rach1134

Oh, in other NSV news, I can no longer wear the pants I wore around the time of my surgery. I've moved buttons, had them pinned tighter and washed everything in hot Water and placed in the dryer....and still too big! Yay!

Hi all-
Wow- we are all at around 10 months. What a lifechanging 10 months it has been!!
I hit 164- and have since been bouncing between 164 and 168. Granted, I have not been paying ANY attention to my Protein, calories....etc. I am blessed I havent started gaining. Anyway, I feel like its time to re-motivate myself (thus here I am!!). I want to thank you al for sharing your stories and where you are at. It is an amazing help to me!!!
Want to hear something that is weird, and kind of sucks? I have never been one to have a sweet tooth. My problem was always with the carbs. Anyway- I CRAVE sugar now. Anything sweet, including yummi yummi taffy and smarties. WTH?? I havent had a piece of candy for 10 years until the last few months. Ugh.
Anyway- started with a Protein shake this morning. High Protein, low calorie. Yay!
Go team, Go!!!

I think I would definitely benefit from seeing a psychologist who specialises in food addiction and bariatric patients, because in all honesty, I do eat too much.
Im ALWAYS hungry. I eat well. I eat healthy whole foods but I do eat alot. Ive always been very surprised at how much I can eat before feeling satisfied.
Isnt the aim of the surgery to eat less because you become full and feel satisfied after small amounts?
I can eat rice, steak, chicken, all veges. .anything ahd everything. Nothing gets stuck and I can eat a full meal. I cant overeat and binge like I used to prior to surgery (no desire to, why would I) buy I eat meals like any regular woman who hasnt had surgery.
Definitely going to speak to my surgeon about that. See him in a week..
Non-scale victories to keep me going. .
Ive gone from a size 20 to a 12 in tops and size 22 to size 14 in pants.
Ive gone from a size 11 shoe to size 10 (far more selection!).
I've been shopping in regular stores and no shop assistants look at me weird like "Lady, why do you even bother walking in here?"
Feeling like I fit in and don't stand out. I just love being part of the crowd.
Happy Days everyone.
R

(((Rach))),
I hope your surgeon has good advice for you! Is there a psychologist or therapist with your clinic that you can see, too? Will you see the nutritionist soon? Is there a support group run by your clinic?
I was told that I'll lose for up to 18 months - we are still in month 8, so not even 1/2 way there. I haven't had a long stall, but I only lose 1-2 lbs per week, so my total loss since surgery is almost the same as yours 256-194. I'm hoping for the 18 month window of loss , too.
Molly

It's been about a month since hitting Onederland and I finally feel like I won't be back in the 200s again. 193 this morning - no turning back now!
Molly

You look fantastic!!!! Thanks for sharing your pics

Happy Onederland day! I just hit it today, too. I've been losing 1-2 lbs a week pretty steadily since surgery. Now that I'm finally solidly in regular sizes (14/16 US), I'm happy. Since the weight has come off so slowly, I have to remind myself to look at my before pics to see that I've already come a long way.
My clinic doesn't give a particular goal and I used to think I should have one and made one up for myself. Now that I'm further along, I get the whole no weight goal attitude. I've got my own personal goals along the way (more comparisons from my weight history like how much I weighed when pregnant, how much I weighed when I moved to Wisconsin, etc.). I've also been really enjoying NSVs. My latest one is being able to get in and out of the hammock in our backyard.
Anyway, I'm just trying to enjoy the journey and not worry too much about how long it will take and where I'll end up weight- wise.
Molly

Hi everyone!
Finally made it to onderland!! Again lol. I was 198 than went up to 203 argh. And finally back down to 199. I am pleased with this, but strangely enough, I am not as happy as I thought I would be. I am surprised by this. I thought hitting onderland would have me bouncing of the walls with excitement. Alas, it did not.
I am feeling a little funny mentally lately. I can see the difference my body has gone through. I tried on a shirt yesterday that was once tight, and it is a night gown haha. Proud of that one, but I feel like I am becoming more unhappy with my weight as I am not losing it much anymore. I lose about 6 pounds a month, which is great, but the victories seem so far away now. I still have 60 pounds to lose, which I realize is not much. I am hoping to lose 40 pounds in the next 6 months, but at my current loss, I feel I should only expect 20 pounds.
This is my update.
How are you doing?

