dawnhouse

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I am officially 100 lbs lighter today than my highest weight of 283 pounds in August 2008.  Since surgery, in April of this year, I've lost a total of 82 pounds!  I will NEVER be that heavy again, and I feel absolutely wonderful!  43 pounds to go until I hit my goal weight.  Wish me luck!

As of today, I am 7 months out.  I feel absolutely amazing.  I now weigh 187, for a total weight loss of 96 pounds.  I'm sooo close to that "100 pounds lost mark" I can taste it!  When I started this journey, I was wearing a size 28.  I'm currently in a size 14.  I haven't seen a size 14 since I was in middle school!  I'm now starting to run a bit.  I can't run a constant mile, but I'll run a couple of minutes and then walk briskly a couple of minutes.  I'll get there though!  I'll post again when I hit 183 - 100 pounds lost!!

I did it!  I've accomplished another mini-goal of mine.  As of Saturday, I am officially in onederland - I am 199.6!  I'm saying good-bye to the 200's and never going back!  What a terrific feeling.  I haven't been under 200 since I was 18, and that was only for a short time while on phen-phen.

Today I weigh 202 pounds.  Very soon, I will be saying good-bye to the 200's forever!  I'm walking on "cloud 9" today.  I've lost 81 pounds total, 63 since surgery, and I have 67 to go before I hit my goal weight of 135.

This is gonna sound really silly to avid motorcycle riders, but just hear me out.

My husband rides a motorcycle and has always wanted me to ride with him.  He got me on his bike one time, at my highest weight, and drove me through the neighborhood.  Even at 35 mph, I was scared shitless.  At the time, I weighed more than my husband by about 40 pounds.  My fear was that with 2 people on that bike with a combined total weight of 540 pounds, he was not gonna be able to control the bike and he was gonna lay the bike down, seriously injuring, or killing, both of us.  Needless to say, I didn't get on the bike again.....until yesterday!

I'm now down 76 pounds and weigh less than my husband by 30 pounds.  We needed to take a short trip to Office Depot to get some last minute school supplies, and when I asked him to take me on his bike, he nearly peed his pants.  I slipped on a pair of pants and strap up wedge shoes, and climbed on back of his bike.  I got on so effortlessly I was amazed.  Before, it was a struggle to get my big ass on that bike!  For the first time in my life, I rode the open roads on the back of a motorcycle with no fear that I was so heavy that the bike would tip over.  The ride was exhilarating!  We will definately be riding more often, especially since fall is around the corner and the weather won't be so hot.

I find less and less time to blog because I'm more and more active with each pound I lose!

I'm at the gym at least 4 days a week, but I aim for 5 days.  I usually do a brisk 2-mile walk and then 30 minutes of various weight training exercises.  If I don't walk 2 miles, I walk 1 mile and then ride 5 miles, just to give my body a change.  I've noticed the weight is coming off much slower.  I'm averaging a pound a week right now.  I've lost a total of 73 pounds - 23 before surgery and 50 after surgery.  I've lost a total of 41".  When I was at my highest weight a year ago, I was wearing a size 26 pant and 30/32 shirt.  I'm now in a size 16/18 pant and shirt.  Depending on how the shirt is made, I can wear a size 14/16!

I'm totally happy, except for the hair loss.  Starting in my 3rd month post-op, I began losing my hair.  I knew to expect this.  I do use Biotin shampoo and conditioner and I take Bioltin daily.  My doctor said that it's not necessarily lack of protein, my body is in shock and still trying to adjust and hair loss will happen.

I'll post again in a month!

Well, it's been awhile since I posted...May, I believe.  I hit my 3 month surgiversary tomorrow.  As of this morning, I'm down a total of 68 pounds, 50 pounds since surgery.  I feel TERRIFIC!  I have so much energy.  My closet is on the bare side as I try on clothes daily and throw them into the discard pile.  I'm now addicted to consignment stores and Goodwill!  I used to spend $40 for one shirt at Fashion Bug, today I spent $72 at a consignment store and walked out with a dress and seven shirts!  When I started my journey, I was wearing a size 28 shirt and 24/26 pant.  I'm now in size 18, and dresses I can wear a 16.

