11 month check in.....

Helloooooooo November babies... boy that time is getting closer!!!! Almost at that year mark.... have some of you stopped losing weight??? My doc says the variation can be from 9 monts to about 2 yrs... We lost a poet and a wonderful man on the California Board recently and it has made me so aware of the gift of life that I have. So ..... here are your questions: 1. What complications have you experienced as a result of surgery? 2. How much weight have you lost total (from your highest weight)? 3. What percentage of your total weight to lose have you lost - (total weight loss/ total weight to lose x 100).... You can check the weight loss planner if you are unsure of how much you should weigh for your height. 4. What has been your biggest loss (other than lbs) since surgery? 5. What has been your proudest achievement (other than lbs lost) since surgery? 6. What is next goal (other than lbs)??? Looking forward to hearing from you.... Boy, time does fly when you are having fun!!! B

Great questions. I will not be out 11 months until the 29th of this month. However, I thought I would respond anyway. 1. Have had a lot of problems with food getting stuck. Last month had to have a EGD and balloon treatment to widen my esphagus where it had closed down to just a slit. Has been better since that and still trying to learn how to eat slower! Hard to do with my travelling job but I am doing somewhat better. At least I can eat most days. 2. 182 lbs as of yesterday. 3. Well I have two percentages for this. I am not trying to get to my ideal weight for my height, but if I were I would be sitting at 69% of weight lost. However, since I am only looking at going down to 180lbs, 47lbs to goal, I calculated the percentage based on that goal as well. So for that goal, I at 79% of weight lost. 4. Biggest loss - my favorite velvet dress I bought at Bloomingdales in NY in 2001. It is a size 28W and I am now in size 16 (no W) and the tailor said there is no way to cut it down without ruining it. So it will have to go to another deserving person. HMMMM, maybe I will have to buy a new velvet dress this year; maybe not, I plan on getting down to a size 12 before this is all over and I wont make that by Christmas. 5. A new job! One I would not have tried for if not for the weight loss. 6. Plan a wedding! Yep got engaged on September 8th and the wedding is planned for Nov 2006. My man has stood by me since before surgery and has watched me struggle, jump for joy and cry my eyes out over this weight loss. I am soooooooooooooooo happy ! I wasnt sure the day we would decide to get married would ever come. His decision all the way as I knew what I wanted and just waited for him to catch up! LOL Lise 409/227/180 11/29/04 Tulsa

Your post made me smile.... I can identify with not wanting to lose that dress. The holidays and cooler weather is coming ... and I know I will have a fit because my furs. leathers and beaded jobbies no longer fit!!!!! What is a girl to wear during the social season??!!!! Congratulations on the wedding... and thank god he caught up... I'm still waiting! Congrats on your weight loss B

Hiya B, I really look forward to your monthly questions!!! These are good ones! 1. What complications have you experienced as a result of surgery? ABSOLUTELY NONE! :D 2. How much weight have you lost total (from your highest weight)? I HAVE LOST A TOTAL OF 103 lbs 3. What percentage of your total weight to lose have you lost - (total weight loss/ total weight to lose x 100).... You can check the weight loss planner if you are unsure of how much you should weigh for your height. I HAVE LOST 103% of the weight I wanted to lose. 4. What has been your biggest loss (other than lbs) since surgery? THE ONLY LOSS I HAD OTHER THAN LBS WAS HAIR - AND IT IS GROWING BACK IN NICELY NOW. 5. What has been your proudest achievement (other than lbs lost) since surgery? MY PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT HAS BEEN MY RUNNING. I AM SH****ED AT HOW MOTIVATING IT IS TO ME. I HAVE RUN 3 5K RACES AND IMPROVED MY TIME EACH TIME, AND I HAVE EVEN WON A TROPHY FOR 3RD PLACE IN MY AGE GROUP. ANOTHER BENEFIT OF THIS IS THAT MY CHILDREN HAVE GOTTEN INTERESTED IN RUNNING AND THERE IS NOTHING I WANT MORE THAN LIFELONG GOOD HABITS TO START NOW FOR THEM> 6. What is next goal (other than lbs)??? MY NEXT GOAL IS TO RUN IN A 5 MILE RACE - THE DATE FOR THAT IS NOVEMBER 5 - THAT IS 6 DAYS SHY OF MY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY. Again, B, thanks for posting this!! I look forward to reading everyone's responses.

