coops

Shalise, Our stats are really similar and I felt I had to chime in here. I was 238lb getting sleeved - no pre op for me and I was self pay (I'm just 5'2') . I am now, today, 167, I was sleeved beg of Jult 2010!! I also work in education, I am a high school teacher. Hmmm, very similar don't cha think! I feel the same way... I feel that I need to lose more, even though I have done well, as have you! I also am starting to feel proud of myself and my new body shape... but it still isn't enough. I really want to lose more... infact I am GOING to lose more... even if it takes another year, I don't care. I am at least going to get to my surgeon's goal of 11 stone or 154lb... anything below that will be a dream! SO, like you, I have between 13 - 27lb to go depending on which 'goal' I focus on. And I agree with Thin... this is completely normal. At our stage out, it might take some effort and focus, but it has to be worth it. I say go for it... get to that ideal place where you want to be... continue to be proud of yourself... let me know what you decide...

Just wonderful! You look so happy and radiant! Great photo shoot! Good luck with the C Section... hugs from across the pond x

MustangAli, Firstly congrats on losing soooo much! 100lb is an amazing achievement and you've maintained it whilst 'on a break'! That is also an achievement. I don't think you are a failure... infact the opposite...a huge (well smaller version of you) success! Now, the final stretch is here... 35lbs or there-abouts to go. I really do think that you can get back on the wagon as such and do it. You have an amazing tool and a brilliant track record to prove it. After a little while of not worrying about food, perhaps you are ready to go back to basics and focus on the finishing line. Really, at 8mths out it is doable. Try to refocus... sounds like you have similar head demons to me... that constant inner voice that is mean and horrible! Tell it to bugger off... Focus on dense protien first, then the veggies... give yourself little goals and rewards to help the focus. If you don't want to do it 24-7 tell yourself Mon-Fri is when you are focused and relax on the weekends? I am 15mths out now and 'still' not at goal... I am losing sooooo slowly now it is painful, but I refuse to give up. I want to reach my surgeon's goal at least! Good luck on the final stretch and let me know how you are doing...

Simply brilliant... x

M2G... you look amazing! You were beautiful before you lost over 80lbs... and now you are ... well, you just look amazing! Thanks for sharing your pics... they need to go on the before and after gallery/thread!! Congrats, me dear sleeve friend, on your brilliant transformation

Bloody hell... you've lost another person... and in such a short space of time! Congrats on an amazing weight loss!! I bet you feel amazing! Good luck on the final stretch =]

Hey Cludgie... you look amazing! And red is defo a good colour on you... I've just noticed your BMI... well done on getting to 'normal'...lol... how does it feel? Take the compliments and run with them my lovely!!

M2G... here we are again, at the same gateway... I was just thinking along these lines myself.... I haven't seen the scale move for 5 weeks now...*sighs* and I too, am in between sizes... the UK size 16 are a lil too big now and although I have some Uk14s that fit, some are too tight! This final stretch is hard work... I would see what your surgeon/doc suggests, and if that means change your goal then do it! My first goal, as you know is my surgeon's goal... mine is that pesky BMI number, but if I don't get there I shan't be upset about it as it really is the ULTIMATE for me! Good luck my sleeve friend, and let me know what you decide... x

Hey Raine, Firstly, congrats on a size 6... that is small lady!! I agree with the others, scale goal has to be where you feel comfortable... don't be dictated by numbers... if you feel right, it is right! You have done such a brilliant job... really, you have. I have to be honest, if I was in a size 6, i wouldn't give a sh*t about what the scale said...lol! Let us know what you decide...

Oh Raine... I am doing the happy dance... You got into them and I know you look amazing... and Wales got through to the semi final rugby world cup... this is gonna be a brilliant weekend...lol x

Rootman, I am in a similar position... but I refuse to think that this is the end. I agree with the others... let yourself heal; give your body some readjustment time. I am on the other end of am injury.... seems that it is my lower back, but comes out in my leg. I was on strong pain meds for a week and completely immobile for that time too and within that week, I put on 9lbs. I am pleased to tell you that each and every pound has gone and I am back to 168lb again... just waiting for the scale to drop now and start my slow losing again. You've done such a good job so far, and I can feel your frustration ... well, I know I was frustrated when I couldn't move and gained... for no apparent reason! Give it a week or so and I am sure that you will start to feel better... good luck.

