Stacy H.

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Well I'm running a few days behind but I thought I better get on here and update while I had the chance. I have had a good month, it is weird because I did not really lose much weight just 4lbs (although I've lost another 2 now since the 7th, weird) and not a lot of inches yet I went down in size. Actually looking at my post from last month I guess I kinda went down 2 sizes. I posted that I was a size 10, I think I started wearing an 8 within about a week of that post and now I can also wear a 6. It depends on the pants of course but I actually own 2 pairs of size 6 pants, different brands and everything! It is amazing I know I have never worn a size 6 before in my life. I must have had so much on my mind last month too that I forgot to even mention plastic surgery. I am having surgery TOMORROW! Yep you heard me right LOL. I am getting breast implants! I am so excited. I'll admit I am a little bit nervous but I know it will all go ok. I think this is going to really help me feel better about myself and help proportion me. I have always been bigger on my bottom half and hopefully this will even me out a little bit. My surgery is at 11:30am tomorrow in Carmel with Dr. Jerrold Laskin. He did the surgery for a friend of mine last year and she has been very happy with it. I will of course have to post pictures when I feel up to it for anyone who is interested. I've taken the 'before' pics and now I can't wait to see what the after will look like! Well I need to get to bed. I've made a slideshow of my weight loss I'm going to try to include below, we'll see if it works. I am also happy to say that I got down to 135 before my surgery, that was a goal of mine. I know I am going to "gain" at least 2lbs from my surgery (just the weight of the implants and fluid in them) and I wanted to be safely under 140. Right now I'm just 3lbs from being half of my former self. Ok I'm really going now, sorry for the rambling it's that pre surgery jitters thing I think LOL.  I'll update soon when I get pics of my new girls :)

Yep you guessed it, the day  has finally come. I am 1yr post op now!! Happy rebirthday to me!! I can't believe a year has passed so quickly, I have never had a year of my life go by this fast. I have so many random thoughts when I think back over the year that I have waited a few days to update this trying to sort out all of my thoughts and feelings and I've found there are just really no words to describe how I feel. Blessed would be a good one. I have been given such a gift, I thank God for the chance to have this surgery and for the guts to go through with it. This is such a life change, it is SO NOT the easy way out. People say that because they are clueless about what goes into making a lifelong commitment to yourself and your health. I am so glad I did it, I have never regretted it one single day in this past year. I will say I have been very lucky in my journey. I have not had even one single complication, not so much as a food intolerance or anything. I know not everyone is so lucky but guess what? I am!! I have better than I have in who knows how long...I am smaller than I was in high school for goodness sakes, probably nearly Jr.High size to be honest I can't remember for sure but very close to it. I feel very lucky with where I am physically but it is just a benefit to look better, I am sooooooooooo much healthier than I was and I have added years to my life and so much more quality. I can do anything I want to do now, I am physically capable of accomplishing anything I put my mind to and that feels great. I can be the Mom I always wanted to be. There is actually a list I wrote the day before my surgery of things I hoped to be able to do some day, everything from fitting in a chair with arms to being able to carry Hannah without being winded. I can do every single thing on my list now after just a year. How amazing is that?? I could go on forever but I won't. I will however give you my official one year stats because dare I say it I am proud of myself!
Weight 265 to 141 -124lbs
BMI 45.5 (morbidly obese) to 24.2 (healthy)
Size 3X top to size M/L top
Size 28 bottom to size 10 bottom -9 sizes!!
97.5 inches lost big ones include:
Waist 44 to 27 -17 inches
Hips 58 to 38 -20 inches
Thighs 33 to 20 -13 inches each
I had my 1yr visit with Dr. Cacucci yesterday. She said "great you've reached your goal!" and I told her I'd like to go another 10lbs to 130. She kind of gave me the look and told me that if I really think I need to that 10lbs is ok but that I am not to lose any more than that. It was strange to hear her say that. I totally don't see myself as very thin at all and for her to say no more than 10lbs seemed so weird. I will listen to her of course. I believe I can be happy with 10 more lbs and just toning up. Honestly if I could tone up and go down maybe 1 more size I would happy with my weight where it is. We'll see what happens. She told me she really does not want me "trying" to lose the weight, she said if it comes off fine but I am healthy at this weight and don't need to lose anymore. She said not to obsess about it LOL, she doesn't know me very well huh? I am an obsessive person when I get an idea of what I want to do. I think I can do it though and I'll be fine. I do need to really start working on my body image issues though, at least I know I have a problem. Well I guess that's enough for one update.

