6 month surgiversary!

Well, it has been 6 months since I had the surgery (6/25, so 6 months and one day) and I am down a total of 82 pounds!  Since May, I am down 99 pounds :)  I didn't reach my initial goal to lose 100 pounds before the end of the year (as I highly doubt i will hit 18 more pounds in a week) but I am still really proud of this achievement. 

On to other news, after much deliberation and consideration, I have decided to attempt to train for a half marathon.  I have started running more on the treadmill (will try to get outside to run too when it warms up some more and when the kids are in daycare) and focusing not just on the calories to give me that extra 'umpfh' so to speak.  Instead of doing an hour on the elliptical and burning upward to 900 calories, I am doing half an hour on the treadmill (hitting 300 calories last time) and a half an hour on the elliptical afterwards (did 450 calories).  So not as good when doing all elliptical (short by 150 calories or so) but still a good burn and better practice towards a half marathon. 

So, new goal time.  By the time of my one year surgiversary, these are a few of my goals that I would like to achieve:

1.  Weigh under 200 pounds.
               *I am currently at 215, so that means 15 pounds in 6 months!  gotta keep pushing and i can do it!

2.  Run in a 5K
               *I am thinking of doing the Color Me Rad 5K in March (I did Color Run in August and really enjoyed it).  I may instead do a 10K though as more of a preparation for number 3!

3.  Run a half marathon
               * The half marathon I am training for is part of the Rock N Roll Marathon in San Diego.  It will be held on June 2nd.

4.  Wear a size 12 pants.
                * Pending on style, I can wear a size 14 or 16.  Jeans are 16 and material are 14 pretty much.  I do have some pajamas that are 12s that fit :)



So these are my goals!  gotta get'er done!

Ashley

Here are a couple current pictures about progress :)
In white is from May before the surgery at my highest known weight (314), and in the dress is from today (12/26 at 215)

When life chucks lemons at you...

I am completely overwhelmed lately, and so I figure even tho this is my weight loss blog, I could add to it and post about what else is going on.  I know it is affecting my numbers, the past few weeks I have sort of collapsed and been at a stand still or bounce back and forth with weight.  I know it has to do with stress and not being able to get in some good solid gym work outs.

So, here is my past month (since my previous update other than today earlier) and the next month in a nutshell... trying to keep myself sane through it all:

12/12/12- Autism Assessment for Trevor
12/13/12- Musical that I have been teaching at work
12/14/12- last day of work PAID for 3 weeks while on winter break
12/19/12- Sister flies in
12/19/12- Memorial for my Grandmother who passed away last week
12/20/12- EEG for Trevor because of recent seizures
12/20-12- Meeting with 2 lawyers (because after talking with my lawyer from before about possible lawsuit vs. previous PCP he wants to go larger, go with vs. hospital due to Trevor now having medical concerns with his heart, neurology, development, and more)... My lawyer enlisted the assistance of a second partner because he said he expects that they will shell out about 80-100k in advance of lawsuit for specialists because of how many different aspects there are put together, but said while he dislikes the reference said that it will result in the 'million dollar answers'. 
12/26/12- sister leaves town
12/27/12- My 6 month post op appointment with surgeon
12/28/12-  Appointment at Rady's hospital for Neurology to review results from EEG and 'go from there'
1/1/13: Sister in law comes in town with her husband and 2 kids
1/7/13- sis/bro in law and nieces fly home
1/7/13- return back to work
1/15/13- Appointment for Trevor with Childrens' hospital Cardiologist.  This will be to discuss Trevor's future and determine if surgery is a necessity now.

On top of this, we have 2 appts a week for Trevor (Mondays is Physical Therapy, Fridays is the ARC teacher that comes out for 1- 1.5 hours a visit to work with Trevor.  Trevor seems to have a low immunity a lot of the time.  He is constantly sick (he has been up the past few nights screaming randomly in pain...).  Trying to help but I haven't take him to the doctor in past couple days because every time I do this, it is told to me that there is 'nothing they can do'... so we are at home instead of dr. He was throwing up last Thursday morning (he hasn't thrown up since then) and has just been acting work out

Between trying to figure all this out, plus my grandmother passed away last week and since I am the local grandchild (no child, only 3 grandschildren, I'm only local one) I have ended up trying to have to plan the memorial service, plus keeping ashes and trying to clear up some of her trailer (her home). 

So all this is in addition to my two kids and then trying to keep up at work DH has 2 days of work this past week... a serious drop in hours :(  Just getting frazzled with how much is going on recently.  Well such is life and now I am off to get some sleep before Trevor is up screaming and crying again (he went to bed at 7 and was up fro 810-840, its now 9:54 and he was coughing about 20 minutes ago but went back to sleep right away)

I am worried about Trevor.  His development while getting better is still 'delayed'.  Also, more concerning, lately we have noticed a struggle breathing while participating in PT and the ARC teacher.  The arc teacher mentioned that his heart is having to work too hard with the hole and that he can't even 'practice' right now with the new strategies because it wears him out too fast.  So I am not sure what to think any more.  the ARC teacher was talking about another student she had before that had a hole in his heart and had the surgery and what a success it was for him.  I hope that if we have this surgery (which as of right now in my eyes it seems like it might be likely) it will definitely help him but is nerve wracking.  Zach had minor surgery (outpatient) at the Rady's childrens hospital when he was 14 months old for umbilical hernia repair and cyst removal, but I am so nerve about the idea of open heart surgery on my little 1 year old.  I know that it will help him, he shouldn't be struggling to breath just after crawling and coughing up a lung (although that is from sickness, which one physician assistant mentioned it is possible that so much of his body energy is going towards his heart etc that his immunity is low, which would be why he is CONSTANTLY sick it seems)...  And with all this, even though I know i shouldn't, I still blame myself.  Why you may ask, here is why (which is also a helpful explanation for the lawyer visits mentioned earlier)

