Thank you RNY!

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. What can I say? After 2 years +....there's just not much new to say. Life is wonderful. I am happy, healthy and feel better than I have in years! My focus is where it should be, instead of fixating on being fat and how miserable it was making me--My focus is now on what it should be: family, eating healthy, exercising and LIVING and ENJOYING life.

Maintaining has been easier than I thought. That's not to say I don't work at. I work out 4x a week, more or less if I feel like it. I do it because it's crucial to my long term success, and because I LOVE IT.

I still avoid white, processed carbs. Once in a while we'll eat whole wheat pasta or WW bread, but I don't miss them. I don't really eat sweets, but I also don't go waaay out of my way to avoid them. If I REALLY REALLY want it, I'll eat it. I have learned it's all about BALANCE! If I indulge one day, I'm extra good the next day and make sure I dont slack off on my work out.

My aim and goal has been moderation. I NEVER feel deprived. There are some things I do just flat out avoid...don't bring them in the house etc. because they are a trigger for me and I have no will power around them, so I prefer to just not go there. But overall, liking the size I'm in, makes saying no, worth it every time! Bottom line is, this has never felt like a diet!

The RNY "rules" are ingrained now and second nature, I don't usually even think about them. So for you newbies who worry about "will I ever feel 'normal' again?" You will! and long before 2.5 years out!

I haven't had the dreaded "rebound" weight gain (yet?) I do bounce up and down about 4-5 pounds, but it doesn't bother me. I WEIGH EVERYDAY, i think that's so important! So I keep an eye on it and know when it's just normal "bounce" or when I've overdone it and need to tighten my belt again.

I find nowdays, I always walk around with a smile on my face because EVERYTHING is just SO much better now! The simplest things give me pause and make me grateful...being able to share a park bench made for one with my 4 year old daughter....being able to squeeze into someone's back seat and fit....being able to run for miles without pause! It's all amazing.

Oh, and let's not forget the best part....honestly....is to get to wear a gorgeous dress like this! It's all icing on the cake =)

All the best to you always!

We spent 8 days in Yosemite this month for our official "First Thin Vacation." What a blast! Wow! Traveling is SO enjoyable when you don't have to worry about all the little things that go along with "Will I fit?"

Each day, as we hiked (uphill) 2-5 miles a day, then came back to take a nightly SWIM; was a CELEBRATION of our life now and everything we are able to enjoy!

Not even 2 years ago, a trip like this would have been out of the question. Anything more active than walking was pushing it. We would never have made it thru.

Eating was no problem, I was worried about eating out every meal for 8 days! I haven't been away from my "routine" for more than a weekend in 2 years; but it went pretty well. We did a lot of driving and I was more "snacky" than I wanted to be, (I hate long drives!). So that needed some work. But everywhere we ate, offered healthy choices thankfully. We ate a lot at the Resort restaurant (you didn't think *I* actually "camped" it did you? heck no! lol! I do nature WITH room service!) and they had a great Salmon salad. And the breakfast buffet was a feast of fresh fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese and granola! Heaven!

Don't get me wrong, there were also some scrumptuous danish and a day of wonderful pancakes involved--but being away from my scale for a week and just not knowing--was a vacation in itself too. However, all good things must come to an end, and I will be DETOXING from all that cr*p this week!

***Forgive my tangent for a minute here,***but a vitally important thing I have learned about letting yourself get off track for a little bit is that the trick is to get RIGHT BACK on the scale the day you come home! If you let the fear of seeing you've gained a bit, keep you off the scale--those 3-5 pounds quickly turn into 10! The longer you put off knowing, the longer you are tempted to keep indulging! Just get on, take your lumps and deal with it. You want to get those few pounds off right away when just "cutting back" will do it. Once it goes beyond that and takes more effort and you actually have to DIET them off--that's when you can hit trouble!

Anyway, we biked, swam, hiked and hiked and enjoyed it all so much! I can't wait to go back. Best news is, despite the requisite vacation indulgences, I can back to find I was down 1 pound! Yay.

The last vacation dh and I took (pre-child,) was to Europe. I was about 240 and I remember walking down the gorgeous streets, being passed up by people in their 70's! I felt exhausted and miserable the entire time. Mostly it broke my heart I was in Europe and couldn't shop for any clothes!

This vacation was all about FREEDOM!

Be well.



Climbing the 25ft Rock Wall w/my baby


At the top of a very TALL mountain!


(A tourist cut off our heads)


My little monkey


T-shirts in snow. Gotta love it!

What's life like 2 years out....?

Remember those days in your early 20's....riding around in a convertible, car full of friends...a gorgeous summer day, wind blowing in your hair, not a care in the world; your favorite song comes on the radio and you sing along at the top of your lungs....

Yeah, it's kinda like that. Every.Single.Day

Be Well

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/members/before+and+after.php?Member_ID=A1124946031

(You may have to copy and paste the link).

What do you do when your #1 New Years Resolution for the last 10 years has finally been fulfilled?!?!?!?! What do you do when you get the brass ring?

Go out and party I guess!

For the first time in my life, I don't have "Lose Weight this year" at the top of my list--or on my list at all actually. Head trip! I don't know what to do with myself! =)

Have been below goal for about 6 months now. Maintaining is easier than I expected. A little work, but nothing I can't handle. Hopefully will continue to be so. I couldn't be happier!

All is good!

Happy New Year OH!!!! THANK YOU!