andreadoe
3-Year Surgerversary
Mar 16, 2011
March 19, 2011 is my 3-year surgerversary! I can hardly believe that 3 years ago I was nervously going into surgery, not knowing how this journey was going to end. Now, here I am 3 years later & my life has changed completely. I cannot believe that I've lost over 120 lbs vs my initial goal to lose 110 lbs. I'm half the size I was when I was wheeled into the OR. I've been maintaining my weight loss now for almost 2 years & although it's a daily struggle to make good food choices & control my snacking, I've been able to maintain my weight loss - so far. I have no doubt that this will be an on-going job for the rest of my life.I feel so lucky to have managed to find the money to pay for plastic surgery. My OHIP-covered breast reduction & self-pay tummy tuck have been blessings & icing on this WLS cake.
Something that has taken me by surprise recently is the emotional impact of this journey. Like many people who struggle with obesity, I carried with me some baggage from my childhood & teenage years. Denial & suppression were tools that worked well for me, as long as I was able to eat my way out of my emotions. With the removal of eating as a coping tool, I found myself struggling emotionally. I was unable to pull myself out of a natural blue period in November. Fortunately, I was not too proud to get help. I went to my family doctor & with the help of meds & therapy, I’m happy to report that I’m working through some issues that, quite frankly, were long past their due dates. I’m feeling much better and good things are happening in my personal life. So, it’s all good and I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.
Probably the best part of this journey? Surprisingly, it's really not losing the weight! It's the lessons I've learned along the way and the lifestyle changes I've adopted as my new normal. But the most important part is the friendships I've made. Sure, some friends (old & new) disappointed me, but I really learned how to weed out the true-blue friends from the others. The support and friendship I was fortunate enough to forge through this journey have been invaluable to me. I thank you, friends. You know who you are. I couldn’t have done it without you. But, of course an update from me must contain some numbers! So here they are:
The Numbers/Observations:
Starting weight = 240.6 lbs. Goal weight = 130.6 lbs. Lowest weight = 118.6 lbs.
Here are the numbers/milestones for the last 3 years:
03/03/08-03/18/08 -16.0 lbs on Optifast 224.0 lbs
03/19/08-04/18/08 -16.6 lbs in Month 1 207.4 lbs
04/19/08-05/18/08 -10.8 lbs in Month 2 196.6 lbs (Onderland!)
05/19/08-06/18/08 -9.0 lbs in Month 3 187.6 lbs (Obese!)
06/19/08-07/18/08 -9.2 lbs in Month 4 178.4 lbs
07/19/08-08/18/08 -10.0 lbs in Month 5 168.4 lbs
08/19/08-09/18/08 -8.4 lbs in Month 6 160.0 lbs (Overweight!)
09/19/08-10/18/08 -7.6 lbs in Month 7 152.4 lbs
10/19/08-11/18/08 -5.4 lbs in Month 8 147.0 lbs
11/19/08-12/18/08 -7.8 lbs in Month 9 139.2 lbs (Century Club!)
12/19/08-01/18/09 -0.8 lbs in Month 10 138.2 lbs
01/19/09-02/18/09 -1.2 lbs in Month 11 137.2 lbs
02/19/09-03/18/09 -2.4 lbs in Month 12 134.8 lbs
03/19/09-04/18/09 -2.2 lbs in Month 13 132.6 lbs (Normal!)
04/19/09-05/18/09 -3.2 lbs in Month 14 129.4 lbs (Goal!)
05/19/09-06/18/09 +2.0 lbs in Month 15 131.4 lbs
06/19/09-07/18/09 -2.2 lbs in Month 16 129.2 lbs
07/19/09-08/18/09 -0.2 lbs in Month 17 127.2 lbs
08/19/09-09/18/09 +0.6 lbs in Month 18 127.8 lbs
09/19/09-10/18/09 +0.8 lbs in Month 19 128.6 lbs
10/19/09-11/18/09 +1.4 lbs in Month 20 130.0 lbs
11/19/09-12/18/09 -5.0 lbs in Month 21 125.0 lbs (Thanks to Plastics!)
12/19/09-01/18/10 +1.6 lbs in Month 22 126.6 lbs
01/19/10-02/18/10 -1.6 lbs in Month 23 125.0 lbs
02/19/10-03/18/10 -1.0 lbs in Month 24 124.0 lbs
03-19/10-03/19/11 -5.4 lbs in Year 3 118.6 lbs
I lost 122 lbs in total (5.4 in the last year) which brought me 12 lbs below goal.
My BMI fluctuates between 22 & 23. I'm happy it's well within the normal range.
I've lost a total of 86 inches:
17.5 inches from my waist
14.5 inches from my bust
10 inches from my chest
17 inches from my hips
5 inches from my upper arm
1.5 inches from my elbow
6.5 inches from my thigh
4 inches from my calf
4 inches from my knee
4.5 inches from my neck
1.5 inches from my ankle
I've lost 111% of my excess weight per my goal
I'm comfortably wearing size 2/4 pants from size 24. I even got into size zero Tommy jeans!
I'm also wearing size XS/S tops, sweaters & coats.
My shoe size has decreased from a 7 to a 5 or 5.5.
I'm healthier & feel better:
I rarely feel the pain in my knees due to arthritis.
My hypertension is non-existent.
My sleep apnea has been officially ruled gone!
I happily cross my legs, tuck in my shirt & wear high heeled shoes - all things I could not do before surgery! My transfer addictions? Shopping & Tim Horton’s coffee.
Before & After:
10 WLS Success Strategies in Andrea-World:
1) Support: If possible, get the support of your family & friends. Go to WLS Coffee Groups & Support Groups. Start one if you have to. There's a reason why this is my #1 success strategy. It's important!
2) Tracking: Track everything you eat. It will make you accountable for everything you put in your mouth. If your weight loss slows or stops, analyze what you've been eating then see point #3.
3) Protein: To lose weight, try to get 40% of calories from protein, 30% from fat & 30% from healthy carbs. This ratio is magic. Good carbs = fruit, veggies & whole grains. Bad carbs = white sugar, flour, rice, pasta, crackers, potatoes, bread.
4) Water: Drink no less than 64 oz/2 litres per day.
5) Vitamins: Take all the vitamins your dietician/surgeon recommends.
6) Exercise: This will ensure good long-term results.
7) Dietary Rules: Follow the guidelines you've been given by your dietician/surgeon. Don't do anything to sabotage your success. Don't tempt fate by visiting fast food restaurants or "trying" bad food.
8) Eat Slowly & Chew: Take one small, well-chewed bite every 2 minutes for the first 3-4 months. Time yourself at first. Two minutes is longer than you think. If you're throwing up, you're either eating too fast, eating too much or eating something your pouch/new stomach isn't ready for.
9) Lifestyle: Embrace a whole new, healthy lifestyle. Learn to love new foods. Discover new sections of restaurant menus. Avoid too many treats.
10) Maintain your weight loss: Now that I'm at goal, I weigh myself often & measure my treats based on this gauge. I'm always mindful of tomorrow's number on the scale.
So, would I do it again? Absolutely! WLS continues to be an excellent option for people who are committed to getting healthier and making lifestyle changes.
2 Comments
About Me
Newmarket, ON, XX
Location
22.7
BMI
Surgery
03/19/2008
Surgery Date
Nov 20, 2007
Member Since
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
