Jeannette R.
October 5, 2008
2nd Anniversary!
Wow, I can't believe it's been 2 whole years since I started this journey. Things are so different, I'm not sure where to start. My weight has finally evened out. I fluctuate up and down about 5 pounds ... between 145 - 150. Which is a really good weight for me. I did drop down to about 132 and I looked sickly. Everyone kept telling me how awful I looked so gaining about 10 pounds was a good thing. I wear a size 8 or 10. I can eat just about anything, but of course in small amounts. Sugary things will make me sick, so I try to stay clear of those types of things. But sometimes I can have some ... like I can eat a small slice of cake or a small cookie. But if I have a piece of brownie I get sick. It's kind of a gamble on what will make me sick and what won't make me sick. I still eat small portions ... about a child's meal size or a little bigger.
I have excess skin on my arms a little. Everyone says they don't notice, but of course I can tell it hangs a little. I was working out some and it did get firmer, but I haven't worked out in a while and now it seems like it's flabbier now. I have excess skin hanging over on my stomach. It bothers me some but I don't think it's enough to have plastic surgery. My boobs are way smaller than before and I feel like that bothers me more than anything. But again, I don't feel like any of this warrants having plastic surgery. My husband loves the way I look and you can't tell when I'm wearing clothes.
I'm seeing the endocrinologist for low vitamin D. He's had me on "super" vitamin D pills and I've been on those for 8 weeks. Other than that, the rest of my blood work has been fine. I may just have to keep taking the vitamin D pills from now on. Which isn't a bad thing. So overall, I've been really lucky and fortunate nothings really bad has happened as a result of the surgery. You can truly say that I'm a success story. I'm so glad I did this for myself. I'm way more active and I know my kids enjoy their momma much more than before. In fact, I bought a bike and we go bike riding on the weekends sometimes. But even though things have worked out so great, I do want to say it has been really tough as well. It was a huge adjustment mentally and sometimes I find myself falling back into old habits because of emotional issues. I guess I truly was/am an emotional eater even though I denied it in the past. So that's been the biggest learning curve and I'm still learning every day. But again, it's definetely worth it!!!
Wow, I can't believe it's been 2 whole years since I started this journey. Things are so different, I'm not sure where to start. My weight has finally evened out. I fluctuate up and down about 5 pounds ... between 145 - 150. Which is a really good weight for me. I did drop down to about 132 and I looked sickly. Everyone kept telling me how awful I looked so gaining about 10 pounds was a good thing. I wear a size 8 or 10. I can eat just about anything, but of course in small amounts. Sugary things will make me sick, so I try to stay clear of those types of things. But sometimes I can have some ... like I can eat a small slice of cake or a small cookie. But if I have a piece of brownie I get sick. It's kind of a gamble on what will make me sick and what won't make me sick. I still eat small portions ... about a child's meal size or a little bigger.
I have excess skin on my arms a little. Everyone says they don't notice, but of course I can tell it hangs a little. I was working out some and it did get firmer, but I haven't worked out in a while and now it seems like it's flabbier now. I have excess skin hanging over on my stomach. It bothers me some but I don't think it's enough to have plastic surgery. My boobs are way smaller than before and I feel like that bothers me more than anything. But again, I don't feel like any of this warrants having plastic surgery. My husband loves the way I look and you can't tell when I'm wearing clothes.
I'm seeing the endocrinologist for low vitamin D. He's had me on "super" vitamin D pills and I've been on those for 8 weeks. Other than that, the rest of my blood work has been fine. I may just have to keep taking the vitamin D pills from now on. Which isn't a bad thing. So overall, I've been really lucky and fortunate nothings really bad has happened as a result of the surgery. You can truly say that I'm a success story. I'm so glad I did this for myself. I'm way more active and I know my kids enjoy their momma much more than before. In fact, I bought a bike and we go bike riding on the weekends sometimes. But even though things have worked out so great, I do want to say it has been really tough as well. It was a huge adjustment mentally and sometimes I find myself falling back into old habits because of emotional issues. I guess I truly was/am an emotional eater even though I denied it in the past. So that's been the biggest learning curve and I'm still learning every day. But again, it's definetely worth it!!!
