Well, I just thought I would check in with my update. It has been 8 wonderful months since I finally got the WLS I waited so long for -- read my profile for the whole story. * I am down 141 pounds and have gone from a very tight 32w to a (almost perfect) 16. * I have gone from size 5XL shirts that still clung to my enormous breasts to a size XL shirt that accentuates my smaller waist. * I have gone from not being able to stand up to wash dishes without feeling like I was going to collapse from the pain to being able to walk 3 miles without getting my heart rate up enough to even consider it exercise! * I have gone from having to wear slip-on shoes because the task of trying to tie my shoes was too daunting to being able to just about put my foot behind my head again! * I have gone from considering shopping an extreme sport (based on how tiring it had become) to considering Pilates a nice way to spend some relaxation time. * I have stopped saying "Mommy can't run around the yard with you" to my kids and begun saying "Catch up slowpokes!" to them as I run across the yard laughing. * I have gone from eating my dinner, seconds and my children's leftovers and still feeling like I was starving to being fully satisfied with a couple bites of my dinner and great conversation. Along the way, I have learned a few things about myself, too. I have learned: * I enjoy cooking. Even if I cannot eat the food, I want to enjoy how it looks and how it smells, and I want to know that it tastes great. Cooking for me has always been a pleasure, but now it is a huge pleasure. * I enjoy working out. I always did when I was skinny as a teenager, but that joy diminished as the weight piled on now, though, I again truly enjoy that miserable but ecstatic feeling you only get from working out with a skinny little Pilates instructor! * I have bones in my knees. I knew this, but haven't seen them in so long, I wondered if they had decided to leave me for a skinnier woman! * Weight and size are just numbers. Sure, I have a goal weight of 125 lbs and a goal size of 7 (or smaller), but if I never reach those goals, I am still a success as long as I keep the weight I have lost off. * Everything is relative -- if someone had told me when I was 24 and a size 7 that I would someday be *happy* that I was a size 16, I would have kicked them, but the truth is, now that I can buy my clothes in a normal store off the rack and not have a "W" after the size, I am thrilled! I also have learned things about other people in the course of this journey. I learned: * Some people just cannot be pleased -- when I weighed 325, I wasn't good enough to talk to (or so the other cheerleader mothers acted), but suddenly, at 200 lbs, I was worth the time. Strangely, though, the same women consider me to be worthless again, now that I am under 200 lbs and smaller than some of them. Explain that one? * Friends are a blessing, and you have to deserve them to keep them, but associates can be a curse and you may wish to be rid of them. The difference between a friend and an associate being that a friend is happy for you losing weight -- even if you are smaller than they are, while an associate is only happy for you until you look better than they do! * My husband loves me no matter what my size. This means that when I finally am skinny and have a tummy tuck and breast lift/reduction and whatever else, he will be the one *****ALLY gets to enjoy my body deservedly so! * My kids know that I love them and they are proud of me because I am a good mother, no matter how much I weigh. I am greatful for having been given this opportunity to improve my life, and I continue everyday striving to work my tool to the best of my ability. I know I have come a long way, and I know that I am doing great, but I also know that I have a long way to go and plan on continuing to do great. I have become a walking poster-child for WLS and although I do not walk up to every obese person I see and tell them how much WLS has changed my life, I will not hide the fact that I have had WLS and will answer any questions they may have in order to help them decide if this is the path they wish to take. Thanks for letting me share I hope that all of you have as great of success as you wish and we all can look back on these posts in a few years and laugh that we ever doubted we would be "at goal"! --joanna 325/184/125(someday, I hope!!)

WTG! I started at 302 and have about 18 lbs to go, before I hit the elusive ONEDERLAND! Sandy

. I posted this a few days ago on the main board, but thought I'd repost it here on the April board. I see some people have had stalls that they can't explain, and so I thought I should let you know my experience. I went on Seasonale Birth Control Pills in mid-October so I would cycle only 4 times a year. BIG MISTAKE! It totally stopped my weight loss. Before going on them, I called my surgeon's office for their opinion, and they said that I should have no problem taking them or absorbing them. I think I even posted here about it and a few people said they took them with no problem. Did it stop anyone's weight loss? From 10/19 to 11/9 I only lost 2 pounds. From 11/9 to 12/9 I only lost 3 pounds. I quit the pills the first week in December and started cycling on 12/9. Since 12/9 I have lost 12 pounds!!!!!! Just wanted to warn anyone contemplating taking them that you may have a MAJOR stall in your weight loss. I learned the hard way. Ugh. My profile has a complete journal of my journey, and I'm including this experience too, so any pre-ops reading it will know ahead of time what to expect! Hope you all have a WONDERFUL holiday season! Dayna 310/199/120

Hello all April brothers and sisters... I have recently read your threads about plateaus....I have the answer for it and it is very worth your time to try it...It works and if you work this the right way...you will be on the weight loss trail once again. I was determined to find a way to break a plateay early if the day would arrive that it has struck me so here goes...listen carefully...it works and you will be amazed and wish to hug everyone around you... Here is what you do.... Start on a Sunday or a Monday! it is vital you start in the beginning of the week.. Get back to the basics...yougurt, your proterin suppliment of choice, broth, jello, pudding, water, water, water, cream soups of all kinds.... For week one of a 4 week basic training.....for exactly 7 days...eat as much as you want of the listed above food choices...nothing more no veggies, no fruit, no sugar, we did it the week after surgery we can do it again...and live... For week two of basic training...eat no more than 1/2 cup per meal 3 times a day of soft food material....tuna,oatmeal, taco meat, mashed tatos, any thing soft, plus all you want from the list from week one of basic training...throoughout the day For week three of basic training...eat no more than 3/4 cup of food 4 times a day of ground food...cereal, chicken, any thing you would consider ground....plus all you want from the week one of basic training...not week two, week one....throughtout the day for week four....eat no more than one cup of food three times a day of any of your desired meals...example....breakfast, 1 scrambled egg half peice of toast 1/2 banana...trust me it fits into a cup...or if you prefer..weigh to eight ounces...no more than eight ounces...per meal...dinner would look like this...for me...1/4 cup meat, 1/4 cup mashed tatos, 1/4 cup green beans...1/4 cup salad....plus all you want from week one of basic training throuhgout the day... Then at the end of week 4....you go right back to week one and start all over again... Trust me on this WLS buddies...we all have a common goal and this program will work...it took alot of trial and error to find a plateau buster and this is the real deal...yoou will lose the pounds off of this way if training...and that is what it is...we need to retrain our pouchies to listen to us...I was sick of having to listen to it...i dumped enough and since being on this..well have not dumped since..i have control to use this tool to the best of my ability Give it a try and you will see results....I am here for the support of any one who needs it.... we are all in this together and we can over come...we just need to stick together....feel free to email me or IM me any time you want....ask for my IM info and I will be glad to give it to you...one thing I have learned,,,,,,we can not do this alone... God bless each of my WLS sisters and brothers in the month of April... I think of you often... Best of luck to each of you.... Rae

Wow you're doing great! I started out at 347 and I'm down to 212 and I completely relate to the hair loss ( I think that losing hair must have helped the scales move!!!) What are you doing for your hair? I can honestly say that this is my only negative effect from surgery!! Keep up the good work! Merry Christmas!!! Teresa