Wonderlight

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

Gosh, it's been a long time since I've posted anything - life has gotten busy!  I'm feeling really good, staying at 165 lbs. and wearing a size 10/12.  I really haven't tried to lose more weight and enjoy my life and how I feel now.  I'm working full time and driving to Paynesville everyday.  Lately, I've been shopping for work clothes because I had not replenished my summer wardrobe.  It is so much fun to go into stores and try on normal size clothes!  It's weird to walk by Lane Bryant and not even think about going there! I went shopping with my daughter the other night in Maple Grove; we went to Anthropology and I bought a pair of capris size 12.  It was so cool to try them on and they fit perfectly and look great.  I am so thankful for this surgery and the change it has brought to my life.  I have more energy and feel better than I have in years!

My weight loss had slowed to what I thought was a stop after a year and still about nineteen pounds from goal.  So I kicked up the fluid intake and started exercising.  At first I walked outside (before the two snow storms) and now I am doing the Walk Away The Pounds video indoors on my rebounder.  It's been going well!  This morning I weighed and I hit 166!!  My goal is to get to 150, which is where my surgeon said I should be.  Dr. Glass wants 140 - I guess I will have to evaluate when I get to 150.  I am pretty happy with my weight loss and now THRILLED that I can still lose if following the rules - so I plan on keeping this up!  Last summer my grandchildren begged me to put on a bathing suit and join them in the pool - and I steadfastly refused.  But this year I am actually going to find a bathing suit and join them as much as I can!!  I LOVE this new life!!

I need to thank Ronda for pointing out that my one year surgiversary is Feb. 22, 2007 - I was a month ahead of myself!  I had posted that I already had my surgiversary.  Guess this menopause thing affects more than my body, huh?  LOL!!

Anyway, I am now almost at a year and will post the stats again on Feb. 22nd - the real date of my surgiversary!!

It is clear to me that I'm in my typical winter mode - the weather is cold (below zero for several days) and I don't want to move.  I haven't been exercising and I'm eating more than usual.  I especially crave carbs.  I sometimes wonder if it isn't the mammal in me wanting to get fat and hibernate!!??!!  Anyway, I am maintaining my 169 pounds, but would like to lose 19 of those.  So, I'm trying to be patient with myself and not wig out.  I know when the temps rise and the sun shines more, I'll do a better job with my eating and with exercise.  I love to walk - but mostly I love to do that in a natural setting, not a mall or even in front of my television.  So - if I can maintain and not gain weight, then I'll be happy for the next month or so until there are signs of spring.  In the meantime I am pleased with weighing 169.  I went shopping and now wear mostly size 12 pants and skirts.  Tops are mostly large or extra large.  It is really amazing to me that I've reached these sizes and am maintaining them after a year. 

It's also clear to me that I'm in the throes of menopause!  I think it's particularly amazing that I have lost and maintained my weight loss considering I am in the process of menopause.  I have had regular periods until Sept. 2006, but since then have had just spotting, tender breasts and other menopausal symptoms.  If I get through this without gaining weight I will be extremely pleased!!  And when all the symptoms stop, I'll be even more happy!!!  After all, I WILL be 55 this year and it is high time to put this behind me.

I had an appointment this morning to establish care with a PCP and weighed 169 pounds.  It feels good to see loss happening even after a year without terribly significant effort on my part.  I talked with her about weight goal and she looked at my height and determined that 150 was a good goal for me - she felt 140 was a little low.  I will shoot for 150 and see what happens from there.

I have posted some full body shots of my one year anniversary pictures.  It is really amazing to see the changes!  I am so grateful for this surgery and the new life it has given me.

Today is eleven months since surgery and I still feel so blessed and thankful I had this surgery. I weigh 170 pounds, down from 282 a year ago. That's 112 pounds lost!! Besides that - I have lost 12 inches from my chest; 4 inches from my upper arms (8 for both); 16 inches from my waist; 12.5 inches from my hips; and 10 inches from my thighs (20 for both). That's a grand total of 68.5 inches gone from my body!! I went from a 44.6 BMI to a current BMI of 27.4. I even lost one shoe size!!

That's all really great, and I'm still motivated to lose. My Duluth doctor said 150 was a good goal weight for me - 20 more pounds. Though the new doctor I saw in St. Cloud said 140 - 30 more pounds. Either way, I'll keep at it!! I'd like to lose 20 and see how I feel. Right now I wear some 14's and some 12's - and feel wonderful as I am. I just received the "Walk Away the Pounds" DVD I ordered and intend to start that tomorrow. I need to get moving more!!

My husband took some pictures today that I'll post on my profile in the next few days. This has been a challenging, but always rewarding journey. And, I have appreciated this forum and all I have learned here. Thanks for all the support!

Its been some time since I've posted, and an update is in order.  I have not progressed much in my weight loss.  My most current weight is 171 pounds, which I have weighed for the last few months.  The good news is that even though I did terribly with my eating during the holidays I didn't gain anything!

