LoriA702

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As of this morning, I've lost 88 lbs.!  Only 8 more pounds to goal!  I can't believe it!  This is like a dream come true for me.  I'm so happy that my sleeve is working so well for me, and that I made the decision to get sleeved.  It's truly the best thing I have ever done for myself, and I feel so great!

I had my six-month check-up with my doc last week, got bloodwork done, etc.  She is very happy with my progress. All of my bloodtests showed everything in PERFECT levels.  She said that none of the tests were even borderline or anything to be concerned about at all.  She actually recommended that I not lose more than another 10 pounds.  She said that if I lost more than 10 more pounds she wants me to call her for an appointment, and she wants me to drink a full-fat milk/yogurt shake with protein powder every day.  Who would have ever thought that I would have to possibly be concerned with losing "too much" weight!  That's just crazy!   I have gone from size 18/20 pants to a size 6/8s!  I no longer take any prescription meds for cholesterol, blood pressure, or liver pain.  Life is great for me right now.  I'm very active, I'm having more fun, and being more social.  I'm lovin' life!  ;)

So far, I've lost 62 lbs.!  I have gone from size 18/20 pants to a size 10!  I feel great!  Prior to my VSG I was taking prescription meds to control high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and liver pain due to a severe fatty liver condition.  Since my VSG I have not taken any of the medications, and I have not had any of the liver pain anymore.  I just had blood tests done last month (February) and went to follow up with my doctor a few days ago.  My doctor says that I am doing AWESOME!  She is very pleased with how I am doing, and is so happy for me.  All of my blood tests were normal - normal cholesterol levels, normal liver and kidney functioning, etc.!  My blood pressure was perfect!  She said that the difference is just amazing!  My only complaint to my doctor was that I have so much energy every day that it's hard for me to calm down to fall asleep at night sometimes!  Per her advice, I'm going to work some "calming" nighttime habits into my bedtime routine which will hopefully help with that.  She suggested working out earlier in the day, taking a warm bath before bedtime, some 'calming tea,' reading, that sort of thing.  She doesn't really want to put me on any prescription meds to help me sleep, because now I am not taking any prescription meds and she feels it would be best to keep it that way, if possible.  

Who would have ever thought that I would be complaining about TOO MUCH ENERGY!?!  That's just crazy!  My doc says that if that's the worst problem that I'm having, then I have nothing to worry about!  I work out at the gym 3-4 times per week.  I can walk/run on the treadmill for 5 miles straight; I don't think I have ever been able to do that before in my life!  My doc says that I should just keep doing what I'm doing; and she wants to check back with me in 3 months. She recommends that I 'only' lose another 30 pounds.  My original goal was 140 lbs., but she said she would like me to be around 145 lbs., so I'll see how things go with that.  I'm not sure if I'm going to adjust my goal weight yet or not...

Well so far I've lost 47 lbs.  My weight loss has slowed down over the last 3-4 weeks, but that's OK and it's to be expected.  I was on vacation for a week in Florida during the third week in January and experienced quite a few NSVs!  First of all, prior to leaving on my trip, I was like WTF do I pack?  I needed to take some shorts, capri pants, etc. and was very concerned that I would not have any that would fit.  A week before my trip, I got out my summer clothes from this past summer.  Some things fit, and some looked like "clown" clothes if you know what I mean!  I also found some clothing items from probably 2-3 summers ago that had not fit me in quite awhile; and they seemed to fit OK.  Can you believe that I actually found clothes that was brand new and still had the tags on them?  Apparently I had bought them, and they didn't quite fit but I refused to take them back thinking, "They'll fit me soon after I lose 20 pounds or so."  Well, of course that 20 pound loss never happened and I had never been able to wear the clothes, until now that is!  During the trip I wore the clothes that had seemed to fit OK a week before we had left.  However, during the trip my fiancee commented that I really needed new clothes because this stuff was too big and just didn't seem to fit right.  I agreed!  I agreed that this would be the last time that I would be wearing these items; I would get rid of them all after I got back home.  I know when this spring and summer rolls around I will need to do some SERIOUS SHOPPING because I will not have anything that fits right!  I'm not complaining through, mind you!  Also, during our trip we went to Disney and some other theme parks.  We had just been to these same parks at the same time last year, January 2009.  Last year on the trip, I barely fit onto some of the rides.  Those of you who go on roller coasters, etc. know what I mean when I say that I barely made "the first click," of the seat belt, restraint, etc.  This year, the belts/restraints locked me in with several clicks.  I could tell a big difference in the way that I fit into the seats, restraints, etc.  And YES, I rode every wild roller coaster and crazy ride in all of the parks!  Also, I did LOTS of walking.  My family and I went everywhere in the theme parks, walked each entire park.  We went to 5 parks in 5 days!  I was able to walk around so much better, without fatigue or pain...it was a great feeling, I actually felt energized!  Also, at the resort where we stayed - they rented bicycles.  Now, please know that it's been probably 15 years or more since I have ridden a "real bicycle" so I was a little scared to do it.  But, my kids really wanted to go bike riding and I needed to supervise them.  So, I rode bikes with them, all around the resort for about 45 minutes.  I was a little fatigued after the bike ride, but I guess that's to be expected when it's something I haven't done in so long.  It felt so good though while I was riding - I was able to do it without too much difficulty and it was a lot of fun, something that I have really missed in my life actually.  It was definitely something that I have never done with my kids before, and a really fun activity that I would not have been ABLE TO DO before!  Maybe I'll buy myself a bike to ride at home...I'm certainly going to consider it!  I had a few snacks that I probably shouldn't have had during my week of vacation, but nothing too over the top.  At Disney and some of the other places, they let me order kids' meals, etc.  At the resort where we stayed, we had a full kitchen so I actually cooked most of our meals at the resort and made things that were good for me, and that satisfied my family as well.  It was a great vacation; I really felt the best, better than I have in a very long time!

