6 Month Update (long)

Hi everyone! Can you believe that it has been 6 months since I had surgery?!?! I looked forward to this day since the day of my surgery, so it seems surreal that it is already here. Well, I am doing fantastic, as expected. I am so happy and thankful that I was able to have WLS to better myself. This update is going to be a bit long, since I plan on giving a full-length update on how the last 6 months have been.

Well, I'm sure you guys want to know how I'm doing in terms of weight loss. I have lost 80lbs and am now weighing in at 252! That is just UNREAL to me! I am almost in the 240s! I haven't been in the 240s since the summer of 2005. I only have 55-60 more lbs to go until I'm at my personal goal (anything under 200lbs) so that is really exciting. I know I'm going to have to work harder the next 6 months to make that goal, as I can tell my weight loss is already slowing down and I am able to eat more.

Now, lets talk about the struggles I've been through in the past 6 months (that way I can end on a happy/high note with the positives!) I guess the biggest struggle I've faced is not knowing when to stop eating. I overeat all the time, and I honestly don't mean to. IDK why I do it, it's not like it feels good; quite the opposite actually. You don't know it until about 5 minutes after you finish eating, but boy you realize it QUICK! I get this pain in my throat and it honestly feels like the food is just clogged up in my esophagus. It HURTS. The quickest way to "ease the pain" is to purge it back up. I know that is a horrible habit to get into, and I really don't do it often, but I have had to do it a few times. And it's always at restaurants. I think it's because the food is just right there in front of me and my head it saying "EAT IT!!!" and blocking out what signals my tummy is sending it. At home I just measure out my portion on my plate, and when it's gone that is all I eat.

I also had a relapse after the holidays. I got back into drinking Coca-cola and eating those Valentine's Heart Shaped Little Debbies. They were SO GOOD and reminded me of a time before surgery. I felt comfortable, I felt safe while eating the snack cakes. They would just slide right through me; I could eat a whole cake at a time, and I would. I ate one every night for about a month (well, until Valentines was over and they stopped making them). But I realize now what I was doing to myself. I stepped on the scale, after not weighing for a couple of weeks, and I hadn't lost a singe pound. It was then that I realized that I need to conquer this problem and get back on track. I started exercising and cut out the snacks, and dropped from 256 to 252 within a week.

Now, on to the positives! I am finally starting to see my collar bones a little bit! I had forgot I even had them, lol. I am also feeling much better about my appearance, although I realize my skin isn't planning on going anywhere or shrinking back up, so that is a little depressing. But then again the hubby doesn't mind, so why should I care what everyone else thinks? Speaking of the hubby, he is awesome. He has been here right beside me, helping me along the way. He doesn't try to control my decisions or tell me what I should be doing, how I should be eating. He supports me no matter what, and I do the same for him. Our relationship is just blossoming and I feel more connected to him now than I ever did before. We had a rough patch back in 2007-2008 and we really became distant, but this surgery has brought us back together and that is probably the best thing that has happened.

I am also able to do so many more things now. I don't get tired as easily, I can sit Indian-style in the car, on the sofa, and I can curl up in the recliner and not feel like I'm being mushed into a sardine can. I have more room to move around in the shower (its a single person walk-in type) and I can give myself pedicures! You should see my toes right now. They are Robin Egg blue with pink spots on them! This weekend I'm planning on Water Marbling my nails. It's this really cool process using nail polish and water. If I end up doing it and it turns out decent, I'll blog about it. This lady does really cool tutorials, if you are interested. http://mysimplelittlepleasures.blogspot.com/

Well, I guess that is about it for now. I'm sorry, I don't have any pictures yet. I'll try to take some tonight and upload them on a new post tomorrow. I promise I will defiantly have some up by this weekend!!!