Soon2BMiniMommy

Phewie! I am SO afraid that this horrendous, horrible, never-ending stall is not really over and the scale is just teasing me.....I'm afraid to hope, since I lost so much hope over these last 8 weeks!
On February 4, I hit the 50-lb lost mark, after only 3.5 months out of surgery. I hit 252 from my high of 302. I was so ecstatic, but I wanted to get to 249 so bad....that is SUCH a major mental marker, to be under 250 - the lower half of the 200's and on my way to onederland.
Then, my body betrayed me I was literally STUCK at 252, 253, 252, 251, 252 for EIGHT FLIPPING WEEKS! The worst part was, I wasn't losing inches, either!!! I kept getting on here (but not contributing much, I was pretty down), and everyone's response to everyone else's stall was "but wait, measure yourself, I bet you're losing inches" and most were losing inches, even though the scale wasn't moving. But not my body, no way, no how. It was a nightmare. All the momentum and excitement and hope I had since way before the surgery depleted a little bit more week by week. I kept logically telling myself, 'you know this is temporary, you know this happens, you know you're not done losing weight, you know you will break this.' But no matter what, it still sucked me down into the vortex of self-doubt and blame. I kept telling myself 'you need more Protein, more Water, more exercise, less carbs, stand on your head, try the cabbage Soup diet, try this, don't do that, etc, etc,' back into the world of diet failures and worrying 'am i doing enough? am i eating too much, am I not trying hard enough?'. I kept checking on here and reading about stalls, thought I knew it all, used to tell people to 'relax, you know you'll lose, we all do - stalls don't last forever'. Kept reading about people's three day, four day, one week, two week, and even *gasp* FOUR week stalls. They just made me feel even worse since no seemed to ever hit a EIGHT week stall after THREE months of surgery. Criminey...what the hell was wrong with my body!!?? What have I done to ruin my surgery so soon! Yes, I don't always eat right, and yes, I don't always get my protein or water in, but dang.....EIGHT WEEKS! NO pounds and even more devastating, NO inches, either. All under 1000-1200 calories a day....is it even physically possible??
But fast forward to late last week. The scale went to 250.8. Had been at 250 before, no biggie. Then 250.4, then 250.6, then 250.2, then 251, then 250.0!! Are you kidding me!! Really!! Then 250.0 for THREE MORE DAYS....it hovered there, hovered, taunting me, laughing at me....not even an ounce to help me along....
I had even stopped weighing daily during this stall, only doing so once a week, which hurt even more, cause I was sure after trying with all my might to not weigh for a whole week I would lose....but no, waiting until Monday didn't work, only disappointed me worse.
Then, miraculously, this morning.....got up, went pee, stood on the scale. 249.8. Off the scale, rub eyes, step back on. 249.8. Repeat 8 times. Same reading. Could it be?? Finally? Broke the stall? On my way to onederland? Finally below 250!!
So scared to get excited and hopeful again. What if it's not over?? It did this once before. From 252, I got down to 250.8 once in late February, but then shot up to 253 the very next day....and never saw it again. Till last week.
Now......249.
So scared....but excited, but scared to be excited, too. Wish I could see just a week into the future to know if I really finally broke my stall or not....actually, scratch that....If I have a wish, I want to see a YEAR into the future to see if I ever even get to onederland!!
Sorry for the negative post....those that know me know I'm not usually like this...which is why I've been so absent lately.
Love you all.....and SO glad you are all here, and we are here for each other!! :wub:

I LOVE and eat chinese food a lot.....i LOVE moo goo gai pan (chicken and mushrooms) and also love chicken egg foo young! Lots of veggies and Protein. But, I can also handle rice/pasta just fine, so I also love me some chicken chow mein.....it's just not as good for you since it's full of noodles. I've found it's fun to try new things on the menu that I never tried before now that I know I shouldn't go for the fried stuff with sweet sauces (almond chicken, sweet and sour pork, general tso's chicken, fried rice, noodles, etc, that used to ALL be my favorite!). Don't get me wrong, I still steal bites of sweet and sour off my hubbies plate, but only one or two. Now I try to look for menu items that are mainly stir fried Protein with veggies....shrimp with pea pods I love. I wouldn't have eaten that before cause there was not much shrimp, lol (it was always about the quantity!)....now I don't care because I can't eat it all anyway! Oh, moo shu pork or chicken! The pancakes are so thin, and it's good without the pancakes, too! Again, more veggies and protein.
It's fun trying new things, things I wouldn't have tried before. And now, Chinese food lasts me DAYS if we order out or take home. I love having all those leftovers! Oh, mongolian beef is a good one, too! There are SO many options.....have fun experimenting!

