Tuesday, July 28, 2009

6 MONTHS!


Yesterday was exactly 6 months since my surgery! I went to the doctor and weighed in and met with the dietician and nurse practioner. Everything looks great-- 80 pounds lost! That is approximetely 44% of my "excess weight to lose", they expect me to lose 70-80% of my excess weight, so I am well over halfway there! I had a bunch of blood drawn to make sure all my vitamins and minerals aren't deficient and as long as that all comes back okay, I won't go back until January!

Anyway, I have focused the last several posts on numbers- weight, measurements, and clothing sizes, but I want to focus on something a little different on this monumental (6 month!) post--how things have changed for me since surgery. Here is a list of some of the little victories I have acheived in my weight loss journey so far:



The ability to...

1. Paint my own toenails without the risk of a hernia :)

2. Climb a flight of stairs or walk across a big parking lot without getting out of breath

3. Sit in waiting room chairs without the sides of the chair cutting into my legs

4. Not worry about if I'll fit in the next rollercoaster I ride or if I'll be able to buckle my seatbelt on the plane the next time I fly

5. Sit indian-style, comfortably on the floor (may not seem like a big to deal to some of you, but big people can't sit on the floor very easily!)

6. Cross my legs while sitting!

7. Sit in a swing at the park

8. Not feel as if I need to check the weight limit on a step stool or ladder before climbing on

9. Feel comfortable instead of embarrassed while shopping for clothes and/or underwear.

10. Finally feeling like ME! I told you the real Jessica was deep down inside that 314 pound person, and she is finally emerging! I feel more like "myself" than ever before!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Ayden and Me...




























For my July picture, I am choosing to post a picture from last December of myself with my precious little one and another one of us from last week, 7 months later. Look how much we've BOTH changed!

New Numbers!

To all my faithful and supportive follwers, and any random person who might stumble onto this blog...sorry I haven't posted in awhile, but things have been relatively uneventful. I mean, I am still more losing pounds and inches each week, but that almost seems like old news now :) I neglected to take my measurements in June, but here are my lastest stats. I am still feeling great and almost 6 months and 78 pounds later, this surgery has fulfilled everything I hoped and dreamed it would! And I'm not even done yet! I am very excited to hit my goal weight and/or see where I start leveling out so we can start trying for baby #2 next Spring!

STATS Today 7/13/09

Weight: 236 (-78 lbs)
BMI: 34.9 (-11.4)
Body fat: 37.3% (-17.6%)
Jean size: 18/20
Scrub top size: 1X
Scrub pant size: 2X...sooo close to 1 X but just not quite there!
Bra size: 38 D

Waist: 43 inches
Hips: 51 inches
Thighs: 31 inches
Calfs: 15.5 inches

Sunday, June 14, 2009

SEVENTY POUNDS!!!

New measurements coming soon...

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Halfway There!!

I am officially halfway to my goal weight (as determined by my physician). 66 pounds lost, 66 pounds to go! This is very exciting and very annoying all at once :) I am very -very- very- very happy to have lost 66 pounds for the first time in my life! But I also think, whoa, I still have that much more to go!! (By the way, I appreciate all the comments from my friends and family who say they don't think I need to lose 66 more. It's not often that a girl like me gets told that I "don't need" to lose too much weight, lol. I am enjoying that just a little bit.)

I personally have set a goal for myself to lose about 40-50 more pounds. If I keep going and lose 66 more, that's great, but if not, I will be just fine with that. I don't remember the last time I weighed less than 200 pounds, so I guess I am just having a hard time imagining it! I have to fight the urge almost daily to buy new clothes, its my new addiction I guess! I did, however, finally buy all new panties and bras (sorry if that's TMI for some of you) but that was SUPER fun!! It's amazing how much cuter they make undergarments in smaller sizes! And how much more fun it is to wear them! :) New pics to come soon....but don't worry, I will be fully clothed! :)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Another reason to smile...

I have been reaping the benefits of losing weight in several ways: increased energy level, more self-condidence, and of course, NEW CLOTHES! But I am now beginning to notice a new and even more amazing benefit from this surgery...very minimal back pain! Most of you know my history-I had back surgery at 15 and was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the spine. Needless the say, the 100+ pounds I packed on after high school only made my back pain worse. Not to mention that I chose a profession where I am on my feet, lifting, pushing, and walking for 12 hours at a time. I used to take 8 advil a night just to get through work!

But lately, I have noticed a very significant decrease in my back pain and stiffness and I have taken ZERO medication for back pain since my surgery (Advil and Motrin are not allowed anymore with my new stomach). Last night I had an extremely busy and active night at work, I was on my feet for the first 5 hours straight without a break. I kept thinking, "wow, I am going to feel this tomorrow" But guess what...I don't feel anything! I woke up feeling great, no backache, no stiffness. This is a brand new development! A year ago, a night like I just had would have left me taking handfuls of Advil, laying on heating pad, and being "down in my back" for 5-7 days. I really enjoy buying new clothes...but I have to say a healthy back feels even better!!

*note* For some reason, no one is able to comment on my blog since I changed the layout. I have not figured out why. But feel free to e-mail me, my address is at the right of this page. I love hearing feedback and that I am inspiring others!!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Realization...

Today I had one of those days where I just wanted to cry all day. I know you've all been there. I was emotional, sensitive, and stressed, and it seemed every little thing raked on my nerves. I blame PMS, because like I said, nothing really specific happened and I mostly was just feeling sorry for myself. The point of my post is not to gain pity, though, but to reveal a huge realization...

I didn't/couldn't use food to soothe my stress today. In fact, it never even occurred to me to eat away my stress, because I think I have finally accepted within myself that food is not there for comfort anymore. This is a huge realization for me! In the past, my teary-eyed PMS days were filled with comfort foods-ice cream, fast food, junk food- you name it. And I always told myself that I "deserved" it because I was stressed. Well today, I had to find other means to deal with it. And, seeing that this is all fairly new for me, I probably did not handle it as well as I should have! I bit my fingernails, cried, and moped around the house watching lifetime movies. But I didn't eat!! And I didn't want to! I did, however, hang up a few new items of clothing that I bought yesterday in sizes I haven't worn in years. THAT was waaaay more satisfying than any variety of ice cream Ben and Jerry's could ever conceive :)