I had surgery the 27th of Nov. to repair a fistula and to repair my sphincter muscles, and that surgery has been difficult to heal from.  I see my surgeon on the 17th of Jan. and am anxious to see what progress has been made internally.  Externally, my stitches let go and the healing process is more complicated and lengthy.

The holidays were lovely - spent Christmas Eve with my sister and her partner, my other sister and her daughter, my husband and my youngest daughter.  Then, on Christmas Day my oldest daughter and her family, my middle daughter and her fiance, and my youngest daughter were all here for dinner and the evening.  I made turkey, ham, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn, spiced pears, potatoes, gravy, croissants and pumpkin and apple pie.  Everyone stuffed themselves, though I had just turkey, potatoes/gravy, stuffing and corn.  It was fun to cook for the family and to have them enjoy it so much.  It is also fun to see my daughters mature to the age where sibling rivalry seems to be left behind and they genuinely enjoy being together.

My resolutions for the new year are to stop eating sugar/white flour, to get more exercise, and to lose my last 21 pounds.  My goal for weight loss is to reach 150.  That is my goal, and was never suggested by my surgeon - in fact my surgeon and the bariatric clinic I was a part of never suggested a goal but just accepted the goal I had.  At 171 I'm in a size 14 and feel better than I have felt in years, so I feel good at this point and if my body wants to stop here I'd be satisfied.  I am changing surgeons/clinics at this point because of the move to St. Cloud, and I'm curious to see what the feedback is from the new doctor.  I'm also interested in attending the support group, though it looks like I'll be out of town for the Jan. meeting.

We closed on our houses (both the one we sold and the one we bought) on November 20th and I spent the week unpacking and preparing for my surgery on November 27th.  I had a rectal/vaginal fistula repair and an overlapping sphincteroplasty at St. Mary's in Duluth.  I'm VERY sore and uncomfortable, but glad the surgery is over and I'm home again. 

I love our new house and it's fun to just hang out here in front of the fireplace.  If I'm feeling up to it I will host Christmas, but the plan B is that my oldest daughter will host at her home in Buffalo.  We were all there for Thanksgiving - I did the cooking (with help from my granddaughters) and the meal turned out well!  It was fun to be with all my girls and their husband/partners.

I also lost a few more pounds, so I am now at 174.6 pounds - which is just a little over a 107 pound lost total!  YaaaaaaaaaHoooooooooooo!!  I feel like I have a new life and am so thankful for this surgery.  It has definately been worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I'm looking forward to many times of being together with my family; children, grandchildren, sisters and their families who all live in the Twin City area.  This move was definately a good one!!

I am so excited!!  We are moving to the St. Cloud area in a week!  I have so much to do to get packed, but it will be done and we will be moved before winter really sets in!  I will miss Lake Superior and the North Shore, but not Duluth itself so much.  We will always travel up here for short road trips and vacation.  St. Cloud is close to my children and my three grandchildren - very excited about that!

I still seem to be stuck in a plateau - though this morning I did drop one pound so now weigh 178.  I haven't been eating the right things lately and once I move I plan to join Curves and get back to cooking more at home where I can control calorie intake much better.

So - back to packing!!  I'm so excited about this new house and can hardly wait to move.

I had a pre-op physical yesterday and my weight is still at 179 pounds, so the plateau is holding.  Of course, this doesn't surprise me because my eating hasn't been as good as it could be.  I have been gone out of town a good deal and I usually do worse when I'm away from home.  I did measurements on the 22nd of October, which was my 8th month surgiversary, and I've lost another inch in chest/stomach/hips and a little more in arms and thighs.  So - the body is still changing! 

Today I'm feeling a bit discouraged because we've been trying to sell our house and it's not selling.  It's priced a bit higher than most in our neighborhood, but is in better condition with a new roof, new two car garage, and many updates inside.  We had to fix MANY things when we moved in and we're losing money at the price we listed, guess we have to decide just how much money we're willing to lose.  We're hoping to move to the St. Cloud area to be closer to children and grandchildren.  We have one more week before my surgery, then we're taking the house off the market until spring.  I can certainly live in Duluth for another year or so - but because of the pain in my husband's knees and hips, we'd really like to move to one of the patio homes we've seen with absolutely not a step anywhere!! 

All in all, life is good and I'm feeling good.  I have had my first fibromyalgia flair since surgery - dang! I was hoping I was cured!!  It's uncomfortable, but so far I've not tried any pain medication.  I've been thinking about some massage therapy though.  Hopefully, this won't last too long.

I'm so happy with the result of my WLS surgery - I would not have ever dreamed I'd be 103 pounds lighter in eight months!  Yesterday my husband showed me a picture from last Thanksgiving - what an incredible difference!!  So - the little bumps in the road these days don't seem so difficult.  I'm thankful.