piercedqt78

I'm 5'4 and have gone from a 22/24 to a 0/2 or an small to extra small depending on the cut and fabric. I LOVE being able to go to thrift stores and find amazing vintage dresses that actually fit. I went out with my family today to Celebrate Mother's Day early, since we have other things going on tomorrow and I wore a small from forever21. I also just bought a pair of walking shorts from Victoria Secrets in a size 0 and they fit. I thought I would faint when I tried them on. My plan was to put them up for after my plastics, but they fit NOW!!!! I'm not sure what size I will wear after plastics. It's a running joke in my family that I can shop in the kids section, not Jr's, but actual kids and I will look like an 8 year old after plastics. I'm getting tattoo'd and the shop gives out t-shirts to clients, even the small was like a night shirt on me. I took the med (the design was bigger) and I'm going to chop it up and tie it down the back or sides. I want to advertise the amazing shop, but not ask them to order me an xs, since my artist is 6'7 he already calls me tiny or short stuff, I don't want to just toss gas on that flame. he jokes that he has burritos bigger than me for dinner. My original goal was single digit sizes, but as the weight loss continued I adapted to my new body. I did go to a higher end store and worked with a personal shopped to help me with proper fit and sizing.

When you try on a size 4 and they fall off, same with a size 2. I got into a size 0 today. Does that mean I no longer exist?

How are you today? Home? How is the liquid diet treating you? Make sure you are walking, getting in enough fluids, and resting. Take it easy, and rest now, as soon as you are cleared you will want to start moving, it not only makes you feel better, but it speeds weight loss. Congrats on joining the cool kids club, welcome to sleeveland!

I'm doing a family cruise in Nov and can't afford both, since I'm in the process of fighting to get my plastics covered (legal fees may kill me) but next year for sure. I LOVE to cruise.

I'm 200% with your friend that doctors need to look beyond just weight. I spent 35 years of my life with an auto-immune disorder and was told my pain, and joint problems were all weight related. Well now I'm 110 pounds on a good day and my pain and joint problems are still here. The only difference is now that I'm no longer fat they actually looked at my health and didn't dismiss me. I have a diagnosis, is it what I wanted? no, is it the hand I was dealt? Yes. But I could have avoided 5 surgeries if I had been taken seriously from the first doctor, and not just dismissed for being fat. I had a doctor tell me that I tore my rotator cuff because of being morbidly obese.

Gym membership with trainer duke rice diet atkins (I'm glad I did this one, the reduced carbs helped shrink my uterine fibroids and resulted in my amazing daughter) fasting cleanses (more than I can list) the weight loss wraps vegetarian diet paleo only the bible diet low calorie low fat nothing refined or processed the raw diet 5:2 starvation diet pills (enough to fill a landfill) a gallon of water a day the grapefruit diet Weight Watchers no salt no added sugar power walking slim fast spin class x5 days a week zumba I'm sure there are more...

7 weeks after my sleeve I had to have my rotator cuff repaired. Just make sure they don't give you crackers or Cookies in the recovery. I took a cup of apple sauce, and a yogurt with me. I was told I had to keep something down before I could be discharged from the surgi center.

I met my husband at a bowling alley. I was there with friends, and he was there with co-workers. I told one of my male friends not to sit next to me, I didn't want the good looking guy to think I was taken. LOL Turns out my guy friend had worked with the guys I pointed to, and walked over to talk to them. I wanted to crawl under the table, as my bff has no brain to mouth filter (why we are besties) and I had no clue what he was saying. He pointed my direction, and I lifted the drink menu over my face like I was soooooo interested in the beer specials. What he was actually doing was showing them where were were sitting. When they finished their "team building exercise" several of them joined us on our lane for the next few hours of bowling, drinking and just a general good time. 3 of those guys asked for my number, only one was interested the other 2 were planning on telling him I had asked them to pass the # on to him. He called me a few days later and we started seeing each other for odd dates, I worked nights and he did daytime retail management, so time was limited. This was in Feb of 2000, I got hurt at work in late April, and he very kindly offered to come and sleep on the sofa and help take care of me. When I returned to work 6 weeks later, I asked if he was leaving or if he wanted a key. He took the key, and a few weeks later told me that we needed to talk. I thought for sure he was moving out and breaking up with me. He told me that he had never seen me wear jewelry so he didn't know my taste, he got down on one knee and proposed. We were married that Oct, in a bowling Alley (where else?) and have been together for 14 years this year. He's not a knight in shining armor, but he's also not a retard in a tin foil hat either. He is the father of my only child, my best friend, and the one person that I never have to doubt when it comes to having my back. Like Forest Gump says "we are like peas and carrots" he has always dated bigger girls, so I was a little worried when I started getting thinner. Just a few weeks ago he told me that I look amazing, and he is proud of my weight loss, and the fact that I did this to get healthy for myself, and our family. I said all of that to say this, I had planned to get a few beers and bowl a few games with my friends that night and met my future husband. I wasn't looking for anyone and he just dropped into my life. Sometimes the dating sites, looking too hard makes you walk past the one that you should have seen. Best of luck to those getting back into the dating scene.

