zuzuspetal8

If i've posted this before I apologize for repeating myself.. My son is accusing me of having a mid-life crisis... my new quote is it's not a mid-life crisis... it's a mid-life rebirth
I'm going to be in my friend/co-worker's wedding next summer and I'm so excited... ironically she is a year younger than my oldest child... It's fun to hang out with a my young/youthful coworker/friends...

Dilaudid! every 3 hours or as needed. an boy howdy does it kick pains ass. also makes you VERY mellow :-)

I'm sorry you're going through so many trials. It sounds like you're dealing with everything with a positive attitude, and I hope everything works out well for you.

I'm sorry you're going through so many trials. It sounds like you're dealing with everything with a positive attitude, and I hope everything works out well for you.

I have struggled with this too. Wasn't losing for a few months because of it, even though I was making healthy food choices it was too much food.
I did two things. First I went back to a Protein and fruit smoothie for lunch, with some almonds. Very filling for a long period of time. Then I use the Apple test. When I want to eat something I ask myself if I'm really hungry or if I just want to eat, and if I'm really hungry will an apple do? Usually I'd just like to have some cheese puffs! So I know it's just head hunger. Always having something to drink is helpful too. I was able to shave off 5 more lbs after I made the change, and I don't feel deprived or hungry.
Good luck. It's a never ending negotiation with myself, and I try not to get frustrated. I have to accept that even though I'm 'thin' now, I still do not have an easy relationship with food.
{{{{{hugs}}}}

I have that. But it may not be just head hunger . I make a Protein Shake and maybe a cheese stick lite. Still I'm under my calories goal of 1400 . It seems to do the trick. Now it routine for me to make a Protein shake at night. I enjoy it and it keeps my metabolism going.

My experience has been great once you slid in you are one with the boat. its very stable and you get in and out like you are getting into or out of a deep tub grab both sides.

Depending how far and how hard you row will dictate the level of the workout but it is very peaceful and melts away the stress built up during the week. i find having my mp3 player playing mozart or the grateful dead is the icing i
on the cake.....ummmmmm cake! let me know how it goes.
Have a great day slim :-)

My Latest obsession beats the heck out of the stuffy gym .

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Hi Junies!!
Well today I went and had a consultation for plastic surgery. I went in asking about a Tummy Tuck but secretly thought lower body lift. I wanted the surgeon to tell me his thoughts... well he agreed! It looks like a lower body lift is the best option for me. My insurance doesn't cover plastics except in rare cases but he submitted for insurance anyway. He said it could go either way and I'll know in 4 to 6 weeks. Please send some prayers up that insurance comes thru for me. Having lost almost 140 lbs I really want this to feel like I've done everything to achieve my goals. I am still at 130 and can't bust into the 120 range for anything... he seemed to think I had 10 to 15 lbs of skin (gross).
So now I am just going to eat like I have been, exercise like I have been and pray this works out for me. I believe whatever happens is meant to be but 11,000 will be a lot for me to self pay right now and I hate the idea of taking a loan. I love being a size 6 or 8 but to be a 2 or 4 (his prediction) would be amazing..
Oh and carol, I just want to tell you how proud I am of you and getting solidly into the 120 range and on vacation to boot!! You rock!! You are such an inspiration to me!!

Hi all!
I just wanted to share that my family and I went to the Black Hills of South Dakota for the holiday weekend. Since the WiFi at the hotel was pretty awful, I was pretty much off the electronic grid for the long weekend. I was able to track my food on MFP, but not much else. It was a very active vacation, we hiked around Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. We even hiked to the top of Harney's Peak - the highest elevation east of the Rocky Mountains. This was something I really wanted to do to Celebrate my one year surgerversary. It is something that I would NEVER have been able to do a year ago! I did bring food with me, so only one meal a day (dinner) was eaten out, but I enjoyed what I wanted to eat for dinner, actually had a single scoop of real strawberry ice cream at Wall Drug (and ate the WHOLE thing), and had bites of other things I would normally never eat anymore. I had no dumping. Despite the activity, I fully expected to come home to the scale being up - its the way it has worked all my life. We don't take a vacation often, and we need to relax and live a little too! To my delighted surprise, the scale was WAY down this morning!! My goal is to maintain between 125 - 130. I was at 126, a new low weight! I can't believe it!! I am actually going to have to be careful now to stop losing, and I can't believe I just typed that! I really don't want to drop below 125.
What an amazing journey! I hope each of you enjoyed a wonderful Independence Day holiday. This is one I will never forget!!
Carol

Well 1 year post op follow up visit went better than expected. Docsurg was beaming with my loss to date. He is fully confident ( as am i ) That i can get to my goal weight my October or November. Blood work was " Perfect" .....Good way to start a Holiday weekend.
Spending tomorrow Hiking around Valley Forge for the multitude of events and re-enactments. The 4th is a big holiday here in Philadelphia. enjoy your holiday and get outside :-)
Peace out skinny people
RJ

We celebrated my Mom's 85th Birthday over the weekend. dinner out, cake and ice cream back at the house. I enjoyed steak and the cake and ice cream. Weight on Monday was up to 132, and I was worried. At my appointment last week, I was given a new 'maintenance' plan that I really had concerns about, but I stuck with the plan Well, this morning the scale was back at 129! I am shocked that for the first time in my life my weight is where I want it and I am in control! Life could not be better!
Have an amazing 4th!
Carol

I haven't posted in awhile but I went for my year check up today (6/19/13 surgery date) as of today i lost 248 lbs. I rocked the clinic today. All my levels was good just take a little Vitamin D. They Doctor said it was all my effort and just very little of his, but i disagree he gave me a TOOL to use to build my body. I'm now there official Sleeve spokesman and will be speaking at there seminars starting in July. But what Im proud of is between riding a bicycle and walking I logged in over 220 miles for the month of May... June , just half of that due to high heat. But i get out and get moving, swimming, and evening walks. This is a lifetime commitment where there is no finish line when you hit your goal, i weigh now 226lbs and at the age of 55 life has just began.....

