BenisaMartim4

Today is my 36th birthday and for the first time in 30 years I am not overweight. I started my WLS journey 1-1-12 (surgery 2-14-12) and since then I have lost an entire person. I started at 335# and a size 28. Today I am 160# and a size 8. I am 20# below my surgical goal. It is a very shocking transformation and I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around it. I am less than half the weight I started out at and wear about 1/4 the size clothes. Mindboggling. I don't even recognize myself, let alone people that haven't seen me in awhile. I don't plan to try to lose any more because I am getting way too bony. I am in the process of trying to have plastic surgery though. I believe when that is done I will be a size 6..possibly even a 4/6. Unbelievable. I am a large framed woman and never would have believed it was possible for me to be this small. A 16 was my goal because it was the smallest I could ever remember being.

[ATTACH]17879[/ATTACH]

Today is my 36th birthday and for the first time in 30 years I am not overweight. I started my WLS journey 1-1-12 (surgery 2-14-12) and since then I have lost an entire person. I started at 335# and a size 28. Today I am 160# and a size 8. I am 20# below my surgical goal. It is a very shocking transformation and I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around it. I am less than half the weight I started out at and wear about 1/4 the size clothes. Mindboggling. I don't even recognize myself, let alone people that haven't seen me in awhile. I don't plan to try to lose any more because I am getting way too bony. I am in the process of trying to have plastic surgery though. I believe when that is done I will be a size 6..possibly even a 4/6. Unbelievable. I am a large framed woman and never would have believed it was possible for me to be this small. A 16 was my goal because it was the smallest I could ever remember being.

[ATTACH]17879[/ATTACH]

Today is my 36th birthday and for the first time in 30 years I am not overweight. I started my WLS journey 1-1-12 (surgery 2-14-12) and since then I have lost an entire person. I started at 335# and a size 28. Today I am 160# and a size 8. I am 20# below my surgical goal. It is a very shocking transformation and I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around it. I am less than half the weight I started out at and wear about 1/4 the size clothes. Mindboggling. I don't even recognize myself, let alone people that haven't seen me in awhile. I don't plan to try to lose any more because I am getting way too bony. I am in the process of trying to have plastic surgery though. I believe when that is done I will be a size 6..possibly even a 4/6. Unbelievable. I am a large framed woman and never would have believed it was possible for me to be this small. A 16 was my goal because it was the smallest I could ever remember being.

[ATTACH]17879[/ATTACH]

Today is my 36th birthday and for the first time in 30 years I am not overweight. I started my WLS journey 1-1-12 (surgery 2-14-12) and since then I have lost an entire person. I started at 335# and a size 28. Today I am 160# and a size 8. I am 20# below my surgical goal. It is a very shocking transformation and I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around it. I am less than half the weight I started out at and wear about 1/4 the size clothes. Mindboggling. I don't even recognize myself, let alone people that haven't seen me in awhile. I don't plan to try to lose any more because I am getting way too bony. I am in the process of trying to have plastic surgery though. I believe when that is done I will be a size 6..possibly even a 4/6. Unbelievable. I am a large framed woman and never would have believed it was possible for me to be this small. A 16 was my goal because it was the smallest I could ever remember being.

[ATTACH]17879[/ATTACH]

Today is my 36th birthday and for the first time in 30 years I am not overweight. I started my WLS journey 1-1-12 (surgery 2-14-12) and since then I have lost an entire person. I started at 335# and a size 28. Today I am 160# and a size 8. I am 20# below my surgical goal. It is a very shocking transformation and I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around it. I am less than half the weight I started out at and wear about 1/4 the size clothes. Mindboggling. I don't even recognize myself, let alone people that haven't seen me in awhile. I don't plan to try to lose any more because I am getting way too bony. I am in the process of trying to have plastic surgery though. I believe when that is done I will be a size 6..possibly even a 4/6. Unbelievable. I am a large framed woman and never would have believed it was possible for me to be this small. A 16 was my goal because it was the smallest I could ever remember being.

