sarahcc

I think the message of concern is really good. I think it's a good piece of criticism, I just think it could have been delivered a little more constructively, that's all. That was really my only point, and I hope that she is following her doc's orders and that he approved advancing early. Overall I think we were at the same place.

Thank you! It is such a great feeling to meet your goals and feel so much healthier at the same time! Win-win :-) I appreciate the compliments too lol, I am surprisingly now more self-conscious than ever. How does that happen??

More sarcasm? I thought we were supposed to support one another. And my doctor said no solids until week 3,then during my follow up he released me early. So the way I always worded it was that I got to start solids a week early.

I also got queasy with water for like 2 months after surgery. All I could drink was iced tea, green for decaf but I was ok with black too. It also helped me if the water was ice cold, but for some I've heard the exact opposite, that only room temperature would do. I would love to know the science behind this! Seems very unnatural.

I really don't think the sarcastic remark was necessary or very respectful. For what it's worth, my doctor approved me for solids 8 days post op. I ate tuna pretty much exclusively. It is important to follow doctors plan but her post didn't say she went AMA. I just really feel like we should all be respectful of one another and ask clarifying questions if necessary.

Thank you! And I do know how you feel - I had a child in 2005 and another in 2008... When I got pregnant with my second, I didn't even weigh much less than when I was 9 months pregnant with my first, so I just kept gaining and gaining. Then, after I was dug in such a hole, I just gave up completely. Thinking that you had 15, 20, even 30 pounds to lose seems very attainable. When you're at 70, 80, 90 or more to lose, it feels so hopeless. Now that I'm down to that attainable number again, I am that much more motivated and I have so much more energy!! You can do it, and I'm really excited for your journey!! I can't wait to see your "after" pictures

Thank you!! It's amazing how much more you want to take care of yourself when you have all that extra energy left over from carrying around 100lbs less

I'll keep it short and sweet, I promise Height: 5'1" BEFORE: (left is before, right is after losing the first 40lbs) Weight: 241 Size: 18/20 pants, XXL tops, 40DD bra AFTER: Weight: 138 (up to about 145 in these pics since they're a little outdated) Size: 6 pants, S/M tops, 34C bra I wanted to set a reasonable goal for myself, so I basically just set the goal to lost 100lbs, from 241 to 140. Now that I've gotten past that in only 8 months, I think I'm going to go for 125-130. As a frame of reference, here is a picture of me from about 8-9 years ago when I was in high school: I'm so happy and loving life again. This was truly the best gift I ever could have given myself and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to do it. I hope my story inspires others.

Height: 5' 1" Starting Weight: 241 Current Weight: 145 Goal Weight: 140 Ideal Weight: 130 Right after surgery on the left (I only lost about 3lbs pre-op), 40lbs lost on the right (so about 200) 145lbs 5 pounds for my first goal!!! 96lbs lost...

I can eat things like chili/soup with almost no restriction, I'll just get caught up if I eat too fast.

Hi! I do have a little loose skin but not as much as I was expecting. The worst is under my upper arms, and my thighs. My stomach is actually flattening out nicely, but I do have more weight to lose there. My breasts actually still look pretty good too, lol. However, I hear those will go at the very end, so I won't make any promises on that. I'm going to wait a year or two on the skin before considering surgery, as I know the skin will need some extra time to bounce back, and I am young so I remain hopeful, hehe. Good question! Thanks for the support!! Good luck to you!

Thank you for the replies everyone!! As of today I weigh 161, so I have officially lost 80 pounds! That also means that I have 21 pounds to get to my first major goal of 140. I am in size 10 bottoms and M/L tops. I bought several tops yesterday for a business trip and all were M, but there are some that are still a little too tight in the chest and need an L. I have a size 10 pair of American Eagle jeans that I am absolutely in love with. Here are some more pictures (in the jeans!)... they were from when I was at 163-164. Please excuse the weird stance and lighting in both pics, I was on a step stool in the one because I don't have a full-length mirror. Someone said I look a little drawn in the close-up. I think I look fine/good, but it could just be because that person, a co-worker, was so used to seeing me with such a round face. So there you have it! So far, my no-stress approach seems to be paying off. I am hoping to be at my goal by the end of the year THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the kind words and support!!!

I'm 5'1", so... not tall at all, heh.

