Wow Carol, great progress! That hernia does not sound fun. Do you have plans for surgery to repair that? -Jasmine

I've lost 147 thus far, bringing this awesome bunch of losers up to: 2,898.5!

I feel great. I have gone from a size 24 or 26 down to a size 12 or 14. My pre-surgery weight was 306, I now weigh 202, so I am down 104 pounds. I haven't been exercising, and I know I need to. I need some major motivation. I think I need to go buy a size 10 outfit and use it to motivate me to fit the exercise in, so that I will be able to fit my body into it. I look at pictures of me from last summer and can hardly believe that it is me. Life sure has changed for the better. I have trouble sometimes getting enough fluids in too. I have the same trouble with work right now, we were short handed for a long time, but now that we have hired someone, we still have to take the time out of our schedules to train, and now vacations are starting too. Stress is something that I am having trouble dealing with. Life would be so much easier if we only had to worry about ourselves and our own health. Kids, work, school, family, homework (for myself and my kids), housework, after school sports, everything seems to conspire against the things you need to do for yourself.

I never intended to insult you, and I'm sorry if you saw it that way. You were the one who said you needed to exercise more. You were the one who said you had gotten lax with your protein and water intake. And then you commented about everyone else having an easy time. It's not easy for any of us. You said yourself that you needed to take more responsibility, not me. By the way, I was also one who was active and didn't eat so bad prior to the surgery. I truly feel for you that the scale hasn't moved for you lately. There's nothing more discouraging than that. But if you're following all the rules, and its sounds like you are, I'm willing to bet that you're not done losing yet. I lose really well for about 2 weeks, then nothing for 2 weeks. And during those 2 weeks when I'm not losing, I get discouraged, which is ridiculous, but I do. I have a friend who went over 2 months without losing at all -- she had her surgery the same time as we did. Her stall happened from December to February, which is really soon after the surgery. She was afraid that her losing was over too, but it wasn't. Everyone loses differently. I'm sure it will start to happen again for you. In the meantime, you have to relish in the fact that your clothes are feeling better, which means that your body is just taking some time to catch up to the already great weight loss that you've experienced.

Hmm, I've tried to ignore it but feel the need to elaborate (why, I don't know since I don't know you...) I am a bit offended by the comment re: "We may just be doing everything we're supposed to do." Doing everything we're supposed to... I don't think anyone is perfect with this, nor could they be. We could always do more, but this can't consume my life - I'm so much more than my BMI. If you're sick, you probably won't get all your protein in. If you have an emergency, you may skip working out for a day... If I work out for an hour a day, you work out for two, and someone else just incorporates more activity into their lifestyle, who is doing what they are supposed to be? It could be all of us or none of us depending on where we started from.. I exercise. I don't eat junk. But then again, these are things I did even before surgery. I've had (and used) my gym membership for the past six years.... I've always been active, I have an abnormally efficient body - it doesn't take many calories to sustain me. So, when compared to someone who sat home all day eating junk food - yes, I think they are having an easier time losing weight. Do I think that's the case for everyone or even the majority of people who needed this surgery? Of course not! But, for those of us who were active and made relatively healthy food choices prior to surgery, this post-op "honeymoon" is less of a honeymoon for us. It may be a bigger challenge for the previously inactive or self-confessed emotional eaters to adapt to the new way of living, but the weight will come off more quickly and easily for them. Again, even if don't lose another pound, I will have been successful - no more meds, I'm more active and engaged, I've increased my likely lifespan... But, I would like to continue the downward trend with my weight!