Selina333

I did it! Made it to Onederland. Feel relieved but not losing my focus! Also had to buy some new clothes already! Pants were sagging. Yay! Ahhhh! I'm so glad I got here! 198.4. :::sigh::: Haven't been here since probably 2014. Long time! I just want to keep going. I keep changing my final goal though. How will I even know what I want? Been heavy since age 3.5 years old. How did you choose a goal weight? I go between 124 and 140. LOL. I'm 5'3". I have been 155 before as an adult but still felt big around my belly and hips so need to definitely go further. Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this! 💗

Welcome and congrats on your decision to have surgery! And for joining here. These peeps have answered so many questions for me. There is a wealth of knowledge here! Having surgery has been great for me. Had mine Dec 2 last year so it's only been a few months and I'm down 45 lbs. Yay! Yes, in hindsight, I'd have done this before if I could have really afforded it. Insurance now pays for it on our plan so I got it! Was so happy! I'm sure I could have saved up for it but with 3 kids years all in sports, etc years ago I would never have used the money for me. I love them all so much. What I had was theirs. 💗 Proud of them all. All hard-working, law-abiding adults except my daughter who will be a JR in high school this fall and she works part-time and gets to school on time every day. 😊 Time sure has flown by! I miss them being little. 😞 Anyway! So happy for you. I would much rather do this than take any drug! Glad you are pursuing it! Keep us updated on when you have surgery, etc. I know you'll do great!! 😍

Thank you, girlie!! I'm so super excited!! Finallyyyyyyy. LOL! I feel so much better than at 244. Worlds apart! This has been my first goal for so many years. Getting under 200. Years ago I went from 277 to 177 by getting in 10k steps a day and eating very clean. Then slowly gained over many years. Then I got down to 200.6 from 2021 to 2022 and had been 265 lbs. (But lost 100 twice and over 60lbs 3 times in my life. Always came back though.) This time I started at 244 and now am around 198, didn't weigh today. But NEVER going back to the 200s. NEVER. It's too hard to lose and when I gain it's just fat usually and makes me feel weaker. And I know I lose some muscle every time I lose. But muscle is hard to gain. Not good. So as long as I eat under what I burn I'm good! Forever! And it's much, much, much easier with the surgery than ever was before when I lost. Always felt hungry. I do now sometimes even if I'm full but eating 3 bites, I imagine anyone would feel hungry still. But working a lot more now on purpose too. It's helping A LOT! Staying busy is the best thing! I read that action is the best antidote to anxiety!! And it's very true. 💗

Hi! Yesss. I'm making sure to get protein but it seems very hard to get to 60 grms daily. Not room for anything! I don't like feeling overfull so just small amounts 3 times a day and the rest of the time it's waterrrr. LOL! I definitely want it to just be my lifestyle, which now it totally is. I eat clean 98% of the time and mostly one ingredient foods, like just grapefruit or cucumbers. Or just some grilled chicken. Seems to be working well for me. Sugar and junk doesn't feel right in my belly. Ha, needed that to happen YEARS ago! LOL! But ah well, it's this way now and I'm grateful. Thank you for your advice. I am 51 so very aware that as I lose I'll look older but I'll just save up for a facelift in my 60s! LOL! Some of them look wonderful. Totally worth it to feel better in my last phase of this life. You only live once! I want it to be fun! My husband is supportive either way so I'm thankful for that and for him. He's been great through everything. And he's changed his eating habits along with me. Helps me a lot! And he's lost 30 lbs on his own. He's at the gym now. LOL! But I am here waiting for our grocery order to arrive. I do love leg day though. And we swim and go into the sauna when we go. Feels awesome after working out! I need to gain muscle. Men gain it so easily! I'm so jealous of that. Blah! Well anyway, so I'll see how I look in my face etc if I get pretty small. Will decide if I should gain a little. I was ok at 155 but still big around my belly. No likey. So for sure planning for normal BMI and somewhere between 124 and 134 lbs most likely. Thanks again!

Thank you! And I love that I finally should be able to eventually get to a comfortable weight and balance everything well enough, with trial and error, to stay there. Thanks for all the good info. I'm going to remember to be flexible! 💗

I've noticed my stomach likes to talk to me after I eat. Just can hear it like, digesting?? LOL! My husband has heard it standing next to me too! We just laughed! But should I expect this to be this way forever? Could be embarrassing if it were to happen when I'm with a client! 😬But luckily, I rarely eat right before I'm working with someone. Also, do raw veggies bother you at all? Sometimes baby carrots don't feel great but I love raw things because I'm on the go so much. Baked ones do better for me but have to eat them cold during the day and with a fork. I am usually in my car eating unless I do in the morning or evening. And wanted to ask about protein shakes. I almost cannot makes myself even drink half of one lately. So having grilled chicken most dinners and eggs sometimes. I can't mix anything into those. I drink water only lately. Thanks for any insight on these things! I hope you have the most glorious of Wednesdays!! 😍

LOL! Yes. So annoyinggg. 😄

That's awesome! Congratulations!!

