joann V.

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Wow -- it has been a LONG time since I've posted. It was good to go back and read and remind myself about my journey.  Weighing in today at 166. 8 and having gone up to 170 I am scared I am gaining weight back and know that there is nothing left for me to do as I've already had the most drastic procedure there is and I need to get myself in check and get back to 150.  Luckily, my sister (who also had the same surgery - RNY) and my two daughters have joined me for a 20 lb weight loss challenge. We have challenged one another to lose 5 lbs a week to be 20 lbs less when we go on our cruise this coming January.  Overall I am very happy about where I am although I absolutely realize that I have slipped and have got much to accustomed to those mochas in the morning and those need to just STOP!  I am very much conscious of my food choices on a daily basis and I make so much better food choices now than I ever did before reading package labels - comparing fats, fiber, calories etc., however, as I've mentioned I've just allowed myself to slip too much and have approached 170 and that is not acceptable especially after everything I've gone through.  My goal is 150 and I am determined to be there with a lifetime maximum weight of 157.5 (which is my 100 lb weight loss mark) -- I vow now to never go above that number again.  Wish me luck OH and I'll come back to post some pics and an update after our cruise!
JoAnn 

Yesterday was my two year surgiversary.  I am so very happy I had this surgery and do not regret it for one second. I am thankful to God, to my surgeon, and to all my family and friends for all their help and support.  Although my original goal weight was 140 I did not like how my skin was beginning to sag around my face and neck so I stopped at 150 about 6 months ago.  I really have to watch it as I have now let myself slip to 159! Which is a couple pounds more than I weighted last year at this time.  I know with continued good food choices I can maintain my weight as I have worked hard to get here.  For any of you who are considering weight loss surgery - gastric bypass specifically - I absolutely recommend it, assuming of course that your doctor first clears you for it.  I wish you all the wonderful success as I have had. I have a new lease on life and coming here today to post reminds me of just how far I have come and how thankful I am and lastly that I have received a wonderful gift and can not forget the price paid and that I need to really watch myself and not allow myself go back to previous thinking / lifestyle choices.  God bless you all.
JoAnn

Wow - I've been looking forward to this day for sooo long.  Today is Oct. 3, 2008 and I have finally hit the century mark weight loss the big 100 lbs! and now weigh 157.5.  I am getting so close to my actual final goal its ridiculous, I dont know if I ever really believed it would happen but now its so close I can taste it!  I had to start really working my weight loss in May (about 6 months out) of this year where weight loss slowed down dramatically and I'd have a little weight gain here and there.  I've started really giving it my all in my work outs and switch from actual dieting to just watching what I eat and weighing myself every day in order to get the scale to continue to move and it may be a lot slower than I'd like - but its happening.  My goal was to be 140 by my Surgiversary (12 days away) - thats not going to happen but maybe if I'm really good I can get to 155 and Im hoping I fin 140 before the end of the year - thats the revised goal.  Anyways I am so happy to see the scale move and I feel so much better.  I no longer need my blood pressure medication and every day tasts have got so much easier - especially shopping for clothes.  I'll post new pics soon.

i am so happy today, I am finally no longer obese!!  I have been fighting with my scale for several months and my weight loss has dramatically slown down and at a point I just figured I wouldn't ever pass the OBESE mark but after talkling to my Dr. and his nurse they reminded me how far I've come and how although its slower it is still very possible to reach my goal so with a new found sense of "I can do it" I've been a lot more careful with my diet, weighing my self every day to keep myself accountable, and more exercise I have finally been able to just barely slide off the OBESE side and into the OVERWEIGHT side.  It feels so wonderful to be OVERWEIGHT - I can't even begin to tell you.  This weight was actually my doctors goal for me so Im thrilled.  My first goal was to get to 200, my second goal to get to 170, and my last goal (at least for now) is to settle into 150!  I am so very happy, blessed, and fortunate to have been able to have had this surgery.  Absolutely no complications or issues.  I'm still learning what I can and can't eat, when, and how.  I know also that my tool can only do so much, I have had dig in and do for myself with healthier food choices and exercise and I know I can reach my personal goal.  I had always planned to have lost 100 lbs by my one year anniversary.  That is 9 pounds away and my anniversary is in 3 months -- so 3 pounds a month for 3 months??? Ummm .. si se puede!!!

