thank you for helping get my big girl panties on!!

Good morning friends!  The words thank you sound so shallow but I want everyone *****sponded to my post yesterday to know how much it meant to me.  I read and re-read each post several times.  Each response helped me so much.  I know you are all right.  I would have even responded to one of you with the same words but it is weird how it affects you when you are in the middle of what you percieve to be a slow loss/stall/body readjustment, whatever you want to call it.

I beleive that, Anna and can't remember who else suggested it, are right.  I think I may have hit a stall for a couple of weeks and the 11 lbs came off during the other two, but since I thought I was such a smartie pants and didn't weight, I don't actually know that for sure.  So, the scale wins.  I am not trying skipping weighing again.  However, as some of you pointed out I probably would have been freaking out for that week or two instead of just freaking out for one day like I did.

I have lost 70 lbs and before I weighed I felt as if I had lost 90.  I feel great.  I am wearing 22/24 down from 32/34.  People are noticing and I have lots of engery.  Dr. B put it this way, he told me I have lost 33% of my excess body weight and typically people lose 66% so I am half way there.

I think I just freaked with the line of thinking that Kim/glittergal mentioned which was "I paid $10,000 to have my stomach ripped out and I'm losing less than I did pre-op?"  What the??  Dr. B was funny.  I freaked out on him and he said hmmm...I guess I will put down on the question how patient is feeling today.."patient is p-d off"! That would have been an understatement!

So, if anyone is still even reading this long rambling post, I just want to thank you for your support if you posted and if you didn't post, this is just one more reason to jump in on this board and pull from the support they offer.  Your real life friends don't understand what you are going through on this journey, by these cyber friends know EXACTLY what you are going through and will be there for you when you need it.

This is definitely a bumpy journey we are on!  The emotional highs and lows are challenging.  I thank my lucky stars that I have you guys when I hit one of those mountain sized bumps.  Amy, you are right "civilians" can't understand what we are experiencing. 

Are you going to weigh once a week?  Or, are you going to be a sick dog like me and weigh each day?  I hope you will be more sane than I and weigh weekly.

Have a great weekend!

Denise

Amy, look at the difference in your clothes size instead of the difference in the scale. That is what helps me. And Denise, I am a sick dog too, but I don't let the numbers or the lack of change in them get to me by focusing on the other victories. I cleaned out my closet of everything above a size 22 and even if the scale has not changed much those 22's are starting to get big too. That is going to mean a shopping trip as I  only have a couple of pants smaller!

Hi jack! Hey Nancy, Randy had to go to Dr. Comp and told him about my surgery.  Of course he was very familiar with it since there is another patient of his that had it done! LOL!  He was so supportive and told Randy to tell me "you go girl"!  What a nice man...even with the huge eyebrows!

Too funny! I need to call him and update him. He had told me he wished he could have come and seen me in the hospital but was in Seattle at the time. He "lectured" me more than Dr Walton did about exercising too! LOL

My scales in in my bathroom now so.......most likey will be a sick puppy like you or as Janice calls it a "scale ho".

Amy,
I'm sorry I missed your original post. I've been back to work this week and as soon as I get home, I'm falling asleep.

Anyway, ((hugs)) to you. I think you are doing incredibly well, and never doubt that you look absolutely gorgeous and cute. You have an infectious smile! Find the joy along the way. Stalls are the pits, but you know you're still losing inches even when the scale shows something else. Muscle weighs more than fat too. I have no doubt that you're going to be a true success story.

Hmmmm....do you have to exercise for muscle to weigh more than fat?!! Okay, I will get after the exercise!!

LMAO. I don't know...but, why not???

I need to go weigh myself. Maybe I will on Monday..too lazy to get out right now.

Sweetie...this will work! May have some bumps on the road, as most of us do, but in the end, you will succeed. You look so totally different from the first time I saw you, it's amazing! At first I think, we all look for the big numbers on the scale, and rightfully so, given the changes in food consumption and the general attitute towards food. We feel different. In a few months, you will feel normal, and that this is your new lifestyle and you are going to start enjoying the perks that come with this....sizes going down, men looking at you, and holding doors open (yeah, it's real fun when your husband notices that before you do!!!) - You will no longer be invisible and it feels great!!! It will all balance out and the focus will no longer be only on what the scale says, although it is and will be one of the most important factors for us, what the scale says...it is the visual and the proof we look for that we are doing what we should be doing. But the success will show up in so many different ways that you will need to stop and catch your breath! You are a tough lady and most importantly I know you are determined, and that is the most important thing, in my opinion!

I went to my six month follow up on Thurs. and I complained to Dr. B. about the size of my butt...yes, I did! I wonder if he gets a good laugh out of all this at the end of the day! He did say that the butt will go away, just have to give it some time....He is not done with me yet! According to him, I still have a good year to year and half to keep losing! So that looks promising....I will not lose 5 lbs a week, but I will get there. What makes a world of difference to me is knowing that this is not a diet.....if anyone would have told me that one day I would lose all this weight without being on a diet, I would have laughed!!!

Keep doing what you are doing....an amazing job!!

Anna