100 pounds gone so I have 100 facts/comments to share

This list in in no particular order but mearly things that I have learned, experienced, encountered etc along this journey.  I am so glad that I get to share this journey with so many of you.  As always feel free to ask questions and make comments! 

1. LOVE:  if it had not been for the love from my family especially my husband Tony I don't think I could have been this successful!
2. PATIENCE: With any journey you have to have patience...not one of my strong traits.
3. FAITH:  I have faith in the Lord and I know that I have never been alone in this journey.
4. DETERMINATION:  I am determined to succeed in this.
5. CONFIDENCE: My confidence seems to grow with each pound lost.
6. SELF IMAGE: I have a much better self image of myself now. 
7. TRUST: I have had to learn to trust the process and trust that I can do this!
8. ACCOUNTABILITY: In the end I am accountable to myself.  The scale keeps me accountable and my band does too. 
9. MENTOR: I seem to have become a mentor to others not only those who are trying to loose weight but people who want to make good health choices in general.  (This has been an honor)
10. SACRIFICES:Every time I have had to make a sacrifice I know that in the end there will be benefits and boy do I see and feel the benefits.
11. WILLPOWER: For the first time in my adult life I feel like I have control and willpower to tell myself that I can withstand the temptations of bad things in my life.
12. ATYPICAL: I am an atypical case.  I have lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time.  Also I have far fewer fills than most typical Lap Band patients. 
13. DEPRESSION: Typically people with major weight loss tend to also suffer from depression.  I prefer to call it just me feeling over whelmed.  It is okay to ask for help taking the edge off!
14. LIFELONG: This is a lifelong decision.  The band is a part of my "new" lifestyle. 
15. EDUCATING: I have taken it as one of my new passions to inform and educate others about Lap Band and choosing a new life overall.  We all can make little changes in our lives.
16. EMOTIONAL: Even with a psych evaluation I did not realize how emotional this journey would be.  My whole life has changed.  Weight affected everything practically in my life.
17. SELF DISCOVERY: I have learned alot about myself in the past 9 months.
18. EMOTIONAL EATING: I will admit that I was an emotional eater.  I still am....defiantly not as bad and my band reminds me why that is not wise.  I have had to learn new ways to deal with emotions rather than putting food in my mouth.  This will always be a work in progress. 
19. JEALOUSY: I think it is hard for someone to see someone lose weight and not be jealous so I think I have seen the ugly jealousy monster come out a few times but I try not to take it personally, I just try to educate and inspire them.
20. TO EASY: I have struggled at times if I have made this weight loss look to easy....believe me it has not been easy!
21. PROTEIN: This is extremely important prior to surgery and after.  I have drank alot of protein shakes in the last nine months.  I still struggle getting enough protein sometimes.
22. MEAT: Well meat is very hard to tolerate for Lap Band patients and I am included.  I truly go in cycles but I eat very little meat since it does not agree with me. 
23. VEGETABLES: I love vegetables.  As long as things are pretty soft and I can cut them small and chew them well, vegetables are my friend.
24. FRUIT: I do not really do any fruit that has skins or is extremely fibrous.
25. FIELD GREENS: I have learned that I tolerate field greens much better than regular lettuce.
26. SALADS: I eat alot of salad.  I do a lot of chopping up of it but it is a great healthy meal anytime.
27. PASTA: I only can tolerate regular spaghetti noodles when it is fresh or lasagna.  Larger shaped noodles and I do not do well.
28. SAUCE: I tend to put alot of condiments on stuff to help them go down easier.
29. FRIES:  I really have a hard time with french fries.  Including McDonald's fries which are my favorite. 
30. BAKED POTATOES: These have become a good stand by especially when dining out.
31. SOUP: I still eat alot of soup but I really tried to ween myself off of  soup and force myself to eat other things that I had to eat slower and chew better.
32. NO FRIED FOODS: I have learned from experience that fried foods and I do not do well together.  This is not a bad thing.  Just hard when I want something like that  and it does not agree.
33. BREADS/RICE/DESSERTS: I do not do well with any bread or rice.  As far as cookies, cakes etc....I can only do a few bites.  Again not all bad!
34. POPCORN: This is one of my favorite items to eat.  I have learned to make it with less oil and butter.
35. PIZZA: I can not tolerate any crust except for about 3 pieces of  Monical's Pizza. 
36. WATER/CRYSTAL LIGHT/POP: I only drink water and crystal light.  I was a huge diet coke addict and I have not even had 1 sip for pop since around Oct 16th.
37. EATING SLOW: I have had to learn how to eat very slow.  It usually takes me a while to eat.  This has been an adjustment for my family.  I often take short breaks while eating to help things digest.
