Dawn

Feel really good with my "performance" this weekend! LOL I got off work on Fri and heading to NY for my daughter's 7th BDay party! I was still full from lunch so I didn't have dinner on Fri. Sat I had a glass of milk for Breakfast (busy morning) and a Protein Bar for lunch. At her party I did allow myself to enjoy a cupcake with her but I cut off the top and all the frosting so it was more like 1/2 - 3/4 of a cupcake! LOL That night she wanted Olive Garden and I had salad and 3/4 of a breadstick! This is the second time I have gone to OG since surgery (OG was my FAVORITE - just salad and breadsticks though). It's so Crazy to think that 1 "personal" bowl of salad and 3/4 of a breadstick fill me up so much when I used to be able to eat the whole bowl (that it comes in) of salad and a whole basket of breadstick and Dessert and SODA!! I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!! Today we (me and daughter) took my husband out to breakfast and my daughter and I share breakfast. She had the french toast and 2 pieces of bacon and I had eggs and 1 piece of bacon! I LOVE being around them when we go out to eat so that I can share a meal with her!! LOL Now I'm traveling again this week. Fly out tomorrow and won't be home until late Wed. night and we are going to Alabama for work. The people we'll be around LOVE food so it's going to be very intersting on how I do! I know what I need to eat and that I can go out to eat and order light enough to not make notice of myself so we'll see!! I just hope I can get some workout time while I'm there since I have two races this coming weekend! EEKKK!!!

WOOHOO!!! The scale is moving again and you are headin in the right direction! You can do this, WE can all do this!!!!

Are you tracking your Protein intake? I still can't drink a shake in 15 mins (takes me at leat 25-30) at almost 7 months post but there are other liquids that I can drink faster! I would stay away from the carbs and maybe input More dense protein (meats) into your days and it should keep you fuller longer!

Okay, here I am 18lbs away from goal and I have not been holding myself accountable for what I eat or don't eat and what I do or don't do for exercise so that is going to change, NOW! Well actually I made this decision yesterday! LOL I haven't been to the gym for a few weeks (I mean like NO working out at all unless you could moving! LOL) and I have been really bad with food! I am going to try my darnest with food but I will say it's still a little more difficult as I don't know how to cook for one person and I don't usually eat leftovers! LOL My family will be back with me though in about 2 weeks! YAY! I can't wait to start cooking meals again! BUT one thing I haven't been doing is eating my Protein and I can change that now! I made me a Protein Shake this morning and have some beef sticks for a snack and also a protein bar! For dinner last night I had ham and will have some more tonight! I have also been REALLY bad about taking my Vitamin and other meds. I am supposed to take my Asphex (like nexium) and also the Colace everyday but since I have moved into my house I haven't put my whole bedroom together and have been sleeping on the couch and I keep forgetting to take the meds before bed! I MUST change that too!! Exercise! I have signed up and PAID for three 5K races in the next two months so I must start training again! Last night I did a step class and half a zumba class (the instructor was NO GOOD so I had to leave, wasn't getting anything out of it!). Tonight I am unpacking and putting together my Total Body Home Gym!! I have said for months now that I want to start toning (esp. my arms and abs) so this is going to help that A LOT! Okay, so here goes! Lets get rid of those last "few" pounds and be at our goals!!! WOOHOO!!!

Hello ladies and possible gents!!! I'm Dawn, surgery Nov. 15, 2010! At my heavist I was 250lbs wearing a 24 pants and a 2X sometimes 3X top. Here I am almost 7 months post surgery and I currently weigh 168lbs and am now wearing a size 10 pants and M top!! I swore I would NEVER wear a Med top because I have very broad shoulders but I just went shopping the other night and sure enough, Med fits! YAY! There are still some Larges that I can wear also and I'm totally fine with that! I have really thought about it over the last few days and if I don't more any more in size, I am 100% happy with these size clothes! I don't remember a time that I have EVER said that! I was a size 10 when I graduated highschool 14 years ago and I was the "fat" girl then! I am down right FREAKING EXCITED to be a size 10 now!! LOL So anyways, my goal is to weigh 150 so I have about 18lbs to go and I can totally feel myself slowing down but I know what needs to be done and I just haven't been doing it so as of yesterday I am back in gear!!!

I would be careful on what you guarantee! Remember we are all different and experience a lot of different thigns with our sleeves! I have NO Problem with pizza at all as long as I eat slow. If I allow myself to indulge I can eat two slices of thin crust pizza in about 30 mins!

I'm glad you emailed them! I decided that I didn't care if it did or not I was going to continue making my shake at 530am and drinking it at about 9am because it works for me!! LOL

Yes it is difficult in the begining and we all have been through it but it does pass! Before you know it you'll be up and moving around with no problems and once you start eating solids again everything really comes together! I am enjoying life SO MUCH now with my sleeve! WAY more then before because I'm not always hungry or thinking about what others think at a BBQ when they see my plate full nor am I'm feeling crappy after eating so much food that I can't enjoy the social time with my friends!! It will pass and you will be happy again!

I was 3 months post before I had my first slice and then I would only do THIN crust. I have had regular but I still prefer thin crust now at almost 7 months post!

WOOHOO!!! Those are some AWESOME NSVs!!

