I've finally been rewarded with 198# this morning!  Just wanted to share with people who actually think getting below 200 is amazing and aren't just appalled that I ever let myself get to over 200 lbs in the first place!I'm glowing today!!

I've felt better and more energetic for several weeks...but now I can actually REALLY see a difference in how I look...and it feels AMAZING!  My weightloss has dramatically slowed down and it seems I'll never reach ONEderland...but I know it's just my impatience...so I'm trying to enjoy every bit of this process...even seeing the dumb scale float between 200.6 and 203 for WEEKS.  

I'm struggling with clothing at the moment...I seem to be in that weird land between misses and womens clothing and I can't figure out what to wear that fits!  Sometimes it's a 16W and ohertimes it's a regular 16 or 18...it just seems to depend on how the cut is.  Everything seems big in the waist and small in the hips/thighs...which is really strange for me because I've always had thin legs in comparison to my stomach...it's amazing how our bodies change with weight and age.  The last time I was this weight was about 8 years ago and I was proportioned very differently.

I'm flying home to Nebraska to see my family this weekend...and I'm excited to feel like the plane seats have plenty of room compared to the last time I flew (pre-surgery).  Funny how it's those little things that really make a difference.

Hubby was checking me out last night and gave lots of nice compliments...(which is not something he normally does)...it felt really good...he's really the one I want to be noticing and appreciating my weight loss!  Oh, I appreciate all the many compliments from friends...but none of them have meant 1/2 as much as hearing my hubby call me sexy!  What a guy!

Anyway...haven't regretted this decision for even a second.  This is an amazing ride!

I've been noticing that the scale seems to be "stuck" lately...I mean it moved down well several days ago but then bounced back up and has just hovered around the same 5 lbs for the last 2 weeks.  Today I weighed in at 211 which is 77 lbs gone since I started the pre-surgery diet.  Which is amazing and I'm grateful!  

Maybe the scale is not stuck, but I feel as though I'm not being as diligent as I was...so I'm going to go back to making sure I record ALL my food, exercise, water and vitamins...I think I need to get a grip on what I'm doing "wrong" if there is something...(and there probably is!) I know now that I can eat pretty much "anything"... I have been (in small quantities) and I just don't think that's the right mindset to be in right now...it's still so early out and this is the time I'm supposed to most easily drop the weight.  

I've been doing great with exercise lately...it truly feels like a lifestyle now...and I usually crave doing it by the end of the day if I didn't get it in early.  I've been averaging 5 days a week for between 45-65 minutes of walking plus some elliptical and weight/resistance band work. 

Starting today I'm also trying to lower my dosage of Fluoxetine. I'll be taking 20mg on MWFSu and 40mg on TTSa until my 40mg tabs run out...so a couple months anyway. I'd like to completely get off of it as long as it doesn't affect my ability to cope w/ the stressful days with Ron and Devon. I do seem to feel better while on it, but I have almost no sex drive and I feel it's because of the increase in dosage since my surgery...I think my drive should be increasing w/ the weight loss and it just seems to be GONE! 

Cleaning out my closet has certainly provided some WOW moments lately...I'm actually to the point that my closet feels bare and there are only 2 shirts that I can't wear because they're too small (and I just bought them)  All of my old "skinny clothes" I can either wear or have already shrunk out of...what a feeling!  Looking forward to starting to shop for a new wardrobe this summer!  (Hopefully hubby will be as excited for that as I am!)  Speaking of hubby...he's been wonderful, giving me nice compliments and words of encouragement at least once a week.  I feel so blessed!

Lord God, I ask for your help, strength, determination and self-control as I continue on this journey to lose weight, gain health and glorify you in my body.  Thank you for allowing this surgery and the amazing weight loss and energy gains I've had so far...I feel wonderful!  You are a good and loving God and I thank you for all the wonderful people you've placed in my life to support me on this journey!  I pray to enjoy every compliment while remaining humble and giving you all the glory!

 

Well...look at my latest picture...is my head getting bigger???  

Seriously...after 60+ lbs of weightloss people are really starting to notice a change in me and I'm getting compliments pretty much daily...my head must be getting bigger!  

How can I balance the compliments to stay humble while savoring each one to get me through the times when I want to revert back to old habits??
It really is wonderful to get the validation that I'm looking better...because I certainly FEEL so much better.

Thank you God for this life-changing surgery, and thank you for blessing me with friends who are cheering me on and have my best at heart.

I only pray I can glorify & serve Him through my new-found health and energy!