When I first attended a weight loss seminar to hear about the possible procedures that were available, I was very hopeful that I would be able to  make changes and lose weight.  Sitting there watching the presentation for surgical procedures, and statistics — all in medical terms, but yet it all seemed like POSSIBILITY to me. 

Something had to be done.  I was always hungry.  I never felt full.  I was borderline testing for diabetes.  My ankles and feet were swollen.  I couldn't walk up the hill from the kids' bus stop without experiencing a severe shortness of breath.  I was on a bad path.  I needed help. 

And so it has been a year since I decided to take control of my life and make serious changes. But I could never have conceived of the results I was able to achieve over the last year since my VSG procedure. 

If you want to find out more about the journey I've been on this past year, I've talked about the basics and my personal journey, which you can find in this threaded list of posts.

On August 13, 2012, I made the personal commitment to lose weight and become healthier.  I went into the hospital and came out with a smaller stomach and lots of determination to change my life.  I was determined that this was my one shot.  This time my body wouldn't be fighting me every step of the way.  This time, the hormones, emotional eating and hunger were going to be something I could work with.  I had the tools. 

I stuck to a high-protein diet and cut down the carbs, specifically avoiding bread, rice and pasta.  I tracked calories on www.sparkpeople.com and went to the gym regularly for cardio and weight training. 

There were periods of rapid progress, and stifling months of weight-loss stalls…  There were incredibly difficult emotional eating triggers to identify and work through.  But I stuck to my commitment and continued to shed the excess weight.  I wasn't perfect.  But I would always go back and talk to my doctor, my nutritionist and keep moving forward.  Every day was a rededication. 

The best thing I did for myself up front was to take measurements.  At least when the scale wasn't going down in pounds, I could see that my body was responding in another way to the diet and exercise — in inches lost.

Along the way I kept finding outfits in my closet that I had worn previously were too small or some that had been snug, now fit.  Some that had never fit, never did.  I had missed them entirely in this rapid transformation.  And then I'd find things that used to fit, and did again.   But slowly all of it fell away
and nothing fit anymore.  It was all too big.  I had had truly 'shed' the pounds and needed new clothes.  And the amazing thing was how FUN it was to shop for clothes.  I even liked how I looked in a swimsuit.  What a miracle.

So here we are.   It has been a year and although nobody set a deadline on the changes I've made, for they are here to stay – I did want to celebrate this milestone and see how far I could get in the first year of my healthy transformation. 

I've lost 140 pounds.

I haven't weighed this much in 23 years.  And the best part is that I no intention of stopping here. 
I really would like to go about 10 pounds further.

So I'm going to set that goal for the end of 2013.

And keep up my healthy habits.

Life was always good.  But I seem to be smiling more these days.

I guess it's time for a new picture to replace that one above?  It's raining outside, so I snapped a quick one before I run out and do back-to-school shopping with the kids.

Enjoy your day!