Hi February losers! I know we've got a great group in the pre-op sub forum, but now that we are on to week two, thought we should start the thread over here too! I see a few other Feb stragglers around so hopefully they can join here too.

I had my surgery on Monday 2/3. I'm down 10.5 as of one week. Not sure if this is a normal amount or not. I'm not getting in much calories, but do get in Protein of at least 50g per day (need to up this) and all my Water. I have a drain which still causes me pain. Other than that thing, I'm doing good on my incision and recovery. Today I start back up work, but thankfully it's from home and I just have to work on a laptop or computer.

So looking forward to the losing phase of this journey with you all and learning and growing from each other.

Edited February 10, 201412 yr by kimr

Kimr you look great and you are a beautie!

Kim - what a difference! As Claire says, you were beautiful in the wedding picture too - but now you look healthier as well as beautiful! Can't believe you wear a size 14 already. I'm down to a size 18 -this darn belly gets in the way Love the new jean ad on TV where the store has labelled them "Size Strong" or "Size Confident etc. - no numbers.

Just started cleaning out my closet and have a huge pile of clothes going to charity. Swore I wasn't going to buy new stuff until I got to goal, but I literally had nothing to wear this winter - and it's way too cold in upstate New York to play Lady Godiva. So I just treated myself to some pants and sweaters - so many people have paid me compliments because my weight loss is more obvious without the old baggy clothes

Went back to the gym this week - got retrained on all the weight machines and signed up for my favorite aquafit class and a yoga class. I'm proud of myself for getting all that in place before the weather gets too bad for walking outdoors.

Last week I got lost in a huge park near here - took a wrong turn and ended up on a different trail miles away from my car. Took me about 2½ hours to find my way out - the good news is that I had no problem walking all that time (my dog was in heaven!). Absolutely could not have done that 9 months ago NSV?

Hi Janette,

Well that was a heck of a walk! Sounds as if your winter exercise regime is really kicking in now. I have tried to eBay some of my clothes that can't be taken in and there doesn't seem to be much interest. Others have been successful in my UK group and they are nice clothes. I just want them to go to a good home, rather than just send them to a charity shop where there might not be any takers. I would never have thought that a charity shop was the place to look for supersize clothes, and I am sure that others who are the size I was wouldn't either. I am happy to give them away free for someone who wants them. Postage can be expensive in its own right though. I have lots of long shirts, short jackets and some dresses.

As you say large clothes, even those we have had taken in, are not as flattering as those that are our new sizes.

I hope you are doing ok and looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Do stay in touch

Claire

Hi to you all,

I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. The first since your surgery and we have a lot to be thankful for in terms of our new lives. I hope that you can enjoy the whole day and eat what you can and enjoy that without guilt or repercussions!

Not long until Christmas now too, so have a wonderful Christmas and let's look forward to our first year's anniversary in February and a wonderful 2015.

Take care

Claire

Hello to everyone,

I'm happy to see everyone is doing so well. I can't believe we're not far from out first surgaversary. I had hoped to be close to goal on my 12 month mark but I don't think that's going to happen. I'm down 93 pounds and I feel great. I guess I decided that if this is all I loose I'll be happy with that. I've been on a plateau for the last month and that makes me feel like this is where I'm going to be stuck. Has anyone had a month long plateau then started loosing again? I'm just curious. I've been struggling with that one pound to hit onderland and I just can't get there. I'm pretty sure I will but it's discouraging to struggle a month over 1 pound. Well happy holidays to you all. Enjoy what your tummy can hold... I went to a thanksgiving dinner last weekend and put too much on my plate then felt guilty for wasting food so I tried to eat it... Didn't work out if you know what I mean... Well take care,

Tammy

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone.. like Claire said I hope we all can enjoy the holidays without any repercussions.

Tammy

I am on month long stalls.. then right before or after mother nature's visit I drop any where from 3 to 5 lbs.. frustrating

I have been having a harder time with food lately.. everything that I have for breakfast just comes back up.. not sure what that's all about. I'm hoping it will pass.

Best wishes everyone

Deanna

Edited November 26, 201411 yr by ryn2bthin

Hi,

I went to my UK group last week and apparently stalling at 10 months post surgery can be very common. Well several people there had done the same anyway. In some cases it lasted a up to several months but then the weight loss started again. So seeing as how a few of us seem to be doing this too, it could be an encouraging message that this is normal. I have no evidence for this other than what people were saying, but let's hold that thought...

I am sorry that you are having difficulties with food sometimes Tammy and Deanna. I am not being sick thank goodness but I do have my ongoing gastric symptoms still being an issue.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, having never been in the States over this time it is difficult to imagine it but Janette gave me a quick run down when she was over here.

