My Big Day 3/15/2011

Just wait until those people start to see the pounds shed off of you and your life turn around...then they will be begging to know what you are doing. That is when you proudly say that you had weight loss surgery and it saved your life! Now that I have lost 105 lbs I tell anyone and everyone how I did it. I am an advocate to weight loss surgery for weight loss when you have failed at diet attempts. I think it takes a considerable amount of courage and intelligence to undergo this form of weight loss and anyone who does so should be extremely proud of their decision to add 10 to 15 years to their life expectancy. Good luck and hold your head high knowing that you are one of the lucky few that will actually be fulfilling their new years resolution this year!

This is scary and sounds a lot like a seizure. I hope you atleast schedule an appointment with a neurologist to discuss this episode. Please follow up and let the rest of us know you are ok.

What a beautiful story you have here. So inspirational to others just beginning their journeys. I am almost 8 months out from my surgery and doing awesome with the weight loss...just made the 100 lb mark this morning. I have a ways to go still about 30 lbs but I know I'll get there and reading stories like yours gives me the motivation to keep going. So happy for you!

Love the halloween photos...here's mine. I had this costume from once upon a time when I took Adipex and got skinny temporarily. So I reused it and it felt awesome.

Great post! How encouraging to others beginning their journey. I loved the slide show...I wish I would have kept a good track of my progress like that. Thanks for sharing with us and you've done awesome with your weight loss. Loved your advice about not comparing your weight loss with others b/c you are so right about it being discouraging. Thanks again for sharing.

]ust a quick note on my progress and some photos. I had surgery 3/15/2011 and have lost steadily ever since. My surgeons says I am his best patient...very compliant with the post-op program. I have lost more than 60% of my excess weight which puts me right on track with Gastric Bypass patients. I have about 35 more lbs to lose to be comfortably in the normal weight category for my height. I started in size 24 womens clothes and 2x or 3x tops and now I am in medium shirts and size 12 or 14 pants. I fit into a pair of jeans I kept from years back when I lost weight using Adipex...they are Seven brand and size 32. I just had my hair cut shorter today to go along with my now thinner face. I feel energetic and more confident. Okay, onto the good stuff..the pictures Before photo: March 2011 Middle photo: May 2011 Current photos...

You are an inspiration to me b/c I am also 6 months out from surgery but my surgery weight was 271 so I am not quite in those size 8 jeans yet. I have a ways to go. I am actually between size 12 and 14. I will feel fabulous when I am able to pull off a size 8...that would definately be my ultimate goal. Guess I need to go to goodwill and find a size 8 that I like so that I can have a goal to reach for. Thanks for sharing.

Way to go! You are doing so awesome. That's an enormous improvement in sizes. You have done wondrous things for your body. Good job!

You are doing awesome...but watch the sodium intake and make sure you are getting your vitamins everyday. Way to go on your loss of 56 lbs!

I attend an in person support group at Holy Cross Hospital in Ft lauderdale on the 4th Tuesday of every month starting at 7:15 pm. It's great and sponsored by a psychologist and a nutritionist and occasionally a bariatric surgeon stops in to answer questions. The group consists of people that have had any kind of bariatric surgery and are at any point out from the surgery...some are only weeks out and some are years out. Also, they allow people who are thinking of having the surgery to sit in on the support group as well. It is very helpful and you are welcome to join us.

I am totally jealous of you! I mean who cares how much we weigh if we are fitting into size 8 or 6 clothes. You are really lucky that you are already there at your weight b/c that doesn't happen for most people. I am 200 lbs and a size 16 and Lg or XL tops. There is no way I will drop 4 or 5 sizes by the time I get to 185...no way. I am also 5 ft 6. So, enjoy your success and ignore the scale numbers...actually what that really means is you have great bone density which is important for strong bones. The most important thing you have done is dedicated your life to being active. Congrats on your journey and good luck with reaching your future goals whatever they be.

As I know my onederland goal is just around the corner I thought I should make one last success story post in my 200's. Yesterday I weighed in at 200.5 lbs and my goal was to reach onederland by my 31st birthday on July 23rd. I know that goal will be obtained and I can't wait to take a picture of the scale. I have been in the 200s for atleast 4 years now and prior to that I only briefly visited onederland thanks to the drug Adipex. I am happy to report my stats as of this point as 70.5 lbs lost since mid Feb when I started the pre-op diet. My clothing size has changed from size 24 to 16. Every other aspect of my life has been affected by this wonderful weight loss from my relationship with my husband (intimacy is much better) to my social life to my work as a nurse to the things I can do with my 3 year old. My surgeon is very impressed with my progress and at my 3 month post-op visit he said I am ahead on the weight loss and losing more than a gastric bypass patient who is 3 months out from surgery. He said he expects that I will lose 100 lbs by the time I am 6 months post-op in Sept. Doesn't that sound unreal...but it happens with this wonderful tool we have been given. Now, my next major goal has nothing to do with me...but my two morbidly obese sisters who I am hoping will begin their weight loss surgery journeys soon with my influence. So, goodbye for now and see you when I am in onederland! I attached a girls night out photo...I am the blonde on the left. Also, the other photo was taken just before surgery.

Sunnyd... I remember when we were pre-op and we exchanged emails a bit. Now we are both having huge success...what an amazing feeling. I set a goal to be under 200 lbs by my birthday on July 23rd and this morning I weighed in at 200.5 lbs. Looking back I thought it would be impossible to meet that goal but now as I am so close I know 100% it will happen. Congrats on making a huge milestone...I know that means the world to you...and your body thanks you. I bet you by Christmas you will break out of the 200's as well! Make sure you set smaller goals so that you don't feel so overwhelmed. So proud of you and stay in touch...you are a very motivating person!

I love reading the success of others and always try to look for people that are around the same amount of time post-op as me. So here is my success story...sleeved March 15th, started pre-op diet a few weeks before that at 271 lbs. I now weigh 209 lbs so that is 61 lbs down. I was wearing size 24 clothes (barely) and now am fitting comfortably into size 16. My weight loss has been very steady with no plateaus (thank God!). I do exercise about 3 or 4 times a week...usually cardio and occasionally weights. I start my day every morning with a protein shake b/c it's easy not b/c I have to. Then I have lunch of 3 to 5 oz meat (really 3 oz b/c I can't fit more than that) and a few veggies. Dinner is similar to lunch. If I have trouble with whatever meat I am trying to eat then I tend to eat an oz or two of cheese and a few nuts. I don't snack...3 meals only. I have had a few carbs here and there but nothing big. I have a little hunger from time to time but nothing that I can't ignore. Overall I am extremely happy with my progress and so is my surgeon. He says I am doing as well as a roux-en-y patient who is 4 months out from surgery...so that makes me feel like a true success story. I get tons of compliments daily from co-workers and friends...that really pushes you to stick with your program. I hope my story inspires others who are considering this as a form of weightloss b/c I am a true believer in this surgery. I attached a before pic and a pic from a month ago. I will post more pics soon.