The End of an Exciting Year!

Hi guys!

So we've all weathered the holidays ... hope yours was great. I had a wonderful Christmas because my mother, who is in a nursing home and has been bed ridden for many years and hasn't been able to join us for the holidays, was with us at my house this year. The Orange County Fire & Rescue department had a special program called "Home for the Holidays" in which they will transport - at no cost - your loved one from their nursing home to your home for Christmas. My mom is such a happy little spirit and we all loved having her with us. So that made it really special.

Plus, I got a new bike! In one of my earliest posts, I listed some of the things I wanted to do when I lost weight, and riding a bike was one of those. Rudy surprised me with a beach cruiser bike, and we took it to the beach this weekend and I rode it on the beach - so fun! My legs were a little sore from riding it on the sand, and I definitely got more cardio action from it then my walks I take every week. I fell back in love with bike-riding (not to be confused with "cycling", which I have no interest in - the serious helmet-bike shorts-pedaling fast for miles and miles type of cycling) when Rudy and I were vacationing in Key West for my birthday in December. Instead of driving around, we rented bikes and rode all over the island the whole time - it was awesome!

Wow ... what a year for me. It's been over 2 months since I last wrote, and I've continued to make progress with the weight loss and feel better than ever.

Let's do a new update, at 9 months post-surgery:

Original pounds to lose: 150 lbs.

Pounds lost so far: 125 lbs.

Pounds left to lose: 25 lbs.

And another update:

Starting size - pants: 26W

Current size - pants: 12

Starting size - tops: 22

Current size - tops: Small or size 8

This has really been an amazing journey and it will obviously continue. I look forward to seeing what the new year will bring. So, in looking back at the year, following are the things that spring to mind that I miss from my "previous life" and things that I LOVE in my new life:

Things I miss:

• Having a piece of toast or a bagel with a hot cup of coffee
• The sound of pouring a nice fizzy Diet Coke over ice and enjoying that little tingly taste
• Having a beer with friends after work or on the weekends with pizza or wings
• Being able to indulge my sweet tooth every now and then (remember, NO sugar for me anymore!)
• Lingering over a nice dinner at a restaurant with a good cup of coffee
• Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Being able to pig out on special occasions like Thanksgiving

But, more importantly, things I love now:

• Riding a bike
• Crossing my legs (yes, it's the simple things!)
• Being able to walk and talk without getting winded
• Wearing cute jeans
• Being comfortable sitting in seats, like at the arena, the movies, Bob Carr, etc.
• Actually wanting to walk around places
• Not having to ask for the seat-belt extender on an airplane
• Not having to worry about how tight a booth will be at a restaurant
• Not having claustrophobia rule where I stand, sit, etc.
• Tucking in shirts
• Walking by (instead of walking into!) Lane Bryant in a mall

There are so many other things, but I love having the feeling back of being attractive and confident. This is truly the best thing I've ever done for myself.

Oh, and one New Year's Resolution: Write in my blog weekly. :)