Hello everyone! Boy do I  need to post quickly and get to bed. I have been meaning to get on here all week and just haven't made the time. Not a whole lot to update really, seems things don't change a lot from month to month of late but I guess that is good. No excitement (ie complications) is a good thing! I will be a year post op before I know it! Just around the corner now. I feel SOOOO blessed to be where I am after 11 short months. My entire life has changed and I am new and improved. This past month was a good one. Strangely enough I injured my back and was unable to exercise except some walking but still managed to lose 10lbs! I think maybe my body needed a break from all of the exercise I was doing, I am back at it now that I'm better though. Also I was wrong last month about not going down a size any time soon, I am wearing a 10 now! I don't think I've worn this size since Jr.High which is just mind boggling to me.  I feel really great. Mentally I am struggling with not seeing a size 10 person in the mirror. I do know I look better but I just can't see the changes other people see most of the time. I am working on it though and I'll get there. I have passed Dr.C's original goal of 150 for me and half way to my own goal of 140. I'm still not sure what my official goal is, I'm considering trying to go lower than 140 now but I'm just taking it one pound at a time at this point and seeing where it leads. I would like to get to an 8, I can assure you I won't be there by next month but I would like to get there eventually. We'll see what happens, I am very happy now and most of all I am glad to have my health. I know I have added years back to my life and I am so grateful for the chance. One of the most exciting things is that by reaching 145 I am now officially HEALTHY!! Not morbidly obese, not regular obese, not even overweight....I am HEALTHY!! How awesome is that?? Also this month I took some pics of me in one leg of my old jeans. They are size 26 and when I wore them this time last year I literally could not button and zip them! It is so amazing the difference when I look at these pics. Well that's it so I better go. Next time you hear from me it will be my first birthday!!!

Time for my 10 month update already if you can believe that. I can't believe that in just 2 short months I am going to be a year post op already. The time has just flown by and I can't get over how there can be so many changes in a person's life in such a short time. But all great changes of course.  Not much new here, I lost 7lbs this month so one more than the previous month. I don't think I can expect much (if any) more than that in a month from this point on since I am getting so close to my goal weight it will just keep coming off slower and slower. Right now I am only 5lbs from Dr.'s goal for me of 150!! I am glad I lowered my goal weight though because I can tell you for sure 5lbs is not going to do it for me. I hope at some point I will be satisfied.  Honestly I am very happy I would not be unhappy if I didn't get under 150 but it is just not my ideal and I would not feel completely satisfied. Anyway I am wearing size 12 still, don't forsee going down any time soon however I do own one pair of size 10 pants and I CAN get them all the way on!! Lance and I just returned 3 days ago from our trip to Cancun! We had a really great time, it is so beautiful there. It was nice to be able to enjoy the trip not being MO and do things I could not have done before. We just wish we could have stayed longer but we are hoping to go back next year or the year after for sure. That's about it really, other than our vacation just the same old same old. Work, exercise, Hannah, sleeping...that's my life in a nutshell.  See you all next month!!

