Warning: LOONG (and boring-lol)- A heavyweights musings at 11-months.

Hi All-
So I consider myself a "slow-ish loser" for a heavyweight. I've seen people hit the 100 lb mark in 6 months which is incredible to me!

Me? Well I've just hit 101 lbs in 11 months (122 total including pre-op diet) which is an average of right around 9lbs a month (vs. 16 or 17 average/month for many heavyweights). Here are the stats:

HW-296 - 161 lbs to lose to get to goal (135).
SW-275 (21lbs lost pre-op diet)
Month 1 -25lbs
Month 2 -14lbs
Month 3 -15lbs
Month 4 - 3lbs
Month 5 -7lbs
Month 6 -12lbs
Month 7 -9lbs
Month 8 -5lbs
Month 9 -6lbs
Month 10 - 0lbs (that's right. BIG GOOSE EGG!!! Gah!)
Month 11 -5lbs (but today I was up again by 4. Yes TOM right around the corner and salty chicken wings...but still!)

In 11.5 months I have lost 122 lbs and 76% excess body weight. I am now "overweight" vs. obese (or I was on the 23rd, before I went back up 4lbs.) and I have (did have) 39 lbs to go to get to goal.  

I'm shooting to be ready for plastics in 29 more lbs (if I can find a way to afford it!), and expect I will only reach 135lbs after plastics. But I'm not sure exactly...

Since I'm now losing only about 5lbs/month (if lucky), I fully expect it will take me 6-8 more months to get to goal. That is fine with me.  However, I am not one who will be happy "where I am at if I never lose another pound". I must make goal.

I find it really odd and fascinating, this journey (and marvelous, of course!).

I began gaining weight very steadily from the time I was six years old. I remember in 5th grade Levis being all the rage for girls. Well my hips and butt were already so big I had to wear a 36w and of course, the Levis state right on there what your waist is. Nice.

I have no recollection of what I weighed EVER (growing up****pt my head firmly planted in the sand as much as possible.

For me, it was always about clothes and how I could not ever fit into anything cute or fashionable. I always felt like a freak. I remember wearing a "maxi-dress" my grandma had made for me practically everyday in 5th grade.

For my parents, I was enrolled into weigh****chers and every other diet program (me kicking and screaming the whole way) since I was in 4th grade until I got rebellious enough that they didn't fight me anymore. Again, going to these meetings and having to diet only served to make me feel like a freak. All the skinny girls could eat french fries...WTH?

Ironically eating the french fries made me "feel" normal (unfreakish) while they actually kept making me more and more "unnormal"/freakish!

In my adult life, I have NEVER weighed less than I do now. I think my body is really fighting me now...resisting going below it's adult lowest set-point or something. Clearly that's not a scientific analysis....lol

In 1987 I got down to where I am now, gained it all back plus 25 and and then again I lost it in 1997/8.

At this point I decided that this weight was "good enough" and I would never EVER gain weight again. I went for a tummy tuck to get rid of my "low rider" (as my then bf called my panni-lol) with the amazing Dr. Ordon (of "The Doctors") and kept the weight off longer than ever before - only creeping up to 205 (+30lbs) over a 3-year period.

Then came my pregnancy...went up to 258 while pregnant, went back down to 205-210 while breast feeding. Then WHAMMO! I packed back on the pregnancy weight and 41 more pounds in about 16 months once I weened my son. Yep. 80lbs in 16 months.

Then came the co-morbidities. And spending all my time lamenting that I didn't have energy to go on bike rides or just be active with my son. Avoiding people/amusement parks/carnivals/activities and basically EVERYTHING while I struggled with one diet after another.

Finally my wonderful VSG. Finally. How I got to this point (VSG) is a whole'nuther story which will thankfully wait. LOL.

But I think part of my point is that this journey is sooo very different for each and everyone of us.

Someone who has only been overweight for 10 years will lose differently than someone who has been overweight 40 years. Someone who was once an athlete will lose differently than someone who was never athletic. Man vs. woman. Young woman vs. older women. Pre-menopausal vs. post. And on and on. 

I hope this helps newbies and others on the journey. You will see that there ARE stalls (month 4 for me was bad - and I was being religiously perfectly perfect at that point!) and peaks and valleys - it's all part of the journey. Month 10 is my worst, for sure (and I hope not another month like that until maintenance!).
Okay..enough of my blathering...

Suzie -

You should be SO proud of yourself!  I know I'm proud of you! I'm only a couple months behind you and can relate to your stalls and frustrations - and I'm starting to fear the reversal that we all have experienced with dieting.  I know in my heart of hearts I won't gain it back - but history is hard to deny. 

Stay the course...I have weeks where I lose 1#, weeks where I lose 0#, weeks where I lose 5#.  I'm still a mystery.  Although, even though I freak out at eating more calories, those are the weeks I lose more....I think my body needs more to actually lose. Odd.

Hang in there.....we're here for you.....and remember how proud we all are of you!

Laurie -

Thanks so much! I like when I get into a zen mode about this stuff rather than freak every time I step on the scale! lol

YOU are doing AWESOME!!! I Love your avatar, too! You are so happy!!! I love it!!!

Congrats on rocking your sleeve!

Thanks for telling your story.  As someone who has just started on the journey, it's so important to me to read about EVERY kind of experience that people have.  i think my goal is actually unrealistic, but i'm starting there and we'll see.  it's easy to get swept up by the euphoria of thinking i can be one of the people that lose 100 lbs in less than a year -- but i wonder how compliant i'll be and also just how my body is going to hold on to the weight.

anyway, thanks!  you've done GREAT!!!  I hope you're proud of yourself!!!!!!!  i can only aspire to your accomplishments!

 Ann- Congratulations for starting your journey!!! You will not look back! I don't think your goal is unrealistic because I've seen people lose way more successfully! But don't sweat the numbers - just try to be as compliant as possible and enjoy the journey!! 

And thanks for the encouragement and support!

Thank you for the inspiration!

WOW - I know I may change my mind...but if I can get to 174...I don't think I will ever complain again...about anything. Let me fool myself and drea,...OKAY?

great post. you are doing well. everybody is different in how they get there and i have no doubt that you will get there. gl. D

 Wow! Thanks so much for posting and your accomplishment is no small thing  I appreciate seeing everyone's journey mapped out. I have had this fear that after 6 months or so the weight loss would stop and I would be stuck... Stupid fear, but I have been fighting a losing battle against my obesity for 35 years... This sleeve is a wonderful thing and with it I plan to get to goal and not to get to a point where I just settle for being overweight instead of obese. I am sure you will make your goal weight, and I hope to be right behind you making mine...

Hi Susie,

I thourally enjoyed reading your 11 month musings, and so NOT boring at all.  You are doing awesome and wouldn't consider you a heavy weight.....I love having fun with clothes now and NOT avoiding everything.

I would enjoy some pictures of your progress.  Oh, by the way....your momma gave you a great name.

Suzi