ONE YEAR POST SURGERY!

It is difficult to believe May 26th marked the one year anniversary of my surgery. While I didn't get a chance to blog that day, here's my facebook status from May 26th:

Today is the one year anniversary of my gastric bypass surgery. I currently weigh 155, which is 123 lbs less than I did pre-surgery, I wear size 10 pants and medium tops rather than size 26 pants and 3X tops, and my BMI is now 27.5 rather than 49.2! I feel great!

In other news, my husband Ben and I had been waiting on an adoption of a domestic infant. We'd begun the process in the Fall of 2007, and became approved and officially began waiting in May 2009. We finally got the call we'd been waiting for on Easter Monday! We brought Nathaniel Mark home on May 4th, and we couldn't be happier.

Here's a family picture:

Needless to say, I have something new that gets all of my attention now! Forgive me if I stop blogging about my surgery, but things pertaining to post-surgery are pretty predictible and uneventful now. I go in Monday for my 1 year checkup, and Dr. Macik says we'll all have to go at least annually until death.... his or ours, LOL!

I still have several food items that I can not tolerate, or can only tolerate in very tiny portions. Those things are bread, rice, items with very high fat content (forget pizza, for instance!), and eating too much sugar in one sitting (though I can get away with more than I wish I could, and I know that because I test it out whenever someone makes a yummy cake or offers a delicious dessert!). I assume "dumping syndrome" will be a part of my life forever, and that is fine with me as it serves as an excellent negative reinforcement when I veer too far from the nutritious path. It can be pretty uncomfortable, as can getting something lodged in the small stomach opening because I didn't chew thoroughly enough. For me, dumping syndrome means tons of clear fluid building up in my stomach and esophagus (so much so that I have to go to the restroom to spit it out), extreme pressure in my pouch area, sometimes vomiting, and sometimes -- though it's rare for me-- diarrhea.

I love to walk now, and can easily challenge myself with faster speeds, more hills, and longer distances. I love to be able to get down on the floor and then up again like I did when I was in my mid-20s. This is especially fabulous when teaching toddlers at church and with Nathaniel. Swimming is still a love, but logistically it is difficult to fit in.

I had to show my drivers license at a pharmacy when buying sudafed a few weeks ago. The clerk looked at it, looked at me, said "hmmm", looked at the picture again and said, "this picture looks really different than you do." I had to explain that I'd lost 120 lbs, so it wasn't surprising that I no longer resembled the picture!! It's also pretty funny when meeting new people. They always seemed shocked when I explain that just a year ago, I weighed 120 pounds more than I do now!

So, that's a wrap. Thanks for following my blog and encouraging me in this most exciting and successful year!

Jen

"You're so skinny!"

I hear this all the time now, which is pretty freaky. Truth is, I hide my excess weight well, and learned a lot watching What Not to Wear!

So, at today's weight of 164 (BMI of 29.1), I definitely need to loose a minimum of 17 lbs more, which would put me safely below 150 and at a BMI of 26 which is considered "overweight". That is a mental thing suggested by my surgeon, based on his observations of his most successful patients.... that way, I'll be able to stay determined and committed never to get above 150 again.

Ideally, though, I'd like to lose another 28 lbs to get down to 136, which puts my BMI at 24, which is in the ideal range. My weight loss has slowed enough that I'm realizing this won't be as easy as the first 112 lbs. Trying to decide what I'm going to do to reign myself in... I have increased my exercise which is helping, and I need to figure out the best way for me to cut back on sweets but still be able to feel satisfied... I do feel hungry at meal times nowadays and have cravings for foods, which I didn't for the first 8 months or so.

In case you don't believe me that I am still in the "overweight" category, let me explain... I "hide" my extra weight in my thighs, and somehow still get to have a smaller waist when I still have weight to loose. Just how my body has always been... So, since I am 5'3", my current weight of 164 is a BMI 29 which is, in fact, considered "overweight".

I AM celebrating that I've finally gotten out of the "obese" range, though! PTL!

Happy Spring!

Me 11 months and 114 pounds later...

Ben 10 months and 133 pounds later...

click here to see my Facebook Album

SIZE 12 JEANS!

I am actually now wearing size 12 jeans! I'm not sure exactly how that happened, as I've only lost 2 pounds in the last month, but apparently my body has at least been shape shifting.

