Lanette

Well....I'm going to start BootCamp today. I have been gaining over the last few months and I am NOT happy about it. Time to take back control. Thanks for posting Diva and for all of your posts and encouragement.

Thought i would also add a few new pics. :-)

Well, it's been a really long time since I've been on here but I am determined to get involved again. I've missed you guys! I had stopped losing back around the first of the year at 159 lb. (My original "personal" goal was 155 b/c that is the "normal" BMI for my height.) I had just resigned to the fact that 159 is what it's going to be. I lost my sister to suicide in March andI did lose down to 155 (not exactly how I had planned to) but I eventually bounced back up to 160. I'm holding here, but I have noticed A LOT of increased snacking. I think it's b/c I realize that no matter what I eat, I'm not losing and no matter what I eat, I'm not gaining.....so I might as well enjoy it. I know this is not the right attitude and I'm trying to nix it b/c Reece's PB cups have become way to common and it scares the heck out of me.

I guess my biggest question for you long timer's would be.....after you have stopped losing for good have you ever restarted to lose some more? I would love to lose about 10 more just to get closer to 150 so that I am officially where I wanted to originally be. Or should I just be happy where I am and get a better hold on this maintaning thing?

Thanks for any input and I've missed you guys!!

Agreed. And on a mobile version I don't see a like button, red or green button, etc.

Wow!!! It truly is an amazing transformation! Great job!!

I was very open about it and felt that if I explained the differences between VSG and other WLS that they are used to, that most people were very supportive. I did not have any true negative reactions. From day one, I have been passionate about getting the word out about this surgery because it is not as well known. I know do many LapBanders who didn't know there was a better alternative. I have had TONS of people ask me for more info, surgeons name, etc. of course I always send them here as well.

Still at 169, so 4lb to go. Have been in a serious stall and not looking promising for the Halloween goal.

Screen Name........starting weight..........current weight..........goal........lb to goal

Lanette...............177.8.......................170...........165.......5

I'm not going to post my starting numbers until I see where I end up on the Halloween challenge because I think I am going to come up short. Either way my Christmas goal has always been to be at my goal of 155 or my normal BMI. That will be just shy of 9 months surgiversery. I'm 14lb from there today and been stalled for what seems like FOREVER. but I am determined to hit it by the end of the year.

Thank you ALL for your incredibly sweet compliments! I have cried tonight as I have read through them. It's amazing how we never think these things about ourselves, but it starts to seem more real hearing someone else saying it. I can remember looking at everyone's pictures when I was deciding on (and waiting on) surgery. I always said that I would add mine to the mix someday. I'm just glad that someone else might get inspiration or excitement over their upcoming surgery out of the pictures. Thanks again everyone!!

You were beautiful by any standards before and simply stunning now.

Did you run the 5k with that monkey on your back?

Thanks for the sweet compliments. I actually did do a lot of the race with her on my back or shoulders. We jog/walk on our bike trail In town and she does pretty well at keeping up. She wanted to do the race with me so I let her. I just carried her when she got tired. We were anything BUT competitive, but we had a blast and we will both always be able to say that we did our first 5k together. .

Love, love, love the pics! So excited for you all!

I was asked by the hospital where I had surgery (Summit Medical Center in Van Buren, AR) to do a photoshoot for a marketing campaign to promote the WLS program. I don't have the real pics yet, but someone snapped a cell phone pic fom the side. This was a huge NSV for me. I felt like a model and it was really fun!

I recommend everyone doing something like this for yourselves. You could go to Portrait Innovations or even Walmart portrait studios for very little $, but we all have SO much to be proud of!

A few other pics....

My FIRST 5k!!

Two legs in one!

My new size SMALL workout pants! (never thought I would be in a small anything!)

The before shot for comparison sake...

You are beautiful :-) congrats what was your starting weight? Who did your surgery ? I get my sleeve in Jan. With dr oritz.

Thanks! My starting weight was 300 when I started my 6 months required PCP visits for insurance. After that, my weight was 268 on surgery consult day and 252 on the day of my surgery. I am at 169 today (will be 7 months post op on 10/28/11). My surgeon was Dr. Travis Goodnight in Van Buren, AR and I absolutely ADORE him.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery....you'll do great! Keep us posted on your progress.

Screen Name........starting weight..........current weight..........goal........lb to goal

Lanette...............177.8.......................170...........165.......5

Kept mine.... No issues. Can't imagine why they would think it needs to come out.

My doc calculated my goal by finding my "healthy" weight based onBMI chart,which is 155 for my height, then calculating what my "excess weight" was. His goal was for me was to lose 80% of that excess weight, which would put me at 177lb. I have exceeded that in less than 6 months and only have 17 lb to go until I reach the 100% of excess weight lost. My goal was to be in the "healthy" range with a 5lb cushion. But my other goal was to be in size 8 jeans andi did that this week.

