Kellylynn

Neneh!!
A coke bottle - I never thought of that but that is a perfect description for me too! I love it! I've consistently been a size 16 boarder line 18 from time to time.
Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft don't carry beyond a size 14 in the store but online they go up to 18. They weren't always like this. It was aprox 3 yrs ago they stopped carrying size 16 (and 0's) in the store.

I'm so sorry you are feeling down today. The most important thing you need to remind yourself is that you are not alone. I agree with Laura. This is about you and the great decisions you are making for yourself now. We have all been there, and regardless of our starting weight, it seemed almost impossible to hope that we'll be as successful as others. You made a positive step towards leaving those feelings in the past. Take it one step at a time and don't focus on other people's numbers, as hard as that may be. Focus on you and what you are accomplishing. None of us put on the weight overnight, it takes time and commitment. Start fresh today, and only look back as a reminder of what you DON'T want to repeat.
Good luck!

Congratulations! Great to hear you are doing so well.

OMG ... a topic I actually know a little something about lol!
Regardless of my size I have always loved cloths, shoes, handbags, belts, etc. Dressing well has always been an important part of my life (note: funny enough, although dressing well is important to me - I rarely notice how others dress. I care more about attitude - ironic, right?! I think I may be a physiologists dream!). Anyway...
I love love love dresses. They are so easy and require no thinking and little to no preparation. Dresses you buy in the spring can transition into the summer just by adding leggings and cute little booties. Sheath dresses are the best. I have many of these and plan to belt them as I begin to drop weight.
Belts are key! Wrapped around the outside of an oversized cardigan, sweater, button up blouses, with leggings - super cute;
wrapped around sheath dresses to define your new waist line - amazing
Recommended Reading:
- How to Look Expensive, Andrea Pomerantz
- Anything by Nina Garcia
- InStyle Mag (a monthly super market pub) - my favorite!
So, I just realized I'm coming from the angle of a professional working atmosphere. I work for the govt - but even outside of work, with the kids at school functions, etc, I always try to make an effort. Perhaps this was because I was/am overweight. I could never get away with throwing on sweats and a t-shirt and look "cute" so I had to do a little more to look effortless.
Skinny or chubby - it is amazing how feeling good about how you are dressed can make you feel. Some of my favorite stores include:
Ann Taylor Loft
Ann Taylor
White House Black Market
TJ Max
Marshells
Target
Macy's
I am so excited for you (and all of us!) as we move forward on our journey! I wish you the best of luck and I am certain you will be/are already fabulous!

Hi Rebecca,
I'm sorry you are having a rough time of it. I can't begin to understand all that you are going through, but I certainly can understand turning to food for comfort. I know you are feeling hopeless, but you're not. You have it in yourself to do what is best for you. Don't give anyone else that power over you. YOU owe it to yourself to forget about what you did yesterday and focus on what you can do today and tomorrow. You were strong enough to post about your struggles, and I know how hard that can be. You are strong enough to put you first and do what you need to for yourself. I hope things get better for you.
Be well.

Calm down. You just had major surgery a few days ago! Give yourself a break. You are too early into this to throw your hands up and declare surgery failed. Everyone gains and loses weight in the first few weeks as your body tries to adjust. PUT THE scale AWAY! I know it's exciting to check your progress but it can also be very discouraging if you're expecting huge loss and don't. Like Laura said, you didn't gain it all in one day and you sure as heck are not going to lose it in one either! Crying is normal. I had one day where I cried and cried for no reason. I was watching Wendy Williams for gods sake and started bawling! Lol! It's OK! Things will get better. Just relax, concentrate on getting better, drink your Water and walk, that's all you need to do right now. The first few months are the toughest, you will make it! Good luck and congrats!

Makemyownluck!
I can relate to how you feel. We went in on the same day and I have some similar feelings but I believe as others have said we we will look back on this brief time and an what all the fuss was about.
At this very moment I am on a field trip with my sons first grade class and I keep asking myself why oh why oh why did I do this. The frustrating piece for me is a I'm so thirsty but really am unable to drink. The sips hurt.
Listen my girl, we can do this. Lets move forward together, ok?!

Makemyownluck!
I can relate to how you feel. We went in on the same day and I have some similar feelings but I believe as others have said we we will look back on this brief time and an what all the fuss was about.
At this very moment I am on a field trip with my sons first grade class and I keep asking myself why oh why oh why did I do this. The frustrating piece for me is a I'm so thirsty but really am unable to drink. The sips hurt.
Listen my girl, we can do this. Lets move forward together, ok?!

