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I forgot to do a blog last month. Oops. I find I frequent the WLS and Sleeve groups on facebook much more frequently than here. And of course MFP. Libb3C there if you would like to add me! I have logged for like 745 days? SW 242 Height 4'11'' 6 month Pre-op loss (-28.6) Surgery date 8/8/11 213.4 1 month - 194.2 (- 19.2) 2 months - 180 (- 14.2) 3 months - 170.2 (- 9.8) 4 months - 164.4 (- 5.8) 5 months - 167.2 (+ 2.8) 6 months - 162.4 (-4.8) 7 months - 155.4 (-7) 8 months - 149.6 (-5.8) 9 months - 143.4 (-6.2) 10 months - 139 (-4.4) 11 months - 132.6 (-6.4) 12 months - 126.8 (-5.8) 13 months - 121.4 (-5.4) Made goal! Normal BMI! 14 months - 118 (-3.4) 15 months - 116.2 (-1.8) 16 months - 114.8 (-1.4) 17 months - 112.6 (-2.2) 18 months - 114.6 (+2) 19 months - 109 (-5.6) 20 months - 108 (-1) 21 months - 107.2 (-.8) 22 months - 107.4 (+.2) **Please note: my normal BMI range is 99-124 at 4'11''**

I have struggled all my life with my weight. I was the chubby kid, the porkly pre-teen, the fat teenager and now I am a morbidly obese adult. Yikes that was a very strong sentence. Yes I had 3 yrs of my early adult life that I was just chubby which is only because I am short (5'3) and was actually happy with my weight and would enjoy shopping and looking nice but it was a short lived 3 yrs. I fell down a hill one evening and tore my ACL in my knee and had to have surgery. I ended up being in a cast from my hip to my ankle for 9 weeks. I wasn't able to do anything and started gaining weight. I went from 140 to 180 by the time the 9 weeks ended and felt sick. I had bills that had piled up due to not being able to work and got extremely stressed out with that. And by the time it was over I had to quit my current job because I couldn't stand for more then 30 mins at a time and get a desk job. You can only imagine what occured after that. My butt widened and my jean size kept going up. During this time I also met the man of my dreams and was happy, he moved in with me after 6months and we got engaged after 9months. I was too embarassed to work out in front of him and started going out all the time eating at fancy restaurants and seeing movies. He wasn't an active person never worked out and ate what ever he wanted, he was also 6'3 so he hid his weight well. Unfortunately his mother was a great baker too and made awesome desserts that melted in my mouth way too easily. By the time we got married 3 yrs later I was up to 230 and getting married in a size 22 dress. In the years following we started a family and had two beautiful girls. Of course through each pregnancy I held onto at least 20 lbs of my pregnancy weight. I had bad post-pardon depression after my second daughter and started eating late at night eating my way to 320 lbs ! I have attempted pretty much every diet known to man and some I succeeded with and some I didn't. I have spent tons of money on food delivery services and programs. Now age 34 I have decided to take the plunge and have Weight Loss Surgery- Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. I have been working really hard the past 6 months to re-program my thoughts and feel I am prepared for this. I started the actual journey on 12/10/2012 at 318 pounds. I have lost 18 as of today. I have been taking it slowly only because I have arthritis in my feet and my knee can't handle this weight and now my hip pops in and out of place at least once a week now. My surgery is on July 22nd and I am beyond excited , nervous and anxious. I am ready to become that healthy and happy woman, mother and wife that my family and I deserve to experience. I want to be a good role model to my kids and reverse the damage I have already caused with them. I want to teach them good food choices and be active with them so we can enjoy our lives!!!