I’ve noticed a lot of emphasis on post-op diets. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not a dietician and I am not telling anyone what they should and should not be eating. Instead I am offering my take on sleeve dieting.

Would most agree that we did not become overweight simply because of the type of food we ate, but rather the amount of foods we ate? I was nearly 140lbs overweight when I had my surgery. My problem was quantity. When I ate out I would eat 3 or 4 of everything. Seriously, when I ate out I would eat 10 tacos at Taco Bell, or an entire large pizza from Pizza Hut, or two Whoppers at Burger King or two 12” Subway sandwiches. If my wife made steaks for dinner I would have 3 of them.

I rarely ate Breakfast during the work week, but on weekends I would stuff myself with pastries. I would also tend to eat and watch TV until bedtime.

These are the things that got me, and I would suspect most people, into trouble. My new sleeve has changed all that. I physically CAN NOT eat foods in the same quantity as before. Thank the LORD! My meals are much, much smaller. This has required me to learn that breakfast and lunch are just as important as dinner.

As I mentioned in an earlier thread, I have no foods that are off limits. I eat mostly the same kind of foods I enjoyed before surgery. I just have to be smarter about it. The Proteins are eaten first in my meals, followed by other nutritionally dense foods. The carb rich stuff like breads is eaten last if my sleeve isn’t already full.

This was my Easter holiday meals:

For breakfast I had a Protein Shake.< /span>

After church my wife wanted to stop at McDonalds on the way home. I didn’t want to overindulge so I opted for a kids “Happy Meal”. It was 4 chicken nuggets, a kid fry and sugar free lemonade. It was less than 300 calories and I still got 10 grams of Protein out of this treat.

For dinner I used a rotisserie on my grill and smoked a whole chicken for the holiday. I had a drumstick and a small portion of a breast, about a ¼ cup of mashed potatoes with some gravy, 3 tablespoons of steamed broccoli, and a freshly made wheat roll. The chicken was eaten first followed by the broccoli and potatoes. I only had a nibble off the roll because I was full. This was not my typical meal, but it was a holiday so I intended to enjoy myself while having dinner with my family.

For desert I had a Cadbury egg.

The point I’m trying to make is that moderation is the key. I had a few things yesterday that are not typical for me, but a reward for 30 days post-op and a holiday. This morning I am back to my regular routine. I had a single serving of oatmeal with honey for breakfast and a “Lean Cuisine” 290 calorie entrée for lunch. My wife is making tacos for dinner. I will likely have a taco and ¼ cup of Spanish rice with salsa.

Don’t beat yourselves up by thinking you’ve “ruined” your diet because you ate something that perhaps is contrary to dieting guidelines. You can simply make up for it with a later meal. We are all eating less because of our wonderful new sleeves and hopefully we’re a lot more active than we used to be. These two things alone will encourage weight loss. Don’t get hung up on what you eat. Pay far more attention to how much you’re eating. Try to make the smartest food choices when choosing your main entrée. I’m down nearly 40lbs in the 30 days since my surgery and I eat what I want.

Let the flaming begin.

Yep, honey.....SO normal. We all went through that and had to 'mourn' our food and the way we used to eat. Mine hit a lot harder than I thought it would. I was REALLY surprised with how bad it messed with me, actually....thought I was prepared and ready. But, no, took about three months for it to go away, still there a little bit, but not NEAR what it was in the beginning. And it wasn't that strong for three months, it slowly diminishes. It will get better, Sweets, for sure. eh first couple months are pretty rough with all the physical healing we need to do, and also the emotional upheaval and mourning we need to go through! It's quite a life-changer, but you will come out on the other side so happy you did this!

Yeah...I think we all have felt like that. A little depressed that we can't eat what everyone else is eating. This is a strong feeling immediatly after surgery up until you can start eating solids again. I know it's a real feeling and I don't want to diminish that, but really the hunger you are feeling is head hunger. Part of us deciding to do this surgery is to help us change our lifestyles. Most of us (not all) were addicted to food. I never thought I was, but I know I was now. We get depressed because food where we went for our comfort. Now we don't have that. We have to find something to replace it. Some people choose to exercise. Some choose athletics. Some choose riding motercycles or sewing or quilting or cleaning or...you get the idea. Replace that void with something you enjoy. It is depressing now, but I promise it will pass. Stay open someone you can talk to. This place is a great place for encouragement too. Prayin' for ya.
Hope you are okay from all of the tornadoes. I work right by the airport and the Arlington tornado was heading right for us before it died down. My car didn't do so good. Two weeks old and has golfball sized divots all over from the hail. Oh well. We are safe!

