MAJOR milestone

This past week I reached a major milestone....I reached the 100# mark.  I officially have lost 100 pounds since I started this journey.

Some people would say it is only 70 since I lost 30 of it before surgery.  But I started keeping track on October 11, 2012.  So in just over a year, I lost 100 pounds.

Now on to goal #2, that is to weigh less than 200 pounds.  So my goal is set to weigh 199.  That is 28 more pounds from where I was when I reached goal #1.

To help myself with these goals, I followed my surgery buddy's idea of marbles in jars.  One jar for pounds to lose and the other for pounds lost.  Here is a picture of my current marbles.

The vase on the right has 101 marbles, the one on the left has 27.

My goal is to hit 199 by about February 1.  That is "around" 10 pounds a month which is reasonable and attainable.

I purposely have not put all my marbles in at once because I want my goals to be attainable, not overwhelming.  199 is NOT where I want to end up - I have more goals.  I am still technically "obese" at 199 pounds.  I have spent my entire adult life being obese or morbidly obese.  I would love to simply be "overweight".  In my DREAMS I could get to 'Normal" - but right now my goal is "overweight."  When I get there, we will see if I set goals to lose more or to maintain.  The number or the classification isn't everything - the biggest part is how I feel.  

So, the plan was to celebrate reaching this first, HUGE, milestone.  I tried to figure out what to do to celebrate.  I decided on a trip for just me and Mike - a long weekend kind of trip.  I have been researching where to go and prices, just waiting to reach the milestone and then set a date and book the trip.

Here arrives the stumbling block....2 weeks ago I discovered I have a uterine prolapse.  NOT something I ever even knew could happen.  But yep, believe it or not, it is possible for your uterus to try to escape your body!

So, got in to see the specialists today to find out the next course of action.  I knew the answer, but no one had said it out loud for certain until today.  The answer is a hysterectomy. 

Today I saw the OB/GYN and the Urologist who will do the surgery.  Yep - I am so special, I get TWO surgeons!  The OB/GYN will do the hysterectomy and then the Urologist will do the repairs to the front of the vaginal wall and make sure the bladder is supported well.

At the end of the appointment, they checked their calendars and set the surgery date:  December 9.  When they told me I started to laugh - that is my birthday!  So for my birthday, I am getting a hysterectomy!

Not the best birthday gift in the world - but, I will survive.  I'd rather do it then than have to wait even longer!

So - thought I should also post more current side by side picture of a before and after.

The following pics were taken in March of 2013...I was about 307 pounds.  Really not sure why I didn't smile that day!  The second picture was taken recently and I am at 230 pounds.  (Not quite the 100 pounds gone at that point - but the most recent picture I have!)

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, October 11, 2012, I started my weight loss journey.

October 11, 2012 - the day had arrived, I started meeting with my weight loss team of doctors and nurses and dietitian.  It was a LONG day.  I met with the coordinator of the bariatric program, I met with the surgeon himself, I met with the PA with the surgeon separately, then we watched a 90 minute power point about surgery and all it entails, then we met with the dietitian for a good hour.

It was an overwhelming day, to say the least.  But it was a day that started me on my journey to where I am now, 87 pounds lighter than I was one year ago today!!!

I cannot tell you how thankful I am for the people I met that day and the gift they have given me by helping me in my journey.  I could not have done it without them and their fabulous help.

And they continue to help because there are monthly support groups.  These groups are awesome.  Once a month any WLS patients or people considering surgery or in the process of getting to surgery are welcome.  They bring in speakers most months to discuss different things.  We have had a plastic surgeon there to talk about reconstructive surgery post weight loss....abdominalplasty, thighs, arms (bat wings) and breasts.  All to remove the excess skin that results after significant weight loss.

One month we had the Fellow with the department talk to us about indicators of success and failure - in otherwords, what can you do BEFORE surgery and after surgery to ensure success and what can you do that will screw it up.  THAT was one of the more important meetings for me because I still needed to lose 10 pounds at that point to get to where studies have shown you have a greater chance of long term success.  That meeting jump started me and I did it by the next time I was in to see them - one month later.

The dietitian comes sometimes - that's up next month!

We had a psychologist there to lead discussion on goal setting.

But more than all these speakers that come and talk with us - it's getting a chance to talk with other WLS patients and compare stories, ask for help, ask for advice, give advice, get encouragement, give encouragement, etc.   It is the only place I go where I know everyone there understands what I have been through, what I will go through and the emotions that go along with the whole process.

It's a fabulous place where I am meeting new people!  I have what I call my surgery buddy who I see there.  She had surgery the same day I did.  Infact, she was right after me.  She gives me a hard time that because my surgery took longer than they thought (my ribs are small and they had to work around them!)...anyway because I took longer - her surgery bumped back a couple hours.  So she razzes me about having to wait for me!  LOL

But she and I have developed a friendship, encouraging each other and someone to talk to about what we are going through and the emotions, struggles, feelings of it all.  We email each other most days, chat on facebook, whatever works.  It is a great relationship.