I've just had my one year post op check up appointment this morning and I feel very positive after receiving wonderful feedback from my provider. Although my losses have slowed dramatically these last two months, Adam told me that I am 100% successful and ahead of the curve in terms of my success with the surgery. My husband and I have really been focusing on getting more activity and my daily calories are in the range of 800-1200 a day - with protein first as always. I met with a trainer last week who has set up a program of simple strength training and cardio to help me get to my goal, which is a healthy BMI <25 - at 5'3" that is 140. Hubby, who also had a VSG two weeks prior to my own, is essentially at goal and is focused on building muscle. I am statistically right where Adam projected me to be (175) though the number has been back and forth between 175- 178 these past weeks. Just about all of my co-morbidities are resolved - though osteo-arthritis does not have a resolution but rather is managed, my pain and mobility is astronomically better than it used to be. Adam said that even if I do not lose another pound I am absolutely healthy - and that I have completely turned my health around from what it was 3 years ago. It feels great to know that I have made such great strides - finally, I am getting this monster under control. I showed him the alternate height/weight chart that factors in age and he said that absolutely as we get older it is fine if those numbers are a bit higher - it is still considered healthy. I have a tendency to rip myself to shreds and to look upon myself as a failure, a history of depression, anxiety, and disordered thinking can tend to do that and I had started to do the same thing with my weight loss progress, beating myself up mentally because I had not yet achieved my ultimate goal - feeling like a failure and forgetting to celebrate the magnificent successes I have achieved. Feeling down because of all of the excess skin, the terrible toll so many years of carrying so many excess lbs. does to one's body - feeling guilt that I had done this to myself, defeated. Feeling that I would never have ultimate success - it was a bit of a reboot to know that I am already a success in the eyes of this medical practitioner who was with me every step of the way with my surgery, the hematocrit levels that dropped to 19, the internal bleeding that followed, the multiple blood transfusions, the incisions that opened up at home when they finally let me return home from the hospital after a week - and sent me back to the ER. I was miserable for about 8 weeks after my surgery - it certainly took me a bit to recover. I feel wonderful now, and am close to goal. I need to cherish the journey and recognize the incredible positive changes that my family and I have made over the past few years. It certainly takes a bit of practice to treat oneself well - just like this ongoing physical metamorphosis, it is a process, and there is no finish line. I will get to that goal eventually

Don't be too hard on yourself. The key here is, that you're right back on track today. This is how it's going to be through the rest of your life; allowing yourself a little something off plan on occasion, but then hopping right back on track. I was banded on 3/25/13, and decided that the Memorial Day BBQ I went to, would be the day I allowed myself some wine. I hadn't had anything to drink three months prior, and thought one glass would be all I could tolerate. Not! I think that I drank damn near an entire bottle! I tolerated it fine, but didn't feel very well for a couple of days. Not sick; just off a shade or two. I'd like to say "lesson learned", but I'm sure I'll have a day like that again. Felt NO pain & had a great time!!

I am in the green now. I know it because i telly do not get gummy hungery. I do get physical hunger when i do not feell well and my body is telling me look you used your fuel now you need to fuel me so we can keep going. This happens alot in the gym i try and make sure i have something every 3 hours if it even just a protine shake with water. I always keep 2 or 3 packs of necter protein in my puurs then all i need is my blender cup i always keep one in my puruse and water and i am good to go. but just because i do not get growl hunger dose not mean i do not have head hunger. So how do i deal with it and how do i tell the diference. Well am i hungery enough to eat a plate of steamed veggies. For me thats not something to i would never eat but it not something that would be a first choice . If the answer is yes then it okay for me to eat again If now I then go though my cheek list Laura mental cheek list for head hunger 1. cheek make sure it head hunger 2. Once we made sure it head huger ask why do i want to eat what is the trigger. - am i sad -- how can i make my self happy with out food - am i bord - what can i do to make my self less bord `` am i upset - how else can i blow off steam that dose not enovlove 3. It a relly bad bad craving i must have it I use the tick on a scale of 1 to 10 were is it. If it under a seven i go back to my cheek list and try to find the trigger and the non food answer. Some time i have to do this 3 or 4 times till i get my aswer this is enough time to drink water so i have 30 min to figger it out The craving is over 7 well then I say okay You know what it okay it not an every day Evey moment thing. what do i rely want. I take my faviort sin cup cake. Do i relly want a whole cup cake or do i just want part ie frosting or cake. Can i get the same thing for smaller amounts If i eat a minnie cupcake vris a large cupcake. I want a sunday okay that fine how can i get my Sunday for less can i use suger free ice cream 1//2 fuirt fat free cool wip 2 table spon of sugar free syrup. I still have my Sunday i still have my tast I also write down the question and aswer make sure to goo back and look at them when your not craving so you can at the moment help your self know what to do. It took me a long time to get these tool so i thought i share