1. I really have not had any complications at all. I guess the only thing I can think of that bothers me, is that I do eat pasta now and then, and I know I shouldn't be. I DO eat my protein first and then veggie, but every once in a while, I just want a few bites of spaghetti or macaroni and I do. I don't go overboard though!! 2. I have lost 143 lbs!!!!!!!! 3. If I figured this right, I am at 79%. I still want to lose about 38 lbs. I will be happy though, with another 20!! 4. I can't think of any other losses that I MISS...lol!! Oh I do have a pair of shoes that I loved, that don't fit. My feet have gotten smaller...I wouldn't call that a big loss though! 5. My proudest achievement....I would have to say the day my 10 yr old daughter hugged me and she got all the way around and still had room to spare!! That was SO neat for me!!! Also, going back to school!! I am proud of that!! 6. My next goal is to pass my final at the first of December, and start my job at the first of the year. I also really want to get into a size 8 or even 10!! I don't know that that will happen, but heck, its a goal!!

I still got a couple weeks before I'm 11 months out, but here goes! 1. Only directly after surgery, when I also had my Spleen removed because it was nicked and I was bleeding out. all betta now! Complications now - too many compliments.. starting to go to my head 2. 161 lbs ! 3. 85% !!! 4. can't think of any really... shoes? really nothing 5. I regained my confidence, my smile and activity level! 6. Find a man No I didn't do this to find 1 of those, but I did have the surgery so I would feel better about my self... Next goal?? NOT freezing this winter! Some of these Brrrr chilly mornings has made me miss my body fat.. for ONLY a second though. Time sure is flying ~since we are living, not jus****ching life go by~ ! duhh I didn't see that you said that, till I was finished writing. Oh well, 2's always better than 1! to my November family!

1 No complications at all 2 Total lost-87# 3 percentage lost 66% 4 biggest loss--I miss my husband and son (deployed in August) 5 proudest achhievement--Regular exercise routine 6 next goal--live love & laugh every day.

1. none to this point! PLT! 2. 125#s 3. 80% (I want to be down to 195) 4. My great aunt died back in March. She was the one who raised me! 5. I got into Grad school! I was also able to ride the rides at the county fair with my students who wouldn't ride if I didn't ride with them. A year ago I would not have been able to fit in the rides and my students and myself would be watching from the side lines. 6. I don't know...I'll get back to on this one

Hello everyone!! I am 11 full months out. I was very sick right after surgery. My incision busted open at 7 weeks out and I had a staph infection. I had constant diaherra for 8 weeks after surgery...life was miserable then...I was off work 8 full weeks. I have lost 142 lbs since surgery. I started out at 340 lbs would like to weigh 150 lbs......this am I weighed 198 lbs. So, the percentage is around 73% loss, so far. Maybe, my math is off, but that number looks good!!! My biggest loss since surgery has been my loss of my lack of self love. I have learned to love me again and regain confidence I can get the rest of this weight off with alot of patience and work on my part. My next goal is to retire from present job of 20 years and find a job I really like. I should able to retire in like 2 years from now with a state retirement. I can not wait....to leave my present employment. My next goal is to like ride my bike in a bike race....I will never win, but would like to try. I need a new pic...this pic is of me 40 lbs heavier. I am going OH National conference in Calif in December...I hope everyone comes to it. It will be fun...it is 3 days long. I can not wait. Sandy in Tucson

Hey all...... It is sooooooo hard to believe 1 year is around the corner. WOW!!! On to the questions...... 1. My complications have been very minimal, but I still have a lot of vomiting with certain foods. I can NOT eat pasta, rice, bread at all. I find if I eat too quickly I also have a hard time. 2. I was 311 pds. at my highest weight and am now 167 pds. I have lost a total of 144 pds. 3. According to my dr. I am at my goal weight. So I guess I have lost 100%, but I would like to lose another 5-10 pds. 4. My biggest loss..... I guess that would be my love of food. I was totally obsessed with food before surgery. Now I "enjoy" food and make healthy choices. 5. My proudest achievment happened the other night. I went through my clothes and found a pair of over-alls that I wore at my heaviest weight. I got in one leg and my 2 sons got in the other. What a feeling that was!!! 6. My next goal is to maintain my weight and run a 5k. I love to run. Now that we have shared our answers, what are yours? Take care and keep up the good work everyone! Karry 311/167 at goal and LOVIN it!!