Update: It's now 3 1/2 months since surgery and as of 1/31/08 I've been in Wonderland! woo hoooo and its wonderful.  This has been my first real goal since the beginning and I am so happy to finally be here.  The scale has not been my friend lately -- I've been stuck around 202.5 for over the last 3 weeks - perhaps my body is trying to adjust at this point or perhaps I am enjoying more food and I really need to work harder but its been moving at a snails pace!  I was exercising initially walking the neighborhood 4x a week but since the weather has become so bad around here I've signed up for a circuit training class at the local college.  There was about a 1 month period I did not exercise - no excuse but at least I'm getting back into it.  Another wonderful bonus is that my oldest daughter has lost almost 30 lbs since I've had surgery.  She has been exercising with me and really watching what she eats so there has been a healthy competition between us and we are both getting heathier (she didn't have surgery).  Well, thats about it for now.  I will update again later -- my next goal you ask?  to hit my surgeon's initial goal for my surgery which is 170lbs! -- I expect that will be before summer begins (end of May) look for an update then.  Best of luck to all!
JoAnn

11/15/07 - today is my 1 month surgiversary!  My highest weight ever was last May 2007 at 259 - the day of surgery I weighed 242 and today I weigh 224 - a total of 35 lbs from my highest and 18 from day of surgery.  Things have went well - Im learning what I can and can not eat but unfortunately that can change in one day - I've got sick 3x so far - seem to be able to tolerate milk & sugar ok but am not able to tolerate any type of bread - which I miss but am glad I can't tolerate it because that was my weakness.  Weight loss seems to be somewhat slow - I stay stuck at the same weight for up to a week and then lose 2 lbs overnight and have been walking with my daughter 4x a week for 40 minutes each.  I am glad to be getting healthier and as a gift to myself today my bmi is 39.7 - I am finally OBESE and not Morbidly Obese - I am very happy about that and look forward to my future.  Thank you all for your advice and support.
J

Well I am now about 11 days post and things are going pretty smooth.  No complications so far - thank God.  Recovery ended up being a little more difficult than I had expected but thankfully it was really those 1st 2-3 days that really were the hardest with every single day after that getting a little easier and easier.  My goal was to exercise by walking 5x a week for 30 minutes and as of this week I am on track!  During surgery although I was only there 1 night I gained 5 lbs -- those very same lbs I lost pre-surgery on my week long liquid diet / fast.  So my first goal was to get those off - I did and as of this morning I've lost an additional 5 lbs (236 lbs) - so I'm glad about that but really bothered that after almost 3 weeks of barely eating I'm really only down 5lbs but I have to remind myself in time it WILL come off.  

This morning I have set goals and here they are:
Mini Goal 1:  2/14/08 (my daughter DeeAna's b-day) Goal Weight: 200
Mini Goal 2: 5/31/08 (end of May Surgeons Goal) Goal Weight: 170
BIG GOAL: 10/31/08 (1 year, 2 wk post op) Goal Weight: 140
Wish me luck! :)

Just wanted to let everyone know I am at home and recovering -- everything went well -- Im just very sore and tired.  Will post more later. Thank you for your prayers and support!
JoAnn

Well its been awhile since I've updated this but I have been authorized for surgery by my insurance company and my scheduled surgery day for the RNY is October 15th -- count down begins!  Please keep me and my family in your prayers!

I met with a local psychologist today and gave him the paperwork the John Muir Weight Loss center asked me to give him so he knew what specifically to ask me.  It was funny, I had never seen a psychiatrist before and I found myself feeling as if I had to prove I wasn't crazy and actually started feeling a bit loopy!  Everything went well in the end and he said he considered me to be of at least "average intelligence" and have read and understood the plus / minus of surgery to make this decision on my own.  Well -- I've left a few messages for Anne - waiting to hear what the next step is.  I don't meet with the surgeon until May 8th - I'm looking forward to see what he recommends -- Lap Band or Gastric Bypass .. hmmmmm....