Well, here I am and speechless....who would have thought? 

I hit my goal weight this morning.  WOW, the feeling is wonderful and humbling.  My health has improved greatly and I am forever thankful that the good Lord helped me to get back to a healthy status in my life.

It doesn't hurt that I wear size 6 very comfortably now too!  The icing on the cake (poor choice of words I know )

I will be married on December 14, 2007 and looking forward to being in my wedding dress.

May your journey continue to bring you all good health

Darla

220/140/140     GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I reached it at 288 days post Surgery date.

Measurements are:  Bust:  36  Waist:  30  Hips:  35

Currently, I walk 2+ miles a day almost every day of the week

Taken off my Fitday site:  (I had 22 days left to make the goal I had set for myself)

Weight Goal Stats

Current Weight Your weight is 140 lb as of 11/08/2007. Weight Goal Your goal is to weigh 140  lb by 11/30/2007 Goal Progress You are currently at the target weight for your custom weight goal. The deadline for your goal is 22 days (3 weeks, 1 days) away. To meet your goal you need to maintain your current weight.

Notes copied out of my Fitday account:

Went to my first post op appt on my 10th day following surgery.  I was down 9 pounds and feeling very good.

Dr. Umbach removed my staples and replaced them with steri-strips that I am to keep on until they fall off (they help with improving on the end result of the scaring)

He told me I can start to exercise and to do what I feel I can do and just listen to my body.  He also told me I can advance to Stage 3 foods which is the final stage to apply for the rest of my life.  WOW, 4 days ahead of schedule.  That was so nice to hear.

I go back and see him at 3 months and I told them to take a good look at me because they won't notice me when I come back next time  LOL.

Today is my surgery date 1/24/07

Per Bariatric Center, my waist is 44 inches and my hips are 50 inches.

Measured on 2/8/07 Waist is 42 and hips are 44  that's 2 inches off my waist and 6 inches off my hips

Measured on 3/3/07 Waist is 39 and hips are 42 tht's now 5 inches off my waist and 8 inches off my hips (chest is 44)

Measured on 3/19/07 Waist is 39, hips 42 BUT chest is now 43..1" lost in the chest!

Measured 3/24/07 Waist is 38, hips are 41 and chest is 43

Measured 4/14/07 Waist is 37, hips are 40 and chest is 42.

Measured 4/29/07,Waist is 35.5 Hips are 40 and chest is 42

Measured 5/6/07, Waist is 35.5, Hips are 40 and chest is 41

Measured 6/4/07, Waist is 35,  Hips are 38 and chest is 41

Measured 7/5/07. Waist is 34,  Hips are 37 and chest is 40

Measured 7/18/07, Waist is 34, Hips are 36 and chest is 39 (lots of swelling in the tummy from Laporotomy on 7/11/07 cyst and ovary removal.

Measured 8/16/07, Waist is 32, Hips are 36 and chest is 37

Measured 8/30/07. Waist is 32, Hips are 36 and chest is 37

Measured 11/08/07 when I hit my goal weight:

Bust is 36, waist is 30, Hips are 35

Always eat Protein first.  At least 60 grams of protein daily.  Veggies and fruits next

Multi Vitamins, Calcium and B12 (FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE extremely IMPORTANT)

Daily vitamin should be taken right away after surgery and every day thereafter.  High potency multi-vitamin with minerals

Vitamin B12 should be taken under the tongue (sublingually=under the tongue and taken 2,000 mcg at a time ONLY ONE TIME A WEEK ( take one on Friday and Saturday of each week is the way I'll do it if I start taking orally.  For now, I get the monthly shot in the hip)  - I stated taking B12 shots on 1/30/07 with Dr. Buchanan.  she also said cannot OD on B12 so no worries if I take too much.  But, it is very important to have B12.

Was taking Vitamin B12 Nature's Bounty (putchased at Bi-mart I believe) Sublingual (under the tongue) 2500 mcg each dose.

 
Beginning 1 month AFTER SURGERY (begins on 2/22/07): I need to buy sugar free

Calcium CITRATE is the only kind we can absorb = 1,500 mg daily and taken REMEMBER to take 2 hours apart from your daily vitamin or any other suppliments

Take iron ONLY IF DIRECTED BY YOUR DOCTOR and how much the doctor prescribes ONLY

Eat 3 times a day ONLY and NO SNACKING

must drink 64 oz water each day (flavored water ok no carbon, sugar or calories)

Decaf coffee ONLY

 

Weight Goal Stats

Current Weight Your weight is 141 lb as of 10/26/2007. Weight Goal Your goal is to weigh 140  lb by 11/30/2007 Goal Progress You are currently 1  lb above the target weight. The deadline for your goal is 35 days (5 weeks, 0 days) away. To meet your goal you need to lose about 0.2 lb per week.

