SarahS

Awww, thanks! You just made me cry too with the butterfly refference Butterflies are very special to me. My father passed away 2.5 yrs ago, and there is a special connection between him and butterflies. I actually got a tattoo... I will post that pic of my shrinkin tattoo, LOL!

That just made me get out my "big jeans", and try the same thing And I could do it too!!!! Thanks SO much for sharing!!! You look GREAT!!! Now, I will have to post my pic too, THANKS! I plan on keeping my biggest pair of jeans forever.

Awesome job!!! You are shrinking

Awesome job!!! You have so much more to come!!! You are off to a great start! Every moment like this feels great!!!!

That is so awesome!!!! I can't wait until I get there too!!! I need to get my bike out, I use to love biking! I bet I have lost enough now that I would be comfy on a bike again Again, great job!!!!

I have been canoeing before, years ago, but never have been in a kayak. About 2-3 years ago, my sister and brother each bought a kayak. Over those years, it always depressed me that I could never enjoy it with them.... it looked like so much fun! Well, today, I DID IT!!!!!!!!! I went to the lake down the street from me, and Kayaked with my sister!!!!!! We were on the lake for probably 2 hours. I am SO fair skinned and white right now, I used 110SPF sunscreen, LOL! Anyway, it was so awesome!!!!! I still felt big in the kayak, but I could fit and not sink it!!!! WOOOHOOOO! This is one awesome NSV!!!! I am finally getting my life back! I am down 115 pounds now from my highest, so I can't imagine how it will feel at goal! I leave for Hawaii in like 3 weeks, so I am sure I will have many more fun experiences there! The zip line weight limit is 260 pounds... I am at 253 today..... not sure if I would do it because I am afraid of heights, and kinda too close to the limit, but at least I am under it! Maybe I will jump off this cliff with my brother and sister, who knows! We went around the lake, a few miles, and it was so windy that there were small waves. I got soaked, but thats ok! Oh man, it was a BLAST!!!! I have attached some pictures! In the first one I look like a HUGE dork, LOL. It was when we first got started and I was getting use to it, and it was so windy and making waves I thought I was going to tip or get soaked, LOL! Next time, my sister is going to take me to the river. She said the river is actually easier than what we did on the lake today, but we will see!!!

Haha, guess I should have a life jacket. But I was in a lake, so no rapids or anything.

Thanks everyone!!!! I can't wait to get back out there! And yes, it was a good workout and very peaceful. I need to get a padded seat though, because it hurt my BUTT! For some reason, I have no fat over my tailbone now and it hurt! Also, I found out later that I was actually over the weight limit. My brother said it was 225.. I am about 253-254, but I didn't sink it, LOL!

Too funny!

Where in Ohio are you? I was sleeved Oct 4th, 2010. I am outside of Cincinnati.

I am 6 month post-op today. I was hoping this would be a happy post about an awesome weight loss total, but it's not. I am trying to stay positive, but its so hard. I gained a half pound last week, and this week I will probably gain too. I weigh in the morning. Well, it's 420am right now,but I will weigh when I wake up. I have been exercising (walking), so not sure if that has caused this gain. I have been eating really bad stuff, and that is more likely the cause of the gain. I haven't had a stall once, so maybe thats what this is. I have never even stayed the same weight in a week. I just let myself have a "free" day on Monday's after I weigh, and that was the start of my downfall. Then it would be monday and tuesday, then monday, tuesday and wednesday. I think you get the point. Now I can't get back on track. I try to have healthy foods in the house, but I will eat tons of that too. Even if I eat something healthy like grilled chicken breast and broccoli, about 35-45 mins later I am hungry. Not sure if it's true hunger though, but it sure feels like it. I can't even have protein bars in the house because I will eat 2-3 at a time, and all that protein can't be good for you. I think I am just bored. I work part time as a nanny, so I don't work many hours out of the day. I spend a lot of time in bed. I just feel tired a lot, but probably because I sleep too much. I have had bloodwork and everything is perfect. My Vitamin D was super low, but it has been for years. I am taking a supplement now for that. I need to change these bad habits and I need to fast, or I am going to gain all my weight back So, if anyone has any tips on how to get back on track, please let me know. I am open to most anything Thanks!

Thanks for the great advice. Tiff. I am going to set a menu, I think that will help somewhat. I am currently taking Nexium. I have been on it for years. He took me off it post-op, not sure why, but the reflux was still there, and I have been back on it for months now. I never really counted carbs and was losing before. But, maybe I need to watch them now! At least to get back on track. I checked the Protein Bars, they have 2g of sugar. But what is sugar alcohols? It does say it contains that. But, I am not buying anymore, because I think they only make me hungry. Thanks!!

It DOES Get so much harder the farther out you get! I knew this wouldn't be easy, but damn, its harder than I thought! I am glad I have you as an email buddy! IT does help! I have tried the 5 day pouch test before, but can't get past a day of it. I will try it again, starting tomorrow! I will let you know how it goes!

