Summer Rain

So I had the most awesome experiences over the past week. First of all I passed my goal by one pound.... But on a side note, now I feel compelled to lower my goal by 5 more pounds....do you all struggle with that at all? Like knowing when to stop?
But in any case, that was exciting. Then I took my 17 year old shopping for a swimming suit. While while we were there she wanted me to try one on too. Swimming suit shopping in the past has always been an experience that took hours and left me either in tears or feeling extremely depressed. I have always had a skirted swimming suit for at least 15 years. So I was like, what the heck....why not. So I tried on a high-waisted bikini and my daughter said I looked awesome in it. She talked me into buying it! Thank god high-waisted binkinis are "in" this season because it pulls in my little extra skin, but maybe after my skin removal surgery I'll go for a regular bottom one too! :-) Now maybe if i get brave I'll post my bikini pic, but right now I'm not feeling that brave!!
Then, my husband and I are planning a vow renewal in Punta Cana, so I went "wedding dress" shopping. It was AMAZING to be able to pull anything off of the rack and have it be too big and have them clipping it in the back to stay on. It seriously is just a whole new world of experiences.
On a side note, when I was in therapy this week (I STILL go to therapy weekly to deal with my disordered eating, which I highly recommend) she said that in her experience, if WLS patients have met their goal and maintained for a length of time by the time they reach 18 months post op (which is where I am) she has never seen anyone at that point gain their weight back. now they may rebound a few pounds, but in her experience, most cases of gaining most or all of the weight back happens within the first 18 months. So I was very encouraged by that to think that perhaps.....just perhaps.....this is a forever thing! :-)

Oh I always knew she was odd. That is why I never spent time with her...And she proved I was right....lol

You look amazing! Great job Kim ????

I got on the scale this morning and it read 199.0! I think it has been 18 years since I weighed below 200 lbs.
I went shopping last week and I was able to buy XL tops and size 16 pants! That is down from 3X tops and 24 pants. I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
I am 52 years old. I was sleeved on November 4, 2015 (15 weeks ago). My recovery from this surgery was very easy and I am thankful every day that I had this procedure done. I now LIKE leaving the house to go places and I hope to have a job interview in the next week or so (telephone interview last Friday). I even took a picture of me in my new interview clothes and sent it to my daughter and I would not be embarassed if she showed it to anyone else. That is a big deal as I have stayed out of pictures for YEARS.
Two weeks ago I took my son to visit a college campus and I was able to walk the the whole tour! That was about 2 hours of walking around the campus and different buildings. 6 months ago I couldn't have done that.
HW: 265
SW: 243
CW: 199
Good luck to those just starting this process. All you post-op people please keep posting your successes and NSVs - they are appreciated and encouraging to all of us.
Summer

Being looked at as their trophy eh. Them hoping that you will not succeed eh. Parading you around like some prized cat. You look at these people as friends. I think not. They are using you as a form of entertainment.
It is not about them. It is about you and how you are feeling about what they are doing. It is about why you made the choice to take this path. It is about you caring about yourself no matter if you lose another 50 lbs or gain 10. It is not for their personal pleasure or whatever they are getting out of it.
I went through a similar thing with one of my friends. And blankly told her that if she paraded me one more time we would no longer be friends. She stopped. It was my choice to dump her if she did not comply. You have to decide how much you are willing to endure for these people.
Me I dumped a pile of useless weight of so called friends and am now looking for real friends to replace them. Family, well that is an entirely different matter. You know what. I now look for quality. I just took anybody before. so it will be up to you hun to make the stand. What they are doing is just another form of abuse. It should not effect them one little bit what size you were or are now. They as friends should be looking at what is under the flesh. If they are not..Then they are not friends. They are living through your own personal experience as if they deserve to. And by the way they don't!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with @@CowgirlJane counseling may help.
Everyone deserves to be treated well. And if you feel like you are not, get out of it!
Me, well no one knows me anymore so it is much easier. No one recognizes me! So in a sense I am now invisible...and I love it!