Phewie! I am SO afraid that this horrendous, horrible, never-ending stall is not really over and the scale is just teasing me.....I'm afraid to hope, since I lost so much hope over these last 8 weeks!
On February 4, I hit the 50-lb lost mark, after only 3.5 months out of surgery. I hit 252 from my high of 302. I was so ecstatic, but I wanted to get to 249 so bad....that is SUCH a major mental marker, to be under 250 - the lower half of the 200's and on my way to onederland.
Then, my body betrayed me I was literally STUCK at 252, 253, 252, 251, 252 for EIGHT FLIPPING WEEKS! The worst part was, I wasn't losing inches, either!!! I kept getting on here (but not contributing much, I was pretty down), and everyone's response to everyone else's stall was "but wait, measure yourself, I bet you're losing inches" and most were losing inches, even though the scale wasn't moving. But not my body, no way, no how. It was a nightmare. All the momentum and excitement and hope I had since way before the surgery depleted a little bit more week by week. I kept logically telling myself, 'you know this is temporary, you know this happens, you know you're not done losing weight, you know you will break this.' But no matter what, it still sucked me down into the vortex of self-doubt and blame. I kept telling myself 'you need more Protein, more Water, more exercise, less carbs, stand on your head, try the cabbage Soup diet, try this, don't do that, etc, etc,' back into the world of diet failures and worrying 'am i doing enough? am i eating too much, am I not trying hard enough?'. I kept checking on here and reading about stalls, thought I knew it all, used to tell people to 'relax, you know you'll lose, we all do - stalls don't last forever'. Kept reading about people's three day, four day, one week, two week, and even *gasp* FOUR week stalls. They just made me feel even worse since no seemed to ever hit a EIGHT week stall after THREE months of surgery. Criminey...what the hell was wrong with my body!!?? What have I done to ruin my surgery so soon! Yes, I don't always eat right, and yes, I don't always get my protein or water in, but dang.....EIGHT WEEKS! NO pounds and even more devastating, NO inches, either. All under 1000-1200 calories a day....is it even physically possible??
But fast forward to late last week. The scale went to 250.8. Had been at 250 before, no biggie. Then 250.4, then 250.6, then 250.2, then 251, then 250.0!! Are you kidding me!! Really!! Then 250.0 for THREE MORE DAYS....it hovered there, hovered, taunting me, laughing at me....not even an ounce to help me along....
I had even stopped weighing daily during this stall, only doing so once a week, which hurt even more, cause I was sure after trying with all my might to not weigh for a whole week I would lose....but no, waiting until Monday didn't work, only disappointed me worse.
Then, miraculously, this morning.....got up, went pee, stood on the scale. 249.8. Off the scale, rub eyes, step back on. 249.8. Repeat 8 times. Same reading. Could it be?? Finally? Broke the stall? On my way to onederland? Finally below 250!!
So scared to get excited and hopeful again. What if it's not over?? It did this once before. From 252, I got down to 250.8 once in late February, but then shot up to 253 the very next day....and never saw it again. Till last week.
Now......249.
So scared....but excited, but scared to be excited, too. Wish I could see just a week into the future to know if I really finally broke my stall or not....actually, scratch that....If I have a wish, I want to see a YEAR into the future to see if I ever even get to onederland!!
Sorry for the negative post....those that know me know I'm not usually like this...which is why I've been so absent lately.
Love you all.....and SO glad you are all here, and we are here for each other!! :wub:

Yes, Queen, we are all awaiting some more detail to your cryptic statement! Please enlighten us....

Forgot to mention...be careful of 'slider' crackers - those with no nutritional value, like saltines, goldfish, oyster crackers. You can eat a lot of those and they are a slider food, which means you can eat more than you think and they're a nutritional wasteland and bad for weight loss (like chips, popcorn, etc). Will drive up your glucose and insulin levels. Make the crackers you do eat 'worth it' if you know what I mean. Read labels for Fiber and Protein, there are so many good choices out there now!