And there was me thinking that flying the flag for slow losers was a lonely old job! I can relate, and I agree with all the above! yep, I am a slow loser and have been since abt mth 7... I am 15mths out now. Try not to dispair with the slow weight loss... try not to compare yourself with others... both hard, I know! You will keep losing. You will keep getting smaller. You will keep hetting healthier and fitter... win - win! Being a slow loser makes each and every loss sooooo gratifying for me now! I have learnt not to take anything for grantide and that includes 'myself' and my body. keep up the good work, enjoy the benefits... keep us posted on your progress ...

Congratulations... 100lb off has to be an amazing feeling! Well done on such a great job, and you look fantastic... so narrow and slim!

Popeye, you are completely normal... welcome to the three week stall. It is a complete pain in the a$$ but it WILL pass. You are doing everything spot on. You're body is still a little shocked by the surgery and needs a lil 'time out' to adjust. Please don't beat yourself up or question what you are doing, cos you are doing a great job already. There are many of us who go through this, from newbes to old timers like me! I'm afraid, for me it is part of the process... Good luck on the rest of your weightloss journey!

Well, I have three things to say about this... 1, I am well envoius of the location. 2, I am very envious of your achievement and 3, I am proper envious of your figure.... you look AMAZIN'!! Congratulations on a fantastic NSV... you'll do the full marathon no problems... can't wait to read that post, well I will probably hear the excitment from over the podn...lol =]

Wow Kimmes... what a transformation! You look amazing and soooo tall!! You have a great new 'figure' *slightly green with envy* ... beautiful! Congrats my sleeve friend! =]

Hey, I think goal choices are really personal... each individual will want/expect different things and each body will react to weight loss in different ways. I too have an ultimate goal but that is secondary to my surgeon's goal - there is a 14lb difference. I wouldn't say you won't but it might take some extra effort at the last stage? May I ask why you have chosen 125? Is it a weight that you were comfortable with before? I know there are a lot on here that have lost over 100lbs and are below their target goal weight... so never say never. Perhaps some goal vets will chime in... G|ood luck =]

Bloody hell Raine... what a montage.. and wow , what a difference! Yeah, big changes there... hope you don't mind me saying but you look a lot younger. Best thing about weight changes in the face...well, for me, is that fact that I have one chin and a slim neck...lol! I can dig a short hair cut now... x

Hey Crosswind.. I remember at around the 7mth marker my weightloss came to a screaming halt and I bounced up and down the same 2lbs for 9 weeks. I didn't lose any inches either. At this point I had lost 56% of my ideal weight. I started to get frustrated and I constantly beat myself up, put myself down and worst of all compared myself to everyone who had been sleeved in the same time frame as me! Believe me, I wished I was them as they seemed to be doing soooo much better!! My hormones were really in a mess too... I had been back and forth my docs and the menopause clinic and they told me I was peri menopausal ( I hadn't turned 40 at this point and was really upset about this... I felt my body was fighting my brain!)... my mthlys are all out of sync and, yep, it effects my weight loss like mad! Now, this is where I am hoping I am being helpful... since then I have lost a further 14lb. Okay, I know that is very slow as I am going back to the middle of April... but and it is a BIG but ... the extra pounds are coming off... I am 14lbs away from my surgeon's goal now and I feel much better about it all. I refuse to think that I am 'done' ... Since Jan I have had to work so hard for each and every pound lost, but it just makes it all the more gratifing when I eventually see movement on the scale or my clothes feel looser. That being said, I don't get upset now when I do bounce up a pound or two. Reading this back, it sounds a little depressing... on average a 3lb mth weight loss isn't brilliant, but a loss is a loss?! I really hope this gives you a little hope that you are not done at 50%. I also agree with Blackberryjuice...try mixing up your exercise too... I found that that really helped me 'feel' better, like I was doing absolutely everything I could, and I suppose giving me a little control in a situation that I didn't really have control over at all...pesky hormones!! Good luck Crosswind... I am sure that you will get through this... keep coming on the boards; read and vent and just chip in whenever you can. It has helped me feel focused! Let me know how you get on... *hugs*

