Goal Reached!

Victoria's Secret is having their semi-annual sale, so Mary and I headed out on an underwear quest! I got three bras - my first VS purchase ever! When I had my surgery I was buying bras that were size 42 or 44 - these are 38's. Woohoo!


"Everyday do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow." -Doug Firebaugh

Christmas Reflection

How things change in a year. As I reflect back on this past year, I could describe it in many ways: Exciting. Stressful. Scary. Blessed.

Last Christmas I had just gotten word that our insurance had approved bariatric surgery for me. I remember announcing to my immediate family at our Christmas that I was going to have the surgery. Now here we are 12 months later and I'm 100 pounds lighter and healthier. In addition to that, Kevin has lost around 50 pounds since my surgery too - we've lost a whole person between the two of us! We are healthier people and I feel so great in what we have done for ourselves and for our kids.

This year brought about a lot of stress for us. Kevin losing his job in April sent us into an extremely stressful situation where we didn't know what we were going to do and where money was going to come from. Was I going back to work? Was Kevin going to find a job? Would we both be working? The unknown is scary...especially when you have two children. Fortunately I was able to find a job within a month and on Monday, 12/29, I start in a new position with higher pay. Liberty Mutual has been a great company to work for so far and I have to say that while I miss staying home with David and Katie, I am enjoying being back at work. Kevin has appreciated this time that he has been able to stay home with the kiddos. He has been going to school full time and will graduate in May with his computer science degree which will hopefully lead to a long term career for him. Sometimes we don't know why things happen, but so far we have come thru this tough time with our marriage as strong as ever and our faith even stronger. "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

David and Katie: hard to believe they are 3 1/2 and 2. They have had a great year. David started preschool this past fall and loves it! He goes two mornings a week. It's amazing to see him grow and learn new things every day. He is potty trained - almost 100%. We'll get there! Katie is a diva! She has a very strong personality and keeps us on our toes. She is talking and learning new things constantly. They both go to Kindermusik one day a week and that has been a great opportunity for them to use their creativity and interact with other kids. They are great kids and we are so so blessed by them.

Hopefully 2009 will be a little calmer for the Moore clan. We are excited to see what things the coming year holds.

Blessings to all of our family and friends this Christmas!


"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'"
Luke 2:8-14

Hip Hip Hooray!

When I had my surgery back in April, my goal was to lose 100 pounds by Christmas. Well, I cut it close, but I hit my 100 pounds today! Whoop whoop! This is the most weight I've ever lost at one time and this is the least I've weighed since high school! Only 78 more pounds to go and I'll be at my ultimate goal of 150 pounds.

Some before and nows:

BMI before: 54.6
BMI now: 37.9

Size before: 26 pants (and they were tight!), size 26/28 or 3x top
Size now: size 18 pants, size 14/16 or 1x top

BP before: High! Was on BP meds
BP now: normal. Was 116/80 at my last Dr.'s visit

A lot of people ask me if I feel better now that I've lost a significant amount of weight. I do feel good, but I never really felt that bad before. That is part of the reason I decided to do the surgery - to prevent having all of the problems associated with being morbidly obese. My knees do crackle less, but my left knee does cause some pain while I'm working out. I'm sure I've done permanent damage to it, but maybe it will be a good reminder for me as to why I need to keep the weight off.

So, now on to the next goal of being under 200 pounds by my one year surgiversary of April 2. Only 29 more pounds to go! I can do it!

Check out my before/now pictures below. What do you think of that fancy new workout wear I got for Christmas from mom and dad? Snazzy huh? Wouldn't have been caught dead in that 100 pounds ago!!

Have a safe and merry Christmas everyone!


Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me."

-100 Pounds Pictures

Before: 328

Now - 228

Before (I never felt that puffy!)

Now (deflated)

Zumba gear

Ok, I had to hunch my shoulders up so you could really see them, but I love that I now have visible collar bones!

Bring on the dress!!!

So, I'm still at 99.5 pounds and getting frustrated! Why won't my body let go of that next .5 pound so I can finally say I've lost 100 pounds?!?!