As someone who is also experiencing the issue I would gladly sacrafice the time and effort to take are of any of you women who feel the need to put this issue to rest, multiple times if I have too
You understand I am making this offer out of pure generosity and concern for your well being and am gaining nothing by it. Let me know if I can be of "service".

I really don't want to scare you, honey, but it will probably slow down. I hit 50 pounds in three months, also, but now have been stalled for six weeks! Now, THIS WILL PROBABLY NOT HAPPEN TO YOU!! I am only saying this because you should be mentally prepared for when it does slow down so you're not overly disappointed and discouraged. I thought I was prepared and I thought if I did hit a stall, no biggie, everyone does and I'll move on. But i was not prepared for a six week stall (and counting!) I hear in your 'voice' real concern that your weight loss will slow down, but it will and it has to. Your poor little body simply cannot maintain that kind of drastic weight loss for an extended period of time. You will most not likely NOT have the stall from hell, like me, but your body will stop, or slow, and readjust itself. It will most likely happen a couple of times until you hit your goal. Just look at what everyone has gone through on here.
I just don't want you to lose hope, and I want you to never stop looking forward to all those reasons you want to lose your extra weight. It WILL happen eventually, when and how YOUR body wants to, not how we necessarily want to. I've learned through this, and through many weeks of despair (which I'm getting over without the scale moving) is that this time it's not something we can control. There is no guilt or fear in this, this time. Of course, we can totally sabotage our weight loss, but, girl, that is HARD to do, lol! Just let go, quit worrying, and let your body do what it needs to do in this time of huge adjustment. It knows what it needs, and how to do it. Just follow the basics, and you can't 'lose', if you know what i mean! You have done amazing! And you will continue to do so, at whatever pace your body wants to

Vitamin D deficiency is VERY common in obese individuals. It's because it's a fat soluble Vitamin and stored in fat cells. It has been in the news much recently as it's true many people are deficient, not just overweight people. It has recently been discovered that we need a lot more Vitamin D than previously thought and it's much more important to more body systems and functions than previously thought. Most of us don't even know we're vitamin D deficient until we get tested either before or after the weight loss surgery, but that is now changing too, as most doctors are starting to routinely test their patients, especially their 'larger' ones
Interestingly enough, it would be almost impossible for us to get as much vitamin D as we need from just the sun. I was reading an article (have to find it) that stated we would basically need to sit out in the full sun for 6 hours a day almost nude for our skin to soak up/convert as much vitamin D as we need.
I have been Vitamin D deficient for years and have to take two 2,000 IU capsules a day (or one 5,000 IU cap) to maintain a normal level. At first, you may need to double that to get UP to normal, then cut back to maintain.
There used to be concern, that since it is a fat soluble vitamin like Vitamin A and E, that if you take too much, it could be toxic (as excess is stored, not released through waste). But they have also released research that states up to 10,000 IU a day is safe (note I am NOT a doctor, so please ask yours or do your own research!)
There is a wealth of info out there on this topic now since there have been so many new studies done. I would listen to what your doctor told you to take for your deficiency and then have them monitor it every so often so you know how much to take for a maintenance dose.
Good luck!!

Vitamin D deficiency is VERY common in obese individuals. It's because it's a fat soluble Vitamin and stored in fat cells. It has been in the news much recently as it's true many people are deficient, not just overweight people. It has recently been discovered that we need a lot more Vitamin D than previously thought and it's much more important to more body systems and functions than previously thought. Most of us don't even know we're vitamin D deficient until we get tested either before or after the weight loss surgery, but that is now changing too, as most doctors are starting to routinely test their patients, especially their 'larger' ones
Interestingly enough, it would be almost impossible for us to get as much vitamin D as we need from just the sun. I was reading an article (have to find it) that stated we would basically need to sit out in the full sun for 6 hours a day almost nude for our skin to soak up/convert as much vitamin D as we need.
I have been Vitamin D deficient for years and have to take two 2,000 IU capsules a day (or one 5,000 IU cap) to maintain a normal level. At first, you may need to double that to get UP to normal, then cut back to maintain.
There used to be concern, that since it is a fat soluble vitamin like Vitamin A and E, that if you take too much, it could be toxic (as excess is stored, not released through waste). But they have also released research that states up to 10,000 IU a day is safe (note I am NOT a doctor, so please ask yours or do your own research!)
There is a wealth of info out there on this topic now since there have been so many new studies done. I would listen to what your doctor told you to take for your deficiency and then have them monitor it every so often so you know how much to take for a maintenance dose.
Good luck!!

hang in there girl! you will lose a lot more than 20lbs thats a fact! I felt exactly how you feel now so many times! and here I am less than 10lbs from goal.