38. CHEW WELL: Since the band works like a funnel you have to have things chewed up or things do not go down and we all know what happens when things get stuck.
39. "SLIMMING": What a gross word.  Well in essence your body know when things are "stuck" so it creates mucus to move the food.  Well either it helps the food move down to the stomach or it ends up helping it up.  So when I get "sick" it is not a normal vomiting situation.  It is more like mucus and a little food.  I know....new subject. 
40. PORTIONS: I compare the amount of food I eat at one time to what a toddler would eat.  It is about a cup of food.
41. EATING OUT: This use to be a big part of my life.  I love to still eat out but it is very difficult for me.  I find it sometimes hard to find something I know I can tolerate, since I eat very little I hate to pay big money, and there is always the chance I will not tolerate something and end up walking or in the ladies room.
42. TOLERATE: It may be late to explain the word tolerate but here goes.  When my band does not like something or seems to be a little tight I get a tight/cramping/burning feeling. I have learned that sometimes if I get up and walk to the rest room or something sometimes that can make the food move, other times I end up allowing myself to relieve itself and that usually allows me to go back to my dining experience.
43. CHEAP DATE: Tony always says I am a cheap date since I eat very little and always order water when out.
44. CAR EATING: I can not eat in a car.  Not sure if it is the motion or what but does not work.
45. NO RHYME OR REASON: Sometimes an item that I hardly ever have a problem with can be a problem.  Also because meat is a a hit or miss I continue to try a little meat when I can. 
46. SHARING: I do alot of sharing with Raegyn.  I do not eat much and sometimes I want just a bite of something so I do a lot of sampling of things from my family mearly to satisfy the craving for something sometimes.
47. HEALTHY CHOICES:  I try really hard to make good choices being that I am not able to eat large amounts of foods I have to get the best food for me in first.
48. M&M'S: This too is one of my weaknesses.  I have become a big fan of M&M's in the last several months.  If they have almonds in them they are classified as healthy right???
49. NEW WARDROBE: Well when you loose 100 pounds as fast as I have you really rotate your closet pretty fast. 
50. GOODWILL: This is my favorite place to pick up clothes.
51. SALVATION ARMY: We have two of these in Champaign Urbana and I like one better than the other but I try to stop in for my clothing needs.
52. KAREN'S KLOSET: This is a consignment shop in Champaign Urbana and I love going there.  I even consign my clothes there so then I can use my store credit to buy more clothes.
53. JEWELRY: I have found that now I am changing my life so much I am dressing a little more nicer and defiantly more femine and I love to look for jewelry at all my thrifting stops.
54. SWIMSUIT: I bought a new swimsuit and trying them on was almost an enjoyable experience.
55. SIZE 28 PANTS/30-32 4x SHIRTS:  This is about what size I was wearing on a typical day before surgery.
56. SIZE 18 PANTS/18-20 2X SHIRTS: What I typically wear now.
57. FAVORITE CLOTHES: It is always sad when I have to get rid of one of my favorite items because it looks terrible on me.
58. TONY/SETH CLOTHES:  I now can be found in Tony's closet and even I have bought a few things for Seth and then kept them for myself. 
59. GARAGE SALES:I have always loved them but now I am always looking for new clothes for me and exercise equipment.
60. GYM MEMBERSHIP: I have a gym membership in Rantoul for the first time in my life.  I have not been going very often lately but counting down the days till Seth is back to football and I will head to the gym and the girls can hang out in the kid center. 
61. CELEBRATION BAG: I have a huge gift bag that has balloons on it.  As something gets to big it goes in the bag and then when the bag is full I take it to consign or donate. 
62. SCALE: I weigh every morning.  This is sort of a good and bad thing.  It is good because it keeps me accountable but bad because the female body especially fluctuates so that is frustrating. 
63. NEW BIKE: For mothers day I got a new bike.  It had a basket and a bell even!
64. GARDENING: This is one of my new hobbies.  We planted a garden and I have several plants and pots of flowers around my home.
65. BLOG: Well as you see I have began to blog and I love it. I try to do it often but sometimes I get busy.
66. CHAMBANAMOMS.COM:  I was a guest blogger on the April 19th post.  Great article and I hope to be able to share more of my story.
67. LESS KNEE PAIN:  I have had two knee surgeries and really need a replacement but now that I have lost weight and become more active my knee feels so much better.  Hoping to put off replacement for many decades.
68. FEET DO NOT HURT: I have to say that my feet feel so much better with less pressure on them too.
69. COLLAR BONE: It is crazy to be able to feel and somewhat see my collar bone. 
70. BONES/MUSCLES: As my body is changing it is crazy for me to be able to feel my bones and my defined muscle groups so much easier.
