terilynne1966

So yesterday, my family and I went to beach. I put on my swimsuit then a nice sundress cover up. I had no intentions of taking the dress off. However, when I put my swim suit on I glanced in the mirror and thought I saw a reflection that just didn't seem to be me. She was attractive, young, and vibrant. That was an image that I had not seen for a while staring back at me.
Fast forward to the beach. We were taking pictures of the kids as they enjoyed their afternoon. Something came over me. I took off my sundress, jumped up and asked my friend to take a picture of me. I was so nervous as to what I was going to see. You see, often times when I look in the mirror and see one thing, when i see a picture of myself, I see something quite different. But this time, when I saw the pictures. I was amazed. The person I saw staring back at me in the mirror, was the same person in the picture. The young, beautiful, vibrant me. Maybe she is not what society defines as young beautiful and vibrant but screw you society. I love me and that's all that counts.
Here's to 83 pounds in 6 months and 40 more to go!

Only regret is that I didn't do it sooner!
When I stopped to be honest with myself - I wasn't going to "seriously diet one more time." Sure, I could have...and I probably would have, eventually, gained that weight back (again). C'est la vie. I can donate a portion of my stomach to the HazMat container if it means I can get healthy, once and for all!

Yesterday was my one year surgiversary of the sleeve. I was so nervous about it, but it was one of the best decisions I've made. I've lost 131 pounds and counting. My foot pain is gone, I'm active and feel great. I've gone from a size 22 to an 8 and actually enjoy shopping now. I'm able to do any activities my kids ask of me. I couldn't be happier!

I have been working out more since the last time i posted ten days ago. I worked out monday but have been extremely sore since then. i cant even bend my legs to sit down lol, but the good news is im down from 189 to 187!

Best choice I ever did.............. I'm still in shock.... Can't believe it........

Hello! I don't remember when I last checked in but I will now! My HW was 400 SW was 380 and my current weight is 267lbs! Total weightloss of 133lbs since 11/20/13!

O h you are doing great! Your going to pay for the choice you made right now and then soon you will be singing it from the roof top that you did the right thing for you..
Your body is healing. Medical chemicals are still being released from your body. your sleeve is inflamed and sore...It is all part of the process. If I were you I would relax and look after yourself and start thinking about the new clothes you are going to fit in soon...
Hold on it is going to be a bumpy ride..But one that will be awesome in so many ways.......OKAY

I don't even know where to start. What does your "friend" say about overweight people who need to do the surgery for health reasons (like me)?. I am almost 47 years old, and the weight has quite frankly taken a toll on my health as of late. My mom died at the young age of 69 due to heart failure after a heart attack. I am now hypertensive and pre diabetic. I am not doing this to "look pretty". I am not doing this because I hate myself. I am not doing this because I can't accept my fat and want to fit into what society thinks is acceptable. I am not doing this because I'm "fatphobic". Quite frankly, I'm doing this TO SAVE MY LIFE. It's time we do away with the politically correct bullshit of "fat acceptance" and start telling the TRUTH about what it does to your body to be overweight. I am having the surgery BECAUSE I love myself. Period.

At the risk of sounding a bit brash...f**k your "friend". She sounds as if she's dealing with her own "fat acceptance" issues. You don't need those kind of people in your life. She's selfish. She created a whole blog post about YOUR surgery and made it about HER feelings. She doesn't care about you. She was never a friend. Cut that dead weight loose now. You'll feel much lighter when you do.

It's been 7 months since I had my Vsg. Love I my sleeve!

Oh, Vogue, have a big hug from me. Understand exactly what you are saying and no, it makes no sense - but for me, it's like grieving for what was and who you were.
When I looked at my before clothes and pics of me wearing them, I cried for a day. I cried for the memories and misery that came flooding back, for the unhappy person I was when I wore the clothes, I cried slightly with fear that I would ever go back and some of it with relief that I will work hard to never be that size again.
You're having a moment and you are allowed to after how successful you've been. Think about doing the after pic and post before/after, it will help draw a line.
Ramble away, you are not alone :-) x

Couple lbs away from 100lb weight loss since nov 2013

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I can still say i am very happy that I got sleeved. I am down to 163 at this moment and my original goal weight was 160. Day of surgery i was 221. I feel great, i am still not doing my best with Protein and i have slipped from time to time with my eating habits. But I always try and remember this is for life! And I do not want to be where I was a year ago 2 years ago at my highest at 286 pounds. I am losing hair and have been for a couple months now, but i already knew it was something to be expected so I just try and get through it. I hope all November Sleevers are doing well, lets not forget about each other!!!