This picture makes me feel better though because I think I look noticeably thinner in it. Mary and I went and ordered my bridesmaid's dress the other night. This is the style we are wearing, but in black. We had the greatest guy helping us. We were talking about weight loss and he shared that he has lost like 180 pounds - you can kind of see him in the mirror behind me. You would never know from looking at him that he used to be so heavy - he carries a "before" picture in his wallet that he showed us. It was amazing and very inspirational!

This will be my sixth time wearing a bridesmaids dress. I've been a bridesmaid for my cousins Jenny and Ann, friends Kendra and Heather, and for Larry and Erin's wedding. Being the matron of honor in Scott and Mary's wedding will probably be my last time wearing a bridesmaid's dress, but I think this is the best I've ever looked in one! Ending my bridesmaid career with a bang!


"Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point." -Harold B. Melchart

So Close!

So, I've been a major gym slacker the past week. I only went one time last week and then just got lazy! I didn't lose any weight either - surprise surprise. I'm getting my hiney in gear this week. I need to get to 100 pounds by Christmas and look ahead to my goal of being under 200 lbs by April 2 - my one year surgiversary.

I did two hours at the gym last night - one hour in the body pump class and one hour of Zumba (my fave!). Got on the scale this morning - 228.5. So, I've lost 99.5 pounds. The scale couldn't just give me that other 1/2 a pound??? I'm hoping to hit 100 tomorrow or Thursday! Updated pictures coming soon!!!!


"If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried." (Ok, it's not motivational, but it made me laugh)

I'm Normal!

Well, at least my blood pressure is. Had a BP check with Dr. Wunder this morning and it was 116/80 - Dr. said, "It's in the normal range!" Whoop whoop!

I've lost 93 pounds to date. Don't think I'm going to hit the 100 pound mark by Thanksgiving, but should by Christmas. I have been taking Zumba and Body Pump (weightlifting) classes at the gym. Haven't gone since my Monday body pump class - my quads are so sore! I love my gym - I still really don't like to exercise, but at least I have a cool gym to go and work out at. The Zumba classes are fun and keep me motivated to go. I picture myself as a skinny exotic latin dancer!

Another whoop whoop. I had a girls weekend Nov 7-9 with my friends Kendra, Carrie, and Harmony. We had a blast and did a lot of shopping. I bought a size 14/16 top! I couldn't believe it - I'm wearing it today as a matter of fact. I'm still wearing size 20 pants (although I do have some 18's that fit), but I'm able to wear smaller tops. The lower stomach is my problem area. I was so excited! I'm almost into "normal" sizes! I felt sassy at Mary and Scott's engagement party in my 14/16 sweater, size 18 skirt, and my knee high boots! (I've always wanted tall boots, but have never been able to find any that fit over my calves - I have some now!)

That's my update for now. See you again at 100 pounds!

Sarah

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way!" -Dr. Seuss

Muy Bueno!

Mary and I did a Zumba class last night at my gym. Very fun! It's all latin dancing. The class was about an hour long and was a good workout. Felt a little goofy trying to get all of the steps, but everyone else was looking lost too, so that worked out ok. A little non-scale victory at the end. We were stretching and the instructor had us do that stretch where you bend your knee and grab your ankle behind you. I could never do that when I would take exercise classes before - well I did it last night!! Granted I had trouble keeping my balance and had to hold onto Mary, but I was able to grab my ankle. Whoop whoop!

If you haven't tried Zumba yet - get out there and find a class. It's fun exercise!

"We are fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance." -Japanese proverb

90 pounds gone!

I hit the 90 pound mark this morning. Hip Hip Hooray! When I had surgery my initial goal was to be at -100 lbs by Christmas. I should make it there - I'm hoping to hit it by Thanksgiving. Dr. Evanson said he expected me to be under 200 lbs by my one year surgiversary. That's 39 more pounds in 5 months - I can do it! I know I shouldn't focus only on the number on the scale, but I like to have goals and a number to shoot for. Helps keep me focused. I'd like to say I'm not obsessing about it, but I am still weighing myself everyday - it's a hard habit to break.

I'm doing pretty good at the gym. I usually do 30 minutes on the eliptical and 30 minutes on the treadmill and 1-2 days a week I also do some resistance training with weights and the exercise ball. I've started doing some running on the treadmill - I've been walking 4 minutes and then running 1. Ok, it's not a ton of running, but it's a start!

