TXJess

So I started my journey on October 30th 2015 at 540 pounds. This is the highest I've ever been. I had to be on oxygen because I was so overweight it was pressing against my lungs.
I had to do 6 months of a supervised diet and lost 60 pounds before my surgery and had my surgery weighing 480 pounds.
I had a horrible time after surgery as some on here may remember. I was in extreme pain for 3 weeks then extreme nausea for 5 months. The nausea was so bad I didn't eat or drink for over a month and had to get a picc line and give myself infusions overnight to get my fluids and nutrients.
They removed my gallbladder in October of this year and I started to feel much better.
I now feel great and am finally starting to be able to enjoy my smaller size! I'm having fun working out at the gym and I'm starting to feel pretty and trying to date.
I now weigh 336 pounds! That's 204 pounds down from my first weigh in and 144 pounds down since my surgery May 29th 2015!
I'm so excited to be going in the right direction! I just turned 30 in November and I can't wait to finally start living my life!
Here are some before and after pictures!

This is me July 2014

March 2015

March 2015

November 2016

November 2016

January 2017
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I am so super excited!!! I'm a whole 31 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby girl and I could be happier!! Thank you so so much!!! Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App
Thank you so much!! I feel even more amazing!! ❤ Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App
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Thank you so very much!!! Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App
That means so much to me!! Thank you so much!! Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

Update as of today! Current weight...267!!! Officially 100 pounds since surgery and even more than that since I weighed in at410, June 5, 2015!! Hope everyone is well! I feel great!!!

You lost 140 lbs in 9 weeks? Wow.
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You lost 140 lbs in 9 weeks? Wow.
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These two people have very different lives, the one on the left hated Mondays because he had to go to work and didn't feel well because he only had 3 hours of sleep due to the fact his sleep apnea tried to kill him every night. The one on the right cannot wait to wake up after a great night sleep, to get to the gym and sculpt his guns.

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My literature says that you can only utilize 30 gms of Protein at a time.
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When someone gives a compliment (sincere or otherwise), I'll often say "well aren't you sweet." It works in either case.
"Bless your heart" moments and people are a whole other thing! :-)

I'm really open with people about my surgery. I don't think it's fair for people to think I'm dropping weight this fast because I'm eating right and exercising. I know that when I was bigger, and people told me that, I always wondered why it never worked for me and got discouraged. I try to use my surgery as a way to build people up, ya know?
I definitely understand keeping it private though. I don't post about it on Facebook, or at least I haven't yet, but when people ask I tell them.

I found very few true haters along the way. Turn the tables and imagine if you saw someone drop weight at an incredibly fast pace beyond the usual lore of 1-2 pounds per week. You would probably comment as well because our transformations are shocking. Everyday on here people post things like, "5 months out and 70 pounds gone forever!" That's not typical for most people and if no one knows you have an extra tool to attain rapid weight loss, why does this surprise you? In the end, I got my fair share of "you don't need to lose anymore" comments but it was never with any real malice, there was occasional jealously once or twice, but mostly just curiosity and true amazement at such rapid change.

I am over a year out and in maintenance. I do about 100g of Protein a day. While I was losing I kept my carbs under 50g now I keep them under 100g, anywhere from 50 to 80 usually . I've added healthy carbs in only, fruit , veggies , and Peanut Butter.
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The doctor said I am way ahead of where I should be at 3 months. 62% body fat is gone and I only have about 40 pounds left to go. I am very happy.
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Surgery 1/10
1/10 few short walks in hospital
1/11 8 longer walks in hospital
1/12 I think they thought I was escaping I was all over the place until my release at 4pm
1/13 walked down the street and back 20 houses or so
1/14 .5 miles
1/15 1.5 miles!!!! to pickup food for my GF and daughter in 20 degree weather, felt really good.
Started using a Fitbit Blaze that was a gift from 1 of the 2 people I told about my surgery.
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On the treadmill as I type this! My 1st of many days in the gym reclaiming my health!!!
6 weeks post op
Any workout suggestions?
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I wouldn't wait. I think you will feel a lot better 20lbs lighter on a cruise. At 8 weeks out, you are going to get to enjoy all the activities and excursions on your trip and skip the buffets.

