Who is in size 14's? This bitch

Recently I have gotten some family pictures taken, so I thought I woudl share with everyone. All I keep hearing is how happy I look and I couldn't agree more. I AM happy. THIS is what it feels like. If I didn't lose another pound I would still die thrilled. That being said, I have been eating like a heifer this past week. I need to get back on track and eat healthy. I have 26 more pounds to go until I reach 100 pounds total lost.

Who's that girl?!

Sorry for the flashed out faces, I haven't quite got the hang of how to take pictures in the mirror, but you get the point:) Smokin' hottie, huh?!

Approaching 4 month post op mark

With my 4 month mark coming up, it's time to get those numbers in. I am proud to say that I have lost 61 pounds in LESS than 4 months. I am feeling great, have unlimited energy, and my confidence is shooting through the roof. I make friends easier and don't feel like I have to be an anti-social shrew. This surgery has changed my life mentally, physically, sexually, and spiritually. It has mended relationships that I wasn't giving my all to and it is giving others the sense that I haven't given up on myself. People have noted that I smile more often and that I seem to be much more of an 'upper' as opposed to my 'everything in life sucks' attitude I had previously. Needless to say, I am loving life, this surgery, and all of the places I am going because of it. Pics to come soon!

Progress Pictures :)

I dont know if you all can see a difference but there it is, 35 lbs gone. Mentally I feel a lot smaller than I am looking in these pictures, but I know my body will catch up with my mind. I am excited that I am going in the right direction and looking forward to seeing more results!

People Come and Go but I Will Forever Be Ali

It was brought to my attention last night that I have changed. Over the night I really thought long and hard if that statement is true. I came to conclusion that it is very true. I am now happy, positive, encouraging and confident. Most people knew me as a sarcastic, miserable, self-hating, debbie downer type of person. I have changed because I know that I can do better than I was, I have changed because I FINALLY care about my life and myself. I refuse to apologize for being happy and finally in the place that I have been supporting everyone else for already being in. I have spent countless hours being happy for everyone else. Numerous conversations of motivation given and encouragement supplied. Now, selfish or not, it is my turn and I will let NO ONE take that from me. If you can't be happy for me being happy then you have no place in my life. For once in my life, I need the cheerleader, I need the motivation, and the pat on the back. I am still sarcastic and I still have my sense of humor but I now I am the Captain of my team and the player as well. I am deciding my future and making things happen. I will not apologize for being me.

Here are my current measurements; eactly 14 days post op:
Neck 16.25
Arm- 16
Boobs-46.50
Waist- 48
Butt- 48
Thigh- 27.75

11 Inches gone!

Strange Things Our Bodies Do

As of today I am 18 days post op. I am on the semi solid diet, being able to eat tuna and pasta. I am looking forward to the day when I can have MEAT! I am a carnivore and I need chicken or beef or SOMETHING! I believe I can start having those foods towards the end of May. It will come soon enough, I am doing everything I can to stick to the plan and follow the rules.

With that being said, I have stopped losing for the past three days. I had gotten worried that my body was trying to say ' Ok, you take it from here'. I have lost 20 lbs so far, and yes, that is amazing. I just want the best results possible. So, after wondering why the hell I hadn't lost for 3 days, I decided to measure myself. Call me Sherlock Holmes because I solved the mystery! Not only have I lost 20 lbs, I have lost 11 inches all over my entire body- mainly in the boob area, but a significant amount in my waist and my neck as well. So just because I wasn't seeing the pounds on the scale, my body was still working hard while partnering with my efforts. It was a definite non-scale victory!!

Not only have I been sticking to the menu plans and taking my vitamins, I went out and purchased a bicycle and a child trailer! Now I have no excuse of not wanting to get up and go to the gym, or not having child care. I can handle business all right here in my neighboorhood with the child in tow. I am looking forward to the bicycle rides and spending quality time with my daughter as well. Only good things can come from this purchase!

