*Lexie*

180.0 today.

I was getting a little hanging skin on my neck. I read that you can fix it by looking straight up and puckering your lips or trying to kiss the sky. I decided to try it and would do it 10 times a day and after a few weeks, I swear it's tightened up and the loose skin is gone. I do use lotion on my neck too.

I'm almost 8 months out and I have to agree, it's getting pretty tough. What's crazy is that I feel like I still have really good restriction. I don't eat much and I exercise a lot (my first 5K is this Saturday) but the weight loss is slow and inconsistent. But like you two, I'm keeping at it. I'm too close to stop now.

Off with your head!! Luckily I quit a few years before surgery. I know how hard it is and I remember thinking that I was so thankful I didn't have to quit while trying to do a pre-op diet and the stress of an upcoming surgery. Lives may have been lost if I had.

Wow, that is amazing. I am running a 5K this Saturday and just hope to finish under 40 minutes. You motivate me to keep at it and hopefully someday I'll finish under 30 minutes.

Luckily no but I have seen that or tough love responses that I think are a little on the tough side and lacking the love. I read and respond but rarely share my struggles because I don't want someone telling me that I should know better or ask me how on earth I was ever approved for surgery so I have those discussions one on one with a few trusted people. I am really sorry to hear that you are getting this type of response. I'm just not sure I'm surprised by it. Maybe you could try finding a few trusted people of your own and sending private messages. As for the challenges, I participate in them too, I think they're really helpful.

179.6 - Hit my goal with a week to spare!!

Don't forget that cool little bone that pokes out from the wrist. Very cool!

Why wouldn't you at least check to see if your insurance covers it? You could literally make a call and generally find out if it's covered and the requirements for approval. I went to a consultation and found out that day that my insurance covered the surgery.

I lost 15lbs the first week and a half and then nothing for probably a month. I was about to have a psychotic break. No one on this site could make me feel any better about it. But amazingly, one day I started losing again. It was never as fast as the first three weeks but it was pretty steady. And in the months since, I've never had a stall that lasted as long as that first one. And if I did, I'd probably go crazy again. (so please, when it does, be prepared to talk me off the ledge). My point is, yes, you will start losing weight again and this will be a distant memory. Hang in there.

I agree, check to see if it's acid. It can feel very similar, especially early on. My hunger never went completely away but it's definitely dulled. At 8 months out, I get hungry but not nearly as much as I did before surgery. Make sure you don't drink with your food, it stays in my stomach so much longer. I've also noticed a huge difference in how long Protein stays in my stomach compared to carbs. If I eat carbs, my tummy is empty and wants more food in about 2 hours.

I use it a lot and believe it to be a very healthy oil Not sure I could drink it thought. Ugh...

Hi, great questions! I'll do my best based on my limited time since surgery. In my experience, I've developed several food intolerances and still throw up somewhat regularly (at almost 8 months out) and have a huge list of things I can't eat. So my experience hasn't been perfect, just keep that in mind. Will I miss my old ways of eating, what, when and how much I want? Most definitely but you eventually get used to it. I have learned to eat the best part first. Will my face look LOTS older? Yesterday I saw someone at work who said, "Oh my God, you look amazing. I can't believe how much younger you look." It made my day. Will I regret this decision? Oh, maybe for a minute or two. I had a friend who had some serious complications and was hospitalized for close to a month. Today she has no regrets. I'm amazed by that. I never had one regret. How will my life change? You will be an active participant in your life instead of sitting on the couch because you are too self conscious to do anything. Will I look GOOD once I’m thin? Hells yeah! How low will the girls hang? Probably a little low but nothing that Victoria's Secret can't fix. Will the girls get smaller? Mine did, thank goodness. How will this effect me for the rest of my life? Hopefully you'll live longer. Will my hair fall out? (Does it fall out as much with a lower BMI to start?) Mine did for about a month but it wasn't noticeable. Will I have a waist, or is not having on an “old lady thing”? I don't understand this question but typically as people lose weight, we start finding all sorts of things like collar bones, hip bones, this weird little knob on our wrist. It's crazy! Will I have regrets that will never go away? I don't but I made a decision right before surgery that I would not complain or express regrets because i can't undo it and it does no good to bellyache about it. Bellyache, ha! How will it affect my personal life? More sex, more fun, less focus around what you're going to eat next. How will it affect my social life? More sex, more fun. LOL How will it affect my business? Has my business been hindered or enhanced by my weight? There are different theories out there around this. I'm not sure how to answer it. I have gotten a promotion recently but maybe that is because I'm feeling more confident and not my actual weight. Will my knees stop hurting? Most definitely. Before I had surgery, I was trying to walk for 20 minutes or so and my feet would hurt. I ran 3 miles this morning and my legs feel really good. The only other advice I have is that if you have tried and failed, don't worry about what BMI you have or what other people think. To me, that makes about as much sense as someone saying, "you shouldn't get chemo because you only have a little bit of cancer." If you want it, do it. Yes it's work, I work hard at it every day but it's a darn good tool. I've lost all the weight before and it all came back and brought a few friends. My goal is to use this tool to keep the weight off and live a long life at a healthy BMI. Best of luck to you!

I tried this recipe today and it's pretty good. I feel like I can taste the cauliflower but I wonder if it's in my head because I know it's in there. http://www.jocooks.com/healthy-eating/cheesy-cauliflower-breadsticks/ Still better than the fattening version.

I'm so inspired by your journey. Congratulations!

Premier Protein makes bars that are high in protein and low in sugar. Personally, I can't stomach them. The next best thing I found is Atkins bars. moderately high in protein and low in sugar. Though they do have sugar alcohol in them, some people are sensitive to sugar alcohol.

I absolutely love this thread. It demonstrates exactly why I still come to these message boards. So much helpful advice. @@snowkitten I definitely understand the feeling of failure because I feel that way every time I slip up or don't lose as much as I want. I try to remember that I'm trying to change myself, not just "diet" and change is hard. I'm going to fail a lot but what matters is that I keep trying and learn from those failures. If we focus on how far we have come instead of how far we have to go, the task will seem less daunting. I remind myself of this probably daily. Just this morning I felt like I'm never going to lose another pound so I reminded myself that I've lost 70lbs already which is a lot of weight. I can lose a few more. @AvaFern I love that saying and am storing that away for future use. I'm running a 5K next week and at the end of the year, I'm running the Honolulu marathon (the most I've done before is a half) so I'm most definitely going to need those words of wisdom through this process.

Best of luck. Even if you don't feel very well after surgery, it's just a tiny part of the whole process and you forget about it very quickly. I didn't feel so great after surgery but it was totally worth it. Would do it again in a second.

Better than being addicted to Oreos. No guilt.

I had a little fried rice, it was really good.

185.2

Yay, congrats! They are addictive. I have a 5K coming up in 2 weeks. Keeps my workouts focused when I have something to work towards.

183.8

You are leading the way!! Better to have loose skin on the arms than fat, sausage arms. I am self conscious of my arms but they look better than when they were fat. I'm planning to wear a tank top this summer.

Annnnd that's why we were too tired to do anything but sit on the couch. Love the extra energy, joints that don't ache,etc. @@VSGAnn2014 said it perfectly. I am so grateful too. I feel like I'm getting my life back.