cludgie

I'm in - missed labor day goal by a big chunk, but massive stall mid way through did not help. I MUST be at goal by Christmas, so want to be 1/2 way there by the end of this challenge! SN.................................SW....................................CW................................Goal...............................Lbs to Goal Cludgie........................235.....................................172...............................163...................................9lb

Yep, me too, as of yesterday I have lost 4 and a half stone (which is 4lb more than my very tall seven and a half year old weighs), I am just 8lb from my ideal weight according to the charts which is actually the same weight I was at 12, do I feel better? Absolutely! Do I feel thin? Never! I have the same thing you all do when I look at my clothes which are 5/6 sizes smaller than they were in January and wonder whose they are, but I am not really seeing it in the mirror, and I'm not sure if my brain will ever catch up!

Well, fool that I am, I was so horrified by myself pre-op that I not only didn't measure, but I also threw out all of my largest clothes once they got too big, it wasn't until 3 months in, and about 30lb down that I dared to measure at all! Anyway in UK sizes 5th January 2011 = 235lb 5ft 8 clothing size 24 (about an xxl in the uk, not sure what us size that would be) Shoe size 6.5 wide fitting (and even in wide fitting no boots ever zipped up!!) Bra size 42B 21st August 2011 173lb 5ft 8 (thank goodness I'm not shrinking downwards too!) clothing size 14 (medium ish) shoe size 6 normal (and I have a wardrobe full of knee high boots which not only fasten, but which I can tuck my jeans into comfortably too!) Bra size 34/36 C (really REALLY love a shrinking back without a shrinking cup ) Since March I have lost 6inches off my waist, and can only guess that it must be at least 8inches in total given the 30 odd lb lost by that point! Did I mention that I love my sleeve???

Good luck Diva, you have achieved so much already that I am sure you can do just about anything you set your mind on x

Ah Kim, not Belgian, British, but closest affordable surgery was belgium, so combined my sleeve with a weekend away! Well, I have been far from perfect, but I have been a lot better this week, and -2lb, which is the first significant shift in a very long time. So thats good. I also had a great NSV this week, a friend (who I consider to be a skinny friend), asked me to take a bag of clothes to the charity shop for her, and I thought prior to donating them I'd have a quick peek and see fi anything was vaguely my size. Well it ALL fit despite being an odd range of sizes UK 10s-14s (US 6,8, and 10s), so I just adopted a new work wardrobe, and now I owe a big donation to charity! Anyway I have 7 days until I go on holiday, and so I seriously doubt I'll get the extra 10lb needed for my labour day goal, but I am happy, I am now tecnically just 9lb overweight, and 19lb to my long term goal! Its a good place to be :D :D

Ok, so this is some very thinly veiled photo whoring, but I have been falling by the wayside for weeks, I'd lost my motivation, and have felt just as fat as I did 60lb ago. This morning I get up and can find literally nothing to wear for work because everytihng looks and feels wrong, in desperation i grab a top my husband convinced me in to buying (depite it feeling too tight AND having horizontal stripes, and a pencil skirt I've not had the confidence to wear yet), I go to the mirror, and for the first time in a LONG time suddenly see the me who has lost 60lb. Don't get me wrong, I can see the horrid mummy tummy and at least 20lb to still lose, but this morning this person smiled at me from the mirror, and it made me smile back!

Ok, so today I have had a good old fashioned wake up call!!! I joined this group 2 months ago, and in that time have lost just 8lb, which is a loss (yay!!), but it is a poor loss, and why is it a poor loss? Because it reflects my recent complacency. I am drinking a couple of times a week again, and I am emotional eating again. Seriously WTF??? I have come all of this way, but seem to have a mental block when it comes to the final stretch, am I sabbotaging myself or just plain dumb?!?! Classic Cludgie-ism, yesterday for instance = Breakfast - Skipped, lunch - a packet of pork scratchings and some Hershey's Kisses, and Tea - 3/4 of a chicken and cheese sandwhich, all followed by a LOT of pick n mix in front of the TV with my husband. So negligible Protein, negligible Vitamins, and at least ten billion calories with zero excercise! - NOT A GOOD DAY! Needless to say it is stopping! Today has been day 1 again, I just can not have come this far to throw it away because eating rubbish (even in smaller ammounts and more slowly) tastes and feels good! Its not worth it. So today I got my Protein Shakes out again, and although I skipped breakfast, I had a shake for lunch and some roast pork on it's own for tea, so high protein low carb achieved, and I have managed to have zero rubbish (even though hubby sat eating whoopie pies, and pick n mix beside me for most of the evening). I would consider today a good day, 175lb, but feeling thin (Yay, I've been feeling fat for weeks), and self control re-gained. I have also decided that as of monday I am joining a slimming and exercise class (I think that the age old threat of someone else weighing me, and an increase in my activity levels can only be a good thing). Day one (again) - Check, bring on day two!

