mrsNilla

When I left school mid-semester two years ago, I weighed 450 pounds. I finally came back to school 3 weeks ago, and a few days ago I ran into one of my professors who hasn't seen me since I left. I'm nearly 250 pounds lighter than when she saw me last. She greeted me with a huge smile and a ton of excitement, but never said anything about my weight loss. She just sort of gave me this proud, happy look. She didn't want to say anything but was obviously so, so happy for me and happy to see me back. It was a really nice and uplifting moment of non-verbal communication. She managed to express how happy she was for me without making me feel uncomfortable. I really appreciated it!

I didnt see one doctor for about 6 months. When he saw me he screamed my name and gave me a big bear hug in the waiting room yelling how amazing I looked. Mind you I was about 80lbs down, but firmly in the 300s. But it made my month. He was so good about pushing me in a really good way to do something about the weight.
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Isn't medical science amazing?
When we have a blocked artery, we can have the artery opened up with a stent or balloon with heart surgery.
When a woman laboring is having problems delivering, putting her and her baby's life in danger, she can have a c-cection.
When we get cancer, we can have helpful but toxic drugs pumped through our bodies to fight it and hopefully put it in remission.
When we've tried every diet under the sun and completely screwed our metabolisms up, or we have physical issues that make it almost impossible to lose or keep weight off, we can have bariatric surgery.
No, medical intervention isn't always the way it's "meant" to be, but sometimes it's necessary.

I had my surgery on 3/25. It was rough the first few weeks, head hunger is the worst and I didn't realize how much of a psychological journey this is. Anyway, 5 months gone and 65 lbs down, I don't regret a thing! Hang in there, you are correct to have doubts but rest assured, you are giving yourself the gift of life!

I thought this might be of interest to the community: http://www.medicaldaily.com/permanent-weight-loss-bariatric-surgery-most-effective-treatment-obesity-396598

One year ago today I made the biggest decision of my life thus far. There are only a handful of people that knew and to this day, only close friends and family. I made the decision to get healthy for not only myself but for my future husband, our future children and our overall life together. I was a serious yo yo dieter, constantly up and down with my weight. So in August of 2015, after months of research and doctors appointments, I had gastric sleeve surgery. To this day, I haven't told many people out of fear of judgement, embarrassment and being told "why didn't you just eat right and exercise like everyone else". Well, I had and couldn't lose the weight. So no, this most certainly was not the easy way out, it was by far the hardest thing I've ever done.
Happy to say as of today, one year ago I started my journey at 234 lbs and today I weigh in at 145 lbs for a weight loss total of 90 lbs and I've never felt better, inside and out. I'm finally excited to see myself in my wedding dress in 2 weeks.  

Lately I have been saying to my close friends who know I have had the surgery "who would have thought...."
I have had so many firsts and happy moments I never expected since my surgery. I can truly say this was the best decision I have ever made. For those on the fence I just want to say I have never regretted this decision and am amazed everyday what a game changer it has been. I am officially 6 months today and I honestly feel like at the age of 45 my life is just beginning. I am sort of a slow loser. I started at 240 start of diet. 225 surgery March 1 and as of last mon I was 163. 5'5
Because I can say for the first time in so, so many years, I truly love myself. I love who I have become. Not because I look more like the norm (though that is a a factor) but because of the little things.
I can go up and down stairs with ease. I can run 2 miles without stopping. I am doing a 5k next week. I feel I deserve a sassy haircut! I can go on vacation and chat with a man in the jacuzzi in a bathing suit. I can order just a chicken breast for dinner and not apologize. I can Dance to my Music when I walk and not care who sees Me or has an opinion. I can experiment with recipes to make it Bari friendly and tasty. I can run a weight loss challenge and encourage others to succeed. I can look in a mirror.(which I haven't in 4 years). I can have my picture taken by myself (only 2 times but I did to send to my grandmother who is not long for this world). And I feel ok at each size. I do not worry of it is a 12, 10, 8. I care how I feel in the clothes.
I can love me! I am about 35 40 lbs away from goal but I feel good about myself. I actually feel pretty and I haven't forever! I still feel my face looks fat so I need to work on that. I can't do selfie face pic but one day I hope I can get past this. I want to grow up and be As self confident as @@Dub and post a lot of pics of myself. He looks so amazing and I love that he sees it n himself. I want to see it in myself in a picture like him. Though he is hot stuff and I will never be as hot as him . I am really stretching myself and posting a black bar pic of myself. This is from today for my meeting
Happy half anniversary to me.
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Hey everybody!
I'm 23 years old and from the GREAT state of Texas.
Here are my stats.
350- Highest weight May 2016
342-Weight at consultation June 2016
336- 08/16/2016 pre op diet start
309- Surgery date 8/23/16
299- 8-31-2016 1 week post op.
I'm down 51 pounds from my highest weight and under 300 for the first time in about 4 years.
As far as surgery goes I had my surgery by Dr. Roberts in Dallas Tx. I had the VSG around noon and was moved into recovery for about 4 hours then sent home. The first week was a lot of gas pain but by day 5 it finally left! I haven't cheated on my diet one time and don't plan on it however I've noticed my surgeons guidelines are extreme compared to others
I won't be on puréed until my 4th week and regular food until my 8th week..
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My surgery was 5/16/16 and I'm just thrilled with my results so far! I still have a ways to go but I wanted to share these photos. My high weight was 252 and today I'm 181.4. The first picture was taken Easter Sunday 2016 at my highest weight.....and the other two were taken today!!

