lorri716

Thank you. She's still in surgery. Hoping that in another hour or two she'll be done and in recovery.

I can honestly say I'm a lucky woman. My husband and I have been together since I was 17 (I'm now 40). I've never been a thin person, I think my lowest weight was around 195 when I met my husband. Since then I ballooned to 260 at my highest. My husband has always always told me how beautiful I am and has always been a very affectionate man. Always holding hands kissing etc. Now that I've had surgery and the smaller I get the more affectionate he becomes, if that's even possible. I think he might smother me with it eventually lol. I on the other hand am not the kissy huggy lovey type. I guess that might change I don't know. Let your husband's and wives know how you feel and eat you're thinking. Communication is key folks. Marriage is hard enough, open up with your spouse.

Yep pretty much though im closer to 116/30 crossing

I use my measurements to tell where I'm losing. I try to measure every 3 weeks, sometimes it's weekly. You'd be very surprised how many inches you lose and don't realize it.

Thanks so much

I use my measurements to tell where I'm losing. I try to measure every 3 weeks, sometimes it's weekly. You'd be very surprised how many inches you lose and don't realize it.

I use my measurements to tell where I'm losing. I try to measure every 3 weeks, sometimes it's weekly. You'd be very surprised how many inches you lose and don't realize it.

The bed, not the girl! We are just back from a four-day getaway and our beautifully-appointed hotel room had a Queen. Before weight loss? No way! For years it's had to be a King but no more. But now it was just fine. Oh, and I just hopped off the scale and did not gain a thing despite the fact that I ate deliciously-rich restaurant food (mostly French) -- those small portions really work. And I love it that now I can (and do) just stop. Now for some serious exercise (another NSV -- wanting to do it!).

You are correct about burning fat and building muscle. I weighed 350 pre op and now weigh 203. I have a lot of loose skin. I work out like crazy but I know it will not ALL firm up. Ever! I weighed 350 for close to 25 years. I compare it to a Water balloon. If u fill up a balloon and immediately release the water, the balloon will closely return to it's original shape. If you leave the water in for 2 days then release the water the skin will be very wrinkled and stretched out. So..... The higher the starting weight and the longer the person was overweight, the more damage there is to the skin. It will improve with exercise and time, but if your weight was similar to mine, don't expect miracles. Don't worry about the skin. You are getting healthy and that's the main thing.

I'm at 3 months, 5 days and just reached the 55 lb mark. Comparing yourself to others is dangerous though. Compare yourself instead to what you would be weighing now if you hadn't embarked on this journey. That's guaranteed to put a huge smile on your face and will keep you motivated. And one last piece of advice that I've seen here and have adopted with great success: I don't use the word 'only' when talking about weight loss. "I lost 55 lbs!" Sounds so much better than 'I've only lost 55". Celebrate your achievements!

The last 2 weeks have been terrible for me for exercise. Especially this week with the holiday. I only did 2 days worth of any type of exercise. My weight was 207 this morning.
A good note is I passed my goal of 208 already!

I wasn't planning on attending, I have my pre-op class Wednesday, maybe I'll catch you at the next one.

I know we do! I saw your post. My goal seems impossible but I still want to try for 125lbs. I am 5'1" so a shorty. I haven't been that small since teen years. My mom is like that and we have similar body structure. I need 30 lbs. Everyone says the first 6 months is when weight loss is best and we still have 3 more months for 6 months post op. I am hopeful. I started going to gym 2 X a week. Last week too hard with travel and holiday. Will get back to it this week. Good luck to everyone on reaching our goal. Great thing is usually at end of year we are all thinking about dieting this year we are already on the journey and succeeding!!

My surgery date was 8-10-15 it was a Monday. I was 194lbs that day today's weight 155. But my high preop weight was 211. I worried I would gain for this past week but I lost 2.8 lbs. I did eat some carbs just not too many. I have been lucky i can tolerate most everything I eat but I am very cautious. I eat mostly turkey or chicken. I did eat a pork tamale. I wonder if mixing up my food choices helped I usually only loose 1 to 2 lbs per week. Happy to hear everyone is doing well. Love wearing small sizes too! Now I think about what to wear I have so many choices. I still wear some of my 1X and 2X stuff but they look very big. Now wearing size 14 pants and large or Xl tops. I feel good!

