everlag

I lost 150 pounds, did alot of exercising.
I look awesome in clothes, and yes, I have extra skin.
Exercise does not shrink skin but makes you more toned looking. How bad the excess is depends on many factors BUT the main thing is don't let this fear interfere.
Being thin/trim with extra skin is 1,000 times better then being obese.

So I can get my sleeve AND have sex with a young, hot doctor?! Lol

I did it!! Started at 299 and this morning 199.6!! I can't stop crying. I haven't been under two hundred pounds in 14 years!!!
<3

Wow....u look awesome! Keep up the great work!

Thank you for the information! I appreciate the time you took to break down your very successful habits! I'm three weeks post op and this info came at a much needed time for me. I had begun to run before the surgery and it was great. Now I see that I may be 'babying' myself because I haven't ran yet only brisk walking (i never had surgery so i just didnt want to harm myself). This week I will definitely push myself. Take care and and keep up the amazing job.

I am 5 months post op. I started my journey at my heaviest weight of 235 lbs, and 5'6". My weight loss has been on the slower end, compared to some, but steady nonetheless. Here is a "before" picture, in a very unflattering dress, and a couple of progress shots. I am now 12lbs lighter than the most recent picture in red. My journey has been complication free. I can eat 4 ounces or so at a meal, and starches are not my friend! I avoid bread and Pasta. I workout with weights 3 times a week (my trainer gives me a weekly routine) and I do cardio on the other days. I have only vomited once, when I was mindlessly eating and did not notice I was full. That never happened again after the one time. I feel great and had a great surgeon - Dr. Meuller in San Diego.< /p>

Thank you.Ok protien bar or shake for Breakfast, grilled chicken or fish for lunch, crawfish from Joes crabshack usually for dinner or a well cooked and tender steak. I'm in the gym 6 days a week for atleast 3 hours a day. I start out with 45 min combined power and cardio in the pool, then I get out dry off and change, 30 min elliptical, 30 treadmill, 30 on the bike, then I do weight training for 45 min. But most important I pray a lot for will power, strength and determination. And he guides me.

Hello again ladies and gents, hope all is well with the newly sleeved. And best wishes to those on their way. Just wanted to share a lil........ya boi is officially 8 lbs from goal weight. I say maybe a week, week and a half ill be standing at my 225. Phew almost 200lbs lost since three weeks before surg date sep,4,2012 I love this new life. P.s. ladies Yall are looking good keep on pushing you're doing great.

Officially down 86.5lbs and only 3.5lbs away from my first personal goal!! Weighed in at 153.5 today! !
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using VST

Not sure how much I've lost because I haven't weighed in almost 6 weeks but I feel my clothes getting looser all the time...yay! No regrets and I know I'm getting closer everyday to my goal.

I'm feeling particularly good about my progress so I thought I'd post an updated progression pic.

I used nicotine Patches when I quit. I couldn't have done it otherwise. No idea if you've had experience with them before, but be aware that Patches can give you the STRANGEST dreams. If it interferes with your sleep, take 'em off before bedtime.
Personally, I found the dreams the coolest part of quitting, but I'm strange that way.

i never kept any of my old/too small clothes - or even the "normal" ones i was wearing and they got to big
in other words i never "saw" my transformation
i finally saw a few differences, new clothes sizes, things improving - but i could never grasp the weight loss mentally
went to the store the other day to try on a pair of the exact same 2X blue jeans, elastic band, same brand
i put them on in the store and just stared at myself in disbelief
i did that for about 10 minutes!!!
then i took those jeans off, put my size 6 jeans on with the 2X over them
i again kept staring at myself
i bought the jeans and sat in the car for another few minutes
i was so sad!!!
Reason????
i just kept looking/staring at myself say "OMG" is that really me in those gigantic pants???? i filled out "ALLLL" that empty space
i was very upset, still am alittle just thinking and talking about it
i don't think i'll ever forget this incident - i was looking back at 59 years of my life - pretty sad!!!
but................
i know, i know - out with the old, in with the new
i am so very happy now - healthy now - no more diabetes meds/insulin - high blood pressure - CPAP
self confidence through the roof
life IS good
proud to be a veteran - looking forward to continueing a new good life!!!
only the best for all of us!!!

