LosingForLife - Updates

Four Year Anniversary

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:31:00 -0700

What an amazing journey the last 4 years has been. My weight has been basically stable for over 2 years I never imagined I would be successful at losing weight, and however hard that was to conceive I never thought I would be able to keep the weight off. Now my struggle is with worrying about regaining weight. It is a constant battle. I am still amazed by the difference in my life. Losing weight has given me back my health and made doing things so much easier. The journey of the last four years is not measured just in pounds. There are so many other measures such as:

my diabetes being under control. This is the number one, most important result of my weight loss!
I can move with ease
I can run. One of my life-long dreams was to run in the NYC Marathon. I fulfilled this dream in 10/07. I have developed a love of running!
Instead of making plans to meet friends for food, I make plans with them to workout together.
I don't have to worry about fitting into plane seats. It still is striking to me how much easier traveling is now. It is great not to have to worry about sitting in the middle seat, or having the stamina to walk through the airport.
I can have a jar of chocolates on my desk for people who come to my office and not be tempted to have any. In fact I don't even notice they are there most of the time. In the past I would have eaten them all myself.
I don't worry about presenting in front of a group of people because I'm concerned they will be focused on my weight instead of what I am saying.

As important as all my successes and WOW moments are, it is also important to me that I remember the pain. I don't want to forget how miserable I was, as I believe it helps me not to allow myself to go back there. I know it could be all too easy to slip back into old habits. It is easier to eat now, and I can eat more than I've been able to. I have to watch that I don't allow myself to start picking up bad habits along the way. I am so grateful for my surgery and the tool it gave me to fight the battle with obesity. This past year has been difficult and I know if I didn't have the surgery I would have gained 50 pounds over the last few months! The surgery and years of new habits have given me the ability to get through this without gaining weight. It is still difficult not to have food to turn to sometimes, but the benefits out weigh the struggle by far. There are so many people to thank for their support thoughout this journey, but I have to give special mention my amazingly supportive husband, Rodney. Here are a couple of recent pictures: With the Alabama mascot, Big Al: With Sam:

Three year follow up with Dr. Pomp

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:39:00 -0700

Rodney and I took off 3/10, the day of my follow-up appointment with Dr. Pomp. We have taken off each time I have my follow ups; it is a celebration of sorts for us. My appointment was uneventful as everything has been going well and there are no issues with my blood work. It is basically a time to be thankful for how well everything has gone to date with my surgery. I couldn't be happier with my decision to have gastric bypass surgery. It has made such a difference in my life from eliminating my diabetes to making it possible to climb a flight of stairs without being completely out of breath!

Weight-Loss Surgery to Treat Diabetes

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:17:00 -0700

Recently I was interviewd for an article for US News on my gastric bypass surgery and diabetes. It was very exciting to share my story in the article. Diabetes was one of the primary reasons I decided to have gastric bypass surgery. The article discusses that gastric bypass surgery might help more than those who wouldn't qualify for surgery based on BMI alone. It states, "Because research suggests that one form of weight-loss or "bariatric" surgery--gastric bypass--offers health benefits beyond simply cutting the pounds, medical practitioners and patients are increasingly seeing surgery not as a last resort but as a really good option, as well as an avenue to learn more about the mechanisms behind the disease." Now they are thinking that gastric bypass surgery might be beneficial even for those who aren't morbidly obese. How tremendous it would be to find a way to help people with diabetes to avoid some of the horrible complications! This really hit home for me and Rodney because you have to wonder if Rodney's Dad might not have suffered so much if the gastric bypass surgery had been an option for him to help control his diabetes. Here is a link to the article: Weight Loss Surgery to Treat Diabetes

3 Year Anniversary

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:04:00 -0700

What an amazing journey the last 3 years has been. I've lost 150 pounds and I've kept it off 16 months. For the last 16 months my weight has been fairly stable. I don't think I've ever maintained a weight for such a long period of time. I worried whether or not the surgery would work for me, I was sure I would be the one person who wouldn't lose weight. So, that wasn't true. Now my struggle is with worrying about regaining weight. It is a constant battle. Now that I am three years out from surgery, it is so much easier to eat. I can understand how easy it is to gain weight. While I can't eat large quantities at one time, I could certainly graze my way through the day. This is why I would emphasize the importance of developing good habits in the early days after surgery. The success of the last three years is not measured just in pounds. There are so many other measures such as:

my diabetes being under control. This is the number one, most important result of my weight loss!
I can move with ease
I can run. I ran in the NYC Marathon a month ago, fulfilling a dream I had for a long time.
I don't have to worry about fitting into plane seats. Just this week I traveled to Texas for a class. Coming home I had to sit in the middle seat. Now, I would still prefer not to sit in the middle, but I didn't have to worry about fitting or being able to get out of the row when the person on the inside needs to get up.
Taking dance lessons.
Taking the stairs, just because I can.

