Honey_Bee

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Well it's almost been two (2) years since my surgery and I just can't believe how fast time has flown by...my life is better, fuller, my energy level is so much better, I enjoy my life, my husband and my children more because I can do more now.  No more sitting on the sidelines, sending my eldest daughters to be "substitute mommy"...how sad I was to not participate in so much because I felt so self conscious..didn't want to go sit in the chairs at back to school night cuz I couldn't fit...how embarrasing, so I'd just send my DH and my daughters...life is sooo much better!  I go everywhere now and do everything I want!  I work out...I've even reached my own goal of running on the treadmill!!!  I now have a new relationship with food and eat to fuel my body now and don't obsess about food like I used to...I use my tool and follow the rules!  I have dropped from 8 prescription drugs a day (high bps, back problems, joint problems, etc) to taking only my vitamins!  I make my health my focus and now I've taken the next step and made an appt for plastics on January 2nd to complete my journey by having a Tummy Tuck, Breast Lift and Briachaplasty and as it's getting closer, I'm getting cold feet...am I being selfish to spend this kind of money on myself (I've always given everything I've had for my kids and my family and this is so hard for me)...my sis says that I MUST do this for myself and I know she's right but I keep trying to talk myself out of it..."old habits do die hard"...I'll keep you posted...I've put in some new pics of me and my family from this summer...hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Here's my weight loss record:
10/9/06;  347 Pre Surgery
10/23;  337 Day of Surgery
11/30;  307  -30 lbs
12/25;  292.5  -14.5 lbs
1/29/07;  280,5  -12 lbs
2/26;  265  -15.5 lbs
3/26;  253  -12 lbs
4/30;  241  -12 lbs
5/28;  229  -12 lbs
6/25;  218.5  -10.5lbs = Loss of 128.5 lbs
7/30;  209 lbs  -9.5lbs = Loss of 138 lbs
8/27;  201 lbs  -8lbs - Loss of 146 lbs

9/23;  193.5 lbs  -7.5lbs - Loss of 153.5 lbs
10/23;  188 lbs  -5.5lbs - Loss of 159 lbs
12/22;  171 lbs  -17 lbs - Loss of 176 lbs
10/13/08 - 172 +1lb - A total Loss of 175 lbs

  I'm 4 lbs from reaching the goal that my doc and I set before I had surgery, which was to lose 180 lbs!!  WHOHOO!  As of right now I'm 14 mos out of surgery and I weigh 171 lbs, which is a loss of 176 lbs, I've lost more than I weigh!!!!  My personal goal is to lose another 10-15 lbs but I have an open mind and will just wait to see what my body does.  
I've had a couple of "issues" come up that I'm working on, like the fact that "parties" are not easy for me as I "like" to eat when socializing, and I'm not hungry, it's almost a nervous habit so I'm working on that.  Also, parties have brought out issues with alcohol.  I knew my limits before surgery and am having a hard time saying "no" as I want to have a good time and then I go too far!  Definitely, need to work on this area.  I also have some self image issues as I think I look ugly now and am not receptive to my DH...I know, more work to do there too! But I have a good therapist and will keep on truckin!
I've also gotten adventurous a couple of weeks ago and went with my daughter to get a tatoo and ended up getting a tatoo of a butterfly on my foot to represent the change that my life has gone through!  I'm sure you'll all appreciate how I contemplated where to put it...ah, not on my fanny, breast or lower back cuz I may have PS and it will get ruined or be cut off!  But my foot shouldn't change so let's do it there...well I'm hear to tell ya, it hurt like heck on my foot...I'll post a pic later when my daughter helps but it's beautiful if I don't say so myself!
Other than that, life is good and as I look back over 2007, I can't believe the amount of changes I've undertaken...new health, new job, new home!  What a year!  Have a wonderful Holiday everyone!  TTFN!