Men who have been sleeeved are allowed to carry a man-purse for Snacks Hehe
It's written in my VST binder

When was the last time you lost 26 pounds in less than a month?

So I've been skipping through the daisies for the past few weeks. I have been very fortunate outside of the typical things just about everyone experiences (periodic hunger, periodic blues, hair loss, stalls, gas, etc.).
I didn't mind drinking the shakes when that is what I was supposed to do (even if I didn't like the taste).
I haven't had any issues with food. I travel a lot and eat out all of the time and have posted a lot of nutritional information and some "go to" items that I prefer from various restaurants in different threads. I eat Vietnamese, Indian, seafood, Soups, vegetarian options, meats with no problems.
But tonight I have had a totally new experience and I'm laughing at myself about it. I really thought that, at 14 weeks, I was in the clear for a lot of things because I have been doing so well.
Instead of eating out YET AGAIN while working out of town, I decided to go to a Whole Foods grocery. For those of you who do not have one nearby: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/whole-foods-market
All of their produce, cheeses, meats, and zillions of organic food items, crazy variety of yogurts, prepared foods and other products can really entice you. I was drawn to the amazing salad bar. I picked up a small container and proceded to fill it with tiny bits of red cabbage, edamame, couscous, feta cheese, chickpeas, cucumbers, tofu, beets, and sprinkled quinoa over the top for some extra Protein. I also picked up a small container of wild caught salmon salad that had celery, dill and very little (almost 0) Mayonnaise.
No, I didn't throw up, but I am totally cleaned out from stem to stern. It wasn't holiday candy, or restaurant food that did me in. It wasn't dairy or bread. It was healthy foods from a health food store. I'm guessing Fiber?
I'm irregular anyway, so this was actually a blessing in disguise, kinda....
I'm thinking back on the whole ...."introduce new foods slowly" idea. Yup. There is a reason for that recommendation.
Tomorrow's lunch - Greek yogurt.

Hahahahaha worst auto correct ever! Oh man I am dying right now re reading that.

Omg. I am waiting on the firing squad. Wait its coming

amazing how the English language has suffered over the years... along with acryonyms and such with texting, it's even worse! (wow, I hope I spelled "acryonyms" right) ... what I miss is common courtesy ... what happened to "please", "thank you" and "you're welcome"?

Tears rolled down my cheeks in the dressing room when I went shopping today (fist time since surgery on 10/25). After having to try on a few medium shirts because the larges were too big and having to go back for size 12 jeans because I was swimming in the 14s, I couldn't em back. The first time I thought was maybe a fluke but after buying 3 medium shirts (some larges as well) and 3 size 12 jeans I had to just soak it in and realize that I haven't been this size since jr high. In just 9 weeks I've went from 18/20 and xl/xxl shirts to 12/14 and m/l shirts. It's so strange shopping in a store and having to skip the plus sizes and know that you don't have to try to squeeze into their biggest size and are able to shop the "normal" racks. Bring on 2013, I'm ready for my life back!

Yes I would!!! I do get frustrated when having problems figuring out what I can tolerate, or get weak easily. BUT then I remember how bad I felt ALL the time 50 lbs ago, how bad my food choices made me feel, and how horrible tight clothes feel. I am SO excited about what the future holds. Traveling, running 5 Ks with my sister, sharing clothes with my daughters, and shopping trips with my friends!!! Sleeved 12/10/12 and HAPPY !!!

