Q: How much weight have you lost?

A: As of January, 2010 I have lost 120lbs. I have been holding steady around this weight loss number and believe I am where I will be for a while. I do intend to gain back a little in the form of muscle.

Q: Where and when did you have your surgery?

A:I had my surgery in Langhorne, PA with Dr. Brian Boe of Barix Clinics of Pennsylvania. My date of surgery was December 17, 2009. I was one of three patients that morning to have the procedure. I was the last of the group. I had to stop eating at midnight the night before.

Q: What was your last meal before surgery?

A: I had hibachi grill from a local restaurant. I ate everything on my plate.

Q: What was your first meal after surgery?

A:They tried to force us to get liquids down, but I was so uncomfortable. I tried tea, Popsicles, and jello. Nothing but a few bites. I don’t know what was what because I was on heavy painkillers.

Q: Do you have before and after pictures?

A:I do! I posted my losing pictures on Facebook for my friends, but I recently shared a couple in a blog post.

Q: Why share your story in the public?

A: I have always tried to be as transparent as possible to a point with my entire life. I do keep a line when it comes to family and love matters, but most the rest of my life is open. It would be hard to keep a secret of my weight loss journey from those in my life because it is such an important part of it. I never had a problem with weight growing up and only gained the weight after getting injured in the Army. I am a disabled American Veteran and my injuries are with me for a lifetime. I was not having success with diet alone and exercising with my limitations was not effective. So I made the decision to make a permanent life change. I am very happy with the results.

Q: Do you plan on losing any more weight?

A: I am at a very healthy weight right now and I am currently a size 4/6. Around the same size I was in high school and the Army. I made a pact with my boyfriend that I will never weigh more than 150lbs again, unless pregnant. I feel that a weight range of 135-150 is a good one to be in and I can be happy if I fluctuate between these or if I stay the same. I am not planning on losing anymore weight, but if it happens, and is within that range I will be OK. If I drop below 130, I might have to work with a nutritionist and trainer to gain weight. Currently I could stand to gain lean muscle.

Q: What is a typical day of eating like? How much can you eat?

A: I usually eat 6-8 times a day as small meals. On bigger meals like dinner, I try to eat dinner twice eating with everyone and then again about an hour or so later. My new stomach is only about the size of an egg (3 oz.) So its best to eat slow and chew very, very well. If I eat too fast I feel it and its uncomfortable.

In the morning I drink a coffee, half non fat milk – half coffee, a splash of a flavored creamer and sometimes a packet of Truvia. If I go to Starbucks I order a tall or Grande Skinny Caramel Latte.

Mid-morning I have a snack, fruits or veggies mainly. Today its large red seedless grapes. My afternoon snack will be celery and Simply Jif Peanut butter.

For lunch, I like to have a small salad with chicken or steak as my meat. When I can’t do that, I usually do a flat bread sandwich. Meat, cheese, vinegar or light Miracle Whip, lettuce and onions. Sometimes a tomato. Occasionally, if I have some lower fat chips around, I will put them on my sandwich.

Q: What kinds of food/drinks do you avoid?

A: Now with all that being said about what I do eat, I will have a sweet treat every now and then, I try to limit my sugar intake, so no more than a fun sized piece of candy or cake. Usually 2-3 small bites is my limit.

When I first had the surgery I could have no more than 2 grams of sugar per serving and 11 grams of fat. Now I still keep under that fat limit, but I limit myself to 4 grams of sugar per serving. I avoid High Fructose Corn syrup products in their entirety. I also avoid sodas and sugary drinks. G2 is a good alternative if you like energy drinks. I either drink it real slow and/or water it down even more. I will sip an occasional soda at an event limiting myself to one drink to last the evening.

I’ve been able to start adding alcohol back in after 6 months, but I don’t really feel a desire to drink. Sparkling white wines seem to be the best for me to tolerate. Second to that is a Tequila Sunrise, only a splash of grenadine.

Q: Would you recommend the surgery to others?

A: Yes, of course and I have. It was worth the pain and troubles to get compliments like I have lately. This morning another woman asked me if I am a model. Compliments like that reassure me I did the right thing to get back to the real me physically. The body I have now only enhanced the confidence I had before.

Q:What are the side effects of surgery? Is it reversible?

