Lillimint

Congratulations! You should be proud of what you’ve achieved. It take lots of work and commitment to get this far.

I can empathize when you say you need to learn to be kind to yourself. I’m sensing that I’m moving into needing to work on that area myself now that I’m so far along my weight loss journey. (I’ve still got 40 lbs I’d like to lose, but I’ve lost 110 lbs so far! 🏆)

Again, great job on your awesome progress. I bet you look fabulous!

Wow. I relate to this on so many levels. The starting weight watchers at such a young age... I thought I was the only one. I remember one summer in middle school my grandmother told me I didn’t need to be involved in extracurriculars at school so I could have time to focus on my waistline. Every diet that was available, I did it. I remember my mother making me read diet books like faith and fat loss and south beach diet along with so many others. Not even going all the way into the time she was convinced I was insulin resistant and I didn’t eat bread most of high school because I thought it would make me diabetic lol. Oh and I can’t forget about the year that I drank grapefruit juice or ate a grapefruit before every meal because that was going to ‘kick start’ my slow metabolism. I grew up hating my body because my mom would call herself fat and other derogatory terms and it definitely wore off on me. She still does this to this day. She asks me pretty much every time she sees me what size I wear and how much I weigh. It messes with my mind on a daily basis. It’s such a triggering thing for someone to do and I try daily to change the way she taught me to think about my body.

With all that said, I decided on the surgery for me and me alone. I don’t regret it at all and would do it a million times over again. But, with toxicity like this you should start preparing yourself to deal with that trauma. I honestly didn’t think I had issues with it until about a year after my surgery. Lol I never realized I never told my husband about any of it (I would joke about it in passing but never told him the extent of it) and one day my mom triggered me so bad I went on a tangent about it. He ended up in tears because he could never imagine going through that mentally. I suggest finding a counselor or therapist ASAP. The body dysmorphia hits hard and has to be felt with or it will destroy your tool. My issues are mine but I’m sure everyone with that much mental trauma will have some along the way. I started seeing a counselor and it helped a lot to be able to talk about how not normal that was. I have to work extremely hard every day to have a better relationship with food and am still learning how to love my body.

This was rambly and probably unhelpful. I really appreciate you sharing your story. It’s really nice to know I wasn’t the only one that went through something similar. I hope that your journey goes well and you find a way to deal with your parents.

Goaaaaaal!
I set out last July to lose 100 lbs. and I picked a random date at the end of May to get there. Today, May 25th, I'm down 100 lbs. and am lighter than I have been since college (30+ years ago).

Finally!! I have to say, for those of you that are "slow losers", keep the faith! These last tw o months, I have been down to 2-4 pounds each MONTH, but it came off!

The middle seat on an airplane is no longer the disaster that it used to be. ✈️

HW: 250+? SW: 245 CW: 141. 4'10", 31 years old. 1st pic was in 2016, I was at 250+, 2nd was last month. I'm around 145.

I still have a ways to go. Haven't dropped by in a while but this place is a godsend for pre-op and post-op questions and concerns. Thanks to all here for the support.

It’s been a little over 3 months, so here are some updated progress pics! Scar continues to fade, but it’s not like anyone sees it anyway! I love my flat tummy and someday will treat myself to a spray tan so I can really enjoy it! Lol!!

Loving my new body!