Since I returned from vacation I committed to working out at the gym.  I started last Monday and right now I am going to the gym 3 times per week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays) after work.  I think I also want to start working in an additional workout day on either Saturday or Sunday; just have to try to work it into my busy schedule.  I really like going to the gym, it's such a positive stress reliever.  I feel like if I'm stressed I can work it out at the gym instead of through food and/or isolating myself like I used to do.  I've really been enjoying the exercise more than I thought I would!  I have been doing 35 minutes on the treadmill, then 30 minutes of weight-lifting (mainly arms), then 30 minutes on a recumbent bike.  Another great thing about the gym is that with my membership I am able to take a guest with me anytime I go, at no additional charge.  My 15 year old son just started going with me, and he loves it!  Although he is not overweight, I think it's really great that he is coming with me.  He mainly likes to lift weights there and is trying to "get buff" lol!  It's really great though because I feel like it is helping to teach him how to stay in shape and take care of his body; and just how important that is.  Plus it allows for more parent-teenager time which is rare nowadays. ;)

If you've actually read my whole rambling blog post, congratulations on your patience!  I don't post updates often, but when I do it's usually a (too) long one!  :)  Thanks to everyone for their support, and hope everyone is doing well on their journeys!

Things have been a real whirlwind of activity since my VSG on 11/11/09!  I had a lot of abdominal pain for 3 weeks afterward; but since the pain went away I have felt GREAT!  I haven't gotten sick or had any nasea; and I've been able to eat anything that I have tried without any problems (including eggs)! 

So far I've lost 37 lbs. and I just reached ONEDERLAND this morning!  Woo hoo!  Also, today I am wearing a new pair of size 14 jeans that I bought.  It's been YEARS since I've been in a 14.  What a great start of the New Year for me!  Looking forward to an excting journey in 2010!  Best wishes to all of you...

 

My VSG surgery is a week from today!  WOO HOO!  I can't wait to get it over with already!  I feel very positive and excited about it!  I've been doing well on my pre-op diet, and have been following it to a "T!"  It was kinda tough for the first 2-3 days but after that, it's gotten much easier.  I'm also looking forward to my first trip to Mexico, and I am SO READY to start my new life! 

Hello; my name is Lori and I am 37 years old.  I have a fiancee of 13 years (since we've been together so long sometimes I do refer to him as 'hubby'), a 14-year old son, and a 11-year-old stepson.  I, like many of you, have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember.  I have always remained active, and have been involved in various physical activities; but always still struggled with my weight.  I have tried what seems like hundreds of diet plans, exercise routines, and diet pills with very minimal results.  It's very frustrating, as I'm sure you know!  Over the years I developed high cholesterol, slightly high blood pressure, and fatty liver disease.  The fatty liver disease causes me chest pain when I eat certain foods or overeat.  Unfortunately, my regular doctor has not been helpful over the last few years either.  He told me that if I lost weight it would help my medical issues, but when I asked him for help (i.e. presciption meds, diet plan, nutritionist referral), he would not do any of that and would simply tell me that I all needed was "willpower."  Yeah, that really helped me a lot.  I started researching WLS about a year and a half ago.  I knew WLS would not be covered through my insurance so I was trying to figure out a way to pay for it, so that has been a big constraint.  A close family member had lap band done about a year ago, but has had a lot of issues, and her weight loss has seemed to stall after a few months.  After researching procedures on OH and other resources, I have decided that VSG will be the best choice for me.  I have chosen to have my VSG done in Mexico by Dr. Joya in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on 11/11/09.  After making my decision, I told a few family members about it; most of whom were very supportive.  When my sister found out, she said that she would like to talk to me in private about it (I thought she was going to criticize me for doing something 'crazy' lol).  When we spoke in private, she asked me a lot of questions about the procedure, the cost, the process, etc.  She finally told me that she wanted to go too, and have the procedure done with me.  From there we made all of the arrangements for us to both have our procedure done by Dr. Joya on the same day.  We'll be traveling together, sharing a hospital room, sharing a hotel room, etc.  I had been prepared to go to Mexico on my own, but am SO GLAD my sister is coming with me and we will be on our weight loss journey together!  Although I did have to get a loan to pay for most of the surgery and I know it will be difficult financially for me to pay back the loan (monthly payments are a bit higher than I would have liked), I did not want to wait any longer and I'm willing to do whatever I have to do to pay it back.  I decided I did not want to keep putting off the surgery any longer, as I have met so many people here on OH that stated that they wished they had done it a long time ago.  I knew if I continued to put it off, I would probably regret it later.  I'm sure I probably will already regret not doing something sooner than now.  As of now, I have nothing but positive feelings and vibes about the surgery, and I'm not scared at all (although that may change as the date gets closer lol).  I'm currently on my pre-op diet and doing well (although I am hungry a lot), but I am sticking with it and hanging in there.  My highest weight was just recently at 232, and my goal is 140; therefore hoping for a loss of 92 pounds.  So far I've lost 2 pounds on my pre-op diet (day 3).  I'm looking forward to 11/11, and I can't wait to be on the loser's bench!  Good luck to all of you wherever you may be in your journey.  Feel free to "friend" me, maybe we can support and help each other!