Update on Progress

So its been a little over 4 full months since surgery. Starting month five. Ive lost over 100 now! Like 101 but you know Im going to take that. This last month has been kind of slow on losing weight and I *think* that it has something to do with my new found obsession with tomatoes. I eat them for like every meal it seems, with tons of salt so I checked with the office. They said that I should try to limit salt intake so Im going to eat them less. I have started to be able to eat almost anything. I havent tried steak or hamburger yet but so far things they said would be hard to digest (salad, bread, etc) hasn't been bad to me. Im really relived because I love salad with my life. And Im really glad that I still have the taste for it because I have noticed that there are some foods that I used to love before but now I dont really care for, like cottage cheese. Im not sure if that has something to do with eating it for 11 days straight or what. Does everyone gradually increase the amount of food that they can eat and this soon out? I think that some food items I can eat until my hearts content, such as the tomatoes and never really feel "full" unlike others where I can eat like 4 bites and start to fall into what my loving sister calls "food coma." You would think this far out she would get that its not going to take me much to get tha way anymore. Who knows, its funny how they are still kinda surprised at how much makes me full. On a another non-related surgery note, I think that we have finally decided on some major wedding details, for those of you who don't care but will listen anyways. I think that everyone around me on a daily basis is getting sick of wedding details so I thought I would bore them with you guys! Kidding. Anyway, we having the ceremony at my family church and then the reception at the Stoneycreek Inn in Johnston. Has anyone ever been to a wedding reception there? We think its the best money for what we get and believe me, I scoured the earth here in the DSM area looking for the best deal. There are some high priced places out there. Im just really glad to get that taken care of. Now the fun details can be started like the decorations, flowers, dresses (not mine), and the such. Our colors are chocolate brown and sage green. We are having it next October so that will go good with the fall. I havent decided if I want to use the fall them as the flowers or not yet. I was thinking just roses of some color, like a coral-ish or peach-y type. It would go good with the others. We did make our first "wedding" purchase (besides the ring my fiance says) and order some Save the Date cards online on ebay. It was a pretty good deal for 50 of them, with matching envelopes for $20(and thats including the shippings cost). They have this sticker on them that has a little bride and groom with our names and the date that they person can peel off and put on their calendar to remind them. Its actually pretty adorable! Okay, im done with that. Please bare with me on that whole thing. How is everyone else doing these days? I think that summer is hard to go through not being able to eat anything you want because of all the BBQs, homemade ice cream and apple pies, etc. I know that that is something that got to me where I am today but call me nostalgic, I like those things about summer! And isn't ironic that my 6 month surgeversary falls on Thanksgiving? Nice. The operation that saved my life on the biggest eating day of the year. Also, I tried to post more pictures but it wouldn't let me so follow this link to my MySpace page and there is an update picture of me on there: http://www.myspace.com/59835970 Darcy

Wow I think your doing great on your weight loss a 100 in 4 months I have only lost 156 in 14 months. I wish you the best. Lavonda

I think that I am just a fast loser. Not to brag or aynthing Not that I dont like it sometimes I think I would like a little slower as I haven't wuite found the "love" for exercise that I thought I would when it came easier. Hopefully soon so that will help the whole skin issue. I really really dont want to have plastic sirgery but Im getting married now in a little over a year and I want to look the most beautiful as I can!!! Although Im pretty sure that I will be happy with my looks nonetheless!

I think I would of lost more if I was in to exercise more. I am joining a gym in sept though. I am sure by the time your wedding comes around you will love your new looks even without plastic surgery. I wish you and your fiance many years of happiness Lavonda

Darcy you are doing great. I lost 100 pounds in 4 months to so we are the same. That's cool. I went on to lose 70 more after that. For a total of 170 pounds.You are doing great. I can't look at the new picture because I only have a computer here at work and they have a block up against myspace. But I was so excited to see it. I haven't saw you since before your surgery. I bet you look great!!! You can come here when ever you want and tell us about the wedding plans we will never get bored with it. I didn't get to plan a wedding. I got married when I was 8 1/2 months pregnant, and my husband asked me to marry him and a week later we got married. So I love to hear about wedding plans. It sounds like fun planning a wedding. I bet it is a lot of work but it will be worth it!!. Well keep up the good work!!!!