I got on the scale this morning and it read 199.0! I think it has been 18 years since I weighed below 200 lbs.
I went shopping last week and I was able to buy XL tops and size 16 pants! That is down from 3X tops and 24 pants. I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
I am 52 years old. I was sleeved on November 4, 2015 (15 weeks ago). My recovery from this surgery was very easy and I am thankful every day that I had this procedure done. I now LIKE leaving the house to go places and I hope to have a job interview in the next week or so (telephone interview last Friday). I even took a picture of me in my new interview clothes and sent it to my daughter and I would not be embarassed if she showed it to anyone else. That is a big deal as I have stayed out of pictures for YEARS.
Two weeks ago I took my son to visit a college campus and I was able to walk the the whole tour! That was about 2 hours of walking around the campus and different buildings. 6 months ago I couldn't have done that.
HW: 265
SW: 243
CW: 199
Good luck to those just starting this process. All you post-op people please keep posting your successes and NSVs - they are appreciated and encouraging to all of us.
Summer

Congratulations!!

I got on the scale this morning and it read 199.0! I think it has been 18 years since I weighed below 200 lbs.
I went shopping last week and I was able to buy XL tops and size 16 pants! That is down from 3X tops and 24 pants. I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
I am 52 years old. I was sleeved on November 4, 2015 (15 weeks ago). My recovery from this surgery was very easy and I am thankful every day that I had this procedure done. I now LIKE leaving the house to go places and I hope to have a job interview in the next week or so (telephone interview last Friday). I even took a picture of me in my new interview clothes and sent it to my daughter and I would not be embarassed if she showed it to anyone else. That is a big deal as I have stayed out of pictures for YEARS.
Two weeks ago I took my son to visit a college campus and I was able to walk the the whole tour! That was about 2 hours of walking around the campus and different buildings. 6 months ago I couldn't have done that.
HW: 265
SW: 243
CW: 199
Good luck to those just starting this process. All you post-op people please keep posting your successes and NSVs - they are appreciated and encouraging to all of us.
Summer

I got on the scale this morning and it read 199.0! I think it has been 18 years since I weighed below 200 lbs.
I went shopping last week and I was able to buy XL tops and size 16 pants! That is down from 3X tops and 24 pants. I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
I am 52 years old. I was sleeved on November 4, 2015 (15 weeks ago). My recovery from this surgery was very easy and I am thankful every day that I had this procedure done. I now LIKE leaving the house to go places and I hope to have a job interview in the next week or so (telephone interview last Friday). I even took a picture of me in my new interview clothes and sent it to my daughter and I would not be embarassed if she showed it to anyone else. That is a big deal as I have stayed out of pictures for YEARS.
Two weeks ago I took my son to visit a college campus and I was able to walk the the whole tour! That was about 2 hours of walking around the campus and different buildings. 6 months ago I couldn't have done that.
HW: 265
SW: 243
CW: 199
Good luck to those just starting this process. All you post-op people please keep posting your successes and NSVs - they are appreciated and encouraging to all of us.
Summer

I got on the scale this morning and it read 199.0! I think it has been 18 years since I weighed below 200 lbs.
I went shopping last week and I was able to buy XL tops and size 16 pants! That is down from 3X tops and 24 pants. I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
I am 52 years old. I was sleeved on November 4, 2015 (15 weeks ago). My recovery from this surgery was very easy and I am thankful every day that I had this procedure done. I now LIKE leaving the house to go places and I hope to have a job interview in the next week or so (telephone interview last Friday). I even took a picture of me in my new interview clothes and sent it to my daughter and I would not be embarassed if she showed it to anyone else. That is a big deal as I have stayed out of pictures for YEARS.
Two weeks ago I took my son to visit a college campus and I was able to walk the the whole tour! That was about 2 hours of walking around the campus and different buildings. 6 months ago I couldn't have done that.
HW: 265
SW: 243
CW: 199
Good luck to those just starting this process. All you post-op people please keep posting your successes and NSVs - they are appreciated and encouraging to all of us.
Summer

