SaraAlexandra

Stop caring.
I know that sounds flip, but in the grand scheme of things, how does HER opinion of your decision and your weight loss journey really affect you unless you allow it to?
She might hurt your feelings, but she won't change your progress unless you allow her to. I try to cut negativity out of my life -- sounds like I'd not be too anxious to know her, personally.

Like Alex said, I looked at the BMI chart. It said 159 would mean I'm no longer considered overweight. Then I consulted my PCP. He said because of my naturally muscular/medium build he would be happy with anything under 200 pounds.
I'm now 175 and I have everyone telling me I look fantastic (including my PCP) and while I love my size (10/12) I still want to get to 160. I believe with a Tummy Tuck I could easily be a size 6/8 at my goal weight.

Hahaha!

I'm just a lurker here but wanted to share as I know the frustration of not seeing a lot of people on here that started out at higher BMIs. First off, I'm not at goal, only about 1/2 way there. I started out at way more than most of you, my highest recorded weight was 463, and honestly I'm sure it was higher than that at some point. As of today I'm at 330. Altogether I've lost 133 lbs in 6 months. I've went from a (tight) size 38 in jeans to a 26. I really, really hope to be at goal by next July which will mean 273 lbs lost (seems impossible!).
The changes to my life have been staggering. I'm 35 and at my lowest weight in at least 10 years. I still have a lot of doubts about making it to goal but I just keep to the plan. At 6 months out I get in around 1200 calories and have no trouble sticking to that. A lot of people talk about the "head hunger," I never really had that. It was almost like after stuffing myself silly for YEARS I am ready to not really care about food. I still enjoy things that taste good but when people bring cake or doughnuts to work I don't have any problem passing them up. I follow a ketogenic diet (high good fats, moderate Protein, low carb) and it works for me. My body does not process carbs well at all.
I exercise 5-6 days a week, mix of cardio and strength training, and I feel so amazing and healthy. I don't gasp for air after climbing 10 steps, my joint and back pain has disappeared, and my high blood pressure has gone back to normal.
I'm not going to post any pictures - mostly because I don't have any saved to the computer, but I also still sort of hate pics of myself. I do take a new pic each month and when I need motivation I go back through them all and see all the changes and it helps keep me going.
I wish you all the best of luck! It's been a big adjustment but there's not a day that goes by that I regret it.
463 - 1/2/15 Start of pre-op diet
445 - 1/15/15 Day of surgery
330 - 7/5/15 Current weight

I am definitely not at goal but I started my journey at 388 pounds. The heaviest I have ever been! I could barely even walk anymore! I had surgery on Oct 15, 2014 and have lost a total of 104 pounds. I get a bit frustrated at times because I am a bit of a slower loser with as much weight as I have to lose, but darn PCOS just makes it a bit harder for me. I still have pretty great restriction almost 9 months out. I continue to try to eat low carbs and work out as much as I can. I am by no means perfect, but I am the healthiest I have been in years! We even went on a family vacation a couple weeks ago and I got to ride every amusement park ride there was! Huge accomplishment for me... No more watching from the sidelines! These are the only pics I have. I recommend taking way more than I did because I sometimes still dont see the weight loss in the mirror. Pictures are the only way!

I have been in a stall for over a week and just broke it by following this advice.

(This was my response to a low bmi soon to be sleever worried that she would be a slow loser. I got to thinking about it and realized its pretty common so I thought I would post as a topic for others who worry about it.)
Don't let the idea of being a "slow loser" worry you. I worried about this a lot before surgery and I compared myself to others alot for the first few months after surgery, but it really doesn't matter at all. I'm about to tell you why.
I am 5'2 and started with my bmi just barely under 40. I think it was 39.6 or something. I hit 5 months out a few days ago and have lost 55lbs. That may not be as big of a number as some the sleevers that start out at 300 or 400 lbs and drop 55lbs in 2 months, but I am averaging 2.7 lbs lost a week and while its not the fastest I don't think thats too bad. I also have no excess skin yet (fingers crossed). I am now in the overweight bmi category when just 5 short months ago I was a hair away from the morbidly obese category. And I have to admit I have not started to exercise at all yet (bad me I know but I am starting soon).
Some people lose slower and some faster but I promise it will all FEEL fast. It feels fast when I've gone from a size 18 jean and an XL shirt to a size 11 jrs jean and honestly (could probably wear a 9 now but haven't been shopping in weeks) and a M shirt. It will feel fast when you are clearing your closet out and everything hangs on you like a sack. It will feel fast when your smallest sizes from yo yo dieting get too big and you realize you have nothing to wear. It will feel fast when you realize you aren't starting fires between your thighs when you walk. It will feel fast when you buy a bunch of Victorias Secret cheekie panties and your tush looks amazing. It will feel fast when you climb a couple flight of stairs and you aren't the slightest bit winded. It will feel fast when you don't mind seeing someone you haven't seen in a while because you aren't ashamed of your weight anymore.
I may be technically considered a "slow loser" by some standards but the sleeve has allowed me to lose slowly but surely through a week long cruise, the fair, a 10 wk pregnancy and miscarriage, Thanksgiving, a vacation to Florida, 2 weeks of Christmas and New Years with my house loaded with company and fatty food. Any one of those things would've knocked me off any diet. Before the sleeve and I would've gained back all the weight I lost +10.
So being a "slow loser" is pretty awesome if you ask me. And probably if we went by percentage of weight lost I bet most of us sleevers would be in the same loss range. Its just going by lbs that throws everything off. I love this sleeve!

