Lisa S.
I am a 38 year old female with 2 great children, a girl, 7, and a boy, 4. I also have the most wonderful husband in the world. My story is like most of the ones I've read. I've been overweight pretty much all my life, starting as a chubby kid to an overweight teenager and then obese adult. I went on my first diet when I was 13 and have continued on the diet roller coaster ever since. Well, it's finally time to get off. I really want to lose this weight once and for all!!
My father died of a massive heart attack 4 years ago at the age of 54. I have subsequently found out that heart issues run on his side of the family. I lost about 30 pounds the year after he died and was working out 6 days/week and loving life. I felt healthy and really liked the way I looked. But, life intervened and like most of us, I stopped watching what I was eating, stopped exercising and the weight came back on, plus more. So here I am, determined to make some permanent changes for not only me, but my family. I really want to set a good example for my children and break this cycle of eating that began with my parents.
I began my "official" journey to WLS on 10/1/05 when I attended a required seminar for my surgeon. I initially thought I would be interested in the Lap Band, but quickly realized that RNY was what I really needed to make the permanent changes in my eating habits. "Dumping" is not something I want to experience and since my eating downfall is high processed carbs, this little mechanism should really help me stay away from those foods.
After sending in the required forms, I had my first surgical consultataion on 12/14 and got a date of 1/24/06. Yipeeee!! I have to date completed my cardiac clearance (I was having some palpitations and really needed to see someone anyway and with the exception of very high cholesterol, my tests were all very good, which was great news to me with the family history), pulmonary clearance, including a sleep test which was negative, a visit with the nutritionist and several with the psychologist. I will have a couple more appointments with the psych. along with one with physical therapy and pre-op education. My final surgical appointment will be on 1/19 and then it's off to surgery on 1/24. I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
1/05/06--I had my appointment with the psych. yesterday to go over my test results. I agreed with most of what he had to say. He said I was psychologically very healthy, but that it seems as though I tend to give more to others than I do for myself. Well, I thought, yeah, duh!! How else do you think I got this way??!! Anyway, despite being a nice man, I have felt like this part of the program has been more of a way for him to make some money, rather than really determine whether I am a good candidate for surgery. My appointments have lasted no more than 20 minutes and that was only one where we talked, the other was taking the tests. I'm not really sure you can really evaluate someone based on 20 minutes. Now, don't get me wrong, the man approved me for surgery, so that was good, I just don't think he's someone I would rely on for emotional support post surgery. Also, this was something I thought was strange: during my initial consult he asked me what my goal weight was. Well, I'm around 5'6" and like most people, didn't want to throw out an unrealistic number. I have been at 160 and was quite happy, so I said I would be happy at 150-155, but my ideal weight would be 140. H e says, "well I can definitely see you getting down to 128!" Helloooooo, 128! Well, first of all, I'd be thrilled to get 128. I'd probably wear a size 6, which would be awesome. But I also know that that's probably unrealistic for me, which is why it shocked me that he said that. Anyway, enough about him.
After the appointment, I went to visit a friend who had surgery on 1/3. He was doing well, although still seemed a little groggy 27 hours later. He had done his swallow test and everything looked great. He was not in any pain, which was good to hear. That night, I saw a new friend who had her surgery the week before and when she went for her 1 week checkup, she had already lost 21 pounds!! Unbelievable! That's about 20% of the weight she wants to lose, in one week! Now, I know she won't lose at that rate forever, or for even another couple of weeks, but what an amazing result. I could already see a difference in her face. I can't wait to join them on the losing side!
1/15/05
Well, it's a little over 1 week until my surgery date. I'm very nervous, but it's mostly due to my friend who had surgery on the 3rd. Apparently after I saw him on the 4th, he went into kidney failure and his oxygen level got very low. They ended up sedating him and putting him on a ventilator and dialysis. He has been in the ICU ever since. He is not being allowed visitors (very annoying) so I've only seen him through his open door. When I went on Tuesday, he was still unconscious and on the ventilator. On Thursday, they were finally able to get him off the ventilator and he was semi-conscious and breathing on his own. When I stopped by on Friday, he was awake and motioned to me to come in, but the nurse wouldn't let me. He has not been totally lucid but they said he still has a lot of toxins and junk in his body to get rid of. He is still on dialysis once a day but has been urinating on his own. I think they were going to try to get him up walking later on Friday. Needless to say, I have been very scared for him. Although he has many more co-morbities than me, it is also makes me remember that this surgery can have some very serious complications. I still think this surgery is the best way to get a handle on my weight and stay healthy for the rest of my life. But, things like this make you think twice.