Take care

Claire

Happy black friday everyone..

I hope the festivities from yesterday were tolerable.

My first holiday meal went great.. other than the fact my plate looked like it did last year.. but at least I was able to sample a little of everything and all went well.

Hope you have a wonderful rest of the year

Best wishes

Deanna

I'm so proud of myself... Went to 3 thanksgiving dinners and lost 1.2 pounds. I'm still struggling to break into onderland but I feel good!!

Maybe Christmas I can loose more. Lol. My goal is to be down 100 lbs by my surgaversary...

Bless you all and let's celebrate this wonderful, healthy holiday season.

Tammy

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I certainly did.

I spent most of the day preparing a wonderful meal for my family. I truly enjoy cooking so it was a pleasure for me to do it.

When it came time to eat, I didn't have too much and it was a little uncomfortable to sit while everyone else ate, so i enjoyed the conversation and then busied myself with clean up.

I was able to eat like 3 rolls over the entire day on Friday. It shocked me. Unusually throw them up. I must've been having what I call a "big pouch day". I still managed a loss of .5 pounds even though I wasn't trying. I just didn't eat a lot but was very active. Those 3 rolls and part of an egg were all I ate all day on Friday, due to shopping.

I still have 5 pounds to my original goal of 145. I have 15 to get to my hopeful goal of 135. I wouldn't be sad if I made it to 125, but I don't have any goals of going lower.

I'm working out at home, I am doing two challenges a month to keep active. I don't have a gym near me.

I'm not at all stressing losing over the holiday season. I plan on enjoying every moment of it, within the limits I've set for myself and that my pouch sets for me. I won't let myself gain but I refuse to let the stress of losing shadow my holiday time.

Here I am at the Disney resorts yesterday. We enjoyed the holiday decorations. It's a tradition for our family.

You can definitely see the extra skin flap on the one of me by myself. I find it very discouraging. But I am just going to keep moving forward.

Erin, you look great! Can't believe how close you are to goal, so awesome! I am hoping to do plastic surgery next fall to get rid of the extra skin, at least on my tummy. As you know I'm coming to Orlando. Let me know if you'd like to meet up!

Deanna and Tammy, glad your holiday meals went well and you did great! I was pretty successful myself and able to hide the amount of food I was not eating in front of 14 adults that have no idea I've had surgery. Well at least I hope so. :-)

Tammy I'm still super close to onederland as well, but just can't get there. For me it's probably too much wine!

The wine is a killer.

I can't wait to meet you. Please keep in touch.

Hi everyone,

Glad everyone did so well - I too had a successful "first" Thanksgiving. I use MyFitnessPal to track my food and I actually ate LESS than usual - dinner at 3pm and just a half sandwich for supper. We were out of town so I exercised all 3 days - the hotel had an exercise room and a pool which I used Thursday & Friday; went for a 3 mile walk with my hubby on Saturday. I've been on a plateau for a month and then I lost 2 lbs over Thanksgiving!! LOL

My husband asked me if I missed being able to eat all the food I used to, and I realized I could honestly say "no" - I tasted everything I wanted to and just stopped when I was full. I always enjoyed healthy food - just ate way too much - so this quantity limitation is the answer to my prayers. I'm not mourning the loss of food at all. In fact, now my diabetes is resolved, I allow myself tastes of things that were taboo before.

Let's keep it up over the Christmas season!

Edited December 1, 201411 yr by JanetteH

Hi to you all,

I am so glad that you all had a really good Thanksgiving. You all sound as if you were able to manage the new eating patterns very well. I am like Janette in that I can have tasters of things I didn't allow myself before, well on a good day I can. Other days I wouldn't want to, so that is fine too. The amounts are small of everything and I don't miss, or want, more so that is great.

Erin, you look wonderful! How critical we all are of ourselves. You look just great to me.

Onwards to Christmas now...

Claire x

Hi friends!! I hope the holidays are finding everyone well!! Everyone seems to be doing so great! It's awesome to read the celebrations and some struggles of others, let's me know I'm not alone!

Things have been going pretty well for me! I'm down to 173 from 274 (surgery day)! Yay! Still have a bit to go to goal but I'm getting there. I know I really need to get into a better fitness routine. It's been pretty hit or miss. I have the damn gym membership now I just need to USE it!!!

Anyways, my husband had gastric bypass on Monday. Hopefully we will be outta here today! He's doing well. Seems he's beginning to understand a little more going through it yourself and knowing someone who went through it...so different! Am I right? Can I get an amen?! Lol.

I'm super excited for him, and us as a couple! I've found a doc here in VA (his doc) who has taken me on as his patient since we moved from NY.

Best wishes for the happiest holiday season to everyone!

~dreaming