in March of 2011 (I was 8 weeks pregnant, unknowingly) I went into ER after 4 weeks of severe pain travelling up my leg until it was swollen and in pain 24/7 crying.  Well, they did U/S and saw that I had severe DVT.  (clotting in EVERY vein of my leg, as the radiologist said: the freeway was blocked, all the exits, side roads, walk ways, and dirt roads everywhere were clogged).  After that (and while I was still in severe pain and they had started treatment with Diladid pain medication, one that is a higher degree of medication of morphine) to try and relieve pain.  i was asked a simple question right before they rolled me back for a CT scan (to check my lungs to any damage, which they did infact find Blood clots had travelled into my lungs, a Pulminary Embolism). The question, "is there a chance you might be pregnant"... my answer "there shouldn't be, I am on birth control"... it is the same answer I have always given for anything I have had done... whether a dentist or xray.  They had me fill in when my last menstrual cycle was (which was due in the next week or so, as I had what i thought was my cycle the month before, now know it was just spotting) and wheeled me away.  During that hospital stay I was exposed to so much medication, therapies, 3 different surgeries, a lot of stuff.  that started 3/17...  come 4/23 I hadn't gotten a period.  bought a PG test, and lo and behold it was a light positive.  I was on blood thinner that you are not to expose to fetus so discontinued that immediately thinking I was around 4 weeks pregnant.  Nope over 15 weeks along...  Which meant all the harm that could have been done to my baby at that time.  All that treatment that helped saved me (as after everything we are told that if I hadn't come in when I did, there was a 33% mortality rate that could have gotten higher the longer I wait if the clots had traveled to brain).  All this stuff coming out now about Trevor: VSD (hole in heart, a congenitive heart defect which is a side effect of the blood thinner I was on), developmental delays, seizures, possible autism spectrum...  Could this all have been saved if I had simply requested a pregnancy test?  The lawyer comes in because of 2 things-  big one: should the hospital have done a pregnancy test due to the fact of prior history of getting pregnant while on Birth Control (my first son was a birth control baby) and could all of these problems come from the treatments at hospital (which is why bill for lawyers if they do pursue it which the one lawyer wants to as long as 2nd lawyer is comfortable, and they said they will only take a case they 'know' will win, and only charge if they win... so he is expecting a BIG win with the thought of shelling out 100k in dispositions from Drs that will answer either of those questions in the varying fields).  Some doctors that he talked to already told him that if there is ANY doubt what so ever (or if the woman has been at ALL sexual in past few months) they will do the pregnancy test, just to be on the safe side.


All right, got a lot off my chest, I should head out because Trevor is now crying, and i need to calm him down.  Leave a comment if u want, or not. 


Ashley

3 weeks til the start of a new year! and measurements

Well, its been a while so I thought I would do a big post.  I am currently sitting at 219.6 pounds  While it is not the number i was hoping for, if I look at it since May 14th, I am currently down 95.6 pounds and since surgery I am down 77.4 (in a little under 6 months)... I am not getting to my goal I had originally set for myself I believe (since it would require a little less than a pound a DAY until the new year to get to under 200 by 1/1/13), I still feel great about the way I look and feel.

Well, lets get this started:  Measurements.  Here is an update for my measurements lately: 

Area...6/4.........6/12.......7/2.......8/3.......9/6.....10/2.....11/4........12/4.
Bust--- 50.5"----same----49.25"---46.25"--44.75"---44"------43"-------same
Chest-- 48"------46.5"-----44.75"---43"------41"-----40.5"---38.5"-------38"
Waist- 50"------49.5"------45.25"---44"------43"-----same----39.5"-----38.75"
Hips--- 60"------same--------57"---55.75"---53"-----51.5"---49.5"-------48.75"
Thighs- 32"-----same------- 31"----29.5"-----26.5"----25"------24"--------same
R Calf-21.5" ----21"---------20"-----19"------same---same---same--------same
L Calf--20"------same------19.25"--18.5"-----same----18"-----17.5"----- 18"
bicep--14.25"--same-------same---same------14.5"----14"------13"----- 13.25"
Forearm-12.5"--12.25"---same-----11.5"-----11.25"---11"-----same----- 10.75"
Neck ---16.5"---16"------15.25"----15"------same-----14.5"---14.25"-----14.25"

total inches lost from June 4 to Dec 4th: 66.5 inches lost

So not a SPECTACULAR month (as i had a increase in bicep and waist slightly this month) but still overall down.

I am now able to wear 14/16 shirts comfortably and 14s in pants/slacks/shorts, 16's in jeans...  The jeans is going to be a 'sticky' point for me I think.  I had severe blood clotting problems in 2011 that sent me to the hospital for over a week and also left me with stretched out veins in my right leg that try as I might are most likely not going to completely return to normal.  This is why I measure both my right leg and my left leg for my calf.  Back in June of 2011 my right calf measured at 4.5 inches larger than my left... yes 4.5 inches.  I wore compression stockings for the summer wearing long pants, and into the fall as well.  At least now when I started in June 2012 I was down to a difference of 1.5 inches, and currently they are only an inch a part.  HOWEVER when trying on jeans a couple weeks ago, I found that I couldn't put on the 14s because it was too tight around my right calf trying to bring the pants up.   It was tight around my calf on the 16s with one style (I don't remember the style) and could only wear it as 18s but they swam around my waste then.  So I found that if I wear 'boot cut' straight leg style I can wear the 16s without it being too tight on my leg.  I think that will be a disappointment if I struggle with size not because of my waste for some of it but for my one leg that is bigger than the other.  Hopefully it will continue to shrink down and eventually equal out (or get within .5 an inch)

Alright, well I am going to post one more update but in a different thread as it is a bit off topic and figure I should put it separate. 

Measurement time!

Alright, well I did my monthly measurements, and here we go!

Area...June 4..June 12..July 2..Aug 3..Sept 6..Oct 2....Nov 4...
Bust--- 50.5"----same----49.25"---46.25"--44.75"--44"------43"---
Chest-- 48"------46.5"-----44.75"---43"------41"-----40.5"---38.5"---
Waist- 50"------49.5"------45.25"---44"------43"-----same----39.5"-
Hips--- 60"------same--------57"-----55.75"---53"-----51.5"---49.5"--
Thighs- 32"-----same------- 31"----29.5"-----26.5"--25"-------24"---
R Calf-21.5" ----21"---------20"-----19"--------same---same---same-
L Calf--20"------same------19.25"--18.5"-----same----18"-----17.5"--
bicep--14.25"--same-------same---same------14.5"---14"------13"---
Forearm-12.5"--12.25"---same----11.5"----11.25"---11"-----same--
Neck ---16.5"---16"------15.25"----15"------same-----14.5"---14.25"


Not too shabby if I do say so myself!  I am down 66.5 inches from June 4th-November 4th, 5 months time!

In the past 1 month (from Oct.2 to Nov. 4) I have gone down 12.25 inches!  I am so excited for all this amazing progress :)  I have gotten thru the challenge of working two jobs and now will be focusing in again on just getting in my work out and keeping up with my nutrition aspect.  I weighed in on Friday at 221 (WOOHOO!) and this measurement really shows that it is paying off.

At Lane Bryant today I went in to get a couple more pants for work (most of mine are REALLY baggy, as they are 20's that I bought 2 or 3 months ago when my 26's were too big!), and am now able to wear a size 14 in the 'classic trouser' and in jeans I am in a 16.  So I am pretty happy with this :) 

Well that is all for this update!