Congrats on 10 years! I think we all will have ups and downs our whole lives! Just life! I too was 277 at my highest ever. Lost 100 lbs before and 60 lbs three times, and 20 and 30 lbs several times and it always came back slowly over the next few years. So I got the sleeve done Dec 2 last year and have gone from 244 at start of liquids before surgery to 202.4 today. Almost to Onederland! I love all the tips you shared. Snacking and drinking calories are DEFINITELY culprits to regaining our weight! I bring divided out grapefruit every day lately if I do want something. Or berries or cucumbers. And I've been drinking water during the week and add in my tea and coffee on the weekends usually. But I use Stevia. I was divorced a few years back also and remarried and my husband is pre-diabetic. He doesn't eat sugar now so that helps me too. 🙂 He eats healthier than I do since he found that out too. Determined to not become diabetic. He eats baked fish, grilled shrimp, spinach and cabbage, etc. LOL! He's got some great willpower. You and I seem to have lots in common! But I don't like beer. LOL! It's probably better for me though than pina coladas, which are my fave! LOL! I haven't had one in a year or longer. And just had surgery about 3 months ago. You can tell I hardly drink at all. 🤣 I am so glad to know restriction stays! Some people say it fades. I'm glad it doesn't! Hopefully we can continue to lose and get to a weight we are happy with this year! 💗

Wow, in your back? Yeah, must be because you are small now. And neat, 6 years out! I would love to have had mine that long ago! I'd be normal weight by now. I'm presently inching my way to Onederland. So excited! Oh! I think I sent you a message the other day. Did I?

Haha how cute. Yes, sounds like it's normal then. Good to know! Thanks!

You are doing great! Congrats!

Ok! Thank you. So glad it's normal. I usually only hear it several minutes after I've eaten. Like I guess the food is settling in or something? Lol! Yes. I had trouble getting in water at first. Doing much better now. Feel better and not as hungry also because of that so it's very true, I feel hungry when I'm just thirsty. And I think I'll start cooking my veggies. Except cucumbers have been fine and I love them. Grapefruit is good and works well for me too. I need to get yogurt again. Soft foods help. Thank you for sharing. My weight is going down again finally and determined to pay close attention ans keep good habits and continue all the way to my goal. And beyond. I want to build muscle as much as I can so doing tension bands and kettle bells. Just want to be healthier all around by the end of this year. Just will do what I can. No one is perfect. ☺️💗

Yesss!!! I know that felt good! Congrats on taking the chance and seeing what your body can do! 🤩

Hi. I had surgery on Dec 2, 2024, one week before I turned 51. And same, wish I had done it sooner. I've seen that many our age and older have done this. I'm excited for what this year will hold for me! I'd love to hit my goal weight by Dec. 31, 2025!

Oh wow!! You look great! I know you feel lots better too. So excited that one day I'll get there too. Congratulations!! I'm going to go follow you!!

So happy for you! This is my next goal as well! To be in Onederland. Hopefully soon. I'm at 206.2. I always feel better once I'm in the 100s again. This time I'm doing everything I can to NEVER go to 200 again in my life! Done this too many times over 35 years of my life. No more. That's why I got surgery. Hoping it's what will help me keep the bulk of my weight GONE! My highest was 277 years ago and I lost 100 lbs. and sure enough over the years following that I slowly let it come back on. Can't do that anymore! I'm 51 and don't want this battle in my life anymore! Congratulations for getting there! I know how good that feels! 😍

I needed to hear this today! I'm losing around 3 lbs a week since sleeve was done Dec. 2. But went out of town to see my mom and sibs and drank her sweet tea and ate nibbles of things I normally don't now and I'm up in weight. Was 204.2 and now I'm 206.2. (On my phone right now but will change my ticker soon! 206 is better than 215! Lol!) Frustrating! I didn't eat much as I still feel extremely restricted but I think the sugar must cause inflammation and salt always makes me hold water weight. So I'm happy to be back home and working a lot and eating my grapefruit, cucumbers and protein shake, etc. daily. Hopefully I can begin going back down this week. So close to Onederland! Thanks for sharing this. Goes to show just how fast it CAN come back on us. I've lost and gained lots over the years. Hoping this surgery was the tool I needed to help me get my weight down and keep it there. At this point I'd be thrilled just to get to and stay at 199 forever. LOL! But my goal is much lower. But once I get into the 100s I know I always FEEL better. So I'm looking forward to that milestone!