The only things I am having troubles with is getting my protein in, consuming all 64 oz of water and not knowing where to go for conversation about the bypass. I am a member of lapbandtalk.com and I am a regular there( ok, I live there) and obviously, everyone has the lapband. When I talk about the side effects of the bypass or what I am dealing with, no one can relate or help me out. I know that there is obesityhelp.com but I have had some pretty negative experiences over there and I am reluctant to go back. I guess I will just have to save my questions for the doc.

I am hoping to keep the success up and stay on the right path. I know it can be hard, there are many times that I just want to snatch the pizza slice out of my husbands hands and trust me, it takes everything in my power not to. I have a new kind of will power this go round. Maybe its because I have faith that this surgery will actually work. Whatever it is, its working, and I am riding on the feel good train.

Day 4 Post Op

First off, I just want to say a big thank you to everyone and their well wishes, prayers, and concerns during my hospitalization. Things are going well and the surgery was successful. I am at home with my family now and trying to get around as best as possible. I will go over the hospital process just to tell you a little bit about what happened.

I arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am and was almost immediately brought back into a room with a bed and was instructed to get undressed, put a gown on and get on the bed. An IV was inserted into my arm and the nurse took my vitals. I had to pee in a cup for a false pregnancy confirmation before surgery. At that point I remained on the bed as the anesthesiologist came in and discussed what he would be doing. Shortly after, what I call the magic medicine, was inserted into my IV and I became very care free and drowsy. The last thing I remember before waking up after surgery, was kissing my husband and my daughter goodbye as they were literally wheeling me down to the OR.

I woke up in a haze hearing the nurse booking my room in the hospital-for some reason I wanted to make sure I remembered the room number-627. I kept repeating it over and over again in my head "627,627, Room 627". Of course, it never presented the need to come up ever again but I knew what my room number was! When I fully woke up out of the haze, I instantly wanted to know where my husband and my daughter were. I wanted to see my only family that I have within a 500 mile radius.

Now, I won't discuss EVERY SINGLE detail of my stay in the hospital, but I will say that for whatever reason, I had complications due to an IV infiltration, I was given a shot of toradol and ativan and was told I was going to have a pic line inserted. I beleive it was due to the fact that I was neglected by the nursing staff ( after contacting them several times) for an hour, due to having no fluid in my IV bag. Other than that, things went according to plan.

The first day after getting out of surgery, I was not allowed anything by mouth, no water or ice--NOTHING. The second day I was eased into ice chips-2 tbsp per every half an hour. The third and final day I was put on a clear sugar free liquid diet-2 tbsp every meal time, and then each hour after that. needless say, it is next to nothing. I do not feel hungry in the least though so I am not stressing out about it yet. I am a little sore on my incision sites but other than that I am up and moving around. I am ready for my workouts to begin and the weight to start coming off. I have never been more relieved to say that I am no longer a bandster, I am a gastric bypasser!!!

D-Day

You would think that I would be eating everything in sight today, but I am not. I have become so sick of this lifestyle and the after effects of it that I am ready to be done. As ready as I can be anyways. I will be eating my favorite food tonight for dinner, but other than that, I have no interest in much of anything. Tomorrow, I will be starting Day 1 of my 14 day ( more like 30 day) liquid diet. I am supposed to drink 3 protein shakes per day, and for the rest of the day stay on clear, sugar free liquids. Things such as fat free chicken broth, sugar free jello/pudding, sugar free popsicles etc. I have a good 10 or so boxes of slim fast stocked up in the extra fridge, in all different flavors, as well as everything else listed above. It is going to be a very hard diet, mentally. I rememeber being on the clear liquid diet AFTER my lapband procedure and it was a piece of cake because I had some sort of restriction on my stomach. NOW I have a wide open stomach ready to devour the world, and clear liquids just is not going to cut it. I am going to have to keep myself busy-keep my goal in sight. In 13 days I will be getting the gastric bypass and shedding the pounds, getting to a healthier new me. If my posts for the next 2 weeks seem a little 'bitchy' it is only because the beast in me is trying to get out.