You're very welcome! I went ahead and posted it on the main board... thanks for the suggestion! I never post there... Angie 280/175/135 http://www.geocities.com/tiger_angie

Hi Just wanted to report that I stepped on the scale today, and I am now....138 lbs. I am in the normal categorie, my bmi is 24.8. My BMI when I started was 44.5. I am so excited!!! I have not been in the normal category since Freshman in High School!!! Now I have 8 more pounds to go until goal (dr.'s goal). My weight loss is really slow, but seems to be picking up this week, finally!! Just wanted everyone to know how HAPPY I am, and that I hope everyone else is doing well in their journeys. Tricia 247/138/130

Angie, Thanks for posting this info. I have been floating, for the past 4 months, from 242 to 246. This is literally driving me crazy. I have monitored everything that I have put into my mouth. I have met with my dietician, increased my water, protein and calories, and still stuck. I have tried soooo hard to stay focused on where I have come from. I have dropped 147 pounds but still want to take off another 60. I am having a hard time trying to stay positive. I struggle with this daily. I researched all this, learned as much as I could and started the ball rolling. I had a friend who had surgery 3 months after me and she has already passed me up and is 30 pounds less than me now. ( I started 20 pounds heavier than her.) I love this friend dearly. I am sooo happy for her. I know better than anyone where she came from. I try to support her and help her to be happy for herself. She has a hard time cause she is so concerned about me. We have even tried doing the same thing for 1 week. The only thing different is I always drink more than her. I love water and normall consume about 80-100 oz. daily. Anyways, she drops 5 pounds I do nothing. GRrrrrrrr!!!! I feel so frustrated. I have printed your info and will try this too. Again thanks for posting. Sincerely, April

Well it is June .. June already .. and here we are on year out for all of us .. So how does it feel ? Did you ever think we would make it here ! I know we are all busy with getting on with our lives .. but let's not forget where we have been ... and where we have to go ... So many new things to come .. some of us are pushing hard to get to goal .. remember you still have plenty of time to do this .. just follow the pouch rules and stay positive .. Some of you are at the maintence stage now .. just keep it all real and remember the rules .. now is the time to really start working on firming up those muscles !! I have come so far but have far to go ... I love my new life .. and look forward to the years to come .. thanks to my surgery and to my new lifestyle .. Love you all ... Natalie

Oh sweetie!!! First off big hugs to you!! I have lost more, but I feel the same. I went from 298lbs to 183lbs in 9 months. I know I am pregnant so things are different, however I can eat anything. I can eat normal size meals, that I believe are way too big for someone who had gastric bypass. My Surgeon saw me in February, and doesnt see me again till August, so I didnt get to go for a one year. He said I was doing great. He only had me down as getting to 175lbs for a goal. That is still obese for me!! I want to be about 130-135lbs or anything under a size 10. I got down to a size 18, which is what I had been at for most of my life. I was a size 18 from highschool all the way till I was 27 years old. Then I got pregnant had my beautiful son, and then the next 5 years blew up to the wopping 298lbs size 26-28. I am very happy to be down 10sizes, and healthier, but I feel I have not succeeded in what I set out to do. Now that I am pregnant, I have also had the problem of having to drink with eating. I was real good at waiting that half hour, but now I cant. I have to drink. I feel like I am choking, and get real light headed, and sick feeling. I am so afraid that this is something that has to do with my pregnancy, and I will stretch my pouch, or eat more than I need to. I am so afraid by the end of this pregnancy I will have lost my tool. I will be talking to my Dr in August about this concern. I didnt have this severe surgery to break my tool, yet I cant seem to stop drinking when eating. Be proud of what you have lost, and remember we will have to try harder to reach our goals, but we still have some time left. Everyone is different, some work real hard to get their results, others do nothing and lose alot, then some try hard and dont get the results they want, and then there are some who dont try and dont get results. Please try to stay positive, and if you ever need to tlak you know we are here for you. Take care sweetie- Melissa