Good morning, I been doing good. I survived the holiday ????????. In the last two weeks I lost 3 lbs, which is awesome!! My son left this morning to college and my daughter goes back to classes tomorrow and I came back to work today. I really did not log the food I ate last week, however I was very careful in the food I chose.. Protein first.
I really enjoyed the time with all of my kids and hubby at home.
I started back on my routine this Morning - eating at my times (Breakfast at 7:00am) snack at 10:30am and I will have lunch at 12:30pm and dinner will be around 6pm (which is always a Premier Protein shake). I'm happy to hear your holiday was great too! You know the comment you say about your sister that is able to notice a different on how you look, well sometimes I feel that way.. People tells me that they could see the weight loss, however there are some days that I don't see a big difference and other days I do, weird right????. Hope your day is awesome????????

For sure. He and now my second boy are one of the major motivations for going through this journey. As a father I need to be here for them. Plus how could I teach them proper food/fitness choices in my previous state.

6 1/2 months out and 108 lbs down! 62 lbs to goal!

Just dropping by to see how your doing. Hope you had a great weekend. I decided yesterday to come to my sisters overnight (a 3 hr trip), just to get away for a day. They all seem to think I look so different lol. I still see me. I guess someday it'll all catch up and I'll see what everyone else sees.

Pic on left: HW 296 Dec 2014
Pic on right 2 weeks ago
SW 257 June 23, 2015
CW 184 Nov 29, 2015

The pic on the left is from my brother-in-law's wedding last December. The pic on the right is from a friend's wedding over the weekend. Not quite at goal yet, but thought the difference was enough to share!

