Florida Pete

Another week and I am down 3 lbs. Right where I want to be. Set a go for the next 6 months of 75 lbs so I need to average just under 3 lbs a week so this is a great start to that goal :thumbdown:

Well I have started off the next 6 months in the right direction. I lost 3 pounds this week and increased my walking to 3 miles a day. My goal for the next 6 months is to lose 75 lbs. Sounds like a lot but really it isn't. That's just under 3 pounds a week which I should be able to do with little trouble. My appetite has been a bit more this week then what it has been so I went ahead and got my 6 month lab work done this week and scheduled for my next follow-up/fill appointment with Dr. Perez. So that should help with the appetite and even the amount of food I can consume. Don't get me wrong I still am not consuming anything near what I was before surgery. I had planned on taking a few weeks to work myself up in my walking from the 2 miles a day that I was doing to 3 miles a day. But, when I got out there to walk on Monday it just felt good to keep the pace going and next thing I knew I was rounding the corner at the mile and a half mark and back home for a 3 mile walk. So I just continued that habit this week. Great progress if I do say so myself. Oh I said I would post some 6 month progress photos. Ok here they are.... So onto another week of weightloss! This week 3 pound lost Current Weight - 364 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 78 lbs (27 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 121 lbs

Well I have started off the next 6 months in the right direction. I lost 3 pounds this week and increased my walking to 3 miles a day. My goal for the next 6 months is to lose 75 lbs. Sounds like a lot but really it isn't. That's just under 3 pounds a week which I should be able to do with little trouble. My appetite has been a bit more this week then what it has been so I went ahead and got my 6 month lab work done this week and scheduled for my next follow-up/fill appointment with Dr. Perez. So that should help with the appetite and even the amount of food I can consume. Don't get me wrong I still am not consuming anything near what I was before surgery. I had planned on taking a few weeks to work myself up in my walking from the 2 miles a day that I was doing to 3 miles a day. But, when I got out there to walk on Monday it just felt good to keep the pace going and next thing I knew I was rounding the corner at the mile and a half mark and back home for a 3 mile walk. So I just continued that habit this week. Great progress if I do say so myself. Oh I said I would post some 6 month progress photos. Ok here they are.... So onto another week of weightloss! This week 3 pound lost Current Weight - 364 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 78 lbs (27 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 121 lbs

In December of 2008 I flew to Mexico and had my surgery done. I had to say that was a great experience. But living in Florida posed the challenge of finding a doctor who would take me and give me the aftercare I needed. After some search I found U.S.Bariatrics and Dr. Perez. I scheduled my first follow up back in January of '09. The staff there was great and Dr. Perez was excellent. Since I am a self pay patient the prices were reasonable and I have since been back for additional follow up appointments. I would recommend Dr. Perez if you are thinking about any bariatric surgery.

Last year when I began my process of looking at bariatric surgery I first contacted Dr. Vaughan's office and went to the seminar that he puts on month for potential patients. It was a very informative seminar and he seems like a very personable person. He had a patient talk in the seminar that had gastric by-pass done several years ago who had lost a ton of weight too. Dr. Vaughan pushed gastric by-pass as the way to go but did also say he will do lapband proceedures as well. After a week I contacted his office about what steps to take next and we started looking into if my insurance would cover the proceedure. Well like so many others out there my insurance would not cover the proceedure so then it was self pay. The cost for Dr. Vaughan's group was more then what I could afford and ultimately I went to one of the leading surgeons in the bariatric field who is in Mexico. So for my after care I wanted to find a local doctor to do my fills and follow ups with. Naturaly the first person I looked to was Dr. Vaughan since for me he's only like 5 minutes from where I live. Unfortunately for me Dr. Vaughan will not see Mexico Patients and so I had to find another surgeon to do my aftercare and follow ups. So from my experience Dr. Vaughan seems like he would be a decent surgeon but if you are a Mexico surgical patient don't bother calling him for aftercare or fills.