Oct 26th!

It has been 4 months and I am down to 227 pounds!  It has been such an amazing journey! Since May 14th I have gone down from 315 to 227, which is DOWN 88 pounds! I am just so happy with the progress :)

I am so thankful to have had the surgery and to be where I am today.  I haven't been able to update lately because I have been working teaching during the day and at a retail store in the evening.  That has probably helped me keep busy with the weight!

Here are some photo shots to show the progress as of now:

71.6 pounds down!

So, 4 months ago I started to really 'begin' this journey in my mind... I was set with surgery, good to go.  I was starting to get more into my exercise routine, and i started to track myself.  I was going to be starting boot camp class and was geared up and ready to go.  On May 14th I weighed in at 315 pounds. I then started the saturday morning boot camp, going to the gym at least 2 more times a week, then had the surgery June 25th, and ever since then tried to keep my commitment up.  While in the past 2 weeks I have not been going to the gym, I have been working 2 jobs, one of which has consisted of loading and unloading boxes, stocking shelves, moving merchandise, etc... so active and on my feet the whole time.  My calories have stayed under 600 on average, and keeping my water levels (well, water with MIO and propel/powerade 0) at a minimum 64 oz or more. Today 9/14, so exactly 4 months after the start of the prep for surgery, I am weighing in at 243.4 pounds.  That means that in 4 months I have lost 71.6 pounds.

It is hard to believe that it has really happened.  I have cleaned out most of my old clothes from the closet (I have some of my old 'tight' clothes, which are now pretty lose on me) as i was wearing mostly 24s and 26s, and now have new clothes that are 16s, 18s, and even some 14s that fit!  This whole experience has made me start to feel so much better about myself. I can't say I regret anything, as the only thing I could think of would be not having it sooner, however the other times i had started up the program I got pregnant and I don't regret my boys.  So while I do wish I could have had this happen years ago, I am glad I am at where I am, as i have wonderful kids who I will be able to stay active and healthy with, and a supportive husband who is here pushing me along to inspire me to keep up the good work.

Measurement time again

alright, I did more measurements :)  Here is the comparison chart with the addition of this morning!


Area...June 4....June 12....July 2nd....Aug 3rd ...Sept 6....
Bust--- 50.5"-----same-----49.25"-----46.25"-----44.75"----
Chest-- 48"------46.5"------44.75"-----43"--------41"-------
Waist-- 50"-----49.5"-------45.25"------44"---------43"----
Hips--- 60"------same--------57"--------55.75"-----53"----
Thighs- 32"------same------- 31"--------29.5"-------26.5"---
R Calf-21.5" ----21"---------20"--------19"---------same-----
L Calf--20"------same-------19.25"-----18.5"-------same-----
bicep--14.25"---same-------same-------same--------14.5"-----
Forearm-12.5"--12.25"----same------11.5"--------11.25"----
Neck ---16.5"---16"------15.25"------15"-----------same-----

total inches lost from June 4 to sept 6th: 45.25 inches

Pretty good numbers if I do say so myself! I am pretty excited to see these numbers!

I have just started working at the Halloween store in the afternoons and evenings so I wont be able to go to the gym as much (once teaching starts hopefully Monday I will be working both positions and pretty busy!) but I hopefully will be able to continue the losses as I am busy.  I weighed in today at 246.8 which is exactly 50.2 pounds less than weight on the morning of the surgery on June 25th!

If you have any questions or comments, u know what to do!

clothes!!!

well this post is all about clothes :) when i started this journey back in June i was wearing bshorts/pants in sizes 24 and 26  and my tops were some 26/28 and 22/24 from lane bryant

Yesterday i was at lane bryant (i got a job again teaching and my clothes are very baggy lol) trying on clothes to get and noticed it was loose... well long story short i am able to wear size 14/16 top and i bought 2 14s bottoms and a 16 pants.  i am shocked about it because everything i read was how i wouldnt drop sizes fast at first yet here i am with big changes in size.  if i can figure out adding pictures from my tablet i will post the before and after pictures :)

alright well that was about it for today!

me wearing a size 14/16 top and 14 skirt 

me right before surgery at my high of 315 in may

oh and by the way i weighed in today at 250.4 which is 47 pounds down from surgery and a total of 64.6 pounds lost since mid may!!! i will be measuring in next few days so watch for that post as well

almost 2 months out!

Wow, time is just flying by!  I appologize about not having kept up frequently with this... between both kids, dr appointments, trying to find a job, and doing some volunteer work at one of the schools when the kids are in daycare I have been busy!  Oh, and add in going to the gym, because I go at least 3 times a week for full work out :)

Well first off, I can't believe it but I hiked Cowles mountain last week.  Last Tuesday I did it, all the way to the top on my own.  I have done it a few years ago, but since then couldn't make it to the top without turning around.  I did the longer route (2.5 miles to the top, so 5 miles round trip) and man it took forever but I did complete it.  I started at 9 am at the base of the mountain, and got back to my car at 12:23.  whew it was hard but I am just glad i did.  I took breaks going up (had to) but still managed to do it. 

My regular work outs are M/W/F (and Saturdays mixed in as well, but those are for sure days I go every week) for 60 minutes minimum of Cardio (can we say 900+ Calories burned right there!) plus some core and strength training.  I am trying to keep it up getting into the school year!  Gotta keep pushing!  I got a reply to a question at the gym about boot camp.  They said it is returning and to watch for the sign posted in the next few days with info.  I am excited because I LOVED doing boot camp in May/June and can't wait to do it again.  It was a great experience and a great work out.

My nutrition is doing pretty well.  I am sticking to my proteins well, even right now I am eating for lunch some chicken I made on the stove, so high protein there! I am averaging around 600 calories a day (sometimes a little less, but on those days at the gym I make sure to get my protein shake in during the morning so I may sneak up to 700 calories then) so that is looking good.  I am still losing weight (hit the stall once near the beginning of the loss but have been holding steady in losses since then).  When I weighed myself this morning (I know, not a weigh in day but still I did it) I weighed in at 254.8...  When I weighed in on Monday (as I weigh usually on Mondays and Fridays for weigh tracker) I weighed in at 256.4 so still going down :) I usually average about 3-4 pounds a week in loss (I love it) so I am on track for that this week.  When I weighed in on the 23rd of June (2 days before surgery) I was 298... so in 2 months exactly I am down 43.2 pounds.  Since my high in May I am down 60.2 pounds.  So this journey has really been something!

