So, 2017 was a year that took strength and perseverance to get through. I had a few “life altering” changes that I had to keep plugging through to make it! I even got a tattoo (my first) on my wrist this year to remind me of the strength it took to get through and to know the strength I have will always get me through.

The first big thing was losing Poco. That was a rough! When you have a friend/companion/pet for 20+ years you do not realize the fixture they become, even in the most mundane everyday things. I still don’t talk a lot about losing him, because it is still a very emotional thing for me. But I do know I was very blessed to have him for so many years.

I also had weight loss surgery in December. It was an opportunity that almost fell in my lap and I feel like I walked into it without much hesitation, over-thinking, etc. Which is very much unlike me! You know I am more of the person that thinks about things even from the most bizarre angles that you know are not really even possible, but you still go there… just in case! I remember when I was less than two weeks out I thought to myself “did you really do this?!? But what if…” and I shut that down right there because it was too late to what-if. I am glad I did not over think things in this instance because I very easily could have talked myself out of it 100+ different ways! Would it hurt (because I am a weenie at the thought of pain. I mean when it comes to pain I seem to do fine, but the thought of it I can’t take)? How will I recover? What issues will I have and so on…

When I met with my doctor I was not 100% sure I would have surgery. He went through the normal health questions to see if I “qualified” and to assess what type of candidate that I would be. Do you have high blood pressure… nope. Do you have sleep apnea… nope. Do you have… nope, nope, nope, nope. I told him, I’m healthy, just fat. And he retorted with “you’re not fat, you have a weight problem.” I told him I had dieted in the past and been successful but there was a number I just could not get past. He said “97% of people with a BMI of 35 or higher that is ever successful at get a significant amount of weight off, put all of it back on plus some.” He went on to tell me it is because of your biological makeup that your body desperately tries to get back to this spot. Your body thinks it needs to be here to survive. He said the surgery resets your biological makeup and changes things for you. It was in the moment that I decided I was having surgery. And I never looked back or questioned anything from that point.

I knew to start off successful and stay successful through this journey I would need to change my habits. So, I walked into this eating very healthy. I know I get “this many bites” in a meal. I want them to be as healthy and nourishing to my body as possible. I have at times eaten things I “shouldn’t” (at least shouldn’t in my eyes), but I would say 95% of time I try to eat fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins. And when I decide to eat “crap” sometimes my body gives me a big FU. So, it makes decision making time a lot easier lol. I just hit my 5-month anniversary and I am down just shy of 80lbs since surgery. I am so glad I made this decision to get healthier and improve my life. I know some people say “this is the easy way out” or whatever negativity they decide to spew about this choice. But it’s just that, my choice. This is my journey. It’s my path to follow. I know the countless things I have done to lose weight and try to get healthy. I know what a struggle it was for myself. And I also know that the women in my family have/had the same struggle with many resulting in health issues. So, I decided to take control of things now and make a decision that would hopefully improve my healthy and life for years to come.

So here is to a year of change from 2017 and a year of continually improving (I hope) for 2018. I hope this will encourage anyone reading it to make a change in 2018 for the better. Sometimes it takes a moment of courage to provide a lifetime of success!