I'm wearing size 18/20 tops and size 20 pants. Although I do have some size 18 pants I can get into. Only another size or two and I'll be able to buy clothes in the non-plus sized department! woohoo! Speaking of clothes - Kevin (who is only 15 pounds from his goal of 230) had to buy some new jeans because his were falling off of him. He bought new ones that have a 40 inch waste - the ones he wore last winter were a 44 inch waste. Go Kevin go!

I go and see my family Dr. in November for a BP checkup, but I had a follow up appointment with my OBGYN a month ago and my BP there was 118/76 - that's the lowest it's been in a long time! Also, my BMI was 54.6 before my surgery, and now it's 39.6......getting healthier!

I'll post pictures at the 100 pound mark. Hopefully that won't be too long!

Love to all,
Sarah

My quote for this post is long, but I loved it.....

I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words each hour, each day, everyday, until the words become as much a habit as my breathing, and the action which follows becomes as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids. With these words I can condition my mind to perform every action necessary for my success. I will act now. I will repeat these words again and again and again. I will walk where failures fear to walk. I will work when failures seek rest. I will act now for now is all I have. Tomorrow is the day reserved for the labor of the lazy. I am not lazy. Tomorrow is the day when the failure will succeed. I am not a failure. I will act now. Success will not wait. If I delay, success will become wed to another and lost to me forever. This is the time. This is the place. I am the person. -Og Mandino

Checking in

I'm at 84 pounds right now. All of a sudden the scale has started moving again - whoop whoop! Only 16 more pounds until the big 100! This is the most weight I've ever lost at one time. The exercise is definitely paying off. With the scale and my clothes - I'm fitting into everything better and I pulled some clothes out my tub of "used to fit" clothes and have added some of them back into my closet because they finally fit again!

Now with Mary getting engaged and planning the wedding for March, I'm doubly motivated to get these pounds off asap - this will probably be the last wedding I'm in and I want to make sure I don't look like a parade float in my dress! Luckily she is thinking she is going to have us get black bridesmaid's dresses, so that will be slimming - thanks Mary! I'm heading up to Fort Wayne this weekend to go wedding dress shopping with Mom and Mary - I can't wait! Wedding planning is going to be so much fun!

I'll check back in at the 90 pound mark!

BMI on April 2 = 54.6
Current BMI = 40.6

"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy." -Norman Vincent Peale

80 pounds gone!

I hit the 80 pound mark Sunday. Weight loss has been slow lately, but I just keep plugging away at it and hope things pick up soon. I have to remind myself that I've lost 80 pounds in less than 6 months - not too shabby.

I joined a gym about a month ago - Lifestyle family fitness. Had a couple of sessions with a personal trainer and she put together two resistance routines for me. I've been doing the resistance 2 times a week and cardio 5 times a week. I've defnitely noticed some changes in my clothes from the exercise. In fact, I went to the Goodwill 1/2 price sale over the weekend with Mary and Heather and I bought a size 18 skirt that fits! Woohoo! I'm mostly wearing 20's, but it was exciting to actually be able to button up the size 18.

My other new excitement is no sugar added fudgesicles - satisfies the ice cream craving better than popsicles and they are only 40 calories a piece. Yum-O!

I want to lose 20 more pounds by Christmas. My original goal when I had surgery was to be down 100 lbs by Christmas - I can do it! Only 98 more pounds to go and I'll be my final goal - I'm getting close to the 1/2 mark! Kevin has less than 20 pounds to lose to get to his goal - go Kevin go!

Thanks for your support and encouragement!

Sarah

"And the day came when the risk it took to remain closed in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
- Anais Nin

Article from the Indy Star

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809090307

75 Pound Update

I hit my next milestone of 75 pounds gone - I'm at -76.5 to be exact!!!! Below are pictures and if you click on my June blogs over to the side, you can compare them to my before pictures.

I'm only 2 pounds away to having less than 100 pounds to lose. That will be exciting for me - it's been a long time that I've been less than 100 pounds overweight.

I'm wearing size 18/20 tops and size 22 bottoms right now. That down from 26/28 tops and size 26 bottoms pre-surgery. Only a few more sizes and I'll be out of plus size clothes - that hasn't been my reality since middle school!

