emanomaly

My high weight right before I started my pre-surgery diet was 250 on the nose. The first pic is in December of last year, three months after surgery, which means I was down to about 200. I've lost a total of 110 pounds in the last year, which is crazy. Don't be fooled by the black tights- there's a pool of saggy and baggy skin under there. Still, I'm in awe of the difference. I spend a lot of time looking in the mirror- not out of vanity but because I really don't recognize the person I'm looking at. It's a trip. It's confusing and exciting and rewarding. I'm in my goal range and seem to have leveled out as far as weight loss, but my body keeps changing still. It's weird to have a whole new host of body image issues to deal with. I can still very much be the girl who is terrified of taking up too much space and being fat and uncomfortable and unhealthy, and seeing a small person in the mirror can be very jarring to the image I have of myself in my head. That is slowly adjusting as my body does, but I struggle with seeing myself as a different person. I am so glad I made this decision- I feel so much more confident and healthy, I'm more active and eat healthier food, my back doesn't hurt- it's great! At this point in my journey the mental hurdles are the biggest ones to overcome, and it's fascinating to see how my mind tries to assimilate the knowledge of this "new me."

I lost like 60 pounds in the first three or four months, then it just kind of stalled out for a month or so. Then bam it just plummeted again. If anything my dietary habits have constantly improved so I don't know what caused the stall, but give it time! Don't get discouraged by what you have left to lose or how long it will take. Look at how far you've come and celebrate that!!!

I haven't told anyone about my surgery, so, I don't know that I can say anything on that. But generally everyone has treated me positively. My friends have watched me drop and gain 75 pounds at a time over the years, so they're probably used to it. No one has ever seen me drop 110 pounds though, and at this point the only weirdness I get is occasional concern that I'm getting too skinny.

Being able to go on a strenuous hike with my fit brother and his girlfriend was big! I went from a 20 to a 6. My low was always a size 10/12 when I yo-yoed, which meant I had a lot of "reserve" clothes for when I lost weight. I go to the thrift store constantly now because I can't afford an entire new wardrobe of smaller clothes- the victory for me is that it is so much easier to find stylish small clothes than size 20 clothes at the thrift store, so I walk out with awesome stuff now!

It's super weird not to spend all day planning all the crap I'm gonna eat next! My entire perspective on food has changed. I'm almost four months out and sometimes I just forget to eat. On really busy days, sometimes, I'll get ready for bed and be like "oh shit i need food" lol. If you'd told me five months ago that I'd go from thinking about food all day every day to frequently having to remind myself to eat, I would never have believed you. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was actually encouraged to eat red meat after I got to stage three because my Dr wanted me to take in as much Protein as possible. I started out with flakey fish and moved on to chicken then to red meat over the course of a few weeks. It is definitely a learning curve. I have to take tiny bites and chew extremely thoroughly, or it gets stuck. Took me a while to get it right. Pros: I've noticed that after I eat meat I do feel full longer. Cons: pretty much if I eat meat with anything else at all (veggies etc) or overconsume by even a bite, I am guaranteed to get horribly nauseaus for a half hour afterwards. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I weigh obsessively too. And it seems like it just stays the same for four or five days then BOOM I'm down another 3-5 pounds. Don't weigh yourself too often if it worries you. Or, if you're like me and can't stop... weigh at the same time every day in roughly the same clothes (I weigh in the morning in my underwear)... your weight fluctuates a lot during the day due to food and Fluid intake so weighing in the morning before you've eaten or drank helps give you a more accurate base line. And.... focus on the long-term trends rather than the day to day fluctuations, those are natural :-) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm almost four months out and have gone from 250 to 190. My friends and family started noticing and commenting somewhere around the 50 pound mark. I started feeling a difference in breathing and mobility a while ago, but it's only now at -60 pounds that I feel like I actually LOOK any different at all. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Nobody knows about mine expect my parents. It's actually been surprisingly easy. People comment on my weight loss but no one really ever notices that I eat teeeny meals and even then usually have leftovers. I just tell everyone that I'm on a diet that involves very small portion control and eating more frequently throughout the day (which is mostly true). I don't think at the time I would have been comfortable letting people know. I was very ashamed of my weight and ashamed of seeking medical intervention. Almost four months out though, I can honestly say it's one of the best decisions I've made for myself, and I don't beat myself up for having it done. Maybe someday I will tell people but for now, it's something I did for myself to make a better me, and that's good enough. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App