My clothes have gotten too big... I knew that would happen. I found some old clothes packed away that were 'too small' a couple years ago.  I am now wearing some of those, but even then some were too big already.  I have a friend I sent some clothes to, and the rest were given to my mom who sorted thru what she wanted and then she was going to take them to a coworker of hers who is heavier set. 

Well I think that is about all for me right now.  If you have any questions at all please post them here :)  I will measure again in the next week or two and be able to see inches changing and what not.  I measure around the 3rd/4th of each month so I know I will post then, if not sooner :)

Losses by the numbers

Alright, I said I would update on friday, whoops!  So here is a little bit later but still lots of information.  Today I am officially 6 weeks out.  Here are my numbers from weigh ins with each of these weeks :)

Day 1 of new life (hospital weight 6/25/2012)  297

July 2nd-- W1: 278.6(-18.4) 
July 9th-- W2: 272.2(-6.4)
July 16th--W3: 272.0(-.2) 
July 23rd--W4- 272.8(+.8) 
July 30th--W5: 268.2(-4.6 lb) 
Aug 6th---W6: 262.4(-5.8 )

Overall it is a loss of 34.6 pounds in 6 weeks.  This is from surgery.  My highest weight is 315 (that i know of, perhaps it was even once above that)...  When I started book camp on May 12th I weighed in at 312...  So I am pretty happy overall with my weight loss throughout this journey.  On June 11th I started the pre-op diet and weighed 306.

So, the other thing I 'promised' was the measurements.  I measured on August 3rd and here are the measurements from the last few times and the 3rds :)

Area.........June 4..............June 12...............July 2nd.............August 3rd 
Bust-------- 50.5"-----------same---------------49.25"-------------46.25"
Chest-------- 48"------------46.5"---------------44.75"------------43"

Waist-------- 50"------------49.5"---------------45.25"------------44"
Hips---------- 60"-----------same----------------57"----------------55.75"
Thighs ------- 32"-----------same--------------- 31"----------------29.5"
R Calf-------- 21.5" ----------21"---------------20"-----------------19"
L Calf---------20"------------same--------------19.25"-------------18.5"

bicep-------- - 14.25"--------same--------------same---------------same
For arm ----- 12.5"----------12.25"-------------same--------------11.5"
Neck ---------16.5"-----------16"----------------15.25"-------------15"

 

 

TOTAL LOSSES as of now :)

Bust- down 4.25"

Chest- down 5"

Waist- down 6"

Hips- down 4.25"

Thighs- down 2.5"

R Calf- down 2.5"

L Calf- down 1.5"

Bicep- same

Forearm- down 1"

Neck- down 1.5"

 

Overall inches lost in 2 months:  Down 32 inches from my body :) 

 

Alrighty, well I think thats enough for now, lots to process.  So hope you enjoyed seeing the progress by numbers!  Next post I will see about adding some photos to show differences :)

 

Ashley

Been 2 weeks!

Alright its been a while,  my fault!  Life has been crazy with job interviews (another one today!), kids, gym etc.  I was stuck in a stall for two weeks and it has finally broken :) i weighed in today at 265. I am officially weighing less than i did when i was at my lowest in recent years. Lowest i remember being was right before i got pregnant and weighed 268. That was in january of 2009

I have been going to the gym at least 3xs a week doing 60 minutes of cardio on elliptical or cross trainer machine. My calorie intake averages 600 calories or so (250 is my am homemade  protein shake. It includes frozen strawberries and low fat milk).  When i do cardio i knock out 800 calories or so. So that's an update on my life as of now. I am so happy with my sleeve :). On friday i will weigh but also measure and post results. I measure around 4th of each month but am antsy to measure because of that long stall to see since i felt clothes getting looser on me :)

Til later!

At a stall

I knew it would happen but it still sucks.  I weighed in at 272.2 on july 9 after two weeks. On monday i weighed 272.0 for week three. I did get to start regular food last monday, well semi regular. I can eat meat that can be shredded or chewed to like a puree and mashed foods. I am having lunch right now :) tuna!

I have been getting more active at the gym with cardio. Doing 40 min of cardio usually mixing up elliptical and treadmill. I tried to start where i left off with c25k but it didn't work. I couldn't keep up. So when i go to the gym tomorrow i will back up a week in workout to week 4 and repeat it. I am registered for 5k in November and want to be ready!

I also have a job interview on friday for a long term sub job at a private school. I am hoping I can get it so that way I at least know I have work at the beginning of the year through october.

Well that's about it. Nothing really exciting. Hoping this stall breaks soon because it definitely makes me anxious :)

Two weeks down, rest of my life to go!

This was written july 9 but i never hit publish. Whoops!

Well i made it through the liquid diet!  Today for breakfast i had scrambled egg (maybe about half an egg haha) and it was great!  So nice to not have soup and broth and jello :)

I have decided to put the scale up because it is resulting in being disappointed which i know i shouldn't be. When i was at the hospital right before surgery i weighed in at 297. At one week i weighed 278.6. In ONE WEEK. Now today i weigh 272.2. I know in my head that's a great loss for one week, 6.4 lbs. Before surgery i would have been jumping up and down. But now it feels like it doesn't measure up to week one. I need to be happy and i  am happy with it. But weighing in each day and seeing   -.8 or  -.2  is semi depressing compared to-3.2 in a day. So i am not weighing myself til thursday and will weigh Mondays and Thursdays and not in between.

In other news i am sitting at orthopedic surgeon office. Getting my right knee checked. I haven't been able to go up stairs without pain in a LONG TIME. In december they did an ultrasound and found a cyst in knee on right side. I dealt with it but in may it started hurting again so i got referral and appt for this. The dr wants xrays so waiting for nurse to take me back for that. Looking forward to hopefully getting answers :)

Well that's all for today!

11 days post op

I am now 11 days post op. I weighed in today at 273.0 pounds which is amazing since just 11 days ago i weighed 297. So total of 24 pounds in less than two weeks :)

I had my one week follow up appointment yesterday. My surgeon said i am doing a great job and on track to meet and exceed expectations. Their expectation is that u lose 10% of total body weight in first month. For me that is 29.7 lbs in first month. I am super excited :) 

I talked to donny and i set a goal for myself. By 9 months i want to be down 100 pounds. I think i can do this i just have to keep my focus. If i look at it from my highest weight i am down 42 lbs. If i consider just from pre op diet i am down 31 pounds :)

6 days post op

So its been almost a week post op.  When I was weighed in at the hospital they said I weighed 296 pounds.  I weighed myself on the scale this morning and weighed in at 280.4 pounds.  So just in a little under 1 week down 16 pounds! 

