KristyM

What an incredible journey so far! Today is the 9 month Anniversary of my surgery, and I am in the best shape of my life!! I feel great and I am keepin' on keepin' on. I can wear belts, now. Wooooohooooo! I am blown away with how easy things are for me physically, now that I have lost a super model (actually, they weigh less than 112, so I've lost a super model and a toddler). The benefits of my weight loss are too many to list, and I am so very thankful I made this decision to LIVE!!! I am doing my very best to make the right food choices, and I am staying active. I am looking forward to what life has in store for me. Thanks for listening!

After lots of hard, hard work, some worrying, some tears (mostly happy ones), lots and lots of happiness, lots of new discoveries about the new me, lots of wonderful changes, I can finally say I have (almost) reached my weight loss goal. Only 2 more pounds to go! Wow, what an amazing journey this has been. I am so happy to be able to do things that ordinary, thin folks do all the time and take for granted: walk around a store without sweating and breathing hard, walk up a small flight of stairs without wanting to pass out, take a walking tour of an historic town on vacation and not have to stop and rest and wipe sweat, shop and try on clothes without being flustered, sweaty, and agrivated, etc. My energy level is out the roof and I have been able to get back into doing my favorite things: DIY projects and furniture refurbishing. My health had gotten so bad because of the weight, that I just didn't feel like or have the energy to tackle DIY projects, which I absolutely adore doing. It feels so good to have the energy and drive that I had lost because of the weight. I don't ever want to be robbed of another moment, for the rest of my life, by weight and health issues. Before I lost the weight, I always hid my hurt and uncomfortableness about my weight with humor---even if I was dying inside and hurt by other people's rude and hurtful comments, I would laugh and be self depracating. One of the things I always joked about, when it was windy and stormy outside, is that I almost didn't make it into the building because I almost got blown away (when you weight 285 pounds, that is funny, cause it would take one heck of a storm to blow away a 285 pound woman) Now, I literally have that exact thing said to me: "You are going to dry up and blow away if you lose any more weight". WOW! How ironic, huh? But, this journey has never been about being skinny. It has been ALL about being healthy, and Praise God, I am healthy!!!!! I am alive, I am still here, and I am better than ever!!! I must go now--a storm is coming and I've got to find something heavy to hold on to, should the wind actually blow me away....... Heheheeeeeheeeee Signed, Skinny Minny

Thanks everyone! I have been gauging my success by the scale for 6 months now, and I sometimes forget that I am healthy, active, happy, and don't have to shop in the plus size section anymore----I need to focus on these facts instead of the scale at this point. I am actually in the size clothes I thought I would be in after I lost weight, so I am happy, happy, happy about that. Scale schmale......

I am a few days away from my 6 month anniversary of my Sleeve. I have lost 94 pounds and have about 12 pounds to go to reach my original goal. I have been hovering right at my current weight for about 2 weeks now, and I am fluctuating a pound up or down from my current weight. I am still eating right and exercising as much as before, but I just can't get past my current weight. Am I done losing??? I know 94 pounds is a lot of weight loss and everyone tells me I am looking and doing exceptionally well, but I really want to reach my goal of 12 more pounds. Am I being unrealistic about the 12 pounds? Should I just accept that 94 pounds lost might be it for me? I know 94 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, but up til now, I have been accustomed to stepping on the scale and seeing a loss in weight. It is freaking me out to see the same weight, and sometimes a pound more, especially knowing how hard I am trying. Signed, Not sure if I should be sad or glad...........

Yep, my infections are about a week before my period, too. I am glad to hear I am not the only one. I will start the probiotic today and my gyno is supposed to call in some diflucan today. Sorry to hear you have the same issue. Maybe someone on here has some answers as to why this is happening to us after surgery. Best wishes to you!!

Thanks for the info. My diet is about as clean as you can get, and my sugar consumption is almost nil. I definitely will begin taking a probiotic ASAP, though, and I have an appt with my gyno in a few weeks.

