The Greenwalds weigh 200 lbs less than we used to!

I haven't been blogging much, have I? Things are just trucking along with no big changes, really. My weight loss is so much slower and gradual than it was in the beginning months that it feels less exciting. Not less celebrated, just less interesting to share.

I am about 6.5 months post surgery and I have lost 95 pounds. Ben is about 5.5 months post surgery and he has lost 105 pounds. Did you catch that? The Greenwalds weigh 200 lbs less than we used to!

I bought some "normal" size 14 pants last weekend at the Atlanta Assistance League's "Attic Treasures" thrift store in Chamblee. That's a great place to get clothes for me right now. Our family budget remains tight while Ben still looks for work, and I'll only wear my clothes for about a month before they'll be too big for me. They often have nice brands of clothes, and it's generally really basic.... So last weekend or so I spent less than $20 for 2 pairs of pants and 2 turtle necks! My other thrifty find is that Wal-mart has $12 jeans. I don't care that they aren't well made and would probably wear out faster than some fancier brands.... um, I won't be wearing them until they wear out!

I've not been a saint this Christmas season. I like baking and eating sweets too much. But I do eat way, way less than I used to! A few a day feels like I've eaten everything in a bakery! Other than the treats I sneak in, I still don't eat much each day, but it feels like enough! Wondering what a typical day's intake is? Coffee for breakfast, lowfat yogurt and a graham cracker with peanut butter for lunch, a cheese stick for a late afternoon snack, a dinner of a meat and veggie, and a glass of milk before bed. On the weekends, I also eat low sugar oatmeal made with milk for breakfast and/or have a sugar free latte made with skim milk on the way to church. (My FAVORITE "treats" these days are Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Lattes and Sugar Free Nonfat Vanilla Steamers! YUM!)

Dawn took some more Milestone Pictures of us last Saturday...

click here to see the full facebook album

By the way, everyone assumes this is hard work. It still hasn't been for me. I suppose one's attitude, conviction that they made the absolute best choice, and commitment not to make the surgery a waste help in one's post surgery experience. I'm also grateful that I have not had any physical or healing difficulties which can be the case for some bariatric patients. Sure, I have certain things I no longer eat (no more soda-not even diet and bread makes me feel terribly ill), and sure, I eat way less. But I physically just don't desire them or more food. The weather here has not been conducive to walking, but luckily shopping trips to Wal-MArt, Target, and the mall provide plenty of exercise! Oh, and Ben got me to the gym to try their treadmill a week or so ago. It was fun to do that right next to him! Who knew I'd ever exercise with my husband? Say what?!?! I'll return to swimming when it is not so cold outside and when it doesn't get dark during my drive home. This is by far the "easiest diet" I've ever been on. If I listen to my body, and make good choices about what I am eating, I'm going to lose weight. And it's not often I have cravings I have to talk myself out of. That is unlike any diet I'd ever tried! And I'd tried a lot of them!

Am I happy with my decision to have surgery last May? 100% YES!!!!