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Last Feb., my older (and only) sister and her husband told us that they were pregnant. I have always wanted to loose the wieght, but the thought of not being able to keep up with my niece, or possibly not being there as long as possible due to weight complications in the future. That was my final motivational factor. Now my beautiful niece is 4.5 months old and I'm 74lbs lighter, and I know by the time she's walking, I'll be right there every step of the way...without getting short of breath!

Ok so I was sleeved on march 25th I'm down 55lbs or so. Don't get me wrong I'm totally happy with my results so far but I absolutely hate my arms!! The hanging skin..flab.. What ever it is is driving me nuts. I can even deal with my sagging stomach for now I guess cause I can't see it. But my arms... Does anybody have any suggestions other than surgery down the road to tighten them up? Sent from my iPhone using VST

Thats great I would love to be under 200 by christmas I have 15#'s to go. Maybe I'll reach that goal I was banded 8-11-08 I love the band so far. Also one question how do yall make yalls posts so unique with all the little cartoon animation? How much weight loss do you normally loose in a month or is it just based on the individual and their fill?

As I've lost weight the port is easier for me to feel if I go looking for it. I still have about 60 pounds to loose (lost 65 so far). I wear a large/xl top. The port does not stick out. I can't feel it from the inside as a matter of course. The only time I notice it's there is if I do intense exercise and the muscles are sensitive. I do a lot of exercise but I don't always get that feeling. Probably has something to do with being somewhat dehydrated.

Check with your Dr's office. I needed to get fluids 2x and I was able to do it outpatient. There Is a test you can do on the back of your hand. If the skin doesn't retract easily when pulling it, you may be dehydrated. It gets better with time. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

It is a hard non scale thing to learn. Sorry, abut the possible loss of your job. Another thing, people like us loosing weight need to realize, is that when we drink it hits us quicker than before. I went to a bar for the 1st time after loosing about 50-60 lbs, and had 1 drink, I could feel the effects enough to ask my son to take me home. Take care, and bless you. I hope that your job will be safe! Good luck Karen

Below is an edited version from 3 weeks ago when I was conceivably talking about getting a bypass with the medical group. Now the Doctor Thinks a Sleeve Would be Better Then a Bypass. With battling weight most of my life 10 years ago I got a lap band put in. I am now 57 years old, 15 years ago I was diagnosed with type two diabetes At the time my Lap Band was put in my weight was 230 pounds. That might not sound like a lot of weight but for a male 5’8 it was a lot for me. In addition to having type two diabetes I have also had two neck surgeries and three back surgeries over the years. The Lap Band gave me significant weight loss. I got down from 230 to 160-165. I also lowered my Metformin from 1000 mg to 500 mg. I lost approximately 70 pounds of weight and maintained this weight for about nine years. To say that it was an easy road for me would be lying, I was constantly having the band loosened tightened loose and tightened like being on a roller coaster. I had problems with the Lap Band being so tight that I was having major acid reflux problems. In addition to that I had some small ulcers around my esophagus next to my Lap Band. Last year I decided I had enough of this and had a lot of Fluid taken out of my band. The major acid reflex went away immediately however, I still have some ongoing small minor heartburn and a small cough because the Lap Band is still in place but a lot of the fluid has been taken out. Because of that removal of fluid I have gained back for the first time in 10 years 35 pounds. Now I am back up to taking the same amount of diabetic medicine Metformin 1000 mg because of the 35 pound weight gain. The bariatric center in Los Angeles is now recommending that I conceivably switch to a Sleeve. This decision is not completely final yet and the acid reflex problems I’ve had for so many years which only really developed soon after getting the Lap Band 10 years ago. As in all surgeries there are risk concerns for changing the body anatomy, any advice or opinions from anyone that has been down this same kind of road would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time and concern. Hopefully one day I can help someone else.

Thank you very much for your reply. Loads of info in there. I will definitely tilt at a skint and pinch the skin from now on. Thanks again 🙂

Hi everyone! hoping for your help! I am one day away from being four weeks postop (VSG Dec 16, 2019) and I made myself some hummus today but the consistency was very grainy and I only had a couple of teaspoons but then I got super scared that The grains or the skin of the chickpeas might get stuck in my stitches and cause a leak or something...so I stopped eating....but now I’m freaking out!! Help!! Thoughts? Should I call my nurse tomorrow? Thanks! Neda Vancouver, BC

I was told to stay away from skins and seeds as they can get stuck in the "seam" that is healing . It has a potential to cause infection among other things.

