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Yesterday was my one year Surgiversary!! Woohoo!!!! Hard to believe that I have made it this far, but alas, here I am... *AND* I have not only survived but I am loving life. There is so much to reflect on, but overall, I truly believe this was the best decision I have ever made and I am now a happier, healthier version of me. That’s not to say that the past year hasn’t been without its share of ups and downs … plenty of those! However, all in all, if I had to go back to the point of no return I can honestly say I would be willing to do it all over again. Here’s how things are looking… HW: 305lbs SW: 265lbs CW: 173lbs Total weight lost: 132lbs Clothes: From a size 5X or 26/28 to a size L or 10/12 Health: Diabetes - Controlled without medication (Fasting glucose avg.105 with no meds from 155 on high dose of meds), Blood Pressure - Controlled without medication, Cholesterol - Controlled without medication, Previous Spine Injury - Controlled with OTC meds as needed. Fitness: From being able to walk less than 15 minutes on a treadmill in physical therapy to having completed 10+ 5K races with my most recent at a sub-13 minute mile pace. Registered to walk my first marathon in September 2016. Goals: I don’t have a target weight, as this was never about a number for me. My surgeon would like to see me at 150lbs. We’ll see. Non-weight goals have been my focus all along and this is the direction I continue to move. What have I learned? LOTS!!! I could seriously write a book, but then again, couldn’t we all?!?! Here are the things that really stick out to me. As a graduate speaker at my program, these are the things I try to stress to new patients as they begin the process. Listen to your team! They really do know what they are doing. My NUT has been super supportive and told me that it was better to ask questions than to worry myself over nothing. I eventually stopped calling her regularly, but just having those niggling little questions answered was a huge weight off my shoulders. When they say drink X-amount of Water, drink it. When they say eat X-amount of Protein, eat it. There really is a reason behind your program and following it will help you a 100 times over. Listen to your body. It will talk to you … and I don’t mean all the gurgles and sounds from your new sleeve! When I found myself getting sluggish and tired I needed to look at my protein and water intake. Was I getting enough? Usually the answer was a resounding NO. When my sleeve revolted and I had uncomfortable cramping, had I eaten something new or different? YUP … usually, but as I continued to re-introduce more foods I found the discomfort would lessen and go away much faster. Certain foods may never like you again. Find something new to try. Your palate will change some & you might like something that you never did before. You know your body better than anyone else. If something seems wrong, don’t ignore it, ask. But try not to let it control you either. Stalls happen, get used to it. I started out weighing myself every day and it quickly took a psychological toll on me. I needed to stop for the sake of my own sanity. I actually had my husband hide the scale on me and only allow me to have it once a week. Now it sits in the bedroom, but I still only weigh on Monday mornings (surgery was a Monday so I stuck with that day). Stalls have plagued me throughout the past year beginning with the dreaded 3 week post-op stall. I don’t like them & I get frustrated, but I am now used to them. Current stall has lasted me 2 ½ weeks so far. The scale will move eventually and I will move on with life until the next one. Choose NSVs as goals and reward yourself when you reach them. Non-Scale Victories are my best friend! I started walking shortly after surgery & built up my distance from one block to the point of doing 3+ miles at a 25 minute mile pace in just 3 months, as an incentive I registered for a popular local race. When I finished my first 5K I bought myself a treat (Coloring Books! Not food-based). When I finished my first 10K I went shopping for a new bedroom comforter set. When I reached my first sub-13 minute pace I bought new running sneakers. My NSVs have kept me motivated and kept the focus OFF the scale … which often doesn’t move as quickly as I’d like. You will change … maybe not your morals and values and the things at the core of your being, but your outlook and your confidence and the way you see yourself. It will be difficult at times. Make sure you have a good support system to help you through, and if you don’t consider seeing a therapist. So many times my husband and my best friend have listened to me rant and rave like a crazed lunatic. They let me cry it out & yell it out, and in the end, talk it out. Sometimes it has been stupid piddly sh!t that set me off, but right then it was all I could focus on and I needed to vent in order to move past it. People say things that they don’t mean to be negative, but being in an overly sensitive state I found things that normally didn’t bother me were my total undoing. I have (mostly) come to terms with the new “ME” … I don’t hide behind my weight anymore. I am not invisible. But I have had to learn how to handle this new found confidence and channel it in a positive way. My friends don’t treat me any differently than before, but some acquaintances and co-workers have been snide and negative. Let it go … they don’t define you, YOU do! This is *YOUR* journey, and yours alone. You will have people support you and encourage you, and there may be those who try to tear you down. Your weight loss will be different than the next person, and different still than the person after that. Do not compare yourself to others or try to keep up with anyone else. I did not go through with my WLS for anyone other than myself, and that is the only comparison I should make. What’s the quote? “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Take the first step, and the next, and the next. Keep moving forward. Remember now and then to look back and see where you’ve been, and look ahead to where you are going, but don’t forget to stop and see where you are right now. Live your life, don’t just exist while trying to get to your goals. I still have a long way to go, and goals that I want to achieve. I want to LIVE my life and not be limited by my size...I want to take a trip and not need a seat belt extender for the plane ride. I want to go to the caverns this summer and not be told I am too big to go in the crawl spaces. I want to try zip lining and be able to fit in the harness. I want to go on a cruise and I want to wear a bathing suit without being embarrassed. I want to be in a size 8/10 at least ONCE in my life. I want to be in photos with my children and grandchildren and not always be hiding behind the camera. The good news is that I am on my way! And even better, I am determined to not only reach my goals, but to enjoy myself as I do. This summer I will do my first 10-mile race, and in September I will walk a marathon. We have a family trip planned and it will be my first plane ride since WLS. I can’t wait to just sit down & buckle up! I bought a bathing suit for the first time in years that doesn’t cover more than it shows. And I have started smiling and taking “selfies” with my granddaughter on a regular basis. My husband and I have grown even closer than before, and together we are building our “life after children”. By the way ... in the photos I attached, the before pictures are literally from the day before my surgery and then two weeks after surgery. The after photos are from two days ago … almost exactly one year from my WLS.

