coops

Congrats on a job well done .... I agree your arms are to die for!!

For what ever reason, I defo feel the cold more now I am smaller... Interesting...

Congratulations on reaching goal Cheri! What an awesome achievement! Good luck as you maintain ... let us know how you get on! I love the idea of waiting to see where your body settles before getting that all important goal wardrobe. That is going to be one fun day of shopping!!

. Literally, this is the stuff my nightmares are made of. I feel as though I just escaped prison and I am waiting for the Marshalls to find me and haul my a$$ back in. I don't want to be a fugitive in weight loss. I love this analagy... I completely relate to you... over the last 6mths, I have cheered myself on and beaten myself up within hours. When people say that this is a rollercoaster... well, they are right on the money! Unlike you, I have NEVER EVER lost more than 7lbs on any sort of diet! So, this for me is a real testiment of how the sleeve works! I think time, too, will be your friend... it has become mine. When my year post op came and went and I wasn't at weight goal I sorta freaked out. Since then I have continued to lose, ok slowly, but it IS coming off. We have to believe in ourselves... this is our time and failure is a four letter F word in my head and not an option. Believe in youself my lovely ladyeee... those nightmares are what they are... in your head. Don't, under any circumstances, let them become reality. Remember the dream? Well, we are living it! Chin up Amanda, sending you positive vibes from across the pond x

Once again... THANK YOU ALL! You all know, just where I am coming from... my nonsleeve friends, whilst being happy for me, just don't 'get it' like you do! It has taken me a while but it has been worth it. I wore the trousers today, and they felt great!! Working on those last 10lbs 'cos a goal thread fromt he Coopster would just be the best thing for me... Hey Feedyoureye... I have had many comments, all positive, about my booty... seems to be quite peachy these days...lol... and yea, I defo think boxing helps... all those squats has to do some good. I also run on the treadmill and walk my dog.. so good lower body toning! Do you do any exercise... I highly recommend boxing. Since I started in March, I've managed to shift about 14lbs... but gone down from a UK 18 to a Uk14! Has to be something in it?! I have a lot of muscle now... I was thinking about posting a pic of my thighs and calf muscles...lol... my hubby said he would give anything to have legs as strong and toned as mine and he is a 6ft hairy arsed police officer - handsome too of course!! x

M2G... I completely agree... I think that the surgeon's goal will come first for me, then I am gonna see what size and how I feel there. To be honest, it is getting a little tiresome now and I really feel that I need to settle soon... I need to stop obessing over my weight!! Been going on tooooo long....lol

Thank you... not sure if tiny is the right adjective... but I am defo getting there!! And, as a footnote, I am not wearing any make up.. so that has to say something about my confidence!! 16mths ago, there would be NO WAY a picture would be taken without some lippy, at least!!

Yey! Looking good there fella... I've just posted updated pic too... great to see out progress in colour!! Only 5lb left eh? Fingers crossed they'll be gone in no time... then a goal thread...yey!! =]

Hey! Yea, I put some pics on another thread... a size goal thread...lol! Been wanting to do that for soooo long! =]

So, AT 16MTHS POST OP, I have reached my original size goal... UK14! was this size when I got married ( but 14-18lb lighter!) 17 years ago And, I am really pleased to be here. I still want the scale to say my goal too... and who knows, that might result in a smaller size clothes. I am a UK 14 in trousers - gotta be careful with the cut/style; dresses; tops and jumpers; skirts and training clothes! I have had a hard couple of weeks with the scale bouncing around so this really has cheered me up... here are my latest pics

Thanks Cludgie ... I will have a look in M&S, the only part of my wardrobe I haven't replaced are undies ... and I am getting a saggy butt in them now! I will have to ask Santa...lol x

Good luck Sharon ... no that I think you'll need it... you sound very prepared, focused and determined not to get into your old habits. Just remember how far you have come... safe journey(s)! =]

who cares if it is 'real' or not...lol... it is how you feel that is more important! And if hubby is noticing too... well, I would just take that one for the team! Good job! x

OK, so for once I took my own advise... I bought another pair of size 14s...different shop, different shape and *drum roll please*# THEY %$^*$ING FIT ME!!!!! I am sooooooo happy! Size 14 trousers, that I can do up, wear out and sit down in!!! Lesson to be learnt, it ain't so much the size as the STYLE... I have to learn, yet again, what fits and suits my 'shape' as opposed to my 'size'! I love my sleeve!!!

