BlessedBeyondMeasure2012

Had to share Pretty damn proud of myself!!
 
Left to right (Jan 2103- pre op, 3/30/13, 4/22/13)

It's been a while since I've been on this site. It's always good to come back. I simply have been very busy and when I have extra time these days, I am usually choosing to workout rather than get on the internet. Yes, that is a lifestyle change in my new awesome sleeved body!! :-)
 
So..., I'm at the salad bar at my work and see a colleague coming towards me that I haven't seen for a bit. She says..."I saw you, recognized your hair, took a second look, and thought no that is not her, but then..., YES it is You! YOU look fantastic! You are so thin, healthy, fit and glowing!
 
I have to contribute it to my sleeve, incorporating a plant-based diet, daily hardcore exercise, and loving life!
 
Those kinds of comments sure do give a boost and affirmation for all the hard work. YEAH! I can not tell you how fabulous I feel.
 
VSG = the best decision, for me, EVER!

The title is from an old nursery rhyme by Andrew Dice Clay.
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on her tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
Along came a spider
Sat down beside her
And said, "Hey, what's in the bowl b-i-t-c-h?"
 
I see quite a few questions regarding whey protein and I'd like to share a few things I learned pre-surgery in preparation for my pre-op and post-op diet.
 
Whey is one of the fastest digesting proteins and the quickest way :-) to get protein shuttled to your muscles. Whey comes from milk protein and contains the full spectrum of amino acids needed to build muscle.
 
Whey comes in several forms - hydrolyzed, isolate, and concentrate, isolate being digested faster and more completely than protein concentrate.
 
The Differences
 
Protein Concentrate: 70-80% pure protein and up to 5% lactose
 
Protein Isolate: Almost pure protein (90-94%) and near zero lactose and carbs, many people that are lactose intolerant have no problems digesting protein isolate.
 
Hydrolyzed Protein: Protein isolate that is broken down even more and is more easily absorbed by the muscles.
 
All three are good sources of protein and taking one over the other will not make a difference in how much muscle mass your body builds. It is only a matter of purity and the speed your body digests and transports the protein to the muscles.
 
Whey concentrate has less pure protein than hydrolyzed or isolate, meaning you'll have to take more whey concentrate to get the same protein in grams vs. isolate.
 
And speed of digestion and transport. Again, whey concentrate is the slowest, it is not broken down in the manufacturing process as much as hydrolyzed and isolate. Hydrolyzed=fastest, isolate=fast, concentrate=slowest. Is speed any great issue? I wouldn't think so. It's like the kids playing basketball, buying a pair of Jordans to improve their game. The difference a pair of Jordans makes for a nonprofessional athlete is so insignificant it's almost zero.

So I had a rough weekend. I got to add soft food to my diet on Friday. One would think that after three weeks of not eating any "real" food that it would be great, and it was! I got up on Saturday and I was up a pound from where I was Friday morning. Now, I know that my body is saying "Hey! I finally got some food, I need to hang on to it cause I don't know when I'll get the next round," and that is why the scales haven't been really nice this weekend. I still am bouncing around the same stupid half pound since Friday and its just frustrating. In my "previous life" I would have been irritated and just eaten something that I shouldn't have to justify the increase on the scales. Now, I didn't do anything or eat anything I shouldn't have but, boy, did I have a battle with head hunger all weekend. One of my favorite places to eat used to be Moe's, my husband has never really cared for it and I think that we have eaten there together just once in the past 5 years. Yesterday I had to run across town and what does he ask me to bring him back for supper?? MOE'S!! i couldn't believe it and it just plain made me mad when I had to go in there and order his burrito. I wanted one so bad but instead, I ordered his just like he asked (with absolutely nothing that could be considered healthy on it) and brought it home to him. I fixed my supper and was satisfied with it. My dad used to say that it didn't matter if you got full off of black eyed peas or steak and potatoes either way you were still full. That is very true, steak and potatoes just taste much better, as would have Moe's last night. Anyway, I needed something to take my mind off of the negative and I figured I'd list the NSV's that I could think of to lift my spirits a little
 
1. I can get my wedding rings on again, I haven't been able to wear them individually since last June and it has probably been more than a year since I have been able to get both of them on at the same time.
 
