It’s My 4 Year Surgiversary! What A Journey!

Can you believe this is the same person! Yep that’s me!

Four years ago today I began phase two of my weight loss journey. In 2010 I was at my highest weight ever of 298lbs. In 2009 I had Lap Band surgery. I was very successful with the lap band and got down to about 185lbs. In 2009 I got married and in 2012 we decided to try for a little one. I spoke with my surgeon, my obgyn and my regular doc about being pregnant with the lap band. Everyone assured me that it should be fine. We got pregnant pretty quickly and all was going well until the end of my second trimester. I ended up having a slip of my lap band which left me unable to consume any food or drink by mouth. I ended up being fed through a picc line for the last 2.5 months of my pregnancy. After several scary complications, Asa was born healthy on January 15, 2013! I had my lap band removed one week later. Then I found myself struggling again with my weight and now I added baby weight to the picture! I was back up to 245lbs and my back was giving me issues again (the reason I got the lap band to begin with). I called my surgeon and scheduled an appointment. We decided together that the best course of action for me and four years ago today on 8/13/2013 I had the gastric sleeve surgery.

The last four years have not been easy! The surgery was a tool for me to help lose the weight and then help me to maintain a healthy weight. It was by no means a solution in itself. There are basic rules I need to follow and if I’m being honest here – I don’t always follow them.  And when I don’t follow them consistently I gain weight. Its a vicious cycle and the story of my life! Here are a few of those rules:

1. I should be eating a high protein low carb diet. Oh wait….did I introduce myself? Hi my name is Courtney and I’m a carbohydrate addict. I would be fine only eating carbs all day every day. The problem is that I would weigh 500lbs.
2. I should not be drinking any caffeine. Oh and did I mention coffee is my vice. I LOVE MY COFFEE!!
3. I should be eating low sugar but dark chocolate is my downfall. I’m also a chocoholic.
4. I should not be drinking anything for 30 minutes prior to eating or for 1 hour after eating….but I do!
5. I should be staying away from carbonation…..but I love my beer.

By the end of 2013 I was down to 165-170lbs. It was the smallest I had ever been in my adult life. I was a size 10! To be honest it was kind of awkward for me to be that small. Then….well….. life happened!

I lost my job in 2014. It was a difficult transition for me. I found myself slowly starting to gain weight. To get a handle on it I started going to the gym 5 days a week. I was doing a different fitness class every day plus weights. I was in the best physical shape of my life!

In April 2015 I went back to work and I swear it all went downhill from there. I wasn’t working out at all and I wasn’t eating well at all. I became complacent.

In May 2016 I lost my job again. Now at this point I had already gained weight by being complacent and now I was back to the roller coaster of being unemployed. Ummmm…..did I mention I’m an emotional eater? Needless to say my weight has fluctuated between 190 and 198 for the last several months.

A few weeks ago a small group of amazing women (who all happen to be moms that I’m connected to) decided to do a group weight loss challenge. We weigh in once a week by taking a picture of the scale and posting it for the group to see. I started this challenge on July 10th at 198.2lbs. As of this morning I was 188.5. I’m just shy of 10lbs down! Officially 109.5lbs down from my highest weight in 2010. Ill take it!

I have learned so many lessons over the last four years on this weight loss journey. Here are just a few:

1. I acknowledge I have a love/hate relationship with food.
2. I fully know what I need to do to maintain a healthy weight – I also acknowledge that I just don’t always do it.
3. I am a carbohydrate addict. Its what I ALWAYS want. Kicking the carbs always results in a weight loss.
4. I do better when I weigh myself more often. It helps keep me accountable.
5. A food diary works great for me. It deters me from putting things in my mouth that I know are bad since I don’t want to write it down.
6. I surround myself with positive and supportive people. I have never for one minute been alone on this journey. My husband and children have supported me from day one. I belong to a group on FB of people who all had the same surgery I did and we all did it in August of 2013. We support each other daily. I also belong to a mommy group that consists of the most supportive women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We also support each other daily.
7. Losing weight is a slow process. I didn’t gain it overnight and I wont lose it overnight either.
8. Portion control is key for me. When I start slipping I get out my food scale and weigh everything!
9. In order to maintain a healthy weight, I WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO WATCH WHAT I EAT.
10. My weight loss journey will be a life long journey. It is what it is! I have the tools to do what I need to do. Now I just have to continue to do it!

I love food. Its a fact. For me its about making better choices and not eating so much. I’m learning to fill myself with other things besides food. I AM A WORK IN PROGRESS!