My Blog is 1 Year Old

WOW!!! Amazing and hard to believe that I started my blog exactly one year ago today! Tuesday, April 12th marks the first anniversary of my surgery. This has been the most amazing journey so far, and I am so excited to see where the next year takes me. Hopefully below that 200 lb mark and into Onederland!

Today I read back through the beginning of my journey, and I realized that the demons are all still the same, and are all still there ready to rear their ugly heads!!! I still love to eat, as I discovered this Winter, I do eat out of boredom still, and I still struggle with knowing when enough is enough. My total weight loss still stands at 120 lbs, which is very awesome and amazing to me. Even though I have not lost any weight since February 22nd, I realize that 120 lb weight loss is amazing in itself, and my journey is still continuing. They tell me that I can expect the weight loss to continue well into my second year, and by this time next year I should be leveled off wherever my body chooses to be. I would like to lose 50 more pounds, and the doctor's office says a good stopping place for me is 35 more pounds, so either way....after losing 120 lbs., 35-50 more pounds sounds doable at this point. Hopefully this summer when I can get outside and work in the yard I will finish losing it. All the while keeping in mind that my battle with food continues........for the rest of my life!

One year later I am so very happy with my decision to have gastric bypass, and so thankful that God allowed me this opportunity and has blessed me with good health. Oh how I wish momma were here to share this with me! I know she would be my best cheerleader. :)

Sunday, March 20, 2011

I haven't posted in several weeks....I've been feeling a little down. I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago, and I ended up gaining a few pounds. I have lost all of them now, but still hanging on to the last few pounds before I fall into "onederland". I will be one year out from surgery in just a few weeks, and it would be so awesome for me if I could make to "onederland" before my anniversary date. I am able to eat quite a bit more now and it really makes me nervous! I can't wait for the weather to warm up enough that I can get out and do some yard work, surely that will help me not to eat! I still love food....can't deny it! Michael will be leaving in just over a month to go to Nepal for a month, then moving to Connecticut with Krayne in June. Billie Jo is going with me to see them in June and we're going to visit New York City. I have never been to New York City and am looking forward to the experience. I am also thankful that I can visit without the worries of fitting into tight places on the train, theater seats, etc., and just simply feeling like walking the streets of New York. They live just about two miles from the beach.....my first experience with trying to find a swimming suit coming up....that should be interesting! My legs do NOT look good, so being in a swim suit won't be that much better than before losing weight. They are very flabby! My arms are very flabby too, so I'm still having to be very careful with short sleeve and no sleeve shirts. Although I do look a lot better in my clothes, I've discovered that "just because I CAN wear something; doesn't mean I should wear it!"

Latest Pictures....Size 16

SIZE 16!!!!

I went to Cato's last night and tried on some pants.....the 18's were too big.....the 16's are still just a little snug, but they fit!!!!! I was sooooo.......excited! I actually had to move over to the other side of the store!!! WOO HOO!!!! That was so very difficult in my head to fathom.....I kept going from one side of the store to the other, thinking I must have missed something in the plus sizes.

Since Dianne moved in I haven't been going to the gym, and I keep thinking I need to force myself to get up there, but just haven't gotten me there yet. I have exactly 50 lbs till I reach my goal and I'm sure going to the gym would give me a jump start. I have been walking at work about a mile or so a day, and the past couple of weeks two of the elevators have been out, so I've been climbing the stairs. It is getting easier, and I really think I've noticed a difference in my hips since climbing the stairs. As long as my knee doesn't start acting up I will keep climbing the steps.

It's been a good week in my journey!!!

120 POUNDS GONE!!!!

Yep, that's right, 120 lbs. gone!!!! Yes, I am happy about that! I am just 6 lbs. away from "onederland", 50 lbs. from reaching my personal goal, and I am getting excited. I have really struggled through the winter with wanting to snack. It's been 10 months since my surgery and I am finding I can eat more and I have to admit that it makes me nervous. Of course winter is always worse, and the "head" stuff still continues. Too bad they can't come up with some sort of surgery for the head. My iron was elevated last month, so I was able to cut it out and I think that may have helped a little.

Sooooo........looking forward to Spring!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

WOW, what a weekend!!! I had my 50th birthday Friday and my co-workers decorated my office and had cake, and then Friday night my family threw me a surprise party. Saturday I went downtown to Rupp Arena and zip lined, then I went out to a movie and dinner with Keith; and then yesterday we celebrated Brock's 20th birthday at Columbia's and everybody came back to our house for cake. This morning I was wide awake at 4:00 a.m., and so was Brock, so he came downstairs and I made him some hot chocolate, and he and I spent some time just talking.

Needless to say I did not reach Onederland by my birthday. I am still about 9 lbs away from there, and it is just "creeping" off at this point. That's okay though, maybe I'll hit it by Easter or Mother's Day.

I did eat cake every day since Friday....and it hasn't bothered me. Not sure if it was because I didn't eat ice ceam with it, or if it was just because I was careful not have too much food just before I ate the cake. Tonight after we finish celebrating Brock's birthday though....the cake is out! My total loss is still sitting at 117 lbs.

Dianne had her surgery on 2/4, and is doing great! She even went out to eat with us yesterday for Brock's birthday dinner. Hope everyone is enjoying their Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Winter blues!!! I am really having trouble....I want to munch all day! I will be so glad when warmer weather returns! For some reason I have craved potato chips, and so far I've headed it off with tortilla chips......I don't know though, I'm beginning to think I need to just go ahead and have some potato chips and get this thing over with!

For some reason though I'm noticing that I seem to be having more trouble with sugar, which is a good thing. If you remember early on I couldn't stand the thought of sweets, and then around the holidays I felt like my sweet tooth was rearing it's ugly head, but lately it seems when I try to eat sweets they make me feel really bad for a while.....especially that cake and ice cream over the weekend! Since then I had some Peanut M&M's and they made me feel bad too, I ate some through the holidays and they didn't bother me at all. I don't care though.......if they make me sick I won't eat them!

Dianne's surgery is in just two days. It's been a long week for her and she's been really frustrated with insurance and everything, but it will all work out. She and I were talking last night about how nice it would be to just pick up and move to Florida, get warm and just start our lives completely over!!! I can't wait for summer.........hope I get to go to the beach!!!