Today marks 90 days post op for me! Surgery was 2/12/16 Highest Weight: 399.4 Surgery Weight: 381.4 Current Weight: 336.4 63 lbs down total! Some NSV's: I no longer take up more than 1/2 of the loveseat at my parents house. I can sit in chairs without fear that I'm not going to fit. I can walk up stairs or walk in general without being out of breath. I no longer have the automatically grab the biggest size a store offers. I feel overall more confident. Before/Current photo: Scar Update: I created a cookbook: I said it right, I created a cookbook! After tons of feedback that I had received from followers on Facebook and Instagram, I turned my photos into real recipes to share with the world. If anyone is interested, they are $10 and I mail them out the same day! A lot of work went into making this and I kept the cost at the same cost that I had to create these and cover shipping too. https://www.etsy.com/shop/alighterkaan?ref=hdr_shop_menu

the progress you have made is inspiring. I always look forward to seeing your posts. Thank you very much. I'm glad to be around to post...........'being around' wasn't a safe bet a year ago. Comorbitities were piling up and dragging me down. I'm grateful and trying to set things up so I can do a better job for the next half of my life. I told Chritinamo7 about my NSV on Mothers' Day, Dub, so I'll share it with you now. My daughter and I were going through my mothers hope chest in the attic on Sunday. In there were all of the baptismal gowns and my wedding gown. Talk about ancient!!! After much whining and pleading I tried it on. I don't know which was more wrinkled--the gown or my skin, but the NSV was ---IT WAS TOO LARGE!!! The last time I wore that gown was 44yrs ago this month. I only fit into it because I went on a "starvation" diet for weeks before my wedding. Wow! Wrinkled or not, it felt good. First time in a long time---I felt----really happy. Simple feeling shouldn't be soooo hard to accomplish. I had almost forgotten how good it feels just to be happy. I may try it more often. Hell yes you should !!!! Putting that dress on had to bring a big smile to her face as well. Great story has me grinning. Being surrounded by such positive people is a blessing. What a great friend to show such enthusiasm for your progress. Very cool. I don't think I kept anything from before. It's all gone.....at least I think it is. It's time to go through the closet again. Long gone are the 6x, 5x and 4x shirts. I'm now buying shirts in 2x and wearing some of them. It's a funny process.

