I have no idea how, but I lost 9 lbs this week.  That takes me to 353, or 107 lbs since my absolute heaviest.  It's so crazy to me, I don't even know how to react.   I'm glad, I'm encouraged, I'm in complete denial -- some part of me thinks I've just los****er weight lol and I wonder if I have it in me to lose another 193 lbs.  But overall, I'm happy.  I'm happy and that's what matters

Yay ^_^ 

 I know how you feel.  At my heaviest (460), I was also wore a 5x pants.  I could never find jeans at Catherines, so I continued to buy them at Lane Bryants, but their pants stop at 26/28.  I'd squeeze into them, then wear them until the inner thighs split, then I'd buy another pair and do the same thing.  One day I was at the mall and my jeans just exploded from thigh to crotch on both sides.  I had to walk to the car with my butt and thighs hanging out and I stayed in the house for 3 days until my next pair of jeans arrived in the mail.

I still have those pants.

When I get to 199, I'm inviting all of my friends over and we're going to cut up those jeans and set the peices on fire.  I'm not even joking, I'm having a big "bring your own scissors" party.  Those pants are a reminder of where I was, and a warning to never get back there again.

I think everyone should keep little reminders around them to keep them focused on their ultimate goal.

I graduated high school 8 years ago, and I was 364 lbs.  I never thought I'd be happy to see that number, but I am!  I'm 2.6 lbs away from it and I'm so excited! 

One of my goals is to look like a new me when I go to my 10 year reunion in 2014 and for the first time, I actually have hope that I'll accomplish that.

Yay!

 Good luck and well wishes!!

I've been meaning to say something about this for a while, but I've been so afraid to do so.  It's one of those things that I'm not sure I know how to say correctly, and I don't want to be offensive or judgemental... but it's just been on my mind so much that I have to get it out.  Sorry in advance if this ruffles any feathers, and sorry that it's so rediculously long.

Note: When I say "you", I'm just saying that as a general term for a random person, not anyone on the board.

---

I know a lot of aggressive, snobby "WLS Pushers".  That sounds so horrible, but it's true.  I don't fault ANYONE for being happy/proud of their weight loss, whether it's 10 lbs or 500 lbs.  Congratulations on your improved health.  I'm super glad you're excited.  I'm a proponent of WLS.  Heck, I had it and I'm glad I did!  But I think some people just take it WAAAAAAY too far.

What do I mean by that?

I mean, stopping a random heavyset person, pulling out your "before" picture and talking to them about the miracle of WLS for 45 minutes.  Just being around that sort of behavior makes me uncomfortable.  I don't think there's anything wrong with dialouging about WLS, especially if you're in an appropriate place (like group meetings for WLS patients or the WLS doctors office), but even then I think people should choose their words carefully.  Knowing how sensitive some people-of-size can be about their weight, I'm astonished at the lack of tact some ex-heavy people can have.

I don't like it when people who've had the surgery try to press other heavy people to do the same.  Again, I don't think it's wrong to broach the subject with people you know, or even a stranger if you're in the right setting, but there's a way to do everything.   I've had a friend outright tell me that if I didn't have this surgery I was going to die.  Of course at 460 lbs I knew my life was in danger, that's not the issue.  I had a doctor tell me my weight was killing me, and that was hard enough to hear... but hearing it from a friend (a friend who'd known what it was like to be heavy) who only said it to be mean and cruel was heart breaking.

I think if you manage to tactfully bring up the subject, but the person doesn't like the idea of WLS, we should respect that.  Don't tell people they'll never lose it all by just dieting and excercising.  Don't quote statistics (cause I know we HATE it when people come to US and tell us that 90% of WLS patients shrivel up and die because they had the surgery).  Don't beat them over the head.  Don't roll your eyes and just assume they're going to balloon and die because they don't want the surgery.

I know people who have approached heavyset strangers at buffets and talked to them about WLS while they were eating.

NO!!  NO NO NO!!

I just think that's horrible.

I think we should remember that:

a) Some people are offended by the notion that they need surgery to lose weight.  Don't be offended by that and preach the WLS gospel as told by St. You.

b) Not every obese person on the planet needs WLS to permanantly lose weight.  There are people out there who can lose 200 lbs and keep it off forever.

c) Not all heavy people are at their heaviest.  Sure they might be 280 lbs, but they could have been 550.  Don't assume.

d) Just because you lost 400 lbs, you don't know everything.

e)  I think if some lives in the USA and they're 70+ lbs over weight, they've at least heard of some sort of WLS, and people shouldn't automatically assume the role of "educator" and corner heavy people on the street. 

f) If you've lost weight and are working to keep it off, remeber how it felt to be heavy and have people comment on your weight (especially if they did it in a public place).  Maybe it didn't make you feel bad, but not everyone has thick skin.

When I was 19, I was working out at a gym and some woman took it upon herself to "train" me and talk to me about dieting, food, and all that good stuff.  I was so out done that I never went to that gym again.  I realize she was excited, but that sort of sudden attention about my weight made me so uncomfortable, and at the time I still didn't know how to confront people about that, especially when they weren't being mean or spiteful.  (Even though that was only 6 years ago, I've LONG since gotten over my meekness when it comes to my weight.)

