On the move again...

So after my second stall that has lasted the last 2-3 weeks, my weight loss is on the move again. I am down 4 lbs in 3 days! These are the days I love! So as of this morning I am down 60 lbs since September 12th. I am down 8 lbs since this time last year when I was at my highest weight. When I first had my surgery, I set several mini goals of either 40, 30, or 20 lbs. My first mini goal was to lose 40 lbs by Halloween. I happen to hit a stall the week before Halloween & didn't meet my first mini goal when I wanted to, but I did hit it the week after. My second mini goal is to be down 70 lbs by New Years Eve. When I hit my second stall I figured I was destined to miss this one too, but maybe not! As of today I have 10 lbs to lose in 13 days in order to meet my second goal....if I keep up the weight loss pace of the last few days, I should be able to do it! I can't wait!

Scale addiction....

I have a love hate relationship with my scale. I love to get on it every single day hoping to see the numbers getting smaller & smaller. But when I am in a stall like right now, I hate seeing the same number for days on end. You would think that I would get tired of seeing that same number & stop getting on the scale, but NO, in a stall I usually find myself stepping on first thing in the morning & again before bed. Yes I know this is crazy, that I am becoming a scale addict, but I can't seem to help myself! Last week (Wednesday) I told myself I was only going to start weighing 2 times per week, on Thursday & Monday. But of course I found myself pulling out the scale everyday since Wednesday. So today is Monday & I still see 230 on the scale reading...can I make it until Thursday before stepping up to the scale again? I am really gonna try, but it is so dang hard!

Stalls stink!

I have hit my second stall...they are truly aggravating. I am down 56 pounds since my surgery & 79 since my highest weight earlier this year. Have I ever told you how much I hate exercise! It really sucks, but it has become a necessary evil. I have upped my walking from about 30 minutes a day to an hour, which means walking early in the morning or afterwork...essentially in the dark. I actually enjoy walking outside over doing an indoor video or walking on a treadmill at the gym, but doing so in 33 degree weather it not my preference.

Clay has decide he wants to join BAC with me, so now we can go together to the gym afterwork, which will be fun! I posted the picture below on facebook the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I wanted to go ahead & post it here for posterity!

On the move again......

Well my weight loss is definitely on the move again, I have lost 8 lbs in the last 7 days....yippee! Since WLS I am down 50 lbs in 68 days. Since this time last year, when I was at my highest weight, I have lost 73 lbs. I have been keeping track of my measurements since surgery & I am down 36.5 inches all over my body. I have gone from a size 26 jeans, at my highest, to an 18! I am pretty excited about that. Last weekend, I went shopping for some new sweaters, because I am COLD all the time! Clay had me try on an XL sweater of the normal ladies rack, & I figured it would be tight....WRONG! it was too big & I ended up getting 2 size L sweaters! They were on sale, by the way, I am not paying full price for anything right now, as they may not fit for long.

I out on an XL WKU t-shirt this morning when I was getting dressed to realize that I didn't have to pull it down over my boohind...it simply fell into place. It wasn't tight at all, I used to have to pull an XXL shirt down over my boohind...my family inherited rump is starting to disappear.

Everyday I have people at work that I haven't seen for a while stop me & tell me how great I look...that they didn't even know who I was at first. It is weird, but these types of compliments bring up completely mixed emotions. They excite me at first, because everyone likes to be told they look nice. But then I think to myself, "damn, I must have really looked like crap before", because no one ever told me I looked nice...unless of course you count when you ask, "does this outfit look OK?"

The problem really lies in the fact that before surgery, I completely avoided all mirrors & having my picture taken, because I hated what I saw. The image staring back at me completely destroyed the false image I had of myself in my brain. In my minds eye, when I was 309 lbs, I saw my body more like it actually is now (at least in clothes), at 236 lbs. WLS, or weight loss at all is truly more than a physical journey, it is really more mental. I know that I have lost 5.5 inches in my thighs, but I can't really see the difference in them...I still see stuffed sausages! I have always hated my legs, & more than likely I will always hate then. This girl definitely did not inherit her father's chicken legs...wish I had!

Well I guess I wrap this post up, because my laptop battery is about to die & I don't feel like getting my plug! ;-) Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday...this year I am thankful for my health & the health of my girls, & for the wonderful man in my life & the support he gives me everyday. I don't know what I would do without him.

Slowly but surely....

Weight loss is NOT easy...not even after WLS. Yes the food temptations are easier to deal with, because the alternative will literally make me sick. SO I have no issues avoiding foods I shouldn't eat. Exercise, on the other had, is still just as difficult to stick to. Before I went to work, it was easier, I didn't have anything better to do than get out and walk. But since I have gone back to work, it has been much harder. There is the craziness of getting the girls up, dressed & off to school & daycare. Then once at work, there is always something there to distract me when it is time for my breaks/walks. It is very easy to keep working to finish something up, thinking I will take that walk in just 10 more minutes...then I forget all about the walk. Before I know it the work day is over & I have barely moved. I am exhausted from the day, have a family to feed, homework to do, children to bathe & get in bed. By then I am wiped & I just hit the sack, never having exercised all day long. I have really got to start focusing on moving more. So tonite I dug out my old Leslie Sansone Walk Away The Pounds 3 mile DVD. Morgan had a blast doing the video with me. I hung in there & did the entire 3 miles. I plan to do it again in the morning after I get Clay off to work & before the girls get going for the day. I just have to remember that this WLS journey is like anything else, simply one day at a time, & one foot in front of the other.

I LOVE Progress!

