At One Year

Dear Friends - Here I am, 2 days from my anniversary, looking back in amazement and forward with anticipation. I have made it to normal! I started this trip morbidly obese at 245. This morning I weigh 136. Just within the "normal" range. I started as a 28. Today I'm wearing an 8. I am so grateful to all of those who went before me on this journey - your and their experiences made this trip much easier for me. I am tremendously grateful to TriCare for its coverage of my surgery and forever in awe of my surgeon, Alexander Villares, who did such a masterful job. I have had only 3 episodes of tummy rebellion - each time due to a too-large bite. I have never dumped and I can literally eat anything I want. In truth, in order to have room in my tummy to get the requisite protein and required nutrients in, I can't eat very much of "anything I want", but I can have a bit of desert, or a few chips or a bit of a Margarita. Interestingly, this past month I had thought my weight loss was pretty well over, my weight had stabilized at 139 - 140. Then I dropped to 136 almost overnight. I had been reading other posts which suggested that sometimes bumping the calories up will stimulate weight loss. That's counter-intuitive, but low and behold, it worked! A couple weeks ago I started adding an "everything" whole grain bagel to my breakfast / lunch / snacks (about one-fourth at each). I got up yesterday and was astounded that my scale reported 136. I don't "count" the weight till I see it 2 days running. 136 was there again today, so now I'm counting it. So here I am, normal weight, size 8, feeling better than I've felt in my life, looking better than I've ever looked. I am enjoying the appreciative looks I get from men. My wonderful Old Bear had to point them out to me though. I had never had a man look at me like that before. A couple months ago we were at our local casino for dinner and a little slots. When we left Rog asked if I had seen that guy "looking you over"? I responded "Huh?" It had never happened before so I was completely unaware. Anyway, I have begun to notice that guys now hold the door for me and smile a lot more. I do have saggy / baggy skin. My thighs, belly and upper arms are not very attractive. I live in the desert though, so I just live with it. I'd love to have the various parts lifted, but that is not an expense that fits into our too-tight budget. And my darling Bear thinks I'm perfect - of course he says he's always thought I was perfect, now I'm just more so - so getting lifted is not on our list of priorities. At age 56+ gravity takes its toll, wrinkles happen. So friends, there is my one year report. To quote Capra - "It's a Wonderful Life". Mom Bear

Hi Mom Bear, Congrats!!! I 'am really proud of you.I can relate to everything you are saying. I 'am 59yrs. Aug31 2005 I had my surgery Dr Juarez I have lost 90lbs I started at 250/160 now from a size 24 to a size 14 so you have given me hope ,yes my skin also has Gravity I have always had a apron I was 28 when I had a hysterectomy they cut me from sten to stern. Well you keep up the good work and hope to talk to you later. Arizcurl