I'm really trying to focus on eating in the future for this next week before surgery. I've pretty much cut out caffeine (I'm down to one diet coke every other day or so) and I'm definitely drinking a lot of water. I'm also trying different samples of protein drinks to see which ones I like and which ones I don't. So far the Nectar ones seem the best.
It is a beautiful day here in KC (unusually warm for this time of year) so my daughter and I went out for a walk. It felt so good to get out and move. I look forward to doing more of that. I'd reall like our family to exercise together. I worry about my daughter already with her weight. I don't want her to suffer growing up as I did. I'm hoping to set a good example for her so she can live a life without this food obsession.
1/27/06
Sorry so long in between posts. I'll try to update on everything that happened since my last post. I had my last pre-op appointments and everything went fine. My bowel cleansing went ok, although I had terrible cramping and continued to have some liquid stools even in the morning. My friend came over around 7:15 to get my children off to school and we left for the hospital. Due to some paperwork issues, I got up to the surgery waiting area a little late and so once I got back to the pre-op area, there was not waiting. I had about a dozen people asking me questions, getting my vitals and iv put in, etc. I only saw my husband for probably 5 minutes before they wheeled me back. I had been given some relaxing medicine before they took me back, but I do remember going into the OR and moving to the table. They strapped my arms down and told me they were going to give me some oxygen. After that, I don't remember a thing.
I woke up in the recovery room around 11:00 (I think my surgery started around 9:15) and I remember feeling pain and some nausea. The nurses gave me something in my IV. After that, I don't remember anything again until I woke up in my room. My husband was there and I was hooked up to a little oxygen thing to my nose. My mouth was really, really dry so I asked for some ice chips. I just really felt tired--I could barely keep my eyes open. My husband went to take care of the kids' after school activities and then brought them up to see me. We started watching American Idol and I just kept falling asleep! I walked sometime that evening (a royal pain to have to get the nurse to unplug the IV, etc. just to get up). Then came the night from hell as far as sleeping was concerned. At some point, my IV wasn't working, so they had to redo it and it took 2 times to get it in. Ouch!! Then between the nurses coming in every 2 hours to check vitals and my oxygen monitor going off because I wasn't breathing deeply enough, I got very little sleep. Finally at aroudn 2:30 am I asked to get up and walk again.
The next day I had my swallow test and that sucked! Laying you down on that moving table thing is very disconcerting. And, as everyone says, the stuff you drink is nasty. I highly recommend breathing through your mouth for several minutes after you drink it so you won't taste it. The test was fine so I went back upstairs and got my first broth and jello. Woohoo! More importantly, I just wanted water. I would have given my eye teeth to drink about a gallon of water the night before. My pain was managed very well by the PCA pump and then later by oral meds. I didn't know if I was going to go home that day since my JP drain was still outputting a lot of stuff. But, at about 7:15 the nurse came in and said she was taking the drain out and would stop my IV after the bag was through. The doc said I could stay but would have to ambulate a lot. Well, I told her if she was taking out the drains, I was going home. So, after removing all of that stuff, filling prescriptions, etc. I was home around 9:45 pm.
I had a hard time sleeping that first night. I couldn't find a comfortable place to rest and I had to go to the bathroom like every 4 hours. Finally I settled on the couch and slept. The day was fairly decent, but then the gas kicked in around 7:30 and it progressively got worse. At about 10:30 I thought I was going to die. The pain was unbelievable and nothing was coming out. My husband helped me walk laps around the house (even outside a little) and finally, finally, I passed some gas (along with some liquid) sitting on the toilet. I got up around 4:00 am and walked for about 1/2 hour and took some pain meds as I realized I hadn't had any since around 8:00 and I was feeling some pain.