Motivation is one of the hardest things I think we all battle. Really it is probably the biggest thing that has held us all back in our other weight loss endeavors. I have to constantly remind myself why I get up at 5 am to go for a power walk when most everyone else is still sleeping. I have to remind myself why I don't need as much food as I once ate. What is it that I use to remind myself thus motivate myself? That is going to be different for everyone. For me it's several things. Wanting to be around for a long time with my little 21 month old son. Wanting to be thin again so that I can enjoy the things I once did many many years ago. Knowing that a person obesity does hold them back in careers and that by being thin I will no longer be alienated solo on the fact of my weight. Want to be able to go on an airplane and not have to ask for the seatbelt extension. Shopping at a normal clothing store for normal clothing sizes at normal clothing prices. Wanting to feel the energy that comes from being thin and healthy. So I ask myself why am I doing this? Because I want my life back and no longer will I be a slave to my obesity.

It's June and that means we're all hitting the 6 month mark since our surgery! For me that day is actually today! How have you done in your first 6 months? Do you feel better now then you did 6 months ago? How many fills have you had? For me I have lost 75 lbs since surgery. It has been a great journey and one of the best decisions I have ever made. When I began my journey it was a workout to walk to the mailbox and back. Now I walk 2 miles everyday in just 30 minutes time and love it. I am down in clothing sizes and feel great. I have more energy and more confidence. I have had 2 fills so far and looking to get another really soon. So congrats to all and I hope to hear from you and how your doing!

Slow start to June for me. Just 1 pound this week but that's ok cause it's still a loss.

Heya! I have only had 2 fills since surgery. I have 4cc and my band is a 10cc capacity band. The band is an absolutely great tool and that is the key to things that it is a tool! I work hard every day to get exercise in. Without the exercise I wouldn't have lost as much weight as I have. Plus with exercise it does help your skin pull back and not as much excess skin in the end. So I really work on my whole lifestyle being different and not just my eating habits. I will admit that I had some pizza last night for dinner. It was good but in the last 6 months I can say that this might have been the second or third time that I have had it. It used to be nothing to have pizza two or three times a week and eating half the pizza plus chicken wings, breadsticks, and soda. Now just 2 slices and I had more then enough.

6 months ago today I had my surgery. It has been a life changing event for me and one that I am extremely happy that I took. I have lost a 75 lbs in the last 6 months and continue to lose week after week after week. This week it was only 1 pound lost but that's ok it was still a continued loss. Some times it's hard to believe that I am actually doing this and how much extra weight I was carrying around. I am pretty much ready for my next fill. My appetite has slowly crept back up although it still no wheres near what it was before surgery. But I find myself eating more and being hungry sooner. The doc wants me to get lab work done to make sure I am going at this healthy which is very routine at the 6 month mark. So in the next week or two I will get a fill and get an update on how my body is doing In the mornings I get up at 5am and get out the door right away to get in a 2 mile walk. I have got it down to 34 minutes which is great for me. I push myself every day and work on bringing that time down. Over the next month or two I am going to start working up to 3 miles of walking. I have mapped out, yes I know that's the engineer in me, a couple of routes in our area that I can walk to obtain 3 miles. I just need to get up a little earlier to allow for the extra time for that 3rd mile but that really is no big deal. Well it's time to share those totals and look for sometime after this weekend to see some 6 month progress photos! This week 1 pound lost Current Weight - 367 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 75 lbs (26 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 118 lbs

6 months ago today I had my surgery. It has been a life changing event for me and one that I am extremely happy that I took. I have lost a 75 lbs in the last 6 months and continue to lose week after week after week. This week it was only 1 pound lost but that's ok it was still a continued loss. Some times it's hard to believe that I am actually doing this and how much extra weight I was carrying around. I am pretty much ready for my next fill. My appetite has slowly crept back up although it still no wheres near what it was before surgery. But I find myself eating more and being hungry sooner. The doc wants me to get lab work done to make sure I am going at this healthy which is very routine at the 6 month mark. So in the next week or two I will get a fill and get an update on how my body is doing :wub: In the mornings I get up at 5am and get out the door right away to get in a 2 mile walk. I have got it down to 34 minutes which is great for me. I push myself every day and work on bringing that time down. Over the next month or two I am going to start working up to 3 miles of walking. I have mapped out, yes I know that's the engineer in me, a couple of routes in our area that I can walk to obtain 3 miles. I just need to get up a little earlier to allow for the extra time for that 3rd mile but that really is no big deal. Well it's time to share those totals and look for sometime after this weekend to see some 6 month progress photos! This week 1 pound lost Current Weight - 367 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 75 lbs (26 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 118 lbs

Another week and another pound. Not much of a weight loss this week but still continued weight loss. Don't be discouraged Sue. Just take a look at what you have done and see where you can make changes. Eating different foods. Drinking more water and less flavored drinks. Slight changes in your exercise routine. All these I have noticed do affect weight loss. So now it's time to start on June's weight loss!