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Thanks, all! Positive words and vibes are deeply appreciated. I weighed myself on Friday night and I was 383 - Saturday and Sunday I said goodbye to pints of beer and terrible food. I started my liquid diet 2 days early (my fiancee is having revision - band to sleeve - surgery a week before my sleeve, so I wanted to be supportive earlier ha!) on Monday and I'm down about 9.5 pounds already. So, seeing that kind of progress and knowing that it'll be easier in some respects when I'm not AS hungry really helps, too.

Congrats! Gives me hope and courage to do it myself.
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Afternoon all!
I'm writing this on a super awesome day: my one-year post op date! This day last year, I weighed 387 pounds and was in recovery after my bypass. This day two years ago, I weighed 450 pounds and saw very little hope of making it past 30. Today I am 207 pounds and perfectly healthy. How times change.
I've learned so, so much in the last two years since I started down this road towards health and happiness. Some of the things I learned were tough lessons, some of them were illuminating and freeing, but all of them together have brought me here. "Here" is a place I never in a million years thought I could be. "Here" is an entirely different Abby, an Abby I thought was sort of a childish dream, or maybe a fairy-tale I told myself to comfort myself during the painful years I spent being obese and incredibly unhappy and uncomfortable.
I still struggle every day with the person I was, the person I am, and the person I am becoming. I struggle to regain my self-image, and to regain an understanding of who I am outside and inside. I struggle with the social and emotional changes that have happened since my surgery, namely the way that people suddenly treat me like a human being because I am no longer painfully obese. I struggle to forgive the cruelty that I experienced at the hands of so, so many people, including my own family and friends. Including myself. I struggle with food cravings occasionally, and with the gravity of the change my personality and habits have gone through. I struggle with that tiny voice of fear in the back of my mind that tells me I couldn't possibly keep this goodness up. I struggle not to compare myself to others and I struggle to keep clothes on my back as I continue to drop sizes. Every day is a struggle.
Every day is also a miracle. I would do this again, and again, and again... forever if I needed to, if it would bring me back here every time. This road has been a little bitter, a lot of sweet, and a wilder ride than I could have possibly imagined or prepared for.
And it ain't over yet!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you here who have been a part of this journey with me, whether you realized it or not. Thank you to all the vets who slapped some sense into me and the kind strangers who listened during times when my anxiety was out of control or when I was feeling so bad about myself that I felt hopeless. You all share a little piece of my victory with me. I wouldn't be here without you and the enormous host of other people outside of this site who have supported me and encouraged me and been proud of me the whole way. THANK YOU. I have a life now, and a future that simply did not exist for me two years ago.
I am ecstatic to be able to share these pictures and my progress with you all today. I love you all.
<3 Cervidae (Abby)
Stats!
Starting weight: 450 lbs
Surgery weight: 387 lbs
Current weight: 207 lbs
Weight lost since surgery: 180 lbs
Overall weight lost: 243 lbs
Jean sizes lost: 20 (size 34 to size 14)
Waist inches lost: 28 in
Hips inches lost: 35 in
Neck inches lost: 4 in
Shoe size lost: 1.5 sizes

My BFF (gay female) struggled with this. On one form, she simply wrote in all caps NO DICK ALLOWED IN/ON/NEAR MY VAGINA.
This is absolutely why she's my bestie.