Hello everyone I am back late (again) but here to give my 9 month update.  I gotta get my butt in bed but figured I better get this done before it got too past due.  Well I joined the "century club" this past month by hitting the 100lbs lost mark! I think it was around the 25th of May or so.  It was a slow month for losing weight, only 6lbs total but I'll take it.  The first part of the month started out a little slower on exercise because Hannah decided to change my schedule around for me LOL...toddlers have a way of doing that for you without you even asking.  I've worked around that though and I joined a gym on the 23rd and have been going there after work and doing the elipitical and/or walking on the treadmill.  Since the 1st of this month I have only missed one day of exercising!!  On the elipitcal I can burn 400+ calories in 35 minutes which is awesome and then sometimes I walk on the treadmill after that and burn another 100+.  I am getting 80+ oz of water religiously, often more and feeling really good.  This month I have also got down to a size 12.  I am still wearing my 14's as I only have one pair of 12's (and no jeans for Fridays at work) but the point is I CAN wear a 12 and that is really exciting. I am guessing it was probably Jr High when I last wore that size. Speaking of which I found out something REALLY cool not too long ago.  I found a piece of paper from when I was on a diet once in high school, not positive of the year but either 1997 or 1998. I weighed 153lbs (LOL and I was on a diet!!) but my measurements were all equal to or BIGGER than what they are now!!! Isn't that amazing?  I do weigh more but I am actually physically smaller than I was in high school.  That just blows my mind.  I am wearing size Medium scrubs at work now too, I have never worn Medium and I actually only wore Large for a month or two when I first started working there.  Anyway the mental games are just crazy, I totally don't see someone who looks smaller than high school. I am still the same fat (mostly huge legs are my issue) girl I've always seen in the mirror....I obviously saw that girl in the mirror when I was dieting at 153lbs in high school. My thighs I have always hated and likely always will but it's just a demon I'll have to live with. I am very happy with life and couldn't be more thrilled with my surgery.  Of course since 6 months forward this weight loss has been all about ME not the surgery.  It's glory days are over, I have to do the work now to lose the weight and it's been that way for a while.  I am finding I am not as comfortable anymore with telling someone I had surgey when they ask how I lost the weight. It makes it sound like I had surgery and poof 100lbs disappeared. NOT!! What about all the ass busting I have done to get to this point? Saying "I had surgery" just diminishes all the hard work I have put in and that's just not right ya know?  I guess I just have to know it in my heard and hope that my close friends and family truly do understand that and not worry about what anyone else thinks.  The important thing is I am happy and healthy now! I had my 9 month check up last week and asked Dr. C if it would be ok to change my goal weight from 150 to 140ish and she said that was fine.  She said not to count on being down to 140 by my 1yr mark but she thinks 150 by then is still doable.  I told her that was my original goal and I'll be happy if I'm at 150 then and I'll see how I look and feel and decide how much further I want to go at that point.  I'll just have to wait and see to be sure but I think 140ish would be good just not set on a specific number per se. Well I need to get to bed...oh by the way today is mine and Lance's 3rd wedding anniversary!  Wow he has stuck by me through a lot of changes (in weight, clothing size, etc LOL)!! I love him and I love my life, it is so fun to LIVE life!! Talk to you next time.

Well I am a few days late updating this but I am back and it has now been 8 months since my surgery! I can't believe I am getting so close to a year already and how much my life has changed. Not much new really. This past month (April) I had a goal of walking 60 miles in the month, this is counting exercise only miles not regular daily walking. I completed my goal and I lost 10lbs in the month (4/7-5/7) so I think it must have really helped! I also walked in my first post op 5k, The Race for the Cure in Indy and on top of the benefit I got from the walk I raised $490 for a great cause! Today I walked for the March of Dimes, it was only 47 degrees AND raining but I still walked...it was 4 miles and I raised $125 for this one. I have started doing water aerobics once a week for the last two weeks, it is out of town (about 20 minutes) so I can't really go more than that but I enjoy it. I am comfortably wearing size 14 in jeans.  Shirts seem to vary, I have several shirts that are large a few mediums and even have one small that I can wear with  no problem! Probably the most exciting thing right now is that Lance and I have booked a trip to Cancun in July!! We are going to celebrate my weight loss, plus our 3yr anniversary is in June and we never got to go on a honeymoon so it will be for that too. We are staying at an all inclusive resort called the GR Solaris. The price includes both of our airfare both ways, the resort, all drinks (including alcohol...none for me of course), all food, activites and entertainement/shows. We are very excited. I bought a bathing suit for the trip in a SIZE 12!!! I will post some pictures of it below, these were taken yesterday.  Well that's about it, next time you hear from me I should be (better be) a member of the century club!!! I am soooo close and these pounds are being really stubborn (but I am just overweight now!!!). I have been getting so many comments lately about my weight loss and it so strange because of course I still don't really see it in some ways. Compliments make me very uncomfortable, I like to hear them but I guess I'm just not used to it and don't know how to take them. Anyway, everything is great and that's my update for now.

Just a quick update, I have a date with my soap opera and treadmill in about 5 minutes.  Nothing real new or exciting going on. I am 7 months post op now!  I have tried to really kick things up a notch this month and I guess it paid off because I lost 3lbs more than last month.  I have been drinking 80+ oz of water every day, getting in about 80g of protein a day and exercising a LOT. This week for instance I went to Curves 4 times and walked a total of 11 miles from last Saturday through today (Friday).  I have been using my treadmill almost daily and I've really increased my speed/time/distance quite a bit.  I can walk 2 miles in 38 minutes now, the first night I walked I only walked 1 mile in 30 minutes so that is a big improvement.  I also bought a pair of size 14 jeans and I can get them buttoned and zipped!! I am not wearing them yet because in my opinion they are still too tight but just being in them makes me feel really good.  I am in size large scrubs right now at work which is the smallest I've ever been since I worked there.  Actually right now I am the smallest I've ever been since Lance has known me and I offically weigh less than him too!! Only 3 more lbs and I will no longer be obese just "overweight" which to me seems practically normally because most people are a little overweight.  I am very excited.  Just hoping to continue losing at the higher rate, I really want to be at goal by my 1 year but I guess I should be close no matter what so I am very happy and feel SO great anyway.  Well I better go....time to walk! Talk to you next time.