Then there are "weight loss snobs"; people who just live in their own world of weight loss and think everyone should join them on their planet.  People who can turn ANY conversation down a road that leads to themselves and their miraculous transformation.  And by any conversation, I mean absolutley ANY and EVERY SINGLE conversation.  The world didn't stop revolving around the sun and start spinning around you when you lost a significant amount of weight.  People who roll their eyes at someone else who had WLS and had an ice-cream cone or scoff at people who don't excersice 9 days a week.

Maybe by voicing my distain for judgemental people, I'm being judgemental.  If I am, I appologize.   I had a random run in on another forum where someone asked "how to WLS people manage to gain weight after surgery".  I answered, and was called judgemental.  (In essense I said, if someone had WLS and they keep eating burgers at Wendy's, their weight loss won't be as dramatic as someone who eats lean meats and lots of veggies.  Tough?  Yes.  Judgemental?  I don't know...) 

I don't know how to bring this post to anything resembling a point.  I think I just want to say that success shouldn't turn anyone into a colossal, all knowing d_ck.  Be encouraging or shut the hell up and let that person keep on living and bettering their lives.

This junk has just been on my mind and I needed to vent.  If you made it to the end of this post, thanks for sticking with me and reading my rant.

 I think someone in the main RNY forum had a similar experience.  Anyway, my mom got the hospital bill in the mail and showed it to me.  $40k dollars!  Holy moley!  My cut after insurance?  About $140.    But that big number really caught me off guard.  I thought the surgery was $13k - $15k and then the hospital stay (I was only there overnight) would only be a couple of thousand.  Maybe that was a little naive, but I'd never been in a hospital before so I didn't really know what to expect.

So, I'm grateful that I won't have to work a street corner to pay that bill off.  Hopefully the anesthesiologists' bill will be manageable too.

I'm so happy for you!  I hope you're feeling well.

Here's to looking great and feeling great!  

Thanks guys.  I'm still doing my sugar free snacks and I don't think I'll hop off that wagon.

I've marked every sugar free popsicle in the fridge with a noticable black dot so my mistake won't happen again   At least now I won't freak out if I have something that has a little sugar (like ketchup or the sauce they put on some salmon).

At first I didn't tell anyone, because I'd gone through all the steps before and backed out.  I didn't want to say I was having surgery only to explain to everyone that I chickened out.  When I knew for sure I was having it, I told my mom, and my best friend.  My mom then went on to tell everyone she knew, which I knew she would so I shouldn't even be angry about it.

I'm a quiet person, and I usually don't announce things that I'm doing that only concern myself.  So I haven't out right told a lot of people.  But, if anyone were to ask if I had WLS, I'd tell them outright "I had gastric bypass Feb. 6".

The only problem I've had is people want to ask 50-11 questions at the worst possible time.  Like, I don't want to have a 45 minute discussion while we're standing in a parking lot.  I've just been telling people that I had the surgery, and if they really want to talk about it, to call me after 6, when I'm not as busy.  So far, no one has called lol

I don't know if these really count as NSV's, but I'm counting them

So I have to drive 6 hours to a funeral tonight (don't worry, this post gets less depressing lol), so today I went to have my hair done.  My mom paid for it as a "congrats" for losing weight! (NSV #1).  (I could actually sit in the chair without the circulation to my feet being cut off)  When I told my hairdresser about my weight loss, she did my eyebrows for free!  (NSV #2)

Then I went to buy a jacket from Catherines since my other suit jackets still don't fit yet.  Jackets suck.  My top it technically a 3x, but my upper arms are very large and it forces me to get 4x jackets/long sleeve shirts.  Well, I put on a size 4 jacket, and I just knew I'd have problems getting my arms to fit into the sleeves... BUT IT FIT PERFECTLY!!  I even have a little room in the upper arms!  That never, ever EVER happens!  I'm so excited!  (NSV #3)

I tried to put on some 4x pants... but I'm not there yet (darn these luscious hips ).  I'm getting closer though!

Yaaay!

I've lost weight before (never quite this much though), but I have never, ever, ever EVER been able to notice that I've lost it.  I know a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm always around myself  But I still wear the same size shirts, jeans, I haven't had to re-adjust my watch, I don't wear a ring so I don't know if my fingers have lost weight.

Does there ever come a point where you look in the mirror and say "Hey, I look different than I did a month ago."?  

My sister has been taking 3 pictures of me a week for the past couple of months.  She and my mom say they can tell... but I can't.  Its the oddest thing.

In the end it doesn't REALLY matter, I'm just glad to be losing weight and feeling better.  I'm just curious.  How many lbs. did you lose before you could see it in yourself?

 I never thought I'd be happy to see a 3 in front of my weight, but I am!  I could tap dance on the ceiling right now!  I only lost about 5 lbs this week, but I'm happy for it, because now I'm at 395!  I haven't been this weight for 6 years.  Goodbye forever 400!!  *kicks 400 into the sun*

I have 31 lbs to go and I'll be at my high school graduation weight.  35 to go before I reach my 100 lbs weight loss goal.  Yay!