Its certainly an odd one, everyone is so different, for instance I am 5'8 and currently 175lb, and in US sizes I'm a 10 (UK 14), one of my best friends is at least 5 inches shorter than me, and weighs 165lb, but looks tiny next to me, and is about a dress size and a half smaller than me. On paper, being tall I should carry it well, but in reality I don't . I have a really broad chest (nope not big boobs, just a weirdly big rib cage!), an ok bum, with a kangaroo pouch tummy (the price paid for 20 years of obesity and a wonky c-section), and traditional thunder thighs. According to the charts I am now just 11lb over the upper end of my "ideal" weight for my height, but I look (especially naked), like I have closer to 30-40lb to lose still. I guess if you look lighter than you are enjoy it, and for those of us who aren't in that boat, its about a more creative wardrobe choice! Good luck in your journey! And Diva - you are looking stunning, well done!:cheer2:

Wow, well what a weird week it has been. Basically after a lot of soul searching I decided to let people know about my surgery this week, largely because people who didn't know were starting to use me as some sort of example to beat themselves and other people with, and I always vowed that I would not let my surgery hurt other people. So ironically all positive responses so far from the people who are just finding out, but ASTONISHED by hurtful comments made this week by one of my very best friends, and my own DH!! Firstly, the reason I hadn't spoken to our extended family about my surgery was because my in-laws can be very jusdgemental, and my DH didn't want me to have to deal with their opinions (a wise choice in my opinion, although I'd have happily taken the risk), as its been 7 months of smoke and mirrors we had a big heart to heart and he agreed to speak to hisn parents about it. We had a big conversation about how they might react, and would they say I've cheated etc etc etc, and he was brilliantly supportive and re-assuring. So he makes the call to tell them, and obviously just can't find the right words to explain fully, so I find him saying "Oh yeah Mum, make no bones about it, she cheated!" - What a complete dim whit!!!! So I am not best impressed by that, but its not exactly killing me either. Then this afternoon I go and see a friend for coffee, my friend has known a while, and was very supportive to begin with, but then got really upset (and told me so) when I started updating my weight loss achievements on facebook etc, so in fairness to her I have not discussed weight loss, diet etc etc etc with her, or publicly where she might see it since because I am not in the business of upsetting my friends. We are sat having coffee when she turns to me out of the blue and says "I've figured something out about your surgery, if it is working you must have really eaten like a pig before! I hardly eat anything! So I might be bigger than you, but at least I've never eaten like a pig!!!" My friend is going through horribly tough times at the moment, so I didn't begin to get into a slanging match with her over it, but seriously WTF???? Well I am still stinging from that, and just feel like the people I felt able to rely on clearly have no idea at all!

Ok, so I am almost 7 months out, and 4 stone down, and love my sleeve, I am happy with my decision to get surgery, and feel that I no longer care what people think. I'd not told anyone about my vsg, largely because it is personal, and also because I didnt need opinions swaying my journey. I'm in a position where more and more often people are making comparisons "oh why dont you take a leaf out of Claire's book?" etc, and I refuse for other people to be made to feel bad by my weight loss. So I think its time to come out, but I am not sure how to do it. I've not lied to people, but equally I've not told the whole story either. For instance I have a group of friends on Fb who are all dieting together, and I feel a bit like I have betrayed them (although you all know how strict our diets still have to be. Thought and suggestions warmly welcomed! Ta cx

For me I wanted my wls to be something which happened in my life but did not rule it. I felt with the band it needed so much after care, and maintenance that I would never be able to just get on loving the rest of my life. When I had my surgery I traveled with 2 ladies getting the band, and after I explained why I wanted the sleeve not the band, both of them said they wished they'd looked into it all more, and gone for the sleeve too. Good luck with your choice.

Plain and simple one for me - hold my head high without the constant psychological panic of "ARGH! I am the fattest person here!" I know it should never have mattered, but I guess for lots of us it did!

sn...........................................sw........................cw................................goal......................lbs to goal cludgie...............................181...........................176..............................163........................13 slow n steady!

Ok, so my wonderful OH is very laid back and supportive, but last night even he snapped! Basically, he has been having a hard time with friends of his noticing my weight loss, and he feels that every time someone comments, what they are actually implying is "wow wasn't your wife fat!". And to top that off I got all excited because I got deal on some power acai pills. He went mad, and basically said I dont know where to stop, and he thinks I'll end up killing myself! I personally think that there is nothing wrong in taking something natural to help speed the process, but I thought I'd throw this open. What do you guys think?

