Well it's been a long time since I wrote a blog, I was a total slacker for my 6 month follow-up. I know I'm going to regret that further down the road when I can't remember how I was progressing through the weight loss, but I'll kick myself later. I had my 9 month follow-up appointment with Dr. Brader last week and things are going pretty good. My blood pressure is great (better than it's ever been), but I'm still taking my medications. I asked my PCP about the possibility of stopping the medication around the 6 month mark, but she skirted around the issue. I see her next week again for another check-up and I want a definite answer. I know the possibility exists that I may always have to take that, but if their is any chance I can be taken off the meds........I would be elated. My heart rate is in the 70's compared to the high 90's when I first started this journey and my BMI went from 55 to 36.........woohoo, I'm not longer considered morbidly obese, just obese. lol Whoever would've thought I'd be happy about being considered obese. Next step, overweight category! :) 

To date I've lost a total of 128lbs and the weight loss has slowed down tremendously, but I'm still happy with the loss I've achieved so far. Ideally I'd like to weigh 180-190lbs and I think that coincides with the BMI goal Dr. Brader wants. He said he'll be able to give me a better idea of that when I go for my 1 yr post-op appointment. All my lab work was great......I got a gold star from my NUT. YEAH ME!!!  My A and B12 levels were low at the 6 month follow-up, as well as my HDL. All are within the acceptable range now.

Even though my weight loss has slowed, my body is still changing....my clothes fit differently and the sizes are still going down. I'm wearing L-XL misses tops (depending on the cut) and the bottoms are still in the plus sizes anywhere from 14-18 (again depending on the cut). I still gravitate towards the plus sizes whenever I'm out shopping and then when I try stuff on, I realize the 1x tops are just too big. My mind can't grasp the fact that I'm ALLOWED to shop in the misses department. The clothing selection is endless now and I LOVE it! That's a huge wow moment for me.

The next goal for me is to try out the roller coasters and see how I fit in the seat now. We're heading to Hershey park labor day weekend..........wish me luck!!! I'm so excited thinking about it too.

I definitely notice I'm getting more attention and at first it was a bit disheartening to me, but now I realize it's probably because I'm more confident about myself and I'm not just trying to blend into the scene. I'm soaking it up while I can. Even though I'm happily married, it's an ego boost when you're still able to catch the attention of other men.....shh, don't tell my husband! lol

I'm still loving my tool.............thanks Dr. Brader and team and everyone I've met along this journey! It's been a great ride and I'm excited about my new adventures to come.

Today I made it through my first holiday party at work and it wasn't so bad. I was a little nervous about the food and the "unknown" when it came to ingredients, but I stuck to what I thought was safe. I probably ate a higher number of calories than I wanted, but I'm human. My bestest friend from work made a sf low calorie dessert so I could still have something sweet (cause you know the dessert table is always overflowing) and I love her for thinking of me! I had to estimate my protein intake and I'm thinking I probably guessed on the higher side. I'm still learning to "eyeball" quantities, but I'm proud of myself!! I have 4 more holidays party to make it through before the season is over, but I've got the determination to beat the temptations because I want my story to be one of success.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday. Ironically, I started on regular foods the day of Thanksgiving and everything went well. I had some turkey and tiny bit of plain baked sweet potato, green bean casserole, and even stuffing (I might have been pushing it there) but I figured it was better to have a taste then deprive myself. I choose not to have any desserts just because they were all high in sugar and I really had no desire for them.

I'm still eating to sustain myself, but I do go through periods where the head hunger is playing tricks on me. I found that if I do something to distract myself, I'm able to get through the urge to graze. So far I've been keeping up with my exercising as recommended by the exercise physiologist except I've been totally slacking this week but I plan on picking it back up again because I feel much better when I do.

I had a few trouble spots over the last couple of works, but I've learned from those experiences. Two were food incidences and the other was a Tylenol that got stuck........I won't go into details, but it wasn't pretty. lol

My weigh loss was stalled for 2 1/2 weeks, but has since picked up again. I'm happy with my weight loss progression and as of today I'm down 29lbs since surgery and 59lbs total. Not too bad. When I mentioned the stall to Dr. Brader this week we reviewed my diet and I discovered that I may have been eating too many mashed potatoes during the pureed stage. I kinda used them as safeguard because they were easy to eat. He recommended that if that happens again I need to review my food journal with my nut. She'll determine if I need to change up my food intake. If the food intake it ok, then I will need to intensify my exercising.....yippee skippy!!!  lol

As I've said before, each step along the way is a learning process. I can't believe it's been almost 7 wks since the surgery. I'm loving my tool more and more as each day passes! I have to agree with everyone who has already said this, but my only regret is not taking this step sooner. I'm grateful for the opportunity to improve my health and quality of life.