Hello! Just wanted to say hello and thank you all for sharing all that you do and tell you it helped me so much during this process. I may not have written much but just seeing your before and after pics often helped keep me motivated and happy I was getting surgery. I feel ok. Just need more ways to get protein in that I can stomach. My tastes have changed SO MUCH! It's crazy. LOL. Like I woke up in someone else's body. Haha. Amber said to do coffee with collagen and protein shake so will start that soon. I kinda just don't want anything at all sometimes. But get some bites in daily. I've haven't thrown up at all. I hate to so I stop when I'm near full if I do eat something I like a lot. But nothing is that appealing. I do get hungry though. Some say they never do. Or rarely. So just maybe not feeling satisfied by what I'm eating but everything tastes very different now. LOL! But will keep going and it'll work itself out. I was cleared to begin weights now. (Had hiatal hernia repaired so was not allowed to for 6 weeks.) So I went today and am writing down the days I go and if I do my list of tasks... hand weights, machines, treadmill, etc, and all of what I listed for leg day and then tomorrow is upper body day, then I check it off. So far I still love grapefruit and cucumbers and my tea with Stevia and lemon. Lol! I am enjoying reading up on here. I hope to have time to keep coming in here to read. Will be working more hours starting tomorrow so will see. But feel free to message me any time. And I'll respond when I'm on here! Have a great day!! 🤗

Thank you! And yes, everyone here has a wealth of knowledge so I'm loving being able to come and read and also ask questions here. The people are great! 💗🤗

Oh wow! Thank you for sharing! I love seeing before and after pics because I'm 6 weeks post-surgery and I want more results and feel impatient but I know it takes time. I'm down almost 30 lbs since beginning pre-op liquids. So you give me hope that I can get there too. I know you feel so much better! That's what I want. More energy and less pain. My rt hip gives me trouble so less weight will help. Hopefully! Well congrats again! You are inspiring me today!! 😍

I'm sorry I haven't replied until now. Just got on here yesterday and wasn't on my computer so couldn't see everything well. My life has been so so busy since I first came on here! I had 14 dietitian appointments and other visits while working extra to help my clients get ready for Christmas then surgery was on Dec. 2. So just been crazy. Just now on regular foods. Having trouble with liquids and protein myself. Making tuna salad meal prepping this evening for tonight and tomorrow. Tuna and eggs helps. And I'm getting better at drinking all day but wasn't before and was struggling a lot. I always drank a lot when I ate food so this is a whole new world for me. And also I've noticed my tastes have changed so much! Have yours?

Hi yall! I found out after my endoscopy my tentative surgery date is Nov 21! So excited to have the sleeve done. I've been seeing soooo many success stories on YouTube. I watch them every day. So encouraging that they changed their habits and many are 1, 3, 5 years out, etc. Great to see!! Wishing you all the best!!!

@ShoppGirl Hey it was here on the bottom. An open reply box. Hope this works! Thanks for the info!!

I pushed the plus sign. But ended up clicking quote because I don't see how to reply without the quote. Hmm.. I promise I'll get all this down! I need to be here! Just wanted to say thank you for trying to show me how these things work. I tried responding from my phone earlier and it wasn't doing right so I came to my laptop when I got home. Also I wasn't able to fill out my starting weight etc. So going to try to do that from my laptop too. And I realize I should have made a post to introduce myself, right? I said most everything on this responding to Amber though. LOL!! And it's nice to meet all of you for real! Thanks for all advice! Have a nice weekend! But when I have time I'll be popping in here. Super busy lately with work and still moving in. We moved last month and lots of pics aren't hung and all that. And I'm a Realtor and have been busier than normal! But that's good! I also am a personal assistant for 3 separate clients during the week. And I am home now, doing laundry and swept my whole house. LOL! Always something, right? I recently joined the Philatelic Society as I am a stamp collector and our annual show is this weekend so I'm excited to go and meet some members who will be at our monthly meetings and also experience a stamp show for the first time. Yay! (yes. I'm super nerdy and I love books and history, etc. LOL!) I was reading all of your little details of where you are now, what type of surgery, etc. I am going now to try to add mine. Thanks for having me. I have friends and family who are supporting me in this but they've not gone through it. Some cousins did. And they did ok. But I don't live near them and they did their's years ago. Just don't want to bug them I guess. So thanks again!!