Your story hit a nerve with me, and a memory came back. I am preop right now, surgery date is tentatively 4/23 - my husband was sleeved March 2011.
Anyway, 3 years ago this August was my 25th wedding anniversary. The family was planning a party for us. They decided to do an outside event. As soon as I heard that, I got anxiety. Being the center of attention, in the heat, with all my fatness on display? I would be a sweaty mess. I couldn't do it. No thank you. I came up with an idea - I told everyone we really didn't want a party and that my husband was taking me away for a long weekend in celebration. We did go away overnight, but that wasn't the point. I really wanted a party. My fat stole from me what would have been a wonderful moment in my life yet again. I'm so done. Thank you for reminding me that I am absolutely 100% doing the right thing.

I was hungry at first too and read that sometimes it takes time for the Ghrelin to leave your system. That is the hormone that tells your brain that you are hungry. Give your system time to adjust to everything you just did to your body. I hope this helps!

thank you ! What a timely post. I thought my scale was somehow not working correctly too. You can see by my signature that I have actually gained 2 lbs in the past 10 days (could be water). So... deep breath.... this will work, this HAS to work, it is physically impossible to NOT work !
It is kind of interesting though because when I have dieted in the past and come to a stall like this I would just give up. This time I CAN'T give up. Thank you Mr. Sleeve !

I wanted to take a moment to share my experience with stalls, because I see a lot of people getting discouraged because of them and that's simply not necessary and really bad for your self esteem.
I was sleeved 1/20 - over the first 4 weeks I lost 40-freaking-pounds! Amazing! I was so excited and thought to myself "At this rate I'll be at goal by Easter!" And then, about half way through my 4th week something sad happened. My scale broke! I mean, it must have been broken because it kept saying 237 every-single-time I stepped on it, so SURELY it must have been broken, right? Wrong. I was stalled. I'd read the posts, I'd done my research, I knew it was possible but like most I thought "HA! Not me!"
For the next 2 1/2 weeks I analyzed every bite I put in my mouth, I doubled up my sessions with my trainer, I increased my Protein and fluids, to no avail! A week after my stall started, the scale still would not budge! Seriously, it's digital, how could it be broken? Maybe I somehow saved my last weigh in and it was just showing me that # every time I stepped on. Maybe? No. Maybe this was it. Maybe 40lbs was all I was meant to lose? No. Maybe I'm just built differently and the sleeve isn't going to work for me? No! It was a stall! A point at which the weight temporarily stops coming off and the scale stops moving. A time for my body to try and play catch up after the havoc wreaked on it for the previous 4 weeks.
Two 1/2 weeks after my stupid stall started, I noticed something - I was getting a LOT of compliments! I mean, sure people had been commenting before my stall but now, now people I NEVER talked to were commenting how good I was looking and what a great job I was doing. Surely they must be mistaken, I haven't lost ANY weight in the last 2 1/2 weeks. They're crazy. To prove it, I took a picture.
As I sat at my computer making my little collage so I could show them just how crazy they were, a gasp escaped my mouth when I added the last picture. Could it be? Surely it wasn't possible! I am the EXACT same weight that I was in picture #2, a fact that I was painfully aware of, but something was different. I actually LOOK thinner! Amazing! And to think I spent the previous 2 1/2 weeks silently stressing because the scale wasn't budging! The whole time while my weight wasn't shrinking, my waist was!
So to all of you out there stressing over stalls my message is this - Just because your weight isn't shrinking, doesn't mean your waist isn't. Just keep doing what you're doing and you will be successful - don't sabotage your success just because your scale is temporarily broken

Hey folks,
I know you'll probably not believe it 100%, but at some point you will step on the scale, and like a bolt from the blue you will be at goal - I promise you!
I had loads of horrid stalls, and for a long time would only lose weight 1 week in every 4 (stupid hormones!!). I never truly believed this could work for me, but even if it is slow and steady - YOU WILL WIN THIS!
I think with WLS we anticipate super fast results, if you had done 2 months of weight watchers, you'd be delighted with say a 10lb loss, but because some people will lose 30/40lb in a month on these boards, we diminish our own achievements if it is less than that.
Celebrate every day in which you feel healthier, every time you have to tighten a belt another notch, every time someone surprises you with a complement.
If you take the time to absorb them, those things can sustain you when the scale is stubborn, and one day soon you'll; step on the scale and dance like a crazy person because of the number being so small, and you'll be sorting the laundry and wonder whose those tiny jeans are, before realising they are yours - AND THEY FIT! And you'll be clothes shopping and realise there is no point rummaging at the back of the rail, because your little size is right up by the front, and you'll do something reckless and fun without even stopping to think if your weight should stop you (like playing on the kiddie swings at the park!). And you'll realise you are 'there'!
You absolutely WILL do all of these things, and most of them will happen when you are nowhere near your scale.
Good luck on your journies, and Celebrate every step that you can! xx