Asisde from having surgery, nothing has changed that will alter your eating habits - hunger. It takes a series of adjustments - fills to get the band working properly. As far as post-op. I drank as much as I could with whatever I was allowed! I did not care about calories...aqnd certainly should not be concerned with loosing weight right now either. It's allmabout healing and getting well so they can move on to the good stuff.

Try Palmers cocoa firming skin butter, I picked up some and it does tighten skin up.

Some insurances will cover removal if it is an emergency. Others will not. It depends on the way the coverage is written. I am looking into skin reduction and I may have to self pay, if so any complications are my responsibility. If there is no coverage for the proceedure then there is no coverage for aftercare/complications. You need to contact a band surgeon and they will contact the insurance company, possibly before your appointment to verify coverage. Are you considering another form of WLS? Best of luck to you. ~Mandy

Interesting responses! I'm 5'3" - with a muscular build...all ass and legs. At my high weight of 256, I was a 20 because I refused to purchase a 22. Ahhh, denial! At about 200, I was able to get into 16's comfortable. I'm 184 now and a comfortable 14 (they are getting a little loose) and a medium or large top.

I am 169. 5'8" and I range from a XXL to a 12. Depends on the label. I think that's okay because when I started out I was at the biggest size you could buy at any store....Okay the last store I could even shop at.... I have not had plastics yet and those in the know tell me I will be a size 6...That scares the hell out of me...i have no shape at all right now and won't when they are done taking the skin off. i am a string bean.....For a girl that sucks... Now they have upped the clothes sizes. What used to be a 10 is now a 12. Even in France this has happened because they are becoming Americanized in their eating habits...... I know this because when I taught English to a couple French designers they told me of the new trend there. Will we ever be happy with who we are, as long as we are no longer obese......I wonder that all the time!

I agree, six months is nothing. My insurance requires a twelve month MD supervised diet. It is just something that you have to do unless you have the resources to go to a surgeon and self-pay. I suggest if you do that, that you do some serious research about the doctor first. Some are wonderful, some are questionable, some are quacks. Also, you need to set up aftercare in your area BEFORE you go elsewhere and have a band placed. Just some things to take into account. I am also here to tell you that six months means EVERY month. Do NOT miss ONE single monthly visit. If you do not have the resources to self-pay or decide that the six month diet is doable, then start right away! Also you have to find out if your policy has a weight loss requirement during this six month program. If so, you need to make sure you loose that weight or you will be denied. I was, and that was despite letters from two doc's saying it wasn't my fault and that I was sick and on meds that precipitated my weight gain. Good Luck!

I'd say (off the top of my head) that I was a comfortable 16 from about 190-210. Tighter at the 210 point, for sure, but I could still squeeze into the jeans. I went down to 14 around 190, and can still wear that (at 177) though they are loose in dress clothes. I have a number of items that fit well in 12s now. My observation is that denim is a full size lower. So, my 12s in denim are quite loose, and I can wear 10s. I expect that when I drop below 170 I will go down another size. My observation is that in the 200s I was at the 16W size pretty frequently, 185 and up to about 205 I was roughly in a 14W, 16…and now that I'm in the 100s it's roughly 10-15 pounds per size. Clear as mud, right? LOL

i just posted about this today!! every doctor seems different!! after my fills, I have to do clear liquids 3 days, then stage I (straw diet) for a WEEK! stage II (mushie diet) for another WEEK! then stage III ("advanced mushies") for another week!! then introduce "normal food"/stage 4 the week after that!!! so basically, each fill takes a month out of my life!!! :waytogo: I'm "suspicious" too! I think my doctor is on the extreme side and he's just "tricking" me into staying on a strict diet to help me loose weight. ... I think basically, you should do what ever YOUR doctor tells you to do

I had my surgery done the day after Christmas. I am 20 years old..as of this morning I am down ten pounds post op already..one thing I'm worried about is extra skin... Anyone have any comment on this? I do except a little but I hope it's not too much.

