Chatterboxdea

I think this is a great idea! I will try to check back occasionally, but especially in August! Keep up the good work everyone; we are all seeing weight loss and we just need to stay focused and keep putting in the hard work. One day at a time!

Hi everyone!! I thought I would check back in since it's August. It has been almost a year since my surgery (August 28th, 2024). I have lost over 70 lbs, which is amazing but definitely not the amount that I thought I would lose in the first year/ "honeymoon phase". I am going to continue trying to lose what I can and hopefully get to my goal of 175, but it has been slow going the past couple of months (like 2 lbs a month vs 2 lbs a week like it was at the beginning). I'm currently at 193 and it felt really hard, but really rewarding to get and stay under 200 lbs! I'm in a size large shirt, which is crazy to me since I was an XXL before, but I struggle to lose weight in my hips and things so I'm still a size 16 in pants, down from a 20. @ShoppGirl and @Justarwaxx thanks for all the support on this journey! Sorry I haven't been around lately, but I felt like I was doing good and going steady. I hope everyone else is doing well!

My snack go to is cottage cheese. But for snacks I tend to go with cheese, Greek yogurt and nuts to try to get my protein in.

I hope everything goes well for you! Keep us updated!

Right after surgery, I would always get super light headed after a shower; I still do sometimes when its early in the morning or I have to do wash my hair (which means longer shower). I usually take super hot showers, but I had to stop after surgery, because it exacerbated it. I usually would lay down for awhile after and would have some low sugar apple juice on hand to drink. This helped me a lot!

My husband and I just had our 5 year anniversary. We got married right as everything was shutting down for COVID so we didn’t get to have our receptions. We decided to do a five year anniversary party to finally be able to celebrate with friends and family. I loved my dress I got for it (though I didn’t get a great picture of the whole dress ?). I am still hopefully only halfway done with my weight loss journey but it felt great to by a size 14 dress; it’s been a long time since I wore a size 14! Here are some picture i scavenged from people from the event to show off the dress!

Hi everyone! I have been a little MIA lately; things got busy. I am in a slump lately and haven't really lost any weight in a couple weeks. I know this is normal, but because we have had a lot of events and fun things lately, I also haven't been eating as healthy as I would like to... so really either could be the reason for my slump. I'm trying to stay optimistic and get back on track. I'm so close to FINALLY being under 200 lbs and I refuse to stop losing weight before I reach it! I hope all of you are doing well and I look forward to updating you guys when I have hit Onederland!

We went to visit friends this weekend in CO and I went snow shoeing for the first time! I don’t know that I could have done it at my starting weight. My legs are still sore cause you have to walk differently than you do normally, but we went over 3 miles and it was so much fun!

Thanks! I also have a lot of baby hair right now, so I'm sure it will be fine, but the shedding is so annoying!

This life is really hard and we have so much hurtful self talk that has wormed its way into our brain; it is going to take time to break through that cycle. I would say work on seeing a therapist, if possible and if not, find an app with daily affirmations. It takes time to mute the inner critic and have a more positive mindset.

So... I am pretty vain about my hair. When I was bigger, my manta was "well at least I have great hair" because its long and super thick. But over the last 2 months, I have been shedding like crazy. It's excessive! I know there is no way I will lose all of my hair; I just have too much. But I am still freaking out a little about the amount. Plus, it's just super annoying to always have shedding hair everywhere. Has anyone else experienced this and what did you do to help? I am already taking Hair, Skin, Nail Vitamins everyday and collogen frequently.

Speaking of hair... I am pretty vain about my hair. When I was bigger, my manta was "well at least I have great hair" because its long and super thick. But over the last 2 months, I have been shedding like crazy. It's excessive! I know there is no way I will lose all of my hair; I just have too much. But I am still freaking out a little about the amount. Plus, it's just super annoying to always have shedding hair everywhere. Has anyone else experienced this and what did you do to help? I am already taking Hair, Skin, Nail vitamins everyday and collogen frequently.

At the end of the day, it is calories in vs calories out. If you are eating less calories than you expend, you will continue to lose weight. Those calories can be from cookies or steak... the benefits from what your getting from those calories is the difference. Ask yourself, am I getting a balance of all the vitamins and nutrients that I need from food? If you had a day where you ate amazingly healthy with variety, a cookie is probably not going to hurt.

I have a full size treadmill with bars because I would also trip and fall, if there was nothing to support/catch myself when I trip. It is definitely worth it. I just know for some people a smaller one or one that will fit under a bed is more practical. I always get so cold after I work out if I'm still wearing sweaty clothes, so I almost always have to shower after I cool down. I feel like showering for me in the winter is the one time I am truly warm (I take boiling hot showers)!

I love comfort food when its cold so I want all the soups, stews and chilis. I also bought a Shepherd's Pie tonight for dinner, which I love, so I'm excited for that!

I have always spotted for a few days before my period; I look at it as my warning that its coming. It has calmed down some now, but for the first 3-4 months after surgery, my period was like when I was a teenager again. I had terrible cramps and a heavier flow; apparently there is estrogen in your fat cells and when you start losing weight, it releases the estrogen so it can make your periods worse.

Maybe think about buying a treadmill or other indoor exercise equipment for cold days; they have inexpensive or used one that's you can get at reason amounts. I have a treadmill and it get used in the winter and in the summer because I'm in Texas and our summers are over 100 degrees most of the time.

They discontinued the style. They are curvy skinny from Gap Outlet. I wish they still made them because they are the best pair of skinny jeans that I have found for people with hips and butts.

So this outfit is nothing special, throw on a sweater and some booties and it is pretty much what I wear to work every day. What is special is that these are my favorite style of jeans that I bought in multiple pairs and sizes. This particular pair has been hanging in a closet for years!! It takes a lot for me to lose weight in my hips and things but I’m finally able to wear these size 16 pants again!!! I have lost about 50 lbs and have dropped from a size 20 to a size 16!! And I am loving it! (After these are too big though, I’m going to officially having to start shopping for pants again!)

There were definitely days during Christmas time when I was eating close or at 1500, mostly because all the food was more high caloric than what I normally eat. It’s not an always thing for me but it happens on hungry days for me.

Pulled pork with a little bit of BBQ sauce and green beans. Ate almost all the pork and half the green beans.

This is where I went and they were great! https://www.limarp.com/en/

When it is cold, I don't want to go outside, I want only comfort/heavy food, and I don't want to drink water (because its cold). So totally get it! I try to drink more herbal tea so it's warm and cozy, but still hydrating. It's definitely hard, so allow yourself to do what feels good for you, while trying to keep healthy habits.

Happy New Year! So glad I have you guys to help me through this journey! I don't always start the new year feeling great about making changes but that's different this year because of surgery. I have always made some kind of goal or resolution to lose weight or workout more over the years and have always felt like I "failed", but this year, I think I'm going to leave weight loss goals behind and just enjoy the ride as I continue to lose weight. Even though I still have about 60 lbs I want to lose, having lost over 40 lbs has made me feel so much lighter and better in my body. I want to focus on the positives and not so much the long ways I still have to go, because that feels like thats how my life has always been, such as "I will do this when I lose weight..." or "I will buy that dress when I lose weight...". I'm tired of waiting and hope to live more fully and authentically this year. Anyways... I'm rambling. I'm just really wanting to change my mindset and focus on positives.

The husband and I had a little outdoor picnic because the weather was nice this past weekend. There is a place that does a grilled cheese of the month and I knew I needed it in my life! So we went. I didn’t take an after picture but I drank some of the beer and ate most of half of the sandwich; only like 2 fries.