I am making sure I drink my water, because the whole dehydration and hospital iv etc is not a pleasant thought and i would rather avoid it! lol.  Tomorrow starts my chance to add in protein shakes to my diet.  I have been restricted to liquid broth, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, light yogurt, cream soup strained/watered down, and i can have milk (although honestly I have not had any).  Tomorrow adds protein shakes to the equation, and then on Thursday I go to see my surgeon for my first follow up appointment.  Next monday I will be 2 weeks post op and I can start my 'mushy' foods... The whole puree type and stuff you can smash down.  I am looking forward to getting some scrambled egg, banana, beans, etc.  I am excited for that in a week lol. 

I am feeling REALLY good, which is shocking.  I know I need to watch that I don't do to much.  Yesterday I did a bit too much and it was sore time for me for a few hours.  Getting dizzy when standing up, light headed, and whole stomach area sore and worn out.  Tomorrow Donny goes back to work so I definitely need to watch myself to not over do it tomorrow morning getting the boys up and ready to go. 

So, I am going to sign off from here but if you have any questions just let me know :) 

Day three post op!!

Doing good!  Had some reaction to general anesthesia on monday so i was in recovery for little more than three hours versus normal one hour. Had lots of anti nausea meds (threw up twice without having anything. But now going great. Got to go home tuesday :)

Since monday with sleeve to today i am actually down 9 lbs already!  I am not quite getting 64 oz in (yesterday i had 26 oz od propel, 3/4 cup od broth and sf jello cup ) but will slowly build up to it. Today i tried cream of wheat (yuck) but after one taste went back to sf jello lol been walking walking walking!  Trying to follow everything that is allowed and taking care of myself :)

Post op day one

I am going home :)

I will post more later tonight if I am feeling up to it.

Been pretty sore and tired with nausea and vomiting as well. But I wanted to get on here and say that the surgery went well and I'm ready to go home

Here we go- surgery in 2.5 hours

I am sitting in the waiting room at hospital waiting for the nurse to come pick me up.  This is really it. I will be escorted to the SPA (surgical procedure something lol) then to OR for the surgery at 1030. I will update when i can!

Night Before

So my surgery is tomorrow. I have been really excited and gung ho about it. However today hearing a bit of negativity about it makes me question it, even though i know that I am going to do it, I feel its my time, you know? I was talking with my husband and earlier one of his immediate family members (and one I really care about ) had been talking with him how she isn't comfortable with me doing this, thinks I shouldn't and told him how I have been losing weight on protein shakes, that it is noticable, and that I should just stick it out so to speak... The thing is I know me, and i know that I always bounce back and forth... Today has been a true struggle to keep on liquid diet because of surgery tomorrow... For my 'healthy meal' I am trying to make good choices, but I know I haven't, I know that I made mistakes. This tool, with the surgery, will help me conquer my struggle and give me that boost for the opportunity.

Relative of DH said she talked to some of the other teachers at the school we worked at and said how they were telling her that I shouldn't do this, its not necessary, etc... I guess that just weighs on my mind that maybe I could, all these people believe that I can do it... maybe I can, even if I think i can't.

I know this might be scattered a bit (I definitely feel like this post is all over the place) but just wanted to put into writing about this... response or not, I know that there might not be anything to be said, just wanted to share kinda what I am going through night before surgery...

 I will still be doing this, because I still feel like I am meant to do this, but its hard hearing these people say you can do it without the tool of the surgery

4 more days- About the Surgery and fears in General

4 more days until a new leaf turns over in my life.  I am as ready as I will ever be.  I am not necessarily nervous about the surgery in general, my thoughts are on the post op recovery.

Here is a bit of a story for background about why I have what fear I do of post op:
 For those of you who may or may not be aware (it was before this blog), in March 2011 I was hospitalized after having been told for 3-4 weeks that I had plantar fascilitis, then tendonitis and just needed to 'suck it up' with my foot hurting..then calf, then knee and leg....  Well I was hospitalized after going to the ER when I noticed that my leg was swollen and slightly red and pain was all the way up my leg completely.  A simple ultrasound (which was ordered in Urgent care 9 days previous, however my PCP needed to authorize it and he stated it was not necessary in treatment of tendonitis) showed that my full right leg was blocked with blood clots.  The way the ultrasound tech described it was that "the freeway, off ramps, side streets, and dirt paths were all blocked with no passage at ALL"...  The clotting went past the area that the ultrasound could see... After a chest scan was done, it was found that the clotting had broken off and gone into my lungs.  I was at the hospital from Thursday Morning til Thursday night the next week.
On the Sunday a vascular surgeon came in and recommended IVC Filter insertion.  Sunday I had Venography done (where they go in, thread something through the vein in leg as far as they can sending a dye in to xray to see extent of damage) and the filter implanted... Monday venography and tuesday venography to determine the progress of the bloodthinners and medication on breaking up the blood clots.  I was on Heparin, Coumaden, Lovanox (all blood thinners), as well as the pain medication Dilaudid (which from my research afterwards come to find that it is '6-8 times stronger than morphine' for pain relief as the clots in my lungs were breaking apart with the assistance of the blood thinners.  I couldn't breath, complete pain...  That is the one thing that scares the crud out of me... having to relive that.  I just remember on Friday night into Saturday morning spending the night crying in so much pain, not able to move, just crying.  They gave me another dose of the pain meds a bit sooner and a bit more than what I had been receiving and then had to have a nurse stay in the room because of how low my blood pressure had dropped and because I became very sluggish with difficulty breathing, if you could imagine...  I can vividly remember much of this time and wouldn't wish this upon ANYONE...  and this is what I fear.


That is the one thing that the surgery has scared me with... the risk for blood clots post-op.   I had to meet with my vascular surgeon to see if a IVC filter (which would help prevent any clotting from reaching my lungs again) would be necessary prior to the surgery ( I had a temporary one inserted previously that was only allowed in for 30 days, so that was removed in april of 2011) which he said no.  The bariatric surgeon has already stated that I will be given Lovenox (blood thinner) previous to the surgery and will have compression stockings on my legs to ensure that blood is being moved throughout my legs during the surgery and whenever I am NOT walking (it will be compressing and decompressing on my calves at different intervals).  This is all to be preventative to blood clots. Still, that is what I worry about.


Now, I have been thinking about this, and I realize that while I have used the general terms there are some people on here who might not know exactly what the 'sleeve' surgery is.  It is one of the newest ones in that there isn't the long term data like the other bariatric surgeries, however the 5 year studies have shown that it likens to the RNY (regular, well known bariatric surgery known as the 'gastric bypass surgery'.) in results.  The lapband has an average of 50% EWL (expected Weight loss), the Sleeve 60-70%, the the RNY 70-80%.  These are not diffinitive.  There are people, pending on their changes in habits, that are at 20% of their weight lost, while others (my motivation) are 100% or more where they even surpass their goal. 