Haha.... just noticed this forum and the requirements to post here... I hit 18 months March 4th, I guess that makes me a vet lol!
Current stats: 5'4.5" and between 126-129 pounds depending on the day. Hit my goal at 7 months and was well under my goal by a year. Overall I have been maintaining for a year now.... did have some challenges recently and weight was beginning to creep up... but I managed to quickly ditch those few extra pounds and am back at my happy maintenance weight. I get thrilled every time my husband or daughter comment at how skinny I am. My daughter says she never realized I was really overweight or "fat" until I lost it all. Now when we look at photos from just 2 years ago it is obvious. Now I am a size 4 and i look healthy. I can't go any lower than 124 though... 124 seems to be right where I am on the verge of looking too skinny.
Health is great. sleep apnea is being treated. Heart condition resolved. High cholesterol and tachycardia resolved. The medical consensus is that severe undiagnosed sleep apnea is what triggered my sudden weight gain... and my heart health was what prevented me from losing weight. Now I feel better than ever and feel that as long as I continue to control diet and exercise regularly I will have no problem maintaining. Of course... controlling diet is key. I was never a big calorie consumer.... but I wasn't always eating good foods and then I did drink calories in the form of Pepsi. Most of the time I don't have an issue controlling diet... but when life is excessively stressful... that is when I can get into trouble. That is when I am most likely to not eat right and consuming the wrong foods. I have taken steps to increase access to healthy food at work, which is also important for me.
Exercise.... still trying to get back in a regular routine after a horrible few months at work. Doing much better... but still have a ways to go. So... 2020 I had planned to walk the Camino De Santiago (You walk all the way across northern Spain). It was going to be my reward for losing weight and a way to improve my physical fitness. Had to cancel. Then I had to cancel the trip I rescheduled for this summer. Boo! Instead... I am gearing up to do an 8 week hike on either the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail. I will probably do the Appalachian Trail this summer and wait for the PCT. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I really wanted to do the Camino first, because that is more of a spiritual/cultural walk and you don't have to carry your tent/food/extra Water. With either of these I will have to carry all of those items. I know I can do it... but it would have been so much better to do the other walk before either of these hikes. My challenge now? Trying to make sure I eat properly on the trail! Just bought a dehydrator and am assembling/dehydrating meals that I can eat so I don't have to rely on crap food available along the way. I need to be able to eat enough calories to sustain me, but not so many that I develop bad habits. Most people load up on carbs... I need to avoid that and only load up on healthy carbs.
Anyhow... that's me! New WLS "VET"

Hey yall the countdown has started. I have 10 days til surgery. I am so excited! I got everything I need biotene spray, Vitamins, tylenol,shakes and everything else. I take my covid test on sunday.

Now, I must say, I'm still 250 pounds, so I have at least 60 or 70 pounds to go to get to goal and actually more than that to not be considered overweight for my height, but I was almost 400 pounds, so this a huge difference and I'm feeling amazing.
My wedding dress is a size 24. I got married in 2006, and I have not been able to fit into it since 2010. It is now too big! I had to get something notarized the other day and when I got out my driver's license I noticed my weight said 350 and realized I am 100 pounds less than that weight now, which was a lie anyway. Lol That is an amazing feeling. I have never, ever weighed less than what my drivers license said. Even back when I weighed around 150 I never thought I was thin enough and always lied. When I renew it, I will tell the truth, because I accept myself now at any weight. It's been a long journey to get to that point.
I got a new dress the other day and thought it needed a belt and the only one I had was from my highest weight and I can wrap it around me twice. It's crazy!
This might be dumb, and maybe tmi for some, but my belly was so big before I couldn't use a squatty potty, and now I can. I just bought one and it really helps with my Constipation. Lol



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Having the doctor say "You're overweight" out of habit and being able to say "No I'm not." 😂

I HIT GOAL, you guys!!!! I am so excited and loving life! 😍VALIDATE ME, VALIDATE ME, VALIDATE ME! 😁 102 total lbs lost:)

Just a heads up for those of you who, like me, have lost a large amount of weight. I'm now less than half my previous weight and sometimes I run into downstream effects I wasn't prepared for.
Recently I had to take a medication that I haven't needed for some time (certainly not since I've been this small). My doctor and I were not thinking about my weight loss and how that would affect the appropriate dose for this med. Because I am so much smaller, the dose I regularly took before was way too much and I had crazy side-effects and toxicity. At first my doctor was stumped as to what is going on (even though she has seen me and is aware of my weight loss). It was my cousin, who is also a doctor (a hospitalist), who figured it out. As soon as I desceribed my symptoms, she said "That's an overdose, you're taking too much." and she reminded me that my weight affects the necessary dose.
When I went back to my doctor, she agreed that was it and reduced my dose to match my weight. And the problems went away. So don't forget that weight-based dosages will need to be adjusted as you get smaller! Even doctors may not remember to make the necessary adjustments.