I really can't believe that a year ago today, I went in for my life changing lap RNY surgery and in a matter of hours, my life changed forever!  It has really gone by fast and my life is soooo different today than it was a year ago....Let's see what the differences are:
- I weighed 347 lbs and today I weigh, 188 lbs which is a loss of 159 lbs, and of all the "diets" I've ever been on, I've never lost so much weight or felt so good through the process and I realize it's not a diet for me, it's a new way of life!
- I've gone from a size 28/30 to a 14/16 (this was a big WOW moment this weekend when I bought my first pair of 14/16 pants and sweater and almost cried in the dressing room because I almost didn't try them on figuring they'd never fit!!)
- I haven't used my asthma inhaler in a year and I was using it almost daily
- I'm off all medications (blood pressure, joint pain meds, water pills, etc) and now only take my vitamins
- I can walk and do walk 2-3 miles for exercise without back pain, foot pain and just lack of stamina (unheard of a year ago)
- I'm an active part of life where before I'd forgo family, school and even social functions due to embarrassment, fear of just being too tired and I relied on my older two daughters to "help" me (how sad is that)
- I'm HAPPY now and didn't realize how "unhappy" I was until I've gotten so far removed from where I was that I can see it now & my family did suffer but I'm making it up to them everyday!
This has truly been the best thing that I've ever done for myself even though I had to fight for almost a year to have the surgery, I'm so glad I preservered and finally got approved.  I wish everyone the success I've received and pray for continued success as I work towards losing another 20-30 lbs.  

So, it's been 11 mos since surgery and life is good!  I now weigh 193.5 lbs and have lost a total of 153.5.  It's amazing to be in "onederland" as I haven't seen the scale below 200 in over 20 years...what an amazing journey this continues to be for me and my family.  I'm in size 16's and 18's and wonder how much "smaller" I wil get.  I do seem to have things "down" pretty good as far as my daily routine with my food/water/vitamin regimine.  I still struggle with getting in my exercise and it will probably always be my biggest obstacle to  overcome.  I had a bout with stress earlier this month and did not succumb to my past behavior of eating so I'm very happy about that.  I will update more later!

Change the way you think and you will change the way you feel.   breaking the habit of negative thinking and replacing it with an ' I can and I will' Attitude is the change called for by your Inner confidence.   Negative thinking can be so interwoven in the fabric of whom you are that it is nature to assume it's normal. It's not! Breaking the cycle of negative thinking means you must acknowledge and face your harsh inner critic.   You have strengths, skills, and talents. Recognizing and believing in them is what, confidence is all about. When you are confident, it's easy to feel great, because your inner critic becomes your inner champion!

My 10 month surgiversary was on August 23rd and this has been a slow month for my weight loss.  My workout buddy went on vacation and I have to admit it's been hard to motivate myself...definitely need to look deeper there!  I now weigh 201 lbs from 347 (-146 lbs) and have dropped to a 16/18.  I hope to reach "Onderland" in the next few days but the scale has been jumpin up and down over 1.5 lbs this last week and I'm getting anxious.  I still worry that I won't be successful and reach my goal, which at this point is 159 lbs...Well, I'll just have to keep tryin and hope to get there!  Take care, TTFN, Katie  

Well my 9 month surgiversary was yesterday and this month has been really mind blowing for me!  I now weigh 210 lbs from 347 (-137 lbs) and have dropped from a size 28-30 to a size.....drum roll please..............18, yes I said 18.  I just can't seem to believe that I really am that small and it's been over 15 years since the last time I saw that small of a size!!  What an amazing journey this continues to be.  The "Negative Nancy" that sometimes still invades my head keeps thinking I'm going to fail and I just keep showing her up!!  I still have had very few problems after surgery and continue to follow my program as my new motto is to embrace this new lifestyle head on!  No sugar, no bread, no pasta, no rice, no potatoes until I reach my goal...plus bread causes me problems and I don't want the others anymore hehehe!  I'm making life changes that will hopefully carry me through the rest of my journey of my life!  My family is amazed, my friends are shocked when they see me and all because of this surgery...I'm so thankful!  Oh and I had my blood pressure rechecked after being off my meds for 6 weeks and it was 120/70...My dr was so impressed and so now it's nothing but vitamins for me.  It's also been a rough month emotionally with the loss of my best friends dad who I've known and lived across the street from my whole life and today's the funeral...sad, sad day.  I also attended a baby shower, which would normally allow me to overeat but not this time...and I had my second daughter's 18th bday on July 7th, and I did well then too...I did have some alcohol (maybe a little too much) and I believe that slowed my weight loss this month as each time I drank, I gained a couple pounds and it took a couple days to shift back down...I'm still scale obsessed and get on everyday but I don't let it rule my emotional state and I'm enjoying watching what happens...so that's it for now...Good Luck to Everyone!  