2. I already have a pair of pants that are too big and I can no longer wear (at least my husband refuses to be seen in public with me if I do!)
 
3. Its easier to shave my arm pits cause they aren't so full.
 
4. I can bend over to paint my own toe nails again!
 
5. The seatbelt in my husbands truck doesn't lock just because I'm trying to put it on and pulled it out a little too far anymore. I can actually bend down and pick my purse up from the floorboard and it doesn't lock!
 
6. I can put on and tie my shoes with almost no effort.
 
7. I have bad breath. (Okay so maybe that one isn't so exciting but apparently when you are breaking down fat you get ketosis which causes halitosis aka bad breath. I must be doing good breaking it down cause even my 5 year old tells me my breath is stinky! LOL!)
 
I know there are more but these are all I can think of right now. I'm going to keep working at it and keep working my tool. I know that I did the right thing and I know that I'll be able to eat more normally again some day. I did this for my kids and they are going to have a more amazing mom because of it.

Hopefully the fact that the scale moved 2 weeks in a row means that the stall is over! It didn't move much, at least not compared to the first month but it's going down. So whatever speed it chooses to move is fine with me!
 
I have been trying very hard to listen to my body and eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. Right now that's about 800-900 calories a day and I'm feeling really good. I have good energy and feel healthy! And my libido is in full swing (Hubby is loving the current hormones...LOL)
 
I am trying to bump up my intentional exercise. I have plantar facietis so when I walk too much I am in alot of pain, so I'm trying to rotate between walking and riding my bike. (Just to give you a visual, I have a super fun green cruiser bike with big flowers and and a basket!!). Monday I rode 6 miles AND took my dog on a short walk (she's a sausage dog with short legs so she doesn't walk far Gonna shoot for the same thing today. I'm trying to figure out the whole gym thing. I want to join one mainly so I can swim but haven't decided if I can justify the money. Then I could alternate between walking, swimming and biking...Hey wait, that's almost like a triathalon...right??? Whoo-hoo Go Me!!!
 
Heaviest Weight: 281
3/6/13 Surgery: 257 (-24)
3/13/13: 251 (-6)
3/20/13: 245 (-6)
3/28/13: 238 (-7)
4/3/13: 238 (-0)
FIRST MONTH -19#
4/10/13: 237 (-1)
4/17/13: 235 (-2)

Since this is my first entry, I will introduce myself. My name is Diane and I am married to a wonderful man named David who is also my pastor. I have 4 gorgeous children. My oldest son is 26 and married. They have given me the greatest gifts, GRANDCHILDREN! My grandchildren are 3 years old and twins who are 9 months old. They are such a blessing. My oldest daughter is 19 and is about to begin her 2nd year of college. She is beautiful and smart and is preparing to be a teacher. My youngest son will be attending college in the fall and His plans are to also become a teacher. He is probably the funniest guy around and can melt my heart in an instant! My youngest daughter is 16 and gorgeous. She loves sports and is a sophomore in High School. My children are all very active in church as well as our community. I am blessed beyond anything I could have ever imagined!
 
I began my Weight Loss Surgery journey in 2010. I worked for months trying to obtain a 5 year history. Like many who are overweight, I just didn't go to the Dr. It seemed that regardless of my symptoms, it was always linked to being overweight so I found it easier not to go. I do not recommend this to anyone! I began my journey with the nutritionist. I had to have a 6 month medically supervised weight loss and did this for 4 consecutive months. At my 5 month visit, my mother had an emergency with her heart and I rescheduled my visit. I wasn't able to keep the rescheduled visit either. I made an appointment for 2 weeks later than the original visit and my nutritionist informed me that I would have to begin the process all over. I can't begin to tell you how much fun that was!
 
In the process of beginning again, my insurance changed and my new insurance would not approve WLS. I was devastated. I couldn't believe that God would bring me this far and not make a way. I tried not to give up but didn't really follow the plans set up by my nutritionist. In 2012, I got new insurance. This one would approve my surgery. My new insurance required a series of visits at the gym along with some other procedures. I worked diligently to get all of those things done. In January of 2013, I was done.. Or thought I was done! I went for my pre-op class, had a date set for Feb. Much to my dismay, I received a call from the insurance lady at my Dr and was told that I would have to do the 6 months medically supervised diet all over again because my insurance required it all be done in the same year.
 
