This was the geatest New Years post ever!! How far we have all come! Isn't is amazing to be in a place where we are SO appreciative just to be normal! 1. I am so thankful for this surgery and all who encouraged me to go for it! 2. To my husband who never made 1 bad remark about my weight and who has not missed a day complimenting my efforts and my losses! 3. My kids never acting embarassed (although I am sure they were!) and now....acting SOO proud! 4. Not being afraid to walk into a room of people because of how I look! 5. Being able to get dressed in 2 minutes and looking good even on my worst days! 6. Feeling good about going ANYWHERE!! NO MORE HIDING! 7. I love that my life does not revolve around food.... 8. NO MORE HEARTBURN!!!! being able to eat spaghetti in small amounts and not hurting for days afterwords! 9. Having the energy to do WHATEVER needs to be done at work, with kids or around the house! 10. I could keep going and going and going because I feel like someone finally gave me the gift of life! Thanks to Dr. Semone, Livlite, my husband and his employer for feeling it is important to cover weightloss surgery...Thanks to my mom and my kids but most of all..thanks to Obesity.com because without you, I would have NEVER considered weight loss surgery and you put the sugery and the research about it at my finger tips! Everyone on this site has been SO awesome!! OK, so I got a little out of hand, but this is a GREAT thread NICE JOB PAMELA!!!! JKN

I am with you all! I have lost 95 pounds putting me 5 ounds from the Docs goals for me, I am happy where I am....143 and 5'5"...a size 6 in most things. an 8 in others and well....my 10s are just plain to big! What is amazing to me is that I don't feel skinny...I don't feel fat either, but when I look in the mirror I just don't see a size 6!!! (What does a size 6 REALLY look like anyway??? ) What I think is the most amazing thing for all of us to remember is that we should all keep loosing for at least 18 months! Maybe not as fast or as steady, but we should loose! I have experienced the 2 up 1 down thing, I have experienced the weeks of nothing...but WOW, this surgery is the BEST thing I have ever done! My marriage is better, my kids are thrilled and my life has become my own....no longer in the prison of fat and flab!! Now, when I see obese people, I just want to scream.....there is help!!!! You can have the greatest tool ever and be set free from it all! BUT....there are choices to be made....everyday. I too can eat tons one day and hardly anything another. Is it possible to have stretched my tummy out over the holidays?? I too grazed over the Holidays, not gaining anything, just not losing....You all are such an inspiration and encouragement!!! THank you all for sharing your struggles and successes they have helped me and kept me encouraged when I felt like I just couldn't do it!!! JKN

Hi Darlene, I am nearly 4 years post op. I weighed 266 when I had my surgery. I had been infertile because of polycystic ovarian syndrome associated with my weight. Well 6 months and 100 pounds after my surgery I was pregnant as well. I was scared and nervous and a little embarrased to be pregnant so soon. I'm happy to report though, that I had a healthy 7lb 2 oz baby girl 2 days before my due date. I gained only 19 pounds during my pregnancy. I have to say that the pregnancy was certainly a lot easier than my first one when I weighed 230. The hardest thing has been that there is that 18 month window when you have the most success with the weight lose. A year after the baby, I was still at 175 which is great for me since I had weighed 266. Well surprise, I was pregnant again! This past April I had a healthy 6lb 14 oz boy. I gained 21 pounds with this pregnancy which is good. I have to tell you though, that when I started creeping toward that 200 pound mark towards the end, I felt a little panicky! I never got there thankfully. My son is now 9 months old and today I weight 181. Don't believe them when they say breast feeding helps you lose weight! Once again I am struggling to lose weight. I know I can do it. I'm back to Weigh****chers again. I know I am better off than I was 4 years ago and certainly the surgery ordeal was worth my 2 beautiful babies. Good Luck! Charmaine

Becky, Congrats on your weight loss! I wonder how that pants thing happens. I also have only lost 2 lbs this month but feel like my pants are getting bigger and no its not due to exercise cuz my lazy butt doesnt exercise!! And as far as the boob thing goes..well ya heard of people joking about golf balls in panty hose!! Well I think thats what I got going on!!! lol!!! I really didnt have much to begin with and really hated losing what little I did have but hey,, if it means getting rid of this other person that Ive been carrying around and her taking the boobs with her...so be it!!! She can have them!!!! I ll take the padded bras over her anyday!!! Congrats on all your hard work!!! Patti 270/180/160ish

I'm doing the new pouch diet again. I've been on full liquids since I was discharged on Saturday. I'm assuming that after my check up on Thursday I can have pureed. I am also assuming that this would not affect my loss rate. I was still losing 2-3 lbs a week. I was very disappointed after being down 145 lbs. I was 5 lbs from goal, and then poof, there's another 17 lbs packed on. I'm not weighing until a few days from now, I already feel some of the bloat going away. This was just a bump in the road. I just hope it doesn't happen again, it was terrible. Not so much the surgery, but the ulcer part, very uncomfortable and I was very weak from not being able to eat so much. Thanks for the well wishes. Eileen