jbgirl5856

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

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

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

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!

Hi there! Sorry it took me a bit to respond - haven't been on the site in a couple weeks.
I started exercising a lot in the beginning, trying to get in the habit of it. About 5 days a week. I started my internship full time and I am currently exercising about 3 days a week, but I am on my feet all day at my internship (I'm a little over 5 months out now).
As far as my weight history...this is kinda a rough estimate.
Starting: 231
1 month: 190-200 (I can't exactly remember)
2 months: 176
3 months: 166
4 months: 155
Currently: 148
It varied as to how it came off. Obviously you lose the most in the first couple months. My weight loss has slowed down, but I am still losing and see changes in my measurements and how my body looks and feels. I also got stuck at like 200, 190, 180, etc haha it was weird but I swear it happened. Don't stress about the scale though - just keep doing the right things and the results come! Taking measurements helped a lot to motivate me. Hope that helps. Good luck to you

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

Great job, you look amazing.

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

You look fantastic and so beautiful! I can't wait to gain my confidence back. Great job!

you look great!

You look fantastic! I was sleeved on 8/23 and am down 61 lbs. I too would like to know what your meals are like on a typical day. Very impressive weight loss - you are skinny now!

Wow!!!! You look great .

Sooooo pretty!!!!

Thank you for all of that information!!! I CAN NOT wait to run! That is one of the top things on my "to do list". Your breakdown if foods and exercise sound very reasonable. Nothing extreme. Congrats on your hard work. It's good to see people that use this tool to the best of its advantage, rather than expecting the weight to magically fall off. Super proud of you and your train of thought!!!!

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.

U look gorgeous!!!! I was sleeved 8/24 this year also and I'm down to 159 from 240! I'm tryin to get to 150 tho so u give me hope!!

Congrats

wow, what a big change... congrats!!!!! keep the good work!!!
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