yippeeee

i am now well and truly in the normal sized section ... ok i am still a XL .... but at least i don't have to limit myself to clothes in the "plus size" section.

i have been able to drag out clothes that i haven't worn in years ... including above the knee skirts.

i just feel so good. i still have a long way to go, but i can see the weight reducing most everyday!

i have in the past brought clothes thinking "it will fit soon" ... now i buy clothes a size or two too small and i know i will be in them in a month or so. It is just so exciting.

yay for meeeee!!!

love to hear your stories ... and successes

I'm so happy I can finally wear size 16 pants and a large blouse. It is taking forever. I had my surgery Nov. 5th,2007 and I've lost 34 lbs.

I recently went to Macy's with a friend who has always been a size 20. She's like these are my two areas, pointing to the plus size...than with a giant sweep of her arm, she said, "That that out there is all yours to pick through!"

I'm just now a snug 16 and an XL.

But OMG, it still surprises me. I was looking at stuff in "her" area, going, that's cute, that's nice...and she kept reminding me that they were all to big for me.

Holy cow.

Texas Mom.. I do find it hard to get out of the plus size section. I am size 14/16 now and just last night I was walking around looking at plus size clothes. I would find something I like and then pick up the smallest size and it was way too big. Why do I keep doing that?? I told dh last night that I jsut don't know how to shop in the regular clothes section. My favorite shirt is one that dh bought me in a regular clothes store. It is a large. I would never have even picked it up, but it looks so cute on. I hope I can work through this soon. Nice to know I'm not the only one.

Congrats to all you shoppers!! I think I will be shopping in my own closet first...then I can clean it out...I have like sizes 16 on UP UP UP...granted they are so old they are back in style!!! The elastic is probably brittle too but...I will see if any of my old favs will fit eventually....

Then...I'l just shop a little...Yea Right!!! I'll do alot...anyway, I'm just joking around but I do have a million things in like 3 closets and now I can finally use it..watch it get too big then Loose it!!

Cheers!

The last time I cleaned out my closets preband I got rid of everything bigger than 16 thinking I would probably never be that small and certainly not smaller. WRONG!! The clothes I wear now are the smallest of the things I have kept and they are getting big. TIME TO GO SHOPPING!! I hear lots of you saying that you don't want to be "thin". When I started this whole thing i thought I wanted to weigh 180, then I moved my goal to 150, and now it is 135. In the beginning I couldn't imagine being at 150 much less 135. Now, I have a new hope. I can be whatever size I want to be, because, with my band it is possible. I now plan to have plastic surgery at 150 which will put me around 135 post op. That is hard to even imagine, but now it's becoming a reality! i will probably be a size 4 or 6 at that weight. To achieve it, I must first believe it, and ladies, i am starting to believe it!!!!! Ok, that was pretty philosophical. Sorry. Everyone has a different idea of what their goals are. All I am saying is give yourself the freedom to change your mind.

i am soooo proud of all of us!! We are winning the obesity battle!!!!!!!

Go for it renewed hope!!! I don't ever remember being less than a 12 even in 8th grade!!!

That would be fun! And then yew...plastics and a 10 or 9 or less?????

Keep it up!

I am newly banded - April 30! I will be happy when I can wear the regular size clothes again!!

CONGRATS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS!!!! Keep up the awesome work.

I was banded 3/18/08 and have hit a plateau after 26 pounds and a total of 37 pounds since Jan. 08. I keep working out but the scale hasn't moved in weeks now. Thank goodness I will be going in for a fill 5/7.

Reading inspirational message such as yours keeps me going.

Hugs

Paula

Congratulations!

I'm not technically regular sizes yet, but Walmart goes up to 18 in their regular department. When I found that out, I bought every skirt they had BECAUSE THEY FIT!

This morning, I had to go back. Why? I NEEDED A 16!!!! Of course, now I feel bad about all the money I spent on 18s!!!

The weekend before last I finally broke down and went to buy some new clothes. We were going to Vegas for a few days and I felt like shining. I had some old clothes in my closet and have been going through them like crazy. I started out at a size 24 (3x). Over the last 5 months I was shocked to only get a few weeks wear out of my 22s, 20s, and 18s. My husband went shopping with me. We walked through the downstairs women's department and he got all excited showing me clothes he wanted me to try. I told him, no, I shop upstairs. We get up there and EVERYTHING was to big. We came back downstairs and went to town. I had so much fun. My husband let me model every outfit for him. I was in an extra large top and a 16 bottom. I haven't been that size since 1996. I was amazed at the choices I had. All the different colors. I got sick, sick, sick of the drab grey and brown at Lane Bryant. I hated that store. This weekend I started bagging up the big clothes and giving them to Goodwill. I held some of them up and couldn't believe that they used to fit. So I've had a grin on from ear to ear. What a great feeling!!!!

Thats awesome Jennie, i now buy stuff a size too small so i ensure i will fit it soon, to be fair though, clothes aren't lasting more than one or two months for me, then they are starting to get loose. Expensive but exciting!!

Hi aurbie, i love your story. It reminds me so much of my hubby, he doesn't quite do the shopping thing, but when i get home from the mall i have to model everything i have purchased, especially when i go to the underwear store!!

When i purchase underwear now, i buy matching bra and knickers. i certainly don't look like a supermodel in them ... but hubby's reaction ... i think he thinks i am now ... oh i love his rose coloured glasses when it comes to me.

i had a good empty out of my drawers and wardrobe two nights ago, my hubby took great pleasure in phoning his sister, who is a "bigger" woman too, to ask her if she would like to try on the clothes that are now to big for me. His sister is a strange one, everyone else i know has commented on my weight loss, as it is quite significant now ... 20kg (44 pounds), she always looks me up and down but she hasn't mentioned one single word. Jealousy is a terrible thing.

hi, I was banded on March 3 and have lost 34 lbs. I am now in a size 18. I still sometimes have to look in the plus sizes because the XL are a little tight. I can't wait until the XL fit me. It will come.

yea for us!!!! keep up the good work everyone.

Dolores:smile:

THat is great news good luck with your surgery on the 9th, I willl see you on the other side May 14th!

Thank you so much! Good luck to you as well!

Too fun everyone!! I can't wait to see what clothes I am in by winter because...well, I want some new choices!!!

I have several outfits with tags still on that are too big now from my recent loss...I think I will find a women's shelter to donate them too!

Keep it up everyone!

Yippy, I too can wear regular sizes and I cannot remember the last time I was able to say that. I have now lost 43 pounds since Jan 08. I was banded 3/18. I love the changes in my body and look forward to even more. I feel better, I look better and I am so much more healthy, what is not to love about the band.

I also loved the comment about wanting to be 180 pounds and then as time passed she changed her goal to 135. Now, I cannot wait for so much success that I too can realistically set a lower weight goal for myself. With the band anything is possible.