AnA92212

First 2 are before (obviously)

Don't beat yourself up. You've lost a lot of weight. Do not discredit your success. I thinking logging your food is critical especially if you are concerned about what you are eating. Also, portion everything! I am huge on meal prepping. I portion out everything. Also, work out if you are not. My fave is zumba. I also have fallen in love with running. I do weight training as well. Yoga is my stress reliever as well. I am on myfitnesspal as AnA92212.

I'm only 5'4" so 108 is my cutoff for underweight. At 116 I am above that and all muscle!!!

Our surgeon wanted us to extremely limit carbs at first. After the first 6 months, he wanted us to focus on getting some complex carbs. My workout regime was intense so my nutritionist wanted me to get even more carbs. Now, almost 2 years out, and WELL below goal weight, about 50% of my diet is carbs. Again, my workout regime is relatively intense. I let My Fitness Pal count my carbs, but I rarely look at it. My diet doesn't vary too much except for on weekends.

That is extremely low for carbs. I get in at least 100 g of carbs a day. Carbs are about 45 to 50% of my overall nutrition. Myfitnesspal goals are carbs: 50%, Protein 25%, and fat 25%. My calorie goal is about 1400 to 1600 a day. I am almost 2 years out from surgery. I have been at or below goal for a year now. I run about 25 miles per week, do zumba an hour a day, and weight train 2 hours a week. I also do yoga once or twice a week. I tell you that because people who train a lot do need more carbs. Carbs are our fuel and our body needs them. My nutritionist tells me every time that I need my carbs. However, not all carbs are the same. She isn't telling me to stuff my face with crackers and Cookies. I remember my first visit after surgery. I had stalled. My nutritionist asked me what I was eating. I was eating very little carbs. Mainly because it was only a month after surgery and I couldn't really eat much at all so I was focused on getting in my protein. She said, "Honey, you need to eat a potato." I did, and I started losing weight again. I do occasionally have treats such as a cookie, cake, ice cream, etc. We follow the 80/20 plan. 80 to 90 percent of the time we eat clean. ALWAYS protein first.

Congratulations! I agree. I lost about a decade of my life being morbidly obese. I can't reclaim those years, but I have a wonderful future. Your pictures are amazing!

My starting weight was 294. I am now 116. I NEVER thought I would be a 39 year old mom that can wear a size 0. I didn't seek that out as a goal, it just happened. My doctor gave me the goal of 135-145. I hit the top end of the goal in 9 months. It took about 3 months to lose the other 10 pounds. I started training for my first half marathon in July of last year and got down to 121 then. Even though I stayed the same weight, during that time I went from a size 6 to a size 2. I lost more weight after stopping birth control. With all that said....how you look after is based on so many different factors. I lost 178 pounds, but have minimal excess skin. I know others that have lost 80 pounds and have LOTS of excess skin. I give credit to my workout regime in part. You cannot just do cardio, you must do weight training. The hair loss. I experienced that starting the 3rd month through about the 9th month. It was minimal though. I have PCOS and experienced much worse before the surgery. I have been committed to getting my Protein and taking my Vitamins. I agree with the others. Looking a certain way is still healthier than being obese or morbidly obese in my case.

I only had that once before surgery and once after surgery. I told people that it is not a decision that I took lightly and that I am doing this for my health. I am now almost 2 years out and down 178 pounds. The people close to me know how I monitor my food and know how religious I am about working out. The funny is the person that said something to me was trying to lose weight and lost about 80 pounds, but has since gained 40 of it back.

I am almost two years out and 178 pounds down. Some people discredit by loss because of the surgery, but I don't let them get me down. I know how hard I have worked and continue to work. If I am feeling catty, I usually go INTO DETAIL about my workout regime. People tend to hush then. When people talk about diets, I try to educate them on proper nutrition. Diets may help someone lose weight but they are a band aid for a huge problem. It's a temporary fix. I would just tell your friend that you are focusing on long term solutions by eating well and exercising.

I am almost 2 years out. I put in my starting weight of 294 and my height. It said I could expect to lose 120 pounds. I actually lost 178 pounds. I guess that put me in exceeding expectations.

I ran my 2nd half marathon this Saturday! I shaved 13 minutes off my first time from back in September. I ran it in 2:27:09. I started running in January this year, and I am just amazed at how it has changed my life. Signed up for my third half marathon already!