My faith in God really kept me from giving up through all of these hurdles! The day I received that call that I would have to begin again, I began to pray. I prayed and prayed and prayed! I don't think I slept through the night because I kept praying. At 9 am the next morning, the insurance lady called and said that my insurance's medical director had called her and said they had decided to go ahead and approve me. PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!!!!
 
I had Gastric Sleeve surgery the morning of March 8th. I was nervous as anyone would be but had a peace about it because I knew that God had paved the way for me to receive this tool! Surgery went better than expected! I was in very minimal pain. I was up walking within a few hours of surgery. I went home at noon the next day and never had to take pain meds. I was a little sore, but nothing unbearable.
 
I have learned so many things throughout this journey and will be blogging here to share them, in case anyone can learn from my discoveries and mistakes! I'm an open book, so I don't mind anyone asking questions!

Well, I got on the scale this morning, down 29# from 2/28 when I was sleeved. Feeling MUCH better about myself, I know I've posted a lot lately- just can't SEE it in myself yet. I bought a new shirt- in a large, expecting to put it away for the summer when I drop another 15# or so...got it home and felt brave enough to try it on and see how far I was from really being able to wear it....IT FITS!!!!!! I took a pic to send to my hubby, and when I looked at the screen I SAW IT!! I can FINALLY see the change in myself I think people are right- we see ourselves everyday, we most likely have a negative view of ourselves in our head that seems hard to shake....it takes a good 30# to see a change. I still have trouble seeing it when I look in the mirror, but I finally saw the new me coming out in that picture today...so I had to share it.
I'm loving my new lease on life, I am so greatful that I was provided with this chance to get my life back on track before it was too late. I'm feeling very very blessed today (and kinda hot too!! ) I love this new me, and I'm excited to see what the rest of this journey has in store for me.

So here I am. I have decided to take a step towards the final frontier of my personal happiness. My health.
 
I have been through a hell of a ride on my journey to today. I have struggled through a dysfunctional marriage to an abusive alcoholic, stood witness to the attack on New York City first hand, narrowly escaped death from sepsis blood poisoning, fought a ten year fertility battle, and buried a friend/lover taken far too young from brain cancer.
 
Life as a human being is hard enough, no wonder I was unable to keep my weight under control – there was too much else to focus on.
 
Today, I am the proud mother of a beautiful two year old boy, I am fulfilled in my 10+ year career with a fantastic company who value my efforts, I own my own home, have a functional car, and am in a relationship with a man whom I have known almost all my life in some capacity… its new… its fresh, but its good. He is kind, and patient and wonderful with my son.
 
The song Good Mother by Jan Arden goes through my head on a daily basis these days – if you don’t know it, check it out on YouTube. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to truly believe that I am finally happy and at peace. There is only one concern left… and that is my weight and my health.
 
I have tried over the years to lose weight and on a couple of occasions have been somewhat successful, most notably loosing 70ish lbs in 2001 on the Dr. Bernstein Diet. But, being predisposed to easily gain, it keeps coming back.
 
Last year I topped my scales (having left my husband 3x in the same year my child was born) at 296! I knew I had to do something and quick.
 
I started an exercise regiment and eating well, and managed to lose 26 lbs in about 4 months. 270 felt pretty good and I started to gain back some confidence in myself and hope for my future.
 
Then suddenly, my guy (who was not my guy at the time) broke up with his girlfriend and landed on my couch!! We were not an item but decided to try and live as roommates until he either found something more permanent or the arrangement was too awkward.
 
Riiiiiiiight. That clearly didn’t and wasn’t going to work. He came with a WHOLE lot of baggage and there were some serious growing pains – the to point where I threw him out of my house in January. That’s what we needed I guess to determine that our friendship (and the stuff that blossomed along with it) was in fact a love neither of us were looking for. But, all that confusion and activity made me put my weight loss on the back burner, yet again.
 
So here I go again, at the start of this year, new diet, new exercise regiment –this is going to be it! I rejoined Weight Watchers (probably for the 18-20th time) and bought myself a treadmill.
 
Starting the year off at 278 I went gang busters being perfectly well behaved with my eating and working out on my treadmill approx 5 times a week at 40 minutes a pop. I was on the move again and dropped to 265.
 