Stepped on the scale 6 times this morning to make sure it wasn't teasing me.
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Everything else from here on out is the icing on my cake!

I DID IT!!! I finally broke though to the 120s! So excited this morning to see 129.6! I want to maintain between 128 - 132. I feel like I am there!
At six months old I was pulled off formula and put on skim milk due to excessive weight gain. I do not remember a day in my life when I was not trying to lose weight or thinking about how out of control my weight was. I have to say that NOT wanting to lose more weight is really a foreign and kind of scary feeling! I guess it's going to take time to get used to it!
Carol

Today is my one year surgeversary! I can't believe how amazing I feel and how much more life has opened up for me! I have so few pics of myself 'before' bc I hated my picture taken. Now I'm a selfie fiend. Anyway, I'm 5'10" started at 296.5 and an currently 198. Size 22 to current size 10. I'd like to lose an additional 23 lbs. my one year appt isn't until July bc of scheduling, so I haven't got any firm stats. I'm pretty happy though, and grateful for this site and all of the lovely Junebugs!!!!

Today is my one year surgeversary! I can't believe how amazing I feel and how much more life has opened up for me! I have so few pics of myself 'before' bc I hated my picture taken. Now I'm a selfie fiend. Anyway, I'm 5'10" started at 296.5 and an currently 198. Size 22 to current size 10. I'd like to lose an additional 23 lbs. my one year appt isn't until July bc of scheduling, so I haven't got any firm stats. I'm pretty happy though, and grateful for this site and all of the lovely Junebugs!!!!

My one year appointment went great this morning. I was quite worried about my blood work results because my cholesterol went up - couldn't figure that out with all the healthy food choices and exercise! But it is my good cholesterol that went way up, so the total is up, but it means that I am healthier. The total is at 200, which is at the top of normal, but the doc thought was still really great.
I have lost 92% of my excess weight and was actually 130.8 pounds on my scale at home this morning which allows me to say that I am down 200 pounds and that my BMI is in the 'normal' range! This is something I have NEVER had before in my life! Flying High!! According to my BMI I could still lose more, but they are not recommending it. They said five pounds would be OK, but it is up to me.
They also want me to discontinue Protein Shakes, so we will see how that goes! My clinic wants me to keep my daily Protein in the 70 - 80 grams a day range and I have been more in the mid 80s, sometimes over 90. They want me to decrease the Protein a bit, increase Fiber, and increase my calories to between 900 - 1000 a day. I have been between 700 - 800 most days. The 900 - 1000 is what they recommend for me for life. This is the maintenance plan. If I lose on it they will adjust.
In the end the doc said that I have a normal BMI, am eating healthy, exercising regularly, a non-smoker, with normal blood sugars, normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol, and all other blood work where they want it. She said less than 5% of the American population is as healthy as I am today!
What a great journey this has been! Thank you ALL for being a part of it and being a part in my success. I never want to live in that overweight body again! Life is too much fun here!!!
Carol
PS: Got info on plastic surgery. We will see where that goes! Skin really does need some help!

Today is my surgeversary!! I can't believe how far I have come in a year. Literally what a difference a year makes. I have lost 182 lbs from the start of my journey, I feel amazing, I have met the love of my life and we are moving in together and hopefully a proposal soon to follow! Life is really great right now and I NEVER want to go back to where I was. Thank you to all of you for your words of encouragement, advice, and support; it means the world to me! I'm so proud of all of us!!

Well today is my surgerversary! Can't believe how far I've come in a year! Secretary at school decided I needed a new ID
I see the doctor next week for my 1 year check up

My one year appointments went great!! My doctor and my NUT were so proud of me and said not many people get to a normal bmi in one year, especially with a metabolism like mine. I weighed in at 132 at their office. I wish I had gotten to the 120s but am proud regardless. My surgeon doesn't think I have anymore to lose. I asked the a consult with plastic surgery and hr said he thinks the panni / Tummy Tuck will get me easily 5-10 lb loss. I have already had him start documenting my lower back pain and rashes so I can work the insurance route. I have decided if insurance won't pay I'll do self pay. I'm worth it! I haven't purchased a new car in almost 20 years so I'll say it's my new ride. Lol.
I am busting with pride of a job well done. I wish my mom was still alive for me to share...

ALL my bloodwork came back awesome!!!!

Woohooo!!! I made it!!!

TODAY IS MY SURGERVERSARY!! I am down 199.2 pounds. Just couldn't quite make 200, but its hard to be upset because I am so damn proud of all I have accomplished this year. I have never posted pictures before, I am posting them today. So watch for them. What a difference a year makes! WE ROCK!! THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WITH ME DURING THIS JOURNEY. I WOULD NOT BE HERE WITHOUT EACH ONE OF YOU!
Carol