Hello blogosphere...

First of all, let me apologize to my readership for not posting my 2 month update...

First here are the stats:
Heaviest weight: 375
Weight at program start: 330
Pre-op weight: 304.5
Weight today: 276.8
that is 27.7 lbs gone...*sigh*  Yep... I GAINED weight!!!  My doc says its probably water weight since I have been getting more liquids in than at the beginning... but the scale says I GAINED!!!  a whole 2.7 lbs!!!!!

*blinking*

Wait a minute... I'm tripping over 3 lbs?  (insert eye roll here...)

ok ok... I'm calm now...

but I will report having lost LOTS of inches...and a few dress sizes since my weight loss journey began... I got up as big as a 34W... I fit a 26/24 nicely and CAN zip up a 22/24 dress... I know I know... you're probably saying... "those are still fat girl sizes..." and you're right! they are!  but SMALLER fat girl sizes!!!

Ok... back to these 2.7 lbs (ok... 3 lbs rounding up)... maybe its from all the SODIUM I've consumed... I enjoyed some Chinese food with my co-workers this week... they sat and laughed as I tried to eat a saucer full of food... and couldn't finish... I was seriously frustrated that I couldn't eat!!  I used to be the buffet queen!! Remember the Klump family in Eddie Murphy's rendition of the Nutty Professor... yeah... I could tear a Chinese buffet UP!!

and here I sit... post surgery... with a mini stomach... trying to eat... with pro buffet eaters!  STUPID ME!!
I believe I've learned my lesson here...

Oh... my OTHER lesson ... I'm not supposed to have carbonated drinks for up to a year post surgery... I had taken my youngest son to Wendy's for lunch... I enjoyed some cub scout conversation... he ate... drank his fizzy orange Fanta... I am so into the conversation ... just running my mouth... and I absent-mindedly pick up his soda and take a BIG swig.... and a BIG swallow....PAIN.... UNDER... MY BREASTBONE... I thought I was dying!!!  I clutched my chest... and leaned over... put my head down... and let out this huge burp!  Can you spell relief!?  I learned that I must be more mindful when I am eating or drinking... AND that no carbonation means NONE... NADA... ZILCH!  JUST DON"T DO IT!!! LOL

I can laugh about it now... but that day, it wasn't funny...

Ok... I've been long winded this time... but its been nearly a month... so I guess I thought I should tell it all... lol

Ok... back to these 2.7 lbs... (3 lbs rounding up...) I believe I am in a weight stall... I have been at this weight for about 8 days... and according to my support group, when I hit a STALL... my body is adjusting to the drop in weight... then I can drop up to 4 or 5 lbs quickly... and lose steadily for a while till I hit another stall... this... I was not prepared to deal with... seriously, I thought I had stretched out my stomach from trying to eat buffet style... I got mildly depressed at the thought that I'd failed at surgery too... I mean, those who have carried significant weight for 5 or more years and have been unsuccessful at dieting knows what it is to fail at yet another attempt to lose weight... I thought... just MY luck! I broke my sleeve!!  lol

I go see my doctor March 13th... I will try and remember to update soon after.

Here is my latest picture... this time last year, I couldn't close this turquoise top... let alone button it... yeah... and I was tripping over 2.7 lbs... (3 lbs rounding up)... lol

as always... thanks for reading...

Be blessed!

Late... but I am here!

Hello Blogosphere...

Here I am... almost 2 months post surgery... and  I have big pants!!

32.5 lbs down!!

I am gaining energy... 

It's AMAZING!!

I just wanted to drop in an update... 

Thanks for reading...

Ms. B ~

Hello Blogosphere...

I know... I've been remiss in my blogging duties... but here goes...

ok... week 5... I know, I missed week 4 but there was nothing to report other than the fact that the Dr. says I look good and checked my lap sites (incisions)... no gain or loss that week...

Week 5... weight: 281.6

that's a total of 22.9 pounds lost in 5 weeks!

*yay*

Someone stated they could see a difference already... of course I *feel* a difference... but see it... nah... I thought they were pulling my leg... until I did this...

A sista is finding her waistline!!!

Anyway, I am happy with the current progress... enjoying the nods from people who love me and support me...

Thanks for reading...

Week 3 Post Surgery

Hello blogosphere...

Hope you had a Merry Christmas... I did!  I didn't realize roast turkey ground up in the blender and made into a salad along with black eye peas would suffice for Christmas Dinner... it was yummo!!

The downside of this holiday season is we lost power Christmas night... I thank God for the love of good friends... We spent the night in the cold then the next day, my friends came in their 4WD and got us... warm noses and warm toes... good people still exist!

