As I was soaking in the tub tonight... I got to thinking... preop, many of us have this huge list of things we look forward to after surgery, as the weight melts off...

For me, the list had things like being able to fit into the desk/chair combos at school, no longer use my cane, get off my high BP meds, metformin, get my a1c down... (etc) not hurt so much, feel like I didn't stand out as the fat person in a room, be able to just be more active, going to live life vs, sitting in my recliner waiting to die... sounds dramatic, but I know some of you get this last one! They have ALL happened and many more!

One of them was to be able to fit in my bathtub with water all around me... not sandwiched in! And where you have to get out of the tub for the water behind you to drain out :) I live in an apartment, with an apartment sized tub... and tonight, as I was sitting there... with LOTS of room to spare... I realized I had forgotten this one! In fact, now many of them I take for granted... ALREADY!!

It's also easy, once the fast weight loss is over and you're just plugging along... to start to really notice the saggy skin, the hair loss, the chicken neck... saggy boobs! Whatever... And start to feel a bit bad about these things...

Tonight in the tub reminded me how far i've come... I can wrap my fingers from both hands all the way around my leg, just above my knee... sounds so silly, but i don't think they fit around my calf before! And today, I wore a size 16 jeans... most of which I had already retired to the "too big" pile, but this pair was hiding. Turned out they were the first pair of 2nd hand jeans I bought once I had gone thru all my smaller ones I had in my closet... And they were sooooo baggy! I remember the day I bought them, and was soooo ecstatic that they fit Believe me... they were tight when I bought them! In fact I would not even really wear them for the first week or so cause they were so tight... but in no time, they were comfortable... now so baggy I had to pull them up all day long...

My point... make a list of the things you are looking forward to, or have accomplished already... or both! Keep it handy... read it often... because the day might come when you just feel like things are not happening fast enough anymore and your more focused on where you've not gotten yet vs where you came from! I think it would also be helpful on those days when all you can see is your new found wrinkles that weight loss has uncovered, or are struggling with thinning hair... Because when i can stop and look back over this last 7 months... no wrinkle or thin hair is worth giving up the new life and health I have gained... Not a one!

Don't forget where you've been or your stop appreciating where you are!

As of today, I am 214 lbs... Last Jan 2013, I was 322... Size 24 to an easy 14, headed into the 12's :) I've less than 30 pounds to reach my goal of 185. I never ever truly believed I get this far... but now... even ONEderland seems possible! I was on a stall for 5 or 6 weeks, since I broke thru, have lost another 8 over the last 4 weeks. It is ALL possible!