Raine

Um, er, uhhh, hmph. Ok not many things make me uhhh lose my words! You look amazing! Just one thing missing, a freaking smile

You will not need them again, nuf said

It took me all the way up to surgery to get the support of one of my friends. Keep in mind she was never over weight and doesn't understand what we go through. I am not one for visitors in the hospital, so I told everyone that was even thinking of coming to see me other than my husband and my son that I didn't want to see anyone. I didn't see her till 2 or 3 weeks after surgery and she gave me a gift, a vest that I have been drooling over that she wears in a size 10. She put the receipt in and said she knows that I will get smaller than that and if I wanted to, to get a smaller one. It took her till after the surgery and I was out of the woods to come around. ((((((((((HUGS))))))))) there's your hug, we all need one ever so often. Your aunt will come around, just giver her time.

I am stoked about the size 6 and let me say, I have NEVER in all my life been a size 6. haha I keep wanting to type 16 instead of 6 how freaking weird is that LOL. If I am going to be 100% honest, I think my decision on this will be to keep doing what I am doing and in the end I think I will know. You are all right, I have to be comfortable with what I see and how I feel. I feel amazing and I am starting to really like what I am seeing in the mirror too, hence all the photo whoreing hahahah, but I don't feel I am there yet. Thanks everyone for all your support during this whole journey, its a crazy ride but I am not getting off just yet.

Keep fighting the good fight! Stalls be damned LOL

Amazing job! You look great and I can tell you feel fantastic too!

Its hard not to stress it and I feel your pain. We were only sleeved a week apart. You have to try different things that work for you. I tried so many different eating methods to find my right one. I am not even sure I have found the right one but my body keeps changing and the pounds are going away slowly but surely. Just to put it in perspective here are my numbers: Start of journey June 2010 (240) to pre op diet April 13, 2011 (206): -34 Pre-op to Surgery April 27, 2011: -13 May 27: -15 June 27: +3 July 27: +5 (tried quitting smoking AGAIN....as you see your sleeve is a tool and you CAN gain weight) August 27: -7 September 27: -6 October 14: -2 I still have 2 weeks left until the 27th and I am sure I'll lose at least another 2lbs or hopefully more! But I am now looking at it as a work in progress. In the beginning I was comparing myself with everyone and then I realized why I did this in the first place, to get healthy and that is exactly what I have done. Its hard, I know, to not focus on the what is NOT happening, but try and see all of what IS happening in your life now that you have 57lbs gone!

I feel your accomplishments and I am so happy for you. The head thing is something that takes time to get used to. I am still in awe of it all. Congratulations! BTW, I am in love with your husband, just saying

Thanks, EVERYONE! I am still smiling and stealing glances of myself in every freaking reflective surface! HAHAHAHA @ Coops: GO WALES!!!!!!

Congratulations! Its a hard road but you are helping pave the way to inspire everyone else that is contemplating doing this to save their lives.

Great job ... and it just gets better from here.

WOW doesn't even do it justice. Holy Catnip Batman!!! You look so amazing. A different person has emerged and she looks like one happy lady!

You are not being negative, you are being honest. absolutely nothing wrong with that!

You're an idiot! hahah just teasing!!! LOL We love ya! Everyone has these worries pre op. I know I did, I thought all my labs would be a mess and I wouldn't be able to have it either. They were only 1/2 a mess and I still had the surgery.

I am just shy of 6 months and I would absolutely do this again. I had some internal bleeding in the beginning and I was in the hospital for 5 days after surgery, but I would still do it again! I went from 20 pills a day, 17 of them prescriptions 3 over the counter to just 3 a day, 2 prescriptions 1 over the counter and that is my multi-vitamin! 1) My diabeties is in complete remission. 2) My blood pressure is controled with one pill a day instead of 4 3) My triglycerides when from the 1000's with no meds to 400's 4) My cholesterol is just shy of normal now 5) My stamina and sex drive has increased 10 fold if not more...ok more LOL 6) I look damn cute now The weight loss is great I won't deny that, but that is not the reason I did this, 1-5 is why I did this. I was killing myself and I needed help getting the weight off so I could get off of the pills so I could know what "normal" felt like again. So often I didn't know if I was ill or if it was a side effect of a pill. The pre-op diet helped me bet the carb demon, and the different stages of the diet in the beginning helped me teach myself how to eat again. I could eat healthy in the past on diets but this much ((())) of healthy food is, well healthy, this much (((((((((((()))))))))))) of healthy food is no longer healthy. So to reiterate, yes I would do it again and again and again. It has saved my life, litterally.

It really has changed. How has yours changed? What differences do you see in yourself?

2SB, I totally disagree!!!! You look absolutely amazing. Truly, and sorry, but I think you have to clean your mirror cause no way in hell do you look older!

Congratulations!!! Job well done!

My doc actually says that its a debate amongst a lot of doctors in the field but he says he counts it toward the total intake of fluids. He told me that in the stage where you are drinking your protein there really is only so much you CAN drink in a day with the sleeve. I was really worried because there wasn't a snow balls chance in hell I was going to get 60 grams of protein (4x 11 oz drinks) and 64 oz of other liquids in and believe me I tried up until I talked to him at my 2 week appointment.

Yes take some pics!! haha Seriously, though, I would like to hear what hits you get for the spare tire. I have that and it is the last to deflate on me.

That is great about the muscle vs. fat. I am on a huge project at work and have not been able to make it to my classes for about a month now and its killing me! I hate doing the bike and treadmill etc. My mind wanders and I get bored and when I'm bored I don't want to do it. Its me and and I know this about me, isn't that half the battle lol ? I do try to walk about 15-20 miles a week when I can't get to my classes.

I absolutely LOVED your post. Between the self realization, honesty, frankness and drive you displayed I am sure you motivated many on this board. I am almost at goal and I feel bad for anything or anyone that gets in my way. It's a tough battle and we have the tool to win not only the battle but the freaking war!!! I'd say good luck on the rest of your journey, but dude you don't need it, you will get there, I have zero doubt. Congratulations on all your successes!

I was on 2000mg a day for years and years pre op for my diabeties. This is now in remission, so not sure why they would prescribe it for weight loss, also if you are sleeved and eating correctly, I can't see how you would need it, but I am no MD. You may want to ask your doc some more in depth questions on the subject.

*whacks the back of your head* Don't you even dare feel guilty about having a couple of drinks. This is why we did this so that we can live life like a normal person and be able to indulge once in a while. That being said, since you had tequilla did your clothes fall off??? hahahhaha hope I made you smile and you have a better day today.

I mix it up a bit and maybe that is part of why I am a "slow loser" so to speak. I low carb it during the week no more than about 40 a day and on the weekend with my family, I don't count the carbs for the most part. That being said I like how I am losing now. I do try to work out at least 3 times a week and this is mostly on the weekends because of work so maybe that is why this system is working for me at the moment. I think everyones bodies are different and react to carbs and calories differently. I average between 1000 - 1200 calories a day and about 60-80 gr. protein, but I always felt from the beginning that I could eat more than most people I read about too.