I am a High School Choir Director.  Tonight I'm taking students to the opera.  They are so excited.   We live in a majorly small town and none of these kids have been to this type of performance before.  So we are all dressing up!  Of course, I have nothing in my closet that I felt was opera-appropriate that fits anymore so EXCUSE TO GO SHOPPING!!!

Catherine's has been the only place I go shopping for years and years now.  I have mostly sat in the 3x-4x size range.  So I found a few things, not sure what size so I brought in a 3x, 2x and 1x.  Tried on the 3x...too big.  Tried on the 2x...it fit, a little big but not overly so.  Tried on the 1x...didn't really think it would fit, but tried it on anyway.  IT FIT!!!

I about near danced a jig in the dressing room.  So many emotions came over me.  I thought about crying, but I was too happy to even muster up tears.  I called my aunt who has been my mom since mine passed away.  LOL she told me that she wears a 1x and to save it for her after I can't wear it anymore.

NOW LUANNE..
You are doing AWESOME... It's gonna continue to come off... people with higher BMI's tend to lose weight more rapidly my BMI was close to 60.. But even though age does play some part  for me being 32.. know that you are gonna still lose good for up to the first 18 months eveybody bodies is different, one of my girlfriend just had surgery over 1 month and half and has only lose 15 lbs she's 28 but that's still above average.. UUGHH you still have 14 months to go.. and you are only 4 mos. and looking TOO AWESOME for a 48 yr OLD!! Some lose fast first 6 mos. then slow up, then some slow in the first 6 mos and speed up the rest!!

You are doing GOOD LUANNE!!

I get briefly discouraged when I see that others have been losing weight at a much faster pace and then I remind myself that I"m not in my 20's anymore or 30's either and I know that the older you get, the slower you lose the weight and the harder it is to shed the pounds.   I"m 48 years old and I think I'm doing pretty good, all things considered, but I sure do wish I could be losing it a little faster, but then again, I havde to remind myself, that I believe that age does make a difference in our progression.

your thoughts?  Your age?

Hello friends,
It has been a while since I have posted and I thought I would check in. I am having a rough spell.  Physically I am fine.  I am losing weight very steadily.  I am down to 219 this morning (SW 297 HW 334) and I have been losing 20-25 lbs a month since surgery.  I am wearing much smaller clothes and I can actually fit in the normal size clothes at Target and Old Navy.  Onederland is in my sights.  I am stuggling with staying on protocol and wanting to emotional eat.  I haven't been drinking my shakes. I do eat a protein bar everyday and sometimes I put a shake in my morning coffee, but I am not drinking them regularly.  When I do track my food, about once or twice a week, I am meeting my protein requirements.  I forget to take my vitamins some days and I am really bad about my calcium.  I am not planning my meals and have been having to rely on fast foods some days.  I haven't worked out in so long.  I have no motivation to do so.  I am much more active that I have been in my adult life, but I am not doing any kind of "real" exercise.  I walk my son to school most mornings (1/2 mile total) and I have been cleaning/organizing, taking the stairs, etc.  My kids have been driving me nuts! Our second car broke down and my hubby works nights so I have been stuck inside all night since the time change.  I guess I am feeling frazzled and out of control.  I want to eat all of the time.  I feel a compulsion to do it.  I am not eating much, obviously, but I am eating outside of meal times.  I'll just open the cupboard and look.  I usually end up grabbing some nuts.  The other day I was craving veggies.  That is the other weird thing.  I find myself beating myself up for eating healthy stuff when it is not time to eat.  I just feel like I am on a slippery slope and I am so afraid of not succeeding and ending up right back where I started.  I feel like I have to be a perfect patient and I am not. 

I am just feeling crazy in my brain.  I have mild bipolar disorder and I think I am having a "flare up" as I like to call it.  When I write all of this down I see that I am not  doing bad at all.  I must be doing something right because I am losing.  My fear is what happens at 12-18 months when the surgery has done the bulk of it's work and it falls completely on me to maintain this weight loss.  Right now, my body and the surgery are doing what it is supposed to do.  But I feel like I am not holding up my end of the bargain.   I was doing so good pre-op and right out of surgery.  Now I just feel like I am living life with this tool and not really "working the tool."  The other part of me wants to shake myself and say that this is exactly what I wanted.  I wanted to learn how to live and eat in a different way and lose weight.  I DONT want to stress out over what I am eating but I feel like I SHOULD.    I know I need to exercise simply because it is a good health practice.  I am sorry I am just rambling.  I guess I am just looking for some encouragement and I think I just needed to get this stuff out of my brain.  I feel so thankful to have had this surgery and that I am healthy and have had no complications.  I feel guilty even complaining about anything because I am so lucky. Thanks for listening.