I break my stalls by upping my Protein (from my usual 85 g to at least 95 grams), and upping my Water as much as possible. (Not my regular 64 oz.)
I use unflavored Protein powder in Water with crystal light and it's an easy way to get lots of Protein and water in at the same time!
This works for me every time

I break my stalls by upping my Protein (from my usual 85 g to at least 95 grams), and upping my Water as much as possible. (Not my regular 64 oz.)
I use unflavored Protein powder in Water with crystal light and it's an easy way to get lots of Protein and water in at the same time!
This works for me every time

Had a stall last week around 305, which was super frustrating since I was so close to the 200s. It played around a little at 300 for a while, even dropped to 299 once (which I didn't count since it was flucuating), but the last three days, I've been consistently below 300, so I'm making the announcement...I'm in Twohundredtown! Sorry, the name's not as cool as Onederland.
I haven't been in the 200s since the end of my senior year of high school in 2010, so it's really exciting for me!

I won't lie, it's been hard on my marriage, now all of a sudden I get attention I never got before. I don't pay it a lot of attention because I'm not used to it (hubby is not overweight), he has become very jealous. My head still sees the old me, sometimes I make stupid choices that make me feel guilty, but I jump right back on my course & things have gone well.
I started my journey at 280lbs, a lot of health problems and extremely unhappy. Today I am 180, 9 months out, year anniversary is Sept 15th, the day I considered the first day of the rest of my life!!! It has been!!
I've battled anemia since, but was predisposed to it to begin with so it wasn't a shock. I take additional supplements and have had a few infusions- should be ironwoman by now! ????
I love getting to wear 'normal' clothing 'again' although I've never been this small. The only bad thing is having to buy new clothing every time I turn around but, it's a good problem!!!
I hope you're all staying positive and having wonderful progress!!! I'm here to chat if you want to!!! ????
My pictures are exactly 2 years apart and the before makes me cringe!

Fifteen months post op sw 243 cw 128. First picture is day of surgery and second is april 25,15 my first half marathon run.

@lclemur @IcanMakeit
In the beginning, weight loss is generally faster without exercising, but you need to factor in that a scary percentage of the weight you are losing is muscle. If you work out, the scale moves more slowly, but you can be certain that the weight you are losing is FAT, not muscle. My weight loss has been very slow by most people's standards. I've lost 60 pounds in 9 months. However, my body fat percentage has gone from almost 50% to 25.8%. My nutritionist wants me to get below 25% and I have 10 pounds to go until my weight goal of 165, so I am thinking I will hit 25% right as I'm hitting my weight goal. So I will have an ideal body composition at that point.
If you don't exercise as you lose the weight, you will lose a lot of muscle and then when you stall out and realize you need to start exercising in order to reach your weight loss goal, you will get frustrated, because the scale might actually go UP a bit at first as you start to put muscle back on.

So I hit the 50lbs loss mark today!! I'm thrilled at the number
Stats:
Feb 2015 - 256
Surgery May 12, 2015 -236
6 week post op (6/22/15) - 205
I document as much as possible so I can see numbers and pictures to compare progress. I measure my bust, waist, hips, arms and thighs. It's not about the numbers. I have trouble seeing the progress when I look in the mirror so those tactics help me keep focus and reality that it's really happening.
I've had some great non number rewards already. Needing a belt for my normal pants that would slide right off, sitting in a movie theater with both arms down and having space, my seat belt doesn't lock up all the time, I don't hurt when I wake up anymore... these are the important successes!
I have to admit that the numbers are more fun than I thought they would be. I haven't been this size since my senior year of high school in 2000.
Thanks for letting me share my journey with you all and fir the great support I see on these boards!
50lbs to go!

