Happy 1 Year SURGIVERSARY!!

ONE YEAR LATER....

Wow. It's hard to believe that my WLS was 1 year ago today. I remember it like it was yesterday, and yet it seems like decades ago.

As of today, I have lost 98 pounds since the day of my surgery! My total weight loss since the beginning of my gastric bypass journey is -120 pounds!

I don't even know where to start to tell you how much better I feel... physically, emotionally & even spiritually ~~

PHYSICALLY...

• No longer a pre-diabetic
• No more high blood pressure
• No more high cholesterol
  
• I wear a size 10/12 & Large tops (Down from a 22/24 & 3x tops where I looked like a busted can of biscuits)
• My shoe size has gone from a 10 to 9 1/2
• I take the stairs at work, and don't feel like I'm going to pass out when I reach the top
• Char-dog has become my *running* partner
• I'm training for a 5k on March 31st .... why not run my way into my 30s?! ;o)
  
• We eat high protein meals
• I stay away from rice, pasta & bread
• I don't crave fast food
• I still have no grace ;o)
• I eat every 2-3 hours
• I don't recognize myself in the mirror sometimes
• I have clavicles! 2 of 'em
  
• I enjoy shopping FOR MYSELF! (but I'm still in and out, no browsing needed)
  

EMOTIONALLY & SPIRITUALLY...

• I feel good about myself
• I finally accomplished a New Years Resolution in 2011
• I'm still a food addict. I always will be. WLS was the tool to help me jumpstart my rehab.
• I feel more comfortable meeting new people and reconnected with old friends
• I went through about 6 weeks of depression right after surgery ~ it was like my best friend (named Food) had been ripped away from me. I'm thankful for how God got me through that, and how much I learned about my dependence on food during that time.
  
• I am so proud of Richard! He's so hott ;o)
  

BEST DECISION I could have made! Gastric bypass surgery has transformed my life, and given me back confidence that I didn't even know I could have. I believe I'm more of an optimist now, seeing more potential in people and situations that they see in themselves. I've been given the opportunity to live my life to the fullest, and I plan on taking full advantage of it!

I believe fully that God's not done with any of us yet...
"There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears."
Philippians 1:6

HAPPY 8 MONTHS!

I can't believe it's been 8 months since my LIFE CHANGING weight loss surgery. I don't think I can put into words how my life has changed for the best from my health & overall appearance to my self esteem and energy. I'm in a size 14 jean (down from a tight-really-need-a-26 size 24) and a size Large shirt.

Today I stepped on the scale and weighed... 182 lbs.
I've lost 88 pounds since January 12th. I've lost 110 pounds from my highest weight of 292 pounds. That's crazy.



Richard is now down to 308 pounds. He's lost 92 pounds in 11 weeks! I AM SO PROUD OF HIM!! I always thought he was handsome, but now... well he's down right sexy ;o) ~~~ and he's MINE!

We're going to do some updated pics in the next week or so, stay tuned!

A few things:
1. I love to feel girly. I love bracelets, earrings & skirts.
2. Heels don't kill my feet like they used to!
3. Exercise is still not easy. And I still don't like it.
4. I can run the length of a parking lot without getting winded.
5. I can climb 4 flights of stairs without feeling like my lungs are going to burst.
6. Foods I used to love & crave, don't taste as good. (ie: mac & cheese, candy bars, pasta)
7. Diet soda are gross. It's funny how I used to LOVE diet coke, and now it tastes like medicine.
8. I am just as full when I eat a cheese stick as I am when I eat a sugar free cookie. The cheese stick is better for me.
9. I sometimes don't recognize the lady passing in the mirror.
10. I love having collar bones that aren't hidden!

updated pics :o) wk 6/wk 30

starting a new job, training for a 5k run & jumping back into life full of energy only has 1 draw back.... no time for blogging ;o) hope you'll forgive me!

here are a couple before/after pics... it's about time for Rich to get an updated one too! Richard is down over 71 pounds now (I'll have to get the exact poundage later) and I'm down about 85 since surgery (105 lbs lighter than my heaviest weight!)



(The picture on the bottom left if the ONLY picture of me at my highest weight of 292 lbs. I despise it, but it reminds me of how far I've come.)

Rich Wk 1 & Jenn 6 Month Progress Pics

Happy Week #1, Rich!
I have to brag on my "Love Dumplin" (he hates it when I call him that, but I think he secretly loves it!)....
Richard lost 39 POUNDS in his 1st week post op! That's like losing a pre-schooler! SO PROUD OF HIM!