Today is my one year anniversary! I will be celebrating it with a nice long walk, and I just might go buy myself a new outfit!

I had my lap band at UIC, but was very unhappy with my care. If you are willing to go to the south west burbs I can't say enough great things about Dr. Lahmann. He was my followup provider after my surgeon moved to California. Dr. Lahmann also removed my gall bladder, he is a kind and caring man, and the staff is really amazing too. Dr. Joyce is very good as well. http://bmisurgery.org/_live/index.php?ID=team&PERSON=lahmann

I agree, but at the same time why isn't she beautiful the way she is? Not everyone wants or can afford plastics. I know if my insurance doesn't cover mine they won't be done, at least not for a LONG time. And until I started having health issues,(lower back pain, skin problems, and trouble with sitting on rolls of skin and causing pain and skin trauma) I never even considered plastics.

I guess if you follow some magazines then yes, I guess it will.

Congrats that's tomorrow!!! My anniversary is also tomorrow. SW 244, CW 110.

I think it should be made known that significant weight loss results in unattractive skin sometimes. It's real, not just all rainbows and butterflies.

sometimes it's not the body changes that attracts people, but the confidence, pride, and self worth that makes you stand out.

It's not there for me, I guess I haven't been given access yet.

I'm always willing to bounce ideas off other leaders. I would love to have a sub forum, or a support group leaders only forum for just that purpose. I'm looking into vistaprint for their free card options, I believe you only pay shipping. I'm also checking staples, office max and local print places.

That's me in the orange, the young lady is the flowers is my almost 13 year old daughter,The young lady in pink is her bestie, the woman in black is my mom. And that handsome man is my hubby.

Here is the group's email address bariatricpaljacksonvillefl@gmail.com

Please so, I also created an email address for my area, and I am making business cards to hand out with our info included on them. I have already cleared it with Alex, he thought it was a great idea.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/shape-magazine-refused-to-let-this-woman-wear-a-bikini-on-it?bffbstyle Shape Magazine didn't want to run pictures of a woman that had lost 170 pounds showing her excess skin. It's real, it's the truth, and it's not always pretty. If you make a drastic change, and drop that much weight you WILL have skin. It's sad that they claim it's policy to have everyone cover up for their before/after shots, but one look at their site, or the pages of their magazine prove otherwise. I guess they only want to showcase those that have toned and not had dramatic loss.

I didn't read all the replies, sorry if I repeat anyone else: 1. I wish I would have known about the sleeve when I was banded, the band wouldn't have even been considered. 2. I wish I was more prepared for the drastic weightloss, I had lost so slowly with the band and had some regain everytime they took even a tiny amount of my restriction away, and then with my sleeve I lost 100 pounds in less than 10 months. 3. I wish I had known my surgeon wasn't a "warm fuzzy" man, his beside manner left something to be desired, but all in all he is still one of my most favorite people in the medical field. He gave me the tools I needed to save my life, and for that I will always have a special love in my heart for him. 4. I wish I had known how emotional I would be when I look in the mirror, some days I still see my fat self, and other days I'm freaked out by just how small I am now. I see a therapist for body dysmorphic disorder. I have gone from a size 22/24 to a size 0/2 and my 1 year anniversary is this thursday. It's weird if I look in a mirror I see a fat woman looking back at me, but if I catch my body's reflection in a store window or car mirror I think wow that's a great body wish I could be like that, then I realize it's me. So I'm working on it. 5. I wish I would have better prepared my daughter for my body changes. She was freaked out when I started wearing a smaller size than her. But she was happy to inherit all of my Victoria Secret bras. 6. I wish I would have known that I would want plastics when I hit goal. I always said I'm not vain, and since I'm a tomboy, and too old for bikinis, and skimpy clothes the skin won't bug me. And for visual reasons it really doesn't but I have some pain issues, like I have to sit carefully, or I end up sitting on a fold of skin and have to deal with bruises. no fun. 7. I wish I would have been warned that my favorite soup would taste like metal after surgery. I make a stuffed pepper soup, and everything is fresh (nothing from a can at all) and it tastes like it has been sitting in a steel bucket for days before being served now. My family says it's just me, that it taste just like it always did. So I would have liked to know that healthy food would change in flavor too, they warned me about sweets but not "real food" 8. I wish I had been warned that I would lose relationships when I lost weight. I think some people were only willing to be friends with people that made them look good (they looked thinner because the rest of us were morbidly obese) and I also had family tell me I took the easy way out. 9. I wish I had known how much money I would save on meds post-op. I have been able to come off of several meds, and have only picked up the ppi. 10. I wish they would have made us take a class on how to dress our new bodies. I seriously need to do an episode of "What not to wear" I know I listed more than 4 things, but this journey has taught me a ton about myself and others. I have said it before and I will continue to say it, I would do this surgery every year if I had to, I LOVE my sleeve.

places that do half portions or are known to allow ordering off the kids menu: http://www.connectionwls.com/helpful-tips-and-resources/restaurants/

you can print cards here: http://www.wlscenter.com/restaurant_card.htm

Also ALWAYS ask if they make the adult entrees in kid sizes, you would be amazed at the number of places that can do just that.