The picture is actually in my profile. I sent it to the website to get it put on there and they sent me an email back saying it couldn't be posted but I saw that it was after I put this post up last night. Im a little smaller than that now, not much but that was my fave shirt at the time, now hardly fits. Thats one thing that is taking some getting used to. Dont get me wrong, I like it but I hardly have any clothes right now. I have bought some jeans, the most important thing, and then I sell them when I am done on ebay becuase they are hardly worn. So I get some of my money back on that. But it seems like I have t-shirts and one good shirt to go out in. Like I wear the same things all the time. I think Im going to hit goodwill in WDM to see if there's anything good for low price. I once got a pair of hit pink Steve Madden heels with the sticker still on them for $2! I looked online after I got them, they retailed at $89!!!! Best goodwill buy ever! Also, I thought I would ask when is the next group meeting? Im starting to work 4 days a week and Tuesday happens to be my day off for the time being so I will be able come now!

Darcy, You are doing great!! Glad to hear of all your progress. I also love to hear about wedding plans so you can come on here anytime. I have never been to the place in Johnston for a wedding reception though I know of it and have set up some there when I was in the floral buz. Looks like a nice place. Keep up the great wl and wonderful wedding plans!!!

Wow you are looking great!!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad you told me the picture is on your page to. The next meeting should be September 19th at 5:30. I try to get there early to talk. I wasn't there last month but I'll be there this up coming meeting. I know how you feel about cloths. At Christmas last year I got mostly money and I went to the outlet mall to shop. I got a lot of cloths. I only wore them a few times because that was around the time a lost quiet a bit in a short time. I had a garage sell this summer and got rid of everything. I still don't have a lot of cloths. I think I'm going to buy some stuff for next summer now since it is all on sale and then I have to get a new winter coat, and winter cloths. I have nothing for winter, or fall. There is no way I can wear the one coat I wore last year. It was big on me last year after losing 100 pounds. Now I've lost 70 more so it would just be hanging off of me. I love to shop but man I need to hit the jack-pot so I can afford it.

Man, what is your guy's secret to losing so much so fast? I feel like a turtle compared to you guys. Are you exercising tons or what are you doing? I too, am finding that I still hate to exercise. I do it, but only because I'm willing to try anything to speed up my loss. I keep thinking when I get another 50 or so pounds off maybe it will be a little easier and I'll like it a bit more. Can I ask you how many calories you are getting per day? Someone else on here suggested that I try to up my calories to speed things up so I'm going to give that a try. I'm going on a cruise to Key West and Mexico next week, so I think that will be a good time to increase my calories. Thank God it is next week and not this week!

Cindy, To tell you the truth, I dont really exercise that much, I wouldnt say. I mean I work downtown and there's not free parking so I walk like 10-12 minutes each way to and from. Also, I used to be on a sand volleyball league but last week was our last game. So now I am going to try to walk on the treadmill at home for like 25 minutes a day when I get home from work. I would like to start out with that 3-4 times a week then increase when I can stick with that. I dont want to over do it the beginning because then I will just fail. I am a fairly busy person with everything that is going on (wedding planning, baby shower planning--going to be an 1st time aunt in Nov, IA football is starting, the list could go on...) so I just want to get it in sometime. Im starting to eat "a lot" more than I did right afer surgery. Up until like the start of month 4, I would be lucky to even get a string cheese down in an entire day. I had no desire to eat, besides the protein supplement. Now a regular day begins with a V8 for breakfast, tomatoes for lunch, and chicken/protein for dinner. And I drink a lot of water. Myabe thats the secret, Im not sure. Does this help? And IM so jealous you're going on a cruise!