Then suddenly I started suffering from sciatica. So, thinking that the exercise would sort it out, I pushed harder – increasing my efforts to every day and included some workouts on my vibration platform. By the end of February I could no longer sleep or stand for long periods of time without pain.
 
Turns out I have something called Piriformis Syndrome. Apparently what is happening is a muscle that attaches somewhere in my butt and hip is clenching up when I exercise and pinching my sciatic nerve. Are you KIDDING ME?

 
So through acupuncture, deep massage therapy and chiropractic, they are still trying to make the muscle ease up… and I have not been able to work out.
 
I continued my diet plan for a while but then threw my hands in the air out of frustration and so here I am - and back up to 277.8. So much effort to lose it, so easily regained.
 
What I do I know is that I have the will and determination to make this work… all I need is the rewarding results for my efforts. One thing that my fella said to me shortly after we started to cohabitate was, "I dont understand with all that you do, and how you eat, how you weight more than 98 pounds!"
 
That sort of outside review is the justification I needed! :wub:
 
This is a big step... and a bit scary... but I am worth this effort, and there is simply put, nothing I wouldn't do for my boy. He deserves a healthy mommy who will be with him a long long time.
 
Let’s do this thing.
 
 
May 10, 2013. Dr. Rodrigues at Star Medica in Juarez.
 
I’m ready.

So I had a rough weekend. I got to add soft food to my diet on Friday. One would think that after three weeks of not eating any "real" food that it would be great, and it was! I got up on Saturday and I was up a pound from where I was Friday morning. Now, I know that my body is saying "Hey! I finally got some food, I need to hang on to it cause I don't know when I'll get the next round," and that is why the scales haven't been really nice this weekend. I still am bouncing around the same stupid half pound since Friday and its just frustrating. In my "previous life" I would have been irritated and just eaten something that I shouldn't have to justify the increase on the scales. Now, I didn't do anything or eat anything I shouldn't have but, boy, did I have a battle with head hunger all weekend. One of my favorite places to eat used to be Moe's, my husband has never really cared for it and I think that we have eaten there together just once in the past 5 years. Yesterday I had to run across town and what does he ask me to bring him back for supper?? MOE'S!! i couldn't believe it and it just plain made me mad when I had to go in there and order his burrito. I wanted one so bad but instead, I ordered his just like he asked (with absolutely nothing that could be considered healthy on it) and brought it home to him. I fixed my supper and was satisfied with it. My dad used to say that it didn't matter if you got full off of black eyed peas or steak and potatoes either way you were still full. That is very true, steak and potatoes just taste much better, as would have Moe's last night. Anyway, I needed something to take my mind off of the negative and I figured I'd list the NSV's that I could think of to lift my spirits a little
 
1. I can get my wedding rings on again, I haven't been able to wear them individually since last June and it has probably been more than a year since I have been able to get both of them on at the same time.
 
2. I already have a pair of pants that are too big and I can no longer wear (at least my husband refuses to be seen in public with me if I do!)
 
3. Its easier to shave my arm pits cause they aren't so full.
 
4. I can bend over to paint my own toe nails again!
 
5. The seatbelt in my husbands truck doesn't lock just because I'm trying to put it on and pulled it out a little too far anymore. I can actually bend down and pick my purse up from the floorboard and it doesn't lock!
 
6. I can put on and tie my shoes with almost no effort.
 
7. I have bad breath. (Okay so maybe that one isn't so exciting but apparently when you are breaking down fat you get ketosis which causes halitosis aka bad breath. I must be doing good breaking it down cause even my 5 year old tells me my breath is stinky! LOL!)
 
I know there are more but these are all I can think of right now. I'm going to keep working at it and keep working my tool. I know that I did the right thing and I know that I'll be able to eat more normally again some day. I did this for my kids and they are going to have a more amazing mom because of it.

