Well....I've been really bored and complacent over the last few months....ever since I cut back on my trainer sessions to save money, I have been going a downhill....maybe even before that I had lost my desire, my enthusiasm for this new lifestyle and my gratitude and wonder for all I've acclompished...

It's not that I'm not happy about my weight loss, if I think about it...the problem is I had begun to take it for granted and really didn't think about it....it was the same old thing to me, like as if I'd always been this weight....and I've found maintenace so unexciting....I mean, I need to do the same things I did in weight loss mode, except there is no reward of pounds dropping or new, smaller sizes to fit into....

I guess I just thought when I got here, when I reached goal, I would be happy....well...I guess I was for a short time...but then unhappiness about the saggy, loose skin set in....then I was excited again about planning for plastics, but now with that unsure and possibly having to be cancelled due to lack of money, I found myself floundering again and unmotivated....

So although my maintenace range was steadily 134-135, it has now been sitting at 135-136 and I think I have to face the music that it is a slight regain...and more than slight ,if you count my lowest scale weight of 130 in the losing phase....and regain is very scary....I don't want this to keep going up....where a few more months, a few more pounds, and then before I know it, I'm obese again...yikes!

I really don't feel like exercising or feel like eating right, when before I was so into it and gung-ho......but today, I've decided I got to get ahold of this before it does spiral out of control...so I've decided to see if I can get back to 130 & then stay there...I tracked my food so far this morning and I'm dressed to go over to the gym....now I just got to do it...

1. Weigh once a week.
2. Take action if over 135 lbs. Start logging, measuring food.
3. Eat 4 high quality nutritious protein/veggie meals daily.
4. Eat one snack at night.
5. Cardio for 20 min twice a week.
6. Weight training for 1 hour twice a week.
7. Splurge eating out/ drinking once a month.
8. Drink 2 glasses of green tea daily.
9. Drink 100 ounces water daily.
10. Keep meal portions to appx 4 ounces.

Well....my year surgiversary came and went, fairly uneventful....I kind of forgot...things seem so normal and routine now...
I saw my surgeon recently for a follow up and had the results from my labwork and everything was perfect.

My hair is finally growing again and looking so much better....it is thicker and my bangs are finally not so sprouty looking.
It was even healthy enough to put some blonde highlights back in, and I love it!

I am maintaining my weight pretty much now...it does vary by as much as 5 lbs sometimes, but if I go over 135, that will be my warning sign, to reign things in....that is still 5 lbs below my orginal goal, but 5 over my lowest weight since surgery.

I'm very happy here at 135 lbs and a size 4....people call me tiny all the time....sometimes I still don't see it, and don't feel thin or different....it's only when I look a pictures, and can't find the bad angle or the fat showing, that I realize I'm not fat anymore!

The loose, wrinkly skin is an issue...and I think it keeps me from feeling super great about my body...so plastics will be in my near future, if at all possible.

I eat pretty normally, I think...sure they are small portions at about 6 oz at a meal....but I don't feel weird at restaurants anymore...since I can eat about 1/2 of a filet mignon and a bite of sweet potato....and a couple bites of salad....it is more than enough and I have 2 more meals at home later. I think with my small size now, no one thinks twice when I say I'm full and can't finish it....

I'm so happy that I was able to get the VSG....I am healthy and I feel good....and comfortable in my body, without all the physical aches and pains and emotional pains of trying to hide all the fat.

Boy, time flies...it doesn't seem like 8 months have gone by...

So my sleeve is still working fine....it still gives decent restriction... but of course, I can eat more now than early out.. I can also drink easier.

A typical day:

8 oz coffee, 4 tbsp creamer
5 oz greek yogurt
1 Polly-O cheese stick w/ 6 wheat thins
8 oz green tea
3 oz beef, 1 oz of sweet potato
1 SF popsicle
8 oz chocolate milk
1 oz Pirate's Booty
1 package of Nutrition (nuts)
12 oz Gatorade
40 oz H2O

I'm pretty good taking my vitamins, all except calcium...which I don't always do every day.
I'm exercising consistently 4x week....I do weight training 2x and cardio 4x.
I'm not really trying to do anything regarding weight loss....I'm staying about the same weight, and that is fine...although, it may be nice to lose another 10 lbs for a cushion. I'm already lower weight than I expected and I am very happy.

So here I am only one pound away from goal!
I feel great, tons of energy, strong, healthy.
I am smaller than I thought possible, since I can fit in some size 4 clothing and some extra small tops...mostly 6's and smalls.
I eat pretty normally....still small portions, but it is not as restrictive or hard as it was in the beginning...

Typically in a day I eat....(appx 1200 cals daily)
8 oz coffee w/ creamer
5 oz greek yogurt
1 cheese stick & several crackers
1 package of nuts 
8 oz green tea
Lean Cuisine (turkey & gravy & 1/2 serving whipped sweet potatoes)
SF popsicle
1 bag of pirate's booty cheddar rice puffs

I can do some intense weightlifting full body type workouts and I enjoy them. Cardio is still pretty boring, but I try to get it in. Usually I hit the gym 3x weekly.