I'm Happy, Healthy and I Think I'm Done :)

Wow, what an amazing trip it has been. I've lost 125 pounds since starting the process of having RNY Gastric Bypass. I feel amazing!!!! I wear a size 8-10-12 depending on the cut and style, which isn't something that I can say I have been able to do in a decade or more!! Speaking of decades, my 10 year college reunion is coming up at the end of the month and I am looking forward to going!! In the past I would have avoided it like the plague, but I know have confidence and am comfortable in my own skin (even with the excess hanging around ;P).

I do have to say once I got to 158 pounds I've really slacked this week on eating well. I've without a doubt carb loaded to beat the band and when I just weighed myself clothed at 5:30 at night I weighed 165 pounds, EEEK!!! I better get my butt back in gear and sort it out. Moral of the story is that eating like crap makes you gain weight with or without the surgery.

I did go meet with the nutritionist prior to falling off the band wagon this week. This is what she and I settled on (and that I should stick with when I remove my head from my butt). 1000-1200 calories per day. 200-300 per meal and ~200 per snack. So to be fair to myself and get back on track this is what I am going to follow per my appointment.

Early Morning:
Sugar Free No Fat Chai Latte

Breakfast:
Cheese Stick
Planters Berry Almond Granola

Lunch:
3 oz Tuna Fish with 4 Kashi 7 Grain Stoneground crackers (yum!!!)

Snack:
Cheese Stick or Fruit
Kashi Chewy Granola Bar or Veggies with Hummus

Dinner:
Protein/Veggie/Starch

Snack:
Unjury Protein Shake w/ Skim Milk


Now that I am happy where I am and am looking forward to a healthy life I want a baby!!! Hopefully a pregnancy will be in the cards within the next year or so :)

Slowing Down....

Well I've lost almost 118 pounds and I feel good, really, really good. I'm at the point where I'm not sure if I would look good or feel good if I did loose the other 20 pounds that I wanted to. I'm comfortably a size 10-14 on bottom and a Large on top. I think I look darn good too!!! I think my main goal now is to tone my body. I think I may loose some more weight, but it will be from toning. I think my body is happy too, we'll have to see if I end up losing more weight or not.

If there is anyone out there considering surgery all I have to say is that it is THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE FOR MYSELF. I am happy and healthy and I love myself. I'm not trying to be conceded, but I've never felt good or pretty in my own skin and I do now. I feel like what I've always thought everyone else felt.

I'm a SUCCESS!!!

Woo Hoo!!!! As of this morning I weigh 168.2 which means that.... drum roll please...... I have SURPASSED my doctor's goal to consider my surgery successful!!! I am absolutely thrilled that I am doing well. This weight also means that I have 23.2 more pounds to loose to make it to my ideal weight of 145. I can't tell you how exciting this is. I'm on cloud nine!!!!! That also means that my only goal that I have left on my original list is to make it to 145 pounds by July 12th (and keep in mind that date was originally October 9th....). I'm so motivated now to be healthy, happy and skinny!!!

The Last 27 Pounds :)

How weird is that?!?! I can say the last 27 pounds like it is just a drop in the bucket. I have been plateaued at 172 pounds which is a loss of 111 pounds since I started the whole process last year. I tried the 5-Day pouch test twice now and something has thrown a kink in it both times. I really need to go back to the basis and drop the carbs out of my diet. I am a carb junkie and I'm losing the battle with the Carb MONSTER. I need to buckle down and get my butt in gear.

I'm going to try go bump up my protein intake from a shake 2-3 times a day plus high protein meat, poultry & fish and try to eliminate carbs for the most part. I also need to work out 5 out of 7 days per week since I've been sitting on my rear end all winter long. Since I didn't obtain my revised goal of reaching 169 pounds by Valentine's Day I will try to reach or surpass it by Easter. I'd really still like to loose all 27 pounds by my birthday. That would mean I would have 6 months after reaching my goal weight to stabilize prior to thinking about starting a family.

I'm going to start saving my pennies for a shopping spree after the next 27 pounds leave my body!!!

I am only 3 pounds from my doctor's goal of 169. I'd like to weigh 145 pounds when all is said and done. Even though my surgeon's idea weight for me is 130 pounds, I'm not sure I would look healthy at that weight. I'm already getting a hard time from my mother who thinks I have lost enough weight, she who might weigh 110 pounds soaking wet is telling me that I am skinny :)

My goal is to post every day what I have eaten so that I can be held accountable for my actions and food choices :) Wish me luck!!

