juliarh

That's awesome Chilo!!! Don't you love it when people do double takes? You can literally see the shock in their eyes! LOVE IT!!

Hooray Coops!!! Doing the happy dance with you!! You're such an inspiration -- you've never given up despite facing weeks of stall -- I'm so happy and so proud of you -- you really truly are an inspiration -- keep up the fantastic work!

LeslieH!! You're in Onderland!!! Happy dance, happy dance!!! Congratulations!

It would be nice to hear about people who have had their stomachs removed for other reasons too -- maybe cancer or ulcers?? Maybe there's some research on how their smaller stomachs have reacted with time . . ..

My surgeon told me one of his patients gained back all her weight because she ate slider foods non-stop. She's still morbidly obese, apparently. (Even the nurses at the hospital talked about her!) So it was my warning not to let myself slide (no pun intended) down that slippery slope -- I've got this real fear of slowly allowing slider foods and slowly gaining weight. Yikes!

Actually, in Latin America, I think that the sodas are sweeter than the US. But the thing about living in this area of the country is that more of the food that people eat is prepared at home -- it's not pre-made and then just heated up like we do in the States. They incorporate more fresh fruit and veggies too -- the processed food (other than McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hut) just isn't as big a deal here -- and the portion sizes are normal, not the gigantic ones in the States. . . .

Congrats on the weight loss so far, Pam! I'm with you on the hair loss -- I still have my long hair, and I haven't gotten to the point where you can see scalp yet (I have super thick hair -- or maybe I should say had) so I'm waiting to see if it gets terrible . . . where did you buy your wigs?? I guess I should start thinking about that possibility - sigh.

Hi Barb -- prior to my surgery, I lost 18 pounds and promptly regained it all in the hospital with the IVs -- I don't think I lost a substantial amount of weight until 2 weeks out -- your body is still swollen and sore from the surgery, so you have to give it time to heal. Just keep up with your liquids and I PROMISE you will start to lose. Frankly, if you follow the diet from your dr., there is no way you can't lose. So chin up, you'll get there!

Congratulations Mini Me -- I have always enjoyed reading your posts, but this one is the best one by far. I feel so much like you and I am thrilled that you still feel that way a year out. Your journey has made my journey that much easier and that much more enjoyable. Thank you so much for everything you give to us Hugs!

SN................Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.....Lbs to Goal Avilda......................275.................187..............177..............10 BlackBerryJuice.........208..........149..............145..............4 Brendasgonnalose...335............233..............225..............8 bugwitch......................291...........291...............283..........8 Cherice95405.......248............... 177............ 164..............13 Chilo1.....................216................160...............154..............6 Cludgie................235................220...............209..............11 Coops ...................238................191...............177...............14 Cwalker.................250.................180..............170...............10 Daisy......................237.................138.............130...............8 DJackson..............229.................222..............215.............7 HollyW...................259..................233............215..............18 Ibejjo.....................249..................249............229................20 Juliarh...................230..................219..............215...........4 Kimmes................239..................222..............200............22 Kgremmy.............225.................210..............199..............11 Laylasmojo.........242.................180...............170..............10 LeslieH..................212..................212.............199..............13 LilMissDiva...........235................226.............220...............6 livelovelaugh.. ...236............ ....207........ .....189..............18 Mellifrits...............210.................132..............125..............07 Meriteri................240...................187.............170...............17 MichelleLee..........252..................222................199..............23 MINI-Me...............203..................124.6............125..............0 & holding! mlr777...........200.8...........174.6............160.............14.6 Mommy2Girls.......275.................240..............228..............12 Moniluv.................190.................190..............178..............12 MRSKOUBIK........317..................266.............255..............10 pattimomof3nj......203.4..............160.9..........155...........5.9 PlannerGirl………..…327…..……..…..266……..……..255…………..11 Sailorgirl.................240.................220..............200..........20 Secret Surgery34..........205.........174...........165...........9 Seniorsleever........290.................279.............260............19 Sleeve 4 me.........166..................162.............156...............6 Sweatinitout..........245................170..............160...............10 tlang262 - Texas.....240..............240..............230..............10 Yolanda240...........236.................203..............170..............33

Hi all -- I wanted to pop in and say how it's really important to keep our weight loss in perspective -- sometimes when we're in the trenches, it's hard to see the overall great things we're doing and have accomplished. Here's my YouTube video I just posted about it:

Thanks Diva -- actually, I'm not that upset -- I'm more determined!! damn it! I'm not gonna let the scale dictate how well I do on this journey!

they are awesome, aren't they? they really made me understand why refined/processed carbs and potatoes and rice are not good for us (especially those of us who are already obese). I can't recommend these videos more!

