....Not being fat. I have been fat as long as I can remember. I was actually a skinny child, but once puberty hit the pounds just piled on. So I was only skinny before I knew what skinny and fat were. I look at all these before/after photos and I can't even begin to imagine what it will feel like to no longer be the fat one. The fat friend, the fat wife, the fat daughter, the fat mom, the fat cousin, sister, in-law, co-worker, etc. I am and always have been pretty much the biggest person I know. I can't imagine my life after WLS. I am so freaking excited!!!

I really relate to this. It's also why I am 100% clueless in setting a goal weight. The smallest I have ever been as an adult was during a bout with Atkins when I was in college--and even then, I was still 45+ lbs over a healthy BMI. I'm only 5'2", but I don't know what 150 lbs looks like, or 140, 130, 120, 110... I have no idea what I'm shooting for... I just hope I know it when I see it.

Best of luck to you.

Good luck on your journey!

I totally know how you feel! This is so very exciting. Good luck to you!

Congratulations! WLS is so empowering, too -- choosing ourselves and our healthy futures is so liberating. Yippee!

@@gofigure - Me too! I'm 5'0 and the smallest I have ever gotten was 175! I was a size 14 and at the time I felt so thin but I know I was still way overweight for my height. So I also have no idea what to shoot for.

Once, nearly 15 years ago now, I lost a huge amount of weight and got down to my lowest weight ever - 129 (I'm 5' 2"). But it was fleeting and gone before I ever really had a chance to enjoy it. Typically, I regained the weight plus more very quickly after reaching my goal.

But I can remember faintly how great I felt, how amazing those size 6's felt, and all the other lost positives that went with it.

So for me, I can imagine it very well, and sometimes I think it's worse, because it's a "me" I've been trying to revisit for over a decade now. I've missed her very much and I can't wait for our emotional reunion!

It is so freakin' awesome to not "feel fat"!!! I was put on my first diet at age 7. How'd that work out? Last June, my BMI was 42.8, which is solidly in the "Very Severely Obese" range, and I had diabetes, apnea, asthma, high cholesterol, and borderline blood pressure. Less than 10 months later, my BMI is 23.6, which is solidly in the "Normal" range and all of my "fat guy" diseases are gone! I was wearing XXL-XXXL shirts then, and hated having to buy clothes. Now I buy Mediums off the rack (or online) and don't bother trying them on because I know they'll fit. I'm telling you, it's like night and day!

So for those of us that have "felt fat" all of our lives, here are the best tips I can give you:

1) Follow all the rules of your program as closely as you can! The less you deviate, the quicker you'll lose weight. Yes, I know it's not a race. But I would suggest that those who stick to the rules and lose their excess weight more quickly are far more likely to get to their goal and stay there. Yes, I know we have to learn how to eat "normally", but again, I would suggest that learning to eat normally can happen at any time. So why not do it once you've lost the weight and have already developed eating and exercise habits that work? That way if you put some pounds back on while experimenting with new foods, you don't have to lose the new weight, plus all the old weight that hadn't come off yet.

2) Plan, plan, plan! Never allow yourself to be caught unprepared without something appropriate to eat and drink. If you don't know what's going to be available at your next eating situation, bring something with you. Don't allow yourself to get hungry at a social event. Drink a Protein shake in the car on the way. Try to learn to like beef and turkey Jerky. It's high protein, low fat, okay calories, you can buy a bag almost anywhere, and a 3-ounce bag is a meal. I can't count how many times my program has been saved by a bag of jerky from a convenience store! So keep a bag of jerky in the car for food emergencies. And bring your own pitcher of Crystal Light, or a squirt-bottle of Mio to the party.

3) Try not to fall off the horse, but if you do, get right back on track at your very next meal. Not tomorrow, and not next Monday morning. That's the pattern that got us here, right? We need to break those patterns, because they won't work this time either!

4) When you look in the mirror and see a slimmer person, believe it! If you're doing the right things and making the right choices, the "new you" is who you are now. Don't waste time and emotional energy looking back over your shoulder waiting for your former, heavier self to drag you back. Keep looking forward and enjoy your successes by setting and achieving lots of little milestones. Along the way... be sure to bask in the compliments, have fun trying on and wearing smaller clothes, take pride in your accomplishments, appreciate your new health and energy, and try to enjoy this amazing journey!

Most of all, just keep making the next good choice! Good luck!!!

And I can't imagine ever being fat again.

I am still FREAKING amazed at myself every single day. I can slip on a pair of size 8 skinny jeans and not have to suck it in. My tops are sized medium. I can shop in any store I want.

I can run, I can jump, I can climb the stairs without panting for air.

I never ever ever want to lose this feeling because I never want to go back to where I was. I can't wait for everyone to get here. It's a beautiful place to be.

I feel hopeless hope to feel as you do one day????

I feel hopeless hope to feel as you do one day

You will!

@LipstickLady. I put on the size 6/8 skinny geans, have room in the waist, and still think it's the mirror making me look thin. I recently realized I've been trying to find a mirror that would show me the fat girl who is still in my head. I wonder if I would ever get rid of her. But maybe it's a good thing that I do remember her. Maybe she'll keep me watchful and vigilant.

I know where you're coming from. I've been overweight since elementary school, so about 40 years, give or take a year. :-P The hardest part was the anxiety I felt about how I was going to handle being "normal" size! I'd always been fat, I knew how to be fat! How was I going to handle being "normal"? But, you know what? It all worked out. I didn't get "normal" size overnight, and the slow transition from being morbidly obese to a healthy weight was much easier than I expected.

....Not being fat. I have been fat as long as I can remember. I was actually a skinny child, but once puberty hit the pounds just piled on. So I was only skinny before I knew what skinny and fat were. I look at all these before/after photos and I can't even begin to imagine what it will feel like to no longer be the fat one. The fat friend, the fat wife, the fat daughter, the fat mom, the fat cousin, sister, in-law, co-worker, etc. I am and always have been pretty much the biggest person I know. I can't imagine my life after WLS. I am so freaking excited!!!

I know what you mean. I have always been overweight. Even as a little girl, I was always the biggest in my class. I even ran track in high school and weighed over 200 pounds.

I have lost over 50 pounds since I started the process and already feel so much thinner. I don't mind looking in the mirror. I am still wearing clothes that were in my closet from a few years ago, when I felt very fat, but my mindset has changed. I am losing weight. I am getting healthier. I am getting smaller. I am still 241 pounds and have a long way to go, but I am on my way.

You can do it too!