I am now 1 year and 9 months post op. I reached my goal weight at about 10 months post op (140-145) and in the year since then I've felt that things have been moving very slowly. Well, I was ordering a dress online the other day and I had to take my measurements. I hadn't taken then since reaching goal weight almost a year ago. I was shocked to see that even though it felt painstakingly slow, I lost an additional 20 pounds and 22 inches in the past year, putting me at my "dream goal" and feeling pretty freaking amazing.

My husband and I just got back from our anniversary getaway and we took a picture together. When I got home I decided to see if you could really tell a visable difference from me at 1st goal weight and dream goal weight a year later and I think you can. I was pretty surprised. I'm feeling super happy at my weight and health and fitness level right now, and having kept it off for nearly 2 years I"m feel pretty good about the prospects long term as well.

Well then I decided to go a little crazy, and I went back and found my anniversary pictures from the past 5 years and decided to do side-by-side comparisons. I'll only include the one from last year (goal weight) to this year (dream goal weight) AND one from my highest weight (278.4) to now (125), but if you want to see the rest of them, just click on the link here to the blog post with all the pictures from the past 5 anniversaries:

"The Proof Is In the Pictures" Post

Here is goal (June 12, 2014) to dream goal (June 12, 2015) and highest weight - 278.4 (June 12, 2013) to dream weight - 125 (June 12, 2015). Enjoy!

You look so good and so different

Congrats on reaching your dream goal! You have inspired me to hang in there and not get discouraged. My progress is so slow and I'm always concerned I won't reach goal.

Thanks for sharing.

Congrats on reaching your dream goal! You have inspired me to hang in there and not get discouraged. My progress is so slow and I'm always concerned I won't reach goal.

Thanks for sharing.

Aww thank you! You will definitely get there if you stick to "the plan".

Congratulations on reaching your dream goal! You both look great. Very inspiring to those of us who have not reached goal yet! Support from an encouraging husband is always good! You are rocking that sleeve!

Congratulations on reaching your dream goal! You both look great. Very inspiring to those of us who have not reached goal yet! Support from an encouraging husband is always good! You are rocking that sleeve!

Thank you! It's so weird to hear you all using the word "inspiring" in reference to me. That is a very humbling thing and makes me feel responsible to keep making good decisions with my health and emotional well being. And yes, hubby had to grow along side me in this process because it meant change in more ways than one.

Congrats, lvvsmun. You look beautiful in all three photos...albeit healthier in the last two. You and I are basically the same size....and when I look at your Dream Goal picture....my eyes are drawn to your Collarbone. It's always been something I've been drawn to in pictures, and in person. Just wanted to say...you have a great collarbone! Lol. Love mine too!

Oh my goodness, you look great! And so much younger. I hope I look younger like that when I get my weight off!! LOL

Awesome!!

Oh my goodness, you look great! And so much younger. I hope I look younger like that when I get my weight off!! LOL

THank you! Yes....looking younger was a nice, unexpected side effect!!!

Congrats, lvvsmun. You look beautiful in all three photos...albeit healthier in the last two. You and I are basically the same size....and when I look at your Dream Goal picture....my eyes are drawn to your Collarbone. It's always been something I've been drawn to in pictures, and in person. Just wanted to say...you have a great collarbone! Lol. Love mine too!

Thank you! I feel so much healthier too...not just physically but emotionally too. That is just as important in my opinion and something I didn't expect. And yes, I enjoy having a collar bone too.....and hip bones.....

Wow you look incredible!!! Also I see you're a penn stater too! ????