5'6, 275#, BMI 43- (sedentary) F

Hi all

First off, ..I know we're all different- different bodies, chemistry, situations... but I've been reading really fantastic success stories and I just wonder, is this really possible for me? Can I really lose 100#s? I really would like to hear from probably ladies that have the similar stats as I do, 

How long did it take you to lose 80/90 pounds? What was you protein v. carb intake? (or calories?) How did you change your exercise behavior/habits?

I'm trying hard to imagine myself 90/100 lbs smaller. I havent been sleeping (lol) from being so excited/nervous about the prospect of all of this...

I'm a HUGE seltzer drinker, and black coffee...double whammy. So far, I've reduced my coffee by 2 cups a day, and switched a lot of my seltzer's out for plain water. I'm going to the gym 1x a week, and next week I'm making it 2x...I'm trying to (slowly) incorporate all of the habits of my soon to be new lifestyle. I really just hope it all works out. 

I hope to have surgery in May, I'm still in the early stages of pre-cert, I need 3 more dietitian appts, psych eval is in 2 weeks, blood work, I have to blow into a bag to check stomach bacteria...and then the surgeon appt.

Any responses are very much appreciated!  

Yes...yes...you can definitely lose 90-100 pounds!  It will take a daily commitment to doing exactly what the doctor tells you to do, but you can do it!  I am 5'5" and needed to lose 80 pounds...which I did in about 8 months.  I've since lost another 12 over the next 4 months.  So...15 months out from surgery, I'm down 92 pounds (which is 20 pounds below a normal BMI for me).  I've been maintaining this weight since September...which means that clothes shopping is a lot of fun!!  As to the seltzer...I was a huge diet Coke drinker (at least 2 44 oz a day) and quit cold turkey!  The day I went to the doctor, he said no more, and I've not touched one since 9-12-2014!  They tell me coffee is OK, so you'll probably be fine with that.  I went to the gym 3-5 days a week before surgery to try and get a head start on the process.  It was a good thing, because I went back to the gym (just walking) the day after surgery.  Now...if I get there once a month I'm doing good!  However, I now have the energy to do a lot more with my family and that includes lots of hiking, so the exercise is just a little different.  Hope all this rambling helps!

My stats are (were) similar to yours.  I ended up losing about 125 lbs. from my highest weight.  I had surgery at age 60, after decades of losing 80 or 90 lbs, then gaining it back again, and more.  By the time I reached 50 I had lost the ability to put even a few days of "diet" together.  With that kind of history, if I can do this you certainly can!  :-)

I will say this, it's mostly a head game, surprisingly.  We think it's about what we eat, but it's really about what we commit to, and whether we take a personal commitment seriously enough to follow through.  It's not easy, I know I failed on many a diet I had "committed to" before surgery.  But for me there was something so radical about having a perfectly functioning organ drastically modified, that so far I've been able to stay the course.

One of the most shocking things I realized early on, as I researched WLS, is that we have to watch what we eat after having the surgery.  My first reaction was well, hell, if I could do THAT I wouldn't need the surgery.  But I kept on reading and researching, and finally settled down to the realities.  The surgery alone wasn't going to magically turn me into a thin person.  I would need to lean in, as they say.

It's been 5.5 years, and I'm SO grateful I did this for myself.  My experience with surgery, immediately post-op, and since has been pretty smooth and complication free.  I wish the same for you!

Thanks for posting. I am hoping to get approved for this revision. I am 63. I haven't seen too many "seniors" on here!

Entirely possible. I am a lot taller, but started with a bmi of 44- so that part is similar. It also means I needed to lose more pounds to get to a normal bmi. I share your coffee addiction, and the good news is that you really don't need to give that up. If you put sugar in it, then swap out the sugar for stevia or something. I used cream the whole way through. It took me 8 months to get to goal. I exercised very regularly during the weight loss phase, and that was super helpful if for no other reason it kept me away from the fridge during my prime eating time. Calories started low... 300-500 during the first 2 weeks, around 700-800 for the first couple months, then up to 900-1000 for a bit, and I think around the 5 or 6 month mark I leveled off at 1200 until I hit goal. You are doing a great thing by working now on improving habits- that will go along way to get you to goal! 

Thank you all so much! I am trying so hard to think positive, but deep inside me lives an "Eeeyore" Lol...

I am 5'7" and weighed 276 the morning I had surgery, 3/31/15. My highest recorded weight was 315lbs. This morning I weighed 156.6lbs, and I am still very slowly losing even though I began transitioning into maintenance six weeks ago.

Yes, you can lose 100lbs, and if you work with the tool your surgeon gives you, ypu should be able to maintain that loss.

I am 5'6" and before I started my pre-op diet I was 288 lbs.  My highest weight was 297 at one point.  I am down 114 lbs (currently at 174).  My goal is 160 and it is MUCH harder to lose now (I am 16 months out as of yesterday) but I am still trying.  I have slacked off a bit and my hunger has returned, although much less food satisfies me.  Your goal is definitely do-able!  Good luck to you!