Post your success...

Hi Tiffany! Let me first say that you look AMAZING! Like a totally different person. Wow! What a transformation! Thanks for starting this thread. I also love to see where everyone is in their journey. It is so fun! What a ride it has been! I started the program back in 2003, but then dropped out for awhile. I started back up because I was determined to have the surgery. I got scheduled for surgery for May 2004, but 16 days before my surgery date, I fell down my stairs and broke three bones in my leg! Needless to say, WLS was cancelled. I was in a wheelchair for 3 months and was finally given the okay for surgery in August. I now believe that it was meant to be; I was not meant to have surgery in May. But at the time, I was so freaking depressed!!! Anyway..... I weighed 254 the day of consult and then gained all the way to 268 lbs! This was January 2004. I had a freaky allergic reaction to something and had softball size hives from head to toe, so I was put on an intense course of steriods, which caused the gain. I lost all of that plus more, and on the day of my surgery, I weighed 232 lbs. I have since lost my weight fairly quickly, very quickly in my surgeons and dieticians mind. I now weigh 120 lbs! That is 8 lbs below my goal of 128 lbs. I am now trying to maintain my weight and not lose any more. This journey has been amazing; and I wouldn't ever go back. I can not to this day believe that I am no longer obese...I am a thin person. It is mind boggling, truly. I do have a fairly recent pic on my profile (I was 131 lbs in the pic) so it is pretty accurate as to what I look like now. But I will put a pic up soon with me at my current weight. I have serious issues with saggy skin on my thights, arms and tummy. My thighs are especially bothersome...I would look okay in a bathingsuit if it wasn't for the damn thighs! LOL...They are very wrinkly. But it is a small price to pay! Thanks again for starting this thread. I can not believe it has almost been a year!! And what a year...unbelievable! Hugs, Denise highest (1/04)/day of surgery/current/goal 268/232/120/128 8 lbs below goal

Denise, there you are! I love that smile! You have been through so much and came so far! Awesome job!! I totally know about the saggy skin. I would rather have a thigh lift than a tummy tuck. I am too dang old to be showing my stomach to anyone anyway! Plus I had open surgery, but I WOULD love to wear shorts and the saggy thighs are a major bummer. I basically live in capris! But like you said, it truly IS a small price to pay! Do you keep track of your calories at all? Are you eating a certain number of meals a day, etc? I am just curious about how you are maintaining. It seems like I will decide to eat a little more to try to maintain and then the next day I have a big loss and I get scared and go back to my old eating habits, which mean I still drop about a pound every week or two. I never in my wildest dreams thought maintaining my weight would be my problem! LOL Anyway, you are such an inspiration to many of us! Great job! Keep posting!! Tiff

Hi Tiffany, I totally agree with you about preferring to get a thigh lift instead of a tummy tuck. Heck, I would really love to have both, but if I had to choose, I would choose the thighs. I can hide my tummy in bathinsuits and skirts, but those damn thighs! GRRRR! I really don't track my calories like I should. I recently started logging my daily food intake so I have a rough estimate. If I continue to drop and am unable to maintain, I will definitely be precise when calorie counting so I can increase/decrease/tweak as necessary. Thanks so much for saying that I am an inspiration! That is such the ultimate compliment and you made my day! You are a sweetheart. Hugs, Denise

HI! I haven't posted in a while on thois board. I've been so busy with work, school and family, it's been crazy! I had surgery August 12th, 2004...During hurricane Charley in Florida! I started at 320 lbs. and currently at 157 lbs. I have lost -164 lbs!!! Still hard to believe! I went from a tight 26/28 to a 10/12 pants, M/L shirt. I don't really have a goal. The doctor is happy where I am at now, if I dont lose anymore I would be happy with that too!! I've had some complications. I had an infection alittle over one week out and a stricture at 6 weeks. In the last three months I have had some extreme tiredness , dizziness , cramping in legs, numbeness & tingling in legs and arms. Went to the doc, had blood test done and she says I am heading towards mineral dificiency, along with low blood pressure.Doc suggested taking liquid mineral supplements for better absorption, so we will see how it does. Otherwise when I am not feeling these symptoms, I feel great! I went to Queens, New York in June with my boyfriend (soon to be hubby) and had a GREAT time. If we would of went one year ago, I would of been miserable. We walked every where! We saw the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Time Square twice, Central Park (Puerto Rican Day Parade was held there), Battery Island, and some I can't think of right now. We were on the move! I have no regrets having this surgery! I am happy even though I had some tough times. Susan 320/156 8/12/2004

I'm in the exact same boat. I'm still 60 pounds from where I personally want to be, even though my doctor hasn't given me an exact number as a goal. And, I've plateaued for the last month or so. VERY FRUSTRATING! One of the most depressing aspects is that the SHAPE of my body is the same. My fat rolls are smaller, but the fat on my chest and my stomach are the same shape as they were 200 pounds ago. Not only that, I have ugly loose skin on top of it. I'm going to begin weight lifting this week to try to tone up. Up to this point, I've only been walking. I'm going to focus more on portion control and protein, too. I WANT TO EAT ALL THE TIME. I've even thought about joining Overeaters Anonymous or getting overeating counseling because I always want to eat, even if I'm not hungry and I'm afraid I'm going to stretch my pouch out and be back to where I was in a year or so. I know it's nice that I've lost the weight an all, but there's not a little "before" and "after" picture that pops up beside me when I look in the mirror - there's only the current me that's not pleasant to look at. Did I say I hate this plateau crap?

