I've been living on these Optifast protein shakes for 4 days now and I love them. It is like having desert 5 times a day and I have not been hungry...yet.

Better yet, I have dropped 5 pounds in the past 3 days.

I'm down 81 pounds since I started and I am showing no signs of slowing down. I'm feeling better than I have in years and should be close to 100 pounds down by surgery.

I finished cardiac rehab yesterday. I started on October 12th weighing 346 pounds with a body fat percentage over 61%. My final weight was 285 with a body fat percentage of 46%.

I haven't been approved by insurance yet but have a surgery date. If they deny me, I won't mind but I'd like to get this over with before I slip and start gaining the weight back as I have in the past. I can put wight on in record time. It only takes a diet of pizza and Guinness.

The first picture is 2 years old and the second taken yesterday. It is starting to show a little. For instance, that is the same shirt and there is no more fear of popping a button and putting someone's eye out. Also, I don't have to wedge myself into the chair.

PS. My secret is out, my profile pic is 10 years old :frown:

PPS. I am tilting my head in the second pic to try and assimilate the same position as the first. It is not because my brain is so big and heavy as many of you would assume.

There's a huge difference between the two pix! Wow! Its great that you have come this far on your own!

PS Great idea on the profile picture...I may do the same if you dont mind your idea stolen!!

Hey! But what happened to all your hamsters???

The head honchos were coming down from Boston and my management took it upon themselves to put all of my toys in my drawers while I was on vacation because they weren't professional. :frown:

There were a couple of 2 foot Sponge Bob pillows on my desk too .

Here's my cube in Boston where said head honchos' offices were a couple hundred yards away:

Picture is 2004ish as I started putting weight back on from last big loss.

Yes I can see a big difference in the two pictures. You look 10 years younger in the 2nd one! Quite a feat doing this presurgery, you're going to be really successful with the band!

AWESOME job!!! Yeah my first question was where did all your friends go..then I read the threads!! What a shame!! I have about 50-60 pictures up in my cube...wherever there is metal and a magnet can stick..there is a picture...my management thought it was great..especially whey I said that I am hear 10-12 hours a day so I needed to bring my family with me. Of course all of these pictures are not family style portraits..I have a 2 yr old...anyway. What an awesome job on your weight loss and even if you can't tell..we all can!! You are also a huge motivator with your entries and blogs!