Today is all about celebrating numbers!

[deedadumble 1,033]

I've had huge NSVs the past 3 months (no longer pre-diabetic, 104/64 BP, great labs, fitting into my husbands jeans!), but today is all about celebrating numbers.

Some FAQs before the numbers... I track everything weekly on Thursday (my surgery day) including weight and all measurements. I also weigh on Monday to get an overall feel for how I'm doing that week to see if I need to have a few strict days. For me, I tend to obsess and think more about food if I'm tracking, so I don't track what I'm eating. I estimate my Protein amounts and drink at least 60 ounces of Fluid (at least 40 ou water) I do follow a plan of eating that has worked for me though. I eat from a selection of meals for all 3 meals of the day. If I have a higher % carb meal (like oatmeal), I balance it with higher % Protein meal for the other 2. I eat 1 or 2 Snacks per day. If I'm losing slower I add a Protein shake (weird to add when weight loss slows, but it's worked for me) and another cup of Water or a Smooth Move tea at night (sometimes I'm just full of s&%#... literally . I choose from the following meals: cottage cheese, Colby-jack cheese snack and 4 multigrain crackers, Premier Protein shake, advantagEDGE shake, oatmeal (3/4 McD's or Chickfla usually), chicken Soup, chili, shrimp, Greek yogurt. My favorite meal out is at Tijuana Flats. I order one chicken taco and I eat the stuff inside the shell. I have a piece of cheese pizza once a month. I eat out with family and friends regularly. My favorite things to order are Soup or a salad with chicken on it. I usually eat some of the chicken and a little bit of the other ingredients and share the rest with my husband. I think because I look at this as my new way of life, I don't feel deprived. I always felt like a failure on diets before, but haven't had that feeling since I started.

Here are the numbers:

Height: 5'11"

HW: 273

Pre surgery diet W: 265 (1/3/13)

SW: 255 (1/17/13)

S BMI: 38

(Drumroll please!) CW: 215

C BMI: 30 (1 pound more to get out of obese category!)

Loss since PreDiet: 50 pounds! Gone forever, never to return! Woohoo!

Measurements (pre-surgery diet/now)

Neck: 15.75 / 14

Waist: 43 / 36.5

Hips: 51.5 / 44.25

Arms: 18 / 14.25

Breast: 49 / 44

Ribs: 40.5 / 37.5

Thigh: 30.75 / 25

Calf: 19 / 16

Clothing size before: 20-22, 2x

Clothing size now: 16W, XL

Exercise: I started couch to 5k (I use Run 5K by Louis Kwok on iPhone) about 4 weeks ago. I run 3 times a week, but usually walk for about 15 min after, for a total of 45 min. Because I have felt so good, I've skipped a few days, so I'm on week 6 day 2. I sign up for 5Ks to keep me on a steady program of exercise. I'm thinking about starting crossfit when it gets too hot to run outside (I live in Florida and it's 85 even at 6am in the summer). My right knee is pretty bad (2 surgeries plus arthritis and chondromalacia), but Orthovisc injections in February really helped as well as taking Krill Oil /hylauric acid (Costco) every day.