December 4, 2007
Official 1 year 2 month weight = 136, BMI = 21.6 (Normal)
OK, I've hit 136, but now I keep going up two pounds, down 1 pound. I keep fluctuating between 136 and 140. I can't get lower than 136. Which is totally fine. I think a good weight for me is around 140. I now fit in size 6 pants. Some of them are a little snug and others are perfect. I like being a size 6 or 8. So I think I can even gain to about 145 and still be around the 140 - 145 weight.
I've been feeling pretty good. I've tried a little more sweets, which is bad. I can have sweets in very small doses. And since I've been trying sweets that's probably why I can't get below 136. I did want to get to 131, but I think that's way to low for me and my body frame. Anyway, time will tell.
OK, I've hit 136, but now I keep going up two pounds, down 1 pound. I keep fluctuating between 136 and 140. I can't get lower than 136. Which is totally fine. I think a good weight for me is around 140. I now fit in size 6 pants. Some of them are a little snug and others are perfect. I like being a size 6 or 8. So I think I can even gain to about 145 and still be around the 140 - 145 weight.
I've been feeling pretty good. I've tried a little more sweets, which is bad. I can have sweets in very small doses. And since I've been trying sweets that's probably why I can't get below 136. I did want to get to 131, but I think that's way to low for me and my body frame. Anyway, time will tell.
November 6, 2007
Official 1 year 1 month weight = 139, BMI = 22.4 (Normal)
Well, only a 1 pound loss this month. But that's OK. I really don't think I need to lose anymore. But I did want to get to 131. I'm not sure why though. :-) I'm still wearing size 8/10 or medium. The 10's are a little bigger and the 8's are probably just about right. I did buy some medium tops and didn't really like how form-fitting they were, but I think it's just me trying to get used to not wearing such baggy clothes. I had to buy a skirt suit for a work conference and everyone was shocked to see me in a skirt. I felt weird, but it looked good. I probably should try adding more skirts to my wardrobe.
I'm eating a whole lot more than I used to eat. And for Halloween, I tried some candy. It actually went down OK as long as I only had 1 or 2 pieces. So that freaked me out a little. I don't want to go down that path. I can easily see me resorting to old habits.
I made an appointment with Dr. White for a plastics consultation. My boobs have shrunk so much. I think I'm an A now. So I'd like to discuss my options. Laura gave me the name of her surgeon, but when I looked him up on the internet, it looks like that's all he does is breasts and lipo. Dr. White has experience with bariatric patients, so I think I'll stick with him. But he didn't have an open appointment until February. I think that's good though .... it should force me to work out consistently until my appointment and see how my body changes with exercise. I haven't done any sort of exercise for a long time. I have more energy and I'm up on my feet a lot more, but I haven't structured any sort of exercise routine. We just got our house back in order from remodeling, so maybe I can get into some sort of routine now. I hope!! :-)
Well, only a 1 pound loss this month. But that's OK. I really don't think I need to lose anymore. But I did want to get to 131. I'm not sure why though. :-) I'm still wearing size 8/10 or medium. The 10's are a little bigger and the 8's are probably just about right. I did buy some medium tops and didn't really like how form-fitting they were, but I think it's just me trying to get used to not wearing such baggy clothes. I had to buy a skirt suit for a work conference and everyone was shocked to see me in a skirt. I felt weird, but it looked good. I probably should try adding more skirts to my wardrobe.
I'm eating a whole lot more than I used to eat. And for Halloween, I tried some candy. It actually went down OK as long as I only had 1 or 2 pieces. So that freaked me out a little. I don't want to go down that path. I can easily see me resorting to old habits.