Well here I am, 6 months post op already! How crazy is that?? I can't believe this much time has passed already, it just blows my mind.  This new life seems so normal to me already, in some ways I feel like I've been living this way forever and yet I realize one year ago I was just starting to think about having the surgery. WOW! I have to say it has been a rough month for weight loss here, not much going on.  I think my body is at a weight where it is not so sure it wants to let go of any more right now.  I realize I've lost almost 80lbs in only 6 months, that has to be kind of a shock to my system.  I keep telling myself my body just needs a break and the loss will pick back up soon.  There is not a lot more I can do but I am making a few modifications. I went for my 6 month check up this week and the dieticians and doctor both recommended I try to increase my exercise.  I always get 3days a week at Curves, I aim for 4 but I have been working a lot of overtime lately and sometimes don't get there 4 days. Today I went to Sears and bought a treadmill. I am going to walk for 1hr every night M-F while I watch my soap. I think this is a great solution because Hannah is in bed at that time, it is something I do religiously and a time I can easily spend walking instead of just sitting. I am also trying to increase my fluid and protein intake but it is hard to remember to eat a protein snack between meals when I am not hungry.  Yesterday I got about 85g of protein and about 80oz of water so I was really proud :)  Dr said I have to realize I am only 40lbs from an ideal weight so my loss has to slow down but she said it is still completely reasonable to think I can be at goal by my 1yr anniversary which I really want to be.  I am feeling so wonderful already though and I am so happy with the progress I've made already.  I am still in the same size, 16 jeans L-XL tops but I can tell they are starting to get looser. I have lost a total of 64.5 inches too!!! I'm including my 6 month bathing suit comparison picture too, this was the first time I could finally see a difference in my appearance for sure. Talk to you next month.

Hello everyone, back for my 5 month update. Not much has changed really but I guess that is good. Things are still smooth sailing, no problems and thus nothing to report really. I did get under 200 in the past month, I can't even remember now exactly when it was but it was just a few days after my last post. Weight loss is still going about the same as last month but I expect it to start slowing even more in the next couple of months. I'm trying to prepare myself mentally.  I really am so happy with the changes so far though. I am in a size 16 jeans now and I can even wear L in a lot of tops (see picture below, actually taken 2 days after my previous post). It is so weird, I am wearing sizes that I know I wore before when I was about 20lbs less. I guess it is the exercise probably that is helping me there. I have lost 57.5 inches total, it just amazes me that my hips and waist are both 11 inches smaller. That is a lot! The crazy thing is I don't really see it. I know I have to look different and sometimes in pictures I can see the change but not 11 inches worth. WOW! I can't believe next month I will already be half way through my first year post op. The time has gone so quickly. Anyway like I said really nothing new so I will go. Talk to you next month!

Happy New Year everyone! Just wanted to stop in and post my 4 month update. Hate to say I was not able to get under 200 like I had hoped for 4 month...well not exactly.  My scale at home is the "official" one that I go by and as of this morning it said 201. At work we do have a Tanita body fat analysis scale that I got on today and it said I was 199.6 but since it is not my official scale I am not claiming it yet :) I should be there soon enough but I will admit I have been a little bummed off and on the last month or so. I knew things would start slowing down and this is normal, I know I am still doing good but my feeling of wanting all of the weight gone yesterday has not changed. I know I will never be able to lose it fast enough but I am very happy and very proud of myself. I continue to have ZERO problems. I am feeling great. Still in a size 18 so far but think I am getting much closer to moving down, maybe by next post we'll have to just wait and see. I am still doing Curves 4 days/wk and I love it. Not much else new really. I am up to 4oz/meal now and can have pretty much anything and have tried pasta and rice now and I have done well with everything I have tried.  My sense of hunger has officially returned too so I do get hungry at meal times now but it is not bad, I could ignore it if I wanted to, it is never a ravenous hunger like before and of course it goes away quickly and easily which is a big change.  I made it through all of the holidays without a second thought about all of the junk food, I don't even want it! I just love my new life so much, if anyone is reading this thinking about whether they should do this or not...let me tell you YOU SHOULD. It is the best thing EVER for me and I could not be more thrilled. Last but not least, I have lost a total of 46.5 inches now too. That's about all I know for now but I'll be back.