I started my new job this week, so I'm trying get used to my new "normal". The strangest thing is that no food is allowed at my desk except food that comes from the vending machine. Sounds healthy, huh?! Well, I put in for a doctor's note from my surgeon about that, and I'm crossing my fingers that I will be allowed bottled water, cheese sticks, and protein bars at my desk for break.

I mentioned last week was my 6 month check up. We took some pictures to share as progress pics. I CANNOT WAIT to share Richard's progress pics in a few weeks!! He is looking SO GOOD! Crazy Crazy :o) Enjoy!

Week 24 ~ Weigh In (& 6 month check up)

Happy Week 24!

Yesterday was technically my 24th week post-op BUT we had a little going on yesterday with Richard's gastric bypass surgery :o) Everything went great, and I'm so proud of him! He's doing fabulously! He'll be going home from the hospital tomorrow (Friday 7/1).

Today was my 6 month Post-Op check up. I'm convinced there are few things worse than a Med Student on Phlebotomy Day! I'm a bruised pin cushion!

Total weight loss from Surgery Date: -80 lbs
Woot :o)

At my highest weight, I weighed 292 lbs. Today I weighed 190 lbs. We took updated pics yesterday that I will load up when I get home this weekend :o) It's amazing how good I feel! I can't wait for Richard to experience his 'new-self' too!!

Can't wait to see what the next 6 months brings!

Week 22 - Weigh In (& Weight Discrimination)

I'm down to 196 lbs today! Woot! (-74 lbs since WLS)
Honestly, I forgot to weigh last week. Then time got away from me, and I forgot to post after I weighed this past weekend.

So much has been happening these past 2 weeks!
I received an interview at LabCorp about 2 weeks ago, and then was offered the job last week! Woot! My position is HealthCare Billing Specialist, and I start July 5th. Super stoked!

I do have to say that losing this weight definitely took away that self conscious thing during the interview. I didn't worry about how I looked in my interview suit, because I knew I looked good ;o) ha!

But seriously, I do believe that there is a problem in the workplace today with weight discrimination. If there are two people applying for the same position, with the same qualifications and one is overweight- most of the time, the thinner person will receive the position. Unfortunately, overweight and obese individuals are often looked at as lazy.

There are several layers to this. I understand employers much look at the whole picture-- for example: obese individuals typically have more health problems; therefore, they will miss more time at work. (As for me and my husband, we rarely missed any work for health related reasons until this year when we decided to embark on our gastric bypass journey.)

Anyway, that's just the tip of the iceberg of this subject, but I really enjoyed this article by the Obesity Action Coalition --> http://www.obesityaction.org/magazine/oacnews12/obesityanddiscrimination.php

I really like what the OAC is doing, and am finding myself more and more on board with their efforts to education people about obesity.

ONEderland! Week 20 Weigh In

Hello There ONEderland!

Ok, so forgive me... but I don't have time to figure out how to flip this little booger. But you get the idea! 198.4 lbs. WOOT!



I've lost 71.6 pounds in 20 weeks :o)
So excited to see that old ugly number start with a lean, mean #1.

Week 19 - Weigh In

This picture says it all.
Week 19 Weigh In: +1.2
(yes, that's a PLUS.)
my scale is going up in the attic at least for 1 week, maybe 2

Visualizing It.

I'm so nervous about tomorrow's weigh in. I haven't hated the scale this much since January 11th 2011. Ha!

Tonight I kicked it in high gear after work.
I did some 5k training on the treadmill, doing 30 minutes of my walk/run split. Then I headed over to Spin out for over an hour on the bike. I spun for an hour and 6 minutes, new record for me. It's funny how I despise the first 15 minutes of Spin Class, but then I enjoy the last 30 because it becomes a competition for me to see how hard I can finish.

In Spin, I kept visualizing 199.
It made me push a little harder, and crank that little red devil knob another turn to the right.

199. 199. 199. 199. 199.
199. 199. 199. 199. 199.
199. 199. 199. 199. 199.
199. 199. 199. 199. 199.

It's hard when you've been consistently seeing the # on the scale go down each and every week for 4 1/2 months, then it stops. It even stops when you shove your workouts into overdrive 6 days a weeks. I guess this is God's way of telling me to stop obsessing about the number on the scale. So hard not to do.