And funnily enough, we both scowl (inside) at the man at support group who had surgery exactly one month after we did and has lost a LOT more weight then either of us have.  WE have to remind eachother that HE is a MAN and men lose weight more easily, usually.  Honestly, we are extremely happy for him - just a bit jealous!

So, here are "the numbers" from October 11, 2012 to October 11, 2013...

Weight:  327 to 239  (88 pounds lost)

Pant Size:  30W to 16W  (that's SEVEN pant sizes)

Shirt Size:  4X to 0X  (that's 4 shirt sizes)

Underwear:  (I know, what an odd thing - but when your underwear is falling down....)  13 to 11 - I should probably even go to 10, but well, they aren't falling down, so why buy new ones again?!?!

Bra:  44DD to 38DDD (wish the cup size would have stayed DD or gone down, but as you lose band size, the cups get smaller and I need the larger cup to stuff it all in!  It's weird how empty they are now.  Just bags of skin.)


Things you cannot measure by a number:

Health - no more blood pressure medicine, no more acid reflux medicine.  The only prescriptions I take now are for my asthma and my antidepressant.

Joint Pain - SO much better

Lower Back Pain - SO much better

Health again - I feel great and my co morbidities are dwindling!

Energy - believe it or not, by getting caffeine out of my diet I have TONS more energy.  And, being 88 pounds lighter, I have more energy for moving around and being active

Self Confidence - In some ways up, in others, the same.  This is due to me looking in the mirror and still seeing the "fat girl" I have always been.  I am working on this continually, but this is one I am looking forward to improving more and more.

Stress Level - wow, it has gone down.  It's amazing what feeling good can do to stress levels.

Pride - in myself, that is - through the roof.  This has been one heck of a year's journey.  It has been probably one of the hardest years of my life.  Why?  Because this is NOT an easy road I chose.  Preparing for surgery, having surgery and life after surgery is NOT a walk in the park.  It is a tool to HELP you lose weight, but it is NOT a magical thing that just takes off tons of weight and you do nothing.  It is a TON of work and FAR from easy.  I am proud of myself for not getting scared off when it started to get really tough before surgery.  This is THE BEST thing I have ever done for myself.


I think I could go on and on about the whole process and what I have been through.

I have set goals for myself so that I keep moving in the direction I want.

Goal #1 - lose 12 more pounds to hit 100# lost  - when I do this, Mike and I are taking a long weekend away as my "reward" to myself for this HUGE milestone!

Goal #2 - to make exercise MORE of my routine.  This is going to be a tough one for me.  I really do NOT enjoy working out and exercising.  But I am determined to be healthier (and to reach Goal #1 and #3 and #4, etc)  So I WILL figure out a way to make it more prevalent.

Goal #3 - to hit 200 pounds.  This is the goal that the PA I see when I go back for follow up visits has set for me as my "goal weight".  I, however, do not like this number as it will still classify me as obese.  I would like to AT LEAST get to over weight instead of obese.  Which leads me to my long term goal...

Goal #4 - to get to "over weight" instead of obese - I believe this would mean getting to 185 pounds.

In my heart, I would love to get to a "normal" weight...but the 4 goals I have already are going to be hard to reach and take a lot of work.  I do not want to set myself up for failure by setting an unreasonable goal.

I already worry with my Goal #4 - can I get there or am I just going to feel badly about myself?

That is why I broke them up...I didn't go striaght to I want to be 185.  I am giving myself stepping stones to get to my end goal.  I am hoping that this approach will help me reach my goals.

My surgery buddy emailed me a great idea yesterday.  She read somewhere about having two glass jars or containers (or plastic, but see through).  One labeled pounds lost and one labeled pounds to lose.  Then you put marbles in.  When you lose a pound, you move a marble.  A GREAT visual to see that you ARE making progress, no matter how slowly.

We both decided that we put marbles in the pounds lost jar for the weight we have already lost.  So in my jar I would put 88 marbles to represent what I have already lost.  Then in my Pounds to Lose jar I would put 54 marbles.

However, I am thinking of putting those 54 marbles in one goal at a time.  So first I will put 12 marbles in that jar to represent goal #1.  Once that is reached I will put 27 marbles in to represent goal #3, and then finally put in 15 marbles to represent goal #4.  And then WHEN I get there, I can make new goals to get me to a "normal" weight if that is still what I want to do.

Thank you for following me this past year as I have made this journey, and I hope you will continue to follow me as I reach to make my goals and continue toward the Inner Skinny Me.