Whoopsie Daisy!  I looked and it's been a minute since the last time I actually blogged on my site here.  And with my great success, I really need to have a record to track my journey.  

As of this morning, the scale said I weigh 196lbs.  That's 55lbs gone!  I started out at a tight size 22, and now I wear a 16.  My shirt size has gone from 2X/3X to a L/XL.  I can actually shop in regular women's dept instead of the plus size dept.  It is sooooo surreal!  And I can eat spicy food again for the first time in forever :)  No more acid reflux, and I can sleep on any side in bed instead of only on my left side.  I love my healthier life!!!!!!!  

I take a buch of vitamins every day, a chewable adult Centrum multivitamin, 3 500mcg of b-12 sublingual, 2 Citracal 600mg vitamins with vitamin D 400iu, a vitamin E 400iu, an Omega3/Omega 6 softgel, potassium, zinc, biotin, folic acid, iron, vitamin C.... ummmm I think that about does it.  But it's doing the trick.  I don't think my hair is thinning, and I get some low energy, but I'm still working full time, taking care of the kids, and holding down the housework.  Of course my hubby helps around the house, but he's working full-time plus at his factory job on 3rd shift AND working his tree service when the weather's good.   

My darling hubby got us tickets to see George Strait with an opening act by Little Big Town early last month!  I'm still totally stoked by that stroke of genius.  The seats were great, and I am a HUGE fan of LBT.  They totally sound awesome live, the harmonies rocked "In the Boondocks"  I jokingly told hubby we could leave after LBT before George took the stage!... But I'm glad we stayed, because George is classic country, and I loved his new hit "I Saw God Today"  He got me a concert shirt in a size Large... and it fits ME?!!!  Never before!  I would have had to have at least a 2X before, and it would have been tight!  

I just hope that in a couple of years I will have hit my goal weight and maintained it for the long haul.  I know I'm still in the "honeymoon" period, and losing weight is relatively easy.  

I have been able to eat some sweets with the worst side effect being gas (ewwwww).  But that kinda worries me, because I don't want to be tempted to eat foods that don't support a healthy habit.  But I usually satisfy my sweet tooth with protein bars in chocolate or chocolate chip cookie dough flavors.  I also found some Slim-A-Bear ice cream bars and Skinny Cow dippers that are yummy and low in sugars and carbs :)  So they make a good-choice snack.  Well, I'm typed out, so ta ta for now!

Valentine's day was my 2 month Surgiversary, and I have now lost a total of 38 pounds since surgery day. 

I am 213 lbs today.  I am excited because every pound gets me closer to my goal.  I have also dropped 2 pant sizes.  When I look down I see my boobs and not my boobs and the bulge beneath that is my stomach :)  *but my boobs HAVE shrunk some since surgery, I'm just not sure how much.... but I'm thinking bra shopping might be in my near future.  And I am NOT really complaining bc I started at a size 42DDD, so I would be glad to drop to any size smaller than that!  I just wish they were not so "baggy" ugh!  But that's what bras are for.

My legs still don't fit into boots, but I'm thinking they probably won't until: A) I get below 200 lbs, or B) I incorporate more exercise into my daily program, to help tone the darn things.  I have the equipment to exercise with at home, I just need to motivate myself to make time for a workout at least 4 days per week.  This is my next goal, now that I am cleared for full exercise.  

I have to get a new freezer, because our drain backed up in the basement and killed our freezer about 1 1/2 weeks ago.  It sucks, because we got a 2nd hand freezer after the flood, but it didn't work, so we lost everything by the time we figured it out   But on the plus side, we got rid of a bunch of junk in the basement that we've been planning on clearing out for a long while.