I've fought my weight since I was seven years old. Was bullied and called "marshmellow" in grade school because of my weight. As an adult I've gone up and down so many times I can't count. Diets seem to work, but then they don't and the weight always comes back with more. Two years ago I started developing all the illnesses associated with obesity. I had high-blood pressure, high chloresterol and sleep apnea. My Dr failed to diagnose that I had diabetes for over a year, even though he told me I had high blood suger but did not tell me to get blood tests. I became sicker and sicker until a friend at work who is a volunteer with ADA told me my symptoms indicated I had diabetes and I made an appointment that day to go back to my Dr. He said, I told you last year that your blood sugar was very high, why didn't you get blood tests. I flipped out and said, BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T PERSCRIBE IT. My blood count at that time was close to 600 and I found my A1A was close to 15. I also had neuropathy, my skin was so dry and cuts were slow to heal. I also knew something was wrong because I was unexplecably losing weight without trying. That was a first for me.
I found a Endocrinologist who took me in immediately and said I was lucky I didn't go into a coma and didn't damage my kidneys. I went on 60mg of insulin daily plus other meds. After several months of trying to control my type 2 diabetes, my Endocrinologist and I talked about weight loss surgery. I had been looking into it online. He suggested RNY bypass because in his opinion the long-term success is greater.
I had consults with a couple of Drs that did lap-bands and sleeves and they said I could pick one, but didn't really give me many reasons other than the lap-band is adjustable to go with one or the other.
I live in Phoenix, AZ and I found Dr Kurt Sprunger at the Phoenix Bariatric Center, that only does bypass surgery and he said that he stopped doing the other procedures because of long-term results. For my insurance to cover my procedure, there were several other Drs and a dietician I had to see.
After all the hoops and finally having to get my primary physicians approval for the procedure. He was initially against weight loss surgery and I reminded him of how he failed to diagnose my diabetes the year before and that he is still my Dr, and still a Dr, he signed the consent.
I had my surgery on July 28, 2015 at St Luke's Hospital in Phoenix. I was skeptical about the hospital, as I had never heard of it and it wasn't in the best part of town. After going to the hospital a week before the surgery put my mind to rest as the hospital was nice and updated and everyone was very attentive and friendly. The morning of my surgery, i went in at 6:30am, was admitted, and went into a pre-op area where I put on a gown and layed down. I don't remember anything after that until I was in my room at 3pm and was told I had several phone conversations on my cell prior to that. I don't even know how I got my cell after surgery.
I will admit that after surgery it only hurt if I moved. I was up and walking that afternoon. Everyone at the hospital was fantastic. I was treated like a prince. St Luke's has a bariatric unit which I was unaware of previously. Spent two nights in the hospital and was on my way home. Each day I felt much better than the previous day. I followed my Drs directions and walked each day. Starting out by doing laps in my house. It was probably ten days to two weeks, with walking every day that I felt back to normal.
Adjust to solid food was easy. My second meal I ate too fast and vomitted. I learned my lesson. If you eat too fast or too much, you suffer the consequences. When I eat too much or too fast, I have to go lay down until the feeling passes.
My good news is that I've gone from 245lbs in July to165lbs today. I've gone from size 44w pants to now wearing 31w pants and jeans. I thought it would take me a year to lose 80lbs, not four months. Only ten pounds to my goal. I even lost a pound over Thanksgiving and I made a big Thanksgiving feast. I tasted everything. Tasting is enough for me now.
I'm not hungry, or driven to eat emotionally for the first time in my life. I'm back in the gym lifting weights and ALL my obesity related illnesses are gone and I'm off all medications.
When I went to my Endocrinologist's office, they didn't recognize me. I'm getting that a lot where people don't recognize me. My Endocrinologist was thrilled to tell me to go off all my meds. He also told me that he wished he could tell more of his patients to stop taking their meds and come back in six months. I asked if I should still test my blood twice daily and he said there is no reason too. Out of curiosity I have tested occaisionally and I'm between 95 and 105 which is very normal.
My primary Dr is also amazed to take me off all my meds and he's amazed at my results and says he's definitely re-thinking his opinion of weight loss surgery. My Bariatric surgeon, Dr Sprunger was thrilled for me at my three months follow up as well.
My Aetna insurance is great. They covered so much of my surgery. The only thing I paid was $800 to the hospital when I went for pre-op. Nothing else.
I know my results aren't typical, but I have been following the post-op diet. I'm so thrilled. Finally when I look in the mirror I think I look great. I don't see myself as fat anymore. I can go to any store and buy clothes. For years I couldn't buy clothes in the mall and was buying clothes at Walmart. Now I can shop anywhere. The problem is now, I'm buying clothes like crazy and having so much fun shopping and buying outrageous outfits. Why dress normal and boring? Now at the mall, I'm finding they don't stock as many size 31w pants and jeans as they do size 34 - 38W. Please don't feel sorry for me. It's my cross to bear.
Getting surgery was the best decision I've ever made. I can't recommend it enough to anyone that has fought their weight and the complications that come with it.
I've only told my close friends that I've had surgery. One person I did tell at work that inquired how I lost so much weight, who I thought might benefit from my story said, "Bariatric surgery? Oh, you cheated". I said, "If cheating saves my life, I'll choose cheating everytime, BEOOOCH!" I know people at work have gossiped about my weight loss but I really don't care or feel like going into everything with work aquaintences who only want to gossip anyway.
Pictures of me in the Green plaid shirt are from the beginning of Jul 2015. The ones in the jacket are from Nov 20, 2015. My most outrageous outfit and shoes yet.
I trully hope my story will help or inspire anyone contemplating or has recently had bariatric surgery!
Good Luck! Life is way too short to spend it sick, unhappy or with people that suck the life out of you.
"Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death" Come, sit at my table and take a tiny bite, and chew slowly.

I'm also from Lancaster County, Millersville to be exact and my surgery will be performed by Dr. Ku on12/9 @@lancaster General.

Hi I like your posts. I have similar questions and issues. My thanksgiving went well eating turkey a little mashed potatoes and dressing with cranberry sauce but mostly i had turkey. I made mini cherry pies helps everyone with Portion Control. My favorite snack i cant be without are sugar free popsicles microwaved into a yummy slush!!

Day of surgery 11/11/15
2nd pick, Thanksgiving day

You guys look fantastic.