New to the group, had the sleeve

Cronniss · May 2015

Hello all!

I've been on MFP for a couple of weeks now and found this group. It's nice to see that I can be surrounded be people going through pretty much what I am!

I had my surgery back in September of last year when I weighed 358 lbs and looked like this....

...but that wasn't even the start of my journey. And that was the day before my surgery! (Sept. 16th)

About two years before that, give or take, I was actually up to somewhere between 425 and 450 lbs. I don't know the exact weight - even my doctors' scales didn't go up that high.

I was wearing 6XLT shirts and 56" pants.

At first I started changing how I cooked meals. Then I started changing what I cooked. Then I started changing how much I ate.

Over time I eventually lost about 100 lbs with those simple changes. Due to some neurological conditions I have, I am unable to exercise how I would like...so, I eventually decided to go with the gastric sleeve surgery.

About a month (Oct. 4th) later I looked like this....

I don't remember the exact weight, but I went from 6XLT to a 4XLT. I think I was somewhere around 325 lbs.

They told me that most people on average lose 20 lbs within the first month. I lost 26 in the first week. They called me an over-achiever.

Then in December (the 8th) I start looking like this...

...I'm at 294 lbs, between a 4 & a 3 XLT, and wearing 48" pants.

Then in in February (27th), I get to...

...260 lbs, XXLT shirts, and 40" pants.

Not too long ago (March 28th) I came down to...

250 lbs, and an XL(T) shirt.

Now, enter MFP (been on for about 2 weeks), and as of 2 days ago I'm 240 lbs. I don't have a pic....I need new clothes....hehe.

My original goal was 250 lbs. My surgeon had ask me what my goal was and I gave him this answer, and he said that I had a very reasonable goal. Moreso than most people that came to see him. He said that most people my size (6'1") that came to see him wanted to be about 175 lbs.

He then told me the goal he wanted for me: between 225 and 200 lbs.

I laughed. I had said that I'd be happy at 250 lbs and anything passed that would just be a bonus.

Now that I'm passed my original goal...I want to be in that 225 - 200 lb zone.

So...if anyone wants to, feel free to add me as a friend. I could use more - especially those that understand what we're going through. Check out my profile if you'd like. I'm fairly active on it. I'm already starting to blog with it.

Right now I don't have a fitness tracker, so my exercise isn't being recorded; but hopefully that should change in the next month or two.

I hope to see you all around!

cabennett99 · May 2015

Awesome progress, thanks for sharing. You look GREAT! Likewise, I'm coming to believe I will lose more than I initially believed possible....at this point I consider it a miracle.

joysie1970 · May 2015

Amazing! My fiance' just had surgery on Monday I can't wait to show him your pics!

pawoodhull · May 2015

Great success! Congratulations on what you've lost so far and I look forward to seeing the pictures when you hit your goal!

Merylk34 · May 2015

Congratulations. Great pics

newdaynewdawnnewme1 · May 2015

Wow you look awesome and not just you look awesome without the weight you look awesome like you FEEL GREAT!!!! You are an inspiration!

cmchandler74 · May 2015

You look fantastic!! You completely have it within your power to reach that new goal.

Do you have any ideas for trackers? I have the fitbit Flex and I really love it (mostly because I lose EVERYTHING and this straps around my wrist so I can't lose it). It connects really well with MFP and also with the Virgin Healthmiles program we use at work. I've also heard good things about the Charge options they have and the new Surge watch. They also have a smart scale that can connect to your account and upload weigh-ins.

I promise, I don't work for fitbit. I just really love their product and their support is fantastic as well.

Moe0112 · May 2015

Congratulations on your success! You look great!!!

Cronniss · May 2015

Thank you all! I really appreciate it!

And cmchandler74, I've actually taken a good look at the fitness trackers out there. Because of my rather unique situation I have some requirements in a tracker that most people don't.

It took me a while, but I finally narrowed the field down to what I believe is the best option for me...the Polar Loop. It does all the "normal stuff" that fitness trackers do: count steps, calories burned, track activity, etc. But it also has a couple of features I need that a lot of fitness trackers don't have -

Sleep Tracking
HRM
Water Proof

I have nocturnal seizures, so I needed to make sure that I had a fitness tracker that had at least a semi-decent sleep tracker. But this one also has an HRM. Couple this with the sleep tracker and it's almost as good as having an EEG at home. It might not show brain wave activity, but it will at least show interruptions in both my sleep pattern and heart rhythm that happen at the same time...which will be an indication of a seizure.

(Usually my only indication, other than waking up during one, is that I wake up in the morning with a migraine.

)

The water proofing on the tracker is good to 5 ATM. So I'll be able to go swimming with it! Which is one of the extremely few exercises I can actually do! (Because of my headaches and migraines I can't do most exercises. Mostly I do some type of stretching, but beyond that I can't do much else.) When the Dept. of Rehabilitation sends me back to college to be re-educated for a new career, I'm going to take a swimming class for P.E. - so there's some extra exercise for me!

(I'm also going to see about taking a ballroom dance class, if they have one. I've always wanted to learn how to dance, and it's good exercise too! I should be able to handle it.

)

As a bonus, the Polar Loop also has a function to remind you to get up & move if you've been sitting on your duff for too long.

As well as a number of other features. If anyone is interested in finding out more about this tracker you can go to their website, but I would suggest visiting DCRainmaker's Polar Loop Review instead for something really indepth.

I'm just now starting to look at scales. Right now I'm borrowing my roommates' scale...which is a mechanical one. So whenever I lean over to look at the weight it changes.

So far there's two that have caught my eye, both are wifi - Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer and the Fitbit Aria. (I know I linked a black and a white scale. I'd prefer black, but with a $50 difference between the two Fitbits I'll take a white one.

)

If anyone has any suggestions as to scales, I'm all ears.

(Quote from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.)