Melissa's Transformation - The Blog :-): April 2006

I reached my goal of weighing 159 pounds on Friday. Actually I surpassed it and weighed 156.5! Today I weigh 157, so my body is getting situated as usual. Regardless, I am finally a normal BMI! It doesn't seem real at all.

While I do want to lose down to 148 so I have some room to play when I have the dreaded "bounce back" weight, I can honestly say that if I stayed this weight forever, I believe I would be absolutely thrilled!

Below are some photos taken of me today. I will call them my official "at goal" photos. I still feel self-conscious about my belly but you know what - I think I look pretty damn good otherwise to have lost 167 pounds! haha

In the photos I am wearing a size medium sweater, a size SMALL tank top and size 8 jeans - my first ever size 8!!

Baby's still got back...and thighs!

Showing off...hehe

Thank you to all who have supported me along this way. I have to give special thanks to my husband Scott, who has been my number 1 supporter through it all! I love that man more than he will ever know! He has been my rock, my mirror when I struggled to see the new me and my voice of sanity. He is such a blessing.

I also have to thank my parents and Granny who believed in me and brag on me.

I am so blessed to have an incredible amount of friends who have supported me through, literally, thick and thing. A special shoutout goes to my bypass twin Diana. Talk about a total inspiration. She has helped keep me on the straight and narrow through her words and just by example as I watch the way she approaches her surgery. I love you Diana!

Also to thank profusely are my friends Liz, Donna, Linda, Toni and Deb. They have cheered me on through the months and been so positive - especially when I needed to hear it.

Then of course to recognize are the most incredible team members I could ever ask for at work, as well as all my work friends all over NASA. Day in and day out they have kept me going strong. I am so blessed to work with such amazing people who truly have cared about me and my success.

I can't go without saying that I am deeply indebted to the many, many wonderful people I have met in my vast support group network - the one for Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital which is run by the most incredible woman named Kimberly; the one I formed at work with the kindest, most loving people ever and the Obesity Help Message Board with the most inspiring people I could have ever met!

Of course, it goes without say that I am forever indebted to Dr. Adam Naaman who truly has hands blessed by God. Dr. Naaman is a phenomenal surgeon with the biggest heart. I am so lucky I moved to Houston so that I could receive the best care available.

Finally, I want to thank God above all. I was so afraid but He carried me through. I had doubts but He carried me through. I couldn't see where I was heading but He carried me through. This journey is wonderful but it is grueling at times - especially emotionally. Yet day after day, time and time again - He carried me through. And I trust He will continue to do so.

God has been so good to me and I never ever want to take that for granted. To be delivered from Super Morbid Obesity has been a miracle I never dreamed would ever happen to me. I will forever share my story and help those who come after me because of the grace I have been given. Thank You God. I love You!

I sent this e-mail to a group of friends who all are in some phase of a weight-loss journey. I thought I would post it here for anyone else who might be struggling with patience.

One of my friends who had gastric bypass wrote me a letter out of frustration recently. Although she's lost 25 pounds her first month, she was feeling like she wasn't losing fast enough. After some realization that the people who were losing faster than her on the message boards had more to lose and that 25 pounds was a really good number, she felt better.

Below is a letter I wrote her in response. I thought I would send it to you all because either you're going to be there, are there or have been there. Whether you're doing Weight Watchers or you undergo weight-loss surgery, losing weight and patience are two things that don't mix well for most people. :-)

Writing the letter in response also helped me gain some perspective too. I've been struggling with a few pounds over the past two or so months - and it's easy to get caught up in that and lose sight of how far you've come. However, yesterday (my two-year wedding anniversary), I was able to take a look back and really appreciate all that has changed about me in two years.

It didn't happen overnight and let me tell you - my patience were tried constantly. They still are. Yet, I am now able to look back and see that by just keeping the faith and focus, my body has transformed in ways I never dreamed. I am glad I didn't give up when I felt frustrated. I use to do that a lot with Weight Watchers. This time, with the blessing of my tool, I've been able to prove to myself I am not a quitter.

So, if you are struggling where you are right now, don't let the frustration sabotage you. It's so easy to use that excuse. But don't. If you struggle in the future, just know that it is normal and you gotta keep on pushing to your goal. You do have a goal, right? ;-)

Ok below is what I wrote her and attached are some pics from my wedding day (299 pounds), my 1-year anniversary (261 pounds) and yesterday, my two-year anniversary (163 pounds). Whew….I'm tired! ;-)

My love to you all!
Xoxox
Melissa

***

It's really hard to keep your perspective through all this. While it's easy for people to tell you to do so - many don't understand.

They say - "when have you ever lost XX amount of weight in such a short time?" They're right of course - but still...

You've faced the fact that you need to get the weight off. You've undergone a major surgery that permanently alters your body. You're on a restricted diet. You've had to part ways with your best friend - food. You're ready to change. And yet, you're still overweight. haha It's funny but it's not. I mean - you want it gone and you want it gone now!

So, yeah, it is hard to be patient - especially when these people post on the boards about their amazing weight losses. You feel like you're left behind or somehow it's not working for you. But trust me - it is. You've lost 25 pounds in a month. And, if you keep doing what you're suppose to be doing, you're going to lose that many times over. It does work. Trust me. I thought for sure it wouldn't work for me. But it did.

Yesterday was mine and Scott's 2-year wedding anniversary. I remember last year being conflicted about my emotions. While I was thrilled I had lost 63 pounds by that time (in a little over three months) and was weighing 38 pounds less than I did on my wedding day, I was frustrated because I was still fat. I weighed 261 pounds, barely a size 22/24 and was in the Extremely Obese BMI category .

So, while I was thrilled to have the weight off, I was discouraged. It's amazing what one year can do for a person though. Yesterday I weighed in at 163. Today I am at 159.5 (hopefully it wasn't a fluke! hehe). I am now .5 away from a HEALTHY BMI - something I never have been. I weigh 139.5 pounds less than I did when I got married and 164.5 pounds less than I did when I had my surgery. I am comfortably in size 10s and mediums.

When I looked back on my pics from my anniversary last year and compared them to the pics of me yesterday, I couldn't believe it! While you're constantly transforming the first year or so, you don't really realize how much you've changed until you have these little milestones to compare how far you've come.

Just have faith that you are moving forward and you will keep moving forward. I think sometimes people on this journey lose sight of their goals - or worse, really set none. When you get the bulk off (usually 100 or so), it's really easy get lax. But you always have to keep in mind why you did this and keep pushing yourself - even when you're tired of doing it or you are a frustrated that the loss has slowed or you just want to become complacent.

Trust that it will all work itself out if you do your part. :-)