And So Our Journey Begins...

[Chrystee 838]

Happy Friday, friends!!! This week has been a really good week for compliments for me. I think everyday someone different commented on how good I look, and this is from people I never really talk to. I'm down to 218 from 275, and seriously, I haven't been this small since Junior year of HS, 11 years ago. I have a bigger belly than I did then, but I am still in much smaller sizes than I have been in a long time. The guy I'm seeing actually went to HS with me and he was there when I was going through a box of old clothes that I pulled out of storage to donate the other night and I pulled out a pair of jeans that I LOVED and thought I had gotten rid of, and he said he remembers me in those pants (cuz I looked amazing!) and they almost fit me. If they weren't a velcro close I'm sure they would have actually fit me. I was so ecstatic. I'm NSVing all over the place and I love it.

One side effect of the surgery is that your body is breaking down the fat which stores hormones and the other day I was in a dark mood for no reason. Nothing happened in my personal life or work life to cause me to be like that. I was just moody. I think it was a combination of the weight loss, my new birth control, and I was supposed to start my period around that time, but Mirena (my IUD) said no, but my guy came over and spent time with me, and perked me up. It was amazing. So just a warning, you will get moody with no apparent cause, I was warned about this before and I didn't believe it, now I know better, lol.

I've been on my pre-op and noticed that too, when i'm following it well, I can be really moody. You look amazing! I'm loving reading your progress!

Edited December 9, 2014 by Chrystee

[Chrystee 838]

I wish I had done it years ago, also.

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

And Here's an updated photo, This is from Sunday. I keep experimenting with my look. You can see that on my Instagram account big time.

[stephh 634]

You look AMAZING!!!! And that is a super cute look on you.

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

@stephh Thank you!! It's nice to have more confidence in my clothes and body than I ever did before.

[Chrystee 838]

you look great!

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

Haven't updated in awhile. I am 4 days over 5 months out. My loss has definitely slowed. I lost 5 lbs, but it took over 25 days to achieve that loss. I'm okay with that because I am officially 70 lbs down today!! 70 lbs in 5 months is incredible! I really thought my loss would have stopped by now, I didn't think I would lose more that 65 lbs, so the fact that I hit 70 is FANTASTIC!! That makes me 205, I am hoping to hit ONEderland by the end of January. Once that happens, I will probably drop straight dead right then.

I can eat more in one sitting and I am still struggling to eat slowly, I think that is my biggest struggle, I hate sitting still and concentrating on food. I do make better food choices than I ever did before, and I had crumb cake last night, but I only had 2 bites before I was done and I was happy with that! When before I would have eaten that whole thing and then some with a large glass of milk. I still love that I can get into any outfit in my closet and think that I am gorgeous. I was never this confident and I am so happy with that.

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

Well it has been almost a month since my last update. I just had my 6 month surgiversary on this past Saturday, and I am still almost 75 lbs down. I weighed in this morning at 200.4, I weighed 201.8 yesterday. So I am paying for some bad choices I made, lol. I have been drinking my calories a bit too much these days in the form of full fat coffee/tea drinks or as my guys kid calls them...dessert coffee, and alcohol. The holidays set me off track with the parties that I was going to (even though I still lost almost 10 lbs over the holidays), and even just this past weekend I drank a lot. But I do have to remind myself that I had this surgery so that I could live my life happier and healthier, not like a prisoner to my weight and diet. Less drinking my calories and back to more strictly adhering to my better choices. I'm definitely not the best example of what to do post op, but I'm okay with that, and I am human, with limited self-discipline. Learn from me.

My goal for January is still to enter Onederland, and I will. I am 0.4 lbs from 199 and I have 5-6 days to get there (My ultimate life goal is to be in the 165-175 range, though I would like to see what I look and feel like at 150). I will do it. I also wanted to update my pictures, I feel like I lose track of my progress a lot, because the scale doesn't move as fast as I'd like it to and I still have to fix that image in my head that I have of myself as the super obese young woman. So many years wasted being fat and unhappy. So here is my first side by side in months and it really has helped lift my spirits and put my choices into line better.

Also, is anyone else finding that they get crazy hungry quicker this far out? I feel hungry just about every other hour! Sometimes I'm ravenous and can eat what feels like a lot, and other times a couple bites and I'm good.