59% excess weight lost since highest weight (March 2013)
47% excess weight lost since surgery (10/2/13)
I consider myself a slow loser - only 51 lbs lost post surgery but I'm glad you prompted me to check excess weight %. Looks better that way.
:-)
Molly

Hi October buddies.
I had my rny on 10/20/13.
Thought id jump on the band wagon and update too.
Ive lost 60lbs since I started my pre-op diet and have lost 48lbs since day of surgery.
Ive always considered myself a slow loser throughout this journey. My surgeon seems happy and has told me he is positive I'll reach goal.
Im currently 194 lbs. Goal is 169. (Im 5,11") So that 25 lbs to go.
I dump on lots of sugar but luckily for me my sugar addiction has really weaned off since surgery. A blessing!
My hair is so fine now and I have a receeding hairline like a balding man! However I can see wispy new hair coming in, so its definitely growing back :-)
I have been sitting at my current weight for weeks now. That's my only concern. 6 weeks at 194-198.
No matter what I try to do...im not budging.
I love looking at my measurement chart. My waist used to be 46.5 inches!! It is now 32 inches. So happy!
Thanks for the updates ladies. Rachel

I'm still slowly losing about 1-2 lbs a week. Down 80 from highest weight, 50 post-op. My six month labs were good, except my Protein levels which were low. I've added in a protein snack and I'm trying for 80-90g a day rather than the 60-80 clinic recommended which I had been following. I've added 1-2 strength training sessions per week and 2-3 aerobic workouts. I know I should add more exercise and am looking for classes to add to my routine. Since adding the protein snack, I've been eating around 1100-1200 calories per day. Last night I had my first sip of alcohol post-op at a party at a friend's store on State St. here in Madison, WI. One sip of a strong mixed drink hit me like a Mack truck for about 10 minutes, then it was sober again. But the most wild part of the night was right after the Badgers won against Arizona. Thousands of people (mostly college students) came running down to State St. And congregated in front of the store where the private party I was at -chanting, singing, climbing trees and bus shelters. It was a fantastic celebration. Pics below ( mine are a little blurry.). I added a professional photo, too. The store where the party was has the orange awning.

Thanks, babe.
I did it because I knew there'd be times when the scale wouldn't move - and for my sanity, I needed to see something - anything - going in the right direction. Inches lost made me feel better about things.
I am just really sad and love data!

As sometimes data on rates of loss are sometimes thin on the ground, I thought I'd share mine for you all.
I am 5ft 10. I started at 250lbs. Day of surgery, I was 243.83. BMI 35.3
I am 6 months and 8 days out (including today) since surgery.
As you will see (and I hope it brings a little reassurance to some), that although my scale is a little on the slow side in comparison to others, that the numbers (on the scale and on my body) are moving in the right direction. Stalls and all!




I am trying to reach 173lbs. This will give me (for the first time since I was 18) a normal BMI of 24.8.

As it stands of today and based on the above figures:

250lbs Starting

192lbs Current - Loss 58lbs BMI 27.8

173lbs Goal - 77lbs total loss required

58lbs / 77lbs = 75.3% of Excess weight lost

19lbs to go! (31lbs if I want to get to my lowest weight ever, although I'll re-evaluate this when I hit 'normal' )

Now, I'm just hoping that my window of opportunity isn't about to slam shut!

Would really appreciate any viewpoints on rates of loss during the 6 months- 1 year mark?

Hope the above has allayed some fears and provided a bit of confidence in your own rates of loss, all you sleeve-superstars out there!

