cdeisroth

Here is a better progression photo of before/during/after Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

I think the biggest piece of advice I could give for successful weight loss would be to stick to the plan your doctor or nutritionist prescribes you. It will work! Once you are on solid foods, try new things, expand your menu, don't get trapped in the grilled chicken/protein shake "is all I can have" mentality. It will make it feel like you are on an endless diet and it will be unbearable. Make learning healthy habits a priority, like measuring and weighing food, not drinking during or after eating, planning your meals in advance and stopping before you are uncomfortably full. These are the changes that will matter 1, 2, 10 years out when you can eat anything and are working to maintain. Also, enjoy the process. I just wanted to be at my goal, I was never satisfied whether I lost 1lb or 5lbs in a week, I felt like success was at the end. Now that I'm here I realized I stressed too much about things like stalls or eating a chip and feeling like i blew it! Looking back there were so many milestones, achievements, and personal growth. I wish I could do it all over again. It was the most exciting year of my life with so many accomplishments and successes...so yeah, enjoy the process and celebrate your success often. Take pride in the change you decided to make, its a big deal! Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

I hit my goal 11 months after surgery, which was 136. I lost 2 more lbs the next month and I've been maintaining ever since. It's hard, I can eat a lot now so I have to watch myself! Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

It took a while for my brain to catch up, actually its still happening, so the adjustment wasn't so hard. What was hard is that I still felt huge, even as I approached my goal weight and only now am I realizing that I'm a "normal" size. It's hard to explain. Now that I'm more comfortable in my skin I'm having a lot of fun trying on new clothes and playing around with styles that compliment my body type and make me feel confident. Fyi...im 5'2, starting weight 261lbs. Current weight 134lbs. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Here is one, I know I have more, just have to find them! Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes, you will eventually even out! I carried most of my weight in my midsection and it was not really until I lost the last 50% of the weight that I started to see a drastic difference in that area. I'm now a few lbs below goal and while I have a small belly "flap", my waist is now defined and proportional to the rest of my body. Congrats on your success!

I take 1 multi, 1 iron, 2 calcium, and 1 biotin (10,000 mg) per day. Here is how I take them AM- multi, biotin and 1 calcium PM After work- iron PM before bed- 2nd calcium

Yup! Welcome to the world of loose skin. I can tell you they do lighten again, but yes, this is normal and expected. For me seemed to be more visible when I first started loosing weight. Now, my skin just looks permanently puckered on my stomach. A tummy tuck can improve this. I've chosen not to have plastic surgery because I still want to have children so I want to keep the "extra room" I currently have.

I completely understand! I was lucky that I had a pretty easy insurance approval but I waited 10 years. I wanted to do this so long ago, and a few times I started the process, only to find out my insurance wouldn't cover it at the time. I even had an emotional breakdown at one point after finding out my insurance wouldn't cover it about 3 years ago and ended up in bed for 3 days crying and finding myself a therapist. I felt hopeless, like I was stuck. But I kept going. As luck would have it the next year I was able to switch to my employers health plan and life just seemed to "make room" for me to be able to go through the pre-op and surgery process. Whether you are self-pay or insurance you wont regret it if you are ready. I'm excited for you and cant wait to see your progress!

I'm excited for you! Congrats on your one year (coming soon). I really didn't realize how much it would hit me. I just thought it would be another day but I kept finding myself breaking out into tears, thinking about the past year and how much I've been through. Its been an awesome experience for me and I'm glad to hear you feel the same for yourself.

This explains a lot! Me and my mother are the same height. When she was younger she weighed between 97-105lbs which was very normal for her. Once I got to my goal she asked me what I weighed and was "shocked" when I told her 136. She could not understand how i looked so "skinny" but weighed so much. She's a bit bigger now with age so would love to be 136lbs now but said she was at least a size 10-12 when she weighed that much. I chalked it up to vanity sizing but I've never heard the explanation you gave which makes a lot of sense.

We will always have restriction, just not like it was when we first had the surgery. Around month 9 I noticed I could eat a lot more. Around month 11 even more. I'm maintaining my weight now eating around 1200-1400 calories a day. That would have been unheard of at 7 months where I was still eating 700-800 a day. How my restriction works depends on the density of the food. I know my max is 4 ounces of meat in one sitting. I can eat 1 yogurt with 1/4 cup of granola and will be full. I hear you when you talk about fear, I'm always scared too that I'll slip back to the old me, so I give myself rules. 90/10. 90% of the time I follow the bariatric diet. 10% I get what I want, whether it's a peice of toast with my eggs, a glass or two of wine on a Saturday night, or a small fun size pack of M&m's after lunch. I don't believe in restricting certain foods into a "never again" category but what I have learned is moderation and control, so I'm learning to trust my splurges, knowing that I'm in full control and will not go overboard 90% of the time.

Thank you I have loose skin on my stomach (a small "apron"), on my upper arms, and inner thighs. I was always small chested but my breasts are now completely deflated. How do I deal with it? I really have to think about that. None of my loose skin is what I would consider severe, it does not get in my way, cause any rashing, or prohibit me from any activity or wearing anything I want (except a bikini, I will never wear a bikini) I wear clothes that compliment my shape and avoid things that highlight my flaws (like we all do). Most people cannot tell i have sagging skin. Spanx work wonders (theres a picture in my profile where im wearing a white dress, spanx and a padded bra are holding it all together). I never had a tight body, I was very big before, and now I'm small and my skin sags. I guess I don't feel bad because I don't know what I'm missing. Other than that I just accept this as my new body, my sags and stretch marks are my battle scars, proof I won the fight!

I was never thin so i had no small clothes to try out but now I'm one year out, RNY. Went from a size 22 to a size 6. Was obese since age 3. I have "shape" for the first time in my life. It's so cool! I'm learning how to dress myself and work with my new body type. For the first time ever my hips are wider than my waist. I now love trying new clothes and tucking shirts in. It's like a whole new world of fashion for me!