I made my goal!

[Thea'sMom 2]

I did it! Today, I reached my goal of 100 pounds off! I thought I’d share with you some of my journey.

I started in August of 2010, when I went to see Dr. Landerholm at Puget Sound Bariatric Center. I weighed 240 pounds (at 5’ 5”), had terrible sleep apnea, and was in the beginning stages of high blood pressure and diabetes. My insurance company, Aetna, insisted that I have a three month trial, so I saw Dr.Landerholm and his associates at Pacific Nutrition and Wellness. I lost 10 pounds in the three months, enough to convince the insurance company.

I chose Dr.Landerholm because his practice has a two year program of followup, and because he does the sleeve as an outpatient procedure for those who qualify (I figured that he must be pretty good if he was able to do that). He performed the operation on December 8, 2010.

Other than diarrhea for the first three weeks, it wasn’t particularly painful. I didn’t like the various Protein powders, so I structured my eating so that I could get my 60 grams of protein a day through regular food.< /span> Because I’m a bit obsessive, for the first seven months, I weighed everything with a metric scale and kept track on Fitday, keeping my calories between 700 and 800, and drinking 64 ounces of Water a day.

I read accounts of others for whom the weight melted off. That was not me. After the first twenty pounds (which, to be honest, DID melt off), each pound was slow in leaving. I got discouraged, but decided that I’d have to go to the gym to have any chance of getting to my goal. In the middle of all this, I went with my vegetarian daughter for three and a half weeks in England in June, a real challenge to get food that would work for both of us.

All of my health issues are gone. My blood pressure is 110 over 65, and my heart rate is about 68. For those of you who worry about your hair falling out? It doesn’t always happen. My hair has always been baby fine, and I didn’t lose any that I could tell. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve had NO complications.

Clothes? Charity shops, thrift stores, and friends. I’ve gone from a size 24 to a size 8 in pants, down a whole size in my shoes, and from XL in t-shirts to small.

What can I eat? Anything I want, although my meals generally consist of either a bowl of cottage cheese, a meat lump of some sort, protein-plus Cereal (I love my cereal), a Greek yogurt smoothie, a banana with Peanut Butter, an egg… Snacks? Cheese, fresh fruit, sometimes veggies. Do I eat sweets? Not much (doesn’t seem worth the effort), but I have the occasional little piece of cake, or two bites of my husband’s dessert. What do I avoid? bread, Pasta, rice, all of which seem to sit poorly on my stomach (sweet potatoes don’t seem to be a problem).

Do I still weigh everything? No, because my doctor (and others) pointed out that weighing my food isn’t always an option (and doesn't seem like a great lifestyle). I still weigh a few things (my cereal, for example), because I know the size of a serving that works for me, and it’s still hard for me to judge by eye. Don’t worry about it much….

Do I feel better? Well, I can go up stairs without losing my breath, and getting out of chairs is much easier. Flying on airplanes is much more comfortable (are they making seats bigger now?), and finding clothes that fit is a snap.

How often do I go the gym? Every day, but mostly because I find it easier to do it daily than to make sure I manage three days a week.

My next challenge? Staying within two pounds (either way) of my current weight for the next six months. After that, I’ll decide if I want to lose another five or ten pounds or maybe put on five pounds. Since the 100 pound goal was purely arbitrary (and I haven’t been this weight before as an adult), I don’t know whether it’s the right weight for me, but it’s right in the middle of the “normal” range, so I figure it’s as good a place as any to stop for a while.

Do I still think of myself as fat? Of course. I was born heavier than I am now (actually, I was in junior high school). Part of me knows that I can fit into that amazingly tiny pair of pants, the other part heads for the plus sizes.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat, forty years ago if possible.

[sasicas 194]

WOOHOO! What a great goal to hit! You look great!

[coops 1,790]

Congratulations... 100lb off has to be an amazing feeling! Well done on such a great job, and you look fantastic... so narrow and slim!

[Raine 170]

Congratulations on a job well done!!

[lsereno 2,525]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your story. It thrills me every time I see someone post that they have reached their goal. I guess secretly I fear it just isn't possible and every time I see someone make it, I gain a little more confidence to smack down that fear.

And normal blood pressure!! Woot woot! I am off all meds, but mine is still running a little high at 41/2 months out. I can't wait to join you on the goalies bench! I have 28 lbs to go.

Lynda

[Disney 20]

Congrats on a job well done! Thanks for sharing your story with us!!

[CT Fats 82]

Love the shirt. Great job on your loss

[wishes 125]

Congrats! You look fabulous!

[sleeve 4 me 910]

WAY TO GO! Congrats!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

WOW GREAT JOB!!!!! You look great!! Congrats on making your goal! No matter how long it takes, all that really matters is that you make it. *hugs*

[Nichelle 21]

Very inspirational story, so glad most of your co-morbidities have disappeared! Congratulations on your success.

[jennifer6791 18]

thanks for sharing- and you look GREAT! i had dr. landerholm too; he's awesome!

[DreamLife36 6]

Thank you so much for posting. Congratulations on your success.

[mnbsleeve 87]

Congratulations on everything you have accomplished!!! Enjoy the new you and thank you for posting!!!

[Lisa the loser 13]

Wow truly amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing you made my day!!