104 days

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:07:00 -0700

It is 104 days until the NYC marathon. My training program started last week. I am started my training a little slower than I hoped due to an ITB injury causing incredible pain in my hip. I started physical therapy 7/7; it has made a big difference. Today I was able to run about 4.5 miles. I ran around the reservoir in Central Park and after each lap (1.57 miles) I stopped to stretch. It felt so good to get out there running again!

The Pouch (aka my little tummy) Rules

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:13:00 -0700

Today I had a strong reminder that my little tummy rules. Why would I think I can eat like I did pre-surgery? You would think after 27 months that I would know better.:) But no, I decide I should have a bagel for a mid-afternoon snack. One of my co-workers brought in bagels today, so when I hit my mid-afternoon slump my mind wandered over to bagel-land. I went to check to see if there were any bagels left, and to my delight (or so I thought) there were. So, I had my bagel. Shortly after I exercised the common sense not to finish the whole thing I get hit like a ton of bricks in the middle of my chest. It sucks, and I wonder why I don't learn from past mistakes. Thankfully, I don't do that very often. The upside is that there is a forced control on my eating. It is good to know that it is there and working for me. Thankfully, I don't push the envelope often because it is a horrible feeling.

Comparison Photos

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 17:07:00 -0700

It is almost 27 months since my gastric bypass and 6 months since my lower body lift. I thought it was time for a new set of comparison photos - I can't believe the difference!

Feeling Thin Today and When to Weigh

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:08:00 -0700

Since my lower body lift, I have been having problems with obsessing over gaining weight. I have reached a weight and a size that surpasses my dreams. I never imagined that I would be fitting into clothes that are a size 6, 8 or 10. So, everything should be great now, right? Instead I am constantly worried that I will gain the weight back. Since my gastric bypass surgery I have been a daily weigher. I have felt that this helps keep me on the straight and narrow. I have gotten used to the daily fluctuations in my weight and I thought I was ok with them. However, before my recent vacation, my weight went up three weeks in a row. I wasn't doing anything differently and I was concerned that the upward momentum wouldn't stop. I decided not to change anything until after vacation and then see what happened. So, while I was on vacation I lost 3.5 pounds of the weight I gained prior to vacation. Since this has been going on for a while, I decided to see somebody to discuss this issue and see if I can get some peace around this issue and just enjoy my weight loss. The suggestion I got was that daily weighing might not be the thing for me. I'm not sure if I agree with this, but I am willing to give it a try in the hopes that it will help. Realizing my panic over the thought of not weighing every day, it was suggested that I pick one day not to weigh myself. I picked today as the day. A little while ago, I was walking down the hall and I thought to myself, I feel thin. Had I weighed myself this morning and found that I was up I probably never would have had this moment. Maybe, there is something to not weighing every day??

Size 6 - Who would ever believe it???

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:08:00 -0700

Last night I went shopping for some new jeans. I thought that a size 8 might be a good fit based on the way my 10s were fitting. Imagine my amazement when I fit into a pair of size 6 jeans! I am completely blown away by this. A size 6 is a pretty small size. Now, I can say that while I do realize I am not severly overweight, I don't see myself as a size 6. Needless to say I am wearing the jeans today! It is a wonderful day. I'm afraid it is just a wonderful dream!