Hate to be a Debbie Downer...but unfortunately there's only so much weights and toning exercises can do. Bummer. When I struggled before with excess skin, my doctor said you can totally tone and strengthen the muscle behind the skin, which can improve the looks of it (in some people it's enough to make it all come out fine)...but the skin itself can't change with exercise. But...the younger a person is, the better the odds -- there's still a good deal of elasticity in the skin which allows it to bounce back easier. Another thing my doctor told me is that part of skin elasticity is actually in the genes! Here's hoping the gene pool is on your side! (Genes weren't on my side for my tummy and legs...but oddly enough it WAS for my face and neck! heh heh.)

Man, My mom had bought one of these new wave oven pro thingees off Tv infomercial...we threw some chicken breast (NO SKIN, bone in) ON THEre today and man, were they ever good..what an investment for the lapbander with the busy lifestyle..just throw a piece of chicken on there and in 30 minutes you have juicy perfection without heating up your kitchen...what a treat...can't wait to try cooking something from frozen ... i am usually sceptical of infomercials, but apparently this one lives up to the rep...check it out!

I hope this will be the last part...lol Me: Really, u cant know who this is. Him: Yes, I do I dont giving my # 2 all kinds of women Me: Y me? Him: I dont kno, I was just lead 2. Me: um hum, game Him: no, seriously..I was walking by & I saw u, I thought she's beautiful but u looked so sad & I said 2 myself I would really like 2 make her day, so I did. Me: yea ok. So we talked for what seemed like hrs. Time flew by & it was time 2 go get my son, so I packed up my baby, got in the truck, picked up my son all while on the phone with HIM. I couldnt believe that I was talking 2 another man but his accent intrigued me & I just wanted 2 know more & more. Well, once I got home Josh was sitting on the couch in his usual spot, he asked me where I had been all day..I told him at my mom's & he said so u just dont give a damn if I dont have a way 2 get around or nothing 2 eat? I said no its not like that but in my head I was think hell no I dont care, I had reached my boiling point with him. We started a routine, as soon as I got in the house with the kids he would grab the keys from me & be gone until 2-3 in the morning, in my heart I knew we were done. While he was doing his dirt as he had been for 7yrs, I was developing a friendship with the "kroger's dude"...lol It wasnt about anything but convo, we would talk about my marriage, our kids, his baby moma & just life period. He was awesome, he was actually concerned about me & who I was, he would tell me if I ever needed 2 tlk I could call him, he would tell me how unhealthy my situation was..he never judged me for sticking around so long...he was my friend. One night, Josh called me & said that he wasnt coming home until the next day because of whatever reason he was giving, I was like ok um hum thats fine..I didnt put up a fight & ask 1000 ?'s like I normally would. My focus was changing. He said, whats wrong with u & I said nothing just used 2 ur lies & drama. He said, whatever bye. So after we hung up, I called HIM & he asked how I was doing, the usual stuff & this time I told him exactly how I felt, my marriage was over & I deserve better for me & my boys ect. He said, yea u do but u have 2 make sure that this is wht u want & ur not acting off of anger, I said, Im done. Josh came home the next morning, i grabbed the keys & left with the boys, dropped me oldest at school & this time I went 2 visit HIM. When I got there, I sat in the car for what seemed like hrs before I called 2 tell him I was outside, because I went back & forth in my head about, Im doing the same thing Josh done 2 me & so what he gets what he deserves. Finally, I called HIM & told him I was there, he came outside..we tlked for hrs, I had the baby with me & he asked could he hold him, I said yes & my baby was content in his arms. It was weird but he was. On the way 2 my son's school, I felt bad like I was taking it 2 far, Josh is my husband, what about my kids, everything was going thru my head. Once, I got home as usual Josh was out the door but he said, " I know u tlking 2 another man but u not bold enough 2 do nothing else." I looked at him & all that doubt/fear in my head went away & I was sure about my next move. The next morning Josh came home, I left & once again I went 2 see HIM...that also became apart of the routine before I knew it, we had spent a whole 30 days 2gether & it was wonderful. One saturday I came home, I handed the keys 2 Josh & he said, "im not going anywhere 2day, so lets tlk." I said, about wht? He said," the man u tlking 2" I said, I dont know what ur tlking about" He said, I see how rushed u are 2 leave every morning, how u give me the keys at night with no hesitation, how u hide ur phone now, how u smiling when u get a txt message, u in love with him?" I said, I dont know wht ur tlking about", he got up & he punched me in my stomach, he slapped me, he cursed me out, he pushed me on the floor all while the kids were right there watching, he told me 2 call him & tell him it was over or he would kill me & the boys. So because I feared what he might do, I called HIM & told him it was over & I was going 2 work it out with my husband..HE said,"Wow ok if thats what u got 2 do" then he hung up. I was crying but it was because, I felt like I was going 2 loose my best friend forever. Josh took my phone, he deleted HIS #, messages anything that came from HIM. That night I told Josh EVRYTHING, I told him that I didnt need him & he was I was worth more than what he thought, I even said, "u aint the only man that wants me"...I told him how I loved HIM..how he cared about me & didnt judge me, how he