Hit Onderland & 50 Lbs Lost All At Once!

[Fusilli66 22]

I haven't posted alot in a while, not since maybe a few weeks after my surgery. But I felt compelled to share my story because I am so happy and I want to give hope to those who need it. I was one of those. I needed hope because I had none, until today. I am 45 years old, 5'5", mother, wife, and I have been obese for just about all of my adult life. I wasn't always obese. I was actually a thin child and a thin but shapely teenager. It wasn't until my 20's when the weight piled on. It started with the bliss of being married (when I was 21) and continued throughout motherhood. I gained most of my weight after my first son was born. From there it just ballooned up and up over the years and I hovered around 225 for most of the years. In January 2001 I started Weight Watchers and it was the only actual success I had over the years. I started at 220 and by September I was down to 180. It took me 9 months to lose 40 lbs. I live in New York and on 9/11/01 I stopped going to WW, stopped caring, and rapidly put all the weight and then some back on. In the last 10 years I was close to 250. I never actually got to that dreaded number (not at least where I actually saw the number on a scale, I avoided that by avoiding scales for many years). So I probably did hit 250 or so at some point. When I started this journey around this past January, the scale said 249 so that is the number I go by.

When I say I had no hope, I really mean that. I never believed I would ever see this day. I didn't believe the surgery would be approved by my insurance company. Even when they did approve it, I kept expecting them to change their mind. Every day leading up to the surgery I kept expecting the other shoe to drop. Didn't know what it was, but I was so unbelievable pessimistic about it. As the surgery day approached and I had to follow a 4 week liquid pre op diet, I thought I would die. I wanted to quit. I considered cancelling my surgery. I never in a million years thought I would be able to handle 4 weeks of liquid. I cried alot during those 4 weeks, had a breakdown or two, but I lived through it. The one thing I never thought would happen, and thankfully didn't, was complications from surgery. I knew if I got through the surgery, it would go well. I am generally in good health so I expected it to go as well as it did. A little bit of optimism in a pessimistic world I was living in. The one thing I really was worried about was that it wouldn't work. That I would lose really really slowly, or not at all.

So here I am, 10 weeks post op, and I have dropped 50 lbs. When I say 50 lbs, I count from where I was when I started. In actuality I lost 12 lbs. in the months leading up to surgery, I lost another 12 lbs on the 4 week pre op diet, and the rest has come off since the surgery. I just wanted that to be clear to you guys, but to me it doesn't matter how its sliced. I am still 50 lbs lighter than I was a year ago. Seeing the 199 on the scale this morning was indescribable. It is a feeling you can't get from anything. It's an old metaphor but it is so true - nothing has ever tasted as good as that felt!

So for all of you without hope, please have hope. It does happen, it can happen. It happened to me and I never ever thought it could. In the past 10 weeks I have had weeks where I gained a pound and weeks where I have lost only 1 pound (3 weeks in a row) then all of a sudden drop 4 or 5 lbs. It is frustrating but it does come off eventually. I shop in regular stores now. I am a 16 in pants (from a 20) and a regular XL in shirts. I cancelled my Lane Bryant charge card. I tuck shirts in. I wear leggings. I wear sexy bras. I don't feel like everyone is staring at me anymore. I like what I see in the mirror. I get out of bed in the morning and don't have any pain in my back or legs. I can breathe easier. I can run on a treadmill. I don't lose my breath walking up stairs. I still have some ways to go, but my life is infinitely better than it was.

Thank you to all of you on these boards who got me through some rough spots. I hope I can do the same for someone else today. Wishing you all the best and Happy Holidays! I got my Christmas present already and it is the best one I ever gave myself!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Excellent!! Youre doing really amazing things with your tool! Congrats too on graduating to regular sized clothing shops! I don't think this gets enough credit. BIG HUGS!

[Sleevie WonderLand 41]

Woo Hoo! Congratulations. I FEEL your excitement just by reading your post.

[keybold64 43]

How wonderful! Congratulations!

[sleeve 4 me 910]

I'm happy for you! Thanks for sharing! Congrats!!!!!!