Corridor72

You look great! Congratulations on your success! Do you mind if I ask how tall you are?

Thank you! That's exactly how I feel! I'm so happy to have reclaimed my health and to be able to do things I couldn't even imagine doing 1 yr ago! I've been very open and honest with everyone about my surgery. Even people who are just acquaintances know about it because if they ask, and most people do ask, I tell them. Interesting. You'd think she'd say something. Maybe she really doesn't notice though since she sees you often.

I have been getting a lot of comments from both family and friends at work, male and female alike. I think you're correct about them being so used to us being heavier that they think we're malnourished now. I also have a lot left in my tummy to lose. Actually, that's where almost all of the excess weight that I have left is at-my tummy. I can see it, so why can't they?lol I don't know about them not noticing-it seems the more I lose the more they notice every pound. Hopefully I can get to goal soon though and will then be able to say "OK. I'll stop now"

They know what the BMI charts say. They think the BMI charts are garbage and they don't believe that the charts are realistic for anyone to achieve. I have to say, my brother did back off and leave me alone about it once I told him what my BMI is and what my goals are and why. I think he has a better understanding than any of them on the matter. He has also struggled with his weight for many years but has been successful with low carb dieting. He fluctuates a lot with his weight but his goal has always been a healthy BMI and he gets a lot of grief from everyone else when he gets close to his goal too. So, he has been more understanding than the others in the family.

See, I'm just the opposite. I'm not as concerned about pant sizes, shirt sizes, dress sizes, or any other size as I am the number on the scale. I will admit that I am fascinated and even thrilled at the change in sizes but I don't have a magic number that I'm reaching for when it comes to size. What I am concerned about is the number on the scale. I'm a nurse and have a very good understanding about how weight and BMI affects one's health. I didn't have this surgery to improve my appearance and fit into smaller clothing. I had surgery to improve my health so my goal is to reach a healthy weight for my height. Again, this is something that I have discussed with my surgeon and we agree on what my goal should be so I don't think that I'm shooting for something that's unhealthy for me. I just think that, as a society, our views of what healthy looks like have changed as the epidemic of obesity has increased. I also think that my family is so used to seeing the "fat" me that their view is skewed too. I wish I could ignore their comments but that's really difficult to do considering they tend to gang up on me!lol...It's not that I get offended or upset with them about it because, more than anything, I just really wish I could help them understand. I'm not angry or upset with them at all. I know they're just concerned and I'm not sure how to handle it. I've tried everything I know to reassure them that I'm ok and will be ok but they just don't seem to get it.

Actually, my family is kind of odd. We have some who are underweight, some who are overweight, a few who are extremely morbidly obese and some who are just average. As for my immediate family, my dad has always been a normal weight. My mother and brother are both a little overweight, but not as much as I was. I do think that part of the problem is that we, as a society, have adapted our views so that people who are actually of a normal weight/BMI are viewed as being too thin and those who are overweight(but not obese) are viewed as being "normal" because that is what we are used to seeing in today's society. I agree. I've lost 114 lbs but I still see the same fat girl that was always there when I look in the mirror. My view of me has not changed at all. I don't "feel" smaller and I don't see myself as being smaller even though I know I must be smaller. After all, 114 lbs takes up a lot of space. I do feel better and have a lot more energy but I just don't feel smaller. I'm not worried that losing more weight would be bad. I know it's the right thing to do. My goal in having this surgery was to get healthy. I need to lose more weight to be at a healthy weight. I also don't think my doctor would recommend further weight loss if it weren't healthy. I trust him completely. What stresses me out right now is just trying to deal with family & friends who don't understand that. Thank you

No, I don't have before/after pics. I'm the master of staying behind the camera as I've never liked having my picture taken. I'm 5'6" and weigh 169 lbs now. I've lost a total of 114 lbs. I had to do a 6 month supervised weight loss plan prior to my insurance approval and then the liquid diet for 5 weeks prior to surgery. I started my supervised weight loss plan in March of last year. At that time, I weighed 275 lbs. My highest weight ever was 283 lbs so I had already lost a few lbs prior to starting that. Anyway, I lost about 23 lbs during the 6 month supervised weight loss plan. Then I did the liquid diet for 3 weeks and my surgery got delayed so I had to do it for another 2 wks. I lost about 20 lbs on the liquid diet. My surgery date was Dec. 20th, so about 6 1/2 months ago. My weight on that day was around 232 lbs. So I've lost about 63 lbs since surgery.

