QUESTION OF THE DAY! (Blast from the past)

Hello all, As we all near our 2 year anniversary I was wondering how we are all feeling and dealing with the new US? Do you feel like you have always been this way or do you still feel like the old fatty we used to be? What are you eating these days? Do you ever feel Actual Hunger? How far have you come? Size, Weight, Shoes? Has your health changed? Do people treat you differently? You think up a question and add it to this list....Then we can all play along! MINE_____________ Do you feel like you have always been this way or do you still feel like the old fatty we used to be? I FEEL AS IF THIS IS WHERE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALL MY LIFE. I FINALLY FEEL NORMAL AND FEEL THE WAY I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT I SHOULD!!! What are you eating these days? EVERYTHING, I TRY TO STAY LOW ON THE CARBS AND STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR, BUT OTHER THAN THAT I EAT VERY NORMALLY. Do you ever feel Actual Hunger? YES...MY STOMACH ACTUALLY GROWLS SOMETIMES JUST AS BEFORE. THATS WHEN I HAVE GONE WAY TOO LONG BETWEEN MEALS. IT MAKES FUNNY NOISES ALL THE TIME TOO. How far have you come? Size, Weight, Shoes? I HAVE LOST ABOUT 161 POUNDS, WEAR A SIZE '0' IN JEANS I WEIGH BETWEEN 97 AND 107...FLUCTUATES DAILY. I DID GO DOWN 1/2 SIZE IN SHOES! Has your health changed? i DONT HAVE ALL THE ACHES AND PAINS THAT I DID...NO MORE DIABETES, NOT GETTING BRONCHITIS AND INFECTIONS ALL THE TIME ANYMORE, MUCH MORE HEALTHY!!! Do people treat you differently? OMG YES!!! EVERYONE DOES. I GET BETTER TREATMENT, I DONT FEEL THAT I AM IGNORED SO MUCH AS I WAS BEFORE LIKE I BLENDED INTO THE BACKGROUND OR SOMETHING. AND THE MEN!!!! OMG...I CANT GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT GETTING STARES AND PICK UPS. WHEN WE GO OUT TO SEE A BAND OR TO A CLUB, I GET ALL SORTS OF COMMENTS AND GUYS MY SONS AGE TRYING TO PICK ME UP! THEY ARE NOW SAYING THAT I LOOK LIKE GOLDIE HAWN! ha!!! i DONT SEE IT BUT.... YEAH, I LOVE IT!!! NICE BEING

Hello Tracy OMG!!! You look fantastic!!!!! I have gone from 247 to 120-122 (5'4") depending on the day. I did get down to 116, but felt that was too thin for me. Funny how 5 lbs makes a difference now, when before it was not even noticeable. I wear a 2-4 and still do not see myself as thin as people say I am, so I guess it has not sunk in yet. I will see a thin woman while out with my DH and ask him.."am I as thin as her?" He says that I am even smaller-it just does not click What am I eating? EVERYTHING. Damn the Halloween candy. Pasta and rice still make me feel a little icky and I have never gone back to soda, diet or otherwise. Other than that I eat small portions of anything I want. I also drink 2 protien drinks each day. I do get hungry once in a while. But it has to be really a long time between meals for my tummy to grumble. My Health is the best it has ever been. No more sleep apnea and CPAP machine, no more hurting back, hips and stress fractures in my feet. In March I had a LBL and have the most amazing tummy that money can buy My breast lift w/silicone implants were done in July. I will be having a revision of my left breast since the implant has moved too far down and I look lopsided without clothes on. The right side is perfect and I hope this fix will make them both look great! No date set yet. I see my PS on 11-4. The last 2 years has gone by in a blur. Now it can slow down so I can enjoy being the new me. Kimberly