the progress you have made is inspiring. I always look forward to seeing your posts. Thank you very much. I'm glad to be around to post...........'being around' wasn't a safe bet a year ago. Comorbitities were piling up and dragging me down. I'm grateful and trying to set things up so I can do a better job for the next half of my life. I told Chritinamo7 about my NSV on Mothers' Day, Dub, so I'll share it with you now. My daughter and I were going through my mothers hope chest in the attic on Sunday. In there were all of the baptismal gowns and my wedding gown. Talk about ancient!!! After much whining and pleading I tried it on. I don't know which was more wrinkled--the gown or my skin, but the NSV was ---IT WAS TOO LARGE!!! The last time I wore that gown was 44yrs ago this month. I only fit into it because I went on a "starvation" diet for weeks before my wedding. Wow! Wrinkled or not, it felt good. First time in a long time---I felt----really happy. Simple feeling shouldn't be soooo hard to accomplish. I had almost forgotten how good it feels just to be happy. I may try it more often.

Awesome NSV!

Yey now I'm not such a newbie I know the answer to something! A NSV is what is known as a Non scale Victory. Something fun that does not necessarily show up on the scale. See all that I've learned from these smart folks? :) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

NSV?? Help me Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

8 weeks post op, and I lost 28.6 Ibs (13 kgs) Had a stall in week 3-4, then started losing again. My few NSVs: I can cross my legs again, I fit into my few tops, my skirts are loser, and I can wear my favourite watch again. People started complimenting me I am starting to feel much, much better. Good luck with your surgery @@TamaraRae

What an awesome feeling. One of my favorite NSV. I remember standing in the bathroom just giggling like a little twirl I was so happy. Sent from my LG-V410 using the BariatricPal App

I haven't posted for ages but the last few days have really reminded me why I made the choice to take this path in life - I was sleeved October 15 I haven't flown in several years but my husband and I went away with a couple of friends for a break this week, I had my standard apprehension about seats and seat belts the embarrassment of asking for an extender not fitting in the seat, things I guess lots of people on here think regularly. But it was all in my head I sat in the middle seat and had more space than I needed a spare foot of seatbelt after it was fastened and while we were away I realised everything in my bag was fitted and fitted me properly, I could sit wherever I felt like and I walked for miles with absolutely no effort - although I did find myself waiting for the others quite a bit, apparently I move quite quickly now There have been lots of other adventures and NSVs over the months since the sleeve but this one somehow seems bigger, some weeks I could probably find something to post every other day. This is an amazing journey I would love to be able to share my good fortune and excitement with everyone that posts on here, as there is nothing bad I can say about my experiences so far.

My first NSV was being able to cross my legs but the funniest, also a toilet NSV, was about 30lbs in and I looked down and could see my girl parts without having to move my stomach. I literally laughed which had my husband questioning if I was ok. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using the BariatricPal App

Congrats! That is definitely a NSV and one of the best ones in my opinion!!

So today I woke up and took my normal morning tubby. When I went to dry off the strangest thing happened... The towel went all the way around me and I was even able to tuck a bit in to hold it! This is proof that towel gnomes exist and they must have come in the night and magically made all my towels longer and bigger. The husband says it's because I've lost weight but he's a silly man. I know who's a work here. Now if they could just give up the underpants and sock gnomes that infest this house I'd be ever so grateful... Is this one of those NSV thingies? Wow. What a gift this surgery is. Every day I'm amazed and thankful. Jen Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

First off congratulations on the NSV...this is just the start for you and it will just keep getting better...I too have had that NSV but now I have a different issue...you see I bought my car before my surgery and was much bigger....I pretty much bought the car that I could fit in and now I am having problems because the car is getting too big for me...but not complaining

put a BIG bag of Peanut Butter M&M's in my grocery shopping cart. as the cashier was going to put the $ amount in........ i grabbed the bag and handed it back to cashier i said, no thanx - changed my mind!!! NSV???? - you betcha!!! kathy