Today was better. I've been up much more but still have a lot of gas trapped in my belly. I just want it to come out. The gas x helped a little, so I think I will try some more of that. Anyway, I plan on sleeping in bed tonight with hubby. I need to get one more protein supplement in tonight and some more water. I think I'm hopefully getting over a little hump and will feel better tomorrow. I'd like to get out of the house for a while tomorrow. I hate being cooped up. That's it for now. I'll post again soon.
2/3/06
Sorry to have waited to so long to post. Things have gotten better and better each day. I continue to get my strength back and am doing well. I'll catch things up a little. I had my 1st post-op appointment to have my staples removed. As promised that didn't hurt, maybe a little pinch here and there, but nothing like I visualized. It was really no big deal. My weigh-in went well. They did not weigh me at the hospital so my doc went by my pre-op weight. Based on that, I lost 13 pounds. I guess I should give my stats since I know that was really important to me when I was looking at people's profiles. I am 5'6" and started at 227. Anyway, he was very happy with the loss and reminded me that since I'm a "light-weight" I need to be happy withe smaller numbers. Heck, I'll take 13 pounds! Actually, I weighed myself yesterday and I had lost another 2 pounds for 15 total.
I have 2 enormous hematomas (sp?) on my right side. My left side feels great, but these things on the right are causing me much pain and tenderness. The doc said they would eventually be absorbed back into the body but it would take a while. It's making wearing pants very difficult because of the pain and the swelling. They are really hard, too, which is strange. He sent me to the lab to check my hemaglobin levels to be safe. I also told him I was having these black as tar bms. He then says, "why didn't you call me?" to which I replied, "it wasn't listed on the sheet as something to call about." He then said, "you need to call if there's something unusual." I then thought to myself, "dude, you just re-worked my entire inner workings. I'm not thinking anything coming out of my bottom is "unusual"!" I asked him if it was a problem and he said it could mean that my GI tract was bleeding. So, he put me on Pepcid twice a day and it must have worked because it's a normal color now.
So, aside from looking like I was used as a punching bag for Mike Tyson, things are healing very well. My incisions all look fine and I feel better each day.
2/19/06
Apologies again for not updating enough. I'm on this site daily reading posts on the message boards and always plan on updating, but then forget! Anyway, I'm doing great and am so happy I had this surgery. Day 9 was a big turning point in the way I felt. I don't know if it was because I could actually eat 3 meals of food that day or what, but my energy definitely increased and I felt much better. Then, I would say the 2 week mark was the true beginning of feeling like I was "normal" again. My right side was still giving me a little trouble (soreness from the hematomas), but other than that, my swelling was finally going down and I could once again button my jeans.
When I weighed myself at week 2, I was down a total of 19.4 pounds. Right before my week 3 mark, I decided to try on some jeans that I haven't worn in about a year (one size smaller than my current jeans). I was thinking that they would be close, but that I would still have a little more weight to lose before I would be able to button/zip them, but I was wrong, they actually fit!! That was awesome. I also tried on some other pants that I wore before the surgery and they were already too big, so in the "sell" pile they went!
I was a little worried to weigh at the 3 week mark because I've read a lot of posts where people hit their first plateau then. So, I was prepared to not lose anything, maybe even gain a pound. But, again to my surprise, I lost 6.4 pounds for a total of 25.8lbs. So, my goal for this last week before my weigh-in at my surgeon's office is to lose 4.2 pounds so I hit that magic 30lb mark! That will also put me back in "onderland" at 197!
We are going to Florida in about a month and my next goal is to lose 10 pounds by the time we leave. By no means will I be thin when we go, but at least I won't feel like a beached whale in a swimsuit and I will feel more comfortable wearing shorts, etc.
Eating so far has been fairly easy. I've had a couple of days where I've been really nauseas and I have thrown up once. I'm doing really well getting my protein supplements in (thanks to Nectar and some other fruit flavored supplements) and I'm averaging about 400 calories/day and around 65g of protein. I still can't eat very much at a time. I just made a scrambled egg for breakfast and I could still only eat 1/2 of it. I usually eat about 3 times/day of food and maybe a small snack plus 2-3 protein supplements each day. The main thing I'm having trouble with is my calcuim. I just can't choke that liquid down. It makes me so sick to my stomach. I'm going to take to my doc about it and see what my options are. Other than that, the vitamins and B-12 are no problem.