The challenge has been making sure I eat on schedule since I've not been at my home... So I am feeling kind of weak and tired... not able to take in enough calories...needless to say, I am resting alot!

I can't do a weight update this week... no scales here! lol

Oh well... it is what it is... and what it is right now is nap time!

thanks for reading...

Post-op Week 2

Hello blogosphere...

I am now 14 days post surgery... still struggling with getting all the liquids in... feeling forced to eat...nausea daily...

but you know... I won't complain... (or is that what I just did? LOL)

I must say, I am feeling more and more like myself every day...gaining energy while losing weight...

the one thing I notice is that sweet stuff is VERY sweet... even sugar free stuff... and it makes me feel a bit queasy... and savory foods are soooooooooooo goooooooddddd!!!

I am at the stage now that I can eat ground meats, soft cooked veggies, soft scrambled eggs... no more cream soups!!!

Like I said, its a chore to eat... I am NEVER hungry... so making myself eat has been totally mind blowing...however, I didn't realize how much I missed chewing!

Ok... here are the numbers...
Pre-op: 304.5 lbs
Week 1: 293.8 lbs
Week 2: 289.8 lbs
Total weight loss: 14.7 lbs

My clothes are fitting differently...and my face is sooo much slimmer than it was before... when I feel more comfortable, I will start taking body shots... maybe once I'm a month out... anyway... I am glad I had the surgery... even with all the challenges... I don't regret my decision to make steps to be healthier and feel better about myself...

anyway... thanks for reading...

be blessed!

Week 1

Hello Blogosphere...

I am one week post-op.  And I must say that I have done very well... very little gas pain (anyone who has ever had laproscopic surgery knows what I'm talking about)... soreness is at a minimum.... I'm less nauseous every day... but the downside is trying to get my energy back.

I have a co-worker who had the lapband in October... surgery Friday, back to work and peppy Monday... NOT ME!!  Today was my first day back and OMG... when I got in the house, I laid on the bed and snored for an hour before I could be functional LOL

Odd thing about being at work is people have expectation of the surgery as being some miracle deal and were shocked to see that I am not insta-skinny..lol

I am pleased with my progress... I've lost 10.7 lbs since surgery LAST WEEK! Major victory for me!!   I don't know what typical progress is but I am aware that I didn't puff up overnight... and I wont lose it all overnight...

For now, I am finding new ways to enjoy liquid and pureed foods... :)  Next week I graduate to soft foods, YAY!! I am soooo ready to chew!

Anyway, that's all I got... thanks for reading!

...and some say I took the easy way out....

Hello blogosphere...

I know its been a long while since I've updated this blog... and with that being the case... let's get brought up to speed...

...became a scout mom with my youngest...
...finished my MS in Psychology a few weeks ago...
...had bariatric surgery 3 days ago...

yep... you read that right... I had the gastric sleeve on Wednesday December 5, 2012.  Operation Transformation is on and so far so good...

I realized January of this year, I've been overweight to obese all of my adult life.  My knees are degrading, hypertension had come upon me and diabetes was slowly taking hold...AND... I have a young son, turning 8 yrs old tomorrow...

How am I supposed to keep up with a little kid? How am I supposed to make sure he grows up to be fine and have a good quality of life when I am sick and heading toward death? HOW?

I decided I would start losing weight... bough the 6 week body make over... tried Sensa... Weight Watchers... then I developed horrible pain in my knees... the orthopedic surgeon said I would soon need a total knee replacement BUT... not at my weight... At that point, I'd only managed to lose and keep off 17 lbs...

 I've been as heavy as 375 lbs... and I did NOT want to go back to that... BUT at 340, I was still very unhealthy and NOT where I wanted to be as a parent...


I began doing my research and decided that now is the time to take drastic measures... so, after several appointments with my PCP, the nutritionist, a psychiatrist, and talking to my nurse coach, I lost down to 315.  Met my surgeon and we set a date for surgery...

Horrible shake after horrible shake... walking till my knees ached... I lost to 304.5 before surgery...

Post surgery, I am sore, easily tired, not able to eat more than a few spoonfuls of something liquid and not very tasty...BUT, I know I made the best decision for my health and for my son's quality of life.

oh... since before surgery, BP meds are no longer required!!!  Been off them two weeks and I am happy about that...

and today's weight...295.2... hadn't seen UNDER 300 for the last 10 years... I am VERY happy about that...

Of course there are some who say, "you can do this without surgery..." or "surgery is the easy way out...", and to them I say a big fat WHATEVER!!!  Walk a day in my shoes before you judge me or my choices... try and understand me before thinking you know me... 

In the words of CeCe Winans... it wasn't easy... but its worth it... 

Thanks for reading...