Nothing too exciting on the wardrobe front unless my bunny slippers count? But wanted to wish you each a Happy Spring! Happy passover. Happy Easter.

It has been 7 months, and 2 days since my WLS.
I finally hit my GOAL when weighing in this morning. I have never been this small in my adult life.
It is such a great feeling, knowing that everything I worked for up to this point has been worth it.
My ONLY regret is that I didn't do this 10 years ago.
I have lost 81 lbs., went from a size 20 jeans, now in a size 6, (I posted a few days ago that I was a size 8, but my new jeans were actually too big, and I had to get a size 6).
I am sooooooo happy!!! 😄😄😄😄😄

I think that was me. At least I can remember posting the link to the free PDF and I mentioned the concept of "best weight" more than one time in the past.
IMO the concept of "best weight" acknowledges some very important things:
- food is not only seen as fuel in our culture (and that's not viewed as something pathological here but as something common and perfectly normal)
- there is more to life than a diet and an exercise schedule
- not everyone can be thin without tremendous effort and it's ok to decide that going below a certain weight is not worth the effort to a person
Again, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be e. g. BMI 19 and being obsessed with eating and exercise (if that is what that person truly wants) - it just irks me that extreme and radical approaches are touted as "the way to go" on this board way too often, putting/leaving people struggling with their eating in a rather bad place to be.

My apologies I can't remember who posted this originally on these forums, but I do like the concept of 'best weight'.

This is exactly where I am. I know there are people who want to be thinner than I will ever be, and that's okay. There are people who are comfortable at a higher weight than I would be and THAT'S okay. So much drama would be avoided if we could just respect each other's choices. Whoever said your goal weight is too high - what business is it of theirs? Why are they invested in how much YOU weigh? And likewise, not everyone who wants to be thin has an eating disorder. Personally, I set my goal at a weight that would put me exactly at the edge of having a normal BMI. I made it, plus a little more and I'm happy at this weight. So far, it's not a struggle to maintain. I'm healthy and getting more fit every day. I don't have the inclination, time or energy to watch OTHER people's weight.

I feel a little sheepish about the response this has gotten. Didn't mean to be an attention wh*re, and I'm afraid that's how it reads. I just wanted to blow steam.
I think this board does a better job than most...of extending value and tolerance for each other's perspectives. One bad experience doesn't ruin the whole batch, and I'm sorry if I gave the impression that it's a big problem here.....it's not. You all are terrific. I think most of my post was based on history and a composite of experiences at many bariatric boards.....and one recent trigger here... that, in retrospect, I might have been smarter to let go than talk about....but it irked me and I started typing...and...now I feel sheepish.
I think we've all got great stuff to add. I think this is a great group.
The folks whose goal is just to achieve better health. The folks who just want to be under 200 pounds. The folks who just want to improve. The folks who are satisfied with an average weight (like me). And the folks who lose like crazy and get super fit and work hard for that low BMI.
Everyone has good stuff to offer and I sure didn't mean to imply there are any villians. All perspectives are valuable. One perspective that doesn't fit for one person...might be a perfect fit for another.
At the end of the day, we're all figuring this thing out. We're all working hard to understand how to beat an unhealthy relationship with food. Every one of us.
I sound fatalistic sometimes and I apologize.
You guys really are lovely. And the rare exception....I think i'd be ahead to just ignore.