I am not sure how much this is a weight loss NSV but still an NSV for me. Yesterday I finally got up enough courage to enroll back in college to get my bachelors degree. I have talked about doing it for years much the same as losing weight. Finally I have taken the plug and am moving forward and it's no longer just talk. So starting as soon as a few weeks from now I will be taking classes to further myself educationally and professionally. Now for a weight loss NSV that I have recently experienced is that I do want to get out and power walk in the mornings. I like working up a sweat and burning off those calories. I can't jog yet but I will get there. I am still just to over weight and to much of my body moves when I try to jog but I will get there. For now I am happy that it feels great to get out for the power walk and that I actually do enjoy working up that sweat. Congrat to Stephanie and Ann on your recent NSV's! I think these are the ones that really count deep inside us. They show to us that we are losing weight not just by the number but by how these make us feel. Good going girls and keep up the great work! Our goals ARE obtainable!!!

Name********Starting weight*****Current*******Goal******To go ******************:eek:**************:wub:**********:tt2:*******:smile: 1RockinMom.........254............220.........145.......75 Alleycia...........255............220.........152.......68 ALuv82.............280.5..........280.5.......200......80.5 AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............275.6.......199.......76.6 Bellaperdente......196............177.........150.......27 Bklyn1984..........317............238.........165.......73 Bostongurl.........190............186.........133.......53 Brandy.............198............181.........166.......15 Cappy..............240............223.5.......130.......93.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............135.........130.......5 Clarebear08........192............170.........160.......10 Donna113...........183............172.5.......126.......46.5 dublingirl.........224............209.........145.......64 Ebonie.............307............298.8.......200.......98.8 EmmaWang...........241............203.........140.......63 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............369.........300.......69 GratefulHeart......226............191.........135.......56 GuyMontag..........325............276.........200.......76 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 inri09.............287............254.........185.......69 janesays...........225............189.........160.......29 kaninag............210............210.........170.......40 kimaly.............194............183.........160.......23 Lindar172..........246............219.6.......150.......69.6 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............182.........169.......13 lotzasunshine......270............245.........180.......65 Loveislovely.......216............180.........175.......5 ltgordon...........284.8..........229.4.......185.......44.4 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 nicolerose.........365............288.........258.......30 Pink...............230............152.........145........7 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Snow...............227............167.........141.......26 stacy73............285............214.........160.......54 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............187.5.......130.......57.5 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............147.........125.......22

lost another 3 pounds last week. really have been working hard at keeping that scale moving. power walks in the morning have greatly helped my matabolism I think :smile:

Ok so I am late in blogging this week. What can I say? It's been busy and this was memorial day weekend :thumbup: But hey the good news I lost 3 pounds this last week. I am working hard on my power walks and really trying to get my speed up. I have been getting a good pace and working up a good sweat. Amazing to say that really cause it's been since my late teens early twenties that I actually liked working up a good sweat. My diet is going well. I really am surprised at the foods I can eat but not at the amount that I can eat. I have started using the small plates to eat with too. Seems to really help. Whenever I use the big plates I tend to serve myself to much food and can never finish it. I can't tell you how good that actually feels. So my wife was ever so kind and took me to a discount store and got me a couple of shirts for work. I think right now I am starting to get between shirt sizes. I tried several on from different brands and it's amazing how different they fit from one to another. But it still is wonderful to fit into a smaller size. I think the last time I wore a 4x shirt was back when I was living in Colorado so that's like 8 years ago. Ok so brass tax. Totals for the week are.... This week 3 pound lost Current Weight - 369 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 73 lbs (24 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 116 lbs

Ok so I am late in blogging this week. What can I say? It's been busy and this was memorial day weekend :devil: But hey the good news I lost 3 pounds this last week. I am working hard on my power walks and really trying to get my speed up. I have been getting a good pace and working up a good sweat. Amazing to say that really cause it's been since my late teens early twenties that I actually liked working up a good sweat. My diet is going well. I really am surprised at the foods I can eat but not at the amount that I can eat. I have started using the small plates to eat with too. Seems to really help. Whenever I use the big plates I tend to serve myself to much food and can never finish it. I can't tell you how good that actually feels. So my wife was ever so kind and took me to a discount store and got me a couple of shirts for work. I think right now I am starting to get between shirt sizes. I tried several on from different brands and it's amazing how different they fit from one to another. But it still is wonderful to fit into a smaller size. I think the last time I wore a 4x shirt was back when I was living in Colorado so that's like 8 years ago. Ok so brass tax. Totals for the week are.... This week 3 pound lost Current Weight - 369 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 73 lbs (24 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 116 lbs