I got on the scale this morning and it read 199.0! I think it has been 18 years since I weighed below 200 lbs.
I went shopping last week and I was able to buy XL tops and size 16 pants! That is down from 3X tops and 24 pants. I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
I am 52 years old. I was sleeved on November 4, 2015 (15 weeks ago). My recovery from this surgery was very easy and I am thankful every day that I had this procedure done. I now LIKE leaving the house to go places and I hope to have a job interview in the next week or so (telephone interview last Friday). I even took a picture of me in my new interview clothes and sent it to my daughter and I would not be embarassed if she showed it to anyone else. That is a big deal as I have stayed out of pictures for YEARS.
Two weeks ago I took my son to visit a college campus and I was able to walk the the whole tour! That was about 2 hours of walking around the campus and different buildings. 6 months ago I couldn't have done that.
HW: 265
SW: 243
CW: 199
Good luck to those just starting this process. All you post-op people please keep posting your successes and NSVs - they are appreciated and encouraging to all of us.
Summer

I got on the scale this morning and it read 199.0! I think it has been 18 years since I weighed below 200 lbs.
I went shopping last week and I was able to buy XL tops and size 16 pants! That is down from 3X tops and 24 pants. I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
I am 52 years old. I was sleeved on November 4, 2015 (15 weeks ago). My recovery from this surgery was very easy and I am thankful every day that I had this procedure done. I now LIKE leaving the house to go places and I hope to have a job interview in the next week or so (telephone interview last Friday). I even took a picture of me in my new interview clothes and sent it to my daughter and I would not be embarassed if she showed it to anyone else. That is a big deal as I have stayed out of pictures for YEARS.
Two weeks ago I took my son to visit a college campus and I was able to walk the the whole tour! That was about 2 hours of walking around the campus and different buildings. 6 months ago I couldn't have done that.
HW: 265
SW: 243
CW: 199
Good luck to those just starting this process. All you post-op people please keep posting your successes and NSVs - they are appreciated and encouraging to all of us.
Summer

I was 17 wks post op yesterday. Today I get on the scale (I weigh daily and track my weight in my journal) and the scale reads 239!!!!!
Not only did I move into the 230's I have lost 75lbs!!!! I literally jumped off the scale and did a happy naked dance!! LOL I'm sure it wasn't pretty but I did it!!!
We have our trip to Disney coming up on March 13th and I am so excited to go!! It is going to be so nice for me to make the decisions what rides to go on, not just what rides will I fit on!!!
For anyone starting this journey or struggling, please be patient and keep working your program. A wise woman one told me just "Trust the Process!!"

Thanks for the info summer rain and proudgrammy. I guess I will have to add my two cents more often! And I love me some fage and blueberries, Proudgrammy.

@@tinytears
ohhhhhh no
as @@Summer Rain said - you need to have at least 100 posts
you don't need to start a topic, just reply to a post
you've made 47 posts!!!!
another 53 posts
can't wait to hear all your words of wisdom on the board
as you enter VET LAND
i will then welcome you with open arms and...........
fresh blueberries mixed in with Fage 0% greek plain yogurt
103 lbs down!!!!
terrific
keep up the good work
see you soon
kathy
congrats

I believe you have to have 100 posts or more.

