Before today is over...

I want to thank everyone in this forum; I?ve learned so much from all of you ? I found answers to questions I didn?t know I had; read first person stories that helped me through random moments; I have found people to support on bad days, provide constructive feedback when I needed it, and I am so appreciative of you all! So if you?ve shared your menu, shared your ?I wish someone had told me?, gave tips on vitamins, and advocating for yourself; made a joke or shared a personal challenge/success or delivered a ?you?re being unreasonable?; thank you, thank you, thank you.

Today is my 6 months post op ? since I now plan on living till my 100s, I know 6 months is a short amount of time but it?s still a milestone for me and I did some reflection!

I've lost 96 lbs since surgery; I've gone from 4 medicines a day (2 diabetes, plus HPB and statins) to 2 multivitamins with iron, 2 calcium chews and a monthly B12 shot. I have gone from high blood pressure to low blood pressure. As soon as this way to large bottle of nasty chewables is gone, it will be 2 multis, plus iron, plus the calcium and b12 and STILL a better deal then the meds!! I started Obese Class III and am now Obese Class I. I've gone from a 22/24 to 14/16.

I've gone from keeping a seatbelt extender in my bag for flights to actually having inches left over after I click the seatbelt, being able to put the tray down and even being able to see room on the side of the seat (not a lot of room, but room nonetheless). When I'm walking with co workers, they no longer assume that I must take the elevator, I'm now a stair person (and I can go up them while carrying on a conversation!). Since the surgery I've done my first zip lining, my first pilates reformer class, and my first aerial aerobics.

All the weight I've lost has been in my boobs when I would have taken it from my butt, but I can deal. My bat wings are now dragon wings, but I like dragons more than bats so I win!

I work out 3-4 times a week and need to stay motivated to get to 6-7; I do okay on protein requirements but really have to work to get the liquid in but I?ve done better over the last two weeks... I drink a lot more coffee than I ever have (but only to help me with my .5-1 protein shake a day) and I drink a lot of hot tea where I would have drunk wine (I do miss wine though). I have even resorted to decaf coffee ? but only when I need that final couple of ounces of protein. I still need to work on improving my flexibility and my upper body strength. I need to work on not getting on the scale every day (and the fact that I use 3 weight trackers and 2 food trackers is probably something I need to work on as well; I like data but understand that?s a bit compulsive).

I've done a lot of work on the head hunger and emotional eating and I know it's going to be a lifetime project and it?s one that pretty much starts over every day!

Definitely a work in progress and I know any day can become a challenge, just like some days feel easier. The whole month of July felt like a challenge and like I could fail any second; i never really understood what people meant by white knuckling through something until I had dreams about eating chips (and I?m not a chip person) and had several days when I came home put on my pajamas because I wanted something not healthy but knew I didn?t have it in the house and I won?t usually leave the house after i?m in my PJs so I wouldn?t be tempted to cave.

I still have a long way to go and I know this six months has been the "easy" part -- and it wasn't easy, see July commentary above. I don?t feel like I?ve had a ?honeymoon? period because I?ve taken to heart all the feedback about using this time to change vs just letting the malabsorption/restriction do the work now and then have to figure out the changes later but I also don?t think I had any of the ?buyer?s remorse? people talk about - I?ve had the emotional swings, phantom pains that they can?t explain, and I don?t love the LBP tunnel vision moments, but I still feel like I?m in the positive column these days!

I told my sister that my Valentines Day surgery date was perfect because it proved I loved myself enough to get healthy (oh, you can imagine the tears that day) and now I?m doing everything I can to prove myself right.

If you read all the way to the end, you are even more amazing than you were when you started reading - thank you for humoring my need to get this on paper today!!

(edited to re-add the paragraph breaks that were wiped out...I really do know how to do paragraphs!)

You're amazing!!

You've done so well!! Tomorrow is MY 6 month mark (we were nearly surgery twins.) I haven't lost as much as you but I'm ok with my own slower progress, since it's at least somewhat steady progress :) I'm working on not comparing myself so much to others, though it's definitely good to have a little healthy "competition" some days.

Im also incredibly glad I found this place and have soaked in all the advice like a sponge, even if I wasn't the one asking the question.

It's good just focus on your journey -- I lost almost no weight pre op, and am so impressed with those of you that did! I just couldn't do it...and that skews my post op results a bit.

I have told both my dietician and the Bari nurse about this board; I only found it because the RD pointed me to eggface's blog and she mentioned it one of her old posts and it's been such a great tool/community/sounding board.

You are doing fabulously too Cassie! I, like Jen, was so impressed by your pre-op commitment and weightloss, as well as your progress since then. Onward and downward!

Happy Surgiversary Jen! You are awesome! I'm happy for you, and proud of you - you are doing beautifully! Onward!

You're doing a fantastic job. Really great.

Dragon wings-- I love that! Congrats!

It makes me laugh, lol

You are truly amazing! The weight loss will probably slow down significantly soon, but stick with your plan and keep going!