Hi Walter,
I haven't had my surgery yet, so you can take this with a grain of salt if you wish.
The odds of you losing weight (and keeping it off) the so-called "natural" way is almost zero. A lot of people say you have a less than 5% chance of keeping the weight off non-surgically, but I've read other studies were the odds were worse than that - 0.015% for women, and for men it's closer to 0.001% (sorry, I can't find the study now, but I'll try to look for it). The human body, for whatever reason, will fight you tooth and nail to stay fat, if you are obese. The best book I've read so far about this is by Dr. Robert Lustig, called Fat Chance. If you prefer YouTube, my favourite videos about all things related to bariatric surgery are by Dr. Matthew Weiner. He explains things very well. You might also want to watch this HBO special, called The Weight of the Nation. If you want to see the effects of how bariatric surgery can help obese people, there's a great series out of the UK also on YouTube called Fat Doctor which focuses on real people struggling with obesity, and doesn't have the Jerry Springer-like feel of some of the U.S.-based shows.
You say you are worried about the surgery, but honestly, for most people, the odds of anything happening to you are about the same as having gall bladder surgery or an appendectomy. And those are pretty routine surgeries. But remember - if you stay the weight that you are, any surgery will be a risk, as it is for all people who struggle with obesity. You listed quite a number of conditions that you suffer from -- two questions to ask yourself is, 1) do you want to keep suffering from them and know that they will only get worse with time? and 2) what odds are better for you, in terms of being around for your family - staying morbidly obese, or having the surgery and be given a real chance to not only lose weight, but to keep it off? Sorry to be blunt, but there it is.
Is this a big decision? Of course it is. Could there be complications? Yes, but that's true of any surgery. However, I think most people who have had the surgery will say it was the best decision they ever made, and that they wish they had done it sooner. For whatever reason, sleeve or bypass (not lapband, which few surgeons do anymore do to low success rates and other problems) "resets" the body in many ways - within 24 hours to a few weeks to a few months after surgery, people may no longer be diabetic, get off high blood pressure or cholesterol meds, have no hunger to fight against (some forever, but most regain some sort of hunger pangs within a year and a half of surgery), and there can be major changes to your metabolism. Your taste buds will probably change, and you may find that certain foods that you used to like will no longer appeal to you after you've had surgery. Of course, there can be some negative side effects too, like food restrictions and gerd and dumping syndrome, needing gall bladder surgery, some depression (immediately after surgery, but I haven't come across any long-term stats about that), and sometimes addiction transfer (for example, changing your food addiction to something like alcohol addiction).

I would really recommend to write down a list of all your concerns and talk about them with your surgeon. Finding a therapist would probably also help. I don't know where you are (I'm assuming the U.S.) so if you have insurance I'm sure you'll have to jump through a few hoops in order to qualify for the surgery, but that can be a good thing, as it gives you time to deal with your fears/concerns before having the surgery.
Whenever I get worried about anything, my motto is: think of the solution, not the problem. I find it really helps to get my mind out of the self-defeating loop that will make the problem seem bigger than it is. In this case, I think educating yourself about the surgery, about anesthesia, etc. will help you feel better (or not) about having the surgery done. Good luck.

Hang in there! I know from experience that looking at the overall picture can be an overwhelming load to bear. I was on the fence about it several times over many years. At one point, I decided that it was not for me. I blogged for almost 7 years about trying to lose weight and that didn't get me anywhere.
Last year, my dad died at 59 years old because he failed to take care of himself. He was diabetic and early on he wouldn't take his oral meds, then refused insulin, and when he kidneys started failing he would only do dialysis when he wanted. Eventually, he decided that despite being retired and living a life with no real time requirements, he would rather be dead than receive treatment. His death certificate said diabetes/kidney failure, but I tell everyone that he died from failure. Failure to do what he needed to do to survive.
After he passed, I was angry. I asked my husband, "Why would someone not do what they needed to survive, why would someone choose to let themselves die and not do any possible thing imaginable to live?" He didn't have an answer for me, but later that evening as I looked at myself in the literal mirror, I thought aren't you one to question? I went to a seminar 3 weeks later and met with the surgeon a week after that. I went through 6 months of supervised weight loss and jumped through their hoops. I had my procedure on 10/26/2016 and I am down 60lbs.
My hinderance came from a place of fear, I stopped myself from doing what I should've done all along. I have no fear about the procedure on this side. I'm excited about life again. I'm getting to a place where I believe in myself and I have less fear in general.
The decision to have WLS is very personal. You will make the right decision for you. I have no regrets. Best decision I have ever made for my health.
If you want to read through 7 years of failure, you're welcome www.lifeinsidetheblubbersarcophagus.blogspot.com.