Best Laid Plans

Well I really wanted to start the 5-day pouch test again, but silly me ran out of protein powder.... Oh, well. I'll stock up and try again in a few weeks. I am still at a total weight loss of 111 pounds and I have decided that I need to get my but in gear and work out!!! Here I come treadmill, elliptical and pilates. I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

I went shopping yesterday to get a few things in springy colors as everything I have is fall/winter. I got a pair of kakhi's and a peach sweater and a coral blouse plus a long black skirt and a cordoroy jacket that were on clearence for wardrobe staples. I have to say it is pretty cool to be a solid size 12 and a large top. I can't wait for summer, I might actually wear shorts for the first time in years and years.

Day3, Day 3 Again.... Oh No!!!

Day three was great!! I had egg salad made with a bit of cottage cheese for moisture and successfully managed to make it though the day. I ended up not getting home undil really late on Day 2 and had to do another Day 3 since I didn't manage to get ground beef cooked for the next day. I was going semi-strong on Day 3 again until the afternoon and I was in a meeting and ready to eat my arm off, so I grabbed a snack that was so not on the approved list of foods for the day. I was ready to start Day 4 until the phone rang at 5:30am.... Unfortunately it wasn't good news. My husband's grandmother passed away during the night. That really shot Day 4 and Day 5 for my diet. I did get on the scale on Wednesday and had managed to lose 4 pounds prior to stopping the diet mid-stream.

We managed to get through a very emotionally draining weekend but now I have to start over again. I am starting my 5 Day Pouch Test again starting again tomorrow. I'll definately keep you posted during this trip.

Day 2...

Well I successfully completed day 1 (yesterday) of the 5 day pouch test with 100g of protein and 100+ oz. of water. Today I managed to get through, although it was tough. I had 80g of protein from shakes and protein pudding and 100+ oz. of water, I also had some SF Jello Knox Blocks that my dear husband made for me. It definately did help with making me feel like I was eating something.

I resisted the urge to get on the scale this morning and had my husband hide the scale so that I wouldn't be tempted to see if I had lost weight as this is about beating the CARB MONSTER, not about weight loss. Granted on Thursday, Day 6, I will weigh myself first thing to see if there was any weight loss associated with me cutting my carbs dramatically.

Day 3 adds in soft proteins like eggs and tuna. I am very happy to say I have egg salad made with a touch of cottage cheese for moisture and mini-cans of tuna ready to go for work tomorrow.

I'm hoping that my new med continues to work as I have had some serious ups and downs over the past couple of weeks. I don't like it, but unfortunately there isn't anything I can do other than weather the storm. Once the new med gets into my system I should be good to go for a while, I hope.

Trying something new

After feeling like a failure a few days this week I did some research online. I visited the site Living After Weight Loss Surgery (www.livingafterwls.com) and viewed many of the posts out there about others feelings and the ever looming question "Did I break my pouch?" I'm not the only one that has the questions, feelings or fears that I am experiencing and I found out it isn't just because they are changing my anxiety medication.

After reading this I decided that it couldn't hurt to try what they call the 5-Day pouch test. http://www.5daypouchtest.com/ After all I have been as stringent with my eating and exercise habits as I should be. The 5-Day plan takes you back to the basics and lets you get away from the dreaded "Carb Monster" that many of us Carb Junkies fall victim to.

I've had 2 protein shakes today and 64+ oz. of water. I am suffering from a dull headache due to the lack of carbs but it isnt' anything I can't handle. I'm actually thinking that I should get on the treadmill tonight and walk for at least 30 minutes. It will probably do me good!!

I'll keep everyone posted on my progression over the next 5 days. Although this plan isn't about loosing weight, it does happen as a result so I'll have to see what happens!!

A Really Long Year....

but a really successful one. I started this whole process on January 26, 2007. That is the day that I went to my PCP and informed him that I wanted to have gastric bypass surgery and I haven't looked back since!! I have lost a total of 107 pounds since that day I went to the doctors and physically feel great.

At this point in time I am suffering with the transition of my anxiety medication that stopped working to a new one. I'll get through it, but I have to say it seriously stinks!!! Due to this Dr. Jekyll/Ms. Hyde stage of the medication transition I am really just happy that I haven't put any weight on. I actually lost 5 pounds last week when my weight loss picked up, but I've now plateaued again. I've been stuck at 176 pounds this week and sometimes I feel like a failure, but I shouldn't feel that way, I should be proud of what I've accomplished.