made me feel needed & wanted at the same time, how he held my hand for hrs & just listened 2 me...I know yall thinkin that was crazy because Josh was abusive but I didnt care, all those yrs that he made me feel unloved, unworthy, guilty, ugly, fat, like nobody wanted me but him, like I wasnt good enough for real love..I had 2 tell him why & I was ready for the fight that came with it...I didnt care. The rest of that night was queit, after I put the boys 2 bed & got in the bed..he came in the room & sat in a chair by the foot of the bed. I tired 2 stay awake becuase I didnt know what he was going 2 do but I couldnt & I actually slept the best I ever had in yrs...its crazy because he sat there watching me ALL night crying. Can u believe that he was crying, as if he had never done anything 2 push me 2 this, as if I hurt him, as if he was faithful all those yrs while I cheated, as if all those feeliings I felt he now feels...2 be honest with yall I hoped he felt the way I did for the past 7yrs. 3 days later, we had an eviction letter on the door..he left that morning then he called me around 11 saying he got a place...I said,"ok when can we move in"..he said, "I guess u didnt hear me, I got a place". I said, "what about the boys?" he said, "oh yall will find something soon." I know that we having problems but how could he turn his back on his son's & not care if they had a place 2 live? Although, I found out over the yrs who this man was, it still amazed me that he was done with his son's too. I called HIM as soon as Josh hung up & I explained 2 him what happened & y I called him 2 tell him it was over. He said, " u hurt me, I have feelings for u that I never felt for anybody else, I didnt kno if he hurt yall or what, I called ur phone, u didnt answer, I txted & no response, I cant believe that u hurt me"...I started 2 cry & tell him how sorry I was & that I had all of those same feelings for him, he told me 2 come see him but I couldnt go with the bruises on my arms & neck, so I said no..he told me that he needed 2 see me. So all that night I put ice on me, creams anything that would lighten up those marks..I didnt own any make up, so I couldnt use that. The next morning, I got up took my son 2 school & I went 2 see HIM. As soon as he seen me he started 2 cry which was so odd 2 me but he said, "I thought that I would never see u again, & then 2 see u with these bruises from him hurting u, & I was not there 2 protect u" then he grabbed me & hugged me, he wouldnt let go..he went 2 the back seat where the baby was & he got him out & held him so tight. This man must really love us, but I had no idea about what real love was so I didnt say anything, I didnt kno what 2 say. On March 26, 2009 I was moving out of that old apt 2 my sisters house until I could get things in order. While I was in the house, Josh came over...I didnt know he was coming, I didnt even know how he got there. He said he was coming 2 get the rest of his things, so I let him & I didnt say a word 2 him. When I was in the bathroom, getting things from under te cabinet..he came in & locked the door, he started choking me..he punched me & then he rapped me! All I could hear was my kids scratching & crying at the door..the worst part was I was on my cycle. He didnt care, when he was done he told me that I was still his wife & whenever he wanted me he could have me no matter where I'm at, then he left. I was disgusted & I didnt know what 2 do...I was confused & lost, he was crazy but I didnt know how crazy until then. I got 2 my sisters house, I moved all of my stuff in, within a few days I found a job, me & HIM were getting much closer..finally things were starting 2 look up in my life. Me & the boys were happy & safe. Josh called me one day & asked me could I help him get his lights back on because he was in the dark with no food. Keep in mind he didnt want me 2 know where he was staying, that same place he got & wouldnt let my boys come 2, I told him dont ever call me again, I know who u are & it took me a long time 2 get here but I'm here & I aint turning around. Over the next 7 months he called me EVERYDAY, asking can we fix our marriage & saying how he will never hurt me again ect. I told him no & I kept living my life. I am now in my own place, & have been for the last 4yrs...I havent broken NO lease, I am at a full time GOOD job, my lights have never been off, my kids are in a Private Christian Academy,me & HIM are 2gether, Im getting sleeved June 3rd., we are planning 2 buy a house next year...life is GOOD. Josh, has 5 kids with 4 different mothers, has a girlfriend that has miscarried 2 times, 2 babies 5 days apart by the same girl mentioned in part 3 Keisha & Keturah, he is currently cheating on his girlfriend with those same girls. He has had his clothes burned, been put in jail for assault of 1 of them, no car, no job & no contact with his kids, he doesnt call, help out NOTHING. I tlked 2 his girlfriend the other day & she stood out there while he was in jail, tlking 2 me about why he was in there BUT what stood out the most is that she defended him & said how she loved him so much & at that moment I saw what I looked like after all those yrs. & I told her I feel sorry for u...oh yea, I know u didnt read anything about a divorce but thats because for the last 4 yrs he wouldnt sign the papers because he said when he's done doing all this he is coming back 2 his family. Anyway, we will be in court getting divorced June 26th rather he shows up or not! It tookn alot 2 get 2 this point but I lived thru all of that for whatever reason & it was sad, it was hard, it hurt ect but WE MADE IT & thats all that matters. I needed 2 get this out before I started my NEW life, I didnt want 2 take this with me in the O.R. when I started this process I still carried this burden but 2day, I leave it all behind! (HIM :wub: ) (my babies )

