Hello, 18... haven't seen you in a while...

So I know I've been a total slacker with updating this... I apologize.  I am now 7 weeks post-op and feeling great!  At my last appointment with the surgeon (@ 6 weeks post-op), I had lost 37 pounds.  37 pounds in 6 weeks!!!  YAY!  (And according to my at-home scale, I'm down 3 more since then... so 40lbs total)  He is pleased with my weight loss and I am so excited that I finally feel human again.  I won't lie: the first month post-op was really difficult.  It was mentally exhausting.  The thoughts that race through your mind all day long are crazy!  I was afraid to eat for fear that it would make me sick.  And, the diet is so restricted in the beginning that you get really tired of eating the same thing(s).  However, week 4 was the turning point and now I am feeling fabulous!  Yay!

Well, my clothes are huge on me.  I started this journey wearing a size 24.  My 24s literally fall off of me now, so I headed to CATO to buy some inexpensive transition clothes.  (For my fellow Yankees, CATO reminds me of Fashion Bug, but cheaper...)  I picked up a few sizes (18/20s) and headed to the dressing room.  I tried on the 20 first and they fit great but the material of the pant was so thick that I decided against buying them.  I wanted to see how close I was to an 18, so I stepped in, pulled them up, and my jaw hit the floor - THEY FIT!!!!  I buttoned and zipped them and I could BREATHE!!  It was so very exciting!  (I admit: the Hallelujah Chorus ran through my head.)

I think I was wearing an 18 in junior high... when I was 14.  It's been a long time... it's very exciting and strange at the same time.  When I look in the mirror, I don't see much of a difference.  But others are definitely seeing a difference.  And Jay even told me that my "back fat" (my words, not his) is disappearing (bless his heart...).

So, you may wonder what I am eating these days.  Still eating <1/2 cup of food at a time.  If I overeat, I feel horrible for hours.  I have craved very few things and, honestly, nothing is appealing to me.  I just eat because I have to.  I do get hungry sometimes, but I think it's more of a mind game than anything.  I see that it's lunch or dinner time and know that I need to eat something.  Exercising is also much more enjoyable now.  Jamie and I took a power walk yesterday since it was still 62 degrees outside when I got home from work.  It's amazing how much easier it is to move.

A brief recap:

• Heaviest weight: 353 lbs (yikes!)
• Weight after having Jamie (when I began my dieting (Weight Watchers)): 352 lbs
• Surgery weight: 291 lbs
• Current weight: 251 lbs
• I have lost 101 pounds in 14 months!  (60 lbs was pre-surgery) 
• Now wearing size 18/20

I'm feeling great and hope to post some pictures soon.  BUT - I can't take them of myself, so I'm going to have Jay take some for me. :)

God is good... all the time!