Hi everyone!
Well, surgery was yesterday at 11:00 am and I was home by 3:00 the next day (today). Waking up from surgery was the hardest part - I was very nauseous when I woke up but that seemed to go away soon enough. There was a little bit of pain but mostly I am just uncomfortable. I just went for a walk (a little under a mile) and feel good ... just a bit crampy.
I'm extremely tired and still feel somewhat out of it but otherwise I'm doing pretty good. Oh ... I've been able to sip on a little Water and a little broth but not much at all. Sorry I'm not writing much now - I will write more tomorrow.
Hope you all are doing well!
Kelly

Hi everyone!
Well, surgery was yesterday at 11:00 am and I was home by 3:00 the next day (today). Waking up from surgery was the hardest part - I was very nauseous when I woke up but that seemed to go away soon enough. There was a little bit of pain but mostly I am just uncomfortable. I just went for a walk (a little under a mile) and feel good ... just a bit crampy.
I'm extremely tired and still feel somewhat out of it but otherwise I'm doing pretty good. Oh ... I've been able to sip on a little Water and a little broth but not much at all. Sorry I'm not writing much now - I will write more tomorrow.
Hope you all are doing well!
Kelly

fran25 & djchase...I, too, suffer from deep, deep regret from having this surgery. However, it is not reversible. I am learning to live with my terrible decision every day. My heart breaks for everybody that regrets it. I thought I was ready & did everything for nearly a year to get ready...but nobody truly knows how they will really feel about surgery till it is over. All you can do now is take yourself, inside and out, and try to find some peace with your decision.. just know you are not alone.
On a more positive note, it does get somewhat better each day. I am 8 weeks out now...I just keep trying to see the good in a bad situation. Walking, Water, and Protein are very critical right now - do it, even if you don't feel like it - make yourself. Once I was able to eat a scrambled egg & toast - I felt like a new woman. So, it does get somewhat easier in some ways. Just take it day by day.
If you ever need to talk, send me a message. I really understand where you are coming from...I really do. Best of luck to you.

Hi everyone!
Well, surgery was yesterday at 11:00 am and I was home by 3:00 the next day (today). Waking up from surgery was the hardest part - I was very nauseous when I woke up but that seemed to go away soon enough. There was a little bit of pain but mostly I am just uncomfortable. I just went for a walk (a little under a mile) and feel good ... just a bit crampy.
I'm extremely tired and still feel somewhat out of it but otherwise I'm doing pretty good. Oh ... I've been able to sip on a little Water and a little broth but not much at all. Sorry I'm not writing much now - I will write more tomorrow.
Hope you all are doing well!
Kelly

Ugh! While yesterday was great - today was very difficult. Lot's of dry heaves, extremely tired, and sharp pains behind my breast bone. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Done 68 pounds total 1/21/13

Hi guys. I see a lot of you are struggling and worried pre-op about the pre-op diet. It is a HUGE challenge, but for me, it was an important one.
I was on a 2 week liquid pre-op diet because my BMI was 55+ and I was self-pay in Mexico. Traveling from Canada meant that a reschedule would be A LOT of extra expense if my surgeon had to stop due to an enlarged liver mid-surgery. I had NO CHOICE but to follow the diet.
It also meant that cheating would increase the chance of complications and a longer recovery (or worse), all because I could not follow a 2 WEEK diet. Really? Here I was, about to take a seriously radical, life-changing step and get 85% of my stomach cut out permanently. But I can't follow a 2 week diet? That's crazy.
Post-op was going to be difficult for MONTHS, not days. So if I couldn't get my head in the game for the pre-op diet, then maybe I wasn't ready for what was going to follow post-op. I was terrified!
So I started the liquid diet. And I was STARVING. I was dreaming of all the foods I thought were leaving my life forever. Suddenly I didn't care that I had spent my life morbidly obese, I wanted my comfort back. I wanted to fill myself to bursting at every meal, like it was my last meal forever.
But I didn't break my diet.
Because for once, I wasn't going to cheat myself. It was time to grow up (I'm 43....) and take responsibility for my health, my future and my choices. A lifetime of justification, gluttony and excuses brought me to that operating room. Now it was time to face the music and get on with owing my future.
The first 3 days were HELL. That is when your body is detoxing from the carbs. You are using up the glycogen in your liver (to help "shrink" it) and it's screaming for replacement carbs to fill it back up. You can get through it. After 3 days it gets MUCH better. After a week you start to feel normal and more healthy than you have felt in years. You may be hungry, but you don't have the carb cravings anymore.
Most importantly, you feel IN CONTROL; and mentally and emotionally strong for battling your demons and winning. This is the first tangible proof in an unsure future that you CAN get through the post-op recovery and that you CAN succeed in losing the weight this time, FOR LIFE.
Whatever weight you lose during your pre-op diet is really inconsequential. What is important is what you gain:
- Confidence
- Emotional and physical self-control
- The desire to succeed and overcome "impossible" obstacles
- The knowledge that you are a WINNER as long as you do your best
Please don't look at the pre-op diet as a "condition" that your surgeon imposes on you (and some surgeons don't require it!). It is an OPPORTUNITY for you to test yourself, to help build your will, character and emotional toughness BEFORE you have the surgery.
It's like training for a marathon.....you put the blood sweat and tears in before the race to help you finish the race on game day. Without training and preparation, you will likely fail and you can get hurt really badly along the way!
Use your pre-op diet to work through your demons, build up your confidence and prove to yourself you can do it. If you "fall of the wagon" one day, the next day is a fresh start.
Aim for excellence. You owe it to yourself.