So I had a rough weekend. I got to add soft food to my diet on Friday. One would think that after three weeks of not eating any "real" food that it would be great, and it was! I got up on Saturday and I was up a pound from where I was Friday morning. Now, I know that my body is saying "Hey! I finally got some food, I need to hang on to it cause I don't know when I'll get the next round," and that is why the scales haven't been really nice this weekend. I still am bouncing around the same stupid half pound since Friday and its just frustrating. In my "previous life" I would have been irritated and just eaten something that I shouldn't have to justify the increase on the scales. Now, I didn't do anything or eat anything I shouldn't have but, boy, did I have a battle with head hunger all weekend. One of my favorite places to eat used to be Moe's, my husband has never really cared for it and I think that we have eaten there together just once in the past 5 years. Yesterday I had to run across town and what does he ask me to bring him back for supper?? MOE'S!! i couldn't believe it and it just plain made me mad when I had to go in there and order his burrito. I wanted one so bad but instead, I ordered his just like he asked (with absolutely nothing that could be considered healthy on it) and brought it home to him. I fixed my supper and was satisfied with it. My dad used to say that it didn't matter if you got full off of black eyed peas or steak and potatoes either way you were still full. That is very true, steak and potatoes just taste much better, as would have Moe's last night. Anyway, I needed something to take my mind off of the negative and I figured I'd list the NSV's that I could think of to lift my spirits a little
 
1. I can get my wedding rings on again, I haven't been able to wear them individually since last June and it has probably been more than a year since I have been able to get both of them on at the same time.
 
2. I already have a pair of pants that are too big and I can no longer wear (at least my husband refuses to be seen in public with me if I do!)
 
3. Its easier to shave my arm pits cause they aren't so full.
 
4. I can bend over to paint my own toe nails again!
 
5. The seatbelt in my husbands truck doesn't lock just because I'm trying to put it on and pulled it out a little too far anymore. I can actually bend down and pick my purse up from the floorboard and it doesn't lock!
 
6. I can put on and tie my shoes with almost no effort.
 
7. I have bad breath. (Okay so maybe that one isn't so exciting but apparently when you are breaking down fat you get ketosis which causes halitosis aka bad breath. I must be doing good breaking it down cause even my 5 year old tells me my breath is stinky! LOL!)
 
I know there are more but these are all I can think of right now. I'm going to keep working at it and keep working my tool. I know that I did the right thing and I know that I'll be able to eat more normally again some day. I did this for my kids and they are going to have a more amazing mom because of it.

First off, I don't believe in being coddled. I understand people post on forums because they are looking for moral support or advice, but sometimes they expect too much. What I mean to say is if someone posts on a forum, then they need to expect to be supported even if it means being challenged! I can understand if the person posting is doing everything right to a tee and still not losing weight or hitting stalls, then yes they do need complete moral support because they are not in control. It might be metabolic, hormonal, genetic etc.
The people I am talking about are those that don't get enough protein in, eat too many carbs, don't exercise enough and then complain on the forums. I see it quite a bit actually and usually just refrain from answering. In general, the same people posting and whining, are the same ones that get offended when others offer constructive criticism on why his or her weight loss has stalled or is slow.
Being coddled will get you know where. If you really are in this to lose weight, then you should be willing to listen to the things you "might" not be doing right. We all know everyone is different, but when it comes to weight loss there is a general trend that works BETTER than other ways. Of course, there is a respectful way of disagreeing. I don't agree with the name calling, or yelling, or the "i did it this way and I lost this much weight". In a recent forum, I witnessed someone trying to tell the original poster that they didn't think what they were doing was working for them and offered advice. He wasn't disrespectful in any way. It just sounded like he disagreed. Well, the original poster got upset and then it all went downhill. It kind of got out of hand and everyone started chiming in. It was like the original poster just wanted to hear things that supported her, and nothing else.
 
I think people just need to understand that sometimes being challenged and having someone disagree with you is in support. Would you want to go to the doctor and have them tell you there is nothing wrong with you just to make you feel better? Wouldn't you want the doctor to help figure out what is wrong with you and what you can do to get better? Granted, most of us are not doctors, but you get what I am saying?
 
Having a vertical sleeve is a very personal experience. Some people get it and lose weight effortlessly. Others have to work harder and try everything possible to lose weight at a faster rate. If you have a question or a concern and post it on a forum, then you must be willing to get responses both agreeing and disagreeing, but all supportive. If you are looking for people who will simply shake his or her head "yes" to everything you say, then make a friend and send private messages. You can live happily in your bubble of only hearing what you want.
 
