lkcraig316

The week after Christmas I went into Aerie and bought an adorable pair of boy cut underwear with blue buttons and anchors. It was the first pair of panties that didn't come in a value pack that I have bought since I got pregnant with my first child 23 1/2 years ago. Wahoo!!! I call them my "pretty girl panties."

I am all messed up size-wise too. I could probably wear a 10 or 12 in my butt and legs, but I have to get a 14 or a 16 for my belly and FUPA (HAH! I learned something new!) I'm mostly wearing Large tops, but do sometimes wear an XL if it is fitted around the belly area. I'm down to 157 and thought I'd be in smaller sizes than this. But when I think back to the fact that this time last year I was wearing 26/28 I feel better.

I just did my first day of C25K today! I probably haven't run since I was in my teens. I did OK. My neighborhood is not completely flat so one of the times of running, I slowed to almost a crawl because it was uphill. On the flat I did fine. Now to just motivate myself to do it two more times this week after a day of work. I will be glad when it stays light out longer. I guess that's when a treadmill would come in handy!

Surgery 5/2/2011, lost 84 pounds so far, but I'm not done yet!!!

You look fantastic! It does take a while to get used to your changed/changing body. Sometimes I still feel like they are going to find out I shouldn't be shopping in the "regular" clothes and are going to send me back to plus size. Keep up the good work!!!

My "full" signal used to be a runny nose. Weird, huh? Now I just get the runny nose when I'm eating something really spicy. My signal now is a hiccup. It's usually just one and means STOP. When I get them 10-20 minutes after a meal, I think they are just "normal" hiccups because they keep on for a while.

You should be fine by then. I feel for you. I had ear infections as a child and I have had a few as an adult. One of the most painful things. Get well soon.

I do a Zumba class once a week and have been doing it since I was 4 months out. I have added a Pilates video, which I'm hoping will tone my arms and legs, strengthen my core and improve my balance which changed SO MUCH after all the weight loss. I'm thinking about doing the C25K training and I would love to get back on a bike. However, I have this horrible fear of getting on and immediately tipping over. I will have to get a little more confidence before I give my neighbors a big laugh. Also, I want to roller skate again, but see the bike fear above. Sigh.

Congrats, sexy legs! I think my butt was the first to go. I'm still having trouble losing the belly, so my pants always look baggy around the butt and thighs. I have started Pilates, so I'm hoping to shrink that belly.

7 months out and my tummy is LOUD! I find it is worse when I have just eaten a tiny bit or when I drink something. It doesn't feel bad at all; it's just embarrassing! It will usually last 5 or 10 minutes and then apparently it goes back to sleep.

No complications with the surgery. One major annoyance: I had a horrendous rash all over my body a week after surgery that we have no idea what caused. Oral steroids and a steroid shot and within 3 weeks it had cleared. Minor annoyances: reflux (I now take two omeprazoles per day), loud and embarrassing gurgling when I'm digesting and that's it. Every annoyance I had multiplied 10 times would still not make me regret the surgery. I am a whole new person . . . or a half new person!

I never wanted to go on a cruise before, because I was so uncomfortable and ashamed about my size. Finally this September I agreed to let my husband book one for us and another couple. We went the week of December 5--7 months past surgery. I enjoyed small amounts of the cruise food (making good choices most of the time), partook of the soft serve ice cream (A LOT), but I stayed active. I took two yoga classes, walked on the treadmill, the upper deck track, and did a lot of walking when we debarked at Key West and Nassau. I got home and weighed . . . I HAD LOST 2 POUNDS!!! I was so proud of myself. And I never once felt deprived. We enjoyed the whole experience so much, we're going again in December 2012! Lisa PS Happy New Year to everyone! I don't get on here to post like I used to. I'm so much more active than I ever was before surgery so I'm not attached to my computer all day. LOL. But I do wish all of you SUCCESS and HAPPINESS for 2012!

My goal was to get through the month of December at least maintaining the same weight. I thought I was doing so badly, but I actually have lost 3 pounds. And let me tell you, that included cruise food, bites of chocolate and all kinds of Christmas goodies, and of course large holiday meals (well, as large as my tiny pouch will hold). I have done some exercise this month, which probably saved me from a gain. But I go back to work tomorrow after 10 days off and I have already packed my lunch and snack, so I'm back on the "good girl" train again!!! Glad you enjoyed the holidays.

Thanks for the post! We seem to be on the same trajectory. However, I have only had 2 children so I can't even imagine going through that 11 times! What a strong lady you are!!! I'm 48 and started at 241. I had my surgery in May 2011. I am now 8 months out and weigh 157. My goal is also 140. I'd like to get a little below to give me 3-4 pounds of wiggle room. I also do Zumba every week and it is the most fun exercise I have ever done. When we went on our cruise last month I took yoga and loved it too. I just bought a Pilates DVD and I think that will help with toning and with my balance--which has changed so much with the weight loss. Still have flappy upper arms, belly sagging and that stupid turkey chin. But I have so much energy now and can do things I haven't even thought about for 20 years! My daughter is getting married in July of 2013 and I plan to be wearing a sexy (but age-appropriate!) mother of the bride dress. I have a more recent picture, but for some reason I can't get it to show on my posts. Technologically challenged, I suppose. Lisa Craig

CONGRATS!!!! Your ring is gorgeous. I know you will make a beautiful bride.

