28 Weeks

Since surgery - down 97.6
Since 2 Weeks pre-op - down 106.4
Total - down 157.4

WOW - I never thought I would say that - I never thought I would be here, especially after only 28 weeks. But here I am - loving every minute of it.

I must confess that I absolutely ADORE the animated Christmas specials every year - and if it is at all possible - I WILL watch each and every one of them. One of my favorites, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Down" (1970 - Fred Astaire as the voice of the narrator, and Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle) - has a song in it that I have always loved, "Put One Foot in Front of the Other." Basically, it talks about how you can't go anywhere until you put one foot in front of the other and take the first step.

This year, that show, and especially that song will mean more to me than ever. This journey has been made up of little steps, but when they are added together - LOOK HOW FAR I'VE COME!!! And the first step is by far the most important. It is that first step that makes the difference - that determines the path the journey will take. Without that first step, I would weigh nearly 160 pounds more than I do right now - and be miserable.

I frequently go to www.obesityhelp.com and look at the before and after pictures. And no matter how much weight a person needed to lose, there is one very common denominator in those pictures. The "before" pictures all look so unhappy - with themselves and with everyone else. But the "after" pictures show genuine smiles - not just with the mouth - but with the eyes. I'm happy - I'm doing this.

A friend commented the other day that she noticed how happy I seem now, especially compared with before. You know what - she's right.