I am a 51 year old mother, grandmother, have been married for nearly 31 years to a wonderful man. I grew up skinny, skinny skinny! When I met my soon to be husband at 16 I was so skinny he said he felt sorry for me! I stayed skinny for many years. Even after my first child was born I got down to 135 pounds, (with Weight Watchers and became a lifetime member) and at 5'7 inches that is small. It wasn't until I got pregnant with my second child in 1990 that I began to gain weight. We found out at 4 months that our baby had a genetic disorder and may or may not make it to full term. Over the course of the next 2 1/2 months I gained 60 lbs! I was so depressed and all I did was eat! I ate to dull the pain. This is when I became addicted to food. Literally! I did make it to 6 1/2 months until our precious Angel that we named "Hope" went to heaven. I went through a deep depression. Gained more weight on top of the weight that I gained during pregnancy. From that point I tried every diet but my food addiction continued to overtake me. I failed at every attempt. I joined Weight watchers approximately 20 times over the next few years. In 2005 I decided to try to get approved for the gastric bypass. I was approved and 1 week before my surgery I backed out! I was too scared and anyway my regular doctor was not wanting me to have it. I decided to work hard at weight watchers and lost about 50 pounds. I started feeling pretty good. The weight creeps back up on me plus some, because I quit attending the meetings. So in 2010 I tried to be approved for the lap band. I went through all the dr visits. I did everything that was required but after the 7 months, I was denied. Once again I went back to weight watchers. I was discouraged and I felt determined to get the weight off. I started to lose weight and walk. I was walking 3 miles 3 times a week. I dropped 52 pounds! I was feeling very good. I was proud of my accomplishment. Then my nephew died of an accidental overdose. My whole family was devastated. I began to cope by eating. Oh I started small at first. I quit walking and slowly started getting back in to my old habits. Before I knew it, I looked in the mirror and saw this huge, fat woman looking back at me. I was up to 279 lbs! All this weight, HOW COULD I LET THIS HAPPEN??? I tried very hard to lose weight. Joined Weight watchers again. I would lose about 20 lbs then quit. It was just out of control. In June of 2013 I became a grandmother. I was so excited. Every time I looked at my grandson I was more in love than ever. I became more aware of my health problem after he was born. My knees were hurting and I did not trust myself to hold him while trying to go up any stairs. I was on high cholesterol medicine, Mobic for joint pain, aspirin for heart blockage. So much going on! I decided to have the gastric sleeve. I knew a few people that has had it done so I started the dr visits and I go through everything I needed to do to be approved and low and behold it was approved. I am 6 weeks out now and I am down 38 pounds! At this point I am still having regrets that I did this but I know as more weight comes off I will be happy about this decision. I do feel better and I know that my life will be a better quality life for this surgery. I think that anyone that is reading this needs to know the emotional part of this surgery is the hardest.

Today was my two year anniversary of my gastric sleeve surgery!! I love to talk about it, if you need any help please feel free to ask!! If I was asked to do it over again or not i would, 100 times over!! It is soooo worth it!! Goodluck to everyone embarking on this journey!! I went from a size 18, 250 lbs.. I now weight 140 lbs and wear a size six!!   

I wore the hospital gown and definitely no bra because one of my incisions was right on my bra line. Just think "comfy" for a week or so after surgery.
Good luck!
Summer

RJ is a very smart lady! I couldn't have said it better myself

Just found this site. Hoping to go home from hospital today. Excited to start my journey and hoping to figure out navigating this app. Yeah for the before and after pictures

Bravo...there will be plenty of time for you to fight with your system. Use the honeymoon period to the best. If you control this part then it will be easier to control the other more difficult times.... It is all about learning how to put food in its proper place. And not let it rule our lives anymore.
It will be a life long struggle but you know if you control this you will be able to control that....
Excellent reminder!

So ive realized that im stubborn and should follow directions. I had my sleeve completed on February 5th and im currently 13 days post op which caused me to THINK I could handle soft foods before my designated time. BIG MISTAKE. I should have taken it slower. I became a bit sick because I rushed the process. I guess what im trying to say is dont rush onto the next step because you test certain foods and feel ok. It will eventually catch up to you and cause more harm then good. Im now following the doctors instructions to a T. I dont want to stretch the sleeve or cause any leaks. Its difficult but I have to remind myself its temporary and necessary in order to heal properly and set myself up for long term success.

Thank u☺

New me!!