LadyK44

I finally reached goal weight of 150lbs at a little more than 14 months out! i am so ecsatatic! I dont think i have EVER been 150lbs in my life....this has been an incredible journey. So to date i have lost 107lbs (started at 257). now for the stretch goal!

I am 76 lbs down and working hard to get down to 145-140 with in a couple of months. I am currently at 165lbs. I know if I try my hardest I can get to that or close to it.
This is my first before and after pictures I have posted here. The first one is me back in April 2014. That was me at my heaviest at 246. The second picture is of course me and my husband lol. That picture of me was taken on Christmas day 2014. I will get better after pictures up soon. Hope you all have a wonderful coming up week.

I love to shop the clearance racks at Macy's, Dillards etc. They have designer clothes on those racks at crazy prices. Plus, they always have further discounts on weekends. Ross is always fun and reasonable. Designer names at discount prices. I'm currently into yoga pants (they make me look skinny) and I love getting them at Ross for 50% of what they cost at Dicks or Sports Authority!

My new fav place is White House Black Market (granted i shop the sales there - but i love their stuff)
NY & Co is another

I so happy to see everyone success. I am currently drinking the last of my daily Water. I was sleeved 08/01/14 HW:269. CW: 190. goal:140. 50 pounds left. I am working hard some days I am on point and others not so much. I will never give up on myself. This is for my life. Good job everyone ????????????????

it's so surreal isn't it? I keep seeing 195 and thinking it must be a mistake...I think it means 295 ha ha not anymore!! Congratulations!!

Congrats! Just recently reached Onederland myself, but I'd been here several times over the past 5 years as I was losing and regaining weight, so it's mixed emotions for me. I am afraid I'll regain back over 200 like I have every other time I've been down here.

I was very surprise to see that number. It's over 28 yrs that I don't look at scale and see 198. Wow!

The 1st picture is on the day of my surgery December 1, 2014 and the 2nd one is me today, 40+ pounds lighter. Life on the losers bench is amazing.

You have always been pretty! Now you are heathier and appear happier! Congrats and good for you????

5months out from surgery 106lbs lost .. You be the judge

It is a big difference for me from 269to190. I am 5'6" and I look longer/smaller. My goal is between 140 to 150. I will be at six months sleeved on 2/1. I always have to work on my body image. I can not let myself see that same 269lbs woman in the mirror every morning. My distorted body image is one of the reasons after weight loss I gain everything thing back. I know this is a long hard fight in my case.

Yep in a few weeks mine came off. My surgery almost scraped them off. Talk with your doctor!

Congratulations. You have done wonderfully. I know you feel healthier.

@@leag78
I've read through your post several times, and will offer my thoughts with the disclaimer that it's not my intention to offend anyone. At. All.
While I do believe that some friendships/relationship will change as a result of bariatric surgery, I think the causes can be quite different. I can't say that I've had the experience of a friend suddenly becoming jealous or try to sabotage what I'm trying to do- in fact, they've been some of my biggest cheerleaders. Then again, I'm not a young person anymore, which may come into play as well. My circle of friends and I are comfortably nestled into our 40's, and none of us play the part of the "hot friend". At the risk of stepping on any toes here, it's my thought that if one of my friends suddenly became distant or resentful of me making a decision to live a healthier life, I'd question the friendship itself. If it's a friendship that's really special to me, it would definitely be worth having a heart-to-heart to find out where the insecurities lie. Truth be told, weight loss seems to bring out a lot of insecurities in other people, just as our weight revealed a lot of our own insecurities. Friends who were once close can become distant. Significant others can suddenly feel left behind, wondering if you'll "trade up" once you've lost your weight. I try very hard to remain cognizant that while my decision to have WLS was primarily for health reasons, there may be those who only focus on the physical changes that accompany it. I would hate to see anyone go through relationship changes that are negative- but we're worth being good to ourselves, and removing not only the "toxic" food from our lives, but also the "toxic" people who can't understand what we're going through, or feel threatened by our decision. Just my 2 cents

Be prepared for it to change... You will change, your outlook on things will change, and how you allow others to treat you will change...I have had only one friend that I lost.. But I think it was a combination of things going on... Her own issues of fitting in and proving herself as good enough... She has taken up working out and eating different and changing her life which I am glad, but I am not competing with anyone anymore... I am too old for that high school stuff... My family has been very supportive even when they can not relate to my issues... They try... I have one friend that supports the changes in me... Tells me all the time she likes the new me.. How I am more out going and voice my stuff more...
This is more than just a physical change... I wish I knew before surgery more how my thoughts and feelings would have to adjust...