71. ENERGY: This is a huge one.  I feel like a million bucks!
72. FAMILY PLANNING: We have made the decision that we will probably always be a family of five.  As I get older and our kids continue to get more active I think it is time for me to focus on me.  So my dream of another pregnancy is probably not something we are going to pursue any longer.
73. SILLY QUESTIONS:  I encourage people to ask questions but sometimes they are down right silly.
74. MEDICATIONS: I am off all of my medications for diabetes and blood pressures.  I only take stuff for maintenance at this point. 
75. GRIEVING FOOD: I know it sounds silly but sometimes it is sad when I want a certain food but I know it won't agree with me.  Fried foods, really spicy things, and most meat.
76. SOCIALIZATION WITHOUT FOOD: Face it we live in a world that socially revolves around food.  This bothers the people around me more than it bothers me.  Eat, be happy, and enjoy the time together with me.
77. QUIET ENVIRONMENT:It seems odd but when I am having a hard time eating I  have to have a quiet environment. 
78. SEAT BELTS:  I know it seems odd but it feels great to be able to buckle all of the seat belts in the vehicles that I go in.
79. CROSS MY LEGS: I sit like a lady alot more.  I will be sitting there and realize that my legs are all crossed lady like....because I now can comfortably.
80. INDIAN STYLE: I was at the pool one day and I realized I was sitting there on my chair Indian style and it has been like forever since I have done that comfortably.
81. NEW LOOK: I have a new look about me now.  I did cut my hair a little shorter and I have new glasses along with my new smaller body.
82. UNRECOGNIZED: I find it humorous when people say they barely recognize me. 
83. BIGGEST LOSER: Favorite show!!!  I love to watch the transformations of these contestants.  I am able to relate to them often.
84. HEAVY: This show is shown on A&E I really like this one too since it shows more of the psychological aspect of major weight loss.
85. EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS.  This is a new one on ABC it is not my favorite but it still inspires me and I love to see how much a person can change in 365 days.  There are some things that I do not care for in this show so I give it mixed reviews. 
86. THE SLIDE: McKenna and I decided to add this one!  When we were in St.Louis at the City Museum there is a big slide that the kids were going down and I decided that I too was going to go down it also.  Things like this are all new experiences for me as a mom.  I am more daring to try new things now since I feel more physically able and I know I will fit.
87. FILLS: I have only had two fills since my surgery.  I want to work the program as much as I can on my own.  Typically people get fills every 4-5 weeks.  I had one December 7th and then again on June 16th. 
88. BUSY LIFE: As a mom of three kids who works full time I am very busy.  My husband works second shift so many of the sports and school events fall on my shoulders so I am always on the go.  I try not to use this as an excuse to not exercise but it does make it hard to get to the gym.  I am looking forward to football so I can head back to the gym while Seth is at practice.
89. PEOPLES OPINIONS ABOUT SURGERY:  Most people have totally supported my choice to have this surgery.  I have gotten some negative feedback and a couple of those," you didn't have surgery did you?"  I proudly say yes I did and I am so glad that I did so that I have 1 more tool to fight against  obesity.
90. BMI: Body mass index started at 48 and I am currently at 32.1
91. 5K: I helped organize a 5K this spring to benefit our sports department and McKenna actually jogged/walked it.  We are planning on walking a 5K together soon. 
92. OBSTACLES: In life there are always obstacles.  I have found that I can succeed with any obstacle that comes my way. 
93. PACE: I sometimes have wished that the pace of my weight loss were going faster but I never thought within 9 months I would hit my 100 loss mark.  I was hoping for by my 1 year anniversary on October 19th.
94. DAD: I will say that my dad took the idea of me doing the surgery far better than I expected.  I am so thankful for his love, support and encouragement during this time. 
95. FRIENDS: I have some of the best friends around.  I am a very open person and I am always so proud of my milestones and I often text them immediately with the good news.  It was really hard to not text people today at 4:20 am when I got on the scale!
96. DR. ROHRSCHEIB:  I am so thankful for a great doctor who has performed my lap band and seen me through this journey.
97. DR. WALKER: The first time I meet my new primary and told him I needed his help to make a change in my health so that I could see my kids grow up he asked me what I thought about Lap Band.  Gutsy move but I am so glad he took the risk.  Best thing that could have happened to me.
98. SUPPORT:  Without the support of my family, friends and medical personnel I don't think I would have ever dreamt I would be writing this. 
99. "BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.TRUST THE PROCESS. CHANGE FOREVER!"  This is one of my favorite quotes along my journey.
100. PHILIPPIANS  4:13: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength"

I look forward to continuing to share  my journey with you.  My next goal that I would like to meet is to become ONEderful.  I am looking forward to weighing 199.  So I guess I better get working on my next goal.  Thanks again for all of your love, support, prayers and dedication to my journey! 

Love, Jane