Before I forget...

I'm actually on here and was reading through posts and realized I'd forget to post an update if I didn't do it now so here I am. It appears as though I might be walking in a late summer onederland instead of a winter onederland like I originally had hoped! This morning, I weighed in at 202.8 on my home scale which is 1.6 lbs heavier than the scale at CHRIAS!!! It is literally just around the corner!!! My goal weight has been 180 lbs with a clothing size of 18, I'm already in some 18s and mostly 20s and am already 40 lbs lighter than Dr Wynn said I should expect to be by the end of the first year and 20lbs less than the total expected weight loss. I am so happy. We expected that after skin removal I MIGHT get to where I am now, yet I am still losing (which in a way is a bit scary but height charts put my ideal weight as 160). My hernia repair seems to be holding and I'm hoping to be back to work on Monday. I'm taking longer to recover than I'd like and have been out of work for a month now, but it's because of other medications that slow the healing process that I was on at the time of the surgery (unplaned). I wish I could be here more often and miss you all! I hope to hear from you soon, please feel free to email me! Hugs and love! Rachel PS For those of you who like spiritual stories, I'm going to post my testimony of faith on my profile today also. HUGS!

Hi Rachael, I'm so happy to see your post! You've been missed. I didn't even know you had to have a hernia surgery. Congrats on your almost being to onederland! One good poop and you'll be there!!! LOL Drink a LOT of water and you'll flush out the toxins and will lose that extra 2 lbs. Don't go by height charts. People rarely, if ever, get to those doctor imposed height/weight charts. Plus, with WLS, they only expect you to lose 75-80% of fat and get to that BMI. My surgeon has me set at a goal of 206 lbs, by figuring a 75% weight loss, not what my ideal weight should be. I guess he figures at this age, most people never get to that chart weight. I'm at 211 today and will meet his goal by 12 months. My personal goal is 175. I think the BMI height/weight charts have my ideal weight at 151 or something like that. I was 20 the last time I weighed that. I just don't see myself getting down that much. My body shape is totally different at 211 than it was the last time I weighed 211 about 10 years ago. Maybe all of the protein, I don't know. But, I definately look thinner at this weight than I did at 211 then. My hubby says I looked like a big pear back then! I just bought a pair of size 16 capris at Marshall's and could NOT believe I got into them. I also bought a size XL blouse to go with them. I spent a whole 12 dollars for it all on sale! Woo hoo! Keep up the good work. And, please try to come by here more often, pop your head in and say "hi", ok? Paula

Hey Paula, My doc had my 1 year weight at 240 and my 2 year weight at 220 with roughtly 200 as the after-skin-removal best chance. I'm just over 200 now, so without this extra 20lbs of skin I'd be at my (personal) goal weight. I haven't been this light since HS and actually put my prom dress on the other day!!! Granted I'm going to have to either have the sleeves let out or my arms tucked in (hehe) but it fits!!!! My church has a winter banquet each year, I'm seriously thinking of wearing it just for that reason (it's a semi-formal but most wear prom style dresses). We'll see what happens, I might be too small for it if I keep loosing like this! I'm starting to get worried that I'll lose too much... but I seriously hope I don't! I have mommy hips now too and I don't know what is going to happen because of this, but hey, I'm a survivor, right? I'm trying to keep in touch, but need a gentle nudge from time to time... and respond to emails better, so please, feel free to nudge me in email okay? HUGS Rachel

Hello Rachel, it is so good to have you post! We've missed you You are doing great - and I liked what Paula said about height/weight charts. That was good to hear because I am not sure I will in fact get to what the charts say, or actually should I!! This sounds weird to say, but I don't want to look sickly. I'm glad to hear that your hernia repair is working out. Be sure and take it easy when you start back to work, come back as you can, okay Rachel! love donna

Hi Donna, I agree with what Paula said also, I hate those stupid charts, I didn't have that great of luck when I was a teenager with them either. At 170 I always looked sickly and 180 healthy, that's why I'm already getting concerned that I'll loose too much because I'm 20 lbs away from the ULTIMATE goal and I still have quite a bit of skin hanging on me. That's why we used the 180 number to figure everything out... even though I'd still be "overweight" I'd be a healthy "overweight" I am at a 31.6 bmi now (roughly) and am thrilled at no longer having the words SUPER or MORBID in front of the word OBESE. Few more pounds and I'll simply be overweight. *sigh* And I'm the lightest person in my family now which is sad because other than my father, I'm the tallest... and my dad is only 2 inches taller than I am and if I had to estimate it his BMI is probably 60. It worries me, but I can't make him lose weight, although my mom does want him to try. Okay, I'm rambling. HUGS Thanks for caring, and like I said to Paula, please feel free to drop me a line if I'm away too long!!! Rachel

Hey Rachel, would your dad ever consider WLS? Might be something for him to think about.. You know I've wondered about this, and maybe if anyone else is reading this (Paula,are you there -- she knows everything!!) maybe they know the answer. But does anyone know how to stop losing weight? Do you just stop when you're where you should be? I don't think I am going to have a problem of losing too much, that's for sure, but what happens when like you, get to 180 and are happy, and then just keep losing! Anyone know? Now that is a problem I have never had!! love donna

Doritos...tons of Doritos...........lol Actualy you just add a few calories and good carbs or protine to your intake so that you slow down the loss till you maintain. Shel

Hey Donna, I dont' know if he'd consider this surgery yet or not, but I think they're seeing how well I'm doing with it and starting to think it might be a possibility. I really am worried about him, they can't turn the C-pap he's on up any higher and the more he gains the worse it is. I've never had this issue before either with loosing too much weight. but if I have to I'll carb it up. I've discovered that my weight loss stalls if I eat a snack of chips (like tortilla with salsa or something) once a day. So, if push comes to shove, I eat chips once a day right? I hope!? HUGS Rachel

Glad you found time to update and let us all know your surgery went well. Shel

Way to go Rachel. That onderland is gonna be here before you know it. Congrats to you. Keep up the great work. Tammy O