Did you ever think...

That when you were pre-op and looking at all the pictures of such DRASTIC changes in body and general looks that YOU TOO would SOON be one of those people? It never ceases to amaze me looking at the before and afters (I still do) that there are people out there who lose darn near all their weight in record quick time (yes I was one of the fortunate ones) and the transformation is so unbelievable? I actually still like to read those profiles (if of course they update) and see what they did and just beam with great pride at my fellow WLS buddies. I still marvel at myself looking at my before and after. Do you?

I used to go through the pictures of people who lost ovet 100 pounds, never thought I would be able to be one of them, I lost 127 pounds in about 16 months. I guess its time to put my picture in there now Donna 277/150 ish

GREAT Post. No! I absolutely did not think I would be one of the ones with the drastic changes. I used to look at those pics every single day, for months, before my wls...even afterwards. I still cannot believe this is my body. When I see pics of myself, it definitely feels RIGHT looking at myself. It's when I see pics of me before wls that I cannot believe that I was that HUGE! I was so uncomfortable in my skin. I always would take my pics out of the bundle and throw them away so that there wouldn't be any record of how big I was. I was at work the other day and someone had a bunch of work pics they found at home so I was going through them. YUCK!!!! I found several of myself and stole some of the ones where I was the only person in the pic, when no one was looking! I just can't stand looking at myself and I don't want those pics to ever come back later to "haunt" me. Paula

I have a hard time recognizing the woman in my before pictures (gratefully). I trusted I could get there, but I never thought I'd look terrific (in my opinion) as well as feel terrific. I actually like my body now, despite the imperfections. in fact, I finally look like the person I remembered from many, many years ago when guys actually whistled at me. In a recent support group meeting of about 60 people, collectively we had lost about 2800 pounds to date. That's amazing, isn't it? Someone put it in perspective this way: it's more than the gross weight allowed on a small elevator. ANn

I always thought that I'd be one of those that the surgery just didn't work for. I just KNEW that this wouldn't work, that I'd fail and that I'd still be the 300 pound woman I was at the start of all this. Now at half that weight and healthy, I'm amazed everytime I look in the mirror. I don't recognize the face looking back at me. When I do laundry I wonder where the small pants came from and who they belong to. This has just been the most amazing 2 years in my life and I'm loving every minute of it.

Fanny, You have just stated everything that I was thinking! I just knew that I would be the very one that it did not work on!!! I started at 325.5, still trying to loose the last 20! I don't recognise myself! I still see that fluffy person in the mirror looking back at me. I am so thankful for this procedure for it has given me my life back! Hope you are having a great day! Becky

I still don't see it as being all that drastic. It's my weird brain - I know logically I've lost 200+ lbs. But it doesn't seem that drastic to me on the inside. I get flashes of it. I blame how quick I lost. I never thought I'd lose to goal. My personal goal was about 70 lbs more than I currently weigh - because to be below 200 was a dream that I NEVER thought could come true. Hugs to you, ~Lara

I hear ya all! My before and after just floors me. I still occasionally look in the mirror and see the "fat chick" but then I go and pull the clothes out of the drawer and go WHOA! Those are not the clothes of a "fat chick" - they're MINE! I'm proud of all of us. We have worked so hard and deserve to be where we are at.

Yup I do, still marvel when I see my before and after.....I cannot believe it most of the time, and I have look sometimes to just to remain grounded. It just happened too quickly for me.......I lost my little nutt!! I think, and pray, that my stuff is settling into its place in the "family of things" but just about the time I start thinking I'm going to be okay I find another thing to run with........... Wow, I'm not getting here often enough.....this post is 2 days old, but a good one to respond to. Jeannie