prEttYphEnomenAL

Congratulations everyone!![emoji322].
I'm having having surgery April 1st!! Super excited

I'm over in England so we definitely don't live near! In Britain our sign language is totally different to ASL although I am planning to do an ASL course soon. Definitely better to only tell people who really care x
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I'm 2nd April x Sent from my SM-G920F using the BariatricPal App

Congratulations everyone!![emoji322].
I'm having having surgery April 1st!! Super excited

Congratulations everyone!![emoji322].
I'm having having surgery April 1st!! Super excited

I totally understand...my bmi os 52 and I never saw me that large. Even when I see myself in the mirror..I accept it as the mirror is a little skewed and because I'm in a wheelchair I am bound to look a little squat. My first great granddaughter is 18 months and wants nothing more than to sit in gammys lap....but I have none. I know the time is now to make changes. You and I ...and others are on the right path...we've begun a better way of living. Plz don't feel ugly....it's just a shell we've worn for a time and are about to shed that shell into a whole new life.
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April 11th checking in...Atlanta, GA!

I'm scheduled for April 7 and am excited, scared, terrified, by happy at the same time. Anybody else?! I want this so bad but the unknown is a little scary.

Hey everyone!
I'm Amanda and I'm from Phoenix AZ
Just received the news today I'm approved and surgery is officially scheduled for 4/1.
I'm so ... Idk..but excited doesn't even begin to explain how I feel.
..with God all things are possible...????????

My advice to you is to look within your self for the answer. You've went through all the testing, gotten to the point for approval, and now a few short weeks until you begin your new journey. How many times in the past have you already tried "something different" and failed. I too had push back. Someone last week asked me, why don't I just eat less & workout more? Seems simple enough, though that "plan" hasn't worked long term for me in the past. With the question "What if something goes wrong?", did you reply...."what if everything goes right?" People who are unfamiliar with something, can come across as pessimistic and look for every reason why something can go wrong. My advice is to ignore the negative feedback, and look for the positives. My surgery is in 4 days, and I couldn't be more excited!!! It's been a journey to get here, and nothing will stop me now. Best of lick to you, you can do this!

Lost for words. Such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing.

It's been awhile now since I have posted any progress. The first 3 are at my heaviest weight and the last was taken today!!! Down 105 total from HW and 82 from surgery 9/3/15.
   

I remember being pre-op and my favorite thing to do was look at progress photos and dream
I am 6 months, 10 days post op and I am down 128 pounds total. This isnt a very great pic since I have been sick, but i still took it because anything is better than my before!!

The day is here! Surgery in a couple of minutes! everything is going great so far! I am very blessed! ???? Hope everyone has a great day . I'll see you guys later!
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AHHH! I just found out today that my surgery date is March 16th. 3 weeks from tomorrow.
It all seems so fast. I just started this process with an all day appointment at mayo Clinic in November, and the time has FLOWN by.
I had my last visit with the psychologist on Friday and she signed off/discharged me then. I got the call from the surgical scheduler today and, I'm not even going to lie, started freaking out a little (okay, a lot).
Anyone else with March dates? My birthday is March 10th, so I can't think of a better way to usher in 33 than a new me.
I'm starting to get more nervous, but I keep telling myself that it's all for the better.
One preop visit, one lab visit, one bypass diet visit and then surgery. I don't know if anyone else has gone to Mayo Clinic, but they do not mess around. I've had to keep a significant food log (with pre and post-meal feelings) since November, had to cut out any alcohol and most caffeine and had to significantly increase exercise in order to be discharged.
Sorry, I'm kinda freaking out here. All of the forums here have been a massive help thus far, and I hope to post/contribute more as I go through the process.
WHEEE!

Hehe were you all looking for some pics of my hot boyfriend? He certainly does love my body too so I guess I can provide a few pics of myself and himself... And just so you guys know we actually do like each other for other reasons he is super sweet, nice, a gentlemen, smart! *Melts* It just helps that he is also super sexy with an accent and buff body

And myself... not too shabby either
 

@@MIMISAN, the spiral thigh lift is when they cut aliong the line where your thighs meet your groin. Most of my saggy skin was in my upper thigh area, so I was a good candidate. This avoids the long scar that runs down the inner part of your thighs.
LOL! Yup, that's what my breast and belly looked like. Unfortunately, my insurance did not cover it because the hanging skin was not causing irritation or any other abnormalities. I used up my savings and got a loan to finance the plastics, but it was well worth it !!! I work very hard and I am dedicated to my gym time--and since I made the investment in myself, I better keep up with it .

@@MIMISAN, LOL!!!

I'm scheduled for March 1st. Good luck to you and congrats.