In all honesty what is disheartening is how some on the boards make it seem so easy to follow the pre-op diet. If I were able to successfully follow a diet, I wouldn't need this surgery. And neither would you. While I appreciate all of the insight I do think lines are crossed when making such harsh judgments and declaring someone is not ready for surgery based on one post. I think it's important that we keep ourselves in check and not assume an authoritative, expert role.

Hi everyone!
Well, surgery was yesterday at 11:00 am and I was home by 3:00 the next day (today). Waking up from surgery was the hardest part - I was very nauseous when I woke up but that seemed to go away soon enough. There was a little bit of pain but mostly I am just uncomfortable. I just went for a walk (a little under a mile) and feel good ... just a bit crampy.
I'm extremely tired and still feel somewhat out of it but otherwise I'm doing pretty good. Oh ... I've been able to sip on a little Water and a little broth but not much at all. Sorry I'm not writing much now - I will write more tomorrow.
Hope you all are doing well!
Kelly

In all honesty what is disheartening is how some on the boards make it seem so easy to follow the pre-op diet. If I were able to successfully follow a diet, I wouldn't need this surgery. And neither would you. While I appreciate all of the insight I do think lines are crossed when making such harsh judgments and declaring someone is not ready for surgery based on one post. I think it's important that we keep ourselves in check and not assume an authoritative, expert role.

Hi everyone!
Well, surgery was yesterday at 11:00 am and I was home by 3:00 the next day (today). Waking up from surgery was the hardest part - I was very nauseous when I woke up but that seemed to go away soon enough. There was a little bit of pain but mostly I am just uncomfortable. I just went for a walk (a little under a mile) and feel good ... just a bit crampy.
I'm extremely tired and still feel somewhat out of it but otherwise I'm doing pretty good. Oh ... I've been able to sip on a little Water and a little broth but not much at all. Sorry I'm not writing much now - I will write more tomorrow.
Hope you all are doing well!
Kelly

Hi everyone!
Well, surgery was yesterday at 11:00 am and I was home by 3:00 the next day (today). Waking up from surgery was the hardest part - I was very nauseous when I woke up but that seemed to go away soon enough. There was a little bit of pain but mostly I am just uncomfortable. I just went for a walk (a little under a mile) and feel good ... just a bit crampy.
I'm extremely tired and still feel somewhat out of it but otherwise I'm doing pretty good. Oh ... I've been able to sip on a little Water and a little broth but not much at all. Sorry I'm not writing much now - I will write more tomorrow.
Hope you all are doing well!
Kelly

Ok peeps ... tomorrow I will be part of the post-op club!
I am both excited and nervous - but I am not worried about regrets. This is the right time and the right decision for me. After 9 months of prep, working with a nutritionist, and forming a solid exercise routine, I am confident this is the tool I need to guide me on my journey (indeed I am aware that this is only one of many tools to assist us on our on way).
So, yes, I have struggled (greatly) with a two week liquid only pre-op diet - I appreciate knowing that I am not the only one to do so! The stories of others who were (are) in a similar position to mine and have gone through the surgery and have shared their experiences are exactly what I needed. Thanks everyone!

Ok peeps ... tomorrow I will be part of the post-op club!
I am both excited and nervous - but I am not worried about regrets. This is the right time and the right decision for me. After 9 months of prep, working with a nutritionist, and forming a solid exercise routine, I am confident this is the tool I need to guide me on my journey (indeed I am aware that this is only one of many tools to assist us on our on way).
So, yes, I have struggled (greatly) with a two week liquid only pre-op diet - I appreciate knowing that I am not the only one to do so! The stories of others who were (are) in a similar position to mine and have gone through the surgery and have shared their experiences are exactly what I needed. Thanks everyone!

In all honesty what is disheartening is how some on the boards make it seem so easy to follow the pre-op diet. If I were able to successfully follow a diet, I wouldn't need this surgery. And neither would you. While I appreciate all of the insight I do think lines are crossed when making such harsh judgments and declaring someone is not ready for surgery based on one post. I think it's important that we keep ourselves in check and not assume an authoritative, expert role.