Sharing a few updates

It's been a little quiet in here - anyone have updates they'd like to share? Things have gone pretty smoothly for me. I'm 15 weeks out and down 85 pounds. Halfway to my goal weight! Next month I meet with my dietitian and I'll get the green light to eat just about anything within reason. I haven't eaten beef, pork, raw veggies, citrus fruit, any type of bread, potato, rice or pasta since late February, so I'm really looking forward to this! While I was always a reasonably healthy eater, portion control always got the best of me. Even still, I struggle with it. I'd venture to say my meals are about a handful in size - a heaping one, perhaps. How much is everyone else eating? I used to be extremely preoccupied with food - thinking allll day about what I might pick up or cook for dinner that night. Nowadays I try to keep my meals quick, simple, and flavorful. Keeping myself busy is a whole 'nother story! Mom and I went out to dinner last night at the Cheesecake Factory. I ordered the Thai Lettuce Wraps and they were great. I ate about a quarter of them at dinner and almost finished the leftovers for lunch today. For dinner tonight I'll probably boil up some edamame and sprinkle some hot sauce on it. I made an oil & vinegar italian dressing with some herbs that I drizzle over turkey slices when I feel like making them more exciting. I bought some chicken sausage at the grocery store yesterday - that should be interesting. What kinds of foods is everyone eating / experimenting with? I love shopping for new clothes, but it's getting expensive. I'm attacking sale racks and digging deep into the depths of my closet for some smaller sizes. I visited an outlet mall a few weeks ago with a friend and wound up buying a pair of skinny jeans from The Gap in size 20. When I tried them on in the store I could get them up but not zip them. The fit looked pretty good and they were on sale so I took 'em home. I tried them on again yesterday and got them zipped! It's....amazing. Also, I'm wearing a different shoe size! I used to be a 12W and I think I'm an 11 or 11.5. So far this year I had the surgery and bought my first home. I move in August 1st and I'm beyond thrilled! 2007 is shaping up to be a good year! Now if I can get myself into a regular exercise regime I'll be set. Share! I'd love to hear how everyone is doing! Nicole

Nicole, Thank you for sharing your story! Congrats on your new home too! I see what you're saying. Not many folks creating new threads on this board. I too would love to hear how everyone is doing. Hopefully, everyone isn't sick of hearing about Jodell and my successes. My latest is that I've now lost 99 pounds since my highest weight (just a few months pre-surgery). Pant size down to 40" from a 52" and shirt size down from 3X to a loose XL. Most days I think about how much of life I now enjoy that I previously excluded myself from. Opportunities seem to be presenting themselves at work since my surgery. Jodell is rapidly shrinking into new sizes, and we're enjoying finding cheap clothes just to get us by until our next size down. My skinny dad has been doing alot of biking lately, so he's dropped from a 40 waist down to a 38. He passed on to me a bunch of 40 waist stuff which was great! If you had told me 6 month's ago that I'd be wearing my dad's clothes now, I wouldn't have believed you. Folks! share your stories with us all! --Dave

Well I am not doing as great as all of you it seems like I am a slow looser but I will take what ever I can get!!!! I was wearing a size 26-28 and I now am in a 20 pants so that part is pretty good and a 3x size to a 1x shirt! I have actually lost more in inches than weight . I did start going to the gym I am really liking it. I started 3 weeks ago just doing the water classes and now I am doing arobics class only going 2 times a week but I am trying to go 3 days but haven't made it yet! Okay as for food yeah me too about a hand full but I find that I can eat more at lunch than Breakfast or dinner and I am doing like string cheese for snack in morning and a protien bar for afternoon snack. I am doing 2 protein shakes a day also. and then taking my vitamins 2 times a day and my iron is pretty low so I now take 2 kinds of Iron 2 times a day with the vit C. I found that my shoes are not smaller in size but I don't need wide with any more cool hu? Also people are looking at me like the grocery store and those kind of places and asking did you get a face lift they say I look younger that is different cause I didn't think I looked old!!?>?>" I just want to say it seems like 13 weeks have flown by but I wouldn't change anything! hope I wasn't too boring but thanks for asking us to post some new of us 3 monthers!!!!!bye for now Shirley

Wow, you're doing great! I was also in a size 28 pants and am wearing a size 20 now, so we seem to be right on track! How do you like the water aerobics? I've been thinking about try it out. Haha, a face lift! You must be looking great! I'll bet you feel younger too. I don't necessarily feel any younger but it sure is a helluva lot easier to MOVE these days. Congrats to you and thanks for sharing with us!

Guess what everyone I went to the beach yesterday! I had on my old but smaller bathing suit and said to my oldest daughter I need to stop and get batties for the camera and while in K-Mart the bathing suits had a large sign up 50% off all bathing suits guess what size I got into I took a 20 and a 18 the 18 fit like a glove Anyways had to share that and thanks for the nice comments I am so happy to be part of this with all of you good people!!!!!! have a great Day bye for now! shirley

You're not boring at all. Great job so far. Great to hear how you're doing! --Dave

I'm seriously discovering a whole new world of shopping. It's so unfair how expensive plus-sized clothing is! How funny! I'm wearing some of my mom's tops Thanks for sharing your latest and greatest!

I had my surgery 3.13.07 and it was open rny. To make a long story short...they opened my incision on 3.20 due to complications. I eviscerated myself on 3.31 and had emergency surgery on 4.1 They cleaned up my bowel and put everything back in place. Needless to say because of the type of surgery they opened it up after 3 days. I ended up in the hospital for 2 weeks from that surgery....bed rest only...no walking other then to bathroom and no sitting up in chair. I came home and within 6 hours I was back at ER spiking a temp and incoherent! Needless to say I was readmitted. They discovered I had an infection in the bones of my lower spine. I was there for 2 more weeks on complete bedrest. I came home on 5.2 and have been on bed rest with IV anti-biotics and a very large wound. I am allowed up now though for 20 minutes an hour if I don't do anything other then walk to bathroom, kitchen or computer. I hope he changes this next week when I see him! Despite all of this the bariatric part of this all has gone great! I have been able to tolerate all the foods that I have tried, I am staying within the Nut's guidelines. No dumping or anything like it, and have lost a grand total of 70 pounds.....on bed rest !!! I try not to think to much about how much I would have lost if I had been able to get up and move...exercise even! Things are coming along and I am slowly (well not slowly) getting tired of my bed and reading and listening to music. When we are well and healthy but tired we all think....oh to be on bedrest for a week or so...heaven....NOT it gets old real fast!

Oh dear, it sure sounds like you've had a rocky beginning. But look at you now, 70 pounds lighter and hopefully on your way to saying goodbye to bedrest! I'll bet the pounds start flyin' off once you can groove around a little Thanks for sharing with us and feel better!

Nicole, that is absolutly amazing you lost that much in 15 weeks!!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Congrats on your new home also. I am 11 weeks post op and down 54lbs. I have another 114lbs to loose. I feel wonderful and my 2 little ones keep me VERY active! I am in the medical field so I just bought all new scrubs in a much smaller size. It feels so good to actually buy smaller sizes. Can't wait to go on a large shopping spree. Keep up the awesome work:)