So I'm currently still pre op w/ surgery tentitively in late June but I've noticed a few NSVs that I'm quite proud of! First of all I got on my scale at home and I was actually able to weigh myself before it would always say "error" or "ol" for over load... I know encouraging words right? Not! Lol my second NSV is that before when I got into my car my stomach touched /rubbed against the steering wheel I'm pretty short and have to sit kinda close to reach the brake haha. But now (I have not moved my seat) there's about 3 inched between me and the wheel! Again I'm still preop but I'm loving these results already and actually seeing a different is amazing! So far I've lost 40 lbs and hoping to lose 20 more before surgery!!! What are some of your NSV 's? Sent from my SM-G900T using the BariatricPal App

@@choicemun To be honest with you, I have no idea what you're talking about... But, as you seem so pleased, I can't help but be pleased for you... With that in mind - Wooooohooooooooo!! Congratulations on your toilet related NSV... I have no more words now...

Hi everyone hope you are all in good health. This made me laugh so hard today I wanted to share it with you all. I was sitting on the toilet today and noticed my thighs were not completely hugging over the toilet seat, lol I couldn't stop laughing I was so happy to see how much inches I have lost. Share your funniest NSV if you can would love to read them.. Thxs

I would always shy away from the camera. Hated the way I looked. Never wanted to be in pictures. Today while on vacation I asked to have my picture taken. We are in beautiful Las Vegas visiting the Red Rock Canyon and I wanted to remember today and the view. So thankful for the change in me.. On both the outside and inside Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@missjaded44 Your success is inspirational! You look damn good and still have curves! I'd like my body to look like yours for my NSV! [emoji12] Congrats - job well done!!

I don't own a scale, either. When I was losing, I only weighed at the doctors office, I think I stepped on the scale 5 times in the first 3-4 months. If you are following the plan you will lose whether you weigh yourself or not. I had a hundred NSVs confirming it. I've actually found the scale more useful once I was in maintenance. I step on the scale at work a couple times/month, especially after a vacation or holiday or particularly carby weekend. This is fully clothed, after Breakfast and coffee, so it's not 100% "accurate", but it gives me a general trend and good enough for accountability. The non-scale method has worked for me for almost 2 1/2 years and I Guarantee I had a less stressful time in the beginning than 90% of the people on here that obsess over the numbers....I just wish I had a buck for every scale related complaint on here.

I have a ton of off the wall NSV's. LOL -I want to be able to walk on my boyfriends back when he ask me to. He is an electrician so he comes home wanting me to walk on his back all the time but I refuse to do so because I am afraid I will break him. LMAO, SO, I want to get to a point where I am not afraid to do it. -I want my boyfriend to be able to pick me up again. I mean...He can...but I won't let him. -I want my legs to fit better in my mud boots so when we go mudding on our RZR I can wear them without them cutting off my circulation. -I want to look hot in my work uniform. Not for any guys....jut for myself. I want to walk around confident like I use to be. Just little odd things like that. I am sure I have much more because I randomly think of them through out the day. 40 more days until my surgery! Patience is not a virtue I was given apparently. LOL

I really didn't have any NS goals, except sitting comfortably on a plane. A lot of the NSV I have now, just strike me as odd. They aren't things that I thought of as an issue before, now that I can do certain things I couldn't before they are fun surprises. The amount of space between me and the steering wheel on my car amazes me every time I drive. I'm glad that before surgery I didn't think I was missing out on much, because knowing the difference between before and now, my heavier self might have been unhappy.

So laying in bed last night with hubby. He was looking through his old phone that he uses as an alarm clock,. He found a picture of me from about 2 years ago, at the height of my obesity. He asked me if I remembered the picture. I looked so bad, it really made me sad to know i let myself get to look like that. My face and body was unrecognizable to me. I honestly didn't realize at first that it was me. I realized it really was me when I recognized the outfit I was wearing. I may not be where I need to be, but I thank God I'm not where I was. I don't run from cameras anymore...I don't seek them out, but at least I'm not avoiding them now either. So even though it bummed me out...I'll take it as a victory.

@@TamaraRae @@jane13 is right. You shouldn't compare to others. But feel free to compare to me.....at that 6 week mark I was down 17 pounds. Next time I weighed at 10 weeks I was still down the same 17 pounds. Now check out my ticker....over 100% excess weight loss and holding strong for over a year and a half. That's why I say your rate of loss has nothing to do with long term success. The NSVs are way more fun to log than numbers anyways!