Hi there Tracy, Lets see if I can answer some of your questions. Do you feel like you have always been this way or do you still feel like the old fatty we used to be? I feel like the old fatty until I look in the mirror and see that new SLIM ME. What are you eating these days? I try to eat healthy. I am not a goody goody. I still love crunchies, but I do eat my 3 meals. I eat lots of veggies and fish. Meat is still a hard one for me. Do you ever feel Actual Hunger? I think from eating so bad all my life, I don't know what Actual Hunger is. How far have you come? Size, Weight, Shoes? I have come from a size 22/24 to a size 6 or 8. I have a hard time with clothes because I stand 5ft6 so I am not petite. I have trouble with my pants, especially the legs being too short. My weight has come from 245 lbs to anywhere between 130-135lbs. My shoes are the same size, except not wide anymore. Has your health changed? My health has changed dramatically . I am no longer diabetic and the pain of nueropathy has stopped. I am now taking just one thyroid pill. I used to take 18 pills and insulin. I truly don't miss that at all. I hated those needles. Do people treat you differently? I find that men do treat me differently. I am more noticed or am I holding my head up instead of down. I am now more self confident and I look right into peoples eyes. Before I walked alot with my head down. Nice seeing you and keep in touch girl Lorraine

Do you feel like you have always been this way or do you still feel like the old fatty we used to be? It differs from day to day. Some days I feel normal, and other I feel like that same fat woman I used to hate to look at in the mirror. What are you eating these days? Anything, and too much of it, except pasta and white bread. I just can't leave the chocolate alone. Do you ever feel Actual Hunger? Yep, my tummy will growl and I get light headed. How far have you come? Size, Weight, Shoes? From a 28 to a 14, with some 12's. Or 16's, depending on where I shop. Weight, is down 110lbs and from a size 10 or 9W to 8.5M in shoes. Has your health changed? Normal to low everything. Do people treat you differently? Sometimes. But most of my friends are just happy for me. Very few treat me any differntly. Here's my question: What is the one bestest thing you can do now, that you couldn't do before? For me, it's wearing jeans with a zipper. Pretty ones, with studs, and stones, and designs and belts, and tucked in shirts. And looking not too shabby. (I should get a new photo up and running) Nona

Hi Tracy, Almost 2 years....sometimes it's hard to believe, isn't it? I see myself slender and normal but I haven't forgotten the "fat feelings". Does that make sense? It's almost like I'm normal but my "shadow" is still obese. I'm not though. I continue to eat very small portions and try not to push the limit. I can sneak a bite of my husband's cheesecake or key lime pie every now and then. I can't eat bread, only melba-like toast. Things that are spicey or have garlic are a probably because of the bad gall bladder. I still don't get hungry. My lowest weight was 12/04 and I weighed 114#. Being 5'5" I looked anorexic. My weight has been fairly stable for about 9 months around 120 although this past week I lost 3 pounds due to extensive yard work after Hurricane Wilma. I started at 228, size 1X or a 20. I wear 0's & 2's and sometimes can find a bargain at Old Navy or Penney's in the girl's department. My whole basis for the surgery was to have a normal blood pressure without prescription medications. My BP usually is about 130/71, by oxygen saturation is 100%, I NEVER have acid reflux and I can honestly say I haven't even had a cold since WLS. Last week alone I climbed my roof to replace roofing tiles, climbed trees to saw branches, hauled truckloads of debri and I felt like the energizer bunny...... Pretty good for a grandma that will be 56 next year! And yes, even at 55 I've had some attention from the male gender......My DH just throws back his shoulders in pride cause he knows my world evolves around him. People never suspect I've had a weight problem...... What shall we do to celebrate our 2 yr. anniversary in December? luvitsunnyv

Sunny, I wish we all lived close to each other. We could all go out a have a drink or two, and . But because we can't we can do it through this wonderful Message Board. How does that sound? Lorraine