@@Renkoss have you heard anything yet? We just hit March and my heart dropped to my stomach when I realized I'm now in the same month as my surgery date. liquid diet begins 2 weeks from today. And surgery is 4 weeks from today! Whew....let the nerves begin.
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I share the same fears! But as long as we go into this with the mindset of it ONLY being a tool and we still have to work at it, nutritionally and physically...we have better chances of succeeding long term. Unfortunately, I think that those who have gained their weight back either got too "comfortable" and or thought their surgery was a fix all. And it's not

March 29th is the big day!! So stinkin excited!
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My surgery was scheduled for 12 noon, and the day before I had my last pre op appt. at the hospital at 8 am, which took all of 5 minutes. I only had a one day liquid diet requirement after that. I'd already lost more than 10% of my weight.
As I was leaving the pre op at the hospital it suddenly occurred to me that I still had about 3 hours left before that 24 hr liquid diet was supposed to kick in. I went straight to pizza Hut and ordered enough to feed a family of four. I didn't eat it all, mind you, but I did my best. The really odd thing was even after that final food funeral orgy, I still managed to lose 3 pounds by the next day.
Now at seven months post op and only 7 pounds from goal, I have no regrets about that final meal. I haven't gone off diet since, and have even managed to go cold turkey on any fast foods, bread, sodas, sweets, etc. I couldn't have managed that without the surgery.
So don't be too hard on yourself. A lot of us have answered that siren song so you're definitely not alone. Best wishes!

Thank you all so much for your responses. It makes me feel better to know that what I've been doing is somewhat normal and you all even have a name for it-- a food funeral! That's exactly what it is!
@@lifeofblair Looks like you're doing great! I hope I can do as well!
@@NoOneIsStoppingMeButMe Only 4 days to go... Good Luck!!!
@@Djmohr Wow! You are doing awesome! Only one pound to your goal weight!! Congrats!
@@MKJohnson15 Good luck! Only two weeks to go!

I haven't had surgery yet, but I'm very close and have completed most of the pre-surgery homework... but I just wanted to share a pretty awesome moment I had recently!
In my excitement to start my weight loss journey, I've tried to get in much more exercise in, since I'm feeling VERY gung-ho! I'm playing tennis more regularly, I went on a backpacking trip, and I just joined (again) a Cross Fit gym.
....A little backstory: I've gone up and down and up and down with my weight over the last 15+ years, yo-yo dieting and trying every exercise and eating trend in order to fight the obesity disease (sound familiar?) losing 20 or 30 pounds using these diets and workout trends, just to gain them back and more once I slip. And I don't think that people who haven't been overweight understand this, and assume that every challenge can be solved with white-knuckling the problem and often stigmatize and judge tools like weight loss surgery, rather than the traditional "just work out more"...
So, anyway, back to me joining this new gym. I really liked the vibe, the trainer was totally not a "bro" trainer, he was very nice and encouraging, and the gym was filled with a variety of body types and ages. MUCH different than the last CF gym I'd gone to! I was excited! But then the trainer told me he was going to do everything in his power to convince me out of surgery (which I'd disclosed to him earlier, privately). It was like there was a spotlight on me and my choices and my weight and my seeming choice to take the "easy way out". And my social anxiety almost had me tucking back into my shell like a turtle.
But here's where it gets good. OLD Sarah would have slunk down and maybe even quit the gym out of embarrassment, or worry that I'd be pressured into changing my mind on a very personal decision I've already committed to and gotten excited about and am completely ready for! OLD Sarah wouldn't have said a peep. This time, I spoke up for myself and told him that while I totally hear him, and appreciate the encouragement, I won't be changing my mind, but I WILL be trying my hardest to teach my body how to work harder and do better with his class. And then I asked, "Deal?" Right then and there I cut off the judgement and the opportunity for this (well intending) trainer to think he gets to decide for me what's best for me, instead of me!
It doesn't seem like an enormous moment, probably, to most people. But I have such a confidence issue that it was a shining light into my future of even more confidence and I'm really really happy about that. So I thought I'd share it!
Have any of you ever had people try and chime into your decision, try to talk you out of it, or make you feel bad for this decision? I've largely kept it pretty private, with the exception of my husband, my boss and a few close friends, because I don't want others to think they can proffer their opinion about it, when it's not their deal, it's mine!
Ahhhh! Anyway, that's my pre-op non scale victory!!

Oh, what the hell. Go make your fantasy weight!
At 145 pounds and 5'7" you aren't going to be unhealthy. You'll definitely look different to those who've known you for years as overweight / obese.
If you hate it, you can gain 10 pounds. Trust me, that'll soon be easier than you can imagine.
And if you love it, you can maintain there.
You really do have more options than you might think.
P.S. All the fat people in my life think I'm too skinny. And all the skinny people in my life think I look great. #duh