ObesityHelp

Hello all,

It has been a while. I haven't forgotten about you, I've just been enjoying my life to the fullest. Today marks my 2yr. surgiversary and I tell you I think I feel better this year than I did during the first year. The first year I was worried I was going to put the weight back on and blow everything. However, this year I'm just thankful for where I am. I feel good, I know I look good(finally after all these years) and I'm enjoying what I'm able to do. It has been a true blessing. I have completely done a 360 degree turn with my life. I'm ready to get up and move, I'm active with my children and actually feel good when I realize I can sit in a chair and have plenty of space or have people compliment my clothes. Those are just the small pleasures, compared to being healthy, not having to take any medicines, still sticking to my 30 minute before/after meal drinks, still only drinking water (a decaf coffee with splenda sneaks in every now and then, but not enough to count) and still taking my vitamins daily. I'm still loosing inches and pounds and I'm still trying to keep up my lifestyle.

Last Sunday, I watched the 4 part series on TLC on people who were way over 600lbs and had gastric bypass. The cameras followed their journey for 7 years.I took a lot from those shows. One, we are all blessed to be where we are and for making the decision we made to have surgery. Secondly, the journey doesn't end after year one, as some would have us to believe. It is a life long journey. There were people on the show still loosing weight in year 7. It helped me relax my thinking some and realize how blessed I've been over the past two years and to look forward to the future. Keep the faith OH members, if you are having some down moments or don't feel like you are seeing the progress, keep pushing forward! The physical change doesn't have to happen all at one time, it is a never ending journey!

I hope this post has encouraged someone! I know just writing it has continued to encourage me. I'm off to enjoy my surgiversary! I'll try not to stay away so long next time! 

Write to you soon....best wishes for more success! 

Hello OH friends!

I know it has been a while since I last blogged. I've logged in and checked up on you all, but have been pretty silent. Today marks my 1 year post-op date! I'm excited and then I have this sense of fear. I'm worried that I haven't lost enough in one year's time. I'm worried that I won't continue to lose but to gain. I guess these are all probably common fears, but then this morning as I was praying and thanking God for this year, I remember the other things I have been blessed to go through this year, which are far more outstanding!! So, here is my list of blessing:

1. I'm down 155lbs!!
2. I'm down to a size 16 from a size 26/28 in pants and down to a size 18/20 in shirts from a size 30/32.
3. I've kept up with my water and my vitamins and haven't been dehydrated or malnourished
4. I haven't been sick since before surgery!! 
5. I'm off all of my prescription medications!!
6. I haven't been back in the hospital, except to visit my friend who was having surgery in October!
7. I can walk and I want to walk long distances without giving out of breath
8. I want to play with my children and our new Yorkie poo
9. I don't mind getting up and getting things myself
10. I want a bike for my 1 year surgiversary and I'm ready to ride! 

I'm sure I could go on, if I really sit down and think about all I couldn't and didn't want to do before having surgery! I'm sure someone will find something wrong with my list, but you know what it is MY LIST and MY BLESSINGS!!

I took some pics this morning and plan to post some this afternoon! I'm having a hard time expressing how I feel or getting people to realize how much has happened for me this year, but then I remembered my OH friends always understand!

Thank you for your support during this year and for the support that is yet to come!! 

Carowinds was awesome!! It was hot as all get out, 97 degrees,  but other than that, the time I spent with my family, my brother's family and parents was great. We had a great ride down to Concord and then we had lunch and headed to Carowinds. The children enjoyed themselves and although my daughter and I didn't get to the bumper cars, I did get to ride a few rides with my younger daughter and son that I never would have attempted to do, because I would have thought I was too heavy. I wasn't' breathing heavy or tired, but the heat did play have a toll on my body after a while and I couldn't help but get dizzy a few times, bu it was great. I would have never wanted to do half the things I did if i hadn't had surgery. So, thank you all for your encouragement. 

Well, I have also been blessed with a new job, away from the co-worker I talked about a few months back. I start on Oct. 11, so next Friday is my last day. It has been interesting, because I will definitely miss some of the people I work with, but will be glad when I'm out of "her" presence. However, she took my being off Friday to let people know that I'm difficult to get along with, that I yell and scream at her, that I only want to work on projects and not do my entire job, and the list continues. At first this upset me, becuase I knew what she had said about me wasn't the truth,  but then I realized that it is just her conscious making her aware of the way she has treated me and how it will look to other people that I'm leaving, so before she looks bad, she is trying to make me look bad. But, you know what this battle is over! Fortunately, my acquiring my new position had nothing to do with her or my working relationship with her, as she sees it., but with my own capabilities and what people have seen I'm capable of doing.  Little does she know, that some of the people she has said this too, in our department, actually served as my references for my new position, so they already know and appreciate the work that I've done.

Always somebody trying to steal your joy, but don't let them have it!

My family and I are traveling to Carowinds Amusement Park, in NC/SC on Saturday. My mom and dad wanted to go last year, but due to my health issues at the time and not to mention, I could not have fit on a roller coaster ride if they strapped me in with 10 seatbelts, we did not go. Well, this year we are going and I'm excited. I can't wait to try to ride a rollercoaster or my favorite bumper cars. I have promised my daughter and husband a race/battle with the bumper cars and I'm just praying I will fit. I'm still 62.8 lbs away from my goal, but hey I should have lost enough to ride, right? I mean I'm down 128.2 lbs! Anyway,  I'm praying I can. I weighed more than what I am today,the last time I went, and the fit was tight, but I was able to ride. So, hopefully my exciting weekend will go great as planned. The key is to think it into being and stay positive.  Believe it or not, I'm actually ready for the excessive walking and being outside in the sun. Before I would have dreaded it and been tired just from thinking about it, but I'm ready to go. I do plan to take pics and will definitely post them here, so that you all can see my new found freedom and hopefully my family and I enjoying our time at Carowinds!

Stay encouraged...