Wow! Thanks so much for all the responses! Everyone is very kind

I'll try to answer some of the questions...
What do I eat on a usual day?
I have a very hard time eating any bread, rice, Pasta - I basically don't eat that (which I'm sure helps with the weight loss0 Sometimes I miss it, but then i put on a smaller pair of jeans and all is great in the world again
For Breakfast I usually have an egg with a piece of cheese and some kind of meat OR oatmeal and fruit
For Snacks, I go for string cheese, hummus and veggies, yogurt, fruit, anything up that alley
For lunch, I try to get my Protein in through having some kind of chicken dish - whether it be some kind of chicken stir fry or I'll get those lean cuisines or healthy choices and just not eat the rice, noodles, whatever and just eat the chicken and veggies
For dinner, I pretty much have whatever - I make normal, healthy meals - just way, way smaller amounts
Honestly, I don't feel like I'm on a diet. I track some days but not all. Basically i just try to put good, nutritious food in my body. If I eat like crap, I feel like crap. if I'm really craving something, I'll serve myself a small portion. I plate all my food and sit down to eat. Oh and when I feel hungry, I always check to make sure it's not just thirst! I can't tell you how many times my body thinks it's hungry but really I just need to drink some Water. DRINKING Water IS SOOOOOO IMPORTANT!!!! As for the Protein shakes, I had them a lot in the beginning but not so much now. I probably have like 3-4 a week. I do make sure I get in a lot of Protein through other foods though.
Do I exercise?
Oooo yeah! This is something I highly recommend. I don't have lose skin and I feel that my weight loss looks very natural. I started exercising a couple weeks before surgery and was walking on a treadmill right afterI had the surgery. I've grown to like running quite a bit (started that about 3 weeks post op) and I always do strength and core training. Nothing super fancy - I basically just get my butt to the gym and enjoy my time there. It's awful the first two weeks - I could barely run a half mile at 3.5 miles an hour and now I can pretty easily do two miles at a higher pace.
What has helped me the most?
Being honest with myself. Why did I get to the point I did? What are my triggers? You know to do some self discovery before having this. This is not something you just do to get skinny. If you don't just the fundamental problem, I feel the weight will just come back. I'm a much happier person. I went from a very anxious person to a person who just enjoys life. I feel NORMAL and it's a beautiful thing Also, surround yourself with people who SUPPORT you. I have been lucky to have wonderful parents, sisters, friends, boyfriend, etc to help me through this process.
What has my experience been?
I've honestly had the best experience. I'm 22 and did not have cormobidities - but I did have a BMI over 40. I loved my surgeon and the facility I had it at (Dr. Zeni at St. Mary's Hospital in Livonia, MI). The pre-op diet was so hard for me, but I stuck to it - didn't cheat once and felt so proud of myself. Anyone who is pre-op, that's my advice. DON"T CHEAT ON PRE-OP!! I did not have any complications. I followed my doctor's orders. My quote that I've posted several times on here is "Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret." It sums my feelings through this process. Every choice you make matters. Don't overwhelm yourself with huge goals. Just start by saying "Hey, I'm going to make a healthy choice for Breakfast today" or "I'm going to the gym today." Slowly these choices become habits.
Thanks so much for the responses. Feel free to message or ask any other questions. This forum has helped me a lot. Good luck everyone!

I had my surgery on August 22nd, so I am a little over 4 months post op. This summer at 5'3 my consultation weight in July was 231 lbs and I am now 155 lbs - putting me down 76 pounds! YAY!
I try to post monthly and this time when I was coming up with a picture to post I was just looking at pictures of my boyfriend and I from the summer. I think about how I felt this summer in pictures (insecure and uncomfortable) and how I feel now (confident and energetic) and I'm just very grateful. I've really appreciated his support throughout this process and looking at the pictures just made me feel grateful that I've had such a great support system, not just in him but in my entire family and my friends. I feel like it has helped me immensely. This surgery has just showed me that I really am lucky to have such great people in my life!
I hope everyone had a great holiday! I always enjoy seeing people's pictures, so I will post some below!
Picture 1: Sister's graduation party in July
Picture 2: Friend's wedding in July
Picture 3: Christmas Eve Party
Picture 4: Christmas Morning! (No way would I have ever let him pick me up like that over the summer lol!)
Picture 5: Christmas Day

My go to for nausea is Crystal Light lemonade in a room temperature Water, or lime juice mixed with water. I sucked on Lemonheads through both pregnancies, but that's not an option now!