 
*Note: I am not a "yes" woman. I am going to tell you what I did and what I helped and give you suggestions in a nice way. If I think you are doing something that isn't healthy or could stall your weight loss, then I am going to let you know because I would rather truly help you than watch you struggle and whine and complain. This is the type of friend I am and those are the type of friends I want.

Today was my 3 week post op appointment. I am doing incredibily well, all incisions are healing nicely, no side effects, no problems. I can drink all the liquid I need to, and am getting all my protein. I have been cleared to slowly and carefully start adding in other foods. And best of all I have lost 19 lbs since surgery and 43 total since I started the pre-op diet. 43!!! That is only 7 lbs less than I lost the entire 2 years I had the lap band.
 
For anyone who is trying to decide between the lap band and the sleeve, or anyone considering converting from the lap band to the sleeve. I cannot say strongly enough...Go For The Sleeve!!! The difference is night and day. With the band I could eat very little, but I was always hungry (still had my whole stomach) with the sleeve, I can eat very little and I can honestly say I am full. For example at lunch today I had 4 oz of cottage cheese and 2 oz of imitation crab, and I couldn't finish it. Not only oould I physically not finish it, but I was honestly full! Whoot Whoot!!! Before the sleeve, I told my husband I never felt full until I was stuffed (which might explain my obesity
 
I am so glad I did this!!! My husband says I'm melting before his eyes!
 
 
Heaviest Weight: 281
3/6/13 Surgery: 257 (-24)
3/13/13: 251 (-6)
3/20/13: 245 (-6)
3/28/13: 238 (-7)
 

Looked back over my blogs and I realized I blogged about the day we went to the Third Day Concert (almost a year ago) and the shirt I wanted to wear didn't fit. Fast forward to today and I am wearing that shirt..the one that didn't fit!!!
 
Hopefully the picture will attach. The pic on the left was last year and it's a picture of the Concert picture...but you get the idea. The one on the right is today. Not a before and after, but definitely a before and during!!

I think this is as good a place as any to start writing down the NSV as I notice them. I am only 3 weeks out and I have already noticed a few.
 
1. I flew to my sisters wedding in CO and I was perfectly comfortable in the plane seat. I have never really needed a seat belt extender but I have definitely been very uncomfortable in the seat with the seatbelt tight around me. This time I had some play in the seat belt and could comfortably sit for the whole trip not feeling like I was packed into the seat.
 
2. At my sisters wedding I danced! My uncle told me it was the first time he had seen me letting go and having fun in the 20 years he's known me. Now whether that's from the weight loss or my new hubby of 2 years, who knows? Doesn't really matter...what matters is I danced!!
 
3. Apparently I have totally stopped snoring! I meantioned to my husband that I will probably stop snoring and he said, "Oh you haven't snored the past few nights." I guess he didn't realize he was supposed to alert me to this stuff...LOL
 
4. On Thursday I went to my doctor appt and while we were sitting there waiting I looked down and realized I had sat down and crossed my legs....Like REALLY crossed my legs like a lady!! And I didn't even realize it!
 
That's all I've noticed so far, but I'm really trying to pay attention since I think some of the NSV just slip past unnoticed. But I know when I hit those stall weeks that I will need to be able to look back and see all the things that have nothing to do with the scale.

Practicing my positive attitude!
 
Week 5 Update
 
HW: 273
SW: 250
LW: 232.8
CW: 233.8 (+1)
 
Up one this week due to f**k ass trick ass mark ass Moms Nature. She should be showing up sometime this next week, taking this pound and some others with her so yes.
 
NSV’s— all my buttons button. HUZZAH! I am getting lots of compliments at work because the loss is obvious now. They say they see it in my face and my thinning profile. Yay, that’s nice to hear.
 
I’ve walked 7 of the 10 mile goal I set on the 15th. I plan to overshoot that so I should be close to 20 miles in January. FUN! I think I am going to push myself to walk two miles a day… the ONE mile thing doesn't even get me breathing hard unless I kind of jog it.