By the way, I have tried every sort of way to change my profile pic. It's showing up as the correct picture when I go to Edit My Profile, but on my posts I still have the old picture from September. Any help?

I know sodas are highly discouraged, but I do allow myself one per week. I have made Saturday my day, because that is the day I am most likely to be at a movie or out to eat with friends and family. I look forward to it all week. Sometimes it's worth every sip; sometimes I just have a couple of swigs and I don't want any more. It does occasionally cause some discomfort--not so much in the pouch, but in my reflux. I guess because my body is not used to it like it was pre-surgery. As long as I can handle ONE soda once a week, I'm OK. If I ever start making excuses for more than that, then I will have to cold turkey it again.

I went into a month and a half stall when I was about 3 months out. I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing, but I was so frustrated. One day at work, we were celebrating somebody's birthday with cake and ice cream. I had a scoop of ice cream and later that day a small piece of cake. The next day I had lost 3 pounds and I haven't been back in a stall. I think when I limit my carbs too much my body just stops losing completely. I have to allow myself a little--although usually it is healthier carbs than cake and ice cream. Plus, now I am doing Zumba and working out with weights so I can't get by with too few carbs.

Never had the "buyer's remorse" that I have heard some people talk about. The most negative I ever felt was on my two weeks of thin liquids. And that was only because I wanted something with some flavor. Once I got to have purees, I was happy again. I never had pain and very little nausea . . . usually only when I would introduce certain foods and just the first time I tried them. Even with all the little complaints (some extra hair loss, sagging skin, etc.), I believe this was the best health-related decision I have made in my entire life. Don't let one Debbie Downer scare you off from the surgery.

I used to be the one all red-faced and sweaty in the office when everybody else was wearing jackets and running their heaters. I hated summer because all I did was feel hot and sticky. Haha. Now I'm colder than most of the other people in the office. I've lost 75 pounds so far and and with that every bit of my insulation. This week the temps dropped from 85 on Sunday to the 40s Wednesday as a high. I have never been so miserably cold before. And of course, I had not yet bought a new coat that fits. So that's what I'm doing this weekend! I will say, though, that the hot flashes I thought I had lost forever have started to come back. So every few days I will "flash" and go from freezing to flushing and then in 15 minutes back to freezing again. It's weird. As for the butt issues . . . It has been so long since I have felt my butt bones when I sit and now it is SO uncomfortable. I do have to get up and walk around every hour or so. This past week I went to a conference and had to sit in a folding chair for 2-3 hours at a time and I was sore for three days. Even with all the complaining and discomfort, I WOULDN'T TRADE MY SLEEVE FOR ANYTHING!!!

In five months I have gone from a 42 C to a 36 C. My boobs look bigger to me, though, because now they stick out farther than my belly! I do have to add a LOT of support because they are very saggy now.

My daughter put this together for me because I had not seen pictures of myself side by side showing the changes. Hope I can upload it correctly. 5 Months Post-Op

I am a little over 5 months out from my VSG and I am thrilled with the results. However, I am having crazy issues with my blood pressure. Before the surgery I was averaging 130/80 taking lisinipril and metoprolol daily. Around the third month post-op, I started feeling extremely sluggish and would come home from work and go straight to bed. I never said anything to anybody because I thought I was being a wimp and I should keep feeling better everyday and not feeling worse. Eventually, I decided to check my blood pressure and it was 90/60. My PCP had me try different combos of my meds to see what worked. When I went off the metoprolol, but took the lisinipril my diastolic reading stayed way too low, plus I started having heart flutters again without the metoprolol. When I stopped the lisinipril and went back on the metoprolol only I had great success. For months 3 and 4 my blood pressure hovered between 100-110 over 60-70. I was happy and I felt 100% better. Two Saturdays I woke up and felt very dizzy. I have been having bad sinus headaches and pressure for a couple of weeks so at first I thought it was that. But then I decided to take my pressure just to make sure. It was 199/113. I about freaked out! I watched it over the weekend and it didn't improve. Last Monday I went back to my PCP and he treated my sinus infection and said to hold off on changing my meds because it could just be the result of me being sick and having taken some Sudafed. Well, it's been a full week, my sinus infection is MUCH better and I'm overall feeling better, but my blood pressure is staying between 170-190 over 90-100. I go back to my PCP tomorrow morning and I don't know what he's going to do. I am so disappointed because I am exercising, losing weight, eating healthy, and I don't know what else to do. I thought I would be taking less medicine, not adding new ones. Anybody else having any problems like this?

That is so FANTASTIC! My daughter has taken my pictures, but unfortunately, they are still on her camera. I need to get her to upload them for me. You are doing great Meggie!

One of my goals was to be able to shop at Old Navy. Wearing a size 26/28 as recently as May, that has never been an option. Old Navy wasn't around when I was a skinny teen and young 20s. So today I ran over there to see if I could find any capris or jeans that would fit. I tried on three size 18s and lo and behold, I had to put them back and walked out of there with perfectly fitting size 16s and a really cute top. That totally made my day!