pammysu78

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I've finally done it!  I have lost a total of 200 lbs.  It's like some kind of miracle!!!  I would like to drop about 15 more and maintain that for a while before seeking some plastic surgery to take up some of the skin.  I am still hoping my skin will come up a bit on its own but even if it doesn't, I'm still happy!

It's been a year...well, a year and a couple of days.  I can barely remember the me that exsisted then.  I prefer to see the present  me and the me that will be in the future.  I'm down a total of 175 pounds.  That's a gorilla off my back for sure!  I have had remarkable support all along the way.  It's been miraculous.  I can think of no better way to describe it.

I can't even begin to imagine that it's true but I've lost 100 pounds as of today.  I am now 4 1/2 months post op and have managed to say goodbye to 100 of the nasty fatty pounds that have held me down!  I still fear that, at any moment, the weight loss will stop and the pounds will begin to pack on but day after day and week after week they are melting away with some level of consistency.  I'm very happy to say the least.  I realize I still have a lot to go but I've come so far already and thank the Lord for that!  Prior to this morning, I had been plauteaued at 99 lbs lost for 3 weeks.  Of all the places to hit a 3 week plateau!  I was ready to do some "surgery" myself to take care of the problem. 
I have been blessed with a great experience, a wonderful doctor/staff, fantastic friends and a supportive and loving family!  What more could I ask for?

I can't believe it's been 3 months already...AND...I can't believe it's only been 3 months.  I'm down 77 lbs as of today.  I can't even begin to say how happy I am about that.  My weight loss was slow for a while after I started soft solids.  There were and are a few foods I have to stay away from.  No dry meats and no scrambled eggs at all!  I feel good and I'm getting more and more energy all the time.  I did have a problem with nausea but have focused on foods I know I can tolerate and stopped doing so much "sampling" of new things for the time being.  I asked the Dr why i wasn't losing as much weight as I thought I should be...the response ---- I wasn't eating ENOUGH!!! ----  I was only getting 300-500 calories a day, not nearly enough.  I had to start focusing on eating more and keeping it down.  Now, the weight is coming off really quickly.  Literally, 1-3 lbs a day.  CRAZY!  I'm walking a mile a day at work, doing 60 mins of water aerobics 3 times a week and doing 45 mins of weight training 3 times a week.  I do have a lot of excess skin but am still hopeful that some of it will draw up and the weight training should help.  If i have to trade super morbid obesity in for saggy, baggy skin...consider it done!  I had a dear friend call me "skinny" the other day.  Bless her heart, she is so supportive.  I couldn't resist....I said "if you're referring to me as skinny because I have lots of spare skin, then yes, but if you're trying to call me thin, honey I'm not there yet".  I am trying to take a photo per month to post so that I can document the weight loss thorugh pictures.  It's really hard for me to see the difference so the pictures really help me out!

It's been exactly 3 weeks since my Lap RNY.  I feel great!  I had a very smooth surgery and was home from the hospital the next night.  I have had to tatke no pain meds and have had no major problems AT ALL!  I had some gas pain on the third day but nothing too terrible.  My recovery was leisurley to say the least and I thank God that I was able to take the time off work to fully get my strength back before returning.  Since surgery, I've lost 26 lbs.  Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes!  I have been so blessed to be able to see this through.  I'm walking and doing water aerobics like a mad woman and actually really enjoying both.  All is well for now.  I go see the Dr on Thursday so we'll see what he has to say about everything.

I have surgery scheduled for May 11th.  I go for pre-op on May 5th.  I'm SO ready, a little nervous but SO ready.  I thank God I seem to have an amazing support group around me and a solid faith to see me through.  I read a quote on this site that has really stuck with me - "if He brings you to it...He will bring you through it" - I wish I could remember who's profile I saw that on so I could give them credit.  I have thought and prayed on it continuously and that little quote has gotten me through a mountain of nerves and internal struggles up to now.  I began this journey at 395 lbs in November of 2008 and am currently 382 lbs.  I hope to lose a few more lbs before surgery.  I have read all there is to read and have poured over the profiles on this site.  I feel prepared and blessed.  I thank all of you that have posted profiles and have shared your stories.  Those stories have given me more inspiration than I can even begin to relay.

I have been at least a liitle "fluffy" all of my life that I can remember.  It started around 2nd grade and snowballed from there.  I have a mostly heavy family and EVERYONE has struggled with weight issues even if they are not severely obese.  I am an only child and, on my dad's side, an only grandchild ( a recovering spoil-a-holic).  Most of my childhood was filled with me getting my way.  My family isn't wealthy but what they did have they spent on me.  Believe it or not, I wasn't a brat.  I was quiet, timid, scared to death of authority figures and NEVER got into trouble.  I can remember 2 spankings my whole childhood.  My family used food - particularly sweets - as a reward.  My dad and my grandpa (Pop) tried their best to break the habbits that had been created early in my life but to no avail. 
My dad started losing weight and getting fit when i was in my late tween and early teen years.  He became "Mr. Fitness and Herbal".  He figured, since he was working out every night on his new weight machine, my mom and I should jump on the bandwagon and get with HIS program.  He also had a dixie cup full of vitamins and suppliments on the counter ready for mom and I each morning.  I usually threw them out the back door.  They tasted awful!  On the upside, we had the healthiest grass in 2 counties.  My dad has almost no sense of smell or taste so all these great suppliments and various other assorted nasty pills, powders and liquids didn't bother him in the least.  I, on the other hand, still had all my senses in full swing.  He would make protien shakes (and still does) with whey soy protien powder in various flavors with diet Pepsi, CRUNCHY peanut butter and a banana.  GAG!!!  He never could understand why i didn't like them. 
I steadily got larger the rest of life.  I married at 17, had a baby at 18 and another at 20, divorced, married again, divorced again and all the while my weight was steadily climbing.  I have a real love for sweets and almost can't go a day without them.
I was about 175 pounds when I got married the first time at 17.  I am now 31 and my top weight was 395.  It's almost unbelievable. 
I am now in a steady and healthy relationship.  We have bought a home together and plan to get married in the future.  Right now, I'm going with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".  I feel like I have a pretty good life, a strong faith and a wonderful family that supports me in everything but I have this one little thing that's always out of whack.  I need my weight under control.
I have completed my 6 months diet/exercise with my doctor and have had a sleep study done (I have severe sleep apnea and the dr doesn't know how I've lived so far - I'm an over acheiver).  I've had the pshych exam done and had all my lab work done in one day at Roller Weight Loss Clinic in Springdale, AR.  They have been great.  My insurance (Cigna) approved me in a day and a half for surgery so I'm slated for May 11.   I'm going to start water arobics in a few days to build some muscle and a workout routine before surgery.  I am looking forward to finally having this all done and over with and getting on with my life.