So I’m now a little over a year out and wanted to share a few reflections on my journey so far. Please know that this was my journey….yours will be different. But I thought maybe you might find something that will help you along the journey, like I did from all those that shared their stories for me. Warning its very long!!! Sorry about that. I just have so much I want to share with you guys!! A little background. I started this journey March 19,2012 at 236. I was never heavy until after the birth of my 3rd child. I was very sick with that last pregnancy…… contracted a rare and deadly pneumonia that put me in the ICU for weeks. This damaged my lungs and it seemed like it was all downhill from there. I’m just now feeling “normal” again. That was almost 15 years ago. For me this journey was more than a physical makeover. It was a physical. Emotional, spiritual make over. There was not one area of my life I didn’t dig into. I will save that for another post. For now let’s just stick to what worked for me. Pre-op What helped the most was educating myself. I LIVED on this site the last few weeks before my surgery I prepared myself mentally for everything. I created a Stock My Pantry List that I see still gets around on this site. It helped me tremendously and gave me something to do (controll). This part of my journey was very much like I was nesting for a baby. Cleaning, cooking, and organizing everything in preparation of being out of commission for a couple of weeks. If you want a copy of the Stock My Pantry list….fill free to inbox me and I’ll be glad to send it to you. The best advice received during this stage: Follow doctor orders no exceptions! Post-Op No matter how much I prepared for the surgery….I still was unprepared. You see there were so many people that had such a quick recovery; I just knew that would be me! I have a very high tolerance for pain….Well I guess not!!! I did have several other things done at the time, but OH MY!!! Prepare for the worst and hope for the best! I had two hernias and adhesions removed along with the band..so maybe that was the difference…but I didn’t feel good for at least a week. Best Advice: The 4-6 weeks is for healing….so focus on that not weight loss!!!!....And stay off the scale!!! MY Journey I have been asked several times what made the band work for me, while others struggle so much. I’m a rule follower and a little OCD so if I get something in my head I can’t let it go. So I really never doubted I could get the weight off….I knew I could (I had done it several times before), but my problem lied in keeping it off. The band alone will not do this for you!!! The one thing I have learned is that utilizing the band and making it work for me was very much a head game (demanding your body to co-operate!!). I never thought of myself as “Addicted” to food. I could see how that element would make the process even harder. I might even consider a different WLS. It took 8 fills for me to feel anything!! If I hadn't been so determined I could see how it would have become very discouraging. And I still think I need another fill, but I’m waiting till after my abdominalplasty /Breast Lift that is scheduled in less than 4 weeks. This process takes time. You must be vigilant and dedicated to the process. For me, I have a condition called PCOS. I never realized that it was this condition that made it so hard for me to lose weight until my daughter was diagnosised with it at about the same time I had my surgery. I saw her struggling to lose her 50 pounds. Her doctor did well at educating both of us. I knew I had PCOS)( they told me that was the reason for my infertility 20 years earlier)….but I guess back then they didn’t know as much about it as they do now. I just thought it was an infertility issue….I was skinny (120 pounds) and Physically fit back then. After I had my family, I put it out of my head…it never dawn on me it was the source of my weight issues 20 years later. So with that new found info I was able to educate myself on the condition and put in place significant diet changes. Here is where some controversial ideas come in play. REMEEMBER this is MY journey!!! This worked for me. If you have similar issues, it may work for you….that’s why I’m posting it. But it may not work for you. You see there is a large group people that believe we are all basically the same…you know a calorie is a calorie…..and that we all basically need the same amount of them and that our bodies need the type foods. I STRONGLY disagree. I think we are ALL different….none of us are the same. We all have unique set of genes that determine how our bodies will respond to different foods. That’s why two people can follow the exact same plan and have extremely different results. I agree that the majority of people fall right in the middle in calorie needs however there are a large portion of people that fall on the outside of those averages. Some of us could NEVER consume 1200 calories a day and still lose weight!! Most people could…not me. While there are others that could consume their 2500 calories a day and never gain an ounce (I doubt there are many of those on this site-haha). Others could follow the food pyramid and all would be fine…not me. My body hates carbs…(I LOVE them). Others follow a strict High protein/low carb diet and just become sick. It’s no wonder why we give up!! I decided to be successful, I had to figure out what was right for me. So what was right for me? Well, I knew that in general before surgery I doubt I ate 1500 calories day normally. And I knew that I was gaining about a pound a month. So after post op, my nutritionist wanted me to eat 1200 calories a day with at least 70g of Protein no limits on carbs. At first (being the rule follower I am , I went along with the plan)The only exercise during this time was a 30 min walk about 3 days a week. I knew that this wouldn’t produce much loss, but I gave it a try. As I thought…I actually gained a pound by my 8week visit). I then (on my own) reduced my