I've had some people comment about my loss. My DH says he can see a big difference, but I can't see anything so far. I will probably have him take a picture on my one month anniversary and maybe then I'll be able to see the difference a little. But, like I said, all in all, I'm thrilled I did this and am so happy I'm feeling so good and hope I continue this way!
2/28/06
I wonder if my pouch is getting smaller. I have had a couple of vomitting incidents the last couple of days and I keep eating less than the time before. Weird! I have no problem with liquids or even what I eat during the day. It always happens at night. A couple of weeks ago, I could eat 4 shrimp for dinner. The other night I got sick after 3 and tonight I got sick after 2! I don't think it's the shrimp, either. Anyway, I had my 4 week check last week (2/21) and I was down to 199. Yippeee, Onderland!!! I only lost 2.2 pounds that 4th week, but I was due for a little plateau. I have not weighed myself this week as my period is due any hour now and I always gain a couple of pounds rght before. So, I'll wait until next week. I've become much more relaxed with my weighing in the last couple of years. I'm good with a once a week schedule as opposed to past years when it's been a daily thing. Way too volatile to weigh so often.
I've started back with a little more strenous workouts now. I'm back on the elliptical machine and I started to do some weight training with my upper & lower body. I'm going to stay away from abs for another couple of weeks. My lovely bruises are almost gone and those areas are finally getting less sensitive to the touch. Although I haven't taken my measurements, it seems as though I'm losing mostly in my hips and thighs, which is great. But, I'd like to lose in my stomach area, too. My pants are getting to big in the legs, but are still fitting in the waist, which is bumming me out a little. Hopefully I'll start seeing some changes there.
My next mini goal is to be in the 180's by the time we leave on Spring Break vacation, which is 3/22. That means I have to lose 10 pounds in about 4 weeks, which I hope is doable. Aside from the getting sick part, I have been so thankful that I've had this surgery. For those of you contemplating it, it really is a miracle. It's not easy, but it's so worth it.
Till next time...
3/14/06
Well, here I am at 7 weeks out. I'm down to 191.2, so basically down 36 pounds, which is an average of over 5lbs/week. I'm feeling pretty good about making my mini goal of being in the 180's by the time I leave for Florida, but I realize I could hit a stall and may not make it. I also took my measurements and although I don't have them in front of me to go body part by body part, I lost over 16 inches since surgery. The majority of it came from my hips, thighs & waist, which is fantastic!!
I've been trying to get to the gym at least 3 times/week. Usually I do the elliptical machine and then some weight training. I have been feeling a little more tired, but I think that's due to me slacking on my vitamins/B-12. I need to be better about that. I have been doing well getting in my protein and fluids. I'm so thankful that I actually enjoy drinking my protein drinks. I have been having some trouble with vomiting lately. It's usually at night. I think I'm eating just a couple of bites too much. I need to listen to my body better.
I went through some clothes in my closet the other night and was thrilled to find so many clothes that I fit back into, including quite a few size 14 pants/capris. I also tried on some size 16 jeans/pants that were huge (never got to wear them, oh well!!). I have quite a large stack of clothes to put in buckets to either donate or sell in our upcoming garage sale. There are even some with tags on them still (what a waste!). Anyway, I still have some 14's that are too tight and of course, quite a few 12's and 1 or 2 things in size 10. So, once I get through the 12's, it's going to be shopping time!! Look out stores! I'll also look at garage sales, which start in the middle/end of April here. I usually only look for kids' clothes, but now I'll look for myself, too!
4/15/06
Well, sorry it's been so long since I've updated. It's been almost 4 weeks since I've weighed myself, but I'll at least update from when before I left on vacation. My goal was to be in the "180's" by the time I left on 3/22 and I made it and then some! I was 186.6 that morning, which was 8 weeks post-op. I was so happy!! Due to vacation and then waiting for my stupid period to start (never weigh myself around that time and it was a week late!) caused me to go so long without weighing. But, I have to say it hasn't really bothered me. I can tell from my clothes that I'm losing, so I'm not that concerned. But, I will weigh on 4/18, which will be 12 weeks post-op. My goal for my 3 month check-up w/ Dr. H on the 27th is to be at 175. I really hope I make that. That would be 52 pounds in 3 months, which I think is pretty good for a light-weight! Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer!!
