My Stats!!

Since it has been so long since I posted, I will post a little update on my "stats"

Date of surgery:  June 2, 2012
Today's Date: November 10, 2013
Total: 1 year, 5 months, 1 week

Total weight loss to date: 75 pounds (weight loss has been idle since I began an intensive exercise regimen and I am good with that!!).  I have not gained a pound in over a year but haven't really lost too much in a few months!!  The inches continue to melt off!  That is just fine with me!!



Clothing pre-op:
Pants and tops: 20/22, 1X, 2X or XXL in clothing

Now wearing:
-medium/large in tops
-12/14 in bottoms (size 14 has become a little loose!!)
-1/2 size smaller in shoes
-2 sizes smaller in band width in bra

I have only been sick ONCE since surgery.  I had the flu in January 2013 after visiting the Atlanta Aquarium with 10,000 people at Christmas time. I used to be sick all the time!!  Even if school was out and I was away from kids.  Healthy gut=healthy immune system.  I BELIEVE!!!

I am am running over 4 miles in about 1 hour.  I couldn't run a block before surgery.  I "try" to do a workout class at the gym 3 days a week which consists of Zumba or any of the Les Miles body classes which I love.  The days I don't do gym, I try to run.

The ONLY medication I take is Omeprozole (anti-acid) per Dr. Rod (my weight loss surgeon) due to the small size of my stomach.  Prior I was taking 4-6 Aleve a day for chronic back pain.  Now....I have NO pain!!  I was tired all the time and sick a lot.  I was not happy or healthy!

I think this is really meaningless to the common reader because the assumption is that this is all a result of Weight Loss Surgery.  Just here to tell you ALL......I can now eat whatever I want.  ANYTHING!!! I cant eat fast food, drink soda, eat candy or sweets, fried food and crappy snacks......I can eat whatever I want.  (Ice Cream would still very likely make me puke but I haven't had any since surgery so not sure).   So that means that all the success up there above is a direct result of MY hard work and dedication to this lifestyle.  I owned this!!  I want this and I love this!!

Warrior Princess......Round 2

In October 2012, I had this insane idea that I would do my first 5k.....that just happened to also be an extreme obstacle race.  I was not in the physical shape to do the race but I have always had the mental determination to do anything.  So I did it!!

Here is my post from that experience a year ago:  Warrior Dash 2012.

Last weekend......I did my 2nd annual Warrior Dash.   I registered last year immediately after finishing the 2012 race to do the 2013 race.  I was determined to be better at it this time.  I got crazy lucky and the race was ironically moved to the new town I just moved to.  3 minutes from my new house!!!  Was meant to be.

Took me over an hour and a half to finish this race last year.  This year, I finished in under an hour!! This course was a lot different than last year. A LOT of climbing obstacles and ropes courses etc.  A LOT of upper body work for sure and a few dangerous jumps etc.  I ROCKED it though!!

 Here are my pics from the race this year. The fellow with me is a friend's husband.  She has a bad foot injury right now and couldn't race with us. So she was our cheerleader and photographer for the day.  I had the BEST time and the only part of me that was sore this time was my arms.  REALLY sore!!  Had some bad bruises on my arms and legs, a few rope burns and raw scrapes but otherwise I came out of this experience unscathed.   Was awesome!!And yes.....those are Pigtail in my hair this year!!

Me running after jumping the first fire pit

Jumping like a girl across the second fire pit

Off to the finish line

This is the LAST obstacle.  Super THICK mud.  But barbed wire above your head.  No choice but to crawl on your belly.  People were almost passing out from the exertion it took to get through this because they were so tired from the race. At the end of this was a huge pit of muddy water you had to swim through.  MY fav part of the race was this last obstacle!!  You can see me in these pic crawling through the best I could.  Way harder than one would think!!

Post-Race 

 Post Race MESS!!

My post race ROCKSTAR pics from 2012 and 2013.

Whew!!! Before and After and everything in between!!

I just looked at the last post I made on here and not only realized how long it has been since my last post but ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh the many changes in my life since then.  My last post was in mid-March 2013.  Over 7 months ago.  Since then I have finished my doctorate (PhD), have a new job as a college professor, live in a new city (Tuscaloosa, AL instead of Birmingham, AL) and have continued to live life to the fullest as much as I can.

The new healthier me is just as happy as I was over a year ago when I made the decision to save my life and live a healthier lifestyle to get there.  Here are some really cool side by side shots of me before surgery and now!!  Also shows off one of  my passions.......Alabama football.

This picture is my before and present with some of Alabama football greats!  On the left is me with Mal Moore, the former Athletic Director at Alabama, at the BCS National Championship in New Orleans in 2012.  The boss!!  He just passed away from cancer this year.  On the right is me with the famous Alabama Football announcer Eli Gold.  That pis was just taken this summer.  One year post-op.

This pic is of me with one of Alabama's top football players, and considered the BEST Defensive player in the nation, C.J. Mosley.  As you can see, C.J. looks much older now and I just look much healthier.  The date on my pic should say 2012.  I was with him at the BCS National Championship in New Orleans.  The other pic was just taken last week at a Halloween function I attended with some Alabama players.  Fun times!  Even more AMAZING to see my before and after!! I think the healthier me looks younger!!