My BMI has gone from 54.58 before surgery to a current BMI of 41.85. About 12 more pounds and I'll be obese class 2 instead of obese class 3 which is the morbid obesity category. It will be nice to be just regular obese rather than morbidly obese. : )

I'm doing good overall. My biggest stress right now is I'm losing a lot of hair. It's a common side effect of rapid weight loss. I'm taking a biotin supplement the dietician recommended - hopefully it slows down the hair loss. Once I stop losing so rapidly and my weight starts to level out and I can eat a bit more, the hair loss should slow down. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for me that the biotin kicks in.

Not much else to report. More pictures at the 100 pound mark - only 23.5 more pounds!!!!

As always, thanks to everyone for your continued support!

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." -Epictetus

75 pound pictures

Labs

I went to my family Dr. a few weeks ago for a blood pressure check-up. He ran my labs since it had been about a year. Last summer my cholesterol was at 200. I just got my labs from last week - cholesterol is at 174 - whoop whoop!

"If you care at all, you'll get some results. If you care enough, you'll get incredible results." -Jim Rohn

Kevin photos

Here are some updated pictures of Kevin. We didn't take official before pics of Kevin, and the only full body shot I could find is of him and the kids with the Easter Bunny! haha :) Anyway, you get the idea. He's lost about 30 pounds since my surgery in April. Go Kevin!!

4 month update

I hit the 70 pound mark today! Whoop Whoop! Only 108 pounds to go.

I had all of my Dr.'s appointments August 4:

1. Family Dr. - Dr. Wunder. Sees me every few months for a blood pressure check. BP was 140/80. Still higher than he would like, but he is keeping me off of meds to see what happens as I continue to lose weight. I see him again in 3 months.

2. Surgeon - Dr. Evanson. He was very happy with my progress. I'm losing on schedule and he expects me to be under 200 pounds at my one year visit in April. I haven't been under 200 pounds since like 7th grade - that will be an awesome day! He is pleased that I've been walking, but wants me to start doing some more aerobic activity. He took me off the Lexapro (anti-depressant) and Carafate (coats stomach to aid in healing). So, now the only medication he has me on is prevacid. I think I take that until the 18 month mark.

3. Dietician - Nothing much new here. We went over what I've been eating and she approved of my meal plan. She did verify that my one cup of caffinated coffee every morning is perfectly fine. Thank goodness - I need that morning boost. I told her I was concerned because I've been experiencing some hair loss. She told me to start taking a daily supplement of Biotin which should help. So, I'm adding that to my daily arsenal of vitamins and supplements!

So, all in all, I had good reports. Hopefully my BP will be down at my next appointment - that's the only concern I have right now. I'm going to join the Y to work on my aerobic activity. I'm excited because they have tons of classes at our Fishers Y which is just right down the road from our house. I can go before or after work so it should fit in well with my schedule.

Excitment - as of this morning, I only weigh 3 pounds more than Kevin - watch out, I'm about to pass him! I'll post updated pictures at the 75 pound mark - which should be soon.

As always, thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement!

Sarah

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." -TS Elliott

Update....

As of this morning I've lost 67 pounds. Don't think I'll hit my goal of -75 by my Dr.'s appointment on August 4, but I'll be close. Updated pictures will be taken and posted at the 75 pound mark. I'm 37.6% of the way to my total goal of losing 178 pounds.

My clothes are falling off of me! I'm going at lunch to try and buy a few belts to make my pants last as long as possible. I love that feeling! I'm so used to my pants being tight and digging into my waist - this is a welcome change.

I've been walking 2-2.5 miles at least 5 days a week. I usually am not one to exercise, but I have to admit I actually look forward to my daily walk. I've pretty much given up on getting up early to walk and have been going at night. (I might like my walks, but I like my sleep more!) It's a good wind down at the end of the day.

Kevin is down to 257 pounds. He has lost 58 pounds from his highest weight of 315 a few years ago. He thinks he weighed about 285 when I had my surgery, so he's lost about 28 pounds since April. He is looking good - we'll have to post some pictures of him too. He wants to lose 27 more pounds to get back to his Army weight of 230.

New blog features - I've posted weight loss tickers for me and Kevin at the bottom of my blog. So, even if I don't write a post, I'll keep that updated if you want to know our current weight loss totals.

Thanks for all of your continued support!

