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You MUST read "When food is Love" by Geneen Roth. My therapist recommended it, and I can tell you it has literally changed my life. You can read more posts about how it has affected my thinking and behaviors on my blog if you're intersted. But I simply cannot recommend it highly enough. :-)

I got very stuck between 8-10 months. I was bouncing around between the same 2 pounds for a good 8 weeks. It was very frustrating. For me getting back to the basics helped get the scale moving again. I did a 3-day liquid diet to "reset" my habits and after that completely stuck to my "numbers" for nutrition. Since then the scale started moving again and I'm 2 pounds from goal!!!

Here's mine updated..... 10 months post op, 131 pounds lost, 2 to go!!!!!

So a little background on me first. I was sleeved on 9/12/13 and have lost 130 pounds so far. I am 3 pounds away from goal, and starting to think...now what? Who am I now? A lot of time I still feel like I am 280 pounds. Anyway, these questions already floating around in my head provide the back drop for this discussion..... So when we "went home" for a visit over the holiday weekend we had dinner with some friends I haven't seen since my weight loss. We kind of got into a debate over whether change is actually possible, or if it is only a matter of time until you revert to who you really are. They argued that my weight loss is because of the surgery and not because of any change of behavior that I have made and that it is only a matter of time until I revert to the "real me". I thought this was a really defeatist and depressing way to think. If this were true, then learning is not possible and we are static beings, right? I learned ways to take care of myself, and now I do those things. But deep down I'm thinking, are they right? Is it only a matter of time? Because these are the fears that I"m struggling with now that I am near/at goal weight..... Thoughts?

Thank you! I replied to your comment on the photo, but I'll post it here for others as well. For me at 4 months was when I started working out. That has been a huge motivator and pretty life-changing to me. I started with running. I used the couch to 5k app to get me going because I literally had not been in a gym in probably 15 years. It was overwhelming to start, but that seemed like a pretty simple starting point. Since then I have run regularly and now am training for a half marathon. My training/workout schedule is running 4 days, cross training 2 days (weights or a class), and 1 rest day. Find something you really enjoy doing whether it is biking, running, zumba, whatever..... that will push you through the times when the scale is not moving. I also am very goal-orientated, so I find that signing up for races has given me something to keep working towards that is not at all related to the scale. As far as food, I stick to my numbers of 30-35g carbs, 65-70g protein, and at least 12 8oz glasses of water per day. I am not perfect, sometimes I go beyond those, but in the very beginning, like up to 7 months probably, I followed this religiously. I do still do probably 1 Protein shake just about every day for either Breakfast, or 1/2 of one for a snack. I would say also that doing the emotional/mental work is just as important for maintaining the weight loss as anything you put in your mouth. At the beginning it was super exciting to see the weight come off, but now that I'm very near goal, I have had to do a lot of dealing with my emotional eating issues. You can read tons about that in my blog if that interests you at all. :-) Hope that helps and answers your question. That was the long version of the answer (1) exercise regularly if you're not already, (2) stick to the numbers as far as nutrition, and (3) start working on the emotional side of things as well. :-)

Yes, she is quite overweight. There are 3 of us who were relatively close friends,2 of us have had sleeve surgery and she has not.

I live in the Clarks Summit area. We must be close! :-)

I'm guessing your increased hunger is all the calories you are burning. I try to recover after a run with a Protein shake because it fills me up recovers me. It's tough when you are exercising so much because your body has to get the glycogen to burn from somewhere, so you have to feed it. You have to factor in your calorie burn in your daily net.

At first I didn't want to tell people specifically at work because I didn't want them to react negatively for me taking off the time away from work for what they would see as "elective" or "cosmetic" even. Since then, I have not told a lot of people about my surgery, but others I have. It is kind of a case-by-case basis. I have told the majority of my close friends and family, but not my co-workers and acquaintances. I view it as any other medical procedure, because it is just that, a medical procedure. I don't feel the need to make a blanket announcement about it. I just kind of view it as personal....if I choose to share it then, fine. But in reality, while the surgery is an amazing tool, it is not what makes me choose the right kinds of food to put in my mouth, and it does not make me get out of bed every morning to run at 5:30, or it doesn't make me go to cross training while my family is still in bed sleeping on a weekend. When people want to know how I've lost weight, yes, surgery is a huge part of it, but in reality, it's so much more than that. So I can answer them honestly without disclosing my medical history should I choose to take that approach by telling them that I am eating a high Protein low carb diet, completely changed my lifestyle, and started regularly exercising.

That is probably true for the first few weeks. I would say now, fully healed at 10 months post op I could probably eat 2/3 c. at one sitting. I try to stop before I feel uncomfortably full. There are times when my mouth wants a few more bites because something tastes delicious, but my stomach is saying no way. Those times are the exception rather than the rule, though. And totally worth it. :-)

148.2 -1.2 for the week.

So I just realized that it is 10 months post op. It kind of sneaked up on me! So I snapped a quick pic for comparison. I'm still a few pounds away from goal, and wish that I would be there by now, but hey....I'm going to take a couple minutes and let myself feel pretty fabulous about this! One of the hardest things I deal with now is doing the "head-work". Being ok with maintaining, figuring out how to be a "thin" person, figuring out the emotions behind my food issues, etc. It's been a pretty fabulous journey. And you know what? Screw anyone who says this is the easy way out!

Another great question! I absolutely find that people sometimes treat me differently now that I am thin. Sometimes in a positive way (like you describe) and sometimes in a negative way. The negative usually comes from "old friends" who are not comfortable for their own personal reasons with the new me. As far as the being taken more seriously question, I would say yes, but like you mention, I'm not sure if it's people's perceptions of thin vs. obese people or if it is in my increased confidence. I definitely speak up now and give input way more than I ever would have before. So I guess it's hard to tell.

Wow! Great question! This is something, honestly, I struggle with daily. I tend to think of the "real me" as the 285-pound version of me. A lot of times I feel like an imposter as the "thin me." I'm starting to more and more allow myself to realize that this is the "real me" and that has come through a lot of hard emotional work with my therapist who specializes in eating disorders. I highly recommend the book "When food is Love" by Geneen Roth. It has literally changed my life :-)

Thank you. I do have some excess skin under my arms and lower stomach. I have been working on them since about 4 months post op with weight training and toning, but I do suspect eventually I will have surgery to get excess skin removal.

Yes, definitely take pictures! No matter how much you hate to do it! It has been SO encouraging to do my monthly before and after pics. One thing I didn't do and wish I would have is to also take your measurements so that you can track that as well. I have no clue how many inches i have lost and would love to know! :-)

I was just today reflecting while at the gym on where I was a year ago vs. today. Never would I ever have imagined getting up at 5:30 to go to the gym, running 4 miles, and doing it during that dreaded time of the month. But I did it this morning without thinking about it. THAT is something that the scale cannot measure and is not a result of the size of my stomach (for those who say surgery is the easy way out). THAT is a result of the new life I have due to the hard work I've put in working "with" my sleeve. So I say HECK YEAH! Forget the focus on the numbers and whether or not you can pose in a bikini (which PS is freaking awesome if you can) and celebrate what you've done!!!!

You look great! I'm jealous of your arms. You don't look like you have any excess skin. I'm working out a ton as well, but haven't found anything to make any significant difference in that excess arm skin. Any suggestions from your experience?