It's been eight months since my surgery and things are moving along pretty much on schedule (although it's not a schedule that I'm familiar with, so I just go with the flow).  I now weigh 218.5 lbs and started at 347...that's a loss of 128.5 lbs.  I've gone from size 30 to a size 22...I eat small portions of wonderful food and don't miss what I cannot have.  I don't try things that "may" make me sick as I don't want to get sick nor do I want to find out if I can tolerate certain things (like sugar that led to being MO) so I just DON'T.  I excercise now and am learning to enjoy it as it used to be such a chore!  I love the agility and stamina my body now has that allows me to do so much with my kids now...about once a week I play basketball at the gym with my eleven year old son and he loves it...I love it...it's just amazing...Also, on the "funnier" side of things, as a result of my weight loss, my behind looks like sharpei, my arms have wings and my boobs have shrunk (from an F/G to a DD) and hang like deflated balloons but that's a good thing....The only negative, if you can call it that, is now I have lower back pain...dr. says it's my body adjusting to the weight loss but I never figured it would hurt as the weight comes off...it's been about a month now and hoping this passes soon...Wow, I can only imagine what more time and more weight loss will bring, stay tuned!

So, today I've been really thinking about what I've lost (in terms not only in weight) and what this all means to me.  It's really hitting me at this point in my journey and I just cannot believe the success I've had and the changes that have occured in my life...I had (emphasis on HAD) failed so many times before that this is still so surreal.  I really wasn't sure if it would work for me and and still wonder when I'm on a little stall if this is going to be it!!  Maybe I'm not going to lose anymore.  But, where that normally would have allowed me to "cheat" and go off my program, I've had such a huge change in my mind or body from the surgery and what it's taken to get here that I don't give up.  I've kept going, stayed positive and now I look in the mirror now and see the results after losing 118 lbs and it's amazing.  My health is better, my mind is better, I am BETTER!...I'm now off my last medication (blood pressure) as of last Friday and now I only take my vitamins...that's a good thing!  I have so much energy, I'm so much more involved in my own life, instead of sitting at home or having my older children pick up the slack with my younger ones.  My 4 children are amazed at me and notice that I've changed, I'm happier, I'm involved....I'm so happy with where I am.  My husband adores me and I am sooo blessed that I was able to have the surgery and have come so far.  Do I really think I'll reach my ultimate goal of 149-159 lbs, I'm not sure but I'm going to keep working my program and God willing, I'll get darn close and I'll be okay with that! 

Well, today is my 7 month anniversary and I couldn't be happier!  However, I had stopped going to the gym for almost 2 mos as DH was working 12 hrs a day, 7 days a wk and I let my family responsibilities keep me from my responsibility to myself!  And, once you stop, it's so hard to readjust your "thinking" to get that habit back.  I can't let that happen even if I have to work out at 10pm, as I need to do that for ME!  I've lost 117lbs so far and am going to the tanning salon for me too!  Might as well get some color before summer so I won't feel so self conscious in my summer clothes..hehehe!  My next goal is to be just considered "overweight" and not obese anymore.  When I get to a BMI of 29.8 at about 174 lbs, I'll be there (I'm about 56 lbs away right now) and my last goal will to be considered just "normal" and when I get to a BMI of 24.8 at about 149 lbs...I'll be NORMAL, well at least in my weight department, hehehe!!  Good luck to all and I'll be talking to ya!