1RockinMom.........254............220.........145.......75 Alleycia...........255............220.........152.......68 AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............278.6.......199.......79.6 Bellaperdente......196............177.........150.......27 Bklyn1984..........317............241.........165.......76 Bostongurl.........190............186.........133.......53 Brandy.............198............181.........166.......15 Cappy..............240............223.5.......130.......93.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............135.........130.......5 Clarebear08........192............171.........160.......11 Donna113...........183............172.5.......126.......46.5 dublingirl.........224............209.........145.......64 Ebonie.............307............298.8.......200.......98.8 EmmaWang...........241............210.........140.......70 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............372.........300.......72 GratefulHeart......226............193.........135.......58 GuyMontag..........325............276.........200.......76 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 inri09.............287............254.........185.......69 janesays...........225............189.........160.......29 kaninag............210............210.........170.......40 kimaly.............194............183.........160.......23 Lindar172..........246............219.6.......150.......69.6 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............183.........169.......14 lotzasunshine......270............247.5.......180.......67.5 Loveislovely.......216............185.........175.......10 ltgordon...........284.8..........250.5.......185.......65.5 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 nicolerose.........365............288.........258.......30 Pink...............230............152.........145........7 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............187.5.......130.......57.5 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............147.........125.......22 Snow...............227............167.........141.......26

Hey all - dropped another 4 pounds this week. Actually a little surprised but very happy about it. Hope everyone else is having a great week.

It's been a good week. I stepped on the scale this morning and really could not remember what I weighed last week. So I got my weight and figured I would look at my blog to see how much I had lost in the last week. To my surprise I lost 4 pounds. This last week I have been going for a power walk in the mornings. I also have been watching my food a little closer and not eating as much between meals. I know I am suppose to have 4 small meals a day but it's hard to make that work and so I think I was snacking more then actually planning the 4th meal out. The power walks in the morning are so refreshing. They really help me wake up and get my day started. Unfortunately today I won't be doing my walk. I have been hit pretty hard with allergies or a cold and am staying home from work today too. So I guess I should get to the totals This week 4 pound lost Current Weight - 372 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 70 lbs (23 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 113 lbs

It's been a good week. I stepped on the scale this morning and really could not remember what I weighed last week. So I got my weight and figured I would look at my blog to see how much I had lost in the last week. To my surprise I lost 4 pounds. This last week I have been going for a power walk in the mornings. I also have been watching my food a little closer and not eating as much between meals. I know I am suppose to have 4 small meals a day but it's hard to make that work and so I think I was snacking more then actually planning the 4th meal out. The power walks in the morning are so refreshing. They really help me wake up and get my day started. Unfortunately today I won't be doing my walk. I have been hit pretty hard with allergies or a cold and am staying home from work today too. So I guess I should get to the totals This week 4 pound lost Current Weight - 372 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 70 lbs (23 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 113 lbs

Heya! Yeah I actually weigh in on Fridays. I had surgery on a Friday so I have weighed in ever week since. I find it easier for me to track my progress like that.

Hey All - I have been terrible about posting this last month. Sorry about that. I updated my weights on the spreadsheet. Hope everyone is doing well. I lost 2 pounds this last week.

Well this week continues on a good note. I lost 2 pounds this week bringing me down to 376 pounds. My goal for the year is to get down to 300 lbs which I am working on. Not sure if I will make it or not but that's not that big of a deal to me as it is to continue losing week after week. It's been a long time since I have been below 400 lbs so long that it might have even been as far back as when I lived in Colorado Springs which was about 8 to 9 years ago. I have really been enjoying the early morning walks. I tried jogging one day but my body just isn't ready for that yet. I do look forward to the day when I can enjoy jogging but for now the brisk power walks is doing me good. This week just passed the 5 months anniversary since my surgery. I'll have to take some more updated pictures. Well onto the next week. Ok so the totals for this week.... This week 2 pound lost Current Weight - 376 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 66 lbs (22 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 109 lbs