My bariatric group hosted their first meet and greet, that was loaded with some great vendors giving out some nice goodies, and holding a few drawings for some cool stuff. Then they held an amazing fashion show using some of their patients that were willing to walk the catwalk in some beautiful outfits. They also provided some tasty Snacks, some healthy some not so healthy. (I will question that when I see him in the office next week). My mom, hubby, daughter, and daughter's best friend attended with me as my "support people" As the fashion show was coming to a close, I notice my surgeon standing in the back watching, and I slipped back to talk to him for a moment. I haven't seen him for 4 months, like I said I have an appt next week, he looked at me and seemed puzzled, he said I know you, but I don't know where I know you from. He thought I was a spouse of a patient. I reminded him that he did my surgery last May, and that I had lost 130 pounds, his mouth dropped open, and then it clicked who I was in his mind. He asked how I have been doing, and how I am feeling now that I am at my goal. I told him I feel amazing, I was so overcome with emotion that I just stepped forward pulled him into a hug and started to cry, on his very expensive suit. He hugged me back to my surprise (he is very professional, and doesn't have the most friendly personality, very to the point and blunt in the office) and said that he was just blown away with my success, and that he was PROUD of me, and wanted me in the next fashion show. My family had joined us at this point, and my mom made the comment that I was too thin, and he corrected her and said I was not too thin, I looked perfect. He said I looked like a barbie doll, and he wouldn't change a thing about me. I thanked him for saving my life, and he reminded me again tonight of something he said to me on the day of my surgery. He couldn't "fix me", but he was giving me the tools to fix myself. That has stuck with me, and when I start to think of cheating on my food plan, (I NEVER diet, I have a life long food plan) I think of the amazing tool he has given me, and how he told me it was up to me to make this tool work for me. I have worked my sleeve to it's fullest and I am proud to say that I have gone from a size 22/24 to a 4 yes that's right a 4. I am going to walk in the next fashion show, and I am not only going to walk, I'm going to strut my stuff. I am so proud of the work I have put into my new self, and I and forever greatful for the tool that Dr. Uchal had given to me. My life was changed on May 8th 2013, that will be the day I Celebrate my rebirth. I just wanted to share with you all, it was an NSV but seeing all the other women that had made the same amazing transformations that I have made brought me to tears. At the end of the show, they announced that the ladies that walked in the show tonight had lost a total of 2,200 pounds. Amazing. And my mother who needs the surgery told me that she was too old. Well tonight she met a woman that is older than her that was sleeved and lost 156 pounds. She looked AMAZING, and my mom asked her a ton of questions. I think she might actually look into being sleeved. This is something I have prayed about for the last year. My mom is diabetic, high blood pressure and high cholestrol, and she had to have back surgery, and now she needs knee surgery. I keep telling her the surgery would change her life. It would help her live longer, healthier and happier. She told me that she would do the surgery but doesn't want the excess skin, I told her I would rather have her with excess skin, and Alive, than bury her with tight skin. I don't want to lose my mom to obesity, when help is available. I think that actually sunk in tonight. I guess we will see what she does. I did my surgery to be here for my daughter, and I hope she is willing to do the same to be here for myself and my daughter.
Tonight was a great night. It also made me decide to help set up a monthly meeting for my area. I posted in the local group area so I guess tonight not only made me happy, but also made me see that I have a lot of support and motivation to offer.

The reason you're on soft and pureed foods, is because your staple line is red raw and still not healed.
You have a MAJOR wound in one of your MAJOR organs.
Although you might think you're all good in the hood, you could be doing yourselves some damage.
They don't (on average) tell you to wait for 6 weeks just to be pains in the bum. Its for your safety.
The three week stall is well documented.
Also, and more importantly, so are the risks of jumping ahead of your eating plan.
Please be sensible.

I started my journey 1/11/13 at my first appointment at 333 and got sleeved 6/11/13. Im still over my goal of 195 but I'm really thinking 217 fits me good.

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Thought I would post this to encourage someone. I feel like a totally different person and have learned a lot about myself through this process. I've learned that I'm very goal-oriented, I've learned that when I take the time to take care of myself I'm a more balanced person, I've learned that the sleeve doesn't "cure" emotional eating & I've learned that success takes really, really hard work & perseverance! :-)
Anyway...my "official " 6 month pics :-)

Very much worth it. When you can walk into say JC Penneys and not have to go to plus size section, it is all worth it.

I has my surgery Sept 7th best decision ever. Highest weight 264 now 180 loving life . It is not as mush as some but I am starting to see a change

Yes Ms g, I did go through the same feelings physically and emotionally. For the first 4 months I doubted I made the right decision. It took awhile for me to start feeling better but eventually I did, then I realized I absolutely did do the right thing for my health. I don't regret one second of my VSG journey, it has made the person I am today.
Stay the course, it will get better and you will look back proud at what you have accomplished. This is why WLS patients always say that WLS is NOT the easy way out. It is really REALLY difficult... BUT WORTH IT!