I made an appointment with Dr. White for a plastics consultation. My boobs have shrunk so much. I think I'm an A now. So I'd like to discuss my options. Laura gave me the name of her surgeon, but when I looked him up on the internet, it looks like that's all he does is breasts and lipo. Dr. White has experience with bariatric patients, so I think I'll stick with him. But he didn't have an open appointment until February. I think that's good though .... it should force me to work out consistently until my appointment and see how my body changes with exercise. I haven't done any sort of exercise for a long time. I have more energy and I'm up on my feet a lot more, but I haven't structured any sort of exercise routine. We just got our house back in order from remodeling, so maybe I can get into some sort of routine now. I hope!! :-)
October 4, 2007
Official 1 year weight = 140, BMI = 22.5 (Normal)
Whoo hoo! It's been one whole year. I had my one year check-up on Tuesday (my birthday) and according to their scale I weighed 143. So I think my scale is right on target. When I saw Meredith she thought I may have had a hernia in my belly button. But Dr. Harris came in and said what she was feeling was probably the stem from my belly button. I have a deep belly button so he suggested I make sure it's kept clean to avoid any pain. I've always had a deep belly button, but now it's even deeper with this weight loss. So I guess I have to be more diligent.
I haven't taken my blood work, but they gave me a form to go ahead and get that done. Hopefully I can get that done tomorrow or in the next couple of days. Meredith did suggest I increase my calorie intake a little. Especially if I increase my exercise routine. They suggested increasing protein rather than fat and carbs. I got the impression my weight loss was a little concern since I hadn't been working out much. Weird. All my life I've watched calories and had to cut them, now I may have to increase them. He did say that I should reach a low and then gain some and then will plateau. And typically that's by 12-18 months. I did lose 4 pounds this month, but it seems like I lost the 4 pounds in the beginning of the month and I've actually been stable the last couple of weeks. So maybe 140ish will be by normal weight. But I do need to work out with weights and give it a true effort. Once I do that, we'll see what the scale and clothing size says. Plus I won't consider plastics unless I give it a good faith exercise effort.
So all in all, things are good. I'm in a size 8-10, mostly size 8. Haven't been doing that great with vitamins but have been doing better these past couple of days. I'll post again once I get the blood results.
Whoo hoo! It's been one whole year. I had my one year check-up on Tuesday (my birthday) and according to their scale I weighed 143. So I think my scale is right on target. When I saw Meredith she thought I may have had a hernia in my belly button. But Dr. Harris came in and said what she was feeling was probably the stem from my belly button. I have a deep belly button so he suggested I make sure it's kept clean to avoid any pain. I've always had a deep belly button, but now it's even deeper with this weight loss. So I guess I have to be more diligent.
I haven't taken my blood work, but they gave me a form to go ahead and get that done. Hopefully I can get that done tomorrow or in the next couple of days. Meredith did suggest I increase my calorie intake a little. Especially if I increase my exercise routine. They suggested increasing protein rather than fat and carbs. I got the impression my weight loss was a little concern since I hadn't been working out much. Weird. All my life I've watched calories and had to cut them, now I may have to increase them. He did say that I should reach a low and then gain some and then will plateau. And typically that's by 12-18 months. I did lose 4 pounds this month, but it seems like I lost the 4 pounds in the beginning of the month and I've actually been stable the last couple of weeks. So maybe 140ish will be by normal weight. But I do need to work out with weights and give it a true effort. Once I do that, we'll see what the scale and clothing size says. Plus I won't consider plastics unless I give it a good faith exercise effort.
So all in all, things are good. I'm in a size 8-10, mostly size 8. Haven't been doing that great with vitamins but have been doing better these past couple of days. I'll post again once I get the blood results.
September 4, 2007
Official Month 11 weigh in = 144, BMI = 23.2 (Normal)
I lost 6 pounds this month. It seems like I've been stuck forever between 143 and 144, but really I've lost 6 pounds this month. My new goal is still 131. But again, I'm totally happy even if I didn't lose another pound. Well ... I say I'm happy, but I still dislike my stomach, thighs and boobs. I feel deflated. I'm still not ready for plastics, but I may consider it at two years out. I need to give exercising a chance.
