Six month comparison pics!

Okay, here they are, 

the wonderful and dramatic comparison pictures! 

 I simply cannot believe how different I look and feel. 

 Just since May!!  

Here I am in May 2011:

Here I am in November 2011:

Comparisons:

 Wearing my size 22 pants!

 Woo Hoo!!

 Also, here is a picture of my husband and I in April 2011:

And here is a picture of us today:

I have lost 100 lbs. and my husband (VSG in July) has lost 93 lbs. (!!)

Almost 200 lbs. lost!! 

 WOW!!!

100 lbs. lost on my 6 month surgiversary!!

100 POUNDS GONE!!

Amazing, stupendous, marvelous, fantastic, incredible, outstanding, magnificent, phenomenal!!!

I feel sooo incredibly thankful and blessed.  6 months ago today I was wheeled into the operating room to have a vertical sleeve gastrectomy performed, the amazing surgical weight loss tool in which 85% of the stomach is removed, creating a sleeve or tube in the shape of a banana.  This procedure permanently reduces the size of the stomach and is done laparoscopically and is not reversible.  It has given me so much more than I could have ever dreamed.  100 lbs. lost in 6 months?  NEVER would I have dreamed it.  I am rarely hungry.  I only eat a few ounces at a time.  Food doesn't rule my life anymore.  What a gift.  My mind is having a hard time wrapping itself around this.  

I have gone from 282 lbs. to 182 lbs.  From a size 22 to a size 12.  I have lost tons of inches, and will post those measurements and comparison pictures this weekend, but don't have the time this morning.  I just wanted to shout out my excitement and not let this moment go by.  How fun was it to see THAT number on the scale on my six month surgiversary?! 

Woo Hoo!!!!

 

Eggface's CLICK'n Fall Giveaway

I love giveaways, don't you??  I also love coffee and coffee-flavored drinks.  One of my favorite weight loss bloggers is giving away some CLICK Expresso Protein Drink mixes and thought I would share :) 

She is giving away 3 canisters of CLICK (2 Mocha & 1 Vanilla), a CLICK Blender Bottle Shaker, a CLICK New Cool Max Hat, and a CLICK e-tote Bag.  Cool, huh?!!  Good luck!  Go here to read all about it and enter.

Eggface's CLICK'n Fall Giveaway

Halloween is scarier than I remember!

So, here it is...my first "holiday season" post weight loss surgery.  I think I would do okay if I was on my own or if it was just my husband and myself (although he really does have a sweet tooth!).  I do think, however, it is going to be hard with my children, bringing all those yummy treats home.  Whether it is baked goods (cookies, cakes, breads) or the Halloween candy (!!), it is inevitable that it is going to be in our home.

I think I need to make a game plan for the next few months.  I had all my girls "hide" their Halloween candy this week so I wouldn't have it staring at me.  It has worked for the most part, as out-of-sight-out-of-mind, but I still have indulged more than I have in the last few months.  I am up a couple pounds, too (not going on the ticker, of course!).  Kinda getting me down.  BUT, with a game plan, I will turn this around. :)

1. Drink more liquids, not just water.  I get in my bare minimum daily.  I am going to try and add more variety to my liquid intake.  During these winter months, hot drinks are more appealing, so I will research some yummy alternatives.
2. Do some form of moving every day.  I am not talking going to the gym for an hour or strenuous sweating ;).  I am talking about walking, wii fit games, yard work.  Just moving more.
3. Make sure I have protein options with me when we go out (either to gatherings or on the road).  These can be almonds, protein bar, pre-packaged protein snacks, etc.
4. Plan ahead!  Plan meals and stick to them.  This really helps me.

Luckily I am not yet even 6 months post-op, so I am not cleared for any alcohol drinks yet.  Those calories add up really quick.  However, I will be cleared for more carbs later this month (bread, rice, pasta, tortillas), so I am a little nervous about adding them to my diet.  It has been a little "freeing" not being able to eat them.  They are a huge trigger for me and mostly what got me to needing surgery in the first place.  I have indulged a few times in the past month (shared a wrap with my husband, for instance), but not much else.  <<shiver>> This is almost as scary as the candy.