The sleeve, in most basic discussion, is a removal of about 85% of the stomach.  The surgeon will go in and cut about 85% of my stomach away from the other portion.  He will then staple seal the stomach remaining closed (a 3-4 oz pouch, shaped like a banana so to speak) and remove the larger portion.  in the 85% of the stomach includes the portion of the stomach that sends the hunger cues to your mind telling you to eat.  Also, the shape of your stomach currently has a larger opening at the top, so to get that 'full' feeling you almost end up over eating to fill that void.  With that portion removed, the 'full' feeling happens almost immediately, as there isn't a large opening at the top of the stomach.    If anyone ever has ANY questions, please leave them or message me and I will be more than happy to answer anything that I can.

Woohoo!!!

Dropped down a level on the scale :-) below 300. Since lost Saturday lost 6 lbs on liquid diet and now weigh 298. That is inspiration to be able to keep up the liquid diet one more week before surgery.

T - 9 days til surgery

liquid diet day 3 and pre-op class

Well, had my pre-op class... some of the info from the class:
I can go to the gym if I feel up to it within a few days after surgery for cardio/walking.  First 5-6 days pick up less than 15 pounds, after that pick up up to 50 pounds, as long as comfortable.

Diet immediately after surgery:
Day of surgery-only ice chips and water
stage 1:
day 1 post op- clear fluids
day 3 post op- full fluids for 2 weeks

Stage 2:
2 weeks post op- mushy food

Stage 3:
3-4 weeks post op: regular food small bites


Can go on rides etc at sea world as log as comfortable.  He said 'no pain no gain' isn't the slogan, and just do what I want but if hurts slow down. 


Biggest thing I guess is that someone asked about weight loss and the nutritionist said that at 1 month post op she would expect us to be at -10% EBW lost...  that for me is 15 pounds.  I really hope to have lost more  than 15 pounds to be honest!  then said each month after is generally 5-10 pounds lost... and again i hope to lose between 10-15 pounds for a few months...  hmm we will have to see.


Oh and BTW, this liquid diet isn't really fun lol.  A struggle but working my way though it.   My husband is supportive and there with me (he even went today to the class, only non-patient there, three of us patients all having surgery the same day were in the class) so I know I can do it. 

A chart about how my weight loss MIGHT play out if everything follows a curve or trend. 

Key: possible loss of 153 lbs after surgery excess weight you might keep is 0 lbs your ideal weight is 151 lbs Possible Weight Loss	304	273	243	228	220	212	205	197	189	182	172	166	159	154	151	154	151	153	151
Month	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Wt. Loss	0	31	61	76	84	92	99	107	115	122	132	138	145	150	153	150	153	151	153
BMI	46.2	41.5	36.9	34.7	33.5	32.2	31.2	30.0	28.7	27.7	26.2	25.2	24.2	23.4	23.0	23.4	23.0	23.3	23.0

Two weeks til surgery

Well i am in the home stretch it feels like!  I start pre op diet in the morning.  2 weeks of liquid diet and then its surgery day!  Allowed 1 meal a day as long as its 400 calories or less. 

I see the  orthopedic surgeon tomorrow morning and will hopefully get some answers to my knee pain.

I have been continuing boot camp at the gym and has lost 2 pounds since last week.   Overall I have lost 8 pounds in 5 weeks.  Not the best but at least it's a loss

I am hoping to lose at least 10 pounds before surgery. With liquid diet I should be able to reach the goal.

Next two weeks will be a challenge but I will face it head on!!!

18 days and counting

So my little countdown shows that I am at 18 days til surgery.  Getting all the appointments settled and paperwork ready to go for final stretch.  Donny has put in for 2 days off through FMLA (filled out part of the paperwork, dr. needs to fill out rest)... One for the Pre-op appointment next week and one day for the actual day of surgery.  My mom is off the Monday and Tuesday of the week I have surgery, works w-f, and will be off the next week... then donny is off for his vacation week the week after that.  So I will have help here at the house (plus in laws are off for summer/retired, and with us living there can get help too)...

This week I have to get my blood test done.  I was going to do it today but when I was going over they were closed for their hour lunch break.  I work all day on Thursday, so I will try to go on Friday.  Monday at 8 am I have appointment for my knee with the orthopedic surgeon.  Wednesday is my pre-op appointment at 10 am.  Monday also starts my pre-op diet for 3 liquid meals a day and 1 'healthy' meal a day... this will result in 1000 calories a day basically.

I have been continuing C25K.  I finished week 4, and now I am working on week 5 of C25K, and I already repeated day 1 two times, and I imagine I will repeat it a few more tiems.  But I will continue because I have a drive and ambition to work through it and try to complete at least week 5 prior to the surgery.  I am hoping I can get into week six, but I want to at least finish week 5 :)

Pre op appointment scheduled

Well, my pre-op was scheduled and finalized today.  On June 13th I will be doing my appointment with the surgeon at the hospital to go over the final details of the surgery.  I am also going to be meeting with nutritionist again to go over diet and requirements pre and post op.  On June 11th begins the preop diet so I am almost there!

Past 2 days at the gym I did C25K week 4 day 1 and day 2

day 1:
Time: 32 minutes. 

Calories Burned: 372.5 cal.

Distance: 1.93 mi


day 2:

Time: 32 minutes

Calories burned: 353 calories

Distance: 1.96

30 days!

Thirty days, exactly one month from today, begins a start for a new life for me :). I am really excited and feel like this is it. This is the final stretch of this journey that has been years in the making! I will be starting liquid diet on June 11 so that will definitely be a challenge but one that I am looking forward to, as I know it will help jump start weight loss prior to the surgery :)

32 days left

So my little count down thing is showing me as having 32 days until surgery.  That means 17 days until I start my pre-op liquid diet.

During these next 32 days I am challenging myself to drop some weight.  I am challenging myself to get down to a weight of at LEAST 290.  I have bounced back up and down so much as of late, it is so frustrating, but i know I am doing it to myself.  I started going to a boot camp program at my gym on saturdays... I have gone to 2 classes thusfar and love them.  They are VERY physically demanding on me, and very difficult, but I know by the end of the class I will be a stronger person that has been able to work through this.  I weighed in at 309 at the gym, so my goal is to lose 19 pounds before the surgery.  I know that I can do this if i put my mind really to it... I am guessing that with pre-op diet i will be able to easily shed 8 pounds minimum, considering its 2 liquid meals a day, with only 1 regular healthy meal.  I need to get back into exercise mode, and know that I am doing it to myself finding reasons (some valid, but reasons none-the-less) to not be able to go during the week. 

