One year later.

Last week, July 11th, was the one year anniversary of my gastric sleeve surgery. Just like the old cliché goes, it has literally flown by!  In so many ways it feels like just yesterday that I weighed almost 300 pounds but in some ways it feels like a lifetime. 

Recently I came to the realization that I've forgotten how to eat healthy. Since I've been able to eat whatever I want for the past year (just in much smaller quantities), I haven't made a lot of good choices. And guess what happened a few weeks ago?  Vacation!  And we all know I suck at vacation. It was a week full of good (meaning "bad") food. Without a care in the world. Which is how I wound up weighing 223 pounds on my surger-versary.

Which is not bad. I know this. But when I consider the fact that I was 214 around January and the fact that my original goal was 190, my weight was creeping the wrong direction. And I know how that story goes. And I simply cannot repeat it. Not after all this hard work. Not to mention the money.

So last Saturday,  I joined Weight Watchers. WW has always worked for me when I work the program.  I think it's partly because I'm such a rule follower. So by golly, if I have 34 points each day then I'm eating 34 points!  It's helped me keep myself on track when I walk by the chocolate candy bowl 20 times a day. If I grab one I have to count it. And let's face it ...that's just too much work!

My first weigh-in was 223.4 pounds. According to my scale I've lost about 3 pounds so we'll see what the scale says tomorrow morning. I'm switching to the Friday 7:15 am meeting for two reasons: I'm already dressed and headed to work anyway, plus that means I can make Friday my "cheat day"  I'm a firm believer in cheat days. They keep you sane!

I'll update my WW progress here with some sample food diaries.  I'm already headed the right direction plus getting more active so I know this will work. It has to, right?

I truly believe my gastric sleeve surgery saved my life!  I only wish I'd done it sooner.

Me and my sweet Hunter at his middle school graduation

Our summer trip to Schlitterbahn water park