I know everyone has already said this, but I know I personally love hearing things like this, LOL, but you look so great, happy, and healthy! So awesome that you can hike the Grand Canyon. My brother and sister just got back from there.... wish I could have gone!!! Now go give yourself a big pat on the back :)

I really hope I didn't sounds like a big b#$ch. I had yard sale before my surgery and sold some clothes I didn't want. I was going to price them, but people told me clothes do not sell at garage sales. I made each piece of clothing a dollar each, and sold maybe 12-13 things. I sold way more other stuff. I never even thought of ebay. I guess it seems like too much of a hassle for me, lol, but I am kinda lazy. I hope you can sell them, and good luck!

6 months ago, I was at my highest weight in my life. I couldn't even walk to my mailbox and back without being out of breath. My driveway is only 2 car lenghts long, so that is very sad for a 32 year old woman. I would walk to get the mail, walk back in, and have to lean over the counter to catch my breath. I would take out the trash, and have to rest if I made more than one trip. I could barely make it thru a shower. After I showered, I would lay in bed naked. Once I got a flat tire in my neighborhood, and had to walk like 4-5 houses back to my house, which isn't a far distance. When I got home, I didn't think I could even make it inside. I was sweating and dizzy. I even stopped shopping at the grocery, because it was too hard for me to get in and out of the car and walk thru the store. That's how I got even fatter, just drove thru the drive thru. That was at 369 pounds., Now when I go to the store, I park far away, on purpose! I had a garage sale once, and my sister and I were hanging signs, I had her get out and hang them when I drove, because it was too hard for me to get in and out, I would have gotten too out of breath. I knew at the time it was really bad, but its now that I realize just how bad that was. I am so glad I didn't let it get any further than that. I was 369 pounds and gaining. I haven't exercised much post-op. There was a 2-3 week time frame where I was working out somewhat, but then I got sick and never got back to it. Well, this week I decided I was going to walk, no matter how much I could do. Tuesday I walked 2.5 miles, with both of my boxer dogs. It was kinda tough, but I made it. Thursday, I walked 2.5 miles with just one dog (the other has arthritis pretty bad and I thought it was too much for her). Then, Saturday I walked 4.5 miles!!!!! There are paths all around where I live, thru neighborhoods, around a lake, etc. From my house to the lake it exaclty one mile, and the path around the lake if you go a certain way, is 2.5 miles. So, I walked there, around the lake and back I was so proud of myself. Then, today, I was like, lets top that! I walked to my sisters house and back! I walked past the lake, to her house, hung out with her for a bit, got some Water, and went back home, for a total of 5 miles!!!!! I did take a break in the 5 mile walk, but still, I walked 5 miles, in 1.5 hours!!!!! My average speed was a little over 3mph. I got lost on the way there because I coulnd't find the right trails to follow since I had never walked to her house! It just amazes me. I am so happy too that I can finally do something my dogs love and have missed so much!!!!! I am on cloud 9 right now. I just wish the weighloss would pick up!!! So, I was thinking, if i can already walk this much (I think its a lot, especially compared to what I could do before) at 255 pounds, in another 50 pounds lost, I will be running. I have never even been able to run a mile in my life! I was in soccer, softball, and was a thrower in the track team, but never could run long. So, now I need to pick up the pace somewhat, and maybe jog/walk. We will see!!! Just had to share! It felt awesome!

Awesome job!!!

Not to sound rude, but you are asking pretty much for clothes. I just gave away clothes on here, just had them pay for shipping, and still didn't get tons of interest. I did give them all away though. I would just donate them and just buy cheaper clothing duing your weighloss. I have found jeans for 7 bucks, and only have a few pairs in the size I am in now. Good luck though! I wish I could have sold all mine to buy nice new clothes, and some of the stuff I gave away even had tags on them!

I had no drain. My surgeon does put drains in if needed. He said I had very little bleeding, so I did not need one. I think it would probably be uncomfortable coming out. If you do need a drain (I think you said your surgeon doens't use them), they usually keep them in until you have no more drainage from it. If you continue to have a lot of drainage, it needs to stay in. But it sounds like you won't have one. I don't see how they can tell you for sure you won't have one, but I am not a doctor! The first thing I asked when I woke up was if I had a drain, LOL! I thought for sure I would. But, even if I would have had one, I would do it all over again! Good luck!

Awesome job! I have a little more that you to lose total (204 pounds total), and have lost 114 now, but I am a few months a head of you. You are losing much faster! I know it's not a race, but you are doing awesome!!!! Doesn't it feel so awesome to say you lost 100 pounds??? I loved when I hit that point!

Thanks for posting!!! It is great to hear from people farther out. I hope it is "easy" for me to maintain, but I have a feeling I will really have to work on it. I don't even know how easy it will be for me to get to goal! I hope you post some pics! I love seeing before and after pics!