o/` A Brand New Me........ o/`

June 13th, 2006

ONE YEAR ago today I had my gastric bypass surgery.

Since that surgery, I have lost 160 pounds.

Since my highest registered weight point 5 months before the surgery, I've lost 195.

WOW.

Even I am impressed, at the actual success. Plus the fact that I have been able to sustain the success, and have not reverted back to my old negative habits. Sure, some of them have been trying to re-surface, and I have to fight them off at times, but I've been 99% successful on that.

Friends have been mostly very supportive. I still have the occasional "oh you can eat this" from someone that should know better. I just say "no", and realize that they do not remember what I am able to eat / not able to eat. They are not really purposely trying to sabatoge my progress..... they just do not know better.

I am down from 5XLT clothes to 2XLT, and sometimes just 1XLT. Goodwill has my old clothes to prove that I am not allowing myself to keep them and utilize them again.

I am no longer "living to eat", and now "eating to live". It's a whole new state of mind, and I like it. It is amazing still how I no longer crave sweets and carbs, but the protein I eat satisfies me very nicely. I keep remembering all the junk I used to digest, and how that now has no appeal, and most of it even sounds disgusting. My eating routine is much like the popular protein plans, such as The Atkins Plan. Basically meat, eggs, and cheese, with utilization of protein supplements. It's something that is doable for many people, and it's eating food in it's more basic form - nothing breaded or fried, no gravy or sauce, no "white food" (bread, pasta, potatos, rice, etc.), no sweets, no caffeine, no carbonation, no sugar.

The bleeding ulcers are under control, and no more problems with them. The medication I have to take 30 minutes or so before any food is working well.

All things considered, life is very good right now, and it was all worth the time and money.

My ultimate goal weight wise ? I do not have one. That always set me up for failure. I expect to end up 215 to 240 range, but if I settle in at 250 that's OK too. It will be whatever I am physically comfortable with once I reach it.

I have started working with a personal trainer. Of course, as luck would have it, I started working with him when his wife was 8 months pregnant, and she went into early labor, so I've only seen him twice. Now he's off for a bit with the new baby, and then we will get back into the routine. In the meantime, I am getting back into walking, etc. for some exercise.

Although it took surgery for me to accomplish this, it took a lot of courage to do the surgery. However, I have no absolutely no complications from it, and no regrets. If it is something you or a friend / relative are considering, you have my definite support to have it done, provided you have your Doctor's approval. It was a big step, but in the right direction.

Dreams can come true.

Wally