Sarah


"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." -TS Elliott

I'm wearing my size 22 pants today and they aren't even tight! That's down 2 sizes from when I had my surgery and I was barely squeezing into my size 26 pants! Woohoo!

Another appearance change - I have to get reading glasses! Don't have to wear them all the time - just for computer work and reading. No wonder I've been getting headaches at work - it's all that eye strain. : )

Ok, that's all the update I have for now. No weight loss update - I'm resisting the urge to weigh myself until next Monday.


"To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act." -Anatole France

I haven't updated in a while, so I thought I better write an update. Weight loss has slowed down some. I'm at minus 62.5 pounds now. Only lost a few pounds over the past few weeks. I frantically e-mailed one of our dieticians. She told me:

Sara,
This is very normal to have happen. Your body is adjusting to the rapid weight loss. Just make sure you are eating 3 meals/day (3 ounces/meal with 2 ounces in protein) + the 24 ounces of milk OR 1 protein bar/day between meals. Keep it up with the walking and fluids. Only weigh yourself 1 time/week if you can help it. If you feel like this is what you are doing then be patient and it will start soon. If you are already getting close to the 200# mark focus on the inches more than the pounds, very common for it to seem like you are not losing. Remember, the lower you weigh the slower you lose. Focus on the things you can control: food choices, activity, and fluids. Keep it up, it sounds like you are doing great!

Sincerely,

Dawn Boxell, RD, CD


So, that made me feel better and then I had a 2.5 pound loss over the weekend. Woohoo! I don't think I'll hit my goal of -75 by August 4, but at least the scale is moving again and I know I'm doing everything I can to make my goal of losing 178 pounds a reality.

Have a great week everyone!

"By Perseverance the snail reached the ark." -Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Poem

I found this online and think it's hysterical - and an honestly good insight into the mind of someone about to have bariatric surgery. Especially the part about mourning the food. :) Enjoy!

'Twas the Night Before Bypass''

Twas the night before bypass,

when all through my gut

not a morsel was stirring,

not even a nut.

The suitcase was packed by the back door with care,

in hopes that a new me would soon return there.

I lay nestled, snug in my bed

while visions of calories danced in my head;

and me in my plus size pajamas and wrap,

had just settled in for a long, restless nap.

When deep in my mind there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my dreams to see what was the matter.

Away to my fridge I flew like a flash,

ripped open the door and drooled at the stash.

The moonlight reflecting off the beautiful snacks

gave a luster of radiance to all on the racks.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

but an array of the comfort foods I hold so dear.

With a familiar feeling of all those I'd pick,

I thought in a moment I just might be sick.

More lovely than angels their voices they came,

and they whistled and shouted and called me by name;
"Now pizza, now French fries, now chocolate galore

on cheesecake, on ice cream, on donuts and more!"

From the tip of my tongue,

to the end of my toe,

I will miss you all more than ever you'll know.

As an addict that shakes and stirs as he sits,

I'll mourn the loss of my delectable hits.

So back to my bed I went with great haste,

and settled back down with nary a taste.

And then in an instant,

in pre-op I sat,

nervously waiting to no longer be fat.

As I sat deep in thought and adjusted my gown,

In came my surgeon in one single bound.

He was dressed all in scrubs,

from his head to his feet

and he seemed very calm as he eyed me like meat.

He looked at my chart,

with his scope gave a listen,

I don't think he noticed my eyes starting to glisten.

He was chubby and plump -- he could lose some himself,

and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself.

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke barely a word as he prepped for his work,

he paused for a moment,

then turned with a jerk.

And laying a finger aside of his face,

and giving a nod, out of the room he did race.

He checked in the next day,

to his students gave a whistle,

and away they all flew like a down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim as he walked out of sight,

"speedy thinness to you and a healthier life!"

-Author unknown

Exercise

Well, I did it. I finally got my lazy hiney out of bed this morning and went for a walk before work. I've been setting my alarm to get up early for two weeks now and I've just been hitting snooze every day. Today, I finally got up. Walked 2 miles before work - I'm proud of myself - hopefully it becomes a routine for me! I need to lose a little over 3 pounds a week to reach my goal of 75 pounds gone by August 4!

"There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something." -Henry Ford

Just a quick update....