Check you out... you should rename yourself to, extra-small-lil-miss-DIVA!! Seriously thoug, what an amazing journey you've had my friend...I know it is cliche, but, you really are an inspiration to me!!!

I am soooo glad that I am not alone with this. I really don't want to buy the bigger size, just in case I manage to get rid of the last 10lb to my surgeon's goal! But, in saying that... the weather here has really changed for the worst, and winter is setting in. Don't get me wrong, I love wearing dresses to work now... but I know that soon it is going to be too cold for a dress; even a winter one!! I might venture out and try another pair of UK14 trousers in a different shop... The compression thing might also be a good idea... You are right SleeveStalker... pesky muffin top!! lol

I am 16mths out and although I don't lose pounds on a regular basis... I am still losing, just very slowly. My body, at this stage, seems to drop 2-4lb over several weeks... then goes in to a long stall... then drops another 2-4lb over several weeks... you get the picture. This has been happening since around Feb! However, I think that this cycle is also related to my hormones as I am peri menopausal (my hot flushes are really bad atm, so I know I won't lose much at this point) and therefore, my body is a little all over the place. Have you tried the 5 day pouch test? I tried it at the beginning of the year, and although I didn't lose much weight... 2lbs I think... it really helped me focus on the 'amount' of food that I could take in and put me back in touch with portoin control. Basically you go back to a post op style diet... liquids - Soups, shakes etc for three days, then focus on Protein... might be worth a try? Oh, and congrats on losing 122lb... that is a fantastic achievement in 14mths... you didn't mention how much more you wanted to lose? Good luck and let me know what happened...=]

Hey FionaB, Good luck with your revision... I am in the UK too... and was self pay! I you need any support.... give us a shout! =]

Thanks for your replies... Isn't it a pain in the butt!! Even when I was bigger I had the same problem. When I was young and a proper pear, I was UK10-12 tops UK 14 bottom, sometimes a 12!!! Now, it is all around the middle!! Honestly, I wish I could afford to get it all sucked out and cut off... then the trousers would look lovely...lol I wish they did a half size like they do in clothes!!! I suppose I can always use them as a goal item? I don't have any clothes to 'get into now' ... could be the motivation I need to ramp it up? I dunno...

You look great... I agree, those trousers are defo a classic style! Just think, soon they will be too big and you'll have to buy new ones...lol... keep up the good work!

Oh well... I thought I would treat myself to a new pair of work trousers... I only have one pair that fits me and they are really lose and baggy... I can just about get away with them with a belt! So, I popped into my shop on the way home and bought a pair of UK 14 trousers... nothing fancy, just a plain black pair for work. I got home, feeling a little excited, feeling that they are bound to fit me nice.... alas, I was wrong! I honestly thought I was going to write a size goal post today...* weeps silenty* Ok.. so I did them up, got in them - but there is NO WAY I can wear them out in public... Feeling a little gutted and frustrated now! This belly fat is really tough; resisting all efforts that I try to rid it! I am not chanting... 'I will do this.... I can do this' - repeat as often as possible! OOOPs! ... should read... I AM CHANTING...lol... see!! that is how frustrated I am!! =]

Great question... I am defo going to keep my eye on this thread. At 16mths out I am sooo close to goal I can almost taste it - pun intended...lol - but it 'feels' sooo far away...

Hey M2G... I haven't heard of this but I suppose upping your good carbs couldn't hurt. I stopped low carbing a while ago 'cos it wasn't making a huge impact on my weight loss... I upped my cals by adding good carbs about 2mths ago and I've lost a little more. Actually, I was thinking about low carb again, just for a week or two to see if it helped shift a pound or two... perhaps we should have a carb day together...lol!

Ducker... you are soooo not alone! All my ife I have had the traditional pear shape... that is until I became morbidly obese... since losing weight, I am now a proper apple... and I have to say it is weird! The last of my weight is all around my middle - well, there is more but for my surgeon's goal, I think it is hanging around the ole tummy area - but at least I can now conceal it with nice clothes and clever underwear!!

Oh I agree... this place is a great place to come and browse; read a wealth of info... have a vent or pass on some experience. I too, Yecats, would have been lost without it and I probably wouldn't have done as well as I have. I too want to say THANKS! =]