Hi All, LAP RNY 10/26/04 (20 weeks = 4 1/2 months out) Surgery Date weight: 400 Today's (3/15/05) weight: 309.75 Surgeon's Goal Weight: 225 My Goal Weight: 175 and then whatever comes off a bonus Down a total of -91 lbs so far! Best of Luck, Audrey

Hi...good post! I think my favorite WLS WOW moment so far is the fact that I can actually see my wrist bone...it was covered by so much fat before, I didn't even know there was a knuckle/bone there. And also my rings all need guards. Since 2 months out from surgery I needed a ring guard on my engagement ring. My Hubby bought me a new wedding band for Christmas this year (our 5th Christmas together...our Wedding anniversary is in July 2005)...and it is two sizes smaller then my engagement ring. Woo hoo! Also, when I was only 2 month out, I bought a gold bracelet (in a normal size) and they had to remove two links from it, now I need two more links removed. Also I can no longer wear my ankle bracelet as it falls right down over my ankle (and off my foot). Will have to put it up for sale on e-Bay...LOL!!! Those are just a few of the WOW moments thusfar. Aside from the weekly ones of no longer fitting in outshrunk clothes!!! Take care and thanks for the post! Audrey

Hello Kiki, I had hit a stall period and here is what I updated today on my profile (perhaps it will help, perhaps not): Tuesday, March 15, 2005 Well I have a lot to post today. The last time I posted was over a month ago. The reason being is---> I hit a stall!!! For nearly 4 weeks I hadn't lost one single iota of a pound. I did lose inches, but no weight. I attributed this at the beginning of the four weeks to running out of my fluid pills. I was without them for nearly a month, the same time I lost NO weight. In fact from 2/22/05 - 3/01/05 (a total of one week)I gained 5 lbs. Then a week later I started losing again...slowly. On March 1st I weighed 330 lbs. and not until March 8th (a week later) did I lose a pound and was now at 329 lbs.! Three days later (March 11th) I was down to 327 3/4 lbs. On March 12th I was 322 lbs., on March 13th I was 316 lbs, on March 14th I weighed 313.75, on the 15th (TODAY) I weigh 309.25. That is a total loss of 20.75 lbs in two weeks! Take a guess when I received my new supply of water pills? March 11th (4 days ago). Do you think not having any water pills made any difference to my body? You bet it did. What I am trying to say here is...if anyone who is/was super morbidly obese and they tend to retain a LOT of fluid (I have retained a lot of fluid since I was in my mid twenties)and you find that you have come to a stall (and aren't taking water pills/not losing weight), just possibly it could be because you are retaining fluid. I think I will probably need to stay on fluid pill the rest of my life or until I am at least at a "normal" weight. I do exercise more then I did starting out on this journey, I have increased (exercised harder) not longer and have included a few more aerobic activities to my exercise regimin. I feel a culmination of the exercise AND the water pills are helping me to lose again. Yes, my body may/could have been in shock from losing so much weight (75 lbs) so fast and therefore went in a slow down period. Let me tell you, I was really depressed and worried that I wouldn't lose any more weight then the 75 I already had lost. I had feelings and thoughts of "did I go through this life altering change, for only a 75 lb loss when I have so much more to lose"? I am very thankful for my belief in God above and for having perserverance in sticking to the rules of the pouch through this temporary stall. It wasn't easy, but I had faith and (hope) that is was just temporary. Not to mention the wonderful support I received from other WLS people here on OH. It isn't to say also, that there were times I got very depressed and would take long naps during the day when I was on this stall. I am writing this, not only to give information to those out there that may be in the same situation, but to document it so that I have it to fall back on in case I need a reference of some kind in the future. I have also noticed that in the past two weeks I haven't missed any day of exercise and I have increased my workouts using various exercise. As of today I am down 90 3/4 lbs in 20 weeks and averages to 4.5375 lbs a week. I started out with a BMI of 62.6 and today I am down to a BMI of 48.4. I have reached Morbidly Obese from Super Morbidly Obese!!! It can only get better from here. I honestly believe you will start to lose again. I did everything I could to figure out why I wasn't losing, did so much research, questioning here on OH and also found a great website that I go to all the time now. It is: www.thinnerself.com What an awesome website, check it out! I wish you the best of luck! Audrey

Plateaus are the worst. I have 3 weeks out of every month where I don't lose. I too get very discouraged. And the disappointment I feel when I weigh in once a week just makes me want to binge on comfort foods. Now I know this would only stall my loss even more. But yesterday I couldn't take it any more and ate one of the woopie pies a friend brought in for the kids. OMG, it tasted so good that I gobbled down the whole thing in a few minutes. Yep, I dumped. This was the first time I dumped on sugar. Its a terrable feelling. I never want to feel like that again. I also have stick points in my weight. I was 235# for a while and that is where my loss stalled the first time. Another time I was at 200# for a while and now I'm stuck there. So I do think we have set points in our loss. Please hang in there, I know your weight will start to move down again as will mine. I just have to be stronger than the need to comfort myself with food. Barbara

Shawnde isn't that wonderful and how happy you sound. I have lost 76 pounds and I have 40 more to go. Janice