I still have that little pooch above my waist. It’s way smaller but must just be my body shape. When I carried my weight it was like I had two stomachs. One above, one below with a definite waist in between.
You have to remember you have fat all over your body so you’ll lose a little here, a little there. Did you take any body measurements? That way you can track that quarter of an inch loss here, half an inch loss there. It adds up but may not be noticeable for a while. Remember, there are 2 inches between clothing sizes so you may not have dropped a size yet. Frustrating I know.
Where you lose that weight can be surprising too. Wait till you realise your shoes are too big cause you lost weight on your feet. I even lost fat on my eyelids - no more droopy lids anymore. Oh & then when you’re maintaining, it seems to resettle & even out a bit over your body & on your face.
Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Hi! 

It’s been YEARS since I was on this forum! I was very active from 2014-2016. Loved the support, hated the drama. 

I had VSG in 2014 and although I was a bit on the slower side losing because I was considered a “lightweight” (ha) at my surgery weight of 235, I was very successful. My low weight was 142 for about 15 minutes, but after a little bounce weight of 10-12 pounds or so, I maintained there for several years and was even running! Me—running at almost 50 years old! I was a WLS success! 

**Record screeching noise** not so fast.....

2018: On my Quest to stay active by finding new and fun activities, I decided to get on roller skates again at 51 years old. Let’s just say that didn’t turn out so well, and an almost debilitating neck injury happened. + 15 pounds. 

2019: Strange, I’ve got blood in my pee? Lab work shows no UTI. Bladder cancer?? WTF? That’s an old man’s disease! 
+ 10 pounds 

2020: Do I even have to say it?? Oh, but I *did* manage to break my ankle in October walking my dog and was in a boot for 2 months. Also, I got Covid in December. + 10 pounds 

I’m not using life happening as excuses at all. I was fully unprepared to deal with my weight maintenance *when* life happened. It just goes to show how woefully unprepared I was with my emotional eating when the chips (along with my poor broken body) were down. I can only hope my experience can be a lesson to all either thinking about WLS, or are happily in the honeymoon phase of WLS and maintenance. 

With a little pharmaceutical help from my Primary, I’m working on going back to basics and concentrate on healthier Protein and Fiber rich options to try to lose at least 25 pounds. It can be done. I’ve seen it. 

Wish me luck! ❤️

I shared mine in an earlier post:

Ok, finally got around to taking a current pic of my arm scars, which are by far the worst of my plastics scars.
NOTE: I am probably an example of the worser-case scenarios in terms of wound healing, most people will fare much, much, better than I do. So don't get freaked out!
You can see in the before pic (taken 11 months AFTER PS!) that my scar is pretty red/purple and very RAiSED.
After the first round of steroid shots, there was a visible difference about 1-2 weeks after. It flattened out quite a bit, and got less red. The skin around the scar also started to pucker a bit (which was something my doc told me may happen).
I got a second round of shots about 2 months later, and now, two months after that, my scar is completely flat, even lighter, and the pucker/dimpling is gone.
I am deciding if I want to go for a 3rd round or just wait it out. The injections HURT, man. Hurt, like tears in my eyes hurt.
Anyhoo, here are the pics:
P.S. FYI ...I have read/been told that steroid shots are more effective on hypertrophic scars (which I have) than keloids. So discuss with your doc if this is a route you want to go down....

All the things others said...... + increase in sex drive. Confidence in knowing that I can do and fit in almost anything.
Also, the way others treat you..... People can say all they want that "fat" people aren't discriminated against.... but we all know that's a bunch of bull cr*p...... When i was "large" people would turn the other way. I could be on crutches, caring a baby and trying to open a door (over exaggerating)... and no help. Now walking down the street, men go out of their way to help.... open doors, help with car issues, offer to help with groceries.... etc. People look at me and not my size... I felt like i was always being "examined"...

wearing shorts again! oh how i’ve missed them. life is better with bare legs. my favorite part of this journey so far is that my legs have the most noticeable changes. i carried very heavy in my legs and belly and both are shrinking at a consistent rate. down 78 pounds in 5.5 months. 2 more lbs and i’ll be halfway to my goal weight. Enjoy the journey!!