Hi Everyone,

Amazing,,,,this tool thing really works!  Today, 2 more lbs gone......only 2 to go until GOAL!!!!!!!!   My goal date was set at time of surgery for the end of November...I know I can do it.....I have 50 days left to reach my personal goal weight of 140 lbs.

Darla

220/142/140

Hi,

Well it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind if she wants too right? LOL

I decided to go on ahead with my goal of 140 lbs a couple days go. Well, to my surprise, I lost 2 lbs when I got weighed this morning.

4 lbs to go.

220/144/140

Hi folks,

Long time no post eh???  Well, my size keeps reducing yet my weight remains consistant at 146.....I'm reconsidering my weight loss goal to be 145 rather than 140.  When I was younger and weighed 140 I looked "fuller" than I do today at 146.  I just don't want to be too thin....I'm starting to get alot of comments from people telling me I am getting too thin and that doesn't feel great......regardless, I think 145 is realistic but we will see.  Since I've been at this weight and had the ovarian tumer removed, I have lost 2 sizes in clothing and it hasn't appeared to stop yet.  Doc has not released me to do anything other than walking still so I wonder if I begin the real physical workouts again if my inches will go down even more.

Darla

220/140 or 145?/146

Weight Goal Stats

Current Weight Your weight is 146 lb as of 09/20/2007. Weight Goal Your goal is to weigh 140  lb by 11/30/2007 Goal Progress You are currently 6  lb above the target weight. The deadline for your goal is 71 days (10 weeks, 1 days) away. To meet your goal you need to lose about 0.592 lb per week.

Hi all my friends out there,

Thank you for all the encouraging emails and support along the way during my journey.  I have made some wonderful friends through this process and would go through this all over again to have the health, peace of mind, and great friends I have gained along the way.

I started back to bowling since doc said I can now.  I'm having such a great time with it.. It's much fun reconnecting with folks we met last year and making some new freinds too.  

Randy, I haven't forgotten you.  We have a couple's night on the town planned so get ready to hear from me 

Here's to all of you, my friends through OH.com.......best wishes and success to you all!!

Darla

220/147/140

Hi Everyone,

We are learning how to use this camera and this is a picture David took of me tonight.  I'm 148 lbs here with still 8 lbs to go.

Also, I took one of David tonight so you can see what he looks like now.  He's been losing weight too since my eating habits have changed so much.

Darla

What a nice surprise to see my weight went down another pound in only 4 days.  I've been back to work 3 days now and today is my Friday...amazing how tired I get after only 5 hours of work each day.  Next week, I'm back to full time which is 4-10 hour days (Holiday makes it a 3 day seek so that will also help make the transition back to full time a smidge easier.....

ONLY 8 LBS TO GO TO REACH MY GOAL

220/148/140

Hi everyone,

Seems I lose a pound about every 2-3 weeks lately.  I have 9 pounds to go so I need to step it up some to make my goal of 140 lbs by 11/30/07.  I'll be going back to work on Monday, 8/27/07 for 1/2 days then back to full time the following week at which time I should be able to resume my 2 mile daily walks during my lunch time...I've been hard at work building up to that level and I'm up to about a mile now.  After the two weeks, I can start doing "normal" exercising as well which I fully expect to do.  I think that should help me reach my goal along with losing in a healthy way.

I've spent some of my time making wedding plans; wow I forgot how much work this is   It was fun trying on dresses.  I had another WOW moment.  I went to David's bridal and tried on about 5 dresses.  My daughter walked by and said "MOM?"  I responded...then she told me what happened.  She said she was walking along and looked and thought, WOW, that lady is so pretty in that wedding dress, then she realized...HEY THAT's MY MOM......  how sweet of her to share that story with me....makes me happy to think my daughter feels her mom is pretty.  She went on to tell me how "tiny"  I look in the dresses.....now let me tell ya, that was music to my  ears  HA!  (My daughter is a size 6-8 and feels I look smaller than she does.  I was able to get in to a size 8 pant yesterday however.....now that felt wonderful!

Hope you are all happy and healthy!

Darla
220/149/140