elfnow

254

I started at 392, hon. And I haven't been below 259.5 since I was 18 (I'm almost 36, so HALF MY LIFE).....

I also didn't think I'd get "too far over 300" but didn't have a scale, got pregnant, ate All The Pie.... And there you have it. I could barely waddle, had a hard time wiping my own butt (wouldn't admit that except to anonymous strangers, hah)

I nudged a few pounds off between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2013, and my surgery got scheduled for 2/10/14 with a pre-surgery check in on 1/27 (also the day I started my liver reduction diet).... On 1/27 I weighed 375. I was fitting into a size 28, kind of.

On 2/10 I weighed 355 (20 lbs in two weeks, but 1000 cals a day will do that).....

It's been exactly 6 months since I started the liver reduction diet ... And not every day has been perfect of course, there are plateaus and drops and more plateaus....

But today I weigh 257. That's 118 lbs in 6 months. My size-20 jeans are getting loose. I bought myself two very glamorous dresses in size 14-16 and they fit delightfully. I have gone from 3x t-shirts to XL or L. And still going.

I have 87 pounds to go.

My thighs sag like a shar-pei puppy now and you know what? I freakin flaunt it. My belly sags and if I lean forward and tighten my abs, my belly creases from top to bottom. Weird. My lower belly looks like a butt. And I have promised myself a bikini at 250.... Not a "flattering two-piece suit" no a freaking bikini because I have earned it.

You can do this.... Surgery will HELP.... And you can step into a more aware, more mindful way of eating. Because now it matters!!! Now you are stepping into being SOMEONE, not hiding behind food anymore..... and you will LOVE the changes that happen in your body.

I am down to 257 today!!!! It's been six months since I started The Diet (pre-surg) and I am down almost 120 lbs!!

263 today!!

Ok, 267 for Monday... My scale is reading weird today tho, so idk what's up with it. :/

We are weighing in on Monday! Save that pound for Monday honey!!

HAHAHA I'm still stuck on last challenge!! LOL. Monday then!

I'm officially declaring 267 for today.

Okay!! We are starting at 268.5 ...

Goal weight is 245.0

Stretch goal is 239.8

Thank you so much for running this!! I just like seeing my name on the congrats posts every few weeks!! LOL.

I already know my goal: below 245!!

Stretch goal: 230's. I am pretty sure this is very doable!! <3

I'm at 268 today :/ dang TOM. But I did run 3.5 miles today. And walked 1/2 more.

I'm checking in at 269...!! Can I lose another couple pounds by goal-day??

Bea, you have done such a huge and awesome favor for all of us with these challenges!! Thank you so much!! <3

--E

Hahah! By the time the barium swallow test happened, I was so thirsty I was HAPPY TO DRINK THE STUFF. LOL! Don't get me wrong it was nasty! I was just that thirsty.

So happy to hear you're doing well!! The first two weeks are a lesson in "a million strange sensations". Then they go away!

I am spending a few too many dollars in gorgeous dresses... But I never was a makeup girl and don't see it on the horizon. I fuss a little more with my hair - mostly just washing it every day vs every 2-3 days.... Because now I'm swimming and working out A LOT and I am getting icky hair from sweat and salt and chlorine. But don't even ask how much money I've spent on new clothes!! And I used to loathe shopping but it's getting less upsetting / obnoxious now.

I am going to make the official declaration of 273 lbs. will I make goal? Idk. We'll see.

Yep. That'll do.

Igigi, "Naples", size 14/16 (I normally wear 18-20 now; Igigi runs big) and $150 ish...

My partner was like "oh DAMN!!" And couldn't take a pic for a sec bc his hands were shaking....

Honestly, the crust is useless except to put a light coating on the pudding/yogurt and make it easier to serve. The graham cracker crust I got was practically powder!! It didn't stick to the "pie" part at all.... If you have some little cups you can dish it into, that would work just as well!

(I gave ~75% of the crust to my dog. She likes graham crackers.)

(BTW one serving = 1/8 of the dessert, 4 oz yogurt)

Totally safe for US!! And I can't even eat one serving...

2 boxes of sugar free fat free instant Jello pudding:

1 box cheesecake flavor

1 box chocolate flavor

2 lbs fat free plain Greek yogurt

1 graham cracker crust (8 mini-crusts have more calories each but are good for quick servings)

Mix pudding powders into yogurt... It's THICK!!! Mix well!!

Spread into crust. Chill overnight. You CAN eat it right away but it's muuuuch better if you've let it sit a few hours.

HOT DANG, LADY!!!!!

Thing is, my rational brain says it's gonna fit right away... Maybe not "optimally" but with high-waist Spanx leggings it's gonna go right on. And that is craziness. LOL!! Size 12, LOLZ I haven't been a 12 since my boyfriend's prom when I was 14... And even then, that dress fit EXACTLY.... At 15 I was a size 16 and I haven't been that size SINCE.

Is anyone familiar with Igigi? They make high-end fashionable dress clothes for fat women. Their dresses are usually $100-$250.... They also make beautiful separates and such. These are clothes that are worth tailoring, even. Nice stuff.

So a new dress came out and they emailed me and sent me an ad and stuff. And it was awesome looking. $148 plus $8 shipping... Not cheap! But I'm like "I totally deserve this awesome beautiful dress. It is breezy and summery and could be formal or informal, doesn't look like it would be hard to feed my baby either." (I still nurse my toddler)

They say their sizes run big, and they aren't lying. When in doubt on a size border, measure and go down. And it's stretchy fabric too, and this is a wrap dress so it's EXTRA forgiving.

I'm a size 20 in Lane Bryant jeans, a tight but sexy size 18 bathing suit... And am still losing weight rapidly.... So I looked to order a size 18 dress. Well the dress comes in an 18/20... And they run big, right?

So I bought the next size down...Totally just didn't think about it beyond the completely logical and reasonable explanation above.... I entered all the credit info and all that, submit order, yay!

2 hours later I got the shipping notice that they're mailing a 14/16 and I freaking panicked. What!?! I AM NOT A SIZE 14/16!!!! WHO ORDERED THAT?!? WHAT WAS I THINKING?!? The MODEL was wearing a 14/16!! I don't look like that woman!! Oh GOD what did I DO?

Oh I know it was me and exactly what I was thinking and everything. But this dress is going to arrive in a few days and I am just.... So afraid that'll be the day I wake up from this dream process and discover my scale is off by exactly 100 pounds... >_<

Oh Lordy I have never been so anxious over an article of clothing.

276 this week!! I lost a lot of Water ... wooh!!

At our support group, a lady came in to tell us what her life looks like on "the other side"... She is 18 mo post-surg and works out often, etc... She said she feels like "a really skinny fat person".

I have begun to notice this in myself, still a lot of disbelief that I could EVER be thin - sometimes I catch myself "so why bother trying?" And I remind myself that's years of social ostracization talking, not what *I want*.

I was trying on swimsuits today - size 18 from Sears (a "normal" store) and part of me felt like some unseen onlooker might make a comment ... And no! I fit size 18 suits now!! And well! The only "comments" to be made are "wow look how smooshy my legs are..."

I feel like I'm going to step on the scale one day and it'll stop being broken and show me my "real" weight. Like, I'm always surprised to find that everyone's scale seems to be broken....

FINALLY!!!!! After two weeks of vacation and awful bored-snacking on the road and eating crap food and NO scale TO CHECK IN WITH..... Freaking FINALLY I am home, and I weighed 280. I am OK with that. Back on track as of YESTERDAY!!

Dang. >_<