Hi everyone who is having surgery in October 2014. We can start a new topic for those of us who have had surgery already.

This is the spot were we will all end up, were we'll share our stories and recovery. It will be a new dawn for so many of us. Let's stay close as united we will conquer anything that comes our way!

BEST WISHES GLADIATORS

@@AuriP we share the same date. Congrats and good look

Finally I have a surgery date buddy! Good luck on your loss as well!

dont worry I feel u on that I don't know what's wrong with me I'm not losing either I don't even think a pound a week some people have lost 28lbs at 4weeks and I'm at 6 weeks and I've lost 7lbs what the hell I'm I not doing right smh

I know, I know we aren't supposed to compare each other but dang, it's freaking hard to not compare. It's human nature to compare. I just feel like it will take me forever to get there. It's probably because I haven't seen under 200 lbs since 2002 and I'm so ready to be there. 30 lbs is no joke, I just wished I had a more consistent rate of loss and not a Pound or 4 here then a whole 10-12 days of nothing.

@@AuriP

It is human nature to be impatient. You want to have your surgery get you there yesterday (me too) but lets not forget, it's supposed to take 12 to 18 months to get to goal. That's the norm. Most people lose a lot early on but it slows down. Also stalls (which are devastating) are very common. I gained a pound since yesterday. How did that happen? I have no flippin idea. Water weight? Storin' up for the desert trip coming up? Who knows! The human body: a wonder to us all.

@@amylynns

Losing cup size can be a little disconcerting. I'm there too. But let's not forget push up bras and great tops. Kelly on "Kelly and Michael" has like zero breasts and she looks pretty sexy. It's not what you got but what you do with it, right?

I am not ready to go bra shopping yet but I will once I hit the 38 size mark. Cup size will be a surprise by then, but probably minus A at this rate.

Today I have to return my Christmas pajamas. I had bought a size 1X and last week realized they were too big. The XL pair is a little loose too but It's okay. Imagine that, I'm in regular sizes. I think I may have to look at the after Christmas sales for some XL deals. Not a lot, just a few little things. It's important to Celebrate a little.

@ Getting-used-to-new-me

10 bags, that's a lot of potatoes. Imagine how many fries or mashed potatoes that would make. You probable could host a 1,000 WLS people for a mashed potato party and have leftovers. WOW. Congrats. That visual made my day.

So, I have spent some time looking at before and after pictures on Obesity Help. I would like to raise the flag on an issue. Most people are wearing potato sacks. I know our body image is going to take a bit to catch up with us. Also, buying new clothes when we know a couple months later they'll be big is not an incentive but we have to stop looking like potato sacks. Let's do something about this. Alterations, thrift stores, sales. We need the incentive because looking good is feeling good too. Just feeling it needs to be said. It's going to take a year to get to where we need to be. We can't look frumpy for a whole year.

Thanks everyone for liking my sacks of potatoes visual. But to be clear, that weight loss occurred only after almost a YEAR of hard work.

In my experience, only folks who have bariatric surgery realize just how much HARD WORK, (and pain and SUFFERING), this is!

@Beni:

YAY for thrift stores!

I changed my whole wardrobe about seven times until my weight stabilized. I couldn't afford that many pairs of pants and shirts without thrift stores!

Also, I was pleasantly surprised at how many MORE good clothes were available in smaller sizes than I was wearing prior to surgery. I think that says something about how big most people are these days. At least about how big the men are, that shop at thrift stores. If they were all my size, there wouldn't be many clothes left in my size.

In fact, I still find most of my clothes at thrift stores!

@@amylynns

Losing cup size can be a little disconcerting. I'm there too. But let's not forget push up bras and great tops. Kelly on "Kelly and Michael" has like zero breasts and she looks pretty sexy. It's not what you got but what you do with it, right?

I am not ready to go bra shopping yet but I will once I hit the 38 size mark. Cup size will be a surprise by then, but probably minus A at this rate.

Today I have to return my Christmas pajamas. I had bought a size 1X and last week realized they were too big. The XL pair is a little loose too but It's okay. Imagine that, I'm in regular sizes. I think I may have to look at the after Christmas sales for some XL deals. Not a lot, just a few little things. It's important to Celebrate a little.

