I had surgery on 11/10/20, but started my weight loss efforts on 7/5/20. If you’ve been here a while I’m sure you’ve seen me lurking about the forums.

Stats: SW 339. CW: 165. I am a 5’10 woman in her 40s. I work full time and have young children. My current BMI is 23, I started off with it closer to 50.

I knew it was going to take me a while to hit goal- I had 174 lbs to lose. I did all the calculators pre-op that said I would be lucky to get under 200 lbs, but I decided that just wasn’t going to apply to me (haha). My plan was to focus on fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins while ramping up exercise. I eliminated cookies, pastries, and candy but that’s about it. I don’t do low carb, because that isn’t how I’m planning on living the rest of my life. I focus on calorie reduction, which sounds like oh if that’s so easy why did you need surgery? Well cutting calories is possible if you aren’t hungry all the time no matter how much you eat, and if you can fill up on the healthy things without it being like flash paper into a volcano. I honestly did need the surgery, and I’m not going to pretend it did the work for me, but it gave me the help for the work I wanted to be able to do.

Six days a week I do a split between running and rowing for a half hour. I’m going to run in a 5k this spring, which has been a dream of mine for years. I exercise on my lunch break every day.

Yes, I have some loose skin. It’s nowhere as bad as people make it out to be. I am not exactly planning on running around in a bikini so it’s not like it limits my life at all. It’s not visible in my clothes, not even tight fitting ones. I might get it removed some day, but if I don’t I’ll still be happy.

This weight loss has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me. Life is difficult when you are morbidly obese. It’s difficult physically, emotionally, and socially. This weight loss hasn’t fixed every problem in my life, but I didn’t expect for it to. It fixed my weight related problems, and I had a lot of them.

This surgery can be life changing, but it’s not a magic bullet. You still have to make huge life changes. But if you feel sabotaged you your own constant hunger, cravings, and binges, this can really be the tool you use to dig yourself out of the seemingly insurmountable weight you need to lose.

This isn’t a finish line for me. I am still working on hopefully losing another 15 lbs, and I’m never going back to my old eating habits. I know I signed up for a lifelong change, otherwise I’ll be right back where I started. But finally hitting goal was a nice early Christmas present to myself. Sorry for the essay, but I don’t really have anyone in real life to share with who gets it!

Amazing post and awesome results!!

Congrats!! Love your attitude. I relate with much of what you wrote. Agree that the constant hunger makes it pretty difficult to cut calories before surgery.

Curious, how did you decide on your goal weight, and then wanting to lose more after that?

I am getting close to my lightest weight as an adult (which happens to be the same weight my surgeon predicted I’d get down to). But I would still be considered overweight at that point, so perhaps going down to a BMI below 25 should be goal?

Thank you all for your kind words! These forums have been great for keeping me on track before and after surgery. I really appreciate you all.

Honestly this is pretty much the only “before” pic, and I’m not even quite sure it’s at my highest. My program said take before pictures right before surgery, take measurements. But of course I didn’t listen. My main goal for photos pre-op was “don’t be in them”.

A few more questions I see all the time I here I will answer: yes I lost hair, yes, even though I got my protein and vitamins. It just happens. I cut my hair shorter, and literally the only other person who noticed was my hair dresser. And all the hair is growing back now, which looks kind of funny since it’s a little frizzy halo on my head. But the whole hair thing is kinda funny to be honest, not a huge upset or a tragedy.

No, I don’t feel like weight loss made me look dramatically older, nor did I gain wrinkles or jowls. But I’m in my 40s, and I’m a skincare enthusiast and regular Botox user so that may have influenced stuff. ?

Yes, I can eat “normally” now. If I went out to a restaurant with someone who didn’t know it wouldn’t be obvious outside of what looks like a small appetite. I’m not eating special bariatric diet food.

Happy to answer any questions people have! And thank you all again.

Best christmas present *ever*!!! Thank you for sharing your story and your photos, it's such a help and inspiration to know that people really do do this!

