Happy 8 months to me! What a wild ride! I'm now down to 150.8 lbs as of this morning! I'm now lighter than I was in high school, and not even at my surgeon's goal yet. That is just amazing. My weight loss has slowed to a snails pace, but I'm so grateful where I am that I'm just thankful. I'm working on drinking more water everyday, and I work out at a Women's Only gym with onsite daycare 2 to 3 days a week. The weights have really started to pay off, and my body is really starting to firm up. My problem area has been, and always will be, my tummy. Giving birth and being overweight has just caused havoc, but as long as I look good in clothes, I'm not worried about trying to win any bikini contests! Big news- my mother had gastric bypass yesterday. She's recovering well, and it blew my mind she even did- she kept it secret for the most part until she actually had surgery. I don't know if I was motivation, or if her health was just so beyond bad she finally realized she needed surgery- I'm just glad she did it. I've never in my life seen my mother in a healthy BMI weight. This will be a very interesting journey to follow and watch. I'm checking in monthly on my anniversary date, and will try to continue to do so until my 1 year surgiversary. What I can say, what I will say, and what I have said.... the only thing I regret, is not doing this surgery sooner. So excited to enjoy myself and all my travel plans this summer! Last summer I was a hermit, and miserable. This summer- I've got an amazing list of places to go, people to see, and wonderful things to experience. Attached is a picture of me and my son this weekend, compared to a picture of me last year at this exact same time. I can't believe how much my face has changed!!!!

So, for the friends who have been inquiring what the diet I eat looks like... I eat 70% protein, 20% fruits and veggies, and 10% carbs and diary. I made sandwich wrap pin wheels, devilled eggs, fresh fruit cups, and honey mustard bacon wrapped chicken this week. I'm attaching what my sunday prep looks like when I'm packing snacks for the work week.

Height: 5'9

Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216

1st Primary Goal Weight for normal BMI: 169 (Achieved 11/27)

2nd Optimal Goal Weight set by Surgeon: 145

Sleeve Journey:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- 216 lbs

Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2)

Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2)

Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8)

Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary (-22.5 lbs)

Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9)

Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5)

Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1)

Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary (-11.6 lbs)

Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5)

Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5)

Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1)

Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1)

Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary (-8.6 lbs)

Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2)

Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8)

Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8)

Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary (-8.7 lbs)

Week 18 (12/21): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available

Week 19 (12/28): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available

Week 20 (1/4/13): 164.5 (-.1)

Week 21 (1/11): 161.5 (-3.0)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 01/17/13- 5 Month Anniversary (-3.1 lbs)

Week 22 (1/18): 161.7 (+.2)

Week 23 (1/25): 158.7 (-3.0)

Week 24 (2/1): Out of town- No scale Available

Week 25 (2/8): 157.2 (-1.5)

Week 26 (2/15): 157.2 (.0)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 02/17/13- 6 Month Anniversary 157.2 (-3.3 lbs)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 03/17/13- 7 Month Anniversary 153.9 (-3.3 lbs)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 04/17/13- 8 Month Anniversary 150.8 (-3.1 lbs)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 05/17/13- 9 Month Anniversary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 06/17/13- 10 Month Anniversary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 07/17/13- 11 Month Anniversary

ONE YEAR SURGERY ANNIVERSARY~~~> 08/17/13- 12 Month Anniversary