One year out! +
Hello everyone!
First things first, we're finally moved in here in Colorado. I now live in Firestone, which is about 15 or so miles north of Denver. Our house has a great view of the Rocky Mountains to the west. The days here are still pretty hot, but not humid. The nights are heavenly, we don't even run the air at night. The west side of our house is basically nothing but windows, the side that faces the mountains. It's like a dream to wake up to that view every morning. I'm not sure if I'm going to like the winters yet, but for right now, I love Colorado.
Here's my stats for one year out: The day of surgery was August 9, 2006. I weighed in at 351 pounds. Since then I've lost a total of 120 pounds, my current weight being 231.
Like a lot of others, I started out by losing 29 pounds the first two weeks after the surgery. I lost another 10 pounds the third week. After that, I lost about 2-3 pounds every week for the first six months or so. I did hit a few plateaus along the way. I never tried the so called "plateau buster" diets. Instead I would just try to change things up a bit. Sometimes this would work, but other times it would not.
Patience and diligence are the two tools that work best. You have to be patient, even when you're not losing, or when you're not losing fast enough. You have to be diligent, always. By this I mean that the surgery is not a magic bullet. It takes a lot of work, but the end result can be amazing.
I love my size right now. I love the way clothes fit me. I've never known a time when shopping for clothes was so much fun. I was at Wal-Mart a couple of days ago and seen shorts on sale. I walked over to see if they had my size, but they didn't. All the shorts were too BIG! Imagine that, a guy who used to buy most clothes at big and tall stores, but couldn't find pants on sale that were small enough. It's a great problem to have, and I'm thankful that I have it. Although, I do not think of it as a problem, but a blessing.
I was hoping that I would be one of the fortunate guys that would not require a tummy tuck. It doesn't look like I'm in that category. I don't think I'm ready to take that step yet, maybe in 6 months or so. I have some loose skin at the bottom of my belly that hangs over a bit, and also have saddlebags on the sides. My wife thinks I look fine. When I hear that, my brain tranlates that into, "you look better now than you did when you were bigger." I think having the tummy tuck would be the SF icing on the SF cake.
It's great to be back!
Ronnie
Day of surgery weight 352
Current weight 250
Total Lost 102
Height 6'3"
BMI 31
I wouldn't use the term "model patient" when referring to myself. I'm far from it. When talking of model patients, I would talk of Dx. Although, I wouldn't line up to have the complications he had in the beginning, he does seem to be the most "model patient" overall.
Ten pounds per month is a decent average. Seven of those pounds were lost in the last couple weeks. That's right, I don't think I'm done losing yet. Although I do not wish to lose any more weight, I wouldn't cry about it if it happens.
Thanks for the reply.
Day of surgery weight 352
Current weight 250
Total Lost 102
Height 6'3"
BMI 31
(deactivated member)
on 8/9/07 5:27 am - Houston, TX
on 8/9/07 5:27 am - Houston, TX
Ronnie...send some of those cool nights to Houston please...
Glad you are doing well
Russ
Well done Ronnie!
Glad you're settled into a place with a great view--always a treat and refresher.
We're pretty much on schedule, WLS-wise. I'm a few weeks behind you, so it is good to read your story and hear about your happiness. Here's to a great year 2.
Doug
If we're treading on thin ice we might as well dance.--Jesse Winchester