Edited January 26, 2015 by MistyAnnMoon829

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

I just had my 6 month checkup yesterday, and my labs came out great! The PA said I needed to up my Vitamin D by taking a supplement (but so does everyone really, her words.), increase my omega-3 by eating more fish or olive oil dishes or taking a Vitamin, and to eat a bit more red meat/dark greens/beans. But nothing was really off at all. It was a really positive check up and I'll be seeing them again in July!

I finally joined a gym, after months of saying it, my friend finally was like "I need to do this, are you in?" and I was. So we signed up for the local Fitness for $10, and my legs are in pain today, wasn't so bad on Monday, but this just proves that I am making progress. No pain no gain! I weighed in a 196.8 this morning, and that makes me over the moon happy! I think I can hit my long term goal of 169, I'd like to hit 150 just to see what it looks like, but I really think i'll be happy in the high 160's low 170's. I already look and feel great in the high 190's!

[stephh 634]

Great update! Glad to see you're doing so well!

[Chrystee 838]

I'd say you sound successful.

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

Looks like it has been about 2 months since my last update and not a whole ton has happened. My weight loss has slowed down and it's pretty much a series of back to back stalls in between 1 to 2 lb. losses. I'm not really upset about it. I'm really happy with my progress, I'm happy with my eating habits, I'm happy with my life, and this great body, that still needs some fine tuning, but it is so much better than where I came from.

I've uploaded a bunch of pictures below.

The first is a comparison in pictures from Ren Faire in October 2014 and Piratefest in April 2015. It's crazy how much has changed!! I put that 2nd outfit together from stuff I found at Goodwill and Savers and I never would have been able to do that before, at least not have it look so great. I never realized that there were such great clothes at Thrift stores, since there never really was in my size before.

The next one is a swim suit picture and while the back of the suit is pretty revealing of how much I still need to tone back there, I still am pretty happy with how I look from the front. This suit is incredibly supportive of my breasts, which is hard to find in a suit for DD's. I actually own TWO swim suits. I can't remember the last time I owned and fit into more than 1 at a time.

This next picture was from a date I went on a couple weeks back. Found the dress at Savers! For $10, soooooooo cute!!!!! It was a medium from Express originally. I actually found a few dresses from Savers now and I love them, who knew ME?! in a DRESS?! Whaaat? Also, me? Dating?!!? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! Go figure. I actually went on 2.5 dates that week with 3 different people. I've never really dated before, I went from my first love, to my second love my now ex-wife, and before I settle down again (for hopefully the last time) I want to give this dating thing a real go. It's pretty fun, if a bit stressful, lol.

Next a selfie! I was at a wedding in Lake Las Vegas as my moms date. I felt beautiful. May face has changed so much and I'm seeing more of my family in it now that I'm not a moon face. I actually see my grandma's smile.

Lastly was Me, my best friend, and my main guy in Reno a couple weekends ago. I have never loved my shoulders/collar bones so much. I felt pretty that day.

So now for some stats. I'm weighing around 186 depending on the day. I actually hit 185 for 1 day and then back to 187, and down to 186. My body likes to mess with me. I'm actually really happy being about 20 lbs. from goal, I know I'll get there, because even if I make bad food choices on occasion I still make great choices 95% of the time and there is no way I am taking in enough calories to cause gains. I just have to continue to have patience and workout to build my muscles back up. I can feel my muscles under my last layers of fat and they are sexy!

Hope everyone is doing as well as I am and is as happy as I am!!

[Chrystee 838]

I'm so glad I had read through your post from the beginning before.. I'm in my 3 week stall.. I've been stalled almost three weeks. Actually gaining 2.6 pounds last Friday, and still have .2 of that to go.. hope it starts moving again!

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

@@Chrystee It WILL move!! It just takes FOREVER!! Then it will be like a weight loss avalanche!! Have patience and just enjoy the ride, it's so worth it.

I am 90 lbs. down today and my weight loss has slowed but I know it's not done and that is what gets me through. You've got this, surgi-sister!

[Chrystee 838]

@@Chrystee It WILL move!! It just takes FOREVER!! Then it will be like a weight loss avalanche!! Have patience and just enjoy the ride, it's so worth it.

I am 90 lbs. down today and my weight loss has slowed but I know it's not done and that is what gets me through. You've got this, surgi-sister!

I hope it comes the heck on! LOL