I'm 6 1/2 months post-op and my tummy still gurgles and growls louder than it ever did before if I get really hungry. It mostly happens when I'm at work and have breakfast at 6 or 7 am and then don't have time to eat lunch until 2 pm. It's well worth it though. My band has helped me lose 113 lbs so far so I'll deal with some gurgling and growling from time to time!

Are you sure it's the band? Could it be your shoes? A purse? My husband used to have this issue and it took us months to figure out what the problem was and it ended up being his shoes.

Congratulations and welcome to onederland! It is a wonderful feeling!

I think this is normal. I have definitely noticed that there are certain points I have trouble getting past. I always had trouble getting below 205 and then I do ok until about 179. 179 is a booger for me to get past but I finally made it. Like jess mentioned, I also have a few weeks out of each month where I seem to lose NOTHING and then, suddenly, I drop 5 lbs in a week. I'm sure it's fluctuation of water weight but geez....it's frustrating!

Take things slow and measure and/or weigh everything until you get used to what those portion sizes look like. You will do fine.

Hmmm...I don't know. I've thought about this but I honestly don't know what my "goal reward" will be. My dream is that my hubby would buy new rings(mine no longer fit) and that he'd ask me to marry him again. Actually, he didn't ask the first time. The first time around was a shotgun wedding. So this time, I'd like to have a romantic proposal followed by another ceremony renewing our vows. But since that'll never happen, I'm gonna have to come up with something else!lol...I do have a trip planned to an amusement park later this summer with my teenagers and I WILL ride those roller coasters with them this time :-)

Thanks everyone! Yes, it is an amazing feeling! If this feels so grand, I can't wait to see what it feels like to be at goal!

I am SO happy right now! I've been really frustrated lately because my weight loss has slowed down SO much but the scale is finally starting to move again. I weighed this morning and I am officially down 100 lbs! Wow! I wasn't sure I'd ever manage to do that but the day is finally here! I have 28 lbs to lose to reach my goal now.

I've never kept my surgery a secret. I actually didn't want any of my coworkers to know prior to my surgery date but had every intention of telling them afterwards. I work in the same hospital where I had my surgery and so it would've been hard to avoid having people know. The other thing that made me feel I shouldn't keep it a secret was a post a read on here a long time ago that mentioned how it feels as an obese person to hear someone else talking about weight loss and saying they've done it through diet and exercise. I know that, for me, every time I heard this from another "formerly obese" person, it made me feel like a failure. If they could do it, why couldn't I? I don't want to make anyone feel that way so if they ask, I tell them I've had WLS and that I've also made a lot of dietary changes and that I'm walking, running, and exercising more. As for the compliments, you will eventually get used to it. In the beginning, I was surprised at the compliments and questions but I've learned to just answer their questions honestly and accept compliments gracefully and move on. Who cares that they noticed that I was huge before? I'm not huge now and they're noticing that and most people who bring it up are genuinely happy for me so I'm just enjoying the ride. My self esteem is no longer tied to what everyone else thinks about me. It is now completely related to how I see me and how I feel about me. If they see me for what I am and they love and respect me, that's great. If they don't, that's ok too.

Congratulations on meeting your goal! You are an inspiration! You look AMAZING! I hope to be joining you in a few months!

I love my band but boy is it confusing sometimes! I have worked so hard for so long at losing weight that it's difficult for me to give up the idea of dieting. In my mind, I'm no longer dieting- I'm simply watching what I eat. No point in having a band if I'm going to eat garbage that slides right through it or things that impede weight loss, right? So when I saw my surgeon this week, he suggested I "stop being so controlling and let the band do the work". His point was not so much to stop watching WHAT I eat but more one of making good choices and then letting the band control the quantity. He says I am close enough to proper restriction that it's time to give up that control so that we both have a better understanding of what really needs to be done as far as adjustment and I understand that. However, I really haven't done that to this point because I kind of got stuck on the idea that until the band is properly adjusted, it's just another diet. Now I'm having a hard time giving up that control. How crazy is that? Anyway...I wanted to ask, for those of you who are properly adjusted and in the green, how many times do you eat each day? I ask because my band is pretty tight now after having another fill this week and I'm at the point where if I don't eat really slow and stop when I'm no longer hungry but not really full, I end up over-doing it and sliming a bit until some of it passes through. If I pay attention to those signals and stop before I get to that point, I feel good but then I am hungry about 4 hrs later no matter what I eat. I end up eating about 4 times a day. Any thoughts? Suggestions? Is this how it's supposed to be?