So sorry. I'm always amazed how brave people feel behind a screen. They say and do things they would never do in person. I'm just sorry they took away your good feelings and sense of pride. I hope when the dust settles you'll be able to get it back.

All good advice. The first point made me laugh. I have a good friend who's husband gets the hiccups when he is full. She said the doctor had never heard of it. But here it is - I can tell her that he is not alone!
Thanks for some of that advice too. I'm still in recovery and will use it going forward.

So sorry. I'm always amazed how brave people feel behind a screen. They say and do things they would never do in person. I'm just sorry they took away your good feelings and sense of pride. I hope when the dust settles you'll be able to get it back.

Hey Joules! I'm just a few weeks behind you. I'm struggling with getting my Protein in. I hate the shakes now. I m on soft foods already and it's ok. Most things I've tolerated, but I haven't been adventurous or anything.
My pain is finally decreasing at almost three weeks. But it's all good. I'm still steadily losing.
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Yeah, I have that problem. I have to measure stuff, which is hard if you are out. Twice, I've made myself sick. Hoping to learn soon.
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I have had two friends who were infertile with no real reason. One was tiny. After she gained 20 lbs, she conceived.
Another, was a friend who did medifast with me. She was infertile for so long, they adopted two babies. Seven years later (her kids now 7 and 4), she did medifast. Three months in, she finds out she is pregnant. Turns out, if you lose weight quickly, it messes with your hormones.
So, the lesson is to now use bc until the year Mark. And good luck!!!
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Hello all
I'm two weeks post op so I'm just beginning my weight loss journey. I know the first year or so is really when you lose the most weight so I'm wondering if you have any tips to make the most of this first year and maximize weight lost. Any certain foods to eat? Exercise tips? Anything to avoid?
Thanks!
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Hi, just seen your post. I had my gastric bypass on 13th December. All ok-I'm getting there! Definitely stronger each day.
Taking my soluble Vitamins & medication to prevent ulcers have been difficult & trying to remember that the Calcium & Iron is twice a day. Constipation has been a pain but since taking lactulose daily has helped! I'm still on puréed food which I'm not enjoying very much; although I don't really get hungry. I keep a Water bottle with to remind me to keep my fluids up...sip, sip, sip but not with food or 30 mins before or after food. I have 2 Protein shakes a day, half a tin of Soup at lunchtime & then a small portion (children's bowl) of something puréed & eaten with a child's spoon .
I'm due weigh in today so a bit apprehensive but my last weigh in about 3 weeks 4 days ago I had lost 15 pounds post op. Having said that in the first 2 weeks or so the scales weren't showing any loss! The 5 wounds are healing nicely. I still find it uncomfortable to lie down or sleep on my left side & sometimes after I eat I can get a burning in my left side under my ribs, not sure what that is! Did or does anyone else have this?
So far I don't regret this surgery...sometimes I can get a fleeting thought....'why have you done something so drastic to your body'? But I don't allow myself to entertain this as I know that my reasons for having the bypass far outweighs any reasons not to have it!
BTW, I love this website! I feel so inspired and encouraged by others and their stories. Plus any questions I have, I go straight on here to search it! For many different reasons, I haven't told friends or work colleagues about this surgery so only my immediate family members know; whom of which are very supportive but unfortunately that means I can't share pictures too
Sorry this was long winded but its felt so GOOD to share
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