Remix

My BMI was 30 when I had surgery 3.5 months ago. I've lost 42 lbs since then and my BMI is 22.6.
My doctor told me that with my low BMI, I should focus more on inches lost rather than the numbers on the scale. He was right. I've noticed a lot more improvement in how my clothes fit and how quickly I move through pant sizes (I started at size 16 and now I need to go shopping again cuz my size 10s are too big).
This surgery has changed my life. I was miserable, had no self esteem and my thoughts revolved around my weight issues before surgery. Now I feel free!! I love myself and my life!! I enjoy exercise because I'm in awe of what my body can do now. I paid out of pocket ($5000 in Mexico) but it was worth every penny! I have my life back. Freedom!!

My BMI was 30 when I had surgery 3.5 months ago. I've lost 42 lbs since then and my BMI is 22.6.
My doctor told me that with my low BMI, I should focus more on inches lost rather than the numbers on the scale. He was right. I've noticed a lot more improvement in how my clothes fit and how quickly I move through pant sizes (I started at size 16 and now I need to go shopping again cuz my size 10s are too big).
This surgery has changed my life. I was miserable, had no self esteem and my thoughts revolved around my weight issues before surgery. Now I feel free!! I love myself and my life!! I enjoy exercise because I'm in awe of what my body can do now. I paid out of pocket ($5000 in Mexico) but it was worth every penny! I have my life back. Freedom!!

My BMI was 30 when I had surgery 3.5 months ago. I've lost 42 lbs since then and my BMI is 22.6.
My doctor told me that with my low BMI, I should focus more on inches lost rather than the numbers on the scale. He was right. I've noticed a lot more improvement in how my clothes fit and how quickly I move through pant sizes (I started at size 16 and now I need to go shopping again cuz my size 10s are too big).
This surgery has changed my life. I was miserable, had no self esteem and my thoughts revolved around my weight issues before surgery. Now I feel free!! I love myself and my life!! I enjoy exercise because I'm in awe of what my body can do now. I paid out of pocket ($5000 in Mexico) but it was worth every penny! I have my life back. Freedom!!

Here is the link to the new challenge:
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/354722-holiday-weight-loss-challenge/?p=3996955
It's called the Holiday challenge.
Based on the people who voted, I chose to do a longer challenge =)

Sorry for your loss HiltonHead2010. Condolences.
My final weigh in is 143.

I did it! And he was totally on board with it. His biggest thing was making sure I knew he'd love me either way and then flipping out when I said I wanted to do it in Mexico (hes worried about crime) thank you! It took me a while but I kept your comments in mind and it turned out much better than expected!
How did your talk go?

I know the challenges are, well challenging, for the person maintaining the spreadsheet and keeping up with all the posts so I want to say a huge THANK YOU! Having said that, does anyone know when the next challenge is starting? I think I am cutting out sugar in a big way...I hate that sugar still has such a hold over me.... :\ I keep going up and down the same 5 pounds.

I made my goal AND BEYOND!!!!
goal was to hit 239.8 today
Weighed in this morn and was 235.8!!!
No idea how I lost so much over the course of a couple of days tho! Now I'm paranoid that if I weigh myself in say the next week that I'll see a gain.
*sighhh*

This is a duplicate post I made earlier......but I think I made it in the wrong section before.
Had a cool NSV yesterday that foreshadows the tremendous NSV potential ahead.......
So.....I'm a dude who gives not two thoughts to clothes.
I pretty much wear cargos or khakis at work with one of our company monogramed shirts. I prefer the polo style. Days off work....same basic deal....just cargos with t-shirts or polo shirts. Suit and tie on church Sunday. This is how it's been for a long time.
I've been out of work just under three weeks now, recovering from sleeve & umbilical hernia surgery.
Most of this time I've been wearing a few pairs of Under Armour long pants, shorts and t-shirts. These have gone from snug & in need of a "pre-wear stretch" prior to surgery.....to now being baggy and saggy once coming out of the clothes drier. Funny stuff. I never wore clothes from the drier.....and I usually did the "shirt stretch deal" as I put them on.
Now it's obvious. Old stuff doesn't fit anymore.
My wife and I had some events we wanted to go to yesterday, Halloween day. I'd gone out earlier in the morning and had a haircut and also got my beard trimmed up (I'd shaved prior to the surgery, but since then it's grown back). Anyway, came home yesterday morning with a ball cap on and wearing my normal UA pants and t-shirt.
After she got ready I went and got another shower (can't stand that feeling after a haircut) and got dressed.
I wore a pair of cargos that I bought the week prior to the surgery....now 3 weeks old. They'd just come out of the drier. Buttoned up they kept falling down as I was trying to find a smaller shirt to wear. Finally found a never worn polo that is made from a no-stretch dry-tech type fabric. It was hiding in my closet among the few smaller clothes that are in there.
Got the shirt on and belt cinched down to keep my freaking pants up. Looked in the mirror as I was brushing my teeth and thought, "Alright, dude.....you look human again".
I walked downstairs to grab a glass of Water and ran into my wife. She looked at me and burst out into tears. I'm like, "WTH ????" and she's smiling while crying and gives me a huge hug. "Have you seen yourself ?", she asked.
It was one of those spontaneous affirmations outa the clear blue that reminded me that I made the right decision in getting the surgery.
Later on in the day she commented....."Have you noticed how you are now walking......no limping". I did notice. I've only needed Advil on 3 occasions since the surgery as opposed to needing it 3 times per day every day prior to wls.
It's only been 2+ weeks since the surgery (down 31 pounds).....and 6 months since my weight loss efforts began (down 89 pounds).......and I already feel years younger.
It's at the point that I can't even conceive of how much younger I"ll feel once I reach the 1 year post-op mark. 47 now.......will probably feel like 27 after the first year.
Looking forward to wearing the same type of of button fly Levi's I wore in college. I've still got the old leather jacket that wore then, too. It's got some road rash from two motorcycle wrecks that I walked away from. It's going to feel great being that same guy once again......just a wiser & worn version.
47 heading toward 27. I'm down with that.

