De Anna
Down 140 pounds!
Nov 03, 2008
Well, I'm down 140 pounds! My weight loss has slowed down quite a bit, but I'm so happy with all of the progress I've made!
My big thing lately has been trying not to compare myself to others. I start feeling good about myself, and then I find myself thinking "well, so and so is a lot smaller than me" or "This person has lost more than me" or "that person has a lower BMI than me". I'm trying to remember the days when I would have given ANYTHING to be under 200 pounds! I need to be grateful, I remind myself everyday!
Before and after; 110 pounds lost!
May 25, 2008
Wow! What a year it's been! The picture on the left is the school picture I took in September. The one on the right is a picture that I took today, 110 pounds lighter! I really don't remember my face being that big! It's funny, I like that my mouth and teeth look bigger, but could really do without my nose looking so much bigger! But I am overwhelmingly happy! I wish I had done this years ago!
Down 83 pounds and loving it!
Mar 22, 2008
I haven't weighed less than 225 pounds since high school. This is so cool! It's amazing that I'm no longer the biggest person in any crowd, and that my weight is getting comparable to friends and family. I have a friend that I don't think of as overweight, because she carries it so well, and she once told me that she weighs 230 pounds. How weird that I actually weigh less than her! Of course, she's several inches taller than me, but still!
I've been exercising a lot lately, too. Mostly walking on the treadmill. One day a coworker asked if I wanted to walk over to a nearby coffee shop with her. She made the comment, "We'll walk really fast, since we don't have much time." Of course, this gave me a little bit of anxiety, because I've always been the slow one who can never keep up with everyone else! Anyway, after a couple of minutes, my coworker said "Wow! You walk really fast now!" LOL! That little comment was the best compliment I've received in ages, and motivated me to walk on the treadmill even more, at faster and faster speeds! I think all the exercise is what is causing my weight loss to get a little better. I guess you never know how much impact just a little compliment will make!
The other thing going on in my life is that I've been looking for a new job. I love my job, but I don't really see a lot of room for advancement, and although the pay is as competitive as it can be for a non-profit, I'd like to make more. I'm going to need to pay for plastics soon, right? I've always lived in Modesto, but now that my parents are both deceased and I'm not married and don't have any children, I'd really like to move to a more desirable part of California. I've been looking a lot in the Monterey area. I know that's a hard area to move to, but I'm just going to try as hard as I can between now and August (if I don't find something by August, I need to stay for the next fiscal year so as not to create a hardship at my job.) Every night I scour the internet for any new openings. Wish me luck!
Message to my Secret Pal!
Feb 02, 2008
Hi Secret Pal! I think this is going to be so fun! Thank you in advance for participating in this, I already know you must be an amazingly nice person! Don’t stress yourself out or go overboard, because I’m not expecting that at all! I just want to have a little bit of fun trying to discover your identity!
I just wanted to tell you a little bit about me! One of my favorite things I do all year is coordinate our Secret Pal exchange at work, and I always have people fill out an "info sheet", so their pals can get an idea of what they're like. So here goes!
I love all holidays! I decorate for just about everything. I am getting ready to put window clings up of conversation hearts (you know, the little Sweetheart candies?) I guess if I can’t eat them this Valentine’s day, at least I can look at them! Probably my favorite holiday is Halloween. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Christmas, but Halloween is just so much fun! All of the spooky decorations, dressing up, passing out candy and talking to the kids about their costumes. I will be 10 months post-op this year, and I am definitely finding a cool costume!
As for entertainment, I couldn’t be happier that LOST season 4 finally started! Who knows how many new episodes we get before we feel the effects of the writer’s strike, but I am happy! I also love the Biggest Loser, The Office, Ghost Whisperer, Desperate Housewives, etc. I go to the movies with friends once in a while, but they are so expensive I usually wait until I can get them from Netflix.
I guess my only true hobby is photography, although I am far from a professional! I’m just the gal that ALWAYS has her camera, and is ready to take a picture. Several years ago I started making an annual yearbook at my job, and it has become a tradition. I just love looking through them and seeing how people have changed over the years. This year when the yearbook is completed in June, I will be 6 months post-op! I can’t wait to see how much this year’s picture will be from last year’s! Yay!