Everyone is doing so well - congratulations! I do have to admit that I have both good days and bad days. Of course, I am extremely jealous to see so many of you in the 100s... then again, many of you had surgery weighing in the range of where I am right now. I am 10 months out and have lost 120lbs. from the day of surgery, so I am down about 150lbs from my highest weight. I started in tight 30/32 clothing and now can wear 18s My doctor didn't set a goal for me, although he keeps telling me that I am doing great. Everytime I set a personal goal, I seem to miss it, so I've stopped doing that. I can't take the disappointment. I know what you mean about the shape of your body. I think that's why it's so hard for me to appreciate the change. 'Cause the two "boobs" under my breasts are still there... smaller, but still there. And the hanging skin is just horrible, but I do see it getting a bit better with exercise. Congratulations to everyone on your success! Jen

Thanks for posting this, Tiffany. And congrats on your amazing ride! I'm doing well. I weigh 169 now, from an all-time high of 290 and a pre-op weight of 278. (so that's -109 from surgery and -121 from the high) I lose really slowly now, but inches and body fat are still going down. I think I'll hit goal (120-130, tentatively) at 18-21 months post-op. Slower than I'd like, but hey, I'll take what I can get! It's so great to feel like I'm not the biggest one in the room at any given time. I'm short, just 5'1", so the pounds really show. Being in the 100s is wonderful, and wearing normal-size clothes is fantastic. I'm down to a M or L top, depending on the make, and about a 12 pant. I'm still obese on the BMI calculator, but in 11 lbs. I'll be overweight. I look forward to that! This is just a wonderful gift we've been given. I can't believe it's been nearly a year! To share it with all of you is such a bonus for me. Kathryn 08/12/04 -109

HI all August losers!!! I don't get to post often and since I am on vacation today thought I would check in!! Boy am I glad that I did!! It is really great to see how everyone is doing!! My surgery was 8/23-starting weight was 271-size 24 pants and 3x tops...now at 155 (5 lbs from personal goal) wearing a size 8 pants and m top!! I never wore single digit clothes ever before since ele,emtary school!! I can't believe that I am in an 8!! I thought I would be happy in a 12..so now I am extatic!!! i jsut checked my BMI and I am now in the high end of IDEAL!!!!! I just can't believe how great the journey has been. I have had a couple of bumps in the road..I have a small ulcer...(the smoking demon will not go away) and had to have my gallbladder out in May but I never let any of that get me down!!! Life is great..I feel great..and love my new life!! My parents are now telling me that I shouldn't lose any more of I will look too skinny!! That cracks me up..some one worring about ME getting too skinny!!! Never thought I wwould hear those words!! LOL!!The sagging skin is sometimes frustrating but clothes hide it well..good thing I don't plan on posing for playboy..LOL!! But I wouldn' trade it in for my old life that is for sure!! I am just glad that I have lost evenly all over and my body porportions are great...that was a concern for me!! I am soooo happy for all of us! we all deserve a big pat on the back for a job well done!!! You all look great!! Someday I hope to be able to have time to post my before and after pixs too!! will psot when I finally get them done!! Keep up the good work all...and happy anniversary to everyone early!! Barb 271-155-150

Hi Tiffany... thanks for posting this... I love reading how everyone is doing.... Lets see for me.... I had my first surgery on 8/4/98 vbg and had to have a revision since I was sick all the time... throwing up.... didnt lose weight.... had 6 dilatations done.... lived that way for 6 years and then decided to look into having a revision... so on 8/3/04 had my revision done... I was weighing 205 on that day... with the first surgery I weighed in at 227.... so that would be my highest weight.... wearing a tight 18/20 in tops and pants... 44 D bra.... As of today I am weighing 135... size 8 but I am going shopping this weekend for my birthday... 40th... and my 8's are loose so I know I will be in a 6... never in my life have I been in single digit clothes... The skin part bothers me but I know in Dec. I will be having a tt and boob job.... legs arent too bad... neither are the arms... there is some skin but not enough that I dont wear sleevleless shirts or shorts.... I went to Hawaii in April and had a blast... I was able to keep up with my 16 year old and his friend and my husband... hiked up Diamond Head... didnt make it to the top cause I am closterphobic (sp) and you had to crawl through a tunnel... just couldnt even try it..... so I didnt make it to the top... almost though.... I wish I would have done the revision years ago... but I am happy where I am right now.... my personal goal is 120 but my doctor said he is happy with me at 140... I already passed that.... Keep up the great work everyone..... Debra 227/205/135/120 goal (almost there)

Looks like everyone is doing awesome!!! I started out at 521 pounds. I am now 336. So I have lost 185 so far. My goal is to get under 200 and then start talking about plastic sugrgery for all this excess skin! I went from a size 6X (some of them tight) to a 2X top and 26/28 bottom. I now exercise 6 hours a week, but I am getting ready to bump that up soon, too. I couldn't be happier. Now if I could just break this plateau that I'm on.... *~Amber~*