will I.
It wasn't about being THIN for me, it was all about ~~~LIVING ~~~ and that's what I'm doing !!
So, Happy Surgiversary to ME !!!
For those who want to know, I am what many would call a slow loser --
BUT I WOULD NOT ~~~ I call my weight loss a flipping miracle !!!
I have lost 88 pounds in one year. Add to that my equally wonderful loss of 34 pounds pre-op over 5 months, and it's a HUGE 122 pounds !!!
I am 55 years old now. I started my journey at 300 pounds, and I'm just under 5'3" tall. My BMI was 54 and I needed knee replacements but was not a candidate because the orthopedic surgeon would not operate on me because I was too OBESE.
I could barely walk, I was 53 years old, I was recoverning from a bad fall caused by being runover by a dog at the park, and had taken out what was left of my ligaments and tendons in my knee. I was walking with a cane. I needed to have my work load reduced as a social worker, because I couldn't get from place to place....I was embarassed.
Then two colleagues died. Both women, both in their mid 50's both OBESE and sedentary, one from a stroke and one from a heart attack. Stress related ? Probably. Obesity related ? Probably. Their empty desks haunted me. I still had a child at home who was still a teenager, I started looking at my life and my choices. I researched, I read, I listened. I talked to my doctor, I talked to myself.
It took me over a year to get to the place I needed to be mentally to make sure this was the right decision for me. Then it took 11 months from my first appointment with my HMO for a referral to bariatrics to my surgery date.
I have absolutely NO regrets.
I have lost a total of 122 pounds.
BMI from 54 to today's 32
Clothing size 26/28 women's plus size to a Ladies petite 14/16
No more "wide" shoes
NO MORE CANE !!
Can exercise now ! and do it 3 to 4 days a week !!!
I have gone from a sedentary life style to a more active one. Yes, I will still need knee replacements.....weight loss does not give you back soft tissue ! But I can move more freely, I can exercise and have less pain than I did back before when I weighed 120 pounds more....exercise has improved my flexability, my range of motion, and my attitude ! I get up early to go to Curves, and I'm there jogging on the recovery boards, for all to see my saggy baggy skin !
I quit my high stress, no support job; and now am working in a better environment with more professional supports and a job more suited to my skill set, and with much much less stress, and where I feel appreciated, and have some flexability to get my exercise in each week.
I have done all these things as a fairly recently divorced woman, who is now finishing bringing up my teenager alone, and have an aging father that I keep tabs on (he's almost 86 now) I work full time, take care of myself a teen, the house a dog, parrot and a tortoise. I juggle life well, now have more energy than people half my age.
Will I get to goal ? Yep ! Will those last few pounds EVER come off ? Probably, slowly....more slowly now than ever.....but you know what ? We are all becoming something....my personal weight goal is to hit 165. My surgeon tells me that with my metabolism and other factors, he will be happy with me between 170 and 175. And really.....so will I.
It wasn't about being THIN for me, it was all about ~~~LIVING ~~~ and that's what I'm doing !!
So, Happy Surgiversary to ME !!!
Briar Rose 
High Wt 300 lbs. Pre-op Wt loss 34 lbs.
High Wt 300 lbs. Pre-op Wt loss 34 lbs. 
I'm soo proud of you!!!! You have done a fantastic job!!
www.sexyskinnybitch.wordpress.com - my journey to sexy skinny bitch status
11/16/12 - Got my Body by Sauceda - arms, Bl/BA, LBL, thigh lift.
HW 420/ SW 335 /CW 200 
85 lbs lost pre-op / 135 post op
~~~~Alison~~~~~
Miss Briarrose, this is so very inspirational. I love your postive outlook and your acceptance with the speed of your weightloss. It puts things in perspective. You lost 88 pounds since surgery that you are keeping off. In the past I know for me I have lost incredible amounts of weight but, would gained 9 months of hard work and weight loss back in 2 months. Who cares is you lost it all just to gain it all back. I am going to try and live by your example. Be proud of what I have accomplished. You have accomplished a lot! Your list of non scale victories are incredible and I hope I will have as much success as you after a year.
Female, Height 5'6"
HW&Surgeon Consult Weight: 330 lbs. SW: 294 CW:
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