calories to 1000. My nutritionist didn’t agree with this but she told me to give it a try. Next visit I did have some loss but it still wasn’t where I wanted it (about 0.5 pound a week). I told her I was listening to my body and it needed something different. *I changed the calories to 900/protein at 70 gram/ and set a limit of PROSSED carbs to 30 a day (the nutritionist about flipped) *I Changed my 30 minute walk 3 days a week to a 15 min walk every day ( I wanted to establish a exercise routine but didn’t want to spike my appetite and want more calories) BINGO!!! This was the winning combo. The weight fell off at about 2-3 pounds a week. This lasted for about 5 months of steady weight loss. At my 7 month check in I was down about 50 pounds. My nutritionist was convinced!! She now supported my plan. But I also noticed that as I lost I the amount I was losing was going down too.Why? I was doing the same thing. Why would it change? It didn't really matter why...do it did mean I had to switch it up again. On reflection I kind of figured out that it was the same with other methods.Just like weight watchers point program…when you are heavy you get extra points…but as you lose they take away points. They have to take the points away to keep you losing weight.The same is true here. As I lost, my body required fewer and fewer calories just to move…my body was becoming more efficient. At the end of the 5 months (7 months after surgery) I was back to the 1 pound a week. (I was now 180 pounds and 7 months out)At this point, there wasn’t much I could cut out in the diet area…so I knew it was time to get sweaty!!! But I knew that exercise was out of the question on 900 calories a day!! I wanted to lose another pound a week so that was 3500 calories and I could go to the gym 5 days a week (it’s just math….that means I had to burn 700 calories each day at the gym. increased my calories to 1100 and started hitting the gym) ) Yes… I was hitting the gym hard!! About an hour on the Eiptical and 15-20 min on weight machines!!!! Yes I know that is an extremely low net calorie intake….but this is what I needed to do to get the weight off. I wasn't going to die from lack of food! There was still plenty of reserve!!!! No it wasn’t easy!!! Yes I struggled!!! Yes I cried, But I did it!! I ate a huge amount of healthy foods like spinach, celery, cucumbers, cabbage,broccoli, green geens ( I call these "free" foods VOLUME CONTROL things I simply eat because I need to take up space… I also ate tons .chicken, berries, nuts, tuna not to mention the countless low calorie protein shakes….I never went hungry….if I was hungry I ate. I might have been what I wanted to eat, but I gave my body the nourishment it needed. It wasn’t a exciting diet in fact I ate almost the same thing every day. I just kept telling myself “I could do ANYTHING for 20 more pounds…once I get it off I could return to a more enjoyable diet”. And it worked!! Off came the weight again!! At 2 pounds a week!!!BY January 2013 (10 months out) I was at my personal goal of 160 pounds!!!(76 pounds lost!!!!) When I asked my doctor If I needed to lose more he said absolutely not!! That the 15 pounds that I have left was all skin and he put me in the success file! Now he has taken my diet plan and is sharing it with his other PCOS patients. That made me feel good. Now, I’m a little sad. I always thought I would be able to return to that “normal” range for calories…that I would be able to eat at least 1200 calories and maintain…but that’s not the case for me. I maintain now. But my numbers aren’t pretty. I have figured out that my “Base Metabolic Rate” is more like 900 calories (and that is with a pretty good amount of muscle mass) if I don’t exercise and I hate exercise. But I like to eat…so now a days I simply add whatever calories I burn at the gym to my daily calorie intake. I try to go to the gym 2-3 times a week and burn about 500 calories each visit so to keep it simple, If I go to the gym 1 time a week then I can have 1000 calories a day for that week; 2 times a week=1050 calories a day weekly; 3 times a week =1100 calories a day weekly if I don’t hit the gym I get the whooping 900 calories. These are my numbers. Like them or not I had to accept them. And they are pretty accurate. I’m now at month 13. (3months into this final phase) and I’m simply maintaining at 158-160 pounds. Lessons lerned *You are unique!!!You must figure out what your body needs and respond to it . And most likely its not going to be what YOU want it to be. But you need to accept it and deal with it. I wish my body liked carbs…..I miss them a lot!!! It doesn’t mean I NEVER have them. I just need to be mindful there is a price to pay for having them…so I keep them to a minium. Nowadays I allow myself some healthy/nutral carbs but nothing like the average person eats. For me My diet is 900 calories a day (+exercise), 70 grams of Protein/ 60grams of healthy/natural carbs * gave up almost all processed foods * I try to exercise 2-3 times a week * If a plan isn’t working, mix it up until you make it work After re-reading this it may sound like this was just easy for me. I want everyone to know this was the absolute hardest thing I have ever done. I could have not did this without my family willing to give me the support to put myself before all of them for a while. Instead of me coming last in everything….I was first!! They worked around what I needed. That’s what families do for each other. I have always been there for them….this time they were always there for me. To a husband that was firm with me and would accept excuses from me (but yet hugged and encouraged me the whole way)….to a daughter that was my cheerleader….to another daughter that was my inspiration and motivator to a son that simply kept telling me how pretty I was. I will NEVER be that other person again!!! It was I life makeover!! It even made us a stronger family...We as a family lost over 150 pounds!!!! Good luck everyone!! Inbox me if I can help you in anyway.

