Well this morning I finally made it to goal! It took me exactly 7 1/2 months to get here and I'm totally thrilled with the entire journey! For those wondering how it happened so quickly, I can only say that I followed all the rules meticulously: 80-100 grams of Protein, no starches/sugars, some veggies, no booze/soda, and 64-120 ounces of Water every...single...day, plus daily walking and once a week workouts. I always had a plan for what I was going to eat, even at parties and restaurants, and if I deviated from the plan, it was always protein-based, like cheese, nuts and beef/turkey Jerky. So... going in, was I worried about missing out on food? Yes. Did I feel deprived during my journey? Nope, as my tag-line says, "Nothing tastes as good as slender feels!" What's next? Lose 4-5 more pounds so I can have a little wiggle-room and still stay at or below my goal weight. Will I go crazy now and eat all the stuff I've missed? I don't think so because I've tried to get my head straight about this being a lifelong effort. Can you do it too? Absolutely!!! Thank you to all who have given me support and guidance along the way. I hope I was able to help you too. And my plan is to keep coming here and posting my message about The Dreaded Week-3 Stall, because it almost broke me at the beginning of my journey. I wish everyone who reads this a world of success!!! If you want to ask questions or get tips on how I worked my program, send me a message and I'll try to give you a thoughtful answer. Okay, here are some embarrassing photos and some slightly less embarrassing photos.....

Edited February 9, 201511 yr by Rogofulm

Oh my gosh...so inspiring and encouraging! Thank you so much for posting.. Congratulations! You look wonderful! Blessings on your continued success

Great job! I can imagine the self confidence and pride that you have in yourself. I'm only 8 weeks post op, and I pray for the day that I reach my goal weight.

You will continue to be an inspiration to so many others!

God Bless You!

You look marvelous! Just marvelous! Congrats!

You did it! You look amazing and I have enjoyed many of your posts and words of encouragement. Thanks for sharing your plan and I am sure you will have no problem reaching your stretch and maintaining. God Bless ~

Awesome Possum! Thank you for sharing!

So happy for you! Thanks for holding up a mirror and letting us know that we can do it too... Congratulations!

You not only have had a tremendous success story so far, but you are also a constant encouraging force on these boards to others. Bravo, Sir.

WOW!! You look AMAZING!!! You are such an inspiration!

Congratulations!!! You have done so well...really inspiring!

Congratulations, your look awesome, keep up the hard work.

Nice work! Did you tell people at work? My surgery is this Wednesday and I still cant decide if I should tell people at work

Thanks, @@Jovie62! Yeah, I've told anyone who asks what I was doing. But it was made easier by the fact that two of my co-workers had bari surgery a year before I did. If you follow the rules, it will be obvious pretty soon that you are losing a lot of weight very quickly. But no matter who I've told, I've always received a positive reaction. My trick is to enthusiastically explain the different procedures and why I made my decision (including the fact that I feel like I've started a diet every Monday morning of my life for over 45 years.) People are fascinated by the surgery, and after they hear about it, most are supportive, or at least understand what it's all about. Good luck with your surgery!!! You're making a wonderful decision for your health!

Where is the three week stall post? I can't seem to find it.

Here you go, @InItToWinIt2015...

Congratulations! You have reached The Dreaded Week-3 Stall. It's perfectly normal, and just about all of us have suffered through it. You're not crazy, and your doctor didn't screw up. In fact, you might not lose any weight for two weeks or even longer. But don't worry – after that, the weight will start falling off if you stick to your program. And, the inches will continue to come off even while the scale isn't budging. Here's a good article that explains why it happens and why we all have to go through it. Hang in there. Pretty soon it'll be in the rear-view mirror and you'll be dropping weight again!

(Apologies to BP regulars who have seen this repeatedly, but it's a big deal to those who are going through it!)

I read a lot of posts, but I have to admit that your's made me tear up. I always enjoy your posts - I love the way you express yourself. I'm thrilled for you! And you remind all of us to be thrilled for ourselves. Congrats and keep posting!

Ellen

Thanks so much! I'm just really enthusiastic about this process and hope it can be contagious. But everyone has to realize that the the first year is the easiest part of the journey, so it's best to follow the rules and lose all the weight you can during the "honeymoon" period. Plenty of time to learn how to eat "normally" from a lower platform. Good luck!!!

Okay Rogofulm...because of you, I did indeed post my before and after pics...see

Finally got the nerve...Before and After Pics under this same Success Stories forum...and thanks!!! Your words are truly much appreciated!!!

Thank you, again, to everyone who has offered such kind words of congratulations and encouragement – they mean so much!!! I'm now entering the phase where my weight loss is old news to my friends and co-workers. As I've often said... If we do everything exactly right, eventually people will stop noticing our loss and our new size will seem "normal". Then the compliments that have helped us along the way will start to dry up and finally stop altogether. And that's part of the plan, right?!! That's when our internal strength (and our reflection in the mirror) have to keep us going for the rest of our lives. I pray that all of you will be successful too! Remember -- identify with the lower-weight person and don't look back over your shoulder in fear of what you used to be. That person doesn't exist anymore. And as I said, if you need tips just send me a message and I'll try to give you a thoughtful answer....