How did you document your weight loss journey?

[MisforMimi 760]

My first consult appointment with the surgeon is Friday!!!

And trying to decide how to document my process.

What did you do?

Blog?

Vlog?

Written Journal?

Facebook? You main page or a private group?

Pictures?

Instagram?

Flipogram?

Weilos?

Bariatric Pal only?

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

I didn't take before pictures but I kind of wish I had.

I just post here. I also keep a little electronic note of dates and weight. Also dates and fills and fill level.

I use MyFitnessPal and FitBit but I don't blog there.

Good luck !

[James Marusek 5,244]

I took a photograph (swimsuit) before surgery and then one 6 months after surgery. I tried to duplicate the same location and body position so that it was a direct one-to-one comparison. The effect was very dramatic. The photo is posted on the internet at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Operation.jpg

I also wrote a short article about my experience with bariatric surgery and posted it on my website at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

[AvaFern 3,516]

I took pictures every 10 pounds, wrote my weight down each morning in a calendar, tracked my progress on MyFitnessPal, and have kept a spreadsheet of my measurements. In the past when I lost weight it helped me to have pictures of what I looked like at every size. I'm now down to the lowest I was in any of my other previous pictures, so when I woke up this morning and had somehow gained 3 pounds overnight despite eating perfectly yesterday, I think about how almost 100 pounds ago I would have given anything to look the way I looked in the pictures where I weighed what I do now. Keeping track of everything helps to put it all in perspective later on down the road.

[BeagleLover 1,020]

I took a photograph (swimsuit) before surgery and then one 6 months after surgery. I tried to duplicate the same location and body position so that it was a direct one-to-one comparison. The effect was very dramatic. The photo is posted on the internet at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Operation.jpg

I also wrote a short article about my experience with bariatric surgery and posted it on my website at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

So glad to see such improvement AND all the serious health concerns that are now GONE!!!

[JamieLogical 8,708]

I took photos pre-op. Will probably take progress pictures every 30 pounds or so. I track my weight every week in a spreadsheet and all of my measurements every month in a different spreadsheet. I also track my food and fitness on SparkPeople.

[labwalker 1,177]

I use an archaic on line program called FitDay... I've been using it for for many years, and it provides a good record of my previous weight losses and successes. What is interesting is being able to go back and see when I had managed to loss 70 pounds, and then see the weight come back when the colder weather came (no longer to go for long walks, etc.)

I still use it, and now it shows a good steady weight loss since I had the surgery... there are plateaus, but no backsliding. I also track what I eat, watching calories and protein; and I do a daily weight log. I've always worked in technical fields, and being a bit nerdy I tend to like to document things.

[Healthy_life2 8,324]

My husband took photos of me the day of surgery and every month after. I track in my fitness pal. I love to see my progress chart.

[Rovobay 920]

as a private person, I only communicate on here. I will take photos every month on the 10th (surgery date). and record weight too at home on a spreadsheet. wish I had a photo of my HW at 321.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

I took a photograph (swimsuit) before surgery and then one 6 months after surgery. I tried to duplicate the same location and body position so that it was a direct one-to-one comparison. The effect was very dramatic. The photo is posted on the internet at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Operation.jpg

I also wrote a short article about my experience with bariatric surgery and posted it on my website at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

James, I am a bander but your story helped me a lot. There is much to learn there. Congratulations on your amazing success!

[PinkPolkadot619 337]

I am doing a scrap book as I go.

[finediva 979]

I took a photograph (swimsuit) before surgery and then one 6 months after surgery. I tried to duplicate the same location and body position so that it was a direct one-to-one comparison. The effect was very dramatic. The photo is posted on the internet at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Operation.jpg

I also wrote a short article about my experience with bariatric surgery and posted it on my website at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Hello, what an amazing transformation. I just read your article. So honest and informative. I will try some of the Soup recipes. Thanks for sharing.

[MisforMimi 760]

I didn't take before pictures but I kind of wish I had.

I just post here. I also keep a little electronic note of dates and weight. Also dates and fills and fill level.

I use MyFitnessPal and FitBit but I don't blog there.

Good luck !

With that kind of success, I know you do wish you had before pics! Thanks!

[MisforMimi 760]

I took a photograph (swimsuit) before surgery and then one 6 months after surgery. I tried to duplicate the same location and body position so that it was a direct one-to-one comparison. The effect was very dramatic. The photo is posted on the internet at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Operation.jpg

I also wrote a short article about my experience with bariatric surgery and posted it on my website at

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

James, I was so moved by the earnestness of your story and your willingness to be so exacting in your process. I will be following some of your recipes to a "T"! Thank you for sharing your story. I bet those grand-kids are getting a real kick out of their now "spry" grandpa!

[Dr-Patient 830]

I WISH I'd taken many pictures before surgery, but I only had a few. I'd suggest definitely taking some photos now, before WLS. See post here: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/310322-are-you-pre-wls-take-pictures-now/. I also wish I'd taken measurements pre-op. My first measurements were 2 weeks post-op. Do it now as a baseline.

--I only post and read messages here at BP.

--I keep a small [5.5" x 7.5"] notebook on my bathroom countertop and I weigh every day, or every other day, and record numbers in columns: Date/POD#/Wt. At the end of each month's mark (my surgery was Dec 4th), I might tally my weight loss for that month. Oh, that notebook has my SW and date noted somewhere in the beginning. Also, on the back pages of the previous logging page, I sometimes have notations about [whatever--NSVs; potato chips I ate; how much I "danced, and wow, look," etc.] So the notations are opposite the page for the curent weights/dates.

--Every month (or two), I measure myself: Neck, breasts, waist, abdomen, hips, rt/lft thigh. And just last week I added measurements of my ankle and a wrist. I want to see the tally of pounds and inches at one year.

Edited October 9, 2014 by Dr-Patient