[ATTACH]17879[/ATTACH]

Yes, not having a tat on the girls is for sure a plus at this point. A rose would absolutely be loong stemmed and a horse would look like a bushy tailed giraffe..LOL.
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I dug out my dusty 30 Day Shred disc. I like that it's challenging but short. I do my workout each day and feel a sense of accomplishment when I'm done. I have this DVD binder that must have about thirty different workout discs in it...I think I'll try another one once I finish up the month on this one.
One of my pre-surgery weight loss resolution habits was to buy workouts and swear I'd start them. I never did more than one or two workouts on any of these discs, with the exception of a really wonderful stress relief yoga workout I have. Maybe my "stay in maintenance and get in better shape" resolution should be to work my way through that binder and stay active.
~Cheri

LOL yes I do have a 1 year old granddaughter, but I live up on a mountain with nothing but hills, so I don't really see me running around with that, haha, but it looks awesome...Well since I first posted this thread, I did a 5K foam fest on Sunday and it was awesome, I completed the entire thing, was so proud of myself..www.5kfoamfest.com check it out, was really fun....Been going to Kettlebell classes once a week and trying to work on fitting more things in...

I have seen a lot of vsg vets around on the web post about ways to increase caloric intake and many folks go for quality and caloric density as it is a challenge with quantity, which is fairly obvious considering our restrictive procedure. High quality cheeses, nuts, and bacon seem to be popular choices - as well as avocados, nut butters, etc. If you like your Protein Drinks, adding more liquid calories could be easier than denser forms of food if you simply stuffed to the gills all the time. There are a lot of Protein drinks out there with much higher calories than the one I drink (Premier) - this could help.

LOL... sorry sweet. Don't hurt them too bad o.k.
I am 16 months out and I reached my final goal last month (I am 15# under my surgical goal.) I have lost 170# and I am now a normal BMI. I have never "exercised." I do my regular daily activities of housework\childcare and on special occasions something extra, but to say I exercised no. I have fibromyalgia, degenerative disc and joint and need a knee replacement. I have been doing good to walk at all. I have been doing excellent comparatively since my surgery though. I used to be on a cane/walker/wheelchair. Now I get around very well unassisted.

LOL... sorry sweet. Don't hurt them too bad o.k.
I am 16 months out and I reached my final goal last month (I am 15# under my surgical goal.) I have lost 170# and I am now a normal BMI. I have never "exercised." I do my regular daily activities of housework\childcare and on special occasions something extra, but to say I exercised no. I have fibromyalgia, degenerative disc and joint and need a knee replacement. I have been doing good to walk at all. I have been doing excellent comparatively since my surgery though. I used to be on a cane/walker/wheelchair. Now I get around very well unassisted.

I am 15 months out and I track everything. I do not have a problem of over eating, mine is under eating. My sleeve is still VERY restrictive. Many times I'm lucky to get in 2oz. I was living on a very low calorie consumption but I stopped losing weight. I called my NUT and she said no one over 12 months out should ever drop below 1200 calories. She said continuing with the extremely low caloric intake will damage the BMR, sometimes permanently. I immediately increased my calories through any means necessary (extra shakes, Gatorade, condiments.) I had been in a 6 week stall and within a week of increasing my intake I had lost 5#. I have to track to make sure I eat. Without the accountability I literally would not take a bite all day. food is at the bottom of my priority list. I have to eat every 2-3 hours to be able to get my calories in. I am below my surgical goal, but I am 2# from my end goal of half my body weight gone and normal BMI. I still plan to track long term. I just think it is the best for me.
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I started out at 335#, I have lost 111# and I look just fine. COMPLETELY FEMININE! My husband is very pleased. So this might happen to some, but it sure didn't here. Maybe if I got down to 100# or something..hah!