Our trip was awesome and I actually felt good wearing a swimsuit. Shortly after we got back, I celebrated my 39th birthday. Oh, that big was is now really looming in the distance! Anyway, the women in the family celebrated as usual with a "treat day" where we have lunch and go shopping. I have really dreaded these days in the past few years as I hated trying to find clothes that would fit (without going into the "women's" department), so it was a challenge to think of non-clothing items (shoes, purses) to get so I wouldn't have to go through the trauma of trying on clothes and modeling in front of everyone. But, this year was great! I tried on all sorts of really cute clothes and had the best time. I purposely got some things tight so they would last longer and actually exchanged a skirt the next day for a smaller size, too! The other great part of the day was that the family members actually noticed my weight loss. Up until this point (they do not know I had WLS) there had been no comments to me or my husband about my losing weight. After 40 pounds I was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to say something, at least to him. So, it was great to hear them tell me how trim I was looking, etc.
Speaking of people commenting, etc, it's interesting to see people's non-verbal communication. This has mostly come from my neighbors, whom I'm not really good friends with, but just friendly. Both of the women really eyed my up and down several times when they saw me for the first time in a while. Neither of them said anything, but I could tell they noticed. I'll be curious to see what my Girls Night Out group says this coming week. We have an outing planned for the 20th and they haven't seen me since about 2 weeks post-op and I was still pretty bloated then. There are a couple of them who I think would benefit from WLS and if they ever ask me what I did, I would tell them the truth. This has been such a gift to me, I would be happy to share it with others.
Well, I'll try to remember to update again when I weigh in on the 18th and then of course, after my 3 month check up. To those just beginning your journey, enjoy it and keep up the good work!
4/18/06
Well, it's been 12 weeks since my surgery. It's hard to believe that it's only been that long. It seems like it was a lot longer ago. So, to the big weigh-in results--176.8! That makes over 50 pounds in 12 weeks! I was a little disappointed I have to admit. I was really hoping to be at my 175 goal already instead of by next week for my 3 month check-up, but oh well! I'll take it. My clothes are really getting big and it seems like I can wear something for about 3-4 weeks and then it needs to go in the donation pile. I went through my whole closet and reorganized it and bagged up 7 garbage bags full of clothes to give away. There's still about 3-4 bags worth of clothes hanging that I'm going to try to sell in our garage sale. After that, I'll donate what's left.
4/28/06
Well, I had my 3 month check-up with Dr. H yesterday and everything went really well. He said I was ahead of the game on weight loss, especially given my starting weight. He asked me what my goal was and I told him 140, which he said was very doable. I told him I was hoping to be at that weight by the next time I saw him, which is is 3 months. I said I knew that it was ambitious, but that it was my goal to try. He reminded me that I have a 12-18 month window and that I will always have this tool. My bloodwork was fine with the exception of my iron, so he put me on a supplement. My thyroid level is also low and he wants my PCP to follow that and treat that. Hey, maybe the medicine will increase my metabolism and help me lose faster!! Oh, well, I can only dream!! Anyway, I made my goal of weighing 175 by my 3 month visit. I weighed exactly 175 on his scale, fully clothed (a little less on mine). So, according to their scale and records, I have lost 53 pounds!!!
I finally was able to get an updated picture downloaded. These are from a couple of weeks ago, but they're pretty close. I'm wearing a size M top and 12 jeans.
I've been trying on clothes in my closet and I can fit into all of my old "skinny" clothes from the last time I lost weight, including my size 10 jean skirt from Old Navy! It's still a little snug, but I can button and zip it without a problem. It's so nice to finally look at myself in the mirror and actually like what I see. I feel so much happier and healthier. This has truly been a gift!
