Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to post to my blog on a regular basis due to my lack of car, which requires me to spend 4 hours a day on the bus traveling to and from work. I also have to spend a good chunk of the weekend on the bus to go shopping.

 The good news is I’m closer to having a down payment for another car, so there’s still hope on the car front.

Has life changed much in the 10 months since my gastric bypass?

You bet! Let me count the ways:

• I feel healthy.
• I have more energy.
• I’ve even have had the energy to do a little jogging a few times. Woohoo!
• I no longer feel like I’m being stared at for my size when I walk into a place.
• A man walked up to me on the bus and told me “You are a very beautiful woman!” At my age, that’s always nice to hear.
• My 3X’s are ridiculously big and I can’t wear them anymore. I wear somewhere between 14 and 16.
• I am 14 pounds into Onederland at 186 lbs. Woohoo!
• 82 lbs. total lost, 50 more to go. Yay!!
• People at work have commented on my weight loss.
• People at work are friendlier to me.
• I can fit in a bus seat without spilling over into the next seat.

Much to my surprise, I haven’t had any food get stuck since I first started eating solids. I guess you get used to chewing your food really well pretty quickly.

The fact that some people who have known me for years are now nicer to me is a sad commentary on our society and the treatment of obese people, but we already knew this. Even people who don’t think they’re getting discriminated against because of their weight, most likely are. But I won’t waste my energy being bitter. If people want to be superficial and shallow, that’s their lameness.

Up until about a month ago, sticking to my eating plan was pretty easy since I was not hungry and was, in fact, disgusted by sweets. I wondered if this loss of sweet tooth would be permanent. Unfortunately, I can feel my appetite coming back so I have to make more effort to make good choices.

Don’t worry though. My tool is still working. If anyone who hasn’t had surgery is wondering how it works, let me explain. About 15-20 minutes into eating, I lose interest in my food. I don’t feel fullness; I feel satiety, and boy is it fantastic! I almost never finish everything on my plate for dinner.  I used to feel bad about leaving food on my plate but now I realize it’s better for me.

I am very grateful for my surgery, every day. There is a very noticeable difference in my life now that I’m not carrying 80 extra pounds around. Now I just need to work on my car situation so I can have my free time back. That’s it for now. Take care!