I'm now down 56.5 pounds. My goal is to be down 75 pounds by my next Dr.'s appointment - August 4. Two exciting things:

1. When I had my surgery I was squeezing into my size 26 jeans...now I'm buying 24's. I bought a pair of black pants at Goodwill that are a 22 and I thought, "no way are these going to go on," but they did. Granted, they are a little snug, but I could get away with wearing them if I had to - probably look better than my way too big 26's I've been wearing.

2. I calculated my BMI today. When I had surgery, I was at a BMI of 54.58, at my current weight, I'm at 45.18 - whoop whoop! Getting healthier.

Also, wanted to mention that Kevin is down about 35 pounds from his highest weight - has probably lost about 25 since I had my surgery. He's looking good!!!

Thanks for checking in on me - You'll see less of me next time!

Fabulous Dress

Sexy Beast!!!

-50 Pounds

50 Pounds Gone!

Before

Before Pics

Minus 50

Woohoo! I'm down 50 pounds 9 1/2 weeks after surgery. My goal was 50 in two months - took me a little longer, but at least I made it. That makes me 28% of my way towards my total goal of 178 pounds. My BMI has gone from 54.6 to 46.3 - on the road to a healthy BMI!!


Exciting knowledge: I attended the Newbie support group and found out I can eat a protein bar and drink 24 ounces of milk a day instead of the protein shake! Whoop whoop! I know I'm being a baby about drinking the 12 ounces of protein shake, but it's nasty and I ended up skipping it a lot of days - not a good idea. The South Beach protein bars are pretty good and there are a variety of flavors. Also, it's kind of nice to have a little snack to eat. Another exciting piece of info I gained at the support group - I can have sugar free hard candy! Yippee! Can't have gum, so it's nice to have something to freshen the breath while I'm out and about. Found sugar free cinnamon discs (my favorite hard candy) at Walgreens - super excited about that.


Small victories: Mary and I went shopping for some work clothes. I usually have trouble buying pants at Kohl's because I always needed one size bigger than what they sell. Well, we went and I got 2 pairs of pants, 3 tops, and two dresses! I love wearing dresses, but I haven't felt confident in one in a while. I also can now comfortably wear a pair of shorts I have that I could barely squeeze on a month ago. Granted, I'll still be shopping in the plus sized section for a while, but going down a size and fitting into some of my clothes again has really boosted my confidence and gives me hope that someday I'll be able to kiss plus sized clothes good-bye!


That's about all for now....thanks for reading! Some pics before surgery and some pics of me today are posted above!

One month down!

I had my one month appointment with Dr. Evanson and a dietician last Thursday. I was down 30 pounds - woohoo! Right where Dr. Evanson said he expected me to be. I will see me again in 3 months. I told him I want to be down 100 pounds total by Christmas. His exact words, "oh, no problem." Hopefully he's right. The excitement from the dietician appointment is that I can now have crackers and whole grain cereal - whoop whoop! Very exciting.

Did my first traveling and going out to eat this past weekend for Mary's graduation. Went very well. Took some lunch packs of tuna and chicken salad. Ordered cottage cheese one night and soup the next. Was easier than I thought. As of today, I am down 34 pounds, so at least I know I can travel and stay on program.

Went and saw Dr. Wunder, my family physician, Monday for a BP check. 126/90. Borderline. He told me he wasn't going to put me on anything right now, just watch it closely since we know I'm losing weight. I go back to him in 6 weeks. I was excited to stay off of meds.

That's about all from here. My jeans fit again, my rings fit again, and I'm under 300 lbs. Life is good!

2 weeks down!

It's been two weeks today since the surgery. As of this morning I'm down 25 pounds - I've gone from 328 to 303! Woohoo! I'm hoping to be down 40 by my one month check up with Dr. Evanson. We'll see. My jeans are still tight - ok, they were way tight before surgery, now they are just normal tight. :) My rings definitely fit better though....they were getting pretty snug. I have a tub of clothes in the basement that I could wear 5-6 years ago. Hopefully I can pull those out soon!