It's so funny that we all want something. For me I'm ecstatic I'm down to a 38 around but my cup size has changed none! I was so hoping it would shrink. Lol I know people think I'm crazy but a 38 G is ridiculous. I was a E cup even when I was a size 8. I can't wait to have them picked up off the floor and reduced in a big way ????

Beni, totally agree we all should strive to look our absolute best!! i have been pulling stuff out of my closet since i returned to work and whoa people do notice that i dress more confidently and stylish!! since before surgery i only had a few itrems to interchange with since i refused to continue buying larger sizes!!

I went from a 40DDD to a 36D. But the ones they have you try on in the store (Victoria's Secret) are kind of stretched out. When I got my new one (Super pretty cheeta print!!) home and put it on, I was overflowing in it, LOL. So I think I should have gotten a DD cup. And I did get more of a push up one, which is so fun to have the girls "up higher" LOL!! But I'm not going to wear this one until I lose a bit more. My left girl especially is overflowing out of it, and it's noticeable in clothing. Darn it! I tossed the tags already--and wore it all day Sunday thinking I'd break it in--otherwise I'd just bring it back.

My daughter stopped in to my office yesterday and said, "Mom--those pants look so silly on you! They're WAY too big and baggy!!" They're my "small" ones!? They're a size 16. I know they're kind of baggy in the crotch/butt area, but they're not too loose in the waist yet, so I was going to keep wearing them for a while. Maybe not!

@dc0520---I can't imagine being an E and a size 8. WOW, you poor thing! I HATE mine. I want to be a nice C or D, but have them where they're supposed to be.

My honey is already planning a lift for me! But that wouldn't be for a while. I want to be at goal and be working out and fit as possible. My Aunt got a tummy tuck around 18 months post op.

@Beni---I was shocked at how well I liked the push up bra! The gal at the store asked if I wanted to just try one on...I was never able to wear them before because I had way too much boob to be having them all up in my face, LOL!

I love that you have to return your PJ's! That's awesome!! I was ordering some new yoga pants on line yesterday and by the reviews/comments on one style--I would for sure need to go down to regular sizes. Everyone said the smallest plus size ones ran big. I decided to just wait and go shopping in the store and see if I could fit into regular ones instead of ordering on line and then having to return them. I really need to do a little shopping! I went to yoga last night (yay! Finally!!) and when I bent over, my shirt was too big and slid right up. Ooops! Guess I need a more form fitting one for yoga!

One other "non-scale" victory I had was my honey and I were out shopping and he suggested we stop by the jewelry store to see what size ring I'm at now. (We've been dating for 4 1/2 years/ living together for 2 1/2---and I WANT TO BE MARRIED!) So we stopped in the store and I went from a 8-9 to a 6 3/4! Which is the stock size, so I could actually try on rings and see what they're really look like on---not just to my knuckle like before.

Whoohoo! Now if he would just buy me one!!

Surgeon wants me to have an endoscopy Friday to rule out ulcers. She's also calling some meds in for my nausea. Still not feeling the best, but I finally got some egg drop soup down.

@@amylynns omg it's crazy how much boobies change lol...I haven't gone bra shopping yet, but the bras I have, I could easily fit another boob into each cup lol. I was laying down the other day and I kept poking the cup and it would deflate haha...so bad! And I'm in the same boat with the ring thing!! Ugh, idk how many hints, or how many times I have to shove a picture of a pretty diamond in his face lol. A flower guy at a bridal show I went to recently said "oh honey, if he doesn't ask u after 2 yrs, u better run"...lol that's been stuck in my head ever since! But I won't run, it was just funny. Men!

@@Beni I totally agree about looking like frumpy potato sacks lol. Before my surgery I was all like I'm not going shopping for at least 3 or 4 months, no way blablabla....but then I started looking at myself in the mirror and I was feeling not as good as I should have about my 30lb loss since surgery. So I went to the consignment shop the other day and got a few pairs of nice form fitting pants and a sweater, I also found a pretty one in walmart that was only $12...I had to, I was like I cannot go until feb/March in these clothes that are hanging off of me. And I feel soooo much better and so much more confident in clothes that fit me now...it's a nice feeling