I have become an attention *****. I soak up praise and admiration like a sponge. I guess it's because I was invisible for so many years. Go ahead and laugh (300#+ and invisible!), but I know y'all know what I mean.
And to make me sound even more debase (coffee addiction..pfft), I'm addicted to sex. Thank God only with my husband, but still! I wasn't that way before. As a matter of fact, I detested it. I could gag thinking about it. Now I'm like RAWR all the time. I never get tired of it. *hangs head in shame* my poor husband wishes I liked coffee...
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I spent months puking and my restriction is still very tight (15 months.) I had stopped losing weight and my nut said it was because I was not eating enough. I eat 6 times a day (at least.) my goal is 1200 cals. My nut said for me to get my cals any way I could. I have never completely low carved it. They have had me drinking sweet tea and/or regular Gatorade from the beginning. There have been times that those were the only calories I had. I currently get as many as 200 calories a day from that and they told me not to stop. Staying at that calorie level WILL damage your BMR...possibly permanently. You have to get in more calories. If you have to start drinking Protein shakes or milk several times a day, do it. I throw up every time I drink milk, but I can now stomach the shakes and have as many as 3 a day. If I have been able to eat well, I drink the 100 cal EAS. if I need the extra, I drink the Atkins 140-160. I have lots of cheese, Peanut Butter and bacon. They are higher calorie and take up very little room. My go to since being sleeved has been a slice of American cheese with 1/2-1 tbsp of PB (110-160 cals.) If you will add one Atkins shake and 2 tbsp. of PB to your diet a day you will have an extra 340 cals. That is going to take your metabolism and energy a long way. If you are not diabetic or have metabolic syndrome you might want to try some Gatorade too. 50 cals per 8oz. The sugar has not effected my weight loss at all. It is the only thing that had kept me going much of the time. I have lost 164#. It is going to be worth you experimenting. You don't want to start damaging your BMR...or even worse start burning your internal organs for fuel.
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I have enjoyed reading this thread, but probably for a different reason than all of you. I just want to give a shout out of encouragement to you all. Six months ago I too was on here posting all the things that I wanted to do (or not do) when I got thin. Tonight I was able to read through all of your posts and check off all of my accomplishments. IT IS AWESOME!! I am enjoying things now that I never would have even dreamed of this time last year. I go for my 6 month post op tomorrow and I am down 111# total. If I can do it, you can too. Sooo, ROCK THOSE SLEEVES PEOPLE!! WOOHOO!!

I stand up and shout it from the mountain top. I want everyone to know what it did for me. I hope my testimony helps others take back their lives. Only positive feedback here. 15 months out, 165# down and maintaining. Awesome!
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I have become an attention *****. I soak up praise and admiration like a sponge. I guess it's because I was invisible for so many years. Go ahead and laugh (300#+ and invisible!), but I know y'all know what I mean.
And to make me sound even more debase (coffee addiction..pfft), I'm addicted to sex. Thank God only with my husband, but still! I wasn't that way before. As a matter of fact, I detested it. I could gag thinking about it. Now I'm like RAWR all the time. I never get tired of it. *hangs head in shame* my poor husband wishes I liked coffee...
Sent from my iPhone using VST

I have become an attention *****. I soak up praise and admiration like a sponge. I guess it's because I was invisible for so many years. Go ahead and laugh (300#+ and invisible!), but I know y'all know what I mean.
And to make me sound even more debase (coffee addiction..pfft), I'm addicted to sex. Thank God only with my husband, but still! I wasn't that way before. As a matter of fact, I detested it. I could gag thinking about it. Now I'm like RAWR all the time. I never get tired of it. *hangs head in shame* my poor husband wishes I liked coffee...
Sent from my iPhone using VST

I have enjoyed reading this thread, but probably for a different reason than all of you. I just want to give a shout out of encouragement to you all. Six months ago I too was on here posting all the things that I wanted to do (or not do) when I got thin. Tonight I was able to read through all of your posts and check off all of my accomplishments. IT IS AWESOME!! I am enjoying things now that I never would have even dreamed of this time last year. I go for my 6 month post op tomorrow and I am down 111# total. If I can do it, you can too. Sooo, ROCK THOSE SLEEVES PEOPLE!! WOOHOO!!