For those of you TELLING her to go back and rethink the surgery she already had it done so go back and read that part. I don't think ANYONE is in ANY shape to be advising someone to NOT have the surgery all because they have a LIFE. And while their LIFE may not be OURS or what WE DEPICT to be a life we should still be courteous of her feelings and stick to the topic. She's asking for opinions based in drinking if you don't drink don't answer simple as that! Not being rude but merely giving MY OPINION like most of you are. ☺️ everyone enjoy their day

Well I'm already about a month out from the surgery so no, I can't cancel it. I don't regret the surgery and I am by no means choosing alcohol over a healthy life. My main question was this: will it be realistic for me to have a drink or two before I graduate. Nothing crazy, no college binge drinking, but just a drink. I am excited that I went through with this at a young age because it means more time to be healthy. I'm working my ass off and doing everything else I'm supposed to do and it's working. Trust me when I say I have a good head on my shoulders. I am ready for this journey and I have been doing really well. I really don't appreciate all of the people telling me to quit. I wasn't asking to live on fast food for the rest of my life all I was asking about was a drink here and there or if anyone had any advice on socializing at bars and parties or if anyone was in the same boat as me.

Not that it isn't a little challenging for a few weeks of having enough to eat but being on a liquid, then a puree, then a soft Protein, etc. post WLS diet.
Given the following facts, there are worse scenarios. These facts should put things into perspective.
805 million people in the world do not have enough to eat. This number is down more than 100 million over the last decade, and 209 million lower than in 1990–92. Source: FAO, The State of food Insecurity in the World 2014
One in every nine people on our planet go to bed hungry each night. FAO,The State of food Insecurity in the World 2014 Hunger kills more people each year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Source: FAO, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2014
66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone. Source: WFP, Two Minutes to Learn About School Meals 2012
That Protein shake or strained Soup, doesn't taste that bad now, does it?

I have no idea how it came up....let me think. I think I was talking about Spanx with a friend (which I am currently wearing because of recovering from a tummy tuck) and another acquaintance overheard and said "why do you have to wear spanx??? you're already too skinny". I said something like, "oh it holds everything in place..haha" trying to be light-hearted. Then she told me that I looked like I had AIDS and that I needed to stop losing weight and I needed to gain some back. This is also something (not that specifically, but the same idea) that my mom says every time she visits. She'll say something like, "you look sick. you looked better before."
Let's focus on the conversation though. There is so much wrong with it. So much. I will attach my most recent picture so you can see that I don't really look awful.....and/or sickly.....
1. First of all, I don't like the derogatory nature of the comment towards anyone who is an AIDS patient. Not cool.
2. I get that when you knew someone when they were obese, and now you see them skinny, it takes some adjusting and sometimes it takes a while for you to think they look "normal" in their new body....but.... WHY do people think it's ok to comment on my weight?????
3. I am within a healthy weight range. My doctor is not concerned. My surgeon is not concerned. My therapist is not concerned.
4. Can we revisit #2?
5. You can fill in the blank....there's gotta be something else wrong with this.
It doesn't bother me really. I don't let people's comments effect my emotional well-being anymore. I just thought it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. And I am STUNNED at the forwardness of some people. And I am stunned at the fact that other people who are just acquaintances not even close friends, feel the freedom to comment on my weight at will.
PSA........don't share your comments on people's weight or appearance unless they start it.

This isn't my after because I still want to lose about 40-50lbs but so far so happy with my progress and my sleeve. I'm about 11.5 weeks out and am down 76lbs.

Ok, being brave! Tomorrow is my 6 month surgiversary, and I'm down 81 pounds so far. Finished the Color Run yesterday and thought it would be fun to compare this year's post-run picture to the one from last year. I couldn't have gotten the tutu around one thigh last year!

As counter-intuitive as it is, eating less will make you stall longer. The reason you stall out in week 3 is that your body is freaking out about all the changes. Eating too little just prolongs the freak-out and sends you into full-on self preservation mode. Trust and believe that getting in all of your Protein and sticking to the plan WILL make the scale move in the right direction again.

I feel fantastic but had not paid much attention to body changes as yet until i did this side by side, the pic on the left is June 1st, the night before my surgery, the pic on the right is today June 14 and im shocked at the change in such little time, im so happy i had to share

My surgery is In less than two days, and the only people to know are my husband and adult children. They are all extremely supportive and I feel I don't need anything from anywhere else. I've been yoyo dieting for years so it doesn't matter to me what others observe. This is something I'm doing for me, and for my future. My son was recently married and there was a table set up at the wedding in memory of people that were loved and lost. I swear I will do everything in my power to dance with my grand babies when they grow up and get married. I will not be a photo on a table. So I don't need two cents from anyone unless they plan to be right there beside me.

:thud:

The only way your body can get rid of alcohol is through your liver. Dancing and peeing will not help your body metabolise alcohol. Only time. You were a massive danger to yourself and other road users.