Pammie... I am also with you on the comparison thing... not that I know many others in my friendship circle who have had WLS... but on this board - and others - the peeps who were sleeved the same time as me seemed to have lost much quicker and are at goal now. At the time it was a nightmare to read... at one point it took me to a dark place where I played the 'it's not fair game'. That was not a good move. I know it is hard, but try not to compare to others... just compare you to you... that is what worked and is still working for me!
let me know how you get on. =]
Dorrie...
do you like nuts? They are a great way of upping cals in a good way. I eat them a couple of times a week - great snack - yummy.

I have "stalled" a bit and it SEEMS more than it is...the scale goes down eventually and something is working i am in a size 38" jean.
We will loose because we have to.
I am going to a metabolic disorder specialist in the summer. I am waiting until then to give my body a chance to even out a little (hormone wise).
sleep as routinely as you can, getting as close to 8 hours as you can. Keep your carbs low, low, low and make time and room for Water - just Water. Your miltivitamin is essential. Exercise if you can at all. Limit your eating at night. It affects the way your body reads certain hormones and really does affect your weight.

Oh Pammie, I sooooo understand your frustrations... really I do! But there is light at the end of the tunnel, I promise.
In the early days my weight loss was soooo sporadic ... it used to drive me nuts! But it kept coming off... and I am sure it will be the same for you too.
I'm 19+mths out now and not quite at goal weight, but I've hit my original goal size! Honestly, this is the ONLY way that I have EVER lost more than 7lbs!
The scale will be your friend, but don't rely on it as a consistent tool for measuring success. Look at the important things, like how your clothes fit bettter-are too big, how fitter you are, how healthier you are and how much better you feel. They are the things that consistently keep me focused and on track. I will get to my weight goal.. just don't know when! And so what if it takes to the end of the year... I am not racing with anyone! I keep saying that I am taking the scenic route... and it is rather beautiful!
Good luck and keep on doing what you are doing =]

When I stall I tell myself I can't fail. Proper diet+exercise+water= fat loss. It is a scientific impossibility to fail! If I do those 3 things in proper proportions I WILL reach my goal!!!!
Anyway, I sure hope so.

I think it's totally your body shape. I have noticed that if you are an 'apple' like me, you tend to hang onto your belly fat longer so your pant sizes don't change as fast as someone who is a 'pear' shape (hips). I know my best friends all have their junk the trunk and skinny waists (well, skinny in relation to their hips) and when they lose weight, their the ones whose pants literally fall off, or down! Me, who started with a 58" waist (! yes you read that right!) but absolutely NO hips, I've only went down about 1- 1 1/2 sizes with a 50 lb loss!!!! Damn tummy, anyway. I keep waiting and waiting to be able to really notice a difference in my clothes, but not much yet. I know it will come. My shirts are also only down about a size or two (30/32 to 26/28). It really is discouraging since everyone on here always says "I'm losing inches!" even if they're stalled, but I've been stalled for almost 6 weeks and have NOT LOST ONE INCH off my waist since. Okay, I have to stop, or I'll start crying....
SO, anywhoozle...I totally think it depends on your shape! Anyone else?? Any apple shapes wanna comment? Any 'hipsters', lol!!???

Oh. My. God. There is NO way anyone would laugh at that. Good grief, Girl. Is that the same person!!?? You were beautiful before, but oh man!!!! You don't even look the same!!! That is amazing....SO amazing! I am so freakin' proud of you!!!

Yeah, where are our EMOTICONS!!! Sheesh, for real?? Censorship on a board where we are supposed to be so honest and open??? If someone is unhappy with the 'offensive' ones, then by all means get rid of those ones, but ALL of them??
Admins, bring back our little happies!! They help us so much try to get across our feelings, frustrations, support, etc.
Or, at least talk to us and post something about why they're gone....I really, really miss my hugs ....and my crying *sniff*