LindaS

Wow, do I really not want to admit this. But, I did it, I had a relapse.
For a few weeks I was eating candy and ice cream on a daily basis. Somewhere in the area of 2000 calories a day worth of candy bars & ice cream. That's plus my salads and Proteins.
I'm really ashamed of myself, not because I had relapse, that's just part of life for an addict. We are really good at justifying our addictions and tripping ourselves up. My shame comes from the fact that I let my pride get I the way of my recovery. I should have come here and told my sleeve family when I realized it was a problem. I knew it was a problem less than 1 week into it, but I couldn't bring myself to admitting it to you.
About a week ago I got on the scale & had gained back 7-8lbs. I was so disappointed in myself. I am back on a very strict diet, let me assure you getting back on track is much harder when you don't have a fresh staple line to scare you into following the rules.
The total disgust I felt looking at that number on he scale was enough to put me back on the straight and narrow.
But let me tell you from experience, stay mindful of what you eat. There have always been 2 schools of thought on eating post VSG, the "what's best" & the "what's acceptable". This experience has assured me even more the I belong in the "what's best" crowd. I really need to focus on my health because "acceptable" for me quickly turns into overindulgence.
I feel I need to apologize to you, my sleeve family for not being open about this when it happened.

Don't panic about the stalls. They break eventually. I've had stalls that lasted several months, but when they break, I lose.
I hadn't lost any weight since Dec. 23 until three days ago. In the last 3 days, I've lost 3.5 pounds. I didn't give up, and I just kept doing what I was supposed to be doing (exercising and eating right). Eventually, it works.
This losing weight isn't a race, and I've found that my body doesn't always drop weight like the "math" claims it should. But eventually it gets with the program, and the weight comes off. Trust in that.
If you do what you are supposed to do, the weight will come off even when it seems like it never will.

Mine's not that huge but it was awesome for me - Fitting in to my size 18 jeans. I was so excited. They are a little tight, but I don't care, I am wearing them. My 20's were starting to fall off me.

Last week my friends mom, who I have known for a long time, didn't recognize me. I haven't seen her for 6 months or so. She even came up to ask me who I was. That was the best feeling EVER!! She was pretty embarrassed once I told her my name

Buying some super cute Victoria Secret yoga pants and feeling pretty stink'n cute In them

The other night while laying close to my Husband, he asked me if I knew that I had hip bones, I say of course I have hip bones, and he's like " No, really, you have HIP BONES."

This is the first time posting any pics. I am a couple days shy of 2 mos post op. Down 46lbs.

This is me, 7 months post-op..79lbs lost

I had saved my clothes from my "before" picture, and I tried them on last weekend and took pictures. I showed the results to my father-in-law, and he pointed to the picture on the left (the before) and said, "that was you?" I said, yes. "I don't remember that," he said.
My MIL had surgery last October. My granddaughter had been born in September. The other day my FIL was showing someone a picture of my granddaughter that he had on his phone. My MIL was holding the baby shortly after the baby's birth. The person who looked at the photo asked who the woman was holding the baby. The person couldn't believe it was my MIL and how much weight she'd lost.

Fitting in the airplane seat and not asking for an extender

Mine has to be @ 6 months post op and down about 90 lbs. my family was getting ready to go out to dinner and I was dressed in my new size 8 jeans. My daughter's boyfriend (25) said to me "wow! You are getting so skinny!" 5 minutes later my son, (20) walked in to the room. He said in almost a shout, "Holy Crap, Mom! You are soo skinny!!" He had only ever known me as obese. It was truly a wonderful moment!!

I am only about six weeks out now...but I have my 'skinny closet' separate from my regular closet ...yep, I have kept skinny clothes from the past. I periodically go through it & get rid of what I wouldn't wear now...but I've got quite a few clothes in it...my NSV was me having the determination to get a dress out of there this weekend, hang it on the outside so I see it as soon as I wake up....and for the first time in years, I KNOW I will be back in that dress in a year or so ( I hope sooner, but I am realistic!)...yahoo!!!!!!!

The other day I'm pretty sure a woman was checking me out - I simply can't remember the last time that happened and it felt nice

Gosh, this is hard! There have been so many!
I would have to say all of the instances that make me realize I no longer stand out as the FAT girl and that my life is so much less limited now. For example, I am a HUGE Cincinnati Reds fan and finally got to go to Opening Day this year. (It's pretty much a holiday in Cincy.) I was able to walk around all day and sit in a stadium seat comfortably. I used to have to be the one to buy my own tickets so I made sure they were on the end or next to an empty seat so I wouldn't make anyone else feel uncomfortable. One time, I literally took a cab from the stadium the 6 or 7 blocks to the parking garage. I claimed I didn't know how to get there but that wasn't really it. Another example: going out with my girlfriends a few weeks ago. There were 5 of us in the car and I wasn't singled out as having to sit in the front seat. I was able to sit in the back with two other girls AND they made me get in the middle! lol
Oh, and, making my crush do a double take when he saw me after 10 months. He didn't even recognize me at first! Now if I could just see him again so I can flirt with him!
I know you said one but I am so horrible at the best/favorite thing!

For me, yesterday I rode my new bike (bicycle - not Harley-that's my husband's territory!) I felt like a little girl again - hair flying free! Oh yea, being "checked out" again by the opposite sex -- priceless!

Best NSV for me was going from 27 prescribed pills a day to 11! 3 more will be gone in June!!

This weekend I ran my first mud run. The 5k part was doable before surgery but there's no way I could have done all the obstacles. But I totally did it on Saturday. Scaling 10 foot walls? With this body-no problem! Yay!!

Best NSV for me was finally loving myself enough to let someone else love me!

Going shopping with my daughter last week, I picked up a big, loose fitting top and she said to me, "Mum, you don't have to wear fat clothes anymore!".

I was at a baseball game last Friday to cheer my grand nephew on and it got VERY cold so I asked his dad if I could go to the house and, of course, he said yes. They have a key in a lock case but when I got there I realized someone has locked the top lock and the key is only for the bottom one. I actually fit through the doggie door!!!!

Best nsv to date... Completing 4 half marathons in a year!

Best NSV to date: Walking into my son's house about a year after surgery and hearing him say "Holy F, Mom, where's the rest of you?!"

Gassing the room is short term and will get better. Not!!! Over nine months out and still gassy all the time. Was fun at first until I realized I was no longer in middle school. The dog also refused to be my scapegoat any longer. lol.

Thats why I gained weight!! I knew it was watermelon, see...see!!!!