A: Well for me there is something called dumping syndrome. I won’t explain that here, you will have to look it up. In the beginning I had it a few times, but you LEARN about it quickly and learn it well enough not to go through it again. It is a learning curve in the beginning. I am also more gassy after some foods and without a gas remedy handy I have been known to let one slip in public. Yes, I try not to fart, but ladies it happens. My boyfriend probably will never get use to it, its probably one thing he could do without.

Q: Do you have any good recipes?

A: I do, I think I will be adding a recipes section to my website. Check back for more

Q: What has been the hardest thing about your weight loss journey post-surgery?

A: Clothes spending. Being able to afford to keep up with the changes. Now that it is Fall/Winter and I am back to work I realize I didn’t have any clothes for these occasions that fit. I am now playing severe catch up to have clothes and winter gear.

Second to that, was the beginning and the structured eating program to go from liquids to pureed foods, to soft, to normal. I could have gone slower. I forced myself to get back to eating, but it hurt and I was stubborn. Sometimes I find comfort in eating soft and pureed foods. I want to give my GI tract a break from working so hard.

Q: How do you eat when you go out to a restaurant?

A: Usually I order something small off the kids menu, if they have anything healthy. A cup of soup or small salad works. But inevitably even with all that I will still have leftovers. So sometimes I just eat off my boyfriend’s plate and share an appetizer with him.

Q: When traveling or taking long trips, how do you prepare to eat what you need?

A: I prep for my flights. Its important.

As a former U.S. Army soldier and once girl scout when I fly I am always prepared. From my neck pillow to a big bag of food supplies I have to make sure my trips are comfortable. I have to eat every two hours so I need to have something healthy and available. I mainly focus on fresh foods or foods that travel well and are low in fat and sugar.   An example of what I pack:

• • Truvia or Splenda packets, various flavored tea bags or Starbucks VIA ( You can always get hot water on the plane, you can’t always get the tea and sugar you want). A great alternative to the mostly sugared drinks offered on planes and you can’t always find good alternative drink choices at Hudson News.
  • Mini bags of pretzels or 100 calorie packs. Not always sugar free, but low enough its not too much if you stick to one.
  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches… old staple, but made with Simply Jif and Smuckers Sugar Free varieties.
  • Fresh bananas and/or cut up fruit. On a recent trip from California, we cut up some mangos and some blackberries and put them in the lunch storage containers to snack on the plane. Foods you can eat with your fingers is essential
  • Don’t forget travel size wet napkins. You can find many travel sized essentials in the $0.99 bin at most drugstores.
  • Tip: Not every airline has plastic utensils available or a microwave, so call in advance. Virgin America does not microwave or have a microwave on board.
  • Let your flight attendants know if you have any dietary concerns or special needs. If they can help, they are happy to do so.

Q: What is your biggest tip you can share about how to eat after surgery?

A: Follow the nutritionist and doctors orders. Don’t push yourself if you are not ready to move on to the next step of eating. Its a new life and a new process. Learn it, live it.

This is me now. My most recent headshot.

I’ve lost an Oompah Loompah. If they were about 100lbs or so, which I am guessing they could be with all the chocolate / cocoa beans they can eat now working for Willy Wonka. In December 2009, I had a Gastric By-Pass. I chose to have the surgery to get my life back and remember the girl I was in the Army and who was very active and healthy. Its now almost a year later and I could say that October 2010 was the month I reached my goal.

Just letting everyone know this blog will be active again very soon. I have been on a hiatus of writing as I have gone through so many life transitions for most of this year.

In addition to the weight loss, I have grown out my hair, changed the style, color, celebrated a year and some change now with the love of my life Joseph Higgs, gone on disability and about to change careers… details coming soon on a future post.

Here I am in early 2009, as I prepped for surgery going to see a nutritionist. I still lived a normal life of activities

If you have connected with me on Facebook you have been able to see the changes virtually all along. I have been posting my progress pictures to an album there. If you are not friends with me there, you have only my flickr to go by and here are some examples from there.

Picture from November 2009, before surgery

Joe and I on my grandmother's porch, October 2010

BTW, Doesn’t JOE look HOT himself. I think he has been getting cuter as I get thinner!

