I post this in my blog, but I've gotten so much personal feedback about my journey from these pictures, I'd thought I'd share it on here as well.

Thursday is actually my 5 month Surgiversary- but this past weekend I attended a friends birthday party and they took a lot of candid shots of me, I compared them to some candids from last summer. Pretty amazing difference at this point and I"m not even at my official optimal goal yet. I am the brunette in the top pictures wearing the orange/reddish dress.

Height: 5'9

Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216

1st Primary Goal Weight: 169 (Achieved 11/27)

2nd Optimal Goal Weight: 145

Sleeve Journey:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- PreOp/Surgery Day w/Pics Posted in Blog

Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2)

Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2)

Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8)

Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-22.5 lbs)

Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9)

Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5)

Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1)

Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-11.6 lbs)

Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5)

Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5)

Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1)

Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1)

Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.6 lbs)

Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2)

Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8)

Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8)

Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary (-8.7 lbs)

Week 18 (12/21): Holiday Break/Vacation- No scale Available

Week 19 (12/28): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available

Week 20 (1/4/13): 164.5 (-.1)

Week 21 (1/11): 161.5 (-3.0)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 01/17/13- 5 Month Anniversary (-3.1 lbs)

You look absolutely amazing! I am so impressed! I know you are working hard at this! Keep it up! You look so happy, too!

I post this in my blog' date=' but I've gotten so much personal feedback about my journey from these pictures, I'd thought I'd share it on here as well.

Thursday is actually my 5 month Surgiversary- but this past weekend I attended a friends birthday party and they took a lot of candid shots of me, I compared them to some candids from last summer. Pretty amazing difference at this point and I"m not even at my official optimal goal yet. I am the brunette in the top pictures wearing the orange/reddish dress.

Height: 5'9

Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216

1st Primary Goal Weight: 169 (Achieved 11/27)

2nd Optimal Goal Weight: 145

Sleeve Journey:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- PreOp/Surgery Day w/Pics Posted in Blog

Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2)

Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2)

Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8)

Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-22.5 lbs)

Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9)

Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5)

Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1)

Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-11.6 lbs)

Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5)

Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5)

Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1)

Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1)

Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.6 lbs)

Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2)

Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8)

Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8)

Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary (-8.7 lbs)

Week 18 (12/21): Holiday Break/Vacation- No scale Available

Week 19 (12/28): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available

Week 20 (1/4/13): 164.5 (-.1)

Week 21 (1/11): 161.5 (-3.0)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 01/17/13- 5 Month Anniversary (-3.1 lbs)[/quote']

Wow you look great! Any tips for the newbies?

I left my bad eating habbits in the past, and worked out 5 days a week the first 4 months of surgery. I got lazy over the holidays and now I'm getting back on track. I didn't really stall because I was active every single date without excuse, and really limited myself on bad food. I don't eat carbs, drink soda, etc. I have a little bit here and there, but just a bite or two once or twice a week. I eat at on of Protein, and if I have any room left over I eat veggies. I force myself to drink Water, and my only daily indulgence is my 2 cups of coffee in the morning. My results speak for themselves. I don't feel deprived, and my body works on routine, and I feel good with how I function.

Wow you look great! Any tips for the newbies?

I left my bad eating habbits in the past' date=' and worked out 5 days a week the first 4 months of surgery. I got lazy over the holidays and now I'm getting back on track. I didn't really stall because I was active every single date without excuse, and really limited myself on bad food. I don't eat carbs, drink soda, etc. I have a little bit here and there, but just a bite or two once or twice a week. I eat at on of Protein, and if I have any room left over I eat veggies. I force myself to drink Water, and my only daily indulgence is my 2 cups of coffee in the morning. My results speak for themselves. I don't feel deprived, and my body works on routine, and I feel good with how I function.

[/quote']

That's fantastic and very motivating! We're you a hard core excersizer before? What did your workouts look like pre post and now? Sorry for the questions, our stats are close and I never could imagine your results. Thanks for any input... Also are you a food tracker etc?

I think your weekly stats are a real eye opener for me and many others. Slow and steady wins the race.

Thanks for the post!

I think your weekly stats are a real eye opener for me and many others. Slow and steady wins the race.

Thanks for the post!

I was thinking the same thing;)

That's fantastic and very motivating! We're you a hard core excersizer before? What did your workouts look like pre post and now? Sorry for the questions, our stats are close and I never could imagine your results. Thanks for any input... Also are you a food tracker etc?

I was, I worked out a lot before- always been active my entire life and I use to be in the Army! But my hunger was always my worst enemy... hungry alllll the time! Post surgery my calorie intake and my hunger are a shadow of what they use to be. The first 4 months post op, I was swimming 5 days a week, 2 to 5 hours a day between Masters swimming and club Water polo. Because of work obligations, I can't keep that schedule up, so this semester I'm working on my elliptical a few nights a week, and hoping to start some fitness classes in on weekends when I have time.

There is definitly a distinct pattern in how I'm losing. I gain or lose very little one week, then drop a big number the following week. At first I thought it was just in my head, but my recording/tracking doesn't lie! Tracking like this has been HUGE for me, and visually seeing how my body works. I definitly have one good week followed by one neutral/bad week. I can't be hard on myself- this is the cycle of my body. I've come to understand and appreaciate it, versus hating myself and being so confused like I was before surgery. I highly recommend everyone tracking weekly and monthly if possible! Those -1 and -2 lbs weeks add up! I've added the last couple of weeks at the bottom to show you the pattern I'm talking about:

Height: 5'9

Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216

1st Primary Goal Weight: 169 (Achieved 11/27)

2nd Optimal Goal Weight: 145

Sleeve Journey:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- PreOp/Surgery Day w/Pics Posted in Blog

Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2)

Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2)

Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8)

Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-22.5 lbs)

Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9)

Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5)

Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1)

Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-11.6 lbs)

Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5)

Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5)

Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1)

Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1)

Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.6 lbs)

Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2)

Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8)

Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8)

Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary (-8.7 lbs)

Week 18 (12/21): Holiday Break/Vacation- No scale Available

Week 19 (12/28): Holiday Break/Vacation- No Scale Available

Week 20 (1/4/13): 164.5 (-.1)

Week 21 (1/11): 161.5 (-3.0)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 01/17/13- 5 Month Anniversary (-3.1 lbs)

Week 22 (1/18): 161.7 (+.2)

Week 23 (1/25): 158.7 (-3.0)