Oh sorry I missed a question…I decided on this weight because I had gotten down to 165 once before (very, very briefly) and I’d liked how I looked and felt. So I put that down as my goal weight. Sitting at almost 340 lbs at the time I kind of worried my surgeon would roll his eyes, but everyone just accepted that and I went forward with that as the goal.

I think a goal weight is a personal thing- some people look amazing still “overweight” , some people are more muscular, etc. I like that I’m in a healthy bmi but at the end of the day I kind of feel like I know what I want to look/feel like, so that’s how I came to the decision.

Congrats, I am hoping to reach my goal weight too.

Congratulations and Happy holidays!

Wow you look amazing! Thanks for sharing this I needed this today!!!

Wow, you worked hard and it shows!

On 12/22/2021 at 12:32 PM, blackcatsandbaddecisions said:

I had surgery on 11/10/20, but started my weight loss efforts on 7/5/20. If you’ve been here a while I’m sure you’ve seen me lurking about the forums.

Stats: SW 339. CW: 165. I am a 5’10 woman in her 40s. I work full time and have young children. My current BMI is 23, I started off with it closer to 50.

I knew it was going to take me a while to hit goal- I had 174 lbs to lose. I did all the calculators pre-op that said I would be lucky to get under 200 lbs, but I decided that just wasn’t going to apply to me (haha). My plan was to focus on fruits, vegetables, and healthy Proteins while ramping up exercise. I eliminated Cookies, pastries, and candy but that’s about it. I don’t do low carb, because that isn’t how I’m planning on living the rest of my life. I focus on calorie reduction, which sounds like oh if that’s so easy why did you need surgery? Well cutting calories is possible if you aren’t hungry all the time no matter how much you eat, and if you can fill up on the healthy things without it being like flash paper into a volcano. I honestly did need the surgery, and I’m not going to pretend it did the work for me, but it gave me the help for the work I wanted to be able to do.

Six days a week I do a split between running and rowing for a half hour. I’m going to run in a 5k this spring, which has been a dream of mine for years. I exercise on my lunch break every day.

Yes, I have some loose skin. It’s nowhere as bad as people make it out to be. I am not exactly planning on running around in a bikini so it’s not like it limits my life at all. It’s not visible in my clothes, not even tight fitting ones. I might get it removed some day, but if I don’t I’ll still be happy.

This weight loss has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me. Life is difficult when you are morbidly obese. It’s difficult physically, emotionally, and socially. This weight loss hasn’t fixed every problem in my life, but I didn’t expect for it to. It fixed my weight related problems, and I had a lot of them.

This surgery can be life changing, but it’s not a magic bullet. You still have to make huge life changes. But if you feel sabotaged you your own constant hunger, cravings, and binges, this can really be the tool you use to dig yourself out of the seemingly insurmountable weight you need to lose.

This isn’t a finish line for me. I am still working on hopefully losing another 15 lbs, and I’m never going back to my old eating habits. I know I signed up for a lifelong change, otherwise I’ll be right back where I started. But finally hitting goal was a nice early Christmas present to myself. Sorry for the essay, but I don’t really have anyone in real life to share with who gets it!

???CONGRATULATIONS ??

I'M so proud of you.? I'm glad that this pandemic hasn't stopped you from living.

I hope that I am as lucky as you in my journey????‍♀️?????

Wow ? that’s amazing Covgrats on making it to your goal weight!!! So good! I can’t weight to be approved still in Pre Op Phase

Just now, Michelle B7 said:

Wow ? that’s amazing congrats on making it to your goal weight!!! So good! I can’t weight to be approved still in Pre Op Phase

Congratulations on reaching your goal & good luck with maintaining your healthier lifestyle. You look terrific!

A beautiful story. Congratulations.

Job well done! Dang!

Do you have the feeling of "what now?" or do you feel comfy now that you've got there?

I have this feeling, and I'm really trying to chillax about setting up a new project after doing this for almost 2 years (1 year to get my mind in the right place, 1 year to lose the weight).