I had to go out and buy new jeans(again) today. Everyone has been laughing at how baggy my clothes are so I decided it was time to break down and buy a couple new pairs of jeans. I was a size 24 when I started this journey. Today, I bought a size 14! WOW! Just Wow! I can't believe it! I've also gone from wearing a 3x-4x top, depending on how it's made, to now wearing an XL and even a large in some things. No more shopping in the plus sizes for me! It's funny too because I find I always start looking in the plus sizes and end up realizing those are too big and THEN I wander off to the "other side" of the store where the regular sizes are at. I don't know why I can't get it in my head that I don't need to be in the plus sizes but, as I said, I always go there first thinking that's where I'll find the right fit and it isn't until I realize that stuff is all too big that I get brave enough to browse the other side.

Depends on what it is. I don't drink milk anymore but have always bought skim milk so I still buy that for the family and for cooking purposes. Other items, I try to look at the entire nutrition label. A lot of the low fat stuff has added carbs/sugars to enhance the flavor so that doesn't really help much. If it doesn't make a significant difference in the calories, I usually end up buying the regular version. I don't do low fat cheese because I don't like it. Same with mayonnaise. There are some greek yogurts that I really like though that are 80 calories for the same serving size as the ones that are 170 calories so I buy those sometimes. I also use real eggs. I'm not a fan of egg substitutes at all. Also, I do buy some SF hard candies. I have a bag of those right now that I've had for 3 months. I just need to have it around so that if that sweet tooth strikes, I have the option of having something like that. I also have a bag of dark chocolate in the freezer that has been here for about 4 months. I just need to know it's there if I need it.

I like skim milk and soy milk but I don't drink either of them anymore. My surgeon doesn't like us to drink our calories. I eat cheese and greek yogurt and I also take calcium + D supplements. I really like the chewable chocolate caltrate. It's like having a treat. I also discovered that Walgreens has a store brand of them that is caramel flavored so I tried those this week and they're really yummy too.

At the beginning of my weight loss journey, I sat down and made a list of goals including both short-term and long-term goals. The first of my bigger, more long-term goals was to be less than 200 lbs for the first time in more than 11 years and only the second time in my entire adult life. I reached that goal this morning! I weighed in at 199 lbs this morning and I couldn't be more excited! I'm so happy I could just cry! I am no longer a 200+ lbs person AND I no longer have to shop for plus sized clothing! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my band!

Yes, I eat Quest bars every day of my life! LOVE them!

No, you aren't crazy. I'm still working very hard to figure that out myself. I think there's a fine line between feeling satiety and feeling full and it's difficult for us to distinguish the difference because we're so used to continuing to eat until we feel full. I know for me, personally, if I stop when I no longer feel hungry but don't feel full yet, I have this overwhelming fear that I'm going to be hungry again in just a few hours so I eat more. I'm working hard to find the right place and the right feeling but it's difficult. After my last fill, I was getting what I recognized as a "soft stop" when eating my meals but since the fill settled and the swelling from that fill has gone down, I am not experiencing that as much. I think I may need another fill but I'm pretty sure I'm very close to the green zone at this point. Just keep working on it and paying attention to your body. You will figure it out as will I.

So I've read a lot on here about a "soft stop" which allows you to know when you've had enough and need to stop eating. I kept "listening" and for months now, had never experienced such a thing. Until now. I had another fill earlier this week and suddenly, I am experiencing a soft stop each time I eat. It took a couple of times before I realized what it was but now I realize that my nose starts running when I've had enough and it's time to stop. What a strange thing....Still learning here but I SO love my band!!!! I still haven't named it yet because we're still getting to know each other and nothing has just jumped out at me but it'll happen someday, just like the soft stop did!lol