What is MFP?

Not sure why you are replying to me since I did not use the acryonym "MFP".  But I believe it stands for "My Fitness Pal" which is some kind of dieting/food tracking/exercise website

BTW, I am over 500 days logged on MFP  

Please feel free to "friend" me there.  You've definitely got what it takes to "do this"!!

"But besides that I feel like I finally believe I can accomplish this"

You can't just "feel", you gotta KNOW.

Feelings as temporary emotions that change and can have a tendency to "lead us astray" when things get difficult.  

"Knowing" is associated with certainty and gives one a certain "steadfastness" which can see you through the slower weight loss times and stalls.

I know you have had RNY. I know you have been physiologically manipulated to temporarily absorb less calories.  From your post, I KNOW that you are practicing displined eating.  And I KNOW it is working because you have provided proof of it "pants were TWO sizes smaller".

Getting pants TWO sizes smaller is huge, as they cut their patterns more generously the larger one is.  It has been discussed numerous times on these forums that it takes EONS to go to smaller size when one is large, but as one gets smaller, one can really whip quickly through the sizes because they are cut less generously.

I KNOW you can do this!  I KNOW you are doing it!  

But you gotta KNOW it too...

At any rate, I am proud of you and I admire your discpline (i.e. the no cheating).  You aren't cheating and you ARE having success.

Edited: because my spelling and typos are even worse without coffee! LOL

I was also over 300 pounds when I started. I got stuck on the stat you hear that we on average lose 70% of our excess weight. That pissed me off and made me feel like I could not lose it all. I did eventually believe I could do it and I did!! The mental part is most important. Keep up the good work!! 

I started with 202 pounds to lose and that sounds really insurmountable to me! I have 143 pounds left and still sounds like a lot but now I'm choosing to concentrate on the close goals that seem way more doable. The mental part is so important - you are absolutely right! Right now I have 18 pounds until my next big goal and that is way easier to concentrate on as opposed to 143 pounds. So that's what I'm doing instead. Right now it's working for me and if it stops I'll find something else that works better lol.

I wish you would post some progress pics. I bet most of us could see the difference already. You have lost about 60 lbs. 60 lbs is a lot!  Like it is 3 of those big cat litter boxes form BJs.  I cant even squat 60 lbs and yet you have lost it!

I hope for your next big goal, you reward yourself with something fun, like a trip to the salon, a manicure, a trip to a musuem. Whatever fun thing you want

I totally would except I can't figure out how! I got as far as posting a pic to my profile but wasn't able to figure out how to post on in an actual post. It seems complicated, I saw a post about it and couldn't follow it lol. If you have tips let me know!

And actually right before I'll get to my next big goal it will coincide with my big, huge cancerversary. It's a big deal because my type of cancer has a huge rate or recurrence until the 8 year mark and then that risk drops to almost 0 ;) So we are celebrating big time. I might not be at my goal exactly by then but I will be close so I figure I will celebrate whatever I've lost by then. Cancer is one of the big reasons I chose to have the surgery so double celebration!

To upload pics here is not the easiest process.  But not tooo terrible either.  I figured it out after a lot of trial & error.

- First click on "MY OH" in the top right corner, move down to Photos option.  Then select the Upload to your folder from where ever you have it stored on your computer.  It sounds like you already did this...

- Once the picture you want is uploaded to your OBH folder. Right click on the picture itself, and select "copy shortcut".

- Then in your actual post, one of the buttons (sometimes I can see it, sometimes not, but its there if your mouse passes over it and says the actual words) but its right next to the emoticon button on the top left, and says "Insert/Edit Image". Anyways click that. A box pops up labeled "INSERT/EDIT PHOTO".  Paste the short cut you copied above in the first box, The second box does nothing that I see, the third is the size of the picture, I used below 200 X 400.  See below for how big that is, but whatever size works for you :-) 

Good Luck!!!

Thanks! I will try this either this week or next. I'm getting my hair chopped off for a total new week to deal with my hair loss so after that I'll try a before and after if I can make it work lol.