Finally home! Things I've learned today 1) My staff love me a bit too much, if they could kill me with sugar I would be dead. 2) I'm almost positive one of them is on here spying on me, they secretly knew I was going to be on liquids so they spoke with my mother and made a list of all the things I love and brought them to me as "gifts". 3) Now that I've thought about it number 1 should be changed to they HATE me! 4) Drinking 32 oz's of Water on the two hour drive to work was a big mistake....huge! Unless I want to get up 30 mins earlier to make up for all the "pit stops" along the way that just can't happen again. 5) freaking out on the HWY and cussing at the poor Honda Civic in front of me at 3am because I really need to "go" due to # 4 is neither cute or appropriate. I even flipped my badge around "just in case" they could read my lips or even see me in the dark. God was cringing, I could feel it. 6) I OBVIOUSLY didn't make it clear to my husband that I don't want to see, smell or hear about food. (Thank you Jesus for still loving a foul mouth) Oh but he gets it now. 7) Hiding the kids Halloween candy is a traumatic experience for a 6 year old. His life pretty much flashed before his eyes when it was "missing". 8) Teach said 6 year old to make his own PB sandwich, nobody needs to smell that nonsense! 9) Always have a alcoholic beverage on hand for the poor neglected, harassed husband so he can deal with my "crazy" (liquid diet) because "Sprite alone will end us up in divorce court". 10) I'm stronger than I though! Everyone else may be feeling the pain but I'm happy as can be over here! I don't know what their problem is? I haven't killed anyone yet so I would suggest they all just stop being so horrible to me!!!! I'm winning today! NOT ONE CHEAT!!!! Now on to this H2oooooooo!

Today is my four month surgiversary and I couldn't be happier. I started at 33 BMI (200 pounds) and have lost 44 pounds. My high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea are gone. I'm wearing size 8 skinny jeans and feel thinner at 156 pounds than I did at 140 pounds 20 years ago. At 53, I'm feeling awesome. People think what I did was crazy, but they can pound sand. I'd do it over in a skinny minute!

I was just sleeved a week ago. BMI approx 33. Not sure if you're in Texas, but you may want to consider going the hiatal hernia route and having insurance pay for the sleeve that way. Most overweight folks have a hiatal hernia. So the WLS Doc bills the instant for the hernia repair and does your sleeve while he's in there.
That's the route I took and paid less than $2,500 out of pocket.
*instant = insurance company. (Not sure how that happened.)

So glad I found this thread.
Most threads with people with low BMIs are filled with others tearing them apart for wanting to go through with WLS.
I'm 5'1 with a BMI over 28. I'm only 28 years old and my weight just keeps creeping up more and more. Even when I do stick to a strict low carb diet I can't seem to drop the weight (that's the only way I've been successful in the past).
Anyways, I've pretty much decided to go through with the surgery. I will have to do self-pay and going to Dr. Ponce in Mexico. My husband isn't super keen on it, mostly because of the typical thoughts regarding cheap Mexican surgery, but it's starting to ease up. I met with my family physician today, expecting her to jump down my throat but she was really good about it actually. The only other people I plan on telling are my parents.
Please continue sharing your post-op experience, it's making me feel a lot more comfortable and convincing me I'm doing the right thing!

Skmjs: Congratulations on your marriage! You are not alone as many of us have felt the same way about photographs. I got to the point where I refused to have my photo taken. However, since my sleeve procedure (March 2015) I now welcome the camera, enjoy being social again and embracing everything life has to offer. I wish you success and joy in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
I'm thankful I got through the weekend without eating too poorly. How nice it is to focus on visiting and being active rather than being consumed by what to eat and when to eat like I used to be during these holidays!!! Yay

Are you taking your Vitamins and getting your Water and Protein in? Its very importamt that ypu do. It will help in your recovery.
Have you tried electrolytes to help with the lethargy? During the first week or 2 after surgery I found that to be a big help. I found powdered electrolytes at the pharmacy. You just add the powder to water and it doesn't taste bad.
It took about a week out for me to stop feeling tired and needing naps.

Hi all! I was 153.0 yesterday.
We lost 191.2 as a group between 10/19-10/26!!! Awesome!!!!
Next week, 11/2 will be the last weigh in for this challenge. The challenge will officially close on 11/8, so please have your ending weights in before then. Have a great week everyone!

145 today

congrats! I was so excited today also when scale showed me number below 200. Yeah for us!

My final straw was being at the beach and not being able to get off the ground to stand. I remember sitting there and feeling all eyes on me and feeling the pity and hearing the laughter coming my way. I sat there as my friends and their children stood over me trying to figure out what to do. My son sat down and tried to help but by the grace of God I was able to get up. But the tears didn't stop as I walked to the car. I thought to myself, what have I done. I have a 27 year old daughter and I desperately want to be around for her wedding and my grandchildren. I am going to succeed.

I've decided I will never play the " I feel/look fat game" that the skinny girls always played. It sounds ridiculous! I'm just going to be happy with "me" size.

I can understand......my final straw per say is the fact that my back hurts when I bathe my little one. My feet tingle and I'm always tired. I want to be able to take my little girl to the playground and run around with her without feeling like I'm about to have a heart attack.
I've made my first appt w the surgeon on 11/13! Excited!

145!!
That's 40 lbs since surgery!! I'm so happy ????

145!!
That's 40 lbs since surgery!! I'm so happy ????

I love to say 'I've cut a lot of things out' - as close to the honest truth as you can!!