Extreme Makeover--What a Difference a Year makes!

Oct 13, 2012

Yesterday showed me just how much of an extreme makeover my weight loss has made. I went on an employee orientation which included walking around two water treatment plants and facilities. I know the good Lord strengthened me the entire time but I was just amazed at how I was able to walk around, not out of breath, hurting or sweating. In my previous years I probably would not have been able to do the tour. Either that or I would have had to lean a lot against stuff and may have felt lightheaded. I know I would have drawn attention with my profuse sweating.             To boot, I loved it when we went to Golden Corral for lunch and all I could eat was four spoons of soup, two bites of rice and four bites of bourbon chicken. I also had a few clam strips. I guess everyone thought I didn’t like my lunch but that was fine with me. I am thrilled to not be able to eat like a pig or even like everyone else. I may not look normal but for someone who could not stop eating, this new normal is WONDERFUL! I passed up cookies, dessert and junk. I had made a small salad but I simply could NOT eat it! I never thought I would be so happy about NOT EATING!             I am also happy to say that I am back on track! I now eat a high carb breakfast every morning. I recently switched from oatmeal to Farina. It is kind of strange because Farina goes down so easy that I feel I could have a bigger bowl of it but I don’t. Just three tablespoons has 22 grams of carbs but it keeps me from eating that and more throughout the day. At some point just meat will no longer work.             If I have to eat anymore carbs I try to reserve them for dinner. That way I have a better chance of not going over. I am still hitting the water like crazy and trying to squeeze in veggies where I can. Dr. Clark even said to me at support group to not focus so much on fat but carbs. He said there is no reason I have to eat lowfat or light cheese and he doesn’t like them either. He told me to just focus on the low carbs and everything else in moderation and I should be fine. So far he is right because I am back on track and I continue to be a source of inspiration!             Life is so much better for me. We even had one point on the tour where we walked up four flights of steps to see the landscape of one water treatment plant. There were a lot of steps and I took my time to make sure that I wouldn’t trip or hurt my knee. My victory was being able to climb all of those flights and NOT being out of breath! I wanted to cry but I held it in. I knew that one year ago there was no way I could do that. Even walking the halls here, as small of a building as this is, would have had me so out of breath and sweaty before and really hurt my knee.             People just do not understand what life is like when you are morbidly obese and the little things that others take for granted. I cannot believe that at 369.4 pounds, (yes I am only 3.6 pounds away from being back to my lowest since surgery), that I feel so normal and so many limitations are GONE! I can’t imagine what life will be like at 350, 325, 275, etc etc. Even though it was costly for me, I thank God for the debt and access to this wonderful MIRACLE that my gastric sleeve has been to me. All the minor inconveniences and lifestyle changes were worth it! There is an adjustment process but I would go through it to have the life that I enjoy now and the future that awaits me.             I could get up and down in the company van and not struggle. I didn’t have to have anyone help me with anything. I just got up and down like a normal person! I will be taking a road test on Monday and I am able to do that! I can put my seat belt on and not have to push the seat all the way back. I can just be normal and finally fit into regular society. This weight loss journey wasn’t about being skinny or cute or wearing high fashion clothes. This was about saving my life! I don’t mind if people look at me and would think I need to have weight loss surgery. I also don’t feel the need to tell everyone that I have had surgery anymore. They don’t know my story and they don’t know my struggle. Life is good and I am happy! If my life never progressed from this point forward it is still an AWESOME life! God I am so grateful! New job, new life, new hopes. I am truly a blessed and highly favored child of God!  

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