5/2/06
So, I'm now 14 weeks out and down 55.4 pounds. I weigh 171.6 and feel great. I'm comfortably in a size 12 pant and can fit into some size 10 skirts. My goal is to be at 165 by the time my DH and I go to Vegas on 6/5/06 and I should make that with no problem (keeping my fingers crossed!). It would be even better if I could be around 161ish, but that means 10 pounds in 5 weeks and I'm not sure I will continue to lose at that pace. I ordered a black sleeveless sheath dress in a size 10 to wear on the trip. I think I will be able to fit it in when the time comes.
I have really been getting a lot of compliments lately. People calling me "skinny" and asking me how much weight I've lost. It's such a great feeling and I'm finally liking what I see in the mirror. I feel pretty and even sexy, which is pleasing my DH big time! I'm wearing lots of fitted shirts and really starting to show off my body. He told me the other night that he really sees a difference in my demeanor. I seem really happy according to him. I am. I've told him for years that when I'm not happy with the way I look, it really affects how I act and the way I feel and he just didn't get it. I think he understands now. I feel so much happier and more confident.
5/18/06
Here's a picture of me with my baby, Jack (ok so he's not a baby anymore) on his last day of preschool. It's not a full body shot, but it's the only thing I have from this time period. I'm about 1 week shy of being 4 months post-op in this pic.
5/29/06
I need to be better about updating my profile. Things are going very well. I've definitely slowed down on the throwing up. It's usually only once a week or so. Mostly now it seems it happens when I try to drink something even within an hour of eating, especially something dense. My weight loss has slowed to about 2 pounds/week. I'd like to see 3, but I have to realize as I get closer to goal, it will get slower, so I guess I'll be happy with 2 pounds. I already made my pre-Vegas goal of 165 (I was 164.6 on 5/24/06, my 4 month anniversary), so my mini-goal is to be 161 by the time we leave (6/5/06) and my next "major" goal is to be 155 by the time I take the kids to Wisconsin to see my family during the first week in July. I haven't been in the 150's since high school, so that will be a wonderful moment when I step on the scale and see that 50's number. I'd love to see that the week after we come back from Vegas. Provided I make good food choices and get some good walking in, I think it's doable!
I had the best WOW moment the other day. First of all, we went to the pool and I just kept thinking how good it felt to be happy in my body. It's been so long since I've liked my body and it really feels good to like it (although it's far from perfect). I felt totally comfortable walking around in my new swimsuit. This summer is going to be filled with lots of pool days!
Anyway, so after our trip to the pool, my husband wanted to go walk around this very cool shopping area. I've been on a quest to find a "little black dress" for our trip to Vegas next week, so I told him I was going to look around Ann Taylor Loft. Well, they didn't have a black dress but I decided to try on a skirt and tank top. I'm not really familiar with Ann Taylor sizes, but I decided to try on the size 10 skirt and a medium tank. I've been pretty consistently wearing a size 10 skirt and was somewhat comfortable that I wouldn't need the 12. So, into the dressing room I went. Well, I put the tank on first and it fit fine. Then I slid on the skirt. I started to go to zip and button it and realized, "OMG, this is too big!! I think I need the size 8!" So, worried that the size 10 was just mis-sized, I trepadaciously went out to grab the 8. I got back to the dressing room, slid off the 10 and put on the 8 and it fit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have not worn a size 8 anything since high school, actually maybe middle school! I came out of the dressing room and told my husband what happened and he was so happy for me! I'm definitely going back to Ann Taylor Loft sometime this weekend to try on lots of clothes (I didn't want to take too much time since our kids were with us last night).
I really feel like I'm being successful with this. I'm not to goal yet, but I'm getting closer. Most importantly, I just feel happy!!!!!
6/14/06
Well, I'm back from Vegas and we had a fabulous time. I wore the bikini that my DH picked out (the very skimpy one that I wouldn't be caught dead in around people I know!!) and actually felt pretty good. We saw 2 incredible shows and had an amazing dinner at Roys. We spent the days relaxing by the pool and nights seeing shows, going to clubs (had my first drink since WLS) and walking around the casinos. We actually didn't gamble really at all (I think my DH won $25 at the craps table). It was so nice to spend quality time with just my DH.
