Who knew that Reality's teeth were THAT :::sharp:::!!

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving, 2013 is looming on the horizon . . it was the day after Thanksgiving, 2012 that I started down a path that has - literally - changed my life in more ways than I can even begin to count!

As many of us do, around the holidays, I feasted on Thanksgiving, 2012 . . I woke the following morning and - with considerable trepidation - stepped onto my fancy-dancy scale.  Let me tell you about my scale.  It's made by a French company called Withings . . it's a wireless/Wi-Fi-enabled scale that keeps me honest.   I bought it prior to making life-changing decisions about my weight and lifestyle . . I needed a tool that I couldn't "work around" - there is no altering numbers . . . no fudging . . trust me, reality can really bite!!

I am not - by any means - financially secure.  There is never EVER money left at the end of the month . . purchasing that scale (it was downright spendy) was something I considered an INVESTMENT in my future good health.  Bottom line,  I stepped onto the scale and my weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and percentage of body fat were wirelessly transmitted to my computer.  The numbers could not be changed/tweaked/altered . . they were what they were - PERIOD.  As I said, reality bit - HARD!!

The day after Thanksgiving, 2012 - Friday, November 23rd - at sixtry-three years of age and 5 foot 2 inches tall - I'd, literally, hit *TILT* - my high-tech scale blithely recorded the highest body weight I'd registered in my entire life  . . 288 pounds.  Enough was enough.  I believed, with all of my heart, that my life - and my lifestyle - had to change if I wanted to live to see seventy.  My journey had begun.

I underwent Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery on January 15, 2013 . . an amazingly short time had elapsed between the realization that a change HAD to be made and the major surgery that has brought that change to fruition.  I no longer weigh on a daily basis . . my scale recorded my most recent weight (October 28, 2013) at 146 pounds.  It's necessary (when establishing a goal weight) to factor in the estimated weight of the loose skin that is part and parcel of bariatric surgery (younger folk tend to have a bit more elasticity in their skin and their loose skin isn't quite as dramatic/traumatic as it is for those of us in our "senior" years).  The weight of my loose skin is estimated at between ten and fifteen pounds - after factoring in the "flab" and subtracting an additional 12.5 pounds from my "scale" weight .. . I'm sitting at around 135 pounds.  I'm very aware that, given my age and my body type,  I'm considered to be underweight at this point in time (freakin' u-n-b-e-l-i-e-v-a-b-l-e!!) I'm working on increasing my calorie intake, I never miss my Bariatric Support Group meetings (they keep me centered and real) and I'll be meeting with a member of my bariatric medical team on November 12th.  All will be well..

The journey continues . . evolving, for me,  is a fascinating process.  Well, fascinating could well be an understatment .. there are times when it is absolutely surreal!  

It's 1 a.m. . . I'm weary.  I have more to share but it's time for sleep.  I'll pick this up again - soon.  G'night.

BEGINNING ANEW . . in the bariatric world.

On Tuesday morning, January 15, 2013, a huge part of my life came to an end - and, a new "life(style)" was born!  I was sixty-three years old (still am!), with two knees that were a stair step away from useless (that hasn't changed - yet) and co-morbidities numerous enough to guarantee that I would, most likely, never see my 75th birthday (severe hypertension, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnea).  After much serious contemplation - and with the overwhelming approval of my doctors - I decided to step away from my lifelong food addiction and move forward into the world of enforced addiction control.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass isn't a guarantee that excess body weight will be lost . . however, it is a TOOL that makes significant weight loss possible - IF it is used as it's designed to be used.

January 14, 2013 - 288 pounds

Pretty radical, huh?  Well, hopefully, it will prove to be more effective and useful than radical!  There's a lot to be said - if you're a chronic over-eater - for a process that has built-in checks and balances.  It's all about choices . . if you chose to override the stoppers you'll experience the significantly uncomfortable consequences!  I'm not a risk-taker when it comes to gastrointestinal pay-backs .. my plan is to toe the line!

There was push-back from family and (fewer from) friends.  I understand the concerns and respect their rights to disagree with my decision;  nevertheless, bottom line -->  it was MY decision to make and (should there ever be negative consequences) the full responsibility lies with me.

I don't intend to post minute-by-minute updates;  suffice it to be said that I'm seeing weight loss each day; I'll post "stats"/photos from time to time.  In the interim, I'm following the plan and looking forward to positive changes in my health status (two hypertension meds have already been discontinued!), approval for knee replacements and a return to the physically active hobbies I love and have really really missed!

I'll leave you with one of my favorite lines of all time:  “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.” 
― Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  (the underscore/italics are mine)