My longest stall was 3 weeks -- no change in anything. It was hard. That was around Thanksgiving last year. But, then I lost a bunch. And guess what? I just gained 2 pounds after doing everything right. So, looks like I might be headed into another stall. Oh well. You know it's just the body fighting back -- it doesn't realize that we're trying to be healthier -- it's job is to maintain the weight (or gain it) in case of famine. Right now, the body thinks I'm in the middle of a famine. I figure if I keep doing what is right eventually it will come off. Now it might not come off as fast as I want, but it definitely will come off. The great thing about the sleeve is that I will outlast any defenses my body puts up -- I don't have to worry about regaining as with the RNY, I don't have to worry about fighting hunger urges like with the band. I have the sleeve which limits my food and makes me not want to eat!! Hurray!! So guess who's gonna win this weight battle?? yep, you know it!

Hi! I have 2 -- under my armpits (ugh) -- they do shrink a bit, but not much. My husband has one on his side on his rib cage and he's lost a bunch of weight and it really sticks out now. I've heard you can have them removed, but it's hard (they get intertwined with veins, etc.) I think the best thing, if you are serious about getting rid of them, is to talk to a dr. Or maybe wait until you're done losing weight and then have them excised along with any excess skin.

Well, I gained 2 pounds. I don't know how (did everything I was supposed to), didn't cheat, DID exercise, drank all my water, ate well. sigh. But you know what?? I'm not that upset (pissed at the bod, to be sure) but heck, I KNOW THAT IF I CONTINUE DOING WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO, MY BODY WILL RESPOND. So there, body. Go ahead, gain weight in the short term -- because you know what?? I will win in the long-term. ha!

I am a no bad carb person -- that means that I stay away from rice, potatoes, bread, sugar, chips, etc. I will have high Fiber crackers (Wasa crackers) which are cardboard like but help the digestion I try to include vegetables and fruits in what I eat -- but because I'm trying to hit between 60 and 80 grams of Protein, my fruits and veggies consumption is not that high. I really found the following YouTube video very interesting (it's in 10 parts) -- it really made me think about what we eat in our society today and why we are so consumed with eating refined sugar (it's in everything) -- I high recommend it: Science of Weight Loss and Fat Accumulation

Wow, that has to be one of the top NSVs of all time -- congrats!!!

Hey Meredith -- glad to have you join us!! You're already in onderland, congratulations!! Diva and I weigh in on Wednesdays (the day of my surgery), so you should see posts from us then

So sorry this has happened -- I hope you get better soon! will be keeping you in my prayers

Yay Irene!!! Doing the happy dance!! I'm soooo happy for you, my sleeve sister! The sleeve is making it disgustingly easy --

Wow!! Cherice, you are burning up that scale!! Incredible!! Congratulations!!

Tiff -- those are awesome photos, and the difference is astounding! Congrats!

I had coffee in the hospital! So go figure -- I think every dr's recommendation is different.

I think this is the perennial question -- does a person like us for us or for how we look? Do looks really matter? On a certain level they do, at least initially. But the real question, I think, becomes does this person care what I look like after the initial infatuation? And does it matter what I was in his/her perception of what I am now? I think I know what you mean, Globe. About 10 years ago, I lost 75 pounds and was under 200. I was thrilled and loved how I felt and looked. I was married and so the attention of other men wasn't important to me -- but I got it nonetheless and it was really uncomfortable because I had been fat all my adult life and didn't know how to adequately fend off unwanted attention. And then, too, I was pissed that all of a sudden I was getting attention when before, because I was fat, I was just a loud mouthed b**ch (or a woman who stuck up for herself). Like a lot of others here, I've been fortunate in that my husband has always loved me through thick and thin. But others' attention was not so consistent. And, frankly, that goes for a lot of females as well. After I lost the weight, a lot of females all of sudden wanted to be my friend because I was attractive enough to hang around. Prior to losing weight, I guess I wasn't. Still pisses me off to think of it. How do we know who likes us for us?? I think it becomes really obvious. You have to judge them on how they judge others -- do they stick up for those who have no one to battle for them? Are they empathetic? Do they try to put themselves in others' shoes? When presented with a situation in which they can choose to be nasty or choose to be kind, will they usually choose be kind? How do they talk about people behind their backs? Do they treat others as they would want to be treated?? It's hard, it's soooo scary. I remember when I had lost that weight and my boss's boss was in the elevator with me and had never said boo to me before and then all of a sudden he came on to me! I was stupefied -- I had never dealt with getting hit on as a married woman, much less by a superior. So I was mute. I guess now that I'm older I would have reacted differently. At least for me, the fat provided a form of emotional insulation -- most jerks didn't bother me, so I didn't have to deal with them. Now, it's gonna be a whole new adventure -- I think the answer lies in trusting our own instincts -- we know that there is more to a person than their size or their appearance. I think we just have to continue to be us, despite no insulation! Most importantly, if the guy can't understand where you've come from, how the hell is he supposed to understand where you need to go??