I got hubby the BEST Valentine's Day gift this year!  We do a lot of driving to get bargains on big items, so I got him a GPS Navigation System.  Frankly, it's not one of the expensive models, but all you do is put in the address of your destination, and it gives you turn-by-turn directions to get you excactly where you want to go.  In the past, we would MapQuest our destination and print out directions, and hope for the best.  With the GPS, it tells you where there are restaurants and gas stations, and if you make an unplanned stop, it will automatically adjust to get you back enroute :)  What a NIFTY little tool!  And we already used it Friday to drive out to the Youngstown area, so he was able to check it out.  Even the kids were impressed (between bouts of watching their movies on the portable DVD player we have to keep THEM occupied on road trips).  

I tried some beef jerky today, since I hear tell it is a good source of protein.  UGH.  I didn't like it before my surgery, and apparently I still don't like it.  Just the texture/consistency, it didn't mess up my pouch.  But I did find some soy crisps at Trader Joe's that are real good, and they have about 6grams of protein per serving, so it's not just empty calories.  I have to get back out there and get some more.  So that's my world in a nutshell.  

I'll post again later.  Hopefully the next time I will be at, or at least VERY close to, 200 lbs.

Happy President's Day!
  

Today I am one month out, and so far I have lost 23 pounds.  It doesn't seem real to me.  I look in the mirror and don't see any change, but my pants are definitely looser on me now :)

I am still learning how to eat.  Sometimes it goes down fine, and other times it makes this tight painful little ball in my chest that requires a bit of work.  I will walk around and once I took a hot bath.  But overall I have not had problems.  My energy is great and I am back to work full time since last Monday.

My co-workers have been super supportive and ask me all kinds of questions.  I am glad to answer them, but sometimes feel kinda guilty that I got to have the surgery, but MY insurance doesn't include WLS, so they can't use this wonderful tool too :(

I FINALLY got the Christmas tree taken down and put away YESTERDAY... boo me, I really need to work on that.  Usually I have the tree and decorations all put away New Year's weekend.

Now if I could only hit the lottery and resolve my financial problems!

soooooo, I feel like a boring person today.  I am outta here!


EDITING ON 1/15/08
Well, I was reading this over and realized I TOTALLY forgot abut my Urologist appointment.  Boy was THAT an adventure I'd rather forget about.  Here's the scoop...
When I went to the hospital for my surgery last month everything was going smooth until (dum dum dummmmmm) they went to catheterize me.  I was already "OUT" so I didn't feel a thing, but the story is that they tried to, but it wouldn't fit!  So they went down a size and... it wouldn't fit!  So they went down to the smallest size and... it STILL wouldn't fit (so much for the 3 bears theory).  Well, they called in the urologist and he MADE it fit (thank GOD I was out of it, YIKES).  Anyhow, they strongly recommended I follow up with him after I got home, so being the compliant little girl I am, I did just that... just this past week on the 10th.  Boy Howdy Doody was I in for an experience.  Everything was going smooth... I got there on time, I peed in a cup, I sat in the room flipping through a mag til the Dr came in.  He told me I should be "dialated" to fix the problem and he could do it right now if I had the time.  Okee Dokee, lets get this done with, right?  So the nurse/aide preps me with some numbing gel (and I use that term VERRRRY loosely) and lets it set for a couple minutes until the Dr comes in.  Well he proceeds to tell me that my bladder did NOT empty out when I filled the cup and did my business, and that's because I'm SO closed up.  He takes his tools and goes to work.  AAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII  I felt everything... like a roto-rooter-drain snake was being shoved up my who whoo.  I didn't scream, but I was leaving nail marks in my palms an inch deep :(  Well he gets done and says "there may be a little blood"... as if I hadn't already figured that out.  He also gave me some Urelle to take.  Here's the kicker, it makes me pee BLUE!!! I feel like an alien, or an instant 2000 Flushes Blue... EVERY time I pee.  But it does minimize the sting, and is supposed to help prevent any infection.   So I "think" I'm peeing better, and I go back next week, so maybe I'll ask him what he can do so I can jump on a trampoline without wearing Depends (I blame my 4 gorgeous children for that little inconvenience)
So Long!