Anyway ... all else is good. House is being remodeled, work is going well (stressful but OK), and kids are doing great. The school year has started again so we're in the thick of homework, etc. Food-wise I'm doing pretty good. I've really started to figure out what and what I can't eat. I know almost instantly if something is going to go well. I've had maybe 2 incidents this past month where I felt a little sick. And that's because I pushed it. I ate a corn muffin one time and had some fatty taco's the other. The taco's would of been fine because I didn't eat the shell (put it on lettuce), but the meat was really greasy.
I finally figured out breakfast at work. I've been eating yogurt with Kashi granola. It works out really well and goes down great. Sometimes I'll eat Kash oatmeal with raisins. For snacks, I'm still eating the Kashi granola bars and nuts with raisins. The raisins satisfy my "sweet" tooth. Lunch has been a little bit of a challenge, unless I go out to lunch. I've been bringing the Hormel lunches that take 90 seconds to heat in the microwave. The calories aren't bad, the protein is really good and they fill me up. I have to double check but I'm guessing the sodium is not that great. Dinners have been pretty easy. Mostly protein, vegetables and usually some sort of rice. So all in all, I'm doing good. Now I just need to get on the exercise kick. Not so much the cardio, but more toning exercises. I have no excuse. Just being lazy. :-)
I lost 6 pounds this month. It seems like I've been stuck forever between 143 and 144, but really I've lost 6 pounds this month. My new goal is still 131. But again, I'm totally happy even if I didn't lose another pound. Well ... I say I'm happy, but I still dislike my stomach, thighs and boobs. I feel deflated. I'm still not ready for plastics, but I may consider it at two years out. I need to give exercising a chance.
Anyway ... all else is good. House is being remodeled, work is going well (stressful but OK), and kids are doing great. The school year has started again so we're in the thick of homework, etc. Food-wise I'm doing pretty good. I've really started to figure out what and what I can't eat. I know almost instantly if something is going to go well. I've had maybe 2 incidents this past month where I felt a little sick. And that's because I pushed it. I ate a corn muffin one time and had some fatty taco's the other. The taco's would of been fine because I didn't eat the shell (put it on lettuce), but the meat was really greasy.
I finally figured out breakfast at work. I've been eating yogurt with Kashi granola. It works out really well and goes down great. Sometimes I'll eat Kash oatmeal with raisins. For snacks, I'm still eating the Kashi granola bars and nuts with raisins. The raisins satisfy my "sweet" tooth. Lunch has been a little bit of a challenge, unless I go out to lunch. I've been bringing the Hormel lunches that take 90 seconds to heat in the microwave. The calories aren't bad, the protein is really good and they fill me up. I have to double check but I'm guessing the sodium is not that great. Dinners have been pretty easy. Mostly protein, vegetables and usually some sort of rice. So all in all, I'm doing good. Now I just need to get on the exercise kick. Not so much the cardio, but more toning exercises. I have no excuse. Just being lazy. :-)
August 9, 2007
Official Month 10 weigh in = 150, BMI = 24.2 (Normal)
I'm a little late posting. It's mostly because I'm in denial. I actually got down to 146, but right before weigh-in day I gained 5 pounds to 151. And then on weigh-in day I was down a pound to 150. So technically for the month I was only down 2 pounds. That sucks! I think I wasn't getting enough liquids in throughout the day. I went about a week, being really stressed at work and home and I realized I wasn't drinking that much. I've since started drinking my water and have started to feel a little better and the scale moved down a pound. I'm fitting into size 8 pants, so that's a good thing. I'm still hoping to get down to my new goal of 131. We'll see ... I guess I really need to work hard now.
I'm a little late posting. It's mostly because I'm in denial. I actually got down to 146, but right before weigh-in day I gained 5 pounds to 151. And then on weigh-in day I was down a pound to 150. So technically for the month I was only down 2 pounds. That sucks! I think I wasn't getting enough liquids in throughout the day. I went about a week, being really stressed at work and home and I realized I wasn't drinking that much. I've since started drinking my water and have started to feel a little better and the scale moved down a pound. I'm fitting into size 8 pants, so that's a good thing. I'm still hoping to get down to my new goal of 131. We'll see ... I guess I really need to work hard now.