Either way, I WILL get to ONEDERLAND.
Maybe tomorrow. It may be next week. It may be next month.
I WILL get to ONDERLAND.
199. 199. 199. 199. 199.

Week 18 Weigh In

UGH! Week 18 has just about kicked my tail!
I have been VERY diligent this week exercising in hopes that I would reach that 70 lb goal, but it slipped through my fingers this week. SO irritating!
I lost 1 pound this week, bringing my total to -69.2 lbs.

I have to keep things in perspective though.

• In the last 18 weeks, I have averaged a weight loss of over 3.8 lbs a week.
  
• I have not been at this weight in over 11 years.
• I could put my feet together this week.
• I bought a pair of jeans in the regular MISSES section last Saturday.
• I see glimpses of collar bones!
• I started training for my 5k Run this week.
• I completed a grueling 60 minute Spin Class with Boot Camp Instructor, Jane on Thursday.

I'm off to Spin Class :o) I just know wk #19 is going to be fabulous!

Wk 17 Weigh In

Slowly but surely, I'm creeping up on my milestone.
I lost -3.2 this week 17 post op. (-68.2 pounds total!)
I want that -2.8 pounds so bad though~ah!

My exercise has been halted since last Thursday when I dropped a casserole dish lid on my big toe. I can't remember anything in recent memory that hurt that bad. I still can't wear closed toed shoes yet. And because a picture is worth a thousand words (don't look if you get queasy tummy)... here's my battle wound--

Week 16 Post Op/Weigh In Update (& Pics)

Oops! I missed wk 16... time got away from me!

Last week I lost 2 1/2 pounds to bring my total as of May 4th to -65 lbs gone! Woot! We took some pictures yesterday for Mother's Day... here's a little before and after shot. (Yesterday I was down another -2 lbs -- and since every pound counts, I updated it at -67 lbs) :o)


** I am 3 pounds away from a major milestone. When I get there... I'll be posting my actual weight ;o)

Shrinking!

Happy Week 15!

I lost 1/2 pound this week. Not too impressive, but strangely enough... I've gotten more comments "how I look different" this week than most any other. 62.5 pounds down now. I'll take it!

Thought I'd share some inches with you that really got my attention this morning...

Week 14 - Weigh In

It's week 14! Lost another 2 pounds this week :o) (-62 lbs total)
I'm 8 pounds away from a HUGE milestone. Very excited to share this when it happens!

This week I got a call from my Surgeon regarding my lab results. Boo.
Apparently my B1 & Vitamin D levels are low. So now I'm taking 2 more prescriptions-- the D is weekly, and the B1 is daily. I personally think moving to the beach is the best medicine to improve my Vitamin D levels ;o) but Rich doesn't think so.

The Easter Bunny is coming! Holiday eating is much different these days. Now I'm looking forward to deviled eggs, ham, and a few veges. Bypassing the bread & yummy carbs & sweets is hard but well worth it!

Happy Easter!

3 Month - Lessons from the Protein Fiend

Happy 3 Months! Today is officially my 3 month "surgiversary" :o)

I made it smiling... and now 60 POUNDS lighter.

Tomorrow is my official weigh in day, but I went with it this morning... and lost another -3 pounds this week. Bringing my grand total to 60 pounds in 3 months.

Lessons from the Protein Fiend:
-- food is for surviving physically, not emotionally.
-- shop on the outside aisles of the grocery store.
(seriously, I only go on the "inside" for canned fruit, ziploc bags & dog food)
(...... & the occasional sugar free cookie)
-- protein is king.
(makes me feel better & keeps my hair from falling out)
-- beans, beans, beans = cheap protein.
-- eating out means eating simple.
(I order items with no sauces, no extra bread, water in a to-go cup, cooked veges & salad for sides... the more simple, the better)
-- exercise needs to happen.
(you might think that 60 pounds lighter I'd be able to run faster and jump higher, but the fact is... you actually have to walk to be able to run. It doesn't come just because the weight it gone.)

12 Week Post Op - Weigh In & Pictures!

Happy 12 Weeks!
today I had lost another 3 pounds this week :o)
bringing my total weight loss to -57 pounds!

Weigh In Week 11 - Post Op

It's week #11 and I'm down 54 lbs since the start of my gastric bypass surgery journey. I lost 2 lbs this week, and feel great!

I am now 16 pounds away from numbers that I haven't seen since my freshman year in high school.