No problem at all and you're not being too nosy My excess skin is not as bad as I thought it would be, but it's not NOTHING, either. My stomach is surprisingly flat (no apron or anything like that), and my thighs are holding up pretty well. My breasts are ok, but I do notice some loose skin there. I have a slight pouch of skin in my pelvic area, but nothing like I thought it would be. The worst is, as many will tell you, in my arms. I always had chubby arms, even when I was in great shape and 125/130lbs, I thought my arms were thick. So they are not looking too great, and that would be the only area I would ever consider getting plastic surgery to fix. I want to give it a couple years to try and bounce back on it's own. But there are no other areas I think are bad enough to consider surgery. Overall I'm pretty happy with it!

OMG! I mean this in the absolute best way possible - but age is NOT just an excuse, it's a fact. I'm 25 years old! My body should basically be at it's peak right now. I have metabolism and hormones working in my favor. And if I'm being honest, I also work 60+ hours a week, I have a 4 year old daughter and a 7 year old son. I don't exercise, but I am BUSY. Don't be jealous! 42lbs is a LOT to lose in 6 months, and I'm guessing it's about 50lbs more than you would have lost without the surgery! (I assume you'd keep gaining, like I DEFINITELY would have, which is why I said 50, heh.) I am excited for you, and you should be too! I appreciate all the support too Thank you!

Good luck and TAKE IT EASY! I swear, that is the best advice no one ever gave me. Even here on this forum, it seems like sometimes people take the "diet" approach and take it to an extreme. There is no judgement from me, it's just not what works for me. Had that worked, I would have done it instead of having surgery. I needed a support tool to help me, and I needed to RELAX. That's what's worked for me.

I loved looking at the before/after/progress pics while I was just getting started here, so I always try to reciprocate Before: 241 (probably got up into the 250's but wasn't tracking) No real pre-op loss. Currently: 166-168. Nutrition: Focus on Protein and Water. Can basically eat and drink whatever I want in very small portions. Foods that don't agree with me: Bread, tortillas and rice generally don't sit well so I avoid them. Pasta is ok, and so are crackers/toast. My favorite foods: anything seafood. In the last few weeks I've eaten salmon, swordfish, shrimp, and sushi. Also: cheese, in any way, shape or form. I've had more caprese salad in the last month than in the rest of my life combined. Yum yum! My not-guilty-at-all guilty pleasure: coffee, with full fat creamer and occasionally some sweetener (read: on my period, heh). Every day. Mmmm. Stuff that goes down easier than I wish it would: Anything made of potato. DAMN YOU, POTATOES! *shakes fist* Also worth noting - I can eat as much fruit and veggies as a "normal" person. No one would ever know I had surgery when eating from a veggie tray. For some odd reason, there's no restriction with those two items. I can't eat as quickly as I used to, but I could graze all day. Weird! I've taken a purposeful no-stress policy over this. Stress stalls weight loss. You heard it here first! I had no pre-op, I have very, very laid-back post-op, and although my weight loss has slowed, I'm still losing consistently. 75lbs in 4.5 months is more than good enough for me My current exercise routine is... well, nothing. Not NOTHING, I guess, if you count typing as exercise. I work a lot and am terribly out of shape. So it's been slow going to get started. Pictures: Size 18/20. That's an XXL shirt from Kohl's. Summer 2011. This is a before/progress. Winter 2012 on the left, and about 40lbs down (or about 35lbs ago) on the right. Approx. 168lbs Approx. 168lbs. Size L yoga pants from Target (Champion) and size M shirt (unisex) Trying on at Old Navy Sweetheart boot cut jeans in 12 short. Hoodie is a L. Both fit comfortably and will likely be loose in approx. 2-3 weeks. IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN. Hope this gives someone out there the inspiration they need to get healthy!

Started at about 241, 5'1" and surgery on 4/19/12. Weigh 168 today.

5'1, started at 241, no-pre op weight loss either. Now at 4.25 months out, I am at 172. Nearly 70 lbs lost

So I'll just tell you what my surgeon told me - absolutely nothing against those who require a liquid diet from their patients. My surgeon said it's unnecessary and that it's too stressful and hard on the body than for the results it delivers. He also discourages Protein supplements because he believes they are too high in sugar and/or artificial sweetners. I realize he's very unusual compared to a lot of surgeons here, specifically the ones in Mexico. He did encourage high Proteins and low carbs to shrink the liver, but he still put starch into my diet. For the record, my surgeon is the director of the surgery/trauma program, as well as a professor at the medical college of WI. I had surgery at an amazing, state of the art hospital and on his staff were his NP's, a dietician, a psychiatrist, and others that I worked with for about 6 months. His program is very reputable. So I am certain that there is no right or wrong, it's just about how your surgeon operates...no pun intended!

