hadouni

Yes, congrats on your weight loss! Great job. It hits me when I walk into my room and see the growing pile of clothes in my donation pile and realize there are many things in my closet that still need to go into the pile. I tried to wear a pair of pants at a conference last week and realized they looked ridiculous and had to change. This is hard sometimes too. I have "work clothes" with tags still on them that are now too large and clothes I barely wore that are too big. I pulled out a shirt to wear the other day and almost cried because it was too big and I'd been waiting so long to have it fit me again. I also have mirror moments where I think that I still look bad and wonder how I could have been so much bigger. I wonder if I'll ever not feel like the fat girl. I sure hope so! =)

I totally get it! I was just at a work conference and I swear they fed us something every two hours! It was almost annoying. That and the comments from people along the lines of "that's all you're going to eat?". I explained a couple times that I was trying hard to loose weight and I'd had success with portion control and left it at that. I'd have loved to dig into a big Breakfast and I ate too fast the first morning and ended up sliming in the bathroom trying to be inconspicuous as I barfed. No good... When I get frustrated I try to remember why I've done this and how good it feels to be shrinking. Sandra - I have to take my hat off to folks who have a brutal pre-op diet because I would have been totally insane if I'd had to do that!

I made it to 215 and my goal was 220. When is the next Friday 13th? =)

Easter Candy... mom gave me a Bordeaux egg and I've been snacking here and there on my son's candy since he has way more than he could ever eat. Trail Mix... got a free bag at the grocery store and went through that at work this week on my monthly PMS eat-all-day syndrome!

You look absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations.

Good for you!~ Enjoy being squeaky clean!

Hey! I remember that tray! Looked almost exactly the same in California!! Congrats!

Loosing slow is such a bummer but as heavy as I was, I'll take any loosing! I started out dropping relatively fast but it's slowed for sure. What was your initial post-op diet like? The surgeons are all so different but mine has us on Clear liquids for a full week, then a week of full liquids and then two weeks of mushies. I skipped the carb-based things I could have had in full liquids and mushies (cream of wheat, oatmeal) because I figured why pack in the calories. My surgeon is also doesn't recommend Protein supplementing. I always get "the look" if I admit that I use Protein shakes as Meal Replacements sometimes (mostly Breakfast on work days). I had the third week stall too but it also coincided with the stall I get every month before my period. I stall for almost a week but I drop 2-4lbs a day or two into my period. Bizarre!

Wow, my skin has been great since surgery but I've always been really regular and still am. I figured my skin cleared up because I wasn't dumping a bunch of junk food into it any more... my hormone issues have been more of the sex-on-the-brain type!

Yes, I'm three months out and each month I've stalled the week before my period and within a day or two of it starting I drop 2-4lbs seemingly over night.

Wow- barely even recognizable as the same guy! You look fantastic!

I never considered the band but I can say when I went to my first seminar and heard about the sleeve I knew it was for me. That was back in summer 2010. I have three close family members who have had gastric bypass. It was seeing their experience with GB that kept me from looking into WLS for so long. Two of them have had no issues with GB but one has had all kinds of problems, many of which may be in her head! When I went to that first seminar the Dr mentioned the sleeve but it was mostly to say that it wasn't as common and many insurances weren't covering it. I knew immediately that sleeve was for me. It was the restriction I needed and I didn't want any of the intestinal re-do that comes with GB. My PCP derailed me for a year but I got back on track in summer 2011 and had surgery on January 9, 2012. I wouldn't change a thing. This is the best thing I could have done for myself. I did have what I consider a textbook perfect experience - a little nausea post-op is probably my biggest complaint. At three months the weight is coming off with little effort and I feel better than I've felt in years. I've had no fatigue and I just feel fantastic. The thing I miss most is being able to drink a big iced tea with my meals. Getting used to not drinking when I eat is the hardest part for me post-op. Good luck with your decision!

I was out for 7 days and worked from home the days I worked in week 2. I have a desk job and could have gone back earlier but didn't want to go back to work while on only Clear liquids. I told work I was having GI surgery to repair a hiatal hernia and to repair some gerd related damage. Good luck to you!

Great job! You have accomplished SO much. Good luck with that last 54! You can do it!

That's so great! Congratulations. It must feel wonderful to have your success recoginzed by your surgeon like that. Good for you!

I hope I didn't say anything dumb! I love your posts - you've definitely inspired me!

I think my surgeon wants all decaf for the first 6 months. I must admit, in the last few weeks I've had an iced tea here and there and even a small cup of regular coffee recently. I just try to be careful about extra fluids when I drink anything caffeinated.

I pay 20% and my out of pocket max is 3k so I paid 3k. The total bill was close to 50k before insurance savings and insurance payments!

I had one too, undiagnosed that was corrected during surgery. Fixing it didn't bother me at all and I wouldn't have known they did it unless they told me. I had reflux too, probably from the hernia and since surgery I've been on meds for reflux but I'm able to skip days and not have it bother me at all so I think the heartburn might be on the way out! =) One can hope at least!

Your mom might be able to continue to pay into her employer's insurance for a few months if she's terminated. With my employer this is called COBRA and I think we can do this for 6 months at least but I don't know if that term is specific to my employer or not. Your mom's employer's HR group should be able to give her an answer on this quickly, especially if they're already preparing for layoffs. Good luck to you!

Isn't it great?! Congrats on your success so far. I have a huge pile of clothes to go into the donation bin but I also have a good assortment back down to size 14 so I'll be good for quite a while. I'm now the same size (different shape due to baby in between) that I was 7+ years ago and I could have never done this on my own in three years let alone three months! My son, lasik surgery and this are the best things I've done for myself in my life!

You're an inspiration! Congratulations on your fantastic accomplishment and I too, wish your last 20 melt away for you!

Oh I get it! As I type this there are bagels & cream cheese, at least two types of Cookies, a box of doughnuts and a pound cake about 6 feet from my office door. Office birthday... I brought two quiche so there's at least some form of Protein out there! I've limited myself to a couple little "wings" off an old fashioned doughnut but it's so easy for me to think to myself that I've already trashed the day, why not eat this or that? The thing I have to never, ever buy is cheeze-its. I love them, they go down so easily and I'll snack on them all day if I don't watch myself. I'm still getting pretty sick if I do too much sugar. I think I actually get dumping if I eat too much sugar and eat it on an empty stomach. I hope that lasts because it keeps me from eating it most of the time! Also, sweets leave a bad after taste in my mouth these days. That's a nice deterrent too so far!

This is hysterical and I totally get it because I'm feeling nearly combustible most of the time - meaning if I'm awake! Seriously trying to tempt my former FWB to take work up my way... I even have a list of sorts in my head of friends I could proposition! And it's not my cycles which have always been like a clock and are still like a clock. Hope the hormones settle down soon or I get the nerve up to proposition a friend!

Congrats on your darling son! The breastfeeding will really help with the weight loss. I think I got down as low as 240 when I was nursing (got pregnant at about 250 and I think I was around 280 when he was born- all the weight gained in the last 1.5 months!). My body is way different since I had a baby. I'm about 217 today and at 217 pre-baby I was not as thick through the middle as I am now. From about an inch above my belly button to about 3 inches below is just thicker around, darn it! I also have a lovely flab roll hanging over my c-section scar... so not pretty! Nor are all my stretch marks but I wouldn't trade them for my son!