So it's 2 days before my 7 month sleeve anniversary- and it's blowing my mind... I remember thinking, I'm losing to slow, etc. But wow- the before and afters are speaking for themselves. Today I'm weighing in at 153.9 lbs from my heighest pre-op weight of 216 for a total loss of -62.1 lbs and I'm -18.9 lbs away from my ultimate goal of 135, and I'm only a few pounds for my second optimal goal of 145 (doctors original goal for me).

A lot of the reason I haven't posted in my blog lately is this funny thing called life. I've been living it. I wasn't before. Plain and simple. I hid behind my computer, I was socially done- I had no motivation to go out, or even go shopping. I had to force myself to interact and get dressed up. Well, a few months ago a met a nice guy, and we started casually dating. In January he asked me to make it official the day before his parents flew in for a visit so he could properly introduce me as his girlfriend. Life has been amazing ever since. He moved a couple of weeks ago and now we are doing the long distance thing while I finish my PhD for the next year or so. I'm getting back on the wagon and tracking my calories and carbs and protein like crazy on Myfitnesspal.com (screen name DLMeekie if you want to follow me). It's only been 7 months since my surgery, but it already feels like a life time ago. I can't believe I will be at goal or near it at my 1 year surgiversary. I'm so happy now, that I struggle thinking it could get any better.

My weight loss has slowed down tremendously, but I'm okay with that as long as I know I'm doing my best to eat right and work out. Since I stopped swimming last semester I joined a women's only gym with onsite daycare and I've been going at least 3 days a week, and walking at a steep incline for 3 miles, then I rotate the weight machines (upper body versus lower body) for at least an hour. So basically, I'm in the gym 3 days a week for 2 hours.I miss swimming a lot, and I don't enjoy the gym as much, BUT I'm getting it done. And it's not nearly as hard as it use to be. It fits into my schedule and my life with my son.

My only regret still remains. I wish I would have done this surgery sooner. I wish I could go back and reclaim my 20's. But I can't. So I must embrace my 30's when they arrive in 6 months or so.... Life is good.

Height: 5'9

Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216

1st Primary Goal Weight: 169 (Achieved 11/27)

2nd Optimal Goal Weight: 145

Sleeve Journey:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- PreOp/Surgery Day w/Pics Posted in Blog

Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2)

Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2)

Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8)

Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-22.5 lbs)

Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9)

Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5)

Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1)

Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-11.6 lbs)

Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5)

Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5)

Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1)

Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1)

Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.6 lbs)

Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2)

Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8)

Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8)

Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary (-8.7 lbs)

Week 18 (12/21): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available

Week 19 (12/28): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available

Week 20 (1/4/13): 164.5 (-.1)

Week 21 (1/11): 161.5 (-3.0)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 01/17/13- 5 Month Anniversary (-3.1 lbs)

Week 22 (1/18): 161.7 (+.2)

Week 23 (1/25): 158.7 (-3.0)

Week 24 (2/1): Out of town- No scale Available

.2Week 25 (2/8): 157.2 (-1.5)

Week 26 (2/15): 157.2 ( .0)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 02/17/13- 6 Month Anniversary 157.2 (-3.3 lbs)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 03/17/13- 7 Month Anniversary 153.9 (-3.3 lbs)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 04/17/13- 8 Month Anniversary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 05/17/13- 9 Month Anniversary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 06/17/13- 10 Month Anniversary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 07/17/13- 11 Month Anniversary

ONE YEAR SURGERY ANNIVERSARY~~~> 08/17/13- 12 Month Anniversary