Clearly, since my weight loss has slowed, it's time to make some adjustments. I'm pretty sure that limiting the sweets I eat, walking 2 or 3 days a week and swimming 2 or 3 days a week would get me back on track. But I'm not feeling motivated to do those things. Hopefully with the time change this weekend and the onset of spring, I'll get a little spring in my step...

Little changes in my image...

click below to see the entire facebook album:

New glasses, new dress, updated hair...

Jen 9 mos post op

EIGHT months?!?!

I was pulling up my sagging jeans at lunch, and my girlfriend joyfully laughed at me. I hadn't even realized I was needing to pull them up... But they're 16s, so, they were falling down... So I was telling her that I'd lost 106 lbs so far, and I stopped to figure out how long ago my surgery was.... EIGHT months?!?! WOW!

A few STATS for you... I've lost 38.4% of my starting weight of 276. My starting BMI was 48.9 which was morbidly obese, and my current BMI of 30.1 is just a tad over the 29.9 that is considered overweight. In the first month post-op, I lost about 33 lbs, in the next month I lost about 15, and in the months since I've been losing about 8-10 pounds a month. At that rate, I would reach my goal in about another 5 months. Truth is, though, that I'm not controlling the weight loss, my body is. It is possible that I'll get to my personal goal and keep losing. It is also possible that the honeymoon post-op weight loss will end before I reach my goal, and if I decide I want to get to it, I'll have to make some additional adjustments in my diet and exercise routines to get down to where I want to be. Believe it or not, the surgeons can't even predict what each patients' body will do or how long the weight loss period will continue for each patient.

In many ways, it seems like it was just a few weeks ago since I had my surgery. In other ways, the new ways of life are so ingrained in my daily routine that I do them without thinking much about them anymore. I don't even WANT soda or sugar in my tea or coffee. I reach for the splenda without giving it a second thought. I order smaller portions as if that's what everyone does. (You know you don't though, right?) I instinctively aim for protein rich foods for meals and even when I order my Starbucks coffee... There's a reason I do lattes! That milk is full of protein! I even add skinny to my SB orders without thinking twice now. I don't think twice about stopping to chew up all of my daily chewable vitamins each morning.

It's incredible to think of the many, many ways my day to day life has changed since last April. I found a good deal and bought a new Nautica rain jacket today. It's a Petite Medium. WHAT?!? I even bought a swimsuit and underwear at Costco a week or so ago, and Costco didn't use to have ANYTHING in my size. My closet is less cluttered with clothing than it has been since elementary school, I try to regularly purge everything that's over one size too big since my size keeps getting smaller. I have applied to be selected for a mission trip in Cambodia next summer. I didn't have to stop and think about how horrible that many hours would be in the airplane's tiny seats.... because I'll fit in them no problem now! We don't have to request tables instead of booths at restaurants anymore, we're comfortable in either now. We can typically find something at any restaurant that we can order. We enjoy sharing a dish and then bringing home leftovers from our neighborhood Chinese restaurant. We even went out for mexican for the first time a few weeks ago. Movie Theater and church seats are comfortable again. That wedding ring that used to be so tight I'd need water and lotion to get it off each night is way too loose now. I enjoy getting dressed in the mornings, as it's fun to put on my clothes and feel pretty in them. I can get up and down off the floor during Waumba Land on Sundays like I'm in my twenties again, and even while holding a toddler!

Is everything easy breezy? Not entirely. I do still have to pay attention to drinking enough fluids each day. I also haven't been walking the way I intended to be. I do enjoy it, but it is easy to talk yourself out of it when it's dark and cold and rainy outside or you didn't bring the clothes to stop at they gym to use the treadmill. I will return to swimming when there is more daylight and it isn't too cold outside, but that just isn't something I'll be willing to do during the winter months. I'd be a wreck without stool softeners, I have to take them daily or I'd be in big ol' trouble. (Sorry if that was TMI for you!) I do sometimes wish I could take Aleve or Ibuprofen, but am often pleasantly surprised at how well Tylenol can help. I give in to sweet items more often than I should, though at least they are in much smaller portions than they once were. For my recent 38th birthday, I enjoyed 3 different birthday cakes 3 days in a row, but could only enjoy small portions of them. And I ate too much of one, and let me tell you that dumping syndrome is very real.