The eating is going well. I'm living on canned chicken and fresh fruit. It's getting a little boring, so I've been experimenting with spices and condiments and trying not to eat the same thing at every meal. When you only get to eat 6 ounces of food a day - you want to make it good right? The protein drink is the biggest bummer right now. It tastes ok, but I'm just getting so tired of it. Sometimes the thought of drinking another protein shake makes me want to gag. I'm headed to GNC soon to get some different flavors - hopefully the variety will help. They constantly stress how important it is to get the protein in, so I just keep plugging away at it. I'm used to being able to just chug my drinks down. It's frustrating to only be able to sip. I'm not getting in all of the fluids I should. Hopefully I'll get a routine down soon. I can definitely tell when I drink too much to fast - hurts my baby stomach.

I've had some questions on the type of surgery I had. It's called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. I initially wanted to have the lap band done which is where they put a ring around your stomach to restrict how much food you can eat. The lap band is more easily reversed which is why I was leaning towards it. Dr. Evanson said he wouldn't do the lap band on me as it just isn't the right procedure for me. Reason being: The average person who has lap band loses about 50% of their excess weight where the average peron having RNY loses 75-90% of their excess weight. Well, being 180 pounds overweight, if I only lost 50% of that excess weight, I would still have been considered morbidly obese, thus it wouldn't have solved my problem. The RNY has greater success because it is restrictive like lap band in that you can't eat as much, but it's also causes malapsorbtion - since my food sees less intestine, less of the calories/fat/etc. are absorbed into my body. RNY is also reversible if I would ever need to have is reversed. I've attached a picture of what my stomach intestine looks like now. They don't remove the rest of my stomach. It still does some work - processes body fluids from other organs.

Ok, that's about all for this post. Thanks to everyone for your support!

Well, I did it! Had the surgery on Wednesday...came home from the hospital yesterday (Friday). I'm doing pretty good. I had quite a bit of nausea after the surgery and I'm still struggling with that, but it's getting better. I'm not at all hungry. It's so bizarre for me to not be able to finish my 2 oz meal! I'm also working on finding a protein drink that tastes ok. I bought some Slim Fast and some other premade drink at GNC - both of which aren't great. We can also mix 4 cups milk with 1 cup of dry milk for our protein drinks. That can be mixed with sugar free syrups and frozen fruit. I've been able to stomach that, so I think that's what I'm going to be using from now on.

Kevin has been great taking care of the kids and not asking me to do much since I've been home. It was also great to have my mom here while I was in the hospital so Kevin had some help with the kids and could also come and spend some time with me at the hospital.

I had gained 4 pounds in the hospital - from all of the fluids they were pumping into me. I go and see my surgeon again the first of May. He said he's expecting me to be down around 30 pounds by then. I sure hope so! My goal is to lose 100 pounds by Christmas.

More later....thanks for everyone's calls and e-mails of support!

It's here

It's late Monday night. Wednesday is my surgery. It seemed like so far away that I can't believe it's time. I'm done eating the old way. Tomorrow, the day before surgery, I have to eat a liquid diet in preparation. I'm nervous, excited, anxious, and most of all, ready for the surgery. It's time to get it over with and start losing weight. I'm posting some before pictures. Not very flattering in my black cami top, but I didn't want to try and hide in a big T-shirt. Hopefully wearing a smaller top will make my after pictures more impressive! Next time I write I'll be post-surgery and on the road to a lighter/healthier Sarah!

Ok, well, the surgery is set for April 2. Insurance has approved everything, I've had my psychological evaluation (I have an above average emotional attachment to food!) and I've scheduled my pre-op testing and 8 hour dietary class. Whew! I'm set to go. The surgery seems far away, yet 2 months is going to fly by. I hope I'm ready for the lifestyle changes that are about to happen. I'm going to miss some things - soda, ice cream, cookies, chips, etc, but I am so excited to start this weight loss journey. I saw a man on Dr. Phil yesterday who weighed 725 pounds! I know that could be me if I just kept on going the way I have been. No one thinks that they would ever let themselves get that big. But, I never thought I'd let myself get to 225 or 250 or 275 or (gulp!) 300, but here I am and I feel so good knowing that I'm going to start the trek down to a healthier weight. It is scary though and part of me (the doubting part of me) wonders if I'll ever get there. Is it possible for me to weigh less than 200 pounds? I haven't since middle school. I've been fat for so long that I'm comfortable in this body and I feel safe. It's kind of scary to leave what you know, even if you know it's for the better. Well, that's all of the thoughts I have for now. More later....