Hi my name is Austin, I am 21 yrs old and my surgery is set for Jan. 5th. When I entered into the process I clocked in at 428 lbs with a bmi of 58,I really let myself go, which my surgeon won't allow anyone over 60bmi to have the surgery... it wasn't until I hit 400 lbs that I ever really let it sink in that I was to far gone. You see I always convinced myself that oh I'm young I can loose weight if I really tried. But after several,upwards to 12 different diet and exercise programs, slimfast, nutrisystem, Atkins, south beach, etc. I finally broke down, and admitted defeat until my doctor uttered his best advice. Gastric Bypass. I went for my seminar and it opened my eyes to the possibility that I won't die young that I could live a long happy life. I changed the way I looked at food and I got down to the real root of my eating problem and just stopped making excuses and got off my fat buttnd now I'm around 410 and less than 2weeks away from my liquid diet. I would love to find someone who is close to my surgery date to be friends,mentors, a confidant if you will and together we can support each other to conquer and keep each other strong through what will ultimately change out lives for the better

Congrats to everyone keep up the great work I now can wear a size large women's dress from a size 3x I too love the gym and go 5 times per week . I still have about 75 pounds more to loose but I know I will get there I'm swimming in my old clothes and I am only buying clothes second hand because they cost so much doing this transitional period. Tomorrow I will be 7 months post opt my my how times fly when your having fun .