I post now, because I have been re-engaged with the speaking circuit and my Fall and Winter calendar has been exploding (my events page will be updated immediately). I have already been to a couple of events in as many weeks and those who haven’t seen me in a while have not even recognized me. I take that as a compliment, believe me.

I also plan to put up a section on this website that answers many of the FAQs of my weightloss and life transformation. I get emails, PMs and DMS, weekly about my success and I am very willing to share my story.

I am very proud to say I am now at the same weight I was when I got out of basic training. Although that was solid muscle. I am looking now to find ways to stay fit and toned throughout Winter, so your advice and tips will be welcomed indeed.

There is a lot more news to celebrate and share to come, but all in due time. I can’t let everyone know everything yet. Don’t want to jinx the good. So stay tuned.

This is a very personal post and because I believe in transparency, I would like to share the following…

I have been anxious to get back to blogging, public speaking, and writing for some time. But as some of you might know if you follow my personal and semi-professional twitter feeds, that I have been dealing with a multitude of personal crisis which have for the moment subsided. This absence is the reason I was unable to attend Gov 2.0 Camp in LA, which I was really looking forward to attending.

In mid-December 2009, I decided to finally put my health first and get a Gastric Bypass (RNY). I have been struggling with weight issues since my honorable discharge from the Army in 1998. I am a disabled American Veteran and I had suffered multiple injuries while in service. As such, these injuries and the medicine to help me cope contributed to a weight gain I was unfamiliar with. I spent 2/3 of my life being mostly underweight. Encouraged by family to eat more — I was never a big eater.

In 2008, I learned I had developed Osteo-Arthritis in both of my knees not only as a result from carrying too much weight, but as a result of how physical I once was before all the injuries. My damage from the injuries were common for a woman who had been a runner/basketball player, as I was both before and after high school. In early 2009, I had learned I had multiple esophageal ulcers, a hernia, and GERD. All of which my doctors attributed to stress. Not to mention adding to the problems of comorbidity. I decided this was my final straw and the weight had to come off.

I started looking into Weight Loss Surgery in 2007. But all the surgeries seemed too severe. I tried again weight watchers and other online monitoring tools. I would lose some, but it always came back. In Spring 2009, I started seeing a professional nutritionist in McLean, whom I have recommended to others. She put me on the right track and got me ready for surgery.

Many of my friends have been asking me questions of my progress and asking for pictures. I promise you that is coming. I am planning a public reveal at the WIRe Conference next week at the Gaylord National on February 24-25. As of this post I am 43lbs lost at day 63 of recovery. I have already been fitting and wearing clothes I bought myself and never had a chance to wear.

In other news, my family has recently gone through a very sad loss. My Aunt Claudia Romeo, who was also my Godmother and very close to my heart passed away on February 7, 2010 after being summoned by the Angels to end her battle with Acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She was a careerist in the Foreign Service of the US State Department. Two weeks before her death, we were told that she would not be with us much longer and so during the first of the two snow storms, we were able to say our last goodbyes and tell her how much we loved her. The service for her memory was held this past Valentine’s Day at our family Church, Oxon Hill Lutheran. So please take a moment to kiss and hug your loved ones. They can never hear this enough.

All in all, you can tell that I have had a trying two months mentally, emotionally, and physically. I have been battling personal depression and weakness when it comes to dealing with my recovery and the loss of someone so close. Luckily, friends and colleagues have been so supportive in this time of confusion for me. I am also lucky that last year I met someone special in my life that finally can be a partner to me rather than just a boyfriend. So Joe Higgs, you have been a rock, a nurse, and a HUGE help when it comes to making life a little easier.

And back to my weight loss adventure and new life, an even MORE public reveal will be this year at SxSW in Austin, TX. I may not be able to indulge in the drinking and the BBQ (maybe just a taste), but I will be able to participate in many sessions and reconnect with the online relationships I have been fostering for years. So if you happen to be in Austin for Geek Spring Break as well, please come find me — I know it might be harder to spot me, since there is less of me to go around

I am now back to work full time (if snow days allow for it) and I am focused on a real busy spring in public appearances, writing, and working with my wonderful customers. So my sincerest apologies, if you have called, emailed or tweeted looking for me in the past two months. I look forward to renewing our connections.