Wow a major anniversary for me

Hey fellow bloggers,

Some of you may have recieced the email that had this but I wanted to make sure it was archived on my blog for me!

Well 4 years ago tomorrow was my weight loss surgery. I was 335 a week before surgery, last week at my Dr's office I was 158. That is a 177 pounds lost! This is a post I put on a national support group website I belong to and on my Dr's message board.

If you are reading this blog it means somewhere along the line in these past 4 years you were there for me,(as only my favorite people even have this blog site) whether it was before surgery or a few years after, you were there and I feel you are all true blessings from God. Thank you for all you have done for me. Your love, support and friendship means more to me then you will ever know!

4 years ago today, I was drinking chicken broth and apple juice as I had down the Go-Lytely the night before per Dr Simpson's orders. The next morning I knew was going to be the first day of the BEST of my life. That is what I kept saying as I looked at my wonderful son's. Hard to believe William had just turned 5 and Kenny was almost 4. I was going to miss William's first day of Kindergarten, that killed me inside but I knew if I did not do this I would very likely miss his graduation from high school, his getting married and all the wonderful things the Lord had planned for him, as well as his brother.

So there I was, 335 pounds at my last check a week before, married to a nice man but I was not in love, I was depressed, felt miserable and the only good thing I had going for me were those two wonderful boys. I was doing this for them as much as them. "This" was my Duodenal Switch.

Fast-forward 4 years later. Here I am a mom still to those two little boys, who lost 172 pounds and are now happy and healthy! My kids tell me they have the most fun and beautiful mom of all their classmates. I finally had found the strength to leave a marriage that was not fair to either of us. I am now engaged to the love of my life, and hey my ex found the love of his life and they are going to have a baby any day! I am HAPPY!!!! Now every day is not some amazing day, but you know what? Everyday I wake up and it does not hurt to stand up due to the weight my feet have to carry all day, I have a slew of clothes to choose from that I actually like the way I look in them, I have energy to get up before the alarm and make breakfast for my house. There has been a lot of change, my oldest now lives with his dad, but being healthy in my mind, not just my body I recognize that his dad and him are close and because he chooses to live there does not mean he loves me any less. I have changed my thinking, people are not out to get the fat girl, and they are there to support me in my decisions. My friends are amazing, my fiancé Todd is a dream come true, he knows all about my weight issues I had, the years of bulimia, the WLS and he supports me and says, "That has made you who you are today".

I am truly blessed to have been a member of this site, the support I received before and after surgery were amazing and I hope my story can assist others. Please feel free to read my whole story on my profile and also check out my personal web page www.geocities.com/stephileeaz.

A few quick tips for you:

1. Take measurements before surgery...oh man they help during times the scale does not move cause those inches are coming off!

2. Do what your Dr advises, people on here will share their ideas of what you need to do but in the long run Dr knows best!

3. Re-train your brain! There is no thing as a bad food, bad choices maybe but do not look to food as an enemy. Food was made to be good nourishing the body, take care of that body with healthy choices and you will do well.

4. As Dr Simpson says Protein, Water, Walk and Walk some more!

5. EXERCISE!!!! It feels so good, start off in little increments if you must but MOVE! It is amazing what it does not just for the body but your soul.

6. Be good and honest to yourself, love yourself!

Thanks for letting me ramble!

Love and Hugs!

Love Stephi