I still eat plenty of lowfat cheesesticks, yogurt, and reduced fat peanut butter. I most always have a glass of milk before bedtime. Somehow I haven't grown tired of those things, thank goodness. Oh, I still can't eat most bread. Today I did ok with a roll at O'Charley's; YUM. Oh, and recently I have been able to enjoy a little tea or water with my meals, which is a new improvement. (-:

So, that's the gist of things for me now, 8 months post-op! Even if I didn't loose another ounce, I'd be thrilled with my decision to have surgery. Knowing that I should certainly get to my minimum goal of 145 is wonderful. Seeing and believing in the possibility of actually getting back to a nice looking figure at 134 is amazing, especially at my current age of 38! Knowing, especially in the over 150 lb range I am currently in, that as I lose pounds those are pounds I will refuse to allow myself to ever again gain is very powerful.

I have a new found hope and excitement about my future and how God may be able to work through me in this much improved body of mine! I am so very grateful for the many blessings in my life!

Clothes Purging

It's crazy how many clothes I've had to get rid of. Last weekend I went through and pulled out everything size 16 and up... it's just too big to wear! Kept a few smaller X and XL items, but most of everything from pre-surgery has now been purged. Headed upstairs to get it all ready to transport to Goodwill and a friend who's recently had the same surgery I did and might be able to enjoy them. After my friend is too little for them, the nicer, designer things from Jones New York, Talbot's, etc are going to go to a great new Women's Consignment Store in Dunwoody, called Consigning Women Upscale Resale. I've found some great stuff there myself.

7.5 MOS POST SURGERY = 101 LBS LOST!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FACEBOOK ALBUM

I feel great! I had a cold last week and had no taste for anything, so I guess I lost a little more than I had been for awhile.... I got on the scale today hoping it would be 100, and low and behold, I've lost 101 lbs! We're having a major snow day here in Atlanta, so I got Ben to shoot some photos to comemorate the day for me....

I'm wearing size 14 jeans today....

Seriously. Regular size 14, $12 Faded Glory Wal-mart jeans are comfortably being worn by yours truly! Woo hoo! I'm at 179 lbs now, which means I've lost 97 lbs thus far, about 7 months post surgery. I don't have enough trouble with eating sugary items, so I did get to enjoy some Christmas goodies. I ate far fewer than in years past, and was careful to still get my vitamins and protein in as well. I need to wean myself back off of that sugar, though. That's heading down the WRONG path, people!

For the new year, I am refusing to make any resolutions because, let's face it, resolutions are made to be forgotten by around Feburary 1st. I will say that my health and wellness plan is to try to do a better job watching my carb intake, and to do a better job getting my walking in. I can either go to the mall or the treadmill at the gym, but I just must make it more part of my routine. I've found making excuses comes all to easily for me on that subject, not the least of which is after working a 9 hour day and it's already dark, the last thing I feel like doing is going back out once I'm home. Well, so I guess I'd better work with that, and MAKE myself pack my walking pants, t-shirt, and gym shoes so I go STRAIGHT to the gym. Ben's new job might make that a little easier, actually, because he'll be getting home about an hour later than me anyway starting Tuesday. (-:

I live for Starbucks "treats". I still love my Skinny Vanilla Lattes with 3 splenda's when I can afford them in the mornings. Heaven in a cup. Now, in the evenings at home, just before bed, I drink a glass of 1% milk. That's to get 9 more grams of protein in, and to help me wind down before climbing into bed. Well, I have a new treat when I'm both able to afford it and I'm out and about after 9:30 or so.... Have you ever tried a Vanilla Steamer? Ohhh, YUM! It's like a warm milkshake-- steamed milk and some syrup for flavor. But I get to enjoy mine guilt-free.... I have them use sugar free vanilla syrup and nonfat milk, no whip. DELICIOUS! Warms you right up, and makes you all cozy and calm and ready for bed. We have a pretty tight budget these days, so this isn't something I get to do a lot.... but I will admit I have a GOLD Starbucks card with my name on it. I put a certain amount on it each two week pay for my Starbucks budget. And, since this is a frequent visitor program, I get my syrup for free, not to mention every 16th drink is FREE. If you love Starbucks, btw, I highly recommend you register that card you got as a Christmas gift or in your stocking.... just click here to get it registered and start earning your rewards!

I'm fighting off bronchitis, so I best get myself to bed. Happy New Year, one and all! How INSANE is it that it's 2011? Y2K, what's that?