This is TMI, I know, but something has got to give!! Ok, I know this is not something we ladies like to discuss and being a private person makes this very uncomfortable, but I HAVE GOT TO HAVE SOME INPUT AND HELP! Since my surgery, I have had a yeast infection every month, without fail. Has anyone else experienced this???? If so, besides the normal medications/creams, what else did you do to help it? I have done some research on other sites, and a few folks have had this same issue. One said taking a probiotic helped, one said eating yogurt alot helps (and I do eat Greek yogurt at least 2 times a week), etc. I wonder if my body is in "shock" from all of the rapid changes and for some reason it is reacting this way???? Could it be a vitamin imbalance??? The first one started right after I came home, and I just marked it up to the catheter and antibiotics that I was given in the hospital---as we all know, it is totally normal to get a yeast infection from taking antibiotics, no big deal. But, the infections are returning with a vengence each month, and each one is worse than the month before. Any suggestions, similar experiences??? Signed, ON FIRE IN ALABAMA, AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY.

Seriously??? Did that happen to ME?? Three co-workers called me skinny yesterday. I have NEVER, and I mean NEVER, EVER, EVER been called skinny in my entire life. I am still trying to process the new me. It has taken some adjustments, especially trying to shop for clothes. I don't know what size to buy anymore---I find myself gravitating naturally toward the plus sizes. I still feel like and see myself as the fat girl, and it shocks the heck out of me to see a picture of myself. This is so bizarre, but totally bizarre in a wonderful, surreal way. I decided to have the sleeve for better health, and before the surgery, being thinner was not the biggest motivation for me. I have never been thin, and I had no plans or big ideas about what I would look like after losing weight; I just wanted to be healthy. I thought I was so prepared emotionally and mentally, but I just can't comprehend this new person I see in the mirror. I am very grateful that the weight is coming off, and having met my goal of being healthy has been great. But, I don't know how to deal with all of the attention I am getting. Part of me, of course, likes to hear the compliments. But, a great part of me is kind of embarrassed, shy, and feeling a bit overwhelmed with the questions: how are you doing this, give me some pointers, show me what you are doing, etc. Until I saw a recent picture of myself and compared it to my before picture, I just didn't realize the change in my body---I look in the mirror every day, so I don't see the changes as much. I have not shared how I am losing weight with a lot of people, so the questions of how I am losing weight is a bit difficult for me to answer. My standard answer on how I am losing weight is HARD WORK! I sometimes feel deceitful when people ask me how I am losing weight, but hard work it is!! I tell them I am on a high protein, low carb diet, and that I exercise at least 4 times a week. And that is the absolute truth! Does anyone else feel bad for not sharing the whole story when people ask you how you are losing weight?

Allow me to introduce myself. I am 38, happily married, a Christian, and I work in Accounting and Finance for a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides permanent homes and vocational rehabilitation for developmentally disabled adults. My work is extremely rewarding, but my job is sedentary. Sitting at a desk crunching numbers for over 10 years had definitely contributed to my weight gain. About 2 years ago, my health began to deteriorate (high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart valve issue due to the sleep apnea, foot and joint pain), and I made a decision to LIVE! I knew that if I didn't make a life change, I would not live to be an old woman. After close to 2 years of careful prayer, consideration, and loads of research and seminars, I decided to have the sleeve (I would have done it sooner, but insurance was an issue until recently). Today is my 3 month anniversary since the sleeve, and I have lost 62 pounds! I have turned into a healthy eating, exercising machine. I look in the mirror at this work out gear wearing woman and think, "Ok, who are you, how did you get inside my mirror, and what have you done with Kristy's body"? I have had no post surgery issues----no nausea, no vomiting, no food intolerances. The only food issue I have had is a dislike for eggs, no matter how I prepare them, I just don't like them anymore. My experience has been great and I have done exceptionally well. I have been blessed, and I contribute all this to my faith, the support of my husband/my rock, and the wonderful care I have received from my doctor and his staff. Being totally prepared has been a tremendous help, as well. The weight loss has slowed down just a bit now, but I am feeling so great that if I don't lose another pound, it has all been worth it. ALL of my previous health issues are gone and I feel like a new woman. I have no regrets, and I am looking forward to a healthy, better, and well adjusted long life. Being thin has never been my goal----being healthy is the most important thing to me. Even when I reach my goal weight, I will still be a plus sized person, and I am totally ok with that. I will be a healthy, plus sized person. Thanks for listening, and I wish everyone much success and many blessings! Have a great day.