Two Year Anniversary

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 08:19:00 -0700

What an amazing journey the last 2 years have been. Today I weigh 148 pounds and I've lost 154 pounds. I have exceeded my wildest dreams in terms of my success with this weight loss surgery. However, my success in not measured just in pounds. There are so many elements that come into play with my success including

My diabetes is under control without medication. I have not taken any medication since I left the hospital after my gastric bypass surgery. My last hba1c was 5.1; anything below 6 is considered non-diabetic. This is the most important benefit I've achieved from this surgery.
I can run! I started running when I was about 5 months out from my surgery. It was a really slow start, but I was doing something I always wanted to do. This year I ran 2 half-marathons! It is just hard for me still to believe it! In 2007, I am planning to run the NYC marathon.
I can bend. Ok, it may sound like a small thing, but those of us who have suffered from weight problems know how problematic bending can be. It is wonderful to be able to bend and tie my shoes or pick something up without giving it a second thought.
I don't have to worry about seat belts on plane rides. I used to dread asking for an extender and actually went out and bought my own so I wouldn't have to ask for one.
I am now on my surgeon's website under "Success Stories". How wild is that?!
I was able to thoroughly enjoy our Alaskan cruise this year. I got out and did things like riding in float planes, helicopters and kayaks without wondering if my weight would be a problem. I had a major WOW moment when a little girl complimented me on my dress. I remember being a little girl and looking forward to dressing up and that moment captured that thrill I used to get when I was young.
I hit a normal BMI on 9/14 this year and almost two months later I am still in the normal BMI weight range.
I love shopping! Ok, this isn't necessarily a good thing.:) But after my lower body lift, shopping is so much fun.
I bought my first cute bathing suit ? a tankini! I can't wait to wear it.

I had a lower body lift at the end of August. This has been the icing on the cake for me. I was happy beyond belief with my results prior to the lower body lift but now my happiness is completely overwhelming. I think as long as I had my hanging stomach I wasn't going to feel like I was a "normal" sized person. My stomach represented my weight problem as I carried most of my weight in my stomach. I can't believe the difference the lower body lift has made in this journey. It really drove home to me how much weight I have lost. I have gotten more compliments lately and I think it is because my joy for life is more evident. As important as all my successes and WOW moments are, it is also important to me that I remember the pain. I don't want to forget how miserable I was as I believe it helps me not to allow myself to go back there. I know it could be all too easy to slip back into old habits. It is easier to eat now, and I can eat more than I've been able to. I have to watch that I don't allow myself to start picking up bad habits along the way. There are so many people to thank for their support thoughout this journey. I just want to mention here my wonderfully gifted surgeons; Dr. Pomp and Dr. Sterry. And I have to mention my amazingly supportive husband, Rodney, who puts up with all my craziness.

My Tankini

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 19:59:00 -0700

Recently Rodney and I looked at bathing suits and I saw one that I liked with a little skirt bottom. I figured I needed to get one with a shirt or short bottom to help cover up my legs as my inner tighs have some loose skin. When we went back, the one I likes wasn't there. On a lark I decided to try on a couple with regular bottoms. I was completely blown away to realize that my legs didn't look that bad. So, I bought a tankini! This is probably the first time in my life that I have a cute bathing suit!

My Day of Doctor Visits

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 19:53:00 -0700

Today I took a vacation day from work as I had 3 doctor appointments in Manhattan. Rodney took the day off to spend with me running around the city. [More]

Size 8

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 05:03:00 -0700

As I wrote in an earlier entry, my ultimate dream was to be a size 10. I've now found that some size 8 will fit! On 11/6 I bought my first size 8 garment. I got a pair of capris at the Banana Republic for the cruise I am taking in February. I bought a few things from Macy's this week and one of them is a pair of size 8 brown pants. Yesterday I wore a them to work. I believe it is the first time I've worn a size in my entire life. It is unbelievable to be wearing a single digit size!:)

10/31/06 - Wearing my dream size

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:04:00 -0700

If anyone asked me prior to my surgery what my goal size was, I said a size 10. I didn't really believe I would ever be a size 10, I had no idea what it would look like, but it sounded good to me. Today I am wearing my dream size. I have on a green tweed, Ann Taylor skirt in a size 10. I am beyond happy with my results. My lower body lift has made such a difference in my clothes. It is so exciting to be able to go shopping and not worry about trying to hide my hanging stomach (not that it was even possible). Now, I can't wait to wear the size 10 Gap jeans that I bought on Sunday!

9/28/06 - Half my original body weight

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:02:00 -0700

Today is the day that I weigh 151 pounds and I've lost 151 pounds. It is a dream that I never expected to reach. I have exceeded my wildest expectations.