I went shoe shopping yesterday at a place where they actually help you with finding the right shoes. She asked me my size and I told her I had no idea, 7.5 maybe. She was a little busy so she didn't measure my feet and went and got the shoes I was looking at. After a few pairs that didn't work and one that looked huge on my feet, I explained to her that I had lost 196 pounds and my whole body was different - including my feet!

She got out her little foot measuring thingy and measured. I went from an 8.5WW to a 6.5W. I was FLOORED!! I had NO idea and could not remember ever buying a pair of shoes in size 6.5 ever!

So, I put it all together on my facebook today - I'm down to 180 pounds (goal met), went from size 32 to size 12, shoes 8.5WW to 6.5W, and I took 9 rings in to be resized. My ring finger from about a size 10 to a 6.5, pinky from 5.5 to a 3. WOW!!  My boobs went from a C/D to a B cup.

Who is that woman in my mirror?!?!

Where did my boobs go?!?!?!

Hello!

I was looking at my profile an realized that I haven't blogged in a while. So here we go.

In January of this year, I went back to college. My career in IT seems to be at not only a stand still, but always seems to be on the chopping block! The last time I got laid off it took me 3 years to find another job, so I'm making other plans and going to school for nursing. I'm hoping to get my RN license - but it's going to take me a while. I'm only doing two classes per semester so I have some time for my husband and my motorcycle and other stuff I like to do as well.

My weight loss seems to have leveled off and I'm at 181 pounds. I'm not disappointed at all!!! And I know that a portion of that is skin. My challenge now is not gain. I seem to fluxuate between the same 5 pounds and little more then that during "that time" of the month.

I can't believe how differently people treat me - and it's not just men! Women that I have seen around the office for the last 4 and half years are just now starting to talk to me.  I just look at them like they are aliens. I am having so much fun shopping in new places for clothes! And actually figuring out what it is I like to wear instead of just wearing whatever fits.

I am in a size 12/14 depending on who makes it and how it's cut. Lady's size large for some things, medium for others. It's awesome!!! :)   I would go through it all again in a heartbeat! I have no regrets what so ever!!

OMG!! I finally made it! My first big goal was to be under 200 pounds and I hit that this morning! I was dancing and jumping and screaming this morning after I got off the scale. I'm quite sure that if my dogs could dial the phone, they would have called the looney bin and had me committed!! LOL

This has been a long time in coming. I've been stuck at 202 pounds for like 6 weeks and it was so frustrating!! But I knew that I was doing all of the right things, so I just kept on doing what I was doing and it finally broke lose! To celebrate my accomplishment, I'm going to have my nails put back on and have a nice pedicure!

I don't remember the last time I was under 200 pounds.

I did a happy dance this morning after stepping on the scale and finding that it had moved in the right direction!!  I still can't believe how much weight I have lost, and I'm still very scared about keeping it off...but I know that I am doing the right things probably 95% of the time. Sometimes I will have a few bites of thin crust pizza or have fried chicken fingers or fried shrimp - but as a general rule, I really try not to eat unhealthy things.

I have found that when I have that salty snacky craving, sunflower seeds work quite well - especially during a 4 hour airport layover! I get the salty flavor from the shells, but I don't eat a whole serving of them (which is good cuz they are not really a low calorie food). Each serving has 9 grams of protien, 190 calories, and 15 grams of fat - YIKES - okay...maybe they aren't that good of an idea! Note to self, read labels closer. This is for a 1/4 cup size serving and I can't eat that many of them. Hmmmm...a serving of Doritos has less calories and fat then sunflower seeds and so Lay's potato chips (however, neither of these snacks would last very long like the sunflower seeds do). That's not a good snack and I will be looking for a better one!!! LOL  Here I thought I was doing good!!! Woops!

I guess that reinforces the idea that there are really no "bad" foods - as long as the portion is under control and you take the calories and fat content into consideration for your daily meal plan. I have decided that in situations where I am pretty sure there isn't going to be anything I will be able to eat, I always take a protien bar with me. It fills me up, gets me 20 grams of protien and keeps me out of the more fattening foods that might make me not feel so good.

I went to a friend's wedding reception and BBQ this past weekend and I was helping her set up the food at her house for the BBQ. She had gotten a chocolate fondue fountatin, and I was setting that up for her - setting up the trays of yummy things (Oreos, Nutter Butters, sugar wafers, biscoti, strawberries and pineapple) and I also melted the chocolate chips for the fountain. I had chocolate everywhere!! But I didn't like my fingers, I had a towel on my hip to wipe my hands on and washed them a few times during the chocolate experience as well. It smelled good, but I didn't really want any of it. I kept swiping the strawberries though! Those were good! I was so proud of myself for NOT getting into the chocolate and cookies - no matter how much that little evil voice told me I wanted to try it, I kept reminding myself that it made me sick (even if it doesn't make me dump - it made me fat before which in turn made me sick). Almost 5 months post-op and I have not tried sweets - they will make me sick and I keep that in my head. I also make the choice not to have them, I don't ever tell myself I "can't" have them because then I will want them. I just chose not to have them.

I found that I really like the sugarfree, decaf General Foods International coffees. Sometimes they are hard to find, but they are a treat when I can find them. My favorite of course is the Suisse Mocha, but the vanilla is good also. The only thing that I really "miss" having sometimes is pop. And that is mostly when I'm around a lot people drinking it. I've been tempted to try it, but then I think about how long it's really been since I've had any, and then change my mind.