IcanMakeit

@@bikrchk, can you give us some brand names or on line stores where we can find the suits you describe? They sound like something I need to know about.

Good luck on your upcoming surgery. For many, the second day of liquids is the hardest. Stay strong. You can definitely do this. Off topic: I love your hair in your profile photo.

I'm 9 months out and have started eating Wasa Fiber crackers to help with my constipation. The only problem is they are pretty taste-neutral and I want to use my calories/carbs on tastier food (like apples). I keep forgetting to budget them in.

You will be surprised how quickly your body changes once the weight loss gets going. I'm giving away all of my size 10 pants now. They are just too ridiculous on me. And I just bought them in November/December. Your size 10 goal pants may end up being too big in the end.

I was 61 on the day of surgery. Like most above, I wish I had not waited so long. By the time I decided to get serious about my weight, I couldn't walk a block, I was in pain all the time, my diabetes was getting worse, etc, etc. I'm a new, younger woman now.

Welcome to the board and welcome to the loser's bench. The next few weeks may be challenging, but I hope you will find, like most of the rest of us, that it is worth it.

I agree with @VSGAnn2014. No WLS is a magic bullet that solves all of your food issues. The VSG helps you while you are learning better habits, but if you don't change, you will end up back where you began. If you can't afford therapy (I know that I can't), there are some very helpful books that might help you to take control of your eating habits. One that I particularly like is called, "The Beck Diet Solution." But you will find many recommendations on this forum. Whatever you decide, I hope the best for you.

I hate it when I tell my lived experience and am disbelieved. In the bariatric field, professionals meet many people who really do fool themselves about their eating habits, so they tend to project that onto others who are actually compliant but still losing slowly. I can empathize with your frustration at being treated like you are doing something wrong. Keep following the program and try to let the feeling of insult go. They are wrong about you, but their suspicion is founded on experience with others who are not as compliant. Bit I think that as long as you are losing, they shouldn't be so concerned about the pace. A slower pace will still get you where you need to go, if you are persistent.

120 lbs! I surpassed my challenge goal and reached a new low. The last time I was this weight was in junior high school, nearly 50 years ago. @@Susan11803 Thanks for so diligently organizing and updating these challenges. They are so motivating. I will definitely join the Easter Challenge to stay on track as I enter maintenance.

@@Debbie Jean, my pannus and abdomen both have flat tires. I would guess I have about 3 pounds of loose skin just on my midsection. And probably another 1/2 to 1 lb on my arms, combined. I'm only guessing though. I don't have a guess for the thighs and butt.

I don't have any advice about the lap band. I think you should check with your doctor. But I do want to say how sorry I am that you felt so hopeless that you wanted to end your life. I also want to remind you how our feelings and circumstances change throughout our lives. The bad times are not permanent. Do you have a therapist or is there anyone in your life that you can talk to? There's an old saying: "Trouble shared is trouble halved." I hope you have someone to help you through this.

I'm 5'3" and now weigh 121, down from 244. I am not extremely thin now. I think strangers probably see my current size as unremarkable. My surgeon's goal was 135 and my own original goal was 125. I'm hoping to reach 119 so that when I increase my calories in maintenance, I'll have some bounce room. Edited to add: I'm 61 years old and exercise only lightly.

@@ABrandNewKae, I also hope your surgery and recovery go well.

It's definitely normal to have strong emotions about such a life changing event. You will probably continue to have heightened emotions over the next few weeks. Do a lot of deep breathing and ask your loved ones to cut you some slack. Good luck with your surgery and I hope your recovery is fast and smooth.

I'm 9 months out and have surpassed my goal. My daily calorie count ranges from 850 to 1050, but usually comes in at about 925. My carbs are at about 75g per day, but some of that is Fiber from Quest bars and fiber gummies. I also try to eat fibrous vegetables at most meals. The other source of carbs is yogurt, which is my most common Breakfast. I'm switching from Activia light to Oikos Triple Zero. That will bring my sugar number down a bit. I would really like to increase my calories to a more sustainable 1200, but I don't know how without gaining. I'll be working on that over the next few months.

I will definitely participate. Thanks so much for organizing this. This will help me start maintenance off right.

@@hkdontplay, congratulations on your marvelous transformation. I relate to your post because we have such similar stats, but I have even more loose skin. I have been on the fence about getting an abdominoplasty because of the fear of a protracted recovery period (and the cost). But some of these responses are so encouraging. I did get a breast reduction in December, though and I haven't had any more bouts of the debilitating back pain that pretty much disabled me for days on end. So if you need the plastics to get rid of pain, don't let the possible long recovery stop you.

Try to relax. We've almost all been through this. Do a search on this site for "3 week stall". You will see about a billion answers.

Good luck and speedy recovery. Let us know how things went.

@@MeAndTinyTina I think lots of people access this site from their phones and don't see the sidebar summaries, so they don't update their stats. @@Justicenga in order to comment, we need a little more information. How far from goal are you? Do you keep track of your calories and carbs? How often do you exercise? As far as a jumpstart goes, I'm not sure if the motivational benefit of quick weight loss is enough to overcome the diet mentality. A steady step by step process may actually get you where you want to go faster.

@@laurenella82 if your post-op evolution follows the average pattern and you get buyer's remorse in the next week or two, don't forget to check in here. It really helped me in the first few weeks post surgery to see that others felt the same way and really understood what I was feeling. I am grateful to the vets that took the time to reassure me (and give me reality checks) and I know you will receive the same support.

I was just noticing that my dark neck has lightened. I guess that goes along with my current rock steady blood sugar levels.

I need a reality check from others in their 60's. At age 61, I have lost 123 pounds and am now at a healthy weight. Now I really want a panniculectomy & abdominoplasty. I have so much loose skin that it interferes with mobility and looks so horrible to me that it's almost spoiling my enjoyment of my new, healthier body. I have two problems with going forward with the plastic surgery. Firstly, my insurance will almost certainly refuse to pay for the panniculectomy since I no longer have the infections under my loose skin that would have qualified as a medical necessity. I am having a hard time justifying spending so much money on myself when I am so close to retirement age. My second serious reservation is that I have already had a breast reduction. It was a five-hour operation and the recovery was more uncomfortable than I expected. I am still having issues and sensations more than two months out. I'm afraid that the tummy tuck will be just as bad. I can't take off more than a few weeks from work, and when I'm fatigued and sore, my work suffers. So what do you all think? Am I crazy to do something so expensive and uncomfortable at my age?

Since it's Saturday, you really don't have a way to see your regular doctor. Go ahead and go to the ER. I know how unpleasant going to the ER is, but your health and safety are worth the hassle and expense.

I agree with the information and advice that the previous posters gave, but I would like to add that you have decided on this surgery based on your own health reasons, not for your father's comfort. This is one time that you should put your own needs first. If your father's naysaying is upsetting you, let him know that his comments aren't changing your mind, but instead are just adding to your stress. I went through something similar with my brother and I had to tell him to back off.