Can't believe how well you've done! Congratulations. What's been your biggest challenge? Sandra

Ok friends 5 months and two days post op i am now down 129 pounds . 485 to 357 oh how sweeeeeeeet it is........

David, I am so sorry that you dump on movie popcorn. That is the one thing that I can eat!! I dump on potatoes, all fruit (excep****ermelon) and sugar free chocolate. I dare not even think about eating anything with real sugar in it! Jackie

Angela, You really can't judge your progress on dress sizes. When I was at 396 lbs. I wore a 34+ .... when I had my revision at 314, I wore a 32. Now, at 237, I wear a 20 - 22 (mostly 22). One of the things that I noticed is that in the larger sizes (30's) ... the sizes are not consistent from one brand to another and I was mostly wearing things that had lycra in them... so, who knows what size I had them stretched out to. The other thing I noticed is that now that I can wear things that don't stretch... I can't stand it if anything is tight (not even a little). As we lose weight and get into more normal sizes... the variation won't be as great; though I understand that there is still some variation. I don't know how tall you are, but I understand that taller folks take longer to show the drop in clothing sizes too. Hang in there. 63 lbs is terrific. Jackie

Catherine, At 150 cm, you had a proximal RNY. Many surgeons do only 75 cm which is fine if you don't have much to lose, but for us "over 300" gals, it's not what we need to get to our goal, which should be a BMI under 30. That being said, some surgeons measure differently than others - backwards - so when they say you had a 75 cm bypass, it's actually closer to 125 cm. The real problem is there is no accepted definition of proximal, medial, and distal. The most important thing to know is how much of a common channel you have. That is where any digestion that CAN take place, does take place. A distal will have 60" or so. If you want to be careful that you stay in a good losing program, don't eat more than 1/2 cup at a time. It won't hurt you if you have another bite or too, so don't worry. The most prominent bariatric surgeons in the country subscribe to the 1/2 cup rule. Just because you CAN eat more doesn't mean you should. Diet soda has no place in our diet after WLS. The issue of carbonation is debated as to how much the gas expands our pouch...no definitive study as yet. More importantly, diet soda is incidious. One today soon leads to six next week. You have very little room to get in all the water you need. Don't replace what's necessary to your health with something that does you no good whatsoever. Additionally, brown liquids like diet Coke and Pepsi, are common culprits in kidney stone problems down the line. A sip or two once in a while won't do you any harm, but don't go backwards and develop a habit that can become a problem. I had an open RNY 10/17/03 and have been completely successful. All co-morbidities are gone and I'm down 100 lbs as of Tuesday. Yeah! Sandra