I did pretty well with the eating, mostly protein. I also brought along my AchievOne lattes to drink, so that helped get my protein requirement in. I slacked in the water and vitamin department on the trip, but I tried. I also worked out at the hotel fitness center a cuple of times in addition to the walking we did.
My weight loss has seemed to have slowed down dramatically. I only lost 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks. Don't get me wrong, I'll take what I can get, but I have a feeling these last 15 pounds or so are going to be slow going!! I have been snacking more than I should (although I stick with protein snacks) and I need to refocus on getting in all my fluids and eating only when I'm hungry.
On a high note, I've purchased 2 pairs of size 8 pants in the last couple of days. I can't believe I'm wearing a size 8!! I still have some 10's that fit, too, but I think in another 8 pounds or so I will be a solid size 8, which is hard to believe. I honestly don't remember being a size 8 ever. I did wear a size 9 in early high school, which of course now is like a size 7, so I still have a little bit to go. I always said my goal was to be a solid "8", but at this rate I think I'll be closer to a "6" when I get to 140. As of this morning, I'm 4.5 months out and am down to 158.8, which is almost 70 pounds. I feel wonderful and think I look pretty decent, even in pictures!
7/25/06
Well, 6 months and here I am! Wow, I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone. I had really hoped to be at goal today, even though I knew it was ambitious, but it was a goal. I'm currently 11 pounds away. Still pretty good, I think! I need to post an official 6 month pic and take my measurements to see how much I've really shrunk in the past 6 months. I'm wearing a solid 8 and some 6's. I'm guessing I'll be a solid 6 by the time I reach goal. My next goal is to be in the 140's by my 6 month checkup which is 8/3. After that, I'd like to be at goal (140) by the end of September, or 8 months. My weight loss has really slowed down. I only lost 4 pounds during my 6th month. I do need to be better about exercising. I'm only working out about 2 times/week right now. I really need to start getting more weight training in to start firming up some areas. I would love to have a tummy tuck in late winter/early spring of 2007 along with some lipo. I'm pretty comfortable with most of my body, but I've always wanted one of those nice, flat tummies and I definitely have some loose, sharpay-looking skin in that area. Plus I'll get the added benefit of them sewing my stomach muscles back together that got stretched out during pregnancies. So, I need to start saving for the surgery!
Other than that, things are good. I can basically eat about anything. I still get sick on occassion, but it's down to once every 3 weeks or so. I haven't tried steak yet, just ground beef. I've done a little salad, but am being cautious as the first time I tried it, it made me sick. I need to watch the carbs that are sneaking back into my diet and the mindless grabbing of a handful of "this or that" when go into the kitchen. I need to go back to the WW mentality of planning out my day's food, that always helps.
People still have been very complimentary. We had some out of town family in for my DH's parent's anniversary and everyone at the party just couldn't stop saying how great I looked. We have my DH's 20th high school reunion in 2 weeks and that should be fun. Then we're off to Aspen for a trip with my in-laws and I would have been absolutely dreading it without this surgery. The idea of whitewater rafting, hiking, etc. would have sent my into a panic. Now, I can't wait to do all of those active things!
Well, that's about it. I'll update again after my doctor's appointment next week for the "official" weight!
| Date | Weight | Pounds Lost | Total Pounds Lost | BMI |
January 24 | 227 | 0 | 0 | 36.1 |
February 1 | 214 | 13 | 13 | 34 |
February 8 | 207.6 | 6.4 | 19.4 | 33 |
February 14 | 201.2 | 6.4 | 25.8 | 32 |
| J February 21 | 199 | 2.2 | 28 | 31.6 |
March 7 | 194.4 | 4.6 | 32.6 | 30.9 |
March 24 | 186.6 | 7.8 | 40.4 | 29.7 |
April 28 | 175 | 11.6 | 52 | 27.8 |
May 24 | 164.6 | 10.4 | 62.4 | 26.2 |
June 24 | 155 | 9.6 | 72 | 24.6 |
July 25 | 151 | 4 | 76 | 24 |
Date#12 | W#12 | PL#12 | TPL#12 | BMI#12 |
Date#13 | W#13 | PL#13 | TPL#13 | BMI#13 |
Photos
 215 Before pic |  |