I love scary movies, but not the gory or gross ones, just ones that are spooky and suspenseful. I’m bummed that “The Orphanage” isn’t playing in my area. I like to read, I always read a few pages before I go to bed. Right now I’m reading “The Golden Compass”. I wasn’t sure about it at first, because I thought it would be a little too science fiction-y for me, but it’s actually good. I loved the Bridget Jones books, and have read all of the Harry Potters (I read that last one in 2 days, because I was determined not to let anyone ruin it for me!), and probably my all time favorite book is The Stand. As you can tell, I’m not too focused on great literature, just something to relax before bed! Once in a while I read something that’s actually good for my brain, though!
I love to go on road trips; people think I’m crazy that the 12 hour drive to see my sister in Idaho is actually fun for me. I also love to drive to Monterey for the day, just to go to the aquarium, walk up and down Cannery Row, and eat at Bubba Gump’s. I know it is corny, but I love it!
I like going to comedy shows, although I don’t go nearly enough. I am going to see Paula Poundstone on Valentine’s day, though! It should be fun. I saw Hal Sparks at the same venue, and he was great. LOVE him, he is so cute and funny! Other celebrities I like are Topher Grace, Joel McHale, and I have a little crush on Rick Springfield left over from the 6th grade!
I don’t really collect anything, although I do love cool office supplies! I know it’s weird, but I love cool pens and highlighters, and my all time favorite is post-it notes! I always have the most unique post-its in my desk drawer!
All right, that is enough about me, actually too much, I’m sure! My email address is available on Elfster. Thanks again for participating!January 26, 2008
Jan 26, 2008
Well, I'm six weeks out and I'm feeling so fortunate that I had this surgery! Loving the weight loss (although I'm always stressing a little bit that I haven't lost enough, but I'm trying to be zen about it!), and loving that I no longer have high blood pressure!
Well, I've lost 32 pounds since the surgery, and 56 pounds since my highest last summer. I've been walking on the treadmill for about 30 minutes a day, and that's been great. My favorite thing about exercising is that peaceful feeling afterward, knowing that I'm done for the day; no nagging feeling that I'd better exercise. I wish I was one of those people who loves to exercise, but oh well! I'm happy just being someone who loved being DONE exercising! LOL!
Had a little crisis last night, with dying my hair. I decided to change from my standard "Light Ash Brown" to "Medium Ash Brown". After I rinsed it out I swear I looked like Elvira! Washed my hair with everything from every bottle of shampoo I own to my salicylic acid face scrub! I called to get in at the salon, but my stylist wasn't working and I was told that "Corrective Hair Treatment" is minimum $130. Finally called my sister and made arrangements to drive to her town so she could check out my hair and tell me the honest truth. She told me it was fine, and when we looked in the mirror together her hair is actually darker than mine. I think it's going to be OK, but take a look at my pics and let me know what you think!
Have a great Saturday! Secret Pals starts soon, I'm SOOO excited!
January 13, 2008
Jan 12, 2008
Well anyway, I had surgery on December 13th, 2007 (YAY!), and it went great! I woke up in the Recovery Room in pain, but not because of my stomach, my back hurt from laying on the the operating table! Other than that, I was fine! Before I had the surgery, I told my sister, "If I whine and say I don't want to walk afterwards, you MAKE me!" Well, that was no problem, because I was BEGGING to get up and walk, to work the cramp out of my back. God works in mysterious ways, I guess!
I've been doing great, and up until a few days ago I was bragging that I'd had NO COMPLICATIONS, but in the last couple of days I've been having trouble keeping things down when I wake up in the morning. My theory is that I took my vitamins too close to bedtime, and didn't drink enough to wash them down. That theory seems to be working, and I'm doing much better. Well, I can still say that I've had VIRTUALLY no complications!
Loving this surgery! I've lost 25 pounds post op, and a total of 49 pounds since my highest which was last summer. About 15 more pounds, and I will weigh less than I can ever remember weighing in my adult life. How exciting is that?!
1/16/07
Jan 16, 2007
I called my doctor today and also asked that she give me referrals to have a psych eval, see a nutritionist, do bloodwork, etc. I'm so grateful to Jaci, because she told me at the seminar to be proactive, call the office before they call me, and start getting everything taken care of right away, don't wait until the appointment. If it wasn't for her, I'd probably still be waiting for a phone call from the Dr.'s office!
I am going to try and watch a live webcast of a Roux en Y tomorrow night , although I'm a little bit nervous! It's one thing to watch things on DHC, but to watch the whole thing, when you're planning on having the exact same procedure, is a little bit scary!
That's about all for today, but I just want to say that I'm LOVING this site! How do people go through this process without being involved in an internet community like this? I don't know, but I'm extremely grateful, and I'm learning so much!