I just hit my 3 month anniversary (YAY) and I've lost 72 pounds. I weigh myself every day because I love watching the number go down. But I know this won't last forever. I'm bound to hit a stall eventually and I don't want that to distract from my goal (like it did the last time I lost a lot of weight.) So here's my plan: Once I hit Onederland, the scale goes away. I keep doing what I'm doing: eating right, taking my vitamins, working out 4-5 times a week, being more active in everything I do, etc. I'm going to focus on how I feel, how my clothes fit, and NOT worry about the number on that evil machine. I guess I need to weigh my self once a month or so, just to make sure I'm not backsliding, but no more daily weigh ins.
 
Just 17 more pounds to Onederland!!!

Got all my blood work done and the nurse says I'm doing AWESOME! Incredible weight loss, all my vitamins are good, protein levels are good, no deficiencies at all. In fact, my protein is so good that I can eliminate one of the protein shakes. Thank god for that. I'm actually getting sick of them.
 
The only thing I need to work on is getting my good cholesterol up (it's a tad low). That prompted a discussion on good oils. I use olive oil for everything because it's supposed to be so healthy. She said NO! That's just marketing. I should be using canola oil. Color me surprised! So I'll make that switch and see if it helps bring my good cholesterol up.
 
So in 3.5 months, I'm down 74 pounds and I've gone from a 26/28 to a 14/16...and I was able to do it without destroying my health. Holy crap! I never thought this would be possible. Best. Decision. EVER!

After my past few posts, I had to post these. Hope you get a laugh from them like I did.
 

Tomorrow, tomorrow, he'll sleeve me tomorrow.....it's only a day away!!!
 
Yes, I love music.....and shoes. Funny how those 2 things seem to be the back drop of my life and memories.
 
But for tomorrow, I am as ready as I'll be.
 
My mother asked yesterday if I was afraid, if I was prepared. My answer was, " I don't have time to be afraid or prepare. Are you kidding me?" And that is so true. Between work (I really do love my job), my 4 kids, and 1 very pregnant daughter in law.....I am a busy girl. I laughingly told my mom "I'm really kinda looking forward to the 24-48 hours of peace and quiet!"......she just sighed.
 
My sister calls today (she is the youngest). She is excited for me to have the WLS so she can see how much trouble it is. Honestly, why am I the guinea pig? I'm the oldest, that's why. She's obese too and knows something has gotta give.......she's just hoping that something won't be her knee!
 
Weight, really is a ghost......haunts every aspect of your life.
 
My kiddos are pretty pumped. The father's day card I gave their father depicted a man dressed in tails with a shapely woman in a red dress on his arm (wearing great, black, high high heels). They all laughed and said,"Dad, that'll be you and mom next year!' I laughed too cause I was thinking the same thing!!
 
I don't have any wisdom, poignant thought at this point.
 
I'm too busy day dreaming about really great heels.................

I was in the process of writing this very depressing blog about my chronic back pain when I had to use the bathroom. I decided when I was done that I should weigh myself as I haven't done that in awhile. Now before I go on, you have to understand that the past month has been nothing but pain filled. My meds have not helped me and I have not been able to go for normal walks...who am I kidding, i haven't really walked at all. Walking from the bedroom to the living room can almost bring me to tears (and I don't cry from pain). Dealing with this pain can bring even the strongest person down. I know, I've been dealing with it for almost 18 years. Now, I don't tell you that to get your sympathy. I tell you to get you to understand that getting on the scale was the best thing I could have done for my emotional well being today.
 
Today, the scale said 240.2. That is fifty nine pounds down in nine weeks. I had to take a second look. I remember getting on the scale nine months ago and seeing it up to 330 (my heaviest). Seeing that scale today, and the amount I have lost, is exactly what I needed to make me feel a little better. I am not saying that the numbers took away my pain. Trust me, it did not. But it did help with my mood. I walked out of the bathroom, sat back down at the computer with the heating pad on full blast for my back and erased my depression felt blog post about my pain and not being able to work out. I have since written this. A much more up beat blog post about losing the weight I have struggled with for years and years. It's funny how seeing a few pounds leave can be so inspirational.
 
Now, I have no funny things to add. No real words of inspiration. To be honest, the pain is still making it difficult to sit here and type. What I will say is this. I am pretty sure my day will be much better now that I decided to get on the scale today (first time in over a week). I have no idea when I could have ever said those words and truly meant them. For years, the scale is what caused my days to be worse. Not anymore. Getting sleeved is the best decision I've ever made!