So, I also found another 5K I am interested in.  The registration is already open, and I am waiting to get paid to be able to register.  So, as of right now, I am looking at doing two different 5K's, one in August (on august 11th) and one in November (november 3rd).  One is "Color Run" and the other is "color me rad".... same idea with them, fun and relaxed with no time constraints, but still a '5k' in that sense.  I have been taking it easy with c25k... repeating each week at least once so that I know I can do it...  I think its helping, but it does mean the program won't be 9 weeks for me, more like 18 weeks... plus with the surgery coming up in 4 1/2 weeks I will have to take a break from c25k for recovery, although i don't think I will need to start back all the way at week 1... (I am in week 4), I will try week 3 to see if I can do it sucessfully after surgery when cleared, hwoever if needed I can drop down to week 2

Alright, so I am going to wrap this up (not even sure if anyone read this, or if just for me, but either way still wrapping it up).  leave a comment if you want :)

Thoughts on final goal...

Well, not doing too well remembering to post often. I am 37 days away from surgery and will definitely be posting more the closer I get.

Today I am posting about goals after surgery. Now, when you have surgery the goal of what is considered a "success" is to be at 60% of excess weight loss. So first excess weight must be determined. For my height a "goal" would be 150. That puts meat a body weight with bmi of 22.8. That is normal. My actual goal would be 175 but that is still considered "overweight". 60% of my excess body weight loss would leave me weighing in over 200 lbs, with a loss of 99 lbs. to me while that is a big loss I know I can do better. For me to reach less than 300 I need to lose 70% of excess body weight. If I lose 80% it would put me af a weight of 184. Still overweight but a much healthier overweight. I have read and talked to people who have done it. Who went from 300 lbs down to 140 so I know it is possible. I just need to keep the mind frame of how to achieve it.

Later tonight I will post about my Saturday mornings :)

Surgery date

Well I have the surgery scheduled. Originally they put me in for may 29th, however my work contract is having me work til June 1st so I couldn't do this date. I have been rescheduled to July 2nd! I start a liquid diet on June 18th, and do my pre op meeting on June 25th I believe. So I am pretty excited to be on this journey. I will post another update once I get on my regular computer. I haven't been on it in a while which is why I haven't updated.

Continuing forward one more step :)

Well I got a call from the surgeons office today.  The psychological evaluation was received and they are moving forward processing the paperwork with the insurance.  The woman from the surgeons office informed to that there is an opening on May 29th so I may possibly be able to do the surgery on that date, if the cards fall in to place so to speak.  We will see what happens!  I am double checking on my last contract date for work (I know one school i work at has a last day of work on 5/25, but the second school i am not sure yet) to see if I could feasibly do this date.  If not, the next available surgery date is 6/12. 

Its really going to happen :)

Thoughts from Psychologist visit

So, I thought today would be a good time to go over the experience with the therapist I was required to visit.  I did not get to go to the gym after work today...  My 2 year old got sick at daycare so when I got off work I went and picked up the baby from daycare (my husband picked up the 2 year old and took him home) and came home.

So, I thought while I am on the 'blog kick' so to speak and actually thinking about wanting to post, I thought i would go over some of the things discussed in the therapy session.  Sorry if this is all over the place or if something doesn't make sense...  Just sort of typing as it comes to my mind.  If something doesn't make sense please post comment and ask a question, because if you are wondering it there is a good possibility someone else is wondering the same thing. 

Ok, so when I contacted the insurance, they let me know who I needed to contact for a bariatric psychologist.  The very first requirement was that it could NOT be a regular therapist, but an actual registered Therapist (meaning they are a doctor basically).  So at my first appointment, the therapist informs me that we would do 4 appointments to really be able to go over everything.  First appointment we went over my past, eating habits, and discussed the things that led me to where I am.  The second appointment we discussed the surgery, the motivation for the surgery and discussing support systems.  She also mentioned that she felt I was only going to need 3 sessions since I seemed pretty well on target :)  The third session was about post surgery plans, family life, and just discussing the last details.

It was interesting talking to her about my motivations for the surgery, what I had done to get forward for the surgery, and just discussing plans.  For motivation, I have my kids...  I want to be there for them for the rest of my life and be there so that I can be with them as they get older and also see their children one day.  I want to be actively involved in their lives and be able to go hiking, take them to the park, and just be able to be there for them pretty much.  That is what is important to me. 

So, now I am still just waiting for that phone call!

Worked out today

So, I did a work out a few days ago for C25K...  here are the stats for it:

C25k Day 2 wk 2.
30 min
1.76 miles
301.2 calories.


Now, this is from TODAY...  I am pretty happy about this, as all my numbers improved

C25k week 2 day 3
30 minutes
361 calories
1.95 miles
 

 

These cycled through run 1 min 30 seconds, walk 2 minutes... back and forth for 21 minutes :)  Then I had cool down and warm up in there.

 

So definite improvements in distance and calories burned from work out to the next.  Looking forward I am planning on going to the gym tomorrow after work to start week 3 day 1.  I know it will be difficult (as it has more running all at one time) but I feel up to it. I am slowly pushing forward in building myself to be able to do a 5k in August.  On day 2 I did 20 minutes on the elliptical and did 10 minutes today on the elliptical after completing the 5K.  I had to stop because my knee was starting to hurt, but I know that I will be able to keep going and build myself up to a better endurance. 

 

Alright, well I am going to head off to bed!  I just thought that I should post to keep myself motivated and accountable for what I am doing.

preparing for Gastric Bypass Surgery

So, the title of the post says it all... I am in preparation for Gastric Bypass Surgery.  Now, there are numerous types of this surgery and I am set to have the Sleeve surgery done.  What this consists of is a lapriscopic surgery done where they remove 70-80% of your stomach. It does NOT cause malabsorption as the regular RNY Bariatric Surgery does (where they cut and move your intestines and staple your stomach) nor does it leave a foreign object in the body for life (such as the Lap-band)... This literally removes the stomach part (including the portion of the stomach that sends the message to your brain telling you that you are hungry) and leaves a tube similar to a banana shape that is sewn up. 

I first began preparation for this surgery in August of 2005 if I really think back... But back then when I looked at it I was told that I would have to follow a strict program for 6 months with shakes/food from the hospital to be eligible for the surgery... the program cost 200$ a week so that was definitely NOT for me... I came back to the surgery option in August of 2010... I discussed it with my primary care doctor, and we began the insurance requirement of having 6 months of monitored diet, exercise and weight loss to show effort.  During this time I injured my knee requiring swim only, and at the end of it I had what I THOUGHT was plantar facilitis (actually turned out to be severe DVT and PE that landed me in the hospital for over a week, and included 3 surgeries) that put me on crutches.  My primary care submitted the 6 months monitoring paperwork as well as recommendation to the insurance, who approved me to meet with Dr. Mueller, the bariatric Surgeon.

