I am sitting here and typing this up and crying ... with joy and happiness ...

I met with my surgeon to go over labs and discuss my progress after 6 months of my new life ...

And here it is:

According to the surgeons scale, I've lost 84 pounds in the last 6 months, two more pounds and my BMI will be in the "Overweight" range, I will no longer be "Obese" ... I kicked "Morbidly Obese" to the curb awhile ago.

My labs look good, all of my nutrients are in thier proper ranges - except for my B12 which is playing with going over the the low end dark side.

My diet, according to the doctor, is appropriate for 6 months out. I am eating varied food and staying away from the no-nos.

My exercise regimen, including my personal training, got a big thumbs up.

The verdict? "See me again in 3 months. Good job."

I feel terrific. The girls at the front desk all noted how fantastic I look ... which is easy because I get up in the morning and I feel fantastic. This starts from within ...

I take my supplements, I monitor what I allow myself to eat pretty closely (still not measuring all my food like my wonderful friend O ... something that I really should be doing to get a better idea of what I am eating), and I stick to my plan.

I bought size 12s this past weekend. TWELVES. I havent been that small since high school. I am effectively rolling back my fat clock.

This hasnt been easy - and those who think this is, well, they just dont know. For all of the rough patches, the growing pains, the food learning curve (which really is steep in those first few months) this has been totally worth it, I would do it again in a minute and without any hesitation. Its amazing what 6 months can mean to a persons life. Mine is completely different and I LOVE IT.

I am HEALTHY and I am HAPPY and those things are immeasurable. Being able to thrive and live life how I want to, instead of how it was imposed on me because of my size ... well that really is priceless.