I went to my regular doctor today for a follow-up appointment. I love that I had no apprehensions about hopping up on the scale. I will admit, in the past- I would even go as far as cancelling or rescheduling an appt for fear of the scale. Not any more!

Tomorrow starts the best year in my 20s ;o) happy 54!

Week 10 Post Op-- Weigh In

Weighed in this morning... and the scale is still going down :o)
Lost another -1.4 lbs this week. You can see a tread with my weight loss. Down a pound or so a week, then I drop some bigger numbers. I'm down a total of 52 pounds since I began my WLS Journey back in October 2010.



Right now I'm off to Spin Class! have you ever sat on one of those hard banana shaped seats for an hour? When you're done, you feel like you have a permanent rock thong stuck in your crack :o)

Happy Week 10!

Week 9 Post-Op Weigh In

Wow what a week this has been!

I am now the proud Aunt to the most PRECIOUS little girl in the world. Miss Carly Kate was born late Tuesday night, on March 15th. I'm sure Mommy Renea will be posting more about this sweet Miracle sometime soon :o)

On to the scale... I wasn't surprised to see that the scale didn't move this week. That's right- 0 pounds-- zippo. The past 2 weeks though, I lost 10.6 pounds. That's a bit crazy. But I know that I haven't been as diligent this week in getting in my protein and water. I have to make a conscious effort to do that. Also, I haven't been getting in much fiber, Benefiber, or ground Flaxseed. With all the cheese I've been eating-- well, let's just say that things aren't moving regularly like they should.



I've averaged over -5.6 pounds lost each week here at week 9. My Mom was so sweet and took me shopping on Tuesday. (I love her by the way!) I've lost 5 pant sizes in 9 weeks... although I noticed most of it was in my legs! But I actually bought several XL shirts (down from a 3x). {Old size vs NEW size above!} I'm looking forward to the time when I can shop in the normal women's section. One thing's for sure, if you don't shop at Lane Bryant... a lot of the clothes look old lady-ish in the big women's section.

Right now foods are trial and error. I've noticed more error here lately, but that's not a bad thing. One day a food will be fine, then the next day it won't stay down. It's the strangest thing, but it's very common and normal for RNY patients. When something doesn't agree with me now, it's painful. The best way I can describe it... it feels like you have a ping pong ball sitting at the bottom of your throat OR your stomach feels like it's trying to turn itself inside out. This doesn't happen often but when it does, oh me. Rich knows when I say 'bathroom', he moves out of the way ;o)

Some of my favorite food staples at 9 weeks post op:
Ground Beef (meatballs, meatloaf, hamburger patties)
Turkey Pepperoni
Laughing Cow cheese wedges (my fav is Garlic & Herb)
Cheese cubes
Seedless Hothouse Cucumbers (love this spread with laughing cow)
Soy Nuts
Protein Bars (low sugar - mostly Kashi & Snickers Marathon)
Eggs (fried in Pam & deviled eggs)
Fish (baked fillets of most kinds)
Tuna Salad
Skim MILK (I love this stuff!)
Chili (I make big batches at a time)
Broccoli (tender) in light cheese sauce
Peaches
Kashi Go Lean Cereal
Beans Beans (taste like fruit, the more you eat... the more you SMILE!)

things I avoid like the plague:
chicken :o( bread, pasta, rice, peanut butter, nuts, popcorn, chips, coconut, tough meats, stringy meats, hot dogs, fried foods, bologna, pastries, pies, cookies, junk food

GOODBYE 50!

I'm doing the happy dance this week!
Today is officially my 2 month post-op anniversary -- 3/12/11
and I have lost a total of -50.6 pounds since the start of this process.

FIFTY. Dang.

Mom asked me last night if I could tell that I'd lost that much. Not really. My clothes don't fit now, but like many WLS people... it's as if my brain hasn't caught up to what my body is doing.

My energy is great now! I noticed it had fully come back and exploded about 2-3 weeks ago.

As with the last post, I think it will be a continual battle with head hunger and emotional eating just because it's such a habit. Thankfully, I don't have too many cravings right now but I know that this is primarily due to the fact that I am not eating foods that promote cravings like rice, bread, pasta, simple carbs. My goal is to eat these in extreme moderation now that I'm post-op. It comes down to the fact that I can't eat the same things I did before and expect to get to my healthy goal weight and stay there.

So for now... CHEERS! Farewell to 50 pounds! Before & present pics coming soon ;o)