I'm looking foward to another slimming year ahead!!!

My stall is over.....

So for the longest time I just thought that my weight had slowed down as I must be leaving the "honeymoon phase" however it appears that my weight loss has picked up again. I've somehow managed to loose 5 pounds in 10 days. I'm not complaining as I am getting closer and closer to my goal weight of 145 pounds (only 31.2 to go) but it just amazes me that my weight loss has picked up again. I was very skeptical that I would actually make my goal of 169 by Valentine's Day, however it may be plausible as I only have 7.2 pounds to go in 21 days. We'll see how it goes.

I was looking at my stats this morning and it is really hard to believe that I am 94% to my surgeon's goal and 77% to my personal goal. I just keep plugging along and I feel better and better the more I lose.

Who Knew......

It could feel so good to be OVERWEIGHT, not Morbidly Obese or Obese, but OVERWEIGHT!!!! As of this morning I weighed in at 179.4 which calculates to a BMI of 29.9. WOO HOO!!! I'm very excited to be able to say that. I've been working my tail off and the results are amazing!!!

Change, Change, Change

Change is in the air. The anxiety medication that I was on apparently has "pooped out." I am now on my way to trying another medication that should help my array of symptoms. I can't wait until I try the new stuff. I know that the results won't be immediate, but within a few weeks I am looking forward to a brighter outlook. I am extremely obsessed with my weight loss, or lack there of over the past few weeks. I am down to 181.2, but I've been stuck between 181 and 183 since Christmas and it is severely messing with my head. I've been in such a funk I haven't even managed to exercise (my New Years Resolution) and that is killing me too. I want to be out of my funk and to go on with my life. I don't like being UNHAPPY!!!

I'm trying to be optimistic about the fact that I have lost 101.8 pounds and that I am only 12.8 pounds from the doctor's goal and 36.2 pounds away from my ideal weight, but it is darn hard with my fragile mental state during this medication transition. I'm even obsessed about the fact that this medication may make me gain weight, even though I've been on anxiety meds on and off for almost 15 years.

Hopefully a few weeks from now I'll be back to normal. After all I am still striving to make it to my doctor's goal by Valentine's Day, which is only 33 days away!!

Goals, Goals, Goals:

Then:
200 lbs by 12/25/2007
179 lbs (Considered Overweight not OBESE) by 7/12/2008
145 lbs by 10/9/2008

Now:
183 lbs by 12/25/2007 -Met that goal :)
169 lbs (Doctor's Goal) by 2/14/2008
145 lbs (Personal Goal) by 7/12/2008

As of this morning I have 2.4 pounds to go to be considered overweight, something I haven't been able to say since I was in college. I have 12.4 pounds to go to reach my doctor's goal and ONLY another 36.4 pounds to reach my personal goal. I can't even believe that I'm able to say that. I'm just thrilled.

I hope there is someone out there that is reading this that has had the surgery. If you are can you tell me did you have weird hormone type problems after the surgery? (mood swings, irritability, etc.) I have a doctor's appt on Monday as I hope there is something that they can do. It is getting a little overwhelming with the PMS type crap all the time.

New Year's Resolutions

Wow, what an amazing year! I can't believe how much my life has changed. My husband and I viewed pictures of me that were taken in October of 2006 and I was amazed. I guess I didn't realize how much of a change had happened over the past 100 pounds. It really made me realize that I don't ever, ever want to go back there again.

I have come up with a few resolutions for the new year.

1. Walk/Jog/Run on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes per day 6 days a week.
2. Spend at least 15 minutes on the Elliptical Machine 3-4 days per week.
3. Try to get to Curves 3 times a week during the rest of the winter.
4. Get back on the band wagon - Eat Healthy... The Holiday's are over!!!
5. Save at least $50 per paycheck for my new goal weight wardrobe.

I'm also getting back into my quilting. I have caught up on my Sister's of the Square in the Square Society classes. I went the the first one in October, I missed the one in November due to work travel and the class in December I missed due to really crappy weather. I am back on the band wagon. The classes are held the first Wednesday of each month through September 2008. I'm really hooked on the Square In A Square method by Jodi Barrows. (http://www.squareinasquare.com/) It makes my life easier and a ton of fun making classic quilts!! I'm planning on taking two more SNS classes this year and I can't wait. I'm going to try to use up my stash, but I'm not making any promises, a little bit of fabric here and there never hurt any quilter :)

Happy New Year to All!! May all of your wishes come true....