Wow Day, Repost from main messageboard

I wore my daughter's old size 12 jeans today...And they fit great! I can't believe it...I was preparing for a tag-sale, and went to the basement in search of old clothes to sell... Well, I wore her old vest, size xl, and her old jeans,,,,Size 12??!!??!?!?!?!??! Unbelievable! Now for the most part I am wearing size 14 jeans, skirts, etc, but this is the second pair of size 12s I am able to fit into...just 5 monts ago I was a size 24 in pants, 26/28 in tops... Have you noticed how much the way people react to you has changed? I find people at the gas station, grocery store, Etc...being a lot more friendly and chatty...It's almost as if I was a non-person when I was morbidly obese, and now I am a real person... Have to go now, must clean out my closet some more, as nothing fits!!! Love, Dorota

Hey Dorota, Thats great news, I know how it feels I am in an 18 now from a 30-32. I haven't been in this size in 20 years. Its amazing how differently people treat us once we lose the weight. I am very proud of you, congratulations on your success. Hugs KimC

Kim, It does feel amazing....I can't believe how quickly my body is changing...I still want to lose about 27-30 pounds, and hopefully that will get me to my goal size, 10/12 (10 in pants, 12 in tops)...It's not any easier to shop for clothes now then it was before though...I still don't like how most things fit me...The extra skin on the stomach and arms is making it especially difficult to find things that fit well... The most amazing part of this whole thing has been how I feel.... I no longer have the constant aches and pains, although my lower back is achy from the re-distribution of weight and the weak stomach muscles,,,, I am not on any high blood pressure meds (down from 4 before surgery)..I no longer have sleep apnea, my asthma is in remission, no more daily heartburn, no more weak bladder, I feel so much younger and more "able". Thank you for all your support..... Love, Dorota P.S. you coming to the holiday party????

Dorota, Congrats on the size 12 jeans!! Wahoo! It is such a great feeling to see those numbers on the label, isn't it? One of my co-workers asked me why the size labels are so important to me. I told her if she knew what it felt like to be in a size 30/32 or 4-5X and having to special order things because sometimes your size just wasn't in the stores, then she would definately know why if feels phenominal to wear a size 12! I was just talking about the chatty stranger thing to someone the other day. I was saying that it was so ironic that at 308 lbs, I was totally invisible and now I can be in a store and people I have never met will just strike up a conversation with me. When it first started happening, I was feeling like a real ditz because I couldn't think of who this person was, since I certainly must know them or why would they be talking to me? Then I finally figured it out. The weight is out of the way and people are finally focusing on the person. I had no idea people could be so friendly. It really is sad when you think about it. terri

Terri, It is great to see those sizes...it is also great to be able to go to the store and not be forced to shop in the plus size section..I am having a lot of fun finding my personal "style"...I actually love jeans now, and I have always hated them,,,,now they are sooooooooo comfy... As far as the whole friendly stranger thing is concerned, one of my friends has the theory that when I was heavy and in pain all the time, I did not have an "approachable aura"...I did not seem as friendly as I do now. Personally, I am not sure I agree with that, because I think I have always been pretty friendly, but he may have a point. I trust him, and he swears that I have a more friendly aura now than before, especially since I was usually in some kind of pain......and really, how friendly can somebody in pain on a constant basis be expected to be? Congratulations on your journey, Love, Dorota

Good Going Girl! My son and I battle over clothes now that I can wear his clothes. I keep raiding his closet. The fact that we are now able to wear all these smaller sizes its quite amazing. I Love It! Your right about people being more "Chatty" now that we have lost some of our weight. I have always made it a point to be comfortable talking to anyone where ever I am. Keep up the Great Work. You look Terrific! Be Well, Julio

Thank you so much Julio...Gracias...Your support and kind words mean so much to me. My 16 year old daughter made me promise I would not shop in the same stores as she does..Then she got very upset when I tried to buy a pair of jeans from "Pac Sun"..Just as well, I am not a teenager anymore (although I do feel like one sometimes)..I have inherited some clothes from her as she has gone from a size 13/14 to anywhere between a size 5 and 7 over the last 3 years.. I too am trying to help my family get on the healthy lifestyle wagon (just like you and your son)... You are looking pretty terrific yourself. Good luck Love, Dorota

CONGRATULATIONS, IT FEELS GREAT WHEN YOU CAN GO DOWN A SIZE AFTER GETTING USED TO GOING UP ONLY. YES, I HEAR YOU ON THE CHATTY TOPIC. BEFORE PEOPLE COULD NOT GET PAST THE WEIGHT BECAUSE TOO MANY HAVE NEGATIVE NOTIONS ABOUT "BIG" PEOPLE. I FIND THAT EVEN PEOPLE THAT KNEW ME BEFORE I LOST MY WEIGHT TREAT ME DIFFERENT NOW THAT I AM SKINNY. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? "THAT IS THERE LOSS" BLESSINGS S.T.

Thank you S.T. It does feel great to be going down in sizes...and the whole chatty thing is really making me look at myself...Am I outwardly more friendly now that I feel more confident? one of my friends swears I have a more friendly aura now...I wonder... Good night, Love, Dorota

What a wonderfull feeling! Keep up the good work. I can only pray that I will be as successfull. SHer L