I started out with my surgeon at 268 but I am 5'6" so quite a bit shorter than you. My doc calculated my goal by finding my "healthy" weight based onBMI chart,which is 155 for my height, then calculating what my "excess weight" was. His goal was for me was to lose 80% of that excess weight, which would put me at 177lb. I have exceeded that in less than 6 months and only have 17 lb to go until I reach the 100% of excess weight lost. I think as others have said, if you take full advantage of the first 6 months to a year, you should definitely be able to reach your goal.

Thanks to ALL of you for your sweet comments. It really does mean so much! For those of you that commented on the shirt.....GO CARDS!! I may live in AR, but I love the Cardinals. I took my soon to his first game at the beginning of the summer....some of the sweetest memories ever.

I am a firm believer in visualizing what you want that goal to be.....I say go get you some 8's girl! I found these at a garage sale and held on to them. I know that for me, a 12-14 felt SWEET after having been in a 24 for so long, so I bet you are looking GREAT!

You are an inspiration to me b/c I am also 6 months out from surgery but my surgery weight was 271 so I am not quite in those size 8 jeans yet. I have a ways to go. I am actually between size 12 and 14. I will feel fabulous when I am able to pull off a size 8...that would definately be my ultimate goal. Guess I need to go to goodwill and find a size 8 that I like so that I can have a goal to reach for. Thanks for sharing.

First of all....I LOVE your screen name. My little girl's name is Emma.

Now, to answer the questions you posted below. I was honestly not very strict. I tried it for a few weeks, but realized that I was still losing whether I did the low carb thing or not. Now, I will say that I normally try to eat my Protein first before I eat many carbs and I generally don't have a ton of room for carbs. I eat a lot of pepperoni stix and cheese sticks, eggs, etc. I also just cook fairly normal foods for my family and then just eat a lot less of it and try to mainly eat the meats. I haven't found one thing that my sleeve just isn't able to tolerate. I haven't thrown up at all (due to the sleeve). I do work out, but I really didn't that much during the early months. I walked "some" but not a lot. Now that I am getting smaller, I am actually CRAVING (for lack of a better word) my workouts. I find myself getting up and ready so that the second my husband takes the kids to school, I can hit the running/bike trail. I haven't seen a huge slow down yet in the weight loss and I am guessing that it is b/c I have stepped up the workouts just about the time my loss is probably going to slow down.

I will say that I have tried to not sweat the stalls and occasional 1-2 lb gain. I have discovered that through tracking my weight daily, I know that when that stall breaks, I am going to lose those 1-2 lb and probably 3-4 more.

Thanks for the sweet comments. Just follow through w/ your Water, Protein and exercise and you'll do great!!

Congratulations! !You are an inspiration! How did you eat during your jouney? were you strict the whole time? what was your staple to get to goal? did you exercise alot? Sorry to ask so many questions, I just pray i am as successful as you! thanks!!!!

Screen Name........starting weight..........current weight..........goal........lb to goal

Lanette...............177.8.......................173.2..........................165............8.2

Slowly but surely......

My morning coffee. I stopped for a while, but my doc let me add it back in. Probably TMI, but I have never in my life had Constipation issues and I did after surgery. My morning coffee is the cure for that if you get my drift. Sorry for the TMI, but I doubt I'm the only one.

Screen Name........starting weight..........current weight..........goal........lb to goal

Lanette...............177.8.......................175............................165.............10

Love those nice round numbers. huge NSV for me last night.....I fit into the "goal jeans" I bought more than a year ago! Size 8's!! Now I know all about vanity sizing and yes, I know it probably isn't an 8 from years ago.....but I can now fit into 3 things with an 8 on the tag so I'm counting it! Lol! Either way, these jeans always looked SO tiny to me and they fit my sister who has always been "tiny" to me. So vanity sizing or not, they are exactly where I have always wanted to be. :)

Thanks guys!!! I am still exactly 20lb from my scale goal (hit docs, but mine was lower) but my size goal were these jeans.

My 6 month surgiversary is tomorrow so I think this was a darn good way to Celebrate it!!

They may be tight.....but darn it they are ON and zipped!! WHOO HOO! I never in a million years thought I would be able to get into them. I bought them over a year ago and gave them to my tiny sister and told her that I hoped to someday get them back. Well tonight, I casually asked what size they were and said that it would still be a while. Well, she sent them home to me and I thought "what the heck!" and low and behold they fit! When I say "happy dance" I mean...."wake up the whole freakin' house and jumping up and down" kind of dancing! LOL!

A few before's....just for the record.

me and my BFF at a concert.