Now I had already gone to a lecture held by Dr. Mueller, and really enjoyed him and his personality.  Meeting him in person in March for my appointment showed me that I really was making the right decision for me.  He gave me my paperwork and I was on my way, ready to start getting everything in order...  THEN I got some major news... I was pregnant.  This surgery got postponed indefinitely, until after baby and after any nursing...

Fast forward to February 2012... I have just finished weaning my youngest son (well, he more or less weaned himself, he was not interested in me, just the bottle!), and so I called the surgeons office to see where I needed to pick up.  They set me up another consultation (since it had been a year) and they gave me all the paperwork again.

Fast forward now til April 20th... I am almost there.  I have done all the blood tests and they are turned in... I have done the EKG and it is submitted... I have done the chest xray and its submitted... I met with a psychologist for 3 therapy sessions to discuss everything under the sun (perhaps I will put a blog post all about those experiences in a new blog post at a later point in time if I remember) as it relates to me, my weight, my family, and outlook etc and my psychologist has cleared me ready and fit for surgery.  My primary care submitted his clearance stating I am cleared for surgery.  Dr. Muellers office has all my paperwork and they are now working with the insurance for my final clearance.  As of right now, I was informed that I could have the surgery in less than 6 weeks.  So I am looking at Surgery in June.  I am REALLY excited, nervous, everything.  Who wouldn't be!  This is a MAJOR surgery, that will change my whole life.  I am on a support group that discusses everything about the surgery and the impact it has on peoples lives so I feel ready.  It will be a huge step, but one that I feel I have been waiting a long time to happen.  I am not at a stand still, on hold... there is nothing left that I have to do... I am now just waiting for the 'bigwigs' at the insurance to give the final clearance that they will authorize this surgery to be completed (authorizations came in steps... first an authorization to meet with the surgeon, then an authorization for the labs/xray/ekg, and now an authorization of all the results to show that I am ready for goal)... So I am just anxiously awaiting the phone call saying that they are ready to schedule my surgery which for me I am looking at being the day that begins a new life for me...  a new life style and a hope for the future with my family.


So, with that being said, I will be closing off for this evening.  If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to leave it here or message me!

Ashley

Steps towards weight loss

OK, so in the last entry I discussed my weight.  Some may have seen where it says "6 months monitored weight loss"... I will get to that in perhaps the NEXT blog entry (yes, I will do 3 tonight, as I don't want to ramble too much in one long entry which I probably already did).  This blog entry is about what I am doing RIGHT NOW for weight loss...  Well, some of it is BAD but also the good.


So, as of right now, I am working on a few different things.  I am utilizing the program on my phone called my fitness pal (user name afishsticks if anyone wants to add me) to help me track exercise and food (when I remember :)  ), I have started the C25K program using an app on my phone, I am planning on registering for a 5 k (YIKES) that will be here called Color Me Rad in August (registration is not open yet but I am planning on registering the DAY that I can, so that way I can't back out!), and am pushing to do not only the 30 minutes of Cardio involved in the c25K 3 times a week, but also do an additional 20 minutes of cardio on those C25K.  I also own a Wii system which right now is hooked up but is in a spot that makes it difficult to use, so I will be moving the Wii to a better location so that I can utilize it to its fullest extent.  I think that all these things are important for the exercise aspect of weight loss.

For the nutrition, I am trying to watch what I am eating (although I will admit, today I had a piece of cheese cake which I know packed on calories, and even though its not the best I didn't eat dinner so I feel a little better, but I do know I blew it calorie-wise today) and making healthier choices (such as a salad over sandwich, some scrambled eggs versus bowl of frosted flakes, lite dressing versus thousand island on salad, etc...  I am going to try to get back on track with counting calories, which is hard, but I know that if I do it, I will be able to monitor what goes into me each day much better than I can by just thinking about it as I eat it and forget about it once I walk out the door.

So, those are my steps I am doing right now with exercise and nutrition to get healthier... Now during this same period of time, to answer any questions about the whole 6 months monitoring, the next post will be all about that and the life changing event coming up this summer....

First day of my "Blog"

OK, well I guess I should introduce myself if you have stumbled upon this... I am honestly not sure how far or long I will go with the blog, however it is a start for me, and a chance to keep myself accountable for what is happening in my life.  I will try to update at least 2 times a week, if not more.  If I forget to update (atleast on Mondays when I weigh in!) then please let me know as it may be that I forgot (which is likely) or that I am trying to 'hide' what has shown on the scale and I do need to be accountable for it! I hope this helps those of you that are struggling, and this might be different than what some people think, but here goes nothing.

My name is Ashley.  I am happily (mostly haha) married to a wonderful husband who has given me the opportunity to be a mother to 2 young boys (as of right now, one is 2 and 1/2, the other is 6 months).  While I am mostly happy with where I am at with my life as of right now, there is one thing that I am not happy about and that is my weight.  My weight has been something that has always fluctuated ever since I was a kid. I was a big kid (my mom always told me I started gaining weight after I had my tonsils removed when I was 7) but still happy.  I played tennis (including varsity) which shows while I was obese, I still could participate in day to day activities.

If I were to really think about my weight, and admit to it in a public location such as this, I could see the pattern of where it went up and down.  So, since I am going 'balls out' I guess I will lay it all out on the floor and leave it here, as this is the stepping stones for me to move past where I am and onward to a better life.  So, here is a 'basic' idea of my weight at different periods of my life:

June 2004- 230 pounds (graduated from High School)
June 2005- 250 pounds(After first year of college)
September 2008- 285 pounds
January 2009- 270 pounds
June 2009- 280 pounds
September 2009- 315 pounds (birth of 1st son)
September 2010- 298 pounds (start of 6 month monitored program)
March 2011- 281 pounds (end of 6 month monitored program)
March 2011- 290 pounds (hospitalized, unable to exercise for 1 month)
April 2011- First OB appointment- 291 pounds
October 2011- Birth of 2nd son- 294 pounds
January 2012- 280 pounds
April 22, 2012- 302 pounds


So, as you can see, I go through many ups and downs... and I am SO mad at myself for this last big jump up that I had.  So now I am recommited and plan on going down from this point onward. 


My next entry (which I will do up right after publishing this) will be all about what I am doing to pursue this new plan...