Okay and as requested. It's not the best photo ever, but in comparison to my before photo - I can see a difference!
This was taken on the 23rd Feb. 60.38% of my excess weight lost.
23lbs to go! If this stall ever bloody ends, I might just get there!!!!
Before:
Now:

My sure I should have somethig with my body but I can't get over my face at the moment. This was exactly 3 years ago. HW 255 surgery weight 241 and this am 166! 89!!! I've lost a super model

It's been a long time since I've been on here so hete I go...
This has been the most amazing journey over the last year. I have started to live again and love again.
I was a food addict. I still am but im in recovery... I ALWAYS will be.when I was 353lbs I would wake up and think about food. I would eat and eat and eat. I reached the point that I could barely tie my own shoes bc i could barely bend over. I had to roll off of my couch to get up.. I could barely wipe my own ass. I was always uncomfortable.
Miserable.. I was completely miserable.
When I would pull thru the drive thru I would act like I was ordering for 2 bc i was ordering so much food. When I was cashing out at the convenient store I was act like I was buying all that chips and candy for my kids.. not me.
Embarrassed. .. that's what I was.
I would constantly compare myself to everyone... I would look at other women and actually be mad at her bc she looked better than me.. she had a better body than me.. my man probably wanted her bc i was so fat and ugly.
Ashamed is what I had become.
Finally I decided after years of dieting enough was enough.... I had the gastric sleeve 02/26/2013.BEST DECISION I MADE.
It's now been a year and here are my stats. 32 years old and 5-7'.I was 353 and now I'm 183lbs. Went from a bmi of 55.5 to 28.7. I wore a size 26 pants and now I'm in 10/12.
Over the last year I have stayed active. For the first 6 months I was VERY strict.on what I ate. Now I'm more lenient. I eat every 3 hours making Protein #1. That isn't hard for me bc I'm a hard

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core carnivore. As far as exercise I life weights 2xs a week at home.. 2 10 lb weights.. I walk 3 miles 4xs a week also. I've never busted my ass at the gym and do what works for me!!

So, after having a lovely afternoon with a fabulous friend, who had managed to rationalise and put into perspective a work problem I've been enduring since 2008. To Celebrate, as I finally felt free of this burden, I decided to drag my man out for an evenings entertainment.
We went and had a few drinkies and then decided to go dancing at the local 80's nightclub. I love 80's music, me.
So, the club was jumping and I, was having a wonderful time bopping around. My man doesn't like to dance, so he stood on the sidelines - effectively on guard!
Apart from the fact two drunk males who had decided to use the dance floor as a race track and knocked me flying, which resulted in a considerably bruised hip bone today and a fiance who wanted to literally kill these two youths; something very nice happened.
We'd been standing near a group of more mature Polish males, who were a jolly nice bunch. Who, too, were bopping around and having a good time. One of them asked of my man 'is that your wife?' to which he replied 'yes, sir'. The Polish blokes all said 'You are a very very lucky man'. He replied 'I know'. <raises an eyebrow at how men can be sometimes!>
A bit later, a, well, how would you refer to him as? A bit of a geeky looking/studious male, approached me whilst dancing. Nervously he said 'I am really sorry to disturb you. I am with a group of blokes who think you are gorgeous. We've been talking about it and they reckon that I would never be able to approach someone like you. (Someone like you?!!!) Would you mind if I just stood here for a bit, because I want to prove them wrong.'
Feeling taken aback, I replied 'Aww, thank you! But of course! In fact I can go one better than that. Would you like to dance with me?' His young bespectacled face lit up as I grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the dance floor. (My man didn't mind as he clearly didn't feel threatened by it). This young lad's mates were left open-mouthed at the bar and I got such an effusive 'thank you!' when our dance was concluded.
Towards the end of the night, as the Polish men were leaving, one of them approached me to say goodbye. With his thick accent and courteous demeanor, he leant forward and said 'I just want to say, your husband is one very very lucky man. You are a beautiful woman. Have a good evening.' At which point he kissed me on the cheek and left.
Now, I have been excited about inches disappearing, I have been shocked by the scale dropping, I have been bemused by all my new found bones - I have also been devastated at the Hair loss, but nothing. Nothing, compared to how last night made me feel.
I am normal again. I am a 'someone like you'. I am humbled, slightly embarrassed - but elated.
And you know what's even better? I logged my three hours of dancing on MyFitnessPal and I'd burnt up 1,293 calories! (Which more than offset the 5 pints of Guinness and the couple of vodka and red bulls I'd consumed!)
Yay, me!

Made it to onederland today!!!! 199.2. Feels so great to be here!!!!!