I've had a few problems with food as I try to learn what my body will handle.  I know I can't do left-overs at all, even with gravy.  I do okay with beef, but it has to be tender.  I haven't gotten up the nerve to try steak yet.  My diet consists mostly of fish and chicken.

For those people who are lurking around trying to gather information before making a very tough decision, this has been the best decision I've ever made for myself.  It's not easy by any means, but the outcome is well worth the effort involved.

Tomorrow I'll be 3 weeks post-op with 21 pounds gone as of this morning.  I hit a bit of a stall last week and early this week, but in the last 2 days, I've lost 5 pounds.  I've heard this is normal though.  My clothes still fit, but are definately loose.  I can tell I've lost breast size because the shirt I'm wearing today has a babydoll cut and is not fitting right.  Why can't the weight fall off my butt first?!  I don't have much to spare up top.  But I'm happy and feeling much healthier!  Thank you all for your support.  I couldn't do this without you!

I feel great!  I'm amazed at how much energy I have.  I could walk all day and it would never phase me!  I haven't started any strenuous workout yet.  I'd really like to start jumping rope, but I think I'm too early out still.  So for now, I'll keep it at walking and weight training for my arms.

I did have my first trouble with food last night.  My mother grilled some grouper for me and I think it was too dry.  I knew it was dry, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings.  I chewed it up really good, but that obviously wasn't enough.  About half way through my 2oz, I felt this awful pain in my chest (between my boobs).  So I quit eating.  But the pain didn't go away.  I waited 30 minutes to take a drink, thinking I could wash the fish through the pouch.  I sipped cold propel.  That only made the pain worse.  I could actually feel the propel sitting in the bottom of my throat.  The only thing I could think to do, was make myself vomit.  That worked a little, but not completely.  My aunt told me to sip on something warm/hot, and that would flush the pouch.  Sure enough, it worked.  She also told me I should have rehydrated the fish with lemon juice or terriyaki sauce - something to make it not so dry.  After that pain, I'm so gun-shy for fish, I don't think I'll be eating any, anytime soon!

Okay, so this is the first chance I've had to post.  I know I was supposed to be resting today, but I found a ton of things that needed to be done at the house, and couldn't resist the urge to do them.  That's the raging OCD in me!

Surgery went smoothly.  I didn't have any doubts there.  I did my research and felt completely safe in Dr. Lord's hands!

The EXTREME cotton mouth right after surgery was awful.  Anesthesia gives you cotton mouth anyway and then coupled with not having any fluids after midnight the night before, this glue-like substance formed on my teeth!  I wanted nothing more than to brush my teeth, but they wouldn't let me until after the leak test.  Maybe they were afraid that I'd get desperate and drink the listerine!  Doesn't matter, because I was so drugged up, that I don't remember much about Friday night.

Anyway, I passed the leak test Saturday morning.  The stuff you swallow that normally would taste like crap, was just soothing to my throat, simply because it was wet.  When I got back to my room, they had ice chips ready for me to start eating - 30ml every 30 minutes.

As the day progressed, so did the gas pains.  They were even worse than the glue-like substance on my teeth.  I walked and walked some more, thinking that I could walk out the gas.  But then I got frustrated that the gas wasn't moving.  I think I walked 30 laps that day alone around the bariatric unit.  The nurse finally gave me some anti-anxiety drug, and when I calmed down, my insides woke up and the gas flowed, thus relieving that pressure.  I'm still bloated, but not experiencing the pain that I felt that day.

I was released to go home Sunday afternoon.  After a dose of liquid Lortab, the 2 1/2 hour ride wasn't bad.

I'm not eating much.  This morning I ate a couple of bites of egg whites and some cottage cheese.  For lunch I had 1/2 oz of chicken salad.  For dinner, I had 1 oz of yogurt.  I've had 2 protein shakes.  But I'm having a difficult time getting in the 60oz of fluid.  You litterally have to sip ALL DAY LONG in order to get that much liquid in.  Before surgery, I didn't think it was going to be a problem, but now I'm not so sure.  I'm just praying it gets easier in time.