New Year, New Me!

Tracy 2.0!

Where do I begin? That was me on the left in 2017 - obese, pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, suffering with gastritis, diverticulitis, asthma, allergies, gout and in a miserable, toxic, one-sided marriage (I'm pretty sure the girl on the left ate the girl on the right, lol). I always say, be kind always as you never know what someone is going through or why someone eats to the point of becoming obese. Food gave me comfort and distraction from what was really going on in my life.

---> Fast forward to 2020 where I was finally FREE and I decided to put myself first and take control of my life. I (still) have a great job, I own a brand new home, have an amazing, loving, loyal boyfriend for 3.5 years, I've made new friends (and thankful to have some loyal ones that never wavered), I have the best parents and daughter anyone could ever ask for and I have honestly never been happier in my life.

After much research and witnessing several friends have successful weight loss surgeries, I decided that the sleeve (gastrectomy) was the best option for me. The sleeve is where they cut 80% of your stomach out and you are left with a small "pouch" that resembles a sleeve (nope, it's not something that looks like a sleeve that goes over your stomach). It was literally the best decision I ever made for myself. I truly believe it saved my life.

It was a long process. I had a consult with a bariatric surgeon back in October of 2019 but found out soon after that even though he was in-network for my insurance, the hospital that he operated out of was not. So I found another surgeon and I met with him in early March 2020 (pre-pandemic) and started the process all over again. It can take anywhere from 6 months to a year (depending on your insurance, your doctor and your motivation to get your checklist done).

It started with the initial visit with the surgeon, followed by 3 (virtual) nutrition classes with a registered dietician in April, May and June of 2020 (they have to be a month apart), bloodwork, psych evaluation, pulmonary clearance, cardiology clearance (with an EKG and stress test), gastro clearance (with an endoscope and upper GI), your family physician’s approval as well as having participated in a weight loss program (I joined WW in February of 2020 and lost 17 lbs.). Then it can finally be submitted to your insurance for approval. Once it has been approved, you have your final appointment with the surgeon (6+ months later) to schedule your surgery and you cannot gain any weight from your initial visit. Two weeks prior to surgery, you start a liquid pre-op diet consisting of protein shakes, skim milk, chicken broth, sugar-free JELL-O, sugar-free popsicles, and Gatorade Zero (I lost 14 lbs. during the pre-op diet). Then you have MORE blood work, and finally a (horrible and traumatizing) COVID 19 test where I'm pretty sure they poked a hole through my brain, thanks to a global pandemic!

I didn’t post anything about my surgery until the day of because I did not want any judgement, opinions or horror stories. I have struggled with my weight most of my adult life. I’ve tried every weight loss program under the sun and unfortunately nothing worked for me long-term. I wasn't going to let anyone talk me out of this life-changing decision. It's not the easy way out. It's hard work actually.

I just had my one-year post-op appointment in November of 2021 and my doctor told me that I was 95% overweight at my initial visit and that I had lost 70% of my excess body fat (he said he wished all of his patients had those stats). My BMI is currently 28.2! My doctor said my goal weight should be somewhere between 145 and 150 but my personal goal is to be 130 lbs. I haven't been my current weight since I was in my early 20's!

My stats (the proof is in the fat-free, sugar-free pudding):

• Heaviest Weight: 242 lbs.

• Surgery Weight: 212 lbs. (I was required to lose weight prior to surgery combined with the mandatory pre-op liquid diet)

• Current Weight: 153.8 lbs. (BMI 28.2)

• Goal Weight: 130 lbs.

• Total Weight Loss: -88.2 lbs. in 14 months!

I feel so much younger, no more body aches or swollen ankles, I'm off all of my meds (except asthma - but I'm working on that, too), my bloodwork improved considerably, my self-confidence is back, I can walk 5 miles or up 2 flights of stairs ten times a day with no issues, I love buying clothes and getting dressed to go out, I feel like I am aging backwards - and the list goes on and on.

I'm still cooking, baking, decorating, enjoying photography and now blogging. I am still able to enjoy all the foods I love but in much smaller quantities. I also changed my entire mindset around food. I used to live to eat, now I eat to live. Protein, protein, protein - eggs, chicken, shrimp, cottage cheese, salad, fish, scallops, crab, vegetables and a very small amount of carbs (and occasionally a treat like Ben & Jerry's Netflix and Chilll'd ice cream or a ricotta cannoli, I mean come on, I'm human, lol).

I'm proud of myself. I worked hard for this and I'm happy to say I found myself again and I'm finally living my best life, Tracy 2.0!

"Nobody watches you harder than the people that can't stand you. So dear haters, I have so much more for you to be mad at, just be patient!"