Thank you!! I appreciate the compliment :)

Thank you so much!! Yes it's pretty exciting. He is one of those guys who has a hard time (well, HAD a hard time until he turned 30, hehe) keeping weight on and could easily drop 10lbs in a week if he wanted to, so we had a *cough*notso*cough* friendly competition with losses and he kept me within a pound of him for quite some time, but I've taken quite a lead now and I doubt he has the willpower to catch up I've spent a lot of time looking at My Body Gallery and I realize goals 3 & 4 may end up being transposed, so we'll see. I've dropped a lot of weight but my backside is still rather huge :-P

Hi All, I know how much I enjoy photo updates of others so I try to oblige as well. Unfortunately I'm a little late... sorry about that! Here's my info: Starting/surgery weight: 241 (I was probably higher in the attached before pictures... I had lost a bit before I started the WLS journey... so I would guess at least 250) Starting sizes: 18-20 pants, XXL tops, 40D bra. Current weight: 181-183 (It's that time of the month so I'm not sure where I'm gonna land, heh.) Current sizes: 12-14 pants, L tops, 36C/D bra. 1st Goal: Get to under 200 2nd Goal: Weigh less than my husband (about 190) 3rd Goal: Get to single digit pant size (8-9) 4th Goal: Weigh 140lbs, the weight I was when I got pregnant with my first child. Final Goal: Not sure... probably 120-130. Height: 5'1 Surgery Date: 4/19/12 Things have been going great. I've started bike riding again, which felt amazing. When I was in high school (about 8 years ago) I used to bike a 13 mile trail 5x weekly. I have SO much more energy at work and at home. My increased confidence has made me more aware of what I want and what I deserve out of life. People treat me differently, which offended me at first but I think it's my personality that has really inspired the different behaviors, not my weight loss. At least that's what I choose to believe. And I've said in other posts that if I can do this, anyone can. That is the truth without question. I had no pre-op diet save a 24 hour fasting before surgery. I have a very, very loose post-op diet compared to some. I started soft solids 8 days post-op, and today I can eat anything in very small portions. I stall when I don't get enough calories in. I also just stall sometimes, no matter what I do. It's ok, I've learned to accept it. I got into the unfortunate habit of weighing myself daily and I need to get out of that, because when I see the occasional 1-2lb gain I flip out. Even though I know it will come off within the next day or two, usually plus some. The weight WILL come off. It's a matter of patience and healthy choices, not dieting. I'm a firm believer. I'll also add for anyone pre-op that, at least in my experience, now that my intake is very limited, my body CRAVES healthy food more than any other time in my life, even when I was very athletic. My restriction is also, oddly enough, much more forgiving with fruits and vegetables. I can eat as much as anyone else with regard to those as long as I pace myself. I ate an entire plate of raw broccoli, cauliflower, celery and carrots last week at work. I know some surgeons caution away from fibrous veggies like that but mine was accepting and encouraging of it from about month 2 so I incorporate it as often as possible. I haven't craved a cheeseburger since I had surgery, and I was a Five Guys fanatic pre-op. My one guilty pleasure is pizza, but even that is very rare. Food like that just doesn't sit well anymore and when eating like that is so much of a chore, you just choose something else instead, most of the time. Seriously, when I eat crap, I can FEEL the energy my body spends processing it. It is literally exhausting for me. Anyway, I hope that helps and gives everyone some hope if you are new to the experience or are recently post-op and feeling hopeless. Here are some pics! (obviously you can see which two are Before pics... the side:side in the grey sweatshirt is my 40lbs gone comparison. The purple hoodie is about 60lbs gone, or where I'm at today!) Have an amazing day everyone, thanks for all the continued support!! Sarah

Cheri I believe it's their restrictions on sugar and sweeteners that make them un supportive of protein shakes. To be fair, my restriction is nowhere near as tight as some folks. I can eat an egg omelet comfortably albeit sloooowly. If I was more diligent about eating ONLY protein until I was meeting my goal, I could do it without shakes. My problem is really more discipline than anything. I know my surgeons diet plan is very different from the normal especially on this board but it is closely monitored and from what I can tell I have had success so far. :-) So to add to all the great advice already given I'll add my two cents : whatever your surgeon plans for you is right for you, and that trust in your team will take you far!

No I struggle with protein since my surgeons office strongly discourages supplementing with shakes. Water is easier but I am a coffee addict so I know I can't have it unless I am good on water. Congrats on the loss! Amazing how different it feels!