Just saw my surgery date ticker and turns out that today, July 19, happens to be 75 days since my surgery on May 6!

My highest weight ever was 357 and my weight the day of surgery was 350... today I am 296 meaning I have lost 61 lbs and broke into the 200s! (is that Twoderville, Twonderland, etc ??)

At 5'9, my goal weight for now is 200, which means I am 96 lbs away and have achieved 39% of my journey!

Now for the NSVs...

I have been Instagraming a lot (as many 21 year olds do nowadays)... I hadn't had any pics of myself on my Facebook in years.

A restaurant I hadn't been to in awhile has very tight booths - for once I wasn't touching the table at all.

I haven't been at this weight since I graduated high school in 2010.

My pants really don't fit! They actually were always too big for me (I guess my waist is just naturally smaller) so now it's kind of embarrassing pulling them up all the time so I gotta buy new ones.

Have a follow-up appointment on Monday so I am excited to share my progress there

and the biggest one coming up... tomorrow is my great-aunt's 100th birthday party where we are first having a pool party - majority of extended family hasn't seen me since Thanksgiving!

So much more left but I am so glad I did this... getting my happy back is so important. I don't want to lose focus by being too proud though.

Thanks all who have been so supportive and encouraging, especially in my "Miserable inside" thread back in May!

~Mark

P.S. Attached one of my Instagram photos so you can see haha.

Great story! Takes balls to do what you did at your age. My hats off to ya!

You are doing (and look!) GREAT!!!

You are doing awesome!

Terrific Mark, just terrific. Very proud of you. Glad you posted your picture. Now I can keep an eye out for you when I go to the office for my followups.

Amazing!!!! So happy for you!

Congrats on your awesome weightloss. You are doing grand!

Congratulations lucky lady

I am GREEN with jealousy!! wow you have done fantastic in a short amount of time. Oh to be that young again... *deep sigh*

Congratulations very happy for you

Good work. Keep it up.

I just had surgery Tuesday and I've lost 9lbs! Your story encourages me!! Keep it up!!

I just had surgery Tuesday and I've lost 9lbs! Your story encourages me!! Keep it up!! <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

Wow that's awesome what was your original weight??

Wow that's awesome what was your original weight??

My original weight was 243

WOW... I was banded on May 6th too. I have only lost 20lbs.... What are you eating? I barely eat but do try to get protein in first, either egg whites, shakes or fish... I have had two fills... everyoje around me (family and friends) keep asking why is it going slow for me? I know that I am doing everything right. I started at 218 and now weigh 198 I am 5'4 female age 50 could that make a difference?

Way to go Mark! I know you feel amazing !