Approaching My One Year Anniversary

And, I'm having mixed emotions! I'm so thankful to have lost the weight that I've lost but since Thanksgiving - it's been hard. I gained three pounds at Thanksgiving and I managed to loose those three pounds but it took the past three weeks and now we are smack dab in the middle of more food focused holidays!!

Katie is soooo wanting to make Christmas cookies and a gingerbread house and SWEET POTATO casserole... how can you make these things and not eat a little...

I've noticed that I've been able to eat more without feeling as full...

I definitely have the winter blahs... I miss being active outdoors!! I love our new treadmill but it's not nearly as nice as being outside walking with Hogan or swimming or the FARM!!! I miss the horses - the farm is soooo dang muddy right now! We were out there on Tuesday and I started crying as we were leaving... It was great being out there and I just didn't want to leave!

Here's the plan! December 27th is my "surgiversary"... I'm going to do what they call "the 5 Day Pouch Test". Most medical professionals and WLS patients refer to the new stomach as a pouch. It can be stretched... most consider it a tool. It's a "tool" to help you do what you couldn't without WLS.

I'm going to North Carolina to visit my family with Katie on December 27th and my mom is going to do the 5 day diet with me and help me. I have a big mental block thing with liquid protein... I was drinking chocolate protein when I started having my complication and I never wanted it again. BUT, I have to do liquid protein to do this pouch test diet. So Mom and MomMom are going to help me!

I didn't have brain surgery - the emotional love of food is still there. So, there is this 5 Day Pouch Test that I am going to start on my anniversary. It's suppose to reset my pouch to it's post surgery state - 1 month post op.

It's two days of liquid protein, two days of soft protein and then one day of solid protein and Voila! Back to where I should be hopefully!!

I am still DRASTICALLY healthier than this time last year! I wake in the mornings feeling RESTED!! I'm sure I had un-diagnosed sleep apnea. Mom and Don both said that I would stop breathing in my sleep.

I no longer have high blood pressure. I'm not taking near the antidepressants I was this time last year! I can do anything with Katie that I want to - within reason!! I can shop in ANY store!

But, I didn't land in the hospital on January 2nd in critical condition for any of this to be a waste!

Please continue to support me! I couldn't have accomplished any of this without my family and friends!

Phhhppt! to those who think WLS is the easy way out! OPRAH! :)

LA :)