It could have something to do with WHAT you are eating too. I can eat more Soup and also "empty calorie" stuff than I can nutrient dense foods. Then again, there are times when I am just starving and can eat more than at other times.

I wasn't really given calorie limits for that phase. Just Fluid and Protein goals. At 3 months out it was about 450-600, at 6 months out it was about 750-850, at 9 months out it was 850 to 1000, at a year it was 800-1200, and then at my 18 month check up it was 850 to 1500. I typically get 1200 to 1400 a day, sometimes more. I get at least 60 g of protein (that was my goal).

I'm 18 months out and have Starbucks almost once a week. Some days, I have just a dark roast coffee with sugar free syrup other times I have a skinny peppermint mocha. I account for those calories just like anything else. I normally do not drink my calories but every once in awhile I will indulge.

I don't feel as if I have lost myself. I feel as if I have finally found the woman that has been there all along. I used my fat as a shield from people for many years. I do not miss the fat. I may have some sag here and there, but even for losing 173 pounds, I am pretty toned.

Our doctor wanted us to wait a year before we had coffee. I had surgery 6 weeks after having a baby, went back to work 3 days after surgery, and was (still am) in grad school. Coffee was essential. I tried decaf, but it was horrible. I started drinking the real stuff around 6 months out. My hubby only lasted a month before he caved. I still only have one cup a day.

I buy organic Peanut Butter. Has more fat than the PB2, but my nutritionist hates PB2 because it is all chemical. I really don't have peanut butter very often anyway so it is a nice treat.

I definitely get more attention, but I am married so I don't care. It's nice when people scramble to get the door for you, or make mention that I am attractive. I guess I just see myself as a mom and wife and that's good enough for me. My husband is the one who loved me even when I was almost 300 pounds. I almost think "what's wrong with these people, can't they tell I have a baby?"

I really cannot skip any Vitamin or I feel tired. Are you getting enough Protein in your diet? Are you eating enough?

I'm so sorry that you are feeling this way. I do agree about the therapy before surgery. The first couple months are the toughest. On my very first Mother's Day I was only 2 weeks out from surgery. My father in law took everyone out to eat. I was sitting there holding my 2 month old baby and I couldn't eat anything. I literally cried at the table. Then, I started to be able to eat different kinds of foods. I was able to work out. I didn't hurt any more. I started losing weight. Then, about 4 weeks in, I hit a stall. I was so upset and regretted the surgery. Then I saw my nutritionist and she gave me some tips about my diet. I needed to eat some carbs! Well, I am now almost 18 months out and down 174 pounds. I ran my first half marathon last month. I've had many stalls, but I made it through them. Thankfully, my issues with food are better. I don't run to food if I've had a bad day or if I am stressed. I chose to eat healthy foods most of the time. What I do suffer from now is a little bit of body dysmorphia. I still see that almost 300 pound woman sometimes. I do still weigh everyday. It's just to chart my fluctuations though. I still track my food 5 days a week. I hope you can find some encouragement, support, help, therapy. Many people think surgery is like a magic wand, but it isn't.

I told everyone in my life (that mattered) about the surgery. Some were very encouraging and others did not have a lot to say. I lost 174 pounds in a year so people asked. I am always honest about surgery. I am not ashamed about having surgery. It probably saved my life. But surgery is just a tool and YOU have to do all the hard work. I've been working out since 3 weeks after surgery. It is a way of life for me now. The negative people are just jealous or don't understand.

So, I am almost 18 months out from surgery. I have lost 174 pounds (from 294 to 121). I went from a size 28 to a size 2 or 4. I ran my first half marathon last month, I am running a 15K this weekend, and another half next month. I run 100+ miles a month, do zumba weekly, and weigh train 6 to 8 times a month. None of these are things I could do before surgery. I have been deemed "extremely healthy" by multiple doctors in different fields. When I told my surgeon that I would like to get plastic surgery one day, he laughed. He said that my skin was so minimal that it would be a waste. I don't even know if plastic surgery would help, and it is not in the budget right now anyway. I know that I am thin now. I know that I am healthy now. I just still struggle some days with how I feel about myself. My weight fluctuates about 5-8 pounds during the month. What I eat and what I do makes no difference, it just fluctuates that much. On days where it is high, it messes with my mood. Does anyone else feel this way at times?