Thanks but OMG My arms are not toned! I was actually commenting the other day how I REALLY NEED to start doing weights! LOL I did just fine and I was even drinking Beer! I am just about 7 months post and this was the first time I tried beer. I have had carbanated drinks about a month ago so I figured I could try. From 6pm to 430am I drank 8 beers, 1 glass of wine and a glass of vodka and cranberry juice! LOTS of alcohol and my sleeve did Great! Even managed to lose a lb this week after all that! hehe Any BTW the girl with me had RNY 4 years ago and is still looking FAB!!! Her alcohol intake was WAY LESS then mine and she was WAY more drunk! LOL

OMG I had such a FAN FREAKING TASTIC Weekend!!! Friday night was my unit's dining in and then Sat. night was the Army Birthday Ball here in DC! I had a blast at both events! The dining in was really cool as I've never been to one before! There wasn't a lot of "excitement" but there was a lot of laughter with the grog and the skits from each battalion! It was really cool to see so many of the Soldiers in their dress blues/ASUs and to see them "let loose" just a little! BTW this dress is a size 10!! It's an AWESOME feeling to actually FEEL good in such a form fitting dress! I remember the days when I wouldn't step out of my house with out my "hold me in's" on and I would wear clothes that were bigger to try and hide how Big I really was and here I was going out with all my co-workers in a dress so fitting! It was AWESOME! I got a TON of complints and some maybe a little inappropriate but I didn't care! hehe I really feel like I am even more apart of the "team" now since then! I "had" to drink from the grog because my table got in trouble and I did do it! Grog Co-Worker and I This whole weekend was really one big NSV for me! I was able to wear both of these dresses and I felt SEXY and Confident the whole weekend!!! Sat. Night was the Army Birthday Ball and it was a BLAST!! The ball itself was really neat to experience but I have to say I had way more fun drinking! LOL I haven't drank drank in a REALLY long time and I drank A LOT last night! LOL We didn't stop until 5am! LOL I have SO MANY pictures but I will try to pick a few good ones! LOL Me and Sarah I was enjoying the drinks! The backs of our dresses Heading to After Party at the roof top club Yes, I had to WALK down the esclator in my platforms! Hmmmmmm We went for a walk at like 330am and had someone take our picture! LOL Sunday before we left, lookin rough!

SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal Dawn..........176.4....................166.8...........160.8.........6

I also do not expect anyone to cater to my eating, never have even before surgery! I am a SUPER SUPER Pickey eater so I have always delt with people eating things around me that I don't like, I get over it, it's MY Issue! LOL My husband is VERY supportive and was even going to have the surgery himself but decided to give it another try by himself while I went through this journey! When we live together (been apart for work for a few months) I cook and what I cook I know the whole family will eat and thats what we eat! Even just after surgery, I still cooked dinner but I had my drink or whatever it was I was having! Everyones addiction is different and mine wasn't just food in general, it was totally just a volume thing for me. I really don't like food that much but those few things (junk food) that I do like I could eat such a HUGE amount of before surgery, so it wasn't hard for me to cook anything for my family then or even now (even though I eat just about everything again, in moderation of course!) In our familiy, not just one of us goes out to eat. If we are going to spend money on going out to eat we will ALL go out! I have been eating fast food since I started back on solids. Traveled 1800 miles right at my 6 week mark, didn't have much of a choice! My first fast food was just the roast beef from an Arby's Sandwhich and then just the plain chicken breast from McDonalds! It can be done!

I've got more then just the last few pounds but I only have 19 to go and I already feel my body slowing down! I too believe that tracking is going to be Key at least for me and making myself really hit the gym hard with cardio!!! Good Luck Ladies!

Both my surgeon who did the actual surgery and now my follow-up surgeon (moved) both said it's between 18 months to 2 years!

I am sitting her just tearing up I am SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!! I can't even think of what a struggle it really is seeing your body change again with this pregnancy but with everything you have been through in the last few years I know you are strong and you will get through this and end up with a wonderful Beautiful baby boy/girl and then the weight will once again come off! You are such an inspiration to so many people here and we all thank you for all of the support you always have for others!!

Its a good program to use! I had to tell myself though that if I needed I could repeat a week if I wasn't ready to progress!!!

SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal Dawn..........176.4....................167.8...........160.8.........7

I can understand if their policy is that a person of a certain size/weight or whatever must buy two seats but then they better get both of those seats!! What is really messed up in this situation is that they asked her in front of everyone how much she weighed and/or what her dress size was! WTF? There is NO NEED for anyone to know that answer. I really like how she handled herself!!!! I'm trying to read her blog now but stupid work computer is being silly! LOL OMG I just read her blog about it and I am speechless!! That is just INSANE!

I did in the begining! I used my WW scale but I haven't done it since like 4 months post!

WOOHOO!! Totally made me tear up reading this! I'm SO HAPPY for you that you got that kind of time with your daughter and how Amazing you look and sure feel!!!!

Complete a 5K - DONE (a couple of times!) Shave while being able to actually SEE it all! - DONE Fit into the IMAX theater seats "back home" - DONE Have a Sex Drive again because I feel comfortable with myself - DONE DONE DONE!!! Pre-pregnancy weight of 163 before my daughter turns 7 - SO CLOSE - 6lbs to go in 3 weeks 4 days!!!

WOW! I am just taken aback that people are really like this! All I've had was one "look" from someone when I told them and they changed their "tone" pretty quick after that though! I haven't had anyone say anything to me at all and if they ever do, I don't hold myself back!! LOL

SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal Dawn..........176.4....................169.8...........160.8.........9