I used to spend alot of time here early out but left because I found l myself getting jealous of those who were getting to their goal and feeling sorry for myself because I had so far to go. I have come back & have been lurking. I finally decided to post a bit. Guess what, I am still jealous but not in a bad way, if there is such a thing. I am thrilled for those of you who are doing so well. I am doing good just not as good as I hoped I would by this point. I am not to my goal yet & really doubt I will get there. I still feel I am a success as I have lost 90% of my excess weight. Even though I am still overweight, I am thrilled with my life now. To answer your questions- Do you feel like you have always been this way or do you still feel like the old fatty we used to be? I am actually starting to forget what it was like. I don't want to though as I definately don't want to go back to that. It is so nice to be normal & know people are not looking at you because you look so bad. My heart just breaks when I see somene who is as big as I used to be. What are you eating these days? I try to stick with the program but slip some. Salty things are my downfall. I cannot eat ice cream or drink milk & can only eat a couple bites of steak but everything else works. Do you ever feel Actual Hunger? Oh, yes. That came back probably 6 months after my surgery. How far have you come? Size, Weight, Shoes? I started at 342 Lbs, size 4X(tight) I now am 180lb (5'6") & wear a size small on top (36C) and anywhere from a 12 to a 18 on bottom depending on style & cut. I carry most of my excess weight in the legs. My calves are huge. My feet are still the same size. I had the first phase of a belt lipectomy in March (in other words, a TT with tightening of the fascia) and the second phase ( butt lift) in August. My tummy is wonderful. I am like a kid with a new toy. I touch it all the time. I am not as thrilled with the results of the butt lift. It looks good but, I think, due to the excess on my thighs there is a constant feeling of pulling that bothers me. I suspect that if I could just lose 20-25 lbs, I would feel much better. Has your health changed? Sleep apnea gone, blood pressure normal, cholestrol normal, my right knee still bothers me so I can't exercise as strenously as I wish I could. My gallbladder has gone bad. It is functioning at 21% & will be removed in December. No gallstones though. I am almost 55 years old but feel 35. Do people treat you differently? I remember getting strange looks but I was never treated rudely. However, I am treated much differently now. People hold doors for me now, smile at me, strangers speak to me. I have been happily married for 34 years & my husband no longer needs his Viagra! I hope one day to have a man find me attractive enough (even for an old woman) to flirt with me. Thats all I want, nothing more, but I want to know that at least one man other than my husband finds me desirable. Dixie

You mentioned that you thought you didn't do well. I think you did great!! Wow!! That's a lot of weight to lose. I started at 299 and am now about 195. I wear a large to an XL, depending on the cut of the sleeves, as my arms are huge with excess skin. My jeans are a 12 if stretch, and 14 if a regular. I know I eat way too much in the sweets dept. I am trying to get that under control, as well as cutting back on quantities. Being able to eat a salad AND a Lean Cuisine at a meal is too much for a postie, even 2 years out. It's going to be a rough road, but I know I have to do it, or I will start gaining back what I have lost, and I just can't live with that thought. But you have done so wonderfully. I think you look fantastic. Nona

Thank you Nona. Some days I just have to feel sorry for myself. I have so many WLS friends who now weigh 130-140 & and less, & I am still around 180. I know I shouldn't compare myself to them but I do. There is one gal in our support group who never fails to make others around her feel bad because she constantly points out how small she is now. At support group she told me that she is afraid to get rid of her size 6's because she doesn't trust herself to stay a size 4. Then she proceeded to ask another person when she was going to have her surgery. Turns out she was a year out already. Can you imagine how she must have felt? And then to top it off she offered to give her some of her castoff clothes & told that gal about clothes that were probably 2-3 sizes larger than she wore. Some people do not think about other people's feelings. I hope I never get that way. I too am scared I'll gain back my weight. I do believe that staying active in communities like this & support groups will help. Dixie

Hello. my two year anniversary is Dec 2. I have lost from a size 24to a size 2-4. I have days that I feel thin and then some days I still feel fat. My hunger has come back lately and I find I can eat more than I could 6 months ago and that scares me. My health is 200% better. My blood pressure is normal, I am no longer diabetic and I don't take depression medicine anymore. I can get out and do yard work. I can run and keep with the kids. I am easier to get along with also. I am just afraid of my hunger coming back that I may start to gain my weight back. People do treat me a little differently. A lot of people do not recognize me. I get all kinds of compliments I would not do anything different. I am completely and totally satisfied