Hey, Great questions... I can eat fried food, just not a lot of it, with no problems at all... the only thing my sleeve doesn't really like is pizza... I had a slice last night and felt bloated and generally yukky. It has been mths since I had a piece and I remember why I don't both with it now...lol On the soda/coke front, I have drunk it but again, my tummy doesn't like the bubbles and makes me feel uncomfortable... I agree that the beauty of the sleeve is that there really isn't any foods/drinks that we can't have... just smaller portions! Some of us will enjoy what others can't... Just do what is right for you... try new foods/drinks in little amounts to see how it goes! Good luck

Ouroborous... I remember reading your posts when I first joined this site... I noticed that whatever was going on with you, you never failed to be upbeat and positive... so yea, you keep on and on about your achievements... At 17mths out and losing again, reaching personal goals and adjusting them, I feel you shoul, perhaps, shout louder!! Thank you for posting this and giving me some more hope... I am just 2mths behind you and very close to you in age... so, one day, I will be shouting as loud as you are now... Congrats to you! Can't wait for the ulitmate goal thread from you too... =]

M2G.. I've said it before I'll say it again... we are sooooo on the same page!! I did a little rooting around on here and a lil of the ole google and thought that I might not be eating enough too... I was eating the same as you, 800 - 1000 cals daily... exercising regularly and seeing no 'scale benefit' ... someone suggested to up the cals - hence my looking into it. I have to admit i have thought about it before but was scared to do it... now I am at the stage where I know that if I gain I can use my sleeve to the max again. But, like I said, I've lost all the weight I put on with the injury and meds... so hopefully my body will feel a little better with the extra fuel, which, of course, is good food not junk! I spoke to my sleeve nurse and she suggested to LOWER my intake, saying it was all about portion control... Dear Lord, I truly believe she has NO IDEA what is going on... I suggested to her that I count cals as I really want to get to goal... and she said 'Oh, I have no idea when it comes to calories... I just focus on portion control.' ... WTH!! Anyway, I bascially told her that I was gonna try eating between 1000 - 1200 cals a day, and she said 'yea, that sounds ok' ... not that encouraging to be honest with you... yours sounds like she is way more clued up! Defo keep each other up to speed with how it goes... and fingers crossed for some sort of movement.... hugs x

Hey... yeah much better thank you... back to work now and today was the first day for over two weeks without any pain, pulling or twitching. I am going back to my oesteopath Tues and hoping she is gonna give me the ok to back to the gym... boy have I missed it!

Yep... this is pretty much my mantra for the last couple of mths.... I suffered the 'why me, slow loser' mind set for a fair while and it really got me down... made me angry, sad and frustrated. I had a moment of clarity when I hit the 70lb loss marker... it took over a year to do it... but I realised that I am now on the final hurdle and I really don't care how long it takes me. More recently, I have actually started to ADD cals to my daily intake (this is the only tweak that I haven't tried) and I have lost all the weight that I recently gained during a thigh injury. I am still not back to my training, but hopefully will be by the end of next week... anyways, my point is that I really think that I wasn't eating enough and that is why my body didn't respond... I am gonna stick with the new cal intake of between 1000 - 1200 and see if it helps. And, you are soooo right about the hormone thing... it is a total pain in the ass... but it is also something that I have come to terms with!!! Your post is well said fella, and thank you for making you positive thoughts public! =]

I too like the kettle bells... we occasionally use them at my boxing gym, I agree; they are a fab aid to a work out and really do use the whole body's muscles. Good for you to get them at home... keep up the good work and I am positive you will continue to see the inches decrease...=]