Forum Crickets! Share Your Success!

This forum has been so quiet lately--how's everyone been doing?

I'm doing pretty well.  Here's a bit of background and an update.  I had RNY surgery on Oct 7, 2013.  My starting BMI was 54.5 and I'm currently at 35.2.  I've lost over 120 lbs from 348 to 225 and I've gone from a 24W bottom to a regular 16.  In tops, I was wearing a 2-3x and now I can fit comfortably in most larges.  My upper arms are still disproportionally large and I feel there is a brachioplasty in my future.  I can wear my 16-inch necklaces again and try on bracelets with no fear.  I can wear the ring I had to get cut off pre-surgery again.

Several years ago I lost weight through the doctor-supervised VLCD HMR program, but that didn't stick and I gained back all of my weight plus another 30. I'm not at the lowest weight I've ever been, but I'm pretty close.  I did have some hair loss for a few weeks, but that stopped pretty quick and I had plenty of hair to spare!

I'm feeling really good--I am taking a private yoga class once a week and riding my new-to-me road bike whenever I have the chance.  At my highest weight, going out was fraught with anxiety.  Will I fit in the booth/theater seat/chair with arms?  Those worries are gone.  We went to the first game at Levi's stadium and my dad asked how the seats were--if they were roomy enough.  I had to say, "Well, I don't know.  They're kind of all roomy these days." Such a contrast to last May when I was stuffed into my theater seat at a matinee in New York.  I felt terrible for the person next to me and sat with my arms folded the whole time.  Same thing for flying.  I had gotten my own seat belt extender.  I traveled to Seattle a couple of months ago and I nearly put it in my carryon, convinced I would need it.  I did not and even sat in the middle seat on the way back with no problems.  

I look at pictures from last year's vacation and I can't believe it's me in them.  My face looks so distorted and utterly unlike me.  I've had chronic back pain for about 15 years and that's greatly reduced.  It will probably never completely go away as I'm sure my weight did some permanent damage.  Walking and standing for long periods of time are a lot easier.

I find I still have some trouble with confidence.  I'm going to call out RainbowRN and her recent skydiving adventure.  She has done so amazingly well and the thing that really got me was she said the jumpsuit fit perfectly.  While I don't care to jump out of a plane, I would like to try things like a zip line and the free-fall simulators, but those require harnesses and jumpsuits and things and I'm still afraid I'll be too big for the equipment.  Half the time I automatically put a 3 in front of my weight.  I don't have a "goal weight" set by my surgeon, but I've thought I'd like to get to 175-180 lbs.  That still puts me in the overweight category on the BMI scale, but I truthfully cannot even imagine weighing less than that.  I don't even know when the last time I weighed 180.  High school?  Middle school?  I did the math and realized I'm only 44 lbs away from that.

How are you all doing?  I know that for so many of us that start out at such a high weight, getting to a normal-ish weight seems like an insurmountable goal.  It's been so quiet here that I wanted to let you all know that someone who started out at a 54 BMI is doing pretty darn good.  Share your success!

Jen

Jen, Congratulations on your success and thanks for starting this thread. I always like to read how people like me are succeeding. You sound like you are doing great!

A little background on me. I have struggled with weight my whole life. I was up to 260 in my mid 20's after trying everything from starvation to The Cambridge Diet Plan. Always losing weight but gaining back more. At 27 I did the medically supervised speed diet and lost over 100 pounds. After they took away the meds it all came back with friends. I have done HCG, weigh****chers, Jenny Craig, Nutra Systems.... And ballooned up to over 345 in 2011. August of 2013 at the age of 45 I asked for WLS and was approved because my BMI was over 60 and had many health problems due to my weight. At that time I was 332lbs and miserable.

I had surgery 2/24/14 and am now in OnderLand. Down 135lbs to 197. It feels weird to be this size. I know I am not small and have 65lbs to go till I reach my surgeons goal but I feel incredible. I am in a size 14 pant and a size large shirt. I too fit into theater chairs. I go to the movies all the time now. I love it. There is room on either side of the seat, I can even put my purse there. I can't wait to get on a plane and not have everyone look at me knowing that they are praying my seat is not next to them. I like to exercise. I like to exercise a lot. WEIRD! I walk 4 1/2 miles every morning, I do yoga, I do BodyPump. WHAT?!

The one side effect is that some of my friendships are changing and not in a positive way. Some friends are having a hard time dealing with me not being the bigger friend. I find it odd. I am still me, just a healthier and somewhat happier me. I am working with a therapist to deal with my eating issues and also to deal with changing dynamics. 

I only wish that I had done this sooner. It hasn't been all rainbows and unicorns. It has been some serious hard work and daily commitment. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I look forward to my day starting and sometimes find it hard to go to bed at night because I have so much more energy.

I wish everyone who wants this surgery is able to get it. It has saved my life.

Living the DREAM!
Mo

I am so glad to hear you're doing well!  :D  Being less than 200 is a dream of mine, so super congrats to you.  When one has so far to go, it seems like it's a completely unattainable goal, so I have to keep reminding myself that I'm only 25 lbs away and that it could happen at ANY MOMENT!  

Like you, I wish I had done this sooner.  I first investigated surgery about 4 years ago, but I was still in the HMR program and I decided to give that another concentrated try and it just didn't work.  Oh well, I'm not going to beat myself up over it because it was a much-needed lesson.  

I'm sad that you're finding your friendships are changing and I'm glad that you're working through the issues with a therapist.  All my life I had been the fat friend--the one that passed the notes rather than getting them.  My best friend growing up was naturally thin with big boobs and while I never really resented her, I did wish that I could have been more like her when we were teenagers.  We are still very dear friends and her terrible diet and childbearing have caught up with her and she's having a bit of a hard time with it.  I tell her to cut out the donuts and what have you, but she's addicted to sugar and knows it.  Until she wants to change, she won't, same as me.

I look forward to more posts as you progress!  :D

Jen

Thanks Jen for your really kind words. You will be below 200 before you know it. It honestly feels the same physically as 203 but mentally it is pretty incredible. I'm really hoping that my friend, the one I am most concerned about, comes around eventually. Change is hard for both us and them I think. 

Keep up the bomb ass job! LIVING THE DREAM!

Mo

Great job, Jen and Mo!! I love reading everyone else's stories.

My name is Laura. I had RNY almost 6 years ago. I have gone from 339 (my highest recorded weight- I suspect my real highest weight was higher) to 138. My BMI went from 52 to 22. I was thin as a child. In high school, I started gaining and got up to around 170 by the time I graduated from high school. In college my weight got up to over 200. I did manage in grad school to get down to 140 and maintain for a few years. Then life got in the way. I got back up to over 200 and then my dad was diagnosed with cancer. During his two year battle, I gained over 100 pounds. After his death and the adoption of my two kids, I was determined to lose the weight. I researched weight loss surgery for several years before making the decision to have it. I reached goal in 14 months. Since then, I had a 10 pound gain around the 2 year mark, but got back on track and lost it again. I am a daily weigh-er. I do not let myself get more than 3 pounds above my goal of 140. When I reach 143, I cut back and track everything on myfitnesspal until I lose it again.

The mental part is the hardest. We have to believe we are worth the effort.

Laura, you are one of my serious inspirations on these boards. You started out at such a high BMI and you have shown me it's possible to attain and maintain a normal weight through hard work and perseverance. Thanks so much for spending time with us here. :D

Jen

Laura,

Ditto what Jen said. I love it when you post. You are an inspiration.

Mo