Revs x

Hi again guys. ..im using this thread as my weigh in area in case anyone is interested in the progress of a slower loser. I lost 2.5 lbs this week. That makes a total loss of 18 lbs from my morning of surgery 7 weeks ago.
My mission this week was to up my Water intake and I've manged 64oz everyday. I lost more this week than I did last week so that's great.
My personal goal for this week is to keep up the Water and also ensure I get a full quota of Protein in each day. Im going back to shakes as a supplement to ensure I reach the required level. Next week I take my 2 month measurements and also see my nut so that'll be interesting to see what she thinks.
I know many /most other RNY peeps have lost 25-40lbs by this 7 week stage....but im not letting that get me down. I'm choosing to remain positive and to focus on my own journey while also supporting others in theirs.
I take heart in the fact I have lost every week (even if some weeks only half a lb) and haven't yet encountered a stall. Im sure it'll come thou! Hope everyone is having an awesome week. :-)
Rachel - HW ever: 283, SW (day of surgery 21/10/13): 241, CW: 223

I think our pre rny lives and experiences have made us form these opinions of what will or won't happen. I totally understand where you're at. I think once I surpass my lowest adult (and teenage) weight ever (205lbs), I may start to believe in my surgery. Everyday when I wake up now I tell myself to have faith and choose to be positive about this journey. Worrying will not help us..only hinder us emotionally/psychologically and that will in turn affect our progress.
Easier said than done thou! All the memories of my prior struggles haunt me!!

Well....ive hit onederland!!
Im lighter now than I was at 14 years old. I feel amazing.

Well....ive hit onederland!!
Im lighter now than I was at 14 years old. I feel amazing.

Well....ive hit onederland!!
Im lighter now than I was at 14 years old. I feel amazing.

Well....ive hit onederland!!
Im lighter now than I was at 14 years old. I feel amazing.

Wow, I'm amazed at how much some of you have lost post-op! Great job, everyone!
I've had to clean my hairbrush daily. Luckily, I've got a lot of hair (albeit fine hair), so it isn't noticeable, yet.
I've finally broken through a long stall and started losing again. I added more exercise which I think helps. I have more energy finally, too. This winter in Wisconsin hasn't helped the energy one bit. The weather makes me want to sit by the fireplace most of the time.
I had a teaching gig yesterday, so I decided to wear makeup and take some selfies. Here's a side-by-side. Left is July 2013, right is yesterday:

Hey there friend. ..
My doc was the same. He saw how genuinely concerned I was and merely looked baffled. He looked me straight in the eye and told me "You will lose weight whether you try to or not. In 18 months time you will not recognize yourself".
It made me realize he is thinking long term and I'm busy focussed on what I think are failures each week. I also needed to focus on the long term, the bigger picture.
Im nearly 17 weeks in after my gastric bypass and I have lost 37 lbs. Im a slow loser but I now have faith I'll get there. It's a massive lesson in patience.
All the very best :-)

It's funny how there are a lot of slow losers out there, but we think we're the only ones in this situation. That's what I love about these boards, you can always find support from others in the same boat. Melisa, I sure hope you're right about slow losers being the ones to keep the weight off better long term. That would make us all pretty lucky in the long run. Good luck and God bless you all!

Hey there friend. ..
My doc was the same. He saw how genuinely concerned I was and merely looked baffled. He looked me straight in the eye and told me "You will lose weight whether you try to or not. In 18 months time you will not recognize yourself".
It made me realize he is thinking long term and I'm busy focussed on what I think are failures each week. I also needed to focus on the long term, the bigger picture.
Im nearly 17 weeks in after my gastric bypass and I have lost 37 lbs. Im a slow loser but I now have faith I'll get there. It's a massive lesson in patience.
All the very best :-)

A great day!!! I have lost 90 lbs and I'm half-way to my goal. The last 3 weeks have been hard as I struggled with carb cravings. I decided to go back to basics and have eliminated simple carbs and added a little more exercise. I have recommited to beat the head hunger.

Hey there friend. ..
My doc was the same. He saw how genuinely concerned I was and merely looked baffled. He looked me straight in the eye and told me "You will lose weight whether you try to or not. In 18 months time you will not recognize yourself".
It made me realize he is thinking long term and I'm busy focussed on what I think are failures each week. I also needed to focus on the long term, the bigger picture.
Im nearly 17 weeks in after my gastric bypass and I have lost 37 lbs. Im a slow loser but I now have faith I'll get there. It's a massive lesson in patience.
All the very best :-)