One Year Anniversery - Come and Gone

July 13th 2006 was my one year anniversary. Like others here, my life has changed a lot in the year. How has it changed, let me count the ways... 1. I can shop in a regular clothes store. Yesterday, for the first time, I put on a size 12. A 12. Wow, a 12. I don't ever remember wearing a 12. Even when I Optifasted. Then I made it to a 16. Okay, I'm not a 12 all over, but still - it was a pretty great moment. I started a year ago in a 24/26. 2. I'm not the fast person in the crowd anymore. I think of printing up cards that say, "I did it, you can do it too" - but that would be rude and mean. However, I'm so happy about my results and success, I want others to know about it as an option too. 3. I am far more active and healthier. I use the stairs between the floors at work now. Before I'd go down a floor or two and never up. Now I'm going from my boss's floor (28) to mine (36). I can walk up a hill and still hold a conversation and the folks I'm with don't worry that I'm going to have a heart attack. 4. Did I mention, I'm down 127 pounds? I'm aiming for a goal weight of 150, so I have 42 more to go. I'm thrilled to to weigh less than my husband - for the first time in our marraige. It might take me a long time to to goal, and if I don't, that is okay. I started at 320, and was continuing to slowly add weight every year. 5. I can wear any seat belt. (Did you ever just pretend you fastened your seatbelt, but it couldn't reach, so you just hid the end in your fat or held it over? I did.) 6. I can sit in any seat. I don't have to survey the room for chairs that won't grip me so tightly that I can't get up without taking the chair with me. I can fit into theater seats without sliding in from the front (couldn't comfortably get my butt past the armrests) and I can go on any amusement park ride. I no longer worry that a chair is too rickety to sit in because I'm too big. 7. I've met some great new people online. I've got my 'new' OH friends and family, who I care about and they care about me. A great group of friends - especially the July 2005 board. They give advice, they share my successes and failures, and they share theirs. 8. I no longer worry that I didn't get that promotion because I am fat. Now I know I didn't get it because they are jerks (long story here, I'll skip it for this posting). However, as I look into the future and my job change (my job ends in December) I'm no longer afraid that my weight will hold me back in getting a new job and new opportunities. 9. I'm still surprised when I look in a mirror. I don't have any full length mirrors in my house, so I would be surprised to see the fat lady in the mirror when I caught a glimpse of myself or look at photos. Now I am surprised at that thin (normal) lady in the mirror and in photos. 10. I can touch the floor, without bending my knees, with the palms of my hands. 11. People no longer cringe when I walk down an aisle looking for a seat. Remember that, "don't sit here" look? Remember fitting into your seat (bus, theater, airplane) and part of the seat next to you? Now I sit into my seat. The airplane armrest can be down on both sides. 12. I rode a horse this year, and I can rent an ATV and ride in the sand dunes, and I did go on a zip line ride in Hawaii - all things I couldn't do before because I exceeded the weight limits. Next year, skiing (vacation to Whistler is already booked). And some important things haven't changed... 1. My family still loves me. While I'm no longer the fat one (I've been overweight since I was 13, all the rest of them were "normal" while I was growing up), they have accepted and cheered for all of my positive changes. 2. My husband is still supportive and loves me, and I love him - usually. I was very worried that our relationship wouldn't bear the strain of me becoming a social butterfly and a flirt. I was afraid that since I hadn't had a huge dating life as a teenager, that I'd have some terrible need to go out and prove myself and experience more. However, I'm just not that type (though I think it would be fun sometimes) and going out to experiment for experiment's sake isn't an attractive option to me after all. And I need to work on some stuff... 1. I'm trying to learn to be less bossy. More laid back. Let it happen. Don't live everybody else's life for them. They will make it through without my advice (unless they ask, that is another story). 2. Drinking more water, getting in a quart or more a day is still a challenge I often don't make. 3. Excercising more. I really can park further away, or walk to the bus. 4. Surgery eventually, I'm getting that "drapey" body. I now look much better in clothes. It has been an exciting year. I want to thank those that have taken this journey with me. Those of you before me on OH whose advice and information I read and have helped me immeasurably on this journey. Those of you with me on this journey, especially the July 2005 board. Thank you. And, if I believed (and sometimes I wonder) I'd thank the higher power that allowed me to be one of the most, the lucky ones, the ones who don't have complications as a result of this life altering surgery. I know part of it was because I had such a great surgeon (Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey, Mexico) with thousands of surgeries under his belt and part is just blessings. Love you all, love life, having a great time in this new body. -Pam

Wow! What a wonderful post! "drapey" look....you must have arms like mine! Ha! See ya tomorrow! C

I absolutely loved this post as well and really appreciate that you put so much time and thought into it, Pam! So many familiar moments here! I'm saving this one... It'll be great to see ya tomorrow! nan

Hi Pam, Oh goodness, I *loved* this post! That was awesome. CONGRATULATIONS! You have accomplished so much. That's amazing! What a wonderful thing this surgery is, huh? Your post made me look even more forward to my first year. I have so much stuff to talk about; I can't wait til my one year anniversary. Next Wed! Like Nan said, I recognized so many of those for myself. I loved that you wrote about stuff you want to work on. I'm gonna steal that idea! Take care hun. I wish I was gonna see you in Vegas. Next year! Hugs, Lisa

Pam- What a super post. I got all sniffy. It was so wonderful meeting you in Vegas! Hugs, Andrea