Take my vitamins!

On Saturday afternoon I mowed our entire property - front and back yards... and it is pretty large... with a hill at the rear... what a workout, BUT I DID IT, FIRST TIME EVER (only lived here 4 years, lol!)

Second was, after I tied one on Saturday night (which I do not recommend for WLS patients!!), had done dishes, cleaned the bathrooms and mowed all the yards plus had a baseball game last night (we tied 26-26) I was one achy body so I thought I'd give a nice relaxing, hot bubble bath a try... and I FIT IN THE TUB WITHOUT TOUCHING THE SIDES AND DAMMING BACK THE WATER!! WOW!!!!!!!

Debbie H from the London Support Group shared this with us:
"This is a favorite poem of mine, by Marlena Gutierrez..  We can be so
hard on ourselves... telling ourselves just how much we hate our
thighs or loose skin, or wish our butt was more like J.Lo'S, or how
big our belly is.  Instead of always being down on our bodies, we
should stop and thank them for all the wonderful things they do for
us everyday."

An Apology To My Body

For all the times "I hated you".  I hated you, and said you were "Too
fat", "Too ugly", "too tired" to do anything.

For all the times I cried in frustration because you didn't look like
I wanted you to.

For all the times I put you down in my own mind and in front of
others.

For all the times I have allowed others to criticize you and judge
you as "not good enough".

For all the times I thought, "you were awkward , graceless, and
clumsy".

For all the times "I tried to change you", by dieting or starving
myself, depriving you of nourishment.

For all those times, forgive me

Forgive me for not seeing you as the wonderous and beautiful body you
really are and have always been.

Happy, happy surgiversary!!! 
MAY 8TH - my NEW birthday...  

At this time one year ago I was unable to sleep - knowing the alarm was set to go off at 4am for us to "shuffle off to Buffalo"... and the beginning of my new life was right around the corner. 

It has been a year filled with ups and downs and good and bad and a lot of new and exciting things are happening. In one year I've gone from 336 to 217 for a total loss of 119lb. That is a teenage girl for goodness sake. I stand at 5'10" so for me I'm very near the normal height/weight range - just 18 pounds to go. I know sometimes when I read other's profiles I wonder how tall they are for their weight, as everyone always looks so fabulous. I have a hard time sometimes realizing it's been a year. The trials and tribulations that make life work are amazing, and for me it's a new life, from top to bottom. I have a great man in my life, my children are wonderful and I have alot to be thankful for. It's a time for me to reflect on the last year and to see just how far I've come. I am very thankful for the opportunties that I have been given as well as those I have taken.

In reflection I have learned alot about myself, who I truly am or could say truly was hiding under the "fat suit". I have come to love myself for who I am and what I am and are becoming. I know that I am a good person, a kind person and very loving. I also know that my worth and self dignity have been restored to a higher level than I have ever had in my entire life. I am loved by myself and others. It has been a challenge per se to see some of these qualities in myself as I have seemingly "existed" prior to surgery. I still have issues with my body, but they lie in the fact that in losing the weight I have pockets of skin that are left over. I am happy though with myself and how I look and who I am. I think for the first time in my life I can actually say with overall confidence that I have turned into the person inside and outside that I always knew I was. My profile started out with a blurb to say I wanted WLS to turn into this person and that was a personal goal of mine. I'm happy to say I've accomplished this goal.

The next year will still be full of new and exciting challenges. I know now that I'm almost out of the window of weight loss. Although right this minute I am still losing, I know this time period is quickly drawing to a close. I now need to implement all these wonderful things I've learned to be the success I know I can be. Personally, professionally and mentally there are still alot of challenges that I know I have to endure. I feel that I have become a better prepared person not to run to the bag of chips or 1/2 gallon of ice cream when the chips are down, but I have learned there are new and more positive ways to channel this bad energy. It will be a year of growth and hopefully the beginning of something new and wonderful for me. So in addition to looking forward to year two of post op life, I am also looking forward to the rest of 2008, it will be full of surprises and good things.