You are doing great. I love before and after pics...so inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

Surgeries going wrong/bad has been a topic lately. This can happen with any kind of procedures done by the top doctors and hospitals. About 3-4 years ago my dermatologist didn't like a small mole I had. I went to a top Boston hospital to have it removed. Because it was under the belly fat they had to tape my fat belly. I don't do well with tape and got tape burns, aloe took care of that. The mole was removed and I got an infection from the incision. The infection turned into MRSA (I hope I spelled it right). It took 3-4 different antibiotics until the right one was found to get me healed. I was at the hospital every 2-3 days to have them look at it. My husband had to clean it for me 2-3 times a day with saline and medicines. That was suppose to be a no brainer removal. So you just never know. I have had zero problems with the BAND!! Everyone is different. Please stop knocking the Band, I love it, it helps me be under control of my intakes etc. Yesterday I had a stuck moment, it sucks when that happens. I walked and then burped and was fine. My fault, not the band, it just reminds me to be more perfect. No one is perfect. Enjoy your weekend everyone. Stay dry-Boston is heavy rain for the next 24 hours. Arlene aka Eye Candy

I having been looking for alternatives for things I love that will be healthier and here are somethings I have found: Spagetti Squash instead of pasta. You can cook it in the mircowave and then stread with a fork and you have pasta, with LESS carbs. Plus it's really tasty. Couscous instead of rice. I do eat brown rice sometimes, but I get tired of it. Some times I want something that taste good and decatant, but won't kill the "diet". If you use a little olive oil in a sauce pan, heat it up add a chopped onion and 3-4 garlic cloves. Cook until the onions are done, add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Once it is boling take it off the heat add one cup of coucous and let it sit. Once it as sat about 4 min, take a fork and fluff- add a little parm cheese for a little extra something. While couscous does have carbs it also had more protein and fiber. If you get stuck on rice, you likely won't get stuck on this because the grains are so fine. Veggie chip instead of potato chips. I make my own chips. I purchased a Pampered Chef chip maker. I use zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato, apples to make my own chips. Plus I can season like I want using less salt. You can make a bunch and put in plastic bags and save for later. Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in recipes. There is a slight difference, but you like will not notice. I use the 0% Fage. Bullion instead of oil in veggies. If you are from the south, your mama likely put a little grease in her veggies (like steamed cabbage or string beans). To perk of the flavor just add a teaspoon of beef bullion to veggies. This will give you flavor and all the salt you'll want. Fruit parfait rather than a sundae. When I want a dessert type food this is my go to. Cut up one large strawberry in the bottom of a bowl top with a Table spoon of Fage 0% greek yogurt, put a few blue berries on top. Sprinkle a teaspoon or organic granola or flax seed on top. Another good treat is to cut a fresh peach in half, place on a hot grill and flip about 2 min later cook 2 more min, remove top with a small spoon of greek yogurt- this is really yummy. These are just a few I have found- what healthy swaps have you found?

I shop at Value Village every few weeks as I move between sizes. I have probably donated 20 bags of clothes in the past 10 months and bought 15 bags! Overall, a net drop (got rid of years of "fat" sizes I'd been saving). It's crazy how much room I have in my closet now! I can actually see each shirt, pair of pants, etc.! And I'm ready to wear most of them now! I buy some that are a bit small (some deals just can't be passed up!), knowing they will fit in a couple of weeks. Other "favourites" get to be too loose or tent-like fairly quickly, and off they go to the donation pile! I am much better dressed now, and spending 10% of what I used to! I could only shop in 1 store (Penningtons) as I was too big for the other "plus" size stores we have here in Canada (Additionelle, Laura Plus, etc.). I HATED having only 1 store to choose from.......if they didn't have something I like, and in my size (4-5 x or 26-28), I was stuck wearing the 2-3 shirts and pants I had. Terrible! Now I have about 10 dress shirts, 6-7 pairs of really nice dress pants, some jeans, T-shirts, sweaters, etc. All from nice top quality brand names, and they all fit! I'm about a size 16 now, in most things. I depends on the style and brand. And I usually pay about $6-7 per item.........and often they are brand new with tags on still! I LOVE shopping now.