i am now 7 months post op. Doing good. feeling awesome. but i have stalled right out. scale is barely moving, and it's sometimes 0.5 up, then 0.5 down, then maybe 1 down, then 0.5 up again...
feeling very frustrated. i know part of it is that my exercise has slowed down a lot. going to re-commit to exercise twice a day again TODAY. also going to try and start writing down everything again.
i know my capacity has increased a bit so i am eating a little more than i did a couple of months ago, and that may be accounting for more calories a day than I want.
just wanting to stop in and put this in writing for accountability! hope everyone is doing well

I just wanted to say. "Effortless" is the wrong word for most of us on this journey. I think see most of us work hard at becoming healthier and staying that way. You have your own very unique experience. I can respect that and even repeat to others. However learn today for the other 99.00/100 this requires a lifetime of effort and a complete lifestyle change. Additionally long-term success depends primary on commitment to change. food is addictive and most fat people are addicted. I hope you have continued success.

For me being sleeved has not been easy. The sleeve can stop the amount I eat at a time. However it does not stop me from eating junk all day. I just don't do that. WLS is a tool in my new life. It has not cured my food addiction which I battle daily. I wish my WLS didn't take this much work. It will be a lifetime of effort and making healthy choices. Hay but that is just my experience!

I think in this forum there are a lot of diverse opinions on this. And really, what I've found, is that whomever you tell, you are going to have several conversations with that person about your surgery in the future. They get curious, or want to compliment you, or get judgmental, or just want to see how your doing, or whatever. But the topic of weightloss will enter the conversation, more commonly in my opinion, than prior to surgery.
Now, for me personally, I told my whole family because I needed the support with my daughter during recovery. Most of my family is super understanding and would support me through anything. My younger sister is not a very nice person and although she struggled with being overweight herself she is very rude to me about my having surgery, but that's really 1 out of many and she's rude in general so to me it's to be expected and I can avoid her easily enough.
Work on the other hand is more complex than family. I told just a couple people at the job I was working when I initially got the band, and they were all counselors so very supportive and inquisitive but no issues. I told my closest coworkers at the job I was at when I modified to the sleeve, and many of them had also had surgery so they understood and those who hadn't had surgery were inquisitive and constantly brought up the surgery. And finally, I started a new position where I don't feel I know everyone well enough for it to concern them. My previous jobs and coworkers had to deal with me being out for the surgeries, so I felt no need to avoid the topic, but that's not the case currently. I've told my closest coworker only in my current position, and she responded with "I just don't know why you would do that to yourself, you're tiny". To which I laughed off the backhanded comment and replied "well then I guess it worked!". She is not a small woman but apparently has issues about it. I only told her because she likes to express affection with food and I wanted her to know why I was always declining her offers for lunch or baked sweets.
So, my biggest recommendation would be to consider how you anticipate the conversation working out for you. With each person, do you feel they would be supportive, or not? Could they keep your surgery private if you asked them to? And do you want a lot of conversations to be about your weight loss in the future with that person?
Hope this was helpful

Initially I didn't want anyone(but family) to know, but I didn't want rumors to start flying around. I work in a dept with 11 other people. One day, during break time I just started talking about it and let them all know sat the same time. A 15 minute break turned into almost an hour, because of course everyone had questions, but everyone was very supportive and happy for me. I also told a few close friends, but have chosen to not tell select few, negative & jealous people who are not important or too active in my life.

This is the only time being on the loser bench is a good thing..lol....

do whatever your heart says. I told everyone and anyone both in the newspaper and in my blog and my whole company i work for is behind me. But i know others dont have that luxury so its totally a personal matter for you to decide.

For me being sleeved has not been easy. The sleeve can stop the amount I eat at a time. However it does not stop me from eating junk all day. I just don't do that. WLS is a tool in my new life. It has not cured my food addiction which I battle daily. I wish my WLS didn't take this much work. It will be a lifetime of effort and making healthy choices. Hay but that is just my experience!

All of my old pants fall off. I have only been embarrassed once Lol. I have to dress for work. So, I have discovered thrift stores. Some new stuff. I love my sleeved life ????. It started 08/01/14.