later taters

Congratulations!!! You look AMAZING!!!

Well I stand by what I said :) I will post again once I am vet status! I am so grateful for this surgery and would cheer anyone who is doubtful to do it. 

Take care and happy spring! 

Don't wait until you are a "vet" to come back to post again. Come back to cheer on others, and offer support. Come back when YOU need support. Don't be embarrassed to come back when that pizza lands on your backside...or your hips...it happens to the best, and the not so best of us...

Vet status is five years. That's a long time. No one has been mean; they've simply said that you are still viewing life through rose-colored glasses. Most do not maintain withou****ching portion size and tracking food. Additionally, by posting pictures then skedaddling, you not only miss the opportunity for daily support and participation,but you also give the appearance of only wanting applause and compliments.

I'm not sure but now it sounds like you wanted to post to get a pat on the back & now you want to disappear again, part of paying it forward is to stick around & cheer others on for their accomplishments & give support. I thought that was what you wanted to do. Vet status is a long ways off, but if you want to disappear, oh well., & if you don't want to respond to the head issues that people mentioned, oh well.

Best of luck, you're gonna need it.

"Paying it forward" means giving others the same type of help you yourself received.

Unless the only help others on OH ever gave you was posting pictures of themselves before disappearing for years at a time, I'm skeptical that you understand the meaning of the phrase.

I'm looking forward to your post in ~7 weeks when you will have reached "vet status!"

You look wonderful. Love your attitide And your post.

You look great Katie. The difference in your before and after is striking and your face didn't take a hit with the weight loss. You are young, this is a good thing! I am sure you are loving the benefits and the great results of the weight loss. I do hope that you are right and that you are 'cured' of all your food issues and addiction and all that. I remember when I was in the year 1 euphoria, one of the then frequent posters kind of cut me down nicely by saying "you broke the code". Of course I didn't break the code. I know that now when in year 3 restriction is not what it used to be and that cheese cake and pizza look just as wonderful as they did pre surgery and now I can actually fit in enough to do some serious damage weight wise. And I am a person who thought I had no food issues to begin with - just ate too much of the good stuff... healthy food overdose - you know - a.k.a. full denial! 

So what I want to say to you is just be vigilant. Don't let your guard down. In year 1 and year 2 and even to some extent year 3 you are still reaping the benefits of restriction and your new look and the new clothes and all that. Just don't let complacency in. Keep that door tightly closed. Even if it is tedious, apply good practices continually and do not let yourself be convinced that the surgery - a mechanical intervention - solved all the non mechanical issues that the size of the stomach really does not affect in any way.

Good luck in your future and stay healthy! And don't wait to 'vet status' to post again! 

Awesome advice tyvm!