LauraJo98

I'm Laura Jo and I live in Anchorage, Alaska (since 1987). I was ALWAYS a big girl, but on December 10, 2007 I went through WLS, with a starting weight of 268 (height 5'8"). Two years later, I am ALMOST at my goal weight of 145. I hit bottom at 157 (although, I saw 154 for 2 days). The weight jumped up to 163 this past month. Scared to death (serious fear here) of it climbing any higher, I have the determination to take it back to the 155-157 and THEN go for the ultimate goal of 145. I want the 155 as my max and the 145 as the minimum. In my photo, green dress, I am 154. The 145 may be too thin? I won't know until I get there. I have to try.

I LOVE cooking and trying new recipes. I'm a frugal gourmet cook. I shop sales (grocery store coupon queen here). I try my best to make affordable, very healthy meals, using the featured sales. It's quite entertaining, and amusing. I'll most likely use only Weight Watcher's recipes on this last push to 145, as my daughter is following their program.

I'm a single gal, have a terrific guy-friend that I just adore ta bits, and I have one of my adult children living at home with me (she is trying to drop 40#).

I have a great job, and live a relatively stress free happy life, no drama, but I do often get stressed with the new workload imposed on me (us) since layoffs started happening this past year. The stress sometimes causes me to seek sugary sweets to calm me down. I'm learning to seek exercise when that happens.

I promise myself that I will continue building a stronger and healthier new me. I promise I will one day wear a bathing suit, in public... and I will not hide behind something when the cameras come out.

I hope I can dispell some of the myths people have about WLS.