I am delighted you have got to such a great point, well done, and most importantly, ENJOY IT!!!

SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal Cludgie........181..................177..........163..............14 Long shot, as I missed the last 2 challenges by a couple of pounds each, but this goal gets me into the "normal" healthy weight range for my height so I'm gioing for it! Good luck everyone

Ha ha, just re-read my last post, I've been AWOL a couple of weeks and safe to say NONE of that happened. I've been clawing my way back to sanity slowly, and having gained 3.5lb, taking me back up to 182, I am now 177 so undid the damage plus a bit woop! So I am going to just keep trying this week (it seems that when I make big promises I fail to keep them so I'll make this one a little more low key!) Have a good week folks!

Sw 235, Cw 179, goal 176, lbs to goal 3! Almost certainly not making this goal, but damn close! So happy, I am now officially just 1 stone overweight, so I've become one of those people I have envied for so long, the ones who sigh and say "well I could do with losing a few pounds!" wooooo!

Ha ha, thats brilliant, what a great NSV!!! I wore a mini dress to work last week, and felt really self conscious all day, but when I went out for a walk around the block at lunch a guy literally just stopped dead in front of me looking at my legs, I had to walk around him to get past!!! It made me smile the rest of the day!

Thats brilliant, welcome aboard!!!

Well, super stressed out week, MASSIVE career dilemma, which has essentially messed with my head a lot coupled with erratic patterns at work = really hit and miss week food wise! I've not counted things rigourously, but have limited carbs and pushed Protein as usual, so other than probably eating far too little I don;t think I have strayed too far from where I should be. Anyways despite all of the above and TOTM I have managed to get back down to 181, so I am in the 12s and intend to stay here this time!!! (well, until I can claw my way into the 11s!!) My goal for this week is a 2lb loss by Friday, the 1st is my 12 year anniversary with my DH, and we have tickets for a concert followed by a night (without the kids) in a luxury London hotel which he has booked as a surprise for me, and I obviously want to feel fabulous that night! So I am on it, starting zumba and fitness yoga this week, and think that I'm deserving of some new nightwear and a new pair of jeans, so I will be burning a lot of calories hitting town later too Have a good week all! xx

Hiya, thanks for asking. Well I can say I TOTALLY fell off the wagon this weekend! Friday I went out for my best friend's leaving party, and my attempt at not drinking was met with abject horror by said friend, so in typically me style I decided that it would be fine as long as i substituted food calories for alcohol calories! So off I trot with an empty stomach, 5 glasses of wine, 1 cocktail, 2 parma violet flavour vodkas, and two bottles of WKD, and my good intentions lie in ruins! However Saturday morning I tentatively crawl onto the scales to find I am down to 181!!!!!! I sat on the bathroom floor weeping with joy, the last time I was 12 stone something was the weekend i moved in with my husband, and that was 12 years ago, and at that time I'd got a major eating disorder, and was cycling and swimming for hours a day just to get that low. And hey presto! I'm suddenly there again, but this time i am not killing myself to be there! :D Yesterday we had house guests so had the ritual of chinese take away food, so i had duck (thinking Protein but no batter or anything carby = perfect option) only for it to make me really sick! Never one to know how to quit whilst I am ahead I then stupidly decided that having failed to stomach food I could afford another night of drinking, so a pint of ginger cider, and two pints of WKD later my day is done! Yes, I know how much of a total cock-up this weekend has been and just to remind me how stupid I've been I weighed back up at 183 this morning, so back out of the 12's! But I am feeling good! Total disaster? Yes! Insummountable problem? No! I messed up, I am moving on, no big deal (usually I'd be freaking out right now), although breifly, I saw the 12's there for a while which means I can get back there and stay there by not wobbling off the waggon! I can do this! I have no more big social occasions planned until my anniversary weekend on 1st july, and after that nothing until mid-end of August, so a long stretch of no distractions, and no excuses ahead! Plus my one social feature of the week is ending this week, so I get my wednesday nights off to use more wisely, starting 29th I'm joining Zumba class followed by Fitness yoga class - can't wait! Back on it, but the flicker of 181 was enough to really help me believe that this can work again!! Wow, long post, sorry! Off to set up wii family trainer now and to get our arses moving!

Yes you can do it, and welcome aboard! I think knowing our downfalls can only be a good thing in helping avoid them! Good luck.

Thanks for the replies folks, I do feel better knowing that it is not only me. I do hasten to clarify though that I would never, EVER say anything offensive aloud, it just shocks me the things my mind gets up to sometimes!

Cludgie...........235.........181........176........5 3lb loss so far this week, I cannot remember the last time that happened!