July 4, 2007
Official Month 9 weigh in = 152, BMI = 24.5 (Normal)
OK, only a 5 pound loss this month, but once again I have my monthly cycle and I'm bloated. Still, 5 pounds is great and what's more important is I met goal and I have a NORMAL BMI. Whoo hoo!! Now I need to exercise. I keep saying that and I know I need to, I just have to get off my butt and do it. Weight loss is slow know, so if I want to reach my new goal of 131, I've got to exercise. Plus I'm still not liking the excess skin. That's all I see in the mirror. Maybe exercising will firm some of this up.
I'm still wearing a size 10, but they're starting to get a little loose. I haven't tried an 8 yet. I'll keep the 10's for a while. :-)
OK, only a 5 pound loss this month, but once again I have my monthly cycle and I'm bloated. Still, 5 pounds is great and what's more important is I met goal and I have a NORMAL BMI. Whoo hoo!! Now I need to exercise. I keep saying that and I know I need to, I just have to get off my butt and do it. Weight loss is slow know, so if I want to reach my new goal of 131, I've got to exercise. Plus I'm still not liking the excess skin. That's all I see in the mirror. Maybe exercising will firm some of this up.
I'm still wearing a size 10, but they're starting to get a little loose. I haven't tried an 8 yet. I'll keep the 10's for a while. :-)
June 13, 2007
GOAL ... GOAL ... GOAL ... GOAL ... I'M AT GOAL!!
It's official my BMI is 24.9 and my weight is 154.5. I can't believe I'm NORMAL. Whoo hoo!!! I didn't think I was going to make it to goal. This past weekend I actually gained 2 pounds. I re-evaluated what I was doing and I realized I wasn't getting all my water in for the day. So for the last 2 days I made sure to get at least 64 ounces of water a day and in 2 days I dropped 4 pounds. Amazing!! The message boards are so right on about getting back to basics if you feel you've slipped off.
I'm wearing a size 10 (kind of snug) and size 12 comfortably. I feel comfortable in clothes and have even been wearing shorts on the weekend. What a change from the past. I remember last year it being so hot and I still wore cropped pants, wishing I could wear shorts. Now I can!!! This is the best thing I've ever done for myself. It's also the hardest, but I'm so glad I made the decision to change my life for the better. :-)
June 4, 2007
Official Month 8 weigh in = 157, BMI = 25.3 (Overweight)
Well, I only lost 7 pounds. But I really got down to 155 the other day. But according to the scale this morning, it's 157. I also have my monthly again, so I'm retaining some water. Oh well ... 7 pounds is still pretty good. My goal is 154 and I'm still within reach, so I'm happy.
Well, I only lost 7 pounds. But I really got down to 155 the other day. But according to the scale this morning, it's 157. I also have my monthly again, so I'm retaining some water. Oh well ... 7 pounds is still pretty good. My goal is 154 and I'm still within reach, so I'm happy.
May 23, 2007
The average weight for someone my height is 157. Today I weigh 157!!! Whoo hoo! I'm average! My goal is 154, which will give me a normal BMI. So, I'm only 3 pounds from my goal. I hope to make that by the time I do my monthly weigh-in on 6/4/07. Once I make that goal, I'd like to revise my goal to be 131. That is the recommended weight for my height. I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it to 131, but I'd like to try. I'm also unsure of how I'll look at 131. I may look entirely too thin. Everyone says I look great now, so I'm wondering if I loose any more, what will I look like. I'm now wearing size 12 clothes. I'd like to get into a size 8 or 10 (preferable 8), but heck I'm totally happy with 12 or 14. I still don't like the skin, but it's looking better. I also haven't got back into the exercise routine. My goal for this week and next is to start something. Either the treadmill again and/or going to the work gym and doing weights.
Anyway, I'm at 157!! Whoo hoo for me!
Anyway, I'm at 157!! Whoo hoo for me!