I can not explain how exciting it is to step on the scale everyday to see a smaller number! This morning I am 33 days post-op & I am down 32 pounds. I can not say that WLS is the easy way out, because it is NOT easy by any means, but the threat of possible side effects, does kind of force me to be dedicated, because you know the alternative will make you feel like CRAP!

I decided to go ahead & redo my measurements this morning & I was amazed! I have lost a total of 24.25 inches, 4.75 inches in my waist & 7.75 inches in my hips! I had to get some new jeans last Sunday, I had to buy jeans that were 2 sizes smaller...I loved that feeling!

On a different note, the girls went Halloween trick-or-treating with my parents the end of September & Kayleigh had more candy that she could ever need. So I decided to take the candy to work in a Halloween treat bowl, because I knew it would disappear QUICKLY! I was carrying the treat bowl into work, about a foot from my face, the smell of the sugar in the candy was completely disgusting! Since them I have had no desire what so ever to eat a single piece of that candy...that is something I have never been able to say! It was a VERY WEIRD feeling!

Looking Forward To...(vanity warning: please proceed with caution)

I want to buy a pair of jeans that are not in a plus-sized store.
I want to buy sexy Victoria Secret bras & panties.
I can't wait until I have to get my favorite ring resized...it is already pretty loose.
I want to be able to shop off the rack at stores like New York & Co., Old Navy, & Gap.
I want the only thing I own that's elastic to be my underwear, swimwear and pajamas.
I want to get family photos taken and be proud of the way I look.
I wanna buy cute rain boots, they won't fit over my calves right now.
I want to feel comfortable wearing shorts again.
I want to feel sexy & beautiful in my own skin.
I want to be able to see the changes in my appearance as others already do.

21 lbs & 16.25 inches...

Well it has been about 2.5 weeks since my surgery. I am down 21 lbs & 16.25 inches...whoo hoo! Everyone keeps telling me they can already see a difference, but I don't really see it yet. I did however notice a big difference in my face today when I took a picture of myself & Morgan at her Jump Rope for Heart event at school today.
Before Surgery

2.5 wks post op



I have been feeling pretty good, just still sore on my left side. I am finally able to eat soft foods, but still prefer soups, because anything remotely solid still makes be feel very bloated for several hours after eating.

8 lbs & 10.25 inches...

I am 8 days post op & down 8 lbs & 10.25 inches today! Wow I am so excited. Looking forward to my post op appt on Thursday. I am still sore, but feeling pretty good other than that unless I over do it. I have found that cold items cause my pouch to cramp up when I drink it, so no ice in drinks for me. Hoping this is just a side effect of healing & that it will subside. I also get nauseous every time I take my meds that I have to crush. But overall, I am just excited & looking toward my bright future!

All is well!

Well Monday was quite easy after I woke up. I did alot of dozing until about 4:30 when I had to get up & take my first stroll. I wasn't in a lot of pain, it pretty much only hurt when I coughed & breathed very deeply. I did end up with one drain on my left side. Dr. Houston ended up taking out the upper half of my disconnected stomach. This was decided based on the lack of blood flow to that area once it was disconnected. I had my spleen removed 22 years ago & as it was drawn out & explained to me, the spleen & stomach have major blood vessels that link them, so when the spleen was removed, it took away that blood supply to the top portion of my stomach. Once my pouch was formed, there wouldn't be enough blood flow to the top half of my stomach for proper healing, so he just removed it. Because of this removal, I ended up with a drain on my left side.

Yesterday I was a little more sore, because I was up moving around more. The drain continued to look good, so Dr. Houston said he would more that likely remove it Thursday before I was discharged. I had a good day that ended with Clay bringing the girls down for a visit.

I got rid of my IV today, Yeah! I am officially wireless! The Dr said since I have progressed so well getting off the IV & that the drain still looked good, he would be keeping me until tomorrow only so that he could remove the drain because he didn't see a need to leave it in until next Thursday. I am apparently a model patient!

T minus 12 hours & 20 minutes....

Well I have had loads of fun with my clear liquid diet yesterday & today! So ready for the morning to get here...

This morning I woke up dreaming about being late for surgery & about eating my dad's famous Boston Butt....Well the butt will just have to wait for a while & I am turning in extra early so that getting up at 3:30am won't seem so bad!

5 days & counting!

I am so excited! I hate wishing my life away, but I do wish Monday would hurry up & get here. I am ready to get this ride started! I have all of the arrangements for the girls taken care of & while at Wal-mart this morning, I picked up plenty of clear fluids for my 2 day liquid diet before surgery & for after surgery when I get home. I am going to run to the vitamin store this evening to pick up my protein & vitamins. There is only one thing I am not looking forward to, being away from my girls & Clay. But it is a means to an end & I know that he is going to take really good care of them while I am in the hospital.

So to pass the time from now until Monday, I have been cleaning...well more so unpacking those last few boxes that been hanging out in the garage than cleaning. It has to be done, & I have been totally putting it off.

9 days & counting...

My new beginning is almost here...in 9 days I will have my Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) & start my journey to the other half of me! Other than the birth of my two beautiful daughters, I am not sure I have ever been more excited about something before!

Friday was my last day at work, because I am taking vacation Labor Day week before my surgery on 9/12. Everyone kept asking me if I was nervous, but surprisingly I am not nervous at all. I am so excited, thinking about the wild ride I am about to embark on, that I haven't given myself time to be nervous. That change the morning of or the night before my surgery, but right now, I am not nervous at all.

I know my life is going to drastically change, I am not naive, but the trade off of being healthy & finally being able to love my body is totally worth it! Everyone I know that has had WLS says it is a wild ride, but the faster & crazier the coaster is, the more I love it...so bring it on & maybe some of my loved ones will come by here from time to time to check on my progress...