The New Kel

Congratulations!! So inspiring

Sleeved October 3rd. Two weeks prior to surgery I was 239 Day of surgery: 219 Current weight 177 3.5 months post-op, total loss so far 62 lbs. Mini goal: 160 by April 1st. Dr's goal: 140 by October 1st Personal goal: 135 Doing pretty good! I probably don't eat enough calories, as I am hardly ever hungry. Trying not to lose muscle.

OK, so here is a NSV I had a few days ago. I am going to admit it is kind of immature and vain. None the less, it felt really good (evil grin). Warning: long post! My husband's sister - I will call her Shelby here- lives 4 states away and has pretty much hated me since we met. She was super close to my husband's ex-wife, the two of them are two peas in a pod. So for that reason, no matter how nice and cordial I have been to Shelby, she is outright cold and often blatantly rude to me. It goes so far as her telling my step kids off-color remarks and things she thinks about me, including one lovely piece of advice: "Just don't eat whatever Kelly eats. You don't want to end up like her, do you?" When I met her 5 years ago, I was understandably nervous and self conscious: I had 235 lbs on my 5'3" frame. In contrast, Shelby is taller and weighed maybe 140 lbs. She is also totally into appearances and looks. After we met, she called my husband and asked how he could have "down-graded" from his ex to me. I was so hurt. (But my husband promptly stood up for me and then hung up). I saw her three times over the past 5 years. Each time I felt so awkward and self conscious, knowing how judged I was in her eyes. It never should have mattered to me, but it did. Last Monday, Shelby came into town for my step-daughter's dance performance and to visit my husband's ex. I am three months post op. We did not tell Shelby or anyone on his side of the family about my surgery. I have gone from a size 20/22 to a comfortable 12 and have lost 60 lbs, down to 179 and my confidence has really began to flourish. At the dance, we spotted Shelby and her two kids. She was disheveled and looked uncomfortable. Her usually perfectly made up face was smeared and she looked like she was having a hot flash. Also, she is remarkably heavier than lat time I saw her. Now I will say I do not ever judge anyone on their weight and I never will. I have had all too much judgment and so I truly have all the empathy on those like me dealing with body image issues. But I bring it up because of the irony and scathing hell I had been on the receiving end of from her. We approached her to say hello and offer her a seat next to us. She refused, and, didn't even acknowledge me. Her face was flush and she was angry and visibly stressed. After the show my husband asked if she and the kids wanted to join us for dinner. She declined and said she was going out with my husband's ex. Again, not looking me in the eye, zero acknowledgement. I have to insert here that I was dressed nice, donned some heals, had a fresh haircut and did my makeup. (pretty fancy for a simple gal like me). I was wearing a flattering trench style long jacket that really made my waist look small. Right before we left the dance hall I was leaving the ladles room and my husband said he saw Shelby eyeing me from behind, surveying my new shape with her eyes. I went to dinner that night feeling a huge victory. A vain one- yes. But ooooh sometimes these things just feel so good. To come down to earth, I do have a muffin top from hell that if Shelby saw she would laugh in pure delight. I hide it well- but would LOVE to figure out how to lose! With rapid weight loss I am getting that skin, so I am trying to find ways to reduce it.

Congratulations!!! That is a great milestone and feeling :-)

My Football playoff food! Shrimp & cocktail sauce, snap peas, cheese, apple sausage, and Greek yogurt dip. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Dashofpixiedust8, This is going to come off old-fashioned but it's my perspective. If you become interested in a guy and he feels the same, I would take it slow and get to know each other very, very well before intimacy. Talk about your history, and how you have come a long way to be heathy. If he is really into you, he's not going to give a crap about loose skin. Just my 2 cents!

You look amazing, and way to go on such incredible progress! 150 lbs? You got that in bag, girl. I bet you will surpass that goal easily.

I might be in the minority but I really didn't have much gas pain at all.

Wow! What a transformation! You look incredible, and what an adorable smile in your last pic. Truly inspiring!

Tonight was baked cod with curry coconut sauce: Last night, Ahi Poke from Whole Foods

@@proudgrammy Muffin top= that roll of skin that hangs over your jeans. lol! It afflicts more than just WLS people. in fact if you look at the website "people of Walmart" you'll see some gals proudly sporting theirs!

Ha! Love this reply So cool that you have reached your goal and maintained!! And yeah, haters will watch and wait for regain. Congrats on your success!!

I think that is a good idea about getting a personal trainer's ideas to target the midsection. Thanks for the advice! Amen to that!

Awesome advice. I have heard about staying well hydrated. Also I purchased some vitamin E creams. Hopeful!

Thanks Jenn1! Yes, the future with her will be interesting to say the least! I'm glad to hear that the shape-wear will work more as I lose more. I highly doubt I would ever be able to afford plastics so I will be donning the Spandex.

Congrats!! It's so fun and enjoyable getting back to "real life" again- modified, healthy and small- but real food! And the Lobster Bisque at Red Lobster....OMG amazingly good!

@@Dub "Don't be afraid to redefine the term 'love'. Food is simply fuel, not worthy of this term.." This may be the most valuable two sentences I've read in relation to my journey and relationship with food. Thanks for posting this.

Regardless of whether or not the restaurant was right in charging the fee (they have the right), the way the management handled the situation was outright rude and not good customer service. Anyone who owns a business and wants repeat customers would have handled the situation apologetically and with some grace, even if they stuck to their guns. There literally would have been no harm in the manager apologizing about the misunderstanding and even offering to take the $3 off. That would have probably ensured that the OP would have returned with a good feeling, repeat business. Now, because the management was so stringent on $3, the OP will not return and also let lots of people know. BAD judgment on the management's part.

I like to think of the loss of my old way of eating as losing a bad relationship. Breaking up with a toxic lover. I now have a great relationship with food. And within this one I am getting healthier and enjoying life, no longer being controlled and dictated by the old, addictive bad one. When you are healed it is technically OK to eat a little bit of what you once loved. But from all the testimonies and stories here, it is likely you won't really enjoy it nearly as much. And you for certain will not be able to eat as much of it. Letting go of what once comforted you is a mental challenge, but surgery is an amazing tool to allow that to happen.

I rarely leave the store without yogurt, cheese, Vitamin Water zero and cashews!

CW: 181 Surpassed goal by 7lbs! ???? Thank you for this challenge, and all the work you did. Much appreciated!!

Oh my goodness!! You look terrific! Congratulations on such an amazing job! And in 4 months!

If your fridge looks like this: Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The sleeve (as well as other WLS), is not "not eating". You have to eat. especially Protein. So someone might ask "why don't you just eat a lot less and make sure its got protein? The answer to that is because it's virtually impossible to diet like that for life. Maybe for a few weeks or even months but not lifelong. The sleeve takes away the large portion of the stomach so that you can't and won't even want to eat more. Heck, if it was as easy as "just not eating that much" then wouldn't we all do that? So I guess thats how I would answer that to those who ask that (seemingly naive) question that people ask you.